Chet Nicholson (1946-2014) was born in East Tennessee, the son of a professional soldier, and raised on Army bases around the world. He enlisted in the U.S. Army paratroopers out of high school at 17, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at 19, and at 21 led a platoon in Viet Nam. In 1984, he finished law school at the University of Mississippi and practiced law on the Mississippi Gulf Coast until his death in 2014. A life-long hiker and outdoor enthusiast, he walked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1999. His other novels include Dream Room: Tales of the Dixie Mafia and Coast Rats (scheduled for release in 2016).