Authors To Watch: Larry D. Thompson Author of White Witch @ldtauthor #whitewitch #thriller

After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Larry spent the first half of his professional life as a trial lawyer. He tried well over 300 cases and won more than 95% of them. Although he had not taken a writing class since freshman English (back when they wrote on stone tablets), he figured that he had read enough novels and knew enough about trials, lawyers, judges, and courtrooms that he could do it. Besides, his late, older brother, Thomas Thompson, was one of the best true crime writers to ever set a pen to paper; so, just maybe, there was something in the Thompson gene pool that would be guide him into this new career.  He started writing his first novel about a dozen years ago and published it a couple of years thereafter. He has now written five highly acclaimed legal thrillers. White Witch is number six with many more to come.

Larry is married to his wife, Vicki. He has three children scattered from Colorado to Austin to Boca Raton, and four grandchildren. He has been trying to retire from the law practice to devote full time to writing. Hopefully, that will occur by the end of 2018. He still lives in Houston, but spends his summers in Vail CO, high on a mountain where he is inspired by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

His latest book is the captivating thriller, WHITE WITCH.

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Title: WHITE WITCH
Author: Larry D. Thompson
Publisher: Story Merchant Books
Pages: 291
Genre: Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

Jamaica is a place where the surreal is simply everyday reality. When a ruthless American aluminum company plans to strip mine the Jamaican rainforest, they send former Navy SEAL Will Taylor to Montego Bay to deal with local resistance on their behalf. But he’s unaware that the British had signed a treaty deeding the rainforest to the Jamaican Maroons, descendants of escaped slaves, over 300 years ago. The Maroons fought and died for their land then, and are more than willing to do so now, whether it’s the British or the Americans who threaten them this time around.

Upon Will’s arrival, a series of inexplicable murders begin, some carried out with deadly snake daggers that were owned and used by Annie Palmer, a voodoo priestess better known as the White Witch. She was killed 200 years prior, but is said to still haunt the island at night, and the local Jamaicans are certain she’s responsible for the gruesome murders, her form of retaliation against the new turmoil taking place in the rainforest.

And Will has been forced directly into the middle of it. After a few close calls, he’s finally convinced to leave his company and join forces with the Maroons, headed by Vertise Broderick, a Maroon who resigned from her position at the New York Times to return to Jamaica to stop the mining. Together they hire a Jamaican attorney to prove that the Maroon/British treaty is still valid to stop the mining, and they take it upon themselves to solve the White Witch murders, because the legend of the White Witch can’t possibly be true…

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We welcome you to My Bookish Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?

About ten years ago I decided to see if I could write a novel. Considering that my last writing class was as a freshman at The University of Texas, I started writing. I found that I really enjoyed the creative process. Fortunately, readers liked what I wrote. 

Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?

I am a plotter. I write a 15-20 page outline before I start the novel. After that, I set it aside and usually do not look at again until the story is finished (I’m always curious how far I strayed from my original concept). I mostly write at home where I have a nice office and a great back porch. Then, we go to Colorado in the summer. The mountains are a great source of inspiration.

Can you tell us about your most recent release? 

The story is a clash between the Maroons, a poor but proud people who won their land, fighting the Spaniards and British several hundred years ago. When an American mining company threatens to strip mine their rain forest, they realize they may have to fight a foreign force again. The name of the book comes from Jamaica’s White Witch, a cruel slave owner who lived two hundred years ago. Many Jamaicans believe that she still roams the area around Montego Bay and is responsible for many murders. 

How did you get the idea for the book?

My son, Kel Thompson, was in Montego Bay on business and came back talking about the White Witch. Shortly thereafter he and I spent a week researching her and the Maroons. 

Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why?

Vertise Broderick is the daughter of the head of the Maroons and writes for Montego newspaper where she uses the power of the pen to fight the Americans.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?

I had to combine the legend of the White Witch with the Maroon history. That took some creativity, but it came out very well.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m starting research on my next novel and hope to be writing in a couple of months. I would rather not disclose the subject matter at this time. 

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?

Just keep writing. Success does not come overnight.