Jay Whales Interview with Author Bill Thhompson
Where did the inspiration for Order of Succession come from?
It came from more than one place. I began crafting in January 2016 and I wrote it in the spring. By then the debates and bickering that have surrounded this year’s presidential election had begun. The idea of an irascible, bull-headed man becoming president was interesting, and I ultimately gave him a criminal disposition as well.
The terrorist events of 9/11 and afterwards also played into the story. What if foreign groups could eliminate the top leaders of the USA? What if a Middle Eastern billionaire could take control of an American oil company? The ideas flowed and the story emerged.
2. Which authors influence your writing style?
There aren’t a lot of authors writing archaeological fiction (although is a real stretch of the genre, and I expect future books will continue to do so). I really enjoy the thought-provoking ideas put forth by Graham Hancock, Dr. Robert Schoch and Frank Joseph, among others. I love Clive Cussler’s action-packed thrillers and the fascinating stories and theories in books such as these help stoke my creative thought process.
I’d be remiss not to mention Russell Blake, an author whose style is very different from mine, but who has been a great help to me. He was the subject of a article in 2012 identifying him as the most prolific author of the day. I read the story, picked up the first of his thrillers and couldn’t stop! He’s been a huge help to many indie authors. His blogs offer his thoughts and ideas on how to be a better writer, how to market books, and on life in general. I appreciate the assistance and inspiration he’s given me.
3. What is your ultimate goal as a writer?
My goal is to keep turning out books that readers will enjoy. It’s gratifying when I get emails asking for more books when I’ve been away from his character for a year. I love what I’m doing and I think financial success is good but the knowledge that I’m spinning tales people like is the greatest.
4. Do you always know where the story’s going, and what the ending will be, from the beginning? Have you ever changed courses midstream and/or not known the ending when you started the book?
I get asked this question a lot. I always know where the story’s supposed to go because I outline at least half the book before I start. I have never outlined the entire book up front, and only twice out of nine novels have I both known the ending up front, and actually gotten there.
That said, my stories always change directions on me. My characters move on their own sometimes, doing things I didn’t see coming. I may write for hours, stop and compare what I’ve done to my outline, and realize I have gone in a completely different direction. One of my characters has taken off on his own, down a different path. If I like where it’s going, that becomes the new direction and I go for it.
5. What’s the hardest aspect of creating a book?
One of the hardest things for me is to stick to the subject and avoid tangents. In my earlier books I’d get halfway through, stop and go back. I’d jot down all the loose ends I’d created and either tie them down or take them out. And there would be dozens sometimes.
My outlining helps me avoid that these days, but I still have to restrain myself from branching out into a subset that doesn’t have anything to do with the overall plot.
Bill Thompson became a corporate entrepreneur early when at age 12, he started a company that bought and sold coins. By age 25 he had founded an insurance agency that became one of the largest in Oklahoma. Expanding and adding to that firm, Thompson created a financial services holding company that operated in several states plus Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and England. He later sold his interests and joined his son as an executive in a computer memory manufacturing and distribution company, which by 1995 had grown to be in the top ten nationally by sales.
When that company sold, he decided to pursue a lifelong passion—writing archaeological thrillers. His burning interest in ancient sites, mysteries of the past, unexplained things in the jungle and stories of adventure in remote places drove him to frequent trips around the world. He has visited numerous historically significant sites, including Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, Avebury, Egypt, Petra and many ancient Olmec, Aztec and Maya cities in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
For more information, please visit www.billthompsonbooks.com, and connect with Thompson through Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Order of Succession can be purchased on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Continue with the blog tour tomorrow at Lori's Reading Corner!
