Michael Hicks Thompson knows a thing or two about quirky characters, a strong faith and the value of a good story.
The Yazoo County native has taken those qualities and put them into writing with his latest Christian murder mystery The Rector.
“First and foremost, it’s a twisty, mystery/suspense novel that morphs into a thriller,” Thompson said. “Yet, it’s Christian based. It’s even embedded with an allegory, but I don't want to spoil it for any reader, so I'll say no more.”
Thompson describes his work as “Christian fiction with theology.” And his newest publication has been receiving rave reviews from critics all over the country.
But despite his growing popularity, Thompson doesn’t forget his humble roots in rural Yazoo County. He was just a country boy who got into his fair share of mischief.
Thompson was the youngest of four boys born to Frazier and Olga Thompson. The family lived on their homestead right outside of Bentonia.
“I was born in my mother's own bed,” Thompson said. “My mother, Olga Wright Thompson, was from Jackson. My father, Frazier, from Carter. They married at the beginning of World War II and had two sons in Monroe, La. When the war ended, he was the only male descendant of William Puffer; at one time, the largest tax payer in Yazoo County.”
When an uncle passed away, the Thompson family took over his farm.
“My father took over the farm when Uncle William died, and we moved into the tiny town of Bentonia when I was five,” he said. “The Thompson boys would grow up to wreak havoc on Yazoo County and the Delta.”
But it was during those early years in rural Yazoo County that Thompson began to take notice of the many characters and stories that flourished around him.
Thompson grew older and soon left Yazoo County to pursue his education. But along the way, he continued to take notes in his head that would later develop into stories.
“Not long after receiving a masters degree in mass communication from the University of South Carolina, I started a one-man ad agency,” Thompson said. “It eventually grew to two cities and 87 employees. I was creative director and one of the copywriters. So, I wrote short, punchy ad copy for over 30 years.”
In 2007, Thompson began working on novel writing as a hobby. And he also began using his changed heart and faith as a basis for much of his work.
Thompson wrote, art directed and published two graphic novels on the life of David from the Old Testament, David, The Illustrated Novel.
Thompson succeeded with his new venture, and he sold his ad agency in 2010. His new profession became writing novels, Christian Fiction.
“The biggest reward is to start from a blank page and create a suspenseful, yet informative story,” he said.
Thompson admits book publication has become a tough business with instant availability of the Internet and other avenues.
“It’s tough to build a following,” he said. “My biggest challenge is exposure and building a fan base who'll want to read the next novel, and the next, in my series, the Solo Ladies Bible Study.”
Thompson’s next novel will be released in January of 2017.
And when he is not writing, Thompson keeps himself busy.
He is a sailboat captain and scuba diver. He’s a Kairos prison ministry team member. He’s traveled to Cuba twice on door-to-door evangelism mission trips. He speaks at conventions. He taught night classes at Memphis College of Art. He holds Sunday School for college/career singles. And he’s an honorary deputy sheriff in both Mississippi and Tennessee.
But he hasn’t forgotten Yazoo County. He has placed his books at Yazoo Drugs and Downtown Marketplace. And he encourages others to purchase his work locally.
Thompson will be at Yazoo Drugs on Nov. 11 and Downtown Marketplace on Nov. 12. He’ll be signing books and telling stories about his characters in The Rector.
And he is ready to visit home.
“Ahh, seeing old friends from high school and Yazoo County,” he said. “Hopefully, many will come out, sit, and talk. I’m not famous, or even successful as a novelist. I’ve changed a lot; been humbled, many times. Mostly, I'm thankful to our Lord for what He’s given me.”
