Thomas Hunt Locke is, among other things, a husband, a father, a businessman, an adventurer, an expat living in Thailand and an author. Not necessarily in that order. He’s a transplanted American. An east coast guy, with Boston ties. It is my impression that he has his life priorities in order. Plus, he and his protagonist, Sam Collins both like CheckInn99 whenever they get a chance to come to the City of Angels. What’s not to like? His second Sam Collins mystery, Jim Thompson is Alive! has dropped recently on Amazon.com and will be available in paperback soon. This follows his debut Sam Collins erotic historical mystery, The Ming Inheritance. Thailand Footprint is pleased to welcome Thom Locke as our Footprint Maker interview of the month.

Author, T Hunt Locke creator of the Sam Collins Historical Mysteries series

Author, T Hunt Locke creator of the Sam Collins Erotic Historical Thriller series

TF Welcome, Thom. Tell me when was the first time you came to Thailand, when did you settle here permanently and what was the attraction to the northern part of Thailand, specifically the Chiang Mai area?
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THL Hi Kevin. I first came to Thailand in the early 1990’s. I was finishing up my grad school work and delivered a paper at a conference in Singapore. I had a few days free afterward so hopped on a bus and headed north. I’m now coming on my 10th anniversary residing in Thailand. Other than a couple of months in Bangkok I have been permanently settled in the north. I don’t live directly in  Chiang Mai anymore but my family and I still make frequent forays into the Rose of the North. The best thing about Chaing Mai, a city I love dearly, is the balance between culture and modernity. I lack for nothing in the modern context, yet I still can meditate in the ancient temple Wat U-Hmong.

TF I enjoy hearing about expats that have chosen to set up a business in Thailand, as well as enjoy the culture and terrain. Tell me about your business, what do you do exactly? Is it full-time, part-time or somewhere in between?  What do you like best about it and how is running a business in Thailand different than it would be back in the USA?
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THL I have set up the N.U. Test Prep. Center. My main service is to prepare young university lecturers for the IELTS or TOEFL exams. I also prepare doctors for the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam). I also do quite a bit of work in business communication with the local government agencies. I’m not sure if there is a category above full-time but if there was I would check that box. Most foreigner teachers in Thailand don’t want to teach test prep so it is difficult to find good help. So in a way I’ve become the ‘go to’ guy for that in my community. It is rewarding. The best aspect of my job is the quality of people I come in contact with everyday. It provides me with a very optimistic outlook on Thai society. In the States I was a community college lecturer so I’ve little experience with the business field stateside. My experience here has been fantastic.
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TF  Your protagonist, Sam Collins – what would readers find admirable and likable about him? Does he have any flaws? I don’t like too many standard questions, but I’ll give you one here: how much of Sam Collins is really T. Hunt Locke? Is he a product of your imagination, part you or a composite of many people whom you have known?
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The Ming Inheritance ecover
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THL Sam Collins is a retired Boston City Police detective. He was forced into early retirement due to a scandal within the force and the city as a whole. He exacted revenge on a drug lord who had murdered his wife & son. Sam is deeply flawed but I believe readers can admire the way he has put back the pieces of his shattered life. He’ll never be whole again. Still he’s making an effort to lead a productive life. One reviewer tabbed Sam as being half Indiana Jones & half James Bond. I’ll live with that. Through Sam I try to also shine a mirror on expat life. Many ‘farang’ come over here to either forget, escape, or otherwise forge a new life.  Sam is not Thom however.
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TF The title of your upcoming novel: Jim Thompson is Alive! A Sam Collins Mystery, is a great one. Most farangs who have spent any time in Thailand and certainly most expats living in Thailand year around know at least something about the Jim Thompson real life mystery. I have taken the tour of the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok, on a very rainy day and it was fascinating, not to mention a gorgeous house. For those readers not familiar with the real life mystery, give us a brief history of the real Jim Thompson and then carry that over into how your story-line came about. Did you have to do a lot of research?
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The Jim Thompson House located in Bangkok, Thailand is well worth a look

The Jim Thompson House located in Bangkok, Thailand is well worth a look

THL Let me begin with the last question. This novel has taken me approximately two years to complete. A great deal of research has been put into my latest work. To step back, Sam Collins novels are erotic historical thrillers. I take each part seriously. The history needs to be well researched otherwise the structure of the plot is weakened. I won’t go in to too much detail, but I conducted several interviews with people who were active in Thailand in the 1960’s. You may know Mama Noi from Check Inn 99. Mama was quite the hot item back in the day and she gave me some fantastic information to provide me with a flavor for that era. The most interesting, surprising perhaps, aspect of the research is the portrait of Jim Thompson which emerges when one digs deep. He is not the person one would expect. My admiration for him grew extensively and in this novel I try deliver that portrait in a way that has not been done before. The William Warren book can rightfully be called a vanity effort. Other efforts as well fall way off the mark. I believe if you read Jim Thompson Is Alive! you’ll find you discover a great deal about the man and his motivations. In addition, much of the novel investigates the United States involvement in the Indo-China war, a conflict that Thompson himself was heavily invested in and at odds with U.S. interests.
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Picture of real life Jim Thompson

Picture of Jim Thompson before his mysterious disappearance

TF What are the benefits of writing, for you? What do you like most about the process from start to finish to publishing? Tell me what you see as the pros and cons in the current publishing climate for independent novelists like yourself?
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THL Everything I do in my life is something that I absolutely cherish undertaking. From my family to my business to my hobbies to my writing, I’m invested in something I completely dig. More directly, the benefit of writing for me is that I’m able to carve a good story from history. I love stories & I like history so, I figured, why not give it a go. What I adore most about the process are the characters that emerge. Gemma from my first novel was a complete surprise and Tukky from Jim Thompson Is Alive! is a big surprise to Sam and me as well. In the end, writing is something that I absolutely love in the same way some people are passionate about scuba diving or other challenging hobbies.
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Thom Locke Skidoo (1)
That being said, my books are not free. So it is important for developing a strategy, a business plan if you will. For me there are no downsides in the DIY publishing age. I’m responsible for everything. I am independent by nature so the way the industry is trending is something that is gratifying. That’s not to say I haven’t made mistakes on the business end. I’m still sorting it out. But it has been fun learning from those mistakes. For example, there is absolutely no upside to signing a contract with a company to put your book online. I can upload the novel directly to Kindle with no middleman. Smashwords I have found to be quite good in that they can connect you to many outlets such as B&N and Sony etc. while charging only a nominal fee.In the end, I find the Amazon age to be a blessing for writers such as myself.
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TF Who are some of your favorite authors – and you can play it safe and name me only the dead ones or take a risk and name the live ones. The middle path is always good so a mix of the two is also fine. And start with your earliest memories of reading, please.
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THL I’ve been an avid reader since I broke my ankle as a ten year old. I had to sit out baseball that year. My world had come to an end. But out of the abyss came a boy clutching a book in one hand and his treasured baseball glove in the other. As for my favorite writers well Umberto Ecco would have to top the list. Unfortunately I don’t have a great deal of time to read nowadays with my busy schedule. I recently finished Dissolution by C. J. Sansom. I quite like the Matthew Shardlake series. When I was younger I was addicted to Robert Ludlum novels. Truth be told, I don’t have a favorite writer in the sense I have a favorite rock ‘n roll band.
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TF I’ve heard it advised that being a writer, is like doing the laundry – it never ends. You finish one book and pretty soon it’s, “What have you done, lately?” So I am guessing that after Jim Thompson is Alive! another project may be in the works? If so, what’s the working title and how will it be different and how will it be similar to the first two Sam Collin’s Mysteries?
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Thom Locke at Backstreet Books in Chiang Mai

Thom Locke, with daughter, at Backstreet Books in Chiang Mai, pleased to have found one of his favorite authors …

THL I’m folding and pressing my latest as we speak and yeah, I ‘ll begin work on my next project come September. I have a total of ten novels loosely outlined. My next effort will be set in the summertime home of my youth, Cape Cod. It will not be  as sexually charged as the Sam Collins Mystery Series though it will be a historical thriller. The working title is Vinland. I’ll follow that up with another Sam Collins thriller. This will be interesting as it will take Sam out of Thailand. I don’t want to be tied to one locale and I believe Sam gives me great flexibility in that regard.

TF There is a lot of turbulence in the world right now. A lot of dissatisfaction in many different areas. The economy, the political climate, an increasing police state that has been eroding freedoms that you and I have taken for granted for a lifetime as Americans. And yet you come across as a very satisfied individual, that like a lot of expats living in Thailand has taken the road less traveled. Does what is going on in the world today have an impact on your life, in any way, shape or form? And I ask the question because I am genuinely curious about the answer. Some people confuse apathy with focus. I see you as a focused individual.
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THL It’s an interesting question, Kevin. Tip O’Neill once said all politics is local. Let me just say that I keep my life local. So, in that sense, there is little turbulence or dissatisfaction for me to contend with. Often people involve themselves in so many things they cannot control and in many cases don’t understand. I can control being a good husband/father, a hardworking & successful business owner, and a better writer. Those are my priorities and I try to focus on those pursuits. I also try to have fun in life! Making new friends and developing solid relationships takes precedence over worrying about the state of the global economy. Basically I try to not be an asshole and live the heck out of the one life I’ve been given. In any case I’m an independent so both sides of the political spectrum piss me off!
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ThomFamily

TF You talked about how your experience with a business in Thailand has been fantastic. Tell me what you like about the Thailand geography, what you like about the Thai people and what you like about Thai culture? Of those three areas, what don’t you like?

THL First, as you know, Thailand is an exquisitely beautiful country. I like to get outside and there is so much to choose from. We try to get into the mountains of Mae Hong Song at least once a year and life would not be complete without at least one trip down south to Krabi or Phuket. Bangkok gets thrown in a couple of times a year as well. That covers a lot of real estate. My wife, being Thai, likes to visit the local shops, markets, and restaurants when visiting such locales. Its a great way to experience the many different cultures that exist within the Thai borders. I think Thai people are generous by nature. Living where I do, off the tourist map as it were, I was a bit of an oddity being one of the few farang around. It was a great way to learn about Thai culture and people. Consider me impressed. If there is one thing I hate about Thailand it is the lack of civility on the roads. Thai drivers are barbaric! And this coming from a Bostonian where bad driving has been elevated to an art form.

TF Thom, we’ve had some fun today. I have a tremendous amount of respect for writers and those writers, like yourself, who write fictional novels. As my guy John Grisham says, “It’s harder than paving asphalt”. So please tell me anything else you would like to, here, that I may have missed about your latest book, but while I am at it, who is your favorite rock n’ roll band? And don’t tell me, Boston.
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THL Well thank you, Kevin for having me as a guest. As for my favorite rock ‘n roll out-fit that is an easy one. The Kinks! I’ve been a Kinks Kultist since my mid-teens.

Jim Thompson Is Alive! is now available on Amazon.  The paperback will follow in September. I’m beginning work with a Thai film director exploring the possibility of turning this novel into a movie. He’s a good friend and I was happy to hear of his interest. We will meet tonight over 100 Pipers!

Click the cover above to go to Amazon.com USA for more info about JIM THOMPSON IS ALIVE!

Click the cover above to go to Amazon.com USA for more info about JIM THOMPSON IS ALIVE! by T. Hunt Locke

TF Thanks, Thom. I hope to klink glasses with you at CheckInn99 soon.