J. R. Thompson

About the book:
From the wilderness of northeast Minnesota comes a moving story about a magnificent animal that was born as a result of a union between a beautiful female German Shepherd and a lone wolf. Tragedy occurred early in the pup’s life when he and the family were attacked by aerial hunters. He was shot and near death when a lumberman, Mike Banning, found him and rushed him to a local veterinarian who saved his life. After he recovered, the Banning family adopted him and named him Buster. He quickly adjusted to his new surroundings and became devoted to Mike’s wife, Becky, and their two children, Jeff and Julie. Two years later he had grown to an astounding 140 pounds, and people came from miles around to see this unusual animal that looked like a wolf, but had the colors of a German Shepherd. Unfortunately, there were also evil-minded people that recognized an opportunity and targeted Buster for their dog-fighting business. Although Buster had become domesticated, the wolf blood line remained strong within him, and he would be a formidable force to anyone threatening the Banning family.

The story is filled with action, The story is filled with action, suspense, and a heart-wrenching conclusion reminiscent of Old Yeller and White Fang

About Thompson:
 As a youngster, growing up in Norwich, New York, I was fascinated by the land and the creatures that lived there. I would play for hours in the woods behind my home, pretending I was a great hunter like Daniel Boone; darting from one tree to another, then crawling on my hands and knees to try and surprise an unsuspecting deer. I never got close as chattering squirrels and the warning call of a blue jay spoiled my chances. Probably didn’t matter. My choice of weapon was a Gene Autry water pistol.

My love of the outdoors grew even stronger as I pursued a career in marketing with several national firms. This required a lot of travel and afforded me the opportunity to play golf and fish in some of the most beautiful regions of the country. I could hardly wait to retire to devote more time to my hobbies. However, as time passed, these activities took a back seat to a more meaningful endeavor.

One night, two of my grandchildren asked me to read them a bedtime story. I couldn’t find a suitable book for a nine and twelve year old, so I turned to my vivid and sometimes wild imagination, and came up with a tale about my favorite animals; dogs and wolves. The kids loved it, and, from that moment on, pestered me at every opportunity to turn that story into a novel.