My friend and fellow attorney/author has his next legal thriller being published on June 7. Like me, Bob was a trial lawyer before he turned to writing. I’ve read several of his novels and find them all with hairpin, twisting plots and well-drawn courtroom scenes. I haven’t read this one yet (but I have ordered it on Kindle}. However, I think I can guarantee that if you liked THE TRIAL, you’ll like MURDER ONE. After I read it, I’ll post more.

In writing THE TRIAL, I fictionalized findings on several real life drugs. One was Avandia. Late last summer the FDA finally conceded that it may have led to heart attacks in 40,000 plus diabetics. Just today I received an alert from the FDA: AVANDIA is now believed to have caused over 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007. And remember that Avandia stayed on the market through the fall of 2011 when the FDA permitted GlaxoSmithKline to keep it on the market, but with a “black box” warning. The United States is the only country in the world where drug regulators allowed GSK to keep it on the market. Note that the quoted statistics are only through 2007. I presume the heart attacks for the last four years are still being counted.

Well, I admit I’ve been busy the past few weeks.  So, forgive me for not posting here.  The book is launched and I’m signing at stores around Texas.  I’ve received rave reviews from readers and critics (except for one old sorehead from Putlisher’s Weekly).  Here’s one that just came to the website last night that I particularly like:  “I have never written the author of a book I read before, so at 83 years of age, this is a first for me.  I just finished reading The Trial and I can honestly say I have never read a more griping book–I literally could not put it down, reading until my old eyes lost their focus.  Please write another book soon.  I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your skill in building an exciting plot and thank you. 

Now, if that doesn’t get my creative juices flowing, nothing will, and I’m already well into my next story, to be published by St. Martin’s next year. 

And a favor.  If you like my book, please go onto Amazon and review it.  A couple of sentences will do and it’ll tke about five minutes.  I prefer five stars, but rate it as you see fit.  Thanks.

Larry

Progestrone injections have been used for years to prevent premature birth. They were made by compounding pharmacies and sold for as little as $10 per injectioin because they cost pennies to make. No more! The FDA has just given KV Pharmaceutical exclusive rights to produce the harmone. KV says it will now sell the injections for $1500 apiece. No, that’s not a typo. Now such therapy for a pregnant woman can cost up to $30,000. Thanks for looking out for the interests of the public, FDA.

And yesterday Congressman Dick Durbin introduced his annual bill to demand that the Secretary of Health and Human Services negiotiate lower lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. Such legislation threatens Obama’s deal with Big Pharma for industry support of Obamacare. Supposedly as part of the deal Big Pharma was to provide $80B worth of discounts to seniors. If any senior has seen that discount, please raise your hand.
Durbin and others believe that if HHS could be allowed to negiotiate with Big Pharma for lower drug prices, the savings to the government would be $20B per year along with lower co-pays to Medicaire beneficiaries. Don’t hold your breath.

Meantime, buy THE TRIAL to learn about the incestuous relationship between Big Pharma and the FDA. It’s on sale March 29.

Springlakes Book Club in Augusta, Georgia was one of the winning clubs in the Bookmovement.com drawing for signed ARC’s of The Trial.  I invited the club to allow me to join their meeting about The Trial via Skype.  This past Monday evening we had a smooth connection and a wonderfully interactive visit for over an hour.  The questions about the book, the format, the story line, writing and the backstory were inciteful.  It was a joy for me to be included.  Thank-you ladies! 

Skype makes reading group appearances at great distances possible.  The size of the group is not an issue.  It just takes an internet connection and a computer with a camera and microphone (nearly all notebook computers come already equiped).  Add The Trial to your reading group’s agenda and contact me to set up a Skype visit.  ldt@larrydthompson.com

This is a busy time for Vicki and me. This is my first hardcover book with a major publisher. Right now promotion is the name of the game. We’re working with St. Martin’s publicists, editors, and others and at the same time lining up book signings and other events. Just getting everything done for the March 29 book launch is almost a full time job for Vicki. I want to get back to writing my next novel, and I have to get a couple of cases ready for trial later on this spring. Fortunately, I’ve been a trial lawyer for a long time and have mastered the ability of keeping a lot of balls in the air without dropping one. Like most authors, I wish I could just turn a manuscript over to the publisher and start writing the next. But that’s not how the publishing business works. I’m reminded of my late brother, Tommy, a world class author many years ago. He did the book tours and appearances on his first two books and they did well. By the time he finished his third, he thought he was so well known that he didn’t need to promote the book. It’s title was “Lost,” and he said that was appropriate because no one found it at the book stores. His next was “Blood and Money,” and he was back on the circuit. It, of course, was a giant best seller, but he always remembered the lesson he learned from “Lost.” I, too, learned that lesson.

Great drama is found in the cross-examination of a key character in novels and in real courtrooms. Think of Grisham’s A Time to Kill, the classic play and movie Inherit the Wind and the classic book and movie To Kill a Mockingbird. Remember what caused President Bill Clinton his biggest problem? When cross-examined under oath in a deposition he lied about Monica Lewinsky. It cost him his law license and his “impeachment”. It wasn’t what he did with her that got him into the most trouble, it was his lie while under oath. I have had the privilege of cross-examining some of the most fascinating characters in my 40 years as a trial lawyer. In this great age of electronic communication I can share that experience with all of you.  We can have our own virtual courtroom right here on my blog. Who would you want to see in the “hot seat” of the witness stand? This can be a real person, a celebrity, it can be a deceased person, a historical figure or even a conceptual character rather than an actual person. Who would you want to have ask the questions? Would the cross-examiner be me, you, another person or conceptual character? What would you want to have the witnessed asked? What is the “kill” question? What is the range of possible answers? I have some trials coming up however I will log in as often as time will allow and weigh in too.   I’ll pick one of your suggestions every week or so and call the courtroom to order.  We can all shape the cross-examination together.   Tell me – who is going to be on our hot seat?

So, I planned a trip to Boca Raton to see son Kel and family the day after Christmas (after the onslaught of all the other relatives), only two days since I figured he and Brandi and two little children would need a little down time. Unfortunately, I hit at the same time as a stomach virus that is “going around.” I stayed for dinner and then left for them to collapse in bed. Things haven’t changed much this morning; so, I’m in my motel room working on my next novel. Oh well, Merry Christmas to all and let’s hope that 2011 is far better than 2010 has been.

Larry

Vicki and I drove o Fort Worth on Friday for a three day weekend. Two purposes: (1) To see some of my old highschool friends and have dinner with some of Vicki’s friends. We also had dinner with the real “Whizmo.” You’ll understand that better when you finally get a chnce to read THE TRIAL in April; (2) I’m working on a proposal for St. Martin’s for my next novel. Ken Atchiity, world’s greatest literary manager, and I have about reached agreement on the proposal. I can’t tell you much about it except to say that it is set in Fort Worth, where I was born and raised. I wanted to get a good “feel” for Fort Worth now as compared to when I grew up there many years ago. NOw it’s a vibrant, dynamic city, but one that still maintains a certain small town sense about it. A really great combination. It’s going to be fun to write about characters who live, work, play and get into trouble in Cowtown. By the way, they are absolutely wild about the TCU Horn Frogs and their trip to the Rose Bowl. Since I can’t say “Hook ‘em Horns” any more this season, I’ll just say “Go Frogs!”