William Webster, a Greenville-based entrepreneur and former high-ranking government official, has co-authored a new thriller novel titled Rockets’ Red Glare alongside established crime writer Dick Lochte. The book, recently published by Blackstone Publishing, delves into a gripping investigation led by tribal police deputy Sage Mendiluze across national parks in the United States.
Rockets’ Red Glare follows Mendiluze, a law enforcement officer from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, who confronts a series of sniper murders targeting wilderness guides. As the body count rises, Mendiluze and his loyal Australian shepherd, Peak, are thrust into a tense manhunt to stop the assailants before a national holiday deadline. The storyline is poised to captivate fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series and the television drama Joe Pickett, based on C.J. Box’s novels.
Webster’s extensive background in politics and government service significantly informed the novel’s themes and characters. Notably, his personal experience on September 11, 2001, when he was in Washington, D.C., witnessing the attack on the Pentagon firsthand, provided a profound influence on the book’s narrative tension and realism.
Before turning to writing, Webster’s career spanned influential government roles including White House Fellow, Chief of Staff for Presidential Personnel during the Clinton transition, and Assistant to the President and Director of Scheduling and Advance at the White House. His business credentials are equally notable, having served as President and CEO of Carabo Inc., overseeing 27 Bojangles Chicken ’n Biscuit restaurants, and as co-founder and CEO of Advance America, a financial services company with annual revenues of $750 million at the time of its 2012 sale. Webster also helped found LKQ Corp., now a $12 billion global provider of automotive parts.
Webster’s literary debut is partly inspired by his dog Sky, a heterochromatic Husky-Pomeranian mix, reflecting his passion for dogs and the outdoors. He and his wife Teresa reside in Greenville with their four children and two dogs. An avid marathon runner, Webster has completed over 120 marathons.
Co-author Dick Lochte, a Southern California resident, brings extensive crime fiction experience to the project. He has penned multiple novels, including The Talk Show Murders with Al Roker.
Rockets’ Red Glare is available now in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
