“The characters jump right off the page and into your heart. If you’re a fan of second-chance stories, this is for you! It’s all about the power of music to unite people from all backgrounds. A beautiful song of a story.” (Sam Wade, Producer, Songwriter, and “Hadestown” band member.)

Hello from East Nashville. I’m excited to tell you about my new book. It’s a story is about how music brings a diverse community of characters together – after some profound personal and community tragedies – to accomplish something miraculous when they least expect it. It’s based on people I have known and pieces of stories I have heard and is set right here in the community I have called home for over 18 years. It even includes some real events from East Nashville history over the last half-century. It really is a musical fable with a Rock and Soul, Gospel, Americana, and Tejano soundtrack setting an unlikely tribe of people on fire in the best possible way.

“The characters in this compelling story are people I’d love to hang with. This book sprang straight from the creative heart of the Nashville music scene. It’s multigenerational, multicultural, full of energy and pain and possibility. Best of all, it’s a page-turner. You fall in love with these folk and must find out what happens to them. A great read I want to revisit.” (Gwen Moore)

This is my third book, but my first novel. I spent eight years writing it, and then a few years ago a small group of friends kicked in some money to help me hire an excellent editor to help me finish it. Then, in the Summer of 2024 we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of a new Publishing Company and the printing of the first run of books! The book was “soft released” in December, 2024 to Kickstarter backers and has been available in several local East Nashville shops. It’s been so excited to see the first handful of reviews come in! (Click HERE to read Jeff Elbel’s wonderful reflection in the Illinois Entertainer!)

“I found The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville invigorating and capable of not just entertaining me but also serving as a catalyst for how I might live in the new year.” (Pastor Matt Staniz, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Philadelphia PA)

This book also includes the release of my new song, “Sweet Marianne” – a tune I wrote in character for the story. I was thrilled to be able to record it with none other than Phil Keaggy – and to have additional accordion added by Jeffrey Taylor (Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, etc.) You can stream that song here, but anyone who buys the book will get a private download option before the song is publicly released.

“The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville is the first book I’ve ever read that truly captures the core of the magic of East Nashville.  Thompson has created unforgettable characters who perfectly match the various unforgettable characters I have come to learn about, listen to, and fully appreciate in real life while living in East Nashville for almost 20 years. East Nashville is an epicenter of creativity that is more of the foundation of Nashville than any other creative part of Music City. The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville is a wonderful example for outsiders to get a real picture of what has been going on in East Nashville for over 25 years. Also, it provides the community blueprint for how the essence of what is loved most can be maintained and grow for the locals who refuse to leave (or get kicked out due to the ‘progress’ of a city growing faster than it is ready for.) I can’t recommend this book enough, and I’m excited to read it again and stay tuned with the magic that John Joseph Thompson will continue to create with everyone, young and old, who choose to make Nashville their home, too.” – Chuck Beard, East Side Story, Metro Arts Nashville

You can ORDER SIGNED COPIES of the book at the new site LostPerros.com. There were only 1,000 copies of the “Early Edition” printed, and most of those are gone. Order yours now and it will be shipped to you in within a few days. We also have T-shirts and mugs IN STOCK and ready to ship with the books. The audiobook and ebook versions are ready to send to you RIGHT NOW. If you order those (or a package that includes those) they will be sent to you immediately. You can also now get the book through any local bookstore via IngramSpark distribution or online via Barnes and Noble, Girder Music, Hearts and Minds Books, or Amazon.

“John J. Thompson did much more than create a fictional band on these pages; he invited you and me to join one. As I read, it wasn’t difficult to imagine myself living in East Nashville and being introduced to neighbors I needed to know. And any book that features Bono & the Beatles, a benefit concert & Bonnaroo, Bobs Dylan & Marley, and the Beatles & biscuits, is for me. Stevie Wonder famously sang, ‘Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.’ Thankfully – for all of us – JJT speaks it fluently.” -Rob Birks

“A charming book with likable characters and a story that isn’t rushing the reader along. Thompson has created a cast of characters you start caring about as soon as the pages turn. That’s because it seems likely that the author cares about them, too. Maybe it’s because I read the book during the holiday season, but “The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville” has all the feel-goodness of a timely holiday movie.” (Phil Madeira, Songwriter, Producer, Musician with Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, etc.)

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