Award Winner: 2018 Best Book Awards Fiction: Western
Vernon came out of the Civil War with a honed talent for violence that disallowed any opportunity for a peaceful existence. Pursuant to a confluence of circumstances, five children living a scratch existence on the outskirts of Jackson, Texas will come to rely on that talent for their very lives. Indeed, one runaway Chickasaw with vengeance in her blood and another with destruction in his will force Vernon to extremes that challenge not only his skill with a revolver but his very survival. With an old man carrying an old shotgun riding at his side, Vernon seeks to control his personal demons while going up against the very real threats that seek to destroy both him and the people he cares about.
"The author delivers a strong protagonist and an engaging supporting cast. ... A likeable, quirky hero and delightful youngsters make this violent yarn appealing." Kirkus Reviews
Award Finalist: 2018 Best Book Awards Fiction: Western
Legendary mountain man Jedediah Smith crosses the desert and finds amidst the lushness of the Spanish missions suspicious Mexican officials, the brutal life of mission Indians, and a simmering insurrection. Two American ship captains who trade along the Pacific coast introduce Jedediah to a Mexican landholder, Estevan Mendoza, his wife, Isabella, and their daughter, Laura. The rancher wants to recruit Jedediah and his mountain men to lead a revolt against the Mexican government. Soon a budding romance and jealousy lead to murder. Political intrigues lead to other killings. What follows is the story of how Jedediah, despite personal yearnings, tries to get his men back to friendly territory, all while attempting to make a profit from the venture. Romance, adventure, jealousy, murder, and travel through a harrowing wilderness combine in this historical novel set in California and the mountain West from 1826 to 1828. Includes Readers Guide.
Award Finalist: 2018 Best Book Awards Fiction: Western
Is it finally time for Danny McNaughton to give up his playboy ways and marry his soul mate, even though her three-year absence seems to be hiding a multitude of secrets? Danny has one secret of his own that he didn’t know existed until he met an old girlfriend at a bull riding event out of town. Danny’s old nemesis, pro bull rider Chad Carter, is back and causing trouble again, but the rough edges between the two might be smoothing somewhat when they are forced to act together to protect their mutual interests from some very bad people. The McNaughton Legacy has been all about family from the very beginning, but this book explores some of the ways that the concept of family affects our lives, sometimes in positive ways and sometimes in bad. Does being blood kin really matter that much in the overall scheme of things? Why don’t you come along for the ride? I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Other books in the McNaughton Legacy: The McNaughton Adam: A Novella Guarding the Legacy Lost in the Shadows Cowboys, Bulls & Thorns
