JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. No one knows better than the American masters of epic Western fiction that forging a new life on the frontier takes hope, drive, and plenty of ammunition. The war is over. But a new battle is on the horizon. Based on true events. It’s 1852. The wounds of the Mexican War are healing. Regis Royle, co-owner of a steamship fleet, has made it out alive, relatively unscarred and with enough profit and foolhardy ambition to envision a new life in south Texas. With the help of his crack-shot kid brother Shepley, his glad-handing riverboat partner Cormac Delany, and his old friend, raw-edged former Texas Ranger Jarvis “Bone” McGraw, Regis is laying claim to the prime jewel in a magnificent rolling prairie: the Santa Calina range teeming with wild mustangs, cattle, and eighteen-thousand acres of lush promise. But all dreams have a price. For Regis, it’s hell to pay—and the fire is coming at him from all directions. On one side of the border, it’s banditos and a vengeful Mexican heiress with a passionate hatred for greenhorn gringos. Especially those who have their eye on land once owned by her family. On the other side, the Apaches, slave traders, and outlaws have Santa Calina in their sights. And none of them are going to walk away from the bloody battle. The brothers Royle and their partners have the most to lose—including their lives. They made a pledge to themselves to build the greatest ranch in America. To see it through to the end, they’ll have to ride hard and learn the bitter necessity of violence and bloodshed.

"Superb from start to finish. An instant classic." —New York Times Bestselling Author Marc Cameron on Forever TexasExperience the gritty reality of life on the Texas frontier in this riveting historical adventure based on actual events and the true history of the legendary King Ranch, as one pioneering ranch family carves out their own piece of the American West… South Texas, 1854. Regis Royle is determined to turn eighteen-thousand acres of raw prairie into the greatest cattle ranch in the world. But he can’t do it alone. The region is wilder than a herd of mustangs—and crawling with rustlers. Teaming up with the Cattlemen’s Justice Consortium, Regis hopes to stop the rustling and start laying tracks for a new railway. Problem is, the cattlemen—including Jarvis “Bone” McGraw, Regis’s own ranch manager—can’t help but lock horns with the Texas Rangers. And it doesn’t take long for this brewing pot of very bad blood to get a whole lot worse . . . First blood is spilled in Corpus Christie. Regis’s reckless young brother Shep is wounded by the beautiful daughter of their fiercest enemies, the powerful Valdez family. The news of a possible rail line has divided the ranchers into warring factions. And Regis Royle has to keep the peace with McGraw, take a gamble with his business partner, and keep his wayward brother in one piece. But things really heat up when Regis learns that the Valdez family are claiming rights to the Royle Ranch’s land. And they’ll do anything to get it back. Even kill . . . The brothers Royle may be newcomers but they’re no greenhorns. They’ve got what it takes to be Texans. And that means never stop fighting for your dream.

Based on real events and the true history of the legendary King Ranch in South Texas, this riveting historical adventure evokes the reality of life on the Texas frontier, as one pioneering family battles to carve out their own piece of the American West while preparing for the deadliest conflict in U.S. history . . . Civil War is brewing. Everything is about to change. Based on true events. When Regis Royle dreams, he dreams big. And since everything’s bigger in Texas, his dream is to make the Royle Ranch the biggest cattle supplier in the country. Problem is, the country is splitting apart, people are taking sides, and everyone’s gearing up for a full-blown War Between the States. Regis’s kid brother, Shepley, has enlisted in the Army. His trusted foreman “Bone” McGraw has left to rejoin the Texas Rangers. And the rail lines have been rerouted for the war effort. Which means Regis has to transport his cows the hard way: a cattle drive . . . This will be one hellish journey he’ll never forget. If he survives. With only a skeleton crew of ranch hands, Regis takes the lead to drive the cattle northward—facing more perils than he ever imagined. He and his men are attacked by a brutal, thieving band of Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, and half-breeds. They’re plagued by violent storms, relentless heat, stampeding herds, and poisonous snakes. When Regis gets separated from his men, he fears he’s reached the end of the line. But giving up is not an option. A Texan knows he has to keep fighting—even in America’s darkest hour—to keep the dream alive . . . JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. A TEXAN’S DREAM. OR A TEXAN’S NIGHTMARE