
Part of Series
JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE LEGENDS DIE HARD. Riding shotgun, Red Ryan leads a doomed stagecoach of the damned on the longest, deadliest journey of his life . . . 5 PASSENGERS. 400 MILES. 1,000 WAYS TO DIE. According to local legend, the stagecoach known as the Gray Ghost is either haunted, cursed, or just plain unlucky. Each of its last three drivers and three more riding shotgun came to a violent, bloody end. And now it’s Red Ryan’s turn to guard five foolhardy passengers on the stage’s next—and possibly last—trip. The travelers are a small troupe of performers with dark histories of their a song-and-dance man with a drinking problem, a juggler with a secret, a knife thrower with a past, and a beautiful fan dancer who’s on the run from a one-eyed, vengeance-seeking outlaw . . . Red’s not the superstitious type. But with Apaches on the warpath with bloodlust—and a one-eyed cutthroat killer on his trail—this 400 mile journey is like something straight out of his worst nightmare. And all the roads lead straight to hell . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
Author

William Wallace Johnstone was a prolific American author, mostly of western, horror and survivalist novels. Born and raised in southern Missouri, Johnstone was the youngest of four children. His father was a minister and his mother a school teacher. He quit school when he was fifteen and worked in a carnival and as a deputy sheriff. He later served in the Army and, upon returning to civilian life, worked in radio broadcasting for 16 years. Johnstone started his writing career in 1970, but did not have any works published until 1979 (The Devil's Kiss) and became a full-time writer in 1980. He wrote close to two hundred books in numerous genres, including suspense and horror. His main publication series were Mountain Man, The First Mountain Man, Ashes and Eagles and his own personal favorite novel was The Last of the Dog Team (1980). He also authored two novels under the pseudonym William Mason. Johnstone had lived for many years in Shreveport, Louisiana, yet died in Knoxville, TN, at the age of 65. J. A. Johnstone is continuing William W. Johnstone's series.