
Part of Series
The Greatest Western Writer Of The 21st CenturyBefore he became a legend, Preacher was a trapper peacefully plying his trade in the Rocky Mountains. But people needed a hero. . .and Preacher was the only one around. Now a wagon train of pioneers is struggling westward toward Oregon through the howling winter—and a band of Arikara warriors are hot on their trail. Little do the Arikaras suspect that they're about to come face-to-face—and gun-to-gun—with a ferocious fight they never expected. . .courtesy of a wily mountain man. As Preacher struggles to bring the settlers to safety, he learns the real reason they were attacked—and begins to suspect that the secrets they've been keeping equal to a worse kind of danger. With treachery in the air, more Arikaras on the warpath, and a deadly deep freeze bearing down, trust is a thing of the past—and survival is all that matters.
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.