
Part of Series
THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Bestselling authors William and J.A. Johnstone continue the wild, epic saga of Tim Colter with the building of the transcontinental railroad—and the making of the American Dream . . . Twenty-two years have passed since Tim Colter and his family were ambushed on the Oregon Trail, forcing the young boy to find an unlikely ally in one-eyed mountain man Jed Reno. Now a widowed deputy U.S. marshal and Civil War veteran, Colter is finally ready to remarry and settle down—until a dangerous new assignment becomes a life-or-death struggle for the soul of a town and the heart of its people . . . The Union Pacific Railroad is laying down tracks connecting the great northwest to the rest of the country. But two rival factions have set their sights on the town of Violet—aka Violence—to gain control of the rails. It’s Colter’s job to tame the rampant greed and rising tensions. But to do it, he’ll need to deputize his trusted old friend Jed Reno—and wage a savage new war that will determine the fate of the Dakota Territory and the future of a nation.
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.