Books In Progress

Be sure to check back often on this page for updates about my current and future writing projects.

Jarrod's Run: A Tale of the Untamed West, a Historical Western Novel set in Indian Territory (Oklahoma prior to statehood).

Justin McRae: From Ashes to Badge, a Historical Western set before, during, and after the Civil War

A short story I never finished led me to the idea for Cabin in Time.

Two of the more popular characters in my Full Circle: A Life Story novel are the Miller brothers - Clarence and Pete. Someone who read the book suggested I write another book featuring them. I like the idea and have started research for Picking California to continue their adventure. This will be a Historical Novel set in the 1930s.

Below you will find information on each of the books in progress.

Please note: The titles for my books in progress are working titles and may change prior to publication.

01

Jarrod's Run: A Tale of the Untamed West

Not long after the Civil War had concluded, a turbulent time in American history, sixteen-year-old Jarrod made the momentous decision to leave the family farm that had been his home for as long as he could remember. The oppressive atmosphere created by his cruel father, who had long held the reins of authority with a tyrannical grip, had become unbearable. Jarrod's father, a man embittered by the war and the loss of his slaves, was known for his harsh treatment and relentless demands. Seeking freedom and a chance to forge his own path, Jarrod set out on a journey that would take him far from the familiar fields of his youth.

His escape led him to the untamed lands of Indian Territory, a place rife with opportunity yet fraught with danger. The vast expanses of the territory were home to both settlers and outlaws, and it was here that Jarrod's life would take an unexpected turn. It was in this wild frontier that he encountered the legendary Wyatt Earp, a figure whose reputation as a lawman and gunfighter preceded him. Earp, known for his quick draw and unyielding sense of justice, became an unlikely companion for the young fugitive. Together, they rode through the rugged terrain, sharing stories and dreams of a life unshackled from the past.

However, their adventure soon took a darker turn when they crossed paths with Judge Isaac J. Parker, infamously dubbed the 'hanging judge' due to his strict enforcement of the law and the numerous sentences he handed down in Fort Smith. Judge Parker's courtroom was a place of solemnity and dread, where the consequences of lawlessness were met with severe punishment. It was during this tumultuous encounter that Jarrod and Wyatt found themselves in a precarious situation, as they were arrested by none other than Frank Dalton, the Deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to uphold the law in the chaotic Indian Territory. Frank Dalton, a man of imposing stature and a reputation that loomed large, was also the older brother of the notorious Dalton Gang, a group of outlaws infamous for their bank robberies and violent escapades.

The charges against Jarrod and Wyatt were serious, as they were accused of horse theft—an offense that carried significant penalties in a time when horses were essential for survival and commerce. While they awaited their fate in the grim confines of the jail, the duo plotted their escape, driven by a fierce desire for freedom and a determination to evade the clutches of the law. Their breakout was nothing short of daring, a testament to their resourcefulness and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Once free, Jarrod and Wyatt embarked on a new chapter of their journey, one that would introduce them to a host of other infamous characters from the annals of the Old West. Along the way, they encountered a colorful cast of individuals, each with their own stories of hardship, ambition, and survival. From outlaws and gamblers to lawmen and Native Americans, the people they met shaped their understanding of the world around them and the complexities of justice and morality in a land where the law was often as unpredictable as the weather.

As they navigated the treacherous landscape of Indian Territory, Jarrod began to realize that his quest for freedom was not just a physical escape from his father's tyranny, but also a profound journey of self-discovery. The experiences he shared with Wyatt Earp and the others they met along the way would forever alter his perspective on life, shaping him into a man capable of standing up for what he believed in, even in a world where the line between right and wrong was often blurred.

02

Justin McRae: From Ashes to Badge

Justin McRae's journey began on a cotton plantation in the picturesque hills of Northwest Alabama, a region rich with Southern history. His early years were set against the vibrant yet challenging backdrop of the pre-Civil War era, where the plantation thrived on the labor of enslaved individuals. However, the Civil War's aftermath turned his world upside down. Stripped of their wealth and status, Justin and his family faced the stark realities of a post-war society that offered little support or opportunity. Determined to forge a new path, Justin embarked on an exhilarating adventure beyond the familiar landscapes of Alabama.

Not long after the Civil War had concluded, a turbulent time in American history, sixteen-year-old Jarrod made the momentous decision to leave the family farm that had been his home for as long as he could remember. The oppressive atmosphere created by his cruel father, who had long held the reins of authority with a tyrannical grip, had become unbearable. Jarrod's father, a man embittered by the war and the loss of his slaves, was known for his harsh treatment and relentless demands. Seeking freedom and a chance to forge his own path, Jarrod set out on a journey that would take him far from the familiar fields of his youth.

His escape led him to the untamed lands of Indian Territory, a place rife with opportunity yet fraught with danger. The vast expanses of the territory were home to both settlers and outlaws, and it was here that Jarrod's life would take an unexpected turn. It was in this wild frontier that he encountered the legendary Wyatt Earp, a figure whose reputation as a lawman and gunfighter preceded him. Earp, known for his quick draw and unyielding sense of justice, became an unlikely companion for the young fugitive. Together, they rode through the rugged terrain, sharing stories and dreams of a life unshackled from the past.

However, their adventure soon took a darker turn when they crossed paths with Judge Isaac J. Parker, infamously dubbed the 'hanging judge' due to his strict enforcement of the law and the numerous sentences he handed down in Fort Smith. Judge Parker's courtroom was a place of solemnity and dread, where the consequences of lawlessness were met with severe punishment. It was during this tumultuous encounter that Jarrod and Wyatt found themselves in a precarious situation, as they were arrested by none other than Frank Dalton, the Deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to uphold the law in the chaotic Indian Territory. Frank Dalton, a man of imposing stature and a reputation that loomed large, was also the older brother of the notorious Dalton Gang, a group of outlaws infamous for their bank robberies and violent escapades.

The charges against Jarrod and Wyatt were serious, as they were accused of horse theft—an offense that carried significant penalties in a time when horses were essential for survival and commerce. While they awaited their fate in the grim confines of the jail, the duo plotted their escape, driven by a fierce desire for freedom and a determination to evade the clutches of the law. Their breakout was nothing short of daring, a testament to their resourcefulness and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Once free, Jarrod and Wyatt embarked on a new chapter of their journey, one that would introduce them to a host of other infamous characters from the annals of the Old West. Along the way, they encountered a colorful cast of individuals, each with their own stories of hardship, ambition, and survival. From outlaws and gamblers to lawmen and Native Americans, the people they met shaped their understanding of the world around them and the complexities of justice and morality in a land where the law was often as unpredictable as the weather.

As they navigated the treacherous landscape of Indian Territory, Jarrod began to realize that his quest for freedom was not just a physical escape from his father's tyranny, but also a profound journey of self-discovery. The experiences he shared with Wyatt Earp and the others they met along the way would forever alter his perspective on life, shaping him into a man capable of standing up for what he believed in, even in a world where the line between right and wrong was often blurred.

03

Cabin in Time

An old abandoned cabin. A broken rope bridge. A sixty foot drop to the dry creek bed the rope bridge precariously spanned. Outwardly, nothing out of the ordinary. At least that was what Roger and Samantha thought when they went to investigate. Little did they know the peril that waited for them on the other side of that dry creek.

An excerpt from Cabin in Time

Roger had driven by the old log cabin and rope suspension bridge for eight years and had never given them a second thought. Then he met Samantha and the first time they drove by it together she pointed at the cabin and bridge and asked Roger if he knew anything about them.

“No, I don’t. I don’t recall ever seeing anyone go near them for the eight years I have been here. If the weather is nice, maybe we can come out here on Sunday and check them out,” Roger offered. He scanned the fence line that ran along the north and west sides of the cabin and saw no ‘private property’ or ‘no trespassing’ signs.

That Sunday, Roger parked his pickup in City Bank’s empty parking lot. He and Samantha walked across Council Road to the four strand barbed wire fence that separated the nineteenth century log cabin from the twenty-first century concrete and asphalt of Council Road on the cabin's east side and NW 122nd Street on its north side.

It was a beautiful October day and although it was barely noon, the temperature had already climbed to a sunshiny sixty degrees. Roger stepped down on the third strand of barbed wire while he lifted the second wire with his left hand. He guided Samantha through the opening with his right hand. Then, remembering how he used to do it as a young man in rural Oklahoma, Roger grabbed the top of the fence post, used his left arm as leverage, leapt over the top of the barbed wire fence, hooking the toe of his right shoe on the top strand of the fence. He landed face down in the dry native Bermuda grass.

“I just love the smell of dried grass, it reminds me of the prairie hay I used to put up as a kid on the farm,” Roger said.

He rolled over, sat up, and unhooked the cuff of his blue jeans from the next to bottom strand of barbed wire. Samantha, who had been holding her breath in fear Roger had been hurt, let it out in a burst of laughter.

They walked over to the rope suspension bridge that crossed the dry creek bed located about fifty feet in front of the cabin. The bridge was about fifty or sixty feet long. It hung from the two ropes that support the right side of the bridge. The two ropes on the left side of the bridge appeared to have let go years ago.

“I bet this old bridge could tell some interesting stories if it could talk,” Samantha said. She looked across the bridge to the other side, which was now a plowed field.

“I bet it could too,” Roger said.

He reached down and picked up one end of a length of rope that was about five feet long and anchored to the ground on the other end. He stretched the old piece of rope to the top of the support post and pointed to its end.

“Someone cut this rope to disable the bridge. See how clean and even the end of this rope is. The same way with the bottom rope, it has been cut at the base of this support post,” he said.

Samantha gave an involuntary shudder as she looked first at the cut ropes, then at the bridge that hung down from its right side support ropes some sixty feet above the dry creek bed. She wondered what would have caused someone to cut off their only access to and from civilization. The only thing she could think of would have been a life threatening situation.

04

Picking California

Brothers Clarence and Pete Miller leave the cotton fields of Gilbert, Arizona in 1936 to make their fortune following the rest of the migrant harvesters to the fertile valleys of California's orange groves. Instead of riches they find trouble. Trouble in the name of labor unions using violence to rid California of cheap migrant workers.