Rawhide Jake: Lone Star Fame Paperback - 2023

Lawman. Maverick. Legend. On the unforgiving plains of Texas Cattle Country, a man is either tough or he's left in the dust... and a man like Jonas V. Brighton doesn't ride drag. After learning the ropes under his friend Wes Wilson, Jake embarks on his first solo assignment as a stock detective-going undercover to root out a gang of rustlers operating out of the Flying XC Ranch. Amidst the thundering hooves and swirling dust of the spring cattle roundup, he not only takes down the rustlers, he saves the life of the ranch's cow boss, as well.

Fueled by his exploits at the Flying XC, the legend of Rawhide Jake spreads through every two-bit cathouse and cattle camp on the range. Fame is a double-edged branding iron, though, painting a target on his back for every gunslinger and yahoo looking for glory. With danger dogging his every step, Jake finds solace in the arms of forbidden love and a marriage born from an unexpected twist of fate.

Reuniting with his old partner Wes to run down a vicious new crew of rustlers, they find themselves battling both the outlaws and the raw elements themselves as they try to prevent the largest cattle theft in Texas history. Triumph turns to tragedy, though, when accusations of murder stain Jake's honor, branding him unjustly. Haunted by the specter of injustice, he turns in his badge and leaves the Lone Star State, seeking solace amidst uncharted territories of Arizona.

A thrilling blend of historical fact and wild Western lore, Rawhide Jake: Lone Star Fame is a vivid portrait of a man navigating love, loyalty, and the ever-shifting scales of justice in an unforgiving land where change is the only certainty.