Author Description

The evil Mexican drug cartels sweeping across the Rio Grande into the isolated ranch lands of West Texas are on a violent collision course with Quaid, the innocent young crack-shot cowboy and with the wise old desert shaman, Achai. This is a classic action drama set in the old West, but in the 21st Century. The location, the isolated desert ranch lands of the Trans Pecos region of West Texas, along the Rio Grande border with Mexico. Here the ranchers live a lifestyle in many ways unchanged since the days when the gun was the law. The people clinging to their traditional lifestyle at the edge of the desert rely upon their horses, their knowledge of the wild and in some cases their closely guarded, shamanist powers. The drug running tidal wave sweeping up from Mexico, driven by ruthless and violent cartels, intrudes on this slow and guarded way of life. A violent confrontation is inevitable. The story centres on Quaid, a young man living on his father's ranch with his widowed mother and an elderly Mexican shaman or curandero. Their lives are changed forever by the intrusion of the Cartels. Quaid's naive interference with the activities of the drug cartels makes him their target. He has something that the cartel desperately wants to recover and nothing is allowed to stand in their way. Quaid is forced to rely upon his wits, his skill with a rifle, his faithful horse and the timely intervention of Achai, the wise old shaman, in order to escape with his life. Achai summons his ancient wisdom through the use of hallucinogenic plants and his deep connection to the wild creatures of the canyons. Quaid's actions lead to violence and bloodshed and the loss of innocent life, but also to a test of loyalty and a rite of passage for the young man. This is a fast-paced modern story with a unique hook to the plot and an outcome that would fit right in with the best stories in the Western genre.