Apache Rain - Tapa dura

The Texas Llano Estacado beckons. But only the strong survive. This is the epic tale of the lives of a man and a woman woven together by happenstance and by historical movements that continue to shape the great southwest today. From the settlement of Texas by folks like Sam Houston to the battlegrounds of the Mexican-American War, you'll feel the bonds that hold Texans to their roots. Based on an historical setting that brings vividness to the old "Manifest Destiny" doctrine, Mr. Graham has borrowed from his own family history to weave a tale that will tug at the heartstrings and swell the pride of every American who still believes in the power of the individual. The story of Jim Callan and Rain - "against all odds" - is the story of every Texan, every American who aspires to build a personal "empire" of freedom and personal direction founded on principles of sacrifice, virtue, hard work and risk. Jim Callan was a man looking for a way to put some salve on his wounded heart. To do that he decided to join the Texas Rangers and, perhaps, by fighting renegades he could fight the beast within. He didn't understand that a broken heart would not heal until someone came along who could do it for him. His wound from a Comanche lance turned out to be the best medicine for a weary Ranger.

James Graham lives in Kimble County, Texas, in a secluded cabin not far from Fort McKavett where the historical J.J. Callan (his great grandfather and protagonist of the novel) served as a scout for the Buffalo Soldiers in the rugged Texas Hill Country. James is a career, fourth generation law enforcement and criminal justice professional having retired from 28 years in the field which began as a police officer in Austin, Texas. Having earned a BBA from Texas State University and an MA in theology from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Graham is a Catholic Deacon of 25 years. He now leads rural parishes in Junction and Menard, Texas, and is an administrator for the Diocese of San Angelo. An avid collector and shooter of old west style firearms, he is a Life member of the Single Action Shooting Society.™