Loner Series

With his wife's killers dead and buried, Conrad Morgan - known as The Loner - is on his way to Mexico for some peace and quiet. But on the way he's sidetracked by some intriguing travelers who are hunting down a valuable golden artifact. They're not the only ones who want to get a hold of the treasure. A running gun battle with some killers lands The Loner and his cohorts in the Jornada del Muerto - a hellish, waterless wasteland in New Mexico Territory. And now it's up to The Loner to get himself and his new friends out of this arid stretch of land before they perish from thirst...or lead poisoning...

When Conrad Browning's wife disappears in the untamed frontier, Conrad finds himself assuming the identity of his famous gunslinging father, Frank Morgan, to find her. But his hopes of rescuing Rebel are swiftly shattered -- and now he's burning for vengeance, the old-fashioned way. So he fakes his own death and starts calling himself The Loner, becoming the deadliest gunfighter this side of his own father -- ready to settle the score in blood and bullets...

J. A. Johnstone-niece and former writing partner of the late Western legend William W. Johnstone-carries on her uncle's legacy with this second book from her Loner series. After his wife is murdered, Conrad "Kid Morgan" Browning hunts down the men responsible- then visits his wife's grave in New Mexico. There, he is shocked to discover his ex-fiancEe waiting for him-along with armed backup.

Arktania is a virtual game with a steampunk style. It's a place where magic spells, enchanted artifacts, steam-powered machines, firearms, and mechanical golems are a part of everyday life. Gamer Andrew Falk begins his journey in a small village on the border of Orcish territory. The locals are the keepers of many secrets, but their behavior is too realistic for characters in a game; so realistic, in fact, that Andrew starts to treat them as if they were real people. Maybe because of the way he plays, or maybe just thanks to good luck, he becomes one of a mysterious class of people known as "sliders," allowing him to control electricity and earn the favor of Elenia, the goddess of fate. But as he advances through levels, the pain threshold in his character settings gradually begins to drop, making the game increasingly more dangerous. Andrew is facing a hard choice: either to keep on playing, risking eventual death by pain shock, or to abandon his gamer pod altogether. Still, his digital adventures just won't let him go, immersing him ever deeper into VR . . .

The Loner strides sets out for another bloody showdown with the outlaws responsible for his wife's violent and senseless murder—and discovers his true enemy was far closer than he thought... After Conrad Browning, known as The Loner, takes down the men who killed his beloved wife, he hightails it to New Mexico to visit her grave. There, he gets the surprise of his life: His ex-fiancée, Pamela Tarleton, backed up by a vicious gang of gunmen. Turns out the beautiful Miss Tarleton has a long memory—and she's never forgiven Conrad for breaking their engagement and marrying another. On top of that, she blames Conrad for her father's death. With a band of kill-crazy outlaws backing Pamela's play, the only way out for The Loner to survive the coming hell storm is by the gun.

Using an old cannon that once belonged to Napoleon's army, an outlaw gang has been bringing trains to a halt and then robbing them. Now Edward Sheffield--one of the owners of the railroad--wants to hire Conrad Morgan, known as The Loner, to wipe the gang off the map. The Loner isn't interested, especially when Sheffield's hot-blooded wife tries to seduce him into going after the gang's leader, Gideon Black--a renegade ex-colonel-turned-outlaw. But when the gang turns their big gun on a town, killing several innocent people, The Loner has to choose sides. The best way to take them out? Become one of them. And that's when The Loner uncovers some unsavory secrets--and finds himself caught between the middle of two ruthless forces...

Thanks to the treachery of the Steel Rats clan, Falk never obtained the first of the five swords needed for his divine quest. Naturally, the new owner of the sword-the head of the Unnameables clan-has refused to sell such a valuable artifact. However, he is willing to give it up in exchange for Falk performing a little task for him in real life. All that's required is committing burglary by breaking into a secure location and stealing a well-guarded item. Fortunately for Falk, this won't be too difficult for him, since in today's world the ability to control electricity makes a lot of things possible. Meanwhile in Arktania, Falk has been accused of murdering his brother. Now, accompanied by an Imperial Necromancer (who also happens to be his virtual uncle, Renick Fudre), he finds himself on his way back to the village where he first began his life in Arktania. He'll have to prove his innocence, let the residents of Kelevre in on the secret of his curse, and-finally-dig deeper into his mysterious class. He'll have to survive not only in the real world, but in the virtual one as well.

Gamer Andrey continues his travels through the world of Arktania, mastering the ability to handle electrical energy and developing his unusual profession, glassblowing. Having received an epic quest from Elenia, the Goddess of Fate, he discovers to his shock that her power is not constrained within the game. Now the virtual Goddess follows Andrey in real life as well, threatening his life if he should fail to complete the tasks she assigns him. There's no turning back. More than that, to be honest, he's beginning to like Arktania with all its residents, its puzzles, and its adventures. Alas, completing the Goddess's tasks is not so simple-necessary artifacts are hidden in high-level locations, and the Loner curse means that Andrey will never be able to gather a group around himself and share his burdens. His only option is to seek help from his acquaintances in the Steel Rats clan-but how, as a low-level player, will he be able to pay them back?

Andrey has finally obtained the first of the five swords he needs to complete the Goddess of Fate's quest. Now his path is taking him to the subterranean city of the Gremlins, Arkem. Gremlins are unpleasant, rascally creatures, with a twisted system of logic and a penchant for limitless chaos. So trying to negotiate with them is always fraught with danger. Fortunately, they happen to worship the mechanisms of the Ancients, which are somehow, mysteriously, connected to Andrey's hidden "Slider" class. This means that Andrey has a chance of recovering the second sword after all. Everything gets complicated, however, when a breach to the Inferno opens in Arkem, through which comes an invasion force headed by none other than Lamia, the Succubus who dreams of shredding Falk into tiny little ribbons. And the real world is full of problems, too-mysterious people keep trying to kidnap Andrey, and he's forced to use his newfound abilities to protect himself. As if that weren't enough, the game menu is now popping up in real life, which is making him question his own sanity. But the main question is: are there other people who've acquired powers from the game like he has? And what will it all lead to in the end?

The Loner didn't just bust out of jail, he busted out twice. The third time might be the charm—or a bullet in the belly. He didn't want much—just the chance to drift out of Texas into New Mexico Territory. That's when the Loner discovered there was a price on his head. A victim of mistaken identity, he broke out of Hell Gate Prison a few years back. Now, he's behind bars again, until a sheriff's love-struck daughter decides to come to his aid and a beautiful bounty hunter—who also has eyes for the Loner—joins in. Riding out of the frying pan and into the fire of a land war, the Loner has all kinds of murderous cutthroats on his trail. But he doesn't have any problem with women—as long as they're willing to ride on the wild side once the lead starts flying.

Western author J.A. Johnstone has won a devoted following for authentic details, intriguing characters, and fast-paced action. In Rattlesnake Valley, a motley band of pirates descends on a valley town-and the local residents are wholly unprepared for the mayhem that follows. But one man, the son of legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan, refuses to sit idly by. And the sea dogs in question are soon going to wish they were back on the high seas.

In the heart of West Texas an ocean of troubles has come ashore—and the Loner is adrift in a sea of hungry sharks. They came from the sea: a former ship captain named Owen Bird who inherited a Texas ranch from his brother… A former pirate named “Black Terrance” Malone, who has arrived in the once peaceful Rattlesnake Valley with a crew of sea dogs to do his dirty work. And dirty work it would be, as Black Terrance begins a campaign of thieving and threatening, even targeting Bird's beautiful young niece. Into this storm rides the Loner—Conrad Morgan, son of the legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan. The Loner sees what no one else does: a war born on the high seas and a third party is biding his time—waiting to strike a death blow on solid, bloody ground…

Falk has managed to obtain the second of the five swords he'll need to complete the Goddess's task, and now his path is taking him to the lands of the Elves. Time is limited, but before starting a new quest, it might be nice to wrap up his business in Arkem. Which will mean using the Mechanisms of the Ancients to defend the Gremlins' city from an attack by an army of Demons. That's all in the game, though-in the real world, meanwhile, Andrew's met his first "colleague," another person whose in-game powers have transferred over to the real world. Who is he? A friend, or an enemy? And how much progress has he made in completing his divine quest?

He wasn't born to the gun. But a gunman's blood ran in his veins - and it was only a matter of time before there would be hell to pay.... Six days of killing. No day of rest.... Once he was a young, happily married businessman. Then he lost his wife to human madness and that young man was gone, replaced by the Loner, the wandering son of legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan, and now the current occupant of a cell in the brutal and unforgiving Hell Gate prison. The Kid's crime? He looked too much like an outlaw who escaped from this very prison. So the Kid teams up with a fellow inmate with an escape plan, vowing to hunt down a look-alike killer on the loose. But in or out of prison, Frank Morgan's boy knows better than to trust anyone. When you live by the gun, any day could be your last - and every bullet must be your best.

He wasn't born to the gun. But a gunman's blood ran in his veins—and it was only a matter of time before there would be hell to pay… Once he was a young, happily married businessman. Then he lost his wife to human madness and that young man was gone, replaced by the Loner, the wandering son of legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan and the current occupant of a cell in Hell Gate prison. The Loner's crime? He looked too much like an outlaw who escaped from this very prison. So the Kid teams up with a fellow inmate with an escape plan, vowing to hunt down a look-alike killer on the loose. But in or out of prison, Frank Morgan's boy knows better than to trust anyone. And with Hell Gate behind him, any day could be his last. So every bullet must be his best.

In the West, he had legendary shoes to fill. Now the Loner is about to face his deadliest challenge yet... The son of legendary gunman Frank Morgan, Conrad Browning goes by the name Kid Morgan--the Loner--and forged a growing reputation of his own. But in the midst of a fight for his life, the Kid discovered that he too was a father: of twins he'd never met. Now, the Kid heads back east to pierce a mystery guarded by murderous criminals for hire. Why is his ex-fiancÈe hiding his children from him? And why is this secret worth killing to keep? The answers lead the Kid back to a small Kansas town and a tale of cruelty, greed and power--the kind of story his father always knew how to end: with courage and a gun...

Conrad Browning had money, a manservant and a mission: to find his missing children and meet them for the first time. He's come as far as Denver, dodged a bullet from a beautiful assassin, and landed in a big buy-in poker tournament against a ruthless heavy-betting cattle baron with a plan of his own--to take this city slicker into the wilderness, and hunt him like an animal. But Rance McKinney doesn't know who he is facing. The son of legendary gunman Frank Morgan, Conrad goes by the moniker of the Loner. Now it's the Loner against McKinney, the hunter and the hunted. And when he's cornered, the Loner is the most dangerous beast of all...

His father was a famous gunman. But the Loner is quiet, careful, and the perfect choice to go undercover—and the key to success is not getting slaughtered... A beautiful young woman has an incredible story to tell: about her outlaw father, how he got busted out of jail, and then met a bloody end. Katherine Lupo believes her dad, a career train robber, was sprung by someone who wanted to set up Lupo for another crime—and then killed him when the job was done. A Texas Ranger believes her. And he turns to The Loner, a man with the guile and courage to go undercover and find out who was behind Lupo's escape and murder. Posing as train robber, The Loner finds what he is after: a cold blooded and deadly master criminal. But from the get-go, The Loner is fighting for his life, for the lives of men and women on the right side of the law—and one desperate shot to plant an evil man six feet under in Boot Hill.

The damsel is in distress, or so it seems to Conrad Browning. On his way across the wide, tall Utah territory to California, the Loner meets a beautiful Mormon girl on the run from a forced wedding - and the gun-toting faithful trying to hunt her down. But there are two sides to every story - and the ones you don't hear are the ones that can get you killed. The runaway bride has a little history of her own. Soon, the Loner touches off a storm of unholy gunfire, drawing blood from an outlaw and a death sentence from a patriarch. Among murderers and Mormons, Bibles and bullets, the Loner finds himself riding to a wedding - a ceremony he intends to crash with a vengeance.

Drifting into New Mexico Territory, Conrad Morgan, The Loner is turning his back on the past. Then he rides up on a wagon train of pioneers—and straight into an inferno of death and revenge… Led by a charismatic fool, a group of pioneers are crossing Apache territory, blind to the danger around them. The Loner would ignore the passing pilgrims if it weren't for a beautiful woman. Then, when he turns his back, the Apaches strike. The night is lit with an unholy fire. Mutilated bodies are left behind. And four women are taken prisoner across the Rio Grande… To go where no man should go alone, The Loner joins a brutal band of scalp hunters. His plan is to strike before a notorious Mexican slaver gets a hold of the captive women. But the first shots The Loner fires might be the easy ones. Getting out of Mexico alive—with two bands of enemies behind him and miles of desert straight ahead—will be the fight of The Loner's life…

The Loner has searched the frontier for his missing children and their vengeful, runaway mother. Now, in fog-shrouded San Francisco, his search ends—and the fight begins… Conrad Browning is The Loner, a man on a mission, crossing the country—and crossing a lot of bad men—to rescue his kidnapped young twins. The trail has led him all the way to San Francisco's perilous red light-district, where a crime lord is the proud father of newly adopted twins. The Loner knows his children when he sees them. But they're hostage to a brutal, violent mob feud. Then, just when he needs it most, The Loner is no longer alone: he is joined by his own father, Frank Morgan—the most notorious gunman in the West. A family's pain. A woman's betrayal. A city exploding in violence… The Loner has come to the right place to save his children. But will they get out of Frisco alive?

In a land of legends The Loner has nothing to prove. That's usually when violence finds its way to him… For a posse chasing a murderous band of outlaws, a quiet kid with a lightning fast gun is good company. And when the outlaws turn around and attack the posse, The Loner doesn't have a choice: he's now caught up in a running gun battle across West Texas. The Loner knows the men he's fighting are bad to the bone—led by a merciless killer named Warren Latch. But what about the guys on his side? As men on both sides of the fight bite the dust, the Loner has fewer allies and no way out. That's when a beautiful bounty hunter appears on the scene—to lead the way into another vendetta, another betrayal, and one final, bloody fight to the death…

Conrad Browning, a.k.a. The Loner, knows what it's like to a have a family and a home. And he knows what it's like to lose it all. Now, he has a met man living on the edge of sanity: a good man, a flawed man, a solitary man who might just cost The Loner his life... Jared Tate is an aging U.S. marshal who has saved lives, made enemies, and planted a lot of bad men in hallowed ground. But Tate is in deep trouble, the kind that comes from a troubled mind. Not remembering as much as he wants to, not forgetting as much as he should, Tate has one person to trust. Because the Loner has made Tate's enemies his own, taking on Tate's demons and Tate's fight. In the lawless and violent Kansas territory, a young wanderer and an aging lawman will journey side-by-side one last time—into a fight that will take every bullet they have...