It’s been nine years since Gus McIntyre smiled back at me from my computer screen. In that time, the fourteen-year-old boy I created to entertain my grandchildren has grown to manhood and become a force to be reckoned with wherever he travels. 

Back in 2017, I never imagined this project would spin off in so many directions. Those who might remember Runs Like the Wind, a 25,000-word novella, will recall a eulogy in which Gus died a rich man after striking oil on the Circle H Ranch.  His love for fast horses transformed into a love for fast cars, and he died in a fiery crash at age 86.

I don’t know if the series will ever evolve to that futuristic crash, but Gus will continue to entertain readers until my computer screen goes dark or readers stop following his exploits. 

As I put his thirteenth adventure to bed, I promise there is much more to come. I’ve introduced a new character, Flemming Ibbara, a twenty-year-old immigrant who wields a mean walking stick in Fighting Back. I’m unsure what role he will play in the ongoing storyline, but he brings a fascinating contrast to the budding relationship between Gus and Naomi Brown.

For Gus and Naomi, of course, the greatest challenge of the 1880s will not be surviving the wilderness — it will be surviving change. The Southwest Texas they have known will disappear. The open frontier that once rewarded courage, self-reliance, and horsemanship will steadily give way to fences, railroads, towns, and an industrial revolution that will change the world. While progress brings opportunity, it also creates fresh conflicts and uncertainties.

Naomi, who spent much of her life among Native Americans, will witness the demise of her tribal family and the seizure of their ancestral lands. She will be caught between two worlds, neither of which will completely accept her. 

For immigrant settlers like Flemming Ibbara, opportunities abound, yet success requires adapting to unfamiliar customs, languages, and business practices. 

Perhaps the greatest challenge for my McIntyre characters will be preserving their values. Gus and Naomi grew up in a world where a person's word often meant more than a written contract and neighbors depended upon one another for survival. The new SouthSouthwest Texas will reward ambition and innovation, but also will encourage greed and competition.

As civilization advances, they must decide what parts of the old frontier deserve to be left behind and what principles are worth carrying into the future.

In Fighting Back, Gus and Naomi stand at the crossroads of two eras. Behind them lies the untamed frontier of endless horizons and simple rules. Ahead stretches a modern Texas filled with railroads, industry, prosperity, and conflict. Their struggle is not merely against rustlers and outlaws — it is against the relentless tide of change itself, a force as powerful and unpredictable as any enemy they have ever faced.

I hope you join me on their journey.