Terry C. Johnston
Encyclopedia
Terry C. Johnston was an American
Western
fiction author who wrote over 30 novels and had more than 10 million books in print.
He was born in Arkansas City, Kansas. His parents were a junior college president and a teacher. He gained a BA from Central State University
in Edmond, Oklahoma. As a young man, he traveled and worked various jobs, all the while becoming a student of the Old West. Johnston published his first novel, Carry the Wind, in 1982
after it had been rejected by 29 publishers; it won the Western Writers of America
's Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award. Johnston wrote his first novel while he worked as a lease manager for Northwest Auto in Thornton, Colorado, using the company's word processor after work to write, sometimes working through the night. He settled near Billings, Montana
.
Johnston is best known for a series of nine historical novels spanning the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade era and its eventual demise told through the eyes of the protagonist, Titus "Scratch" Bass. He also wrote a series of novels about the "Indian
wars" of the West, the Plainsmen Series, following the U.S. Army struggle with the Native American Indians with protagonist Seamus Donegan. Another series of books was based on a possibly true story of a relationship General Custer had with a Cheyenne
girl.
Johnston said to his wife that he felt when he killed off Scratch or when Scratch died he wouldn't last too long afterwards, and he died of colon cancer on March 25, 2001, only a month after being diagnosed. In his memory The Terry C. Johnston Memorial Scholarship Fund was established at Montana State University – Billings, as well as donations were made to the Custer Battlefield Preservation Committee, and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.
He was married three times. His first wife was Doris (Howard) with whom he had one son (Joshua); they divorced in 1982. Johnston's second wife was Rhonda (Stacy) with whom he had one son (Noah) and one daughter (Erinn). His third wife was Vanette.
Son of the Plains (Custer novels)
Jonas Hook
Titus Bass
(Bass' early years)
(Bass' latter years)
The Plainsmen Series
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
fiction author who wrote over 30 novels and had more than 10 million books in print.
He was born in Arkansas City, Kansas. His parents were a junior college president and a teacher. He gained a BA from Central State University
Central State University
Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...
in Edmond, Oklahoma. As a young man, he traveled and worked various jobs, all the while becoming a student of the Old West. Johnston published his first novel, Carry the Wind, in 1982
1982 in literature
The year 1982 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*La Bicyclette Bleue by Régine Deforges becomes France's best selling novel ever.-New books:...
after it had been rejected by 29 publishers; it won the Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
's Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award. Johnston wrote his first novel while he worked as a lease manager for Northwest Auto in Thornton, Colorado, using the company's word processor after work to write, sometimes working through the night. He settled near Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
.
Johnston is best known for a series of nine historical novels spanning the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade era and its eventual demise told through the eyes of the protagonist, Titus "Scratch" Bass. He also wrote a series of novels about the "Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
wars" of the West, the Plainsmen Series, following the U.S. Army struggle with the Native American Indians with protagonist Seamus Donegan. Another series of books was based on a possibly true story of a relationship General Custer had with a Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
girl.
Johnston said to his wife that he felt when he killed off Scratch or when Scratch died he wouldn't last too long afterwards, and he died of colon cancer on March 25, 2001, only a month after being diagnosed. In his memory The Terry C. Johnston Memorial Scholarship Fund was established at Montana State University – Billings, as well as donations were made to the Custer Battlefield Preservation Committee, and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.
He was married three times. His first wife was Doris (Howard) with whom he had one son (Joshua); they divorced in 1982. Johnston's second wife was Rhonda (Stacy) with whom he had one son (Noah) and one daughter (Erinn). His third wife was Vanette.
Published work
Bass/Paddock Trilogy (Bass' middle years)- Carry the Wind (1982)
- Borderlords (1985)
- One-Eyed Dream (1988)
Son of the Plains (Custer novels)
- Long Winter Gone (1990)
- Seize the Sky (1991)
- Whisper of the Wolf (1991)
Jonas Hook
- Cry of the Hawk (1992)
- Winter Rain (1993)
- Dream Catcher (1994)
Titus Bass
(Bass' early years)
- Dance on the Wind (1995)
- Buffalo Palace (1996)
- Crack in the Sky (1997)
(Bass' latter years)
- Ride the Moon Down (1998)
- Death Rattle (1999)
- Wind Walker (2001)
The Plainsmen Series
- Sioux Dawn: The Fetterman Massacre, 1866 (1990)
- Red Cloud's Revenge: Showdown on the Northern Plains, 1867 (1990)
- The Stalkers: The Battle of Beecher Island, 1868 (1990)
- Black Sun: The Battle of Summit Springs, 1869 (1991)
- Devil's Backbone: The Modoc War, 1872-3 (1991)
- Shadow Riders: The Southern Plains Uprising, 1873 (1991)
- Dying Thunder: The Fight at Adobe Walls and the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon-1876-1875 (1992)
- Blood Song: The Battle of Powder River and the Beginning of the Great Sioux War of 1876 (1992)
- Reap the Whirlwind: The Battle of the Rosebud, June 1876 (1994)
- Trumpet on the Land: The Aftermath of Custer's Massacre, 1876 (1995)
- A Cold Day in Hell: The Dull Knife Battle, 1876 (1995)
- Wolf Mountain Moon: The Battle of the Butte, 1877 (1997)
- Ashes of Heaven: The Lame Deer Fight-May 7, 1877 and the End of the Great Sioux War (1998)
- Cries from the Earth: The Outbreak of the Nez Perce War and the Battle of White Bird Canyon June, 17, 1877 (1999)
- Lay the Mountains Low: The Flight of Nez Perce from Idaho and the Battle of the Big Hole, August 9–10, 1877 (2000)
- Turn the Stars Upside Down: The Last Days and Tragic Death of Crazy Horse (2001)
External links
- List of works at Macmillan
- Terry C. Johnston Collection at Montana State University Billings
- FantasticFiction: Terry C. Johnston