While the Civil War burns around him, a young man fights a battle of his own.

It is strange how a man's best-made plans can change. Stephen Purcell's quiet, happy life changed in an instant of violence. Then he found himself on the run. But before he left the war-torn Shenandoah Valley, Purcell vowed to kill the man who changed it all . . . an evil man named Striker.

With the best horse in the valley underneath him, Purcell headed west with only a knife and a sack of potatoes. The buckskin jacket he wore was the only reminder of his loved ones that were so horrifically taken from him. Early in his journey, Purcell's promise to a dying soldier gave him a weapon, a mission and some battle scars.

To save himself and his horse, Purcell hid in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He did not know how he would do it, but he would kill Striker. Along Purcell's travels, his will would be tested, his life would be challenged, he would learn to trust again, and even find love. His knowledge of the telegraph became a valuable help to new friends and a crucial turning point for the Union army.

A boy becomes a man on a hard road through Confederate lines. Will Purcell's path lead to destiny or blood? Discover what becomes of the man who finds himself known across the valley as a hardened shootist - a force to be reckoned with - the man they call The Shenandoah Sharpshooter.
About the Author: Walt Ryan was born in Cheyenne County, Kansas. The first home he can remember was a sod-walled house located on a rise south of the Republican River. He attended his first eight years of school in one room school houses on the high plains and in the Missouri Ozarks. Ryan grew up with an appreciation for the people of the western frontier, then and now. He enjoys writing about them in fact and fiction. Ryan has lived and worked in the plains country and traveled the West. As a youth, he worked as a combiner on the wheat harvest circuit beginning on the Waggoner Ranch in Texas, and finishing the season on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When Walt Ryan writes of horses and cattle, he does so with first hand knowledge. Ryan's many work experiences include mill hand, long haul truck driver, newsletter editor, photographer, writer, electrician, and over the years he worked through the ranks at several consumer cooperatives. Ryan's work has been published in the Ozarks Mountaineer, Rural Missouri Back Page, The Iron Men Album Magazine, Rural Missouri Guest Column, and various midwest publications. In addition to writing books and posting on his blog, he enjoys collecting antique firearms and horse gear. Ryan currently lives with his wife Denny in Mid-Missouri. www.SundownTrailBlog.com