William Jacobson
William Jacobson and his wife, Mary Rogers Jacobson , publish the magazine "Song of the West". They formerly published the Sons of the Pioneers Historical Society Journal.
John Jakes
John Jakes was born in Chicago, Ill. on March 31, 1932. He received the A.B. degree from DePauw University in 1953 and the M.A. degree from Ohio State University in 1954.. He was a creative director for an advertising agency in Dayton, Ohio, a job which helped him learn how to write fast under tremendous pressure. He remained in the advertising field until he became a full-time writer in 1971.
Some of the books he had published, while only working at it part-time, included The Texans Ride North: The Story of the Cattle Trails (1952, juvenile), Wear a Fast Gun (1956), A night for Treason (1956), Murder, He says (1958), The Devil Has Four Faces (1958, 1981), The Imposter (1959, 1981), Johnny Havoc (1960), Johnny Havoc Meets Zelda (1962), Johnny Havoc and the Doll Who Had "It" (1963), G.I. Girls (1963), Tiros: Weather Eye in Space (1966), When the Star Kings Die (1967), and more. Some of his earlier books were written under the name of Alan Payne and Jay Scotland, most of which have been reissued under his own name.
So, with 50 novels and over 200 short stories already to his credit, John Jakes was ready to go when his agent called and said that Pyramid needed someone to write a five-volume series about the descendants of one fictional American family over a period of 200 years. He wound up writing the eight-volume "Kent Family Chronicles" (three of which were TV miniseries)--The Bastard (1974), The Rebels (1975), The Seekers (1975) , The Furies (1976), The Warriors (1977) , The Lawless (1978) and The Americans (1980).
John Jakes wrote the "North and South Trilogy" (two became TV miniseries), including the final novel, Heaven and Hell. In 1977 he became the very first writer ever to have three books on the New York Times best-seller list in one year. His books have sold well over 22 million copies. He holds memberships in Western Writers of America, Authors League of America, Science Fiction Writers of America, Dramatists Guild, and Authors Guild.
CLICK HERE to go to John Jakes' own personal web site.
Will James
(Deceased)
Will James, cowboy writer and artist, began life as Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault. He was born on June 6, 1892 in Quebec Province,Canada.
James moved to the United States early in his life, and drifted around the country. He worked as a laborer and, finally, as a cowby. And that was the life he loved.
However, the authorities in Nevada arrested him for cattle rustling in 1914. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in the Nevada State Prison. After his release, he worked at a variety of jobs in the Washoe Valley.
Fascinated by art, and a doodler since the age of 4, James found that other people liked his sketches, also. In fact, they liked them enough to pay for them. So he pursued that and his other interest, that of writing. It was during his creative years everyone grew to know him as Will James.
Will James married Alice Conradt in 1920. Two years later he sold his first manuscript, Bucking Horse Riders. The book was a modest hit, but that was enough to encourage him to do some more. He also wrote and illustrated Cowboys North and South (1924), Drifting Cowboy (1925), Smokey the Cowhorse (1926), Cow Country (1927), Sand (1929), Lone Cowboy: My Life Story (1930),
Sun Up: Tales of Cow Camps (1931), Big Enough (1931), Uncle Bill: A Tale of Two Kids and a Cowboy (1932), All In the Day's Riding (1933), and The Three Mustangeers (1933).
James' best works were produced in the late 1920s and early 1930s at his first studio home on the Washoe slopes near Carson City, Nevada and in his studio on his dream spread, the famous Rocking R Ranch at Pryer, Montana. He is a member of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.
A Self-Portrait by Will James
He also wrote In The Saddle With Uncle Bill (1935), Young Coyboy (1935), Home Ranch (1935), Scorpion, A Good Bad Horse (1936), Cowboy In The Making (1937), Look-See With Uncle Bill (1938), The Will James Cowboy Book (1938), Flint Spears, Cowboy Rodeo Contestant (1938), The Dark Horse (1939), Horses I've Known (1940), My First Horse (1940), and The American Cowboy (1942). In 1951, nine years after his death, a collection of his short stories was published under the title, Will James Book of Cowboy Stories.
His book, Smokey the Cowhorse, has been made into a movie not once but three times.
This cowboy artist and writer had a home in Billings, Montana, but spent as much time was he could at his ranch near Pryer Creek, Montana.
Will James lived a rough and tumble life. He served time in prison for cattle rustling. His marriage was a tumultuous affair. And he was a heavy drinker. He died prematurely, at age 50, in 1942.
CLICK HERE to go to the web site of The Will James Art Company. There's you find many of his books and prints for sale, along with other merchandise.
CLICK HERE to go to the official web site of the Will James Society. The Will James Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the works and memory of this great western author and artist.
W.C. Jameson
Dr. W.C. Jameson is a geography professor at the University of Central Arkansas and writes articles for Real West, True West and Frontier Times. Ballard M. Barker and Jameson wrote Platt National Park: Chickasaw National Recreation Area (University of Oklahoma Press, 1979).
"Carl" Jameson is the author of Buried Treasure of the American Southwest (August House, 1989), a book filled with tales of buried treasure in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He served as president of Western Writers of America from 1995-96.Carl has also been known to entertain WWA Conventioneers with his singing and guitar playing.
James A. Janke
James A. Janke was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sept. 2, 1943. His father was a house painter.When he was ten he started writing stories.He attended junior high, senior high, and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in Milwaukee, obtaining a degree in chemistry in 1965. He went to Minnesota and earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1970. He did two years of postdoctoral research at a biochemical institute in Austin, Minnesota. It was there that he started seriously trying to write for publication, trying his hand at short stories without success. He moved to Michigan and became a chemistry professor. He moved to a chemistry teaching position in South Dakota in 1978. In 1980 he published his first novel, a Western, for Dell.
Life events interfered with his writing for a time after that. He returned to school and obtained an MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He returned to South Dakota to teach again, but this time in finance. In 1992 he published his second novel, another Western, for Avalon Books. He continued to publish for Avalon.Janke's novels include: Jeremiah Bacon (1980), McHenry's Last Shootout (1992), A Tin Star for Braddock (1992), Blood on the Wind River Mountains (1993), Winter Kill (1994), Last Boat to Fort Benton (1994), and Last Stage to Laramie (1995).
See James A. Janke's web site, Jim Janke's Old West that features Western bookdealers, cowboy poetry, forts, firearms, guest ranches, horses, Western movies, museums, and much, much more.
Deana L. Jansen
In Oct., 1987 the Idaho Writer's League named Deana L. Jansen the Idaho Writer of the Year for 1987, in recognition of her historical novel, Heavens' Wildfire. The League also gave her the Vardis Fisher award for humor for her short story, "The Naming of Dead-Eye Fink."
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God; trust also in me.
--- Jesus the Christ
(Bible: Gospel of John 14:1)
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
