Terry C. Johnston - 1947
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I. Biography
Terry Conrad Johnston has lived an exciting and adventurous life as one of the best-known western writers in history. Johnston was born in Arkansas, Kansas, to his parents T.C. and Bettye Jane Johnston. He attended Central State
University in Edmond, Oklahoma. He lived in Denver, Colorado, with his wife Vanette until April of 1977 when his first son Joshua was born. When Joshua was only two weeks old,
Johnston and his family moved from the Denver area, north to Bog Timber, Montana. There, Johnston worked a couple of jobs to feed his family. Then, in August of 1978,
Johnston and his family moved from Big Timber back to Denver to work at the same medical electronics plant where he worked before. Later, in February of 1989, Johnston and the family moved from Denver one last time. They
moved to Missoula, Montana, where they lived for about six months. After that, they moved to a small town between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where
they lived for one year. Johnston said about his final move to Billings, Montana. " It wasn't long before I wanted to be back to a place where the sun would shine a lot more
often, so I decided on Billings: at the foot of the Rockies and at the start of the great plains. No better place for a writer." Johnston has lived in Billings since late July of 1990.
Over the years, Johnston has worked a variety of jobs, such as:pipeline laborer, heavy equipment operator, dog catcher, oil field roughback, truck driver, cook, paramedic,
ambulance driver, teacher, and electronics firm production manager. Out of all the authors and writers, only about three hundred of them support themselves
financially full time by their writing. Johnston is one of those writers who considers writing their full time career. Johnston started writing his first book, Carry the Wind, in 1974, and it was released in 1982.
So far, he has released 29 stories about true moments in western history. "What I enjoy most about writing is that I get to tell stories. The first historians were
story-tellers, and I think I am carrying on that tradition. Rather that all of these stories being locked up by the academics in their university towers, I work hard at telling stories
that will be exciting to the rest of America. This is ourstory, our cultural legacy and I am excited to portray it." Johnston said about his work. Johnston's ideas and inspiration come from actual events in history.
Johnston continues to write today and he publishes an annual newsletter with information on people who have shaped the West's History and literature. He has two books to be released in 2001: Wind Walker, in
February, and Turn the Stars Upside Down, in July. Johnston still lives in Billings with his wife Vanette, and their two kids. II. Literary Works Carry the wind (1982) This essay was submitted by a student of Steve Gardiner, a teacher at Billings Senior High School in Billings, Montana.
Borderlords (1985)
One-eyed Dream (1988)
Long Winter Gone (1990)
Sioux Dawn (1990)
Red Cloud's Revenge (1990)
The Stalkers (1990)
Seize the Sky (1991)
Whisper of the Wolf (1991)
Black Sun (1991)
Devil's Backbone (1991)
Shadow Riders (1991)
Cry of the Hawk (1992)
Dying Thunder (1992)
Winter Rain (1993)
Blood Song (1993)
Dream Catcher (1994)
Reap the Whirlwind (1994)
Dance on the Wind (1995)
Trumpet on the Land (1995)
Buffalo Palace (1996)
A Cold Day in Hell (1996)
Crack in the Sky (1997)
Wolf Mountain Moon (1997)
Ride the moon down (1998)
Ashes of Heaven (1998)
Death Rattle (1999)
Cries from the Earth (1999)
Lay the Mountains Low (2000)
Wind Stalker ( February, 2001)
Turn the Stars Upside Down ( July, 2001)