In this episode of Writing the West, we’re joined by bestselling author C.J. Box to talk about The Crossroads — the 26th Joe Pickett novel, and one of the boldest turns the series has taken yet. Box shares what inspired a new “book of threes” structure, why he wanted the Pickett daughters driving the action, and how real-world pressures reshaping the modern Mountain West continue to fuel his fiction. Plus, don’t miss our print exclusive: Cowboys & Indians’ February/March 2026 issue features an exclusive excerpt of Chapter One of The Crossroads — a first look readers can only get in the magazine before the full book release.