For fans of Louis L’Amour, the Lost Treasures series has opened a rare window into the legendary author’s creative process — the drafts, the letters, the abandoned openings, and the stories-behind-the-stories that shaped his iconic body of work. In this episode, Beau L’Amour returns to Writing the West to discuss the newest release in the series, Rivers West, a novel with a fascinating editorial history and an equally compelling restoration process. From early 19th-century political intrigue to the challenges of expanding the western genre, Beau reflects on his father’s far-reaching vision, his remarkable discipline, and the behind-the-scenes discoveries that continue to illuminate Louis L’Amour’s legacy for a new generation of readers.

Few relationships in American frontier history are as mythic — or as misunderstood — as the bond between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. In his new book, Brothers of the Gun, acclaimed historian and author Mark Lee Gardner brings their story together in a way no one has quite done before: as a dual biography rooted in original research, newly surfaced primary sources, and on-the-ground archival work. We spoke with Gardner about why these two larger-than-life figures remain inseparable in both legend and legacy, what drew him to revisit one of the West’s most retold sagas, and how friendship — fierce, flawed, and deeply human — stands at the heart of their story.

In this episode of Writing the West podcast, Paul Andrew Hutton sits down to discuss his new book, The Undiscovered Country. Drawing on a lifetime of research, Hutton threads seven iconic lives through 150 years of frontier transformation—balancing myth and memory, tragedy and triumph—from Braddock’s Defeat to Wounded Knee. We talk popular vs. academic history, the surprising friendship of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, and why the story of the West is inseparable from the story of America.

With The Bone Thief releasing October 28, Vanessa Lillie continues the story of Syd Walker—a Cherokee archeologist and BIA agent caught between worlds, where missing women, stolen remains, and centuries of colonial history collide. In conversation, Lillie shares why the series is so personal, how truth fuels her fiction, and why Indigenous storytelling is as much about survival as suspense.

Bruce Borgos has quickly established himself as one of today’s standout voices in crime fiction. With his Porter Beck mystery series—praised by the likes of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box—Borgos delivers stories that are equal parts sharp-edged thrillers and rich explorations of the modern West. In this conversation with Cowboys & Indians, he reflects on his journey from voracious young reader to USA Today bestselling author, the inspiration behind Porter Beck, and why Nevada’s wide-open spaces and untold histories provide the perfect backdrop for his blend of mystery and Western storytelling.

Historian Peter Cozzens, author of Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West, joins Cowboys & Indians’ Writing the West podcast to discuss the real Deadwood beyond the HBO drama and dime novel myths. From the Lakota’s struggle to the town’s fleeting three-year heyday, Cozzens offers a vivid look at the forces—lawlessness, entrepreneurship, and greed—that defined one of the West’s most iconic places.

Few stories from the Old West capture both romance and resilience like that of May Lillie and Gordon “Pawnee Bill” Lillie. She was a Quaker girl from Philadelphia who became one of the world’s finest sharpshooters; he was a dreamer who transformed himself into a legendary showman. Together they built one of the era’s most famous Wild West shows and later turned their Oklahoma ranch into a hub of frontier culture and buffalo preservation. In her new book, The Sharpshooter & The Showman, author Chris Enss brings their extraordinary partnership to life.

For veteran actor Josh Holloway (Lost, Colony, Yellowstone, Duster), the road to Flint began more than two decades ago, when the Georgia native first read Louis L’Amour’s tale of a dying gunfighter drawn into one last battle. Over the years, Holloway pursued the project through starts, stops, and near-misses—until director and screenwriter Ryan Whitaker (Surprised by Oxford) entered the picture with the right script, the right connections, and the right timing. In this conversation for Writing the West podcast, Holloway and Whitaker talk about the unlikely series of events that finally brought Flint into production, the creative choices that shaped their adaptation, and why they believe now is the perfect time for western stories to thrive again.

For decades, journalist John Glionna roamed the American West chasing stories that others overlooked: small towns, strange landmarks, and unforgettable characters. But it was in McDermitt, Nevada that Glionna found the heart of his first nonfiction book, No Friday Night Lights: Reservation Football on the Edge of America. What began as a tale about a struggling eight-man football team turned into something far richer: a chronicle of identity, belonging, and survival in a place most Americans will never visit. In this wide-ranging conversation, Glionna reflects on building trust in tight-knit communities, navigating controversy, and why these stories matter more than ever.

In this episode of Writing the West podcast, we sit down with journalist and historian Bryan Burrough, author of the riveting new book The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild. Known for his bestsellers Barbarians at the Gate and Public Enemies, Burrough brings his sharp investigative lens to the gunfighter era, tracing its roots in Texas honor culture, post–Civil War violence, and the rise of Western mythology. From Wild Bill Hickok to Wyatt Earp and lesser-known legends like Pink Higgins and Luke Short, Burrough explores how these men became the American archetype of rugged individualism—and how their stories continue to shape pop culture today.