John T. Wayne is the author of numerous books on the Civil War and Old West. The books focus on the orphans created by the Civil War, without which we would not have cowboys today. The Gaslight Boys series pays homage to the orphans who grew up on the streets under the gaslights in downtown St. Louis during and after the war. These children grew up to become the cowboys, children such as Judge Isaac Parker, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill and Nat Love. “We know them for who they became, but not so much where they came from.”
To date John has released Ol’ Slantface, a novel about slave traders kidnapping orphans off the streets of the Gateway City, Catfish John, Blood Once Spilled, The Treasure Del Diablo, Captain Grimes Unreconstructed, and Showdown At Scatter Creek. As the grandson of John Wayne, the author writes his book in much the same way the elder John Wayne acted.
After living in Florida until 2010 John and his wife Donna took up residence in Arkansas for the simple reason, “It made writing my books easier.” John is an avid horseman, and will ride anything once. He has many quotes which come directly through his writing. Quotes such as, “A man’s dreams must exceed his fears.” I love the south, a man can still get away with telling the truth in the south. “A gun is neither good nor evil, but a human being makes it so.” & “As American’s, we can’t have freedom without God.”
If you never met the Duke, you’ll come close having met John T. At six feet four inches tall he fills out much like his grandfather from the movies. John was born in St. Louis, Missouri August 14, 1958 and lived the majority of his life not knowing John Wayne his grandfather. Only after the death of his father in 2009 did the truth come out. John began writing his novels in 1985 after losing his daughter to cancer.
As John T. is fond of saying, “Only God could come up with a plan like this!”