John Layne, a Plano, Texas, author of historical and contemporary western fiction, captivated members and guests of the Melissa Rotary Club at the special "Rotary at Night" on Thursday, July 28th at 7 pm at the Admin building for the Melissa ISD at 1904 Cooper St, Melissa, TX 75454..
John Layne is an international, multi-award-winning author of historical and contemporary Western fiction, as well as an accomplished screenwriter and actor. He recently retired from a career in law enforcement that spanned 41 years, where he also began his acting career appearing in real crime stories and law enforcement training videos, and which gave him background for his upcoming thriller police detective series.
His professional writing career began in the sports industry, where he penned articles for national magazines and online publications. His passion for history and the western genre inspired him to write numerous short stories and a trilogy of classic western novels set in Texas. He drew literary inspiration from Louis L'Amour, Robert B. Parker, C. J. Box, and Lee Child.
John drew out audience smiles, exclamations and questions from fans with his illustrations of life on the filming set. This was especially when telling about unique events on the set in the recent hit Paramount series 1883, which historically represents lives and locations such as Fort Worth and other westward expansion towns and the rough lives of cowboys and immigrants. Layne has also appeared in the Lifetime Network series Text Me When You Get Home, and co-authored and starred in the film A Dark Destiny. His theatrical influences include actors John Wayne, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks and directors John Ford, Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks, and Taylor Sheridan.
John is a member of; The Authors Guild, Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, Wyoming Writers Inc., Oklahoma Writers Federation, and the Working Ranch Cowboys Association.
John is a member of; The Authors Guild, Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, Wyoming Writers Inc., Oklahoma Writers Federation, and the Working Ranch Cowboys Association.
Those attending were able to purchase signed copies of two of his books, Red River Reunion and Gunslingers: A Story of the Old West. Gunslingers: A Story of the Old West draws the reader into a gripping tale of the west from the very start, and is an entertaining tale full of mysterious gunslingers, adventures and revenge, with romance and humor laced throughout the pages. Whether you are a fan of westerns or not, this book is impossible to put down. Red River Reunion is the second in the series with U.S. Deputy Marshal Luxton Danner. "The author's historical knowledge, coupled with his law enforcement background, makes this book an enjoyable read for anyone interested in the Old West," G. Michael Hopf.