Johnny D. Boggs

Western Writer

Nine-Time Spur Award Winner

Winner of the Western Heritage Wrangler Award

Wrangler award Johnny D Boggs

Johnny D. Boggs has worked cattle, been bucked off horses (breaking two ribs last time), shot rapids in a canoe, hiked across mountains and deserts, traipsed around ghost towns, and spent hours poring over microfilm in library archives — all in the name of finding a good story. He was won a record nine Spur Awards from Western Writers of America, a Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and has been called by Booklist magazine “among the best western writers at work today.” He also writes for numerous magazines, including True West, Wild West, Boys’ Life and Western Art & Architecture, speaks and lectures often, studies old movies (Westerns and film noir) and even finds time to coach and umpire Little League. A native of South Carolina and former newspaper journalist, he lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and son.

New Releases

Book released: June 24, 2024

“Boggs never disappoints, and Bloody Newton is one of his best trail-driving Westerns of all time.” — True West magazine

Inspired by the true story of the Gunfight at Hide Park, this historical Western novel by Spur Award-winner Johnny D. Boggs takes readers back to that fateful summer in 1871–when Newton, Kansas, became “the wickedest town in the west”.

book cover Bloody Newton Johnny D Boggs

"When I taught American literature at the Univ. of Iowa, a colleague taught a 'Great Westerns' course devoted to novels. Vardis Fisher's MOUNTAIN MAN, Alan LeMay's THE SEARCHERS, A.B. Guthrie's THE BIG SKY. Charles Portis's TRUE GRIT. Clearly Westerns can be literature. I suspect that Johnny D. Boggs would be on the syllabus today."

- David Morrell, best-selling author of First Blood & The Brotherhood of the Rose

Walter Edgar’s Journal:
Walter Edgar interviews Johnny D. Boggs about growing up in the South and becoming a nine-time Spur Award winner. (February 21, 2022)

Start Spreading the News interview:
Yes, Johnny D. Boggs, Kansas City Royals fan, talks baseball, Westerns and writing on a New York Yankees fan program with NYY experts Dr. Paul and Dr. Fagan! (January 17, 2022)

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