Riding For The Brand: Sage Country Book Three (20 page)

I’ve led a colorful life, fueling my imagination for telling stories set in the American West.

I was born in Bakersfield, California and abandoned by my parents in Seattle, Washington. After living in the foster care system for some years, I was eventually adopted. I’ve lived in Idaho, Washington, California, Virginia, and now make my home in Texas. My wife, Lora, and I have four grown children, of whom we are justifiably proud, not because we were such good parents but because God is good.

I’ve written several novels and an illustrated book on the training of horses, in addition to authoring and/or contributing to numerous technical manuals and articles in various publications and periodicals.

As a horse trainer and clinician (I trained performance horses for twenty five years), I had occasion to travel extensively and I’ve been blessed to have worked with a variety of horses and people in amazing circumstances and locations.

I’ve herded cattle in Texas, chased kangaroos on horseback through the Australian Outback, guided pack-trips into the high Sierras and the Colorado Rockies, conditioned and trained thoroughbred race horses, galloped a warmblood on the bank of a canal surveyed by George Washington, and spent uncounted, delightful hours breaking bread with unique characters in diverse parts of the world.

At one (brief) point I was one of the 3% of fine visual artists who earned their entire income from sales of their art. I’m a painter, sculptor and writer.

Under the name Daniel Roland Banks I write contemporary detective thrillers. I’m a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Western Writers of America.

My contemporary detective thriller, ANGELS & IMPERFECTIONS, was selected as a finalist in the Christian Fiction category in the 2015 Reader’s Favorites International Book Award contest.

In 2013, after 40+ years of searching, I found and got reacquainted with my half-brother and a host of relatives from my mother’s side of the family.

I can’t sing or dance, but I’d like to think I’m considered an engaging public speaker, an accomplished horseman and an excellent judge of single malt Scotch.