The Lonesome Gods, by Louis L. Amour

Western fans rejoice! The book of your dreams is here! Louis L Amour's classic has everything; gunfights, horse breaking, desert survival, you name it, as well as characters that will draw you deeper and deeper into the story.

"I am Johannes Verne, and I am not afraid." (repeatedly said throughout the book). That is what the main character says to keep his hopes of a sucessful life in the unforgiving desert, from when he is traveling in a stagecoach heading west, trudging home after being dragged out to the desert by his vengeful grandfather after gunning Johannes father down in cold blood, or killing the bounty hunters sent after him by his jealous uncle. After he is saved by a band of outlaws, he stays at his home for years, exchanging books with a folklore monster, until he is brought to Las Angeles by a family friend to live with a mysterious woman whose past is shrouded in speculation. As time goes on, though, he can't help but wonder what lies over the hills in the land where his parents fell in love with...