Includes an excerpt from Bad hombres (pages 293-315).

Take one well-oiled effective killing machine, add a familiar hero on the ground, in the air, and on horseback; stir in a ghastly end that’s surely impossible to escape, add action, add passion, made on a shoestring budget at breakneck speed, and you’ve got the recipe for Republic Pictures. Who, after all, cannot forget The Atomic Kid, starring Mickey Rooney, or The Untamed Heiress, with an un-Oscar-worthy performance by ingénue Judy Canova? Exploding onto the movie scene in 1935, Republic Pictures brought the pop culture of the 30s and 40s to neighborhood movie houses. Week after week kids sank into their matinee seats to soak up the Golden Age of the Republic series, to ride off into the classic American West. And they gave us visions of the future. Visions that inspire film makers today. Republic was a studio that dollar for dollar packed more movie onto the screen than the majors could believe. From sunrise on into the night over grueling six day weeks, no matter how much mayhem movie makers were called upon to produce, at Republic Pictures it was all in a day’s work. Republic Pictures was the little studio in the San Fernando Valley where movies were made family style. A core of technicians, directors, and actors worked hard at their craft as Republic released a staggering total of more than a thousand films through the late 1950s. Republic Pictures was home to John Wayne for thirty-three films. Always inventing, Republic brought a song to the West. It featured the West’s first singing cowboy. Republic brought action, adventure, and escape to neighborhood movies houses across America. And they brought it with style. Scene from westerns such as The Three Mesquiteers and the Lawless Range gave screaming kids at the bijou a white-knuckle display of expert film making. Republic Pictures became a studio where major directors could bring their personal vision to the screen. Sometimes these were projects no other studio would touch such as The Quiet Man (which brought director John Ford an Oscar) and Macbeth. Killer Bs, Cowboys, Creatures and Classics: The Story of Republic Pictures is for anyone who likes B movies magic. It is the honest account of an extraordinary production house, one whose ability to turn out films quickly boded well for its transition into television production. Not only were its sets used for such shows as Leave it to Beaver and Gilligan’s Island, stock footage from Republic’s movies was used on such shows as Gunsmoke and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.

Revised to include presidential hats, new celebrity hats, and a fully updated resource listing of custom hatters. The Cowboy Hat Book features an impressive array of cowboy hats, showcasing the wide variety of styles, colors, and fabrics used to create the cowboy hat, now a symbol of America and western culture that is recognized all over the world. Beginning with a brief history of the cowboy hat, the authors go on to explain the building of the perfect hat, its care and feeding, hat etiquette, hat hair, and more. Beautiful photos of real cowboys and movie cowboys sporting their trademark hats illustrate how creases, brims, shapes, and trims are unique to the individual who wears each hat. The Cowboy Hat Book celebrates the history and importance of this unique piece of clothing that hasn't fundamentally changed in more than 100 years. Ritch Rand's family has been making handcrafted hats for over twenty years. His hats have rested on dozen's of famous heads-from presidents to kings and heads of state to movie stars. He lives in Billings, Montana. William Reynolds is president and CEO of the marketing, PR, and advertising agency Banning Company, Inc. The company has a special division that services the western and equine industries. He lives in Malibu, California.

Many legendary players and coaches, including Roger Staubach, Tom Landry, Pete Gent, and Bob Hayes, share the story of this famous football team, which has won five Super Bowls and more games than any other team in NFL history.

An Amish cowboy’s unexpected reunion with the woman who got away could heal his heart … or break it forever. Daniel is the eldest of the six Miller siblings helping their Old Older Amish parents run the Circle M Ranch in northwestern Montana. Daniel can handle a blizzard, manage a roundup, even birth a calf. But what he can’t do is forget Lovina Lapp, who broke his heart back in Lancaster County and married someone else. When their neighbors gather to help them bring the cattle down from the summer pastures, Daniel is staggered to see Lovina among them. His job is to keep the group safe in the high country. But will he be able to protect his heart? After a chaotic childhood and a romance with Daniel Miller that ended when he chose Montana over her, Lovina learned the danger of loving a cowboy. She married another man instead—someone who was safe. But after God took her husband in a freak accident, an invitation to go with old friends to visit the national parks seems like a gift. Until she finds herself unexpectedly at the Circle M Ranch, where one look at Daniel tells her there is nothing safe about her feelings for him … The Montana Millers. They believe in faith, family, and the land. They’ll need all three when love comes to the Circle M! The Amish Cowboy is the first novel in the Amish Cowboys of Montana romance series. Though the books that follow can be read as standalones, there is a family thread running through them all. No strong language, just a loving kiss and a guaranteed happily ever after. If you like books by Samantha Price, Amy Lillard, or Grace Lewis, you’re in the right place. Enjoy!