Most of Tom Townsend's 27 published books are for young adult readers and many of them are historical fiction. His most recent book "The Ballad Of Ole' Hook" is about a bull calf, striving to stay alive, who eventually becomes a rodeo legend. The book also weaves in the story of four teenagers from Rusk who hope to make it big in Rodeo and Country Music.
Although Townsend began writing as a child, he didn't begin to write professionally until he was thirty. While other of his books are set in war-torn Europe and early Texas, "The Ballad Of Ole' Hook" was inspired by Townsend's wife's love of ranching and rodeo.
The couple live on a ranch just outside Rusk where Tom raises cattle and his wife Janet raises miniature horses. Tom Townsend will be signing his newest book Tuesday, August 8th from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hastings Books in Tyler.
Joan Hallmark, Reporting. joanhallmark@kltv.com
