Wayne Hughes
author/narrator
In retirement after a fifty-year career as a radio, TV and print journalist, and petroleum industry lobbyist, I turn to my first love: fiction writing. The books in the Jerrod Series reflect my memories
of small-town life, where if you're lucky, everyone knows and cares about you. And if you're not lucky, everyone knows and cares about you.
The weekly Jerrod Citizen is a backstory exercise created while writing Kilborn.
As I developed the second and
third books in the series, it
became a necessary counterpoint,
the day-to-day "backstory"of
lives of Jerrod citizens the reader
of the books will never know.
The Citizen is "published" occasionally.
Click here to see the Citizen front pages.
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Kilborn is the first book in the Jerrod Series, a story of small-town feuds, one man's slide into insanity and how it flows into the lives of the small cotton-farming community of Jerrod, TX. The climax comes with a dramatic car wreck and the antagonist's fatal encounter with wild hogs.
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There's a sample page from this book on the Jerrod Series page.
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The audio version of the bookis on Audible.com Click the arrow for a sample.
"An absorbing slow-burn approach and simpatico characters make this a standout novel."
Kirkus Reviews
Espinoza is book two in the Jerrod Series, the story of the impact of Drake Kilborn's death on the people of Jerrod. It follows Texas Ranger Freddy Espinoza, who's looking into small-town feuds and the mysterious behavior of the Holden County Sheriff. And there's this poltergeist . . .
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There's a sample page from this book on the Jerrod Series page.
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The audio version of the book is on Audible.com. Click the arrow for a sample.
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"The author eschews the typical propulsive pace of a crime novel in favor of a more measured, almost literary speed." Kirkus Reviews
McTague, the third in the Jerrod Series, is the story of a family harvesting wheat for farmers in three states. Scotty McTague must decide what's right for the business and best for his family. A dramatic encounter with a snake tips the balance.
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There's a sample page from this book on the Jerrod Series page.
​
The audio version version is at Audible.com. Click the arrow for a sample.
"Readers looking for a well-told story with flawed, intriguing characters should enjoy McTague." Blueink
Time Lost is the fourth in the Jerrod Series. Dan Baker, long-time stalwart of the small cotton-farming town of Jerrod begins to experience disturbing mental lapses. Some of the unusual behavior can be linked to a head injury he suffered at the hands of a long-time family rival. But Dan's blank spaces episodes had their beginning long before. A break with reality seals his fate and profoundly changes the lives of close friends and family.
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There's a sample page from this book on the Jerrod Series page.
​
The audio version version is at Audible.com. Click the arrow for a sample.
Mr. Hughes has written a captivating book about parallel declines. The lead character is losing his memory and cognitive sense. The town in which he has lived all his life is dying, as are many farming communities. Hughes is an expert in telling a story through dialog between his well-developed characters. The book is a lesson in realism and truth. I recommend it highly
Mike Powell, Dallas
