Historical Novel in Progress: The 100-Mile Main Street

My current work in progress is a historical fiction novel, schedule for release next year.

Desert. Sun. Sand. And no humans within 50 miles in either direction. The perfect place to found a town? That’s what Steve thought. So he bundled up his family into the old truck, bought a local well dug by a prospector, and built a gas station, repair garage, post office, and café. He advertised: “Free food on days the sun doesn’t shine” and “No drunks, no dogs—we prefer dogs.”
Based on a true story, this is the story of a quirky and bold man who founded a town in the middle of a desert, wrote bad poetry, and found ways to survive when many would have packed in it.
From the publisher’s description

Cover of Nuff Sed: A Novel of Desert Steve by Markus McDowell.

Desert. Sun. Sand. No roads or human settlements within fifty miles in any direction. The perfect place to found a town?

That’s what Steve Ragsdale believed. So he and his wife bundled up their four kids in their 1915 Ford Model T, bought a local prospector’s shack and well, and built a fuel station (50-gallon drum), a repair garage, and café. He advertised “Free food on days the sun doesn’t shine” and “No drunks, no dogs—we prefer dogs.” He was the owner, sheriff, rockhound, author, naturalist, desert guide, and Santa Claus at Christmas.

He became one of the local “desert rats” and earned the moniker “Desert Steve.” Along the way, he became part of history: the Colorado Aqueduct, the construction of the first State and National highways, the invention of prepaid healthcare, General Patton and World War II, the largest iron mine in the United States, flying saucer sightings, murder, and much more.

Based on a true story, this is the tale of a quirky, clever, and bold man who pursued a dream, wrote bad poetry, and found ways to survive when many would have perished or packed it in.

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