This Week in America with Rick Bratton: Michael Schall Johnson, “The Bloody Road of Gold”
by ReadersMagnet | November 21, 2025 | radio interview | 0 Comments
The spirit of the American frontier rides again in The Bloody Road of Gold, a gripping Western historical novel by Michael Schall Johnson. Featured recently on This Week in America with host Rick Bratton, Johnson shared the inspiration behind his thrilling story of outlaws, lawmen, and the pursuit of justice on the Western frontier.
At the center of the book is Jack Neuman, a determined orphan who finds a home with the Lakota before becoming a U.S. Army scout. His journey takes him from love and heartbreak to the company of frontier legends like Calamity Jane and D. Boone May. Through danger, stagecoach ambushes, and gold heists, Jack’s search for justice cements his place among the Old West’s unforgettable heroes.
From California to Wyoming: The Birth of a Western Storyteller
Born Michael William Schall in 1943 in Maywood, California, Johnson’s life has been every bit as colorful as his fiction. After his family relocated to the Black Hills region of Wyoming in 1968, he worked as a telephone repairman for Mountain States Telephone – an experience that became the foundation for his Western imagination.
“I was working where all those stage robberies took place,” Johnson recalled during the interview. “A lot of our lines followed those old wagon ruts. You could still see them, even a hundred years later.”
That living connection to history inspired The Bloody Road of Gold, a novel that intertwines real-life legends with the author’s vivid storytelling. The old Deadwood stage line, the rough justice of frontier life, and the moral choices of men like D. Boone May – all find new life in Johnson’s pages.
A Lifelong Love of the West
Johnson’s fascination with Westerns began in childhood. He fondly remembers watching the great cowboy stars of his era – Hopalong Cassidy, Tex Ritter, Gene Autry – and credits them with shaping his creative vision. But it was his firsthand experiences in Wyoming and Yellowstone that gave his stories their authenticity.
From working ranches to hauling thousand-pound telephone poles out of rivers, Johnson has lived the kind of rugged life that defines his characters. “I see those movies where they ride across the desert all day and the horses just stand there,” he joked with Bratton. “In real life, those horses would’ve run straight to the water.”
The Art and the Legacy
Beyond writing, Johnson is an accomplished painter and sculptor, having studied at the Colorado Institute of Art and served as art editor for Newsreel Magazine from 1983 to 1985. His illustrations often appear in his books, including The Bloody Road of Gold, where his own artwork brings 19th-century Wyoming to life.
Johnson’s dedication to preserving the spirit of the West extends beyond fiction. He regularly writes short stories and annual Christmas anthologies, featuring tales that blend history, folklore, and the humanity of ordinary people living through extraordinary times.
A Tribute to the Real Heroes of the West
Unlike the gun-slinging myths of Hollywood, Johnson’s stories focus on the unsung heroes—the men and women who endured hardship with quiet strength. “The ones who blew their own horns got all the press,” he said, “but the real heroes were the ones just doing their jobs.”
That sentiment echoes through The Bloody Road of Gold, where bravery isn’t measured in bullets, but in loyalty, justice, and the will to survive.
Final Thoughts
Rich with history and heart, The Bloody Road of Gold is more than just a Western—it’s a chronicle of endurance, faith, and the timeless pursuit of justice.
Watch Michael Schall Johnson’s full interview with Rick Bratton on This Week in America on YouTube.
Purchase a copy today on Amazon. Michael’s other books, as well as his nostalgic artwork, can be found on his website at https://wyomingslim.com/.
