The Legends of Ryland Creek — Joseph Gary Crance

In the quiet town of Painted Post, the Ernst clan has long been known for their coonhounds and knowledge of the forest. Mead Ernst is a kind but firm man, struggling with the loss of his father and brother. With the help of his wife, Sarah, they raise their children -- Lill, John, and Mattie -- chasing behind coonhounds in their hometown's forests.

Lill Ernst, beautiful but bullied by schoolmates, retreats into the forests. Beneath the trees, she seeks the comfort of being alone. With a rescued bluetick coonhound named Judge, Lill meets a mysterious woman in the forests who teaches her about life and her own potential.

Teenaged Andrew Renthro comes from a different world. He's the son of a long-dead father whose death he believes the Ernsts are responsible for causing. Sent by his drug kingpin stepfather to prove his worthiness, Andrew goes to Painted Post to avenge a parent he can't remember.

However, the forests of Painted Post don't belong solely to the realm of man. Stories of guiding spirits, ghostly hounds, and hideous beasts abound in this mystical place of wooded hollows, streams, and pathways.
Many trails in Ryland Creek converge and diverge in these oak-strewn hills.

Some paths lead to redemption, while others end in certain doom.

But all have the potential to become legend.