The Rustler Hunter by R.J. Sloane + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Rustler Hunter by R.J. Sloane, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I'm happy to be participating in this blog tour! Be sure to check out my guest post below!

About the Book

Title: The Rustler Hunter
Series: Harper's Justice #1
Author: R.J. Sloane
Publisher: Desert Life Media
Release Date: September 23, 2025 
Genre: Western Action & Adventure, Christian Western, Western Romance

When forty-one successful manhunts make you a legend, there’s only one way left to go—down. 

J.J. Westin, the infamous Rustler Hunter, goes undercover at Arizona Territory's largest cattle ranch to expose the rustlers bleeding it dry. The thieves aren't just stealing cattle. They're trusted cowboys operating from inside the bunkhouse. 

What he doesn't expect is Hayley Harper, the tough-as-nails cook with secrets of her own. She's a Pinkerton agent working the same case and the daughter of notorious outlaw Galen Harper. 

When their covers are blown, they uncover something far deadlier than rustling. A corruption network spanning three territories. With enemies closing in and bullets flying, the legendary manhunter and the outlaw's daughter must survive the badlands of 1898 Arizona, where trust is deadly and justice comes at gunpoint.  

In the shadow of Canyon Diablo, where the historic Aztec Land & Cattle Company's Hashknife outfit controlled over a million acres of the Arizona Territory's most lawless land. 

 PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Desert Life Media | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

---

Guest Post

Breaking Barriers: Why I Made Hayley Harper a Pinkerton Agent

When I was researching for The Rustler Hunter, I kept stumbling across references to female Pinkerton agents in the 1890s. These weren’t token hires. They were trained operatives working dangerous undercover assignments alongside men. The more I read, the more I knew Hayley Harper had to be one of them.

Making Hayley a Pinkerton wasn’t about making her “tough enough” for frontier Arizona. It was about historical accuracy. Allan Pinkerton hired his first female operative, Kate Warne, in 1856. By the 1890s, women agents were well-established. They specialized in cases where men couldn’t blend in—domestic situations, society gatherings, and roles where a woman’s presence wouldn’t raise suspicion.

  

For Hayley, going undercover as a cook and laundress at the Aztec Land & Cattle Company’s Hashknife outfit made perfect sense. Male detectives investigating cattle rustling drew attention. A woman doing “women’s work”? No one looked twice. Outlaws talked freely around her, never considering her a threat.

What fascinated me most was how these women used society’s assumptions against criminals. Men underestimated them, dismissed them, or saw them as harmless. That blind spot became their greatest weapon. Hayley embodies this perfectly. She’s physically capable, but her real strength lies in gathering intelligence while appearing to be just another frontier woman trying to make an honest living.

Hayley’s background as the daughter of outlaw Galen Harper adds another layer. She understands how criminals think because she grew up around them. That insider knowledge, combined with Pinkerton training and her drive to be the opposite of her father, makes her uniquely qualified. Allan Pinkerton himself commends her work in the novel, which was a nod to the real respect these women earned in an era when most professions remained closed to them.

Writing Hayley came with challenges. I wanted her to be authentic to the 1890s without modern sensibilities. She’s tough and capable, but she faces real limitations. She can’t stride into a saloon demanding answers like J.J. Westin. Instead, she must be smarter, more strategic, and twice as resourceful.

But what I love most about making Hayley a Pinkerton agent is what it says about second chances. She’s the daughter of a notorious outlaw who chose justice over lawlessness. That transformation mirrors the Arizona Territory itself as it moved from wild frontier to civilized statehood.

The real female Pinkerton agents of the 1890s broke barriers and proved that courage isn’t determined by gender. Hayley Harper stands proudly in that tradition. She doesn’t just solve cases. She carries the legacy of grit and grace that helped tame the frontier. Armed with a Colt and an unshakable sense of justice, she proves that a woman’s strength is most powerful when wrapped in grace.

R.J. Sloane captures the raw spirit of the American frontier in action-packed westerns that blend historical authenticity with timeless struggles between law and lawlessness. The Rustler Hunter launches the Harper & Justice series, following a family of territorial lawmen as they transform their outlaw legacy into a badge of honor.

About the Author

R.J. Sloane writes gritty western adventures where justice rides hard across the untamed Southwest. Inspired by shows like Longmire and Yellowstone, plus a childhood spent watching classic westerns with dad, R.J. brings authentic frontier spirit to every page. When not crafting tales of territorial lawmen, you'll find R.J. researching the legendary lawmen of the Southwest and the founding of pivotal frontier towns.

Connect with R.J. Sloane by visiting rjsloanewesterns.com to follow on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will each receive a signed copy of The Rustler Hunter!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 24, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 1, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

---

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!