Books by Rick Just
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New historical novel
Rick Just’s 15th book is a historical novel about the period of Emma Thompson Just’s life from her arrival in the United States to her dramatic testimony in the murder trial of Robert T. Burton in 1879. History remembers the prophets, generals, and vigilantes of the American West; Coyote Moon remembers the woman caught in their crossfire. Based on the little-known Morrisite War and the rough-edged world of Idaho, Utah, and Montana Territories, it follows Emma, a shoemaker’s daughter, as she leaves a religious cult and an unreliable husband to finally face a courtroom where her deepest beliefs are put on trial. Coyote Moon is available in paperback, hardback, and e-book formats. Rick is currently recording an audiobook, which should be available about August 1. The book is distributed by Ingram Content Group, making it readily available to bookstores, libraries, and online sources. “Where Just excels is in portraying the minutiae of daily life in the West during this era: the drying of stirring spoons, the making of soap and candles from tallow, the price of cows, the effects of frost on crops and gardens. He skillfully renders Emma’s relationship with George; her naïveté and youthful eagerness to be seduced by a man of low character may remind readers of the title character in Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter (1929), who also acquires wisdom in a failed marriage…. An engaging but twistingly tangent-prone narrative of an overlooked corner of American frontier history.” — Kirkus Reviews |
Meet the Characters
Coyote Moon is entirely written by the author. The brief character‑motivation videos on this page were created with AI tools to help readers explore the story, not to generate the book itself.
Emma Thompson |
Nels Just |
George Bennett |
The Prophet Joseph Morris |
George Thompson |
General Patrick E. Conner |
For Bookstores and Libraries
Coyote Moon is distributed by Ingram Content Group and will be available in paperback, casebound, and e-book formats. Bookstores and libraries may contact Rick Just for ordering information, author appearances, interviews, or local-history programming.
Presentations on the Morrisites
Rick is available for presentations about Coyote Moon, Emma Thompson Just, and the history of the Morrisites, including the Morrisite War and its aftermath across the Utah, Montana, and Idaho frontier.
For bookstore, library, media, or presentation inquiries, contact [email protected].
Ghost WriterSam expected a new phone for her birthday. Instead, she got an old leather diary that was supposedly some kind of heirloom. So, she wrote a snarky line in it about the really, really great gift and tossed it aside. Later, she noticed someone was writing in the diary every day. She thought maybe it was her dad—who gave her the totally awesome gift in the first place—playing a trick on her and pretending to be some girl from a hundred years ago. Like she was going to believe that? Then one night she happened to see words forming across the page one letter at a time and the next thing she knew she was standing on top of her bed like rug sharks were circling below and she so had to text Hailey if she could just stop biting her fingers.
The first book in Rick’s Speaking of Idaho series features quirky and entertaining stories about Idaho history tied together only by the state and alliteration. The Symbols section is all about Idaho’s seemingly endless state symbols from the Appaloosa to the Z… Well, a symbol starting with Z hasn’t been named yet, so there’s a challenge for some fourth-grade class somewhere. The Signs section examines some famous signs seen along Idaho’s roadways and stretches the definition to include giant people, dogs, and fish designed to get you to pull off the road. The Songs section is about Idaho’s singers, songwriters, and songs about Idaho. Yes, there is a tenuous connection between Jefferson Starship and “Hot Rod Lincoln.” That connection is a place called Idaho.
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Keeping Private IdahoCoyote never seems to learn. Yet, he never fails to teach, mostly through the error of his ways. He taught the Nez Perce that they came from the Heart of the Monster. Now, he is teaching modern-day Idahoans they have a monster in their heart. This is Private Idaho, a place that exists in the minds of accidental natives and territorial pranksters who take out their resentments on tourists and real estate speculators. They are anonymous and deadly. In this tale of the New West, where the cowboys are women and the Indians wear Rollerblades, be alert for exploding potatoes, the allure of mine shafts and the terrible finesse of chainsaws.
The
Idaho Conversion Kit How to be an Idahoan in "Ten Easy Steps." Or in one easy step. Get yourself born here. You can slap an Idaho Native bumper sticker on your Prius right now and skip the rest of the book if you're a native. But, if you can't check off a high percentage of these ten steps, you'll fit in like a duck in Oxfords. You're technically an Idahoan, but are you a real Idahoan? Rick Just has written an easy primer for those wanting to fit into the Great State of Idaho, educating readers with tidbits of history and a few other stories sure to fill one's Idaho cup. The Idaho Conversion Kit will help you learn about Idaho place names, state shapes, license plate identifiers, symbols, superlatives, famous lake monsters, nicknames, interesting (and sometimes surprising) connections, and more. |
Fearless--Farris Lind, the Man Behind the Skunk
This is the story of the signs, the skunk, the crop dusting, the tragedy and the triumph of a man who was the essence of Idaho. 
Idaho State ParksIdaho's state parks have been called the "jewels" of the Gem State. The story of how those jewels came to be involves political intrigue, much resistance, some philanthropy, and a touch of irony. Sen. Weldon B. Heyburn famously said that state parks were "always a political embarrassment." Idaho's first state park was named after him. Today, Idaho's 30 state parks host five million people a year. Visitors come to boat, camp, bike, climb, hike, fish, and make memories in the great outdoors. This book tells the story of Idaho's diverse state parks--from Priest Lake in Idaho's panhandle to Bear Lake in the southeast corner of the state--through a wealth of historical photographs. A variety of parks are featured, including ones that were lost, found, or never came to fruition.
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The Wizards Trilogy
Until he was 13, Gerrald did not know there was a place called Kimyra. He had not met a walacatoon, a scraler or even a ribek. Then one day he went after a cat in a cave and his life changed forever. The skinny kid was suddenly the leader of alien trekkers on a quest to steal the eyes of a dragon. He would soon discover there was something more powerful than magic, myth or mysticism--and only he knew its name.
A Kid's Guide to Boise
Boise has it. If you're a kid it's a fun place to visit and a great place to live. A Kid's Guide to Boise helps you find whatever it is that you like to do. It's full of tips about fun food, where to play, and what you can discover. If you've just got a few days in town, check out the sample tours. If you live here, create your own bucket list of things to do whenever you have time. You'll become an expert on what to see and where to go and what your friends don't know about Boise. |
Kat believed. She believed in a land called Kimyra where dragons skimmed the skies and wallacatoons whirled along the ground on three legs. She believed it because her father said his stories were true. Than, when Kat was almost a teenager, she began to doubt it all. That's when the ribek showed up.
AnjelLasa was an amazing flyer, maybe the best of the anjels. She was also an exceptional hunter, which was something she kept secret. Girls were not allowed to hunt. Only women hunted. But Lasa was a girl who defied tradition from the moment she appeared. A gold-colored phlox attached itself to her in such a way that the elders took it as a sign. They made her a Memory Keeper. Then, love drove Lasa into a forbidden place where she would learn the terrible secret of her people.
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Kat believed. She believed in a land called Kimyra where dragons skimmed the skies and wallacatoons whirled along the ground on three legs. She believed it because her father said his stories were true. Than, when Kat was almost a teenager, she began to doubt it all. That's when the ribek showed up.
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