Carson Brand Series
Stolen Valor
A night out across the Mexican border with his best friend, Bert, turns into a nightmare, and he finds himself trapped in a ruthless world where his experience might not be enough.
Books First
Texas Grit
Cinematic Storytelling
Stories with Grit
Novels that Read like a Movie
Craig Rainey writes muscular American fiction shaped by real experience, sharp dialogue, and the kind of cinematic momentum that keeps readers turning pages late into the night. Discover the Carson Brand thrillers, acclaimed western fiction, and his work headed for the screen.
Author Carson Brand Novels
60+ film roles
Award-winning screenwriter
Featured fiction
Carson Brand is an everyman hunted by the cartels and the FBI.
AVAILABLE WHERE BOOKS AND EBOOKS ARE SOLD.
Carson Brand Series
Dark Motive
Introduced to a campaign using ruthless, questionable tactics to secure victory, Brand faces an impossible choice—work with the DEA or face a lifetime behind bars.
Carson Brand Series
Reasonable Sin
When Leon is murdered by a rogue assassination team, Dehra must place her trust in Brand, the enigmatic stranger with amnesia, unsure whether he is friend or foe.
Carson Brand Series
Sovereign Rule
Framed for the kidnapping of a powerful billionaire’s daughter, Brand becomes the target of the FBI’s Abduction Task Force as one of America’s most wanted criminals.
Podcast
Hear the voice behind the writing.
Listen to Craig Rainey's Renaissance Man Podcast: Writing, acting, and real-world experience shape every episode—delivered without filters.
Now in development
A new screenplay based upon his latest Western, HooDoo War, is in the works now.
In the vein of Yellowstone, Craig is writing a multi-season Western series.
Coming Soon: Craig Rainey is currently developing a new screenplay attracting serious industry interest. More details will be shared first with the Reader Family.
His Novels
Read the stories the film industry is clamoring for.
Film Actor
Veteran of indie and mainstream film shapes his storytelling.
Screenplays
Craig's novels are read and enjoyed by Hollywood insiders. Screenplays are underway.
Reader Family
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Critical Acclaim from the industry
Latest Reviews
Industry pros and readers weigh in on Craig Rainey's novels and screenplays.
“
Rainey keenly depicts an unforgiving landscape throughout this novel — a nearly lawless world where brutal violence can erupt at a moment’s notice.
Kirkus Reviews · Massacre at Agua Caliente“
Reading Dark Motive feels like watching an action movie in 3D display. This book is a masterpiece and deserves the maximum stars!
ILoveUniqueBooks.com · Dark Motive“
Stolen Valor is a gripping and eye-opening read... I will recommend it to lovers of psychological thrillers.
OnLine Bookclub · Stolen Valor
About Craig Rainey
A Texas voice with real-world grit.
Craig Rainey is an American novelist, actor, and screenwriter whose work blends cinematic pacing with lived-in authority. His fiction carries the texture of real experience, his screen work gives the brand weight, and his storytelling voice is rooted in the hard edges of the American Southwest.
Rather than sounding like a general author bio, this version positions you as a creator with gravity, presence, and a body of work readers can follow for years.
- Seven books in print and an expanding body of fiction.
- Known for the Carson Brand action thriller novels and western fiction.
- Film and screenwriting background has several of his novels moving toward film.
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Brand ecosystem
Connect with Craig Rainey - Research his Film Career
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