Carson Brand Series
Stolen Valor
A night across the Mexican border turns catastrophic, pulling Carson Brand into a ruthless world where survival is earned one hard choice at a time.
Novels 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. Explore the Carson Brand series, acclaimed western fiction, and work headed for the screen.
Carson Brand Series
60+ film roles
Award-winning screenwriter
Featured fiction
Carson Brand is an everyman hunted by the cartels, the FBI, and forces larger than he understands.
Start where the pressure begins, then follow the series as the danger widens and the cost becomes personal.
Carson Brand Series
Dark Motive
As power and politics collide, Brand is dragged deeper into a conspiracy where every alliance is unstable and every decision tightens the trap.
Carson Brand Series
Reasonable Sin
Escaping cartel torture is only the beginning. Brand returns with amnesia and finds himself hunted by enemies he cannot remember.
Carson Brand Series
Sovereign Rule
Exonerated but still watched, Brand enters a more powerful world—only to be accused of murder and pursued by global forces that want to control him.
Podcast
Hear the voice behind the writing.
Listen to Craig Rainey’s podcast for reflections on writing, acting, experience, and the deeper influences behind the stories.
Now in development
A new screenplay based on his latest western, HooDoo War, is in development now.
In the tradition of modern western drama, Craig is writing a multi-season series rooted in bloodlines, betrayal, and frontier consequence.
Coming Soon: Craig Rainey is currently developing new screen work attracting serious industry interest. Updates will be shared first with the Reader Family.
His Novels
Read the stories drawing attention from readers and the film industry alike.
Film Actor
A veteran of indie and mainstream film whose screen experience shapes the storytelling.
Screenplays
Several novels are moving toward film adaptation and screenplay development.
Reader Family
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Critical acclaim
Latest Reviews
Industry professionals and readers weigh in on Craig Rainey’s fiction and screenwriting voice.
“
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 experience, and his storytelling voice is rooted in the hard edges of the American Southwest.
He writes stories shaped by consequence, pressure, and the uneasy truth that ordinary men often find themselves in extraordinary worlds.
- Seven novels in print and an expanding body of fiction.
- Known for the Carson Brand action-thriller series and western fiction.
- Film and screenwriting background with projects moving toward the screen.
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Brand ecosystem
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The Reader Family gets the closest access, but the wider body of work is available across these platforms.
Contact
Public & Book Club Appearances
Contact Craig Rainey’s representation for reader notes, appearance inquiries, media requests, film interest, or speaking opportunities.