A cowboy from an unexpected place is on a mission traveling through the Kansas Territory during its formative period, four years before the Civil War. 'Bloody Kansas' was transitioning from the Wild West to a territory; however, the laws were not yet set in place, and the Pro-Slavery government was leading the predominately Anti-Slavery public. The cowboy encounters political turmoil and the remains of the yet untamed wilderness. The indigenous tribes are rebelling against harsh treatment, the influx of tribes being repositioned from the East, and the invasion of settlers taking their land. At the same time, inscrutable individuals disregard any law while selfishly taking advantage of the situation where laws only apply in towns.

Western fiction has many timeless stories that omit all political turmoil. 'TOBY WALKER - The Cowboy from Illinois' wraps the developing history within the story such that at the confluence of invasion, confrontation, lawlessness, terror, and indignation, one might find realism, empathy, and understanding.

Ross holds a BS and MS in Mathematics and began his career as a Math Teacher and shifted to the reinsurance field, where, as an underwriter, he analyzed proposals of treaty reinsurance, assessed risk, set and negotiated rates, wrote contract terms, and participated as a leader within the industry as a member of the Actuarial Committee of the national association. His last position was COO of a reinsurance company. As a consultant, he audited contracts, served as an expert witness, and was an arbitrator in insurance carrier disputes. Additionally, he was a founding member of a group attempting to launch a new reinsurance company in Bermuda.

Ross started writing as an outcome of analysis in the reinsurance industry, where he saw developing trends and chose to report them to his peers. He also wrote contract language for reinsurance treaties, which he designed, priced, and negotiated with reinsurers. Ross was chairman of the first actuarial study of damage from hurricanes, tornados, floods, and earthquakes in the USA and wrote and presented the results at a national convention. He wrote more than two dozen articles published in industry periodicals regarding trends within the industry, including two five-year retrospective reviews of the industry's performance. Ross launched a series of articles regarding measures of financial performance in the industry. Leadership at this stage motivated him to author a professional book published by John Wiley & Sons entitled "Reinsurance Fundamentals." He began to write fiction after retirement, progressing to several novels and short stories.