AUSTIN, TX, November 13, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — In an era of corporate radio consolidation and manufactured hits, one teenager found his voice by playing the music no one else would. Carter Spence Blackburn’s captivating debut novel, The Ballad of Lance Snead, out March 11, 2026, from Heritage Book Publishing, is a coming-of-age story set against the very real, high-stakes backdrop of the 1990s Texas music scene.
When fifteen-year-old Charles Spencer takes a Sunday job at a tiny Hometown, Texas, radio station, his only goal is to escape his mother’s devoutly rigid household. He steps into a world of overnight DJs, backroom deals, and the fading glow of vinyl. Mentored by the irreverent “Maddog Mike,” a man with a past as colorful as the records he spins, Charles is introduced to the “alphabetical” depths of music—from Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger to the cosmic sounds of Leon Russell.
But the education doesn’t stop at the turntable. As Charles climbs from board operator to the youngest Program Director in the state, he finds himself navigating a labyrinth of adult complications: a charismatic but predatory pastor with a “purity pledge,” the financial ambitions of a local Cadillac mogul, and the impending threat of Centaur Communications, a media giant poised to swallow his newfound home whole.
Based on Blackburn’s own remarkable start in radio, The Ballad of Lance Snead is a love letter to the power of musical discovery and the unlikely families we find along the way. It’s a story about what happens when you tune out the noise and start listening to your own frequency.
About the Author:
Carter Spence Blackburn was born in Dallas, TX, and raised in the Texas Hill Country, where he started working in radio at age 15. This debut novel was inspired by those real-life events. He is an Emmy-winning sportscaster and musician who resides in Austin, Texas.
Book Details:
• Title: The Ballad of Lance Snead
• Author: Carter Spence Blackburn
• Publisher: Heritage Book Publishing
• Publication Date: 11 March 2026
• Availability: Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook available through all major online retailers, including Amazon and via the Heritage Book Publishing website.
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:
Heritage Book Publishing
307-285-0316
[email protected]
Heritage Book Publishing Website
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