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 debut novel, The Ballad of Lance Snead, released on 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.
The novel follows fifteen-year-old Charles Spencer, who takes a Sunday job at a tiny Hometown, Texas, radio station 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.
The book's release comes at a time when independent radio continues to face pressures from large media conglomerates, making its themes particularly resonant. Blackburn, who started working in radio at age 15, draws on his real-life experiences to craft a narrative that explores the tension between local authenticity and corporate homogenization. An Emmy-winning sportcaster and musician residing in Austin, Texas, Blackburn brings a unique perspective to the challenges facing local broadcasters and the communities they serve.
The novel is available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook through all major online retailers, including Amazon and via the Heritage Book Publishing website.
