<b><i>Silver Winner — Best New Fiction, IBPA’s Ben Franklin Awards</i><br><br> What happens when the promise of progress threatens the soul of a community?</b><br> The Big Empty is a sweeping, character-driven novel of ambition, tradition, and the collision of old and new in the heart of West Texas. Acclaimed author Loren C. Steffy delivers a gripping, deeply human story set against the stark, mesmerizing backdrop of the West Texas plains. When a cutting-edge computer chip factory descends on the fading ranch town of Conquistador, two worlds collide: the proud, weathered ranchers fighting for survival and the ambitious newcomers chasing opportunity and reinvention.<br><br> Meet Trace Malloy, a third-generation cowboy whose life is tethered to the land, and Blaine Witherspoon, a Silicon Valley executive determined to build a legacy—no matter the cost. As drought, economic uncertainty, and culture clashes ignite tensions, both men are forced to confront what they’re willing to sacrifice for family, pride, and the future.<br><i>The Big Empty </i>is storytelling is as expansive and unflinching as the Texas sky—rich with authenticity, empathy, and insight.<br>