When Sam meets beautiful Ellen Riggs, he thinks there might be a chance for a future with her. But Ellen disappears, and Sam returns to his aunt’s spread near Fort Worth, determined to stay on and help her. He puts away his fast gun for a more settled life, at last.
A chance meeting with the elusive Ellen Riggs makes Sam realize that she’s in trouble—a tight spot she can’t handle alone. When she goes missing, Sam knows her worst fears have been realized, and she’s in the hands of the cruel gambler she once married. Can Sam save her from the abusive John Riggs? Do Sam and Ellen have a chance at a future together? No matter what, it’s up to him to put on his gun once more and find her…
EXCERPT
Ellen began to see, or perhaps pay attention, to some of the goings on in the gaming room. One night, John got into an argument with a disgruntled player who had lost a large bet. The man left in a huff.
The next day, authorities searched the riverboat for a missing passenger, to no avail. The assumption was that the man had fallen overboard and had been swept away in the river. Ellen wondered if John had something to do with the disappearance, but kept quiet.
One night, a week before they pulled into St. Louis, Ellen left the casino early, and was walking to her stateroom when she noticed two men struggling in a darkened side passageway. It was John Riggs and an unknown man. She stepped inside a doorway, out of sight, but she could still see what was going on.
Suddenly, a hand raised a knife, the blade glinting in the moonlight. Ellen chilled when she heard a grunt, then watched as John rifled the downed man’s pockets, then rolled his still-twitching body over the side. She was going to leave, but was so awestruck she continued to watch as John stepped through a stateroom doorway, then re-emerged with some toweling. He wiped the deck of the blood from the man, then threw the towels overboard.
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Jerry, I loved this story of yours. I can sure see how someone like Sam would just want to live a quiet life after all he'd been through! Great character!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheryl. It was fun to figure out what he should do next. I wanted to portray Sam as just an ordinary guy who had some bad things happen to him. When Ellen Riggs come into his life, instead of things settling, it got real complicated.
DeleteThanks to you, Livia and Kathleen for giving this story a chance.
Jerry
This sounds like my kind of story. I look forward to reading it. Best of success, Jerry.
ReplyDeleteRobyn Echols w/a Zina Abbott
Thanks Zina. I hope you find that the story is worthwhile reading.
DeleteAt times, positive words for a writer are hard to come by. I find yours most encouraging.
Thanks for commenting
Ahh, a good old Western. I cut my teeth on Westerns, the kind my grandfather read...the paperbacks, which he curled each page around as he read it and could hold it with one hand.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds very good, and I applaud you.
Why thank you Celia. I love those old paperbacks too. Fact is, I still haunt used book stores and keep a supply on hand. I like to put a little grit in my stories and Once a Drover has its share.
DeleteIf anyone finds that it at least equals some of those old paperbacks, then I have been successful.
Thanks for stopping by.
This sounds like a great Western! Can't wait to read it. Happy release day and wishing you much success, Jerry.
ReplyDeleteKirsten, I hope you like the characters. Sam Hall really is a good man. It's just that some folks sought to push him into things that he would ordinarily not do.
DeleteThanks for coming by.
Congratulations, Jerry. Sam Hall is a great character. I wish you the greatest of success.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Thanks Keith. Every writer enjoys the debut of his book. I liked the man, Sam Hall the moment he came onto the page. It might come about someday that he will show up in another story.
ReplyDeleteThank you sir for the kind words,
Jerry
Congratulations, Jerry. I wish you every success!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah. Half the success is getting it published and thanks to the fine folks at Sundown Press they made that happen.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment.
Jerry,
ReplyDeleteOh, how I love stories about gunfighters who can't leave their pasts behind them as easily as they'd hoped. Best of luck with this story. :-)
Hello Kaye. Well Sam Hall didn't even want to become a gunfighter but.....
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is no one can outrun their past and folks tend to judge others by what they know is true.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love the excerpt. Sounds like it's a great story. Wishing you many sales.
ReplyDeleteKeena, Any hopes and dreams Ellen Riggs may have expected as a newly wed is suddenly shattered when she witnesses deceit, murder and downright meanness.
DeleteThen Sam Hall came into her life unexpectedly....
Thank you for stopping by
LOve stories like these, where you do what you have to do because it's the right thing to do, even when you wish you didn't have to. I wish you all the best Jerry. Doris
ReplyDeleteLove even if merely a newly acquired infatuation can be a powerful incentive for someone to step where they normally do not tread.
DeleteThank you for commenting Doris.
And the winner is .... KIRSTEN LYNN
ReplyDeleteKirsten please email me at jlgin.4765@gmail.com
and I will send you the info to claim your prize at Smashwords.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Congratulations on publication, Jerry. Sounds like a great premise for a story.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sean. It took a while to put together but I am happy with the finished version.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.