New Release - Tahoe Destiny (A Will Toal Novel Book 4) by J. L. Crafts

 

Nevada rancher Will Toal is left with no alternative but to move his cattle to his northern lands to save them. With a prolonged drought dropping his animals in their tracks, he’s about to lose everything—along with his fellow neighboring ranchers of southern Carson Valley.

But moving that many cattle north where the Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe brings a long-simmering feud with opposing formidable forces in California to the boiling point over water rights. They’ll do whatever it takes—even commit murder for hire—to protect the flow of water for their own needs.

The bitter fight over Tahoe water runs deep. In desperate need of a new water source, California has dammed the Truckee to generate that water supply for San Francisco, with no thought for the Nevada ranchers. In an un-winnable battle, California, Nevada, railroad and lumber barons, ranchers, and politicians are pitted against each other. Guns are drawn… and fingers are on the triggers.

Though Will tries to distance himself, he’s inexorably pulled in, unable to turn his back on his fellow ranchers. There has to be an alternative—but this potential powder keg is ready to blow at any moment. Can anyone save Tahoe? The battle rages, and once again, bullets fly. Is there any hope for a peaceful TAHOE DESTINY?

EXCERPT

August 1877

Jack’s Valley, Nevada

The animal trembled, legs shaking as it reached down into one of the many small rivulets that cut through the grasslands. Sharply carved sides of the small streams jabbed straight sided into what usually was soft dark dirt. But the dirt was not moist. It was not dark. The rivulet was dry, full of nothing but dust.

With the utmost effort, the steer spread its front legs to drop its head and nose below the normal level of the turf. The beast lowered all the way to the base of the natural sluice in anticipation of a watery reward. Its brain, though markedly limited, kept accurate memories of kin, herd, food and water, but not much else. It had come here pushed by a stored recollection that it would find something to drink. Survival was simple and water was necessary for survival. But the effort was for naught. The animal’s head lifted out of the empty streambed. With a heave of resignation from its lungs, a bovine version of a sigh, its legs gave way. It buckled onto its side in acceptance of its fate.

Will Toal watched from atop his gray mustang Powder, as the steer collapsed. That was his beef. He now counted nine steers that had collapsed in the last few days. It was only August. He gazed up, lifting his hat off his head to wipe away a bead of sweat from his brow. Still early morning and already getting hot again. Would it not end? Nine steers…he had to do something.

     

New Release — Blood and Gold: The Legend of Joaquin Murrieta by Jeffrey J. Mariotte and Peter Murrieta

 

Gold Camps of California—1850s

 

When Joaquin Murrieta’s older brother and cousin head for the riches of the California gold fields, he cannot resist the restless desire to follow. In a bold move, he convinces Rosita, the young woman he loves, to run away with him under cover of darkness. They follow the irresistible lure of the future they might grasp for their own in America, the land of dreams.

 

Instead, they face deep prejudice and explosive violence that leads to unspeakable tragedy, and forces Joaquin to set his sights on being a leader of men—becoming a legend, in the process. To make a place for himself and his people, he strikes back at the whites and the devastating, perpetual hatred they feel toward the Mexicans. Determined not to fail, to carve out a place in this vast land for himself and his followers, Joaquin Murrieta fights back with a stubborn will that is sure to win all…

 

But can he succeed? With his band of outlaws—and then, an army of patriots—he is determined to drive the Americans from the land that had so recently belonged to his beloved Mexico. It seems an almost unattainable achievement to some, but Joaquin cannot consider failure in this obsession.

 

With Joaquin’s brother murdered, and his band of renegades on the run, they must make their final stand and face Murrieta’s evil nemesis—cruel California Ranger Harry Love—who has been given carte blanche to do whatever it takes to kill Murrieta and drive his followers out of California for good. As the battle rages in a final showdown between Love and Murrieta, it’s kill or be killed.

 

Only one of them can walk away from BLOOD AND GOLD…

In BLOOD AND GOLD,  award-winning author Jeffrey J. Mariotte and acclaimed TV producer/writer Peter Murrieta have joined forces to create a compelling blend of history, legend, and folklore. BLOOD AND GOLD is more than a richly detailed examination of the life and dangerous times of legendary California bandit Joaquin Murrieta. It's also a colorful, entertaining novel full of passion, violence, and adventure, a splendid retelling of those days in early California when men and women would do anything for gold.

— James Reasoner, NY Times bestselling author

     

New Release - Gypsy Rock by Robert D. McKee

 Central Wyoming—1892

 

Wyoming Territory is the kind of land where a man can make a life for himself, but it can be just as easy to take the outlaw trail as to do the right thing…easier, sometimes. 

Deputy Hugo Dorling is determined to take the hard way—and stand up for justice, no matter how rough things might get. In the midst of the vast grazing lands and the discovery of precious metals, greed abounds, and there are a few who will commit murder to take what they want.

But Deputy Dorling isn’t alone in his fight. Twenty-year-old Billy Young stands with him through it all. Billy has suffered losses, and views the grizzled deputy as the family he no longer has. His loyalty runs deep for his mentor and friend.

When one evil act sets off a chain of events that spirals downward culminating in dozens of brutal deaths, Billy is determined to join Hugo Dorling in the almost insurmountable fight against the hate and prejudice that envelopes Gypsy Rock and the entire community. But the corruption and brutality runs much deeper than Hugo or Billy realize, and the only people they can trust are one another. When guns blaze, will either of them be able to survive the showdown at GYPSY ROCK?

EXCERPT

“Seems to me,” said Hugo, “any fella who’s been living in the middle of Wyoming since he was four years old oughtta be able to handle the crisp climate better than you do.”

Billy shrugged. “Pa always said I had thin blood. He figured that’s the way some folks’re built.” Billy pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders.

Hugo spread the two long tails of his heavy duster and plopped down, too. He brushed his bushy mustache away from his lips and dug out his tobacco and papers. “I kinda like the chilly months myself,” he said. He rolled a thin, tight cigarette as he spoke. “Folks get into less mischief when the air’s a little on the frigid side, which tends to make my job some easier.” He struck a match, and as he lit his smoke, he cupped his hands to protect the blaze from the wind.

“Maybe you should explain your opinions on cold weather and crime to Mr. O’Dell,” Billy suggested. No matter the season, Ben, his brother Thatcher, and their gang of ruffians were eager to cause trouble. “Killing an old woman just because she’s a Gypsy sounds like mischief to me.”

“Well,” Hugo said as he flicked away the spent match, “Benjamin O’Dell is worse than most.”

     

New Release - Clear Cut Justice by J.L. Crafts (A Will Toal Novel Book 3)

Spring 1876…

When a bomb explodes in a sawmill near Glenbrook Harbor, the residents and businessmen on the shores of Lake Tahoe are left reeling. Will Toal and his wife, Beth, are caught in the deadly, fiery fragments of the devastating explosion, and Beth is severely injured.  

Will gets Beth to the doctor and sets out to find those responsible. Once again, he is drawn back into the crosshairs of business barons clashing among themselves while competing for economic and political clout amid the silver riches of the West.  Will’s been in this position before in earlier days, but this time, the big company money is out to get him—and things just got personal. 

Will just wants those who hurt Beth brought to justice, but he must find out who’s responsible for setting that blast— the first of many to come, if he figures right. With the timber business leveling the forests around Lake Tahoe, and the silver mines clamoring for the necessary wood, the arsonists could be working for anyone. Those who don’t believe in the deforestation process will go to any lengths to save the woodlands, but those who need the jobs lumbering provides are just as determined.

In a race against time, Will is forced to work with an old nemesis, private investigator Dale Paris, to try to stop the arsonists and save the sawmills from disaster. Can they stop the bloodshed? At any price, Will is determined to have CLEAR CUT JUSTICE…   

EXCERPT

“It’s so beautiful,” she said. So clear, so untouched until they built those sawmills and sunk all the pilings. And look at the slopes uphill. Those slopes once held a forest of pine trees. Now, only a few small trees and saplings sprout here and there. It looks stripped.”

Will replied as he closed his eyes, “People say he destroyed the forest by clear cutting it. But Bliss told me he leaves all trees less than twelve inches across because he knows he’ll have to come back in a few years for more wood, and if he did cut everything he’d be out of business,”

“He might think he is preserving some part of the forest, but if you look around, it sure doesn’t seem like there is any timberland left. Lots of people down in Carson City are not shy about saying Bliss ruined Tahoe.”

“You’re right about that,” Will added. “There are some who think the fires last year in two of the mills were started on purpose by those who were mad about the logging.”

As if Will’s comment on fire called up lurking powers of destruction, an explosion rocked the beach, the meadow and Glenbrook House itself. To Will, it felt like the entire harbor moved. The violence and upheaval was enhanced by the deafening sound. He jumped up, losing his hat, but instantly noticing the mass of wood and metal pieces flying into the air amid dark smoke.

     

New Release - Out of the Darkness by Robert D. McKee

Micah McConners returns to his hometown of Probity, Wyoming, to set up his law practice. He never dreams his best friend, Doctor Chester Hedstrom, will be his first courtroom case—and Micah will be defending him for a crime that could put him in prison for fourteen years!

Doctor Hedstrom, bound by his moral convictions, has admitted to what he did—performed an illegal abortion on a young woman who has been raped. The perpetrator of the rape, Sonny Pratt, is the entitled son of a wealthy rancher—and he’ll go to any lengths to keep his freedom—even commit a murder or two.

Can an inexperienced Micah defend the doctor well enough to exonerate him from the charges he faces and set him free? And can the citizens manage to survive the psychopathic vengeance that Sonny Pratt has begun to wreak on the town of Probity?

As the tension builds to a shattering climax, the two friends must bring Sonny to justice, but at a terrible life-altering cost for both of them. Justice may be served in this frontier town, but can it bring them OUT OF THE DARKNESS…

EXCERPT:

Micah McConners had been back in his hometown of Probity, Wyoming, less than fifteen minutes when the peaceful afternoon was cracked open by a gunshot. He could tell it came from around the corner on Main Street, so Micah, being curious, edged in closer to the buildings and started in that direction. The second shot, though, brought him to a stop. By the sound of it, the gunfire was getting closer, and his natural curiosity began to drain.

It was August 1900, and central Wyoming was mostly civilized. From time to time, a band of young Indians would ride around the countryside raising a little havoc, and trains were robbed often enough to cause the railroad barons back East some sleepless nights, but the land's wildness, for the most part, had been tamed.

Micah's father, John, used to tell stories of the old days when about everyone wore a sidearm. During those unruly times, gunfights in the streets were not uncommon, but now, times were modern, and such things were rare. After all, it was almost the twentieth century. Some wrongly believed the new century had begun on January 1, 1900, but Micah knew it wouldn't really start for another four months.

As Micah reminded himself that times were less wild now than in his father's day, he heard a third shot, and that pretty much took away whatever curiosity he had left. He decided it would be wise to duck between the buildings until he could determine what was going on. As that prudent thought came to mind, a riderless horse raced around the corner at full gallop.

     

New Release - Silver City Reckoning (A Will Toal Novel Book 2) by J. L. Crafts

 

Will Toal’s sons have been kidnapped by Sam Brown, a brutal desperado who wants revenge for the death of his brother. When Will returns home from a business trip to discover his sons taken, his foreman murdered, and his woman, Beth, already gone after their boys, he heads out after them to set things straight.

With a $25,000 ransom on his sons, Will has to think fast—he certainly can’t raise that kind of money. But help comes from an unlikely source—a man he’s never met, wealthy mine owner John Mackay. After helping Mackay save his mine and men from a devastating fire, Mackay offers to give Will the much-needed money to save his boys.

Just as things begin to look up for Will, he discovers that Brown has Beth, the woman he loves, the mother of his twin sons. Can he find Beth before Brown murders her? It’s a tall order for one man to face Brown and his evil henchmen, but for the first time, Will realizes he is not alone. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect his family, starting with killing Sam Brown.

Hell is on the horizon. There will be a SILVER CITY RECKONING…

EXCERPT:

The party passed the priest without slowing or paying any heed.

Roberts looked at Brown again. “We’ve robbed banks, stages, and payrolls together. But we’re headed out to a ranch where you’ve been told the guy you want dead is gone on some job. Not sure I understand what we’re doin’ this for.”

Brown spoke in a low voice staring straight ahead. “Because he has to feel a loss. If I just shot him from behind a rock out on some road, he’d never know the loss I’ve felt since he killed Drake. Drake was my twin. Twins are special close. I feel like a piece of me is missin’. This hillbilly rancher must feel a kind of heavy loss first.”

Killing Toal with a rifle had some appeal that was not necessarily out of character for Brown. Not as quick on the draw as his deceased brother, he confronted his targets only on rare occasion. He preferred to surprise his prey when in a position of superiority and they were either caught off guard or unarmed altogether. But if he killed Toal with a rifle, the man would never know why he’d been hunted, no less killed. Will Toal had to know and feel the loss. He had to know the name of the man who’d cause the loss. Sam Brown. He’d know the name.

     

New Release - RAILROADED (A Will Toal Novel) by J.L. Crafts

 

Will Toal has seen a lot of the world in his twenty-three years, including war, the death of his family, and the loss of everything he owns. The gold his father left him, buried in the family graveyard, provides hope for a new future. He is determined to leave Georgia and the past behind him, and start fresh in Carson Valley, at the base of the mountainous Sierra Nevada bowl cradling Lake Tahoe.

But here, Will comes up against a Goliath he never expected—Washington’s support of San Franciso capital and influence to finish the transcontinental railroad as soon as possible. Big business is backed by national pride and unbelievable monetary gain, and this means driving the railroad construction through the upper reaches of Carson Valley—no matter whose land stands in their way.

Untenable right-of-way disputes lead to a deadly gun battle between the railroad’s hired thugs and the Carson Valley ranchers who have homesteaded the Valley, but they are determined to stand their ground—or die on it.

Will and his fellow ranchers must try to survive the indomitable forces and insurmountable odds against them, fueled by more greed for power and money than they could ever have imagined. Can a compromise be reached in the completion of the grandest engineering effort the country has ever undertaken in its history, or will the ranchers and Will find themselves RAILROADED?  

EXCERPT

1868 Late Winter

Toal Ranch near Carson Valley, Nevada

 Will Toal had pulled up his boots and they had just hit the floor when he heard the shot. He stopped and held absolutely still. He knew the sound from the war—it was from a good distance. Sharp reverberations could bounce off the mountains for miles, but he could tell from the sound and direction it was still on his land. He had filed his homesteaded almost two years ago now. But the land agent in Carson City had held up the final paperwork. He had a meeting soon to try and finalize its purchase and get clear title. His ranch covered a full three thousand acres. It might take the better part of a day to get to the source, but guns going off on his land rarely signaled a good thing.

With that one simple sound, his day’s plans changed. Now, instead of working new horses, he was going to head out and see what tracks he could find in the dirt. Hopefully, the dry soil would tell him a story of what had happened; it usually did.

     

New Release — Stagecoach Justice by James Ciccone

 

My name is Mary Fields. I was born into slavery, but I’m a free woman now—and when I say “free” I mean it in every sense of the word. I do what I want—I smoke cigars, drink whiskey, and fight better than any man in Montana Territory, white or colored. 

Some say I have no rights because I’m colored—an ex-slave. But even white women don’t have the right to follow my habits. Being colored is only a small sliver of it—being a woman is the main part that holds us back. And that is just what I intend to change. They call me a pioneer for women’s rights, but shouldn’t every person have the opportunity to live their life the way they choose…including women? 

I’ve held off wolves, carried the mail, and I love baseball. I’ve helped open and run a mission for young Crow women, and I’ve gotten falling-down drunk. I can hitch a team faster and better than any man alive. I’ve been accused of having “crass behavior” more times than I can count. When they see me coming, they shake their heads and mutter, “One stagecoach, one shotgun, and two hundred pounds of bad attitude.”

They aren’t wrong. I’m “Stagecoach” Mary Fields, and I’ve lived my life the way I wanted to. All women should be able to do the same. I’m a fighter, and this is my lifelong battle—I will do whatever it takes to bring equality to this old world. This is the story of how I lived and died—and brought my own brand of STAGECOACH JUSTICE to the wild Montana Territory…

EXCERPT

I could brawl, smoke, curse, drink whiskey, hitch a team of horses, fend off wolves, bandits and robbers, shoot a shotgun, draw a pistol, tend to the sick and needy, and do a whole host of other things better than any man, white or colored. Why should anyone be allowed to pretend other-wise? The rancher was only the latest man to see things my way. The nasty disposition had everything to do with the trouble I had come through in life.

I respected Mr. Lincoln, and I had a habit of cursing and insisting on equal treatment for women in public. I won-dered if any of the ranchers in Cascade were Republicans and felt the same way. I doubted it. They were probably Copperheads. Either way, I was sure they would have no problem respecting a punch in the nose.

By the age of thirty-two, I was no longer regarded as mere inventory on a slave master’s ledger in Hickman Coun-ty, Tennessee. Mr. Lincoln had seen to that. Having been born into slavery at or near 1832, 1833 or 1834, there was no clear record of my birth other than a journal entry listing me as estate property. So, I could not have said that bad luck began for me at birth, because I had no idea when I was born. And there were no records to help me figure it out ei-ther, no photographs, no certificates, no writings of any kind, nothing. My suspicion, though, was that bad luck had begun for me on the day I was born into slavery.

I had no experience with any other institution or lifestyle other than the one that had given me bad luck from the start, but I was determined to try to change. Thanks to Mr. Lincoln, I was finally free, free and flat broke.

     

New Release - Twelve Days in the Territory by J. R. Lindermuth

 

When Martha Raker is abducted and her father murdered in a robbery, her uncle, the sheriff of the town, heads out in pursuit. The only man who volunteers to help is a greenhorn— the mild-mannered schoolteacher, Will Burrows. 

As the outlaws flee into Indian Territory with their captive, Sheriff Gillette is doubtful of Will’s suitability to be of any real help—but Will is insistent. Though the young man harbors his own doubts about himself—and his fears of what is sure to befall Martha at the outlaws’ hands—he loves her, and he is determined to save her.

Martha is a strong-willed young woman, and she is confident in the belief she will not be abandoned by the man she loves, or by her uncle. She steadfastly finds ways to outwit the outlaws, but when they are bested by another outlaw gang, she must try to find a way to survive.

The fight for Martha’s safe return eclipses everything else, even Sheriff Gillette’s own sense of bringing justice to the man who has first abducted her. As the lawmen follow the trail of the renegades who now hold Martha, they are joined by some very unlikely help—men they can’t afford to turn away, but can’t afford to trust.

TWELVE DAYS IN THE TERRITORY can be lifetime… 

EXCERPT:

Sunday, September 4, 1887

A gunshot broke the silence of an early Sunday afternoon.

People still on their way home from church stopped, transfixed in their tracks, staring in the direction from which the sound seemed to come. Women already in their kitchens preparing dinner hurried to the nearest window. Other townspeople opened their doors and peered out.

Sheriff Isaac Gillette left the cup of coffee he'd just poured sit on his desk as he stepped out of his office. Striding to the middle of the street, Gillette spied a trio of men who rushed from the general merchandise store owned by his sister's husband. They made for their horses as Martha, the sheriff's niece, struggled with one of them in the middle of the street. Martha screamed for help as the man forced her to mount a waiting horse, then climbed up behind her. His companions sprang onto their saddles and the gang pounded off in the opposite direction, headed out of town.

Shocked by what he witnessed, Gillette drew his pistol and shouted for them to halt. He rushed after them.

They'd left nothing but a cloud of dust behind by the time he reached the hitching post where their horses and a pack mule had been tethered. No longer a young man, Gillette panted, struggling to catch his breath, bent over, hands on his knees. Feet pounded on the ground behind him, accompanied by the shouts and calls of others attracted by the ruckus.

     

New Release - Desperate Ride: A Texas Ranger Will Kirkpatrick Novel by James J. Griffin

If you miss the Golden Age of Western action books and films, you’ll love James J. Griffin’s novel, Desperate Ride. This gun-slinging thriller leaps from the page and gallops headlong into a series of adventures for veteran Texas Ranger, Will Kirkpatrick, and his young Ranger recruit, Jonas Peterson.

Receiving orders to clean up a huge swath of west Texas, the Rangers begin encountering outlaws and renegades before they even reach the heart of the crime-infested range. In saloons, at camp, on steam trains and stage coaches, Will and Jonas face down bandits, fugitives, crooked lawmen and trigger-happy drunks in loads of tough, bloody excitement. Griffin’s meticulous research into Texas Rangers, weapons, geography and historical events lend authenticity to his rollicking style of story-telling. The author writes about rough riding as only an experienced horseman can. Hats off to Desperate Ride!

— Mike Blakely, Spur Award Winning Songwriter, Singer, and Author

EXCERPT

Genevieve was sitting at the bottom of the staircase, pain on her face. One of the other women was with her.

“Genevieve, I’m sorry I had to do that,” Jonas said. “How bad are you hurt?”

“It’s only a twisted ankle,” Madeleine, the woman with her, answered. “She’ll be just fine.”

“There is no need to apologize, Jonas, mon cheri,” Genevieve assured him. “If you had not shoved me aside, I would be dead. Is Judd—”

“He’s done for,” Jonas answered. “He won’t be bothering you anymore. Nobody else, neither.”

“Good.” Genevieve spat at Hoover’s body. “He was a loco cochon.”

Rose had hurried from the front, and was now standing with Will. She was unfazed by the carnage, worried only about her girls.

“What started all this, Will?”

Will pointed his pistol toward Hoover’s body.

     

New Release — Killing Blood by Robert D. McKee

Billy Young boards a train with his brother, Frank, unaware that only one of them will survive the short, hell-bound ride. When a group of brutal outlaws led by a man called Blood begins to methodically shoot the passengers down, Billy finds a way to save himself with the sole purpose of avenging his brother’s death.

But as events unfold, in an unlikely twist, Billy discovers the outlaws are working for someone else—someone with much to gain from the deaths of certain people in the community. Frank’s murder sets Billy on the trail of the three men who changed his world forever—and he won’t stop until he finds every last one of them.

Once he tracks them down, he’ll exact his vengeance—and it will be a pleasure. He’ll follow them to hell and back with one thing on his mind…KILLING BLOOD!

EXCERPT:

“How old are you, boy?” asked the leader. As he came up from his seat, he folded his knife and dropped it into his pocket.

The man who held the gun gave Billy a yellow-toothed grin. His breath reeked of onion, but Billy’s spinning brain only half logged that fact. “What?” Billy asked.

“I said, how old are you?”

The man with the gun touched the muzzle to a spot between Billy’s eyebrows. The rest of the passengers sat silent and watched. At least they all watched except for Frank. Frank was a man who was quick to sleep, and he had already nodded off.

Billy swallowed hard and said, “Nineteen, sir.” He called the man “sir” because he figured being polite in this situation couldn’t hurt. “I was born in seventy-two, and yesterday was my birthday. My brother and I took this train ride down to Cheyenne to celebrate.”

The leader of the group lifted the Colt from the holster on Billy’s hip. “Well, happy birthday, kid. If you want to live to see another one,” he said, tucking Billy’s gun into his belt, “you best do as you’re told.” 

     

New Release — WESTERN DUO by J. L. Guin

 

When “gun-handy” ex-lawman Jack Bonner begins to think about settling down, he’s approached by one last offer he can’t pass up. Three enterprising businessmen present a plan for him to schedule gunfights—with his opponent paying a fee for the privilege of fighting him! Seems like the perfect plan—good for the town businesses, good for publicity, and good for Jack’s pocketbook—if he doesn’t meet someone faster than he is. But as time wears on, there’s a shift in attitudes all around, and Jack begins to yearn for other things that don’t come easy for a CROSSROADS’ FAST GUN…

Two Huntsville Prison inmates, Derrick Mulford and Harlan Cole, are released for “time served” in the hopes that they will lead lawmen to a strongbox filled with stolen gold from a robbery that happened many years before. Did the dying prisoner, Charlie Cruppe, accurately confess to them where the gold was hidden? Derrick begins to wonder if tracking down the fortune will be the death of them when he and Harlan are followed and held at gunpoint—are their lives worth finding the sister of the robber for her help? Only she knows the hiding place her brother described. Are they willing to die for CHARLIE’S MONEY?

EXCERPT

Joe Snipes set his beer glass down and moved to take a gun shooter’s stance—legs spread shoulder width and facing Jack. “I don’t like how you keep staring at me, mister!” he barked, while pointing a bony finger at Jack.

Jack took his own stance and said, “It seems to me that you’re staring at me just like I’m looking at you. It may be that we have business to discuss, so we might as well discuss it. That’s if your name happens to be Joe Snipes.”

Joe did not answer. Instead, he made a move to draw his six-gun. Jack Bonner drew his .45 Colt in a fluid motion and fired one shot that hit Snipes in the upper chest. Jack would have shot a second time, but he did not want to kill Joe unless forced to do such—although the reward offered stated dead or alive.

Joe accommodated by taking a step back from the impact of the bullet and dropped his six-gun in the move, then fell forward to lie face down on the floor.

When it appeared that Joe Snipes was in no condition to further resist, Jack stepped over to the fallen man’s side then picked up Joe’s six-gun and stuck it in his waistband. He rolled Joe onto his back to assess the damage that the bullet had done.

Jack had purposely shot high so as not to lung-shoot the man. He would try to keep Joe alive in order to claim the reward since he was unaware of how far it was to the nearest law office to claim his prize. If the man died, he might become putrid before Jack could turn his corpse in. Joe’s eyes remained closed, but he was breathing steadily. “Is there a doctor in this town?” Jack asked to no one in particular.

The bartender came from behind the bar to stand nearby. “No doctor in Crossroads,” the man replied. “Hell, mister, you just shot that fella, now you want to save him?”

     

New Release — DAKOTA TRAILS by Robert D. McKee

 

When beautiful Katie Burke offers money to anyone who can best Neil Bancroft in a fight, he’s not sure he’s hearing right. Neil has never laid eyes on the mystery woman – so why does she want to see him beaten black and blue?

 When Katie offers him a job—help her find her husband’s cached gold—his curiosity is piqued even further, and he has no choice but to follow her into the wilds of the Dakota Territory.

 As they face murderous outlaws, Indians, and come dangerously close to trading their lives for the treasure, Neil realizes Katie has entranced him. He’s falling in love with her, and yet, he doesn’t know who she really is. Her nebulous past is not what she’s led him to believe it is…so how can he trust her? Yet, after all they’ve been through, how can he not?

 In a wonderful tale of western mystery laced with edgy suspense and human longing, Neil and Katie discover that the gold may not be as important to them as the hope of a beguiling future together—if they can only survive the deadly danger of the DAKOTA TRAILS…

"Robert D. McKee weaves a thrilling Western that keeps the reader guessing, and the pace drives readers through to the end before they know it. I’m not personally partial to the Western genre, but I could not put this book down. Neil and Katie are dynamic and fun characters, and along the way the people they encounter truly bring the Wild West alive in a historically accurate way. Dakota Trails is a wonderful blend of Western, mystery, and romance."  — Historical Novel Society

 “Gold is where you find it. With his debut Dakota Trails Robert McKee has not only spun gold into a delightful tale, but beguiles us with his talent as an author. McKee's history is immaculately researched—from the land, the people and places, McKee knows his business."  —W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors of People of the Songtrail

EXCERPT

Neil was halfway into his first beer when the woman from the corrals stepped through the saloon's open doorway. As she crossed to the bar, Neil noticed she eyed him at the table where he sat.

"Excuse me, sir," she said to Dick, the bartender. "Could I trouble you for a glass of water?"

"Why—why, sure, ma'am." Dick's awkward behavior made it obvious that except for the local whores, he was unaccustomed to a woman coming into his saloon. He reached beneath the counter, came up with a pitcher of water, and filled a tumbler. She thanked him with a pretty smile and took a sip.

It was still early, and the place was not yet crowded. No more than a dozen men sat around the dimly lit barroom, all of them with their mouths agape watching the young woman drink her water.

She blotted her lips with an index finger when she was finished, and then she turned her back to the bar and looked out over the room. "Afternoon, gentlemen," she said. Everyone stiffened, but no one said a word. "My name is Kathleen Burke. Katie Burke." She patted a small pocketbook she carried. "In my purse, here, I have a Liberty Double Eagle that I will give to any man who is willing to knock that cowboy over there unconscious." She lifted her hand and aimed a finger at Neil Bancroft.

     

New Release—A Good Day To Die by James Ciccone

 

You don’t want to make me mad. I’ve got a lot of hate in me, and I am not afraid of one blessed thing in this life. I’m Crawford Goldsby—better known as Cherokee Bill—and if you think you’re the one to bring me to justice you’re wrong…dead wrong.

They call me a half-breed, but I killed my first man by the time I was twelve, and I never stopped. Why? Because I like killing—and I’m damn good at it. Indian Territory wouldn’t be the same without me.

But this outlaw likes living, too, and when I rob that train carrying millions for a big payoff here in Indian Territory, I’ve got a plan to cut loose and run to South America—along with my fancy woman, Maggie.

Don’t get in my way. Indian Territory is mine. Oklahoma Territory is mine. If you cross me, your life is mine, too. I’m barely eighteen, and I can deliver a kill shot without even looking your way—yes, I’m that good.

Judge Parker can’t wait to get his hands on me over in Fort Smith. If he does, death by hanging will be end of me. Will Parker get his wish?  We’ll see…I’ve gotten confident in my own abilities to escape. If he gets his way at last, he won’t see Cherokee Bill running scared.

I’ll look the bastard in the eye and say, “It’s A GOOD DAY TO DIE…”

EXCERPT

Our gang, the Cook gang, was a ragtag assortment of homicidal maniacs, idiots, desperados, sexual perverts, gamblers, debtors, horse thieves, and perennial losers. And we all liked killing.

By the age of twelve, I had already managed to quit school, drink liquor, hang out with outlaws, shoot and kill a man, and gain an acquittal on a murder charge in open court. Admittedly, that was quite an impressive start in life.

In 1894, stories about me started hitting newspapers from as far away as New York and as close as the Fort Smith Elevator across the border in Arkansas. Of course, the reporters didn’t get the stories straight or put my real name out there, Crawford Goldsby. Instead, they used Cherokee Bill, and got folks all riled up by putting out that I was an outlaw with no fear, a robber on a reign of terror, a desperado at the same level of notoriety as Wild Bill Hitchcock, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Johnny Ringo, the Calico Cowboy, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However, none of that was exactly true. It was far worse. The truth was I was a kid of only eighteen, and my “reign of terror with the law,” as they put it, was just getting started.

     

New Release -- RELUCTANT PARTNERS by J. L. Guin

 

Bounty hunter Judd Jacoby has been doing things his own way for many years—up until now. He’s got a reputation for always bringing in the outlaw he’s after—and doing it alone. But when Judd is dealt a serious head injury, he’s reluctantly forced to accept a partnership with Faye McJunkin, a young woman he rescued when pursuing criminal Lonnie Sims.

When Judd and Faye track two ruthless bank robbers to a cabin, they must confront the men after dark. Faye comes up with a plan to get them in close proximity of the cabin door, but what might happen next is anyone’s guess—and the stakes are all or nothing. 

As time goes by, Faye proves herself time and again, but can Judd accept needing an unwanted partner? If he doesn’t, will he have to give up bounty hunting entirely? There might be an unexpected, surprising solution to the unusual dilemma for both of these RELUCTANT PARTNERS…if they live long enough!

EXCERPT

It was three days later when Sturgis paid Perkins a visit. He grinned when he came in and sat down in a ladderback chair next to the bed where Perkins lay. “You're looking better, Dan. Your coloring is starting to come back.”

Perkins blinked his eyes open. “Hurts like hell, but the doctor left a bottle of some foul-tasting stuff that I sip from time to time. It deadens the pain some but mostly puts me to sleep again. I think I'd rather drink whiskey.”

Sturgis laughed. “There will be plenty of time for that after you heal up. Did you notice my new addition?” He leaned forward and took a hand to pinch up the badge pinned to his shirtfront.

Perkins glared at the badge in astonishment. “What the hell is that?” Perkins knew that Carl Sturgis was a reckless man, reckless with his own life and reckless with the law. Together, they had been in enough tight scrapes for him to know that Sturgis, as well as himself, were anything but honest men.

“Why, it's my badge! I'm the new marshal of Stanley, appointed by Mister Avery Belk, unofficial mayor of the town. The badge and the job are legit, gives me something to do while waiting for you to heal up enough to ride. Part of the package he offered includes the care you receive, however long it takes. I get a hotel room, all my meals, and forty dollars a month. On top of that, I have free run of the town.”

This time, Perkins managed a grin. “Kinda like bringing a fox to watch the chickens.”

     

New Release — DANGEROUS TRAILS by John D. Nesbitt

Saddle up and ride along with one of the greatest western storytellers of our time, John D. Nesbitt, in this outstanding collection of short stories. If you’re looking for tales of danger, action, and adventure, these tales deliver—along with plenty of western justice.  This anthology is a collection of stories about men and women, guns and horses, wrongdoing and those who pay the price—and will keep you wondering what’s around the next bend of these DANGEROUS TRAILS…

      

New Release — The Scarred One by Tyler Boone (Charles Gramlich)

Scarred by a mysterious fire that killed his parents when he was seven, Trenton Banning grew up in a San Francisco orphanage. Ten years later he fled to the freedom of the Rocky Mountains. Now, he’s come to the town of Sun Falls, Wyoming, where a silver strike has triggered a boom. He isn’t after riches, though. He’s there for Jonathan Hunsinger, a ruthless businessman who may know something about the fire that orphaned Banning. 

Hunsinger has a beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. That complicates things for Banning. And after an attempt is made on his life, he realizes that someone is willing to kill to protect Jonathan Hunsinger’s secrets. There are plenty of suspects; Elizabeth is one. Besides trying to stay alive and solve a decade-old mystery, the young mountain man now has to wonder—is Elizabeth the woman of his dreams, or the architect of his nightmares?

EXCERPT

    “Ever seen anything so ugly in your life, Carl?”

    “Hell, Vin. I seen a skinned coon prettier ‘n that. Gotta wonder what his mama looked like.”

The two men standing at the makeshift bar laughed as they eyed the lean and scarred young man in buckskins who sat quietly at a table in the corner of the big tent. There’d been a silver strike at Sun Falls in Wyoming. Miners had poured in—and those who made their living off miners. A few timber structures had been hastily thrown up, but the strike was so recent that most businesses were still operating out of canvas tents, including this saloon.

    “Why don’t you boys have another drink?” the bartender said. “And leave that feller alone. He’s gonna do some huntin’ for me. I figure to start serving meals right soon.”

    The one named Carl turned to look at the speaker. Carl was a big man, inches over six feet and weighing a good two-thirty. The eyes in his stubbled face were dark and cold as anthracite. “Why don’t you just pour the drinks and mind your own business?” he said.

    The bartender, a wiry man of forty or so with a shock of red hair and a dirty white shirt and apron over woolen trousers, was barely half Carl’s size. And since none of the other patrons of the saloon seemed interested in supporting his stance on the issue, he poured whiskeys for the men and decided to mind his own business.
    “Ain’t like we’re hurtin’ the fella none anyway,” the one named Vin said. “Besides, maybe he don’t know he’s too damn ugly for purlite company. We’re educatin’ him.”

    “We couldn’t hurt him no more ‘n a look in the mirror would,” Carl added.

Vin, who was nearly as tall as Carl but much skinnier, had just slugged half his whiskey. He spewed most of it back out onto the dirt floor as he brayed with sudden laughter.

    The young man in the buckskins pushed back his chair and stood.