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 - 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 GUNS OF THE WEST (Eight Classic Western Novels) Boxed Set 99 Cents

Are you ready to ride into the old west with EIGHT exciting tales of lawmen, outlaws, army scouts and range detectives? These stories are sure to have you cheering them on from your easy chair! Tracking down murderers, chasing bank robbers, and protecting beautiful women with checkered pasts from ruthless killers all await you in this fast-paced set of book-length stories from eight veteran western authors. Each and every one of these action-packed tales of the west is guaranteed to keep you enthralled and turning pages.

Ready to ride alongside an Arizona Ranger, or help out a Range Detective? Maybe you’d like to do some dangerous investigation of a long-ago fire, protect a friend or a lovely lady, or learn to ply your trade selling river whiskey. Come on along for the journey, where even a bank robber can become an unlikely hero! This hard-hitting action will carry you along to the hot dust of the Mexican border and as far away as the dangerous Dakota trails and Indian uprisings of the past. Put your brand on your own copy of GUNS OF THE WEST for eight solid western adventure you won’t soon forget!

THE SCARRED ONE—Tyler Boone
BORROWED GUNS—J.D. McCall
BUST OUT—W. M. Shockley
BLAKE’S RULE--J. R. Lindermuth
RIVER WHISKEY—J.L. Guin
LAST RIDE OF SHADOW BRIGGS—Sam Fadala
GUNS OF THE PRAIRIE—Kevin Crisp
DAKOTA TRAILS—Robert D. McKee

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 — Bounty Poachers (James P. Stone Series Book 3) by J. L. Guin

A life of dire circumstances gave need for boldness with a gun…

When Deputy U.S. Marshals James Stone and Jackson Millet recover from being wounded in a shoot-out, their first assignment is to track down two brothers who are bringing dead outlaws in under questionable conditions. When bounty hunters began to be killed as well, Stone and Millet realize they are dealing with bounty poachers.

Jasper and Jason Bain have run onto some hard luck. They need money, and in desperation, begin by robbing stagecoaches and individuals. They quickly progress to bringing in outlaws for the bounty—always dead. When they graduate to stealing the outlaws from the bounty hunters who have gone to the trouble to track them down, they must do away with all witnesses.

But bounty hunter Joe Grebbs was one man they couldn’t kill, and he’s coming after them. Can Stone and Millet get to the Bain brothers before Grebbs tracks them down and murders them for what they did to him? Though Stone is reluctant to put aside the ongoing quest to find his nemesis, Evelyn Laird, this job must come first—before more blood is spilled.

In a race against time, will Millet and Stone be able to prevent Grebbs from having his day of vengeance in the hunt for the BOUNTY POACHERS?

EXCERPT

     Weeks called out, “Better hurry up, Johnny, looks like something’s up across the street.”

     Curtis jerked his head briefly to glance out the window, but from deep inside the bank, he could not see the reason for his partner's alarm. He glared at Weeks, then turned to the manager and snarled, “Best you keep quiet until we leave.”

     Curtis snatched the bank bag from the manager, then made long strides to the door. He opened the door cautiously and scanned the businesses across the street. When he did not see anything that might raise an alarm; he stepped out. Weeks followed.

     The robbers hurried to their horses, grabbed the reins, and were ready to swing up into their saddles when a man's voice boomed from across the street.

     “You men, drop those pistols and get your hands up!”

     

New Release — THE LAST WARRANT by Darrel Sparkman

When U.S. Deputy Marshal Luke Randall trails outlaw Johnny Ruskin across Indian Territory to Joplin, Missouri, he knows what he’ll find—a wide-open and boisterous mining town full of crooked gamblers, outlaws, lawmen dispensing justice for money, and more whorehouses than outhouses. 

He plans to find the killer and put him on a train to Fort Smith—or bury him. Ruskin is as ruthless as they come, and Luke has been doing some thinking on this assignment—does he want to spend the rest of his life wondering if every warrant he serves will be his last? When he meets Sarah McBride, she brings more to the table than a good meal—the offer of the kind of life he’s always dreamed of. 

Luke has to finish what he started with Johnny Ruskin, but death is all around him. Can he and Sarah get out of Joplin alive? No matter what, he must serve THE LAST WARRANT… 

EXCERPT

     White-hot pain tapped Luke Randall’s shoulder, like someone touched him with a branding iron as the deep-throated bark of a rifle echoed between the rocks and trees. Startled, he pitched from his saddle in an awkward dive that left him rolled up behind a limestone boulder with dirt and leaves sticking to his clothes. It would have been a softer landing if he had more meat on his bones, but he’d been blessed with big hands and feet, with a lot of skinny in between.

     His horse walked on a few paces, turned once to look at him like he’d lost his mind, and then commenced to munch on the tall grass next to the trail.

     Leaning against the rock, Luke rubbed his stinging shoulder, checking for blood. The bullet barely broke the skin, leaving a notch in the top of his vest. He’d paid a good chunk of money for leather, and now it had a hole in it. Served him right for not getting cloth like most others would. How would he sew up leather?

     He eased out one of his pistols, checking it for dirt. If he’d known his quarry was such a poor shot, he would have pushed harder to catch up. A couple of squabbling blue jays nearly drowned out the hoofbeats of the outlaw’s horse cantering away and Luke scrambled into the cover of the trees bordering the trail to wait. It wouldn’t be the first time someone sent their horse away as a decoy to set up an ambush. 

New Release — BEST OF THE WEST— Fourteen Western Stories

Grab a cup of coffee and settle down into your easy chair to ride the range with some of the most exciting tales of the Old West you’ll find anywhere! This collection is called BEST OF THE WEST for a very good reason—IT IS!

These fourteen stories will have you standing beside lawmen and outlaws as the bullets fly, saddling up some of the best horseflesh to be found West of the Mississippi, and wagering your livelihood on the turn of a card. Tales that include savvy swindles, gunfights, loves lost (and found!), the making of an outlaw and the secret protection of a president will draw you in and hang on tight.

This anthology is bustin’ with acclaimed Western authors such as James Reasoner, Livia J. Washburn, Jackson Lowry, Kit Prate, Charlie Steel, Richard Prosch, Big Jim Williams, Cheryl Pierson, J.L. Guin, Clay More, and David Amendola.

What are you waitin’ for, pardner? You’re burnin’ daylight! Happy trails!

     

New Release -- RIVER WHISKEY by J.L. Guin

In a fiery accident, Eli Jenkins believes he has murdered Morton Crenshaw, the father of the girl he loves. When his friend, Whit, suggests they leave for California now, Eli is ready to go. The two young men “borrow” clothing and gear from the dry goods store where Whit has worked for many years, and light out on the run.

But their lives take a different turn when they become involved with seasoned traders, mountain men, Indians, and outlaws. Somewhere along the journey, the two tenderfoot greenhorns become men to be reckoned with—and, in their own right, respected.

When they return to Independence for Eli to own up to killing Angela’s father, Fate steps in again and turns their lives around. Will Eli claim Angela Crenshaw for his bride? Or will Whit and Eli head back on the rough-and-tumble trail West to chase their dreams of selling RIVER WHISKEY?

EXCERPT

      Once outside, Eli lay Morton on his back and looked at his battered, bloody nose. Morton’s eyes were half open, but unseeing. With growing concern, fear gripped Eli as he shook Morton’s shoulders, calling his name, but there was no response. A sudden chill swept through Eli and he lowered the man to the ground. He looked again at the downed man’s bloody face and broken nose, then pressed his ear to Morton’s chest. He could not detect a heartbeat over the crackling of the burning barn. Terrified now, he stood and stared, unbelieving, at the body before him.

     Angela’s mother was running toward the burning barn, calling out as she ran, “Morton! The barn is on fire!”

     Angela flung herself onto her father’s chest, “Daddy!” She sobbed. She turned her head to look at Eli then called to him, “Oh, Eli,” she said, then sputtered, “Just go! Go!”

     Eli’s mind was afire with indecision. He looked first to Angela, then to her approaching mother, then back to Angela once more.

     “Go!” Angela commanded again. Eli turned and ran into the shadows toward his horse. He was dumbfounded. Not only did he figure that he had killed Morton Crenshaw, but he was burning down the man’s barn, as well! 

     He did not think to seek other help. Panic had taken hold of him. Upon reaching his waiting horse, he grabbed the reins, mounted quickly, then tried to put distance between himself and the incident. His mind raced for solutions as frantically as the heaving mount under him was running. 

     

Now Available -- THE TITHING HERD by J. R. Lindermuth -- Giveaway!

When ex-lawman Lute Donnelly sets out on the trail of the ruthless gang of outlaws who murdered his brother, revenge is his only desire. But when he stumbles upon Tom Baskin, a youngster who has been duped into helping the outlaw band and then left behind, Lute reluctantly takes the boy under his wing—and begins to find his humanity again.

United in a common cause, the pair travel a dangerous trail in search of revenge and redemption. But when Serene McCullough, the widow Donnelly loves, begs him to help her son move the cattle herd gathered by cash-strapped Mormons as their church tithe, he can’t refuse her.

When the cutthroat gang kidnaps Serene to bargain for THE TITHING HERD, Lute and Tom find themselves pitted against insurmountable odds—with unexpected help coming from an old friend.

Lute’s desire for vengeance is trumped by his desperation to save the woman he loves at all costs—if he can live long enough to do it…

EXCERPT:

     It was near dusk when the rider came. Spinning on the rope, seeing the man approach, the boy thought, “He’s going to kill me,” and he told himself he didn’t care.
     Hanging by his heels from the limb of a cottonwood with his hands lashed behind so he couldn’t reach up to free himself, the boy, Tom Baskin, was helpless. Even were his hands free, he doubted he had the strength to haul himself up and get loose. For a moment, the rider sat motionless, watching. Then, as though just noticing the boy’s distress, his red face, bulged veins and popped eyes for the first time, the rider gigged his horse forward.
     The boy writhed, spinning around on the rope, and retracted the idea he didn’t care about dying. Clammy sweat rolled down his back, dripping off his nose and chin as he watched the man dismount and draw a knife in almost the same motion. Then the man’s strong arm encircled him and he felt the tension in his legs ease as the knife sawed through the rope. A black wave of vertigo swept over Tom as the man lowered him to the sweet-smelling grass. He opened his eyes and tried to speak, but the vertigo hit him again as the blood pulsing in his brain sought an equal level of pressure.
     “Take it easy, son. It’ll pass,” the man said, bending close. Tom felt the man’s warm breath, tangy with an odor of peppermint, fanning his face. He closed his eyes.

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Now Available — BLOOD ON BULL’S RUN by Kevin Crisp — Giveaway!

When Jed Deming sets out to bring home a beautiful runaway, he soon has his horse stolen and finds himself being chased by Paiute Indians. Wounded and barely able to make his escape, he comes upon a friendly camp that turns out to be not-so-friendly—leaving him at the mercy of a ruthless cutthroat gang of outlaws. But Jed has made a promise to Selena’s mother to find her—and though he’s young and inexperienced, he’s got more determination than many men twice his age.

Killing outlaws is not what he set out to do, but sometimes, a man has to test his own mettle to know what he’s worth… Will Jed be able to keep his word to find Selena in the rough mining camps she’s run to? His future depends on his success—and her decision to return with him, or stay with the life she’s chosen. The letter in his pocket explains everything—if Jed lives long enough to find Selena amid the BLOOD ON BULL’S RUN…

EXCERPT:

     Deming had never killed a man, but he didn't let himself dwell on that now. He had hunted plenty of game, and was sufficiently skilled with a musket. But the revolver was less familiar in his hand, and this enemy was new, as well.

     The Paiute paused in his tracks at the edge of the juniper. He studied the trees. His eyes swept over Deming, who could almost feel their dark, penetrating gaze.

     Deming pulled the trigger.

     There was an explosion and wood splintered a foot away from the Paiute's head. Unharmed, the Indian dashed to the ground and rolled out of view. That was the last straw for Rayo, who broke into a run out of the trees and up the canyon.

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New Release -- LONG RIDE TO LIMBO by Kit Prate -- Giveaway!

GOLD, GOD & GLORY

Hernando Cortez had lived his life. The glory had been his. God watched over his deathbed, and the gold…its secret would soon be buried with him.

CHICAGO, 1893

Ten years ago that Reese Sullivan rode away from his wife Vanessa and young son Trey. His reasons were strong. And his own.

Vanessa used her beauty and cleverness to seduce an ambitious and kind Wes Underwood. Now he was dead. Ambushed and robbed. And with a cold irony, she has come to Detective Reese Sullivan the hunt the killers down.

Now an angry and bitter son will ride with the father he hates to avenge the death of the step-father he loved – and something more; to reclaim what was taken from his step-father’s body – the key to a vast and fabled treasure. They will embark on a perilous journey that will pit father and son against unseen enemies, natural disaster, and each other – while back home in El Paso the women they love face an unimagined danger at the terrifying end of the …

EXCERPT:

     “It's not a pretty way to die, lawyer. And it takes a long, long time.”
     Mendoza was laughing again, softly, something obscene in his joy at being reminded of past pleasures. Momentarily panicked, Wes Underwood began to bargain for his life. With the grinning giant that stood before him, and now—even more urgently—with the ominous figure that stood behind Trey's back. “For God's sake, man!” he pleaded. “I can't tell you what I don't know!” It was a lie, poorly told in a brief moment of throat-drying fear, a man's desperate attempt to hold on to a fortune in gold he was sure existed; a treasure that bound him with dreams of wealth so great that he was willing to die for it. Even now.
     Suddenly, Mendoza stopped laughing. There was the subtle sound of steel slicing through starched cotton. “For God's sake...” Underwood screamed.
     Trey Underwood watched as the knife ripped through his father's white shirt just to the right of the buttons. From the belt upward, in the blade's wake, a narrow rivulet of blood appeared, bright red and spreading. Instinctively, as much as the rough hands on his arms would allow, the older man backed away from the pain. He stared down at his taut belly, aware that he had been cut, his knees going weak, and then tensing as he realized the wound was only deep enough to draw blood. He swallowed, mentally cursing the dryness in his mouth that made his tongue feel thick and unmanageable, his keen attorney's mind working.
     He was no good to them dead, and that thought consoled him and gave him courage. He pulled himself erect, his posture changing as his spine straightened. “Kill me,” he breathed, “and you'll never find it. You won't even know where to begin to look...” A grim smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. For the first time during the long hours since his captivity, Wes Underwood felt in control.

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New Release -- GERONIMO MUST DIE by J. R. Lindermuth -- Giveaway!

Half-breed Indian scout Mickey Free has saved Geronimo’s life twice, but how long will that kind of luck hold? Though Mickey and Geronimo have never been friends, murder is serious business on the reservation—and Mickey’s curiosity may be the death of him, too.

When a sharp shooter assassinates several tribal leaders, Mickey believes it’s all part of a plot to incite the Apaches to run from the hated San Carlos Reservation—but proving it before another killing happens requires him to take a dangerous path.

With little to no help from the head scout and the reservation agent, Mickey must find a way to discover who is pulling the trigger—and why. Dangerous factions within the tribes let him know he must trust no one—not even the man he is trying to protect.

When his feelings for a beautiful girl begin to cloud his vision, he starts to question the risks of his mission—is it worth it? And…could the mysterious young woman he’s falling in love with be involved somehow? Before another tribal elder is murdered, Mickey must try to stay alive and learn why GERONIMO MUST DIE…

EXCERPT:

     The first shot raised a cloud of dust between our feet. Flinging myself against Geronimo, I knocked him to the ground and covered his body with my own. The second shot struck and crackled into the framework of the wickiup. After a moment of silence and no more shots, Geronimo barked, “Get off me, fool.”

     I complied. We rose, surrounded by a crowd of muttering warriors who’d been summoned by the shooting. The rifle fire came from a bluff above the camp and a number of men hurried off in that direction. They wouldn’t find the sniper. Having failed in his mission, I knew he was long gone.

      For the second time, I’d saved Geronimo’s life. He seemed no more grateful than he had the first time. Brushing himself off, he inquired if those within the wickiup were unharmed. Assured of the safety of his family, he turned to me. “Why are you here?”

Sieber had sent me. A fool’s mission, though I hadn’t told him so. I learned a long time ago not to argue with Al Sieber.

     Dawn on a frosty morning. Steam rising from the coats of the horses in the corrals. The boys watching the horses huddled with their arms clasped around themselves or blowing on their hands for a little warmth. Dry grass crackled underfoot. We were all hoping for an early spring. Winter was never easy at San Carlos, and this had been no exception

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New Release - Jason Kilkenny’s Gun by Kit Prate - Giveaway!

Legendary bounty hunter Rance Savage is dying of pneumonia. As luck would have it, he is discovered by two brothers, Will and Josh Kincaid, and brought into town to be cared for by Doc Harper. Once he’s recovering, Savage plays on young Josh Kincaid’s starstruck admiration for him by giving him his first real taste of manhood.

But when Savage kills a man, he’s put under lock and key—unfairly—to young Josh Kincaid’s way of thinking. To make matters worse, it’s Josh’s own uncle, Jake Kincaid, who is responsible for bringing the bounty man down. Josh has a skewed view of who the real Rance Savage is—and he’s determined to help him get free—no matter the cost. 

In a deadly twist of fate, Savage finally is in the position of power he’s been seeking for twenty years—to kill the man he blames for making him a cripple. A chance discovery of a long-hidden rifle is the catalyst that brings freedom from a terrible secret—and death in its wake. How many lives will JASON KILKENNY’S GUN destroy?

EXCERPT:

The entrance to the cavern was plainly visible. Something lay on the ground in front of the black hole. Dark, furry, like a small bear, yet somehow different. Whatever it was, it sprawled across the corpse of the old wolf.

Josh rose up on one elbow. He was a good hundred yards from the wolf’s den, and he lay quietly, debating his next move. In his mind’s eye, he drew fantasies of what must have happened, the way the old wolf must have died. The animal would have fought to his death to defend his secret place, and would have taken his attacker with him. Using the rifle as a staff, the boy rose up on his knees and pulled himself erect. There was a sadness in him as he approached the creatures sprawled on the ground.

He reached the pair, realizing for the first time that the thing he had thought an animal was a man in a buffalo-hide coat. A big man, six feet or more in height, with immense, well-muscled shoulders, and long-fingered hands. Laying the rifle aside, Josh reached out, his fingers probing at the long artery in the man’s neck. Suddenly, a hand closed around his lower arm, a vise squeezing against the fragile bones in his wrist.

     And then the voice came, weak, barely above a whisper. “I need help, boy.” The fingers tightened, and the man repeated the words, louder, “I need help.”

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NEW RELEASE — BUST OUT by W. M. SHOCKLEY Giveaway!

Two outlaws set out on yet another bank robbing heist to add to their “stash”, but things go awry when Buddy, the mastermind, decides to kill the teller.  Merle, his accomplice, manages to get away, and Buddy sends a prostitute to find Merle and hatch a plan to free him from jail. But when Merle shows up, he realizes he’s been framed, and in the chaos of getting away, he snatches up twelve-year-old boy, Reuben Solomon, to ensure his safety out of town.

Reuben Solomon has finally been allowed the responsibility of making a delivery from his father’s store—then all hell breaks loose. Gunshots ring out, and the next thing he knows he’s being hauled out of town by a stranger. This is the beginning of his big adventure, and his new life. Merle sees a different side of the boy who has been stifled by his alcoholic father. During the short time they ride together, Merle teaches Reuben the things the boy’s father should have taught him about life—until Reuben begins to think maybe he might not want to go back to the life he led in Shasta.

When Reuben returns home, it’s just as bad as before—even worse, since he’s learned about the world outside of Shasta. When he receives a gift from Merle, he knows he must head back out to find him when he turns fourteen. But Buddy has escaped the hangman, and with several murders to his credit, he knows that Reuben is his key to finding Merle—and the money that Merle took when he left to start a new life. Nothing will stop Buddy in his relentless search for the partner he believes double-crossed him, and now must pay. Can Reuben find Merle before Buddy has a chance to murder his old partner?

EXCERPT

     Shasta had the feel to it—Merle couldn't ever describe the feel, but he knew it when he got it, and knew it was real. Something wasn't right. Lots of things weren't right. Still, he forced himself to walk the horses into town just like Buddy had ridden out of Red Bluff—slowly. On one side of the street there were fifteen or so buildings under a tree covered hill. On the other side was the jail building with a clock tower and some other buildings in a field. At least three other buildings were in various stages of completion.

    He stopped in front of the bakery at the end of the street—they were baking something, and it smelled too good for Merle to pass up. He checked the clock tower above the jail building and saw he had time, so he tied up the horses and went inside. The smell was even better: real food after five days of rice and beans and pan-burned biscuits. He bought several rolls from the fat woman with a funny accent and went back outside where he put some of the rolls in his saddle bag.

    When he came out, the big clock showed 11:46. Merle leaned against the hitching rail and ate a roll. He split another between the horses. He'd been able to rest them pretty good, even as they came into Shasta, so they were ready to run when he busted Buddy out.

    If he busted Buddy out—the feel kept coming back on him. The town looked normal enough with only a few people on the street, mostly going into or coming out of the dry goods and general stores down the way. Across the street, the jail building didn't even look to be open. No, everything looked peaceful and quiet. But the feel told him it wasn't so. 

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