New Release — Wary Partners by J. L. Guin

When Larry Creed shoots and kills a man in a saloon altercation, his father hires bounty hunters Judd Jacoby and Faye McJunkin to help prove his innocence. But with a saloon full of witnesses and Creed holding the smoking gun when the law arrives, the case seems to be open-and-shut.

Thomas Creed will not allow his son to go to prison—or hang—for something he knows he didn’t do. Larry is not a murderer. Can Thomas Creed convince Judd and Faye to take the case? There is one witness who has fled—a soiled dove, Lanie Brooks. She holds the key to Creed’s son being convicted of murder—or going free.

As Judd and Faye set off in search of Lanie, Creed tags along with them, determined to see his son gets a fair shake. Everything depends on Judd and Faye tracking Lanie down and convincing her to come with them to testify—or bringing her with them by force. Armed and desperate, Lanie could prove to be a bigger challenge than they ever expected.

Will Larry Creed hang for a crime he might not have committed? His life hangs in the balance, based on his father’s determination and the bounty hunters’ skill. How long can Lanie run from these WARY PARTNERS?

EXCERPT

The other man, also wearing a badge, stepped behind Larry and stuck the barrel of his six-gun into Larry’s kidneys, while the red-bearded man snatched Larry’s pistol from the surprised youth’s fist.

When Larry twisted to protest, the man behind him slammed the butt of his six-gun to the back of Larry’s head. Larry toppled to lie on the floor. A moment later, the officers cuffed his hands behind his back.

The beefy deputy then talked to the bartender and several of the bystander witnesses for a few minutes. No one mentioned Lanie Brooks by name, only that a girl, a soiled dove, was nearby when the shooting happened, but had now disappeared.

Each of the deputies grabbed Larry by a shoulder and dragged him out of the saloon, more or less carrying the youth to the jail, a half-block away.

     

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 - 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 — C.C. Crane: Bounty Distractions by J. L. Guin

Hoping for a better life ahead, young C. C. Crane leaves Arkansas and heads west with no particular destination in mind. In Kansas, he lucks into his first job as a deputy sheriff under the seasoned sheriff of Sumner County, E.D. Johns, who shows him the ropes—and how to keep himself alive.

As their duties take them on a manhunt into Indian Territory, C.C. questions straying so far from their own county. Sheriff Johns is a dedicated lawman who isn’t about to let a border stop him from getting the men he’s after, and C. C. realizes he has the chance to make his own mark as a lawman if he can manage to keep dodging bullets.

When the sheriff is ousted from his position, C.C. must face a crossroads, as well. He accepts the position as a deputy U.S. marshal under Judge Isaac Parker’s jurisdiction in the most lawless area of the United States—Indian Territory. Then, after three years of dealing with the worst criminals in the nation, C.C. knows he’s ready to use his skills in another area of law enforcement—bounty hunting.

But C.C.’s decision to strike out after lifelong criminal Rudy Barrett could cut his bounty hunting days short—with a bullet. Barrett has been on the run since he was a teen, and he’s as mean as they come. With a long list of crimes to his credit—the latest a vicious murder—Barrett isn’t afraid of anyone. His reputation as a fast gun should have any lawman running scared…but not C.C. Crane. He’s learned from the best, and it’s time to bring Barrett to justice.

C.C. Crane is just the man to do it…

EXCERPT

The elder Barrett hollered out, “Rudy!” as he rode into the yard. Rudy apprehensively stepped out of the barn as his father slid from his saddle, with a scowl on his face. The man busied himself removing his belt from his trousers as he spoke.

“I heard in town you was seen last night going through the pockets of a fallen-down drunkard, behind The Three Aces Saloon. Milt Ames told me. He’s the one that seen you do it! You know better than to steal—been told so time and time and time again, but still, you sneak around and do it anyway!”

Rudy swallowed hard. He had done it, alright, but was surprised and unaware that anyone had seen him. He had believed that he would never be caught. Rudy often waited until his father had passed out from the cheap rot gut whiskey he swigged, seemingly constantly, then stole into town, sticking to the shadows, watching for any opportunity to sneak food or anything of value into his pockets. He had become quite good at it, and had a few dollars stashed away secretly. Now that he’d been observed and his old man knew, there’d be hell to pay.

    

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 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 -- Lawman’s Gun (James P. Stone Series Book 2) by J. L. Guin

James Stone never intended to become a lawman—he plans to track down the murderers of his best friend and mentor, Eldon Greyson, alone. And he looks forward to that day of reckoning, because whenever it comes about, there are a thousand and one ways to make the killers pay. But Fate steps in and gives Stone a chance he never counted on…

When his work in Eaton, Kansas, as a temporary lawman is over, he jumps from the frying pan into the fire when he takes a position as a deputy U.S. marshal with a friend, Deputy U.S. Marshal Jackson Millet. Millet convinces Stone that working as a lawman will give him more opportunities to run his old nemesis, a man named Laird, to ground—and make him pay for Greyson’s murder so many years ago.

A confrontation between the two lawmen and two bank robbers let Stone know he’s close to Laird—and he chafes at the restrictions the marshal’s job has placed on him, wanting nothing more than to ride to the nearby E.L. Ranch and take on the outlaw he’s waited to long to face. 

But when Laird and his partner, Bill Dubin, brazen it out with a visit to the marshals, they’re in for a blazing gun battle the likes of which the little town of Tascosa has never seen. They won’t go down without a fight—and they’re determined not to die by a LAWMAN’S GUN…

EXCERPT

     Thorsen and Slager nodded, then the three walked along the side length of the building until they reached the boardwalk fronting the bank. Hobbs stuck his head out past the building for a quick look up and down the street. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, and more importantly, no one had raised an alarm about why three masked men stood in an alley next to the bank.

     Hobbs motioned with his six-gun barrel for Slager to go ahead. Slager crept around the corner, then stepped onto the boardwalk and to the bank’s front door. He opened the door wide, then unfurled the sack and pitched it onto the bank’s floor. After he'd pulled the door shut, he hurried back to the alleyway where Hobbs and Thorsen waited.

     The loosed wasps created immediate chaos inside the bank. Loud voices and cursing echoed through the wall. One man yelled, “What the hell!” Another man’s booming voice proclaimed, “Son-of-a-bitch!” Still another, the sergeant in charge of the guards, instructed, “One of you men, see if you can get that bag and throw it out the door.”

     Almost instantly, the front door flew open and a suited rotund man dashed through it swatting at his face with his hands. A thin woman screamed, then burst through the doorway, frantically swatting at three or four big, mahogany-colored wasps which were the size of hornets. The insects buzzed around her head, dodging her swats. The wasps eventually got through her line of defense. One landed on the collar of her loose, full-length dress and sunk a stinger into her neck.

     The woman squalled louder, then dashed into the middle of the street, the dress not hampering her reckless flight as her skirt billowed. The unfortunate woman ran headlong into the path of a big freight wagon pulled by six mules traveling at a brisk pace. The startled driver struggled to get the animals stopped. But at least two of the mules trampled the woman to silence. Her bloody body lay mangled before the front wheel of the wagon.

     The three sack-covered men watched four men in blue uniforms charge out of the bank with six-guns in hand while swatting wasps with their other, as they fled the bank. Hobbs nudged Thorsen and Slager forward. The pair rushed up behind the stunned soldiers; raised the butts of their six-guns, and bludgeoned them, knocking both senseless before they hit the ground.

     

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. 

     

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. 

Has something bad happened to you that actually turned out to be good?  Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a free ecopy of BUST OUT.

     

#NewRelease -- The Dundee Saga, Book 2, Casa Grande by Kit Prate -- #Giveaway!

Be sure and leave Kit Prate a comment to be entered in the giveaway.

BLURB

Cooper Dundee is in trouble. His stagecoach line is about to go under—and he stands to lose everything.  The long-standing rivalry between Coop and his older half-brother, Jonathan, has been simmering since childhood. Now that Jonathan has lost his share of the business on the turn of a card, his resentment is at a boiling point.

But Jonathan isn’t the only one who wants to see Cooper go down. An old nemesis from the past insinuates himself into Cooper’s life—and into his business—with deadly plans of his own.

When Coop is nearly killed in a suspicious stagecoach accident, he realizes he’s been set up. The lynch mob is just outside the door—if he survives his terrible injuries.  With his pregnant wife, Regan, and her young son, Michael, in his life, Cooper’s got too much to live for to give up now. But how can he beat the odds stacked against him? In a desperate bid to save everything dear to him, he faces a deadly showdown with a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving. Either way, it will all end at the place he was born—Casa Grande… 

EXCERPT

It was those long, grueling hours of hard labor that had melted the flesh from him. At first, his soft hands had bled, and the white flesh on his back had burned and blistered. And then, as the days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months, his entire body hardened. After the first year, he could stare at his own reflection and wonder about the face that stared back.

He had changed so much, including adding a beard, that even Cooper Dundee did not recognize him. He laughed. Only moments before, he had shared a drink with the man whose testimony had sent him to prison—and shared a drink with the man’s attorney, Estevan Foley—and neither one had known him!

Finished with his chores, he stood up, smearing yet another glob of thick grease on the large wheel hub. It was an effective cover for a lug nut he had loosened. It was going to work, he thought smugly. This time, after all the waiting, all the careful planning, it was going to work.

And before the day was over, Cooper Dundee would be dead.

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#NewRelease--The Dundee Saga, Book 1: Tucson by Kit Prate--#Giveaway!

Be sure and leave Kit a comment to be entered in a drawing for a free ecopy of The Dundee Saga, Book 1: Tucson  by Kit Prate.

BLURB

Bound by blood but separated by years of hatred and mistrust, half-brothers Jonathan and Cooper Dundee are locked in a fierce struggle over their father’s legacy—the Dundee Ranch and the failing transport company. With cruel cunning, Jonathan has launched a ruthless plot to betray his family and to gain control of everything. 

But his secret allies become impatient, and loose a campaign of bloody terror that endangers the lives of all the Dundees, as well as the fiercely independent Regan O’Rourke, already tormented by her conflicting desire for both Jonathan and Cooper. All too quickly, the long-simmering rivalry becomes a deadly wave of kidnapping, and murder that threatens the Dundee family, and soon escalates to include the entire Arizona territory. 

Old wounds are opened as the brothers square off in the high stakes power struggle for the Dundee dynasty. Compassion has no sway. Forgiveness is forgotten. The Dundees are fighters, and this blood bath has begun!

EXCERPT
    The still morning air suddenly came alive with the high-pitched shrieks of small children, whose rough-and-tumble antics churned up great clouds of yellow dust from the un-paved street as they raced across the wide thoroughfare to attack Cooper from the rear. His surprise seemed genuine, and soon the man’s rich baritone mingled good-naturedly with the jubilant screams of the youngsters.
    Gallantly, Cooper Dundee fought the good fight. He chose to prolong the skirmish, knowing that in the end he would surrender, and he covered his head with both arms in an attempt to suppress the laughter. The troop of young boys piled on top of him and pinned him to the ground. Straddling him—one on each arm and leg, and two more who bounced up and down on his belly and chest—the half-dozen children shouted in one voice, “Say ‘uncle’!”
    Cooper convulsed in laughter, bucking away from small, tickling fingers. And then, thoroughly winded, he succumbed. “Uncle!” he breathed. When nothing happened, he repeated the word much louder. “Uncle!” Slowly, cautiously, the motley crew unwound themselves. One by one, they gave up their places, rising to stand in a tight but ragged circle around the man.
    He pulled himself erect, stretching to his full six-feet-two, the handsome product of his Scottish father and Indian-Mexican mother. He was a lean man, a year past thirty, his sun-bronzed cheeks contrasting sharply with the amber-flecked green eyes that dominated his face. Dark hair, untouched by the sun, fell across his high forehead, the sweat-damp locks at his neck and ears tightly curled. Swearing softly, he raked his fingers through the unruly mop, and stooped over to pick up his hat.
    The flat-crowned, wide-brimmed plainsman hat seemed his only concern now, and he was fastidious in his attention to the numerous dents and creases that pocked the battered felt.
    Lovingly, he patted the Stetson back into shape, rotating the hat in a slow circle around his bent elbow as he dried the sweatband on his sleeve. Finally satisfied, he settled the hat squarely on his head, the wide brim shadowing the laughter in his eyes.
    The game then resumed when ten-year-old Toby Udall swaggered forward, properly insolent as he played out the charade. An old sombrero hid his thick head of red hair, while his freckled nose and grubby chin were covered with a bright red bandanna. He cocked his head and stared up at Cooper, his eyes narrowed in an expression of unspoken menace.
    More threatening than his sneer was the fearsome weapon he was now pointing at Cooper’s belt buckle. In his small boy’s mind, his mother’s discarded broom became a long-barreled Sharps rifle, the stubby straw nub firmly pressed against his right side. He palmed back an imaginary hammer, cocking the piece and poking it at Cooper’s belly with great authority. “Your money or your life, pilgrim,” he growled. The large cinnamon jawbreaker that nested in his fat cheek was now a chaw of tobacco, and he worked it against his jaw until he collected just the right amount of the pungent juice. Forcing a cough, he spit into the dirt between Cooper’s feet. “You heard me, mister,” he drawled. “Your money or your life!” The five similarly armed outlaws at his back echoed his demands.
    Outnumbered, Cooper offered no resistance. He began a frantic search of his pockets, his outer vest pocket first and then his trousers. Slowly, he probed the depths of the right front pocket, pulling it inside out to a chorus of whispered dismay. The make-believe road agents moved closer, watching as the man flicked away imaginary pieces of lint in his fruitless search for treasure.
    At last, as the band of midget marauders inched closer, he plunged his hand deep inside the remaining pocket and delved to the very bottom. There was the faint jingle of coins, more prolonged hesitation, and then—as he withdrew his hand—the bright flash of copper.
    He doled out the coins until each small hand held its own Indian-head penny, and then, aware of an additional pair of eyes beyond the circle, he produced yet another. He tapped Toby’s shoulder and pressed the second coin into his palm. “For your friend,” he smiled, nodding toward the porch.
    Michael Patrick O’Rourke stood in the shadows on the wood-plank sidewalk in front of the Dundee Transport Line office, far apart from the others. More than distance separated him from the boys in the street. The distinct eastern cut and style of his factory-tailored suit as well as his unnatural tidiness set him apart.

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#NewRelease--THE OUTLAW, BILLY STARBUCK by Kit Prate -- Giveaway!!

My first real crush when I was child was – without a doubt – Audie Murphy.  I wasn’t really old enough to appreciate the fact he was the most decorated war hero from WWII; no, my fascination with him was the Saturday afternoon feature film: “The Kid from Texas”.  The scene that really stuck out for me was young Billy the Kid standing on a porch, carving his name on a wooden post.

The film was one of the many “oaters” Murphy starred in.  He was good.  Actually, he was great from my viewpoint; the man could really ride.  And he was outstanding when he was playing a charming, devil-may-care delinquent.  As Billy the Kid of course, and then – later – in a highly underrated film co-starring James Stewart as his older brother; “Night Passage”.

The Outlaw Billy Starbuck morphed from those two characters.  Audie as Billy the Kid, and in his later incarnation as Jimmy Stewart’s train robber brother, Lee McClaine, the Utica Kid.

Murphy’s characters in both of those films died.  I wasn’t happy about that; so in “The Outlaw, Billy Starbuck” I decided to rectify those glaring theatrical errors.  Billy Starbuck was going to have a chance for redemption.

BLURB

When Will Simpson decides to turn outlaw, he does it up right! Robbing trains will bring him the fame and wealth he craves—and will also ensure he’ll end up with the girl he loves. But his first train robbery goes awry and he makes a lifelong enemy of payroll guard Kyle Lassiter, who loses his arm in the heist.

THE OUTLAW, BILLY STARBUCK, as Will calls himself now, turns his attention to the stage lines and the payrolls they carry.  But he’s met his match with expert stagecoach driver Simon Tyree, who is determined to deliver the payroll—along with some unexpected passengers—to safety, come hell or high water.

In a twist of fate, Billy Starbuck realizes he must join with Tyree to keep himself and the woman he loves alive when his old nemesis forces him to show his hand. But will his decision come too late? When vengeance comes calling, will Simon Tyree protect THE OUTLAW, BILLY STARBUCK…

EXCERPT

     “I’ll drive, old man,” he announced, reaching for the reins. In his mind’s eye, he could already see himself as the greatest stage driver in the territory.

     “Not hardly,” Tyree laughed, refusing to let go of the ribbons. “You’ve got a lot to learn before I turn you loose with one of my wagons!”

     The younger man was unperturbed. The vision of his new name loomed before him again, in print this time, on the cover of Ned Buntline’s magazine and Beadle’s dime novels ... and Harpers Weekly!      “I’m going to write,” he announced suddenly. “For Buntline and Harpers!” The sudden change in professions—from outlaw, to stage driver, to writer—didn’t bother him. He had time, lots of time. And when he was old, really old, like Tyree, he would write a book.

     “Billy Starbuck,” he said aloud, ducking when Tyree took a swing at his head. “I’ll write all about the true adventures of Billy Starbuck and how he stole from the rich to give to the poor!”

Be sure to leave a comment so you'll have a chance to win a copy of THE OUTLAW, BILLY STARBUCK!

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