#NewRelease Judge on the Run by @KeithSouter #western

Judge on the Run
by Clay More
aka Keith Souter

Wesley Talbot is a respected frontier judge devoted to the law. So why does he adopt the identity of wanted desperado Diamond Jim Chance and go on the run? Why is the ruthless bounty hunter known as The Deacon on a bloodthirsty quest to track down the judge? What dangers lurk in a hidden canyon in the Pintos Mountains? Who is the real mastermind behind a gang of vicious killers? And what secret that leads to a gunpowder-laced showdown lies in the church of a small Mexican village?

The answers to these questions can be found in Judge on the Run, the action-packed novel that's the latest release from acclaimed author Clay More and the Western Fictioneers Library. Previously published as a Black Horse Western by Robert Hale, this newly revised edition is full of excitement and thrills.

Keith Souter aka Clay More

Review:

Judge on the Run is another fine action Western from Keith Souter writing as Clay More. Judge Wesley Talbot is a respected frontier jurist, but when a gang of outlaws raids the town where Wes is stopping over and kidnaps two women, he has to take desperate measures to deliver justice and rescue the prisoners. Complicating matters is the presence of a ruthless bounty hunter known as The Deacon who is on Wes's trail seeking revenge for his brother, who was hanged after being convicted of rape and robbery in Wes's court.

Souter really piles the troubles on his protagonist in this novel and keeps the pressure on with a series of gritty, well-paced action scenes, one of which is a brutal fight between two men in a pit that's very effective. He throws in some nice twists in the plot, including a final one that leads to a dramatic showdown in the church of a Mexican village and a satisfying conclusion.

I'm glad the Western Fictioneers Library has brought out a new edition of Judge on the Run, because I probably never would have had the chance to read it otherwise. And I'm looking forward to reading more from Keith Souter.

~~James Reasoner

Author of Rivers of Gold

  Barnes & Noble Nook Link

Colby Jackson: Hangman's Law #FreeWesternNovel #westernroundup

Western Roundup
Free Books You Gotta Read!

Hangrope Law
a Rancho Diablo novel
by Colby Jackson

All Sam Blaylock wants to do is make a home for himself and his family on the Texas ranch known as Rancho Diablo. But then his son finds a wounded man alongside the Brazos River, and a deadly danger from the past soon threatens to ruin everything Sam is trying to build. Only gunsmoke and hot lead will make things right and give the Blaylocks a fighting chance for the future!

HANGROPE LAW is the second volume in the exciting new Rancho Diablo series.

Find other compelling westerns and even a cookbook at the 

Western Roundup 

December 18 and 19 only!

James Reasoner, Clay More, James J: Griffin: Wolf Creek #western

Wolf Creek: 
Book 1, Bloody Trail
Book 2, Kiowa Vengeance
Book 3, Murder in Dogleg City
Book 4, The Taylor County War

by Ford Fargo

Romancing The West is featuring the authors of the Wolf Creek series the last two weeks of November.  If you missed out, here are the first two articles:
Troy D. Smith: Wolf Creek
Bill Crider & Chuck Tyrell: Wolf Creek

Today, three of our Wolf Creek contributors weigh in on their characters and the series in general…

James Reasoner

My character in the Wolf Creek series is G.W. Satterlee, the sheriff of Taylor County. This is actually the first law enforcement job Satterlee has held. In the past he was a civilian scout for the army as well as a buffalo hunter. At this point we don't know what prompted Satterlee to run for sheriff in the first place, but once elected he found himself settling into the job with surprising ease. He has a natural politician's ability to get along with people, and he enjoys the more adventurous aspects of the job, such as chasing after outlaws and battling Indians (something he did in the past while he was working for the army). G.W. (the initials stand for George Washington) doesn't care as much for the mundane, day-to-day details of the job, but to his way of thinking, that's why he has deputies. They can handle all that.

Working on the Wolf Creek series has been a lot of fun, primarily because creator and editor Troy Smith did such a great job laying the foundation for the books. It must be a big challenge to pull together the contributions of half a dozen different authors and make them read seamlessly as a novel, but somehow Troy manages to do it. I've also really enjoyed the passion and enthusiasm that everyone involved in this series has brought to it. Writing is work, of course, but it should be fun, too, and Wolf Creek is.

James Reasoner, author

About James Reasoner:

I write novels and short stories for money (although I'll occasionally write a short story for a non-paying market if it's something I really want to do) and book and movie reviews for fun on my blog. I started out as a mystery writer nearly 35 years ago and still work in that genre and others, but I've done more Westerns than anything else. I've been married to best-selling, award-winning author, uncredited collaborator, editor, and plotter Livia J. Washburn for nearly 35 years. (Note the similarity between the length of my marriage and the length of my writing career. Coincidence? I don't think so.) We live in the same small town in Texas where we both grew up, although it's not so small anymore. (We have a Wal-Mart now!) After all these years, I still love to write and can't imagine doing anything else.

(Visit James Reasoner at his website or on Facebook.)

Clay More

Dr Logan Munro is a Scottish doctor who has seen action in three theatres of war – The Crimean War, The Indian Mutiny and The Civil War. He has endured personal tragedy, having lost Helen, his wife to Malaria in India. He feels guilty that he was unable to save her. He is battle weary, having certified too many deaths and performed too many battlefield amputations on young men.

Logan is the town doctor and he sets the scene in Bloody Trail. As we follow him on a brief morning round, several of the Wolf Creek characters and their relationships are described. As a former military man he springs into action to assist when the town is attacked, and then he tends to the sick and the dying, ensuring that everything that can be done is done, so that he can join the posse. He aims to look after anyone that gets injured, including any of the gang. But, he emphatically tells Sheriff Satterlee, he’ll do whatever is needed to keep them alive, as is proscribed by the Hippocratic Oath, until the legal process takes over and they can hang them.

When Troy came up with the concept of writing a collaborative novel based on the citizens of Wolf Creek I volunteered to write about the town doctor. The old adage is that you should write about what you know, so because I am a town doctor, albeit far-removed from Wolf Creek both in time and distance (I actually live in England, within arrowshot of the ruins of a medieval castle) I thought I could drip some realism into my effort.

Having said that, I must admit that I was somewhat apprehensive when Troy gave me the opportunity to open the story, since not many readers in the USA will have heard of my name. To my mind there was a good chance of losing readers at the outset, so I thank Troy for taking that gamble. Yet the way that we wrote the story panned out well. Troy had worked out the skeleton plot and we all developed our characters and then were given free license to write our part within the framework. We wrote Bloody Trail sequentially, so that I wrote my piece then handed on to Jim, who handed on to Troy and so on. We collaborated as we went along so that each writer engineered for characters to be in the right place at the right time, ready for action.

Troy’s editing was masterful. He dovetailed the whole thing together so that it flowed smoothly. I can honestly say that this has been one of the most enjoyable writing experiences of my career. It was a privilege to work with such a group of fine writers, whose work I know and respect and I am proud that Logan Munro is the Wolf Creek town doctor.

Keith Souter
writing as
Clay More

About Clay More:

My real name is Keith Souter and I was born in St Andrews in Scotland. I studied Medicine at Dundee University and then practiced as a family doctor in the city of Wakefield in England for thirty years. While I was at medical school I started to write children’s stories for a family magazine, but after qualifying as a doctor the exigencies of the job were such that the focus of my writing was on medicine. I have also been a health columnist for almost thirty years and have written about a dozen medical and health books. I am a member of the Society of Authors, The Crime Writers’ Association, Medical Journalists’ Association, International Thriller Writers, Western Writers of America and Western Fictioneers.

(Visit Clay More at his website, blog, or Facebook.)

James J. Griffin

Bill Torrance, the owner of the Wolf Creek Livery Stable, is ostensibly a man who has never touched a weapon. He has only one close friend in town, horse wrangler Jed Stevens. Bill is very much the loner, preferring the company of horses to humans. His ability to communicate with equines is almost mystical.

However, when Wolf Creek is invaded by the Danby gang, Bill turns out to be quite the fighting man. When a posse is formed to go after the outlaws, Bill joins them. His instincts save the posse from disaster when they ride into an ambush. Bill is badly wounded, and some of his past is revealed, including his real name. Much more of that past will be revealed in Book Six, including a surprise even I wasn't expecting. There will also be an unexpected interaction between Bill and Edith Pettigrew, the self-appointed moral arbiter of Wolf Creek.

It's been both an honor and a pleasure to work on the Wolf Creek series. I'm especially grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with so many fine authors whose work I admire. It's also pretty amazing how well everyone has worked together, with no fits of pique or egos run amok. Everyone has labored to produce the best stories possible, and it shows in the quality of the books.

James J. Griffin, author

About James J. Griffin:

I've been in love with horses and fascinated by all things Western, in particular the Texas Rangers, since I was a kid, so when I started writing it was only natural I would write Texas Ranger novels. Luckily, I have my good friends, Texas Ranger Jim Huggins of Company A, and Karl Rehn and Penny Riggs of KR Training in Manheim, Texas, to help with my research. Jim provides advice on the Rangers, while Karl and Penny lend their expertise on weapons of the period. I also travel out West every chance I get for research and relaxation. My two main series are about Texas Rangers Jim Blawcyzk and Cody Havlicek. The books are all very traditional Westerns, and most are suitable for almost all ages.

(Visit James J. Griffin at his website.)

Wolf Creek, Book 4:
The Taylor County War
Andrew Rogers has one of the biggest spreads in Taylor County –but that’s not enough. He wants to eliminate his competition and be the biggest rancher in the state, maybe even run for governor. He’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals, not even murder. Can Sheriff G.W. Satterlee, and the hands from the T-Bar-B, stop Rogers and his hired killers before the county erupts into a full-scale range war?

Excerpt from Book 4, 
The Taylor County War
(Clay More’s chapter):

Tsu Dong grunted irritably then yanked the door open and strode out, banging it shut behind him.

“A petulant young man,” Logan said, smiling at Mrs Li. And with that thought he again wondered whether the young man’s anger betrayed the sort of personality that could be channelled into the sort of tasks that he suspected Tsu Chiao ordered his nephews to perform.

“Again, I am sorry, Doctor. We do not want our children to have anything to do with Tsu Chiao or any of his ruffians They are not – like us.”

Logan concurred. The Li family were sober, upstanding members of the Wolf Creek Chinese community, whereas Tsu Chiao was, in his opinion, nothing more than an opium dealer, brothel keeper and a ruthless gang boss. Logan despised him and was aware that Tsu Chiao disliked him simply because he was British. He had heard from patients that Tsu Chiao often boasted about having fought in the Opium Wars against the British when he was a young man.

Suddenly the door was violently thrown open.

“Get behind me,” Logan cried to Mrs Li as he spun round, fully expecting to be confronted by an angry Tsu Dong.

Instead it was a red headed young man of about twenty-two, dressed in range clothes, covered in a patina of trail dust. Logan recognised Chris Hartman immediately.

“Doc! Thank god! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. My pa sent me. You’gotta come with me back to the Lazy H?”

“What’s the emergency, Chris?”

“It’s my baby brother, Ethan. He’s been shot!”

~^~

Buy links (print or digital)

Book 1: Bloody Trail -- Amazon, BN.com

Book 2: Kiowa Vengenace -- Amazon, BN.com

Authors and their characters
Bill Crider - Cora Sloane, schoolmarm
Wayne Dundee - Seamus O'Connor, deputy marshal
Phil Dunlap - drifting bounty hunter Rattlesnake Jake
James J. Griffin - Bill Torrance, Livery owner
Jerry Guin - Deputy Marshal Quint Croy
Douglas Hirt - Marcus Sublette, Schoolteacher
LJ Martin - Angus “Spike” Sweeney, blacksmith
Matthew P. Mayo - Rupert "Rupe" Tingley, Town drunk
Kerry Newcomb - James Reginald de Courcey, artist (secretly the outlaw Sampson Quick)
Cheryl Pierson - Derrick McCain, small farmer
Robert J. Randisi - Dave Benteen, gunsmith
James Reasoner - G.W. Satterlee, county sheriff
Frank Roderus - John Hix, barber
Troy D. Smith - Charley Blackfeather, scout; Sam Gardner, town marshal
Clay More - Logan Munro, town doctor
Chuck Tyrell - Billy Below, young cowboy; Sam Jones, gambler
Jackson Lowry - Photographer Wilson “Wil” Marsh
Livia Washburn - Ira Breedlove, crime boss
Matt Pizzolato - Wesley Quaid, Anti-heroic shiftless type

Win Free Books!

Cheryl Pierson is itching to give you a treat!  So one commenter in the next two weeks will win a print copy of 

Wolf Creek: Book 1, Bloody Trail

(USA mailing only)

Comment on every post for extra chances!

Also, comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a Kindle copy of your choice of Troy Smith's Blackwell series (short stories).  (And you'll also be entered to win the Wolf Creek book!)

Drawing for both will be held December 1, 2012, at 9pm Pacific Time.

Please include your email address so we can contact you; otherwise, we'll draw another winner.

Troy D. Smith: Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek: 
Book 1
Bloody Trail
by Ford Fargo

For the next two weeks, we'll be visiting with some of the finest Western authors today.  They've collaborated to create a new series called Wolf Creek, and are writing under the name of Ford Fargo.  (Find out why below.)  To begin, the Romancing The West welcomes the president of Western Fictioneers, a historian, teacher, overall great guy, and the trail boss of the Wolf Creek series:

Troy Smith

I’ve had the honor to serve as Western Fictioneers’ president this year, and of serving as series editor on our collaborative effort Wolf Creek. Jacquie Rogers has generously given us the floor here at Romancing The West, and we’re going to have different content up every couple days, as well as an opportunity for anyone who comments, on any of the days, to win a free book courtesy of Cheryl Pierson.

Troy D. Smith, author

I’m going to begin today by telling you a little about our project. Our series takes place in the fictional town of Wolf Creek, Kansas, in 1871. Right now we have about twenty authors involved. Each has developed one (and in some cases two) original, unique characters to inhabit our town. Each volume in the series features six writers and their characters, with each author writing a chapter or two from their character’s POV; as editor, I write one of the chapters each time and provide the other contributors with a story outline so they’ll know where they come in. Then, when everyone has done their section, all six of us look over the manuscript to make sure everything fits together. Then, in the next book, we have a different team of writers/characters, with me being the only constant. So after we’ve done several, and you’ve perhaps developed some favorites among our cast, in any given book there’s a chance one or more of your favorites may show up.

For more details about our town, including lists of writers and characters and some cool maps, go to our Wolf Creek site, or the Western Fictioneers site.

We have a great team working on this project, but I want to single out two members who have gone the extra mile by helping me in my editorial duties. Livia Washburn and Cheryl Pierson have both been invaluable in their willingness to make suggestions and serve as sounding boards, and Livia has served as our last line of defense in formatting, proofing, and distribution.

We decided to have a “house name” on the front cover for continuity, and went with Ford Fargo. All six contributors, however, are identified on the back and interior. We went with Ford Fargo because that name has a storied history (pun intended) among many of our members. Over a decade ago, before our organization was formed and when many of us exchanged emails informally, one of the guys told us of a typo that editors had introduced into one of his books- a character was supposed to say “I give you my word, Fargo,”, but it came out in the final product as “I give you my ford, Fargo.” I believe it was Kerry Newcomb who said that Ford Fargo would be a great name for a western character, and several of us started using the name playfully in our books, always as a peripheral character. Now, many of us are Ford Fargo.

I have two characters in the Wolf Creek series:

1. Charley Blackfeather, an Army scout and trapper. His father was a runaway slave and his mother was a Seminole. Charley is around fifty, and has spent practically his whole life at war, from the Seminole conflicts in Florida to the Civil War. He is very imposing physically, but has a wry sense of humor –and he can track anything, and kill it when he finds it.
2. Samuel Horace Gardner. Sam is the marshal of Wolf Creek. Son of a small-town Illinois lawyer, Sam was a Union cavalry officer before becoming a lawman. He is arrogant, showy, and a bit of a dandy –and not above taking a percentage of the saloons’ gambling profits –but has a steel backbone, a strong sense of fairness, and an uncanny precision with handguns.

We have three volumes finished, and three more in the works. Every few days for the next two weeks we’ll offer a synopsis for one or two of the books, and one very short excerpt. On Friday Livia Washburn will be talking about, not only her Wolf Creek character, but some of the other exciting Western Fictioneers publishing ventures that are available or coming soon. Several of us will be checking in every day to answer any questions and respond to comments.

And remember... in Wolf Creek, everyone has a secret.

Today I offer a synopsis and excerpt from the first book in our series:

Wolf Creek Book 1: Bloody Trail

In our first adventure, the town of Wolf Creek is assaulted by a small army of former Confederate guerrillas, who rob the bank and leave dead innocents in their wake. Sheriff G.W. Satterlee and his posse must overtake the outlaws before they reach Indian Territory—but the chase is complicated by the secret pasts of several posse members...

Excerpt, from Book 1 (James Reasoner’s chapter):

Satterlee and Charley Blackfeather were both good trackers, and Danby and the rest of the outlaws didn't seem to be taking any particular pains to cover up their trail. They followed the tracks without much difficulty. Satterlee knew they were counting on beating any pursuit to Indian Territory.

By midday, the posse hadn't come across any sign of the gang except the hoofprints they were following. Satterlee's keen eyes scanned the southern horizon for a dust cloud or anything else that would indicate they were closing in on their quarry. Frustration was growing stronger inside him.

He motioned Blackfeather up alongside him and said, "How much farther you think it is to Indian Territory, Charley?"

"If we make camp again tonight, we ought to reach there about the middle of the day tomorrow."

Satterlee frowned and lifted a hand to scratch his jaw.

"Danby's liable to be close enough by nightfall that he'll push on. If he doesn't stop and we do, we'll never catch him."

"If we keep ridin' after dark and he heads off in another direction, we're liable to lose the trail entirely," Blackfeather pointed out.

Satterlee sighed and shook his head. "You're not tellin' me anything I don't already know, Charley."

Quietly enough that the others couldn't hear, Blackfeather said, "We ain't gonna catch them before they reach the Nations anyways, Sheriff. I reckon you know that. What happens then?"

"Don't say that. I don't plan to turn back until I have to. Maybe we'll get lucky."

Blackfeather grunted. The sound was enough to make it clear he had his doubts about that.

~^~

Available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (print or digital).

Authors and their characters

Win Free Books!

Cheryl Pierson is itching to give you a treat!  So one commenter in the next two weeks will win a print copy of 

Wolf Creek: Book 1, Bloody Trail

(USA mailing only)

Comment on every post for extra chances!

Also, comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a Kindle copy of your choice of Troy Smith's Blackwell series (short stories).  (And you'll also be entered to win the Wolf Creek book!)

Drawing for Wolf Creek will be held December 1, 2012, at 9pm Pacific Time.  Drawing for the Troy Smith book will be November 24, 2012, at 9pm Pacific Time.

Please include your email address so we can contact you; otherwise, we'll draw another winner.

Western Fictioneers: The Traditional West

The Traditional West: A Western Fictioneers Anthology
by 24 Western Authors including Cheryl Pierson
Publisher: Western Fictioneeers

Buy links:
Amazon * B&N * (Available in print soon!)

Contest!

We heard about Cheryl's Time Plains Drifter from her post on Monday.  To win a pdf copy of this book, please leave a comment on any of her posts this week. 

And now, let's hear from Cheryl!

In the category of “dreams come true,” here is my latest one. I became a member of the Western Fictioneers group about a year ago with the help of one of my friends, Kit Prate. Kit’s a fantastic western writer who’s been doing this a lot longer than I have, with many more “notches in her belt”--figuratively speaking--in the writing world. She put my name before the group and I was accepted—a greenhorn in the truest sense of the word.

I’m still totally in awe. Robert Randisi, Jory Sherman, Peter Brandvold, Kit Prate, Kerry Newcomb, James Reasoner, Livia Washburn Reasoner... the list goes on--these are the members of the Western Fictioneers.

Cheryl Pierson



A few months after I joined up, they decided to put together their first anthology. Livia and James Reasoner worked tirelessly on it: collecting the stories from those of us who wanted to submit, editing, formatting, writing the introduction to the book, and even deciding the order of the stories. One of the other contributors, Pete Peterson, provided the gorgeous artwork for the cover of the book.

This book is not, by any means, a romance offering. But there are stories from 24 different authors with many different “takes” on the west. It’s the largest anthology of original western short stories ever put together, and though every one of them might not be to your liking, you’re sure to find some different authors you might want to try out for further reading pleasure from this fantastic collection.

My story is called The Kindness of Strangers. It has a lot of paranormal twist to it, but it’s one of my favorite projects I’ve ever worked on.

I’ll leave you with a blurb and an excerpt.

Jericho Dean is on a one-man mission: to track down the outlaw gang that murdered his wife and daughters. When Freeman Hart joins forces with him, Jericho isn’t sure which side this peculiar stranger is on. Determined to gain his revenge no matter the cost, Jericho finds redemption in a most unlikely circumstance. Will he take that fork in the road, or will his thirst for revenge end his chance for a new start?

Excerpt from The Kindness of Strangers by Cheryl Pierson, a short story in The Traditional West

Jericho gave Dan one final pat. “Ain’t many men lost as much as I did on that day, Freeman. My wife, my daughters, and my desire to exist in this world without them.” He pointed at the growing pile of wood. “No fire.”

Hart gave a sage nod. “I see. You’re expecting to be reunited once you complete your mission—kill the Comancheros. Once you die, you think you and Elena will be together again, along with Maria and Ana.”

Jericho stood completely still. How did this stranger know the names of his family?

How did he know Jericho’s own heart and purpose so clearly?

Hart dropped the last two pieces of wood on top of the pile, then dusted his hands. “We need to have a talk, Jericho. A good long visit about things. I don’t aim to do it in the cold. And make no mistake, this night’ll be an icy one—way too cold to spend without a fire. Trust me, boy. They ain’t gonna know—or care—if you spend it warm or freezin’. Got a match on you?”

Jericho sized up the other man once more, a shiver running up his spine. No, things were not what they seemed, but whether for good or evil, he didn’t know. He cursed his luck, either way. He didn’t want to be burdened with whatever it was this Freeman Hart brought to the table. He hadn’t asked for it, either way. He remembered that he had deliberately not prayed, carefully refrained from asking God for any favors, so he wouldn’t have to be in His debt. Well, he still didn’t plan on owing Him anything, no matter how this all worked out.

He finally forced his legs to move, walking stiffly to his saddlebags. He put the brush away, and drew out the box of matches wrapped in oilskin.

Hart caught them when Jericho tossed them over, opened the box and struck one of them on the bottom of his boot. The match head flared in the gathering semi-darkness and Hart hunkered down, cupping his hand around the flame as it caught the base kindling of the pyre and the wood above it began to burn.

Jericho stood watching as the fire flared to life, remembering how he’d burned the cabin. After he’d buried Elena, Maria and little Ana, he’d poured kerosene throughout their home. The smell of it had made his stomach twist and roll over. He’d poured it over the cabinetry he’d built so lovingly for Elena, remembering how proud she’d been to have a pantry in her kitchen. He’d poured it across the bed where they’d made love. Made children. Made a family together.

He’d opened up the old trunk that had been Elena’s, full of her keepsake treasures. He had taken only one thing from the chest before he’d saturated the rest of the contents with the kerosene remaining in the can. He’d stood at the door and tossed in the match, watching as the trail of fire raced across the dirt floor of the cabin and began to eat the furniture, the woodwork, and finally the walls.

Then, he had turned his back on the entire dream he’d created and then destroyed, riding away from it as it burned. It maybe burning still, he mused. That entire northern part of Indian Territory could be nothing but acres of smoldering blackness destroyed by his hand. Right now, if he could, he’d set the entire world ablaze.

Yes. A fire would be good to have tonight.

“Say, Jericho. You hungry? Me, I’m so hungry my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut. I’ve got some tins of beans and peaches we can open up.” Hart rose and crossed to where his saddlebags lay, rummaging for the tins of food. He pulled them out and came back toward Jericho, who stood rooted to the spot where he’d gone moments earlier to get the matches.

Hart nodded toward the fire. “C’mon. Let’s get some grub. Talk a spell. I can see you’ve got some questions.”

“Who are you?” Jericho’s voice was hoarse.

Hart laughed. “I knew that’d be the first one.”

* * * * *

Visit Cheryl's Amazon Author Page

Don't forget to leave a comment!  You'll be eligible to win a pdf copy of Cheryl's Time Plains Drifter!