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.

Matthew Pizzolato: The Wanted Man

The Wanted Man
by Matthew Pizzolato

Romancing The West welcomes a friend of all Western readers and writers, Matthew Pizzolato. His short stories have been published online and in print in such publications as: BEAT to a PULP!, The Copperfield Review, Pulp Modern, Frontier Tales Magazine, and The Storyteller. Matthew also writes a weekly NASCAR column for Insider Racing News and is a contributing writer for Suite101.com. He's a member of Western Fictioneers.

Matthew can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter at @mattpizzolato. When he's not writing, Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online.

RTW: Thanks for stopping by this week, Matthew. To get us started, please tell us about your new release.

MP: The Wanted Man is a collection of eight short stories set in the American West and touches on themes of vengeance, abuse and honor. Texas Ranger Jud Nelson appears in the title story and receives some aid from an unlikely source in chasing down a killer. Outlaw Wesley Quaid discovers that not only is the law on his trail in the form of Ranger Jud Nelson but a hired assassin has been paid to kill him. Is Texas big enough for the three of them?

Contest!

Matthew is giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate.

(See details below)

RTW : What aspect of life in the Old West intrigues you the most? Did you work that into The Wanted Man?

MP: Self reliance. In my opinion, self reliance is something that is lacking in today's culture that was prevalent during the Old West. During that time period, people had to fend for themselves. There were no policemen to call if someone harmed them. They had to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. People have become too dependant on modern convinces and forget that hunger, thirst and cold are still lurking in the shadows.

All of my characters, whether they are lawmen like Jud Nelson, outlaws like Wesley Quaid, killers like the assassin Sabrina, or just everyday people are self reliant. They may work together to help each other on occasion, but they depend on no one but themselves.

RTW : If you lived in during the Old West, what modern convenience would you miss the most?

MP: Air conditioning. I work as a meat cutter when I'm not writing, so I've become accustomed to being inside in cool temperatures. That is one convenience that I take for granted and am reminded of how much I miss it whenever I spend a weekend civil war reenacting. Everything we do has to be period correct, from how we cook our food to the tents and the clothes we wear. I live in Louisiana, so wearing wool in ninety degree plus temperatures can get quite warm.

RTW: You'll get no argument from me on the air conditioning! If a person who had never read a Western asked you for a recommendation, what novel or movie would you recommend and why? What did the author do to bring the story alive for you?

MP: The Sackett Brand by Louis L'Amour, or anything else by L'Amour for that matter. His characters are portrayed as real people who live by a code. The Sackett Brand exemplifies what I consider to be the three virtues of a Western: honor, integrity and loyalty. Even the villains in L'Amour's work had a sense of honor. There was a line that they wouldn't cross and that is what draws me to his work.

RTW : Are there any common errors in westerns that bug you? If so, please set us straight.

MP: There are too many to name. The Old West mythology that is portrayed in the popular Western is highly romanticized and not always historically accurate. As an example, the role of women in Westerns is probably the most glaring error. While the whore with a heart of gold actually did exist, it's been so overdone in Westerns that it's become a cliché.

It's historical fact that while women were repressed during the time period, some of them still lead successful lives in the same roles as men. Belle Boyd was a civil war spy. Charlie Parkhurst was a female stagecoach driver. There were women outlaws, such as Belle Starr and also Flo Quick, who regularly dressed like a man and went by the name of Tom King. Then you have Poker Alice and of course, Calamity Jane, just to name a few.

RTW: What drew you to writing Westerns? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

MP: I started writing Westerns because I ran out of Louis L'Amour stories to read. When I realized I'd read everything he'd written, I felt like I'd lost my best friend. But aside from L'Amour, I draw my biggest inspiration from two of Clint Eastwood's movies, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven.

Those two movies dumped Western mythology on its head and introduced the anti-hero. Suddenly, there were shades of gray in the Western instead of clearly draw lines of black and white. Yet while Josey Wales and Will Munny are both killers, they still possess elements of the hero, namely honor and integrity.

It is these characters that were the inspiration for Wesley Quaid and I drew on the historical record for inspiration for the assassin, Sabrina. Jud Nelson is my version of the typical Western hero, and he appears in one of the stories alongside Wesley Quaid.

RTW: Why must Wesley Quaid take this story journey? What does he have to prove? Why is Sabrina the perfect match for him?

MP: Wesley Quaid has become discontented with his life as an outlaw and is on a journey of self discovery. He's always been a man of honor but he wants to become a man of whom his father would be proud. Sabrina is a perfect match for him because she's not the typical woman who needs his protection. She's his equal who earns his respect.

RTW: That sounds right up my alley! Please set up your excerpt for us.

MP: This is a scene from one of the stories in The Wanted Man collection, Killer for Hire, where Wesley Quaid meets the assassin, Sabrina. This scene transpires after Sabrina makes an attempt on Wesley's life but fails and Wesley tracks her down and confronts her.

Excerpt from

Killer for Hire, a story in The Wanted Man

by Matthew Pizzolato

Copyright © 2011 Matthew Pizzolato

Not ten feet away, the cloaked figure bent into the water and submersed her head. Behind her and slightly adjacent, a prairie rattler as big around as my forearm slithered toward the water.

The woman appeared oblivious.

So I did what any gentleman would do. I stepped from the trees, drew my pistol and shot the snake.

The woman lunged to her feet and would have sprung at me.

I cocked the pistol again and smiled.

She froze with her legs poised to leap.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"What's your name?"

Several seconds passed while she considered. Her sodden straight black hair clung to her skull. Beads of water cascaded down her face. "You may call me Sabrina."

"Oh? I may?"

She gave a curt nod.

"I didn't ask what I could call you. I asked you your name."

Anger blazed in her eyes.

I chuckled. This woman wasn't accustomed to impertinence. "In that case, you may call me Wesley Quaid."

"That isn't you're name either."

I smiled and it reached all the way to my eyes. Then I winked at her and raised an eyebrow.

She blinked and the appearance of rage vanished from her face. Her posture relaxed, and she glanced at the still writhing snake. "Are you going to return my gun?"

"No thanks. I kind of like it. Besides, I couldn't find mine."

She rolled her eyes. "I could kill you from here and take it off of your corpse."

"I enjoy shooting knives out of the air. What are you waiting for?"

Her eyes blazed again but not as furiously as before. Or was my imagination running away with me?

"Return my gun and I will let you live."

I snorted. "Do I look stupid?"

"Actually, yes." A trace of humor reached those icy blue eyes.

♥ ♥ ♥
Available at: Amazon ~ B&N ~ Goodreads

RTW: Ha! I love it. :) What’s next? Will you have a sequel to The Wanted Man?

MP: I've just finished a novella length work with the outlaw Wesley Quaid as the protagonist. The stories featuring Wesley Quaid in The Wanted Man are precursors to the novella, Outlaw. I will have it available later this summer or early in the fall.

RTW: It's good to get to you, Matthew, and thanks again for joining the RTW family. Anything else you’d like to add?

MP: I like to thank Jacquie for hosting me this week and I'm eternally grateful to all of the readers who have supported my writing and my website, The Western Online. If anyone has read The Wanted Man and could find the time to write a review on Amazon or any of the other sites, I'd be forever in your debt.

Win a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Contest Question:

What do you consider the best Western (either movie or novel) of all time? Why?  Comment and you'll be entered to win the $20 Amazon Gift Certificate !

Small print:

Email address must be included to be eligible for the drawing (so we can contact you).

Drawing will be held Saturday, June 30 at 9pm Pacific Time.

RTW Chicken Dinner: Cool Links & Announcements

August is coming to a close and with the kids going back to school, maybe there's a little more time for reading. Or not. But today, I'm going to give you some links to a few talented writers you might want to check out. Also, if you look in our archives, you'll find some terrific writers and excerpts of their books, including Kat and L.C. Martin, Paty Jager, A.K. Lanier, Debra Holland, and Karen Michelle Nutt.

Many writers are interested in more than one genre or sub-genre, so you might be surprised what else you'll find if you browse their websites.

Caroline
Clemmons

For some of the best of western historical romance, try Caroline Clemmons. Sweethearts of the West recently ran The Exciting Story of Author Caroline Clemmons, so take a look at that, too.



Matt
Pizzolato



If you're looking for traditional western short stories, Matthew Pizzolato could be the answer.  He writes both short stories and non-fiction articles on the Old West.  Matt also runs an outstanding website (besides his own), The Western Online, which I mentioned in last Sunday's Chicken Dinner post.



Bill Markley

 Writers of the West is featuring Bill Markley, who is an author, reenactor, and actor in A Visit with Bill Markley.  He's had an interesting life, writes both fiction and non-fiction, has appeared in several movies, and is an avid journaler.  Take a look at his books and see if there's anything you'd enjoy.  I'm sure there is.

Next week, Romancing The West is happy to host Norman W. Wilson, PhD, who is an expert on shamanism, and has written the Shamanic Mysteries, of which two of six are now available.

We have winners!

Karen Michell Nutt's Wanted goes to... Lisa Alexander Griffin!  Congratulations, Lisa.  I know you're just gonna love this book!

The winner of Much Ado About Marshals is... Judith Laik!  But not only did she already win a free book, she edited it!  So I'll give her a copy of the print book when it comes out, since she hasn't sprung for an ereader yet.  (Yes, telling tales.)