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Sunday, 31 May 2009

Time to Kill by Lee Lejeune
A Black Horse Western from Hale, May 2009
Ten years after the end of the Civil War, Nat Jordan, who fought in the Confederate army, is returning by railroad to his home near Kansas City. When they are held up by so-called Quantrill raiders, led by Captain Coulter with whom Jordan escaped from Union forces during the war, Coulter recognizes Jordan and this soon leads to complications.

A Pinkerton agent called McGill suspects that Jordan is in cahoots with the raiders, and things turn very nasty when tragedy strikes at the Jordan homestead. Who is on the side of the raiders and who is on the side of the law? It is a time to kill, but who will die?

This fast moving, action packed, book is filled with memorable characters: such as Jordan, Coulter, McGill, Preacher Man and Rig. Lejeune keeps you guessing as to which side of the law they are on, and so hooks the reader superbly, and only reveals their true agendas when he wants you to know, thus adding a number of twists and surprises to the story.

The relationship between Jordan and Coulter is explained in a number of flashback sequences that are set during the Civil War, allowing for some savage confrontations between Union and Confederate troops.

Another fascinating relationship is that of Jordan and his father, and it is this one that creates an air of suspicion over Jordan’s loyalties.

Among all the violence and mistrusts there is another relationship, one from Jordan’s past, with a girl he grew up with. Could his renewed friendship with Beth develop into something more? Will his more violent past allow it to?

And what of the end? How does everything work out? Those are questions I’m not going to answer, instead I’ll suggest you buy or borrow a copy of this book and find out for yourselves. What I will say is Lejeune finishes the book with a final line that hints at more to come, and thus ensures this reader will be keeping an eye-out for more of his work.

Time to Kill is out now, its official release date being two days ago – May 29th.
Posted by Steve M at 11:29 No comments: 
Saturday, 30 May 2009

Wild West Monday Please also take a moment of time to sign this petition

More details and information can be found here
Posted by Steve M at 15:08 5 comments: Labels: Wild West Monday

Friday, 29 May 2009

The $300 Man as by Ross Morton
What’s a life worth? $300, maybe.

Half Mexican Corbin Molina lost a hand during the Civil War but he has adapted. Now he’s on a mission to Walkerville. On the way, he prevents a train robbery and finds an old friend. Corbin always carries $300, which is significant, since that’s what he was paid as a substitute soldier for the Union.

When Corbin starts asking questions about Walkerville’s law and administration, he discovers that the Walker family, who seem to have bought and paid for loyalty and position, dominate the townspeople. Inevitably, Corbin’s questions attract plenty of trouble. And his past emerges to confront him during a tense showdown that threatens not only him but also his newfound love.

Ross Morton (real name Nik Morton) presents the reader with a fascinating character in Corbin Molina, not least because his mixed blood cause him problems, but due to him having a hook in place of a hand, and the fact that his reasons for coming to Walkerville are not immediately explained. These aren’t the only plotlines that grab the readers attention, there’s also the other well drawn characters, many of whom may not be who they say they are, such as Tillman who seems to have been hired as a replacement lawman by the Walkers, but is perhaps working to his own agenda, whatever that maybe.

A fair part of story is told in flashbacks, such as how Molina lost his hand. This is explained in one of the highlight sequences of the tale, that of the battle for Fort Fisher in 1864.

Ross Morton also includes plenty of action and a number of twists and turns before everything is resolved satisfactory.

The £300 Man is officially released today.
Posted by Steve M at 17:54 7 comments: Labels: Black Horse Westerns, Nik Morton, Ross Morton

Monday, 25 May 2009

Interview: Ken Laager Was painting book covers an area you wanted to break into? How big is the original artwork for a paperback novel? Labels: Interview, Ken Laager

Sunday, 24 May 2009

On the Wrong Track Labels: Holmes on the Range, Steve Hockensmith

Interview with...me.

Anybody who'd like to now a little more about me and my love of westerns may like to go here and read an interview I did for Joanne Walpole (aka Terry James - a review I did of her first Black Horse Western can be found here - or just look at the post below this one)
Posted by Steve M at 10:25 No comments: Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Long Shadows as by Terry James
When Jake Rudd is saved from a brutal beating, he can’t believe his luck. Not only is his saviour an attractive redhead, she’s an old flame. Suddenly his plans to settle down seem a real possibility. Unfortunately, Ros West has no memory of him, and with trouble following her, no reason to trust him. Only when family and friends are threatened by a power-hungry businessman, do the long shadows of the past bring events full circle.

Now, side by side, Jake and Ros must deal with the past to secure the future. But when the smoke clears, will old scores be settled or will the truth prove more dangerous than a smoking gun?

From the very beginning Terry James hooks the reader with the fact that Rudd knows his saviour, seems to have had a past with her, yet she has no recollection of him. It’s the question of how this can be that snares the reader, and Terry James makes sure you stay firmly hooked by hinting at, and half explaining, Ros and Rudd’s previous relationship.

It’s not only Ros and Rudd’s past that provides all the captivating intrigue to this fast moving, action packed, story. There’s other characters who might not be all they seem. And as the tale progresses Terry James expertly adds more twists and surprises that make sure this book very difficult to put down before you reach the end. An end that ties up all the threads of the storyline neatly and satisfactory.

Terry James – real name Joanne Walpole – is a new writer to the Black Horse stable, and, on the strength of this book, I hope it isn’t long before she writes another.

Long Shadows has a release date on May 29th, but is available from internet book sellers now.
Posted by Steve M at 21:23 2 comments: Labels: Black Horse Westerns, Joanne Walpole, Terry James

Sunday, 17 May 2009

Western Movie News

Following on from my guest review of spaghetti western, A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe over at The Tainted Archive - which can be found here - does anyone know anything about Terence Hill's 2009 western Doc West and it's mentioned sequel? Here's the trailer on YouTube Hill doesn't look bad when you consider he must be around 70 years old now.

Quite a few other western films being made for 2009/2010 releases include a new version of True Grit, the remake of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a new Lone Ranger film, a Jonah Hex movie, Shadowheart (which should be out anytime, although I'm not sure if this will be in the cinema or straight to DVD), a new version of Angel and the Badman, and The Legend of Hell Gate.

It seems that the producer of TV's Deadwood is also planning a new series about two youngsters who try to get into movies in the early days and meet many western stars including John Wayne and John Ford.

Shame so many of the above are remakes, there are so many great western books that could be made into films, but even so we must be glad that people are still willing to make westerns of any kind, thus keeping the genre alive.
Posted by Steve M at 11:04 7 comments: Labels: John Ford, John Wayne, Jonah Hex, Terence Hill, The Lone Ranger, True Grit

Saturday, 16 May 2009

The Texians #1 as by Zach Wyatt
Pinnacle, May 1984
They were young, proud – and they were all that stood between defenceless settlers and the warring Comanche. They were the Texas Rangers, struggling to bring law and order to the infant Republic of Texas.

Josh Sands is only twenty-two years old but has been with the Rangers for ten years. Ever since he was orphaned. Ever since he saw his family slaughtered by a Comanche raiding party. He has committed himself to ride with the Rangers until he can no longer sit astride a horse … or until a Comanche arrow stops him.

Captain Jack Hays is a veteran, the greatest Indian fighter in the West. He knows that the only way to fight the Comanche is with their own brutal means, with Indian cunning.

Zach Wyatt is a pseudonym used by George W. Proctor and this first book in the Texicans series is based around many events that really happened, so features many people from the history of the West, the main real person being Captain John “Jack” Coffee Hays.

To include these historical events the book reads as a number of different incidents linked by the Texas Rangers and Proctor’s fictional character Josh Sands. After saving an escaped woman Sands begins to fall in love with her – being an orphan has left a yearning of wanting to be close to someone, a feeling he didn’t know was there until he saves Marion Hammer. Even so he has to fight feelings of revulsion towards her as she has been taken by the Comanche and, like many others, he sees her as unclean. So it’s this emotional struggle that ties the other events together.

Proctor bases the rest of the story around three true incidents in the history of the Texas Rangers and San Antonio. The first being the introduction to the Rangers of a multi-shot pistol – the Colt .36 calibre “Texas” Patterson revolver – in which Sands and his fellow Rangers have no interest, until it’s worth is proved in battle.

The second major event of the story is the killing of many of the peace delegation of Comanches on March 19th, 1840. This took place under a truce in San Antonio, which is now known as the Council House Fight. Proctor finishes the book with the Plum Creek confrontations during the beginning of August, 1840.

Proctor does a great job in combining real events with a fictional storyline, which has me eager to read the second book in the series to see if he continues to mix historical facts in as major parts of the coming stories. Posted by Steve M at 16:36 No comments: Labels: George W. Proctor, The Texians, Zach Wyatt
 

Well worth taking the time to find.
Posted by Steve M at 12:11 4 comments: Labels: B.J. Holmes, Black Horse Westerns, Ethan Wall


Davy Crockett #7 Labels: David Robbins, David Thompson, Davy Crockett

Wednesday, 6 May 2009

The Spanish Bit Saga #15 
Saturday, 2 May 2009

Morgan Kane #25