Thursday 31 May 2012

Black Horse Westerns - May 2012


Stop Ollinger! by Jack Dakota

When the town of Mud Wagon Creek is destroyed by desperadoes it is just the start of a twisted trail of revenge for outlaw-boss, Bass Ollinger. He has sworn to make society pay for the time he spent in the Oregon State Penitentiary, shackled by the infamous Oregon Boot, and he intends blazing a trail of death and destruction clear from Texas to the Beaver State. Riding the border country, Brant Forrest unwittingly rides into Ollinger's path and with others also in the renegade's line of fire, comes to the inevitable conclusion: stop Ollinger!

Twilight Trail by Lance Howard

When manhunter Teel Barsom brought in notorious outlaw Slade Heath he made a fateful mistake, one with tragic consequences that would destroy the new life he'd built with his young bride, and riddle his nightmares with guilt and loss. Trapped in a world of whiskey, and shame, Teel wants nothing more than to sink deeper into despair when a mysterious young woman abducts him from the saloon and offers him redemption - redemption he wants no part of. But with salvation comes a price, one that may cost him and his kidnapper their lives.


Three Days to Angel Pass by Rob Hill

Lucas Redwood makes wrong choices for the right reasons. A giant of a man, hardly aware of his own strength, he accidentally causes the death of a bullying lumber-camp foreman when he goes to the defence of a friend. Persuaded that the tyrannical boss will believe this was murder, Lucas decides to run. With no money to provide for his family, he becomes involves in a robbery which goes bad. Set against the crucible heat of the Mojave Desert, in an industry where workers are cruelly exploited, how will Lucas's fellow workers react when they discover he is innocent? Will this flawed hero evade his pursuers and make it to the border crossing at Angel Pass?

Against all Odds by Hank J. Kirby

He didn't even carry a gun, it wasn't necessary when he was so good with his fists. But after a fatal altercation with a proddy kid he began to see he was perhaps too good, especially as the boy had a mighty powerful father and brother who would be waiting for him when he was finally released from prison. It seemed like the moment to start packing a gun - a very special kind of gun. He needed all the advantage he could get as he was only one man against many. Someone had to die to even up the odds.

A Town called Perdition by Lee Lejeune

Jesse 'Mav' Bolder heads into Pure Water, known as Perdition because its evil reputation. There he encounters some very shady characters, among them the sheriff, Bill Bronco, local rancher Bunce and his hired killers. But there are good people in Pure Water too and when Mav befriends them, Sheriff Bronco sees this as an opportunity to run them off, leading to a bloody showdown for control of the town.

Ride the Savage River by Scott Connor

It took Marshal Ellis Moore twelve years to clean up Empire Falls, and he was killed taking on the last of the gun-toters who had controlled his town. But at his funeral US Marshal Lincoln Hawk told his sons Daniel and Henry that all was not as it seems. Ellis had been on the payroll of Samuel Holdstock, who controlled Skull Bend from his steamboat, and who was now spreading his corrupting influence downriver. Daniel and Harvey vowed to expose the full truth. To do that they would need to infiltrate Samuel's domain, spirit him away from his steamboat, and then deliver him to justice in Empire Falls. Even the formidable Lincoln Hawk reckoned their mission was doomed to fail, but to put right their father's mistakes they would have to succeed.

Fortress Palomino by Michael D. George

The cattle town of War Smoke was getting bigger as its grasslands filled with steers for the coming trail drives. Marshal Matt Fallen wired other law offices around the remote settlement for help in keeping his town peaceful until the drive moved north. Kid Palomino and his sidekick, Red Rivers, heeded the call and rode in to help Fallen. When a dying sheriff rides into War Smoke to tell the pair that the notorious bandit, Santiago Del Rosa, has crossed the border with a small army of ruthless killers they don t need telling twice to leap into action. Can Kid and Rivers stop Santiago before he and his bandits spill even more blood?

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Review of Fortress Palomino by Michael D. George


Even though I have a few in my collection, this is the first Black Horse Western I’ve read that this author has written under his own name (he writes BHW under at least seven pseudonyms too). Fortress Palomino is the fifth book in his Kid Palomino series. This fast moving story is mainly about Palomino and Rivers attempting to stop Santiago as he cuts a bloody path described in all its gory detail, making this one of the most violently graphic BHW I’ve read...
 
Read more at Western Fiction Review

Tuesday 29 May 2012

The latest Ben Bridges titles on Kindle




 Dave's second published book, Hard as Nails, a tight and tense O'Brien yarn from 1987, which sees O'Brien join forces with another of Dave's 'professional fighting man' characters, the one-eyed, cigar-chewing Logan Tyree. We're especially thrilled with this book because it features an exclusive cover by the legendary Tony Masero. The second of the two reissues is Coffin Creek, the first book in a projected series set in and around a Texas railroad town. This one was originally published as a Black Horse Western in 1992, under the 'Matt Logan' pseudonym.



2000's Apacheria and Marked for Death, which dates all the way back to 1993. Apacheria introduces Major Sam Lockwood and his Galvanized Yankees as they fight not only to survive one of the harshest environments on the planet but also to maintain law and order in an increasingly lawless land. Marked for Death gives professional fighting man Carter O'Brien an unusual mission indeed when he is hired to ride shotgun on ... ah, but that would be telling!



Ride for the Rio! is a taut, stand-alone western that takes a fresh look at an old theme (that of revenge), while Thunder Gorge sends lawman-turned-rancher Jim Allison south of the border to rescue a mismatched band of gringos -- and ten pure-bred Arabian horses -- from revolution-torn Sonora. As usual, both books feature hard, fast-paced action and more than a few plot-twists along the way!



Blood Canyon sees lawman-turned-rancher Jim Allison risking his own life trying to save that of a woman he's never even met, while Squaw Man sends professional fighting man Carter O'Brien on a dangerous mission to avert a full-scale Apache uprising. As usual, both books feature hard, fast-paced action and more than a few plot-twists along the way, and as always can be downloaded AT BARGAIN PRICES from Amazon's sites in America, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Blurbs can be found on our Kindle Collection page!

More information at Ben Bridges

Friday 25 May 2012

Reviews posted on Amazon.com

Last month I posted a selection of reviews from amazon.co.uk. Now it's the turn of amazon.com:


Excellent charcter developmnet encased in breathtaking landscape descriptions. While the end result could be assumed, the plot snaked its way through interesting situations with an ending that was well developed with several interesting twists . A great read!

Tom McNulty's Best Black Horse Western yet! The story of Cole Tibbs methodical retribution for his father murder was brilliant! great supporting characters packed with suspense and action throughout the book. Could not put the book down. McNulty's writing style is colorfully explicit packed full of western flavor!

 
The Black Mountain Dutchman by Steve Ritchie is a well researched and well written Western capturing the mood of the mountain west in the 1870s. The wide-ranging plot, with many twists and turns, draws the reader into the action from the first page--and the suspense seldom lets up. The three main characters, an old man, an Indian and a strong-willed girl, are unique and admirable and there are tender moments of loyal affection between them. The Black Mountain Dutchman is an enjoyable read. Dottie Parish


Yet another formulaic western? not this one. Interesting story, and great character development - already been grabbed by a friend at work, who's read a few pages, and is going to get his own copy :)


Greg Mitchell has done it again. His latest western, "Murdering Wells" is masterfully executed. The western lover is immediately hooked by the gripping opening which involves the central character's brother (at first assumed to be the central character, which adds to the intrigue), some dastardly deserters from the army and a group of disenfranchised Indians with an understandable grudge.

Mitchell quickly and effectively moves into a fast-paced evolution of the storyline, where the main character, Luke Addison, must avenge his brother. His ability to weave interesting minor characters into the action continues to be a major strength. Even the horses emerge as having their own personalities who affect the course of events!

The geography and its impact on the story is always vividly described. Mitchell's knowledge and understanding of guns and horsemanship always make his stories very authentic and informative. His writing style is direct, ominous at times and humorous at others. The ending brings a strong sense of satisfaction with the significance of the title fully revealed and the hero remaining true to the tradition of the genre. A few little editing errors made on the trot by the publisher will not detract from the level of enjoyment to be derived from this great ride!


The book Winder Rider by Thomas McNulty I found very artistic and well written. I loved the story of Hank Benteen and the adventures he goes on to help the people of the valley and the love he has for Gloria. This book is very well written and I highly recommend it. The descriptions are beautiful and it really takes you right there with Hank. If you're looking for a great western book, I highly suggest Winder Rider. I give this book 5 gold stars, kudos to Mr. McNulty!


This is Gregory Mitchell at his best. Each of his westerns improves on the last and I'm already looking forward to the next one. Comanche Country Comanche Country (Black Horse Western)is an entertaining and thoroughly engaging read. Mitchell intertwines his characters and situations effectively whilst remaining true to the western genre. Each of the characters is well developed and their motives are believable.

Additionally, there is a delightful variety of characters in this story which adds to the fun. Mitchell's detailed knowledge of history, weaponry and horsemanship, combined with his conversational style and touches of humour, make for a story that is both informative and enjoyable. Although the final outcomes of the story are a little predictable, the twists and turns along the way keep the reader guessing and the denouement and resolution are both highly satisfying. The shootouts and the fight with the Indians were particularly well described.

If you enjoy westerns and like authenticity in the details about horses, history and gun battles, then you can't get better than this!


If you can't beat them, join them and beat them that way. "The Shadow Riders" is a western focusing on a ravaging gang of bandits in Arizona called the Shadow Riders. Tyrone Cannfield, an Arizona Ranger, infiltrates the riders in order to bring them down. A fascinating and intriguing western of the law and the outlaws, "The Shadow Riders" is a surefire treat for those who love westerns.


The Tarnished Star will not disappoint those who want a quick read that is lean, suspenseful and is true to the standard Western conventions. It has the feel of the Westerns from the 1950s and 60s. All of these qualities total up to a solid Western that is appealing and suitable for anyone's taste. The writing has almost a minimalist quality, resulting in a style that is spare and yet nuanced. Martin wisely keeps his storyline within a time frame of only a few days and fills his scenes with finely detailed scenes, rich characters and believable dialogue - the latter being one of the hardest skills for a writer of Westerns to master. The result is a book that you can get lost in with scenes filled with strong tension. One feels as if time has stopped, and I could not help but think of the movie High Noon throughout the story.

For those who like to read the works of new and talented writers, this is the book for you.

Matthew P. Mayo has a keen eye for the absurd. His Westerns are steeped in authenticity and boiled in action, but it is Mayo's skewed vision of the world that lingers long after the final page. He shows us the mythic West with the sharp, clear eye of a realist looking through rippled glass.

Mayo is the author of the novels WINTERS' WAR, WRONG TOWN, and HOT LEAD, COLD HEART, and the editor of WHERE LEGENDS RIDE: NEW TALES OF THE OLD WEST. At his finest, Mayo captures the surreal and very human quality of everyday life in the 19th century west. His protagonists meet whatever comes their way with nonchalance; they struggle in a world of misperceptions and uncertain realities, come what may. Time and again they must sort out the mythic from the mundane, the weak from the strong, the bizarre from the necessary. Yet, even deep within the most tangled cases of mistaken identity and the darkest of back alley nights, Mayo is always in control of his craft.

In HOT LEAD, COLD HEART, the protagonist Mason, a grizzled gunman who kills only those who deserve it, rides slowly through the woods to take care of one last problem before hanging up his gun. The problem? He must settle a score with a porcine megalomaniac whose sweaty grip on the town Cayuse Falls is slipping quickly away. On the way, Mason meets a big-hearted Irish drummer with logorrhea, a pair of mismatched sisters on a rampage, and a donkey and mule team that always shows up at just the right time. But the most compelling character is Rip, the town Marshall, who is caught between a manipulative benefactor and an ambitious wife. The overall effect of Hot Lead, Cold Heart is as much Louis L'Amour's HONDO as it is Barry Hannah's NEVER DIE or Percival Everett's GOD"S COUNTRY.

Mayo writes evocative prose, gritty characters, and action-packed scenes. Themes, as he has mentioned in interviews, "of self-reliance, overcoming adversity, [and] the satisfaction felt when a tough job is well in hand" run smoothly beneath the characters and the action.

If you enjoy authors like Jack London, Mickey Spillane, Jim Thompson, Loren D. Estleman, Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Larry D. Sweazy, Peter Brandvold, and Johnny D. Boggs, then you will find a kindred spirit in Matthew P. Mayo--a kindred spirit who is nonetheless very much an original voice in the landscape of Western literature.



A cattle herder encounters a man savaged by wolves, his throat almost torn out. The man survives though can hardly speak and adopts the monicker `Silent'. It seems that Silent has mislaid his memory as a result of his ordeal. In repayment for saving his life, Silent cooks for the cowboys - until a couple of gunmen come looking for him.

Silent is slow to rile but fast to settle scores. The sudden gunplay sparks something in Silent's mind. When his memory begins to return, Silent sets out to discover why he was literally thrown to the wolves. On this journey of self-discovery he meets up with Gail, the sister of the trail sawbones who patched him up. They both find that they're intent on digging up the truth behind the massacre of a stagecoach's passengers. Unfortunately, they may end up digging their graves instead...

Fast-paced with plenty of characterisation, with a puzzle at its heart, this is an enjoyable fast read.

Thursday 24 May 2012

Linford Westerns - May 2012

Ambush At Lakota Crossing by Terrell L. Bowers

ISBN: 9781444811285
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 216 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

Two old codgers manned Lakota Crossing; fifty miles from the nearest town. The perfect place for an ambush. Wayland Lott and his gang of killers were about to rob an army payroll at its way station, unaware that a bounty hunter was now working at the stage stop at Lakota Crossing. Jess Logan was pleased to finish out the winter there. But when the bandit gang began warring, the bounty hunter jumped straight into action - regardless of the consequences...
 
Bear Creek by Jack Edwardes 

ISBN: 9781444811292
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 296 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

Ben Tobin had ridden for Wells Fargo for two years, surviving danger and hardship. But when his partner was badly wounded, Tobin decided his riding days were over. However, when his old partner requests his help, he's soon riding into trouble once again. Short-trigger men stalk the alleyways of Bear Creek and powerful ranchers play a dangerous game for big money. Hired killers target Tobin and he'll need all his old skills with his Navy Colt to survive...
 

Hope's Last Chance by Rob Hill 

ISBN: 9781444811308
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 272 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

When brothers Tom and Jeb Hope head west to California, it's to save their family farm from repossession by taking a chance on an old mining claim. They find gold, but Jeb is robbed of their find, and then he is murdered in cold blood. Tom trails his brother's killers from the docklands of Sacramento to hostile Indian territory to retrieve the gold which can save his family. Does he have what it takes to survive?
 
 
Scar County Showdown by Elliot Long 

ISBN: 9781444811315
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 240 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

When town marshal Arthur Curry is gunned down from behind by killers unknown, his brother, Sam, comes to Columbus to pay his last respects and to seek vengeance. The mayor, an old friend of Sam's, believes he knows who is responsible for the murderous crime. But Sam makes his own investigations, which lead him headfirst into a nightmare to which there is no easy solution. Time is ticking and there is a target on Sam's back...
 
 
The Snake River Bounty by Bill Shields

ISBN: 9781444811322
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 216 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

As a young man, Ben Hollinger hunted down and killed the outlaw gang who murdered his family. Now the marshal of a sleepy cattle town, he's forced into a gunfight with a young troublemaker, whom he kills - and his peace is shattered. Nate Thornton, the boy's father, owns the biggest ranch in the territory. The bounty he puts on Ben's head draws every local gun-hand to hunt him down. His only hope of survival lies with Cordelia - Thornton's daughter...
 
 
The Tanglewood Desperadoes by Logan Winters

ISBN: 9781444811339
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 256 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 8.99

Once you entered Tanglewood, in Southern Colorado, you could never find your way out. A savage, broken landscape - it was the perfect place to hide from the law. No lawman ever entered it, preferring the Tanglewood to do his work for him. So when Trace Dawson and his gang rode in, they were men without hope. Crooked land-pirates had taken their land and their homes from them. Now they were planning to fight back, whatever that might involve...

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Review of Against All Odds by Hank J. Kirby



Hank J. Kirby is a pseudonym used by prolific western author Keith Hetherington, a writer that has fast become one of my favourites in the genre. This book contains all the elements that make his work so entertaining; excellent characters, fast moving plots, plenty of gunplay, and lengthy fistfights. This story also has the added element of the unusual weapon, a Spencer-Bannerman slide-action shotgun...
 
Read more at Western Fiction Review


Monday 21 May 2012

Bestsellers on Amazon - 21 May

1. Raking Hell (Black Horse Western) by Lee Clinton (28 Feb 2011)
Hardcover £7.99

2. The Ghosts of Poynter (Black Horse Western) by Amos Carr (30 Jun 2012)
Hardcover Available for pre-order £12.38

3. The Kansas Fast Gun (Black Horse Western) by Arthur Kent (31 Oct 2011)
Kindle Edition £2.74

4. Arkansas Smith (Black Horse Western) by Jack Martin (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

5. Marshal Law by Cobra Sunman (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

6. Chinaman's Gold by Lou Armstrong (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

7. Devil's Range by Skeeter Dodds (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

8. Gunsmoke in Vegas by J William Allen (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

9. The Hanging of Charlie Darke by Will DuRey (30 Apr 2012)
Kindle Edition £2.74

10. Comanchero Trail (Black Horse Western) by Jack Dakota (30 Sep 2011)
Hardcover £9.11

Saturday 19 May 2012

State of the Blog

Blogger recently updated their system with improved statistics. So here's some facts about the visitors to this blog:

Over the last year monthly visitors have grown steadily :

May: 655
Jun: 666
Jul: 678
Aug: 725
Sep: 684
Oct: 806
Nov: 1104
Dec: 1076
Jan: 1192
Feb: 1164
Mar: 1109
Apr: 1253

These people come from:

1. US (48%)
2. UK (26%)
3. Germany (6%)
4. Australia (5%)
5. Russia (5%)
Followed by France, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and South Korea

The most popular types of item are :

1. Articles - Ride the Trail to Success by Jack Edwardes
2. Reviews - Gunsmoke over New Mexico by Dale Graham
3. Interviews - Derek Rutherford
4. Bestsellers on Amazon.
5. E-BHWs published that month
6. Black Horse Westerns published that month
7. Guest blogger - Jack Giles's granddaughter
8. Dales westerns published that month
9. Linford westerns published that month

Traffic that comes from search engines gets here by people tapping in the following words :

1. Title (yes, the five letters title. Don’t get that)
2. black horse westerns
3. black horse express
4. blackhorseexpress.blogspot.com
5. a black horse western
6. arizona showdown
7. a dorman leishman
8. g.f. unger
9. peter taylor
10. range war
11. skeletal squirrel (a well-covered area on the blog. In fact I know of no other blog that covers it better)
12. 50's comics
13. a western fiction book about a man called strange
14. conestoga boots
15. ghost horse rider
16. joanne lanigan
17. steve ritchie
18. the desperadoes
19. Dead man riding horse
20. Owls (?)

I guess that these statistics tell me that in future I'll have to put more effort into keeping the dead squirrel and owl fanbase happy!

Thursday 17 May 2012

Dales Westerns - May 2012

The Night Horseman by Max Brand

ISBN: 9781842629031
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 400 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 15.99

Whistling Dan's friend Joe Cumberland is dying. Although his daughter Kate gets the best doctor available to save him she realizes that the only one who can bring him back is Whistling Dan, the untamed hero that she loved and lost. Can she find him? Will Dan come, and if he comes, will he stay?
 
High Iron by Frank Bonham
ISBN: 9781842629123
Large Print (Soft Cover) - 384 Pages
Published - 01-06-2012
Genre - Western
Price - £ 15.99

Frank Bonham's short novels, as Bill Pronzini says, are essentially mini-novels loaded with twists and turns of plot, historical incident, breadth and depth of character, action, romance, evocatively described backgrounds, and rich period detail. Here, for the first time in large print book form, are three of Bonham's best Western short novels.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Review of Sundown at Singing River by Ty Kirwan


Looking at this book you’d be forgiven for thinking this is the first Black Horse Western to carry the author name of Ty Kirwan as Hale haven’t listed any others. In fact this is Kirwain’s sixth BHW, the previous book being published way back in June 2001. Why the big gap? I have no idea, as I haven’t any knowledge of this author, other than seeing somewhere that Ty Kirwan is a female writer...

Read more at Western Fiction Review

Monday 14 May 2012

Bestsellers on Amazon - 14 May

1. Comanchero Trail (Black Horse Western) by Jack Dakota (30 Sep 2011)
Hardcover £9.11

2. Old Guns (Black Horse Western) by Ross Morton (30 Apr 2012)
Hardcover  £9.23

3. Silver Track (Black Horse Western) by Caleb Rand (30 Apr 2012)
Hardcover  £9.25

4. The Kansas Fast Gun (Black Horse Western) by Arthur Kent (31 Oct 2011)
Available for download now £2.74

5. Gunhawk (Black Horse Western) by John Long (31 Oct 2011)
Available for download now £2.74

6. Arkansas Smith (Black Horse Western) by Jack Martin (30 Apr 2012)
Available for download now £2.74

7. High Mountain Standoff by John C Danner (30 Apr 2012)
Available for download now £2.74

8. Arizona Pay-Off (Black Horse Western) by Duke Patterson (31 Oct 2011)
Available for download now £2.74

9. The Black Horse Westerns by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (1 Jan 2011)
Available for download now £6.86

10. Hour of the Black Wolf (Black Horse Western) by Mark P. Lynch (31 Jul 2012)
Hardcover available for pre-order £12.38

Saturday 12 May 2012

Review of Twilight Trail by Lance Howard


Lance Howard’s thirty-third Black Horse Western is as strong as anything he wrote before, perhaps not quite as dark in tone, yet it still delves into the nightmare world of guilt. Much of the first part of this story shows how Teel Barsom becomes a hopeless drunk, seeing this as the only way to escape the consequences of his decisions...

Read more at Western Fiction Review

Thursday 10 May 2012

Review of Derailed by Owen G. Irons


Owen G. Irons has come up with an unusual twist to a kidnapping plot by not having humans taken for ransom, but a train. Why? I can’t spoil the reason by revealing that here, but like me, I believe you’ll have fun finding out, for this is a very entertaining book full of action and excitement....

Read more at Western Fiction Review

Monday 7 May 2012

Bestsellers on Amazon - 7 May

1. The Kansas Fast Gun (Black Horse Western) by Arthur Kent (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £2.74

2. Gunhawk (Black Horse Western) by John Long (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £2.74

3. Arkansas Smith (Black Horse Western) by Jack Martin (30 Apr 2012)

Available for download now £2.74

4. High Mountain Standoff by John C Danner (30 Apr 2012)

Available for download now £2.74

5. Arizona Pay-Off (Black Horse Western) by Duke Patterson (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £2.74

6. The Black Horse Westerns by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (1 Jan 2011)

Available for download now £6.86

7. Hour of the Black Wolf (Black Horse Western) by Mark P. Lynch (31 Jul 2012)

Hardcover available for pre-order £12.38

8. Death on the Devil's Highway (Black Horse Western) by Josh Lockwood (29 Feb 2012)

Hardcover  £8.90

9. Range War Hell (Black Horse Western) by Ryan Bodie (31 Aug 2011)

Hardcover  £9.11

10. Loner with a Gun (Black Horse Western) by Ryan Bodie (30 Jul 2010)

Hardcover £1.86

Friday 4 May 2012

Philip McCormac's new website



About Philip McCormac

I did have the yearning to be a writer for a very long time. Initially I started writing verse and when I got more confidence I sent the completed items to newspapers and magazines. I suppose they mustn’t have been too awful for surprisingly some were published.


At the same time I was dabbling in prose and wrote a few short pieces mostly random thoughts on various subjects. Those jottings evolved into abortive attempts at short stories.


I was fascinated by horror and fantasy and sci-fi but leant more towards horror which again surprisingly, at least to me, were published. Of these I shall tell more below. One day I read an article about writing western novels.


‘Mmmm.... methinks I might have a go at that...’ mused I.


So I wrote HOT SPUR and used the pseudonym – ELLIOT JAMES.


I sent the manuscript to Robert Hale Ltd, laboriously printed out on my ancient printer page by page, all 45,000 words of it. In a short time I received a letter of acceptance. That was a great feeling.

Learn more at:

http://www.philipmccormac.co.uk/index.html

Thursday 3 May 2012

Jack Martin - questions and answers



Arkansas Smith finally goes on sale in the new fangled eFormat, which means that the hardcover bestseller is available for Kindle and other eReaders, or of course it can be read on your computer screen, phone, tablet...whatever. I'm pleased to see the book made available on eBook at such a great price - I've always believed this book deserves a wide audience - you see the book was originally published in a handsome hardcover edition from those wonderful people at Robert Hale, but the fact is that the books are primarily intended for the public library and are made to be durable to survive multiple readings. This is great but the hardcovers are expensive.

Now to step back through the years a moment - when I first started reading westerns, and that was a heck of a long time ago now, you could find western paperbacks in most bookshops, but these days it's hard enough finding a bookshop let alone a westerns. And so by making the book available electronically we can replicate the days of cheap mass market westerns. eBooks never need go out of print and so the sales potential is without boundaries, and I do hope a great many of you will shell out just a couple of pounds for Arkansas Smith - I think I can guarantee a good read and a few hours of pleasure...

Read more at Tainted Archive

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Review of No Peace for a Rebel by Peter Wilson


Peter Wilson’s fifth Black Horse Western proves to be a terrific read. Yes, we’ve all read other westerns about groups of Southerners wanting to continue the war against the Northerners, and yes, this book begins with that familiar plot. But Peter Wilson soon deviates from that storyline as he hints at something much more shocking behind Reno’s plans...

Read more at Western Fiction Review.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Bestsellers on Amazon - 30 April

1. Gunhawk (Black Horse Western) by John Long (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £2.74

2. The Black Horse Westerns by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (1 Jan 2011)

Available for download now £6.86

3. The Kansas Fast Gun (Black Horse Western) by Arthur Kent (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £2.74

4. Death on the Devil's Highway (Black Horse Western) by Josh Lockwood (29 Feb 2012)

Hardcover £9.11

5. Hour of the Black Wolf (Black Horse Western) by Mark P. Lynch (31 Jul 2012)

Hardcover Available for pre-order. £12.38

6. Arkansas Smith (Black Horse Western) by Jack Martin (30 Apr 2012)

Available for download now £2.74

7. Range War Hell (Black Horse Western) by Ryan Bodie (31 Aug 2011)

Hardcover  £9.11

8. Loner with a Gun (Black Horse Western) by Ryan Bodie (30 Jul 2010)

Hardcover  £1.86

9. A Colt for the Kid (Black Horse Western) by John Saunders (31 Oct 2011)

Available for download now £5.49

10. Brazos Fugitive (Black Horse Western) by Tyler Hatch (31 Mar 2010)

Hardcover  £1.87