All Must Die in paperback

My 2015 Black Horse Western in now available as a large print paperback.

It would have been nice to get a more dramatic cover than this, but . . . only joking. This one goes right near the top of my favourite covers. In fact I like the cover a lot more than the one on this book:

On the other hand it's about as good as this one:

Although, on balance, it's perhaps not quite as good as this one:

 

 

Anyhow, this is my 26th Linford Western.

Ten years ago, a spree of murders shocked the townsfolk of Monotony. The victims were shot and dumped, with words scrawled on the ground beside them. When Sykes Caine was arrested for a bank raid, the killings stopped... Now Sheriff Cassidy Yates must deal with a perplexing case. A man is shot to death - and words are scratched into the ground by the corpse. With Sykes now released from jail and back in town, the finger of suspicion is pointed squarely at him...

The demise of the British Library

February is that time of year when British authors get a welcome payment from those nice PLR people. Every time a book is loaned out of a library in the UK authors get a small credit and those credits mount up nicely, and they also give authors confirmation that somebody out there is actually reading our books, or not . . .

For the first twelve years that I received payments, it was good to see that my total number of loans were rising. This was entirely down to the fact that I was writing more books, but it was still good to see that every year more people were reading my stuff. Then three years ago that all changed. Dodgy Dave needed to pay for all those bankers' bonuses somehow and one of the ways was to destroy the library system. So libraries started closed and that's reflected in the number of loans.

Since that peak three years ago my loans have dropped by 35%, and that's despite more books coming out suggesting I've actually dropped, book for book, by around 50%. Back at the peak I had several books getting borrowed around two thousand times each year, but this time nothing was borrowed more than a thousand times.

Saddest of all was The Outlawed Deputy was loaned out zero times. That book was my first, published in 2001, and even last year it mustered some loans, but now it would no longer seem to be out there. Sob.

Legend of the Dead Men's Gold in paperback

My 2013 Black Horse Western in now available as a large print paperback.

 

It's my 24th Linford Western.

Ten years ago, the Helliton gang holed up in a stronghold with a stolen wagonload of gold. One year later, all of them were dead - fallen defending their hoard from other outlaws, and fighting amongst themselves. The last living gang member cursed the gold, saying that if he couldn't have it, nobody would. Or so the legend goes... Trip Kincaid had always been fascinated by the tale. His brother Oliver suspects it's the true reason behind his sudden disappearance - and is determined to find him...

Devine's Mission to be published as a Black Horse Western

I'm delighted to report that Crowood have agreed to publish my western Devine's Mission. This novel appeared earlier this year as a Kindle title, and it'll continue to be available on amazon.

It's the third novel featuring Marshal Jake T. Devine and it'll be my 35th Black Horse Western. I assume it'll appear some time in 2017.

Back in the Black Horse saddle again

I'm pleased to report that The Crowood Press have agreed to publish my western Marshal of the Barren Plains.

I actually wrote this book last year. I'd finished it, printed it off, and stuck it in an envelope ready to post to Robert Hale. Then I logged on to Royal Mail to print off a stamp only for the site to clog up and refuse to print, so I amused myself for a few minutes while I waited for it to clear. And it was then that I read the news that Hale had just announced they were closing.

Anyhow, I waited a while before trying the new publisher of the Black Horse series and I was delighted to find they are just as approachable and just as quick to report back as Hale was. So I remain hopeful that the series is in good hands and should keep going for a while longer, or at least until Dodgy Dave burns down the last library and stomps on the ashes.

This book returns to one of my favourite locales of the Barren Plains and this time, after getting several mentions in previous books, it finally has scenes set at the Bleak Point silver mine at the heart of the Barren Plains.

It'll be my 34th Black Horse Western and I guess it'll be out some time in 2017. Here's my draft blurb:

When Marshal Rattigan Fletcher failed to stop Jasper Minx raiding the town bank, the angry townsfolk forced him to leave Ash Valley in disgrace. Rattigan went west in pursuit of Jasper, and in the inhospitable Barren Plains he got a chance to put right his mistake.

 

Rattigan is hired to find out why men from the Bleak Point silver mine have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances. As Jasper now works at the mine, Rattigan doesn't have to look far for a culprit, but Jasper claims he's not responsible. With the miners siding with Jasper, Rattigan will need to rediscover his tarnished instincts as a lawman if he is ever to solve the mystery and bring his Nemesis to justice.

I'm dreadful sorry, Clementine

After a bit of soul-searching I've decided to change the title of my Kindle book Clementine to The Ballad of Dayton Hyde.

Since publication Clementine has taken a serene, almost zen like approach to sales and so I've now decided it needs to buck up its ideas and raise its head above the water. Perhaps the title Clementine didn't evoke the feeling of a western as much as I thought it would. Perhaps it conjures up images of fruit that goes mouldy before you can get it back from the supermarket. Or then again perhaps the world just wasn't ready for a musical version of Raise the Titanic.

Whatever the reason I decided that changing the cover, title and blurb might help, or to be more precise it was unlikely to do much harm to a book that was drifting along like tumbleweed in a dusty ghost town.

The all-old book with its all-new title is now available from all good amazon stores.

When snake-oil seller Fergal O’Brien sells a bottle of his universal remedy to the dying Leland Crawford, Leland makes a miraculous recovery, for several minutes. Then he drops dead.
In the few minutes before he dies, Leland bequeaths to Fergal everything he owns. Unfortunately, Leland’s only asset is his beloved Clementine, a 250-foot sidewheeler that once ruled the Big Muddy, until it sank.
Worse, Leland is heavily in debt and now the creditors expect Fergal to pay up. With Fergal having no money, minstrel Dayton Hyde offers him a way out, but only if he kills Rivertown’s popular lawman Marshal Swift.
To avoid carrying out Dayton’s unwelcome task, Fergal will need to use all his legendary cunning or like as not in this wet weather, he’ll share the fate of Clementine.

Countdown deal for Clemetine

My Kindle title Clementine will be available on countdown this week. It's priced at 99c / 99p rather than the usual $2.99 / $1.99 on Amazon.

When snake-oil seller Fergal O’Brien sells a bottle of his universal remedy to cure all ills to the dying Leland Crawford, Leland makes a miraculous recovery, for several minutes. Then he drops dead.

In the few minutes before he dies, Leland bequeaths to Fergal everything he owns. Unfortunately, before Fergal can celebrate his good fortune he discovers that Leland’s only asset is his beloved Clementine, a 250-foot sidewheeler that once ruled the Big Muddy, until it sank.

Worse, Leland is heavily in debt and now the creditors expect Fergal to pay up. With Fergal having no money, his biggest creditor offers him a way out, but only if he kills Rivertown’s popular lawman Marshal Twitchell Swift.

To avoid carrying out this unwelcome task, Fergal will need to use all his legendary cunning or like as not in this wet weather, he’ll share the fate of Clementine.

Cassidy Yates Box Set available as a Countdown deal

This week the first three books in the Cassidy Yates series will be available on countdown for $1.99 or 99p on Amazon.

The Outlawed Deputy - Cassidy Yates was appointed deputy sheriff of Redemption City but such was his knack of attracting trouble that barely twenty-four hours after his appointment he had been slapped in jail! And if that wasn’t bad enough, Brett McBain’s outlaw gang rode into town to bust Nathaniel McBain from jail. Sheriff Wishbone is killed and the townsfolk think Cassidy responsible.
Now, having been imprisoned for the murder of his own sheriff, Cassidy must prove his innocence and the only way to do this is to infiltrate Brett’s gang. He must convince Brett he’s an outlaw, and persuade everybody else that he really is an honest lawman.
Could he pull off his enormous bluff or would he join Sheriff Wishbone on Boot Hill?

The Last Rider from Hell - Staked out under the baking heat of the desert sun by Frank Chapel’s riders from hell is no way for any man to die. Only someone as resilient as Matt Travis had the courage to endure the heat and the vultures and survive. When finally he manages to escape a gruesome death only one thing is on his mind – revenge.
But his memory has been blasted to oblivion and he is even unsure of his own name. All he knows is that everyone wants him dead!
Justice must be done and Matt will be judge, jury and hangman. First, though, he must face up to the truth of his past and, that accomplished, lead begins to fly.

Yates's Dilemma - When Wendell Moon hightailed it out of Monotony, he left in his wake a murdered lawman and a mob braying for his blood. Fifteen years later the word is out – Wendell Moon is back! But, for Sheriff Cassidy Yates, Wendell’s unwelcome return rekindles old vendettas and ignites three days of raging gun battles.
Now the sheriff has the impossible duty of keeping the peace, but as if that isn’t enough Wendell also claims he never killed the lawman!
If Cassidy doesn’t unearth the truth quickly, Wendell’s trigger-happy enemies will deliver their own form of gun-toting justice. Real trouble lies ahead!

Clementine on Countdown

My Kindle title Clementine will be available to buy on countdown for the rest of the week. It'll be priced at 99c / 99p rather than the usual $2.99 / $1.99 on Amazon.

When snake-oil seller Fergal O’Brien sells a bottle of his universal remedy to cure all ills to the dying Leland Crawford, Leland makes a miraculous recovery, for several minutes. Then he drops dead.

In the few minutes before he dies, Leland bequeaths to Fergal everything he owns. Unfortunately, before Fergal can celebrate his good fortune he discovers that Leland’s only asset is his beloved Clementine, a 250-foot sidewheeler that once ruled the Big Muddy, until it sank.

Worse, Leland is heavily in debt and now the creditors expect Fergal to pay up. With Fergal having no money, his biggest creditor offers him a way out, but only if he kills Rivertown’s popular lawman Marshal Twitchell Swift.

To avoid carrying out this unwelcome task, Fergal will need to use all his legendary cunning or like as not in this wet weather, he’ll share the fate of Clementine.

Legend of the Dead Men's Gold goes to large print

I've received the welcome news that my 29th Black Horse Western will be published in large print. It should be available in early 2016.

Fergal O'Brien included in amazon.com's western promotion

Amazon.com have just started a month-long western promotion. They're making available 250 books for $1.99 each. I won't comment on the fact that it's a Father's Day promotion, but it runs until June 21 and it includes a whole heap of popular western authors such as Robert Randisi, Max Brand, Lauran Paine, Zane Grey etc.

Due to a clerical error, I assume, they're mistakenly put three of my books into the promotion and so for the next month The Finest Frontier Town in the West, The Treasure of Saint Woody and The Miracle of Santa Maria are available at half the usual price. These books include such delights as the West's filthiest town, some misguided pig-rustlers and Professor Oliver Rhinehart's Amazing Display of Stellar Phenomenon. You have been warned.

You can start browsing the promotion here.

The Man who Tamed Lone Pine accepted

Hale have agreed to publish my latest western tale The Man who Tamed Lone Pine.

One of the side-effects of publishing my books on Kindle is that it's forced me to read some of my earlier books again, and that reminded me that I hadn't written about Nat McBain for a while. So I thought I'd find out what he's been up to. It'll be my 33rd Black Horse Western and it should be published early in 2016.

Here's my draft blurb:

When Nathaniel McBain and Shackleton Frost arrive in Lone Pine to escort a prisoner to Beaver Ridge jail, they are shocked to find out that the prisoner is Shackleton's old friend Sheriff Ashton Clarke. Five years ago Ashton tamed the town, but now he's been charged with killing in cold blood.

Ashton claims that someone from his past has framed him, and as more bodies are found with all the evidence pointing to him being the culprit, the case against him starts to look too good to be true. So if Nathaniel and Shackleton are ever going to unmask the guilty, they will have to turn their backs on their duty and use their trusty six-shooters instead.

Devine goes large

Marshal Jake T. Devine returns to Large Print in his second adventure Devine. I guess neither of the riders look sufficiently tough enough to be Devine, but the background image adds a nice touch.

Pinkerton detective Nimrod Dunn is hired by Lieutenant Governor Maddox Kingsley to infiltrate an outlaw gang. But when Nimrod's cover is blown, an innocent life is lost in the raging gun battle. The fearsome US Marshal Jake T. Devine then sets about bringing the outlaw Cornelius to justice - but his methods are as brutal as those whom he pursues. With Devine's blood-soaked trail making a mockery of the governor's promise to clean up the county, Maddox must call on Nimrod's services once more - to kill Marshal Devine. . .

The Devil's Marshal goes to Large Print

I've received the welcome news that last October's novel The Devil's Marshal will be published as a large print paperback. It'll be my 23rd Linford Western and it should appear late on in 2015.

In a travesty of justice, bounty hunter Brodie Latimer's sister Lucinda is found guilty of murder. Thwarted, when a witness is killed, but convinced of her innocence, he vows to find the real killer and, as more of Hamilton's leading figures die in mysterious circumstances, the clues lead him to Derrick Shelby, a man known as the Devil's marshal. 

The only trouble is, Derrick died a year ago. How can Brodie clear his sister's name and bring the guilty to justice when the killer appears to be the spectre of a long dead lawman?

Night of the Gunslinger goes to Large Print

I received the welcome news that last year's novel Night of the Gunslinger will be published as a large print paperback. It'll be my 22nd Linford Western and it should appear early on in 2015.

With the town marshal laid up with a broken leg, Deputy Rick Cody must stand alone to protect New Town during a night of mayhem. At sunup Edison Dent will stand trial for Ogden Reed's murder and although Rick suspects that Edison is innocent, he also reckons his own sister knows more than she's prepared to reveal. 

With Rick having only one night to uncover the truth, his task is made harder when the outlaw Hedley Beecher plots to free the prisoner while Ogden's brother Logan vows to kill Edison and anyone who stands in his way. Within an hour of sundown four men are dead. And so begins the longest and bloodiest night of Rick's life...

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Beyond Redemption - Large Print paperback

The Linford Western version of my 2012 title Beyond Redemption is now available from all good libraries. I’m delighted with this paperback as it’s not only my 20th Linford Western, it has a well-considered cover, too.

As I’ve reported here before, a few years back Linford appeared to alter their policy on covers. They used to provide generic western pictures that would only ever be relevant to the story by accident, but recently they’ve tried to match story and cover with more care and I’ve benefited with some nicely appropriate covers. This one is undoubtedly the best of the lot and I’m thankful to whoever was responsible, as that bloke in the bottom left hand corner just has to be Elmer Drake!

As a child, Jeff Dale witnesses the terrible aftermath of an atrocity: Elmer Drake has killed three members of a family, but the daughter, Cynthia, is missing. Jeff vows that he'll find her, no matter how long it takes. Years later, after finding a clue about Cynthia's fate, Jeff follows the trail to the frontier town of Redemption. Here stalks a man who carries a gun in one hand and a cross in the other. A man called Elmer Drake...

Cover for Legend of the Dead Men's Gold

I've just received the proofs for my next Black Horse Western along with the cover. I really like this picture. It depicts an armed man with a hat leaving a saloon, and there are several scenes in the book where an armed man with a hat leaves a saloon. Best of all the light creates a nice gold glow that is just dangling there creating a suitably legendary feeling.

Anyhow, the book will be available from all good libraries in April.

Trip Kincaid had always been fascinated by the legend of the dead men’s gold: it was said that the last member of the Helliton gang had cursed the stash, claiming that if he couldn’t have it, nobody would. So, with the gold still unclaimed, and the bones of a hundred men scattered around it, Trip Kincaid’s disappearance is cause for alarm.

His brother, Oliver, is desperate to find him and it seems the box canyon, where the Helliton gang once holed up, is the best place to start looking. But Oliver must enter the devilish outlaw stronghold and uncover for himself the truth behind the legend. Will he succeed or die in the process?

Linford Western : The Search for the Lone Star

The Search for the Lone Star is now available in Large Print. After a good run of covers that had a strong link with either the title or the story, this one has a generic cover, but I do like Thorpe's policy of giving each title a distinctive typeface.

The book is my 19th Linford Western and it's available for hire from all good libraries.

It has long been rumoured that the fabulous diamond known as the Lone Star is buried somewhere near the town of Diamond Springs. Many men have died trying to claim it, but when Diamond Springs becomes a ghost town, the men who go there have different aims. Tex Callahan has been paid to complete a mission; Rafferty Horn wants to right a past mistake; George Milligan thinks he knows what has happened to the diamond; and Elias Sutherland wants revenge...

Devine goes large

I received the welcome news that my 2012 title Devine will be going to large print. It should appear around Xmas 2014.

 

Pinkerton detective Nimrod Dunn is hired by Lieutenant Governor Maddox Kingsley to infiltrate an outlaw gang, but when Nimrod's cover is blown an innocent life is lost in the raging gun battle. 

 

With Nimrod's detective career in tatters, the fearsome US Marshal Jake T. Devine sets about bringing the outlaw Cornelius to justice. Devine always gets his man, but his methods are as brutal as those whom he pursues. 

 

So with Devine's blood-soaked trail making a mockery of the Governor's promise to clean up the county, Maddox calls on Nimrod's services once more. And, to resurrect his career, Nimrod must carry out the most dangerous mission yet: to kill Marshal Devine.

Bullet Catch Showdown

I was pleased to receive a contract from Robert Hale for Bullet Catch Showdown. It’ll be my 30th Black Horse Western.

For this milestone novel I wanted to write something a little different, although in actuality I’d planned on this novel being my 25th. A few years ago I wrote a short story about a man who earned a living by catching bullets with his teeth. When I’d finished the story, I thought the idea could be developed further and so I carried on writing.

The story went well until I reached the half-way point. I usually have at least one major plot twist in my stories, and this time I wrote in a particularly massive twist. I hadn’t thought that would happen beforehand and when it did, it took me completely by surprise leaving me with no idea where the story would then go.

The twist was only two words long and I could have easily deleted those words and carried on writing, but I didn’t want to do that. So the story languished in development hell for a couple of years until the obvious solution hit me and so I resumed writing.

By then my projected 25th novel had become my 30th, but that’s not as important as finally getting the story finished and, as it’s turned out, published. The novel should be available around November 2014 and here’s my draft blurb:

The stage magician Malachi Muldoon claimed to be the world's most dangerous practitioner of the arcane arts with his performance of the notorious bullet catch. So his show in Bear Creek intrigued both Adam Clements and Deputy Hayward Knight, but for different reasons.

Adam joined Malachi on stage and became a part of his act while Hayward got a chance to solve an old mystery. It seems the show harbours a dark secret, as wherever Malachi performs a trail of bodies is left behind.

Before long, Adam and Hayward become embroiled in Malachi's web of deception. So can they unmask the guilty when they are forced into a showdown with a man who hides the truth in plain sight?