Award-Winning Tales

Compiled by R.L. Coffield

Moonlight Mesa Associates, 2011

Contents:

Ned by John Kilgore

The Wild Ones by Jonathon Adams

Waiting for a Friend by M. Carolyn Steele

The Spittoon by Mark Redmond

The Dead Rope by James O’Brien

The Taming of Jump Off Joe by Becky Coffield

Indio by Robert Walton

Navidad by Robert Walton

Maniac by Drew Davis

Showdown at Diablo Flat by Michael Fishman

The Gesture by John Kilgore

Coahuila Captive by Drew Davis

Old Outlaw by M. Edward Wyatt

Llano Estacado by Lane Thibodeaux

The Bard of Stockman Flat by Harold Miller

The Best Things by Paula L. Silici

Eight Seconds by Melissa Embry

The Mystery of Fire Opal Mine by R.L. Coffield

Hostage to Fortune by Simon Lake

All the Water You Want by Jerry Guin

Lost Letters by Barbara Marshak

The Difference Between Cowboys and Clowns by Loree Westron

The Banker’s Wife by T.A. Uner

Bull Pen by Paul Conn

Grabbing the Reins by Arthur Kerns

State of Grace by Becky Coffield

Award-Winning Tales is a collection of short stories, twenty-six of them. As you’d expect there’s a wide mix of writing styles and themes, from stories set in the old west to those set in much more modern times. There are tales based around the world of rodeo, murder, wild animals, gunmen, romance, discovery, and more. All these stories are extremely well written, many of which will remain in my memory for a long time. There are tales that are action packed, tales that spring surprises, and tales that hit hard at the emotions. Overall, these stories all make for one terrific western anthology.

Most of the above names are new to me. I have one short story by just one of these authors, and that’s Jerry Guin, his story Likker Money appears in Robert Randisi’s White Hats anthology.

Another neat addition to this book is that nearly every short story has a black and white photograph or drawing to illustrate it. At the end of each tale is a brief author bio.

The title of the book, Award-Winning Tales, is self explanatory, but where exactly did they win their awards? The majority did so in Moonlight Mesa Associates own annual Cowboy Up contest – details can be found here for this years competition, which opens on March 1^st 2011.

As far as I understand it the book should be available now, in both paperback and ebook form. A portion of all sales will be donated to a charitable cause.