FREE - Shooter's Cross

Today and tomorrow is your chance to get a free Kindle copy of the first book in the excellent Rancho Diablo series by Colby Jackson, Shooter's Cross.

Colby Jackson is a pseudonym shared by three well known writers; Bill Crider, Mel Odom and James Reasoner.

At the moment there are eight books in the series and if you've not tried them yet then don't miss this opportunity. You can read my review of the book on offer here.

Dead Man's Revenge

RANCHO DIABLO #3:

By Colby Jackson

April, 2011  

Sam Blaylock fights to save Rancho Diablo. Has a dead man returned to take revenge against Sam, or is there something more human at work? Even the law doesn't seem to be on Sam's side as he takes on enemies that strike in the night.

In this story Colby Jackson picks up on some of the threads left dangling at the end of the first book in the series and introduces a supernatural slant to the events. Can the attacks on the Blaylock family really be the work of ghosts? At least one of the Rancho Diablo hands believes it is and does his best try to convince others that it is so, this results in some humorous conversations, and also allows the author to include some suspense filled situations such as when the ranch hands attempt to track down these ghosts.

Sam Blaylock’s relationship with the town of Shooter’s Cross citizens is also explored further, particularly that with the newspaper owner and the sheriff. Trouble for both of them is that when someone threatens Sam’s wife and children he isn’t going to let them, or anyone else, stand in his way of dealing with his enemies, be they living or dead.

The writer behind the pseudonym of Colby Jackson this time around is Bill Crider and he fills this story with action and intrigue making this a difficult book to put down before discovering just how Blaylock deals with these new threats. 

Like the two books before it, this is a self-contained story that continues to flesh-out some of the main characters and also ends with a couple of unresolved issues that I expect will be explored in later books in this highly recommended series.

Hangrope Law

RANCHO DIABLO #2

By Colby Jackson

ebook, December 2010

All Sam Blaylock wants to do is make a home for himself and his family on the Texas ranch known as Rancho Diablo. But then his son finds a wounded man alongside the Brazos River, and a deadly danger from the past soon threatens to ruin everything Sam is trying to build. Only gunsmoke and hot lead will make things right and give the Blaylock’s a fighting chance for the future!

The second book in the Rancho Diablo series introduces the reader to Sam Blaylock’s sons and daughters in more detail, although this book concentrates mainly on Titus. Titus is about to see his dreams of adventure take on a savage reality.

Finding the wounded Orion Pike and taking him back to Rancho Diablo brings all kinds of problems to the Blaylock’s from both outlaws and lawmen. The reasons why the outlaws want Pike is a mystery and one the author keeps secret for most of the story, thus using this to hook the reader and keep him turning the pages.

The story moves forward at an ever-increasing pace and as more characters are introduced the more the reader has to wonder how the Blaylock’s are going to preserve their good name. There is plenty of action and a tense standoff between the lawmen and Blaylock that fairly crackles with tough dialogue.

Colby Jackson is a pseudonym shared by three authors, and in this case the man behind the name is James Reasoner. James ties up all the plot threads neatly and left me eager to read more about the Blaylock family, something I’m going to do very soon as, at the moment, there are a further three books in the series. 

Available as both ebooks and paperbacks the Rancho Diablo books are a series that no western fan should miss.

Rancho Diablo #1

SHOOTER’S CROSS

By Colby Jackson

An ebook, October 2010

Army Scout Sam Blaylock rode into the small Texas town of Shooter’s Cross looking for deserters, not trouble.

While up in the mountains, he discovered a wilderness plagued by nature and haunted by superstition, but one that he thought he could tame with his experience and strong back.

He didn’t know he was going to have to kill to keep the home he planned for his family, but he didn’t let that stop him. Sam had been looking for a home for his family for years. That search had been interrupted by the Civil War.

Now Sam is putting down roots, and not even the Devil himself can stand in the way.

This really is a top class read and a great introduction to the Rancho Diablo series. It sets the scene superbly and introduces the reader to a great set of characters. The background to the town of Shooter’s Cross and that of York Peak makes for compelling reading that forces the reader to continue to see how Blaylock can tame the wilderness he hopes to build his new home upon.

Of course it isn’t just the land, with its sulphurous waters he has to deal with. There are those who want to steal his money and those who wonder what hidden treasures the land may hold, men who will do anything to take this for their own. How Blacklock deals with these men provides action packed reading with a terrific and well described fight towards the end.

Colby Jackson knows how to pace a book, people it with characters you’ll want to read more about, no matter which side of the law they ride on. He provides some fascinating information on how Blaylock solves the problems of the land. He also includes many moments of humour such as the reasons Blaylock buys certain items and is blasting a cave.

Once finished I found myself eager to see what new challenges await these memorable characters and as it happens I can find out now as there are already two more books available in this series, and a fourth due to be released sometime this month.

There is also a spinoff series planned, the first of which should appear this autumn and is called Shooter York: about the man who gave Shooter’s Cross its name.

Colby Jackson is a pseudonym shared by Mel Odom, James Reasoner, and Bill Crider, this first book being written by Mel.

Shooter's Cross is available as both a paperback and an ebook.