Head West issue 1

Summer 2018 issue

Piccadilly Publishing

Way back in 1980 the first issue of a magazine appeared on the shelves of UK shops simply called Western Magazine. Sadly, it only lasted for four issues. The consultants for this being David Whitehead and Mike Stotter, the two men who today run Piccadilly Publishing and have now launched a new magazine.

Like the much-lamented Western Magazine Head West features a mix of articles, interviews and original fiction. Head West has a full glossy cover with everything inside being reproduced in black and white.

For me, the interviews make for superb reading as they feature two of my favourite all-time western authors, namely Keith Hetherington - who writes under a variety of pseudonyms including Kirk Hamilton and Brett Waring - and Peter Watts whose most well-known pen-name is Matt Chisholm.

Original stories come from D.M. McGowen, Jake Henry and new-comer M. James Earl. Henry’s story features his character known as The Drifter and Earl’s being the first published tale about his heroine Barbary Dove. All three of these tales proved to be very entertaining reads.

With an article by Tony Masero on creating cover art, another looking at the making of the film Vermijo along with Linda Pendleton remembering her fathers love for the western, this is a magazine that deserves to be successful.

You can get your copy from https://www.lulu.com/ 

Latigo

By Steve Hayes

Hale, March 2013

Bounty hunter Latigo Rawlins was looking to start a whole new life with young Emily Mercer, but Stillman Stadtlander had other plans for him. Latigo had given evidence to prove that Stadtlander had paid to have some rival Mexican ranchers killed, and now Stadtlander intends to see him pay for his betrayal, at the end of a rope.

It doesn’t matter to Emily that Latigo is wanted for more than a dozen killings of his own. She is in love, and because of that she’ll move heaven, earth and everything in between to save the life of the man she plans to marry.

She might just do it, too, for she had powerful allies in a man known only as Drifter ... and his gun-swift friend, Ezra Macahan. Then there was a lady marshal named Liberty, who was to influence Emily in a way no one could have foreseen.

I’ve not read any of Steve Hayes books before, other than a shared authorship title written with David Whitehead, and this story makes me wish I had. Latigo seems to be a continuation of his previous book, El Diablo (not that you need to have read that before this to enjoy it), and further checking seems to point to all his westerns being linked by various characters or places.

Steve Hayes has a background as a screenwriter and has worked on some of the classic TV western series such as How the West was Won, The Westerner, Gunsmoke and High Chaparral. Check here to find out more about Steve.

As one would expect from someone with so much experience this story proves to be well structured, moves forwards at a terrific pace, throws in a surprise or two – for instance the death of one of the main characters that leads to an excellent twist – and is filled with action. All this written in a very easy to read style.

On finishing this book I was left looking forward to his next, She Wore a Badge, which comes out in July and I'm also eager to dig out the other books by Steve I have in my collection.

Mexico Breakout

By Ben Bridges

Bookends, October 2011

With the promise of $10,000 still ringing in his ears, professional fighting man Carter O’Brien rode south to free Aaron Norris, a big-shot politician who’d been framed for murder. But it wasn’t going to be easy. Norris was being held in a prison nearly two hundred miles from home, and it was a veritable fortress that had been built right on the doorstep of a garrison full of Mexican soldiers.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there were others who’d set their sights on the reward — two get-rich-quick Americans named Pope and Trace, and a half-Cheyenne Dog Soldier called Sundown.

As they all came together, the dry Mexican air was shattered by the roar of dynamite and the higher, deadly whine of bullets...

This story is one of fourteen starring Ben Bridges’ series character Carter O’Brien. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read any of the others before this as it is a self-contained novel. It was originally published by Hale as a Black Horse Western back in 1988.

Like other books by Ben Bridges I have read this one is told at an ever increasing pace and is filled with well-drawn characters. Captain Vadala, the man in charge of the prison, being one of particular note. Diane Norris is another, a woman who will play an important role in O’Brien’s plan to free her husband.

O’Brien’s plan actually sickens him but he can see no other way and it makes for some very tense scenes, especially when trying to escape the prison with Norris.

Ben Bridges is a pseudonym used by David Whitehead, and he’s an author that I find a pleasure to read. Once I’ve read one of his books I immediately find myself wanting to read another.

The Ben Bridges ebooks are very affordable and there are many to choose from (with more to come) so if you’ve never tried his work maybe now is the time to see what you’ve been missing.

Three Rode Together

By Steve Hayes and David Whitehead

Hale, June 2012

Jesse Glover was minding his own business when Ulysses S. Grant summoned him to Washington, asking him to quit the life of a cowboy and keep Arizona safe from the likes of Cochise and Geronimo. So Jesse saddled up and headed for Fort Bowie and its Indian-hating commanding officer, Major Nicholas Calloway.

Along the way he saved a beautiful White Mountain Apache girl named Morning Star from a monstrous fate. And when he tangled with a ruthless gang who was determined to start a whole new Indian uprising, he found help in the shape of two unlikely allies – a Zulu warrior named Sam and a Chiricahua Apache named Goyahkla, who was better known as Geronimo.

Steve Hayes and David Whitehead have written a number of other novels together that have been published by Hale, but this is the first western. Both have had westerns published individually under their own names, and in David Whitehead’s case, under a number of pseudonyms too.

The book is well written, as expected, and moves forwards at a great pace. As well as the three main characters, Jesse, Sam, and Geronimo, there are others that are as equally memorable, Morning Star and Cochise being but two of them.

Jesse Glover’s mission of peace seems doomed to failure from the start as there are people on both sides who would rather go to war, Geronimo being one of them. This difference of opinion leads to a very visually written fight between Geronimo and Jesse. This isn’t the only obstacle they face with each other, for both have strong feelings for Morning Star…

The story portrays a sense of urgency as time runs out towards the latter part of the tale as the Apaches ride down on the fort intent on wiping it out. This provides some exciting reading as the three men of the title race to halt the impending battle. Are the three successful? Does Jesse or Geronimo win the heart of Morning Star? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out, and I’d suggest you’ll be as entertained in finding out as I was. 

Piccadilly Publishing

Longtime Western fans and Amazon Kindle best-selling Western writers Mike Stotter and Ben Bridges have finally realized a long-held dream to bring back into 'e-print' some of the most popular and best-loved Western and action-adventure series fiction of the last forty years.

Series fiction, the most popular genre was always the Western, but it also encompassed war stories, tales of pillaging Vikings, life in the Roman arena and action-adventure set in the far-flung future, was at its most popular throughout the 1970s and 80s and is still fondly remembered and avidly collected by die-hard fans. Some books are now so hard to come by that it's not unusual for them to change hands for astronomical amounts.

"We got to know a number of the authors when we were teenagers," remembers Mike. "Although they mostly wrote Westerns, they often joked that they had never been further west than Piccadilly, in London's West End."

"It seemed such an obvious idea, to bring these books back in a new format for a predominantly new audience," says Ben Bridges, a.k.a. David Whitehead. "For years I had been scouring second-hand bookshops to rebuild my original collection, and everywhere I went I got the same response. 'If I could get my hands on Westerns, I could sell them. But you just can't get them anymore.'"

"It seemed like a ridiculous situation," adds Mike. "I have constantly heard that the Western genre is dead. Yet, through sales, I know we have a large Western readership out there and no-one is catering for them. So I suggested to Dave that maybe he and I ought to do something about it--and now here we are."

Thus Piccadilly Publishing was born. One of its aims is to bring back titles for new and old readers alike. Great care is taken over the production of each title, and each one has a specially-commissioned cover from Westworld Designs that recreates the feel of the originals, at the same time giving them a fresh and more modern look.

The first Piccadilly Publishing eBook--Trackdown, by Neil Hunter--is now available for download from Amazon's platforms in the UK, US, Spain, France, Germany and Italy, and more titles are set to follow over the next several months. There are plans to expand their availability on other electronic platforms. 

  

"We're adding authors and series to our catalogue almost every day," reports Whitehead. "Over the next year or so I think we'll surprise and delight our fellow fans with what we have to offer."

For further enquires email the editors at piccadillyp@yahoo.com

Keep upto date with their news at their blog.

Hang 'Em All

By Ben Bridges

Bookends ebook, April 2011

First published by Hale, 1989

They rode into Austin Springs stirrup to stirrup, six men with guns in the belts and blood in their eyes. The minute the town marshal Sam Judge clapped eyes on them he pegged them as trouble. He was right, too, because by sunset Death had called and the blood of innocents had been spilled in the town’s quiet and dusty streets.

Almost before he know it, Sam – once a celebrated town-tamer whom Ned Buntline himself had called ‘The Pistol Prince’ – found himself embarking on a vengeance hunt. A boy Sam hadn’t seen for fifteen years was hooked up with the killers, so that made it personal. But first and foremost, Sam was a peace-keeper. Convinced that the law would hang ‘em all, he wanted the outlaws to have their day in court. The only thing he never reckoned on was the fact that they might very well kill him before he could find and catch them.

This is the first of Ben bridges’ six book series featuring Sam Judge and Matt Dury. Hang ‘Em All tells of how Judge is reunited with his long lost son, the fact he is Dury’s father is something Matt is unaware of.

I’ve always found Ben bridges’ (really author David Whitehead) books to be extremely readable, very difficult to put aside once stared. He paces his stories perfectly and includes plenty of exciting action. This particular book builds up to a lengthy showdown between Judge and the men who robbed the town bank, who killed a young girl and the doctor in the process.

Judge is a man in his mid-forties and is feeling it, he also wants to bring his quarry in alive – a decision that almost gets him killed a couple of times. There’s some great human animal interaction as a cat, Mitzi, has adopted Judge. Mitzi won’t be left behind so Judge is forced to take her with him, riding in a saddlebag. Anyone who likes cats will easily relate to the scenes with Mitzi.

Through much of the story Judge has a letter, which remains unopened, this adds a touch of mystery to the tale. It’s only at the end of the story that the contents are revealed and this in turn sets up, I presume, the plot for the next book in the series, Riding for Justice, and left me eager to read more about Judge and Dury.

David Whitehead has been busy making many of his westerns available as ebooks, all now as by Ben Bridges. At less that £1.00 each (around $1.50) how can you not treat yourself to some of his work?

Three for the Trail

By Ben Bridges

An eBook: April 2011

For those who have yet to try a book by Ben Bridges, then I’d suggest this is an excellent way to discover his writing. All three stories in this collection have been published before (see the contents below for more details). The second tale features one of Ben Bridges’ series characters, Carter O’Brien.

All three stories are smooth-flowing and have well thought-out plots, each offering surprises along the way, particularly the third tale. Characters are well crafted and believable as is the dialogue. All provide exciting and suspenseful reading making them difficult to put down until the final word.

Ben Bridges is a pseudonym used by David Whitehead, and he has also had many westerns published under his own name and a handful of other pen-names, and has been busy making some of them available as ebooks (check his website for more details – a link can be found below) as I’m sure you’ll want to read more of his books after reading this one. Three for the Trail sells at less that $1.50 and the same in English pounds, at prices like that how can you pass this book by?

Contents:

Lonigan Must Die! – a simple quest for vengeance turns into something much different. (First appeared in A Fistful of Legends, Express Westerns 2009)

Comanche Reckoning – a down-at-the-heel sheepherder and his family have to set past hatreds aside when renegade Comanches attack their modest spread. (First appeared online at www.benbridges.co.uk 2006)

Stretch-Hemp Station – an elderly couple struggle to keep a terrible secret that threatens to tear them apart. (First appeared in Where Legends Ride, Express Westerns 2007)

Western Fiction News

One of Western Fiction Review's favourite authors, David Whitehead, has been busy making some of his books available for Kindle. The following four are out now:

The Doug Thorne books are written with one of Germany's top western authors, Alfred Wallon.

Hang 'Em All is the first in the Judge and Jury series.

Sometime during the next week or so the following three books will be available:

The Silver Trail is the first in the Carter O'Brien series. The Wilde Boys is the first in the Wilde Boys series. Apacheria is the first in the Sam Lockwood series.

Soon after David will make available:

Rattler Creek is the first in the Jim Allison series. It is hoped that the following two titles will become available at this time too: Gunsmoke Legend, the first Ash Colter book, and Heller, the first in the Heller series.

If you like to read other genres too, then you should consider these two books that are both out now:

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is out and, as usual, contains a great mix of western reading. 

New Black Horse author Lee Clinton looks at the book True Grit in depth and discusses just why it works so well.

Jack Martin offers thoughts on writing hardboiled westerns.

And there's plenty of other articles to enjoy too.

And just in case you missed them here are some links to some other great western posts on other blogs:

Troy D. Smith has written a great article at Western Fictioneers that looks at Western Comics.

Jory Sherman has appeared in two interviews recently and these can be found here and here.

An interview with Robert Randisi can be found here.

An interview with Peter Brandvold can be found here.

And if you enjoy watching some of the more obscure and unknown western films, David Robbins, has been posting about some here. These include Johnny Depp in Dead Man, Brad Hunt in The Journeyman, and Sam Shepard in Purgatory.

Cannon for Hire

By Doug Thorne

A Black Horse Western from Hale, April 2011

It is the autumn of 1897, and men are flocking to the wild and woolly Yukon Territory in search of gold. But soldier-for-hire Tom Cannon has a different reason for making the hazardous trek north. The one-time cavalry officer has been hired to find Emmet Lawrence, a greenhorn who had gone to seek his fortune and then disappeared.

Time and again, as Cannon searches the icy wastes and snow-capped mountains, he draws a blank. No-one remembers Lawrence or knows where to find him.

Then, something happens that Cannon hasn’t allowed for. Emmet Lawrence comes looking for him….

Once Cannon has been hired to find Lawrence, Doug Thorne fills most of the first half of this fast moving book with the treacherous journey north. Descriptions of landscape, and hardships, making for some very visual reading, this includes an exciting ride aboard a flatboat where I had to wonder if any of the passengers would make it back to land in one piece. During this part of the book the author also takes time to fill the reader in on Cannon’s background and also explains why he risks his life for money.

Once Cannon arrives in Dawson the story ups a gear and action comes thick and fast as we discover just what has become of Lawrence. This leads to some excellent gunfights and then to a surprise ending for one of the main characters.

After finishing this story I couldn’t help but wonder if Cannon will return in more books, as this reads like it could be the first in a series.

Doug Thorne is a pseudonym for two writers: Alfred Wallon – a German author of many westerns in his home country, and David Whitehead – a well-published English writer. This book proves their teaming up is a very worthwhile partnership, and I hope we see more books from them very soon.

Cannon for Hire has an official release date of April 29^th and is available for pre-order now.

Western Fiction News

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is now online here.

As usual it contains a great mix of articles, including a look at the costs of producing ebooks. 

Chap O'Keefe writes about creating a believable series character.

Hoofprints, as usual, provides a number of short, entertaining, articles covering a variety of western topics.

Gary Dobbs ponders the revival of the western movie.

David Whitehead and Alfred Wallon talk about their second book collaboration.

Author David Robbins has given his blog, 'The Write Life', an overhaul, and is adding regular new posts that look at books and films, many of which are about westerns.

Near the end of 2008 Jove published two Longarm Doubles: Deputy US Marshal, and Longarm of the Law. The first of which contained the first two Longarm books, Longarm, and Longarm on the Border, the second following this pattern with book three, Longarm and the Avenging Angels, and book four, Longarm and the Wendigo.

This May sees the publication of the third Longarm Double: Frontier Fury. This contains original books number five: Longarm in the Indian Nations, and book number six: Longarm and the Loggers.

Finally an apology to those of you that use Internet Explorer. It's been brought to my attention that the post below this one, and a similar post I did at the end of the previous month, don't display correctly in IE. I'm not sure why IE shows all the book covers in a single line instead of in rows of threes, as seen by people who use Firefox or Google Chrome. I am trying to correct this but at the moment am drawing a blank. If anyone has any ideas please get in touch through the email address you can find in the 'About Me' section.

Western Fiction News

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is now available. There's some great articles including David Whitehead discussing how to increase interest in the western and another article that looks at back cover blurbs. There's also the second part of Greg Mitchell's look at the artwork of Frederic Remington. Hoofprints, as usual, offers some fascinating observations.

Whilst on the subject of Black Horse Westerns, Hale will be releasing books by a couple of well known American western writers latter this year, namely in September 2010 comes Wade's War by Chet Cunningham, and Twin Rivers by John Nesbitt (a new publication of an old story) in October or November 2010. August 2010 sees Bonito Deputy as by Jack Slade - I wonder who is behind this name?

Finally, for those who enjoy western films, it looks like another John Wayne western is to be remade. It seems Warner Brothers are planning to remake The Cowboys. The original hit the screens in 1972 and came from the book by William Dale Jennings.

Book and Magazine Collector #309

Just thought I'd bring to everyones attention the July 09 issue of Book and Magazine Collector. It contains a seventeen page article written by Ben Bridges (David Whitehead) about his choices of the top 50 westerns books, with information about many of them, including how much they are worth. It makes for fascinating reading.

Amoung the other articles is an in-depth look at the work of Cormac McCarthy.

The magazine can be found in UK shops now - not sure about other countries, but it can also be ordered direct.

Tanner's Guns

as by Matt Logan

Lulu, April 2007

originally published as a Black Horse Western, 1991

Pancho Villa needed guns before he could march on Mexico City. Elliott Blaze had a whole damn’ arsenal for sale. All he needed was someone to deliver the weapons to the bandit general – and that was where Jake Tanner came into it, and in next to no time he was up to his shell-belt in trouble; dodging outlaws, swapping lead with the armies of two countries and, in a final, terrifying showdown, pitting his wits against the federales’ awesome secret weapon!

Tanner’s Guns is a fast paced, gripping, well told story, that has two great main characters, that of Tanner himself and his sidekick, Englishman Harry Stanford-Brown. Matt Logan’s descriptions of locations and action come over as very visual reading.

Matt Logan also includes some interesting background information to the Mexican Revolution that seems to be a natural part of the story rather than an added history lesson.

There’s a great twist to the tale when the lost guns turn up again, and the federales’ secret weapon makes for an exciting final battle.

This is the first book I’ve read by Matt Logan (writer David Whitehead) and I found it impossible to put down once started. Now I’m eager to hunt through my collection for the other books I have by this author.