AMBUSH AT APACHE PASS

By Frank Leslie

Signet, September 2014

When Chiricahau Apaches attack a stagecoach bound for Fort Hell, Yakima Henry and fellow scout Seth Barksdale rush to defend it – only to discover that one of the fallen Apache is a blond-haired, blue-eyed white boy. This is shocking news to the fort’s commanding officer, Colonel Ephraim Alexander. Years ago, his family was kidnapped during an Apache attack, and his desperate search was cut short by orders to evacuate. If this white Apache warrior is his son, can his wife and daughter still be alive?

The colonel charges Yakima and Seth to lead a search party. Riding as far as the forbidding Shadow Montañas in Mexico, they come up against a ruthless warrior queen – a beautiful blond white woman with cornflower blue eyes. Can this unlikely leader of the fierce Winte Wolf People and a pack of ex-Confederate desperadoes actually be the colonel’s long-lost daughter? As bullets fly and blood paints the desert red, Yakima and Seth grow ever more determined to find the truth.

This book was announced as being the first in a new series that would feature Yakima Henry as a young scout during the Apache Wars. Frank Leslie had already written ten books about Yakima in his later life. As many will know, Frank Leslie is a pseudonym used by Peter Brandvold and the book was republished in 2021 by Wolfpack Publishing under the authors own name. 

The story offers everything readers would expect from a western written by Peter Brandvold; an extremely fast-moving tale, tough men, sensuous women who can handle weapons as well as any man, savage action that at times is quite graphic in its description and plenty of surprising twists to the plot. 

Yakima Henry isn’t in the book as much as some of the other characters and what great characters they are. People such as Seth Barksdale, Samantha Tunny and her father Gila River Joe. Then there’s Riona the Apache Queen and Luz Ortega, the latter being in one of my favourite scenes of the story that could have come straight-out of a spaghetti western when Yakima and Seth face some Mexican bandits lead by a man known as The Scorpion. The book also features a Gatling Gun which creates carnage a couple of times in spectacular fashion, especially during a raid on Fort Hell.

As I’ve already mentioned, this book was the first in a new series so I’m guessing that Peter Brandvold had plans for the survivors of this tale as some of the forming relationships are left hanging. Sadly, there wasn’t another book but now that Wolfpack is republishing past westerns from the author along with new work, maybe we’ll get another in this series too. Let’s hope so, as this first Apache Wars novel was an excellent read and deserves a sequel. 

The Old Wolves

RUSTY SPURR #2

By Peter Brandvold

Berkley, August 2013

Deputy United States Marshal Spurr Morgan’s ticker isn’t what it used to be. After Spurr suffers a heart attack on the job, the chief marshal convinces him it’s time to step down. Unwilling to go out on a sour note, Spurr asks for one last assignment.

The chief sends him to bring a prisoner back to Denver from the Medicine Bow Mountains. The mission seems routine for an old hand like Spurr, until he discovers that the criminal in question is his old nemesis, Boomer Drago – the former lawman turned train robber that Spurr’s been trying to run down for years. Now, with Drago’s gang on his trail and a young girl named Greta needing help out of the mountains, Spurr is ready to face his dangerous final job and prove that even old wolves still have a mean bite…

There might only be two books dedicated solely to Spurr Morgan, but followers of Peter Brandvold’s work will know that this likeable old lawman has also appeared in a number of the authors other books under his own name and his pseudonym Frank Leslie. I for one am glad that Peter managed to write a book that brings an end to Spurr’s career before Berkley stopped publishing westerns so that Spurr didn’t become another hero that just vanished as a publisher cancelled a series without giving the author a chance to bring about a satisfying conclusion to his characters escapades.

This book offers everything Brandvold’s followers could ask for; a fast paced plot, tough characters – both male and female, some explicit sex, plenty of brutal action and occasional moments of humour. In fact there are some great one-liners to be found in this book, mainly coming from Morgan or Drago as they reflect on old age.

So does Spurr survive this assignment or does he meet his end by bullet or heart attack? I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out, and hopefully enjoy this excellent story as much as I did. 

Gold Dust Woman

THE REVENGER #4

By Frank Leslie

Mean Pete Press, August 2014

A beautiful ranch woman from Lincoln County, New Mexico, wants Sartain to kill her husband, a county sheriff under Pat Garrett. The woman thinks her husband, possessed by an evil Apache spirit, murdered their three young sons. 

Is Everett Chance really evil or is his wife just plain loco? 

But that’s only the beginning of Sartain’s problems. 

He’s also tracked the last surviving killer of his beloved Jewel to the town of Gold Dust where, sporting a couple of the Revenger’s own bullets, Scrum Wallace is being protected by a handful of Lincoln County renegades, including the Gold Dust town Marshal. 

Two jobs have overlapped, and the tall, handsome Cajun finds himself in one hell of a whipsaw! 

Sartain is an intriguing hero, or should that be anti-hero? How the law sees right and wrong is of no concern to him, and payment is not needed. If he decides someone needs help in dealing out revenge then he will do so gladly. Of course not everyone sees things as he does and this creates some tense situations.

Sartain has to decide if the woman who hired him is telling the truth or if she is in fact the crazy one. Frank Leslie really does an excellent job in making the reader suspect first the husband, then the wife, then the husband, and so on, until you’ll have no idea as to who Sartain will kill, if anyone. Finding the answer out to this question really does make this a difficult to put down read.

Starting with a cracking barroom shootout that sees Sartain taking on massive odds Frank Leslie sets the tone for the rest of this savage tale. There’s plenty of violent action as the two story threads become entwined, something Sartain takes in his stride and deals with bullet by bullet.

Of course it’s no secret that Frank Leslie is a pseudonym used by Peter Brandvold, and fans of his work will not want to miss this new series. If you’ve yet to discover his writing, like extremely fast paced books filled with brutal violence, and in the case of this series some graphic bedroom scenes, then grab a copy now as I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Me? I’m already looking forward to book 5.

A Bullet for Sartain

The Revenger #1
by Frank Leslie
Mean Pete Press, June 2014

Mike Sartain, the Revenger is lured into a trap baited with two names from his New Orleans past. When his best friend is killed, the Revenger straps on his LeMat and rides for his own white-hot brand of revenge...

The author behind the pseudonym of Frank Leslie for the first book in this brand new action packed series is Peter Brandvold. Like much of his previous work this story has the gritty and savage feel of a spaghetti western and is filled with memorable characters, not least Mike Sartain. Peter often includes strong female roles, women who can more than match the male leads in ability with weapons and courage; in this case that woman is Marshal Claudia Morales.

There are questions right from the start that easily hook the reader and make this an impossible to put down read. Gunplay is fast and furious and is brutally graphic. The book also contains descriptive sexual scenes. The pace of the story never lets up and the reason behind the attempts on Sartain’s life came as a complete surprise to me and will surely add to the emotional scars The Revenger already carries.

On the strength of this book I hope this series has a long run and I'm already eagerly looking forward to the next one which should be out soon.

Bad Justice

By Frank Leslie

Signet, April 2013

Colter Farrow’s branded face is a constant reminder of why he’s been on the run for so long. But his plan to return home and confront his past backfires when he’s framed for the murder of two men. Men who happen to be U.S. deputy marshals.

Resigned to living on the lam, Colter heads to Utah Territory, where a desperate town marshal offers him a job as – of all things – a lawman. What better way for a man to hide from the law than to become part of it? Regardless of which side of the law he stands on, Colter makes enemies quickly. But Colter doesn’t plan on letting them stay above ground for long….

The fourth book in the Colter Farrow series is as hard hitting as the previous three. If you’ve read the earlier books you’ll definitely want to read this for Colter confronts the man who branded him, the conclusion of which sets up the rest of the story. 

Full of brutal, savage action that sees Colter beginning to accept his fate to be a wanted man for the rest of his life. But can his new job as a lawman offer a way out? Frank Leslie builds up hope for Colter but then adds a complication as it seems someone knows Colter’s true identity (he uses a pseudonym for much of the story). Leslie expertly weaves a tale of twists and turns that will make the reader wonder how things will end and just what these surprises will mean for Colter’s future.

Once again Frank Leslie (Peter Brandvold) has written a story that grips from the opening words, paints vivid imagery that captures the imagination and refuses to let go. This book truly is a page-turner. Let’s hope it’s not too long before Colter Farrow rides into his next adventure.

The No-Account Girl

By Peter Brandvold

Mean Pete Press, December 2012

Colter Farrow has been through a lot. He’s killed a lot of men in self-defense. Now the red-haired young gunfighter with the Mark of Satan on his cheek is on the dodge, trying to outrun the bounty hunters and get himself to Mexico.

But then he runs into a beautiful young woman with the unlikely name of Kyle Bruner. Kyle is transporting her dead outlaw brother for burial.

The trouble is, Kyle’s brother is wanted dead or alive. Bounty hunters are after him, too.

Colter falls under the girl’s haunting spell.

He’d best make sure he doesn’t fall too hard...because sometimes love can be more deadly than bullets.

“Thank you, Colter,” Kyle said. “You might be hell with a six-gun, but you’re damn sweet.”

For those, like me, patiently waiting for the fourth Colter Farrow book, Bad Justice, to be published next April, this short story is the perfect bridge. I’ll also take a moment to point out that Mean Pete has put this out under his own name rather than the pseudonym of Frank Leslie the regular books come out as by.

This is an action-packed, gritty read that has an impressive death toll for such a short story. There’s also a neat twist ending to this tale that sees bounty hunters spoilt for choice in either cashing in on Colter and / or Bruner’s corpse. 

No western fan should miss this and if it proves to be your introduction to Colter Farrow I’m sure it’ll have you hunting out the previous books and joining me looking forward to the next.

The Last Lawman

RUSTY SPURR #1:

By Peter Brandvold

Berkley, October 2012

Deputy United States Marshal Spurr Morgan may be an old dog in the business of tracking down desperadoes, but where his body fails him, his instincts remain unmatched. Spurr has his sights set on Clell Stanhope, the notorious leader of a gang called the Vultures. Not only has Clell managed to dodge the law, but he’s littered his trail with dozens of innocent men, women, and children…

Spurr Morgan has met his fair share of murderers, but this Vulture is the most brutally clever of the breed. Tracking him down requires as much cunning as it does hot lead. After Clell lures every last tin star into his bloody trap, Spurr thinks he may be the last man standing. That is, until a half-breed by the name of Yakima Henry offers his services…

Fans of Peter Brandvold will have already met Spurr Morgan a couple of times, in both books written under his own name and his pseudonym of Frank Leslie. Now Spurr gets his own series and let me quickly point out you don’t need to have read those previous books to fully enjoy this one, as Peter gives you all the background you need on Spurr’s history and fleshes this out with more of the aging lawman’s back-story.

Part of the charm of Spurr is that he is older than most western heroes. His mind says yes but his body says no, and it’s not just aching joints that he has to deal with as his heart is warning him regularly that it’s not going to keep working much longer…

This book is peopled with a terrific set of characters, Clell Stanhope being particularly memorable due to his tattoos (I’ll leave you to discover what they are). There’s also Erin Wilde, a woman driven to insanity, and, of course, there’s Yakima Henry who rides off the pages of his own series to provide some much needed help.

Peter Brandvold writes gritty, hard hitting prose that paints brutal visual imagery in the mind as his story moves quickly from one violent gunfight to the next that leave virtually no one unscarred, bringing Spurr to reflect, “life was a cold-eyed bitch at times, but it had to be lived.”

Recommended.

The Bells of El Diablo

By Frank Leslie

Signet, July 2012

As the Civil War rages through the South, two men take fate into their own hands as fortune hunters and venture into Mexico, where the sacred Bells of El Diablo, forged of pure gold, are said to be buried….

The son of a wealthy plantation owner, Confederate lieutenant James Dunn is young, brash, and a fierce fighter. But during a guerrilla mission in the north Georgia mountains, he learns firsthand how horrific and destructive the war really is. Having lost his taste for bloodshed after a brutal act on a night-cloaked bridge, he deserts…and he isn’t alone.

Crosseye Reeves, a former sharecropper on the Dunn plantation, witnesses James’s moment of horror. And he’s had his own bellyful of war. Together, the men make for Denver, where a tale of treasure in Mexico gives them a new destination…and perhaps even new lives.

This book is filled with superb characters be they friend or foe, some of who might just help James Dunn find redemption from the gut-wrenching act of violence that sees him desert from the army. Frank Leslie sure doesn’t believe in giving his heroes an easy time, and Dunn perhaps suffers more than any other character he’s created.

The story pounds along at a rapid pace, full of strong dialogue, terrific descriptive passages that make you feel like you share the emotions of the characters or are there in the savage landscapes with them. Action comes thick and fast and is often graphically described, as Dunn and Reeves have to battle Apaches and other enemies for possession of the bells...bells that might not even exist.

Frank Leslie includes many twists and turns to the plot before springing a final surprising revelation about one of the characters during the spectacular bullet sprayed ending that sets the seed for a follow-up book, and as I’ve seen it mentioned that this one is the first in a new series, I can only hope I don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next.

Old Gun Wolf

By Frank Leslie

Mean Pete Press, July 2012

FOR EX-GUNMAN WILBUR CALHOUN, THE PAST BECOMES HIS FIERCEST ENEMY...

Ex-Confederate soldier, ex-Indian fighter, ex-train robber, ex-gunslinger...ex-father... Wilbur Calhoun just wants to run his little ranch in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, a quiet place even at the turn-of-the-century. He wants to be left alone, just him and his collie dog, Shep. He wants to weather his last days in peace. 

But then a rider comes after him at the head of a mountain snowstorm. That rider turns out to be Wilbur’s son, Devlin, whom Wilbur hasn’t seen since the boy was two years old. 

Devlin is a deputy U.S. marshal now, and he’s come to arrest his father for murder. But not just any murder. The murder of Devlin’s mother over twenty-five years ago in Tennessee...

Wilbur Calhoun might be old and just want to live quietly and anonymously, but does that mean he’ll go to the hangman peacefully, even when escorted by his long-lost son?

Old Gun Wolf is the first short story from Frank Leslie, at 20 pages it doesn’t take long to read and provides first class entertainment from beginning to end.

Frank Leslie manages to include a lot in this short tale, filling the reader in on the background of Wilbur Calhoun, and of the fatal shooting that sees Devlin wanting to see his father hanged. It’s a tough storyline that contains bloody graphic action.

Animal lovers will warm to Shep and to Wilbur’s dedication to him. There’s a wolf too that provides a neat link to the beginning and end. 

As expected the story is well told and I was kept wondering how it would finish. Would Wilbur or Devlin, perhaps both, or maybe neither, be dead by the conclusion?

And now I’m left eagerly looking forward to the next (short?) ebook from Frank Leslie.

The Last Ride of Jed Strange

By Frank Leslie

Signet, January 2012

While breaking horses in Arizona Territory, Colter Farrow is forced to kill a soldier in self-defense. With the man’s comrades hungry for vengeance, he hightails it to Mexico. There he runs into Bethel Strange, who was kidnapped by a villainous rurale captain. After Colter saves her, they are forced to flee even deeper into Mexico.

While on the run, Bethel resumes the search for her father, the outlaw Jed Strange. A year ago, her father took up with Mexican gunrunners in order to send money back to the family, but he never returned. Her search places them in the middle of a savage war between gunrunners, bronco Apaches, and a notorious Mexican bandit. And with the soldiers closing in, Colter’s chances of saving his own hide are getting slimmer by the minute.

The 3rd book in Frank Leslie’s Colter Farrow series starts violently with Farrow gunning down six men in a blink-of-an-eye, and from that moment the action never lets up.

The first part of the story deals with the unfortunate incident that leads to Farrow killing a soldier, this in turn sees him becoming a wanted man by the army, never mind that bounty hunters are still after him – the author explains why in this book but the full events leading to this can be found in the first Colter Farrow novel, The Guns of Sapinero.

One of the major appealing factors of this series for me has been seeing Farrow change, accepting his new role in life as a man on the run, accepting his natural ability with a gun and that he’ll have to use it to kill again and again.

Throughout the story Farrow will find himself mixed up with all kinds of fascinating and well-created characters, such as the singing bandit known as the Balladeer, and young Bethel Strange, whose reaction to seeing her fathers distinctive pistol in the hands of another man is both surprising and memorable.

It’s whilst trying to escape the soldiers that Farrow gets a couple of fleeting glimpses of the young girl that he will eventually team up with in the search for her father. A young girl that will become attracted to Farrow, this crush leading to some humorous exchanges as Farrow tries to turn her down. The hunt for Jed Strange turns up a neat twist that has a bittersweet sting in the tail.

Frank Leslie (really author Peter Brandvold) includes some great scenes of high tension, none less so than when Farrow is buried alive in water.

The Colter Farrow books are fast becoming one of my favourite western series, and I just hope it’s not too long before I get to read what happens next.

.45-Caliber Desperado

By Peter Brandvold

Berkley, September 2011

Cuno Massey killed those deputy U.S. marshals all right, but only because they were about to rape the women he was escorting to safety. Thrown into a federal penitentiary, he faces a death sentence – until the beautiful Camilla and her cutthroat gang bust him out and head for the Mexican border.

Pursued by lawmen as brutal as the desperadoes he travels with, Cuno rides a bloody trail, unsure where his allegiances lie, and wondering if he was better off waiting for the gallows….

Right from the very first line, “The bald giant’s first was a battering ram” this book punches hard all the way until the end as Cuno Massey finds himself riding a savage trail to freedom after being sprung from prison in a violent jailbreak, even if freedom means becoming an outlaw himself.

Of course being on the run means the law will do its best to track Massey down and here we see the return of the Sheriff Mason who put Massey behind bars in the previous book. But he isn’t the only lawman to make a return appearance, for Peter Brandvold adds Spurr to the mix, the aging Deputy U.S. Marshal I last read about in another of Pete’s series - the second book in his Colter Farrow series, The Killers of Cimarron, written as Frank Leslie. I thought Spurr made for an excellent character in that book so was very pleased to see him in this one.

As well as struggling to stay alive Cuno Massey has to fight with some tough personal issues regarding his new lifestyle. Can he be happy living as an outlaw? Can he gun down people in cold blood, be they lawmen chasing him or those he is robbing? And what of Camilla? Can he accept this new side to her? These questions all see Peter Brandvold further developing the character of Massey and as they aren’t all answered ensures that the reader will be eager for the next book in the series: .45-Caliber Crossfire, out in April 2012.

If you’ve never read a Cuno Massey book then this could well be a good place to jump into the series as it seems to be a new beginning for Massey. Peter Brandvold includes enough memories of Cuno’s past so a new reader will have some idea as to Massey’s background.

For me, Peter Brandvold just keeps getting better and better.

The Killers of Cimarron

as by Frank Leslie

Signet, June 2010

The second book in the Colter Farrow series.

Colter Farrow is on the run from bounty hunters sent by a sadistic sheriff who branded his face. He finds refuge in the remote Cheyenne Mountains, working on a small ranch run by Cimarron Padilla and his beautiful adopted Hunkpapa daughter, Pearl. Colter thinks he’s found sanctuary at last.

But after a savage group of ruthless killers steal a cache of gold, slays Cimarron, and takes Pearl hostage, Colter is back on the vengeance trail. Aided by an aging deputy U.S. marshal, Colter is determined to bring Pearl back alive and send the killers of Cimarron straight to hell.

Colter Farrow is, at the moment, quite a different character to the heroes of Peter Brandvold’s (here writing as Frank Leslie) other series, in as much as he’s not, yet, as tough as them. In fact, at times, he allows his emotions to get the better of him. Yes he is as proficient with a gun, and gets plenty of opportunity to use it, but he’s still learning the art of survival. Teaming him up with the old, and wanting to retire, deputy U.S. Marshal Spurr allows for some excellent contrasts in character to be portrayed.

In fact Marshal Spurr is the most memorable person in this book, perhaps due to him being in it more, as Peter Brandvold switches between the main players in the story often. Pearl also makes for a fascinating character and you have to wonder as to how Farrow’s relationship with her will develop as the book races toward the end.

Peter Brandvold is known for writing very violent and savage books and this one more than matches any of his previous work in its graphic brutality, although I felt there was less of it than in some of his more recent publications.

As expected, the story is extremely well written, gritty, violent, tense, and at times humorous. The book also offers a number of surprises, mainly to do with who lives and who dies and to what the future holds for Colter Farrow and others. The end definitely has me eager for the next book in the series; let’s just hope it’s not too long in coming….

The Guns of Sapinero

as by Frank Leslie
Signet, October 2009

Colter Farrow may be young, but ever since his stepfather was savagely murdered, his blood has boiled with a rage just as great as any man’s. Now, riding with a Remington as his only company, he sets out on a journey for justice.

The bloodied path of vengeance leads him to the town of Sapinero – a place that harbors men without conscience or guilt. The inexperienced Colter wants to settle some scores, but he’s unnerved by the murderous darkness that lurks within his own heart. As his list of targets grows and the harsh truths behind his stepfather’s brutal death are laid bare, Colter realizes that revenge can claim more than just his life.

The gruesome, and very visual, descriptions of a man crucified in a wagon bed being feasted upon by vultures whilst still alive, sets the tone for this book beautifully. The story is packed with savage, and bloody, killings and torture (brandings), but it’s not just the violence that hits hard, so do the emotions that fuel Farrow’s quest. Seeing him change from being a carefree cowhand to questioning his abilities to track down his stepfather’s killers, struggling with his inexperience with killing and surviving in this brutal land, fearing how to tell his stepmother the truth about her husband, all make for fascinating, and gripping, reading.

Of course it’s no secret to western fans that Frank Leslie is a pseudonym used by Peter Brandvold and this book definitely lives up to our expectations of his work, and introduces us to his latest hero, as this book is the first in a new series.

There’s even a brief guest appearance by one of Peter Brandvold’s other heroes, Lou Prophet, that has a lasting impact on Colter Farrow.

The Guns of Sapinero is a well-told, fast moving, violent, story that is a terrific introduction to Colter Farrow and has me eagerly awaiting the publication of the next book in the series, The Killers of Cimarron.

Reading Habits

Gary over at Tainted Archive memed me with these reading habit questions so here’s my answers…

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?
Very rarely.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Horrifies me. I like them to look as new after I’ve read them.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Bookmarks. Used to rely on memory but as I’ve got older….

Laying the book flat open?
Never.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Around about 99% fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Have never listened to an audio book. Doesn’t appeal to me.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I can put it down at any point but do try to do this at chapter end if possible…but then again some authors make it impossible to leave a book at chapter end.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
I can usually work its meaning out. If there’s a dictionary nearby I’ll look it up there and then, if not I’ll remember it and look it up when I can.

What are you currently reading?
Harlan by Frank Roderus and The Guns of Sapinero by Frank Leslie – which I guess kinda answers a question to come.

What is the last book you bought?
The Rattlesnake Season by Larry D. Sweazy.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
Sometimes, although it’s rare. I read a few on the computer but as I don’t want to spend too much time before a computer screen – and as the computer stays in one room – I’ll read a book at the same time.

Do you have a favourite time of day and/or place to read?
Anytime, anyplace. Quite often I try to read for an hour or so after getting in from work, giving my body time to relax.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I collect series so therefore read more series books, but I enjoy stand alone titles just as much.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really. It would depend whom I’m recommending an author to.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
As most of my collection is made up of series books then that’s how they get stored, in number/publication order. The size of the bookcase dictates which series is on which shelf and I try to keep all books from one series on the same shelf. Stand alone titles are dotted around to fill gaps, although I do try to keep the same authors’ work together. Due to space many of the books I read end up in storage.

Joanne Walpole, consider yourself memed.

Interview: Peter Brandvold

My latest interview is with author Peter Brandvold. His books first appeared on the shelves towards the end of the 1990’s and since then he’s become essential reading for many western fans. I discovered him a few years back when he began his third series and after reading the first of these (Cuno Massey books) I immediately bought all his previous work and have since eagerly waited for each new publication.

Peter Brandvold hauls his younger sister off to the hoosegow for stealing his hat--circa age 6. In Rolette, Dakota Territory, circa 1968.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Probably after I first learned to read. The magic of words on the page creating images and entire narratives in the head struck me right away as incredible magic. "See Spot leap the fence!" Then, when I read a couple of stories in my fifth-grade English reader--one by Jack London, "To Build A Fire," and another by Roald Dahl, "Beware of the Dog," the idea of writing was cemented for me and has been ever since.

What was the first novel you had published and if this wasn't a western what was your first western?

ONCE A MARSHAL. The first book in my Ben Stillman series, about an aging lawman trying to start life over again after having been shot in the back by a drunk whore.

How many books did you write before the first was accepted for publication?

My first book was accepted for publication. I worked eight months on it and Berkley bought it. I was 32. But I'd been practicing for a long, long time, and I'd been teaching on an Indian reservation in Montana and I really just want to write.

Which writers influence you?

Holy-moly! Everyone I read. Even if it's bad, it influences you, because you're wanting to make sure you don't make the same mistakes. That's really true. Reading bad writing is almost as helpful as reading good writing. But to toss out a couple of names, I'd say (without sounding too high-handed) Tolstoy (especially "The Cossacks") and O.E. Rolvaag ("Giants in the Earth"). Also pulp crime writers like Jim Thompson and Dan Marlowe as well as western writers like Gordon D. Sherriffs and H.A. DeRosso. DeRosso is my favorite writer of westerns and it really rubs my fur in the wrong direction that he only wrote about five novels. He's very crude at times, like a primitive painter. But he's also incredibly visceral and emotionally sharp. When you read DeRosso, the words tickle your insides a little. That's what I look for in a good book or story, and that's what I try to do in my own writing.

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

Yes, I often work on two or three projects at a time, usually try to knock off a thousand words a day on each. Currently I'm writing one novel and a screenplay for my novel THE ROMANTICS, as a production company has shown some interest in possibly bringing it to the big screen. In a day or two I intend to start my next contracted ROGUE LAWMAN novel tentatively title UNDERTAKER'S FRIEND. I like working on more than one book at a time. Fills my head and my day up better, keeps my mind off such things as mortality and how long till happy hour?

Do you wish you had more say in the covers that appear in your books?

Yes, but I've given up on that. They have only so much money for western covers, and there's only so much talent out there. I wish James Bama would do ALL of my covers--he did the wonderful DOC SAVAGE and Louis L'Amour covers back about two or three decades ago--but there just aren't many Bamas out there. I don't think he even does book covers anymore. "But I am very pleased with how the covers to most of my .45-CALIBER series books are turning out, especially the next in line--.45-CALIBER WIDOW MAKER. That's the best one in the series so far, and here the cover really reflects the plot of the book. Anyone can check it out on Amazon though I don't think the book will be out until April or so."

How important is historical accuracy in westerns?

Very important. You have to get it all right. Of course, we're all human and we all make mistakes, but it's important to get those details right--whether it be about guns or wagons or whale-bone corsets. Accurate period details helps create that imaginary world we're all trying to create and sustain, and no one should be reading a western and say, "Hey, that rifle didn't come into action until the 1900's!" Because that throws you out of the story. I have a ton of reference books around, always trying to get it right. When I goof up, I really grind my teeth over it.

What appeals to you about the western genre?

The land, the men, the women, the lack of civilized law and boundaries. It's really a mythic place, sort of like Robert E. Howard's Hyboria.

What makes the perfect western?

I'm still trying to figure that out. I haven't read one and I haven't written one yet. I think DeRosso comes closest, though, in .44. It's not about how many bad guys go down bloody. It's more about emotional depth and character growth and how close the book comes to saying something real about being alive and suffering...within the confines of the genre, of course--and while the bad guys go down bloody!

Which western writers would you recommend?

DeRosso, like I said before. Donald Hamilton, who also wrote the Matt Helm books. Gordon D. Sherriffs. Dean Owen, whose real name I believe was Dudley Dean. I like a lot of his. Also a book hardly anyone these days has heard about called MI AMIGO by W. R. Burnette. That's another one I like a lot.

Is there a western series you'd like to resurrect?

I can't think of any off hand. Possibly George Gilman's EDGE series, which I liked as a kid and still read from time to time. But the political incorrectness might grate on today's more wussy reading populace who've been indoctrinated by Oprah Picks. Can't imagine Terry's books in the same Walmart as Mitch Albom, but it's fun to think about! Ha!

Which past western would you like to see back in print and why is this?

Donald Hamilton's books. Because they're damn good novels in addition to being westerns.

What's your opinion on keeping dead authors alive by having someone write new books under their name, like is happening with Ralph Compton and William Johnstone?

Well, I've written a couple of Compton novels, and I enjoyed writing them--BULLET CREEK and NAVARRO. Those are two damn good books, if you'lll allow me to say so, and Compton had nothing whatever to do with them. Those are both all me. And I have a feeling that's what's happening with the "Johnstone" writers, too. But, I don't know, I guess if people are still buying them, what's wrong with a little duplicity? It's a tradition in the publishing racket. Look at V.C. Andrews. There's probably eighty books out there with her name on the cover though she wrote maybe three of them!

I really enjoyed the Navarro novels, have always thought it a shame there aren't more. Any chance of a new Navarro book?

I don't think so. The only way I'd continue the character is under my own name or my own pen name, Frank Leslie, and since when I signed the contract for the Compton books I had to turn all rights of the character over to the Compton estate, that isn't going to happen. But maybe Taos Tommy's twin brother Santa Fe Jim will show up under my name or the Frank Leslie name somewhere down the road. You never know...

Most of your series westerns are published by Berkley, do they contract you for a specific number of books per series or are you free to write for whichever series you choose?

It depends. If the numbers are significantly higher on one or two series more than on others, they strongly "suggest," I do the ones with the higher numbers. So I take their suggestions because I have propane to buy, beer to drink, and dogs to feed.

Any chance of seeing two or more of your series characters appear in the same book?

Definitely. I've been thinking about doing that. That's tricky, though, because you don't want one hero to seem more heroic than the other. You don't want a Batman and Robin type thing. I wrote fifty pages on one such novel with Lou Prophet and Cuno Massey, and scrapped it. I'm ready to try again, though. I think I know how to do it.

That is something I'll be looking forward too. I remember when the first Edge meets Steele book came out, that was like a dream come true and really went down well with Gilman fans. It'd be interesting to see Stillman sent after Gideon Hawk. I guess you can only pair up your heroes from books by the same publisher?

That's a good idea. I might just do that. The hunter and the hunted--two worthy adversaries. I think, if I own the rights to all the characters involved, I can use any character I want. In fact, Lou Prophet makes a cameo in my Colter Farrow novel coming out later in '09 from Signet--THE GUNS OF SAPINERO.

How did your collaboration on the Bat Lash comic books come about?

That's a long story, but I wanted to do my Rogue Lawman series as a graphic novel. DC came back and said they didn't publish creator-owned work, but would I like to do one of their characters--BAT LASH? I thought it would be fun, and it was. I worked with one of the original co-creators, Sergio Aragones, and the incredible, venerable John Severin.

Does writing for a comic book require a different approach to writing a novel?

The story can be the same but you're primarily writing panel descriptions for the artist, so you don't get into the narrative flow like you do in a novel. It's very different. Almost like writing a screenplay. To be honest, it's not nearly as fun as novel writing. And it ain't easy, either. Getting each panel just right, with the right angles and point of view and just the right number of panels per page, ain't for the faint of heart. I started out the project whistling and grinning as though having written thirty prose novels would make this seem like a fun Saturday night in Abilene. But I went to bed whimpering in dire frustration more than a time or two!

Which of your westerns would you recommend to someone who hasn't read any of your work yet and why?

BLOOD MOUNTAIN. Because it's my second book and my horns were very sharp and it's just a damn crazy story. (Only please ignore the scene where I have a one-armed man push himself up off a wagon bed with "both hands!") It's also a stand-alone, so they don't have to worry about getting into the middle of a series. But I reckon I should say my next book out--THE GRAVES AT SEVEN DEVILS, because they'd have to buy GRAVES new (and I'd get my three-cent royalty) whereas they could get BLOOD MOUNTAIN for a penny used on Amazon!

Have you written any westerns under a pseudonym and if so can you tell us which?

The Compton books, like I said. I also write westerns for Signet under my FRANK LESLIE pen name. Those are all me, just written under a pen name so I don't flood the market with my own name. But I highly recommend my Frank Leslie books. I've worked hard to get that line going--with Yakima Henry being the main character of most of the books so far, with another hero on the way named Colter Farrow--and it's some of my best, rawest, most violent stuff.

Colter Farrow? Sounds great, any idea when the first of these will appear?

Sometime in '09. Probably late '09. As mentioned earlier, the title is THE GUNS OF SAPINERO. Sapinero is a little town on the banks of the Cimarron River in southwestern Colorado. I camped near there this past summer, when I was writing the book. They filmed TRUE GRIT around there.



What do you think of the western genre today and what do you think the future holds for the western?

Aside from a few good writers, including Johnny D. Boggs--I recently thoroughly enjoyed his novel, "Northfield"--as well as Jimmy Butts and James Reasoner... I think generally it's poorly written. I pick new books up all the time, and most just don't hold me, either because the characters are stock or the writing style is stilted and old-fashioned, or both. Also, way too much cornball dialect and main characters are way too goody-goody. I like the main character to be more real, meaning he/she can't be ALL good, but has to have a little darkness in him or her, too. But it's a very rich genre, an American original, and I think it'll outlast me. Just as horror and sci fi will.

What is your favourite western movie and why?

I love RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY. But I love all of Budd Boetticher's westerns, too--especially COMANCHE STATION and SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. Also, I'm a really big fan of the "other Sergio"--Sergio Corbucci. Love DJANGO. His THE GREAT SILENCE is wonderfully gritty, uncompromising, original, quirky, and just over-the-top, kick-the-privy-door-shut story-telling. The viewer is always surprised, just as I hope my readers always are. They're left wagging their heads and muttering, "Jesus, he can't really do that in a western, can he?" So, I guess you can see I don't really have a number one favorite.

Finally what do you read for pleasure?

Everything. Nonfiction books about the west and guns. Just finished one called THE BLOODY LEGACY OF PINK HIGGINS by Bill O'Neil. Excellent read. I also recently read the biography of Sam Peckinpah called IF THEY MOVE, KILL 'EM! Just now I'm reading THE VENGEANCE MAN by Dan Marlowe, some of the Conan comics and a vintage crime story by Frederic Brown with a wonderfully sexy cover--so sexy that I can't recall the title!