LONGARM AND SEÑORITA REVENGE

 

LONGARM AND SEÑORITA REVENGE

Book 415 of 436 + 29 Giant Editions

By Tabor Evans

Cover illustration by Milo Sinovcic

Jove, June 2013

The name makes cavalrymen cower, hard cases head for the hills, and bandidos cry, “Vámones!” They call her Señorita Revenge. Savage and merciless, she and her band of kill-crazy Kiowa have been cutting down soldiers like blades of grass in the Texas Big Bend country north of the Rio Grande.

If any man can declaw this homicidal hellcat, it’s Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long.

But when Longarm arrives at the cavalry outpost, he finds a half-mad major, his batty, blond daughter, a horribly scarred captain, and a mouth-watering but mysterious maiden – each of whom is hiding a secret. As Longarm puts the pieces together, he draws ever closer to ending this beautiful buckskin-clad butcher’s reign of vengeance… 

Harsh landscapes and tougher characters – brutal characters in many cases. Seductive, stunningly beautiful women who can be as savage as any man should the need arise, and it does, often. Vicious action scenes. Plot twists that took me by surprise. A breath-taking stagecoach ride. This book has them all, and more. Longarm sure has to keep his wits about him or he’ll end up as one of the deceased. 

The story moves along at terrific speed. Chapters ending on cliff-hangers ensuring I’d keep turning the pages. Great characters, especially Señorita Revenge. Mystery behind her true identity – I had my ideas but I wasn’t quite right. Hard-hitting fairly graphic violence and a couple of descriptive sex scenes – the latter to be expected as the Longarm books are billed as adult westerns, but don’t let them put you off reading this book or you’ll be missing out on a great tale.

I’m being purposefully vague on the plot, and naming characters and their relationships to each other as I don’t want to spoil any part of this book for anyone who has yet to read it. 

The author behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time around is Peter Brandvold and his take on Longarm has always been grittier than most of the other authors who wrote for this series. Think spaghetti rather than Hollywood western. 

After finishing Longarm and Señorita Revenge I was left eagerly wanting to hunt through my collection to dig out another of Peter Brandvold’s entries into this series and start reading it straightaway. Recommended. 

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

LONGARM AND THE GOLDEN LADY

LONGARM AND THE GOLDEN LADY

Number 32 of 436 plus 29 Giant Editions

By Tabor Evans

Jove Publications, May 1981

Colorado planned a gala reception for the copper-haired Princess Danica of Hungary. But a band of Slavic rebels had plans of their own for her Highness…

To stop them cold, Longarm goes undercover and, following a hot lead, joins a traveling circus. In the death-defying world of the Big Top, he meets the Golden Lady, a seductive living doll just four feet tall, who shows him that shocking things can come from small packages…

The setting of a circus makes this an unusual western, as do many of the lead characters, most of whom are part of the sideshow of freaks. The author really seems to enjoy himself creating these fascinating people, and it is them that Longarm is going to interact with the most as he attempts to discover just which of the circus folk could be hatching a plot to assassinate the Princess. The vast majority of this book takes place in the circus and at times it’s easy to forget you are reading a western.

The book’s opening scenes are pure western, tense and gritty. This leads to a later problem that blows Longarm’s undercover role and turns friends within the circus against him. They don’t trust lawmen. 

The author writing behind the pseudonym is Harry Whittington, perhaps better known for his crime novels, and elements from those books creep into this one. The hard-boiled approach to his writing, his references to women as being dames to name but two. Whittington also spends quite a lot of time describing characters, really painting visual imagery of them for the reader. I was also surprised at the lack of description when Longarm spends time with a woman, keeping in mind this is an adult western series, there is very little in the way of graphic portrayals of these scenes, most just hinting at these encounters. The story also contains one of the most bizarre scenes I’ve read in a Longarm book, or any other western for that matter.

The book clocks in at 220 pages, each having 40 lines of fairly small print, making this a longer than usual read for a regular sized Longarm novel. It does contain a few blank pages though so all chapters can start on a right-hand page. 

I enjoyed this book a lot, even though I did find the pace a little slow at times. The setting, and the people that make up the sideshow of freaks will stick in my mind for a long time. If you want to read a western that’s a little different to the norm, then this book is definitely worth tracking down.

LONGARM AND THE GOLDEN DEATH

LONGARM AND THE GOLDEN DEATH

Number 178 of 436 plus 29 Giant Editions

By Tabor Evans

Cover art by Joe Lombardero

Jove Books, October 1993

Longarm has swept his share of hardcases off the face of the earth. But the quest for four missing archaeologists puts him in the way of cold-blooded murder in a pit at the very bottom of the world…

In a bottomless chamber somewhere below New Mexico territory lies a fortune in Spanish gold. Bushwhacked shortly after he jumps off the train, Longarm follows a trail of corpses to a glittering cache – only to find it’s a lot easier to fall into a treasure trap than to make his way out…

This was the first book in the Longarm series to be written by James Reasoner under the pseudonym of Tabor Evans and it was based on an outline given to James by series creator Lou Cameron. James turned this plot into a gripping read full of terrific characters, tense scenes, plenty of action, and some excellent twists and turns – especially as to where the gold is hidden. It was also great to see that James had included Longarm’s regular sayings, such as eating an apple one bite at a time, and his habit of using a matchstick to determine if someone had entered a room without permission. Sadly, these traits slowly disappeared as the series progressed and were only mentioned now and again.

Longarm is an adult western series so it contains explicit sex but these parts can be skipped if this kind of action isn’t to your taste. I suggest doing this as this Longarm story is a superb entry in the series that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Longarm struggles to piece together just what is going on and who is behind the disappearance of the archaeologists.

As this was James Reasoner’s first Longarm book it was also interesting to note that he’d either done his research on the series, or was a reader of the series before being commissioned to write for it, as he includes mention of previous Longarm assignments. For instance, there’s mention of when Longarm found himself involved with other archaeologists. He also portrays Longarm’s relationship with his boss, Billy Vail perfectly.

It's been a while since I read a Longarm book and this one really makes me want to read more, although they will have to be those written by other authors as I’ve now read all those penned by James Reasoner.

LONGARM AND THE ROCK SPRINGS RECKONING

Number 434 of 436 + 29 Giant Editions

By Tabor Evans

Cover illustration by Milo Sinovcic

Jove, January 2015

After saving soiled dove Lucy Potter from two attackers, Longarm takes pity on the young woman. He buys her a new dress, gets her cleaned up, and takes her out for a fancy steak dinner. Lucy’s got a good heart, and Longarm hopes his kindness might encourage the jaded prostitute to try another line of work.

But before Lucy can begin her new life, she’s killed by the same men who attacked her. Blinded by rage, Longarm can no longer see the line between justice and revenge. He turns in his badge and rides off after the killers. But as he trails them to Rock Springs, her learns the killing was premeditated – and greed was the motive. . . 

What at first seems like a straight-forward revenge tale slowly takes on a few twists as Lucy Potter’s family become involved and Longarm finds he has a puzzle to solve. Were any of Lucy’s family responsible for her death? Most of Longarm’s investigation takes place in the last quarter of the story, the earlier chapters used for introducing various characters and Longarm forming a plan to track down Lucy’s killers. The author also follows the murderers flight for a couple of chapters which helps make the reader wonder how Longarm will ever catch up to them.

The author paces the book well and kept me turning the pages as I wanted to discover whether Longarm would just kill those he hunted to satisfy his need for vengeance, or would he control that urge and attempt to arrest them? 

There’s not a lot of gunplay in this story which may disappoint some. The Longarm books are an adult series but sex is kept to a bare minimum, just a couple of pages in total. This tale is more a murder mystery with Longarm just asking questions, listening and watching to find out who was behind Lucy’s killing.

For me, I wouldn’t place this Longarm book up there with the best the series has to offer, but it did keep me entertained. The final scenes offering some surprises into the fate of a couple of the characters that tied the story up neatly.  

An observation on the book itself. The Longarm books are around 180 pages long, but this one has blank pages so all chapters can start on a right-hand page and those chapters start about half-way down the page. All that means is that the story is 30 pages shorter than the overall count. 

COVER GALLERY: McMASTERS

McMASTERS

by Lee Morgan

Armed with a custom-built .70 caliber rifle, he is the law. To his friends, he is many things – a fighter, a lover, a legend. To his enemies, he is only one thing – the most dangerous man they have ever known…

Lee Morgan is a pseudonym behind which a variety of well-known western authors wrote this adult series. The first book being written by Giles Tippette, the second by James Reasoner, the third by Robert Vaughan, the fourth and sixth by David Jacobs. The fifth book by either Robert Vaughan or Charlie McDade. The first book appeared in June 1995 and the last in April 1996.

Once upon a time, Boyd McMasters had everything a man could want: a pretty young wife, a profitable working ranch, and a sheriff’s badge in West Texas. But that man died when a band of ruthless outlaws slaughtered his wife. The new McMasters is an angry man, and no amount of whiskey or women can change that fact. He stumbles into Oklahoma City, a filthy, ragged shadow of his old self. In desperation, Boyd’s older brother enlists him in the Cattleman’s Protective Association – giving him authority over local lawmen and, if necessary, a license to kill. And as Captain Boyd McMasters sets out to deal the West his own brand of justice, a legend is born…

When the Cattleman Protective Association’s Captain Boyd McMasters finds out that his next job is a case of cattle rustling in the little town of Silver Creek, Texas, he figures he’s in for a vacation. He couldn’t have been more wrong. The town’s biggest ranch, the JF Connected, is missing four head, wouldn’t be a big deal if they weren’t four prize bulls, worth about twenty thousand dollars. That’s a mighty big chunk of change – enough to kill for, it seems, because someone keeps drawing a bead on McMasters every time he goes into town. But when McMasters figures out who’s behind it all, he’s gonna send them on a vacation…a permanent one.

The Cattleman’s Protective Association’s Captain Boyd McMasters is through taking prisoners. He already put Curly and Frank Dobbs behind bars in New Mexico for murder and rape. But they broke out of jail and killed a deputy. Then they robbed an Arizona bank of over fifty thousand dollars and kidnapped a young lady and her five-year-old daughter. Luckily, the bank is one of the Association’s clients, and that gives McMasters the authority to hunt them down. And when “Bullet Boyd” catches up with the Dobbs boys, he’s gonna put them somewhere they’ll never escape from – their graves…

Smoke Tree, Arizona, is a dusty little town where people live in fear. A cutthroat gang of cattle rustlers called the Rock House Boys runs roughshod over the local ranchers. They steal at will, and anyone who fights back ends up full of lead. The U.S. marshal and the town sheriff are either too yellow or too busy fighting each other to do anything about it. That’s why ranchers have the Cattleman’s Protective Association to help them. And that’s why the Association hires men like Captain Boyd McMasters to solve its problems. McMasters has decided that the Rock House Boys are through, and that cattle rustling is finished in Smoke Tree. He’s made his decision – now he’s gonna enforce it. And anyone who disagrees can take it up with his rifle, Big .70…

The Nueces Strip, down near the Rio Grande, is home to a bunch of cutthroats who put fear into the Rangers, the marshals, and even their own mamas. It’s also home to a hardworking rancher named Ben Allison who losing thousands of beeves to moonlight rustlers. Sent in by the Cattleman’s Protective Association, Captain Boyd McMasters gets a tip from two beautiful señoritas. Word is it ain’t the usual Strip debris that’s robbing Allison…it’s a powerful honcho across the border. This midnight cowboy has big pesos and mean hombres in his employ, but McMasters has the mighty .70 working for him…

Amid the beauty of Montana’s Blue Pine Hills is a horrifying display of human nature’s ugly side. A twisted bunch called the Hell Killers has turned the locals yellower than a mountain man’s teeth, and for good reason. Not entertained by rustling cattle, the gang kills and mutilates them before moving on to the ranchers, their families, and anyone else they come across. The Cattleman’s Protective Association is fighting back – they’ve put cash bounties on the Hell Killers’ heads, and have sent McMasters to collect. And he and his Big .70 are gonna see to it that they visit Hell real soon…

Cover art by Morgan Kane, who signed his name as M. Kane. This series artwork borrows heavily from the style fronting romance books at the same time these were published. The man not wearing a shirt was a requirement. Whether these covers shout western is for you to decide. Interesting to note that the books carry a banner stating McMasters comes from the creators of Longarm and that Morgan Kane painted the first covers for that series too.

Longarm and the Bank Robber's Daughter

By Tabor Evans

number 301 of 436

Jove, December 2003

U.S. Deputy Marshal Custis Long opens his door to a visitor—just in time to see him die in a hail of gunfire. The killers get away…and the victim leaves Longarm with the words “stolen gold” and “Sweetwater Canyon”…

The dead man once shared a cell with Clete Harrigan, a notorious bank robber Longarm put behind bars years ago. The army payroll that Harrigan’s gang stole was never recovered. Now Longarm thinks it just might be hidden in Sweetwater Canyon in New Mexico.

Before he can depart, Harrigan’s daughter Emily arrives, wanting to make amends for her father’s crimes by helping retrieve the money. With outlaws in pursuit, Longarm can use the help. But is she as lovely as she seems—or as lowdown as her daddy?

This time, the author behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans is James Reasoner and he provides us with a cracking tale. The action comes thick and fast as Longarm searches for the long missing army payroll.

From the word go someone is out to stop Longarm getting to Sweetwater Canyon but he battles through. Once there Longarm finds himself in a range war and the canyon is part of the land being fought for.

There are plenty of suspects in the well-drawn characters that Longarm meets during his hunt for the payroll. Any one of them could be behind the attempts on his life and I didn’t guess who that was as this person’s identity was kept well-hidden until the author was ready to reveal who it was. Once you think the investigation is closed James Reasoner springs a sting in the tale that I didn’t see coming that rounds the book off well.

This is an excellent entry in the long running series and is certainly worth checking out.

Longarm and the Sonora Siren

By Tabor Evans

Jove, May 2014

#426 in the series

As thunder booms and lightning flashes and wolves nuzzle the bloody, bullet-ridden corpses of Longarm’s fallen foes out in the wet, muddy streets of a Mexican ghost town, the lawman is warm and cozy inside – and happy to be alive, receiving a sweet reward for rescuing a kidnapped señorita.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long has technically gone rogue – crossing the border into Mexico to recover a stolen Army payroll. He hadn’t planned on encountering hot-blooded hostage Claudia Cordova, but now he’s sure glad he saved her…

Until he wakes up after a night of passion tied to the four posts of a bed – his seductive siren long gone, her saddlebags bulging with those “gringo greenbacks”…

It’s been a while since I last read a Longarm book and this one proved to be an exciting, fun read. The story is crammed full of action, both of the violent kind and sexual – descriptions of both extremely explicit at times. Longarm is also presented as a tougher, more brutal, man than some of the other writers behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans depict him, and the lawman, along with other characters, uses some quite crude language at times that some readers may find offensive.

The author (in this case Peter Brandvold) has his tale moving forward at a gallop from the opening scene and the pace never lets up until the final words. As the story progresses Longarm finds himself struggling to make sense of who the real Claudia Cordova is as different people paint her with different colours, all of which add a number of surprising twists and turns which kept me guessing until the end.

Does Longarm retrieve the payroll? Does Cordova get her comeuppance? Does Longarm’s border crossing create a major incident between Mexico and the United Sates? Obviously, I can’t reveal any of that here, but I can certainly say that fans of the Longarm series and Peter Brandvold’s work won’t want to miss this one. This is definitely one of the best adult westerns I’ve read in some time. 

Hot Lead: Adult Western Special

HOT LEAD #3:

THE ADULT WESTERN SPECIAL

The Paperback Fanatic, May 2019

Hot Lead is a beautifully produced fanzine and this, the third, concentrates on the rise of the adult western. This issue contains 52 pages of fascinating articles backed-up by many reproductions of book covers and associated artwork, all illustrated in full colour.

The main feature, Sex and Six Guns by Paul Bishop, delves into series adult westerns, looking at a variety of them in well researched detail. This section of the fanzine taking up sixteen pages and is essential reading for anyone who enjoys this kind of western.

Three western series get their own sections, Cimarron and Ruff Justice, both written about by editor Justin Marriott and The Trailsman by Steve Myall. All three providing some great insights into why these contributors liked these books so much. 

Then there’s a terrific article by Andreas Decker that looks at how the American series Lassiter by Jack Slade took Germany by storm. Starting with some of the original novels, the German publisher then continued the series and the number of books that have been put out featuring Lassiter is just staggering. Those long running American series like Longarm and The Gunsmith, don’t even come close! 

The final article by Ian Millsted moves away from adult westerns and is a personal look at his top ten western comics and it offers a couple of surprise entries in the countdown. One especially bringing back fond memories for me, that of El Mestizo in Battle Picture Weekly, a comic I read without fail and it now has me wanting to track down a copy of the mentioned hardback book of this comic strip. 

This issue of Hot Lead, is a must read for any fan of adult westerns. It, and the two previous fanzines, provide a lot of informative and entertaining reading that fans of this genre will find themselves returning to time and again. 

Bloody Wyoming

BLAZE #12:

By John Hegenberger

Rough Edges Press, July 2016

All J.D. Blaze wanted to do was celebrate his wife Kate’s birthday, but when you’re the Old West’s only pair of husband-and-wife gunfighters, trouble is never far away. A savage attack and a dangerous injury not only threaten Kate Blaze’s life, she also finds herself a captive of twisted killers and unsure of her own identity. But J.D. will battle with his wits, a pair of rock-hard fists, and a blazing .45 to find Kate and free her before it’s too late! 

This is the first book I’ve read in this series and it’s the first written by John Hegenberger. Blaze was launched to fill the gap left by the now finished Longarm, Slocum and The Trailsman series, and like them is written by a variety of authors, but here the writers name is on the cover rather than hidden behind a pseudonym. Like those three much missed series the Blaze books have adult content as the cover states.

Not having read any of the previous books I don’t know how well John Hegenberger has captured the characters of J.D. Blaze and Kate. Kate isn’t in this one that much, it’s more about J.D. and his attempts to free her from her captors. J.D. also allows his temper to drive his actions which will see him follow false leads and get into numerous deadly scrapes.

Adult westerns often offer the reader well thought out, entertaining action-packed reads and this book certainly falls into that category. The sexual content sandwiches the main story and can easily be skipped if you don’t really go for that part of this kind of story without spoiling the rest of the yarn.

On the strength of this tale I think it’s time I caught up on the previous books. I’m not sure why I haven’t already done so as there are some great authors working on this series which looks set to run until at least the end of 2017 with book 13: Night Riders by Michael Newton being released at the beginning on September.

Available as both print and ebook.

Longarm's last assignment

LONGARM #436:

LONGARM AND THE MODEL PRISONER

By Tabor Evans

Jove, March 2015

Mild-mannered postal thief Brian Henry is not about to give Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long any trouble on the ride back to Denver for trail. After being double-crossed by a tantalizing temptress who took his money, Brian is good and licked.

In fact, when Longarm is pistol-whipped by highwaymen, it’s his polite prisoner who comes to his aid and makes no attempt to escape as the lawman rides off to rescue a beautiful woman kidnapped by the desperadoes.

But when the gunsmoke clears, will this be Longarm’s last showdown?

Sadly this is the last Longarm book. The series first appeared on the bookshelves way back in 1978 and a new book has been published monthly ever since. Alongside the regular books there are 29 giant editions too. Longarm also made it into film.

So does Longarm go out in style? Checking my records I was shocked to discover it’s been a couple of years since I last read a Longarm book, so this one came as a bit of a surprise when I discovered just how much sex it contained. Maybe this was an intentional inclusion to echo the amount that featured in the series when it first came out?

The blurb above pretty much outlines the story completely. It’s a straight-forward fast paced read that does bring about an end to Long’s career as a lawman. Personally I’d have thought Vail would have fought harder to keep Longarm on the payroll but still the reason for Custis handing in his badge is how I imagined it would end.

There’s none of Longarm’s trademark sayings included and he does speak a little differently to how I’m used to reading his dialogue but different writers have always put their style into the books making it very easy to work out that Tabor Evans is a pseudonym behind which more than ten authors have written over the years, including some of the biggest names in western fiction.

So, perhaps not as strong a finish to the series as I would have liked, but the story was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it. 

Longarm and the Ambush at Holy Defiance

By Tabor Evans

Jove, February 2013

After some Arizona Rangers and U.S. marshals are bushwhacked while looking for a stolen cache of gold, it’s Longarm’s turn to ride down to the border town of Holy Defiance to find the killers and the loot.

At his side is the heavenly Haven Delacroix, a pretty Pinkerton agent who is Longarm’s match in more ways than one. The Pinkerton’s always get their man – and Haven is no exception. As they tangle with banditos, Apaches, and a wealthy ranch owner and his wild wife, Longarm and Haven are in for a hell of a ride…

This is the twenty-ninth Longarm giant edition (the last one appeared in 2010) and in my opinion it’s great to see them making a return.

Tabor Evans matches Longarm with an engaging partner, one who has an air of mystery surrounding her, something that occupies Longarm’s mind almost as much as trying to figure out who killed the lawman and where the missing gold is hidden.

There’s plenty of action as Delacroix's beauty attracts trouble nearly everywhere they go. But it’s not just when Longarm is with the Pinkerton agent that he finds himself fighting for his life as he has to endure a savage beating and attempted drowning whilst tracking the outlaws alone.

Descriptions of landscapes are expertly written, painting vivid imagery within the mind. The violent elements of the story are brutal and fairly graphic. The whereabouts of the gold remains a secret until the author decides to reveal the truth about it. This also applies to why the lawmen were killed and to just what is going on around Holy Defiance.

The book opens with an exciting gunfight aboard a train and ends with an equally dramatic gunfight between outlaws and Longarm’s small, and unusual, posse.

The man writing behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time around is Peter Brandvold and this story contains many of his trademarks, tough capable characters of both sexes, a fast moving plot, plenty of savage action and some neat twists.

Longarm and the Ambush at Holy Defiance is a must read for both fans of the series and the works of Peter Brandvold. If you’ve never tried either, and don’t mind adult westerns, then this could just be a great place to experience both and I’m sure it’ll have you coming back for more.

Longarm and the 400 Blows

By Tabor Evans

Jove, March 2012

The 400th Longarm adventure.

In all his years as a lawman, Longarm’s been pistol-whipped, punched out, trampled, and shot more times than he can count – but his latest hangover may be the worst he’s ever felt.

Until he runs afoul of Anton Gardner…

Since he’s come to Fort Marion to extradite the prisoner Gardner – who robbed a military payroll and killed seven men – Longarm’s been attacked by cops with clubs, hurt by a blow to the head from Gardner’s lovely red-haired accomplice, shot in the ribs, and tossed in jail. And the hardest blow of all: Gardner’s escaped with his badge and is impersonating the lawman. One thing’s for sure…Longarm is not down for the count.

I’ve always been amazed that the publishers of the long running western series don’t make more of a fuss over reaching such milestones as the 400th book in their publishing history. Other than the book number shown on the cover there is nothing to announce this achievement. At one time ‘anniversary edition,’ or something similar appeared on the cover but these days nothing. 

The book itself is just a regular Longarm adventure that stands up well with other entries in the series. Perhaps reflects those from the earlier days of the series more than those I’ve read that have been published in the last few years, in so much as the plot is fairly basic with most of the story being taken up with one sexual encounter after another.

The story follows Longarm on his way to Fort Marion and during this journey he meets several women that he beds, and then he collects and loses his prisoner, during his pursuit of Gardner Longarm meets more women which leads to more sex. From this description long time readers of the Longarm series will see what I mean about the book being more like those early stories, which made the series very popular back then, enough so that we’ve now got the 400th regular sized book (there have been 28 giant editions published too).

I found the book to be very readable, its short chapters of three or four pages making it easy for me to keep saying that I’ll read just a couple more and before I knew it I’d reached the end. Descriptive passages are excellent and dialogue believable – even though Longarm is somewhat more foul-mouthed than many writers behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans present him. Overall the book entertained and proved to be an enjoyable read. Roll on the next hundred!

Interview: Chet Cunningham

My latest interview is with Chet Cunningham who has had over 300 books published in a variety of different genres. Around half of these have been westerns put out under his own name and a number of pseudonyms. 

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

In high school we had a test essay type. I didn’t really know the answer, so I wrote all the way around it. Got an A. So I said this writing is a great thing to do.

Did anyone encourage you to be a writer, and if so whom?

No one urged me to be a writer. Just the opposite. When I started college I flunked the English exam and was put in the remedial English class. The HEA of the journalism department said since I was in remedial English I couldn’t be a journalism major. I eventually got in by selling four short articles to the Portland newspapers.

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

Bushwhackers on the Circle K..l968

What appeals to you about the western genre?

I like the historical element in westerns and the research needed.

What is the biggest challenge in writing a western?

Getting the history right and making it work. Then finding new plot ideas that haven’t been done to death.

How much importance do you place on research and how important is historical accuracy in westerns?

If they find mistakes in your history, the reader won’t believe the story.

You wrote the first three books in the Agent Brad Spear series, why didn’t you write anymore of them?

Total disappointment. The editor there thought he was the greatest western writer alive. He completely rewrote all three of the books throwing in western trite parses and characters. It was a three book contract. I didn’t ask to do more.

You’ve written books in a number of series under pseudonyms, such as Arrow & Saber, Canyon O’Grady and Lone Star, are there any of these series you’d have liked to have written more for and why?

At one time I was writing for five different western series at the same time. I did it to earn a living. Yes, I would have liked to have written dozens more for each one. Most folded or cut back and I was not needed.

I believe you wrote a book for the Faraday series called The Owlhoot Express, but Lynx folded before it could be published. Did this story ever appear elsewhere?

The OWL HOOT EXPRESS resides unpublished but writer paid for on boot hill.

When the Spur series first came out three books were published and then the series was launched from number one again, why did this happen?

The publisher never did tell me why they did three and then restarted them over again from number one. It may have been wanting a new logo and a PR sendoff. Just not sure. I did 55 books in that series.

I’ve noticed some of your Pony Soldiers novels have been issued as ebooks, are we likely to see more of these, and/or any of your other books appearing in this form and what do you think about ebooks in general?

Ebook Westerns….just don’t seem to sell. I had the 5 Pony Soldiers on Ebooks for seven years and I think they sold about twenty copies for all five books.  Now they are Nook with Barnes and Nobel. We’ll see how they do.

Ebooks general: I have three new ones out from my own publishing outfit. With Kindle. All three are action adventure. Ebooks take a lot of promotion. The big sellers of ebooks are writers who are already famous and have a known name. Mid level writers will not sell many ebooks. I am a mid list writer.

You’ve recently had a Black Horse Western published, and a couple of others before this, can we expect to see more?

A fourth is now in works and they are looking at a fifth western from me. I expect them to buy it.

Do you prefer writing series books or stand-alones and why?

I much prefer writing series books. You make one sale to the editor for a series and then do 3, 6, 10, 18, or 64 books about the same characters. Easier, faster, and they sell more than a stand alone.

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

I’d go with the Pony Soldiers. Now out of print but available used on Amazon.com for two or three dollars each. Some of my best writing, and my best plots. Also the Seal Team Seven series. l8 books, some are now being re-released. Others used on Amazon.

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

The TV series of westerns sparked huge numbers of paperback Western Series. Must have been thirty or forty of them. Now there is almost no market for the western. A few publishers bring out a few Westerns. But the market is really low and slow. There will always be western novels. But in the future they will be longer, more complicated plots and they will delve into more historical areas.

As well as westerns you write in the action adventure genre, which books should readers be looking out for here?

Afore mentioned SEAL TEAM SEVEN books.. Also three Ebooks from Kindle Amazon…NORTH KOREAN BLOWUP, RADIATION WIPEOUT, and DIRTY BOMB TERROR. on line for only $4.99.

You’ve also written a number of non-fiction books, can you please tell us something about them.

Fifteen books. Most of them are in the medical field: SCIATICA, IRRiTAL BOWEL SYNDROME, MACULAR DEGENERATION. Like that. All are aimed at the ordinary person, not a medal person. Two non fiction books about motorcycles and cars. Two military books: HELL WOULDN’T STOP, (Wake Island battle and prisoners) and FROGMEN OF WORLD WAR II.

You created the Read-4-Fun program and founded the San Diego Book Awards Association. Could you please tell us something about them.

We got book donations for kids in the fifth grade level. If the kid in class read 200 pages of a chapter type book, he could select a free book from the 4-Fun shelf. For some it was the first book they had ever owned.

What is your favourite western movie and why?

TRUE GRIT….Why? The story line, the setting and the fact of Big John Wayne. This is the first one made, not the second one.

Finally what do you read for pleasure?

Very little. I have macular degeneration and when writing fiction I do it in 22 point bold type on the screen. This I am in 18 point but still need a magnifying glass to be sure I get the words right. Even large print books are in 16 point, so I need an 8 to 10 power magnifier to read a few words at a time. Slow, grinding work and no fun.  I’d rather check out the Cowboy channel from Encore. They have westerns on 24 hours a day, every day.

Longarm and the Doomed Beauty

By Tabor Evans

Jove, December 2011

#397 in the series.

Babe Younger – cousin to the infamous Cole Younger – has shot his last bank manager. Thanks to the testimony of eyewitness Josephine Pritchard, the outlaw has been duly executed at the end of a hangman’s rope. But in a touching display of loyalty to their leader, the gang has vowed vengeance against the beautiful Miss Pritchard.

Now it’s up to Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long to ‘thwart the gang’s ill intentions towards the lovely lady. If Longarm has his way, every one of them will be reunited with their leader – in a special ring of hell reserved for cutthroats and cowards. Of course it is a single man against an entire gang – and if Custis doesn’t watch his back, he might be the one not getting any older…

The first part of this story sees Longarm getting re-acquainted with Miss Cynthia Larimer – whom he first met in the Lunatic Mountains (see book #386 in the series) – then being sent to make sure Josephine Pritchard is kept safe, during the journey to her he meets up with the amusing Anderson family. Arriving at his destination in time to save Miss Pritchard from an attempt on her life the book then becomes a chase story, which is filled with almost constant action.

Descriptions of the landscape are vivid as are the action sequences. Characters are well crafted and memorable – I enjoyed seeing Josephine change from being a scared girl into a tough woman ready to take on all the dangers thrown at her. The number of bad guys means there’s a large death toll and their killings are quite graphically described at times.

All the above means that I found this to be a very entertaining read, everything I’d expect from a Longarm book really, although I doubt it was ever going to fail in my opinion considering the author hiding behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time around is one of my favourite western writers: Peter Brandvold.

Longarm #390

Longarm and the Bloody Relic

By Tabor Evans

Jove, May 2011

If you are intending to read this book then please skip the second paragraph below, which is the blurb from the book, and in my opinion gives away too much of the plot. Tells you the secret of the Star of Father Cristobal, a secret the author doesn’t reveal until near the end of the story.

When someone steals the Star of Father Cristobal from a mission in San Antonio, Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long is called on to recover the religious relic. But with no witnesses to the theft, it’s gonna take a miracle to get it back.

Turns out the Star may hold the key to finding a legendary treasure. But the one man who can decode its ancient clues has been kidnapped by a ruthless French fortune hunter. After a sexy Mexican dancer saves Longarm from getting bushwhacked, he’s hot on a trail that may lead to a lost city – and a lot of lost lives…

Right from the opening chapter this book piles action upon action. There’s gunfights, chases, and a little bed-room fun, and mystery, as Longarm attempts to find the Star of Father Cristobal and discover why it was taken, and by whom. If that’s not enough then there’s the kidnapping to add further intrigue. And then there’s Longarm’s desire for revenge – his need to kill a couple of bad-guys for murdering an innocent girl.

So, as I said, this is an action packed book, that starts fast and keeps upping the pace until the secret of the Star is solved and a final showdown takes place, resulting in a just death for the main bad-guy.

Great to see Jessica Starbuck get a few mentions too. As does her final adventure in the Lone Star series – I can’t say more than that without giving away part of this story.

When I tell you the author writing behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time is James Reasoner, I’m sure many western readers will realise that they are going to get a quality read from this book. In fact I’d say this is one of James’ best entries in the series, and he’s written a fair few of them since his first appeared way back in October 1993. Sadly it seems this will be his last, and if that does turn out to be true then it’s definitely a great book to finish with. Let’s just hope James returns to writing Longarm books further down the trail.

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.