FREE - Shooter's Cross

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

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

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

Rancho Diablo #1

SHOOTER’S CROSS

By Colby Jackson

An ebook, October 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wild West eMonday

Tomorrow, Monday January 3^rd, is Wild West eMonday.

Like Wild West Mondays of the past this event is an attempt to gain more recognition for westerns by making publishers and booksellers aware there is a demand for western fiction. What is being asked is that all fans of western fiction buy a western ebook on this date.

Ebooks are fast growing in popularity and there are many westerns to choose from. There are classic westerns now available in electronic form, there are new authors to choose from, and new stories available from established authors. Many ebook versions are cheaper than the paper books too.

I review quite a few Black Horse Westerns here, and these a quite expensive to buy. The price on the books now is £13.25. Very shortly it’ll be possible to buy four of these books as an ebook bundle for £10.00 - four for less than the price of one book, and no shipping charges either.

Ebooks have allowed old books to be re-published. No longer will you have to search the second-hand bookstores for an old tatty, creased and yellowed copy of a book you’ve long wanted. You’ll be able to store an entire series – in fact many, many series – on one handheld device that weighs less than a single paperback book. The recently launched ebook version of the classic first book in the Edge series is now available for instance, and if it sells well enough could see the entire series of 61 books come out in this form.

As I said above there are new books only available as ebooks. With Dorchester switching to ebooks rather than paper, the only way to read new books from their authors is in electronic form. Books such as the fourth book in Robert Randisi’s Lancaster series, Crow Bait, and the 65^th book in David Thompson’s Wilderness series, Seed of Evil, for example.

Then there’s the new Rancho Diablo series by Colby Jackson – a pseudonym shared by Mel Odom, James Reasoner and Bill Crider – the second book having just been released. 

Westerns which cross genres are now becoming more readily available too, such as Peter Brandvold’s Bad Wind Blowing – which sees the dead coming back to life, came out in December 2010. (Expect a review of this here soon)

So please take a few minutes tomorrow to search through the many western ebooks available and spend a few pounds or dollars on supporting this event and help keep the western fiction genre alive.

Wild West eMonday is spearheaded by Gary at the Tainted Archive, there you will be able to find more details, along with many western related posts, including a free ebook, articles and interviews. You will also be able to read a new short story, Melanie, by Edward A. Grainger, which sees the return of Marshal Cash Laramie…

MELANIE

By Edward A. Grainger

This is a hard-hitting tale that deals with child abuse. It also highlights the frustrations of the law not being able to intervene in life within a person’s own home, no matter how bad this is. In fact Marshal Cash Laramie finds himself in trouble for attempting to help the young girl of the title, Melanie.

Edward A. Grainger has written a tale that will stick with the reader for a long time. Characterization is handled well within such a short story, easily making the reader feel emotionally attached to them, be that wanting Laramie to find a solution to the problem, feel anger at the law and hate towards Clem Stewart.

There’s also some excellent tension towards the end as Melaine searches for her uncle in the dark, fearing what could be lurking out there, and what her uncle’s reaction to her might be. The end is well crafted and offers a neat surprise.

Melaine is well worth taking the time to read.

Edward A. Grainger is a pseudonym used by David Cranmer, editor of Beat to a Pulp. His first Laramie story, Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil, can be found in the western anthology A Fistful of Legends.