The Magnificent Mendozas

By Ross Morton

Hale, July 2014

When the Mexican circus ships out of the gringo town of Conejos Blancos, Hart and his ruthless desperadoes are quick off the mark to take over the town, and the adjacent silver mine.

With the sheriff slaughtered, and many of the citizens held hostage, two local boys escape, and recruit seven Mexican circus performers to help penetrate the cordon of sentries and free the townspeople. Only the ‘Magnificent Mendozas’ – a family of weapons experts, escapologists and gymnasts – stand a chance against the Hart gang, on both sides of the divide before the day is through.

With a large cast of characters Ross Morton regularly switches between them which builds up the tension of everything having to run like clockwork if the small group of circus performers has any chance of freeing the captives from the superior number of outlaws. This also allows Morton to finish some of his scenes with cliff-hangers that ensures the reader will find the book difficult to put down.

Each of the Mendozas has a different skill and all of them will be put to the test before the battle is won. And what a terrific battle it is. This final showdown covers most of the second half of the story thus making this a must read for those who like plenty of action in their westerns.

With a strong mix of male, female, and child roles, and the dramatic rescue methods used, all told in Ross Morton’s very readable style, this book proved to be a very entertaining read.

The Magnificent Mendozas at Amazon.com

The Magnificent Mendozas (Black Horse Western) at Amazon.co.uk

Write a Western in 30 Days

By Nik Morton

Compass books, June 2013

Something a little different to the books I usually comment on but one I thought would be of interest to some of you who read Western Fiction Review as I know many writers, both beginners and old-hands, view this blog regularly.

Even though I don’t have any ambitions to write a western, or any other book for that matter, I still thought I’d find this an interesting read and this proved to be true.

Nik Morton, who writes westerns under the pseudonym of Ross Morton and is the editor in chief for Solstice Publishing, includes examples to back up the many points he makes on such topics as preparation, point of view, plot-plans, dialogue, self-editing, formatting the manuscript, and marketing, to name but a few.

Nik Morton’s writing is straight-forward and doesn’t come over as too technical, making me believe I would be confident in writing a western by following his plan if I so desired.

Even if you are already an author with ideas of your own on how to write westerns, I still think you’d find plenty of tips within this book. The reference sections, that list books, websites, agents, and western publishers, should be worth the price of this book alone.

Available as both a paperback and ebook.

And finally a little note of thanks to Nik for mentioning Western Fiction Review three times within his book.

Blind Justice at Wedlock

By Ross Morton

A Black Horse Western from Hale, May 2011

When Clint Brennan interrupts two men kidnapping his wife Belle, he is shot and left for dead. But he recovers his senses and finds that his wife is gone and he has been blinded. Most men would have given up, but not Clint. Astride his donkey, he sets out with his faithful dog Mutt on the trail of his wife’s abductors.

Belle, meanwhile, believes her husband is dead, and when a rich saviour comes to her rescue, the people around her suggest it’s time to start again….

A tale of violence, betrayal and lies – it will all end at Wedlock, amidst flames and bullets.

There’s plenty of mystery to hold your attention in this fast moving, action packed tale that often has you believing you know what is going on, but then offers a surprising twist to completely throw you off track.

The idea of having a blind hero is not often seen in westerns, so offers an intriguing take to this story. Reading how he overcomes his handicap makes for an interesting, and entertaining, storyline. Dog lovers will surely warm to Brennan’s plucky four-legged friend.

Ross Morton tells his story from the viewpoints of many of his well-drawn characters. At first these many threads seem unrelated but they eventually pull together, leaving none dangling by the end.

Those who’ve read the other books by Ross Morton will know that two of the three are based around Bethesda Falls, and this book continues that trend, so a few characters will be familiar to you. If you haven’t read the earlier books then that won’t spoil your enjoyment of this story as it could easily be a stand-alone title.

With Blind Justice at Wedlock Ross Morton (real name Nik Morton) has once again left me eager to read his next title. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait two years as we’ve had to between this and his previous title, The $300 Man.

The $300 Man

as by Ross Morton
A Black Horse Western from Hale, May 2009

What’s a life worth? $300, maybe.

Half Mexican Corbin Molina lost a hand during the Civil War but he has adapted. Now he’s on a mission to Walkerville. On the way, he prevents a train robbery and finds an old friend. Corbin always carries $300, which is significant, since that’s what he was paid as a substitute soldier for the Union.

When Corbin starts asking questions about Walkerville’s law and administration, he discovers that the Walker family, who seem to have bought and paid for loyalty and position, dominate the townspeople. Inevitably, Corbin’s questions attract plenty of trouble. And his past emerges to confront him during a tense showdown that threatens not only him but also his newfound love.

Ross Morton (real name Nik Morton) presents the reader with a fascinating character in Corbin Molina, not least because his mixed blood cause him problems, but due to him having a hook in place of a hand, and the fact that his reasons for coming to Walkerville are not immediately explained. These aren’t the only plotlines that grab the readers attention, there’s also the other well drawn characters, many of whom may not be who they say they are, such as Tillman who seems to have been hired as a replacement lawman by the Walkers, but is perhaps working to his own agenda, whatever that maybe.

A fair part of story is told in flashbacks, such as how Molina lost his hand. This is explained in one of the highlight sequences of the tale, that of the battle for Fort Fisher in 1864.

Ross Morton also includes plenty of action and a number of twists and turns before everything is resolved satisfactory.

The £300 Man is officially released today.