FROM DUNDEE'S DESK

A STAMPEDE OF EXCITING WESTERN FICTION

2012-03-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks, a welcome number of action-packed Westerns have come galloping onto the scene. Anyone who still says the Western is dead clearly hasn't been paying attention (the upcoming Lone Ranger and Johnny Depp-Tonto movie quite aside). Like it's done for other areas of genre fiction, the eBook revolution has played a big part in this. Rootin'-tootin' traditional Westerns on electronic media … go figure.

And there are plenty of good, solid print Westerns still in the mix, too.

Here are some recent titles I am anxious to read (or already have):

Gabby Darbins and the Slide-Rock Bolter (Rancho Diablo)

http://www.amazon.com/

This latest entry in the popular Rancho Deluxe series is penned by Bill Crider and is another fine yarn. Bill may be best known for his contemporary mysteries featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes (and also, my personal favorite, his Truman Smith PI books) but he is certainly no stranger to the Western genre. OUTRAGE AT BLANCO and RYAN RIDES BACK are among noteworthy previous titles. You can't go wrong with Crider, no matter the genre.

Bullets for a Ballot

http://www.amazon.com/

Here's the latest novel-length adventure in the Cash Laramie/Gideon Miles series, as created by Edward Grainger (who everybody knows is David Cranmer). This one is written by Nik Morton and is a flat-out, action-packed, sexy, lighting-paced read! As the production blurb says: "Gun Smoke Rises and Blood Spills" ... add that to the sensual cover and the 99-cent price tag and how can you NOT give this book a try?

HALLAM (Lucas Hallam Mysteries)

http://www.amazon.com/

‎Here's a Western series with a bit of a twist (but not so much of one that it slips out of the category of still being damn good "Western" fare). Lucas Hallam is a former cowboy and Pinkerton agent who has outlived his time in the wild country and is now working as a stuntman and part-time PI in early Hollywood. In short, he's one of the most original Western (or PI) characters you have ever read. THE HALLAM COLLECTION indicated here is a collection of (long) short stories, one of which was the initial introduction of the character. Author L.J. Washburn (who everybody knows is the wife of James Reasoner) also wrote these novel-length Hallam tales: WILD NIGHT, DEAD STICK, and DOG HEAVIES --- all of which are terrific and have been re-issued in eBook format. In addition, some of Livia's earlier Westerns --- EPITAPH, BANDERA PASS, GHOST RIVER --- are also available again as eBook re-issues. I highly recommend all of these.

Redemption: Hunters: Hunters

http://www.amazon.com/

This is the second in a new Western series by the prolific and always excellent James Reasoner. You don't have to read the first book ahead of this one, but it might help (but, heck, why not just go ahead and treat yourself to BOTH - with Reasoner at the helm, you know you're not going to be disappointed). James (husband of Livia/L.J. Washburn as per above) has written so many good books in so many genres I can't begin to mention all of them here. (Although, without going into details, I will make three exceptions - TEXAS WIND, DIAMONDBACK, and DUST DEVILS; all are available on Kindle and if you haven't read all or any of these, you owe it to yourself to correct that ASAP.) Getting back to strictly Westerns, James is also currently writing in Rancho Diablo series and re-releasing some stand-alones, such as THE HUNTED. As covered here in a past blog, James and Livia also co-wrote the WIND RIVER series now in eBook re-issue and they appear to be doing very well. All of these are worth checking out --- like I said above, you owe it to yourself and with Reasoner at the helm you'll never be disappointed.

The Last Ride of Jed Strange

http://www.amazon.com/

Nobody currently (or maybe ever) writing in the genre, does gritty, action-packed Westerns better than Frank Leslie (who also writes under his own name, Peter Brandvold). Brandvold/Leslie has turned out a lot of titles in a number of different series (this one featuring Colter Farrow the most recent) and they're all terrific. Ben Stillman, Lou Prophet, Yakima Henry, Cuno Massey, Gideon Hawk, and now Colter Farrow --- these are Peter's series characters. Here are some recent titles linked, respectively, to each: ONCE A RENEGADE, THE DEVIL'S LAUGHTER, DEAD RIVER KILLER, .45 CALIBER DESPERADO, GALLOWS EXPRESS, and THE LAST RIDE OF JED STRANGE. Not to mention Peter's "wierd western" - DUST OF THE DAMNED. Plus (trust me, I have it on good authority) plenty more to come. I am honored to know Peter personally and I've never met anybody more passionate about writing. And that passion definitely shows through in his work.

I highly recommend you climb up into the saddle with any or all of these and I don't think you'll be sorry.

Persevere --- WD

Available Now: COUNTERPUNCH - New Fight Card Novel

2012-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

COUNTERPUNCH (Fight Card)
http://www.amazon.com/

The byline here reads "Jack Tunney" --- but for this particular entry in the popular Fight Card series, the author is actually yours truly. The Fight Card series was created late last year by Paul Bishop and Mel Odom and there have been three titles prior to this one so far in the series --- one each by Paul and Mel, a third by Eric Beetner.
All take place circa the 1950s and each features a different protagonist and setting; the linking factor being that the featured fighter came from St. Vincent's Asylum for Boys in Chicago and was originally trained by Father Tim, the battling priest. These are old-fashioned, pulpy, action-packed tales yet also feature a lot of heart and passion (think something along the lines of the "Rocky" movies).
I was honored to be invited to participate in this. My story is set in Milwaukee, 1954, and features Danny "The Duke" Dugronski, an ex-Marine who's earned a respectable reputation as a solid regional heavyweight --- until the Mob tries to muscle in and force him into some rigged fights. Before it's over, they find out that Danny is a fighter who's willing to stand his ground and slug it out with any opponent, no matter who it is.
This is a little different than most anything else I've written.
I hope you give it a try, I think you'll like it.

Persevere --- WD

My Nebraska: THE ALAMO BAR - NORTH PLATTE

2012-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

There is an inextricable link between Buffalo Bill Cody and North Platte—what we here in Ogallala (52 miles west) consider the nearest "big town" for a broader range of shopping, etc. The town of North Platte fully embraces its Cody history, as evidenced by everything from the brickwork "gates" containing images of Cody as you enter the city limits off I-80, to the colorful "Fort Cody" museum and gift shop, to Cody Park (with a glassed-in, lifesize statue of Cody at its entrance) to Scout's Rest, which Buffalo Bill built and where he resided during the late 1880s.

Scout's Rest is now a State Historical Site. Cody initially left it to his sister with the instructions that in the event any "old scout" should travel through in need of a hot meal and a place to rest his head for a night or two, she should accommodate him. Hence the name.

North Platte is also the place where, in 1882, at the behest of the town fathers, Cody staged a rootin'-tootin', ropin' and ridin' exhibition to celebrate the Fourth of July. He called it his "Old Glory Blowout" and it served as the blueprint for what would soon expand and become his world-famous Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

But the piece of North Platte-Cody memorabilia that has always fascinated me the most is the little tavern tucked in a corner off the beaten path down near the Union Pacific railroad tracks. It's called the Alamo Bar and boasts of being in business since 1873. Moreover, it boasts that its still-in-use serving bar also dates back that far and, in its prime, was frequently bellied up to by none other than Bufallo Bill himself.

My days of drinking with any regularity are mostly past, but I'm known to still bend an elbow on occasion. And resting said elbow on the very same bar where Buffalo Bill rested his … well, who could resist?

I don't get over to the Alamo Bar all that often but, whenever I do, the experience, for me, is always the same. Even though the place has changed hands since I started going there (now aiming to be a sports bar) the bar itself is still as it was. Polished-over thousands of times, still a pale brown in color, still scarred and nicked and initial-carved and cigarette-scorched … in short, simply glorious. And when I hitch up a stool and sit down, the chatter and juke box music that otherwise fills the place seems to fade away, perhaps only for a moment or two, and its just me and Ol' Bill … excuse me, sir—Colonel Cody … and maybe one of the North brothers who have dropped by today, maybe even that rascal Print Olive prowling in out of the wild country …

Then the reverie is over and it's back to Now and I know it was all just another piece of a daydream (like us crazy writers are wont to have more often than regular folks). But, brief though it was, it was a grand little fantasy … And I'll be returning to have me another round the first chance I get.

Persevere — WD

My Nebraska: OGALLALA BAY RUM- FOR THOSE INTIMATE MOMENTS WHEN YOUR SWEET-HEART WANTS YOU TO SMELL BETTER THAN A LONGHORN

2012-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

In the last decade of the great cattle drive era (1875 – 1885) my adopted home town of Ogallala, Nebraska, was named the End of the Texas Trail and became the destination for herd after herd of longhorns being driven to its rail head for shipment off to the markets.

This meant that Ogallala also became the destination for wave after wave of weary, saddle-sore, thirsty, horny cowboys ready to cut loose after so many hard months on the trail. After selling their beef and getting paid, the main focus for most of them was to cut the trail dust out of their throats with beer and rotgut whiskey and to seek the "companionship" of the numerous soiled doves awaiting in the saloons and bawdy houses that Ogallala had in abundance. In addition to being named the End of the Texas Trail, the town had also been dubbed, with good reason, "the Gomorrah of the plains".

Now, while the gals who pandered to these randy cowboys weren't exactly what you could call picky about who they spent their time with, they did try to draw the line about certain things. And frolicking with a cowboy who'd just spent all those weeks riding at the south end of a northbound longhorn … well, at least a modicum of hygiene was requested. It was hoped the cowboys in question would take time for a shave and a bath (and the gals, too, for that matter). Barring that, it was required that at least some measure was taken to curb the smell of sweat, dust, and, er, other aromas that lingered after all that south-end riding.

Enter Ogallala Bay Rum.

Near as I can determine, bay rum—what these days we more commonly call after shave lotion or cologne—had been around for a century or two before Ogallala's name got attached to it. It originated in the West Indies and over the years had many different brand names and spins placed on its basic ingredients.

But in Western America, when its time came, the Ogallala brand became very popular. And, among other things, it served very nicely to create at least the illusion of freshness and cleanliness that the discerning gals of saloon row demanded.

Ogallala Bay Rum outlasted the cattle drive era but then, like many other "bay rums", it—along with Brylcreem, Butch Wax, etc.—pretty much fell out of vogue after the first half of the last century. The Ogallala brand ceased to exist.

Now, however, it is back. An enterprising local fellow has resurrected it, starting first as a sideline that he brewed and bottled in his basement. He now has his own building in a strip mall on the south side of town where he produces and ships product all over the world and is able to lay claim, via the internet, to operating the "Largest Bay Rum Site in the World". You can access it at www.ogallalabayrum.com and order some of the product there if you're interested.

Have to admit I haven't tried any yet myself. I'm an Old Spice guy, going back about five decades, and don't expect to make any wholesale changes at this point in my life. Nevertheless, out of a sense of history and in support of a fellow Ogallalian, I intend to sample some soon. It bills itself as "strong, invigorating stuff" and I could sure as hell use a dose of that. Plus it warns "not for sissies", so neither can I back down from the challenge.

So, we'll have to find out.

And to think, none of it might have been possible if those soiled doves from so long ago had hadn't been so darn fussy …

Persevere — WD

My Take: GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE

2012-02-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Went to see this last night with my two grandsons—Riley, 10; and Billy, 19.

The three of us also went to see GHOST RIDER 1 together (hard to believe it was five years ago!). We all liked the first one well enough but Riley, especially, was crazy about it. In subsequent weeks and months I bought him Ghost Rider comic books, printed off tons of images from the internet, and of course bought him the DVD when it came out … Not to mention playing "Ghost Riders In The Sky" off my Essential Johnny Cash CD about forty jillion times whenever he rode in the car with me.

So, needless to say, as soon as it was announced that GHOST RIDER 2 was in the works, it was a foregone conclusion we would make a point of seeing it.

To do so on its opening night involved a trip to North Platte, the nearest "big town" multi-plex where it was showing. (Our little two-plex here in Ogallala probably won't have it for another two or three weeks.)

In fairness, I suppose the 100-mile round trip (the things I do for my grandkids!) and the exorbitant pricing (14 bucks for a tub of popcorn!) sort of took the edge off whatever level of enjoyment I was likely to experience before the movie even got started. We even went the cheap-o route and saw the 2D version, which saved $10 in "special feature" fees, and it still cost close to $70 for four of us (we took one of Billy's pals, too). For that kind of outlay I expected something reasonably close to being at least as good as the first movie, which was colorful and exciting and a lot of fun in a guilty-pleasure kind of way.

I didn't get it.

GHOST RIDER 2 is dark and disjointed and, in too many places, just plain dull. The Johnny Blaze character, as played once again by Nicholas Cage, is by turns nearly psychotic when he rails against his "curse", then at other times strangely mellow. I don't know if that was the way the part was written of it is merely Cage being Cage. As far as the plot (and I use the term rather loosely) I won't bore you with too many details except to say that it deals with saving a young boy from Satan and his minions and, if Blaze can deliver him to safety, a very ancient and remote order of priests will lift his Ghost Rider curse.

There are some nifty action sequences, decent special effects, and a welcome touch of wry humor here and there. My favorite scene? One of Satan's henchmen is a nasty dude called Decay, who can cause anything he touches, including people, to immediately start rotting and crumbling away … At one point he attempts to eat some items from a lunch box but everything he takes out (a sandwich, a piece of fruit) instantly crumbles and falls apart in his hands before he can get it to his mouth. But then he takes out a Twinkie, which remains totally unphased by his powers of decay, and he is happily able to munch it down.

Maybe that says more about my goofy sense of humor than it does the movie's actual accomplishments, but amidst all the pyrotechnics and scenery-chewing by Cage and other actors, it nevertheless was the stand-out moment.

Bottom line: My grandsons got a kick out of GR2, especially Riley once again, and that really was the main point of going to see it. So I'm glad we did. My advice otherwise would be: If you saw the first one and liked it at all you probably will want to see this sequel—but I think you'll enjoy it more if you save your money and see it when it comes out on DVD (which I predict will be very soon) or when it runs on cable.

Until then …

Persevere — WD

A FISTFUL OF FISTICUFFS

2012-02-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

If you like exciting, action-packed stories like the old fight pulp tales from the 1930s and 1940s, then you are in luck because there definitely seems to be a resurgence of that type of fiction readily available these days. Some terrific stuff is already out there and more is on the way.

Here are two recent examples well worth checking out:

Battling Boxing Stories: Thrilling Tales of Pugilistic Puissance

http://www.amazon.com/

Just released by Borgo Press (a division of Wildside Press), these 15 stories brought together by editor Gary Lovisi offer a variety of takes on the fight game—each filled with passion, emotion, and the gritty challenge of fist-to-fist competition.

Some character named Dundee even has a spot on the card.

Fight Fictioneers is an exciting new e-Zine from the talented duo of Paul Bishop and Mel Odom—two authors (and fans) who are at the forefront of all this renewed interest in fight fiction. Their "Fight Card" series of pulp-style eBooks are off to a hugely popular start with titles like FELONY FISTS, THE CUTMAN, and SPLIT DECISION currently available—and more on the way. Now, as a companion piece to the Fight Card novels, they will also be putting out further issues of Fight Fictioneers.

For a free copy of issue #1, all you have to do is send a request to fightcardseries@gmail.com

Oh, and that same Dundee character who has a story (it's called "Quick Hands", by the way) in BATTLING BOXER STORIES? Before long, he also will be having a novel out under the Fight Card banner …. Keep an eye out (and your guard up) for COUNTERPUNCH, coming soon!

In the meantime, as always …

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: RACING THE DEVIL by Jaden Terrell

2012-02-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

Racing the Devil

http://www.amazon.com/

RACING THE DEVIL is one of the best detective mysteries I've read in a long time. Making it even better is knowing that it is the debut novel in a new series and that the next title, A CUP FULL OF MIDNIGHT, is due out in only a few months.

The protagonist here is Nashville PI Jared McKean, a refreshing and engaging hero that readers (certainly including me) will want to see more and more of. He is tough, complex, and instantly likable. He is an ex cop, knows some tae-kwon do, plays the guitar, and is a horseman of considerable expertise. Along with Mac himself you also get a colorful cast of recurring characters, each distinct and interesting in his or her own way and each adding layers to McKean through his relationships with them. All of this is injected in via Terrell's skilled writing style without ever seeming heavy-handed or slowing the pace of the central plot. We're used to being introduced to series characters with affectations and histories (sometimes some pretty outrageous ones) designed to set them apart from the pact—unfortunately, too often these are transparently obvious plot devices that ring phony because they have no real heart. Not so here. Everything in McKean's extended family and history matters and makes the reader care.

The central storyline is a doozy, too. It starts out with Mac picking up the proverbial one night stand in a local bar and then waking up from a drugged stupor in a sleazy motel room two mornings later, only to discover he's been framed for a murder that occurred while he was zonked out … And, like I said, that's only for starters. From there the plot takes all kinds of delightfully sneaky twists and turns as Mac races to find the real killer in a desperate attempt to clear himself.

Top notch stuff all the way around. Exceptionally good writing, terrific new protagonist, colorful setting.

Anyone reading this who hasn't yet read the book ought to do some racing of their own—to hurry up and purchase a copy of RACING THE DEVIL!

Be sure to check this out.

You won't be sorry you did.

Persevere --- WD

"My Personal West" at Richard Prosch's MERIDIAN BRIDGE

2012-01-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

A few months back, I posted mention here (along with an Amazon review) of Richard Prosch's fine collection of Western stories, DEVILS NEST. If you haven't checked it out yet, you owe it to yourself to do so or otherwise you'll be missing some of the grittiest, best written Western fiction to come down the pike any time recently.
Richard also writes powerful crime stories and other fiction. His work has appeared at David Cranmer's Beat To A Pulp e-zine and elsewhere.

In addition to his fiction writing, Richard also does a very entertaining, information web site called Meridian Bridge, which you can access at http://www.meridianbridge.com/ .
A recurring, expanding feature on the site is a segment called My Personal West where Richard invites current authors writing in the Western genre to provide essays on that topic. As Richard puts it himself:
"My Personal West is a series of essays by some of the best Western writers around. From intimate memories to future objectives, nostalgia to hope, the words written here are reflect an understanding of the western United States not just through history, fiction, and popular culture, but through lives spent working and dreaming there."
A wide range of writers --- James Reasoner, Bill Crider, Larry D. Sweazy, Laurie Powers, Gary Dobbs, Ron Scheer, just to name a few --- have previously provided essays. They are available in an Archived section and are wonderful to read.

Recently, I was honored to be invited by Richard to provide a piece to this impressive collection. It is now being featured on the site and, as stated, it was my honor to participate.
I hope you check it out. And while you are there be sure to peruse all else that is available on the site.

Persevere --- WD

WHY "PERSEVERE"?

2012-01-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

For a couple of years now I have been signing off much of my personal correspondence (as well as these blog posts) with: Persevere — WD.

A few people have asked/commented about this, so let me explain.

A number of years ago, at the production office back in Illinois where I worked as 2^nd Shift foreman, the Day Shift foreman put up this posting on the office wall:

Press on.

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

The words are from a speech by Calvin Coolidge a few years before he became president. I loved the simple but insightful message. I found it inspiring and applicable to life's situations in so many ways. I found it particularly applicable at that point in time to my personal aspirations to one day be a published author. I took a copy of it home and put it on the wall of the room where I did my writing. I read that message every day, either at work or at home or both, and I never found it lacking as a mindset to always be strived for.

When we moved to Nebraska in 1998, that wall posting got packed away and somehow I never dug it out and put it up again either at home or work. I still thought about it a lot, though. I had it pretty much memorized by now and had long since adopted it as a way in which I always tried to conduct myself. I guess I didn't feel the need to have it as a visual reminder.

Time passed. Years. I'd had some success with my writing, but it was sporadic and not exactly a rip-roaring success; yet I still kept at it. Nine Eleven came and went. The American spirit sparked and flourished for a time, but then flagged again and the values of our society often seemed upside down to me. My beloved Pam passed away. Pressing on … persevering … came mighty hard at times. But Coolidge's words were always in my head—and they now meant a lot more to me than just persisting with my writing.

Without having the actual message posted to regularly view and read, my memory somehow substituted the word Perseverance for Persistence. After retiring from my job in the real world and re-focusing on my writing goals, I found myself corresponding more and more with various people, mostly via e-mails. My friend and fellow writer Andrew Vachss signs off his correspondence with "Stay Strong" or (in the past) "Keep Your Strength". I always liked the distinction of that, admired the understated message of encouragement. Desiring to apply something that might give a similar distinction to my own correspondence—but without blatantly copying Andrew—the words (as I somewhat erroneously recalled them) from Silent Cal's inspiring speech eventually came to mind and seemed quite appropriate. Thus, "Persevere —WD" was born.

Make no mistake, however—whatever the genesis, my choice and use of the wording is very sincere.

Press on … Stay the course … Persist … Persevere … However you say it, I truly believe that adopting such a trait/mindset is something that will take you farther toward the goals in your life than anything else. Sometimes it is a mindset you need just to get on with your life.

Not to say this will guarantee the achievement of your goals.

But it sure won't hurt.

And lack of perseverance will almost certainly guarantee falling short of the mark.

Leastways, that's the way I see it.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: A Tuesday Trio

2012-01-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas I got a lot of reading done, much of it in the short novel/novella category that has become so popular on Kindle and other electronic reading devices.
Here are three that I recommend. All bargain-priced and all worth checking out:

Another enjoyable, laid-back mystery featuring Sticks Hetrick. Like the preceding novels in this series, this tale is set in the fictional town of Swatara Creek, PA, where the local color and characters always play an important part in the plot. But Lindermuth's assured writing style and the character of Sticks himself remain the most enjoyable ingredients.

The Man Everyone Loved

http://www.amazon.com/

Here is the latest breezy PI mystery from Jochem Vandersteen, featuring his popular hero, Noah Milano. This one has lots of action, a beautiful blonde packing all kinds of trouble, and some nifty plot twists. Be sure to check it out.

The Alabaster-Skinned Mule (A Noah Milano Novelette)

http://www.amazon.com/

A highly recommended short novel from the always-reliable Mel Odom. A boxing story with action and heart. Read and enjoy.

SMOKER: a Boxing Fable

http://www.amazon.com/

You can read a more detailed review (by yours truly) for each of these at their respective Amazon listings. And, while you're there, hit the "buy" button for each. You won't be disappointed.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: DUST OF THE DAMNED by Peter Brandvold

2012-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Dust of the Damned

http://www.amazon.com/

Are you ready for the wildest, weirdest, rip-snortingest Western adventure ever to gallop hell-for-leather off the printed page? If so, then DUST OF THE DAMNED is what you've been waiting for! Be warned, though: No matter how much you may think you're prepared for this full-tilt ride into the darker side of the Old West … author Brandvold has some shocks and surprises in store for you.

Start with a bit of alternative history. In order to win the Civil War, President Lincoln struck a deal with evil forces from Europe and recruited the Hell's Angels, a pack of bloodthirsty werewolves, to come over and ravage the Confederate forces. They held up that part of the bargain—but the rest, the agreement that they would return to Europe after the war was over, the Angels reneged on. Instead, they fled to the wild, wide open West where they proceeded to turn the frontier wilder and bloodier than ever.

Jump ahead a decade and a half. The West is now overrun with shape-shifters and ghouls of every kind—werewolves, vampires (called swillers), hobgoblins, and various other horrors. It is the work of men like bounty hunter Uriah Zane, armed with an assortment of specialized weapons, to hunt down and kill these monsters. For reasons of personal revenge and also due to a dark secret known only to himself, Zane is uniquely qualified for this job. However, when Charlie Hondo and three other members of the original Hell's Angels escape from Hellsgarde prison, aided by a beautiful Mexican witch and the devastating dragon she has conjured with her demonic powers, the threat they represent may be a challenge too great even for the renowned Zane. But, along with lovely U.S. Marshal Angel Coffin, Zane is willing to ride into Hell itself if that's what it takes to stop Hondo's savage horde.

This is a big, sweeping novel that is by turns imaginative, boisterous, fun, and frightening. But the real key to what makes it work is the writing skill of Peter Brandvold. His imagery of the landscape is sometimes gritty, sometimes breathtaking, always spot-on captivating. And it is this foundation—a polished writer of strong traditional Westerns injecting horror into his storyline, as opposed to the other way around—that adds to the impact of this terrific yarn.

Saddle up and go along for the ride. You won't be sorry you did.

I've been waiting for this book for the better part of a year --- ever since Peter first told me about in an e-mail, and then discussed it further over lunch and a few beers at a downtown Fort Collins bar. Needless to say, I am not disappointed. And, speaking of beer, Peter claims that only Pabst Blue Ribbon was involved when he first thought up the bare bones for this plot ...

Persevere --- WD

Now Available: MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN

2012-01-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Manhunter's Mountain

http://www.amazon.com/

MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN

(the Cash Laramie/Gideon Miles series)

as written by Wayne D. Dundee

Some months back, when David Cranmer (who, everyone knows, writes the hugely popular Cash Laramie/Gideon Miles short stories under his pen name Edward A. Grainger) asked me if I'd be interested in writing a Cash/Gideon novel, I was both surprised and honored. I'd never considered writing something based on someone else's characters before—mainly, I suppose, because I'd never been asked. It didn't take long, however, for me to decide that I did indeed want to give it a try. Number one, I really liked the characters and the strong foundation that had already been established for them; Number Two, I wanted the experience of writing under a "house name". (Although, in the end, David was very generous in giving me—as well as other writers who have or will be providing titles in the series—prominent credit.)

At any rate, the result of my efforts is MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN—available now on Kindle at a very reasonable price. I'm proud and pleased with the way it turned out. More importantly, so is David. As per the following quotes, a number of prominent writers in the Western genre were also kind enough to provide some positive comments. I am immensely grateful to them for their support.

"MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN is a fine Western adventure pitting man against man and man against nature. Filled with gritty action and sharply drawn characters, this is one that Western fans won't want to miss." — James Reasoner

"When the bullets start flying, U.S. Marshal Cash Laramie is in his element! A true son of the Old West, Cash delivers justice in a cloud of gunsmoke." — Mel Odom

"Wayne Dundee takes Edward Grainger's Cash Laramie and puts him into a fast-action Western tale that has everything you could ask for: an appealingly tough protagonist, a combustible (literally at first) situation, some low-down villains, a couple of pretty women, and unforgiving weather. Bleak, hardboiled, even funny at times. Check it out."

— Bill Crider

"A fast, hardboiled Western that continues the Cash Laramie legend with swagger and good, solid writing. Wayne Dundee brings his masterful voice to the Western and tells a Cash Laramie story in perfect pitch. MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN should be on every Western fiction reader's bookshelf." — Larry D. Sweazy

I can't top that, so I won't try.

I hope anyone reading this will be convinced to give MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN a try. I believe you will not be disappointed.

Persevere — WD

A DOUBLE-DOSE OF JOE HANNIBAL

2011-12-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Goshen Hole (The Joe Hannibal books)

www.amazon.com

I'm pleased to announce that, for the first time in four years, a brand new Joe Hannibal novel is now available.

It is entitled GOSHEN HOLE and can be purchased as an eBook original via Amazon Kindle. (Other eBook formats will be available soon, but there are currently no plans for a print version.)

The Amazon link provides a lengthy Product Detail introduction as well as an opening chapter sample. But a more concise blurb might be as follows:

Following the life-altering events of THE DAY AFTER YESTERDAY, Joe Hannibal is back in action! Operating now out of the Lake McConaughy region in west central Nebraska, Joe still carries a PI ticket but doesn't solicit investigative cases like in the old days. This doesn't mean, however, that trouble doesn't still have a way of finding him, even when he doesn't go looking for it.

As a favor to a new friend from the lakeside community, Joe agrees to do some discreet checking on the pal's ex wife who seems to have gone missing from her digs in nearby Cheyenne, Wyoming. In no time at all, Joe finds himself at odds with a shady local businessman, on the radar of a bloodthirsty Mexican crime boss, and in the crosshairs of a rogue bandito who won't hesitate to take down not only his primary target but also anybody/everybody else who tries to get in his way.

Before he can find the answers he set out after, Joe must endure the fight of his life and in the process learns that the dusty back roads and wide open spaces of the high plains can be every bit as dangerous as the meanest streets from the cities of his past.

I've already used this new setting for several Hannibal short stories that have appeared over the past couple of years and have found it to be exciting and re-vitalizing to me as the author—I am in hopes that readers will like it as well.

GOSHEN HOLE is the seventh novel in the series (along with twenty-one short stories) and I recently completed the eighth, BLADE OF THE TIGER, which we'll be bringing out some time next year. 2012 will mark thirty years since Joe first appeared in the now-defunct Spiderweb Magazine—making the series one of the longest-running, still-active ones on the scene.

Nevertheless, if you give GOSHEN HOLE a try (for the bargain price of $2.99!) I think you'll soon find out that Hannibal still has enough gas sloshing around in his battered old tank to keep things interesting.

Also:

The Brutal Ballet (The Joe Hannibal books)

www.amazon.com

In conjunction with the release of Hannibal #7, my third Hannibal novel, THE BRUTAL BALLET, is also being re-issued in eBook format. Originally published as a Dell paperback in 1992, this is one of the few mystery novels (or novels of any kind, to my knowledge) to take an in-depth look at the world of professional wrestling as part of its back story. Which brings me to the admission that I have long been—and continue to be—a big fan of pro wrestling. (You might say it's in the blood … one of my grandfather's boyhood friends growing up in Nekoosa, WI, went on to become the famed 1920s era grappler Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and my sweet, shy maternal grandmother would attend live matches and turn into one of those raging "Hatpin Mary" types who would sit at ringside and cuss a blue streak at whatever "bad guy" was breaking the rules.)

Anyway, I was eager to use the wrestling scene (this was in the days before the term "sports entertainment" was in wide use and most organizations were still going through the pretense of pretending everything was "real") as the backdrop to a story and I think it turned out pretty well. Unfortunately, distribution was lousy and the book went on and off the shelves in about a week so very few readers ever saw or heard of THE BRUTAL BALLET. I am in hopes that, through the magic of eBooks, this can be corrected.

The blurb for this one goes:

While trying to prove or disprove his client's suspicions of a cheating spouse, Hannibal is drawn into the violent and bizarre world of professional wrestling. Almost immediately, however, he finds himself grappling with issues far more serious than infidelity when his investigation slams him up against a vicious murder. And where there is one murder there is always the seed for more.

Double-dealings, illicit sex, blackmail, and kidnapping are all on the card as Joe battles to uncover the truth. He will taste hot sweet kisses and bitter rage and his own blood before he is through. But innocent lives are being threatened with death … and the kind of unbelievable degradation that can be even worse. Hannibal won't stop until the predators and killers are revealed and made to pay.

"Noir" seems to be the popular catch phrase used for a lot of stuff coming out these days, but what the Hannibal books and stories are is plain old-fashioned "hardboiled" … a tag I think I am qualified to attach. In the preface to an interview I did a couple months back, the interviewer used the term "red meat mysteries" for my work … I kinda like that, too.

So if you're looking to add a little red meat to your holiday pastries and cookies and candy canes, why not give the Hannibal books a try? I think you'll be glad you did—and so will Joe and I.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: DEAD MEN'S HARVEST by Matt Hilton

2011-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Dead Men's Harvest

www.amazon.com

This sixth adventure in the popular Joe Hunter series is an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish and author Hilton holds the pedal to the metal on practically every page.

Hunter, former military man and agent for the mysterious counter-terrorism outfit Arrosave, once again finds himself pitted against Tubal Cain—a vicious serial killer also known as the Harvestman due to his quirky little habit of "harvesting" bones and other souvenirs from his victims. What makes their clash all the more unnerving this time around is the fact that Hunter thought he had killed Cain a number of years ago (as related in DEAD MEN'S DUST, the first entry in the series). When Cain escapes from the ultra-maximum security prison where the CIA had been holding him for mysterious reasons known only to them, the Harvestman is hell bent of getting revenge against Hunter and also wiping out Joe's brother John, who is in Witness Protection waiting to testify against the crime boss who helped spring Cain.

The plot is marvelously complex, with numerous back stories and ulterior motives all interwoven around the central thrust of events building steadily toward the inevitable clash between Hunter and Cain. Some of the action strains real-life credibility and Hunter's straight-ahead-at-all-costs method of doing things is borderline reckless to say the least … but, ultimately, that is part of the fun. Hunter is a larger-than-life hero made to overcome larger-than-life challenges. And Tubal Cain is a cunning, well-realized, thoroughly despicable villain who makes a very worthy adversary.

The cutting back and forth between first- and third-person narrative has become somewhat common in thrillers these days and in several instances I, for one, have found it unnecessary and annoying. Here, however, author Hilton does it skillfully enough—and the insight/information learned in the third-person segments are important enough—to make the shifts not only justified but seamless in the reading. Also, Hilton does a terrific job of writing the action scenes that are crucial to this type of thriller, and a hell of a lot harder to do than you might think.

All in all, an exciting, slam-bang tale with a hero you'll want to see more of. Be sure to check it out, and—if you haven't already done so—also check out the other titles in the series. You'll be glad you did.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: THE ZINC ZOO by Ed Lynskey

2011-12-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Zinc Zoo

www.amazon.com

This sixth outing for PI Frank Johnson is another solid entry in an already strong series. It also continues something of a banner year for author Lynskey, who scored back in the summer with the noir hit LAKE CHARLES and then again this fall with the crime thriller ASK THE DICE. Earlier, in the spring, he kicked things off with the well-received cozy mystery QUIET ANCHORAGE … The guy can do it all.

But, while I'm inclined to check out anything with Lynskey's byline, I have an admitted bias for good private eye thrillers so the Frank Johnson books are my favorites. By the way, in addition to the novels, several Johnson short stories have also been published, including one collection titled OUT OF TOWN A FEW DAYS.

THE ZINC ZOO, set in 2005, finds Johnson recently returned from a grueling overseas case. His life is in transition, as he and his fiancé Dreema are now living together and Frank has moved from his beloved Pelham to the suburbs of Richmond … the dreary gray sameness of this setting amounting to the "zinc zoo" of the title. Furthermore, Frank is on the outs with his friend and former boss, high-profile attorney Robert Gatlin, who is about to marry a woman Frank suspects—but cannot prove—to be a cold-blooded killer. Without clients being steered his way by Gatlin, Frank's difficulties in adjusting to the changes in his life are only aggravated by having little or no call for his PI services.

And then Zani Huang shows up wanting to hire him to find her missing husband. From there things build momentum rapidly and, before you know it, Frank has found the corpse of a murder victim, his client has disappeared, he's been framed for the murder and finds himself on the run from the cops. From there the pace never lets up. Aided by his bounty-hunter pal Gerald, Frank races to stay ahead of the police as he searches to find both his missing client and her husband and at the same time try to solve the murder he has been tagged for in order to clear himself. And, just incidentally, he is also working to solidify his relationship with Dreema and prevent his friend Gatlin from marrying the woman with the arsenic green eyes whom Frank believes is hell bent on making herself a widow (again) as soon as possible.

The writing is fast-paced and spot-on descriptive as presented in Lynskey's distinct writing style. The plot—along with a couple of subplots—is complex and intriguing, with some unexpected turns and a tension-filled double twist near the end. The secondary characters are colorful and well realized. And the action, when it comes, is kick-ass.

Not a lot more you could want in a private eye thriller. This one delivers the goods. Strongly recommended.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: RANCHO DIABLO - Dark Horse by Colby Jackson

2011-11-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

Here's another terrific Western by another good friend, James Reasoner. This is the latest entry in the popular Rancho Diablo series and if you're not familiar with what I'm referencing then you've got some serious catching up to do.

Dark Horse (Rancho Diablo)

www.amazon.com

This fifth entry in the popular Rancho Diablo series maintains the high standards set by previous titles and continues the promise of more to come. As most everyone knows, these books are written in a sort of round-robin style by Bill Crider, James Reasoner, and Mel Odum. This time out it is the always-dependable Reasoner taking another turn and, as already indicated, he does not disappoint.

The arrival in Shooters Cross of a beautiful blonde young woman leading a beautiful (albeit in quite a different way) black stallion draws a lot of attention right off the bat, none more intense than from young Duane Beatty, a hired hand at Sam Blaylock's Rancho Diablo ranch, who happens to be in town that day getting supplies. And, as luck would have it, the opportunity for the young cowpoke to do more than just gaze longingly after the lovely stranger soon presents itself when the blonde beauty is accosted by three hard cases in the local livery and Duane is on hand to intervene.

From there the momentum of the story picks up steadily as it turns out that the blonde — whose name is Lizzie Payton — has plenty of trouble on her lovely tail and getting involved with her may not turn out to be so lucky (unless you count the bad kind) for Duane after all. But Duane, having ridden with Sam Blaylock for a lot of years and having been in on the building of Rancho Diablo from the beginning, is no stranger to trouble. Same for Sam and the other Rancho Diablo riders. And once it is clear how Lizzie has been wronged and how much danger she is in, Duane and the others are ready to back her all the way.

There's action aplenty, a handful of subplots complete with a twist or two, a colorful cast of characters including the kind of villain you love to hate and his assortment of hench-men, a taste of sweet romance, and an exciting horse race featuring Lizzie's "Satan", the dark horse of the title … all presented in Reasoner's easy, assured writing style.

Lots to like. Leaves you sorry to reach the last page and anxious for the next installment of the Rancho Diablo series.

Strongly recommended.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: GHOST COLTS by Peter Brandvold

2011-11-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

Another highly recommended book - this time a Western with supernatural elements. Peter Brandvold is a friend of mine who lives in Colorado. He is one of today's best and most popular Western writers. If you haven't read any of his work before, here is a mighty fine place to start.

Ghost Colts

www.amazon.com

Peter has been one of my favorite Western authors for a number of years now, and this exciting new novella from Western Trail Blazers is a good example why. Peter writes wonderfully descriptive passages that plant his settings and a sense of time and place firmly in the reader's mind. With that he combines crisp dialogue and action sequences told with so much energy and detail that you almost want to duck from the hot lead flying through the air!

In GHOST COLTS, Brandvold also introduces (and I'm not giving anything away here that the title doesn't already suggest) some supernatural elements. To escape a raging blizzard, Ranger Tim Armstrong and his wounded prisoner, Renfrow, hole up in the saloon of a desolate town. Renfrow's gang is on their tail but hopefully the blizzard has forced them to hole up somewhere themselves. As the night settles in and the blizzard rages on, Armstrong remains vigilant in case the gang didn't halt their pursuit … and it is by means of this vigilance that the ranger slowly comes to realize that something is not quite right about the desolate little town and the curious collection of patrons who are gathered at the saloon where he has taken a room for himself and his prisoner. He begins to wonder if the threat of Renfrow's gang is the only danger he needs to be concerned about.

There are points as this story unfolds where you will think you have things figured out … but you don't … not quite.

When the conclusion comes it is exciting, unsettling, and ultimately satisfying yet haunting.

Western action with a little something extra. Don't miss it!

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: 13 SHOTS OF NOIR by Paul D. Brazill

2011-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

13 Shots of Noir

www.amazon.com

I don't read a whole lot of horror/suspense fiction --- which these stories are, collected under the broad umbrella of "noir" --- so when I do I try to be selective. Having run across a number of Paul's stories here and there and enjoying each of them, I was anxious to check out this anthology. Plus, Paul is another buddy from the HC Collective.

In any event, diving into 13 SHOTS and devouring its contents pretty much in one setting, I did not come away disappointed.

This collection of stories by short-fiction master Paul Brazill is a nifty, nasty mix that covers the gamut from noir to crime to suspense to horror to black humor, and then back again.

Most of the stories are set in England and Brazill's descriptions and use of colloquial language are spot-on and highly entertaining in and of themselves. He sets his scenes deftly and then plunges into the characters and situations and the reader each time is hurtled along, mesmerized to read the next passage in order to find out where the tale is going—and, more often than not, the conclusion arrives with a neatly unexpected twist.

"Tut", the opening tale of the set and a 2010 Spinetingler nominee, is probably my favorite of the lot. It's an expertly paced telling of slowly escalating madness. But there is plenty of madness—and menace, to be sure—in the rest of the stories as well. Like I said at the outset: A nifty, nasty mix that should not be missed.

Recommended.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: FELONY FISTS by Paul Bishop

2011-11-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Felony Fists (Fight Card)

www.amazon.com

This is the first entry in the new Fight Card series created by Paul Bishop and Mel Odum. The Fight Card titles will be short (approximately 25,000 words) novels inspired by the boxing/fight stories that used to run in the old sports pulp magazines of the '30s and '40s. These Fight Card stories will be set in the 1950s, with different characters and settings all over the map, but with the commonality of the central protagonist having some connection to St. Vincent's Asylum For Boys (referred to as Our Lady of the Glass Jaw), a Chicago orphanage run by Father Tim, the fighting priest.

FELONY FISTS, written by co-creator Bishop, is a rousing tale set in L.A. and centered around Pat "Felony" Flynn, a former Navy boxer, now a uniform cop striving to make detective while at the same training and boxing in undercards simply because he loves the sport. A series of unexpected events finds Flynn on the fast track not only to having a chance at making detective on the city's famed Hat Squad but also to fight in a ranked bout against gangster Mickey Cohen's up-and-coming contender for the light-heavyweight crown.

The action is fast and furious, the characters are colorful, the setting and time period are captured perfectly, and the writing is spot on. Reads like a black-and-white period movie from Warner Brothers. FELONY FISTS scores a KO right out of the corner and sets the stage nicely to make readers look forward to upcoming titles in this exciting series.

Strongly recommended.

Be sure to check this one out. I enjoyed the heck out of it and am sure you will, too.

Persevere --- WD

New Dundee Western - HARD TRAIL TO SOCORRO

2011-11-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

Hard Trail to Socorro (Bodie Kendrick - Bounty Hunter)

www.amazon.com

I'm pleased to announce that my new Western novel, HARD TRAIL TO SOCORRO, is now available on Amazon Kindle and also through Smashwords in various other eBook formats. In a few weeks, a print version will be available as well --- more on that when it is officially out.

This is the first in a planned series from Western Trail Blazer featuring Bodie Kendrick, bounty hunter.

The publisher's blurb for HARD TRAIL is as follows:

Bounty hunter Bodie Kendrick apprehended his prey without too much trouble. Claiming the reward, however, turns out not to be so easy.

First there is Veronica Fairburn, the beautiful woman who has her own business in Socorro and insists on sticking with Kendrick when he sets out to return there with his prisoner … Then there's the gang of tough ranch hands dead set on relieving him of the prisoner in order to dish out their own brand of personal revenge … Add in the Mexican desperado stalking the woman, and the band of renegade Apaches raiding throughout the region—and Kendrick has his work cut out for him.

Complicating matters even more are the feelings developing between Kendrick and Veronica.

But the greatest challenge of all may come from the daring passage they must attempt over the Jornada del Muerto—the Journey of the Dead, awaiting them in the merciless White Sands desert.

I think that sums up the storyline pretty well.

All I can add is that this is a good, old-fashioned Western adventure with grit, lots of action, and a dash of romance. I hope you'll give it a try --- I think you'll enjoy it.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: DEVILS NEST; THE LOST CHILDREN; BEAT TO A PULP: HARDBOILED

2011-11-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

In the past couple of weeks, three very significant anthologies have been released.

All have disparate themes yet all contain some of the sharpest, most powerful genre writing being done today. They would be worth your attention at any price, but the fact that each is available in eBook format for a very modest cost is only added incentive for you to seek them out.

Devils Nest

www.amazon.com

DEVILS NEST is a collection of eight stories set in Nebraska of the 1880s. Most of these stories are centered around a drifter named John Coburn, who is also known as The Peregrine (a traveler or wanderer). There is a sense of mystery, perhaps even a trace of mysticism about Coburn. He is good with a gun, although not a gunslinger per se`, and he also keeps a Ponca knife in his boot for tight situations when a surprise edge can mean the difference between life and death.

It is upon returning to his hometown of Red Horizon and finding it obliterated that The Peregrine's real journey begins … a search for answers on the harsh frontier and, ultimately, a hoped-for reunion with any surviving family members. Richard Prosch's writing is spare yet vivid in its descriptions of place and characters and his plot twists take familiar territory and gives it a distinct spin that is all his own. The informative "In Old Nebraska" introduction by Ron Scheer provides a solid foundation for the stories that follow.

The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology

www.amazon.com

THE LOST CHILDREN is a collection of 30 stories that is noteworthy for two reasons: First, the quality and theme of the stories are powerful and important; Second, the proceeds from this undertaking all go to two worthwhile charities—PROTECT (The National Association to Protect Children @ http://www.protect.org/) and Children 1^st Scotland @ www.children1st.org.uk). If you are unfamiliar with either of these organizations you should follow the links and check them out.

The collection of stories presented here came about as a challenge issued by editors Thomas Pluck and Fiona Johnson on Ron Earl Phillip's (the third editor of this anthology) Flash Fiction Friday website. Pledges by Pluck and Johnson for each story submitted resulted in an initial $600 being generated for these worthy causes. The idea for this follow-up anthology soon materialized and THE LOST CHILDREN is the result. The haunting cover by Sarah Bennett Pluck and Danielle Tunstall instantly sets the tone and the flash fiction-style stories that follow are equally haunting and powerful and as painfully timely as today's headlines. The stories are not pleasant and few punches are pulled, but the message driven home again and again demands to be heard: The abuse and neglect of our young is not only horrific and damaging to them as individuals but, unchecked, it threatens the fabric of our souls and our future as a so-called civilized society.

BEAT to a PULP: Hardboiled

www.amazon.com

BEAT TO A PULP: HARDBOILED presents (fittingly) 13 tales of mayhem, murder, betrayal, and brutality. All the good stuff. Lean, gritty prose from a wide range of authors telling tales set against a wide range of backdrops and set-ups, this is the kind of entertainment we used to get from the best of the old pulp magazines. And why expect anything less when it comes from editor/contributor David Cranmer, aided this time out by Scott D. Parker, also doing double duty as contributor/co-editor? Cranmer's Beat To A Pulp web magazine consistently—and to increasing praise and recognition—presents these kind of tales on a weekly basis.

Full disclosure: One of the tales in this collection is by some character named Dundee. The only thing I'll add beyond that is that I'm proud to be part of the line-up David and Scott have assembled here.

The price is right, the stories are righteous. You won't be disappointed.

With winter weather and snowbound days just around the corner (or already here, in some places) it's a good time to start stocking up on your reading supplies and you can't miss with any or all of these terrific anthologies.

Persevere — WD

'TIS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED

2011-10-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend marked what would have been the 45^th wedding anniversary for my beloved Pam and me.

I lost her in February of 2008, coming up on four years now. I miss her and think about her every minute of every day. The pain and emptiness might be unbearable if I didn't also remind myself on each of those days that, before losing her, I had the blessing of having Pam in my life for 41-plus years. That—along with knowing she would expect nothing less but for me to carry on—is what has sustained me through these years without her.

All of that brings me to a reflection on the age-old question:

Is it better to have loved and lost … or never to have loved at all?

From my perspective, the answer is simple: Yes, it is better to have loved. The alternative, not having had Pam for the time I did—no, I would not have missed that treasure for anything. Not even to avoid the pain of losing her. She was the best part of me, what made me whole. The term "soul mates" is overused almost to the point of being a cliché, but I truly believe that is what Pam and I found in one another. And as long as she stays alive in my heart, she is never really gone. I still write her cards on occasions such as her birthday, our anniversary, holidays, etc., and put them next to her urn in our living room. One day my ashes will be mixed with hers and we will be together again …

Another reason for this reflection stems from a conversation I had with my granddaughter, Emily, recently. She was telling me about one of her favorite songs from one of her favorite singing groups. The group is Mayday Parade and the song is called "Terrible Things". She played it for me and then, because I can't understand most of what these current rock groups are screeching these days, she read me the lyrics.

The gist of the song is a father talking to his son and warning him of the terrible things life can have in store and encouraging him to try and avoid them, especially not to fall in love. It seems the boy's mother died very young, living only long enough for the parents to fall in love and the child to be born.

Some of the key lyrics are:

" … That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams

The most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen

… I said, girl can I tell you a wonderful thing?

I made you a present with paper and string

Open with care now, I'm asking you please

You know that I love you, will you marry me?

… She said, boy can I tell you a terrible thing?

It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks

Please don't be sad now, I really believe

You were the greatest thing to ever happen to me

… So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose

If you're given the choice, I'm begging you choose

To walk away, walk away

Don't let it get you, I can't bear to see the same happen to you

Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things."

When she had finished reading this to me, I asked Emily why the song spoke to her so strongly. She said because she felt that love was "kind of a joke", a fantasy, and that it only lead to heartache. This from a 17-year-old beauty who's had her heart "broken" several times by boys who turned out to be "jerks" (actually, she used a little stronger language than that, but never mind exactly what).

I realize she is young and perhaps will have her heart broken—and will break a few of her own—several more times before she experiences deep, genuine love. But it troubled me to hear her sentiments on the subject stated so firmly (even if only temporarily, I hope) at this stage in her young life. I realize, of course, I was probably personalizing it a bit due to my own circumstances of having lost a great love. I reminded her of that, the special thing her grandmother and I had, to try and demonstrate to her that love wasn't always "a joke". She conceded that maybe sometimes it could work out that way, but still she seemed to cling to the belief that mostly it only led to heartache.

It saddened me to hear that … and still does, thinking about it.

For all I know, Emily has fallen in and out of love a half dozen times since that conversation. In this age of texting and Facebook romances and so forth, the word "love" seems to get tossed around very freely. Maybe that's part of the problem, why it can seem like a joke—because the word and the meaning are at risk of becoming too superficial.

That would sadden me most of all. If our young lose the hope of true love, then that would be a terrible thing indeed.

For me, I know better. I know real love is out there and if you're lucky enough to find it, then whatever else may result is worth it.

So I'll close with some lyrics that speak to me—from Garth Brooks' "The Dance":

"For a moment all the world was right

… Holding you, I held everything

For a moment wasn't I the king

… I could have missed the pain

But I'd of had to miss the dance."

Persevere — WD

James & Livia Reasoner - The WIND RIVER Saga

2011-10-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Wind River

www.amazon.com

I have long admired the writing of James and Livia Reasoner (Livia, of course, known professionally by her L.J. Washburn nom-de-plum). I have also envied them the husband-and-wife relationship that has spanned so many happy years of marriage and produced such an impressive body of work—two wonderful daughters being at the head of that list.

One can imagine that a certain amount of collaboration, or at least some back-and-forth critiquing, probably goes into almost everything either of them writes. But for a particular series—the Wind River saga, covering six titles all told—their collaboration may have been as complete and thorough as anything they've done. Originally published as a set of paperback originals by Harper Collins, the intent of the authors was for the books to come out under a joint byline. As it turned out, however, the publisher insisted only a single name be used … that of James. This in no way detracted from the reading public's enjoyment of these fine novels, but it nevertheless was a disappointment to James and Livia.

Now, through the magic of eBooks, not only is this entire series available once again but this time it is appearing with both bylines—James Reasoner and L.J. Washburn—as originally intended.

The Wind River books are about as good as it gets in the Western genre. Centered around former Army scout/buffalo hunter Cole Tyler—who takes on the job of town marshal when Wind River is little more than a primitive outpost—the books follow Tyler as he grows as a lawman and a person and as the town grows and evolves around him. The stories are rich with action, a strong sense of time and place, and a wide range of colorful, memorable characters. Elements of drama, suspense, mystery, and even some Indian (the Native American kind) mysticism are to be found as well—all presented in the Reasoners' assured, skilled, clear and clean writing style.

It is recommended that the books be read in sequence, to best follow the carefully-plotted thread of the complete storyline. In order, the titles are:

WIND RIVER

WIND RIVER – THUNDER WAGON

WIND RIVER – WOLF SHADOW

WIND RIVER – MEDICINE CREEK

WIND RIVER – DARK TRAIL

WIND RIVER – JUDGEMENT DAY

Reasonably priced for Kindle and Nook, with beautiful new covers designed by Livia herself, this terrific series definitely belongs in your library of top-notch Westerns.

If you read 'em before, savor them again. If you missed them the first time around, don't make that mistake twice.

Strongly recommended.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE MURDEROUS by Chester D. Campbell

2011-10-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Good, The Bad and The Murderous

www.amazon.com

This is the second Sid Chance mystery. After serving with Army Special Forces in Vietnam, Sidney Lanier Chance (his mother was an American literature major) put in nineteen years as a National Park Service ranger. That career tragically ended when marijuana growers using a remote section of a national park nearly killed him. He worked as police chief in a small town not far from Nashville for ten years until an unsavory sheriff falsely charged him with bribing a drug dealer. Disillusioned, he holed up in a cabin in the woods until a former cop turned wealthy businesswoman coaxed him home to Nashville and into the PI business.

The Good, The Bad and The Murderous finds Sid taking on one of his toughest cases. A young black man just out of prison after serving thirteen years for a murder he committed at age twelve is charged with a new homicide. Detectives say they have evidence that proves his guilt. His grandmother hires Sid to prove they’re wrong.

Jaz LeMieux, board chair of a large truck stop chain whose curious background includes champion woman boxer, Air Force Security Policewoman, and Metro Nashville cop, assists Sid in the investigation. They turn up evidence of Medicare fraud, drug dealing, and police corruption. In the process, Jaz faces police retaliation and a hired gun appears to have Sid in his sights.

The book is available in trade paperback and for the Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984604448. It's also at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79094 for various formats.
The first Sid Chance book, The Surest Poison, won the Silver Falchion Award at the 2009 Killer Nashville conference.
Chester Campbell is also the author of the Greg McKenzie mysteries. You can read more about him and his work at: http://www.chesterdcampbell.com.

I recommend checking out this book, by one of my fellow Hardboiled Collective members.

Persevere --- WD

SPLIT NOVELLA - AVAILABLE FREE

2011-10-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Split Novella

(Two Stories – Joe Hannibal/Noah Milano)

Available Now FREE

Jochem Vandersteen (Dutch author of the Noah Milano series and head honcho at the always entertaining Sons of Spade blog) has come up with an interesting concept. He calls it a split novella … Think of the old Ace "double novels", only in this two-for-one concept you get two short stories under one banner, rather than two novel-length works.

A good deal made sweeter by the fact that it's free.

The stories involved here are:

"Real Wild Child" – a quick, tough tale featuring Los Angeles PI Noah Milano trying to rescue a hot young "wild child" from the clutches of a thuggish motorcycle gang. Trouble is, the girl doesn't want to be rescued … a fact Noah is forced to learn the hard way.
"Brand It M – For Murder" – featuring my Midwest PI Joe Hannibal, now transplanted to Nebraska, participating in a day of cattle-branding on a small Sandhils ranch where the planned activity goes startlingly wrong when a killer strikes. This is something of a change of pace for a Hannibal story, wherein Joe relies more on his deductive prowess than his fists and gun. But the tension and suspense build steadily, right up to the final revelation.

And don't forget – all of this is available for Free.

All you have to do is send me an e-mail request at wddundee@charter.net and I will send back to you, in pdf format, the split novella package. If you've never read any Hannibal or Milano stories before this is a quick, easy (and did I mention Free?) way to get acquainted … or re-acquainted, if that's the case. Either way, Jochem and I hope you will enjoy what you read and want to seek out more. Naturally, any feed back you care to send will be appreciated.

Persevere — WD

NEW DUNDEE INTERVIEW

2011-10-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

There is a new interview with yours truly available now at Mike Murphy's http://emergingnovelists.com/ .
Hope you give it a look and find it interesting.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: THE ADVENTURES OF CASH LARAMIE & GIDEON MILES

2011-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Vol. II

www.amazon.com

This second collection of Cash and Gideon stories is every bit as good as Volume I, which should come as no surprise to anyone who's been following this fine series by Edward Grainger (who everyone knows is really author/editor/publisher David Cranmer).

These stories of the Old West are tough and gritty, befitting the era. And even at a time when justice came swift and hard, a time before complex rules and regulations started favoring the rights of the lawless over those of their prey—Marshal Cash Laramie's brand of justice has an intensity all its own. He is sent out (sometimes sided by Gideon Miles, sometimes on his own) on the toughest assignments and this he seems to relish. He is relentless in his pursuit and if/when a showdown ensues he asks no quarter … and gives none.

For all that, there is a quirkily compassionate side to Laramie as well. And his skills as a lawman also include using deductive reasoning. In "Cash Laramie and the Painted Ladies"—one of my favorite stories in this collection—Cash dishes out plenty of lead and tough talk but, in the end, his deciphering of clues is what solves the final mystery. Conversely, Cash is at his grimmest and most unforgiving in the hauntingly memorable "Maggie's Promise". Another particularly notable story (although each stands on its own merit) is "Origin of White Deer" which details Cash's early years as a white child raised by Indians and then his transition back into the white man's world and how he chose the path of a lawman.

The stories are lean, fast-paced, impactful.

They will remind you why Westerns still stand tall.

Check 'em out, you'll be glad you did.

Persevere --- WD

I TWEET, THEREFORE I AM

2011-10-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

At the urging of others, whom I will not name (unless I want to blame them later on), this old dinosaur took another step into the social networking world and joined Twitter. Anyone following this blog must have noticed by now that I have a tendency toward long-windedness ... so messaging in short bursts of words didn't necessarily sound like my cup of tea. (Not to mention the image risk that "Tweeting" might pose for a writer of hardboiled PI and Western fiction.)
Having given it a try, however, and having gotten a nice reception from several followers already, I think it is going to be interesting and enjoyable.
So if you're on Twitter and haven't found me there yet, please look me up at: @wddundee .
Then we can begin ... er ... tweeting each other.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: ROGUE ISLAND by Bruce DeSilva

2011-10-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

Rogue Island

www.amazon.com

ROGUE ISLAND is a terrific mystery/thriller in the best hardboiled tradition.

Its protagonist—Liam Mulligan—is a savvy, wise-cracking, skeptical-on-the-verge-of-becoming-cynical newspaper reporter delving relentlessly into whatever/whoever is behind a string of deadly arsons in the Mount Hope section of Providence, Rhode Island.

Mulligan knows his city inside and out—from its worst to its best, and everything in between. He also knows its people, having friends as well as enemies at all levels. And above all he knows that he is among the last of a dying breed, inasmuch as the impact of print journalism is declining all across the country. But none of that is damn well going to stop him from continuing to do his job the only way he knows how.

DeSilva's multi-award winning writing style (Edgar and Macavity – not to mention placing as a finalist for a Shamus, Barry, and Anthony) is fast-paced yet richly detailed, nailing a character or painting a scene with clear, concise strokes. Mulligan's wise cracks and wry observations are as witty (and often laugh-out-loud funny) as anything going today. But there is a grittiness and depth to this tale as well, never letting the reader forget for a minute that cruel, cowardly crimes are being committed and innocent lives (some of them children – as described in the powerful opening scene) are too often left as smoldering victims.

Certain plot elements may be somewhat standard, but the polished writing and colorful characterizations manage to elevate everything several notches up the ladder.

Mulligan makes for an engaging, memorable hero and readers—including this one—will certainly be clamoring to see more of him.

Good stuff.

Strongly recommended.

Persevere --- WD

"O'DOUL" - New Western Novella Now Available

2011-10-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

O'Doul

www.amazon.com

A Dime Novel - short Western adventure... O’Doul has been a lot of places and done a lot of things in his life. Now, working on a ranch outside the town of Pitchfork Creek, he finds bad things happening all around. The ranch owner and his wife are splitting up and O’Doul is forced to ride herd on a hot-headed young cowboy. When things come to a head, O'Doul makes a fatal decision and goes into action.

This is my latest Western yarn from Western Trail Blazer --- part of their Dime Novel line, which consists of novella-length works available in various eBook formats (as opposed to the full-length novels they also publish in both print and eBook format). "O'Doul" is a gritty, somewhat noirish tale of a handful of people --- including one man in particular --- who've gotten some tough breaks out of Life yet are striving to find "a decent path" to continue down.

I hope you give it a try.

I think you'll like it.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: KILLING LINCOLN by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

2011-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

www.amazon.com

This exciting page-turner can be read as a suspense thriller, a detailed slice of American history—or both. I chose the latter approach and found it lacking as neither.

The writing style is clean and straightforward yet richly descriptive in its presentation of people, places, events, conditions, and motives.

This telling covers the span of time from right after Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration through to the capture and punishment of those who conspired to kill him. This period includes the final days and battles of the Civil War, Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox, the plotting of John Wilkes Booth and those he gathers about him, the assassination itself, and the massive manhunt that is launched to apprehend all involved. As factual characters are introduced —ranging from embattled soldiers to stable hands and bartenders to wives and mistresses to the most prominent men in the country—their individual back stories, both before and after the central events of the book, expand both the depth and scope of the recounting.

All in all, I found this to be a fascinating, informative, couldn't-put-it-down read.

Full disclosure: I'm a big Bill O'Reilly fan. For those of you who may be biased the other way, I strongly recommend you not let that dissuade you from reading Killing Lincoln. You'll be short-changing yourself if you do.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: REVENGE by Michael Haskins

2011-09-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

REVENGE - A Mick Murphy Mystery

www.amazon.com

REVENGE is a gritty, complex mystery/thriller that builds suspense slowly, although with intermittent bursts of violence, and then explodes in a fiery (literally) climax that includes not only plenty of exciting action but also as shocking a final denouement as I've read in a good long while.

Protagonist Liam "Mad Mick" Murphy is an engaging character, a gonzo journalist who has traveled much of the globe and covered his share of conflict. He is somewhat world-weary, but neither jaded nor overly cynical. His introspection is often self-effacing yet always insightful. He has both friends—and enemies—at many different levels and in positions of varying authority.

Throughout the novel, Murphy is hopelessly under the spell of the exotic Michelle—a Filipino beauty who is the sister of a young man Mick had befriended briefly back in college. Moreover, she perfectly fits the image of what has long been his "fantasy love". When Michelle pleads for his help, Murphy ignores what might have been warning bells under different circumstances and wastes little time agreeing to come to her aid.

What Michelle draws Murphy into is a bizarre chain of shame and family honor threatening to culminate in savage revenge for past abuses. Murphy has contacts, Michelle insists, that can help her provide warnings to prevent this retaliation. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the warnings aren't going to be enough—and before it is done Murphy's choice to ignore those personal warning bells early on come back to haunt him when his involvement damn near costs him his own life!

This is another title from another one of my fellow authors in the Hardboiled Collective. Good writing, good protagonist, good book. Don't miss it.

Persevere --- WD

DISMAL RIVER now available on Kindle

2011-09-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dismal River

www.amazon.com

My first Western novel, DISMAL RIVER, is now available on Kindle.

So far the reviews I've seen and the comments I've gotten have all been very positive. Print sales could be better. I'm hoping Kindle readers will jump on board in stronger numbers.

The tale is a rousing, old-fashioned Western adventure with action, romance, good guys, bad guys, and a few who are sort of in-between. It is set in the stark, ruggedly beautiful Nebraska Sandhills as they were back in the 1880s and the plot builds upon an actual event—the so-called Yale Bone Hunt—that took place about twenty years prior to my story. The main protagonist is a character named Lone McGantry who, as an infant, was the lone survivor when a family named McGantry was massacred in an Indian attack.

I plan on using McGantry in a series of Western novels. The next, tentatively titled RECKONING AT RAINROCK, is already written.

In the meantime, I am also working on another Western series about a bounty hunter named Bodie Kendrick, who tracks down fugitives in Arizona and New Mexico. The first of these, HARD TRAIL TO SOCORRO, will be out shortly from Western Trail Blazer.

I hope you will keep an eye out for my Westerns. I'm very excited by the opportunity to finally be working in this genre, and I think you will enjoy my stories.

Persevere — WD

REFLECT AND REMEMBER

2011-09-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

9/11/01

…

9/11/11

I feel it only appropriate today that each of us pause and reflect back for some measure of time on those tragic, sad, infuriating events of one decade ago. As Americans, they really should never be very far from our thoughts. That day—and those immediately following —showed ourselves and the rest of the world the best parts (although only too briefly) of the American spirit … and the worst parts of man's inhumanity to man.

I will leave it to others to extol the virtues of the Islamic faith and the peace-loving practices of the many millions of "good" Muslims, even though I can't help wondering where their voices are, en masse, speaking in condemnation of the radical Jihadists who perpetrated 9/11 and continue staging countless other acts of mass murder against the vulnerable and unsuspecting. And excuse me if I happen to be boarding a plane with a dark-complected young man jabbering in Arabic and I pause to give him the narrow-eye just a little closer than I would some blue-haired little granny from Boise. Call it profiling if you will, I call it common sense.

I will also leave to others most of the compassion and worldly broad-mindedness. I choose to remain pissed off. Yeah, we finally got bin Laden—where was your "Allahu Akbar" that night, fuckwad, when you were cowering behind two women before the Seals blew your sorry ass away? But that still leaves in his wake tens of thousands of others, all eager to carry on his bloodthirsty goals.

For me, it boils down to this:

Remember the fallen.

Remember the sacrifices.

Remember the heroism …

and Remember the cowardly bastards responsible—they're still out there, and we must never lose sight of that.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: WHERE ANGELS FEAR by C.J. Henderson & Bruce Gehweiler

2011-09-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an imaginative mix of spookery, action, and high adventure told in a well-written, slightly pulpy style—then look no further than this collection of rousing tales penned by C.J. Henderson and Bruce Gehweiler. There are eleven stories in all, running the gamut from encounters with everything from a prehistoric flying lizard to zombies to a headless horseman from the past still raising hell as he gallops through the misty night in modern-day Delaware.

At the center of these encounters is the unlikely pair of Dr. Hugh Blakely and Dr. William Boles, both renowned professors at Duke University. Blakely is a crypto-zoologist, a seeker of hidden or unknown animals; Boles is a parapsychologist, an explorer of all things supernatural who is aided by his own psychic visions. In addition to the differences in their chosen fields, the two are equally diverse in physical appearance and techniques for confronting a challenge. Blakely is big, rugged, outdoorsy—ready to plunge head-on against whatever stands in front of him, if necessary with flying fists or a blazing gun; Boles is slight in stature and far more cerebral, preferring to reason things out based on first-hand observation combined with his unique visions and vast general knowledge. That they are teamed together at all is necessary to satisfy the stipulaltions of a hundred-million dollar endowment to the university.

The banter and conflicting styles of the two men add a healthy dose of wry humor to the otherwise often grim situations in which they find themselves. During an encounter with a Sasquach-like "skunk ape" in the Okefenokee swamplands of Georgia, Blakely and Boles also encounter the local sheriff, auburn-haired Donna Fargo. After her world has been turned upside down by the events of that bloody episode, the formidable and determined Miss Fargo gives up her sheriff's star and joins the two professors in subsequent adventures, thus adding some sexual tension to the already potent brew.

The pace of these stories never flags and amidst the heroics and horrors there are a number of memorable secondary characters as well as some interesting insight contained in the narrative.

Exciting, highly entertaining stuff. Not to be missed.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: HANK & MUDDY by Stephen Mertz

2011-09-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is a rare treat—a book unique in concept, executed with obvious passion and considerable skill by author Mertz.

Shreveport, Louisiana, 1952 … Two musical legends-in-the-making—Hank Williams and Muddy Waters—are in town, their career paths on very different trajectories. After phenomenal early success, Hank is on the downslide. His marriage is on the rocks, his excessive drinking is out of control, and he's just lost his spot on the popular and prestigious Grand Ol' Opry. He's in Shreveport hoping to turn things around and regain some status by appearing on the Louisiana Hayride, the only other program to rival the Opry. Muddy, on the other hand, is riding along on a high note. His biggest problem seems to be that his most popular band member, Little Walter, is making noises like he wants to strike out on his own. Oh yeah, and Muddy has one other nagging problem … he can't make his you-know-what behave, especially when it comes to willing white women. And since this is the deep South in the early '50s, you just know that's bound to lead to trouble.

When trouble arrives, it comes big … and keeps on coming. A vengeful sheriff, crooked cops, dubious FBI agents, local mobsters, and some riled-up Klan members all figure into the mix as this tale picks up speed. There are strong elements of crime, danger, a touch of noir, and moments of hilarity. But above all there is deep insight into to the two main characters, their first-person narrative told in alternating passages. Their voices are distinct and authentic and, through them, we not only learn more about each man but we get a clear and resonating sense of time and place.

This novel is being mostly promoted as mystery/crime and, as stated, it certainly contains those elements. But it also is much more—twin character studies that read as dead-on accurate as any biography; and a slice of history that, even though fictionalized, is rich, colorfully textured, and memorable.

This is a terrific book by my friend Steve Mertz.

Don't miss it.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: DEEP WATER (& More) by Paul Bishop

2011-09-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

DEEP WATER (originally published as SAND AGAINST THE TIDE) is the second adventure of Calico Jack Walker and Tina Tamiko. In their first outing (originally published as CITADEL RUN and now available on Kindle as HOT PURSUIT), Walker was nearing his retirement from the LAPD and Tina was his rookie partner. Now Walker has retired from the force and is running a fishing charter business with his son, Ren. Tina still wears a badge but her and Jack remain a team via the romance that blossomed between them while they were working together.

Things start out routinely and smoothly enough when Walker and Ren take out a pair of fishermen one day, even though Walker finds something unlikable about them. His instincts turn out to be warranted when the two men attempt to hijack Walker's boat, the Thieftaker, and Ren is seriously wounded in the process. Walker manages to thwart the attack and, leaving the would-be pirates in the drink, races back to shore to get his son medical attention.

From there the story only picks up speed and the acceleration never lets up.

This is an intricately-plotted crime thriller/adventure written by a sure hand, told with authentic details and high-spirited imagination. Subplots, conspiracies, corruption, intrigue, greed, torture, revenge, and wry humor all come into play as everything builds toward a rip-roaring, shatteringly explosive climax. Yet author Bishop also makes time for several key back stories and layers in plenty of character depth, managing to keep the wilder plot elements from going too far over the top.

For thrills and excitement it's hard to beat Calico Jack and his "Take no bull, cut no slack – Hook 'em, book 'em, and don't look back" way of dealing with things.

You can read OPEN WATER as a stand-alone, but you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't check out HOT PURSUIT as well. It's more high-speed mayhem with Walker and Tamiko and another exciting read. I, for one, could go for more adventures featuring this colorful pair … That's a hint, Paul, in case I'm being too subtle.

And for another display of Bishop's diverse talents, be sure to check out his short story anthology, RUNNING WYLDE, also available on Kindle. Here is a wide-ranging assortment of stories covering the gamut from grim to humorous, but certainly never un-interesting. I have an admitted bias toward this collection because it contains three stories that originally appeared in Hardboiled magazine back when I was running the show there—including one of my all-time favorites, the Shamus-nominated "Quint and the Braceros".

All good stuff. Guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Persevere --- WD

LONESOME DOVE - The Back Story

2011-08-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Right at the outset, let me say that all or much of the following may be old news to many of you reading this. If so, sorry to be wasting your time—as for me, I only recently learned these things and found them to be pretty fascinating. For those of you hearing about them here for the first time, hope you enjoy the info as well.

LONESOME DOVE, as everybody knows, was a 1985 novel by Larry McMurtry that earned tons of critical acclaim and even went on to win that year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction. What I was surprised to learn—it was never acknowledged in the book nor anywhere else by McMurtry, as far as I can tell—was that the central theme of the book, the big cattle drive headed by Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call, was largely based on the real-life experiences of Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.

I'd heard of the Goodnight-Loving Trail before but didn't really know much about the two men after whom it was named. Both were Civil War veterans. Goodnight was a Texas Ranger in the late 1850s. After the war, the two joined forces to round up herds of longhorn cattle that had been left to roam free, unattended, while the war was going on. There was need for beef in New Mexico and Colorado. The route that became famous as the Goodnight-Loving Trail was already known to some, but it was Goodnight and Loving who mapped and more clearly defined it. Goodnight even invented the "chuckwagon" for their initial drive. They made two drives without significant incident. On the third, however, they ran into trouble when Loving stirred up a band of Comanche and suffered severe wounds from which he eventually died after blood poisoning set in. Goodnight sat at his partner's bedside during the final days that he clung to life. And then, in answer to Loving's last wishes, Goodnight accompanied his body back for burial in Texas. For many years afterward, Goodnight kept a picture of Loving in his pocket and later had it framed and placed on his desk.

If you know the storyline of LONESOME DOVE then you see how closely it followed these events. Woodrow Call was patterned after Goodnight; Gus McCrae after Loving. Of course McMurtry wove a deep, rich tapestry of backgrounds and secondary characters and subplots around this thread of history and there surely is nothing wrong with fictionalizing and expounding upon factual occurrences, especially in the hands of someone as talented as Mr. McMurtry. I guess I'm just a little disappointed that Mc-Murtry didn't acknowledge the real history more openly. (And if he has —and I'm simply unaware of it—then my apologies all around.)

Now … Go back a little over ten years prior to LONESOME DOVE the book. In 1972, McMurtry originally penned the LD story as a screenplay for a theatrical movie to be called THE STREETS OF LAREDO. (Somewhat ironically, McMurtry would use this title later for a novel that was a sequel to DOVE—but the original STREETS screenplay was the cattle drive story.) At any rate, the screenplay fell into the hands of director Peter Bogdanovich who badly wanted to make the film. He pitched it to John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda who were to play the parts, respectively, of Woodrow, Gus, and Jake Spoon. Stewart was keen to do it but Wayne had reservations, for whatever reasons. Eventually director John Ford convinced Wayne it was wrong for him and the whole thing fell apart.

Having watched the LONESOME DOVE TV miniseries nearly a dozen times, I've got to say it stands as damn near perfect. Hard to imagine anyone else playing the roles of Gus and Woodrow (and in subsequent attempts, where it was done, it didn't work nearly as well) and I don't know how it possibly could be improved upon. A big screen movie running only 2½ to 3 hours naturally would have had to cut out scenes and characters that made it to television so much of the depth and richness of the story surely would have been lost.

Still, I gotta admit … the imagination can't help but rev a bit at the thought of those wonderful old veterans—Duke, Jimmy, and Hank—in those key roles … man, wouldn't that have been something?

I'd love to hear what anybody else thinks …

Persevere — WD

HARDBOILED COLLECTIVE & NEW INTERVIEWS WITH YOURS TRULY

2011-08-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

I recently became part of a group of hardboiled crime/mystery writers calling ourselves the Hardboiled Collective. The formation of this group was the brain child of Dutch mystery writer Jochem Vandersteen. Other members include: Bill Crider, Paul Bishop, Timothy Hallinan, Zoe Sharp, Brian Drake, Mike Tucher, Steve Ulfelder, Matt Hilton, Paul D. Brazil, Tony Black, Bruce DeSilva, Chris Knopf, Keith Gilman, and Jaden D. Terrell. The purpose of this group is to support and help promote each other's works.

If you aren't familiar with any of these bylines, then I urge you to correct that at your earliest convenience. All are fine writers and I guarantee your reading enjoyment will be increased by seeking out their work. You can find them via Google or Amazon, including Amazon's Listmania: Hardboiled Collective.

The recent Kindle release of my Joe Hannibal novel , THE SKINTIGHT SHROUD, is currently receiving much-appreciated attention from members of the Hardboiled Collective on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. Timothy Hallinan and Tony Black have also posted interviews with me on their blogs. You can check these out at:

www.timothyhallinan.com/blog (8/28 post) and http://pulppusher.blogspot.com (8/28 post). Each man has his own interview style so the results are not redundant. I hope you will check them out and find them interesting. Please feel free to leave commentary.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: RANCHO DIABLO - HELL ON WHEELS

2011-08-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

HELL ON WHEELS is one terrific Western yarn! It is the fourth and latest entry in the Rancho Diablo books and is a superlative addition to this already outstanding series.

Sam Blaylock has fought hard to build a home where his family can finally settle down and that home has become the Rancho Diablo Ranch, a rugged slice of Texas just outside the town of Shooter's Cross. One of the key men who has always been at Sam's side during this struggle (as well as in the past) is young Mike Tucker. Despite his loyalty to Sam, Tucker is a man apart, a man with some parts of his past better left unknown. He's working hard to learn ranching ways and to settle down with the others at Rancho Diablo, but it remains an unavoidable fact that what he's best at is scouting and doing gun work. The latter is evident to everyone and it makes some folks nervous, even a little frightened. Among these is Sam's wife, Jenny, and the subject of Tucker has struck more than one discordant note between the pair. But Tucker's loyalty to Sam cuts both ways and the bond between the two men remains solid.

In a series of escalating events (including the book's reader-grabbing opening scene) Tucker's gunslinging past draws increasing attention and increasing displeasure from Jenny. But then—while Sam is away on a bull-buying trip—a shocking event occurs: Miriam, Sam and Jenny's daughter, is kidnapped by a vicious gang of human traffickers who plan to take her, along with several other young women they have snatched from around Shooter's Cross, to sell down in Mexico. Jenny must turn to Tucker and urge him to call upon all the lethal skills that she had formerly disparaged in order to aid her in a desperate race against time to rescue her daughter.

The journey will be both hard and dangerous. It will test the two unlikely partners and it will teach them things about themselves and also about one another that they never expected. In the end, the success of their mission will come down to whether or not their two iron wills can unify for the sake of what is at hand.

If you're looking for gritty, authentic Western action with strong characterizations and top-notch writing (by Mel Odom this time out, alternating with James Reasoner and Bill Crider under the "house name" of Colby Jackson for this exciting series)—it don't get much better than this.

Highly recommended.

Don't miss this one, gang.

Persevere --- WD

Noteworthy Reads: LITTLE ELVISES by Timothy Hallinan

2011-08-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is the second title in a new series by Edgar-nominee Hallinan, author of the acclaimed Poke Rafferty series (recipient of said Edgar nom) and also the Simeon Grist PI novels.

The protagonist of LITTLE ELVISES is Junior Bender, first introduced in last year's CRASHED. Bender is a very successful burglar, having plied this trade since his late teens without ever being caught. He also has a sideline: He is a private eye … of sorts. The only clients he takes on, you see, are crooks. When someone does something crooked to a crook, the cops are hardly an option. That leaves Junior.

This time out Junior is leveraged by a corrupt detective to go to the aid of an old record producer who, back in the Sixties, made a big name for himself by taking good-looking (though not necessarily talented) young men off the streets of Philadelphia and grooming them to become—for a few weeks, maybe a year tops—singing heartthrobs for idolizing teenaged girls … In other words, Elvis Presley knock-offs or "Little Elvises". This producer is now facing a murder charge for killing a sleazy journalist he had openly made threats against and it is Junior's job to try and uncover the real killer.

There are subplots, plot twists, and colorful characters galore as Bender delves into the case. Junior himself is a very engaging character, a guy still in love with his ex wife and tortured by being separated from his 12-year-old daughter. But the real star here is Hallinan's writing; he is a skilled craftsman who does pathos, action, humor, and suspense with equal effectiveness, not to mention vividly painting scenes and characters. His dialogue crackles and the banter between characters is bound to make you smile and sometimes even laugh out loud.

Junior Bender's world may not be a place where you'd want to live, but it sure is fun to read about and LITTLE ELVISES is a top-notch example.

Be sure to check out this and other works by this fine author. You can learn more about him by visiting his web site at http://www.timothyhallinan.com/ which also links to his blog.

Also of note is that Tim is the editor of an anthology titled SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN whose entire sales earnings (even Amazon is foregoing its standard cut) go to the Japan Relief Fund. Those brave people still need all the help they can get so this is a way to enjoy some good reading and contribute to a good cause all at the same time.

Persevere --- WD

THE SKINTIGHT SHROUD - Now Available on Kindle

2011-08-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

This—my second Joe Hannibal novel, originally published in 1989—is now available on Kindle (along with THE BURNING SEASON, which "went live" back in May).

THE SKINTIGHT SHROUD is one of my personal favorites. As I've often stated in interviews and discussions, one of my writing quirks is that I always have to have a title fixed pretty firmly in mind before I can get rolling on a story or book. In this case I had the title in mind years before I had any kind of suitable story to match it with.

I remember, back in the mists of time, when I was in my late teens, reading a ton and tinkering with early attempts at my own writing … I read my first Travis McGee novel, BRIGHT ORANGE FOR THE SHROUD and loved it. The book made an impact, so did its intriguing title. Around that same time, Grace Metalious (author of PEYTON PLACE) had a book out entitled THE TIGHT WHITE COLLAR. I never read that book—or PEYTON PLACE either, for that matter—but something about that title also sounded intriguing and stuck with me. Not too longer after, once the influence of McGee on top of inroads already made by Spillane and the like had irreversibly aimed my own writing down the mystery/detective path, I came up with THE SKINTIGHT SHROUD and knew that some day I would use it for the title of something I wrote.

Flash forward almost thirty years. My Joe Hannibal series was under way, with a half dozen or so short stories and one prior novel having been published, and I was ready to write my next book. I wanted to use murder within the thriving porn industry as its central plot and—tah-dah!—THE SKINTIGHT SHROUD came out of mental moth balls and made, at least for me, a perfect fit.

I even wrote a poem (my first and only, so far) to help tie the title into the storyline.

At birth, you are trapped in it

At death, you are wrapped in it

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Hope, despair, love, hate, lust

Proving ground for Heaven, or just Hell on Earth?

God's grand design, or the Devil's twisted mirth?

Sometimes I want to scream out loud

Can't anyone see me struggling in this skintight shroud?

One final note: A number of mysteries had been written in the mid to late eighties, when adult movies were really beginning to thrive in the mainstream, but almost all of them used "snuff films" as a plot device. I wanted to be sure and avoid that while at the same presenting some in-depth facts about the industry and showing those involved in a less stereotypical manner. (Also, writing this book finally provided some credence to the assurances I had been giving my wife that the x-rated videos I sometimes watched, the skin mags I bought, and the strip clubs I visited on occasion were all necessary research for my craft.)

SKINTIGHT SHROUD is somewhat dated now in its references to videocassettes, the state of the adult film industry as it was run back then versus how it is today, etc. I feel the story and characterizations remain solid, however, and, as I said at the beginning, it remains one of my favorites.

I hope you give it a try and have a favorable reaction, too.

If you like it, remember that other previously out-of-print Hannibals will be appearing soon—along with an eBook original, GOSHEN HOLE, before year's end.

Until next time …

Persevere — WD

INTERVIEW AT MORGEN BAILEY - UK

2011-08-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

A nice interview with yours truly was posted earlier today on Morgen Bailey's blog in the UK. Miss Bailey is a British writer/blogger who has quite an interesting way of conducting interviews. She does the standard Q&A and then intersperses a bit of added commentary and observations from her end so that the final result has some added entertainment and comes across more like, as she puts it, "A friendly chat."

You can check it out for yourself at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-zQ .

In the archives you can also scroll back through other interviews with a whole range of talented and interesting authors.

Persevere — WD

Noteworthy Reads: BULLET FOR ONE & FOX FIVE

2011-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Following are two recent Kindle releases that I have read and highly recommend.
I was previously unfamiliar with either of these authors but both bylines are now definitely on my BOLO list.
I suggest you put them on yours too.

"John Coburn is a private eye who won't let the law stand in the way of justice!"

So reads one of the tag lines for this new mystery thriller by Brian Drake.

Another says: "If he fails, can he live with another ghost? … If he succeeds, can he live with the consequences?"

These are great come-ons and, for me at least, did exactly what they were supposed to do—make me want to read this book. Tag lines for books, however—like movie trailers —are often the best part of what follows. One always needs to keep this in mind and I have to admit that, as I hit the "Buy it with 1-click" tab on Amazon, I was wondering if this might be another such case.

Well, it wasn't. If anything, the tag lines might actually be guilty of soft-peddling the balls-out, full-throttle reading experience that Bullet For One delivers. Drake writes action sequences about as good as any you'll find, and the book is loaded with them. Chases, gun fights, fist fights, knife fights, beatings, escapes … it's all here and vengeance-seeking PI John Coburn is right in the thick of every minute of it. This is definitely Spillane territory, and I mean that as a compliment. The character of Coburn himself doesn't have a lot of depth in this particular outing (one hopes there will be more in a series) because his focused so keenly set on solving the murder of his partner and making sure punishment is meted out. But several of the secondary characters are well drawn and the plot has plenty of twists and turns and surprises before Coburn wraps things up—to his own satisfaction and also that of the reader.

If you like your tough guys tough and your action fast and furious, you don't want to miss this one!

This five-pack collection of short stories is about as good as it gets in the crime thriller genre. Protagonist Charlotte "Charlie" Fox is a truly memorable—not to mention formidable—heroine. Author Sharp writes cleanly, cleverly, and convincingly as she spins these tales of Charlie, ex Special Forces soldier turned "close-protection" bodyguard.

The stories here are arranged in sequence and follow Charlie as she progresses from a time just prior to becoming a bodyguard to a point where her professional skills are honed to their finest—and must be, as they are put to the test in circumstances as explosively dangerous and up-to-the-minute as today's headlines. This range and growth allows us to see Charlie in a quieter, almost sleuth-like mode early on and then evolve into the calculating, ultimately cool—yet compassionate—protector she was born to be.

Perhaps the strongest entry in this collection is focused somewhat less on Charlie than on a woman named Layla … a disturbed soul hell bent on a mission that Charlie, in the end, must try to keep from succeeding. The back story on Layla and her deceased lover Bobby is troubling, brutal … yet hauntingly poignant.

In the end, though, it is Charlie Fox and the stiletto-sharp (no pun intended) writing skills of Zoe Sharp that will stick with you after reading these stories. I was unaware of this excellent series (there are eight novels so far, a ninth due in 2012) before now; but you can damn well bet I will be seeking out more.

Highly recommended!

Until next time, as always ...
Persevere --- WD

WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD A DISCOURAGING WORD ...

2011-08-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

In the past couple of weeks, my work in the Western genre has garnered some very encouraging words from a variety of sources.

Such as:

Wayne D. Dundee (see Righteous Reading) has been nominated for more awards than you could imagine, but few know that he was the innovator in giving new writers their chance to be read ... a little magazine called Hardboiled that was hand-typed, mimeographed, and mailed with stamps. Yeah, that was eons ago ... all the way back to 1985. Even ... wait for it ... before the Internet. But although Wayne made his bones with so-called "PI fiction," his real love has always been the West. And now, with the publication of Dismal River, Big Wayne is where he belongs, and doing it just right. Anyone who believes there's no such genre as "Hardboiled Western" would be well-advised to check it out for themselves.

From: Andrew Vachss's web site The Zero (http://www.vachss.com) 8-03-11 Update.

I've mentioned here before that Wayne Dundee's DISMAL RIVER is one of the best Westerns I've read in a long time, and now he has a new Western e-book out, THE GRAVE OF MARCUS PAULY. It's a really fine story, too, with sharply drawn characters, some very evocative writing about the frontier landscape, and a poignant sense of melancholy about the passing of time and people's dreams. Plus some excellent action scenes and a very powerful ending. All in all, this is a splendid piece of work, as we've come to expect from Wayne Dundee. Highly recommended.

From: James Reasoner's blog, Rough Edges (http://jamesreasoner.blogspot.com)

James was also gracious enough to post a 5-Star review for The Grave of Marcus Pauly on Amazon.

What an outstanding first western novel by hardboiled great, Wayne D. Dundee. Here's hoping he turns his masterful skills to another novel in this genre.

From: A 5-Star review for DISMAL RIVER posted on Amazon by David Cranmer — a busy and talented guy who heads up the fine web zine Beat To A Pulp (http://www.beattoapulp.com) and blogs at http://davidcranmer.blogspot.com

These kind and very gratifying statements, coming on top of the Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers back in June from my 2010 Western short story "This Old Star", certainly make me feel like I have turned down the right trail by venturing into the Western genre, as I have long wanted to do.

I am deeply appreciative.

(Personal note: This does not mean, however, that I will be abandoning my old pal Joe Hannibal—the two of us still have plenty of trails to go down together as well. The link between the hardboiled "tarnished knights" of the early 1900s pulp era and the hard-bitten Western heroes of the late 1800s dime novels has been well documented by numerous sources … Joe is merely a descendant of both traditions, so there really is no conflict at all.)

Persevere --- WD

NOAH MILANO NOW ON KINDLE

2011-08-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Tough As Leather by Jochem Vandersteen is a collection of short stories featuring Noah Milano, an L.A. security specialist/private investigator. Milano is cut from fairly standard fictional PI cloth yet has his own distinctions; he's young, hip, digs rock and roll music … oh yeah, and he's the son L.A.'s most popular mob boss. At one time he was his father's top "fixer" for mob problems. But now, as the result of a promise made to his dying mother, Noah has broken away from the family business and is operating on the right side of the law … mostly.

Vandersteen is a Dutch writer who does a nice job of capturing the L.A. scene. Once in a while there is an awkwardly-turned phrase, but these are few and far in between. Other-wise The stories are fast-paced and exciting, with some clever plot twists. Milano is engaging, can be tough when he needs to be, tender when it's called for, and he gets off some good wisecracks as well. The author (who also puts out a very informative blog — http://sonsofspade.blogspot.com ) has done his homework on the genre, is clearly enamored of it, and has created his own noteworthy "son of Spade".

The twelve stories presented here as a Kindle eBook are bound to be appreciated by hardboiled PI fans and the price is a steal almost worthy of hiring Milano to investigate the crime.

Recommended.

Jochem has also just released a one-shot Milano story, Honey Trap, which deals with blackmail and theft within the perfume industry, an interest and seldom-used plotline.

If you have not yet discovered Vandersteen and/or Milano via their many appearances on various web zines, either or both of these eBook releases are a good way to correct the oversight.

Persevere --- WD

COWBOYS & ALIENS - my take

2011-08-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

Saw COWBOYS & ALIENS a couple evenings ago and found it to be a rousing adventure film that I liked a whole lot.

The title pretty much tells the story—an alien spaceship arrives in 1873 to take over the earth and their starting point is the Arizona Territory just outside the town of Absolution. They begin rounding up (literally) humans for scientific studies and experiments while at the same time sucking up all the gold they can get their greedy, slimy fingers on (because, it is explained, gold is as precious on their planet as it is on ours).

At first they strike sporadically in outlying areas so the sense of alarm is slow to spread through the populace in and around Absolution. Then one night they hit the town itself with a swarm of flying attack crafts, wreaking general havoc, blasting things to hell, and making off with several citizens. Only one man—a mysterious stranger with an even more mysterious bracelet attached to his wrist—is able to fight back effectively, thanks to the power contained in said bracelet. He manages to shoot down one of the attack crafts and in the aftermath three things are abundantly clear: 1.) Absoultion and the surrounding area are up against a threat like nothing they've ever experienced before; 2.) They need the myserious stranger and his powerful bracelet if they are going to have any chance at all against these invaders; and 3.) The occupant of the shot-down craft who escapes in the night, leaving a trail of blood, must be tracked back to wherever it came from so that retaliation can be mounted against him and the rest of his kind. So a posse is formed to head out at first light, hell bent on regaining their abducted loved ones, saving their town … and, just incidentally, saving the whole world in the process.

All of this is done in high style, with great action sequences, special effects, and well-seasoned performers (headed up by Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and the lovely Olivia Wilde) playing their parts to the hilt. Plots and subplots and several surprising twists are encountered as the story plunges forward until eventually all key points are revealed. Humor and genuine poignancy are also in the mix.

I was surprised at how strong the straight Western element was in this film. For over half its length—with only a couple of quick what-the-hell-just-happened scenes as the alien presence gradually starts to emerge—this is a good, gritty, old-fashioned Western. Then the pace picks up and we veer off into something a whole lot more. But both genres—Western and science fiction/horror—are given their props and handled with respect, and maybe only a slight bit of tongue-in-cheekiness.

Like I said at the outset, this is a rousing adventure that I really liked and recommend.

One final personal note: The audience on the evening I attended consisted of about 60% middle-aged-plus viewers. A higher percentage, I venture to say, than you'd generally find at a more traditional science fiction/horror/action thriller of this ilk. I submit this is yet another indicator that there is an audience out there hungry for some good old-fashioned Westerns … to the point of seeking one out, even if it means dealing with a few nasty aliens in order to do so.

Persevere — WD

Available Now - THE GRAVE OF MARCUS PAULY

2011-08-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

My new Western novella—The Grave of Marcus Pauly—is now available from Western Trail Blazer on Amazon Kindle (click link).

It is also available on Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/78026) and Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/ebook/the-grave-of-marcus-pauly/16383615).

Within a couple weeks, it will be on The Nook at B&N, Apple iStore, Kobo, Diesel, and ScrollMotion as well.

All reasonably priced at 99 cents (except for Lulu where it is $1.99 – still a good buy).

The teaser blurb reads:

An old grave …

A determined woman …

An ex-con with a conscience …

"Annabelle Heath travels west on a mission to fulfill her mother's dying wish. To do so, she needs the help of a man once imprisoned for bank robbery.

For Ramsey needs his current job and has no time to take off on a foolish errand. But something about this woman makes him rethink his first inclination.

Together, they ride into wild country to look for a long ago grave and find more than either ever bargained for."

I think that sets the stage well.

The story has action, grit, emotion, and a hint of romance.

I hope you'll give it a try.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Persevere — WD

YELLOWSTONE KELLY - 1959, starring Clint Walker

2011-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

This often overlooked and somewhat underrated film is actually a solid, very entertaining Western that, if you've never seen it or haven't seen it lately, is definitely worth checking out. It was released on DVD last year and has played a few times on cable, on the Western Channel.

Clint Walker plays the title role of Luther "Yellowstone" Kelly—a real-life trapper, explorer, Indian fighter, and Army scout. He is most noted for his time spent in and around the Yellowstone River Valley, where he was the first white man to venture and from which his nickname originated. Kelly also soldiered in the Civil War, fought as a Captain of Volunteers in the Philippines, and later in life led two expeditions to Alaska. In short, his life and exploits offered much to draw upon as the basis for an action movie … As far as I can tell, however, few—if any—of his actual adventures were used for the storyline of this film.

Nevertheless, as noted at the outset, this is still a darn good Western. For starters, it has Clint Walker whose screen presence is little short of awesome. Montgomery Clift once said of John Wayne, after starring with the Duke in Red River, "Whenever he comes on screen … I just disappear." The same could be said of Walker. The massive shoulders, the catlike grace of his movements, the deep, slow drawl … you can't not watch him when he's in a scene. It's hard to understand why Walker's movie career never climbed higher than it did. From 1955 to 1963, as TV's Cheyenne Bodie, he was one of the most popular stars of the era. So much so that Warner Brothers hastened to cash in by putting him in films like Yellowstone Kelly, Fort Dobbs, and Gold of Seven Saints shot during the hiatus periods. At that point in time if you'd been inclined to bet on which of the two "Clints" appearing weekly on TV (Walker or some gangly kid named Eastwood who had a co-starring role in another oater called Rawhide) would go on to become a mega movie star, I'd venture your money would have been placed on Walker. Such was not to be, though. While Walker did appear in a number of good films (The Dirty Dozen, None But The Brave, Night of the Grizzly, to name a few, and also a couple of other short-lived TV series) his star never again shined as bright as it did during the Cheyenne years. As for the other Clint, that Eastwood fella, well you're probably well aware how that turned out to be a different story.

Anyway, getting back to Yellowstone Kelly … The storyline of the film is basically a cavalry vs. Indians tale set in the months right after Custer's massacre at the Little Big Horn. Kelly, having been trapping and co-existing with the Sioux in the Yellowstone Valley for several years, turns down a revenge-seeking major's request to scout for him on a campaign in pursuit of the Sioux. His refusal segues into a nicely staged brawl with several troopers before he departs to resume his trapping and seclusion away from whatever conflict he can see is brewing. In the process he is reluctantly saddled with a young tenderfoot named Anse who wants to travel into the wilderness with him. It soon becomes evident that the peaceful life Kelly had been leading will not continue … He is tested by Anse's inept ways, his relationship with Gall, the Sioux chief whose life he once saved is strained by the advance of the cavalry and also by a beautiful captive Arapaho girl whose life-threatening wound Gall forces Kelly to treat, much as he did the chief's own wounds years earlier. Kelly saves the girl and this only leads to further complications. Kelly, Anse, Gall, and Gall's nephew Sayapi—who initially captured the girl and intends to still claim her as soon as she is well—all fall in love with the captive. As the four men's feelings and jealousies build toward an explosion, the cavalry arrives and a series of bloody battles takes center stage. When all is said and done and many have died, the cavalry is turned back and allowed to retreat without being completely wiped out and Kelly and the captive girl (her name is Wahleeah) are allowed to ride off together because she demonstrates bravely in the midst of battle that it is only his love that she returns.

The production values of the film are excellent, especially the color photography of the lush setting, and the directorship of Gordon Douglas is that of a solid veteran. A Western screenplay by Burt Kennedy is always a plus and you knew there will be some memorable dialogue. The cast is made up almost exclusively of Warner Brother's TV contract actors such as John Russell, Ray Danton, Gary Vinson, Rhodes Reason, Andra Martin, and teen heartthrob Edd "Kookie" Byrnes (from 77 Sunset Strip) in the role of Anse. He actually does a pretty decent job, as do the others. Veterans Claude Akins and Warren Oates (in a very early role) round out the players.

It is strongly rumored that the film was at one point scheduled to be another teaming of director John Ford with John Wayne in the starring role. They reportedly opted instead to make The Horse Soldiers. With that in mind, it's sort of hard to watch Yellowstone now without a few "what-ifs" drifting through one's mind … wondering what Ford's touches might have been and how the Duke would have handled the role. The physical statures of Wayne and Walker are certainly similar enough, and the terse dialogue given the Kelly character Wayne could have done in his sleep. Plus there are other aspects of the film I found relatable to Wayne … The river crossing where the cavalry is in flight from the unexpectedly large Sioux force is shot with a large, bare-limbed fallen tree trunk in the foreground that looks almost identical to the scene in The Searchers where the squad of Texas Rangers under Duke and Ward Bond also stand off an Indian attack; and when Anse prepares to take Wahleeah back to her people against the wishes of Kelly, he tells her: "He's wrong … I just hope I'm right."—straight from Red River, when Matt decides to take over Dunson's herd. These and a few other things struck me. Just observations, not fault-finding; hell, maybe only a movie nut like me would even notice.

At any rate, Yellowstone Kelly is a highly entertaining, well-crafted movie. Certainly worth your time and even worth going to a little trouble to seek out. It may be Clint Walker at his best, which only serves to make one wish he'd done a hell of a lot more.

Persevere — WD

JOE PUMA - PI

2011-07-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

William Campbell Gault's Joe Puma has long been one of my favorite fictional private eyes. All it took was a reading of NIGHT LADY, some time in the early 60s, for me to be hooked. Although I've stayed on the lookout for any Gault/Puma title I could get my hands on ever since, a few in the series have still eluded me. Nevertheless, the impact was strong enough so that when it came time to name my own fictional PI in the early 80s, the choice of "Joe" as his first name came partly from the influence of Gault's Puma. (Other contributing factors were: "Joe" was the type of common, basic name I wanted for my character; as a kid, one of my nicknames—I accumulated many—for some reason was "Joe"; and the only other fictional PI I could think of at the time with that monicker was Joe Mannix, on TV.)

In retrospect, I think Puma also represented the first step in the evolution of my reading tastes and writing aspirations from the two-fisted/blazing-gun/relentless avenger style of Spillane (though the Mick still rates at the top of my favorites list) to stories with a bit more depth, richer characterizations—but still with plenty of action and, of course, a generous sprinkling of sexy dames.

Joe Puma is tough, testy, horny, a big "paisano" with more than a few rough edges, quick to throw a punch but a bit more reluctant when it comes to gunplay. Still, he is down-to-earth and likable, the kind of guy you'd probably enjoy having a few beers with at a neighborhood tavern. He operates against the familiar backdrop of LA/ Hollywood, but at its lower echelons ("not the carriage trade", as he puts it). Any movie stars he encounters are likely working for the lower-ranked studios on B-movie Row and the agents or studio moguls who seek to hire him are usually more interested in hiding facts than uncovering them. Puma sees his world for what it is, admits to his shortcomings, aspires to walk a straight line and be a better person, yet makes few apologies and in the end goes after justice in his own way.

Gault is also the creator of another, more acclaimed fictional private eye—Brock Callahan. I, for one, have never understood why the Callahan titles are perceived as the superior series … But that's a discussion (or argument, perhaps) for another time.

The main point of this post is to bring attention to JOE PUMA – PI, a fine collection of Puma short stories (originally published in the mid- to late 50s) now available from the Wonder Publishing Grop via Kindle. There are 5 stories here (of only 7 that Gault ever wrote, appearing mostly in Manhunt magazine).

The titles are:

The Unholy Three

Deadly Beloved

Death of a Big Wheel

No Client of Mine

Stolen Star

If you're unfamiliar with Joe Puma, these stories are a terrific way to get introduced to him. If you're already familiar with the big paisano, then this is an equally terrific way to rediscover why you liked him to begin with.

Highly recommended!

Persevere --- WD

DISMAL RIVER - Now Avaialble Bookstores/Amazon

2011-06-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to the video promo I posted a few days ago, I am pleased to announce that my new novel, DISMAL RIVER is now out from Oak Tree Press. It is my first (but definitely not last) Western, and I am pretty pleased with it. I naturally hope readers will check it out and that they will like it too.

It should already—or soon—be available in bookstores. And, as per the attached link, it can also be found on Amazon. It is appearing first as a trade paperback and will shortly be available in eBook format as well.

I want to publicly thank all the fine writers who took time from their busy schedules to read advances of this book and were kind enough to provide complimentary blurbs. They are: James Reasoner; L.J. Washburn; Bill Crider; Peter Brandvold; Edward A. Grainger; C.K. Crigger; John R. Lindermuth; and Michael A. Black. The trail to getting DISMAL RIVER published was a rocky one at times, but the encouraging words from good folks like these made the journey a lot smoother.

Like I always say, the name of the game is to …

Persevere — WD

DISMAL RIVER Video Promo

2011-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a video promo that my grandson Billy Wayne made for my new novel, DISMAL RIVER. It may not be a totally slick professional job, but I think the kid did a pretty darn good job on it and I'm proud to present it.
Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do ... And, obviously, I hope you enjoy the book too.

Persevere --- WD

WESTERN FICTIONEERS' 2010 PEACEMAKER AWARDS

2011-06-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

I was surprised, pleased, and very honored to receive the following news in my e-mail yesterday morning. My thanks to the good folks at Western Fictioneers and my sincere congratulations to the other fine writers who were also recognized this year.

I am just getting my boot in the stirrup as far as writing in the Western genre and this sure makes me feel like I have started on a good trail.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WESTERN FICTIONEERS (6/1/11):

There will be no awards ceremony in North Dakota as previously announced. Instead, the winners and finalists for the 2010 Peacemaker are listed below:

Best Short Story

WINNER:

Wayne Dundee, “This Old Star” from the anthology Bad Cop…No Donut (Padwolf Publishing)

FINALISTS:

Carol Crigger, “Left Behind” from the anthology Roundup! Great Stories of the West (La Frontera Publishing

C. Courtney Joyner , “Two-Bit Kill” from the anthology Law of the Gun (Kensington)

Matthew P. Mayo, “Scourge of Spoils” from the anthology Steampunk’d (DAW Books, Inc.)

Pete Peterson, “Catch a Killer by the Toe” published by Untreed Reads

Best Novel

WINNER:

Lyle Brandt (winner), Manhunt (Berkley)

FINALISTS:

Lyle Brandt, Avenging Angels (Berkley)

D.H. Eraldi, Settler’s Chase (Berkley)

Dusty Richards, Wulf’s Tracks (Berkley)

Kit Prate, Long Ride to Limbo -- Western Trail Blazer (an imprint of

Publishing by Rebecca J. Vickery)

S. Craig Zahler, Congregation of Jackals (Dorchester Publishing)

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists. Awards will be mailed to the recipients.

Western Fictioneers (WF) was formed in 2010 by Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Frank Roderus, and other professional Western writers, to preserve, honor, and promote traditional Western writing in the 21^st century. Entries were accepted in both print and electronic forms from all over the world. The Peacemaker Awards will be given out annually. Submissions for the 2011 awards will be open in July, 2011. Submission guidelines will be posted on the WF web site. For more information about Western Fictioneers (WF) please visit: http://www.westernfictioneers.com/ or http://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/

JOE HANNIBAL NOW ON KINDLE

2011-05-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am pleased and excited to be able to announce that the back list of Joe Hannibal novels are now being re-issued as eBooks, starting with first in the series, THE BURNING SEASON, currently available on Amazon Kindle. Up until now, unfortunately, many of these books have been out of print. The older titles will start coming out an on average of two a month and then, in August, an original, never-before-published title --- GOSHEN HOLE --- will be available.

I've written a brief overview of the series that appears as an Author's Introduction to each of the re-issued books. You can preview it here:

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION

The Joe Hannibal Series

The first Joe Hannibal story, "The Fancy Case", appeared in a now-defunct small press magazine called Spiderweb. That was 1982. And now, nearly three decades later, Joe and I are still open for business. In the interim, many other fictional PIs—some arriving to considerable acclaim—have come and gone. That makes the Hannibal books and short stories one of the longest-running, still-active PI series on the scene. And, if nothing else, it makes Joe and me a couple of durable old bastards.

I wrote that first story while I was recovering from kidney stone surgery. This was back in the pre-lithotripsy days, when they damn near cut you in half to get at those pesky little pebbles, so the recovery time was several weeks. In the beginning and through the handful of short stories to follow, Hannibal was stamped from a pretty stereotypical mold—just another a sock-and-shoot PI; another "Mike Hammer wanna-be", if you will. Which was okay, as far as it went. I am, after all, a huge Spillane/Hammer fan and I couldn't dispute my obvious pulp roots if I tried.

However, by the time I wrote my first Hannibal novel (The Burning Season – 1988), I had begun to focus on giving Joe considerably more depth. This was also true for the recurring cast of characters I had built up around him, as well as those he came in contact with during the course of a given story. There is a saying in the acting profession that goes something like: "There are no small parts, only small actors." Along similar lines, I once heard an old-pro writer say: "Each character in a story should want something." I took that to mean what they should want was to be memorable to the reader, and I have strived to follow that guideline in all of my writing since.

Joe remained plenty tough, seldom hesitant to throw a punch or a wisecrack if the situation warranted, but I also gave him a very human—and humane—side. To do this I drew upon my own experiences and those of friends and family I had known growing up. Since I came from a deeply-rooted blue collar background it was inevitable, I suppose, for that to start show-ing through. Peers and reviewers alike quickly dubbed Joe Hannibal a "blue collar" private eye. And I had no issue with that. In fact, I kinda liked it.

Initially operating out of Rockford, Illinois, also played a part in shaping Joe's image. Hardly a metropolis at under a quarter of a million people, Rockford provided a backdrop with little in the way of glitz or distinction in and of itself, thereby making Joe seem less urban-oriented than most other fictional PIs who tended to function in much larger, better-known cities. In fact, many of Joe's cases—and this is especially true in the novels—take him out of the city entirely.

The Burning Season is set completely in the moonshine region of southern Illinois; The Brutal Ballet (1992) takes place mostly in the Quad Cities area along the Mississippi River; And Flesh And Blood So Cheap (2001) is set in and around the fictional southern Wisconsin resort of Crescent Lake (patterned after real-life Lake Geneva); The Fight In The Dog (2005) ventures into Chicago but most of the action occurs in rural northwestern Illinois and then climaxes near the Racine-Kenosha area on Lake Michigan; and, finally, The Day After Yesterday (2007) takes Hannibal to the very rural setting of Nebraska's high plains. Only The Skintight Shroud (1988), the second of Joe's novel-length adventures, is set wholly in Rockford.

None of this was the result of any particular plan on my part. In fact, I hadn't fully realized the trend until I began reviewing the books as I sat down to write this piece. Upon reflection, I guess this speaks to my own comfort zone—as a writer seeking to capture scenes and settings to wrap my stories in—lying primarily outside the confines of any city or highly populated urban area. Again … my small-town, blue collar roots showing through and being reflected onto Hannibal and his world. And now, in its current phase, I have completely removed the series from an urban backdrop, even a smaller-sized city like Rockford. Following events detailed in The Day After Yesterday, Joe (like his creator) has relocated to Keith County in west central Nebraska. As chronicled in a handful of subsequent short stories and in the forthcoming new Hannibal novel (Goshen Hole, available soon in e-book format) these days Joe runs a private security patrol serving homes and businesses around popular Lake McConaughy. Although he no longer actively solicits investigative work, out of habit he's taken out a Nebraska PI license and, being who he is, trouble just naturally seems to have a way of still finding him …

Whatever the setting, the Hannibal stories and novels are not lacking (in my humble opinion) when it comes to complex plots, a reasonably solid mystery element, colorful characters, nasty bad guys (including a few who aren't all bad), a healthy sprinkling of sexual encounters, and plenty of action.

As the character of Joe Hannibal has evolved over the years, he has—partly by design, partly at a subconscious level—taken on certain aspects of his creator. In the beginning I was in my thirties, Joe was forty-plus; I have now edged into my sixties, Joe is sort of "frozen" in his late fifties; Joe used to smoke (although I never did), he has since quit; we both drive Honda automobiles; our tastes in music and food are the same; we have the same personal biases, political views, and religious outlooks; we both have the aforementioned blue collar back-grounds; we both fight the battle of a thickening gut; I have developed a bum knee and bad back, Joe now has a bum hip (resulting from being caught on the periphery of an explosion, as related in The Day After Yesterday) … Still, as a fictional extension, Joe remains different from me—and probably a lot more interesting—in many ways. He has an edgy, dangerous side for one thing. He's double-tough and capable of being quite ruthless when backed into a corner. He packs a gun every day of his life, has killed a number of people, and walks around constantly aware and alert to the fact that there are those still alive from previous encounters who would not hesitate, if given half a chance, to do him serious harm. I don't know that I would ever want to be Hannibal, but at the same time if I were to spend a day living in his shoes I hope I'd have the guts and toughness to handle things pretty much the same as he does.

If you are reading these words, that means you have purchased an e-book edition of one of the previously out-of-print Hannibal novels. For that I am sincerely grateful and I hope that by the end of the book you are able to look back and say you enjoyed it. For whatever reason, the Hannibal series has always received decent (albeit limited) critical acclaim—including nominations for an Edgar, an Anthony, and six Shamus Awards—but it has never enjoyed a wide readership. I am in hopes that, through the magic of e-books, this may now be accomplished and new readers will keep coming back for more. Like I said at the beginning, Joe and I are a couple of durable old bastards; we're in it for the long haul.

Persevere … That is the single trait in life that can take you the farthest and gain you the most.

Wayne D. Dundee

Ogallala, Nebraska

May, 2011

For those of you who've supported us in the past, I hope you pay Joe and me another visit. For those of you who may be hearing about us for the first time, I hope you give us a try. In either case, we'll be doing our darnedest not to disappoint

Persevere --- WD

THE BASIC FIRST STEP TO SOLVING BULLYING

2011-03-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Back toward the end of last year, I posted two blogs about bullying. One of them contained mostly my personal thoughts, the other was a review of an important book on the subject—HEART TRANSPLANT, by Andrew Vachss, Zak Mucha, and Frank Caruso.

In the interim, unfortunately, not much has changed.

In the past week, however, two incidents regarding the subject received considerable media attention and prompted me to write what you are now in the midst of reading.

Incident number one was President Obama giving a strong federal push to anti-bullying measures. For all the good that will do, in my humble opinion … well, let's just say I won't waste any more space on it.

The second incident took place at a middle school down in Australia. It was captured on video and went viral on YouTube. It involved a pudgy kid named Casey being harassed by a cocky little punk named Richard. The incident captured was, by all reports, not the first time Casey had to endure this kind of taunting, which included often being shoved and hit. This day, however, Casey reached a point where he'd had enough. After being punched in the face twice and jabbed in the stomach twice (to the jeers and cheers of onlookers), Casey grabbed his tormentor, twisted him off his feet, and slammed him to the sidewalk. Watching the news clip of the video for the first time, my reaction was to want to stand and cheer. After watching it a few more times on YouTube, my feelings haven't changed.

As a result of the altercation, both kids were suspended for four days and subsequently—surprise, surprise—the parents of the punk who got dumped on his ass have come forth with a lawsuit. And Casey's father can only lament that his son is "not a violent kid … He's always been taught not to hit."

Yeah, and right there is the start of the problem. In the first place, Casey ought to get a freakin' medal. In the second place, what Obama and others who insist on thinking they can fix the bullying problem simply with more legislature and more anti-bullying "policies" (how's that been working out so far, with about a gazillion such policies already in place and bullying practices only continuing to increase?) ought to do is promote Casey as the Anti-bullying Spokesman and send him on a tour showing his video and presenting it as Basic Step One in a real anti-bullying campaign. And, finally, parents like Casey's dad need to understand that, yes, it is fine to teach your kids "not to hit"—but it damn well is acceptable to hit back.

Yes, I realize my perspective may seem primitive and simplistic. But, damn it, at its core there is a truth that can't be denied.

I also realize there is a need for rules and policies. But they can only be affective up to a point because they always rely on someone in authority seeing the infraction. Otherwise it becomes just another case of "he said – she said" and there follows stern lectures and cautions handed out all around and then things go on as before … and the bullying victim is once again left to feel that, despite all the talk and all the hype, there really is no help or hope and, just maybe, he or she must deserve the shit sandwiches they are being fed.

Only when bullies—and everyone else—become convinced that continuing their ways will come at a cost - each and every time will the tide start to turn. Casey showed us a way to start making that turn; I hope enough people are paying attention to the message.

For another take on this same theme I refer you once again to a powerful, insightful article by Zak Mucha that can be found at http://www.vachss.com/better .

Persevere — WD

MY NEBRASKA: The Sioux Army Depot

2011-03-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

When I was writing my 2007 novel The Day After Yesterday, I wanted the big climactic scene—in which an exchange of ransom payment for a kidnap victim takes place—to occur in a remote, unique, somewhat ominous setting. And I wanted it to be an actual place. I toyed with several different locales and had about settled on a crumbling old abandoned sugar beet factory with vacant, broken-windowed buildings, tall towers, and a network of sagging conveyor tracks … until one day a co-worker (this was back before I retired from my full-time job in manufacturing) happened to mention something about the old "storage igloos" out in Cheyenne County. When I questioned him further, I first began to learn about the Sioux Army Depot …

In March of 1942, as part of our country's buildup for World War II, the Sioux Army Depot was established in Cheyenne County near the lower edge of Nebraska's panhandle, about six miles northwest of the town of Sidney. It would go on to become the only U.S. Army Ammunition Depot functioning in Nebraska through WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

The Sioux Depot was initially under the command of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department and later the U.S. Army Material Command. Its mission throughout its history was the receipt, storage, and issue of all types of ammunition from small arms to 10,000 bombs, all types of general supplies from small automobile parts to jeeps, and various strategic and critical materials. Near the end of its existence it briefly stored a small number of ICBM missiles.

At its peak, the depot occupied 19,771 acres and included 801 ammunition storage igloos, 22 general supply warehouses, 392 support buildings, 225 family living quarters, 51 miles of railroad track, and 203 miles of roads. As many as 2,100 civilian workers were employed in the day to day activities, along with 40 to 60 military personnel.

The depot was de-activated in June of 1967, during the Vietnam war.

All of this may seem like just a lot of dry historical data and details, especially for anyone reading this who lives outside Nebraska and/or is located in a more urban or more densely populated area. To get the full impact of what I'm trying to convey—what the Sioux Army Depot was and what it meant to the area—you must take into consideration the stark high plains landscape in which it was located. The Nebraska panhandle, except for the Pine Ridge area to the north, is a treeless expanse of grassy, rolling hills with widely scattered small towns. Cheyenne County is 1300 square miles in size with a population of just under 10,000, found mostly in four small towns each with a population of under 400 plus the county seat, Sidney, boasting about 6300. You can imagine what the army depot meant to the area when it existed and how economically devastating it was when it closed down. (It is an ironic aside that the community of Sidney saw its first big boom in the 1870s when it was a "wide open" town serving nearby Fort Sidney and then almost a century later boomed again—albeit in a much tamer way—from its proximity to another military facility.)

To visit the remains of the Sioux Army Depot today, the first thing you are struck by is leftover ammunition "igloos" standing in rows upon rows, almost as far as the eye can see, across a wide, flat expanse now overgrown with high grass and brush. I first visited there in the late afternoon, with dusk descending, and as I topped a low hill and the rows of shadowy igloos first came into sight it was like something out of a 1950s science fiction movie. Visualize something akin to scores of giant egg cartons turned upside down and strewn side by side all the way to the near horizon and you get a rough mental picture. (Hey, I'm a writer – I have an imagination.) These igloos are concrete domes with massively thick walls and tall steel-latch doors, standing about twenty feet high at the peak and fifty feet in diameter. They are (and always have been) grass-covered so that, from the air, they would blend into the rolling, grassy landscape and be virtually invisible. The gridwork of streets that served truck traffic between these structures is still mostly in place, though rough and broken and choked with weeds. If you stand in the middle of all this on a sunny day and (again) use your imagination just a little bit you can almost feel the pulse of the bygone activity and energy that ran through here.

These days the igloos are used by area farmers for grain and equipment storage. Some of the doorways are boarded over, to hold in the grain. Others are secured with heavy padlocks. Several, however, are wide open and you can walk inside.

The railroad tracks are long gone. The administration buildings located to the south of the igloo field are mostly still standing, some of them with their purpose still evident via faded signs that read Commissary, Hospital, etc. A row of badly dilapidated corrugated buildings where they must have loaded and unloaded freight trains are still standing and the massive crane framework and giant dangling hook still straddle a remaining short section of track.

As I spend time roaming the grounds, I can't help but feel a kind of sadness, a sense of loneliness and unfinished business hanging over the place. Almost like walking the streets of a ghost town … Maybe some ghosts are watching and walking there with me.

The igloo field served the scene in my book well.

But, as I trust you can tell from the foregoing, the Sioux Army Depot and its history made an impact on me well beyond just that.

Persevere — WD

Another Look: WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

2011-03-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

In 1962, when this film came out, I was fourteen years old. I remember going to the theater to see it with my parents. That was before the Hollywood rating system but this movie was nevertheless widely advertised as containing content most suitable for adults. I don't remember exactly why I was allowed to attend, other than I generally acted in a mature, sensible way and was always treated accordingly by my parents. By then I'd proven responsible at doing a wide range of farm work with my father and sometimes for neighboring farmers (driving tractors, trucks, baling hay, milking cows, etc.) and was also a trusted babysitter for my three sisters, two of whom were still in diapers. Add to that the fact my mother was always an avid movie fan, up to and including being a regular reader of the old-fashioned movie mags like Photoplay and others. So, since Walk On The Wild Side had been getting a lot of hype (mainly for its "shocking" content and also largely due to solid ol' Hank Fonda's daughter playing what was reported to be a very racy part in only her second movie), Ma was keen to see it. Me, I was keen to go to the movies whenever I got the chance. As for Dad, I'm not sure why he allowed himself to get dragged along … he mostly held out for good ol' shoot-'em-up Westerns. (I'm just guessing, but maybe it had something to do with all that "racy" hype.)

So anyway, we all went to see it and my recollection was that we came away neither particularly shocked nor impressed. It was okay, I remember thinking, but nothing special and not particularly titillating, even to a fourteen-year-old. Ma and Dad seemed most shocked by Barbara Stanwyck playing a lesbian. Me, I wasn't even sure what a "lesbian" was at that point and would have never even made the rather vague connection as portrayed in the film if I hadn't read about it in advance in one of Ma's movie magazines. Afterwards, the two things I remembered most about the movie were the scenes where Laurence Harvey got the snot beat out of him by some very nasty thugs, and the scenes where Jane Fonda was slinking around the "Doll House" wearing a skintight dress and smoking a cigarette in a long holder. (Hey, I might have been a "good kid", but I was in my teens, after all, and my hormones sort of forced me to take notice of such things.)

Recently, I sat down to re-watch Walk On The Side for the first time in many years to see how it held up from a considerably more mature (well, in years, anyway) perspective.

All and all, it's not a terrible movie. I've seen a lot better, I've sat through a helluva lot worse. By today's standards it is by no means shocking or racy. You see more graphic presentations on prime time TV any night of the week. Yet there is a certain grittiness to it, largely due to the excellent black-and-white photography and the moody, memorable song growled over the opening and closing credits by the gravel-voiced Brook Benton ("One day of praying, six nights of fun … The odds against going to Heaven, 6 to 1"). And the scene where Harvey gets beat up (which includes the involvement of a legless man who pulls himself along on roller-cart using said cart to ram against Harvey's ankles while two other thugs hold him) is still powerful. Also, Fonda still comes across as very sassy/sexy (far more so than Capucine, who is supposed to be the super-alluring focal point of everything) and as far as I'm concerned basically steals the whole show. (Spare me any anti-Fonda rants, please—I loathe most of the political stances she has taken over the years, but I grudgingly give her credit for having the courage of her convictions and I admit to appreciating her performances in several films over the years.)

The story is set in the early 1930s. It is based upon, but does not follow very faithfully, the Nelson Algren novel of the same name. It has to do with Dove Linkhorn (Harvey) hoboing across the country from Texas to New Orleans in search of his lost love Hallie (Capucine), an artist who has somehow ended up in a brothel (coyly called "the Dollhouse" throughout the movie) run by Jo (Stan-wyck) who gives Hallie special status and clearly wants to keep her to herself rather than making her available to the customers. Before reaching the city, Linkhorn encounters Kitty Twist (Fonda) who shows him the ropes as far as riding the rails and surviving the hobo life; but they quickly part ways when Dove catches her stealing from a café owner who has shown them some kindness. Through a newspaper ad, Dove traces Hallie to the Doll House and almost lures her away with him. But threats and physical interference from Jo's thugs get in the way. After Dove has been beaten up, Kitty—who, surprise!, has shown up again as a Doll House worker—creates a diversion that allows Hallie to get away and take the injured Dove with her. They return to the café where Dove and Kitty got solace earlier. Unfortunately, Jo and her thugs follow them there and in the struggle and shoot-out that ensues Hallie inadvertently stops a bullet and is killed. A very downbeat ending … somewhat salvaged by a tacked-on ending that shows newspaper headlines (as the closing credits roll and the Benton song plays again) heralding that the "Doll House Gang" has been convicted and brought to justice due to the testimony of "star witness" Kitty Twist.

Critics at the time generally panned the film. The only things that seemed to get any praise were the song (Oscar-nominated); the striking, luminous-eyed black cat who roamed through murky dark alleys in accompaniment to said song during each set of credits (and promptly ran away, never to be seen again, as soon as filming was complete); and the acting of Ann Baxter. The somewhat curious casting—Harvey (an Englishman) and Capucine (French) as a pair of Texans, and Baxter, playing a Mexican—got a lot of attention. Although Baxter, as mentioned above, drew accolades, both Harvey and Capucine got shredded. For my money, Harvey's Texas drawl (which he would use again some years later playing William Barrett Travis in John Wayne's The Alamo) was every bit as good as Baxter's Spanish. As far as Capucine … well, she spoke her lines and looked pretty good doing it; I'll leave it at that. Stanwyck chewed up the scenery with the relish of an old pro. But, like I said before, Fonda stole every shot she was in (especially when given wry lines like "I run the candy concession" when Dove encounters her in the Doll House and stupidly asks what she's doing there).

All in all, this plays sort of like homage to old Warner Bros. movies of the 30s. Not all of them were classics, but they were mostly entertaining and at the very least worth an hour and a half of your time. I'd put this film toward the top of that category.

Persevere — WD

INTERVIEW: Jochem Steen

2011-02-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Jochem Steen is a Dutch writer with a deep interest in the PI genre. This is evidenced by the entertaining and informative Sons of Spade web site that he maintains, plus the one novel (so far) and numerous short stories he has written about his own PI hero, Noah Milano. Additionally, Jochem is a family man with a relatively new addition, works a full time IT gig, and is a rock critic. Busy fellow. But he still found time to grant my request for the following Q&A interview which I think you will find interesting.

WD: Sons of Spade is a terrific web site, Jochem, packed with news, interviews, the occasional short story, and book reviews. Capturing and presenting all of that clearly must take a lot of time and effort. Can you tell us what prompted you to start the site and how it is working out as far as the work you put in versus the rewards you get in return?

JS: I wanted to promote my work, so I created the blog. When I discovered a lot of writers were more than happy to work with me it really took off. It’s a very rewarding way to get to know fellow PI-lovers. As for promoting my work, it hasn’t generated the sales I’d want for my novel. But there’s always hope ;-).

WD: You have said elsewhere that you first became interested in crime fiction and particularly the PI genre from watching Philip Marlowe and Spenser on TV. This, I presume, led to reading the older classics in the genre like the aforementioned Marlowe and, obviously, Sam Spade whom you implicate as the "father" of your site … on through to the current work being done in the genre, which you showcase so thoroughly. What about these "tarnished knights" going down their various "mean streets" appeals so strongly to you?

JS: I think it’s the superhero aspect of it to a large degree. I’ve loved superheroes since I was a kid. PIs seem to be the more mature variant of the hero who stands up for what’s right, outside the law. Also, most PI novels follow a certain logic, certain plot elements that I like. That means I can pick up most PI novels blindly and know for sure I’ll like them.

WD: Your first Noah Milano novel is entitled The White Knight Syndrome—was that a homage to the long-established "knight" theme, or was it something more personal relating to Noah himself and the things you are hoping to incorporate into your writings about him?

JS: It’s very much so a homage to the knight theme, it also reflects how Noah has the urge to be a hero, as difficult as it may be for him.

WD: What made you choose LA as a setting for you Milano stories? You seem to capture the locale quite accurately. Considering that you are writing from Holland, what kind of research do you do to maintain that feel and sense of place?

JS: The internet is a great invention for writers like me. Also, I’ve visited the USA several times and read a lot about LA.

WD: Please tell us a little about yourself and your background.

JS: I’m 36 years old, married, a father and an IT-professional. I love comics, crime and rock music.

WD: Many series writers tend to invest part of themselves into their protagonist. Is that true of you and, if so, what are some of those traits? Also, what do you feel sets Milano apart from other PIs?

JS: The sense of humor, the things he likes and dislikes are all me. I haven’t beaten up that many people though. What sets Milano apart from the rest is that he’s a very modern guy. He likes current music, is still young. And of course there’s the important aspect that he used to be a mobster but now tries to atone for the sins of his past.

WD: What does the future hold, writing-wise, for Jochem Steen? In recent years some very powerful and acclaimed crime writers have emerged from Europe, primarily Ireland and England—any chance we will be seeing some new crime stories (or a new PI, perhaps) written by you but set in Holland?

JS: I’m writing some stuff in Dutch but right now there’s no plans for any Dutch PI fiction. I am working on some short stories involving a new character, a bouncer and unlicensed PI called Danko Flynn. I hope you’ll see him appear soon enough. Also, I hope to feature some of my work in anthologies, so editors, don’t be afraid to contact me.

Thank you for your time and candor, Jochem.We'll keep an eye on Sons of Spade for more of its interesting features and articles, and we'll also be on the lookout for your byline on more exciting stories. Here's wishing you continued success with all of your undertakings.

Persevere --- WD

TRUE GRIT vs. TRUE GRIT

2011-01-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

Finally saw the Coen Brothers' remake of TRUE GRIT last Saturday night and figured I'd use this space to throw in my two cents' worth, as so many others have already done, on how it compares to the 1969 version starring John Wayne.

First, full disclosure on a couple of points: 1.) I've never read the Charles Portis novel upon which both films were based, so none of the following will be influenced by how faithfully either film stuck to the book; 2.) I am a huge John Wayne fan so, although I'll try to be as objective as possible, some amount of bias may possibly leak through.

Having expressed my feelings about the Duke, let me further say that TRUE GRIT was never in the top tier of my favorite Wayne movies. I liked it well enough, but my recollection has always been that it was way too hammy in the "drunk scenes" and the inclusion of Glenn Campbell in a key role really dragged down the entire picture. This wasn't the first time Wayne included—for the sake of helping to attract younger audience members—a popular singing artist of moment in one of his films. Ricky Nelson in RIO BRAVO (and Dean Martin, too, although he's out of a different mold) and Fabian in NORTH TO ALASKA worked surprisingly well; Frankie Avalon in THE ALAMO was even worse than Campbell but his screen time was thankfully very limited. These shortcomings (and a few others) aside, however, I nevertheless found the original TG enjoyable and recognized Wayne's display of acting chops, especially in the quiet camp scene where he tells Mattie about his past life, ex wife and son, etc. I felt his Oscar was deserved … although, as often happens in that particular race, it likely was earned as much for his body of work as for one particular film.

Now. The remake. The new TRUE GRIT is a very good film. Top-notch production values and direction (as you would expect from the Coens), strong acting across the board. Hailee Steinfeld is superb as Mattie Ross, and as of this date she has just received an Oscar nomination in the category of best supporting actress. Jeff Bridges puts his own distinct brand on the role of Rooster Cogburn and he, too, has just received an Oscar nomination in the best actor category. I would agree both are probably deserving, although I would be inclined more strongly toward Miss Steinfeld. The rest of the cast also turned in good performances, particularly Matt Damon putting a serio-comic spin on his interpretation of Texas Ranger LeBoeuf. I would note, however, that Josh Brolin, who has proven to be a very capable actor in many previous roles, seems ill-suited and used to little advantage here in the role of Tom Chaney.

As a whole, this new TRUE GRIT may be a more powerful, better-constructed film. It is certainly darker, grimmer, grittier, and thereby perhaps a more realistic representation of the period.

I think it's fair to remember, though, that the original version was made over forty years ago, at a time when Westerns were still being done in a gentler, more romantic and idealized way.

Still, upon re-viewing the original TRUE GRIT, which I purposely did before going to see the new one, I found it also to be realistic and somewhat grim in many of its scenes. And I gained a better appreciation for Wayne's portrayal of Rooster (perhaps now seeing it through the prism of time as someone who has himself grown older, crankier, and thicker through the middle as opposed to the relatively young sprout I was back in '69). It struck me, too, that despite recent comments dubbing that version as being tilted primarily toward the Wayne/Rooster role it really wasn't—not that much more so than the current version. There are entire long scenes early in the movie centered on Mattie and her various dealings, with Wayne being absolutely no part of it (other than as a discussion point in some instances). As for Kim Darby's portrayal of Mattie in the original, while it is not as powerful as Miss Steinfeld's, I think it is underappreciated, probably in large part due to sharing scenes with the afore-mentioned Mr. Campbell. (No matter that Wayne also shared scenes with Campbell—whoever he was on-screen with, he simply blew them away; as Montgomery Clift famously said after seeing screenings of RED RIVER: "When Wayne comes on camera, I just disappear.") The rest of the cast was made up largely of old-pro character actors (Robert Duval, Strother Martin, John Doucette, etc.) all of who provided yeoman-like performances and gave the whole thing a nice, comfortable feel.

Comparisons:

The original > 1.) Has a better opening sequence, giving us a more complete feel for Mattie, her family, and the low character of Tom Chaney; 2.) The lead-up to Rooster Cogburn is better, giving us a brief glimpse of him in action and allowing us to learn a number of things about him before Mattie actually confronts him for the first time; 3.) The "rat writ, writ for a rat" scene (absent from the new film and, from what I understand, also no part of the book) gives us a very telling - and important, I think - glimpse into Cogburn's character and what makes him tick; 4.) The scene where Mattie skips the ferry and rides her horse across the river is better done and includes the classic line from Rooster – "By God, she reminds me of me" – which gives us another peek into his character and also is the first clear sign of his growing admiration for the girl; 5.) The big one-against-four shootout in the meadow is more rousing, partly due to Elmer Bernstein's wonderful music, partly due to seeing Duke twirl his famous Winchester, but largely because, well, it's John Wayne, man; 6.) Having LeBoeuf die at the outlaw's hideout (and here I don't know if this was in the book or not) is effective because it finally allows Rooster to show grudging respect for the man with the great line: "Damn Texican, saved my life twice … once after he was already dead."; 7.) Finally, I like the more upbeat ending with Duke saying: "Well, come see a fat old man some time" as the camera goes to freeze-frame with him jumping his horse over a three-rail fence in response to just being told he was too old and fat to be jumping fences.

The remake > 1.) The spot-on perfect performance by Hailee Steinfeld will last in filmgoers' memories for a long time; 2.) Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Rooster is gutsy for its distinction and for veering Cogburn away from drunken, quasi-charming buffoonery toward mean, grungy, dangerous nastiness; 3.) The LeBoeuf character, not only because of Damon's superior acting skills, is written and presented in a more layered and entertaining way; 4.) The cabin scene with Quincy and Moon is better written here due to the knife that is brought into play coming from a hidden place – I could never understand, in the original, the logic of Rooster handing a weapon to Quincy in such close quarters; 5.) The Rooster vs. four climax here, while not quite as rousing as in the original (for reasons noted above) was far better choreographed and edited, making it still very exciting in its own right.

Quibbles/Flaws > 1.) The word emphasis in certain phrases from the original have always bugged the hell out of me. There were a number of different places where this occurred, but the most prominent one was Mattie cheering LeBoeuf after he shot Lucky Ned, proclaiming: "Some bully shot!" —like bully and shot were all one word, bullyshot. It should have been: "Some bully shot!" That may seem a stupid quibble to some (or most) but, like I said, it's been bugging the piss out of me for forty-plus years so I wanted to get it off my chest; 2.) After Mattie is snake-bitten, the whole reason Rooster rides out with her on Little Blackie is because that's the only horse he could catch. This is clearly stated in the original. In the remake, however, they ride right past Pepper's horse, still standing in the meadow … Why didn't Rooster take that second horse along so they could switch to a fresher mount after Little Blackie started to play out? Serious oversight in a key scene, to my way of thinking.

Bottom Line: Both versions are very good films, capable of standing proudly on their own merits.

One hopes that the popularity of the new version is due to the viewing public's hunger for more good Westerns like Hollywood seldom makes any more. I have to wonder, though, if the new version would be as successful if not for the popularity of the original and, moreover, the enduring popularity of John Wayne. Thirty-odd years after his death, Wayne rates among the top favorite male movie stars in poll after poll. Yet there are many who still despise him and his image. I think part of those who went to see the new TRUE GRIT were life-long Wayne fans (like me) hoping this remake would do justice to our icon; while others were Wayne haters who went hoping the new one would give them cause to put down Duke's version and then (as some have hastened to do) praise the superiority of this one. That, by turns, saddens me and pisses me off.

But I nevertheless give props to the new TG. Like I already said, it is a very good film.

Tell you what, though: After another forty years, when movie viewers think of TRUE GRIT, I'll bet the one they think of first will be the Wayne version.

Persevere, pilgrim — WD

INTERVIEW: Peter Brandvold

2011-01-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Peter Brandvold is a hugely popular author of action-packed Westerns. He has written dozens of books, under his own name as well as the pen name Frank Leslie. He also has written under the Ralph Compton banner and has done a number of titles in the popular Longarm series.

Recently, Peter graciously agreed to do a Q&A interview with yours truly. I think you will find what he had to say enjoyable and quite informative.

WD: Peter, you have quite a varied background, growing up on ranches and farms in South Dakota, later attending college (earning a B.A. in English), took a Creative Writing course at the University of Arizona, and taught English at the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in Montana. All the while you dabbled on and off writing articles and some fiction, eventually settling on penning rousing, wildly adventurous Westerns which have become quite successful. Please expand on this, in your own words, for our readers.

PB: I didn’t grow up on farms or ranches, but lived around friends and family who had them so I spent a lot of time in the country. I lived in little towns that could probably qualify as “country,” even more so today when most of the little towns in the Midwest are going the way of the wooly mammoths. I lived all over North Dakota because my dad was good at his job—he was a soil conservationist for the Dept. of Agriculture—and got promoted a lot. But I loved the small town life, especially visiting friends and family on farms and ranches; riding horseback a lot, and driving grain trucks when I could just barely see over the dash. Getting into all kinds of “country” trouble. But I’ve always had a very vivid and dramatic imagination, and from a very early age I knew I was going to be a writer. I was in the 5^th grade when I read several Jack London, John Steinbeck, and Ray Bradbury stories, and a great story by Roald Dahl called “Beware of the Dog”. It's about a British fighter pilot recovering in a German hospital, though he doesn’t know it’s German because they tell him he’s in England. But then he sees this German sign that says, “Beware of the Dog,” etc. Just a great story, and the vivid way it was written, creating that whole world with all the sights and smells and horrors ... Man, I knew I wanted to do that myself. Everything leading up to it was just paying the bills in the most efficient way I could. But living and teaching on that little remote Montana Indian reservation for five years was great experience for a Western writer. And that’s what I always knew I’d write—Westerns; because those were the only movies I really loved from a very early age, and those were the first novels I read for fun. My God, I had a toybox full of pistols and shell belts and neckerchiefs and battered hats. In my head, I was always a cowboy. I think I still am, though I haven’t ridden a horse since Montana. I’d like to have enough acreage again to run a few in a big pasture, and ride up around Horsetooth Mountain, close to where I live now in Colorado.

WD: You strike me as what I would call a "natural" storyteller. How much did the English and Creative Writing courses—versus your life experiences and what I suspect was this very strong natural gift—impact on what we see in your work today?

PB: English and creative writing courses were great at opening up my world for me, my world of literature and writers. I mean, I’ve read a broad range of folks—Harry Crews to Graham Greene, John Updike, Saul Bellow. I love Tolstoy, and A Sportsman's Sketches by Turgenov is probably my very favorite book of al time. I’m always flipping through it to re-read passages here and there, though I think I have to whole thing memorized. I like poetry—Ted Kooser, Elizabeth Bishop, Donald Justice, Mark Strand, Mary Oliver, James Galvin, who writes about the country here in northern Colorado. All this was grist for the mill. A writer needs to read anything he can get his hands, be curious about everything you see, and all the books and movies out there. It’s strange and wonderful how when you’re writing and you’re entire unconscious is completely opened up what things from your past or what you've read and heard will drift into your mind and somehow flavor what you’re writing at that very moment. So to answer your question in a nutshell: Those classes introduced me to things to read and taught me how to go about finding them. They made me more curious and aware of the whole wide world of literature out there. But they did very little for me, practically speaking, as far as learning how to write. That’s something you really can only teach yourself with a lot of hard agonizing.

WD: You cover a wide range of the West in your numerous books, and generally use a large cast of characters (many of whom end up dead when they tangle with your protagonists)—how do you keep track of all the places and character names you have used so as not to unintentionally repeat any of them?

PB: Yeah, new characters and plot ideas turn up in my head all the time while I’m writing, and I just go with it. I censor nothing. Writing is such a blast for me because it’s all about discovering what my unconscious is going to throw at me next, and I often really have no idea. It’s even happening as I type this—holy shit!! I do have a hard time keeping track and I usually write too fast and hard, working up a sweat, to be able to slow down and write things down. So I usually jot names or places or the type of horse a particular character is riding after I’m done with that sprint. I sometimes screw up, however, and I’ll get emails telling me this guy fired nine shots from his six-shooter and this gal was riding a paint on p.32 but the paint was suddenly a coyote dun on p.102, and I really hate doing that because it’s sloppy. I should catch it in the galley proofs, which I usually try to read very carefully. I hate sloppy editing. Seeing one typo in one of my books will really make me wince. Or a flub like the one in my second book, BLOOD MOUNTAIN, where I have a one-armed man pushing himself up off a wagon bed with “both hands.” Oh, man ...

WD: You have several series going—Sheriff Ben Stillman, Cuno Massey, Gideon Hawk, Yakima Henry, and Lou Prophet. All are hard, tough men on the Western frontier. I find it very commendable, however, that each is a very distinct character with mannerisms and qualities all his own. Can you give us some background on how you created each of these memorable hombres and how you maintain their individuality?

PB: Not really. I guess I just see each one as a person—and we don’t know any two people alike, do we? Unintentionally, I gave Gideon Hawk and Yakima Henry similar features—dark hair and green eyes, and they’re both half-breeds—but in my head they seem very distinct, not very alike at all. In fact, they’re almost polar opposites, psychologically speaking. Yakima tries to avoid trouble, as where Hawk goes looking for it.

WD: Do you move in sequence when writing about these characters—i.e., one book about Stillman, then one about Prophet, then one about Yakima, etc.? If not, is there any particular pattern that you follow?

PB: The pattern is pretty much dictated by my publisher. They offer me contracts based primarily what seems to be selling best at the time. I sort of like having the decision made for me. I really don’t have any favorites amongst my characters, don’t even mind writing to of the same series back to back. I just love getting into that world, saddling up, and touching steel to flank.

WD: You have lived and/or traveled extensively throughout most of the country where your stories take place. This, I expect, provides much of the necessary description, history, etc., that you need to tell your tales. Do you do much additional research? If so, please describe.

PB: I travel all over in my truck and trailer, and that’s fun because I can then set books where I am at any given time, and it just makes the writing so much more immediate. I can just look out the window and see a turning cottonwood and know exactly how to describe the sunlight playing on it. Or how a particular ridge looks or the way shadows slide across a mountain slope with the sun’s movement. I wrote The Guns of Sapinero up in the Wasatch Mountains, outside the little ghost town of Tincup, and since I was on open range there were cattle all over the place. They’d wander through my camp whenever they wanted, and I’d see them in the willows when I was fishing my favorite creek. One morning I woke up to my trailer pitching up and down. I rolled out of bed, looked out the door, and there was a big Angus heifer using the front corner of my trailer for a scratching post! That image went into Guns when my hero wakes up to a scratching sound outside his cabin.

WD: You spend much of the year "RV-ing" around the country—much like a roaming cowboy of old—stopping to camp and spend time where and when it suits you . Sounds pretty enviable. Can you expound on this lifestyle for our readers?

PB: It’s a lot of fun. When I get bored with a place, I pack up and move elsewhere. I spent one winter near Quartzsite, Arizona, and several summers in the Colorado mountains. I also spent a good part of last summer in North Dakota, staying in a couple of little towns I grew up in as well as one close to Minot, where I have an ill aunt, my Aunt LaVerne, who was/is like a second mother to me and certainly filled a big gap when my blood mother died in ’98. We had a good time touring the countryside together, LaVerne showing me where the old farm was and that sort of thing, and telling stories of the old days like what they did all winter and where they had to pick up coal. That’s what become available when you can travel a lot and at will. I love it. I’ll always have my trailer. I’m not going to say it doesn’t get lonely at times, though, because it does. It requires one to go out and make new friends and that’s always been hard for me. But you can’t beat the quiet time for writing.

WD: You write under your own name and also as Frank Leslie. I assume you chose that name after "Buckskin Frank Leslie", a gunslinger of some renown around Tombstone, AZ, during the time of Wyatt Earp. Leslie eventually shot and killed Billy Claiborne, one of the survivors of the OK Corral shootout, and very possibly also killed Johnny Ringo (despite popular claims via recent movies that it was Doc Holliday). Can you comment on this?

PB: Nope, you got it. I like the old-West baggage the name "Frank Leslie" carries. It’s the same thing with Fred Glidden calling himself "Luke Short". It’s kind pulpy, isn’t it? I love pulp and all it’s history so I guess the name is also a nod to that pulpy tradition.

WD: Finally, what does the future hold, writing-wise, for Peter Brandvold and Frank Leslie? I know you currently have a "weird Western"—entitled Bad Wind Blowing—appearing as an Amazon Kindle original, Peter. I also know, via our e-mail exchanges, that you soon will have a book series of "weird Westerns" coming out. Please tell our readers more about that and about any other news you care to share.

PB: Yeah, I’m working on a weird western series for Berkley tentatively called Dust of the Damned. I’m pulling out all the stops on this one. I have vampires and werewolves and beautiful Indian witches and even dragons. My hero is a bounty hunter who specializes in hunting a particular breed of werewolf that helped the North win the Civil War at Gettysburg, and the heroine is beautiful deputy United States Marshal, Aubrey Coffin. Together, they take on the weird frontier and also make the mattress dance a time or two. Ha! I have several other books done and they should be out over the course of the next year, including another Rogue Lawman called Gallows Express and two more Leslie books, Revenge At Hatchet Creek and Dead River Killer, respectively. Right now my Leslie book, Bullet For A Half-Breed is on the racks, as well as my latest Lou Prophet yarn, The Devil's Winchester.

WD: Thank you for your time and candor, Peter. This was an interesting, informative interview. I trust our readers—and your many fans, I'm sure—will enjoy it. And I urge anyone who's reading this and hasn't checked out any of Peter's exciting, action-packed yarns to get your butts in gear and give them a try. You'll be glad you did. You can find Peter's books at any full-service book store and also through Amazon and other internet outlets. You can learn more about Peter by checking out his blog at http://peterbrandvold.blogspot.com or visiting his web site www.peterbrandvold.com .

Persevere --- WD

ANOTHER LOOK: 100 Rifles

2011-01-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

100 Rifles (1969 – 20^th Century Fox) has long been one of my favorite films. Not among the top tier perhaps, but nevertheless holding a prominent spot somewhere in the middle of the mix.

I believe I first saw it at a drive-in theater (where I did most of my movie viewing in those days) and then saw it again, as part of double- or triple-bills probably, at least two more times in subsequent months before it was pulled from circulation. It had (and still has, upon re-viewing) a lot going for it: It's a tough, gritty "Western", albeit set in revolution-torn Sonora, Mexico, circa 1912; it has plenty of slam-bang action; exchanges of snappy, rough-hewn dialogue, most of it between stars Reynolds and Brown; a few touches of wry humor; and, of course, Raquel Welch in one of her sultriest and possibly most under-rated roles.

When it was first released, 100 Rifles garnered a good deal of attention. Trouble was, most of this was publicity surrounding the film's steamy interracial love scenes (something still fairly uncommon back in '69) between Welch and Brown. Adding to this bit of controversy were reports that, contrary to what showed up on screen, tensions between the two performers were hardly loving on the set and at the core of this, at least in part, were some alleged racial issues. These distractions aside, the film met with decent reviews and box office success.

100 Rifles was co-written (with veteran Western author Clair Huffaker) and directed by Tom Gries. Previously, Gries had directed some low-budget movies and several TV episodes ("Rat Patrol", "Rifleman", "Wanted: Dead or Alive", etc.) and had won an Emmy for his work on "East Side/West Side". The prior year he had won acclaim for directing Charlton Heston in another Western, Will Penny, based on an episode of "The Westerner" TV series which Gries had also written and directed. He would go on to direct another eight moderately successful movies until he died at age 55 after playing tennis at the end of a day's post-production work on the Muhammed Ali bio-pic, The Greatest.

100 Rifles marked the start of the break-out period for Burt Reynolds that would take him away from his initial TV popularity and propel him to becoming the most popular screen actor of the 70s and 80s. His role as Yaqui Joe in Rifles (his fourth feature-length film) is early indication of both his comedic flair and the intensity he could bring to a role when called for (watch his silent reaction to the mass slaughter of Yaqui Indians by the rurale soldiers).

Jim Brown, arguably at the peak of the spotty acting career that came immediately on the heels of his football fame, turns in a solid performance as Lyedecker, the Arizona lawman who has ventured down into Mexico on the trail of Yaqui Joe for a bank robbery committed north of the border. Brown had already established a strong screen presence in such films as Rio Conchos and The Dirty Dozen, and perhaps his best was yet to come in 1970's tick … tick … tick.

Raquel Welch was also at the height of her popularity with this film. In fact, movie-wise, she was probably the most solidly established of the three main stars. In 100 Rifles, playing Sarita, the hot-blooded revolutionaria, she is not so much flashy-sexy (the way she is in other films of the period like Fathom, Bedazzled, Magic Christian, etc.) as she is sexy in a sultry, smoldering kind of way. And she, too, is capable of ratcheting up the intensity when she somberly wields a rifle to fight the rurales or thwarts a would-be rapist by kicking him in the groin and then slamming the tip of a broken tree branch into his heart. Like I said earlier, in the opinion of this humble viewer the role of Sarita is one of Ms. Welch's most effective and underrated performances.

Also of note is the work turned in here by Fernando Lamas, playing cold-blooded General Verdugo, scourge of the Yaquis. To be sure, Lamas does a good deal of scenery-chewing with his expansive gestures and smirks and wickedly dazzling smiles—but somehow it works, and only serves to emphasize his true ruthlessness. In one memorable scene he dispatches three Yaqui captives with a single bullet (from a pearl-handled, silver-plated .45 semiauto, no less) and then explains: "I know the value of things. These Indians, they are worth nothing … But a bullet, now that has value." You just know that he is going to "get his" before the movie is over and, to the viewers' delight, he surely does.

It may be also worth noting that 100 Rifles is credited with being based on The Californio, a fine novel by Robert Macleod. Although the only resemblance between the two, at least as far as I could ever determine, is that they both are set around the Arizona/Mexico border at about the same time period. My advice would be: See the movie, enjoy it for what it is. Read the book, enjoy it for what it is. But as far as having anything in common, you ain't gonna find much.

In a nutshell, 100 Rifles is an exciting, enjoyable Western. Kick back, spend the 110 minutes it takes to watch it, and I don't think you'll come away disappointed.

Persevere — WD

INTERVIEW: John R. Lindermuth

2011-01-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

John R. Lindermuth is a retired newspaperman, author of several short stories and articles as well as eight novels (to date), including four in the popular Sticks Hetrick series. John's work is well written and highly entertaining, and I have reviewed some of the Hetrick novels here on this blog and elsewhere. In this new year John will be branching out into Westerns with his upcoming novel, Fallen From Grace.
I caught up with him over the holidays and conducted the following interview which I trust you will find interesting and entertaining.

WD: John, you are a retired newspaper editor/writer. Prior to that you had intentions of entering art school but then served a hitch in the Army and were stationed in Korea. How did you make that transition? Did your time in the Army in any way lead to your newspaper career rather than pursuing art school?

JRL: The Army was actually responsible for my newspaper career. Initially, as a result of a battery of tests, the Army determined I had the makings of an investigator and had me as a candidate for CID (Criminal Investigation Command). A pre-qualification was going through military police training. After basic, they sent me to Ft. Gordon, GA, for the training—where I was promptly belt-lined (rejected on grounds I didn’t meet height and weight requirements). I can’t explain why they didn’t know that in advance. I do regret missing out on CID. It would have made a great background for a crime writer. After a short stint of infantry training, it was decided I had the makings of a reporter and they sent me to J-school at Ft. Slocum NY. It was a lucky break for me.

WD: Can you tell us a little bit about your newspaper career --- i.e. what papers you worked for, and were there any particularly memorable or significant stories you covered?

JRL: I had some good assignments in the Army and was offered a job on Stars & Stripes if I re-upped. But I’d had enough of the military routine. I managed to get my discharge in South Korea where I was last assigned. My first civilian gig was as copy editor for North Asia Press, one of several businesses of an American entrepreneur. I also did some stringing for a variety of U.S. media. Returning to the states, the best I could do at first was a reporter spot on my hometown weekly—a job which provided more excellent training. After that I had a year on The News-Dispatch (now News-Item), the local daily. This was followed by 20 years with the Daily News in Lebanon PA and some stringing for the Patriot-News of Harrisburg PA. I finished up my career with The News-Item. Over the years, I worked every reporter beat and posts as education editor, farm editor, wire editor, county and city editor. All of these have provided grist for my fictional mill. One of the more unusual murder cases I did work on was that of Susan Reinert, whose body was found in Harrisburg. Dr. Jay Smith got the death sentence in that case, which was the subject of Joe Wambaugh’s book, Echoes In The Darkness.

WD: Now that you're retired, what occupies your time aside from writing and your work for the local historical society?

JRL: Family, walking, lots of reading. I’ve made a vow to also get back to drawing, which had been neglected in recent years.

WD: You have said that your grandfather was a natural storyteller and your father had an extensive library. So you were exposed to storytelling, both verbally and in written form, early on and this led to your interest in writing. During your newspaper time, did you also pursue writing fiction? (I ask this because in the past I spent some time doing stringer work for a newspaper and almost every reporter I got to know had at least one fiction manuscript or work-in-progress stuffed in a drawer somewhere).

JRL: You’re right—every reporter has at least one novel in the drawer. I was no exception. I churned out short stories and a few novels (which didn’t sell) and did interest an agent at one point. I succeedED in publishing a lot of articles in a variety of magazines, though, and also did PR for a little theater, a business and several charitable organizations.

WD: In your Sticks Hetrick series, you write about the town of Swatara Creek, which is fictional. But there is a Swatara Township. Is this the actual setting you draw upon, as far as the physical terrain, types of people, local characters and/or places?

JRL: In Something In Common, the first of the Hetrick novels, I included an author’s note stating there is a Swatara Creek, but no town of that name in central Pennsylvania. The Swatara Creek of the novels is solely my invention, though it’s representative of many of the older Susquehanna River towns which have become bedroom communities for the more metropolitan areas. I am familiar with Swatara Township, but it’s a much more affluent and cosmopolitan place than my fictional town.

WD: You write so vividly of Pennsylvania's coal region, both in the Sticks Hetrick series and in other novels. And you are the librarian of the local historical society. You obviously have a deep affection for the area. Care to comment on that, perhaps give us some insight on your deep feelings for the area?

JRL: Perhaps it’s partly due to my knowledge of the history and folklore of the area, but I’ve always had a deep affection for this, my homeplace, though its attractions may be less obvious to outsiders. It’s probably not something I can put into words. I’ve just not felt as content elsewhere, though there are other places I like to visit.

WD: Can you give us some background on the Sticks Hetrick character? Many series authors invest a good deal of themselves into their main character --- is there some of John Lindermuth in Sticks?

JRL: I guess it would be impossible for a writer to create an on-going character without imbuing him with some comparable traits. Hopefully they’re more latent than obvious. Sticks is a good man (which I hope I am, too), loyal, compassionate, dedicated, tough when he has to be. I know he’s much braver than me. I play at chess, but he’s a real gamesman. He’s pretty much a steak and potatoes kind of guy while I’m a bit more adventurous in the culinary area.

WD: I know you have a Western novel coming out next year. Can you give us a preview of what that's about? Also, what's next for Sticks Hetrick and, in general, what does the future hold for John Lindermuth?

JRL: Fallen From Grace might be described as an historical mystery, but Oak Tree Press is billing it as a Western. Sylvester Tilghman is the third of his family to serve as sheriff of his small hometown. His biggest problems have been lack of a deputy and the reluctance of his longtime girlfriend to acceptance his many marriage proposals. When two newcomers are murdered in short succession, his life becomes much more complicated.
As to Sticks, I’m well along on the fifth in that series. Sticks and new girlfriend Anita have gone on a cruise prior to assuming his new job as county detective. In Jamaica he runs up against murder, which appears to have a connection back home. Meanwhile, Aaron Brubaker and crew are doing their best with crimes of their own. For the future, I’m hopeful of many more stories and readers for them.

Thanks, John. I encourage readers who haven't already discovered this talented writer to check out some of his work with all haste. I know that I, for one, am looking forward to Fallen From Grace as well as the next Sticks Hetrick adventure.

Persevere --- WD

MY NEBRASKA: MASSACRE CANYON

2010-12-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things since moving to west central Nebraska is taking road trips and exploring points of interest related to the rich history of the area. One such place is located about a hundred miles due south of where I live, down almost to the Kansas border. It is called Massacre Canyon --- the name alone being enough to intrigue anyone with an ounce of imagination. I spotted the name on a map shortly after moving out here and immediately made plans to drive down and visit it. I also immediately knew that one day I wanted to use that name as the title of a book or short story. I --- like most writers, I suspect --- always have an assortment of names, titles, situations, random scenes, story ideas, quotations or exchanges of colloquial dialogue I've overheard, etc., filed away in a "some day" compartment of my brain; meaning that some day I will find the right circumstances in which to use one or more of these items in my writing.

One Sunday a couple weeks back I had the urge to take a long drive. At the same time I also had the need to come up with a short story idea. I decided to combine the two and make a return visit to Massacre Canyon, where I hadn't been for several years, and see if the trip could inspire me to finally make use of the title and come up with a story to fit it ... And, lo and behold, it worked. By the time I returned home I had the whole story roughed out in my head and even a few notes I'd stopped to scribble down along the way.
I wrote it and fine-tuned it in less than a week and subsequently have been able to place "Massacre Canyon" at a popular webzine where it will appear shortly into the new year ... More on that when the time is closer.

In the meantime, let me tell you a little bit about the true historical events that gave Massacre Canyon its name:
The battle of Massacre Canyon took place on August 5, 1873, in what is now Hitchcock County, Nebraska. It marked the last large scale battle between two Indian tribes of the West --- the Pawnee and the Sioux.
The Pawnee, who for many years had been very cooperative with the white man and had often served as Army scouts (including to such notables as George Custer and William F. Cody), were living peacably on a reservation in southern Nebraska. Each summer they were allowed to form a large hunting party and roam off the reservation in order to hunt buffalo. They were accompanied by a white guide or "trail agent" and promised protection from the Sioux, who frequently raided into Pawnee territory, sometimes killing and destroying crops and property but usually just stealing horses.
In the summer of '73, a Pawnee hunting party of about 350 men, women, and children left the reservation for their annual. As usual they were accompanied by a trail agent, this time a young man named John Williamson, and given to believe that cavalry troops were nearby to provide protection if needed. They started out in early July and began to have luck tracking a sizable buffalo herd. At one point they encountered a party of white buffalo hunters who warned them that Sioux were in the area, but neither Williamson nor the Pawnee chiefs took the warning seriously, believing the white hunters were trying to trick them into leaving the area so they could have better hunting for themselves.
As it turned out, the warning was true. There was a party of nearly 1,000 Sioux in the area and they were tracking both buffalo and Pawnees. When the Sioux attacked in August, the Pawnees fought a running battle down the low canyon running southwest from present-day Highway 34. The braves held back and fought while the women and children fled down the canyon. The Sioux divided and took control of both banks of the canyon, firing down on their adversaries. This advantage, on top of their superior number, quickly won the day for the Sioux. So convincingly were the Pawnees defeated that remaining members of the tribe were left demoralized to the point of shortly thereafter leaving Nebraksa altogether (where they had been the dominating force for more than a century before the coming of the white man) and relocating permanently to the Indian Territories of Oklahoma.
None of this, by the way, is meant to paint the Sioux in a bad light. Their actions were simply reflective of the way things were back then between Indian tribes --- they fought, harrassed, stole, and generally made life miserable for one another.
The real bad guys of this episode may have been (surprise) certain members of the Indian Agency overseeing the Pawnee on their Nebraska lands. Americans love a good conspiracy theory, right? So here goes:
On previous summer hunts the trail agent assigned to accompany the Pawnees had been "Texas Jack" Omohundro, a veteran plainsman and contemporary of Buffalo Bill. Jack probably would have done a better job of advising the Pawnee when the buffalo hunters tried to warn them, and also likely would have verified that the promised cavalry protection was nearby (which it was not). Williamson, who was substituted at the last possible moment and did his best, including fighting bravely during the battle, was a recent arrival to the frontier from Wisconsin and was simply too inexperienced for the assignment. So, were these last-minute changes in personnel, the failure of the Army to know about the large party of Sioux present in the area, and the "mis-cue" as far as having a cavalry troop in closer proximity to the Pawnee all unfortunate coincidences? Or was the whole thing allowed to happen as part of a plan calculated to encourage the Pawnee to leave the fertile grazing and farming lands of Nebraska (where vast cattle ranches quickly flourished) and flee to the Indian Territories? Conjecture continues, but only the mists of time know the real answers ...

As a final note, the marker that indicates the battle site has a bit of a history all its own. It is the first Federally-funded such marker in Nebraska, and its distinct obelisk column design contains many fascinating designs and symbols. The faces in relief on the sides of the column are representations of the Indian cheifs who fought in the battle.

All in all, a fascinating place with a fascinating history.

Persevere --- WD

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