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Thunder on the Plains Excerpt
Sunny held her chin higher and faced him. “I’ll race you,” she told him.
“What?”
She gave him a daring look, a new boldness in her eyes. “I said I’ll race you. If you catch me and manage to pull me off my horse, you’ve won!” She charged away, and Colt sat there a minute, wondering what she was up to. What was this sudden change in conversation? She was like a crazy woman today, and she had turned his feelings a thousand different ways.
Colt watched her, the way her bottom fit her saddle, the way her hair blew in the wind. Her daring look stirred his pride, and the race was on. He kicked Dancer into a hard run, manly desires stirring in him at the challenge of catching her. He held the reins with one hand and smashed out his cigarette against his saddle horn with the other, tossing the stub aside and leaning into the ride. “Get up there, Dancer,” he shouted to the horse.
Dancer’s mane flew up into Colt’s face as he galloped up and down more sandhills. He noticed Sunny veer to the west rather than north, and he turned Dancer, taking a cut between two more sandhills and emerging near Sunny as she came around the end of one hill. She screamed and laughed when she saw him, and now he knew he could catch her.
He came closer, the determination to reach her now a burning need. It went against all reason, was totally foreign to all sense of maturity. They were like children for the moment, and yet not children at all. The emotions it stirred in him to think of catching her were dangerous, yet he could not stop himself. He came ever closer, and now he was on her!
Sunny screamed when she felt his strong arm come around her. Suddenly, she was free of her horse and sitting sideways on Dancer, a powerful arm holding her. She covered her face and laughed as Colt slowed his horse. “Now you are my captive,” he teased.
She threw her head back and faced him, and both of them sobered. For a moment they sat there breathing heavily from the ride, watching each other.
“We had better go catch your horse,” he finally told her.
“We’ll find it later,” she answered. She moved her hands to touch his powerful arms, ran her fingers over his bare shoulders. “Tell me, Colt. What does an Indian do with his captive?”
For a moment everything went silent for him. Nothing existed but the utterly beautiful woman in his arms, her tempting mouth, her open blouse, her blue eyes, her golden hair. He moved a hand to rest against the flat of her belly. “He takes her to his tipi and makes her his slave,” he answered, his voice gruff with passion.
She touched his face. “That’s what I want you to do with me, Colt. Make me your slave—today, tonight, tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “Sunny—”
She touched his lips. “Don’t say it, Colt.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “I don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore, and today I don’t care. I just want you. I’ve always wanted you.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “It can’t be anybody else, Colt, not the first time. I—”
His kiss cut off her words, a deep, hot kiss that removed any remaining inhibitions. She could barely get her breath for the thrill of it, the ecstasy of his hand moving to her breast, the ache of womanly desires that surged in her when his tongue moved between her lips. Dancer moved slightly, and she clung to Colt. He left her lips for a moment, keeping one arm around her as he slid off the horse and pulled her after him.
Book Information
Title: Thunder on the Plains
Author: Rosanne Bittner
ISBN: 978-1492631200
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Summary
With more than 7 million books in print, RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award–winning and USA Today Bestselling author Rosanne Bittner pens a historical Western romance filled with dangerous cowboys, capable heroines, and an epic love story that sweeps across the Old West.
IN A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
Sunny Landers wants a big life—as big and free as the untamed land that stretches before her. Land she will help her father conquer to achieve his dream of a transcontinental railroad. She won’t let a cold, creaky wagon, murderous bandits or stampeding buffalo stand in her way. She wants it all—including Colt Travis.
ALL THE ODDS WERE AGAINST THEM
Like the land of his birth, half–Cherokee Colt Travis is wild, hard, and dangerous. He is a drifter, a wilderness scout with no land and no prospects hired by the Landers family to guide their wagon train. He knows Sunny is out of his league and her father would never approve, but beneath the endless starlit sky, anything seems possible…
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Vdn1cv
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1LAyKkz
iBooks: http://apple.co/1h0y3nP
Author Bio
USA Today bestseller and award-winning novelist Rosanne Bittner is known as the “Queen of Western Historical Romance” for her thrilling love stories and historical authenticity. Her epic romances span the West—and are often based on Rosanne’s personal visits to each setting. She lives in Coloma, Michigan, with her husband and two sons.
Social Media
Website: http://www.rosannebittner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosanneBittnerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosannebittner
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67759.Rosanne_Bittner
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May Contain Spoilers
Review:
I’m so glad my local library received this book so soon after release date! I actually had an eARC, but a Kindle version wasn’t available, and I could not get the ePUB file to load on my iPad. Talk about frustrating! Vengeance Road was probably my most anticipated summer read, and having that broken file on my tablet was driving me nuts. Turns out the library saved the day! This book is so good, I urge you to run to your own library and borrow it right away!
After Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the no good Rose Riders, she does what any brave frontier woman would do. She vows to chase them to purgatory, dresses like a boy, and sets off after them. She makes a short stop on the way, because she promised her father that if anything ever happened to him, she’d seek refuge with his friend Abe. Only she learns that Abe’s dead, kicked in the head by a horse. His sons give her a letter, written by her father, that they had been keeping in case she ever showed up. Discovering that her parents had discovered a gold cache in the Superstition Mountains before her mother’s death, Kate, pretending to be Nate, loads her guns and heads off in search of the gold. Where there’s gold, she figures, there will be a thieving, murderous band of outlaws.
Kate gets unexpected company when Abe’s sons, Jesse and Will, stubbornly join her. They argue that three riders are safer than one, and they can keep an eye out for each other, since they are traveling in the same direction. They’ll ride with her until they have to veer off for a cattle drive they’ve been hired for, and since she can’t get rid of them, Kate reluctantly agrees that some company won’t be too bad. Will it?
Kate is one angry young woman. Her rage consumes her. All she can think of is riding down the Rose Riders and killing them, slaughtering them as callously as they murdered her pa. She rebuffs Jesse and Will’s overtures of friendship, afraid that they’ll figure out she’s a girl, and that they’ll cause headaches for her that she doesn’t need. When the three are ambushed by the Rose Riders, Kate reluctantly fills them in on her missions, and the thought of all of that gold gets Jesse’s attention. He’s tired of scrabbling in the dry earth to feed his siblings, and some gold would help make improvements to their homestead. Despite Kate’s reservations, they head off for the mountains, looking for the gold cache and the outlaws Kate wants dead. What she doesn’t tell Jesse or Will is that she has no regard for her own life; as long as she achieves her revenge, she’ll die a content woman.
Kate is the type of heroine I love. She doesn’t sit back and wait for someone else to solve her problems; she fixes things herself. Even when she makes a muck of things, she still focuses on achieving her goals. Does she let her anger get the best of her? Heck, yes. Is her goal productive, or going to make her happy? Heck, no! But still she charges forward, convinced that her pa’s spirit can’t rest, that she can’t rest, until the Rose Riders are dead.
Vengeance Road is packed with lots of great action, features a vivid Western backdrop, and is full of challenges, challenges, challenges everywhere Kate goes. This immersive story is high octane reading at it’s best. Highly recommended.
Grade: A-
Review copy borrowed from my local library
When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there’s room for love in a heart so full of hate.
In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.
This June Rosanne Bittner’s beloved title, Outlaw Hearts, will be back in print for the first time in over twenty years! To celebrate, we’re pleased to welcome the hero and heroine of the book Jake Harkner and Miranda Hayes, who will be sitting down with us today for a quick Q&A.
Complete this sentence: I knew I had found the love of my life when…
Jake: When she shot me!
Miranda: When he searched for me after he first rode out of my life. He found me dying from a snake bite, and he nursed me back to life and was gentle and respectful and made me feel so safe.
Title: Outlaw Hearts
Author: Rosanne Bittner
Series: Outlaw Hearts, #1
Pubdate: June 2nd, 2015
ISBN: 9781492612810
United by chance, bound by fate, consumed by passion.
Miranda Hayes has lost everything—her family, her husband, her home. Orphaned and then widowed, desperate to find a safe haven, she sets out to cross a savage land alone…until chance brings her face-to-face with notorious gunslinger Jake Harkner.
Hunted by the law and haunted by a brutal past, Jake has spent a lifetime fighting for everything he has. He’s never known a moment’s kindness…until fate brings him to the one woman willing to reach past his harsh exterior to the man inside. He would die for her. He would kill for her. He will do whatever it takes to keep her his.
Spanning the dazzling West with its blazing deserts and booming gold towns, Jake and Miranda must struggle to endure every hardship that threatens to tear them apart. But the love of an outlaw comes with a price…and even their passion may not burn bright enough to conquer the coming darkness.
USA Today bestseller and award-winning novelist Rosanne Bittner is known as the “Queen of Western Historical Romance” for her thrilling love stories and historical authenticity. Her epic romances span the West—and are often based on Rosanne’s personal visits to each setting. She lives in Coloma, Michigan, with her husband and two sons.
An Excerpt:
Miranda watched Jake saddle up while she held the two gunnysacks full of supplies she had prepared for him. He gave Outlaw’s stomach a light punch. “Suck it in, boy,” he barked. “You don’t fool me, filling yourself up with air like that.” The horse’s belly contracted, and Jake tightened the cinch. “All I need is to be on a hard ride to get away from some marshal only to have my saddle slip on me.”
Miranda saw him wince, knew he was still in pain. “Jake, can’t you wait one more day?”
Jake kept his eyes on the cinch, thinking about the restless night he had had, lying awake and wondering what Mrs. Miranda Hayes would have done if he had gone out to her cot and planted his mouth on her sweet lips. “No, ma’am. Too dangerous for you having me here, what with that sheriff sweet on you and all. Hard telling when he might show up again.” He let down a stirrup and turned to meet her eyes. Was that a trace of tears he saw there? No. He would not believe that. “If you had any common sense at all, you would stay here and marry the sheriff and let him take care of you.”
Miranda stiffened with indignation, glad he had said something that made her momentarily forget about wanting to cry. “Why do all men think a woman needs ‘taking care of’? I’ll be just fine on my own. And if I did have common sense, you would be sitting in prison or hanging from a tree by now, and I would be five thousand dollars richer.”
Jake grinned. “You’ve got me there.”
Miranda thought how he looked even more handsome now in the morning light. It was the best he had looked since the first day she saw him in the supply store, bearded and mean-looking, then so sick after that. He had a fine, square jaw and dark, wide-set eyes that were perfectly outlined with dark eyelashes. Even his nose seemed perfectly matched to the rest of his face, and when he smiled, his teeth were straight and clean. She surmised that in spite of his cruelty, Jake’s father must have been as handsome as his mother was beautiful, for they had produced a son that was the best of both. How sad that they had never given that son a decent home.
A faint scar on Jake’s left jaw and another tiny one on his upper lip only seemed to make him even more handsome, lending a ruggedness to his looks that was accented by his tall frame and broad shoulders. She found herself wondering how his full, firm lips would feel on her mouth, how a man like Jake Harkner kissed a woman…”
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FPCfAZ
Apple: http://apple.co/1BtPgu4
BAM: http://bit.ly/1HI0cs4
B&N: http://bit.ly/1GuvLXI
Chapters: http://bit.ly/1JfKxB6
Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1able78
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1IgvUi3
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May Contain Spoilers
Review:
Under a Painted Sky was such a fun read! The time period is unusual – 1849 America. The adventurous protagonists, Samantha, a young woman of Chinese descent, and Annamae, a runaway slave, disguise themselves as boys and head west from Missouri, hitting the Oregon Trail and pretending to be prospectors. I love anything to do with the Oregon Trail, and this book is exciting, suspenseful, and completely engaging. All I know is that I would never have had the courage to do the things both Samantha and Annamae are forced to do to save themselves after an accident forces them to run for their lives.
Samantha is having a terrible day. First, she loses everything in a terrible fire that claims the life of her father, then she’s tricked and almost forced to work in a brothel. Annamae saves her, and they both head west, looking for Sammy’s father’s friend, who headed to California on an unknown errand for Sammy’s father. The girls run into a group of cowboys, and the boys agree to let them travel with them for a while. The girls must hide their true identities, learn to survive in the wilderness, and protect themselves from unwanted attention. Sammy knows that the law is looking for her, and she’s terrified to show her face to fellow travelers on the Oregon Trail. Andy’s going to be in just as much trouble after running away, but she’s determined to find her older brother, who is somewhere out west.
I loved this book so much. The details of life on the trail are fascinating and compelling. Any little mistake can spell disaster or death, and Sammy is like a fish out of water. At least she can ride, a huge help now that they are traveling with Cay, West, and Peety and their horses. Andy is given the least well behaved mare, and she can’t ride a lick. Talk about learning on the fly! I’ve been riding for years, and I don’t think I could ride all day long, for months on end. Wouldn’t it be fun to try, though? The lack of running water or flush toilets gives me pause, though. I like my conveniences too much to reenact a journey on the Oregon Trail.
The fast pace of Samantha and Annamae’s adventures will keep readers on the edge of their seat. Deep down, though, Under the Painted Sky is really the tale of friendship and grit; both girls face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but they refuse to give up their dreams or each other. Highly Recommended
Grade: B+ / A-
Review copy borrowed from my local library
From Amazon:
A powerful story of friendship and sacrifice, for fans of Code Name Verity
Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.
This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.
Jenn recommended Chip of the Flying U, by B.M. Bower, about a year ago, and that’s probably how long it’s been sitting on my Kindle. I don’t know why I picked it up this weekend, except that the internet in my apartment wasn’t working and I wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about anything I was more familiar with, but I’m glad I did. It’s almost entirely delightful, one of those books that does enough right that you don’t care that much about the stuff it doesn’t. And if you have to be content with a kind of ham-fisted ending, well, everything before that is so much fun that the book has kind of earned the right to fall apart in the last chapter.
The Flying U is a Montana ranch owned by James G. Whitmore, and Chip is a sensitive, artistic cow-puncher. Don’t laugh; it’s awesome. He’s got a square chin and long eyelashes and a horse he loves a lot, and it’s kind of over the top, but in a cute way. Della Whitmore is cute, too. She’s the younger sister of James G., paying an extended visit after graduation from medical school, and she’s got grey eyes and dimples to go with Chip’s chin and eyelashes.
She makes a positive first impression when she shoots a coyote with Chip’s rifle on the way back from the train station, the day of her arrival. The rest of the book is about him being in denial about being in love with her, basically. There’s no reason he should deny it, except that Della writes frequently to a Dr. Cecil Granthum. So Chip mopes, and “the Little Doctor” flirts with him and displays a fair amount of unreasonable behavior. I worry this is meant to make her seem more feminine. But more importantly, she’s good at her job, and he’s good at his, and there’s humor and artistic triumphs and a tiny bit of adventure besides. It’s a funny book and a sweet one, and while I found Della inconsistent, and Chip almost unrecognizable in the final scene, it his enough of the right buttons at the right times that I smiled my way through the entire book.
Tagged:
1900s,
bmbower,
montana,
romance,
western 
Author: Charles Portis
Publisher: Overlook Juvenile
Genre: Teen / Western
ISBN: 978-1-4683-0125-0
Pages: 240
Price: $7.99
Buy it at Amazon
True Grit was first published in serial format in The Saturday Evening Post in 1968. The following year it was released as a film starring John Wayne. This Young Readers Edition presents the adapted story along with reader’s guide discussion questions and commentary specifically written for teens.
Mattie Ross is a strong-willed fourteen year-old girl, intent on avenging her father’s murder. After hiring US Marshal Rooster Cogburn to assist her, and finding that Texas Ranger LaBoeuf will be joining them, she heads out into the wilderness to hunt down and convict Tom Chaney.
The idea that a fourteen year-old girl would join these men on such a dangerous mission is preposterous, but Mattie’s pluck and determination, as well as her obvious intelligence, make this story believable. This classic western novel would be a great read for all teens.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
May Contain Spoilers
Review:
I don’t read many Inspirational romances because I don’t like having the religious aspects shoved down my throat. I took a chance on A Cowboy Unmatched because the cover is cute, and because it’s a novella. I figured it couldn’t be too overwhelming considering the length, and there are several other books by the author I am itching to try, but I wanted a less expensive introduction to her writing. After reading this, I am game to give a few others a go.
Neill is traveling the countryside, working odd jobs and saving money to start a ranch with his best friend. He’s arrived at Dry Gulch in the Texas Panhandle, but job prospects are looking bleak. Then he finds a note tucked away in his Bible, giving him directions to a job replacing a roof. When he arrives at Clara’s rundown farmhouse, he’s in store for a surprise. Clara greets him with a loaded shotgun, demanding to know why he’s on her property. After explaining about the note and that someone hired him to replace her roof, she reluctantly decides to trust him. The young widow doesn’t have much choice. Her deadbeat husband left her with a derelict shack and a baby on the way. With no money and in no condition to complete the repairs herself, she allows the good Samaritan in town foot the bill for the work.
As Neill works around the homestead, he sees what a ruin the house and property is. He can tell that Clara is doing her best to take care of things, because her animals are well-tended, but everything else is falling apart. While she doesn’t have money to hire him, she can give him food and place to sleep, so he stays on, fixing up what he can. He starts to fall for her during their evening meals together, and learns that her father-in-law wants her baby and will stop at nothing to take it once it’s born. Her husband only married her to vex his father. A gambler, he died shortly after their wedding, leaving Clara with no means to take care of herself or their child. What. A. Loser!
The father-in-law, Mack Danvers, is a wealthy rancher used to getting his way. He’s irked that Clara is defying him by not agreeing to give up his grandson (he refuses to believe the baby will be anything but a boy), and he’s taken to threatening her to intimidate her into giving up her baby. He’s a great villain, because you feel just a tiny slice of sympathy for him. His son and heir died, leaving him no one to carry on the family name or to take over the family ranch. What you don’t feel sorry for are his underhanded tactics to get what his wants. No wonder his son was such a spoiled, selfish turd.
I couldn’t put my Kindle down when I was reading A Cowboy Unmatched. Neill is such an honorable man that I couldn’t help but like him. He’s hard working, caring, and kind; how could Clara not fall for this guy? He risks his life to help her and her baby, and you are immediately cheering for this guy. He’s out to prove himself to his older brothers, but he puts his own dreams for the future aside, and instead makes new plans for himself and Clara, after meeting her. Yeah! I really liked Neill.
If you are looking for a cute, sweet read, look no further than A Cowboy Unmatched. The setting feels authentic, the characters are likeable, and the story moves along at a good clip. I would like to read more novellas from this collection (A Match Made in Texas) because I enjoyed this one so much.
Grade: B
Review copy purchased from Amazon
From Amazon:
Neill isn’t sure who hired him to repair Clara’s roof–he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?
The post Novella Review: A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
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Following on from Elmore Leonard’s Complete Western Stories I decided to give Larry McMurtry a go. Lonesome Dove is one of my Dad’s all time favourite books but I thought I would start with his latest novel which takes on the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday no less.
Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are household names thanks to countless movies depicting their exploits over many decades. But McMurtry takes a very different approach to these two characters of western folklore. McMurtry depicts them as more name than substance and paints them both as deeply flawed men with little redeeming features. Wyatt Earp in particular is portrayed as a drunk, wife-beater and all round recalcitrant. McMurtry’s writing though keeps you entranced and other parallel storylines and characters keep the novel in balance.
I will definitely be checking out Lonesome Dove at some point (i.e. when I am ready to commit to a big book) and continue my western binge. I think Deadwood is definitely due a re-watch.
Buy the book here…
REAPER’S TOUCH by ELERI STONE
Genre: Western Paranormal Romance
Print Length: 280 pages (95,000 words)
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
ASIN: B00GKBHIT4
Abby is a Ranger, part of an elite group who defend the border against Reapers—humans infected with a parasite that turns them into mindless cannibals. Rangers are immune to Reaper infection, and as one of the only female Rangers, Abby is expected to settle down and breed more Rangers—a fate she’s keen to avoid. When she’s ambushed on the plains, she’s ready to go out with guns blazing—until a mysterious, handsome cowboy rides to her rescue.
Jake has his own motives for helping Abby, beyond aiding a damsel in distress. He’s a Reaper, and while he’s learned to wrest control of his mind from the parasite, the effects won’t last without a permanent cure. And he needs Abby to get it.
Abby and Jake are natural enemies and unlikely partners. But when their search reveals a conspiracy between Reapers and the rich industrialists who own the mountain cities, they must work together to find the cure—or lose the border, and each other, forever.
Available at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reapers-Touch-Eleri-Stone-ebook/dp/B00GKBHIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386544072&sr=8-1&keywords=reaper%27s+touch
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reapers-touch-eleri-stone/1117366830?ean=9781426897900
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/reaper-s-touch
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reapers-touch/id793184925?mt=11
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-reaper039stouch-1380296-140.html
REVIEWS:
“Stone crafts a dark and delicious tale of cowboys vs. zombies and bittersweet love found in unexpected places. Truly exceptional! I did not want this to end!” —Kristen Callihan, bestselling author of FIRELIGHT
“A thrilling, original romance with the right mix of danger and desire.”—Zöe Archer, award-winning author of SWEET REVENGE
“Stone isn’t afraid to bring on the heat in this twisted tale of life on the range.” —Karina Cooper, award-winning author of TARNISHED
Author Bio & Contact Links:
Eleri Stone grew up in New Jersey, but now lives in the Midwest with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (cat shifters in the Amazon), the Twilight of the Gods series (Norse demigods in the American Midwest) and the Spellcraft series (adult high fantasy).
Contact links:
Website: http://eleristone.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EleriStone
Twitter: http://www.eleristone.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4193895.Eleri_Stone
Newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/EleriStone/app_137541772984354
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Western Press Books is now accepting poems, stories, and creative nonfiction for the next anthology in our series, Manifest West. This year we're calling for submissions of literary work based on the theme of the contemporary cowboy (or cowpoke, if one wishes to use the gender-neutral term). This includes but is not limited to the following cowboy/cowpoke variations, breeds, and assorted stereotypes:
the modern day working cowboy
the rodeo cowboy
the urban cowboy
the weekend warrior cowboy
the arena riding cowboy
the investing-in-ranchland cowboy
the wheeler-and-dealer-at-every-auction-sale cowboy
the country music star cowboy
the I-played-cowboys-and-Indians-as-a-kid cowboy
In addition to focusing on the cowpoke in all her/his glory, remember that our anthology series features literary writing with a distinct Western regional flavor, so that element should be present in your submission. Please send one submission per author at a time. We will accept up to five poems, as well as essays or stories up to 7,000 words. We will also consider previously published works, but prefer unpublished pieces. Authors selected for the anthology will receive one contributors' copy in payment for your work.
Submissions will be accepted from August 20th 2012, through February 20th, 2013, at our Submittable web site.
If you have any questions regarding the anthology, please contact Teresa Milbrodt, editor of Western Press Books, at:
tmilbrodt(at)western.edu
(replace (at) with @ in sending email)
So, The Virginian is apparently the first proper western, if we’re not counting pulps — and apparently we’re not. It’s also awfully good.
Usually, when I try to read westerns, the protagonist shoots someone, or semi-accidentally kills a horse, or somehow makes an enemy of someone — probably someone with a mustache — over a poker game, and then I realize I’m only two chapters in and give up.
The hero of The Virginian actually does make an enemy over a poker game in the early chapters, and, since all of those other westerns are probably imitating this one, I guess I could blame Owen Wister for all those books I couldn’t finish. It seems silly, though, to blame someone for being better than his imitators.
Not that they really imitated him that closely, as far as I can tell from the first couple of chapters of maybe three books — clearly I’ve spent a lot of time on this. The Virginian isn’t really what I expected, which was an adventure story. I mean, sure, there are adventures, but they’re not the subject of the book. Instead, it’s about a person, sort of, and more than that, about a place and a time. And when you look at it like that, it makes sense that the book is slow paced and meandering. The Virginian doesn’t need to be carefully structured and tightly plotted. It is, though. What seems scattered at first — The unnamed narrator’s meeting with the unnamed protagonist, the new schoolteacher from Vermont, the Virginian’s old friend Steve and new enemy Trampas, the peculiar behavior of a chicken — is actually really cleverly woven together. All these storylines — the clashes between the Virginian and Trampas, the capabilities of Shorty, the problem of cattle theft and the changing face of Wyoming, etc. — reflect and depend on each other. It’s pretty cool.
Some parts of the book are better then others. There are bits that think they’re funnier than they are, bits that are boring, and bits that are dissatisfying – I’d include most of the romance storyline under that heading, mostly because having a man pester a girl until she gives in is about as unromantic as courtship gets. But there are also bits that are kind of transcendent. The obligatory accidentally-on-purpose horse-killing, for example, is horrifying and upsetting and completely gripping. And I don’t want to give anything away, but everything pertaining to the hanging of the two cattle thieves is perfect.
I can nitpick all I want, and there’s a lot of material for it, but mostly this is just a really good book. Everything balances out, and the not-so-great bits are made up for by that bits that are completely wonderful. I suspect I’m still never going to be all that into westerns, but it’s nice to know the genre started off so well.
Tagged:
1900s,
owenwister,
western 
3 Comments on The Virginian, last added: 6/2/2012
Beth Williamson is the author of many romances, many of them featuring my favorite kind of hero – cowboys! Beth has a new series hitting stores, The Circle Eight, written under Emma Lang. I asked Beth to drop by the virtual offices to chat about her new smokin’ hot series.
[Manga Maniac Café] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Beth Williamson] Romance novelist, cowboy lover, dreamer, reader & wordsmith who also writes as Emma Lang. Gluten free, love mac & cheese & Reeses. I’m quirky & a bit goofy.
[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about MATTHEW?
[Beth Williamson] MATTHEW is the first book in a new series called The Circle Eight. I’ve set the series in the Republic of Texas, beginning in 1836. Matthew is the oldest of eight Graham siblings, who finds himself responsible for his family and in need of a wife. Hannah marries him knowing full well it is a marriage of convenience. The story is their journey from strangers to lovers to true love.
[Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the book?
[Beth Williamson] I love to write series about a family, traditional or non-traditional. I wanted to create a new family series in a timeframe. I decided on the Republic of Texas, an important time in Texas history and one that required you to be as tough as the land itself.
[Manga Maniac Café] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the story?
[Beth Williamson] I haven’t written anything in the 1830s timeframe. I had to do a significant amount of research to make sure I was true to the historical period. Creating the right mix of grit and realism, courage and hope.
[Manga Maniac Café] What are three things you would never find in Matthew’s saddlebags?
[Beth Williamson] I love this question! You would never find apples, a deck of cards or peppermints. He doesn’t like apples, likes peppermints too much and never learned to play cards.
[Manga Maniac Café] Why do you think romances are so popular? Why did you decide to write them?
[Beth Williamson] Romances have been popular for a hundred and fifty years. Why? Because they allow the reader to become someone else and fall in love. The reader feels right along with the hero and heroine – the joy, the anger, the heartache and the triumph. They appeal to the romantic in all of us, just like romantic movies, only better. 
I enjoy reading romances immensely, and when I decided to write books, romances were my genre of choice.
[Manga Maniac Café] What makes cowboys so sexy?
[Beth Williamson] I think it has to do with how a cowboy was the ultimate gentlemen, by word of mouth of course. Helping stranded women, damsels in distress, being a hard man that lived and worked hard. I like a man that puts everything he has into what he does. Cowboys remind me of modern day knights &nda
Elysa Hendricks is the author of several romances, and her latest book, This Heart for Hire, just hit the Kindle. Elysa stopped by the virtual offices to chat about her new western romance.
[Manga Maniac Café] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Elysa Hendricks] Elysa Hendricks is 5′6" tall. She has brown eyes and curly hair. She’s a reader, a writer, a daughter, a wife and a mother. All else is subject to change without notice.
[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about your book, This Heart for Hire?
[Elysa Hendricks] THIS HEART FOR HIRE is a gritty western historical romance. A convent reared innocent, and a gunslinger with no memory are thrown together during a perilous trip across the west Texas frontier in 1870.
[Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Elysa Hendricks] I was weaned on TV westerns like Rawhide, Wagon Train, The Rifleman and Have Gun Will Travel, John Wayne movies and the myths of the old west, so when I first started writing romance I was drawn to the American western frontier time period. Since each character I create represents a small bit of me, Christina Goodwin the heroine in THIS HEART FOR HIRE reflects the innocent girl I once was. I enjoyed watching her struggle and grow as she faced and conquered the hostile, wild environment of the Texas frontier. It kind of reminded me of surviving junior high school.
[Manga Maniac Café] Why do you enjoy writing romances?
[Elysa Hendricks] I’m a total believer in the power of love. Watching two people struggle against the odds and the obstacles that life throws in their paths to find love is rewarding. While in "real" life Happily Ever After’s are often scarce and fleeting, in a romance I can live the fantasy. And in writing romance I can help others do the same.
[Manga Maniac Café] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?
[Elysa Hendricks] All the research I needed to do and finding a way to incorporate it while not overwhelming the story. I was fascinated with how the reality of the old West both differs and at the same time is the same as what I learned in history class and watching TV and movies. I wanted to convey to the reader a true sense of time and place while providing them an entertaining escape from reality. A difficult and challenging task.
[Manga Maniac Café] What are your biggest creative influences?
[Elysa Hendricks] The world around me is so full of interesting stories and fascinating people it’s difficult to pinpoint just one thing or person who influenced me to attempt being a writer. But if I had to name one person it would be my high school English teacher, Mr. Olsen. He taught me how to diagram a sentence (something I no longer remember how to do) and to love the written word.
[Manga Maniac Café] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Elysa Hendricks] An idea, writing material (pen and paper or my computer) and time.
[Manga Maniac Café] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Elysa Hendricks] I’ve been reading since I was about five-years-old, so I can’t say which book sparked my interest in reading, but I do know that The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss turned me on to romance, especially historical romance.
[Manga Maniac Café] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
[Elysa Hendricks] I love to read. I garden and enjoy doing creative crafts.
[Manga Maniac Café] Thanks!!
0 Comments on Graphic Classics Vol. 20: Western Classics as of 1/1/1900
Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration and the Associate Director of the Centre on Behavioral Health at the University of Hong Kong. 
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I Lurved this one, too! Loved Chip and loved that Della is both feminine and accomplished. I noticed that silly female behavior, but sometimes brilliant ladies play the role.
You should try “Jean of the Lazy A” by the same author. It’s got another strong woman character. The male lead is subdued. This is all Jean’s story. It’s also a fascinating inside look at the early Western Silent Movies. I think the author was patterning the Perils of Pauline, and I so enjoyed it.
I have it! I will read it-eventually. Living in the west seems to predispose me toward avoiding western novels.
The Ranch at the Wolverine – definitely the one I enjoy the most! It’s got all the good points of Chip, and none of the bad ones :-)
Bower is my favorite Western author, and this one (her first novel and the first I read) is still one of my favorites. You’ll find her books come in different flavors—i.e. some are more dramatic and others more humorous; while there’s always a love interest, the romance isn’t always the main focus of the story. For another early one that’s also mainly a romance, Her Prairie Knight is a favorite of mine.
Della is awesome–the thing with the kids at the party is SO GREAT–but I felt like the silliness wasn’t organic to her character, which was why it bothered me. I think Jean of the Lazy A was the other one Jenn recommended, so it’s next on the list. I love books from this era with stuff about silent movies.
Fair enough. Bower has Chip make fun of some western stereotypes at one point, but she relies on just as many others.
That’s quite a recommendation! I’ll have to check it out.
First novels are often the best ones, especially if an author sticks with a formula. But Bower definitely seems like an author I’ll be coming back to when I want something light and fun.
Hurray! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I hope you read Jean of the Lazy A and The Ranch at the Wolverine next. There was also one called Rim O’ The World that I think you would like the premise of: in the first chapter a wild young Western man impulsively marries a girl who has randomly hopped off the train in his town because it’s called Jumpoff and she’s fed up with life. Then they settle into marriage at his remote ranch and proceed to alienate all the neighbours with their selfishness and insularity.
My sister raved about the Chip and the Jean books as soon as she read them so now I will definitely read them, but I think I’ll start with Rim O’ The World!