Sunday, July 11, 2010

A New Western Story by Richard Prosch


I'm pleased to report that renowned Western blogger Richard Prosch has now had a second Western story published on The Western Online. This tale, like his first, features hardbitten John Coburn, a man with a big reputation who fears his best years are behind him.

Coburn's past exploits have earned him the nickname The Peregrine. To some that name commands respect, in others it incites challenge or prompts derision. Now Coburn just wants to get along, but trouble has a way of finding him, and backing down is not part of his make up.

For a proper introduction, I suggest you start with the first of the series, "Last Day at Red Horizon," then move right on to the new story, "Regina's War." If you're not a Richard Prosch fan already, these two tales are sure to do the trick.

Here are the direct links:
"Last Day at Red Horizon"
"Regina's War"

And just to whet your Western appetite, here are the opening paragraphs of "Regina's War":

An awkward leap brought him down on the hardpan, bones crunching, guts piling into his throat. He refused to give in, but John Coburn was wearing out fast. He hauled himself to his feet and, stifling the urge to curse, spit into the wind. "You want to try that again?" he said.  

Coburn uncoiled in the air like a whip, both hands grasping wildly for purchase. This time he caught hold, and the bull calf bellowed with rage, his back hooves kicking wildly. With both hands clamped around its tail, Coburn growled, "You ain't going nowhere now!" But another kick made him a liar, and he hit the ground.

Lightning flashed. Ignoring the taste of blood on his lips, Coburn looked at a far distant tide of green and black flowing up from the horizon toward the evening sun. Some good-sized hailstones in them clouds, he thought. As the thunder rolled over him, Coburn stood and watched the calf lope away. 

This time he cursed.

This is great stuff! Enjoy the stories at The Western Online, then be sure to pay Rich a visit over at Meridian Bridge.

10 comments:

Deka Black said...

Who says western is dead? Forgotten by the great public? Maybe. But not dead. At least, that's my thinking after all this weeks watching several blogs.

David Cranmer said...

Mr. Prosch is carefully constructing the beginning of a beautiful series. "Last Day at Red Horizon" and now "Regina's War" is sharp, spot on western storytelling.

Walker Martin said...

By the way, Evan is using the cover from BLACK MASK, September, 1927. Artist is Fred Craft. Back in the 1920's the magazine often published westerns and adventure fiction, though the main interest remained detective and crime fiction.

Charles Gramlich said...

Yes, I read and liked that one quite a lot.

Evan Lewis said...

Dang, Walker. Can't slip any BM covers past you!

Cap'n Bob said...

Read and enjoyed. Agree with your rave.

Ron Scheer said...

Just read the first Peregrine. Prosch has a nice lean style and everything snaps clearly into focus. Thanks.

Richard Prosch said...

Thank you, everyone! Your kind words really mean a lot to me.

Laurie Powers said...

I've been remiss in reading these because of my schedule and it's killing me. I know Prosch is a fantastic writer and I hope to get to them tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder, Dave.

IT Career said...

Hi.....

I read and liked that one quite a lot.

Prosch has a nice lean style and everything snaps clearly into focus.
Thanks