Overlooked Films: DJANGO (1966)

In keeping with my Italian frame of mind (did I mention I'm 25% Italian?), here's a great Spaghetti Western. This is the original  Django film, and still the best I've seen.

A Fistful of Pulp: Two by Nik Morton

Just read two great stories by the guy pictured above, Mr. Nik Morton. The first was his brand new cautionary sci-fi tale, "Don't Drink and Drive," featured as this week's Punch over at BEAT to a PULP. I'd sampled Nik's western and mystery writing, but this was my first trip with him into the future. Yikes. One of Nik's strengths is providing the sensory details to put you right in the middle of his story - and in this case, right in the driver's seat of a hover car. The hero/victim of this yarn is a guy with huge appetite for sex, speed and alcohol who gets his comeuppance in a snap ending worthy of William M. Gaines and Al Feldstein. Check it out!

That BEAT to a PULP story reminded me I still hadn't read Nik's entry in the western anthology A Fistful of Legends (a collection he also edited) so I hopped right to it. "Visitors" finds a pioneer woman and her three young teenagers home alone when a group of renegade Apaches come calling. This story is packed with action, courage, violence and sudden death. At it's climax, Nik cranks the suspense to the max with hostiles on the porch and hostiles on the roof with the family seemingly at their mercy. What happens next? I'm not telling. Lucky for you, A Fistful of Legends is still available from Amazon and other fine booksellers.

For the Almanack's review of Death at Bethesda Falls, one of Nik's Black Horse Western novels, click HERE.

For details on Nik's ebook Spanish Eye, a collection of stories about a half-English, half-Spanish private investigator, click HERE.

And while you're at it, you should pay a visit to Nik's blog WRITEALOT, right HERE. 

David Cranmer Rides Again!

Yep, Cash Laramie is back, this time in "Kid Eddie" at The Western Online. Edward A. Grainger (aka David Cranmer) delivers yet another crackerjack yarn in this fine series.

Cash Laramie, you may recall, made his debut in the Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends, in "Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil. He turned up next (along with Marshal Gideon Miles) at BEAT to a PULP with "Miles to Go." This time his job is to escort an accused killer to trail. Trouble is, the accused is little more than a kid, and a likable one at that. Could he be innocent? (As a bonus, this tale reveals that Cash inhabits the same Western universe as one of everyone's favorite TV heroes.)

Still another Cash adventure, "The Wind Scorpion," is coming our way PDQ in the print anthology BEAT to a PULP: Round One, and two more have already been written. I'm hoping we'll soon see him in a novel, and I know I'm not alone!

A Fistful of Legends: "One Day in Liberty" by Jack Giles

On February 13, 1866 the Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, Missouri was robbed of $60,000, and one citizen was killed. It was the first daylight bank robbery in the United States. Some folks believed, and still believe, the job was done by Jesse James, Cole Younger and a crew of other former Confederate guerrillas. But was it really?

Jack Giles (alias Ray Foster) tells the tale from a new perspective, with his own cast of desperate characters. It’s a great twist on history, from a fine storyteller. Jack/Ray is the author of nine western novels (so far). His latest, Lawmen, was published by Black Horse in 2008 and Linford Western Library (Large Print) in 2009. He blogs at Broken Trails.

"One Day is Liberty" is one of the 21 tales between the covers of the Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends. Got your copy yet? For more posts on A Fistful of Legends, click HERE.

A Fistful of Legends: "Big Enough" by Chuck Tyrell

When Chuck Tyrell takes you to the Old West, it’s the real thing. That’s because he grew up there - in Arizona to be exact - and has spent a lifetime learning the history.

In “Big Enough,” one of two Tyrell tales in this anthology, we meet “Kid” McCullough, a teenage ranch girl who catches a wild filly she calls Big Enough. She’s doing all right until three men escape jail and pay a visit to the secluded canyon she’s using as a corral. She’d been warned what men want and what might happen if she was caught there alone, but refused to be frightened off. Now she must face the consequences.

The first-person narration in this tale rings true, as does the detail of the landscape, the weapons and the horsecraft. Mr. Tyrell knows what he’s writing about - and it shows. And as always, he delivers a fine story. 

Chuck Tyrell is the author of five Black Horse Western novels (so far) with another due out later this year. Several of his titles are currently available on Amazon (US), including Guns of Ponderosa (below). He shares his knowledge of Old West fact and lore on his highly-recommended blog, The Outlaw Trail.

It's been a while since I've listed all 21 legends in Fistful, so here's the complete line-up:
INTRODUCTION by James Reasoner
DEAD MAN TALKING by Derek Rutherford
BILLY by Lance Howard
LONIGAN MUST DIE! By Ben Bridges
THE MAN WHO SHOT GARFIELD DELANY by I J Parnham
HALF A PIG by Matthew P Mayo
BLOODHOUND by C. Courtney Joyner
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE by Gillian F Taylor
BIG ENOUGH by Chuck Tyrell
ONE DAY IN LIBERTY by Jack Giles
SHADOWS ON THE HORIZON by Bobby Nash
ON THE RUN by Alfred Wallon
THE GIMP by Jack Martin
VISITORS by Ross Morton
THE NIGHTHAWK by Michael D George
THE PRIDE OF THE CROCKETTS by Evan Lewis
DARKE JUSTICE by Peter Avarillo
ANGELO AND THE STRONGBOX by Cody Wells
CRIB GIRLS by Kit Churchill
MAN OF IRON by Chuck Tyrell
CASH LARAMIE AND THE MASKED DEVIL by Edward A Grainger
DEAD MAN WALKING by Lee Walker

A Fistful of Legends - Legend 7: "More Than Meets the Eye" by Gillian F. Taylor

When I read a cowboy yarn, I’m looking for action, conflict and memorable characters. Well, I found all that and more in “More Than Meets the Eye”, one of the 21 new tales of the Old West in A Fistful of Legends.

Along with the essentials, you see, author Gillian F. Taylor delivers some of the most vivid word pictures I’ve yet to come across.  Instead of racing through descriptive passages (as I sometimes do) I found myself lingering - and seeing - the western landscape along with bounty hunter Jonah Durrell.

Yes, the hero of this tale makes his living tracking fugitives from the law, but, as the title implies, there’s a lot more to him than that. Jonah’s mission here is to bring back a mine worker who stabbed and killed a man over a ten-dollar bet in a dice game. Durrell sports elegant duds and a double rig of pearl-handled Smith & Wessons with fancy scrollwork. That says something about his character, to be sure, but the man’s true mettle is revealed only after he catches his man and his hauling him in for trial.

Gillian F. Taylor is the author of twelve Black Horse Western novels so far, with more on the way. Visit her website HERE. One of her recent books, Two-Gun Trouble, features bounty hunter Jonah Durrell.

LEGEND 6: "Bloodhound" by C. Courtney Joyner

Jim Bishop sweeps out the jail cells, cleans the rifles, fetches whiskey for the sheriff.  But when the sheriff hands him a badge and sends him after a brutal killer, Jim is determined to succeed.

Trouble is, the killer is an Apache - and just maybe something more than a man. Near death in the desert, Jim finds help from a most unexpected source - and discovers he is just maybe something more than a deputy.

C. Courtney Joyner weaves a compelling tale of grit, guts and self-discovery that takes Jim Bishop (and you, lucky reader) to the edge of the unknown.

Joyner is a screenwriter, director (and even a part-time actor) with an impressive list of credits on IMDb. His book The Westerners: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers was published in October. Among the many folks he talks to are Elmore Leonard, Glenn Ford, Warren Oates, Virginia Mayo, Andrew V. McLaglen, Andrew J. Fenady and Harry Carey.

“Bloodhound” is one of the 21 new tales of the Old West awaiting you in the Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends. I happen to know that his book graces the shelves of such discriminating readers as Miss Laurie Powers, Mr James Reasoner, Prof. Bill Crider, Owlhoot Richard Prosch and Cap’n Bob Napier. Why not yours?

What has gone before:
Legend 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford
Legend 2: Billy by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
Legend 3: Lonigan Must Die! by Ben Bridges (David Whitehead)
Legend 4: The Man Who Shot Garfield Delany by I.J. Parnham
Legend 5: Half A Pig by Matthew P. Mayo
Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

LEGEND 5: Half A Pig by Matthew P. Mayo

Eamon Riggs is about to hang his own nephew for stealing half a pig.

“You hung yourself, boy. You know that sure as road apples are ripe year round.” Eamon Riggs stared at the sweaty, pocked face, but there was no sign that the boy heard him. His eyes kept that half-closed stare at nothing, as if he were bored and about to doze off. Like that his whole life, thought Riggs. It’s the Mexican in him.

The kid says nothing.

Riggs took a draught of air through his nose, his lower jaw canted as if he were considering how to answer a delicate question. His left hand struck out with his leather quirt and snapped at the beast’s haunch. The mule lurched forward, digging hard, and all three men in attendance watched the boy’s face finally show the light of interest, his eyes wide and pushing forward, his mouth stretched as if pulled from either side with fishhooks, his head and torso working back, then forward, like a pecking bird, black curls bouncing on his forehead.

Witnessing this are Dilly, one of Riggs’ oldest hands, and Pelt, new to the job and no older than the kid being hanged. “Half A Pig” is about what the hanging means to these two men, and what it teaches them about themselves.

There’s some truly fine writing here, and it was recognized recently by the Western Writers of America, as they chose this tale as a finalist for their BEST WESTERN SHORT FICTION STORY of 2009.

“Half A Pig” is just one of the 20 fine short stories (plus one of mine) in the Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends, now available right HERE.

Matthew P. Mayo is the author of three Black Horse Westerns (so far) along with Cowboys, Mountain Men and Grizzly Bears: The Fifty Grittiest Moments of the Wild West. You can visit him at his website HERE.

For more, see the fine interview Richard Prosch did with Matt over at Meridian Bridge.

MORE LEGENDS:
Legend 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford
Legend 2: Billy by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
Legend 3: Lonigan Must Die! by Ben Bridges (David Whitehead)
Legend 4: The Man Who Shot Garfield Delany by I.J. Parnham
Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

LEGEND 4: The Man Who Shot Garfield Delany by I.J. Parnham

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You can always count on Ian Parnham to leave you smiling. He delivers again in “The Man Who Shot Garfield Delany”, his entry in the Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends.

The story begins with a gunfight:

“Go for you gun when you’re ready to die,” Frank Beckett said.

Garfield Delany gulped, his cocky attitude fading away faster than the dying rays of the sun at his back. “You won’t get to ride out of Liberty, Marshal,” he said, the tremor in is voice betraying his nervousness. “I’ve killed eleven men and I’m looking forward to making that a dozen.”

Our appetite’s been whetted for blood and sudden death. But as usual in Parnham’s West, no one is as good (or as bad) as they seem. In this case, the shootout is an act in a Wild West show, an “authentic account” of an event that took place twenty years earlier. But is it really authentic? Ex-Marshal Frank Beckett can’t quite remember.

So when Frank’s boss decides to make the gunfight more and more exciting - to the point that Frank faces a gang of ten desperadoes, saves the town from being blown up and rescues Bat Masterson’s sister - Frank plays along. And it works just fine, until Frank meets the one man who really knows what happened twenty years ago. That man has a score to settle, and is determined to settle it with a gun.

What happens next? Read it and see! A Fistful of Legends is available from Amazon and a bunch of other online booksellers. And if you happen to be in the UK, you can pick one up at your neighborhood Tesco supermarket.

Want more on Black Horse and Avalon Western author I.J. Parnham? Visit his blog The Culbin Trail and check out the Almanack's reviews of his books.

More Legends:.
Legend 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford
Legend 2: Billy by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
Legend 3: Lonigan Must Die! by Ben Bridges (David Whitehead)
Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

LEGEND 3: Lonigan Must Die! by Ben Bridges

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I’m working my way ever-so-slowly through A Fistful of Legends (savoring it, you might say) and just read “Lonigan Must Die!”

It begins like this . . .

Given that he’d once been the most dangerous man in the territory, Jesse Rayne proved to be a model prisoner. He kept to himself, said yes sir and no sir and never, ever made trouble - which was odd, because Rayne had spent practically his entire life making trouble.

Jesse Rayne, you see, is a man with a plan. He’s doing whatever it takes to earn his parole, get out of prison and kill the man he blames for sending him there. And it works. Everyone is fooled and Rayne is released. First thing he does is hop a train, whisking him straight for Lonigan. He buys a gun. He finds Lonigan and beats hell out of him, all just a warm-up for the revenge he’s waited eight long years to enjoy.

What happens next? Surprising stuff! That’s all I’m saying. You’ll have to find out for yourself, but you won’t be disappointed. This tale is packed with action, wisdom and a healthy dose of heart.

Ben Bridges is the author of more than twenty Black Horse Westerns.  But that’s only the beginning of his story. “Ben Bridges” is actually David Whitehead, who’s sort of the James Reasoner of the Black Horse gang.  He’s written another six as Matt Logan. At least three as Carter West. Three more as Glenn Lockwood. A couple as Leonard Meares. And at least another ten as David Whitehead. For more on this man of many names, visit his website HERE.

A Fistful of Legends is available from Amazon and other online booksellers. Among the 20 other new tales of the Old West are the three we’ve already reviewed:

Legend 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford
Legend 2: Billy by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

LEGEND 2: Billy by Lance Howard

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Billy wants to be normal. Or at least just left alone. But he isn’t normal, and the other boys won’t let him forget it. So when they beat him up and destroy his one means of escape - a dime novel featuring his hero The White Ranger - Billy is truly hurt. Hurt in his heart. And he gets himself a gun.

This tale by Lance Howard (aka Howard Hopkins) earned the author much advance praise from editor Nik Morton, co-editor Charlie Whipple, and proofreader Ian Parnham. Words like “courageous”, “stunning” and “amazing” were tossed freely about. And now that I've read the story, I know why. This is an exceptional story, told with conviction by a writer who knows his stuff.

Howard Hopkins has written 32(!) Black Horse Western novels as Lance Howard, plus horror as Howard Hopkins, plus the acclaimed supernatural mystery series The Chloe Files, plus pulp hero adventures, and is now at work on a new graphic novel interpretation of The Spider - Master of Men. Whew!

“Billy”, along with 20 other new tales of the Old West, awaits you in the new Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends, now available from online booksellers worldwide.

ALSO SEE:
Legend 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford
Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)
A review of Lance Howard's Guns of the Past.
Howard Hopkins' blog Dark Bits.

LEGEND 1: Dead Man Talking by Derek Rutherford

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Jared is in prison, scheduled to hang. Everyone already considers him a dead man, including his cell mate, Mitchell.

“Most people say how they shouldn’t be here,” Mitchell said. As if to reinforce the point, someone started shouting further down the cellblock, the words deadened by the stone walls.

“Uh huh.”

“Yet you admit to killing four men.”

“I’d have killed five if they hadn’t stopped me.”

Jared, you see, feels no remorse. His only regret is that he didn’t get the fifth man. What brought him to this? Mitchell finds out as Jared reveals his history. Then the story dives back into the present for a gripping climax no one (including Jared) sees coming.

Derek Rutherford tells a tight, gritty tale. You won’t be disappointed. This is no surprise, of course, because he’s already the author of two Black Horse Western novels, Vengeance at Tyburn Ridge and Yellow Town, with a third, The Bone Picker, coming soon.

“Dead Man Talking” is the first of 21 stories in the new Express Westerns anthology, A Fistful of Legends. LEGEND 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger (aka Beat to a Pulp editor David Cranmer) has already been reviewed.

A Fistful of Legends is now available (sooner than expected) from Amazon.

This offer will be DEAD BY MIDNIGHT

Sad but true. The special free shipping offer for A Fistful of Legends will suffer a grisly death at midnight tonight. Details HERE.

A Fistful of Legends FREE SHIPPING offer. Ends Monday!

You can still order advance copies of A Fistful of Legends, with free shipping, but time is running out. Act now via PayPal, and your book will arrive pronto. (If you don't use PayPal, we can make other arrangements.) Otherwise you'll have to wait until January 31 and pay shipping to an online bookseller.

A Fistful of Legends is $15.95 (£10.50 UK). If you desire (and why wouldn't you?) you can also get Express Westerns' previous anthology, Where Legends Ride, for the package price of $29.90 (£19.50 UK). That's free shipping on both. Live elsewhere on the planet? We can work that out, too.

Write me at delewis1@hotmail.com for payment details.

The full lineup of stories (introduced by master fictioneer James Reasoner) can be found HERE.

Legend 19: Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil by Edward A. Grainger

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Yes, "Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil" by David Cranmer (writing as Edward A. Grainger) is one of the 21 new stories of the Old West awaiting you in A Fistful of Legends. And it's a corker!

Deputy U.S. Marshal Cash Laramie has a problem. His job is to recover $85,000 of federal money stolen from one of his fellow marshals. Trouble is, that marshal had his head chopped off by a masked rider with horns and a flashing cutlass. Lucky for Cash, he's equipped with a keen intellect, a sure-fire aim, and a surprising ace in the hole.

David Cranmer's prose sparkles with wry humor in this action-packed mystery. Cash Laramie is an engaging Old West detective, and I've a feeling readers will be begging for his return.

The Story With No Name Part 22 by James J. Griffin

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A new chapter = a new surprise. But I ain't telling what it is. You'll have to visit Ian Parnham's The Culbin Trail for Part 22 of this round-robin epic, penned by western author James J. Griffin. Ian has also gathered Parts 1-16 and 17-21 for easy catch-up reading.

Jim Griffin's latest book, The Faith and the Rangers, collects ten Texas Ranger stories, including the first meeting of his two series characters, Jim Blawcyzk and Cody Havlicek. Now available from Amazon.

Several other Story With No Name authors are among the 21 writers featured in the new Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends (which you may possibly have noticed on the masthead). There are now a mere 14 days left in the special offer to get an advance copy of Fistful delivered to you PDQ with free shipping. Click A Fistful of Legends Special Offer for all the details.

Part 23 of The Story, by Paul Dellinger, will be featured on Mark Engebretson's My Side.

Western Roundup: SWNN 21 by Jack Martin, New Haxan, Fistful, More!

THE STORY WITH NO NAME PART 21
Jack Martin (aka Gary Dobbs), author of Black Horse Westerns The Tarnished Star (now available) and Arkansas Smith (coming soon), turns in more blazing western action in this week's installment of our round-robin epic over at THE TAINTED ARCHIVE.

A FISTFUL OF LEGENDS - LIMITED TIME OFFER
This new anthology is available for immediate shipment - with free shipping - but only until January 11. After that, you'll have to wait, like everyone else on the planet, until January 31, and pay postage. Details here.

RETURN TO HAXAN
Kenneth Mark Hoover delivers another fine tale of that not-quite-natural western town Haxan at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. "High Moon" is the fifth in the series. You'll find the first story HERE, and the second, third and fourth stories on The Western Online.

FRONTIER TIMES
This new online mag is now in its third issue. The latest tales are from Greg Camp and Terry Alexander.

DISSING THE WESTERN?
Western writer Lance Howard (aka Howard Hopkins) speaks eloquently on the subject at Dark Bits.

LOUIE L'AMOUR RIDES AGAIN
After a brief hiatus, we're pleased to note that Chris is back in action at The Louis L'Amour Project.

10-STORY WESTERN REVIEW
Richard Prosch recently delivered a multi-part review of all ten stories (plus the cover) of a single issue of this pulp mag. Not to be missed, at Meridian Bridge.

A WILD WEST CHRISTMAS
It ain't exactly a cowboy story, but it is an event. A never-before-published Christmas story by Wild West Weekly great Paul S. Powers has just appeared on Laurie's Wild West.

ALMANACK HISTORY
Recently here on the Almanack: A review, complete with TV theme songs, of the Whitman kids' books Maverick, Zorro and Have Gun Will Travel. And reviews of Kid Wolf of Texas and Pulp Writer, both by the aforementioned Paul S. Powers.

The Story With No Name Part 20 by... Me

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Our gal Lola takes center stage this week, learning some of the secrets behind the ship in the desert. But she's up against the mysterious Esteban Escobar Bourbon and a handful of his Apache pals. Will she live to tell the tale? Part 20 awaits you now at Laurie's Wild West.

See Parts 1-16 on The Culbin Trail.
Part 17 on Open Range.
Part 18 on The Cap'n's Blog.
Part 19 on Meridian Bridge.
Watch for Part 21 from Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin on THE TAINTED ARCHIVE.

And hey - several of The Story With No Name authors, I.J. Parnam, Jack Giles, Chuck Tyrell, Jack Martin, Peter Averillo and myself, have stories in the new Express Westerns anthology A Fistful of Legends.

You can snag a copy now, long before it's available to the general public, with free shipping, by clicking right here. A limited time offer!

A Fistful of Legends - Special Pre-Pub Offer!

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Express Westerns' second anthology, A Fistful of Legends, will be available from online retailers on January 31, for $15.95 plus postage.

But here's a special, limited-time offer: You can get the book NOW, at cover price, with FREE SHIPPING, and be among the first in the world to read these 20 great stories (plus one by me). This offer will be available only through January 11.

There's some great writing here - not just for western readers, but for everyone who's ever enjoyed a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne movie. We're sure you're going to like this book. We want to get the word out, worldwide, to as many people as possible.

Here's the deal: $15.95 U.S. or £10.50 UK. PayPal is preferred (and faster), but we can make other arrangements. We can't offer free shipping to other countries, but you'll still get a discount. Japan, for example, would be $18, and $20 for most of mainland Europe. Write for more info.

PLUS, to celebrate the publication of A Fistful of Legends, we're offering a special package deal - also available only through January 11. You can get both this book and the acclaimed first volume of Express Westerns stories, Where Legends Ride, for $29.90 U.S. or £19.50. That means you get FREE SHIPPING on both books. A total of 35 action-packed tales of the Old West.

For details on how to order, email me here: delewis1@hotmail.com, or contact Ian Parnham through his blog, The Culbin Trail.

Here's the lineup for A Fistful of Legends:

INTRODUCTION by James Reasoner
DEAD MAN TALKING by Derek Rutherford
BILLY by Lance Howard
LONIGAN MUST DIE! By Ben Bridges
THE MAN WHO SHOT GARFIELD DELANY by I J Parnham
HALF A PIG by Matthew P Mayo
BLOODHOUND by C. Courtney Joyner
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE by Gillian F Taylor
BIG ENOUGH by Chuck Tyrell
ONE DAY IN LIBERTY by Jack Giles
SHADOWS ON THE HORIZON by Bobby Nash
ON THE RUN by Alfred Wallon
THE GIMP by Jack Martin
VISITORS by Ross Morton
THE NIGHTHAWK by Michael D George
THE PRIDE OF THE CROCKETTS by Evan Lewis
DARKE JUSTICE by Peter Avarillo
ANGELO AND THE STRONGBOX by Cody Wells
CRIB GIRLS by Kit Churchill
MAN OF IRON by Chuck Tyrell
CASH LARAMIE AND THE MASKED DEVIL by Edward A Grainger
DEAD MAN WALKING by Lee Walker

Western Roundup: SWNN 18 by Cap'n Bob Napier, A Fistful of Legends, More!

THE STORY WITH NO NAME
OWLHOOT editor (and celebrated mystery writer) Robert S. Napier brings a touch of old-time religion to Part 18 of the round-robin Story With No Name this week on The Cap'n's Blog. Parts 1-16 of this thrilling saga have been assembled on The Culbin Trail, and Part 17 appears on Open Range. Watch for next week's installment, penned by Richard Prosch, on Meridian Bridge.

A FISTFUL OF LEGENDS
Express Western's follow-up anthology to Where Legends Ride takes another step forward with the announcement it will be available for online purchase on January 31. For more info see The Culbin Trail and Writealot. Still more details, including the cover art, will be released Dec. 12.

ONLINE FICTION
Another fine tale in the Haxan series by Kenneth Mark Hoover has popped up on The Western Online. And Frontier Tales Magazine has new stories by Kathi Sprayberry and Elmer Fralick, Jr. Check them out!

WESTERN MOVIE HISTORY
Laurie Powers' fascinating "Movies in the Santa Clara Valley" series is at 11 chapters and counting on Laurie's Wild West.

SHERLOCK HOLMES MEETS CALAMITY JANE?
Howard Hopkins fills us in on his upcoming crossover story on Dark Bits.

BOOK REVIEWS
Duane Spurlock turns in a fine review of David Robbin's "Ralph Compton" novel For the Brand over at Spur & Lock.  And in the past week alone, Steve M has posted reviews of books by James Reasoner, David Thompson, Billy Hall and Bill Williams at Western Fiction Review.

ARE YOU AN OWLHOOT?
As mentioned a couple weeks back, the Old West APA (amateur press association) OWLHOOT is open to new members. Now preparing for its 30th issue, OWLHOOT is a quarterly publication featuring wide-ranging discussions of all things West: Books, movies, TV, pulps, history, OTR, comics, music and more. And it's done the old fashioned way - in print. Each member prints their own pages (a minimum of four for every other mailing) and mails them to Cap'n Bob Napier, who assembles the issue and mails it back. The current roster includes: Fred Blosser, Bill Crider, Paul Dellinger, Frank Denton, Dale Goble, Jim Griffin, A.P. McQuiddy, Richard Moore, Bob Napier, James Reasoner, Thom Walls and me, and with #30 we're pleased to welcome Laurie Powers and Richard Prosch.  Interested? Comment here or shoot me an email.