A FISTFUL OF QUESTIONS - NIK MORTON MINI INTERVIEW

It's one of the most eagerly waited events in the Western calendar - the arrival of the second anthology from Express Westerns. A fistful of Legends, is shaping up nicely, containing 21 all new stories, one from yours truly, of the old west.

I caught up with editor in chief Nik Morton AKA western writer, Ross Morton and forced him at gunpoint to spill the beans on this new project. Well, a man's gotta' do what a man's gotta' do!

TA - Firstly I’m over the moon to be in the anthology with my story ‘The Gimp’.

What other newcomers are there?

N - There are two types of newcomers in A Fistful of Legends. The first fall into the category of being writers but the anthology is featuring their first western. I think that C Courtney Joyner, Edward A Grainger and Bobby Nash fall into that category. The second are those who are brand new to writing short stories: among these is Michael D George, an accomplished western novelist with 60 books under his gun-belt, but we’re featuring his first short story; Cody Wells and of course Peter Avarillo are total newcomers to published commercial fiction.

TA- It’s great to see that the anthology will feature someone so young (Chantel) - and she comes from a western writing family too! What made her work stand out?

N- As with all the other contributors, the story is the thing. I liked the idea of her main character and the storyline; it’s a neat little ending, too. I suspect that we’ll see more of her and her enigmatic character over the years.

TA-What can readers expect from this collection?

N – Action, character, authenticity. I’d hope that readers will be impelled to turn the pages and enjoy the ride, possibly shedding a tear here, laughing a bit there, and come away fully satisfied with a damned fine read. Well, we writers have to be optimistic, otherwise we wouldn’t write, would we?

TA- Are the themes as varied as in the first volume?

N- More stories, so in fact more varied. Where Legends Ride was a good selection with a couple of daring tales to boot – in 186 pages. A Fistful of Legends just goes that bit extra distance because it has more material, filling over 240 pages. James Reasoner says in his introduction that the ‘Western has always featured much more moral complexity than its critics give it credit for…’ This selection supports his words. The Western will survive because its themes are universal. In A Fistful of Legends you’ll find: revenge, redemption, punishment, prejudice, humour, courage, selflessness, honour, duty and pride.

TA -When will A Fistful of Legends be available?

N - Can’t say, though it’s hoped to be out this December. It depends on a number of factors. Bear in mind, it’s being produced by talented unpaid volunteers in their spare time, while they have other pressures to deal with in tandem, not least to earn a living wage.

TA-And have you any other future projects lined up?

N – I’m always working on a novel or two. January this year I started my fourth BHW but other projects meant it was put on the backburner. Now may be the time to get on with it. I have a book of (published) shorts stories and four novels out with various publishers, awaiting rejection or acceptance, and I’m busy compiling another collection of linked short stories about a guy called Leon Cazador, a modern-day Simon Templar. Just published is my second psychic spy thriller The Tehran Transmission, set in Iran at the time of the start of the Islamic Revolution in 1978; spookily, there are many parallels with the current events in the storyline.


Keep an eye out on the Archive for reports as the book becomes available
The first Express westerns anthology - Where Legend's Ride is still available HERE