Savage Slaughter

Arkansas Smith, which was first published by Robert Hale in 2010, originally started off as a quite different novel. I'd written an entire novella back in 2008 featuring the character, but as the book dealt with the Indian wars, which was a subject my publisher didn't want to touch upon, and that it was slightly shorter than the required length it remained unpublished.

 Eventually I started another book, using a limited section of the original novel,  which became the first Arkansas Smith story. However I still like the original novel and after re-reading it recently I decided that it would be just the thing for a Kindle release. Thus I renamed the Arkansas Smith of this novel, who was quite different to the Arkansas who eventually found a home with Robert Hale, Nevada Jones.

Arkansas Smith and now Nevada Jones - I guess one day I'll write a book about California Collins! Or maybe even Alabama Adams!


"The civil war had ended, the country was being rebuilt, the railroads extended. Men whose names would go down in history - Goodnight, Chisholm, were driving thousands upon thousands of wild longhorn cattle across treacherous trails. Gold was discovered and scores of whites ran rampant over grounds that had been promised the Indians by the Great White Father, the vast plains once the preserve of the Indians now rumbled to the sound of the iron horse. 

 Soon they would run red with blood."

‘Nevada Jones,’ Nevada said by way of introduction and climbed from his horse. He slid his rifle into its boot and smiled at the captain. He watched the troopers close the stockade gates and ran a hand over his sweaty brow.

 ‘Never thought I’d be glad to see a yellow legs,’ he said.

            ‘Keep a civil tongue in your mouth, Reb.’ Captain Nathan Roberts snarled.

            ‘Relax,’ Nevada smiled. ‘The war’s over. We’re all Americans now.’

            ‘The war may be over,’ the captain said and prodded Nevada in the chest with a long spindly finger. ‘But the grass has barely grown over the battlefields. Don’t much pay to be making jokes in a Southern accent.’

            Nevada felt a wave of anger in his stomach but he controlled it. He was a little over thirty years old and had served valiantly in the War Between the States. He had seen action and bloodshed on the fields of conflict and much more besides.  The threat of sudden death seemed an ever-present companion.

Nevada didn’t need this from this pompous Calvary captain, who didn’t look so much battle scarred as fat and weary.

            ‘We’ve another war to occupy us in any case,’ he said and motioned a look back towards the hastily constructed town gates. ‘Something’s sure riled up those Indians.’

 


It's a little more violent than my usual westerns, but, I hope, shows the same love for the genre, and tells the same kind of Jack Martin story that many of you seem to like.

It's on sale now, at a low price and what's more it is DRM free so once you've bought it you can do what you like with it - copy it to any device, loan it to friends, or simply read it on your computer, smart phone etc.

Click below for your store

UK

US

And I do hope some of you decide to buy a copy.