Miss Marple on steroids comes at you at full volume

OK it's that time again - time to push product and try and get some of you out there to browse on over to my title and click buy. Hey we all have to make a living you know and these days writers can't afford to be precious and from time to time we have to put on our sales hat and push, push, push.

Granny Smith Investigates was my first book in the Granny Smith series and it's done pretty well - I'm pleased with the way it has gone down with strong sales and good reviews. The book is now also available as an eBook from those nice people at Audible. Performed by Fiona Thraille you can check out a sample reading by clicking HERE

There's a brutal murder in the small Welsh village of Gilfach. The police are clueless. With no motive and no real suspect, the investigation soon grinds to a halt. Enter Mary Anne Smith, otherwise known as Granny Smith, the 71-years-young, pipe-smoking, heavy metal-loving, chaos-causing amateur sleuth with a difference.
Granny has a talent for mayhem, and soon those talents are put to good use as our intrepid pensioner starts the unravel the case, which finds her provoking Chief Inspector Miskin as she comes up against a full scale police investigation, proving that you're never too old to make a nuisance of yourself and that 71 is actually the new 21.
Murder's never been so much fun. 

If you like crime novels, particularly cozy crimes than this title should be right up your street. Then again I believe the characters are so wide ranging and comedic that anyone who takes the plunge will find much to enjoy in the title. Well I would say that, after all I am the creator of Granny Smith but there have been four books about the character, with several more to come so I must enjoy writing about her, the world she inhabits muse seem real to me. Is Granny my favourite of all my characters? Well I'm going to become all precious now and say that all my characters are equal to me, they are all my babies but then again Granny came kicking and screaming, fully formed from my imagination.

'The eccentric Welsh pensioner gets her teeth (usually gripping a corn-cob pipe) into solving the mysterious murder of a friend in the village. Despite being ignored and warned off by the police, she persists. This delightful story makes great family reading with plenty of humour. I can just imagine a nice TV comedy series from this.' *****


Actress, Fiona Thraille has done a wonderful job in performing the book - note I say performing rather than reading, because Fiona does an incredible job in bringing the characters to  life. The actress will soon start work on the second Granny Smith title so if you enjoy the first one, and I'm confident you will, then you'll have another title to look forward to.

"A delightful story with an unpredictable plot, remarkable characters, zany happenings that combine for an engaging light hearted read. Granny Smith, named after the apple convincingly morphs into "Miss Marple on steroids".*****

If you don't have an Audible account then you can sign up for a trial and get Granny Smith Investigates for free - simply select the title for your free title. Find out how HERE . 

You can, of course, hear a free audio sample before you decide to buy so you've really got nothing to lose by checking out Audible.

'It had been a while since I have read the likes of the character Miss Marple from Agatha Christie works. Now Granny Smith has fulfilled that void in my reading life. Granny Smith is not exactly old to be a Granny by heart but irrespective of that, everyone has been calling her Granny. She is a young at heart woman who has a trait to be curious about everything that is happening around her. So when her friend Sheila gets engaged to Nigel, who is younger than her, Granny Smith gets suspicious. The following murder in the town makes Granny even more curious and on she follows the clues of the murder, much to the chagrin of Detective Inspector Miskins.' *****

Cowboys and Aliens: Did Aliens visit the Old West?

In late March 1897, around seven years before the Wright Brothers undertook their first controlled flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, airships were in the news after several hundred residents of Missouri, Kansas claimed to witness a strange sight as a huge airship hovered over farms, ranches and small towns in a three state area. Reportedly it swept a huge searchlight along the ground and terrified residents who witnessed this strange event. The story made the local Kansas Newspapers but then went national and then worldwide.

The story would have died a death, many were sceptical but then on 1st April 1897 (April Fools day, don't forget) Alexander Hamilton,a  farmer from LeRoy, Kansas claimed that the air machine had hovered over his farm and one of his cows had been sucked up into the machine. Later cow parts were discovered in a three mile radius.

That same night as many as 10,000 witnesses would give statements to the press about the airship. It was said to have flown over Kansas City, going through a series of erratic manoeuvres. Some witnesses even claimed that the airship was the planet, Venus...one man told the Kansas City Times that, 'Venus does not dodge around, fly swiftly to the horizon, swoop rapidly towards the ground and then fly away to be lost in the Southern sky.'

From descriptions given to the newspapers the aircraft seemed to be - shaped like an Indian canoe with a basket some 25 to 30 feet in length. Four light wings extended from the basket and these wings were triangular with a giant bag, thought to be a gas balloon, above the basket. The craft had powerful lights that lit up the night sky  it was said that these lights were as bright as those of a locomotive.

This started the world's first UFO scare and in the weeks following the aircraft was reported all over the United States. When it was spotted in Michigan, observers claimed to have heard human voices coming from the machine. On April 6th it was spotted over Omaha and more than six hundred people made statements to the press. The craft was also spotted in Iowa where a farmer claimed a drag rope had come from the craft, hooked his trousers and carried him several hundred feet before dropping him to the ground. Speculation in the press became widespread - one theory being that the craft was a new invention, piloted by American astronauts who were testing the commercial validity of the machine. Cattle rustling was, of course, denied.

There were yet more sightings of the strange craft - The Kansas City Free Press reported that, 'the airship is not of this world, but it is likely operated by a party of scientists from the planet, Mars who are out on a tour of the universe for scientific study.'

Whatever the truth of the story it remains one of the most enduring mysteries of the Old West.

THE GUNS THAT WON THE WEST: The gun that shoots today and kills tomorrow

The Sharps buffalo gun, known as the Big 50 but often nicknamed,' the gun that shoots today and kills tomorrow.' The .50-90 Sharps rifle cartridge is a black-powder cartridge that was introduced by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in 1872 as a buffalo hunting round. Like other large black-powder rounds, it incorporates a heavy bullet and a large powder volume, leading to high muzzle energies.

In the hide-hunting years of the 1870s, the heavy Sharps rifle was the of choice with many mountain men. While they made most of their shots at around 200 yards or less, the savvy buffalo hunters realized that when hunting in Indian country, they should keep about 10 cartridges set aside for self-defence. With these few rounds, they were able to keep hostile tribesmen at a safe distance until they made it back to camp.

Once such event happened in 1874 in the Texas pan-handle in which sharpshooter Billy Dixon shot and killed a Comanche brave who was seated upon his horse more than a mile away. Now that single shot reportedly scared the Indians off and brought what could have been a costly battle to an end.

'There was never a more splendidly barbaric sight. In after years I was glad that I had seen it. Hundreds of warriors, the flower of the fighting men of the southwestern Plains tribes, mounted upon their finest horses, armed with guns and lances, and carrying heavy shields of thick buffalo hide, were coming like the wind. Over all was splashed the rich colors of red, vermillion and ochre, on the bodies of the men, on the bodies of the running horses. Scalps dangled from bridles, gorgeous war-bonnets fluttered their plumes, bright feathers dangled from the tails and manes of the horses, and the bronzed, halfnaked bodies of the riders glittered with ornaments of silver and brass. Behind this headlong charging host stretched the Plains, on whose horizon the rising sun was lifting its morning fires. The warriors seemed to emerge from this glowing background' Billy Dixon. 

Dixon's famous shot took place on the third day of the second Siege of Adobe Wells in which an Indian force, some 700 strong attacked Adobe Wells in which some 28 men, including a 20 year old Bat Masterton and Billy Dixon were present. It was on the third day after the initial attack that Dixon took his famous shot. Fifteen Indian warriors rode out on a bluff nearly a mile away to survey the situation. At the behest of one of the hunters, William "Billy" Dixon, already renowned as a crack shot, took aim with a "Big Fifty" Sharps  that he had borrowed from another man, and cleanly dropped a warrior from atop his horse. "I was admittedly a good marksman, yet this was what might be called a 'scratch' shot." This shot apparently so discouraged the Indians that they decamped and gave up the fight. 

Billy Dixon

William "Billy" Dixon (September 25, 1850 – March 9, 1913) was an American scout and buffalo hunter active in the Texas Panhandle. He helped found Adobe Walls, fired a legendary buffalo rifle shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, and for his actions at the "Buffalo Wallow Fight" became one of eight civilians ever to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor. 

Now these days many people debunk Dixon's famous shout, claiming that he couldn't have made it as such a length but a group of ballistics experts and forensics scientists have recreated the shot and discovered that it was indeed possible.

Phil Spangenberger wrote in True West Magazine -  Among modern-day nonbelievers was a forensic scientist who claimed a .50-90 Sharps could not throw a bullet out that far. In response to this technician’s curiosity and disbelief, in the fall of 1992, fellow gun writer and long-time amigo Mike Venturino was invited, along with the folks from Shiloh Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, to travel to the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, to use some then-newly declassified radar devices to test the performance of several types of ammunition.

Using a machine rest modified from a gun carrier from a Russian T-72 tank, they started firing away. For the first Sharps shot, with the gun carriage elevated to 35 degrees, a 675-grain bullet, pushed by 90 grains of FFg black powder, and with a muzzle velocity (mv) of only 1,216 feet per second (fps) launched the bullet over 3,600 yards distant. That’s 10,800 feet—over two miles! The scientists couldn’t believe it, so a second round was touched off. This time the lead projectile weighed 650 grains with a mv of 1,301 fps. Using the same 35-degree elevation, the bullet landed 3,245 yards away. When one of the mathematicians calculated some data he suggested they reduce the elevation to about 4½ to 5 degrees to duplicate Billy Dixon’s shot. When this was done using the same load, the lead slug landed 1,517 yards downrange—almost the exact range of Dixon’s controversial shot. A five-degree muzzle elevation can easily be achieved with only the rear barrel sight on a Shiloh Sharps. This writer has made similar long-range shots with his own .50-90 Shiloh Sharps, using 90 grains of FFg black powder and a 515-grain bullet, while testing firearms for Guns & Ammo magazine.

According to Venturino, with 35 degrees elevation, the bullet gained a maximum height just short of 4,000 feet and was airborne a full 30 seconds. In my own experimentation with my Big Fifty Shiloh Sharps at similar distances, I found that with the slight muzzle elevation of around five degrees, I counted three full seconds between firing the shot and seeing the bullet kick up dirt in the target area. So the next time some modern gun “expert” wagers that you can’t put a bullet a mile out with a Sharps buffalo gun—take the bet!

Phil Spangenberger has written for Guns & Ammo, appears on the History Channel and other documentary networks, produces Wild West shows, is a Hollywood gun coach and character actor, and is True West’s Firearms Editor.

TRUE WEST ARTICLE

 

The Best True Crime Podcasts

Of course Serial may not have been the first podcast to use a true crime case as the foundation upon which to build a story, but it was certainly the most influential. Almost immediately following it first hitting the servers, scores of other podcasts immediately sprung up, hoping to emulate Sarah Koenig‘s compelling story telling style. Serial came from the same team who produced NPR’s  This American Life and told the story of Adnan Syed who was serving a life sentence for the murder of his 18 year old former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Over 12 episodes, host Sarah Koenig led the listener on an incredibly compelling investigation of the case that leaves many., myself included, to believe that Adnan Syed is actually innocent of the murder he still sits in prison for. The series was an incredible success, each episode of the first series was downloaded more than 68 million times and currently Serial is in a second season – this time based on a very different story – that of soldier, Robert Bergdahl who was captured by the Taliban after leaving his military base without the permission of his superiors or the knowledge of his fellow soldiers. Season two is, at the time of writing, ongoing.

Sarah Koenig

Now it goes without saying that Serial is a must listen for anyone interested in true crime, but here are several other true crime podcasts that I consider must listens. The heading of this article, is The Best True Crime Podcasts. Of course the term, THE BEST, is subjective but the following shows are in my opinion among the very best that the genre has to offer.
Crime Writers on Serial was initially a podcast about a podcast. Hosted by husband and wife writing team, Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn the show sprung up to analyse each episode of Serial. However the show soon realised the limitations of its concept and branched out to look at other true crime stories and pop culture in general as it relates to the genre of crime. The crime writing couple  hold a pop-culture roundtable with noir novelist Toby Ball and journalist-turned-investigator Lara Bricker. The panel chats not only about the podcast ‘Serial,’ but journalism, storytelling, TV shows and films.The show had become a firm favourite and is currently going strong, having found its own voice and becoming every bit as essential as the show it sought to analyse.
Sword and Scale is another podcast that I have on subscription – hosted by Mike Boudet the show has been going since 2014 and unlike Serial the show doesn’t concentrate on whodunnit, but rather looks at solved and often unfathomable cases. Most episodes use  original tapes — interviews, trial snippets, 911 calls. with Boudet interjecting to shape the narrative with facts and questions, or to underline key points. Some instalments include criminal experts, authors or people related to the case. The result is an often fascinating exploration into extraordinary events. Again this Podcast is one I never miss.

Phoebe Judge

Phoebe Judge is the main voice behind the podcast, Criminal and this show is another in the essential list. Judge is the host of Criminal and a host at WUNC North Carolina Public Radio. She was a producer and on-air contributor for The Story with Dick Gordon, and before that she reported from the gulf coast of Mississippi. She covered the BP oil spill and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio. Phoebe’s work has won multiple Edward R. Murrow and Associated Press awards.
Each week Criminal looks at a different true crime case and is never less than captivating. It can also be disturbing and doesn’ shy away from the salacious details of the cases it examines.
Generation Why is the most wide – ranging of all the True Crime podcasts currently available. Created by hosts Aaron and Justin, a duo based out of Kansas City, Mo. the show looks at unsolved mysteries, bizarre conspiracy theories and  closed cases. A strong point of the podcast  is the hosts’ propensity to play devil’s advocate against each other, and to bring in the occasional guest to add yet another varying perspective. All in all, it’s refreshing to hear each and every case approached with at least a couple of differing angles, instead of adhering to one singular narrative.
Cold cases are a speciality of Thinking Sideways and hosts Devin, Steve and Joe are experts at thinking outside the box as they look at ages old cases. However this show also builds episodes around quirky subjects and, I kid you not, one episode even attempted to get to the bottom of who or what was Frosty the Snowman.

Finally a podcast that has got my attention recently is, Someone Knows Something, which comes from David Ridgen, a independent filmmaker with a proven record of solving cold cases. The show attempts to solve the 40 cold case – In 1972, five-year-old Adrien McNaughton vanished while on a family fishing trip in Eastern Ontario. Despite an intensive search and investigation, no sign of Adrien was found, no clue as to where he might be. The case has hung over the area like a dark mass ever since, especially in the small town of Arnprior, where the McNaughton family lived.

The real Jack Martin

To celebrate the forthcoming release of my  western Wild Bill Williams in digital format - published this November from Piccadilly Publishing  and available for pre-order NOW, I thought I'd post a little something about the man who gave me my pen name.

And so I present the real Jack Martin

Jack Martin. The man whom I looked up to as a kid, he seemed ten feet tall, and the man whose name I use for my western fiction.

Jack Martin was a coal miner in the South Wales coal fields - indeed it was the dust from this environment that eventually killed him - pneumoconiosis, black lung disease,was common among a certain age group in the village I was raised in. The  sound of chesty coughs would accompany the dawn chorus across the village and sticky mementoes of the coal mines would fill handkerchiefs held in the scarred hands of the old colliers.

The original

 Coal mining, given the then primitive conditions was a  arduous job, and in those days there was only basic safety equipment. Lives were often lost in explosions and one time the level where my grandfather was working flooded and over 20 men were drowned. That was all before I was born. I learned much of this from my grandmother and Gramp never really talked about it.

I was born in 1965 and Gramps had retired by the time I was five so I can't really remember him working, though he was never idle and his garden gave us the best tomatoes around . He was a tall man, always dressed immaculately, even when doing the garden he wore a shirt and tie, as people of his generation did. He grew incredible tasty vegtables  and my first ever paid job was collecting horse manure from the mountain for his garden. I think he gave me something like 10p a bucket which was good money in those far off days when the world was black and white and the sun always shone.

My Grandmother often referred to him as Father Christmas and although they would argue as people did in those days, about anything really - leaving the door open, not wiping your feet and trampling garden over the mat, their relationship was a strong and loving one. They both spoiled me rotten and I always got the latest comics and would go on the annual British Legion day trip to Porthcawl with them. Though often only me and my nan went. Gramps stayed home and probably went for a sneaky pint down the legion. He did so like a sneaky pint or two.

Hey, sorry about the ancient history but I feel almost old enough to remember black and white radio.

My nan and grandfather, possibly the 1930's

Gramps loved the westerns and was always reading a western novel. When there was a western on TV I would watch it with him and he would tell me stories of when he was in the wild west (completely invented, of course. The furthest West he ever went was Tonypandy) and in these stories he would be teamed up with John Wayne or Gary Cooper but never Clint Eastwood - he never really liked him and would refer to him as an unshaven hooligan. As a young boy I believed every word of these wild stories:

That he had been a one legged fighter pilot in the war, that
he had been there when Custer arm-wrestled Wyatt Earp for the price of a drink, that he had smoked the peace pipe with both Geronimo and Sitting Bull.

Jack Martin MK 2

Gramps was a natural storyteller.

Jack Martin - it was his  love of westerns that was passed onto me and apart from the fact that Eastwood is my all time fave, our tastes are very much the same - John Wayne is still the ultimate man's man, and the cowboy creed is a  design for life.

When I published my first western novel, Tarnished Star with Robert Hale LTD (now available as LawMaster)  I was proud that it contained the byline - by Jack Martin. When trying to decide on a pen name to keep my western fiction separate from my other stuff it was only natural to use Gramp's name.

He's been gone now for longer than I care to remember,  and I still miss him but I guess he's still here, inside me - his ideals, his ways, his humour and every one of my westerns that has seen print  is as much his work as mine. For without him I would never have developed my interest and love for the American West.

So saddle up and check out Jack Martin's western page HERE

Bill's back