THE WILD BUNCH RIDE AGAIN

It's Wednesday and the Wild Bunch ride again - this initiative, the brain child of western writer, Terry James, sees a bunch of us writers posting extracts from our work. The theme this week is the bad guy and I've selected a section from Tarnished Star where Cole Masters confronts the Bowden crew. For other extracts see the links at the end of the post.



Tarnished Star (C) Gary Dobbs
Posted with kind permission of Robert Hale LTD


‘Don’t know anyone else who’d take pleasure is cutting up a defenceless
woman.’

That seemed to anger Clem. ‘Woman,’ he roared. ‘It weren’t no woman. This
was a whore. Just because God gave her titties don’t make her no woman.’


‘She was a woman, sure enough.’ Cole stood his ground, feeling the evil eye
of each and every weapon trained on him. He bit his lower lip to quell his nerves and
prayed that the anguish he was feeling was not visible. He muscles ached and felt as
heavy as lead. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to shoot if the need arose and suddenly
the enormity of the danger facing him sent his stomach into spasms.

‘My son will face trial,’ Clem Bowden said, firmly. ‘But until that day comes
I’ll see him released into my custody.’

‘No.’ Cole said, spitting the words out of a dry mouth. The whiskey he’d
drunk earlier left a sour taste in the back of his throat and he coughed, almost hearing
fingers tense on triggers as he did so.

‘We’ll we’re going to take him.’ Clem said and nodded to his ranch foreman
besides him. ‘You going to stop us?’

Clem took a step forward and then Cole sensed movement behind him and he
turned to see both Jessie and old man Tanner standing on the boardwalk outside the
jailhouse. There was one of Bowden’s gunmen to either side of Jessie and Em and both
suddenly trained their weapons on them, one apiece.
‘Shit.’ Cole said.

Clem and his ranch foreman kept their steady pace and were now almost level
with Cole. They didn’t alter their course but kept coming with measured, purposeful
strides.

Da, da, da dum - buy the book to find out what happens next!

The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin is available now from all good book sellers - overseas readers can snap the book up postage free from The Book Depository which is a darn good deal - these folks will send the book to the moon at no cost to the buyer.


Other extracts
Terry James
Jack Giles
Lance Howard
I.J.Parnham

WILD WEST MONDAY - GUEST BLOGGER - I J Parnham

Ian Parnham is another of the Black Horse Western writers. As I. J. Parnham he has written 18 westerns for the imprint. When asked to compose something western based for the build up to Wild West Monday Ian looked away from the plains and up to the stars to offer us this look at the Star Trek western themed episodes. The first paragraph can be read here and following the link below will take you to the rest of the piece.

Thanks Ian


Wagon Train to the Stars

With the imminent arrival of a new generation playing the iconic roles of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Spock, McCoy et al, it's a good moment to consider Star Trek's contribution to the western genre.

In many ways it's a negative one. Gene Roddenberry sold the series to the studios with the tag line that it would be a Wagon Train to the stars. This was a good pitch. In fact it was so good that when eventually the series became popular tv producers became more interested in making western serials set in space than they did in making western serials set in the American West.

Of course not all the blame for the reduction in the number of westerns made can be laid at Star Trek's feet (I blame Star Wars for that). So let us consider the times when the series acknowledged its roots and made authentic western episodes.

GO HERE TO CONTINUE WITH THE ARTICLE

Visit the Archive later today for our popular Wild West Roundup which includes news of the latest threat to The Alamo....

Nuns with guns

Ian Parnham has an interesting post on the writing process as it applies to his westerns over on his blog, The Culbin Trail - HERE

Devine's Law by Ian Parnham

Devine's Law
I J Parnham
black Horse Westerns
Originally published 2004

Marshall Jake T. Devine is among the most unpleasant characters I've ever met in western fiction. Think Dirty Harry crossed with Judge Dredd and a little Patrick Bateman but what author I. J.Parnham knows is that a bastard's far more interesting than a squeaky clean hero and gives for a much better read. Well he's given us just that and his Jake Devine is almost Satan with a badge.

The book starts off with the Marshall bursting into the home of Seth Randall looking for his son Max - the boy's not at home but Seth and his three other boys are. And by the end of that chapter the Marshall's murdered the father and the three boys. He then coolly leaves, whistling as he does so, to resume his search for the errant Max.

Hearing of the slaughter Max vanishes into the hills with the Marshall in hot pursuit.

Very few westerns shock me but this one did and just when I thought I had the ending all figured out the rug was pulled out from under me again. I would highly recommend this novel - it's another all action western in the excellent Black Horse Range of which I am proud to be a part and the character of Jake Devine really is a truly original creation.

The action then shifts to follow the adventures of Max Randell which is a clever touch because we feel the suspense knowing that the monster with the badge is not too far behind him but it's when Devine takes centre stage that the book really comes alive.

Author, Ian Parnham has hinted that one day he may bring Devine back for another novel and I, for one, sure hope he does just that.

NEW WESTERN BLOG

Ian Parnham (Devine's Law reviewed on The Archive soon) tells me of a new blog that is an off shoot of the Black Horse Express site - check it out HERE