Farewell to Mr. Jinx!

 Hi everyone, it seems I have been away far too long because of one thing or another. Hopefully things are now getting back to normal and I can begin to get down to some serious writing. With the third story of Angelo and his sidekick Mr. Jinx just around the corner I would like to pay tribute to the one who inspired me to include a dog in the Angelo series. My four legged friend, Duma, a wolf-dog with a unique disposition became Mr. Jinx. Sadly Duma recently passed away and this is what I wrote about her… 

It grieves me so much to announce the passing of my precious little girl, Duma. It has taken me days to come to terms with my loss and to post this sad news. She was my constant companion.     
I was there when she came into this world, and I was there to hold her as we parted ways in the knowledge that we would one day be reunited.
She was with me for twelve memorable years, sharing with me times of tears and joy. Our time together can only be described as … magical! She gave me so much, always ready to please and with a love that was unconditional. Many a time when I was feeling down, she’d nudge me with her snout, I’d look into her beautiful blue eyes and things didn’t seem so bad after all. She had this wonderful calming effect on me. She has left such a great void in my life! But I know she will always be with me, in my heart and in my writing.

Dogs truly are some of nature’s finest jewels, dazzling
us in so many ways.
They understand us so well, encouraging us to carry
on when things look bleak.
Then they share our happiness with an enthusiasm and love
second to none when the sun shines once again in our lives.

We none of us know just how long we are destined to
stay on this Earth,
but if that time is spent with those whom we love faithfully
and who in return love us as family,
then surely our lives have been blessed.

Always remember your precious dog with love,
knowing that kindred spirits will, in the fullness of time,
be reunited.

COMING SOON!
In the next issue read about the final book of EDGE. Also the Piccadilly Cowboys are alive and kicking!

Remembering Howard Hopkins.

On the 12th of January 2012, one of our Black Horse Western group members, Howard Hopkins was sadly taken from us at such an early age and he will be sorely missed by all.
To me he came across as being a friendly, helpful kind of guy who would go the whole nine yards and more to help someone. A very gifted writer of mixed genre, but for me, I will always remember him as Lance Howard, the prolific author of many a BHW whose work will be truly missed.
His adventures will live on in the minds of those who have had the privilege to read any of his works and also for those who are on the verge of reading one of his books for the first time. Howard will truly live on, in all the stories he left behind which he created for our entertainment.
I tip my hat to you, sir, may you rest in peace.

In The Spotlight: Terry Harknett aka George G. Gilman. The Man Behind Edge.

EDGE

Hi Terry and welcome.  First, I would like to thank you very much for agreeing to this interview.

Hello to you. Being interviewed has never been one of my favorite ways to fill time but how can I turn down a request from such a charming feller as you?

Seriously, please feel free to ask any appropriate questions you want to and I'll do my best to answer them fully and frankly. But be warned, I only ever speak the truth so some of my responses might not go down too well with the traditional readers of traditional Westerns.

I'm sure over the years you have been asked many times about the name George G. Gilman.  Now, for those new fans of your books, can you tell us how you came up with the name?

For instance this is a case in point. In earlier interviews down the years I never made it a secret that I was not a fan of the Western genre when I was initially commissioned to write two of them by a publisher who had first asked me to adapt a trio of original Western screenplays into novels. So, eager to make a little more money from writing than I was earning trying to emulate Raymond Chandler in the field of the private eye novel, I produced books for two different publishers that were based upon the movies 'A Town Called Bastard', 'Red Sun' and 'A Fistful of Dollars' using three different names. The publishers of two of these were happier than I was with my work and commissioned me to write a couple of original Westerns. Which they liked as well as my adaptions from the movies. These turned out to be 'Edge: The Loner' and 'Edge: Ten Grand'.

Again the publisher liked these better than I did, but they agreed with me that the name of Terry Harknett did not have a ring of the Wild West about it and asked me to come up with a more suitable pen name. Still having doubts about my ability to write Westerns and so not thinking any more than two Edge books would ever see the light of print I came up with the joke of G.G Gilman.

Gee Gee of course being a young child's name for a horse. And I thought of Gilman because the alliteration appealed to me. But the publisher quite rightly thought the Gee-Gee thing was too far out for the kind of hard boiled stories I had written so we compromised on George G...

And as they say … the rest is history!
 
With plans underway to release the first series of "EDGE" as eBooks, with the first two "The Loner" and "Ten Grand" aka ”Ten Thousand Dollars, American" already available for sale on Amazon, this  must be a very exciting time for you ... a dream come true, especially knowing your loyal fans and also a new generation of fans who up until recently had never heard of "EDGE" or George G. Gilman, are now buying your books.   How does that make you feel?

I am, of course, extremely pleased that a series of my ancient novels will be made available as e-books for what I hope will be a whole new audience and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you publicly, Malcolm for making this possible.

Believe me, Terry, it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the re-launch of Edge, who I consider being my all time favorite unconventional hero. Now, I've heard rumors that in later years you expressed some misgivings about the level and depiction of violence in your books. Why was this?

I am a peace loving individual who abhors violence in real life but when I was commissioned to write an ultra-violent Western series in the style of The Man With No Name movies I grabbed the concept with both eager hands. For my earlier attempts a gentle private eye fiction had flopped.

So, taking a leaf out of the books of Mickey Spillane, rather than Raymond Chandler who I had attempted to emulate with singular lack of success. I did my best to come up with the kind of violent characters and scenes my book editor required.

And after supplying the first two books in the Edge series which I had written tongue in cheek with as much blood and gore as I could envisage I was amazed to be told they were terrific and could I provide more of the same but with the violence stepped up!

So I wrote #3 'Apache Death' which I have been told more than once is the most violent book in the Edge series and there were no objections from the publishers.

Thus, as a professional writer with a mortgage to pay and household bills to finance I set aside my finer feelings and became the hack writer I have never denied being as I continued to supply the kind of books  that my publishers knew my readers wanted to read.

But I discovered for me violence is in the same category as pornography in that after awhile it becomes very boring. So I toned down the killing and the means of killing and discovered with  an immense sense of relief that my fans were willing to accept that an aging, less bloodthirsty Edge was still acceptable as the NEW KIND OF WESTERN HERO he had been billed as from the outset.

At the height of the Piccadilly Cowboy period, you turned out books at a phenomenal rate. There must have been days when you really didn't fancy sitting down at the typewriter. Did you ever get stuck for ideas or suffer periods of writer's block? And what about your contemporaries, Laurence James, Angus Wells, Ken Bulmer, John Harvey?

Yeah, because back then many British paperback publishers were always on the brink of bankruptcy and did not advance very much a writer had to write a lot of books to pay the mortgage and those household bills I mentioned earlier. In one year I actually wrote a dozen books - although a couple of these were movie adaptions!

There were days I will admit that did not feel up to  putting words on that pristine sheet of paper wrapped around the roller in my typewriter (this was back in the  pre-word processor days, of course!). But on the rainy Mondays whenever this happened I was able by sheer willpower to practice what I preached to the many wannabe writers who asked for my advice on how to become a writer. So I applied the seat of my my pants to the seat of my chair and I damn well wrote!

As far as writer's block is concerned I never came up against this until fairly recently when I attempted to wrap up the Edge series with a final book.
 
The bloody block has been immovable for several years! Which rather blows out of the water my theory that, contrary to what some of my fellow Piccadilly Cowboys used to propound on bad days for them, that the phenomenon was just an excuse for not knuckling down to the job in hand! As I recall Angus Wells was the writer most prone to this!

I have to say, Terry, I so admire your tenacity.
What was the secret of the success of that Piccadilly Cowboys era … do you miss it, and do you think it could ever come again?

The secret of the Piccadilly Cowboys success was I think due to how the spaghetti western dragged the movie genre out from the traditional Hopalong Cassidy and his ilk era - which, was all well and good for the time - and dropped it into something like the real world of the 'wild west' and we humble hacks rode along in the dust kicked up by the film makers.

Not that I think we created a West that was any more like the reality of how life was back then as our forerunners did. Doubtless that world we came up with was less authentic since few of the PCs had been out west and based the backdrops and characters we created on what we had seen on cinema and television screens.

No at my age I do not miss the hard slog if albeit exciting times in which I worked back then. And I do not believe such a time will ever come again to the genre. For it seems to me that there are no new trails for the Western to blaze.

If I’m not mistaken, I believe it was one of your colleagues that came up with the name, ‘Edge’. When it was first thrown at you so-to-speak, what went through your mind?  

Yes it was indeed the late great Laurence James who conjured up the name Edge for my most infamous character. I had never read a Western until I wrote one and came up with the something or other kid in the synopses of the first two stories I submitted. And no straight razor featured in them. So this weapon and the appropriate name came out of Mr James' fertile creative brain.

But I’m pleased to say I was able to repay him by being largely responsible for starting him out on a fiction writing career.

Forgive me if this question has ever been asked or answered and I have missed it, but for my curiosity alone, I've often wanted to ask but never got around to it. In all of your books which I have read, either the first or first two words are all capped. Can you enlighten me as to why you did this?

On the subject of me using capital letters as the start of each chapter in my typescripts, this goes back to my days of working on a trade magazine where the house style was to start each article in this fashion.

You will often see this in newspapers, magazines and books. Or sometimes the entire first line of an item. Then again some publishers use what is termed the 'drop cap' which means the first letter of the first word is in bold type and extends down the first and second lines.

Out of all the books you've written, has there ever been a time when you've sat down and thought, I wished I'd written that book differently?
 
I have never re-read any of my books so I'm not in a position to say whether I would have written one or more of them differently.  Back in the day, I was working to such tight deadlines at such high speed there was no time to consider such an option even if I had been moved think I could have improved the story. But I doubt I could have done so for my previous work as a journalist had schooled me to do it fast and get it right first time!

Although I guess if I had the time and inclination to re-read my books nowadays hindsight would kick in and I could maybe see many instances where they could be improved.

What books do you like to read now that you are retired?

Nowadays I do not read fiction. And I do not read a great deal of non-fiction. My reading diet consists exclusively of books about Hollywood and the making of movies from the early 1900s to the present day, most of them written by directors, producers and screenwriters - and occasionally actors if these last do not fall into the 'celebrity' category.

I know some prolific writers will turn a book out in an extremely short time. Do you miss the pressures of writing? 
 
For a short while after I retired I missed the pressure of having to meet those deadlines I mentioned earlier. As you know I did write six more Edge books which were never published except on a website message board until they began to appear as e-books.

A MUCH OLDER EDGE

I wrote these primarily to fill time in retirement. Also both as a favor to Edge fans who were asking me for more books and to try to wrap up the series more tidily than I had done in, 'The Rifle'.
But I failed to do this to my satisfaction and thus I continue to play around with 'Detour To Destiny' which will definitely be Edge's swansong should I ever get around to finishing it!

When you sat at your typewriter to begin writing a new book, did you have it all figured out from beginning to end, or did you let the story unfold as you wrote it?   

 
In the days when I was writing for a living my London publishers (New English Library) and I worked very closely together from the very start. I would write four five or so page synopses of the books I proposed to deliver in the year ahead and they would commission them.

These synopses were fairly detailed but allowed scope for plot turns should I be 'inspired' to take the stories into different directions during the writing process.

So I guess the tale to be told was pretty well laid out at the start but with leeway to go off at the occasional tangent.

You say you came up against writer's block when attempting to write the final chapter in Edge's life, so, have you ever thought of a collaboration? I know a final book would be successful and the fans would go wild for it!

 
First off, although I have collaborated on a couple of series of books I never did on individual titles and have no intention of doing so on the final Edge.

I fear my use of the term writer's block was incorrect in this instance.  Rather the delay in finishing DETOUR TO DESTINY has been caused by a combination of sheer laziness in old age and a strange reluctance to get the book done because I know it will be the last one I ever write.

And without wishing to sound pretentious the prospect of not having a book to finish (even though I suspect I will never write another word of it) will open up a deep hole in whatever future I awaits me!

I hope this makes sense to you.

Yes, I guess it does make sense. I think it would be extremely difficult for anyone to find a fitting end for a character that has been with them for so long. So tell me, just as a matter of interest, have you got anything down on paper for the final book of Edge?
 

Yes, there is quite a chunk of the final book written so maybe one day…?

I’m sure over the years; you must have influenced many writers. What advice would you give to any new inspiring writers of the western genre?

You have to have a burning ambition to become a full-time writer if you are to succeed. And in the early stages of striving to reach your goal, virtually all your other interests must take a back seat.

Can you elaborate, Terry?

I am not suggesting you should starve in a monk-like cell come garret. Only that, for example, if you are torn between getting down on paper a maybe brilliant idea and going out for a beer, or to see a movie or a sporting event, or even on  a hot date! it should be a no-brainer.

You won't have a boss with his beady eye on you to ensure that you knuckle down to the job at hand. Just that not-to-be-denied burning ambition to become a published writer. And if you submit to fleetingly more attractive lures this could become the norm and you will discover you do not possess what it takes to make it as a member of one of the hardest and best professions there is.

To any aspiring writer who wishes to make money out of writing and because of the extremely hard work involved there is in my opinion only one other credible reason to take up the challenge, my advice would be to work in another genre. For it seems to me that although the Western will surely never die it will become increasingly difficult to breathe new life into its ailing body in this modern age.

That said, I can only repeat what I have said to Gilman fans who asked for my help in the past - if you really are determined to become a published writer all you have to do is apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and write. This may sound facetious but it is not intended to be so.

However, if I can offer more practical advice without sounding like a text book on the art of fiction writing, may I suggest you read books by the writers you admire and do your best to emulate, rather than copy them. But, of course, the more time you spend reading the less you have to devote to writing.

On a final note, Terry, have you anything you’d like to say to your die-hard loyal fans out there?

I can only say thank you so much to my lucky stars and to all my many readers for your loyalty down the years. For the Western was not my first choice of genre to work in but having been thrust into it I obviously did something right and managed to captured your imagination time and time again over many decades.

With that, I’d like to thank you once again, Terry for taking the time to talk with me, it really has been a pleasure and an honor. Thank you!

You’re welcome, Malcolm.

So folks, whether we’ve seen Edge ride into the sunset for the very last time, or if he’ll return for one final episode, will remain in the hands of his creator, only he knows! And, as Terry said, ‘Maybe one day…?  Maybe!

Thank you one and all for sharing with me this memorable occasion, and don’t forget, whether you are a writer or an ardent reader of the Western genre… Keep the faith and spread the word!

Until next time … Goodnight and take care.  

Malcolm

Don't forget to check out the Edge mini series and the original series for Kindle on Amazon.Com. 

Don't have a Kindle! Don't worry, you can download it here for your PC. It's free. Kindle for your PC

In the Spotlight: Scott Gese

 Scott Gese AKA Christopher Scott

Today I have with me someone I’m sure most of you will know: especially if you are familiar with his Rope and Wire website, Scott Gese AKA Christopher Scott.

Welcome, Scott, and thank you for agreeing to this interview.
 
My pleasure, Malcolm. I don't get the opportunity to do this as often as I would like.

First of all I’d like to congratulate you on your second publication of the Rope and Wire Short Stories series which is now on sale at Amazon.com. Could you enlighten me as to what gave you the idea for the e-Pulp, as it has now become known?

The ePulp series is a natural progression for my website, Rope and Wire. The premise for the site is to promote western authors and the western genre via the media. So far, this has been basically confined to the Rope and Wire website. I’ve been looking for a way to branch out for quite some time now. I looked into starting a traditional magazine, but found the cost to be way out of my reach. The next logical choice, to me anyhow, was to start thinking outside the box. Once I started doing that, the ePulp idea presented itself and I latched onto it. It’s a great way to promote both current western authors and the western genre to a much larger and constantly growing audience.

I totally agree with you. And when you talk about a growing audience, how do you think the younger generation sees the western, let’s say compared to the horror genre which seems to be so popular today?

If we try to compare the younger generation's current obsession with the horror/zombie genre against the western genre, there really is no comparison. Zombie's rule! I read an article the other day that stated the zombie genre generates about $5 billion per year to our economy, and that was a conservative estimate. I haven't found any statistics for the western genre. It would be interesting to see some numbers. Right now, my website statistics tell me it's basically the 50 and older audience offering the majority of support for the western genre, although I have been seeing, over the past year or so, a slight increase in the 30 something bracket taking an interest. My guess is that the zombie craze is geared toward a younger audience and the middle age bracket is searching for an alternative. This is something we need to take advantage of.

A very good point indeed!

What do you think of the western genre today, and what do you think the future holds for the western and the e-Pulp?

 

You’ve hit my sweet spot with this question. I’ve written about this subject on several occasions and could go on, but will try to keep it brief. My basic opinion is that our society has drastically changed since the early to mid 1900’s, what I would consider as the heyday of western fiction. Life was less complicated back then. Things like honesty and fair play were pretty much the norm. Things like ethics were understood and most people adhered to them in one form or another. The western genre tends to follow after those things.

The problem I see is that today’s society in general, no longer holds itself to as high a standard, and such things such as honesty, fair play and ethics have taken a back seat to the more complicated and competitive nature of the current generation. And because of it, the western genre has suffered.

I think the genre is definitely down for the count, but not out. We do see glimmers of life coming out of Hollywood from time to time, and there are some great western authors out there who do have large followings. 

My belief is that at some point the western genre will be “rediscovered”, and new life will be breathed back into it. Until then, we need to use all the modern tools we now have at our disposal and continue to put the genre up in front of people.

Pulp magazines were hugely popular in their day, and reintroducing them in an electronic version is one avenue that hasn’t been exploited yet, but needs to be. Rope and Wire is leading the way on this front with its Electronic Pulps, ePulps. I believe they will catch on, and not just in the western genre. 

With the ever increasing popularity of the eBook, where sales were up by 150% this year, and saw the rapid decline of the paperback … do you find it hard adjusting to the digital age of reading? 

I don’t find it hard to adjust to the digital age of reading at all. The writing is on the wall, so to speak. Just take a look at history. Television took the place of the radio. The computer is slowly taking the place of the television. We went from vinyl records to eight track tapes to cassettes to CD’s to mp3’s. Now we are going from hardbound books to eBooks. There will always be a certain number of people who refuse to give up the old ways, and that’s fine with me. I admit I still like holding onto a book from time to time. But as the older generation passes on and the newer generation comes of age, the vast majority of people will be using eReaders. You can’t pretend it’s not happening. If you do, you’ll be left in the dust like so many recently emptied Borders book stores. 

Yes, the Borders store in my hometown has just recently closed its doors for the last time. So sad!

Okay, let’s move on and talk about your writing.  When did you decide you wanted to become a writer? 

This is a tough question. For me, it has been more of an evolution than a clear cut decision. It began in earnest about six years ago when I started a website called, Rope and Wire. The site was a blank page that needed to have some content on it if I expected it to get off the ground. I convinced a couple of authors I know to add a story or two, but realized quite quickly that if I wanted the site to succeed, I needed more content. So out of necessity more than anything else, I started writing my own stories. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was really good at it, at least technically, but I always thought I could tell a good tale. This is the point where I realized I actually enjoyed writing and wanted to continue learning the trade. Maybe I'm being too modest, but I feel I still have a long way to go before I would consider myself worthy of being called a writer. My work has definitely improved over the past six years, but right now, I feel I'm still in a learning mode, and still wanting to be a writer. 

Did anyone encourage you to write, and if so whom? 

I wouldn’t say I was encouraged to write by any individual, at least in the beginning. I think it was more self motivation. There are writers in my family including an Uncle who is a well known published author, and a brother who also writes. I think seeing others, especially those close to me being successful at writing, motivated me more than anything.

I probably get more encouragement now that I’ve been at this for awhile and have some decent work out there. Author Cody Wells, (Malcolm Davey) is turning out to be a good friend who has been encouraging and helping me quite a bit. People are beginning to see that I actually have some talent. Family and friends have been the most skeptical, but now that they’ve had the opportunity to read my work, they’re starting to come around. I’m beginning to get some good feedback from them, which is always nice. 

Thank you … Tell me, what is the biggest challenge for you when writing a western?

I think researching what I’m writing about is my biggest challenge. I’m also a woodworker. When I build a project, I don’t draw out elaborate, detailed plans before I start. I know what I want to build and other than a scrap of paper with a few crude measurements written on it, I don’t plan much in advance. I just do it. I tend to write my short stories the same way, and it seems to work for me. I’m in the process of writing my first novel and I’m finding out I can’t do this project the same way. There’s much more planning and research involved. My notes have to be much more detailed. There just seems to be a lot of preliminary work, and for me, that’s a challenge. I’m sure this is true concerning any genre, not just the western. 

Now that you’ve mentioned writing your first novel, I’m sure you’ll find it a great learning experience, and without giving too much away, can you tell us a little about your book’s protagonist, plot etc? 

Basically, the book is about how some people tend to be their own worst enemy. I'll leave it at that. 

Don’t want to give too much away, eh! Well, with the book being in its early stages, I can relate to that. 

After reading a handful of your short stories, there always seems to be a twist at the end. Is this something that you purposely set out to do? 

Yes, It’s a conscious decision to put a twist at the end of some of my stories. They don’t all end with a twist, but I think it’s an important element that shouldn’t be completely overlooked. A publisher I know once told me that the twist at the end of my stories reminded her of the American writer, O. Henry. It was a wonderful compliment. 

Yes, it’s always nice when someone compliments you in that way. What appeals to you about the western genre? 

I grew up in the 50’s when Hollywood westerns were at their height of popularity, so western movies and television shows were part of my formative years. The openness of the country appeals to me as well as the smell of barns, horses and hay. I have relatives on my side of the family who are farmers and my wife has cattle ranchers on her side, so I’ve been around both and can easily relate to these things. The exposure naturally makes it easier for me to write about the west. 

I know how important it is to have your family's support, especially from your partner.  I personally get a lot of feedback, suggestions and moral support from my wonderful partner, Sherry, who takes an active interest in all of my writing.  Can you tell us how your partner and family support and encourage you? 

My wife, Rita, gives me quite a bit of moral support. She does proof read some of my work and encourages me at times when I wonder if it's all worth the effort. 

As I mentioned earlier, I have an uncle who is a published writer. His name is Dave P. Fisher. He's been very supportive of my website, Rope and Wire, and there are others, outside of my family who have given me some really great support in both my website and my writing. I can't leave out all of the many writers who have contributed stories and poetry to the Rope and Wire website. Without their support, none of this would be possible. 

There are some authors who base their characters on people that they know. Have you ever done this and if so, do those individuals know they have been written into a story?
 

To be perfectly honest, no, I’ve never done this. As a fiction writer, I base all of my characters on what my imagination can come up with. I came across this great ball cap recently. Across the front it says “I Make Stuff Up”. It was so perfectly appropriate, I had to buy it. 

Is there a western which you wish you’d written, and why? 

There are a lot of great western’s out there, written by some great western author’s. The book I wish I’d written is the one I haven’t written yet. I want to write my own great western novel.

That, my friend is a brilliant answer, and talking of novels, can you tell us some of your favorite western authors you are reading at the moment? 

I collect old westerns from many different authors, some you may not have never heard of. The one I just finished is called, 'Circle C Moves In' by Brett Rider. I've enjoyed reading books by authors such as Zane Grey and Max Brand, but also lesser known authors such as Peter Dawson and Stewart Edward White. 

I do know of Brett Rider, but I must confess I’ve never read any of his books. 

With the release of Rope and Wire Short Stories Vol.2, with ten wonderful traditional stories by some of today’s creative writers, several of whom I might add are award winners,  do you have anything planned for a Christmas Special just like the Pulps of yesteryear? 

That’s a great idea, but I think it’s too late in the year to put something like that together. I’ll plan on it for next year. 

Well, I for one will look forward to it. 

Now to roundup the interview, Scott, I would like to thank you once again for chatting with me today and I wish you every success with future ePulps. 

Thank you, Malcolm. It's been a pleasure.

If you like anything western, books, movies, music etc. Then I highly recommend you join the Rope and Wire social side, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll meet some great, helpful, friendly people just like you. 

Scott is one of the nicest guys I know, and I’m sure if you have any questions about Rope and Wire, he’ll be more than happy to answer them.

ROPE and WIRE is a gathering place for Western Writers, Cowboy
Poets and Old Western Movie Buffs.
 
Here is their opening statement:
If you have an interest in the American West you’ve come to the right place. Relax, stay awhile, take your hat off and make yourself at home. Read a western story or two. We have a barn full.

You’re more than welcome to roam around some. Click a few buttons and see where they take you.

Follow this link for the main Rope and Wire website: http://www.ropeandwire.com/

Follow this link for the social side of Rope and Wire: http://ropeandwire.ning.com/

Spotlight on David Whitehead’s Latest Western eBooks.

 

David Whitehead

Prolific writer and good friend, David Whitehead AKA Ben Bridges and several other pseudonyms, has over the years entertained us with his unique style of writing, especially in the western genre.   

Here are four of his latest books that can be found on Amazon which are definitely worth reading and great value for money.  

SHOOT TO KILL

The Texas Rangers sent Carter O’Brien south of the border with orders to kill a madman. It was said that his target—a murderous bandit named Salazar—had the face of an angel and the heart of a demon. Certainly, judging by all he’d heard, O’Brien sure figured he needed killing. Given the choice, though, he’d sooner have faced Salazar in a head-on gunfight than turn back-shooter and kill him from hiding.
But the only trouble with that idea lay with Salazar’s eight-strong gang of cut-throats, for it was common knowledge that if you took on one of them, you took on the lot—and even a professional fighting man like O’Brien had to draw the line somewhere ...

MEXICO BREAKOUT

With the promise of $10,000 still ringing in his ears, professional fighting man Carter O’Brien rode south to free Aaron Norris, a big-shot politician who’d been framed for murder. But it wasn’t going to be easy. Norris was being held in a prison nearly two hundred miles from home, and it was a veritable fortress that had been built right on the doorstep of a garrison full of Mexican soldiers.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, there were others who’d set their sights on the reward — two get-rich-quick Americans named Pope and Trace, and a half-Cheyenne Dog Soldier called Sundown.
As they all came together, the dry Mexican air was shattered by the roar of dynamite and the higher, deadly whine of bullets ...

WILD FIRE (WILD BOYS)

All Kate Whitney had to do to put Senator George Copperday away for life was take the witness stand and tell the court everything she knew. But if something happened to prevent her from giving evidence — like a well-aimed bullet for example — Copperday would go free.
The beautiful target desperately needed protection, and it came in the form of Judge Wilde’s secret army of crime-busters, ‘The Wilde Boys’, six of the toughest — and most unlikely — law-enforcers ever to slap leather.
But what should have been a routine mission turned into something far more deadly when Copperday hired a pack of vicious killers. Soon the Wilde boys were pitting both wits and weapons against the would-be assassins in a last-ditch attempt to keep Kate alive. But in the final bloody showdown, who would live and who would die?

  

David and his long time collaborator, Steve Hayes have come up with a great new western series, the Kincannons. The first book, ‘COMES A STRANGER,’ can be found at Amazon as a Kindle edition or directly from lulu.com. Follow the link below. 

https://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=11441343

Comes a Stranger (Kincannon)

He was a stranger till he came to the aid of the four Kincannons. Then Ben Lawless became the best friend Mercy, Cinnamon, Caleb and Jonah could have wished for. But that was only the beginning for the Kincannons. When Cinnamon went missing the others had to grow up fast if they were to find and save her. Together with Lawless and an enigmatic old Lakota warrior called Shadow Wolf, they set out on an epic quest ... and a blood-soaked showdown that none of them could have foreseen.

I’m also pleased to announce the second book from the mini-series, ‘The Deputy,’ by George G. Gilman is now on sale at Amazon. 

 *****

NEWS FLASH!  ‘THE LONER’ & ‘TEN GRAND’ from the first series of Edge will be launched within the next two weeks.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES.

The Return of a Man Called, EDGE!

I’m thrilled to announce that Terry Harknett, aka George G. Gilman and I, have come to an agreement to release the unpublished mini series of his infamous character, Edge as an eBook for Amazon's Kindle. The first, ‘The Quiet Gun,’ is now available. If you’re not familiar with Edge, I would strongly encourage you to go out and get a copy. You won’t be disappointed and you’ll certainly want to read more.
Terry, like most of us would love to see the Western Genre back where it belongs … on top. He wholeheartedly supports the idea of the Rope and Wire Short Stories Series which can only strengthen the genre’s appeal to the media.
Upcoming titles:
The Quiet Gun.
The Deputy.
The Outrage.
Killing Time in Eternity.
Return to Massacre Mesa.
Name on the Bullet.

His original Edge series which consists of sixty one books have stood the test of time, and are well sought after today, #61 being the hardest to find. The last one I ever saw was being auctioned on eBay and went for almost $300. If like me, you have read any of the Edge books you will know what I’m talking about. I think Terry was writing in a style well advanced for his time. And that is why if you read one of his novels today, you’d swear it had only been written yesterday.

Terry Harknett (born 1936) is a British author. He is author of almost 200 books, mostly pulp novels in the western and crime genres. He has written as a ghostwriter for Peter Haining and under an array of pseudonyms, George G. Gilman, Joseph Hedges, William M. James, Charles R. Pike, Thomas H. Stone, Frank Chandler, Jane Harman, Alex Peters, William Pine, William Terry, James Russell and David Ford. Some bibliographies list Adam Hardy as one of Harknett's pseudonyms, in fact a nom de plume of Kenneth Bulmer. This is an error resulting from incorrect copyright information printed in one of the Edge westerns.
He has written a number of series including:

• Steve Wayne (9 books under his own name)
• Crown (3 books under his own name)
• Edge (61 books as George G. Gilman)
• Adam Steele (49 books as George G. Gilman)
• Edge Meets Adam Steele (3 books as George G. Gilman)
• The Undertaker (6 books as George G. Gilman)
• The Revenger (12 books as Joseph Hedges)
• Apache (27 books as William M. James)
• Jubal Cade (3 books as Charles R. Pike)
• Chester Fortune (5 books as Thomas H. Stone)

Harknett's westerns have been identified as an influence by authors including Robert J. Randisi and Peter Brandvold.

 Look Out For the Next Two Books In This Series. 

Coming Soon!