The Busted Flush Saloon

Still kickin'

2010-05-28T22:36:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted anything here, but if anyone's checking in on me, things are still rolling. I'm shopping around the next Boot Hill book to a couple different publishers, so we'll see what comes of that.

Also, I'm going to be at the Western Writer's Conference in Knoxville, TN on the weekend of June 25th - 27th. I'm not on any panels or anything, but I'll be around. Hope to see some of you there.

Lit Fest vs Huskers

2009-09-20T01:23:00.003-05:00

Today was the Omaha Literary Festival. It was a great time and thank you very kindly to all of you who showed up! Even with a Cornhuskers game on at the same time as the panels, there was still a pretty good turn out. One thing that I thought was really interesting was the variety of folks on the panel itself. Apart from me, there was an author with a book set in the west during more modern day and based on factual events, plus a professor at UNL who writes about the west from a Mexican-American perspective. Between the three of us, we covered a lot of ground.

And kudos to the moderator, as well. All too often, moderators at panels either don't want the job or just plain don't do their job by just letting the conversation drift where it will or stall out completely. Not so this time. Although, he did introduce my first series as "The Man From Book Hill". Eh, no hard feelings. I gotta grouse about something. Seriously, great job all around and I hope to return next time!

2009-09-11T12:37:00.002-05:00

With my head down and working on my own schedule, it's easy to forget what day of the week it is. I barely thought about it being September until I saw all the back to school stuff (which is mostly late August anyway, so that shows how on-point I am). There's so much that comes along with this, but most of it is personal and tough to express. Also, most of it doesn't need to be expressed because it's the same thing that most of us feel when we think of 9/11/01.

My big memory involves standing in line all day long to give blood. I was living in St. Louis and after I saw what happened, the news affiliates were predicting the Red Cross would need as much blood as possible to help the victims. This was while things were still happening, so they didn't know for certain whether anyone needed extra donations or not. That was the only thing I could do at the time, so I went to give. I'd never given blood before but I had to do something. When I got there, most of the city seemed to be lined up so they could do something too. I waited in that line all day long and honestly don't even know what they did with all that blood. There had to have been way more than what they (or all of the local Red Crosses) needed, but it was moving to be there and witness the entire country bleeding for our loss.

I don't appreciate being told to "never forget" as if I COULD forget. I'm also not one to feel more emotional about something because the calendar tells me to. Seeing the towers fall impacted me along with everybody else and I won't forget about it come September 14th or March 27th. Still, it is good to see everyone bleed for a good cause.

Lit Festivities

2009-09-09T14:31:00.002-05:00

The Omaha Literary Festival is coming up on the 19th. My panel is “Wild: mythmaking and the American West,” and it will be held at 4 pm. Dave Mullins, author of the Las Vegas-set story collection, “True Love Versus the Cigar Store Indian,” will moderate. If any of you can make it, I'd love to see you there. Otherwise, it'll be me and a few other folks at a table talking to each other and nobody else. While that's not uncommon with these things, it's always better with an audience. Hope to see some of you there!

Lit Fest

2009-08-10T14:59:00.004-05:00

I've just recently confirmed that I'll be appearing at the Omaha Literary Festival on September 19. It'll be held in, you guessed it, Omaha, NE. If you're in the area, stop by and you shouldn't be disappointed. There will be plenty of writers from the western and other genres giving talks and (hopefully) signing some books. Here's a link to a website with some details. Hope to see you there!

Until then, I'll be working on a new Ralph Compton book. Feels good to climb into the saddle again.

Too early to tell

2009-07-28T01:10:00.004-05:00

Don't quite know what to make of this one yet. A Jonah Hex movie could be amazing or it could just be a schlocky attempt to put Megan Fox into another tight dress. Not that I'm opposed to that sort of thing, but Jonah Hex deserves something more than that.

I'm still reading the comic books and enjoying them immensely. I've kind of fallen out of love with The Man With No Name series just because it seems a bit too convoluted for its own good. Haven't given up on it completely yet, but the next few issues better be good.

I'd like to see a new Ghost Rider series set in the old west. Say what you want about the Nick Cage movie, but that one scene where he was riding alongside Sam Elliott's dead horse was one hell of a cool visual. Give me some demon banditos and I'll be a happy guy.

Tainted Interview

2009-07-23T11:49:00.003-05:00

Gary Dobbs did a great interview with yours truly over on his Tainted Archive blog. Here's the link: http://tainted-archive.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-always-wanted-to-wear-black-hat.html

There were some really good questions that got me rambling about subjects ranging from the Clint vs. Duke debate all the way up to the state of the western genre. Go see for yourself, because that's all you're getting from me.

Fourth of Joo-ly

2009-07-06T11:56:00.002-05:00

I can't remember the last time I've had a 4th of July where I wasn't working. That's not really a bad thing, since I have fond memories of finishing up many hopeful projects while fireworks going off outside. This year was nice. My wife cooked up some burgers and we were entertained by the show put on by our skittish dog as she ran back and forth to guard against the approaching horde of gun-toting intruders. Sure, the banditos were just poppers from across the street, but the pup's heart was in the right place.

Hope the rest of you had a great holiday as well. For those of you not in the States, shoot some fireworks anyway. They're purrrdy.

The Wild Midwest

2009-06-25T15:29:00.002-05:00

Every now and then, I catch some flack for living in Nebraska. Usually it’s some comment about covered wagons and prairie dogs flipped my way any time I venture out of the state. I always have to defend Omaha by saying, “No, it’s really a city. Yes, there are paved roads.” And “No, it’s not the wild west.”

Today, Megan and I went to our bank and found the entrance taped off, cop cars out front and the drive-through lanes closed off. Was my bank robbed? Did I just miss seeing a bunch of gunmen storm out carrying bags of money with big dollar signs on them? Do I watch too many superhero cartoons? For all I know, somebody with a bad case of heat stroke wandered in to knock over the deposit slip racks or charge over the counter when the teller wouldn’t acknowledge they were there as they helped car after car in the outside lanes. If that’s the case, I feel for them. If it was a robbery, I’m just glad Megan and I hit the post office first. I like watching the horses thunder in from the east to drop off the new Sears Roebuck catalogs.

UPDATE -- News just came in that it WAS a bank robbery. I've already signed on for the posse.

Like a bad penny

2009-04-16T00:33:00.003-05:00

Or possibly a well travelled penny. Since I'm referring to westerns, I could hardly use the term "Bad". We all know western novels aren't going anywhere. Western movies show up on a fairly regular cycle (but not often enough for my taste). Western TV shows are becoming rare, but still pop up every now and then. What makes me even happier is finding our favorite genre in other venues. For example, I've started buying comic books again. It's an old habit, but has become an expensive one. $3-$4 per comic. Yowch. Among the superheroes and horror stuff, there's good ol' Jonah Hex. I've also found a comic based on The Man with No Name. In fact, it's a continuation of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Tuco, Blondie and Angel Eyes (in flashback) together again. They're well drawn, well written and a lot of fun.

I've also found a few more western video games showing up. Sure, there's not as many gunslingers as space marines, but they're out there. What's even more refreshing is how well received they are. People want more western games, comics and everything else. They just want GOOD westerns and FRESH westerns no matter what form they take. The demand is alive and well, so that's something. The tricky part is for us to meet it without shooting ourselves in the foot.

St. Pat's

2009-03-17T17:05:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! This doesn't rank too high on my personal holiday list since it's more of a bar hopping occasion than anything else, but have a good one anyway. My wife is cooking up some corned beef and cabbage, so that's making the house smell really good. It's one of those odors that starts off pretty bad, but builds up to something great. As of a few hours ago, it had drifted into the great range.

Perhaps it's a sign of getting older, but I've started looking forward to holidays more for what I can eat than what I can drink. I mean, the beer and whiskey are there any time of the year. It's not every day I get turkey that's been cooked in the oven all day long or corned beef and cabbage for that matter. I'd actually prefer it if the bartenders kept their green food coloring for the cookies and kept it out of my lager.

No offense meant to flag football players

2009-03-02T12:46:00.002-06:00

I love watching poker on TV. I realize how strange it is to turn on a television and watch a card game, but there's plenty of betting strategy, personalities and thrills to keep me hooked. I also know I don't need to explain this since I'm obviously not the only one responsible for poker shows being so popular. One thing that drives me freaking NUTS is all the focus on amateur players.

Yeah, anyone can get lucky at the World Series of Poker, outdraw the pros and win millions. That's why I've stopped watching the World Series. If I'm going to watch a sport on TV, I want to watch the pros. Otherwise, I might as well stop everything I'm doing to watch kids play flag football. Unless they're YOUR kids, that's not a great way to spend an afternoon. Seeing amateurs make bonehead calls and then get lucky embodies everything that's annoying about the world. It shows loudmouthed morons succeeding against people who have studied, practiced or otherwise put in their time to excel at their craft. It shows that blind luck trumps skill and planning. It shows that quitting school and hanging out in bars PAYS off! And it shows that being a general a-hole is a good way to become rich.

Now, I'm not talking about ALL amateurs here. Some truly have skill and are just at the bottom of the ladder at the moment. They make good plays, take their beats like adults, and employ some sort of plan. The ones I'm talking about are the a-holes who pump their fists and taunt their opponents after going all in with three-ten off suit and flopping a ten-ten-three. Sure, that's a cause for celebration but don't strut for the rest of the night like THAT was your master plan. Phil Helmuth may be an ass, but at least he relies on something other than blind luck. Mike Matusow may taunt and torment the other players, but he KNOWS how to play the game.

Bring back the Professional Poker Tour!! Show more High Stakes Poker! I saw a fairly recent Poker After Dark where three internet players went against three seasoned pros. Those internet guys were tough players, didn't scream and did very well. All three of them looked like kids, but they handled themselves better than the jerk-off who mimicked Sam Farha TO HIS FACE at a World Series a few years back. That makes me long for the good old days where idiots like that were taken to a back room and taught to use their "indoor voice".

We all got it comin', kid

2009-02-22T03:11:00.003-06:00

Name that line!
If you answered, Clint "The Main Man" Eastwood from Unforgiven, then you'd be right. That's one of those movies I always have to watch whenever it's on. I was about to go to bed and I caught it right in the sweet spot, where William Munny and The Schofield Kid kill Quick Mike in the shithouse. That's right before the speech containing tonight's line of dialogue and before the shootout finale which I think is still one of the most captivating gunfights ever filmed. Can you tell I like this movie?

I used to be the same way with Tombstone. I love that movie in so many ways, despite the cheesy Billy Zane moments. Unfortunately, there was a stretch where I couldn't flip through the channels without seeing it on one or sometimes several different movie networks. After a few months of such repeat business, it wore me down and I got a little sick of it. Needless to say, that didn't last too long. Even so, it didn't feel right to turn away from Tombstone at all.

My newest Compton is coming out in a bit. April 7th to be exact. I was at a bookstore today and saw a good number of my books on the shelf. That never gets old, to be sure, but a professional writer needs to always think about the NEXT book. That's the problem with not having a day job. It's a blessing to do this for a living, but I don't have the luxury of sitting back and savoring every little nuance. I need to make sure the books are out there and then I need to write some more. Such is the business. That said, I will still pick up that new Compton in April, smile down at it, and make sure it's facing out on the shelf just like all my other babies. Yeah, the bookstore employees just love it when I do that. To anyone reading this, be sure to keep up the tradition!

That explains all the whiskey

2009-01-13T12:56:00.003-06:00

Man, it is COLD today! Makes me wonder how the hell people survived this back in the 1800's. I suppose the honest answer is that a lot of them didn't survive it. Sure, we've accomplished a lot since then, but we seem like a much softer species now. People complain when they have to throw on a jacket and some of them don't even remember to put on long pants when they're scraping off their cars. Yeah, I saw some guy in shorts scraping his windows in the parking lot the other day. I'm sure anyone questioning him about it will get the standard, "No, dude, I love the cold. You should try it dude!" Sure. This is what scientists call Natural Selection. Unfortunately, the modern world is much more tolerant of idiots. A hundred and fifty years ago, idiots were weeded out fairly well. At least, the idiots who don't know what to do with a coat and pants. Now, they get patched up and sent bumbling along their way to make videos of them injuring themselves for You Tube.

Appaloosa comes out on DVD today. I think it looks pretty good, so I'll check it out. Fortunately, the -20 degree winds have blown most of the snow off my car. There's still some ice on the windshield though. Maybe that dude in the shorts will scrape it off for me. Heh.

Year of The Mouth?

2009-01-03T02:19:00.002-06:00

I just finished watching Poker After Dark. After 10 straight losses, Mike Matusow FINALLY won one!! He was playing against Andy Black, so I would have been fine if either one of them won. Andy’s a gentleman player with some real skill and Mike has become a personal favorite of mine.

Sure, when I watched Matusow play several World Series of Pokers ago, I couldn’t help but notice what a complete dick he was. Taunting other players, strutting, screaming, CRYING. The man actually cried after taking a bad beat. What the hell? There’s no crying in poker no matter how much it’s warranted. They call him The Mouth for a reason, but still. Not the sort of guy who grows on you.

I don’t keep track of personal stuff with these players, but he’s changed. Mike’s still The Mouth, but he’s toned it down just enough for me to relate to him. Sure, it may be obnoxious, but who hasn’t carried on a bit too much after a savory win? Haven’t we all flipped some grief to other players no matter what game we were involved in? Then there’s Poker After Dark. Mike’s been in 10 of these things without winning once. Many times, he gets beaten by truly horrific strokes of bad luck that would have brought ME to tears. But Mike kept plucking away.

Any writer who’s made it to any level knows a thing or two about coming back from being knocked down. The more I see Mike play, the more I find myself rooting for the guy. He does make some truly great plays. His skill at reading other players can be uncanny. Then, again, he may just throw it away with a famous blow-up where he puts it all in for some unknown reason with a crappy hand. Even then, more often than not, he’ll admit he screwed up. Plenty of professional players out there would rather call someone an idiot for calling a bluff than admit any sort of mistake was made. As a guy who’s screwed up plenty of times, I can respect someone who at least admits it when they derailed. And still, Mike comes back with his eyes on the prize.

Well, tonight Mikey won! I hate to see Andy Black lose, but Mike put in his time for this one. It’s nice to see good things come to those who keep fighting for them. Go get ‘em, Mouth. Just don’t let this go to your head.

New Year '09

2009-01-01T13:13:00.004-06:00

Taking a breather for New Year's Day. Haven't decided if I'll take the full day off or not, but I'll definitely take it easy. The wife and I didn't really do much for New Year's Eve. Usually, we really don't do a lot. Just sit at home with a bunch of junk-food type appetisers, pig out and watch movies. To be honest, it's pretty great. I'm not a real party animal, so it's nice to do something I enjoy instead of something I feel like I HAVE TO do because it's New Year's Eve. It may sound lame, but it was fun.

In a few weeks, publishers will be back from vacation and getting back to work. That's when the fun starts. Getting a book contract rolling is hard enough under regular circumstances, but now that everyone's cutting back it's even more difficult. That's just the way it goes. Unless you're a big-time, amazingly popular author who calls his / her own shots, you need to pester (but not too much) and hope for the best. I've got plans for the next Boot Hill and Accomplice. My editors like both series, but now I've gotta wait for the higher-ups to get their ducks in a row. Persistence pays off and I'll let you know once I get some definite dates and such. I've also got plans for a new series, which would be a lot of fun to do. Again, lots of interest, but the wheels grind slowly.

That's about it from this end. Hope everyone had a great holiday and has an even better 2009.

New Compton cover

2008-12-18T12:32:00.003-06:00

I was looking around the various bookstore web sites when I came across the cover to my upcoming Compton book. It's very orange. Then again, I thought the same thing about the second Man From Boot Hill book and that one grew on me. This one will really jump out at you on the shelves! In fact, this may not be the highest quality scan of the picture. If I find a better one I'll put it up. Anyway, this is what it looks like. I think it's pretty cool.

This was a fun one to write. I got the idea for this story from an article I read in the newspaper about a thief who stumbled upon some evidence of a kidnapping while committing a crime. He knew he'd be putting himself at risk with the law if he handed over the evidence. If he didn't hand it over, he knew the kidnapping victim would never be found. A very interesting dilemma for a criminal. Stealing is one thing, but taking part (even indirectly) in a violent crime that may escalate to murder is another. Anyway, this story obviously isn't EXACTLY the same, but it's where the idea for this book came from.

It hits stores on April 7th, so line up early! Actually, there should be plenty for everyone. Just pick it up whenever you get the chance.

Chestnuts...roasting...you know the rest

2008-12-16T16:29:00.002-06:00

We finally got our first real snow here in Omaha. Sure, there's been some frosty dust on the ground for a while, but not much until now. Along with the snow, you get people spinning their tires, speeding sideways through intersections and generally carrying on as if they've never seen cold white stuff falling from the sky before.

In general, snow tends to make everything seem quieter and calmer. It's one of the few times during the year when you can step outside and hear a calm wind. This may not apply to the big city folk, but it holds for those of us in mid-sized cities. What I find amusing is how differently each city responds to snow. Omaha is pretty quick to get the plows and salt trucks out. I spent a good amount of time living in St. Louis and they were more in the "What the hell is going on?!" camp when snow fell. The slightest hint of the possibility of snow in a forecast will close schools. I'm not joking about that one. I've heard Seattle has about 2 plows for the whole city.

Can you tell I'm on a day off? My brain tends to ramble more and it spills out through my fingers. Anyway, that's about it for now. Book-wise, it's rough. The publishing industry is feeling the economic pinch and tightening their purse strings. I've got another Ralph Compton book coming out in April and will have to wait until the dust settles from the holidays before getting any more news than that. Even in the best of times, most everyone at the publishers would have packed up and gone on their winter vacation weeks ago. Even if the editors are in their offices, they're really not looking too hard at new stuff. Just trying to scrape by until they can open presents. Can't say as I blame them. Hopefully, '09 will be a little better for everyone.

Flavor saver

2008-11-21T14:00:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving is almost here and I'm making the necessary preparations. First of all, I've got a nice pair of pants with an elastic waistband. Absolutely essential. Second, I'm growing out my beard so, in the words of Little Bill from Unforgiven, I can "taste my soup a few days after I ate it". The line was something like that anyway. Third, I'm doing some deep breathing exercises so I can get my second wind that much quicker.

See? Thanksgiving isn't just an easy thing. Sure, I'm not cooking the big meal, but I'm doing my level best to enjoy it properly. I'll also be squaring myself away in front of the TV for the coveted "parade/football" combo. I am most definitely thankful for Thanksgiving!

Have a great one, everybody.

Interview at Western Fiction Review

2008-11-12T20:40:00.003-06:00

Recently, I was approached by a fellow blogger who puts together an excellent western site. Steve is a great guy and he wanted to do an interview with yours truly. Needless to say, I obliged and it turned out great. Here's the address to check it out: http://westernfictionreview.blogspot.com/

Despite his taste in interview subjects, it's a very well-done site. Heh. Seriously, though, there's a ton of great reviews which are put together with genuine affection for westerns in general. Have a look and check in often.

On the shelves

2008-10-30T01:34:00.002-05:00

It took a little while, but I finally spotted The Silent Partner on the shelves of a local Borders. Granted, I haven't been combing the stores lately, but this is the first time I actually got my author copies before spotting the book out in the world. Either my publisher is on the ball, or the stores are a little behind. Either way, everyone's got their copies so we're all happy. Now go out and buy some!

5 Stages of Waiting

2008-10-24T15:57:00.003-05:00

Here’s another process that’s very important to being a professional writer: Waiting.
You come up with your ideas, write them and edit to hit some deadline or a window of opportunity for submitting it somewhere. That’s a whirlwind of work, creation and refinement also known as “the good stuff”. The waiting comes when you must deal with the rest of the world.

And I’m not referring to those fortunate writers who submit something and have to wait through a whole weekend or two before they get their deal. That’s great if it happens, but it’s not the norm. It’s more like earning your salary by winning the lottery. And that’s nothing against the talent of those quick-dealers. The whole system is generally very slow and any writer will tell you that you have to wait for any results whatsoever. Wait a LOT.

While I’m waiting to hear back from submissions, I’ve found I go through some pretty basic stages. These held up when I waited to get a short story published in a small press magazine, to get an agent, and now to get a book (or series) published. Maybe some of this seems familiar to some other writers out there. For those of you new to the craft, it’s something to look forward to. After all, in the immortal words of GI Joe, “Knowing is half the battle”. And if you’re one of those folks who got your huge contract in less than eight months, good for you. I do hate you, though.

Stage 1: Denial – “This time it’ll be different! I’ll send it in and the first person who’s lucky enough to read it will trip all over themselves to give me a deal! I’d better be ready for the landslide that’ll follow this one. Should I subscribe to Publisher’s Weekly so I can read the awesome news before it hits the news stands?”

Stage 2: Bargaining – “Come on! It’s been what, three weeks? I haven’t heard anything so that’s gotta be good. That editor must be wondering if I can truly handle following through on the amazing idea I showed them in that proposal. I can handle it! I swear, if I get my chance with this, I’ll run with it! I’ll RUN like the WIND!! Who am I talking to? It doesn’t matter. The forces of good will carry my desire and happy thoughts to where they need to be. I can’t doubt for one moment that this is gonna happen or I’ll jinx it. Oh, shit! Did I just jinx it? No. I can DO THIS!!!”

Stage 3: Anger – “Damn it! It’s been three months!! Freaking editors are always on vacation. Freaking system doesn’t even move. What the hell is going on out there?! I should stomp into whatever break room they’re using to suck down their coffee and show them my GENIUS!!!! This is ridiculous! If I had the crappiest office job imaginable I’d never have to wait this long to get results from handing something in! I crank out more starlight from my printer and they take a month off for ONE HOLIDAY!!”

Stage 4: Depression – “It’s been over six months. I’m not gonna hear anything. Honestly, what did I expect? Those editors have either tossed my submission away like the garbage it is or they’re laughing at it. I think that telemarketing firm is hiring. Maybe I’ll try that.”

Stage 5: Acceptance – “Eh, screw it. I did the best I could, so I just need to wait for something to happen. There’s not much else for me to do. Actually, I’ve got an idea for something else. Maybe I’ll try that.”

Unfortunately for my wife and anyone else who has to deal with me (a big sorry goes out to my agent who still returns my calls and answers emails from every one of these stages), I may go through this cycle several times while waiting for one submission. If this sounds familiar to anyone out there, at least I’m not alone. That’s the problem with not working in an office. I don’t get to gripe to fellow co-workers.

As far as waiting goes, the simple truth is that you gotta do it whether you go through these stages or any other sort of ritualistic torture. Cry, whine, howl, work, shrug, it doesn’t matter. In the end, you’ll still be waiting. Of course, every so often, the waiting is worth it. And when it is. . .it’s REALLY worth it.

Sounds like a good one

2008-10-12T12:02:00.002-05:00

I've been hearing some really great things about the new movie Appaloosa. First of all, I think Viggo Mortenson is one of those guys who's tailor-made for westerns. Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott are another two that come to mind. I hope to see this one fairly soon, but I'm so busy with editing right now that it's tough to get out to a theater.

Snuck up on me

2008-09-22T12:52:00.007-05:00

Wow, time really does fly. It's already the end of September, which means the beginning of October isn't far away. That, for the readers patient enough to make it this far, means it's almost time for the third ACCOMPLICE book to hit store shelves. The Silent Partner covers a small period of time where Doc was supposed to have been in Deadwood. It's also rumored he may have crossed paths with Wyatt Earp, but might not have officially met him.

When I wrote this one, I thought I'd have a little piece in Deadwood and then move on. Turned out half the book wound up in Deadwood, simply because it was fun to write. Those of you who watched the HBO series (Deadwood) will probably recognize some familiar characters. While I based these guys on accounts of their true activities, so did the people who made the series. I really liked that show and, thanks to DVD, still do. Also, I've been to Deadwood a few times recently so writing that section was great.

I didn't want to rush the ACCOMPLICE books too quickly toward Tombstone. I've always said that Doc had a hell of a career before the OK Corral and wanted to take my time with a period in Doc's life that isn't so familiar. That being said, a lot happens in this book. Once Doc hit his stride in the gambling scene, he met a lot of famous folks and kicked up a lot of dust. The Silent Partner covers a span where he meets Wyatt (in Deadwood as well as the more "official first meeting") along with Kate Elder. Kate was a lot of fun to write. There's almost as much contradictory stuff about her as there is of Doc and I had to pick and choose which "facts" to run with.

I didn't really intend on doing such a long post about this. The book's coming out on Oct. 7. I've got to be honest about the cover. I'm not crazy about it. Caleb doesn't look anything like I imagine and I don't know who that third guy is supposed to be. At the very least, I suggested changing Doc's cane into something a dandy like him would actually use. The suggestions were passed along and nothing was changed. Oh well. I had fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it.

---edit 9/23 --> I just got an advance copy of the book today and it looks ok. I still don't think this cover is up to par with the first two, but never fear. The stuff between the covers is just fine!

Still kickin'

2008-09-04T13:10:00.001-05:00

Yes, I’m still alive. Just taking some time to put together a bunch of different projects. Writing professionally is tricky enough. It gets REALLY tricky when you don’t have another (dreaded) day job. Not all regular jobs have to be tedious and mind-numbing. Lots of authors are also teachers or lawyers. I’m not fortunate enough to be quite so smart. I write and write some more.

Writing for a living is a constant hustle. For those who’ve read my ACCOMPLICE books, you’ll know Doc and Caleb make their money in a lot of different ways besides sitting at a poker table and giving suckers…I mean other players…a hard time. For me, I’ve got projects in other genres like horror and fantasy to go along with my western stuff. Do I like some genres more than others? Sometimes, but it changes. Variety and all that.

Here’s where all the risk and uncertainty of a writer’s life pays off. Hustle enough and you can move along doing what you love. Like Doc, we get to leave our day jobs behind and forge a trail of our own choosing. I don’t get to carry pistols and get into saloon fights, so I’ll take my comparisons to Doc wherever I can get them. There’s a lot of more surefire ways to make a buck, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. As a lot of writers will tell you, any money you get from selling your work feels like a victory. And in the words of Fast Eddie Felson, “Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.”

Now for something COMPLETELY different

2008-07-27T21:14:00.002-05:00

I’ve been saying that something needed to happen to shake up the western genre and it’s finally arrived. In fact, the Sci Fi Channel has stepped up with an amazing work of western cinema entitled Copperhead. It’s an entrhalling tale of a sleepy town that plays host to a man with a dark secret, a bloodthirsty outlaw and a kid trying to proove himself in a harsh land. Oh…then the town is overrun by snakes.

I haven’t lost my mind. I’m kidding.

Actually, Copperhead is one of those Sci Fi Channel original movies that are so crappy they’re amazing. Copperhead is a western and there’s western stuff in there, but don’t take it seriously. Nobody connected to the movie did. It’s good for a laugh and the snakes look like they were actually using computer graphics to render rubber toys. If you’ve got some time to kill on a lazy weekend, give it a go. Sometimes, a crappy movie fits the bill very nicely.

Back from Gretna

2008-07-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

I went to that speaking engagement at the Gretna Public Library and I don’t think I made a fool out of myself. Well, not TOO big of a fool anyway. It was a nice little library and the group that showed up was a lot of fun. They had a lot of great questions and kept me on my toes the whole time. I haven’t spoken like that for a while, so my throat feels sore today. I don’t mind it one bit, since it was a genuinely good time.

One of the questions raised was about whether or not westerns could make a return to TV. As much as it pained me to do so, I had to answer, “No…for the time being.” Personally, I’d love to see a weekly show along the lines of Have Gun Will Travel or Wanted Dead or Alive. It just seems like the TV corporations are too interested in the quick ratings grabbers like reality shows that are also cheap to make. Deadwood might have divided audiences a bit, but I thought it was something new and I liked it. Critics liked it, the DVDs sold, but that STILL got cancelled because it was expensive to make. I think a new (possibly more traditional) western series could do well, but it would need some time to get going. At the moment, the networks just don’t seem to have that kind of patience. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong on this one.

Another thing that was a pleasant surprise was the number of women at the library group. Now, this could just be that more women were members of that particular reading group, but the ladies there actually read The Accomplice and enjoyed it. The only reason this stood out is because westerns are always considered to have more of a male audience. I just wish I could shake the publishers or anyone else who makes the big decisions regarding which projects get made and say, “Look! People WILL read these! They WILL watch the shows! Just let more of them get out there and you’ll see.” Ugh. It’s a frustrating thing, but the writers don’t make the big decisions. We just write, so that’s what we’ll keep doin’.

That’s it for today. Thanks to everyone who showed up at the library and I hope to see you folks again sometime.

Researching myself

2008-07-21T13:10:00.003-05:00

I speak at the Gretna Public Library tomorrow and I'm actually a little nervous. Sure, I get nervous before any speaking thing, but this is because I may be a little rusty in the subject matter. Oddly enough, that subject matter is me! It's been well over four years since I've written THE ACCOMPLICE and now I need to field questions about it from folks who've just read it. I just hope I don't get stumped by EVERY question. I love that book and I love that entire series, but a lot's happened inside those four years.

I'm sure it'll be fun and those folks will all be great. I just hope they're understanding if I stumble here and there. Just to be safe, I'll be flipping through the book today and tomorrow in preparation for the event. It's a little weird researching something I've already written, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the reading. It's some damn good stuff. Just kidding...I'm still nervous.

...and proud of it!

2008-07-04T16:42:00.002-05:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! Being a writer has allowed me to revel in many of the freedoms that are distinctly American. Free speech and free expression are just a few. Being a western writer has allowed me to have fun with even more distinctly American things like cowboys, poker, riverboat gambling and saloon girls. Now that I've tipped my hat to the Stars and Stripes as well as to you guys, I'm off to revel in bar-b-q and the scent of burnt gunpowder drifting through suburban air. Ahhhhhh. Gotta love it.

Gretna Public Library

2008-07-03T16:29:00.002-05:00

On July 22nd, I'll be going to the Gretna Public Library to have a chat with their Adult Summer Reading group. They're reading THE ACCOMPLICE, so I'd better flip through it again myself. It's been a few years since I wrote that one. Heh. Hopefully I don't get stumped too many times by people's questions. Here's a link to the event's website. http://www.gretnapubliclibrary.org/adultservices/index.html
I'm not sure if it's open to the public or if it's just for the reading group, but if you want to stop by and you're in the Gretna area, give 'em a call.

The house began to twitch...

2008-06-28T15:35:00.002-05:00

Ok, so last night THIS hits us. It was something between a tornado and a hurricane. Actually, I figure it was the equivalent of a tornado that had been spread across an entire city.

The storm lasted for about 10-15 minutes, but it was a tough 10-15 minutes! Couldn't see anything through my windows besides flying leaves, churning gray and some old guy in a rowboat. Maybe that last one was from The Wizard of Oz, but the rest was about right. Winds blew through here at over 90 mph!

Trees are down all over and we lost power for the better part of a day. Fortunately, we got our power back and we can all get back to work. Sure the piles of hail look pretty and the smell of broken wood is nice and fresh, but SHEEEZZ!!

Random Stupidness

2008-06-27T12:55:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know stupidness isn't a word...or is it?

I was just going over some preliminary edits for my next Compton book and it got me thinking about dumb typos that I constantly make. Every writer's got at least one or two. For example, I don't know why but I often type "furture" when I mean to type "future". I think my brain is just zipping ahead to the end of the word while I'm still typing the beginning. Either that, or I've got a screw loose.

Another good one that an editor pointed out is my insistence on writing "in tact" instead of "intact". It's one word, idiot!!!!!

One more is my over-use of the "...". I do that one a lot...or do I?

Ahhhhhhhh....

2008-06-23T23:46:00.000-05:00

That’s the contented sigh I let out when a completed manuscript is dropped off at the Post Office. I just finished my newest Ralph Compton book and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. There’s still a few editing phases to go through, but this part’s done and, even better, it’s done ON TIME!

Reports are coming in from the Western Writer’s convention and it sounds like it was a good time. Lots of good folks showed up, but only a few editors were among them. This harkens back to the dry spell I wrote about a few posts back. As I said back then, the market ebbs and flows. So long as good stuff keeps getting written, things will come around eventually.

It’s hot here on the prairie, but at least it’s not sopping wet like it is in Missouri. My Mom lives in the thick of all that, but she’s tough and is doing as well as can be expected. Even so, I’m sure I’ll be headed down there as soon as she needs a helping hand. That’s why I’ve got the ol’ laptop. It may not be one of those new, slim models, but it gets the job done. Actually, by computer standards, my laptop is a brick. All I need it for is to work on Word documents, and even a brick can handle that.

See ya in April

2008-06-16T15:29:00.002-05:00

My next book in the Ralph Compton series just got put up on Amazon.com with a release date of April of '09. These are always fun to do and I think this one turned out pretty well. The Western Writer's Convention wrapped up this weekend and so I'm waiting to hear back from the folks that were lucky enough to be able to go. If you went, send me some pictures and let me know how it turned out.

Wish I was there

2008-06-09T15:41:00.002-05:00

This week is the Western Writer's Convention in Scottsdale. Several different factors all came together, making it impossible for me to go this year and it really stinks! I've gone to the last six of these in a row and a few more scattered here and there before that. It's always a great time and it's also always my summer road trip. I shake my fist at you, high gas prices!! To everyone who's there, have fun and tip a bottle or two for me.

Dry spell

2008-05-30T12:03:00.002-05:00

Seems like there's been a bit of a dry spell where westerns are concerned. It's a good news / bad news sort of thing, though. The bad news is that there really aren't any good western movies or TV shows out right now (reruns don't count). Publishers are getting reluctant to start up anything new and the western sections in a lot of bookstores are dwindling down to the ol' reliables like tried and true series, L'Amour and such. The good news is that this just happens every now and then in this business. Westerns rise and fall in popularity, much like other genres such as horror and private eye fiction. It's a cycle, which means it'll be on the upswing before too long.

Of course I don't mean that westerns are drying up or dead. They're just in a lull. Personally, I think it's funny when anyone says that westerns or any of those other genres are dead (especially funny when they say horror is dead, but that's just irony...or a pun). I've heard this stuff from readers, writers, editors and publishers. Some time goes by, then those same people say the genres are being revitalized by some new movie or something else. Now, it could be that movie or just the mood of readers in general that brings a genre up or lets it fall. Whatever causes it, those peaks and valleys happen. I've written in a good number of other genres and they're all affected by these things to some degree.

There's still work to be done and stories to be written. When readers get tired of a genre, maybe writers should try to put another twist on it or do something a little different. If something's stagnating, shake it up! It doesn't have to be revolutionary, but get out of the rut. Otherwise, you just need to stockpile some stories and wait for the mood to change on its own. Then again, the publishers don't help matters when they are reluctant to buy anything too far outside of their lines. It's the old story of trying something new vs. going with something that's more likely to sell.

Eh, this is why I don't like talking about the business part of what I do. Writers write and publishers do the business end. Some writers are real good at the business angle, but I hate it. I just want to write and write some more. Dry spells come along and sometimes they cause writers to hang up their pens. It's the stuff that drives a lot of writers to the ol' whiskey bottle. Then again, if we tough it through the valleys and make it to another peak, we get paid to do what we love. It's not an easy job, but it's a rewarding one.

Fortunately, I've still got work to do so I'd better get back to it. I've settled on a new title for that Compton book: Outlaw's Reckoning. I like the sound of it.

What's in a title?

2008-05-20T12:59:00.003-05:00

Actually, a lot.

Usually, I come up with a title before I start a project or get one not long after I'm into it. I like my titles to have some meaning and reference something in particular as opposed to something that just sounds cool without being specific to the story. I like there to be that moment when someone's reading that they go, "Oh, that's where the title came from." It's a dumb little thing, but I always think about it. I've done my fair share of ghostwriting for other series and get sick of stuff like, "______ River Vengeance" or "Hellfire on the _____ Trail". Just fill in the blanks and you've got about six dozen different books in a dozen other series.

I don't always get to use my own titles, which can throw me off. THE MAN FROM BOOT HILL wasn't my original title for the series. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me and I like it just fine now.

Some titles are happy accidents, like NO ANGELS FOR OUTLAWS. That one just came out as dialogue from Nick's father and I instantly knew that had to be the title for the next one.

Some titles can be somewhat generic, but still very cool and appropriate for the book. The reason I'm bringing all of this up is because I'm trying to think of a title for the next Compton and am having some trouble. I had an original title in mind, but that got shot down. It's fine, because I wasn't too crazy about it anyway. The problem is that nothing else is coming to mind. Oh well. I'll think of something. Times like this, it's always good to just keep chuggin' along and wait for that title to hit you. It will hit you. If little creative things don't hit writers every now and then, they shouldn't really be writers.

Donkey kick

2008-04-17T17:47:00.002-05:00

Tax time has come and gone. Being self-employed, I generally don't get to cheer about getting a return. In fact, I get to guess what my income will be, send the money to the IRS and hope they don't want more. Usually they do. This year, doing my taxes felt as good as getting a powerful kick straight to the goods in the cellar if you know what I mean. Ugh. Surely lots of you can feel my pain. If you got a bunch of money back (or even some), then good for you. I don't want to hear about it, but good for you.

A big hit with the ladies

2008-04-05T16:10:00.003-05:00

Today was my signing at Borders and it went pretty well. It’s a beautiful day here, so some folks were probably outside getting fresh air and sun instead of coming to see me. Those folks need to check their priorities. Just kidding. The Borders people were great as always and it was a nice setup. I even got some free coffee, which is always a plus.

What set this signing apart was the fact that only women came over to talk with me. Since the western genre is pretty much skewed in the male direction, that’s usually the crowd that comes by to see me at a signing. There are always a few women that show up, but it’s mostly men. This time, every last person to notice me at my table was of the womanly persuasion. And hey…who can blame them? It was great seeing you all and I thank you so much for keeping me company.

More specifically:
Heidi – I hope you actually read that book you bought. I told you I’d blog about it.
Samantha – Enjoy No Angles for Outlaws. That’s still my favorite title of the bunch. Don’t worry, your characters will start cooperating sooner or later.

See? Show up and you too can be immortalized in a western writer’s section of the internet. There’s no better way to spend a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Oh yeah, I suppose there is the whole “outside and sun” thing, but that stuff will be around all summer.

Crossing fingers.....now

2008-03-31T13:43:00.003-05:00

Just thinking about my signing this Saturday. There was an announcement in the paper as well as on the Borders website, so everything seems to be on track. Still, I hope it goes ok. Just to be safe, I might bring some wrapping paper so I can be of some use if I'm mistaken for an employee (see previous post about signings). I'm sure it'll be great. Right? Right.

Peru State College

2008-03-25T17:39:00.002-05:00

I spoke to some students, faculty and other folks at Peru State College today. It's a great school about eighty miles or so south of Omaha. I hadn't been there before, but am really glad I went. Everyone there was very nice and there was actually a good turnout for my lecture (speech, talk, whatever you'd want to call it). I always get nervous with these things, but I still enjoy doing them. Let me clarify that. I enjoy doing them as long as it seems like it was worth doing. Sometimes, nobody shows up or they look like the sound of my voice is something close to broken glass scraping against their eardrums. This, however, was definitely worth doing.

First of all, it's a personal triumph for me because I, like plenty of other people, spent a good deal of my life being petrified at the very prospect of speaking in front of anyone. Sure, this lecture was just me talking about writing and the whole publishing process which I know something or two about, but it's still public speaking. Everyone at Peru was very nice and made me feel right at home. Plenty of folks showed up, which was great. Nobody fell asleep while I was talking, or they covered it up well enough that I didn't notice. That's a plus. There were even some great questions. All in all, a fun experience and I hope to do it again sometime.

If anyone from Peru is reading this, it was great meeting you and feel free to drop me an email or comment on this blog. That goes for anyone else too, by the way. I don't leave the house much, so any word from the outside world is always welcome.

Now...back to work.

Top o' the world, Ma!!

2008-03-16T11:45:00.003-05:00

Well, maybe not the absolute top, but it's a few steps up from where I was before. I was putzing around on the Borders website and found an actual announcement for my April 5th signing. Now, this may not seem like a huge deal, but it's the first time a signing of mine actually made the site. I've had plenty of them at plenty of other places and never got onto the place's website.

This brings to mind the subject of signings in general. Most new writers (myself included, back when I was wet behind the ears) picture their signings as these huge events where you're finally recognized for all the hard work and dedication you've poured into your craft. More often than not, unless you stack the signing with your own friends or family, these things end up with the writer sitting at a table somewhere fielding questions like, "Do you work here?" or "Can you wrap this for me?" or the ever-popular, "Why are you sitting there?"

One of my signings started off with the bookstore manager forgetting I was supposed to be there, which wasn't too bad since there were only 2 copies of my book to sign anyway. That's not a typo, folks. TWO copies. Now, don't get me wrong. Some signings are really great and no matter who shows up it's great to see them. It's just the ones where NOBODY shows up that sting the ol' ego. I know I'm not a #1 Bestseller or anything, but sitting at a folding table in a mall while people walk by and throw peanuts at you just plain sucks. Fortunately, it's been a while since I've had one that bad. With some experience, all writers tend to get philosophical about these events. At least our books are in those stores. SOMEbody usually stops to talk to you and that's fun. Also...free peanuts!

Look what ELSE I found

2008-02-23T00:34:00.004-06:00

Actually, it's more like look WHO else I found. Back when I was first able to quit my day job and try my hand at writing for a living, I got the chance to do some short stories for a company called Foggy Windows Books. Don't try looking for them because they went out of business and I'm pretty sure they haven't come back. Anyway, the editor who worked with me was Russell Davis and he was actually the first editor I ever worked with.

Well, another friend of mine recently pointed me in the direction of a good western blog called Westerns For Today. Wouldn't you know it? It's run by Russell Davis. He's a great guy and his blog has a lot of reviews (including one for yours truly). I put a link to his blog on the side of this page, so pay him a visit and tell him who sent ya.

Look what I found

2008-02-21T11:57:00.001-06:00

I was looking online for the release date of my upcoming entry in the Ralph Compton series and I found something even better: the cover! Usually, the editor sends me a copy of the cover, but sometimes they just come out on their own. This was a very pleasant surprise and I am really happy with it. Take a look for yourself. Pretty cool, huh? I particularly enjoyed this book because it’s an idea I’ve had kicking around in the back of my skull for quite a while. It was an idea that never quite fit into any of my own series and I rarely get to do standalone books. This was an opportunity to finally get this story out there. Personally, I’m glad to see that title on a real cover. It was just one of those titles that I’ve been itching to use. The book comes out on April 1st (no, that’s not an April Fool’s joke…I hope that doesn’t jinx anything). Hope you like it.

Appearances, etc.

2008-02-20T15:11:00.002-06:00

As you might have noticed on my main web page, I’ve managed to set up a few appearances. The most recent is a book signing at a Borders here in Omaha. The last one I had here was great, so this should be a fun one. Also, I was approached by someone from the Public Library in Gretna, NE about speaking to their Adult Summer Reading Group. I’ll be discussing THE ACCOMPLICE as well as other writing stuff so that should be fun. The funny part is that I’ll probably need to flip through that book myself before I go since I wrote it close to two years ago.
The Western Writer’s Convention is coming up in June and that’s always fun. It’s in Scottsdale, so that should be a great road trip! Hittin’ the trail.

In other local news, it’s COLD!! Today, it’s in the negative degrees with a wind chill of negative 25. YOWZA!!! It’s good weather to write in, but not much else. I think there’s a family of squirrels frozen to the side of my car.

Bucking the Tiger

2008-02-06T15:01:00.000-06:00

The second book in THE ACCOMPLICE series hit shelves today. Actually, it hit shelves in some stores last week, which was a full week early. Since I'm not J K Rowling or John Grisham, the release dates don't mean a whole lot. Also, I don't really care if they hit shelves early or not. As long as they get there, I'm happy. Now the next step is that they leave those shelves and are purchased, so you guys need to get out there and do your part!

I've already mentioned I'll be setting up a signing or two, but that won't be until April when all three of my most recent masterpieces (ok, maybe that's a stretch) hit stores.

In other news, The Assassination of Jesse James hit DVD. I didn't see this one in the theater because it looked BORING. It may be accurate (or not, I don't know) but "boring" doesn't work for any movie no matter what genre it is.

By the way, if you see a lot of spelling errors on this blog, it's because the spell check is broken on Blogger.com. I know, I know. I'm a writer and should also need to know how to spell. I do know how to spell, but I don't feel the need to line edit a blog post when I've got other stuff to write. I'm thinking about moving over to Live Journal, but I'm used to working on this. If this site would get their stuff together, I could just settle back into my nice little rut.

5 Stages of Editing

2008-02-01T12:03:00.000-06:00

I published this on another blog, but thought you guys would get a kick out of it too. Maybe some of you can relate. If not, you're lucky.

Stage 1 ) Anticipation - “I can barely wait to see what my editor thought about that manuscript! It’ll really be great to get back to work on it and move this project along. YAAAYYYY!!!”

Stage 2 ) Denial - “What are all these marks doing on my manuscript? I guess the editor needs to earn their pay somehow, but it should make them happy if I work in a few of their
suggestions.”

Stage 3 ) Anger - “What the HELL?? Whoever scribbled all over my goddamn work must be ON SOMETHING!! What is this GARBAGE? If THEY’RE so smart, why don’t
THEY WRITE THE F’ING THING???”

Stage 4 ) Depression - “Oh my God. These suggestions are right. They’re all right, which means I was all wrong. This editor was right all over the place and I just suck! Why am I doing
this? How do I get paid for this? I suck!”

Stage 5 ) Acceptance - “You know what? Most of these suggestions are good, so I’ll use them. The ones that aren’t so great, I’ll just STET and move on. His is why there are buildings full of editors in New York. I come up with my part, they do theirs and a book is born. What was I going on about before? Jeez! I sure won’t go through all this next time.”

Yeah, right

---Although the speed of going through these stages might have varied from book to book, I still went through them while writing every book that's on this site and plenty that aren't. Unfortunately, my wife has to go through this too, but it's more entertaining for her. You know, like watching reruns.

Eventful couple of months

2008-01-30T14:55:00.000-06:00

I was just in a Borders today and saw the second ACCOMPLICE on the shelves. And here I was told it was supposed to be out on the 5th of February! Imagine my consternation. Seriously, it was a nice surprise to see it out there and facing cover-out on the shelf. By the way. . .anyone who reads this can feel free to put my books with the front cover facing out on any shelves you may find them. Even after doing this for about ten years now (still a pup I know), I still get a charge out of seeing my new books on the shelves and cover out is the best!

The 5th BOOT HILL is due out toward the end of March and my second foray into the Ralph Compton series will be released on April 1st. Hopefully the whole April Fools thing doesn't amount to any bad karma. I've already posted cover shots of the first two and will put a picture of the new Compton cover up as soon as I get it. That one is titled, THE DEATH OF A BAD MAN. It's a story idea I've been kicking around for some time. It's simple, classic, but never really fit into either of my other series. Fortunately, I was able to put it to use in this Compton book. I hope you all like it.

I figure I'll arrange a signing or two once all three books have hit store shelves. It's always more impressive to have more than one new book at that table to keep me company. Once I get something arranged, I'll post it on my site and hopefully a few of you folks will stop by to say hello.

Back to some editing right now. I'll poke my head in here again before too long.

The trail into '08

2008-01-08T20:51:00.001-06:00

Well, the holidays are over and they turned out pretty well for me. My wife and I stayed home, which is actually something new since we've traveled to see family for the holidays every year since we've been together. Even the years when we lived closer to family, we still didn't spend Christmas at our place. So that was nice, but next year it will be good to see everyone else again.

As for some new stuff book-wise, here's a look at the cover to the next MAN FROM BOOT HILL book. I could not be happier with how well this turned out. I know I say that about all my covers, but this is another one to add to the list. I especially like the darker color, since it matches the tone for the book. I don't want to give anything away, but things are never really light and breezy for Nicolai anyway. This one comes out in April, I think.

Also, next month the second book in the ACCOMPLICE series comes out. I talked about that one already when I posted that pic, but I'm anxious to see how well this one does. Doc really starts to hit his stride, so I think everyone should be pleased.

Not much else to report on for now. Even though there is a writer's strike going on, I'm not one of the members of any picket line. My friend called me up to complain about all the reruns lately and I told him, "I'm not in Hollywood!" Of course I felt for them when this all started and I'll always be behind the practitioners of my craft, but now I'm just getting sick of reality TV and game shows. Oh well. Just like Clemenza said in the Godfather, "This sort of thing's gotta happen every now and then, kid. It clears out the bad blood." It was something like that, anyway. Since there's nothing on TV, I might as well pop in my Godfather DVD to double check.

The long silence

2007-10-22T13:02:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know it's been a while since my last post. That title makes it sound all dramatic and everything, but it's just been my fault. I've been busy with work and neglectful of my blogging duties. Anyway, I've recently endured the tedious labor that is the copy editing process for the fifth BOOT HILL book and am pleased to announce Nick Graves came through pretty darn well. Editing isn't exactly my favorite detail of writing, but it is a very necessary one...especially when you write like I do. (Just thought I'd say it before someone else did) Anyway, the fifth book in that series is going to be called Reaper's Fee and I believe it should be out in April or March of '08.

I've also done the editing thing for the third ACCOMPLICE book and that one should be released in Feb of '08 (I think). Here's a peek at the cover. I am VERY happy with it and love everything from the layout of the title to the cut of Doc's suit. What do you think? It still strikes me as odd to be touching up the third book in the series when the second is still a ways off from being published. It's business as usual for publishing houses, since they're backlogged out the wazoo, but I get awfully anxious to see my stuff hit the shelves. Sometimes, I've forgotten what the book was about by the time I see it at a store! The numbers for both of those series have been coming in and things are looking pretty good, so hopefully there'll be more to come from both.

It's been a while since I've done any signing events. The last one was at the Western Writers convention in July and that was a lot of fun. I always enjoy getting out there and meeting some readers. Every writer has their horror stories of bad signings, but even those can turn out pretty cool. I went to one at a mall bookstore and was ignored for three solid hours. When I started packing up and signing the books that were there, people took notice and gathered around to form a real crowd! I guess I just blended in with the scenery too much on that one. Oh well. Live and learn.

First Compton

2007-08-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

Well, my first Ralph Compton book is out. It's called THE BLOODY TRAIL and I'm curious to see what the Compton fans think about it. Most of the stuff I write isn't exactly "traditional" Western fare. I like to think I always stay true to the spirit of adventure and action that goes along with that genre, but I've gotten a bit of flack from the traditionalists. I've always looked at it as watching Gunsmoke vs Deadwood. Sure, they're both Westerns, but one couldn't be more different than the other. That's what makes a genre great. If there wasn't any variety, then there might as well just be one show, one author and one definitive movie. Of course, then there'd also be one funeral for whatever genre that decided to limit itself that way.

In writing the Compton books, I hope to put my mark on that series without stepping outside of

it. Comptons are more traditional and I had a lot of fun writing it. I read somewhere that a Compton fan saw I was going to write this, so they bought a BOOT HILL book to scope me out. He was thoughtful in his review and he said something to the effect that the tone of BOOT HILL wasn't for him, so he had some concerns about the upcoming Compton. To be honest, I wouldn't expect a fan of strictly traditional Westerns to like BOOT HILL. Not every fan of Gunsmoke will appreciate a show like Deadwood (and vice versa). Hopefully, that reader will pick up THE BLOODY TRAIL and enjoy it because I tried to write a Compton instead of another BOOT HILL.

I think I did the job and am very happy with THE BLOODY TRAIL. Hopefully, the Compton fans will like it too.

I hate Summer

2007-07-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well, the title of this post pretty much says it all. As soon as school's out (forever), there's really no more reason to love Summer so much. That is, unless you're one of those people who like to be outside and sweat. Now, this may sound funny coming from a western writer. I mean, we're supposed to love the open range and ride horses, right? I love the open country, but just not when it's hot enough to cook a steak on a rock.

I'm more of an Autumn guy. Everything just flows better in the cool air. Even the cold is nice and quiet. Summer is just hot and sticky and loud. As you might have noticed, Summer makes me just a little irritable. Eh, that's mostly because it's been at or near the 100 degree mark around here lately and that just plain stinks. I didn't exactly mean to get on here and complain. I thought it's been a while since I last posted, so I'd write a little update.

Sorry about this. I'll get back to work and grumble to myself.

New desk, new chair

2007-06-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

Sure, these things sound inconsequential. Just some new furniture. But it's amazing what a difference they make! Since I sit in or at these things for most of the day, switching them around really makes work seem all shiny and new. All right, maybe it's not that dramatic, but my backside sure feels better in the new cushion. Also, the desk I've been using is the same one I've had since Junior High School and it's a bit prior to the whole ergonomics thing. What's ergonomics? I sure didn't know. Apparently, it means being able to sit and type for hours on end without feeling like your arms and hands will rust and fall off. Progressive health functionality or making us into more productive worker robots? You decide.

Why share this with whoever reads this blog? Eh, it's a slow news day and I felt like writing an update. Lucky you.

WWA Convention '07

2007-06-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

Back from the Western Writers Convention. Whew. It wasn't a very long drive this year, but I still feel like I was shot from a cannon! It's just one of those things where I'm always on the move and looking for the next thing I'm supposed to do. Even when I'm "relaxing" at the bar, I'm still watching for a familiar face, wondering what panel is coming up, etc. Even so, it was as fun as ever.

I've never been to Springfield, MO before so that was cool. There were a ton of great used bookstores there, any one of which I could have spent an eternity poking through. I stayed at The Oasis hotel which was a funky little place with a great restaurant.

The signing went pretty well. For all of you who showed up and said hello, I appreciate it VERY much! I find that I'm not doing a lot of signings anymore, simply because I don't have the time. Of course, I'll post when the next signing will be on my website, but there just aren't as many as there were. This signing was very nice and I met plenty of readers who were kind enough to stop at my spot when I was sitting in such esteemed company. For any reader of the western genre, these annual signings are simply amazing. There were at least 40-50 authors there. I don't know the exact number, but it was A LOT! Considering how rare it is to get western writers together in those numbers, it's quite an event.

The rest of the convention was well organized and had some great food. Writers ALWAYS appreciate good food. Maybe it's a hold-over from the starving days. Whatever the reason, I had steak a few times in as many days and it was good.

I also talked to my editor over at Berkley (who works on THE ACCOMPLICE). Hello, Carolyn! It was nice to meet you. Thanks again for the invite!

That's about it for the convention. Next year, I believe it's going to be in Arizona. That should be a fun road trip, so I'll hopefully be able to attend. Until then, I've got a lot to keep me busy. I'll check in later.

Off to Springfield

2007-06-13T02:35:00.000-05:00

I'm on my way to Springfield for the Western Writers Convention. I wrapped up the second draft for that Ralph Compton book just in time, so I can relax a bit and enjoy the convention. Never been to Springfield, MO, so this should be a lot of fun. I'll pay my respects to the James boys.

Checking in

2007-06-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

Not a lot going on at the moment. I'm making nips and tucks to the Ralph Compton book and am pretty happy with the way it's turning out. It's funny how something can seem better when I'm reading over it than when I'm working on it. It's like that with just about everything I write, though. I suppose it's kind of like staring at inch-wide squares of a painting as opposed to stepping back and seeing the whole picture. Maybe a little cliche, but true.

I'm getting ready for the Western Writers Convention next week. That's always a good time and I hope to see some of you at the signing. In fact, come down for the whole convention. Some of those other writers aren't half bad, either. (Since I refuse to use those smiley faces, I could use some exposition here like, "he said in a joking tone")

All right. It's back to work for now and I'll check in before I leave. I just got a shiny new laptop computer, so maybe I'll post something while I'm at the convention.

Changing gears

2007-05-09T12:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I suppose this is technically Spring, but it feels like Summer to me. It's heating up, the big movies are coming out and my air conditioning is on more often than not. I hate the heat, but it doesn't matter too much, since I haven't left my office very much lately. After putting the final edits onto (into?) the third ACCOMPLICE book, I'm working on another western in the Ralph Compton series. So far, I'm liking the book but it's taking a bit to hit my stride.

That's a funny thing with writing. Since I write more than one or two books a year, I often find myself switching from one story to the next. Not only are there different characters, but different tones, moods, and pacing that go along with those other books. Writing an ACCOMPLICE is a whole different ball of wax than writing a BOOT HILL. If they weren't, they'd all just be the same thing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do love switching between stories and characters. It keeps my job fresh and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's just easier to switch gears some times than others. Maybe it's the heat. Everything seems to slow down when it gets hot. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just me in the heat. I also tend to babble more when it's hot. Have you noticed?

Heh.

Oh well. That's about it for now. Go see one of the big movies that are coming out. Have some popcorn. In my opinion, that's the best part of Summer now that I'm out of school and don't get to be. . .well. . .out of school during the Summer. Big budget blockbusters may not be the most intellectually stimulating fare, but they do a hell of a good job of keeping our eyes busy.

And I'm back!

2007-05-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'm back from the Wine, Writers & Song event in Brownville, and boy are my arms tired. Wait a minute, I guess that doesn't make sense since I didn't fly. Anyway, I'm back and the festival was a lot of fun! I've never been to Brownville so that was something new. I didn't know there was such a great little spot so close to home. It's an artistic community with plenty of book shops (that I loved) and plenty of antique stores (that my wife loved). It also looks like a town from a western. See for yourself:

Ok...it looks like a western town if you don't think about the SUVs and cars parked outside. You know what I mean.

There were a lot of poets and artists there, which was fun because I don't normally get a chance to hear poets do their thing. I found out there's a lot of poetry societies in my area, so I'll have to check some of those out. In general, I've never been very good at writing poetry. I'm just too long-winded, I suppose. I saw a group called Echopoetico and they were phenomenal. They had a mix of traditional Andean instruments along with spoken poetry. Personally, I wasn't expecting for it to be my sort of thing, but it was really great! I'm really glad I sat back and gave them a chance because it was definitely worth it. I'll put a link to them on the blog so you can check them out if you want. I recommend it!

On Saturday, I spoke at a great place called the Carson House. I didn't get a chance to take a full tour of it, but it looked like an old house that was restored to be historically accurate. It was truly a beautiful place. Here's a picture:

I did a reading from THE ACCOMPLICE and talked a lot about Doc Holliday. For those of you who were able to stop by, it was great seeing you. For those of you who didn't make it, you missed a historical event because it was the first time I ever did a reading from any of my books. It wasn't poetry or music, but I thought it fit with the tone of the event. Hopefully, I didn't look like too big of a fool up there.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. My thanks to Jan, who did a great job organizing everything. The food was excellent and I highly recommend that anyone in the Nebraska area give Brownville a visit. Right now, it's back to work for me. I'm starting in on my second book in the Ralph Compton series. My first Compton book, THE BLOODY TRAIL, will be released in August. I won't be poking my head out again until June for the Western Writers Convention being held in Springfield, MO, but I'll check in here as much as possible.

I'm off!

2007-04-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'm on my way to the Wine, Writers & Song event being held in Brownville. Sounds like it's going to be great and I hope to see plenty of folks there! At the moment, I'm looking forward to the Latin Beats dinner being held tonight. Mostly, that's because I'm HUNGRY!! Heh. Seriously, though, this event has a lot going on and I'm really looking forward to seeing Brownville. It sounds like there's tons of bookstores there and I'm sure my wallet will be taking a major hit. Also seriously. . .I am hungry.

BOOT HILL # 4 is out

2007-04-26T01:25:00.000-05:00

And just when I'm done talking about how things take so long to get published, one of my other books sneaks up on me. I knew the fourth MAN FROM BOOT HILL book was due to be released soon, but it's out right now! NO ANGELS FOR OUTLAWS is a great one and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I got a call from a friend of mine who told me he spotted it in a Barnes & Noble. He also faces my books out, which is something that is greatly appreciated (hint, hint).

The funny thing is that I don't get any author copies of a book until it's been out on the shelves for around a month! I suppose I can see the sense in wanting to sell them before they are given away. Now, I only hope I can get some copies to show up with me at the Wine, Writers & Song festival this weekend. I'm really looking forward to that. It sounds like a lot of fun and there's going to be plenty going on. I hope to see some of you there and I'll post to let the rest of you know how it went.

Editing Accomplice # 3

2007-04-26T01:12:00.000-05:00

Publishing is certainly not for the impatient. The first ACCOMPLICE book has just been put onto store shelves. The second is in the process of being edited by the good folks at Berkley and the third is being edited by me. I believe I wrote the first one close to two years ago now. By the time they come out, I forgot what happened in them! Heh.

It is definitely fun writing about Doc Holliday, which makes everything worth the wait. This third book takes place in a time where Doc was particularly wild and running into some well known folks along the way. Sure, there's some embellishment on my part, but there's plenty of clay to mold here.

Just look at Doc up there. Seems pretty calm, doesn't he? That even looks like the picture you might expect of an educated dentist dressed in his Sunday best. Of course, you can't see the two .38s holstered under that jacket. Doc represents everything that makes westerns so exciting. You just can't ride off into the wild like that anymore. Sure, you can raise a little hell and play some poker, but that's child's play compared to the good ol' days. Most of the folks who claim to be wild now are just drunks with big mouths. Doc might have been a loud drunk at times, but at least he was ready to back it up. They don't make 'em like him anymore.

What ya drinkin'?

2007-04-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have come to this site before, you'll notice a difference here. Mostly, I've set up a blog so I can keep up with posting and not have to put my ever-diligent webmaster through the bother of constantly updating the old fashioned way. He does a great job and the site always looks great, but this way I can post all the time and interact a little better with folks who want to say hello.

I'll be posting about whatever comes to mind, but most of it will have to do with writing and other things related to my books or westerns in general. I'm sure I'll go off on more than a few tangents, so that should be fun as well.

I plan on posting here frequently, so feel free to post right back at me. If anyone gets too rowdy, I reserve the right to use the shotgun I keep hidden behind the bar. So long as you're civil, you can kick back and shoot the breeze, start a card game, or whatever else strikes your fancy. I hope to hear from some of you. If not, I got more than enough of my own hot air to spout.