The Amazing Mr Breland: An Interview With Bestselling Western Author Jeff Breland

81X8tTkav7L._UX250_For Jeff Breland, it comes naturally. It’s a natural thing for him to sit down with a pad and pencil to write a story. A story that could take him many places, to many different times. For readers, it’s a natural thing to want to read a Breland story. An educated man might wonder at the style and scope of today’s literature– but that same educated man will sit down and voraciously read a Breland bonanza without a care in the world. This interview with Jeff Breland should be educational and fun. It should balance great writing with the ability and confidence a writer needs to express their ideas in a coherent and educational way. Let’s see what the ebullient Mr. Breland has to say…

I present Jeff Breland, bestselling author and Western connoisseur and his new book “A Gunman’s Rendezvous with Death.”

 

Which Westerns have most influenced your life? 

Growing up, I read a few Zane Grey books. In later years, I became quiet fond of the works of Peter Brandvold, Ralph Cotton and Robert J. Conley.

How did you research your Western?

I probably do half of it on the web. I also have a lot of books about the Old West.

Tell us about the series. What is the overall story of the series? 

The series is called “Loner with a Badge.” Jake Stone is foremost an investigator. Of course, the benefits from his job often come in the form of bounties. Some people often refer to him as a bounty hunter, but a lot of his work entail things other than looking for wanted outlaws. He’s good enough in his work that he is often called upon by the U.S. Marshal’s office. He holds the position of Special Deputy, which presents him with a badge. Most of his work is done alone, hence the Loner with a Badge.

Do you prefer writing about the heroes or the villains?

I would say that was about equal. You have to have good villains to have good stories. They can also lend to a little humor on occasion.

A good villain is hard to write. How did you approach writing your villains?

It all depends. Most of the villains are not likeable characters. On the other hand, you can often have a villain people like and often relate to.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for your book? Are any of your characters people you know?

Yes. When I was a child, a neighbor boy threw a tin can and severely cut the top of my head. I still have a scar. I put him in my first book and killed him in the second chapter.

Where do you think the Western is heading? Is it dying or growing?

I think there is a resurgence. That could well be because some of the people who loved Westerns as a child are now retiring and find more time to read. It also seems some of the younger people have started to read Westerns.

What was the hardest part of writing the first book?

Discovering how hard it is to write a book. One has no idea how hard it is until they have done it.

Can you see your series turned into a TV series or movie? 

Yes, I can. In fact, I would like to venture in that direction.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

In most all of my books I have done research and learned things I didn’t know before.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?

Not really. I strive to make the stories as exciting and as fast-paced as possible and just want the reader to enjoy what he or she is reading.

What comes next?

At this moment, I am working to make a full-length novel with a short story titled “Badman and the Banshee.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? 

Like most authors, I wasn’t always an author. If I could just ask and receive, I probably would like to have been an actor.

Where can readers reach you to send ideas for your books?

I am very accessible on Facebook and you can also contract me via my publicity office Nick@nickwale.org. I love to hear from readers.

The stage on which bounty hunter Stone is traveling suffers a busted wheel coming off the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A blizzard is imminent. There is a railway only a few miles away. Attempting to expedite their rescue, Stone strikes out in search of the railroad. Not only does he find the railroad, but he finds a train. Unfortunately, this train has been robbed and all but one of the crew is dead.

Taking a quick lesson on engineering from a wounded brakeman, with the tracks up ahead destroyed, Stone fights to move the train—backward. The trick seems to work until snowdrifts and deadfall cause the train to derail. Stranded miles from anywhere Stone discovers that the outlaws did not find what they wanted when they robbed the train… they will be back. Will Stone manage to subdue the gang—or will they be the criminals who finally retire him?

Download your copy of “A Gunman’s Rendezvous with Death” today from Amazon. You won’t want to miss the latest bonanza from Breland!

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