Oct 22

The Man Who Made The Magic: An Interview With Record Promotions Expert Harvey Cooper

Harvey Cooper is one of the most interesting individuals you’re ever likely to meet. A man who witnessed music history from the very start to its sad demise. Demise? Well, anyone who has any knowledge of the business knows that it’s not the same anymore. This interview is about the creativity, the drive and ambition of the pioneers who made the hit records, the classics, the legends and many of the songs you hear on the radio. Let’s meet Harvey Cooper – the promoter. 

Harvey Cooper during his early years.

 

Harvey, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

It’s my pleasure!

I have to start by asking you about your work on the Star Wars soundtrack for 20th Century records. What happened there?

I made decisions on all 20th movies for the soundtracks. One day I get a call from the president of the film division, Alan Ladd, Jr., about a film and I saw it.

He asked me if I wanted the soundtrack. The overall production of the soundtrack was symphonic and oddly it fit. Somebody wanted to discard the movie but didn’t think it had anything and wanted us to pick up the option. I thought it was going to be a big picture with children. That was Star Wars. I handed John Williams his first triple platinum album. That was pure luck. Universal thought they had a loser.

Did 20th Century do “The Story of Star Wars” too? That was a great concept— narration and music to tell the story of the first film. 

Yes. That was my idea. It went gold too. We thought that we could get away with it and people asked about it. So, we did it.

“Jolly What” was the album that put the Beatles and Frank Ifield together on an album.  It is now a collectors item.

 

Let me take you back a few years. In your earlier career you worked for Vee-Jay, correct? The company who put Frank Ifield and the Beatles on one album called “Jolly What?”

I promoted all of that. The first time I had a Beatles record called Please, Please Me. I got it played on the radio and we sold 3,500 records and then it came—that blast from England—and I took it back out and it sold 300,000 records. The same record. I used to have acetates of the Beatles album at my house. Those acetates now go for $250,000 each. I think it’s in my mother’s old house in the basement someplace. I’m not a person who saves things. I was awarded 100 gold records that I never accepted. I told them, “The day you actually have gold bullion on them, I’ll accept it. When you spray it gold and give it to a CPA, that’s when it loses its charm.”

That album that you put Frank Ifield with the Beatles on one album though… That’s creative.

We had hits with Frank Ifield. “I Remember You” was a big one.

Anything went.

The Vee-Jay stuff is fascinating, isn’t it? The material they managed to get and sell from all over the place.

Hit after hit, after hit, after hit. I helped break the Four Seasons with Bob Crewe the producer. Bob Crewe. I met him in the early 60’s. He looked like a guy who was dressed a hundred years ahead of his times. “Harvey… I have twelve hundred dollars in my pocket. The way I live, that’ll take us to dinner so this better be a hit record.”

That was Sherry by the Four Seasons.

We had four top forty stations playing it and it busted all over the place. Two weeks after his visit he sends me a leather case with my name in gold printed on it. I open it up and there’s a check for a thousand dollars in it. In 1962 that was a lot of money. We have two more hits and they’re all on VeeJay. The first three big hits were on VeeJay. The second hit was called “Walk Like A Man” I’m at my apartment and a delivery guy comes with a giant plant from Bob. He turned me into this greedy person. I dug up the plant because I thought there might be money in there. I remember thinking, “What has this business turned me into?” He was a great producer. We all ended up in Los Angeles and I saw him all the time.

Later you worked for RCA. Why do you think RCA was such a powerful force on the market?

I think the name was so powerful they tried to feature the greatest artists they could in every field. The class artist. RCA always had [Elvis] Presley, our front guy, and classy things that were considered the best of the best. We were the ones who first had HAIR when it was shown at the Cheetah lounge before it came to Broadway. We had the Sound of Music, The Boston Pops all those great people. RCA prided themselves with the best.

You had a great country division, too. That was one of the strengths of the company, right?

Yes, yes, we did. Chet Atkins headed it. He was a master guitar player and an interesting guy. I remember at one time I used to visit him while I was the national promotion director of radio and artist relations. I used to visit him from time to time in Nashville. He just had an album out that I loved. He said, “You think I’m pretty good?” I said, “Yeah, I do!” He said, “Meet me tomorrow at nine o’clock at the studio.” I went to the studio to meet him. He had an old Cadillac and he said, “Come with me.” We drove an hour and a half (or forty-five minutes, something like that), and we ended up in the rolling hills and mountains. We came to this amphitheatre and I see these people streaming down with banjos and guitars and they were playing. He says, “Do you get it?” “Get what?” “DO YOU GET IT? Do you notice how fast they are playing? They copy that from records that have been sped up. They don’t know any different!” I’m saying to myself, “Why isn’t there someone here to authenticate what I’m seeing!” Just crazy. I miss that business to this day. You remember the series Mad Men? This was Mad Men on steroids!

You must have woken up wondering what would happen every single day-

I didn’t even know how much money I made! I thought it was much, much better than working—you kidding me!

You must have really seen some interesting things that went on behind the scenes.

I witnessed moments of history. When Elvis made his comeback in Vegas— they flew the whole staff in for that. I used to work with the Colonel when I was the regional guy in Los Angeles. He was a character. He was a guy who liked to make people crawl. I used to have to go to his house in Palm Springs and play nicely. I only did it once because I didn’t like the way he talked to me and let him know about it. He could have fired me – but he didn’t. I

think he respected that I had some selfrespect.  When we were at the Hilton when Elvis opened, I am telling you that everyone who ever played Vegas was at that show—Sinatra, Dean Martin, all the comedians and so on. They were so sure that this Rock and Roll guy was going to fail. It was a festive atmosphere. I’m not gay, but you can’t take your eyes off this guy Presley—he was really that good looking and when they announced his name “Ladies and gentlemen, ELVIS PRESLEY,” and the lights are flashing but he didn’t come onto the stage. He came from the rear. Mouths were gaping open. They witnessed something they’d never seen before. This guy was the KING of Rock and Roll. They saw it for the first time and he wasted them with his performance. He was one of the great singers of our time. The women would lose it.

The next day Colonel made everyone stay over—a ploy to show his power— he went to one of those quick printers and printed up these certificates with ribbon that he would give out to the people who  attended the show. Anyway, Norman Racusin who was the president of RCA was in the room. He has a little diamond pin and the Colonel comes up to him and asks what it was. “That’s my anniversary pin for twenty-five years with RCA,” Racusin explained. “Hey,” the Colonel said. “Me and my boy have been here for twenty-five years. How come I don’t have a pin, Norman?” Norman explained it was for employees, but the Colonel was insistent. Racusin excused himself, left the room and came back to tell the Colonel that the pin would be with him within a few days. I knew then that rules didn’t matter. It was just great though. History. It was different to anything I’d ever witnessed before but that went on all the time.

But there was always room for more talent. It wasn’t just a few people at the time making the hits and all the wanna-bes.

Exactly. There was Elvis Presley and then there was the next guy coming up. An even playing field in the 60’s all the way to 1979. You can mark it with a stick when it stopped being an even playing field.

Just jumping back for a moment. How do you feel about Colonel Parker, Elvis’ manager and one of the first rock star managers, looking back from today?

If you look back at his history—he was a guy who jumped ship. He was an illegal immigrant. I don’t know if people know about the things he did. He was Eddy Arnold’s manager when Eddy was just starting, and he was one of the biggest country and western stars ever. In the 1950’s I got to tell you he owned a product called Hadacol. It was an elixir. Snake oil! He sold it to a big firm and they got caught because there was alcohol in the thing. You can’t make this up. A barker in the carnival. He had that kind of appeal. He wasn’t kidding around and the deal with Elvis was a handshake. No paper.

The other thing is he had instincts. I went to his home and he had a whole war room. He ran Elvis’ career like it was a war—like he was a general in a war. Finely tuned fan clubs in every state with a president. He knew each president, as did Elvis. Elvis used to stay in their homes, he would buy them Cadillacs, they in turn put out the word in their states and regions every time that Elvis had a movie or a record out. It was the strongest thing I’ve ever seen. He had certain rules that proved true, for example, he didn’t want Elvis to do television—he felt that television was a killer and that proved true. He did some great things. I didn’t like the man, but he did some great things.

Here’s a question. Was it easier to sell catalogue material like reissues and greatest hits, or regular albums?

The company placed certain pressure on certain items for various reasons. They spent tons of money on movie soundtracks. A lot of print ads, a lot of radio ads, a lot of TV ads. They spent a lot of money on things they were sure were winners. If we had any indication they would go to war with it. They knew they’d get the money back. We had two albums of HAIR—the original one from the Cheetah lounge and the second album from Broadway. It was huge! The show is still going on.

What happened between those days and today that made the industry so uneven?

The key was that it was a level playing field. If you had a good record, you’d get it played on the radio—but you’d get it distributed just like a major record company. Back then they had independent companies that were almost the equal of major record companies—companies like A&M records, Atlantic Records, Motown Records—it goes on and on. They had a system. An independent system. There were a series of independent distribution companies in regions all over the country—usually based in major cities. In these distributors they had all the functions of a record company on a regional basis with the exception of actually creating a product. Sales people, marketing people and administrators. These companies would assume the function of promotion, getting the record played on the radio, and selling the record. We had all kinds of stores—mom and pop stores, one stops—we would visit everyone and sell every genre of music. If you had a good record, the major record companies would push it and if you were a talented person they believed in, they’d push the second record, the third and the fourth and so on. That’s not how it is today. Back then a jock would get on the radio and hit the record they liked three or four times in an hour. “Did you hear that! This is going to be a smash hit!” They’ve taken that away from the artists. In the late 70’s the independent companies started to leave the fold of independent distribution, which was the equal of major distribution, but they went with the majors because they were willing to pay more—and quicker. They all started to leave the fold and they left them without the product they could operate with, so they died.

So the distributors actually managed to kill their own industry?

I tried to stop that in 1980. I took a lawyer and advertising guy, and I had a plan. I said to the distributors at the convention, “You don’t have to lose out here. Get together, give me some money and we will buy into four catalogue selling acts and if we had stars we could compete.” Nine months we had meetings and then the egos started, and they died.

It’s a shame they couldn’t see the writing on the wall and save themselves. They really should have taken a step back and listened to what you had to say. 

It was a shame. I lived it. I have performed every function—promotion, sales guy, administrator. I represented Motown. I had about twenty labels I represented in that area. I’m from Detroit originally and one of my best friends was a vice president over there. I was there almost every day. He used to take a lot of their artists to record hops. I knew the artists too and knew the operation very well. It taught me everything I needed to know about the record business.

How does a record company actually develop talent?

First of all, you have to have a good product—it’s everything. These people had two studios at Motown. It’s now a museum but at the time it was going 24/7. It was preparing people for live performances once the records made it. But if they felt that the performances weren’t strong enough, but the material was good—they’d go right back in and re-record it until they’d got it. That’s the secret to A&R. They had a great product and learned how to process it through distributors. It was a development. An artist development situation. As you went region to region, different singers were hot. The boy singers from Philly, the acid rock from San Francisco. They created the same talent development. All the good musicians, producers, places to prepare the artists for live performances. You have to have the artist development going for you or it doesn’t work.

Creating and maintaining product and artists is a bigger task than people may realize. Do you think modern technology has made it easier?

Today it’s very interesting. It’s different but you can create your own version. Technology can kill you—but it can help you if you know how to use it properly. I told a lot of my guys, and I’m an old guy now, “You can do it yourself if you have some resources— you’ve got people who know the social media business, you have people that can create videos. What is a video? A video gives you exposure.

 

Jose Feliciano performs the national anthem.

 

You don’t even have to perform live anymore. Use whatever it is that you have to create impact.” You have to have this brain trust and create images that are bigger than the business. They don’t do that anymore.

It does seem that the industry has lost all of it’s magic—they don’t hype things like they used to.

That’s exactly right. The consumer knows it all. They tell you exactly who you are, exactly how deep it goes and how long it goes if you know how to listen. In 1968 I was working for RCA. Do you remember Jose Feliciano?

Yeah! 

He was very big at the time. He was a folk singer and we worked with him for five or ten years with the coffee house shit and his bad jokes. He was pretty good. We did a couple of R&B things with him and he was playing Vegas. The Detroit Tigers won the American League and were hosting the World Series at that time. The Tigers’ broadcaster was a friend of mine and he wanted to put together some artists for the anthem during the home game. I suggested Jose. Ernie was an amateur songwriter and loved the idea. I suggested we could fly Jose in and out just to do it. Jose said he would love to do it. “I have a new version,” he said. “Wonderful!” I said. We were on the field and Jose performed the National Anthem—the soul version of the National Anthem. We were in Detroit and the audience were throwing shit into the field. “How did I do?” Jose asked. “Keep walking,” I said. We almost got fired. It was videoed, and you’d say it was very mild now but at the time the people were so upset you have no idea. Forty years later they’re honored by the whole thing. There’s a monument at the stadium honoring it. It wouldn’t even strike you as being this crazy, radical thing now.

What do you think were the effectiveness of print ads—did they have any impact?

Yes. I think in serious publications like Rolling Stone it was very effective. People saw Rolling Stone as a serious magazine and responded accordingly.

How about publications like Billboard magazine?

Billboard was the bible if you wanted to find out if something was really a hit. You had to go to the top ten. Everything else was bullshit. A lot of companies put pressure on them. A lot of stuff I don’t want to get into that I’m trying to forget. The top ten was the top ten, and there was no getting around. There were legit papers. A tracking sheet of new music called “The Gavin Report.” Nobody messed with him—Bill Gavin. No advertising in his magazine and people believed in him.

Billboards?

Yes. I think they’re effective. Too expensive now but very effective. Millions of people driving to a certain place. If it’s placed in the right place it could be very, very effective.

And radio was very important—

Well. Like I say, you can create your own exposure. In the first phase of any marketing campaign is to find out if it’s legit or not. You have to get enough exposure to find out of the product can sell—if it can’t, then you’re wasting your money. Is this a viable piece? Let’s view the results. It depends on how deep you go and how much resource you have. If you don’t have a lot but you know the norm, anything over the norm tells you something. But you have to know how to read it.

Did every album released by RCA get promoted? Or did you allow some to just do what they were going to do? Did you spend money on everything?

Like I say in the sixties and the seventies the leader was a single record. That was the test market. Now, you could put out a single whether you were a major artist, or a new independent artist. If you had a good record and you had representation you could get major airplay, and a distribution deal. In six weeks if you had airplay and records out there in the stores—you knew damn well what you had at the end of two or three months. If it was good you knew you had an album. The albums that sold the best were the ones that had more than one hit on them. There were a lot of fillers that didn’t do well.

One hit record with nine filler tracks didn’t sell so well?

It sold some on the strength of the hit record, but it didn’t do as well as an album with several hits.

You’d expect higher sales for a greatest hits album than a regular album?

Exactly. All you had to do was make sure people could find out about it.

How often could you reissue without wearing out the market?

You’ve got to be careful there. If it came too soon it wouldn’t do well. You had to know exactly the timing.

If you got the timing right, you could keep reselling the same material?

Yes. The catalogue is the strength of your company. Catalogue is the secret, there’s no question.

If something in the catalogue started selling would you look to release a brand new album?

A lot of events could take place to tell you that. For example, covers. Someone covers a tune that was a hit on one of your albums—that could rekindle it again.

Always looking for opportunities to resell the records?

That’s what makes classics.

How did you find working against a company like Columbia?

Columbia was our arch rival. We were considered major record companies at the time and they were our rivals. It was like Los Angeles playing the San Francisco Giants. We hated each other. It was very competitive. At the same time, it was almost a family if you were on the road. Strange thing. It was a strange phenomenon.

Was RCA the strongest catalogue company?

No. Columbia was. I hate to say this because I was an RCA guy, but Columbia was the better company.

Why?

They were better marketeers. I think RCA wasn’t as serious about their record company. It was a very minor part of their corporation.

What do you believe truly pushes records and makes a hit?

Music mirrors the times. Every once in a while somebody comes along that is talented, writes great songs and is a singer. Adele comes along and sells 100 million records and you can’t get into her concerts. That’s the goods. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out she’s in the hearts and minds of those little girls.

You worked with our future cover star, didn’t you—Peter Nero? 

Yes. He was one of our artists. He was a gentleman. He was very easy to work with. I worked with RCA at the time. We worked with our artists very closely. I worked several regions as the country as the artist relations guy. Peter was one of our artists for many, many years and wherever he went, our representatives used to take him around to the local media. He used to give us his time and we chose to promote him locally wherever we could.

Well thank you for your time, Harvey. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.

Likewise.

You can read more great interviews from Westerner magazine by clicking here.

 

Oct 22

The Truth About Hitmaker Cobb: An Interview With Current Top One Hundred Bestseller Douglas R. Cobb

This great new interview with Douglas R. Cobb was conducted by hit writer Scott Harris. Scott always features great talent– and Cobb is now exception. His latest book “Bounty Hunter on the Border” is currently racing up the chart, and currently sitting in the top one hundred. It’s taken a lot of hard work to make Cobb a bestseller! But, what was it about Mister Cobb that readers eventually went crazy for? Well… lets find out! You can read the original interview right here.
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, hat

When — and why — did you first fall in love with Westerns?

My Dad really loved reading Westerns long before I ever decided to check one out and see what made him love the genre so much. I’d say his love of reading Western novels, which he also passed on to my two older brothers, Robert and Richard, is what led me to loving the feeling that reading a great Western gives to fans of them. The drama, action and adventure in a well-written Western easily matches, or surpasses, the best novels written in any other genre.

I was, and still am, also a fan of reading science fiction, mysteries and other genres, though I have come to love Westerns and the skill it takes to write one. I especially enjoy the deep-seated sense of morality and justice that many Western protagonists have, and as far as Western TV series and movies go, I’ve also loved and still love watching them.

Who are your three favorite Western writers?

I’ll go old school with my first two choices, Scott, and say Louis L’Amour and Zane Gray, and when it comes to more recent ones, well, of course there are terrific books by authors like yourself. Loren D. Estleman is another one that comes to mind, along with the Westerns of other very talented authors like Clint Clay, Cherokee Parks, Wesley Tallant, Juliette Douglas and many, many others.

Which Western do you wish you’d written?

Any that are filled with pulse-pounding action and realistic depictions of what life was like in the era when the Wild West flourished. “Lonesome Dove” would have to be very near the top of my list, if not at the number one spot. It’s a perennial best-seller for a very good reason — it’s a fantastic and engrossing Western. I totally love watching and re-watching the miniseries based off the novel, so that’s for sure one I would have liked to have written, without a doubt. “True Grit” is another one.

What is the most recent Western you’ve read?

Hmmm … Well, I anticipated that question, I suppose, answering an earlier one. “Coyote Courage,” which you wrote, Scott, would be one of them, though the most recent one I’ve read is the latest Marshal Timber novel, written by Robert Hanlon. There are many excellent Western authors writing today, though, and eventually, I’d love to read even more by you and by authors like Clint Clay, Cherokee Parks, Robert E. Woods, Paul L. Thompson and others.

The “Desert Island” question. What are your three favorite Western books?

It’s hard to choose, but let’s go with “Riders of the Purple Sage,” “The Quick and the Dead,” and “Lonesome Dove.” The order is not necessarily written in stone — they are all terrific Westerns, to be sure!

What are your three favorite Western movies?

That might change on a daily/hourly basis. I would have to include “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” as well as probably any other Eastwood flick. I’m a big fan of John Wayne movies, also, and have favorites depending on the stages of his career — “True Grit,” “The Cowboys” and “The Shootist” are examples I really like, and “Big Jake,” etc. For a third (I’ve named more than that, but I’m cheating by going by lead actors), “Lonesome Dove” — “What would Gus Do?” and other iconic memes, T-shirts, etc., prove that the miniseries is still extremely popular, and the acting is impeccable.

If I were to narrow the choices down to not just Westerns by my favorite actors in Western movies, I would say “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “True Grit” probably, and “Lonesome Dove.” Great question, though, and there are many fantastic Western flicks to choose from.

Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite — and why?

All of them, if I’m being serious, but for different reasons. “Crossing the Dead Line: The Guns of Bass Reeves” will always be up there for me, as it was my first Western. However, when it comes to my more recent ones, all of them once again — while I’m writing them, for sure! “Gunshots on Hell’s Border,” which focuses on the life and adventures of the fictional bounty hunter Matt “The Boot Collector” Hardy, is also one of my favorites, Scott, as it’s the first one I wrote for Dusty Saddle Publishing.

What is the most recent Western you’ve written?

That would be the short story collection “The Guns of the Gringo,” which is scheduled to be published by Dusty Saddles Publishing next month. “Bass Reeves Outwits the Devil” is the most current one that’s out now, and I’m right now in the process of writing a novella with an iconic Robert Hanlon character, Marshal Jake Timber, as the lead male protagonist.

Can you tell us anything about your next book?

I jumped the gun with my answer to this one, revealing my incredible psychic abilities! Either that, or maybe I just might have read on ahead, LOL! The next one that will probably be out before the end of September will be the Marshal Timber one I mentioned. I can say the title of it is “Marshal Timber Rides to Hell’s Border and Beyond.” It will definitely be action-packed and full of adventure, gunfights, and it will team Marshal Timber up with a few of the Deputy Marshals of Hell’s Border that I have written about.

If you could go back in time, what would be the time and place in the Old West you’d like to have lived in for a year?

Any place with modern plumbing and toilet paper, though none of that existed back then. If that’s not taken into account though, and the question is meant to be asking which era/year based on things like the Wild West heroes who lived then, possibly Fort Smith, Arkansas, would be my choice, though I’ve also lived in Arizona and in Texas, so any of those would be fine by me. As far as the year, probably a few years after the Civil War, so that there would be somewhat of a distance looking back at it, so folks could reflect on it and its aftermath. Maybe 1883 or 1884. 1883 is the year I have set the upcoming Marshal Timber book in.

Is there a question you wish I’d asked?

All of the questions you’ve asked are terrific ones, Scott. Maybe one of the only other ones might be what’s your favorite beverage and/or cigar to enjoy while you write your Westerns and/or read them! Though whiskey or bourbon might be obvious choices, and I do like drinking on some occasions, generally it’s black coffee that fuels my nights of writing Westerns, and when I have a cigar, more often than not, it’d be a decent Maduro.

Another question might be, who would you say is your favorite lawman of the West/Wild West?

Again, what a great question, I have to say! Let me think about it … okay, I’m ready now!

U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, probably, though maybe Heck Thomas, Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp would be other good choices. It’s difficult to say, as we now think of them as primarily historical figures. What sort of people they were in real life might be somewhat different from our idealized conceptions of some of them.

I’ve truly enjoyed answering your questions, Scott! I recommend any fans of Westerns to check out all of your fine ones, and of course, mine, as well as the ones I already mentioned and other excellent Western authors who are now writing some of the best literature around in any genre!

Timber: United States Marshal Chronicles: Bounty Hunter on the Border: A Western Adventure (Robert Hanlon: The Timber U.S. Marshal Chronicles Western Series Book 3) by [Cobb, Douglas R., Hanlon, Robert]

 

This is the latest novel from Western adventure bestseller Douglas R. Cobb! With pistol and rifle in hand— Timber blasts his way through the bad guys to bring peace and justice to the Old West!

Marshal Jake Timber sets his own rules when it comes to hunting down outlaws. He has his own brand of justice, which usually does not involve the courtroom. He prefers to shoot first, and not ask questions, ever.

When his childhood friend and his family are brutally murdered, Jake, seeking to avenge the deaths, teams up with the lawmen from the Hell’s Border town of Fort Smith to track a notorious band of outlaws who have set a trap for Timber, leading him and his posse into Indian Territory and entangling them in a web of deceit and lies. Available now from Amazon!

Oct 18

Bestselling Western Author Scott Harris Reviews “Timber: United States Marshal” From Robert Hanlon

Bestselling western author Scott Harris has reviewed “Timber: United States Marshal” from Robert Hanlon. You can find the latest Scott Harris hit “Caz: Vigilante Hunter” by clicking here. You can read the original review by clicking here.

Subtle is not a word I would use to describe Robert Hanlon’s “Timber: United States Marshal.”

Granted, you’re almost four pages in before Timber kills his first four men. And the story picks up steam from there and never slows down, not even for a page.

The storyline is deceptively simple. Two Western stereotypes — greedy, murdering mine barons — battle for control of each other’s gold mines and for the town of Heaven Brook, an ironically named town if there ever was one. The two men do not bother with elaborate plans, infiltration or moral ambiguity. Their answer to every attack and any opportunity is more men, more bullets, mass slaughter and a few explosions thrown in.

This is the first in an ever-growing series of “Timber” books. They’re about a bounty hunter named Timber, who, with full support of the territory government, is asked to wipe out every bad guy in the territory, with the death sentence appearing to be the only option and usually without wasting the time necessary to have a trial. Timber is huge, tough and fast with a gun, and he has courage enough for three men.

Where this book veers off of the traditional Western path is the sheer quantity of men, battles and deaths. The two miners have hired, literally (and yes, I know what literally means), hundreds of gun hands. Deaths are rounded off by the dozens, and when one huge group, from either side, is wiped out, they are quickly replaced by what appears to be an unending line of readily available hired guns.

Wagon trains numbering over a hundred wagons are destroyed in huge explosions. The two sides have dynamite battles, taking turns throwing them over a dividing wall at each other, and when the townsfolk have finally had enough, they band together and join the fray, all armed with shotguns and a simple mandate — kill anyone who isn’t them.

Timber is the master manipulator, playing the two miners against each other, but risking his own life to do so.

In the simplest of terms, if old-fashioned Westerns where only a couple of people (or even a few) are gunned down aren’t enough for you, give Hanlon a try.

The writing is crisp, the dialogue sparse, the killings coming as fast as Hanlon can type. If you enjoy it, you’re in luck because there are already three more in the series: “Timber: United States Marshal: The Guns of Gray Buffalo,” “Timber: United States Marshal: The Cassidy Beemer Story” and “Timber: United States Marshal: Wilde’s Prairie.”

I hope you give it a try, and I’d love to hear your feedback.

Thank you, and enjoy!

 

You can purchase this great new Robert Hanlon bestseller by clicking here.

Oct 17

Diane Franklin, Bobby Bare, Bill Anderson, And Many More Make The New FREE Halloween Westerner Magazine A Smash Hit

The Halloween Westerner has arrived! A brand new edition of this great free magazine filled with articles, interviews, reviews and books.

Inside this issue you will find:

  • A brand new interview with “Better off Dead” star Diane Franklin. Diane has recently completed work on her latest motion picture. A brand new movie about “Amytiville.”
  • A meeting with Country and Western superstar Bobby Bare. Bobby remembers the greats of the genre and discusses his latest record album “Bare.”
  • A sit down talk with Bill Anderson, the whispering country singer. Bill discusses his upcoming tour, record albums and other news.
  • Harvey Cooper, top promotions expert, discusses how the record company has evolved, and how records were sold. From Elvis Presley through to Jose Feliciano he discusses them all.
  • John Florez explains how those great records were made. A top producer for RCA– he knows the business, and the hit sound!
  • Scott Harris, Western hitmaker, discusses how he came to write one of the topselling Western series of 2018.
  • R.G. Yoho discusses his career to date, and the great success he’s had with his Western novels.
  • GP Hutchinson writes an open letter to readers. Hutchinson, who has just completed his latest Western novel, has something to say to you all.
  • G. Michael Vasey brings the horror to life with a deeply disturbing article set to make your Halloween creepy!

To download your FREE copy click the button below!

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Oct 16

Hutchinson’s ‘Cimarron Jack’s Real Wild West: A Western Novel’ Pulls In Those Positive Reviews

The following is a brand new review written by a reader who enjoyed “Cimarron Jack’s Real Wild West” from GP Hutchinson. This review, which can be read right here, gives insight into the way people feel about Hutchinson, and his writing. If you haven’t picked up a copy of this great new release– why are you waiting? Read the review below!

 

*****

 

FANTASTIC! MAGNIFICO! EXCELLENTISIMO!

 

GP Hutchinson has sent the stage for many spin-offs for his outstanding characters.

I especially liked the depth and breadth of lead character Jack Wheatley. He’s a chivalrous man of honor, a clear representative of good (versus the evil portrayed by the villainous bad guys). Jack had good instinct for the unfolding action and his need for leadership.

I loved the date of 1888. It made me imagine my great-grandparents, who were five years away from their wedding date!

GP started immediately with conflict, high drama, and action — given a literal train wreck.

As always, GP Hutchinson knows how to use vocabulary, i.e., spate, augur, nocked, thwack, clambered, ruminations, compunction, chirked, farcical, inimitably vivacious, thornier, sonorous, irked, wince, etc.

I particularly liked the jargon which was unique to the Old West, i.e., hip-cocked, sinewy, all horns and rattles, sweet Jezebel, chucklehead, chuffing, old palaver, hellcat, Montgomery Ward cowhands, dry gulch (as a verb), owl hoots, smoke wagons, lunkhead, jig-jagged, staring blankly into nowhere, tighter than a lid on a Mason jar, shuck out, spewing folderol, skittering, etc.

Great sentence: “Snow flurries flew in the pit of Adelia’s stomach.”

Another great sentence: “Jack, put a cork in that bottle. We’ll drink from it if and when the time comes.”

I loved Jack’s line: “Death hasn’t been following me, Sheriff. It’s been lying in wait for me.”

I smiled when I read this sentence: “Holgood let loose a string of highly descriptive profanities.” GP writes without profanity! I am grateful for his discretion.

Here is the most incredible sentence of the entire novel: “From his vantage point beside a cluster of wild plum bushes atop the ridge beyond the falls, Amnon Gundry watched through his field glasses as Jack Wheatley’s outfit got to their feet.” Now, that is CRAFTING of a sentence!

GP did an excellent job of leaving the reader repeatedly with cliff hangers at the ends of chapters.

I appreciated the growing sense of the love relationship between Jack and Amelia. She’s a fiery character, too. For that matter, all of the female characters were strong women, and I liked that.

Sarah Anne added a unique “love triangle” element.

GP Hutchinson knows how to vary sentence length, structure, and beginnings to increase the quality of the writing. In particular, I loved this sequence of sentences as separate paragraphs:

“Juniper took aim with the flaming arrow.

“Jack kept his eyes on Liluye.

“A hush fell over the crowd.

“The warrior let the arrow fly.

“Waiting to hear the familiar snap of the arrow striking the target board, Jack instead heard a shriek.”

The dialogue throughout the book was subtle and excellent. For instance:

“Hm,” Jack glanced at Billy.

“Billy gave a barely noticeable shake of the head.”

The language of this novel was highly sensory; I could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch so much of the description. For instance, “limbs. . .creaked and moaned as they swayed. . . .flowing creek water made an occasional trickling noise against rocks. . . .cascading water muffled the crickets’ song and the twittering nod nearby sparrows. . .gave the crackle of early-morning campfire. . . .”

Red herrings were thrown in our path to keep us guessing about mysteries to the very end!

At the beginning of Chapter 36, I actually drew a schematic of the furnishings inside the Prairie Dog Saloon, since GP was SO CLEAR in describing the interior!

It’s no wonder that some of these people in gunfights (particularly Adelia) would experience PTSD!

Once I got to Chapter 40, it didn’t take me too long to finish the book, given the tempo of the action!!

I loved how Jack baited the villains verbally: “. . .you’re not only lying murderers, but the most cowardly kind of lying murderers. You’ve got no sand at all.”

GREAT ending!

And so additional adventure with this Wild West troupe begins!!!!!

 

Oct 16

From The Author of “Timber: United States Marshal” Comes “The Gambler!”

Heading your way soon– this is “The Gambler” from “Timber: United States Marshal” hitmaker Robert Hanlon. 

The Gambler is a damn good card player – maybe too good. When he finds himself in the middle of a scuffle between a corrupt sheriff and a couple of greedy (yet dumb as rocks) cowpokes, he’s worried he just might wake up dead. Can he foil their scheme as well as he can outwit them playing cards?

 

Oct 12

Forum Featuring Douglas R. Cobb: An Interview With Scott Harris and Douglas R. Cobb

This great new interview with Douglas R. Cobb was conducted by hit writer Scott Harris. Scott always features great talent– and Cobb is now exception. His latest book “Bounty Hunter on the Border” is currently racing up the chart. What makes a writer like Cobb such an overnight success? Well… lets find out! You can read the original interview right here.
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When — and why — did you first fall in love with Westerns?

My Dad really loved reading Westerns long before I ever decided to check one out and see what made him love the genre so much. I’d say his love of reading Western novels, which he also passed on to my two older brothers, Robert and Richard, is what led me to loving the feeling that reading a great Western gives to fans of them. The drama, action and adventure in a well-written Western easily matches, or surpasses, the best novels written in any other genre.

I was, and still am, also a fan of reading science fiction, mysteries and other genres, though I have come to love Westerns and the skill it takes to write one. I especially enjoy the deep-seated sense of morality and justice that many Western protagonists have, and as far as Western TV series and movies go, I’ve also loved and still love watching them.

Who are your three favorite Western writers?

I’ll go old school with my first two choices, Scott, and say Louis L’Amour and Zane Gray, and when it comes to more recent ones, well, of course there are terrific books by authors like yourself. Loren D. Estleman is another one that comes to mind, along with the Westerns of other very talented authors like Clint Clay, Cherokee Parks, Wesley Tallant, Juliette Douglas and many, many others.

Which Western do you wish you’d written?

Any that are filled with pulse-pounding action and realistic depictions of what life was like in the era when the Wild West flourished. “Lonesome Dove” would have to be very near the top of my list, if not at the number one spot. It’s a perennial best-seller for a very good reason — it’s a fantastic and engrossing Western. I totally love watching and re-watching the miniseries based off the novel, so that’s for sure one I would have liked to have written, without a doubt. “True Grit” is another one.

What is the most recent Western you’ve read?

Hmmm … Well, I anticipated that question, I suppose, answering an earlier one. “Coyote Courage,” which you wrote, Scott, would be one of them, though the most recent one I’ve read is the latest Marshal Timber novel, written by Robert Hanlon. There are many excellent Western authors writing today, though, and eventually, I’d love to read even more by you and by authors like Clint Clay, Cherokee Parks, Robert E. Woods, Paul L. Thompson and others.

The “Desert Island” question. What are your three favorite Western books?

It’s hard to choose, but let’s go with “Riders of the Purple Sage,” “The Quick and the Dead,” and “Lonesome Dove.” The order is not necessarily written in stone — they are all terrific Westerns, to be sure!

What are your three favorite Western movies?

That might change on a daily/hourly basis. I would have to include “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” as well as probably any other Eastwood flick. I’m a big fan of John Wayne movies, also, and have favorites depending on the stages of his career — “True Grit,” “The Cowboys” and “The Shootist” are examples I really like, and “Big Jake,” etc. For a third (I’ve named more than that, but I’m cheating by going by lead actors), “Lonesome Dove” — “What would Gus Do?” and other iconic memes, T-shirts, etc., prove that the miniseries is still extremely popular, and the acting is impeccable.

If I were to narrow the choices down to not just Westerns by my favorite actors in Western movies, I would say “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “True Grit” probably, and “Lonesome Dove.” Great question, though, and there are many fantastic Western flicks to choose from.

Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite — and why?

All of them, if I’m being serious, but for different reasons. “Crossing the Dead Line: The Guns of Bass Reeves” will always be up there for me, as it was my first Western. However, when it comes to my more recent ones, all of them once again — while I’m writing them, for sure! “Gunshots on Hell’s Border,” which focuses on the life and adventures of the fictional bounty hunter Matt “The Boot Collector” Hardy, is also one of my favorites, Scott, as it’s the first one I wrote for Dusty Saddle Publishing.

What is the most recent Western you’ve written?

That would be the short story collection “The Guns of the Gringo,” which is scheduled to be published by Dusty Saddles Publishing next month. “Bass Reeves Outwits the Devil” is the most current one that’s out now, and I’m right now in the process of writing a novella with an iconic Robert Hanlon character, Marshal Jake Timber, as the lead male protagonist.

Can you tell us anything about your next book?

I jumped the gun with my answer to this one, revealing my incredible psychic abilities! Either that, or maybe I just might have read on ahead, LOL! The next one that will probably be out before the end of September will be the Marshal Timber one I mentioned. I can say the title of it is “Marshal Timber Rides to Hell’s Border and Beyond.” It will definitely be action-packed and full of adventure, gunfights, and it will team Marshal Timber up with a few of the Deputy Marshals of Hell’s Border that I have written about.

If you could go back in time, what would be the time and place in the Old West you’d like to have lived in for a year?

Any place with modern plumbing and toilet paper, though none of that existed back then. If that’s not taken into account though, and the question is meant to be asking which era/year based on things like the Wild West heroes who lived then, possibly Fort Smith, Arkansas, would be my choice, though I’ve also lived in Arizona and in Texas, so any of those would be fine by me. As far as the year, probably a few years after the Civil War, so that there would be somewhat of a distance looking back at it, so folks could reflect on it and its aftermath. Maybe 1883 or 1884. 1883 is the year I have set the upcoming Marshal Timber book in.

Is there a question you wish I’d asked?

All of the questions you’ve asked are terrific ones, Scott. Maybe one of the only other ones might be what’s your favorite beverage and/or cigar to enjoy while you write your Westerns and/or read them! Though whiskey or bourbon might be obvious choices, and I do like drinking on some occasions, generally it’s black coffee that fuels my nights of writing Westerns, and when I have a cigar, more often than not, it’d be a decent Maduro.

Another question might be, who would you say is your favorite lawman of the West/Wild West?

Again, what a great question, I have to say! Let me think about it … okay, I’m ready now!

U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, probably, though maybe Heck Thomas, Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp would be other good choices. It’s difficult to say, as we now think of them as primarily historical figures. What sort of people they were in real life might be somewhat different from our idealized conceptions of some of them.

I’ve truly enjoyed answering your questions, Scott! I recommend any fans of Westerns to check out all of your fine ones, and of course, mine, as well as the ones I already mentioned and other excellent Western authors who are now writing some of the best literature around in any genre!

Timber: United States Marshal Chronicles: Bounty Hunter on the Border: A Western Adventure (Robert Hanlon: The Timber U.S. Marshal Chronicles Western Series Book 3) by [Cobb, Douglas R., Hanlon, Robert]

 

This is the latest novel from Western adventure bestseller Douglas R. Cobb! With pistol and rifle in hand— Timber blasts his way through the bad guys to bring peace and justice to the Old West!

Marshal Jake Timber sets his own rules when it comes to hunting down outlaws. He has his own brand of justice, which usually does not involve the courtroom. He prefers to shoot first, and not ask questions, ever.

When his childhood friend and his family are brutally murdered, Jake, seeking to avenge the deaths, teams up with the lawmen from the Hell’s Border town of Fort Smith to track a notorious band of outlaws who have set a trap for Timber, leading him and his posse into Indian Territory and entangling them in a web of deceit and lies. Available now from Amazon!

Oct 09

REBLOG: How To Write A Bestseller With Western Writer Scott Harris: Mile 12: The Team

Scott Harris. An enigma in the Western writing business. A man who has scored hits with each of his releases. There isn’t enough room to name them all here… and now we are presenting his thoughts about writing. Each one of these blogs will give you the thoughts of a bestseller… directly from his mouth! Read on and discover more about Harris’ writing world…

 

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You’ve started to write, which is great! Hopefully, you’ve moved beyond the first line and maybe even written a chapter or two.

Writing can be, and usually is, a very solitary process. If you were writing a diary, or a journal, it would theoretically be designed to stay private. But you’re not. You’re writing a novel. Which means that you plan on publishing it one day, subjecting your work, your extremely hard and personal work, to the slings and arrows of an often indifferent or cruel reading public. And so you want the work to be the very best it can be, which, for most of us, means we need a little outside perspective. At least I do.

I’m going to share with you my process. To be clear, this is the process that works for me. The key for you is to find a process that works for you. You may want more people to review your work, or maybe fewer people. I like to pass chapters on when they’re complete, but I have other writer friends who never let anyone take a look until the entire book is done.

I have assembled a small group of four people who each read, review and critique my chapters. I am fortunate that each have different areas of focus, as they read my work. One looks at the overall story line, while another focuses on grammar (quite a challenge on my first drafts). A third simply gives me feedback on how the chapter struck her, and the fourth is great at seeing the bigger picture — how the chapter relates not only to this book, but also to my previous works, and what impact it may have on future books. In total, the feedback is invaluable.

Four people works well for me, but of course, you may want one or two more or less. I suggest, as a starting point, you look for help in the following ways.

  • One or two family members/close friends: Although they ALWAYS say they’ll be candid and direct, these people tend toward saying good things about the work, though sometimes accompanied by, “I really like it, but…” Don’t underestimate the importance of a little biased support.
  • One or two genre fans: Find a couple of people who love Westerns, and who have hopefully read hundreds of them. They can give you a great perspective from the reader’s point of view.
  • One or two pros: These can be editors, publishers, an old English teacher, etc. People who have no vested interest in making you feel good about your work, unless it is good, and can, and will, give you a candid, direct review of the work.

Combine the feedback you get from all three areas. Be open to listening to what they say. Be willing to make changes, large or small. But never lose sight of the fact that it is your book, your work. Stick to your guns (get it?) and write the book you want to write. It may or may not sell, but in the end, you should be proud of what you’ve written and never lose sight of the fact that it’s going to be your name on the cover.

The critical takeaway here is that there is not a right way or wrong way to get feedback on your work, simply what works best for you. What helps your project move forward, makes it better and makes you feel good about your work? Identify that process and stick with it!

I wish you good writing, and if you have a question or something you’d like to share, send me an email at Scott@scottharriswest.com.

Thank you, enjoy and keep writing!

CATCH THE LATEST SCOTT HARRIS WESTERN BESTSELLER!

Click here to download your copy

The latest adventure from one of the most exciting Western authors of today! This is “Mojave Massacre” from Scott Harris! A sure-fire reader pleaser!

Brock, Sophie and Huck are still living with the Havasupai at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. But their lives are threatened by the murderous and vengeful Paiute, and Brock and Huck, seeing no alternative, race one hundred miles to a small trading outpost, hoping to buy the rifles that will give them a chance against the much larger Paiute forces.

They stumble across four slaughtered Hopi Indians, track down the murderers, and find help in very unexpected places from friends – new and old.

The final battle is brutal, bloody and decisive.

Mojave Massacre is the exciting second book in the new Grand Canyon trilogy and the fifth book in the best-selling Brock Clemons Western series, following the tremendously successful Dry Springs trilogy. Click here to download your copy of this exciting new book!

Oct 08

How Reworking Your Catalogue Can Keep Those Book Sales Rolling In…

Every author wants their success to keep on rolling, and Western authors are no exception to the rule. One of the big questions is—how do I keep those sales coming in when I have no new product to offer? One of the big answers is—look at what you already have.

I know, I know… it’s cryptic talk from someone who tends to like plain truth. But the truth of the matter is that greatest hits compilations sell. When you’re in a record store and faced with a dozen releases from an artist, you’re very likely to go for what is commonly known as the ‘greatest hits’ package. You know, the one with all the songs you know. When Columbia first put together a greatest hits in the late ’50s, they didn’t realize it would become one of the best sellers their company ever released. The title? “Johnny’s Greatest Hits.” It consisted of the first six or so hits from Johnny Mathis along with ‘B’ sides and a few extras. This album spent hundreds of weeks on the bestseller chart and still stands as one of the great sellers of today. This was closely followed by “Elvis’ Golden Records” from Elvis Presley. Again, the formula proved correct, and this album became a top seller through the ages. Both Mathis and Presley had many volumes of their greatest hits—all creating fans, selling records and wizarding up much needed income.

“Johnny’s Greatest Hits” was one of the first ‘greatest hits’ packages to be created, and marketed. The result? A multi-million selling product, and a boom for record companies looking to move product.

And now you may ask—has this book promoter become a record guy? No. Absolutely not. But the logic still stands. Why not put together a box set of books and sell that set at the same price as a regular novel release and create more sales out of existing product? This formula has proven to be extremely successful for authors like C. Wayne Winkle, Paul L. Thompson, Robert Hanlon and Clint Clay. Now, not every box set will become a major hit—but then neither has every greatest hits record release.

Now there are some key points here. You have to make sure people know what they’re buying—you should also make a note in the book that folks are buying “previously released material” and you should try to list the stories in the collection. Be very open about it. Some readers may want to buy the same book twice—but a heck of a lot won’t. This box set, or greatest hits collection, is a product aimed at bringing in new readers and letting them work through a series of stories or novels you’ve had success with in the past, just like buying a greatest hits record means the casual listener gets all the hits in one place without wading through odious filler.

The latest in a long, long line of western greatest hits packages. This new collection houses the first four books of the top selling “Timber: U.S. Marshal” series. All for the bargain price of 99 cents. The set is already on the charts, and rapidly climbing. This one could well be the biggest selling Hanlon product yet!

It’s very important for authors to have a release schedule—but don’t be afraid to bolster your release schedule with special products. There’s nothing wrong with reintroducing a product to readers in a brand new way—as long as you are open about it.

Now, back to work! There’s a lot of books out there waiting to be sold, and I’m mighty happy to see that many of the new releases from my direction are hitting the charts. You sit back, enjoy that coffee, and think about your own catalogue and how you can create a new product from work already done.

As always—feel free to contact me through the form below and let me know about your books. I’d love to discover what you’ve been writing. My own reading list has been rather slim lately and I could do with a few reading suggestions.

 

Oct 08

“Six Bullets To Sundown: Volume 14” Coming Soon To A Kindle Near You!

Well, it’s that time again! A brand new volume of “Six Bullets to Sundown” will be heading out shortly. Brand new stories from Scott Harris, Michael Haden, Michael D. Abbott, ‘Big’ Jim Williams, M. Allen and Robert Hanlon. Each one circled with gold. Each one could have been a success on it’s own. The best of the best collected together for the greatest readers in the world– Western fans!