Aug 30

America’s Greatest Lawmen: The Gun, The Badge and The Dead: A Tribute: A Western Adventure From Scott Harris, Fred Staff And Many Others

 

From Scott Harris, Fred Staff, M. Allen, Michael Haden and many of the biggest names in the West comes “America’s Greatest Lawmen.” These western adventures tell the stories of lawmen and their fight against the deadly crime of the Old West.

The marshal stands tall, his hand just above the gun that hangs against his leg… the outlaw jeers… aims his gun…. The marshal draws, fires and blows the outlaw to kingdom come… The peace is kept, law and order has been maintained. The badge has won.

The United States of America was tamed by these men and women. Brave men and women who took a lawless land and made it what it is today—one of the finest countries in the world—economically, militarily and culturally. The wars, the battles, and the end product were the result of the taming of the West.

In this new collection from Dusty Saddle Publishing, we wanted to pay tribute to the men and women who trod the lawless land and made it the land of the free. In this collection, you will find stories from Scott Harris, Fred Staff, Michael Haden, C. Wayne Winkle, Justin Harris and many others—these stories should entertain and excite you—the reader. But never forget that were it not for those early lawmen, we wouldn’t have the wonderful free country we have today. These stories are fiction, action-packed and deadly, so watch yourself while you read and enjoy them. Grab your copy today!

Aug 30

REBLOG: How To Write A Bestseller With Western Writer Scott Harris: Mile 6: Software

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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When I started writing my first novel, “Coyote Courage,” I turned on my computer, opened up Microsoft Word and started typing away. I wasn’t too far in before I realized I needed to start making some notes: What kind of gun did I say Brock had? What was the name of the bartender? Did I say the trip took four days, or five?

After doing this for a while, and it becoming far too time consuming and cumbersome, I figured there had to be a better way. Admittedly, others probably would have gotten there sooner than I did, but get there I did! And I discovered, no surprise, there is a world of writing software out there designed to make writing your novel easier and more efficient.

I readily admit to not being a computer or software whiz, and my preference in all things software is easy and intuitive. I did a little research, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and read a few reviews and blog sites, and I wound up going with Storyist. I’m not sure if it’s the best, but it works for me. I cheat a little and still do my initial writing in Microsoft Word (which for many writers is all they ever need) and then move it over to Storyist — but having Storyist makes it simple to keep track of characters (main and minor), plot, timeline, locations and settings. As long as you are diligent about adding the information in (I do it following every chapter I write), it will always be available to you.

A little bit of research shows that there are plenty of novel management software options out there, beyond Word and Storyist. Scrivener and Ulysses seem to come up quite often. And keep in mind, you may not need/want any software beyond what you already have (Microsoft Word for many of us) and that’s perfectly OK. You just want to be comfortable while you’re writing and able to focus on the story and the actual writing and not get lost, distracted or waste time trying to remember if the sheriff’s name is Bill or Sam.

The right piece of software makes getting — and staying — organized much easier! Some of the available software will also help you develop your plot, edit your work, and even provide assistance and ideas for publishing and marketing your completed novel.

Do your own research, establish your own budget, determine your own needs (and those will probably change as you get further into the project) and then decide what works best for you — which is the only thing that matters in selecting your software.

Last hint. If you try one and it doesn’t work, change it! Whether you’re building a deck in the backyard or building a novel, having the right tools makes the job much easier. And writing a novel is hard enough; don’t make it any harder.

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!

Aug 24

Scott Harris Presents: Forum Featuring Western Author Michael D. Abbott

You can read the original interview, conducted by Scott Harris, by clicking here.

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

I suppose the mid-1980s was when I first started getting into Western films, but Western writing came much later — 2011 or so. I liked the drama in it. It was similar to science fiction, which focuses more on the future; Westerns focus more on the past. There’s something romantic about a wide-open world that is filled with endless possibilities. It’s what the pioneers faced, and I suppose that, after so many vacations spent all throughout the West, it was only natural that I somehow would craft stories that took place there, in the past.

Who are your three favorite Western writers?

Juliette Douglas and Kenneth Pratt are the two that have been the most help to me as a writer. Juliette’s characters are spunky, easy to relate to. Ken’s work is much more detailed and involved, with a depth that makes his books highly realistic. Scott, your style of storytelling is refreshing, and I see a lot of similarities in our work. Like yours, my stories are told in a combination of first- and third-person narrative, and I’ve always liked that way of conveying material.

Which Western do you wish you’d written?

There are LOTS of books I wish I’d written. “To Fame’s Proud Cliff” by Bob Dunbar is as fine a piece of historical fiction as I’ve ever read, and much of it takes place in the West. Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson’s story is a fascinating one, full of political intrigue and Native American background. I find the level of research that he put into it to be mind-boggling. “Willow Falls” by Kenneth Pratt is a classic Western told in a Christian style — not an easy thing to do with characters that can be violent, etc.

What is the most recent Western you’ve read?

“Coyote Courage,” your excellent Brock Clemons Western. I can’t speak highly enough of it.

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

  1. “Copperhead” by Juliette Douglas
  2.  “Willow Falls” by Kenneth Pratt
  3.  “Coyote Courage” by Scott Harris

What are your three favorite Western movies?

  1. “Dances With Wolves”
  2.  “Silverado”
  3.  “Open Range”

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

“Colorado Wind,” my first book. It is the most personal, took three years to write and established the characters in the “Western Wind Series.” My dad always wanted me to be a writer, something I hadn’t done since I was in high school. He knew I was writing a western and probably never dreamed I’d ever see it to completion. He never got the opportunity to read a single word of the rough draft, and died unexpectedly 15 months into the project. So I have a lot of regret that I didn’t work faster.

What is the most recent Western you’ve written?

“Yukon Wind,” the second installment in the “Western Wind Series,” was released April 7 of this year, and re-released under the Outlaws Publishing label last week. It took about two and a half years to complete it, and it takes place during the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s.

Can you tell us anything about your next book?

I have a number of projects in the works at the moment. The next book will be the first in a new series, tentatively titled “Cody,” a dramatic retelling of the life of Buffalo Bill Cody. “Wyoming Wind,” the third and final book in the “Western Wind Series,” is something else I’ve been working on. Then there’s “1906,” a fictionalized story centered around the Great San Francisco Earthquake and “Pilgrim,” a science fiction exploration story about people fleeing religious persecution on Earth. I’m also about a third of the way through an original “Star Trek” novel.

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?

The mid 1880s in Colorado. I’m drawn to Colorado mountain history in general, and have always found the mining and gambling industries in the state to be fascinating.

Is there a question you wish I’d asked?

Do you ever wish you might write a screenplay of any of your work?

The answer?

I do! I have no experience writing this kind of material, but could see myself someday completing something like this.

 

NOW AVAILABLE FROM MICHAEL D. ABBOTT!

 

 

Yukon Wind: A Western Adventure From The Author of "Colorado Wind" (The Western Wind Series Book 2) by [Abbott, Michael D., Thompson, Paul L.]

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY!

Aug 22

REBLOG: How To Write A Bestseller With Western Writer Scott Harris: Mile 5: When to Write

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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There are as many schools of thought regarding when the best time to write is as there are writers, or hours in the day. It would be easy to make this the shortest entry of all the Trail Notes…

Write when it’s right for you!

And in many ways, that is the best advice I can give you. We’re all different in the way we approach our projects. One of my assumptions is that writing is not the full-time occupation of those reading this. That most, if not all, of us have jobs, families, etc., that take up a huge part of our days. That means we need to carve writing time out of an already full schedule. If I may be so bold, I would suggest that blocks of time, with an hour being a minimum, are a good goal. Anything less than an hour and you’ll spend most of your allotted time just getting back on track and then “poof” you’re done.

I’ll share my process, which has been modified over time, but works very well for me. Some, all or none of it may work for you, but it gives you a starting point. I make it a goal to put at least two hours a day into my writing. Most of the time, that’s in the early morning, ideally from 4-6. I really try not to skip a day. However, only about five days a week are actually spent writing. The other days might be spent researching, reviewing or maybe doing some light editing. I’m still moving the project forward and feeling a sense of accomplishment, but perhaps not actually putting words on paper (or screen).

Others, of course, might work better late in the evening, after the day is done. I have friends who use their lunch hours to write, or only write on weekends when they can carve out larger blocks of time, the weekdays being too full, or too hectic. I have one friend who travels quite a bit for work and wrote an entire novel writing ONLY while he was flying. Some of my friends do their best thinking while driving and dictate into their phones — a word of caution here about driving safely!

The key is to find what works best for you. Hemingway wrote every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Not 8:45 or 9:15, but 9. And not until 1:30 or 2:30, but until 2. That worked for him. Try some different approaches and find the one that works best for you and fits into your professional and personal life, and then make an effort to establish — and stick to — a pattern. Your writing will benefit from the commitment.

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!

Aug 17

‘C- Bar – The C-Bar Ranch Western Adventure Series Book Six’ Is Now Available For Purchase

From the bestselling author of the “C-Bar” series comes his latest Western. This is “C-Bar: Volume Six” from Mark Baugher! 

Guns! Glory! Action! From Mark Baugher, the bestselling author of “Cimarron Frost, Bounty Hunter,” comes his latest Western, “C-Bar: Volume Six.” Action, adventure and gun-smarts come in many forms. For Baugher, it comes in the form of his ability to write Westerns—a Western he knows how to write better than almost anyone else.

Filled to the brim with action, adventure, plot twists and gunsight justice, you’ll find Dockie is not a man to be crossed. This is a book filled with the dead, the dying and those who don’t get in his way—because those who do cross Dockie end up dead. Real dead.

From the Author:

As stories emerge from my mind, some characters become favorites. This story introduces Shotgun Alice. I think she may be my favorite. On second thought, I know she is. 

 

 

Grab Your Copy By Clicking Here!

 

Aug 16

REBLOG: How To Write A Bestseller With Western Writer Scott Harris: Mile 4: Goal

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…

 

Image may contain: 1 person

Ok, I get it. The most obvious goal is write your book, have it published by a major New York publisher (after receiving a huge advance, negotiated by your prestigious, world-renowned agent), and watch it race up the New York Times best-seller list while the awards and reviews roll in. However, it’s possible, just possible, that you should have a fallback goal(s) in case some of that doesn’t happen until your second, or maybe even your third, book.

I am a huge fan of establishing goals. I wrote a business book, “RoadMap: A Guide to a Successful Strategic Marketing Plan,” and the centerpiece of the book is establishing goals. And there are two keys to a successful goal: they have to be measurable and have a timetable. For us, as writers, that takes what is usually a challenging task (at least in the business world) and simplifies it.

How many words? By when?

Every writer sees their writing time differently. Do you break yours down by month, week or day (the three most common, with daily goals being the most common)? Let’s take a look at an easy example.

You decide to write a novel (as compared to a short story or novella) and set 50,000 words (pretty standard for a Western) as your goal. It’s your first, so you generously allow yourself a year to write it. I’ll give you two weeks off over the holidays, so you have 50 weeks.

50,000 words, 50 weeks — you simply have to write 1,000 words per week. Voila!

It doesn’t seem so hard when you look at like that, right? Now, there are plenty of other way to look at goals. Some writers base their goals on writing a certain number of hours per day (or week, or month), word count be damned. Some set a daily (or weekly, or monthly) word goal, hours be damned. If this is your first attempt, you may want to dive into it, see how long it takes to bang out the first few thousand words (noticing that it gets easier after you’ve written the first few chapters) before setting hard goals.

For some, setting goals may be counter to what they’re trying to do. They may simply want to write when they feel like it, and if it takes a month or five years to write the book, it doesn’t matter. If that’s the case, don’t burden the project — or yourself — by adding goals. Just write and enjoy.

Certainly, there are other goals that need to be established that are important and related to publishing (if that is your goal) your book: an outline, research, finding a publisher, cover art, editing, proofing, etc. You’ll have plenty of goals as you go through the process (and we’ll do it together), but for now, let’s focus on when your book will be written.

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!

Aug 14

Western Hitmaker GP Hutchinson Talks About Books, The Western Genre And His Success!

(Scroll To The Bottom For The Interview)

GP Hutchinson, a member of Western Writers of America, fell in love with the Old West decades ago–the gritty reality of the era, the daunting yet breathtaking scope and scale of the land, and the colorful (if somewhat fanciful) tales of heroes and heroines who overcame the odds. Texas was his home for a few years, and subsequent visits to states throughout the West have only served to deepen his enthusiasm for the region and his appreciation of its people.

In 2015 he published his first Western novel, Strong Convictions, which won him the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award for Best First Western of that year, as well as a National Indie Excellence Award. Strong Suspicions, the second volume in the Emmett Strong Western series, garnered a Gold Medal in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.

Regarding Strong Convictions, Classic Western film star Alex Cord wrote, “GP Hutchinson has the gift to tell a compelling tale, enlighten you without preaching and keep you on the edge of your seat. He takes you on unexpected trails populated by flesh and blood characters of depth and substance.”

A graduate of Louisiana State University and Dallas Theological Seminary, Hutchinson has lived in Costa Rica and Spain. He currently resides in upstate South Carolina with his wife, Carolyn. Besides writing, he enjoys spending time in the mountains and horseback riding whenever the opportunity arises.

Visit his website at gphutchinson.com where you can sign up for e-mail updates and be the first to hear about new releases.

 

THE NEW GP HUTCHINSON HIT! HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT…

 

Looking for a fresh new angle on stories of the Old West? I believe I’ve got just the thing for you, and it’s coming in late August 2018. My latest novel, Cimarron Jack’s Real Wild West, includes many familiar elements from classic-style Westerns–cattle drives, conflicts between lawmen and outlaws, range wars, etc. But I’ve taken these elements and approached them from a perspective rarely presented in Western novels.

Synopsis…

Cimarron Jack Wheatley is just wrapping up a tremendously successful first tour with his very own highly acclaimed “Real Wild West Extravaganza” when his show is stricken by a rapid succession of oddly coincidental setbacks–injuries, formerly satisfied troupe members suddenly quitting, and then a catastrophic train wreck. It soon becomes apparent that someone intends to ruin the business that Jack has invested his entire life into–and end his life, as well. Now, everything that Cimarron Jack is supposed to represent as a symbol of Wild West heroism in the show, he is called upon to actually be in the deadly reality of chasing down answers and outlaws.

Don’t Miss It…

There’s plenty of rip-roaring Wild West action in this upcoming new novel. I’ve had you, the reader, in mind as I’ve written every page of it. The novel features engaging new Western characters and plenty of fictional drama, adventure, and romance set on an historically accurate stage.

Look for the book in paperback and eBook editions on Amazon in late August!

 

 

Aug 13

You’d Be A Fool To Ignore The Three Month Sales Rule

Image result for success

Change. It’s a strange thing, isn’t it?

I was talking with someone over the weekend who is currently going through a destructive divorce. “There was a song,” he said, “where the lyric was something like ‘true love takes a little longer.’ What they don’t tell you in these songs is how quickly things can end. One minute you’re visiting the Tower of London, and the next minute you’re fighting over who gets the couch! Why can’t things stay fresh?”

He’s right. You can be married in March and divorced in May in these turbulent days. Even if it is true love, even if it’s your one and only, the sheen can wear off and leave one of those married partners feeling lost, lonely and ready to throw in the towel.

It’s sad… and yet, here I am supposed to be talking about books. Western books. How does this relate? Well… think about it. You and your book have a special relationship—you both spend a lot of time together, you are in love with each other. The book is released and finds love from other readers, and the moment comes that you’ve been dreaming of—the book goes into the charts. That true love is blooming and blossoming in ways you never dreamed of… but then something happens. It starts to fall apart. The book starts dropping off the charts. It’s been read by the majority of the readership, and it’s starting to lose ground. Readers have found other loves.

You still love your book, but readers have moved on to other books. They’ve discovered other book friends to indulge. Now, some authors can get discouraged at this point. They lose confidence and feel downtrodden, like a jilted lover. It seems that the good times will never come back.

However, some authors know that the time a book will be highly popular is finite, so they have a new book already in motion, ready to strike as soon as their current release starts dropping. WHAM! They release that new one. WHAM! It hits the chart. WHAM! Readers keep reading and the love keeps pumping!

And we call this the “three-month rule.” All good things have to end—don’t they? We all would love books to keep selling forever, but that’s not likely in this world of constant change. That’s why many writers have something new ready to go when that sheen wears off their current release, and readers start moving to new books and fancies. Sticking to the three-month rule means that readers don’t have to wait long for something new from you—and each time is like the first time. The love stays brand spanking new.

“Only a fool ignores the three-month rule,” is a common mantra. You had a good thing, but all those good things have to end, don’t they? You have to play the game until you win. Just keep the three-month rule in mind, and have a new release ready to roll. If you can keep your good things going, then the good times will never end.

So, keep it in your mind that a book has a three-month run as a major seller, and have something new ready to come out towards the middle or end of that three-month run. What you’ll find is that those readers will keep coming back—and not just that. Continued success will keep bringing new readers in to read your previous books. That’s the power of the catalog—a whole different discussion. Perhaps I’ll do a blog about ‘catalog’ next. I rather enjoy talking about the book business.

So, keep in mind, if you currently have a book on the charts, you may want to consider working on that all-important follow-up. The three-month rule will serve you well if you listen to it. You’ll likely have a run of hits.

You can always contact me via the contact form below. I’d love to hear from you and hear your thoughts about the three-month rule. Hell, I’m currently on a reading binge, so send me a link to your book, too—I’d love to give it a try.

 

Aug 10

“The Call Of Coyote Canyon” Features Stories Inspired By Western Hitmaker Scott Harris And Will Be Released Soon!

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 stories inspired by his writing. A series of writers will write stories inspired by this great author. “The Call of Coyote Canyon” will be available soon… and you’ll love it!

 

Have You Tried All The Books In The “Shorty: U.S. Marshal” Series?

 

 

Click Here To Download Your Copy!

Aug 09

Western “Six Bullets To Sundown: Volume 14” Will Be Heading To Market Soon!

The latest book in the popular “Six Bullets to Sundown” series will be heading to market very soon. This great new volume will feature fantastic new western stories from Scott Harris, Mike Abbott, ‘Big’ Jim Williams, David Watts, M. Allen and former U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray.

This will be #14 in the series!

“I think this one will really show readers what western authors are capable of,” foreward writer Douglas R. Cobb said. “It’s got all the ingredients that make a really successful western collection.”

 

Have You Read Volume Thirteen?

 

Action, adventure, danger and love come at a high cost on the range. With gun in hand, a bounty hunter can make a name for himself, a sheriff can keep law and order, and a rancher can hold onto his property. With gun in hand, a man must make his mark in the wilderness of Western America…

These are the stories of pioneers, lawmen, bounty hunters and outlaws. These are tales of the Old West written by some of the most popular Western authors of today—six brands of steel from Michael Haden, Jim Burnett, M. Allen, Scott Harris, Michael D. Abbott and Robert Andrews. Six electrifying, intense, action-packed Western stories that will keep you riding, shootin’ and hunting down the outlaw in your neighborhood.

With the thirteenth volume of “Six Bullets to Sundown,” you will find that the West has never been more alive. Now ride, cowboy, and be a part of how the West was won!

Other titles by these Western authors are also available.