Here’s a nice article on how the Western genre has become fun again, thanks to an influx of writers willing to break the genre conventions. The old-timers won’t like the supernatural aspects, but I think it’s terrific. And Ghost Marshal has seen an uptick in sales, so yay!
From io9: Wild West novels have suddenly gotten a while new exciting lease on life.
At Wild Bill Hickok’s gravesite atop Mount Moriah Cemetery, in Deadwood, South Dakota. It’s a peaceful place, full of history.
I’m proud to announce that my epic tale of the Lewis & Clark expedition, Lewis & Clark: Adventures West, is now available as an ebook! If you have a kid in school who needs to do a report on American history, or you just want to experience the adventure for yourself, this is the book for you.
This ebook has been a long time coming. Originally published in hardcover in 2005, it sold in museums and bookstores across the country during the expedition’s bicentennial celebration, and it was a finalist at the 17th Annual Minnesota Book Awards.
Because the 192-page book is so design intensive (featuring 187 photos and illustrations, 4 maps, travel tips, glossary, and index), until now it didn’t lend itself well to ebook formatting. But last month Amazon released its “Kindle Textbook Creator” software, which made turning the book into digital ebook format a snap. While I was at it, I updated the text and added more photos for you to enjoy.
To conduct research for this book, I retraced the expedition’s entire journey, from St. Louis all the way to the Pacific Ocean. I took all the contemporary photography, showing you how all the major expedition sites look today.
Head on over to Amazon to download. Note that it’s not meant for e-ink devices. It’ll display in gorgeous color on Kindle Fires, plus iPads, Android tablets, and PCs and Macs with the free Kindle app.
Download your copy on Amazon: Lewis & Clark: Adventures West
I’m as happy as a puppy dog with two tails! My book, Battle of the Little Bighorn (Abdo Publishing) was named a Spur Award Finalist today by the Western Writers of America. Thanks to my sweetie Sue Hamilton for doing an awesome job of art directing and unearthing some really unique photos. Here’s a little info about the Spur Awards: Western Writers of America
I just received this photo of my old neighbor the B-52 navigator at his new base in Louisiana, holding up my B-52 book in front of his B-52. As a friend put it, I wonder if this is like holding a mirror up in front of a mirror?
Yeehaw, buckaroos! I just finished the cover designs for a new book series destined for publication in the following months. This first set of titles includes Wild Bill Hickok, Annie Oakley, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
This is a re-boot of my Heroes and Villains of the Wild West biography series for young adults, which has gone out of print in hardcover. Now you won’t have to hunt for them on eBay or in dusty libraries. The e-book versions will be available as single titles, or all six books bundled together. Each book is about 5,000 words, perfect for school reports, or for adults who want to learn a little something about the American West and the wild and wooly people who made it so fascinating. Stay tuned for more details, or sign up for my newsletter to be notified by email when this series becomes available.
A Message For the Living (From my recently published young-adult book, “Battle of the Little Bighorn”)
In south-central Montana, just off Interstate 90 about 65 miles (105 km) from Billings, Montana, the United States National Park Service oversees Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. In 1876, the area was the scene of warfare and carnage. Today, it is hallowed ground, a peaceful place for people to learn and reflect.
The park preserves the battlefield, and also serves as a memorial to the people who fought and died there. It is the only battlefield in the country with white stone markers representing where soldiers fell in battle. There are also 17 red stone markers that show where Native Americans died. (Many more Indians died at the battle, but these 17 are confirmed by family oral histories.) George Armstrong Custer’s marker shows where he died on Last Stand Hill, along with many of his comrades.
Also on Last Stand Hill are two memorials. A large stone marker commemorates soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry who died on the battlefield. It was placed in 1881. In 2003, the “Peace Through Unity” Indian Memorial was dedicated to honor Native American men, women, and children who died on the sacred ground defending their way of life. The memorial was built to “encourage peace among all the races.”
I’m back from a short three-day, 1,900-mile trip to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. It’s always good to fill my lungs with clean Western air, even if just for a little while. I was mainly conducting research for book 2 of the Ghost Marshal trilogy, but also shooting some photography for a set of ebooks I’ll be releasing soon on heroes and villains of the old West. Here I am at Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, which plays an important part in the next novel. (Thanks to my sweetie Sue for the photo.) I love this place. The light changes from minute to minute. It’s hard to capture adequately with a camera. It’s one of those places you just have to see in person, even though it’s a bit out of the way (but the drive there is very pretty, just an hour or so north of I-90, northwest of the Black Hills). If you go, be sure to take the loop trail around the tower. The north side, away from the parking lot and most of the hubbub, is peaceful and quiet, and helps you better understand why it’s such a sacred spot for Native Americans.
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