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The Business of Dying: The Complete Western Stories
by Richard S. Wheeler Traber Burns Pam WardCollected here are ten Western short stories by Richard S. Wheeler, the award-winning author who makes storytelling look easy.In “Mugs Birdsong’s Crime Academy,” celebrated criminal Mugs Birdsong decides to found an academy that will instruct lawmen on the ways and means of lawlessness. “The Last Days of Dominic Prince” is the tragic tale of a cattle baron and his final conflict with the forces of political correctness. “Dead Weight” introduces us to a coffin maker who constructs a work of art. And in the title story, two young men in the gold fields of California spend one last night together as one of them confronts his own imminent death.This collection also includes “The Square Reporter,” “A Commercial Proposition,” “The Great Filibuster of 1975,” “The Tinhorn’s Lady,” “Hearts,” and “Looking for Love at a Romance Writers Convention.”
But by the Grace of Dog
by A. F. HenleyThom Baron has been struggling with social anxiety his entire life. He's taken the medications, gone to the therapists, followed the programs, and concluded his best life is a solitary one. When he comes across a dog in obvious need at his local market, it rekindles the desire to have some company around. It may come with a dishevelled coat, a notched ear, and a refusal to respond to anything but its given name "Ugly," but it could still be a friend.However, Thom's new fur buddy has no such need to keep to itself and immediately befriends the man Thom has secretly coveted since he moved in -- Justin, Thom's gorgeous, bright-eyed neighbour. No matter how Thom tries to evade the man, the dog keeps drawing them back into each other's lives, and it doesn't take Thom long to recognize it's simply pursuing the demands of Thom's own heart. With the dog giving him the courage to try, Thom reaches out to return the love being offered.Until a stranger shows up insisting the dog is his and demanding its immediate return ... a loss Thom knows will take all of his efforts and newfound confidence with it.
Butch Cassidy The Lost Years (Butch Cassidy the Lost Years #1)
by William W. Johnstone J.A. Johnstone"An entertaining story with lots of plot twists." --BooklistThe Greatest Western Writer Of The 21st Century In a small Texas town in 1950, a Pinkerton detective interrupts an old-timer's game of dominos to learn the truth about Butch Cassidy--who is still very much alive and well. In fact, he's the old-timer playing dominos. Seems that after surviving the infamous shootout in Bolivia that claimed the life of his partner the Sundance Kid, Butch returns to Texas searching for a place to call home. When he comes across a dying rancher who'd been shot by some rustlers, Butch promises to avenge him--and take over the ranch after his death. Assuming the name Jim Strickland, Butch begins a new chapter in his life. But trouble has a way of finding Butch. A corrupt railroad baron pulls him into the most dangerous train robbery he's ever attempted. But if Butch Cassidy is going to ride again, it'll have to be with a newer, and wilder, Wild Bunch. . . "Johnstone is a masterful storyteller, creating a tale that is fanciful and funny, exciting and surprisingly convincing. . .great fun." --Publishers Weekly
The Butcher of Baxter Pass: The Butcher Of Baxter Pass (Hell's Half Acre #3)
by William W. Johnstone J. A. JohnstoneTHE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURYBestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone turn up the heat for one heck of a showdown with lawman Jess Casey—when the devil goes down to Texas…THE MOST HATED MAN IN THE SOUTHThey call him "The Butcher of Baxter Pass," the notorious former Union General who massacred 200 Conferate prisoners—just because he could. Now it’s Sheriff Jess Casey’s unenviable job to protect the bloodthirsty murderer from those who want him dead, which turns out be pretty much everyone south of the Mason-Dixon Line. When the Butcher arrives in Fort Worth—followed by the vengeance-hungry McNamara clan—Casey has to swallow his disgust and uphold the law, even if it means saving a mass murderer’s hide. But it won’t be easy. He’s outgunned by a dozen ex-Rebel avengers who lost three of their kin to the Butcher and will shoot anyone who gets in their way. Unfortunately for them, Sheriff Casey is the one man who’s brave enough—and crazy enough—to try and stop them…
Butcher's Crossing
by John WilliamsIn his National Book Award–winning novel Augustus, John Williams uncovered the secrets of ancient Rome. With Butcher’s Crossing, his fiercely intelligent, beautifully written western, Williams dismantles the myths of modern America. It is the 1870s, and Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek “an original relation to nature,” drops out of Harvard and heads west. He washes up in Butcher’s Crossing, a small Kansas town on the outskirts of nowhere. Butcher’s Crossing is full of restless men looking for ways to make money and ways to waste it. Before long Andrews strikes up a friendship with one of them, a man who regales Andrews with tales of immense herds of buffalo, ready for the taking, hidden away in a beautiful valley deep in the Colorado Rockies. He convinces Andrews to join in an expedition to track the animals down. The journey out is grueling, but at the end is a place of paradisal richness. Once there, however, the three men abandon themselves to an orgy of slaughter, so caught up in killing buffalo that they lose all sense of time. Winter soon overtakes them: they are snowed in. Next spring, half-insane with cabin fever, cold, and hunger, they stagger back to Butcher’s Crossing to find a world as irremediably changed as they have been.
Butchery of the Mountain Man (Mountain Man #41)
by William W. Johnstone J. A. JohnstoneThe Greatest Western Writer Of The 21st CenturyIn Montana Territory, one name above all others strikes fear and hatred in the hearts of the Crow Indians--John Jackson, better known these days as Liver-Eating Jackson. Consumed by grief and rage, the mountain man has brutally killed ten braves so far in his one-man war of vengeance against the Crow, who murdered his beloved wife. Smoke Jensen knows Jackson by another name--"friend." He's not sure to what extent Jackson's exploits are true--devastating loss and frontier savagery have certainly driven lesser men mad. While doing some trapping in the territory, Smoke hears that twenty of the Crow's most fearsome warriors have banded together to hunt down their nemesis. Without a second thought, he rushes to his old friend's aid. But even with Smoke Jensen at his side, the fierce and fearless Liver-Eating Jackson may not be able to beat the odds this time. . .
Buttercup Farms (The Ryan Family)
by Carolyn BrownOne horse trainer finds his heart opening up to new possibilities—and a second chance at love—in this heartwarming story from the New York Times bestselling author of Small Town Charm. Mama Pearl always told Lucas that home is where the heart is. But after two decades of constantly moving from place to place, he&’s not sure he agrees. Lucas&’s dream is to travel with his two trained therapy horses as much as he can and help children around the world. But a promise—and a silent yearning for a family of his own—takes him back to his family&’s ranch in Honey Grove, Texas. There, he reunites with his high school crush, Vada. A single mom, Vada needs Lucas&’s skills with therapy horses to help her son come out of his shell. As they slowly get to know each other again, a spark ignites between them that neither of them wants to put out. Maybe Lucas will finally hang his hat with this woman—for good.
Buzzard Bait (A Widowmaker Jones Western #2)
by Brett CogburnTwo-time Spur Award winner Brett Cogburn brings back the true grit and glory of the Old West—with a hero as glorious as the author’s real-life ancestor Rooster Cogburn . . . THEY CALL HIM THE “WIDOWMAKER” Newt Jones is none too proud of his deadly nickname. But when you tangle with the likes of Judge Roy Bean and the notorious Mexican outlaw Juan Cortina, a man’s bound to earn a reputation. Or get stuck with a moniker like “Widowmaker.” Even so, Newt is ready to put his gunslinging days behind him, hang up his Winchester, and take it easy. There’s just one problem: Ain’t nothing easy about living in Apache country . . . When Newt gets word that a renegade tribe has kidnapped Matilda Redding’s grandson, he can’t just sit by and let the local authorities bungle it. Matilda once did him a good turn up on the Pecos and—flat broke and half drunk or not—he’s got to help the old gal out. So he saddles up his horse, straps on his dead man’s gun, and sets off to save this boy before he’s buzzard chow. Sure, Newt’s outnumbered, outgunned, and probably out of his mind. But they don’t call him Widowmaker Jones for nothing . . .
Buzzard's Bluff (Ben Savage, Saloon Ranger #1)
by William W. Johnstone J.A. JohnstoneJOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WILDER THAN EVER. Welcome to the Lost Coyote Saloon. Saddle up to the bar and order a whiskey. Play a few hands of poker. But don&’t make any trouble. The new owner is savage. Ben Savage. Once a Texas Ranger, he&’s always cocked and ready for some fool to come looking for payback . . .EAT, DRINK, AND BE WARY When Ben Savage receives a telegram informing him that an old friend died—and left him his saloon—he&’s not sure what to think. Western saloons are as wild as it gets, full of rowdy ranchers and cocky cowboys, high-stakes gamblers and low-life drifters, hard liquor and easy women. Then there&’s the occasional outlaw gang. But when Savage travels to Buzzard&’s Bluff, Texas, to check out his inheritance, he meets the saloon&’s lovely manager, Rachel Baskin, and has a change of heart. As an experienced lawman, he figures he can run a decent establishment. Keep things friendly, peaceful, and orderly. There&’s just one problem: as a longtime Pinkerton agent, Ben has made a lot of enemies. And some of them are bound to turn up in his saloon—thirsty for whiskey . . . and revenge . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
Buzzard's Roost
by W. F. BraggGalloping Jack Johnson had spent most of his life around cattle, and he was looking forward to getting into the high country near Eagle River and to associating solely with trout for a couple of weeks. To carry his pack he rented a mule, which somehow escaped and stampeded a herd of cattle. That brought the wrath of big Mort Hooker of the Flag Six spread on the vacationing waddy, and once he had helped round up the cows Jack had to stop to fight Mort. That led to an even more horrendous experience at a goose ranch, where Jack became an unwilling goose herder. By the time he had finished that ordeal, he'd become practically a local citizen, and knew all about the mysterious badman who holed up in the Buzzard's Roost. So he figured he might as well stay on awhile longer and buy into the trouble too.
By Sorrow’s River: A Novel
by Larry McmurtryIn this tale of high-spirited and terrifying adventure, set against the background of the West that Larry McMurtry has made his own,By Sorrow's Riveris an epic in its own right, with an extraordinary young woman as its leading figure. At the heart of this third volume of his Western saga remains the beautiful and determined Tasmin Berrybender, now married to the "Sin Killer" and mother to their young son, Monty. By Sorrow's Rivercontinues the Berrybender party's trail across the endless Great Plains of the West toward Santa Fe, where they intend, those who are lucky enough to survive the journey, to spend the winter. They meet up with a vast array of characters from the history of the West: Kit Carson, the famous scout; Le Partezon, the fearsome Sioux war chief; two aristocratic Frenchmen whose eccentric aim is to cross the Great Plains by hot air balloon; a party of slavers; a band of raiding Pawnee; and many other astonishing characters who prove, once again, that the rolling, grassy plains are not, in fact, nearly as empty of life as they look. Most of what is there is dangerous and hostile, even when faced with Tasmin's remarkable, frosty sangfroid. She is one of the strongest and most interesting of Larry McMurtry's women characters, and is at the center of this powerful and ambitious novel of the West.
By the Neck (A Stoneface Finnegan Western #1)
by William W. Johnstone J.A. JohnstoneIntroducing a new western hero in the grand Johnstone tradition: a mining town saloonkeeper who serves up justice like a shot of liquor—150-proof. JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. BOOMTOWN JUSTICE. Rollie Finnegan is a man of few words. As a Pinkerton agent with two decades of experience under his belt, he uses his stony silence to break down suspects and squeeze out confessions. Hence the nickname Stoneface. Over the years, he&’s locked up plenty of killers. Now he&’s ready to make a killing—for himself . . . There&’s gold in the mountains of Idaho Territory. And the town of Boar Gulch is a golden opportunity for a tough guy like Finnegan. But when he arrives, the local saloon owner is gunned down in cold blood—and Finnegan makes a cold calculation of his own. Instead of working in a mine, he&’ll buy the saloon. Instead of gold, he&’ll mine the miners. And instead of getting dirty, he&’ll clean up this grimy little boomtown once and for all—with his own brand of Stoneface justice . . .
Byme-By-Tarpon
by Zane GreyZane Grey (January 31, 1872 - October 23, 1939) was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the American frontier, including the novel Riders of the Purple Sage, his bes selling book. This is one of his stories.
C.H. Admirand Bundle
by C. H. AdmirandGet swept away with C.H. Admirand, a storyteller with "amazing flair...Readers will be left panting."--RT Book Reviews (4 stars). "Poignant...well written and just plain delightful."--Romance Junkies "Guaranteed to sizzle in your hands."--Long and Short Reviews Welcome to Pleasure, Texas, where the cash-strapped Garahan boys have found that desperate times call for desperate measures... Discover this sizzling Secret Life of Cowboys trilogy and get all three books for one low price. About the Books in this Bundle 1. Tyler When Tyler Garahan said he'd do anything to save his family's ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies' club. But the club's fiery redheaded bookkeeper Emily Langley soon captures Tyler's attention, and for her, he'll swallow his pride...but as it turns out, his beautiful boss may need him just as much as he needs her. 2. Dylan Dylan Garahan might be an old hand at lassoing fillies, but one night at the Lucky Star club, he ends up wrapping his rope around the untamable Ronnie DelVecchio. She's wily and beautiful... and she's his new boss. Dylan's had his heart broken before, and Ronnie has had her fill of men she can't trust. Can this handsome rancher convince her to get off her high horse? 3. Jesse Jesse Garahan has plenty of Irish charm, but having had his heart demolished twice, he's sworn off women forever. Until the fateful day he meets Danielle Brockway and her tiny daughter on their way to their new home in Pleasure, Texas. Fiercely protective of her little girl, Danielle isn't about to let Jesse get anywhere close enough to hurt either of them, no matter how much longing she sees in his eyes...
Cabin Fever
by B. M. BowerB. M. Bower, was an American author who wrote novels, fictional short stories, and screenplays about the American Old West. This is one of her stories.
Cactus Cavalier
by Norman A. FoxThe big man wore no gun. He stood in the dust of Swayback's main street, full of wild anger. And as Dave Larkin watched from his hotel window, he saw it all happen: the boy playing in the street, the big man picking up a stone, the man at the saloon door moving for his gun. Suddenly a child was dead, and Larkin was about to become the law in a town on its knees. Larkin traveled a thousand miles to return to Swayback and a woman who hadn't waited for him. And he would have ridden out that same night if he hadn't seen the killing and the way saloon owner Nick Diamond laughed it off. Now Larkin can't go anywhere. Not before he takes on Diamond's gang of thieves and killers with a blazing six-gun and his fists. Not before he lives or dies in the place he'd once called home.
Cactus Rose
by Samantha HarteIn the heat of the southwest, desire is the kindling for two lost souls—and the flame of passion threatens to consume them both. Rosie Saladay needs to get married—fast. The young widow needs help to protect her late husband’s ranch, but no decent woman can live alone with a hired hand. With the wealthy Wesley Morris making a play for her land, Rosie needs a husband or she risks losing everything. So she hangs a sign at the local saloon: “Husband wanted. Apply inside. No conjugal rights.” Delmar Grant is a sucker for a damsel in distress, and even with Rosie’s restrictions on “boots under her bed” stated firmly in black and white, something about the lovely widow’s plea leaves him unable to turn away her proposal of marriage. Though neither planned on falling in love, passion ignites between the unlikely couple. But their buried secrets—and enemies with both greed and a grudge—threaten to tear them apart. They’ll discover this marriage of convenience may cost them more than they could have ever bargained for.
Cade Coulter's Return
by Lois Faye DyerWhen he left Montana thirteen years ago, Cade Coulter swore he'd never return. But Joseph Coulter's first-born couldn't turn his back on the ailing family ranch. Or the woman who'd been given a home at the Triple C. With his irresistible blend of danger and potent masculinity, Cade was the quintessential cowboy. But Mariah Jones believed that beneath the loner's gruff facade was a man who secretly longed to reconnect with his family. Why else would he have come back to Indian Springs? She'd made a promise to Cade's father-one she intended to keep. And now she was in danger of losing her own heart to the sexy, guarded rancher...
A Cadence Creek Christmas
by Donna AlwardIt's Christmas in Donna Alward's Cadence Creek...Taylor Shepard has come to Cadence Creek to organize her brother's Christmas wedding. Organizing such a special event might be a little bit stressful-but she can't deny she's swept away by the town's holiday charm...and by brooding rancher Rhys Bullock.Loner Rhys has been burned far too many times in the past. He's sure he has city girl Taylor all figured out-she'll be hightailing it straight back to the city in a few days! But as the snow starts to fall, Rhys and Taylor embark on a tentative winter romance. Could Taylor be the Christmas present Rhys never even knew he wanted?
Caine's Reckoning
by Sarah MccartyCaine Allen is definitely not the marrying kind. But when he rescues a kidnapped woman and returns her to town, his honor and his desire for Desi won't allow him to let her go.From the moment he beds Desi, Caine knows turmoil will follow. Desi might have the face of a temptress, but she also has a will of iron. And while she needs his protection, she's determined that no man will control her again. They establish an uneasy bond, but it isn't enough for Caine. All he wants is to keep her in his bed. But with a bounty still on her head, first he must keep her alive.
Calamity in the Cold (The Oregon Trail #8)
by Jesse WileyIn this choose-your-own-trail experience, you're traveling all the way from Florida, heading West to the Oregon Trail. See if you can make it to Oregon City!It's 1845 and your family is fleeing Florida with hopes of starting fresh out west. You'll encounter sudden snowstorms that will overwhelm your wagon train en route to the Oregon Trail. Food will become scarce--and you'll get lost. Can you survive the unseasonably cold climates? If you make the right choices, you could find the Lewis-Clark Trail, which would lead back to the Oregon Trail—though it will take longer than you'd planned. Do you have the supplies to last? Can you survive the harsh cold and sickness, pioneer? Choose right and blaze a trail to Oregon City! Includes a map and useful tips on how to survive the Trail.
The Calamity Janes: Cassie
by Sherryl Woods#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods returns with a story of the Calamity Janes...fierce friends facing challenges in life and love. Cassie Collins has returned to reconnect with her oldest friends, the Calamity Janes, and put her troubles behind her. But trouble finds her in the disconcertingly sexy form of Cole Davis--father of her child. Having discovered her secret, Cole demands a marriage of convenience--or Cassie could lose her son to the powerful, wealthy Davis clan. Time hadn't dulled Cassie's anger at the man who'd betrayed her 10 years ago...nor cooled the fiery attraction between them. Could she rekindle their long-lost love, and unite Cole, herself, and their son in the precious bonds of family? Originally published as Do You Take This Rebel.
The Calamity Janes: Gina
by Sherryl Woods#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods returns with a story of the Calamity Janes...fierce friends facing challenges in life and love. On the run from her troubles, Gina Petrillo seeks out the support of her oldest friends, the Calamity Janes...until trouble follows her home to Winding River, Wyoming. City-slicker lawyer Rafe O'Donnell is in hot pursuit of Gina, and he doesn't intend to let his sexy suspect out of his sight. But shadowing Gina could prove a challenge, because despite his distrust, Gina's mouthwatering kisses are irresistible. And while Rafe is out to catch a thief--she just might steal his heart! Originally published as To Catch a Thief.
The Calamity Janes: Emma
by Sherryl Woods#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods returns with a story of the Calamity Janes...fierce friends facing challenges in life and love. What would Emma Rogers do without her oldest friends, the Calamity Janes? As teenagers in Winding River Wyoming, they'd supported her ambitious dreams. A decade later, when Emma went home, struggling with single motherhood and career pressures as a top Denver attorney, Cassie, Karen, Gina and Lauren rallied around her. But why are the Calamity Janes urging her to look with favor on her sexy nemesis, Ford Hamilton? Isn't it bad enough that her young daughter is singing the praises of the heart-stoppingly handsome publisher who'd clashed repeatedly with Emma on a controversial court case? Worst of all, Emma's own heart is strongly tempted by Ford's offer to match wits--and join hearts--with him for a lifetime! Originally published as The Calamity Janes.