Border Lords and Armstrong's War
Page 21
In selecting new titles for publication, Barking Rain Press considers authors at all points in their careers. Our goal is to support the development of emerging and mid-career authors—not just single books—as we know from experience that a writer’s audience is cultivated over the course of several books.
Support for these efforts comes primarily from the sale of our publications; we also hope to attract grant funding and private donations. Whether you are a reader or a writer, we invite you to take a stand for independent publishing and become more involved with Barking Rain Press. With your support, we can make sure that talented writers thrive, and that their books reach the hands of spirited, curious readers. Find out more at our website.
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Other Titles Available from Barking Rain Press
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Bounty Hunter’s Moon
by Lee Pierce
Print ISBN: 978-1-935460-35-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-935460-36-6
Weary of hunting men for a living—first as a Texas Ranger, then as a bounty hunter—Pharaoh Smith sets out on what he hopes will be a fast and lucrative bounty to end his long career. But nothing’s ever been easy for Pharaoh, and right on cue his latest manhunt quickly spirals into death and deception on an epic scale as bounty hunters, outlaws, crooked lawmen and bullets light up the Old West in this thrilling adventure novel.
When three armed men rob a Wells Fargo Stage and kill a passenger, a one thousand dollar reward is offered for their capture. But as fate would have it, Pharaoh isn’t the only manhunter on the crooks’ trail. Two bounty hunters with unsavory reputations, Shadrach “Sweet Tater” Johnson and Roscoe Buffalo Soldier, are also on the trail to claim the reward money. But after attempts are made on all of their lives, Pharaoh and the others realize that this is about something more than a stage robbery.
A thousand dollars split three ways isn’t what any of them had in mind, but the three bounty hunters are forced to form an uneasy alliance to figure out what’s really going on before they all end up dead.
“Lee Pierce has a talent for creating suspenseful tales with believable, many-faceted characters. Readers are in for a great ride!” —Margaret Tessler, author, Black Widow, White Lies
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The Treasure of Peta Nocona
by Lee Pierce
Print ISBN: 978-1-935460-70-1
eBook ISBN: 978-1-935460-71-8
Mace Brown wasn’t his real name. He used to be one of the deadliest gunfighters in the Southwest, but eventually he grew tired of the “kill or be killed” lifestyle, rode off into the desert—and simply disappeared.
When Boston archeologist Dr. Jemima Carstairs arrives in Oneida, Texas to survey and study ancient Indian ruins in the Palo Duro Canyon, Mace reluctantly agrees to lead the expedition.
Unaware that a gang of outlaws is dogging their heels, and a Comanche war chief and his band of renegades are also roaming the plains south of Oneida, Mace and his crew set off with the archeologists into Palo Duro country.
Their scholarly quest for Native American artifacts will quickly become a struggle for survival.
“More than an ‘A-Z Guide to Gunslinger Lingo,’ the robust characters balloon far bigger and grander than a single dimension, freeing the reader from any previous stereotypes they may have of people and places in the Old West. Pierce’s quick-draw dialogue lends authenticity to the dusted-up action and drama at play between the characters.” —Jennifer Leeper, author, Padre: The Narrowing Path
“Pierce draws an unflinching parallel between the desperation of Old West characters and the harsh topography and weather of the Texas panhandle. It keeps you guessing until the end, as people, relationships, and locales are rarely as they first appear.” —James M. Jackson, author, Seamus McCree Mysteries
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Winner Take None
by Greg Comer
Print ISBN: 978-1-941295-52-6
eBook ISBN: 978-1-941295-00-7
Can a 14-year-old orphan out-con a heartless bunch of rustlers, hustlers and railroad thugs?
When Deuter Seebea loses his family and only friend on the way to Oregon in 1879, he has no place to go, and nobody to turn to. He flees his friend’s murderer and ends up in Railstop, a shantytown in Montana Territory that’s populated by ne’er-do-wells, shady ladies—and a maniacal cat named MaryBelle.
Deuter quickly learns the hard way that if he wants something done, he’ll have to do it himself—and watch his own back. He soon discovers that the conniving residents built Railstop directly in the path of the approaching FI&R Railroad line for the sole purpose of extorting a windfall settlement. When the payoff finally comes, however, it’s every man, woman, and cat for themselves in a ruthless—and hilarious—quest for wealth, glory, and hootch whiskey.
Winner take all, or winner take none, Deuter is willing to fight and scheme for his unfair share of the spoils.
“Solidly written and a first class entertainment from beginning to end, Greg Comer’s Winner Take None is a deftly crafted novel that showcases the author’s impressive talents as an original and skilled storyteller. Very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections, in print or eBook.” — Able Greenspan, Midwest Book Review
“A hilarious retelling of the settlement of the West, Winner Take None is both a light-hearted adventure novel and a treatise on the ugly roots of American capitalism. Comer tells this story with the humorous style and cutting social commentary of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, along with the occasional absurdity of Monty Python.” — Montana Quarterly
“A vividly rendered debut novel by Greg Comer set in the frontier country of 19th-century Montana. Evocative descriptions and crisp, salty dialogue liven up the proceedings, often with a dash of humor. What emerges in the end is an entertaining peek at an important moment in American history, when the glamour of gold was still glittering bright and the West was being won one small outpost at a time. A richly satisfying slice of Americana.” — Kirkus Review
“An in-your-face, authentic take on the wild, Wild West! Comer’s sensuous writing drew me in as if the story was a movie. The Queen’s English is mixed with pioneer vernacular to create hilarious metaphors that lighten this tale of greed, corruption, and survival mentality. As the railroad plows over the land, imposing ‘Intimate Domain’ for the cause of ‘Man’s Infest Destiny,’ the story becomes a fun, fast-paced read.” — Sheri S. Levy, author, Seven Days to Goodbye
“Greg Comer slices up a Montana-sized claim for the reader’s pleasure, with hardscrabble, larger-than-life characters who are perfectly captured in all their unscrupulous glory. The gritty dialog propels Deuter, Hogbottom, and the rest of the Railstop gang on a one-way track to ill-gotten gains by crash-landing into a railroad that’s scheduled to run through the black-humored heart of this colorful pioneer town.” — Jennifer Leeper, author, Padre: The Narrowing Path
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The Devil’s Blues
Crime Fighting Bluesmen series, Book 2
by Ricky Bush
Print ISBN: 978-1-935460-22-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-935460-23-7
When the best blues harp customizer in Texas rushes up the steps of the First Christian Church, he finds the doors have been chained shut. A massive explosion sends him to a Houston hospital where he is charged with the murder of the entire congregation—including his wife and daughter.
Enter Mitty Andersen, ex-investigative reporter turned blues musician, who was talking to him about a new harmonica order just before the
church blew up. Sensing that an innocent man is being railroaded by an overzealous lawman, Mitty once again teams up with his “partner in chime,” Pete Bolden, to find out who’s really behind a string of church bombings.
In their quest for justice, the duo form an uneasy alliance with two ATF agents and soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a secret anti-Christian paramilitary organization known as S.O.S.: the Soldiers of Satan. Can Mitty and Pete dodge the wrath—and bullets—of the S.O.S. operatives long enough to stop the next bombing?
This thrilling sequel to River Bottom Blues lives up to the first book and leaves you hoping for another one!
“An old-fashioned romp through the Texas countryside pitting good against evil. Evil masquerades in black & white, but good is found in bluesmen Mitty Andersen and Pete Bolden—for whom friendship is golden. If you’re a blues fan, you’ll love how the musical references are interwoven in the story. If you’re not, you’ll get enough blues in your blood by osmosis to change your mind.” — James M. Jackson, author, Bad Policy
“Blues and crime make pitch-perfect partners once again thanks to the talented pen of Ricky Bush. Turn the lights down low, put on some blues even lower, and lose yourself in The Devil’s Blues.—P.S. Gifford, author, Curiously Twisted Tales
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Cabin Fever
Seamus McCree Mysteries, Book 2
by James M. Jackson
Print ISBN: 978-1-935460-90-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-935460-91-6
Financial crimes investigator Seamus McCree returns in this thrilling sequel to Bad Policy. With his house in Cincinnati in ruins, Seamus retreats to the family cabin for some well-earned rest and relaxation. But his plans for a quiet, contemplative winter in the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are thrown out the window when he discovers a naked woman on his porch during a blizzard. The mystery woman is suffering from hypothermia, frostbite, high fevers, amnesia—and rope burns on her wrists and ankles.
Snowbound at the cabin, without transportation or phone coverage, Seamus struggles to keep the woman alive and find a way to get an SOS message out. What he doesn’t know is that a domestic paramilitary organization is hunting for an escaped female prisoner—and closing in on his isolated refuge.As the body count climbs, all trails seem to lead back to him, and Seamus is forced to go underground to find out who is framing him—and why—before he becomes the next victim.
“A satisfying saga with a story line that’s complex and unpredictable. With its combination of social consciousness, political action, intrigue, and family relationships, Cabin Fever will satisfy any mystery or thriller reader.” — D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“With a reluctant sleuth, his super-geek son, evasive characters, and one plot twist after another, Jackson leads us on a high-suspense adventure in the frozen Michigan woods. The second Seamus McCree mystery will give you anything but cabin fever — you won’t want to leave your chair until you finish it.” — Edith Maxwell, A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die and Speaking of Murder (written as Tace Baker)
“Jackson makes the frozen Northwoods come alive in this atmospheric thriller. The Seamus McCree series is one to watch!” — Steve Hamilton, Edgar winning author, Let it Burn
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Padre: The Narrowing Path
by Jennifer Leeper
Print ISBN: 978-1-941295-09-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-941295-10-6
Russell Capshaw is a successful New York advertising executive who tries to stave off his mid-life crisis with an extended drug binge in the Far East. After treatment in a detox facility in Dublin, Ireland, he pays a visit to his estranged uncle, who has recently experienced a spiritual reversion to Catholicism—a faith that Russell himself left behind in childhood. Caught up in the spell of his uncle’s quiet devotion and the lush Irish landscape, Russell finds himself drawn to a new and very different life.
After joining the priesthood and taking the name Father John, he is sent to serve the parish of the Raramuri tribe in the canyons of the Sierra Madre in Mexico. There he learns that the tribesmen are being kidnapped by the local narcotrafficantes as forced labor for their drug fields.
As the Raramuri leaders carry out raids on the drug camps to rescue their enslaved people, Father John strives to keep from getting involved by focusing on restoring the parish church and ministering to the people. But as the violence escalates, the lines between spiritual and worldly matters are stretched to the breaking point in a final, bloody showdown between the villagers and the narcotrafficantes.
“A perfect blend of fast-paced action and thoughtful introspection. From the very beginning, Leeper’s voice captivated me. This is a tale that spans the cultures of the globe and the intricacies of the human heart. — Val Muller, author, The Scarred Letter
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Stress Fractures
Kevin Markinson series, Book 2
by J.E. Seymour
Print ISBN: 978-1-941295-03-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-941295-04-5
Mob “troubleshooter” Kevin Markinson returns in this thrilling prequel to Lead Poisoning. Kevin Markinson hasn’t been broken… yet. Serving as a Marine sniper in Vietnam didn’t make him snap. Working as a CIA assassin didn’t faze him. Doing time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit was hard, but he managed to keep his tough and cool façade in place.
But when his mob boss decides to break him out of prison, he begins to discover the cracks in his emotional armor as things go from bad to worse. Little fissures open larger stress fractures as first he is injured and then taken hostage by a gang of thugs—along with a troubled teenage boy.
With law enforcement closing in, can Markinson keep himself from falling completely apart long enough to protect the kid and avoid a return trip to prison?
“An action-packed tale of one man’s search for the truth, and his desperate escape from injustice. It’s a tale of love, hope, and decency in the face of almost-certain death. Kevin Markinson is a truly unique hero, flawed and dangerous, but with an unbreakable strain of nobility that makes this story so compelling.” —Mark Pryor, author, Hugo Marston series and As She Lay Sleeping
“Stress Factures is a fine criminal novel involving society’s outcasts — an accused killer and a young, troubled boy — who help each other and learn from each other as they try to make their way through a hostile world. With twists and turns and fine plotting and characterization, the pace never lets up. Very much recommended!” — Brendan DuBois, author, Fatal Harbor
“Fugitive Kevin Markinson comes back into the spotlight in this suspenseful story of a father and husband who acts with a moral compass even while trying to save himself from the law. New England noir with a conscience, the prequel to Lead Poisoning is a fast-moving story that keeps you up nights until you finish and leaves you asking, ‘Was he wrongly accused or not?’”—Edith Maxwell, award-winning author of ‘Til Dirt Do Us Part, and Speaking of Murder (as Tace Baker)
“Seymour skillfully juggles three storylines, dazzling your attention with Kevin, Sally, and Danny as their paths cross and intersect. Then she fires a shot from the woods.” — Stephen D. Rogers, author, Shot to Death and Three-Minute Mysteries
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