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 I have to confess . . . I look for one of his books, even if another has just hit the shelves. This particular author is an addiction. His characters aren't merely on the paper, but they LIVE, and you actually care what happens to them. I want Lucius and Boz to come through unscathed as they're the good guys, and Butts' villains are so descipable I HATE them! An earlier review said that this book would make a good movie. Personally, I see his works as a miniseries, as a movie would have to trim it down, and there is just too many goodies in his works. No one writes dialogue or creates characters like Jimmy Butts
I've read mostly Western's my entire life. I've read westerns by all of the best and this ranks right up there with anything I've ever read. The character development is perfectly timed and before you know it, you're hooked. This is the kind of book that movies are made of. If you're a fan of Westerns, buy this book immediately! You won't be disappointed.
This is one of the best westerns I've read in a long time. Jimmie has a distinctive, and affecting, voice, and I look forward to his books. He's one of the best in the biz.
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 Nothing is more refreshing than having an author wrap you up in a story, and then at the end tying up all the loose ends. I finished this novel with a smile and a happy feeling inside as well as a tear or two in my eyes looking for an inconspicuous place to hide. Like many men in America today, I have had a problem or two in the past with estranged children due to kids getting involved in the problems between a divorced mother and father. This story touched me as Trevor, the protagonist, set off to learn all he could about the father he never knew, Jettie, a man who died before his time.
I got caught up in all the rich characters and soon realized it was not a story about rodeo, but was very much a story about relationships. Author Law handles the varying madness of dysfunctional families beautifully and created a tale which seems all too real to be fiction that will definitely tug at your heartstrings. The True Father (GoldMinds Publishing, Nashville, June, 2006) by the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley Books, September, 2011) is an easy read, a must read, and a sensitive tale about familial love and the inherent evils that always wish to destroy that love. I highly recommend this book and easily give it 5 Stars!
I just finished enjoying this book and from the start did not want to put it down. It is a well done story with plenty of action, romance and interesting turns. It highlights a young man's quest to get to know his father and himself. I loved the rodeo action and an inside look at the modern day rodeo life. It is well written and researched with a good look at human redemption and mercy. I highly recommend this book!
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 This is another great James Lee Burke novel. There is alot of Texas history in the story. And as always James Lee Burkes writing style makes the story very realistic. In this book a story is told of two guys who are running from the law in Louisiana and head for Texas. They are looking for and find Sam Houston just before the battle for Texas independence. The story is told as only James Lee Burke can tell it. Fast reading and holds your interest. If you like James Lee Burke, you like Two for Texas
Hard not to like and enjoy a James Lee Burke book. This is really more of a short story full of action in the period of the Alamo. One can see the genesis of the future Burke works. Wonderfully descriptive phrases, fully drawn characters and the ever present feeling of danger. As a James Lee Burke fan I am glad it has been reissued...it's well worth taking the time to explore his origins...and it's got lots of action and thrills..
Most readers will know James Lee Burke from his Dave Robicheaux novels-- they're among the best regional mysteries around. Extremely well-written, they get under your skin and stay with you. I hadn't known Burke had written this western novella and was pleased to trip over it. A lot happens in its 150 pages: the writing is crisp (as always with Burke) and the two protagonists feel real. When they form an alliance in a hellish prison camp and pledge to escape or die trying, the plot takes off at a gallop and doesn't really let up. It's around 1834, and the two men make their way to Texas as the struggle for Texian freedom is in the wind. While they're mostly concerned with just staying alive and ahead of the men who are searching for them, they become enmeshed in the looming conflict.
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 "They Rode Good Horses" took me by surprise. A lot of westerns are plot driven with plenty of action. This novel is all that and more. Author D.B. Jackson takes you behind the men and women of the West and lets you play among their emotions, fears and triumphs. You'll laugh...and cry...with Brady and Franklin as Jackson crafts an epic sweep of their lives - from an ill-fated wagon train headed west, through bloody massacres, freezing Montana winters, stints as Texas Rangers, buffalo-hide merchants and much more. Franklin is the lady killer; Brady is the solid force. Together, they're a tornado. So, saddle up! These two handsome devils will take you on an adventure you won't soon forget.
If ever a western novel begged to be made into a movie, it's "They Rode Good Horses."
Great Book! by Author D.B. Jackson. They Rode Good Horses, captures the essence of the True West. A friendship bound by tragedy,good ole cowboy brawls,life's trials and tribulations in the wide open spaces and beneath the skies of America's vast western expansion. A tale of two young boys who lose everything imaginable at a young age and manage to survive the dangers of the undeveloped wild west. Set in the 1800's this wonderful tale will take you from the big open skies of Montana to the bustling state of California to the Civil War states of Texas and Virginia, and Indian Territory. D.B. Jackson will take you back in time when America was young,the West was Wild, panning for gold was all the rave and through it all "they rode good horses."...Highly Recommend! sure to bring out the Cowboy or Cowgirl in you!....Raquel Monday - Author of Faceless People, The Singing Princess and Sandstorms & Sunsets: You were always there.
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 Magic, Menace, Mystery
I am impressed with Ms Stewart’s control of the landscape in Silki, the Girl of Many Scarves. I’m equally impressed with her command of character description. Set in the Southwest, this YA novel is rich with detail about an area full of magic and mystery. As Silki, the protagonist, explores her world, we see it with clear eyes—Concho Mountain was a small mountain just a fourth of a mile from my house. It had two separate humps called Twin I and Twin II. Birdie and I had permission to explore the north side of Twin I if we didn't go near the steep cliffs marching across the top. We weren't supposed to go on the other side of Twin I, or anywhere on Twin II, until we were older—which continually made me curious. The midway marker of our lawful territory was Weaver Rock, a handsome blue-green boulder covered in lichen on one side. Only Birdie and I knew it was where the rock fairies danced when the moon was full of orange fire. Those readers familiar with the work of Mary Roberts Rinehart will see here the Forbidden Room that Rinehart made famous in a dozen novels—the one place the protagonist must never visit—and of course, Silki goes there. I won’t spoil the story for you, but be prepared for a little more mystery. When the landscape comes alive, you’re on the cusp of a horror story at worst, a paranormal at best. Here, Ms Stewart leads us into a menacing landscape—Droopy cottonwood trees stooped like old guards over the structure. The roof slumped. A gap by the hinges of the boarded-up door facing east looked like a silent scream. That was scary. Rotting arbor posts in the front leaned tiredly toward the ground. The posts were topped by a weather-beaten hunk of lattice crusted with wads of dirty brush. A round, stone-stacked sheep pen near the hogan was starting to crumble.
So, do you want to go in there? Not on your life. The characters in Silki come through with such detail you have to wonder if Ms Stewart hasn’t taken photographs. Here’s Mrs Anna: …[her] busy hands stopped. She turned her head and gazed down the road. It was hard not to stare at her. Creamy coffee skin and flowing black hair made her look more like a painting than a real person. Her arched brows and straight nose gave her the look of an empress. Even with thin white streaks swirling through her hair, it was hard to believe she was seventy-one—just one year younger than my grandmother was. Her jewelry had sparkly gems mixed with turquoise. I wondered if it was from our Rez or her store in Santa Fe. Mrs. Anna's head snapped back. This is a well written, detailed story that teaches as well as it entertains. So I give it the reader’s mantra: Buy it, read it, review it. Thanks Jodi Lea Stewart for giving us a fine read.
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 Dac Crossley, in writing about a subject near and dear to his Texan heart, has brought to life an era that resounds with the mystery and legend of what life was like at the time of the fall of the Alamo. Occurring some eleven years before the "Mexican War," it is peopled with a range of characters who evoke the nature of a seemingly bygone era, yet one that appeals to a wide cross-section of present-day readers. Crossley brings to life the hopes and fears of people who want desperately to succeed in a region that is beset with cross-currents of settlers, adventurers, scalawags and Comanches. The protagonist, "Possum" (George Hanks) sets forth to overcome adversity (surviving the fall of the Alamo) and his life proceeds onward to the nascent days of the Texas Rangers. For anyone who loves adventure stories from an insider's perspective of the wondrous birth-pangs of the Texas Republic, this book is a must read.
I just finished reading Escape from the Alamo about six minutes ago. I would have finished it last night but my wife made me turn the light off because it was after midnight. OK, I've never been a huge fan of Texas history. I've been to the Alamo, and I read James Michener's Texas, but my tastes in historical fiction run toward the middle ages, or Aztecs. But I could not put this book down. Part I is a harrowing but wonderful account of what the battles for the Alamo and San Jacinto would have been like. But the book comes alive in Part II where we follow the protagonist into a pastoral storyline that Crossley has created. It feels like you're there. I was sorry to reach the end of the story, and I'm still wondering about Davy Crockett. This is a great book.
If you are interested in the story of the Alamo and care about Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, etc. you will love this book! I usually have to slog through much of what I read but I could not put this book down and read it in record time for me! I liked it so much I just now bought the other two books by this author as well. Enjoy!
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 Delores Fossen is an author whose works I keep to reward myself--I know if I start one, I won't stop 'til I finish, so I never start her books if I'm cooking or distracted by things like work. And each of Fossen's works amazes me more than the last. Yet knowing all that, Grayson, the first of her "Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch" caught me off guard anyway. When Eve Warren returns from Sheriff Grayson Ryland's painful past, she doesn't go to accuse him, remind him of all they once had together--she goes to ask him to get her pregnant. Immediately. And while Grayson struggles to understand that life-changing request, all hell breaks lose. Unnamed assailants try to kill Eve, completely unconcerned that they are attacking her while she's inches away from the local law. Suspects bubble to the surface, and Eve's job as a news photographer appears to hold clues to why someone wants her dead--but who? From the seediest of guns-for-hire to some of the richest and sleaziest residents of San Antonio, the motives for murder and the danger surrounding Grayson and Eve keep readers turning pages and digging their nails into their palms. Along with gasping a lot, which is due only partly to the danger--the explosive sexual attraction between Grayson and Eve is probably also to blame for readers' breathlessness. Grayson provides the perfect first book in her series, reuniting Eve with the Ryland brothers, who were practically family during her adolescence, and introducing the other lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch--while still being Grayson and Eve's story of triumph and love. Savor this book...it will likely only be your favorite until the next in her series!
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 Longhorns and Outlaws is a fascinating historical novel for young people. This is a gripping tale about the life of two orphaned brothers on a cattle drive in 1901, who cross paths with real-life outlaws, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Readers are sure to enjoy the adventure that entwines historical fact with a skilfully told story about the old west. The author has obviously done a great deal of research and has personal knowledge that makes the book authentic and exciting. She has also provided a glossary of cowboy terminology and a list of resources, making it a valuable resource for kids and teachers. For anyone interested in the early days about the wild buttes of Montana and Canada's Big Muddy, this is a must read.Longhorns and Outlaws
Fact and Fiction aren't that far apart. "Longhorns and Outlaws" is a story set in the later days of the old west. Lucas is a young dreamer who loves the stories of adventure of his time and has a wild imagination, a trait that makes his brother doubt whatever he says. When searching for his family, he finds outlaws . . . only to have his warnings unheeded. Lucas tries to help the law and protect his brothers at the same time, making "Longhorns and Outlaws" a great western fiction for young children about to move onto standard chapter books.
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 I challenge everyone reading this review to read the "Look Inside" or the Kindle Sample to see if you too will be captivated by the opening of Rod Thompson's "The Black Hills". I have not read many westerns however found this book very hard to put down. I carried it on my iPhone and iPad so that every spare moment I had, I could read a bit more. He introduces us to Cormac as a young boy who exemplifies the values provided by his loving and caring family. When tragedy strikes, he is left an orphan and must figure out how to survive in a world he is not prepared for. He pulls from his inner strength, determination, loving memories and great companionship from his two best friends, his horses. As the reader we get to know and love Cormie, however the characters he encounters live in awe and fear of him and know him as Mac Lynch. Rod does a beautiful job of intertwining the complexities of human relationships into an action packed, historically worthy, gun shooting, deeply moving love story. This book is movie worthy and needs to get in front of Clint Eastwood! Try it, I bet you can't put it down!
Somehow, without ever being cliche, this book takes us on a romp through the REAL West, when values were based on life and death, love and responsibility, dependence on horses and a non-paranoid fear of Injuns. This is a sweeping tale of redemption, love, romance, and in the end satisfies even the most hardened cowboy soul. I cannot reccommend this tale more highly. Can't wait for the sequel either! If you loved Lonesome Dove or better yet Quigley Down Under - this book is for you. They must make this into a movie!
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 Powerful reading. Rich in history that few of us have much knowledge of, the war in the Phillipines at the turn of the twentieth century. As with Sayles other works, his cast of characters is large, but finely drawn. Multiple story lines, yet each fully developed. Was lucky enough to hear Sayles read from his new book and discuss it last night in Los Angeles. Don't be put off by the near thousand page length. This book will hold you all the way through.
There are some books that despite the size are horribly conceived and ultimately unreadable, but not this one. Sayles' take on the Philippine-American War at the turn of the century is rich, deceptively readable, and satisfying. Rich in terms of the amount of research and historical details that went into its writing, Sayles has certainly produced a one-of-a-kind monumental literary work. I am sure Filipinos residing in the Anglosphere world will appreciate Sayles' effort in bringing light into this often lost and forgotten part of Philippine history. Highly recommended. Buy one now. Share this with friends. Better yet, buy another and share that reading copy with friends.
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 Silver Moon is a completely fascinating novel that, in my opinion, would make a great movie! It has the high drama of shattered lives, hard choices, relationships that are breaking and bending, mystery, suspense, the excitement of the rodeo lifestyle, and some pretty hot sexual tension between its characters. All this while still be believable and rooted in real life situations!
Our heroin Jessica Warnick is a complex character that evolves over each chapter into a self actualized woman who knows her own mind and handles some tough realities. Unlike many novels of this ilk, Silver Moon provides a satisfying end to the story without losing its sense of gritty reality and sensuality. I highly recommend this 'wild ride' of a book!
Sliver Moon. I had to take the time to say how much I have enjoyed reading such a novel that is well written and touches the reader in a distinctively unique story filled with drama, family relationships, personal issues, romance, excitement, intrigue and danger but this book has it all and more than that. It is written in such a compelling manner the reader feels as if they can see and hear and know the characters...people... of the book. They become more than characters... you know them, love them, hate them or fear them but they are more than just a story and a good read. I have to add that I think a man would enjoy this book as much as a woman and each find something special in it's pages.
This is a fantastic book is one you will not want to miss.
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 I love Kathleen Ball's writing. Her descriptions and emotions in her work intrigued me, so I was looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed. Like a bucking bronco, Callie's Heart, took me up and down, emotionally. I loved the character of Callie right away. She's a smart, feisty, independent woman who has a heart of gold. Garrett was drool-worthy from start to finish, even if he could use a lesson in communication! I loved the western setting and the horses, who became supporting characters. And speaking of supporting characters, you could do a lot worse than to end up with Old Henry! I adored him. A "Dutch uncle" kind of guy every women wishes she had watching over her. The love is both exciting and genuine. The plot had me guessing all the way. There is mystery sprinkled expertly in with the love story so I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read her next book. Bravo, Callie...I mean, Kathleen.
Callie's Heart, by Kathleen Ball, had my heart racing and my stomach doing flips, as if I were the one involved in Callie's romance with the hunky and vulnerable cowboy, Garret O'Neill.Right from the first page, Ms. Ball had lassoed me in, inviting me to feel the bright, Texas sun on my face and the sweet, Texas grass on my feet. Like Callie, I too was in love with Garret, a strong, blue-eyed cowboy with a jealous streak. And like Callie, he broke my heart when he'd broken hers. I rode the emotional roller coaster with her every time Garret gave her his love and took it back. I wanted to shoot him, I wanted to love him.
Callie's Heart is a tender love story, painted in vibrant colors through Kathleen Ball's words. I didn't want it to end. Lucky for me, I can read it again and again until the release of her next novel. I don't usually re-read a novel as soon as I finish it, but the fluttering in my own stomach felt so real, that reading Callie's Heart is like falling in love all over again. Who wouldn't want to read a contemporary romance that makes you feel like that?
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 "can't wait for the next book"
"Just over half way through it now - very original opening section! Can't wait for the next one"
"While this is a shift from my usual reading material, I was intrigued by the synopsis and have not been disappointed! I am thoroughly enjoying the book - the character development, scene setting and colourful descriptions make for compelling reading. The author's portrayal of the Old West is well researched, insightful and informative. Well done, Mr Derrick, looking forward to more!"
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In Debt of Vengeance, cowboy poet and author Zane Sterling delivers an inside look at the rugged nature of the Old West and how injustice can drive a man's life. While Sterli ng establishes the two main characters as partners right away, the true nature of the friendship is not revealed until things begin to unravel.
I really enjoyed reading Debt of Vengeance. It is a well written story that sweeps you up and carries you through to the very end.
This is a much better than average Western. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story is good, and has a little different plot line which is fairly summarized in the summary provided. The writing is clear, flows well and doesn't suffer from awkward word choices. In my opinion, this is a very solid 4 star book. Highly recommended for fans of the Western Genre.
I thoroughly enjoyed Debt Of Vengeance. This is an engaging story with believable characters and vivid descriptions of the countryside and scenery. While reading I smiled, frowned, got angry, felt the camaraderie of best friends and anticipation as I turned the pages as quickly as I could. Be prepared to read it from cover to cover once you start.
This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. I do not typically buy western novels, but I am glad I purchased this one. This is such a moving and well written story, you will not be able to put it down until you are finished. Once finished, you will be begging for a sequel.
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Women write differently than men. Not too many make the grade in the "traditional", violence-ridden, pioneering style hard core western genre. Those that do bring so mething extra to a good story. Elizabeth Foley is one of the women who does that well. There's an unusual degree of depth in the characters, whilst many unspoken philosophical questions litter the story. They don't get in the way mind you, they just keep the interest high until things slowly resolve. Yep. Different. Well worth the reading...
I had the privilege of an early look at this book. I've already devoured the Colorado-based Victorian mysteries Elisabeth Grace Foley writes, and I was quite happy to get my hands on another of her stories. Left-Hand Kelly is not your usual Western. It's Western in setting and flavor, but it doesn't conform to the cookie-cutter image we know as a Western today. The plot style is reminiscent of more classic Westerns, such as an Owen Wister or B. M. Bower, where the setting and lifestyle was more important than the reader's modern shoot-em-up romp. There's more substance and authenticity here. I also love that it's clean! Summary: Colvin is on the tramp when he witnesses a duel between Lew Kelly and Bob Reeves, which leaves Lew wounded and Bob on the run. When he heads out of town, he thinks he's done with that portion of his life, but a string of circumstances brings him back in contact with the quiet, warlike Kellys...and brings him back to town just as Bob ventures back for the first time since the duel. Bullets and excitement are sure to abound!
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 When Luke Walsh hepls the beautiful young woman, Dee Dee Bright, it doesn't take him long to realize his mistake. The man he'd saved her from, and killed, was the Marshal of Tucson. She wanted simply to get away to join her boy friend, outlaw Virgil Sly.
Running from the posse, Luke ends up afoot in the desert when his horse dies and s nearly there himself. But he finds himself rescued and brought back to health. The men who's rescued him weren't samaritans though.
A forced labor camp at a gold mine and the couple responsible for his predicament. A gang of outlaws planning a big score, and he without his weapons.
A hell of a mess.
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 As an early riser I often go to bed early to read. Quite often I put the book down, go to sleep and get up in the morning to continue reading.
Not the same with this book. I got up at 1:00 AM to continue to read for over a hour. It's a great story well told.. I'm already excited about the sequel.
Steve
All of the books by Robert Alvarado are very interesting. They are well researched with a little history along with a great story.
I enjoyed this second book of the series very much
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 Mr. McCall thought I might not like his novel because it's not a romance. I do love romances, but my first love was reading Westerns and watching every Western movie available--all the way back to the Fifties. So, Mr. McCall, I not only liked and appreciated your novel, I loved it.
Often I scan novels, if the dialogue becomes slow or the author decides to explain events to me instead of letting me see for myself.
This author is exceptional because he allows the character to tell the story and allows me, as the reader, to ride along. Also, his style of writing is almost formal, very classic and timeless, often briefly poetic. He does not enter useless phrases which means every sentence is important. I read every word.
The main character is Alistair "Al" Taggart, a U.S. Marshal charged with protecting a region of Kansas, and is now on assignment to learn the identities of cattle rustlers in the area. During the course of this story, Taggart wins over the reader by his compassion for his friends and for an ex-slave he takes under his wing. This relationship really made the story for me, because it put Taggart--an aging, tough, fair-minded lawman--in the role of teacher and mentor for this young black man. Each scene with these two held me spellbound and offered some of the more emotional scenes in the novel. By the end of the story, I had great respect for Al Taggart. I did very much appreciate the author's information at the end--which I won't reveal--because I wondered throughout the novel--what happened to Jerome, the ex-slave?
I highly recommend South of Rising Sun.
I’m not an avid screen reader, so I waited for South of Rising Sun to be published in book form. I knew it would be worth the wait, because I already admired United States Marshal Alistair Taggart from Borrowed Guns. I live in Oregon where we know paper is a useful byproduct of what would otherwise be tree-harvest waste, so I love reading real ink on old school paper pages. Marshal Taggart is also old school, a range detective who reads the signs on the Kansas prairie like a book as he patiently pursues cleverly innovative cattle rustlers. Yet Al is two hundred years ahead of his time in his stand for human rights. He helps harbor a runaway slave, treating Jerome Jenkins as an equal. When the black man isn’t “good enough” to eat in the house of the rancher who’s hiding him, Al takes his meals with Jerome and sleeps in the same barn as the runaway. Al makes use of his early days as a school teacher to mentor Jerome in readin’, writin’, and ’rithmetic. I felt sympathy for the people Jerome Jenkens represented, disgust for slavers such as Harrison Symington, an affinity with pioneer women like Elizabeth Harper, and deep sadness for the loss of friends such as Quent Royce. Through it all, I’m proud to know Al Taggart. South of Rising Sun is well-researched history of the territory around Lecompton, Kansas, in the 1850s and events leading to the Civil War in America’s eastern states, but profoundly affecting the middle west. For a realistic glimpse of the west through the eyes of a real westerner, I highly recommend J.D. McCall’s South of Rising Sun.
South of Rising Sun by J.D. Mccall is a finely crafted, well-written western novel that brings back the days of the old west. The story centers around Alistair Taggart, a U.S. Marshal tasked with protecting the people of Bleeding, Kansas. The time frame is shortly after Kansas becomes a state and there is still much lawlessness in the newest state to enter the union. Not only must Taggart deal with the violence and thievery that is a common daily occurrence, he must also track down a runaway slave. Taggart is no longer a young man, so these added stresses in his life certainly take their toll. Jerome is the runaway slave that Taggart must find. It was refreshing to see the author spin the tale in a direction where Taggart becomes a teacher/mentor to the ex-slave and not a ruthless law man bent on recovering Jerome at any cost. It was also a great addition to the back of the book - discovering what happened to Jerome in the end. The writing style of Mr. McCall is fluid and easily understood. The story jumps from the pages in many places, filling the reader with the sights, sounds and ambiance of the old west. I could see this as a movie in my mind's eye as I read through from chapter to chapter. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great western. This one certainly fits the bill!
Reading this book reminded me of the Westerns I watched growing up. In the story, U.S. Marshall Alistair Taggart is in charge of protecting the citizens of Bleeding, Kansas. Author J.D. McCall makes the story progress with each sentence, and doesn't waste words in the dialogue. Again, a reminder of the Old West where Cowboys told things direct. Action, drama and even some humor, this book did not have any slow or dull moments. A very enjoyable book to read, and I hope to see more from J.D. McCall in the future.
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