Since my first western novel Trail Hand was released in December I've been thinking about starting this blog to discuss Western fiction and old Western movies. I sppose the best way to start will be with a quick introduction.
My name is RW. Stone and I inherited my love for western adventure from my father, a former Army Air Corps armaments officer and horse enthusiast. After the war he taught me to both ride and shoot at an early age. Those of us who grew up in the 1950's and early 1960's remember it as a time before urban sprawl when Western adventure dominated both television and the cinema.
I later began writing in the early 1990's in an attempt to recapture some of the past spirit and excitement I had enjoyed as a youth. Currently I am the Chief of Staff of the Veterinary Trauma Center in Groveland, Florida, a small animal advanced level care and surgical center.
As a veterinarian I have written over 70 scientific articles and have lectured internationally, but it wasn't until the birth of my two daughters that I began to write westerns as a hobby. After all, one can only work so much before the need to relax the brain kicks in.
I currently live in Central Florida with my wife, two daughters, three dogs, one horse and a particularly nasty parrot named Carmen. I still collect firearms and ride when I can find a spare moment, as well as practice the martial arts. I hold a second degree black belt in both Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, as well as a brown belt in Judo.
Trail Hand started out as a hobby until my wife commented that she doubted anyone would ever read it. I always loved a challenge and the look on her face when I finally showed her the first published copy of my book was priceless. It was well worth every crumpled up piece of paper and all of the time spent trying to find an agent willing to read a western novel.
Published by Five Star, a subsidiary of Thomson Gale the novel was released to glowing reviews.
Trail Hand is a highly suspensful western in the classic style of the thirties and forties. The first person writing reminds one of Louis L'Amour, Max Brand and Luke Short.The hero is a down-on-his-luck loner who has traveled far and is now on the Tex Mex border. He hires on to guide a herd of horses to California for a Mexican rancher. After falling in love with the rancher's daughter he incurs the anger of her protector, the outfit's ramrod. When the herd is rustled by other "gringos" the Mexicans falsely blame the hero, Owen Burke. To clear his name and win back his girl he must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with murderous outlaws one side and angry vaqueros behind him.Trail Hand is action packed yet it is a clean enjoyable read.
In upcoming posts I hope to discuss Trail Hand as well as to give you a glimpse of my upcoming next novel Back For Vengeance also from Five Star Westerns. We will also discuss older western movies, other novels, and hopefully have some insight into old west firearms and
western customs.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment