Best of
Western

2009

Montana Rose


Mary Connealy - 2009
    Her free-spending husband expects nothing less. But now he has died, leaving her unprotected, heavily in debt, and pregnant. As any single woman doesn't remain so for long in Divide, Montana, Cassie wonders if marrying one of the local cowboys might be her only choice. After seeing her choices, she then wonders if joining her husband might be even better.Red Dawson has always had a soft spot in his heart for Cassie, even though most of the townspeople see her only as a silk-clad china doll. When she's left a widow, only one thing keeps him from immediately sweeping her off her feet—she's a nonbeliever.As the other cowboys lay claim to Cassie, the most powerful rancher in the area steps forward to demand what he thinks rightly belongs to him... and the property that goes with her. Red struggles with figuring out what to do, but decides he can't allow Cassie to suffer a fate worse than death and marries her himself.Will Red win over this seemingly fragile and spoiled china doll's heart... and survive her unique brand of ranch help in the meantime? Will Cassie find true love with her cowboy—and his God—when she exchanges smooth silk for coarse calico?

The Light of the Lover's Moon


Marcia Lynn McClure - 2009
    It had been nearly ten years since her father had moved the family from the tiny town of Rattler Rock to the city of Albany , New York . Yet the pain and guilt in Violet’s heart was as fresh and as haunting as ever it had been. It was true Violet had been only a child when her family moved. Still—though she had been unwillingly pulled away from Rattler Rock—pulled away from him she held most dear—her heart had never left—and her mind had never forgotten the promise she had made—a promise to a boy—to a boy she had loved—a boy she had vowed to return to. Yet, the world changes—and people move beyond pain and regret. Thus, when Violet Fynne retuned to Rattler Rock, it was to find that death had touched those she had known before—that the world had indeed changed—that unfamiliar faces now intruded on beloved memories. Had she returned too late? Had Violet Fynne lost her chance for peace—and happiness? Would she be forever haunted by the memory of the boy she had loved nearly ten years before?

Logan


Linda Lael Miller - 2009
    To put down roots, to restore his family's neglected ranch...to have kids of his own proudly bearing the Creed name.Divorced mom Briana Grant has heard the stories about her gorgeous neighbor. So Logan's kindness with her young boys is a welcome surprise, especially when her ex reappears. And when an unknown enemy vandalizes her home, Logan shows Briana--and the folks of Big Sky country--just what he's made of.

The Blackfoot Trail


Charles G. West - 2009
    Now, Joe Fox is forging a new trail?of vengeance!

Return of the Outlaw


C.M. Curtis - 2009
    He heard a small sound and spun around. Directly in front of him loomed a dark figure and for the tiniest instant he looked into a pair of eyes--and in those eyes he saw hell. Then, the razor-sharp steel of Lopez' knife sent him there." They killed his friends, stole his ranch, and took from him the woman he loves. They branded him an outlaw, accusing him of the very crimes they committed. But they're about to learn that taking everything away from him has turned this Civil War veteran into the most dangerous kind of man there is: The kind that has nothing left to lose. Jeff Havens has a fast gun and a long memory--and he's back. RETURN OF THE OUTLAW has sold thousands of copies worldwide, making it a #1 Bestseller, and readers have compared Curtis to the great western authors of old like Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey, Ernest Haycox, and Luke Short.

The Loner


J.A. Johnstone - 2009
    And that's one secret he plans to keep--until his beautiful wife, Rebel, was kidnapped by a group of deadly bandits.Like Father--DeadlyLike Son--DeadlierWhen Conrad Browning's wife disappears in the untamed frontier, Conrad finds himself assuming the identity of his famous gunslinging father, Frank Morgan, to find her. But his hopes of rescuing Rebel are swiftly shattered--and now he's burning for vengeance, the old-fashioned way. So he fakes his own death and starts calling himself The Loner, becoming the deadliest gunfighter this side of his own father--ready to settle the score in blood and bullets. . .

Texas Blood Feud


Dusty Richards - 2009
    Three generations who paid in blood and treasure. Children carried off by Comanche. A brother lost to war. Lives shattered. Chet Byrnes was trying to hold the ranch together through one more winter for one more cattle drive when he hanged three horse thieves this side of the Red River - and a blood feud erupted...A family wants revenge - no matter how just the hangings were. From attacks on the Byrnes clan to the killing of livestock, the feud leads to one vicious murder - and then another. But amidst the violence and pain, a man who has seen his youth slip by is about to get one last chance at life and love...If only Chet can end the war he started...If only he can survive this land and the killers who want him dead - at any price...

Lawless Prairie


Charles G. West - 2009
    Caught up in a daring jailbreak, Connor is now on the run from both the law?and the lawless.

The Colour Of Lightning


Paulette Jiles - 2009
    But their dreams are abruptly shattered by a brutal Indian raid upon the Johnsons' settlement while Britt is away establishing a business. Returning to find his friends and neighbors slain or captured, his eldest son dead, his beloved and severely damaged Mary enslaved, and his remaining children absorbed into an alien society that will never relinquish its hold on them, the heartsick freedman vows not to rest until his family is whole again. A soaring work of the imagination based on oral histories of the post-Civil War years in North Texas, Paulette Jiles's The Color of Lightning is at once an intimate look into the hearts and hopes of tragically flawed human beings and a courageous reexamination of a dark American history.

The Sheriff's Surrender


Susan Page Davis - 2009
    When the sheriff of Fergus, Idaho is murdered, Ethan is named his replacement. The women in town are scared to think a murderer is loose among them, so Gert forms the Ladies' Shooting Club to teach them how to protect themselves, their homes, and their families. Ethan didn’t ask to be named sheriff, but he accepts the position and takes on the investigation of the former lawman’s mysterious death. Now he’s between a rock and a hard place—being pressured by the town’s women to restore order and safety to Fergus, and being pressured by the men who insist Ethan disband the upstart Ladies’ Shooting Club. Another murder sends Ethan to Gert and her ladies for help in the investigation. But will the Ladies’ Shooting Club unmask the murderer before he strikes again? This e-book includes discussion questions for groups.

Gun Work: The Further Exploits of Hayden Tilden (Hayden Tilden Westerns Book 6)


J. Lee Butts - 2009
     Then a girl down in Texas claims to be the same Daisy Cassidy they’re looking to rescue, and Tilden thinks his job just got a whole lot easier—until he smells a lie. Still, he and his Brotherhood partners set off to escort her from Texas to Arkansas—and if they should come across the Coltranes along the way, Tilden sees no need to bring them back alive . . . “J. Lee Butts is one fine Western writer whose stories have a patina of humor, nonstop action . . . and a strong sense of place.” —Roundup Magazine About the Author: J. Lee Butts is the author of 22 published books and numerous magazine articles and short works. His book Brotherhood of Blood was runner-up for the Western Writers of America Spur Award in 2005. He’s worn many hats over the years (teacher, administrator, pool manager, IBM supervisor, and western author), and he and his late wife lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Dallas. Currently he’s hanging those hats back in White Hall, Arkansas.

Hell to Pay: The Life and Violent Times of Eli Gault


J. Lee Butts - 2009
    Lee Butts!If a hard life makes harder men‚ then Eli Gault is cast-iron in boots. Raised by a merciless‚ drunken, fire-and-brimstone preacher‚ young Eli avenged himself upon his pious pa. And that was only the beginning of his rage.Because when Eli meets Cutter Sharpe—a legendary man killer and expert gunhand—the two start shooting their way across Texas, leaving behind a trail of blood and bodies. But Eli is about to learn there’s a line a man shouldn’t cross, because with a vicious life like his there’s always a price to pay . . . and it’s paid in blood.Praise for Lawdog: The Life and Times of Haydon Tilden“Lawdog should assume its rightful place beside other Western classics.” —Peter Brandvold, author of Once Hell Freezes Over“Lawdog has it all. I couldn’t put it down.” —Jack Ballas, author of West of the River“J. Lee Butts is one fine Western writer whose stories have a patina of humor, nonstop action . . . and a strong sense of place.” —Roundup MagazineAbout the Author:J. Lee Butts is the author of 22 published books and numerous magazine articles and short works. His book Brotherhood of Blood was runner-up for the Western Writers of America Spur Award in 2005. He’s worn many hats over the years (teacher, administrator, pool manager, IBM supervisor, and western author), and he and his late wife lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Dallas. Currently he’s hanging those hats back in White Hall, Arkansas.

His Redeeming Bride


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2009
    When Sarah Donner learns she's pregnant, she hopes this blessing will be the thing to make her husband finally love her. But to her horror, he announces that she will go live with her overbearing mother-in-law. Weeks before she is due to give birth, they are traveling to her mother-in-law's when some thieves kill him.Ready to give birth, she has to rely on the aid of the one man others had warned her about: Neil Craftsman. She knows of his tarnished past, and no respectable woman will go near him. But when she learns her husband left her with no home and no money, she has nowhere else to go but to the one man she's shunned.As she gets to know Neil, she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. But when his past comes back to haunt him, will her newfound love be enough to redeem him - or will he always be a shunned man?

Hard Winter: A Western Story


Johnny D. Boggs - 2009
    Jim said hardly anything. Ever. That's how Henry Lancaster felt. Sure, he'd hear his grandfather talk to his grandmother fairly often -- But Jim hardly said anything to anybody else. That all changed when he took Henry along on a scouting trip, and told his grandson how it was that winter of 1886 -- a really hard winter.

Texas Blue


Celia Yeary - 2009
    The County Judge back home says she's not fit to raise the child he claims is his. Now Buck faces a dilemma – should he disobey orders and rescue both of them from isolation? There isn't enough money in the world to exchange for a child. All Buck has to do is convince Marilee of his good intentions – she and her daughter would be safe with him in Nacogdoches. Rejected and abandoned by her father, Marilee Weston lets the pain of betrayal make her strong. Now she needs a way out of the forest, where she has lived for five years. But the towering pines and fear of the unknown imprison her, and loneliness and heartbreak suffocate her. How can she find a new life for herself and young daughter? She can't. Not without help. Will this alluring stranger free her, or prove to be even more dangerous?

Gallows


Robert J. Randisi - 2009
    Only Lancaster, a gunman who found the wife with the dead man’s body, is willing to fend off the townspeople and keep her alive and insure she sees a fair trial.

Renegade


Cheyne Curry - 2009
    The year is 1879, when cattle barons, crooked lawmen, saloons, painted ladies, cowboys and Indians ruled the Wild West, and laws were only as strong as the gunman who upheld them. In Sagebrush, the town and the sheriff belong to the Cranes, who take what they want or bad things happen. Trace finds this out firsthand when she ends up on the land of Rachel Young, a struggling ranch woman who won't give in to the merciless cattle baron and his obsessed son. For some unexplainable reason, Rachel trusts the enigmatic Trace who uses 21st century sensibilities to battle 19th century turmoil, while Trace is forced to keep the secret of her origin from the attractive and vulnerable Rachel. Renegade is a story of redemption in its purest form as Trace discovers what truly matters in life and how past really is prologue.

High Planes Drifter


Edward M. Erdelac - 2009
     In this acclaimed first volume, four sequential novellas and one bonus short story chronicle the weird adventures of THE MERKABAH RIDER. In THE BLOOD LIBEL, The Rider fights to save the last survivors of a frontier Jewish settlement not only from a maddened lynch mob, but from a cult of Molech worshippers hiding in their midst. In THE DUST DEVILS, a border town is held hostage by a band of outlaws in league with a powerful Vodoun sorcerer. In HELL'S HIRED GUN, The Rider faces an ex-Confederate sharpshooter who has pledged his allegiance to Hell itself. In THE NIGHTJAR WOMEN, The Rider drifts into a town where children cannot be born. Here an antediluvian being holds the secret to his fugitive master's insidious plan; a plot that threatens all of Creation. Finally, never before collected, THE SHOMER EXPRESS. On a midnight train crossing the desert, a corpse turns up desecrated. Someone stalking the cars has assumed its shape, and only The Rider can stop it.

Death Comes to Redhawk


R.G. Yoho - 2009
    and death rode with him!Clay Adkins had stolen his wife, his son and his ranch. But now that Kellen was free, he was coming back for overdue justice ... with a vengeance!

Four Card Draw/Get Out of Town/One for the Pot


Louis L'Amour - 2009
    But a man was shot in the back there a couple of years back. The murder is still unsolved, but someone seems convinced that Allen Ring has the missing answer. Ross Bilton was one of the men who found the body, and now he's the town marshall. Ring finds himself in the middle of a mysterious conflict—and maybe headed for a showdown with the marshall.Get Out of TownEver since his father died, fourteen-year-old Tom Fairchild has helped his mother keep the ranch going. Soon it would be time to gather the cattle to market, and Tom was sent to ride into town to hire a hand. When he chose a stranger named Riley, the townspeople, the former hands, and the local law didn't approve. Worse yet, the sheriff said Riley was a former convict. But Tom didn't care. It was the first real decision Tom ever made on his own. Now he must face a threat closer to home, a danger he never expected. Tom Fairchild isn't about to back down—but he's in more trouble than he can handle by himself.One for the Pot The life of a mail-order bride was no breeze. It seemed to Laurie Bonnet she couldn't do even the simplest thing right. She couldn't make a cup of coffee fit for a dog, so how was she going to help her man in a war over his land? When things get too tough, Lauire decides to flee back home. On the trail she gets lost and meets up with a mysterious old man who teaches her a few things about love and courage. And she'll need plenty of both when she returns to stand by her husband. Because now the Miller clan has hired themsleves a gunman to run Steve Bonnet off his land – or put him under the ground.

CHRISTMAS COWBOY


Cia Leah - 2009
    He realized he hadn't checked in on her since her ma's death and knew she had a hard life and was now raising her twin bothers, Chance and Chuck, alone. Once he had the wood chopped and saw the excitement on Chuck and Chance's face at the piece of blue ribbon they found on the road, they were going to give to Elaine for a Christmas present, he knew deep in his heart, they needed a Christmas cowboy to make their Christmas a very special one.

Crossroads


Max Brand - 2009
    Dix Van Dyck runs afoul of the law—and luck—when he meets the beautiful Jacqueline "Jack" Boone while hiding out in the back-country hellhole of Double Bend.

Law of the Desert Born/That Triggernometry Tenderfoot/Horse Heaven


Louis L'Amour - 2009
    Each story is personally selected, with an introduction and special historical notes, by the author.Meet men like Shad Marone, the gunfighter who killed in self-defense, but who is forced to run because he killed the wrong man--the sheriff's brother; Matt Sabre, as tough as the Texas trail he rides, on a mission of mercy to the wife of the man he gunned down; and Kim Sartain, a reckless young drifter who refuses to back down from a showdown with a vicious outlaw killer. Every story in this collection bear's Louis L'Amour's distinctive brand of unbridled action and unembellished authenticity--taking us into the white-hot deserts, stone-cold canyons, and rough-and-tumble towns of the world only he knows so well.That Triggernometry TenderfootAn action-packed story from the popular western anthology, Long Ride Home. Horse HeavenWhen Jim Locklin pays his brother George a visit, he finds George missing, his horse ranch taken over by his brother's estranged wife, and a shifty gambler named Chance Varrow who seems to have become a permanent visitor.As Jim's suspictions build, they center on one person – Varrow, whose relationship with George's wife, Amie, is a little too close for comfort. Taking matters into his own hands, Jim vows to find out the truth, no matter what the cost. In the end, it will all come down to just two men – and only one will walk away.

The General and Monaville, Texas


Joe G. Bax - 2009
    For John Ross, the world is a confusing place. The slaves have been freed, but only some of the occupants of Monaville seem to accept that fact. The Klan is growing in number and political power, but John Ross doesn't understand what the fuss is all about. The General, his revered grandfather, seems to be on the wrong side of the law. And everybody is just a bit too interested in his friendship with Miss Afron. But John Ross doesn't have the luxury of youth any longer, as tensions mount and the most respected men in town become the most fearsome—for good or ill. With richly drawn characters, poignant stories, and a gut-wrenching climax, The General and Monaville, Texas delivers a powerful tale of secrets, politics, and discord in the Reconstruction south—and the coming of age of a boy and a town.

Geneva's Legacy


Payton Lee - 2009
    The two are the founders of Geneva's Hope. They build a home in the wilds of Nevada with a foundation of love and trust, and a few battles.

The Works of Andre Alice Norton


Andre Norton - 2009
    The works of Andre Alice North in one collection with active table of contents.Works include:All Cats Are GrayThe Defiant AgentsThe Gifts of AstiKey Out of TimePlague ShipRalestone LuckRebel SpursRide Proud, Rebel!Star BornStar HunterStorm Over WarlockThe Time TradersVoodoo Planet

Where the Wind Blows


Caroline Fyffe - 2009
    But when her husband dies, Jessie fears the family she's longed for is slipping away - until Chase Logan unexpectedly comes to her rescue. By pretending to be her husband, Chase can make all of her dreams come true.Three days are all she asks of him. Three days to ignite a love neither of them ever imagined possible....Number of Pages: 283

The Outsider


Payton Lee - 2009
    The story is in Rawlins, Wyoming. The time past is in the 1870s. Martin, a man who realizes he needs someone to love and love him in a special way. Leigh, a woman raised with self-doubt and low esteem. She denies her own femininity and beauty within. Thornton, a man betrayed by a woman. He serves his mistress, the United States Army. Three lives accept their own vulnerabilities. Three lives prove love has no boundaries.

The Silver Dollar Killer: A Will Cannon, Bounty Hunter, Western Adventure Novel


Larry Hill - 2009
    Will has to fight a gang of cutthroats to help his friends bring peace and justice to Durango.

Fatal Justice


Ralph Compton - 2009
    And he's just repaid the favor in spades. With a bullet still in his chest, Ash knows he's a walking dead man. But he's going to make sure Sharkey takes his last step first...