Howdy pard,

I’m fairly bursting at the seams to share this with you today. I’ve got some exciting news that will curl your hair to the scalp… and some sadder news to go along with it.

Darn it, just let me hitch my horse out front and I’ll meet you at the saloon. Bartender, fetch me two glasses and a bottle of your best redeye!

You can create a character for Sol Redding’s next western!

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in a story about the Old West? Well, here’s your chance.

I’m going to give one lucky reader the opportunity to create a character to appear alongside Sol Redding in my next novel!

It’s easy to enter. Send me an email to [email protected] outlining your character and it will go into the draw. I’ll choose one entry at random.

At minimum your email should include:

• Your character’s name (male or female, and yes, it can be your name if you’d like)
• Your character’s occupation (for example, gunslinger, preacher, high-society matron, barkeep)
• Whether you are a good guy or a bad guy
• How do you want your character to die? (for example, a bloody shootout, a heroic blasé of glory, unfortunate accident… or maybe you don’t want your character to die at all, and survive for another day?)

That’s all I need to add you to the draw, but feel free to have fun and go to town with details. Does your character have a limp? Does he have terribly bad breath? He can’t shoot? Does she have terrible dress sense? Is he deathly afraid of mules? An awful bully? Does she love to boast?

Remember, send your email to [email protected] – entries close in one week (July 28). I’ll announce the lucky winner in my next newsletter.

Oh, and my lawyer* insists on me reminding you that for legal reasons, the winning character that ends up appearing alongside Sheriff Sol Redding won’t represent a real living person, or even be based on a real living person. It will be a work of fiction created by you.

*My lawyer is a golden doodle named Bailey, who is currently curled around my feet. He gives terrible legal advice but I love him anyway….

Back to the drawing board

There’s no way to share this news other than being open and transparent, so I’ll be upfront. I’ve decided to take my novel Redding’s Ace down from Amazon and scrap it.

Why? To be blunt, I know I can do better. It was the first full-length novel I ever wrote, and with the benefit or experience and hindsight, it’s not as good as it should be. And it’s not something I feel comfortable offering for sale.

Anyway, having said that, the future is very bright for Sheriff Sol Redding. I’m going to spend the time I need to revise the book and re-publish it with a better story and more action which will just knock your socks off. Jasper, Macie, Dobbelen and the rest of the residents of the town of Purgatory will be back bigger and better than ever!

Anyone who has purchased a copy of Redding’s Ace (or who does so before I remove it from sale) will get a copy of my new Sheriff Sol Redding novel absolutely free.

The Buffalo Soldier

 I’m proud to recommend a great story set against the backdrop of Montana's Trail of Tears – The Buffalo Soldier, by Rob Bauer.

Here’s the story (spoiler-free!):

Clarence Duval becomes the guardian of Mary Healy, a young Irish-Chippewa girl, after the death of her parents. He wants to help Mary get from Montana to St. Louis to reunite with her family. Then tragedy strikes and they become separated.

In a case of mistaken identity, Clarence is forced to join the Buffalo Soldiers, an African-American cavalry unit. Hopeless and alone, Mary takes shelter with the Cree people of Montana. Unfortunately, the US government has just approved the Cree Deportation Act to round up the Cree and send them to Canada. And the Buffalo Soldiers are the ones tasked with carrying out the deportation.

Clarence must find a way to escape the Buffalo Soldiers yet still save Mary from deportation and being separated from her family forever.

Download your free copy of The Buffalo Soldier by clicking on this link

I can taste it now

Blackberry Cobbler. Just saying the name makes your mouth water. All you need is a wood-fired stove, a dutch oven and big appetite. Genuine cowboy cooking legend Kent Rollins will show you how to cook old-fashioned Blackberry Cobbler in a cast-iron pot, just like they did back in the good old days. 

Get his traditional blackberry cobbler recipe here , watch Kent cook it up here!

Spectacular summer adventures

Do yourself a favor and check out this bundle of action-packed thrillers, suspense, and action novels by a group of really talented authors. I’m hard to please when it comes to my reading, but there’s something for everyone --here’s a couple of titles to whet your interest:

• The Plague Walker, by Michael Angel
• Hunt for the Holy Grail by Preston W. Child
• The Fourth Lake, by Cherie Mitchell
• The Omega Strain, by Steve P. Vincent

Click here to get your free books!

I’ve been sharing more details about these books on my Facebook and Twitter accounts – head on over to find out more.

Did you know?

Cheyenne, Wyoming was known as the richest city in the world in 1884 because of its large population of millionaire cattlemen. At the time, the city had a population of about 7,000 people.

More great reading

While I’m at it, take a look at this bundle of ‘summer adventure lovers’ penned by some really talented authors who are offering some of their best work for your try absolutely free.

Here’s a couple of titles to whet your interest:

• Taming the beast, by Kevin Steverson
• Natural Selection by Janna Ruth
• Conscripted, by Chris Lowry
• Island of Bones, by William Alan Webb

Click here to get your free books!

I’ve been sharing more details about these books on my Facebook and Twitter accounts – head on over to find out more.

Happy trails,

Nick