Old West scalping, cowboy cast-iron beans, and outlaw Elmer McCurdy

Jul 17, 2025 5:01 pm

July '25

Howdy pard,

I’ve been looking forward to meetin’ up for a while now. It’s great to see you again. Fire’s lit and coffee’s boilin’ – make yourself at home.

I’ve been as busy as a bartender on a Saturday night. I’ve got a pile of books for you to paw through – take as many as you’d like, I don’t mind at all. Hang around – I've got some scuttlebutt about some poor souls out on the frontier who had the misfortune of being scalped – and living to tell the tale. I’ve got a tale about an unlucky outlaw whose corpse became a sideshow exhibit, and one of them movin’ picture shows about the untold story behind the gun that won the West. I’ve got some information about what happened to those big herds of buffalo that ruled the prairie, and a recipe for cowboy beans and cast-iron cornbread that would make your toes curl.

Oh, and I’m including yet another entirely new exclusive taste of the next Sheriff Sol Redding western – the book is coming together nicely. You’re going to love this adventure when it’s finished.

Lordy, listen to me, I just don’t stop talkin’. Let me top up your coffee with a drop of brandy to fight off the evening chill. As my ol’ grandpa used to say, ‘A closed mouth gathers no boots’.

Summer historical fiction

When the going gets hot, it’s time to hit the books. Historical fiction novels, that is … this collection of free historical fiction is perfect for a summer vacation or just a lazy afternoon in the sun. Best of all, there’s a couple of westerns here. Don’t forget, help yourself – they are all free!

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

Blood Justice, by RJ Sloane
Murder on the San Juan Express, by KC Sivils
Operation Dynamite, by Robert Cubitt
Viking Brotherhood, by Finn Sparks

Click here to get your free books!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/summerfree/tq3dkw8gbz

A new exclusive sneak peek at my next Sixgun Drifter western

I’m deep into editing the third draft of my next western, the second in the ‘Sheriff Sol Redding’ series. It’s a big rollicking adventure with lots of action, double crosses, bad hombres and gun play – and as my treasured newsletter family I’m proud to give you all an exclusive snippet of the story (as it stands) as my way of saying thank you. This excerpt is from the current draft of the book as it stands today - it may change a little (or a lot!) by the time I publish. Depending on how quickly I can edit, it should be out soon. I just couldn’t wait to give you a taste of what's coming...

The scene: Sol faces off against a gang of outlaws following a not-so-friendly game of poker. Things go haywire, and he quickly finds himself in way over his head...

https://nickbrumbywesterns.com/july-2025-exclusive-subscriber-only-preview-of-the-next-sheriff-sol-redding-western/

Scalping in the Old West

It was the stuff of nightmares – having your scalp torn from your skull for it to be displayed as a trophy of war. Thousands of settlers, soldiers, cowboys and Native Americans across the length and breadth of the American Frontier fell victim to this most gruesome of fates.

Yet despite the terrifying prospect of being scalped and dying a lonely death, millions of hardy pioneers ignored the risk and pushed ever further West, looking for a fresh start and a new home.

Find out more here:https://nickbrumbywesterns.com/scalping-in-the-old-west/

‘Starts fast and runs hard’

Thank you to everyone who has picked themselves up a copy of Redding’s Fandango – the reviews have been great:

“The story starts fast and runs hard. Six-shooters, Winchesters and Bowie knives are the tools of the trade and they get well used. If Sol didn't have bad luck, he would have no luck at all. This story brings the non-stop cowboy action all the way to the end.”

The book is also now available on major ebook retailers - or check out the extra special edition containing exclusive content and a story epilogue not available from other retailers, delivered by Bookfunnel, and readable on any device.

You can find it here:

https://nickbrumbywesterns.com/reddings-fandango/

The Secret History of the Nevada Navy

I’m proud to recommend some great historical fiction that came across my desk – The Secret History of the Nevada Navy, by e. West Smith.

Here’s the story (spoiler-free!):

“Is his dream of creating worldwide rescue submarines doomed by the French ironclad bearing down on him in the Atlantic storm? The French ironclad appeared in the middle of the Atlantic storm, six-inch guns blazing and intent on obliterating the vulnerable submarines in tow to attack the unsuspecting rebel ironclads at Charlestown.

He had unshakeable faith in his sub to submerge and escape---but at the last moment, he glimpsed through his periscope a stranded French sailor bobbing between the huge foamy rollers of the storm. Time to decide what he stood for: Easy escape or surface to rescue a French sailor and chance certain death in a hail of shot?”

Get your free book here:

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/cc19add4-3f5c-11f0-af8d-8fe0250ed004

Mystery, thriller and suspense

There’s nothing like a great story, and these free quality thrillers, mysteries, crime and suspense titles are just waiting for you to start page one! Pick one, pick them all – it’s up to you. But don’t wait – they won’t cost you a cent!

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

Escape from Austin, by Jayne Underhill
Academy Assassin, by Audrey Walker
Fugitive, by JA Webb
Forgotten Boy, by Todd Luchik

Click here to get your free books!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/thrillingfreebies-jul/9laxfdpfu6

Did you know?

Outlaw Elmer McCurdy wasn’t very lucky in life, or in death. He robbed a train in 1911 but got away with only $46. When the law eventually caught up and shot him down, his corpse remained unclaimed and was sold to a traveling carnival as a sideshow attraction. From there, McCurdy’s remains made the rounds of wax museums and haunted houses before being discovered 66 years later in an amusement park in Long Beach. Amazingly his ultimate fate was inadvertently discovered during the filming of an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man!

Blood on the Sand

I’m proud to recommend some great historical fiction that came across my desk – Blood on the Sand, by Neil Sammons.

Here’s the story (spoiler-free!):

“In the lawless frontier of 1830s southern Africa, three lives collide in a sweeping tale of survival, loyalty, and forbidden love. James Hellanbach, a disgraced Scottish nobleman, journeys into the wild interior in search of anonymity—but the land has other plans. Caught between clashing cultures, brutal traders, and the raw beauty of the bushveld, he finds himself tethered to two women with secrets of their own: Aletta, a settler’s daughter bound to the land by blood and history; and Isabel, a fierce young woman with a past she won’t speak of.

As colonial forces tighten their grip and the Lowveld grows ever more treacherous, James must navigate the untamed wilderness—and his own fractured soul—to survive what lies ahead.”

Get your copy right here:

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/96ed37c4-557e-11f0-ba7a-4b32c9f06d79

Documentary: Untold History of the Colt .45

The Colt Single-Action Army Revolver, or the ‘Peacemaker’ was the most popular gun in the Wild West. It earned the nickname ‘the gun that won the West’, popularized by the showman Buffalo Bill. By the 1950’s Hollywood cowboys were almost exclusively equipped with the Peacemakers, as the gun became a national icon. John Wayne carried custom-designed ivory-gripped Colts, and Clint Eastwood and Kirk Douglas also used the legendary revolver.

Find out more about the Colt Single-Action Army Revolver in this great documentary: https://youtu.be/XokLwQtV1oI

More great reading

There’s nothing like a great story, and these free quality titles are just waiting for you to start page one! Pick one, pick them all – it’s up to you. But don’t wait – just like fireworks and apple pie, they are perfect for summer!

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

The Lonesome Trail, by Allison Tebo
Defender of the Wall, by Chris Thorndycroft
Introductions and Escapes, by Jonathan Mast
Rock Bottom, Tennessee, by Kimberely Nixon

Click here to get your free books!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/FireworksApplePieandHistorialFiction/vfsm4j4w7b

Did you know?

Before settlers began pushing into the vast West in large numbers, an estimated 50-60 million buffalo freely roamed the Great Plains. Native Americans hunted them for food and other necessities, but generally only took what they needed. After the Civil War, many veterans earned their living as a buffalo hunter. Armed with powerful, long-range rifles, individual hunters could kill as many as 250 buffalo daily. Tanneries paid as much as $3.00 per hide and 25¢ for each tongue. By the 1880s, over 5,000 hunters and skinners were involved in the trade. By 1884, the great era of the buffalo had ended, and nothing remained of the massive buffalo herds but piles of bones. At that time, only 1,200-2,000 surviving buffalo were left in the United States. Following strenuous efforts buffalo were saved from extinction, and today it is estimated that there are over 150,000 bison on public preserves and in private hands.

Ashes of Xyphos

I’m proud to recommend some great sci-fi that came across my desk – Ashes of Xyphos, by Kevin Sanos.

Here’s the story (spoiler-free!):

“They told him peace was worth any cost. Even genocide. Elias Kade survived the warlords, the quarantine zones, and the slow death of a forgotten city. He was just a boy when the Terran Human Alliance saved him with food, firepower, and promises of order. Now, years later, he's the hand that delivers that order, as an elite soldier of Ghost Force. But when Kade is deployed on a mission to cleanse a newly discovered alien world, the truth hits harder than any battlefield ever could: these aren't enemies. But what will Kade risk when telling the truth makes him the next target?"

Get your free book here:

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/cf3b54ee-588f-11f0-9fe5-cf1d3280d888

Cowboy beans and cast-iron cornbread

Dried beans were a staple for hundreds of years for folks in the Americas – both native peoples and immigrants from afar. This is true comfort food. If you are eating beans and cornbread for supper, you are sharing in a tradition of folks on the old trail, making cornbread in an old cast iron skillet and keeping a pot of beans on the fire for anyone who stops to rest with them at camp.

Cowboy chef Kent Rollins will take you through this staple of cowboys on a cattle drive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEv4hIgZnw

More great reading

There’s nothing like a great story, and these free quality titles are just waiting for you to start page one! Pick one, pick them all – it’s up to you. But don’t wait – time is ticking!

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