Howdy pard,

Take a load off and set yourself down there at the bar!

I’ve got all the latest town gossip to share – including a video about the not-so-secret life of a working cowboy, a recipe for campfire breakfast casserole that will make your toes curl, and some recommendations for free books to help while away those lazy summer afternoons.

What – it’s my turn to buy? Darn it - barkeep, fetch me two glasses and a bottle of your best redeye!

Books with unexpected twists and turns

Looking for something new to get your teeth into? Check out this new giveaway - more than 60 different novels with unexpected twists and turns to choose from.

There is everything here from cozy mysteries to supernatural tales, detective stories westerns, military, action, and crime novels to choose from. They look awesome – and won’t cost you a cent.

Pick one, pick ten, pick them all – it’s up to you. Here’s a couple of titles to whet your interest:

• The Assassin’s Legacy, by D. Lieber
• The Curse of the Pale Faced Man, by Gary Martinsky
• Texas Dead, by William Gensburger
• One Last Breath, by Elleby Harper

Don’t miss out, folks – this one is something special! Click here to get your free books: https://books.bookfunnel.com/twistsandturns/re73l30eaj

What was it really like to be a cowboy in the wild west?

I waste far too much time watching Youtube videos, but occasionally I find a nugget of gold hidden in the trash which is worth sharing.

We all know the classic image of a cowboy – six-guns blazing, high in the saddle, and a faithful woman by his side.

However, I found a really interesting video looking at what life was really like for a cowboy – little sleep, lots of dirt, bad food, the ever-present dust… man, those guys put up with a lot.

You can watch What it was like to be a Wild West cowboy here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB7CCgy88Ow

Bodacious Creed

I’m proud to recommend a great steampunk zombie western adventure that I read recently – Bodacious Creed, by Jonathan Fesmire.

Here’s the story (spoiler-free!):

U.S. Marshal James Creed has known loss, starting from the untimely death of his wife and daughter in a sudden fire. His work, chasing down and arresting outlaws across the Wild West, is all he has left to live for.

Then one day, in 1876, the infamous killer Corwin Blake catches Creed by surprise and guns him down. Creed awakes after a mysterious young woman resurrects him in a basement laboratory beneath a brothel.

Half alive, Creed feels torn between his need for justice and his desire to fall back into the peace of death.

Download your free copy of Bodacious Creed here:

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/f382bccc-2a24-11ec-b936-f36f596bc4b4

Mountain Man breakfast casserole

Mountain Men are tough and can look after themselves. Grizzly Bear? No problem. Build a cabin with their bare hands? Consider it done. Feed themselves? Bring on the Mountain Man breakfast casserole.

In this youtube video, genuine cowboy cooking legend Kent Rollins will cook up a casserole that your tastebuds won’t forget.

• Get his breakfast casserole recipe here https://kentrollins.com/mountain-man-breakfast//
• Watch Kent cook it up here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu9B006ZF14.

Did you know?

Dodge City, in Kansas, is the most notoriously violent town in wild west folklore, and for good reason. Dodge City had an annual recorded murder rate 165 adults killed per 100,000 people. That also means that someone living in Dodge City between 1876 to 1885 had a 1 in 61 chance of being murdered. (By comparison, in 2020, the most violent city in the world, Los Cobos, Mexico, had a murder rate less than half of that.) 

More great reading

While I’m at it, take a look at this bundle of free historical fiction audiobooks and ebooks, penned by some really talented authors who are offering some of their best work for you to try absolutely free.

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

• Brothers and Kings, by Dennis Santaniello
• The Silver Goblet, by Asli & Bakkejord
• The Girl from the Mountains, by Chrystyna Lucyl-Berger
• The Double R, by Teresa van Bryce

Get your free books here: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/ftjL84E

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