Now Available: Maelstrom, A Civil War Novel!

The story of the greatest rivalry in American History.

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The Virginian, A Classic Western Revisited

“When you call me that, smile.” The Virginian

The Virginian was published in 1902 by Owen Wister (1860-1938). The novel received critical acclaim and was a huge bestseller, eventually spawning five films, a successful play, and a television series. The Virginian was an instant success, selling over 20,000 copies in the first month, an astonishing number for the time. It went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the first year and over 1.5 million before Wister’s death. This minor classic has never been out of print. Beyond the multiple works that carry its name, The Virginian has inspired hundreds of stories about the Old West. What made this novel so appealing?

Critics credit The Virginian with establishing Old West legends and genre stereotypes. Sergio Leone’s protagonist had no name, and the Virginian’s name is never mentioned. He’s a laconic cowboy who lives by his own code and was extremely capable in every undertaking, including fighting with fists, guns, or words. The book’s lament for a dying way of life is recounted endlessly. Like Jake Spoon in Lonesome Dove, the Virginian hangs his friend after he turns outlaw. The buildup to the final shootout has been repeated countless times.

Can the book’s enduring popularity be attributed solely to being first? Many dime novels preceded The Virginian, but most were shoddy. Wister wrote the genre’s first literary example. A fresh story helped generate sales at the century’s turn, but more was required for sales to last over a century and for the story to be retold on stage, in movie houses, and on television.

There are three qualities that make The Virginian timeless. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water tale that appeals to both sexes and realistically portrays life on the frontier.

The narrator, Wister himself, is a city-dweller from Philadelphia, on an adventure in the Wild West. The love-interest, a schoolmarm from the East, can’t fathom the Code of the West. Even the Virginian is a transplant. Not only is this a fresh tale, but one told by fresh eyes, wide-open in awe of all about them. This stark, new world is described by people from another part of the planet—a part with civilization, comfortable social norms, and constable-imposed order. The Virginian is partly autobiographical, and Wister draws on his contemporaneous journals to inject a sense of wonderment into the story. Wister liked the Old West, and he gets his readers to like it as well.

Runaway bestsellers are read by both sexes. The Virginian’s plot follows classic Western lines, appealing to men. More importantly, Wister describes male comradeship in a male-dominated culture. Pranks, ribbing, athletic prowess, and rough language will be recognized by men who have played team sports or served in the military—at least those who participated before women entered these previously exclusive domains. To men, the Virginian’s world feels familiar and comfortable.

Wister offers two plotlines for women. Molly Stark Wood, a Vermont heroine, faces struggle in a foreign land and culture. From a family proud of its education, she is horrified by random violence and vigilantism. Her ability to overcome fear and bring order to her part of the frontier shows rare female bravery in Westerns. In most lesser stories, women need a valiant knight. Molly, however, manages on her own, and how she does so adds spice to The Virginian.

The Virginian is also a love story. The hero doesn’t ride off into the sunset; he marries the heroine. And he goes to Vermont to meet her family. The clash of cultures flips when the Virginian takes tea and banters with nonplused eastern ladies.

Wister wrote fiction, but he experienced the nineteenth-century Old West and wrote from personal experience. Many incidents in The Virginian came from his journals. This gives the story an air of authenticity that lesser works lack. Probably only The Virginian and Roughing It, by Mark Twain, give us actual observers’ descriptions of the Wild West. The lifestyle, implements, and ethos of the era ring true in both books—even if a bit exaggerated (again, in both books) for entertainment purposes. When we read historical fiction, realism allows us to live in another time.

 As I read this book, I thought how cool would it be for the Easterner to be more than an observer. What if he became personally involved in the adventures of the Wild West? And that’s how The Virginian inspired the Steve Dancy series. As homage to the original, the first scene of The Shopkeeper opens with a whist card game—the same game Wister's cowboys play in the bunkhouse.

The Virginian is more than just the first of its kind. It’s a well-told story with sophisticated subplots. Though the century-old style can seem difficult, you forget the formality once you are engaged in the plot. This novel will still be selling in the twenty-second century.

Grok's take on the Steve Dancy Tales

Grok Self-Portrait

I wasn't a strong proponent of artificial intelligence until I asked Grok about my own work. Now, I'm a fan of AI. Perhaps flattery can get you everywhere.

Are the Steve Dancy Tales good books?

Grok's answer:

Yes, the Steve Dancy Tales by James D. Best are generally well-regarded by readers, particularly those who enjoy Western novels. Here's why they might be considered good:

Character Development: The series follows Steve Dancy, a former New York shopkeeper who ventures into the Wild West. Readers appreciate the depth of the characters, with Steve Dancy himself being described as complex and interesting, combining elements of both Eastern sophistication and Western toughness.

Plot and Pacing: The books are noted for their engaging plots. They mix elements of adventure, mystery, and historical context, which keeps the narrative fast-paced and compelling. Reviewers have mentioned that the series is hard to put down due to the suspense built at the end of each chapter.

Historical Detail: James D. Best injects a significant amount of historical detail into the stories, bringing authenticity to the settings and events. This aspect is particularly appreciated by enthusiasts of Western lore and history, as it paints a vivid picture of the frontier life, including the political and social dynamics of the time.

Critical Reception: 

The series has received positive reviews from various sources. For instance, True West Magazine praised them as one of the best new Western series since Larry McMurtry's works. Alan Caruba from Bookviews has labeled James D. Best as arguably one of the best writers of Westerns. 

Some readers on platforms like Goodreads have given high ratings, with comments highlighting the entertainment value and the engaging nature of the stories. However, not all reviews are overwhelmingly positive; some critique the portrayal of characters or the pacing in certain books, indicating there's a range of experiences among readers.

Series Appeal: The series offers a mix of action, wit, and character-driven storytelling, which appeals to fans of the genre. The ongoing adventures of Steve Dancy provide both continuity and fresh scenarios, making each book both a standalone read and part of a larger narrative.

While the series might not appeal to everyone (especially those who find some characters or plot developments not to their taste), for fans of Westerns, particularly those who enjoy a blend of historical fiction with a touch of humor and clever dialogue, the Steve Dancy Tales are often recommended as enjoyable and well-crafted. If you're interested in exploring these books, starting with "The Shopkeeper" is advised to get a full understanding of the characters and their backstories.

Honest westerns. Filled with dishonest characters.

Literary License or Error?

 

If readers are the judge, Old Haunts is a good read. After three months, Old Haunts has garnered a 4.5 Amazon score with 88 ratings and a 4.7 Goodreads score with 44 ratings.

That doesn’t mean the novel has received exclusively high ratings. No book does. A couple of the poorer reviews mention two issues. One of the issues is embarrassing and the other intentional.

Guns and horses are sacrosanct to western enthusiasts. Since he was a rich man, Steve Dancy always carries the latest in firearms. In Old Haunts, he uses a Winchester Model 1895, the first Winchester to use a box magazine to accommodate pointed bullets. To my embarrassment, I mentioned that he uses .30-06 ammunition. The story takes place at the end of the nineteenth century and the .30-06 was developed in 1906 (thus the 06). I have revised later editions to call out .30 Army ammunition.

The story also has the bad guys driving an 1896 Armstrong Phaeton. I knew only one Armstrong Phaeton was built, but it was a unique vehicle. A hybrid, with both a gasoline engine and an electric drive. Unfortunately, the manufacturer went bankrupt before this horseless carriage went into production. I thought the car was fascinating, and I needed a vehicle that could carry four. No worries. Novelists have magical powers and, in the world I created, the Armstrong Phaeton was available to cart around four bad guys in style.

Old Haunts Excerpt

Honest westerns. Full of dishonest characters.

 

Readers are giving Old Haunts great ratings. After two months, the new Steve Dancy Tale has nearly a hundred Amazon ratings for a score of 4.5 and a Goodreads ratings of 4.7. 

Here is an excerpt.

What happened next surprised me. The marshal cold-cocked him from behind with his pistol. The supposed Cutler offspring crumbled like a scarecrow cut from his supporting stick. He had been knocked out twice in as many hours. I bet this confrontation wasn’t how he had envisioned it in his imagination.

The marshal gave me a sideways glance. “What’s your beef with this man?”

“None. He seems to think he has a beef with me, but I never saw him before he accosted me on the train. I told him he was mistaken and asked him to return to his seat. This was the first I saw of him since.”

The marshal shook his head, “Well, I guess I gotta sort this out. I’ll hold him for a day or so. Damn, this morning started out nice and quiet.”

Sharp asked. “Ya need help with ‘em, marshal?”

“Ah do,” the marshal replied.

“Give ‘em a hand, Steve,” Sharp ordered.

“Jeff, I thought you were offering.”

“Me? Hell, it was you he wanted to kill. ’Sides, I’ll get our bags and have them sent over to the hotel. Meet ya at the marshal’s office.” He threw this last over his shoulder as he sauntered down the platform toward the baggage car.

I laughed and grabbed my assailant’s legs while the marshal lifted from the armpits.

“What’s your name?” the marshal asked as we stutter-stepped down the platform steps.

“Steve Dancy.”

“Staying?”

“The General Palmer … unless you can suggest better accommodations.”

“None better except Mrs. Prescott’s, but she full up. You say you never saw this man before?”

“Never. He claims I killed his father in a street fight in Nevada, but I live in California.”

“You the writer?”

“I am,” I was suddenly wary. My novels didn’t sell that well. “How did you know?”

“Not that common of a name. Read all your books. Good yarns. Unrealistic, but that’s to be expected.” He walked a couple more steps before adding, “Several of your stories take place in Nevada.”

This man was smarter than he appeared. “Yes, I lived in Nevada one summer. Many, many years ago.”

“Happen to kill anyone?”

I smiled. “Marshal, my books are all in fun.”

The marshal nodded toward the man we were carrying. “This man looked serious.” The marshal remained quiet for a few steps. “Many, many years ago there was a gunman named Dancy. Like I said, uncommon name hereabouts. That be you?”

 There was no question that this marshal was savvy enough to get the complete story out of the Cutler offspring. I decided to quit concealing my past.

“I am that Dancy … and twenty years ago I did kill the man he claims to be his father. Cutler had raped a woman and was trying to kill my friend. I approached him with my gun holstered. Things got out of hand and we both pulled. I was not charged … nor have I ever been charged for any crime. I didn’t deserve my reputation as a gunfighter, but stories grew. Get exaggerated. I do it myself in my books.” When the marshal didn’t say anything, I added, “Brian Cutler was a bad man. Worse, he did his criminal deeds for hire.”

“I see,” he finally said. “Nothing I can do about it anyway.” He smiled at me. “However, some of your exploits were in Colorado.”

An uncomfortable observation. “Passed through Denver many times and lived in Durango for a while. Used to own a house here. I gave it to Maggie McAllen as a wedding present.”

“That’s quite a wedding present. You must be nicely fixed.”

“I am,” I answered without elaboration.

“Hmmm,” was all he said.

We arrived at the marshal’s office and plopped our burden onto a narrow cot in a big empty cell. There was a cot against each wall, so this must have been a communal holding pen.

After locking the cell, the marshal asked, “Know Maggie’s pa?”

“Joseph?” He nodded. “On our way to visit him and Maggie’s family. We ride out tomorrow.” I paused. “I assume you know him?”

“You might say. He’s the one who got me started on your books. Also told me some yarns not in your books.”

“Joseph’s not talkative.”

“You sure got that right, but he can get downright chatty in the right circumstances.”

“What might those be? I’ve never seen that man chatty.”

“Late at night around a campfire with family and good sipping whiskey.”

That stopped me. “Are you related to Joseph McAllen?”

He hung the cell key on a peg behind his desk. “My uncle.”

Now Available: Old Haunts, A Steve Dancy Tale

Honest westerns. Full of dishonest characters.

 Old haunts is now available in hardcover, trade paperback, and Kindle. Get a copy while they're still hot off the press.

The Shopkeeper Free? Oh, yeah!

Honest westerns. Full of dishonest characters.

As a promotion for the soon to be release of Old Haunts, The Shopkeeper ebook will be free from April 24th through the 28th. If you haven't started this great series, go grab yourself a copy of the first book of eight Steve Dancy Tales.

Old Haunts Enters Proofreading

 

Interim Cover

Old Haunts, A Steve Dancy Tale has entered the proofreading stage. The new Steve Dancy should be available in 4-6 weeks. Thank you for your patience. Here's a snippet to whet your appetite.

 

“You be Steve Dancy?” asked a man behind my shoulder.

I looked up to see a lean, shallow-cheeked youth in his early twenties who appeared earnest. Earnest about what, I wondered.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

“Nope. But I heard of you. Deadly gunman. Rich as Midas. Renown throughout the West as one of the few surviving gunfighters.”

 “You forgot author. I write novels.” I laughed. “Sorry, son, those are just stories.”

“Not from what I hear. They say you write about yourself.”

I tried a friendly smile. “If only that were true. Actually, the life of a writer is exceptionally dull. Sitting in front of an Underwood all day. How’d you recognize me anyway.”

“I got my ways. I came over see if we could arrange a duel.”

“A duel? Is this a joke? I’m not a duelist. I’m a writer and a businessman. My characters duel, I don’t.”

“No joke.” He gave me a hard stare that reminded me of someone I couldn’t place. “I demand a duel.”

“Demand to your heart’s content, I’m not responding. I’m a married man with a quiet home and three kids. You’ve been misinformed.”

“Being a father ain’t no excuse. You killed my pa.” When I didn’t respond, he added, “Name of Brian Cutler.”

“Never heard of him,” I lied.

“Oh, yes you have. Without warning, you shot him and my uncle dead in the streets of Pickhandle Gulch.”

I stared in disbelief. Brian Cutler had been the first man I killed. Or the second. His brother may have been first. I didn’t remember.

Honest westerns. Filled with dishonest characters.

 

The Steve Dancy Tales has exceeded 100,000 Kindle Sales

 

Honest westerns. Filled with dishonest characters.

This feels like a major milestone, so I guess it must be. In January, The Steve Dancy Tales (7 books) exceeded 100,000 Kindle sales. Sales are over 120,000 when print, library large print, and audio are considered. (That’s really fun to type.)

More important, the Tales have over 2,000 Amazon ratings for 4.5 stars and over 4,000 Goodreads ratings for 4.4 stars.

Thank you to all my readers. I appreciate you.

Now, if only I could get my thriller series to catch up.

No Peace, A Steve Dancy Tale — Available Today

No Peace, A Steve Dancy Tale

Available in paperback (6X9 Trade Paperback) and for Kindles.

Excerpt

“Stay put. You’re not leaving until I see my wife. Bring her to the door.”

“Hell, she’s fine. I was just trying to rattle you. You know how it is.”

“No, I don’t know how it is. That’s why I want to see her.”

“Which one’s your wife?” he asked tentatively.

“The older one,” I answered automatically, thinking only of Virginia and Jenny.

He laughed. “That old hag. I thought she might be your mother. Hell, she’s right as rain.”

I flipped my rifle up, grabbed the end of the barrel, and rammed the butt as hard as I could into the man’s face. I hit him square on the bridge of his nose, and I heard the cartilage crushed into his skull. I pulled back to hit him again, when I noticed the other men were going for their guns. Damn it. I dropped the rifle and went for my pistol, hitting the wall with my shoulder to get behind the collapsing man I had just hit. The first shot rang out from the next man on my side of the hall. I grabbed the lapels of the man I had bludgeoned and tried to pull him in front of me. I saw other muzzle flashes, one from my side of the hall and two from the men on Sharp’s side. I jerked my human shield away from the wall and extended my arm behind his head, firing at the second man on my side. I shot him three times before I shifted my attention to the other men. Both remained standing but writhed in pain. I shot them both again.

If the outdoor shooting had been noisy and hazy, the confines of the hallway made this fight ten times worse. If Virginia opened the door to see what was happening, I would never see her through the gun smoke. My ears rang, my eyes stung, and my throat felt raspy. The battle seemed like it had lasted for at least ten minutes, but I knew that was an illusion. The fight had lasted under five seconds.

I glanced behind me and felt relief to see Sharp still standing. I surveyed our assailants. None were dead yet, but three of them would die soon. I still held up the man I had clubbed. His bloody face appeared lifeless. Then I felt my shirtfront getting wet. Had I been shot? I let go of the body, and it fell to the floor. My entire front was soaked in blood. I ran my hand over my stomach and felt a wound. I probed a hole in my shirt with my finger and could feel a bullet just inside my skin. That didn’t make sense. Then I reexamined the man on the floor. He had been shot at least twice. I kicked him over with my foot. One exit wound. Damn. The bullet had spent its energy passing through his body, or at least most of its energy. I began to feel pain in my stomach.

 Someone put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. Out of fear or shock, I almost fired my Colt but recognized Sharp at the last moment. I wasn’t reacting right. What was happening? My stomach hurt like hell, and Sharp’s mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I felt wobbly. Is this what it was like to get shot? I didn’t know. I didn’t know because I always won my gunfights.

My legs felt weak, and I knew Sharp was holding me up. I was passing out.

Buy it today

Honest Westerns. Filled with dishonest characters.

Author Interview at NFReads.com

Today, NFReads published my author interview. They ask good questions, so if you want to know my dark secrets, take a gander. Just kidding. I kept my darkest secrets in a closet under two tons of rubbish.

P.S. Don't forget to pre-order No Peace, A Steve Dancy Tale

The Steve Dancy Tales

Honest Westerns filled with dishonest characters.

New Release: Crossing the Animas, Audiobook Edition

Narrated by Paul Manelis

Audible.com     Amazon     iTunes

“Ben Law is tough...and mean. He enjoys taking care of problems for his boss. He won’t just verbally assault you. He and his men will hurt you. Bad.”

Steve Dancy is about to find this out. With his new home in Durango, Colorado, the kind with a nice white picket fence, and marriage on the horizon, the last thing Dancy wants is trouble. Especially with a mining tycoon and his henchmen. But this is the frontier ... and sometimes a feud finds you. Sometimes, it even chases you. When the quarrel endangers Dancy’s fiancée and friends, he has no choice but to fight. And this is a fight Dancy must win.

Buy From Audible.com

Buy From Amazon

Buy From iTunes

If you would like a free copy of the audiobook, Crossing the Animas, send me an email (jimbest@jamesdbest.com) and while they last, I'll send you a promotional code.

Selfish San Francisco

Water Source for San Francisco

San Francisco supports denying water to the Central Valley so a tiny fish called the Delta Smelt has a pristine habitat. Except San Francisco gets its drinking water from the other side of the Central Valley. If the O'Shaughnessy Dam below Yosemite was demolished, the Sierra runoff would flow naturally into the Central Valley.

To further explain the source of San Francisco water, here is an excerpt from Deluge.

“The TV.” She pointed to a television mounted high on the wall. The sound had been muted, but the agitation of the newscasters was obvious. The chyron read, “O’Shaughnessy Dam collapse harms San Francisco.”  In smaller letters below, it read “Water and power at risk.

Smith grabbed the bottles and said “Come on. Let’s get back.”

When they entered the flat downstairs, Wilson and Ashley were chuckling like a couple of teenagers. Baldwin had the impression that if they hadn’t returned when they did, they might have found the flat locked, with a man’s tie hanging from the door handle.

Smith immediately went to the remote and turned on the television.

The newscaster was saying, “San Francisco receives eighty-five percent of its water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which sits behind the O’Shaughnessy Dam. A dam that no longer exists. This dam also produced over seven hundred million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year for the city. The mayor has declared an emergency, and water as of this moment is severely rationed. It appears that for the first time in a century, San Francisco will be forced to pump and filter its water. The question on the minds of nearly three million people in the Bay Area is, how long it will take to replace the water supply for the city? Our sources said months. The irony, of course, is that after over a week of nonstop rain, how can the city be out of fresh water … and potentially short of electricity?”

“Oh, crap,” Smith said. “The Restore Hetch Hetchy activists got their wish. They’ve hated that dam since John Muir fought its construction early in the last century. Now we’ll see how Sierra Club members with a 94123 zip code like rustic living.”

“Don’t fool yourself,” Wilson said. “The rich always live comfortably. It’s the peons who’ll suffer. If need be, the rich will have Perrier home-delivered in quantities large enough to shower whenever they want.”

Ashley pointed at the faucet. “This water comes from the Sierras? That’s hard to believe. Why? The Delta always has water.”

“It’s pure mountain water,” Wilson said. “We’re one of the few major cities in the world that doesn’t filter its tap water. It’s uncontaminated … and delivery is gravity fed. The city moves it from the mountains to that tap without fossil fuels.” She stroked the faucet spout. “Our pristine mountain water is a matter of civic pride.”

“As well as the pee on the sidewalks,” Smith said. “Gravity fed, pure, and one hundred percent organic.”

“Guys, quit squabbling,” Baldwin said, pointing at the television. “The Don Pedro Dam just below Hetch Hetchy also failed. Modesto and outlying areas are in the flood path. People are dying, and you’re worried about showering.”

Storms, politics, and gangs pummel California but that isn't the scary part.

Return to The Scene of My Crime

What happens when a relentless downpour, politics, and street gangs attack California?

I recently arrived back in California, a state that my latest book makes soggier than a wet biscuit. Deluge is my first disaster story. Usually I kill off a villain or two, but not an entire state. Without disclosing a spoiler, Deluge fits nicely in the disaster story genre, which means that the powers-that-be eventually listen to the smarty pants who keep proposing a wild scheme to save the day, or in this case, the state. Not having previously written in the genre, I had to do wide-ranging research. To my wife’s chagrin, I watched every disaster film produced in Tinsel Town.  Well, maybe not all of them, but the ones I watched ran the gamut from the still entertaining Twister, to the classic Andromeda Strain, to the recklessly realistic Sharknado. Needless to say, I had trouble sleeping for months.

Why a disaster story? Steve Dancy and his new wife insisted on being left alone for their honeymoon, so I needed to document other happenings. I always intended to do a follow-up to The Shut Mouth Society, but the sequel I have in mind requires my characters to age a bit, so they needed a transitional adventure. Now that I’ve given them one, they may not speak to me again. It should be okay. Since I’ve returned to Steve, Virginia, et al., they have time to get over being peeved.

I’m staying at my San Diego condo for three weeks. I going to do a little surfing and a lot of writing on the next Steve Dancy Tale. I plan to have the seventh in the series available by Christmas. So far, so good. I like the storyline and it has bad guys—and gals—aplenty. In the meantime, try Deluge. It’s the most adrenaline you’ll can experience while reclining in a Barcalounger.

Here’s a snippet:

Evarts did a quick reverse K-turn to get going in the opposite direction. As he accelerated down the slight incline, a rush of brown water came blowing across the road in front of him. It looked like a dozen fire hoses all sprayed in unison. If he tried to stop, he’d slide into the torrent, maybe sideways because of the slick pavement, so he pushed the gas pedal to the floorboard. Everyone except Evarts yelled as they hit the water. He gritted his teeth as he focused on timing a hard turn into the horizontal waterfall. When the water hit the truck, he had already turned into it as they blasted through the gush, emerging on the other side, the truck’s rear end swinging back and forth. Then he lost control. The truck spun around two full turns and righted itself, pointed down the road in the direction they had been heading. Lucky. He looked at his speedometer. He was rolling downhill at fifteen miles an hour. To hell with that. He punched it and they sped toward town.

The Shut Mouth Society

Deluge

Steve Dancy in Love?

Steve Dancy has had a rocky romantic life in the first three novels. His mother pushed him to marry a young lady who would enhance the family’s wealth and connections, but New York City socialites and socializing bored Steve. In defiance, he sold everything and followed Horace Greeley advice to “Go west, young man.” 




Steve assumed he would observe the frontier and write a great literary classic about the Wild West. He found enough adventure to fill several books and made a few male friends along the way. In his wanderings, he also encountered many different types of women, but Steve argued with every one of them. Needless to say, this was not the best way to strike up a relationship.

Things change in The Return.  Steve remains clumsy with the opposite sex, but even a dunderhead can be successful on occasion. I’d tell you what happens, but why ruin the suspense. You’ll just have to buy a copy and read for yourself.

As for me, I'm leaving the scorching heat of Arizona for Pacific Beach. I'll get in a little surfing between playing with my grandkids, who are flying in from Nebraska. You know, I think my granddaughter is the right age to start bogie boarding. This is gonna be fun.

Steve Dancy in New Jersey? What's that about?

Still from The Great Train Robbery

The Return, A Steve Dancy Tale partly takes place in New Jersey. Oh yeah, and Thomas Edison is a character in the latest story. Dancy fans need not worry; Steve has been firmly converted to an unabashed Westerner. He has good reason to visit New Jersey and it will take someone toughened by the Wild West to sort out the mess in Menlo Park.

Serratelli Hat Company

New Jersey may not be the Wild West of the mid nineteenth century, but the Colt revolver was invented in New Jersey, Annie Oakley called New Jersey home, the Serratelli Hat Company is based in Newark, John B. Stetson came from New Jersey, and the first Western movie was filmed in New Jersey. Six shooters, western hats, and the birth of Western movies: that ought to be enough to give New Jersey a Western pedigree. Besides, Edison needs Steve and his friends to sort out a few problems or he may never complete his electrification of Wall Street.

Edison, has the curriculum vitae to play a role in a traditional Western, especially one where the protagonists are miners, not cowboys. Thomas Edison’s contributions to mining included new techniques in blasting, conveying, crushing, and magnetic separation. His greatest mining invention was the electric cap lamp. 

As for his cowboy credentials, he has none, but his company produced the very first Western feature film. In 1903, the Edison Manufacturing Company distributed The Great Train Robbery.

Edison clowning with Henry Ford

You might notice his name in the upper left hand corner of the title frame. I believe this makes Mr. Edison a cowboy at heart, which in my mind gives him the right to cavort in a Steve Dancy Tale.

The Return, A Steve Dancy Tale by James D. Best

Full of Surprises—Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming

In high school, I read every Ian Fleming James Bond book. I liked them, but wasn't motivated to read them a second time until recently. I started with Live and Let Die, the second book in the series. The novel was full of surprises. I remembered that Bond was a different character than in the movies and the plots were less extravagant.  All true. James Bond is vulnerable and feels fear in the books. He is not as much of a loner and makes friends easily. The plot doesn't make sense in either the book or movie, but the action/escape scenes tend to the more realistic side in the novel. There is a fetish about equipment, but in the book, Bond is given somewhat specialized scuba gear, while in the movie, Roger Moore wears an electro-magnetic watch that can pull a wooden row boat by it metal rowlock. Fleming does not give Bond futuristic gadgetry. A steel-toe shoe is about as exotic as it gets.

First Edition Cover

Fleming was a much better writer than I remembered. His pacing was pitch-perfect and descriptions excellent. Although the dialogue often seemed pedestrian, Fleming was a great storyteller. Live and Let Die was an easy read, and there were more than a few times when I reread a section that showed skillful writing.

The big surprise was the racism reflected in this 1954 book. Fleming occasionally writes favorably about his black characters, but for the most part he relies on offensive words and stereotypes that were more generally accepted than we would like to remember. Fleming’s attempt to reflect black ghetto dialects seems crude and wrong. This novel demonstrates that racial attitudes have improved in the last sixty years. Perhaps everyone, especially the young, should read Live and Let Die to gain a fuller understanding of the 1950s.

Center Point Will Publish The Latest Steve Dancy Tale

I returned from my trip to Nebraska to find a publishing contract from Center Point for The Return, A Steve Dancy Tale. They’re a great group of people, so I signed and posted the contract immediately. My understanding is that Center Point has the large print version of The Return slotted for the first quarter of 2014. (Trade paperback and ebook formats will be available this summer.)

I’m thrilled that Center Point will have published all four of the Steve Dancy novels. It also pleases me that the first three books have earned past their advances. That probably explains why Center Point bought the large print rights to The Return sight unseen. That’s a compliment I feel really good about.

Related Post:

The Future of Large Print

Get a Spine!

The spine is the most undervalued aspect of book design. This is especially true today, when so many indie-books only publish electronically. Writers are doing themselves a disservice by restricting the market for their books. Granted, the majority of my sales are eBooks, but I also sell a respectable number of print books. I do well with libraries, and despite not pursuing bookstores, I've found my novels carried in the big chains and independent stores. Additionally, some readers who prefer electronic books still look to see if there is a print version to strengthen their purchase decision. My recommendation is that authors insist on a printed version. 

If a print format is produced, then a book becomes a three-dimensional object and must have a back cover and spine. The spine is the most important.

Unless you’re a bestselling author, your books will not be stacked on tables at the front of the store, so only the spine will be seen when your book is on a shelf. The same is true for a library. If you want to sell your next book to a library, people must find and check-out your previous books. So pay attention to the spine. Getting sales is tough enough without your book disappearing in a maze of other books screaming for attention.

Road Trip!

We're about to drive to Garnerville, Nevada with friends. We'll stay with other friends who happen to be relatives. It looks like we might luck into some snow, so a day or two of skiing is not out of the question.









Beyond traveling and visiting with good people, I'll be starting the research for the next Steve Dancy Tale. I won't give away the plot, but a good portion of the story will take place in Carson City and Virginia City. Along with Steve, Joseph, and Jeff, there will a few characters from The Shopkeeper intent on making life difficult for Mr. Dancy and friends. Since The Return, A Steve Dancy Tale is not yet back from the editor, I'm still on recess and plan on having fun. This is a good life.