Western Tales

Thunder Canyon is unlike any story I’ve ever written before.

Besides being a western, it has an unusual premise that I’m not entirely sure will work out, long term.

The idea originated in a line from one of my favorite westerns, Open Range. After an attack on their camp, Robert Duvall’s character, Boss Speerman, reflects on the condition of one of his crew, wounded and left for dead.

“A knock on the head can make a man strange till the end of his days,” he said.

I conjured up a picture, then, of Thorton Roberts and his bizarre quest. Roberts is a gunslinger who is traveling the west in search of revenge. This is not a typical sort of revenge tale, however. When he was younger, a tornado swept through his family’s ranch, killing both his parents. Roberts himself was wounded; he received a knock on the head that–you guessed it–made him strange until the end of his days. Roberts is chasing the storm that killed his parents.

I know what you’re thinking. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Well, maybe so. Along the way he meets up with Ellie McCool, brought to this country as a mail-order bride–a situation she accepted because she is a direct descendent of Celtic hero Finn McCool (or MacCuhal, or any number of other spellings). She believes a spurned suitor has released a demon onto her path and she’s looking for safe harbor.

Her would-be-husband, a fiery preacher named Sterling Obediah Bidlack, is a vile, abusive man. Ellie rejected him, too, although he still believes she was promised him by God himself and will not let her go.

I thought of Stormchaser as a series, as Roberts and Ellie wander the land, staying one step ahead of Sterling Bidlack and one step behind the storm that was always on the horizon–and may, in fact, be more than just a bit of nasty weather. I also enjoyed writing Bidlack, who stomps around in heavy black boots in order to scare the devils in hell and thought it would be fun to create a long line of religious pricks that connect up my modern-day Charlie Morton stories. He hasn’t made an appearance yet, but will in forthcoming novels Tradition Night and The Lost Man’s House.

Does it work as a standalone? Will it work as a series? I’m not sure. This was fun to write and I think it’s fun to read, with solid action, a few good jokes and some universal truths that’ll surprise you. Check it out and let me know what you think.

As always, thanks for reading!