Thanks so much, Janet for hosting me and helping me get the word out about Keeper, Cuz.
Appreciate it and you.
Why I Write Westerns by Sandra Cox
My writing has been all over
the boards. I’ve written nonfiction, paranormal romance, romantic suspense and
YA fantasy. A few years back I settled
into Western and Western Romance and that’s the lane I’ve stayed in. I’m still drawn to the world of paranormal so
if I get a yen to write supernatural, I make sure it has a Western backdrop. In
SUNDIAL, a time travel, our heroine is taken back to the days of Sam Houston. MONTANA
SHOOTISTS starts out in modern day Montana and Abby finds herself flung back to
the cattle and sheep wars. Mateo in
MATEO’S LAW is a shapeshifting sheriff.
Why Westerns? That’s a darn
good question, pardner. They say to write what you know. Well, I didn’t grow up
in the Wild West. Yes, I’m old as dirt, but not quite that old😊 nor
did I grow up on a ranch, but I did grow up on TV Westerns and movies. My dad loved them, so that’s what the family
watched while I was growing up. The Lone Ranger. Bonanza. Roy Rogers
and Trigger. And the list goes on. I
guess I absorbed the old West through osmosis. Whatever the reason, it’s my niche
and even though it took me a while to get here, I’m glad I arrived😊
Cowboy
phrase of the day.
Like
we do today, the cowboys of the old West used a good bit of slang. Soiled dove
was a term used for a prostitute. It was Saturday night and he was looking
to visit a soiled dove.
~*~
Keeper
Tyree is an aging bounty hunter who lives by his own set of rules. He’s a hard
man, but he’s just, and his word is his bond. He’s a loner and likes it that
way. Then Cathleen O’Donnell catapults into his life looking to hire his gun.
Josiah Pardee has killed her boy and she’s out for vengeance. Somehow all his
hard and fast rules, including working alone and minding his own business,
crumbles in the face of the immovable widow he now works for. He finds himself
rescuing soiled doves, a myopic bookworm more suited to city life than the Wild
West, and an hombre being dragged to death by angry cardplayers, as he tracks
down the murdering sidewinder Josiah Pardee.
Excerpt from Keeper Tyree by S. Cox
Sipping
strong, black coffee, he settled in. A twig snapped. He grabbed his gun and
stood up. His horse snorted and the
snapping came again as the stallion stepped on another small limb.
“Damn
horse,” he muttered under his breath and slunk back into the shadows.
This
time he heard the thump of approaching horse’s hooves. They grew louder as they
came closer, stopping in the shadow. A few moments later a slender rider with a
black duster and hat pulled low on his forehead walked around the campfire. He
stopped, his back to Keeper. Keeper leaped, knocking the rider to the ground,
face eating dirt.
“Who
are you, mister, and why are you following me?” He put his boot on the
stranger’s back and pressed down.
“Can’t
breathe.”
The
voice, low and husky, held a familiar quality.
“Mrs.
O’Donnell?” His eyebrows shot up toward his hairline.
He
pulled her up, cursed long and fluently, finishing with, “What the hell are you
doing here?”
Air
whished out of her lungs and she took a couple of deep breaths. “I told you, I want to end Pardee, the way he
did my son.”
He
took a couple of deep breaths himself to keep from throwing down his hat and
stomping on it, then clutching his hair and howling. After a minute, he got
himself under control. “Have you ever killed a man, Mrs. O’Donnell?”
“No.
But I won’t have a problem killing Pardee.”
Anguish,
carried on the chill night breeze, washed off her in waves, till it hit his
pores and filled him. “Ma’am, it stains your soul. You may think you want to do
this, but it’s not something you’d wish to live with.”
As
if to emphasize his words, a coyote howled in the distance. A lonely sound that
emptied a body out and left one hollow and alone.
She
shivered, then tossed her chin up. “What’s your soul like?”
“Black
as sin, ma’am. But I can live with it.”
“I
can too.”
He
shoved the gun he’d sheathed deep into the leather holster. He wore two Smith
and Wesson five-inchers that gave him an edge when a fast draw was of the
essence. A little handier with his right hand, he could use either proficiently
and had on more than one occasion.
“I
don’t want you on my conscience.”
Surprise
flickered across her features. “You have no reason to have me on your
conscience.” She put her hands on her hips and studied him. “I’m told you’re
ruthless. So far I’ve seen nothing to back it up.”
“Don’t
think for a moment I’m not. I’ve done things you would never dream of.” His
voice roughened.
“I
think the stories about you are exaggerated.”
The
humor of the situation hit him. No one had ever accused him of being soft. No
one would dare. Molly’d had a point when she told him to watch out for Mrs.
O’Donnell. The woman showed all the signs of being trouble.
About Sandra:
 |
| Author S. Cox |
Sandra
is a vegetarian, animal lover and avid gardener, and also writes as S. Cox.
She lives with her husband,
their dog and cats in sunny North Carolina. Her stories consist of all things Western and more. She is a category bestselling Amazon author, Eppie finalist and award winner. Her stories consist of all things Western and more. She is a category bestselling Amazon author, Eppie finalist and award winner.
Click here to download your copy of KEEPER TYREE.
Click here to visit Sandra at her website
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Cox
Janet's Review of KEEPER TYREE
S. Cox is an outstanding storyteller. In this Western, the bad guys are really really bad and the good guys are good, but with a shade of badness. She paints the main characters brighter and brighter as we follow them through the story. And, oh those unique, quirky characters they meet as they trail the bad guy. It reminds me of a road trip story. The action is fast and furious, the love scenes tender. The book read easily and the tale kept me turning the pages. If you love Westerns, you'll love Keeper Tyree. (and yes, the author reveals how he got his name, Keeper.)
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