ANTHOLOGIES

Fire Mountain and Other Survival Stories cover

HALF A PIG AND OTHER FRONTIER STORIES

Pub. Date: November 23, 2022

Five Star Publishing, 304 pages, November 2022

Amazon

Gathered for the first time, this robust collection of eighteen frontier tales, Half a Pig and Other Frontier Stories, from Spur and Wrangler Award–winning author Matthew P. Mayo, rides hard with a range of fast-action offerings, including a previously unpublished novella, “Trouble at Tall Pine.” The collection features the lynching-inspired title story and Spur Award finalist “Half a Pig”; the bone-cold, eye-for-an-eye drama of Will Rogers Medallion Award–winning “Peaches”; the clanking, clockwork gundown of Peacemaker Award–winning “Scourge of the Spoils”; and numerous other critically acclaimed, nationally reviewed short stories, ranging from the noir-tinged pages of “Snows of Montana” and “Snake Farm” to a stack of five bold and brassy adventures of that silent, noble loner Roamer and his jug-hoisting mentor, crusty mountain man Maple Jack, including the heretofore unpublished “Trouble at Tall Pine.” So, prop a boot, drop a coin, and pick your poison, pard!

“Mayo’s collection of previously published short stories runs the gamut: historical fiction, horror, Native American tribute, speculative fiction, and steampunk. All have a distinct western flair. Readers may know Mayo from his Roamer series (most recently Winter Wolves, 2021); Mayo sneaks in five Roamer and Maple Jack stories, complete with a stare-down between a grizzly bear and a mountain lion. 

Those who prefer a traditional western may feel drawn to “Half a Pig,” which follows an old cowhand trying to right an egregious wrong. Horror fiends will feel a sense of foreboding from “Pay the Ferryman” and “The Witch Hole”—both stories beg their respective protagonists to literally watch where they’re going. 

The most emotive story may be the one with the most pared-down language. In “Bloodline,” a brutal psychopath terrorizes his half-Native American grandson. Caught in a cat-and-mouse scenario, the grandson prays that the narcissistic beast failed to notice the boy memorizing his weaknesses throughout the years. 

A wide variety of stories sure to please a wide variety of readers.”

— Booklist

Fire Mountain and Other Survival Stories cover

FIRE MOUNTAIN AND OTHER SURVIVAL STORIES

Contributor

Five Star Publishing, 289 pages, June 2021, Hardcover

Amazon

(Includes my novella, Bloodline)

A quartet of brand-new novellas from bestselling, award-winning authors, and with a foreword by bestselling author and creator of Rambo, David Morrell. The stories within highlight the early American frontier and what it took for individuals to survive in a rugged, rapidly changing era. Included are: The Buffalo Trace by Larry D. Sweazy; Two Old Comanchesby Johnny D. Boggs; Fire Mountain by Michael Zimmer; and Bloodline by Matthew P. Mayo.

Bloodline by Matthew P. Mayo:
“One beating too many causes a kicked-cur, half-breed youth to flee the wrath of Bull Barr, his brute of a grandfather, who blames the boy for his ceaseless poor luck. The relentless old man hunts the boy without mercy—he cannot let him live, for the boy knows too many family secrets.”

Why Cows Need Cowboys cover

WHY COWS NEED COWBOYS (AND OTHER SELDOM-TOLD TALES FROM THE AMERICAN WEST)

Contributor

TwoDot, 152 pages, May 2021, Softcover & Ebook

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “The Last Drop: From Death to Life at Madison Buffalo Jump”)

Welcome to Western Writers of America’s first anthology for young readers. In this collection of true tales of the West, we leave textbook history in the rearview mirror and take you on a tour of twenty seldom-told dramas, the kind you might stumble across only if you leave the main road to wander the detours and byways of the American story. Here you’ll meet extraordinary characters, from a young buffalo hunter of prehistoric times to riders for the Pony Express, the first African American female stagecoach driver, and the Navajo code talkers of World War II.

Amazing short stories! I don’t believe there is a bad one in the bunch. These range from the tribal to the historical…. Really great writing and thoroughly engaging. Kudos to all!

—NetGalley Review

The Trading Post & Other Frontier Stories

THE SPOILT QUILT AND OTHER FRONTIER STORIES (PIONEERING WOMEN OF THE WEST)

Contributor

Five Star Publishing, 360 pages, November, 2019, Hardcover

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Includes my short story, “Peaches,” 2020 Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award, Short Story)

Sixteen brand-new stories, by award-winning authors, that capture the spirit of individualism in the evolving American frontier through the 19th century and feature pioneering women of the West who face life-changing challenges in settings that starkly contrast to civilized society. Ranging from high-action traditional Westerns to introspective historical dramas set in the American West, readers will discover previously untold stories about the strong women that shaped the iconic American West.

“Sixteen stories illustrating the United States’ past through women’s experiences comprise this impressive new collection. Western literature has passed in and out of fashion; at present there’s a movement toward openness and candor regarding the U.S. march to the west. This compilation provides an excellent starting point for book club discussions of Americans in these times.”

—Starred, Library Journal

“Each piece in this 16-story, female-focused anthology packs a punch. The heroines confront death, disease, rape, domestic violence, and poverty, all while living in an era that denies them equal legal status . . . it’s about personal strength in a time and place when that was often the only resource an individual had in excess. To that end, The Spoilt Quilt provides brief glimpses of optimism in an otherwise overcast world.”

—Booklist

“Each story’s protagonist is a woman in the American West, and what an unforgettable group of women they are. This collection will surely please fans of frontier fiction as well as those who are new to the genre.”

—Historical Novel Society

The Trading Post & Other Frontier Stories

MOVING FOREWORD: REAL INTRODUCTIONS TO TOTALLY MADE-UP BOOKS

Contributor

BenBella Books, 240 pages, April, 2019, Hardcover, Ebook & Audio

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Includes my foreword/short story, “Lucky Tam’s A Tramp’s Tales, or Episodes from the Life of a Rover, annotated ed.”)

A collection of introductions to imaginary books, written by real celebrities, comedians, musicians, and other writers (that’s me!). My contribution tells the story of a lost journal happened upon by a rambling scientist, and the ensuing hooplah…. I share the covers with the likes of Adam West, John Oates, Shirley Manson, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Moby, Jerry Springer, and more!

The Trading Post & Other Frontier Stories

THE UNTAMED WEST

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, 481 pages, August 2018, paperback & Ebook

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

(Includes my short story, “Snake Farm”)

Twenty-nine new tales of the Old West featuring previously unpublished stories by today’s top Western writers. Western Fictioneers is the only writers’ organization devoted solely to traditional Western fiction, and this huge collection will take readers from the dusty plains of Texas to the sweeping vistas of Montana and beyond.

The Trading Post & Other Frontier Stories

The Trading Post & Other Frontier Stories (A Five Star Anthology)

Contributor

Five Star Publishing, 375 pages, June 20, 2018, paperback & Ebook

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “A Small Thing”)

Fourteen brand-new stories for fans of historical fiction, ranging from high-action traditional Westerns to introspective historical dramas, all set in the frontier of the American West. Includes stories by Matthew P. Mayo, Johnny D. Boggs, Larry D. Sweazy, John D. Nesbitt, Michael Zimmer, and many more!

Invigorating Passages

Invigorating Passages: A Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology

Contributor

Lowestoft Chronicle Press, 256 pages, April 1, 2018, paperback

Amazon |Barnes & Noble  | Indiebound

(Includes my Foreword)

The latest Lowestoft Chronicle anthology, INVIGORATING PASSAGES, is loaded with sumptuous poetry and prose and heart-pounding adventure!

Western Writers of America Cookbook

THE WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK

Contributor

TwoDot, 216 pages, June 2017, paperback & ebook

Amazon |Barnes & Noble  | Indiebound | Powell’s

(Includes favorite “On the Trail” recipes & writing advice from Team Gritty—aka me and my wife!)

Filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writerly sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

Somewhere, Sometime ...

SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME …

Contributor

Lowestoft Chronicle Press, 168 pages, March 15, 2014, paperback

Lowestoft Chronicle | Amazon |Barnes & Noble

(Includes my short story “Roadside Attraction” as well as an interview)

Lowestoft Chronicle’s 2014 Anthology, edited by Nicholas Litchfield, Somewhere, Sometime… features the very best prose and poetry from the award-winning quarterly magazine, Lowestoft Chronicle.

Livin' on Jacks and Queens

LIVIN’ ON JACKS AND QUEENS

Contributor

Piccadilly Publishing, 236 pages, November 27, 2013, Ebook

Amazon

(Includes my short story “Pay the Ferryman”)

Legendary western writer and noted anthologist Robert J. Randisi offers up a winning hand with fourteen never-before-published tales of the Old West, each revolving around the central theme of gambling. Includes stories by such heavy-hitters as Johnny D. Boggs, Phil Dunlap, Rod Miller, Nik Morton, John D. Nesbitt, Robert J. Randisi, Chuck Tyrell, Lori Van Pelt, Matthew P. Mayo, and many more!

Wolf Creek: Book 7 - The Quick and the Dying

WOLF CREEK, BOOK 7: THE QUICK AND THE DYING

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, 178 pages, September 15, 2013, Ebook & paperback

(A multi-author novel that includes my character Rupe Tingley, one-armed swamper and town drunk. I contributed Chapter One).

Amazon

Everyone knows James Reginald De Courcey as a dapper English artist… but his former gang knows him as Samson Quick, notorious bank robber. He has cut all ties with the Hounds, but they have found him… and will only keep his secret if he agrees to help them pull one more job… About the author: Beneath the mask, Ford Fargo is not one but a posse of America’s leading western authors who have pooled their talents to create a series of rip-snortin’, old fashioned sagebrush sagas. Saddle up. Read ‘em Cowboy! These are the legends of Wolf Creek.

Peacemaker Tales

WESTERN FICTIONEERS PRESENTS: PEACEMAKER TALES

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, 384 pages, September 3, 2013, Ebook & paperback

Amazon | Smashwords

{Includes my Peacemaker Award-nominated short story “Scourge of the Spoils”)

This volume includes works by everyone who has been nominated for Western Fictioneers’ Best Short Story Peacemaker Award in the first three years of its existence, including the winners. You will be hard pressed to find such a collection of new classics in one book. These stories represent the finest in Old West fiction being written today.

The Peacemakers Vol. 3

WESTERN FICTIONEERS PRESENTS: THE PEACEMAKERS, VOL. 3

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, February, 2013, Ebook

Amazon

(Includes my Peacemaker Award-nominated short story “Scourge of the Spoils”)

Four award winning tales of the Old West! All stories in this series are past winners or finalists for the prestigious Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers. In this volume… “Catch a Killer by the Toe” by Pete Peterson… “Two-Bit Kill” by C. Courtney Joyner… “Left Behind” by C. K. Crigger… and “Scourge of the Spoils” by Matthew P. Mayo!

The Avenger: Roaring Heart of the Crucible

THE AVENGER: ROARING HEART OF THE CRUCIBLE

Contributor

Moonstone Books, Softcover: 314 pages, Hardcover (Ltd. Edition): 330 pages

Amazon

(Includes my short story “Call of the Arctic Siren”)

The greatest crime-fighter of the 40’s returns in this thrilling collection of original, action-packed tales of adventure, intrigue, and revenge. Life was bliss for millionaire adventurer Richard Henry Benson until that fateful day crime and greed took away his wife and young daughter – and turned him into something more than human … The Avenger!

How the Red Sox Explain New England

HOW THE RED SOX EXPLAIN NEW ENGLAND

Contributor

Triumph Books, 240 pages, April, 2013, softcover

Amazon

An examination of the unique affinity New Englanders have for their Red Sox, this work illustrates how the storied history of the franchise mirrors that of New England itself. Entertaining and informative, How the Red Sox Explain New England is sure to be popular among one of sports’ most passionate and dedicated fan bases.

Wolf Creek: Book 3: Murder in Dogleg City

WOLF CREEK, BOOK 3: MURDER IN DOGLEG CITY

Contributor

Western Fictioneers; 178 pages, December 2012, Ebook & paperback

Amazon

(A multi-author novel that includes my character Rupe Tingley, swamper and town drunk. I contributed Chapter Five.)

Dogleg City is what folks in Wolf Creek call the seedy part of town. Life is cheap there, and death is common. At first this murder seemed like any other — but the more Marshal Sam Gardner and his deputies learn about it, the more it seems this death will blow Wolf Creek wide open.…

About the author: Beneath the mask, Ford Fargo is not one but a posse of America’s leading western authors who have pooled their talents to create a series of rip-snortin’, old fashioned sagebrush sagas. Saddle up. Read ’em Cowboy! These are the legends of Wolf Creek.

Six-Guns and Slay Bells

SIX-GUNS AND SLAY BELLS: A CREEPY COWBOY CHRISTMAS

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, 252 pages, November 2012, Ebook & paperback

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “O Unholy Night: A Roamer & Maple Jack Tale”)

Put on your Santa hat and saddle up for this collection of creepy Christmas stories from the Western Fictioneers, the world’s only organization of professional authors devoted solely to Western fiction. SIX-GUNS AND SLAY BELLS is a collection of 15 Christmas-themed original Western stories with paranormal elements including ghosts, vampires, monsters, and aliens. The best-selling, award-winning line-up of authors includes Robert J. Randisi, Chuck Tyrell, Troy D. Smith, C. Courtney Joyner, Matthew P. Mayo, Douglas Hirt, James Reasoner, Jerry Guin, Charlie Steel, Clay More, Cheryl Pierson, Larry D. Sweazy, James J. Griffin, Christine Matthews, and L.J. Washburn.

Beat To A Pulp: Round 2

BEAT TO A PULP: ROUND 2

Editor & Contributor

Beat to a Pulp Books, 386 pages, March 2012, Ebook & paperback

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Lost Valley of the Skoocoom: A Maple Jack Tale”)

It’s all meat, no filler in this red-raw-and-oozing collection of 29 tales of pure pulp action. You’ll find aliens, gangsters, drifters, mountain men, private dicks, gun molls, loners, misfits, drunks, thugs, booze-hounds, and more, all brawling in the pages of Round Two.

This anthology, edited by David Cranmer and Matthew P. Mayo, contains 29 tales of hot pulpy action by such top names as Bill Pronzini, Vin Packer, Dave Zeltserman, Charles Ardai, James Reasoner, Bill Crider, Ed Gorman, Larry D. Sweazy, John Nesbitt, Howard Hopkins, Courtney Joyner, me, and many more!

Sherlock Holmes Crossovers Casebook

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE CROSSOVERS CASEBOOK

Contributor

Moonstone Books, 240 pages, March 13, 2012, Ebook & softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “The Folly of Flight”)

Edited by Howard Hopkins, this original anthology features never-before-seen tales of the world’s first consulting detective, Mr Sherlock Holmes, as he teams up with other investigators and notables of his time! Holmes teams up with one of the most famous thieves of literature, Arsene Lupin; Lawrence of Arabi; Calamity Jane; Sexton Blake; Houdini; The Thinking Machine; Doc Savage’s father, Colonel Savage; and others…. My story teams Holmes and Watson with the Gentleman Thief, Arsene Lupin, in “The Folly of Flight.”

Cactus Country Anthology Vol I

CACTUS COUNTRY ANTHOLOGY, VOL. 1

Contributor

High Hill Press, 327 pages, Sept. 3, 2011, Ebook & softcover

Amazon

A collection of short stories, poetry, and articles by 39 top Western writers such as Dusty Richards, Johnny D. Boggs, Jory Sherman, John D. Nesbitt, John Duncklee, Cotton Smith, and many more (including a poem by … Matthew P. Mayo!)

Bad Austen: The Worst Stories Jane Never Wrote

BAD AUSTEN: THE WORST STORIES JANE NEVER WROTE

Contributor

Adams Media, 224 pages, November 15, 2011, Ebook & softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “The Horrors of Expectation”)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an author as popular as Jane Austen should be imitated, expanded upon, and parodied—until now…. This collection presents the best of the worst entries for the first paragraph of Austen’s unwritten classics. From “Star Wars” meets Elizabeth Bennett to “Northanger Abbey” translated into a setting for cats and dogs, here are the stories Jane Austen would never have written.

The Traditional West - A Western Fictioneers Anthology

THE TRADITIONAL WEST: A WESTERN FICTIONEERS ANTHOLOGY

Contributor

Western Fictioneers, 270 pages, July 2011, Ebook & softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Catch as Catch Can: A Maple Jack Tale”)

From the dusty plains of Texas to the sweeping vistas of Montana and beyond, the classic American Western returns in this collection of 24 brand-new stories by some of the top Western writers in the world today, including Robert J. Randisi, Dusty Richards, James Reasoner, Larry D. Sweazy, L.J. Washburn, Jackson Lowry, Larry Jay Martin, Kerry Newcomb, and Matthew P. Mayo (and many others!). This anthology is the biggest original Western anthology ever published!

How the West Was Weird Vol II

HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD, VOL. II

Contributor

PulpWork Press, 366 pages, July 2011, Ebook & softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “The Witch Hole”)

This beefy volume is crammed tight with 20 tales of cattlemen and cannibals, aliens and barkeeps, robots and soiled doves, and just about everything you can think of that blends Westerns with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

REVIEW

“Let me admit, this type of tale is not usually my favorite. I can’t really tell you why, except that I wasn’t the kid who was into the mystery comics and such when I was young. And this one reads as if it would fit perfectly in an old DC House of Mystery or an EC comic. That, however, is the reason that I liked it as much as I did–because as I read it, I could see the artwork, I could see the creepy green and black coloring. The set up, the premise, and the characters smack heavily and enjoyably of that 1950s and 60s weird tale comic story, even though it’s in prose. FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.”

—Tommy Hancock

All Pulp

CHRISTMAS CAMPFIRE COMPANION: SHORT STORIES FROM TODAY’S TOP WESTERN WRITERS

CHRISTMAS CAMPFIRE COMPANION: SHORT STORIES FROM TODAY’S TOP WESTERN WRITERS

Contributor

Port Yonder Press, 292 pages, Fall 2011, Ebook, hardcover & softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Maple Jack and the Christmas Kid”)

Port Yonder Books presents the forthcoming anthology, Christmas Campfire Companion: Short Stories from Today’s Top Western Writers. It includes my story, “Maple Jack and the Christmas Kid.”

Needle Magazine Winter 2010

NEEDLE

A Magazine of Noir

Contributor

Needle Magazine, 202 pages, Issue #3/Winter 2010, softcover

Lulu

(Includes my short story, “Get Teague!”)

Needle: A Magazine of Noir, is a tri-annual publication featuring tales of murder and mayhem. New fiction by Graham Powell, Matthew C. Funk, Sophie Littlefield, Graham Bowlin, Michael Gonzales, Kieran Shea, Richard Godwin, Anthony Neil Smith, Matthew P. Mayo, Matthew McBride, Libby Cudmore, and Ray Banks.

Steampunk'd

STEAMPUNK’D

Contributor

Edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg

DAW Books, 320 pages, November 2, 2010, softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Scourge of the Spoils”)

The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.

REVIEWS

“This is one of the best short stories I’ve read in a long time. The setting is given directly, letting you know what the world is like without being overstated. You’re left wanting to hear more, but are given everything you need for the story. Characters, in the story, feel real. They’re introduced as needed and, like the setting, you’re given enough of their background to see where their motivations lie, and left wanting to know more about them, too. By the end, you’re left amazed by the twist that you know you should have seen coming but, I’m sure, you didn’t. Bravo Matthew Mayo, I’ll definitely be checking out some of your other work.”

— Keystone Gaming Society

“Honorable mention must go to Matthew P. Mayo’s “Scourge of the Spoils,” a story in the Western tradition of True Grit, with its hardscrabble desert setting, a heroine in over her head, an unscrupulous guide, and a Sheriff hiding a tender heart behind the barrel of a gun. The character that really jumped off the page for me, however, was Doctor Ocularius, a brilliant scientist and cad, who rules the desert through trickery and guile. With predictable endings the norm in steampunk literature, the twist finale of this tale was a nice change.”

— Sarah Panda

Amazon Reviewer

Scourge of the Spoils by Matthew P. Mayo: Steampunk set in a western setting again here, with mechanical horses, an underground mining machine, and a plot centered around that age-old sin, greed. Everyone in this story wants something, mostly money, but fame and revenge don’t hurt either. And it culminates in a stand-off, although not the kind you’d find in a standard western. A surprise ending as well.”

— Joshua Palmatier

Fantasy Author

“I read the Matthew Mayo story and loved it…. and I’m not even a fan of the steampunk genre! I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi in general. Very tight, well-written story!”

— Keystone Gaming Society

Timeshares

TIMESHARES

Contributor

Edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg

DAW Books, 320 pages, March 2, 2010, softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Been a Long Time”)

16 Original stories about the chance to take the vacation you’ve always dreamed of—at your own peril—in any era you’d like to visit.

Take a vacation through time with the help of a Time Travel Agency offering excursions into the past and future. Readers will find themselves in exotic, adventurous locales-and in all manner of trouble and mysteries. And figures from the past will be able to squeak by the other way.

Fistful of Legends: 21 All-New Blazing Tales of the Old West

A FISTFUL OF LEGENDS:

21 All-New Blazing Tales of the Old West

Contributor

Express Westerns, 248 pages, January 2010, softcover

Amazon

(Includes my Spur Award-nominated short story, “Half a Pig”)

Discover what it’s like to ride with damaged men and sinister night stalkers, tragic doves, plucky homemakers and gun-toting belles. Experience for yourself the harsh reality of birth and death, love and hate, revenge, retribution and robbery. You’ll find it all here, penned by a whole posse-full of Western writers old and new.

So what are you waiting for? Saddle up for action and adventure . . . and grab yourself A Fistful of Legends!

REVIEWS

“Matthew Mayo … offers up ‘Half a Pig,’ a meaty, cautionary tale written with a decent helping of heart—a story that is a Spur Finalist.”

— Larry D. Sweazy

Roundup Magazine

Out of the Gutter Issue 5

OUT OF THE GUTTER

The modern journal of pulp fiction and degenerate literature

Contributor

Out of the Gutter, Issue #5, softcover

Out of the Gutter Online

(Includes my short story, “Kin”)

Pulp fiction from too many to list, plus the inside scoop on the Aryan Circle, an advice column from your favorite punk rock ex-con and the usual profusion of fun facts, demented humor and other extras!

“From Matthew P. Mayo comes ‘Kin,’ where a guy attempting to retrieve a football under his porch is instead greeted by the fangs of a poisonous snake. His attempts to drive to the hospital for help as the toxins swim through his bloodstream achieve rollicking, bizarrely comic heights.” —Bookgasm

So what are you waiting for? Saddle up for action and adventure . . . and grab yourself A Fistful of Legends!

REVIEWS

“From Matthew P. Mayo comes “Kin,” where a guy attempting to retrieve a football under his porch is instead greeted by the fangs of a poisonous snake. His attempts to drive to the hospital for help as the toxins swim through his bloodstream achieve rollicking, bizarrely comic heights.”

— Rod Lott

Bookgasm

Where Legends Ride: New Tales of the Old West

WHERE LEGENDS RIDE:

New Tales of the Old West

Editor & Contributor

Express Westerns, 188 pages, softcover

Amazon

(Includes my short story, “Snows of Montana”)

Saddle up and enjoy these 14 new tales of hot lead, cold hearts, and more leather-slapping action, adventure, and edge-of-the-seat danger than you could ever hope to find on either side of the Mississippi.

The writers within range from seasoned Western scribes to those new to the field, but all are united by their love of the legends of the Wild West. Most write for the Black Horse Westerns series published by Robert Hale, Ltd., one of the few publishers worldwide to produce a regular supply of new Western fiction.

From high-noon showdowns and shade-tree lynchings to raging prairie fires and scrub-country manhunts, Express Westerns’ first collection, Where Legends Ride, will grab you by the vest front and won’t let go until you’ve surrendered to the posse. So sink spur and hang on . . . it’s time to go where legends ride!

REVIEWS

“Fourteen horse-operas presented for your enjoyment by skilled writers who clearly know their stuff. “Once Upon A Time In Mirage”, by I.J. Parnham, and “Snows of Montana” by the editor, Matthew P. Mayo, read like saddle-tramp sagas inspired by O’Henry, their twisty ends fun. There is so little good short fiction done these days, when an excellent book like this comes along, you dare not pass it up. So tighten your cinches, belt on your holster and get ready to ride. This is one hell of a literary round-up.”

— Pulp Fiction Reviews blog

Roundup Magazine

“Editor Mayo’s “Snows of Montana” reveals a devastating predicament for the narrator which lingers long after you put the book down.”

—Coastal Press

Sain

“Here in this book we have authors who love that old genre. They have written some very readable short stories, which I highly recommend. Some of the authors are old foxes, some are new. Most of them are in fact new to me, but they can really write an interesting and an amusing Western short story.”

— The Swingbed Magazine

Sweden

Where Legends Ride, an anthology to suit all tastes, encompasses the best of the Western genre, but goes much further. This is an anthology of how the human spirit, even in the most difficult circumstances, can survive and conquer. As in the West itself, though, these are not just tales of grim survival. Some have humour, some are just downright clever. If you like a good read that grips you from start to finish, this anthology is for you.”

— Andrea Hughes

Western author

“A superb collection of Western short stories by a number of new and established Black Horse Western writers. An excellent jumping-on point for new Western readers and great entertainment for longtime western fans.”

—Howard Hopkins (aka Lance Howard)

Western author

“Highly recommended. You don’t have to be a Western fan to enjoy it.”

—Raymond Foster (aka Jack Giles)

Western author