THIS JUST IN . . .
We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1!
The Five Star anthology, The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories, in which my story, “Peaches,” resides, recently attained the #1 spot on Amazon’s Historical Fiction Anthology category. But don’t just take their word for it … here’s a link so you can enjoy it yourself!
My New “Grim Tale of Survival”….
I’m pleased to announce that my story, “Peaches” (called a “grim tale of survival” in a starred review by Library Journal) is included in a bold new collection of sixteen previously unpublished stories by a number of award-winning authors. The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories (Pioneering Women of the West),brought out by Five Star Publishing, clocks in at a hefty 360 pages and is available in hardcover on November 20, 2019, though it’s up for pre-orders right now at all the usual online booksellers.
The collection shines its lantern light on pioneering women of the West in the 19th century who face challenges in often brutal, oppressive settings contrasting starkly at times with civilized society. In these pages you’ll find high-action traditional Westerns, day-to-day struggles, and introspective dramas of the strong, often overlooked, women who shaped the iconic American West.
Early reviews are unanimous in their acclaim for the collection:
“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
STRANDED … via SKYPE!
I recently had the pleasure of talking, via Skype, with Bellows Falls, Vermont’s own Rockingham Free Public Library’s monthly book group. This month they all read STRANDED! And they hit me with a pile of great questions, including: Since you’re a guy, how were you able to write so convincingly from a 14-year-old girl’s perspective? First of all, I’m flattered they felt I channeled Janette well. As to the question, the short answer is … very carefully. The long answer? Well, come on down to one of my presentations or signings some time and we’ll chat.
I love it when book clubs read my books and then want to talk about them with me. It’s a genuine, win-win situation. Writing is, as so many before me have said, a solitary pursuit. So having the opportunity to talk with folks who love reading and who have spent their valuable time with a book I’ve written is doubly gratifying.
If you’d like me to speak to your group, or at your store, your school, or your library, feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
TIMBERLINE is a Peacemaker Finalist!
I am pleased and honored to announce that my latest Roamer novel, TIMBERLINE, has been named as a finalist in Western Fictioneers’ Peacemaker Awards in the Best Western Novel category. I offer a hearty congratulations to all other finalists and to the judges for giving their time.
If you haven’t yet ridden the trail with Roamer and his mentor, the crusty mountain man Maple Jack, TIMBERLINE is a great place to join the pair:
A high-country train trek turns into a blizzard-bound trainwreck-from-hell for Roamer as a gang of gunmen run roughshod on the rails. With righteous rage and hard justice their only allies, Roamer and Maple Jack track the killers deep into the winter mountains for a final showdown at . . . Timberline.
REAL OR FAKE?
Just released:MOVING FOREWORD: REAL INTRODUCTIONS TO TOTALLY MADE-UP BOOKS, is a collection of dozens of real introductions to imaginary books, written by celebrities, comedians, musicians, and other writers (that’s where I come in)….
My contribution, “Lucky Tam’s A Tramp’s Tales, or Episodes from the Life of a Rover, annotated ed.”, 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!
Let’s get STRANDED in all the schools!
(I can hear you saying, “Wait a minute, wise guy…. Who wants to get stranded in a school?”)
What I mean to say is … my multi-award-winning YA novel (ahem, crow crow), STRANDED: A STORY OF FRONTIER SURVIVAL, is now available in a large-print edition specifically for schools! (Available to fine schools everywhere, as well as at all the usual online retailers!)
This makes it easier than ever for people large, small, young, old, or otherwise to jump feet first into the frigid, action-packed adventures of Janette Riker as she battles the elements and surly critters of the frozen Northern Rockies.
Prefer an e-book? Not a problem! How about a hardcover? Yep, we have that. Click on, my friends … and get STRANDED!
Well Now….
What do David Baldacci and I have in common?
Of Doors and Windows
I like the thought behind the phrase, “When a door closes, a window opens.” The idea that opportunity is finite but can regenerate like a phoenix into something new and different has never let me down.
As the door closes on 2018, I’m raising the sash on the window—and jumping through. It’s going to be a good one, I can tell. I wish a wonderful 2019 to everyone I know … and everyone I’ve yet to meet.
Photograph by Jennifer Smith-Mayo
OUTLAWED! … Reviewed!
Nicholas Litchfield (of Lowestoft Chronicle) recently reviewed THE OUTFIT (#3): OUTLAWED! for the Lancashire Evening Post and had this to say:
“Bullets zing, blades clang, and heads roll as tarnished heroes and desperadoes converge on the Governor’s mansion and Yuma Territorial Prison, setting up an explosive, thrilling showdown. Fun and fiercely entertaining, Mayo keeps the story moving along at a good clip, and the scene-stealing presence of the depraved head-chopper assassin Mincher helps ensure that this compelling third adventure is the best of the series thus far. Let’s hope that Rafe, ‘Sleuthing’ Sue, Cookie ‘Dynamite’ McGee and the rest of the rapidly expanding gang ride again soon.”
Intrigued? Read Chapter One of THE OUTFIT (#3): OUTLAWED! here….
Two More Wins for STRANDED!
I recently found out that STRANDED has received two more awards, the High Plains Book Award for Best Young Adult Book and the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Young Readers.
The director of the Will Rogers Medallion Awards had this to say about STRANDED:
“The gold medal winner this year is a truly outstanding book. I generally don’t get this carried away, but this is one of the very best books of this year — or any year.”
A judge in the High Plains Book Awards had this to say:
“Anticipation makes the pages fly by. Readers who discover this book will be rewarded with a powerful story of courage and resilience.”
I continue to be amazed by and thankful for STRANDED’s reception by awards committees, critics, librarians, schoolteachers, and, most of all, by readers young, old, and in between.
Thank you so very much.