THIS JUST IN . . .

THE OUTFIT (BOOK 2): BLOOD AND ASHES

The Outfit (Book 2): Blood and AshesTHE OUTFIT (BOOK 2): BLOOD AND ASHES
Hot off the presses and up for grabs!

That’s right, folks, THE OUTFIT, aka, that bar-brawling, wrong-righting, cigar-chomping gang of malcontents—Rafe Barr, Cookie McGee, Black Jack Smith, Doc “Deathbed” Jones, and more!—just thundered back into town and boy, have they been busy since kicking keisters and taking names in The Outfit (Book 1) To Hell and Back.

They’re faced with a threat they thought they’d long ago stomped to death: a clot of Confederate die-hards called The Brotherhood of the Phoenix, whose rallying cry is: “The South shall rise from the ashes, reborn!” And to mark its snaky rebirth, they’ve staged a gambling tournament … and a lynching, with President Ulysses S. Grant as the soon-to-be-swingin’ guest of honor!

Stakes are high and the men bet all hoping to save the President, and prevent the rebirth of a scourge long thought dead. Will THE OUTFIT arrive in time to extinguish the rising flames of villainy and hatred?

Gaaah! But wait! How does it end? Click on, my friends….

THE OUTFIT RIDES AGAIN!

The Outfit (Book 2): Blood and Ashes CoverThat’s right, chums, that bar-brawling, wrong-righting, cigar-chomping gang of malcontents I introduced in October, 2016, in THE OUTFIT (Book 1): TO HELL AND BACK are riding hard and taking chances in the sequel, THE OUTFIT (Book 2): BLOOD AND ASHES, which releases on October 18th in hardcover. (Hey, that’s next month!)

Here’s the lowdown:

Life at the Barr-McGee ranch has settled into a pleasant lull of work and rest for members of THE OUTFIT. But big Rafe Barr stews about his wife and son’s murderer, and leaves to search for resolution, revenge, reckoning. Meanwhile, Black Jack Smith attends a high-stakes poker tournament in Santa Fe, where he encounters the powerful covert Brotherhood of the Phoenix. The group plans to make good on its rallying cry: “The South shall rise from the ashes, reborn!” in a brutal public lynching—with visiting President Ulysses S. Grant as its swinging centerpiece. Rafe and Cookie ride for Santa Fe with Doc in tow, driving his latest invention, Ethel the War Wagon. Stakes are high and the men bet all hoping to save the President, and prevent the rebirth of a scourge long thought dead. Will THE OUTFIT arrive in time to extinguish the rising flames of villainy and hatred?

High-Mountain Love for STRANDED!

STRANDEDTwo new rave reviews of STRANDED are stomping all over the finest newsstands now.

The first, from Big Sky Journal:

“… puts the reader in Riker’s well-worn shoes. Her story … has an authentic and moving voice … meticulous research and matter-of-fact reporting … a compelling read … each chapter deals with the minute details of a day of survival. Flights of fancy are few, and the immediacy of her peril grabs the reader on every page.”
—Erin H. Turner, Big Sky Journal
(Click here for the full review: http://bigskyjournal.com/books/books-reading-west-2)

The next, from Outside Bozeman:

For fans of … Gary Paulsen, Michael Punke, and Jack London…. a fantastic tale of adventure for young and old readers alike. Mayo tells a brutal coming-of-age story … made me feel as if I was there with Janette, in her sorrow and fear, and I could not stop reading until I reached the end. Mayo brings us into Janette’s amazing tale of survival and her pursuit of hope. Stranded is a fluid and charismatic anecdote, the tale of a hardship that hopefully no one will have to willingly endure.
—Emma Nord, Outside Bozeman
(Click here for the full review: http://outsidebozeman.com/lifestyle/inside-bozeman/books-music/kick-your-feet)

Great new review of STRANDED!

STRANDEDA circulation librarian (with discerning taste!) in Peoria, Illinois, posted a rave review of my new novel, STRANDED, as part of Fondulac District Library’s “FDL Reads” program.

Here’s the link: http://www.fondulaclibrary.org/2017/06/14/fdl-reads-stranded-a-story-of-frontier-survival

And here’s an excerpt:

Powerful, raw, awe-inspiring.”

“This book has a Western sticker on the spine, but if you’re not a fan of westerns, do not let that put you off reading this book! Stranded is an adventure tale above all. Told in the form of a diary kept by Janette Riker, this is actually based on a true story. Janette Riker was left behind to guard the wagon when her father and two brothers went off to hunt. When they didn’t return, she had to find a way to survive the winter. The real Janette didn’t keep a diary, but if she had, it may have been filled with grit and determination, just like this book.”

“Rating: 5 out of 5”

(Grateful and tickled as I am, my only quibble with the review is with its designation as a book for adults. The book is intended for younger readers—fans of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet—on up to adults! Aw heck, give it a go—I’d love to hear from you!)

Countdown … Over! STRANDED is Officially Released Today

STRANDEDIt is, May 17, 2017, official release day of my new novel, STRANDED: A STORY OF FRONTIER SURVIVAL. As with so many things in life, the lead-up has threatened to eclipse the moment. In STRANDED’s case, momentum has built steadily and I am quite pleased by early reviews praising the book. Here’s a sampling (note my lack of humility):

“This is Mayo’s best book yet.”

“… one of the BEST books I’ve ever read…. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED is an understatement!”

“A remarkable, must-read novel.”

Stranded has the feel of a classic….”

“Highly recommended.”

“A riveting read from the very first compelling sentence to the last.”

“… his finest work of fiction to date….”

It’s not too late to find out for yourself—the book’s available at various online outlets (and still at a discounted price!). Or why not pester your librarian to order a copy for your local community?

Order your copy today: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Powell’s

Booklist Digs STRANDED

STRANDEDBooklist reviews gives my new novel, STRANDED, a jim-dandy assessment:

“Mayo, an accomplished and award-winning author, has taken a small historical incident and developed a readable tale of frontier challenge and survival. The Riker family— father, daughter, and two sons—leaves Missouri in 1849, heading for Oregon Territory, looking for a fresh start in life. They travel alone and foolishly leave too late in the season. When the father and sons disappear on a hunting expedition, 14-year-old Janette is left alone in the Montana foothills, with the chill mountain winds announcing winter’s arrival…. As she struggles for survival, her inexperience leads her into errors, but her determination and tenacity force her to act in her own best interests. Stranded is a well-written and interesting page-turner. Mayo skillfully exposes Janette’s strengths as well as her weaknesses—readers will be rooting her onward one moment and saying, “oh, no,” the next. This is a good read, suitable for readers who enjoy adventure with a western tinge.”

—Booklist

True West Magazine Digs The Outfit

The Outfit: To Hell and BackI was pleased to discover a recent thumbs-up review of my novel, The Outfit: To Hell and Back, in one of my favorite publications, True West Magazine. Here’s what reviewer, Bill Markley (whose book, Deadwood Dead Men, is a great read, by the way), had to say:

In Matthew P. Mayo’s The Outfit: To Hell and Back, Rafe Barr, Civil War hero, wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and son, is serving a life sentence in Yuma Territorial Prison. The warden makes a deal with Rafe to release him if he will rescue the daughter of the Governor of California from a Dakota Territory Deadwood brothel run by the infamous Al Swearengen. The warden sends a band of cutthroats to trail Rafe. After he rescues the girl they are to take her from him and bring her to the warden, and do with Rafe as they please. Along the trail, Rafe meets a cast of characters who help him in his task. The book builds to an explosive ending between good and evil. Mayo writes a darn good yarn you won’t want to put down.

—Bill Markley, True West Magazine

NEW REVIEW FOR STRANDED!

STRANDEDThe prestigious Historical Novel Society has delivered a glowing review of my soon-to-be-released novel, Stranded, in its May, 2017, issue 80 of its print and web publication, The Historical Novels Review.  

Here’s a link: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/stranded-a-story-of-frontier-survival/

And here’s an excerpt:

“Narrated in simple country prose, pleasing to the reader, Janette’s impressive efforts to keep herself alive entrance us, especially considering she is alone, with only her father’s lessons to guide her. Interludes with bears, wolves and especially a rapacious mountain lion are as terrifying as any horror novel. Present-day adults and kids will be proud of Janette. Highly recommended.”

—Thomas J. Howley, Historical Novels Review

IS THAT A … WOLF?!

My talented wife, photographer/videographer Jennifer Smith-Mayo, created this amazing trailer to promote my upcoming book, STRANDED: A Story of Frontier Survival, due out May 17, 2017.

(Content Warning: If you think the world should be filled with rainbows, unicorns, fields of daisies, and pink fuzzy bunnies, you probably shouldn’t watch this.)

 

Okay, now that you’ve seen the trailer, let’s discuss. Oh wait a minute—there’s not much I can tell you that won’t spoil your reading experience. And you are planning on finding out what happens next, right?

To make it even easier, I’ve discovered that the book is currently being offered at a special pre-order, discounted price. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge….

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thoughts On a Fine Moment

Friday, April 7, 2017, mid-afternoon:

For a while it was perfect. But then that’s the way it often is with ideal moments.

Low, gray clouds parted, offering a too-tempting, vast patch of unstained blue with the sun pinned bold and warming in the center of it. What would you do?

I sat on a stool out in it, on an island of wet gravel between dying mounds of snow. I ate a juicy apple and drank a bottle of solid Maine stout and read from an excellent novel—Stardust by Neil Gaiman—and the moment was fine.

Twenty minutes or so of fine, actually. I came to the end of a chapter, apple core at my feet and an empty brown bottle standing beside it, when clouds once more blundered in.

But not before I saw Robin Redbreast land in a white birch and chortle six quick notes before winging northeast-ish.

I do believe that Spring, indecisive as ever, has arrived.