Outlaws ran wild in Apache County, Arizona Territory, until the day a long-haired, straight-shooting cowboy with the unlikely name of Commodore Perry Owens pinned on the sheriff's badge and set out to rid the county of lawlessness. Owens would need every bit of his gun skill just to stay alive as he cleaned up the territory!
Acclaimed Western author Chuck Tyrell brings the illustrious career of Commodore Perry Owens to vivid life in THE SHERIFF, the latest entry in the West of the Big River series from Western Fictioneers. An action-packed blend of history and fiction, this novel is a compelling portrait of a brave man in a time and place that have become legendary. It's excitement all the way in this new West of the Big River saga!
EXCERPT
Four riders pounded toward us from the east, raising a cloud of dust and firing like they had all the bullets in the world. I took a bead on the lead horse, a three-color paint, and squeezed off a shot. The horse went down and the rider tumbled head over heels to the ground. When he scrambled to his feet, I put him down again with a shot in the brisket. I jacked another shell into my Winchester.
I switched my aim to another rider, not worrying about the one I’d shot. He was dead.
The other three scattered. There wasn’t all that much cover on the flat, but they ran for what there was. Andy was firing, but the running horses showed that his lead took little effect.
“Aim for the horses,” I hollered.
A six-gun cracked and a bullet plowed into the dirt not an inch from my left foot. I whirled and pulled the trigger when the Winchester’s muzzle lined up with Denny, whose hand worked at earing back the hammer of an old Colt Army M1861. My bullet took him just above the belt buckle and knocked him on his butt, where he sat, staring with disbelieving eyes at the blood stain spreading on his shirt.
Charles T. Whipple, an international prize-winning author, uses the pen name of Chuck Tyrell for his Western novels. Whipple was born and reared in Arizona’s White Mountain country only 19 miles from Fort Apache. He won his first writing award while in high school, and has won several since, including a 4th place in the World Annual Report competition, a 2nd place in the JAXA Naoko Yamazaki Commemorative Haiku competition, the first-place Agave Award in the 2010 Oaxaca International Literature Competition, and the 2011 Global eBook Award in western fiction. Raised on a ranch, Whipple brings his own experience into play when writing about the hardy people of 19th Century Arizona. Although he currently lives in Japan, Whipple maintains close ties with the West through family, relatives, former schoolmates, and readers of his western fiction. Whipple belongs to Western Fictioneers, Western Writers of America, Arizona Authors Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Asian American Journalists Association, and Tauranga Writers Inc.
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Charlie is one of the finest writers working in our genre today. I look forward to this latest release from his pen.
ReplyDeleteThe Sheriff is a great addition to The West of The Big River series. Since I am a fan of Charlie's, I am looking forward to a good read.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Charlie,
Jerry Guin
Commodore Perry Owens is a great subject for a novel and I look forward to reading this.
ReplyDeleteI first read about C.P. Owens in a book of short stories about famous lawmen by Clair Huffaker. I immediately looked deeper into Owens, but could find not a lot besides the famous Holbrook shootout. But over the years, I collected a lot of information, including several unpublished manuscripts, and then David Crasse did his non-fiction book, The True, Untold Story of Commodore Perry Owens. It tied all the pieces together very well, and I was lucky to have that source, too. Still, I wrote a novel. I think you all will like it.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book, West of the Big River: THE SHERIFF! Glad to see the continuation of this series. This is great for you Charlie, for Livia Reasoner (publisher), and for Western Ficitoneers.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Steel
I do love it when great writers can take history and add the touch of story to make for some great reading. Thanks Charlie. Doris
ReplyDeleteThat C.P. Owens looks like a rock star! Wishing you much success with the new book. I already know it's well-written before even reading it.
ReplyDeleteThis will be a good one, no doubt about it.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful story, Charlie! I can't wait to get it--maybe a little Christmas gift to ME!
ReplyDeleteCheryl