Travel with Walter W. Luce on his tales

 

Walter W. Luce was born in Vermont where he still spends his summers.  He has been a successful real estate developer in Florida, Georgia, and California.  He lives in the Palm Springs, California area with his wife Bonnie, where he wrote his first novel of five, Eva Pennington.

          He is the oldest of seven. He graduated from Braintree Randolph Union High School in 1962, and attended Miami Dade Junior college after being honorably discharged from the Army in 1967. 

His hobbies are writing, running and golf.

 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

I was born in Vermont where I still spend my summers.  I’ve been a successful real estate developer in Florida, Georgia, and California.  I now live in the Palm Springs, California area with my wife Bonnie, where I wrote my first novel of five, Eva Pennington.

          I am the oldest of seven. I graduated from Braintree Randolph Union High School in 1962, and attended Miami Dade Junior college after being honorably discharged from the Army in 1967. 

Please tell us your latest news!

My novel Vermont Bound the third in the Donatelli series was just published by Oak Tree Press and it’s doing very well.  Eva Pennington—Trouble in Georgia is also published.   Next up will be Miami Exit, and Vermont Bond. My latest work is another Eva Pennington novel, Eva Pennington—Damsels of Diversion. 

Please describe your writing environment.

We own a cabin (Camp Cupcake) in the foothills of the Vermont National Forest and I have a writers loft on the second floor. In the desert I write from my in-house real estate development office.

 

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

I do some research.  I find that in the advent of the computer, research is made easier. 

 

How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books?

They’re amazed…as I am.  Most of them read my work.

What are your hobbies?

Golf and periodic running.  

If you had to choose one person to have dinner with, who would it be? And why?

A dead person would be Samuel Clemens…In my opinion he’s one of the greatest writers that ever lived. Today, would be Steve Forbes…I’m in favor of a flat tax.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’ve just reread Vermont Bound for the umpteenth time and I wouldn’t change a thing. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved upon, your work is never complete.  Read something you wrote a year ago and see if you don’t just choke.  You have to draw the line. 

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My wife at the time taught college journalism and was a MENSA member.  In the ‘70s she forced me to go to one of their meetings. After three meetings I was determined to do what they were talking about doing…write a book.  Thirty years later I wrote my first novel for all the wrong reasons—not being an educated man I thought if I wrote a book people would think I was smart.  By the way none of them ever wrote that book they talked about and writing a book didn’t make me any smarter.

Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer? Or still do?

I don’t profess to be a writer it just happened.  I’m a real estate developer who buys dirt and builds buildings.  I still do both.

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I start with an idea and just let the characters take me for a ride.  It’s easier now that publishers and the public like shorter novels.  I love the ride. 

Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen and a comfy place

Between five and six AM I secure my first of four cups of coffee, read the Wall Street Journal, check my emails, work on my real estate deals, reread what I wrote the day before and then write anywhere from 1,500 to 2,500 words.  

Current Release Details:

Vermont  Bound was just released. Eva Pennington—Trouble in Georgia is being released, followed by Miami Exit and Atlanta Exit.  Eva Pennington was released on Kindle in Sept 2010 and now is available in print.

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why?

This might seem odd, but though I’m a man, I would like to be Eva Pennington.  She’s a ballsy lady in the 60s’ who doesn’t take any shit from men.  I’ve lived the Donatelli character. 

What do you do on a typical writing day?

Work on business deals for few hours in the morning, write until mid-day, and go for a run if I’m not playing golf.  In the afternoon I catch up on the news, check my emails and read. 

Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?

Atlanta Exit

Turk Donatelli, a self-made millionaire at the age of twenty four. Turk grew up poor in a small Vermont lumber town, the oldest of eight. As Turk, whose thirst for knowledge was insatiable, grew into a teenager and then a man, he struggles to become respected, and respectable. 

          In 1970 Turk Donatelli left the mob controlled city of Miami. Turk along with his close friend, China Jon and Digger his Navy Seal protector, follow a fast paced adventure through Ocala, Florida and the European continent before arriving in Atlanta.  Here he crosses the line when he builds adult bookstores for Nikolas J. Pappas, known as the "Porno-King of the Southeast,” and who is currently facing a charge of murder of a competitor. Turk thought money would cure his angst, as he lives a life he always dreamed about. Instead, it made him feel empty and unfulfilled.

Seeking to tame his wild desires…women, drinking, and gambling, Turk, marries a brilliant journalist, who has a five year old son. Their seemly idyllic marriage is far from ideal when his wife is diagnosed with progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Turk is determined to find a cure and raise his adopted son. When Niko is sent to prison Turk is pressured by the FBI to leave his employ; however he is forced to continue the partnership with Niko in order to fund his search for a cure for MS, preserve his banking ties, and to afford his lifestyle that has been so important to him…will Turk cross that line a final time?

Who is your perfect hero? And why?

My hero would be Ronald Reagan—a great communicator, a great husband and just a damn nice guy who did a lot for this country.  Visit his library…you’ll come out feeling that maybe America can regain her respect if only we could find another commander and chief like him. 

When you have writer's block how do you break free?

I’ve been fortunate I haven’t experienced the dreaded block yet.  I always have at least a couple of books in the works I can switch back and forth.  I read the same way.  I usually have three books going at the same time.

 

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group? How can readers find out more about you and your books?

Visit my website www.walterluce.com or contact me at walterluce1345@yahoo.com

What is the best and worst advice you have ever received?

The best advice was to just write don’t worry about what you write just write. The worst advice I ever got was to, trust your banker.

 

What's your favorite genre to read?

I prefer biographies and classics.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

I’d love to and will write a book modifying our political system. 

When did you first decide to submit your work? Please, tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

When the real estate industry fell apart in 2006 my wife Bonnie said to me, “Stop your complaining about having nothing to do, and dust off that novel you wrote thirty years ago, and work on getting it published.”

What was your first published work and when was it published?

Eva Marie Pennington published on Kindle through Oak Tree Publishing in August 2010.

Is there anyone who really mentored or inspired you to keep writing until you were finally published?

I write not to get published…I write because I can’t stop writing.  If I was never published I would still write…its therapy.

 

Turk Donatelli, a poor, but ambitious boy from Vermont, jumped into the real estate development game in the Southeast. He made millions while still in his 20s—but not without some brushes with the Miami Beach Mob.

Turk tried walking away from it all, but his dwindling bank balance pulls him back into the high stakes — high risk world when mob-connected Niko Pappas recruits him for his Atlanta-area construction projects.

Soon Turk is caught in a triple bind, Can he walk the razor’s edge? Or is the FBI’s Witness Protection Program the next stop?

 Oak Tree Press / Amazon

 

Debut Author, Anna Kittrell and her Scrimshaw Doll

Growing up in small town Oklahoma, Anna spent many a summer day on the lakeshores she often writes about. Today, she works as a middle school secretary in her beloved hometown, where she resides with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, Tim, and their two practically grown children, Evan and Brandilyn. She still loves visiting those muddy red lakeshores of her childhood, when she’s not too busy writing about them instead.

Please tell us your latest news!

I am excited to announce the October 17^th release of my novella, Skinbound. The story, set in Oklahoma, is part of a series called Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll, created by members of Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Each stand-alone story in the series ties to the others by the common thread of a cursed, bone-carved doll. Skinbound is published in e-book format, and is available through The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Please describe your writing environment.

My writing environment typically consists of me, hunched over a small table in the dimly lit dining room. When my husband or daughter turn on the television in the adjoining living area, I pop in my earbuds and log onto http://simplynoise.com./ The site offers free white, pink or brown noise—brown is my favorite—and makes it easier for me to tone out whatever is in the background.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I’ve written stories for as long as I can remember. I still have most of my tattered creations—leftovers I was unable to sell on the playground for a dime—written in childish handwriting on notebook paper, bound with too many staples. My love of storytelling has grown throughout the years, and I am thrilled my tales are now worth more than ten cents.

Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer? Or Still do?

For the past twelve years, I’ve had the honor of working as an administrative assistant at Anadarko Middle School. I absolutely love my job. We educate approximately four hundred twenty students in grades sixth through eighth. I never know what will happen in front of my desk—each day is unique, exciting, and crazier than the one before. I operate the intercom, computer, telephone—often all at once—while supplying band aids, icepacks, medication, vending machine change, homework sheets, various reports… As you can imagine, the days fly by. One perk of many, is the two month vacation I receive each summer. I write full time from June 1^st until July 31^st, then return to work the first day of August. Before my position at the school, I worked seven years as a bank teller. And before that, I clerked eight years in a clothing store.

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I refer to my planning process as “breadcrumb outlining.” I outline enough to create a trail home, but not so much I cover the entire forest floor. Normally, I work out a beat sheet—inciting incident, first act turning point, midpoint, second act turning point, climax and wrap up—filling in around each beat as I go. I love tiny spiral notepads. When I’m working on a project, I think up scenes (usually in the shower!), scratch them down on the pages, rip them out, then pile them around my laptop (I recently got a note-spike to store them on.) I then “stitch” the scenes together, balling up and throwing away the little scraps of paper as I go. I call this phase of the process “quilting,” because the little pieces of paper remind me of quilting squares. Throwing the notes away gives me a feeling of accomplishment, reminds me I’ve finished something, helps me to press on.

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why?

By nature, I am a non-confrontational person with a nagging conscience. Therefore, I think it would be fun to spend a little time in the ‘bad-twin-skin’ of Scarlett Vaughan, the villain in Skinbound. Scarlett is mean, conniving, self-centered and ruthless. However, she is also beautiful, ambitious and confident—qualities I wouldn’t mind having a larger dose of. I don’t want to walk too many miles in her Gucci slides, though. Just a couple of steps would suffice J

Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?

My latest romantic suspense, Another Man’s Treasure, is the story of Deason McKindle, a chivalrous Oklahoma parks worker spitefully demoted to garbage man. Deason dreams of becoming a national park ranger over a thousand miles away in Glacier, Montana. But when the abusive ex-husband of pretty home-healthcare nurse Charis Locke is murdered and tossed into a trash dumpster, Deason is the prime suspect. Forced to trade in his dream of wide open spaces for a 6X8 jail cell, he quickly loses hope of ever going free. Then, like an angel (with wings on her ring-finger instead of her back), Charis unearths the passion Deason buried long ago with his family’s charred remains.

Not yet published, Another Man’s Treasure is currently a finalist in the Land of Enchantment Romance Authors’, Rebecca contest, and is also a contender in Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s FAB (Finally A Bride).

 

Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder you?

I am privileged to be part of the Oklahoma chapter of Romance Writers of America (OKRWA), an amazing group of writers doing whatever it takes to ensure success. That includes critiquing for each other when called upon, oftentimes through e-mail. Regularly, on the third Saturday of each month before our scheduled meeting, a critique session is held. Those attending acquire up to twelve critiques of a scene and perform critiques for others. Sunday afternoon critique sessions are enjoyed by the group as well, usually at a coffee shop or bookstore. In addition to the invaluable input received from fellow group members, I am fortunate to have a several avid-reader friends always willing to read and critique for me—sometimes at a moment’s notice. Receiving and giving critiques has grown me as a writer more than I could ever imagine, and I am eternally grateful for every critique I’ve obtained…even the ones I didn’t quite agree with.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I love to read classic horror. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera and—my very favorite—Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. I enjoy the timelessness of these tales, the writer’s ability to transport me back to his era, then scare the wits out of me. It is thrilling and somewhat surreal to picture the author dipping his plume pen, setting it to the parchment, spilling his imagination onto the page the same as I do—over a hundred years before my birth. I find the transcendent nature of the writer/reader relationship intensely romantic.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

I would love to write something in the classic horror vein. In addition to Romantic suspense, I enjoy writing YA Christian thrillers—maybe I’ll mix them all up…what a wild (possibly unreadable) concoction those ingredients would make!

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group?

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/KittrellAnna

Twitter user name: @KittrellAnna

Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/mskittyanna

Email: mskittyanna@facebook.com

Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Kittrell/308789205843840?ref=ts&fref=ts

Website: http://www.annakittrell.com

An ancient scrimshaw doll—does its gypsy magic protect or destroy?

As a child, Darcy Vaughan cowered beneath the malice of her twin sister, Scarlett. Now, Scarlett is back and Darcy hopes to establish the sisterly bond she’s always longed for. Instead, Scarlett tries to destroy Darcy’s life—and her new relationship with the town doctor.

Dr. Cabin Creighton returned to his hometown near Lake Chickasha, Oklahoma to take over his father’s practice. One look at Darcy, and Cabin wants nothing more than to love her forever. But a guilty heart and memories of his deceased wife are holding him back.

When someone from Scarlett’s past reappears, bad things start to happen. Darcy and Cabin struggle to keep their love alive, but as danger draws closer, Darcy finds herself once more at her sister’s mercy, with nothing but the yellowed bones of an ancient doll to protect her.

Wild Rose Press / Amazon / B&N
 

 

CONTEST:  One randomly chosen commenter to win a copy of Skinbound (.pdf format).

Welcome award-winning author and world traveler,

Mary Montague Sikes

 

Award-winning author, freelance writer, photographer, and artist Mary Montague Sikes loves to travel, especially to intriguing tropical locations. Her book settings include exotic destinations such as Jamaica, Antigua, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Central America, and St. Martin. Because of her love for travel and extraordinary locations, the Passenger to Paradise series was created for her novels. Jungle Jeopardy, set among fictitious Maya Ruins in Central America, is the latest book in that series.

Her most recent research adventures carried her to Los Cabos, Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, Antelope Canyon, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California where, inspired by the Ansel Adams-type scenery, she took hundreds of photographs. Her publishing credits include seven novels, a “how to” marketing book, a coffee table book, two anthologies, and the “Snapshot in Time” book series. She also is author of hundreds of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, and photographs.

Her historical novel, A Rainbow for Christmas, won first place in Young Adult Fiction in the 2012 Virginia Press Women Communications Contest. “The author brings history to life for YA readers! The thoughts and fears of these very real characters are timeless, which gives readers something they can relate to as they are transported back in time to experience a unique perspective about the hardships and injustices in the west and what it might have been like for a girl to travel toward uncertainty in a covered wagon,” a contest judge wrote.

Sikes also won first place in Blogs for Special Interest Sites. “What Woman Most Influenced Your Writing,” posted March 25, 2011 and “My Three Best Hotels of 2011,” posted December 30, 2011 appeared in her blog, Notes Along the Way http://marymontaguesikes.blogspot.com. First place winners are now being judged in the National Federation of Press Women 2012 Communications Contest.

The Fredericksburg, Virginia native presents workshops on promotion and marketing, painting, and writing to state and national conventions as well as to local writers, artists, and civic groups. Her award-winning paintings are exhibited widely in Virginia and are in private and public collections in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Her art work is represented by Prince George Art and Frame in Williamsburg, Virginia. She maintains a studio and a gallery at Petersburg Regional Art Center. An exhibition of her Maya Ruins paintings in conjunction with her novel, Jungle Jeopardy, is on view in Gallery One at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond until July 10, 2012.

Sikes studied art at the College of William and Mary and holds a BA in psychology from the University of Mary Washington and a MFA in painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

As a native Virginian, I appreciate the history of this part of the world more every year. We live on a hill overlooking a creek in an area where Captain John Smith explored in 1607-08. He traveled by barge and made some fascinating maps from his voyages. I sometimes think I should write about more historic times, perhaps even use the Indian tribes that lived here in my plots. However, my only historic novel thus far is a young adult romance, A Rainbow for Christmas, set on a wagon train journeying from Missouri to Denver in 1869. For that book, I was captivated by diaries written by women who actually traveled across the country to settle in unknown territories. They must have been very brave.

Please tell us your latest news!

I'm in the process of revising my newest book project, Daddy's Christmas Angel. If all goes well, my book will be out in time for Christmas this year. It's a "Sleepless in Seattle" kind of story that relies somewhat on my own experiences in the classroom with young children.

Please describe your writing environment.

I have an office with bookcases all around me. I don't use many of the resource books from them anymore because it's so much easier to just put in a Goggle search for almost anything. One day I plan to take time off to un-clutter my desk and add more organization to my life as both a writer and an artist. I have a large window to my right that overlooks a beautiful woods that I believe was part of Captain John Smith's exploration long ago. Right now, the leaves are beginning to bear a hint of gold which makes a warm and inviting backdrop for my writing.

Do you have a favorite object that is pertinent to your writing?

Light! I want a room bathed in light—hopefully warm sunlight. That's why I love my office with windows and a big glass door that leads to an upstairs deck painted the color of Sedona Red Rocks.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Not necessarily. Sometimes I bring in new characters if they make sense for the story. For my book, Jungle Jeopardy, I planned for a character named Tyler Hunter to be the villain of the story. However, much to my surprise, I fell in love with Tyler and he became a steadying character everyone else could depend upon. Not at all what I planned!

What main genre do you write in?

My own version of romance with mystery and suspense filtered into the story.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy playing tennis. For many years, I spent hours every day on the outdoor tennis courts throughout the summer months. These days, I play on indoor courts year round at least twice a week. I also do one yoga class and two other fitness classes every week. I'm a fanatical baseball fan and follow the St. Louis Cardinals beginning with a trip to Jupiter, Florida each year for their spring training camp. My husband and I enjoy traveling and usually go on trips several times a year. My favorite destinations include Sedona, Arizona and Key West, Florida.

Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?

Kathleen adores her new second grade teacher. She also adores her father, but she never knew her mother who died when she was an infant. The little girl fantasizes about her teacher and her father getting married, then she schemes to have them meet. Is it possible for Kathleen's dream to come true despite all the bumps that happen along the way? – Daddy's Christmas Angel coming soon.

Who is your perfect hero? And why?

A strong, reliable man with sculpted good looks. Like Clifton in Secrets by the Sea, he may be flawed initially, but he develops into that dependable character we all want to know. I suppose I base most of my heroes on my own real life hero.

Clifton is also in Jungle Jeopardy, a sequel to Secrets by the Sea. I would be interested in hearing from my readers how you think the character of Clifton may be different in the two books.

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven't yet?

Women's Fiction

What would be the best way for readers contact you?

Email monti7olen@verizon.net

Do you have a website? www.marymontaguesikes.com

Blog? http://marymontaguesikes.blogspot.com

How can readers find out more about you and your books?

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6qlofd3

Oak Tree Books: http://oaktreebooks.com/pass2paradise.htm

Red Rose Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/926qrgf

 

Meg, her niece and brother set out on a wagon train headed for Denver where Meg's fiance in an arranged marriage awaits. When a senseless murder claims her brother's life, Meg determines to push on. However, when she meets handsome Cade Russell, the wagon master, her conviction to enter a loveless marriage wavers. Will Meg honor her father's wishes and marry John O'Sullivan, whose dowry will save the family farm from foreclosure? Meg has difficult choices to make.

Amazon

 

When Dana Sinclair realizes Clifton Wilder is missing, she takes off for Costa Rica to search for him. An apparent kidnapping turns into a jungle adventure that leads Dana and Clifton into the wilds of Guatemala where they discover an unexplored Maya cave and find pottery and walls covered with glyphs. Tyler Hunter wants to save Dana’s sister, Rebecca, from prison, and to do so, he needs for them to find her grandfather’s hidden treasure. An archaeologist on sabbatical in the Caribbean, Tyler intrigues Dana with his knowledge of the Maya. Dana has never doubted her sister’s guilt in the murder of their grandfather on the island of Antigua, but now an element of doubt begins to creep in.

Amazon

 

Award Winning Author

Wayne D. Dundee is on the case!

 

            Wayne Dundee lives in the once-notorious old cowtown of Ogallala, on the hinge of Nebraska’s panhandle. A widower, retired from a managerial position in the magnetics industry, Wayne now devotes full time to his writing.

            To date, Wayne Dundee has had fourteen novels, three novellas, and over thirty short stories published. Much of his work has featured his PI protagonist, Joe Hannibal (appearing most recently in Goshen Hole - 2011). He also dabbles in fantasy and straight crime, and lately has been gaining notice in the Western genre. His 2010 Western short story, This Old Star, won a Peacemaker Award from the Western Fictioneers writers’ organization. His 2011 novel Dismal River won a Peacemaker in the Best First Western Novel category.

            Titles in the Hannibal series have been translated into several languages and nominated for an Edgar, an Anthony, and six Shamus Awards. Wayne Dundee is also the founder and original editor of Hardboiled Magazine.

 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

I am a 64-yr old widower currently living in west central Nebraska. I write genre fiction, primarily detective mysteries and Westerns, although I have also dabbled in straight crime and paranormal suspense … I sold my first short thirty years ago. It featured my blue collar PI Joe Hannibal and I have been writing about him ever since—seven novels, three novellas, and a couple dozen short stories so far.  Hannibal titles have been translated into several languages and have been nominated for an Edgar, an Anthony, and six Shamus Awards … I have recently also had some success with Westerns—six short stories and six novels so far.  In 2010, my short story This Old Star won a Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers; in 2011, my novel Dismal River, also won a Peacemaker in the Best First Western category.

 

Please tell us your latest news!

I have two Western novels just released in the past few weeks—Reckoning at Rainrock and Rio Matanza … Rainrock is set in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado and features former Indian scout Lone McGantry, who first appeared in Dismal River. Matanza is set in Arizona and Mexico and features bounty hunter Bodie Kendrick, who first appeared in Hard Trail to Socorro … Later this year, to celebrate his 30^th anniversary in print, there will be a new Joe Hannibal novel, Blade of the Tiger, and also a collection of Hannibal short stories … As I guess you can tell, I like reading and writing series characters.

 

Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer? Or Still do?

As of June, 2009, I retired from my full time job as the GM of a small magnetics plant and since then have devoted full time to my former avocation as a writer. Pam, my beloved wife of 41-plus years, passed away in 2008 and after that all our plans for how we would spend our “golden years” together sort of went out the window. I decided to break free from the nine-to-five grind and see what I could do with my writing if I were able to concentrate more completely on it. My output and some limited success has resulted … But I’d chuck it all in a heartbeat for one more hour with Pam.

 

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

First off, I need a title before I can go very far in the actual writing. I may have a hook or a rough story idea in mind before then, but I can’t really get going without the title. The title, I believe, sets the whole theme and flow for the overall story and it is going to conclude. Once I have those things—title, hook, ending—then I start writing and the middle parts start to fill in. So I guess what I’m saying is that I’m mostly a seat-of-the-pantser.

 

Current Release Details:

You can find details on all of my available work (including the previously mentioned two most recent, Reckoning at Rainrock and Rio Matanza at: www.joehannibal.com

 

Who is your perfect hero? And why?

I’m a big John Wayne fan, always have been. There’s a touch of Duke in all of my protagonists, including Hannibal in a somewhat more subtle way—for sure (not surprisingly) in the Westerns featuring McGantry and Kendrick … Why? I think the enduring image of Wayne, via his films, embodies the kind of strength, determination, and compassion—seasoned by a dash of boisterousness—that defines the American hero as well as any, better than most.

 

When you have writer’s block how do you break free?

I stop and do some reading in whatever genre I am working in—not to try and copy or mimic what I am reading, but rather to remind myself why I wanted to be a writer in the first place and to re-fuel that “writing fire” inside myself again.

 

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven’t yet?

I’ve always wanted to try something in the science fantasy/sword & sorcery genre. I’ve long been a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan as well as Robert E. Howard’s Conan. Someday I’d like to try my hand at writing some stories patterned after each

 

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group?

Readers are welcome to contact me directly via my email: wddundee@charter.net … I also have a blog at http://fromdundeesdesk.blogspot.com … I am on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Wayne.Dundee … and on Twitter at @wddundee

 

When did you first decide to submit your work? Please, tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

I had the distinct experience of selling the first work I ever submitted. It was a short story called The Fancy Case and featured my blue collar PI Joe Hannibal. I sold it to a now-defunct crime magazine called Spiderweb … I wrote it while recovering from kidney stone surgery (back in the pre-lithotripsy days when they darn near had to cut you in two to get at the painful little buggers). As always, Pam was there every step to encourage both my recovery and my submission of the story … It should be noted that, while I made that first sale right out of the chute, subsequent ones did not come so easy and it was almost four years before I sold anything more.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bodie Kendrick had a reputation for being one of the most relentless bounty hunters throughout Arizona and New Mexico.

Doc Turpin, out of Texas, shared similar renown.

When the two of them partnered up to bring in the Harrup-Klegg Gang, it was the end of the trail for the bloodthirsty outlaws who had robbed the New Gleanus bank and then needlessly, mercilessly slaughtered innocents as they shot up the town riding away.

The gunsmoke from that encounter has scarcely cleared, however, before Doc is mysteriously lured away in the middle of the night by a rebelista firebrand known only as Estraleta. Troubled by his new partner's sudden and ill-explained departure, Kendrick pursues the pair in order to try and find out what is going on. His only clue is that they reportedly are bound for the notorious south-of-the-border town called Bordados.

Quicker than the rapid-fire discharge of a Gatling gun, Kendrick finds himself embroiled in a conflict between local rebels fighting to regain their town and a corrupt Rurale official backed by a wolf pack of American desperados who've found haven in Bordados and are hell bent on keeping it. Once again, Kendrick and Doc—along with the savagely beautiful Estraleta and a tormented former Confederate colonel—fight side by side against stacked odds.

But that's never stopped either one of them before …

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West central Nebraska, late 1880s: Harriet Munro, a fiery woman lawyer seeking to make a name for herself on the frontier takes the case of beautiful young Roxanne Bigbee—a desperate fugitive fleeing a trumped-up murder conviction and a hangman's noose. But before she can appear for the re-trial that Harriet has arranged, Roxanne must be rescued from the current threatening situation her flight has placed her in. For this, Harriet calls upon Lone McGantry, former Indian scout and tracker who knows the rugged corners of the West like few other men. McGantry succeeds in returning Roxanne to Rainrock, a town in the northwest corner of Nebraska near the fabled Toadstool Badlands. It is there the re-trial is to be held. Faced with this prospect, however, the town conspirators responsible for getting Roxanne convicted in the first place, mount another all-out campaign to try and make certain true justice is diverted yet again. Before it is over, trusts will be betrayed, bullets will fly, lives will be lost, and McGantry must ride to once again to Roxanne's rescue … until, within the stark, hauntingly empty reaches of the badlands, scores are settled and a bloody reckoning is finally achieved.

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