American Old West

The Nations is a short fiction set containing twenty stories by master storyteller Thomas F. Sheehan. These tales celebrate the heroic deeds and legends of various Native American Indian tribes (Cherokee, Kiowa, Lakota) of the Old West in the United States.

The Ladies Aid Society is determined to find brides for the bachelors who have moved to their town in the last two or three years. Their first attempt is for Angus Kelly, a red-haired giant of an Irishman. The society members have written to all their old friends across the country, and one willing respondent seems to be perfect for Angus: Nessa O’Shea. At the same time, Detectives Deacon Snow and his brother have been hired by a bank in Rawlins to search for the criminals who stole a shipment of newly minted gold coins intended for three different banks. On the way to the San Francisco ...

The man who raised Charles Douglas is a criminal. He has escaped prison and he is out there, killing innocent people. It couldn’t go on. Charles is hoping that his father’s capture is going to be as sudden as his prison escape. He needs it to be over. He doesn’t want his thirteen-year-old son knowing that his grandfather is doing what he is doing. Only one thing makes sense to him. If there has to be a man to capture Jake Douglas, then who better than his own son? “I should be the one to do it,” Charles believes. But Charles is not just facing his father alone. Jake Douglas ...

“I kept a book with all the names. Every bounty I ever collected, every life I took is written in it…” Evan trailed off. “Do you still have it? The book?” “That’s the kind of thing you don’t just get rid of.” After leaving behind his checkered past as a bounty hunter, Evan “Book” Tyler finally has it all. His beautiful wife Emilia, her two sons, and a ranch to call his own. But he discovers he’s not the only one with a dark secret. Convicted criminal Sid Cutler has been released from prison, and has only one aim – to get back his woman – Emilia Tyler. To Sid, she...

Billy the Kid once said that he killed 22 men - one for each year that he lived. While it’s more likely that he only killed eight or nine, this young outlaw was clearly deadly. But his brief and brutal life reveals how his tragic existence led him into a life of crime. After growing up in poverty as an Irish immigrant in New York City and losing his father at a young age, Billy the Kid had to endure losing his mother when he was only 15.

When outlaw Jeb Thornton and his gang ride into town, leaving destruction in their wake and killing Daniel Hudson’s friend, Sheriff Timothy Norton, everything changed. Fueled by grief, Daniel sets out to confront Thornton and his gang. Along the way Daniel meets Alice Waterson, a fiery woman on a mission of her own. As it turns out, Thornton has killed her husband and she has been hunting him down ever since. As Daniel and Alice dig into Thornton’s past, they discover a tale of tragedy and revenge. Thornton’s descent into outlaw life started when corrupt lawmen, led by Sheriff Samuel ...

The Chronicles of Bannock County by Bo Carson is a captivating non-fiction book set in Bannock County, Idaho during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. If you’ve ever been enthralled by tales of pioneers and the wild west but struggled to find captivating historical accounts, then keep reading... Are you fascinated by gritty true stories from America's frontier past? Have you scoured countless books but couldn't find one that brings Idaho's past to life? Do you finally want to understand the real history behind Bannock County's pioneers and Native American tribes? If so, then this ...

“American Cowboy Poetry: Yarns and Tales of the Old West” is a collection of poems and images based on Kevin Lee McIver’s book, “Scouts, Cowboys, Indians, and Soldiers: A Collection of Short Stories.” In this innovative poetry book, Kevin uses artificial intelligence to create poems and images that were originally created based on family history and newspaper stories from before 1900. Like the original book, these poems reflect the history, love, war, and the peace of the American west.

Sarah and Thomas Woodford travel west in search of a better life. En route Thomas takes ill and dies leaving Sarah to look after herself. Remaining for a time with the wagon train, a man she befriended betrays her and she soon discovers she's alone in the frontier town of Parish without much except for her meagre savings. Lodging at Parish's sole hotel, Sarah must eke out a living to survive, hoping all the while she'll save enough money to pay for her passage home. When things don't work out as planned, Sarah is forced to make a choice she'd never have considered possible. A Sporting Life ...

TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS…TWO LOVES. Republic of Texas, 1843 As Fire Blossom, a free-spirited Comanche princess, rides back to her camp after meeting her beloved Lone Wolf in their secret hideaway, she discovers a posse of settlers slaughtering her tribe. She's captured, beaten, and left for dead at a remote farm. Revenge is foremost on her mind when she awakens, but she can barely breathe let alone move and keeps a mistrusting eye on Colton, the Texas Ranger who rescued her. Colton hasn't felt anything except revenge for the past two years, and he's anxious to hunt down the warrior who ...

Bass Reeves was a man who forged his own destiny and wrote his own life story as he went along. Born into slavery, Reeves rose above all challenges to become one of the most legendary lawmen of the American West. As a deputy US marshal, he held himself to a personal code of conduct that went beyond the badge he wore. For Bass, the line between right and wrong was clear, and he never hesitated to enforce the law—even when it meant pursuing his own friends or family. Justice wasn’t just his duty; it was his calling.

"No women need apply." These four discouraging words of admonition often greeted female physicians looking for jobs in the frontier-era West. Despite the dire need for medical help, it seemed most trappers, miners, and emigrants would rather suffer and die than be treated by a female doctor. Nevertheless dozens of highly trained women headed West, where they endured hardship and prejudice as they set broken limbs, performed operations, delivered generations of babies - and solidified a place for women in the medical field.

There was nothing average about the small town of Pine Falls, Nebraska in the year 1891. When a resident died and left his home and estate to the town, Sheriff Nolan used it to bring seven single ladies to their town. They'd grown up in an orphanage, but after becoming of age, had nowhere to go. He offered them the use of the now vacant home, and assured them several reputable businesses were looking for help. The small town welcomed the ladies, who finally felt like they were part of a community. There was now more than one seamstress in town, the restaurant owner finally had some help, ...

Frontier Tales is an online ezine dedicated to bringing new Western short stories into view. Each month, readers vote on their favorite Tale for that month. At the end of the year, there are 12 stories they have selected as the best. The editor then picks one more to make a total of thirteen, a baker's dozen. These are the winning stories from the fifth year of the ezine's production. Enjoy!

Welcome to the dust-kickin', truth-bendin’, heart-thumpin’ world of Tall Tales of the Old West, where the line between fact and fiction rides the same trail. These aren’t your average cowboy stories. Nope. These are the kind Henry told after two sips of sarsaparilla and a long stare at the sunset—tales steeped in grit, gumption, and a whole lotta "could’ve happened." From gunmen who never missed to goats elected mayor, snake dancers, haunted mines, and gamblers who beat fate itself, each of these 30 yarns captures the wild wonder of the West in its full, untamed glory. Whether ...

Prepare to embark on a thrilling journey shrouded in mystery, where danger is in the shadows beneath the scorching sun and secrets lie hidden amidst the shifting sands. With its richly descriptive narrative and heart-pounding suspense, this unforgettable tale will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. In the arid and treacherous setting of the American Southwest, "Secret Mirage" paints a vivid portrait of a time long past. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th century, our story unfolds in a remote desert town, where trust is a rare commodity. As the blistering ...

Nominated as BOOK OF THE MONTH by Discovering Diamonds, a leading independent book-review site. "In A Town Called Paradox is one of those rare, glittering reads that traps the reader immediately and doesn't let go. Thank you for an emotional, gripping and utterly rewarding read." Selected as an INDIE BOOK WE LOVE by LoveReading, a top book-recommendation website. "This book will grab your attention from page one... I hope you will read and thoroughly enjoy it, as I did..." I WASN'T looking for Marilyn Monroe even though I knew she was in town filming River of No Return... So begins In A ...

When three women living in the Arizona territory learn of the death of the famed gambler and ladies’ man Whiskey Logan, they take it upon themselves to travel to his funeral each believing that they are his only grieving widow. Their encounter over his dead body turns into a drunken brawl that ends with their un-holy alliance for revenge against his killer. Plotting revenge ain’t cheap, and since Whiskey left them with nothing but broken hearts and empty pockets, the women turn to breaking the law to become the first gang of lady outlaws in the territory. As they learn survive in the ...

Enjoy this sweet cowboy novel by small-town romance author Erin K. Wright… The love he needs might be the last thing he expects… Adam Whitaker has loved and lost more times than he can count. But as the town’s vet and the director of an equine therapy camp, life is finally going great – if somewhat lonesome. And then, in strolls Kylie VanLueven, his new receptionist. The last time he saw Kylie, she was just a kid. Now, she’s beautiful and all grown up, but he knows keeping things professional is the right thing to do – no matter what his heart is telling him. Especially because ...

Good Girls Often Get Into Trouble A woman cannot enter the 1885 National Marksman Association championship. But that won’t stop Tessa Harris. When her manly disguise is revealed, she is banished by her family and society. Desperate to make the best of her new situation, she becomes a member of the bad girls' club. Only, the man she out gunned refuses to accept defeat. Seth Robinson, the mayor’s son is now determined to make her pay for her wicked ways. Seth Robinson lost the championship to a damn woman. His loss is a blow to his reputation as Fort Worth’s biggest womanizer. Suddenly ...