Review of "A Lone Star Christmas"

Hello my Fellow Western Readers: Though I finished this book back in January I just got done giving a review for it. The title is "A Lone Star Christmas," by William W Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone. I tried to finish it for christmas but didn't quite make it. "A Lone Star Christmas" By, William and J.A. Johnstone What can I say about this book? Well, for one, I've been wanting to read a William W. Johnstone inspired book for quite some time and this looked like a perfect jumping on point. One of the reasons was that this book brought together several characters from a couple of ongoing series by Johnstone that would give a little intro to them; Duff McCallister and Smoke and Matt Jensen. The story begins in 1890 Texas where Rebecca Conyers is returning by train to her father's farm, Live Oaks Ranch, from a two week visit to her aunt. On the train she meets Tom Whitman, a mysterious, but friendly, traveler from Boston. He is looking for work wherever he can find it and Rebecca tells him that her father, Big Jim Conyers, might hire him as a ranch hand. As luck would have it the mysterious stranger can handle a horse so he is hired. The story moves on to the reality that Long-Horn Cattle, which are raised at Live Oaks, are dropping badly in value and it looks like Big Jim might barely make expenses for that season at around four dollars a head. His cattle broker then informs him he should turn to the newer breed of Black Angus cattle as they are going for nearly twenty dollars a head. He decides, reluctantly that it's the way to go to save his livelihood So his broker contacts (by telegraph) Duff McCallister who is raising lots of Black Angus cattle. They order 2,500 head and want them by Christmas. McCallister calls on the Jensens who provide some of the cattle themselves. See how nice and tidy all these characters from different series are brought into the story?!? Anyway, that's when the adventure begins. Rebecca runs away and works with another ranch to drive cattle to Dodge City to be with her mom after fighting with Tim as to why he won't warm up to her. Like I said, he has secrets but you'll have to read the book to find out what they are. Meanwhile, the cattle are moved by train for part of the journey to be driven from Dodge City to their new home in Texas. The trip is not that smooth as they have to deal with train robbers, cattle rustlers, increasingly inclement weather, and even Indians! There's even a Christmas miracle along the way after Big Jim's Cattlemen meet McCallister's group to help drive the large herd back to Texas. Trust me when I say there is lots of well-paced action and drama in this tale of the "Old West." I really liked this book. It was exciting, well written, and the story moved along in a logical manner. the characters were well defined and likeable. All-In-All I'd say this is a good Christmas read if you're hankerin' to take a ride down the ole' dusty trail. As usual, Have a Great Day!!! The "Creature"

"The Bone Wars"

Hello Fellow Range Riders:
Yee-Ha!!! I placed my first Comic script to an anthology of true-life comic stories. The book is to be between 48-54 pages and printed in a nice Hardback edition later this year. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I've loved comics all my life (and still do for that matter) and have always wanted to write a comic book. Well, back in September of last year I was offered the chance to submit something and it was suggested that with my love of all things Paleontological that maybe the "Bone Wars" of the 1870's-1890's might be the ticket. So I accepted the challenge.
The "Bone Wars" is pure "Wild West" action if there ever was any. It concerned the rivalry between two Paleontologists; Othniel C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, and their ongoing feud and subsequent race to find and name the most dinosaurs. These two would stop at nothing to ridicule each other, claim jump, and even resort to rustling and demolition in surely what had to be one of the greatest stories of rivalry to come out of the latter part of the nineteenth century.
While researching this project I was amazed at some of the antics these guys resorted to in order to stake their claim in the field of Paleontology. At the time the finding and naming of Dinosaurs was relatively new, the term "Dinosaur" itself only having been coined in 1942, a mere 27 years before the beginning of the feud. At the time there was only around a dozen Dinosaurs named, and most of them were only from pieces of dinos. After the twenty some-odd year feud between Marsh and Cope an additional 130 species would be named between the two men.
It was hard to come up with the best things to write about (I only had six pages to work with) but in the end I tyhink I did a respectable job of handling "The Bone Wars." Luckily, my editor thought I did to and accepted the story and said that she loved it and that it required little editing. I was happy about that seeing as how it was my first comic script.
A few days ago I was sent a scan of a couple of the pages and I thought they were great. I can't wait to see the rest. I'm not sure when it will be released this year but when it is I'll let you know. Now it's off to write my first "Western" short story, "Gun Shy."
Have a Great Day and I'll se you on the Dusty Trail!!!
John (aka, The "Critter")

"Re-Visiting an old Western Friend"

Hello fellow Cowpokes:
I was mindin' my own business working on my Zombie Epic (messy business them Zombies) while watching the NASCAR race (the last one for the chase at Richmond). After it was over (Kevin Harvick won, his fourth for the year) I decided to turn on the Encore Western Channel to see what they had going on. I looked at the screen and just happened to catch the beginning of a movie I haven't seen in many settings of the sun, "Hour Of the Gun," a movie about Wyatt Earp and the events following the ever famous fight at the OK Corral. I'd seen this movie a couple times while growing up and always liked it. Needless to say, I put the zombies to bed for a couple hours (it's hard to "corral" the living dead when they ain't done playing) and plopped my butt down to watch the movie.
I was drawn in right away. The acting and directing in this movie is top notch and it makes it a real joy to watch. The action in this movie is top notch leaving little time to catch your breath in-between. Rounding out a really good movie is an excellent sound track by Jerry Goldsmith.
Most of the story takes place after the events at the OK Corral. The crippling of Wyatt's brother Virgil followed by the shooting death of his other brother Morgan set Wyatt on a murderous rampage to avenge the shooting of his brothers. Interestingly enough it was Ike Clanton's revenge for his losses at the Corral that led to the maiming and killing of Wyatt Earp's brothers. Oh what tangled webs they weaved back in 1881.
Anyway, the rest of the movie follows Wyatt Earp (James Garner) and company, including the ever famous Doc Holiday (Jason Robards) as they hunt down those hired by Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan) to kill the Earp Brothers. There's plenty of shoot-em-up action in this movie as the bad guys are tracked down and dealt with. There are even a couple scenes where Wyatt visits Doc Holiday in a sanatorium in Colorado.
So if you want to see a good movie make sure you catch "Hour of the Gun." Director John Sturges has put together a real fine Wyatt Earp movie that is both good and exciting.
Have a Great Day!!!
John (aka, The "Critter")

"Howdy Pardners"

Hello Everyone:
Why am I doing this??? I have no clue. Oh wait, I do have a clue. Lately I have been building up an interest in the "Wild West" and wanted to share it with everyone as it unfolds. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I've just now been bitten by the "bug," It's just that I've developed a new appreciation for that era that probably is more intense than when I was a kid.
Over the years I've seen quite a few Western movies and watched many a Western television show. That still makes me no kind of an expert on the subject but, hey, I'm learning, and I learn fast.
I think what really started my path down the old dusty trail (a great place for an Asthmatic,lol) was when I went with a friend of mine to see the movie "Open Range," starring Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. We really had set out to see something else but it was sold out. Rather than go home we decided to see "Open Range." Boy am I glad we did. We both liked the movie very much and couldn't believe how good it was. For me it had completely restored my former childhood love of western-themed movies. I was re-hooked. In the seven to eight years since then I've seen quite a number of good westerns, many of them on the Western Channel.
Anyway, through it all I've begun to take notice that more westerns seem to be popping out of the woodwork. Now, on the eve of one very expensive experiment, the movie "Cowboys Vs. Aliens," I figured now was as good a time as any to start up my "Wild West" site. We can talk about the movies, books, comics, whatever, that fuels the need for western-type action. So hop on board and let's get this wagon train rolling into the next exciting chapter of the genre that refuses to die, the "Wild West." In the words of the late, great Ward Bond, "Wagons...HHHOOOHHHH!!!!!"
Have a Great Day!!!
The Crea...,I mean, the "Critter"
C-Ya!!!