James Reasoner Interview

 

Next we have Prolific author James Reasoner under the microscope.

Hi James, thanks for joining us.

Thanks for inviting me.

 

What does a typical writing day look like for you?

For decades, I would deal with email and other matters right after breakfast and then I’d be at the computer writing by ten o’clock in the morning. Write until lunch about one, back to work by two, write until six o’clock.  I could start earlier or write later to make a deadline if I had to. These days, as I get older, morning and lunch are about the same as they’ve always been, but I get tired sooner and usually stop for the day between four and five in the afternoon.

 

How many words do you aim to write in a day when working on a novel?

I like to get 2000 words written in a day. I don’t always make it. A really good day is 3000 or more.

 

Are you a detailed outliner or do you discover the story as you write?

I’ve written books in almost every way you can think of, from having a very detailed outline of seventy or eighty pages to having only a vague idea of what to do and just launching into the story. I will say I wrote those long outlines only because that was what the publisher wanted. I never particularly liked doing them. I like to have some structure established going into a book, though. An outline/synopsis of five to eight pages works really well for me. That keeps me from going off-track (usually) and still allows room for improvisation as I go along. Some of my best characters and scenes are nowhere to be found in the outline, they just came to me as I wrote and I was able to make them work.

 

How has your writing process changed since you published your first book?

Mechanically, it’s vastly different since I wrote my first novel in the fall of 1978. The first draft of that one was done in longhand, in a spiral notebook with a fountain pen. My first few novels were all first-drafted in longhand. My wife Livia would type up those handwritten drafts, I would read over them and make revisions, then she would type a submission draft putting in those revisions. But from a creative standpoint, I’m not sure it’s changed much. I’ve always had an idea where a book is going and just try to get there.

 

What are your favorite western series’ that you’ve worked on?

There are almost too many to remember! I was very fond of the Cody’s Law series, a Texas Ranger series I did for Book Creations Inc. and Bantam. I thought the Wind River books Livia and I did for Harper were very good. The Longarm novels I wrote under the house-name Tabor Evans for Berkley were great fun, allowing me to indulge in some over-the-top plots and offbeat humor while still putting in plenty of action. And Longarm was just a great character to write.

 

Do you revise as you go, or complete a first draft before editing?

I start each day by editing and revising what I wrote the day before. Livia edits the books after I’m done with them and makes suggestions for revisions, and I go over the manuscript again while I’m making those changes. So there are at least three passes through every book before it’s submitted, and often, parts of it will have been edited and revised several more times to straighten out any problems that crop up.

 

What advice would you give to writers trying to build a disciplined writing routine?

Ed Gorman once told me, “A writer is somebody who sits in a room and types for 30 years.” That’s very true. Dennis Lynds told me, “If you work hard enough at it, your writing dreams will come true. It’ll just take ten years longer than you think it should.” And I read somewhere that being a writer is like having homework every day for the rest of your life. I think all of those things are very true. Discipline really is the key. Trying to write a set number of pages or words every day is very helpful. And aim high. You can probably do more than you think you can. Over time, you discover the pace that works the best for you, and once you’ve figured that out, stick to it. Now, I’ve never been a write-every-day sort of writer. I take days off. When I write for too many days in a row, I feel like I start to burn out mentally. But at the same time, I’m pretty persistent about writing five or six days a week. Aim high, stick with it, and you’ll figure out what works best for you.

 

You’ve just started with a new publisher writing a new series. I’ve read the first book (Johnny Colt: Blood on the Wire) and loved it. How are things going on that front?

Dusty Saddle Publishing has been great to work with, very fast on their end, and they’ve given me a free hand to write the sort of books I want to write. I’m really pleased with how the Johnny Colt books have turned out so far.

 

What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?

Oh, almost every kind of fiction! I love books and have for as far back as I can remember. I read more Westerns and mysteries than anything else, but I’m also fond of science fiction and historical fiction. I tend to read mostly older books in those genres. I’m a big fan of the pulp magazine era, roughly the first half of the Twentieth Century, and read actual pulps from that era as well as modern-day reprints of those stories and novels. But I still read current novels, too, and enjoy them.

 

How much of your reading is research versus relaxation?

Well, it’s all research in a way, isn’t it? But as far as strictly reading research books, maybe 5-10%, enough to get things right, which I think is important. I think I got a decent education in high school and college, but my real education for my career consisted of uncounted hours reading old paperbacks and comic books.

 

Are there any authors you return to again and again?

Robert E. Howard, not only for his writing ability, which was enormous, but also because of the kinship I feel with him for being determined to make it as a writer from a small town in Texas. The pulp Western writer Leslie Scott, who wrote as Bradford Scott, A. Leslie, and under the house-name Jackson Cole, because his work never fails to entertain me. There are many, many writers whose work I read consistently, but those two stand out for me.

 

What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading the August 7, 1937 issue of the Western pulp WILD WEST WEEKLY. An 89-year-old physical copy, not a reprint. Don’t get me wrong, I love pulp reprints, but there’s something special about holding the real thing in your hands. This copy is in pretty good shape, too.

 

Do you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

My reading is split almost equally between ebooks and physical books. The older I get, the more I tend toward ebooks because I can adjust the font and the way they look. I hate to say it, but I own a lot of print books I’ll probably never read because the font is just too small for my aging eyes. I’ve listened to a few audiobooks in the past, but for some reason they just don’t work as well for me. I guess my eyes have to be involved in the process.

 

How has your reading taste evolved over the years?

I’m not sure it has! I still like action and adventure and still read authors I first discovered more than sixty years ago.

 

Top 3 western authors you’ve read? Past and present.

Leslie Scott, as I mentioned above. Luke Short, whose real name was Frederick Glidden. Walt Coburn, incredibly inconsistent but when he was at the top of his game, nobody was better or more authentic. There are many, many great Western writers in the business today, but I’m friends with most of them so I’ll keep my list to those who have passed on.

 

Which authors have had the greatest influence on your work?

Bob Howard, without a doubt. I try to bring the same excitement to my work. If he had written more Westerns, he would have been included in my answer to the previous question.

 

What first sparked your interest in Western fiction?

Before I started reading much, I was a huge fan of the Western movies that ran all the time on TV starring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy, and my all-time favorite Western hero is The Lone Ranger. So those were my introduction to Western fiction. Not long after that, I began reading books by Zane Grey, Max Brand, and Clarence E. Mulford (Hopalong Cassidy again, the original version), as well as entries from a series known as the Powder Valley Westerns by Peter Field (a house-name, as I came to find out later, but I had no concept of that at the time). The first regular paperback I bought was a Western called BIGGER THAN TEXAS by William R. Cox, and I also read Western paperbacks that my uncle owned.

 

Have any non-Western writers or genres shaped your storytelling?

So many, starting with Robert E. Howard. But there are a ton of hardboiled mystery writers who have influenced me, too, such as Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Davis Dresser (the original Brett Halliday), John D. MacDonald, Richard S. Prather, Robert Leslie Bellem . . . I could go on listing them all day. Leslie Charteris, whose Saint series is one of my all-time favorites. Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose books are a master’s course in adventure writing and yarn-spinning. I can’t forget Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, either, along with all the other writers and artists who produced the comic books I read so avidly for so many years.

 

Where do you usually find ideas for your novels and characters?

Many of them have come to me while I’m driving, especially on long trips. I’ve figured out the rough plots for many books while behind the wheel. Livia and I often plot books together, and we’ve done that not only on trips but also over more restaurant meals than I can count. As for the creative inspiration for those ideas and characters, I don’t really know. They just live in my head and force their way out from time to time. Also in my career, there have been a number of instances where an editor has asked me to write a novel about a specific subject, like the Gold Rush or World War II. I’ve always been pretty good at assignments like that, too.

 

What separates a memorable Western novel from an average one?

The characters and the author’s ability to take traditional elements and make something new and fresh out of them, and I think those two things absolutely go together.

 

Looking back on your career, what lesson about writing do you wish you had learned sooner?

That hard work and persistence pay off. You can make it on sheer talent, of course, but self-discipline is a huge help. When Livia and I got married, I had been trying to write, off and on, for years with no success. She said to me, “If you want to make it as a writer, you’re going to have to work at it.” Four months later, I sold my first story to a magazine. Best advice I ever got.

Bonus Question:

If you could spend an afternoon talking with any deceased Western writer, who would it be and what would you ask?

Walt Coburn, and I’d ask him about his life (he grew up on a ranch in Montana) and what it was like writing for the Western pulps at their peak.

Once again, James, thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Ash Lingam Interview

 

My first in what I hope will become a regular series of author interviews is with Ash Lingam, the creator of the popular Levi Johnson and Rayland Gibbs series. Ash has also contributed an instalment to Robert Vaughan's popular Crocketts series.

I'm excited to kick things off with an author whose work has entertained so many Western readers.

So, without further ado, let's get into it.

Hi Ash, thanks for joining us.

My pleasure, Brent.

What does a typical writing day look like to you?

I don’t have fixed writing hours any longer. I do a lot of sports, so I write in my spurts of free time. Some days I might work for a couple of hours, and other days, when I’m really inspired, I may work for eight hours straight. It all depends on my day-to-day inspiration. I don’t like forcing my writing; I prefer to let it flow.

How many words do you aim to write in a day when working on a novel?

I used to write down how many words I wrote each day, with a minimum of 3,000. 8,000 words is my record. I have been writing for over a decade and have written over a hundred Western novels, not counting eight or ten books of random genres. Now I have decided I write better when I don’t set daily writing goals. This lets me go over my work several times before moving on. I do a lot of work on weekends. I target a minimum of 70,000 words per book.

Are you a detailed outliner or do you discover the story as you write?

I am a pantser—like an airplane pilot who flies from the seat of his pants. As I write, I may change the title and target two or three times. Of course I use chapter outlines, but I write them after I finish the chapter. Then, I use them to guide me through the story so I can tie all the threads together for the close. Right now, I am writing my fifth book in the Texas Ranger series.

The book’s title started as Blood, Sweat, and Tears, but I changed it to BLOOD-SIMPLE because it better captures the story's action and chaos. (It is defined as a state of irrational confusion, panic, fear, and paranoia brought on by prolonged exposure to violence and extreme stress.) Often, the story takes an unexpected turn with no plan. That is what I like the best. That instinct for surprise clearly carries into my revision process too.

How has your writing process changed since you published your first book?

I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote my first book. It was about 100,000 words long and took me about six months to write. My son read it and told me to look for something else to do, which made me want to write even more. After eight failures, I finally wrote a four-book western, my first venture into the Old West, and they finally hit Amazon’s bestseller list. That was about nine years ago.

What are your favorite western series that you’ve worked on?

I suppose that I liked most of them. This is my third Texas Rangers series, so it is one of my favorite subjects. I also wrote a long series, Levi Johnson Mountain Man Scout, that is still running, and the seventeenth book is on presale now. Before that, I wrote another series called Mountain Man Scout with Hammer and Grizz.

Do you revise as you go, or complete a first draft before editing?

I revise my chapters as I go and edit each one when I finish. When I complete the novel, I have Word read it aloud to me before I send it to my editor. Listening to it read back to me helps me tell if it sounds like how people speak and is the best way for me to locate mistakes or find the right voice.

What advice would you give to writers trying to build a disciplined writing routine?

That is an interesting question, as there are so many ways to attack a book project. The best advice I can give is not to give up. Over the years, I've never thought about quitting writing. I believe each writer must discover the routine that fits them best.

You’ve been with Wolfpack Publishing for a year and a half, and you’re writing a new series. I’ve read the first book, Texas Ranger Rayland Gibbs-Dead Man Walking. How are things going on that front?

I started a new series on May 5^th, 2026. The first book did very well. Book three went on sale October 20^th of this year. Book four is currently being edited, and I'm now working on my fifth installment. So far, so good.

What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?

Classics and action fiction.

How much of your reading is research versus relaxation?

I do a lot of research: period weapons, the Texas Ranger organization, frontier towns, weather, trails, legal practices, and special events in my chosen time period. Relaxation is a big part of my day through sports.

Are there any authors you return to again and again?

Stephen King, Larry McMurtry, Dan Brown, James Patterson, John Grisham.

What book are you reading right now?

Strangely enough, I am reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read it as a kid and am enjoying it again after decades. It was published in 1954.

Do you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

I prefer physical books, but I enjoy audiobooks too. That said, I have a collection of ebooks as well.

How has your reading taste evolved over the years?

Very much so, although I read much more before I began writing. Sometimes, when I used to read, I find myself writing instead.

Top 3 Western authors you’ve read? Past and present.

Larry McMurtry, Charles Portis, Elmore Leonard.

Which authors have had the greatest influence on your work?

Elmore Leonard and McMurtry.

What first sparked your interest in Western fiction?

I grew up in America, and 90% of the TV programs were Westerns. That and the fact that I was raised on a farm with cows, horses, and ponies. We lived with my grandad, who taught me how to trap at eight and gave me a shotgun to hunt at twelve. Our nearest neighbor was miles away.

Have any non-Western writers or genres shaped your storytelling?

Yes, Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is what inspired me to create my first Western character, Texas Ranger Rowdy Bates. It was a four-book series and didn’t hit the Amazon bestseller list until I finished the last book and killed the protagonist, which taught me a valuable lesson. Don’t kill off your main character because you never know what happens next.

Where do you usually find ideas for your novels and characters?

Honestly, I don’t know where they come from. A phrase, an image, or a scene will seize me, and if the inspiration is strong enough, I sit down and write. I often borrow qualities from people I knew growing up—kids from our rough school, long school bus rides, fights, poverty, and the need to stand up for yourself.

What separates a memorable Western novel from an average one?

Immersion. When readers forget they are reading and feel as though they are riding beside the characters—when the danger, dust, fear, and moral choices feel immediate—that is what separates a memorable Western from an average one.

Looking back on your career, what lessons about writing do you wish you had learned sooner?

Hahaha, that’s easy. Grammar! In my county back in Ohio, most kids were from farms, and the education system prioritized getting them through 12 years of school and back to work in the family businesses. I can't remember any of my classmates being held back from graduation, and we all paid a price for it down the road.

Bonus Question:

If you could spend an afternoon talking with any deceased Western writer, who would it be and what would you ask?

Larry McMurtry. I would ask how he made his characters so full of life, making them feel like old friends.

Once again, Ash, thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. 

Thank you for allowing me the time to speak a little about my work.

 

Walter L. Bryant

 The Preacher's Legacy

by

Walter L. Bryant

Tom Deegan's fight for survival begins when he rescues a child from a burning stagecoach, held up by the murdering Preacher and his gang. The Preacher dies and Tom takes the loot and hides it. Years later three killers are looking for Tom, and the money. But protecting himself, and his adopted son Billy, is only made more difficult by the local rancher, whose hired guns want Tom dead. By using his fighting skills can he protect them both? And can he remain silent about the whereabouts of the cash?

Tom Deegan was only a boy when his uncle dragged him into a stagecoach robbery that ended in bloodshed and massacre. The one good thing to come from that tragic day was the infant Tom rescued and raised as his own son. Years later, however, the past comes back to haunt him.

The surviving outlaws have finally been released from prison and are determined to recover the stolen loot. A gang of hired guns working for a local rancher adds to the trouble, driven more by cruelty than any real cause. Worst of all is the arrival of a bounty hunter known as Slim, a relentless killer willing to do whatever it takes to get his hands on the missing fortune.

Tom and his adopted son Billy are soon fighting for their survival. While Tom's only concern is keeping the boy safe, Billy proves he is far tougher and more capable than anyone gives him credit for.

Complicating matters further is Alice Green, whose brother was among those killed during the robbery. Billy has fallen for her, but he knows that any future between them depends on telling her the truth about what happened all those years ago, even if that truth drives her away forever.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It got better the more I read and I finished it in a single sitting. While I wouldn't rank it among the very best Black Horse Westerns I've read, it was still a solid and entertaining story.

Bryant filled the novel with memorable characters. Billy was particularly likeable, while Slim stood out as a determined and dangerous antagonist whose focus never wavered from the prize he was pursuing.

This is the first Bryant novel I can remember reading, and if I come across more of his work, I would happily pick them up.

Once again, this book demonstrates why Black Horse Westerns remain so underrated. Anyone who enjoys a good western adventure should give them a try. 4/5.   

 

Jon Sharpe

 Redwood Revenge

Trailsman 121

by

Jon Sharpe

When a woman named Evie is killed beside him and dies in Fargo's arms, it set in motion a desire for revenge and sees him headed to logging country to hunt the man responsible. But as usual all isn't what it seems.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this one. To me it was nothing special. Had the obligatory adult scenes and apart from the excitement at the start and the end it was pretty plain. For me, not much in between. The best thing about it could possibly be the cover. 2/5.

Clay Randall

 Amos Flagg Has His Day

(AKA The Killing of Billy Jowett)

Amos Flagg #5

by

Clay Randall

Amos Flagg was a good sheriff, and the town set up a day to honor him, but that happened to be the day Ira Krug, the richest man in the Panhandle, picked for his wedding. Then Billy Jowett rode in to kill Krug for stealing his girl and was shot down by Krug's hired gunman. Things really got bad when the local ranchers went out to get revenge, and Amos Flagg had to ride out alone to stop the bloodshed.

Amos Flagg finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly tangle of jealousy, greed, and vengeance.

Hot-headed Billy Jowett has sworn to kill Ira Krug, convinced the older man stole his girl. The problem is that the young woman has already set her sights on a bigger prize. With dreams of wealth, Billy is yesterday's news and Krug is the new golden goose.

To protect himself, Krug hires Harvey Ross, an old friend of Flagg's, as both bodyguard and hired gun. Ross has been given a simple assignment: keep Krug alive and put an end to Billy Jowett.

As if that weren't enough, a blue norther is bearing down on the country, threatening to unleash its own brand of havoc. Surrounded by trouble on every side, Flagg has to wonder what will get him first.

Originally published as The Killing of Billy Jowett, this is another enjoyable Amos Flagg adventure featuring the hard-bitten sheriff and his ex-convict father, Gunner. In the previous story, Gunner was wrestling with problems involving old friends. This time it's Amos's turn, though that is only part of the trouble. With the reckless Billy Jowett running loose and danger building from all directions, the stakes remain high throughout.

This was a thoroughly entertaining read. The story moves along at a steady pace, the writing is sharp, and the characters are engaging enough to keep the pages turning. I'm still surprised there aren't more Amos Flagg stories available. A highly enjoyable western and an easy 5/5.

These are available from Amazon or direct from Piccadilly Publishing.   

D.B. Newton

 The Savage Hills

Bannister #3

by 

D.B. Newton

Jim Bannister thought the savage hills would hide him. Instead, they become a killing ground.

Hunted by lawmen and bounty riders after a deadly showdown with a powerful land syndicate, Bannister rides into the high country looking for cover—and finds himself saddled with Clay Evans, a hot-headed young drifter who’s just put a bullet in a man’s chest. With posses gathering behind them and hard country ahead, the two fugitives ride straight into a range war ruled by brutality, greed, and fear.

The Foley clan owns these mountains through terror. Ranchers disappear, cattle vanish, and anyone who stands against them ends up beaten, broken… or buried. But Jim Bannister has never been the kind of man to back down from killers.

Now the hills are about to erupt in gunfire.

Mixed up with a hot-headed youngster, Bannister finds himself accused of killing a man he never did. As if that were not enough, he also earns the wrath of Hack Foley, a vicious SOB determined to settle the score after the beating Bannister handed him. Adding to his troubles is the local sheriff, who is convinced Bannister is a wanted fugitive carrying a bounty on his head, but cannot quite prove it. Throw all these ingredients together and you have a recipe for the kind of trouble that  follows Bannister wherever he goes.

I enjoyed this book, although it did not quite reach the same heights as some of the other entries in the series. Even so, it remains a solid and entertaining read. Bannister continues to be an excellent protagonist, and the author paints the landscape in broad, vivid strokes that bring the setting to life. Hack Foley makes for a strong antagonist, while the supporting cast of minor characters adds depth and color to the story.

There is plenty of action throughout, keeping the pages turning from start to finish. 4/5.

This book can be purchased from Amazon or from Piccadilly Publishing. 

J.E. MacDonnell

 Close and Investigate

by

J.E. MacDonnell

Lieutenant-Commander Jim Brady has finally achieved what he fought his way up from the lower deck to earn: command of his own destroyer. But aboard HMAS Circe, there will be no gentle introduction to command.

In the dangerous waters around New Guinea, Brady joins Captain Peter Bentley's destroyer flotilla in the hunt for a mysterious Japanese cruiser guarding a terrifying secret. The enemy ship is impossibly fast, refuses to fight when challenged, and carries a weapon unlike anything the Allies have ever faced. When that weapon is unleashed, hardened steel melts, men die within seconds and Circe is caught in its deadly beam. Suddenly Brady's first command has become a desperate fight for survival.

With the Japanese cruiser closing in and conventional tactics offering little hope, Brady must trust his instincts and risk his ship, his crew and his career on one audacious attack. Driving Circe through rain, shellfire and point-blank danger, he prepares to take on an enemy that should be unbeatable.

For Jim Brady, there can be no turning back. It is time to prove that he belongs on the bridge…and that sometimes the only answer to impossible odds is to attack.

This is a solid entry into the series. Brady had joined Bentley's flotilla and they are tasked to investigate what could be a Japanese secret weapon. There is plenty of action with submarine and cruiser engagements, plus Brady is still finding his feet in his first ship.

Well written if not the strongest instalment. However it is still enjoyable and worth the read. 4/5.

Available on Amazon or from Piccadilly Publishing.