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. 

Kirk Hamilton

 Man Trap

by

Kirk Hamilton

(Keith Hetherington)

Outlaw leader Waco Boyd commands one of the deadliest gangs in Arizona Territory. Their latest train robbery leaves Jim Rawlins devastated when his fiancée is murdered in cold blood. Determined to bring the killers to justice, Jim offers a huge bounty on the gang, turning greed into his greatest weapon. Soon, even Boyd's allies begin to wonder whether the reward is worth more than their loyalty. To finish the job, Jim assembles a hard-bitten band of gunfighters as dangerous as the men they pursue. Once the outlaws are cornered, Jim discovers that the greatest threat is no longer in front of him. The men riding beside him have plans of their own, and the bounty hunter may become the final victim of the deadly hunt.

In this action-packed Western from Kirk Hamilton, it’s a case of hiring killers to hunt killers.

When outlaw Waco Boyd and his gang derail a train to rob its passengers, Jim Rawlins suffers a devastating loss when his fiancée is among those murdered. Determined to exact justice, Rawlins assembles a ruthless posse of gunmen and offers a staggering reward of $50,000 for Boyd’s capture. Driven by bloodlust as much as greed, the hunters set out on the trail of the outlaws. But as the pursuit intensifies, Rawlins discovers that the men he has hired may be just as dangerous as the quarry they seek, and some would not hesitate to kill him if it meant claiming the reward.

This is one of Kirk Hamilton’s stronger Westerns, although it is rare to find a weak entry in his catalogue. Tough, gritty, and populated by hard-edged characters, the novel delivers plenty of action from beginning to end. The pursuit of Boyd’s gang provides constant tension, while Hamilton’s sharp, confident writing keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. A highly entertaining Western and an easy 5/5.

This book will be available from Oct. 1 at Amazon or Piccadilly Publishing.