My Books
Jacob Blade Vigilante series gets a face lift in 2020
Fans of the half-breed vigilante Jacob Blade are in for a treat in 2020. Thanks to the creative ingenuity of renown publicist Nick Wale and the fantastic art of Kevin Diamond, the entire series is being reissued this year with a new and exciting cover that’s sure to appeal to fans of the ‘shoot ‘em up’ western genre.
Jacob Blade was a simple farm boy living with his mother and father in Indian Territory until he came home from a trip to local markets one day and found his parents slaughtered by a group of itinerant outlaws. With his dying breath, Jacob’s father asked him to avenge their deaths, a task that he took on with relish. In the course of his quest, he discovered that there was a lot of evil infecting the western frontier, evil that he determined to help eliminate, one dead outlaw at a time.
This is just one of several series that I currently write, and is second only to the Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves in the joy it gives me to write.
The new covers give a sense of continuity to the series, and, in my humble opinion, illustrates the protagonist most effectively. I sincerely hope that readers will find them as attractive—and seductive—as I do, and welcome any comments. In the meantime, I’m currently working on another Jacob Blade adventure, with Jacob coming to the rescue of a small community of settlers in Nebraska who are being tormented by a greed rancher who wants to take their land. Keep an eye out for Sins of the Father, coming soon to Amazon.
Second Jacob Blade – Vigilante Has Brand New Cover
Book two in my Jacob Blade – Vigilante series now has a brand new cover. It’s still available, though, at the same great price of 99 cents. Check it out:
https://www.amazon.com/Jacob-Blade-Vigilante-Vengeance-Gunfighter-ebook/dp/B07MV9WZSY/
2019 Readers Choice Awards
I’m so excited because my book, Buffalo Soldier: The Iron Horse, was just nominated for the 2019 Readers Choice Awards contest by TCK Publishing!
Please vote for it at https://www.tckpublishing.com/2019-readers-choice-voting-page/
My book can be found under Category 14, Historical Fiction. It should be the first book on the page.
The latest Bass Reeves adventure
Get the latest adventure of Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves for your Kindle from Outlaws Publishing, LLC. Now available for only 99 cents. Bass is sent to arrest a young woman who has formed an outlaw gang that is terrorizing traffic on the Red River. You won’t want to miss this one.
Available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MP47117/
I’m in a new short story collection
It’s been a while since I wrote a short story. So, when I was asked to do one for a tribute volume to western author Scott Harris, I jumped at the chance. Believe it or not, my story was selected to open the book – how neat is that. A new offering from Dusty Saddle Publishing, and it’s quite a deal at only 99 cents.
Kindle version available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCNK39Z
‘The Nearest Town is Purgatory’ New from Outlaws Publishing
Get this one; my latest from Outlaws Publishing: ‘The Nearest Town is Purgatory’
‘Vixen’ nominated for Readers Choice Award
I am excited to announce that my novel, Vixen, has been nominated for the Readers Choice Award in the Historical Fiction Category. I encourage all of my readers to go to www.tckpublishing.com/readers-choice-voting/ and go to category 14 (Historical Fiction) and vote for it. Vixen can be found near the bottom of the category page. Your vote will be greatly appreciated. Again, a reminder, go to www.tckpublishing.com/readers-choice-voting/ and vote.
‘Vixen’ Nominated for 2017 Readers Choice Award
I am excited to announce that my historical novel, Vixen, has been nominated for the 2017 Readers Choice Award in the Historical Fiction category. Please go to www.tckpublishing.com/readers-choice-vote/ and cast your vote. It will be greatly appreciated.
End-of-Year Free Book Specials
As a special treat to my readers, I’m making four of my books (Kindle version) available for free each month in November and December. Just click on the link to go to the book’s page on Amazon.
November 2017
If I Should Die Before I Wake — November 4 – 8
Portrait of Africa — November 11 – 15
Buffalo Soldier: Range War — November 18 – 22
Vixen — November 25 – 29
December 2017
Death of Innocence — December 1 – 5
Buffalo Soldier: Family Feud — December 8 – 12
Wallace in Underland — December 15 – 19
A Good Day to Die — December 22 – 26
My Outlaws Publishing titles to be republished under new imprint
My two recently published Outlaws Publishing LLC books, Wagons West: Daniel’s Journey and Wagon’s West: Trinity, part of the Daniel’s Journey series, have been temporarily removed from Amazon (paperback and Kindle version), but will be back soon under a new imprint, Rusty Spurs. They were automatically removed from my Amazon author page, will go back on when they go live under the new imprint. I have also removed them from my author website, http://charlesray-author.com/, but will reinstate them there as well. I apologize to anyone who tried to click on those links over the past few days and were greeted with Amazon’s ‘no such page’ notice.
New Western Series for Younger Readers
Outlaw Publishers, a small publisher based in Texas, has just published the second book in the Daniel’s Journey series, western stories for younger readers. The first, Wagon’s West: Daniel’s Journey, the story of a wagon train journey through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, was published in April.
Daniel’s adventures, however, don’t end with a wagon train trip. My plans are to follow young Daniel as he grows up in Oregon in the late 1800s, maybe all the way to maturity. The purpose of the series is two-fold; first, to introduce younger readers to the western genre, a uniquely American literary form, and secondly, to show that the American West was populated by more than steely-eyed cowboys and lawmen, dastardly outlaws, and Native Americans fighting to retain their land and culture. There were families as well, including children, and I’ve often wondered what life was like for them. In this series, I’m using my imagination, backed up with a lot of research, to create that world for myself, and hopefully, for a lot of new readers.
In book 2 of the series, Wagons West: Trinity, the little town of Trinity has been established near the ranch owned by Daniel’s parents. it too is experiencing growing pains, as people of different backgrounds learn to live together. I also explore the issue of women’s rights in this story, something that I imagine actually might have happened in a few places considering that the first woman to vote in the US voted in Wyoming.
If you have young readers in your household, or on your gift list, consider introducing them to the western. I’ve tried to ensure that these books contain no material that would be harmful to younger readers, but at the same time, make them interesting for adult readers as well.
I would love getting some feedback, on the books as well as the concept. And, if you happen to like what you read, a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog would be most appreciated.
A new collection of political cartoons
Just published! A collection of political cartoons that I’ve drawn over the past couple of years, primarily in reaction to the tumultuous 2016 political campaign, and the surprising victory of a former TV reality show star. I’ve chronicled his often outrageous behavior, as well as the reactions of those around him, in a series of pen and ink sketches that I think you will enjoy. The book is available on Amazon and other retail book sites, in paperback and Kindle version.
Get them here: Paperback – $9.50. Kindle version – $3.99
‘Daniel’s Journey,’ from Outlaws Publishing, now available!
Wagons West: Daniel’s Journey
Outlaws Publishing LLC.
I’ve written a lot about where my story ideas come from, but my most recent book, Wagons West: Daniel’s Journey, from Outlaws Publishing, LLC; the story of a ten-year-old’s view of a wagon train journey from his home in Iowa to a new home in Oregon, came about through the strangest way yet.
Several months ago, I was contacted by J. C. Hulsey, head of Outlaws Publishing, to be interviewed for his Internet radio show regarding my book about the famous deputy U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves; Frontier Justice: Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal. During the interview, we discussed our mutual love of the western genre, and ideas on how new readers might be brought to love it as much as we do. One of the way, we both agreed, would be to interest young readers. That led to the idea (I don’t recall which of us brought it up first, but it was likely me) of doing books that appeal to younger people. One thing led to another, and in the end the idea of doing a series of western novellas was born.
After some thinking, I decided that the best way to appeal to younger readers was to have a youngster as the main character. That way, the history of the west, and the genre could be made relatable. Some more thinking, and I came up with Daniel Waterford, a 10-year-old, and his introduction to the West. I started with the title, Wagon’s West, but as I neared the end, I added Daniel’s Journey. I deliberately kept it short, and kept the violence to a minimum, and added no foul language, so it can be read by, or read to, any age group.
I kept the historical input to a minimum, but did try to show the diversity that was the western frontier in the years after the Civil War—including some references to the war itself, and kept the main character front and center. The idea was to show this environment through the eyes of a young person.
Outlaws Publishing did a great job with the cover and editing. The hallmark of a well-edited book is that the Kindle version has no stray margins or glitches that often happen when the manuscript for a paperback is converted to e-format.
At the risk of sounding vain, I think we did a great job with this first book in what I hope will be an extensive series, following Daniel as he grows up on the frontier.
It’s available on Amazon at the following links:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/154631640X/. $5.40
Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072L35SJF/. $0.99
If you’re a fan of the western genre, or you have a youngster that you’d like to get interested in reading, I encourage you to take a look at Daniel’s Journey. As always, if you like the book, a review on Amazon, Goodreads, your blog, or any other book review site, would be greatly appreciated.
Comments here rea welcomed as well.
Step into spring with free e-books!
To celebrate the arrival of spring, each week in March I’m offering a Kindle version of one of my books free. The first will be Buffalo Soldier: The Piano, one of the best in the Buffalo Soldier series, which will be available March 1 – 5 for Kindle or Kindle apps. To see the other books available, check out my publisher page on Facebook, where you’ll also find other book-related information. To get The Piano, click on the link below on or after March 1.
Suggested reading for Black History Month – Frontier Justice: Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal
February is Black History Month, a time when we celebrate the contributions of people of color to the rich tapestry that is the history of the United States. It’s unfortunate that it has taken the establishment of a special month to highlight the role so prominently played at the time of the historical events, but that was later erased from the history books, or at best, downplayed. One of the figures of our historical past who has yet to receive the full acknowledgement due him is Bass Reeves. Reeves was a former slave who spent the years of the Civil War in Indian Territory in Oklahoma. After the war, he returned to his native Arkansas and became a farmer, and sometimes scout for the deputy U.S. marshals traveling into Indian territory in search of fugitives. Even though he could neither read nor write English, Reeves was an expert tracker who spoke six Native American languages, was handy with his fists, and was so proficient with firearms (fired with either hand) he was banned from entering Turkey Shoots in his community. When Isaac Parker was made federal judge for western Arkansas and the Indian Territory by President Grant, he decided to hire black deputy marshals because they would be able to operate easier in Indian territory than white men would. Reeves was one of the men hired, and his exploits for the next 30 years was the stuff of legend. Despite this, popular media and American history has mostly forgotten him, There have been a couple of minor movies and a few books, but few people know that he’s thought to be the model for the popular ‘Lone Ranger’ character of radio, TV and comic books.
Black History Month is a good time to do some reading that helps to set the historical record straight. A few years ago, when I came across information about Reeves while doing research for my Buffalo Soldier series (stories about the black Ninth Cavalry soldiers known as Buffalo Soldiers by their Native American adversaries), I was fascinated, and decided to do a fictionalized account of his activities. That book, Frontier Justice: Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, has been one of my more popular books, with consistent month-to-month sales since it was published in 2014, in both paperback and Kindle versions.
Though fiction, it’s historically accurate, and while I’m a bit biased, I also think it’s an entertaining story.
Paperback and Kindle versions of the book are available at the following link which is the Amazon store on my other blog:
http://charlesaray.blogspot.com/p/shop-at-charlies-store.html
Once there, go to the bottom of the store and click on ‘Page 8.’ The two versions of the book are at the bottom of the page. By clicking on the one you want, you’ll be taken to a page that allows you to purchase the book directly from Amazon.
Some of my other books relating to minorities and their contributions to American history:
