Arkansas Smith, former Texas Ranger, rides into Red Rock on his white horse, no, it was actually a sorrel, to find his old friend, Will McCord, shot and seriously wounded lying among the debris inside his cabin. So the novel Arkansas Smith by Jack Martin (Gary Dobbs) begins and continues through its twists and turns, as Arkansas vows to leave no chapter incomplete as he looks for the dirty culprits who did this to his old Ranger buddy.
Arkansas fixes McCord the best he can and heads to town to find a doctor to extract the bullet lodged in McCord's belly parts, after his friend tells him that it was probably a feller named Lance who has been trying to buy him out, that did this to him. After a couple of chapters, there is a flashback that relates the touching story of how Arkansas got his moniker.
After the doctor leaves and tells Ark that his friend will survive, a female entersthe picture. And the plot thickens and the suspense is growing, because the woman is the daughter of the Lance feller, but appears to be willing to help McCord and Arkansas. And in a tightly woven story, the heroes carry on to the final meeting with Lance, who turns out to be a pyromaniac or some other type of maniac and justice wins out.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this western, the second by Mr. Martin/Dobbs, the first being The Tarnished Star, and would recomnend it without a second thought. It carries you right along, and before you know it, you've read the the whole thing and want more.
Arkansas Smith is a Black Horse Western published in Great Britain in 2010. I ordered my copy through Barnes and Noble and it took a long time to get it.
Gary can tell a good story. I enjoyed A POLICEMAN'S LOT.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed it - I am just finishing up the second Arkansas story.
ReplyDeleteRon, he sure can.
ReplyDeleteGary, you're welcome, and I'll be looking out for the new one.
Thanks for the review, Oscar. Gary is a fine story-teller.
ReplyDeleteDavid, you're welcome. I don't know how he finds time to write with his blog and acting and the day-to-day stuff to keep him busy.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting review Oscar!
ReplyDeleteEven in our 16 hour work day a writer never seems to find enough time for everything...but we try to get to the book and blog first then e's and then whatever else we can...blog hopping get's shoved in whenever as you can see I haven't been by for a while but I do me best dear friend.
And I'm still working on the interview! I haven't forgotten you!
Hugs
Hawk
Sixteen hours! Hawk, that's way too long to work in a day. You should cut down and enjoy life and let the rest take care of itself. The blogs take time unless you have someone to brief you on 'em and write 'em, which would be nice.
ReplyDeleteNo hurry, I'm still waiting for the next book to be published. It will be sent to the printers in a day or so, and there's a week or two wait after that. All in due time.
Return hugs.
I know but that seems to be what it takes today to be a "romance" writer and still get all that they want out of you, done.
ReplyDeleteLOL I wish I had an assistant, but like most hungry artist...who has the money to hire someone to write my blogs, answer e's, blog hop, crit, write contributing blogs, so I can take the time it takes to submit(in the exact way) each and every publisher and agent requires (and they all want it just a wee bit different so you can't print out a standard query form to mail in (each has to be done to the Pub's and agents preference) and if it isn't... it get tossed without consideration.
I've seen the cold reads at the Nationals by editors and agents...some poor writer spent nearly a year writing a historical...lots of hard work I'm sure...the agent picked up the script, read - France 1846 - and then tossed the script aside saying, "We don't like France people, we like England."
Nice consideration to the writer who, I'm sure, spent half her year in a cave (ignoring her family and life) writing this and could have had the next best seller set in France that two pages in could have taken her char's to bloody ENGLAND!
It's not an easy business...I'm putting in the time and I will give it all I can for as long as I can. I wouldn't be doing it if I hadn't spoken to an Editor-at-large with a major publishing house, who told me I had talent and not to give up.
So...here I sit
Hawk
Whew! Don't stop writing, but maybe cut down on the workload some if you can and have a little fun outside. Just don't get discouraged. I was tired of receiving rejections and went the self-publishing (?) route, but will still submit to a publisher, if I think a novel has a chance of being accepted. The first thing I did when I began writing was look for an agent, but gave that up after only one response gave me a little encouragement, but no agent. May try again.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, Hawk! Romance is the in thing now, they say.
Hey Hon!
ReplyDeleteTook your advice and Valance's and went out to dinner last night...it was fun but now I have twice the amount of work in front of me today!
:-( HELP! LOL
GUlP...well, it's one key at a time, right? I'll get there just not as fast as I'd hoped...
I'm interested in knowing more about this self publishing...I think we'll explore that in our interview...
What's your book date release again?
Big hugs
Hawk
Damn, I lost my comment, so here goes again. You should take more time off and let work take care of itself.
ReplyDeleteThe book will be out in a couple weeks, no firm date, or maybe sooner.
We can talk about self-publishing or whatever is hokay with me, as long as it doens't get too complicated.
HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!
Oscar
Hey Oscar,
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a Happy Veterans day as well! We can't forget our wonderful men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom...it's not an easy thing they did for us. Grateful I shall always be to these young people who were so brave and honorable. They all make me proud.
big hugs
Talk to you soon and will be getting that interview to you possibly next week!
Hawk
Sounds good, Hawk!
ReplyDeleteOnly just seen this review. Glad you liked the book - and thanks
ReplyDeleteGary, I guess I'm running behind, too, having just noticed this comment of 1/15. I haven't got around to The Ballad of Delta Rose or A Policeman's Lot as yet but hope to before long.
Delete