Earlier this week, this collection of western short stories was launched by Elisabeth Grace Foley. I have been a regular follower of her blog The Second Sentence for over a year now and it is a great pleasure to be able to review her first venture into the world of ePublishing.
There are seven stories in this collection, all set on the prairies of the American west. The collection opens with 'The Ranch Next Door', a story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The Spencers are cattlemen and the Ryans are sheepherders; never a good mix. So what happens when a Spencer falls in love with a Ryan?
'Disturbing The Peace' came next with a more reflective tone, followed by 'Cross My Heart' that had me holding my breath as the tension built.
'A Rangleand Renaissance' is my favourite. Old man Patton, an irascible old crone, has his granddaughter wrapped around his finger, he's even interfering with her courting! But are things as they seem? Elisabeth's prose shone in this story. Old man Patton leapt of the page fully formed, with absolutely spot on dialogue.
'The Outlaw's Wife' was riveting, with a wonderful twist at the end that I just didn't see coming and 'Delayed Deposit' was a fine end to a great anthology.
These stories are packed with cowboys and outlaws, yet beyond the high stakes and adventure there is a quiet, thought provoking quest for justice and integrity. These stories linger after the last word is read, which, to me, is the sign of a great writer.
'The Ranch Next Door' can be purchased at Amazon or Smashwords for US $2.99.
And join me on Thursday 13th of October when I will be hosting a guest blog with Elisabeth Grace Foley, where she will be discussing why she writes westerns.
Thanks for the review. Look forward to the interview. :)
ReplyDelete