WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU READ A WESTERN?

There was a time, not that very long ago, the western was the most popular genre. Though they still have their fans, popularity has faded with much of the reading public. I think that's a shame, for the western is America's classic genre. They tell the story of a people--the good and the bad--who began westering as soon as they landed on the eastern shores of this nation.

I enjoy writing westerns.

But mine aren't your typical shoot 'em up variety. And you may be surprised to learn many of those being published today are much different from those that used to appear on the pulp racks. The westerns I write contain a lot of history. They also usually include elements of mystery/suspense, adventure, romance and sometimes even a bit of humor--all genres I've also written. And this variety of elements is typical of many of the westerns being written today.

Getting the history right is important. Make an error and you're certain to have readers set you straight. It's important to do your research before setting pen to paper or type to page. Fortunately, I enjoy research. I have a good personal library. But I also seek out other sources such as the books, journals, contemporary newspapers and other information needed to make my story as accurate as possible to the period involved.

But you can't just dump a load of facts onto your pages and expect to captivate readers. What readers want is an enticing story. If you don't have that, none of the facts will matter.

For me, story begins with characters. Then you must put them in a situation where the reader will care what happens to them.

My new western is Twelve Days in the Territory and it will be released on May 5. It takes place in the autumn of 1887 and begins with a botched robbery of a mercantile store in a small town in Arkansas. Martha Raker, a young woman doing inventory in the store with her father, is taken hostage by the outlaws who flee into Indian Territory, what is now the state of Oklahoma but was then the government's dumping ground for the subdued Native Americans and a place of refuge for all manner of rogues.

Martha happens to be the niece of Sheriff Isaac Gillette. The sheriff is determined to pursue the outlaws and rescue Martha despite having no jurisdiction in the territory. Will Burrows, a mild-mannered school teacher, is the only man in the town who volunteers to join Gillette. The sheriff doubts Will's suitability for the task, but the young man who has been courting Martha insists he must go. Yet even Will has doubts about his qualifications and harbors a secret which raises his fears of what they'll face in the Territory.

Martha is a strong-willed young woman who will show courage and tenacity in the will to survive, confident in the belief she will not be abandoned by the man she loves or by her uncle. All three will face trials the like of which they've never known before and they soon discover Crawford McKinney, the outlaw holding Martha is the least of their troubles.

Twelve Days in the Territory is available in print and electronic format from the publisher http://sundownpress.com/ as well as from most booksellers.

 Bio:

J. R. Lindermuth lives and writes in a house built by a man who rode with Buffalo Bill Cody. A retired newspaper editor, he is now librarian of his county historical society where he assists patrons with genealogy and research. He has published 19 novels and two non-fiction regional histories. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and a past vice president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society.