Kirjahaku

When Balum stumbles across a pouch containing two pounds of gold in Hell Country, he figures his worries are over. He'll head to the nearest town and live lavishly, with unlimited whisky and women. But no sooner does he arrive in town than the trouble starts. A crooked sheriff and his thieving daughter allow no chance for peace, and a trigger happy deputy has Balum on edge. They suspect Balum has possession of their stolen gold. They're determined to get that gold back, and to see him hung before his story gets out.To further complicate his situation, Balum's focus is distracted by the women of the town. The hotel proprietress, the sheriff's own daughter and more, manage to give him pleasure and grief all at once.With no opportunity to spend the gold and the pressure mounting, only one thing can save him; a trip back to Hell Country.

Taking a hard look at his position in life, Balum can't say he's pleased. Near flat-broke and aimless, he bites at the chance of a lifetime: a roundup of a thousand wild Texas longhorns. It won't be easy. He might die in a stampede or get hooked by a horn, the cattle might die on the drive or fetch a collapsed price at market. And the biggest obstacle of all: rustlers.There existed two types of rustlers in the old West; those who stole a few head in the dark of night, and those who appropriated an entire herd for everybody to see. The former could be dealt with easily enough. The latter however, was another matter. Balum has no desire to get into a shooting war, but he's come this far and he'll be damned if some range bully strips them out of cattle. He has skin in the game. Between cattle thieves, the lure of women, and the ever-present threat of violence, Balum stands at a fork leading to riches or death.

In the sixth installment of the Balum Series Westerns, Balum is reunited with his partners on the CW Ranch. Life seems idyllic, until cattle turn up missing. But It's not just one outfit of thieves preying on the ranchers outside of Cheyenne; it's two. And with a bounty hanging over Balum's head, there's little he can do to stop them. Between his trips to Denver to clear the bounty, and Angelique's strange behavior, Balum finds himself turned in too many directions at once. But when the outlaws go too far, Balum takes charge. His plan might not be the brightest, but it's all they've got.

Book One in the Ira Dale Series.Ira Dale doesn't visit the town of Silver Spine often. He lives with the Kootenai people on the other side of the mountain where his only wish is to woo his woman and live in peace. But when he sees a man dry-gulched in the forest, he knows it's his duty to speak out. The problem is, the killer has already told his story, and a man like Ira Dale is an easy mark to pin it on.Plenty of rumors already circulate about him. Stories of his service in the war, his familiarity with guns. He looks the part: tall, shoulders wide enough to draw second glances, not to mention his hair-- long and uncut, and clothed in an uncommon mix of indian and whiteman's attire.The simple thing to do, agree the townsfolk of Silver Spine, is to hire someone to kill him. But Ira Dale is not a man easily killed. As their options fade, the town decides to put out a bounty. And as Silver Spine soon discovers, a bounty on Ira Dale is an invitation for disaster.

One last job. But Balum didn't want it. He was done being a US Deputy Marshal; done with the stress, the responsibility, and tired of getting shot at. All he wanted was to spend his money on gambling, whiskey, and women. He most certainly has no desire to grant Cafferty's final request. Babysitting a bunch of Eastern dandies across the plains to Oregon held no allure whatsoever. But when Balum finds out who is leading the expedition, and the fate of its members, he reconsiders. At least that's the reason he tells himself. It doesn't hurt that amongst the settlers are two of the most beautiful women he has ever laid eyes on.Into the West he rides. Into struggle, battle, and bullets. Into beatings with fists and the soft touch of women. And straight into the plans of a maniac, whose intentions are to take the wagons and all who travel with him into the land of nowhere.

Number 4 in the Balum Series Westerns.Throughout his years, Balum has enjoyed the embrace of many a woman. As to his future; more of the same. Until a vision changes all that. As each man matures, so does Balum. He is through with womanizing. What he desires is clear; a wife, a ranch, children in the yard. All he needs to do is escort his prisoner to jail, testify for the trial, and begin a new life.But what will a man do for the love of a woman? For Balum, he will ignore the advice of his friends and of strangers. He will walk blindly into danger, clutching to a dream for which his heart aches but which has no future. He will find himself roped into a den of thieves, those he loves in danger, and himself made out to be a villain beyond repair.

It should be a simple trial; everyone knows he's innocent. But justice in the hands of a vengeful Marshal can be used as a weapon, and Balum is the target. A sentence of life without parole in the state penitentiary strips Balum of his dreams. A future alongside Angelique, plans of ranching with Charles and Will, all ripped from him. Through darkness and despondency, Balum lives on. A friend is made. A plan is hatched. Prison will not contain him. But as Balum soon realizes, a fugitive has no future. There awaits only capture, a bounty on his head. Hounded like a mongrel, faced with unrelenting pursuit, Balum must outmaneuver his enemies if he is ever to recover his stolen aspirations.