Paul W. Papa

TWO MEN-A WILD STALLION-A PHOTOGRAPH THAT CHANGED THEIR LIVES FOREVERON THE MORNING OF JULY 12, 1945, as residents of Rawlins, Wyoming were waking up to an article about rounding up wild horses with an airplane, a palomino stallion was losing his fight for freedom at the hands of a wrangler known as Frank "Wild Horse" Robbins, the man featured in that article. Knowing a wild palomino was rare, Robbins sent for photographerVerne Wood to capture the animal on film.Forty years later, a question from a daughter to her father about that very photograph would set the man on a sixteen-year journey to find the truth. He would discover that Woods took a one-in-a-million photograph; one that won a prestigious contest, the winning of which set the horse-and the two men-on a rollercoaster ride toward destiny. As the photo gained fame worldwide-appearing in the Wyoming State Capitol, the United States Senate Chambers, the House of Commons in London, and the Canadian Parliament in Toronto-the horse became the star of a film nominated for an Academy Award. All while Robbins and Wood battled for ownership of the photo and its copyrighted name, resulting in one of the most unique Solomonesque rulings ever handed down by a court.What started out as a passion, soon became an obsession to uncover the entire truth-or at least as close to the truth as any one man could come. With over 150 photos, Desert Dust follows Gill Gillilan's investigation into one of the most famous horses in the American West. It is a story of highs and lows, victory and defeat, frailty and strength. It contains one of the most unique cast of characters ever assembled, including the stallion that ended up a supporting actor in his own life story.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ... including the ghosts, unexplained phenomenon, and other spooky happenings. The strip is much more than bright lights, gambling, wild shows, and quick marriage ceremonies. Haunted Las Vegas reveals the true mysteries of Sin City and brings the old legends to life in a chilling way.

Supernatural meets The Maltese Falcon in this paranormal noir set in 1950's Las Vegas-a town where everything goes bump in the night.It was a case P. M. Mayer never should have taken--a rich developer found dead in his trailer, the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But when a fancy man in a fancy suit strolls into your bar, tells you his partner would never have done the Dutch act, then lays five Cs on the table, it isn't scratch you can just walk away from. Now it's up to P. M. Mayer to dig deeper and find out who--or what--really sent the man to the big sleep. Only to do that, he must head down a dark road and face an ancient creature so gruesome, so terrifying, that the mere mention of its name is forbidden. In Las Vegas, the paranormal rules the night, and those who dare to enter don't always make it out alive. Las Vegas Can Be Dark. Mayer is Darker.

When Meyer Lansky makes you an offer, how can you refuse? Even if it's one you don't want. The Highwaymen, a group of grifters and conmen, have come to town and it is up to Massimo "Max" Rossi, the Sands Hotel and Casino's newest house detective to stop them before they hit. But finding a group that specializes in hitting quick and getting out fast isn't as easy as it sounds. Even if Rossi does find the Highwaymen and identify the leader, is he willing to help fill a hole in the desert?Rossi is forced into a choice he doesn't want to make Drawn into a world of sex and drugs, where every move could be his last, Rossi must navigate his way out before it's too late. He's got to find the head of the Highwaymen, then decide how to stop them without sacrificing his morals and convictions. If he can't, there might just be two holes filled in the desert.From the book I removed my lid and placed it on the small desk, then I hung my suit jacket on the hook by the closet, and turned on the table lamp. Lizzie emerged minutes later clothed in nothing but her undergarments. She slid over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Then she kissed me. It was a soft kiss. A kind kiss. An inviting kiss. She pulled back and smiled. I put my hands on her hips. They were nice hips, soft and curvy, just like hips ought to be. They were inviting me as well. Inviting me to do things I had no business doing with someone I had no business being with. But there she was, standing in front of me, fiddling with my tie, wearing next to nothing, with perfect red lips, staring into my eyes.

He came to Vegas to escape his past, but his past came with him.When a game of high stakes poker turns into a boxing match, Massimo "Max" Rossi, the son of mob "fixer" Boston Rossi, winds up with more than he bargained for. All eyes turn to him when the police find his opponent, a hitman from Chicago, dead. And if that isn't bad enough, his only alibi--the dead man's girlfriend--is missing.Now, if the cops don't get him, the mob will Rossi is in the struggle of his life, where every turn brings him closer to an untimely end. He's got to find the girlfriend before his time runs out. But in fledgling Las Vegas, time is an abstract concept, and people can hide almost anywhere.Join the growing number of fans raving about the work of master storyteller Paul W. Papa, and find out why he's been called "someone to watch." Click the BUY button for a thrilling crime noir ride and see for yourself why Max Rossi is taking his place among hard-boiled detectives Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer, and Sam Spade. From the bookShe took a curtain in each hand and flung them open, holding her arms wide. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing. I suppose it would have taken anyone a moment. But when she did, she let out a scream. That's when the shots began. Tony pushed the cart out of the way and ran to Tina. He should have run faster, but his legs seemed only able to move at a turtle's pace.He was yelling, but I couldn't hear him. I think I might have been yelling too, but I couldn't tell. As Tony leapt into the air toward Tina, I pulled my gun from its holster. It took minutes, or was it seconds, to get the thing in front of me and minutes more before I could pull the trigger. Tony had landed on top of Tina and glass was flying everywhere.The man standing on the other side of what was left of the sliding glass door was holding something at his waist. Something that was spitting fire repeatedly. I tried to aim for the fire. I pulled the trigger over and over again until all I heard was clicking. But the fire was still coming. I tried to leap behind the sofa and that's when someone touched flame to my shoulder. I fell hard on my back. I would have gotten up, but the room went black.

In the depths of the Great Depression, the United States undertook a task so monumental it demanded nearly five thousand people to complete. The Hoover Dam stands as a modern marvel, a testament to America's ingenuity. However, few know the story of the town that built the dam. To house the workers, Secretary of Interior Ray L. Wilbur envisioned a model of city planning, giving birth to Boulder City. Wilbur intended for the city to be temporary, to disappear once the dam was complete, but it didn't work out that way. Local author Paul W. Papa offers a unique look at a town that may have been forged by a dam but took on a life of its own.

Mountain Biking Las Vegas and Southern Nevada is the real treasure found within Nevada, detailing over 40 of the greatest off-road mountain bike rides in the Las Vegas valley. Each route includes complete point-by-point miles and directions, map, text description of the riding area, GPS coordinates of the start/finish point, and full-color photos of the ride's features. More than just a trail guide, Mountain Biking Las Vegas gives the reader important information, such as local restaurants, restrooms, lodging, Las Vegas natural history, fauna, climate conditions, bicycle shops, other facilities for cyclists, and community resources.

Discovering Vintage Las Vegas takes you back in time to all of the timeless classic spots this city has to offer. The book spotlights the charming stories that tell you what each place is like now and how it got that way from classic restaurants to shops to other establishments like the casinos that still thrive today and evoke the unique character of the city. They're all still around—but they won't be around forever. Start reading, and start your discovering now!

It Happened in Wyoming takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Equality State's storied past. Including both famous tales, and famous names--and little-known heroes, heroines, and happenings.

A fascinating collection of thirty compelling stories about events that shaped Sin City, It Happened in Las Vegas describes everything from a nineteenth-century land deal that almost created two competing cities to the torrential rainstorm that flooded downtown Vegas with three inches of water.