Son of a Gun!

Ruby Barlow, heroine

"Please release me . . ." Ruby cried. And they did!
Tate Publishing released my book today. I'm a novelist!

(It's available on Amazon!)

"You can quit staring," Ruby told the cowboy. "I've known men like you, and I'm not interested." Her voice was kept low, but she had no shyness about her.

Jack tipped back in his chair and ogled her. "You've known men like me? What are you . . . about fifteen? Too young to be so sour on love." He reached out and grabbed her around the waist. "Some schoolboy pull your ponytail too hard?"

"Laws! I'm eighteen, and I can rope a calf and break a colt better than any schoolboy. I support a household and work a farm, so don't toy with me, mister." She refilled his coffee cup and twisted away from his grasp. "Aren't you that pile of dust and whiskers with the red mare? That horse won't know you, all spiffed and shiny."

Left alone to raise Jack's son, Ruby is rescued from life as a soiled dove by a young widower who sees past her desperate bravado and recognizes courage. Together they face a devastating grasshopper plague, a tornado, fire and persecution while raising two young sons on the Texas plains. When a murder takes place on their ranch, the Barlow family is almost torn apart.

Meticulously researched and historically accurate, Son of a Gun shows how values of the Old West are still important today.

OK.

I'll give you a second to order your copy.

(Click here)

Now you're all invited over to my brand-new website to celebrate:
martyhalverson.com

Bring your friends!

Click here for excerpts from Son of a Gun.

Tales of Spiderwoman

Drawing by Joel Schick
The Gobble-uns'll Git You

It was chilly in the basement bedroom. I turned on the heat, kicked off my shoes and closed the door before I saw him hiding in the corner. My shriek echoed throughout the house and Brad pounded down the stairs to my rescue. I looked away while he killed the intruder . . . a giant, hairy spider.

Gabi and Brad left on vacation the next day, leaving me to protect their kids. I was walking down the hall when I noticed another large, black spider on the floor. Shivers ran up and down my spine as I realized there was nobody to help. Keeping an eye on the hairy beast, I walked backwards to the kitchen, put on some boots and got the telephone book. I was terrified.

With all the force I could muster I threw the book on the spider with a squeal and then jumped on top just to make sure it was squooshed to bits. Jake heard me yell and ran in to see what was going on.

Illustration by Judy Love

I was shaking as I lifted the phone book off the offensive creature, but I could see it was still big and fat. Jake leaned over to look closer, and picked up a black leg. "Why are you jumping on my plastic spider?" he asked, as he tucked it in his pocket. Duh, Oma.

Jake and Oma, 2009

Thanks for the memories, Jake!

Another of my favorite Halloween memories is the spooky re-telling of

The Gobble-uns 'll Git Yer!

by

James Whitcomb Riley.

It lends itself to lots of expression and when you're into it, you'll find that comes naturally,

along with a little accent of some sort. It's as fun to read as it is to hear.

Tell it by ghostly candlelight.

Any Halloween tricks or treats you want to pass out here?

(Nothing involving spiders, please!)

Scary Stuff

Pumpkin Heads by Wendell Minor

"I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween."

Any cool, easy ideas for costumes?

Share or you'll be haunted for life.