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  Western Reviews

Trawlaine’s Land
By Walt Lange
Published by: Apogee Publishing, http://www.apogeepublishing.com
ISBN: 0-9749379-0-8

Review by S. Joan Popek

Recommended

Trawlaine returns to his home after fighting in the Civil war only to find that his parents have been killed and his heritage taken away by marauders that wandered the west after the war taking what they wanted and killing all who stood in their way.                       

He, with the help of a faithful old family friend and caballero, begins life anew by making the trek across the west to settle a new piece of land and make a new home.  Along the way, they find a few good cowboys who came back from the war to find their own homes gone or destroyed.  They begin to gather a herd of scrub cattle and encounter many obstacles and evil men on their journey.  While searching for a new home and a new life, Trawlaine learns about the strong spirit of pioneer women, and he learns about the true meaning of love.

This is more than a story about the Old West.  It is more than a story about how a man reshapes his life.  It is more than a story about "How the West was Won."  It is a story about the love, hope and perseverance that made America whole again after the great division of the Civil War.  It is a story about the brave men and women who built the West, helped to heal the nation and left the legacy that is ours today.

I highly recommend this story to lovers of good Western fiction built on the past with a guideline for mankind's future.  Pick up a copy today and settle in for an exciting ride across our nation's rich history.


FANGED JUSTICE
By Patricia Lucas White
Adventure mystery
Writers Exchange
Review by S. Joan Popek
Excellent: Very Highly Recommended

    Looking for excitement? Mystery? Suspense? How about adventure? Patricia Lucas White’s FANGED JUSTICE offers all of this and more to you in delicious portions.

    "Albert Weston, full-time mystery writer, self appointed detective, and late, very late, romantic hero..." is on his way to marry the true love of his life. However, when he witnesses an automobile accident in the middle of the desert, his human instincts to help the victims battle with his desire to hurry to his betrothed waiting in Reno Nevada. Later, he wonders how "...one small act of mercy...had led to such bloody and unbelievable consequences."

    Albert becomes your closest friend as he is pulled into intrigue. You suffer with him as his life is threatened by the forces of nature when the desert vents its fury on mortal humans. Then he must struggle to save himself and the survivor of the automobile accident from forces even stronger than nature. He faces murderers, a madwoman, wild animals and reptiles and finally realizes he can’t believe anyone because everyone he meets seems to be lying about
    who they are and why they have all been thrown together in this remote, deadly spot in the desert.

    During the adventure, all Albert really wants is to somehow find his way to Reno where the woman he loves is supposed to meet him.  But that seems impossible as more twists and turns in the story pull him deeper into the mystery, and people keep pointing guns at him.  How can a not-so-brave, middle-aged mystery writer save his own
    life and the life of the automobile victim he rescued whom he is beginning to believe may not be such a "victim" after all?

    Ms. White leads us down a remarkably realistic desert path with sensory perceptions as sharp as a serpent’s fangs. You can smell the rain, feel the heat, shiver in the chilled desert night and taste the dust as she spins this tale. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys excellent story telling and a spell binding tale. (And, let’s be honest, is there anyone who doesn’t?)

Copyright 2002, JoPop Publications. Copyright on all material in this publication is held by the individual authors & JoPop Publications. Any use without expressed written permission is strictly prohibited.

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