Short and Sweet.

Short stories are fun to write. Unlike novels, you can get into and through one relatively quickly (whether writing or reading).

There are a few new anthologies out there that include stories of mine.

Fans of the old television series Maverick will recognize the title of Livin’ on Jacks and Queens as a line from the show’s theme song. The anthology, edited by legendary writer and editor Robert J. Randisi, includes fourteen never-before-published tales of the Old West, each revolving around the central theme of gambling.

My story, “White Face, Red Blood,” is based on actual events and features Utah bandits Butch Cassidy, Matt Warner, and Tom McCarthy. Before they became notorious outlaws, they spent a season racing horses in western Colorado. White Face is the name of a horse they won in a match race from a band of Ute Indians, and the difficulties that resulted. 

The anthology is available as an e-book.

Tales from Indian Country features stories collected by editor Troy D. Smith. Several fine writers contributed stories to the anthology, sale of which will benefit Standing Stone American Indian Cultural Center in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee.

My story, “Play Dead or Die,” is based on the experiences of Shoshoni boy Da-boo-zee, who faced death at the infamous Bear River Massacre on 29 January 1863.

Both e-book and print versions of the book are available.

A third anthology, Rough Country, edited by Brett Cogburn, was released in December then withdrawn because of some serious error and is due out again any day now. Butch Cassidy makes another appearance in my story “Short Fuse,” which is based on a pair of Wyoming train robberies perpetrated by Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, including the Sundance Kid, Harvey Logan, Ben Kilpatrick, and others. Butch Cassidy’s role in the robberies is controversial. Watch for Rough Country and “Short Fuse” to hit the shelves.

Opportunities to publish short stories are rare, but I am always on the lookout for a chance to write a tale that gives readers something to sink their teeth into—but as a snack, rather than a full meal.