Across the Barren Landscape, Volume 1

Barren Landscape is just one town, but it defines an entire region. Follow an eclectic mix of characters as they navigate New Mexico en route to a mysterious game, whose prize strikes the imagination of the hard men and women of the land. A series of non-sequential, linked stories that tell the tales and fate of hired guns, quick draw artists, cutthroat businessmen, and simple townspeople. Volume 1 contains five stories "#1: Killing Dirty: " Jack Hemmingway rides into town with an invite that wasn't easy to get, but riding out may be even harder. In the first part of this series, visit Barren Landscape, a Western town that law forgot. "#2: Agastache Cana: " A chance meeting between a would-be doctor and a young Indian looking for a gift for his bride. Mistaken gunfire and a conversation show the truth behind the men. Set at the bottom of a narrow ravine, can these two enemies survive? Or will the landscape, their own hatred, or something else spell the end of them? "#3: The Flint and the Sword: " Revealing the history of the Man in the Green Hat. This tale gives a glimpse into the origin of the poker game and its prize from "Killing Dirty." Featuring several previously seen characters, but focusing on the peculiar Cassian Maddux, a Welsh escape artist and master of the sleight of hand. Plot lines grow thicker as more questions appear. A crucial lynch pin in the series' central storyline. "#4: Grey Sky Spilling: " Two assassins are hired to kill Tall Dave. They enter town in the middle of the night, during a driving rainstorm, when they encounter a young girl named Kasey. Her grit and personality are both endearing and strange. With her help, they track down their target, but what darkness is to be found in a town where the rain and the night never seem to end? "#5: The Ones that Need Killing: " The final chapter of Volume One features an epic quick draw tournament to the death. 16 men and women line up to kill one another for a ticket to "the game." Introducing a number of odd and memorable characters, as well as expanding upon faces seen earlier in the series, this title is a violent display of the West at its most ferocious. We also see the true face of one maniacal gunslinger.
About the Author: Pete Clark likes writing, animals, potato chips, and cheese. Midnight Riders is his first published novel, although he can also proudly say he finally finished Helix Crashing, the fantasy novel he has been working on for over a decade. In addition, he has written Across the Barren Landscape, a collection of linked Western short stories. He also writes plays, both dramatic and comedic. When he is not writing, Pete tends to ignore everyone around him and obsess over sports.