BTAP # 91: The Wanted Man by Matthew Pizzolato -- plus a Western Online/BEAT to a PULP crossover

We have a quick-draw western crossover happening today. Editor Matthew Pizzolato of The Western Online has our Weekly Punch with a sharp mystery of a story titled "The Wanted Man." After you finish, please click over to The Western Online for my tale called "Kid Eddie" which has the return of my character Cash Laramie. (Right: Artwork of Cash Laramie by Michael T. Pizzolato.)

Next week in BTAP: Copper Smith has "The Sweetest Kind of Chaos"

And Soon: Keith Rawson with "Life on the Mesa"

The Message Was Clear

The courier pigeon landed on the sill with the straight to the point message: 'Mr. Cranmer. We need you.' I looked around. Not even a Mrs. Peel waiting in a Lotus Elan. Just time to leave, son. So, I have scheduled some BTAP-related posts but it may be a week or two before I'm back in the swing of commenting faithfully again.

Mr. Holm's Simon Rip is a Smash Hit!

I want to congratulate Chris F. Holm on our biggest success to date at BEAT to a PULP. I'm not one to normally eye statistics very closely. The reason being it is quality that matters and I would continue BTAP even if one trusty reader showed up because, well, that's just me. However, it is hard to ignore the number of unique visitors from around the world that are continuing to read A RIP THROUGH TIME: THE DAME, THE DOCTOR, AND THE DEVICE.

Thanks, Chris for delivering a top read. And thanks to BTAP fans from:

US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Austria, Poland, India, Netherlands, Russia, Vietnam, Sweden, France, Ukraine, Singapore, Spain, New Zealand, Italy, Romania, Israel, Argentina, South Korea, Belize, Montenegro, Togo, Cameroon, Portugal, Egypt, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Current TBR Pile (and in progress)

*The Trailsman #280: Texas Tart Ed Gorman
Helldorado Peter Brandvold
Unaccustomed As I Am To Public Dying & Other Humorous And Ironic Mystery Stories Larry Maddock
*Hemingway Cutthroat: A Mystery Michael Atkinson
Fast Lane Dave Zeltserman
*Wolf: The Lives Of Jack London James L. Haley
Nick of Time Ted Bell
*The Savage Tales Of Solomon Kane
Super-Detective - The Pin-Up Girl Murders Laurence Donovan
Spies Of The Balkans Alan Furst
Edge the Loner George G. Gilman
*Spanish Eye Nik Morton
The Trailsman #313: Texas Timber War James Reasoner
Manifesto Destination Alec Cizak
Quarry In The Middle Max Allan Collins
The Secret Agent x Omnibus Brant House
*Justified Sins Brian Drake
Stranglehold Ed Gorman

*Reading

What are you enjoying?

A Legend Rides

I’m not sure how many western writings start on a ship off the African coast but “Kid Eddie” did. To pass the time in the confined space, I was watching on dvd the strange pairing of Californication and Wanted Dead or Alive. Nearly a year later and after several polishes, Marshal Cash Laramie finds himself escorting Eddie Morash, aka Kid Eddie, from a small jail in Vermillion back to Cheyenne to stand trial. But something is unsettling about Kid Eddie, something that, well, you'll have to read for yourself.

Cash Laramie returns in "Kid Eddie" at The Western Online September 12th.

Artwork by Michael T. Pizzolato.

The Return of the Fisherman

Back in March, I blogged about a painting my charmer had bought for me that I dubbed The Fisherman. I mentioned in the post that artist Hazel Carter had painted it in the 1970s according to information on the back. Lo and behold, thanks to the internet Hazel came across my post on The Fisherman! She emailed me telling me how happy she was that the painting had found a good home and how nice it was to see the "Old Man" again since she hadn't seen him since 1975. Well, I knew what I wanted to do next.


Yesterday, Denise and I along with her parents had a nice drive up to Harrington, Maine, where we were graciously received by the artist at her Blue Heron Art Gallery. Hazel's talent since The Fisherman has grown to celestial heights with her beautiful watercolors. Hazel was so touched by the return of the Fisherman, she generously offered us any painting from her collection and we chose a stunning silohouetted scene of a couple of moored boats in Jonesport.

Hazel is full of life and just a wonderful person to talk to. If you ever find yourself in Downeast Maine looking for a painting and a great conversation, drop by the Blue Heron Art Gallery. You'll have a magical time. I know we did.

Links, Links

My buddy Keith Rawson has some really awesome things to say about A RIP THROUGH TIME ... Likewise my amigo, David Barber, on the other side of the pond offers his own thoughts on Simon Rip ... And Chris Rhatigan over at Death By Killing reviews my short story "The Sins of Maynard Shipley" that appears in the current issue of NEEDLE.