I’ll soon be releasing four more stories featuring my two most popular western characters under the title, Patch Elkins and Gus Roundtree Last Men Standing. Here’s a first peek at the cover.

Welcome to Shady Bluff

A gang of robbers decides the perfect time to hit a bank is when nearly everyone in town is at the swearing-in of Shady Bluff’s new Sheriff, Arliss “Patch” Elkins.

Last Man Standing

Young Gus Roundtree’s plans to open a blacksmith shop are challenged by an older, more experienced, and equally determined blacksmith who just arrived in town. The trouble is, there’s only enough work for one of them.

Tough Love

The behavior of a kind elderly widow changes when her son returns from five years at sea. Patch investigates and is ambushed by a gang of vicious outlaws.

Timing is Everything

Patch and Gus run toward a bank robbery in progress and all hell breaks loose when four more robbers arrive.

School of Hostages

This is the tale that introduced Patch, Gus, and Helen to the world and inspired all the other stories featuring them. It was published in earlier work but, as the seminal story for these characters, it seemed fitting to include it in this publication. In this story, they are supporting characters, but they left such a lasting impression on my readers and me that they deserved stories of their own.

In this tale, Helen sends a letter asking Longshot Hanson for help when Patch arrests the brother of a gang leader for murdering the mayor during a town council meeting. In a desperate bid to get his brother released, Cord Stoddard and his gang kill the school’s teacher and kidnap the students, including Patch and Helen’s young daughter and Gus’ little twin sisters.
With love,
Russ