They of the West (Scrublands Book 1) by Dani Finn

Dralen never could leave well enough alone. He knows better than to go near the canyons. That’s where the Logans live, wild men of the hills said to devour lone travelers in frenzied midnight feasts. But the mysterious cloaked figure he saw down by the canyons had to be there for a reason. And he can’t get his Urpa’s poem out of his head: something about “They of the West” and “Treasures buried in memory’s mine.” Folks used to mine for topaz in the canyons, and other stones too. Magical ones, some said. But the Logans and the cave-in put an end to all that. Dralen knows he’ll get in trouble if he goes after the cloaked figure, and he’s doubly sure he doesn’t care. Maybe They know something everyone else has forgotten in this little nothing town. Dralen is called to follow Them, but the closer he gets to unraveling the mystery, the more it seems his own journey is just beginning… They of the West is a fantasy novella set in a brand-new world, a coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and self-discovery. It is the first book in The Scrublands, a planned trio of novellas. It is appropriate for older young adult and adult audiences; content warnings include hunting/butchery, smoking, drinking, cursing, and brief references to sexual topics.

The Demon of Devil's Cavern by Brennan LaFaro

“The Demon of Devil's Cavern is a wild ride along some very dark trails in a weird version of the Old West. Fast-paced and highly entertaining. Brennan LaFaro comes out with both guns blazing!” -Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of CAVE 13 and THE SLEEPERS WAR Six months after the death of “Noose” Holcomb, Buzzard’s Edge rests in an uneasy quiet, but can a town that resonates with such hatred remain peaceful for long? Dark forces conspire to chase Rory Daggett and his mute adopted daughter, Alice, into exile, framed for a crime they didn’t commit. With a new sheriff and a notorious killer for hire tracking their every move, the two must choose between starting a new life and saving the soul of the town that betrayed them.

Noose by Brennan LaFaro

"The Batman meet Django Unchained. LaFaro takes to the west with this story if Revenge and Blood." -Scott J. Moses, author of OUR OWN UNIQUE AFFLICTION It's been fifteen years since Noose Holcomb perpetrated the Buzzard's Edge Train Robbery of 1872, leaving Rory Daggett an orphan. Settled in with a new family and a second chance at life, Rory never quite sheds the thirst for revenge. When one of the gang members returns to Buzzard's Edge, Rory's life is violently upended once more. Capturing the rogue spurs on a furious chain of events that pits Rory against each member of Noose's gang, every one more twisted and terrifying than the last, in order to work his way to their leader. With the help of a fellow orphan whose life Noose turned upside down and the town's sheriff, Rory will stop at nothing to be the man who ends Noose's reign of terror, but can he do it without becoming the man he seeks to kill?

The Girl With Strawberry Hair by Michael Moore

A lone wagon arrives in the small town of Liberty, full of both pain and promise. Recent widower and Civil War veteran Jack Tarver arrives with his son Chris to start a new life. Hopefully they will accept a Black man starting a small ranch. That's one issue. Chris Tarver being both Black and White is another. But Liberty was supposed to be a different place. Sam Spivey had said so. But his old partner in the war was dead, but even then he could feel Sam's spirit in this place... Blackjack, a drifter and gambler, arrives in Liberty to set up shop and make a whole lot of money. Now, if he can just do all this and not have to kill anyone, more's the better… The money is running out. The Cattle Baron of Liberty, the man who truly ran the town, is broke. His beautiful daughter Ellie is determined to keep her family's land, and will do whatever it takes. The new Black rancher seems to have some money… The war is over. There should have been free reign to pillage and take what they could get. They earned it. They deserved it. Jeremy Davis believes this. But instead of living the good life, he found himself in prison, put there by the one who wound up ruining his life and stealing what was his. But he was getting out soon. And when he did, he would find Jack Tarver and make him pay what he owes... Michael S. Moore's first novel is an exciting western adventure of a father who has to fight the past and a son who has faith in the good of others, even as dangerous men comes to destroy the new life they are trying to create...

More Than A Gunslinger by J.R. Carrel

The year is 1869 and the West is still wild. Izzy is the greatest sharpshooter on Earth. She's hell bent on tracking down a mysterious robber baron, who has been gobbling up the railroads. She will find out that there is more to this robber baron and the world around her than she could ever imagine. He will find out that she is...... More Than A Gunslinger.

No Land For Heroes by Cal Black

SPFBO8

Mildred Berry is down to her last four bullets… In a wild west where the only things more dangerous than outlaws are dragons, Deputy Berry is struggling to protect her town and keep her family fed. As a last resort, she robs a train for ammunition only to find that the cargo she needs so badly was owned by war hero Frederic Rousseau. The same Frederic Rousseau whom she served during the Amelior Civil War. The same Frederic Rousseau she’s been hiding from for the last five years. Millie knows a secret that could ruin Rousseau’s life, and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her from telling the truth. With her violent past bearing down on the life she’s built for herself, Millie has to decide how far she’ll be willing to go to keep her town safe.

Where Blood Runs Gold by A.C. Cross

SFFOasis SPFBO8

Sheriff Errol Thorpe’s life is chaotic, brutal, and above all, solitary. After an unimaginable loss years ago, all he feels is the compulsion to seek vengeance. But when a vulnerable family arrives in town, facing an ugly future, he is pulled headfirst into a web of violence, secrets, and things he never imagined. In search of truth and answers, Thorpe finds himself battling deadly flesh-eating Dust, acidic golden blood, and the political designs of powerful people – all the while learning how to be a person again. When Dust rises in San Dios, people hide indoors. When Sheriff Thorpe arrives, people run.

Nox by Cym Aros

Jesse, Ava, Rivka, and Marshal Smith ride into the Sierra Nevada foothills, hoping to reunite their rescued horse with her owners, a young couple gone missing in the mountains after an ambush by horse thieves. En route, the four become embroiled in a standoff with an army colonel bent on Indian extermination – a man with whom Jesse has a tangled and traumatic past. Their quest to find the missing couple becomes a broader mission, to defend an an entire Miwok village against the lethal threats of disease, starvation, massacre, and despair. Back at war, and confronted by an old nemesis, Jesse is overwhelmed by previously buried memories, and his mental health deteriorates. The braided histories of Jesse and the nearly-extinguished Miwok Indian village come to light. Jesse discovers himself to be a figure of Miwok legend, while the Miwok people offer him a path to the recovery of his spirit and a true homecoming.

Thanksgiving by Cym Aros

Jesse has returned from from a brutal stretch in a Nevada prison, but struggles to rejoin “normal” family life in California, burdened by unresolved bereavement and post-traumatic stress. His sister reaches out to him by way of a rescued horse in need of similar healing. Jesse travels to the impoverished mining town of his childhood to discover something of the horse’s past, and to seek out Ruth, left alone after the deaths of Thea and Deborah. His siblings travel with him, and each, in their own way, comes to a deeper understanding of their new brother.