Tuesday 9 August 2022

REVIEWS of CIMARRÓN by ANDREW McBRIDE

 I’m very happy to announce my eighth novel – and eighth western novel – CIMARRÓN has been published. It was brought out by prestigious, award-winning publishers Five Star Publishing on August 17 2022.

The cover (designed by Kathy Heming) reflects the novel’s setting – the Mogollon Rim area of central Arizona.


CIMARRÓN
is a follow up to my acclaimed western novels COYOTE’S PEOPLE and THE PEACEMAKER which feature the same central character, Calvin Taylor. However, it is a stand-alone novel and you don’t need to have read any other Andrew McBride books to appreciate and enjoy CIMARRÓN.

UPDATE!

CIMARRÓN was a FINALIST for the best Arizona historical fiction award in the 2023 NEW MEXIC0-ARIZONA BOOK AWARDS. Congratulations to all finalists and winners. 



CIMARRÓN has been piling up reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads – ALL FIVE STAR! I’m flattered and humbled that my novel has been getting such a positive response. Even more flattering, these initial reviews have all come from acclaimed (and sometimes award-winning) authors THOMAS CLAGETT, W. MICHAEL FARMER, LORRIE FARRELLY, STEVE HOCKENSMITH, JOHN LINDERMUTH and JEFF MARIOTTE. Accordingly I’ve created this blog as an ongoing scrapbook of my reviews as they accumulate.

Here’s a quick sample:

W. MICHAEL FARMER

‘Superlative… a classic western.’

LORRIE FARRELLY:

‘Fast-paced, authentic, breath-taking.’

JOHN LINDERMUTH:

‘Action-filled story with its sympathetic characters, a plot full of riveting twists and a true-to-life setting.’

JEFF MARIOTTE:

‘McBride writes about the old West like he lived then, and he writes about Arizona like he lives there (which he doesn't, but I do.)’

DOUG HOCKING (in 'True West Magazine') :

'Gripping Western action of the best kind.' 

'MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:

"Cimarrón" showcases author Andrew McBride's enviable mastery of the genre.’ 

OTHER REVIEWS:

'Western story-writing at its best'

I’ve written a blog about CIMARRÓN where you can read more about the novel and also read a SAMPLE CHAPTER – CHAPTER FIVE: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2022/06/read-sample-chapter-of-cimarron-by.html  

Before we get to the reviews, here’s the BLURB describing the novel:

BLURB:

Cimarrón meant wild. Untamed. That’s how CALVIN TAYLOR, the young man they called ‘CHOCTAW,’ saw himself. As free of restraint as the raw new land he wandered, where the only law was lynch law. Someone who couldn’t be broken to the plow.

Choctaw’s stamping ground was the Arizona Territory of 1873. He worked as a mustanger, catching and taming wild horses; for the army scouting against Apaches; as a cowboy trailing horse thieves. Each adventure added to his growing reputation as a man skilled and deadly in the use of guns.

But when he came up against a desperate band of kidnappers, Choctaw faced some hard choices. Which side of the law he was really on? And where did his true loyalties lie? Because the man leading the kidnappers had been – maybe still was - his best friend…

What do you think? Feel free to comment (and on the sample chapter too.) All feedback very much appreciated!

ISBN Number: 978-1432894016

FULL REVIEWS

THOMAS CLAGETT

 (Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award)

'A wild adventure

Author Andrew McBride’s new novel, CIMARRÓN, follows the continuing adventures of young Calvin Taylor, nicknamed Choctaw, a former freighter and Army scout. Of McBride’s series featuring Choctaw, I have read COYOTE’S PEOPLE, the book that precedes this one, and it was terrific. McBride continues to prove he knows how to tell a story and in CIMARRÓN, which means wild, he gets Choctaw into a whole passel of trouble. Set in Arizona Territory in 1873, Choctaw’s past keeps catching up with him, sometimes for better, sometimes not, as he encounters hard case sheriffs, a grinning Irish rascal, a spoiled brat, and others in this kidnapping tale where friends and enemies are sometimes hard for Choctaw to tell apart. It’s a wild adventure, and McBride keeps things moving. Recommended.'

W. MICHAEL FARMER (Will Rogers Medallion, New Mexico-Arizona Book Award and Best New Mexico Book Award winning author):

‘Finding a code of honor in 1873 turbulent Arizona

In this superlative story of a young man developing his code of honor and ethics through his reaction to the challenges of frontier life, Andrew McBride vividly describes the west as it was in 1873 Arizona. The young man, Calvin Taylor, aka “Choctaw”, in his early twenties, and having lost a close connection to the Apaches he once scouted against, wanders the land learning its changes and challenges as he works with iron-nerved men who are trying to tame a wild frontier west.

Choctaw becomes close friends with a wild and free, red-headed Irishman near his age whose courage is great, but his honor is small. Eventually over the course of adventures that range from horse wrangling to fearlessly facing and surviving men trying to kill him, to stopping hangings in the wild back country along the Mogollon Rim, Choctaw must eventually face his friend and kill or be killed.

Filled with historic details, page-turning, viscerally satisfying action, CIMARRÓN is a classic western to be enjoyed, savored, and remembered.’

LORRIE FARRELLY (first place winner in the Laramie Awards for western and civil war fiction, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award winner, time-travel novel winner in the Cygnus Awards for sci fi and speculative fiction, Gold medalist in the Author's Cave Book Awards, finalist for the Orange Rose Award in romantic fiction, Medalist in the 2014 readers' favorite International Book Awards and readers' favorite International Book Awards honoree):

‘Fast-Paced, Authentic, Breath-Taking

Calvin Taylor – the main character in Andrew McBride’s CIMARRÓN, latest in his series of authentic, rough-and-ready Western novels featuring Calvin – has packed a lifetime’s worth of living – and just as many death-defying escapes – into his twenty years. An inherently moral young man who believes strongly in justice, fairness, loyalty to friends, and doing the right thing, he nonetheless struggles mightily as he repeatedly faces situations in which he must act against the dictates of his conscience. Survival in a largely lawless West forces men to take the law into their own hands. Calvin understands this and even lives by “kill or be killed,” but he never really comes to terms with it.

Known by most as “Choctaw” for his upbringing on the reservation where his father worked, Calvin dislikes the nickname and tries to shake it, as well as the gunslinging reputation he seems to be gaining. Despite his efforts to be a peaceful man, his “particular skills” of fighting, tracking, marksmanship, wrangling, and scouting lead him into one harrowing adventure after another.

A complex loner who craves company, dogged by bigotry (he has had two Native American lovers, and has an affinity for their people), Calvin often finds himself misjudged and mistreated. To make matters worse, his best friend has embarked on a life of crime, horse thieves are intent on killing him, a wealthy rancher’s headstrong daughter has set her wild sights on him, and a none-too-honest sheriff would like nothing more than to lynch him. Calvin’s life has become more desperate with each day that passes.

CIMARRÓN is so fast-paced, authentic, and breath-taking in its depiction of the Old West that readers may well wonder if author McBride isn’t actually a magically reincarnated scout, wrangler, and gunslinger himself. McBride makes you breathe the trail dust, listen to the coyotes howl, feel the hiss and sting of a bullet as it whizzes past your ear. He is equally adept at creating characters so complex and believable that they live and breathe in your mind. In short, he will completely immerse you in Calvin’s world. Hold tight to the reins, open the book, and hang on for a wild ride! Highly recommended!’

STEVE HOCKENSMITH

(Winner of the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Award, finalist for the Shamus Awards and the Anthony and Barry Awards.)

'The first Andrew McBride book I've read -- and definitely not the last!

Andrew McBride writes my kind of Western: authentic but not dry, character-driven but not dull, suspenseful and exciting but not pulpy or over-the-top. The story follows a young drifter, Calvin “Choctaw” Taylor, as he bounces around Arizona Territory searching for his place in the world. He’s an interesting character — sympathetic yet hot-headed and callow — and it’s easy to believe he could go either way: managing to make a “respectable” home for himself somehow or heading down the path to lawlessness and self-destruction. I won’t say which road he takes, of course. You should pick up “Cimarrón” and find out for yourself!' 

JOHN LINDERMUTH:

‘A Recommended Read

After a month of hard work and limited reward prospecting in the mountains, a young man named Calvin Taylor rides into Wickenburg, Arizona, in the fall of 1873, hoping for a little rest and relaxation.

There he saves the life of Declan Flynn, another young man with a checkered past. The two quickly become friends and unite in a quest for new adventures in a partnership breaking wild horses.

But how well does anyone truly know another person? Situations soon develop that have Calvin questioning trust and friendship. Events separate the two men and Calvin finds himself once more misunderstood, the target of bigotry, a vengeful sheriff, and a foil for the agenda of others seeking reputation as gunmen. When he eventually reunites once more with Declan Flynn he's forced to test the true measure of friendship and loyalty against his own ethics.

If you've read any of the previous novels in this series, you'll be aware Calvin Taylor has packed a lifetime of experience into his twenty-some years as a mule wrangler for a freight crew, a scout for the army, and as a cowboy. He's also been trying to shed the nickname 'Choctaw' and a reputation as a gunslinger. He owes the nickname to his upbringing on a reservation, though some have misconstrued it to an unpopular affection for Indians.

It isn't necessary to have read those other novels to enjoy this one. Andrew McBride's skills will draw you into this fast-paced, action-filled story with its sympathetic characters, a plot full of riveting twists and a true-to-life setting. I don't hesitate to recommend this and other books in the series to all who enjoy a good story.’

JEFF MARIOTTE (Winner of the Scribe Award for best novel, recipient of the Inkpot Award for his contributions to the fields of science fiction and fantasy from the San Diego Comic-Con, finalist for the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, the International Horror Guild Award, the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers, and, in the comics’ field, the Harvey and Glyph Awards):

‘A Highly Recommended Western

Andrew McBride has written several other books about Calvin Taylor, the main character in this one, who is sometimes called Choctaw. Choctaw's a magnet for trouble, and in this episodic adventure he attracts it and deals with it the only way he can--and then must cope with attention that comes to a man whose skill with a gun becomes what people think about when they hear his name.

Choctaw meets Declan Flynn and the two become fast friends, though circumstances and Choctaw's reputation push them apart and together and apart again until the relationship culminates in the most difficult decision of his life--and the consequences thereof.

McBride writes about the old West like he lived then, and he writes about Arizona like he lives there (which he doesn't, but I do). You'll feel the desert under your boots and smell the gunsmoke in the air, and praise for a Western writer doesn't get higher than that. If you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed Western, you won't go wrong with this one. It's ideal for fans of Robert Vaughan, Peter Brandvold, Richard Prosch, and Louis L'Amour.’

DOUG HOCKING (Writer of western novels and non-fiction, winner of the Spur Award, the Will Rogers Medallion and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award, reviewing in 'True West Magazine'):

'Andrew McBride’s Cimarrón is gripping Western action of the best kind from beginning to end. It will be surprising if this isn’t the beginning of a saga in which the protagonist descends by steps to the very depths of hell and somehow against all odds works his way back. Choctaw, a highly skilled Army scout trained among the Chiricahua Apaches, is a man of integrity and moral standards who finds his values are in a conflict that takes him down the road to becoming a cold-blooded killer. His love for an Apache maid makes him an outsider. His skill makes him dangerous. McBride does not disappoint.'

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:

‘A fun read from cover to cover for all dedicated western novel fans, and especially recommended for community library Western Fiction collections, "Cimarrón" showcases author Andrew McBride's enviable mastery of the genre.’ 

OTHER REVIEWS:

‘It's always a rare pleasure to read a Western novel by Andrew McBride. 

 Cimarrón (it means 'Wild') is the latest adventure in his ongoing saga about Calvin 'Choctaw' Taylor - a restless young cowboy who, in a series of stirring adventures, has worked as a mustanger, an army scout and a tracker of stolen horses. 

 In this new adventure he comes perilously close to being on the wrong side of the law, after forming a close bond with a man whose life he saves in a bar fight. Taylor's latest friend turns out to be more than he first appears and our young hero finds himself faced with the hardest decision of his life. On which side of the law will he make his stand?

 As ever, McBride writes with real authority about the old west: there are evocative descriptions of the landscape, lines of gritty dialogue that convey so much about the characters and propulsive action scenes that are virtually cinematic in their scope. Reading this, I couldn't help reflecting how apt the title is. This is a wild ride indeed that will keep the reader hooked right up to the final chapter.

 I'm already anticipating where Choctaw will go next...’

****

'Western story-writing at its best, Andrew McBride’s Cimarrón is an action-packed tale of one man’s journey of self-discovery. From lonesome, color-scratching gold prospector, through wild horse breaking and then hired cow-poke, Calvin Taylor seems unable to shake his past. His reputation for being a wild-man seems equally unshakeable. Wherever he goes Taylor, aka Choctaw, finds trouble, and whenever he gets a chance to choose the straight path, he ends up falling in with the wrong guy. Not least, his Irish Texan friend, Dec Flynn. A thoroughly rollicking tale of fist-fights, gunplay, fighting bad guys and then reluctantly falling in with them. Avoiding dangerous men and even more dangerous women. Will Choctaw end up a hero or a face on a wanted poster, his head in a noose?'

****

‘I would highly recommend CIMARRÓN and not just to die-hard readers of Westerns. This tale has all you want in this genre, excitement, danger; getting into it, and then out of it, and in it again. Romance, self-doubt, history, and wonderfully drawn characters. McBride's descriptive powers are always colourful and perceptive. It is a novel that steps out of its genre, while at the same time wanting us to read more of the same. An achievement.’


The Mogollon Rim/ red rock area of central Arizona

You can BUY CIMARRÓN from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble. Sites here: 



You can also ORDER IT INTO YOUR LIBRARY!