AUTHOR FAVOURITES: TOM DOOLEY by BILL BROOKS

 

Bill Brooks is the author of many highly-acclaimed historical and western novels. Booklist compared his work with classics like ‘The Virginian,’ ‘Shane’ and ‘Hombre’.

Bill tells me a favourite of his own novels is TOM DOOLEY, published by Five Star Publishing.

 

According to Wikipedia, TOM DOOLEY’s real name was THOMAS C. DULA. He was born to a poor Appalachian hill-country family in Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1845. At school he "probably played with the female FOSTERS" – ANNE and her cousins LAURA and PAULINE.

TOM DOOLEY

Dula and Anne Foster may have been intimate as teenagers, but in 1859 Anne married a local farmer and cobbler, becoming Anne Melton.

In 1862, Tom enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private in Company K, 42nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment.

On one surviving army muster roll he is listed as a "musician" and a "drummer." Dula played the fiddle (although not, as was reported, the banjo.) Dula was wounded several times in battle. He was captured and sent to a northern prison camp. He was released at the end of the war in April 1865 and returned home.

Dula – supposedly a "ladies man” and “libertine” - continued his relationship with the married Anne.

 

ANNE FOSTER/MELTON

It was not long before he began an intimate relationship with Laura Foster too. Folklore has it that Laura became pregnant, and she and Dula decided to elope. On the morning she was to meet Dula, May 25, 1866, Laura quietly left her home and rode off on her father's horse. She was never seen alive again.

Suspicion that Dula had murdered Laura caused him to flee the area. Then a grave was found containing Laura’s body, her legs drawn up to fit in the shallow grave. She had been stabbed once in the chest.

No one really knows what happened to Laura, but some stories implicate Anne. It’s claimed that Anne murdered Laura out of jealousy because she was marrying Dula; that Dula suspected Anne was the murderer, but he still loved Anne enough to take the blame himself. Pauline Foster testified that Anne showed her Laura’s grave one night.

A posse went after Dula. He was arrested and tried for Laura’s murder, convicted, given a new trial on appeal and convicted again. Facing execution, Dula wrote a 15-page account of his life, as well as a note that exonerated Anne. His literacy is highly unusual, considering the harsh poverty of his upbringing.

As he stood on the gallows, Dula reportedly said, "Gentlemen, I did not harm a single hair on that fair lady's head.” He was executed on May 1, 1868, nearly two years after Laura's murder.

How did an obscure incident in backwoods Appalachia, which in reality may have contained some quite sordid elements, turn into a folk legend? Well, the trial received national publicity from newspapers such as ‘The New York Times,’ dwelling on the eternal-triangle aspect and the mysteries inherent in the story.  And then a local poet, THOMAS LAND, is believed to have written a song about the tragedy titled ‘Tom Dooley’ (which was how Dula's name was pronounced) shortly after Dula was hanged. This cemented Dula's place in North Carolina legend.

Wilkes County, North Carolina

This aptly-named ‘murder ballad’ gives a prominent role in the tragedy to a man named Grayson. In reality, COLONEL JAMES GRAYSON, of Trade, Tennessee was someone Dula worked for about a week. Later Grayson helped the posse that caught Dula, but that was his only part in the affair.

Another tale says that Anne confessed to the murder on her deathbed, having killed Laura in a fit of jealousy, afterwards begging Tom to help her conceal the body.

In 2001, the citizens of North Wilkesboro presented a petition to the North Carolina Governor, asking that Dula be posthumously pardoned. No action was taken.

A revival of Land’s murder ballad became a Number One hit single for THE KINGSTON TRIO in 1958.

Here they are performing it live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3zdE8bliGI

This spawned a film. MICHAEL LANDON, midway between ‘I was A Teenage Werewolf’ and Bonanza,’ portrayed Dula in ‘The Legend of Tom Dooley’ (1959.) The movie is a fictional treatment inspired by the lyrics of Land's folk song.

REVIEWERS on TOM DOOLEY by Bill Brooks:

‘Brooks has a unique talent that extends far beyond the formulas of the western genre. He’s an extraordinary historical novelist.’

‘He captures the everyday humanity behind the legends while simultaneously adding to the myth of the great golden West.’

Find TOM DOOLEY here: https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Dooley-American-Bill-Brooks/dp/1432832271

And here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tom-Dooley-American-Bill-Brooks/dp/1432832271/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tom+dooley+bill+brooks&qid=1621343275&sr=8-1

REVIEW of THE LILY OF THE WEST by KATHLEEN MORRIS

 Kathleen Morris started her western writing career in tremendous style, winning the Peacemaker Award for best first novel with her debut ‘THE LILY OF THE WEST.’ Here’s my 4 Star review, which you can find on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads:

Bold new view of a familiar tale

Kathleen Morris certainly ‘hit the ground running’ as a western novelist as her debut ‘Lily of the West’ won the Peacemaker Award for best first novel. ‘Lily’ is a refreshing new take on a familiar tale. ‘Big Nose’ Kate Elder normally only features as a supporting player in the story of Wyatt Earp and John Henry – ‘Doc’ – Holliday. Here she takes centre stage and we follow her life from long before she met either of these western legends to long after. Born in Hungary, Kate travels from Europe to Mexico to Iowa, then St. Louis and New Orleans. Tragedy and chance take her west, to the dusty plains of Kansas, Texas and finally Arizona. Here tension builds as the Earp Brothers and Holliday square up against the Clanton Gang, leading to their historic clashes in Tombstone. But as much tension arises from the curious triangle of Kate, ‘Doc’ and Wyatt Earp. Kate attempts to steer ‘Doc,’ the man she loves, away from what she sees as the malign influence of Earp, but the strange bond between the two men keeps luring Holliday back. I particularly liked the touching description of Kate and Doc’s final months together, after these mighty events have passed. Recommended.   

 

In the rest of this blog I’m not going to explore the historical life of Kate Elder – also known as Kate Harony. Kathleen Morris does that in her novel. I thought I’d have a brief look at how she’s been depicted in film.

 

The real KATE ELDER/ HORONY (1850-1940)

The story of WYATT EARP and his associates (most notably ‘DOC’ HOLLIDAY) have proved perennially fascinating for western movie makers. Most focus on Earp’s tenure in Tombstone, Arizona and the events surrounding the misnamed ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral.’ In reality the gunfight took place in a vacant lot behind the O.K. Corral, next to a boarding house and photography studio, not in the corral itself.

Wyatt Earp (1848- 1929)

In the endless list of Earp-related films, perceptions have shifted. Early depictions of Earp as portrayed by veteran western movie stars like HENRY FONDA, RANDOLPH SCOTT, BURT LANCASTER and JOEL McCREA were as the ultimate western lawman, honourable, incorruptible and driven by a keen sense of justice. Few film makers would depict him so nowadays. Even the most sympathetic recent takes on him, as in ‘Tombstone’ (1993) acknowledge him as a flawed individual. Other depictions, such as ‘Doc’ (1971) show us Earp as a ruthless, corrupt, self-serving killer. All of which, fascinatingly enough, reflect views of the real man held during his lifetime, when he was a controversial figure who starkly divided opinion.

‘Doc’ JOHN HENRY HOLLIDAY (1851-1887)

My favourite Earp movie is ‘My Darling Clementine’ (1946) directed by JOHN FORD. Ford cheerfully gets all his hard facts wrong, even the year of the OK Corral gunfight! However, in ‘print the legend’ vein he creates a masterly film, beautifully made. An unlikely piece of casting is VICTOR MATURE as Holliday. No Kate Elder features in the movie, although he is associated with two women – ‘good girl’ Clementine (CATHY DOWNS) and ‘bad girl’ Chihuahua (LINDA DARNELL) who is a sort of Mexican/Apache version of Kate.

Linda Darnell

In ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral’ (1957) Holliday is portrayed by KIRK DOUGLAS. There are various contenders for best on-screen Holliday but Douglas gets my vote. His Holliday is, like most screen depictions, more or less a ‘bad guy’ who is only persuaded to join the side of law and order by his unexpected friendship with Wyatt Earp. Douglas is tremendous as a tortured and self-destructive loner who can also be charming, cynically funny and charismatic.

Kate does appear in this movie. Hollywood broke away from its usual practice to have her depicted by an unglamorous actress – the excellent JO ANN FLEET. In this movie Doc and Kate’s tempestuous relationship plays out like an Old West version of ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf!’

‘Doc’ (1971) shifts the focus in having Holliday (played by STACY KEACH) as the central character. This provides a larger role for Kate, portrayed by a dowdy and bedraggled FAYE DUNAWAY in probably the most unglamorous role of her career. This film was very much one of the ‘revisionist’ westerns of the time, setting out to debunk western myths. But Stacy Keach complained that the script lost a lot of its subtlety and humour in the course of the production.

In ‘Tombstone’ (1993) Hungarian-born Kate is finally portrayed by another Eastern European – the Polish actress JOANNA PACULA – while VAL KILMER’s performance as ‘Doc’ won acclaim.

This pair have an easier relationship than the one depicted in ‘Wyatt Earp’ (1994) where Doc is portrayed by DENNIS QUADE. Kate is again portrayed by a European (although still not Hungarian) actress, ISABELLA ROSSELLINI.   

In the western/supernatural/horror TV series 'Wynonna Earp' (which I haven't seen) Kate, played by CHANTEL RILEY, is apparently reincarnated as a vampire!

Maybe it's time Kate was the centre of her own movie...

More reviews for THE LILY OF THE WEST: 

‘Superbly written.’

‘This book is filled with sumptuous language and an interesting cast of characters.’

‘Beautifully written, telling the story of a young girl, and her growing into a woman of the "wild west". If you love stories of triumph over tragedy, placed in an historical setting with an accuracy and a telling that will keep you turning each page to learn more... you will love this book.’

‘Kathleen Morris does a great job of filling in the gaps between well-known fact and probable fiction…. This great, award-winning story gives the reader a fresh and seldom told side about someone who was there as the American frontier came of age. A must-read for those whose interests include that era of American history.’

‘This is a wonderfully written book that could appeal to both women and men. I’m don’t typically read Westerns, but this book had so many great elements, that it kept my interest throughout the book.’

‘A fresh, thrilling, and insightful exploration of the often maligned or dismissed Mary Katherine Haroney as told by Kate herself.’

Find THE LILY OF THE WEST here:https://www.amazon.com/Lily-West-Kathleen-Morris-ebook/dp/B08DM4NKVC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FM8S5BJO8QNY&dchild=1&keywords=the+lily+of+the+west&qid=1600154374&s=books&sprefix=the+lily+of+the+west%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C244&sr=1-1

Here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lily-West-Kathleen-Morris-ebook/dp/B08DM4NKVC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2AY0Q8FEW66B1&dchild=1&keywords=the+lily+of+the+west+kathleen+morris&qid=1600154461&sprefix=the+lily+of+the+west%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

And here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41757460-the-lily-of-the-west?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=e8slj3wra6&rank=1

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: KILLER OF WITCHES by W. MICHAEL FARMER

W. Michael Farmer tells me KILLER OF WITCHES is probably his best work to date. It’s a Native American epic told first person by Yellow Boy, who we first meet as a 5 year old, one of the Mescalero Apaches fleeing their New Mexico reservation in 1865, and follow into manhood.

KILLER OF WITCHES mixes historical-based adventure with the supernatural. The Apache God Ussen, Creator of Life, gives to the boy gifts of power that include an ability to slay witches. Yellow Boy uses his gifts in his search for a witch called Blood of the Devil, whose head looks like a skull, and whose body is covered with black spiral and flame tattoos.

An Apache witch-woman

The Mescalero Apaches, ranging from central New Mexico to the Texas Big Bend and deep into northern Mexico, had elements of both the western (wickiup-dwelling, desert-living) Apaches and Plains (tipi-dwelling, buffalo-hunting) Indians in their culture.

They ate the roasted fruit of the mescal plant, and made liquor from it, which is why Spanish colonists named them the Mescaleros.

During the American Civil War the union army under GENERAL JAMES CARLETON fought against the Mescaleros.

His most effective field commander was KIT CARSON, the legendary mountain man and trail-blazer, who helped defeat them and corral them on the bleak Bosque Redondo Reservation – from which they fled, (as depicted at the beginning of KILLER OF WITCHES.) Some Mescaleros remained at large until the early 1880s.

KIT CARSON (1809 - 1868)

REVIEWS of KILLER OF WITCHES:

‘Michael Farmer gives voice to a new American hero - Yellow Boy, an Apache warrior whose riveting story from boyhood to manhood is fresh, passionate, and totally believable. With deep sensitivity and understanding of Apache culture, Farmer presents Yellow Boy, his family, and friends in all their rich, multidimensional complexity. What a pleasure to read a book from a Native American hero's perspective… Vivid details transport the reader to the novel's southwest setting.’

‘The characters are well-drawn and believable.’

‘A true joy.’

‘Wonderful read! Fascinating presentation of this story from the Apache point of view… Enjoyed this book immensely.’

‘Great read! I don't read historical fiction very often, but I loved every minute of this book.’

‘The history never overwhelms the story, and there was never a dull moment as the story built toward a satisfying conclusion.’

‘Terrific read. Very interesting and suspenseful.’

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Witches-Yellow-Mescalero-Apache-ebook/dp/B015ESSHWK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1504881707&sr=1-1

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: HOMBRECITO'S WAR by W. MICHAEL FARMER

W. Michael Farmer tells me his favourite of his own novels is HOMBRECITO'S WAR, which was a WWA (Western Writers of America) Best First Novel finalist and a New Mexico Book Award Finalist for Historical Fiction. In writing it, Michael says he ‘discovered the pure joy of writing, learned there were infinite subtleties to balance in writing a good story, and that fiction really was a way to find the truth behind a historical story.’

In HOMBRECITO'S WAR Michael writes about the ‘Fountain murders.’

COLONEL ALBERT FOUNTAIN (1838 -?1896) had a colourful, adventurous life before coming to a mysterious end.

In 1860, working as a journalist, he narrowly escaped a firing squad in Nicaragua. Later, serving in the American Civil War brought him to New Mexico, where he was wounded fighting Apaches. He went on to become the lieutenant governor of Texas, killed at least one man in a duel and worked as a judge and attorney - unsuccessfully defending BILLY THE KID in court.

In 1896 Fountains and his 8-year-old son, HENRY, vanished in the desert near White Sands, believed murdered. Local ranchers, who may have been part of a rustling ring Fountain was investigating, were considered suspects, to the extent there was subsequently a shoot-out between them and the law, including PAT GARRETT.

In HOMBRECITO'S WAR Henry Fountain survives, to make bloody war on his father’s murderers, in the ways taught him by Yellow Boy, his Apache mentor.

About the White Sands area of south eastern New Mexico - according to Wikipedia:

‘The desert is located in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico. Its white sands are not composed of quartz, like most desert sands, but of gypsum and calcium sulfate. Unlike other desert sands, it is cool to the touch, due to the high rate of evaporation of surface moisture and the fact that the sands reflect, rather than absorb, the sun's rays.

At 1185 meters above sea level, there are approximately 442 square kilometers of dune fields and is known to be the world's largest surface deposit of gypsum.’

A western set in the White Sands region, FOUR FACES WEST (1948) starring JOEL McCREA, featured CHARLES BICKFORD playing Pat Garrett, although it wasn’t about the Fountain disappearances.

CHARLES BICKFORD as Pat Garrett in FOUR FACES WEST (1948)

Reviews:

‘A superlative read. … a powerful story.’

This book is a fantastic read… The author uses unique phrases that paint enjoyable mental images that I have never experienced before.’

‘This was a very enjoyable book, which surprisingly, drew me in emotionally. …I cried more than once. The story is told with wonderful details of the landscape.’

‘An outstanding fiction writer.’          

‘We all LOVED this book, even though none of us is much of a fan of the western genre… Farmer paints a vivid picture of southern New Mexico and tells his tale well.’

‘As good as it gets.’

https://www.amazon.com/Hombrecitos-War-W-Michael-Farmer/dp/159526082X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: TEMPEST AT DAWN by JAMES D. BEST

JAMES D. BEST is a best-selling author who writes across genres. He tells me his favourite of his own novels is TEMPEST AT DAWN, his novelization of the Constitutional Convention.

It’s 1787. Despite winning its freedom from Britain, the infant United States is on the brink of total collapse, militarily weakened, in economic turmoil, and threatened by world powers hovering like vultures. Powerful figures plot in secret to overthrow the government.

55 men meet in Philadelphia to discuss the crisis and end up creating the United States Constitution. TEMPEST AT DAWN tells their story. It also shows that, even in the first years of its existence, the issue that would rip the U.S. apart 80 years later – slavery - was already causing disquiet and division.

The Convention of 1787

Of the 7 figures historian Richard B. Morris identified as the key ‘Founding Fathers’, 4 - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, JAMES MADISON and GEORGE WASHINGTON - are at the Constitutional Convention, alongside lesser-known figures as ROGER SHERMAN & CHARLES PINCKNEY.

George Washington (1732-1799)

Reviews of TEMPEST AT DAWN:

'It's a truly great read and is one of the few books I've picked up in the past year that I ended up reading more than 200 pages from in one sitting.'

'I found the story very entertaining as I watched what has been immortalized become something real.'

Benjamin Franklin (1705/1706 - 1790)

‘That was the best part of the book, for me. The actual bringing to life of several historical figures.’

‘Insightful & interesting.’

Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757-1804)

‘Wonderfully written.’

‘History come alive.’

James Madison (1751-1836)

‘Transcends the genre, transfixes the reader.’

‘Great historical fiction!’

'The history seems accurate enough, but what makes this book so much fun to read is the development of the character of each of the featured founding fathers.'

https://www.amazon.com/Tempest-at-Dawn-James-Best/dp/1604943440/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=