John C. Horst's Blog

Five Stars for Roosevelt's Boys

[image error] John C. Horst makes his historical fiction debut with Roosevelt's Boys, a saga of not only the Rough Riders, but the nurses and loved ones left behind in the Spanish War. While Roosevelt's Boys wasn't a huge departure from Horst's beloved westerns, he still manages to keep his distinct storytelling and penchant for creating impossibly likable characters. Told through multiple perspectives, two brothers head off to the Spanish War to fight for adventure and glory leaving behind a feisty fiancé, a spinster sister, a Hopi farmhand, and a dour father. We are also introduced to three nurses; a nun, a black woman, and a beautiful German girl. These character's lives intertwine repeatedly throughout the story, although their experiences vary. By the end of the war, those who have survived have become different people; more hardened, loving, and eager to live life to the fullest. The "little war," though often overlooked, was anything but little to those who lived it. Horst does a commanding job of bringing his characters to life, fleshing out their histories, and giving them depth. It's clear that he also did a great amount of research because the attention to detail is staggering. It all ties together wonderfully in this hard to put down war saga. For fans of historical fiction, war sagas, and westerns, with a touch of romance to entice the ladies as well. Another home run for Horst.
                                                                                 — Erin Cataldi, Barbarian Librarian Book Reviews

December 18th, 2016

.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: inline-block; color: #181818; background-color: #F6F6EE; border: 1px solid #9D8A78; border-radius: 3px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 12px; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { color: #181818; background-color: #F7F2ED; border: 1px solid #AFAFAF; text-decoration: none; }Goodreads Book Giveaway The Mule Tamerby John C. Horst

Giveaway ends January 18, 2017.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Some kind reviews:

Booklist Reviews (12-15-16)
Here’s a western that will also appeal to mystery fans. In the third in the Mule Tamer series, Arvel Walsh, Dick Welles, and their partners go head-to-head with a nasty politician who intends to do whatever needs to be done to get his son out from under a murder charge. The story is set in Arizona in 1896, against a real political backdrop: the Silver Republicans, a short-lived offshoot of the Republican Party, and the newly formed Arizona Rangers, modeled onthe Texas Rangers, play key roles in the book (the main villain, David Gold, is a Silver Republican, and Arvel and Dick are leading the Rangers). Featuring a cast of engaging characters, an appropriately slimy villain, and a fast-paced story about murder and political corruption, it’s a surefire hit with genre devotees. Fans of the previous Mule Tamer books will have a great time, but the book is set up as a stand-alone, making familiarity with previous events unnecessary.  — David Pitt

"John Horst has a gift -- the ability to create vivid characters who leap off the page and inhabit your memory. He captures the flavor and times of the waning west in this superb tale of intrigue and villainy, The Case of the Silver Republicans, the fourth book in The Mule Tamer series. Set primarily in Arizona where all kinds of shenanigans ensue, we are also taken into old Mexico when Arvel Walsh and his Rangers travel there in pursuit of a hideous villain. Under the rule of the dictator Porfirio Diaz, Mexico is prime for the Revolution that is yet to come and Horst deftly incorporates his tale within this setting. The Case of the Silver Republicans is a stellar work of western fiction." ~ Cynthia Leal Massey, award-winning author of Fire Lilies, a saga of the Mexican Revolution, and Death of a Texas Ranger, A True Story of Murder and Vengeance on the Texas Frontier.

Some kind words for Maria's Trail

4 Stars; Excellent storytelling
Bynonadoc13 "Nona DiNicolangelo"on July 22, 2015Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase Story woven beautifully and characters are rich. Looking forward to reading the next in the series. Already recommended to other avid readers.

5 Stars; Wow what's next?
By Grandy Grayon April 19, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I was truly moved by some of the real life situations Maria found herself. She carried me with her through thick and thin. In spots I was not reading at all as I found myself walking along beside her. What an enjoyable adventure!

5 STARS; AN ACROSS THE BORDER WESTERN.

5 Stars; An Across the Border Western, May 25, 2015 By eddyrapcon This review is from: Allingham; Desperate Ride (Kindle Edition) It is not very often, in prose, where the Mexican and White men are actually respectful of one another. The Detective part was excellent. A true mystery on the old frontier...An excellent read.....ER
Allingham, Desperate Ride

��5 STARS; AN ACROSS THE BORDER WESTERN.

5 Stars; An Across the Border Western, May 25, 2015 By eddyrapcon This review is from: Allingham; Desperate Ride (Kindle Edition) It is not very often, in prose, where the Mexican and White men are actually respectful of one another. The Detective part was excellent. A true mystery on the old frontier...An excellent read.....ER
Allingham, Desperate Ride

WIN A COPY OF ALLINGHAM, THE LONG JOURNEY HOME.

.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: inline-block; color: #181818; background-color: #F6F6EE; border: 1px solid #9D8A78; border-radius: 3px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 12px; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { color: #181818; background-color: #F7F2ED; border: 1px solid #AFAFAF; text-decoration: none; } Goodreads Book Giveaway Allingham the Long Journey Home by John Horst

Giveaway ends June 25, 2015.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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5 Stars Bingo ! Mr Horst has done it again

5 Stars Bingo ! Mr Horst has done it again., May 22, 2015 By jdflana Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Allingham: The Long Journey Home (Kindle Edition) This book defines the term Wehmut a small pain brought on by the passing of something dear. John has written the rarest novel of all; a novel that brings to an end all of the delightful characters he has created by taking them to there natural end. Get this book you won't regret it. Thanks John another home run.
Allingham, The Long Journey Home

��Booklist Review of Allingham; The Long Journey Home

Allingham: The Long Journey Home. Horst, John C. (Author) May 2015. 238 p. Five Star, hardcover, $25.95. (9781432829605).   Clarence Allingham is a New York cop who has become a U.S. marshal in Arizona Territory. In this completion of a trilogy, the tough, always analytical marshal loses his will to live after his beautiful wife dies in childbirth. He sinks into a romantic state of self-pity in which he converses, charmingly, with his wife’s ghost. A range war breaks out, seemingly directed at Allingham’s friends in the powerful Hall family, but a phalanx of lawmen cannot say why. Allingham’s deductive powers are required, but not even his old friend, the Polish Pinkerton Stosh Gorski, can pull Allingham from his delusions. A new love at last brings Allingham onto the scene, though he plays a minor role, necessary only to crack a mystery that remains stubbornly murky. Meanwhile, Horst introduces the reader to a brilliant young artist, two calculating mistresses, a forger, several assassins, a likable old prospector, and a kid who can’t stop masturbating named Onan. Horst’s popularity is probably explained by his gift for these vividly rendered characters, who sometimes veer into the fantastic territory of Max Brand. — John Mort
Available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.