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Hard Land to Rule Trilogy #2
Cold Hard Ride
Hard Land to Rule started this trilogy, raking in five star reviews. Cold Hard Ride now continues this gripping tale of men battling inner demons and devious adversaries. Austin is no longer friendly. Powerful politicians in the frontier town pursue their own prosperity at the expense of the less fortunate. Beat into submission, honest men are hard to find.
A rugged frontiersman from the hill country rides headlong into this caldron of betrayal and greed. Overwhelmed by treachery running rampant in the streets, he must battle the odds to right things for the sake of friends and the survival of his family. With a narcissistic serial murderer stalking him and an enticing widow trying to seduce him, it won’t be an easy task. All the while, his loved ones back home are without his protection and in danger from raiding Comanche. Not sure where to turn, he must find it in himself to overcome the threats that shadow him in the hellhole called Austin.
A rugged frontiersman from the hill country rides headlong into this caldron of betrayal and greed. Overwhelmed by treachery running rampant in the streets, he must battle the odds to right things for the sake of friends and the survival of his family. With a narcissistic serial murderer stalking him and an enticing widow trying to seduce him, it won’t be an easy task. All the while, his loved ones back home are without his protection and in danger from raiding Comanche. Not sure where to turn, he must find it in himself to overcome the threats that shadow him in the hellhole called Austin.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2014
3 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Whitt
4 books117 followers Anthony Whitt lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Cathy where they raised two children. He is a native Austinite that has spent a lifetime studying the rich historical heritage of the American West. He has traveled extensively in the Rocky Mountains with frequent visits to sites of historic interest and tragic conflict. Closer to Austin, he spends much of his time searching out and exploring sites from this fascinating era that defines who we are today.
An avid reader, he has always been a student learning from history and the interplay of dynamic personalities that shaped our diverse heritage. His writing style seeks to portray the inherent drama of difficult times with an authentic storytelling depiction. Characters speak with a voice meant to convey an understanding of human nature as men and women struggle in their efforts to survive in a demanding environment. His goal is to weave a convincing narrative of unforgettable characters that come alive in the reader's imagination and leave them regretting having reached the end of the trail.
When unshackled from the keyboard, Anthony enjoys the outdoor activities that abound in the wild lands of Texas. Hiking, fishing, and camping have been a lifetime passion he pursues whenever possible. He also spends his time engaged in photography whether he is out beating the trails in the Rocky Mountains or closer to home in the Hill Country of Central Texas.
An avid reader, he has always been a student learning from history and the interplay of dynamic personalities that shaped our diverse heritage. His writing style seeks to portray the inherent drama of difficult times with an authentic storytelling depiction. Characters speak with a voice meant to convey an understanding of human nature as men and women struggle in their efforts to survive in a demanding environment. His goal is to weave a convincing narrative of unforgettable characters that come alive in the reader's imagination and leave them regretting having reached the end of the trail.
When unshackled from the keyboard, Anthony enjoys the outdoor activities that abound in the wild lands of Texas. Hiking, fishing, and camping have been a lifetime passion he pursues whenever possible. He also spends his time engaged in photography whether he is out beating the trails in the Rocky Mountains or closer to home in the Hill Country of Central Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 14, 2014
Everything this author puts out is impressive! First, I love the cover. It puts the reader in the mood to read a gritty, genuine western and the book does not disappoint. Second, I like the more complicated story line. This book is somewhat different than the first of the series as the main character is drawn with a bit more depth and self-doubt. He struggles to adapt to life within the new social order of post-confederacy Texas and the emerging economic and social realities of politics in Austin. He is having financial problems and struggles with his devotion to an increasingly distant, but generally highly regarded wife. Much of the plot of this book takes place within the frontier capital city which is well described and realistic. The villains are truly detestable and dangerous and the author also draws great "middle ground" characters who are neither villains or heroes. They are tough to fit into one camp or another and are therefore more like the persons we all know in life. This is a talent I find rare in most genre literature authors. Both of Anthony Whitt's books are excellent and I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy!
January 14, 2019
Anthony Whitt has fast become one of my favorite authors of The Western genre, right up there with the greats of Western writing. He writes with a little of Stephen Bly’s love of brotherhood, must have studied Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing, and makes you angry for revenge like Charles O.Locke. The book was definitely hard to put down, I lost sleep for 3 nights (I’m not a fast reader). It’s a cliffhanger, can’t wait to read the final edition of this trilogy.
January 17, 2017
A COLD HARD RIDE is the second book of the "Hard Land to Rule" trilogy that follows the continuing saga of a hard working rancher named Matt who has to battle against power hungry men who plot to take away the land owned by him and his neighbors and shielding themselves using the law, even though they are doing so in ways that are immoral and secretly hiding their unlawful activities.
Solid writing once again by author Anthony Whitt, who obviously has researched the Austin TX area history, and the book is written in such a way that makes the story flow, and you feel as if you are right there in the midst of it.
5 stars and highly recommended. Next up is the final book in the trilogy Into The Hard Hills.
Solid writing once again by author Anthony Whitt, who obviously has researched the Austin TX area history, and the book is written in such a way that makes the story flow, and you feel as if you are right there in the midst of it.
5 stars and highly recommended. Next up is the final book in the trilogy Into The Hard Hills.
March 2, 2015
I love Western History and thought that this story was a lot closer to reality than most books of this time. The main character, who is away from home most of the time, cannot find the balance between duty and family. It shows the resentment his wife has for his job. This is not a western fairy tale.
July 26, 2015
Anthony Whitt does it again. He tames words and moves them into a corral in your mind like an Austin-area rancher who is aTexas Ranger moves cattle and men in the untamed wild west. Whitt's descriptions stick in your mind months or weeks after reading. He writes so well, you see the images long after you've read them.
Cold Hard Ride is book #2 in a planned trilogy. It follows Hard Land to Rule and takes the reader in to the loud and rowdy big city of Austin in the late 1800's to get payment for the Ranger work in book #1. In frontier Austin, you see, feel and eat the dust, the noise and the dirt. The antagonist against Matt, the protagonist builds through the story and reaches a worthy ending. The fights against unscrupulous businessmen and carpetbagger scoundrels is just as intense as the fight against kidnappers and war parties in book #1. At some point, you may be tempted to say, "Man, everything is stacked up against Matt. He's lost so much and is losing more. This is terrible." But stick with it, get through the loss to learn of the reward.
One of the best parts of Whitt's story telling -- apart from his ability to paint a full landscape with words -- is the fact he can develop parallel plots and story lines, character development and struggles apart from the main story line.
The sad part about Whitt's work is it's unrecognized by powerhouse publishing companies who could give the books the promotion they deserve. Word of mouth and their sheer readability earn Whitt a nice bit of promotion. Once I started talking about his books on social media, I was surprised to learn how many of my social media "friends' had also read Whitt's books. These are stories that are movies to be made.
Mark me down as a fan of Whitt's trilogy and of his writing. I want more!
Cold Hard Ride is book #2 in a planned trilogy. It follows Hard Land to Rule and takes the reader in to the loud and rowdy big city of Austin in the late 1800's to get payment for the Ranger work in book #1. In frontier Austin, you see, feel and eat the dust, the noise and the dirt. The antagonist against Matt, the protagonist builds through the story and reaches a worthy ending. The fights against unscrupulous businessmen and carpetbagger scoundrels is just as intense as the fight against kidnappers and war parties in book #1. At some point, you may be tempted to say, "Man, everything is stacked up against Matt. He's lost so much and is losing more. This is terrible." But stick with it, get through the loss to learn of the reward.
One of the best parts of Whitt's story telling -- apart from his ability to paint a full landscape with words -- is the fact he can develop parallel plots and story lines, character development and struggles apart from the main story line.
The sad part about Whitt's work is it's unrecognized by powerhouse publishing companies who could give the books the promotion they deserve. Word of mouth and their sheer readability earn Whitt a nice bit of promotion. Once I started talking about his books on social media, I was surprised to learn how many of my social media "friends' had also read Whitt's books. These are stories that are movies to be made.
Mark me down as a fan of Whitt's trilogy and of his writing. I want more!
October 30, 2014
It's rare in these days of tight budgets and shrinking income that I pay full cost for a book instead of waiting around for the 99 cent deals to roll around, but as soon as I saw that this one was out that is exactly what I did, full price and I am not sorry I did! I read this book in 2 days, it was literally a "can't put it down, gotta know what happens next" sort of read :) I loved the first book in this series, but this one really moved itself up to the next level in a great big hurry. I can't wait for the third to be written and out so that I can find out what paths these characters find themselves on next ... that is after I get done doing the mental casting call for the movies that this series should surely become.
July 14, 2015
Cold Hard Ride is a story that captured my attention right off the bat. It's a work of literature intertwined with romance, action, and a bit of historical fiction rolled up in a rugged western setting. Highly recommended!
August 23, 2016
Anthony Whitt's "Cold Hard Ride" is another great job of storytelling, continuing where the author left off at the end of "Hard Land to Rule." Main character Matt struggles to survive hostile Comanches on the Texas frontier, corrupt self-serving government officials in Austin and his own sometimes flawed decisions. Nevertheless, Matt embodies The Code of the West and the reader can't help but root for him. I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend this and the first installment in the trilogy. Can't wait for the third and final book.
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October 25, 2016A good old Texas punch in the gut. This story captures the feel, the sounds, the smell, and the grit of life on the Texas frontier. Facing Comanches, Carpetbaggers, and their hired gunslingers, men and women in the Texas hill country led a tough life. Whitt's contemporaneous prose allows the reader to paint vivid and colorful images of a time past while the action marches through the pages. A strong hero, a good story, and a great read.
May 23, 2015
Finished "Coldhard Ride" by Anthony Whitt. Story of Texas during the carpetbag era after the civil war. Texans ranger Matt trying to save his place from the carpetbaggers trying to take his ranch for the unpaid taxes. Good plot true to history, and good character development gave it4 stars.
June 11, 2017
A great read, continues the hardships & greed of the politics "that seem to still be here" Can't get away from this gripping trilogy.
April 13, 2016
An excellent follow up to one of my favourite self published novels. Cold Hard Ride picks up exactly where we left Matt and his fellow rangers at the end of the first novel, victorious but badly wounded and far from the safety of home. It's not long before Matt once again finds himself battling for his life and that of his friends against overwhelming odds.
In contrast to the first novel most of this volume takes place in the frontier city of Austin rather than on the plains of Texas. This gives us the chance to see a different side to Matt as his battles become less clearly defined, its hard for him to know who the enemy is when they fight using corrupt politicians and dodgy tax practices rather than the physical confrontations he is used to. The frustration Matt feels is conveyed particularly well as he rebels against the confines of the city and years to be back on his ranch where life is simpler.
A worthy sequel to Hard land to Rule. Highly recommended to those who read the first in the series or simply those who enjoy a well written fast paced western. I look forward to the final volume in the trilogy this summer.
In contrast to the first novel most of this volume takes place in the frontier city of Austin rather than on the plains of Texas. This gives us the chance to see a different side to Matt as his battles become less clearly defined, its hard for him to know who the enemy is when they fight using corrupt politicians and dodgy tax practices rather than the physical confrontations he is used to. The frustration Matt feels is conveyed particularly well as he rebels against the confines of the city and years to be back on his ranch where life is simpler.
A worthy sequel to Hard land to Rule. Highly recommended to those who read the first in the series or simply those who enjoy a well written fast paced western. I look forward to the final volume in the trilogy this summer.
August 7, 2018
An awesome follow up from Trilogy #1. Anthony has not only captured the feel of Texas, but of the people and the hardships of the pioneers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews