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Abilene Stage
U.S. Marshal Matt Bodine was serious about his job. His creed was to be right and fair, his word was his bond no matter who he gave it to. He never dodged serving a warrant, and he sure as hell never tolerated someone bad-mouthing a woman. Texas Red Wyrick was a low-down skunk and killer, cutting a wide swath around Abilene. It was Matt’s job to bring him in, or send him to boot hill. He knew his chance for survival was slim because Texas Red had back-shooting friends. The worst part? He found someone on that stage ride that made him want to live.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2017
About the author
Darrel Sparkman
56 books13 followersDarrel Sparkman writes character‑driven Western and frontier fiction rooted in the harsh realities and quiet heroism of the American West. With a historian’s eye for authenticity and a novelist’s instinct for drama, his stories blend the grit of classic Westerns with the pacing and tension of modern thrillers.
A multi‑genre, award‑winning author, Sparkman has written nine novels, several novellas, and over a dozen short stories, and has been a feature writer for Saddlebag Dispatches. He is the recent recipient of the Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award, recognizing excellence in Western literature.
His characters—lawmen with shadows, women caught between duty and desire, outcasts navigating prejudice and peril—reflect the complicated truths of a country still finding its shape. Whether writing frontier mysteries, apocalyptic thrillers, or classic Western tales, Sparkman explores themes of justice, redemption, and the moral gray spaces between.
Sparkman’s diverse background informs the depth of his storytelling. He served as a combat search‑and‑rescue helicopter crewman in Vietnam and later as a volunteer EMT first responder. He has worked as a professional photographer, computer repair technician, and co‑owner of a commercial greenhouse and flower shop. These experiences lend authenticity, grit, and humanity to the worlds he builds.
Now enjoying semi‑retirement, Sparkman finally has the job that wakes him up every day with a smile: writing stories where character is tested, justice is earned, and the frontier still matters.
Favorite quote:
“…a noble race but they are gone with their old forests wide and deep, and we have built our homes upon fields where their generations sleep.”
— William Cullen Bryant, 1878
Website: darrelsparkmanbooks.com
A multi‑genre, award‑winning author, Sparkman has written nine novels, several novellas, and over a dozen short stories, and has been a feature writer for Saddlebag Dispatches. He is the recent recipient of the Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award, recognizing excellence in Western literature.
His characters—lawmen with shadows, women caught between duty and desire, outcasts navigating prejudice and peril—reflect the complicated truths of a country still finding its shape. Whether writing frontier mysteries, apocalyptic thrillers, or classic Western tales, Sparkman explores themes of justice, redemption, and the moral gray spaces between.
Sparkman’s diverse background informs the depth of his storytelling. He served as a combat search‑and‑rescue helicopter crewman in Vietnam and later as a volunteer EMT first responder. He has worked as a professional photographer, computer repair technician, and co‑owner of a commercial greenhouse and flower shop. These experiences lend authenticity, grit, and humanity to the worlds he builds.
Now enjoying semi‑retirement, Sparkman finally has the job that wakes him up every day with a smile: writing stories where character is tested, justice is earned, and the frontier still matters.
Favorite quote:
“…a noble race but they are gone with their old forests wide and deep, and we have built our homes upon fields where their generations sleep.”
— William Cullen Bryant, 1878
Website: darrelsparkmanbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 8, 2019
Fun Read
Sparkman has the easy descriptive style reminiscent of the pulp authors of yesteryear. Matt Bodine is a hero to ride the river with, tough and fast, but every bit the gentleman.
Sparkman has the easy descriptive style reminiscent of the pulp authors of yesteryear. Matt Bodine is a hero to ride the river with, tough and fast, but every bit the gentleman.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review