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BAYLESS
James Bayless may be the fastest man in Barry County--maybe even the West. But racing wasn't making him rich, and he needed to get rich...
Money was scarce in post-Civil War Missouri. So she would never know poverty, his girlfriend's father has promised to wed his only daughter, Maggie, to the man who could buy her a certain showcase farm in Cassville. So, Bayless and his best friend Lem strike out for the gold fields of Colorado. Disaster reigns when a rattlesnake bites Lem a mile out from the small town of Aria, in the Colorado foothills. Bayless shoots the head off the snake, but the gunshot spooks the horses. James must race by foot to the nearest town for a doctor.
Lem could not be saved, but two old men who watched Bayless run into town behind his horse, make the grieving man an unusual offer. Weeks earlier, the town was swindled by a traveling show. They duped the townsfolk into wagering on footraces, and then entered a "ringer" into the competitions. The town's runners never had a chance. Now the traveling troupe was repeating their con on the neighboring town of Harmony--and Bayless could be a ringer of their own.
James Bayless is about to learn the only thing harder than winning his race, will be getting home to Missouri with the prize money, alive.
*Based on the true-life adventures of James Bayless.
Money was scarce in post-Civil War Missouri. So she would never know poverty, his girlfriend's father has promised to wed his only daughter, Maggie, to the man who could buy her a certain showcase farm in Cassville. So, Bayless and his best friend Lem strike out for the gold fields of Colorado. Disaster reigns when a rattlesnake bites Lem a mile out from the small town of Aria, in the Colorado foothills. Bayless shoots the head off the snake, but the gunshot spooks the horses. James must race by foot to the nearest town for a doctor.
Lem could not be saved, but two old men who watched Bayless run into town behind his horse, make the grieving man an unusual offer. Weeks earlier, the town was swindled by a traveling show. They duped the townsfolk into wagering on footraces, and then entered a "ringer" into the competitions. The town's runners never had a chance. Now the traveling troupe was repeating their con on the neighboring town of Harmony--and Bayless could be a ringer of their own.
James Bayless is about to learn the only thing harder than winning his race, will be getting home to Missouri with the prize money, alive.
*Based on the true-life adventures of James Bayless.
133 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2017
3 people want to read
About the author
Anne Sweazy-Kulju
7 books70 followersHi, I'm Anne Sweazy-Kulju. I am the daughter of a history teacher and granddaughter to an Irish yarn-spinner. I stir a few psychic abilities into my storytelling, to offer book lovers unique adventures in award-winning historical fiction.
AWARD UPDATE:
"Grog Wars, Dos" is a Finalist for the Chanticleer's International Book Awards, Dante Rosetti Award for YA (November 2018)
"Grog Wars, Dos", won the Silver Medal in Literary Classics International Book Awards for YA (November 2018) — my second silver!
"Grog Wars, Dos" is a Finalist in the 2018 Publishers Weekly Book Life Prize for Fiction.
“Reap” (unpublished creative short), co-authored by daughter Laura Kulju, is Quarter -Finalist in the 2017 Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Contest!
“Grog Wars” is a Finalist for “Best in Category” in Chanticleer's International Book Awards, Dante Rosetti Award for YA (December 2016)
"Grog Wars", is winner of Literary Classics International Book Awards' Silver Medal for YA [October 2015)
"Grog Wars" is a Finalist in the 2016 Publishers Weekly Book Life Prize for Fiction.
“Bodie” is winner of The Willa Awards silver medal (2014)
I am an award winning author of adventures in historical fiction for YA and Mature audiences, alike. My books have earned Book of the Moment, Book of the Week and What to Read Next reader polls, WritersType International's gold medal, the silver medal at the WILLA Literary Awards, 4 Readers Favorites 5-Star Review Medallions, and has earned endorsements/Seals of Approval from both Literary Classics International Book Review and the Historical Novels Society.
Check with me now and then because I give a lot of free stuff away (usually at book signings, but when the weather turns I tend to do more online giveaways). Try my website at: http://AnneSweazyKulju.net (or http://www.Historical-Horse-Feathers.com). I post some pretty cool historical trivia, chapters from my WIP, and some fun stories.
AWARD UPDATE:
"Grog Wars, Dos" is a Finalist for the Chanticleer's International Book Awards, Dante Rosetti Award for YA (November 2018)
"Grog Wars, Dos", won the Silver Medal in Literary Classics International Book Awards for YA (November 2018) — my second silver!
"Grog Wars, Dos" is a Finalist in the 2018 Publishers Weekly Book Life Prize for Fiction.
“Reap” (unpublished creative short), co-authored by daughter Laura Kulju, is Quarter -Finalist in the 2017 Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Contest!
“Grog Wars” is a Finalist for “Best in Category” in Chanticleer's International Book Awards, Dante Rosetti Award for YA (December 2016)
"Grog Wars", is winner of Literary Classics International Book Awards' Silver Medal for YA [October 2015)
"Grog Wars" is a Finalist in the 2016 Publishers Weekly Book Life Prize for Fiction.
“Bodie” is winner of The Willa Awards silver medal (2014)
I am an award winning author of adventures in historical fiction for YA and Mature audiences, alike. My books have earned Book of the Moment, Book of the Week and What to Read Next reader polls, WritersType International's gold medal, the silver medal at the WILLA Literary Awards, 4 Readers Favorites 5-Star Review Medallions, and has earned endorsements/Seals of Approval from both Literary Classics International Book Review and the Historical Novels Society.
Check with me now and then because I give a lot of free stuff away (usually at book signings, but when the weather turns I tend to do more online giveaways). Try my website at: http://AnneSweazyKulju.net (or http://www.Historical-Horse-Feathers.com). I post some pretty cool historical trivia, chapters from my WIP, and some fun stories.
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