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Cowboy
Cowboy had been drifting ever since he left his home in Yellow House Creek, Texas, moving from ranch to ranch, following the work for 15 years. He had been saving the pay he sweated so hard for, and he reckoned there was enough to set himself up with a spread of his own. He thought he might look into the Triple X Ranch, the one they called the Whiskey Brand. It had prime cattle land and was a bargain... or so it seemed.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
852 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Frank Roderus
96 books7 followersFrank Roderus wrote his first story—it was a western—when he was five. It was really awful, as might be expected, but his mother kept that typed and spell-checked short story tucked away until the day she died.
Later, Frank became a newspaper reporter, thinking that books are written by authors which he most assuredly was not. He kept trying to write though, and eventually did it wrong enough to learn how to get it right. That first sale, a young adult novel published by Independence Press, was more than thirty years and a good many books ago.
As a journalist, the Colorado Press Association awarded Frank Roderus their highest award, the Sweepstakes Award, for the best news story of 1980, and the Western Writers of America has twice named Frank recipient of their prestigious Spur Award. Frank passed away at age 73 in December 2015.
Later, Frank became a newspaper reporter, thinking that books are written by authors which he most assuredly was not. He kept trying to write though, and eventually did it wrong enough to learn how to get it right. That first sale, a young adult novel published by Independence Press, was more than thirty years and a good many books ago.
As a journalist, the Colorado Press Association awarded Frank Roderus their highest award, the Sweepstakes Award, for the best news story of 1980, and the Western Writers of America has twice named Frank recipient of their prestigious Spur Award. Frank passed away at age 73 in December 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 1, 2023
3.5⭐
My personal challenge is to read a book with "cowboy" in the title. When I saw this book, it was like a calling, haha! I didn't read the blurb or looked at the rating.
My first book by the author, and it's an enjoyable western with the MC named Cowboy. He's a ranch hand in Texas who quit his job after seeing an opportunity in the paper. He met interesting people and helped some in this adventure in Colorado. I imagine a lot more shooting but that's not the case, this story takes place after WWI and is more about cattle and ranch. Oddly enough Cowboy doesn't own a gun. Good writing and the audio is well done!
My personal challenge is to read a book with "cowboy" in the title. When I saw this book, it was like a calling, haha! I didn't read the blurb or looked at the rating.
My first book by the author, and it's an enjoyable western with the MC named Cowboy. He's a ranch hand in Texas who quit his job after seeing an opportunity in the paper. He met interesting people and helped some in this adventure in Colorado. I imagine a lot more shooting but that's not the case, this story takes place after WWI and is more about cattle and ranch. Oddly enough Cowboy doesn't own a gun. Good writing and the audio is well done!
May 12, 2019
The Cowboy Way!
An entertaining read. Cowboy could have ridden in from the first cattle drive and not been out of place in any ranch in the west. Roderus painted a great picture of the quintiessental American Cowboy!
An entertaining read. Cowboy could have ridden in from the first cattle drive and not been out of place in any ranch in the west. Roderus painted a great picture of the quintiessental American Cowboy!
May 14, 2019
COWBOY is a good example of why Frank Roderus has become one of my favorite of the current crop of westerns writers.
“Cowboy” is the name of the main character. This could have been played for cuteness, laughs, or irony. It was merely his nickname. It was straightforward and proud. Just like the man.
The setting is just a little different from what we usually see: Texas, but after World War I after the vets have come home and automobiles were more common than horses. Cowboy, though still a young man, still seems a throwback to the old days that weren’t really that long ago.
A bonus for me is that this was also the period Pancho Villa was active in Mexico and along the border. I have a keen in interest in him (THE FRIENDS OF PANCHO VILLA by James Carlos Blake was a recent favorite). Roderus wisely chooses not to incorporate Villa directly in the story but rather with his men.
The plot itself is classic, involving cattle, ranching, and fighting an underhanded businessman. There is refreshingly few gun battles (Cowboy doesn’t even own a gun). Even so, there is plenty of tension and suspense. The prose is also solid, with few awkward passages or unnatural dialogue.
All-in-all, a nice piece of work that most fans of westerns will enjoy.
“Cowboy” is the name of the main character. This could have been played for cuteness, laughs, or irony. It was merely his nickname. It was straightforward and proud. Just like the man.
The setting is just a little different from what we usually see: Texas, but after World War I after the vets have come home and automobiles were more common than horses. Cowboy, though still a young man, still seems a throwback to the old days that weren’t really that long ago.
A bonus for me is that this was also the period Pancho Villa was active in Mexico and along the border. I have a keen in interest in him (THE FRIENDS OF PANCHO VILLA by James Carlos Blake was a recent favorite). Roderus wisely chooses not to incorporate Villa directly in the story but rather with his men.
The plot itself is classic, involving cattle, ranching, and fighting an underhanded businessman. There is refreshingly few gun battles (Cowboy doesn’t even own a gun). Even so, there is plenty of tension and suspense. The prose is also solid, with few awkward passages or unnatural dialogue.
All-in-all, a nice piece of work that most fans of westerns will enjoy.
May 9, 2019
Cowboy delivers hard learned lessons of logic and modern type thinking to resolve our heroine's terroristic level problems.
Grabbed my attention from the first page. Little "of the expected Western drama nice firm character development with character development and surprises hidin behind hotel door. Good read. Better than expected. !!!!!
Grabbed my attention from the first page. Little "of the expected Western drama nice firm character development with character development and surprises hidin behind hotel door. Good read. Better than expected. !!!!!
January 31, 2020
Cowboy quits his job as a ranch hand to seek a place of his own. He drifts into a position as a temporary ranch hand for a lonely woman whose husband destroyed all of her resources. Cowboy piece by piece encourages her and become familiar with con men who are trying to take the woman's very large ranch. Cowboy plots a way to obtain a large heard of cattle from Mexico. The bulk of the story is about Cowboy after WW1 as he rescues a needy woman, associates with a man who leads him to a financial profit in his own right.
There was little gun play and no romance in this western story. It was an enjoyable read and one that I enjoyed. Frank Roderus is a great story teller.
I recommend this book without reservation.
Alwilda
There was little gun play and no romance in this western story. It was an enjoyable read and one that I enjoyed. Frank Roderus is a great story teller.
I recommend this book without reservation.
Alwilda
March 31, 2022
Good solid story of ranching right after WWI. Very good plot. Not a wild shoot them up. Good like able characters. Not full of fowl language and sex. Author knows how to keep you interested. Lots of twists. Main character is a solid good true cowboy. Treats women with respect and likes honesty. I would recommend it to any man. It might teach you something.
January 18, 2019
Cowboy
Cowboy was a good read. It was a story about a man who left a good job to take a bet on his own dream. Sometimes what sounds good in a newspaper is not always the truth. What he finds is sure not what he expected.BRAVO 👏👏
Cowboy was a good read. It was a story about a man who left a good job to take a bet on his own dream. Sometimes what sounds good in a newspaper is not always the truth. What he finds is sure not what he expected.BRAVO 👏👏
February 12, 2019
Way better than I expected
I like best the tales of the earlier old west but Mr. Rosetta did a fabulous job of introducing me to that interim period between old west and the modern west.
His hero is a man I would like to have as a friend.
I like best the tales of the earlier old west but Mr. Rosetta did a fabulous job of introducing me to that interim period between old west and the modern west.
His hero is a man I would like to have as a friend.
February 21, 2019
Frank does a good work .
F
Rank
I like the way he presents the storu,
I like the way he presents the story
.
does a good job writing.in the way he presents the story. As of he. Was a.good friend
F
Rank
I like the way he presents the storu,
I like the way he presents the story
.
does a good job writing.in the way he presents the story. As of he. Was a.good friend
March 7, 2019
Cowboy was slow to get started but as you read the better it got !
I chose this rating because of the good story and the details. I would recommend this book highly to any of m friends!
I chose this rating because of the good story and the details. I would recommend this book highly to any of m friends!
May 23, 2019
cowboy
This was a really good western story, Not one where the fastest gun fighters hang out, just a smart genuine cowboy who goes on a grand adventure I hope you enjoy as much as I did@!
This was a really good western story, Not one where the fastest gun fighters hang out, just a smart genuine cowboy who goes on a grand adventure I hope you enjoy as much as I did@!
February 3, 2019
Boring
Not my kind of western. Very slow and then slower. Did not enjoy this book at all. Read first seven, then read last chapter. Not recommended.
Not my kind of western. Very slow and then slower. Did not enjoy this book at all. Read first seven, then read last chapter. Not recommended.
February 5, 2019
Law
I did not like the idea of saving the ranch by breaking the law of two countries. I just kept reading. It was a story that held interest. I just did not like the story.
I did not like the idea of saving the ranch by breaking the law of two countries. I just kept reading. It was a story that held interest. I just did not like the story.
February 11, 2019
Cowboy;
This was a good read I was very impressed with your writing and I will be reading more of your work.
This was a good read I was very impressed with your writing and I will be reading more of your work.
February 26, 2019
A. Very good read
The hero is just that. He's a cowboy with the ethics of a knight. Very refreshing. I will go on the hunt for more. Thanks.
The hero is just that. He's a cowboy with the ethics of a knight. Very refreshing. I will go on the hunt for more. Thanks.
March 14, 2019
Outstanding
The book is outstanding,and it will take you through the great years with your thoughts about how much you have enjoyed it.
The book is outstanding,and it will take you through the great years with your thoughts about how much you have enjoyed it.
April 4, 2019
Great Read
From the first sentence I found I could not put this book down!!!
Keep them coming!!!
Excellent writing,
Crockett White
From the first sentence I found I could not put this book down!!!
Keep them coming!!!
Excellent writing,
Crockett White
April 10, 2019
Cowboy
This was an easy read, the characters are realistic and you fit in as if you were there. Mostly action and adventure that keeps on going.
This was an easy read, the characters are realistic and you fit in as if you were there. Mostly action and adventure that keeps on going.
November 16, 2020
Good book
Read all of them books in order to really enjoy. Storyline continues to grow and develop. Characters are realistic and get better and better.
Read all of them books in order to really enjoy. Storyline continues to grow and develop. Characters are realistic and get better and better.
February 15, 2019
An FR. Western/A Man Decided To Enter Bidding On A Ranch
FR. has. penned a western story about a man called Cowboy. Cowboy has traveled near and far working on different ranches. He had saved his money and finds a ranch to enter the bidding on. He works as foreman, but it is not his place. He had his to lie and a woman had won the bid. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
FR. has. penned a western story about a man called Cowboy. Cowboy has traveled near and far working on different ranches. He had saved his money and finds a ranch to enter the bidding on. He works as foreman, but it is not his place. He had his to lie and a woman had won the bid. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
January 16, 2019
A Most Enjoyable and Unique Western!
Most western novels appear to follow a limited number of options. However, this writer begins with a slightly change, hinting at something more that gradually materializes while keeping reader's in suspense until the end! Well worth reading.
Most western novels appear to follow a limited number of options. However, this writer begins with a slightly change, hinting at something more that gradually materializes while keeping reader's in suspense until the end! Well worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2012
So far good
January 20, 2019
Very good book. I liked how in the end he helped the lady and got a place of his own. I received an advance copy for an honest review.
March 1, 2019
Cattle
Cowboy comes to Colorado looking to start his own ranch. He ends up helping a lady in need, save her own ranch.
Cowboy comes to Colorado looking to start his own ranch. He ends up helping a lady in need, save her own ranch.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews