Welcome to Wolf Creek

Hi there. I'm Troy D. Smith, current president of Western Fictioneers and series editor of WF's exciting new project, Wolf Creek.

Western Fictioneers is the only professional writing organization devoted exclusively to -well, fiction about the West, specifically the period we now call the Old West. We have a lot of very talented members- including several folks who write for Western Trail Blazer- and WTB itself is a patron member.

I'm almost scared to list the WF members who write for WTB, because I know I'll forget somebody... but I'm going to give it a try anyhow:

Madeline Baker
John D. Nesbitt
Cheryl Pierson
Kit Prate
Tom Rizzo
Jory Sherman
Troy D. Smith
Chuck Tyrell
Les Williams

Please holler if I've forgotten anyone- and if you have written anything for WTB, remember that qualifies you for WF membership! For details on that, see http://www.westernfictioneers.com/ .

Yesterday WF announced details about Wolf Creek. It is a western novel series, set in and around the fictional town of Wolf Creek, Kansas. All of the WF authors involved- 17 at last count -have created one or two characters. In each novel five or six of those writers produce a chapter or more apiece, from the POV of their own character. As series editor I coordinate the plotting and make sure everything flows into one story. The books are produced by Western Fictioneers, as our anthology was last year.

We are using a "house name" -Ford Fargo- as the author, at least on the front cover, but each contributor gets credit for the chapter(s) they produce (the house name is to make it easier for readers to remember.) We have been having a lot of fun so far, and I think it shows through in the final product -and I want to acknowledge all the help I've recieved on the editorial front from Livia Washburn and Cheryl Pierson.

(By the way, our very own Cheryl Pierson is one of the writers for this first volume, and Chuck Tyrell will be appearing in one soon!)

Our first volume, Bloody Trail, is scheduled for release on Sept. 1, and we expect to have a new installment every three to four months after that. It is a wonderful ensemble cast, and we have some fascinating folks living in our little town. For our WTB readers, I invite you to take a look at what we've come up with once it is available; and for my fellow WTB authors, I invite you to join us at Western Fictioneers and take part in the fun!

Details about Wolf Creek -the writers involved, their characters, and an overview of the town -can be found at our special website for the series, http://wolfcreekkansas.yolasite.com/

Remember: Wolf Creek is a great place to visit, but you wouldn't want to die there!

Troy Smith

Mining my Hillbilly Roots

Deal With the Devil by Gerald Costlow

Second in the Appalachia series.

Amazon link

Smashwords link

also available Monkeybars and Lulu 

In this exciting sequel to A Distant Call, it's a hot summer in 1920's Appalachia and love is blooming along with the wildflowers.   Jolene and Seth are in love.  Unfortunately, she is the daughter of a wealthy businessman and he is the penniless son of a local moonshiner.  Their romance across the social gulf is forbidden and must remain secret.

But there are far older and darker secrets in the mountains, and our young sweethearts become caught up in a violent world of past debts and broken deals.  When the Devil himself shows up to collect, someone is going to pay a terrible price.  Jolene and Seth must have faith in each other and heed the advice of the local Preacher to save both their families.

Mining my Hillbilly Roots

As a writer, sooner or later you realize that some of your richest material can come from your childhood and the people who raised you.  When I decided to place my first series of supernatural romance adventure stories in the Appalachia foothills, I mined my own memories of stories told to me by my extended family to create a detailed, authentic world. 

My family migrated north from the Appalachia foothills into central Ohio on what became known as the Hillbilly Highway, seeking jobs in the steel mills.  By the way, I never heard the word “Appalachia” used by my family.  The Appalachian mountains stretch from New York to Missouri but my folks only knew they lived either “out on the ridge” or “down in the holler” depending on which part of the foothills they’d staked out.



My mother, age 5, in front of their cabin.
That's her younger brother and her Uncle with her.
Their old horse died that summer.

So we’re not Appalachians.  We’re Hillbillies.  If you’ve read a Lil Abner comic or seen a “Ma and Pa Kettle” movie or watched a Hee-Haw show, then you’ve seen the stereotype that goes along with the name.  Like all such exaggerations, there are enough lies to insult someone if you’re so inclined, but enough truth to poke good-natured fun at yourself if you know how to laugh. 

So what was it really like, growing up in the Appalachian foothills?  In one word: struggle.  People don’t try to raise their families crammed into a two room cabin halfway up a mountain with no running water or electricity because they enjoy the rustic life.  If they had money, they’d buy a homestead with some actual flat land to farm or move to town.  When they did finally move, it was out of desperation.  You survived by growing and canning your own garden produce, raised a hog or two to butcher, had chickens for eggs and Sunday meals, and most of the meat you put on the table came from hunting and fishing.  Just getting by each month was always a struggle. 

The characters and world of my Appalachia series reflect the people and world I observed firsthand or as described in long conversations with my Grandparents.  It’s not at all like the stereotype, but then again you can see where outsiders got their ideas.  In the 1920s, while the rest of the nation had flush toilets and electricity and telephones and automobiles, the Hillbilly world remained stuck in the past century.  It wasn’t until the New Deal following the great depression that any effort at all was put into extending the benefits of modern society to these people.  Think of it as a time capsule to our frontier days existing side by side with Prohibition era roaring twenties.  It is a treasure trove of possibilities and a world ripe for adventure.  I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I enjoy writing it.    

So what have you mined from your own roots for your stories?              

If you could learn another language...

Growing up, I always wanted to learn French. My hometown, Manchester, New Hampshire, is the 2nd largest French speaking city in America. (New Orleans is #1). I love listening to French being spoken. The accents and words have such a natural flow and graceful feel to my ear. I took 3 years of French in high school and I wish I could have taken more.

I have to say my high school offered a wide variety of languages, too. There was German, Spanish, Latin, and Greek.

I have a lot of respect for those who can speak a 2nd language. It requires a talent, a tenancy, a passion for learning, and a dedication that I admire.

For my day job, I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher and we staff 4 dedicated lines for Spanish, so if we have a person calling in who only speaks Spanish, we can transfer them to our Spanish lines. Our Spanish interpreters are sharp, witty, have a sense of humor, but also caring, sensitive, and kind – very well rounded if you ask me.

That's how I envisioned my interpreter, Sofia, in "A Polish Heart." She's kind, caring, and sharp. She adores her family and loves her country. When Sofia meets Darrin, she wants to do a good job interpreting for him. Her wholehearted honesty shines through and that's an inner quality, which Darrin can't help but be attracted to.

Question: If you could learn a 2nd language, which one would it be? Why?


Blurb for A Polish Heart: Can Sofia's faith give Darrin his heart back?


Opening Line: This was going to be the most challenging thing he'd ever done in his life.

Book Trailer:



7, 5 Star Amazon Reader Reviews

"Heartwarming tale of romance," Joy Cagil, Amazon Reader

"This is an excellent read," vlvm, Amazon Reader

"Totally enjoyable read," Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AS29AO

Smashwords Buy Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164429


About the Author: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She spent 11 years in the US Army, 7 years overseas in Germany. She loves traveling, reading, and hanging out with her boys.