RESOLUTION

[Johnny McCrae]

After watching the great movie APPALOSSA, I bought the paperback and thought it was very good also. It followed the movie very closely and gave some insight about the characters. At the end of the book was the first chapter of a novel called RESOLUTION. This is the sequel to Appalossa. It showed what happens to Virgil and Everett after APPALOSSA. I finished reading it last night and I thought it was pretty good.

Now after the end of RESOLUTION is the first chapter of a novel called "BRIMSTONE". This is the sequel to RESOLUTION and has Virgil and Everett going to Texas to look for Virgil's old girl friend Allie. It is supposed to be coming out in paperback soon. I'll be looking for it.

I'm no literary critic by any means but I do like this Author's style of writing.

[Russ McCrae]

More books I got to read, 

[Books OToole]

I'm no literary critic by any means but I do like this Author's style of writing.

Robert B. Parker is good.  He created Spenser for Hire.  He also is the auther of the Jesse Stone books which led to the tv movies staring Tom Selleck.

Books

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[Will Ketchum]

I just finished "Resolution".  I enjoyed it just like all Parker's novels.  The only problem is where he hatch says his rifle had revolver both were 45s so he could load the same ammunition in both  ..We all know that there weren't any rifles in 45 Colt in those days or any other 45 revolver cartridge that I know of.  He also has Virgil opening his cylinder and reloading.  Now granted in might be a Smith & Wesson but I wouldn't refer to opening the action in that way.

Okay I'm too picky.

Will Ketchum

[Coal Creek Griff]

One of my struggles with Robert B. Parker's novels (and I've read many) is his lack of gun knowledge.  In his "modern" novels, his characters are constantly operating the thumb safeties on their Glocks, etc.  I believe that he had a character open the cylinder to reload in Appaloosa too.  I had to decide that opening a loading gate is kind of opening the cylinder...

I recall reading an article in "American Rifleman" many years ago written by Geoffrey Boothroyd.  I think the title was something like, "I Was James Bond's Armourer."  He spoke of having liked early James Bond novels, but had noticed issues with Fleming's choice of weapons.  He wrote Ian Fleming and made suggestions, which Fleming took to heart and incorporated into his novels.  He even named the character "Q", "Major Boothroyd."  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Boothroyd.)

Anyway, I have contemplated writing to Parker, hoping that he would fix a few errors in future novels, but I figure he must have already received such letters and apparently disregarded them.  It seems like it would be so simple for authors to have someone who knows look over their writing, but so many do not.  Oh well.

CC Griff

PS--I've vented on this issue before too: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,21519.0.html

[The Elderly Kid]

I've just finished "Resolution" and It ws one of the fastest reads I've come across in years, 292 pages in almost a single sitting. Part of what makes it move so fast is the dialogue. Hitch and Cole have known each other so long that they communicate in sentences two or three words long and get more across than most writers could express in pages-long disquisitions. the action is fast and gunfights are over in a second or two, the way real ones are. Parker suffers from the common cylinder/chamber confusion, but at least he didn't put safeties on his single actions like Swarthout did in "The Shootist." The .45 Winchester is just a single digit off. Maybe he went to his local gunstore and handled a Uberti '73 in .45.
In all, a fine read and I'm looking forward to the next.

[Digger]

One of my struggles with Robert B. Parker's novels (and I've read many) is his lack of gun knowledge. ... <clip>
Anyway, I have contemplated writing to Parker, hoping that he would fix a few errors in future novels, but I figure he must have already received such letters and apparently disregarded them.  It seems like it would be so simple for authors to have someone who knows look over their writing, but so many do not.  Oh well.

CC Griff

I wrote the SciFi Channel not long ago virtually begging them to hire a military adviser.  I pointed out the overlap between vets and sci-fi fans and tried to explain how much they loose in our eyes by their complete disregard of proper protocol and embarrassing ignorance of weapons.  So far I don't seem to have had any effect.


Digger

[The Elderly Kid]

The great mystery and western writer Elmore Leonard used to routinely have safeties on revolvers. He got some mail about this and corrected it in later books. He admits openly that he had never handled a gun and just thought that guns always had safeties. I'm a mystery writer myself and have given talks to aspiring writers about guns and their correct use. I am always appalled that people often need explained to them what a cartridge is, how they work and what exactly constitutes the bullet. You know---the part that comes out the barrel. Some remain unclear on the matter no matter how many explanations and diagrams I use. I tell them, better to just say "He took out his gun and fired" and not try to go into detail.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Somewhere I saw cover art from a western novel.  The painting showed a person firing blackpowder revolvers and you could see shell casings in the air where they were being ejected.

[Russ McCrae]

Well they say never judge a book by it's cover... I finished Resolution and it was a great book, can't wait for the third one to come out

[The Elderly Kid]

The third book is out now, though the title escapes me at the moment. I saw it at a store a few days ago. Hitch and Cole go to Texas in search of Allie. Apparently old Cole just never learns. He's way better with guns than with women.

[Mossyrock]

BRIMSTONE

[Daniel Nighteyes]

I have read thru this thread with considerable interest.  I, too, have great difficulties reading authors who place guns in their stories and display a complete lack of knowledge/understanding.  In some cases it has resulted in such a jarring reaction on the part of yours-truly that I simply had to close the book and put it down.  (And in a couple of cases, throw it with great force.)

As any writer who's worth his/her salt will tell you, the most vital part of any tale is causing the reader to suspend his/her disbelief and essentially "buy into" the story.  If that happens, wunderbar!  If not...

Regards as always,

-- Nighteyes

[Will Ketchum]

I have read thru this thread with considerable interest.  I, too, have great difficulties reading authors who place guns in their stories and display a complete lack of knowledge/understanding.  In some cases it has resulted in such a jarring reaction on the part of yours-truly that I simply had to close the book and put it down.  (And in a couple of cases, throw it with great force.)

As any writer who's worth his/her salt will tell you, the most vital part of any tale is causing the reader to suspend his/her disbelief and essentially "buy into" the story.  If that happens, wunderbar!  If not...

Regards as always,

-- Nighteyes

I know just what you mean.  Years ago I had read great reviews about a woman author who had done a lot of research for her book "Sacagawea" (spl?) the Shoshone woman who had accompanied Lewis & Clark.  In one of her first chapters she had a Mandan chief checking his cap on his fusil   Since the caplock wasn't invented at the time of the Lewis & Clark expedition it couldn't have been.  I threw the book across the room.  She could have just as easily had him check his flint   I did finish the book but was suspect of everything she put in it.

Will Ketchum

[Angel_Eyes]

I have to agree with all before, but I am a little biased.
I wrote a western novel and contacted a publisher and followed all the instructions they suggested.
In the end, after much to-ing and fro-ing (and postal expense) they eventually rejected it!
Reason;- too technical description about the guns , handling and effects, and it was one long horse chase!!
The main premise of the story was a manhunt, what did they expect
Everyone at home who read it thought it was good, even non-western readers, but then again, I suppose they would!!

AE

[Will Ketchum]

Angle Eyes, you have several options to get it read.  You can publish it on the Internet.  You might try contacting Kirby Jonas.  He has written a number of Westerns and couldn't get them published because he refused to put a lot of sex in them.  He published them himself.  Contact me if you want to get a hold of him.
I'll send you a PM


Will Ketchum

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Angle Eyes, you have several options to get it read.  You can publish it on the Internet.  You might try contacting Kirby Jonas.  He has written a number of Westerns and couldn't get them published because he refused to put a lot of sex in them.  He published them himself.  Contact me if you want to get a hold of him.
I'll send you a PM


Will Ketchum

Another contactable option is our own Forty-Rod, aka Tom Taylor.  I have read two of his self-published books, and am looking forward to number three!