Welcome to Help from My Friends Friday. Author Michael A. Black is my return guest today, writing as Amazon Bestselling Author A. W. Hart, promoting his new book Gunslinger: Killer’s Requiem. A.W. Hart is a pseudonym representing a posse of today’s best western writers, who are notated on the title page of each series entry.
Michael A. Black’s previous blog Warrantless in Chicago is one of my favorites https://donnellannbell.com/warrantless-in-chicago/
Shakespeare in the Old West
By Michael A. Black
I’ve been enamored by the works of William Shakespeare ever since I first read his plays as an undergrad in college. Somehow, my high school teachers never concentrated on teaching a complete play, but as an English major in college I was required to take an entire course on the Bard.
At first it was a bit of a strain as I struggled to follow the antiquated language and the obtuse musings of the expostulating professor, but the more I read the plays, the more I came to appreciate Shakespeare’s mastery of language.
I still remember that first phrase of his that set me back on my heels. I was reading Henry the IV, Part 2. The ailing king is lamenting the profligate ways of his prodigal son, Prince Hal, and ends the scene by reciting the words, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” To this day, that quote remains my favorite.
And then there were all those others that struck my fancy as well:
Be it that “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more …
Or guilty Macbeth talking about “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Like I said, there are so many. Amazingly, even after all this time, a lot of the phrases that Shakespeare coined are still in use today:
Some examples are:
The green eyed monster
Footloose and fancy free
From the bottom of my heart
Left high and dry
A piece of cake
Refused to budge an inch
High time
Knock, knock, who’s there?
Your own flesh and blood
Lie low
Till the crack of dawn
And for all you mystery fans who thought that it was Sherlock Holmes who originally said, “The game’s afoot,” it wasn’t. It’s from a motivational speech given by the king in Shakespeare’s Henry V.
Author Michael A. Black
Last January I was contacted by Wolfpack Publishing and told they wanted me to finish off the Gunslinger western series that I write as A. W. Hart by tying up the ongoing story arc that had been running since the first book.
I jumped at the chance. Although I didn’t come up with the original story line, I had written three other books in the series. (Gunslinger: Killer’s Chance, Gunslinger: Killer’s Brand, and Gunslinger: Killer’s Ghost.) I’d enjoyed writing all of those and I quickly penned Gunslinger: Killer’s Gamble, which has the three principal characters, teenage fraternal twins Connor and Abby Mack and their mentor, gunslinger River Hicks, traveling through a California town and becoming involved in a big poker tournament as well as a boxing match. John L. Sullivan, the first American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, makes an appearance in that one.
There’s way more to it that that, including Abby deciding to leave Hicks and her brother, Connor, to sit at the knee of a beautiful female gambler. This book also sets up the final confrontation between our heroes and the mysterious man who’s been their nemesis from the beginning of the series. In Gunslinger: Killer’s Requiem all the questions about who Connor and Abby really are, and the secret that River Hicks has been hiding, are answered in a big, slam-bang western-style finish.
Let’s see, besides the revelation of the major villain in the series, there’s also a bounty hunter with a sawed-off rifle, a maniacal fanatic known at The Dark Deacon who leads a band of mercenaries, a masterful gunman whose skills rival those of Hicks himself, the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s unscrupulous best detective, and a host of other surprises.
Perhaps the biggest one was that I was able to convince the Bard himself, William Shakespeare, make an appearance in this one.
Well, sort of …
There’s a group of actors who are traveling to the city in Oregon where Killer’s Requiem takes place. They do a scene from Romeo and Juliet which once again demonstrates that Old William Shakespeare knew how to stoke the fires of eroticism by having two young would-be lovers merely meet, talk, and manage a solitary kiss. Hamlet, the Prince of Demark, also makes an appearance as well.
For me, being able to tip my hat to the master in this fashion was the fulfillment of one of my lifelong dreams. It took me back to my college days, many years ago, when I sat in the university library reading those plays and marveling at the felicity of the words, the plotting, the characters, and even the stage directions.
Enter Lear, magnificently clad in wildflowers …
Man, I wish I could write like that.
I hope you’ll consider joining the Bard and me by picking up these last two books in the Gunslinger series. Although I close off the on-going story arc with these two, I would hope that if there’s a demand, the saga might continue. In any case, I can assure you that all’s well that ends well.
About the Book:
IT’S TIME FOR A DEADLY RECKONING – FROM BEST-SELLING AUTHOR A.W. HART COMES THE NEXT SUSPENSEFUL WESTERN MASTERPIECE.
For every step on their long journey of discovery, Connor Mack, his twin sister, Abby, and gunslinger River Hicks, have faced brutal killers, scheming Pinkerton detectives, and corruption at every corner. Having cheated death more times than they’d like to count, the quest for the twin’s mysterious birthright is finally heading for a deadly showdown with the killer who ordered the execution.
Hicks, who is also seeking to clear his name, has promised to reveal the truths he’s been harboring since he rescued Connor and Abby from their violent existence on the Mack farm. But first they must face a new collection of killers that are gathering – including a ruthless gunman for hire and a fanatical mercenary with his horde of fervent disciples.
As the long-buried secrets of the past suddenly rise to the surface like a cauldron of evil boiling over, a fearsome battle signals the death knell of a killer’s requiem…
About the Author: The Avenging Angels and Gunslinger series were created by Wolfpack series editor Paul Bishop along with top western wordslingers Peter Brandvold and Mel Odom. A.W. Hart is a pseudonym representing a posse of today’s best western writers, who are notated on the title page of each series entry.
Mike, I think this article is fascinating. Moreover, Shakespeare isn’t the only wordsmith. Thank you for joining me. What a compliment to be sought out as one of today’s best Western authors. I’d love to know more about that!
This series is great–I have this latest book and I’m looking forward to reading it. Michael is a great story teller as well as wordsmith.
Great post, Mike, just downloaded, looking forward!
Great post Mike. You are a true professional when it come’s to writing. I’ve read some of your works, and have enjoyed them all.
Great and informative post from Mike. He is always an inspiration to the writing world.
Thank you all for your kind words and comments, and a special thanks to Donnell for featuring me on her blog. I was at the Windy City Pulp Con this past weekend and touched base with a lot of fellow writers and fans. There was also a lot of stuff to look at in the dealer’s room, one of which was a rare DVD of Chimes at Midnight. It’s a movie with Orson Welles starring as John Falstaff based on Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. I used the same title (Chimes at Midnight) for one of my standalone thriller novels.
Thanks again for stopping by. Stay strong.
I was a little taken back, that a big galoot like you would be so knowledgeable about Shakespeare. I’m kidding of course, your use of the English language and your extensive knowledge of the literary world never ceases to amaze me. I love your writing and to call you my friend. This is a great post.