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Post by john on Nov 20, 2012 17:43:39 GMT
I absolutely love this series! Does anyone else enjoy them?
I just finished COLD STEEL and have three more books to read. I can't wait to get to them.
Now, here's the strange thing. I love anti-heroes like Edge, Crow, Herne, you know the rest. O'Brien is nothing like them. There's action in these oaters, but nothing like the PC. And I find it weird that I enjoy these books so much.
What really attracts me to the writing of Ben Bridges is not the characterization or action (though both are good), but simply his use of atmosphere. When he puts you in the freezing snow or boiling desert, you'll feel like you're right there. It's amazing how he pulls that off.
I highly recommend these books to anyone who hasn't taken a chance on them.
Did I say they were good? I'll have to mimic Tony the Tiger and say they're great!
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Post by benbridges on Nov 21, 2012 11:18:30 GMT
I appreciated your comments, John. I always tried to put the reader right in there with O'Brien, and it appears that I succeeded. O'Brien was never an anti hero and never had any special gimmicks except for his ingenuity and determination, plus of course a strong sense of right and wrong. As the series went on I decided to make him the kind of man who takes on seemingly impossible jobs and somehow, often against all the odds, carries them through. It's been too long since I wrote a new one, but there IS one on the stocks right now, called STAGECOACH TO HELL. In the meantime, I will be releasing two more on Kindle in December. Here are the covers. Attachments:
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Post by benbridges on Nov 21, 2012 11:20:13 GMT
And here's the second one. Attachments:
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Post by limeyf on Nov 21, 2012 15:47:41 GMT
I love the title of this book Gunsmoke is Gray. Now if it was a war story, we would know which side he is on. The South shall rise again
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Post by john on Nov 21, 2012 15:57:02 GMT
The South shall rise again Amen! ;D And Ben, you've just sold another two books! Can't wait to read them.
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Post by limeyf on Nov 21, 2012 16:01:40 GMT
Hey Dave, do you have a link to show order of books, and series etc, thanks
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Post by Steve M on Nov 21, 2012 16:04:30 GMT
I have seven of the O'Brien books and was wondering if they need to be read in order as the ebook releases are coming out in a different order to the paper books?
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Post by benbridges on Nov 22, 2012 8:28:30 GMT
There is a very loose continuity between the books, with events described in MEXICO BREAKOUT playing a part in SHOOT TO KILL, and O'Brien does age a bit as the series goes along, but overall the books can be read in any order. For the record, they were written and originally published in this sequence;
THE SILVER TRAIL HARD AS NAILS MEXICO BREAKOUT HANGMAN'S NOOSE THE DEADLY DOLLARS SQUAW MAN NORTH OF THE BORDER SHOOT TO KILL HELL FOR LEATHER MARKED FOR DEATH GUNSMOKE IS GREY COLD STEEL MEAN AS HELL DRAW DOWN THE LIGHTNING
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Post by john on Nov 22, 2012 18:25:28 GMT
If you don't mind my asking, Ben, you're a rather prolific author. I was wondering if you could tell us more about your writing schedule? I know I'm certainly interested.
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Post by benbridges on Nov 23, 2012 8:18:45 GMT
It might seem as if I was prolific, but you have to remember that these books were written over a period of nearly 30 years, so I don't think I ever wrote more than four a year. My schedule used to be start at 8:30 in the morning, work through till lunchtime, break for lunch and then work through till five. Sometimes I would switch projects halfway through the day -- I seem to remember writing THE DEADLY DOLLARS and a romance at the same time. And I used to take short breaks of a few days to write magazine articles. Things haven't really changed an awful lot, except that there are now more balls -- if you'll pardon the expression -- to juggle. I try to keep the ebook reissues coming out regularly, there are my duties with PP, the collaborations I write with Steve Hayes, and of course, the production of new material. I really hope to write more westerns in the New Year. They were and remain my favourite kind of fiction to write. My own personal method of writing has always been to hit upon an idea that is either original or simply 'different'. From there I work it up into a sort of running order -- O'Brien arrives in town. A man in the hotel room next door is murdered. O'Brien arrested for crime. Innocence proved, he agrees to help the flummoxed sheriff to find the real killer -- that kind of brief, almost vague outline. Along the way I add some surprises by constantly asking myself "What if this happens instead of that?" But overall I like to keep the synopsis loose so that I have room to add or take away until the book is written. Sometimes books are written backwards -- that is to say, I hit upon a way to solve a seemingly impossible chore and then create the story around the ending I've just dreamed up. I hope this helps!!
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larry
Full Member
Posts: 113
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Post by larry on Nov 23, 2012 14:39:28 GMT
I am always interested in authors schedules............
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Post by john on Nov 23, 2012 15:03:53 GMT
Thanks for the informative reply! I really appreciate it.
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Post by benbridges on Dec 8, 2012 9:52:28 GMT
THE DEADLY DOLLARS is now live on all Amazon platforms, and GUNSMOKE IS GREY will go live sometime within the next 24 hours. Happy reading, guys!!
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Post by john on Dec 8, 2012 18:34:20 GMT
Looking forward to them! I love Carter O'Brien.
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Post by benbridges on Dec 9, 2012 9:48:11 GMT
GUNSMOKE IS GREY now live.
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