hanks to Ron Fortier, Air Chief of Airship 27, a new pulp publisher, I got the chance to add to the adventures of real-life United States Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. I grew up reading a lot of books that started out as stories in the old pulp magazines that were later converted to paperbacks. I discovered Doc Savage, the Shadow, the Spider, G-8 and his Battle Aces, and Captain Future in the same fashion.
One of those pulp heroes was the Masked Rider, who was a lot like the Lone Ranger--down to the faithful Indian companion, Blue Hawk. Ron is doing new Masked Rider adventures too, and I have to admit I'm tempted.
However, when Ron reached out to me for a Bass Reeves story, especially with me living in Oklahoma and growing up in the southeast part of the state, which is still steeped in tall tales with good men and bad men both featured as heroes.
In my story, "Whiskey River," Bass Reeves and his Indian companion Alfred ride through the same area and towns where my father's family grew up. I had a blast writing the pulpy adventure. So much so that I followed up with another novella the next year.
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