


EXCERPT FROM OUTLAW WEST OF THE PECOS
BY PRESTON LEWIS
“We the jury find the defendant guilty as charged.”
“This is the greatest legal wrong in the history of the State of Texas,” I cried.
“Another outburst and I’ll add a second contempt charge to your list of crimes. You best keep quiet for your own good.”
I sat there fuming, but silent.
“Okay, for carrying a concealed weapon, I’m fining you fifty dollars. There’s a seventy-five-dollar fine for contempt of court. I’m tacking on the five-dollar inquest fee I would have received from the county had you fallen from the high bridge.”
“I’ve got the money, so I’ll pay the fine and leave on the next train,” I offered.
“No, sir, I’m also incarcerating you for the next ten days to teach you respect for the laws of this great state. That’ll be another ten dollars a day for a jail boarding fee.”
“What?” I sputtered. “Before I leave here, you’ll have all my money?”
Bean grinned at me. “That’s a good thought, Lomax. Now I want you to strip naked.”
I was as bewildered as a rat at a cat convention. This magistrate struck me as a lunatic, but I jumped down from the keg and unbuttoned my long johns.
The judge slammed his gavel against the bar top. “Not in here, not in front of Miss Langtry,” he shouted. “She’s a lady. Go out in the hall and throw your union suit and socks back in here.”
I hesitated.
“Move or I’ll tack another contempt charge onto your bill.”
Bolting out of the room, I did as ordered, standing in the hallway making sure that Lilly’s lifeless portrait eyes didn’t see my nakedness. Now I hoped not only that justice but also Langtry was blind as I questioned my future in Texas. I stood there maybe ten minutes before I heard Bean call me from the front porch. Slipping just my head outside the doorway, I saw him sitting on a burro with a double-barreled shotgun pointed my way.
“Come on out, Lomax. Let’s go for a walk.”
“Where?” I wanted to know.
“To the river to bathe.”
“I need my clothes,” I pleaded.
“I don’t have any shackles,” Bean answered.
“What’s that got to do with my clothes?”
“I’ve found I don’t need shackles for naked men. Now come on out or I’m fining you another hundred dollars.”
Damn if Bean wasn’t right. As soon as I stepped outside, my hands dropped to my groin and stayed there all the way to the Rio Grande. We walked past the tracks and beyond the more numerous buildings on the railroad’s south side, where folks had built their homes and stores to put some distance between them and the law west of the Pecos. As I ambled through town with the double-barreled shotgun pointed at my back, some men and women giggled, but most made the sign of the cross over their breast. “El camino de la muerte,” cried one woman.
Bean translated for me, “The walk of death.”
I suppose it was a half mile or less from his courtroom to the ledge overlooking the Rio Grande River, but it seemed like forever, me being naked and barefoot and trying to miss the cactus and thorns that littered the trail. At the canyon’s edge, Bean pointed me down a path that led a hundred and fifty feet to the water’s edge below. I followed it and Bean’s instructions to wade out to an island that appeared to be an acre or more in the middle of the river. Bean followed me; the shotgun always pointed at my back.
“This island is neither Texas nor Mexico. Nobody’s certain who has jurisdiction, so if I shoot you, I won’t be prosecuted by me as law west of the Pecos or anyone else. Now if I do shoot you dead, and you float away, make sure you land on the Texas side of the river so I can get my five-dollar fee for handling the inquest.”
I emerged from the water on the island and Bean came close enough that I could’ve grabbed the scattergun’s barrel, but I feared he’d earn five dollars if I did. He reached
in his britches pocket and tossed me a bar of soap.
Catching it, I asked, “What’s this for.”
“It’s soap. Don’t you know how to take a bath?”
“I do, but why do I need one?”
“Every man needs to be clean on his wedding day.”
“What?”
“You’re getting married when we return.”
Stunned, I looked from him to my naked flesh. At least I was already dressed for my wedding night.
Recipes for foods found in
Charleston Conundrum
By Stacy Wilder
Liz’s King Ranch Chicken
Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup 8 oz. (2 cups) cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup 1 package corn tortillas
1 can Rotel tomatoes 1white onion diced
1 cup chicken stock 1 green bell pepper diced
rotisserie chicken 1 Tsp ancho chili powder
9×12 baking dish ½ tsp garlic salt
Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place corn tortillas in a bowl and cover with chicken stock. Soak until soft.
Shred chicken. Fine dice onion and bell pepper. Combine soup and cheese in a separate bowl. Use half of the tortillas to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Layer half of the chicken on top followed by half of the onion and green pepper. Follow with half of the cheese/soup mixture. Season. Repeat. Pour can of Rotel on top.
Bake for thirty minutes.
Enjoy!
Liz’s Oops Salad
Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed spring greens
I cup of strawberries diced
A few handfuls of blueberries
A few handfuls of raspberries
A few handfuls of blackberries
Wash and dry fresh produce. Toss and serve with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette. Garnish with toasted almonds.
Charleston Conundrum Cookies
This recipe is compliments of Chef Amber Griffin, Vermont. Chef Amber baked these during When Words Count Pitch Week Competition XXI. She is an amazing chef. Thank you Amber for allowing me to share this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter (softened) 1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup pepita seeds
1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour
2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 bag shredded coconut 1 bag Lays potato chips (crushed)
1/2 bag heath bar bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and salt together. Add the eggs. Mix well.
Add coconut, heath bits, chocolate chips, pepita seeds, and vanilla.
Mix and add flour and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Mix in crushed potato chips. Drop on a baking sheet and bake for twelve to fifteen minutes.
Enjoy!
Lou’s Favorite Egg Salad
Ingredients:
eight hard-boiled eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 Tsp. dijon mustard
4 Tsp. chopped celery
4 Tsp. chopped red onion
2 Tsp. dill
garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
fresh dill as garnish
Finely chop the eggs, celery, and red onion and place them in a bowl. Stir in mayo, mustard, dill, garlic salt pepper, and paprika. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve on your favorite bread. Enjoy!
The Conundrum Cocktail
This recipe is compliments of the team at Hugh O’Connor’s Irish Pub, Houston, TX. Hugh O’Connor’s served the cocktail during the book launch party for Charleston Conundrum. Thank you Hugh O’Connor’s team for creating the cocktail and allowing me to share this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 ounce orange vodka
.75 ounces vodka
.75 ounces St. Germaine
.25 ounces Malibu rum
.25 ounces lemon juice
.25 ounces lavender syrup (add more to taste)
Splash of grenadine
Pour ingredients into a martini shaker. Mix, add ice. Shake multiple times. Strain and pour in a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!
The Charleston Conundrum Playlist
Available on Spotify – Charleston Conundrum Playlist
Fire and Rain, James Taylor
Dancing Queen, ABBA
S.O.S., ABBA
I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
I Second That Emotion, The Miracles
If I Could Turn Back Time, Cher
If I Were a Rich Man, Robert Merrill’s version
Hello, Adele
Edge of Glory, Lady Gaga
Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi
Interview with Dr. Florence Byham Weinberg
Why did you decide to self-publish?
At first, I tried for a major publisher in New York City. My agent worked hard but got refusals mostly on the grounds that my topic was “too local.” That effort lasted over a year. Trying one agent after another, one publisher after another might take many years and still yield nothing. I decided not to wait any longer but to go it alone. Self-publishing has been low in respect and prestige, but I think it is becoming more popular. The public, at least, has realized that the quality of self-published books can be high. It’s entirely up to the author—and the reader’s judgment. There are advantages, too. While the cost of self-publishing is considerable, still it is manageable, and profits from sales are all the author’s, not mostly to the publisher. Whether to publish or reprint is also entirely up to the author. I chose that route and so far, am happy with my decision.
What do you think most characterizes your writing?
I think placing my protagonists in a setting that can be visualized, touched and smelled. My people must move in a “real” world, not in some gray abstraction. Before the Alamo is set in the nineteenth century, when roads were not paved or even graded, where the only floor covering in San Antonio was either brick or tile or none at all, when Main Plaza was a stretch of dust or mud, dotted with piles of manure. Laundry was done by beating clothes against a rock with a stick; soap was homemade, a boiled combo of lard and ashes. The “dryer” consisted of convenient bushes where the clothes were spread to catch the sunlight. Water was carried into the house in buckets. Life was not easy, and my book shows how hard it was. I want the reader to feel those inconveniences as if s/he were there.
How do you decide if your main character(s) will be male or female?
I write from the point of view of either gender. My choice depends on the subject matter. I have written two historical novels about the Franciscans who founded San Antonio by establishing their missions along the San Antonio River, beginning in 1716. Those main characters were, of course, mainly male, although an Apache Woman Warrior plays a major role in Apache Lance, Franciscan Cross. And I wrote four murder mysteries starring a real, historical Jesuit missionary named Ignaz Pfefferkorn, who acts as my detective. I have written three books set in the French Renaissance. I chose to write about Emilia Altamirano in Before the Alamo because I wanted to present a woman’s view of conditions and events in Texas before—and a bit after—1836. Women had to struggle much harder than men to make their mark in the nineteenth century, even into the mid twentieth, when they could exercise the vote. That struggle made writing from Emilia’s point of view much more interesting.
In researching this book, did you learn any unexpected, unusual, or fascinating information?
Yes, two things: María’s story, which is factual, and the Battle of the Medina River in 1813.
The historical María was bought by a Béxar de San Antonio native on the slave market of a border town, perhaps Rio Grande, which no longer exists. She’d been taken from her tribe (perhaps the Otomí) as a baby and raised by a Spaniard as his daughter. She learned to read, write. And learned all the graces of a Spanish lady. When she reached puberty, he could not resist her charms and he assaulted her. He blamed her for seducing him and sold her on the slave market. That is when the scion of a San Antonio pioneer family bought her. She became a slave in his household.
A librarian in the Alamo Library handed me the statement about María, made by a descendant of that family. I at once recognized its importance. María, one of the protagonists in my story, is, of course, Emilia’s mother.
WELCOME to DAY 6 of the @ENIGMASERIES
#ShortStory Journey Dec 8th to Dec 15th
#GIVEAWAYS Available
Gifts available for Day 6 are two ebooks of the featured short story plus one ebook of the newest release Hidden Target. That’s 3 winners.
Author Insights
Mathias, Dutch, and Halvorson market their cryptocurrency programs in economically challenged countries in The Enigma Source. Desperate governments trying to avoid the horrific outcomes of their economic free fall consider currency alternatives. Mathias discovered robust competition during their bid to gain favor the leaders in Venezuela. Mathias, a polished huckster, decided there was only one way to fight another day—survive.
Our characters rise to the challenges. Technologist and Blockchain programmer, Dr. Halvorson, uses the programs he created to orchestrate their escape from the Venezuelan Police. Mathias’s normal mode of transport, a private helicopter, is not always available. Mathias is out for revenge at those who betrayed him. His plans of wealth and power end up on life support. The exit strategy, a key element of this story is provided from our audble story in this link. YouTube link: https://youtu.be/nXsPgYtJTog
We found the next stage of their journey was not needed for The Enigma Source, yet readers and fans wanted to know what happened. We had no intention of giving more words to these cyber crooks in another book, but they screamed to have their story told. The unanswered questions for this trio of misfits as their lives hit rock bottom drove us to create this short story. Please let us know if you believe they chose the right path.
About the Short Story
Mathias and Halvorson are trudging toward the Brazilian border to escape the Venezuelan secret police who want to kill them.
Once they enjoyed the first-class service, today they wallow in third-world transport and lifestyle. Escape holds the promise of shearing more sheep to line their pockets.
Plans to cross the border get completely derailed as Mathias and Halvorson run into absolutely the last person they expected. Their hotly contested vendetta devolves into gunfire. The colossal distraction gives the three escapees time to flee. A non-negotiable bargain between the trio results in a risk-filled escape from Venezuela.
The hazardous journey takes this trio to a new opportunity. Mathias is a self-proclaimed leader with plans to get back on top. His methods are unorthodox yet highly effective.
Available on Amazon https://bit.ly/Nowhere_But We look forward to your review and comments on our short stories.
About the Authors
Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey are co-authors of the award-winning Enigma Series. Their characters demand that their stories are told. The storytelling began with a few heroes, then expanded to those with self-serving motives. We love storytelling and hope readers enjoy learning more about our shorts. Looking forward to your feedback and reviews of our stories.
Breakfield is a technology expert specifically in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles is also a fan of wine tastings, wine making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.
Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who optimizes technology and business investments for global customers. She focuses on optimized customer experiences. Rox loves interviewing authors, writing white papers, reviewing books, and loves creating fiction.
Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with men and women, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new view to technology threats of today. Please visit their website, look around, and grab some free stuff https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.
Find us and Follow us
Website: https://www.EnigmaSeries.com
Blog: https://EnigmaSeries.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbreakfield and
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneburkey
Twitter: @EnigmaSeries and @1rburkey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEnigmaSeries/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Vz4x5ctTnx3yUhZk1OJkw
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