Rough Country and Hard Country
Two Collections Supporting the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund
I was asked by my publisher at Roan and Weatherford to consider editing a volume of short stories as a fundraiser for the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund, supporting the families of those who gave everything in the line of duty. Of course I agreed, and reached out to a number of writing friends and acquaintances (look at these names!) who said yes and wrote these wonderful, sometimes hard-hitting short stories for absolutely no pay or compensation other than their names and the fruits of their imagination. Please order these collections, knowing all the proceeds are donated to the U.S. Marshals Fund!
Blood runs deep. Justice runs deeper.
From the gunsmoke of the frontier to the shadowed backroads of the modern West, Rough Country hits like a hammer. This outlaw collection of Western crime fiction brings together hard men, hard choices, and the thin, dangerous line between law and vengeance. Every story asks the same raw questions: Who stands up? Who breaks? And who survives when justice comes due?
Featuring New York Times bestselling authors Craig Johnson, Reavis Z. Wortham, John Gilstrap, Kathleen O’Neal Gear, Joe R. Lansdale, and Marc Cameron, this collection blends iconic characters with bold new stories. Readers will discover a brand-new Walt Longmire story, a hard-edged Arliss Cutter tale, and a gripping Tom Bell adventure, alongside standout work from voices shaping the future of Western crime fiction.
They’re joined by an exceptional roster of established and rising voices like Anthony Wood, James Wade, Jack Stewart, Betsy Randolph, Harry Hunsicker, D.P. Lyle, Tracy Daugherty, and Matthew V. Clemens, each bringing their own grit, voice, and emotional weight to the page.
With punchy storytelling, vivid landscapes, and characters who hit the ground running, Rough Country is a journey through the heart of the American West—its violence, its loyalty, and its unforgiving beauty.
Justice Is Never Clean. Out Here It’s Personal.
From the dust-choked trails of the frontier to the shadowed backroads of the modern West, Hard Country portrays the raw, unflinching heart of Western crime, asking the same hard questions that have always defined the West: Who holds the line? Who bends? Who survives when justice comes due?
Featuring a powerhouse mix of award winners, fan favorites, and New York Times bestsellers—including C.J. Box, Jonathan Maberry, Jeffery Deaver, Heather Graham, W. Michael Gear, and M. William Phelps—Hard Country delivers a brand-new Joe Ledger story from Maberry, a sharp-turn Ty Dawson case from Baron Birtcher, and a thrilling Conor Armenta adventure from Jefferson Glass.
They’re joined by a formidable slate of Western and crime-fiction veterans-Johnny Boggs, Larry D. Sweazy, Phillip Thompson, J.B. Stevens, Paul Colt, Phil Mills, Jr., W. Michael Farmer, Mike Blakely, Rik “Yonder” Goodell, and more-each delivering fast-paced, high-stakes stories set in landscapes that feel carved from iron.
With characters who live and die by their own rules and the same unforgiving edge that makes Western crime so unforgettable, Hard Country takes readers on a journey through the violence, sacrifice, honor, and stark beauty of the American West.
“A Confluence In Time” — A new Sonny Hawke story
I don’t write very many short stories, but I was recently contacted by a friend and author who asked me to produce this one for an online link to other Texas authors. It began as a simple story of my fictional Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke back when he was a young DPS officer. As the story evolved, I realized it was the perfect time to introduce new characters from an upcoming novel, Tucker and Harley Snow. That novel is set in the present, but here you get to see them while they were working together as undercover narcotics officers in the Dallas area. Unfortunately, the Sonny Hawke series ended with book four, Hawke’s Fury, but he will continue appear in upcoming short stories. Thanks for your support. Enjoy!
Bound By Mystery (2017, Poisoned Pen Press)
In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Poisoned Pen Press commissioned original short stories from thirty-five of its authors, past and present, including Reavis’ Gold Digger. From the blog Little Big Crimes: “Most of this story takes place in May 1934, on the night Bonnie and Clyde died, although that has nothing to do with the story. (Well, now that I think of it, it might explain a bit of one character’s motivation. Subtle, that.) It’s rural Texas and our narrator is a ten year old boy at a barn dance, with no less than Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys performing. He witnesses a murder, a pointless killing involving that ancient cause of trouble, an older husband a younger wife. Then we jump to the same guy in World War II, and then many years later to his old age. And only at that point does he, and do we, figure out exactly what was going on back in 1934. I didn’t see the twist coming at all.”
Murder On Wheels: Eleven Tales Of Crime On The Move (2016, Wildside Press)
Presented by the Austin Mystery Writers, Murder on Wheels is the winner of Killer Nashville’s 2016 Silver Falchion Award for Best Short Story Anthology. “Various wheeled modes of transportation past and present serve as a key part of each tale… Running moonshine has gone on for decades in the bottom lands of northeast Texas. In ‘Family Business’ by Reavis Z. Wortham, illegal liquor has paid the bills as well as caused a lot of problems and heartache. It is the business of the Caissen family and comes with a cost.” (Flash Bang Mysteries)
Doreen’s 24 Hour Eat Gas Now Café (1999, Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co. Trade Paperback)
From the Publisher: Doreen’s 24 Hour Eat Gas Now Café is one of those reader-friendly books written to be consumed in small portions—short, funny stories that follow the escapades of a colorful cast of characters you’ll feel you’ve known in your own life. The problem with that design is that once you pick it up, you will find it hard to put it down, so instead of serving its humor in small bites, you’ll probably end up gobbling it all down in one setting. Which is fine. It’s one funny book. If you’ve ever hung around a local coffee haunt, you’ll identify with the likes of Delbert P. Axelrod, “Wrong” Willie, Doc, the ever splendid Trixie, and of course Doreen, the main characters who populate Reavis’ thinly disguised fictional diner.