Bio

S. L. Matthews is an 18th & 19th century living history reenactor, hobbyist photographer, and avid writer of the Victorian Era and the Old West. She grew up in the past, weaving on a loom and producing period rifle and accoutrement straps for reenactors, museums, movies, and television worldwide. Now she weaves three-dimensional characters through unusual plots and focuses on stories largely untold through history. When she’s not dressed in Victorian Era and Old West attire, you can find her outside photographing Tennessee landscapes and living history, tackling her garden with her Welsh Corgi and Anatolian Shepherd, scouting shops for old books and historical treasures, and of course, always researching and writing novels. S. L. Matthews is the author of Nickel’s Luck and “Ravens in the Graveyard.” She lives in Sparta, Tennessee with her family.

Social & Contact

Website: slmatthewsauthor.com

Email: sl@slmatthewsauthor.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/SLMatthewsAuthor

Instagram: Instagram.com/slmatthewsauthor

Goodreads: Goodreads.com/book/show/49200976-nickel-s-luck

Amazon: Amazon.com/S.-L.-Matthews/e/B082L2K9QV

Blurb for Nickel’s Luck

In the wake of disaster, would you leave your family to fulfill an old promise to a stranger?

Born with a permanent grin and natural charm, young Ryder Wheeler wanted to be a Pony Express rider just like his dime novel hero. In a coastal Texas town in the 1870s, it isn’t easy to turn cowboy, so Ryder relies on what he has—a strong will, a nickel’s worth of luck, and an inclination to take on any dare. Adored by all, he gains notoriety as the “luck child” of Indianola.

When Ryder’s abusive father goes too far, a hard-fisted cowboy intervenes, offering him a deal with one condition: He must leave his beloved town of Indianola behind. After peddling his luck for so long, will he make it as a cowboy at the Middle C Ranch?

As Ryder faces the consequences of his decision, the Mistress—the ocean Ryder loves to hate—tries once more to claim him. Can young Ryder best the storms in his path? Or will he lose his dream—and his town—forever?

Brimming with superstitious sailors, rugged cowboys, and catastrophic events, Nickel’s Luck is a coming-of-age tale that takes readers on an epic journey.

Blurb for Ravens in the Graveyard

A senseless murder, a gullible cowboy, and one unusual witness.

Born with a simple mind and left without family, Bosal Moon grew up under the shadow of ridicule and loneliness. Now he must escape the only home he has ever known: Dozen, the dust-laden town morality had deserted long ago. Bosal leans on his sole friend for wisdom: Preacher August Maloney.

Each day, August tends to the ravens that flock to the graveyard outside his lonesome little church. Harbingers of wayward souls, he calls them. But the most wayward soul of all belongs to the Professional Butterfly, a ravishing woman with a talent for bleeding men of their integrity. Bored and broke, the Butterfly turns her attention on August and hatches a brilliant scheme to deliver him from a disaster of biblical proportions.

But her risky actions result in a shocking and untimely death. All fingers point to the Butterfly as the murderer. Only one witness remains, and he isn’t talking.

Will Bosal be able to save the Professional Butterfly from the noose? Or will the callous judge get his way and hang one more wayward soul?

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