Western Fictioneers Peacemaker’s
Award Winner
Superstitious sailors.
Rugged cowboys.
An epic journey.
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.
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“From beginning to end, the action is engaging, and the characters are maturing and developing in a way that drew me in and had me feeling as if I were there in the experiences. There was never a lull or a dull moment. It seems as if the author had first-hand experience in the period and the setting, and I came away feeling as if I had too.”
—Gina S. (Amazon)
“I liked that this western tale drifted from the typical desert setting and featured a town on the edge of the ocean. It's got a nice mix of likable good guys, scummy bad guys, and middle-of-the-road characters who flesh out the story and make the world real.”
—Eric G. (Amazon)
“I’m very impressed by the author and the way she writes. She’s just not writing a book for people to read. She’s taking you on an adventure, draws you in making you feel like you’re there first hand. It’s not just a book you read but it’s an experience you take with you and leaves you wanting more.”
—Stephanie (Amazon)
Poster Child
Nickel's Luck poster designed by:
Jenna Miller of Ravenna Old & New West Vestures
Model: Matt Hamilton of Hamilton Dry Goods
Model Photography: S.L. Matthews
It is not enough for me to have a great cover. I want to step into the world of my characters as I write them. Once in a while, when the stars align and my schedule coincides with the perfect model for one of my characters, we go out in the field and portray the characters you read about in my books. We reenact scenes in visual locations as close as we can get to the story. Sometimes I'm shooting a young Tennessee mountain man as he's running barefoot through a stream in December. Other times, we're shooting under waterfalls, and still others at an old cabin or homestead. For the movie poster for Nickel's Luck, background didn't matter: I had to shoot on a solid white background so Jenna, my beloved designer, could work her magic for the background imagery. After all, it's hard to convey a coastal 1875 Texas hurricane in the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee.
At the time, my friend and model for the character "Bannack", had not read the story, but he did not need much directing. His facial expressions were priceless, and he wears the old west cowboy clothes as though they are a part of him. I took probably six or seven hundred photographs that evening, but it was not all serious work. Behind the fierce expressions and rugged, exhaustion of the character behind the man, came a great deal of laughter and clowning around. I found out the hard way - a gal cannot leave a pair of 19th Century Cowboys alone with her camera equipment; not without hilarious results. I hope you'll enjoy these "behind the scenes" photos of the shooting of Nickel's Luck as much as you will love the final poster itself.
