Chuck Lewis

This book is a collection of sixty-two original poems written by the author from 1945 to 1986. He has said "some are corny, some are good, and a few are excellent," but all reflect the writer's perception of the human condition over a period of four decades as he developed his skills as a wordsmith. Many of the poems are nature-related, several are humorous, and a large number of them are love poems. A few of these efforts have been called classics by readers, but if not all classics, they are at least sincere. They are also easy to read and understand, as opposed to the vagaries of others. Ranging in subject matter from the Civil War to Alaska, from Life to Death, and from Hell to New Orleans, the poetry of Chuck Lewis will interest today's romantic and contemplative daydreamers. An entertaining author's self-review of each poem is a true plus and makes this book unique.” (Synopsis from back book cover).

Sam Miller is an aging bounty hunter after the gang known as the Pintos. He tracks them to Charleston, Arizona, but finds more than just the killers; there is also the evil that nurtured them. Miller is tough, impatient, and anti-social, but now he also finds a woman with as much sand as he has, and she's caught between him and the Pintos. Set during an actual little-known historical event, this crisp, violent story races to a dramatic and unique ending. And life is rough in Deadwood, Dakota Territory for Willie Appleton, a young man of slow wit who becomes embroiled in gold-seeking ventures he can't understand. Life to him is simple and beautiful, but the violence around him is a challenge. A touching and poignant tale of lives forever changed by the innocence of the young man known as Slow Willie. (Synopsis from book cover)

When the angry white mob poured out of the bar on San Francisco's Geary Street and surrounded an innocent black man, Kevin Shea was the only one who tried to stop them. He failed, and now, thanks to a deceptive news photo taken during the melee, he is wanted for the murder himself-and the real culprits have threatened his life if he says a word. As riots rage and politicians posture, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky finds himself under pressure to bring Shea in at all costs. And as respect for the law crumbles-even among those sworn to uphold it-true justice is the only thing that can prevent the death of another innocent man.

With this collection of reviews, fans of western movies can enjoy taking another special look at some of our favorites with Chuck Lewis, author and true westerner. He offers us insight and a different view of the westerns we like and even those we don't like. We might remember some of them with a nostalgic feeling that doesn't match up with what the movie was really all about. We think we know the stories, or what a good job of acting some of our heroes did, or perhaps gave no thought to the symbolism of the roles they played, but maybe Chuck can suggest something different. The storylines of these movies are told in detail and interspersed with appropriate and interesting observations. You will definitely learn while being entertained. Some of these reviews are written with Chuck's subtle sense of humor, but all are informative and surprising at times. Some offer interesting facts that never occurred to us when we first saw the movie, but all are honestly assessed with a bite that only Chuck Lewis can give us. (Synopsis from book cover). ~ Movies reviewed in Volume One ~ Shane; Winchester '73; Will Penny; Monte Walsh; The Naked Spur; High Noon; River of No Return; The Unforgiven; The Big Country; Cowboy; Stagecoach; The Wonderful Country; Conagher; Red River; My Darling Clementine; Monte Walsh (TV); Jeremiah Johnson; The Magnificent Seven; The Wild Bunch; Tombstone; Blood On the Moon; The Searchers; Colorado Territory; The Bravados.

A new century is coming, but Arizona is not ready to go into the 1900s. Rampant lawlessness is preventing it from attainment statehood. and the local law cannot contend with the rustling and killing. Into this chaos comes a man dedicated to his badge and an honorable pursuit of justice. Events are soon to compromise his personal code, however, and he's drawn into a dark, twisted crusade of revenge and retribution. There are men who need killing, and it's time to take off the badge ... When Good Men Ride is a tale of vast proportions, running the gamut of realistic action and emotions found in a cast of characters brought together by convoluted paths of fate. Enmeshed in the fabric of actual historic events, it is a story of mystery, romance, and violence, told in classic style with astute insight into the fading Victorian values of its time and the people who were fading with it. We are presented with a rich assortment of men and women of depth and passion, friendship and love, hate and murder, and among them all is a kind and philosophical hero against one of the most brutal antagonists ever brought to the pages of western fiction. (Synopsis from book cover).

Get ready to ride the range of humor in one of the most entertaining westerns to come down the trail in quite a spell. The year is 1888, and Johnny Hightree and his cousin Asa Maynard are two old ex-buffalo hunters and frontiersmen who have temporarily settled in the small town of Ralston, Kansas, not far from Dodge City. They are both serious elbow-benders and seem to be in a constant state of semi-inebriation. Johnny, however, has endeared himself to the town's residents with his far-fetched windies and good nature, thereby getting himself elected mayor. When a fatal shooting occurs in town in front of several witnesses including Johnny, the town council curiously reduces Johnny's standing from mayor to town marshal. Johnny then chooses his half-pickled cousin Asa to be his deputy, and that's when the future of Ralston, Kansas gets changed forever. With an amusing, rambling style, Johnny Hightree relates the progress of solving a murder that is not as simple as it seemed in the beginning. The outlandish stories he tosses in along the way are funny, earthy, and downright priceless, told at a pace that ends just in time! (Synopsis from book cover).

The fateful trials of a wagon train crossing the Mississippi; the entertaining conversation between two old-timers killing time instead of bad guys; a sheriff with heart trouble still trying to do his job on the plains of Kansas; a touching Wyoming tale of an aging rancher out for revenge; a Boston lady discovering violence in Tombstone, Arizona; the poignant memoir of a youth facing a gallows in Texas; a wounded marshal caught up in a disturbing family death near Cripple Creek, Colorado; a desperate man full of love for his dying wife in Dodge City, Kansas; an Arizona posse out for the kill; and an injured gambler cared for by a traveling troupe of prostitutes in Nevada. Such are the men and women who fill the pages of ten new intriguing tales of the American west of the nineteenth century. These narratives of human interest are all wrapped up in themes of mystery, death, love, and dedication. Forgoing the standard heroics and shoot-'em-up action found in formula westerns, this collection of stories intimately explores the people and their continual struggle with themselves and each other as they each seek their own brand of justice. (Synopsis from book cover).