A Score to Settle by Mike Torreano
Happy Holidays Everyone! Welcome Mike Torreano author of A Score to Settle among others! Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cauldron. Take your choice of a bat wing Chocolate Chip or Pumpkin, or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Mike and A Score to Settle.
- What inspired this particular story? A Score to Settle is set on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail in 1870 New Mexico Territory. I was drawn to this locale after devouring the iconic western series, Lonesome Dove. Author Larry McMurtry used an incident in his story that paralleled something that actually happened on Goodnight-Loving. Oliver Loving was shot near Fort Sumner, NMT in 1866. After he died, his partner, Charles Goodnight, carried out his last wish by wagoning him back home to Texas. To me, this is one of the West’s most famous legends and I wanted to weave a story around it.
- What inspired you to write? In fifth grade, back in Ohio, my teacher made us read a book a week, and write a report. You never knew who she was going to call on, so you had to be ready. That first week, she took us to a wall shelf stacked with books. I scanned the titles and stopped at a spine that said, ‘Zane Grey’, and I thought ‘what’s a Zane Grey’? Well, I spent the rest of that year devouring his novels and this kid from Ohio got hooked on the Old West. I could see the Cowboys and Indians racing along red sandstone buttes in the Painted Desert. Good teachers could make all the difference then-and today.
- How long have you been writing? Since I retired in 2013. Before my first novel, I used to jokingly say I was writing a book. I had all the pages numbered, all I had to do was fill them in. Little did I know then how much work it is to complete and polish a story. I’m not a disciplined writer, either. I find snatches of time to flesh out my current scene, but often spend days percolating on where to go from here.
- Why do you write what you write? Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc. Interesting question. I’ve thought about that at length, as I write in what is more or less a niche genre, traditional westerns with a dash of mystery and romance. I’ve always been drawn to black and white things, more so than shades of gray. In the Old West, there were things you were supposed to do, and things you weren’t. If you did wrong, consequences were often immediate, and sometimes severe. Even the bad guys knew where the line was, something that’s been blurred over the years. Many places had no law except The Code of the West, which reflected timeless values we could use more of today.
- What’s your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or follow your characters flow (Pantser)? Lord help me, Tena, but I’m a pantser. I’m thinking of writing a non-fiction work titled, The Perils of Pantsing. Not really, but while it’s easier to start a story by pantsing, I’ve found it often gets tougher the deeper into the story I go. I always have a 50,000 foot idea of what happens overall, but a lot of times I find myself wondering what happens in the meantime. We all write at the 5,000 foot level. ‘What happens now’ is my often unwelcome visitor. That’s when I wish I was a plotter. But, with only the most general outline, that allow my characters to do lots of unexpected things. Twists and turns are part and parcel of being a pantser, although I know plotters often encounter surprising happenings along the way, too. And I don’t even want to talk about how hard it is to polish a pantser story. Having said that, though, that’s what seems to work for me
Oh Mike, being a pantser myself, I know exactly how you feel. I’m writing along and all of a sudden a character takes a 180 degree turn and is off and running away with the story. Only choice you have is to follow him/her see where it leads. LOL
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: The Natural
Favorite book: My next one
Last book read: Battle Cry of Freedom
Favorite color: Hmmm
Stilettos or flipflops: Hiking boots
Coffee or tea: Beer
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: Paperback
Pencil or pen: Pen
Favorite song: Anything by Karen Carpenter
Streak or not: Um, no
Favorite dessert: Banana split
Favorite junk food: Ginger Snaps
Favorite thing to do to relax: Read anything by Tena!
Champagne or gin: Bourbon
Paranormal or Historical: Historical
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman
Favorite TV show: Yellowstone
Hot or cold: Hot
POV: Third close
I’d die if I don’t have: Ice cream
Review or Not: Review
A little about A Score to Settle:
Broken after his family is murdered, rancher Del Lawson signs on to a cattle drive along the Goodnight Loving trail in 1870, unaware he’s still in danger. When he falls for a pretty Army nurse, the killers target her.
If he’s to recover from his grief and build a new life, Del must set out on a gritty hunt for the men who are hunting him.
Meanwhile, Del’s mother, Maybelle, doesn’t know her son survived that murderous night. When she discovers the gold the killers are after, she uses the treasure in an elaborate masquerade to take the murderers down.
Will mother and son’s plans reap justice-or destroy what’s left of the Lawson clan?
A peek between the page of A Score To Settle:
“Tell me your story, Del. We got time.”
Del tried to piece the last few days together. He told Sonny about leaving Rose and—
She interrupted. “That your woman?”
“If she’ll have me. If I ever see her again.” He told her about the search to find Tyson. Riding through Santa Rosa, the trickery about Lost Creek, Potter’s ambush south of town amid the sandstorm. Riding for Wilkins’ ranch and Shade being played out. The desperate walk to find Sinola in the dark.
“You’ve had quite the adventure, Del Lawson.”
Buy Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookbub Books2read
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Torreano has a military background and is a student of American history and the Old West.
His debut western mystery, The Reckoning, set in South Park, Colorado, in 1868, was released in 2016 by The Wild Rose Press. The sequel, The Renewal, also in South Park, 1872,was released in 2018. His latest western, A Score To Settle, will be released October 21, 2020, also from The Wild Rose Press. He has a coming-of-age novel, Fireflies At Dusk, set during the Civil War, and his short story, The Trade, a tale of the Yukon Gold Rush, was his first published work in 2014.
Mike’s written for magazines and newspapers for many years. An experienced editor, he’s taught University-level English and Journalism. He’s a member of the Historical Novel Society, Pikes Peak Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Western Writers of America and several other western writing groups. He brings his readers back in time with him as he recreates life in mid-to-late 19th century America. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Anne.
Website: www.miketorreano.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miketorreano
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mike-Torreano-Author-107581914412283
It’s been great having you with us today. Good luck with A Score to Settle!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Score to Settle, Mike Torreano, Mystery, Western by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
Reckoning by Mike Torreano
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Mike Torreano, author of The Reckoning, an historical western set in 1868.
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled over on the counter. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what The Reckoning is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Mike tell us what inspired this particular story?
The Cottonwood (Colorado) Courier interview with Ike McAlister of The Reckoning, June 1868
Courier: Thank you for taking a few minutes with me this morning. (Panting from keeping up with Ike’s long strides).
Ike: (Nods). You’re welcome, but I’m not sure why you’d want to talk with me. I’m new around here.
Courier: I’ve heard you have an interesting background. Except for the Civil War, you’ve always lived in Kansas, is that right? What brings you to Colorado?
Ike: Just felt like I wore my welcome out back there.
Courier: There’s rumors you were a vigilante in Kansas after the war.
Ike: (Stops, strikes a match and lights up). Is that what people say? That I’m a vigilante? Are they sayin’ anything about the Quantrill’s Raiders that killed my folks? And about how no one ever brought any of them to justice? Not likely anyone else is gonna track them down, either. Most men I know would do the same thing I’m doin’. (Stares down at reporter).
Courier: Are you asking me what I’d do in the same situation?
Ike: Not really.
Courier: It’s obvious I’ve touched a nerve.
Ike: Anything else?
Courier: Just a few more questions. I know your sister, Sue, recently disappeared here in Cottonwood. Do you have any clues about what happened to her?
Ike: (Takes a drag). Wish I did. Seems like she just up and vanished in thin air, but she can take care of herself. Always has.
Courier: Does that mean you’re not looking for her?
Ike: (Glares). I’m lookin’ for her. What kind of a brother would I be if I didn’t? I’ll find her.
Courier: I detect a note of anger, or is that uncertainty, in your voice?
Ike: Just stick to your questions.
Courier: What if you never…
Ike: Next question.
Courier: So I hear you’re staying at Lorraine Blanchard’s boarding house. How is that working out?
Ike: What do you mean? (Rubs his beard).
Courier: I don’t mean anything in particular, just that you’re both single and…
Ike: (Reddens). Better stop right there. (Long exhale).
Courier: All right, back to my first question. What brought you and your sister out here?
Ike: My brother, Rob, came out too. We’ve been lookin’ for a good place to make a new start. Cottonwood seems like a nice place.
Courier: The word around town is you’re looking for something all right, but it’s not just a good place to make a new start. That you’re looking for someone in particular here.
Ike: I’m lookin’ to make things right. Anything wrong with that? (Cocks his head at the reporter).
Courier: So, it’s true. You think your folks’ killers are here in Cottonwood, don’t you?
Ike: Hard to say.
Courier: Do you think your sister’s disappearance is connected to your search for them?
Ike: Might be. I’m here to find that out or die tryin’. (Walks away).
The scene fades and the whirl of color returns and stops just like before.
WHEW, what a ride. (I open one eye to make sure we are back to 2017.) Yep!
Mike, tell us a little more about The Reckoning.
Ike McAlister returns home to Kansas after the Civil War, his soul bruised and empty. Worse, his parents have been killed by Quantrills raiders who are still on the loose. No stranger to death and destruction, he vows to run the killers down. A clue leads him to the high plains of Colorado, but when his sister, Sue, disappears from there, his world quickly spins out of control. In the midst of this turmoil, a feisty landlady sparks an attraction, the only good thing in Ike’s life. Racing against time, he must make a deadly choice. If he continues to pursue the killers, Sue will likely never be found. But if he veers off to find his sister, the killers trail will go cold. Which track to follow? Will the love of family triumph in his broken heart, or will it be the passionate hate of revenge?
How about a peek between the pages of The Reckoning:
The cards were coming up aces for the scruffy cowboy across from him. The man was cheating, but Ike couldn’t see how. Ike had been losing to the surly wrangler for more than an hour and still hadn’t figured out his tricks. From what he could see, the man’s shuffle looked okay. His deal looked okay. It had to be something else. The sooner he figured it out the better. The stash of money in front of him had dwindled to next to nothing.
One of the players asked Ike where he was from. “I’m from back east a ways. Came here lookin’ for somebody.”
“Sounds like you’re looking for someone in particular. Mind my asking who?”
The man was a proper-looking sort in a black suit and bolo tie, both out of place in a rundown saloon like the Wildfire. He resembled a banker. Ike decided he might as well answer since he’d already told the sheriff why he was here. “I’m lookin’ for my sister, Sue.”
The cowboy spun a card to Ike that flew off the table. “That one got away from me.”
You can find The Reckoning at Amazon, The Wild Rose Press and other online retail outlets.
More about the author:
Mike writes historical fiction and westerns set in late 19th century America. Growing up in Ohio, he developed a love for the West during grade school when he read every Zane Gray novel he could lay his hands on. His favorite authors in this genre are Gray, Louis L’amour, and Jack London. Favorite poet associated with the North is Robert Service, several of whose poems Mike has memorized and recites.
Mike wrote a short story called The Trade, which is published in an anthology available on Amazon based on his grandfather’s time in the Yukon Gold Rush from 1898-1900. It grew from a kernel of a story his mother shared with him about a dramatic incident his grandfather experienced there.
The Reckoning is his first published novel-thank you, The Wild Rose Press! Set in Colorado during 1868, it’s a tale of murdered parents, a sister’s disappearance, the love of a feisty landlady and a son’s revenge. He’s working on the sequel now and has a trilogy in mind.
He also has a novel titled Fireflies At Dusk set during the Civil War. It is currently gathering dust on an electronic shelf and is a coming of age tale of a young man who throws off his pacifist upbringing and joins the Union Army. The war strips him of his self-respect and he must endure a gritty journey during harsh combat to reclaim it as well as his sweetheart.
You can find Mike at:
Website miketorreano.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miketorreano
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mike_torreano
It was wonderful having you with us today, Mike and Ike. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Reckoning.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Colorado, Fiction Western, Historical, Literary Fiction, Mike Torreano by Tena Stetler with 20 comments.
