Across the Barren Landscape, Volume1

By: Pete Clark

Narrated by: Kailaan 'The Soliloquy Man' Carter

Barren Landscape is just one town, but it defines an entire region. Follow an eclectic mix of characters as they navigate the towns and deserts of New Mexico en route to a mysterious game, whose prize strikes the imagination of the hard men and women of the land. A series of non-sequential, linked stories that tell the tales and fate of hired guns, quick draw artists, cutthroat businessmen, and simple townspeople.

• 1. "Killing Dirty": Jack Hemmingway rides into town with an invite that wasn't easy to get, but riding out may be even harder. In the first part of this series, visit Barren Landscape, a Western town that law forgot.
• 2. "Agastache Cana": A chance meeting between a would-be doctor and a young Indian looking for a gift for his bride. Mistaken gunfire and a conversation show the truth behind the men. Set at the bottom of a narrow ravine, can these two enemies survive? Or will the landscape, their own hatred, or something else spell the end of them?
• 3. The Flint and the Sword": Revealing the history of the Man in the Green Hat. This tale gives a glimpse into the origin of the poker game and its prize from "Killing Dirty": Featuring several previously seen characters, but focusing on the peculiar Cassian Maddux, a Welsh escape artist and master of the sleight of hand. Plot lines grow thicker as more questions appear. A crucial lynch pin in the series’ central storyline.
• 4. "Grey Sky Spilling": Two assassins are hired to kill Tall Dave. They enter town in the middle of the night, during a driving rainstorm, when they encounter a young girl named Kasey. Her grit and personality are both endearing and strange. With her help, they track down their target, but what darkness is to be found in a town where the rain and the night never seem to end?
• 5. "The Ones that Need Killing": The final chapter of Volume One features an epic quick draw.

©2013 Pete Clark (P)2014 Pete Clark