Texas Author, A.C. Croom

NEW RELEASE - PROPHETS REST

2011-06-21T09:35:00.001-05:00

COMING IN JULY 2011

PROPHETS REST

A father’s incautious moment, a trusted friend’s indiscretion and a daughter’s naïve and
foolish mistake set the stage for a peaceful mountain valley to become a battleground. GOLD!

The one the magnet that could attract one of the deadliest band of outlaws in the west into
Shannon Hill’s serene world and turn her young life into a deadly blood feud to avenge her dead
father and kill Billy “Gunner” Farren and any of his bloodthirsty gang she can find.

Tucker Prophet, Ex-Captain in the re-formed Texas Rangers, and his men are on the same
trail for different reasons. It leads them along the Arkansas River, into the Colorado Mountains.

Billy Farren made a fatal mistake. He killed Tucker’s younger brother and only surviving
family member. The crime takes a back seat to vengeance and a sworn Texas Ranger gives up
his badge and will chase Farren through and beyond the gates of hell to see him pay with his life
for that killing.

Prophets Rest turns into a battleground as a daughter’s unfaltering love and deadly
anger team up with a brother’s vengeance to face Gunner Farren for the final showdown to
end this reign of terror.

EXCERPT:

“You say it’s all in there?” Prophet asked.

“Yes, along with the tools needed for mining.”
“Well, blast everything, who put it there? Maryanne said that it wasn’t her husband. That
leaves only the other two farm owners and neither one of them can tell us. Just who has been
mining that ridge if it wasn’t them? If that blood trail is as clear on the other side of the ridge as it
was here, it won’t be long until Farren and his men will be here, gunning for blood.”
“I put it there!” Shannon stated as she walked up to the group.
“Damn, you shouldn’t be up.” He rushed to her side.
“I’m fine, honestly. Don’t fuss so. I’m just a little shaky. If I move slowly it’s okay.” She sat on
a large tree stump. “Want to know what you found?”
“If you don’t mind. There’s gold hidden in there and I believe that’s why the other valley was
attacked.”
“All right. You found the Still Water Mine. Or rather, the gold my Papa, Red Baker, and
Shorty Hobbs dug from it. They have been coming up here for two years. Mama didn’t know.”

She cast a tearful look to Maryanne Hill. “I told Papa that someone was watching the valley.
Remember? He knew which valley I was talking about and he guessed what they were looking
for. I moved his share of the gold here two months ago so there wouldn’t be a reason for trouble
at the farm. I was wrong; trouble came anyway and Papa was killed because of that gold.

“Mama, I begged Papa not to use gold to buy our winter supplies last fall, but he wouldn’t
listen. He said that with the price of prime pelts and farm goods down, there was no other way to
feed us and have the seed for spring if he didn’t use the gold. I’m sorry, Mama.”

“That’s all right, baby. Your father and I didn’t have many secrets. If he was the man I
always believed him to be, it would be just like him to keep it from me to protect me. And, I did
know he and the others were prospecting in their spare time. But I didn’t know they had found
anything.” The two women embraced, tears flowed from their eyes as they faced the truth.

Shannon raised her hand to an aching head and Tucker saw the pain flash in her eyes.
“Here, let me help you back to the cabin.” He offered his hand.
“Thank you, it’s probably best I go back for a while.” She smiled.
She leaned into his shoulder as the two neared the cabin. The dizziness had returned. She
cast a sad eye on the temporary curtain they had hung on her door.
“I wish it had been me that shot that son-of-a-bitch. I would have killed him just for the extra
work he has caused me. Look at the damage in here.”

Tucker grinned. “Yeah, you’ll be all right.”
She punched him half-heartedly and they both started laughing. Sitting on the edge of the
bed, she cast her eyes at the floor.
“Please forgive me for not telling you about the gold. I’ve grown so used to hiding it that
it didn’t become obvious why this trouble started until I had my face rubbed in it out there just
now.” Tears dripped from her face to the cabin floor.

He reached down and took her hand. Shannon raised her head and he leaned down and
kissed her tenderly.
“Why all this started doesn’t matter much. These men would kill for the price of a bottle of
whiskey. Now, I know why Gunner Farren is here and I know what he’s looking for. He will come
to us.”
“Hmmm? I’ll kill him if he comes here!” Shannon declared.
“For the gold?”
“No, not for the gold; I’ll have his blood for killing my Papa, Caleb, and the others; and, for
leading a gang of rapists and murderers to my home.” Fatigue was showing in her voice.

****

Gunner tried for the fifth time to focus his eyes. One drink too many the night before left him
hung-over and in a sour mood. He counted four men and one woman near what he thought was
a storm or root cellar. He simply couldn’t see that well.

One arm of the dual ridgeline faded to a rocky ledge forty yards from the rear of the copse of
trees around the cabin itself. The cellar was near the corral outside the trees, and there were six
horses in the corral. He raised his hand to shield the sun from his eyes and looked again, trying
to see the sixth rider.

If I send in two men down each ridge to hide in ambush, and me and Fred sneak up the
middle, we can sit in the rocks and draw them out so the others can pick them off one at a
time as they try to take out Fred and me.

He pushed his bulk from the ground and returned to the rough camp hidden at the tree line.
It was far enough away that it couldn’t be spotted accidentally and close enough for surveillance
and launching the final attack. Once there, he motioned three men to his side.

“You boys done been with me a long time an’ I’m depending on you sons-of-bitches.”
“Yeah, Boss.”
“You betcha, Boss. We can do what ya want.”
Lefty was silent.
“Well, asshole, can I depend on ya or not?” Gunner demanded.
“Yeah, Boss, you can,” Lefty replied. “But I gotta tell ya. I have a bad feelin’ about this. It jus’
don’t sit good.”
“A bad feelin’? What the hell does that mean? Look, you little redneck, I need you in this
attack. You been harpin’ for years I don’t give ya nothing important ta do. Now that I do, you
start crawfishin’ ta beat tha band. Shit!”
“Well, ya want me to say if I can do it? Yeah! But it’s just somethin’ about those fellers —”
“Shut tha hell up. We move at first light. You take Ed and when I give the word, ride down
the right side ridge trail and set up to cover that cabin. Pete, you an’ Paco take the left trail;
same thing, ya hear? Fred, you and me gonna spur off the left side and get in those rocks in the
middle.
“Like as not, them men will just give on up and turn tail when the shootin’ starts. If they
don’t, we ride em down an’ kill ever mother’s son of them. I saw at least one woman; she lives.
An’ I saw another horse; might mean one more hiding in there.

“Y’all listen; theys either five, or maybe six, in there. I don’t want no shootin’ unless you
have a clear target. Y’all hear me good; they won’t be nobody walkin’ away from that cabin by
nightfall! Now, y’all go get ready. Fred, I want all this over as quick as possible. Then we ride to
that valley and tear the damn thing apart till we get the gold. Go on, move.”

My New Trailer For Delta Trails

2011-01-25T19:23:00.001-06:00

It took a little while, with a whole lot of help from my friends, but I finally have my first Trailer. I hope you enjoy it enough to want to read Delta Trails.

It is available from http://www.eternalpress.biz/ , http://www.fictionwise.com/ ,

http://www.goodreads.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Happy Reading

INVITATION TO ETERNAL PRESS; LAUNCH CHAT FOR DELTA TRAILS!

2011-01-07T13:08:00.000-06:00

Launch Chat For Delta Trails

Delta Trails (Novel, Historical Romance)

Hello all,

My novel "Delta Trails" went live on the EP website at midnight

and I will be part of the January 7th Launch Chat tonight at 6:30PM

Central Standard Time in the Eternal Press Chat Room. I hope to see some of you

there as I offer an excerpt and try my best to answer your questions.

The link to the EP Chat Room is http://www.eternalpress.biz/chat.php

Let the chat room page load

You will see a login frame

Type your name in user box

Hit login button (no password needed)

Here is the Blurb for Delta Trails:

Elation at being home after three years quickly turns to anger and then

frustration as Nate Parker pursues the fiends that have taken his fiancé. The

year long search along Delta Trails leads him into danger that he gladly faces

as retribution for the wrongs done to himself and his neighbors.

When the final showdown comes he and others put their lives on the line to

eliminate a well organized gang of criminals preying upon the people of the

south that have been left little enough after five years of constant warfare. In

the end, Justice wins out.

But, Nate has other battles to fight; those of a more personal nature. He has to

decide if he wants to remain what he has become or go back to the life his

parents raised him to lead.

I feel honored to become part of the Eternal Press family and look forward to a

long relationship with the company. (insert prayer here)

I'm A.C. Croom, and I write!

INTERVIEWED BY: WRITER TIM MARQUITZ

2010-11-23T13:56:00.000-06:00

Author Spotlight – A.C. Croom

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Tim Marquitz http://tmarquitz.com/

Today I’d like to welcome author A.C. Croom to the Dark Fantastic.

A fellow Texan, A.C. is an artist, a musician, and a writer. coming from a family of storytellers, it’s no surprise that A.C. followed in their footsteps, weaving tales steeped in the grandeur of history.

Here’s A.C. to tell us more:

Tell us a little about yourself.

AC: Now that’s a tough question. How do I condense sixty years into a couple of paragraphs?

I was born and raised in a small town in Louisiana. My Father was a World War II Army veteran, and my Mother was raised on a cotton farm. After his passing, my Mother, brother and I moved to several areas of the country with her seeking work to keep us fed. I attended five different high schools, one of them being a private school. Our travels ended in Midland, Texas; which I thought was very end of the earth, with all the sand and very few trees across the countryside.

It was there that I met my wife of 43 years. Together we raised a son and daughter and I now have five grand children, the oldest of which is now in the Army and due to be married in March.

I have spent the bulk of my life working in the oil industry in one form or another. I have owned my own business, went back to school when I was in my forties and traveled extensively. I have always dabbled in the arts with music, (I am a guitarist) pencil and charcoal sketches and writing; both prose and poetry. And, I read voraciously. The funny part is that I do not write in the genre that I read.

Your newest book, Delta Trails, is set to be released through Eternal Press in January. Give us a little insight into the book and how it came about.

AC: The Mississippi Delta is a vast, rich area of the United States, that at one time became the very heart of the Confederate States of America. While only one major battle was fought along the Mississippi River after the fall of New Orleans early in the war, other, lesser know clashes between the North and South were scattered up and down the states bordering it.

In 1865, the guns fell silent with Lee’s surrender in Virginia and soldiers of both sides returned home to pick up the pieces of their lives. My characters, Nathaniel Parker and Shawn Kelley were only two of the thousands that found things very different than when they left their homes to fight for their beliefs.

Nate Parker found that the woman he was betrothed to had been kidnapped only days before his return. He turned to the gun as a way to seek her abductors and free her if possible. Thus became his Delta Trail. Chasing leads that led to additional information or dead ends, he is transformed into a gunfighter and self made vigilante.

Shawn Kelley returns to New Orleans where he builds a reputation of one of the most gifted poker players in the area. His focus is to be as good, or better, than his father was before him. His success is noticed and he is invited to play against the best of the best. Along the way he finds he has fallen in love. In that day and age, poker could be a deadly pastime and Delta Trails points that out in spades. (Pardon the pun)

During the game, Nate Parker has followed a lead that brings him face to face with one of the men he has sought. When the smoke clears and the bodies are identified, Nate and Shawn once again join forces to ride the Delta Trail in search of outlaws that both now must find.

As a kid spending much time with my grandparents in southern Mississippi, my grandfather, my grandmother’s third husband, told me many tall tales that had been passed from his father to him as truth. Many of the minor characters bearing the names of my own ancestors; were deeply rooted in the stories that I had been told. The area I chose for the fictional town of Templetown, Mississippi actually was a land grant to those ancestors during the late 1700’s.

I added the locale of the Rising Sun Hotel after research showed that it was indeed rebuilt and in use before a second fire burned it to the ground. The twist on the song ‘House of the Rising Sun” also came from my research.

As a fan of Hemingway, Dickens, Zane Gray, and Twain, do you try to bring a sense of their grand adventure to your writing or do you write with a more modern approach?

AC: My influence by those masters of the written word left many options at my disposal.

Grand adventure; define that. All life is one adventure after another, be they grand or mundane. I believe that I take the same approach they did in writing. I write for the people of my time. For example: Hemingway wrote ‘The Old Man and The Sea’. That fishing trip was only different from others in his life because he caught the largest fish in his life and had to fight the sea to keep it. The audience for that book was the readers of Hemingway’s time. Delta Trails uses the same concept, but for a vastly different audience.

As a writer in the twenty-first century, I believe I have to be unique. My fiction must appeal to readers that have at their disposal, Hi-Tech Movies, HD Television and the myriad volumes of content on the internet. I do take a more modern approach simply because modern readers want more than stock footage.

You’ve got a couple of poems posted on your blog, From a Distance and Old Soldiers. Do you regularly write poetry, or do you only do it when there’s a subject that affects you so emotionally you can’t help but be inspired by it?

AC: That’s an easy one. Poetry is always based on emotion, be it Love or Hate, Happiness or Sadness. The Poet writes what he or she feels at the time, condensing those feelings into a shorter form than prose. Inspiration is an “In Your Face” thing to the poet. If the subject doesn’t deeply affect you, it can be expressed as a poem; it becomes prose and ends up non-fiction or fiction.

From what I can gather from Delta Trails and your blog, you seem to be a fan of history. Is there a specific time frame that inspires your writing?

AC: The past is what it is. Using that statement, I can build a story around it and, with time and patience, a book that may appeal to others. I have been called a History nut. I look back and can see what events caused the world to be what it is today. I continue to study History because I think it will give us insight into our world to come. The proof of that statement is that we as a people continue to make history,

I dearly enjoy reading and writing about the old west and the events that created the people of the era. The Civil War gave rise to heroes and villains that are still with us in today’s modern world. Had we never had a civil war, few of the most important men of the West would have existed. Gunfighters began their trade as soldiers with no place to go and no work to do. Lawmen began their trade as soldiers first and enforcers of the Reconstruction later. The displacement of millions during the Civil War gave rise to the migration west. Indian Wars were fought because of that migration.

To me, the turning point in America that made us who we are was the period between 1860 and 1885. The Civil War, modern industrialization, gold rushes and everyday life of the American people of that era inspire me to tell stories of how it really was and not just how I would have liked it to be.

Where can readers go to find out more about you and your work?

AC: I have a blog, http://ac-croom.blogspot.com and I am seeking someone to help me build a site where I can display and sell Delta Trails and other books I have had published and now own sole rights too.

ABOUT DELTA TRAILS

2010-11-20T07:30:00.007-06:00

Set For Release Through Eternal Press, January 2011.

The aftermath of the Civil War was one of financial depression, giving leave to unscrupulous men and women to prey upon the desperate and displaced, as well as land owners and farmers just trying to make ends meet. They used crime and wanton destruction as their weapon of choice. The, so called ‘Reconstruction’ was never meant to be a cure all in the southern states. It’s primary purpose was to replace rebellious politicians and seize so much wealth and land from the upper class, that never again would the South have the where-with-all to wage war upon the ruling North.

Roving gangs of spoilers, murderers, thieves and rapists skulked along the back trails of the Mississippi Delta, from Vicksburg to New Orleans, taking everything they desired from unarmed and disheartened repatriated citizens of the reformed Republic of the United States.

Some had begun early in the war; using their service in the Federal Army as cover for their nefarious activities. Many were quickly caught and made the short walk up the stairs of the nearest gallows. Others, however, had support from highly placed individuals and land owners and continued their operations long after the surrender at Appomattox.

Nate Parker saw these activities from both ends. His family was murdered, and his home burned to the ground shortly after the fall of New Orleans and the reinforcement of the Federal garrison at Fort Adams a short distance south of Templetown, Mississippi. That event, coupled with the new found love of his neighbor’s youngest daughter, propelled him into the war to fight for vengeance, the Southern Cause, and a promise to return and make good on his marriage proposal to the young lady. What he found upon his return was that his future father-in-law had been murdered in the same manner as his parents and that the girl, Lydia Compton, had been abducted for reasons unknown.

Shawn Kelly joined the Confederacy for very different reasons. He and his father had journeyed to America after the invasion of his homeland of Ireland by the ruling British to quell an uprising triggered by the infamous Potato Famine of the mid 1800’s. Living in New Orleans, he watched the fall and invasion of his new found home in much the same manner and anger caused him to take up the cause of the South.

Together, the two men stood shoulder to shoulder through three long years fighting one battle after another. During the month of Lee’s surrender in Virginia, a final pair of battles only days apart, saw the two men both the victors and the defeated. Paroled in the field, they were set on the road home. Neither knew what awaited them, but both were anxious to return to lives of a more normal nature.

What they found along their Delta Trail was far from normal. One turned to the gun to see justice done and his one true love returned to his side. The other found success beyond his wildest dreams before joining his old comrade in the search for justice; finding love of his own along the way.

I'm A.C. Croom and I Write!

New Publisher - New Book

2010-11-16T09:15:00.003-06:00

DELTA TRAILS

NOVEMBER 2010

After a year and a half of submitting, waiting, and resubmitting one story after another, my novel 'Delta Trails' was picked up by Eternal Press in July 2010. I now have a new publisher, the cover art as you can see above and I'm going through the editing process to offer you, the readers, the best entertainment possible. The book is set for digital release in January 2011 if everything goes as planned.

With this release, I will be adding a new web page to promote, not only Delta Trails, but my three other titles that I released in the past. There will be a shopping cart on the page for your convenience to purchase all my titles along with links to Eternal Press, Damnation Books and Realms Of Fantacy to check out titles carried by my new publisher and their subsidiaries.

I am looking forward to, once again, entertain with my stories. It has been over long since I have and I now have to opportunity to do so again.

I'm A.C. Croom and I Write!

Trials and Tribulations

2009-04-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

What No Publisher?

As most of you know already, Forbidden Publications has shut down. That leaves myself, and a lot of other writers to make hard decisions. A great majority of authors in the Forbidden stable were published in other markets and with other publishers; those hard working ladies and gentlemen will carry on without too many problems. It's a totally different story for others though; as you will see shortly.

In this craft, time and experience is a giant portion of ones ability to catch the eye of agents and publishers; whether they are involved with E-Publishing or the much sought after "Brick and Mortar" houses. It is as important, in many cases, as our skills as writers and the quality of our prose. The first thing that an Acquisitions Editor will see in a query will be a definite shortage of credits, and sales that were not all that great. Publishing is a numbers game and publishers are in business to support and market entertainment to readers that will raise the bottom line. That will often lead to a jaded view of any manuscript offered for review.

Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. A closer inspection of ones work will, in many cases, make strong points stand out as boldly as weak points in writing. Personally, I would want more than a cursory glance at any piece I submit before a decision is made. But, what of those that were still in the formative stage? Great plots do not just happen. Writing is a progressive, step by step, journey. You see, with every edit and rejection comes lessons learned that slowly make a writer better.

Decisions!

So, I and a lot of others need to find a new home for our work. It will not be short process. Some will remain in the realm of E-Pubs and some will take a shot at landing an agent and attempt to entice a New York publishing house to review their wares in hopes of breaking into the "Big League". And some will walk their books door to door as 'Self-Published' authors.

I haven't decided what I will do yet. I still add to stories that compel me. I chase my muse around the room in a frenetic frenzy when she comes whispering in my ear about a new idea or plot. I drink pots of coffee and burn the lights at home 'till early into each weekend morning. I am back at the stage of procrastination. I know I have a decision to make, yet I know I will not stop writing. So, what will I do now? Only time will tell.

I'm A.C. Croom, and I WRITE!

Writers write and Dreamers dream! I'm Both!

2008-03-02T20:49:00.000-06:00

She's beautiful isn't she? The culmination of thousands of years of evolution or one single instant of creation; take your pick. It is the dream of man to hold beauty close and cherish it. Offer himself or herself to an equal in the quest to create beauty, most times in the ultimate sharing of Love as soul mates, a fleeting, almost magical moment stretched into a single lifetime to be enjoyed time after time with smiles and happiness.

Writing is like that to me. A story begins with a single thought and grows to maturity in my imagination to become the most beautiful thing I can share. I try to know and understand each and every character in my stories so thoroughly that they can tell me the story in their own words. I try to create worlds that will please them and the people they entertain as their tale unfolds. I try to let the story end happily if I can.

When I was a young boy, I began to read the classic authors that were available to me; Hemingway, Dickens, Zane Grey, Longfellow and of course old Sam Clemens (Mark Twain). I read of impossible feats accomplished by determined heros, love as viewed in the 19th. century, hard fighting cowboys and the west as it should have been instead of the tough life that was in day to day reality, poetry that sang of far away lands with magical men and women, and innocence that always held purity high for all to see.

With all those beautiful images in my soul, how else could I be. Everyone has a story to tell. I have many! Once started on the road as a bard, it's hard to imagine life without the beauty of the telling or the happiness it brings.

I'm A.C. Croom and I write!

From A Distance

2006-08-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

It was February of this year when cancer claimed my mother. I watched her go through her ordeal for almost three years. Mother was always amazing in her strength facing lifes everyday burdens, but in this she was truly the rock that I anchored too.

Too many Mothers, Fathers, Sisters and Brothers face a similar fate and I am saddened that a non-destructive cure hasn't already been found to fight this modern day demon. Please, help support Cancer research by donating to the American Cancer Society so one day all of us may be able to look on this disease as a thing of the past.

In Honor Of My Mother!

From a Distance

From a distance I look and see
A woman with a tender heart watching over me
She smiles and I find what I most desire to be
A man of strength that can make my own fears flee

Hers is a world I have never had
I watch from a distance, far away and sad
She is untouchable now; that makes me mad
Her remembered smile makes me happy; that makes me glad

But for the touch of time
I would rush there and make her world mine
Tell her the things I feel; that would be fine
Alas, I miss her; I sit here and pine

I watch from a distance; what do I see
A lady in white smiling back at me
Showing me glory that will one day be
I call out to her; "Go now Lady, Move forward and fly free."

Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved

Memorial Day Tribute

2006-05-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

Throughout my life, I have been witness to one conflict after another around the world. Today the thought hit me that I, like many others, have taken for granted the men and women that were involved in those conflicts and sacrificed lives, health and sanity in the process.

Whether those men and women were our Fathers, Mothers, Sons or Daughters matters not. They fulfilled a duty to God, Country and Family they felt was overwhelmingly important to each of them. Some paid the ultimate price and others returned with a sense of loss that, despite moving on with building families and lives after the battles were over, is a continuing payment for defending the values taught them as children.

From the foot soldier to our military's top commanders, whether drafted, enlisted or Reserve Regulars, these American men and women continue to face the ugliness of military action and service for all of us. This is my "Thank You" for that service and sacrifice.

"Old Soldiers"

From Antietiam to the sands of Iraq
The Standard held high there and back
Honor is gained as they man their post
Some giving a little; Some giving the most

Valley Forge, Omaha Beach or The Wilderness Trails
Bearing the weight, no room to fail
The badges are different; The objective the same
Gallant Heroes all, no matter their name

Living and dying in jungles, forest or sand
Our Brothers and Sisters make the ultimate stand
Preserving our Freedom while sacrificing their own
Two hundred years of safety this country has known

From a Fortress in France to a hilltop in 'Nam
Facing demons of battle or 'tween war calm
All have a story depicting a determined force
Of friends as they fell, Of themselves bearing the torch

Army and Navy, Marines and the Guard
Look around and you can see them, still working hard
New faces have joined in protecting the Land Of The Free
Old Soldiers in the making; Fighting for you and for me!

Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved

To my Father: L.G. Croom (deceased), Pvt. 11th. Airborne 1945-1946
"He served his country and came home only to carry his burden till the Lord called him!"