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Rod Miller

    Rod Miller is a versatile author celebrated for his compelling narratives of the American West, often delving into themes of honor, endurance, and the untamed beauty of the frontier. His prose and poetry evoke a strong sense of place and time, capturing the rugged realities and mythic essence of life on the edge. Miller's style is characterized by its rich language and profound understanding of the historical and cultural context, offering readers an enriching glimpse into the soul of the West.

    Cold as the Clay
    And the River Ran Red: A Novel of the Massacre at Bear River
    Rawhide Robinson Rides the Tabby Trail
    This Thy Brother
    Justice and Mercy
    Rawhide Robinson Rides a Dromedary
    • 2024

      OUTLAWMAN

      • 222 pages
      • 8 hours of reading

      The book delves into the life of Matt Warner, a notorious figure in the American West, exploring his transformation from a lawman to an outlaw. It captures the tumultuous era of the late 19th century, highlighting Warner's involvement in various escapades, including train robberies and conflicts with law enforcement. The narrative paints a vivid picture of the challenges and choices faced by those living on the fringes of society, offering insights into the complexities of justice and morality in a lawless land.

      OUTLAWMAN
    • 2024

      Justice and Mercy

      • 258 pages
      • 10 hours of reading

      SPUR AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR ROD MILLER Justice Payne built a town on an island in a river. He owns all the land and buildings as well as many of the businesses that occupy the buildings, and collects rent and taxes from the others. As self-appointed judge, mayor, tax assessor, and holder of every other office of note, Justice controls all aspects of life in his town. Most accept the situation, if grudgingly. All, that is, except for Mercy O'Malley, owner and madam of a profitable brothel on the island. Justice and Mercy are often at odds. He suspects her of short-changing him financially and she resents his autocratic highhanded manner. Mercy foments a strike and a revolt, demanding elections. Will Justice prevail? Will Mercy? Follow the rollicking conflict through the pages of Justice and Mercy.

      Justice and Mercy
    • 2023

      Silver Screen Cowboy

      • 290 pages
      • 11 hours of reading

      Rod Miller, an acclaimed Spur Award-winning author, brings his storytelling prowess to life in this captivating work. The narrative delves into rich characters and immersive settings, showcasing Miller's talent for blending history with engaging plots. Readers can expect a compelling exploration of themes that resonate with the human experience, all while being entertained by Miller's signature writing style. This book promises to be a memorable addition to the author's impressive repertoire.

      Silver Screen Cowboy
    • 2022

      This Thy Brother

      • 245 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      "The new life they find in New Mexico is not what the Pate and Lewis families hoped for. Driven by disagreements with their father, eldest sons Richard and Melvin abandon the Pate family to join eastbound freighters on the Santa Fe Trail, an antidote that provides no relief. Younger brother Abel works with his father to build a ranching empire atop the Pajarito Plateau, while the Lewis family establishes a thriving mercantile network in Santa Fe and outlying communities. The families you met in Father unto Many Sons return in This Thy Brother as they face the challenges of poverty, discrimination, war, graft, rustlers, romance, and the harsh realities of life in the desert Southwest. Together, the families work for prosperity while the departed sons turn toward a different future. Will a tenuous foothold in a new land hold firm? Can the broken families survive? Will-can-the prodigal sons return? Seek answers to these and other questions in the pages of This Thy Brother"--

      This Thy Brother
    • 2022

      Set against the backdrop of the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, this narrative intertwines a poignant love story with a historical tragedy. Polly Alden, an Arkansas emigrant, and Tom Langford, a young Mormon, navigate a landscape rife with animosity between their communities. As tensions escalate during the wagon train's journey, their love is tested by fear and hatred. This tale explores the profound themes of love versus hate and the struggle between good and evil, inspired by a dark chapter in American history.

      With a Kiss I Die: A Novel of the Massacre at Mountain Meadows
    • 2022

      All My Sins Remembered

      • 236 pages
      • 9 hours of reading
      4.3(13)Add rating

      Set in a desolate desert, a roadhouse serves as the last stop for weary travelers on an abandoned stagecoach route. The establishment offers basic accommodations and is run by a crude proprietor, creating a rough atmosphere. A regular mail carrier senses that the roadhouse holds dark secrets, leading him to suspect that for some visitors, it may be a final destination rather than a mere pit stop. The story unfolds with themes of isolation, survival, and the hidden dangers lurking in remote places.

      All My Sins Remembered
    • 2021

      "January 29, 1863. United States Army troops attack a Shoshoni village on the banks of the Bear River in what is now southeastern Idaho. Four hours later, the army abandons the field, leaving behind the dead bodies of some three hundred men, women, and children. This all-but-forgotten massacre stands today as the worst killing of Indians by the military in the history of the American West. In the pages of And the River Ran Red, four-time Spur Award-winning author Rod Miller puts human faces and feelings on this incomparable tragedy. Follow Shoshoni leaders Bear Hunter and Sagwitch, military officers Colonel Patrick Edward Connor and Major Edward F. McGarry, Mormon leader Brigham Young, and frontiersman Porter Rockwell in a tapestry of intrigue and violence leading up to the massacre, and its aftermath. Chilling in its detail, scrupulous in its portrayal of history, And the River Ran Red sheds light on a dark day that deserves to come out of the shadows and find its place in the history of the West"--

      And the River Ran Red: A Novel of the Massacre at Bear River
    • 2021

      A Thousand Dead Horses

      • 236 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      Set against the backdrop of the Old West, the narrative follows Daniel Boone Trewick, who escapes a violent conflict in Missouri by joining a freighting team to Santa Fe. He partners with Thomas "Pegleg" Smith on a daring horse-stealing expedition to California. Meanwhile, Juan Medina, a young vaquero wrongfully imprisoned, is forced to join a posse hunting the thieves. As they navigate the dangers of their pursuits, Boone and Juan unite to transform their stolen bounty into a chance for a better life, amidst the tragic loss of a thousand horses in the Mojave Desert.

      A Thousand Dead Horses
    • 2021

      Cold as the Clay

      • 340 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      SPUR AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR ROD MILLER Orphaned, homeless, and on the verge of manhood, Wilson Hayes finds refuge in the employ of powerful rancher Jesse Longmore. Cowboy skills, tenacity, and grit propel the young man's rise to a powerful position on the Fishhook Ranch and membership in the family-but Longmore's belief that he has become a threat results in his driving Hayes away and into the uncomfortable company of an outlaw band and then a rival rancher. Follow Wilson Hayes on an empire-building quest of biblical proportions as he seeks a way home to the Fishhook. "Rod Miller has been taking home those Spur Awards, and it's no small wonder. He's a cowboy who writes like one, and even talks like one. But he's got a real grip on the genre with Cold as the Clay. Don't read it in an isolated line shack, it's a tough story by a master storyteller." -Dusty Richards, Western Writers Hall of Fame author

      Cold as the Clay
    • 2020

      Pinebox Collins

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      "Jonathan Collins is a relatively young man when he loses a leg in the Civil War, but he quickly learns to cope. He carves his own wooden leg, then he turns his skills to making coffins and, finally, undertaking. Since both trades are best plied where there's a constant need, he sets up shop in violent towns, and in one of those towns he meets Wild Bill Hickock. These towns are no place for a lonely man, so Jon, now nicknamed "Pinebox," relocates to Utah, meets a girl, and learns real carpentry; but then his hopes for the future are dashed and the girl is lost. Pinebox takes up drinking alone. Soon, his story revolves around meetings with Hickock. Each visit involves outlawry and requires a new wooden leg. Even after Hickock dies, he still calls to Pinebox, and there is a story there in the cards carved on Pinebox's latest leg. Miller's latest (Father unto Many Sons, 2018) is a mystery for Western lovers"--

      Pinebox Collins