A Man Called Outlaw [Paperback]

K. M. Weiland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Acclaim for A Man Called Outlaw

“...a big ’ol western, raw and real. It’s got gut-wrenching bravery and desperate cowardice. Dare I say it? It has True Grit.”—Naomi D. Musch

“…absolutely haunting in its realism and stunning in poetic beauty. Read it, love it, ache with it.”—Sam Jenne

“I started reading this book and could not put it down. I stayed up until 2:00 am completely absorbed and enthralled. K.M. Weiland has a way of writing that just pulls you into the story and won’t let you out until the last page is closed.”—Anna Naylor

About the Book

One man stood up unafraid.

One man fell alone.

One man’s courage became a legend.

Thirty years ago, a mysterious outlaw died a heroic death in an attempt to protect the Wyoming Territory from a ruthless cattle baron. Now, the adopted son of the outlaw’s enemy must choose between the power he’s been brought up to wield and the truth about what the outlaw was fighting for. He must choose between supporting the man who raised him and protecting the ranch of the woman he’s loved from childhood.

More Praise for A Man Called Outlaw

“One week ago, I had 2 novels on my list that if I were to see someone in a bookstore debating over whether or not to buy it, I’d tell them: ‘You need to read that one.’ Today, I have 3. And this is it.”—Lorna G. Poston

“A fast flowing story with action, morals, conflict of interests and love….”—Glynis Smy

“This is a well plotted and paced story. Her characters are fully developed. The stories move rapidly in two parallel tracks separated by 30 years. The author’s fine hand accurately paints details of time and places. A GREAT READ!”—Walter Danley, Jr.

Fans of Louis L’Amour’s and Zane Grey’s classic westerns are sure to love A Man Called Outlaw.

More gritty action from K.M. Weiland:

Behold the Dawn—The sins of a bishop. The vengeance of a monk. The secrets of a knight.

The Memory Lights—A pickpocket in the slums of Victorian England, she has no memory of her past . . . except for the street lamps that haunt her.

One More Ride in the Rain—One last battle remains for three weary Confederate soldiers. Their only choice: to run or to fight?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

K.M. Weiland grew up chasing Billy the Kid and Jesse James on horseback through the sand hills of western Nebraska, where she still lives. A lifelong fan of history and the power of the written word, she enjoys sharing both through her novels and short stories. She blogs at Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors (wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com). Visit her website: www.kmweiland.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: PenForASword Publishing (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978924606
• ISBN-13: 978-0978924607
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,356,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors other writers through her website, editing services, workshops, books, CDs, and blogs.

Why I write:
Stories are like breathing. Life without a story in my head is one-dimensional, stagnant, vapid. I love the life God has given me, but I think I love it better because I'm able to live out so many other lives on the page. I'm more content to be who I am because I'm not trapped in that identity. When I sit down at my computer and put my fingers on the keys, I can be anyone or anything, at any time in history. I write because it's freedom.

Writing routine:
I set aside two hours, five days a week, to write, usually between four and six p.m. I'm a firm believer in Peter de Vries claim: "I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning." I spend the first half hour scribbling ideas in a writing journal, reviewing character sketches and research notes, reading an article on the craft, and proofreading what I wrote the day before. Then I pick a soundtrack, say a prayer for guidance, and dive in.

Process:
It takes years sometimes for my ideas to find their way onto the page. After the first kernel of inspiration takes root, I play with it and play with it, discovering characters and scenes and plot twists. Finally, when I think it's ready, I dig out a notebook and start sketching ideas and outlines. Depending on the subject matter, I spend a few months researching, then take a deep breath and pray that all the work will pay off in a way that will glorify God.

Inspiration:
Most of my story ideas begin with a character and a place. An outlaw in the Wyoming Territory. A mercenary knight in the Crusades. A vigilante plantation owner in Kenya. A female spy in the Napoleonic Wars. A barnstormer in early 20th-century Kansas. After that, who knows? Inspiration is a gift from God: bits and pieces, tiny ideas that bloom into unexpected treasures.

Advice:
Writing is both a gift and an art. As a gift, it must be approached with humility: the writer is only the vessel through which inspiration flows. As an art, it must be approached with passion and discipline: a gift that's never developed wasn't worth the giving.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Man Called Outlaw, by K.M. Weiland: A Review August 1, 2010

By David Kubicek

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I won't say too much about the plot of A Man Called Outlaw. To do so might give away too much information, and I hate giving spoilers.

This novel tells two stories, thirty years apart, and switches back and forth between them--a few chapters in 1887, then a few chapters in 1858-9, then back to 1887 again. In the end the story-lines merge, and loose ends are tied up.

I hope that's not giving away too much. But it's obvious from the beginning that there are two stories going on. I even guessed the big secret long before the ending, but that didn't lessen the suspense. I was still eager to see how the story played out.

The author does a good job of maintaining suspense, and despite what I thought I knew, it kept me riveted until the end. In addition to the "greedy rancher trying to force the smaller ranchers off their land" plot, the 1887 protagonist, Shane Lassiter, is struggling with his own ethical and moral dilemma. Both problems are resolved in the novel's explosive conclusion.

Have I given too much away? I'll shut up now. This is a great read and a good addition to every western afficianado's library.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Thought-Provoking And Emotion-Inducing" November 28, 2009

By Brenna

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Hmm. I have mixed feelings about this story. But "mixed" pretty much describes it: bitter mixed with sweet.

The layout of the novel was...shall I say irksome at times, because it kept going back and forth between two times, two stories. It seemed like every time I was getting into the problems of one set of characters, I'd be forced back to the others...and then I'd get into those characters and then be ripped back to the others again. (And so on and so forth.) Some characters overlapped both times, and the conflict was pretty much the same, down to the same main villain (who was incredibly annoying--gah! So evil and manipulative--there were so many times when I just wanted him to die...but then, that was kind of the point, I guess...). Anyway, I'm rambling, so I'll get back to the point.

I should've guessed it would be a bittersweet story by the end of chapter two, after being introduced to the protagonist of the earlier time--who I knew was dead in the later time. And his inevitable death made me sad, because I liked him. Possibly/probably more than the protagonist of the later time.

The ending was somewhat ambiguous. It wrapped up the main plot, but kind of left me hanging on "what happens next?" regarding the main character. But then, such an ending rather fit with the themes (for lack of a better word...maybe I'm thinking of "tone") of the story.

If this all sounds negative, I don't mean it to. It was a good story, well-written (K.M. Weiland has become a new favorite author of mine), and one of the most thought-provoking and emotion-inducing ones I've read in a long time. I just wish it were... happier.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting read! June 19, 2009

By Norm

Format:Paperback

You will experience a wide array of emotions as you read "A Man Called Outlaw"--a story that will excite you, bring you to tears and infuriate you at the wickedness of the villain! The book is written in an interesting style--implementing a flashback to events 30 years earlier every other chapter or so. Keeps the reader on his toes! Hard to put down--a great action-packed western novel.