September 2015 will see the release of my Western novel Mesilla. I am beyond excited about it. I’ve loved Westerns nearly my whole life, and working with Dane Bahr and Dock Street Press has been an absolute dream. I’m also excited to officially unveil the back-of-the-book synopsis:
1863, New Mexico Territory. Shot full of holes and on the run from the relentless pursuit of his one-time friend now intent on retribution, Confederate deserter Everett Root finds himself navigating the brutal desert headed to the town of Mesilla, where he believes salvation lies. But when Everett stumbles on a cache of silver, and a young girl who’s lost everything, he is forced to take stock of his past and his future. Full of sprawling landscapes and wild gunmen, Mesilla is a story of one man’s resolve to rectify the wrongs he has committed and make peace with his place in the world.
And it’s already received some advance praise from Matthew Gavin Frank, author of the incredible Preparing the Ghost:
“In a mounting gush of sumptuous prose, Robert James Russell’s Mesilla scrubs bare the elements of the classic Western—the wounded, questing hero, the damsel in distress, the shoot-outs, the relationship with the horse, the murderous, phantasmal villain in hot pursuit—and reinvents them as existential meditation.”
You can find the full quote from Mr. Frank here. I’m beyond delighted he enjoyed it so.
September 2015 can’t come fast enough.