Gold Under Ice, the sequel to God’s Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana, is available now on Amazon. I self-published God’s Thunderbolt in 2008 through CreateSpace (then BookSurge), but this time, I was honored to accept Craig Lancaster‘s proposal to publish Gold Under Ice as the inaugural book for his new imprint, Missouri Breaks Press. I’m proud to be associated with this new venture, which Craig founded to bring the best in literary Western fiction to an ever-expanding readership. He is himself a Montana author of note, having written 600 Hours of Edward, which is both a Montana Honor Book and a Finalist in the High Plains Book Awards. (It’s one of my favorites, too.)
From the back cover, here’s a short synopsis of the story:
Money. Greenbacks vs. gold. The Lincoln administration prints greenbacks to pay the Union armies, and in the Gold Room off Wall Street traders pit the greenback against the gold Double Eagle. By January 1864, the greenback loses nearly half its value. An angry President Lincoln wishes gold traders – traitors all – were “shot in the head.”
While far to the west, in Alder Gulch, Montana Territory, millions in gold lie under the ice of Alder Creek. Gold-seekers pray for spring.
When the ice breaks, Daniel Stark rescues a man hurled into the frigid water, only to learn that his autocratic grandfather sent the man to bring him back with gold to pay his family’s debt.
But Dan does not have enough gold to rescue the family from their financial burden. If he joins the gold traders, he could make enough to pay the debt and secure his family’s future. Or lose everything and be branded a traitor to the Union.
To all of you who have asked about the sequel to God’s Thunderbolt, thank you for your interest. And especially, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to tell me you loved the book.
