Willie Nelson Writes Bad Western Novel
By Austin Sound • Jul 2nd, 2008 • Category: News •It appears Willie has somehow found the time to pen a new novel, or at least co-author one with fellow Texan and musician Mike Blakely. Called A Tale Out of Luck, the novel is due in September and according to Blakely’s website, designed to be adapted into a movie with Willie in the starring role. Well that’s pretty exciting, we reckon, except all the reviews that we’ve come across say the thing is God-awful. At least Willie will have something else to sell at his new truckstop. Hell, who are we kidding, we gonna buy it anyway, even if ain’t exactly Lonesome Dove.
Official synopsis of the novel after the jump:
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Retired Texas Ranger Captain Hank Tomlinson intends to spend the rest of his days raising cattle on his Broken Arrow Ranch, and nurturing his frontier town of Luck, Texas. But when the brutal murder and scalping of a mysterious drifter leads to a clash between cavalry soldiers and a band of Comanche Indians suspected of the killing, a full-scale Indian uprising seems likely. Worse yet, the murder of the drifter bears a disturbing resemblance to a string of killings Hank remembers from his distant and violent past as a Texas Ranger.
Meanwhile, Hank’s twenty-year-old son, Jay Blue, and his adoptive brother, Skeeter, find themselves on the trail of a valuable Kentucky mare who vanished under their watch. The trail leads them into the dangerous haunts of outlaws and vengeful Comanche warriors. Now Hank must attempt to keep his sons safe while trying to catch a murderer who he knows will soon strike again. His ace-in-the-hole is beautiful Flora Barlow, the tavern owner with a knack for detective work.
Though rival lawman, Matt Kenyon, and competing rancher, Jack Brennan, complicate Hank’s investigation, he and Flora slowly begin to uncover a crooked web of crime, deception, and murder. Dark secrets emerge, and everyone must choose sides as lawmen, outlaws, soldiers, and Indian warriors converge for a final, bloody confrontation.
I can’t believe this hadn’t happened already…
I think this is a part of the novel. If so, ugh:
“A few minutes later, arriving at the divide between the Colorado and Pedernales rivers, Poli paused to take in the long, open view to the northwest. He squinted. Good heavens, that looked like a dark line of ink on the skyline A norther was coming. A true Texas blue norther. The first of the fall. Oh, this was good! A coming norther always stirred the wild animals. They could feel it approaching somehow. He could kill that buck and make it home just about the time that norther struck, sometime after dark. This was perfect! He could hang the deer carcass to cool in the freezing-cold blast that he knew was coming. Venison always tasted better and chewed easier if you could hang it a few days.”
It was posted at http://www.esquire.com/blogs/books/Tale-Out-of-Luck-blog
It got a great review in Kirkus…a trade magazine in the publishing world. “Certainly Nelson’s fans—and there are countless numbers of them—should enjoy his literary foray into the Wild West.” – Kirkus Reviews