Montana Stories Feature Strongly at Unique Online Bookstore

With a slogan "Autographed Books Make Great Gifts", Writers West.com has http://www.writerswest.com a variety of unique titles, and many of them are about Montana. In the fourteen months since Writers West began online sales of books about the American West, the number of authors joining this consortium of western writers has steadily increased.

Helena’s K. Follis Cheatham, started Writers West in 2003. She thought of this Internet idea during the 2003 Western Writers of American convention in Helena. "I was alarmed that the hosting chain store wouldn’t carry the titles of over twenty authors of the one hundred western authors involved," says Cheatham, a convention co-chair. Cheatham and the convention committee acted as bookseller for these authors.

When Writers West became active online, many Montana authors joined in. Readers can choose books from

¨ Two-time WILLA winner Gladys Smith, from Hamilton;

¨ Owen Wister recipient Richard S. Wheeler of Livingston, author of The Exile—a novel about Thomas Frances Meagher—and the acclaimed Skye’s West series;

¨ Photography and cowboy poetry is available from Mike Logan (Helena);

¨ Ranching tales from Ken Overcast (Chinook);

¨ The site features the highly acclaimed Janet Muirhead Hill’s (Norris) six STARLIGHT BOOKS ("Bringing Horse Lore to Life");

¨ SPUR Finalist, K. Follis Cheatham, author of Spotted Flower and the Ponokomita—a story of the Northern Plains in 1736.

Books about Montana can also be found from other Writers West authors.

¨ Two of Elizabeth Butler’s five Romance titles are set in the Treasure State: one in Ft. Benton and the new release, Libby, has Virginia City as a backdrop.

¨ Pat Decker Nipper’s Love on the Lewis and Clark Trail is an interesting Romance, based on legends from the Nez Perce and sprinkled with entries from William Clark’s diary.

¨ Former Montana resident Dennis W. Fabel, has a historical novel about Electa Bryan and Henry Plummer;

¨ and skilled artisan Shoni Maulding, a fifth-generation Montanan (currently living in Washington state), has a great how-to book on Hitched Horsehair.

Along with these regional selections, Writers West offers signed collector-edition books, several by the late Glendon Swarthout—including his classic THE SHOOTIST (which was made into John Wayne’s last film). There are traditional action westerns, more award winners, contemporary western novels, Christian westerns, research books on Western history, and a selection of books for young readers—nonfiction as well as fiction—many of which feature Montana as a setting.

"Some of the Writers West titles would be hard to find in other bookstores," Cheatham says. "Like the historical novels that cover little known facts about the West." These include Philip Swatek’s The Pontotoc Conspiracy, or The Burnt District, by Ellen Gray Massey. "And I’m proud to be able to feature so many Montana authors and titles on this site."

SIDE BAR:

Writers West is an independent consignment bookstore, where the author sets the price for his work and receives 75% profit from the sale. There is no setup fee—no monthly charge. At Writers West, buyers don’t have to click through pages of other titles to find the Western they want. All the books are Westerns: fiction, poetry, children’s titles, short stories, and American history. Many of the books are autographed, and buyers are guaranteed that the majority of the purchase price goes directly to the author.

"I love westerns!" one customer wrote. "Your site has provided me an opportunity to see published work that our bookstores do not carry…"

Montana books and authors can be found at http://www.writerswest.com . Writers West is part of Get It Together Productions, a registered business in the state of Montana. Sales are managed by CCNow, which is noted for its secure handling of all credit card orders.

Best regards,

Angela Kelly, Public Relations Coordinator

Raven Publishing, Inc.

PO Box 2885

Norris, MT 59745

P: 866.685.3545

F: 406.685.3599

E: [email protected]