Introducing: Beneath the Valley Oak

Put on your Julie Newmar T-shirt and mount up.

Aug 05, 2024

I was twelve when I learned my dad rode a horse better than John Wayne. It was a beautiful summer’s day out on the Colorado trails, and I’d dressed accordingly, without giving more than a passing thought to the elements: Chucks, pegged jeans, a short-sleeved T-shirt with Julie Newmar as Catwoman on it—you know, trail wear.

I periodically whispered into my mare’s ear, “You’re doing so, so great.” I could tell she appreciated these affirmations by how she moseyed, occasionally stopping to nibble grass or stare into the distance, thinking her soft little horse thoughts.

My first time on horseback was going so, so great. You couldn’t imagine a more pleasant day.

But the thing about nature is, it cares not about expectations or comfort, and so, with a low rumble and flash of lightning, the skies darkened, and it became bitterly cold. My horse didn’t seem to care one way or another about the drop in temperature, nor did she care about the hail that began to pelt us. Soon, blood trickled down my arms.

My father rode back and forth down the line like he was searching for Curly’s gold.

Did I hear Rawhide playing in the distance? Do I still?

This was a seminal moment for me: the blood running down my arms, my connection with the horse beneath me, the static electricity in the air, and my father—the head deacon, the paint salesman—stripped of all obligation, finally in his authentic state.

The stories contained within this collection are dark, and yes, some of these tales fall into the horror genre, because nature is violence as much as nature is peace. It can turn on a dime, annihilate you or save you, and in our lives, it will do both.

We will all—every one of us—be caught in the hail at some point, our arms blue and bloodied.

Hell-bent for leather, we’ll push against the winds of change—fools are we.

And we will take the reins and ride into the storms of life. Authentic. Connected.

We don’t mimic nature, we are nature.
So, put on your Julie Newmar T-shirt and mount up. We’re goin’ for a ride.

Published under the Spare Press imprint, Beneath the Valley Oak is a collection of six dark tales from the Old West, including two previously unpublished stories, Perro Negro and Beneath the Valley Oak. This book is professionally bound and printed, and the first edition (50 copies) comes with a letterpress-printed book jacket—real classy like.

Buy Beneath the Valley Oak

Excerpt from Perro Negro:

The town was like the husk of a bug curled up in the heat. Still, Dale wanted kinship and whiskey, but more than anything else, he wanted to find an owner for the black dog that had been following him since Juárez.
Sweat trailed down his brown forehead and stung his eyes. His boots were like ovens roasting his toes, and he wanted desperately to kick them off. He wondered what had compelled him to leave the cool easy breeze of the Bay for the wild, hot Mexican winds all those years ago. Then he remembered: Ah yes, my luck ran out.

Excerpt from Beneath the Valley Oak:

He opened his eyes and his Bible. His face relaxed; it looked almost like the face of a man at peace. He spoke, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls.” Then he closed the Bible with a thump. “That girl was a whore. She should’ve never been in this town—in my town.”
I spit, and said, “This may be your town, but so will hell be yours.”
The preacher slammed his fist on the pulpit and shouted, “Ned was an enemy of God, and an enemy of this fine town!”
I wanted to tear off his face, but I resisted that urge. For my daughters I resisted. I turned and I left, cursing God for not striking the preacher dead where he stood.

Each of the six stories included in this collection was professionally edited by

S.E. Reid

. ✨

The jacket sleeve, letterpress printing, cover layout, and formatting were all done by

Rob Beckstrom

. Rob and I go way back, and I consider him one of my best homies and a creative legend. I’m honored to be the first Spare Press release.

Introducing: Beneath the Valley Oak

Put on your Julie Newmar T-shirt and mount up.

Contents:

Discussion about this post