Western Fictioneers Announces the 8th Annual Peacemaker Award Winners

(For Westerns Published in 2017)

BEST FIRST WESTERN NOVEL:

GALLOWAY’S GAMBLE by Howard Weinstein (Five Star Publishing)

Finalists:

THE BLOODLETTING, Greg Barth (Greg Barth)

EL RENO, Kevin L. Evans (Kevin L. Evans)

COYOTE COURAGE, Scott Harris (Scott Harris)

THE OPEN ROAD, M.M. Holaday (Five Star Publishing)

BEST NOVEL:

THE PECOS UNDERTAKER by Mel Odom writing as Colby Jackson (Mel Odom)

Finalists:

BILL RILEY’S HEAD, Douglas Hirt (Five Star Publishing)

OUT OF THE DARKNESS, Robert D. McKee (Five Star Publishing)

HARD TO QUIT, Mark Mitten (Milford House Press)

DESTINY AT DRY CAMP, John D. Nesbitt (Five Star Publishing)

BEST WESTERN YA/CHILDRENS FICTION:

STRANDED by Matthew P. Mayo (Five Star Publishing) 

Finalists:

WEST FROM THE CRADLE, Brigid Amos (Clean Reads)

A RANGER RETURNS, James J. Griffin (Painted Pony Books)

THE CRY NOT HEARD, Cliff Hudgins (Wolfpack Publishing)

CLOAKED, Rachel Kovaciny (White Rook Press)

BEST SHORT FICTION:

(tie) “The Armadillo’s Hole Saloon” by Mel Odom writing as Colby Jackson (Mel Odom), and “Train Robbery” by Mel Odom (BASS REEVES, FRONTIER MARSHAL, VOLUME 2, Airship 27 Productions)

Finalists:

“Tibby’s Hideout” by Frank Kelso (THE POSSE, Intellect Publishing, LLC)

“Firewater” by Olivia Norem (Olivia Norem)

“The Society of the Friends of Lester McGurk” by Richard Prosch (BEST OF THE WEST, Sundown Press)

Western Fictioneers would like to thank the judges for the excellent job they did and the long hours they devoted to reading the submissions.