As a western writer, I spend a lot of time reading
books about the time period. Much has been written about bad men, but what
about outlaw or bad women of the west? From the beginning of time women, just
like men have gone astray. In the current book I’m writing my heroine who is a
bounty hunter, is working as a card dealer in a saloon to catch the man she’s
hunting.
The idea came from reading a book called The
Lady Was A Gambler: True Stories of Notorious Women of the Old West by
Chris Enss. The book tells the tales of fifteen women who either gambled or
were dealers at the saloons or gambling halls. Interesting reading of how women
were used to distract men and help them lose their money.
Another book I’ve found very interesting for
research is The Bedside Book of Bad Girls: Outlaw Women of the American West
by Michael Rutter. The story about Kate Bender at Benders Bloody Inn was one of
the scariest tales I’ve read. It made me think twice about stopping at a hotel
for the night.
My latest read is a book called Tough Towns: True Tales from the
Gritty Streets of the Old West by Robert Barr Smith. This book is about
how ordinary citizens took back their towns from the bad guys who invaded. I
haven’t finished this book yet, but so far it’s been interesting reading.
