THE INDEH (A Jason Peares historical western)
In 1880 New Mexico, Jason Peares, ex-outlaw gunfighter, hires on as a scout for the Buffalo Soldiers, the black soldiers of the Ninth Cavalry, and becomes part of an effort to locate an important leader of the Apache Indians, known as Juh (pronounced "Hoe"). Labeled a "renegade," Juh prepares to sign a new peace treaty that would end the Indian wars of New Mexico forever. Jason begins to forge new friendships with several of the black "Buffalo Soldiers", but is unaware of a conspiracy meant to kill Juh and his village and prolong the war for economic and political reasons.
Because of a vision, Juh believes the Army will exterminate his people so he prepares to move his village back to Mexico. He raids an Army wagon train for badly needed food and supplies, but the wagon is a decoy. Captain Taylor attacks Juh's village while all the warriors are away.
Jason attempts to stop the massacre but narrowly escapes an ambush himself. He leads a band of Apache survivors across the desert of southern New Mexico during one of the hottest summers in history.
First Sergeant Lafayette Crawford and his Buffalo Soldiers receive politically explosive orders to hunt down and arrest Captain Taylor, a white officer. Since Juh and his Apache warriors respond in-kind to the murder of their families, Crawford also receives orders to hunt and kill the Indians. Jason is caught in a three-sided war between Captain Taylor's renegade mercenaries, the Buffalo Soldiers, and the Apache warriors.
Captain Taylor believes there is nothing wrong with killing Indians or blacks and wants revenge because Jason killed some of his soldiers. First Sergeant Crawford, one of only a handful of black men to rise to the highest enlisted rank in the Army, believes the Apache Indians are a threat to civilization and must be killed or subdued. But when Apache warriors kill his best friend, he starts to question his own mortality and his usefulness to the Army.
At the same time, Juh believes he must fight by the same vicious rules of war dictated by Captain Taylor. He takes the battle to both Taylor and Crawford while Jason Peares, always a champion of the weak and defenseless, helps the Apache massacre survivors elude Army patrols. Neither Juh nor Jason want to accept that they're allies, but Jason knows he is condemning himself to outlaw life again by helping the Indians. On a desperate dash for the Mexican border, Jason and the Apache survivors become trapped between the three forces, with the Buffalo Soldiers, Taylor's renegades, and Juh's warriors all intent on victory.
____________
If you think all black soldiers were grunt workers and all "Indians" were emotionless warriors, think again. Get a feel for the social structure and family life of the Apache people. See how Army life might have been for black men on the New Mexico frontier during one of the hottest summers on record.
See all sides of the conflict through the eyes of Jason Peares, an ex-outlaw, a half-black half-white gunfighter who roamed the southwest searching for his place in the diminishing frontier. This historical novel is based on actual historical events and real people.
Praise for THE PEACEKEEPER (SOLD OUT at the publisher!)
"Poston's [Jason] Peares walks into trouble at every turn. He's tough, quick with a gun, and understanding of the underdog."
-- Steven Havill, author of Privileged to Kill
"A fast-moving story of guns and gunfighters, with a climactic cattle stampede of Texas-caliber proportions."
-- Elmer Kelton, author of Cloudy in the West
"An exciting, page-turning traditional western sure to please. Fine work."
--Norman Zollinger, author of Rage in Chupadera
"Poston's stylishly written action yarn will generate a strong following among western fans."
-- Wes Lukowsky, American Library Association
Praise for COURAGE ON TRIAL
“Jeffrey Poston understands the craft of constructing his novel and does a wonderful job balancing narrative elements with his dialogue. When his protagonist handles his firearms, you know the author has done his research in describing the action.”
-- Phillip Hardy, Lulu.com review
Praise for A MAN CALLED TROUBLE
“In his first novel, Jeffrey A. Poston has numbered himself among the best writers of westerns working today.”
-- Biblio.com review
