The Writings of Carol A. Buchanan

When I wrote God's Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana, I had no thought of writing more than one book about this early period in Montana's history, which coincides with the Civil War. But the more I learn about it, the more intrigued I am, so now I have written three novels, with a fourth in the works.

The three published books are listed below in the order they took place, rather than the order I wrote them. God's Thunderbolt takes place during December 1863 and January 1864. The Devil in the Bottle occurs during March 8, 9, & 10, 1864. Gold Under Ice happens between May and September 1864.

God's Thunderbolt (2008)

Winner of the Spur Award for Best First Novel from the Western Writers of America, this is the first of the Vigilante series.

In December 1863, Daniel Stark, New York lawyer, has come to Alder Gulch to get enough gold to redeem his family from debt and disgrace. But as travelers trying to go home with their gold disappear, Dan realizes that in Alder Gulch, ruffians rule and murder is tolerated. Then a friend is murdered, and Dan prosecutes the suspected murderer in miners court amid continual threats to kill him. After testimony during the trial reveals a criminal conspiracy operating in the area, Dan joins a Vigilante group that unites Union and Confederate sympathizers in establishing law and order. But as the Vigilantes close in on the conspirators, Dan, now the Vigilante prosecutor, faces the horrible prospect of hanging both a friend and the husband of the woman he has come to love.

God's Thunderbolt is available as a paperback at your local indie bookstore, on Amazon or as an ebook on Kindle. You can also order it as an audio book from Audible.com or Books in Motion.com. (See below.)

The Devil In the Bottle ( Dec. 6, 2011)

Mark Twain wrote in Roughing It that west of Fort Kearney, "men feared Slade more than the Almighty."

When sober, Slade is a capable manager, a decent man, and a loving husband. Drunk, he is a demon.

After being fired from the Overland Stage Co., he and his wife and adopted son move to Virginia City, in Alder Gulch. His friends warn him that his behavior will not be tolerated here, but he either cannot or will not stop drinking. Daniel Stark, the Vigilante prosecutor, says, "It's as if there's a devil in the bottle when Slade drinks."

Early in March 1864, after wrecking businesses and saloons, and attacking a brothel, a drunken Slade puts a gun to the head of the People's Court judge, and tells Daniel Stark and other Vigilantes that they are "all played out." Now Dan and the Vigilantes face a horrible choice.

By yielding to Slade, they expose honest people to danger and the destruction of their livelihoods. Yet Slade, despite his murderous reputation, has committed no capital crime to justify hanging him.

Will the devil in the bottle get Jack Slade?

(Available from your local indie bookstore, Amazon, and Kindle.)

Gold Under Ice (2010)

A Finalist in the 2011 Spur awards for Best Long Novel.

Gold Under Ice Money. Greenbacks vs. gold. The Lincoln administration prints greenbacks to pay for its war with the Confederacy, and on Wall Street a renegade money market known as the Gold Room pits the greenback against gold. By January 1864, the greenback loses nearly half its value and an angry President Lincoln wishes all gold traders were "shot in the head."

While far to the west, in Alder Gulch, Montana Territory, millions in gold lie under the ice of Alder Creek. Gold-seekers pray for spring.

When the ice breaks, Dan rescues a drowning man, only to learn that he was sent by the Bank of New York to bring Dan and the gold back to New York. But Dan is far short of the amount he needs.

A financial report in an old New York Times gives him the idea of repaying the bank in greenbacks. Speculating in the Gold Room could earn a fortune large enough to repay the bank and secure his family’s future. Or he could lose everything, as his father did.

Gold Under Ice is available through your local indie bookstore, as a paperback through Amazon, or as an ebook on Kindle.

Carol Buchanan
Photo by Trevon Baker