A Heap of Trouble

A Heap of Trouble

by Lorrie Unites-Struiff

Genre: Western Humorous Romance Action

Tags: Western-romance-action-humor-old west-cattle rustling-monkey-Kansas-Funny critters-organ grinders monkey-medicine show-gunfights

Release: September 14, 2012

Editor: Julie Lynn Hayes

Line Editor: Greta Gunselman

Cover Designer: Suzannah Safi

Words: 47314

Pages: 133

ISBN: 978-1-77127-148-6

Price: $5.50

Back Cover:

Cole Walker, Sheriff of Cold Creek, has more woes than he can handle.

He thought chasing rustlers would be the worst of his problems, until Mattie Wells, the new gal in town, jingles his spurs with just a smile, and he falls head over heels.

Then he finds a runaway monkey under his desk, and his inclination is to get rid of him. Cole has this fear of critters that goes back a mighty long way, so the sooner the better.

But Mattie thinks Beggar’s adorable, so what’s a man supposed to do? Now, he’s forced to put up with the little fur ball...uh...ringtail monkey, even when the furry thief starts stealing the townsfolk’s trinkets.

Then there’s the matter of the cattle rustlers who keep stealing the Double J’s cattle. JJ blames the farmers, the farmers don’t like JJ, and an all-out war is about to commence.

Cole and his deputies, Wade and Sully, have their hands full trying to keep the uneasy peace between the farmers and the cattleman. As if that’s not enough pressure, Mayor Farley gives them a month to find the thieves before he calls for outside help.

Cole’s trying to win Mattie’s heart, but the little lady has a dark secret and vows never to marry. While harboring a secret of his own, Cole tries to pry out her secret, in hopes of changing her mind.

Cole chases Mattie, the rustlers, and Beggar in a town full of fun characters and chaos.

Can he bring the rustlers to justice, peace and order to Cold Creek, the townsfolk’s loot back to their rightful owners, and win Mattie’s heart?

Yep, Cole has a heap of trouble on his hands.

Excerpt:

Mayor Farley glanced up from his papers. “Howdy, Cole.” The Mayor ran his eyes over Beggar, who stood in front of the desk with his head down. “I heard about your little buddy there. What can I do for you two today?”

“We came to return your stolen valuables.” Cole untied the bandana and spread the items over the desk. “Seems I have a sneak thief on my hands.”

Mayor Farley’s shaggy white eyebrows shot up an inch and his mouth dropped open. “Who…when?”

“Last night.” Cole pointed down at Beggar, who still stared at the floor.

The Mayor shook his head and hid a bemused grin behind his hand. He winked at Cole, and then eyed Beggar over the desk, and shook his pudgy finger at the ringtail. “You’ve been a bad, bad boy.” He stroked his white goatee and drew his shaggy eyebrows together. “What do you think, Sheriff?” He thrummed his fingers on the desk. “Should we hang him?”

Beggar screamed, wrapped both arms around Cole’s leg, buried his face in the hollow behind Cole’s knee, and snuffled.

Keeping a straight face, Cole said, “What say we give him another chance, Mr. Mayor?” He made his voice stern. “One more time, and I promise I’ll tie the noose myself.”

“Agreed.” The mayor slapped his desk.

The monkey slumped to the floor.

Mayor Farley chuckled and motioned for Cole to have a seat. He took out the makings from his silk vest pocket, offering Cole the pouch. They both rolled a cigarette and settled back in their chairs. Smoke curled lazily in the room. The Mayor flicked lint off his suit sleeve. “Any news on the rustlers? JJ’s about to bust a blood vessel.”

Cole rubbed the back of his neck. “This ain’t making any sense. What’ve they been taking? Half-dozen or so head a week? Rustlers usually take more steers than that.” He leaned forward. “Another thing that’s puzzling. We found tracks heading toward the river. Then some older tracks head north, newer tracks go south, some even go back west, across the river. We don’t rightly know where to look. We’ve been chasing our tails, riding one way, then the other.”

“Hmm.” Mayor Farley shifted his bulk on the chair. “Could be someone has a grudge against JJ and wants to aggravate him. Or the farmers are terribly riled about his strays.”

Cole shrugged, reached down, and petted Beggar. “Oh, they’re plenty riled, but I don’t reckon a corner or two of ruined crops would cause them to steal, or I’d of found some sign in their barns, or on their property somewhere.” He furrowed his brow, took a puff on the cigarette. “I’m thinking a couple of outlaws are holed up in the hills picking off a few head at a time, burning a different brand to sell them as their own. Hiding them till they have plenty to drive on west to the stockyards.”

“Sounds logical. The town has faith in you, Cole. You’ll figure it out. You always did have good instincts.”

“I sure hope it’s soon.” Cole fingered the brim of his Stetson, balanced on his knee. “Wade and Sully are camping out on the range and they’ll keep on searching. Told them to be back in time for Saturday’s social.”

Farley rose and opened the window. The rumble of buckboards, the whinny of horses, and the sound of voices floated up from the street below. Thumbs in his vest pockets, the Mayor rocked his girth, heel to toe, and looked out over the town. “Farmers and ranchers never did mix well, you know that. Corn stalks have been broken, wheat patches flattened. If JJ tried harder to keep his cattle on his side of the river, the farmers might be more tolerant of a few strays here and there. Widow Cox comes to town once a week to curdle my ears about her flower beds and elderberry bushes being trampled.”

He turned to Cole, a discouraged frown settled on his face. “Don’t know why JJ won’t sell some beef here in town instead of us having to haul meat in on ice wagons. All the folks in the territory would benefit if he did. He’s so blasted sure the farmers are to blame, he refuses to have anything to do with them, which in turn doesn’t help us.” He walked back to the desk and ground out his cigarette. “Government never should have opened up free range to the west. The farmers homesteaded our side, proved their worth, and got the proper deeds. This town depends on them.”

Cole stubbed his cigarette in the tin on Farley’s desk. Beggar lay on the floor next to his foot. “Yeah. Then JJ comes along and trouble starts.” He rose to leave, slapped the Stetson on his head, and nudged Beggar with his boot. “Doesn’t help me neither. Now I gotta find the rustlers quick to stop all this anger and hate between folks before it gets out of hand. I feel a heap of trouble coming our way.”

“’Fraid so,” said Farley.

About the Author:

Lorrie lives in West Mifflin, PA, thirty minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. She lives at home with her husband and her favorite toy—a computer.

Once a gold medalist teacher/manager for a big-name ballroom dance studio she has retired and now enjoys the quiet life of writing and watching TV. But she loves to have lunches with local authors to keep abreast of the challenging world of publishing.

Lorrie writes in many genres so you never know what she will come out with next. She never wants to bore her readers and enjoys the thrill of entertaining them by writing a good story.

Customer Reviews:

A HEAP OF TROUBLE is a brand new release from exceptionally gifted author Lorrie Unites-Struiff has found its way to my happy Kindle...which means it also found it's way to my avid eyeballs.rnrnThis is a Western, but with it's own flavor, and oh my what a flavor.rnrnCole Walker, a man with a healthy respect for animals...as long as they stay over there...is the Sheriff of Cold Water Creek. He DOES however have more than a passing tingle for the daughter of the local Mercantile, Mattie Wells.rnrnNot a bad place to find oneself..until Cole comes home from days out under the stars trying to catch a clue about the rustling suddenly plaguing his other wise contented world...or contented until he tosses his Stetson on the hook to find just like the three bears, someone's been eating HIS grub...and has left a trail of crumbs not even Hansel and Gretel would have missed.rnrnSo where does it lead?rnrnStraight beneath his desk and the waiting varmint he so does not want near his quivering backbone.rnrnWhat varmint? A desert rat the size of the Grand Canyon? No.rnrnA donkey separated from his gold mining owner? Again, no.rnrnA stallion longing for the taming of a good saddle? NOPE...rnrnA ring-tailed monkey with a love of thieving, flies out and makes Cole and all of Cold Creek stand up and take notice...none moreso than the beauteous Mattie.rnrnI laughed, I winced, I cheered, and yes, I ached as this delightful tail unfolded before my intent eyes.rnrnAnyone who loves Westerns, Comedies, Mysteries, and Sweet Romances will adore this book and climb on the bandwagon waiting with eagerness for the NEXT Lorrie Unites-Struiff tale. rn

Sheriff Cole Walker’s biggest concern is what to have for lunch, at least until he walks into his office to discover part of that lunch missing, and the culprit hiding under his desk. He would have gladly rid himself of the little monkey except, wouldn’t you know it, his secret crush, aka Miss Mattie, walks in and takes a shine to the varmint. What’s a feller to do but give in and take the critter into his home, along with a whole heap of trouble.rnrnCole likes Mattie, but he’s never had the nerve to tell her so, ever since she arrived in town. She’s a strong woman, and he admires her greatly, but he has his own issues and isn’t about to inflict them on her. Now he’s got a thieving monkey on his hands, as well as cattle rustlers, which is a far more serious problem. Sides are being formed, and trouble’s surely going to break out. It’s all Cole can do to keep the peace while he and his deputies try to figure out what’s going on and rectify the situation.rnrnThis book flows from beginning to end, and you’ll be caught up in it like a cow in a stampede, but in a good way. Cole Walker, the sheriff/hero, is a strong character, but he’s also human, and he has his weaknesses, although he isn’t exactly eager to admit to them. Miss Mattie is lovely and smart, but she has her own past to deal with, one she isn’t ready to share. The mystery of who’s stealing the cattle is intriguing, watching them solve it even more so, as Cole and Mattie find themselves thrown together more and more.rnrnThe humor is what especially makes this book. I love the realism. People do dumb things, yeah, and not every guy looks like he just stepped off a catwalk. Or every woman, for that matter. Cole and Mattie are both characters I’d love to know. After this, I aim to read more of Ms. Struiff’s writings, and search for that same wicked sense of humor.rn

Everybody in town respects and likes Sheriff Cole Walker. He does a good job keeping the peace in the little Kansas town. Things are going along pretty easy until three things happen: Mattie Wells moves to town, rustlers start snagging JJ's cattle, and a ringtail monkey decides Cole is his BFF.rnrnAfter all that, well, Cole's in for a heap of trouble.rnrnThis is a funny tale of a mixed up lawman. He's fallen for Mattie, can't get rid of the monkey, and the rustlers elude his every attempt to track them down. Throughout this tale, you're laughing at the monkey's antics. But you're also wondering, along with Cole, why Matty says she likes him, then blows him off. And just who is stealing the cattle?rnrnLorrie Unites-Struiff has a knack for putting together humor, romance, and danger into a solid tale of the west. Don't think you like westerns? Think again. You'll definitely enjoy this book. I did.rn

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