Gunsmoke and Hexes – Book Tour and Giveaway

 

7 authors. 7 haunted trails. 1 twisted frontier.

 

Step into the Weird West—if you’ve got the nerve.

 

Gunsmoke and Hexes

Tales From the Cursed Frontier

An EdgeWeaver Press Anthology

Genre: Dark Weird West Anthology

 

 

The West was never just wild—it was cursed.

 

In the dust-choked crossroads of pulp grit and supernatural dread, seven tales ride hard into the heart of the Weird West. Inside this anthology, silver bullets don’t always save you, and salvation is just another gamble in a rigged deck.

 

From cursed elixirs and demonic cults to jackalope riders, mutant lawmen, and undead steamboat soldiers, Gunsmoke & Hexes delivers a shotgun blast of horror, heroism, and frontier justice.

 

Featuring stories by Tony Garcia, Oscar Chavira, Jr., Ross Carmona, Curtis Moore, Benjamin Winters, George Cottonwood, and Michael John Petty—this collection is for readers who like their campfire tales laced with blood, dust, and dark enchantments.

 

The Trajak Tale of the Last Ranger by Tony Garcia

Magic returned to a broken world – now it’s time for justice to follow

 

Ballads of the Protectors by Oscar Chavira Jr.

In the frontier darkness, hope comes with a terrible price.

 

Spirit of the Desert by Curtis Moore

Some missions are bigger than they appear – especially when you’re only knee-high to most folks.

 

Flesh and Blood by Benjamin Winters

When the land rush begins, not all the settlers are among the living.

 

Miracle at Bishop’s Bluff by Michael John Petty

Some miracles come with a price no soul should pay.

 

Snake Oil by George Cottonwood

Not all snakes rattle before they strike.

 

The Cotton Eyed Killer by Ross Carmona

When the Cutter’s Moon rises, death rides on the wind.

 

 

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Ross Carmona is an Orlando, Florida based writer of dark fantasy, speculative fiction, and everything in between. When he isn’t grinding away at the nine-to-five, he’s crafting forgotten worlds and weaving the lives of those who wander there. This story is his first published work—and the first of many to successfully escape into reality.

 

Oscar Chavira Jr. is a licensed mental health therapist from Hereford, a rural town in the Texas panhandle. He is a current member of the Caprock Writers and Illustrators Association, and he has his blog where he currently documents his writing journey. Oscar’s main genres are horror and thriller, putting protagonists in situations where they get to explore the themes of dread and stagnation in the situations they find themselves in.

 

George Cottonwood is a storyteller with a passion for grit, action, and the untamed frontier, specializing in hardboiled westerns and men’s adventure fiction. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hunting, camping, and fishing with his wife and young son. In his day job, he works as a communications specialist for a faith-based child foster care agency in South Texas. He has written for Stand Firm Magazine, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, Saddlebag Dispatches, and Veritas Entertainment. You can find his fiction work at https://georgecottonwoodbooks.wordpress.com/.

 

Tony Garcia lives in the Arizona mountains creating and running games, sketching, and writing. He has several published stories in multiple anthologies and other works, but the biggest project is his original roleplaying game – “Dystopian Dawn”. The core set (Player’s Guide and Game Master’s Guide) launched in 2023, since then Tony wrote and published several adventure and world books. He is set to publish the 13th book by the end of 2025, with sights on new worlds for 2026 and beyond. A prolific indie supporter, Tony collaborates with many authors and creators, and only hires indie Artists for his projects.

His story “Trajak Tale of the Last Ranger” is based on characters who originally appeared in the Dystopian Dawn source adventure books “Cowboys & Mutants!” and “Vikings & Robots!”.

In 2025 you can find him running games online via Discord, chatting with creatives on X, and in-person at multiple upcoming conventions in Tucson. For more information about Dystopian Dawn, you can check out his website www.fracturedbrainstudios.com.

 

Curtis Moore lives, works, and writes in rural Nevada. He has written articles on scientific conflict, and presented on levels of conflict in fiction at the League of Utah Writers’ Pre-Quill conference in April 2023. The Silverstage Players selected his play Behavioral Science for their Writer’s Spotlight in July, 2023. His nonfiction essay Coparenting With Cormac McCarthy was shortlisted in The Milk House’s Best of Rural Writing 2023 Contest. His published short stories include The Quincey Morris Society, and The Breaker in the Sky, and Outlaw Magic. A full list of Curtis’ published works can be found on his website at curtismoorewrites.com.

 

Michael John Petty is an author, podcaster, and filmmaker with a deep love of storytelling. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys scenic drives, mountainous hikes, fellowship with his local church, and a good Western. Michael is the creator of The Bear-tooth Mountain Archive, which began with The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain. His short story, The Devil’s Left Hand, won the Spur Award for Best Short Fiction in 2025. He currently resides in North Idaho with his wonderful wife and beautiful daughters. You can find Michael intermittently on his Substack, Further Up & Further In, which doubles as his newsletter.

 

Benjamin Winters is a cowboy turned techie with a love for storytelling and tall tales. Taking his experiences as a fourth generation rancher, and looking to the future with his work in technology, Benjamin loves to explore the conflict of tradition and innovation in his writing. He lives with his wife and two cats in Virginia, where he is roundin’ up letters instead of dogies. You can connect with him on Instagram by following @benjaminwinterswrites for new stories.

 

 

39 Comments

  1. Lisa Brown

    Definitely different, thanks for the chance

  2. Marcy Meyer

    This sounds like a good anthology. Love the genre name.

  3. Michelle Domangue

    This sounds like a great book!

  4. Michele Soyer

    Love the title - looks like a great book..

  5. Heather

    This one sounds super good and one I am adding to my must read list for sure.

  6. Carol G

    A good anthology for those who like western combined with supernatural.

  7. Molli

    i am definitely putting this one on my tbr list!

  8. Wendy Jensen

    These different tales would be great to read.

  9. wendy hutton

    this sounds like a good book to read

  10. janelathome78

    Love anthology books, can't wait to read this one!

  11. Susan Smith

    This sounds like a great book. I like the cover.

  12. Tracie Cooper

    What inspired you to mix gunslingers and magic in this book?

  13. Sherry

    This looks like a great book!

  14. Piroska

    This sounds like an interesting anthology. Love the cover!

  15. Shelly Peterson

    Sounds like a good book.

  16. Heather Swanson

    Looks very exciting Do you write in a daily journal?

  17. Jon Heil

    Hope the book is a real shooter until too many weak asses who need a gun now a days

  18. David Hollingsworth

    How did you come up with the story?

  19. Amber Lee Kolb

    The cover is great! I really like the font and the dark colors!

  20. Diana Hardt

    It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

  21. Stephanie Liske

    I like the book details.

  22. Soha Molina

    question for author-What personal experiences or observations influenced your writing?

    • Ross Carmona

      Hello, I wrote the last story in the collection, The Cotton-Eyed Killer. I'd say that some of the personal experiences I tend to draw from while writing are growing up in a small town and the many Sundays I spent watching Once upon a time in the west. I really got into westerns as a kid and grew to love fantasy over time. When I saw the opportunity to be apart of this collection where the two genres crossed over, it seemed like a perfect fit for me.

  23. Jodi Hunter

    Sounds like an interesting book.

  24. Ann Fantom

    This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.

  25. Alecia G.

    I love the idea of a western combined with horror. This book sounds great! I can't wait to check it out!!

  26. Cynthia C

    Interesting genre - really different!

  27. Barbara Montag

    This is an exciting read along with an amazing cover!
    Thank you for the excerpt.

  28. Nickie

    This looks like a great book!

  29. Jeanna Massman

    This is a very interesting genre and the stories included in this anthology are great!

  30. Thomas Gibson

    For readers who appreciate a blend of pulp grit and supernatural dread, Gunsmoke & Hexes delivers a fantastic shotgun blast of horror, heroism, and frontier justice. The way each author explores a different aspect of the 'cursed frontier'—from demonic cults to undead steamboat soldiers and mutant lawmen—makes every tale a fresh and exciting ride. It successfully captures the eerie feeling of a campfire tale laced with blood, dust, and dark enchantments.

  31. Kara Marks

    This sounds really intriguing—cool cover.

  32. Debbi Wellenstein

    This is such an interesting premise. Thanks for the giveaway!

  33. Leigh Nichols

    I absolutely LOVE the video- it draws me straight in. Can't wait to read!

  34. Betty Curran

    I can;t wait to read this. I enjoy westerns and supernatural both so it should be very interesting.

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