Civil War & Historical Fiction Writer - William P. Robertson - News

149th Bucktail Series Now Complete

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

With publication of THE BUCKTAIL BROTHERS: BRAVE MEN'S BLOOD by Infinity Publishing on May 1st, the historical fiction novel series about the 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers by William P. Robertson and David Rimer is now complete. Robertson was forced to finish this book alone after Rimer, his long-time writing partner, decided to retire after they penned THE BUCKTAIL BROTHERS OF THE FIGHTING 149TH.

The new book picks up the action after the Battle of Gettysburg where the "New Bucktails" lost 80% of their fighting force in a little over two hours on the first day near McPherson's barn. The adventures of the Cole Brothers of Company A from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania continue through the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Bethesda Church, and Petersburg Campaigns. The combat is described in a no-holds-barred, realistic fashion, which is the trademark of the Bucktail series.

EXCERPT FROM ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES NOW AVAILABLE at fReado.com

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

If you would like to read the first 38 pages of ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES for free, visit http://www.fReado.com.

ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

PRESS RELEASE: ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES

After the regional success of AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES, William P. Robertson and David Rimer return with a second novel featuring the freewheeling mountain men, Lightnin' Jack Hawkins, Bearbite Bob Winslow, Will Big Cat Cutler, and Alexander MacDonald. Much of the action of this new adventure revolves around the Delaware village of Kit-Han-Ne (modern-day Kittanning) from where chiefs Shingas and Captain Jacobs led their warriors on a reign of terror across Western Pennsylvania. The Indian rampage had devastating effects for Hawkins and his trapper buddies, too, for they soon found themselves out of work and near starvation.

ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES is also built upon a series of ironic situations. Will Cutler married an Iroquois princess to start a family but soon finds his wife cold and distant. Hawkins, on the other hand, values his freedom above all else only to fall madly in love with the Delaware maiden, Little Mink, who helps him escape from the clutches of her own bloodthirsty people. Then, there are the villainous Miller brothers who capture Jack to sell him for beaver pelts at Kit-Han-Ne. Instead, they barely escape with their own lives when Shingas decides to adopt Hawkins into the Delaware tribe instead. The weak become strong and the strong become weak during the course of this face-paced novel set on the Pennsylvania frontier during the second year of the French and Indian War.

After Delaware and French forces burn Fort Granville on August 1, 1756, Jack and his pals join Colonel John Armstrong's colonial army and participate in the raid against Kittanning. Unfortunately, the destruction of the Indian terrorist base showed Jack that the white men were no less cruel than the Indians in exacting their revenge. During the terrible battle, he sees his loving Indian mother gunned down and her scalp brutally ripped from her head and then must save the life of his little brother, Red Hawk.

The authors gleaned a wealth of information from primary sources before starting work on their novel. Carefully depicted battle scenes, actual remarks by the original officers and chiefs, and graphic details of Indian torture enliven the action for modern readers. Stark photos of Native American reenactors and Pennsylvania forest scenes also add a touch of authenticity. The culture of the Eastern woodland tribes becomes another integral aspect of the book as Robertson and Rimer recreate Delaware dances, Iroquois burial rites, and Indian fishing and farming techniques.

ATTACK IN THE ALLEGHENIES is available directly from Infinity Publishing online at www.buybooksontheweb.com or by phoning (887)BUYBOOK.

NEW NOVEL RELEASED BY INFINITY PUBLISHING

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PRESS RELEASE: AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES

William P. Robertson and David Rimer spent fifteen years creating their critically acclaimed seven-novel series about the famous Civil War rifle regiment--the Bucktails. Now, the authors are back with a new adventure set in the primordial wilderness of colonial Pennsylvania. AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES details the exploits of Lightnin' Jack Hawkins, Bearbite Bob Winslow, Will Big Cat Cutler, and Alexander MacDonald, four freewheeling mountain men struggling to survive their savage environment and even fiercer enemies.

The opening phases of the French and Indian War provide the backdrop for the book. Historically, it begins with George Washington's spy mission to Pennsylvania and ends two years later after British General Edward Braddock's defeat near Fort Duquesne. The protagonists, beaver trappers by trade, are dragged into this conflict when the French invade their trapping territory and effectively put them out of business.

Robertson and Rimer take great pains to report the everyday life of Eastern mountain men. Their dress, food, weapons, trapping techniques, and rough humor are all realistically depicted. Some myth-making is involved here, too, with each frontiersman possessing a special power that enables him to thwart the machinations of Bold Wolf, the evil Ottawa chief. Lightnin' Jack, for example, uses his speed to beat the chief's gauntlet, while Will Cutler has an extraordinary skill with weapons.

The novel also includes an element of romance as young Cutler tries to win the heart of the Iroquois princess, Bright Star. After escaping capture by the Ottawa tribe, Will already knows plenty about the Indian way of life that he ultimately chooses over his English upbringing. The authors add a wealth of information about Native American culture as they relate Will's journey to manhood.

AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES is now available from Infinity Publishing. Order copies online at www.buybooksontheweb.com. Phone orders can also be made at (887)BUYBOOK.

NEW NOVEL ON ITS WAY

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

David Rimer and I have just completed our new French and Indian War novel, AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES, and have sent it off to the publisher. This adventure is set in the primordial wilderness of colonial Pennsylvania. It details the exploits of Lightnin' Jack Hawkins, Bearbite Bob Winslow, Will Big Cat Cutler, and Alexander MacDonald, four freewheeling mountain men struggling to survive their savage environment. Dangers lurked everywhere here in the form of ferocious cougars, scalp-stealing savages, and white water rivers of immense fury. The woodsmen's worst nemesis, though, was Bold Wolf, the vicious Ottawa chief who brutally murdered Cutler's father and wanted to kill all the English like one pigeon. If that failed, the ruthless villain was more than willing to torture his enemies in the gauntlet or burn them at the stake. It was only through Bold Wof's demise that Cutler could achieve inner peace. But would the resourceful lad be brave enough to meet the challenge when his cruel foe ambushed him in the dense hemlocks of the Alleghenies? AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES will be released later this summer by Infinity Publishing. Stay tuned for more updates.

MP3 Download

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Hi folks, just a note to let everyone know that my poetry audio book, UNTIL DEATH DO IMPART, is now available as an MP3 download for only $8. To order now, go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/robertson

THE BUCKTAILS AT THE DEVIL'S DEN Wins Award

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700

THE BUCKTAILS AT THE DEVIL'S DEN has placed as a "Finalist" in the Best Books 2007 Awards sponsored by USABookNews.com. DEVIL'S DEN was entered in the "Fiction & Literature: Young Adult Fiction" category.

Bucktail Book Special

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

I'm currently running a Christmas special on the Bucktail novels. I'll send you all 7 books for $75 postpaid. That's HAYFOOT, STRAWFOOT: THE BUCKTAIL RECRUITS, THE BUCKTAILS' SHENANDOAH MARCH, THE BUCKTAILS: PERILS ON THE PENINSULA, THE BUCKTAILS' ANTIETAM TRIALS, THE BATTLING BUCKTAILS AT FREDERICKSBURG, THE BUCKTAILS AT THE DEVIL'S DEN, and THE BUCKTAILS' LAST CALL for just 75 bucks. That's a smokin' deal! To purchase your autographed Bucktail book set, send a check or money order made out to Bill Robertson to P.O. Box 293, Duke Center, PA 16729.

I again wanted to remind everyone that I do book talks and presentations. For more information check the July 11th entry below.

Don't Give Up!

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

If you want to be a writer, perseverance is the name of the game. I started freelancing poetry in the early 1970's and got so many rejection slips from magazines that I could have wallpapered my living room with them! It got so bad that one close relative told me to quit because my stuff wasn't good enough to publish. He must have forgotten that our family motto is "fierce when roused." His comment got me so fired up that I submitted even more poems than before. Finally, my big break came in June of 1979 when I won first prize in a poetry contest sponsored by Realities Library of San Jose, CA. That got my name out to other small press editors, and soon my work appeared regularly in such little magazines as VEGA, GUTS & GRACE, and EREHWON. I also had an article about the rock band, the Doors, published in THE VINYL EDITION of Buffalo, NY. I started writing about what I knew well and targeting markets that wanted that material. I also joined the National Writers' Club that had a newsletter full of good market information. That led to a job reviewing records for ROCKINGCHAIR magazine. Experimenting with haiku gained me acceptance in BROKEN STREETS and TIOTIS. I also had some success entering lyrics in The American Song Festival competition. Finally, in 1984, I broke into the foreign market with the acceptance of my horror story, "The Weight," by THE GLASGOW MAGAZINE in Scotland. That was followed shortly after by poems in London's LABEL MAGAZINE and another eerie story in the English zine, STRIDE. So began my foray into serious horror writing that lasted the rest of the decade. To gain success, then, I learned the markets, wrote about subjects I knew well, and entered my work in contests. Being persistent was the key, though. That's true for every budding author.

How Rimer & Robertson Collaborate

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A question I'm often asked is how David Rimer and I collaborate when writing our Bucktail novels. First, I need to emphasis that research and historical accuracy are very important to both of us. We always have the history drive the plot, not vice versa. Before we started each book, we spent months reading actual Civil War accounts of the campaign we were focusing on. Then, I would come up with a list of events I would like in the book, and Dave did likewise. After that, I handled the majority of the creative writing of the first draft. When I was finished, I gave the book to my partner for editing. He would correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. He would also plug in holes in the plot and check for historical accuracy and the logical sequence of events. After all that was done, I got back the book to add in his suggestions. Usually, I found a bunch more errors that both of us missed. The book would go back and forth at least a half-dozen times before we were happy with it. Both of us were idea men for the project. Dave suggested some neat characters like the female soldier in THE BATTLING BUCKTAILS AT FREDERICKSBURG, while I was pretty handy at thinking up villains like Whalen. Dave also contributed a lot of ancedotes and personages from Civil War times that he gleaned from his reading. I added most of the humor and tall tales associated with hunters. HAYFOOT, STRAWFOOT: THE BUCKTAIL RECRUITS took us a couple of years to write, being that we started from scratch. Once our main characters were developed and we bought our core research books, we could knock out a novel in five months. Of course, we worked on it five to six hours a day, seven days a week just like it was a job!