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Karl Beckstrand
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To Swallow the Earth: A Western Thriller Kindle Edition

by Ransom Wilcox (Author), Karl Beckstrand (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
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  • 2016 International Book Award
  • Literary Classics Seal of Approval
  • 2016 Laramie Award Finalist

(Classic western) What if you returned from a journey and your family had disappeared? What if someone took up residence in your home, assumed control of your affairs—and tried to kill you?

Wade Forester must stay in the shadows or be shot. His father has vanished and his sister won’t speak. Beautiful Patricia Laughlin runs things now. Few people gain her approval, though powerful landowner Bridger Calhoun has high hopes. Each in his/her corner—Wade must decide whether to risk his life for Patricia, Bridger must win Patricia’s heart, and Patricia must choose which killer to trust with her life.

Set in the historic Nevada silver rush, the writing comes from intimate knowledge of the territory; having lived off the land, Wilcox depended on his wit, grit, and strength (and on his animals), just as his characters do. Wilcox and Beckstrand weave authentic detail and care for the country and its creatures into an adventure that will make your heart pound and fill your lungs with the rarefied air of the old Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Get this stand-alone survival/suspense tale with bonus short story (included) or listen to it on Audible. Family friendly (ages 14 & up); 54,000 words, 200 pages, 5.25”x8” paperback with Hispanic protagonist and Native American Indian family; simultaneously published as A Sky So Big (New Adult mystery romance/YA western novel), also an ebook—soon a clean graphic novel. Written by award-winning author Ransom Wilcox (Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California) and college media instructor Karl Beckstrand (The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living—read all of Beckstrand’s 60+ multicultural stories). Premio Publishing (Worldwide rights © 2015) PremioBooks, Audible, libraries, and all major distributors. LCCN: 2015937400, FIC002000, FIC030000, FIC033000, FIC056000, FIC059000, FIC027270, FIC022070, FIC027230, FIC027110, JUV001010, JUV002000, JUV028000, JUV029000, Audio ASIN: B07VGP9DC6, ISBN: 978-0692407974, ebook ISBN: 978-1311882387
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    212 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    May 25, 2015
  5. Reading age
    14 - 18 years
  6. File size
    1872 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The characters certainly are taking an adventuremost of us would never know. You travel with them as they go and youtruly become involved in what is happening. It is Suspenseful but alsotender in some ways. Very well done. - Shirley Priscilla Johnson, Amazon VINE VOICE 1,000 REVIEWER "This story--unlike any I've ever read.... A great book. It's an easyread...full of action and suspense, while being delightfully clean. Theadventure was realistic and the story unique." - Darrin Webster,reviewer "A lot of action, hair breadth escapes....Well done western novel." - Randy Johnson,Vine Voice (Amazon)
"[Y]ou will want to grab this book. There is a lot of action...a page turner [that will] keep you guessing. And the conflicts with Wade andPatricia might surprise you, as well. Never a dull moment inthis read.... so well written you can completely see what he isdescribing. You will enjoy this book. 5 stars!" - Sonja Nishimoto,reviewer"A good read for all western fans....The action starts with the first page and doesn't stop...from start to finish. The dialogue was done well....The characterization was good....the authors did it very well." - Paul Johnson for Readers' Favorite

"A must read....I loved reading this novel....After reading the back cover...my curiosity of which man might be on the front cover lured me.... one of the two main men is the real bad guy; but which one--and will Patricia Laughlin find out before it's too late? In this intriguing and realistic portrayal of the Western lifestyle I found myself drowning into the deepest part of the plot....Which man will keep?...A romance...stunning masterpiece...an irresistible tale.... Mystery, suspense...has it all...five out of five stars." - Danielle Urban, Universal Creativity

From the Author

A tough young woman and a Latino man each search for missing family in a Nevada silver rush land scare that leaves each unsure who to trust--and scrambling to stay alive. 54,000 words, 200 pages plus addidional short story

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YB8PA20
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Premio Publishing (May 25, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1872 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

About the author

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Karl Beckstrand

Karl Beckstrand

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College media instructor Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator of 27 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 60 ebook titles. His survival thriller, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award, and his multicultural kids’ books have been lauded by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal. Raised in Silicon Valley, he has lived abroad and worked with people from all continents (except Antarctica). His work reflects cultural diversity—not only in protagonists, but in collaborators (his illustrators hail from Latin America, Europe, and Asia). Beckstrand has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APUS, and a broadcast/film certificate from Film A. Academy. He teaches media at a state college and, since 2004, has run Premio Publishing. Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His Y.A. stories, ebook mysteries, nonfiction, Spanish/bilingual, wordless, career, and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared via: Amazon, Apple/iBooks, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Deseret Book, Follett, Ingram, Papercrafts Magazine, Target.com, The U.S. Congressional Record, Walmart.com, FB, Twitter, and https://PremioBooks.com

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
74 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Danielle Urban
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure, Intrigue, & Romance!
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
To Swallow the Earth by Karl Beckstrand and Ransom Wilcox is indeed a fascinating tale that readers won't want to miss. There's adventure, intrigue, and danger ahead for readers everywhere. The characters are realistic and their actions are believable. The scenes pop, to life, with such vivid descriptions. I could feel the intensity as the story built up with every flick of the pages. Someone was going to die...

Inside To Swallow the Earth, both Karl Beckstrand and Ransom Wilcox, introduce to readers a young woman who lost her father. A father who got tangled up with a dangerous man and now, that same man is trying his way through to get to the daughter. His plans are to marry her...to take what he wanted from her father. But there's another man who she meets that also catches her attention first. He is the man that she likes. But with the evil man's easy smiles and charm he causes her to believe the other man is evil...

Who is indeed to be trusted and who will win her heart is something that I highly recommend to readers to read. The journey will be one that stays with readers forever. It's easy to get lost, into the land and animals, and something else that stirs up the course of two individuals...love comes hard and fast but recognizing it is harder than we can imagine...Overall, I loved reading To Swallow the Earth. Karl Beckstrand and Ransom Wilcox are talented writers whose stories will never be forgotten.
One person found this helpful
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Smilesus
4.0 out of 5 stars There are some pretty awesome "special effects" for a book
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
I've read this twice now...wow, a jam packed and ingenious story with accurate and knowledgeable descriptions of the old west, specifically the Sierra Nevadas. The body count was the book's main drawback for me--hey, I'm a girl--but it is an old fashioned western fight for land against avaricious land grabbing wicked men, so that's what you get. Think Zane Grey or Louis L'Amour. There are some pretty awesome "special effects" for a book, with amazing escapes based on local area and time period, including cliffs, trees, and even wild horses! A subtle, sweet and completely clean love story in the background...just right!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Western
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
RW has written a western of land grabbing, manhunt and murder. The premise for the storyline is outright greed. One man kills many to start an empire. This is an excellent read for the genre.....E
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Amber Ashton
3.0 out of 5 stars Keeps you reading
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2015
I received a free e-book copy and was asked to provide a review. As I read I found myself curious about what was going to happen next. I have to admit that I really liked that at the beginning as the characters were introduced I wasn't sure who the "good guy" was. This book definitely kept me reading because there was always new action taking place. There were a couple of times that I felt things were a little unbelievable in the story line. For me it was also a little tough to understand the motivation behind so much killing, but not having a lot of experience with the Old West or this genre in particular, perhaps this is more plausible than it seemed to my mind.
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Twostory
4.0 out of 5 stars Dispite the odd title....
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
the plot was not odd and this turned out to be an interesting western adventure that involved the good guys, the bad guys and those who fall in love. Many men (and horses) die in the conflicts involving land titles and the money to be made by the elimination of heirs. Some surprises here and there too.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read, Engrossing and clever
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2016
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Very good read, Engrossing and clever plot
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tommy
5.0 out of 5 stars surprise, good read
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2016
Verified Purchase
Good book
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A great western story ti live and share!
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2016
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I love a book that takes you back to a place and time you want to live through and understand. To Swallow the Earth gives you a closer feel and understanding of the wild west. Good read with good place/location references.
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