Nightmares of Terror

Nightmares of Terror, continuing the saga that began in Days of Purgatory, is set in and around Dodge City in 1882. Several characters are having their sleep disturbed by dreams that are flares from the past or harbingers of the future. Deacon Coburn, flint-eyed and tenderhearted, aids others and comes to terms with hardscrabble troubles by applying gritty faith.

An outlaw is on the rampage; his life has been violent and he's realizing that hell is a real place. A former prostitute is seeking a new life, while a teenager stretches her wings. One strong man is having a crisis of faith; another is in a mess of troubles not of his making. Two women are expecting and due at roughly the same time. A Texas cattleman arrives in the Queen of the Cowtowns to conclude a business deal, which unbeknownst to him, forces a onetime slave to come face to face with a seedy episode from bygone days.

All these threads are woven together in a compelling narrative in which the supernatural is commonplace and real. An overarching theme is voiced by Eliza Weitzel: ""Faith is all about having confidence that whatever will be will be, and by God's grace we have the hope that he sustains and supports us no matter what.""


""As a youngster, I grew up toward the end of an era of classic Westerns and remember being mesmerized by such heroes as Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke), Lucas McCain (The Rifleman), and Jim Crown (Cimarron Strip). Abell adds one more to this list of emulate-able heroes by taking us back to the frontier trails and streets of the 19th century, and introducing us to Deacon Coburn. With a heart toward heaven and boots firmly grounded in the dust of the Old West, Coburn is a light of hope and redemption to troubled souls, even while haunted by his past. Picking up where Echoes of Evil leaves off, Nightmares of Terror wrestles with the questions of faith that many feel, yet most are afraid to ask.""
--Timothy W. Fisher, author of Where Heaven Meets Earth

""There are no signs of flagging or fatigue in the fourth installment of the Deacon Coburn series. Nightmares of Terror continues Abell's starkly real examination of spirituality and mysticism meeting at the crossroads of faith in the unknowable. Each character who is plagued by the titular nightmares must face their deepest fears, and these supernatural touchstones are often premonitions or omens of calamity. Upheaval and change are abundant as character arcs and plotlines conclude only to reveal new beginnings. A tautly-paced tale that had me tearing through the final forty pages in breathless anticipation and fearful wonder.""
--William D. Hastings, author of Behind Prison Walls


Ken R. Abell resides in New Mexico with his wife, Anita. They serve the Overcomers Program at Navajo BIC Mission. Among other projects, he is writing the fifth installment of this western epic. His work can be found at www.wantedman.org or www.danceswithcorn.com.