The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh
The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh is the first in a series of novels by
Plot summary
From the
The title hero -- a Western legend,
Love also plays a major part in Watt's tale: he's lost his heart to Lucy Billings, a beautiful firebrand and fighter for justice who unfortunately has taken up with someone whose revolutionary commitment is greater than his own. But there are other amorous solaces with which he passes the time, or times; like Emelina, a bawdy barmaid and apparently immortal revenant.
So you could say there's a lot going on in this teeming tome, including cameos by
Literary significance & criticism
The book also won acclaim from independent critics covering the Indie book industry. Indie Bookspot, for example, wrote: "Complicated it might be, and sometimes dizzying, but The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is never dull .… Drachman has created a sense of real drama on an epic scale …. an ambitious and well-realised tale of American life."[5]
The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh received a number of industry citations and awards. Most notably, for example, the book was included on the prestigious and closely watched "best of 2011" year-end list by Kirkus Reviews.[6] In addition, Ghosts was named Best Fantasy novel by Indie Excellence Book Awards 2012, one of the most prominent book awards for the Indie industry, and it was also named a finalist in the Action Adventure category by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012.
The Author
Steven S. Drachman is a writer whose work has been published in:
Background
The Laramie Boomerang noted that the novel's gestation began as early as the 1990s,[14] and in an interview with the Bethesda Gazette, Drachman acknowledged that his tales about Watt O’ Hugh, "a crusty old Civil War veteran who believes that ghosts protect him," took 15 years to materialize.
“In 2010," he said, "I had a huge health scare .... It turned out that I was misdiagnosed, and in fact, I was reasonably healthy and didn't have an awful disease. But I thought, ‘I could get hit by a car any day,' and decided to finish it.”[15]
The book has been described as mixing real history with magical events; as the
References
- ^ "THE STRANGE AND ASTOUNDING MEMOIRS OF WATT O'HUGH THE THIRD by Steven S. Drachman". Chickadee Prince. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- ^ "Review, The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Lane, Margaret. "Margaret's Bookshelf". The Midwest Book Review. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
- ^ Keough, Peter. "Review, The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Algernon, Chris. "Review: The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh by Steven S. Drachman". Indie Bookspot. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ Schechner, Karen. "Best Indie of 2011". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ "SFF Author Steven S. Drachman | Fantasy Literature: Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews". Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Watt O'Hugh and the Innocent Dead by Steven S. Drachman". Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Watt O'Hugh official website". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "#BookTour: WATT O'HUGH AND THE INNOCENT DEAD by Steven S. Drachman @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway". Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "#Giveaway Interview WATT O'HUGH AND THE INNOCENT DEAD by Steven S. Drachman Ends 10.15". BookHounds. 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Politics/Public Affairs". Chickadee Prince. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Steven S. Drachman Interview - Watt O'Hugh and the Innocent Dea". Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Reading features 'Wyoming inmate'". Laramie Boomerang. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Cortez, Mia. "Old West meets fantasy and history in debut novel". Bethesda Gazette. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Martinek, Marcia (October 20, 2011). "Leadville Plays Role in Book Set in 1870s". Leadville Herald Democrat.