In his time in the cavalry, Thomas Scoundrel's preferred mount was a Morgan-Thoroughbred cross. But, when it came time for him to criss-cross the prairies and mountains of Colorado in search of his best friends' kidnapped fiancée, the outfitter TR Rhine convinced him that the Morgan was his best choice. And so, Thomas was paired with Ulysses.
There is tough, and then there is tough
Few warrior societies in history produced fighters who could go toe-to-toe with a Russian Cossack. When you meet Thomas Scoundrel's Cossack friend Sergey Baklanov, principal bodyguard to Tsar Alexander II, you will understand why.
Did you pay attention in science?
You probably haven't given much thought to the science behind a popping champagne cork. Little things like earning a living have a way of preventing us from considering such weighty matters. So, out of respect for my busy readers, I explain everything you will ever need to know about the physics behind the exploding cork in Chapter 1 of Scoundrel in the Thick. Given that it is Thomas Scoundrel uncorking the bottle (Maison Clicquot champagne, by the way), the place the cork eventually lands won't really surprise you.
Their real lives will surprise you
If you think of Oscar Wilde only as a 19th century Irish poet and playwright, you should read about his 1882 American lecture tour. But, if you want the whole picture of his time in America, including his participation in the famous Claybourne Fishing Tournament, Gun Battle and Indian War, you really do need to read Scoundrel in the Thick.
Meet an important real-life character in Scoundrel
Mary Orvis, daughter of Orvis fly-fishing gear founder Charles Orvis, plays an important role in Scoundrel in the Thick. She was an extraordinary individual who authored one of the most important books on fly-tying.
A place to heal
Col.Thomas Scoundrel spent weeks recuperating at Mt. Pleasant Military Hospital in Washington, DC at the end of the Civil War. One of his nurses was the great American poet, Walt Whitman.
It's good to have friends
In Scoundrel in the Thick, Red Elk is a foe who becomes a friend. He is vehoe, peace chief, of the nearly two hundred Cheyenne in his care in Scoundrel in the Thick. He had once been notxevoe, war chief, who led his warriors into battle against other Plains tribes and the US Army. He is a fan of good red wine, books about Genghis Kahn, and Mozart. This is how he dressed for ceremonial occasions.
How sharp is obsidian? Sharp enough.
Itzcoatal is an important character in Scoundrel in the Thick. He is descended from generations of Aztec warriors, and his weapon of choice is the Tecpatl, or obsidian dagger, which he puts to very good use.
We appreciate nice comments from everybody!
Thank you, Larry! Larry Elder, nationally syndicated talk radio host and tv personality, says this about B.R. O'Hagan: "O'Hagan's stories are exciting, surprising, poignant, and timeless. They will be read by the next generation, and the next."
A poke you will feel
Not for show.The sabers carried by US Army Cavalry officers, like this Ames Model 1860, weren't just for show. In the right hands they were a brutally dangerous and highly effective weapon. Just ask the dozen or so unfortunates in Scoundrel in the Thick who didn't jump back fast enough....
From one great American to another
“What a life! My friend Thomas Scoundrel has done it all. Do I envy him? Hell, yes!”
William F. ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody
July, 1913
Walt Whitman, American Treasure
“No man I know lives so fully in the moment, and no name I could conjure more aptly describes a character. Thomas Scoundrel embodies all that is wild and magnificent and wonderful about America.”
Walt Whitman
October, 1881
You CAN judge a book by its cover
The cover design for the first book in the Thomas Scoundrel series has been finalized. An epic book needed an epic cover, and our graphic folks have delivered. Here it is:
