The ezine Frontier Tales was born out of frustration. I couldn't find anywhere to send my Western stories and Dusty Richards, who had over 100 published books under his belt, told me there was much uncertainty facing authors because of the changes in the publishing industry. Book stores were going out of business and magazines were almost a thing of the past. The year 2009 was a scary time for writers.

I was just a beginner at this fiction-writing business, but I knew what we needed—a place for Western writers to get their work published. I decided to create an online magazine devoted to Western short stories, and Frontier Tales was born.

Hundreds of stories have now seen the light of day and a lot of writers, new as well as veterans, have gotten exposure they wouldn't have otherwise found. Several of them have told me that Frontier Tales has made the difference in their writing careers. I'll confess, that makes me proud. Since its beginning, stories from men and women who also love words, ideas, and history have been available to anyone who has a few minutes to take a trip back to the Old West.

Frontier Tales has received a wonderful reception and reaches viewers from around the world, with readership almost doubling every year. If you're a writer, greenhorn or old hand, consider sending us your polished western frontier prose.

The Best of Frontier Tales Anthology, Volumes 1 and 2 featured the stories from the first two years that were voted Favorite of the Month. These are the third year's Best. I hope you enjoy them!