Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale

Beautiful piece about a dying man meeting his first love after decades of absence. Seeing Coy and Boone again was nice, but not all that exciting. They're living up their happily ever after as farmers and just as in love as when we left them. Their stable life is a great boon to Mitch however, and seeing the fatherly relationship between the three is heartwarming. Coy and Boone got lucky, and its nice both learning more about Mitch and how his young love didnt pan out as well, and his complex feelings on the matter. The story is incredibly simple, the setting is quite simple, and there are really only about 4 characters. And yet, I was thoroughly invested from word one to the end. I was just as interested every time a chapter came out. Its a lot of talking, a lot of thinking, and a bit of farmwork, and yet it was a wonderful read. The characters feel incredibly three dimensional and *real*, and the strife and love between them feels so *real*. Remove the word love from the story and its still so obvious how much they care for each other. Its truly a testament to how well written this is that such a simple and barebones story can be so fulfilling and worthwhile based on the emotions behind it. This is art, and among the best stories across the entire site. I struggle to think of a story on here that compares to how clear and deeply you can *feel* the love pouring from every word they speak.

I repeat myself a lot here, but I do it for emphasis. I would love this to be turned into a proper novel. I would want a paperback copy of this sitting on my shelf. This is a story that even if you didn't read the first, I can easily recommend to anyone I know.

This wonderfully written story of star-crossed lovers will delight you. The sensory setting of the old West makes you wish you were there.  Boone and Coy from Sidewinder settle in Larkspur and begin to make friends.  They reunite with an old friend when he arrives with bad news.  How these friends face the challenges makes a great story.  Their faith, stubbornness and most importantly love for each other supports their lives in this trying time. Gripping emotions, witty authentic dialogue, engaging setting and well paced plot. I was left feeling wonderful, but wanting the story to continue.

This is a wonderful sequel to 'Sidewinder', bringing in another character from the previous story. I don't want to give away too much about the plot, but I would recommend anyone who enjoyed 'Sidewinder' to read this one too. You will be moved to tears and want to kick a certain stubborn man a few times, but by the end you will feel uplifted and hopeful. 

Having read Sidewinder, the predecessor story, I was happy to rejoin Boone and Coy in Larkspur and was quickly in their hands for a new story. If you haven't read Sidewinder yet, stop now and go read that story first. It adds a layer of depth to Larkspur that both you and the story deserve.

Larkspur delivers another unapologetic romance set in the Old West. It's a story about love and finding a place to feel happy and safe and whole. It's a story about heart. And in delightfully so, this story is also about older mature men. One of the characters even has some slight salt and pepper hair. This is a romance so don't expect any loss of virility, but the appearance of older man/older man (gasp) romance is something I loudly applaud. And in the hands of Headstall, men of all age get to be sturdy enough and vulnerable enough to support a happy ever after. You'll fall in love with the characters as they love each other. And Headstall engages us from beginning to end and drives us delightfully to a triumphant conclusion.

I'm generally a fairly cynical and jaded old dog. And we live in times when hatred and vitriol are once again poisoning our common spaces. But here in Sidewinder and Larkspur we can find some solace, hope and a great big helping of heart. Your soul needs this romance story. Lift your spirits and breathe in the love.  

Read Sidewinder. Read Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale. Very enjoyable! 
 

This is a beatuiful continuation from Sidewinder. All characters continue naturally from the original story and continue their development in Larkspur. It's a big pleasure to dive back into the story of Boone and Coy, their love and their lives. After reading it back to back with Sidewinder, the development of those two young men becomes very evident. They both have grown a lot during Sidewinder, but they have continued building their life together inbetween those two stories. The way they they treat their animals and their land is wholesome and makes me happy.

There is also the reintroduction of a supporting character from Sidewinder that feels like he was always meant to star in this sequel. His journey and his development feels as natural as the love between Boone and Coy, and just like Sidewinder, Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale is one of the best stories here on GA. I feel like every emotion here is perfectly described, every action by any character is relatable and feels natural.

Thank you Headstall - I hope there will be other stories in this world in the future!

This is a wonderful visit into the lives of Boone, Coy and Mitch from the original Sidewinder story. This tells a story of loss and pain and the feelings of mortality life has for us all. The twists and turns make this an outstanding read. I do recommend you read Garys first story, Sidewinder, to understand the feelings of the old west and discover the characters as they are developed with such care and emotion. These stories draw you into a time past and really make you feel the fears and pains for men who loved men in those unforgiving times. Read both and you will be glad you did!  Gary, you are a very talented author and I will always look for your future works .

The sequel to Sidewinder (and do read that first!), and a worthy follow-up, indeed. This tale is obviously the work of someone that loves the genre and knows it well. The characters and situations ring true, and they are characters and situations you can get next to, enjoy, and fall in love with. The old west as it is seldom told, as it needs to be told, the missing chapter of that history with men loving men, and thank you very much!

This is a great love story you are going to love it! Love in the old west how can you go wrong with this combo I would recommend it to any one! Coy and Boone and there lovely Red Apple farm. Coy and Boone are from Sidewinder the first story. Read they both you will be glad you did. You will find that both are rich with Gary Magic With great and powerful description and perfect  dialogue!

A well written story, a companion piece to Sidewinder, is set in the old American west, and is as good as it gets. Superb writing, a thoroughly enjoyable plot will leave you scratching your head, yelling at the computer monitor, laughing at the antics of the main characters, and reaching for the occasional tissue.

What are you reading this review for when you should be reading the first chapter...like now!!! 

Set in the vast expanse of the American Old West, this story brings us Boone and Coy from ‘Sidewinder’ , but really focuses on Mitch who was introduced to us as the sheriff. Although it isn’t required to read that tale first, I highly recommend that you do! Both stories are exceptionally written, with rich dialogue, descriptive language and attention to the smallest of details. 
Those looking for stories that focus on adults and older characters will fall in love with ‘Larkspur…’  There is something for everyone: suspense, drama, tears, passion, grief, jubilation, frustration, triumph and, not least of all, faith. This story and the characters will come to life and stay with you. 

I recommend that everyone should read this story of how one man overcame the obstacle of thinking he was dying to finding true friends and a lost love. This story tells it all on how  you would feel if your life was put upside down to find out that nothing was wrong. You will find that Mitch and Will with Coy and Boones help that there is a way to get back love the way you want it to be! So please read this story of the old west and see how they use their way of loving like no other!

A new tale with some old friends from the Sidewinder story plus a special new one for an old favorite.  I do love westerns; they are few and far between not just on this site but anywhere.  I think they take a special type of writer to really bring them to life, fortunately we have one here in Headstall.  

This story brings Coy and Boone from the Sidewinder and adds Mitch, the sheriff from that story; who I found to be a fascinating secondary character in it.  We they add in Will, Mitch's long in the past love for a story full of passion and remembering what makes life worth living.  

Truly well written, the nature descriptive is as good here as in Sidewinder; and that is saying a lot.  Love how the author brings such descriptive language into the story.  You truly smell scents, hear sounds, and experience so much while reading the story.  Pacing and flow of the story is first rate.  A few new interesting character along for the ride as well.

Can't recommend this story enough, sit back in front of a roaring fire, sip on a nice drink; and get ready for a wonderful tale.

A great sequel to "Sidewinder".  This is even more of a love story than the original to me.  Beautifully written.  I kept reading chapter after chapter, wanting to read what happens next, and not wanting to stop.  I love all of the characters, and got more than a little misty-eyed more than once.  A great read.

Followup book to Sidewinder.  As well written and executed as the 1st book, with a HUGE twist I wasn't expecting 1st. This is another "can't put it down" read from this fine author.  It's so good, I'm going to scroll through and see if there's a 3rd in the series.  I have now read 3 books in a row from this author and I really enjoy his style and ability to paint a picture with words that you can feel in your hert!

If you’ve scrolled down far enough to read my review then you should know two things by now: 

1. This is a much loved sequel to Sidewinder, a novel by the same Author.

2. You’ll appreciate this more if you invest the time to read Sidewinder. You’ll love it. Quick read. It’s addictive.

This stands alone though. Read on all who choose to. No chance you’ll be disappointed.

All of that aside, come read an unlikely love story. Love story!

Since the dawn of time Men have loved Men. No difference in the Old West. Thank goodness no difference in the Old West.

I couldn’t love these guys more.

What a great story of life back in the days of the old wild west and what life was like for gay men living in those times. Headstall describes his characters in a way that helps you picture them, he writes their dialogue as authentically as possible which helps to make them feel real. Location descriptions draw you in so that you are drawn in and almost feel as though you are there with the characters. It's easy to feel that you are there witnessing events as they unfold, drawing you in to this story. I'm not going to give away any story details, I just recommend that you read this story, I think you will be drawn in and as engrossed as I was, feeling as though you really know the characters. A recommended story that is deserving of the five star rating that it has been given.

Many times during reading I had the sensation to be there with the characters. Written perfectly, the story will tie you in this beautiful places that Headstall called Larkspur. It's a story about men and love, a very difficult love but always present and alive. The spiritual dimension is also interesting, along with the connection with earth and nature. Trees, animals, horses, food, people who need people. Go and read, it will be good for your heart.

Thanks again Gary for your deep connection with human soul.

Stefano