Texas Bad Girls

Sometimes humorous, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes deeply sad and moving — such are the biographies of fifteen Texas bad girls. Husband killers, run-of-the-mill murderers, whorehouse madams, prostitutes, gamblers, bank robbers, floozies — each contributes immeasurably to a rowdy, ribald history that dates from the state's earliest settlers to yesterday's biggest news story.

The true-crime story of the murder of an amateur pornographer and two teenage girls on the run, by the New York Times bestselling author. The crime stunned quiet Mineral Wells, Texas: forty-nine-year-old Bob Dow shot execution-style in his own bed, his invalid mother locked in the next room—and a cache of homemade porn starring the town's underage girls. The two accused killers—teen lovers Bobbi Jo Smith and Jennifer Jones—were on the run, intent on going out in a cross-country blaze of glory. M. William Phelps exposes a gripping tale of sexploitation, lust, and betrayal, while questioning the court's fateful verdict in a tantalizing forensic puzzle. Were both girls equally guilty of murder? Or was one merely a pawn in the other's dainty, blood-stained hands? Praise for Bad Girls “Fascinating, gripping . . . Phelps's sharp investigative skills and questioning mind resonate. Whether or not you agree with the author's suspicions that an innocent is behind bars, you won't regret going along fir the ride with such an accomplished reporter.” —Sue Russell, award-winning author of Lethal Intent Includes sixteen pages of dramatic photos

From the acclaimed author of Moxie comes a gripping gender-flipped reimagining of The Outsiders that explores the deep bonds of female friendship and what it takes to be a "bad girl." 1964. Houston, Texas. Evie Barnes is a bad girl. So are all her friends. They’re the sort who wear bold makeup, laugh too loud, and run around with boys. Most of all, they protect their own against the world. So when Evie is saved from a sinister encounter by a good girl from the "right" side of the tracks, every rule she's always lived by is called into question. Now she must redefine what it means to be a bad girl and rethink everything she knew about loyalty. In this riveting story of murder, secrets, and tragedy, Jennifer Mathieu puts a female twist on S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Bad Girls Never Say Die has all the drama and heartache of that teen classic, but with a feminist take just right for our times.

In this compelling new novel from the author of Want Some, Get Some, Pam Ward proves that sometimes looks are deceiving. . . With her pale skin, heart-shaped lips, and piercing gaze, ten year-old Paula is luminous. No one can believe that Margie, as bronzed-skinned as she is plain, could possibly be Paula's mother. But Margie knows better--behind Paula's innocent, girlish beauty lies the heart of a destructive soul who literally loves to play with fire, cannot control her temper, and in school, has a proven proclivity toward violence. Margie hopes that moving closer to the California waters will snuff out the mysterious, growing flame in her daughter's heart, but Bernard, their new neighbor and funeral parlor owner, immediately senses that there is something "strange" about little Paula--something that he does not want in his home or place of business. . . Bernard, a man with secrets himself, decides that his new neighbors may need a little encouragement to find another place to live. But Paula, though still a child, has keen instincts of her own. As her suspicions about Bernard unravel and lead to a suspenseful, disturbing battle of wills, the most shocking of secrets are revealed. . . Praise for Want Some, Get Some "An outstanding debut novel. . .original, fast-paced, and full of the drama that keeps the pages turning. Don't sleep." --Darren Coleman, Essence® bestselling author

Five of Texas s baddest boys and another whose destiny rested in the interpretation of a single word The Redlands feud made Curg Border well known in East Texas. Charles Watt Moorman was a bushwhacking murderer who practiced his deadly trade within spitting distance of Border. John Wesley Hardin, the one man who cannot be left off the list of Texas bad boys, managed to rub out fifty or more people just because he could. But he had some serious body count competition from his cousin Killin Jim Miller, who murdered most of his victims for money. John Calhoun Pink Higgins was a dangerous man to cross even for the likes of the Horrell boys. Gregorio Cortez brings us into the twentieth century with a story of shootings, flight, and miscarriage of justice. As you read these stories of murder, robbery, mayhem, and death, you will feel as though a friend just sat down with you and started telling you a story that pulled you along and kept you interested until the last bad boy bit the dust.

This amusing travel guide to the Lone Star State doesn't waste travelers' time telling them where to find antiques in the Hill Country, take breathtaking hikes through Big Bend, or gaze upon the Alamo. Instead, it guides television fans to a modern replica of the Munsters's mansion, leads the nonsqueamish to the world's only Cockroach Hall of Fame, and points the curious towards a small town filled with hippo statues. Among other things, Texas is home to Goliath-sized roadside attractions, and directions are provided on how to reach the World's Largest Six-Shooter, World's Largest Rattlesnake, and World's Largest Wooden Nickel. The accompanying photographs and maps instruct visitors on how to get to these and other extraordinary spots, including the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the Celebrity Shoe Musuem, Alley Oop's Fantasyland, and the Birthplace of Fritos. A dose of wacky Texas history is also included with answers to questions such as "Did a UFO really crash into a windmill northwest of Fort Worth in 1897? "and "What does an Abilene Kinko's have to do with the early retirement of Dan Rather?"

The lawmen in this book were serious offenders against the laws they had at one time sworn to uphold. Their skills were honed in range wars and family feuds and polished along the cattle trails, in the saloons and banks, and on the trains of the West. More than one kicked out their lives at the end of ropes strung up by citizens who were outraged by their abuse of the trust that went along with the badge they wore. These are their stories.

Drawing on fact and folklore, this book brings these gun-slinging "bad girls" to life, and explores their motives, hopes, and dreams. It dispels many of the myths about these female outlaws, for sometimes truth is stranger than fiction