September 18, 2022

The Tombstone Barber

“The Tombstone Barber” is just out in Pulphouse Fiction Magazine’s, Issue #19

This story has a history. I don’t think I’ll go into details, but for a while it seemed like this story about a cursed object was, itself, cursed. It got the attention of several editors, an honorable mention from the Writers of the Future contest, but no sale. Then I sent it to Dean Wesely Smith and it found its home at Pulphouse Fiction Magazine.

This is another one of my very Arizona stories. It takes place in modern day Arizona in Cottonwood and in Tombstone back in 1881.

This one took a bunch of research and takes a different view of the conflict between the Cochise County Cowboys and the Earps and Doc Holliday. It turns out the gunfight didn’t occur at the O.K. Corral. I also rewatched the movie Tombstone as part of my research (the life of a writer can be so tough).

The story imagines another party involved and behind the scenes pulling strings; a barber, the Tombstone barber. The story revolves around his straight razor which is cursed.

This was a fun one to write and I’m glad the story itself has a happy ending in the pages of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine.

I really think this is a good one and hope you enjoy it! Go check it out.

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Robert J. McCarter


Robert J. McCarter is the author of more than ten novels and over a hundred short stories...... learn more

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    1. Daniel,

      That is amazing! What a small world. This story is fiction, so I’m not writing about your great grandfather. Parts of it are historically accurate, but not that part.

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