An Interview With Lance Howard
Lance Howard is the pen-name of Maine writer Howard Hopkins. Howard is the author of over fifteen Black Horse Westerns. He shares some of his thoughts on writing, and writing Westerns in particular...
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Howard Hopkins and I write Black Horse westerns under the name
Lance Howard, as well as horror and western (and YA horror) electronic books
under my own name for Atlantic Bridge (www.atlanticbridge.net). I live in
Maine, USA, in a small coastal town just outside of Portland. I publish and
edit a PDF e-journal for fans of the American pulps of the 1930s and 40s
called GOLDEN PERILS (free copy can be downlaoded on my GP page at
www.howardhopkins.com/page4.htm). it focuses mainly on Doc Savage, The Shadow
and the Avenger, but also includes every other genre, as well as Old Time
Radio shows and some pulp-related comic books. I play mandolin, guitar and
saxophone and am a fan of Dutch music artists George Baker, BZN, Maywood and
Swedish group ABBA.
When did you start writing?
I began writing around 1982 or '83, articles for pulp fanzines. I did about
50 articles before getting the fiction "bug" and in 1985 completed my first
horror short story, which sold a year later.
What made you decide to write Westerns?
I began writing horror short stories, then went to novels, but the market in
America at the time was glutted and horror just wasn't selling. I was always
a fan of the Wild Wild West, Big Valley and a few others when I was young so
I thought I'd give westerns a try. I wound up falling in love with the genre.
Living in America, how did you come to know about Black Horse Westerns?
A friend of mine from Texas had written a Black Horse and told me about
Robert Hale. I had an idea for a western and knew it would likely fall right
into the word length Hale preferred, as well as the type of western they
bought. This friend sent me a copy of his book and I loved the way Hale
packaged their novels, nice compact hardcovers with pulp-remeniscent covers.
How does it feel having your books published in the UK before they come across to the States?
Having a novel published anywhere is a wonderful, validating experience for
an author so the answer would be it is a thrill, indeed! It was a bit tough
trying to purchase the books here in the States when I started out but the
advent of the Internet and Amazon UK, WHSmith online and various other
e-stores have eliminated that problem for my American readers. (It also gave
them access to a number of other great Black Horse writers.)
You write e-books as well as "standard" novels. Do you think that e-publishing will take off as more people become able to download electronic books, or is the paper book irreplaceable?
My feeling is that they will coexist in harmony, and will provide readers
with more options, like CDs and cassette tapes. Ebooks have a number of
obstacles to overcome before they are considered mainstreamed, mainly the
availability of an inexpensive handheld reader. Many folks do not know about
ebooks at present, and the cost of the readers can be prohibitive. Also the
plethora of formats can be mind-boggling and off-putting. I do think once
these and a few minor issues (such as quality standards of editing and
material) are settled ebooks will take off. There is an advantage to them for
travel and portability--you can load ten-twenty or more books into a single
reader the size of a palm pilot (and in my publisher and many others are
formatting specifically for Palm readers) and store a library of thousand on
a disc. there is also much more opportunity for new writers with fresh ideas
and voices to find publishers for their work (though at present compensation
is minimal.)
Why did you decide to write your Westerns under the pseudonym "Lance
Howard" and your e-books under your own name? 
When I first decided to write for Hale there was a contract clause for right
of refusal on the next two novels, so since I wrote in different genres I
decided to keep a name separate for my westerns. I didn't think my own
sounded particularly "western" enough, either, so I simply reversed my first
and middle names to come up with Lance Howard. Plus the Black Horse westerns
are a certain type of western and I wanted anyone picking up a Lance Howard
book to know what to expect and hopefully look for that as a signature. My
ebooks are mostly other genres, and "harder edged". Even the two that take
place in the West, THE DARK RIDERS and PISTOLERO are different from the Black
Horse books. They are double the length and one involves vampire desperadoes
in the old west while the other is a Jack the Ripper inspired storyline in a
western setting.
Who/what are your influences?
My biggest literary influence was Lester Dent, who wrote most of the Doc
Savage books for the pulps. His ability with words--even though most of the
novels were written in less than a month and allowed for only one
draught--amazed and inspired me. If not for him I would not have written my
first article for a pulpzine. I had a number of other influences from TV
shows such as Dark Shadows, music, The Shadow radio shows and comic
superheroes early on.
Many of your e-books and short stories are horror-based. Is horror your genre of choice?
It started out that way but I quickly fell in love with writing westerns. If
forced to make choice between the two today I am not sure I could, and my
books many times have a touch of both. In The Dark Riders, I blended horror
into the Wild West and in many of the Black Horse westerns I throw in a dash
of the eerie, a hint of the macabre.
It has been said that there aren't any original Western plots left...how
do you get around this in your writing?
Well, granted there are limits, especially in terms of situation. Obviously
if writing a western mystery you can't have the outcome hinge on DNA
evidence! But what many people who do not read westerns fail to realize is
the western is no where near as limited as they might think. I don't know how
many times I have heard "Oh, I don't read westerns--they are just gunfights
and cows" only to persuade (read: nag into compliance!) them to read one of
mine and have them be surprised.
Sure gunfights and shoot-outs at high noon
are great, but the West was a time of great growth, tremendous hardship and
perseverance of the human spirit. There are virtually unlimited points of
view and character conflict. While for the most part I embrace the gunfighter
archetype and traditional horse opera trappings, I find human stories can be
woven into those parameters and even beyond.
For instance, in my novel The
West Wolf, while adding in some creepy "werewolf" overtones I also deal with
a woman's fear of her abusive husband and how she handles the aftermath, as
well as influences the hero in his emotional struggle to overcome an incident
from his past that has scarred him.
In The Last Draw, I try to touch on
alcoholism and in Guns of the Past racism and interracial attraction. In The
Dark Riders, I explore one man's inability to deal with crushing loss and
death, and in The Deadly Doves the choice of infidelity.
In the end it might
be said there are no truly original plots in any genre, only original voices.
To the best of my ability I strive to make the books an enjoying read and a
respite from the trials and tribulations of daily life and stress.
You addressed the issue of spousal abuse in your book, "The West Wolf". 
Do you feel that the boundaries of the Western should constantly be pushed?
Certainly they can be constantly explored and expanded. I think the western
has vast potential and should not be limited by purist limitations or
perceptions. There is the real west (westward expansion and toil), the
mythical west (gunfighters and high noon showdowns) and the fantasy west
(supernatural or fantastical elements), all possibly with elements of the
other intermingled. I think it is necessary--without being blatantly
revisionist--to explore and extrapolate every aspect for the genre to
survive, grow and erase some of the false perceptions modern readers have
towards the genre. Human nature has been pretty much a constant and many of
the same things that afflict modern society affected western
society--prejudice, abuse, addiction, hopelessness, depression, fear of the
unknown. Why not shine a kerosene lamp on them instead of an arc light?
Which of your books are your favorites and why?
That's tough. The West Wolf would certainly be right up there and The Devil's
Peacemaker because I was able to blend Edgar Allen Poe into the novel and do
some things you normally don't find in a western. Palomita because of the
"ghost horse" and mystery aspect is another I am fond of.
Which of your covers are your favorites and why?
Palomita is a favorite (I am told that is John Ireland in a scene from Red
River) West Wolf again because it is very pulplike and nicely rendered. 
Comanche's Ghost and Devil's Peacemaker are two more I really like because of
there color schemes and execution. Ghost-town Duel because it reminds me a
bit of a James Bond cover! I absolutely do not like the cover for Deadly
Doves (the large print was far better!) or Wanted.
What do you enjoy about being a writer?
While writing is often torturous work (despite my relatives' assertions all I
do is sit in a chair and type!) the moment someone reads your work and lets
themselves be taken away from their problems for a few hours it is all worth
the effort. There is no greater feeling than to know you brought someone
pleasure with your stories because that is why you write them--to be read,
enjoyed and make life just a bit better, even if only for a few moments. At
least for me.
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
Right now I am mostly promoting the release of my ebooks and a new electronic
short story, as well as the large print of West Wolf and the upcoming The
Silver Mine Spook in February. But I have a number of stories in both the
western and horror genres on the griddle. My next western is tentatively
called Justice and will involve a tense tale of a bitter man who befriends a
woman who has just lost her son to a townlord. I also just finished an
article on Black Horse for The Pulp Rack website, an article on Doc Savage
ghost-writers for The Bronze Gazette and am putting the finishing touches on
the next issue of Golden Perils (#27).
Any advice to aspiring writers?
Never give up on your dreams and don't let anyone tell you you can't do it.
You are a success the moment you complete that novel or short story,
regardless of whether it is published. Writing is hard work and tremendous
frustration at times but believe in yourself and never stop trying to succeed.
Anything else you would like to add?
Only that if anyone would like to read excerpts from some of my books they
can do so on my website at www.howardhopkins.com. I have a free PDF Doc
Savage tribute novel I wrote there as well. I also wish all the other Black
Horse authors out there the greatest of success and happiness in their work!
Thanks, Howard
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