Literary Western Fiction
Date Published: 06-13-2026
Publisher: Steinmetz Press
Seventeen-year-old Ellar Day is drowning in societal judgment. Following
a shotgun wedding and an equally swift divorce from an unfaithful husband, she
is under intense pressure from her demanding father to find a respectable
provider and secure her infant son’s future. Instead, she falls for Joe
Dixon, a former Buffalo Soldier. Because of the era's deep racial prejudices,
their passionate affair is strictly forbidden, forcing them to steal quiet
moments in back alleys and mule barns.
Meanwhile, her father champions Mark Atkins, a local editor who offers Ellar
financial security and a white-picket homestead. But beneath Mark’s
polished facade lies a dark, volatile past. When a stormy night with Joe
leaves Ellar facing a potential pregnancy, the stakes turn deadly. Knowing a
mixed-race child means social ruin for her and a hangman’s noose for
Joe, she sacrifices her happiness and accepts Mark’s marriage proposal
to save the man she loves.
Yet, safety is an illusion. Facing financial ruin and discovering Ellar's
betrayal, Mark unleashes a brutal act of vengeance. When Ellar is fatally shot
down a long hotel corridor, Joe is immediately accused of the crime.
Orchestrating a ruthless brand of Wild West justice, Joe is burned alive in
his jail cell by a lawless vigilante mob.
Reviews for The Notorious Murder of Ellar Day
"The Notorious Murder of Ellar Day is an untold story that is as compelling as
it is timely and impactful.
~Penny Haw, author of The Invincible Miss Cust and
The Woman and Her Stars.
"There is no easy or clear path for Ellar. Doing the right thing feels wrong
and doing what feels right is forbidden."
~Kimberly Burns, author of The Mrs.
Tabor and The Redemption of Mattie Silks
"The political and social backdrop of a bustling Colorado mining town gives
authentic historical flavor to this captivating debut novel."
~Sherry Skye
Stuart, author of Forgotten Female Felons Book One.
"Five stars for Marcy S. Wood's stunning debut! This beautiful reimagining of
history portrays the delicate intersection of romantic tragedy and racial
injustice with the reverence it deserves."
~Jennifer Wyrick, former owner of
the Beaumont Hotel.
Excerpt
I sped down the stairs and out the door. The hag’s vicious laugh haunted
my ears. Across the street stood Joe, speaking with the men with whom he
played cards. They joked and smoked cigarettes. Surely they knew and were
laughing at me. They fell silent as I dashed past. I tossed my mask.
“Missus Woodcock?” he said.
I ran on, too confused to orient myself.
“Excuse me,” I heard him say. To me? To his friends? I continued,
hell-bent on escaping my dreadful embarrassment. I saw Mr. Begole’s
store was closed up tight with the kerosene streetlights reflected in its
windows, and the black night everywhere else. Kicking mud behind me, I rushed
toward the company housing.
When I got to my tent, I hurled Chas’s clothes from the top drawer. I
stomped them into the muck and mire of my life. It dawned on me that my wicked
husband spent my money on whores and sodomites. I spat rancid bile from my
mouth, and it landed just shy of Joseph W. Dixon’s feet.
“You all right?” He held my mask, now tarnished with mud.
I stared at him, wishing to scream. Instead, I kept my voice low and even. I
gnashed my teeth.
“What does the W stand for?” I asked.
“What?”
“The W stands for What?”
“What are you asking me?”
“Your middle name?” He looked confused. “The W in your
middle name. You’re Joseph W. Dixon, right? Oh, never mind. Were you
aware of my husband—of his, all of this—when you met me
today?” I was angry and addled, but my run through the chilly night had
cleared my senses.
“I don’t find it my place to judge a man’s
proclivities.”
About the Author
Marcy S. Wood, MA in Creative Professional Writing, lives in the mountains of
Ouray, CO. She writes at the end of her family’s dining table with a pup
at her feet and a cat on her lap.
Contact Links
Website
Goodreads
Instagram
Purchase Link
Amazon
