Full disclosure: I’ve gotten to know Nicole over the last few years. This will not make my review valid in some folk’s eyes, but those folks can think what they like,because I thought she was a good writer before I met her.

Sisters of the Wild Sage:A Weird Western Collection is a new short story collection from her, due out April 25 on Kindle.You can preorder it here: :https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Wild-Sage-Western-Collection-ebook/dp/B07PBP3S7X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3A9D87QFK81OU&keywords=sisters+of+the+wild+sage&qid=1553043753&s=gateway&sprefix=sisters+of+the+wild+sa%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1

Sisters is presented as weird westerns, and it certainly lives up to the name. These are stories that veer from urban fantasy(Unhinged) to science fiction(The Pluviophile) to straight up horror(Trader) in some cases. But besides her evocative writing style, there are a few underlying themes and ideas that tie all these stories together.

The first one, of course, is the West. I capitalized it on purpose, because these stories are all set somewhere or sometime in the American West. She manages to convey a strong sense of place, in that her stories evoke the wide open places, and the dreams that such places bring to folks, and sometimes crushes those same dreams. I could almost feel the sand in my teeth at times.

The second theme that ties several of these stories together is religion, or rather, how religion is used by some to their own ends. From the Deacon in the opening story, Belly Speaker, to the beliefs that get shattered in Rise, there’s many folks using the holy to do the unholy. But Nicole does present some characters with positive religious ideas, so it’s not bashing, just a theme I found in the collection.

Finally, the third theme I found was of escape. People in this collection are either running away from something(Belly Speaker, Los Luna) or trying to run towards a better future(Oni Soars, Sisters of the WIld Sage)

These stories are entertaining, well written and full of surprises. Other than a few layout quibbles, which should be gone by the time you read it,I enjoyed my time with it.
This is a fun read at a great price. It’s a great introduction to the creative talent and writing of Nicole Kurtz, who if the world made sense, would be known to many more people, because she has talent, a unique voice and can write her ass off.

So go buy this, then go to Amazon or her website, https://mochamemoirspress.com/, and buy her stuff. You won’t regret it.