Email to A.J. Devlin on Bronco Buster and His Memorable Reply

In my past 2 posts I have put up a review of Bronco Buster by A.J. Devlin and thoughts on poetry in the book and professional wrestling. Those posts and this post are part of a blog tour for the book. (I recommend reading the first two posts and then this post.) For this post I wrote to A.J. inviting his comments on my trio of posts. My email and his reply, in the vivid purple it appeared in my inbox, form this post. His response is remarkable and A.J. deeply moved me with his generous words. I look forward to reading more of his books. He is one of the best young writers in Canada.

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Dear A.J.

At the end of this email are my review of Bronco Buster and a post on poetry connected to the book.

I had lamented to you, after reading Five Moves of Doom, that Hammerhead had become a darker man.

I appreciate Hammerhead has regret over the death he set up in Five Moves of Doom. I equally appreciate Declan has no regret over the killing of a man who was a merciless killer.

Declan declared to Hammerhead:

“Stop beatin’ yerself up, Deartháir Fola”, which was Irish for blood brother. “Ya know if it could be done over, we’d still do it the same.”

My life of almost 50 years as a lawyer has ingrained in me that the Rule of Law keeps our nation a civilized country.

Much as vigilante justice appeals to me I condemn its practice.

Yet we must all move ahead in life. 

I had feared after Five Moves of Doom that Hammerhead was headed to an abyss in his life where he lost hope in the future. I was glad to see him returning from the darkness in Bronco Buster. His wit is encouraging.

I loved the big personalities in Bronco Buster. They added such colour and sparkle to the story. I am glad you let some light into the hard world of Hammerhead. Now, if you could only get Sam and J.T. to add some colour to the noir of their Vancouver.

Hammerhead is rolling along with the amazing characters of the book, working his way back to enjoying life but I see him still deeply troubled over his past vigilante actions. Planning and carrying out a killing takes a continuing toll on a reflective soul. Only the truly twisted can kill without conscience.

When I deal with people who have experienced great trauma whether from family turmoil or spousal conflict or residential school attendance or criminal attack or false accusation or another of the myriad of ways one human can harm another I often recommend counselling. For numerous clients it has helped them move forward.

In books, T.V. shows and movies I often see police officers brushing aside mandatory counselling after undergoing trauma. I have always thought that approach misguided. There is as much drama in addressing a troubled mind as barging forward without help.

I hope Hammerhead seeks out some counselling beyond Declan. His cousin started his recovery in his rough and ready way. Fully facing the conflicts within his mind with a counsellor would be fascinating.

Kooty, the Doukhobor motivational speaker and secular guru, encouraged Hammerhead to embrace his pain and forgive himself. By listening, the massive wrestler showed himself open to counseling.

Self-help remedies are a start. Professional therapy can sustain the healing.

As discussed I will be glad to post your response to this email and my other posts on Bronco Buster. Rollicking action, humour and reflection are a potent combination driving Bronco Buster. I expect it to get Award attention.

As has become a personal tradition I drank a DQ banana milkshake while reflecting on Bronco Buster.

All the best.

Bill

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"Back in the saddle."

That’s the tag line I’ve been running with for Bronco Buster as it features “Hammerhead” Jed’s return to both the wrestling and detective worlds. 

Promotion, event planning, hell I even sign most books “‘Hammerhead’ Jed is back in the saddle — hope you enjoy!”

And while for most folks that might be the take away line, I am not for a minute surprised that it’ s not the one Bill Selnes got out of my latest novel. No, Bill not only zeroed in on the “DO NOT GO GENTLE” Dylan Thomas poetry line — the son of a gun even outdid this author and found an incredible video about how this epic poetic phrase has already been utilized as a showcase for sports entertainment.

If you haven’t seen the 2014 WWE 2K ad I highly recommend it just like Bill as it does something even a bit unusual for wrestling — it focuses on the HONOUR of the wrestlers. 

And HONOUR was one of the themes I wanted to explore in Bronco Buster.

While originally conceived as a trilogy of Cobra Clutch, Rolling Thunder, and Five Moves of Doom with room for future novels, after the threequel it became clear the time was not right to say goodbye to the character of “Hammerhead” Jed Ounstead (for now at least) as this author prepares to challenge himself by writing a new standalone comedic crime caper.

All of this is really a long-winded way of saying that if it weren’t for Bill Selnes, I don’t think I would have prioritized Bronco Buster over my new standalone novel.

Why?

Because Bill is authentic. Bill is genuine. Bill invests in stories and in turn experiences emotions from them. 

Not only did this happen in Five Moves of Doom — I KNOW it was the book that caused Bill — a man of strong faith, character, and integrity — some concern over “Hammerhead” Jed because I had very strategically taken the character to a darker place and possibly sent him on a more concerning vigilante path. And while we may have agreed to disagree on Jed’s actions in book 3, that didn’t make Bill’s feelings any less valid to me. 

In fact, it sort of made me take a moment to reevaluate the series itself. 

Why? 

Because Bill likes Jed. 

Bill cares about Jed.

And when I realized not only where Jed was at by the end of Five Moves of Doom but also the lingering feelings Bill still felt over Jed’s fate at the end of that novel? 

Well that’s when it became crystal clear that my trilogy needed to become a quadrology and Jed had to make a choice — about the kind of detective / wrestler / man he is going to be.

Then and only then would the character be able to be put on hiatus (or perhaps even ride off into the sunset). This coming into his own — this coming home within himself — this is what all of the books have been building toward in this quadrology. It was never about Jed being a wrestler who lost his honour and had to find it again. It wasn’t never about Jed finding new honour in helping people by being a detective. 

“Hammerhead” Jed’s journey has always been about him realizing that whether he is a professional wrestler shining in the limelight or a PI causing trouble and catching bad guys with his cousin — HE IS AN IMPACT PLAYER.

For me, that is what Jed realizes in this novel. That labels don’t matter. But lives do. Jed doesn’t care if people think of him as a wrestler or detective or both — he CHOOSES to be man of honour in order to help folks and save lives the way that only him and his pisstank commando cousin can. And by doing so, after his tragic exit from pro-wrestling before book 1 all the way up to the end of book 3,  I like to think Jed may have saved himself.

And not just his life. Perhaps his soul as well.

Bronco Buster begins with a crass and vulgar move where a wrestler suffocates his opponent with his crotch. Which is why it seems only fitting that it ends with the author referring to Jed’s experience (of solving the real-time rodeo case and making peace with his past) as the sort of “spiritual enema” of the “Hammerhead” Jed mystery-comedy series. 

Two parting thoughts:

1) Yes I did in fact just attempt to link honour and an enema as seen above

2) Many thanks to Bill Selnes and Mysteries And More for another awesome book tour visit

Best,

AJ Devlin

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Devlin, A.J. - (2019) - Cobra Clutch; (2020) - Rolling Thunder and Stampede Wrestling and and Exchange with Author A.J. Devlin; (2022) - Five Moves of Doom and Discussing Five Moves with A.J.; (2024) - Bronco Buster and Poetry and Professional Wrestling