LET'S RODEO! Our special guest author, JIM OVERSTREET, knows ranching and rodeo life first hand and writes about them with both authority and love. We talk about his first two Contemporary Westerns - A MONTANA RIVALRY and A MONTANA INHERITANCE both part of his RODEO IN THE BLOOD Series. Meet rivals Rusty and Warren, enemies for life. Then add a girl,  a ranch, horses, steers, and rodeos...there's a lot happening!  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired May 16, 2024

Guest Author R.G. YOHO (Bob to his friends) joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell for an engaging conversation about his work as both an author and songwriter. We'll learn the backstory to the song, "Ride For The Brand," a co-write with Jim Jones and take a listen. An in-depth discussion of two of his books - the Western fiction page turner BITTER WATER and the non-fiction, captivating study of THE NINE LIVES OF CHARLES E. LIVELY -THE DEADLIEST MAN IN THE WEST VIRGINIA-COLORADO COAL MINE WARS follows. Both are engaging reads!  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired May 9, 2024

STORYTELLING THROUGH WORDS AND MUSIC HENRY PARKE - Film Editor for True West Magazine and author NANCY ELLIOTT join hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell.  Henry shares news of the latest on the Western movie and TV frontier. Then we welcome Featured Guest, author Nancy Elliott. We know Nancy as a multi-talented singer/songwriter/performer and fashion designer - now we meet her anew - as an engaging prose storyteller! What a compelling tale she presents in this new book AUTUMN'S ON ITS WAY! In this in-depth interview we hear 3 of Nancy's songs, learn how these songs inspired the story and what we can expect next. About the Book: Set in Arizona's dramatic, diverse landscapes of tall Saguaros, Ponderosa Pine, lush mountain meadows, and the secret caves and canyons of the Mogollon Rim, "Autumn's On Its Way" is not a bodice ripper, nor a shoot'em up, it's the story of a woman's realization of her physical, spiritual, and emotional capacities and reemergence into life after tragedy. It's a love of life story, brim full of legend, mystery, family relationships, adventure, near-death escapes, and an esteemed cast of supporting, real-west characters, including Mangus Colorado, Cochise, Lozen, Juh, pirates, privateers, and Italian royalty. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired May 2, 2024

APRIL GOES OUT WITH A BANG! Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell dodge bullets and crashing waves of water in DEATH UNDER THE DELUGE written by their talented guest, author C.M. WENDLEBOE.  The author of several book series, we talk about his 'Spirit Road Mystery Series' and the newest title Death Under the Deluge. Tune in to find out what inspired this story and its title, what role did two Lakota Code Talkers play in the action, and what are some tips for other authors writing mysteries?  ABOUT THE BOOK: A corpse is found lashed to a submerged cabin under the Missouri River just south of a Sioux Indian reservation… A corpse tied there perhaps seventy years ago… A corpse shot and tied there just before the river was flooded over a resort island first discovered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition… FBI Agent Manny Tanno is assigned to assist local law enforcement in the decades-old homicide. Suspects abound, including the owner of a trucking company and a long-dead Lakota Code Talker for the Army in World War Two. And dangers abound as a deputy sheriff also investigating the case is murdered. Manny’s life is threatened as he’s repeatedly attacked, barely escaping death himself. Will he survive to solve the cold case and the killing of the young deputy sheriff? Is there a chance he can find the killer of the deputy? Or any chance the murderer of the floating man is still among the living? Manny must dodge bullets as he works to stay alive long enough to catch the killers. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired April 25, 2024

WE ARE TAPPIN' OUR TOES AND SNAPPIN' OUR FINGERS! ALEX DORMONT, leader of the award-winning HOT TEXAS SWING BAND joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell. Enjoy great music and hear about the history of Western Swing, the backstory of the band and songs, and Alex's songwriting process. Check out their New Album - GOTTA MOVE. Alex Dormont is the Band Leader, Songwriter, Arranger, and Bass & Vocals of the Hot Texas Swing Band. You'll recognize their song, "Hot Texas," as it opens and closes every Rendezvous With A Writer broadcast.  About The Band: With one boot in Cowboy music and the other in Swing, the Hot Texas Swing Band is riding the trail previously blazed by artists such as Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel. Backed by a passion for traditional Western Swing, the Hot Texas Swing Band pushes the genre forward with Rockabilly, Latin beats and original material for high-energy shows that have critics and fans raving. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Playlist: Gotta Move, Tex-Mex Song, Rio Grande, Castle Walls, Devil On My Tail, Ain't Dead Yet - courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired April 11, 2024

WE READ, WE COOK, WE EAT, and WE TALK! HENRY PARKE - Film Editor for True West Magazine and Culinary Historian SHERRY MONAHAN joined hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell. Sherry's True West column, "Frontier Fare" always covers a taste of the West. We chatted about her newest book SIGNATURE DISHES OF AMERICA and her earlier one, THE TOMBSTONE COOKBOOK. (We created dinner from three recipes in this fun cookbook.) These are cookbooks...and so much more! Think of each recipe like a book's character...learn the backstory, what made the recipe popular in its time, and its legacy today. Then...get cookin' or as Sherry Monahan suggests, "Forks Up!" Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired April 4, 2024

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH FOUR MINUTES? BRIAN ANDREWS from the writing team of ANDREWS & WILSON returned for a second visit with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell. On this visit, we talked about FOUR MINUTES -the new release by Andrews & Wilson available April 2, 2024. FOUR MINUTES is the latest brilliant techno-thriller from the #1 internationally bestselling duo behind the SONS OF VALOR series. It is said that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, but what if you remove the one thing no one can control: Uncertainty about the future? Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired March 28, 2024

Cozy Mystery Writer JEANNE COONEY joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell for a second helping of IT'S MURDER, her fun cozy mystery series. We chat about her newest title, IT'S MURDER, YOU BETCHA!  A QUIRKY MURDER MYSTERY WITH RECIPES. Set in Northwest Minnesota in February, sisters Doris and Grace return to solve the murder of Lars Carlson - the so-called boyfriend of their good friend ninety-years young, Rose. As expected, the story is filled with good humor, twists and turns...and the three major food groups served at all community functions including funerals and baby reveal parties - hot dish, Jell-O, and bars (with a few M&Ms)! This title releases April 16, 2024 and is available to pre-order now. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired March 21, 2024

Award-winning author CANDACE SIMAR joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell for an engaging conversation about her historical fiction novel SISTER LUMBERJACK. We follow a cast of unforgettable characters in a Minnesota logging camp during the winter of 1893. Obstacles abound. Will they survive the harsh and dangerous winter?  Three lives intersect at Starkweather Timber, a haywire logging camp, where everything goes wrong. Their unique friendship turns their lives in unexpected directions. What a cast of characters! Trouble follows SISTER MAGDALENA, a jolly nun who struggles with rules. A giant of a woman, she is sent to sell hospital tickets to lumberjacks working the forests of Minnesota. It is dangerous work. She travels alone to isolated logging camps in the dead of winter, sometimes by snowshoes. The jacks call her SISTER LUMBERJACK. Widow SOLVEIGH ROGNALDSON is left alone with heartache and a mortgage. Though she feels too old, she musters courage to strike out on her own. She has to save the farm by herself. She has no one else. Bottle fever has NELS JENSEN by the throat. Swindled out of his summer’s pay, he heads to the logging camps of Northern Minnesota, only to discover he is blacklisted at reputable operations. He is neither a thief nor a liar, but he cannot prove his innocence.   Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired March 14, 2024

Episode #76 Aired March 7, 2024 Guest Host TOM SWEARINGEN chats with Cowboy Poet MARK MUNZERT. Tune in for an entertaining and informative conversation about the roots of cowboy poetry and what inspires the poems of both these talented poets. MARK recites several of his favorite poems.  Guest Host - Tom Swearingen Hosts -Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired March 7, 2024

Episode #75 Aired February 29, 2024 AWARD-WINNING JIM JONES JOINS US! Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell chat with the award-winning Jim Jones! Jim joins us to share insights into just three of the ways he tells stories - the written word, original music, and now film. A Western/Folk Singer/Songwriter, Author and a native Texan who hangs his hat in New Mexico, Jim's songs and books are about the West … cowboys, horses & cattle, cattle rustlers, the people and land, rivers and mountains, and the beauty of the Western sky. Jim has produced twelve Western/Folk albums as well as six Western novels, a novella and a Children’s Book Series in the Western genre. Storyteller Jim Jones has this to say about himself: Sitting around a campfire, at a table in a bar, or standing in front of an auditorium full of fans, my friends and I spin yarns. Some are true, some are fabricated, many are a combination of the two but all are Western. I hope my stories make you think and feel but more than anything, I hope they entertain you. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired February 29, 2024

Episode #74 Aired February 22, 2024 AUTHOR MARTHA BURNS JOINS US! Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell chat with award-winning author Martha Burns. She returns with her new book, ACROSS THE NARROWS. Releasing February 27, what a privilege it was to read it in advance! Martha's storytelling has been called "addictive," "poignant," and "engaging." We agree! ABOUT THE BOOK: ACROSS THE NARROWS unravels as a sweeping family saga, centered around a tragedy that shapes the del Palacio family's destiny and leaves little room for forgiveness. With themes of love, loss, and resilience, this poignant novel explores the transformative power of forgiveness and the pursuit of one's own identity in the face of adversity. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired February 22, 2024

Episode #73 - Aired February 15, 2024 WE MET CHARLIE AND SUSAN IN BOOK #1 - WHAT'S NEXT? Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell chat with Featured Guest - Returning Author E. Joe Brown. In this episode they chat about Joe's second book in the KELLY CAN SAGA - A COWBOY'S FORTUNE. "The cutthroat world of big oil is very different from the life of a humble cowboy, but if anyone can succeed among all the treachery and danger, KELLY CAN! It's 1919 and Charlie Kelly has married the love of his life, Susan Kramer, and together the newlyweds hope to grow the business empire that Susan's father, Walter Kramer, built. Charlie's dream of starting his own oil company becomes a reality, and Susan takes over the leadership of the Kramer Group, but tragedy soon follows triumph. Charlie discovers that the trail to becoming the best oil man in Oklahoma is not as easy as becoming a top hand at the 101 Ranch."  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired February 15, 2024

Episode #72 - Aired February 8, 2024 Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell enjoy chatting with Featured Guest - Author, Screenwriter, Filmmaker and Film and TV Editor for True West Magazine, HENRY C. PARKE.  We have a lively conversation about his newly released (February 6, 2024) book THE GREATEST WESTERNS EVER MADE AND THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THEM. If you like Western films, and TV, you will relish and savor every word of this book. Your memories of favorite Westerns, stars, character actors, directors, and writers will be refreshed AND you'll want to revisit them with new eyes. If you have NO interest in the Western...Henry's insights and engaging writing will change your mind. He writes with an expert's eye as he has filmmaking and screenwriting experience. You'll be notating the films you've just gotta watch! Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening Music - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired February 8, 2024

Episode #71 - Aired February 1, 2024 Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell enjoy chatting with HENRY C. PARKE, Film Editor for True West Magazine, kicks off the show with his monthly "Henry's Western Round-up" report of all things happening on the Western Film Frontier. Returning guest, award-winning author MANUELA SCHNEIDER, joins us to talk about her newest projects - MUSIC, FILM and TWO new books THE MEMOIRS OF MADAME MOUSTACHE: GROWING UP TO BE A GAMBLER and THE UNKNOWN ENEMY both are highly entertaining and available now!! Manuela shares the backstories and research of these newest projects, prepares us for what's coming (lots and lots of books!), and where she'll be in the USA this spring and fall!  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Old Barn - written by Manuela Schneider and Dan Washburn, performed by Dan Washburn. Provided courtesy of Manuela Schneider and Dan Washburn.  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired February 1, 2024

Episode #70 - Aired January 18, 2024 Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell enjoy a lively and animated conversation with award-winning author DEBORAH SWENSON about the first two books in her DESERT HILLS TRILOGY. Jim read Book #1 - TILL MY LAST BREATH and Bobbi Jean read TILL MY LAST DAY. Question - What are these stories...Thriller? Mystery? Time Travel Adventure? Romance? Historical Fiction? Answer - Read them both and decide for yourself! While Bobbi inhaled Book #2, Jim turned the pages of Book #1 just as quickly. Join us for our chat about the books' inspiration, characters, necessary research the joys of writing and reading and ...what's next!  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired January 18, 2024

Episode #69, Aired January 11, 2024. Author GENCY BROWN joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell to chat about her newly released book A RIGHT FINE LIFE! Written in the tradition of a memorable country ballad, but with a twist, A RIGHT FINE LIFE takes the reader into the dreams and daily life of a talented yet struggling country musician, Randy Walters. GENCY knows her way around a touring musician's life and captures singer/songwriter and performer Randy Walters' world authentically. Join us for a lively conversation about music and writing tips for a "right fine" book! Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired January 11, 2024

Episode #68. Aired January 4, 2024. Returning guests, True West Magazine Film Editor, HENRY C. PARKE and award-winning author MIKE TORREANO, kick off 2024! Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell catch up with them both. HENRY recaps what's happening in the world of Western Film. MIKE shares the backstory and author insights into his newly released historical fiction title FIREFLIES AT DUSK, already an award winner. This coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of the Civil War, has moved readers and is receiving rave reviews. Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired January 4, 2024

Episode #67 What happens when two award-winning word wranglers share an hour of conversation? Magic! Poet TOM SWEARINGEN steps in to guest host this broadcast with his special guest author, singer, songwriter, and musician MICKI FUHRMAN. Together, they explore the mysteries of how lyrics and songs are created, (when is it similar to writing poetry - if it ever is) what inspires great songwriting - and storytelling. Along the way, MICKI shares stories of growing up in the South and the West, songwriting insights, why she loves driving the I40, and what is expected of an author (hint - they should take a journalist approach - report the truth - in their own words). This is an illuminating and entertaining show with a few surprises including Micki's live performances and readings AND a special "Happy Birthday" to absentee host Bobbi Jean Bell's Mom. What a way to close out 2023!! Guest Host - Tom Swearingen Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired December 28, 2023

Episode #66 Featured Guest Author ANN PARKER joins hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell to discuss her latest title, the multi-award winning THE SECRET IN THE WALL, Book #8 of her popular SILVER RUSH MYSTERY SERIES. The year is 1882 and the location is "The Paris of the West" - San Francisco. What happens when a typical remodeling job - breaking through a wall to connect two adjacent boarding houses - reveals a skeleton with a glass eye and a canvas bag of gold coins?? Is there a connection to the San Francisco Mint and Alcatraz? Protagonist Inez Stannert and a cast of engaging characters, set out to solve the mystery. Tune in for a fun conversation! ANN shares the backstory to the series and this title, insights into her research process, how she meets her characters and more!!!!     Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Hot Texas Swing Band  Sponsored by OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE  Aired December 21, 2023