Rendezvous With A Writer Podcast

#172 Guest Olivia Harms

MAKING MUSIC ON THE ROAD RECORDING ARTIST OLIVIA HARMS CHATS with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean BellWatch the LIVE Video on YouTube
Enjoy the music and backstories of guest singer/songwriter/ and recording artist OLIVIA HARMS! Born to Western Music royalty, Olivia Harms, known as the "Rhinestone Cowgirl" has stepped out on her own to craft music that is equal parts Texas, Bakersfield, and Nashville country, making her very own Country Western Honky-Tonk sound.
Olivia knew early on that she wanted to chase a career in music. When she was 6 years old, Santa Claus delivered her first guitar and sparked her love of songwriting. She grew up performing on stages all over the world with her mother, International Western Music Hall of Fame member, Joni Harms. Today, she handles most of her own booking, PR, and social media accounts in addition to writing, recording and playing more than 200 shows a year.
In 2025 Olivia was hand selected by Taylor Sheridan and Blake Shelton to be part of their brand new television series, “The Road.” The series followed twelve musicians on tour while they opened for Keith Urban each week competing, trying to win over fans, and stay on tour for their chance to become the next big country star. The series premiered on CBS and Paramount Plus. We talk about music, songwriting, and her experiences making music on the road.Music Played"I'm On My Way""Hey There Cowboy""This Ain't My First Rodeo" "Kiddie Pool""Sent From Above"Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our landing page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired February 19, 2026  
 

#171 Guest Thomas D. Clagett

COME TO ME CHILDREN. COME TO THE RIVERSIDE.THOMAS D. CLAGETT CHATS with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean BellWatch the Live Video on YouTube.Add one part history, one part legend, one part murder, one part greed, and one part horror. Combine well with a ghost story, add the author’s gripping writing and what do you get? A haunting tale you will not be able to put down…or forget… THE RIVER GHOST.
Award-winning author THOMAS D. CLAGETT joins us to share the backstory to this riveting, thrilling Gothic Western set in 1883 New Mexico Territory – in a town called Santa Fe.
 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThomasDClagett Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our landing page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired February 12, 2026  

#170 Guests Paul Andrew Hutton and Henry C. Parke

A GRAND NARRATIVE OF THE AMERICAN WEST PAUL ANDREW HUTTON and HENRY C. PARKE CHAT with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean BellWatch the live interview! 
Join us for an engaging conversation with our two guests! PAUL ANDREW HUTTON, award-winning historian and author, joins True West Magazine Film Editor HENRY C. PARKE. 
First, Henry presents his monthly, “Henry’s Western Round-up,” reporting on current Western films and TV shows. Then, we talk with Paul Andrew Hutton about his latest critically acclaimed book on the history of the American frontier, THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY: TRIUMPH, TRAGEDY, and the SHAPING OF THE AMERICAN WEST. The Wall Street Journal named it one of the Top Ten Books of 2025.   Jim and I must tell you...this is an amazing book - reads like a novel, at times humorous, at times horrifying and heartbreaking, yet so engaging and instructional you won't be able to put it down. In addition to the 7 iconic personalities we met a George Washington we didn't know, along with Dan Morgan, Pontiac, Rebecca Boone and daughters...the list of personalities Paul brings to life goes on and on. If you read nothing else of our nation's factual history during this year of America250 - you must read this!Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our landing page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired February 5, 2026  

#169 Guests Natalie Bright and Manuela Schneider

GERMAN FREEDOM UNDER TEXAS SKYNATALIE BRIGHT and MANUELA SCHNEIDER chat with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell
Based on authentic diaries guest authors, NATALIE BRIGHT and MANUELA SCHNEIDER, tell the dramatic, stirring story of two families who risk everything and lose so much. Hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell talk with Natalie and Manuela about Book One of a planned trilogy, THE NEW FATHERLAND. Texas, 1834. Far away from their old homeland, countless Germans seek their fortune in the land of opportunity. Political unrest in the monarchy drives them away-into a world where vast fields and freely accessible land await settlers. But behind the tempting promise of freedom lies a high price. Join us for this lively conversation!Music Featured:Allan Chapman & Rodeo Kate - "Immigrants" - Album "Travelin' West"Judy James - "Beautiful Texas" - Album "Beautiful Texas""O Tannenbaum" - Album "German Christmas Songs"Watch The Video Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired January 29, 2026  

#168 Guest Katie Ryan

GHOSTS OF CALIFORNIAKATIE RYAN chats with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean BellProducer, songwriter, author, and director, KATIE RYAN, joins us to talk about her newest, highly anticipated, documentary. GHOSTS OF CALIFORNIA explores the people, places, and legends that helped shape California's history. Discover the mysteries surrounding the people, places, and legends that make up California's rich history. Katie and her production team pride themselves on their unique approach to storytelling, using a combination of historical research and cinematic techniques to make their films feel like you’re stepping back in time. Author Scott Yanow writes: "Ghosts Of California," written by Katie Ryan and David Kaufman (who is the main narrator), is beautifully filmed, and filled with original music that fits each story, this film is a very valuable addition to American history. It looks towards the future with optimism while paying homage to the past in a truthful and vivid manner.We also chat about her first documentary The Last Coyote - The Don Edwards Story and her book Horse Wisdom Alchemy.Watch the live interview on YouTube.Music featured:Don Edwards - "West of Yesterday"Don Edwards - "Coyotes"Katie Ryan and Janine Cooper Ayers - "Ghosts of California"Mike Fleming - "On California Ground"Dave Stamey - "The Mission Bell" Katy Moffatt - "St. Francis Dam Disaster"Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com  Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired January 22, 2026  

#167 Guests Nick Wale and Scott McCrae

EXCITING WESTERN ADVENTURES! NICK WALE and SCOTT MCCRAE chat with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell  Join us for a lively conversation with NICK WALE, CEO of Dusty Saddle Publishing, and returning guest SCOTT MCCREA author of westerns, thrillers, adventure and a whole lot more! They enlighten us with what’s happening in the Western genre today and what we can look forward to reading this year. We take an in-depth look with Scott McCrea, about his latest bestseller Ezra Flint U.S. Marshal: Flint’s Honor and DSP's new 2026 landmark series collection of 12 books America250. Watch the live episode on YouTube.Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell I Am The Storm - written and performed by Randy HustonOpening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired January 15, 2026  

#166 Guests Kristyn Harris, Natalie Aramendia and Henry C. Parke

WELCOME TO THE RANCH!KRISTYN HARRIS, NATALIE ARAMENDIA, and HENRY C. PARKE CHAT with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell January 2026 kicks off with a special show all about film! Three guests join us. Award-winning singer and entertainer KRISTYN HARRIS and film director NATALIE ARAMENDIA join True West Magazine Film Editor HENRY C. PARKE. Henry presents his monthly, “Henry’s Western Round-up,” reporting on current Western films and TV shows. Then we turn our attention to a new film premiering in late January. A RANCH MUSICAL, an original musical movie starring Kristyn Harris and directed by Natalie Aramendia, a musical love story for the rural American West. It’s a toe-tapping show about a deeply traditional female rancher who, when faced with losing her family’s land, reluctantly teams up with a tech-savvy new city-boy neighbor, discovering innovation isn’t a betrayal of her roots, unexpected romance might just come from a pair of shiny, too-clean cowboy boots…and the wannabe cowboy wearing them.Tune in for a lively conversation about how this movie came to be, it's inspiration, story line, and filming locations. Enjoy short clips of four of the songs included in the film - all performed by Kristyn Harris. Watch the live interview!  Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired January 8, 2026  

#165 Guest Author Peggy Chambers

THE FINAL SANDHILL ISLAND STORY PITS SISTER AGAINST BROTHER IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH S T R U G G L EPEGGY CHAMBERS chats with hosts Jim and Bobbi BellWe eagerly awaited this final Sandhill Island story, SMUGGLERS OF SANDHILL ISLAND, and it was worth the wait! Longtime friend and returning author, PEGGY CHAMBERS, has done it again! Faithful readers of this book series love the characters who live on this little island on the Gulf Coast, and, like Peggy, have come to feel they are friends. Here’s what Peggy Chambers shares about this story: Sandhill Island is a small tourist island off the coast of Corpus Christi, and the characters are varied. They live their lives fishing, operating a business, teaching school, growing a garden, or singing in a local restaurant. The book, Smugglers of Sandhill Island, is about the relationship between siblings; one hard working, the other not. And like most siblings, they will fight each other tooth and nail, and they will fight to the death for each other.Watch the live interview! Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 18, 2025  

#164 Guest Author Laurie Buchanan

STRAP IN. BRACE YOURSELF. AND REMEMBER TO B R E A T H E!LAURIE BUCHANAN chats with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell.
Is there someone on your gift list eagerly awaiting a gritty crime thriller? Do you hunger for a story so riveting it will keep you up all night? Anyone you know a fan of mystery or suspense? How about books from a series that is all this and more??
Meet author LAURIE BUCHANAN, author of the Sean McPherson Novel Series. We’re eager to meet Laurie and share with you an in-depth look at her newest crime thriller, ILLUSIONIST. Known for her “keen eye for detail and a passion for creativity and authenticity, Laurie crafts gritty crime thrillers from her historic hayloft writing studio.”“Buchanan’s trademark style is to lure you in with cozy descriptions of food, décor, and setting, then slam you onto the edge of your seat with terrifying skill, as her bad guy holds reign over your emotions. In other words, this author has a mind of steel and a heart of velvet.”—Saralyn Richard, author of the Detective Parrott mystery seriesWatch the live interview!Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 11, 2025  

#163 Guests Authors Craig Johnson and Henry C. Parke

WHAT GOOD ARE YOUR MORALS, IF YOU'RE MARKED FOR THE DEAD LETTER O F F I C E?CRAIG JOHNSON & HENRY C. PARKE chat with hosts Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell.December 2025 kicks off with two guests, award-winning author CRAIG JOHNSON joins True West Magazine Film Editor HENRY C. PARKE, author of THE GREATEST WESTERNS EVER MADE AND THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THEM.   
Returning guest, Craig Johnson, brings us up to date with his news and shares the backstory behind his newest Longmire mystery series best-seller, RETURN TO SENDER.
"The straight-shooting hero is welcome in duplicitous times, but it’s the magnificent desert that captures the imagination."—Kirkus ReviewsIs there a Walt Longmire fan on your gift list? Our recommendation? Grab a copy of the 21st title in the series, RETURN TO SENDER! Walt Longmire is back after the escapades of FIRST FROST and encounters one of his most baffling cases in Wyoming’s brutal and unforgiving Red Desert.Watch the live interview!Find "everything Rendezvous" in one place! A BIG thank you to Janell Madison of "Clicks By Madison" for creating our page! Check it out - rendezvouswithawriter.com Hosts - Jim and Bobbi Jean Bell Opening and Closing Music - Hot Texas courtesy of Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band Sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency  Clicks By Madison  and OutWest Shop Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 4, 2025