Rendezvous With A Writer Podcast

#118 Guest Authors Marjorie Mathison Hance & Darrell J. Pedersen

WHAT IS IT ABOUT MINNESOTA'S LAKES, MYSTERIES, AND MEMORIES THAT LEAD TO GREAT STORIES?
It's a Blue Cottage Agency Rendezvous with two Minnesota based writers!Hosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome authors MARJORIE MATHISON HANCE and DARRELL J. PEDERSON. Marjorie Mathison Hance is the author of the North Lakes Murder Mystery Series, including Murder at Pelican Lake, Cormorant in the Net, and The Man Three Cottages Down. The novels, all set in Minnesota’s northwestern lake country, were inspired by her time spent on Pelican Lake throughout her life, beginning in 1956 when she first learned to fish and waterski. Growing up she enjoyed reading and fell in love with mystery books after discovering Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. We talk in great length with Marjorie about the first book in the series, Murder At Pelican Lake. 
Then author Darrell J. Pedersen joins Jim and Bobbi to chat about his memoirs set in Minnesota. Darrell has spent his life observing, listening, and embracing his time with friends, family, and his community. His perspective, guided by faith, compassion, empathy, and inquisitiveness, has molded his stories into playful and rich treasure chests of wisdom. These are engaging short stories you'll read again and again. His first book,  Campfire In The Basement: Reflections From A North Woods Lake is followed by the companion title Who Will Carry The Fire? More Reflections For A North Woods Lake.  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 16, 2025

#117 Guest Author Julie Jones

MAD DOGS, VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, AND MERMAIDS, OH MY!
Hosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome Weird Western author JULIE JONES.
Meet GINNY SUTTON, and her creator, author JULIE JONES.
BLOOD FOLLOWS BLOOD: THE LEGEND OF GINNY SUTTON is the first book in a new series - an epic journey across the West. Hold onto your hat, take a deep breath and follow Ginny Sutton on her perilous wild ride throughout the West!jJulie shares the backstory to the book's captivating cover and how she met main character Ginny Sutton. If you aren't familiar with the terms "Weird Western" or "Eerie Western" or "Speculative Fiction" tune in to hear Julie's descriptions of these western genres. This is an engaging interview - as entertaining as the book is! 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 2, 2025

#116 Guests Authors Jane Coletti Perry and J.R. Sanders

TWO ENGAGING READS Hosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome authors JANE COLETTI PERRY and J.R. SANDERS. 
2024 wraps with conversations with 2 award-winning authors! IN THE LIMELIGHT kicks off the show with JANE COLETTI PERRY, author of LILA'S JOURNEY. It’s 1866 on the Santa Fe Trail. Sixteen-year-old Lila Bonner is forced to make a life-changing decision that leaves her frightened and alone. With help from a kindhearted stranger, Lila reaches Council Grove, Kansas, where she hopes to build a new life. In this engaging story, we follow Lila's journey through a tumultuous year.
Taking CENTER STAGE is J.R. SANDERS, author of the popular NATE ROSS SERIES. We chat about his latest title, A KILLING WAY. Nate Ross once again rides the Wild West of 1930s Hollywood when retired silent film star William S. Hart hires him to recover a valuable painting stolen from Hart's home and held for ransom. Trouble is, the art-napper's a dead man-a B-Western day player killed in an on-set shooting the cops aren't convinced was an accident. Will Nate successfully locate the stolen Charlie Russell painting...at what cost? 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 26, 2024 
 

#115 Guest Author Anne Hillerman

WHO ARE LOST BIRDS?Hosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome author Anne Hillerman to the show! Award-winning author ANNE HILLERMAN joins us to chat about her newest title LOST BIRDS: A LEAPHORN, CHEE, AND MANUELITO NOVEL. We chat about Anne's early journalism career and how she transitioned into other writing including this popular novel series. Once we opened LOST BIRDS we couldn't put it down! So many subplots, each a story on its own yet even more compelling when woven together. Interested in the future of the Dark Winds TV series? Want to know who or what is a "lost bird"? How does the landscape on the book jacket connect to the story?  Would you like to know how Anne develops her characters? And...what's coming next? We chat about these topics...and more! 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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 19, 2024 

#114 Guests Authors Louise Carnachan and Reavis Z. Wortham

BOOKS ARE THE BEST GIFTSHosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome two guests to the show! It's gift-giving time - we recommend both these titles! Kicking off the show, LOUISE CARNACHAN, stars IN THE LIMELIGHT for our engaging conversation about her important book WORK JERKS: HOW TO COPE WITH DIFFICULT BOSSES AND COLLEAGUES. If you're stressed and unhappy because of problems with a boss or colleague, you pay a price. Going to bed angry and waking up only to dread a new workday is a terrible way to live. With an emphasis on the positive actions you can take while being attentive to your specific situation, Work Jerks provides practical advice on how to deal with a variety of problematic coworkers--whether in-person or remotely--so work can stop being something you dread and start being something you enjoy.Taking CENTER STAGE is award-winning author REAVIS Z. WORTHAM. Join us for our lively conversation about his new book THE BROKEN TRUTH: A TUCKER SNOW THRILLER. And what a thriller it is!
The endless Texas landscape hides all manner of sins...
Special Agent Tucker Snow knows there's big money roaming the fields under the wide Texas sky--and the cattle rustlers committing large-scale thefts on remote ranches know it, too. But when a prominent local rancher dies unexpectedly and his property is quietly sold to an unknown buyer, Tucker suspects there's something more sinister going on in his jurisdiction than the usual steal-and-resell racket. Working alongside his brother, Harley, Tucker uncovers a dark ring of organized crime that goes well beyond cattle rustling--a breed of deception and greed that has turned into a silent killer and will take down anyone who crosses its path. Take our word for it...hold onto your hat...this is a a WILD ride! 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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 12, 2024 

#113 Guests Author Thomas Goodman & True West Film Editor Henry C. Parke

THE SANTA CLAUS BANK ROBBERYHosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome two guests to the show! The opening segment, IN THE LIMELIGHT, features True West Film Editor Henry C. Parke reporting on the latest Western movie and TV films and projects. Taking CENTER STAGE is award-winning author THOMAS GOODMAN. Goodman shares the backstory to his award-winning title THE LAST MAN: A NOVEL OF THE 1927 SANTA CLAUS BANK ROBBERY.  Yes - it's true, Santa held up a bank! Tom was inspired by this infamous crime, a man dressed as Santa Claus held up a bank December 23, 1927 in Texas. Read all about it in this gripping novel!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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired December 5, 2024 

#112 Guests Authors Natalie Bright and Janice E. Kirk

IT'S ALL ABOUT JOY AND FOOD HostsJim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome two guests to the show! On Thanksgiving Day, JOY and FOOD take center stage. In The Limelight guest, JANICE E. KIRK, shares the backstory of her book DRAWING CLOSE, ENCOUNTERING JOY: AN ARTIST'S PSALMS AND PRAYERS FOR THE EARTH.Through the eyes of an artist, poet, and writer Kirk discovers nature's abiding witness to the "wondrous Mystery wrapped in beauty." We encountered JOY on every page. From JOY we turn our attention to FOOD! Author and historian, NATALIE BRIGHT, talks about the research she did into the history and food of the cattle trailing era. The result is the release of two engaging cookbooks, each steeped in the events and food of this historic time. The first book covers life on the trail, KEEP 'EM FULL AND KEEP 'EM ROLLING: THE ALL AMERICAN CHUCKWAGON COOKBOOK. The second book takes a close look at the destination of the cattle drives - the cattle towns. END OF THE TRAIL EATS: COWBOY APPROVED RECIPES FROM THE COWTOWN CAFE TO THE SALOON focuses on Kansas cattle towns like Abilene, Dodge City and Ellsworth. With holiday gift giving season upon us - add these books to that gift list you are making and checking twice! Books Are The Best Gifts! 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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired November 28, 2024 

#111 Author Peter Brandvold and Wolfpack Publishing CEO Mike Bray

IT'S ALL ABOUT TODAY'S WESTERNHosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome two guests to the show! Two of the biggest names in the Western literature genre join us. We welcome MIKE BRAY, CEO of WOLFPACK PUBLISHING, and author PETER BRANDVOLD.  Wolfpack Publishing is home to an all-star stable of award-winning legends and developing superstars in the western fiction, action-adventure, men's adventure, crime fiction, mystery, thriller genres, and more. As the CEO of Wolfpack Publishing, a company Mike Bray co-founded in 2013 with western writer L.J. Martin, Bray has demonstrated impressive leadership in the publishing sector. Under his guidance, the company swiftly amassed a significant portfolio of western authors and their previous works. By December 2016, Wolfpack achieved a remarkable milestone of selling 2 million books. Peter Brandvold (pictured) has been writing best-selling Westerns for decades. We'll be talking about his latest titles and their backstories: NORDIC & FINN: BOOK ONE and the final book in the BLOODY JOE MANNION SERIES: BLOODY JOE'S LAST DANCE. Jim and I couldn't put these books down. Peter Brandvold is an engaging writer creating compelling characters and action filled scenes. With holiday gift giving season upon us - add these books to that gift list you are making and checking twice!  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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired November 21, 2024 

#110 Guests Authors Jan D. Payne and Preston Lewis & Harriet Kocher Lewis

A THRILLER & PINTSIZED PIONEERS & CAT TALESHosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome three guests to the show! The opening segment,  IN THE LIMELIGHT, features author JAN D. PAYNE talking about her new book, the mystery thriller RABBIT MOON.Taking CENTER STAGE are PRESTON LEWIS and HARRIET KOCHER LEWIS, authors of the newly released book, PINTSIZED PIONEERS: TAMING THE FRONTIER, ONE CHORE AT AT TIME.  Curious about the roles cats played in the Old West? Heard the term "herding cats?" Next, we chat about two engaging books written by Preston beginning with CAT TALES OF THE OLD WEST: POEMS, PUNS & PERSPECTIVES ON FRONTIER FELINES.  Followed by his second book in the series: MORE CAT TALES OF THE OLD WEST: TRIUMPHS, TRIALS & TRIVIA OF FRONTIER FELINES. With holiday gift giving season upon us - add these books to that gift list you are making and checking twice!  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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired November 14, 2024 

#109 Guests Author Craig Johnson & True West Film Editor Henry C. Parke

TOOTH AND CLAW - PRE-ORDER NOW!Hosts Jim Bell and Bobbi Jean Bell welcome two guests to the show! The opening segment, IN THE LIMELIGHT, features True West Film Editor Henry C. Parke reporting on the latest Western movie and TV films and projects. Taking CENTER STAGE is award-winning author CRAIG JOHNSON, creator of the popular Longmire Series. Craig shares the backstory to his riveting new thriller (yes, it reads like a thriller!) featuring Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear in an unusual location - the Arctic Circle - TOOTH AND CLAW.  What a thrilling read! Available now to pre-order, the book releases November 19, 2024.  Craig treats us to live reading from Chapter 2, we chat about writing, about character development, and what's coming next! 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.  OutWest Shop  Shop ALL Rendezvous With A Writer book titles HERE Aired November 7, 2024