Virtual Book Tour: Bolo the Brave by Jim Jones #childrensbook #giveaway #interview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Kids Western Adventure

Date Published: 04-17-2025

Publisher: Speaking Volumes

 

 

You can learn a lot from a dog . . .

 

Meet Charlie Spears, a 10-year-old boy living on the High Plains of Texas in the late 1800s. Charlie lives with his Grandpa Will, who runs a chuckwagon, feeding all the adventurous folks traveling West in wagon trains. After losing his parents to illness, Charlie is often lonely and longs for a true friend. One day, by a stroke of luck and a big wag of a tail, Charlie meets a funny-looking dog named Bolo, who is also looking for a friend. Together, they embark on a journey where Charlie learns important life lessons.

 

In the first story: Bolo the Brave, Charlie discovers the meaning of courage and how to face challenges when a friend is in danger.

 

In the second story: True Friend, Charlie gains valuable insight—not to judge people by their limitations, but rather by their actions and character.

 

In the third story: Outcast, Charlie and his friends learn the importance of getting to know someone instead of passing judgment based on their appearance.

 

Together, Charlie and Bolo make new friends, confront dangers, and grow through valuable life lessons. As the story reminds us, you can learn a lot from a dog. 

 

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Probably the most challenging part of writing the books is doing the research to ensure that it is historically accurate. The other thing that takes a good bit of my attention is finding a balance between writing in a manner that is consistent with a typical elementary school reading comprehension level without “talking down” to children. Kids are generally pretty savvy and they don’t appreciate it when adults treat them as if they can’t understand complex ideas.

What are your most played songs?

Probably my three most played songs are “It’s a Cowboy I Will Be” (song about Scottish drovers coming to America), “Rustler’s Moon” (the song that inspired my first Western novel) and “Long May You Ride” (my tribute to all my real cowboy friends)

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I’m really fortunate to have a number of friends who are authors. We help each other out on a regular basis with proof-reading, critiques, and feedback. It makes a tremendous difference.

What book are you reading now?

I’m a big fan of mysteries- John Sandford, Carl Hiaasen, Karen Slaughter, for example. I just finished reading an earlier book from the Reacher series by Lee Childs which I really enjoyed. Now, I’m just starting Beasts of the Earth, a Spur winning novel by James Wade from 2023 and I’m excited to see where it goes.

How did you start your writing career?

Back in the mid-2000s, I was driving home from Colorado through northern New Mexico. I was enjoying the beautiful scenery when I thought of one of my songs, “Rustler’s Moon,” which I mentioned above. I remember thinking that there was more to the story than the song divulged and that the song should be set up there in northern New Mexico. I remember with crystal clarity having the incredibly naïve thought, “I’ve never written a book, how hard could it be?” Of course, it turns out that it’s really hard but by the time I figured that out, I was pretty far down the road to becoming an author.

Tell us about your next release.

Along with my children’s book, Bolo the Brave, I just released my latest Western novel, Hunter’s Moon which is the fifth and last book in my Jared Delaney/Moon series. Now, I’m pondering my next steps and thinking about moving in a different direction. I’ve got an idea for a mystery and also an idea for a middle grade children’s book. In addition, I’m working on a pilot for a streaming series based on my first novel, Rustlers Moon, AND I’m working with some colleagues to finish a documentary based on another one of the songs I mentioned above, “It’s a Cowboy I Will Be.” I’m also working on a way to clone myself because there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to get everything done that I want to do.

About the Author

Jim Jones is a native Texan who lives in Rio Rancho, NM. In addition to being a Western novelist, he is also an award-winning Western singer/songwriter (International Western Music Association 2014 Male Performer of the Year; IWMA Song of the Year Award, 2019; Western Writers of America Spur Award, 2013, 2017 & 2021 for Western Song of the Year) who performs at festivals, coffeehouses and other venues throughout the West. Rustler's Moon, Jim's first novel, was a finalist in two categories for the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards, Best Historical Fiction and Best First Book. His novel, Colorado Moon, 2011, is the second in the Jared Delaney Series and it won the Western Music Association's 2011 Award for Outstanding Western Book. The third book in the series, Waning Moon, was published in 2013 and was also a New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist for Best Historical Fiction. The Big Empty, a spinoff series, was published in 2016 by Five Star Publishing and it, too, was a NM/AZ Book Awards Finalist in the Best Historical Fiction category. The second book in the spinoff series, The Lights of Cimarron, was published by Five Star in early 2019. The fourth book in the Jared Delaney Series, Halo Moon, was released in November, 2022 and won the 2023 AZ/NM Book Award for the Best in Adventure category. Jim creates gripping Old West characters about whom readers in the 21st century can care deeply. They struggle with tough economic times and corrupt government officials...wait, that's going on right now! Guess what, it was happening then, too. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Jim is a proud member of both the Western Writers of America and the Western Music Association. Although he writes about cattle rustling, Jim has never rustled cattle.

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https://mybook.to/BolotheBrave

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