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 with Jim Jones
What is your favorite part of the book?
It’s kind of hard for me to pick out a favorite part because there are three different stories. Some of my favorite parts though are when Charlie and Bolo are interacting around every day things like getting fed, getting his belly scratched and regular “dog stuff” like that. Those are some of the best parts of having a dog.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
Yes, each of the three stories has lessons, sometimes a couple at once. I really took our phrase, “you can learn a lot from a dog” to heart.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Some are related to real people, or in the case of Bolo, a real dog. Grandpa Will has a bit of me in him since I’m a proud grandpa myself.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
I like all of the characters a lot but my favorite is definitely Bolo, the dog. I had a dog named Colter who had a crooked nose and was pretty goofy but he was SUPER loyal and affectionate and that’s who the Bolo character is based on (which makes our “current dog”, Ruby, VERY jealous!)
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
The character, Jed, who first appeared in the second story, True Friend, would be the one I would be least likely to get along with. The important thing though is that by the end of that story, Jed had learned some valuable lessons and had changed his attitude and behavior. I think by the time he appears in the third story, Outcast, I would get along just fine with him.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
Since Bolo the dog is the main character in the stories, I’m pretty sure he would say that as long as I feed him, give him snacks and rub his belly, I’m a good guy.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I would say that I’m building a body of work in that Bolo, Charlie and Grandpa Will are on a journey, both literal and figurative. The stories follow their adventures and track what they are discovering. They also feature characters who first appeared in one book and subsequently are still a part of the story.
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.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
https://mybook.to/BolotheBrave
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