JJ Rusz

The Roosevelt Cottage, the fifth Big Bend Country Mystery, is nearing completion. It has taken longer than my previous novels because it was interrupted by another project: the 10th edition of my textbook Everything's an Argument.

I also needed to decide how the final book in the Big Bend Country Mysteries series (as yet, unnamed) will end so that The Roosevelt Cottage sets in place all the necessary plot elements. That final book may not take so long to write because it's already finished in my head.

FYI: Those of you familiar with Big Bend National Park likely know that the so-called Roosevelt cottages were built at the park by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression, part of a nationwide effort back then to employ out-of-work young men during those tough times. Though the near-century-old stone buildings lack air-conditioning, the cottages are always in high demand with visitors who appreciate their charm and out-of-the-way location.

Here's the cover of The Mule Ears, fourth book in the Big Bend Country Mystery series. The striking image shot at Big Bend National Park is by Mark Cunningham, an avid photographer recently featured in Big Bend Literary Magazine.

As I've explained in earlier versions of this posting, I hoped that The Mule Ears would appear by late fall, 2022. But I held it back while I sketched out the plot for the fifth book in the Big Bend Country Mystery series—tentatively entitled The Roosevelt Cottage—tweakingThe Mule Ears to lead neatly into that climactic story.

Then I fell off my mountain bike. Surgery was required, slowing me down yet more. And production of The Mule Ears, too, has taken longer than expected.

But the book is real, available on Amazon, and reviewed already by Kirkus Reviews. I do hope you find The Mule Ears worth the wait. It's deliberately much lighter in tone than previous tales in the series—offering relief for readers tired of viruses, masks, politics, and inflationary woes. There is, of course, a crime and plenty of intrigue. But some laughs too, I hope.

The title of the novel in the comes from a distinctive feature at Big Bend National Park—two peaks along the Max Roswell Scenic Drive that resemble a mule's ears. And the epigraph for the book? It's "Lord, what fools these mortals be," from A Midsummer Night's Dream. That should tell you a lot.

The Lost Mine Trail, the third book in the Big Bend Country Mysteries series, is available on Amazon in paperback or as an ebook: No Virus, No Politics, Just Murder.

It's a complex tale of crime and retribution. New characters appear, but many favorites return too: Clayton Shoot and Claire Harp, of course, Velma Furcron, Lee Perciak, the Nixons, and Gretchyn Whyrl. Alonso Rangel & Fiona Tusk-Rangel are married now, with twins on the way. Locales include Big Bend National Park, the Lajitas Golf Resort, the campus of Sul Ross State University, and, oh, a tourist turnout on Highway 118.

I'm especially grateful to photographer Rob Greebon who provided the stunning cover image and to Mark D'Antoni who artfully added the necessary details.

I'm happy to report that the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering returned in person in February 2022 after a pandemic layoff. Once again in Alpine, hearty live crowds enjoyed the distinctive style of authentic cowboy poetry, music, and story-telling. And kudos to the organization (I'm a Partner member) for keeping that spirit alive with a virtual gathering in 2021. For more information, you can go here. I should mention that some events in The Lost Mine Trail, third book in the Big Bend Country mystery series, occur at an imaginary poetry gathering.

Think Clayton Shoot is far-fetched as a name for a fictional sheriff? Think again. In fall 2020, the write-in candidate for Sheriff of Brewster County was one Will Drawe. Only in Texas.

I've told this story a number of times to friends. In December 2018, as I was closing in on the final chapters of The South Rim Trail, my nine-month old schnauzer pups—left alone in the house—tore apart the sole copy of my detailed outline for the book.

Of course, any author of mysteries needs tight control over who is doing what to whom when. So I'd prepared a scene-by-scene description for my story using the Calendar program on my computer. Calendar wasn't really designed for writers, yet it seemed adequate at the time. I eventually printed one copy of the timeline, which ran more than twenty single-spaced pages. Then the Calendar file disappeared—or maybe I hit the wrong key and accidentally trashed it? Oh, well. I had my paper version.

And, I know, I should have copied that. But I never bothered. What could go wrong?

One evening, heading off to dinner with a former student, I left the outline of The South Rim Trail on a table next to the recliner where I spent hours a day composing the book. I'd done that routinely. The dogs had never ventured there before.

So when my friend and I returned from dinner, we found the kitchen floor covered with what looked like confetti. The pups seemed proud. Naturally, the only pages of my summary to escape their teeth covered chapters I'd already composed.

Early copies of The South Rim Trail shipped with an error on the spine. New books now come with the correct spelling. Many eyes missed the seemingly obvious gaffe, mine included, of course.

Look closely at the selfie that accompanies my Facebook posts or Amazon reviews (as JRAlpine) and you'll see this painting in the background. It plays a huge role in The South Rim Trail. Of course, you'll have to read the novel to learn all the details.

Terlingua Townhouse is a work in a style called plein air, and if you don't know what that means, that's yet another reason to read the novel. And if you do recognize the technique, you'll likely enjoy meeting some plein air painters in The South Rim Trail. The actual work is by award-winning artist Jill Carver, who does not appear in the book. But she has a splendid website and is represented by the InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Copyediting can be every bit as tough as composing. When I wrote textbooks, my manuscripts went through at least two or (more often) three levels of professional review to get every detail right—and even then errors slipped through.

I don't have that luxury now. Just one copyeditor and so many reviews of the manuscript on my own that I know parts of it almost by heart. And there's he rub. Very soon, I'm reading what I think should be on the page rather than what's actually there.

In the very final stages, the smallest details require the toughest scrutiny.

• Has every quotation been closed?
• Should certain expressions be two words, hyphenated, or left separate (long shot or long-shot or longshot)? I'm amazed by how often this issue arises.
• Does a hyphen appear where an en-dash or em-dash is preferred?
• Is punctuation consistent ("Yes, ma'am"; not "Yes ma'am")?
• Has a British form been used instead of an American one (canvasses rather than canvases); worse yet, has usage been inconsistent?
• Is capitalization correct and consistent? For example, when is Sheriff capitalized?

With theThe South Rim Trail now available, I made a list of places or sites in Big Bend Country mentioned in the book. Authors often take liberties with locales and geography, but part of the fun for readers of series like the Big Bend Country Mysteries is recognizing familiar places or discovering new ones. Let me know if there are any West Texas spots I should take my characters to in future books.

• Alicia’s Burrito Place
• Alpine, Texas
• Alpine High School
• BAM Automotive
• Big Bend National Park
• Big Bend Resort and Café
• Big Bend Saddlery
• Cathedral Mountain
• Chinati Springs
• Chisos Basin (Big Bend NP)
• Davis Mountains State Park
• Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area
• Fort Davis National Historic Site
• Fort Davis, Texas
• Fort Stockton, Texas
• Guadalupe Mountain National Park
• Johnson Feed & Western Wear
• Lajitas, Texas
• Luna’s Jacal (Big Bend NP)
• Many Stones
• Marathon, Texas
• Marfa, Texas
• Mariscal Mine (Big Bend NP)
• McKittrick Canyon
• Old Maverick Road (Big Bend NP)
• Paisano Pete
• Reata Restaurant
• Starlight Theatre and Restaurant
• Stillwell General Store
• Terlingua, Texas
• Terlingua Ghost Town
• Terlingua Ranch Lodge
• 12 Gage Restaurant
• Reata Restaurant
• River Road (Big Bend NP)
• Roosevelt Stone Cottages (Big Bend NP)
• Santa Elena Canyon (Big Bend NP)
• Study Butte, Texas
• Study Butte Mall
• Sul Ross State University

Just finished the important task of synching the upcoming book in the Big Bend Mysteries series The South Rim Trail with the first book in the series The Window Trail. I made dozens of small changes in the latest manuscript to be certain the community introduced in the first book jibes with the one in the second. For example, one character had changed eye color (fixed).

I also revisited sites in Big Bend country to be sure my memories of them were accurate and my geography was at least plausible. (Writers do sometimes stretch the truth.) It gave me an excuse to check out Santa Elena Canyon and the Old Maverick Road in BBNP. I stopped at Many Stones in Study Butte, but it was closed. Terlingua was hopping.

What's coming in Book 3 The Lost Mine Trail? A little more crime, a little less humor. And interesting developments in the Claire/Clayton relationship.

Book 4 will be riotous, as a movie company settles into Alpine for a few lively weeks. Some characters introduced in Book 2 return, while Claire and Clayton . . . you'll just have to wait. No title yet.

Mystery writer J.A. Jance pays attention to the cars her characters own. In Kiss of the Bees, it matters when a new tribal attorney on an Arizona reservation pulls up in a Saab 9000 rather than a Chevy or Ford pickup. Everyone notices.

So characters living in Far West Texas can’t drive just anything either.

With the nearest supercharger 100 miles away, Teslas are rare as Ferraris—though I’ve seen both out here recently. And a West Texas neighbor now drives an Ioniq 5.

But Mustangs and Challengers and other performance cars flourish because highways are smooth, traffic rare, and horizons far apart. (Of course, automotive legend Carroll Shelby used to hang out in Brewster County and Ford named a trim level of its new Bronco off-roader "Big Bend.") Naturally, pickups and serious SUVs are even more plentiful in the region.

So in The Window Trail both Deputy Shoot and Professor Harp drive Jeeps. Clayton’s is an old wood-paneled Wagoneer, a venerable classic that once belonged to his father. (And the Wagoneer itself returned to the market in 2022.) Claire drives what she thinks is a lowly Cherokee XJ, unaware of its pedigree. But out west, high clearance and solid axles help you fit right in.

J J Rusz discusses The Window Trail and The South Rim Trail in an interview with Charlotte Canion for Indie Beacon Radio (February 12, 2019 from Alpine, Texas). Rusz explains his experiences as an author, his process of writing, and the ideas behind the Big Bend Country Mystery series. (30.27 minutes / 12 February 2019)

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Welcome to the Big Bend Country Mysteries website. The Window Trail (named Texas Authors 2019 Best Mystery/ Thriller) was the first book in the series. The South Rim Trail followed in 2019, The Lost Mine Trail appeared late in 2020, and The Mule Ears followed in 2023.

The published novels are available via Amazon in eBook or paperback form—and on Kindle Unlimited, if you subscribe. Signed copies of The Mule Ears are often available at Front Street Books in Alpine, Texas.

As you might guess, all the Big Bend Country Mysteries carry the name of a trail or a cool feature or spot in Far West Texas or Big Bend National Park. And there are a lot of 'em. (Click on The Region above for just a few.)

Happy trails,

JJR