Another Review
by Bob Brill (author)

I am, as I stated previously, always excited to read a good review, especially from a "reader." I could not help but post this one from a reader who happens also to be a listener to KNX where I work as a news anchor/reporter.

Bob Brill, a local broadcast journalist on KNX Radio in Los Angeles has written a new book in the style of the old western dime novels I read when I was growing up so many years ago. Because so many years have passed, the dime novel is now ten bucks but well worth it. Set in Prescott, AZ during the 1880s the book is alive with fictional and non-fictional characters.  The Earp brothers, Doc Holiday and others come to life once again. Lancer, a hired gun from Tombstone solves a mystery with twist and turns to keep you turning the pages in a non-stop read. I so thoroughly  enjoyed reading it.  

Thanx again!

Looking forward to seeing anyone who is in Arizona on August 13th when I will be talking and signing "Lancer; Hero of the West - The Prescott Affair." We'll be at the Peregrine Book Store on Cortez in Prescott. See you there!

New Lancer Review

By Bob Brill, author

I'm always excited to share a book review from a reader and here is the latest. This is from a reader in the United Kingdom.

"At long last an author has written a cowboy book the way that I remember the stories of the west being told/read to me when I was young. It also brought back memories of Saturday morning cinema visits where I first experienced the 'wild west'. A great, quick read, ideal holiday/weekend book. Really liked the start where Lancer is linked with real life cowboys, the Earp brothers and Johnny Ringo (outlaw member of The Cowboys of Cochise County) and hopefully the author continues and expands this feature in the next Lancer adventure, The Los Angeles Affair. Loved it from start to finish, buy it, you won't regret it partner."

Thank you so much and the Los Angeles Affair is being written as we speak. It won't arrive by end of Summer but I'm shooting for the Fall sometime.

Hope you can join me at the Peregrine Book Company on August 13, 2014 in Prescott, AZ. I'll be there from 5:30 to 7:00.

by Bob Brill, author

I am so looking forward to being in Prescott, AZ, August 13th to talk about and sign copies of Lancer; Hero of the West - The Prescott Affair. The hotel is booked and I am excited about the prospects of meeting a few old friends and finding some new ones.

I looked at the Peregrine Book store on their web site and discovered it is just one block away from where I landed my first job in radio; KNOT Radio in Prescott, 1450 on the AM dial. That was March, 1972 and I still remember almost every detail of living there until I got fired and moved back to Los Angeles. I landed my second job at KVFM in the San Fernando Valley shortly thereafter.

KNOT was located at 145 N. Cortez in Prescott, just a few blocks from Whiskey Row. Peregrine is at 219 North Cortez, same side of the street. The building housing KNOT is now another business and the radio station moved to another location but the storefront still looks the same. The glass door on the left hand side, and real store front windows to peer in at the disc jockey and staff on duty. That was in the days of real local radio.

I was hired to be the 8pm-midnight disc jockey. I replaced The Great Topolovich. Rich Topolovich was our station engineer and hated being a disc jockey. He was glad I was hired. Soon though I was promoted to afternoon drive, baby sat the new night time jock (who was the GM's high school age son) did sports and news, sold local radio time and found time enough to write for the local paper; The Prescott Courier. You can still find some of my 1972 articles on-line in the paper's archives.

I will be on KNOT the morning of August 13th as a guest of Bo Woods, the program director and morning personality there. I'll be on for just a couple minutes so hopefully you'll just tune in and catch us. It's an oldies format which is fitting. Turns out we have a dozen mutual Face Book friends. He formerly worked for CBS in LA as I do now. He at KRTH, me at KNX and occasionally filling in at KRTH. 

It was a great little run at KNOT in 1972, and a wonderful experience. To Ben, Ruth, Gary, KC, Don, George, Bob Schlem (better known as Robert B. Goode) it was great. I won't mention the name of the general manager who fired me. I'm sure he's dead by now anyway but it was his loss.

Hope to see you on August 13th around 5:30 until 7:00 pm. I'll make sure to bring some Turkish Delight. For those of you who have read the book; you will understand. To the others? Well, you'll need to read it to find out.

by Bob Brill, author

It is really great when someone reviews your book and I am no different than any other author when it comes to being excited by good reviews. Bad reviews we take with a grain of salt, hopefully, because if we don't it will eat us up. However, a good review from a reader (which is even better than a professional critic) is always exciting.

I received one this week from an avid reader and a fan which I had to share. I will leave his name off as not to embarrass him but I did want to share his thoughts after he read "Lancer; Hero of the West - The Prescott Affair."

"From the first sentence in Chapter One to the last sentence in Chapter Seventeen, it was impossible to put the damn thing down.  It is rare that I ever have the time to read a book cover to cover in one sitting.  Tombstone, Wyatt, Doc, Prescott and all the other realistic names and places were riveting.  Like an old time radio drama one line led to the next and there was no stopping."

I will only say "THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!"

Several people have commented how much they like the idea I mixed my fictional character with real life characters of the day; especially legendary characters such as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. I personally think using characters in this way gives the reader something to hang onto and also breeds a bit of familiarity. When you hear the words Wyatt Earp, it automatically conjures up a picture in your mind and therefore makes it easier to realize the character of Lancer who the reader has never thought of until now.

I am happy for the response.

by Bob Brill, author

WE HAVE A BOOK SIGNING DATE. 

Mark you calender for Wednesday, August 13th 5:30pm-7:00pm at the Peregrine Book Company in Prescott, Arizona. We wanted the first signing to be in Prescott since this is where the fictional book takes place in the 1880's.

We encourage any of you who live nearby to tell your friends and shortly keep checking the Peregrine web site which will promote the event. We hope you can make it as I'd love to see some old friends and meet some new ones as well as fans of the wild west.

I haven't been back to Prescott in many years so it will be interesting to see how much it has changed since I landed my first radio job there in 1972. I've recently written a new screenplay also set in Prescott and which is about landing that first job in my career.

So plan on joining us August 13, 2014 in Prescott, AZ.

Thank you so much!

Bob Brill, author, Lancer; Hero of the West - The Prescott Affair

We are getting close to nailing down a date for a book signing in Prescott, Arizona. Prescott is where the first Lancer; Hero of the West adventure takes place. We thought it only appropriate to do our first book signing in Prescott.

We are looking at a mid week date in August, 2014, and are working with the folks at the Peregrine Book Store, the only major book store in the city. We hope to have a date by the end of this week and will publish it as soon as we do.

Normally book signings are done on weekends when most people can come on out. However, due to my own work schedule at KNX News Radio, a weekend trip to Prescott would be nearly impossible. So we are probably going to do an early evening signing mid week and hope you can come out and meet us if you live in the central Arizona area. We would love to meet you and answer any questions you have as well as get feedback on the book.

Stay tuned and we'll let you know as soon as we know right here on this blog.

by Bob Brill, author

Since Lancer's first adventure takes place in Prescott, Arizona, it seems only fitting we should do a book signing there. We are working on that very thing right now and are looking toward doing something most likely in August, if all the ducks fall in a row.

We've been in contact with folks in Prescott and there is some interest. Stay tuned and as soon as we nail something down, we'll pass it on here in this blog. Prescott holds a special place in the author's heart. This is where I landed my first radio job in 1972, and while I was there less than a year, it is an adventure which has been ingrained in my mind and heart ever since.

I've even written a screenplay about the adventure which I hope to some day see produced into a feature film. We'll have to wait and see on that one. For now, we'd like to move Lancer; Hero of the West - The Prescott Affair, to the next level.