Author Kirby Jonas releases two new novels, hosts holiday book signing
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POCATELLO — Popular Western author Kirby Jonas is closing out the year with the release of two new novels and a holiday book signing.
He will be signing copies of his latest releases, “Savage Law, Book 10: The Old Broken Heart” and “High Warning, Book 3: Wild and Blue,” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Idaho Unlimited, 215 East Cedar.
A published author since 1994, Jonas discovered his love of storytelling early, writing his first 49-page “mini-novel” in the sixth grade after moving to Shelley in 1971.
Over the years, he has written so many books — primarily Westerns, along with a few science-fiction titles and poetry collections — that he’s lost count, estimating he’s published 47 or 48 works to date.
Today, he is best known for his Westerns, particularly the long-running Savage Law series, which now reaches its tenth installment. One of his earlier novels, “Death of an Eagle,” set in southeast Idaho, became the nation’s best-selling Western.
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“Savage Law: The Old Broken Heart”
Readers of Jonas’s Savage Law series will encounter a shift in tone with Book 10: “The Old Broken Heart.” The story follows Old Wilford Bayless, a solitary rancher tied to the Bar None Ranch, which, as Jonas puts it, “just went up in figurative flames.”
First introduced in Book 7 for threatening to kill Coal Savage with a shotgun, Bayless now lives alone on his foreboding ranch, the Old Broken Heart. Its cattle brand, M O M, symbolizes “Broken Heart, O, Broken Heart.”
Harboring a secret too heavy to bear, Bayless scratches out a lonely existence with only his cattle and dogs, until fate forces a tense reunion with Sheriff Coal Savage.
Savage, meanwhile, faces challenges of his own, including an unexpected clash with outspoken newspaper owner Valerie Turnbow. Between Bayless’s burdens and Valerie’s persistence, Coal is reminded that “life is never as straightforward as it pretends.”
Set in the 1970s, Jonas said the series is steeped in the music, cars and cultural touchstones of the era.
“These books are a reminder of all the cool music we had back then,” he said. “For readers who aren’t familiar with the music, I hope they take a minute to look the songs up on YouTube.”
“High Warning: Wild and Blue”
Jonas’s other new release, “High Warning, Book 3: Wild and Blue,” continues the story of High Warning, a man whose life has been shattered and who now finds himself torn between duty and survival.
Freshly reunited with his beloved horses, High tries to uphold the law but commits an act that leaves him facing a harsh choice: prison or the United States Army.
At Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, he meets two people who test him to his core, pushing him either toward failure or toward his greatest potential. The central tension remains: Will High Warning ever return to the Warning horse ranch and the mustangs he loves?
Jonas expects to write four more books in the High Warning series.
Reflections on Westerns through the years
With decades of Western writing behind him, Jonas said his approach to the genre has matured.
“I’ve learned to look at the West in a whole deeper way. I don’t think the West was as violent as often depicted in books and movies. I write with authenticity, emotion and action, while diving deeper into the personalities of the characters, which isn’t often seen in a lot of Westerns.”
Specific to his Savage Law series, which is set in central Idaho during the 1970s, Jonas weaves in plenty of period pop culture, including current events, cars and especially music.
“For those who lived in this era, I want these books to remind people of all the cool music back then. For those who may not be familiar with the songs, maybe they’ll look them up on YouTube,” he said.
Jonas estimates he still has around 80 book ideas — maybe more — in his head waiting to be written. He credits the internet for making book research easier than ever.
In addition to writing, Jonas is a singer, songwriter, cowboy poet and artist, having penned more than 200 songs and illustrated many of his own book covers.
Jonas said he looks forward to meeting people at Saturday’s signing. For those unable to attend, his books are available at Idaho Unlimited, on his author page or on Amazon.