trilogy

As Ranger Rusty raised the flag at the crack of dawn, he thought it was “just another day. Little did he know his day would turn into a 3-book odyssey, plus an abridged version on the way. Buy Books | Our hosts | Our venues | Our topics

Intro - Birth of a trilogy

It was only supposed to be a 30-minute campfire talk

By Robert V. Sobczak

The origin of the trilogy ...

Is as improbable as it is absurd.

Trilogy Trailer

In December 2014 Rudi was trying to get back in the groove of civilian life after returning from a nine month tour overseas in Kuwait while Bob was on the mend from a procedure to get his heart to beat right. But for one night everything was right, perfect in fact. Big Cypress National Preserve was celebrating its fortieth birthday at the Collier County Museum. As the festivities wound down, Bob found himself entering the ember glow and crackle of the campfire to take a brief respite when a lumbering Rudi stepped forth from the shadows.

“Can you help a fellow American down on his luck?” Rudi asked with a slightly brooding look on his face. The flicker, aroma and sound of the campfire also made him simultaneously relax as he approached.

Bob told Rudi to ditch the powerpoint

South Florida’s winter tourist season was just about to begin. Three weeks and it would be in full swing. The kickoff for Rudi was January 9th. That’s when he was scheduled to give an evening talk around a campfire at a remote campground ― halfway the distance between Miami and Naples ― in the epicenter of the swamp preserve.

“I love the idea behind the campfire program,” Rudi lamented as he settled in around the orb of light and reached for a slider sandwich that Bob offered from his paper plate. “The problem is, nowadays, the actual campfire … munch munch … is almost an afterthought. It’s the giant outdoor screen that gets all the audience’s attention. I just sit in back … munch munch … and let the Power Point do all the work … munch munch.”

“A POWER POINT at a campfire? Apocryphal!” Bob stammered in disbelief. He flicked a pebble toward the pulsing embers. “—That doesn’t seem right.”

Bob and Rudi's original campfire talk

Fast forward a week later to the edge of town where Bob greeted Rudi with a proposition he couldn’t turn down. “What do you say you forget about the Power Point?” Bob suggested. “We’ll partner up to do a campfire talk ‘on the campfire,’ just you, me … and my guitar. We'll make it a theatrical production -- part off-Broadway, part Vaudeville and part Shakespearian.”

Rudi nodded his head as the concept slowly soaked in before calling it a "capital idea."

The rest is, shall we say, campfire history.

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The Centennial Campfire Trilogy is co-authored by Robert V Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich. Books include: The Legend of Campfire Charlie (Book 1), Last Stand at Boulder Ridge (Book 2) and Final Campfire (Book 3).

Buy the books at our store with next-day delivery.

Recent Blog Posts

Last Stand at Boulder Ridge
A campfire book review

by

In this campfire talk …

The Cowboy at the Campfire provides a thought-provoking review of Book 2 of the Centennial Campfire Trilogy.

Buy the full trilogy of books, in kindle or paperback

Among his observations:

  • You’ll need a good book mark,
  • The book is part sequel and part prequel to the first book,
  • It’s a story of growth and idealism giving way to reality.

And spoiler report:

  • It sets the stage for the stunning cascade of conclusions Book 3.

The Centennial Campfire Trilogy by Robert V. Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich consists of three books: (1) The Legend of Campfire Charlie, (2) Last Stand at Boulder Ridge and (3) Final Campfire.

Why do I like most about the book?

To me, it’s a “rereadable” through a through. It’s the type of book you can pick up off your bookshelf and read front to back, or one chapter at a time, or even a few sentences. It is also what I call an immersive read. It takes you across the globe and deep back into time, to the point you can really get lost (in a good way).

As for my favorite scene?

It’s probably the campfire banter between Rusty and Kenny while in the desert overseas. Or maybe it’s Rusty’s airboat ride with his father? Or maybe his boyhood encounter with Edward Abbey? Or maybe it’s the journals of Col. Stanley Powell. Or maybe it’s the Bone Wars era archaeological dinosaur dig. Or maybe it’s even the prologue to the book.

What I can say for sure is this:

My mom loved it so it must be a great book!

Remember the Rule of the Ninja: Never fear, never doubt, and never over think.

— Ranger Rudi

Trilogy Trailer

by

As he raised the American flag …

At the crack of dawn:

Ranger Rusty thought it was just another day of being on duty at the visitor center in the liquid heart of an ancient cypress forest. And later that night, by truck, heading to a nearby campground to give a half-hour campfire talk. Or so he thought. Or was Ranger Rusty in for the journey of his life.

So begins the “movie style” trailer for the Centennial Campfire Trilogy of three books co-written by Robert V Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich. The books include: The Legend of Campfire Charlie (Book 1), Last Stand at Boulder Ridge (Book 2) and Final Campfire (Book 3).

Buy the books at our store or find out more about the trilogy and how the story came to life.

The campfire is always crackling and visitors are always welcome at Campfire Park

— Cowboy at the Campfire

Trilogy Sneak Peak
How one simple campfire spawned 3 books

by

Hey there,

Thanks for stopping by. Today, I wanted to write a short piece on the three books that I co-authored. If the books were ever featured as a movie, the Hollywood-style trailer would probably go something along the lines as written below (and shown in the video.)

So without further ado …

As Ranger Rusty raised the flag at the crack of dawn, he thought it was “just another day. Little did he know his day would turn into a 3-book odyssey. Or am I talking about myself?

Little did I know (or imagine at the time) that the endeavor of writing those three books would take six years of my life. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, and not that I did it all the time, all day long. It was usually in the evening and early morning hours – before embarking into work at the nearby National Park/Preserve – that I did most of my writing. The caveat is that I did it every day. Rarely did I let a day go by without working on some aspect of the sprawling work. The other caveat is that I had a co-author, as elaborated in the video above. But even he would say when it came to the grindstone of writing it the book was primarily me. The other caveat, and there are lots – is that the three books chime in at just under 500,000 words. That’s quite a bit by any metric. A short book, like the Great Gatsby, is around 60,000 words. Could we have used an editor to help us shorten it up? Maybe so, but I stand by every word.

The three books

My Point:

The trilogy didn’t start as a trilogy. It started as a single book. And that single book didn’t start as a book. It started as a 30-minute campfire talk. The rest, shall we say, is campfire history. At the start of a journey usually you have no idea where it will lead. You can check out the books here: Visit the Trilogy’s website

Or, breaking news, check out the abridged version of all three here:

Buy the book: Kindle and paperback formats

It’s a new dawn with Candidate Burt Silver, but only because he stayed up all night to see it

— Burt Silver

Final Campfire
The stunning conclusion to the trilogy

by

Welcome to Book 3 …

Of the Centennial Campfire Trilogy.

Cowboy at the campfire reviews the book

Book Summary

Welcome to Book 3 and what critics are raving “the stunning conclusion” to the Centennial Campfire Trilogy. At the end of the first two books of the trilogy — The Legend of Campfire Charlie and Last Stand at Boulder Ridge — our fearless protagonist, Ranger Rusty, finds himself simultaneously trying to man the Sweetwater Visitor Center in the heart of the Big Cypress Swamp while also slipping back in time to distant childhood memories of an old backcountry camp and deeper still to a first-hand historical account of adventures at a Seminole War era fort and a haunted archeological dig for dinosaur bones as he tries to conjure the energy to hold court at a campfire talk in a remote campground at the end of a very (emphasis on very) long day. As exquisite an ending you’ll ever find in a “large canvas” epic work, Final Campfire is a full-body experience that no respectable book reader, plumber or campfire enthusiast (including the inner s’mores roaster in all of us) will want to miss.

Front and Back Covers

Note: Watch the original movie trailer to the trilogy to find out more, and also check out The Legend of Campfire Charlie (Book 1) and Last Stand at Boulder Ridge (Book 2). The Centennial Campfire Trilogy is co-authored by Robert V Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich.

Well howdy folks, and I’m completely freaked out. And you know why. The fringe middle. The silent majority. Why are they so quiet?

— Buck Buckner

Last Stand at Boulder Ridge
Ranger Rusty's backstory revealed

by

Welcome to Book 2 …

Of the Centennial Campfire Trilogy.

Cowboy at the campfire reviews the book

Book Summary

Welcome to Book 2 of the Centennial Campfire Trilogy. The saga continues! This time Ranger Rusty and his cohorts are off on a new adventure that leads them back and forth seamlessly in time and space to faraway places that include a Seminole War fort, the sands of the Middle East, the mountains of the Great Southwest, an archaeological expedition on the Mighty Joola River and airboat rides across the Everglades. Or is it all unfolding around the campfire glow in a remote nature reserve? We’ll let you be the judge.

Front and Back Covers

Click here to look inside the book

Note: Watch the original movie trailer to the trilogy to find out more, and also check out The Legend of Campfire Charlie (Book 1) and Final Campfire (Book 3). The Centennial Campfire Trilogy is co-authored by Robert V Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich.

Try not to overthink a song. Go with what pops in your head, run with it, and don’t stop until you cross the finish line.

— Bobby Angel

Legend of Campfire Charlie
Ranger Rusty holds down the fort at Sweetwater VC

by

Welcome to Book 1 …

Of the Centennial Campfire Trilogy.

Cowboy at the campfire reviews the book

Overview of Book

Do you have a fear of being squeezed to death by a giant Burmese Python? Or does being followed around all day by a Florida Panther rattle your nerves? If so, join Rusty, a well meaning but – how shall we say – “often distracted” park ranger who is scheduled to give an evening talk in a swamp preserve on a topic he doesn’t much like. Not to worry (or maybe worry a lot) as the unwitting ranger meets a mysterious stranger who catapults him on a breathtaking journey to confront and maybe finally answer the deepest and most confounding question of his life. That is assuming he can ever get done (or to) his campfire talk …

Front and Back Covers

Click here to look inside the book

Note: Watch the original movie trailer to the trilogy to find out more, and also check out Last Stand at Boulder Ridge (Book 2) and Final Campfire (Book 3). The Centennial Campfire Trilogy is co-authored by Robert V Sobczak and Rudi Heinrich.

I don’t know much, but I’m inclined to spill whatever I do out at the campfire

— Old Miner

Accidental Trilogy???

by

The origin of this book is as improbable as it is absurd.

In December 2014 Rudi was trying to get back in the groove of civilian life after returning from a nine month tour overseas in Kuwait while Bob was on the mend from a procedure to get his heart to beat right.

But for one night everything was right, perfect in fact. Big Cypress National Preserve was celebrating its fortieth birthday at the Collier County Museum. As the festivities wound down, Bob found himself entering the ember glow and crackle of the campfire to take a brief respite when a lumbering Rudi stepped forth from the shadows.

“Can you help a fellow American down on his luck?” Rudi asked with a slightly brooding look on his face. The flicker, aroma and sound of the campfire also made him simultaneously relax as he approached.

South Florida’s winter tourist season was just about to begin. Three weeks and it would be in full swing. The kickoff for Rudi was January 9th. That’s when he was scheduled to give an evening talk around a campfire at a remote campground ― halfway the distance between Miami and Naples ― in the epicenter of the swamp preserve.

“I love the idea behind the campfire program,” Rudi lamented as he settled in around the orb of light and reached for a slider sandwich that Bob offered from his paper plate. “The problem is, nowadays, the actual campfire … munch munch … is almost an afterthought. It’s the giant outdoor screen that gets all the audience’s attention. I just sit in back … munch munch … and let the Power Point do all the work … munch munch.”

“A POWER POINT at a campfire? Apocryphal!” Bob stammered in disbelief. He flicked a pebble toward the pulsing embers. “—That doesn’t seem right.”

Rudi conceded as much as he gestured toward the campfire with a second slider sandwich he’d grabbed from the plate.

“The campfire should be ‘center stage.’ It’s how Yellowstone … munch munch … the entire National Park system … and human civilization for that matter … got its start.”

Rudi looked at the lone remaining slider. “—Are you gonna eat that?” he asked looking up.

“No, take it. It’s all yours.”

“Thanks man,” Rudi said in a brightening tone. “These sandwiches … munch munch … are really delicious. What are they?’’

“Pulled pork.”

“Oh yeah … munch munch … so, like I was sayin’ about the campfire …”

. . .

Fast forward a week later to the edge of town where Bob greeted Rudi with a proposition he couldn’t turn down. “What do you say you forget about the Power Point?” Bob suggested. “We’ll partner up to do a campfire talk ‘on the campfire,’ just you, me … and my guitar.”

“So … are you going to send me an email?”

“NO! I’m not gonna send any EMAIL … for crying out loud!” Bob gasped. “― A presentation like this, you gotta work on in-person. It’s a theatrical production.”

“You mean like Vaudeville?”

“NO! Not Vaudeville. I’m talking Off-Broadway. You gotta carefully choreograph everything in real space. It’s more than just a script.”

Rudi nodded his head as the concept slowly soaked in. A moment or two later he broke out of his reverie with an affirmative yes.

In fact, he called it a “capital idea.”

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Trilogy videos

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