Local author to hold book launch party, mystery night

Rollan Wengert spends his nights as an overnight youth counselor at McCrossen Boys Ranch. The Tea resident enjoys working nights as it allows him time to pursue his passion — writing.

“I have a lot of time to write while I’m there, there’s a lot of down time,” Wengert said.

The time he has put in has paid off, as next weekend Wengert will host a book launch party for his two novels, Caveat Ties and Soul Shocked, that have recently been published.

Wengert always aspired to be a writer for his career. He said, “In high school there were suggestions that I pursue a more realistic career.”

Wengert joined the Army after high school graduation and then attended college. His love of writing remained, and he kept at it. His two novels, both fiction, were self published this month. He describes Caveat Ties as an ironic noir (a genre of crime fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity).

The synopsis reads, “Some say pain begets the deepest beauty. Then maybe, Michael Caveat has done West Willow a favor. The city used to be a hillbilly haven, until he cleaned it up. He restored the rundown historical buildings, added culture, and snaked a recreational trail connecting a series of willow-filled parks. To make it all possible, he simply had to form a mafia; delve into extortion, money laundering, and drug manufacturing; and take control of the city.”

Wengert says this book is personally his favorite, it was a book that took him three years to write and has many complex layers.

The other newly published book by Wengert is Soul Shocked. This novel is more of a science fiction thriller. He said that he worked on the book for about two years and described it as a comic book for words.

“It’s a lot simpler, it’s clear what I’m trying to do thematically and faster paced,” he said.

The synopsis reads, “Accidentally throwing his soul into a disabled man, high-school senior Armando Sanchez discovers that he can switch bodies with anyone, anywhere. After an awkward body-swapping encounter, Armando meets Jen Weber who discovers his secret.

“Together, as they explore this power, Armando and Jen learn of the death of a youth who not only looks exactly like Armando, but also has the same name and birthday…

“Driven by an unrelenting need to know about this alternate Armando and why he was killed, they delve into a dark world of crime and drugs, where Armando