God has really been
moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
God has been with me in my writing from the beginning—from
the short stories I wrote as a child to the novels and stories and articles I
write today. But at last I am finally writing what I want to write instead of
what is popular at the moment.
My father and my maternal grandfather were ranch managers
(real cowboys) and I spent part of my growing years on a sixty thousand acre
cattle ranch in South Texas . As a result, I
like to write stories with a western setting. Don’t quote me on this, but I
have a hunch the new wave in fiction will be westerns.
Tell us a little
about your family.
I was born in Kingsville ,
Texas , home of the famous King
Ranch, and I married my college sweetheart. We have lived in many places since
we married, including Germany ,
but now we live in South Texas again in the town of Kingsville .
They song says, Mama, don’t let you
babies grow up to be cowboys. But all
three of our grown sons are involved in ranching in Texas today. Five of our
six grandchildren are either in 4-H or FAA and will be showing animals in the
upcoming county livestock show. Only one of our grandchildren isn’t involved.
She is only two. But I am sure she will be in the thick of it as soon as she is
old enough.
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
I don’t have as much time to read as I once did. My writing
is taking off, and I’m writing almost constantly. All those old books I wrote
so long ago are selling. Still, I have to polish my old manuscript before I
send them to my publisher, and that takes time.
What are you working
on right now?
I am working on a lot of projects at once. Cinderella
Texas is book one in a series of western romance novels called
The Cattlemen Series, and it was published as an e-book in November 2012. It
will be coming out in audio and in paperback later, and I am working on book
two of The Cattlemen Series now.
Bedtime Stories for
Believers became an e-book in December 2012, and now I am also
working on God’s
Favorite
Family,
a series of books for young children in rhyme that I wrote when I was teaching
Kindergarten in a public school. I was never able to find an artist to do the
illustrations. But now I found one who happens to live only fifteen miles away.
I will also have a story in a book of short stories for adults being compiled
now and set in the old west. Various authors are writing the short stories for
the series, and I still have to write Book Three of The Cattlemen Series.
What outside
interests do you have?
If I told you, you might laugh. Besides being with my
husband and family, I love to read and study Bible prophecy, and I am a fan of
a TV show called “Prophecy in the News.”
I’m not laughing. I
knew this about you. How do you choose your settings for each book?
I like to write about things I know. So often, when I
describe a scene in one of my stories, I am describing something I actually saw
with my own eyes.
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Jesus Christ. He is the most exciting and interesting person
who ever walked on this good earth. He is also God’s only begotten son. Who
wouldn’t want to spent time talking to him?
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
I wish I had known how important it was to polish a novel
before sending it to a publisher. At one time, I sent out my first draft, and
it was often sent back by return mail.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
For years I was puffed up about my writing career, waiting
for the big publishers to come knocking on my door, and that might be God’s
plan for some. But it was not God’s plan for me. Now I write for a small book
publisher and loving it.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. If you enjoy
writing, it is because God gave you the talent, ability and the desire to
write. So do it. Write. And never give up.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Cinderella Texas is the retelling of the
classic fairy tale complete with a shoe problem for the heroine. Set on a
cattle ranch in South Texas in modern times, I would call Cinderella
Texas a lighthearted romance that I think will make you smile
when you read it—maybe even laugh.
I can’t wait to read
it. Please give us the first page of the book.
I’ll do better than that. I will give you the first part of
the story. You have to meet my cowboy hero.
Cinderella Texas ,
Chapter One
“You don’t mean this is the
Greene ranch.” Alyson Spencer glanced at Poncho, Quatro Greene’s hired hand, in the front seat beside her. “Do you?”
“Si, senorita.” Poncho reduced the speed of the double-cab pickup and
wheeled onto the turning lane. “The ranch, he is here.” He pulled to a stop in
front of an ordinary-looking metal gate.
Alyson stared at him for a moment. “But we’re
out in the middle of nowhere. I haven’t
seen a town or another house for miles.”
Poncho’s wide smile revealed a missing tooth
in front. He opened the door on the driver’s side.
Alyson studied the Hispanic man who had
picked her up at the airport in Corpus
Christi , Texas —earlier
that morning. “Let me open the gate,” she said.
“No, senorita. I will do it. You might get
your clothes dirty.”
While Poncho opened the gate, Alyson thought about her new boss, Quatro
Greene. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him since she read that magazine
article where all the rumors about him and his family were discussed—strange,
secretive, mysterious, never seen in town unless it had something to do with
business, visiting a doctor or buying supplies.
A lot happened in the last three weeks. Besides being in a minor
accident that required stitches, she’d accepted a job home schooling Quatro
Greene’s two children. However, she hadn’t gone to North Texas
University for four years
to become a home schoolteacher.
But she was desperate after realizing she wasn’t going to find a
teaching position in Dallas in the middle of the school year. Besides, Tim
lived in Dallas. After she saw him with that leggy blonde, she wanted to be as
far from him and Dallas as possible.
Alyson and Quatro had talked on the phone
several times, but this would be the first time they met face-to-face. She’d
wanted to look her best. Alyson glanced down, straightening the hem of her gold
top.
A sign in small black letters and written in
Spanish was nailed to two cedar posts next to the gate. Una Nacion
De Dios, she read. Main 20. Under it, she saw a No
Trespassing sign printed in English with more Spanish words under it—possibly a
“no trespassing” in that language.
She didn’t know Spanish, but maybe the number
twenty meant that the Greenes owned nineteen other ranches. They were
billionaires and probably lived in a mansion. So why hadn’t they invested in a
more impressive entry?
Poncho got back in the truck and drove
through.
As he went back to lock the gate, Alyson
looked around. She hadn’t known she would be living behind a locked gate. Why
wasn’t that mentioned in the teaching contract she signed?
Before she fully considered what that might
mean, they wheeled down a blacktopped road that curved toward several red
barns. Oil wells loomed in the distance.
“What do the Spanish words on the gate mean?”
she asked.
“The Country of God.”
Alyson smiled. “God’s
Country. I like that.”
An old fashioned wagon pulled by two brown
horses was parked at the side of the road. A man wearing a cowboy hat appeared
to be the driver.
“Who is that?” She pointed to the cowboy.
“Senor Quatro Greene.”
“You mean my new boss?” She gave a short
laugh. “You’re joking.”
“I make no joke, senorita. The man, he is
Senor Greene.” Poncho slowed and then stopped about ten feet from the wagon.
The cowboy waved to them. With his blue jeans
tucked into his black high-topped boots and that slim body, Quatro looked too
young to be a widower with two school-aged children. He climbed down from his
perch, looking tall and fit as he rearranged things in the back of the wagon.
Alyson pulled her makeup mirror from her
purse for a quick look at her appearance, holding the mirror at a different
angle and hoping for a better result. But the cuts and bruises on her face
still showed, regardless of the extra layer of makeup she’d applied after
leaving the plane.
Her wounds would heal—without leaving scars,
she hoped. She’d thought breaking up with Tim would leave scars. It hadn’t.
Hailey was right about Tim all along. She
dabbed a bit more powder, snapped the makeup holder shut and put it back in her
purse.
She glanced back at the wagon. Quatro started
toward them.
He was better looking than she expected, but that
was no reason to tense up. She raised her chin a notch.
Okay, a lot better looking.
Quatro reached the truck in what seemed like
four strides. He had high cheekbones and a dark complexion. He removed his hat
and held it. Reddish-brown hair curled around the edges of his ears and at his
hairline, and broad shoulders filled out his navy blue western shirt making his
sapphire-colored eyes look even bluer.
A trace of boyish
mischief gleamed in his smile, causing her to want to smile right back. His
grin faded. One dark eyebrow arched as he appraised her face. He knew about the
accident, but this was the first time he actually saw her cuts and bruises.
Quatro’s smile returned. He ducked his head,
and sticking his hand through the open window, he shook her hand. “I’m Robert
Greene, but my friends call me Quatro. You must be Alyson Spencer.”
“Yes, I am.”
He held her hand a
moment longer than she would have expected. And she felt the warmth of his
palm.
She’d learned that quatro meant four
in Spanish. And he’d signed her teaching contract as Robert Lee Greene IV.
Quatro turned to Poncho.
“I want you to service my truck. Have someone drive it on up to the barn for me
after you put Miss Spencer’s luggage in the back of the wagon.”
“Si, senor.”
Back of the wagon?
Surely he hadn’t meant they would be traveling in that wagon. In these clothes?
She paid big bucks for her gold silk pantsuit
because she wanted to look her best at their first meeting. She also bought
cowboy boots but never intended to wear them. In hindsight, she should have
bought an extra pair of jeans to go with the boots.
Quatro studied Alyson
for a moment. “So if you will be so good as to climb in the wagon, we can be on
our way.”
Stunned by all that
she’d seen and heard, she felt her jaw drop. Pull yourself together, Alyson, she told herself. There must be an explanation.
Maybe the Greenes treated all newcomers to wagon
rides. Eccentric billionaires did pretty much anything they wished, and nobody
said a word. A slow smile formed on her lips. Could it be that he knew how much
she loved antiques and historical novels and did all this to make me feel
welcome?
#
I’m going to like
this book. How can readers find you on the Internet?
But I haven’t update my website in ages. The best way to
keep up with me is via my blogs.
Writers Rest - http://writersrest.blogspot.com
I also write articles for Commandment Keepers.com and
Bustles and Spurs.com, a blog for Christian readers and writers of western
fiction. But you can find all my books by writing Molly Noble Bull in the search
slot at Amazon and other online and walk-in bookstores.Thank you, Molly, for sharing this book with us.
Readers, Molly is giving away a copy of Cinderella Texas and Bedtime Stories for Believers. Here are links to both of these books.
The Cattleman Series - Volume 1 - Cinderella Texas
Bedtime Stories For Believers
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of one of the books. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
These sound so interesting!
ReplyDeleteMonica, Ontario
Thanks for writing, Monica. It was a fun book to write. Even I laughed a few times, and I wrote the book.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Molly
I love fairy tales! Please enter me. I'm from NC.
ReplyDeleteKatie G.
Your novels sound amazing, Molly. i will definitely be looking for them! Thanks for a great interview, Lena and Molly. (just a question, Molly...do you and/or your husband work on the King Ranch?) Thanks for the chance to win a print book.
ReplyDeleteMarianne from northern Alberta
mitziUNDERSCOREwanhamATyahooDOTcom
Would love to win a print book, Cinderella Texas sounds like a great story.
ReplyDeleteKatie J. from Florida
I would love to be entered in the drawing for Cinderella Texas. I've loved Cinderella stories for as long as I can remember, some of my favorites include Ella Enchanted and Ever After.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Dawn. And I'm from Houston, TX.
dawn(dot)janis(at)gmail(dot)com
Sounds great. I would love to win!
ReplyDeleteHannah P
CA
Please enter me in the drawing for Cinderella Texas.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Bonnie Jean (FL)
Oh sounds really great. Please enter me!
ReplyDeleteLourdes Montes Long Island, NY
Hi Molly,
ReplyDeleteThank you and Lena for giving me a chance to win your book. With Alyson Spencer, spending four years in college for teaching and she ends up home teaching two children on a ranch, our in nowhere.After she saw Tim with that leggy blonde. Sounds like a great book. God bless both of you.
Norma Stanforth from Ohio
I would love to win a copy of this book.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Hi to Katie G.,Marianne, Katie J., Dawn, Hannah, Bonnie Jean, Lourdes and Norma. Thanks to all of you for entering to win.
ReplyDeleteMarianne asked if we are connected to the King Ranch. No, we are not. Some of the largest ranches in the world are located in my area, but we never lived on either the King or the Kenedy ranch. I lived on the Santa Rosa and the La Paloma Ranches.
They were big, but not as big as the King and Kendy ranches.
Love,
Molly
Great review and Interview! Would love to read your books. Thanks for a chance to win.
ReplyDeletejoeym11@frontier.com
Valparaiso, Indiana
thanks for the chance to win
ReplyDeletelive in ND
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
I saw something recently about 'Cinderella Texas' and added it to my wishlist! Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeletePatty in SC
Thanks for the opportunity to get this book.
ReplyDeleteLyndie Blevins
Duncanville, Tx
Dear Diana, Apple Blossom, Patty and Lyndie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing. As I do with many of my westerns, descriptions of the setting of Cinderella Texas was more or less based on my memories of life on the Santa Rosa and La Paloma Ranches in South Texas.
Love,
Molly
Enter me!!
ReplyDeleteSharon Richmond
Blanch,NC.
sharonruth126@gmail.com
I liked the excerpt of Cinderella Texas and would like to read more. It would be wonderful to win a copy, so thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeletepmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Kansas
I would love to win a copy of Cinderella Texas. I've had the nickname Cinderella from more than one person in my life and I have family in Texas and love the state. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteI live in Indiana.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com
I enjoyed the interview and excerpt. I wish I had Cinderella Texas in my hands right now, so I could read the rest of the story. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book.
ReplyDeletemay_dayzee(at)yahoo(dot)com
East Tennessee
Dear Sharon, Pam, Cindy and KayM,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing. If you will look at the cover of Cinderella Texas again, you will see an old looking house with a breezeway on both the upper and lower floors called a dog-run. The house is important to the story, and the house is one I know well. My great grandparents built it.
Love,
Molly
I love fairy tale retellings! I'm in MN.
ReplyDeleteCinderella Texas sounds great! Molly's ranch background was interesting to learn about as well. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteJulie in MN
Cinderella Texas sounds very good! I've always enjoyed Cinderella stories and think the Texas setting will be a good take on it.
ReplyDeleteBeth from Iowa
What a great idea to write a modern version of a fairytale! Can't wait to WIN this book. Sharon, San Diego
ReplyDeleteDear Veronica, Holdingj, Rubyreba, and Sharon m.,I'm glad you like fairy tales. Me too. In fact, they were the first love stories I ever read.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Molly