COWBOY COUSINS (LUCY AND THE LAWMAN) - Molly Noble Bull - One Free Book

Welcome back, Molly. How did you come up with the idea for this story? I have a Texas cattle ranch background, and Lucy and the Lawman is a Christian western novella. Nevertheless, how I arrived with ideas for the story is not an easy question to answer. Sometimes I get an idea or a setting or a character that becomes a story very soon. At other times, the story comes much later.

A major conflict is one that seems impossible to overcome, and I am convinced that a successful story must contain a major conflict. Lucy and the Lawman became a novella when I added a major conflict to the plot.     

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why? As a born again Christian, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are honored guests at the top of any party gathering I would wish to attend. While not all of the contemporary fiction on my list are Christian books, they are all clean, inspiring and sometimes sweet.

However, the first name on my party list might surprise you. It’s Jonathan Cahn. Most people never think of Jonathan Cahn as a writer of fiction because his exciting writings are based on the Bible, but several of his works are written in a modern day fictional format.

I also like 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New Worlds by Aldous Huxley. I know; these authors are not modern, but the stories they told were as a modern at today’s evening news or maybe tomorrow’s. Both of these science fiction-like books were required reading back when I went to college, and they almost seem as if they were written for today.

Books by Debby Macomber are the next contemporary fiction novels on my list. Her books always keep me reading and reading and reading, especially her earlier works. They were always sweet and clean. Often, they made me smile. And Lena Nelson Dooley should be on everyone’s reading party list whether modern or historical. Her books are amazing.

Thank you, Molly for including me. Now let’s do a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why? Again, Lena Nelson Dooley should be on everyone’s reading party list, and she would be my first guest at my Christian historical author party. I was learning to write fiction back in the nineteen eighties and nineties, and I read a lot of sweet historical romance novels set in Regency England back them.

I know. Why was I reading Regency Romances rather than westerns? The only answer I can come up with is that I found Regency Romances, set in historical England, new, different, and charming. Two of my favorites Regency authors were Barbara Cartland and Caroline Courtney. Their books were clean and exciting but not especially Christian.     

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is the most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career? My answer to this question is nothing new. The most difficult problem I have with writing now is finding time to write. 

Tell us about your featured book. 

Lucy and the Lawman by Molly Noble Bull

Saddle Up for the fastest reading ride of your life.

While on a business trip to Colorado in 1890, Sheriff Caleb Caldwell stops to inform Lucy Gordan and her widowed mother of property they inherited in Texas, land coveted by a rich and powerful man—willing to do anything to get his hands on what is rightfully theirs, and Caleb feels obligated to protect them. However, he cannot reveal his attraction for Lucy. To do so would mean disaster for all of them.

Here is page #1.

Juniper, Texas

Spring 1890 

A man staying at a hotel said he saw Daisy. Maybe it was Daisy. Maybe not.  

Caleb Caldwell had to find out, and not because he was the county sheriff. It was personal. He left his office at the county jail and crossed the street. Shorty, one of his deputies, could handle whatever came up. He headed for the hotel.

He intended to really talk to this man—dig for details. His search would continue until he found Daisy—no matter how long it took.

A sign on a window of the barbershop caught his attention.

Fielding Grimes for Governor.

That crook? Caleb shook his head in disbelief. A man like Grimes should be running for the Mexican border, not for the highest office in the state of Texas.

Caleb entered the hotel, glancing through the archway into the dining room. A skinny little man with white hair and a white mustache sat hunched at a table, reading a small book. In a starched shirt, black tie, and dark suit, he looked as if he belonged back East somewhere, not Juniper, Texas. Caleb hoped the little man was the witness he’d been searching for. He would have prayed, if he still did things like that.

The stranger looked up from his reading. Their gazes connected. The man put down the book and reached for his cup. Caleb moved closer to the table, and the scent of coffee reached out to him. The man didn't smile.

Caleb forced one. "Are you Stanley Kipple?" he asked.

How can people find you on the Internet?

www.mollynoblebull.com    My website.    

http://bit.ly/mollynoblebull   My author page at Amazon

https://scrivenings.link/cowboycousins  The Cowboy Cousins page at Amazon

Thank you, Molly, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Cousins-Molly-Noble-Bull-ebook/dp/B09TY7H31S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38Y54RGHHXV5D&keywords=Cowboy+Cousins&qid=1654268073&s=books&sprefix=cowboy+cousins%2Cstripbooks%2C397&sr=1-1

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please 

come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s

the link: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/06/cowboy-cousins-lucy-and-lawman-molly.html 

BLUEBONNET BRIDE - Molly Noble Bull - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Molly is a long-time writer friend of mine. I was honored to read Bluebonnet Bride before it was published. You are going to love this story.

Welcome back, Molly. How did you come up with the idea for this story? Though I was never tested, I think I might be dyslexic. It was hard for me to learn to read and spell. Now I write novels that other people read.

My heroine in Bluebonnet Bride is Gina Hollister, a PhD with dyslexia. During my research on the topic, I discovered that many PhD’s are dyslexic. Apparently, some dyslexics never retire because they don’t know how to stop trying.

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career? My biggest problems are marketing, finding time to write, and keeping up with all the new trends.

Tell us about the featured book.

Blurb for Bluebonnet Bride:

Billionaire Steve Bryson doesn’t like Bible thumpers, and he thinks Dr. Gina Hollister is one.

Gina Hollister, a dyslexic with a PhD in educational psychology, is hired by widower and business tycoon, Steve Bryson, to tutor his fourteen-year-old daughter, Amanda, for the summer at his huge house near Durango, Colorado, a mansion that Gina calls a castle. An attraction soon develops between Gina and Steve, but their romance can never end in marriage because. . . .

If you like sweet Christian romances set in the beautiful mountains of Colorado and the Texas hill country, you will want to read Bluebonnet Bride. It might even make you smile.

Please give the first page of the novel.

She’d had another of those horrible flashbacks straight from her teenage years.

Gina Hollister sucked in her breath, releasing it slowly. The words you’re incredibly stupid continued to play in her mind.

Incredible. She hadn’t known the meaning of the word when she heard it for the first time. But she knew stupid—even back then.  

She stepped out of her car—stood there for a moment with her purse on the top of her ten-year-old white Buick. Why did this happen now? It was Friday morning, and she had an important meeting with the father of one of her students, a man she’d never met. Would the flashbacks ever end?

Her purse strap slid toward her, with the brown loop hanging over the window. She reached for it—one second too late. Her handbag turned upside down, landing on the concrete parking lot. She’d forgotten to zip it up, again. Everything inside spilled out with a cacophony of tinkling and jingling.

Gina counted to ten. She was a PhD, now, and an intelligent person, not an accident prone airhead. She merely had a problem with depth perception and dyslexia. Merely?

Dyslexia had colored her entire life with a black marker. She’d studied hard—for years. Would she ever be normal? Was there such a thing?

Lord, she prayed. Make me like everyone else.

Her tube of lipstick rolled beneath her car. Oh, no! Her jaw and both fists tightened simultaneously. She leaned forward and bent down, careful to keep the hem of her long white dress from brushing the pavement. Slowly, she gathered every item she’d dropped.

Except the lipstick.

It rolled beyond her reach. If she wanted it, she must kneel on her hands and knees. Her dress could become a disaster. She wanted it.

The lipstick was the last tube in existence in her favorite shade of peach. She set her handbag on the pavement beside her, folded her skirt up, and bent forward. Derriere elevated, she reached for the tube. Her fingers touched its smooth, slick surface, and gripping the lipstick, she rocked back on her heels, preparing to rise.

“What have we here?” somebody said from behind her.

She recognized the man’s voice. She’d heard it the previous night when she listened to messages left on her cell phone.

“Need any help?” he asked.

Gina’s breath froze in her throat. Steve Bryson looked down at her. She’d never seen him until that instant but knew him immediately. That low, raspy voice couldn’t belong to anyone else. Yet there was something else besides his voice that seemed familiar. What could it be?

He reached out as if to help her up. She took his hand. A tingle shot through her. Wow! Gina stood beside him. She’d expected him to be handsome. Nobody told her he was so tall, so young-looking, so electrifying. Like his daughter, Steve had thick, dark-brown hair and brown eyes. But it didn’t begin to describe him.

He would have no difficulty describing her. She probably looked like an extra on the set of a historical western movie. If the laughter she heard in his voice and saw in his eyes were an indication, he’d been watching her for a long time.

In a white, ankle length gown and matching cowboy boots, Gina was dressed as a character in a western novel, set in 1881 Texas, for the end of the school year costume party. Should she try to explain why she was wearing a costume to their first meeting? Or would a billionaire like Steve Bryson be able to comprehend a situation like hers?’

How can readers find you on the internet? BLUEBONNET BRIDE was published by Scrivenings Press on June 29, 2021. Click here to learn more. https://scrivenings.link/bluebonnetbride   

I am molly.n.bull on Facebook.

My web address is http://www.mollynoblebull.com   

To see all my books on Amazon, click http://bit.ly/mollynoblebull

Thank you, Molly, for sharing this book with my blog readers.

Readers, here is a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/USy450FBzD9

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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  

WHEN THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY - Molly Noble Bull - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I wrote an endorsement for When the Cowboy Rides Away when it first released. I’m happy to be part of the re-launch. Here’s what I wrote: Molly Noble Bull produces another western novel that is so authentic I felt as if I were there in South Texas. I’ve been there a number of times, and she has the setting perfect. I loved the characters who tugged at my heartstrings through the story, and I kept turning pages to find out how it would all end.

Welcome back, Molly. Tell us about your salvation experience. I had a rather unusual salvation experience that some might find hard to believe. The entire experience might be explained in a Bible scripture—Romans 10:17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I cannot say for sure, but maybe hearing the Lord’s voice was the only way I could have truly come to Him.

I was unable to find the Lord in our liberal denominational church. As a result, I went looking for God elsewhere, reading books on the occult and trying some of the weird things suggested in some of the books. I even joined an occult book club, and as a new member, I was given a small round crystal on a chain. But I never stopped praying. I was thirty-three years old then.

Charlie and I lived on a small farm in South Texas, and the two oldest of our three sons were already born. I was teaching in an elementary school when I came down with a bad case of the flu. I had a high fever and had missed five days of school.

On the night the fever disappeared, I went right to sleep. But I was wakened in the middle of the night. I sat up in bed; Charlie snored peacefully beside me. But somehow, I knew there was a presence in the house, and that presence was standing in the open doorway between bedroom and the hall. I saw nothing. Yet I knew He was there.

He finally spoke, and his voice seemed to come from near the top of the doorframe. 

“I came because you knocked,” he said, “and you have been chosen.”

I was too stunned to make a reply.

“But I chose you. You did not choose me.”

I still said nothing.

“And you don’t need to shout. I can hear you.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about because I had been doing a lot of shouting. asking the Lord questions while continuing to read those strange books. I’d especially asked the Lord my purpose in life, and on that night He answered that question.

“Your purpose in life is to be a Christian wife and mother, and you must throw away those things you have.”

He was talking about those books and that horrible crystal on a chain.

Here I was face-to-face with the Lord. I guess I could have asked him anything. Yet there was only one question on my mind at that moment.

“You mean now?” I asked.

“Yes, right now.”

So I got up out of bed, went into the living room, where the books and the crystal were kept, grabbed them, went into the kitchen and threw them in the garbage can. Then I started trembling because I realized I had just had a conversation with the Lord. I had never known anyone who had an experience like mine, including those in our church, and knew nothing about the Bible. But now there was something new that I did know. God was real.

Later, I discovered that many of the things He said to me on that night came straight from the Bible.

“I came because you knocked.” (Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9)

“And you have been chosen.” (1 Peter 2:9)

“But I chose you. You did not choose me.” (John 15:16 and Romans 10:20)

Nobody hates the occult more than those who once sampled it, and faith really does come from hearing, at least for me. I will follow the Lord forever.

I love hearing testimonies about when God confronts people and calls them to Him. You are planning a retreat where you can only have four authors. Who would they be? I would choose Lena for sure. The other two would be Kathi Macias and an Indy author friend by the name of Teresa Slack.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it? I’m comfortable in old clothes and hardly ever throw them away. I keep wearing them. I especially like slacks with elastic around the waist because they always fit perfectly. But elastic wears out—continues to stretch but stops snapping back. In time the circle of elastic grows bigger and bigger, but I keep wearing my slacks.

One night at a family dinner at the home of one of our sons, I got up from the table to go to the bathroom, and my pants slipped down to my knees. Lucky for me, I was wearing a very long shirt. So, I reached down and pulled off my pants. Then I lifted my head and hurried to a nearby room. Then I called out to one of our daughters-in-law.

“Linda, will you come here a minute?”

She came, and I said, “Please bring me the biggest safety pin you can find. I need to fix my pants.”

She brought the pin; I fixed my pants and went to the bathroom. Then I went back to the table to finish my meal, and nobody said a word.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you too. What would you tell someone who came to you and said that? I would say, “Write that book, keep writing, and never give up.”

Tell us about your featured book. My father and my maternal grandfather were cattle ranch foremen, real Texas cowboys. I spent part of my growing up years on a sixty-thousand-acre-cattle ranch, and all three of our grown sons are involved in ranching in Texas today. It is not surprising that my featured book, When the Cowboy Rides Away, is a historic western. Below is the back-cover information.

Maggie Gallagher, twenty-one, runs the Gallagher Ranch in South Texas and has raised her little sister and nephew since her parents and older sister died. No wonder she can’t find time for romance!

When the Cowboy Rides Away opens two years after Maggie loses her family members. Out for a ride with her sister, she discovers Alex Lancaster, a handsome cowboy, shot and seriously wounded, on her land. Kind-hearted and a Christian, Maggie nurses him back to health despite all her other chores. How could she have guessed that Alex held a secret that could break her heart?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Southern Texas

Early May 1880

Somebody was coming.

Maggie Gallagher slowed her sorrel mare. A small dust cloud hung over the north pasture like a puff of smoke. As she continued to eye the trail of sand and dust, it grew larger. 

She glanced back at her younger sister. “Hurry up, Sarah. A rider’s headed this way. See if you can get ole Short Legs to trot.” 

The little red-haired girl yawned.  “I said I was coming.”

“Well, can you get that pony of yours to move a little faster? We need to go on out to the cemetery, leave our flowers, and rush right home. A caller will probably be waiting for us at the house when we get back.”

The main house was over a mile from the ranch cemetery and a mere twenty miles from the Gulf of Mexico—and it was almost always windy there. In fact wind and South Texas were like many married couples—together, but sometimes fighting.

The morning breeze felt cool on Maggie’s face, but that wouldn’t last long. By noon the temperature could reach 100 degrees. Her aunt often said that South Texas was the only spot on earth where the wind could be hot, even in the shade.

She loosened the bow under her chin and pushed back her blue-flowered bonnet. She might as well sit back in the saddle and enjoy herself. It was obvious Sarah was in no hurry. 

Maggie thought about the dust cloud she’d seen. She wasn’t expecting visitors. But since company appeared to be on the way, she hoped it was Roger. He’d said he might ride into town. On the way back to his place, he often stopped by the Gallagher Ranch to leave Maggie the mail he picked up for her, and she was hoping for a letter from Aunt Violet. 

***

He’d watered his horse in a creek with only a trickle of water in it and crossed a bridge. Now, Alex Lancaster guided his black stallion through thick brush, leaving a trail of dust and sand behind. He had to find Dee. Until he did, nothing else mattered.

But his horse needed rest. The animal wouldn’t hold up much longer without it, and he’d pushed him relentlessly since he rode north from the border, stopping at creeks and lakes when he found them, sleeping and then moving on again. 

Now he wasn’t sure exactly where he was. The entry gate said Ranch Headquarters, One Mile, but it didn’t include the name of the ranch.

He thought the ranch he was searching for was at least fifty or so miles north of here, but as long as he was in the area, he might as well stop and check. At the least he could water his horse again, and maybe the ranch owner would give him directions.

Alex could barely see the outline of a two-story house in the distance, but that was enough to keep him moving forward. He would talk to the folks at the headquarters, cool off for a while, and then head out and keep going until he found her.   

But would she let him explain what happened? Would Dee be able to forgive him?

Alex blinked, sucking in his breath. Would he ever forgive himself?

***

How can readers find you on the net?

To find When the Cowboy Rides Away, click here.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1649171005/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i11

To find Facebook: facebook.com/molly.n.bull  

My website: www.mollynobleull.com

My page at Amazon: http://bit.ly/mollynoblebull

Thank you, Molly, for sharing the book with my blog readers today. I know they will love the story as much as I did.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/33xTt6S - Paperback

https://amzn.to/3o78SEN - Kindle Edition

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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 

WHEN THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY - Molly Noble Bull - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Molly is a really long-time writing friend. She’s also a fellow Texan. I was privileged to read this book for endorsement. Here’s what I said:

Molly Noble Bull produces another western novel that is so authentic I felt as if I were there in south Texas. I've been there a number of times, and she has the setting perfect. I loved the characters who tugged at my heartstrings throughout the story, and I kept turning pages to find out how it would all end.

--Lena Nelson Dooley - award-winning, best-selling author of over 30 books. Her latest releases are a novella in the Christmas collection Warm Mulled Kisses and one in A Texas Christmas

Welcome back, Molly. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I love to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ in my novels, and I often use verses from the Bible as the premise of my novels. I also like to weave Biblical principals within the pages of my books, and I do that by having my characters ask each other questions on these topics. In Gatehaven, my scary Gothic historical, I had the hero, a pastor in training, ask his Christian mentor questions on witchcraft and the occult according to the Bible, and the mentor provided answers. Some of my readers said they learned Bible truths right along with the hero of Gatehaven.  

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Thanks for asking. The Secret Place, my long adventure story set in England, Scotland, and ending in the state of South Carolina in 1784, was published by Hartline Literary as an e-book and in paperback about three weeks ago, but The Secret Place was first published under the title of Sanctuary. Sanctuary won the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award in the inspirational category and also tied for first place in another national contest for published authors that year. So if you read Sanctuary, you read The Secret Place. Nothing was changed but the title. The reason I changed the title in the new version is because the original publisher went out of business and because there are too many novels titled Sanctuary.

 

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn without a doubt. Jonathan wrote The Harbinger and other books, and I was given the honor of interviewing him for my blog before he became so well known. He talks like an Old Testament Prophet, and I would love to sit down and spend hours just asking him questions about the Bible from the point of view of a Jew who found Jesus and made him his Messiah and listening to his answers.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

If they like to write, there is a good chance it is because God gave them the desire and ability to write for a reason. Keep writing and never give up.

Tell us about the featured book.

I might be called a Genre Jumper because I write everything from sweet romances to historical novels set in Europe to scary Christian Gothic novels to westerns to books and stories for children to non-fiction, but today, I want to introduce When the Cowboy Rides Away, my western with a touch of romance set in South Texas in 1880. I have a special love for westerns because I have a Texas ranch background.

My late father and my grandfather were real Texas cowboys, and I spent part of my growing up years on a sixty thousand acre cattle ranch in South Texas where When the Cowboy Rides Away takes place, and all three of our grown sons are involved in ranching in Texas today.

What makes When the Cowboy Rides Away different from most Christian westerns? Jeanette Pierce, a retired English teacher, wrote study guides for home school families based on When the Cowboy Rides Away—one for teachers and one for students.

And now for the blurb.

Maggie Galagher, twenty-one, runs the Gallagher Ranch in South Texas and has raised her little sister and orphaned nephew since her parents and older sister died. No wonder she can’t find time for romance.

When the Cowboy Rides Away by Molly Noble Bull opens two years after Maggie loses her family members. Out for a ride with her sister, she discovers Alex Lancaster, a handsome cowboy, shot and seriously wounded on her land. Kind-hearted and a Christian, Maggie nurses him back to health despite all her other chores. How could she know that Alex had a secret that could break her heart?

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.  

Southern Texas

Early May 1880

Somebody was coming.

           

Maggie Gallagher slowed her sorrel mare. A small dust cloud hung over the north pasture like a puff of smoke. As she continued to eye the trail of sand and dust, it grew larger. 

           

She glanced back at her younger sister. “Hurry up, Sarah. A rider’s headed this way. See if you can get ole Short Legs to trot.” 

           

The little red-haired girl covered a yawn with the back of her hand. “I said I was coming.”

           

“Well, can you get that pony of yours to move a little faster? We need to go on out to the cemetery, leave our flowers, and rush right home. A caller will probably be waiting for us at the house when we get back.”

           

The main house was over a mile from the ranch cemetery and a mere twenty miles from the Gulf of Mexico—and it was almost always windy there. In fact wind and South Texas were like many married couples—together, but sometimes fighting.

           

The morning breeze felt cool on Maggie’s face, but that wouldn’t last long. By noon the temperature could reach 100 degrees. Her aunt often said that South Texas was the only spot on earth where the wind could be hot, even in the shade.

           

She loosened the bow under her chin and pushed back her blue-flowered bonnet. She might as well sit back in the saddle and enjoy herself. It was obvious Sarah was in no hurry. 

           

Maggie thought about the dust cloud she’d seen. She wasn’t expecting visitors. But since company appeared to be on the way, she hoped it was Roger. He’d said he might ride into town. On the way back to his place, he often stopped by the Gallagher Ranch to leave Maggie the mail he picked up for her, and she was hoping for a letter from Aunt Violet. 

***

He’d watered his horse in a creek with only a trickle of water in it and crossed a bridge. Now, Alex Lancaster guided his black stallion through thick brush, leaving a trail of dust and sand behind. He had to find Dee. Until he did, nothing else mattered.

           

But his horse needed rest. The animal wouldn’t hold up much longer without it, and he’d pushed him relentlessly since he rode north from the border, stopping at creeks and lakes when he found them, sleeping and then moving on again. 

           

Now he wasn’t sure exactly where he was. The entry gate said Ranch Headquarters, One Mile, but it didn’t include the name of the ranch.

He thought the ranch he was searching for was at least fifty or so miles north of here, but as long as he was in the area, he might as well stop and check. At the least he could water his horse again, and maybe the ranch owner would give him directions.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web address is http://www.mollynoblebull.com and my blog at Writers Rest is

http://writersrest.blogspot.com

To find When the Cowboy Rides Away at Amazon, click

http://bit.ly/cowboyrides 

To find The Secret Place, click http://bit.ly/secretplacebook.

Thanks for the opportunity to do this interview, Lena, and for introducing me to all your wonderful friends.

I love hosting you, Molly, and letting my readers know about the featured book.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. 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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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

GATEHAVEN - Molly Noble Bull - One Free Book

Molly and I have been friends for over a decade. We’re both Texans, and I love her writing. When she won the contest and this book was scheduled for publication, she asked me to read it for endorsement. My endorsement is on the front cover of the book.

Welcome back, Molly. God has really been moving in your writing life.

Yes, He has. For one thing, the Lord is teaching me to lean on Him. For example, I am constantly losing things, especially my glasses. After looking and looking, I finally stop and pray, asking for the Lord’s help in finding the lost object. And do you know what? I usually find it within a few seconds—often in the very place I looked previously.

That’s the Lord. When He says “Ask and you shall receive,” He means it.

What do you see on the horizon?

I read a lot of Bible prophecy, and I think America and Israel are headed for some rough sailing soon. But as a born-again Christian, I know that the Lord has a place of safety ready for those who truly follow Him.

As for my writing Gatehaven, the novel we will be talking about today, won the grand prize in a fiction writing contest in 2013 while still a manuscript. So I have high hopes for that book upon publication because Lena Nelson Dooley endorsed it.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I met and married before I finished college. We are still married and have three wonderful sons and six fantastic grandchildren.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Before I started writing I read mostly science fiction. But after I started writing to sell, I read one or two romance novels a week and less science fiction. Now I read mostly what I call “way out” Christian non-fiction which is like science fiction except it is true and biblical. Currently, I am reading a 557 page book titled Ex-Vaticana: Petrus Romanus, Project LUCIFER and the Vatican’s Astonishing Plan for the Arrival of an Alien Savior by Cris Putnam and Thomas Horn. 

What are you working on right now?

I am promoting Gatehaven at the moment; so my creative writing is in a safe-box in one corner of my mind, waiting to be opened when the job is done. I have the rights to The Rogue’s Daughter, one of my sort of old Zondvervan novels. The Rogue’s Daughter is a western set on a huge cattle ranch in South Texas in 1890. I plan to update it and sell it on Amazon as an e-book, and I already have my new cover.

I love that cover. What outside interests do you have?

I love to read, of course. I am also interested in history, especially the history of my ancestors, and we host a Bible study in our home most weeks. I once loved to travel, but since my husband’s stroke a couple of years ago, we don’t leave the house much anymore. But since I am a novelist, I fly away to exciting places every time I write a book.

 

How do you choose your settings for each book?

That is an interesting question because I never really thought about that. As I mentioned, I am interested in genealogy, and I discovered that some of my ancestors were French Huguenots. It is not surprising that I set Sanctuary, another of my historical novels, and Gatehaven in Scotland and England where my ancestors settled before coming to America.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

That’s easy. I would love to spend an evening with Jesus because he is my Savior, Lord and King.  

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

My maiden name is Noble and my married name is Bull; so I write under three names, Molly Noble Bull. In hindsight, I wish I was either Molly Noble or Molly Bull. It would take up less space on the cover of a book.

I use both my maiden name and married name in my author name. It does take longer to sign books at an event. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

I like to eat, especially sweets and Mexican food, and often overeat. But the Lord seems to be saying Everything in moderation. He also says, if you love me, keep my commandments.

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.

Tell us about the featured book.

Gatehaven by Molly Noble Bull

Have you ever known a teenage girl so in love with love and a bad prince charming that she was unable to see her true prince? If so, you should connect with Shannon Aimee as she and Ian Colquhoun battle an evil Frenchman with dark secrets and evil desires. Set in Scotland and England and ending in the state of South Carolina in 1784, Gatehaven is a scary Gothic novel with a strong Christian message that will keep you reading to the last page.

Click below to see and hear the book trailer for Gatehaven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRa4h167wHU&list=UUSud14a5OCxl_vBBb1IAf7Q&feature=c4-overview 

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

A country estate in Northern England

Early January 1784

Monsieur Etienne Gabeau wasn’t his real name.

His name was Leon Picard. But Etienne Gabeau was the only name he’d answered to since making England his home.

He stood at a window in his sitting room, smiling inwardly as he looked out. “The haunting presence that surrounds your mansion always amazes me, my lord.”

The young earl made no reply.

“Christians who read the Bible might say the atmosphere at Gatehaven is quite the devil’s doing. We both know why.” Leon/Etienne’s laugh had mocking overtones. He pulled his dark cape closer to his thin, shriveled body. “It’s a bit chilly tonight. Surely you must have noticed.”

“Of course I noticed.” The earl laughed from across the room. “An icy rain was coming down when I arrived. You might have to put me in a spare bedroom for the night, Monsieur. And why did you mention the Bible? Who among our circle of friends pay any mind to it?”

“A point well taken.” The Frenchman pushed back a curl from his eyes.

His thick mass of dark curly hair had more white strands than black, making Leon look older than his forty-five years. But twenty years ago, he was called handsome.

“Still,” Leon continued, “to the local villagers your estate is quite mysterious. It reminds me of structures I saw in France, growing up. And who can forget the red gate which gave Gatehaven its name?”

“When did you learn of the red gate, Monsieur Gabeau?”

“I learned the secret when your late father was the earl. You were but a boy then.”

Lightning cracked the night sky. Thunder boomed.

 “I saw it again, my lord.”

“Really?” The earl’s weak smile indicated that he was mildly interested. “What did you see?”

“Gatehaven…during that flash of lightning.”

Someday I will have Rachel and own Gatehaven as well, Leon vowed mentally.

The earl cleared his throat. “I’ve decided not to go to Scotland after all, Monsieur.”

“Not go?” Leon turned around in order to face him. “You must go.” Leon Picard limped to his high-backed leather chair near the fireplace, tapping his cane on the pine floor as he went. “You will go.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“I said that you will go.” Leon hooked his cane on the arm of his chair. Then he sat down and reached for the portrait on the small table beside him. “I demand it.” Leon’s words, spoken with his usual French accent, hung heavy in the air.

The earl didn’t answer.

Leon thought that Edward Wellesley, the Earl of Northon, looked stiff—as if he’d suddenly turned to stone. At last the earl gazed at Leon from a chair facing his.

“Demand?” The muscles around the young earl’s mouth slowly relaxed. “You have crossed the line, sir. Besides, I cannot go to Scotland. I have pressing business here. However, a French gentleman like you should enjoy such a journey.” His smile was edged in sarcasm. “Why not go yourself?”

“On these crippled legs? I think not. Besides, she would never receive me.”

“I am sorry. But it would be impossible for me to leave the country at this time.”

Leon turned, gazing at the fire flickering and popping in the hearth. “You want the money, do you not?” He looked back at the earl like a hungry cat that cornered a mouse.

“But of course. You know I need money to pay my gambling debts.”

 “Precisely.” Leon didn’t miss the fleeting expression of fear that crossed the younger man’s face. “I recently bought all your debts. I will destroy them all, but only if you do exactly what I say. At dawn on the morrow, you will set out for Scotland. And do dress warmly, my young friend. It will be cold out.”

I’m sure this snippet piqued everyone’s interest. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.mollynoblebull.com

Blog: http://writersrest.blogspot.com

Goodreads: Molly Noble Bull

Facebook: Molly Noble Bull

Twitter: @Mollyauthor 

Pinterest: Molly Noble Bull

Thank you, Molly, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Gatehaven - Christianbook.com
Gatehaven: A Novel - Amazon
Gatehaven: A Novel - Kindle

Christian Book Store

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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 Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, 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

CINDERELLA TEXAS - Molly Noble Bull - Two free books or ebooks

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.”

www.prophecyinthenews.com 

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? 

www.mollynoblebull.com  

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