WHAT IS A DOG-RUN HOUSE?

by Molly Noble Bull

Last time, I told about Cinderella Texas, my new lighthearted Christian romance novel set on a ranch in Texas, and the following words are written in the dedication page of all my novels—To God Give the Glory. A Christian message is also found within the pages of Cinderella Texas.

But today, I would like to tell about the cover of Cinderella Texas because the cover came from an old photo of a dog-run house built by one of my ancestors.

And what is a dog-run house?

A dog-run house is one with a breezeway through the middle of it.

Though Cinderella Texas is pure fiction, the house on the cover is real with dog-runs on both the upper and lower floors.

I do not know when the house was actually built. I would guess around 1880, and as I said, it is especially meaningful to me because it came from an actual photo of a house built by one of my ancestors in Del Rio, Texas.

The house is quite unique. 

It was built by constructing two wooden walls about twelve inches apart, and my ancestor filled the spaces between the walls with adobe clay from the Rio Grande River. When the clay dried, the adobe walls turned the house into a sort of fortress.

I visited this house one summer as a small child, and I remember how cool it was inside without air conditioning. Every room opened onto one of the wooden wrap around porches, and I was told that it was always cool in summer and warm in winter. 

As an adult, my husband and I and our sons visited the house, and I discovered that it was still standing. However, the current owner had removed the wrap-around porches. I have not seen it since then, but perhaps the dog-runs will be filled in one day, giving the house two extra rooms.

I am disappointed that the house my ancestor built no longer has the historic western flavor it once had. But I will always remember the way it looked in the picture on the cover of this book. Memories of that summer in Del Rio so long ago will live with me forever.

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To find Cinderella Texas at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot.

Thankful in Hard Times

It’s funny how the same event can be viewed differently from two opposing perspectives. Getting a job as a janitor in an American school for the former CEO of a Fortune 500 company might be unacceptable, but the same job to a former wealthy business owner from a third-world country could be seen as the start of a new and better life.

You thought I was going to use a poor man for the second example, didn’t you? But the truth is, I have known families who’ve experienced the latter and been grateful for it!

Are we?

The idea of being grateful in hard times has been pressed on my mind over the past few months as my daughter battles the effects of Lyme’s Disease and its treatment. Why? Because though this experience has been very difficult on her, we are astounded at how God put things in place so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. We thank Him for His mercies.

This summer we were informed by my daughter’s new school that at the beginning of the year they would have a “field trip” overnight for five days. Given that we did not have any time to get to know the teachers chaperoning this trip and I couldn’t be there because I homeschool my special-needs son, this raised a few red flags. Sorry, but when you work in the mental health field, as I do, you sometimes know too much about what CAN happen.

Yes, I know, sometimes I need to let go and trust God to protect my child, and believe me, I had friends arguing that fact. But something in my heart kept saying NO. So I prayed that both my husband and I would have the discernment to make the right decision. Both of us felt a clear calling to keep her home.

She was diagnosed with Lyme’s the week before the trip. She could not have gone even if we’d allowed her. The treatment made her sick each morning and she would not have been able to be in direct sunlight due to the meds the whole week. Not possible for a field trip labeled “Outdoor Ed.” Whatever our reasons for keeping her home no longer mattered. God knew she wouldn’t be going and He was preparing us for that fact. No money lost. No expectations dashed. And best of all, no schoolwork was missed because there wasn’t much given to the kids who stayed behind.

Unbelievable! The timing couldn’t have been better.

Then, after finishing the first round of antibiotics, the symptoms came back. Momma-worry set in and more antibiotics were ordered, but THANK GOD the next two days of school were closed due to a professional day and the election. We had time to adjust to a new round of antibiotics and its effects on her every morning. We had to change her eating schedule to see if it would lessen the nausea and allow her to get to school on time. It worked!

So, yes, rather than shaking my fist at God’s allowing Lyme’s Disease into my daughter’s life, I Praise Him for His Mercies! I trust that if Lyme is part of His plan, it is the start of a new and better life. Maybe a challenge that would stretch and strengthen us. Maybe a means of gaining knowledge we'll need later.

Who knows? All I know is He will use it.

This reminded us that God has the whole story already written and He alone knows how it will play out. I suspect, given He is a good and holy God, though it may be rife with drama and suspense, He favors Happy Endings.

I trust in that.

I trust in Him.

Connie is a 2012 Genesis semi-finalist for Women’s Fiction. She was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest for her entry, Why Not to Kiss on a Park Bench (aka. Harold and Violet). Come visit her on one of her other blogs: Living the Body of Christ InfiniteCharacters.com

Little Moments of Thankfulness

In church last Sunday the pastor told us to think of the last time we'd received good news. I couldn't think of a thing. I looked to my husband for inspiration. He just shrugged. Like the Grinch who stole Christmas I puzzled and puzzled til my puzzler was sore. Nothing came to mind. I was still reeling from the election results earlier in the month and not in the mood to think on good news. As far as I was concerned, there wasn't any. But what sort of attitude is that for a born again believer in Jesus Christ? So I repented of willfully holding on to my anger and discouragement, took down my yard signs, prayed for the current administration and that senior White House adviser David Axelrod who I seriously don't like, and decided to look for some bits of good news instead of dwelling on the bad. Since it's Thanksgiving I thought I would share a few of those moments here. 1. My husband caught the mouse I saw run under the cabinet on Saturday. No, he didn't set it free to begin life anew somewhere else. It's dead.

2. My 4-year-old niece reminded me how little girls can find delight in everything from pink fur-lined mittens to learning a new song in Sunday School. 3. Even the toughest, most crotchety interviews I had this week would soften and smile when I wished them a Happy Thanksgiving. 4. I'm surrounded by friends and family and people who love me and think I'm amazing. 5. I'm not longer mad at you, America. You're still the best country on earth. Anyone else have any moments of good news to share that make life as delightful as pink fur-lined mittens?

CINDERELLA TEXAS, My Newest Novel

by Molly Noble Bull

www.mollynoblebull.com  

             My newest novel, Cinderella Texas, is the retelling of a famous fairy tale complete with a shoe problem for the heroine, Alyson Spencer. A prince-like cowboy is the hero of this modern western, Robert Lee Greene IV—called Quatro. Quatro is a rancher, an oil baron and one of the richest men in Texas, and he is also a widower with two school age children. How could Alyson have guessed that when she couldn’t find a teaching job in Dallas, she would accept a position home schooling Quatro’s children and be paid a tremendous salary for doing it?

            City girl, Alyson, expects life on the huge Greene Ranch in South Texas to be idyllic. She will be living in Quatro’s home along with his children, his parents and his grandfather, and she visualizes a majestic mansion surrounded by well-tended gardens—a swimming pool and servants at her beckon call.

What she finds causes her to want to fly back to Dallas. Quatro and his family believe that modern technology corrupts. The rundown two-hundred year old dog-run house on the cover of Cinderella Texas is the Greene home. The house is without electricity and all necessities of normal American life.

Alyson tries to get out of her teaching contract, but it is unbreakable. How is she expected to teach modern children without a computer and a working telephone? And why is Quatro so handsome and yet so pig-headed? 

Cinderella Texas is available as an e-book and will be published in paperback later. To find it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot. Cinderella Texas is a lighthearted romance that will make you smile. Maybe it will even make you laugh.      

The Sky is Falling

A  New Video


by David Rives


I loved this short video, and I hope you will, too.

HELP! HURRICANE SANDY GOBBLED UP MY UPCOMING BOOK

WELL, ALMOST

DeAnna Dodson interviews me, Molly Noble Bull 

DeAnna: 

You have had several books published, Molly. Tell us just a bit about them. How are they alike?  How are they different?   Is there a common thread running through them?

Molly: 

I’ve always been known for writing what some call heartwarming Christian novels. One editor once wrote, “what makes Molly Noble Bull’s books different from some is the humor.” My long historical, Sanctuary, won the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award and tied for first place in the 2008 Winter Rose contest, both for published authors in the inspirational category.

Sanctuary was set in France in 1746 and is about the Huguenots, and it had a more serious tone. Yet even in that novel, there were light moments that I hope made my readers smile.

However, I wrote one book that was really different from what I normally write because it is true. The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities is a non-fiction book written by five published authors.

I wrote most of it, but one of the other four authors is Margaret Daley, current president of ACFW, American Christian Fiction Writers.

Yep, we all struggled with learning disabilities, especially in elementary school. I was dyslexic then and still am today. And yet with God’s help, all five of us overcame.

Speaking of dyslexia, I have a short story in the November 2012 issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine titled D Is For Dyslexia about an almost twelve-year-old boy who is like me in many ways—except I’m female, of course. To find my short story, click onto the cover of Christian Fiction Online Magazine to the right of this article. Then on the main page, scroll down until you see Short Stories. My story, D Is For Dyslexia, is the second story on the list of two. Click where it says click to read it.

DeAnna: 

How is your new book Cinderella Texas different? What makes it particularly special to you?

Molly: 

What makes Cinderella Texas different is that the publication date was delayed because of Hurricane Sandy, the monster storm. Now I don’t know when Cinderella is coming out.

My book publisher moved to higher ground, and I don’t know when he will be able to return to his office. I don’t even have a copy of my cover yet. I’m sure I will always connect Cinderella Texas with Sandy, and that makes it special. However, when it finally is published, I hope it will make my readers smile, maybe even laugh.      

DeAnna: 

What do you like about writing romances? 

Molly: 

I love happy endings, and I have always loved fairy tales. In my opinion, romance novels are that and more. The more would be humor. I love to read and write funny stuff. I came by this genetically. My father had a dry wit that made me laugh, but on his bad days, he only made me smile. 

DeAnna: 

What are some of the challenges you faced in writing your new book?

Molly: 

The biggest challenge I had with Cinderella Texas and with all my books was polishing. I love to redo novels—look for another word, another sentence or another paragraph that will make it better. It’s hard for me to put my personal seal of approval on any of my books, sometimes almost causing a delay in sending out my final drafts to publishers. But of course, far the biggest challenge with Cinderella was getting it out there despite the storm.    

DeAnna: 

What, for you, is your heroine’s most endearing trait or quality?  Your hero’s?

Molly: 

As mentioned earlier, I am a dyslexic. I once thought I was the dumbest kid in the state of Texas, my home state. So I made Alyson, the heroine of Cinderella Texas, an honor student. Nevertheless, she is like me in many ways. One of those ways was that she is a klutz. The hero calls her accident-prone, and I think she’s funny. To me, Alyson’s vulnerability is her most endearing trait.

The hero has a dry wit—just like my dad. He is also a real cowboy just like my dad and my maternal grandfather. I like real men, and my husband is one. I also like cowboys. I disregarded the song that says, “Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys” when raising our three sons. All three are cowboys today. And our six grandchildren? Well, they are cowboys, too, only three of them are girls.        

DeAnna: 

Did you have to do much research for this book?

Molly: 

No. I didn’t have to do any research for The Overcomers. I merely told what happened from childhood on. I didn’t have to do research for Cinderella Texas either. As I said, my father and my maternal grandfather were ranch managers, real Texas cowboys. What I didn’t tell until now is that I spent part of my growing up years on a sixty thousand acre cattle ranch in Texas, and sometimes other writers of western fiction ask me for background information on ranches and cowboys.

DeAnna: 

How does your personal faith impact your fiction?

Molly: 

My born again Christian faith changed me for the good in every way possible. What was once a poor self-image, because of my learning disabilities, became a good one in the name of Jesus. How can I be a Losers? I am a child of the King of the Universe. How can I feel friendless or persecuted? If God be with me, who can be against me? The theme of The Overcomers is this. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

DeAnna: 

What are some of the ways you weave faith into your fiction?

Molly: 

God is responsible for every breath I take, and I cannot take even one more breath unless He wills it. So, weaving the Lord into my novels is easier than breathing.

DeAnna: 

Do you feel integrating faith helps or hinders your connection with your readers?

Molly: 

I write for a Christian blog called Commandment Keepers. So my Christian belief is available to anybody who does a search of my name on the Internet, and my Bible based Christian views might turn off some. However, my purpose for writing is not to tickle the ears or in this case, the eyes. My purpose is to make the Christian life real, perhaps punctuated by a smile.  

DeAnna: 

Has a reader ever told you how your fiction impacted them? Could you share that with us?

Molly: 

Some readers said my books made them smile, and that makes me happy. Others have said that my books made them think, and that makes me really happy.

DeAnna: 

Is there anything special you’d like readers to know about you and/or your books that I haven’t asked about?

Molly: 

If Jesus tarries and “the creek don’t rise,” Cinderella Texas is going to come out in paperback and as an e-book. When? I don’t know. But if you will return to Writers Rest from time to time, you will be one of the first to know. Again, here is that address. http://writersrest.blogspot.com 

And here is my web address. www.mollynoblebull.com    

My website hasn’t been updated lately, but that is on my “to do” list.

And finally, I love the Lord, and because of Him, I can also love everybody else. 

Please leave a comment. I like to hear from you.

UPDATE:

Since doing this interview with DeAnna Dodson, my publisher returned to his office, and Cinderella Texas will be published on November 15, 2012. More about Cinderella Texas late.

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DeAnna Dodson . . . Historical Fiction by DeAnna Julie Dodson

Also, writing as Julianna Deering, The Drew Farthering Mysteries:  Rules of Murder (Coming Summer 2013 from Bethany House)

Do You Think You Have More Energy Than God?

Genesis 2:1b

In my “previous life” as a Christian counselor I specialized in working with over-achieving, perfectionist women who suffered from anxiety-based disorders. They were extraordinary, amazing people who’d accomplished much, but it was never enough. They often defined themselves by the goals they’d achieved, but somehow the achievement left them wanting. They believed rest was not for the weary—for certainly, they would have partaken. Rest was for the lazy.

Huh? Wouldn’t that mean God was lazy? After all, He rested on the seventh day.

Of course they weren’t actually calling God lazy, but certainly they looked at His seventh-day activity as one of uselessness. But that can’t be. God is never useless.

So if God’s rest is not useless, neither is ours. Research on the brain shows there is much work being done while we sleep. Much of what we process about what we’ve learned through our waking hours happens at that time. Repair of wear and tear on our body is done at rest. Rest is so important God even built it into whole seasons. Wild animals hibernate and vegetation stops producing fruit for months out of the year. In fact, blueberry bushes will not produce fruit in the summer unless they have a certain amount of time below freezing in the winter. They need rest, too.

God not only commanded we rest on the seventh day, he also commanded farmers rest their fields for periods of time. I’m thinking rest is kind of important. 

So why is it we look at this “activity” with scorn? I think it’s pride. We want to show that we can do it all without our Creator’s help. He tells us to follow His commands—even to rest—and He will make things happen. Hard for an over-achiever to do, but that’s what surrender to His Will looks like.

So submit to God. And don’t forget to rest.

Connie is a 2012 Genesis semi-finalist for Women’s Fiction. She was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest for her entry, Why Not to Kiss on a Park Bench (aka. Harold and Violet). Come visit her on one of her other blogs:

Living the Body of Christ

InfiniteCharacters.com

Madily in Love by Lynda Lee Schab

Today I am happy to announce the release of MADILY IN LOVE, by Lynda Lee Schab. Lynda and I were roommates with Connie Almony at last year’s ACFW conference. Sharing Lynda’s success here at Writer’s Rest and letting you learn a little about her as a writer, friend and woman of faith is so exciting for me. MADILY IN LOVE is Lynda’s second book. The first MIND OVER MADI was a semi finalist in the 2011 ACFW Genesis contest and released to rave reviews. Congratulations, Lynda, on your writing successes and thanks for joining us at Writer’s Rest. First of all can you tell us what Madily in Love is about? Tell us a little about the plot. Madi McCall is just coming out of a marital rough patch (you’ll have to read Mind over Madi for that whole story) and she’s trying to get her marriage back on track. But that’s easier said than done, especially because her mother-in-law has moved in, Madi’s recently started working again after years of being a stay-at-home-mom, and her kids seem determined to do everything they can to turn her hair even grayer than it already is. Madi attends a Revitalize Your Marriage with Romance class at church and gets some great tips…that fail miserably. All she wants is some peace among the chaos. And some quality time with her husband would be nice, too. How is Madi’s battle with chocolate cravings and her addiction to computer Solitaire? Are those things still an issue for her or has she gotten a handle on them? Yes, well, as long as Madi is a woman (which I don’t see changing any time soon), chocolate will always be a battle. The Solitaire addiction doesn’t come up this time around. But there are a couple of other issues that definitely require Madi to continue her counseling sessions with Sarah Price. Your publisher tagged this series as “Delightful. Witty. Entertaining. Real. Poignant. Light-hearted Women’s Fiction at its best.” Can you expand on that at all? How does the Madi Series live up to this description? While I certainly hope my stories are delightful, witty, entertaining, and poignant, the word in that description which I feel is most fitting of this series is, “real.” Women can relate to Madi because she battles with the same things we all do. No, not just chocolate, although that’s one of them! Madi has insecurities that affect her relationships – with her husband, her kids, her mother, her best friend, and God. If there’s one thing I know is that we all have “stuff.” Maybe not exactly the same stuff as everyone else, but “stuff,” nonetheless. Madi helps us realize there are others out there who probably deal with their issues just as poorly as we do sometimes. But God’s grace is enough to cover our insecurities, our faults, and weaknesses, even when we mess up and our lives feel insanely out-of-control. What do you want readers to take away from reading Madily in Love? Although this book has to do with the importance (and fun) of adding romance to marriage, the main thing I hope readers can take away is that even though life seems unmanageable, disorderly, and chaotic, God is always in control. One of the recurring phrases throughout the book—as mentioned by Madi’s counselor—is “Embrace this place.” In other words, no matter what you’re going through, recognize that it won’t last forever. And down the road, you might just look back and see just how that “unbearable” season was essential in moving you to a place of growth and necessary change. Are you planning another book? If so, what is the story? I am currently working on the 3rd and final book in the Madi series, due out in the fall of 2013. It’s titled, Sylvie & Gold. Madi’s best friend Sylvie is preparing for her wedding (and if you’ve read Mind over Madi, you know who she’s marrying). With just a few weeks before the wedding, Sylvie is dealing with a lot: Her meddling and feisty soon-to-be mother-in-law, her son’s sexting issue, planning her mom’s sixtieth birthday party, and her fiance’s ex-wife, who has come back to town after a seven-year absence. Sylvie is normally pretty calm and collected. But her stress card is quickly getting maxed out. The question is whether she’ll completely lose her cool or find the happily-ever-after she longs for. Thanks so much, Lynda, for visiting here at Writer’s Rest & sharing with us about Madi. I think you told me you’re offering a 30% discount thru November 15th on your website and blog. Can you tell readers how to take advantage of that & how to connect with you? Sure, Teresa. Readers can visit my website address at www.lyndaschab.com for details. I also have a blog with various writing and reading-related material at www.on-the-write-track.blogspot.com. You can also connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. A little more about Lynda: Lynda Lee Schab got her writing start in greeting cards (Blue Mountain Arts, Dayspring) and from there went on to write articles and short stories (Mature Living, Christian Home & School) and in many places online (including www.Examiner.com and www.wow-womenonwriting.com). As a freelance writer, she works behind the scenes at FaithWriters.com and is a regular book reviewer for FaithfulReader.com. She is also the Grand Rapids Christian Fiction Examiner and the National Writing Examiner for Examiner.com and a staff writer for www.SharedSorrows.com. Mind Over Madi placed second in the 2008 ACFW Genesis contest, chick lit category, received a highly commended award in the FaithWriters Page Turner contest, and was a finalist in the 2007 RWA Get your Stiletto in the Door contest. Madily in Love was a semi-finalist in the 2011 ACFW Genesis contest. Lynda admits she has a lot in common with the character of Madi. Not only are they both addicted to ice cream, chocolate, and computer games, they struggle with the same types of insecurities and continually require a hefty dose of God’s grace. Lynda lives with her husband, Rob, and two teenagers in Michigan.

Evolution. Where Did It Come From?

by Molly Noble Bull


A theory is merely a speculation,
according to Webster's Illustrated Contemporary  Dictionary,
and Charles Darwin is the father of the theory of evolution.
But is he right?
Did we evolve? Were we once monkeys? Fish-like mammals? One cell animals?
Or were we made in the image of God the Father as the Bible says?
It boils down to whether or not you believe the one, true and Living God via the Holy Bible or you believe a dead-man named Darwin with a theory.
David Rives had filmed a series of videos that discuss evolution and other somewhat related topics.
Below is the first one of these short videos.
I hope you will find it as interested as I do.

David Rives Video 1

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The November issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine features my short, short story, D Is For Dyslexia.
Scroll down on the right hand side of the screen to find the magazine and click on the cover. Then on the main page, scroll down until you see the list of current short stories and D Is For Dyslexia.
Please leave a comment either regarding the video or the short story. We want to hear from you.