Richard A. Noble | Updates

King Cotton to be Featured on Voices of the West Radio on September 5, 2026!

Richard A. Noble — Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Voices of the West is a weekly radio program out of Tucson, Arizona, that was created in 2014 by the late Emil Franzi as a way to continue talking about the Old West. His catch-phrase for the show was, “A radio program dedicated to the proposition that America was better off when its TV shows were about cowboys instead of lawyers.”

The show now boasts three esteemed co-hosts;

(1) Harry Alexander, a US Army veteran who retired after a 45 year broadcasting career working at radio and TV stations around the world, including Armed Forces Radio. Harry was later with the Florida Park Service where he produced American Civil War and historic pirate events. His great-grandfather served in B Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry during the Geronimo Campaign in the mid-1880s.

(2) Retired Hollywood stuntman and U.S. Navy veteran Steve “Bunker” de France, who was in 52 episodes of High Chaparral, various episodes of Gunsmoke and Death Valley Days, and a number of westerns including Ulzana’s Raid and Judge Roy Bean (with Paul Newman). Bunker also did stunts in Rambo III.

(3) Hollywood insider Todd Roberts, best known for his deep connections to the entertainment industry and classic Western cinema. Todd is the son of Hollywood Bobby Roberts, who produced both screen adaptations of Jack Schaefer's famous novel Monte Walsh (the 1970 feature film starring Lee Marvin and the 2003 television movie starring Tom Selleck). Todd is also a member of the Single Action Shooting Society.

In their words, “We talk and write about anything that covers the Old West–the movies, the actors/actresses, the directors, the producers, the stuntmen, and the film music. We also talk with and write about the authors who are still publishing books about the Old West–fact or fiction. In other words, if the topic goes to that “Code of the West” ideal, it’ll be wrangled.”

It was a great honor for me to meet Bunker at the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books and to get a call from Todd inviting me to be a guest on Voices of the West on September 5, 2026. Of course we’ll be talking about the King Cotton trilogy, which begins with the Civil War but evolves into a sweeping saga of the Old West. Tune in on Saturday, September 5th at https://voicesofthewest.net/about/ or anytime afterwards as all shows are archived.

]]>

King Cotton is the Winner of the 2026 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award Summer Competition in the historical fiction category!

Richard A. Noble — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

David Hearne, Editor In Chief of the PenCraft Book Awards has announced that King Cotton was chosen the Winner of the 2026 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award – Summer Competition in the historical fiction category.

As reported on https://www.pencraftaward.com/, the PenCraft Book Awards “honor outstanding works across a variety of genres, recognizing authors who demonstrate exceptional talent and creativity. Winners will gain valuable exposure, credibility, and accolades within the literary community. Submissions are open to both self-published and traditionally published authors…”

King Cotton, the first entry in the King Cotton trilogy, was also a finalist for the 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Award in the War and Military Category and a finalist in the 19th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA) in 2025. As for the other two books in the series;

· King Cotton II: Kentucky Gold was a finalist for best Historical Fiction Post-1850 in the 2026 Colorado Authors League Awards.

· King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper won the gold medal for best historical fiction in the 2025 CIPA EVVY Awards and best western fiction in the 2026 National Indie Excellence Awards.

You can read more about all three books, including reviews, at www.kingcottonbooks.com.

]]>

King Cotton II: Kentucky Gold named a finalist in the Colorado Authors League 2026 Book Awards

Richard A. Noble — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

King Cotton II: Kentucky Gold, the second entry in a trilogy of historical fiction novels involving the exports of Jack Bailey, was just named a finalist in the Colorado Authors League 2026 Book Awards in the Historical Fiction Post 1850 category.

In the spring of 2023, a Kentucky farmer noticed the furrows behind his plow begin to sparkle in the sun. He had just inadvertently unearthed hundreds of Confederate gold coins, the newest from 1863. No one knows how or why they were there. Well, one man does. Cotton trader, photographer, philanderer, and Civil War veteran (having served with dubious distinction on both sides), Jack Bailey returns in King Cotton II – Kentucky Gold.

Picking up exactly where King Cotton ends, just moments after Lincoln’s assassination, Bailey flees Washington justifiably fearing that he’ll be implicated. During his ensuing travels he encounters many of the famous characters of the day, including Jefferson Davis, Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, Frank and Jesse James, and Buffalo Bill Cody. Prior acquaintances Allan Pinkerton, Ulysses S. Grant, distiller John Beam, and P.T. Barnum are also back.

As usual, Bailey’s exploits place him at many notable historic events, including the first quick draw gunfight in the old west, herding longhorn up the Old Chisholm Trail, one of the earliest train robberies in America, Black Friday of September 1869, and the Battle of Beecher Island, Colorado. True to form, he finds himself in various boudoirs along the way, entertaining ladies ranging from famous actresses to borderline sociopaths. As it was in all three King Cotton books, all of the events, timelines, and most of the characters in this sequel are real.

Stay tuned for King Cotton IV: Slaughter in New Mexico.

]]>

King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper wins BEST WESTERN FICTION in the 20th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards!

Richard A. Noble — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Last fall I was honored when King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper won the gold medal for best historical fiction at the 2025 CIPA EVVY Awards. And I was just as happy to learn this month that the same book won BEST WESTERN FICTION in the 20th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards. For two decades, the National Indie Excellence® Awards have been regarded as a “highly respected honor in independent publishing, celebrating exceptional books from self-published authors, small to mid-sized presses, and university presses across all genres.” Their full list of 2026 Winners and Finalists is now available at www.indieexcellence.com.

As the name suggests, King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper is the third book in the King Cotton trilogy. The first book, King Cotton, was a finalist in both the 2023 National Indie Excellence Awards and was a finalist for Readers' Favorite INDIES Book of the Year. In spite of all that, my wife still says that the second entry, King Cotton II: Kentucky Gold, is the best. Another example, I suppose, of why they make different flavors of ice cream.

King Cotton IV: Slaughter in New Mexico is in the works!

]]>

Tucson Festival of Books, March 14-15, 2026

Richard A. Noble — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I will be exhibiting on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the Tucson Festival of Books (https://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/) on the campus of the University of Arizona.

Festival hours of operation are typically 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM, except for festival launch activities like the Storybook Parade which begins at 9:00 AM. The National Anthem will be sung at 9:15 AM.

The Festival is offered free of charge to the public. Parking at the University of Arizona is complimentary in many surface lots.

]]>

King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper wins the gold medal in historical fiction at the 2025 CIPA EVVY Awards!

Richard A. Noble — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The CIPA EVVYs™ is one of the longest-running book award competitions on the Indie publishing scene, running for nearly 30 years. The annual contest is sponsored by the Collective of Independent Publishers and Authors (CIPA), along with the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (ELF). The CIPA EVVYs™ receive entries from all over the world, including England, Belgium, South Africa, Russia, and Dubai.

https://www.cipabooks.com/cipa-evvy-2025-winners/

]]>

Reader Views Review on BookBub

Richard A. Noble — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/820918866

]]>

National Indie Excellence Awards

Richard A. Noble — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

King Cotton is a finalist in the 19th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA), which are open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. NIEA is a champion of self-publishing and small independent presses going the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect.

]]>