A coastal cowboy: Billy Moore's Western rounds up sales overseas

Former South Walton High School teacher Billy Moore has found the transition from teaching to retirement to be a smooth one — with the help of his pen.

Moore spent his adult life teaching school, everything from second grade to adults, and usually his preferred course was American history.

By the time he retired on June 8, Moore already had published two novels. He now adds to that a third with the publication of “The Staked Plains.”

“The Staked Plains” is a historical short novel based in Texas and New Mexico in 1868. It is an area of the country Moore knows well, as he lived there from 1982-1992, when he coached at Rice University. He has been working on “The Staked Plains” since 1992. 

The book is about “a buffalo-hide hunter, Quentin McLeod, who rescues a gal from Comanche raiders, only to face further hostility from the Indians, flash floods and white brigands.

The 30,000-plus word book was published by Robert Hale Ltd., in Great Britain. It was released there and in Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 30. Moore reserved his rights to the North American market.

“It’s difficult to get Westerns published in the U.S. unless you are a known, established writer,” he said. “American westerns are pretty popular in Great Britain and Australia.”

Moore is a member of the group Western Writers of America. In researching possible publishing companies, he kept coming across references to Black Horse Westerns and found the publisher. He approached them and they were receptive to publishing his book if he deleted some of the references to Indians. He did.

Moore is part Indian, although he’s not sure whether it was Creek or Seminole. His heritage was just something he was told about as a child, a subject he has always been interested in, as well as Western novels.

Born in Port St. Joe, Moore grew up in DeFuniak Springs and moved back to the area in 1992 to be close to his mother.   

He ended his teaching career at South Walton High.

“In my spare time, I played with the book through the years, writing and rewriting it until I was satisfied with it,” he said.

While the publisher won’t distribute “The Staked Plains” in the U.S., Moore will make copies available locally to individuals and book stores.