Martha Bolton
7 min read ⭑
Armed with an unquenchable passion for writing, Martha Bolton is the author of 89 books, an Emmy and Dove Award nominee, cowriter of three New York Times bestsellers and an avid creator of musicals. As Bob Hope’s first female staff writer, it’s no surprise that she also worked on the Emmy-winning TV special “Bob Hope: The First 90 Years” and cowrote the multi-award-winning book “Dear Bob… Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the GIs of World War II.” Her latest written work is “The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits,” a cozy Amish mystery cowritten with Wanda Brunstetter — to be followed by a musical by the same title.
In this interview, Martha gets honest about the food she grew up with in Southern California, her lifelong struggle with shyness and the subtle “tugs of the heart” that signal God leading her in a new direction. Plus, you’ll learn all about her favorite spiritual habits and the overcomers who have inspired her over the years.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I grew up in Southern California, which meant lots of Big Boy hamburgers. I was the youngest of five children, and as a teenager, my sister Melva and I spent a lot of time at Bob’s drive-in and the movie theater, mainly watching Jerry Lewis movies.
In my childhood and teens, I collected jokes and comic books (including the Bob Hope comic book series), and I still have the small plaque I won in a church contest. The inscription says, “God answers prayers” — a lesson I’ve learned over the years and still believe today.
My mother made sure we attended church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, and she also threw in various Southern Gospel quartet events around the area.
We ate out a lot, often at various smorgasbords or the old Van de Kamps restaurant (they had a cool windmill).
Most of the time, though, we ate at home. It would be a meal my mother would prepare after getting home from her job as a department store manager. My father was a carpenter, so his job was on and off, depending on the season and the economy.
My mother was usually paid in cash (I believe it was $80) inside a small yellow envelope that she kept tucked in her upper undergarments. Whenever any of us needed money, mom would simply reach in and pull it out from there (the original ATM).
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?
Ever since I was a little girl, 9 to be exact, I have loved writing. It’s something that is so much a part of who I am that I would do it whether anyone was giving me a deadline or not. I wake up in the morning with ideas to write, I get ideas in the middle of the night and jot them down on whatever paper I can find in the dark, and I also get ideas throughout the day. Writing gives me purpose, helps me use the things I’ve learned about life and people, and it affords me the opportunity to hopefully encourage others. From the poems I used to tape on the wall above my bed at 12 years of age to the books, plays and television scripts I’ve written over the last six decades, writing is a major part of who I am. I don’t think they can be separated. I will probably be buried with a pen in my hand.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you deal with it?
At my core, I’m shy. I’ve worked hard to overcome it, and once I get to know someone, I’m no longer shy around them. But you will usually find me seated on the back pew, back row or hidden in a crowd photo. Shyness isn’t necessarily a flaw, but it can hold us back. In teaching writing, I always try to encourage the shy or quiet students. I know how they’re feeling. It’s hard to put your work out there for others to see. But it’s something that we have to overcome because we do want our writing to be seen and read, and hopefully enjoyed. That’s why we do it, and keep doing it through all the ups and downs of life.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
I keep an active schedule between book deadlines and writing musicals. “The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits,” cowritten with Wanda Brunstetter, will be released in January 2025, and the musical based on the book will debut in both Indiana and Pennsylvania later that year.
“Ned and Nancy See America” is another new musical I’ve written that will debut in 2025. I am also writing my own personal career memoirs and helping my 24-year-old grandson Kyle write the story of his seven-year journey to a kidney-heart transplant.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
Sometimes I will be in the middle of a scene and heading in one direction, but I feel a pull to change course and give it a different focus. These aren’t major changes that would affect the entire project or deadline. They’re simply a “tug of the heart.” I love it when that happens. As a writer, and especially a writer of inspirational material, I want to always be open to these kinds of adjustments. Only God knows who will be reading the book, seeing the movie or watching the play, and that tugging to go in a different direction might be exactly what that person needed at that point in their life.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
Reading the Bible inspires me. There are so many stories that seem to come from today’s headlines. Things that are happening today may seem like they’ve never happened before, but when you read the Bible, we quickly realize otherwise. There’s always been jealousy, betrayal, loss, broken promises, unfulfilled dreams and good vs. evil.
I also enjoy reading biographies. Most of us have endured a lot in life. It makes us who we are, and as writers, it gives us fodder for our novels and movies. If you’ve never felt pain, or loss, or fear, or doubt, how do you write about it? As painful as those memories are, they were good for us.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?
Books, TED talks and feature articles about overcomers inspire me and have played a huge role in the formation of my outlook on life. Let’s face it — life is hard. I’m a big believer in the power of laughter getting us through these difficult places, but the bottom line is, none of us are promised an easy path. I have had incredible highs that I never saw coming and some devastating lows I hadn’t planned on either. What has helped me is learning what overcomers have done throughout history. Overcomers like Abraham Lincoln, the Four Chaplains from World War II, and Joseph and David from the Bible. We can usually learn something from every overcomer’s life. And what they teach us helps us when we’re faced with our own challenges and obstacles.
We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times like these. Name one thing you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.
I’ve been loving writing my memoirs. Over the years, I have collected quite a few souvenirs and memories. I’ve been enjoying organizing those and sharing the stories behind so many incredible moments. I have so many photos, diary entries and stories of the celebrities I’ve had the pleasure of working with while on Bob Hope’s writing staff, as well as the other elements of my career, that I’m looking forward to sharing with readers.
QUESTION #8: dream
Gods continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
The biggest stir on my heart right now is what we’re living through — our grandson’s impending heart-kidney transplant. It’s been quite a journey for this young man who was set to join the military after high school. But before his graduation, his kidneys failed, and doctors discovered he had a serious heart condition too. Now, seven years later, we can say that God — and a team of great doctors and thousands of people praying — have brought him through so many things, including a cardiac arrest in the ER. Kyle’s story isn’t over yet, and chapters are added each week. He is one of those overcomers who has taken what life has given him and has never given up. He’s an inspiration to all who know him.
Who are some overcomers you can draw strength from? Perhaps it’s someone you know personally, like your mom, dad, spouse, or friend. Or maybe you’ve been inspired by a historical figure you’ve learned about or even a fiction character in a book.
God puts these figures in our lives to remind us that, with him, even the most ordinary of people can do extraordinary things. We don’t have to be enough; he will carry us through — if we’re willing.
Martha Bolton is an Emmy nominee and the author of 89 books. She was Bob Hope’s first woman staff writer and wrote for his prime time television specials, personal appearances and military shows for 15 years. She also wrote for Phyllis Diller and The Lockhorns cartoons and is the playwright for Blue Gate Musicals. Martha cowrote the multi-award-winning “Dear Bob... Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the GIs of World War II.” Her newest book is “The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits,” cowritten with Wanda Brunstetter. A musical of the same title will open in 2025.