After earning her teaching degree at Penn State University, Susan Carpenter Noble tucked it in her hip pocket and took off for Colorado to become a horse trainer. Somehow, her mentors got the gangly six-footer to where she could actually get something done on a horse, and she won state championships in such diverse events as Reining, Western Riding, and Working Hunter. She also coached students to state championships in Dressage, Trail, and Barrel Racing, among others. When she's not out in the arena teaching her Horse Kids, or hiking with her husband, or traveling to see her far-flung siblings and adult kids, she's usually typing away on the keyboard, telling the kinds of horse stories she would like to have read growing up. Her debut novel, "Cowgirls Don't Quit," and the soon-to-be-released sequel, "The Free Horse," were inspired by two of her recent students. The rest of her students are currently on their best behavior for fear she will embarrass them in a similar manner.