One Ranger Returns, University of Texas Press

How would you characterize the main themes of this book as opposed to the first's? This one seems like it has more on your homicide cases, with the chapter on crime scene methodology, and the stuff about Henry Lee Lucas . . .

Well, it’s more detailed on the homicide type things than the other one. There were some real gruesome things [about the Henry Lee Lucas murders] that I didn’t –it was just too gruesome to talk about in this book.

It’s a continuation of my stories. Of course, the second book has a chapter my wife and each one of my sons wrote. But aside from that—it took about three years to do the first book, and a little over a year to do the second.

After the first book, people said the only thing wrong with “One Ranger” is that it ended too quickly. The publisher of The University of Texas Press thought I should do a second.

What was the writing process like for you and your new co-writer, James L. Haley? Did you dictate to him as you all pieced together historic documents, or did you send him manuscripts?

I’d write stuff out when I was with Wilkinson [David Marion, “One Ranger” co-writer]. I’d write it up, send to him, then later I’d type stuff up and e-mail it—but with Haley [James L., the new book's co-writer], he wanted me to dictate it on a recorder; tell the stories and send them to him. And we’d get together over at a friend of mine’s ranch in Wimberley and go over the stuff . . .

They don’t read with the same voice. I think in the first book, I was telling my stories, and Wilkinson is more . . . trying to think of the work. They write a bit differently. But the second book’s more in my voice than the first one. Some have read the second book and like it better than the first, some say the first one is better.

The cover for “One Ranger” is iconic; I understand that picture of you was originally the cover shot for a 1993 Texas Monthly story on Texas Rangers. What’s the story behind the new cover? What’s that hanging from a chain on your shirt pocket?

That’s an elk tooth, a bull elk tooth. The cows have ‘em too, that’s what they whistle to each other with. It’s like your eye teeth. I didn’t kill the elk, a friend of mine did—someone always asks, ‘Did you kill that elk?’

We shot that picture out north of Alpine [on the set of the Larry McMurtry mini-series, “Dead Man’s Walk”]. This is a Mexican hacienda that was built out there; it’s kind of a shell inside, but outside it looks real.

That photo was taken for an ad for the National Rifle Association. They asked me to do an ad called “I am NRA,” it came out in Newsweek and People magazines, a one-page ad. I told them I’d do it if I could say what I wanted to say, and I said, ‘We don’t need any more federal firearms laws, we just need to enforce the ones we have.’ It was on the set of Dead Man’s Walk, it was ’97 or ’98.

I had several photos around and UT liked this one. Inside, there’s a photo of me walking through a corral, and my wife had liked that one . . . But we thought [this one] was a good contrast; black and white on the first book and color on next.

So . . . What’s next?

We’re in the process over the next few days [of finalizing] a major motion picture on “One Ranger” with 2929 Entertainment [Mark Cuban’s integrated media company] and 20th Century Fox; producers are Rope the Moon Productions and some other production company . . .

The title will be “The Devil’s Fling.” It comes from a chapter in there, but it’s based on that with some fictional stuff thrown in. I read the script, it’s a real good script. We’ve been dickering around on a 50 some -odd page contract. Papers for me to sign.

My wife said if they get Tom Selleck to play me, she’s gonna play herself. Some people say Tom’s not a big motion picture theatre draw…I don’t believe that. Women like to go to the movies—and there’s not a woman in this world doesn’t know who Tom Selleck is.