Ponderosa Stories

When Hoss saves a little girl from getting trampled by two drunks' horses, he never knew what it would bring him or the rest of his family. After talking the little girl's widowed mother into coming to stay on the Ponderosa, the rest of the family thank him because the little girl and her older brother brighten up the dreary house tremendously. That is until disaster strikes the next day at Adam's house. Disaster that leaves the little girl on the brink of death. There's a large amount of mixed emotions stirring up on the Ponderosa as the only thing that will save the little girl is a God granted miracle and as Hoss slowly begins to fall for the pretty widowed mother of two who is fighting for her daughter's life. Find out what the disaster is and whether or not she pulls through in this third installment of my Romancing the Ponderosa series! This isn't a standalone book. Mrs. Little Joe and The Redhead must be read first in order for Leo to make since.

With an aging gelding of his own, and after the death of Little Joe's pony, it's up to a 20 year old Adam to go looking for a new mount not only for himself, but for his 8 year old brother, Little Joe, too. This is a 'retro - stand alone' story, of how Adam and Little Joe came to get their horses 'Sport' and 'Cochise', and can be read at any time, and be easily followed, and understood,whether you've read my other stories, or not.

Did you ever wonder what happened after Adam Cartwright is found by his Pa, and brothers, after his 'slave-like' ordeal with Peter Kane, in that great dramatic Bonanza episode " The Crucible", from Season 3 ? So did I - so I decided to write it ! ;) This is a 'what-happened-next, stand alone' story, and can be read at any time, and be easily followed, and understood, whether you've read my other stories, or not. For full affect, though, it's better if you have seen the episode " The Crucible", as a lead up to, and for a bit more background information, to this story.

The Cartwrights have a lot to deal with : from a life threatening situation with Sarah and her horse Rebel, through both Birthday and Christmas celebrations, and even a paranormal incident, tied to a very surprising blessed event - and just about everything in between. These stories make the most sense when read in their correct order : Book 1, Book 2, etc.

On the way back to the Ponderosa from Virginia City, Adam and Joe are taken prisoners by a suspicious Indian raiding party. The only witness of their disappearance is a young teenaged girl by the name of Rachel Carter, a loyal friend who's protectiveness often gets the best of her. This time, though, even Rachel can tell that she might've bitten off more than she can chew. #Wattys2016

We pick up the story line begun in my Books 1 and 2. With a couple of close scrapes thrown in - including a runaway buckboard, and a driverless, out of control stagecoach - and an ultimatum given to a pair of 'unyielding people' - we find Adam can just about handle anything, as he plans, and builds, for his future, and the future of his family. These stories make the most sense when read in their correct order : Book 1, Book 2, etc.

In this 'retro' story, a 13 year old Adam Cartwright helps his nearly 7 year old brother, Hoss, deal with the school bully, Jeremy Fitch. A bully that loves picking on the kids that are 'different'. With help from his Pa, too, Hoss proves to his family, and friends, just what he's 'made of', and truly proves 'the mark of a boy '. This is a 'retro - stand alone' story, and can be read at any time, and be easily followed and understood, whether you've read my other stories, or not.

Sarah Elizabeth Cartwright is the nine year old cousin to Adam, Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright. Her Pa, John, the younger brother of Ben Cartwright, was killed the previous year in the line of duty, as the Sheriff of Carson City, Nevada. After her Pa's death, Sarah's Uncle Ben and his sons took her into their home, and lives. Ben is very concerned to find out that his niece has recently been shadowed by a man in town, and at her school, claiming to be her 'Uncle'. The worry of a custody battle for Sarah, and a 'truth that is told', shakes the Cartwright family, to its very core. These stories make the most sense when read in the proper order. Book 1, Book 2, etc.

When Chief Winnemucca of the of the Paiute tribe shows up at the Ponderosa one morning, it causes an uproar of excitement for the Cartwrights! The Chief wants Ben to trade him two beef cattle for the feisty redheaded gal he brought with him. But Ben doesn't want to trade cattle for a person. That is until Adam talks him into going through with the trade, promising to take full responsibility for the girl. Adam learns real fast that he just might have gotten himself in way deeper than he expected, especially since the redhead turns out to be not only a spitfire, but a very beautiful spitfire... (This is book two of Romancing the Ponderosa series and it is NOT a standalone. You must read the first book, Mrs. Little Joe for it to make sense since The Redhead begins three months after Mrs. Little Joe ends.)

Finding out someone was after her for causing the death of Lucky the Kid, life wasn't peaches n' cream anymore. With school right around the corner, and finding out she can't go to school, is one thing, but waking up every night to see a man staring at her through her window is another type of scary. And that not the worst part. In his right hand is very obvious, that it's a knife. For the first week, no one believes her, but when someone else finally sees him, her life gets even more horrible. Especially when her new prized filly gets stolen. Will she be able to live again without having to look behind her back everytime she is outside or in town? And will they figure out who the man is that is terrorizing the youngest Cartwrights and who stole Maggie's new filly? Started: Wenesday, August 31st, 2022 Finished: Monday, September 5th, 2022

As the Civil War approaches, Adam Cartwright reflects on his college years and the relationship he cultivated with his younger cousin, Josephine. After graduation, Josephine and her parents visit the Ponderosa Ranch for a month of fun, after which Adam must say the hardest goodbye of his life.

A limerick of gluttony

Little Joe and his older brother Hoss go mudding. When Adam discovers them tearing up the southern pastures Hoss deserts Joe, who then has to hid the torn up terrain of the southern pastures from his father, Ben Cartwright, who will definitely not be pleased to see the fruit of his son's antics. (My Bonanza stories take place in Modern day Colorado/New Mexico area, whereas the original Bonanza TV shows were set in Nevada.)

Shelia Johnson can't wait to marry her fiancé, Little Joe Cartwright. They have many plans for their future together, that is until she gets captured and held hostage by a family of outlaws named the Lassiters. She realizes very quickly that she only has two days left to live, two days without her hazel eyed cowboy and the family who she loves more than anything in the world. Yet she won't go down without a fight and even though she is tied hand and foot, she's determined to decide whether or not she is going to live or to die... This short story is a WHI (what happened instead) for the season seven episode Five Sundowns to Sunup.

"Did you ever have someone who promised you something and they never kept it?" "Yes..." the girl asked. "What was your promise?" "My papa said he'd come back for me." "Did he ever come back?" "No." I said quietly. "But I've been waiting for ten years."

The Cartwright brothers have drawn 'lots', to see who will make the hundred mile journey to pick up a valuable stallion for their busy Pa. Adam and Hoss 'win' that draw. In what starts out as a routine trip, soon turns into a life and death struggle, as an old nemesis of the Cartwrights' appears on the scene, seeking revenge. These stories make the most sense when read in their proper order : Book 1, Book 2, etc.

Adam and Beth Cartwright are enjoying looking after their recently expanded young family. Life on the Ponderosa is pretty much routine with a cattle drive; and a special weekend away for Adam and Beth, leaving Ben and the boys with the children to look after : both with comical results. Yes, life is pretty routine till a jealous woman, from Adam's past, appears on the scene again. Everything seems to be going well till one of the young family members is mysteriously kidnapped, one night." These stories make the most sense when read in their correct order : Book 1, Book 2, etc.

Here's some of my craziness about Bonanza. It's stuff that doesn't fit into "Ponderosa Daughter" like short stories, head cannons, pics, memes, quotes and other random junk