Author: JC
Deep in December (by JC*)
Summary: A moment of reflection for Ben as he contemplates Christmas without Adam.
Rating: G
Words: 730
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
A Shady Encounter (by JC)
Adam entertains an old flame. Could it be love the second time around?
Rating: Teen Words: 750
The Christmas Lamb (by JC)
Summary: In this tongue-in-cheek tale told in rhyme, Hoss makes a surprising discovery in the snow and brings home another stray for Christmas
Rating: G Words 1,000
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (A Bonanza Really Short Story) by JC
The Cartwright brothers – you know them, you love them, but let’s face it – after all these years things have gotten pretty predictable around the Ponderosa. It’s the same old story in a nutshell…
Rating: G WC: 563
Confidentially…. (by JC)
Families often share and share alike, but sometimes you get, sometimes you get got, and sometimes you get even. (Written for Camp in the Pines)
Rating: T Word Count: 2592
The Dating Game (by JC)
The Cartwright brothers compete against one another on Virginia City’s newest game show. Will it be bachelor #1, Bachelor #2, or Bachelor #3?
Rating: T Word Count: 1717
The River (by JC)
A view from the riverbank, the one left behind. A poem of transition, resistance, and acceptance. Posted in recognition of World Poetry Day 2022.
Return to Grace (by JC)
Summary: In this comedy from the Jack Richards/Malibu Sunset archives, Jack returns to his hometown to honor a last request. But not everyone got the memo…. (Posted in honor of Pernell Roberts’ birthday)
Rating: K Word Count: 2605
Jack Richards Series, links to all stories are included within.
Reprise (by JC)
Summary: Tragedy affords a middle-aged actor a second chance at the role of a lifetime. (A Jack Richards story, Non-Bonanza)
Rating T (11,709 words)
The Last Gift of Christmas (by JC)
Summary: Ben gets some advice from an old friend, reminding him once more that not every gift is neatly wrapped and under the tree.
Rating: G
Word Count: 2,325
Jacob’s Ladder Series, links to all stories included within.
Interval (by JC)
Summary: What is it like, being a Cartwright daughter? Only one person could tell you, and it might not be what you think. Chronologically, this story takes place shortly after Winter of Discontent and is an expansion of a recent Pine Cone Challenge bit posted in the forum, the prompt being “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.” (Part of the Ties That Bind series, links to other stories included)
Rating: T (2,093 words)
Becoming Ben Cartwright, aka The Ballad of Lorne Greene (by JC)
Summary: The day a balding, middle-aged, B-movie actor became a legend in the making. (Written in the style of Lorne Greene’s Number One hit recording of “Ringo”)
Rating: G Word Count: 203
To the One — A Poem by Adam Cartwright (By JC)
My entry for the World Poetry Day (March 21) Challenge — A poem by Adam Cartwright.
Summary: The choices a man makes in his youth may be called into question over time.
Rating K 221 words
When Your True Lover Comes Your Way (by JC)
Summary: It’s another Wednesday, another “western of the week” for a young actor still looking for his big break. But a man’s luck can change when he least expects it. (A Jack Richards story for Valentine’s Day )
Rating: G 713 words
Jack Richards Series, links to all stories included within.
Winter of Discontent (by JC)
Summary: An early snow and bitter cold has Ben Cartwright feeling his age, but there is more than just the dreary season behind his winter woes. (Set in the Ties That Bind universe but can be read alone)
Rating T 6842 words
Links to other stories in the series are included
Convergence (by JC)
Summary: Three years ago Adam left the Ponderosa for parts unknown, and now Ben finally gets the news he has been praying for – his firstborn is coming home. However, an unexpected reunion in Stockton isn’t the only surprise fate has in store for the Cartwrights. (A Bonanza/Big Valley crossover story and sequel to More Than a Memory)
Rating: T 35,257 words
More than a Memory Series, links to all stories included within.
Story Time (by JC)
Summary: Written for the 2018 Advent Calendar, based on the quilting prompt, Jacob’s Ladder. It’s a whale of a Christmas tale with grandchildren on the Ponderosa.
Rating: G 3,000 words
Jacob’s Ladder Series, links to all stories included within.
Right is the Third Left (by JC)
Summary: He may be retired, but to his fans Jack Richards will always be Alex Carver, the most drop dead gorgeous cowboy to ever roam the Badlands…
Rating K (2583 words)
Jack Richards Series, links to all stories are included within.
Love For A Moment (by JC)
Summary: Love comes unexpectedly to Hoss Cartwright, leaving a bittersweet memory. A poem inspired by “The Newcomers” (Season One) written by Thomas Thompson. (Written for the World Poetry Day 2018 Challenge)
Rating: G (168 words)
Gently, Full of Grace (by JC)
Summary: Two Cartwright lives take a dangerous turn during a trip abroad. Will they ever be able to go home again? (Part of the Ties That Bind AU series)
Rating: K+ (4372 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories of this series included.
The Poetry of Ben and Adam Cartwright (by JC)
Summary: With such a well of inspiration from which to draw, one could imagine them putting pen to paper on occasion. Ben’s “Journey to the Sea” is an homage to his three wives; “Girl in the Moonlight” was composed by Adam.
Rating K+ (WC 290)
No Ordinary Day (by JC)
Summary: It was supposed to be an ordinary trip into town for the Cartwrights, but dying wasn’t on anyone’s list. (Part of the Ties That Bind AU series)
Rating: K+ (2088 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories of this series included.
There Is A Season (by JC)
Summary: A man’s life and the things that matter most are revealed in a series of Christmas Eve vignettes. (Mind you, this is not a Bonanza story. It is a piece of original fiction featuring a character born many years ago in a Bonanza World journal—an actor named Jack Richards, not-so-loosely based on Pernell Roberts. If that intrigues you, or if you’re just in the mood for an easy read in keeping with the season, you may enjoy this. I hope so.)
Rating: T (11,074 words)
Jack Richards Series, links to all stories included within.
When Worlds Collide (By JC)
Summary: Unexpected guests arrive at the Ponderosa on Halloween night. Includes a re-imagining of events depicted in “The Strange One” (Season 7).
Rating: K+ (3702 words)
When Angels Cry (by JC)
Summary: The arrival of a range detective in Virginia City means trouble for Adam in more ways than one. (A WHI for The Flannel-Mouth Gun, part of the Ties That Bind AU series)
Rating: T (13,258 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories of this series included.
Guarding the Henhouse (by JC)
Summary: A too-pretty girl, a Saturday night dance, and a little moonlight mischief. Not to worry—Adam’s got it covered. (Part of the Ties That Bind AU series)
Rating: T (2870 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories of this series included.
Something About Amy (by JC)
Summary: Tennyson said, “It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” What would Joe Cartwright say? (WHI/WHN for The Truckee Strip and part of the Ties That Bind AU series)
Rating K+ (1782 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories within the series are included.
Ties That Bind (by JC)
Summary: An exploration of perhaps the most controversial subject in Bonanza fanfiction — what if Ben and Marie also had a daughter? But this is not a story about a Cartwright sister. Though viewed through a different lens, it’s a story about a family we all know and love, whose relationships are tested and reaffirmed in the face of the inevitable.
Rating: K+ (27,784 words)
Ties That Bind Series, links to stories within the series are included.
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