Category: Short Stories
This category is for your Bonanza Short Stories from 500-999 words in length.
Hooked on a Feeling (by Annie K Cowgirl)
Summary: One minute he was standing there and the next, he was sprawled face down in the dirt….Booth Shannon’s thoughts after the shootout between him and Little Joe. The Trap. Rating: T (for mentions of blood) Word Count: 834
Three Thousand Six Hundred Seconds (by Pat D in PA)
SUMMARY: A short piece written for the Michael Landon Birthday Literary Challenge 2025. (536 words, rating G/K)
Rarely Pure, Never Simple (by JC)
Summary: Joe Cartwright makes a choice between his family and the woman he loves. (An extra scene for the Julia Bulette Story.)
Rating: T Word Count: 716
Remember Me, Remember You (by BluewindFarm)
Summary: The unimaginable is never easy.
Rating: G (845 words)
Double Trouble (by JC)
Summary: A glimpse into the future with grandchildren on the Ponderosa. Ben gets more than he bargained for when he offers to keep Joe’s twins while their parents are away. (Part of the Jacob’s Ladder series, links below.)
Rating: G WC: 520
Adam’s Journal — She Walks in Beauty (by JC)
Summary: Adam’s version of events surrounding the unforgettable Ragan Miller. Written for the 2025 Pernell Roberts Birthday Literary Challenge.
Rating: T Word Count 574
Bake Shop Girl (by JC)
Summary: The seeds of a memorable friendship are sown during a chance encounter at a Boston bakery.
Rating: G Word Count: 646
In a Spirit of Enterprise (by Tavia42)
Summary: Little Joe should have known he couldn’t get anything past Hop Sing. This story was written for the 2025 2nd Quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Rating: G | Word Count: 889
A Burning Question (by Bonanzagirl)
Summary: An important question comes up after Little Joe’s first saloon visit.
Rating: PG Word count: 2080
Again, By Grace (by JC)
Summary: A moody portrait of the Ponderosa patriarch, seeking grace amid grief
Rating: T Word Count 793
A Journey Changed (by AC1830)
Summary: A missing WHN scene at the end of A Journey Remembered.
Rating: G, Word Count: 745
Little Boy Joe (by JC)
There are definite advantages to being the youngest Cartwright. And who would know that better than Little Joe?
Rating: G Word Count: 657
Always Maddie (by JC)
Summary: In his thirteenth summer, Joe meets a girl for all seasons.
Rating: K WC: 783
The Christmas Secret (by Harpistforhim)
Summary: A young Little Joe wants to know which of his brothers will be getting him a special gift for Christmas, but Adam isn’t in the mood for spilling secrets. A short holiday story set during the early years of the Ponderosa.
Rating: G Word Count: 739
Melancholy Rain (By JC)
Summary: Rainy day reflections from Hoss Cartwright in the aftermath of a tragedy.
Rating: T Word Count: 644
