Click title to read story.
Summary: Can Joe convince his brothers to take part of a new race Virginia City is hosting this month?
Rated: K
Summary: The Cartwrights battle to save Joe’s life when his foot becomes trapped in between railway lines.
Rated: K 10,950 words
Synopsis: Joe is targeted by a man seeking to avenge his brother’s death, an outlaw killed months earlier by Adam. Following a vicious attack, Joe is left struggling with both physical and emotional damage as Adam wrestles with the guilt.
Rating: Teen
Words: 28,750
Summary: Hoss comes across two little boys when seeking shelter from the rain…and somehow they just got to talking about the rain, a flood, an ark and a rainbow.
Rating: K 4,900 words
Raising the Stakes – by Wrangler
Summary: Joe sits down at a high-stakes poker table and gambles with something he can’t afford to lose.
Rated T WC 19,000
Ranch House (The) – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Ever wonder about the Ponderosa ranch house? The Giggly Sisters cast their eye over it, with the help of the Cartwrights and a lovely little Bear called Pa.
Rated: K+
Summary: SJS for Devonshire: When I was asked to participate in this special project, I hadn’t written any Bonanza since 2007 except for finishing a piece when Mr. Roberts died. I hope she and others enjoy this story.
Rating: T 4,000 words
Ransom at High Noon – by Candyfan
Summary: When Adam goes looking for a wolf, he finds more trouble than he bargained for as he is captured and held for ransom.
Rating and Reader Alerts: PG, some violence
Words: 17,300
Rational Man (The) – by gaerwn
Summary: A peaceful afternoon is shattered by violence — but that’s just the beginning. The Cartwrights find themselves in a fight to protect an old family friend.
Rated: T 18,835 words
Rattlesnake — aka After the Gunfight – by BluewindFarm
Summary: A gunfight and the resulting collateral damage. Two versions of the same story.
1,845 words Rating: T
Rattlesnake Brigade (The): The Way it Should have Been – by Rona
Summary: The alternative version of the episode.
7,330 words Rated: T
Rattlesnake (The) – by StephanieJ
Summary: The Cartwright boys take a short trip across the desert, but they have an unwelcome visitor in camp.
Rating: PG Words: 9,325
Summary: Adam, a widow, and her young son are the sole survivors of a stagecoach crash, but further danger lurks in the ravine.
Rated: K+ 38,640 words
Razor’s Edge (The) – by freyakendra
Summary: At thirteen, Joe is eager to prove his manhood. Somewhere amidst the careless antics of childhood, he discovers he’s closer to the edge than he could have thought possible.
Word Count: 4500; Rating: K
Read This Story Because Joe Suffers a Lot – by lminzer
Summary: SJS for Devonshire: Poor Joe suffers greatly at the hands of cruel kidnappers, all to satisfy the twisted desires of a demented person. Will his pa save him in time to get a JPM before dinner?
Rated: T WC 5300
Reading, Writing, and Reeling – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Cartwrights are marvelous dancers. Who on earth taught them?
Rating: K+ WC 1700
Real Hero (The) – by PurpleWriter33
This story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar – Day 11
Summary: An unfortunate rite of passage.
Rating: G (1,790 words)
Summary: A look at the first days of Marie and Little Joe.
Rating: G (4,001 words)
Real Man Smiles in Trouble (The) – by McFair
Summary: Joe is attacked. At first it seems the motive was robbery, but all too soon it becomes clear that something devastating has happened to the youngest Cartwright son. As the truth comes out, the Cartwright men face a challenge none of them could have conceived; one that calls upon them to look deep within themselves to find a way to save Joe.
RATED M: This story is rated M for adult situations and themes including sexual assault, sexual innuendo, abusive behavior, violence and brutality. It contains mild adult language 72,000 words
Realization and Memory – by PSW
Summary: An unexpected obstacle on Christmas night invokes a fond and bittersweet memory.
Rating: G (1,137 words)
Reborn on a Birthday – by BettyHT
Summary: Heading out on a hunting trip that Adam had requested for his birthday, the family runs into a lot more trouble than expected when they find signs of rustlers working on the Ponderosa.
Rating: T Word count: 2,919
Recipe for Disaster – by patina
Summary: Joe finds a mysterious apple pie recipe with directions that must be followed.
Rating: K+ Word Count=6396
Recipe for Disaster – by wx4rmk
Summary: A series of abnormal weather events one winter culminates in an unfortunate disaster that blindsides the Cartwrights.
Rating: K / Word Count: 1611
Summary: Adam tells a story of redemption and loss, while Little Joe lingers between life and death. A WHN story for the episode “The Tin Badge” –
Rated: K+ 7,680 words
Recollections of a Hairpiece – by Lily of the West
Summary: an uncredited member of the Bonanza Cast finally gets to tell his story
Rated: K+ 1,105 words
Summary: There’s murder and mayhem in Virginia City and the limited evidence points toward an unlikely suspect. The gruesome deeds occur off scene for it is the aftermath that matters most.
rating = T. word count = 7497
Red Night #2 – I’m Telling You Now – by BettyHT
Summary: This is the sequel to Red Night that can probably stand alone but may read more easily if you have read the first story. Answers to the questions left hanging in the first story are woven into this one which is about five years later.
Rating = T word count = 18,147
Red Night #3 – Understanding – by BettyHT
Summary: This story continues the saga that began with Red Night and continued with I’m Telling You Now. It is several years later and Adam has sent a message that he will be visiting the Ponderosa. There are many questions his family has for him and they would like answers such as what has happened to his marriage and why is he traveling so much. Jamie figures prominently in this story. rating = T word count = 27,250
Red Night #4 – Firsts (by BettyHT)
Summary: A lighthearted story to wrap up some of the story lines that began in Understanding. Issues of adoption and attachment as well as relationships in a marriage marred by tragedy and emotional turmoil are addressed but in an upbeat way and with humor in some parts.
rating = T word count = 10,049
Red Series #1 – Little Lady in Red – by DJK
Summary: Most people would bet that one female could never lead all three of Ben Cartwright’s boys astray, but Little Joe is ready to tell how one did.
Rated: K+ Word count: 7515
Red Series #2 – Seeing Red – by DJK
Summary: Once again Red and Little Joe manage to place all three of Ben Cartwright’s sons in his bad books.
Rated: T
Red Series #3 – Rolling Up the Red Carpet – by DJK
Summary: Red once again has the Cartwright brothers plotting, but this time they join the conspiracy willingly.
Rated: K+ Word count: 9904
Red Stallion (The) – by JennyG
Summary: When Joe and Adam go wild horse hunting, they find more than they bargained for.
Rating: T 10,210 words
Summary: A tragic fire brings about a crisis of trust and faith.
Rated: T 6,925 words
Summary: My entry for BoNaNo 2018 as well as the Crossover Challenge. After a chance encounter in his youth, Joe meets up with the man again under trying circumstances.
Rating: T Word Count: 14,309
Summary: Living up to Mama’s expectations may just have some redeeming qualities.
Rating: G 1,500 words
This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Redemption #1 – Poisoned – by Hart4Ben
Summary: A brief stop to do some fishing on the way home from a business trip could be potentially deadly for Hoss.
Rating: T Word Count: 8039
Redemption #2 – Redemption – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Having rescued Sally Nelson from a deplorable situation, Hoss and his family must help her determine her future.
Rating: T Word Count: 14,634
Redemption #3 – Atonement – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Many in Virginia City are passing judgment on Hoss and Sally without knowing all the facts. The Cartwright family has been struggling for months dealing with the fallout from their marriage. Hoss determines something has to change.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 2,445
Summary: With great deliberation, Ben takes time to update his journal.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: G Word Count: 940
Summary: A WHN to The Stillness Within. Adam returns home after learning of Joe’s accident and subsequent blindness.
Rated: K 4,790 words
Summary: earning to trust love comes hard to the eldest Cartwright son.
Rated: T 14,220 words
Summary: A series of episode-based reflections and life lessons by the Cartwrights.
Rating: T Word Count: 1202
Summary: While waiting for Ben to come home, Marie reflects on her past and what her fate might have been had she not met him.
Rating: PG13 (12,975 words)
Reflections of My Father – by DebbieB
Summary: Not yet sleepy, Joe sits down at his desk and pens a few thoughts he’s had buzzing around in his head all day.
Rated: G 3,250 words
Reflections on a Gentle Soul – by patina
Summary: Three short WHIB scenes for Vengeance written for the November fanfic challenge.
Rating: K WC 2500
Reflections on Killing his Friend – by pjb
Summary: A WHN for “The Far, Far Better Thing.” In the quiet of a moonlit night, two brothers reflect on loyalty, loss, and the love that binds some people together.
Rated: K+ WC 1700
Reflections Under a Starry Sky – by Dodo
Summary: A combined WHN for The Legacy and Decision at Los Roblos.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 13508
SUMMARY: Adam is back, but will he stay, and what happened to him while he was gone that he won’t talk about? His family has more questions than answers, but Adam isn’t one to talk until he’s ready or has no choice.
rating = T word count = 26,557
Summary: A newcomer to Virginia City talks the Cartwrights into a decision they wish they’d never made.
Rated: K+ Word count: 13,184
Summary: Sometimes one has to face the past in order to move forward. Even with help, that can be a trap if the people in your past aren’t ready to move on too. The first story is an expansion of the January 1, 2023 Bonanza Brand Pinecone. The second story tells more of the early struggles of the family and what resulted from those. Rating: PG Word count: 6,053
Summary: A comedy of manners. Cousin Clarissa’s visits to the Ponderosa were never without incident.
Rated: K+ 5,317 words
Relatively Festive – by Claire
Summary: There is nothing quite like a family Christmas.
Rated: K+ 5,775 words
Relatively Peaceful – by Claire
Summary: When Cousin Clarissa returns, she encounters an unexpected adversary.
Rated: K+ 4,505 words
Relatives and Reasons – by DJK
Summary: In an effort to convince Will to stay, memories are stirred like the embers of a dying fire.
Rating: 27,050 words
Remarkable Tin Soldier (The)– by McFair_58
Summary: Remembrance of Christmas Past
Rating: G 7,950 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, posted in the Forums.
Remember – by Lily of the West
Summary: a tender father/son moment between Adam and Ben
Rated: K+ 770 words
Remember Me, Remember You – by BluewindFarm
Summary: The unimaginable is never easy.
Rating: G (735words)
Summary: No one signed up for the fourth, so this day was opened to all members in the Forums to try their hand at writing poetry for the season.
Rating: G 230 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Remember the Breaking #1 – by DJK
Summary: Little Joe learns the story of Adam’s first engagement.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1966
Remember the Breaking #2 – Mending the Break – by DJK
Summary: A sequel to Remember the Breaking – a story of Adam’s first engagement.
Rating: K+ 19,170 words
Summary: Ben recalls a bittersweet moment from the past when a special gift from Little Joe caused a big misunderstanding.
Rating T, WC 2,568
Summary: Little Joe remembers another side of his elder brother. Also, a bonus poem about remembering.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1196
Remembering the Barn Elf – by DJK
Summary: Written for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar.
Rating: K 1,390 words
Summary: This story was written to finally explain the death of Hoss Cartwright. In her mind at the time, the author felt it should be addressed, since the television show chose not to explain the absence of that very pivotal character. You will probably be able to spot the lack of mangling, but, hopefully will like this peek back to where it all began.
Rated: T WC 11,000
Summary: An old friend teaches Hoss that the horizon is merely the limit of our sight.
Rating: G / Word count: 5,906
Summary: Why are Joe and Adam’s wife sneaking around town? A fun story for Pernell’s birthday.
Rating: K, WC: 1575
SUMMARY: For the first time, the four Cartwright brothers meet. It’s a time to get to know one another and for the older brothers to share stories with Jamie so that he can better understand the family members including their father.
Rating: T Word count = 3273
Summary: Joe struggles to cope with confusing feelings of hurt and anger after older brother Adam leaves the Ponderosa.
Rated: K WC 7300
Summary: When Joe becomes sick with cholera and his life slowly begins ebbing away, Ben’s faith is put to the test.
Rated: G 8,690 words
Repent at Leisure – by Questfan
Summary: When Joe and Mitch befriend two orphaned boys and try to help them, Ben has no idea where this new friendship will lead his youngest son. It would actually prove to be Ben’s spur-of-the-moment decision that would lead to disaster. All parents have acted in haste and he just prays he has time to set things right again.
Rating: T Word Count: 60,173
Replacement (The) – by Kinmberley
Summary: Adam comes home for a visit and finds some things have changed in his absence.
Rating: Teens
Words: 7,240
Summary: A What-Happened-In-Between for the Julia Bulette Story. Some wounds never heal.
Rating: T 935 words
Requeil de poems bonanzesques – by ViveAdam
Summary: Quelques poèmes pour chanter nos héros de Bonanza
WC 3000
Summary: Joe’s life is at risk when a man chooses to use him as a pawn in a twist sense of revenge.
Rated T WC 35,000
Rescuing the Stillness – by BluewindFarm
Summary: WHN for The Stillness Within. Was it really that easy to understand and accept?
Rating: K 905 words
Resilience of Youth (The) – by Terri
Summary: Joe is broken hearted when Molly dies in his arms. In his distress, he disappears causing his family to mount a desperate search to find him.
Rated: K+ WC 2800
Resolution from Despair – by Rona
Summary: A WHN for the episode Shanklin, tying up some of those loose ends.
10,215 words Rated: T
Summary: Respect–young men want it but have to earn it.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1,518
Responsibility – by Inca / Tye
Summary: When Joe’s irresponsible behavior lands him in trouble, he decides it’s time to sort out his own problems without the help of his family. But he soon finds himself in much deeper than he’d intended, and his life hanging by a thread.
Rated: T WC 14,000
Summary: Adam finds himself on the trail, injured and alone. But is he really alone or is someone depending on him.
Rated: K+ WC 5800
Summary: Tragedy during a camping trip affects two families; why does Hoss feel he has to make restitution?
Rating: K 7,400 words
Restitution’s Reward – by DebbieB
Summary: Little Joe is knee deep in debt. Can he pay the price?
Rated: G 17,820 words
Restoring the Heart of the Ponderosa – Part One – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Circumstances bitter Adam’s homecoming, setting him and his family on a personal quest to restore the heart of the Ponderosa.
46,330 words Rating: T There are references to a subject of a sensitive manner; however, no such acts occur within this story.
Restoring the Heart of the Ponderosa – Part Two – by BluewindFarm
Summary: A continuation of Restoring the Heart of the Ponderosa. The family looks forward to life returning to normal, but find they have a rocky road to travel as nightmares from the past intrude.
Rating: T 55,125 words This story references a subject of a sensitive nature; however, no such actions occur within this story.
Rethinking San Francisco – by PSW
Summary: A young runaway rethinks his choices at Christmas.
Rating: G Words (1455)
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: A wayward sailor returns home to find unwanted changes and a daunting challenge.
Rating: K Word Count: 8474
Summary: When you’re gone for a while, the atmosphere can shift…
601 Rating: K
Summary: Adam’s upcoming return from Boston affects his brothers in an unexpected way.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 1,015
Return of Abigail Jones (The) – by pjb
Summary: Getting Abigail Jones and Hank Meyers married was the easy part. . . .
Rated: K+ WC 20,000
Return of Old Sheba (The) — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: It is said they have an extremely long memory.
Rating: T 9,390 words
Return Series (The) #1 – The Return – by dbird
Summary: What if Marie left Ben Cartwright early in their marriage? What if Joe Cartwright grew up running wild on the streets of New Orleans? What if, sixteen years later, he returned to the father and brothers he had never known?
Rated: K+ 9,075 words
Return Series (The) #2 – Abide – by dbird
Summary: How does a man abide in a world he never knew? How does he make the choice to remain? How does a family show him the way?
Rated: K+ 12,420 words
Return Series (The) #3 – Interlude – by dbird
Summary: A hunting trip turns into a different type of quest for Adam, Hoss, and Joe: a struggle to survive against an unknown gunman and the ominous arrival of winter.
Rated: K+ 11,975 words
Return Series (The) #4 – Gravity – by dbird
Summary: New threats and old scars come together to jeopardize the Cartwrights’ future as a family.
Rated: K+ 18,330 words
Return Series (The) #5 – New Orleans Moonlight – by dbird
Summary: Memories return on a moonlit night.
3,580 words Rated: K+
Return Series (The) #6 – Fallen – by dbird
Summary: Joe’s relationship with Julia Bulette brings back painful memories for the rest of his family. This story incorporates characters and events from “The Julia Bulette Story”.
Rated: K+ 14,695 words
Return to Eastgate – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Ben should have remembered. A what happened later for The Crucible.
Rating: T 4,200 words
Returning Home – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Memories of family and Christmases past are shared between brothers.
Rating: G 2,770 Words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Returning the Favour – by Dodo
Summary: This is a ‘Death of a Cartwright’ challenge story. Be warned!
Rated: K+ Word Count: 1628
Summary: A prequel that is an alternate reality in which Adam was taken by Indians in the attack that cost Inger her life and eventually is reunited with his family, but the reunion is rocky. Edited version of a previously published story.
Rating = T WC = 54,773
Reunion – Part 1 – by Questfan
Summary: Little Joe has a very big Christmas wish, but learns there is no hope it can be fulfilled.
Written for day 1 of the 2021 Advent Calendar
Rating: G Word Count: 2900
Reunion – Part 2 – by Questfan
Summary: Adam is facing another Christmas a very long way from home and family. Can Little Joe grant his Christmas wish?
Written for Day 2 of the 2021 Advent Calendar
Rating: G Words: 2850
Summary: A story of Cartwright family love: When Adam refuses to fight for his life…or his limb…after his Mountain of the Dead experience, The Savage Hoss and Joe return to the camp where they found him and figure out what really happened there. Hoss confirms that Ruth was real, but in following Adam’s journey, he also finds truths his older brother couldn’t see.
Twelve years later, Adam is a happy husband and father living in Boston at the time he travels to San Francisco where he meets his father and brothers there for a reunion. Another “unexpected” reunion sheds more light on the past.
Rating: T Word Count: 22,384
Summary: When a man rescues one of Ben Cartwright’s sons not once, but twice; the stranger brings huge implications for the family. Will it bring them together or tear them apart?
61,135 words Rating: Teen+ for mild language, violence, and mild adult situations
Summary: It’s December of 1864 and Joe is conscripted, but Adam goes in his place. It is a tumultuous ten months and that scripture reading that seemed so ominous seems to come true. This is my NaNo novel for 2015 and just barely made the minimum number of words at 53,434 and that’s why there’s that little romance at the end. It’s a little lightness too in a story that has a lot of darkness in it.
Rating = T 53,465 words
Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold – by Laura Brodie
Summary: Joe dances with the devil as he comes up against a man who is nothing but evil. Joe fights crossing over to the dark-side in order to best the man at his own game.
WC 149,000 Rating R
Revenge is Bitter – by Bonanzaluver
Summary: A WHN to “Vengeance”. Red Twilight awaits trial for nearly killing Hoss when the judge that is supposed to come to Virginia City is delayed. Will Joe be able to control his hatred for the man who almost took the life of his brother?
Rated: K+ 5,210 words
Revenge Leaves its Scars – by Katie
Summary: A trip down memory lane as Adam writes his memoirs.
Rating: T (1,265 words)
Revenge of The Smiler – by SusanG
Summary: A WHN for the episode, The Smiler.
Rating: T 1,925 words
Revenge of the Stranger – by HelenB
Summary: A WHN for the episode, The Stranger
Rating: T 9,775 words
Revenge…May the Best Man Win – by bahj
Summary: One wants to teach a lesson, one wants revenge, one just wants some peace quiet. With the three high spirited Cartwright boys home alone for the weekend anything can happen. Which one will come out on top?
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 10,300
Reward (The) — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Life on the Ponderosa after Adam returns home from college.
Rating: T 7,700 words
Rewards of Kindness (The) – by Barbara
Summary: Adam’s been kidnapped; is it up to him to rescue himself?
Rating: T 8,840 words
Ride and Thoughts (The) – by BettyHT
Summary: What was Adam thinking as not only Bill Enders challenged his story, but his family, friends, and townspeople all doubted his version of events leading up to Toby being murdered? A companion piece for the episode, it makes sense only if you are familiar with The Ride.
Rating: PG Word count: 2,105
Synopsis: Adam is found after being held by Cain. Now with his family’s help he must find himself again.
Rating: PG (14,750 words)
Summary: Adam’s fate is sealed. Written for the Pinecone Challenge. The first sentence was given and had to be developed into a story. This is the slightly polished version.
650 words, rated K
Summary: Adam meets a man by coincidence on several trips, but eventually, it is by design and leads to a new direction in his life.
Rating: T Word count: 21,713
Summary: Joe can’t help showing off, carrying the mail for the pony Express. But he’d never do it if Pa were watching….A missing scene for “Ride the Wind.”
Rated: K+ 1,850 words
Riding on Faith – by southplains
Summary: WHN for ‘The Ride’ – a story of faith, hope, and thanksgiving. One of the Cartwrights has vanished and it appears that he is lost for good. Can the remaining family members accept the loss and learn to go on without him?
Rated: T WC 21,700
Rien d’Autre qu’une Aventure – by ViveAdam
Summary: A Rose for Lotta told by each of the protagonists … and we learn a bit more than in the episode
Rated: MA WC 21,200
Right and Wrong – by VRON
Summary: The new teacher spells trouble for young Adam and Hoss.
Rating: PG (Violence) Words: 5,150
Right Thing to Do (The) – by DJK
Summary: On a trip to San Francisco, the Cartwright brother become involved in fighting political corruption. This story was written for the Paddlewheel Poker challenge. Each writer was dealt a poker hand of elements to include in a story.
Rated: T Word count: 12847
Right Where He’s Supposed to Be – by freyakendra
Summary: When tragedy strikes twice in as many months, the Cartwrights discover that the strength of love, the bonds of family and the sense of wholeness can truly transcend mere mortality.
Rated: K+ WC 9000
Summary: With the Paiutes on the warpath, Ben, Adam, Little Joe lead an Army patrol to cover.
Rating: T 11,200 words
Summary: Joe returns home from San Francisco a changed man; a mysterious woman and a piece of jewelry give rise to difficult times between father and son, bringing heartache and understanding.
WC 5200 Rated: T+
Summary: This is my story for the January challenge.
Rated: K+ WC 1000
Ring Out Wild Bells – by sklamb
Summary: Music may have charms to soothe the savage breast, but is that still true when Hoss Cartwright is the one singing?
Rating: G
Words: 1,325
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Riot! What Happened Instead by Cartwright Girl
Summary: A complete rewrite/extension of “Riot!”- Season 14, Episode 5 or Episode 419 . When Adam arrives at the Nevada State Prison for a routine inspection, he is taken hostage by desperate inmates who are ready to change the prison’s abusive conditions by any means necessary, even murder. Outside the prison walls, Joe and Candy work together to end the riot and save Adam. While trapped, Adam meets Griff King, a young convict who enlightens Adam about the corruption found at the prison.
Rating: T WC 15,000
RIP Mr. Cartwright – by mumu74
Summary: To Kill A Cartwright “November Challenge” Rip Mr Cartwright
Rating: T 741 words
Ripples on the Lake – by VickiC.
Summary: Ben fights progress and his sons, but can he fight with a professional engineer sent to build a railway on Lake Tahoe?
Rating: G (7,800 words)
Summary: The premise for this writing challenge was the prompt: Adam is worried about an absent friend.
WC 2300 Rating: T
Rising to the Challenge – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: There’s a fight, but which brother wins?
Rating: T 785 words
Rite of Passage – by NapaJackie
Summary: Adam finds himself in a different world as he faces a rite of passage.
Rating: G
Words: 8,300
Summary: In this prequel, Little Joe is moving from childhood to adulthood and has mixed feelings about how to react to his older brother who is facing the task of how to fit back into the ranch he left as a boy to go to college but returned as a man who is still the boss’ son.
rating = T WC = 14,378
Summary: A view from the riverbank, the one left behind. A poem of transition, resistance, and acceptance.
Posted in recognition of World Poetry Day 2022.
Road Not Taken (The) – by AC1830
Summary: A crossover story for the August 2018 challenge. The Cartwright brothers head to Mexico on a cattle-buying trip. While there Adam meets someone who will change the path of his life, but will it be a path he desires? Rating – K Word count – 18,500
Road that Leads Me Home (The) – by NancyL.
Summary: A long-lost son contemplates returning home.
Rating: G (2,450 words)
Road that Lies Ahead (The) – by Arien
Summary: Sometimes you have to loose everything before you know what you have.
Rated: G Word Count: 10,151
Road to Hell (The) – by Cheaux
Summary: Despite intentions, a good deed turns deadly and the Cartwrights must grapple with the outcome.
Rating: T Word Count: 4,632
Roar of the Dragon (The) – by GinnyF
Summary: An earthquake strikes while Ben is visiting an old friend.
Rated: K+ 5,815 words
Roar of the Lion (The) – by AC1830
Summary: Ben reflects on how much life can change within the span of one month, especially when it involves one of his sons.
Rating: K Word Count – 2922
Rocky Road to California – by DJK
Summary: A prequel giving insight to a family tradition during Advent, and a bargain made.
Rating G 1,540 words
Roll, Jenny, Roll – by JoaniePaiute
Summary: A lively folk song provides the framework for a closer look at Ben Cartwright’s loves…including a brief crush he had as a 15-year-old.
Rated:K+ WC 2800
Rolling Stone aka A Perfect Christmas Eve – by puppycuddles
Summary: When it comes to Little Joe and girls, it is a perfect Christmas Eve.
Rating: G 2,170 words
Summary: Hoss wants Maude, but she and Adam develop an unlikely relationship. Eventually Hoss benefits from the couple’s relationship in a way no one could ever have predicted but only after they experience a series of adventures.
Rating: PG Word count: 24,152
Romance #2 – Greta – by BettyHT
Summary: It’s short, but it’s Hoss’ turn for romance. If you read Maude and wondered about Greta, the answers should be here. If you haven’t read Maude, it’s probably not necessary to enjoy this short story.
Rating: PG Word count: 2624
Romancing the Ponderosa: Book 1 – Mrs. Little Joe – by millieshepherd
Summary: When Little Joe finds a badly injured stranger on the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights’ lives are nearly turned upside down.
Rating: T Word Count: 21,027
Romancing the Ponderosa: Book 2 – The Redhead – by Millieshepherd
Summary: Adam talks Ben into making a trade with Chief Winnemucca. The trade isn’t your average deal, the Chief has a redheaded white girl and he wants a few head of cattle for her. Adam takes full responsibility for the girl and soon finds out he might have gotten himself in deeper than he expected.
Rating: T Word Count: 21,487
Romancing the Ponderosa: Book 3 – Leo – by Millieshepherd
Summary: Hoss rescues a small girl and after finding out her mother’s a widow and that she doesn’t have a penny to her name, he invites them to stay on the Ponderosa until they can get back on their feet. But then disaster strikes the second day of their stay and the Cartwright family is forever changed.
Rating: T Word Count: 18,984
Romancing the Ponderosa: Book 4 – Rose, My Love – by Millieshepherd
Summary: Ben runs into a lady friend from his past and the sparks fly again.
Rating: T Word Count: 15,453
Summary: Hoss turns to a trusted friend for advice when Adam is due home from College. Prequel.
Rating: G 1,245 words
Roping a Dolphin – by Lilbuddie
Summary: Young Joe arrives in Boston to visit Adam but finds instead a confused housekeeper and a large sum of money. Excitedly Joe leaves for an adventure in Paris where he believes Adam awaits him, but his ship sinks off the coast of France… Thus begins a frantic search for Joe in which a world famous writer will be host to all the Cartwrights.
Rated: K+ 34,080 words
Rosalie Series #1 – Four Corners, #2 – Dreams, #3 – Turbulence and Trouble – by BettyHT
Summary: The story starts with a horse race as the three Cartwright brothers take on a challenge, but the story continues with romances, tragedy, heartache, an abduction that takes Adam to Australia, and troubles at home until all the issues can be resolved
Rating = T WC = 81,104
Rosalie Series #4 – Date Night – by BettyHT
Summary: Adam hopes to have a wonderful night with a special lady in this light romantic story.
2,365 words Rating = T
Rosalie Series #5 – Witch’s Sham – by BettyHT
Summary: A family moves into the Virginia City area intent on causing trouble that will allow them to gain riches or so they believe. They do everything that they can to make that come true, but when they attack Adam Cartwright, things don’t work out the way that they hoped because they find that you can’t win when you come up against the Cartwright family.
rating = T WC = 23,554
Rose #1 – A Love for Rose – by Wild Prairie Rose
Story summary: Hoss meets a young woman that changes his life.
Rating: G
Words: 4,200
Rose #2 – The Beauty of Rose– by Wild Prairie Rose
Summary: Rose and Hoss are married and now are on their Honeymoon.
Rating: PG – implied sex
Words: 3,100
Summary: Justice proves dangerous when the Cartwrights are caught between vigilantes and a new sheriff in Virginia City.
Rated: T 8,780 words
Summary: Hoss and Joe have adult children; Joe’s wife isn’t there anymore; the foreman is Bronc Evans, another trustworthy hand is Jacob. Adam had been gone for many years now; the contact has been lost in unfavourable circumstances. Ben and Barbara, Hoss’ wife, stay at home during the roundup, and come across some old news…
Rating: G
Words: 6,200
Summary: Adam faces a long road home after suffering PTSD when a miner tortured him in the desert. He is afraid he killed Kane, because he cannot remember those last moments, until Joe supplies a ‘trigger.’
Rating: G 8,780 words
Summary: Adam returns from college to find that fitting in back at the Ponderosa isn’t as easy as he’d hoped.
Rating: K+ 57,600 words
Ruby Lips and White Satin – by freyakendra
Summary: After Adam and Joe take an early spring ride up into the mountains, Joe comes home alone with fragmented memories and a haunting fear that Adam might never come home at all. A story told in two voices: Joe’s and Adam’s.
Rated: T WC 24,000
Rumor Has It… – by BluewindFarm
Summary: What happens when Adam and Joe have time to kill until the stage arrives? A Chaps & Spurs Challenge inspired story.
1,030 words Rating: K+
Runaway Bride (The) – by SusanG
Summary: Joe joins a posse to ferret out the truth about the runaway bride.
Rating: T 1,760 words
Summary: The Cartwrights learn that sometimes the best things really do come in small packages.
Rating: T 3,150 words
Summary: The Ponderosa is being plagued by rustlers, who seem to know everything about where the herd will be next. Who is giving them the information?
Rated: T