Most Recent Story: Divide and Conquer – Cartwright Style — posted 5/24/2026 (see summary below.)
Summary: One brother has gone astray and the other two brothers have come to take him home.
Rating – G, Word Count – 1015
A Brother’s Heartache – by AC1830
Summary: In She Walks in Beauty, Regan Miller nearly destroyed two brothers’ relationship. So what happened from the time when Hoss nearly beat Adam to death to when they reunited in Virginia City? A missing scene, or two, for She Walks in Beauty.
Rating: K+, Word Count 1430
A Brother’s Treasure – by AC1830
Summary: One brother says good-bye to another.
Rating: – K, Word count – 1446
Summary: When an old friend of Ben’s suddenly shows up on his door step, will it mean more heartache for both of them, or will they finally have a chance for love? According to Hop Sing the legend of the Morning Glory hold a clue. Written for the Back to the Future challenge.
Rating; K+, Word Count: 13,044
A Christmas Journey – by AC1830
Summary: As three of the Cartwrights are making their way home for Christmas, Ben becomes ill. Adam and Hoss find a rancher willing to give them refuge from the cold and snow. Little do they know, their rescuer has a connection with another journey the Cartwrights made many years earlier. Ben, Adam and Hoss find they’ve come full circle in their Christmas journeys.
Rating: = K, Word Count = 8705
A Different Conversation – by AC1830
Summary: Imagine the scene in The Ride where Adam and Ben are by the fire having a serious conversation. What if father and son discussed something totally different? This came from a dialogue-only challenge.
Rating: = K WC = 818
Summary: A child’s innocent question leads to memories for Ben and Adam, and a special moment with Adam’s young son.
Rating: K, Word Count: 2891
Summary – Marty Johnson is spunky, talented, and a dreamer. After attending art school in San Francisco, she returns home to her grandfather who is now living in Virginia City. These are two short WHN stories for The Way Station.
In Chasing Rainbows – Marty settles into her new home, and has a new dream. Will this one come true, too, or is it just another elusive rainbow?
In The Art of Life – Someone is leaving anonymous gifts around Virginia City and Adam Cartwright’s curiosity is piqued to discover who and why.
Rating: K
Word Count: 10,814
Summary: The Miracle of Christmas lifts the veils of grief.
Written for the 2017 Advent Calendar
Rating: G 4,830 words
A Journey Changed – by AC1830
Summary: A missing WHN scene at the end of A Journey Remembered.
Rating: G, Word Count: 745
Summary: young Jamie’s thoughts are explored as he faces the shock and responsibility of crashing a wagon and killing a horse.
Written for the 2025 Chaps and Spurs Challenge
Rated: G, Word Count: 2778
A Man for Breakfast – by AC1830
Summary: When a pistol-packing stranger starts asking questions about a Cartwright the moment he hits town, Sam, the bartender, knows trouble’s bound to follow.
WC = 2093, Rating = T
Summary: While Joe is missing his brother at Christmas, a friend’s tragedy gives Joe a new perspective on the Christmas spirit.
Rating: – K, WC – 1281
Summary: One of the Cartwrights gets a big surprise for his birthday. Written for Dan Blocker’s Birthday.
Rating: G, Word Count: 2294
A Percolator Conniption – by AC1830
Summary: While the Cartwrights are away, Hop Sing plans a massive Spring cleaning. But his blissful time alone is soon interrupted by an unwanted visitor who brings an unexpected gift. Written for the 2025 4th Quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge. The required words were percolate, earthquake, pipeline, surgeon, amendment.
Rating: G, Word Count: 2324
Summary: Adam and Hoss have a surprise for Marie. A story for the 2021 Mother’s Day Challenge.
Rating – K, Word Count – 748
Summary – Ben has a special day planned for Adam.
Rating – K, Word Count – 1087
Summary: A casual comment inspires a memory from Adam’s past.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: T (1,400 words)
Summary: Christmas is a season for surprises, especially when one of Ben’s hidden talents helps out two special ladies in his life.
Written for day 16 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 2485
Summary – Ben discovers a surprising friendship when he gets maneuvered into helping out a friend. Written for the 2026 Lorne Greene Birthday Challenge.
Rating: G; Word Count: 785
Summary: This is a Father’s Day tribute to our favorite Dad, and to all the dads and kids everywhere.
Rating: K WC = 1694
Summary – In the episode Gabrielle, one man was changed drastically by her consistent love. This is his reflection of that change.
Rating = K, WC = 804
Summary: The fury of a woman scorned leaves a deadly trail and there is only one man who can stop her.
Rating: T+, Word Count: 947
Being a Neighbor and a Friend – AC1830
Summary: Young Hoss helps a young stranger without telling his family, but did his heart overrule his wisdom?
Rating: G Word Count: 190
Summary – In a brotherly moment Little Joe receives some wisdom from his middle brother.
Rating – K, Word Count – 1776
Believe in Love – A Special Love – by AC1830
Summary: Adam Cartwright and Peggy Dayton developed a special relationship that seemed to go beyond friendship. This is a WHN about the strength of that bond after tragedy strikes at Christmas.
Rating: K+ WC = 8882
Summary: Rumors and sightings are flying around town about a dark creature roaming the mountains of the Ponderosa. Will the Cartwrights find out what it is? This little story was written for a Tall Tales challenge.
Rating: K WC = 1018
Summary: Are Black and Adam Cartwright synonymous? In more ways than one might think.
Rating: K, Word count: 871
Blessings of Friendship – by AC1830
Summary: After a last minute cattle drive that almost drove Hop Sing away, can the Cartwrights hope to have a calm Thanksgiving? Perhaps with a little help from some friends.
Rating: – K WC – 1288
Summary: This is a what-if story for Halloween. Adam’s son loves to read. After reading a forbidden book, he discovers a dark family secret.
Rating: – T Word count – 1949
Blue Mist Hauntings – by AC1830
Summary – Recovering from a terrifying stagecoach accident, Adam tries to discover why he is haunted by ghostly images. My entry for the October Spooktacular and October Chaps and Spurs double challenge.
Word count – 3980 Rating – K
Summary – After an eight-year absence, a young woman returns to Virginia City hoping she will be accepted by the families she left behind.
Rating: – T, Word Count – 9751
Bringing Peace – by AC1830
Summary: Christmas is the time for bringing peace and good will. A young woman returns to the Ponderosa hoping to do just that, after her delusional mother left a broken triangle of love in her wake. Rating: G Words (4,000) Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Broken Ballad – The Last Gunfight (by AC1830)
Summary: What if the final gunfight that killed Ed Payson took a different turn and set the main players on different paths? A WHI for Broken Ballad.
Rating: T, Word Count: 2676
Card Trick aka The Card Trick Quilt – by AC1830 
Summary: An AU story of Adam recounting a tale from his past to his daughter.
Written for the 2018 Advent Calendar
Rating: G 2,030 words
Cartwright Confessions – by AC1830
Summary: Four vignettes in which each Cartwright decides to share a hidden truth with the others.
Rating – K, WC – 823
Cartwright Vigil (The) – by AC1830
Summary – Jamie learns first- hand about a special trait of the Cartwrights.
Rating – K, Word Count – 1270
Summary: Adam ponders the blessing of family at the end of a joyful Christmas.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: G Word Count: 2,060
Summary: Little Joe learns something special about Christmas, with the help of his brothers.
Rating: T, WC 947
Summary – Spending the day fishing can open up all sorts of discussions. Adam asks Joe for help with his troubled grandson, but the child isn’t the only one helped by the fresh air and touch of home that the Ponderosa offers. Thanks to a friend for the title.
Rating – K, Word Count – 4990
Summary: Colors on the Ponderosa can come from unexpected places. My entry for World Poetry Day.
Rating – K, WC – 112
Counterfeit Affair (The) – by AC1830
Summary: After several failed romances, Adam claims he needs a break from romancing women. But as the saying goes, never say never. Written for the 2022 Camp in the Pines. Rating: K, Word count: 10,216
Cowboy Boots and Dancing Shoes, Part 1 – by AC1830
Summary: It is 1875. After recovering from some family tragedies, Adam and Joe still don’t have their spark back. Their wives come up with a plan to light their fires again.
Rating: K 2354 words
Cowboy Boots and Dancing Shoes, Part 2 – by AC1830
Summary: Adam and Joe are on their “vacations” planned by their wives. Will they each be able to finally deal with their grief as well as rekindle their love for their wives? This is a continuation of Cowboy Boots and Dancing Shoes. I suggest reading, or re-reading, that one before beginning this story. Also, I’ll issue a “tissue alert” for this one.
WC = 7694 Rating = K+
Dead Men Tell No Tales – by AC1830
Summary – October challenge – write another worldly story involving one or all the Cartwrights. The unthinkable has happened – all four Cartwrights are dead!
Rating – K, Word count – 2045
Did We Win by AC830
Summary: The Founders Day horse race was a tradition for Adam and Joe Cartwright, but the question always is – which brother will win?
Rating: G, Word Count: 772
Divide and Conquer – Cartwright Style – by AC1830
Summary: Once again Adam is unable to get his ideas across to his father. Adam wonders if there will ever be peace between them, until a brother steps in to help. Written for the Brand Brother’s Day Challenge – write a story involving Hoss and at least one of his brothers (Adam, Joe, Jamie, or Clay).
Rating: G Word Count: 708
Summary: A prisoner who escapes from the Nevada State Prison in Carson City has not only freedom but also vengeance on his mind. Little does he know that someone from his past is shadowing him, bringing full circle some unfinished business between them.
Rated: T Word Count: 10,050
Summary: When traveling with a wagon train, friends come and go. But what if it’s your best friend, and you never got to say good-bye?
Rating – K, Word Count – 5854
Freedom’s Just Another Word – by AC1830
Summary: A WHI for A House Divided. “Father against son, brother against brother. A house divided against itself cannot not stand.” What if Adam did leave in order to keep peace in the family? This is a journey of healing for the Cartwright family and some newfound friends.
Rating = T, Word Count = 14415
Summary: Ben reflects on the wonder of being a father and a grandfather. A Father’s Day tribute.
Rating: K, Word count: 518
Hop Sing’s Fortune Cookies – by AC1830
Summary: My responses to the February Challenge, Hop Sing’s Fortune Cookies – to write a 100 word drabble from a prompt for each of the days during Chinese New Year – Feb. 5-19.
Rating: K, Word Count : 1650
I Heard the Bells – by AC1830 Summary: On Christmas Eve, Hop Sing shares with the Cartwrights the meaning of the Christmas bells in his own life.
Rating: G Words: 2,440
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
It Was Just One Second – by AC1830 S
ummary: How long does it take to change a life forever? Joe Cartwright finds out it only takes a second. Written for the 2025 Michael Landon’s Birthday Challenge – pick a period of time, from a second up to a year, that changed Joe Cartwright’s life forever.
Rating: T, Word Count: 1101
Keeping Watch – by AC1830 Summary: Guilt and misplaced anger between two brothers after an accident with Adam’s young daughter cause a rift that might never heal. When a rescue becomes a search the Cartwrights finally learn the truth of what happened to the child, but will it bring healing or more hurt for the brothers?
Rating: G, Word Count: 3451
Light Inside (The) – by AC1830
Summary: On Christmas Eve Hoss guides a new friend from darkness into light.
Rating – K, Word Count – 1566
Summary: One of the Cartwrights is badly injured. He’s trying to get home. Someone comes to his rescue and helps him until his brother can find him. But who took care of him?
Rating = K 1633 words
Summary: This is a missing scene for My Brother’s Keeper. What happened from the time Ben arrived home with eyes blazing and gun drawn, to the next morning when he and Adam appear quite calm, despite Adam’s horrific, days-long ordeal of caring for his brother?
Rating: K WC = 1498
Summary: While in San Francisco with his father, ten year old Adam gets lost and is cared for by a special person. Several years later, Adam has the chance to return the favor when he unknowingly saves the man’s life.
Rated K+ WC 1675
Summary: At a time of great sadness, one lost soul helps another.
Rating-K, WC-4150
Mitten Angels (The) – by AC1830
Summary: When a young doctor arrives at the Mormon settlement near the Sierras, he finds his roots and discovers the community has not one, not two, but three Mitten Angels.
Rating: G 6,370 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Never, Ever Mess with His…? – by AC1830
Summary: Why is Adam in the dirt at Hoss’ feet? Hoss is not going to like the answer.
Rating – K, WC – 823
Summary – Adam is the Man in Black but he also is a Man of the Night. Many times we see him heading out for a ride after the sun has set. These vignettes explore some of the reasons he’s a Night Rider.
WC – 2064, Rating – K
Passions and Dreams – by AC1830
Summary – Adam Cartwright and Lotta Crabtree were supposed to be strangers when her carriage broke down on the Ponderosa, but something in their demeanor seemed to say otherwise. Based on the episode A Rose for Lotta. Dialogue in the last chapter is from the episode written by David Dortort.
Rating – T Word Count – 7909
Summary: Christmas candles, a cranky baby, and a neglected Cartwright all add up to one special Christmas.
Rating: G 2,420 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
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 135 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: A night full of fun and pranks, but who has the last laugh?
Rating: K; Word Count: 600
Summary: Adam gets into a sticky mess at Halloween. This is a fun story written for an October 2015 photo challenge. The posted picture was the challenge – what were Hoss and Joe looking at?
Rating K Word count = 1000
Power of the Lake (The) – by AC1830
Summary: Whether it’s for a crisis, a romance, or good old family fun, the Cartwrights are drawn to Lake Tahoe.
Rating – K, WC – 1603
Summary: Why are Joe and Adam’s wife sneaking around town? A fun story for Pernell’s birthday.
Rating: K, WC: 1575
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
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
Searching for Life – by AC1830
Summary: When Ben and Inger left her brother Gunnar in Illinois Inger, My Love , he was searching for his purpose in life, heading to the Canadian gold fields. The Last Viking showed he maintained his wild side. But how would his life have turned out if he had listened to his sister’s words? A WHI for The Last Viking.
Rating – K+, WC – 5547
Summary: A tragedy leads a man of the shadows on a vengeful and bloody path which eventually ensnares Adam. Written for the 2025 2nd quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Rating: PG, Word Count 7016
Shadows of Friendship – by AC1830
Summary: In The Paiute War, Adam and Young Wolf, son of Chief Winnemucca, were once friends. What made Young Wolf end his friendship with Adam, although Winnemucca continues it with Ben and Adam?
Rating – T, Word Count – 4799
Somethin’ Worth Fightin’ For – by AC1830
Summary: Written for the 2018 Missing Man Challenge – Add Adam into an episode after Season 6 as if he has always been there. I chose The Fighters, Season 7, Episode 30.
Rating – T, Word Count – 4662
Summary: On his way home, Joe encounters a Spring snow storm and has to wait it out in a line shack. He has a visit from an unusual child who tells him troubling things about Adam, who has been gone for years. Adam, in the mean time has suffered a great loss and has returned home. He and Hoss head into the mountains to meet with Joe. Joe is desperate to get to Adam when he learns from the child that Adam has been injured on his way to the shack. The brothers reconnect but soon learn the child is part of a terrible tragedy in Adam’s life. Will Adam find healing or more sorrow on his way home with his brothers?
Word count – 8814 Rating K+
Springtime Vignettes – by AC1830
Summary: A collection of three vignettes based on three Springtime themes – mud, allergies, and memories.
Rating: K Word Count: 2676
Standing on the Bow Rail – by AC1830
Summary: As a conclusion to BettyHT’s Advent story, Leaning on the Taffrail, young Adam, along with Ben and little Hoss, finally settle into their first real home in the Sierra mountains just as Christmas arrives.
Rating: GWord Count: 5603
Summary: Young Hoss and Joe have decided that Ben deserves a day off so they plan a special day with him, but Ben soon discovers it’s more special than anyone anticipated.
Rating K Word Count 678
Summary: Love is in the air for one of the Cartwrights. While this older story wasn’t written for Valentine’s Day, I felt it was a good choice to post today. Enjoy!
Rating: G, Word Count: 3618
Summary: When July rolls in like a flaming freight train perhaps it’s best to just kick back and have a little fun.
Rating: K Word Count: 922
Terror at Old Dry Diggins (by AC1830)
Summary: When the stage route from Placerville becomes blocked by a rock slide, Adam and Joe decide to ride home. While crossing the old gold fields, a storm approaches, forcing the brothers to take refuge in an old mining cabin. During the night, they become ensnared in a legend that is beyond their worst nightmares, but will morning be any better for them?
Rating: PG-13 for horror. Nothing too graphic, more implied.
Word Count: 3103
When the Hate is Gone – by AC1830
Summary – Written for the 2018 Bonano Challenge on Bonanza Brand. A Missing scene for The Stranger – When Ben rides off with Charles Leduque, heading to New Orleans, how do his sons react after being told not to follow or rescue their father? They are Cartwrights after all.
Rating = K, Word count = 5306
When Smiles Reach the Heart – by AC1830
Summary: Still too restless to head straight home after three years of travel, Adam makes a detour to Ireland. There he discovers the warmth of the people and their strength to overcome adversity. A new friend teaches him a certain truth about the Irish people.
Rating: T, Word Count: 24,164
Summary: There are times, when Christmastime isn’t so joyous.
Rating: G (220 words)
Witness Tree (The) – by AC1830
Summary: Adam has been back from college for a few months but is having a hard time settling in with the ranch hands and his brothers. Through the wisdom of his father he learns some lessons about being a boss and a brother. A What-Happens-Years-Before the episode The Grand Swing.
Rating – K+, WC – 9978
