And His Heart Grew a Little Bit Larger (by BettyHT)
Summary: Hoot tries to teach the Cartwrights a lesson but learns more than he ever expected. This is a prequel Christmas story.
Rating: PG Word count: 2,295
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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
The Girl Can’t Help It (by Annie K Cowgirl)
Summary: Three young women, three moments in time, one man. A look into the thoughts of Elizabeth, Inger, and Marie as they contemplate the man known as Benjamin Cartwright.
Rating: K
Word Count: 1,033
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A Daring Adventure Begins In the Heart (by BettyHT)
Summary: When Adam meets Presha, sparks fly but interest grows too setting off a chain of events that affect both Adam and Hoss. The story was posted on another site as two stories that overlapped: Christmas Comes Only Once a Year, and Baby Blues. Those stories have been combined, edited, and expanded slightly.
Rating: T Word count: 52,542
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It’s Elementary (by BettyHT)
Summary: a prequel story with Adam at 26, Hoss at 20, and Joe at 14 on a trip to capture some wild horses when wind, earth, and water elements create havoc with their plans.
Rating: PG Word count: 10,815
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Choosing Sides (by BettyHT)
Summary: This is a sequel to Choosing Blue with the same OCs. The family has to deal with sabotage and assault without knowing the source or the purpose. Working together, they defend themselves against a plot hatched by men from their past who form an unlikely alliance against them.
Rating: T Word count: 17,610
Part of the Choosing Series, links to all stories included within.
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Regrets (by BettyHT)
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
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Carson Encounters (by BettyHT)
Summary: A crossover story that is unusual in that it is Bonanza and an original story blended together. A young woman in the Carson Valley encounters the Cartwrights and develops a long-term relationship with Adam. Life in the early era is harsh and the story reflects that and is realistic in its portrayals of daily life and the violence of the west.
Rating: T Word count: 10,546
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Adam and the Saloon Girl Stories (by BettyHT)
Summary: This is a series of four stories that can each stand alone, but follow chronologically. Angela’s Story — Acting in a wholly uncharacteristic way, Adam meets a saloon girl on a trip and begins to fall in love, but will the Cartwright Curse strike again? Who Are You? — What would happen if you lost some of your short-term memory and it never came back? Adam has to deal with it in this story, and Angela suffers too even as the family tries to help both of them. Travels and Travails — Adam and Angela travel to Arizona to see her family and must face problems that emerge because of her past and new issues. Helen and Hoss – A Hoss story although all the other family members are included. Helen Layton returns. That Hoss will be hurt again is what his family fears, but then they have a series of problems to face as they seek a happy ending.
Rating: T Word count: 71,173
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Dream Stories (by BettyHT)
Summary: in Bustin’ Loose — Broken Dreams, Adam leaves the shambles of his dream in Boston to take an entirely different direction for his life in Colorado but doesn’t tell his family what he is doing. Meanwhile, Joe has a romance. In a Dream Catcher, Adam’s former fiancé creates trouble for him but the solution is one that no one anticipated. In By Chance To Dream, a troublemaker, a gang, and babies on the way complicate life for the family.
Rating: T Word count: 65,898
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Never Submit Or Yield (by BettyHT)
Summary: This is a series that starts with an unusual story –Never To Submit Or Yield is a story of struggle and overcoming great difficulties and how and why Adam left the Ponderosa. –Awake, Arise, Or Be Forever Fallen is a story of Adam falling in love with a woman who has lived through similar trauma. As their relationship develops, clues to the conspiracy begin to emerge. –Torn tells of how Adam is pressured by his family to go on a cattle drive to reestablish his role, but Joe has to adjust too so there is some friction, and there is trouble from others who want to take advantage of the situation. Luckily, Candy is there to help out.–Melinda Returns is a short story in which she tries to manipulate things with Grace who is about to deliver her child. There is closure. –Epilogue.
Rating: T Word count: 50,040
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First Things First (by BettyHT)
Summary: Joe is surprised at the observations that Candy has about Adam’s return to the family, but a string of events shows that Candy is correct even though there is far more going on than he guessed too.
Rating: T Word count: 17,498
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A Gift for the Man Who Has Everything (by Missjudy)
Summary: In the middle of a busy Christmas morning, Adam receives a request from Roy Coffee to help him investigate a possible crime in Virginia City. The case intrigues him as he follows the clues along with Roy and Paul Martin, and has a moment of agony as he begins to see the truth. In the midst of the his discoveries he receives a few unexpected reminders of the true meaning of Christmas, and is able to offer the gift of restoration.
Rating: K
Word Count: 10649
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Baubles (mcfair_58)
Summary: A barren tree and a string of glass beads bring two lonely men together on Christmas Eve.
Rated G
Word count: 4121
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A Wreath of Blessings (by PuchiAnn)
Summary: A poem originally inspired by a Christmas card showing a wreath made from pine branches and cones and sent out years ago to Bonanza friends. Word count: 122 Rating: K A wreath of Ponderosa pine Tells me that it’s Christmas time. Outside, a fleece of shim’ring snow, Within, bathed…
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