Summary: This prequel set a few weeks before Adam’s departure for school, has him pick up Little Joe after an afternoon of play at the nearby farm owned by one of his father’s oldest friends. The couple and the woman’s young child arrived in the territory just after Marie died, and Adam had never really gotten to know them, but her especially. Doing so, turned into a strange encounter, leaving Adam wondering what –was going on at this homestead.  Her odd demeanor and mood swings, along with an odder willingness to share far too much information about her life and marriage, left him glad to get away. Most concerning was her intimation that his father’s friend was a verbally abusive tyrant, and jealous husband. In searching for truth, he’s left to ask guarded questions of his father, finally deciding this is not his business. Unfortunately, he is asked to return twice more to get Joe, setting up gossip that blind-sides him. Hoss gets into trouble too, when lacking discernment, he lets Dave Cass trick him into saying something that hurt someone he likes a lot. Finding the truth in each case takes an open heart and the willingness to learn from mistakes.

This is the first of 2 prequels, one taking place in the weeks before Adam left for college, and the other in the final days before his return. Both take a fun, yet serious look at how the Cartwright family faces problems. 

Rating: K (general)    Word Count:  26419

Summary:  The latest in the Home is the Sailor Series
Rating:  PT   Words:  134,000
Part of the Home is the Sailer Series, links included within.

Summary: It was just an April Fool’s Day prank gone wrong.
Rating: General    Word count: 897 This was written in response to a forum challenge.

Summary: Marie wants a party, but it doesn’t end as she hoped. However, the man who caused the party to end finds his plans don’t go well at all either.
Rating T  Word count 2,698

This is a collection of vignettes written for some pinecone challenges in 2012.  Each challenge was generated by the first line of a novel.  The quote and source are used to title each piece.  They have a broad range of themes, and some are AU. 

Summary: A young librarian in Virginia City shares her story through her diary, including being smitten with one of the Cartwright brothers. This story has been incorporated into the Captain Cartwright/Home is the Sailor series. However, this is the original story. 

Rating: G, Word Count: 4824

Summary: A Cat and Hoss teach a hard-hearted boy about love and forgiveness.
This piece started out as a pinecone in August 2023, then I developed it a bit more into a short story.
It was also inspired by a story I heard on the radio long ago.

Rating: T  Wordcount: 2,228

Happy Anniversary to the Bonanza Brand Library!

Summary: Whether on land or sea, the North Star offered guidance to a young dreamer. Now it offers comfort and points to home for another young dreamer. 

Rating: G, Word Count: 4676

Summary: This is an adaption of the Big Valley episode Boy Into Man, S2, E18 written by A. I. Bezzerides

Rating: G, Word Count: 6976

Summary: This is a sequel to A Shadow Calling with the same OCs. A tragic experience from a decade earlier has consequences for the Cartwright family and triggers memories and fears until the threat is faced. It is a story within a story, and both tales are told.
T  12,921

Summary:  A special and personal poem about what Bonanza means to me.

Rated G          Wordcount: 478

Summary:  Faced with the trials of heart failure, young Adam Cartwright embarks on a journey of courage and resilience, drawing on the memories of the mother he never knew and the solidarity of his loving family to confront his limitations and cherish every moment of life. Rating:  K+ Word Count:…

Summary: A follow-up to The Crucible.  An unexpected visitor helps Adam Cartwright heal his broken heart before breaking it again.  A story for Valentine’s Day.
Word count: 3296
Rated: G

Summary: Just when it seems like certain scars have begun to fade, a chance encounter sends Adam spiraling back into the torment that still follows him more than a year after Eastgate. A WHN for The Crucible. Word Count: 7,332  Rating: G