It's 1954, and San Francisco writer Phoebe Kelley is enjoying the success of her first novel, Lady in the Desert. When her sister-in-law asks her to return to Tribulation, Arizona, to help run the H Double Bar Dude Ranch, Phoebe doesn't hesitate. There's competition from a new dude ranch this year, so the H Double Bar puts on a rodeo featuring a trick rider with a mysterious past. When accidents begin to happen around the ranch, Phoebe jumps in to figure out why, and confronts an unexpected foe.
At some point in their lives most people reach a point where they question their religious beliefs. Many will find satisfactory answers within their faith and be content to remain there. But others will dig deeper as questions lead to answers that lead to more questions and yet more answers that may conflict with what they've been taught. Some of these seekers may turn to other religions where they find a home. And yet there remain those who have found that the only path they are compelled follow leads them away from everything they have known. For whatever reason and through whatever process, a person who loses their faith faces many difficulties including the loss of friends and family who cannot understand their choices. It can take great strength to turn from what they've known and forge ahead into a new life. The stories herein are written by those who made the decision, despite the challenges, to follow a new path. These men and women are from many countries and their religious backgrounds cover multiple Christian denominations, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs. The intent of this anthology is to assure those who struggle that they are not alone and to offer hope to the seekers while providing some understanding to others who may wonder how someone may choose to leave their previous beliefs behind and follow a new path.
John A. Thompson was born Norway in 1827. His family emigrated to the U.S. just ten years later and by 1851 John was a young man, ready to try his luck in the gold fields of California. While he undoubtedly brought enthusiasm and determination with him to his new home, he also brought with him something the people of that region had never seen before: skis! Unfamiliar with the long thin strips of wood he strapped to his feet, people called them "snow-shoes" and Thompson acquired a nickname.Of the many interests he pursued in the years that followed-as a farmer, rancher, guide, trader, Indian agent and politician-the thing Thompson is remembered most for was his service as a dependable mail carrier, who made record time traversing the Sierra Nevada on those "snow-shoes," carrying the winter mail and keeping the lines of communication open for those who lived in the region. This is his story.Frank Tortorich captures the fortitude and stamina of this legendary Norwegian American whose strength and perseverance serve as a role model for today's youth."Snowshoe" and the historic town of Genoa are grateful!-Sue Knight, Friends of Snowshoe ThompsonThe author's knowledge and understanding of the Sierra emigration era serves as a background for what he has been able to express in this book. Tusen takk!-Nina MacLeodCaveat Lector (let the reader beware). Frank Tortorich's gripping account of the legendary life, legacy, and accomplishments of John "Snowshoe" Thompson is most captivating, and his excitement, enthusiasm, and interest in California pioneers and Gold Rush history are contagious. Ken Johnston, author of Legendary Truths, Peter Lassen and His Gold Rush Trail in Fact and Fable.
The author presents a baker's dozen intriguing stories along with a promise to transport the reader to other places, other times. Here are excerpts from from Mary Magdalene's memoir of her childhood, the story of an uncompromising man with no friends in the world, central American native ritual, star crossed lovers in eighteenth century France, an aspiring magician, a letter from Sarah to Hagar after she and Isaac have been banished to Paran, ancient ceremony from the British Isles, a grieving Native American mother who has lost her child, a look at future religious belief and a leap even farther ahead in time to other worlds. They are all here to savor and enjoy, stories that will consume your attention and capture your imagination in the way that so few stories do - they will leave you wanting more.
In 1987 the author set forth on his attempt to travel the Canadian inland water route used by the French-Canadian Voyageurs, the early traders who moved goods from coast to coast by canoe during the fur trade years of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Despite his lack of experience as a canoeist Michael, a Vietnam vet, was hoping to realign his life in a solitary confrontation with the elements, and with himself. His journey would begin in Montreal and with luck end more than three thousand miles later, somewhere above the Arctic Circle. After a surprise publicized send off this adventure would prove both enlightening and harrowing. As he paddled both upstream and down, trying to find his way through many unmarked waterways and portages, he would encounter both the wrath of Mother Nature and the beauty she can offer. Now, thirty years after that solitary journey, Michael shares the story of what he and his faithful partner, Zhimon the yellow canoe experienced on that four month adventure following the path of the old Voyageurs.
A history of Oregon without Jesse Applegate would be like Exodus without Moses. Like Moses, Jesse led pioneers through the wilderness across the Oregon Trail in 1843. Like Moses, he was a lawgiver, and like Moses, when proper provocation occurred, he sometimes threw down the tablets.Jesse Applegate, A Dialogue with Destiny gives a comprehensive historical perspective to the life of this interesting, complicated man who played a major role in the formation of Oregon.Throughout his amazing life, he led the "cow column" of '43 west to Oregon, wrote the constitution of '45, played a major role in the solving of the Cayuse War, led the expedition to find a new southern route in '46, and fought to keep Oregon free of slavery. But perhaps even more important was the moral compass he provided for the emerging Oregon society. Through his letters to editors of newspapers and to prominent political figures, he provided comment, council, criticism, and loyal opposition to those in power. Local, state, and federal leaders, as well as the historians of the day sought his opinions.Leta Lovelace Neiderheiser is a great-great granddaughter of Jesse Applegate. She grew up in the small town of Drain, Oregon, just a few miles from Jesse Applegate's donation land claim. Leta attended the University of Oregon and in mid-life went back to school and got her California teachers credential. She taught in the Rocklin, CA school district for a number of years, and retired in 2001. Leta is a member of the Oregon-California Trails Association, and the 2010 chair for the Oregon Historical Trails Advisory Council. She is the mother of two daughters, one son, and the grandmother of four. Today she resides in the Applegate Valley outside the quaint town of Grants Pass, Oregon.
Marty Coe started cooking on pack trips in the 1980s, accompanying adventuresome folks in the summer and hunters in the fall as they traveled by horse into the hidden mountain camps that few ever have the opportunity to experience. She became the camp cook and over the years got the process down to a science, providing guests with a delicious array of meals, cooked in her trusty cast iron pots and pans over live coals, and all the while surrounded by the magnificence of the wilderness country of the Rocky Mountains.Now she's here to share what she learned on those marvelous backcountry adventures. All her delicious recipes are offered with an eye to the ingredients and all the tools (including those dependable cast iron pots and pans!) that must be packed in by horse and mule to the campsites along the trail. Everything from appetizers to desserts is here, and all the instructions for preparing them over a bed of hot coals. But never fear, these delicious offerings can also be adapted for your home kitchen, in your own cast iron pots and pans!
William Nobles pioneered the Nobles Trail in 1851. It provided a shortcut between the Applegate in Nevada and the last section of the Lassen Trail in California. It became what all other trails to California would have wanted to become: shorter, more direct to its destination, water and grass located in short intervals along the way, low elevation passes, no steep ascents or descents, and a civilized destination where provisions could be obtained.Today the Nobles Trail remains perhaps the best emigrant trail to experience and enjoy. With A Guide To The Nobles Trail and a copy of this book, one may easily follow nearly the entire route from Black Rock to Shasta City, with a two-wheel-drive vehicle, offering the opportunity to: explore the myths and mysteries of events that occurred throughout history along the trail; visit historic army forts, trading posts, and stage stops; relish the solitude of desert playas, towering mountain ranges, and volcanic landscapes; and experience a part of our country that remains one of America’s most remote and rewarding
This book presents the closing days of America's untamed West as lived and recorded through the lens of three of the best-known photographers of the era: David Francis Barry, John C.H. Grabill, and L.A. Huffman. These men knew Custer and the 7th Cavalry, as well as the leaders of the Native people who fought valiantly to preserve their lands and their historic way of life. These photographers knew the cowboys and ranchers and even the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. Through the publication of their work, the photographs these men took gave people from coast to coast a realistic and sometimes spectacular image of what was happening on the frontier as the relentless waves of immigrants swept westward in search of land, gold, and new lives. You may know the general history of these events, but these photographers presented visual evidence of their times that has been preserved for more than a century. Paul Jensen has gathered both the stories of their lives and the historic photos of their times to serve up a savory taste of the Wild West. The world's awareness of the American West was heavily shaped by great 19th-century photographers who captured vistas, characters, and the dramas of settlement and conquest. Paul Jensen, a cowboy and 21st century historian of the frontier, vividly conveys the world in which these photographers operated, and the lasting impact of their version of the people and places of the frontier.-James Fallows, National Correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly and nationally acclaimed author, including his recent book with his wife Deborah Fallows, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America.
In this debut collection the author plumbs the depths of human emotions as the tightly drawn characters struggle, as we all do, with the choices they have made and those they must still confront. At the center of each story we find lost souls seeking meaning and purpose in the realities in which they exist and questioning how much of that reality is of their own construction.Young love, hypocrisy, betrayal and disappointment, dissatisfaction and despair, redemption and hope.... No matter how different the lives of these characters from our own, the questions they grapple with are universal. What allows us to endure when we've reached the end of ourselves? Is love worth the sacrifices it requires? Can we learn from the mistakes of others or only our own?
Chris Tracy turned away from a situation he couldn't face and became a bounty hunter - a profession where when all else failed, he could count on his fast gun. The day he arrives in Soda Springs his life takes an unexpected turn. An old friend convinces him to strike out in search of a lost fortune in gold and as they begin their trek across the barren land, they soon discover challenges beyond the devastating sun, hostile Indians, or the unknown riders who are on their trail. Chris is about to find himself face to face with something far more dangerous than anything he's ever encountered, something he has no idea how to deal with as everyone must fight just to survive the relentless power of the desert.
When young Mariano Medina witnesses a vicious attack on a girl he adores, he flees in inexplicable terror. Fifteen years later, as a grown man training horses along the Oregon Trail, he has a chance to redeem himself if he can overcome his cowardly urge to flee. His choice will lead Medina back to the land of his childhood, where he must confront his darkest fears and uncover the hidden source of his panic in the ghostly stare that haunts his dreams.This is the story of a man’s quest for courage, respect and love in an unforgiving land. Based on real characters who lived on the frontier during the lead up to America’s 1846 war with Mexico, David M. Jessup has woven a spellbinding prequel to his award-winning first novel, MARIANO'S CROSSING.Praise For MARIANO'S CHOICE:MARIANO'S CHOICE is one of those rare, wonderful books that sticks in the mind and heart long after you’ve read the last page. Masterfully paced…it offers an intriguing snapshot of the West through the eyes of characters largely ignored by mainstream fiction. —Anne Hillerman, New York Times best-selling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock With Wings.Jessup adds flesh and blood to the bones of one of the West’s legendary mountain men in this tightly wound novel of the Old West.—Sandra Dallas, New York Times best-selling author.Jessup is a master historian and writer. In vivid and gorgeous prose, we encounter the world of the late 1800s and the men and women who literally shaped the West. Iloved it.—Laura Pritchett, winner of the PEN USA Award for Fiction, author, Red Lightning..MARIANO'S CHOICE isn’t your typical Western, and Mariano Medina isn’t your typical Western hero. the result is a richer, more realistic interpretation than the overwrought,myth-driven view we see in so many Western novels.—Rod Miller, three-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award.Author David Jessup’s fluid, compelling prose takes the reader back to another time, to share Mariano Medina’s adventures and adversities.—Lucia St. Clair Robson, New York Times best-selling author, Owen Wister Award winner, Western Writersof America. Jessup’s cinematic eye for detail and his gift for gut-wrenching, heart-pounding storytelling pulls us seamlessly into a world of danger, beauty, and unbounded possibility.—Gary Schanbacher, winner of the Langum Award for American Historical Fiction.The plot is riveting. The historical basis just adds to it. If MARIANO'S CROSSING was an award-winning first effort, Mariano’s Choice, the prequel, should join it on thejudges’ stand.—Denny Dressman, author of eight books and President of the Colorado Authors’ League
Having lost his wife, Isaac Roop left his children with friends and family in Ohio and followed his brother Josiah west to California via ship and the arduous crossing of the Isthmus of Panama. By the time they were reunited, Josiah had given up prospecting for the more lucrative and dependable business of supplying the miners in the gold rush town of Shasta. The town that would eventually become Susanville began as Isaac Roop''s dream of having a trading post of his own along the emigrant trail.Members of the Arnold family were also lured west by the promise of gold, and eventually their paths would cross with the Roops. They all struggled with losses and celebrated triumphs along the difficult road to a new life and a place in the history of California as new business ventures, public service and politics would become important parts of their lives. Sandra Jonas has compiled the history of these families and the town that began as Rooptown and was eventually renamed for Isaac''s daughter Susan, who came west to make her home there. Jonas'' tremendous research efforts have paid off, capturing the history of the birth of the town and the founders of Susanville.
brujo, Sp., n., sorcerer, witch doctor, one who works black magicLee Lindsay is a level headed, competent woman-publisher of a successful magazine in Santa Fe, New Mexico, wife of a prominent scientist and mother of a teenage daughter. But her well-ordered world is shattered when she travels to the isolated mountain village of Cavado to interview Juan Mascare├▒as, a local historian and rumored healer or curandero.The village seems strangely deserted when she arrives and the charismatic Mascare├▒as is not at all what she expected. The interview quickly takes a shocking turn that will confuse and haunt Lee in the days to come. Inexplicable things began happening; she experiences strange flashbacks to what might be a past life, an ominous raven watches her by day and invades her dreams at night. Sexual obsession turns to terror, as Lee must fight to save herself and the lives of those she loves.Made into a TV movie, Seduced by Evil, when first released in 1995, author of Deathmark, Jann Arrington-Wolcott has at last returned to what she always intended to be a trilogy. She offers this revised version of the original novel as a doorway-beckoning readers to follow her into a world of mystery where science and sorcery collide.Filled with dark magic, passion, and deadly obsession, Brujo, Eye of the Raven wraps itself around the reader''s imagination and never lets go. This enthralling story, enhanced by the author''s insights into American Indian witchery and shape shifting, is sexy, scary and intriguing. I recommend it for anyone who loves the paranormal.- Anne Hillerman, author of Rock with Wings and Spider Woman''s Daughter
More than 30 years after being discharged from the Army, Stephen Jackson is still haunted by a vivid and disturbing nightmare. When he finally decides to get some help, the path to the answers he seeks is littered with unexpected obstacles. Like a stone thrown into still water, the ripples of Stephen's journey will reach out farther than he could ever have imagined, touching the lives of people he has never met. Author John Wesley Fisher tells this tale, his third novel with the Vietnam War at its center, in a tightly crafted story that addresses the far reaching consequences of war itself for both those who fought and those whose lives touch theirs. In this, John Fisher's third novel and fourth book on the Vietnam War and its aftermath, we are taken on a fictional journey that reads like a thriller but is in truth many things at once. Flip is spiritual pilgrimage for self-knowledge, Eastern wisdom and war healing. It is a vivid travel guide to the new Vietnam. It is reportage, based on the author's personal experiences, on the boons gained by American veterans who return. Flip offers psychological and historical lessons about war and its aftermath and immerses the reader, along with the characters, in Vietnamese culture. John Fisher's novel provides the thrill of a good adventure story while mapping a path to hope and healing, forgiveness and reconciliation for us all.-Edward Tick, Ph.D., Executive Director, Soldier's Heart, Author of War and the Soul and Warrior's Return
Thirty years of browbeating from rancher Bud Smalls has penned his wife, Leah, into emotional isolation. Now Bud is gone and Leah owns the ranch, but there is no help forthcoming from Bud''s brothers who want to force her out and take the ranch for themselves. When their attempt to humiliate her instead becomes her opportunity to succeed, Leah begins to find her way back to herself and learns how much she can gain by opening her heart.The Widow Smalls is just one of the stories in this collection by the WILLA Award winning author of Unbroken, Jamie Lisa Forbes, who writes about the hardships of making a living from the land with an understanding that comes from first-hand experience. Her deftly drawn characters include star-crossed lovers, a young rancher facing his first test of moral courage, an inscrutable ranch hand claiming an impressive relative, a father making one last grasp for his daughter''s love and a child''s struggle to make sense of the world around her. Each will pull readers into the middle of their stories and keep them turning the pages.
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