Showing results by author "Stephen Bly" in All Categories

In only two weeks, Tap Andrews will tip his hat and say "so long" to bachelorhood. Normally, that would be enough time to take care of business and finalize wedding plans. But considering his knack for finding trouble, it may take him longer. For instance, there's a gang of rustlers invading his ranch, a missed bank payment he didn't know about, a sniper taking potshots at him, and problems at the local dance hall. In fact, there's so much trouble that it's likely he'll miss his own wedding!

All Tap and Pepper Andrews want to do is settle down, buy a small ranch, get a few head of cattle, and start raising a family. But nothing is ever that easy for the ex-convict and his former dance-hall girl trying to break from the past. It seems no matter where they go or what they do, the past is already there ahead of them.

Married life for Tap and Pepper isn't turning out quite the way they planned. The ranch is gone and they've moved to Cheyenne where Tap finds himself a job as acting marshal in a town that has little regard for the law. And it's not a pretty sight!

The story of the Fortune family sees a new beginning with the grandchildren of Brazos Fortune, especially his grandson Frank, and their place of prominence and disgrace in the Black Hills of 1875-1905. As the weight of all the Fortune family tradition, history, and faith bears down upon them, some of them bear the legacy well and some fail miserably; some trust in God faithfully and others will wander down the wilder and wider paths.

Creede of Old Montana follows the exploits and heartbreaks of Avery John Creede, an ex-cavalry soldier, as he tramps along the upper Missouri River in search of four army pals who didn't show up for a scheduled reunion. Throughout Creede's confrontations and adventures, three things remain constant: his courage, his rock-solid faith, and his wounded heart. He knows the first two will never change. And at 42, he's not sure the third ever will either.

Tap Andrews has left his past behind. He's no longer a Wyoming lawman backing down any mobs, nor a Brand Inspector dodging rustler's bullets. He has loaded up the wagon and is moving the very pregnant Pepper and their 11-year-old ward to a seemingly perfect new family life in Montana.

Tap Andrews is tired of fighting every gun-toting bounty hunter crossing his path. He's innocent, and he sets out to Denver to prove it. Pepper Paige would go with him, but she just can't return to Denver and face her past. That is, until Carter Dillard reappears in her life. Pepper must strike a deal that once again forces her to face a past she'd much rather forget.

Pepper Paige is tired of her life as a dance-hall girl, and tired of fearing Jordan Beckett, a violent patron who has turned his attentions on her. When a stagecoach wrecks and an injured woman dies in her room, Pepper assumes her identity and leaves town.

The hard winter at Broken Arrow Crossing couldn't have come at a worse time for Stuart Brannon. Having left his Arizona ranch sick with grief after losing his family and cattle, Brannon is caught in the teeth of the blizzard. He stumbles half-frozen into an isolated stage station, where he finds a wounded prospector.

The first book in a new series by the author of the Heroines of the Golden West series. Alena is a confident entrepreneur in a man's world who meets a rancher with a tragic secret in his past. They're both about to find their inner peace, their calling, and romance in Old California.

For only a dollar, Thunder is a terrific bargain! But, what does a boy do with a dangerous 2,500-pound buffalo that can break out of any corral ever built? Nathan Riggins has to find some way to keep Thunder from killing someone or being killed. He finally decides to donate his buffalo to the Carson City Zoo. But getting him there will be a problem. Thunder has already destroyed one rail car and damaged the train's engine. The railroad refuses to ship him again. The answer comes in a surprising way.  

Nathan's got a real job for the summer - he'll be helping Push-Bill Horn freight supplies to the booming, brawling mining town of 10, Nevada. However, his dog Tona's disastrous fight with a bobcat on the second trip out thrusts Nathan into a dilemma. He wants revenge. And he desperately wants to save Tona's life. Will he take Push-Bill's advice to do the kind thing and put Tona out of his misery? 

Dacee June Fortune's mother died when she was eight, and for the next 23 years she stood at her father's side. Even after she married, Daddy Brazos was her strength, her protection, and her idol. Now, daddy is dying.

Onepenny is exactly the kind of horse Nathan has dreamed of owning - smart, loyal and easy to handle. What's more, this unusual horse with the spotted rump can do tricks. So, Nathan works out a trade with Onepenny's owner, Temple Cholach, and to his delight, the spotted horse becomes his. Before he can even show his parents his new horse, Nathan encounters a posse looking for a stagecoach robber who had ridden a spotted horse. It seems that Temple Cholach isn't the drifter he claimed to be.

The second son of Brazos Fortune, Samuel, is somewhat the lost sheep of the Fortune family. After he is run out of Texas, he ends up hiding out with his father and brother. Although he struggles to escape the consequences of his previous lifestyle, he refuses to talk about the past. Brazos has to deal with sending Samuel back to Texas to make amends or allowing him to have a new start in Dakota.

Oliole Fontenot has moved to Cantrell from New York City to set up her own photography studio. When she is commissioned to do a series on women in the West, she realizes that this is the chance she needs to establish her reputation as an artist. But a handsome rancher begins to capture her heart, and she must reevaluate what she wants. Is God being too bountiful with his blessings?

A simple trip into the prairie provides adventure and trouble. Soon Retta Barre is the talk of the wagon train. Her friends don't want to miss her next caper. And Retta certainly won't let them down. 

Robert is not like his father, the legendary Brazos Fortune. Not a businessman like his brother Todd. Not a notorious retired gunslinger like his brother Sam. Nor the social darlings of the Black Hills like little sister, Dacee June. He's a career soldier who no longer has a career. With the discipline of a West Point graduate, and the rock solid faith his long-departed mother, Robert moves his family to Deadwood to join the rest of the clan.

Retta Barre has never met a hero, except for the ones she reads about in her books. She does know they're strong and courageous. And handsome and pretty. Everything she's not. Her world doesn't expect much from her anyway. She's just a plain-looking 12-year-old who's more stubborn than brave. She owes what little strength she has to her dull daily chores on the Oregon trail. And yet, when her friends are missing, Retta doesn't think twice. She heads out to help them. She has no idea the danger that's about to come her way.

Nathan couldn't believe it. He, his dad, and his friend Colin were going on a cattle drive. But as they set out, the trip took unexpected turns. Nathan's dad had to leave them to hunt down an escaped crook. Then, Colin's friend Leah finagled her way along. When Pepper the cook hurt his foot and had to return to camp, the three kids were on their own. How would they round up cattle when they had never done it before? And how should they deal with the coyote family living beneath their cabin?