Gold fever hits Andrew Jackson Colton. Hard. At eighteen, the opportunity to acquire wealth calls to him. In August 1863, Andy rides into Birchville, the southwestern New Mexico Black Range town, headquarters for anything gold. Andy claims a spot along the stream and pans for gold. Unsuccessful, by first snowfall he’s ready to go home, try again when it’s warmer. However, friend Thomas O’Malley convinces Andy to join him—head farther into the Range to the mining berg of Mogollon. Andy encounters Apaches and is wounded, O’Malley killed. Andy stumbles into Mogollon, which has already been raided. He locates the single cabin occupied by a runaway slave, Dawson, who saves his life. Dawson forces Andy to work, and then hides him when Andy’s older brothers come looking. Dawson convinces the Apache to buy Andy, but the Apache keep Dawson and Andy as slaves. The Apache leader uses Andy as a lure for Andy’s brothers. The leader’s only objective: revenge for his brother’s death at the hands of James Colton. Still looking for Andy, the Colton brothers ride into Birchville, raided by the Apache. Andy and Dawson are used as bait and the Coltons take it. Everyone fights for their lives.
Many stories have been written about the exploits of Billy the Kid, the charismatic outlaw of the Old West. Some have been pure fiction, designed to entertain and excite. Purple prose writers began chronicling the exploits of Billy as early as the late 1870s. Others have been biographical, researched by historians or recorded by those who knew him, including his murderer, Sheriff Pat Garrett. But there was once a different side to the famous gunfighter, a softer more artistic side that seems at odds with Billy’s reputation for shooting, killing, and robbing. Born Henry McCarty, he was also known by the names Henry Antrim, Kid Antrim, and William H. Bonney. He didn’t shoot twenty-one men, as has been claimed. Four is a more likely number, three in self-defense. In Before Billy the Kid, author Melody Groves explores the early life of the infamous outlaw, the teenage boy who loved to sing and dance. The young man who was polite, educated, and popular. A boy who had the bad luck to be orphaned at fifteen and left with no one to guide him through life. How different history might have been if Billy had pursued his love of music instead of a life of crime.
Winner, 2017 NM/AZ Book Awards for She Was Sheriff First Apaches, then Confederate Texans. The Colton brothers—James, Trace, and now Andy—must face not only their enemies, but their own personal demons. Driven to near madness by Apache brutality, nearly killing the sheriff, James chooses joining the Union Army over prison. Andy, the youngest brother, also joins, but only to keep James out of trouble. Trace, the oldest Colton, finds himself imprisoned by a sadistic Confederate officer and left alone to die. It's Arizona Territory at the start of the Civil War, and the Coltons are caught in the middle of it. In the end, it's all up to James to save Union troops from an Apache attack—if he can summon the courage to face his old torturers and their leader, Cochise. "Melody Groves writes about the Southwestern frontier with real authority; a scholar's grasp of history, a keen sense of the land, and a well-honed edge for action that'll get your blood boiling. Historical fiction at its best."—Johnny Boggs, author of thirty books
Robbed and beaten by outlaws, stagecoach guard James Colton vows justice and recovery of his grandfather's watch. Determined to find his heirloom, James hunts the outlaws, only to face an immoral sheriff who gives him no choice but to shoot. Charged with his murder, James's solitary hope is to get the bandits to confess to the sheriff's villainy. With older brother Trace along to help, James tracks the outlaws into Mexico. But after Trace is gravely wounded, James is ambushed by lawmen as he tries to take his brother across the border. The hangman's noose seems closer than ever. Will James prove his innocence? It's 1860 southern New Mexico. Border Ambush exposes the American Southwest for what it really was—rough, tough, and brutal.
Winner, 2017 NM/AZ Book Awards "All She Wanted Was a Gold Band—What She Got Was a Tin Star" For as long as she could remember, Maud Overstreet figured she’d grow up, get married, have a house with a white picket fence and a brood of kids. Now, in 1872, she’s tired of being the bank president’s spinster daughter and equally tired of washing, ironing and cleaning. When, out of the blue, Dry Creek’s town council offers her the job of replacement sheriff, she accepts. And her sheltered world explodes. For the first time, Maud enters a saloon, tastes whiskey, learns to shoot, learns to ride a horse and drive a stagecoach, arrests people, and leads men in search parties. Yet she still has time to dream about her long-errant boyfriend, Elijah J. Goodman, off—somewhere—for the past few years. She is convinced they will marry when he returns and hopes it will be soon. But the discovery of gold brings all sorts of unsavory characters to her town, including the threat of the notorious James Mooney Gang. There are rumors of an impending bank robbery. Maud enlists the help of Mayor Seth Critoli, but it’s up to her to save Dry Creek from disaster. "A light-hearted look at a woman who gets a job nobody else wants and makes it her own. Maud is a spunky, likeable heroine who comes into her own . . . as the town's protector of law and order." —Anne Hillerman, NY Times Bestselling Author "A well-written thoroughly entertaining romp through the Gold Rush country with a reluctant officer of the law who discovers an aptitude for a job most thought only a man could do." —Chris Enss, NY Times Bestselling Author Other Details
Luke Colton believes the South and slavery are right. How else will cotton get to market, tobacco harvested without slaves to do the work? Southern economy is based on such a workforce and besides, what would slaves do if they were free? Luke’s three brothers, parents, and his wife think slavery and states’ rights are wrong. They side with the Union. Here in Kansas, Luke chooses to ride with the leader of Quantrill’s Raiders, a ruthless group of border ruffians. He hides his decision from his family. James Colton, Luke’s older brother, a victim of Apache capture and torture, visits from New Mexico and displays what slavery looks like, explains what it costs. Unconvinced, Luke continues to ride with Quantrill by burning houses, raiding, looting, and assaulting men, until he realizes his family is right. But how to get out of the Confederate guerrilla’s clutches? Upon learning of Quantrill’s plans to burn Lawrence, Kansas, Luke’s hometown, the Colton brothers rush to save everyone. But, no one listens . . .
**Winner of the 2021 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards (History, Other)** Lawman or Outlaw? At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars. When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.
Winner, 2017 NM/AZ Book Awards for She Was Sheriff Stranded in the rugged Sonoran Desert, stagecoach drivers James Colton and older brother, Trace, are captured by warring Apaches. Tortured and driven to the breaking point, James is used as a bargaining chip by the great Apache Chief, Cochise. James will die if Trace can't win freedom for Cochise's brother, imprisoned by the Army. Trace rushes to negotiate a trade, but the Army has other plans—attack Cochise and his warriors at Apache Pass. It's Arizona Territory, 1861. Rage explodes across the Sonoran Desert, and blood stains the sand. Will the Colton brothers survive? Sonoran Rage is the second book in Melody Grove's Colton Brothers Saga series. "Melody Groves takes readers on a memorable adventure into the Sonoran Desert. Unexpected plot twists, realistic descriptions and vivid writing keep you on edge—and turning the pages—as young stagecoach drivers James and Trace Colton face Cochise and his Apaches in a life-changing challenge for survival."—Cotton Smith, author of Western novels, including Blood of Bass Tillman
John Butterfield's mail service connected the East and West Coasts in one of the great entrepreneurial and pioneering stories of the American West. Until 1858, California's gold fields were reached only by horseback, wagon or ship around Cape Horn. Congress decided a 2,800-mile, twenty-five-day stagecoach line would roll from St. Louis to San Francisco. Former Utica, New York mayor Butterfield hired one thousand men and bought 1,200 horses, 600 mules and 250 wagons. Surveying the wilderness, he built roads and two hundred way stations, graded river fords and dug one hundred wells. Join author Melody Groves on a cross-country trip from Missouri to California, and all points in between, as she recounts the Butterfield Stage Line's amazing odyssey.
Throwing a few drinks back at the bar is a timeless tale of humanity. In the American Old West, this tale played out in ramshackle huts and stylish establishments alike in some of the most unforgiving terrain imaginable. While the legendary Crystal Palace in Tombstone, Arizona, had little in common with the tent cities that sprang up in Leadville, Colorado, and Silver City, New Mexico, one common feature was the bars—constructed of planks of mahogany, cherrywood, or rosewood. These bars were often hauled across hundreds of miles of rugged terrain to arrive in various cities, where they would support the elbows, chins, and drinks of those who sought to quench their thirst. From the Grand Hotel in Bisbee to Rosa’s Cantina in El Paso, Myke and Melody Groves tell the story of the front and back bars of twenty-five establishments in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado through a combination of historic background and photographs. This lively travelogue, complete with driving directions, will inspire visitors to the West’s old mining camps, railroad towns, and ranching centers to stop in and belly up to the bar.
**Winner of the 2021 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards (History, Other)** Lawman or Outlaw? At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars. When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.
John Butterfield's mail service connected the East and West Coasts in one of the great entrepreneurial and pioneering stories of the American West. Until 1858, California's gold fields were reached only by horseback, wagon or ship around Cape Horn. Congress decided a 2,800-mile, twenty-five-day stagecoach line would roll from St. Louis to San Francisco. Former Utica, New York mayor Butterfield hired one thousand men and bought 1,200 horses, 600 mules and 250 wagons. Surveying the wilderness, he built roads and two hundred way stations, graded river fords and dug one hundred wells. Join author Melody Groves on a cross-country trip from Missouri to California, and all points in between, as she recounts the Butterfield Stage Line's amazing odyssey.
Gold fever hits Andrew Jackson Colton. Hard. At eighteen, the opportunity to acquire wealth calls to him. In August 1863, Andy rides into Birchville, the southwestern New Mexico Black Range town, headquarters for anything gold. Andy claims a spot along the stream and pans for gold. Unsuccessful, by first snowfall he’s ready to go home, try again when it’s warmer. However, friend Thomas O’Malley convinces Andy to join him—head farther into the Range to the mining berg of Mogollon. Andy encounters Apaches and is wounded, O’Malley killed. Andy stumbles into Mogollon, which has already been raided. He locates the single cabin occupied by a runaway slave, Dawson, who saves his life. Dawson forces Andy to work, and then hides him when Andy’s older brothers come looking. Dawson convinces the Apache to buy Andy, but the Apache keep Dawson and Andy as slaves. The Apache leader uses Andy as a lure for Andy’s brothers. The leader’s only objective: revenge for his brother’s death at the hands of James Colton. Still looking for Andy, the Colton brothers ride into Birchville, raided by the Apache. Andy and Dawson are used as bait and the Coltons take it. Everyone fights for their lives.
Winner, 2017 NM/AZ Book Awards for She Was Sheriff First Apaches, then Confederate Texans. The Colton brothers—James, Trace, and now Andy—must face not only their enemies, but their own personal demons. Driven to near madness by Apache brutality, nearly killing the sheriff, James chooses joining the Union Army over prison. Andy, the youngest brother, also joins, but only to keep James out of trouble. Trace, the oldest Colton, finds himself imprisoned by a sadistic Confederate officer and left alone to die. It's Arizona Territory at the start of the Civil War, and the Coltons are caught in the middle of it. In the end, it's all up to James to save Union troops from an Apache attack—if he can summon the courage to face his old torturers and their leader, Cochise. "Melody Groves writes about the Southwestern frontier with real authority; a scholar's grasp of history, a keen sense of the land, and a well-honed edge for action that'll get your blood boiling. Historical fiction at its best."—Johnny Boggs, author of thirty books
Luke Colton believes the South and slavery are right. How else will cotton get to market, tobacco harvested without slaves to do the work? Southern economy is based on such a workforce and besides, what would slaves do if they were free? Luke’s three brothers, parents, and his wife think slavery and states’ rights are wrong. They side with the Union. Here in Kansas, Luke chooses to ride with the leader of Quantrill’s Raiders, a ruthless group of border ruffians. He hides his decision from his family. James Colton, Luke’s older brother, a victim of Apache capture and torture, visits from New Mexico and displays what slavery looks like, explains what it costs. Unconvinced, Luke continues to ride with Quantrill by burning houses, raiding, looting, and assaulting men, until he realizes his family is right. But how to get out of the Confederate guerrilla’s clutches? Upon learning of Quantrill’s plans to burn Lawrence, Kansas, Luke’s hometown, the Colton brothers rush to save everyone. But, no one listens . . .
Robbed and beaten by outlaws, stagecoach guard James Colton vows justice and recovery of his grandfather's watch. Determined to find his heirloom, James hunts the outlaws, only to face an immoral sheriff who gives him no choice but to shoot. Charged with his murder, James's solitary hope is to get the bandits to confess to the sheriff's villainy. With older brother Trace along to help, James tracks the outlaws into Mexico. But after Trace is gravely wounded, James is ambushed by lawmen as he tries to take his brother across the border. The hangman's noose seems closer than ever. Will James prove his innocence? It's 1860 southern New Mexico. Border Ambush exposes the American Southwest for what it really was—rough, tough, and brutal.
Throwing a few drinks back at the bar is a timeless tale of humanity. In the American Old West, this tale played out in ramshackle huts and stylish establishments alike in some of the most unforgiving terrain imaginable. While the legendary Crystal Palace in Tombstone, Arizona, had little in common with the tent cities that sprang up in Leadville, Colorado, and Silver City, New Mexico, one common feature was the bars—constructed of planks of mahogany, cherrywood, or rosewood. These bars were often hauled across hundreds of miles of rugged terrain to arrive in various cities, where they would support the elbows, chins, and drinks of those who sought to quench their thirst. From the Grand Hotel in Bisbee to Rosa’s Cantina in El Paso, Myke and Melody Groves tell the story of the front and back bars of twenty-five establishments in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado through a combination of historic background and photographs. This lively travelogue, complete with driving directions, will inspire visitors to the West’s old mining camps, railroad towns, and ranching centers to stop in and belly up to the bar.
Many stories have been written about the exploits of Billy the Kid, the charismatic outlaw of the Old West. Some have been pure fiction, designed to entertain and excite. Purple prose writers began chronicling the exploits of Billy as early as the late 1870s. Others have been biographical, researched by historians or recorded by those who knew him, including his murderer, Sheriff Pat Garrett. But there was once a different side to the famous gunfighter, a softer more artistic side that seems at odds with Billy’s reputation for shooting, killing, and robbing. Born Henry McCarty, he was also known by the names Henry Antrim, Kid Antrim, and William H. Bonney. He didn’t shoot twenty-one men, as has been claimed. Four is a more likely number, three in self-defense. In Before Billy the Kid, author Melody Groves explores the early life of the infamous outlaw, the teenage boy who loved to sing and dance. The young man who was polite, educated, and popular. A boy who had the bad luck to be orphaned at fifteen and left with no one to guide him through life. How different history might have been if Billy had pursued his love of music instead of a life of crime.
After the battle, Crow and his recruits are sent to stand guard as the legion builds a new road leading north from London across the now completely depopulated lands of the Iceni. General Paulinus, whose troops fought and destroyed the Britons, is obsessed with finding Boudicca, alive or dead, and swears to take her head as a trophy. On the way to the land of the Iceni, Crow befriends a survivor of the Roman retribution. The woman, starved nearly to death, hides from the Romans. Crow feeds and cares for this survivor, whom he calls Ceres. She follows him into the Iceni land and then disappears when the Roman troops arrive to build a fort. Crows squad is made up of tributes to Rome. One member of the squad, Dionysus, wants more than to ride with the Roman army. He spends his time making friends with Roman troops and finding ways to trade his way up from the cavalry. Dionysuss chance comes when he meets General Paulinus and impresses Paulinus with a gifta statue of Paulinuss enemy, Boudicca. Paulinus, in gratitude, promises Dionysus to help him get closer to the powerful people of this Roman colony. Dionysus finds himself assigned to light duty for the higher-ups in the headquarters near London. In comparison, the rest of the squad are run almost to death. Crow realizes that his sympathies lie with the islanders, not the Romans, and leaves the army in search of Ceres. As his squad goes separate ways and learns to become soldiers, Crow seeks the woman he has helped in her home in a foreign land, giving up his career, his freedom, and, perhaps, his life.
With a new introduction by Amelia Williams, as well as a rare interview with the reclusive author, 'The Girl Who Never Grew Up'. Summer Falls by Amelia Williams In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled ‘The Lord of Winter’ in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. The painting is a puzzle - and with the help of some bizarre new acquaintances, she plans on solving it... (Inspired by the Doctor Who episode 'The Bells of Saint John') The Angel’s Kiss by Melody Malone Detective Melody Malone has an unexpected caller: movie star Rock Railton thinks someone is out to kill him – and when he mentions the ‘kiss of the Angel’, she takes the case. At the press party for Railton’s latest movie, studio owner Max Kliener invites Melody to become their next star. But the cost of fame, she’ll soon discover, is greater than anyone could possibly imagine. (Inspired by the Doctor Who episode, 'The Angels Take Manhattan') Devil in the Smoke, as recounted by Mr Justin Richards On a cold day in December, two young boys, tired of sweeping snow from the workhouse yard, decide to build a snowman – and are confronted with a strange and grisly mystery. In horrified fascination, they watch as their snowman begins to bleed... The search for answers to this impossible event will plunge Harry into the most hazardous – and exhilarating – adventure of his life. (Inspired by the Doctor Who episode, 'The Snowmen')
In a world divided by Clan boundaries and strict taboos, the youngest daughter of High Priestess Shira prepares for her Visioning ceremony. Yetsye Shirasdatir must choose a path. Life and death are in her hands. If she chooses life, something precious will be sacrificed. For while Azilet'zal always provides, a balance must be maintained. Thankfully, no child of Shira ever walks alone. And quests often open doors long locked by misunderstandings. With the aid of her siblings and some surprising new friends, Yetsye sets out. There are a couple of problems, though. This isn't the first time someone tried to unite the Clans. Their failure built the walls she's trying to knock down. She's also much younger and painfully shy. Will Yetsye be able to overcome her fear of people? Will she throw the stone that starts the ripples of change in her world? Or will the required sacrifice shatter her resolve? One small stone still has the power to stir the calmest lake.
Heart pounding, blood pumping, the cowboy nods, chute gate opens, and his world begins. Eight seconds of adrenaline rush. Eight seconds of gripping, pulling, and holding on. The animal under him bucks and twists attempting to dislodge the cowboy's seat but the rider sticks like glue. The buzzer sounds, the cowboy dismounts, tips his hat to a cheering crowd, and nods at his proud fellow riders. Just another day at the office."--from Ropes, Reins, and Rawhide Melody Groves, a native New Mexican and former bull rider, examines the sport of rodeo, from a brief history of the ranch-based competition to the rodeos of today and what each event demands. One of the first topics she addresses is the treatment of the animals. As she points out, without the bulls or horses, there wouldn't be a rodeo. For that reason, the stock contractors, chute workers, cowboys, and all the arena workers respect the animals and take precautions against their injuries. Groves writes for the rodeo novice, explaining the workings and workers (stock handlers, veterinarians, clowns, "pick up" men, event judges, etc.) seen in the arena and behind the scenes. She then describes the rodeo events: bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and barrel racing. Interviews with rodeo legends in every event round out the "feel" for this breathtaking sport. Over ninety photos depict what is described in the text to more fully explain the rodeo, with its ropes, reins, and rawhide.
A simple book of verse and prose, of nature and imagination; I have come to terms with the future. From this day forward I will walk easy on the earth, plant trees, and kill no living things. Live in harmony with all creatures. I will restore the earth where I am. Use no more of its resources than I need, and listen, listen to what it is telling me…M.J. Slim Hooey
This book takes the croak of frogs, the quack of ducks, the twinkle of stars, the bloom of flowers, the snowcapped mountains, the fragrant valleys, and the whispering winds and puts them to rhyme. Artwork created in the sloping mountains of Norway combined with these rhyming words tells tales of what once was to what is. This kiss of Mother Nature is a journey into a world of fantasy, a rapture of lonely shores by the seas as they sing their music of eternity. As Lord Byron once said, “I love not man the less, but nature more.” Come take this journey with me into the mystic.
In the last thirty years, the big pharmaceutical companies have transformed themselves into marketing machines selling dangerous medicines as if they were Coca-Cola or Cadillacs. They pitch drugs with video games and soft cuddly toys for children; promote them in churches and subways, at NASCAR races and state fairs. They've become experts at promoting fear of disease, just so they can sell us hope. No question: drugs can save lives. But the relentless marketing that has enriched corporate executives and sent stock prices soaring has come with a dark side. Prescription pills taken as directed by physicians are estimated to kill one American every five minutes. And that figure doesn't reflect the damage done as the overmedicated take to the roads. Our Daily Meds connects the dots for the first time to show how corporate salesmanship has triumphed over science inside the biggest pharmaceutical companies and, in turn, how this promotion driven industry has taken over the practice of medicine and is changing American life. It is an ageless story of the battle between good and evil, with potentially life-changing consequences for everyone, not just the 65 percent of Americans who unscrew a prescription cap every day. An industry with the promise to help so many is now leaving a legacy of needless harm.
Melody Marion and Amanda Ford trace the formation of this Jefferson City, Tennessee, institution from its founding as Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary in 1850 to the one-hundred-and-twenty acre university campus that is Carson-Newman today. Along the way, Marion and Ford discuss the school's Baptist foundations, its coeducational merger in the late nineteenth century, a string of presidents both exceptional and misguided, and its expansion from college to university in the twenty-first century"--
For the first time that she can remember, Maya Stark is beginning to feel like a “normal” teenager. Even with her mother in jail for drug possession and her pop-star father away on his comeback tour, Maya’s new life with her uncle Allen and cousin Kim is coming together. Summer vacation’s just beginning, and with a new job, a new boyfriend, and a new car (hybrid, of course), things are finally starting to look up. But that doesn’t mean life is about to get any easier. Maya’s still devoted to living Green, and her uncle offers her a Green column in his newspaper. With the opportunity to make a difference in the town’s attitude toward the environment, Maya wonders how this fits with her newfound commitment to Christ. And if she can really consider herself a Christian when her feelings toward a fellow youth group member are anything but loving…
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