Showing results by author "John Deacon" in All Categories

The journey west continues beneath a vast and fickle sky. For Jem Hardy, the Oregon Trail has become a proving ground, shaping him into a man of strength and compassion. His heart belongs to Charlotte. They cling to secret plans, dreaming of a future together. But no one knows what lies beyond the horizon. As unforeseen trials arise and the line between friend and foe begins to blur, Jem’s resolve will be tested like never before. With danger at every turn, the young scout must rise to meet a destiny he never imagined.

Orphaned at fourteen, Hector “Heck” Martin heads west, determined to see the far country and make a man of himself. Along the way, he falls in love with bold and beautiful Hope Mullen. But Heck is too young and poor to marry, so he heads west again. During a three-year journey, Heck crosses thousands of miles, becomes a bareknuckle boxer, a mountain man, and an Indian fighter, and meets the likes of Kit Carson and Jim Bridger as he explores the gorgeous and deadly frontier.

After finally reaching Fort Kearny, the wagon train enters the Great Plains, where tensions run high due to recent troubles with the Sioux and Cheyenne. Riding ahead of the wagons is Jem, now an official scout. He and Charlotte are looking forward to her birthday, when they can finally get married. But first, they must cover hundreds of miles and face many perils: disgruntled Indians, buffalo stampedes, dangerous river crossings, extreme weather, and new danger from within their rolling village.

After completing their fort, the residents of Heck's Valley brace for winter. Many speak of spring—and the possibility of staying here and working together to build a town in this breathtaking wilderness. Heck and Hope don't know what the future holds, but so long as they are together, they face it with confidence. But life on the frontier is never easy. They have to guard their stock, keep the peace, and prepare defenses for spring when the Sioux warriors who killed Seeker's parents will again come raiding. Meanwhile, Heck must decide what to do about his amazing discovery.

Justice is a drifter with no fear and no memory, trailed by a violent past. Nora is a beautiful widow bravely raising her young son on an isolated New Mexican ranch. When a ruthless cattle baron pushes longhorns into the valley, Justice vows to protect Nora and her boy. But how can he succeed against thirty hired guns… including the four outlaws who left him for dead?

Justice heads to a wild Colorado boomtown to uncover his forgotten life and track down the powerful crime boss Ruble Cochran. But in Leadville, nothing is simple. Every answer leads to new questions, and Justice faces Cochran’s gang, including the mysterious killer known only as The Dragon. Can Justice take down a crime syndicate, uncover his past, and find a way to marry Nora Eckert?

Heck Martin battled Indians, bandits, and grizzly bears to make his valley the gem of the frontier. He overcame big obstacles to buy the land, build a town, and bring in a herd of longhorns. Now, ruthless San Francisco gold baron Percival Dumay threatens everything Heck worked so hard to accomplish. With the help of crooked politicians and an army of tough prospectors, he aims to take Heck's gold, his land, and his life. This time, Dumay is fighting dirty against the wrong man.

As a mountain man and cavalry scout, Heck Martin handled every challenge on the Western frontier. Now, however, he must care not only for himself but also for his beloved Hope, her family, and his adopted brother, Seeker, in a remote wilderness populated by hostile Indians, bandits, and predators. Most men would crumble under these circumstances, but Heck has enough love and courage to forge a new destiny in this mighty land. Filled with tough optimism and a pioneering spirit, he vows to master the wilderness. There is much to do.

Seventeen-year-old Jem Hardy pleaded with the wagon master. He had to join the wagon train, had to cross the Oregon Trail, had to keep a sacred promise—but he couldn’t reveal the truth. Grudgingly, the man took him on as a scout. Jem had never scouted a mile in his life. But he had another set of skills. Skills no one could imagine. As the courageous men and women of the wagon train face bandits, bloodshed, and betrayal, Jem’s secret could save their lives—or doom them all.

HE WANTED PEACE. HE FOUND WAR. Twin brothers Conn and Cole Sullivan couldn’t have been closer. They worked, fought, and dreamed side-by-side until a bitter dispute set them on separate paths. Cole built a homestead and married a good woman. Conn drifted the West and earned a reputation as a gunman. Hearing of Cole’s marriage, Conn rides that way, planning to apologize, hang up his guns, and start fresh alongside the brother he misses. But it’s too late. Someone burned the homestead, murdered Cole, and left his young widow reeling. Now, Conn must pick up the pieces…

Justice and Nora are building a nice life on the ranch, but he must hit the trail again. Reinstated as a silent justice, he vows to balance his two lives. That vow is tested mightily when his sixteen-year-old daughter, Katie, falls for a young cowboy with a mysterious past. Meanwhile, the formidable Undergrove Gang is cutting a bloody swath across the Southwest. Then, as Justice hunts the gang, big trouble rides into Dos Pesos.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how projects are managed across industries. Project managers and team leaders are discovering that AI-powered tools can shoulder much of the “grunt work” – from drafting project plans to summarizing status updates – allowing human teams to focus on strategic decision-making and creative problem-solving. In my years of leading teams both in the military and corporate world, I’ve learned the value of leveraging the right tools to multiply a team’s effectiveness.

Newly married, Justice and Nora honeymoon in New York City, where they rescue an orphan girl, track down Don Antonio Garza’s lawyer, and dole out some good, old fashioned, Western justice. Then it’s on to Mexico. Justice and an old friend ride into the wild borderlands, where they face bandidos, Apaches, rurales, and the formidable assassin, Mr. Rose.

In this fast-paced Western, a gunslinger with a savage past reluctantly teams up with a young orphan girl to avenge the murder of the padre who saved them both. As Lobo hunts the seven killers, he will uncover long-buried secrets, help a good woman in a bad situation, and maybe even do something a surly loner like Lobo wouldn't have thought possible… fall in love.

In wicked times, heroes are treated like villains. "You're not wanted in Dry Gulch," they tell Kip Callahan when he rides into town. This valley is on the brink of a range war, and Kip knows he'll probably catch lead if he sticks around, but someone framed and lynched an innocent man, and Kip is determined to uncover the truth.

Will and Maggie have big dreams. Not just for themselves and their baby. For their friends, family, and Texas, too. Can Will secure his old homestead before a carpetbagger snatches it up? What dangers await the Walking Gallows when they return to the Thicket? Meanwhile, despite Captain Culp's best efforts, big trouble is brewing with the bluebellies. Why? Through it all, Will and Maggie work hard for a better future. But if Will's enemies succeed, he won't have any future at all.

Will and Maggie face an uncertain future. Can Will get the cattle to market? Will Captain Culp clear Will's name? What revenge is Sully Weatherspoon's father plotting? Will and Maggie have no idea what lies ahead, but as long as they have each other, they will face these challenges bravely, ready to fight for a better life.

We all love our children and grandchildren, and we want to keep them safe. Yet in today’s digital age, our kids face online dangers that didn’t even exist when we were young. From cyberbullies and predators to the ever-present threat of inappropriate content, the internet can be a minefield for the unwary child. Unfortunately, many parents underestimate these risks – experts note that a lack of understanding among parents is one of the biggest obstacles to keeping kids safe online.

August and September mark the hectic back-to-school season, when relaxed summer days give way to packed schedules of school, sports, and activities. It’s no wonder searches for “back-to-school meal plans” spike in late summer as families scramble for solutions (actionnews5.com). In fact, surveys show that about 85% of parents feel stressed when preparing school lunches (washingtonpost.com), and nearly three in five parents find planning and making dinner to be a top source of stress during the school year (homeword.com).

Easy to say; hard to do. But Kip is determined, regardless of any difficulty. So when Doc asks him to find a missing woman, Kip vows to bring her home. He and Ursula head to San Francisco, where they plunge into a dangerous mystery that will change the West forever.