The Christmas Cowboy (and Two Other Stories) is a book of adventure, but there's more to it than action. It's about a professional saddle bronc rider making his final trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He goes to Las Vegas with a wounded heart and a bad knee, and his chances of winning are slim. But he agrees to do some public relations work, a trip to a burn center, and there he meets a remarkable boy. This is a turning point for him. It is also the story of a bucking horse, one that few men have been able to ride. Our cowboy draws him in the final round, which makes for a dramatic ending. Topock, a short story, is also about a bronc rider dealing with some life shattering difficulties. But he finds a badly injured dog and rescues it. The dog heals, but it takes some time for the man and dog to make friends. But the dog turns out to be an extraordinary animal, and the most loyal friend a man could ever have, and dealing with him changes the man's life. In Escape From Cloud Canyon, we deal with an elderly man who becomes rebellious. He too is suffering from some setbacks, and his irresponsible actions get him sentenced to a security retirement village. There he makes a promise to a dying friend, and this prompts him to plot an escape. It is a story of a man saved by people who care enough about him to work hard at bringing about a change of heart and mind. So in all, these three stories are about recovery through discovery. There is some sadness involved here, lots of action and adventure, but there's also some humor . . . and for sure there's a message in each story.

The Most Dreadful Witness is a novel about two ill-matched guardian angels who've been given the task of looking after a hard drinking college professor. The setting is a small college town in western Kansas, and the professor in question is a psychology professor. Woody Pickens is married, has two children, and a good job. But he also has a drinking problem that is steadily dragging him down. Doug "Salty" Anderson, the senior guardian angel, has been on the job for fourteen years. He's a former professional rodeo cowboy from Texas, and a military officer who was killed in action in Vietnam. The job of guarding Woody has become more than he can handle, and he starts making repeated requests for a partner. The Central Office for Custodial Services finally relents and sends in Dewey Davvison, a former haridresser from Chicago. The two men, needless to say, don't see eye to eye when it comes to guarding Woody Pickens. And guarding this particular college professor is no easy chore. Woody is reckless and sometimes self-destructive, but his escapades are often humorous. This novel examines the causes behind his heavy drinking and rude behavior - his family history, rocky marriage, involvment in campus politics, and friendships and associations. Humor is intended, but the book is filled with serious discussions between the two guardian angels. Dewey is a sensitive, intelligent, thoughtful individual, while Salty is a more practical but somewhat crude man. They clash on occasions, but a fond friendship develops between them, due in part to a coming together of ideas and common concerns. This narrative is not a roller coaster ride through the life and times of a rowdy college professor. It is more a progression of events and circumstances leading toward a climactic ending. And more importantly, although it is strictly fiction, it is a story that could have happened.