Showing results by narrator "John R." in All Categories

The head of ranch security and his first lieutenant, Drover, are finishing up an exhausting morning of patrols when a mysterious caravan of trucks rumbles past headquarters. Going in for a closer look, Hank the Cowdog apprehends a large red box bearing a mysterious label: "WARNING! MONKEY! DO NOT OPEN THIS BOX!"

Hank the cowdog has seen dry summers in his years as the head of ranch security, but nobody on the ranch has seen a drought like this one! Ponds have dried up, the creek is down to a trickle, pastures have turned to burned toast, and the cows are kicking up clouds of dust. Then, to top it all off, Pete the barncat hatches a dastardly plot to ruin Loper's birthday cake!

There's a burglar on the loose, and he's robbing houses with the help of a supersneaky, super-stinky, secret weapon. When this character comes sniffing around Slim's bachelor shack, Hank the Cowdog heads right into action. But does Hank have what it takes to save the day even after getting caught in the spray of some very unsavory artillery?

Brand-new stories by: Daniel Woodrell, Matthew Eck, Catherine Browder, Nancy Pickard, John Lutz, J. Malcolm Garcia, Kevin Prufer, Linda Rodriguez, Nadia Pflaum, Phong Nguyen, Andres Rodriguez, and others. Kansas City: where East and West collide, where naked ambition meets broken dreams, where blues and the night go together like rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Yes, Kansas City is a surprising place of grit, gore, and betrayal, at least in the imaginations of our diverse lineup of contributors.

Tis the season for chaos. It's the night before Christmas, and Hank the Cowdog, head of ranch security, is looking forward to a long winter's nap when duty calls him to accompany Slim into town for a last-minute shopping spree. Along the way, Hank and the gang are struck not only by the meaning of Christmas but also by a 25-pound buzzard who crashes through their windshield.

The ranch is in the grip of a sweltering summer heat wave, and to make matters worse, Bruiser the Rottweiler is on the loose. First Bruiser attacks a defenseless fawn, then he threatens to come after Hank the Cowdog, the Head of Ranch Security!

Hank and Drover have just hitched an accidental ride into town in the back of Slim's pickup, and boy, are they excited! But the excitement turns to drama when Drover mysteriously disappears! Can Hank track down his faithful sidekick before it's time for Slim to head back to the ranch? Or is he off on a wild goose chase?

Hank runs into a dispute with a giant bullfrog over the Emerald Pond. Then, there's a battle with a...well, let's just say a monster. It's too scary to even tell what kind of monster it is! However, things get really tough when Hank is entrusted with the job of guarding Little Alfred's soon-to-be prize winning chicks.

Tricked-up pickup! Hank the Cowdog is about to go on the ride of his life! When the old pickup truck breaks down, Slim ends up with a brand-new model on loan while the old one gets fixed. But Hank is used to the simple life on the ranch and doesn't know what to do when faced with power windows and door locks.

From rags to riches...When Pete the Barncat offers to trade good, juicy steak scraps for a couple of old corncobs, Hank the Cowdog smells a rat. Why would Pete want to trade - unless the cobs are worth a fortune? So, armed with his Incredible PricelessCorncobs, Hank sets out to plan his Early Retirement. But retirement and the life of luxury don't come as easily as Hank expects. It seems as though everyone is after his treasure - even his faithful sidekick, Drover!

Private First Class Aiden Kaas has enlisted in the Marines for all the wrong reasons. Now deployed to Iraq at the age of 19, he just wants to put in his time and serve out his enlistment. However, after being bitten by a seemingly rabid mujahideen, he finds himself suffering from a strange illness, one with consequences beyond his wildest imaginings. As the disease ravages his body and exposes him to dangers far darker than active combat, Aiden discovers what it means to come of age.

In The Revolution of Robert Kennedy, journalist John R. Bohrer focuses in intimate and revealing detail on Bobby Kennedy's life during the three years following JFK's assassination. Torn between mourning the past and plotting his future, Bobby was placed in a sudden competition with his political enemy, Lyndon Johnson, for control of the Democratic Party.

There's a new dog on the ranch, and Hank the Cowdog is none too thrilled about it. He's supposed to keep an eye on Jake until his owner shows up, but Jake's got other plans. He has to get to Madagascar before someone makes off with his treasure! As if Hank doesn't have enough to worry about, there's a saddle thief on the loose.

Find and kill the corporate stupidity that drives customers crazy. CEO and award-winning business writer John R. Brandt offers concrete examples of how any organization - large or small, and regardless of industry - can innovate in ways that delight customers and attract top-level talent. Nincompoopery - terrible customer service, idiotic business processes, and soul-crushing management practices - surrounds all of us. We lose time, patience, and profits as stuck-in-the-past organizations actively prevent us (and our customers) from getting the value we (and they) deserve.

Blake was never one for taking chances. He lived in a world of formulas and equations. A statistician in a controlled society where everything had become predictably mundane. That world disappeared the day the dead got up and began attacking the living. Now, the end is here. Blake finds himself fighting for his life in a world that is rapidly spiraling out of control. He struggles to keep himself alive and must risk everything to find his family.

Corporal Aiden Kaas is just like any other marine - except for the minor matter that he is a werewolf, one unsanctioned by the Lycan Council. Factions of the Council want him exterminated as a threat to the Tribe, and the military has tracked him down and wants to use him as a super-warrior, something that the Council cannot accept. When Colonel Jack Tarnition infects himself with Aiden’s blood to become a werewolf in his own right, things start spiraling out of control.

When a funny turn of events brings a parrot to the ranch, Hank is not worried. After all, what harm can one copycat bird do? So he decides to go about his business. The only problem is, Loper and Sally May don't seem to appreciate his heeding their requests to bark louder and dig up the flowers. What's really going on here? Hank's not sure, but he's determined to find out! Picknickers sing "Because Thy Loving Kindness," and Drover sings a little number called "There Once Was a Doggie".

Ka-boom! Awakened by an attack from an invisible enemy, Hank the Cowdog knows that there's only one thing for him to do - get inside the house and make sure that his family is safe. But when he arrives, Hank learns that the house is in the path of a swirling killer tornado!

Hank makes a foolish bet with his archenemy, Pete the Barncat, that he can catch the Lumberpile Bunny. He loses the wager, his job, his pride, and even his gunny sack bed under the gas tanks. Hank begins to plot revenge. He must dispose of the cat. That sounds simple. But without Pete, Hank discovers scrap time has lost all its joy and meaning.

Hank is in real trouble this time. Loper and Sally May's relatives are coming for Christmas dinner, and Sally May has been working to get the entire ranch in order - including preparing for the Christmas feast. Unfortunately, when she discovers that the turkey she bought has met a terrible end, she pins the blame on Hank! Is he the guilty party, or have more sinister forces been at work to frame him for the crime?