Books
Explore other books by John R. Erickson.
- Hank the Cowdog
- Riley McDaniels Series
- Non-Fiction Books
Non-Fiction
Cowboy Fiddler in Bob Wills' Band
Frankie McWhorter grew up in Bob Wills Country and bought his first fiddle with his cowboy wages in 1950. He played with Clyde Chesser and the Texas Village Boys and the Miller Brothers Band before being asked to join Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. McWhorter tells stories of touring with these bands and of his hours spent listening to Wills tell his stories. He also reveals his adventures and misadventures as a working cowboy. Buy
Catch Rope: The Long Arm of the Cowboy
Author/cowboy John Erickson studies ranch roping; and the endless debate between those cowboys who rope"hard and fast" and those who "dally". Mixing scholarship with this working cowboy's knowledge of the subject, Erickson tells stories of cowboys who could not resist fitting their loops on "things that ort not to be roped," such as elk, deer, badgers, bears, and bobcats. He tells of jackrabbit roping contests, and of cowboys who roped mice, geese, hogs, wives, or a runaway milk wagon. Buy
Through Time and the Valley
Frankie McWhorter grew up in Bob Wills Country and bought his first fiddle with his cowboy wages in 1950. He played with Clyde Chesser and the Texas Village Boys and the Miller Brothers Band before being asked to join Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. McWhorter tells stories of touring with these bands and of his hours spent listening to Wills tell his stories. He also reveals his adventures and misadventures as a working cowboy. Buy
LZ Cowboy
This contemporary "log of a cowboy," to borrow a term from Andy Adams, reveals the daily life of a cowboy during the years 1979-81. Readers of Erickson's Hank the Cowdog books will recognize names, locations and incidents which the author used for that series: Tuerto, Drover, Casey the Bronc, the machine shed, the calf shed, the sick pen, and the gas tanks. High Loper, Sally May, and Slim were originally patterned after Tom Ellzey, Janet Ellzey, and Erickson himself. Buy
Panhandle Cowboy
Panhandle Cowboy is the classic description of cowboy life by master storyteller John Erickson. His observations about the Crown Ranch in particular, and the cowboy lifestyle in general, are filled with humor and pathos as Erickson describes the ranch, individual cowboys, roundups, wild cattle, and horses. Panhandle Cowboy is a treasured addition to the literature, life and lore of the American cowboy. Buy
Some Babies Grow Up Cowboys
Erickson's articles and essays have been published in Texas Highways, Oklahoma Today, Livestock Weekly, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Times Herald, and American Cowboy. Many of the pieces are anecdotal, based on Erickson's experiences and observations on ranches. Others requied some research and are more historical. Some are essays in which Erickson views contemporary life through the lens of cowboying. Buy
Friends
Erickson writes with authority about ranching and cowboying in the modern era, always with an eye for the humor of everyday incidents. Some of his friends are widely known, such as artist Ace Reid and noted fiddle player Frankie McWhorter. Others are cowboys who work the big ranches between the Canadian and Beaver Rivers. They share the stage with some of Erickson's four-legged friends: the Phantom Cow, Texie, the Incredible Burping Dog, an Arabian horse called Dandy, Callie the cat, and Eddy the raccoon. Buy
The Modern Cowboy
“The American cowboy is a mythical character who refuses to die,” says author John R. Erickson. On the one hand he is a common man: a laborer, a hired hand who works for wages. Yet in his lonely struggle against nature and animal cunning, he becomes larger than life. Who is this cowboy? Where did he come from and where is he today? Buy
Prarie Gothic
Prairie Gothic is rich in Texas history. It is the story of Erickson s family, ordinary people who, through strength of character, found dignity in the challenges presented by nature and human nature. It is also the story of the place instrumental in shaping their lives the flatland prairie of northwestern Texas that has gone by various names (High Plains, South Plains, Staked Plains, and Llano Estacado), as well as the rugged country on its eastern boundary, often referred to as the caprock canyonlands. Buy
Story Craft
John R. Erickson provides writers and all people of faith a treasure trove of wisdom, insight, and felicity. The author explains the reasons he became a writer and the process mingled patience he employed to become a best-selling author. He tells the reader how he creates his themes and characters as he dispenses practical ideas on publishing a successful book. Buy
Young Adult Stories
Moonshiner's Gold
When fourteen-year-old Riley sees smoke coming from a deserted canyon, he and his younger brother go to investigate-and discover moonshiners have set up a still on their property!The boys and their mother live alone on the Texas ranch, and they know they're in big trouble when even the law refuses to help. Things get even stranger when Riley discovers a sack of gold hidden in the coal stove at his schoolhouse. But then Grampy shows up and is determined to outwit the outlaws. Buy
Discovery at Flint Springs
For fourteen-year-old Riley McDaniels and his brother Coy, it looks as though it's going to be a long, hot summer. There's not much to do on the ranch but tend to the cattle, and with no one else around for miles, the brothers have only each other for company. A surprise visit from their friend Aaron Kaplan changes all of that. Not only does Aaron arrive in an airplane, but he brings an expert on archeology with him. As it turns out, the McDaniels' ranch just might be home to some important archaeological sites!Buy
Fear's Return
After Riley and Grampy fight their way home through a blizzard, they are greeted with the ominous news that Sparrow’s notorious former sheriff, Joe McGreggor, is back on the loose! Not only that, there’s been a bank robbery in Sparrow. When suspicious tire tracks are found on the McDaniels’ ranch, the clues begin to add up. With the help of their friend Aaron Kaplan, the McDaniels family sets out to defend their ranch against the desperate trespassers. But, it soon becomes clear that the escaped McGreggor is a bigger danger than anyone imagined!Buy
