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.