Books with author John R. Erickson

Trouble in town... 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? A cowboy cook sings Hank a song with a lesson in it called "Ed and the Cheese," and Hank sings "The Low-down Dogpound Blues" about his tragic life to Ralph.

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. They're cute, but they also look delicious! Will Hank be able to put aside his doggie instincts for the sake of a job well done? Or will his appetite finally get the best of him? Hear Hank sing two new songs, Temptation and Guarding the Chickies.

The year is 1927, and fourteen-year-old Riley lives with his mother and younger brother, Coy, on the family’s ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Things haven’t been easy for the family since Riley’s father died, but with hard work and devotion, they manage just fine. But all that changes when Riley and Coy stumble upon a moonshine still on their property. Riley knows that it can mean nothing but trouble, but he doesn’t know who he can trust—especially when the law refuses to help. Fortunately, Riley’s grandfather shows up just in time. Grampy is determined to outwit the outlaws, so he and the family set off on a journey to find the truth—and instead find themselves caught up in a crime ring that extends farther than they ever imagined!

The heat is on! It's summertime, and the weather on Hank's West Texas ranch is hot and dry. So dry, in fact, that everyone is on the lookout for prairie fires. So Hank bravely adds the title of Head of Fire Safety to his already impressive list of responsibilities and gets to work. But patrolling for fires is dull, and it's hard to do on an empty stomach. Despite the distractions desperate hunger, a cruel trick at the hands of Pete the Barncat Hank somehow manages to stay focused on the job at hand. And it's a good thing he does, because sure enough, things on the ranch start to heat up. . . . Hank sings a song about Chickens, and later he follows the sound of buzzards singing, Call in the Dogs, Put Out the Fire in this hilarious adventure for the entire family.

Although there are over 200 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, 4 million of whom live in the United States, their history, beliefs, and practices are unfamiliar to most Americans. This book outlines the evolution of Orthodox Christian dogma, which emerged for the first time in 33 A.D., before shifting its focus to American Orthodoxy--a tradition that traces its origins back to the first Greek and Russian immigrants in the 1700s. The narrative follows the momentous events and notable individuals in the history of the Orthodox dioceses in the U.S., including Archbishop Iakovos' march for civil rights alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Orthodox missionaries' active opposition to the mistreatment of native Inuit in Alaska, the quest for Orthodox unity in America, the massive influx of converts since the 1960s, and the often strained relationship between American Orthodox groups and the mother churches on the other side of the Atlantic. Erickson explains the huge impact Orthodox Christianity has had on the history of immigration, and how the religion has changed as a result of the American experience. Lively, engaging, and thoroughly researched, the book unveils an insightful portrait of an ancient faith in a new world.

Now, that stinks! 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? Slim sings “Sitting on the Porch in My Shorts,” and there’s a toe-tapping instrumental song called “Wild Plum Jelly” in this hilarious adventure for the whole family.

The dead have stories to tell. Are you listening?On a sunny August morning, in 1935, thirteen-year-old Sophia Gray finds her friend, Rosemary wandering in the woods. Rosemary’s yellow dress is tattered and stained, she walks with a strange lurch, and her eyes are vacant and glassy. She beckons to Sophia, desperate to show her something, and Sophia follows.In an abandoned cabin, beneath a tattered blanket, Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body.It was not Rosemary who led her there, but Rosemary’s ghost.Step into the Northern Michigan Asylum for the InsaneTwenty years after Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body, she finds herself trapped in the sprawling, and eerily beautiful, Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane, in the hands of a malevolent doctor who preys on patients who exhibit paranormal abilities.Sometimes the dead don’t restIn present day 1965, Hattie, much like her mother, thirty years before, is led by a ghost. A newspaper hidden in an attic reveals a secret that has shaped the lives of Hattie and her siblings. Hattie with her sister, Jude, embark on a crusade to remedy the wrongs of the past and discover the tale of deception that stole their mother a decade before. Hattie and Jude are in a race against time to discover a murderer and save their mother from a horrific fate. Get lost in a uniquely chilling story that spans the life of a family and the ghosts who haunt them.

With Sally May taking the family on a vacation, there's never a dull moment on the ranch with Hank the Cowdog around. In this adventure, Hank learns about a tool thief on the loose who uses a monkey to help him do his dirty work. And before long, Hank finds himself face-to-face with the pilfering primate! Can Hank help to stop the criminals in their tracks, or will the crooks make a monkey out of the Head of Ranch Security? Hank answers a challenge and creates the spectacular The Impossible Chrysanthemum Song and Slim performs his Naptime on the Prarie song for Hank and Drover.

Hank is helping the cowboys with the dangerous mission of rounding up a very angry bull when a strange twist of events brings a yellow Labrador onto the scene. The entire ranch quickly becomes enamored with this new addition to the ranch's Security Division. Who wouldn't love a good-natured dog who strikes fear into the hearts of angry bovine, wears a big sloppy grin all day, and adores the ranch kids? Where will Hank fit in now that there is a Perfect Dog on the scene? Hank sings a little thing called "Happy Dog," and the yellow Labrador sings his story in "Happy's Confession."

Hank the Cowdog is on the case in his fiftieth mystery, and it's an extra long, laugh-out-loud adventure! When Hank gets invited, that is, invites himself on an archaeological dig, all he can think about is impressing the head scientist's beautiful lady dog. But Hank's heart isn't the only thing that's about to get stolen! Can the Head of Ranch Security save an ancient buffalo bone from thieves who want to devour the precious artifact and have Hank for dessert?