Collection of works of the storyteller, Skeeter Skelton, interspersed with anecdotes and tales about him by people who knew him.

Cracker Westerns are rip-roarin, action-packed, can't-put-'em-down tales set in the frontier days of Florida. They are full of adventure, real heroes, and vivid, authentic details that bring Florida's history to life. With enough shoot-outs and stampedes for any good Western story, Alligator Gold adds its unique Florida twist with an alligator in a deep blue spring. The Civil War is over and Caleb Hawkins is finally on his way home from a Northern prisoner-of-war camp. Hawk's been trying to get his mind off giving the rotten Snake Barber part of the secret to finding his family's hidden cache of gold when he was delirious with malaria at the camp. Now he's focused on getting back to the D-Wing, his Florida cattle ranch, and Travis, his only son. But his code of honor intervenes when he encounters a very pregnant Madelaine Wilkes along the trail. Hawk is duty-bound to help her, which comes to include taking her home with him. What he learns about the father of her baby tarnishes his clear attraction to her. Maddy Wilkes has her own code of honor, which gets in the way of her strong attraction to Hawk. And Snake Barber's singular lack of moral code gets in the way of any normal life on the D-Wing. See all of the books in this series

Original publication and copyright date: 2009.

"Dealing with a dog, to put it crudely, is like dealing with a person who's a bit dumb. Dealing with a cat is like dealing with a person who's more than a bit crazy." When a stray kitten romps into Lynne's life, she has no idea what she's getting into. As Lynne describes in letters to her friend Angie, Skeeter is all cat -- high-spirited, contrary, and inventive. He's so goofy that he reminds Lynne of her own nuttiest escapades; so irrepressible that even Lynne's neighbor, Mark, gets wound around his paw. And when Angie visits to see Skeeter for herself . . . Well, no one who meets Skeeter will ever be quite the same again. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anne L. Watson, a retired historic preservation architecture consultant, is the author of numerous novels, plus books on such diverse subjects as soapmaking and baking with cookie molds. A former resident of San Pedro, California -- the setting of "Skeeter" -- Anne currently lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE January 29, 2000 Dear Angie, Skeeter is not entirely happy about the way we live. For example, he doesn't like my going to work. With more justification, he disapproves of some of my attitudes. Most of my experience with animals is with dogs. In a relationship with a pet, I elect myself pack leader. Cats are not pack animals. Skeeter, a democrat, considers us equals and resents my bumptious ways. This is particularly true when it comes to food. I buy various kinds of food for Skeeter so he won't become too set on one type or flavor. I had a friend in high school whose cat, Sparkles, would eat nothing but Kitty Queen Tuna. No other brand would do, even people tuna. Kitty Queen Salmon would not do, either. My friend's family had Kitty Queen Tuna crises, when none could be found. "Did you try the all-night drugstore?" "We went there last time, remember? They don't have it." The cat probably would have starved before it ate anything else. My friend's mother had a strange relationship with the cat. She believed Sparkles to be the reincarnation of her own mother, long deceased. So the cat ruled the household. I am not going down that road with Skeeter. A gauntlet has been thrown, though, regarding turkey. Till last week, he ate it with obvious enjoyment. The two cans I've given him this week have gone untouched. Someone said it might be spoiled, that I should smell it. A longtime vegetarian, I think meat always smells spoiled, but I gave it a whiff. Disgusting, but not rancid. I won't buy it again, though, if he feels that way. This morning he got beef, which he accepted. In fact, he made a pig of himself. After breakfast he returned to the bedroom, belching alarmingly. "Would Monsieur like a potato with the steak next time?" I asked. "Perhaps a small glass of red wine?" Monsieur looked interested. "A salad?" No sale. I think I'll continue being pack leader. Like all despots, I perpetuate Skeeter's servitude by monopolizing the means to freedom: the checkbook, the car keys, the can opener. It's unfair that I should be the leader just because I'm bigger and smarter and have opposable thumbs. But it's going to stay that way as long as I can manage it. If Skeeter is the reincarnation of my mother, she can learn to eat what she's given. Love, Lynne

There is an entire generation that grew up on Nickelodeon. The network started to get its footing in the '80s and in the '90s became the defining voice in entertainment for kids. For the first time ever, in this book, the entire expanse of '90s Nickelodeon has been collected in one place. A mix of personal reflection and media criticism, it delves into the history of each show with humor and insight. It revisits shows such as Rugrats, Clarissa Explains It All, and Legends of the Hidden Temple, one by one. More than an act of nostalgia, this book looks critically at the '90s Nick catalog, covering the good, the bad, and the weird.