Cochetopa Dreams

When Susan O’Brian first heard about the caretaker job at the Circle J Ranch near Saguache, Colorado, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to forge a new life for her and her son. The picturesque beauty of the untamed wilderness nearby was just the sort of backdrop she needed to rekindle her spirit and encourage her son, Ben, to invest his time in something other than video games and television programming. But unbeknownst to most people, the Circle J holds a dark secret: A ghostly inhabitant whose presence is responsible for frightening off all the previous tenants. Claiming to be the spirit of the woman who originally owned the Circle J Ranch, the apparition tells Susan the story of a family tragedy that happened in the nearby woods, an event that ended with the death of the woman’s son, Nathaniel. Now, nearly a century later, history looks to be repeating itself, as Ben becomes entangled in a life and death struggle similar to the one that claimed Nathaniel’s life all those years ago. As Susan, with the help of a handsome forest ranger, attempts to mount an ambitious rescue for her son, all of Ben’s newly acquired survival skills will be tested to their limit; and in the process, he will discover the key to the mystery behind the Circle J’s supernatural occurrences—if only he can live long enough to solve it.

From the Inside Flap

When Susan O Brian first heard about the caretaker job at the Circle J Ranch near Saguache, Colorado, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to forge a new life for her and her son. The picturesque beauty of the untamed wilderness nearby was just the sort of backdrop she needed to rekindle her spirit and encourage her son, Ben, to invest his time in something other than video games and television programming. But unbeknownst to most people, the Circle J holds a dark secret: A ghostly inhabitant whose presence is responsible for frightening off all the previous tenants. Claiming to be the spirit of the woman who originally owned the Circle J Ranch, the apparition tells Susan the story of a family tragedy that happened in the nearby woods, an event that ended with the death of the woman s son, Nathaniel. Now, nearly a century later, history looks to be repeating itself, as Ben becomes entangled in a life and death struggle similar to the one that claimed Nathaniel s life all those years ago. As Susan, with the help of a handsome forest ranger, attempts to mount an ambitious rescue for her son, all of Ben s newly acquired survival skills will be tested to their limit; and in the process, he will discover the key to the mystery behind the Circle J s supernatural occurrences if only he can live long enough to solve it.

About the Author

Carroll Allison hitchhiked to Colorado from Texas in the summer of 1971 and decided there was no better place to live. A graduate in History from the University of Colorado, he won the Department of History’s undergraduate writing competition two years in a row in 1989-1990. He has spent over 30 years in careers in law enforcement and in public safety technology. His first novel, Cochetopa Dreams, was born out of the history of his wife’s, Maura, pioneer family in the San Luis Valley and a deep love of the Colorado high country. Carroll currently resides in Cedaredge, Colorado where his is working on his second novel.

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