Montana Books

I found this book in a thrift store and it was the best 10 cent purchase that I've made! I immediately connected with the main character. The growing suspense and romance kept me wanting more. The setting was lovely and I was kept guessing until the end to find out who the murderer was. This is a book not be be missed.

this was my first read by this author. I loved it. It was an easy read and I could feel the characters feelings. I recommend this book to every one.

Dark Water had me hooked from the beginning. The suspense was just enough to keep pulling you along. It was not a steamy romance but enough of romance in the story line to make you feel the passion. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing who the killer is until the very moment it is necessary. It makes for a good read because you keep guessing until "Bam" there it is. I only just finished this a few hours ago and I am still trying to absorb all the information. It is so addictive that you will be done with the book before you know it. I thoroughly recommend this book.

When she was ten, Sarah Whitman's life was turned upside down; her father was accused of robbing his bank when he disappeared at the same time a cool million bucks went missing. Her mother, unable to cope with the humiliation, committed suicide, leaving Sarah to grow up with an "aunt" in New Orleans. She returns to Maine upon discovery of her father's body, which is found at the bottom of a lake outside town. Sara insists the bank heist investigation be re-opened. She also plans to avenge the devastation that the town brought to her family. Her first love, Chicago nightclub owner Tony returns to stand by her, something he failed to do 20 years earlier. But someone would rather see Sarah dead then the past revisited.

Overall, the plot is a bit thin and somewhat predictable; I guessed the bad guy early on (a rare occurrence for me). But Sala always creates such engaging characters, and despite its predictability, I found it to be an interesting story.

Sharon Sala is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and she continued to intrigue me with DARK WATER. I figured out the identity of the villain, well almost! She kept that a hidden secret until the very end and I doubt many will figure it out.

Sarah Whitman left Marmet, Maine as a broken-hearted child. Her father, Franklin, had been accused of stealing a million dollars from the bank in which he worked and then disappeared. Soon afterward, not able to continue enduring the ridicule of the town, her mother committed suicide. Sarah then moves to New Orleans with her mother's best friend and she vows never to return. Twenty years later, when an armored car is robbed, and a teller is kidnapped, the assailant decides to ditch the car and hostage in Flagstaff Lake, only to die during this escapade. While divers try to retrieve his body, they find a chest holding the remains of Franklin Whitman. Sarah returns to Marmet to give her father a proper burial, to find his killer, and avenge her parents' deaths.

Tony DeMarco had come back to Marmet to lend his support to Sarah. Seems Franklin was young Tony's mentor and he feels obligated to help Sarah to pay his debt to her father. Sounds a little convoluted, but it was actually sweet. When he sees Sarah though, all thoughts of being a gallant gentleman escape as he falls head over heels in lust with her. When an attempt on Sarah's life fails, Tony realizes he feels more than lust and also understands that she's upset her father's killer with her vow to uncover the real thief and murderer.

Ok, so the love story part of this book is a bit gaggy (is that a word?), but the suspense is wonderful! Sala continues to keep the action going and the reader guessing throughout the entire book. I had narrowed down the villain to a handful of people, but when I tried to figure out the one person who could be behind these crimes, my guess was wrong. I was close, but not quite close enough. I love it when an author fools me!

The wide assortment of characters was very interesting. Sarah is a strong independent southern woman. Tony is the bad boy turned successful business owner (and we're only given a few hints as to how he got the nickname of "Silk" when he was a teenager). Lorett is Sarah's "Aunt" who raised her. She is able to see the future and has been known to use a bit of voodoo if the mood arises. She's wonderfully developed and always brings a smile to the reader's face whenever she enters the scene. The rest of the support cast is also well built and interesting. The eclectic group of older ladies who make up the town social order are all fascinating and enjoyable. Maury, the private investigator, is rough around the edges, but loveable. Another book could be written with any of these in the lead roles and it would be wonderful.

The suspense portion of DARK WATER is extremely well done, but the love interests bring the book down to a 4 ½ star level. Even so, it's one that should definitely be added to your Must Read list.

What a journey! This is one of those rare books that not only tells a great story, but actualy envelops the reader and takes them on an incredible spiritual journey. The author writes in a style which is both familiar and confortable. When she describes places, rituals, or people, the reader feels like they are there, seeing these things with the author. As for Mama Lola herself, what a woman! Mama Lola, Alourdes, is presented as a kind, strong, knowledgeble, and powerful priestess. When the author writes Mama Lola's words, you can feel as if you are actually hearing her speak to you. The words along with several photographs give this book more than the reader could ever imagine. I will cherish this book as long as I live.

Not really a book on Hatian Vodou. Mama Lola is more a family history and a description of what serving the spirits means to them.
Dr. Brown makes this amazing woman and her family come alive on the page.
Alourdes is all at once a devout woman, devoted mother, petulent and powerful woman. Her family is at once inspiring and beverage out your nose funny.
By the end of this edition, I found myself not only falling in love with Alourdes family, but with the spirits they so loyally serve.
A terrfic book if you want to understand what Vodou means to it's followers, what life is like for immigrant women and the pride and strength that comes from growing up in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.

Walking between the worlds

Karen McCarthy Brown has penned a masterpiece! Mama Lola, known to family and friends as Alourdes, is a Mambo, an initiated priestess of Voudou who earns a modest living by serving her immigrant countrymen in America as a traditional healer and by conducting Haitian Voudou rites in her Brooklyn home. In 1978, Brown, then a professor of religion at New Jersey's Drew University first encountered Mama Lola while doing an ethnographic survey of the local Haitian population. Intrigued by the priestess and her misunderstood and maligned tradition, Brown became at first a friend, then a member of Mama Lola's extended family and finally an enthusiastic participant in many of the rites that comprise the corpus of Voudoun devotional life.

Mama Lola, her daughter Maggie, their children and their ancestors, and the 'Lwa' (spirits) who frequently 'possess' them are an engaging, wonderfully diverse crowd: deeply spiritual, profoundly thoughtful and often humorous characters marvelously skilled in surviving conditions of extreme deprivation and oppression and in adapting to the conditions of life (or, afterlife) in the strange world of urban America.

By the time I had completed this delightful book, I felt myself deeply involved in Mama Lola's life and that of her extended family. Brown's writing is textured and a pleasure to read. The author goes far out on a limb, leaving her observer role and social scientist expertise and becomes an initiate into the religion, wedding the 'etic' of academia to the 'emic' of an ecstatic, profoundly sensual, Earth-centered religiosity.

The arrangement of the text adds to its readability, with odd chapters offering stories about Mama Lola's family and heritage and even chapters devoted to the pantheon of lwa (spirits) of the Voudou tradition. A glossary of Voudou terms has been added, which is indispensible to readers new to the subject.

Students and scholars of Haiti, the African Diaspora and African religious traditions will enjoy and benefit from this work immensely. I recommend it as well to the general public for a most worthwhile reading adventure.

One of the best books ever. This book strikes a perfect balance between a dry, scholarly approach and a colorful, sensationalist approach. It is written by a scholar who was initiated into and participated in vodou rituals, thus avoiding the kind of spiritual blindness that often afflicts scholars studying alien religions.
What is really fascinating about the practice of vodou as depicted in this book is how it functions as a kind of psychodrama for maintaining personal and social balance and mental health. Fascinating.

This is an engrossing and moving read that compares with such books as "Woman Who Glows In The Dark" and "Macumba." It is about a very wonderful, gifted woman who is a Mambo, a Haitian Vudou healer and spiritualist. The story is about her life, her ancestors, her spirits and her relationships. The book is rich with insights.

I bought this as a gift for my Mother. I do not believe she has used the book yet. Shopping was efficient on your web site. Purchase came quickly. You are excellent!

We gave this as a gift to our daughter-in-law who loves playing Scrabble. She told us at least 4 times how much she liked it. So I'd say it's a winner!

Everything Scrabble is a very useful resource for any Scrabble player who wishes to take Scrabble to the next level. This book will teach you very useful two and three letter words, all the need-to-know 'Q' and 'Z' words, and can reshape the way you look at your Scrabble tiles. It is a bit lengthy- you can't really sit down with it and read it in an hour; instead, it's designed to take each chapter in steps to improve your skills overall. Everything Scrabble is very informative and interesting and definitely a good buy.

I was very pleased with my purchase of the above mentioned book. Fast shipping and well packaged.

The authors need to update this work. It still uses the words contained in OSWD 3. Anyone playing with a OSWD 4 knows that words like "Qi" and "Ki" are permissable and this edition of EVERYTHING SCRABBLE doesn't take that into account, so anyone using this version will be at a great disadvantage.

As a mother of a child with "special needs", I found this book to be quite inspiring. In the introduction, it is recommended you read a few essays at a time. While the information can be overwhelming at times, they are also joyous. I read the entire book in two sittings. It was so wonderful to see how these parents overcame their own fears and depression so they may enjoy their children.
You will truly realize "You are not alone" after reading these collective essays. There is also a wonderful place at the end of the book for parents to turn to for help and support.

I am a Genetic Counseling student and this book was a great read before I started my program. It really inspired me and reminded me of why I was going to go into this field.
I bought it to keep on my book shelf in my future office so that I may share some of these stories with patients if I feel they would benefit from them.
It is a book of hope, caring and emotion.

Perhaps I'm taking the title of the book "You Will Dream New Dreams" a bit too literally. This collection of stories written or dictated by parents of children with disabilities offers information, insights, anecdotes, and snippets from their lives and experiences.

Many of the chapters are indeed sobering and deliver a welcomed jolt of optimism and hope. Some recount the efforts required to get the medical professionals to get off their high horse and focus on the evidence they either cannot grasp or discount. Many recount the work, progress, and advocacy that are required as parents have to become social, educational, legal, and even medical icebreakers that plow through the morass of societal obstacles imposed on anyone outside the narrow confines of what is deemed "normal." Some of the best advice here is that parents let go of guilt and blame about unchangeable events---advice that mirrors some of the Buddhists texts I've read as well.

A few stories fail to convince me that those involved are not still legitimately in denial, particularly those that convey sentiments such as "we would not change anything," or "we would not be given anything we could not handle." I'm also bothered a bit by assertions of gratitude toward a disabled child for helping a parent gain insight, strength, or wisdom because all children potentially should provide these opportunities.

Overall, this is quite valuable book for families who are coming to terms with the death of their dreams while new dreams are being fomented. The sage advice to focus on abilities not disabilities rings true, again, as much for "normal" children as for those without a disability. In that regard, this book should probably be required reading for anyone who plans to have a family and who is naïve about the way the genetic lottery works

Moreover, without delving too deeply into this subject, the focus of this book, in my opinion, is not to diminish the lives, experiences, or contributions of anyone who has any sort of disability, but to convey the idea that matters beyond anyone's control do affect and transform others. No judgment should be implied or inferred by such recognition about the intrinsic value of any person.

So do I dream new dreams? Sometimes, at some levels, I do when I'm awake. But dreams during sleep have their own odd reality, and when my daughter appears in those dreams free from her disabilities, what am I to make of the incongruity of reality and hope?

My very pro-life girlfriend sent me this book as a gift the week I was due to go in for invasive testing to find out if I would be in these parents' shoes. She meant it well but it was poor and inappropriate timing. Once I had my test results, which said my baby was 'normal', I then read the book and learned a lot. I'll give you the perspective from a parent who has never had extra challenges to raising my children.

This book is geared to those who have just learned of a diagnosis. I would also recommend it to anyone who works in related fields. It doesn't address the long-term issues and doesn't hand out answers. The parents were mostly disarmingly honest in how they felt and how they coped. Some of the parents of children with Down Syndrome were a little rightious but most were refreshingly forthright.

While I feel grateful that I never had to face what these parents have, I didn't pity them. I also felt, and it is always the possiblity that I might still find myself in similar shoes, that the strength is there. I would learn and grow and cope with what we would face and it wouldn't diminish the love I have for my children, including the one en route. I could adjust my dreams.

The book is engaging and reads easily. I want to learn more on the subject. You also learn what to say and not say to other parents. We're all equals. It's a tough job and maybe some of us have a job a little more difficult but we'll all get it in the end, whatever the goals and aspirations are.

As a sibling of a child with special needs, You Will Dream New Dreams helped me evaluate the dreams I have had for my brother in the past, and how I should change them for the future. It also helped me better understand my parents, and how they have coped with having a child with a special need.

I would highly recommend this book to parents, and older siblings of children with special needs, and to professionals that are planning on working with children with special needs. I feel that this book would provide parents a feeling of support and hope for their child and their child's future. I think that this book would help older siblings understand their parents better, and why they have done things in life in a certain way. As for professionals, I feel it allows them an insight into the types of families they may be working with, which will allow them to empathize with the family rather than sympathize for the family.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) grew up along the banks of the Mississippi River, and he captures the feel of the mighty river during the steamboat era in this superb narrative and memoir. I particularly liked the earlier chapters, as Twain describes his youthful tutelage as an aspiring steamboat pilot in the years before the Civil War. Readers see what it was like guiding a steamboat over a river full of dangerous snags and sandbars - in clear daylight, through thick fog, and on moonless nights. The author then jumps ahead to his middle age - describing life along the river and in the South after the Civil War, and including politics, epidemics, and the supplanting of steamboats by railroads. The book's second half lacks a bit of the magic found earlier, but remains eminently readable and informative. This is a remarkable narrative by a great writer.

I've been reading a lot of classic literature recently, and I also recently saw the Mississippi River for the first time...so this book seemed liked the perfect one for me to read right now.
This is a "non-fictional" book by Mark Twain. (I guess that means based on some truth but embelished in various ways?) In it he recalls the years he spent during his youth as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. Then he suddenly jumps forward many years in the book to when he is an older man. As an older man, he decides to go back and travel on the Mississippi River again. He finds the river much changed. The course of time (the Civil War has come and gone, the expansion of the railroad, and the forces of nature) have greatly changed life on the river. The once thriving steamboat trade has almost disapeared.
Besides his personal recollections, he also includes other interesting stories,history,folklore, talltales, and such. It is written in typical Mark Twain style - his dry sense of humor will bring a smile to your face. I really enjoyed this book.

This book--at times disjointed, rambling, self-referential, and irreverent--is decades ahead of its time. It's an interdisciplinarian's dream as Twain takes on economics, geography, politics, ancient and contemporary history, and folklore with equal ease. Mostly though, one appreciates his knack for exaggeration, the tall tale, and the outright lie. It's a triumph of tone, as he lets you in on his wild wit, his keen observation, and his penchant for bending the truth without losing his credibility as a guide.

The book's structure is also modern: He recounts his days as a paddlewheel steam boat "cub," piloting the hundreds of miles of the Mississippi before the Civil War, then, in Part 2, returns to retrace his paddleboat route. Although a few of his many digressions don't work (they sometimes sound formulaic or too detailed) most of the narrative is extremely entertaining. Twain seems caught between admiration and disdain for the "modern" age-but he also rejects over-sentimentality over the past. He writes with beauty and cynicism, verve and humor. Very highly recommended!

Twain's account of his years on the Mississippi is part travel book, part memoir, and part historical work, with a few sketches, stories, and tall tales tossed in for good measure. There is even an outtake from the not-yet-published "Huckleberry Finn," along with extensive excerpts from historical and contemporary accounts by other authors. This smorgasbord of material makes for an uneven book, but much of it shows Mark Twain at his humorous and humanistic best.

The kernel of the volume (and its best, most cohesive section) is in chapters 4 through 17; this material appeared in the Atlantic magazine in 1875 and recalls his early life as a crew member on steamboats in the early 1850s. His adventures as a young man are fraught with danger, full of comedy, populated by a number of ornery, mischievous, and reckless characters, and occasionally embellished (although Twain is a bit obvious when he's fobbing off a yarn). As Twain later wrote in "Puddn'head Wilson, "if there was anything better in this world than steamboating, it was the glory to be got by telling about it."

After he published the series in the Atlantic, Twain added another 46 chapters; much of it an account of his homecoming (incognito--or so he'd hoped) to the Mississippi River in 1882, when the steamboat had been rendered obsolete by the railroad. Many of these descriptions are unusually (for Twain) melancholy; he remarks upon the relatively emptiness of the river traffic and notes the transformations to the river and its banks that had made steamboat travel safer but less adventurous. His new journey provides opportunities to relate a number of stories--some allegedly told to him on the river and a few unpublished tales that he deemed relevant and worthy of inclusion.

The material from other sources, unfortunately, tends to bog things down--and there are about 10,000 words of it commingled in the text and included as appendices. Twain gathered newspaper articles and historical documents; he also included travel writing from earlier visitors, primarily Europeans distracted by how Americans and their homes were horribly uncouth and dirty. (You almost get the feeling that Twain would have smacked "the once renowned and vigorously hated" Frances Trollope upside the head if he'd had the chance; she provides Twain with the most interesting, if snooty, descriptions of traveling along the Mississippi early in the century.)

The material Twain wrote, however, more than compensates for the dryness of the extraneous stuff. As always, he is quotable, witty, amusing, and provocative. In spite of its excesses, nobody has done the Mississippi better.

In Life on the Mississippi, Twain recounts his river experiences from boyhood to riverboat captain and beyond. Encompassing the years surrounding the Civil War, this book is an excellent source of 19th-century Americana as well as an anthology of the mighty river itself. Replete with rascally rivermen, riparian hazards, deluge, catastrophe, and charm, Life on the Mississippi is another of Twain's stellar literary achievements.

Wit and wisdom are expected from Twain and this book does not disappoint. It is equally valuable for it's period descriptions of the larger river cities (New Orleans, St. Louis, St. Paul), as well as the small town people and places ranging the length of America's imposing central watershed.

The advent of railroads signalled the end of the Mississipi's grand age of riverboat traffic, but, never fear, Life on the Mississippi brings it back for the reader as only Samuel Clemens can. Highly recommended.

This is a great book if you want to understand life as a paleontologist. Novacek goes into detail about his career, the struggles in the field, and adventures. This book is great for a younger person considering going into paleontology to be aware of the highs and lows of the field. It is also interesting for those of us who are older and always dreamed about going into paleontology.

The one warning I have is that the book is a bit long. While Novacek writes well, it is over 300 pages.

Not a bad book, could have had more illustrations and examples of fossils found in different parts of the world.

My freshman year in college, I decided to indulge my interest in dinosaurs and earth history by taking a *rocks for jocks* geology class. It was fascinating. I learned (and sadly haven't really retained) all kinds of info on rock formations, evolution, and paleontology. When I read the excerpts of this book a few months ago, I noted the author and bought the book when it came out. Novacek is a world famous paleontologist who takes us on a journey of his past field work and interweaves that with info on the animals whose bones he uncovers along with the geology of the sites he's worked. He also throws in some hilarious stories of adventures in fossil hunting that make me quite happy to stay home and leave the actual travels to him.


"Time Traveler illuminates some of the most exciting issues in current paleontology-- dinosaur and mammal evolution, continental drift, mass extinctions, and new methods for understanding ancient environments and the geologic time scale. By revisiting our planet's past and his own, Novacek teaches us how to understand the prospects for the future not only of paleontology but of our global ecosystem."

I will say that if you only have a glancing interest in this type of material, this book would probably bore you to tears but if it's something that intrigues you, you might find it as fascinating as I did.

Novacek's "attachment" for lithics and fossil evidence has led him to remote places. Raised in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, he was introduced to the wild, quickly finding excuses to return. Paleontology is easily the best excuse available for travel and exploration. He invites us to join him as he tours the North American West - into mountains, canyons and plateaus where fossils have emerged before. From this familiar territory he goes on to more exotic sites. His explorations reach from Andean highlands through Arabia deserts to the mysterious Mongolian plateaus. It was the latter that gave Novacek the greatest rewards and kept him occupied for more than a decade. This autobiography of a professional paleontologist provides interesting insights into the researchers depicting the prehistoric realm.

Before the rewards came the trials. The first was the decision to take up paleontology when a music career dangled enticing rewards. His father was a competent guitarist. A chance to learn field work offered new opportunities and challenges. Fresh creek water proved polluted leading to "highly volatile" digestive tracts. In the Andes, Novecek's horse bolted with one boot caught in a stirrup. Walking was impossible and riding little better. Desert scorpions and rattlesnakes were added threats. In Yemen, it was overzealous military staff. The hazards of scrambling over cliff faces seeking fossil or fording rain-swollen rivers recede as serious threats and become part of daily expedition fare.

All these mishaps failed to quell his desire to travel. The travel wasn't entertainment, but his quest for fossils. The search wasn't always rewarding, but the promise or the need kept him going. His misadventure in the Andes was off-set by a string of rewarding finds. Glorious to behold and thrilling to experience, the Andes are now considered the fastest rising mountains in the world. Fossils that had no business being at the altitudes Novacek's team encountered show how rapidly the mountains have been constructed by plate tectonics.

This mix of life experiences and scientific endeavour is richly enhanced by the graphics sprinkled through the text. Some of the most interesting are diagrams of fossil assemblages as found in situ. These provide a good indication of the complexities of retrieval and reassembly. His maps are a bit spare, but give the general location of campsites and fossil finds. Security, an issue of increasing concern in Mongolia, demands no more detail than necessary. Some photos of the campsites themselves might have personalised the account. His bibliography verges on the bizarre, being a mix of scholastic papers and general accounts. Some of these are worth pursuing. The knowledgeable will applaud his inclusion of John McPhee [although one volume is inexplicably omitted]. Novacek is forthright in his account of the tribulations of this career, but depicts as vividly the many rewards paleontology has to offer. As he concludes in this fine account: "there's still so much to know". [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Michael Novacek must be a very interesting person, judging from "Time Traveller," which he describes as "a book not about a life, but about a life in the field." Starting from his childhood in California, he relates the story of his start as a young paleontologist (moving from a background as an indifferent student and an unsuccessful rock musician) working in the American West and Baja California. Most of the digs take place in unpleasant locations, fraught with heat, scorpions and dreadful food. As he moves up the academic ladder, the digs become much more exotic and he heads out to Patagonia (where it is cold and windy instead of hot and accidents with horses can happen, but the food is still of varying quality), then to Yemen (where there are not even any interesting fossils to make up for the sheer awfulness of the place), Mongolia and Argentina. It appears that extreme physical fitness is a prerequisite for those wishing to enter this profession.

The major fault of the book is that it appears to be written backwards. The last chapters, focussing on the extremely important discoveries made in the 1990s in Mongolia, are fascinating and move quickly. They appear to come from another, and better, book. When he writes of the importance of palaeontology and the fossil record, his prose is powerful and almost poetic. But the earlier chapters seem to meander, a collection of anecdotes about his childhood, working in the field, a bit of this and a bit of that. One has the impression that Dr. Novacek is a bit of a scatterbrain, unable to focus his attention--Looky! Old rocks! Insectivore jaws! Bikini babes! Look! Fossil fish! Ancient teeth! Yemeni bandits! Look! Picturesque Chileans! That Roy Chapman Andrews-what a guy! Hey, look! We've been in Mongolia for ten years!

The chapter on Yemen is particularly odd. It describes in great detail all the problems involved in working in this near-medieval country, the dangers and the heat, but the only scientific finding is that there is really not much there to interest a paleontologist. Nonetheless, in the next chapter he writes about possibly putting together another expedition to go back, until he is distracted by Mongolia. Is this a thirst for derring-do, in the style of Andrews?

His attempt to write "popular science" often feels clumsy but cannot hide the fact that many of his discoveries are significant and have contributed to many serious scientific debates. I particularly liked his writing about how the Mongolian dinosaurs may have died. Originally accepting the idea that they were buried in soft sand, he carefully describes recent work by geologists that suggests instead that heavy rains resulted in mudslides that caught the animals in the gullies where they lived. It is clearly and elegantly expressed and ultimately helps make this book worth reading. It probably would be a better book with less rock-smashing and more such thoughtful analysis.

This is my favorite book (so far) by Debbie Macomber. These characters were ones you loved to love! The secondary characters were just interesting too. Because of this book, I picked up the Dakota trilogy and am enjoying that as well. It's a refreshing change to read a romance that isn't all about the sex scenes. Her stories are good ones and hold my interest. Kudos Debbie!

Wonderfully written .

There is gramps , Molly and her 2 sons , A ranch hand named Sam Dakota , and a rotten sheriff and of course the Loyalists.

Molly and her 2 sons live in CA when she gets the call from gramps hired ranch hand (Dakota)that if she wants to see her gramps alive she needs to come to Montana now . It takes time but Molly does go and her and her sons gets to spend time with gramps before he pass's . Also before he pass's gramps arranges a marriage between his grand daughter Molly and his hired ranch hand Sam Dakota . Molly is not to keene on this at first but realizes she must in order to hold onto her inhertiance from gramps ( the ranch ) . So she marries Sam prior to gramps passing .

There is issues at the ranch and around town that has been happening every since Sam Dakota came on the scene . The sheriff don't like him but then .... , Sam and Molly are shot at , He is accused of killing a hooker , and other things just happen but its the wicked sheriff that is causing all the problems . The sheriff and the loyalist wants the land for a traning camp and does everything possible to get it but only one thing stands in there way and his name is Sam Dakota .

Sam goes on to do a very special thing so he and Molly can hold on to the ranch her grandfather left her . ...Sam is every womans dream for a husband .

I very much like this book as I am from Montana and remember
the basis this book is written about,

A first read for me of Debbie Macomber. Liked the characters very much. This book got me thru a plane trip and two airport waits in good humor. That says a lot for this book. It has a feel good ending and a little suprise to boot. Works for me!!

The story and characters were truly delightful. They had depth and were very likeable. I really enjoyed reading this one.

"The Watershed Years" is a wonderful story about a family governed by ancient resentments and shifting loyalties. Jack, the oldest Arbuckle brother, returns after years of absence to manipulate the youngest son, Bob, and his scheming wife Helen in an attempt to tear the family apart. The middle son Blake and his wife Rita stand between Jack and control of the ranch. Even at the most dramatic moments the land and the work take center stage in this novel: a scene with a horse during a hail storm has as much emotional weight as any in the book. This novel feels authentic.

My absolute favorite part of "The Watershed Years" is the quiet, unassuming love story between Blake and Rita. Their marriage is tested by external struggles, but most of all by Blake's taciturn nature, a nature that seems to rise from the land itself. You don't have to read "In Open Spaces" to enjoy it's sequel, "The Watershed Years". However, If you do read these novels sequentially you'll witness the evolution of a great character in Blake Arbuckle.

I'm a huge fan of In Open Spaces, Russel Rowland's first book. I have first love syndrome with that book. And I was thrilled to read The Watershed Years which could stand on it's own or act as a sort of sequel. It is as beautifully well written, a lot smoldering underneath the surface of the character's lives, what drives them. This book needed to be written. Rowland is one of the top American contemporary writers, in my opinion. He writes about life and people with a lot of truth and kind wisdom and somehow he has the authority to do so. Rowland has captured a time and place we long not to forget.

If you liked In Open Spaces, you're going to love The Watershed Years. It picks up where the first book left off and while Rowland lets you know -- when it's important -- what happened in the first, he doesn't rehash it.

Helen is at it again and she's as conniving as ever. Jack is back to further torment his family and of course Blake is steady as ever. I won't give any of it away, but I couldn't put this book down once I started it!

I know when I've struck literary gold. The book cover has something from Starbucks spilled on it, my baby-bjorn-carried seven-month-old has chewed the corner pages nubby and there are at least a dozen e-mail addresses scribbled in the margins of the people who want a copy.

Like all of Rowland's work, one is made aware of new dimension, perspective and color. Original, rich and masculine, the storyline captivates you early and sustains. A cathartic experience for any one with an old cowboy, ranch-busting buck or annoying woman who loves the likes of them in their life.

One of Rowland's most notable talents is infusing his characters with the place inwhich they have been planted. In understading the Arbuckle et al limitations and motivations, the reader discovers Montana's power as "Watershed" characters discover - or run from - themselves.

The heartwarming saga of the Arbuckle family continues in Russell Rowland's second book of life in Montana's ranchlands. The author's love of his home state and his dry sense of humour once more are clearly focused in this lovely story of family interactions and reactions. Although it helps to have read Mr. Rowland's first book, "In Open Spaces", this new adventure can stand on its own and be equally enjoyed.

The story takes place in a better time economically in American history than "In Open Spaces", but there is still enough conflict and intrigue to hold the reader's interest to the very end. Heartily recommended.

Deanna Manetti is running for her life. When her escape is cut short by a wild stallion, she finds herself depending on a man named Shepherd Jones and the kindness of strangers. But who can she trust? "Along Came Jones" is an action-packed tale of suspense and second chances.

Linda Windsor paints a colorful picture of a close-knit western community. Her writing style flows smoothly from action sequences to romance to intrigue to spirituality and back to action again. This is a wonderful novel - so engaging, I didn't want to put it down.

The characters were realistic, the plot was riveting, the romance was beautiful. The only thing that got to me was the ending. Holding onto the "bad guy" and giving him such a major role kinda threw me. And the realization "blow up" scene near the end was a tad over done, but everything eventually ties up nicely. Great book.

I have never written an online review before, but I just HAD to review this one. It's my first Linda Windsor, but it won't be my last. I loved this book! Romance, action, humor, lovable characters, a great plot, and cowboys...what's not to love? Deanna's journey back to God, and the trust she learns to rely on are common in every Christian's life at some point. A friend loaned it to me, and I went out and bought it. This book should be a movie. Read it!

picture your self being acussed of a crime you did not comit. Then after being questioned for countless hours you come home to find your appartment totaly trashed, wouldn't you be freking out. Well that is just some of what happened to the lead character in this thrilling mystery/action/romance novle.deanna has to over come the fear that some one is out to get her after driving several states from the only home she has known her hole adult life. in the mean time she totaly turn the life of a simple rancher sheperd jones (ex-marshell of the US gov.)upside down when he runs her off the road destroying her sports car and stranding her at his desrted gost town. Just wait and see all the trouble deanna and shep get in to as the find that broken hearts can mend and love is not totaly lost. that if you can beat the trials that they fase together any thing is possible with the help of god.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it may not be the best Christian fiction novel out there. The characters are realistic, the dialogue doesn't seem forced, and the story is compelling. The romance is rushed at times, but the banter and chemistry between Shep and Diana makes up for it. I found myself laughing at Diana countless times, and the author's sarcastic tone is refreshing in a world of stale Christian romances. I would definitely recommend this book!

This is a must read for Barista's. A rollicking adventure/travel/history book. Makes your everyday cup of Joe an event. This could be on Coast-to-coast radio.

Stewart Allen's "The Devil's Cup" is one of those books that appear to suffer somewhat from a case of multiple personality syndrome. It's gonzo food journalism with a healthy dose of history and cultural anthropology carefully disguised as a travelogue.

The focus of the book is coffee, and Allen treats his subject with Hunter S. Thompsonesque flair as he traces the history of the divine bean from it's African origins all the way to the Texas Panhandle. I'm still a little skeptical as to how much of the text was real experience as opposed to caffiene-induced delusion, but in the end it really doesn't matter much. It's an entertaining and informative read, and that's what really counts. You certainly can't fault the author on his research and sources. Allen has good footnotes and his stories hold up well under the scrutiny of a good many Google searches.

The author is accompanied on his quest for javalightenment by a revolving door of unusual and interesting characters, all helping to drive the narrative forward with lightning speed as Allen travels from one locale and adventure to another. Allen begins his quest in Ethiopia, where coffee was first cultivated. He moves quickly along the traditional trade routes to trace how the bean migrated through Arab and Muslim lands to Europe, the New World, and beyond.

"The Devil's Cup" is too short to provide a holistic picture of the sacred bean, and I'd recommend pairing it up with one of the more traditionally written histories on the subject such as "Uncommon Grounds". That said, this is a great compliment to other coffee-related books and it should sit on your shelf if you have even a passing interest in learning more about the magic grounds.

Grab a good cup of joe, get this book, and start reading already!

I received this book as a gift and was hoping for a more informative book about coffee, its history, and its intricacies. Instead, I found a collection of miscellaneous chapters that were, at best, loosely connected. The anecdotes provoked laughter, but I don't think I would call it hilarious. "The Devil's Cup" is a light read and worthwhile so long as you don't open the book hoping for an academic read.

I came across this book by accident and bought it out of my sheer love for coffee. But the book not only has the great tale of how coffee came from Africa and made it's way all over the earth to the daily drink we know today, it also is a first rate travelogue. The author follows coffee's migration from Africa to Europe. Mr. Allen has quite a knack for finding and reporting his adventures and misadventures with a fun easy to read style.

If you like non-fiction travelogues, then do yourself a favor and buy this book.

The Devil's Cup is a very enjoyable book...

It's not just a history book. It's not just a travelog. It's not just an essay on the politics of the import and export of a consumer good. It's more than that, it's an adventure that follows the trail of that most wonderful beverage, coffee. Where did coffee originate from? How did it make it's way from country to country, from continent to continent? Who was responsible for the many moves that coffee has made? For the different ways that coffee is enjoyed? How do different cultures view this magnificent bean? What role did coffee play in the creation of civilization? Of the shaping of our globe as it is today? These are the sorts of answers you'll find within this book, but not presented to you in a bland history bookish sort of way... No, no, the answers lie within tales of travel and first hand accounts of experiences with the actual places involved...

And all of this comes with a ribald sense of humor, a fantastic sense of adventure and stories that will have you running off to grab a cup of Joe to enjoy this book with.