Montana Books

I have read this book and it is a diary of a woman who discovers herself while also becoming the first woman to complete this trek. She is an amazing spirit and everyone who meets her falls completely in love with that spirit. She is an inspiration to all who ever doubt themselves, to let go of the bad thoughts and go with the good in you and you shall succeed. Long story short ----- Worth the read.

1897, Whitehorn, Montana

Almost nineteen-year-old Ellie Mitchum has a terrifying fear and a shocking secret.

Ellie is the only daughter of crotchety, unloving but successful widower rancher, George Mitchm. George feels every woman's place is in the home and their sole purpose is to cater to the men in their life, whether that's a husband or a father. Attractive, good-natured, hard-working and extremely naive Ellie dreams of a future with a lovingly devoted husband with a home of their own. When smooth-talking Tommy Jamison started courting Ellie, she was quickly filled with his golden promise of her lifelong dream. Tommy's controlling and domineering parents hastily moved him back East to attend college and away from a possible problem their son may have caused with the unrefined and common Miss Mitchum.

Remembering that her mother died some years before due to a growth in her belly, Ellie was frantic with fear when her belly mysteriously started getting big, so she made an appointment with Whitehorn's only doctor, the handsome bachelor, Winton Gray. He assured Ellie she was not dying from a growth, but only having a baby-a perfectly natural occurrence. Understanding Ellie's predicament as a girl of "a certain reputation," Doc decided Ellie was the answer to his prayers as his life unquestionably needed the special touch of an organized down-to-earth woman and Ellie definitely needed a father for her baby. The perfect all around solution is a marriage of convenience. They surprisingly discovered many blessings, but when Tommy returned to Whitehorn, Doc and Ellie would learn that marriage, no matter how convenient, was never simple and is sometimes filled with heartache.

A very easy read and a bonus to the wonderful Montana Mavericks Series.

This book is constantly in use at my house. The meals are generally easy and taste great. And surprisingly, they are good for you. I've tried many of the recipes and would recommend this to everyone. It's a staple in the kitchen.

Former reporter and current professor of the University of Montana School of Journalism Dennis L. Swibold presents Copper Chorus: Mining, Politics, and the Montana Press, 1889-1959, a straightforward look at newspapers owned or controlled by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company over the course of seven decades, and their profound influence on state politics. A cautionary tale for free citizens in today's world of increasing media consolidation, Copper Chorus examines the notoriety and abuse of power observed in the industrial press during times of war and peace. Extensively researched and illustrated with a smattering of black-and-white photographs, Copper Chorus is an engaging slice of little-known American history that deserves to be studied, lest it be repeated.

Oh yeah! she is after his butt.
J. T. McCall, at 36, is the oldest of the 5 siblings and dedicated to running the McCall's Sundown Ranch. But there is a mystery in the making.

Regina Holland is a city gal from California who is looking for a sexy, real-life cowboy's posterior. She is trying to save her [female] family's Jeans business. She has the silly idea that the man she picks will be flattered by her offer.

J.T. has about 600 head of cattle to bring down off the mountain graze land before it snows. And they have lost their camp cook.

It is Buck Brannigan's job as ranch foreman to find J.T. a cook. Boy does he get taken in by "Reggie".
It doesn't take J.T. long to figure out that "Reggie" can't cook. She burned that first meal, yet no one of the 6 men made a comment.

J.T. had a bad feeling about this round-up. It seemed to be like the one nine years ago when they had a bad fire. There-in lies the beginning of the mystery.

Danger, intrigue, romance and the big question of what was happening and who was trying to kill J.T.? And where did Reggie fit into the pattern?

Will Jarvis was the oldest of the ranch hands.
Cotton Heywood, the blond one, had no idea what was waiting for him.
Slim Walker had been at the other deadly McCall round-up.
Nevada Black seems most likely to be a killer.
Luke Adams - is he as innocent as he seems?
Roy Shields is the quietest of the 6 and possibly the deadliest.

Reggie and J.T. spend most of the time getting out of the mountains, only to find out she wasn't even safe at the ranch.

Even Cash couldn't find the killer. And Brandon is disappearing most mysteriously. And none of the boys, much less Dusty has forgiven Shelby for being gone some 30 years. Another mystery in the making.
Rourke is still off on his honeymoon with Cassidy.
The sheriff, Cash and his mystery and secret is coming up in #3 AMBUSHED!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --m - keep it coming [great looking butt on the cover] silly pose for "Reggie".

Baby Jennifer McCallum, adopted daughter of Sterling and Jessica McCallum has been spirited away. Or kidnapped!

The case of the missing child was turned over to Clint Calloway and his new partner, Dakota Winston. Clint is angry because he does not want a partner and definitely not a female one.

Dakota, 24 questioned Clint it seems every time she turned around. Problem was he just didn't answer. He let his rude aggravation show. He was worried about finding some answers on how Jennifer disappeared.

He also didn't like spoiled little rich girls. Well there were a couple of attempts on his life - Dakota saved him once on the word of Winona Cobb. He was also angry to find out he was one of Jeremiah's by-blows.

He couldn't inherit so what did it matter to anyone? But apparently Mary Jo Kincaid didn't know that. Everything was pointing to her and Lexine Baxter.
And just what did the old coot, Homer remember?
Rafe "Wolf Boy" Rawling finally found out who his parents were.

Clint and Dakota were strongly attracted to each other but he wanted nothing to do with her, except sex. She gave up her virginity for a bit of a tickle? Clint was not going to offer her marriage. [Idiot]

Extremely well plotted out 12 book series with a number of dry spots and pre-marital sex. [I could have done without]. Characters were highly entertaining and expertly woven into the series for high entertainment.
Whole series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --- ah but there is more to come.

This is the first book in the Matched in Montana series. Reporter Jacquelyn Rousseu was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she was determined to work hard and prove her worth. The towns highest regarded citizen and matchmaker wanted Jacquelyn to ride horseback through dangerous mountains to write her story with the help of popular rodeo hunk AJ Clayburn. AJ is only agreeing out of a sense of loyalty, but that does not mean that he is happy about this adventure. AJ views Jacquelyn as an uptight princess and has no intention of making this trip easy for her. Unfortunately, weather turns bad and they have several close calls. The passion ignites between the two of them. They are either bound to fall madly in love or kill each other before they return home. This story is fast paced and filled with both adventure and passion.

I loved this book.
Purchased the Kindle version for myself and then bought the paperback for my husband.

Here we have a great cast of characters - excellent plot - great twists and turns - excellent mystery.

Rourke McCall is being released from prison where he served eleven years out of his young life for a murder he claims he didn't commit.
He is 33 years old and the 3rd of the McCall brothers.
He has sworn revenge against the then 17 year old Cassidy Miller.

Cassidy is now 28 and owner of the Longhorn Cafe - there is no love lost between her and her cousin, Blaze Logan [who might possibly be the murderer]. Blaze had been the ready and willing girl friend of most of the men around Antelope Flats and wanted to stir up trouble between Rourke and Forrest Danvers.

J.T. McCall is 36 and manages The McCall Ranch - Cash is 35, and is the Sheriff of Antelope Flats - then there is Brandon,30, who picks up Rourke when he is released from Montana State Prison and Dusty, 17, their only sister, who was adopted.
Brandon and Dusty believe whole heartedly in Rourke's innocence. Daddy, Asa McCall, never said whether he believed in Rourke or not.
There is action when Brandon approaches Rourke for money he lost in gaming with the VanHorn ranch manager.

There is the nasty Cecil Danvers who wants revenge for his brother's murder. Easton Wells, an old school mate of Rourke's, who has shacked up with Blaze these past few years.
Holt VanHorn, who was a bit crooked, and whose family has a standing feud with the McCalls.
Gavin Shaw, Blaze's half-brother, who apparently owes someone money and is messing around with Yvonne, who had a connection with Forrest.
And yet something very vital is missing.

Through it all there is a spark between Rourke and Cassidy that does lead to a muted romance. The threats to their lives intensifies their emotions.
Very Well Done.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- m -- #2 coming up with J.T.'s story.

John Freely is a professional travel writer best known for his several volumes on Istanbul and his "Strolling Through Athens". His volume on Crete hasn't sold as well, because it was brought out by a small publishing house in a not-particularly glossy cover. But it is a work of great charm that reflects Freely's extensive knowledge and his love for the "Great Island." Read it before you travel, and it will inform, inspire, and delight you.

Freely wrote this book while living for several months in the old Venetian port city of Chania in western Crete. One of the main things you will learn in the book is that Cretan history didn't end with the Minoans. Freely covers all the best-known Minoan sites thoroughly, of course, and he will also apprise you of lesser-known but intriguing sites like the mysterious palace at Kato Zakros, the small farming town of Gournia, the necropolis at Armeni, or the Minoan refugee community at Karphi overlooking the Lasithi Plain. But Freely is also excellent on the Venetians and on the various nineteenth-century Cretan revolts against the island's Turkish overlords. He also has a an obvious love for Cretan folkways and traditions.

Freely wrote this book in an engaging first-person style, and he makes for an agreeable companion. He clearly loves the outdoors, particularly hiking and beach-going, and the book is full of excellent recommendations on both. You'll be determined to do the famous hike from the Omalos Plateau through the Samaria Gorge to the south coast after reading Freely's account of his hike through the gorge with his son. Another lesson that Freely clearly teaches is that a traveler to Crete should learn to savor the comparative merits of the island's beaches just as a visitor to England should develop an appreciation of the merits of different cathedrals or country houses. If I hadn't read Freely, I might well not have sought out the beaches at Preveli, Phalasarna, or particularly Elafonisi. The first two were unforgettable, but Elafonisi was in another league altogether: no wonder Freely chose to end this book with a visit there. Let me end this review by quoting from Freely's description of it, which shows his vivid and engaging style:

"This is the most beautiful beach on all of Crete, a long, lagoon-like scimitar of pink-white sand where the waves of the Aegean merge with those of the Libyan Sea, the isle of Elafonisi looking like a South Sea coral reef shimmering in the shallows just offshore, so close that we swam out to it and sat there for an hour. . . . Then we swam back to shore and set up our picnic in the shade of a tamarisk tree, its branches twisted into a Medusa's head of tortured limbs bent back by the terrible Livas -- the Libyan Wind -- the furnace-blast that blows straight across from the sands of Libya over 230 miles of open sea a few days each summer, striking the Great Island here at its most exposed promontory."

The book has useful maps of the Minoan sites and the island's various regions. It doesn't offer much in the way of recommendations for hotels and restaurants, however, so you will need to supplement it with another guide for that.