Montana Books

This book was interseting from the start something new and it captured me in a fresh way I really wanted to see where it was going and how it would end. I read most of it in one sitting. I passed it on to my 12 year old son, he loved it and it had some great lessons for him, along with the exciting story of Montana Stu and his Family. I passed it on to my father in law he also really liked it. It's one for all ages. I love the way this author thinks, and his ability to capture life in words and create a vivid picture for the reader. I start a lot of books that are easy to put down. It's always nice to find one you don't want to put down.

This is a sneaky book. No matter what you expect, it is not exactly that. The cover says that it is "Read by young adults as an adventure story and by adults as a connection to their past hopes and dreams." There is truth there, but the whole story is larger. I've seen adults up to ninety years old giggling and wondering where it will go next and how it will end. Giggling? Yes, there is a lot of fun in this book. However, that is only part of the story. It has a serious side. The author knows quite a bit about cowboys and life on a Montana ranch. That shows through.

The book starts leisurely, accelerates slowly and doesn't reach full speed until a third of the way through. Take heed though, don't jump ahead. You need the warm up because once you get to the straightaway; you have a long ride with the pedal all the way to the floor.

Every character in the book is a little bit over the top. They are all loveable - well, Rudy isn't loveable and Jake isn't loveable much of the time, but Cubby makes up for the difference. The characters cover a broad section of humanity. To tell you more might ruin the fun. Just start at the beginning and I promise you will soon be wondering what will happen next.

At the end, the author half way promises a sequel, maybe more than one. I am holding my breath.

An excellent view of the life of an American showman. Loaded with photographs from 1910 (when Montie was born) through 80+ years of show business. I've looked at those photographs over and over thinking about how times were back in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's ... what a change in our history from horse & buggy to space exploration and computers. A great time in history, and a great showman's life. Entertaining!

Montie Montana is loved and adored by generations of children that watched him rope his way into history. His autobiography is loaded with all the stars of Hollywood, including great photos. If you are a Western buff, you will enjoy Montie's accounts of working with Hollywoods' greats. Not a kiss and tell, but a refreshing recollection by a decent man.

WHITEHORN, MONTANA - what a wonderful group of characters that are woven into this set of 12 books.

Sara Lewis, 29, with emotional problems from a college love affair with ritzy Jack Kelly. The dirt-bag.
She is the curator of the Native American Museum on the Laughing Horse Reservation.
As luck would have it, she found Nick Dean, a Private Investigator from Butte, dazed and wounded.
She is determined to forego marriage and a family to stay on the res. with her mother, Summer and grandmother, Manya.

Nick Dean decided it would be safer to stay at Sara's place, away from any and all law officers, because of the body of the woman found in his truck. [that just about ended all of the exciting action.]

Nick feels a strong attraction for Sara which she pushes away, denying her own attraction to Nick, a white man.
Sara is a close friend of Dr. Kane Hunter, 33, who also has been hurt by a white woman, Moriah Gilmore. Her father is Homer Gilmore, a hermit who roams the hills around Whitehorn. What does he know of the killings?

Nick wants to question him about Charlie Avery. Melissa, who owns the Hip Hop Cafe has hired Nick to find her father's murderer. [my suspect is of course, Mary Jo Kincaid]

Nick also helps Jason Eagle to set up a sting to find out who stole two priceless hangings.

All the evidence that Nick has collected on the murder of Charlie, he turns over to Detective Sergeant Rafe "Wolf Man" Rawlings. All the circumstantial evidence leads to the arrest of the burly rancher, Ethan Walker. And who is this Lexine Baxter that it was thought ran away with Charlie Avery?

The one big fat fly in the ointment was too much time spent on the pre-marital sex scenes and not enough on tense, dangerous action. The nice intense beginning never kept its promise of danger.
Ah well, at least it had a raft of excellent characters to carry the story.

Sixth book in the Montana Mavericks series: 1) Rogue Stallion by Diana Palmer, 2) The Widow and the Rodeo Man by Jackie Merritt, 3) Sleeping With the Enemy by Myrna Temte, 4) The Once and Future Wife by Laurie Paige, 5) The Rancher Takes a Wife by Jackie Merritt, 6) Outlaw Lovers by Pat Warren, 7) Way of the Wolf by Rebecca Daniels, 8) The Law is No Lady by Helen R. Myers, 9) Father Found by Laurie Paige, 10) Baby Wanted by Cathie Linz, 11) Man With a Past by Celeste Hamilton, and 12) Cowboy Cop by Rachel Lee.

Description from the book back cover:

Man most wanted ... Nick Dean needed a hideout - and fast. An attempt on his life forced him to seek shelter, and like a beckoning angel, Sara Lewis took him in. But once she offered Nick her passion, he knew all the rules had changed. Now he wasn't the only one in danger. And he'd do anything to protect the woman he love.

MONTANA MAVERICKS - Stories that capture living and loving beneath the Big Sky, where legends live on ... and mystery lingers.

A fine book for novice and even experienced preachers. Wilson gives an overview of the history, theory and theology of preaching to the present. He then proceeds to outline a "weekly" process for sermon development. At times, he runs on a bit with unnecesary deatil - especially when surveying present trends in exigesis - but in all, a good tool for those confronted with the weekly or more occasional task of sermon-crafting.

The best feature of Wilson's book is the section in which he provides helpful tools and exercises for each day in a weekly process of sermon composition. Beware of reading a chapter a day as you go through the process, as the last "day" in the process encompasses the final five chapters of the book! Beginning preachers see also Haddon Robinson's Biblical Preaching and Michael Duduit's Handbook of Contemporary Preaching.

The Players: Sterling McCallum, 35, was an ex-military, plain clothes detective working in Whitehorn, Montana under Sheriff Judd Hensley.
He is a loner, he thinks, and for some reason the sheriff seems to think he should be helping -
Jessica Larson, 25, who has just become the Social Services Director. She has spent most of her life in Whitehorn and still dealing with the emotional trauma of being attacked by Sam Jackson's brother.

Now they are dealing with an abandoned baby, Jennifer, 2 weeks old, who was left on the doorstep of the Kincaid Ranch. Many think that this is the illigitmate offspring of Dugin Kincaid. He swears not.

Jeremiah Kincaid is Dugin's father and supports him in turning the child over to social services. Dugin is to be married to Mary Jo Plumber and is afraid this will turn her from him.

The young boy, Keith Colson is in trouble with the law again and McCallum is determined to find out the problem that is driving Keith.
It is finally worked out that Keith will work for Maris Wyler [2] She is now a widow and running her deceased husband's ranch now renamed No Bull Ranch.

Oh yes, we have a murder mystery involving a Floyd Oakley found dead at the Kincaid Ranch during Dugin and Mary Jo's wedding.

And would you believe no PMS - pre-marital sex [will probably turn some off from reading it] The plot deals with the trauma of domestic abuse and how Sterling and Jessica handle it in the course of their work and their own lives. Some secrets are revealed - I really liked Sheriff Hensley - Sterling McCallum is a hunk - Can't wait to read more about the Kincaids, with Maris's story up next in The Widow and the Rodeo Man.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Looks like it will be a hot set.

STERLING mCcALLUM, EX NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY LIFER, IS NOW A SHERIFF IN HIS SMALL HOME TOWN. AN ALCOHOLIC MOTHER AND UNLOVED CHILDHOOD HAVE LEFT HIM A TAD ANTISOCIOL AND VERY ANTI WOMEN. ENTER jESSICA, THE SOCIOL WORKER WHO HAS A HEART OF GOLD...AND WHO ALONG THE WAY WAS RAPED AND ABUSED AND TRUSTS EVERYONE...EXCEPT MEN. SHE AND MCCALLUM WORK TOG ON A A COUPLE OF TOUCHING CASES AND AFTER SOME TWISTS AND TURNS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS FALL IN LOVE. IT'S A CUTE STORY WITH PITHY DIALOGUE.IT'S A QUICK, CUTE PREDICTABLE READ IF U RUN ACROSS IT......BUT DON'T BOTHER SEARCHING IT OUT.

Agnes Deernose tells in the first person the story of her life and the culture of the Crow Indians on their reservation in Montana. It begins in the days of buffalo-hunting, and reveals how the Crow accepted the inevitable changes brought by the 20th Century.

The book describes family life, social life, education, religion, and how the Crow supported the Baptist Church. Agnes gives some interesting intimate details of her life.

Fred was an anthropologist and an adopted Crow. He became well acquainted with the Crow Indians, and this story is the result of extensive personal interviews with Agnes.

(Review written by Julia Holmes, the author's cousin. It was edited and posted to Amazon.com by Julie Atkins, her daughter.)

"They Call Me Agnes" is a very personal recount of the life of Agnes Yellowtail Deernose, a Crow woman growing up in the first few generations of reservation Indians. The book is centered around the accounts of Agnes, although the author took some liberties in inserting historical information from field research. Because the book is not about the tribe as a whole, it is not ideal for learning about the Crow as a whole, but is a wonderful resouce for gaining insight on the impact that the enstatement of reservations had on Indian life and the struggles that were faced. The book deals with changing lifestyles and struggles montetarily, religiously and racially. Be aware that because the editor was from anthropolical background, there may be some misinterpretations of things due to the scientific way of looking at things. Other good books to read if you are interested in the interview format dealing with Crow Indians are "Two Leggings" (Peter Nabokov), "Pretty Shield" and "Plenty Coups" (both Frank Bird Linderman). Other books about the Crow written by native writers: "APPSALOOKE Yesturday and Today" (Smith and Old Coyote)

Harriet Allistair sees nothing happening in her life and needs a change - something that is of her choosing, a challenge. She has inherited her uncle's sheep farm in Montana. Now just how hard could attending a herd of sheep be? She doesn't have the support of her parents but she decides to move anyway and prove them wrong. But, boy, has she taken on a CHALLENGE! She has moved smack dab in the middle of a 2-family feud. Between the Hazards and Allistairs. Her property is in the middle of Nathan Hazard's land and he wants it bad. So bad that he is knocking at her door the first night she gets there to wanting to see Harry Allistair to make his offer to buy. Nathan didn't expect Harry to be red-headed with a figure like that either. Nathan is a know-it-all ready to convince Harriet that she can't handle it - Harriet is hard-headed enough to prove him wrong and kill herself trying. So the challenge is on. And hearts get in the way... A fun "one-night" read that will have you "rootin' for Harriet" at one time and for Nathan another. If you want a sweet and fun read- you'll enjoy this one.

When Harriet Allistair's uncle passed away, she inherited his farm in Montana. Her family didn't want her to move, but she needed to get away from them to prove that she could survive on her own. More importantly, she needed to prove to herself that she could survive on her own.

No one had told her that there was a generations old family feud going on in Montana between the Allistair's and the Hazard's. No one told her that her uncle's farm bordered on Hazard land. And no one could have told her she'd fall in love with Nathan Hazard.

From their first meeting, Harriet is infuriated with Nathan Hazard. He was a know it all. He had tried to convince her to sell the farm to him. Yet, she finds herself hoping that he will stop by the farm so that she can see him again.

Nathan Hazard had never met a woman as stubborn as Harriet. He can't wait until she realizes she can't handle the farm and returns home. But somehow he has fallen for this woman and she's an Allistair!

Can this family feud finally end? Will Harriet prove herself to her family? Is Nathan the man to help her start a new life in Montana?

This Harlequin Desire novel will keep you guessing.

- A Harlequin Dreamers review by Tiffany Ann

Michael Sample IS Montana's biographer. Having grown up in and near Billings, we miss the mountains, and this calendar feels warm and familiar. However, as a busy mom, I still need bigger squares to write in and less shiny paper. However, it's lovely to look at.

Lewis and Clark fans should have this book. It is also an excellent book for someone who only wants a sample of Lewis and Clark lore. It is very easy to read. There are many photographs showing scenes along the Lewis and Clark trail today. "Across the Snowy Ranges" limits itself to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in Idaho and Western Montana. This part of the Lewis and Clark route is the only part of the westward bound trail that is relatively unchanged by dams and other human development. It is also the part of the trail that presented the Corps of Discovery with the greatest challenges; bargaining for horses, nearly starving while crossing the Rocky Mountains, and their collective illness when changing to a diet of fish and roots. It was on this part of the journey where one finds the romance of Sacagawea's reunion with her brother and the assistance the Corps received from the Shoshone, Salish, and Nez Perce Indians. The text follows the Corps day-by-day but describes the activities and locations in clear text with only a few excerpts from the Lewis and Clark journals. One of my favorite spots on the entire Lewis and Clark trail is Packer Meadows near the Idaho-Montana border. Not only does this book have a great picture of the site, it also tells the story of rescuing the site from the loggers' chainsaws in 1997.

First off I want to state that this is a booklet and is available through Werner Publications (search google), along with several other interesting titles, and they are relatively inexpensive. No need to pay outrageous prices.

Okay, about the booklet. It is 26 pages, plus a brief introdution. There is a very helpful map with a corresponding key. The book focuses on the part that the Seventh Cavalry played in the battle/siege of the Bear Paws in October 1877 against the Nez Perces. Overall, a nice collectable and good reading for a short trip.