Montana Books

It was a used book but was in good shape.
the book was send really fast.

Read this book before you read "Rain of Gold". "Wild Steps of Heaven" is a short read and actually the paternal part of the family story. I wish Villasenor had included the info in Wild Steps of Heaven" in "Rain of Gold". Both books are a wonderful patchwork of history,and genuine family integrity. Excellent summer read!

In times of hardship heroes are needed and none moreso than in Mexico as revolution rages. The Villasenor family patriarch, an exiled red-haired Spaniard, has married an Indian woman. The first ten years of the marriage are a time of great love and passion, and the children born first are fair and favor Don Juan Villasenor. Later children are dark like their mother. One of the dark ones, Jose, from age 12 must live in the barn because he defied his father and gentled a stallion to rescue his baby brother holding onto the leg rather than shoot the horse. In his exile and solitude a hero begins his training with Grandfather Don Pio Castro who knows Jose understands the power of love and gentleness. This will be the son who defends la familia during the revolution from the soldiers who time and again attach the village. The colonel commanding the troops more particularly desires Jose's true love Mariposa and destroys her. Ultimately, the younger brother Juan (author Villasenor's father) begins to show heroic tendencies himself and will be the one to defend his mother and the remaining family against the colonel. Villasenor moves the tale along with a powerful, songlike cadence. Notable characters are the giant cousins, Basilio and Agustin, who strip naked and race the lightning and then Halley's comet on January 17, 1910, a night of magic and love, the day before el colonel begins shooting up the home village, el paraiso de Los Altos de Jalisco. Each chapter begins with epigrams featuring "Great Father Sun" that provide a sense of power from above, as in "the heavens smile . . . as all around him the gods and serpents did battle." When the final epigram tells us "and out of these children of the earth and of the stars would now come a glorious new gente in all their wonder and fire," we realize that while we have been traveling through an exciting story with more twists and turns than fiction, we also have been participating in something approximating a creation myth. Highly recommended is Villasenor's first tale of the family Villasenor, Rain of Gold.

I first read "Wild Steps of Heaven" while I was in college. I have never been one who was able to finish a full book, but I couldn't get enough of this one. And once I was through with it I had to go out and find more books by Victor Villaseñor. He makes everything seem magical but at the same time believeable. It is like the ultimate adult fairy tale. Each character has so much life. The story is one that you just want to follow, you want it to keep going. Even the sad and painful stories shine with beauty as Villaseñor tells them. This is my absolute favorite book and I highly recommend it. You won't understand until you read it.

This is a wonderful book. This book is about a family living during the Mexican Revolution.His writing just takes into this magical world and even though you know that he has made a little piece of history into this great big piece of fiction, he does it so as a matter-of -fact that you just can't believe that it's not true.

Deborah Oberbillig's fascination with birds lures us into an amazing world of feathered friends who have been been given much by nature for survival and brightening our world. Bird Feats of Montana is a colorful book - full of facts from the fastest and highest flying birds to the smartest. How and where do they live? How and what do they sing? Which builds the most interesting nests? Along with everyday facts, we find out how a curlew catches a toad, how a woodpecker extends his five-inch tongue to scoop up insects and the mystery of the leaps and dances of mating Sandhill Cranes. Did you know that ospreys and owls have a reversible outer toe so that they can perch on a limb and hold on to a newly caught fish at the same time? Eagles have binocular vision which enables them to spot a pigeon three miles away.
The book is well illustrated with excellent photographs and drawings along with lively text, highlighted with colorful titles. Children will learn their birds by name and even more exciting, the amazing things that they do, not only in Montana but in other parts of the country where many of the same birds are found.
Written for children ages 8-12, this book will enchant and educate all ages. I highly recommend it for libraries and personal collections. It's a great grandmother's gift and grandmothers too will love reading it.

Though it's called Bird Feats of Montana, this book will appeal to kids in any state. We live on the other side of the country, in Vermont, and a some of the birds featured in the book don't live here. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable for my kids--what kid wouldn't want to know about the best dung collecting bird, wherever it's from? The format (one superlative bird to a page) makes it easy for kids to just open up to any page and learn something new. Great addition to the family bookshelf!

Packed with an array of anecdotes and research, written in an accessible style children and adults will enjoy - I learned many new things, e.g. the language of chickadees and the magnetic compass birds use to migrate by the stars...as a resident of Colorado, I recognize a good many of the birds in my geography.

David C. Richie
Wilderness Monitoring Coordinator
Wilderness Workshop, Colorado

I think this book is great for kids. There is so much information on birds -- the reader will really get to know them. The illustrations and layout are fun and engaging. It would be great for any family visiting Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks -- or families like ours who live in a city but dream about the wide open spaces.

This book is a great source of fun facts about many common birds in the northwest. Colorfully designed and illustrated for kids, adults will enjoy it and learn from it too. I'm a naturalist guide in Alaska, and I discovered lots of "gee whiz" facts I can share with my clients.

When Bill Gates said "human imagination is our only real asset here at Microsoft" he could just as easily have said "here in the universe." Carol Poore, unlike most personal improvement writers, understands this profound shift in wealth and knows how we can take advantage of it. If you are an imaginative human being, (and her book shows you how to get that jump-started if you're not) your most precious resource is your time, and when you treat your time like an investor treats money, your life becomes a creation. BUILDING YOUR CAREER PORTFOLIO is chock full of exercises to do and lists to make that will clarify and enhance your future. When I first skimmed through it, I didn't realize(until I sat down and really read it) what else was there: a series of wonderful short stories, real life examples of real people who have done exactly the things Poole recommends, and the great results they got. This book can be read many times at many levels. HOW I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK TO WORK WITH WHEN I WAS IN MY 20's!!!! (and if you have any loved ones in their 20's, what a gift this book would be.) I'm in my 50s (just finishing the first half of life) and this book is still a treasure. The workbook aspect is for the left side of your brain, and the marvelous stories are for the right side. The final result is a whole brain delight. I don't recommend going forth into the 21st century and trying to create your career without it.

I've long believed that the most important investment you can make is in yourself. Here is a book that shows you how. In very easy instructions the author helps you understand your goal, and how to get there.

It's astounding how many "investment" ideas the author provides to help you shape your career.

I've never seen a book with a mission statement before, but seems like a great idea, and it makes a good summary: "This book is designed to help each reader develop a dynamic CareerPortfolio of wise career investments-- investments that pay off in the ability to fulfills personal purpose and navigate lifelong career transitions."

This book is about controlling your destiny, or to re-purpose a term by Dr. Allan Kay, "inventing your future." I know some people who will greatly benefit from this.

As the author of "Building Your Career Portfolio," I spent four years researching and writing a book to help you discover your personal purpose and align four, important career investments to help you achieve that purpose. The book will help you figure out ways to minimize your career risk and maximize personal rewards and purpose. In my research, I've not yet seen a book that helps readers consider their career as a "portfolio" of well-chosen investments.

Building your Career Portfolio could just as easily be called, finding your life purpose. This book understands that it's not just enough to have a job and work hard anymore. You must do something you love, have outside interests, participate in your community and continue learning throughout your life. Unfortunately, too many people (even those with successful careers) have forgotten that there is more to life than just earning money. In this book, the author reminds us all that not only do we need to have a primary job, we also need to become dynamically involved in our community in other ways. She promotes finding a second source of income, which because it comes from something you love to do, could eventually either take over as your primary source of income or at least give you the semblance of control over your life that so many of us tend to lose in our regular jobs. She also encourages spiritual growth through volunteer activities in your local community and personal growth through continuing education. By following the steps and guidelines in this book, you can become a better, happier, more well-adjusted person - and isn't that what everyone in today's self-help culture is striving for.

When Bill Gates said "human imagination is our only real asset here at Microsoft" he could just as easily have said "here in the universe." Carol Poore, unlike most personal improvement writers, understands this profound shift in wealth and knows how we can take advantage of it. If you are an imaginative human being, (and her book shows you how to get that jump-started if you're not) your most precious resource is your time, and when you treat your time like an investor treats money, your life becomes a creation. BUILDING YOUR CAREER PORTFOLIO is chock full of exercises to do and lists to make that will clarify and enhance your future. When I first skimmed through it, I didn't realize(until I sat down and really read it) what else was there: a series of wonderful short stories, real life examples of real people who have done exactly the things Poole recommends, and the great results they got. This book can be read many times at many levels. HOW I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK TO WORK WITH WHEN I WAS IN MY 20's!!!! (and if you have any loved ones in their 20's, what a gift this book would be.) I'm in my 50s (just finishing the first half of life) and this book is still a treasure. The workbook aspect is for the left side of your brain, and the marvelous stories are for the right side. The final result is a whole brain delight. I don't recommend going forth into the 21st century and trying to create your career without it.

I've met Spike's decendents, stayed at their ranch, and this is how I discovered these books by Spike Van Cleve around ten years ago. They are so good, I had to share them with friends and I loaned them out. Since they have disappeared, I need to buy them again! These are timeless stories that show the true flavor of the people and the country. I don't buy many books--but these I will buy twice.

THIS IS A VERY FUNNY AND DANG GOOD READ IF YOU LOVE HORSES
AND THE WIDE OPEN COUNTRY OF MONTANA AND WYOMING. HE LETS YOU IN ON HOW HE UNDERSTANDS HORSES AND TELLS OF SOME WILD DAYS IN THE SADDLE.THERE ARE SOME GREAT DUDE RANCH STORIES ABOUT DIFFERENT GUESTS.IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO GO TO HIS.HE IS A SPECIAL,COLORFUL AND DOWN HOME, HILARIOUS GUY.

I lived in Montana for two years and a friend suggested I read this book. I bought a copy and could not put it down. After I finished it two days later, I bought his other book "A Day Late And A Dollar Short". Ten years later, I am still reading them. Spike doesn't just tell you a story, you live it. If you have any interest at all in ranch life, horses, family, humor, or Montana history; these should be on your list. You'll learn what "slaunchwise" humor and "going to the mountains" is all about.

It's unfortunate that he only wrote two books.

As your friend and fellow author put it, I too, "hope God gives you a horse" Spike.

This book describes the people, the attitude, and the lifestyle of Montana - from 1870 until today. The Crazy Mountains continue to evoke the same vast, colorful emotions from those of us who have had the priviledge to grow up beneath them. A must read for anybody who has lived in Montana - and a "should read" for anybody else. A colorful, vivid reminder of home - one of my favorites.

This book is an excellent piece of work. I probably am somewhat biased as like the author, I too spent my formative years in the Big Open of Eastern Montana. I can certainly sympathize and relate to alot of what old Spike says about nature, family and ranch life in general.

Marta is a wolf whose mate dies in the early spring. She has to support three pups with the help of oldtooth, an elderly male. Its the modern age in society, and Marta and Oldtooth travel into a further and more dense area...just to be captured and relocated. It was late summer when she last saw the Dahl Lake, but when she is sent to Alaska, she flees and leaves her pack behind. Without her, her pack dies, will she be next?

I like the broad language use and the many comparisons with things. I also love the plot, and how its based on a different point of view; one we seldom understand. THe survival theme will put readers on the edge as one thing after another unfolds.

4 stars, for good language use, suspence, and plot. Very realistic and eye-opening, with a non-anthropormorphic point of view. If you like the Oddessy-type books, you will love Wolf.

This is a great book! I would highly recommend it. 'Asta Bowen depicts these wolves lives so realistically that you might think she had walked right along with thwm. It is as if she can think like a wolf, live like a wolf, feel like a wolf, BE A WOLF! This tragic tale is an amazingly moving and catching drama that I would recomend to any one! On a scale of 1-10, it's a 20! I loved it and I hope she writes some more!:-)This book should be included in everyone's home library. I have read it over and over and I have loved it more every time I read it! All I can say is that 'Asta Bowen is an amazing author, simply amazing!

This book is amazing. Having 'Asta Bowen, whom I was a student of, read this outloud it was incredable to hear Marta's voice and experience through the person who gave that to her. I hope she will write more books about herself because she has many tales to tell that haven't been told. Great job Ms. Bowen, you're a great inspiration, an excellent teacher and a wonderful writer.

An alpha-female wolf named Marta lived in an almost perfect home in Pleasent Valley with her new litter of pups, but are soon "rescued" and relocated to a place where Grizzlies rule. Marta is then confident to return home-with or without the rest of her pack. She then struggles for her life, trying to find enough game to survive. She then finds a place which has much game, few humans, and just an all around great place to live. She then finds a mate and gives birth to her second litter of pups. Soon she...oh, I can't say or I'll ruin the book. You have to read this book! It's a sad book but a good one, too. This is a must read book.

This book is a must-read for animal lovers. Live inside the mind of a she-wolf and discover their thoughts, fears, and terrors. It will break your heart and take your breath away and you will think about it for YEARS to come.

I really enjoyed the fourth book in the Last Gunfighter Series. The action is fierce and the book is one that is hard to put down. The main character, Frank Morgan, continues to try and put his guns up and settle down. but Fate won't let him. Great reading!

Frank Morgan would rather put up his guns and live in peace, but outlaws have smashed his life, seriously injured his wife, and taken his son. Now he rides into a valley busy with a range war. Fortunately for Frank his reputation has preseeded him. The battle is on and Frank needs to make some quick hard decisions in order to confront all the danger.

I was so impressed with this series I e-mailed the author to let him know just that.

Frank Morgan, is at it again and won't back down from some pushy ranchers that think they're above the law. As well as some wantabe famous gunfighters looking for a reputation.

You won't be able to put it down once you get started. It keeps you on one heck of a ride and Mr. Johnstone did an excellent job as before putting together a outstanding western novel.

It's a must read!! For true western readers or those with interest good ole fashion manners.

I now own all 3 of "The Last Gunfighter" series. In my opinion, they only get better, and this last one was the tops! I enjoyed counting the dead and wounded Frank Morgan left behind in all 3 books of this great new series.

When it comes to Westerns this one is excellent.Johnstone has that special knack of being able to tell it like it is, at the same time as being able to tell it like it was.Once you get into the story,and that takes only about 2 pages, it is hard to put down.I don't know what it is,but Johnstone breaks up this story of 240 pages unto 32 chapters.That approach results in him having to keep something new coming and the story moving right along.Hey,he isn't the first to use this approach,after all,wasn't the Bible written this way?If you want an example to follow,it's not a bad choice.The copy I have is a Collector,s Edition and included a 6 page Afterword by the author.I enjoyed it immensely and he tells us a bit about himself and why and how he got into writing Westerns.Along with great stories,Westerns usually have some excellent artwork on their covers;this one is super.It would be good if a little about the artist was included.
I once read that all novels really fall into two types:
A-- A man went on a journey
and
B-- A stranger came to town
This one seems to fit both bills;but is really type B.
As I read this story I was reminded of the verse:

"Yeah,though I walk through
the Valley of Death
I fear no Evil
'cause I,m the meanest
S.O.B.
in the valley!
It didn't take Colonel Trainor,Gilmar,Bullard and their gunhawks long to find that out, when they decided to mess with Frank Morgan.
A couple of good lines Johnstone gives us are:
"Stand still and listen and live or grab iron and die,Morgan,"the voice said,"It,s your choice."How little he realized what was in store for him.
"Think about death,boy," Frank told him."Give it some hard thought.Dead is forever,boy.Do you realize that?"
While some novels seem to need steamy encounters,Johnstone can say it all with:
"Frank grabbed her and pulled her down on the sofa.One thing led to another..."
"Frank once read about some fellow way back centries ago who was asked if he was afraid of something that faced him.No,the man said.He wasn't afraid of anything in the future,only what was behind him."
Frank knew that would be true as he continued his journey out of the valley.
If you want to read a good Western,you'll not go wrong with this one.

I started reading this book last night and just could not put it down.

What an amazing story and what a special young lady Lauren McCain must have been. His story is an absolute inspiration and her parents ae very special as well.

This is a heart-wrenching account of the lives lost on April 16, 2007. This tragedy will never leave me, but neither will Lauren McCain's words. Her faith, evident through her journal entries, her words of praise and her love for God have touched me so strongly that I think of her and her words of praise daily. She lived her life so deeply for someone so young and she will continue to witness to others through this book and inspire others as she has truly inspired me. She is a true child of God.

Some stories stay with you. This is one. You'll find yourself thinking of it long after you put it down, and you'll be happy you spent the time doing it!

While interviewing the author Pat Robertson said, "People asked, 'Where was God when this happened?' He was right there." And that point is made throughout this book. Award-winning journalist and author Beth Lueders brings her years of experience to bear in crafting a book that not only tells about a tragedy and its aftermath, but challenges us all to "lift our eyes" and see the good that can come from even the worst mass-murder in U.S. history.

Besides the well-written story, the book includes a comprehensive appendix with tips on how to help or receive help--both from a biblical and psychological point of view--when trauma invades our comfortable world.

Using the story and journals of VT freshman Lauren McCain, whose love for Christ emanates from her like a sweet fragrance, combined with other witness testimony and police accounts, Lueders explores the events of the Virginia Tech tragedy and tackles tough issues like God's presence in tragedy and whether forgiveness is necessary and possible.

This is not the first tragedy where someone was asked "Where was God?" or suggested vengeance and blame were more probable reactions than forgiveness. The book covers well the accuracy of understanding God is with us even in the midst of the fallout from the evil humans choose to enact. As for forgiveness, it examples and guides a truth I have learned to live long ago and wish more people knew - with Jesus Christ in your life, true forgiveness is possible and life can go forward.

The best parts of the book are taken from Lauren's journals, her myspace page, and statements from friends and family which show Lauren not as a victim of violence, but a victorious inheritor of Heaven. The book gives you permission to grieve, and power to know what a difference God really does make when the relationship is real.

I enjoyed this book immensely, but probably for the wrong reasons. The book is a bit chewy in places, but stick with it, as it's surprisingly enjoyable on it's own merits. On a more selfish, sadistic note, I had been mecilessly bludgeoned on a regulary basis by a work colleague, a second generation descendant of the Emerald Isle, with tales of Celtic martyrdom and Anglo tyranny, and none of which I felt I had the right to dispute. Then I read the book. After ten minutes of lively debate, challenging all he knew as 'fact', he has not spoken to me since. No-one had ever shut him up before. Heaven. But back to the point, I found this to be a rather good read.

Baby Cromwell, Nottingham, England

R. F. "Roy" Foster author of 'W. B. Yeats: The Apprentice Mage,' 'Charles Stewart Parnell: The Man and His Family' and 'Modern Ireland,' has written this experience and interpetation into Irish history and literature. He does a fine job of it. His bravery in massacring every sacred Irish cow as one would have fun reading it. It leaves you with a warm, passionate, giggly feeling. It's entertainingly brilliant look at the past and present Ireland. I particularly love the chapters and passages on Theme-parks & Histories (with some warning from Foster on expliotation); the chapters on Yeats; When the Newspapers Have Forgotten Me: Yeats, Obituarists and Irishness; Selling Irish Childhoods: Frank McCourt & Gerry Adams; and, Remembering 1798. They're totally smothered in clichés and lots of traditional tidbits of fond or fatal memories, known to some as the Irish experience.

Foster cleverly works moments of Ireland's past into narratives of Irish culture on myth, folklore, ghost stories and romance. The result is from a varied interpetation of opinionated and right down funny interlinking essays. In Theme-parks and Histories-Foster writes of the Irish are to remember or commemorate anything. It is worth remembering the upward curve of Irish cultural achievement-referring to W. B. Yeats, Hugh Leonard, Ezra Pound, Cashel Heritage Society and the 2,000-acre Famine Theme Park in Knockfierna Hill west of Limerick. Irish history, the most distinctive achievement for it. His suggestion to form a monument to Amnesia and forget where they put it. As a historian he would be shocked, but as an Irishman he would be attracted to the idea. Foster shows no mercy on his view of manipulating Irish history on political places and Irish poverty and oppression as a commerically packaged heritage park. His exploration of Yeats' authority of the Irish story's fitting moments as the voice of his Ireland countrymen.

Foster leaves teeth-marked criticism of Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes) and Gerry Adams and their devil may care attittude of taking hostages for fortune. Transcending into the bestsellerdom of Irish childhoods. Simply a technique of marketing where Irish version brag and whimper about the woes of their early years' experience. I find this to be an entertaining reading. In some places a bit wordy, but good telling of Irish culture. You may hate or love it. But, if your interest is in Irish history and literature it's quite essential.

Irish people of all persuasions and in all walks of life have developed a talent for building up a national history to their liking and drawing conclusions from it. Roy Foster's essays are about some of the ways in which Ireland's history has been interpreted, embroidered, exploited and packaged. I think everyone will agree there are cogent reasons for preserving the distinction between history and "national fiction". Ultimately, poor history makes poor propaganda, and propaganda in any case is a shabby use to put something as precious as a nation's history. This book is essential reading for people with an interest in Ireland. (I also recommend strongly the same author's earlier "Modern Ireland 1600-1972".)

This book ought to be on the shelf of anyone with an interest in Irish history. Foster has done an excellent job at making his points about the various 'uses' that history in Ireland has been employed for. From downright propaganda to 'memoirs' masquerading as vague truths he unleashes the power of clear thinking and valid sources. For so long Irish history has been treated as 'story' and this book attempts and succeeds in telling the difference. It is so refreshing to see something sensible in print! It is a great source book or reference and could also be read by delving into the different subjects in the index. I would recommend this for all who are involved in getting to know the real history of Ireland and the Irish and how some Irish 'history' came to be written in the first place.

Porter's tongue-in-cheek treatment of the marketing of Ireland is refreshing after an avalanche of Irish hype came from unscrupulous little publishers.The Disneynification of Ireland ,apparently propelled by American ad agencies for the Irish Tourist Board,is treated by Porter correctly as hype to snare innocent Irish-Americans.Porter gets almost every hilarious Irish twist of recent decades in this collection of exposes, including the hilarious, almost unbelievable marketing of the potato famine in Disney-like theme parks.Unfortunately, he closed his collection of revionist chapters without pointing to the biggest Irish hype of all -the invention and collapse of " The Celtic Tiger", based on runaway inflation and a Dublin stock market bubble that aped the rise and fall of America's Nasdaq.Foster's book is a must if you wish a clearer view of the Irish .

This book Montana Gold is a great book. Its a romance but also a western theme. Chase is a rough stock rider who also is very attractive. Elle is the rodeo clown who gets the riders out of a pinch with the bulls. These two have some serious connection but have there own ways of doing things. Will love over come this relationship? Read and find out.

We met Chase Lomax in Montana Blue - now he has a story of his own which includes his "claimed" son, Shane.
Poor old Chase is 38 years old - which apparently is getting on in years for a bull-rider, bronc-rider, rough-stock rider.
He wants just 3 more championships before he retires.

We have already learned of his "love" or attachment to Andie Lee Hart and her son Shane. Andie is marrying Blue and that sets Shane off. He takes off to live with Chase. Shane, 16, tries to put the make on Elle until Chase steps in. What the devil is Chase going to do with a kid when he is on the road?

Chase is getting lonesome so he stops at Larry's Steak House where he runs into his buddy Robby, a Brazilian and Robby intoduces Chase to Elle Hawthorne, the bullfighter.

Elle Hawthorne is 24 and determined to gain a championship in bullfighting on the rodeo circuit. She is also trying to bolster up her nerve after getting a divorce from her husband,
Elle is hanging out and traveling with her very good friend, Missy Jo. Missy Jo would like to promote a romance with Elle and someone.

Romance shows up unannounced and takes a bit of time to come out of hiding.
In steps "Fate" and brings about a nasty wreck that lands Chase in the hospital with serious wounds. Spin Master, the bull that wrecked Chase also practically threw Elle out of the arena. That treatment shattered her nerve.

After Chase gets out of the hospital he starts to worry about how slow he is healing and if he will still have a career left. He retired to his ranch, the Great Divide, with Shane who wanted to wait on him hand and foot.

Chase comes to the decision to raise rough stock and thinks about making a deal for a bucking bull for his herd.
His right hand man Tucker helps keep the building and ranching going for Chase and helps handle the bulls when Shane wants to try to ride them.

Elle still hasn't gotten over Lon Tyler and leaves fast when Chase tells her to try the arena again. She runs scared and then heads for her brother, Jake's place. Jake loves his sister and tells her to stay as long as she wants.

Elle finally heads back to Chase's ranch [because of Shane] and Chase finds a way to help her get back her nerve and into the arena.

This certainly is a hard to put down book - the story keeps the interest ever active - the characters and their fears keep a fast pace - This is another keeper - and turning out to be an excellent trilogy.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --m -- save for another rainy day and read again.

I Love Plots which flow from one book to another. This is one Such. Good story line- although there are very few rich rodeo hands. Nice follow up from Montana Blue with regards to the teenager. Really like her style of writing.

This book was highly entertaining and I could not put it down. The characters are wonderful and endearing. I wonder who will be the next hero in the series, Shane or Jake? Linda R. Smith

Montana Gold by Genell Dellin is pure gold. Ripped from this horse-loving girl's dreams, Chase Lomax is a hard-riding, sexy rough-stock rider working towards more of those championship buckles to which the buckle bunnies on the pro rodeo circuit seem to be drawn. Ellie Hawthorne is a young, tough bullfighter, and it's her job to keep cowboys like Chase safe. But when a bull gets the best of them both, and Chase has to take a long look at his career as a rodeo cowboy, and Ellie has to face her demons, these two characters are thrown together in a drama far more exciting than a night at the rodeo.

With vivid characters, descriptions that place the reader in the heart of the action, and a depth of emotion that is staggering, Ms. Dellin's story tugs at the heart strings. Add in a down-on-his-luck dog named Kodiak, and a teenage boy trying to live up to his image of his hero father, and you have a story that's worthy of the big screen.

Reading this book was pure pleasure. I found myself rooting for the characters and falling in love with Chase as he came to his own realizations. Ellie's past, including a visit from her brother Jake, whom I hope we read about, make her a heroine with whom this reader could sympathize. It's rare for me to be swept off my feet by a book, but swept I was, and I will certainly be looking for this author's other stories as soon as possible. Thank you, Ms. Dellin, for one heck of a read!

A wonderful book to curl up and read, sigh at the end and wish for another peek into Becky and Jake's future. Lovable characters all the way around. A book a teenage girl would love; a ninty year old grandmother would adore; or anyone in between could get right into the middle of. Good job, Fran Shaff. Looking forward to your next book.

If you ever want to take a few moments to visit Montana, especially at night under a beautiful sky, then pick up the book Montana Match. You will simply fall in love with Jake Ruskin and Becky Montoya. From the moment she lands in his arms after arriving at his ranch, you know there is going to be something going on between the two. The book was enjoyable, and many times I wanted to reach inside and shake some sense into Becky. The character of Jake was great! We need more men like him. Sam, the housekeeper was a great addition to the book, not to mention Catherine and Lucas. I really enjoyed this book by Fran Shaff. I look forward to more of her books to read. Montana Match deserves five stars! A love story drawing two people together that were indeed meant for each other. I bought the book to add to my collection of Avalon romances. There are some stories that you read and just forget, this one you will read and always remember. I really enjoyed this story and you will too!!

Mrs. Fran Shaff, originally from South Dakota, published her first novel in October of last year. She now resides in Hutchens, MN and is a full-time writer splitting her writing time between Romance novels and children's novels for middle readers. Montana Match was the third book to be featured in the new romance book club at Chapter a Day, the on-line book club. .... She states, "The feedback from club members was very positive." This is Fran's third Romance novel, and finally the one that paid off, and I am here to tell you why.

Her intriguing characters, Jake Ruskin and Becky Montoya are not your typical pair. Jake is a one-time-Wall-Street-Whiz who found his way back home to Montana and a ranch he grew up on. However, he was reluctant to leave all of the financial fiascos of New York behind. Through today's technological advantages he discovered he didn't have to. He lives and works on the ranch, but stays plugged into Wall Street via the Internet and continues his investment portfolio progress without skipping a beat.

Realizing that he lacks the valuable commodity we all know as time, and deciding he definitely does not want to grow old alone, and that an heir for all he has established would be a wonderful perk, he hires the services of Miss Becky Montoya. The founder and owner of "A Match Made in Heaven" matchmaking service she takes Mr. Ruskin's case into her own delicate hands and flies west to Montana to discover his lifestyle, characteristics, and what he is looking for in a wife.

Sound a bit familiar? I immediately thought of the excellent musical starring Barbara Streisand and Walter Matheau, "Hello Dolly!" However, unlike our clever Dolly Levi, Miss Becky is the one avoiding matrimony and refuses to interfere whereas Mr. Jake Ruskin is all too eager to get on with the next phase of his well-planned life.

They realize they are setting each other on fire each time they bump into each other, but Becky refuses to allow these animalistic feelings to encroach upon her well-laid-plans of her own life. Seeing first hand how devastating marriage can be, she vowed to not get married herself and to help those who are determined to marry, to marry the right person, a person they really could spend an eternity with.

Jake tries once, twice, but gives up after a third attempt to convince Becky she is his Miss Right. He accepts the lovely lady Becky and her database have found for him and goes about making wedding plans.

I won't give away the ending, but we all know the best laid plans tend to go amuck without much help from anyone, and perhaps this is especially so with the help of one old codgity cowboy turned house keeper for Jake Ruskin who sees how right Becky and Jake are for each other.

Just when you think all will go according to plan, and so obviously the wrong plan, well, the plans change and the book takes a wonderful twist in bringing about the conclusion.
This book is a wonderful short read. The style is simple and the words are not minced. It says it like it is, or stammers over it until someone figures out what it is and sets things to rights in this Career Romance from Avalon. It validates the point that we could all use a little help from our friends from time to time. And my new friend, Fran Shaff, has helped me turn a blah day into a fun one with her book, Montana Match!

If you enjoy a traditional love story, Montana Match is for you. Boy meets girl, falls in love, career woman can't let love get in her way...no, no, no! That's not the way it's supposed to go!

Rancher Jake Ruskin's biological clock is ticking. He wants offspring to leave his empire to, but marriage candidates are sparse so he hires a big city matchmaker with a proven track record. The raven haired beauty whose spiked heels are stuck in his yard isn't what he expected.

Becky Montoya came to do a job. The fee was generous and the situation intriguing. The man himself is too gorgeous to be believed. This job should be a snap. She contacts three candidates, and one of them shows up unannounced. Attractive, farm raised, enthusiastic - what's not to like? Match or mis-match? Fran Shaff keeps you guessing. An entertaining tale of love and a struggle of wills. Enjoy!

A FUN TO READ BOOK. AS YOU READ THIS STORY, YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE SITUATIONS AND DREAM. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE THE KIND OF PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AS YOUR FRIENDS. MONTANA IS A GREAT SETTING AND I LOVE COWBOYS.

A BOOK YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR DAUGHTER OR YOUR GRANDMOTHER AND EACH WOMAN WILL ENJOY FRAN SHAFF'S STORY.