Featured Post

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Montana: Myth and Reality


 I was born and raised in Montana and except for a brief time in Arizona ,I have lived here all my life. Most of my books take place in Big Sky country. 

When I read books that are set in this state, I can often tell when the writer is in love with the fantasy of what Montana is like versus the reality. When I write my books, I think the live somewhere between the myth and the reality. People often pick up a book about Montana because they are in love with the idea of ranches, rugged individuals, vigilantism and wide open spaces. 

There are so many myths about Montana I wouldn't know where to start. I think the first thing I would like people to know is that cowboys and horses are in shorter supply than you might think. Especially horses. My late husband worked a family ranch for most of his life and he herded and checked on cows with a motorcycle. Horses are expensive to keep and they have a mind of their own. Also my husband wore a baseball hat not a cowboy hat. He never owned a belt with a big buckle. 

Second we are smarter and less backwoods than most television shows depict us. While it's true that the advanced education level in Montana may be lower than other states, we read a great deal. I saw a statistic that said Montana had more per capita bookstore than any other state. I have gotten into interesting discussions about international affairs with men or women who drive a truck or clean houses all day. 

Finally, we are largely law-abiding. It seems that anytime Montana makes the national news, it is because an extremist group or individual has gotten the attention of the FBI. 

How about you? Do you live in a city or state that is often depicted in an oversimplified way? Have you been to Montana or some other place and been surprised by what you discovered? 

Leave a comment and your email address. I will pick two winners to receive a copy of my book coming out at the end of this month Montana Cold Case Conspiracy. 


23 comments:

  1. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio which people still classify as the mistake on the lake. We have world class hospitals and museums and a beautiful Zoo. I've never been to Montana, but hope to one day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am a MONTANA native! ❤️ my home state!!! I have lived in other states in my adult life, but always come back here. No place like 🏡 home!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lived in Montana for a while and loved the state
    lauramotten@yahoo.com
    Thanks for the chance to win love suspense books
    Can't wait to read this one

    ReplyDelete
  4. Everyone seems to think that Texas is only for cowboys and gun toting citizens. Actually most Texans just work and go home. We’re not all gun toting nuts.
    Tammy G.
    cluedn@mac.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've talked to so many people who have been surprised to find me wearing shoes in Mississippi. Not really, but it seems most people have a negative conception of Mississippi. They are surprised to discover Mississippi is the most giving state in the nation.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I live in Oregon and usually the first thing people say to me when hearing where I live is, “Doesn’t it rain there all the time?” Actually, it depends on where you live in Oregon. The different types of climates and geography in Oregon are very interesting and vastly different. I also think a lot of people associate Oregon with Portland. Portland is a very small part of our state and not a valid representation of the whole.

    ReplyDelete
  7. When my husband and I decided to move to Oklahoma from Massachusetts in '96, I gave my notice at the software company where I worked. For the next two weeks, every time I saw the chief operations officer--an intelligent, educated man--he made like he was drawing a gun and pointed his finger at me. Because, you know, he figured Oklahoma was still filled with gun-slinging outlaws. 🙄

    ReplyDelete
  8. Duell-Moore BeverlyMay 12, 2023 at 12:34 PM

    My dad worked for the government so I’ve lived in several US states. Right now I’m in Ohio.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love in Peoria Illinois where our Governor who can't run the state very well seems to think he would be a better President than Biden.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was born and raised in NYC and I was often appalled with how it was depicted by many as just a place of violence and crime. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I live in Indiana and it's called the Crossroads of America. This is due to Indianapolis being the hub of the network of interstates that connect Indiana to the rest of the country. I only found this out a couple years ago and I've lived in Indiana all my life. lindastringer56@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. every place is different
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I live in NJ and nobody has ever described it as oversimplified. I"ve never been to Montana but would love to go some day. Thanks for the chance to win a book prize. Boxtopscrazy@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have never been to Montana. I'm in California where I think some people always expect it to be always sunny, but different parts of California have different climates.
    dianah7272(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes I live in a small town in Kentucky. & my email is andreadrake1 @yahoo .com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yes, I live in Texas and we have the same group of people visit us here that want to know where our horses are and why aren't we all wearing cowboy hats (although a couple of my boys do). :)

    I have been able to visit Montana twice, and absolutely love it! I have only been in early spring and summer, and am not sure I would do well in the winter. The thought of all your snow scares me!
    carrottopfromtexas2@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for sharing information about Montana. Really, I used to think about it as place full of horses and cowboys. I come from Slovakia, small country in Europe. I was born and live in small town Gbely where mineral oil was found more than hundred years ago. And people who come here think that when we turn on our taps, there is oil instead of water ;-) Eva rozborilova.eva@centrum.sk

    ReplyDelete
  18. My husband and I visited Colorado the week of May 13 a few years ago. We booked a mountain bed and breakfast. We barely made it up to the lodge. It started snowing and was so slick. We had several cars behind us because visibility was bad and snow was falling heavily! By the time we arrived there were feet of snow, and I could barely make out the sign! We almost missed it! There was limited parking as they were working on snow removal to clear the driveway. My husband helped out by shoveling a path to the hot tub until they could clear the snow on the deck! It was UNBELIEVABLE that Colorado could get that much snow in the middle of May!! char loves mark at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. montana is the same way. It has snowed on the 4th of July. An we once had a blizzard in April.

      Delete
  19. I have lived in 4 different states and each one was definitely different than what people thought! I have never been to Montana but love reading about it! joanienov@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Melissa PettersenMay 19, 2023 at 6:10 PM

    I live in Western Washington where everyone thinks it’s always raining & cloudy/gloomy all the time. We do get a lot of grey days & rain, but we have the most beautiful summers & mountains too. Mlpettersen@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete