I'm seeing a lot of books coming out that take place in Montana. I know in the town I live in, there has been an influx of people moving here from out of state. Some of this is driven by a TV show that shall remain nameless. Every time I turn around another celebrity has bought up a ranch. I think a lot of people visit and want to live in Montana because there is a lot of myth and fantasy connected to what it means to live in Montana.
Except for a brief time that I lived in Arizona, I have lived in big sky country all my life. Born and raised as they say. While it is true that Montana is a beautiful state with plenty of outdoor opportunities, there are some harsh realities that never seem to make it into many of the books and movies about Montana. First, it's really hard to make a living. Montana ranks close to the bottom for wages keeping up with the cost of living. Most people end up working a couple of jobs. My late husband drove truck, did bobcat work, fixed motorcycles and guns and owned cows. Second, the winters here can be brutal. Even for people who love to ski or do other winter sports, the below zero temps end up keeping them inside. Because Montana is a rural state, there are a lot of people who have to drive long distances for healthcare and often don't have a lot of shopping options for food and clothing. Montana ranks high for suicides. I think the long winters, isolation, addictions and poverty contribute to that.
I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here. I have stayed here for a reason. I just wanted to inject a little reality into all the fantasy and myth that float around living in Montana. Not everyone who moves here can buy a ranch or live in a cabin by a lake. When I wrote my Ruby Taylor mystery series, I wanted to show the real Montana using humor so the books were far from depressing. The main character has a master's degree but works in a feed store. I'm giving away a copy of the second book in the series (USA only) Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante which won a Carol Award. You can read the second book without reading the first Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves. Each of the three books in the series has a humorous mystery that wraps up at the end of each book. The third book in the series is called Cow Crimes and the Mustang Menace.
Have you visited Montana? What did you think? If you haven't visited, what attracts you to the state? Maybe you live in a place that has a lot of myth and fantasy connected to it. Share about that. Leave a comment along with your email address. I will do the drawing Monday night (USA only) and notify the winner by Tuesday.
Sharon Dunn
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