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
yes, liked it
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
I love this! Even before the TV show, Montana seemed like a wonderful place to live...then I realize how cold it must be in the winter!
ReplyDeleteNever been to Montana. I think I would enjoy its rugged scenery. I have heard of its beauty. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been to Montana but would love to see it some day. I live in the Adirondacks, so weather is less intense than yours. The grey can get to you in winter - starts in October and stays into April. It’s amazing the difference one sunny day can make. Are your winters also grey? Becca12901 at yahoo
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Montana. dianah7272@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to visit Montana, but I could never live there. I can't handle the cold. I always wondered how the 'Unabomber' hid for years. I am glad you pointed out about distances to health care & the job market situation. So interesting reading about it from someone who lives there. (jozywails@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteNever been to Montana love reading about it but don't think I would like the snow and cold. jenningsask@verizon.net
ReplyDeleteWhile I have been to Montana, as a tourist, I can understand the true difficulties of living there full time. It is a beautiful state and I love the critters we got to photograph there in their natural environment. We have a similar, but different, situation here. While not the whole state our area of it. We visited here for years and loved the area. By visiting often, we knew the true situation of the area and still loved it enough to want to build our forever home here. That said, it's a tourist town, which means it bursting with activity from April to October and the it pretty much dies. Folks are under the misconception that they can move here and cash in on the tourist. However, you better be able to make enough in a few months to tide you over for 12 months. In fact, we live in a one of the poorest counties in the state with income per capita well below average. We didn't move here for an income, which is why it works for us. Being in the mountains means no trains and little truck traffic and with only one little grocery store other than WalMart, buying is limited. Like there, we travel miles (sometime I have to go 2 1/2 hours each way to my specialist) for medical care. We have been here going on 9 years. Would I do it again - definitely. We love it here, but folks wanting to live here, as I suspect anywhere, need to take off the rose colored glasses and see what the situation really is.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the amazing chance to win a copy of SASSY CINDERELLA AND THE VALIANT VIGILANTE. Sounds like an amazing story and one I know I'd love to read and review.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
i have never visited Montana
ReplyDeleteI love Montana and would return to live there in a heartbeat if God opened doors for our family. (Cost of living versus work opportunities is not great, for sure!) My parents and sisters live in the Flathead Valley, and we visit as often as we can with our littles.
ReplyDeleteThe BEAUTIFUL outdoors, seasons, and slower pace of life are my favorite things about Northwestern Montana.
svensble(at)westmont(dot)edu
I've never visited MT; I did live in CO for 2 years (1976-1978) I was born & raised in MN, w/ harsh winters, long nights & short days & many there struggle w/ seasonal affectional disorder... I would enjoy visiting MT in the early summer & early fall! Badawson@AOL (dot) com
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we drove cross country from Michigan to Washington state. Not sure if we might have been in Montana some point on that trip… I’m thinking we did. But other than that, I haven’t been there to visit. I know it’s beautiful, but probably not somewhere. I would like to live long-term. I don’t think I would like the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteI would love to read one of your books set there.
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
Never been but love to go
ReplyDeletelove to go back
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Montana, and I would like to visit because it seems like a beautiful part of the country.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Montana. I would love to go someday. I live in CO so I appreciate the mountains!
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Montana but I would love tooo some day because it seems like such an amazing place to visit have a Blessed Day! Sarahbaby601973@gmail.com Thank you for the amazing book giveaway
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Montana. wauna01 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI drove through a small section of Montana back in the 1980s, it was beautiful! I’ve always wanted to go back one day.
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit Montana, it looks breathtakingly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why but ever since I was a little girl I wanted to visit Montana. Hopefully, I will some day. Thank you for the giveaway! deborahdumm(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
ReplyDeleteI've never visited but if I do, I would like to explore the mountains - I like outdoors, hiking, camping!
ReplyDeletekykla99ATgmailDOTcom
My husband's family is actually from Butte, Montana & from what I understand Butte has a rough history & reputation. It's also a smaller town with it's main industry being mining. Would they go back and live there again? The answer they all say is no. Most of the family's gone or moved, the weather's awful & they would rather not have mining as part of their profession. However, from what I've read, it's very beautiful, but the time to visit would be spring or fall, so you avoid the weather.
ReplyDeleteMy family lived in Deer Lodge, MT, from 1982-1985. I don't remember much of my childhood, but I have a few very vivid memories of living in Montana. I loved it there, but of course, I was a kid, so I didn't have to find a job or worry about healthcare.
ReplyDeleteHeather Mitchell crhbmitchellfam@duck.com