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Montana Day 6: More Yellowstone and We Shopped!
Today was an easy day–we drove back to West Yellowstone and wandered around the very, very tourist-centric town and shopped. We checked out several of the 7,896 souvenir and T-shirt and sweatshirt and Western wear stores (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but there were a LOT of stores!) West Yellowstone also has, interestingly, 40 restaurants in a town of only about 1,800 people. However, West Yellowstone gets at least 3, 375,000 visitors from all over the world every year, and I’m assuming they all want to eat. After all, we did. We had lunch at a fun 50s-style diner called Canyon Street Grill–black-and-white checkerboard floors, red vinyl booths, 50s decor,…
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Sunday Snippet: Day 5.5 Montana: Exploring Big Sky
Carol here, once again taking over Nan’s blog. We stayed local yesterday and started with Nan’s favorite vacation tradition–a shampoo and blow dry at the Hair Ninja. Leah was not only a terrific hair stylist (she calls herself a “hairapist”) but an excellent source of information about the area. Like many resort towns, Big Sky sees frequent turnover in local business staff and shortages in some critical fields, like medicine. The year-round population of 3000 quadruples in the winter months. However, housing prices are high, so skiers and snow boarders find it difficult to settle in the area for long. Some restaurant menus change year-to-year as chefs don’t return. There…
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Day 4 Montana: A Grand Day of Being Tourists
What a day! Carol and I decided to head north west to Ennis and Virginia City after our friend Jeannie had told us what a fun place it was. Lots of Western history, which fascinates both of us. We weren’t disappointed! Especially Virginia City was filled to the brim with the Old West, from a bunch of old shops and businesses set up just as they were back in the 1870s to stage coaches and hay wagons running through town. (Those were available for rides.) Every museum building had a story to tell and so many artifacts from 15o years ago. We really got the flavor of life in an…
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Day 3.5 Montana: We Were Slugs…
Nan here. Okay, maybe not entirely sluggish, but after we wandered around Big Sky for a couple of hours and had lunch at a very nice country club with a fantastic mountain view, we decided not to try to go up to Ousel Falls right then. Our plan was to take our tired, altitude-sick butts back to the condo and rest. Then change into our jeans and hiking shoes and go up to the falls. Ummmm…not so much, cuddling up in blankets and reading and honestly, napping, it was after five when we both came back to the world. A brief discussion later and we were reminded we still have…
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Nan & Carol’s Big Adventure Montana Style
We’re here! After a combined 4 airports, we’ve arrived in Big Sky and wow! It truly is BIG here! Big mountains, big rivers, huge rocks and trees… it’s a little overwhelming but absolutely gorgeous country. I left my local airport at 8:30 a.m.; Carol left her local airport 10:15 a.m. and we met up in Denver Airport. Then we flew together to Bozeman–one of the cutest airports I’ve ever seen! There are bears and moose everywhere and some crazy huge bird hanging from the ceiling! There’s even a convenient bin to dispose of your bear spray, which made us laugh. The whole airport was mountain stone and cedar beams–really pretty…
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Sunday Snippet: The And We’re Off…Almost Edition
I am beyond excited right now. I passed excited on Friday and I’m into full-on thrilled and nervous because on Tuesday, writer pal, fellow Tule Publishing author, and roomie extraordinaire, Carol Light, and I are headed to Montana! Yup. I decided that if I was going to write about Montana, I should go out to Big Sky Country and check out the glorious mountains and ranches and rodeos for myself. I asked Carol if she wanted to come, too, and she hopped onboard, so the mystery writer and the romance author are off on a big adventure! Next week, Carol and I will be here nightly with reports on where…
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Author Spotlight: Elsa Winckler Is Back with More Cowboys!
I always love having fellow Tule author Elsa Winckler on the blog. She’s always a delight and her stories are full of wonder and love and spunky heroines and hot heroes. Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James, the Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life. Although her three gown-up children rarely acknowledge the fact they have a romance-writing mom, her husband fortunately, is very proud of her, reads every word and is happy to make sure she gets the kissing scenes just right. She…
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Author Spotlight: Love at the Chocolate Shop with 6 Amazing Authors!
I’ve already mentioned that I’m moving settings and will be writing my next four books in Marietta, Montana, Tule’s fictional western town at the foot of Copper Mountain. Marietta is full cowboys and rodeos and ranches and romance–I already love it there! One of the coolest shops in Marietta is Sage Carrigan’s Copper Mountain Chocolates. I had so much fun taking my Forever Cowboy main characters, Beth and Del, into the chocolate shop, where she salivated over all the sweet treats! This week, I’m delighted to welcome six fellow Tule authors to the Spotlight today with a fun and fabulous new chance to win all twelve Love at the Chocolate…
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Author Spotlight: The Taking a Peek Edition
Hello, mes amis, and welcome to a midweek peek at my current work-in-progress. A few months ago, I signed my fifth contract with Tule Publishing. I was so excited when they accepted my proposal for the Dykemans of River’s Edge series and even more jacked up that they were all in for one of the Dykeman siblings to take a little trip to Marietta, Montana. She will still be in River’s Edge for part of the story, so don’t worry–you’ll see Mac and Megan and Sam and all your old favorite characters, but this story belongs to Beth. With Book 1 in the Dykemans series, I’m joining three other Tule…
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Author Spotlight: Barbara Ankrum Is Back with a New Book and a New Series!!
Y’all know how much I love celebrating my fellow Tule authors, right? Today is a big party because I have the amazing Barbara Ankrum in the Author Spotlight with a new release coming out tomorrow and a fun giveaway! Barbara Ankrum has a thing for the West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married and raised two children in Southern California, which, in her mind, makes her a native Westerner. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tule Publishing Barbara, tell us…