The Great Montana Cowboy Auction

Montana cowboy turned Hollywood heartthrob. The last time Polly McMaster missed a meeting, she got elected mayor of Elmer, Montana. This time, she gets to organize a cowboy auction to save a neighbor’s ranch—bringing her face-to-face with the one man she never wanted to see again. Former local cowboy turned Hollywood star Sloan Gallagher, with his roguish grin, easy charm, and to-die-for good looks, is every woman’s dream. But he’s Polly’s nightmare. Now a widowed mom of four juggling two jobs, a daydreaming sister, a mother at loose ends, and way too many rabbits, for once Polly is grateful for all the distractions. Besides, Sloan won’t remember her anyway. Forget Polly McMaster? Not a chance. Polly was Sloan’s teenage dream. Of course, he’s moved on now. Seeing Polly again will let him finally shut the door on the past…right? When the bidding is over and the auction has ended, will they be able to turn their backs on each other? Or can love conquer the obstacles between them?

A $227.5 billion enterprise around the world, live auctions feature everything from cars to homes, fine art to coal. The only book of its kind, this guide will show how lucrative, fast-paced, and exciting this business is. It covers rules, lingo, setting up an auction, hiring professional auctioneers, and how the most popular auctions work.Expert author team- a veteran business author and the National Association for AuctioneersDetailed run-down of every aspect of live auctionsResource section with auction house listings

The last present he expected – a nearly two-year-old son! Deke Malone never gave a thought to having kids – until the day Zack came into his life. Now he can’t imagine not being a dad. It’s not easy, but it’s the best thing he’s ever done. It’s the hardest, too, because it takes him back to Montana for the holidays – to give his son a family and make peace with his own father if he can. He never expects to run into widow Erin Jones. Once upon a time, when they were barely more than kids, Erin was madly in love with Deke – while he thought she was his best friend. A lot has changed in fifteen years. Erin’s a widow now, with a young family of her own and a wealth of loving memories behind her. Could she really be so lucky the second time around? Deke thinks it’s their first real chance. Besides, it’s Christmas. And isn’t that the season of miracles . . . and love?

Rodeo heartthrob Jace Tucker fell for Celie O'Meara the day they met. But she was his buddy's girl. Then his buddy jilted Celie—and she blamed Jace! And why not? Celie thought. As a role model for reckless, footloose charmers, Jace had no equal. So when he came close, she ran a thousand miles! Jace packed his battered Stetson and went after her. He'd convince Celie they were meant for each other—even if he had to follow her to the ends of the earth. He never believed he actually would!

“Let’s get married.” They are words award-winning photographer Charlie Seeks Elk never expected to say. He sure didn’t say them two years ago when, in a war-torn city halfway across the world, nurse Cait Blasingame looked at him with her heart in her eyes. As much as Charlie wanted Cait, he could never give her the life or the family she dreamed of. So he did her a favor and deliberately walked out of her life. Marry him? Now? The last person Cait expects to turn up on her family’s Montana ranch is Charlie. He doesn’t do commitment. He doesn’t do marriage. His boots are made for walking and he couldn’t have made it clearer. So why is he saying the three words she once so desperately wanted to hear? Confronting eternity can make a man rethink his choices in life. Charlie has rethought his. Cait hasn’t. She’s marrying someone else—unless Charlie can convince her to be his wife.

He is nobody's hero... Wyoming rancher Riley Stratton has nothing in common with his newly discovered young nephew Jake’s imaginary “stardust cowboy”—the one who makes dreams come true. Riley’s own dreams died so many years ago, he doesn’t even think about them anymore. Now he just works hard, doing his duty by the family ranch. He knows it’s only fair to buy out Jake’s half. Trouble is, Jake has dreams too. After inheriting half a ranch, Jake's boyish dreams of becoming a cowboy are alive and well. Which means Riley's world is about to expand to include Jake's fiercely determined, seriously tempting mother, Dori Malone, too. And much to Riley's dismay, Dori stirs his dormant dreams to life. But Riley doesn’t trust those dreams. He doesn’t trust Dori. He gave his heart once and won’t do it again. Some men are made for love. Others, like Riley, are made for duty. And some dreams not even Jake’s "stardust cowboy" can make come true. Or can they?

This wide-ranging collection of essays addresses a diverse and expanded vision of Montana literature, offering new readings of both canonical and overlooked texts. Although a handful of Montana writers such as Richard Hugo, A. B. Guthrie Jr., D'Arcy McNickle, and James Welch have received considerable critical attention, sizable gaps remain in the analysis of the state's ever-growing and ever-evolving canon. The twelve essays in "All Our Stories Are Here" not only build on the exemplary, foundational work of other writers but also open further interpretative and critical conversations. Expanding on the critical paradigms of the past and bringing to bear some of the latest developments in literary and cultural studies, the contributors engage issues such as queer ambivalence in Montana writing, representations of the state in popular romances, and the importance of the University of Montana's creative writing program in fostering the state's literary corpus. The contributors also explore the work of writers who have not yet received their critical due, take new looks at old friends, and offer some of the first explorations of recent works by well-established artists. "All Our Stories Are Here" conveys a sense of continuity in the field of Western literary criticism, while at the same time challenging conventional approaches to regional literature.

Cowboy on the Run . . . Once upon a time Luke Tanner had it all. Well, almost all. Then a Hollywood stunt gone wrong stole his best friend -- and Luke knew it was all his fault. He could have stopped it, should have stopped it. Jillian Crane doesn't agree. When she tracks her late fiancé’s best friend to his Colorado mountain hideaway, she is determined to make Luke start living again. She doesn't know she's the last person on earth Luke wants to see. And she certainly doesn't anticipate the feelings she develops for Luke ... nor realize how deep Luke's are for her. But can they get over the past they share? And even if Jill can forgive him, can Luke ever forgive himself?