Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Miralee Ferrell and Wishing on Buttercups

Today Miralee is here to tell us more about her latest release and upcoming news.
Wishing on Buttercups

I’m so excited about the release of Wishing on Buttercups. All of the books in this series contain a strong romance as well as a distinct women’s fiction thread, as they each deal with a variety of issues women today can relate to. For Beth Roberts, it’s the fact that she carries scars—both physically and emotionally—and believes that anyone who knows her background wouldn’t love her—especially not a man.
Beth has hidden away so much pain and confusion all her life, but when she meets Jeffery Tucker, that begins to change. I loved digging deep and discovering what it would take to bring these two together. I hope you’ll discover for yourself why the reviewer with Romantic Times Magazine said about Wishing on Buttercups; “The second book in the wonderful Love Blossoms in Oregon series has charming, caring characters who want to keep their secrets buried. Ferrell is a talented writer who gives readers what they have come to expect in a historical novel, plus some surprises for them to discover.”
Wishing on Buttercups is my eighth novel, and revisits the characters readers met and loved in book one, Blowing on Dandelions, with two more to follow in my Love Blossoms in Oregon series. I’ve been fortunate to visit every town where my books have been set except for Sundance, WY. 
My trip to Baker City, Oregon, was no exception. I have a friend who moved to this picturesque small city nestled between the Wallowa and Elkhorn Mountains. She escorted me to businesses, pointing out buildings that had been erected in the late 1800s, and introduced me to locals who had family extending back almost to the town’s inception.
Often when on these research trips, I find little known facts that turn into interesting story plots, or I’m able to create true-to-life scenes using events that happened during my specific time period. It’s even better when I can discover and use a famous person who lived in the town at that time, as I did in my book set in Tombstone, when Doc Holliday showed up at a saloon.
I included more than one true event in Wishing on Buttercups. One was a humorous episode with a paint can, based on an incident that happened in my own family history. The other incorporated the historical setting of the town, which is only a mile from the Oregon Trail, an important detail that ties in closely to one of Beth’s secrets.       
Something that took us by surprise, located just across the road from our motel, was an old Chinese cemetery. Before visiting Baker City, I didn’t realize the town had contained a sizeable Chinese population who were brought in to work the mines. It included a one-to-two block section built specifically for the workers and their families. That aspect of the story isn’t included in this book, but I’m currently working on a spin-off novella that will release March 1 in eBook format only, which includes these hard-working people. That book will follow Pastor Seth, who readers met in Blowing on Dandelions, and will introduce a new character, Julia McKenzie. I hope you’ll consider trying this series, if you haven’t already!

Miralee Ferrell is a speaker, accredited counselor, and former ACFW chapter president who has published multiple contemporary and historical romance novels since starting to write in 2005. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and family gatherings around their eleven-acre property in Washington State’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Miralee has had eight books release, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 5 under contract. She’s an award-winning author of Western fiction, and her newest release, Wishing on Buttercups, is the second in a series set in Baker City, Oregon, 1880s. 
Interact with Miralee:
Facebook Author page:  www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell

To be in the drawing for a copy of this book, answer the question below in your comment. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you in case you win. 

Question: In reading a historical novel, what makes the difference for you in considering it to be an excellent, good, fair or poor book?

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited by law; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. No purchase is necessary and only one entry per post. 

Winner will be selected next week-end and posted here on Monday, March 24. You must be 18 or older to enter. Remember to leave your email address for contacting you in case of win. Followers earn an extra entry.


7 comments:

Unknown said...

I have loved reading this series and can't wait for the next one! To make a historical fiction book excellent, in my opinion, I think it should include many little known facts about the area. But, I also love the common historical facts.

Between the Pages with Katrina said...

There are several things I look for in grading books. First the plot has to flow. I like a good storyline. Second, I look for imagery. When I read a book I want to be transported into the story. Third, the story must contain likeable characters. Most authors have very little problem with one and three, but very few use imagery.

KayM said...

When I read historical fiction, I like to know that the author did good research. That's very important to me. I love history, so I have expectations that the history in the novel will be authentic. Also, I expect that the dialog will be true to the time of the novel. It's very annoying to read 21st century dialog in a historic novel. I am looking forward to reading Wishing on Buttercups.
may_dayzee(at)yahoo(dot)com
I am a follower.

Teresa Kay Lam said...

Hi, thank you for the interview, I loved reading about Wishing on Buttercups, I haven't had a chance to read it yet as I've been recovering from a major surgery and all my energy has gone into recovery but it sounds that it's going to be as good as the first book in the series :)

I wish you the best of luck with the entire series, and thank you for writing it, I discovered your series by chance several months ago and really enjoyed the first book. I have recommended it to many family and friends.

To answer the question, context is what makes reading a historical novel, what makes the difference for myself when considering it to be an excellent, good, fair or poor book. Historical context in location, situations, scenes, etc. As well as the people, their scars as in the characters physical and emotion baggage how I can relate to them and their situations.

Thank you again for the interview.

Teresa
shenpixel at gmail dot com

Sheila Deeth said...

In a historical novel, I want to enjoy the story and the feeling of being there. I enjoy historical accuracy, but not at the expense of storytelling (so I'm frustrated by details so obscure they drive me to the internet ahead of the next chapter).

Unknown said...

Excellent is when I can relate to the characters in the book & feel like I am right there, good is when it is set in a different area than you usually expect, fair is when there are too many characters involved to keep up with, & poor is when you feel like you have already read the same book but it just has different names or a country that it is set in!

Rebecca Maney said...

I rarely give a five-star rating simply because a lot of factors have to intersect. Good research, well-developed characters, interesting setting, intriguing story line, and a natural conversational flow that only the best of writers can accomplish. A lot of books have a good basic story line, but the characters and dialogues are stiff or the authenticity is in question. It takes a lot of work to write a good book, and it takes work and talent combined to write a great book! rmaney@firstarpchurch.org.