Thursday, December 9, 2010

Love Finds You in Unlikely Places!

You wouldn't think of towns named "Last Chance" and "Tombstone" as settings where love would normally find you, but today's guest Miralee Ferrell has written love stories set in those very places!

Miralee is the author of three "Love Finds You" books, including Love Finds You in Last Chance, California; Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon; and the February 2011 release Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona.

Today you will have the opportunity to win Love Finds You in Last Chance, California AND Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona! These two books are, in fact, interconnected, with the one set in Tombstone continuing the story of one of the character's from the book set in Last Chance. Here's a little more information about the two books:

Love Finds You in Last Chance, California

From Summerside Press: "It's 1877 and Alexia travers is alone in the world. Her father has died unexpectedly, leaving her burdened with a heavily mortgaged horse ranch. Marrying one of the town’s all-too-willing bachelors would offer an easy solution, but Alex has no interest in marriage. Instead, she dons men’s trousers and rides the range, determined to make the ranch a success on her own. But despite Alex’s best efforts, everything seems to go wrong: ranch hands quit, horses are stolen, and her father’s gold goes missing. Alex is at her wit’s end when wrangler Justin Phillips arrives in Last Chance with his young son, looking for a job. But there seems to be more to Justin’s story than he’s willing to share. Will Alex ever be able to trust him? More importantly, will the independent woman finally learn to depend on God?"

Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona (February 2011)

From Christianbook.com: "Christy Grey thought she had buried her past when she left Tombstone. Now she's back to find her mother ill and her brother drowning in gambling debt. Must she return to her saloon job? Outlaw Nevada Keene is afraid Christy recognizes him from a stagecoach robbery. He wants to go straight. Will Christy turn him in?"

I just love the new cover! (Ya'll know I'm fond of stagecoaches, and the colors are beautiful!)

Today's interview is going to be a little bit different than the previous interviews we've had this week...and that's because you get to ask the questions! That's right--Miralee has offered to stop by and answer your questions about writing, research, and anything else you might want to know about her and these "Love Finds You" books!

So here's how you can win this two book set (as long as there are 25 comments!):
  • First entry: You must leave a comment (with your valid e-mail address) with a question for Miralee. Any question counts! (However, note that there is a difference between the clever/quirky and the ridiculous--so be discerning, please!)
  • One extra entry: Become a follower of Miralee's blog, or let me know if you are already a follower.
  • One extra entry: Become a follower of this blog, or let me know if you are already a follower.
(Also, note that this giveaway is for U.S. residents only, and the winner will not receive Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona until it's release in 2011. But Miralee has offered to send the winner Love Finds You in Last Chance, California before then, if the winner so desires.)

And while we're talking about love finding you in unlikely places, I think it's safe to say that a huge tower in the deepest part of the woods is a pretty unlikely place, right? ;) Yes, I am talking about the new Disney animated movie Tangled (click HERE to read my review). And what's a party without a few laughs? So go check out this preview and this preview for a giggle and/or chuckle, and then come right back here to have a good chat with Miralee!

Ready those questions and fire away! And don't forget to enter all this week's giveaways before tonight, because I'm going to be drawing winners after 9:00 p.m. PST and announcing them in tomorrow's post!

44 comments:

Lady DragonKeeper said...

First comment, yay! j/k

Mrs. Ferrell, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! I noticed on your website that you've written several books in different genres --do you have a favorite genre to write in and what is your favorite book you have written (or one of your favorite) and why?

I hope to read some of your work soon. Thank you for the chance to win!

jafuchi7[at]hawaii[dot]edu

Renee Ann said...

Hi, Miralee! I read the story of your writing journey at your website, and it reinforced to me the importance of supporters who come alongside to encourage us in our lives. And I saw the photos of your lovely family . . . So I have a couple of questions:

Does anyone else in your family--daughter, son,etc--write or show interest in writing?

Have you had the chance to teach workshops or help young writers in other ways?

How do you get your ideas for your books? Do you draw inspiration from the folks in your life?

Thanks for a fun week here at your blog, Amber! Blessings! reneeasmith61 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Amber Holcomb said...

LADY DRAGON KEEPER: Nice job! You must either be:

a) a night owl like me!

b) a super early riser (unlike me)

c) from someplace where it's not in the wee hours of the morning right now!

;)

Good questions for Miralee! She has written quite a few books, hasn't she? :)

You have 1 entry in this drawing!

RENEE ANN: Great questions! Can't wait to hear Miralee's answers. :)

You have 2 entries in this drawing!

I'm so glad you've had a fun time here this week! Thank you again for all of your help in spreading the word about it--there has been such a great turnout! :D

And don't think the fun's over yet! Tomorrow will be very exciting, I'm thinking! ;) And because I've been doing these party posts this week, I've been building up a list of posts I want to put up soon when I get a chance, which includes a really touching "Monday for the Military," a couple of book reviews, and some other fun stuff, so stay tuned! :D

~Amber

adge said...

Okay... I have a question. How do you lose the characters from the last book to be able to move forward with your new book? Or is that even a difficult thing to do? gasweetheart211[at]netscape[dot]net

apple blossom said...

Here's my questions
of all the books you've written which do you think would make a good movie? why?

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

apple blossom said...

follower of this blog
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

apple blossom said...

follower of Marleen's blog too

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Andrea Schultz said...

I love Miralee!
Do you have more books scheduled to come out after 'Tombstone'?
Blessings & Merry Christmas
Andrea
andrealschultz at gmail dot com

Ponderings by Andrea blog
http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com

2) I am a follower of Miralee's blog

3) I am a new follower of this lovely blog

Bluerose said...

My question for Miralee:
How do you come up with the names for your characters? I know most authors have different methods. :)

I'm a new follower of Miralee's blog, and I'm already a follower here. :)

Emma said...

Hi Miralee
How long did it take you to write Love Finds You in Last Chance, California?augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.

Emma said...

a follower of seasons of humility.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.

Emma said...

a new follower of Miralee's blog.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.

Casey said...

I am loving the fun here. :) This is exciting to ask a question too! I will have to return later to see the answer. :)

Miralee, I want to know if you traveled to Tombstone and Last Chance to research, and kind of what that entailed. Thanks so much!!

Amber, I am follower of your's. :)

caseymh18(@)gmail.com

Katie Marie said...

Hi Miralee! I went over and checked out your website! I haven't read any of your books yet, but I'd love to start! ;-)

So here is my question - out of all the books you have read, which book and/or character was your favorite to write? :-)

Thanks for the chance to win! :-) I am already a follower of your blog, Amber!

- Katy
legacy1992(at)gmail(dot)com

Ariel Wilson said...

Okay, so I haven't read any LFY books yet. *hides from attacks* Haha :P But I always look for them when I go book shopping! My question is how are the two books connected? Is Christy Alex's daughter? Or did they just know each other before Christy moves?

I'm a follower of Miralee's blog now.

I'm a follower of your blog.

pinkdaddysgirl[at]msn[dot]com

Amanda Stanley said...

Hi Miralee! First I have to say, what a beautiful name you have! It is so nice to meet you, and thank you for being willing to answer our questions! I would love a chance to read your books, as they sound so very interesting and I haven’t read many books set out West- and I agree with Amber, I love the cover for Tombstone!

Did you plan to tie these two stories together and make a continuation of sorts with Tombstone or was there just a secondary character in Last Chance that had a life of their own and a story that begged to be told? I always wonder when authors write a series (which I don’t think this is a series, right?) if they have specific characters in mind for the future or if the characters just form, develop and breathe as they go along, growing too big for one book and needing their own just to tell the rest of their story. And, I have a second question, that is, if you don’t mind- do your secondary characters have a POV in Last Chance? Just wanted to know if we’ll hear his or her voice before the second book :)

Miralee it is so very generous of you to offer not just one, but TWO, of your wonderful books to a very lucky commenter here!! Thank you for the chance :D

Amber, thank you so much for introducing me to the Love Finds You series and these sweet authors! I look forward to reading their books someday- hopefully sooner rather than later ;) Thanks for all the fun this week, my friend :) You do know how to through a party, girl!!

Oh, and I’m already a follower here :)

Blessings to you both!
Amanda Stanley
mrose608{at}gmail{dot}com

MaureenT said...

Hi Miralee...was wondering how you go about picking the Cities for the Love Finds You series. I know you are using Last Chance, but Chance CA seems popular. I did find Last Chance on Google Maps...way out in nowhere?
Thank you so much for this giveaway...I have been looking for you book...The Other Daughter, and now have it ordered.

alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

MaureenT said...

I am a follower of Miralee's Blog.

alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

Miralee Ferrell said...

Wow! You gals are amazing! I'm on the west coast (WA state) and I didn't have a chance to open my email until 10:00 this morning when I found all the questions. I'll be in and out all day, so may not get them all done this morning, but I promise to come back mid afternoon (my time) and do more, then check again in the early evening. So keep these awesome questions coming, I love to chat with you all!!

Lady DragonKeeper: I've written two women's contemporary and three historical romance. They're very different as to time period, but have some commonalities that I try to keep in all my writing. I always weave in some type of issue or problem common to women, or put a strong woman in who's overcoming an obstacle in her life. "The Other Daughter", my first book, is a contemporary, and has some parts that are a true story based on an event in our life. The book depicts a 13 yr old girl being dumped on her bio dad's doorstep (he's married with 2 kids under the age of 12). He's a Christian, his wife isn't. And the bad thing is, neither one of them know about this girl's existence until she appears at their door.

We had the same thing happen, only we were both serving the Lord....and the girl was 18 and her mother wasn't dead, as she was in the book. I changed quite a bit to protect the girl who we ended up taking into our hearts (she didn't need a home), and the encounter between her mother and my husband happened before he got saved, and before he started dating me, so there were no feelings of betrayal as portrayed in the book. That book, and the one that follows it (Finding Jeena) are my two deepest books, but the historical romances have some deep issues, as well as sweet romance.

I'm really torn between the two genres as to which I like best. I LOVE writing books set in the old west, but know I won't quit writing contemporary, as I like to dig deep into a characters feelings and what drives them, and that's often easier to do in a current day setting.

I'll start a new comment box for more answers, since this one is so long. Thanks for asking!

MaureenT said...

I am a follower of your blog Amber.

alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

Miralee Ferrell said...

Renee Ann, this is for you... You asked:

Does anyone else in your family--daughter, son,etc--write or show interest in writing?

My daughter loves to read (as does my son) but she has no interest in writing at all. She took after me with her love for all things horse related, but she's more of an introvert when it comes to people or creative type things.
My son on the other hand has a more creative bent. He dabbled at oil painting when I gave him a couple of lessons years ago and did well at it. Now I'm encouraging him to try writing, as I feel he has a natural ability. He served in the Marine Corp in Iraq, and he's leaning toward trying a military suspense.

Have you had the chance to teach workshops or help young writers in other ways?

Not yet, but it's something I'm considering. I've been asked by our local library to put a class together, and I simply have to make time in my schedule. I have mentored a few new writers online by doing critiques for them, and offering suggestions and encouragement.

How do you get your ideas for your books? Do you draw inspiration from the folks in your life?

This is one of the places where I struggle the most...finding new story ideas. I'd LOVE it if people would just write to me and say "I want to read a story about such and such", LOL! If I have the idea, I can write it, but it's hard for me to come up with them. As I shared, The Other Daughter came from a personal experience. Finding Jeena is the spin off and follows a secondary character from that book, and it was fairly easy, as Jeena was just begging to get a comeuppance in her life, LOL!

The Love Finds You book set in Last Chance, CA story idea came from two different stories...a short news clip that gave me an idea, and a woman from the old west who was highly successful as a horse rancher. The one set in Bridal Veil came from another author who I brainstormed with, who asked me a couple of questions about things I'm interested in, then said 'what if you did this'....and it took off from there.

My current book set in Tombstone, AZ is a spin off of a secondary character from Last Chance, and since she already had an occupation in the first book and her identity was established, I felt as though I knew her fairly well and it was much easier for me to write her story.

So if anyone wants to toss story ideas my way, I'd be thrilled!

Miralee Ferrell said...

adge said...

Okay... I have a question. How do you lose the characters from the last book to be able to move forward with your new book? Or is that even a difficult thing to do?

What a GREAT question and not one I've been asked before!

It IS difficult to let them go, as they are truly like friends by the time I finish a book. I prefer doing a book series, but so far Summerside hasn't been willing to contract series for the Love Finds You books, and honestly that makes sense, as each one is set in a different area. I was SO blessed when my editor allowed me to take a secondary character from my book set in Last Chance and move her (Christy Grey) to Tombstone, AZ a few years later. It was a joy to return to a familiar character and I have a feeling my readers who loved Last Chance will love this one even more.

The one redeeming thing about moving on is I get to meet new characters, LOL! And I get quickly attached to them, making it less difficult to say goodbye to the old ones.

Miralee Ferrell said...

apple blossom said...

Here's my questions
of all the books you've written which do you think would make a good movie? why?

Apple Blossom, thank you for stopping by my blog earlier today and leaving a comment on one of my book drawings. I'm sorry to say it's already complete and the winner drawn, so there won't be an answer to your question there, but I hope you'll come back again, as I'll be hosting another author next week.

The Other Daughter would make a fantastic Hallmark or Life Time movie...and in fact, a major motion picture studio contacted me about it, read the book, and came close to signing it. They decided not to because faith in God is woven so deeply into the story line it can't be separated and have the story stand. They felt the faith elements were too strong so they passed. But I'd still LOVE to see it made into a movie.

And for action and color, and a true Old West flavor, I'd have to say the new one releasing Feb. 1st, Love Finds You in Tombstone, AZ

Miralee Ferrell said...

Andrea Schultz said...

I love Miralee!
Do you have more books scheduled to come out after 'Tombstone'?
Blessings & Merry Christmas
Andrea

Hi Andrea, so nice to see you here!!

I have one under serious consideration by two different houses right now, and it's possible it could be releasing a year from my Tombstone book, but it's not confirmed yet. I hope to be able to make an announcement on that soon. I'm also working on a series of horse novels for girls ages 9-12 & have an editor excited about them, but that's in the works. I also have proposals in for three other books, so we'll have to wait and see which hits first!

Julia M. Reffner said...

I love these covers, Miralee! I hope its OK if I ask something not related to this particular book. I know Miralee writes contemporary and historical. I would love to know, Miralee, if you have a preference for one genre or the other?

julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com

Amber Holcomb said...

ADGE: Good question! As a beginning writer myself, I am at least somewhat aware of how dear and real characters become to the novelist. I'm only on my first WIP, so I wonder what will happen when I finish!

You have 1 entry in today's drawing. :)

APPLE BLOSSOM: I wonder if all writers think about that! In my opinion, it can be a lot of fun imagining one's book/WIP as a movie! :)

You have 3 entries in today's drawing. :)

ANDREA: Good question! I love to know which books we have to look forward to reading in the future. :)

Thank you for the kind words about my blog! :D You have 3 entries in today's drawing!

BLUEROSE: I love how every author has a different method for coming up with characters' names. It's such a unique process for each person, I think! :)

You have 3 entries in today's drawing. :)

EMMA: Good question! :) You have 3 entries in today's drawing!

CASEY: Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the party! :D

I love actually traveling to the place you're writing about to do research, so that's a good question! You have 2 entries in today's drawing. :)

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

KATY: That's a good question! It's always interesting to hear what stories are most dear to the author's heart. :) You have 2 entries in today's drawing!

ARIEL: We will have to correct that soon! ;) They're great books!

And that's a good question. :) It's been a while since I've read LFY in Last Chance, CA, so I'm not sure if I'd recognize all the connections right away!

You have 3 entries in today's drawing!

AMANDA: I agree--Miralee is a lovely name! :) And isn't the cover for Tombstone gorgeous?! When I first got to see the picture I fell in love. ;)

And that's a great question! I wonder how many books start out as stand-alones and then become series because there's just so much more to say! :)

Anyway, I'm so glad you're enjoying the party, and I'm more than happy to spread the word about this series! :D You have 2 entries in today's drawing!

MAUREEN: Great question! I think for the "Love Finds You" the town names have to be pretty unique and tie in with the story, but it would be interesting to know how Miralee found these towns (especially since she's written 3 books for this series!).

You have 3 entries in this drawing!

~Amber

Giveaway Lady said...

Well Miralee, I see a lot of my questions have been asked already and I know you get a lot of the same questions so I am asking a kind of quirky one:) What type of animal would you be? Thanks!
I am a GFC Follower of this blog and a follower of Miralee's blog as well.
esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com

Amber Holcomb said...

MIRALEE: Thank you so, so much for being willing to answer all these questions! :D I'm so glad you are able to stop by today, even though I didn't give you much warning. Sorry about that!

Also, thank you for your generosity! This is such a fun idea for an interview, and I'm thankful for your kindness in sharing your books with one of my readers! :)

I love all of your responses--very deep and thorough! And I just have to say that my sister is a horse-lover, too. :)

JULIA: Aren't those covers lovely? I have LFY in Last Chance, California, and the cover is great! LFY in Tombstone, Arizona looks gorgeous, as well!

Genre is such an interesting thing to think about, especially considering that some authors write in several different genres. Thanks for stopping by, and you have 2 entries in today's drawing!

BTW...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! :D

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

CHARITY: Hahaha, fun question! ;) It is hard if you come later and a lot of great questions have already been asked, but I think that's a great one, too!

You have 3 entries in today's drawing! :)

~Amber

Anonymous said...

My question for Maralee:
I saw on your blog that you have a sailboat. My husband and I have always wanted to live on a houseboat. Have you ever thought about living full time on your sailboat?

I now follow Miralee's blog

I already follow this blog

bfaos(@)mail(.)com

Anonymous said...

My question is what's your favorite Bible verse and why?
sonflower277(at)gmail(dot)com

Amber Holcomb said...

ELLIE: Interesting question! :) I could see how that could be a really adventurous lifestyle!

You have 3 entries in today's drawing. :)

ANONYMOUS: Oooh, good question! Thanks for stopping by! You have 1 entry in this drawing. :)

~Amber

Edna said...

Question: I know this has been asked many time but when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? I would love these books

mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I am an old follower of yours


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I am a follower of Maralee also


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Amber Holcomb said...

EDNA: Glad you could make it! :) That is a good question!

You have 3 entries in today's drawing. :)

~Amber

Miralee Ferrell said...

I'm back from having a long and wonderful lunch with an old friend that I haven't seen in months. What a lovely time catching up with a friend. And to make it even better, my grown daughter who loves this friend, was able stop in and join us!

Now...on to your questions. I'll do two in this post as they're both somewhat short.

Bluerose said...

My question for Miralee:
How do you come up with the names for your characters? I know most authors have different methods. :)

Bluerose, my method is kind of willy nilly, LOL! On a contemporary I just choose a name that I think fits my character, as there are tons of names out there today to choose from. A historical takes a little more planning, as it's important to make sure the name was used during that time period. I'll research it online or check old books written during that time period. I also like to use strong names for the hero and heroine, or ones that fit their personality.

December 9, 2010 7:17 AM
Emma said...

Hi Miralee
How long did it take you to write Love Finds You in Last Chance, California?augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.

I can tell you almost exactly how long it took to write Tombstone, as that's my most recent one but honestly don't remember how long it took to write Last Chance, as I wrote that close to 3 yrs ago (it released 2 yrs ago). I think it took about 6 months, with me working on another book at the same time. I started writing Tombstone March 20 of last year, and finished writing it June 29, so just about 3 months. Then I took a month to revise and edit, and turned it in during the month of August, about 2 wks prior to my deadline.

Miralee Ferrell said...

Two more....

Casey said...

I am loving the fun here. :) This is exciting to ask a question too! I will have to return later to see the answer. :)

Miralee, I want to know if you traveled to Tombstone and Last Chance to research, and kind of what that entailed. Thanks so much!!

Hi Casey, I hope you haven't had to return too many times and not found your answer yet. Just getting caught up.

I'm blessed that Bridal Veil (the other Love Finds You set in 1904, Oregon) is only about 40 miles from my home, so the research on that was easy.

I'm in S. WA state, so it's a bit of a jaunt to Last Chance and Tombstone, but yes, my husband and I traveled (flew) to both locations. It's very important to me that the setting be accurate, as well as the weather, the feel of a place, topography, plant life, and history. Especially for a Love Finds You book, as the setting/location is all important to these books. The reader needs to feel like they've visited there by the time they finish reading.

We loved going both places. Last Chance is WAY up in the Sierra Nevada Mtns., about 2 1/2 hrs from Auburn, CA., which is an hr NE of Sacramento. It's a ghost town now, and we'd never have found it at all had it not been for a wonderful Forest Service employee who drove out there with us. It's in very rugged terrain, and we spend several hrs poking around thru the woods finding broken bottles, old fence posts, the old cemetery, the basement and foundations of the old buildings, etc.

Tombstone was fascinating, as much of the 4 blocks of old town are intact and preserved for the past 100 yrs. I was able to get a true feel for the area, the history (lots of museums and artifacts), as well as some buildings that are original and still furnished the way they were back then. It was a treasure trove of information and I think my book will show that.

Thanks for the great questions!


Katy M said...

Hi Miralee! I went over and checked out your website! I haven't read any of your books yet, but I'd love to start! ;-)

So here is my question - out of all the books you have read, which book and/or character was your favorite to write?

Miralee Ferrell said...

Oh dear! I posted that too soon, before answering Katy's question!!

I'd have to say it was Christy Grey, my current heroine in Tombstone. She's such a strong person (as is Alexia, or Alex, in Last Chance, who is my second favorite)and both are the type of women I'd choose to have as a friend.

I'd love to have you try one of my books, Katy!! And if you do, send me a note and let me know what you think after you've read one. I love hearing from readers!

Ariel said...

Okay, so I haven't read any LFY books yet. *hides from attacks* Haha :P But I always look for them when I go book shopping! My question is how are the two books connected? Is Christy Alex's daughter? Or did they just know each other before Christy moves?

Great follow up question to Katy's, since I mentioned Christy and Alexia as my favorites. And not to worry about not reading any LFY books yet...I just hope one of mine will be your first, ;-)
Christy comes to Last Chance to cause trouble for Alex and Justin. I can't tell you more than that, but she evokes some pretty strong emotions when you first meet her, but most readers came to care about her and clamored to know/read more of her story by the time they finished the book.

Amanda said:
Did you plan to tie these two stories together and make a continuation of sorts with Tombstone or was there just a secondary character in Last Chance that had a life of their own and a story that begged to be told?

Another perfect question to follow through on...

I never plan ahead on something like this, simply because Summerside isn't set up for sequels or series. And you're right, Last Chance wasn't meant to have a sequel. But I got reader mail asking to know more about Christy, and she stuck in my heart pretty firmly. I really wanted to write her story, but it wasn't until AFTER I signed the contract for Tombstone that I asked permission to make that book her story. I'd submitted a story idea and then realized it was similar to what I knew Christy had gone through, and it could easily become her story.

And for your second question:
And, I have a second question, that is, if you don’t mind- do your secondary characters have a POV in Last Chance? Just wanted to know if we’ll hear his or her voice before the second book :)

Yes, we do hear Christy's POV and get into her head (and heart) in a number of scenes in Last Chance. You'll have a chance to get acquainted with her there, before moving on to Tombstone.

Miralee Ferrell said...

Maureen said...

Hi Miralee...was wondering how you go about picking the Cities for the Love Finds You series. I know you are using Last Chance, but Chance CA seems popular. I did find Last Chance on Google Maps...way out in nowhere?
Thank you so much for this giveaway...I have been looking for you book...The Other Daughter, and now have it ordered.

Hi Maureen,

First, thank you for ordering The Other Daughter, and I hope you'll enjoy reading it even half as much as I loved writing it.

Last Chance, Bridal Veil and Tombstone were all on Summerside's list of 'approved' towns. They preselected a large number of towns that were either well known (like Tombstone) with rich history connected with them, or ones that had a name that lent itself to a romance (like Bridal Veil and Last Chance). When I was first approached about writing for Summerside, I told the lead editor my two story ideas, and she assigned them to the two separate towns.

One interesting and little known fact about my Last Chance book....it was originally going to be a contemporary, until after we signed the contract and I discovered it's a ghost town and has been for about 50 yrs. I'd never even considered writing a historical (had never written a romance, so that was new territory for me already), but agreed that I could do so (I didn't have much choice, LOL!). AND, to top that, I ended up weaving in a suspense/murder thread into the story, and I'd never done that before, either. There's a low-key mystery or suspense thread in all of my historical romance books. I don't write straight romance, they are always multi-layered to keep the reader moving forward at a somewhat rapid pace.

Oh, and on Tombstone, I asked my editor if they had any towns available that would be suitable for western setting in the 1880's, complete with gun fight, saloon girls and outlaws, and Tombstone fit the bill perfectly!

Miralee Ferrell said...

Charity said...

Well Miralee, I see a lot of my questions have been asked already and I know you get a lot of the same questions so I am asking a kind of quirky one:) What type of animal would you be? Thanks!

Ellie said...

My question for Maralee:
I saw on your blog that you have a sailboat. My husband and I have always wanted to live on a houseboat. Have you ever thought about living full time on your sailboat?

Hi Ellie,
We purchased the boat six years ago with that idea in mind. But so far, my husband has mostly been working on doing a lot of 'stuff' he wanted to do, to upgrade it...we've done some day sailing, but no overnight trips. Plus, his business and my writing have kept us so busy. It's turned into more of a hobby for him. That's not to say it won't still happen someday, but we don't have any immediate plans to take off for any length of time


Anonymous said...

My question is what's your favorite Bible verse and why?

Definitely Jeremiah 29:1....For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

This is such an awesome depiction to me of the nature of God, and His heart towards us. He truly does want the best for us, even when we can't see it.

Edna said...

Question: I know this has been asked many time but when did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I'm not your typical writer in that I've had a desire to write most of my life. I haven't. It wasn't until six years ago that the Lord laid it on my heart (you can read the entire miraculous way it happened on my website under 'my journey') to start writing. A year and a half later, my first book was under contract, and I've been writing non stop since. Now I can't imagine my life without writing!

Thanks so much gals, for all your wonderful questions. Please let me know if I missed anyone?

I'll be personally signing and mailing my Last Chance book to the winner shortly after this drawing is concluded. But Tombstone will ship from my publicist in Feb., and won't be signed by me, so please be patient.

Miralee

Miralee Ferrell said...

Oh dear, I missed Charity!

Charity said...

Well Miralee, I see a lot of my questions have been asked already and I know you get a lot of the same questions so I am asking a kind of quirky one:) What type of animal would you be? Thanks!


I think a bald eagle. They're not only magnificent birds, but they're protected from being killed in our country, they're a symbol of freedom, and have the ability to soar to heights we can only imagine doing.

Amber Holcomb said...

MIRALEE: Wow! Thank you again so much for taking the time to answer all these questions!!! I think I can safely say that we all really appreciate it, along with your generosity. :)

Thanks for joining the party and making it so fun! May the Lord bless you as you continue writing for Him. :D

~Amber