Wishing on Buttercups (45 page)

Miralee and her husband, Allen, live on eleven acres in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington State, where they love to garden, play with their dogs, take walks, and go sailing. She is also able to combine two other passions—horseback riding and spending time with her grown children—since her married daughter lives nearby, and they often ride together on the wooded trails near their home.

Ironically, Miralee, now the author of eight books, with many more on the way, never had a burning desire to write—at least more than her own memoirs for her children. So she was shocked when God called her to start writing after she turned fifty. To Miralee, writing is a ministry that she hopes will impact hearts, and she anticipates how God will use each of her books to bless and change lives.

An avid reader, Miralee has a large collection of first edition Zane Grey books that she started collecting as a young teen. Her love for his storytelling ability inspired her desire to write fiction set in the Old West. “But I started writing historical fiction without even meaning to,” Miralee says, laughing. She’d always planned on writing contemporary women’s fiction, but God had other ideas. After signing her first contract for the novel
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California
, she decided to research the town and area. To her dismay, she discovered the town no longer existed and hadn’t since the 1960s. Though it had been a booming town in the late 1880s, it had pretty much died out in the 1930s. So her editor suggested switching to a historical version, and Miralee agreed, although she’d never even considered that era.

It didn’t take long to discover she had a natural flair for that time period, having read and watched so many Western stories while growing up. From that point on she was hooked. Her 1880s stories continue to grow in acclaim each year. Her novel
Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming
won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction, and Universal Studios requested a copy of her debut novel,
The Other Daughter
, for a potential family movie.

Aside from writing and her outdoor activities, Miralee has lived a varied life. She and her husband have been deeply involved in building two of their own homes over the years, as well as doing a full remodel on a one-hundred-year-old Craftsman-style home they owned and loved for four years. They also owned a sawmill at the time and were able to provide much of the interior wood products. Miralee has done everything from driving a forklift to stoking the huge, 120-year-old-boiler, from off-bearing lumber to running a small planer and stacking boards in the dry kiln.

Besides their horse friends, Miralee and her husband have owned cats, dogs (a six-pound, long-haired Chihuahua named Lacey was often curled up on her lap as she wrote this book), rabbits, and yes, even two cougars, Spunky and Sierra, rescued from breeders who didn’t have the ability or means to care for them properly.

Miralee and Allen have lived in Alaska and the San Juan Islands for just under a year each, where she became actively involved in women’s ministry. Later, she took a counseling course and earned her accreditation with the American Association of Christian Counselors, as well as being a licensed minister (not a pastor) through her denomination. She spends time each month in her office at church praying with and ministering to women, as well as occasionally speaking and filling the pulpit.

Miralee served as president of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) for four years and now serves on the board in an advisory capacity. She belongs to a number of writers’ groups and also speaks at women’s groups, libraries, historical societies, and churches about her writing journey.

www.miraleeferrell.com

www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com

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Books by Miralee Ferrell

Love Blossoms in Oregon Series

Blowing on Dandelions

Wishing on Buttercups

Love Finds You Series

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon

Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming

Love Finds You in Last Chance, California

Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona

The Other Daughter

Finding Jeena

Other Contributions/Compilations

A Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers

Faith and Family: A Devotional Pathway for Families

When God Answers Your Prayers: Inspiring Stories of How God Comes through in the Nick of Time

Faith & Finances: In God We Trust, A Journey to Financial Dependence or the Biblical Keys to Financial Freedom

Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle

WISHING ON BUTTERCUPS

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance View

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook Distribution Canada

55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

This story is a work of fiction. Characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

LCCN 2013946239

ISBN 978-0-7814-0809-7

eISBN 978-1-4347-0748-2

© 2014 Miralee Ferrell

Publishing in association with Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency, 5025 N. Central Ave., #635, Pheonix, AZ 85012.

The Team: Don Pape, Ramona Cramer Tucker, Amy Konyndyk, Nick Lee, Tonya Osterhouse, Karen Athen

Cover Design: DogEared Design, Kirk DouPonce

Cover Photo: iStockphoto and 123RF

First Edition 2014

What people are saying about …

Wishing on Buttercups

“A family tragedy, a woman scarred for life, a chance meeting, and a charming ensemble cast blend together to make Miralee Ferrell’s
Wishing on Buttercups
a story that runs the gamut of emotions, from enthralling and heart-wrenching, to the enjoyable, satisfying end.”

Vickie McDonough,
award-winning author of the Pioneer Promise series

“In
Wishing on Buttercups
, Miralee Ferrell invites us to enjoy the charm of the Oregon wilderness and a boardinghouse filled with fascinating characters. This romance will speak to many as a beautiful young artist struggles with mystery, pain, and shame from her past, and fears to step into a future filled with promise. Will she find the will to overcome her reluctance to trust again?
Wishing on Buttercups
is filled with enough questions, twists, and turns to satisfy the most demanding of readers.”

Hannah Alexander,
award-winning author and author of
Keeping Faith

“I loved
Blowing on Dandelions
for its wonderful characters, the variety and depth of the conflicts, and a storytelling style that kept me reading chapter after chapter. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this next book in the series, hoping it would be just as good. And it is! Ferrell is a master at writing complex, fascinating characters and at building suspense and mystery in her books in a way that keeps me turning the pages until I finally hit ‘The End’!”

Roxanne Rustand,
award-winning author of
When He Came Home
,
Harlequin Heartwarming
, and
Summer at Briar Lake

Praise for…

Blowing on Dandelions

“
Blowing on Dandelions
is a fun read with a beautiful setting in 1880s Baker City, Oregon. Ferrell has created characters you’ll root for, and the attitudes feel appropriate for the time in this tender romance. The relationships of mothers and daughters in this story speak deeply of the need for acceptance, love, and respect from one’s parents.”

Susan Page Davis,
award-winning author of the Prairie Dreams and Texas Trails series

“As soft and gentle as the wisps of snowy seeds for which it is named,
Blowing on Dandelions
is an achingly tender love story that will lift your spirits—and your heart—high on a gentle breeze through the Oregon mountain valleys.”

Julie Lessman,
award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series

“Miralee Ferrell’s writing style is always a delight, even as her stories are captivating.
Blowing on Dandelions
is no exception. From the opening scene the reader is drawn into Katherine Galloway’s life, and we care about her from that moment on. This is more than a heart-tugging romance—though it is that; it is also a mind-challenging read that will leave us in a different place from when we began.”

Kathi Macias,
multi-award-winning author of forty books, including the Golden Scrolls 2011 Novel of the Year and Carol Award finalist
Red Ink

“In Katherine Galloway, Miralee Ferrell has created a woman who models grace. As the story unfolds, readers see Katherine’s faith lived out in a way that is authentic, challenging, and encouraging. A book you won’t want to put down … and a story you won’t want to end.”

Stephanie Grace Whitson,
author of The Quilt Chronicles series

“In
Blowing on Dandelions
, Miralee Ferrell gives us an engaging story with strong characters who have hidden depths. The theme of the story is universal and will touch hearts and help heal longtime hurts. As with all of her books, Miralee weaves a satisfying romance through these pages. What else could a reader ask for?”

Lena Nelson Dooley,
speaker and author of the 2012 Selah Award winner
Maggie’s Journey
,
Mary’s Blessing
, and the 2011 Will Rogers Medallion Award winner,
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico

“Miralee Ferrell’s
Blowing on Dandelions
is a deeply inspiring story about family conflict and the transforming power of rekindled love. A richly written story chock full of nuggets of divine wisdom, this book was, for me, a genuinely satisfying read.”

Walt Larimore,
bestselling author of
Hazel Creek
and
Sugar Fork

“Miralee Ferrell delves deeply into the issues of bitterness and family discord and shines a bright light on God’s path to reconciliation for every hurting heart. You won’t be able to read this book without shedding a tear as you identify with one or more of these true-to-life characters.”