The Fun and Benefits of On-site Research

Can research be fun as well as informative? I asked author Miralee Ferrell to provide us with some information regarding the on-site research she did on her new historical novel, Blowing on Dandelions.--Sandy

Miralee: Blowing on Dandelions is my seventh novel, with two more historical romance novels to follow, and I’ve been fortunate to visit every town where my books have been set except for one (Sundance, WY). While online research is helpful and was able to give me what I needed when unable to travel to Sundance, visiting a location in person truly bring a setting to life. The first thing I do is pinpoint any museums or historical societies in the area. I’ll do an online search prior to leaving and often contact the Chamber of Commerce to see if they know anyone who lives there that is a historian. 

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, only a couple of years prior to my visit. 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 almost to the roots of the town’s existence. I discovered a family-owned bookstore that carried books centered on the history and founding of Baker City and other towns in the county, as well as speaking to a gentleman who was a historian in his own right.

Local museums are always a fantastic source of information, and I take hundreds of pictures of the artifacts, old photos, furniture and clothing, as well as taking pictures of any original structures in the area. Baker City has an incredible hotel that was built in the mid 1880’s called The Geiser Grand Hotel. If my books spanned a longer time period I would have worked this magnificent structure into my story, but it was still fun to tour inside. My friend gave me mini history lessons on several of the area businesses, and the museum filled in even more information that was helpful.

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. Even better is 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 and interacted with one of my characters.

My Love Blossoms in Oregon series has three different settings. Besides seeing the characters on the main street or in a store or restaurant, the majority of the action takes place in a boarding house, with a quilting group in the local church, and on a ranch outside of town, so my time spent in Baker City covered all three of those areas.

               

When I first started writing historical romance, I worried that the research might be too time consuming or boring. Little did I realize it would become my favorite part of the entire writing process. 

~~~

In Blowing on Dandelions, Miralee Ferrell speaks to women’s heartfelt struggles—from family dysfunction to single parenthood—-while offering them the faith-filled hope they need, all wrapped in an uplifting, true-to-life romance.

Miralee and her husband, Allen, live on 11 acres in the Columbia River Gorge. They have two grown children and recently their son and his wife presented them with a beautiful new granddaughter. Miralee has been writing since 2005, and her first book was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had 7 books published, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 6 under contract. Her western romance, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion for Excellence in Western Fiction and her newest release, Blowing on Dandelions, is the first in a three book series set in Oregon. Miralee loves interacting with people, ministering at her church, riding her horse and playing with her dogs. She also speaks at various women’s functions and has taught at conferences.

You can find her at:

Web site:  www.miraleeferrell.com

Blog:   www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com

Facebook Author page:  www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell   

Marketing Successfully on Amazon by Miralee Ferrell

Here on Wednesday Writer’s Journey, we’ve talked about the necessity for a writer to be involved in marketing his or her work. Today we welcome author Miralee Ferrell as she shares how to utilize Amazon.

Marketing Successfully on Amazon

There are a number of different ways to market your book on Amazon, but today we’ll just look at one. First, let’s review some basic information on Amazon’s ranking system. Books are ranked according to category. There are over 8 million books listed, so yours will fall under the category of all books…then it could be broken down like this: Books, religious, historical, romance, depending on the genre. If your book is ranked at #500,000, that means there are 499,999 books selling better than yours in that particular time period….but it’s also selling better than 7,500,000 other books. Let’s say it’s ranked #20,000 in overall ‘books’. It might be as low as #35 by the time it hits the romance category of historical religious books. Anyone looking at the top 50 selling historical romance (Christian fiction) books will see yours. Not bad, huh?

Obviously, the lower the number, the higher you are on the chart. So, how to move up in the ranking faster? One way is through a high number of good reviews—and not just any reviews, but preferably, ones by prominent Amazon reviewers. Many of these people have a following—readers who consistently watch their reviews and trust them—but it’s not always easy to convince a reviewer to read your book. Here’s a suggestion. It’s time consuming, but can pay off if done properly.

Go through the list of the top 500-1000 reviewers (or more). Many won’t have contact info, so you’ll have to narrow the list to those who do. Then, target the reviewers who might actually read your book. If you write Christian romance, there’s no sense in sending to someone who consistently reviews witchcraft, horror, or other hardcore books. Once you compile your list, prepare a professional, courteous email. Ask the reviewer if they would consider reading your book if you send them a complimentary copy. Offer to sign it, and above all, do not insist that they do a review. Pushy authors will get their letters discarded, or very possibly get a poor review. Here’s a sample letter:

Dear Joe,

I got your contact information from your recent Amazon review of (name a book that’s similar to what you write—it shows the reviewer you have a logical reason for picking them) and thought you might be interested in my inspirational fiction book releasing soon, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon. I’d love to send you a copy and if you’re interested, I’d be grateful if you decide to post a review. I’ll send you a brief summary if you’d like, and if you send me your mailing address, I’ll drop a copy in the mail. Of course, there’s no obligation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely…..

Above all, be courteous and don’t assume they’ll jump at the chance to review your book. If they do, be sure to send a thank you note after the review has posted.

Miralee Ferrell lives with Allen, her husband of 37 yrs in Washington state, where she enjoys horseback riding with her daughter, puttering in her flower beds, reading and writing Christian fiction. Miralee is active in her church where she serves on staff ministering to women. She and Allen plan to spend a few months each year on their sailboat.

Web site: http://www.miraleeferrell.com/
Blog: http://www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com/

You can find all four of Miralee's books on http://www.blogger.com/www.Amazon or http://www.blogger.com/www.Christianbook.com. Finding Jeena (the sequel to The Other Daughter) releases in April of 2010, and Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon, releases Feb. 1st.


Amidst a backdrop of thievery and murder in historic Bridal Veil, Oregon, a schoolteacher is torn between the memories of a distant love and the man who could be her future. Margaret Garvey had given her heart to Nathaniel, but he left town four years before. Now she's giving love another chance, but her decision to build a new life with Andrew is shaken when Nathaniel steams back into Bridal Veil on a riverboat to work at the nearby sawmill. When disaster strikes the town and threatens the welfare of its citizens, Margaret will be faced with the most important choice of her life.