Shannon here: Miralee Ferrell’s story of how she and her husband met made my top ten list for last quarter. She’s back this week with a new book, Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona. Comment on any post dated Jan 24 – 28 for a chance to win. Deadline: Midnight Central time Jan 29th. Here’s Miralee:
The Study Hall Meeting
I met my husband, Allen during our senior year of high school the first day of study hall. But let me go back a few months to the final quarter of our junior year when he moved to town. The day he walked in wearing jeans, a belt with buckle, and cowboy boots, I thought, “Wow! What a good looking cowboy!” I quickly discovered, however, that he liked to skip school and earned the name of “our visitor” from our history teacher when he did decide to show up.
Now, fast forward to our senior year. I despaired when I discovered my study hall was comprised of myself and 13 guys. Couple that with a new, just out of college teacher who wanted to be everyone’s friend, and you have a recipe for disaster. I told my mom I wanted to change classes, but would have to give up another class I wanted to do so. She suggested I hold out a week and see if it got better. I did. It did. Several of the guys transferred, and the teacher slowly starting getting control.
Except when he’d leave the room, the guys would start a Sweet Tart fight…you know, the candy’s that come in the roll? And Allen decided he wanted to sit behind or right across from me, where he could flirt and annoy me with constant requests to go out with him. Each of which I turned down. “Why?” He’d ask. “Because I’m a Christian and you’re not,” I’d reply. He’d come back with a cheeky comment…. “You know you’re going to end up marrying me, so you might as well give in and go out with me.” Sigh. Little did I know, LOL.
After time our visits in homeroom took on a more serious air, with him sharing that his older brother was in seminary and had been talking to him about the Lord. Cool! I saw a glimmer of hope and added as much spiritual insight as I could. Eventually, I told him I’d pray about going out with him. He pointed to the sky and said “So, if He says it’s ok, you’ll go?” I told him yes. He met me the next morning at my locker and his first words were, “What did He say?”
He was the perfect gentleman on our date, and agreed to attend church each week with me, and showed a strong interest. A few months later he came to a personal decision to follow the Lord, and our relationship moved to the next level—one of mutual commitment. It’s been getting better ever since, and we just celebrated our 38th anniversary in July.
About Miralee: Miralee Ferrell grew up in small town America and married her high school sweetheart. They raised two beautiful children and worked together on a variety of businesses over the years. After her children graduated and started lives of their own, she began praying about filling the time she once poured into her busy family. In 2005 she got the answer. While at a church service the speaker prayed with her, and stated that he believed God was saying she should write. Not only write, but that her work should be published. Two years later her debut novel, The Other Daughter released and since then four more have followed.
Her third historical romance with Summerside Press in their Love Finds You series. All the Love Finds You novel stand alone, and take place in a real town in America. Miralee’s first two are set in 1877, Love Finds You in Last Chance, CA, and 1902, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon. Her newest, Love Finds You in Tombstone, AZ, is a spin off from a secondary character that readers met in Last Chance, a woman by the name of Christy Grey.
Miralee serves as president of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers and belongs to a number of writer’s groups. She also speaks at women’s groups, libraries, and churches about her writing journey.
Miralee and her husband Allen have been married 37 yrs. They live on 11 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. Miralee also rides her horse on the wooded trails near their home with her grown daughter who lives nearby. You can learn more about Miralee as well as see pictures from the real places she writes about by visiting her web site at www.miraleeferrell.com.
Come back Jan 26 for a romantic interview featuring Miralee’s heroine from Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona.
love the love finds you series, would love to read one of Miralee’s. i am in Arizona. mitzi_wanham[at]yahoo[dot]com
What a great story – it’s strange how God works in our lives – many times not in any way we expect – but always for the better!
I love seeing glimpses into the lives for authors. I believe I have read your story before, after I read your bridal veil book. I loved it, and I looked you up and realized that I had never directly met you, but I had met your daughter. I would love to meet you someday. I think it would be fun to sit down in some little coffee shop and just talk about books and reading and love stories in our lives;)
Please include me! I loved reading Love Finds You in Last Chance, CA!
Thank you for the interview!
Lisa
I could just close my eyes and picture that study hall! I’m so glad you got your cowboy – 38 years is such a blessing!
Hi everybody. Thanks for stopping by. Just a reminder: Miralee will be back Weds with a new interview.
Hey Miralee!
I married my high school sweetheart too! Makes for fond memories.
Hi Marianne, Thanks so much for your note. I’m glad you enjoy the LFY series and hope you’ll have the chance to try one of mine.
Kim, You are SO right! God always knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t.
Sara, You’ve met my daughter Marnee? Where and how? Now you’ve got me very intrigued!!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Last Chance book and I hope you’ll get a copy of Tombstone and read Christy’s continuing story.
Melinda,
After all these years I still see that study hall clearly, in vivid detail. I’m glad I got him, too!!
Shannon,
Thank you so much for having me here. It’s such a pleasure to meet your readers.
Debbie, That’s so cool that you also married your high school sweetheart!! You kind of end up growing up together this way, huh!
Thank you all for stopping by. I wish you could all win a book!!
Miralee Ferrell
Hi Miralee. I’ve read all of your books but the Arizona one, so definitely need to put that on my list! Of course, I would love to win a copy. Enjoyed the interview!
patgonzales(at)arkvi(dot)com
The lovely memories of “our romance:” can become a family tradition by passing your stories down to your children. They roll on the floor in giggles and fun to hear them. Miralee’s writings are new to me as is she. She seems to be a person that I would enjoy knowing. I’d very much like to read her books. Miralee resides in my favorite city and state in the whole world. I’ve lived in Portland while my husband was in Vietnam twice, near my parents home. Maybe I’ll get to meet you one day there when I’m visiting my mother who is 92. Congratulations on all your successes and that you married that handsome cowboy. Thank you for offering your book for giveaway and the chance to win it. I sure hope I win!
Grace & Peace,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
HI Patti,
It’s so nice to see you here and I’ve SO appreciated your reviews of some of my books in the past. I hope you do get a chance to read this one!
Barb,
How nice to meet you!!! If you’re ever down our way, drop me a note. And in case you’re in our area in May, I’m doing a booksigning at Waucoma Book Store, downtown Hood River, OR on the first Friday evening of May. I’d love to see you!!
Miralee