In October 2023, my husband Tim and I took a train ride on the Narrow Gauge Railroad  from Durango, Colorado to Silverton, an old mining town. The train maneuvered through steep mountains, rocky gorges, and winding rivers. In town, charming nineteenth century buildings and streets nestled in between mountains. It took little imagination to envision a once bustling town of 3000 residents who came in search of good fortune.

A year later, when I read A Song of Deliverance by author Donna Wichelman, her descriptions of Georgetown, CO took me back to my Silverton memories. I felt like I was right there again. Only this time it was closer to Denver in the latter 1800s.

A Song of Deliverance is book one of The Singing Silver Mine series and Donna’s debut novel.

Blurb

Born into the Irish system of land-holding that favors the moneyed class, Anna Sullivan has no dowry and no chance of marrying the man she loves. Poor and heartbroken, she flees Ireland to tend to Uncle Liam’s house in Colorado and take on her deceased aunt’s sewing business.

But when Anna arrives in Georgetown, she discovers a mine disaster at the Singing Silver Mine has killed her uncle. Orphaned and destitute again, she gathers her faith, courage, and ingenuity to establish a life in the community. Only one person stands in her way—the mine’s owner.

A wealthy, grief-stricken widower of European nobility, Stefan Maier threw his energies into making his mark as a silver mining baron in Colorado when his wife and child died at sea, emigrating to America. Now, everyone blames him for the mine disaster that killed nine men. But how does he convince the lovely and opinionated Irish woman of his innocence?

Will Anna’s heart soften towards Stefan? Will Stefan prove himself worthy of Anna’s affections? Each will have to risk everything to attain what they want and need most—love.

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My thoughts

The novel’s imagery drew me right into the setting. That plus the author’s descriptions of the mine and equipment had me wondering if she’d been a miner at one time!

Despite the immersion into this town’s community, business, culture, and traditions, there were no extraneous historical details that bogged down the story. In following the characters’ ups and downs, I learned about the impact of mining and a disaster that could turn an entire town upside down.

This is a tale of determination and perseverance as Irish immigrant Anna Sullivan arrives in Georgetown, Colorado only to finds everything she had counted on was  suddenly taken away. Both Anna and the hero Stefan—and several other characters—were authentic and three-dimensional. I worried about their plights. I cared about them. 

At times, though, I couldn’t figure out if Stefan was a good guy or not. He seemed to operate with integrity, but then was plagued by guilt for his greed. Perhaps he’s like most of us—a mix of good and bad tendencies, flawed even in our best efforts. But he was definitely feeling the pull to the good. A strong faith thread runs through both hero and heroine’s character arcs.

Sometimes I wondered how feasible it was for Anna as an immigrant to have the impact she did, but later, the author’s notes at the end gave this notion plausibility. The town was comprised of immigrants in all stations of life. Some became very successful despite original obstacles. Anna had the pluck to move forward and thus catch the eye of one of the wealthiest and most influential men there. They had much to overcome for their relationship to move forward, but that’s part of what kept the pages turning. 

Overall, this is a well-written, entertaining, and eye-opening read. I recommend it to fans of romantic historical fiction.

Check out this Q & A with heroine Anna Sullivan on Crystal Caudill’s blog post (Dec 3, 2024).

Join me for some Q & A with Donna Wichelman.

Questions about A Song of Deliverance

What was your inspiration for writing A Song of Deliverance? What’s your personal connection to the setting or situation?

The beauty of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula first impressed me in 2009 on a family vacation when my husband made numerous trips to Galway, Ireland, working with a team of engineers at Hewlett Packard. The splendor of the landscape and the welcome we received endeared me to the country and its people.

We returned to Ireland in the summer of 2018 with my daughter and son-in-law, and it felt like home. This time, as we stood on a crest overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the Dingle Peninsula, I envisioned a poor woman in nineteenth-century Ireland destined to emigrate to America. 

This inkling of a story birthed a full-length novel, A Song of Deliverance, that I needed to flesh out when I returned to Colorado. Eventually, over time and research, it all came together.

It’s fascinating to think of how a simple setting can suggest a complete story and characters. Considering the setting and timeframe, which historical parameters were imposed on you? Where did you have to fill in the gaps with your imagination?

Though A Song of Deliverance was conceived in Ireland, the story takes place in Georgetown, Colorado, during its silver mining heyday of the 1870s before Colorado became a state. But first, I needed to understand how Georgetown evolved from one prospector’s find of gold in the Colorado Rockies to an international community of immigrants. 

Then, I also had to wrap my brain around the gold and silver mining industry of that decade—the beginning of the Gilded Age—to understand what could have caused a mining disaster that would kill nine men in the belly of the earth.

I explored several scenarios and chose one that was plausible for my story, in which I had to devise a way for my hero to discover how the villain accomplished the deed, causing a cave-in down the mine shaft. This meant I had to create the sequence of events where Stefan descended into the dangerously precarious, death-defying situation in which the wood framework undergirding the shaft had been destroyed. 

It would also be his swan song, proving he was worthy of Anna’s love. So, it had to be a dramatic enough scene for his and Anna’s love story to be solidified.

That’s a lot to put together. How did you develop your heroine Anna Sullivan and hero Stefan Maier? Why did you choose for Anna to be an Irish immigrant? How well did you know your main characters at the beginning of the novel, or did you primarily get to know them as you wrote?

I knew from the beginning that Anna would be a poor Irish immigrant with no dowry and no chance of marrying the man she loved. That set the stage for why she accepted her uncle’s invitation to emigrate to America. I also knew immediately that Stefan had to come from European nobility and that his parents were musicians, because I wanted to develop the conflict of class difference between them. 

I also consulted the Myers-Briggs personality profiles, as I always do at the beginning of a story development concept, to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and personal flaws.

The more difficult issue was naming Anna and Stefan. Initially, I wanted Anna to have an Irish name, so I called her Muireann. But my writers’ group suggested readers wouldn’t know how to pronounce her name, which would be a turnoff. The second name I gave her was Deirdre, but it just never felt right. The third name finally stuck, and Anna Katherine O’Sullivan was born. 

In the book, Anna chose to change her surname to just Sullivan as part of her new beginning in a new world. Stefan’s parentage was English and German, so his original name was Daniel Johannes Hamilton, emphasizing his English side. But I changed his name to emphasize his German side, which made more sense because the villain is German, and scenes could play off their mutual German heritage.

The Myers-Briggs personality profile would be a big help. Just for fun—what would Anna and Stefan each have to say about you?

It’s always hard for me to toot my own horn. But I hope that Anna and Stefan would be pleased that I allowed their story to come to light and that it showed how God’s redeeming love heals the brokenhearted and turns what others meant for evil into good.

As only God can do. Did your story go as planned or did it evolve over time?

A Song of Deliverance takes place the fall of 1872 in Georgetown, Colorado. But in the beginning of the story concept, I wrote a prologue and the first chapter, which took place in Dingle to set up the heartbreak that led Anna to accept her uncle’s invitation to America. 

However, one of my mentors advised against using a prologue to tell the backstory and suggested I start the book in Georgetown. Then, I could dribble in the other information throughout the book. It worked well in the end.

Sounds like helpful advice. How do you want this story to resonate with readers?

I set out to make A Song of Deliverance more than a story about one poor Irish woman’s road from rags to riches. Anna’s story is about finding the faith and courage to persevere despite the most tragic circumstances and discovering God has never been further than a hair’s breadth away. 

As Anna’s formerly enslaved friend Cecelia says at one point in the book, “I reckon we all got shackles we need to get freed from to get by in this world.” We can experience true freedom in Christ only when we choose to trust God and lean not on our own understanding. We may make our plans, but God’s plans are infinitely greater than our own.

That’s always a tough lesson to learn—and apply. I’m guessing you had to learn a few things about the mining business while researching this story. What unusual thing did you do or discover in the process?

Another aspect of understanding what kind of mine disaster had the potential to kill multiple people in the 1870s and would be perpetrated by the villain Georg Töpfer involved the conflict between Stefan and Georg. During my research, I discovered a law that had only passed in May 1872. Called the 1872 National Mining Law, the legislation included something called the Apex Law or Extralateral Rights law.

According to Christine Bradley in The Rise of the Silver Queen, “The right allowed the owners of a claim the exclusive right to mine a vein if the apex, or highest point, occurred within their property. The owner could follow the vein’s downward course beyond the property’s sidelines but not beyond the end lines unless [they] purchased the neighboring claims … In reality, such veins seldom existed in the mining world. Veins and ore pockets went everywhere and often surfaced in other claims.”

More research revealed a real case in 1873 Georgetown, where the owners of two mining interests, Pelican and Dives, sued one another in a dispute that lasted into the 1880s over who owned the rights to their claims. The real-life story provided convenient fodder to set up the conflict between Stefan and Georg.

The extralateral rights law still exists today and continues to be a source of disputes among mine owners. Regulations under this law are complicated, and the courts must sift through the various parts of the law to determine whose rights are being violated. 

Many twenty-first-century miners contend the law is outdated and should be revisited. But will the federal government move on this question? Well, it is the federal government. So, anything can happen … or not.

Questions about writing

Which books and/or authors have been most influential for you as an author?

Some of the books I’ve read in the last six months include The Legacy of Longdale Manor, a Carol award winner by Carrie Turansky; Catching the Wind, a Christy finalist by Melanie Dobson; Whispers From Yesterday, winner of the 2000 Christy Award by Robin Lee Hatcher, and The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron. 

I’ve also read Book Four in Amanda Cabot’s historical romance Sweetwater Crossing series, One Special Christmas, and Crystal Caudill’s recent Christy award-winning novella, Star of Wonder. I continue to read books by these authors, because they exemplify the caliber of writing I aspire to and write in the genre I enjoy.

This is your third novel. Where do your story ideas usually originate from—character, plot, setting, theme, or a combination?

Since my love of history comes through in almost everything I write, my story ideas, even ones that will never see the light of day, have generally originated from the setting—a place I’ve visited that sparked my imagination and evoked a character during a historical period that fascinates me. 

Plot and theme usually develop once I’ve drawn the setting and understand who my characters are first.

Please share something about a current project, the direction you want to go as an author, and which other historical settings you might delve into.

I’m currently completing the second novel in the Singing Silver Mine series, called Rhythms of the Heart, which will release in December. Readers of A Song of Deliverance will see some of the beloved characters from the first book like formerly enslaved Cecelia Richards and Laurel Thomas. Anna also makes a cameo appearance. 

We’ll also meet some new people, too, such as our heroine, Laurel Thomas’ daughter and music teacher Cassie, and the dashing new doctor in town, Daniel Criley. But it’s never a dull moment for the citizens of Georgetown when a rabble rouser also arrives to make trouble for everyone.

I’ve fallen in-love with a genre called slip-time—dual timelines and historical periods as in some of the books mentioned earlier. I’m only in the development stages of my own slip-time novel called The Power of the Thorn, which has dual timelines during the current day and World War Two. The setting for World War II is in the Nazi-occupied region of Bordeaux, France. I hope to return to France in 2026 to complete what I started in 2023.

Is there any writing advice you wish you had known ten years ago?

Though I have been writing since my first days of elementary school, I never really knew who I was as a writer. It wasn’t until I took a course with James Rupart a few years ago that challenged me to discover the themes of my life that I had a eureka moment.

Now that I’ve discovered who I am as a writer and why I write, it’s my goal to challenge writers in the beginning and intermediate stages of their writing careers to discover the same about themselves. 

When I realized weaving history and faith into tales of intrigue and redemption was my brand, and that I wanted my stories to reflect the hunger in all of us for love, forgiveness, and belonging in a world that often withholds second chances, I could articulate it to agents and publishers. It made a profound difference in my writing career.

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Back to Laura . . . On a similar note . . . 

If you like historical fiction, you might enjoy my newest novel A Hundred Magical Reasons  (launched January 2025). This story spotlights L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, his friendship with a young girl, and his impact through the decades. Set in Holland, Michigan, this dual timeline novel alternates between 1980 and the early 1900s. Read more and watch the book trailer here. 

A Hundred Magical Reasons awards:

• First Place in The BookFest for Literary Historical Fiction (April 2025)
• First Place in the Firebird Book Awards for Biographical Fiction (April 2025)
• Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Fiction (March 2025) 
• Bronze Medal for the Illumination Book Awards for General Fiction (February 2025)
• 3 five-star Readers’ Favorite reviews

If you like Southern fiction and small town/rural stories about family dynamics and secrets, you might enjoy my novel All That Is Hidden. Set near North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1968, the story spotlights the bond of family and the connections of a tight-knit community. Northern exploitation threatens as a father’s hidden past catches up to him and tests family ties. Learn more and watch the trailer here.

All That Is Hidden awards:

• First Place in the Firebird Book Awards for Southern Fiction (April 2025)
• First Place in the Firebird Book Awards for Literary Fiction (April 2025)
• Winner of the Artisan Book Reviews Book Excellence Award
• Semifinalist in Serious Writer’s Book of the Decade contest

I invite you to join my monthly newsletter for writing updates, freebies, and giveaways. Sign up and I’ll send you 7 Oz-inspired recipes:  A-Taste-Of-Oz-Cookbook-Sampler.com

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Donna Wichelman bio

Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna’s love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, U.K. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, forgiveness, and belonging in a world that often withholds second chances.

Donna received her master’s degree in mass communication/journalism from San Jose State University and became a communications professional before writing full-time. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published Christian romantic suspense novels. Donna and her husband participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible. Learn more on her website.

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Join me next time for a visit with author Candice Pedraza Yamnitz.

Meanwhile, have you read novels with Colorado or mining towns as a setting? Have you been to Colorado? Answer in the comments below.

Ever reading,

Laura

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive the 7 free Oz-inspired recipes:  A-Taste-Of-Oz-Cookbook-Sampler.com