Goodreads asked Marcia Calhoun Forecki:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Marcia Calhoun Forecki My most recent book is June Rise, a novel set in the Civil War era of western Missouri. I grew up in this area and attended William Jewell College, which played a role in a civil war battle - serving as a hospital. The border war between Missouri and Kansas was brutal, guerrilla warfare in which civilians were the soldiers and the victims on both sides.

I knew something about this history from growing up in Jackson County, Missouri. But, I did extensive research to be able to create an accurate setting for the fictional characters in June Rise. (The title comes from the rise in the Missouri River in early summer.) The protagonists are women, Onie is a slave, the property of Bluesy Hill's uncle. Adding to the drama is the fact that Bluesey was a foundling, adopted by the non-slaveholding brother of the Hill family, whose origin is not known. She is brought up as white by her loving adopted parents, but there is always a cloud of doubt over the young woman.

In June Rise, we see the broader conflict played out in one family. It was a joy to research this book, and to be able to feature my beloved alma mater. Slavery is probably the most important issue the United States faced in its early history, and the conflict seethes to this day. I hope readers will learn something from June Rise, but most important, I hope they will come to love the two women whose friendship surmounted the battles around them.

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