AUTHOR INTERVIEW – VICKIE MCDONOUGH

AUTHOR INTERVIEW – VICKIE McDONOUGH

I’m delighted to welcome Vickie McDonough to our author interview today. Vickie and I have never met in person, but have had reason to converse via the internet as authors on a regular basis. She is a prolific writer and a best selling author and has penned 35 novels and novellas. Her books have won multiple awards including the 2012 Booksellers’ Best Award, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, Texas Gold, and she has been a finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards eight times. Vickie and her husband make their home in Northeastern Oklahoma. Welcome, Vickie!

Don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address below on the blog, between March 4 and March 10, and be entered to win a free, signed copy of Vickie’s newest release, Gabriel’s Atonement! We will announce the winner next week.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I’ve been married to a sweet computer geek for over 39 years. We have four grown sons. One is married and has a precious eight-year-old daughter. We’ve lived our whole lives in Oklahoma, except for one year, when my husband and I were newly married and we lived on a kibbutz in Israel for a year. It was a cool experience. I’ve been writing since January 2001, and I’ve had 35 books and novellas published. I mostly write historicals set in the late 1800s, but I have done a few contemporaries, including a Love Inspired Suspense called Rancher Under Fire, which released last fall.

Wow! Four sons! That must have been a lively household. And to have lived in Israel. What an experience that must have been.

Tell us about your latest book, and how it came about.

My most recent release is Gabriel’s Atonement, book 1 in my Land Rush Dreams series. It’s a book I started writing back in 2008 and is one that’s been on my heart every since. I wrote about 1/3 of it, but then I had to set it aside to work on a contracted book. After several tries, my agent sold it to Barbour, and it just released in January.

Here’s what the book is about: Gambler Gabe Coulter is content with his comfortable life—but when a man with a gun confronts him in a dark alley, everything changes. Guilt riddles him for killing Tom Talbot, even though it was self-defense. The dying man said the money he lost to Gabe was meant for his destitute wife and son. The only way Gabe knows to rid himself of the guilt over killing Talbot is to return the money he won to the man’s wife.

Lara Talbot doesn’t believe Tom had money. She sees Gabe as a charming con artist like her irresponsible husband and wants nothing to do with him. She struggles to feed her family, keep her rebellious sister in line, and care for her young son and sick grandpa. The land rush in the Oklahoma Territory seems the only way for them to get a home, so Lara rides, but her dreams don’t turn out as planned. Could God have a bigger dream for her than she could imagine?

Share about your genre and why you write in this style.

I write mostly historicals set in the West. I grew up watching the westerns of the 1960’s with my dad. I fell in love with horses, cowboys, and all things western. My dream was to marry a rancher when I grew up so I could ride horses as often as I wanted, but alas, that didn’t happen. Instead, I pen stories of those exciting days.

If all my husband had to watch was old cowboy movies, he’d be perfectly happy!

What inspires you?

A good book. A beautiful day. An inspiring church sermon. Letters from my readers. Reaching a goal. I’d be super inspired if I could lose some weight.

Tell us about your writing process.

I normally plot out the skeleton of my book before I ever start writing. I know my characters fairly well, but they still surprise me. If I’m not on deadline, I prefer to write five days a week, and I’ll usually write about 1500 words a day. Of course, if I’m on deadline, I work much longer hours and often all weekend.

I admire your discipline That many words a day will turn out lots of books.

What are your writing goals?

My goals for this year are to finish book 3 in my Land Rush Dreams series and complete the edits on book 2 Joline’s Redemption, write a novella for a new cowboy collection for Barbour, and then I want to epublish several novellas that I’ve gotten my rights back on.

What do you wish someone had told you about writing?

I knew very little about writing when I started my first book. I was a math kid way back when I went to school and didn’t care much for English or history classes. I wish I’d paid more attention to learning to write. I had to relearn everything, and it’s taken a while.

I’m not sure that answers your question. I guess I wish someone had told me how important it is to have other writers in your life. They are the only people who will understand exactly what you struggle with and what you mean when you say your character is talking to you. They encourage you when you’re down and help brainstorm when you get stuck. I would encourage all writers to find someone else who writes and befriend them.

I would certainly agree with that, Vickie. I’d heard stories about some of the … shall we say “different” … experiences that fiction authors share and thought they sounded rather strange. Now I understand. And a good critique group is vital. I love our Heroes, Heroines and History group of historical authors, most of whom I’ve never met in person, but feel we are a sisterhood. Thank you for all you do to facilitate that organization.

Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows.

I’m not sure there’s anything about me that nobody knows, but few people know that I always wear socks except when I’m in the shower or when I wear a dress. I can’t stand to go barefoot. I’ve even been known to wear socks with flip-flops—I heard those gasps.!

And you are from Oklahoma!

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Reading western fiction is always on the list. Counted cross-stitch used to be my favorite hobby, but I haven’t done any lately because my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be. Recently, I took some stained glass classes, and I’m looking forward to working on some projects when my garage warms up in the spring. My sister and I have a booth at an antique mall, and I love going to garage sales, estates sales, and auctions to find things to put in the booth, which we named Sassy Sisters.

Thank you so much, Vickie, for your time. I loved finding out more about you. Readers, please find below where this wonderful author can be found on the internet.

Website: vickiemcdonough.com (There’s a sign-up link for my newsletter on the Home page. Look for the “wanted” poster)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickieMcDonough

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickiemcdonough

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/VickieMcDonough/

Heroes, Heroines, and History blog: http://HHHistory.com

Don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address below on the blog, between March 4 and March 10, and be entered to win a free, signed copy of Vickie’s newest release, Gabriel’s Atonement! We will announce the winner next week.

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