Meet author Vickie McDonough

Vickie McDonough is the CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of fifty books and novellas. Vickie grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best, OWFI Best Fiction Novel Award, the Inspirational Readers’ Choice awards.

Tell us about your newest book.

Straight for the Heart is the third book in my Romance in the Badlands series. When the mail-order bride his grandmother secretly ordered for him doesn’t arrive, Quinn McFarland is relieved. But the only way to keep her from ordering another one is to find his own wife—and fast. When the sheriff suggests Quinn marry the gal in his jail, he balks. But marriage to Sarah could solve Quinn’s need for a wife and fix Sarah’s problems too. But dare he marry an outlaw? Maybe the idea is just crazy enough to work.

How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?

What a young woman tries to do the right thing, she ends up in jail. Now, she’s expected to marry a stranger or rot in jail for months for a crime she didn’t do. And her young sister and brother are hiding from their outlaw uncle, awaiting her return.

What genre do you focus on?

I love the historical romance genre set in the late 1800s in the American west. As a kid, I watched many cowboy shows with my dad and grew to love horses, cowboys and the West. I like the slower pace of life and how most people were honest and dependable.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Sarah is the heroine, and that name was my grandmother’s first name, although she went by Ella. Quinn, the hero’s name, is one I’ve liked for a long time and decided it fit my hero in Straight for the Heart. Finding just the right names can be difficult at times, but other times, I’ll have the name before the story comes to me.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

I have a set word count that I need to do each day, and I usually write until I reach that number. Some days it may take three hours, whiles others, it may take six or seven. It all depends on how well the story is flowing that day.

What’s the best part of your author’s life?

Getting to work from home. I think a person has a lot more leeway when they work from home. I’ve been able to work my schedule around taking care of my granddaughter when she was young, and then later, taking care of my elderly mom when she lived with us. You do have to be disciplined when you work from home, but it can be very rewarding.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

My husband and I lived on a kibbutz (communal farm) in Israel for a year when we were first married. It was quite an experience. We got to travel three days each month and saw many places in Israel.

What is your favorite pastime?

I have lots of pastimes, but my favorite is reading Christian fiction. I also dabble in stained-glass and have recently started making card for friends.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

Yes, I have over 50 books and novellas. Most of those are historical romance, but I also have several contemporary stories, as well as two coloring books and a USA Word Find book.

What are you working on now?

I’m taking a break from writing at the moment, but I have a story that’s churning in my brain.

Website: https://www.vickiemcdonough.com

Social media links:

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vickie-mcdonough

Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/vickiemcdonough/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickiemcdonough

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/vickiemcdonough

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

Instagram: instagram.com/vickieamcdonough