Welcome Vickie McDonough and Long Trail Home

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning author of 25 books and novellas. Her books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards. Vickie is the author of the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series from Barbour Publishing. Watch for her new books from Moody Publishers, Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series, in which she partners with Susan Page Davis and Darlene Franklin to write a 6-book series that spans 50 years of the Morgan family. The first three books release this fall. Also, next year brings the release of another new series from Guidepost/Summerside, Pioneer Promises, set in 1870s Kansas.

You can find out more about Vickie and her books at www.vickiemcdonough.com.

LONG TRAIL HOME
by Vickie McDonough
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

A weary soldier returns from the War Between the States to discover his parents dead, his family farm in shambles, and his fiancée married. Riley Morgan takes a job at the Wilcox School for Blind Children and tries to make peace with God and himself. When a pretty, blind woman who cares for the children reaches through his scarred walls and touches his heart, he begins to find renewed faith and hope for the future. But when he discovers Annie feigned her blindness just to have a home, will his anger and hurt drive him away and ruin all chances for a future filled with love, faith, and family?

Readers, buy your copy of LONG TRAIL HOME today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Critique Groups – Life or Death to a Writer

I can say without a doubt that I’m published today because of the help I’ve received from my critique group partners. They’ve encouraged me when I wanted to give up on writing. They taught me to show, not tell. I learned point of view from them, and they’ve become my friends. Most of my experience with critique groups has been positive, but that hasn’t always been the case.

I nearly quit writing because of the harsh comments I received in my first critique group, when I was a brand new writer and green as a pickle. The critiques from one member made my manuscript pages look like bloody road kill. I cried many tears over her harsh comments on my many mistakes and lost confidence in my ability to write. Looking back, she was probably right in her assessment, but at the time, I wasn’t ready for such in-depth critiques.

As a more experienced writer now, I crave those detailed assessments. Tell me what’s not working in my story. Did a section leave you scratching your head in confusion? Does the dialogue of the children in my story sound like real children or is it too mature? Is my bad boy hero too unlikable? I want to know what works and what doesn’t.

You may not be at the stage where you want such detailed critiques. Maybe you only want help with grammar issues, or maybe you want help with your dialogue or someone to help you brainstorm a new story. The important thing is to find a critique group that fits your needs.

So, how do you find one? Most online and local writers’ clubs have critique groups you can join. I also did a Google search and discovered there were eighty-two pages of critique group listings! Wow! There are ones for any genre: non-fiction, short stories, all types of fiction, and even children’s books.

There are critique groups that submit weekly, others twice a month, and some monthly. Some groups submit a chapter at a time, while others have a page limit. Some groups are a mixture of writers of different genres, while others are genre-specific.

So why do you need a critique group? Besides the fact that you are networking with other writers, you will learn a lot, especially if you’re a newer writer. Often the more experienced writer just needs another set of eyes to look at her story before it’s shipped off to an editor. A critique group is also a good place to ask questions and to brainstorm.

Some of the key things you want critiquers to look for in your manuscript are:

• Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors – Be sure to submit your best work, not your rough draft. Critiquers will tire out quickly if you use them as a spellchecker.
• Continuity issues – Does your heroine have green eyes in the beginning of the story and blue eyes at the end? Did you accidentally change your hero’s name? Does your widow heroine have two children at the beginning of the book and one at the end?
• Overused words – just, really, that, etc.
• Point of view problems
• Author intrusion
• Too many –ly words instead of strong verbs
• Telling instead of showing
• Too many dialogue tags – he replied, she murmured
• Inconsistencies in storyline or character’s behavior
• Clichés
• Stereotyped characters

Of course there are plenty other things to watch for, but these are the main issues. The most important thing to do is to point out the positive along with all that needs fixing. I like to put happy faces or LOL at places that make me smile or somewhere that the writing is especially nice, but remember, it’s called a critique group for a reason. It’s not to make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but rather to give you beneficial advice on how to improve your story.

You’re sure to find the right critique group if you get out there and hunt for it. You might kiss a few frogs before finding a group that’s a good fit, but it’s well worth the time and effort. You’re writing will improve greatly under the tutelage of a few good critiquers.

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Thank you, Vickie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Have you ever been a part of a critique group? More than one? Were they helpful or not? Why? If you're not a writer, have you ever been part of a group supposed to help you in some way toward a specific goal? Was it successful? How so?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of your choice of ANY book on Vickie's web site. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

The contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Welcome Vickie McDonough and Finally a Bride

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. Your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning author of 23 books and novellas. Her books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards. She was voted Third Favorite Author in the Heartsong Presents Annual Readers Contest in 2009. Vickie is the author of the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series from Barbour Publishing. Watch for her new books from Moody Press, Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series, in which she partners with Susan Page Davis and Darlene Franklin to write a 6-book series that spans 50 years of the Morgan family. The first three books release this fall. Also, next year brings the release of another new series from Guidepost Books, Whispers on the Prairie, set in 1870s Kansas. Vickie hopes readers find her stories An Adventure into Romance.

FINALLY A BRIDE
by Vickie McDonough
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Keep your eyes wide open for romance in Lookout, Texas. Noah Jeffers enters town determined to make up for past misdeeds. Reporter Jacqueline Davis is determined to nail her story. Will she uncover Noah’s secret before he can capture her heart? With nowhere else to go, ex-con Carly Payton returns to the Lookout boardinghouse. Garrett Corbett is looking for an upstanding wife, not some jailbird. What will he do when overpowered by Carly’s unassuming appeal? Does love deserve a second look?

Readers, buy your copy of Finally a Bride (Texas Boardinghouse Brides, Book 3) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Developing Characters Using Archetypes
By Vickie McDonough

I’ve often been asked how I create the characters in my books, and I generally respond, “That’s a tough question.”

It is tough, because like a baby in a womb, a character will start tiny, then grow and develop as I spend more time thinking about him or her. They sometimes develop because of the plot. Say my character is a marshal—this is probably a good time to mention I write mostly historicals. A marshal is brave, tough, not afraid to put his life on the line, so it’s safe to assume he’s probably an Alpha male. Tall, strong, self-reliant, and a protector of the innocent. Can you imagine a Beta male as a marshal? Think computer geek with a gun. It reminds me of that old Don Knotts’ movie called The Shakiest Gun in the West. 

I’m not saying you couldn’t have a Beta male as a marshal, but that would be a whole different type of story, probably about a man learning to conquer his fears to protect the people he cares for.

Some writers use character sheets with long list of questions to develop their characters, while others use tests like the Myers-Briggs or The Four Temperaments. What I’ve found that works best for me is a book called The Complete Writers Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders.

The word "archetype" was coined by Carl Jung, who theorized that humans have a collective unconscious, “deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of humanity.... a kind of readiness to reproduce over and over again the same or similar mythical ideas...." This shared memory of experiences has resulted in a resonance of the concepts of hero and heroine that transcends time, place and culture. Jung called these recurring personalities archetypes, from the Greek word archetypos, meaning “first of its kind.”

Author Tami Cowden states, “These archetypes are not the inventions of my coauthors and me – they have existed for millennia. All we did was name and describe them, and then gather examples from an assortment of cultural media.

Heroes and Heroines promotes that there are 8 male and 8 female archetypes.

Heroes:
The Chief
The Bad Boy
The Best Friend
The Charmer
The Lost Soul
The Professor
The Swashbuckler
The Warrior

The book gives a complete description of each archetype, including their strengths and weaknesses, which I’ve found extremely helpful in developing 3-D characters. The Warrior is an archetype I’ve used in several books, such as Luke Davis in The Anonymous Bride. Here’s a brief description:

The WARRIOR: a noble champion, he acts with honor. This man is the reluctant rescuer or the knight in shining armor. He's noble, tenacious, relentless, and he always sticks up for the underdog. If you need a protector, he’s your guy. He doesn’t buckle under the rules and he doesn’t go along just to get along. Think Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Mel Gibson in Braveheart.

You can see how this type of archetype would work well for a marshal, a determined rancher, or detective.

Heroine Archetypes:

The Boss
The Seductress
The Spunky Kid
The Waif
The Free Spirit
The Librarian
The Crusader
The Nurturer

An archetype I often use for a heroine—think of Jack (Jacqueline) in The Anonymous Bride and Second Chance Brides—is The Spunky Kid. (For those of you who’ve read these books and are saying, Jack’s not the heroine—try reading Finally A Bride, book 3 in my Texas Boardinghouse Brides series.

The SPUNKY KID: gutsy and true, she is loyal to the end. She is a favorite of many writers, and for good reason. You can’t help but root for her. She’s the girl with moxie. She’s not looking to be at the top of the heap; she just wants to be in her own little niche. Think Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act, Fiona in Shrek.

So, after I’ve thought about my characters and what they will be going through during the storyline, their character begins to take shape. By then, I know which archetype they are and can use the book to help me develop them further.

Another aspect of Heroes and Heroines is that it shows you toward the end of the book how the different male and female archetypes will clash and mesh. This is fabulous info! Let me show you how I used this to plot a book I haven’t yet sold. It’s called Gabriel’s Atonement.

Gabriel is a gambler, and he’s a Chief archetype. He’s knows what he wants and goes after it. He’s decisive and can read people well. On the negative side, he’s stubborn, usually unsympathetic, and has learned to get what he wants by using the System rather than being a rule-breaker. He is well-liked among his peers, but doesn’t have a close friend. If challenged, he tends to be amused rather than angered.

Enter Leah, my heroine, who is—no surprise here—a Spunky Kid. She’s a single mother with a young child, a rebellious teen sister, and a grandfather who is ailing to care for. She is reliable and supportive of others and never looks for a handout. Her gutsy perseverance makes up for her lack of experience.

So…Gabriel has accidently killed Leah’s husband, and when he discovers the dead man has a wife and young son, he seeks to return the money he fairly won from the man. Leah doesn’t believe her no-account husband had any money and refuses Gabe’s help. He’s determined to help her, and she’s adamant that she won’t accept his help. Enter conflict.

He believes his work (gambling) is important, where she believes in God and family. But, when the chips are down, The Chief and Spunky Kid are there for each other. He realizes she is someone he can depend on, while she discovers he’s a man who follows through when others don’t. A grudging respect develops. He learns she can’t be bullied into doing anything she doesn’t feel is right, while her positive outlook on life and her humor bring laughter into his world for the first time in a long while.

I could go on, but I hope I’ve shown you how Heroes and Heroines can help you develop your characters. This isn’t the only book out there that writers find helpful, but it is the one I’ve used the most.

The key is knowing why your characters do what they do. What motivates them? Tami Cowden states, “Any archetype can do anything – the question will always be why.”

For a little fun, which archetype do you think these commonly known movie characters are?

Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic
Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz
Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone

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Thank you, Vickie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Look at the end of the guest blog to make your guess on the archetypes of the 4 well-known movie characters listed above.

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Christmas Mail-Order Brides

Rule of the spotlights here: answer the random question associated with this spotlight in the comments in order to be entered in the drawing.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

SUSAN PAGE DAVIS is the author of 30 published novels. She's a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest and a winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Award. She lives in Kentucky. Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning author of 20 books and novellas. Vickie’s books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, and the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY contest. The Anonymous Bride, book one in her debut trade fiction series the Texas Boardinghouse Brides, released in April, and the sequel, Second Chance Brides, released September 1st. Vickie's books promise An Adventure into Romance. Vickie and her husband live in Oklahoma. She is a wife of thirty-four years, mother of four grown sons and grandma to a feisty four-year-old girl. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, and traveling. To learn more about Vickie’s books, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

THERESE STENZEL is obsessed with all things British. Her first book, A Bride By Christmas came out in 2008. Her next book, Christmas Mail Order Brides, comes out in September of 2010. She has also co-authored the book, God's Little Devotional Book for Grandparents. Her writing has appeared in Women's Day, Family Fun, and Time Magazines. In love with English history, English tea, and reading historical novels, she is also the founder of British Missives, an e-mail newsletter for those who love to read or write British novels. Sign up for it on her website. Currently, she is working on her fifth historical manuscript. She and her husband Neal keep busy raising their three kids. Her website is www.theresestenzel.com.

CARRIE TURANSKY and her husband Scott live in central New Jersey where they enjoy picking peaches, blueberries and Jersey tomatoes each summer. In the winter you’ll find them sipping cocoa and reading a good book by the fire as they watch the snowflakes fall. Carrie is the author of several novellas published by Barbour and novels published by Steeple Hill Love Inspired. You can learn more about Carrie’s books at www.carrieturansky.com.

CHRISTMAS MAIL-ORDER BRIDES
by Susan Page Davis, Vickie McDonough, Therese Stenzel, and Carrie Turansky
Published by Barbour

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ride the transcontinental railroad as marriage arrives by mail-order—and just in time for Christmas. Annika arrives in Wyoming to discover her intended is missing. Jolie’s journey to Nevada is derailed by disaster. Elizabeth carries a load of secrets to Nebraska. And Amelia travels to California to wrap up her final attempts at matchmaking. Will the holiday season be the ticket to spark love in unexpected ways?

Readers, buy your copy of Christmas Mail-Order Brides today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is a novella collection with 3 other authors. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Susan: The other authors were discussing having the heroines be mail order brides who joined a Matrimonial Society—and I knew I wanted to write about the woman who organized it.

Vickie: For a long while, I’ve wanted to do a shotgun wedding type of story, but the right door never opened—at least until this collection came along. I wanted to see what kind of situation would cause a man to be “willingly” forced into a marriage, and I think it worked out well in The Prodigal Groom, my novella in Christmas Mail-Order Brides.

Therese:

Carrie: Vickie came up with the idea for the Christmas Mail-Order Bride collection, and I was excited when she invited me to be a co-author with her, Susan, and Therese.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

Susan: None whatsoever, except that I like to help people and feel bad if my efforts go awry.

Vickie: Well. . .hmmm. I don’t have any experience with mail-order brides or shotgun weddings—other than to write about them. Guess I was born in the wrong century. :) I did do some rash things when I was younger, like Jolie, my heroine, does when she goes west to marry a man she’s never met. Maybe we have tenacity in common. Clay, my hero is estranged from his father because of something that happened several years ago. He wants to come home, but he’s stubborn and also feels what happened was his fault. When he becomes a Christian, he finally returns to his family’s ranch, with God’s help, to reconcile with his father. Clay is now a man of character, but he has a past history of being a troublemaker and a carouser that he will have to overcome before reconciliation can occur.

Therese:

Carrie: My story begins with twin sisters saying goodbye to each other at the Chicago train station. My heroine decided to travel west on the new transcontinental as a mail-order bride so that her twin sister feels free to marry the man she loves. I have twin daughters who are very close, and I’ve often wondered how they will respond when the first one receives a marriage proposal. They are blondes just like the sisters in the story. I dedicated the novella to Megan and Elizabeth.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Susan: Lennox is no-nonsense coffee, and Amelia is cookies and cream.

Vickie: Cherries, Pecan and Cream – My hero is a bit sweet at times, can be a hard nut to crack at other times, and he’s smooth—calm and collected in tense situations.

Therese:

Carrie: My heroine is from Sweden and has blond hair and blue eyes. I believe she’d be strawberry ice cream, very sweet and wholesome. The hero is a young rancher who is a little rough around the edges, but has a very kind heart. I think he’d be Mint chocolate chip.

4. Are there any themes in Christmas Mail-Order Brides that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Susan: Forgiveness and making things right.

Vickie: The overall theme is: trusting God with your future, even when it looks bleak. God has far greater plans for our lives than we could ever imagine. Family reconciliation became a bit more of a theme than I’d first planned. Clay’s father has a hard time believing he’s really changed and thinks he’s just there to mooch off of him. Clay can’t see past his father’s stubbornness and believes the man only sees what he wants to. Clay and his father have a hard time forgiving one another, even though they care about each other.

Therese:

Carrie: I think all the novellas include the theme of God’s sovereignty and His loving plan for our lives. My novella, A Trusting Heart, also shows how God is faithful and trustworthy. He is at work on our behalf even when we don’t see him working, and that’s one more reason why we can trust Him.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Susan: The hardest part for me was the part about Lennox’s fruit packing business, because I didn’t know much about it. My favorite was his daughter’s blowup at the Christmas program.

Vickie: The fight scene in the barn was a bit hard to write. Lots of things are going on, and I wanted to keep the action level high, but I still needed to describe the scene clearly. My favorite? I love the scenes where Clay gives Jolie “wife lessons”. They are already married, btw. She grew up in an orphanage and had never been around a man before and knows nothing about the relationship between a man and a woman, so Clay graciously takes it upon himself to teach her. He can be such a nice guy at times.

Therese:

Carrie: The most difficult parts to write for me are those that have to do with riding horses and ranch life. My grandparents did own a farm in Oregon, but they raised crops, not cattle ro horses. So I don’t have too much experience with that. I asked Vickie and some other author friends to help me out with those scenes. Hopefully, I got it right.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Susan: On November 1, The Blacksmith’s Bravery will release. It’s the third book in my Ladies’ Shooting Club series, set in 1880s Idaho. By age twelve, Vashti Edwards was orphaned and working her way west in different saloons. Life in Fergus, Idaho, has given Vashti new hope in Christian friends from The Ladies Shooting Club and an employer who turned her saloon into a restaurant. But money is tight, and Vashti tries to get the job she’s always dreamed of--a stagecoach driver. Griffin Bane, local blacksmith, is overseeing the stagecoach line and admits he needs more help. But can a woman—even one known to be a good markswoman—handle the challenges and dangers on the trail? As soon as Vashti starts, the line becomes target of a band of robbers. Was Griffin a fool to put a woman at the reins, and can he brave the beautiful distraction she makes as he takes to riding shotgun? And of course the question is raised: Will The Ladies Shooting Club catch the bandits and bring the stubborn couple together?

Vickie: Second Chance Brides, book two, in my Texas Boardinghouse Brides series just released. It’s the sequel to The Anonymous Bride and tells the story of two of the rejected mail-order brides from book one. Shannon and Leah are stuck in Lookout, Texas. In order to survive, they must find a job in the small town-not an easy task for a woman-or find another man to marry.

Therese:

Carrie: My next book is Seeking His Love, an October Love Inspired novel. It’s a contemporary inspirational romance that tells the story of Rachel Clark, a young teacher who moves to Fairhaven, Washington, after being falsely accused of having an inappropriate relationship with one of her students. She takes a job as director of a youth theater program and must find a new location for her group. The Fairhaven Arts Center has the ideal space, but Cameron McKenna, who oversees the center, is not eager to include her or her kids. Cam lost his wife and young son in a tragic accident five years earlier, and being around children reminds him of the guilt he still carries. When a family crisis occurs, he must temporarily care for his fourteen-year-old niece, and he needs Rachel’s help and advice. She comes along side and not only teaches him how to relate to his niece, she also shows him how to overcome his past hurts and open his heart to love again.

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Thank you, Susan, Vickie, and Carrie for being in the spotlight with us.

NOTE! Readers, answer the question associated with the spotlight in the comments, then leave your email address for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Christmas Mail-Order Brides. If you do not answer the question, you will not be entered.

Bonus question. Answer either or both to be entered.

Question: Our Mail-Order Brides traveled west on the transcontinental railroad. Have you ever traveled by train, and if so, where did you go?

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Vickie McDonough and The Anonymous Bride

Don't forget the new rules of the spotlights here. Random questions will be inserted in each spotlight for you to answer in the comments in order to be entered. So, be on the lookout!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning inspirational romance author, with 18 novels and novellas published. She was recently voted 3rd Favorite Author in Heartsong Present’s annual readers’ contest, and her book, Outlaw Heart, placed 2nd in the Favorite Historical Romance category. Vickie is currently the treasurer of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and has written book reviews for nine years. Vickie is a wife of thirty-four years, mother of four grown sons and grandma to a feisty four-year-old girl. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, and traveling.

THE ANONYMOUS BRIDE
by Vickie McDonough
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Three mail-orders brides arrive in Lookout, Texas, each expecting to marry the local marshal. But—he didn't order a bride. When a contest ensues to discover which bride will make him the best wife, there is a surprise fourth entry--an anonymous one. Mayhem occurs as the whole town tries to figure out who the anonymous bride is, and the mayor pressures the marshal to pick a bride or lose his job. Will Marshal Davis tuck tail and run for the hills? Or will he lose his heart and his bachelorhood?

Readers, buy your copy of The Anonymous Bride today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your debut trade novel after many mass markets. Congratulations! What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I was trying to come up with a new idea for a book, and this one started as a “what if” question. What if a mail-order bride showed up in town, expecting to marry the local marshal, but what if he didn’t order a bride? Then my thoughts morphed a bit. What if three mail-order brides showed up, expecting to marry the poor, unsuspecting guy? How could something like that happen? And if it did, what would happen to the extra women since only one could marry him? Then I thought, what if the town held a contest to see which gal would make him the best wife? The ideas just kept coming, and that’s the basic premise.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

That’s a hard question, because it’s not something I really think about when I’m writing. I’m sure my characters have a little of me in them, but most of them are spunkier than me. My quirky sense of humor is something that sometimes is reflected in my characters, as well as my belief in God. Their backstory and experiences are theirs alone, as well as the choices they make during the course of the book. I’m totally not responsible for their actions. They do have minds of their own, you know. :)

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

My hero would be Mocha Almond Fudge. He runs on coffee, is a hard nut to crack because of past hurts, but he’s really sweet when his defenses are down.

Question: Which ice cream flavor would YOU be and why? Try to avoid Rocky Road.

4. Are there any themes in The Anonymous Bride that you hope the reader sees?

The main theme is forgiving past offenses. My hero was deeply wounded when his fiancée up and married the richest man in town. Now, years later, God has sent him back home to forgive the woman who hurt him, but he discovers that it’s not as easy as he’d hoped it would be.

Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as your story unfolded?

Actually there were. I knew my heroine had a troubled marriage, but it wasn’t until I got into the story that I discovered she’d been abused. She suffers low self-esteem because of that, and she’s also raising a strong-willed ten-year-old. My heroine struggles with being a good parent and disciplining her child. I think these are issues that many women today can relate to, even though the book is a historical.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I don’t know that there was a particular scene that was more difficult, but rather the middle of the book. This is twice as long as the Heartsong books I’ve been writing. When I got halfway done, I still had another 50,000 words to write, and I worried about the book being good enough to hold a reader’s attention for so long. Once I got past the 3/4ths mark and was going into the final stretch, things got easier.

There are several scenes I really love in this book. One is when the first two brides arrive, and Rachel confronts Luke about them, only poor Luke is totally clueless and baffled. The other is when Luke finds a stray dog and locks him in his jail until he can decide what to do with him, Jack, the heroine’s daughter comes in and the dialogue between her and Luke is a hoot—at least it was to me.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

I have a September release, which is a Christmas novella collection called Christmas Mail-Order Brides. This collection has four authors who’ve each written a novella following the mail-order bride theme. The other authors are: Susan Page Davis, Therese Stenzel, and Carrie Turansky.

Here’s a blurb:
Ride the transcontinental railroad as marriage arrives by mail-order—and just in time for Christmas. Annika arrives in Wyoming to discover her intended is missing. Jolie’s journey to Nevada is derailed by disaster. Elizabeth carries a load of secrets to Nebraska. And Amelia travels to California to wrap up her final attempts at matchmaking. Will the holiday season be the ticket to spark love in unexpected ways?

In October, Second Chance Brides, the sequel to The Anonymous Bride will be released. It tells the tale of the losers in the bride contest in the first book. Both women are stranded in Texas and neither one can—nor wants to—return home. The only options left are to find employment in the tiny town of Lookout or to find a husband. Neither of which are the prospects good.

I’m being vague on purpose in case you haven’t yet read the first book. I don’t want to give anything away.

I’m putting together an email newsletter mailing list. If you’re interested in being on my mailing list and receiving a quarterly newsletter and announcements about book releases, please email me at fictionfan1 at cox dot net.

Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog.

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Thank you, Vickie, for being in the spotlight with us.

NEW!! Readers, find the question associated with the spotlight and answer it in the comments, then leave your email address for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Anonymous Bride. If you do not answer the question, you will not be entered.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Vickie McDonough and Wild West Christmas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning author and native Oklahoman. She has had 16 novels and novellas published. Her favorite genre is Christian historical romance. Her stories frequently place in national contests, such as the ACFW Book of the Year contest, the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest and Heartsong Present’s annual readers’ contests. She is a wife of thirty-four years, mother of four sons, and grandmother to a feisty three-year-old girl.

WILD WEST CHRISTMAS
by Vickie McDonough
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Romance takes root in the lives of a Texas rancher's four daughters. Charlsey Ames loves being a cowhand until a dandy tenderfoot from the city begins opening her eyes to unexplored territory. Sharpshooter Lucy Ames takes a shot at love while traveling with a Wild West show. Horse-trainer Sarah Ames finds herself falling for a suspicious drifter with a gentle hand. Tracker Bessie Mae Ames is being trailed by a handsome yet guarded Texas Ranger. Will love corral these Lone Star ladies hearts this Christmas?

Readers, buy your copy of Wild West Christmas today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Our story is about four sisters, and when I drew the third sister, I modelled her after children I knew who were the third child in a family of four. Often these children have a hard time finding where they fit in, and Sarah is no different. She struggles with her lack of household skills and the desire to be outside, training her father’s horses—something she’s especially gifted at doing.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

It varies, depending on the character. Some reflect me more than others. My hero, Carson Romero, is half Scottish and half Mexican. He lives in western Texas in a time where it wasn’t cool to be a Mexican. He longs to be respected for the God fearing man he is on the inside and not rejected because of the color of his skin.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Carson would be Vanilla Caramel Swirl, and Sarah would be something very different like Banana Split ice cream. She’s vanilla, a real woman, with flavors unique to herself mixed in.

4. Are there any themes in Wild West Christmas that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

There’s the one I’ve already mention of judging people based on their looks or ethnicity. There’s also sibling rivalry, a woman struggling in a man’s word, and western issues like cattle rustling.

Themes that weren't overt? Not in my story, because I had it planned out pretty well before I started writing it. I can’t really speak for the other authors, but each of our heroines had their own problems.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Carson was such a good man, that it sometimes hard to make him suffer and for people to treat him unfairly. I really like my opening where Sarah is dressed like a man so she can compete in a local horse race. Her oldest sister finds her and threatens to tell their pa if she doesn’t change. What Sarah did next was fun to write. Also, I enjoyed the horse race where Carson competed against Sarah, and later, their developing romance.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Besides Wild West Christmas, I also have another Christmas anthology now out called A Blue and Gray Christmas and contains four novellas set against the backdrop of the Civil War.

I’d also like to tell your readers about my long fiction series that debuts next spring. The Anonymous Bride is the first book in my Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, which debuts next April. It's the story of a town marshal who suddenly has three mail-order brides arrive in town, each expecting to marry him. The thing is—he didn’t order a bride. Here’s a link if you’d like to know more.

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Thank you, Vickie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Wild West Christmas.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when the winners are announced each time.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Vickie McDonough and Virginia Brides

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vickie McDonough is an award-winning inspirational romance author. She has written six Heartsong Presents novels and six novellas, with more books coming out later this year and next year. Her third Heartsong book, The Bounty Hunter and the Bride, placed in third in the Top Ten Favorite Historical Romance category in Heartsong's 2007 annual contest. Her stories have also placed first in several prestigious contests, such as the ACFW Noble Theme and Book of the Year contests, the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, and the Texas Gold contest. She has also written books reviews for over six years and enjoys mentoring new writers.

Vickie is an Oklahoma native, wife of over thirty years, mother to four sons, and has a two-year-old granddaughter. When she's not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, and traveling. Vickie loves hearing from her readers at vickie [at] vickiemcdonough [dot] com.

VIRGINIA BRIDES
by Cathy Marie Hake, Vickie McDonough and Susan Page Davis
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Historical Romance: The Shenandoah River Valley is full of romantic history that you will enjoy exploring along with the fictional Walsh family. Meet Garnet Wheelock whose indenture has been sold to a respectable widower. Sympathize with Amy Rogers who has lost all her family only to gain motherless children. Ride along with Sadie McEwan as harbored secrets bar the road to love. You relive a gentler time as love and faith are rooted in Virginian soil.

Buy Your Copy Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for your story in this anthology?

I can't say any one thing gave me the inspiration for Spinning Out of Control, which is the second book in Virginia Brides. It was more a thing of playing "what if." What if a young, destitute woman had to beg sanctuary from her only living relative, a cousin? What if said cousin was in the middle of a rough childbirth when my heroine arrives? What if the cousin dies, leaving the heroine to care for a newborn and a three-year-old? What if the cousin's husband is nowhere to be found? Something like that. I tried to put my heroine in a tough situation and then made it worse.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

I don't know that any of my experiences influenced my heroine in Spinning Out of Control, except that I've been the mother of four boys. I know the difficulties of raising young children and having to keep a home.

Amy, the heroine in Spinning Out of Control, doesn't trust men. Her father abandoned her and left her and her sickly mother without support. So, when her cousin's husband fails to show up at first, Amy immediately distrusts him and thinks badly about him.

3. What themes exist in Virginia Brides that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

That no matter how bad your situation is, God can help you if you turn to Him.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

It was hard to kill off the cousin, Kathryn. I think she is the first good person I ever killed in a story. But Kathryn's death was crucial to the plot. Here's something funny. At first, I named Kathryn after Kathleen, a close friend of mine. When my friend found out I killed off her character I could tell she was upset, so I changed the name to Kathryn.

My favorite part of the story was watching the romance develop between Micah and Amy. Micah felt like a failure because he wasn't around when his wife died. At first, he thought his own newborn daughter was Amy's child. He grew a lot and had to overcome his feeling of feeling like Amy was an intruder in his home. Writing Rosie, the three-year-old daughter was fun, too.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

My next book is a Barbour anthology called A Bride by Christmas. Four people must marry by Christmas to avoid some awful things happening. Also coming out is Oklahoma Brides. This is a repackaging of my three Oklahoma historicals published by Heartsong. Last, is Wild At Heart. This is the first book in a historical series set in North Dakota.

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Thank you, Vickie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Virginia Brides.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

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