Fabulous Friday Feature: Vickie McDonough

Today I welcome 
Vickie McDonough,
whose characters nagged her until she wrote their story.

Enter to win Vickie's July release,

Whispers on the Prairie

Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter.

Vickie is quite an accomplished author. She has twenty-seven books/novellas published. I am pleased to introduce her to you. While we chatted, I asked her to share with us how God led her on this great writing journey. This is her answer:

The Story That Kept Me Awake at Night

Thank you, Mary, for inviting me to be your guest today. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved to read. When I was young, I read every book I could find that had a horse on the cover. Then I graduated to Nancy Drew books, and later, when I was the frazzled mom of four teenage sons, I discovered Christian romance novels, and fell in love with them.

As my boys got older, I started praying that God would help me to start a home business—something where I could work at home and be there for my sons but still bring in some badly needed extra income. Several years later, the idea for a story started running through my mind. It was like watching a movie in my brain. I would think about it off and on all day, but then it would keep me awake at night. I finally decided to write it down in hopes it would go away and let me sleep. I wrote a whole book, and as soon as I finished it, another story started forming. I wrote that one down too.

By the time I finished the second book, I began to wonder if God was trying to get my attention. I talked to my husband, who’d been watching me write with interest, and told him that I felt God might be leading me to become a writer. He encouraged me to do whatever I needed to learn the craft.

I started reading books on writing, taking classes locally and online, and attending writers’ conference. And I guess you could say the rest is history. I recently signed a contract for my 32^nd book. It boggles my mind more than anyone that God could take a girl who hated English and history way back in school and turn her into a historical fiction writer.

When God calls you to do something, no matter how far-fetched it seems, if you yield to Him, He will enable you to do that task, and the effort will be highly rewarding.

Tulsa native, Vickie McDonough 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 in her fictional stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen and others living in the West in the 1800s. Vickie is the award-winning author of 27 published books and novellas. Her books include the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, and Whispers on the Prairie, Book 1 in a new series set at a stage stop in 1870s Kansas. Whispers on the Prairie was chosen by Romantic Times as one of their Recommended Inspirational Books for July.

Vickie is a wife of thirty-seven years, mother of four grown sons, one daughter-in-law, and grandma to a feisty seven-year-old girl. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, antiquing, watching movies, and traveling. To learn more about Vickie’s books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

Where to buy Whispers on the Prairie: (released July, 2013)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eZ8yfi

Christianbook.com: http://bit.ly/12CBx1i

BarnesandNoble.com: http://bit.ly/171we1G

Where to buy Pioneer Christmas: (will release September, 2013)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/18HblYM

Christianbook.com: http://bit.ly/1cWAPY2

BarnesandNoble.com: http://bit.ly/1an8hoL

To enter the contest for an autographed copy of 

Vickie McDonough's book: "Whispers on the Prarie":

leave a comment (and email address)

and become a follower of this site if you aren't already.

Winner announced on my facebook page.

Thank you, Vickie, for Joining us This Weekend!

Friend, not everyone has such a fun-easy road story to share about their writing journey. But we all have the fun-easy road story about something in our lives. What has been really simple for you to learn to do?

I'll start. I find it really easy to explain concepts to children. I don't know where the ideas come from but funny and easy to understand examples pop in my head while I'm speaking. The children always laugh and when tested, know the concept.

You're turn.