CALL OF THE PRAIRIE - Vickie McDonough - One Free Book

Dear readers, Vickie asked me to read Call of the Prairie for endorsement. I was happy to do that. I’ve read and loved Vickie’s stories since the beginning. Since I share the same physical problem that the heroine has, I was very interested to see how Vickie handled it in the story. It’s a delightful story that really faces it head-on. I loved the characters and the storyline. The romance was just right. You won’t want to miss this book.

Welcome back, Vickie. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?

I’ve finished writing my Pioneers Promises series, which was set in 1870s Kansas, although the last book won’t be released until July. Next, I turn south to my native state of Oklahoma. I’ll be writing a series set during the land rush days. Oklahoma had five land runs, and the 1889 one will be featured in Gabriel’s Atonement, the first book in my Land Rush Dreams series.

What conferences will you be attending this year?

I’m facing at least one surgery, possibly two, this year, so I haven’t made plans yet to attend any conferences, although most years, I attend at least two of them.

Will you be a speaker at any of them?       

Probably not.

If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?

I’ve been toying with the idea of learning screenwriting, so I think that would be a good session for a writers’ conference. The first person I’d want on my panel would be Michael Hague, who is a Hollywood screenwriter and teaches the craft. Next would be Rene Gutteridge because she’s written screenplays for the Christian market. I’m not sure who else to have on the panel. I’d have to research and see what other Christian writers know screenwriting.

Funny you should mention that. I’m the screenwriter for a Christian movie that should be ready for release near the end of this year. How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

I think it’s crucial for writers to be involved in a writing group, preferably locally, but if that’s not available, then online. Writing is a lonely job, and you need to be with others who think the same way you do, to brainstorm and plot with, and to learn from. Other writers can encourage you in a way no one else can.    

That is so true. Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

Lately, I haven’t volunteered. I’m pretty busy with writing, being primary caregiver to my eighty-three-year-old mother who is partially handicapped, and babysitting my granddaughter. In the past, I volunteered in my church nursery and the office, and I was the ACFW national treasurer for three years and the treasurer of WIN, my local ACFW chapter for three years before that.

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

My parents, who raised me in a Christian home and took me to church and taught me good values—and especially to my Dad, who kept me laughing. My husband, Robert, who I’ve been married to for 38 years. We have raised 4 sons together and had some great times. Rebecca Germany of Barbour Publishing, who bought my first novella and many other books and helped me launch my writing career. And Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.         

If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?
Vickie McDonough
She obeyed God’s calling and wrote the stories He gave her.          

That’s a good one. Tell us about the featured book.         

Call of the Prairie is the second book in my Pioneer Promise series, which is set in 1873 Kansas. The heroes of the series are the three Harper brothers, and Josh Harper, the middle brother, is the hero of Call of the Prairie. The Harpers brothers run a stage stop along the Santa Fe Trail with their parents, serving meals to travelers and servicing the stage workers and horses. When the railroad crossed through Kansas, the stage business slowed, so Josh moved to the nearest town, Windmill, to work in his uncle’s bank—and that’s where he meets the heroine, Sopie Davenport.

Here is the story blurb:

Sophie Davenport fears life is passing her by. Her strict, overprotective parents have kept her close to home because of the severe asthma attacks she sometimes endures. She longs to live a normal life and hopes to marry, but that dream seems impossible. When her aunt has a tragic accident and requests someone come to Kansas to help her, no one is available except Sophie. Her father, tied up with business, reluctantly agrees to let her go. Sophie is ecstatic and sees this trip as her one chance to prove to her parents—and herself—that she’s capable of living on her own. But things in the small town of Windmill are not as her aunt portrayed. And her aunt’s handsome neighbor, guardian of two of the children her aunt cares for after school, obviously doubts her abilities.

Will the Kansas dust, the drama, and difficulties prove too much for Sophie? Or will she lose her heart to her neighbor and succumb to the call of the prairie?

Since I read the story, please share the first page with my readers.
April 1873

St. Louis, Missouri

Sophie Davenport held back the curtain and peered out the front window, her heart jolting as a handsome man exited the carriage. He paid the driver, then turned and studied her house. He was taller and nicer-looking than she’d expected. She dropped the curtain and stepped back, hoping he hadn’t seen her spying. She pressed her hands together and tapped her index fingers against her lips, unable to hold back her grin. Blake had finally arrived!

A knock of confidence, not apprehension, sounded at the main entrance. Sophie hurried to her bedroom door, which opened onto the main entryway, and held her breath, listening. Blake stood on her porch, introducing himself to the butler. Sophie could barely contain her giddiness. She bounced on her toes as Blake told the butler he had an appointment with her. His voice, deeper than she’d imagined, floated through the open transom window above her like a beautiful cello solo at the symphony.

She patted her hair, hoping the humidity of the warm day hadn’t sent it spiraling in rebellious curls. The swish of silk accompanied her as she hurried across the room to the full-length oval mirror that stood in one corner. Pressing a hand over her chest to calm her pounding heart, she surveyed her deep purple gown. Was the fabric too dark? She’d chosen the violet silk taffeta because her brightly colored day dresses made her appear younger, but today, she wanted to look the twenty-two-year-old woman she was. Turning sideways, she checked her bustle and bow, making sure they were straight. Everything was as orderly as it could be. Would Blake like what he saw? Would he think her too short? Her light brown hair too nondescript?

Flicking a piece of lint off her bodice, she turned and faced the door. She would know soon enough. After more than a year of correspondence, Blake knew everything about her, and he had adamantly insisted that none of it mattered. He’d fallen in love with her through her enchanting missives, and he wanted her for his wife.

           

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickiemcdonough

Sign up for my newsletter: http://mad.ly/signups/80262/join

Thank you, Vickie, for spending this time with us today.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Call of the Prairie - Christianbook.com
Call Of The Prairie (Pioneer Promises Series # 2) - Amazon
Call of the Prairie (Pioneer Promises) - Kindle

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