Author Interview: Vickie McDonough

Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

Lone Star Christmas, a fun anthology about four retired Texas Rangers who start matchmaking, came out in September.

In December, my first novel, Sooner Or Later, comes out. It’s the story of a woman who goes on the run when her stepfather tells her he’s swapping her to his old buddy for half a cow and some moonshine.

How long had you been writing seriously before you got the call that you were going to be published?

Not too long. Two and a half years, I think.

Tell us how you heard and what went through your head.

I received a phone call from my friend and mentor, Cathy Marie Hake. She told me our anthology called A Stitch in Time was being bought by Barbour. I squealed and she squealed with me, then I called my husband and other family members. It was awesome!

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work? Most definitely. I know there’s no way I can write unless God helps me.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

I’m not sure. The advice I give people is to network with other writers. Attend conferences and join online &/or local writing groups and get to know other writers. You never know where a contact will lead. I’m published because of networking.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever heard?

I’m not sure that I can think of a piece of advice, but in my first critique group, there was a woman who gave very harsh critiques. I know now that I needed to learn what all she was saying, but at that time, I also needed some encouragement. Where critique groups are concerned, you need to shop around until you find one that’s a good fit. You don’t want a group that sugar-coats things, but rather one that has a good balance of critiquing and encouraging.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier on that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

To read the publisher’s guidelines. I can’t emphasize this enough. You’re wasting your time and money if you send something to a publisher that they don’t buy. My publisher doesn’t buy paranormals, but they get proposals for them. It’s not only a waste of your time, but the publisher’s as well. Check out each publisher that you want to submit to and follow their guidelines carefully.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

I’ve been reading The Purpose Driven Life. What stands out to me is that by being diligent in my writing, I’m pleasing God. I want my writing to be an offering of my time and energies to the Lord.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

My father died last February, and I’ve had a hard time writing ever since. It’s hard to be creative when you’re hurting. But with a deadline approaching, I had to put away my hurt and get back to work. Sometimes it’s a daily struggle, but the more I persevere, the easier it gets.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke is my favorite book. It’s hard to pick out other favorites. It would be easier to tell you my favorite authors.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I recently submitted a proposal for a new story called The Bounty Hunter and The Bride. Originally, I started this story with the hero kidnapping the heroine. He had a good reason, but my editor said that it wasn’t very heroic. I struggled with rewriting it because I’d already written 10,000 words of the story. I finally caved and gave up my “baby” and started over, with some brainstorming help from a friend. I sent this new proposal to my editor, and she told me that she couldn’t put it down and wants to buy it.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

With so many writing rules that new authors have to follow, it’s hard for me to read writers who don’t follow the rules. I can’t hardly read one writer who was one of my favorites for years because that person tells instead of shows, head hops, and has lots of author intrusion. I never noticed those things before I became a writer, but now they jump out at me and can ruin the story.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

In the mornings, I get up, get dressed, have breakfast, devotions, check emails and do chores around the house. Then I go over to my mother’s house. She’s homebound and lives alone, so I spend a couple hours with her. When I get back home, I usually eat lunch and then write until my son gets home from school. I prefer to write on my laptop in my recliner with my feet up and the heating pad on my back. Sometimes I write in the evenings, but usually read, because I’m also a book reviewer.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I’d like to have the stamina of Tracie Peterson. She’s written something like 60 or 70 big books. Before I ever even thought of writing a book, she was one of my favorite authors. It amazes me how she can write so many books and come up with such different ideas for them.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I tend to get bored rather easily, so I’ve concentrated on writing shorter novels for now. Someday, I’d like to tackle a longer book.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

My friends will laugh at this. Always! They joke that every time I start talking about getting a job, I sell a book.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer? My favorite part of becoming a writer is all the new friends I’ve made. I have some really great friends that I never would have had, if not for writing.

Least favorite: I have to confess I’m not one of those writers who love to write. I love the creative aspect—brainstorming and creating characters—but the actual writing process is a chore. I keep at it because I want to be obedient to God and do enjoy just about everything else related to writing.

Parting words?

For years I prayed for a job I could do at home. I was Mom to four boys and didn’t want to work outside the home until they got older. God answered those prayers by giving me a desire to write and blessing me with some sales.

Another thing I’ve always wanted to do is travel, but raising four kids left us with little money for vacations. My boys are older now, and since I’ve started writing, I’ve been able to attend over a dozen writers conferences and have also done several weekend research trips with my husband and youngest son. God took those two prayers—for a home job and to travel—and rolled them into writing and even gave me the perk of my expenses being tax deductible. Ain’t God great!