End of the Trail, by Vickie McDonough - FREE BOOK

Tell us about your book.

End of the Trail is the sixth book in the Texas Trails series. This series was written by three authors, Susan Page Davis, Darlene Franklin, and me. We each wrote two books, and they are written as stand-alones, so you can read any one of them without having the read the others. But we hope you will want to read them all. The series about the Morgan family covers several generations, spans fifty years, and incorporates actually historical events. If you’d like to learn more about this series, visit the beautiful website that Moody Publishers created for it: www.texastrailsfiction.com

Can you give us a sneak peek at your new release?

 I’d be happy to.

Brooks Morgan is quick on the draw, but his weapon of choice is his smile. He’s smart and witty and has charmed his way through much of life, but now that he’s growing older—and a bit wiser, he wants to stop drifting and settle down. He sees his chance when he wins Raven Creek Ranch in a poker game, but when he goes to claim his prize, a pretty woman with a shotgun says the ranch belongs to her. Brooks isn’t leaving his one and only chance to make something of his life—but neither is she. Can they reach an agreement? Or will a greedy neighbor force a showdown, causing them both to lose they want most in life?

What inspired this book?

 I’ve wanted to write about a cocky cowboy for a while now, and Brooks Morgan seemed to fit that part. He’s a fun character—always smiling and making jokes, but he hides his pain behind that smile. He’s estranged from his family and has drifted for over a decade and now is to ashamed to return home. Keri, the heroine, is quickly fed up with his teasing manner and constant smiling. She’s all about work and keeping the ranch going. Brooks wants to have some fun and do only a little work. It makes for some great conflict and fun scenes between these two very different people.

Are you a panster or do you outline?

I think you’d call me a pant-line – or maybe an outster. You’re probably scratching your head, wondering want I’m talking about. What I mean is that I’m somewhere in between a panster and an outliner. I’m normally an organized person, and I love using Excel charts to keep track of my story, but if I plot out the whole book I tend to lose interest. There has to be some unknown factor to keep me interested.

How long have you been writing?

 Eleven and ½ years.

Tell us something silly about you.

One summer evening when I was around 12 or 13, my dad and I were watching TV in our living room. The front door was open, and my sister and a flock of her friends were on the front porch talking about the full moon and checking each other’s teeth to see who had vampire fangs. Dad and I decided to play a trick on them. We went out into the garage, and Dad wrapped a camouflage tarp around his shoulders and put on an old hag mask leftover from Halloween, and then he grabbed his fire extinguisher. We snuck out the back door and around the side of the house to the front then tiptoed up near the group of kids on the porch. We growled out a loud yell, and at the same time, my dad sprayed out this huge white cloud of stuff from the fire extinguisher, and it made a noise like a tornado. The kids all screamed. Some jumped off the porch and took off running. Others jumped up and down, screaming, but one boy stood at the front door, clawing the screen and yowling like a cat. My sister, used to my dad’s jokes, barely jumped. This probably sounds morbid to you, but I laughed so hard. And I don’t remember those kids ever talking about vampires again.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

First off, I want to entertain my readers. But I also hope to encourage them in whatever area they are struggling and to let them know that no problem is too hard for God to handle if we only turn to Him.

What project are you currently working on?

I’ve been working on some proposals for new books and doing interviews to advertise my new release.

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

The actual writing part. Writing is hard work. It takes a long time to complete a book, and you need discipline to keep at it and to pace yourself to finish by the deadline. I love all aspects of writing, but the actual writing of the book is the hardest part for me, with the exception of marketing. Before I got into writing, I didn’t know about all the marketing a writer is expected to do, and as an introvert, getting out and promoting myself and my books is difficult.

What is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc)?

I like to show readers that God has far bigger dreams for them than they can ever dream for themselves.

 What is your favorite color? teal

What book are you currently reading?  The Marshal’s Promise by Rhonda Gibson. It’s been great so far. I even got teary-eyed last night at one part.

What are your hobbies (besides writing)?

Reading is top on the list. I used to love doing counted cross-stitch, but as I’ve grown older, I find it hard to see well enough to do a good job. I garden some and love to watch movies and travel. I also like moseying around craft fairs and antique stores. I collect quilted wall hangings and am always excited to find one I like at a fair price.

Connect with Vicky here: www.vickiemcdonough.com

Vickie has offered one free copy to a lucky winner. At least 10 people need to leave comments for there to be a contest WITH email addresses OR you can email me at srstormo@yahoo.com and put "Contest-Trail" in the subject line. Winner announced 6-24-12.