by guest blogger Vickie McDonough

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved horses. I grew up in the city, but I watched the cowboy shows of the 1960s with my dad, and fell in love with all things western. I read every horse book I could find. I even talked my parents into buying me a horse.

We lived one block away from the city line, so I was able to board my horse just two blocks from home. During the summer and after school, I’d walked over to the pasture to feed and ride Buddy Boy. He

was a beautiful bay gelding with black fetlocks and a white diamond on his forehead.

On days when it rained or I had a lot of homework and couldn’t go to the pasture until later, Dad would drive me. I usually fed Buddy, but I remember one time that Dad did. My big, strong Dad was scared of horses, and it was a bit comical to watch him dancing around Buddy, trying to keep away from him. One evening, Dad took the feed into Buddy’s stall and dumped it in the bin. What he didn’t know was that Buddy had followed him in, but for some reason, the horse spun around and faced out. When Dad pivoted around to leave, he was looking straight at Buddy’s rear end. It freaked out my dad so much that he yelled and swung the bucket in the air. Buddy jumped and took off running. After I got over the initial shock, I nearly busted a gut, laughing.

I realized later how fortunate my dad was that Buddy didn’t kick him when he yelled. I still thank God that that didn’t happen. As a writer, I look back at those days of riding my horse all over our side of town. They are special memories, and I know that owning not one, but several horses over three years helped prepare me to be able to write about them. Even when I was not yet a teen, God was guiding me to things that would help me in my writing career. And He’ll do the same for you—guide you along the path He’s set up for you—if you only listen and follow His direction. Don’t be afraid to step out and say yes, if He asks you to do something hard. You may be surprised where He will lead you.

And here’s some news about her newest book release!

Whispers on the Prairie
Publisher: Whitaker House
Release date: July 1, 2013

A City Girl Far from Home…
Sarah Marshall just wants to go home. It wasn’t her idea to leave Chicago and head west, but her uncle’s ambition left her no choice. Neither was her intention to settle in Kansas with her ailing aunt, but being penniless and without possessions brings little bargaining power. Pretty soon, she resigns herself to her fate, however unfortunate. It isn’t as if she has a home to go back to.

A Country Boy Seeking to Right a Wrong…
Ethan Harper, the youngest of three brothers, enjoys a peaceful existence helping run his family’s stage shop along the Santa Fe Trail. Only one cloud continues to darken his horizon—guilt over the tragic death of his oldest brother’s wife. The only acceptable penance Ethan can think of is finding another woman to marry his brother and help raise Aaron’s motherless children.

A Match so Incompatible, It Just Might Work…
When a series of misfortunes strands Sarah Marshall and her aunt at Harpers’ Stage Stop, the status quo is overthrown as the presence of an attractive young woman, however unversed in the ways of prairie living, wreaks havoc on the lives of the Harper brothers, all three of them vying for her attention. But will any of them prove himself worth giving up the life Sarah always dreamed of?

“Vickie McDonough has created a wealth of intriguing characters in this heartwarming tale of brotherly conflict and family loyalties set on the Kansas plains. Combining just the right amount of romance, faith and honest emotions, Ms. McDonough has penned another winner that you won’t want to put down.”   Bestselling author Margaret Brownley, Dawn Comes Early, Waiting for Morning & Gunpowder Tea

Website: www.vickiemcdonough.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VickieMcDonough

Vickie is  starting an email mailing list for readers who’d like to keep up with her book news. If you’d like to be on it, please visit her website, and you’ll find a link to the sign-up page on the Home page.

Do you have any questions or comments for Vickie?  Post them here, and she’ll be sure to answer!