FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: RANCHER UNDER FIRE BY VICKIE McDONOUGH

SABOTAGE AT ANGELFIRE RANCH 

Jackson Durant would go to any lengths to protect his young daughter and his ranch. He knows the puzzling incidents on his homestead are no accidents. Someone is after him…but who? And why? Reporter Mariah Reyes is determined to find out. She never expected her pursuit of a story on the reclusive rancher would endanger her life—nor that she'd fall for the cowboy. But when Jackson's daughter is kidnapped, she'll do anything to help save the little girl—even if it means becoming a target herself.

INTERVIEW:

Today we're welcoming Jackson Durant, the hero of Rancher Under Fire by Vickie McDonough, a September, 2014, release by Love Inspired Suspense. 

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.   

1.  Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense. I used to be a pro quarterback but now I’m a rancher. I left football the day my daughter was born. I didn’t want her raised in the cut-throat world I lived in back then. We’ve had a good, quiet life—at least until recently. Weird things started happening several months ago. Fences have been cut and my horses have gotten out. A stock tank was shot full of holes. And there’s more. At first, I thought it might be teens, although most of the youth around here tend to look up to me, so I don’t think it’s one of them. But I don’t have any enemies—at least none that I know of. So who could be doing these destructive things? And why?

2.  So, during the book you met Mariah Reyes. Tell us a bit about her.  What was your first impression? First impressions? She nearly ran over my daughter. I was more than a little angry when I met her. I just wanted her gone. When did you know it was love? I have no clue. Maybe during the worst days of my life when Mariah stuck by my side and tried to help me through them.

3.  What strengths/skills do you have? Physically, I’m strong. I was in sports all my life, and now I’m a rancher, doing physical work every day. I’d like to think I’m smart and have a good head for horses. What is your greatest weakness? That’s easy—my daughter.

4.  What scares you? That something will happen to Hailey. I lost my wife in a car accident, so I know how fast life can change

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d change the man I was in the past. Back then, I enjoyed being a celebrity. Enjoyed being in the limelight and the life that came with it at times. I had no goal but to succeed in football and make as much money as I could, and be popular. I didn’t care if I had to run down someone else to obtain that. I was selfish and shallow.

6.  Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? I’m a godly man. I attend church and read my Bible. Like all people, I could be closer to God, but I believe in Him and trust Him.

7.  Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?  My faith has certainly been tested. I’m much closer to God now. He got me through the worst days of my life—got me through a time when I didn’t know if I could go on.

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story.  Tell us why this scripture is significant.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

I’ve always had an attraction to eagles. They’re magnificent birds, and there are many things about them I find interesting. Did you know they mate for life? Anyway, this was one of the first scriptures that I memorized. I’ve remembered it during hard times, especially those I endured lately.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why? Come on now—that’s a dumb question. Ask me something about horses.

Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Suspense Sept 2014 Releases

Listed below are the upcoming releases from our talented Love Inspired Suspense writers here at Craftie Ladies of Romance.  To purchase any of these wonderful books, just click on the book covers.  And to learn more about the authors, click on their names.

SABOTAGE AT ANGELFIRE RANCH

By Vickie McDonough

Jackson Durant would go to any lengths to protect his young daughter and his ranch. He knows the puzzling incidents on his homestead are no accidents. Someone is after him…but who? And why? 

Reporter Mariah Reyes is determined to find out. She never expected her pursuit of a story on the reclusive rancher would endanger her life—nor that she’d fall for the cowboy. But when Jackson’s daughter is kidnapped, she’ll do anything to help save the little girl—even if it means becoming a target herself.

UNSAFE TERRITORY 

By Terri Reed

When a mysterious toxin threatens lives and livelihoods near the border between the U.S. and Canada, Dr. Tessa Cleary is called to trace the source. But when the no-nonsense doctor is forced to work with border patrol agent Jeff Steele, she finds the lone wolf's dedication to his job—and country—chipping away at the walls around her heart. 

Just as Tessa and Jeff are about to uncover the toxin's deadly source, armed thugs kidnap them in the forest. Now they must trust each other to survive before time runs out for everyone. 

Northern Border Patrol: Keeping the U.S.–Canadian border safe

Suspense writing--it's not for Wimps

by Vickie McDonough

When I first started writing back in 2001, I wrote two contemporary novels, a historical, and then another modern day story. I didn’t know then that my career of over 30 books and novellas would follow a historical trail for the most part. I have had 3 contemporary stories published—a novella, a Heartsong novel, and an LIS suspense. The suspense was definitely the most challenging.

Rancher Under Fire is my suspense. I wrote the story years ago, but it never found a home until last year. My agent suggested sending it to LIS, but I told him it wasn’t suspenseful enough for that line. Imagine my shock when they bought it. But, I was right in that it needed more suspense. You must keep the tension high in a suspense—keep throwing danger and difficult situations at your characters, and keeping them dodging trouble. I had lots of tension and bad things happening, but most of it was directed at my hero’s ranch rather than at him, such as stock tanks being shot, fences cut, etc. My LIS editor had me go back through the story and up the tension even more and direct more of the danger at my hero and heroine. I literally spent more time rewriting the book than it took to write it initially. But it’s done, and it’s a better story for all of the changes. I suspect it’s still not as suspenseful as many LIS’s, but I hope you’ll enjoy it. I certainly have a much better appreciation for suspense writers like my good friend Margaret Daley and the other LIS authors.

Here’s the back cover blurb for Rancher Under Fire:

SABOTAGE AT ANGELFIRE RANCH

Jackson Durant would go to any lengths to protect his young daughter and his ranch. He knows the puzzling incidents on his homestead are no accidents. Someone is after him…but who? And why? Reporter Mariah Reyes is determined to find out. She never expected her pursuit of a story on the reclusive rancher would endanger her life—nor that she’d fall for the cowboy. But when Jackson’s daughter is kidnapped, she’ll do anything to help save the little girl—even if it means becoming a target herself.

Rancher Under Fire releases today in paperback and ebook!! Yeehaw!

Now, I have a question for you:

Who is your favorite suspense writer? What’s your favorite suspense novel?

Bestselling author 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 Old West during the 1800s. Vickie is the award-winning author of over thirty published books and novellas. Her books include the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, and End of the Trail, which was the OWFI 2013 Best Fiction Novel winner. Whispers on the Prairie was a Romantic Times Recommended Inspirational Book for July 2013.

Vickie has been married thirty-eight years, is the mother of four grown sons, one of whom is married, and she is grandma to a precocious eight-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

Something Different

I'm Vickie McDonough, and this is my first post to the Craftie Ladies blog. I'm very excited to be here. People who are familiar with my western romance novels will be surprised to learn that I have a contemporary suspense coming out. Of the thirty books I've had release to date, only two have been contemporaries, and while many of my books have some suspense in them, none of them fit the suspense genre.

Rancher Under Fire releases in September. I never planned for this novel to be a true suspense book, and as a result, I had to do major edits on the story for it to please my editor. I found it hard to keep the tension coiled tight and to keep the action moving. I came to truly appreciate writers who can pen suspense after suspense while keeping their stories fast-paced and interesting. Margaret Daley, one of my best friends and critique partner, is the queen of writing intriguing chapter hooks, which make you have to turn the page to see what's happened. I'm back working on a historical set during the Oklahoma land rush days and in my comfort zone once again.

As a reader, do you have a genre you prefer? Do you tend stick to that genre or do you read others too?

Rancher Under Fire - Jackson Durant would go to any lengths to protect his young daughter and his ranch. He knows the puzzling incidents on his

homestead are no accidents. Someone is after him…but who? And

why? Reporter Mariah Reyes is determined to find out. She never

expected her pursuit of a story on the reclusive rancher would

endanger her life—nor that she’d fall for the cowboy. But when

Jackson’s daughter is kidnapped, she’ll do anything to help save

the little girl—even if it means becoming a target herself.