Kiss the Bride: Angel Food/Just Deserts/A Recipe for Romance/Tea for Two (Heartsong Novella Collection)
A Recipe for Romance by Vickie McDonough
soft cover, 2006, Barbour Publishing
ISBN 1597893536
366 pgs.
Written by Vickie Mcdonough; an author who is becoming a well known name in writing. “A Recipe for Romance” is one of four novellas in the book “Kiss the (Cook) Bride.” An apron connects all four stories adding a fun twist.
Our story starts when Haley Tannehill’s brother asks her to email an old school buddy; Scott Jantzen. Haley and Scott exchange emails and a friendship forms. Meanwhile Haley is put in the awkward position of taking over, The Cowpoke Café, the family restaurant she grew up despising.
When Scott returns home from the Middle East, Haley hires him to help her renovate the neon, cowboy boot blinking restaurant, into something a little more modern. As Haley spends more time with Scott, his witness and devotion to his heavenly father, makes Haley realizes she has more missing in her life then an updated restaurant.
Later Haley discovers a secret about Scott and his family, and her trust in him flops. She must depend on her rekindled relationship with God and trust in His plans for her restaurant instead of her own.
The outcome is Scott realizing he should have been truthful, Haley leaning on God for direction, and a restaurant that takes off in a way that no one predicted, all served on a platter overflowing with romance.
At the end of Ms. McDonough’s book is a recipe for “Aunt Mildred’s Icebox Cake”. It made a wonderful addition to my Thanksgiving dinner and has a surprisingly nice tart and nutty flavor. And really, there is no better way to enjoy a good book then having a great dessert to go with it!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS with VICKIE MCDONOUGH
Gail: I loved the recipe at the end of your story. Is there really an Aunt Mildred out there who takes credit for this dessert?
Vickie: Yes! That part is true. She was my dad's sister, but has been dead for about ten years. Whenever we went to her house when I was a child, I'd ask if she had any of that "pink stuff". That's where I got the idea for that part of my novella.
Gail: Camping vs. hotel, what do you prefer?
Vickie: Definitely a hotel. I have back problems and need to sleep on a real bed.
Gail: What words of wisdom would you pass on to blossoming authors?
Vickie: Keep at it. Find a good critique group and network with other writers. Lastly, be patient. Writing and selling a book can be a very long process.
Gail: From your website, I see you have 3 books coming out by spring. You have been very busy! Are these the only three you are currently working on, or do you have other irons in the fire?
Vickie: I've finished work on the books coming out next year and just recently sent a proposal to an agent about a new series idea that I have. I'm hoping she'll want to represent me and will market the proposal to publishers for me. It's another historical set in Oklahoma.
Gail: You mentioned on your website that you never liked to write in school, what finally sparked your interest in writing?
Vickie: Honestly, it's a God thing. I've always been an avid reader, but never once considered writing a book until January 2001. I got a story going thru my head that wouldn't leave me alone. I was only getting about five hours of sleep at night because of it, so I finally decided to try writing it down. I hoped that getting the info on paper would cause it to leave my head alone. That worked...until shortly after another story came. I wrote it down too, then got to wondering if maybe God was trying to get my attention. I jumped into writing with both feet, going to conferences, joining local and online writer's groups, studying the craft of writing, and joining a critique group. I've really enjoyed all the friends I've made on this journey.
Gail: What is your favorite time of day to write?
Vickie: Mid-morning. I'm good and awake, fresh, and the house is usually quiet because everyone else is gone.
Gail: Tell me about a typical day in the life of Vickie McDonough.
Vickie: Ugh! There really isn't a typical day. I don't write everyday, unless I'm on a deadline. I find I write better if I take days off between writing days. I do the typical housework and other things that a mother of four boys does, although only three boys are still at home. I also am the primary caregiver to my mom, who is homebound. I do all her errands, so some days are spent in the car. For down time, I read or watch some TV. I baby sit my granddaughter one day a week. We attend church on Sundays and sometimes on Wednesdays. I also like to garden when the weather cooperates. As far as actual writing, I usually try to write a chapter at one sitting. If not a chapter, then one or two scenes. The next time I write, I go back and reread and proof what I wrote last. That helps my creative juices get going and helps me remember where I left off.
Gail: Is there something about you that most people don't know?
Vickie: Yes. Shortly after I was married back in 1975, my husband and I went to Israel with a church group and lived and worked on a kibbutz for a year. We also got to visit different places in Israel.
Gail: Do you share a love for cooking like that of your character?
Vickie: Hee hee. No, not really. Because of my back problems, being on my feet a lot is difficult. I like eating home cooking but not so much doing the actual cooking.
Gail: What aspect of writing do you find most difficult?
Vickie: The writing part. :) Because I'm not a writer by nature, I have to discipline myself to do it. Once I sit down and get started, I get in the groove and usually complete my goal for the day. I'm a creative person by nature but writing a book takes a lot of time and sometimes takes a lot out of you. But to complete a book takes hard work and discipline. That's why I like to encourage people to keep at it, and they will eventually finish their novel and maybe even get it published.
Thanks so much Vickie!
