About the Book
Book: Mutiny of the Heart
Author: Vickie McDonough
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: August 19, 2025
A proud Loyalist and a jaded patriot are bound by a child and a shared loss—but as sparks fly, they must decide if love is worth trusting the enemy.
Heather has no reason to like Lucas Reed. He is an American, who’s fight for liberty from England led to Heather’s family’s financial ruin and the death of her father. But her cousin’s dying wish was that Heather take little Jamie to his father in Charleston, and she’s determined to honor that wish, even if it breaks her heart to do so.
Lucas Reed knows the boy at his door cannot possibly be his, but there’s no denying that Jamie has the trademark Reed blue eyes, black hair, and dimples. Still, Lucas is ready to close the door to the boy and his escort until Miss Hawthorne presents him with a letter. He instantly recognizes the writing he thought he’d never see again. The contents of the letter shatter his resolve, forcing him to open his door—and his carefully guarded heart—to the boy and his steadfast guardian.
As Heather and Lucas work together to create a new life for Jamie, can they resist their growing attraction? Or will mutinous hearts finally admit their love when an enemy’s desperate plot threatens their lives?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Vickie McDonough is the CBA, EPCA and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas. Vickie 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 penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best, OWFI Best Fiction Novel Award, the Inspirational Readers’ Choice awards. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, making cards, gardening, and traveling.
More from Vickie
Most of my writing career I’ve been an author of western historical fiction set in the late 1800’s, but a visit to Charleston and Savannah while on vacation, stirred up a desire to write in a different time period. I was born and raised in Oklahoma, a state that is only 117 years old. I was quickly enchanted by Charleston’s rich history and fell in love with the centuries-old homes and cobblestone streets.
I had also recently read a friend’s book series that featured pirates and felt challenged to create a pirate story of my own. After a lot of research and brainstorming with my critique group, Mutiny of the Heart was birthed.
1788, the time period of my story, was a time of turmoil for Charleston. The city was still recovering from the American Revolution. It had been captured by the British in 1780 and held for two and a half years. Finally, the British hevacuated Charleston in December 1782. The decade after the war saw industries beginning to bring the city and its inhabitants back to renewed vitality and population growth. It’s during this busy time that my English-born heroine comes to Charleson.
Heather Hawthorne is tasked with a near impossible job—deliver Jamie, the young boy she has come to love as her own, to the boy’s wealthy father in Charleston. Heather despises America as her English father lost his wealth and life in his fight against the American war for independence. But Deborah, Heather’s ailing cousin, pleaded with her to take Jamie to his wealthy father, Lucas Reed, owner of Reed Shipping. Though her heart is breaking, Heather honors Deborah’s death wish.
Lucas Reed knows the boy at his door cannot possibly be his, but there’s no denying that Jamie has the trademark Reed blue eyes, black hair and dimples. Still, Lucas is ready to close the door to the boy and his escort until Miss Hawthorne presents him with a letter. He instantly recognizes the writing he thought he’d never see again. The contents of said letter will change his life, bring both joy and heartache.
Enjoy the first episode in the Reed family saga, Mutiny of the Heart.
Interview with the Author
- What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
Quite a few, actually. That’s one of the best parts about being an author. My husband and I visited several places in Texas, including the Texas Rangers Museum in Waco; Charleston,
South Carolina; and even North Dakota to do research for book series I was planning to write. I learned so much during those trips and got see some fascinating places.
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
That’s a hard question. Maybe Mutiny of the Heart. It’s a swashbuckling adventure with a darling little orphan that will steal your heart. It’s the first story in my Windswept Weddings book. Dueling Hearts is also an exciting book where the heroine challenges the hero to a duel.
- How do you select the names of your characters?
I select names that I like and ones that fit my characters. I often will research a name to discover the meaning of the name and the ethnicity.
- What was your hardest scene to write?
I can’t remember a specific one. I do know it was a scene where the heroine is running away from the hero when she thinks all is lost between them and her hopes are completely dashed. I can remember writing a scene like that and then looking over my shoulder to make sure my husband doesn’t see me crying.
- What is your favorite childhood book?
When I was young, I loved the Walter Farley books about the Black Stallion and other horses. I pretty much read any book that had a horse on the cover. I also enjoyed Nancy Drew books and the Boxcar Children. What sort of impact did it make on you? I mostly just enjoyed those books, but the ones that made an impact on me were the Christian fiction books I discovered as an adult. I loved the exciting stories filled with faith and heart-warming romances that gave me a brief break from raising my four sons.
- If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I’d pay better attention in my English and history classes. I never like those very much.
- What comes first, the plot or characters?
It varies. Sometimes I have an idea for a storyline and will develop the characters to fit it. Other times, I have an idea for a specific character and write a story around it. One time, I got an idea for a book title I really liked and wrote a story to fit it.
- Who is the author you most admire in your genre?
Karen Witemeyer. Her books are always awesome—so exciting and engaging. Another author I admire is Lacy Williams. She’s super industrious and is a writing machine. Her books are great too.
- What do you like to do when you are not writing?
All kinds of things. I read a lot, watch my favorite tv shows or a movie. I enjoy gardening and currently have flowers and squash growing in my gardens. I love to travel too. I also make cards for friends and 3-D pictures from card stock.
- If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and what would you cook?
I think it would have to be Jesus. One thing for certain is that we wouldn’t be eating ham.
Blog Stops
Pause for Tales, September 3
Pens Pages & Pulses, September 4
Fiction Book Lover, September 5 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 6
Texas Book-aholic, September 7
Stories By Gina, September 8 (Author Interview)
Sylvan Musings, September 8
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 9
Cover Lover Book Review, September 10
For Him and My Family, September 11
Guild Master, September 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 13
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 14
Holly’s Book Corner, September 15
Artistic Nobody, September 16 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, September 16 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Vickie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.