Author Spotlight: Vannetta Chapman | And a SURPRISE GIVEAWAY!

 

Today we welcome Bestselling Author:

 

 She has come to share with us – a little of her own writing journey
and some of that much-needed encouragement.

Thank You Vannetta!

God Bless You!

 

OK, first – questions:

 

– Many authors say their first novel will never see the light of day. Was “A Simple Amish Christmas” your first completed novel? (And let me just say here – if it was… WOW! Because it is AMAZING!)

Actually A Simple Amish Christmas was the 9th book I wrote and the first book published – so take heart! I still think those other 8 novels are good books, and in fact I am publishing one of them as an indie book this month.

 

– Can you tell us a bit about what inspires you to write both Cozy Amish mysteries and such wonderful Amish Romances?

I do enjoy writing about the Amish. I think their lifestyle is very close to that of our grandparents, and also they remind me of simple country folk that can be found all over our country.

 

– Would you mind sharing with us how many rounds of querying you went through before getting that “YES!” or if you went about it a little differently…?

Oh my. I sent out a LOT of queries. I could have easily wallpapered a room with my rejections, and I am NOT exaggerating. Honestly, I think it was a matter of hitting the right agent and the right publisher at the right moment–which has to be a God thing. OUR PART, in my opinion, is to keep the faith, keep writing, keep learning, and keep submitting.

 

– You released “A Simple Amish Christmas in 2010, “Falling to Pieces” in 2011 then “A Perfect Square”, “A Promise For Miriam” and “Material Witness” in 2012. That sounds like a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Is there an interesting story in there or just interesting timing on the publishers part?

Yes, I was writing for 3 publishers at once, and it was a bit of a roller-coaster. Fortunately my agent helps to work out the coordination of those contracts, and the publishers are very understanding about my timelines as far as when I can get a book in to them. I do enjoy writing in two different sub-genres and now I’ve added inspirational romantic suspense to the mix!

 

– Do you have any special tips or hints you would like to share with struggling or novice authors out there?

Absolutely. Keep writing! (I might have mentioned that before.) The biggest mistake I see is when writers finish their first book they stop and tinker with it, or simply wait for a publisher to pop up and offer them a contract. With each book we write, we learn new skills. It’s important to attend classes, workshops, critique groups–whatever helps you to grow as an author. And above all–keep writing.
Thank you for having me. I’d be happy to answer questions if anyone has a question. Feel free to post them in the comment section.

 

Please join me in thanking Vannetta for taking time
out of a very busy schedule to answer these questions for us.

 And I hope all of you have found this as inspiring as I have!

Keep reading for details on the giveaway.

 

 

Now for some other info about Vannetta and her wonderful books

 

And you can find more on her WEBSITE.

The first thing you need to know about me is that I write Fiction full of GRACE.  Every plot is different. The characters change. Some of my books are mysteries, others are novellas, and some are romances. But they all are stories of light, hope, and truth. Stories that at least for a moment touch the deepest places in our heart.

Tales that whisper hope. That speak of family and community. That remind us of God and His love.

What do I write? If I had to reduce it to four words, I suppose I’d say I write Fiction full of GRACE.

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I hold a BA and MA degree in English, and I am proud to be represented by Mary Sue Seymour, AAR. I have published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, and have received over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups.  I am honored to be a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Faith Hope and Love.

I live and teach in the Texas hill country with my husband, cats, and a rather large herd of deer. Our four children have flown the nest; however, we are fortunate that they all live close enough to visit.

I have always felt that my faith was at the very center of who and what I am, and I am thrilled beyond words to be able to now write about something that is so near to my heart. At various times I have served as a pianist, teacher, church secretary, and worship team member. While living in the Dallas area, I served as an adjunct professor of English Literature at Dallas Baptist University. When we moved to a small town in Central Texas, I continued teaching for a few years, but I now write full-time and I play the keyboard in our church’s praise band.

My grandfather was born in Albion, Pennsylvania, and I am currently researching whether I might have Amish roots.

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December 2013, I was honored to be featured on the ACFW page. In that interview I discuss how I came to write Amish fiction, and why I continue to do so. You can read that interview here. I was also featured on the ACFW page when I first began writing. That piece speaks to the amount of grace in my life. I’m enormously grateful that God is so willing to give each and every one of us more than one chance, more than two chances, but in fact a multitude of chances …

ACFW Feature

MY FIRST SALE:

Vannetta Chapman
by Tiffany Amber Stockton

“Finding a good balance is always a challenge. I want to live in the present that God has given me, live with intention, and be appreciative of what I have now.”
—Vannetta Chapman

After graduating from college, launching into a teaching career, re-establishing a family after a painful divorce, and writing nine novels, Vannetta Chapman knows the meaning of a challenge. However, since so many others also face the challenge of balance, she sees herself as like everyone else.

God used the pain to help shape her life and her writing.

Thankfully, Vannetta Chapman’s parents have always been supportive of her in all she’s pursued. During her years as a single mom, God used the pain to help shape her life and her writing. He showed her His grace and love, and confirmed to her His plan and purpose. Eleven years ago, she met and married her husband, and she wouldn’t be the author she is today without his love and support.

Click here for rest of feature…

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Vannetta is a proud member of the following writing organizations:

American Christian Fiction Writers

Faith, Hope and Love (Inspirational Chapter of RWA)

Romance Writers of America

 

 

Vannetta Chapman has so many wonderful books, it’s hard to know which ones to highlight so I will just tell you about what is coming up! Exciting! (Keep reading – we’ll get to the giveaway I promise)

 

Hidden

HIDDEN is an inspirational romantic suspense scheduled for release on September 30th.

Home is where our story begins …

DANA JACOBS would rather forget the night of tragedy and violence that marred her childhood. She is now supervisor in charge of the Department of Homeland Security in Taos, New Mexico. Her team is prepared to handle any threat—biological, chemical, conventional, cyber, even nuclear. BENJAMIN MARSHALL is newly assigned to Dana’s office. Straight from a six year military deployment, he is not what Dana wants or needs.

Ben knows God has a reason for putting him in this place at this time—to help Dana. When a local school is threatened, they open a case which leads them on a chase through the Enchanted Circle and Carson National Forest, pursuing a man filled with a bitterness Dana can understand. But her anger is different. It’s justified, it remains hidden inside, and it hurts no one.

Can Dana face her own mortality? And when she does, can she truly understand what it means to forgive and to be forgiven?

**This book will be available in print and ebook format through all standard vendors.

(I’m betting  this is the book Vannetta Refers to above)

 

Don’t forget the next installment of her new Amish Village Mysteries!

Murder Tightly Knit

This next installment is scheduled for release December 16th! I know I can hardly wait!

When a local Amish man is found dead, the Middlebury Amish Artisan Village comes under suspicion. Two amateur sleuths—one Amish, one English—will have to work quickly to keep fear from dividing their community.

As fall blankets the Pumpkinvine Trail with leaves of brown, gold, and orange, a local Amish man is found dead on the path. The only clues to the murderer’s identity point in two very different directions—toward the local survivalist group and toward the Amish Village—specifically the village’s knitting shop, The Cat’s Meow. The police call in a federal investigator, and he quickly puts everyone on the suspect list. Amber Bowman and Hannah Troyer know who isn’t guilty—they know this community down to the last buggy, but can find the guilty party before someone else is in danger?

While Hannah helps Amber solve the mystery, she and Jesse Miller continue courting. But when Jesse’s prodigal brother returns to their farm, Jesse becomes distracted by family troubles. He and Hannah will have to overcome the tension in order to keep their relationship alive. And Amber and Hannah will need to work quickly to solve the murder mystery and bring harmony back to the Amish community.

 

 

Vannetta recently announced that her 3 Shipshewana Mystery Novels are being compiled into 1 volume! Don’t we all just love having three books we LOVE in one place!

            

A Perfect Square        Falling to Pieces         Material Witness

The eBook version is already available for Pre-Order at Amazon HERE!

 

And… we don’t have much information yet but I know I’m excited about this series to come!

Plain and Simple Miracles Series (set in Oklahoma, romance)

• Anna’s Healing (Book 1 – October 2015)
• Joshua’s Mission (Book 2 – February 2016)
• Sarah’s Orphans (Book 3 – October 2016)

SOUNDS EXCITING DOESN’T IT!

 

 

WOW!

SO MANY GREAT BOOKS!

Where will you start reading?

 

Vannetta Chapman is a particular inspiration to me for a couple of reasons.

She was a single mom during much of her writing career and I personally relate to that as, I’m sure, do many of our readers!

And… she was another author who was presented with the idea to write Amish fiction – a genre she had no real experience with – but her wonderful agent convinced her it was a good fit for her so she went right to work researching and writing.

And I don’t know about you but I think her stories are just AMAZING!

GOD BLESS YOU VANNETTA! And may you continue writing for years and years to come!

 

AND NOW…

… our GIVEAWAY!

 

Vannetta has graciously offered to give away ONE of her books
to ONE of our readers!

ONE of our readers will win a book (of their choice) of Vannetta’s

Click HERE for a complete list of her books!

 

What do you have to do?

First you have to SHARE this post!

You can share it on the social media site of your choice!

Then come back here and post a comment below with the link!

 

FOR FACEBOOK:

Click HERE and share our Facebook Post.

EDIT: Apparently Facebook will NOT let me see all of the shares due to privacy settings so…

You can chose whether to post a comment HERE with the link
or on the FB post itself.

 

The contest will run from today until September 14th.

Winner will be announced no later than September 15th

rules and regulations for all contests can be found HERE.

You will get one extra entry if you LIKE our post
and another if you FOLLOW our blog!

 

God Bless You all and Have a GREAT week!