Vannetta Chapman Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: I was a public school teacher for 15 years. My first book was published in 2010 and in 2012 I made the decision to leave teaching and write full time. Since then I’ve published 23 novels and participated in another 4 novella collections. It’s been a busy few years! Currently I write full time and teach English two mornings a week at our local community college. Oh, and we’re empty nesters! Bob and I have 4 children between us–2 boys and 2 girls.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A:  Unlike many writers, I was first and foremost a reader. I didn’t actually decide I wanted to write for a living until I was 37 years old and in graduate school pursuing an MA in literature. At that point, I realized I loved words. It took another 10 years and nine complete manuscripts before that dream became a reality.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A:  I participated in, and won, a lot of writing contests, primarily through Romance Writers of America. At the same time I was submitting to quite a few editors and publishers. Mary Sue Seymour of the Seymour Agency offered to represent me, and it was Mary Sue who suggested I try my hand at Christian fiction. The rest is … you know … history.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book releases, Coyote’s Revenge and Roswell’s Secret?

A: These are two books that I wrote during that early time, when I was first represented by Mary Sue. She loved them and we had a lot of interest, but never made it past the pub committee. Eventually she suggested that I write Amish, and I’ve done a lot of that in the last few years. But I’ve always wanted to go back and re-work these two manuscripts. They’re high octane suspense, and although they were written for a mainstream audience, I realized that my Christian readers enjoy a good clean suspense as well.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this Defending America series?

A: Coyote’s Revenge takes place in Montana near Glacier National Park. I had visited and hiked the area a few times, and I was enthralled with it. While most people look at such places and think “how beautiful,” I looked at it and thought, “This would be a dramatic place to put a riveting suspense.” The same is true for Roswell’s Secret, which is set in Roswell, New Mexico. It’s an area with plenty of stark scenery and a lot of cultural history. It was incredibly fun to write these stories, and they are full-on suspense.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this series?

A: That we have people who are standing up for us–political leaders, soldiers, pastors, family, and friends. I live near the Ft. Hood Killeen Military Base, and I see dedicated soldiers every day. I teach them in my college classes, go to church with them, and watch the local football game with them. There are a lot of good, faithful people in America, and no matter what trials we face I do believe that we have the capability to pull together and help each other through tough times. Above all, these two stories (like my others) are stories of hope.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A:  Everything! Usually though my story lines begin with a character. It can be someone I know or someone I’ve merely read about. Once I have that character in my mind, once I know him or her, the story flows from that point.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A:  Actually I’m writing Amish romance for Harlequin/Love Inspired. My next release though is an Amish cozy mystery titled, Who the Bishop Knows. And later this year I plan to work on sequels to my Remnant series, which is a Christian dystopian series published by Harvest House and set in central Texas.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A:  My husband says I have too many hobbies, but I don’t really think that’s possible. I love to play the piano, hike, camp, garden, knit, quilt, and go to the gym. Yeah, that last one sounds strange, I know. I also enjoy reading in my spare time and manage to consume 1-2 books a week.