Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself. 
Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Material Witness? |
Vannetta Chapman interview with Susan Sleeman
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September 02, 2012
A. I’ve been writing since 1997–the same year I began teaching at the middle school/high school/college level. After 15 years of teaching, I am now blessed with enough work to write full time. My first book released in 2010 (A Simple Amish Christmas). Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? A. Not until I received my college degree in English (1997). At that point I started pursuing a graduate degree, and I completely fell in love with language. Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break? A. There were a lot of years of writing and rejections before I found an agent (2007 I think). After I signed with my agent we will had another 18 month wait before we sold A Simple Amish Christmas to Abingdon Press. That book also attracted the attention of Zondervan and Harvest House. I now write for all 3 publishers
This is the third book in my Shipshewana series (though it can be read as a standalone). There’s a murder in the little Amish town of Shipshewana, and there’s a mystery surrounding that murder and finding out who-did-it. At its heart though, this is a story about friendships, families and what we will do to protect one another. Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Material Witness? A: The material witness to the murder is a young handicapped boy named Aaron. I’ve worked with special needs students and I have a special needs step-daughter. I wanted to show how strong these children can be, and what life is like for their parents. Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story? A: A sense of God’s grace, and how it covers us at every point in our lives. Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book? A: Oh my. That would be a SPOILER. Let’s just say it is near the end of the story, though I also like the scene with the tranquilizer gun. Q: What inspires you to write? A. People! There are so many people who need a word of encouragement, and I like to think that my stories provide that. God has given me a task–to share hope and grace, and I love doing it. Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession? A: It’s more hours than I thought it would be! Even though I quit my day job, I’m still working 50-60 hours a week, and I could work more. In some ways it’s like cleaning house–never ending. Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started? A: Keep writing! Too often people become discouraged and stop. Keep writing. Refine your craft, become a student of literature, and keep writing! Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now? A. I’m finishing edits on two books. The Christmas Quilt is a sequel to A Simple Amish Christmas. A Wedding for Julia is book 3 in my Pebble Creek series. For you mystery lovers, I will begin writing my Amish Artisan Mystery series next. Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do? A. Read, garden, hike, camp, exercise, play the keyboard in our praise band, and any type of sewing! Q: Where can readers find you on the internet? A. webpage — www.VannettaChapman.com blog — http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com facebook — www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks, and pinterest — http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman youtube — http://www.youtube.com/user/vannettachapman/videos# Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us? A. Thank you for having me! I know that what I do wouldn’t be possible without readers, and I appreciate every one of you.
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Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. She is the author of twenty-three novels, including The Remnant series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist.
Vannetta is a Carol award winner and also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.
