The Lady of Grace You'll Want to Meet

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel, Falling to Pieces, is a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top Ten Fiction list. Chapman writes Amish fiction for Abingdon Press, Zondervan, and Harvest House. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.

 

IDEAS FOR NEW STORIES ARE EVERYWHERE

Vannetta Chapman 

I'm surprised how often readers ask me, "Where do you get your ideas?" I have a hard time turning off my writer's brain, and it seems that ideas for new stories are everywhere.

• People I know
• People I don't know
• News stories
• Music
• Memories
• Photographs

You can see, no one is safe from turning into a story! For my current release, Material Witness, I came up with different parts of the story from different places.

My "material witness" who sees the murder is a handicapped Amish boy. I taught for 15 years, and I worked with quite a few "special needs" children. They are incredibly bright, strong, resilient people. I also have a stepdaughter who is handicapped. So I know firsthand what parents go through as they try to raise these children to be independent.

Another side story I wove into Material Witness is John Wayne's movie The Cowboys. This is the 1972 movie where John Wayne uses a group of boys to help him move a herd of cattle. WHY would I include John Wayne in an Amish novel? It just so happens that the new version of True Grit (with Matt Damon) was filmed very close to where we live. In fact, Matt Damon stopped in our town to buy flowers. It was a BIG DEAL for this small Texas town. That started me watching old John Wayne films, and suddenly those young boys reminded me of young Amish boys--perhaps because of their innocence.

And music is just a huge inspiration for me. As soon as I heard the Eric Church song "Homeboy" I HAD some of the main characters in this book. It's a song about one brother's love for another, and how he wants him to come home.

It took me about four months to write this book. I keep a pretty strict schedule, determined to write so many words a day. This keeps me from being too stressed when a book is due! I have no trouble sitting down and "imagining" all day, but it is hard for me to stay inside working when the weather turns pretty like it is now. I work more hours than I did teaching, but it is totally worth it.

One scripture that helped guide me through this story was Ephesians 5:20 "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." You'll find this verse in all of my Author's Notes. It helps me to focus, to remember that I am thankful for the opportunity to share stories about God's grace, and most importantly--it reminds me that all I do, I do in the name of Christ.

                               Let's find out what Material Witness is about.  

Tragedy strikes on the opening night of the Fall Crafters Fair when a woman is killed in the parking lot of Daisy's Quilt Shop, and the only material witness is one of Melinda Byer's boys. The investigation takes a more bizarre turn when detective Shane Black becomes convinced the killer was actually after Callie.
This time it's a madman loose in the largest crowd of the year, and he's looking for something or someone. If they can't figure out what, one of Deborah and Callie's close circle of friends may be next. Masked identities, antique quilts with hidden messages, an Amish boy whose handicap makes him stronger, one brave dog, and a possible hidden treasure ... this time it's nonstop action, danger, and a dash of romance.

Would you like a chance to win a copy of Vannetta's new book? Check out her reflection question. We would love to hear what YOU have to say. (Winner will be selected from a random drawing later in the week.)

Vannetta wants to know. I love fall festivals, cooler days, and watching old movies--all of these things are included in Material Witness. What is one of your favorite old movies?

 

(WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. In the meantime,

you can order your copy of Vannetta's book and find out more about this great author at any of the following links.

www.VannettaChapman.com  

http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks 

http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman

http://www.youtube.com/user/vannettachapman/videos#

 http://www.vannettachapman.com/material-witness.html