THANK YOU for visiting my official webpage.
We finally dropped below 90 here in Texas. Yes, that sound of celebration is coming from my state. I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to stop by. Click around and if you have a question or comment, I’d love to hear from you. You can drop me a line via the Connect/Contact button at the top of this page!
My 4th Harlequin/Love Inspired book released in stores a few weeks ago. If you didn’t snag a copy, you may have to order on-line: For paper copies try Harlequin, Amazon, and B&N, and of course it’s also available through all ebook vendors.
The Amish Christmas Matchmaker is a fun story about an Amish woman with a successful catering business and an Amish man who is determined to start a new community in Texas. Throw in the Christmas season, two stubborn attitudes, and a lot of Texas trivia, and I promise you it’s a wild ride.
In other news:
- Dead Wrong, book 1 in my Agatha’s Amish B&B cozy mystery series, is now available for pre-order in most stores, including Amazon, B&N, iBooks and Kobo. You can find those links here. You may pre-order the print or ebook copy. Also see below for a Goodreads giveaway that I’m hosting–I’m giving away 10 Kindle copies. Release date is scheduled for November 5th.
- I’m working on book 6 in my Indiana Amish Bride series. My working title is “For Richer or Poorer.”
- I recently finished a novella for the collection An Amish Christmas Wedding. I believe that will release in the fall of 2020.
- Did you enjoy my novella Fading Into the Night, which was in the Summer of Suspense anthology? I’ve decided to continue my main character’s story. Covers have been created, and I’ll have a pre-order link soon.
I hope and pray that each day you experience a few moments of peace, see a glimpse of God’s love for you, and know the joy of friends and family. Happy autumn, y’all.
Blessings,
~Vannetta
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Dead Wrong
by Vannetta Chapman
Giveaway ends November 04, 2019.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Amish, Mystery and Suspense Novels
From the Back Porch
VC’s not-so-messy desk
We’ve been following a “get to know one another” theme here on the blog. So far we’ve covered–
Today I wanted to answer a question I get a lot–Where do you get your ideas? That’s a great question, though of course it’s not an easy answer. Story ideas come from many different places. Personally, I’ll have something in my mind, think about it, chew on it for a few weeks or months while I’m writing something else. Then, if I’m lucky, those ideas bake together into a satisfying story. A few places I find ideas are:
- Visiting the area I’m writing about
- Reading the Budget
- Listening to other people talk about family and friends
- News stories
- My own friends and family
VC’s research shelf
One thing I learned early on is that an idea doesn’t make a story all by itself. You need several ideas and at least 2 characters who seem real. Once you have all of that, you’re ready to start!
As far as research, I have a lot of reference books to help me, and I have trip notes. I also have email addresses for a few Mennonite friends who are willing to answer questions, and other authors of Amish fiction are also more than happy to help if you have a question.
It’s been a lot of fun crafting stories for the last 10 years, and I hope to continue doing so for the next 10 (God willing and the creek don’t rise, as my grandpa used to say).
What about you? Do you have a good story idea? I’m all ears. And if you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section.
Blessings,
Vannetta
Announcements for this week
- Amish Christmas Matchmaker debuted a
t #4 on the Neilsen Book Scan list and #12 on Publishers Weekly Mass Market list. A big thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy. You should be able to find the book in local Walmart stores for another two weeks–if they’re not sold out. And it’s always available through on-line stores. - I have new items in my VC Boutique Store, including fall hats, book bags, and a new afghan. Check it out here.
- I’m putting the final touches on my new Amish cozy mystery, Dead Wrong which will release on November 5th, and yes–it will be available at all retailers in both print and ebook.