Today I’m excited to welcome author Vannetta Chapman as my Meet-and-Greet guest! This lady writes some great Amish fiction. But before we get to her latest book, let’s get to know the author.
Vannetta Chapman holds a BA and MA degree in English and has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. Her first Amish novel with Abingdon Press, A Simple Amish Christmas, quickly became a Christian Books Distributor bestseller. Her first Shipshewana Amish Mystery, Falling to Pieces (Zondervan), released in September of 2011–the first in a three book series. She has also signed a contract for a three book Amish romance series with Harvest House. A Promise for Miriam: Pebble Creek Series will release in June of 2012.
Welcome, Vannetta! Wow, You are one busy lady! Let’s jump straight to the fun so you can get back to writing all those books! 🙂
Opener Question: What seven words best describe you? A bit obsessive, odd, friendly, loving, sincere.
Either/Or Questions:
1) Anchorage, Alaska or Key West, Florida? ALASKA. It’s on my list of places to visit–SOON!
2) Chocolate cake or carrot cake? CHOCOLATE. I’m a fanatic, and I don’t eat orange anyway (don’t ask).
3) On the move or home sweet home? Both. Please let me choose both. I love traveling, inherited the travel gene from my dad … but there’s no place like your OWN place after you’ve been away.
4) Dogs or cats? WHY are your questions so hard? I have 3 cats, but I have DOGS in my stories. I love them both.
5) Run or walk? WALK. I’m a jogger in my head, but in truth, I walk and hike.
6) Shop ’til you drop or Shop only if necessary? I’m not much of a shopper. I LIKE to go every now and then, but not really that often. Plus I live in a town of 6,000 so it’s an EVENT when I “go to town” and shop.
7) The Diary of Anne Frank or Princess Diaries? Since I taught for 15 years, and taught the first, I’ll have to choose it. But I do like both classic and contemporary stories.
I loved your answers, Vannetta! (Sorry to make it so hard, by the way. :)) Your aversion to orange foods has me curious, and I totally get what you mean about the jogging thing. The only way I like running is if I’m chasing after something.
Thanks for being my guest!
Falling to Pieces
In the Amish community of Shipshewana, two women—one Amish, one English—reluctantly join forces for a short-term business venture. Neither is looking for friendship, but when the town’s newspaper editor is murdered, and an unexpected prime suspect is identified, the women form an unlikely alliance to solve the mystery.
To learn more about Vannetta’s books, visit her website, her blog, and find her on Facebook.
Blog Readers: Let’s talk…What motivates you to run? Any color aversions when it comes to food?
*basket photo by Twigy Posts
I just got a copy of that book at work! I recognize the cover. How cool. 🙂 Good questions too. And the best answer was the chocolate. No need to eat vegetables in a dessert!> 🙂
“No need to eat vegetables in a dessert!” – Ha! That is hilarious, Bekah!
I used to have a color aversion to food as a child – anything green. 😉 Now I’m totally down with my avacodos, peas and broccoli, though. 🙂
Vannetta, you had me at Alaska. I’m so with you! (Why do I keep getting moved to hot places? lol)
And your book sounds amazing, too!
Nisa, Now the question is, do you like spinach or did that aversion follow you from childhood? 🙂
I don’t mind it as long as it isn’t cooked. But I feel that way about a lot of vegetables. 😉
I agree. Cooked spinach is the worst. Blech!
No color aversions to food here. I’m with you all the way with Chocolate. 🙂
I love a good mystery, so please enter me in the giveaway.
susanjreinhardt AT gmail DOT com
Hi Susan! You’re entered. And here’s a little virtual chocolate for you. 🙂
What a fun interview! It’s nice to get to know Vannetta a little better. I think I would have had a hard time choosing between some of them too. 🙂
The giveaway sounds wonderful. Would love to be entered.
Thanks and blessings,
Karen
karenelange(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for dropping by, Karen! I swear I didn’t realize how hard these questions were when I asked them. Now I feel bad. 🙂
Good morning Ladies! Loved the questions- and they are hard except for the shopping one. I could shop until Jesus comes:)
LOLOL, Tamika! Next time I go shopping, I’m taking you with me!
Fun interview Sarah and Vannetta.
My younger son and I passed as many Amish buggies as cars this weekend on our Saturday drive.
Hi Slamdunk! Buggy passing always gives the car a good workout, doesn’t it? Slam on the brakes, then gun it, then slam on the brakes… 🙂
You all made me laugh this morning. Could you tell that I whined a little about Sarah’s questions? I thought they were HARD. : ) I actually have a TEXTURE aversion to certain foods … but it mainly includes orange and white. My F&F know and look out for me. I literally can’t eat slimy orange or white, which you’d think would help with weight gain, but there’s still these last pesky 10 pounds. Everyone have a great Monday, and thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have questions about Amish, murder, or Shipshe. : )
Vannetta, How funny about the texture aversion! I have a feeling that might make it into a book of yours sometime, if it hasn’t already. 🙂 Thanks again for being my guest! It’s been a pleasure to have you here!
Good morning, everyone! And welcome, Vannetta! It’s been a rushed morning around my house, but I look forward to popping back in here and chatting with you all a little more. (Let’s all cross our fingers and pray my son takes a nap this afternoon. I can always hope, right? :))
Nice to meet you, Vanetta! Congratulations on your writing success. Love chocolate too!
Thanks for hosting, Sarah! I love the Meet & Greet.
Fun questions.
loree dot huebner at yahoo dot com
Hi Loree! Chocolate lovers unite! (although I must say a good cream cheese frosting could convert me to carrot cake) 🙂
Sarah,
Such fun questions — color aversions in food? Um, I like salads but, then again, not real crazy about green stuff like okra or cooked spinach or collards … so I’m a little anti-green when it comes to food, I guess.
Enjoyed the author interview with Vannetta!
Hi Beth! Oh goodness, I totally am with you on the cooked spinach. I love it fresh in a salad, but cooked? No thanks! 🙂
Color aversion? Brown, I think, unless it’s some deelish gravy or well-done beef.
I enjoyed getting to know more about Vannetta. Congratulations, Vannetta, on your success!
Thanks, Sarah, for a fun interview!
“Brown, I think, unless it’s some deelish gravy or well-done beef.” – Or chocolate or coffee, right? 🙂 I’m on the same wavelength, Cynthia. 🙂
What a great interview! Thanks Vannetta for sharing some of your more personal side with your readers. I just finished “Falling To Pieces” and loved it! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book in the series! And a new series on top of that! Oh boy! I’m really excited now!
Hi Lynne! I know, Isn’t Vannetta teasing us with all these series?! So glad you stopped by today! 🙂
Love chocolate, not a big green veg. fan but will eat every now & then.
Don’t run or jog but might do a fast walk when I have to.:)
Love both of you girls & your books.
If I win this one some luck family member will get it as I have it on Kindle & the “real” book.
Hi Wilma! Now if we could just figure out a yummy way to make chocolate-covered green veggies, we’d eat much healthier, wouldn’t we? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today, and I’ve entered you twice in the drawing. Thanks for spreading the word! 🙂
Almost forgot, already shared this on FB.
I love a lot of green vegies. I never liked them as a child, but now i love them. Hope to win a copy of the book.
Hi Jean! Isn’t it funny how our tastes change as we get older? Or maybe it’s that we convince ourselves we love certain foods so we can convince our kids to eat them. 🙂
I’ve entered you in the drawing!
Color isn’t a problem for me — love purple potatoes and blue corn chips but I did think the green & purple ketchup from Heinz was wrong in so many ways!
As far as running — the sky had better have just opened up and I’m without an umbrella!
You had good questions and I’ve love a chance to win Vannetta’s “Falling to Pieces”. Thanks for the opportunity.
P.S. Sharing on Facebook 🙂
Hi Barbara!
Oh my goodness, Green and purple ketchup?! I’ve never heard of such a thing, but it sounds scary! And you had me laughing out loud with your running answer.
Thanks for sharing on Facebook! I’ve entered you twice. 🙂
Not much food I don’t like, no matter the color and due to bad hip do good to walk, let alone run!! Would love to win Falling to Pieces.
Hi Johnda, I love your food answer! 🙂 Thanks for visiting! I’ve entered you in the drawing.
Would love to win this book! It sounds very exciting with a twist to it since it’s suspenseful. I’d prefer walking to running unless there’s a reason to run! Chasing after children, emergencies, etc. would make me run! No aversion to food colors. Do love chocolate! Love carrots. In fact as a child I ate too many & my skin started turning orange! My mom had to take me to doctor cause she didn’t know too many carrots could be bad, too! Still love them! Dar Guidry
Oh my goodness, Dar, I remember as a kid being scared I’d turn orange if I ate too many carrots, but I didn’t realize it would actually happen. How awful for you! I’m glad to hear the experience didn’t scare you away from carrots for good! 🙂
I don’t really avoid any color when it comes to food I try to cook with lots of color it makes the food pretty
Sarah, A girl after my own heart (and with a pretty darn good name, I might add)! 🙂 I love to make a pretty plate of food. I call it “artistry on a plate”. 🙂
What a fun interview Vanetta & Sarah! I love eating my colors. 🙂
Thanks, Melanie! Colors are always good…especially in the form of M&Ms, right? 🙂
Lovely interview! I’m more of a walker too. And I’m with you on the chocolate!
Sarah, I love the look of your website–the header is so pretty. Great job!
Thanks, Jill! It’s always fun to redecorate my blog home. 🙂 Have a great day!
I think your questions are fun!! And I loved her answers!! I adore the Amish and their lifestyle being from near Lancaster PA. Throw my name into the hat to win this book!
Thanks, Terri! The Amish are fascinating, aren’t they? I’ve added you to the giveaway. 🙂
Would love to win Falling To Pieces drawing. Onto to food aversions mine is definitely fish. Just can’t eat it no way, also another is the texture of Pepto Bismol. What goes down must come up with that pink stuff. My throat gets tight just thinking about it.
LOL, Alecia! Oh my goodness…Pepto Bismol is definitely the worst. I agree! 🙂
What a fun interview, all but the aversion to orange–that is my fave color! I still would like to win this book–thanks for your generosity!
On my way to repost on my fb page…
Hi Jeanette! That’s right…You have the beautiful orange blog, don’t you? Thanks for posting on FB, btw! 🙂
Just posted on my FB wall!
No running here. I guess I’d drop down dead if I tried. But walk a bit now ‘n then. Please enter me for your book giveaway. I’d love the opportunity to read this book.
Colors of food don’t bother me. In fact, I can eat most everything. Sometimes it is a bit of a chore, but most of it will go down. 🙂
Hi Vera! Your running answer and your food answer have me laughing! If eating can be a chore, it’s one of the few chores I actually enjoy. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today!
Sarah, I like your Meet and Greet! I’m with Vannetta, I love chocolate,esp.dark choc. I had the pleasure of meeting and greeting(live)- Vannetta, this past Friday at a book signing. She is an awesome person!
How fun to meet Vannetta in person, Janie! Perhaps you celebrated the meeting with a bar of chocolate? 🙂
Well, I didn’t know, or I would have taken a box of chocolates to her.
Now you know for next time. 🙂
oh yes!!! i am a chocolate lover and always will be …… besides, it is good for you!!!!
pat jarvis
[email protected]
Ohhh, I like how you think, Pat! Chocolate has health benefits…yes, indeed! 🙂
i love the interview format, sarah! light and fun and i know more about vanetta now to know that i would totally love to chat with her sometime! 🙂 enter me for the book giveaway please! 🙂
Thanks, Jeannie! You’re entered. 🙂
I LOVE ALL FOODS AND IT DOES’NT MATTER WHAT COLOR!! WOULD LOVE TO WIN THIS BOOK!!! THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE!!!!
I ALSO POSTED ON FACEBOOK!! THANKS!!!
Wonderful! Thank you, Molly! I’ve entered you twice. 🙂
Hi Sara, thanks so much for this interview, loved reading more about your author guest Vannetta Chapman. I too love chocolate, especially my hot chocolate with marshmallows and cinnamon of course. I seem to love all color foods, I am not picky about food. I too live in a Mennonite, Amish region and we do have to watch out for the buggies. I love reading Amish novels and would love to win one of her novels. Thanks for giving one of us readers this wonderful gift. I would be happy to repost your webpage and giveaway on my Facebook page. Take care and God Bless! Sincerely, Helen M. Gardner [email protected]
Hi Helen! Oh yum, now I’ve got a hankering for hot chocolate. 🙂 And I know what you mean about the buggies…My grandparents actually got in an accident with one, which is probably why my grandma always issued extra warnings.
Thanks for reposting this on Facebook!
Great feature, Sarah!
I’m just getting back around in blogland, so this is behind the times, I’m sure, but I LOVE your new blog header! Gorgeous and professional.
Thanks, Janna! 🙂
What a wonderful new feature, Sarah. Nice to meet Vannetta!
Thanks, Jennifer! I had fun introducing her. 🙂
I like the “new” look to your blog Sarah and i wish everyone much luck in your contest. Ive never heard of this writer until now, so i thank you for bring her to my attention. Richard from Amish Stories.
Glad to introduce a new friend, Richard!
What a blast (and what a turn out)! Great idea and you know I’m in love with that first question and I have to say for the record…DOGS. 😀
~ Wendy
Thanks, Wendy! And I’m not too surprised by the dog thing. Pretty sure I heard one barking in the background yesterday. 🙂