Interview with Vannetta Chapman

Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Vannetta Chapman of Texas is the author of Falling toPieces (Zondervan) and 

A SimpleAmish Christmas (Abingdon Press).

I met Vannetta through ACFW and have enjoyed the time I have spent talking with her at conferences, particularly this year’s meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. Vannetta is represented by Mary Sue Seymour. 

Vannetta, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help!

Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past? 

Callie Harper finds herself completely alone when she inherits her aunt's shop in Shipshewana, Indiana. Like many young women today, Callie is successful professionally, but her circle of friends (and family) has grown smaller each year. So her difficulty lies in her isolation.

I've certainly experienced this isolation before, and it's a hard thing to go through, but God puts people in our lives for just such times. And God puts Callie in Shipshewana where she meets three women—three  AMISH women--who become her friends. They are friends that she is going to need because it won't be long before she becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you ..."

This verse has always encouraged me. It assures me that no matter how dark or depressing the present looks, no matter how much I've managed to bungle things up, God is in control, and HIS plans for me are good.

Disability friendliness:

Yes, it is in audio format (download) and it will be released in January (I believe) in large print as well.

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

Hope and grace. Life can be difficult and hard at time, and we all need to be reminded of the message of God's hope and his grace for us. You know, this isn't just something the preacher tells us on Sunday and then we go back to struggling on Monday ... it's as real as the bread in the breadbox, and there have been times when I had very little of that. But God's hope for us is unlimited and his grace never ends. It's sufficient.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Yes. I learned that the Amish folk are common, friendly people and that they live out their faith and their belief in Jesus to the best of their ability. It was very encouraging for me.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

There is a handicapped child you will come to know in this story ... and although his disease is somewhat rare, especially in our culture, I think it's the way we deal with disability that is important. The Amish very much embrace disabilities and illness and God's will and not as something to be mourned or questioned. Their faith is quite childlike and I am learning a lot from them.

Thank you Vannetta for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Thank you!

GIVEAWAY:  We have this interview and two reviews up this week and will be doing a giveaway of a book on Saturday. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of one of Vannetta’s books in your choice of format (and an email address so we can reach you!)