Vannetta Chapman's Blog

Good Golly Miss Molly, if there’s one thing I am NOT good at, it’s waiting. I want to be good at it. I try to be good at it, but waiting is never easy for me.

I had a close friend tell me once that I was “high energy.” She meant it in a good way. And that’s true. I do have a lot of energy. I feel fortunate that I wake up every day renewed and ready to go.

So, what does this have to do with writing? I’m waiting. That’s what it has to do with it. I’m in a “time of waiting.” Can’t say I love it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not waiting to write. I wrote 100 pages of a women’s fiction novel, had some interest from a few publishers who wanted to see the entire thing, finished the full novel … and now I wait. It’s been over 60 days, and if you listen closely you can hear the drum of my fingertips against the desk.

Did I mention I’m not good at waiting? There are a few things I’ve found that help

I’ve started a new cozy mystery, and it’s going well.I have a full time job teaching, so I throw a lot of energy into that.I read Ecclesiastes 3 and hum the tune by The Byrds’. (To every season, turn, turn turn…)Occasionally, I’ll send off an email to my agent saying, “Seriously? Nothing yet?”

And I try to keep my readers satisfied with book sales and giveaways and engaging social media posts. I’d rather give you a new book. So, know we’re working on it. We want to share these stories with you as much as you want to read them. And hopefully, hopefully it won’t be much longer.

How do you cope with waiting? I’d love to hear.

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May and June have been full of surprises. First of all, my latest Love Inspired release, An Amish Widow’s New Love, hit the New York Times Bestseller list. That was a first for me! I’ve hit the USA Today Bestseller list a few times and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list often. The NYT list is a bit harder to land on, and I felt super honored to have finally “made it.” My publisher sent tulips! Who knew that tulips were so fragrant and beautiful?

Then, last week, our small town’s newspaper ran a feature on me. Isn’t the picture about a lovely heading? The article is behind a paywall, but I can assure you they said nice things. 51 books in 15 years. Yikes. That does sound like a lot.

I’m focusing on completing a women’s fiction book this summer, and I’m happy to say the writing is going well … even with that pesky voice “wondering if anyone will want to read it.” My readers have faithfully followed me as I meandered through Amish romance, Christian romance, Christian suspense, clean romantic suspense, mainstream dystopian, mainstream thrillers, and cozy mysteries. What’s one more genre? Y’all are willing to try that. Right?

In August I go back to teaching full time (there’s a long story to explain that), and I’ll slow down a little in the writing department. I hope to finish the next book during the 2025-2026 school year, and it looks like it will be in one of my previous genres. But I’m not telling which one yet. I will tell you it’s going to be fun. In the meantime, have you signed up for my newsletters? I have 51 books in my backlist, and there’s always something on sale. Click the newsletter button to the right, fill in your email address, and you’ll receive an email with a link to a free book. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you! You’re the voice in my head that says, “Of course we’ll read it.”

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Ah, change. Some people love it. Other people hate it. I’m a bit of both. I do get excited by change, but it can be scary sometimes.

On April 1, An Amish Widow’s New Love released. It should be on shelves the rest of the month–wherever you purchase books, and of course through online retailers.

Which brings us to the “change” portion of this blog. For the foreseeable future, that will be my final Amish romance book. I’ve turned down another contract with Love Inspired for a variety of reasons. They’ve been wonderful to work with, and I appreciate the time I’ve spent writing for them…

However, sometimes you know it’s time to move on. As an artist, I have enjoyed writing in different genres. Just look at my books page, and you’ll see what I mean. I’ve written cozy mysteries, dystopian Christian novels, romantic suspense, Christian suspense, thriller mainstream novels, dystopian mainstream novels, a few Amish novellas, and of course–Amish novels. By my count 26 Amish romances, 9 Amish cozy mysteries, and 6 Amish novellas. I believe An Amish Widow’s New Love is my 51st release.

And, so, it does feel like it’s time to move on. I’m working closely with my fabulous agent, Leslie Sagba, to explore what might come next. Currently we’re “shopping around” a women’s fiction novel that I absolutely adore, and I hope you will too.

Ultimately, I do believe that change is healthy. When we embrace change, we grow. My hope is that my skills and what talent I have will continue to grow as I turn toward a new genre.

As my mother taught me, “never say never.” I won’t say “never” about another Amish romance, but I will say that I’m going to take a break.

Thank you for being a faithful reader. I hope you’ll continue on this journey with me and trust that I will provide you with stories that include strong characters, an engrossing plot, and above all–a sprinkle of hope.

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I am so excited to announce the release of the final book in the Allison Quinn series, Oath of Allegiance.

When I first conceived this series I had a broad concept of what I wanted, but very few particulars. I knew I wanted to delve into the many ways cyberattacks can and do affect our nation. I wanted a heroine who was dedicated to her job but who also had suffered a deep hurt that plagued her and pushed her to do more than excel. She needed to win. She needed it for her country, and she needed it to heal from her past.

Lastly, I knew that I wanted the setting to be in the real world. I wanted to highlight that space between what is cyber, what is in “the cloud,” and the place where every day Americans go to appreciate their country–the Grand Canyon, a cruise, Mount Rushmore.

I did not have even an inkling that Allison Quinn would be as stubborn as she is or that her skills would lie in her passion and her instincts. I certainly didn’t start out intending to write about Donovan Steele, a guy who might be playing football if it weren’t for his high IQ and his commitment to protect a nation. As for Kate Ballou (aka, Kate Jackson)…she appeared out of nowhere. Spunky, smart, eidetic memory, courageous, bold. The three of them make quite a team.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. I hope you tell your friends about it. Word of mouth is still the best way to sell books, and I’d like to sell a ton. Sell enough, and maybe you’ll one day be watching Allison Quinn, streaming on Netflix.

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…and a new genre.

How are you feeling about 2025? I’m feeling good. As I explained to a group of friends the other night, “I’m learning to be okay with being clueless.” It’s true. I walk around a lot, murmuring, “What is happening?” and not letting it make me tense. It’s a skill I’m trying to perfect.

So what is happening in my book world in 2025? Thank you for asking.

Oath Of Allegiance (the 3rd and final book in my Allison Quinn series) will release on 2-25-25. I have loved writing these books. And I’m still super stoked that book 2, Against All Enemies , won the Daphne Du Maurier. You can preorder Oath of Allegiance here. I have sent a proposal to my fabulous agent. The working title is “The Reimagined Life of Jade Morrow.” It’s a women’s fiction novel, which is a new genre for me. I’m in love with the story, and I plan to finish it by summer.An Amish Widow’s New Love releases on April 1st. It’s the last book in my Love Inspired, Indiana Amish Market series. I think you’re going to love how I addressed the issue of Amos, and what he’s to do now that all of his daughters have married.I’m also considering a new cozy mystery series or possibly one more book in my Alpine series. Still chewing on both of those ideas.I also plan to start some special print book giveaways (Date With a Book) for my newsletter peeps. If you haven’t signed up, just enter your email in the box to the right. And I’ll have loads of ebook specials as well.

I am continuing with my half-day teaching job this year. Have I mentioned how much I love it? I love it. I love teaching high school students, even the ones who don’t think they like to read. We’ll just see about that!

Want to share any of your 2025 plans? I love to read your comments. Even if the plans are simply to keep on, keeping on.

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I’m so happy to announce the release of book 5 in my Indiana Amish Market series, A Courtship for the Amish Spinster. This series follows the story of widower, Amos Yoder and his five daughters. While it is traditional Amish romance in once sense, in another sense it’s something quite different.

During my times visiting Amish communities in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Colorado I learned that stereotypes are just that. They describe people “in general.” But when you meet those people, you find that they defy stereotypes.

Amos and his daughters are exactly that. They’re characters–people–who are different from what we might expect.

Amos is a traditional Amish father, but he runs the biggest outdoor market in the midwest. This market is a real business in Shipshewana, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting it many times. You can read more about it here. Sarah is the oldest daughter. She’s taken over the roll of mother to her younger siblings. But Sarah is not traditional in that she’s given up her own chance at marriage and a family in order to be there for her sisters. I’ve met women like this in the Amish community. Although many do marry young, some wait until they’re older. Becca is the 2nd oldest, and she has a dream to see the world. She eventually does leave her hometown to serve with the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) who do mission projects around the U.S. My husband has served on a MDS site here in Texas, and he had the privilege of meeting and working with many Amish and Mennonite men and women. Eunice is the middle child, and she’s something of a tomboy. I was often surprised, when I visited Amish communities, to see Amish women drive a team of 6 Boucheron horses, or mow a yard with an industrial-sized mower. These women defied the stereotype of “Amish women” that I had in my mind. Bethany is probably the most traditional of the family. She loves to quilt and sew and craft, and I have definitely met many Amish woman like her. Ada is the youngest of the group. She’s full of energy, outspoken, and ends up working for the local chapter of the SPCA. She’s fun to be around and funny to listen to. One of the first Amish women I met was outspoken and hilarious. She definitely broke the stereotype for me as I was beginning to write Amish fiction.

This is a picture of me with Kris Stutzman who, for many years, ran Lolly’s Fabrics in Shipshewana.

Kris is Mennonite. She’s a very friendly person–outgoing, talkative, and happy to answer my questions. She also loved to talk about her children. Several of her children were National Merit Scholars!

Kris helped me a lot in my early years of writing Amish fiction. I could mail her with questions, and I’d promptly get a reply back.

This has been a wonderful series to write, and I do hope you’ll give it a try. As many of my readers have said, “They’re not your traditional Amish books.” And yet, within every story, I try to give a glimpse into these traditional, conservative communities. Book 6, The Amish Widow’s New Love will release in April and will end this series. If you have any questions about these books, Shipshewana, or the Amish in general, feel free to post them below. I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

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I’m so excited to announce that Veil of Hope is now available in paperback (ebook releases on 9-24-24). As you can tell from the title, the folks from Alpine seem to be turning the corner. Unfortunately, it’s a rough ride. I thought I’d do a little Q&A regarding this release.

Q: Do I need to have read all the other books?
A: Nope. I like to think that if I’m good at all at what I do, you can pick a book up anywhere in a series and understand what is going on.
Q: What caused you to start writing apocalyptic books?
A: I like to imagine how people would actually react to tough situations–in my opinion, people are a lot smarter, kinder, and more hard-working than we give them credit for. Are there bad guys? Sure. That’s where the conflict comes in. But overall, I think they’re positive-feeling stories.

Q: What is the setting for this story?
A: It’s one year after the satellites fell, and two major things are happening. 1) The people of Alpine might have a way to contact the outside world for help. 2) Two groups are closing in on this small town in the southwest corner of Texas. The question is whether they’re there to help or to take what isn’t theirs.
Q: Is this the last book in the series?
A: Nope. I won’t feel like I’ve done this story justice until I’ve turned the lights back on. I’m planning one more book–Veil of Light, which will release in 2025.

Veil of Hope is available in ebook and print, through all retailers. You can see the entire list here. I’ll also have digital audio ready in the next few weeks.

I’m still straddling several genres. I’ll have an Amish romance releasing in October, an Allison Quinn thriller available in December/January, and plenty more next year. So stay tuned. More books are coming! And thanks for being a follower/reader/encourager. It means a lot to me.

Sincerely,

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I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you back to my webpage, or if this is your first visit here, welcome for the first time.

With the popularity of social media sites, many businesses are wondering if it’s worth having a webpage. I think it is. I like that I can reach out to everyone, regardless of what social media sites or retailers you visit. Even if Facebook were to go down (gasp), you could still find me here.

On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I’m dependent on an algorithm to show my post to my “followers.” Sometimes that works well and sometimes it doesn’t. On my webpage, you can click around and see what YOU want to see, not what AI thinks you’ll enjoy seeing. It’s a subtle difference, but maybe an important one.

To that end, I hired Jones House Creative to give my page a new look. I hope you love it as much as I do. Some of the key features are:

Search by genre from the home page. Your options are dystopian, thriller, Christian suspense, cozy mysteries, and Amish romance. Individual book pages with links to all retailers (I’m still in the process of updating these).Sign up for my newsletter and choose which free e-book you’d like to receive: Security Breach or Dead Wrong .A Contact button, where the email will go straight to yours truly.

I want to celebrate my beautiful, fun, updated page. I thought I’d do that by giving away a Box of Books! As you can see from the pic above, I’m including a wide variety. Feel free to keep the genres you love, and share the rest with a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or local library. Leave a comment below, telling me your favorite genre, and I’ll randomly pick one winner to receive our Box of Books!

On my webpage, you can click around and see what YOU want to see,
not what AI thinks you’ll enjoy seeing

And after you comment, feel free to click around. I’ll be back soon with details about a new release!

~VC

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If you’ve been to Texas, raise your hand.

I am sure that every person thinks THEIR state is the best state. It’s good to love where you’re from. Right? I’m actually from California, but I’ve been in Texas a very long time. This month I thought I’d share a list of what I love about the Lone Star State, beginning with the pictures above.

The riversThe still wild placesOur long, long sunsetsThe peopleThat we still have so many horsesWildflowersPecan trees Our Gulf CoastSmall townsFun, exciting citiesThe beachHow big everything is in Texas!Dirt roadsThe Hill CountryThe mountainsOur state bird — the mockingbirdStreet dancesRodeosFriday Night Lights (high school football)Our wildlife (I’ve seen bear, deer, javelinas, jack rabbits & more!)

I could go on and on. But it’s your turn. Leave me a comment with 3 things you love about YOUR state. I’d love to hear from you!

Vannetta

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And more books! I love books. I love them in all sizes and shapes … and formats.

When you’ve been published for a while, yes-that means I’m oldER than when I started this gig, you start seeing your books published in a variety of formats.

Mass market (purse-sized)Trade (full sized)Large print (even bigger)Soft covers (paperback)Hard covers (kinda self explanatory that one)Audio

That last one is fun. In the last few years I’ve become a real fan of audio books. I found out I can knit and listen. Ha! Two of my favorite things at once. I also listen to audio books when I have a long road trip ahead of me. Or at the gym! Or while I’m cleaning house. The possibilities are endless.

Sometimes a publisher will choose a series to offer in audio. That has happened with 17 of my books, which is wonderful. I want to reach as many readers as possible. Then six months ago, I was approached by Tantor Media. They wanted to produce audio versions of my Agatha’s Amish B&B series, which was pretty stinking exciting because these are indie books–which means I published them myself. Book 1, Dead Wrong, released earlier this year, and now Book 2, Dead Broke is available as well. Dead Set will release later this spring.

You can find my entire audio list wherever audio books are sold. Or you can click through to Amazon or Audible.

So, tell me. What is your favorite format for books?

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