May 16 Contest

Reader Contest, May 16

A WEDNESDAY give-away! Are you ready?

Today I’m giving away a

• Mousepad with Quilting design
• Autographed copy of A Simple Amish Christmas
• 2 Bookmarks

In order to enter this contest, you need to leave a comment below on this blog. And remember,  you have the opportunity to enter the contest more than once. We’ll make it real easy this week.

• Share this contest on Facebook by posting a link
• Click LIKE on one of my books on Amazon. (The button is to the right of the title.) Check out my upcoming release, A Promise for Miriam. When you do, you might LIKE it. : ) The print copy is here and the kindle copy is here.

If you choose to do either of the tasks listed above, please leave more than one comment below and tell me which task you completed.

I’ll draw a name and post the winner after 6 p.m. tomorrow, THURSDAY, May 17th. I will contact you please include your email address with your post. If I don’t hear back from you in 24 hours, I’ll choose a different winner, so please do check your email. (Or sign up to receive these posts by email so you don’t miss them!)

I hope you enjoy my contests, because I love sharing Amish and quilting things with you.

Hugs,

Vannetta

Bible Reading

Monday Inspiration-Bible Reading

A little over 90 days ago, I posted something about The Bible in 90 Days. I know it was a little over 3 months ago, because I just finished reading The Bible, from Genesis to Revelations.

There are many things I’ve learned from that, many more I won’t realize until all of those words sink in. The picture to the right kind of reminds me of my husband and myself, especially now that we’re done with our reading. So here are a few of the things I learned–

1. You need friends to encourage you along
2. Sometimes you have to just keep reading
3. God’s ways really are not our ways
4. It takes a long time to create good habits
5. Paul wrote a lot of letters
6. The words of the Bible are written throughout our ancient history, our cultural history and our personal lives
7. God is good
8. His mercies never fail
9. The Old Testament is rough
10. Thank the Lord daily for the New Testament

They’re not especially deep, but they’re some of what I learned. You’ll be seeing MORE of what I learned in upcoming books . . .

Blessings,

V

Character Round-up

Shipshewana Character Round-Up

In case you’ve missed any, I thought we’d do a Shipshewana Character Round-up! So here they are, in no particular order. : )

Trent

Adalyn

Max

Shane

Andrew

Deborah

Callie

The group is all here. Of course it takes an entire TOWN to make a story, and we don’t have the space here to highlight everyone. I do hope you’ve enjoyed these. For those of you who have asked–YES, there is a book 3 which will release on September 4th. Material Witness will bring back all of these characters and more.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,

V~

 

 

Missing

Fiction Spotlight - Missing

I’m just happy as a peach on a tree to highlight Shelley Shepard Gray’s new book, MISSING. Just the cover makes me want to take it to my back patio, cancel all the things on my to-do list, and READ.

Shelley is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author, and she’s also my friend. She’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. And I think you will adore her book. Here’s the blurb.

Can two young people survive the suspicions of their friends and neighbors when tragedy strikes a close-knit Amish community?

Perry Borntrager had been missing for months from the quiet Amish community of Crittenden, Kentucky, when his body is discovered at the bottom of an abandoned well. The first death from mysterious circumstances in more than two decades brings the scrutiny of the outside world: A police detective arrives to help the local sheriff with the investigation. His questioning begins with Lydia Plank, Perry’s former girlfriend, and Perry’s best friend, the Englischer Walker Anderson.

Lydia and Walker know they didn’t have anything to do with Perry’s death, but they both hold secrets about his final days. Do they dare open up about the kind of man Perry had become? In the oppressive shadow of these dark times, they discover strength in a most unlikely companionship: one that offers solace, understanding, and the promise of something more.

I’ve mentioned before, if you can’t afford to purchase all these fabulous books, please request them at your library. This is a GREAT help to authors.  

Blessings,

 

~V

 

James Avery

Monday Inspiration–James Avery

A few weeks ago I was taking a mini-vacation in Bandera, Texas. Bandera happens to be very close to Kerrville, and Kerrville is home to the James Avery headquarters. If you live in Texas, you’ve heard of James Avery jewerly, but I’m not blogging about jewelry today. I’m blogging about a man who is a real inspiration. You can read about him here.

The woman who led our tour was the personal secretary to Mr. Avery. She explained that he had retired 4 years ago, but he still comes into the office every day (at the age of 90)–to check on things! There was a framed sheet in the small entryway where we met a few of the workers. In part, it read

In 1955, he published and mailed his first Christian jewelry catalog. It was 16 pages and featured 39 items, all handmade. After almost three years, in 1957, he hired his first employee, Fred Garcia. I’d been doing everything myself–designing, all the manufacturing, sawing, polishing, hammering and the selling, and orders were piling up. The minimum wage was 75 cents an hour then so I offered fred $1.00. He was very positive about giving it a try. Fred was a great teacher. I couldn’t have built this company to where it is today without Fred Garcia. Today in his honor, a yearly scholarship is given to a promising college-bound student. Also, fred’s daughter, Isabel today manages a James Avery retail store in Austin.

James Avery jewelry is very distinctive. I think because the focus is on simplicity, on Christ, on honoring our faith. I noticed two other things while on this tour. The workers have a nice, calm environment to work in! Secondly, there was a small display of photographs showing the James Avery pieces that had been used by the Pope to serve communion when he came to Texas.

Certainly Mr. Avery is an inspiration. A man who has used his life to help and encourage others. I’m glad I was able to stop by his little shop in the Texas hill country.

Blessings,

V~

Trent

Amish Character Spotlight–Trent McCallister

This has been fun. I’m a little sad to see it end, but our last character is Trent. The last and maybe least likely of Callie’s love interests. : ) Falling to Pieces and A Perfect Square is about friendships and how folks in a community come together. Trent is certainly part of that community and he does become Callie’s friend. Will he become more?

Name: Trent

Age: Old enough to know better

Physical description: blondish long hair, skinny, geeky, hazel eyes

Personality traits: Trent’s personality is slippery. He DOES care about Callie, but he also wants that front page story. It’s a problem, right?

Background: He moves to Shipshe when the newspaper editor in book one is killed. Maybe Shipshe is a stepping stone to a better assignment, or maybe he’s going to settle down.

Shipshewana Connection: Trent provides some youth and energy to this small town. Folks can’t help but like him. Maybe it’s that charming smile he has, or maybe it’s his work ethic!

Media Connection: Trent is another character that I could SEE from day one. I was a LOST fan for years, and yeah–I always liked/hated Sawyer. I never could figure him out, and I feel the same way about Trent. Makes for a lot of fun.

Have a blessed weekend.

V~

p.s. I’m signing books at the Lifeway store in Conroe, Texas today from noon to 2. If you’re in the area, I’d love to meet you!

The Fiddler

Fiction Spotlight - The Fiddler

I’m wondering. How many of you have read Beverly Lewis’ newest book? I play the piano, but one of my favorite instruments to listen to is a violine–a fiddle. This book sound intriguing.

Amelia “Amy” DeVries, a 24-year-old violinist, is disillusioned with life and love after the collapse of her long-running romance. Weary of endless rehearsals and performances, Amy sets out on a road trip through the Pennsylvania mountains. She leaves her cell phone behind so life’s demands can’t intrude on her solitude. She doesn’t know, nor care, where she will end up.

When her car breaks down deep in the mountains, Amy realizes the flaw in her “no cell phone” plan. She abandons her car and walks the winding roads, searching for help. Following the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of music, she finds a rustic log cabin. There she meets a young Amishman–and through him a community–that will change her life forever.

 

Beverly Lewis certainly opened the door of Amish fiction. I consider her a real mentor and blessing. So have you read this book? It’s been on the bestseller list for some time. : )

 

Blessings,

 

~V

 

 

 

May 1 Contest

Reader Contest, May 1

Time to resume our regular Tuesday give-aways. I’ve been saving up gifts, so I’m ready! While I was signing books at our Art Festival last weekend, I met a woman who was selling Fabric Postcard Kits. Have you heard of them? The picture to the right is one she finished. Cute, right? Talk about a QUICK quilting project and adorable. You can google it, but here’s one site I found that explains how.  

Today I’m giving away a

• Fabric Postcard Kit
• Autographed copy of A Simple Amish Christmas
• 2 Bookmarks

In order to enter this contest, you need to leave a comment below on this blog. And remember,  you have the opportunity to enter the contest more than once. We’ll make it real easy this week.

• Share this contest on Facebook by posting a link
• Or click on this link for my current release, A Perfect Square, and click the LIKE button next to the title. If you’re here, then maybe you do like my writing! : ) If you’re already LIKED this title, you can click on my name at AMAZON and LIKE another book.

If you choose to do either of the tasks listed above, please leave more than one comment below and tell me which task you completed.

I’ll draw a name and post the winner before 6 p.m. on THURSDAY, May 3rd. I will contact you please include your email address with your post. If I don’t hear back from you in 24 hours, I’ll choose a different winner, so please do check your email. (Or sign up to receive these posts by email so you don’t miss them!)

I hope you enjoy my Tuesday contests, because I love sharing Amish and quilting things with you.

Hugs,

Vannetta

Bill Coleman

Monday Inspiration–Bill Coleman

Since I write Amish fiction, it seems natural that I would cross paths with Bill Coleman. He’s a wonderful artist and a very nice man. We’ve communicated a little on facebook, and I love looking at his website. A few months ago I ordered the picture to the right, but I did something wrong when I was processing my order. So I picked up the phone!

Who answered? Bill’s son, Noah. He was as nice as could be. He also fixed my order right up. Nice people.

More recently, I downloaded Bill’s free desktop calendar to my computer and shared it with my Facebook friends. Someone asked, “How is he able to take pictures of the Amish?” Was I ever surprised when BILL answered back!

Thank you Vannetta. I wanted to answer some questions raised about the photographs. The community that I’ve documented over the last forty years is composed of 200+ Amish families. Like many cultures, the Amish are varied in how they go about their lives. Some have granted permission while others have requested that I not photograph. Some families are very casual and appreciate seeing their photos, some do not. Each bishop/church has their own unique viewpoints and further, each family has their own as well. To be sure, they are not a monolithic culture of rules and I think that this is a contributing factor to their longevity over these last 200 years. I’d be glad to answer any other questions anyone might have. Thank you for letting me share my life’s work.

I’m grateful that we have Bill’s insights into the Amish world, and I’m also thankful that he uses his talents in a way that glorifies the Lord. He has been a real inspiration to me.

Blessings to you throughout this week.

~V

 

Adalyn Landt

Amish Character Spotlight–Adalyn Landt

You’ve requested that I keep going with characters from my Amish mystery series. So we’ll keep going! Falling to Pieces and A Perfect Square couldn’t happen without a good lawyer–and that would be Adalyn. I had a reader write me and say “Wonderful! I guess you love Harry’s Law.” I’d never seen the television show before, but I watch it now … and I can see why I received that letter. : ) 

Name: Adalyn

Age: nearing 50

Physical description: 5’7″, on the heavy side, gray hair pulled back

Personality traits: she likes a battle–especially a legal one. She’s fond of Louis Vuitton, that’s a detail you’ll understand better after you read A Perfect Square. She also likes pie!

Background: Adalyn has been an “advocate” for the Amish for several years. They often won’t stand up for themselves in court, so she stands up for them.

Shipshewana Connection: Well respected by Amish and Englisch alike–though Shane isn’t sure how he feels about her.

Media Connection: Kathy Bates from Harry’s Law DOES fit Adalyn in many way–she’s dedicated to the people she represents.

These stories NEED someone like Adalyn. When I started writing, I didn’t have her in mind, but the storyline required her, and she appeared. I think God provides people in our lives like Harry, people who will stand up for us, people who can help us navigate through difficult waters. I hope you enjoy reading her part in these books.

Have a blessed weekend.

V~

p.s. – The Facebook contest is over, but I’ll return to my regularly scheduled Tuesday give-aways this week! Be sure to check back or sign up to receive my blog in your email box.