Monday, October 17, 2016

Interview with Vannetta Chapman, Author of Sarah's Orphans




Orphaned…But Never Abandoned by God

Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household.  

Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy…and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans.

Paul Byler moved to Cody’s Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul’s ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can’t seem to ignore.

A story of extraordinary grace and love in the face of desperate need, Sarah’s Orphans is the third standalone novel in the Plain and Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman. 



Links


I've been a fan of Chapman's work for years. Here are a few answers to some questions I asked about her Plain and Simple Miracles series. I reviewed the first two books in the series: Anna's Healing and Joshua's Mission


Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

Actually my husband challenged me to come up with some story lines that dealt with our faith in depth. Anna’s Healing explores whether we still believe in miracles. Joshua’s Mission focuses on the role of missions in our world today, and then of course Sarah’s Orphans centers around those in our community who are in need.

Why do you think people either believe or are skeptical about miracles?

I think a lot of that has to do with our own personal experience. If you’ve had a gravely ill loved one and you prayed for a miracle but they still died, then it might be hard for you to believe. That said, a lot of people wrote me and said, “We prayed for a miracle and didn’t get one, but I still believe God is in the business of miracles.”

How do you keep the books fresh for readers as the series proceeds?

For me, it has to be a different story line. If you think of a community--whether it’s a small town or a neighborhood in a large city--there are a lot of stories to be told within a group of people. So I try to imagine what those stories are. None of them exist in isolation. We effect one another in large and small ways. How the stories and community fit together, that’s the essence of a series for me.


Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. She is the author of seventeen novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.



4 comments:

MaureenT said...

I love this, and sure enjoy Vannetta's books. About the miracle, they may have received it even if they lost their loved one, God may have used it to end their suffering and guided them to heaven?

Melissa Henderson said...

I truly enjoy Vannetta Chapman stories. She has the gift of storytelling. Sarah's Orphans is wonderful.

Cheryl said...

Thanks for visiting, Maureen and Melissa. I am eager to read this one. I've loved the other two books in the series.

Hope you have a great week.

Vannetta Chapman said...

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!