In celebration of her latest release, Vannetta has graciously offered to give away a hard copy of the book (US Only). To enter, see the Rafflecopter box at the bottom of this post. (Contest ends January 29, 2016.) If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information. Good luck!
A Word from Vannetta...
Thank you for allowing me to visit your blog today. I’m very
excited about the release of Joshua’s
Mission (2-1-16), which is book 2 in my "Plain & Simple Miracles" series.
I’d like to share with you the “story behind the story,” or what inspired me
to write this book.
Joshua’s Mission - The
story behind the story
Cornerstones of our
faith. My husband is probably my biggest critic—which is a good thing. He
keeps me on my toes, professionally speaking. He’s also very supportive in
every way. One night we were talking about an upcoming proposal that was due to
my publisher, and he challenged me to think of a deeper plot line—something
that would touch on the cornerstones of our faith. Wow! That sent me back to
the drawing board. I started wondering what makes us, as Christians, different
from everyone else. Certainly our faith in Christ. But how do we show that? The
answer I came up with was …
1.
We
believe in miracles. I did a poll on my Facebook page. We had an
outstanding response and the vast majority (close to 98%) said they do believe
in miracles—not that they always happen when we pray for one, but that God does
still intercede in the lives of believers. That idea gave birth to Anna’s Healing, book 1 in this series.
2.
We
participate in missions. As believers, sometimes we send donations,
sometimes we pray, and sometimes we actually go and participate in missions. We
don’t do this for an award or because our photo might end up in the paper. We
do it because God told us “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave
me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” He told us that
when we do this to the least of those around us, we do this to Him. This commandment
to care for others led me to write Joshua’s
Mission, book 2 in this series.
3.
We care
for orphans. We’re also commanded to “look after orphans and widows in their distress.” In
our society, it’s sometimes easy to overlook those in need and to assume that
some governmental agency will take care of them. Sarah’s Orphans, book 3 in this series, addresses the plight of the
orphans in our day and age and how we can make a difference in their lives.
This book releases in December of this year.
There are certainly other ways that we live out our faith.
Miracles, missions, and orphans are three that stood out to me, and they
certainly inspired me to write the three books in the “Plain & Simple
Miracles” series. I hope that you will pick up a copy of Joshua’s Mission and learn about the wonderful work that churches
are doing across our nation and abroad to help those in need.
Now it’s your turn. What do you consider to be a cornerstone
of our faith? And would you like to see a book written about it? Or would you
like to write one yourself? I’d love to hear from you.
My Review...
Englishcher, and widower, Charlie
Everman loves his community of Port Aransas, TX. He wants to help his friends,
who are trying to recover from Hurricane Orion. They will be working
side-by-side with volunteers from the Mennonite Disaster Services, which is
where he meets Joshua and Alton Kline and Becca Troyer. They live in an Amish
community in Oklahoma and volunteer for this mission trip project. Alton has
been in trouble during his rumspringa, and Joshua fears he may be considering leaving
their Amish community. Joshua’s parents and the Bishop hope the trip will be beneficial for Alton. Becca has been restless and her parents are concerned that
she is still single. Joshua is thrilled to have Becca, the bishop’s
granddaughter, on the trip, as he hopes to get to know her better. Joshua is
uncertain as to whether or not he is being called to minister to the displaced
people in Texas or his brother. Becca believes that God is using this
opportunity to direct their paths as they work together to rebuild. Is it
possible His plan may involve finding love amid the wreckage?
While Charlie’s storyline dominates at times, the
tale is told from three points of view: Charlie, a 65-year-old Englischer;
Joshua, a 27-year-old Amish man; and Becca, a 20-year-old Amish woman. This
book is second in Chapman’s “Plain and Simple Miracles” series, but it can be read as
a standalone. It is a fresh take (location, characters, and topics addressed)
on what can sometimes be a cookie-cutter genre. The characters are believable
and deal with a number of real-life issues, including loss, pain, eating
disorders, substance abuse, and forgiveness. They demonstrate that these issues
are not unique to the Englisch world.
Chapman obviously put a lot of effort and time into researching both the Mennonite
Disaster Services and hurricanes, which add to the realism in the detailed
descriptions of the devastation as well as the rebuilding process.
Disclaimer:
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon link for purchase…
About Vannetta...
Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published more than 100 articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel Falling to Pieces was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top 10 Fiction list. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full time. She lives in the Texas Hill country with her husband.
Where to find her online...
I'm glad I found your blog! Great review :) I can't wait to read more from you!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found Leslie's blog too, Sarah. :)
DeleteSarah,
DeleteWelcome! I'm very happy you found my blog, too :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I look forward to "seeing" you again. Good luck!
Thank you, Leslie! Congratulations Ms. Chapman on your new book release! I hope it goes well!
DeleteYes, I have volunteered for mission projects. I have traveled throughout our state of VA to volunteer and also, volunteer in our local community. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell thank you for volunteering, Melissa. It's a life changing experience, for certain.
DeleteMelissa,
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Yes, volunteering is certainly rewarding. Thanks for all you do.
Good luck!
I've never been on a mission trip, but I have done some things in my church that went to help missions' work.
ReplyDeletesusanlulu@yahoo.com
Like you, I've never been on a mission trip, but my husband and I do various things with our church for projects locally and abroad.
DeleteGood luck, and thanks for visiting my blog!
That's awesome, Susan!
DeleteVannetta Chapman is one of my favorite authors, loved your interview!
ReplyDeleteWaving wildly, Maureen. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI have never done anything with missions, other than donating money.
ReplyDeleteDianna
That still helps!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, and good luck!
That helps tremendously. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteLovely post. I enjoy Vannetta's work. This sounds like a wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteAnother important cornerstone of our faith the Great Commission, where Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all the nations. It's not an easy task. I am certain many are better at it than I. It is my sincere hope, however, that I never lose that desire to share Good News.
Cheryl,
DeleteThanks for visiting my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Vannetta has so many wonderful books ;)
You are correct. That's certainly another important cornerstone of our faith. You're right. It's not easy. There is so much Good News to share and so many who desperately need to hear it.
Good luck!
I'm waving wildly, Cheryl. Thanks for stopping by! And I agree about the Great Commission - though the Amish are much more likely to "share" with deeds than with words. They'll answer questions about their faith if you ask, but they aren't ones to go out and seek converts.
DeleteI've never done anything with mission. I do volunteer in the community though.
ReplyDeleteKim,
DeleteVolunteering in the community is still very important!
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!
Thank you for volunteering, Kim. So much that is done in our towns and neighborhoods depends on people like you.
DeleteI've never volunteered for a mission project, but we have made donations through our church to various missionaries, our church sponsors missionaries through monthly pledges, and we also keep them in our many prayers! I'm so glad God calls people for missions, whether here in America or somewhere overseas...it's so needed!
ReplyDeleteOh, and thanks Vannetta for the chance to win your book! I also really enjoyed reading your post on this blog :-)
DeleteTrixi,
DeleteThanks for stopping by! Donating through the local churches is certainly important. So many wonderful projects are funded that way. We do the same with our church. I agree that it's definitely needed.
I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and good luck!
Thank you, Trixi. We appreciate your stopping by. Donations and prayers are so important - that you for all you do.
Delete