WINNERS!

THE WINNERS OF VANNETTA CHAPMAN'S BOOKS

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THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR LEAVING A COMMENT FOR VANNETTA

Two Book Giveaway With Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman's "A Perfect Square"

There's more to the quaint northern Indiana town of Shipshewana than handcrafted quilts, Amish-made furniture, immaculate farms and close-knit families. When a dead girl is found floating in a local pond, murder is also afoot. And Reuben Fisher is in jail as the suspect! Reuben refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn't commit. So, with her English friend, Callie---fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy's Quilt Shop---Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. But the mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie's help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events---one that can bring unexpected touches of God's grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.

Interview With Vannetta Chapman

1 Tell us a little about yourself, Vannetta.


I was a full time teacher for 15 years. During that time, I wrote articles for Christian family magazines while I was learning the craft. After several years of queries (and rejections) I was offered representation by the Seymour Agency, who I'm still with. My agent suggested that I try writing an Amish romance. While I was doing that research, and discussing it with my mother, she reminded me that my grandfather on my dad's side was born in Albion, Pennsylvania--that in fact I do have Pennsylvania German roots. That was the personal connection I needed jump into this genre. My first Amish romance came out in 2010. I now write Amish mysteries for Zondervan, Amish romance for Harvest House, and Amish novellas for Abingdon.


2. Tell us about your most recent book.

A Perfect Square is book 2 in my Shipshewana Amish Mystery series. Readers return to this small town in northern Indiana, where an Amish girl has been found floating in a local pond. Reuben Fisher is in jail as the suspect and refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn't commit. So, with her English friend,Callie---fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy's Quilt Shop---Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. The mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie's help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events---one that can bring unexpected touches of God's grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.



3. Why did you choose this particular genre?

Actually it wasn't my idea to pair murder mystery with Amish, that was the brain child of Sue Brower at Zondervan. We had sent her an Amish romance (which Abingdon later bought). She said she liked it but didn't need another romance writer, because she has the fabulous Amy Clipston. She wanted me to write something different--Amish murder mysteries. I was all over that--my fav t.v. programs are 24, The Firm, etc. I like suspense in general, so it's a good fit for me.

4. What was your journey to publication like?

It's been 14 years since I started writing. I had finished my graduate degree, which I pursued because I enjoyed my undergrad degree in English so much I didn't want to stop. I had gone back to school as a 34 year old single mom. I wasn't sure what I'd do with the grad degree, but my advisors assured me it would make me more employable. It did in fact help with my teaching profession, and it certainly helped with my writing. But I graduated with my MA in English in 1999, and my first inspirational book (A Simple Amish Christmas) came out in 2010. I wouldn't say that everyone needs a degree to publish a book, but it helped my skills immensely.



5. What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?

I'm a huge fan of Stephen King. His most recent book, 11-23-63 is a wonderful example of stellar CRAFT in writing and characters that you care about. In inspirational circles, I like Dan Walsh and Shelley Shepard Gray. For mysteries I like Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, and Nevada Barr. Right now I'm reading the Bible-in-90-Days with my church, so it's taking up a lot of my reading time.Great book, though!



6. What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?

I've turned in Book 3 in my Shipshewana Series: Material Witness (releases in August). I wanted to do something different with each book in this series, so with book 3, I accelerated the plot to 4 days. Fun! Murder to resolution in 4 days. Yeah.Tick-tock. I've also completed 2 books in my Pebble Creek Amish romance series for Harvest House. These books are set in Wisconsin, where the communities are more Old Order. Sweet, lovely people who I very much enjoyed meeting and writing about (A Promise for Miriam releases in July).



7. What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?


Keep writing. Keep improving your craft. Write another book.



8. Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?


As far as CRAFT books, no. The best craft books in my opinion are to read good,well-written books. I have enjoyed playing with "The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood. Filled with fun exercises, I'll turn to a page and plop it into the middle of my book! I've also learned a lot from Margie Lawson's courses and credit her with helping me take my writing to the level where it would be attractive to editors. http://www.margielawson.com/



9. Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?

Just thank you! And if you think you don't like Amish fiction, please give my mysteries a try. They ARE different. : )



Please let us know where we can find you on the web.


http://www.vannettachapman.com/

http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks

http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman

How to win a copy of Vannetta's "Falling to Pieces" or "A Perfect Square"

1. Be a follower or sign up as a follower of Sleuths and Suspects
2. Leave a comment and tell us if you know what a cozy mystery is.

3. Leave your email so we can get in touch with the winners.




*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.

Race Against Time

Madison Jacobs is attacked by a serial killer and left for dead until Detective Brody Phillips rescues her in the nick of time. The killer has each victim leave a suicide note. Until Madison survives, the cops thought each murder was a suicide. Together Madison and Brody hurry to find the killer before he strikes again.

Christy Barritt wrote this Love Inspired Suspense that's on sale now.

This is a fast paced page-turner with likeable characters that you'll root for until the very end.

This will be available on April 1 at Amazon.

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.  

Free Reads for the Kindle

For at least today, 3/6/2012, the Kindle books shown below are free to U.S. residents. Please check the Amazon Web site for further details.
*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales. 

Welcome Additional Blog Coauthor!

Please welcome additional blog coauthor Debbie Malone! :)

Review of Broken Trust

Broken Trust by Sharon Dunn is a romantic suspense novel set in Montana. Special agent Wyatt Greene works for the FBI. Christine Norris, now Sheriff Norris, used to work with Wyatt at the FBI but left the Agency to settle down with her husband Dustin on a farm in Montana. 

When Wyatt is assigned to a kidnapping case involving an extremist group, he must work with Christine to uncover possible leads in the kidnapping case. Because of their past history, Christine and Wyatt are cautious around one another, and Christine chooses not to reveal Dustin's recent death.  

As they work together, Wyatt must prove to Christine that he's not the same man she worked with years prior, help Christine solve the case and find a kidnapped boy, and protect Christine and others who are targeted by the extremist group. 

I liked that the tension was ongoing. There was never a dull moment in this book. I didn't feel the need to skim flowery descriptions because they weren't there. The story kept moving at a fast pace. The story was believable, and I could easily picture the setting. Also, I enjoyed the characters. 

I wish the story would have resolved Dustin's death more. Still, the author leaves readers with a pretty good idea of the outcome. Also, I enjoyed the book so much that I wish it could have been longer. All, in all, it was nice, quick read.  

This book should appeal to women as well as men who enjoy romantic suspense. 


*Please note that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.  

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.  

Winner of Book Giveaway

Tom Blubaugh is the winner of the giveaway of a copy of Death in Dahlonega! Congrats, Tom! Debbie Malone will contact you shortly.

To everyone else who participated, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you continue to visit this blog to enjoy reviews, interviews, and future giveaways!

No Kindle? Put Kindle on your PC for free

Yesterday, I posted about a free Kindle book on Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, just remember, you can download Kindle for PC software onto your computer (for free). I think Amazon offers similar software for Mac users. Or download Kindle apps free onto your smartphone.

Free Kindle Book on Amazon

FYI--I was searching on Amazon today, 2/24/2012, and I noticed Richard Mabry's novel, Diagnosis Death (Kindle version), is free on Amazon (at least to U.S. residents--if you live outside the U.S., please check the Amazon site for more details)! :)





*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.

Book Trailer for Illusion by Frank Peretti

Some of you might have already read my review of Illusion. I noticed there is a book trailer now available on YouTube. If you'd like to view it, click here.

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales. 

Interview with Deborah Malone

Recently, I interviewed Deborah Malone.

Bio: Deborah has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, since 2001, for the historical magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published during this time. Her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails” edited by Olin Jackson. She has also had a showing of her photographs at Floyd Medical Center Art Gallery as well as winning several awards. Her debut cozy mystery "Death in Dahlonega" is now available. She is a current member of the Georgia Writers Association, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She has an established blog, Butterfly Journey, where she reviews Christian Fiction.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START WRITING?

I've always loved to read. I think I was a teen-ager when I first tried my hand at writing. I didn't finish, but I guess that could be considered my first attempt at writing.

WHAT AUTHORS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

My genre of choice to write is cozy mysteries so cozy writers have had the most influence. A few would be Anne George, Patricia Sprinkle, Kathy Trocheck, Alice K. Arnez, Dana Mentink, just to name a few!

The one writer who influenced me most on Christian writing would be Margaret Daley.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING AUTHORS?

We always hear: go to conventions, read writing books, etc. and all of this is good. But the main thing that helped me was encouragement from other authors on "not to give up." It takes a while to get published and every author has a story about their journey. You have to hang in there for the long run! These are three books that helped me the most: Write in Style by Bobbie Christmas, Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon and after you're published Stress Free Marketing by Renea Winchester.

YOU TAKE AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS. HAVE YOU EVER BASED A SCENE ON A PHOTOGRAPH YOU’VE TAKEN?

Thank you. I've had to take many photos for my research for my magazine articles so I've used them several times for scenes. That was a great question!

 TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LATEST RELEASE.

"Death in Dahlonega" is my debut cozy mystery. It is based on two friends who find themselves in a bit of a scrape. Trixie is a magazine writer and she is on assignment in Dahlonega, Georgia and her friend Dee Dee has tagged along. Dee Dee owns an antique shop and this will be the perfect place for her to shop for antiques and other goodies. The girls are watching a film at the gold museum when Dee Dee has to go to the bathroom - this is not unusual for Dee Dee. While she is nosing around in the rooms she happens up on a dead body. She automatically pulls out the pick axe and winds up being the main person of interest. The handsome sheriff is ready to retire and run for mayor, so Trixie doesn't think he's trying very hard to find the real killer. So she and Dee Dee take matters in their own hands. The question is will they find the real killer before Dee Dee ends up in the slammer?

I am working on my next two releases with Trixie and Dee Dee the first one is "Murder in Marietta" and the second one is "Terror in Tybee Island."

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND IN RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WRITE A STORY?

I like to visit the area and take lots of pictures as well as interview people that are familiar with the area. Then I continue to do research throughout the whole book to keep it fresh in my mind. I don't really know how much time, but it is a good bit. Research is imperative.

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR RESEARCH?

Well, I don't know about what I learned, but I do have a funny story. When I went to the gold museum and talked with the real ranger about taking pics/interviewing them etc. for the book she hurriedly called her boss and then preceded to tell me I couldn't write about their security system. Of course, I didn't know about their security system so it was funny to me. I really don't think she knew what a cozy mystery was.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING?

Now that I've been published I don't have as much time to do other things, but I like to take photographs. I'm enjoying meeting people through my marketing of "Death in Dahlonega."

HOW CAN READERS CONTACT YOU AND/OR LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WRITING?

You can contact me by going to my website deborah-malone.com. I would love to hear from my readers and if anyone wants a signed copy I'd be glad to do that and my email is debbiejeanm@gmail.com.  Thank you for having me on your blog!

Back Cover: Winner in American Christian Fiction Writers' Category Five writing contest!

A friendly adventure turns to murder and mayhem in the north Georgia mountains. Historical writer Trixie Montgomery is asked to cover Gold Rush Days in the picturesque Georgia mountain town, Dahlonega. Trixie seizes the chance to mix business with pleasure and asks her best friend, Dee Dee to tag along. Their well laid plans go awry when Dee Dee is discovered standing over the lifeless body of prominent citizen, John Tatum - the very man she'd had a run in with earlier that day - holding a bloody pickax in her hands. Can Trixie find a way to finish her assignment and keep Dee Dee out of the slammer?

Giveaway:  Deborah has graciously agreed to host a giveaway of her novel. The giveaway will be a paperback book, and the only requirement to be entered in the giveaway is to visit her blog and sign up as a follower. The address is deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com. More details to follow.

Update--please be sure to leave a comment here and sign up for Deborah's blog to enter the giveaway. The giveaway ends February 29th!

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.

Update - Giveaway ends today!

The giveaway to win a copy of Peg Phifer's book ends today, 2/20. Tomorrow, Jackie and I will announce a winner.

Please stop by again soon for details on our next giveaway.

NASCAR Prizes

Author Suzanne Hartman is giving away fantastic prizes to celebrate the start of the 2012 NASCAR season. For more information, please visit her Web site at http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com

Peg Phifer's new release To See the Sun

Today Peg Phifer joins us.

Peggy, tell us a little about yourself.

How much time have you got? LOL Seriously, I’m a septuagenarian who has just had my first book published. I’m a wife (twice), a mom, grandmom and great-grandmom. I was raised in a fundamental Christian home with two of the godliest parents a child could want. I think I assimilated a love of music and literature with my mother’s milk. Music always came first. I started piano lessons at age five. I’m not concert-worthy, but I have a lot of fun with it. I used to play for our church services. I love classical music, my first love.

How did you become an author?

Not an easy answer, Jackie. As a child, I LOVED reading. Anything. My sister and I would disobey lights-out and duck beneath the covers with a flashlight to read long into the night. I was the reader. Sometimes, when I read alone, I used to take the stories I read and rewrite them. I guess that’s how it started.

Pantser  or plotter?

Pantser all the way. No doubt about it. I couldn’t plot if you demanded it of me.

Can you tell us about your story?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Pregnant and widowed hadn’t been part of her “happily ever after” dream. And now, someone was trying to kill her . . . 

Erin Macintyre never expected to be a widow and a new mother in the same year, anymore than she expected mysterious notes, threatening phone calls, and a strange homeless man who seems to know all about her. The thought of raising a child without a father is daunting enough—worse when you have no idea who might want to harm you. Put an old flame into the mix, and her life begins a tailspin into a world she never knew existed.

When P.I. Clay Buchanan, stumbles upon Erin at her husband's gravesite, he’s totally unprepared for her advanced pregnancy. Her venomous reaction at seeing him, however, was predictable. But Clay can’t let her distrust, or his guilt, get in the way—not when he has evidence that proves Erin’s life is in danger.

With few options left, Erin begrudgingly accepts Clay’s help . . . and it just might be her undoing.

Tell us something you admire about your heroine.

Erin Macintyre is a spunky, independent gal . . . the antithesis of me. I endowed her with everything I wish I was. Vulnerable, yet strong. Determined despite the odds.

What do you find attractive about your hero's character?

Ah, Clay Buchanan is my hero, yes. He’s modeled after my husband. A no-nonsense cowboy dealing with an old hurt . . . several of them, matter of fact . . . also vulnerable and sensitive.

Where can we find it for sale?

Amazon (paperback):  http://amzn.to/xxiSIG

Amazon (Kindle):  http://amzn.to/zV4Zm9

B&N (Nook):  http://bit.ly/x7MAHV

Visit my blog at: http://www.whispersinpurple.com

Contact: peg@peggyblannphifer.com

 We're looking for ten or more unique comments to win the paperback version. Otherwise, the winner will receive a gift card for the e-book download from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.