Today I thought I’d answer a few questions about my latest release, A Wedding for Julia (Harvest House, July 2013). If you have any questions, please post them. I love to hear from readers!
What was my inspiration?
Usually I think of CHARACTERS first, not what is happening to them. This was certainly true for Julia.
So how did I first envision her and Caleb?
I had the awesome experience of participating in a Bible study entitled The Bible in 90 Days. It was during that study that I came across Genesis 24:67. “Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.” I couldn’t let go of that image of God providing a lifelong love for Isaac before he had even met the woman. And Isaac, he trusted God and married Rebekah. What a wonderful God we serve. Julia’s story began there, in the pages of Genesis.
Is this the first in the series?
No. Book one in this series, my Pebble Creek series, was A Promise for Miriam, and book two was A Home for Lydia. However, my books don’t have to be read in order. While they carry over the same characters and take place in the same community, each story stands by itself.
Have you visited Pebble Creek?
Actually there is no Pebble Creek. I made it up! I did visit the Amish communities in SW Wisconsin, spoke with Amish families there, and generally got a sense for the area. It’s a beautiful area, and the people—both Amish and Englisch—are very kind.
Another book to add to your #mustread list! @VannettaChapman's A Wedding for Julia:
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Will there be other books in this series?
Actually Home to Pebble Creek is a short story that will be released in ebook only, and it will be free. You’ll be able to download it in August. We’ve planned one other short story, but there are no other novels planned for this series—of course, that can always change.
How are the Wisconsin Amish different from other communities?
I’ve visited with Amish in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Amish do not reside in a touristy area. Also, they seem a bit more Old Order. For instance, they still have outhouses, and they still cut ice from the river for the ice boxes. No gas stoves or gas refrigerators either. Other than that, they are very similar to other Amish I have met.
Where can we find your books?
There have been Walmart sightings. That’s exciting for me. You can also buy them from Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Parable Bookstores, Mardels, etc. Pretty much anywhere Christian books are sold. Most of the links are listed on this webpage.
What is your next release?
The Christmas Quilt, which is a part of the Quilts of Love series. This is a sequel to A Simple Amish Christmas, and you can read more about it here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek inside my writing life. Thank you for sharing the journey with me.
Blessings!
V
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The post Inspiration and ‘A Wedding for Julia’ appeared first on Not Quite Amish.
