It's no secret that I enjoy her Amish fiction, but I wasn't sure what I would think of her newest novel, Hidden, because it's in a genre that I'm not overly fond of - romantic suspense. Well, let me just say that Hidden is an incredible book, and I've figured out that it's simply Vannetta's writing that I enjoy so much, no matter the genre. Please see my review of Hidden here.
Enjoy Vannetta's interview and enter to win a copy of Hidden, which Vannetta is graciously sharing with one of you. Details are at the end of this post.
Q: With Thanksgiving being this week, what is a past or current family tradition that you cherish?
My dad always bundled up plates of food and took it to shut-in folks. I was always nominated to ride along with him, and I think those experiences really shaped my attitudes about Thanksgiving, gratitude, and kindness.
Q: Tell us about the book we're featuring today, Hidden.
Hidden is the story of Dana Jacobs—who SEEMS to have it all together, but in fact is held back in her personal and spiritual life by events in her past. Faith is something she stopped having as a small child. Now Ben Marshall is in her life—a steady, calming, faithful presence, and she doesn’t know what to do with him. When they become deeply involved in a case that threatens both their town and their lives, Dana must decide if she’s going to let her past define her. She must decide whether she’s going to live in fear, or live by faith. It’s a fun, suspenseful story that focuses on God’s grace and love for us.
Hubby and I honeymooned there 15 years ago! It’s a special place and the dramatic scenery sparked my imagination – even then before I was writing novels!
Q: What spiritual nugget or thought do you hope readers take away from Hidden? Is there one that particularly speaks to you personally, Vannetta?
The spiritual theme of the story is grace and forgiveness. When we accept the grace God offers us, we’re able to forgive ourselves as well as those who have hurt us in the past. All those things we keep hidden? They’re wiped clean by God’s powerful hand, and we’re able to live victoriously.
Q: Please share anything you'd like about your writing experience with Hidden - why you ventured into the romantic suspense genre, chose to publish independently, etc.
I read a lot of suspense and I also gravitate toward those types of movies. When they’re done well, we are drawn into this pivotal moment in a character’s life – and we are deeply concerned about what happens to them. I’ll continue to write inspirational romance, but I also enjoy the suspense genre and plan to do more things there in the future.
Q. Has the "indie" experience been rewarding and would you do it again?
It’s a lot of work! J All of writing is, but when you publish something independently, you take on the role of publisher and marketing firm. All of that is a lot to juggle, but it’s been very rewarding, and I expect I’ll continue to release indie books as my schedule allows.
Q: What stories can we look forward to in the days ahead?
Murder Tightly
Knit will release in December—this is an Amish cozy mystery.
Next year I’ll release another novella (An Amish Cradle) in February, an Amish
cozy mystery in (Murder Freshly Baked)
in June, and my new Amish romance series (Plain
& Simple Miracles) in the fall. Hopefully I’ll also release Protected as an indie. So it’s going to
be a busy year!Q: How can we support and/or pray for you?
The best thing any reader can do for an author is tell another reader about our books. Most people still buy based on someone else’s recommendation. And tell your library too—I adore libraries! Prayers are always appreciated—that I will maintain the balance in my life that honors God and that I will write the stories he would have me to write.
Thanks so much for having me.
____________________
GIVEAWAY
To enter the drawing for Hidden, simply answer the following question that I asked Vannetta:
Question:
What is a past or current Thanksgiving family
tradition that you cherish?
E-mail address are required for the drawing and be sure to leave them in a safe format - [at] and [dot]. If you're willing, it's also helpful to share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Please "like" my Facebook page, ThePowerofWordsBookReviews, if you haven't already. And new followers of this blog are always welcome!
- E-mail required, one entry per person. Odds of winning are based on number of entries.
- Contest ends at midnight PST on December 5, 2014. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted by e-mail. Respond within 48 hours of notification or another winner will be chosen.
- Eligibility: US residents
Our family usually have a quiet Thanksgiving. We rise when we feel like it, eat when we are ready and just have a day of being thankful for each other and all we have been blessed with. Our Thanksgiving dinner is a combined meal prepared by all of us.
ReplyDeleteRobin, your description sounds almost exactly like our Thanksgiving because it was just a quiet day with our family. The only difference is that while my husband and son cooked the turkey, I did the rest by myself. A great day of thankfulness, though. Thank you for sharing, Robin.
DeleteBe sure to leave your e-mail address.
My favorite tradition is going around the table, before we eat, saying what we are thankful for.
ReplyDeletecindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com
That's a lovely tradition, Cindi. We spend a good bit of time during our meal talking about the same thing.
DeleteOur family enjoys the time together cooking, watching the Macy's parade, favorite old movies and sharing the blessings of the past year.
ReplyDeleteworthy2bpraised at gmail dot com
Oh Merry, there's just something special about old movies during the holidays! I enjoy almost any version of A Christmas Carol - and then there's Holiday Inn, the Waltons Thanksgiving specials, etc. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteMy favorite tradition is eating with my family and telling what we are thankful for. So many blessings!
ReplyDeletesusanlulu(at)yahoo(dot)com
Susan, it's so easy for us to focus on the negatives . . . I think that's why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
DeleteThis year we had a quiet family Thanksgiving.....with the kids around the table and my husband and I. I think this was the most relaxing Thanksgiving I have had in years. Thankful, everyday!!!
ReplyDeletestrgth4yu(at)homtail(dot)com
Linda, ours was quiet too, and very relaxing like yours. It was just my husband, son and myself because my daughter lives in Germany. I'm proud of her work in ministry, but miss her, especially during the holidays. Thank you for sharing, Linda.
Deletewe all gather at my mom's home and each of the 6 of us siblings bring parts of the meal. In years past, when mom was younger, she hosted for our entire family and did all of the cooking! My Granny was living then and Aunts and Uncles but they are either deceased or have moved away to be near their own children as they require extra care. I love not having to worry about buying lots of gifts that we can't afford and being thankful and enjoying family.
ReplyDeleteRhonda, I'm an only child and a little envious of you and your six siblings! And your last phrase, "being thankful and enjoying family" perfectly describes why I love Thanksgiving so much. Thank you for sharing, Rhonda.
DeleteI cherish our Thanksgiving tradition of our whole family being together. That includes myself, my husband and our 12 children. All the children still live at home except the oldest. After the meal is prepared we all hold hands and tell what we are most thankful for. We also talk about the good and bad from the past year and talk about it. We then eat and have much fun fellowship.
ReplyDeleteCnnamongirl (at) aol (dot) com
I love the size of your family, Deanne! I just told Rhonda that, as an only child, I was a little envious of her six siblings. Your celebration of thanks and looking back over the year sounds wonderful.
DeleteI enjoy the family gathering and each saying what they are thankful for and then eating together!! Shelia Hall sheliarha64@yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteLike you, I enjoy the simple family time and focus on thankfulness, Sheila.
DeleteI love watching the Macy's parade with my kids, still in our pjs! I love every book of Vannetta's that I have read and can't wait to read this one. jkowalewski13[at]yahoo[dot]com
ReplyDeleteI loved watching the Macy's parade when I was growing up, Jeanine, but am usually too busy in the kitchen to watch it now. And there's just something special about Vannetta's writing, isn't there? Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteOur Thanksgiving tradition is always getting together for a meal, weather it it actually on that day.We always pray and thank God for our blessings. We talk about what we are thankful for.rose blackard (at) gmail (.) com
ReplyDeleteWe've celebrated on a different day also, Rose. I don't think the day matters as much as getting everyone together when possible. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteOur family always gets together. We have a special table prayer that we say before the meal. It isn't the same anymore since my Dad always said the prayer and he passed away. Now one of the grandchildren say the prayer and time marches on!! We also watch the parades on TV and then football.
ReplyDeleteRuby, missing my parents is one of the hardest things about the holidays!
DeleteMy husband loves to watch football. While I'm not much of a sports fan, I will admit that I loved seeing Ga Tech win over Georgia last Thursday!
As a child I loved our Thanksgiving dinners with lots of family. After eating a big meal we cousins would run around the yard over and over to run off our full stomachs. We laughed so much! And this was is northern Ohio in cold weather, but that never stopped us! sallydav45 at gmail dot com.
ReplyDeleteSally, I loved hearing about your family and don't imagine the cold weather dampened your fun at all. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteOur Thanksgiving tradition is to always come together as a family and share a good meal and have a lot of laughs. I have a HUGE family....what with my mom and step-dad, my dad and step-mom and now my in-laws. So we make sure to make time for ALL of our family during the holiday. It spreads the Thankfulness for a few days.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, we always had the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey. My mother always made cranberry relish as one of the cranberry dishes. It was a favorite of mine and I have been making it for my family for many years. My daughters always look forward to it, as cranberry relish is a favorite of theirs, also.
ReplyDeletemay_dayzee (AT) yahoo (DOT) com
We go to Grandma's every year and have dinner with people who don't have family around to celebrate with.
ReplyDeleteGrandma's mac and cheese. Going to her house for thanksgiving was always fun and yummy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a compliment to this author that it's simply her writing that you enjoy regardless of the genre! I really enjoyed the interview and look forward to reading more of her books. I think my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is making the sure the celebration is open to anyone who wants to come. I loved how my mom's door was always open and I hope mine is always the same! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Tina
ReplyDeleteOur tradition is to always go to our church's thanks and praise service on Thanksgiving. Anyone who wishes can give praise for the blessings that God has given them. We are blessed to listen to each one. Then we have a big family dinner and there is always lots of pies!
ReplyDeletemarypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann
For years it was the tradition at my mother-in-law's to state on thing that you were really grateful for that year. We have adopted that tradition in our home. It is amazing some of the things that the children have stated that were grateful for.
ReplyDeleteWe always had dinner at my Granny's with lots of aunts and uncles (13 of them not including spouses) and cousins. It was a family reunion of sorts. donnas614(at)gmail(dot)com.
ReplyDelete