"The Christmas Quilt" by Vannetta Chapman

                                  The Christmas Quilt

By Vannetta Chapman

Babies have their own schedule. But so does God. 

Annie's life is deliciously full as the Christmas season approaches. She helps her husband, Samuel, attend to the community's minor medical needs. She occasionally assists Belinda, the local midwife, and most days, she finds herself delivering the buggy to her brother Adam. Annie’s sister-in-law Leah is due to deliver their first child before Christmas morning, and Annie is determined to finish a crib quilt before the boppli arrives. With six weeks to go, she should have no problem . . . but God may have a different plan. Leah is rushed to the English hospital when the infant arrives early, and Annie discovers the Christmas quilt may hold a far greater significance than she ever imagined.

To read an excerpt go here :http://bit.ly/1fZEXEF

Interview questions from Vannetta Chapman

1. What are your New Year’s Eve plans?

My in-laws have a ranch with a big old ranch house--think hunters cabin only larger. It's not unusual to have 15 adults and 7 dogs. We'll spend new year's eve with them this year, watching the Texas A&M bowl game. We're big time Texas Aggie fans. My husband graduated from there in 1972. I've spent many new year's eve nights this way, and most of the time me and maw (who is 85 now) are the only ones still awake at midnight!

2. Why did you choose to feature the nurse occupation in your books? Are you a nurse? If not, what sort of research does it take to accurately portray a medical profession?

This came from my belief that not all Amish women would be satisfied with an 8th grade education. But I also wanted my character to love her community, her church, and her faith. So how could she reconcile those things? That is the story of A Simple Amish Christmas. How God can use the desires of our heart and use them in a way that glorifies him. 

I am not a nurse, but I consulted with several nurses while writing this book. They were a wonderful help as far as correcting my phrasing, etc. I also did  a lot of research! 

3. What is your favorite quilt pattern?

You know I'm just learning to quilt myself. I'm working on my 3rd quilt, and they are simple blocks. However I do love the dutch girl and boy quilt (featured in The Christmas Quilt). It's such a sweet picture of innocence. Hopefully one day I'll be up to that level of quilting!

 The Christmas Quilt is a five star story. It is part of the Quilts Of Love Series by Abingdon Press . This story picks up where “ A Simple Amish Christmas” leaves off.

Annie is happy in her life, helping her husband Simon, The closet thing that the Amish have for a doctor, and Belinda the midwife. Her sister-in-law Leah,(married to her brother, Adam), is expecting twins. Annie wants to make a special quilt for the twins and wants it to be done before they are born! But then Leah gets really sick in the middle of the night and doesn’t get it finished before the twins are born. I had to keep turning the pages to see what was going to happen next! The scenes in this book were described so well I could almost believe I was there watching all of this happen! But God used the fact that the quilt wasn’t finished before Leah was admitted to an English hospital. This story tells about special people that help Leah and Annie learn about the gifts of The Holy Spirit. The time that Leah is in the hospital teaches Adam and Leah important lessons and brings them closer together. This book teaches that love is unselfish and does things for others. There are a couple of unexpected romances in this story. If you have read “A Simple Amish Christmas” you will be reunited with Annie’s brother and sisters. Even if you haven’t read “A Simple Amish Christmas” you will love this family and be able to follow along with the story perfectly. However I encourage you to read both of these wonderful stories! I want to read more about Annie and Simon, Leah and Adam, and the rest of the family. I was given a free copy of this book by Abingdon Press Fiction for my honest review to be in the 2013 Christmas Blog Tour!

Maybe we can talk Vanneta Chapman into another book about these characters!