Vannetta Chapman – A Day in the Life – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Vannetta Chapman shares a day in the life of a romance author plus a chance to win a copy of her distopian release, Deep Shadows. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter. Winner’s choice of e-book or print. U.S. only for print. Deadline: July 23rd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Vannetta:


24 Hours in the Life of a Romance Author
My husband never thought he’d be married to a romance author. Yes, he does still sometimes roll his eyes if people ask what it’s like. So I thought I’d give you a glimpse into an ordinary, romantic day at the Chapman household.
5:50 am – The cat begins to rattle the blinds. One of us will stumble out of bed to let the beast out, attempting to quietly shut the door. Of course the dogs hear us anyway and demand to be released from their crates. Then they clamber into bed with us–a 40 pound beagle and 100 pound lab. Yeah, try to picture that.
7:00 am – the dogs have been as patient as they can be. Cola the beagle begins to nibble on someone’s ears. Phoebe, the lab puts her face next to you and STARES until you open your eyes.
7:15 am – we kiss! Always we kiss first thing in the morning, then we stumble into the kitchen to make coffee, drink coffee, and thank God for coffee. Sometimes this happens on the back porch, sometimes in the living room. I read Bob the news from my phone, because I’m a news junkie and he likes me to read to him.
7:45 am – off to walk the dogs for a mile. They have a LOT more energy than we do and insist on a fast pace, until they abruptly stop and refuse to move because there are things to SMELL.
8:15 am – Bob eats breakfast, the dogs fall asleep, and I trot down the hall to my “office” to get to work.
10:00 am – I need food and more coffee.
Noon – Bob’s eating lunch, the dogs are clamoring for scraps, and I hear a lot of noise “out there.” But I have a few more words to write.
1:00 – I come out for food, finally. Bob gives me the “get back in there and finish” look. Sometimes this is followed by a rousing, “You can do it, dear.”
2:00 – gym time! The temperature is topping 100 degrees outside, so most of my exercise comes from the gym. Sometimes Bob comes with me. Sometimes he takes a nap instead. It depends if he’s been outside cutting down trees or just surfing the net.
3:00 – back to the office to do promotional things–answer emails, write blogs, turn in marketing material. I love this stuff!
5:00 – I’m out! Free for the day. Either I cook, Bob cooks, or we go out to eat. The dogs and cats are worthless in this area, though they do demand to be fed again.
7:00 – out to walk the dogs one more time. I know this doesn’t sound romantic yet, but remember that kiss at 7:15 am? Hang on to that thought.
7:30 – time to settle down to yard work or reading or watching baseball on tv.
9:00 – I make us both a nice hot cup of decaf coffee or tea. We might add a cookie or two, just to help the drink go down smooth.
10:30 – I’m rubbing my eyes, and Bob is now wide awake, talking to college alumni about their chances of making it to the ________ playoffs. (Fill in the blank with whatever sport/playoff is currently happening.)
10:33 – I remind him that the pets will wake us up early and we need to go to bed NOW. We pretend it’s not as late as it is and stay up another hour.
11:33 – We stumble to bed, and I fall off to sleep, Bob’s arms wrapped around me.
WHAT? That doesn’t sound romantic? Oh, but it is, because you know it’s the little things in each day that make it romantic–a touch or a smile or a kind word. It’s sharing news tidbits and Facebook videos. It’s just being “the other half” for the person you love. Yeah, I think that’s the very essence of romance, I guess because I am a romantic at heart. Which is why I love my job of being a romance author!
About Vannetta: Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. She is the author of seventeen novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups.  She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. Learn more and connect: 

Vannetta’s Website             Vannetta’s Twitter            Vannetta’s Facebook           Vannetta’s Instagram

About the book – Deep Shadows:
All It Takes Is One Night to Plunge the World into Darkness
Life in Abney, Texas, is predictable and safe–until the night a massive solar flare wipes out all modern technology.
Shelby Sparks, novelist and single mom, had one goal: to provide for her diabetic son. In the wake of this global disaster, her mission hasn’t changed. Only now, medication is a priceless commodity and the future resembles an apocalyptic nightmare.
Max Berkman and Shelby were once sweethearts, but he lost his chance at claiming her love years ago. When the abrupt loss of power ushers him into a leadership role, he rises to the occasion. But his highest priority–to keep Shelby and her son safe–could prove to be the biggest challenge of all.
As the brilliant northern lights give way to deep shadows, Max and Shelby’s faith will be tested like never before. Only one rule remains: Find a way to survive.
In this first book in an eerily plausible dystopian series, a memorable cast of characters must navigate a familiar world thrown into chaos.

Can’t wait for the drawing? Purchase now:

Deep Shadows – Amazon            Deep Shadows – barnesandnoble           Deep Shadowas – christianbook

Question for Readers: What do YOU consider a romantic gesture?

Come back July 14th for Cathy Bryant!