Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. When I was in the second grade, I wrote my first poem about a moth. Luckily, I received encouragement from my teacher. During my teen years, I wrote skits that my church teen group performed during special holidays.

It wasn't until 1980, that I took a course on writing for children and teenagers. I became serious about a career as an author. Soon after that, I began to write stories, articles, poems, and devotionals, which appeared in a variety of Christian publications.

Later, I had 5 books of puppet/ventriloquist scripts published.

* These books are currently available by contacting me. (wanda@wandabrunstetter.com)

My first novel was released by Barbour Publishing's book club, Heartsong Presents, in Dec. 1997. Since then, I've had several more novels and novellas published, many of them with Amish themes.

I enjoy writing about the Amish because they live a peaceful, simple life -- something I feel everyone needs in this day and age.

My favorite verse of scripture is
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
Proverbs 17:22.

Since being with family and friends makes my heart merry, I do take time out to spend with them. I also enjoy photography, gardening, bird-watching, riding on our son's boat, and making trips to the beach.

My husband, Richard, is a Nazarene minister who grew up in a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania. We've been married 44 years and have two grown children -- Richard Jr., married to Jean, and Lorine, married to Bil. Each of our children has three children of their own, and we always enjoy time spent with our 6 grandchildren -- Jinell, Madolynne, Rebekah, Ric, Philip, and Richelle.

Richard and I are members of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians (a group representing various types of Christian ministry). Since I'm a professional ventriloquist, I'm also a member of the North American Association of Ventriloquists. As a writer, I belong to : American Christian Fiction Writer's, and Northwest Christian Writer's Association.

Family history, on my father's side, dates back to 1750 with my great-great-great-great grandparents, Jacob Landess (born in Germany in 1750), and Mary Reynolds (born in North Carolina in 1760.) Jacob and Mary were members of a Plain group called the Dutch Quakers, and they had a strong connection to the Dunkerd Church, part of the Anabaptist movement, to which the Amish and Mennonite belong.

Jacob and Mary had 13 children. Among them was Henry Landess (my great-great-great grandfather) who was born in Kentucky in 1789. Henry was married and widowed three times.

His second wife, Catherine Moler, gave birth to a son, John Landess (my great-great grandfather), who was born in Highland County, Ohio in 1814. John married Rachel (Michael) Landess (born in Viriginia in 1818.)