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.
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.
Wanda Speaking about her books.
I enjoy writing about the Amish because they live a peaceful, simple life -- something I feel everyone needs in this day and age.
Wanda's youngest granddaughter,
Richelle, playing with Amish doll.
Wanda’s granddaughter, Rebekah, dressed in Amish clothes at a Christian book convention in Orlando, Florida.
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.
Wanda with husband Richard, daughter, Lorine, her husband Bil, three daughters Madolynne, Rebekah, and Jinell, and our son, Richard Jr., his wife, Jean, and their three children, Ric, Philip, and Richelle.
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.
Since I’m a professional ventriloquist, I’m a member of the North American Association of Ventriloquists and the Fellowship of Christian Magicians.
As a writer, I belong to : Romance Writers of America, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writer's, and Northwest Christian Writer’s Association.
Wanda and Amish vent puppet, speaking to a group of Amish children about her Rachel Yoder books.
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.) John and Rachel pictured to the left.
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.)