John Vander Velden Weaves Heartfelt Fiction Rooted in Prairie Life & Purpose
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
John Vander Velden is a man with an extraordinary gift.
And while it’s not immediately apparent upon first meeting him, it will certainly reveal itself within moments of hearing him speak. It shines through his gentle, genial nature, and it’s captivating to any listener.
Vander Velden is a masterful storyteller. And now, in a long overdue recognition of his talents, he has become a revered author as well.
He is the creator of a serial work of fiction that takes readers on a picturesque journey through a Midwestern valley town called Misty Creek. Along the way, the young heroine, Elizabeth Beck, experiences the trials of young life — heartache, hardships, happiness and every emotion in between. Vander Velden’s faithful followers have joined the journey from the beginning, with the first book titled “Misty Creek,” which he released in 2018.
In rapid succession, and with much encouragement from his family and newfound admirers, the “Misty Creek” saga forged ahead with “Elizabeth’s Journey: The Sequel to Misty Creek” in 2019, followed by “With the Sun’s Rising” in 2023 and “When Light Comes Unexpected,” unveiled in June 2025.
But the saga is not quite finished — not just yet — and much to the delight of his devotees, there will be one final installment to bid farewell to Misty Creek. When that goodbye edition will debut, Vander Velden isn’t quite sure. He does admit that it might be a longer wait than his readers might hope for.
“Quality takes time,” he explains. “It will be a challenge trying to wrap everything up. There’s a lot of history that takes place between the end of the fourth book and the beginning of the fifth.”
History, in more ways than one, for the “Misty Creek” chronicles take place circa 1850s.
Vander Velden harbors a fair amount of wisdom when it comes to the ways of pioneering and the unrelenting nature of prairie land. His Dutch ancestry intertwined with his lifelong knowledge of farming not only gave him practical skills and knowledge, but it inspired his vivid imagination. Yet it wasn’t until he’d reached adulthood that folks began to realize that his abilities went well beyond ordinary.
Years ago, Vander Velden explains, he had something of an epiphany.
“I had a story come to me so powerfully that I felt like I had to write it down,” he recalls.
Once he’d set his vision onto paper, he titled it “Tree in the Meadow,” then sought out the expertise of his pastor. And it was then that Vander Velden received the validation he’d sought for far too long. His spiritual adviser assured him that he was most definitely blessed with an extraordinary ability.
Feeling energized, Vander Velden began attending workshops and seeking out the counsel of fellow writers. He has attended the prestigious Antioch Writers’ Workshop and has become a member of the Plymouth Area Writers’ Workshop.
“Writers are an eclectic group of people,” he says with a laugh.
Ruminating on the sparks that led to the evolution of Misty Creek, Vander Velden gives a fair share of credit to his wife. The early elements of what would become Elizabeth’s odyssey began when he noticed that his wife enjoyed hearing the stories as a way to unwind after a day of work. Eventually, she convinced him that his ideas were worth capturing on paper.
To his amazement, “I had enough material for two books.”
After consulting with an editor in Ohio, Vander Velden hired him to clean up the manuscript grammatically and to correct spelling issues. And from there, the road to “Misty Creek” was laid forth.
So how has the experience of becoming an author changed Vander Velden? He is proud to have created something that sweeps the reader into another time and place, and that he has been able to do so in a clean manner — “something that I can leave on a tabletop and not have to worry about kids reading something inappropriate.”
“I want people to feel something when I write a story,” he adds. “That’s one of my aces. Grab the emotion and convey the feeling. Fiction is supposed to take the reader for a ride. God gave me a gift to tell stories, and I thought that maybe I should.”
And he’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
“As long as I’ve got the energy, and my mind is still sharp, and as long as God gives me the time, the energy and the clearness of the mind, I’ll keep writing,” he says.”
To read more about author John Vander Velden, visit his website at johnvandervelden.com, and follow his Facebook page to stay up to date on future appearances and events.
