Robin’s post a few weeks ago inspired me to write out my own publishing history. I can’t claim nearly as many years or books as Robin (or nearly as many awards, though Robin humbly didn’t mention those in her account!) but it is fun to look back on how everything has unfolded in my career as a writer.
I knew from the time I was twelve that I wanted to someday write a book. I never dreamed I’d have a career as a writer, but I did want to see “By Deborah Raney” on one book cover before I died. Of course, I didn’t know then what my married name would be. I did know that marriage would be important to me because my first choice of careers was stay-at-home mom. And I wanted a dozen children. Yes, you read that right—an even dozen. My plan was to give birth to six children and adopt six more.
When doctors told me as a teenager that I probably wouldn’t be able to conceive, it didn’t faze me. I would just adopt all twelve of my future kids. I met Ken Raney the summer after I graduated high school. We were headed to different colleges (Ken had finished two years of junior college) so after dating all summer, we spent a long school year getting to know each other via daily letters. We got engaged that Christmas, and the following August we were married in the same Kansas church where my parents wed.
I don’t think I shared my “plan” for twelve children with Ken Raney. He probably would have hightailed it for the hills if he’d known. I do remember him saying he wanted to wait a few years before starting a family, and since doctors continued to say I likely couldn’t conceive, we left it in God’s hands.
And what a mighty God we serve! Sixteen years later, I had given birth to four children—which, most days seemed like a dozen—and life was grand. Ken moonlighted so we could afford for me to stay home with the kids. Stay-at-home mom is the BEST career I’ve ever had! But if you do that job well, you quickly put yourself out of a job. I’d always known I would need to go back to work when our oldest went to college. What I didn’t know was that I’d have a three-year-old at home at the time, and I desperately wanted to stay home with her for a few more years.
So I started praying that God would show me a way to work from home and still make enough money to help our kids through college. It was as if God tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Remember that book you’ve always wanted to write? Start writing!” So I did! On New Year’s Day, 1994, I sat down with a steno pad and a red felt-tip pen and wrote the epilogue to the book that would become A Vow to Cherish.
Ken bought me a computer and I wrote the first draft in five months, got at least 17 rejections, but ultimately had three contract offers. One was a two-book contract from Bethany House Publishers, and to our amazement, the advance they offered was to-the-penny the amount we’d just been told was the cost of room/board and tuition for four years at our son’s college of choice. (Wow, has the cost of college tuition skyrocketed since then!!)
That was the incredible answer to prayer that began my career as a writer. Blessedly, our oldest daughter was a National Merit Scholar and won a full-ride scholarship, giving a reprieve between kids. Still, for the first twelve years of my writing career, every penny I made went to some college.
For the first few years, I wrote at our kitchen table and put away all my research materials each afternoon when the kids got home from school. (This was before the Internet so a lot of the resources I have at my fingertips now were physical books back then.) After that, I wrote in a corner of the living room in the four-bedroom duplex we rented.
Since there are eight years between our youngest son and our “oops” baby, we got another reprieve on college tuition and bought our first home during that time. Here, I got my first dedicated office and wondered how on earth I ever wrote in the chaos of a home with three teenagers and a toddler! But somehow I did. (Nowadays, I sometimes find having my husband in his office in the basement to be a huge distraction. Ha!)
Over the years, I’ve written books for Bethany House, WaterBrook Press/Random House, Steeple Hill/Harlequin, Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, Summerside Press, Barbour Books, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Abingdon Press, Guideposts, Gilead Publishing, Kregel Publications. My husband teases me that I’ve shut down more than one publisher (it’s sort of true in the sense that a few of my books were among the last of a publisher’s line or the last they released before shuttering the company. Ouch!) I suppose I’ll likely be the one to shutter Raney Day Press one of these days too. But not so fast…
My first novel became a movie from World Wide Pictures, Billy Graham’s film division. Ken and I got to fly to Hollywood for the premier and meet Gary and Carol Johnson, my publishers, for the first time, along with many of the movie’s actors.
I’m so grateful God granted me this career just as my stay-at-home mom status was coming to an end. While I’ll always maintain that being simply “Mom” was my best job ever, this writing gig is certainly a close second.
Since then, my writing career has settled into a lovely, ordinary rhythm of writing, editing, speaking events, teaching at writers conferences, and retreating with some of the most wonderful writer friends I could ever imagine.
That one book I hoped to write has now turned into two bookcases full. These cases in my current office belonged to my parents and hold one copy of every book I’ve written in every form it took (paperback, hardcover, large print, foreign translations, audiobook CD, etc.) One shelf holds books I’ve contributed to—devotionals, interviews, quotes, etc. If only my eleven-year-old self could have seen!
There’s even one book on the shelf that I didn’t write. Years ago another author writing under her maiden name, which is the same as my married name, self-published a book with some pretty colorful language. Unfortunately, a few bookstores ordered that non-returnable book to feature at my book signings, thinking it was mine. (Thankfully, amazon now has a way to sort out books by authors who share the same name.)
I am currently finishing up a book that will complete a series I started almost 25 years ago! Later this spring, Raney Day Press will release Breath of Heaven, which continues Natalie’s story from Beneath a Southern Sky and After the Rains. I also have a Christmas novella coming this fall from Kregel Publications in a collection titled O Little Town with Amanda Wen and Janyre Tromp.
I used to say that I hoped to be writing till the day I died. That may be the case, as I still have a few good ideas in me, and since I write much more slowly than I used to, it may take the rest of my life to turn those ideas into novels.
However, it turns out those dozen kids I thought I’d have? They were GRANDKIDS! Our #11 was born on Wednesday, a precious little boy, and #12 will make his appearance in June! I could easily see that dozen turning into my next “career”!
Latest posts by Deborah Raney (see all)
- Inspired by Scripture - November 17, 2024
- Writing “The End” - November 11, 2024
- Inspired by Scripture - November 10, 2024
Love, love, love you and KW, your books and keeping up with what you’re doing! God has truly given you writing, friendship, caring, concern and love gifts that you so willingly share with seen and unseen friends/readers. Our lives have truly been enriched by our friendship these many years. I had to laugh about your not being able to conceive and remember when you and KW told us you were moving back to Kansas because you were pregnant. What do doctors know?!? Another chuckle was ooops! We’re following in your footsteps 😂💕💕 God truly knows best!!!
Will have to reread the 2 prior books to refresh memory for your latest book!
Next trip??? Love you guys!
Awww, so wonderful to hear from you and relive so many great memories, Mel! We love you guys and are so grateful we’ve been able to get together occasionally (not nearly enough!) over the years since we moved from New York. We DO have a trip planned up your way this fall…just depends on whether we can afford the GAS! We’ll be in touch though and see if we can connect! ♥️
I love hearing your back story. You are truly blessed! Please keep writing. Blessings to you and your family!
Thanks so much, Paula. Amazed by His grace.
We’re all so blessed by your writing career and your Christian witness to the world! Thank you!
Aww, thank you so much, Suzanne.
I love hearing your story and seeing all of the wonderful pictures through the years. Your plan for 12 children reminds me of the autobiography my daughter had to write in 5th grade. In her “future plans” section she said that when she grew up she was going to marry a rich doctor, have 12 children, and raise horses.
Blessings to you, Ken, and all of your beautiful family!
Haha! That rich doctor would have been come in handy! (Just kidding, of course. I wouldn’t trade the husband God gave me for ANYTHING!)
That was wonderful to read more about your journey! Thank you for all the encouragement you share!
I could say the same to you, Carrie. You always encourage me!
What a journey — family-wise and writing-wise. God is good!
Amen! He is so good and I feel so blessed by His grace to me.
It’s interesting how God works.
I’ve recently been given some questions to ponder over the next 90 days.
One is “who is a writer I admire and want to learn from?”
I put your name on the list.
And then today you “popped up” in my email.
I’m following your example of perseverance and reading your books over the course of these months. I love how God answers.
And I love your story here.
What a gift to see God’s hand in the years of your life.
May His favor continue to be upon you and your lovely family.
Many blessings on your writing.
Warmly,
Gail Helgeson
Gail, I am so touched and honored that you put my name on your list. Thank you SO very much for those encouraging words, and I pray the same for you: May His favor be upon you, your family, and your writing. Thank you for making me smile big today!
Wow, Deb. I love that my post inspired yours. And now I may have to do a Part II because of some of the things in your story. As for closing down publishers or lines, I’ve done a few of those too. LOL. My first contract went to a company that shut down a couple of months later, so I didn’t even have to actually publish a book to close them down!
Haha! Then you win! 🙂 And I would love a Part II to your post. You are a great inspiration to so many! I feel so blessed to call you friend!
LOVED this post (and photos!) Deb, as you continue to be one of my VERY FAVORITE Authors (and you were one of the very first authors I began reading when I discovered there was such a thing as “Christian Fiction”). Not to mention you’re a genuinely nice person. 🙂 Will miss my annual hug at the conference this year, but look forward to future conferences (and hugs!). Thanks for sharing this today, and a HUGE CONGRATS on all those precious grandkiddos!! 🙂
Thank you, Patti Jo! I’ll look forward to that hug hopefully soon!
What an excellent post! I love how God works. Blessing you with 12 grandkids brought tears to my eyes. 😀 God is so good!!!
Thank you, Nicole. I love how God works too! So grateful for all His blessings.
I enjoyed reading the story of how God provided (to the penny!) for you to stay home with your kids! I loved having my Mom at home when we would come home after school each day. Little blessings!
This picture of your grandchildren is absolutely precious! I love hearing what you all have been up to and how God is using you both. Hugs to you and KW! ❤️❤️
I remember that same feeling of loving that my mom was home for us. I know what a great mom you have! ♥️
I really enjoyed reading your story and seeing the photos. Thanks for sharing. I hope you keep writing for a long time to come! Your family is beautiful.
Thank you, Deena. I will write as long as the Lord continues to give me ideas! Bless you.
What an adorable “almost dozen” team!! Such cuties! Lovely story, too – we’re all glad you stayed at home and wrote, giving us all some wonderful books. And, by the way, I love the world globe collection on the bookshelf. I could spend hours looking at those.
Aren’t globes wonderful? I had to use some major self-discipline this week not to buy three more that were on sale cheap on Facebook Marketplace. And yes, we love our dozen cuties! They are all just as sweet as they are cute. Thanks, Lynne.
How absolutely inspiring this awesome history of your God given talent and accomplishments!! God bless you as you continue this outreach to us lovers of God honoring ‘reads’!
Thank you, Patricia. I appreciate your encouraging words, and to God be all the glory!
I love your post! What great times you have had with other authors and family!
Much love to you and yours.
Thanks, Linda. Yes, I feel very blessed. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Loved your story! Grandchildren are precious for sure. I have six grandchildren.