A Special Writing Anniversary

ByDeborah Raney
18 Comments

From the time I was eleven years old, I knew I wanted to someday write a book. That someday came true, and this year marks a special anniversary in my writing life. Thirty years ago in 1996, my first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was published by Bethany House Publishers, launching my writing career—one I never dreamed would still be active three decades later!

For the first few years, I wrote at the kitchen table in our little duplex where we raised our four children. I 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.)

My first dedicated office.

That first novel became a movie from World Wide Pictures, Billy Graham’s film division. Ken and I even got to fly to Hollywood for the movie premier and got to meet my publishers and many of the movie’s actors, including Barbara Babcock, David Denman, and the late Ken Howard.

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 the best job I’ve ever held, this writing gig is certainly a close second.

The many faces of A Vow to Cherish

These days 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 has now turned into two bookcases full. I inherited these bookcases in my current office from my parents and they 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!

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. I can’t think of a better way to spend the rest of my life. 🙂

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DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched Deb’s writing career. Forty books later, she's still creating stories that touch hearts and lives. Her novels have won RWA's RITA Award, the ACFW Carol Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She is also a four-time Christy Award finalist. Deb is on faculty for several national writers’ conferences and served on the executive board of the 2,500-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization for 18 years before retiring in 2022. She is a recent transplant to Missouri, having moved with her husband, Ken Raney, from their native Kansas to be closer to kids and grandkids. They love road trips, e-biking, Friday garage sale dates, and breakfast on the screened porch overlooking their wooded backyard.

18 Comments

  1. Congratulations on such a wonderful writing career, Deb! You are an inspiration. May you have many more amazing years left to write the stories God puts on your heart!

  2. Congratulations on this milestone! What an amazing blessing your writing is. And I love your bookcases!

  3. CONGRATS!! Love all the pics and walking back down memory lane. Amazing to have that happen with your first book. Lovely office too. 🤍

    1. You’ve been there almost ever step of the way, Tammy! And I’m celebrating YOUR 20-year anniversary as well! Pretty amazing how God has blessed us both!

  4. Congrats, dear friend. So fun to celebrate these anniversaries. I love seeing all the covers of the book that started it all for you. Unlike you, I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I was in my 20s. I was an avid reader, and I was always scribbling things (little stories and bad poetry) but writing a novel wasn’t on my radar when I was a kid.

    1. That amazes me, Robin, because you write as though you came from the womb writing! I love your books and as you know, your newest series very much inspired the way I’m writing my newest series (even though your books are historical and mine are contemporary.) I love the way you honor God with your writing!

      P.S. Congratulations on your new book’s release!!

  6. Congratulations on 30 years and all of your accomplishments! I love this look back. Your decorating always impresses me, even the picture of your first dedicated writing space. Wishing you many more years to share your stories.

    1. Thank you, Betty! Your comments are always such a blessing and encouragement to me. You definitely have the gift of encouragement! We’re all so glad to have you as a reader of Inspired by Life…and Fiction!

  8. 30 years! What a wonderful anniversary to celebrate. Your writing partnership with the Lord over all these years and all those novels is an inspiration.

  9. You are simply amazing, dear Deb! I am so thankful for you and your novels and your speaking and your editing and especially YOUR FRIENDSHIP!!!!

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