Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

ACFW 2024

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Ken and I just returned from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in New Orleans a couple of hours ago and my heart is full. And the authors of Inspired by Life…and Fiction were very well-represented during the gala awards night at the conference!

Tammy and my awards on the table after I accepted hers. There’s a great story to go with that. Perhaps you saw it on our Facebook posts, but I’m too exhausted to tell it tonight. Maybe Tammy will share the details when it’s her turn to blog.
Me posing with Tammy’s gorgeous (and well-deserved) award. It was such fun to call her after the ceremony and cheer for each other over the phone.

Angie, Becky, Cara, D’Ann, Karen and I were all in New Orleans, but Tammy and Dani won awards even though they weren’t able to be there in person. I wish we’d all been able to gather for a photo, but I’ll share a few of the photos I took and perhaps the others will share when it’s their turn to post.

Here is why we were cheering each other on:

• Tammy won the Carol Award in Contemporary for A Million Little Choices

• Becky won the Carol Award in Romance for Memory Lane

• Dani won Mentor of the Year.

• Deb won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but our bloggers have all been on those award lists one year or another. So proud to call them friends and so honored to cheer them on.

With Angie, Gayle Roper, and my pretty award and the gorgeous flowers Ken surprised me with the night of the gala.
He’s a keeper! 🙂
Left to right: Creston Mapes, Mark Mynheir, Angie, Gayle Roper, and me.
Left to right: Me, my agent Steve Laube, Tricia Goyer, and Cara.
Just a few scenes from our time in New Orleans. There’s D’Ann in the upper left corner, and Cara in the lower left with some Storyfest readers. I barely got to say hi to Karen as we passed in a buffet line, and I hugged Becky’s neck in the hallway. So glad for the moments we had but I wish I had pictures of them to share with you!

The conference was a wonderful time of teaching, learning, inspiration, and connecting with other writers (and readers at the connected Storyfest event). And now, I can barely keep my eyes open and tomorrow, it’s back to my desk. I have a book to finish!

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Deborah Raney

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 three-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.
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Comments

  3. LOVE seeing all these pics and CONGRATS again on your wonderful and well-deserved award for Lifetime Achievement! Our back-and-forth that evening, both before you knew what was really happening, and then after, was such fun. Even anticipating it, and the possibility of it happening, brought me so much joy. Love you dearly and look forward to getting together sometime this fall, Lord willing.

    • I am still busting out in giggles every time I think of how it all went down! 🙂 Love you so much and eager for that get-together, especially since I have such a pretty “trinket” to bring to you when I come (if I don’t mail it first.)

  4. Congratulations to all – Lifetime Achievement, wow! Tammy’s A Million Little Choices is one of my top reads for this year. Becky’s is on my TBR list.

    Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures.

  6. It’s always such a joy to get to chat with you in person, Deb! And to get to learn from you, too. Hugs!

  7. Big congrats, Deb, and so well deserved. And if you do kill Tammy the next time you see her for making you read that speech, I promise to (1) attend her funeral and (2) visit you in prison as often as distance allows. [Note: Deb didn’t repeat that threat in this post but between her laughter and tears, it was captured on the video and/or she wrote it in her Facebook post.] Seriously, the love and laughter shared between you two makes this such fun.

    • Hahaha! Facebook asked me if I wanted to cancel the post since it might not meet the standards for violence! But I DO appreciate your offer about visiting me in prison. I’ve decided to forgive and move on. Haha! Such fun!

  8. Congratulations!
    Thanks sharing photos from the awards ceremony and seeing everyone who came for the event.

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