Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

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Because of the Rain

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[THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED, AND THE WINNER IS…Phyllis Bullock! Congratulations, Phyllis! Please send me your snail mail address to debraney@mac.com and I’ll get your book in the mail to you! Thank you, everyone, for the great comments! Sounds like Spring is a favorite season for a lot of us! Have a wonderful day!]

Today I’m giving away one copy of my novel Because of the Rain. This was the second book I wrote and was originally titled In the Still of Night. This version features one of my favorite covers (designed by my husband, Ken). To be entered for the drawing, simply comment on this post with the answer to this question: What is your favorite thing about Spring?

The new title for this novel came because the original title had been used for several other books in the years between its first publication and Raney Day Press’s reissue of the book. The idea for Because of the Rain came when a friend gave me a beautiful photo frame that said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” That quote made me realize that so many of the really good things in my life have ultimately come about not in spite of the rain, but because of it! It’s not fun to go through the storms of life, but so often, there is a beautiful rainbow on the other side if we can only hang on tight to the Father’s hand until we are on the other side of our difficulties. I hope that thought might encourage you today!

I’ll name a winner here tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back and see if your name is drawn! Hope you’re having a wonderful spring so far.

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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

  1. My favorite thing about Spring is watching everything come to life. A perfect reminder of new life in Christ.

  3. Spring signifies new beginnings. Starting with Easter Sunday it always seems things start fresh and renewed as our souls are refreshed on Easter

  5. My favorite thing about Spring is watching everything come alive again! Like being born again! I love the beauty of that!!

  6. My favourite thing about the Spring is that the hours of sunshine are becoming more and more.

  8. Warmer weather and no snow. Also flowers blooming. It’s pretty rainy in central Indiana right now.

  9. I love how everything is fresh and new after winter. I especially like like all the spring bulb flowers like daffodils, jonquils and iris. And of course, the peonies.

  10. Spring brings out so many different shades of green. Everything looks so fresh and vibrant. Once again, trees provide shade, and they rustle in the wind. And the migrant birds return with their songs. 💗

  11. There are so many things I love about Spring. Warmer temperatures, the return of colorful flowers, the hope of renewal that happens each year.

  12. It IS such a lovely cover and captures spring so well. One of my favorite things about spring is, what seems to be, the awakening of birds! I have windows in the classroom where I teach, and I’ve had them opened nearly every day over the past few weeks. The birds have been singing all day long! Their songs seem to be written in celebration of spring!

  13. Love the new growth of flowers and trees getting leaves again. Also, love the longer days and warmer tempatures.

  15. My favorite thing about Spring is the coolness before the 100 plus degree days kick in. I love to see my vintage irises blooming and the antique roses bloom with their incredible fragrance. Spring is really short in Texas but the bluebonnets are spectacular this year! We saw a huge field full of them yesterday and it was so gorgeous.

  16. My favorite thing about Spring is the beauty of God’s creation coming to life. It feels my heart with hope

  19. My favorite thing about spring is the reminder that what appeared dead was life waiting for the right time to be revealed. It is so encouraging to see outward signs of life.

  20. I love so many things about Spring! But I think my favorite is the temps warming up. No more freezing days!

  21. I love seeing everything awaken. I love to hear the birds sing and watch them build their nest. I love watching the daffodils and tulips bloom. I love watching my neighbors baby lambs and calves running and frolicking across the hillside. I love the new scents of spring from the trees and flowers blooming. God is so good!!!

  23. Christ promises a new life in Him if we just believe in Him and His death and resurrection! Spring so beautifully shows us a picture of newness. Fresh, green, oh so colorful and wonderful!A very small picture of heaven!

  25. My favorite things about spring are green grass and leaves on the trees AND flowers! I can’t separate these things because they are the signs of new life in the landscape after a bleak rainy/mud season!

  26. My favorite thing about Spring is the sense of newest. Everything begins to bloom, the birds and bunnies are making their appearances in my backyard and the gentle rains make everything look fresh and new.

  27. Love spring! It’s a time to start fresh. It’s a time of birth in nature and promise of the next generation. It’s the time of gardens to be planted and the bloom of flowers to brighten the world after the bleakness of winter. It’s when we can be outside again after been cooped up for during the cold of the winter months. It’s when folks think about cook outs and family gatherings. Some may say yes but it also means yard word. I like to think of it as a time of basting in the sun while getting things done while being able to work off some of the winter pounds put on from just sitting.

    Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win a copy of “Because of the Rain”! Shared and hoping to be the fortunate one selected.

  29. I think that spring represents the beginning of good things. I love watching spring appear with the buds on the trees and the appearance of robins in the yard. Then as the buds become blooms and leaves the beauty begins!

  30. My favorite thing about spring is the klaiscope of colors you see. From the beautiful array of colors of flowers, the gorgeous colors of the sky. ..blue, gray, pinks and also the way the sunlight sparkles on the grass and the play of shadow and light.

  31. My favorite thing about Spring is warmer weather, flowers blooming, time to spend at the beach and time to spend with my grandsons. Thanks for this amazingly generous giveaway.

  32. Yesterday we had a day-long gentle rain. Forsynthia is in bloom and daffodils are up! God is so faithful and blesses us abundantly!

  34. Tiny buds that signal new life. Easter. Resurrection. Nature proclaiming spiritual truth!

  35. Flowers! And warmer weather! And redbuds, and crabapple trees, and Bradford pear…

  36. Nothing is more hope affirming In Spring than the sight of recently-born calves kicking up their heels and cavorting with abandon on lush green pasture grass.

  37. My favorite thing about spring is the newness of life. Everything that was brown turns greens again. The blooming of all the trees, plants and flowers bringing new life is an incredible thing to see.

  38. I love the new…everything! Green grass, birds returning and singing, buds popping on the trees and, most loved, the smell of the after after a warm spring rain! Thanks for the giveaway! And God bless you!

  41. The temperature! I live in Texas, so I love the cool of the spring. That and celebrating Easter.

  42. I love spring!! All the trees getting green again, the spring breezes, the lovely temperatures…the pollen not so much! 😜

  43. My favorite thing about spring is seeing my daffodils come back to life in SUNNY bright yellow!

  44. My favorite thing is the pop of color of all of the planted bulbs and it shows the newness of life and promises that God provides.

  45. I love spring because of all things coming back to life after a time of dormancy! New flowers, baby animals! It’s all so amazing!

  46. My favorite thing about Spring is the warmer days; the sun being out and the brighter evenings.

  47. My favorite thing about spring is the warmer weather and seeing my tulips come up and bloom, adding a splash of color to my yard.

  49. My favorite thing about spring is the awakening of the earth. I live where we have definite seasons of the year and in spring the earth comes alive again.

  50. I love Spring! 🌸🌷🌸🌸🌷🌸
    I love the rebirth of all the flowers and trees and seeing everything come awake after a long winter’s sleep. And all the new baby cows and horses and birds coming back to their summer playgrounds.
    🐴 🐮 🐦

  51. After the bleak appearance of the trees, grass, and other plants during winter, the fresh, bright colors of spring are exceedingly welcome. This winter Houston had a deep freeze for a week, and many of the trees and plants in our yards died. When green started appearing in the lawn, in the leaves on the trees and bushes, and bright colors in the flowering plants like amaryllis, our spirits brightened and we rejoiced with the new life. What an encouragement that God renews us as well as nature!

  55. My favorite thing about Spring? New beauty every day. How God loves us. He put so much variety and beauty into creating our temporary home.
    Also, this quote from Martin Luther comes to life – “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection in every leaf in springtime.”

  57. We live in Colorado where rain is a gift.
    I love our spring snows (wet and heavy) and the the bulbs which poke up and bloom soon after them.

  59. There is so much to love about Spring and, being in Kansas, I’m still waiting for them–feeling the warmth of the sun, bright sunny days, longer days, seeing a variety of colors in the blooming flowers! Love them all!

  60. My favorite thing about spring is watching the flora come to life again after “sleeping” through the winter months. It’s fun to watch things grow! Thankful our creative God made such beautiful things for us to enjoy.

  62. Spring is my favorite time of year watching the new growth of the trees, flowers, and knowing our God is in control.

  63. Listening and watching the birds and all my flowers and fruit trees blooming.Blessings

  64. I like the freshness of Spring – after the dullness of Winter comes beautiful green grass, blossoms of flowers, trees sporting their leaves, and birds singing.

  66. I love the fresh, crisp air that comes after a rain in the spring. It’s a chance to wash away and start anew.

  67. My favorite thing about Spring is all the beautiful wildflowers we have here in AR. My husband & I took a walk in one of our state parks & saw & photographed some we had never seen before.

  70. My favorite thing about spring is the peepers. I love their sound–they are telling everything to wake up. Their sound is so comforting after cold winter months. They make me want to do spring cleaning, go outside for walks—-I love the peepers!

  71. I enjoy all the flowers & trees blooming, the grass turning green, the return of the hummingbirds, the finches singing to me every morning. It reminds me of hope & joy through God’s grace.

  74. My favorite thing about spring is the beautiful flowers. I check our gardens most every day to see what has visibly grown and if anything new has bloomed.

  78. I live in South Carolina, so we see signs of spring pretty early. I love seeing those first daffodils open up. All the flowering trees are lovely too!

  79. My favorite thing about Spring is the awakening of the earth as new growth emerges in my garden and birds return with their songs..

  82. My favorite thing about spring is the new life whether in animals or in flowers or in the sprouts of my tomato plants. Starting with Easter knowing because of the resurrection of Jesus giving us a chance to a new life to the earth giving of our vegetation, to watching the bunnies and squirrels and chipmunks in the yard running around gives spring a new meaning.

  83. Color! Flowers, rainbows, blue skies, green trees and grass…God’s infinite variety in His creation.

  84. AND THE WINNER IS…Phyllis Bullock! Congratulations, Phyllis! Please send me your snail mail address to debraney@mac.com and I’ll get your book in the mail to you! Thank you, everyone, for the great comments! Sounds like Spring is a favorite season for a lot of us! Have a wonderful day!

  86. This was an excellent read. LOVED this book so much.
    Blessings to you.
    WArmly
    Gail

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