Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Family readers (and a Cyber Monday deal)

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My family members were some of my earliest critics, reading my manuscript before I ever even tried to get published. Ken, the world’s most supportive husband, first read the prologue of the manuscript that would become my first novel, A Vow to Cherish, and deeply encouraged me. I’m not sure I would have continued without his affirming words. But he gave me the courage with his words: “This is good, babe! Keep writing.”

And so I did. My late mom, another of my greatest encouragers (and a clever writer herself), was the first person I told after Ken and my kids that I was trying to write a book. I kept it a secret from most everyone for a long time, terrified that this would be like so many other “hobbies” in my life, and that again, I would quit before I finished. But I did finish and for years, my parents read everything I wrote, with my dad serving as my go-to consultant for many research questions.

Both my daughters have a real talent for writing themselves. Our oldest daughter, a high schooler when I started my career, was a great proofreader. And when our youngest daughter was eight, we took turns reading A Nest of Sparrows, my seventh novel, aloud. We giggled over how many times I had my hero winking. Alas, the book had already been published and it was too late to change that nervous tic. (Although I did delete a few of those winks when Raney Day Press reissued the book two years ago.)

Our oldest son read a couple of my books when he was in college, only because he was donating plasma and discovered they would only allow reading (no TV or video games), so he grabbed the first book he could find before dashing off to the blood center. But he had encouraging things to say about my stories.

When our precious then-future daughter-in-law discovered that our youngest son had never read one of my books, she essentially refused to marry him until he’d remedied that. He read A Nest of Sparrows and called me from college to tell me how much he’d enjoyed it. I thought he was teasing me until his tone convinced me otherwise.

Since my recent stories have been set in Southeast Missouri near where both our sons-in-law grew up and attended college, they often help me with research questions about the area and about what my heroes their ages would say or do in certain situations.

I got this fun photo of our youngest daughter and her husband in a text last week. She said: “We’re reading on the couch and drinking tea like old folks… Our night has a theme though!”

I can’t tell you how much that tickled me! I guess this past Thanksgiving weekend got me thinking about the blessings in my life, and particularly in my life as a writer. And my reading family is definitely at the top of the list.

The readers of this blog are high on my list of people I’m thankful for as well! And I wanted to let you know about a Cyber Monday deal my publisher is offering readers today:
From November 26-30, readers can use the promo code 25BREATHE to receive 25% off their order. Check out the deal here. 
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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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