The Best Part of Being a Novelist

ByDeborah Raney
8 Comments

As you are reading this, I am in Phoenix hugging the necks of a whole bunch of writer friends and feeling both sad to say goodbye, and filled to the brim with joy and inspiration because of the wonderful time of fellowship we had over this past weekend. We met at the beautiful Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, AZ and the weather was just perfect!

Our sessions were held in this building with beautiful views outside to the landscaping.

I am an extrovert and I’m not sure I could have continued writing for 30-plus years if not for the wonderful friendship of other writers like these.

During one of our sessions on Friday.

Many from this group used to get together every summer the same week the Christian Booksellers Association convention was held. We’ve met in New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando, Denver, and probably other places I’m forgetting. Things have changed in the publishing industry, and the convention no longer offers a set time and place for us to gather, but we find opportunities to meet up as we are able.

These dear friends are one of the very best parts of being a novelist, and I am beyond grateful for the inspiration, education, and camaraderie their friendship offers me. Even when we can’t be together in person, I interact with many of these writers daily or weekly online in various author groups.

Today, Ken and I are headed to California to camp and visit his brother’s and sister’s families who live there, but I’ll leave you with some photos of our time together with some writers I’m sure you know, including our own dear Cara and Robin!

Left to right, Melanie Dobson, Roxy Henke, Robin Lee Hatcher, Susan Meissner, Deb Raney, Cara Putman

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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.

8 Comments

  1. My first thought about the group of writers was “iron sharpening iron”. I’m so glad the fellowship of you writers is so uplifting!

  2. So fun! I was sorry I couldn’t be there. But it makes me so happy to see so many familiar faces together in your pictures!

  3. LOVE this pic and love that so many of you got to be together. So many sweet faces and smiles, and so many wonderful relationships spanning the years for me, too. Happy travels, my friend, and I look forward to our paths crossing soon!

    1. We missed you, Tammy, but yes, so many years of great memories with some of these writer friends. And got to know some writers I’d only met in passing before, and that was wonderful, too!

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