The Blessing of Daughters

ByDeborah Raney
12 Comments

For the last few years since we moved to Missouri, my daughters, Tobi and Tavia, have given me the gift of their time with a day of antique-ing and a slumber party where we talk into the wee hours of the morning. That happened this past week and it was so much fun. Highlight of my year!

Here we are with our haul from an early morning of garage sale-ing. We came home for brunch and then later we went out again to several antique shops.

And of course, we had lunch…and dinner. Discovered two great new-to-us restaurants in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and amazingly, it was nice enough to sit outside in the evening!

Our daughters are ten years apart in age. Sometimes we say that Tobi practically raised Tavia, and if that’s true, she did a great job. It’s so wonderful to see them now, as adults, both teachers, both moms, being such great friends.

My girls also happen to be great editors, and they were among five who edited/critiqued/proofread my newest novel before it was published. They are my biggest cheerleaders, so we were also celebrating the release of Who Names the Stars this past week. For so many reasons (not the least of which is that they’ve given me seven precious grandkids between them!) I feel so very blessed to have these daughters in my life, and I’m so happy that we moved to Missouri seven years ago to be closer to them and be a bigger part of their lives.

Who Names the Stars is available as an ebook, print book, and will soon be available as an audiobook. You can purchase it by clicking on the bookcover above. For the last few days, it has been the #1 New Release in Women’s Christian Fiction. This is the third book in The God Who series, but all the books stand alone so they can be read in any order. A huge thank-you to those of you who have already purchased or reviewed it.

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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.

12 Comments

  1. Love these pics, Deb, and this tradition with your daughters. And antiquing! So much fun. Congrats again on your newest release. Ken’s covers with this series are so pretty!

    1. Thanks so much, Tammy! You know I wouldn’t want to do this without you alongside me! And yes, I love Ken’s covers too! They just really have captured the vision for this series, and I appreciate his talent and skill SO much!

  2. Hi Deb, what a blessing to live near and be able to enjoy time with your daughters. It looks like you have much in common to keep you close.

    1. We do have a lot in common, Carrie. We joke that it’s surprising we don’t fight over certain items in the antique shops and garage sales! But instead, we know each other’s taste so well that we’re always finding things to point out to each other! 🙂

  3. Thanks for a look at your wonderful family time. I recently returned from three weeks in California with my daughter and her family. There is nothing better. Looking forward to your new book

  4. Love this! My oldest daughter is always my first reader as well. And my younger three girls and I just enjoyed an afternoon of thrifting and shopping over the weekend after spending time with my mom (why we moved back to NC). Family, books, and antiques always make for a good time. Congratulations on your latest release!

    1. Awww, that’s so cool that you and your daughters enjoy thrifting too. I’m so thankful we moved to be closer to my girls, even though I miss my Kansas family deeply!

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