Whether in a quaint home bakery in Langhorne, Missouri, a cozy boho coffee shop in Maple Valley, Iowa, or a charming lakeside cottage in Sweethaven, Michigan, love grows best in small towns just like this!Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the e-copy of my novel, The Guy I'm Not Dating, is:
debbiewilder@...
Congratulations! I'll e-mail your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.
And now let's chat with novelist Deborah Raney, co-author of the women's fiction novella collection, Right Where We Belong (Amazon Digital, April 2017).
Deborah Raney's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after 20 happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Since then, her books have won numerous awards including the RITA®, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, the Carol Award, and have three times been Christy Award finalists. Deb's novel, Home at Last, the final book in The Chicory Inn Novels series for Abingdon Press, released in February.
She enjoys teaching at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband, Ken Raney, traded small-town life in Kansas––the setting of many of Deb's novels––for life in the friendly city of Wichita where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.
Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.
Many people know that I have four children, but they may not know that those kids are walking miracles, since I was told as a teen by several doctors that I would never be able to conceive. Our kids are spread out over three decades: Our oldest son was born in the 70s, our middle two in the 80s, and our baby was born in 1990. 😋
I definitely didn't know that, Deb! Wow, miracles, indeed.
Please tell us a bit more about the plots of the novellas in the collection.
In Deborah Raney’s A Langhorne Romance: Lily O'Neal's thriving at-home bakery means working alone in her state-of-the-art kitchen, so how's she ever supposed to meet the man of her dreams? But when delivery truck driver, Gage Simmons, shows up at her door—crooked grin and all—she can't help making sure he has a reason to return...even if it means ordering her supplies one at a time.In Melissa Tagg’s A Maple Valley Romance: After years of mistakes and regret, coffee shop owner Megan Harrow has finally built a new life for herself and her daughter in quirky, but charming Maple Valley. But she’s not ready for the sparks that fly when she meets local nonprofit owner Eric Hampton ... or for the sudden reappearance of an unwelcome face from her past.
In Courtney Walsh's A Sweethaven Romance: Eleanor Waverly is practically Sweethaven royalty, but her comfortable, cushy world is turned upside-down when she discovers an old map hidden in the bottom of a 125-year-old time capsule. Her only hope of uncovering the truth lies with local firefighter (and Waverly rival) Jason Holloway, and with his piercing eyes and troubled past, it's clear from the start it's not only her way of life that's on the line, it's her heart.
What is it about Lily that will make your readers care about her?
Lily is somewhat lonely (since her parents have gone off to be missionaries, leaving her to run the in-home bakery business she and her mother started) and wondering how she’ll ever meet someone special when she works from home.
You know, I think there are so many people today who struggle with that social dilemma. I'm so glad I'm not on the dating scene!
What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?
I recently finished reading Christina Suzann Nelson’s If We Make It Home for endorsement. I thoroughly enjoyed it and especially liked the fact that the novel asked hard questions about what would you do in the characters’ shoes? To me the perfect combination in a novel is entertainment and enlightenment and this book has both.
What are you working on now?
Recently I’ve been able to get the rights back to many of my older novels, and Ken and I are having a blast working together to get them back in print through our Raney Day Press. Ken is a talented graphic designer and illustrator and he’s created some gorgeous new covers to update my books. In the midst of that task, I’m also finishing a novel I started a few years ago and never completed. Set in small-town Winterset, Iowa, home of the beautiful bridges of Madison County, it’s the story of two disillusioned people who begin to find joy and hope as God intertwines the events of their lives.
I think the emergence of independent publishing has enabled a lot of Inspirational authors to produce fiction that might not fit within the traditional parameters. It's an exciting time for writers and readers.
Where else can readers find you online?
www.deborahraney.com
DRreadergroup
Amazon Author Page
DRGoodReads
novelgarden.blogspot.com
inspiredbylifeandfiction.com
The book can be purchased online via the following button:
Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?
I’d love to know what is your very favorite setting for a novel? Whether your answer is specific (like stories set in a certain state, small town, or city) or more general (such as a ranch or resort, or a foreign country), I’m always curious what attracts readers when they think of a novel’s setting.
Thanks, Deb, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Deborah has offered to give away an e-copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Deb's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. Many commenters are left out of the drawing because they forget to include a way for me to notify them of their win (their email).
Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.
Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE
16 comments:
I can really relate to you about having kids in three decades. Ours were born in '72, '75, '85 &'91! Although I didn't have the problem of being told I couldn't conceive. The youngest is now 26--- hard to believe. I was 42 when I had him. Now we are retired. Just got news last night that our only daughter is due with baby #4 in March!
My favorite setting for a novel is a quaint small town with Victorian houses and a still intact Main Street and square with a bandshell! If contemporary, maybe renovated but still keep the old time feel.
I looked at the pictures of your trip to Wichita and that downtown looks great!
paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
Don't enter me I've already read and reviewed. I love books set near the beach. It's my happy place and because I don't get to go very often I can "travel there in the books I read".
I like ranches and western settings. I like historical fiction best. I also like books written about the northern states because I've not traveled in the extreme northwest and northeast. lemon ade050 athotmail dot c o m.
I love country settings. Whether a small town or a ranch...stories full of nature and clean living in the country is the best for me. mauback55 at gmail dot com
For some reason I have always enjoyed books about the Oregon Trail and the settling of the American west. I might seem a bit odd because they endured some very hard things!
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
If I had a choice to go to the beach or the mountains, the beach would win hands down every time.
So my favorite setting for a book would be the beach.
Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
I love a setting in a small town.
mindyhoung(at)msn(dot)com
I'm not too picky about location in a book! I feel like I'm able to travel without leaving my home through the pages of a book :-) As long as it's well written, I'll read it.
I do live in a small town so if I read a book set in one, I feel connected to it because I understand small town living. Both the ups and downs, lol! When an author can correctly portray that, it makes me smile. Thank you for the fun interview and giveaway. Three great authors in one book is fantastic!
teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com
I am a subscriber Trish :-)
I have to agree with those of you who aren't all that picky about setting. I like being taken away, whether it's someplace familiar or someplace I'll never see in real life. I will say I find myself shying away from dystopian settings these days...
I've loved hearing all your comments. I personally love small-town settings, but sometimes it's fun to be taken away to a completely different and unfamiliar place. I love foreign settings for that reason. Thanks for all the great input!
I like a setting with historical significance.
I like historical settings, whether it is in the regency England era or our early pioneer days. I love the long dresses. I used to wish I had been born back then......until I learned how hard it really was! Our early pioneer women were totally awesome!
I enjoy reading books about different settings because then I find out about different places in the world and I love books that keep me entertained such as yours!
I'm seeing a lot of answers without email addresses in the chat. Just as a reminder, I won't be able to enter you in the drawing without your email address. Be sure to break it up as others have, and bon chance!
I love settings in the mountains & on a lake. :)
smincer10(at)gmail(dot)com
Hey Deb! I enjoy lots of different settings. From small coastal towns to London. I love a well written story with a strong message of hope.
psalm103and138 at gmail dot com
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