Deborah Raney and Free Books!

Reeling from the death of her mother and the loss of her dream of becoming an attorney, Joanna Chandler is falling for a man whose circumstances might take her even further from the life she’s dreamed of for herself.

Before we talk with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free e-copy of Kathy McKinsey's children's Christmas book, Millie's Christmas, is:

fishingjan@...

Congratulations! We'll get 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 learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's revisit novelist Deborah Raney, author of the women’s fiction book (with a strong romantic thread), Chasing Dreams (Kregel, October 2019).

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. Twenty-five years, thirty-five books, and numerous awards 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 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, Thursday garage sale dates, and breakfast on the screened porch overlooking their wooded backyard.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

My husband spent almost a year trying to convince me to sell everything we own, buy a (tiny!) RV, and travel the country with him for a year. I love the man with all my heart, but I told him that idea wasn’t even on my Top 1000 list, let alone my top 10!

We finally reached a compromise we’re both happy with. I got to keep my stuff, we moved to Missouri where our two daughters live, and in September, we embarked on our first more-than-overnight trip in Meriwether (what we call our Winnebago Travato camper van, named after another explorer who wanted to experience the grandeur of this beautiful country.)

So far, so good… (You can follow our adventures on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/raneydaytrippin/

What a great compromise. A little of both. And I can attest to the emotional benefits of living near the kids and grandkids!

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Chasing Dreams.

Joanna Chandler always dreamed of becoming an attorney. But when she left law school to help care for her dying mother, stepping away from her single-minded pursuit gave her space to reconsider. The only question is, if not law, what should she do with her life?

To keep her mind off an uncertain future, Joanna helps her older sister, Phylicia, throw an amazing outdoor wedding on the charming Missouri property the three Chandler sisters own together. That's when she realizes wedding planning could be a thriving business of its own. And Lukas Blaine, the handsome wedding DJ, opens her mind to the possibility of love on the horizon.

But there's more to Luke than meets the eye. The young boy he's been mentoring has lost his mother and become Luke's ward. Mateo is sullen and angry and needs constant attention. How can Luke possibly find the time to start a new relationship or saddle someone else with a wounded child? He may have to let go of the woman of his dreams--and crush her dreams at the same time.

What is it about Joanna that will make your readers care about her?

Joanna Chandler is still grieving the death of her mother and the loss of her dream career. Now, she’s fallen in love with a man whose circumstances will surely take her even further from the life she’s dreamed of for herself.

I think we can all identify with the difficulty of changes in our life plans!

Author Robin Jones Gunn once said all inspirational authors eventually get a sense of an overall theme God has given them for their stories. What do you think your overall theme is?

I couldn’t agree with Robin more! Very early on in my career, I realized that the theme of nearly all my books—even when I try to steer to a different theme!—is redemption: the idea that God can take a life that is a mess and redeem it to become something beautiful.

That's a lovely theme to look forward to in one's reading.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I was honored to endorse Jim Rubart’s The Pages of Her Life, and I highly recommend it (and any of Jim’s books!) I loved it because it is brimming with wonderful characters and it surprised me at several turns!

He really is so talented and creative.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing the third book in the Chandler Sisters Novels series, Finding Wings. I’ve loved writing these sisters stories and exploring sister relationships like the one I have with my own sweet sisters.

Where else can readers find you online?

DRreadergroup
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Inspired by Life and Fiction
Goodreads

Here’s the link to the first chapter of Chasing Dreams, from ACFW’s Fiction Finder: FictionFinder.com

The novel can be purchased online via the following button:



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

I would love to know what kind of information you’d like to hear from your favorite authors on social media? I’m always looking for new ways to interact with my readers, and I love social media for that reason, but I also don’t want to bore readers with the mundane details of my daily life. So what kinds of things do you want to know about the authors you read? Do tell, readers!

Thank you, Deborah, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your novel. Readers, Deborah has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. 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. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Remember that Winged Publications is having a sale on its Christmas-themed novellas, novels, and collections. See the details HERE.

And for a couple more days (through October 31), you can get my romantic suspense, A Special Kind of Double, for only 99 cents:



Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE

Deborah Raney and Free Books!

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
Facebook
DRreadergroup
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
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