5 {FUN} Questions With Christian Fiction Author Deb Raney

Last night, after a very busy two weeks, I decided I just needed to breathe for an hour or two. No kids. No talking. Just me, alone with my thoughts. There's pretty much only one place to do that. Barnes and Noble. 

It is, without a doubt, my favorite place in the world. Ok, maybe that's generous, but understand my deep, passionate love for this store. 

I walked around, thinking about books, inhaling the Starbucks and dreaming up new stories...

And of course, I did some very important undercover work as well. 

I went into the Christian fiction section, found my book and a few of my friends' new releases and placed them all face forward on the shelf. I like to do my part. And it makes you feel somehow like you have control over whether or not someone happens to pick up a book you love (or have written.) 

I'm excited because this week, I'm sharing with you fun interviews from three of my favorite authors...all wonderful women who I consider friends.

And you'll have the chance to win the hot-off-the-presses
releases from all three of them. 

Swoony, right? 

First up is my dear, sweet Deb Raney. 

(This picture makes me want to cut my hair...) 

I call her "my Deb" which is a funny story for another day. You've probably heard me mention her, but maybe I haven't stressed to you how much grace this woman extends. 

After our first meeting, you'd think she would've done one of those pretend-I-don't-see-her-waving-at-me kind of things and run in the opposite direction...but so far, she still talks to me. 

Last year, at our writer's conference, my idiocy continued where Deb was concerned...I brought her this sweet little composition book not unlike this one:

Just to thank her for being so nice and answering so many of my writerly questions. 

At that time I was highly addicted to Coke. (The drink, not the drug.) It's an addiction that comes and goes (right now it's gone, thank God...) The night before the conference began, I grabbed a fountain Coke and took it back to my room. As I was setting my things down, somehow I got all tangled up (this happens on a fairly regular basis) and knocked the Coke upside down where it promptly tumbled into my purse and spilled all over Deb's gift. 

Any normal person wouldn't have given this sticky-gift, but I was so in love with the quote on the front of the notebook, I gave it to her anyway. 

Well, as you can see here, she is so gracious, she still has that Coke-stained notebook sitting on her desk (under the old school typewriter)...

I have many stories that celebrate my clumsiness, but I'll spare you.

For now, I have more important things to talk about...mainly, Deb's new book, After All. 

The thing I really love about this book is that it drew me right into the character's world, and in many ways, I felt like I made new friends. I found myself completely gripped by their stories and anxious to turn each page and find out more of what would unfold.

This is an author who knows how to captivate a reader, and I cannot recommend this book (and the whole Hanover Falls series) highly enough! 

So, in honor of Deb's new book hitting the shelves (truly, I found it at B&N):

(blurry photo courtesy of my iPhone)

Anyway...in honor of this awesome read...here are FIVE fun questions with Deb Raney! 

1. I'm not the only clumsy one...don't you have a funny story about your wedding ring?

I'm not sure it's funny, but if I don't laugh, I'll cry. And it's wedding ringS plural. I've only lost 3 of them. And I promise I really, really do love my husband and WANT to be married to him. But in spite of always carefully checking the prongs on my engagement ring, somehow, after about a dozen years of wedded bliss, the stone fell out. Lost in our house. I didn't vacuum for weeks. ; ) Wonder of wonders, a few months later I found it (in shag carpet, no less! And this was not a large stone.) We had the stone reset and I happily wore it for a few more years.

Then one night we were leaving one of our kids' basketball games and I felt something sharp, and realized, once again, my diamond was gone from the set. I didn't even try to look for it in that huge gymnasium––I wasn't even positive that's where it had happened. So I put my engagement ring, sans diamond, in a drawer and went ringless for a few years.

Fast forward a few more years and my novel had been made into a movie and Ken and I were invited to the film premiere in Hollywood! I did not want to go to the premiere of a movie called A Vow to Cherish without a wedding ring! But we had a kid in college and money was tight so I decided it wasn't the best time to buy a diamond. Mentioned that to my mom, who presented me with her beautiful wedding ring! To keep! (Her arthritic fingers wouldn't let her wear it anymore.) I wore it proudly to the premiere and for many years after. Then, one day, I looked down, and the diamond was gone! To this day I have NO idea how. Or why I'm SO hard on diamonds. I have both sets and someday hope to put stones back in them––but I think it might be wise to go with a nice rhinestone or maybe a CZ. : }

 

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

That's SUCH a tough question because I have people I love all over the world! I love Kansas and the changing seasons, but now that two of our kids and three of our grandkids are in Missouri, it calls my name pretty loudly, too. If money were no object and I could fly to and fro with ease, I'd probably live somewhere in Europe! York, maybe––in the little stone cottage where my great-great-grandparents lived. 

3. Describe yourself in three words. 

Blessed. Content. Loved.

4. What is your favorite meal?

I adore breakfast for supper. Waffles, bacon and eggs with a great cup of coffee is a perfect meal, but especially in the evening! 

5. Tell us a little bit about your house and garden. How do they inspire you in your writing?

When we bought our house, it had a plain vanilla rectangle of a backyard with sparse grass and a few scrawny trees. My husband has recreated the Kansas prairie in our yard and when I'm there I think that must be a little what Heaven is like (minus the bugs and the wind, of course.) You can see photos (before and afters too) athttp://kansasprairiegarden.blogspot.com

So, if you're looking for a great read, I highly recommend this book (and the entire series) and will be bundling it with two more fabulous books for a fun giveaway on Thursday!