Raney, Deborah 1955–

PERSONAL: Born 1955, in TX; father a farmer; mother a homemaker; married Ken Raney (an artist and advertising manager), 1974; children: two sons, two daughters. Education: Attended Emporia State University, 1973–74, and Kansas State University, 1974–75. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, music, indoor gardening.

ADDRESSES: Home—KS. Agent—Steve Laube, Steve Laube Agency, 5501 N. 7th Ave., Ste. 502, Phoenix, AZ 85013. E-mail—debraney@mac.com.

CAREER: Novelist, 1994–. Keynote speaker at writers conferences and women's events.

MEMBER: Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, ChiLibris Authors Group, Writers View.

AWARDS, HONORS: Angel Award, Excellence in Media, 1997, for A Vow to Cherish; RITA Award, Romance Writers of America, and reviewers choice, inspirational novel of the year, Romantic Times Book Club magazine, both 2002, for Beneath a Southern Sky; National Readers Choice Award, 2003, for Playing by Heart; American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year, 2006, for Over the Waters.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

A Vow to Cherish, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1996, expanded and updated edition, Steeple Hill Books (New York, NY), 2006.

In the Still of Night, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Kindred Bond, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1998.

Beneath a Southern Sky, WaterBrook Press (New York, NY), 2001.

After the Rains, WaterBrook Press (New York, NY), 2002.

A Scarlet Cord, WaterBrook Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Playing by Heart (novella), Barbour Publishing (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003.

A Nest of Sparrows, WaterBrook Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Over the Waters, Steeple Hill Books (Buffalo, NY), 2005.

Remember to Forget, Howard Books (New York, NY), 2007.

OTHER

(With Vicky Miller) Children's Sermons to Go, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 1998.

(With Vicky Miller) More Children's Sermons to Go, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 2001.

Contributor to books, including A Currier and Ives Christmas: Four Stories of Love Come to Life from the Canvas of Classic Christmas Art, Barbour Publishing (Uhrichsville, OH), 2002; The Storytellers' Collection, Volumes 1 and 2, Multnomah; Teatime Stories for Women; Teatime Stories for Mothers; and Missouri Memories, Barbour Publishing (Uhrichsville, OH), 2007. Contributor of articles to periodicals, including Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, Writer's Digest, Christian Parenting Today, Arrington's Inn Traveler, Mom-to-Mom, and Welcome Home.

ADAPTATIONS: A Vow to Cherish was filmed by World Wide Pictures.

SIDELIGHTS: Deborah Raney has written several romance and inspirational novels, including the award-winning titles A Vow to Cherish and Beneath a Southern Sky. In the latter, a woman seeks guidance from God in making a choice between honoring the memory of the missionary husband she thinks is dead and making a future with the new man in her life. In the novel's sequel, After the Rains, the woman's choice is shown to affect her daughter, a teen who feels lost without the knowledge of her true father and decides travel to Colombia in search of him. While taking issue with some stylistics, a Publishers Weekly contributor found favor with Raney's "compelling message that God can redeem poor choices, no matter how tragic the initial consequences."

Raney once told CA: "As a seat-of-the-pants or 'intuitive' writer, I find the process of writing a book nearly as much fun as reading a great novel. I love experiencing the discovery of plot and characters much as my reader will. As a Christian, I write from a Judeo-Christian worldview. And although I have written a short historical novel, I find that I am much more captivated by contemporary issues and characters."

Recently she added: "I have enjoyed teaching at writers conferences across the country. I love sharing what I've learned about the writing process and have had the pleasure of seeing many aspiring-writer friends become published."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Christian Parenting Today, May, 2001, Deborah Raney, "Parenting Teens and Toddlers—at the Same Time!," p. 46.

Independent Sunday (London, England), October 20, 2002, Elizabeth Boston, review of Beneath a Southern Sky, p. 21.

Library Journal, February 1, 1996, Henry Carrigan, Jr., review of A Vow to Cherish, p. 66; February 1, 1997, Melissa Hudak, review of In the Still of the Night, p. 68.

Publishers Weekly, August 26, 2002, review of After the Rains, p. 43.

ONLINE

Deborah Raney Home Page, http://www.deborahraney.com (February 14, 2007).