One of the many perks I’ve delighted in while pursuing my writing career is that of traveling to writers conferences and encountering new people.
Editors and Agents are formidable professionals, but once you meet them in person, you discover a group of warm, funny and charming personalities.
Authors who were only a name at the bottom of a book cover before are suddenly people you would love to call friends, their individualities as different as the genres they write.
One such author is Deborah Raney. I’ve had the privilege of taking a couple of workshops as well as a week-long coaching class from her. A fellow conference attendee beside me described Deb as a girl scout. And indeed, with her vivacious smile and encouraging attitude, Deb fits the description of a cheerful leader who has your best interests at heart.
What you wouldn’t know to look at her is that she is a mother of four grown children who have gifted her with grandchildren. Her love of family and the warmth of home carries over to the books she writes. Deb writes engaging stories that capture your heart, yet all the while tackle the issues. I just finished reading two of her collections—The Hanover Falls Series and the Clayburn, Kansas Novels—and I can highly recommend both.
In the Hanover Falls books, a terrible tragedy strikes a small town and leaves five of its citizens forever changed. Each book is satisfying on its own, but Deb throws in a mysterious twist that carries you to the end of the series.
In the Clayburn, Kansas novels, Deb contrasts small town living with the experiences the characters have lived in larger cities elsewhere—a refreshing look at the healing that comes from community.
If you’ve a reader on your Christmas list, give them a set of Raney’s books. If you visit Deb at her website www.deborahraney.com she’ll redirect you to CBD.com. I ordered mine through them and enjoyed the refreshing discounts they offer. A set of three will barely be the price of a dinner for two at a nice restaurant, so give the series and delight the person you are gifting.