Deborah Raney

Facing an empty nest for the first time since the death of her husband, Dan, three years ago, Tess Everett immerses herself in volunteer work for the Winterset public parks, home of the famous covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa. But when former resident J. W. McRae shows up at one of the bridges with paintbrushes and easel, sparks fly-because J. W. was once married to Tess's late friend Char. Worse, J. W. was a deadbeat dad to Char's son, Wynn-then a college student-who Tess and Dan took under their wings after his mom's death. J. W. hopes to make amends with his son now that there's a new little granddaughter in the picture. But when Tess agrees to rent the backyard garage apartment to J. W., hoping to be a bridge to reconcile father and son, sparks of a different kind are kindled. As their friendship grows, Tess and J. W. must discover if what they have together is worth rearranging their entire lives for. And whether they can build bridges that will mend broken relationships. Bridges is quintessential Deborah Raney: small town charm, a gentle, compelling love story, and enchanting secondary characters. Tamera Alexander, bestselling author of Colors of Truth

Tervetuloa Pohjoismaiden suurimpaan verkkokirjakauppaan! Adlibris kannattaa sananvapautta, ja haluamme edistää kirjallisuuden ja tiedon saatavuutta.

RITA(R) award winning author What if she never came home . . . ? When Mitchell Brannon's beloved wife sets off for home after a conference, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised that Jill's car isn't in the garage. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. "Hey, babe, I'm just now checking out of the hotel, but I'll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you." Hours later, Jill still hasn't returned, and Mitch's irritation turns to dread. When the police come up empty, Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill's best friend, Shelley, to help search. As hours turn into days and days into weeks, Mitch and Shelley's friendship grows ever closer-and decidedly more complicated. Every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth. This novel was originally published in 2013 under the same title.

In the four years since her husband's death, Melanie LaSalle's life has been consumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit. As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can't quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away. But when Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions. Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart. Exploring themes of the importance of truth, loyalty, and trust, A Scarlet Cord illustrates that who we truly are depends little on outward appearances and soley on our relationship with God, and on the fact that through faith in Him, we can find places of comfort, healing, and selfless love. This novel was originally published in 2003 under the same title, and was a Golden Quill Award finalist.

For Claire Anderson, her position as a teacher in Hanover Falls, Missouri is the realization of a long-held dream. In this loving small-town community where her beloved grandmother resides, she attempts to cast aside the memories of her troubled childhood. Michael Meredith finds worth as a nursing care home administrator. Until an unwelcome investigation concerning suspicious deaths among the home's residents threatens his career and his integrity. In the midst of this crisis, friendship blooms and deepens between Michael and Claire-until an agonizing secret is revealed. One that may tear the delicate fabric of their love. Is their faith strong enough to survive their astonishing discovery? Deborah Raney has woven an intriguing tale... Her characters breathe life as they struggle with deep, heartfelt needs. What I loved most was the message that hidden sins and a painful past cannot be stuffed away and forgotten without the cleansing power of God's forgiveness. -an amazon.com reviewer This novel was originally published as Kindred Bond. It has been expanded and updated from the original edition.

AND NOW IT LOOKED AS IF HER LIFE WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME PATH. BUT HER GOD WAS STILL IN THE BUSINESS OF REDEMPTION. After a joyful wedding in Kansas, Natalie Camfield Chambers is back in the village of Timon in South America with her beloved husband, David Chambers. But the adjustments to married life while serving on the mission field in a remote Colombian village along the Rio Guaviare are more than either Natalie or David bargained for. The growing unrest in the country only adds to the challenges they face. When the village is invaded by guerrilla soldiers and one of their Timon neighbors, a young mother, goes missing, Natalie and David find themselves caring for her small daughter, even as Natalie has begun to suspect that she is carrying their own child.

Long ago, Natalie's mother faced an agonizing choice between the two people she loved most, and the difficult resolution to her predicament affects Natalie throughout her young life-fueling a season of teenage rebellion that results in the death of her best friend. As a young woman, Natalie attempts to put her troubles behind her, ultimately finding solace in the arms of a man with close ties to the tragedy. Yet neither time nor love can liberate her from the past. Determined to confront her terrible guilt, Natalie embarks on a journey that will take her thousands of miles from home and straight into the life and heart of a man unlike any she has ever known. Confronted with a decision that echoes the one her mother faced so many years before, Natalie finds herself drawn to two men-each of whom holds a claim to her heart. But the sins of her past must be confronted, and an escape from her guilt found, before her heart will be free to find its home.

Eighteen months after the Grove Street Fire took the life of her husband and four other heroic firefighters, Susan Marlowe thinks she's finally beginning to heal. But then Susan discovers that David carried a secret to his grave. A secret that changes everything she thought their marriage had been. For the sake of their sons, can Susan forgive the unforgivable? Andrea Morley lost her closest friend in the fire. But she has no right to mourn him. Instead, she must forever grieve in silence-because her dearest friend was someone else's husband. Peter Brennan carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. As Hanover Falls' fire chief, he was responsible for the brave firefighters who lost their lives that awful November night. Can he ever shake the feeling that he should have somehow prevented the tragedy? As he tries to rebuild the team at Clemens County's Station 2, it seems he might find comfort in the arms of the woman he least expected. This novel was originally published in 2012 under the same title.

A fire killed his best friend and his lifelong dream ofBEING a firefighter. The same fire killed her husband ANDHER hopes for a family. Can new dreams replace old? Lucas Vermontez was a proud firefighter like his father. Now, not only has he lost his father and his best friend, Zach, in the fire at the Grove Street homeless shelter, but the devoted rookie can no longer do the work he loves after being crippled in the tragic event. When friendship with his buddy's beautiful widow turns into more, he wonders what he could possibly offer Jenna? Jenna Morgan is trying to grieve her husband's death like a proper widow, but the truth is, she never really loved Zach. His death feels more like a relief to her. But that relief is short-lived when she loses her home and the financial support of her in-laws. Now the secrets of her past threaten to destroy her future. Can the two forget the painful past and discover new reasons to live and love? This novel was originally published in 2011 under the same title.

He never thought he'd be widowed...with five young children. She never thought she'd be thirty and still single. But is falling in need the same thing as falling in love? On Thanksgiving Day, Douglas DeVore kissed his beloved wife good-bye, never knowing it would be the last time he'd see her-or their precious daughter, Rachel. Left with five kids to raise on his own, and already juggling two jobs to make ends meet, Doug wonders how he'll manage moment by moment, much less day after day, without Kaye's love and support. When Mickey Valdez, a daycare teacher, hears of the tragedy, she offers to lend a helping hand. After all, it isn't like she has a family of her own waiting for her at home. Her brothers are all happily married, but love seems to have passed her by. Then a spark ignites...but will the flame be too hot to handle? This novel was originally published in 2009 under the same title.

There's one thing she's vowed to never abide in a man...could the horrible rumors be true? Is her life repeating itself? Eight years ago, Vienne Kenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure-just like her father-in this tiny Kansas town? Nine months ago, Jackson Linder left Clayburn with no explanation to anybody. Now he, too, is back. He isn't sure he's ready to face the rumors and well-meaning questions of the town's busybodies. Yet he's determined, once more, to make his art gallery a success-despite the secret that haunts him every day... This novel was originally published in 2008 under the same title.

One morning changed everything about her life. But could it also set her free? Graphic designer Maggie Anderson has lived under her boyfriend's tyranny for nearly two years...until she's carjacked in New York. Will this terrifying experience be the end for Maggie-or the beginning of a freedom greater than she dares imagine? To gain that freedom, she'll have to remember to forget everything about her old life... Trevor Ashlock is existing, day by day, in the little town of Clayburn, Kansas. Surrounded by too many painful reminders of all he's lost, he fills his time with work, trying desperately to forget. Then a compelling and lovely stranger shows up in Clayburn and turns Trevor's world upside down. This novel was originally published in 2007 under the same title.

Her Second Husband Healed the Sorrow of a Tragic Loss. Her First Has Just Returned from the Dead. Which Man Has the Right to Claim Daria's Heart? After two years of serving as a missionary in a remote area of South America, Daria Camfield has returned to the States to mourn her husband, reportedly killed while providing medical aid to a neighboring Colombian village. At first, Daria finds comfort only in the daughter born to her after Nate's tragic death. As she begins to heal, she also finds a listening ear and a tender heart in her new boss, veterinarian Colson Hunter. Determined to move forward with life, Daria ignores the still small voice calling her to wait and accepts Cole's marriage proposal. But after the wedding, Daria's new dream life turns into a nightmare with the arrival of an unbelievable telegram: "Nathan Camfield found alive. Flying into K. C. Int'l. via Bogota..." Now two men have the right to her daughter, her life, and her love. Will Daria return to her beloved first husband, abandoning Cole? Or will she reject Nate and choose the only man her daughter has ever called "Daddy"-a man she has come to cherish with all her heart? This novel was originally published in 2001 under the same title.

Phylicia thought life was passing her by, but maybe this was love's plan all along. . . At twenty-nine, Phylicia Chandler put her life on hold to care for her dying mother with her sisters, Joanna and Britt. Now Mom is gone and their father stuns them all by running off with a woman young enough to be their sister. Life is moving forward all around her, but Phylicia feels stuck-until her father's prot g , Quinn Mitchell, presents the sisters with an intriguing business opportunity to purchase a trio of cottages along the Mighty Mississippi River just outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Joanna and Britt are convinced the three of them should launch a vacation rental venture, but Phylicia remains skeptical. To complicate matters, Quinn soon finds himself falling hard for Phylicia. But how can he pursue this beautiful, talented woman twelve years his junior when she's still reeling over her father's hasty engagement to a younger woman? Quinn is determined to give Phylicia her happily-ever-after. But first, he must help her come to terms with her discovery of long-held family secrets and persuade her that true love can transcend their differences. This novel was originally published in 2018 under the same title.

Traveling all across the country is exciting...until it isn't anymore. Liesl Bachman enjoys success as a travel writer, but that success comes at a price. Now she feels isolated and stuck in a way she never expected in the "cool" job she always wanted. Zach Freylan is bound by an unspoken promise he made to his beloved wife before her death in a mysterious one-car crash. For two years, he's run The Inn at Rosebud Lane that belonged to Jenny's grandparents, but he finds little joy in maintaining what was always her dream. From the moment Liesl checks in for an extended stay at the inn, something begins to shift inside Zach, letting him dare to hope that his life could be different. Liesl feels that same promise of hope, but the clock is ticking for them both as circumstances only grow more complicated. Is thirty-seven days enough to know for sure that this is God's yes?

Playing for Keeps is the brand-new sequel to Playing by Heart. This new collection contains both of these charming novellas in one volume. InPlaying by Heart, young English professor Arthur Tyler struggles to manage the bed and breakfast he and his wife, Annie, owned before her untimely death. Lonely, he jumps at the chance to offer temporary office space at the inn for the new neighbor of his elderly friend Ginny. It turns out Madeleine Houser is a successful author whose novels Annie had read voraciously. Since Art is always teaching when Maddie is writing at the inn, they've never met, but learn to know each other through daily notes and text messages. A major misunderstanding takes a decidedly romantic turn when Art and Maddie finally meet and discover each other's true identity. Even so, there are obstacles to overcome before their romance can blossom. The love story of Art and Maddie continues in Playing for Keeps. But their fledgling marriage faces challenges when expectations collide. Now, newlyweds Art and Maddie are struggling to find their way together. When Maddie is offered a chance to take a research trip to Paris, it appears a short separation might help them both figure out what happily-ever-after looks like for them. Yet even the beautiful City of Lights is lonely without the man she loves with all her heart, and with five thousand miles separating them, how can they ever work things out when different time zones and frenzied schedules conspire to keep them incommunicado? Playing by Heart, a Carol Award winner and Christy Award finalist, was originally published in 2004. In 2014 the story was revised and published as A January Bride, part of the Winter Brides collection. Now, two decades later in 2024, Raney Day Press is delighted to offer Playing for Keeps, the all new sequel to Playing by Heart, both collected in this two-novella volume.

"In this heartwarming compilation, three talented authors bring us the perfect blend of small-town nostalgia and holiday warmth . . . as] timeless as the notes of a favorite carol and as softly luminous as lights twinkling on an evergreen tree."--Amanda Barratt, Christy Award-winning author of The White Rose Resists In this charming collection of novellas, join three generations of Mapleview, Michigan, residents longing for love--and finding it--on the most wonderful night of the year. "Hopes and Fears" by Amanda WenEmma Trowbridge is determined to give her students the Christmas pageant of a lifetime. The last person she expected, or wanted, to encounter in her two-room classroom is her childhood rival, Frederick Oberstein. He would rather be far away himself. He wants no part of cheer, Christmas or otherwise. Can they learn to see each other in a new light--and embrace a new season of hope and faith together? "While Mortals Sleep" by Janyre TrompWhile World War II rages overseas, news reporter Eleanor Sweers returns home to Mapleview to face the repercussions of the death of her sister and her nightmare of Christmases past. But the homefront isn't as far from the war as she thought: a bomb has landed in the middle of the U. S. Now Eleanor and family friend Gideon Braum may have to choose between the scoop of a lifetime and the love of a lifetime. "The Wondrous Gift" by Deborah RaneyHigh school football coach Caleb Janssen and music teacher Rachel Hamblin bond when they both lose their jobs at a Christian school. But when they discover their plans for the future are mutually exclusive, the fallout threatens to tear them apart.