Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas - featuring Deborah Raney!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

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The Snowflake Party By Deborah Raney

The first snow of winter hasn’t fallen yet, but in our kitchen tonight we’re doing a pretty good imitation. The whole family is circled around the huge old oak table. The snip, snip, snip of scissors is background music as tiny scraps of white paper float down, making our floor look like a giant brownie sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Tonight has turned out to be the night for our annual Snowflake Party, a tradition that began when our children were toddlers. There has never been a date blocked out in red on our calendar, but one day we wake up and the brisk autumn air has turned bitter cold. Naked tree branches trace their stark calligraphy on a dull grey sky and we need a taste of the joyful promises of Christmas and snow. It’s the perfect time for a party.

On such a day, one of the kids will fly in the back door, fresh home from school, and declare “Hey, Mom! Tonight would be a good night for the Snowflake Party!” First we round up every pair of scissors in the house. This is one time when sharing is not a virtue. While the kids search for scissors, I cut white paper into squares and fold them caddy-corner multiple times. The resulting triangles are artfully arranged in a basket, awaiting the beginning of the party.

Later, while the supper dishes dry on the counter, I recruit a volunteer to help me stir up a big pot of hot cocoa. For the next hour it will warm on the back burner, tantalizing us with its aroma.

Now the fun begins with careful cutting and snipping, shaping plain white paper into intricate works of art. Each snowflake we create seems as unique and spectacular as the genuine variety created by God himself. As each masterpiece is unfolded, collective oohs and aahs go up.

When the last dregs of our creative juices are drained, Dad oversees the vacuum patrol while I pour cocoa into generous mugs. We spread our handiwork on the floor around us and sit, quietly admiring our work while we dunk marshmallows and sip rich chocolate.

With empty mugs piled up in the sink, it’s time for the judging to begin. There will be awards for ‘prettiest’, ‘most unusual’, and as many other categories as we need for everyone to be a winner. Dad is the judge because he studied art in college. He also usually wins one of the top prizes––because he studied art in college.

Snowflakes deemed runners-up might be pasted in scrapbooks or hung on the refrigerator. A few even “melt” into the trash that very night. But the winners are taped proudly to the picture windows in the living room for passersby to enjoy while they long for the day when genuine snowflakes will color the world clean and white.

Our oldest daughter went away to college last September. She called just after Thanksgiving to tell me that her dorm window was covered with snowflakes. No, not the real thing, but the ones she remembers from her childhood––paper ones that she spent an entire evening cutting and snipping while sipping hot cocoa.

That’s the neat thing about traditions: They go with us no matter how far from home we travel.

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DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. After All, third in her Hanover Falls Novels series will release next spring from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. Their four children are grown now and having snowflake parties with their own children––and they all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the website at www.deborahraney.com.

‘Forever After: A Hanover Falls Novel’ by Deborah Raney – Book Review

I had the good fortune to just finish reading ‘Forever After,’ the second novel in Deborah Raney’s ‘Hanover Falls’ series. Having enjoyed the first book in the series, ‘Almost Forever,’ I was anxious to read this one. And I was not disappointed!

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

A fire killed his best friend and his lifelong dream of being a firefighter. The same fire killed her husband and hopes for a family. Can new dreams be replaced?

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 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 could he 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 past threatens to destroy her future.

Can the two forget the painful past and discover new reasons to live and love?

Here is the biography of the author:

Deborah Raney dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books and discovered that a little Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. After a happy twenty-year detour, as a stay-at-home wife and mom, Deb began her writing career. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same name. Since then, her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers’ Choice Award; she is also a two-time Christy Award finalist. Raney enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences across the country. She and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in their native Kansas. The Raneys enjoy gardening, antiquing, art museums, movies, and traveling to visit four grown children and small grandchildren who live much too far away.

Deborah loves hearing from her readers. To e-mail her or to learn more about her books, please visit her website or write to Deborah in care of Howard Books, 216 Centerview Dr., Suite 303, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Here is the trailer for this book:

I saw a lot of myself in the main character of Jenna Morgan, in terms of the poverty and difficult home life that she endured as a little girl. Going along with that, I also was exasperated by her at times! She was a little bratty toward poor Lucas more than once, and he extended a lot more grace toward her than I was! Fortunately, she made some decisions in her life later on in the book that changed her character and made her more likeable. It was a relief, quite frankly!

It was interesting to see how Jenna related to people based on her view of herself and her past (it is hard to get past the issues in our formative years). Here is the explanation of the relationship between her and her mother-in-law:

Clarissa had quickly become the mother Jenna’s own mother could never be to her. She’d never treated Jenna like trailer trash, but taught her how to dress, how to do her makeup, and later – after she and Zach were married – taught her how to hold her head high and act as if she deserved to carry the Morgan name.

It had taken a dozen years of Clarissa’s mentoring, but most days Jenna could almost believe she was worthy of associating with Bill and Clarissa’s crowd. Could almost believe she deserved to live in a beautiful home in the Brookside development and that she wouldn’t be turned away trying to gain entrance to her in-laws’ home in Clairemont Hills, the new gated community on the outskirts of Hanover Hills. (p. 11)

I loved how the faith of Lucas positively affected Jenna:

        “I’ll pray you get the job.”

“Thanks.”  She didn’t put a lot of stock in prayer, but it touched her to think of him praying for her. (p. 161)

Despite his faith, there was still some doubt at times:

….Why did this have to happen? The last thing he needed was a setback like this. “Can You cut me a break, God? Come on!” His own voice startled him.

He didn’t usually pray out loud. Or did he dare call that a prayer? The words had come out more like a curse.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. It wasn’t right to take it out on God. He knew better than that. His faith had been tested almost beyond what he could bear in this past year. And still, God had proven faithful every step of the way. Lucas knew beyond doubt that he would never have made it through without God’s presence with him every second. He’d pushed away the memory of the darkest moments of those awful days – times he’d actually prayed to die. God had been there, even then. He was thankful now that God had refused to answer those prayers. Eventually hope had quickened his passion for life again. (p. 187)

Later on in the story, Jenna shared with Lucas that she was comforted and encouraged by the love and faith in God that was in evident in his family. Here he explains what faith and belief feels like to him:

“I’ve gotten past the need to know. There’s just this…feeling inside. Peaceful, I guess is the best way to explain it. I know God has everything under control and whatever happens, as long as I know it, I’m okay.” (p. 329)

Jenna shares her wishes, and Lucas shares his heart for her:

        “I wish I could believe like you,” she said.

“I want that for you, too, Jen. To believe how much God loves you. To have a faith that understands what true love is. It’s all I want for you, because it’s all that really matters.” (pp. 329-330)

There are Reading Group Questions at the back of the book that are quite insightful. I took the time to answer them, and was challenged in my thinking on some of the main themes in this book.

I really like the cover of this book, as well as the cover of ‘Almost Forever,’ the first book in the 'Hanover Falls' series. It is really appealing, and no doubt grabs one’s attention in a bookstore. I would definitely pick it up and check it out if I saw it on a bookstore shelf!

I also enjoyed the first book, ‘Almost Forever;’ you can read my review here. The final novel in the series, ‘After All,’ is completed and a bonus excerpt is included at the end of this book. 

I would recommend this as a light summertime read. Mrs. Raney is quite a talented writer, and you will want to keep reading to see what happens next in the lives of Lucas and Jenna.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, and provided by Glass Road Public Relations for review purposes.

‘Almost Forever: A Hanover Falls Novel’ by Deborah Raney – Book Review

The latest book on my checked-off list is ‘Almost Forever: A Hanover Falls Novel’ by Deborah Raney.  I have heard a lot of wonderful things about her books, so I’d been wanting to read one for a long time.  This one lived up to my high expectations!

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

Unearthing a Lost Memory May Cause Her to Lose Everything She Holds Dear…But Could It Also Set Her Free?

Bryn Hennesey, a volunteer at the Grove Street Homeless Shelter, was there the night the shelter burned to the ground and five heroic firefighters died at the scene.  Among them was her husband, Adam.  Like the rest of the surviving spouses, Bryn must find a way to begin again.  But Bryn must do so living with a horrible secret…

Garrett Edmond’s, Molly, was the only female firefighter to perish in the blaze.  As her husband, it was his job to protect the woman he loved…  How can he go on in the face of unbearable loss and guilt?

And what started the fire that destroyed the dreams and futures of so many?  Investigators are stumped.  But someone knows the answers….

Here is the biography of the author:

Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same name.  Since then her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers’ Choice Award.  Raney is also a two-time Christy Award finalist.  She and her husband, Ken Raney, have four children and enjoy small-town life in their native Kansas.

The book’s opening scene is the tragic fire at the Grove Street Homeless Shelter.  Bryn had been volunteering at the shelter for a while, but she’d been keeping it a secret from her husband, Adam, who was concerned about her safety.  Ironically enough, his presence at the shelter cost him his life as he bravely fought the fire with many of his colleagues.  The scene was compelling and suspenseful, and I was instantly engaged in the lives of these characters.

In my opinion, one of the most important elements in a Christian-themed novel is to prominently feature biblical truths.  This book by Mrs. Raney is brimming with them.  Many of the main characters, including Bryn and Garrett, are Christ-followers.  Bryn is experiencing a great deal of guilt for her perceived actions with regard to the fire.  She not only had many doubts that the survivors of this tragedy would find it in their hearts to forgive her, but she also thought she’d never be able to forgive herself.  Isn’t that often the case – that we are often harder on ourselves than is anyone else?  

Here is an example of Bryn’s tortured soul, as she attended the memorial service for the fallen heroes:

The rest of the short graveside service was torture, and when the bagpipes began to play again – a mournful rendition of “Amazing Grace” – Bryn thought she might be going mad.

For if the hellish nudging of her imaginations were true, surely there was no grace on earth or in heaven that could save a wretch like her.  (p. 40)

Ultimately, she realized that God does not condemn her; He forgives and forgets our sins if we confess them to him.  Other biblical truths in this book are redemption, mercy, love, and gratitude.

One of the characters that really touched my heart was Charlie, a resident in the homeless shelter who had developed a close relationship with Bryn.  Charlie had developed a brotherly affection for Bryn, and a selfless act toward her on his part truly showed the love of Christ; Charlie was the hands and feet of Jesus.

Bryn and Garrett developed a healing friendship, nurtured by the care they had to take of two dogs which were ‘orphaned’ by the displacement of their owners due to the loss of the homeless shelter.  Here is Garrett’s perspective of this new friendship:

Molly was gone, and God had put Bryn in his life for a reason.  Hadn’t he prayed for help, for a way to get through his grief?  God had answered with a beautiful friendship.  He refused to feel guilty for rejoicing in that divine provision.  (p. 150)

And here is Bryn’s perspective:

In bed that night she smiled up at the ceiling.  It was like strong medicine to smile again.  She’d shed enough tears to last a lifetime….She would defend her friendship with Garrett to anyone.  She didn’t care what her dad would say.  Or what Garrett’s family might think….

What they had together was a gift from God.  They had each lost the most precious person in their world, they had both experienced the horror of being left alone in the prime of life.  God had sent her a person who understood her grief intimately because it matched his own.  Identically.  (p. 179)

This is the first novel in the ‘Hanover Falls’ series.  The second novel is ‘Forever After,’ which is schedule for release in January 2011.  And Deborah is working on the final novel, ‘After All.’  I thank Deborah for shining a light into the life of fire fighters, and look forward to see what the future holds for Bryn and Garrett!

You can order this book here.

This book was provided by Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, for review purposes.