Kimberly Rae asked Deborah Raney:

Hi, Deborah! I just finished After All and it's excellent. It's so nice to read about real issues from a Christian perspective, and your writing is just great. Have you found that Christian publishing is wanting to play it safe more lately, or are some still willing to put out books on deeper issues, like domestic abuse in Remember to Forget? Thanks so much!

Deborah Raney Kimberly, I'm so glad you enjoyed After All and Remember to Forget. I'm actually working on a novel now that is set partially in a women's safe house (although the bulk of the novel is much more lighthearted than some of my issues-based women's fiction). I have never had a publisher ask me to "dial back" on any issue I wanted to write about. And I know of some upcoming books from Christian publishers that deal with some pretty tough topics. That said, I think publishers are more committed than ever that their novels be first, entertaining (because that's why most people read fiction!) and that they never be merely vehicles for a "sermon", ie. preachy, but that the message of a book be very tightly woven into the STORY. Always, story is king! Thanks so much for the quetstion and for your interest in my books!

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