Fabulous Feature: Lenora Worth, Writing With A Faith Element

Today we welcome author:

Lenora Worth

One commenter will win a copy of
Lenora's book:

 Her Holiday Protector
and a second commenter will win 
Cowboy Who Came for Christmas

Scroll down to see how.

Mary here. I'm so happy to welcome Lenora to Let's Talk this weekend. What I appreciate the most about her post is the sense of discovery. Not everyone can jump in to a career and take off. In fact most of us don't. We need time to figure things out, see which path to take, etc. Wow, Lenora's post is perfect for us! I asked Lenora to tell us how God led her on her writing journey. Here is what she said: 

Writing With A Faith Element

I realized I wanted to be a writer in the fourth grade. My class was assigned a writing project and I dived right in and gleefully put together a short story and some poems. My stern teacher told me I had potential but made me edit out “All That Jazz” from the cover!

After that, I wrote all the time—short stories, poems, essays, letters to friends, newspaper articles. I got married and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. A friend there gave me some romance novels to read. I thought, “I want to write one of these.”

But I didn’t feel comfortable writing too graphic or steamy. My rejection letters said my work was too “traditional”.

I moved to Louisiana and joined a local writers group affiliated with RWA. At one meeting the speaker talked about “inspirational” romance. I didn’t even know what that was but when she explained it allowed the writer to add a faith element, my heart got all warm and I turned to the person next to me and whispered, “I think this is what I want to write.”

Fast-forward a few years. I’d published three books with Avalon and a couple with another publisher, but I still wanted to write inspirational. Back then, the inspirational market hadn’t taken off. But I had an agent who listened and when she heard that Harlequin was opening a new inspirational line, she remembered that I wanted to write this type of story.

She somehow managed to get me an appointment with the editor when there were no appointments left (at the RWA conference). I pitched an idea that had come to me about a week before that. My first Love Inspired “The Wedding Quilt” was published in 1997. I’ve been writing for Love Inspired since then.

Looking back, I can see God’s hand in my journey. I prayed for the opportunity to write sweet, wholesome stories with a faith thread. God heard my prayers.

Even after 65 books, each time I sit down to start a new story, I ask God to help me.

I appreciate all my writer friends and I don’t judge what others choose to write, but I am so blessed that I have a career that allows me to write books that reflect my faith. I love my readers and I love what I do. I’m thankful!

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Lenora Worth writes award-winning romance and romantic suspense for Love Inspired and also writes for Tule, Zondervan and Redbud Press. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards and several of her books have been Romantic Times Book Reviewer’s Choice finalists. “Logan’s Child” won the 1998 Best Love Inspired for RomanticTimes. Her Love Inspired Suspense “Body of Evidence” became a NY Times Bestseller. Her novella in Mistletoe Kisses, along with several other writers, also made her a USA Today Bestselling author. 

With sixty books published and millions of books in print, she goes on adventures with her retired husband, Don. They have two grown children. Lenora enjoys reading, baking and shopping … especially shoe shopping.

Lenora loves to connect with readers. You can find her at her:
  

Website
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Her Holiday Protector

While Investigating a murder at Rikki Allen's house, detective Blain Kent realizes the victim looks a lot like Rikki. Could the secretive widow have been the target? When the killer comes after Rikki at a safe location, Blain finally gets the truth out of her: she's the daughter of Franco Alvanetti--the notorious crime kingpin. A by-the-book former marine, Blain has made it his life mission to put the Alvanetti family out of business. Yet he has to trust Rikki to protect her from a killer who wants her dead by Christmas.

Cowboy Who Came for Christmas

Nothing stands between ranger Adan Harrison and justice. Guided by his principles, swayed by no one, he'll do anything to protect the law. Even if it means tracking a suspect through a winter storm to quirky Crescent Mountain, Arkansas. But Sophie Mitchell, a woman with secrets in her heart and a shotgun in her hands, stops him cold.

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Enter the contest to win a copy of Lenora's book:

Her Holiday Protector
or
The Cowboy Who Came for Christmas

here is how:

leave a comment (and email address)

AND sign up to receive my newsletter -in the right column
(subscribers to my newsletter will receive a special Christmas gift)

AND/OR sign up to receive posts by email if you aren't already

Thank you, Lenora, for joining us this weekend!

We enjoy chatting with you, Reader, and look forward to reading your comments and questions. Or at least your hi, hello, or hey.

Thanks for stopping by!

Don't forget to comment!