Author Interview ~ Lenora Worth

Lenora Worth decided she wanted to write in the fourth grade. While the other children moaned and groaned, Lenora went to work and wrote her first story. In 1993, she sold her first book, “River’s Call”, to Avalon Books. Since then, Lenora has written 25 books for Love Inspired, many of them award winners, including “The Reluctant Hero,” nominated for the 2000 RT Reviewers Choice for Best Love Inspired. Before writing full-time, Lenora worked in marketing and public relations for a cable company and a credit union. She is active in RWA (Romance Writers of America), and served as President of Faith, Hope, and Love, the inspirational chapter of RWA. She currently writes a monthly opinion column for a local magazine. Originally from Georgia, Lenora has lived in Louisiana for over twenty-five years.

What new book or project would you like to tell us about?


I’m working on several projects right now. I just got a three book contract with Love Inspired for one romance and two romantic suspense stories. Also, I have a book out in October 2006 from Harlequin’s Next—Once In A Blue Moon. It was fun to write and it’s sweet rather than steamy.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I have been writing most of my life. I wrote for several years before I got serious about trying to sell. I worked in marketing for years, but quit after my second child came along. I started writing full-time then. In 1993, I sold my first book to Avalon. I had the flu so when the editor called, I thought I was dreaming. I almost hung up on her. That call made me feel much better, though!

Do you still have self-doubts about your writing?

I always have self-doubts. I have this thing—we call it the Elnora Syndrome. Whenever I get a new contract or a nice royalty statement, I am shocked and amazed and wonder if they “just feel sorry for me.” That’s the joke amongst my writing friends. But the work is never as good on paper as we seem to see it inside our heads. And I wonder when someone is going to shout out that I’m a complete fraud!

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Never. I always have to write, even when I’m not selling. It’s just part of my being. There have been times when I get frustrated or when I wonder why I thought writing a certain book was a good idea. But I have never thought of quitting. Not yet, anyway. It’s too much fun.

What mistakes did you make while seeking a publisher or agent?

I guess my biggest mistake was not learning how to write a great synopsis before submitting. Then the second mistake, not having a book completely fleshed out and plotted before sending it in. I’ve learned since the early days to work hard on the dreaded synopsis and to work even harder on the complete manuscript. I try to send in the very best of both, and yet, I still fall short (in my mind.)

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Writers write. That’s it. You write through bad days and good days. You write through stress and family issues. You have to make yourself write—because this is a real job. It’s hard sometimes, but we have to just do it.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

A judge once told me that my contest entry “sucked.” That really hurt. Couldn’t she have worded that a little more diplomatically? I learned from her heavy-handed critique that not all writers write the same way. She had a different style from me. I also learned to give gentle, constructive advice to new writers. I still remember the pain of her words.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

That’s it—the biz. The business side of writing sometimes drives me crazy. But it is necessary and we have to learn how to deal with that—the deadlines, the promotions, the setting up of book signings, the let-downs, the rejections, and the cash flow that sometimes almost dries up between books. The bottom line is always this—publishers need to make a profit. And that sometimes means they can’t be nice or be your best friend. But … all of that aside, it is still the best job in the world!

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I wish I’d learned to listen to editors without taking their suggestions so to heart. I’ve had some wonderful editors, but a couple really put me through the ringer. I tried to do what they asked, and still got insulted and fussed at. Since then, with the great editors I have now, I’ve learned how to be firm but professional. I can beat my head against the wall, but when I talk to an editor it will be with a smile on my face and the overall good of the story in the back of my mind.

I’ve also learned to be careful when whining. Words of compliant can come back to haunt you in this business. We have to always walk inside the light, so to speak. Never say anything you wouldn’t want someone to repeat. Know who you can trust when you just need to vent a little bit.

Was there ever a difficult set back that you went through in your writing career?

It started out as a set back, but turned into an answered prayer. I had sold five books and had sent in what I hoped would be number six to a certain publisher. I had a new editor and this editor didn’t like anything I sent in. I thought I was finished, but in the meantime my agent told me about the new inspirational line at Harlequin/Silhouette.

So after two rejections from my current publisher, I went on to sell immediately to Steeple Hill. It was a match made in heaven, literally. I am now where I want to be and I’m very pleased about that. So …. We have to always look for the opportunity in set backs!

What are a few of your favorite books?

Favorite books—Gone With The Wind (I was born and raised in Georgia). Rebecca—love that whole premise. Flowers In The Storm—who wouldn’t love that book about a tormented duke and the woman who saves him with her gentle love! I have many, many more. I read a lot of Christian fiction now since that’s the area in which I write. I love all the works of my fellow Love Inspired writers and try to read amongst them as often as I can.

What work have you done that you’re especially proud of and why?

I’m especially proud of my very first Love Inspired—The Wedding Quilt. That book was based on the death of my sister because of a drunk driver. Writing the book helped me to forgive and heal and it’s helped others, too. It remains one of my best-selling books ten years later. (It was released in 1997.)

Do you have a scripture or quote that has spoken to you lately in regards to your writing?

I keep this by my desk and read it at least once per day: “Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.”—Titus 2: 7 - 8

Can you give us a look into a typical day for you?

Typical day—get up, exercise, read the paper over coffee, read e-mail, then get to work. I usually write from ten in the morning until around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Then peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and a nap to rest my brain. I might go back at night and proof and edit or do research. I don’t work much on weekends unless I have a deadline approaching.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

I try to get about ten to twelve pages in per day, or two chapters per week.

Are you an SOTP (seat of the pants) writer or a plotter?

Definitely seat of the pants. I get the basic premise full-blown in my brain, then I work from there.

What author do you especially admire and why?

I admire Nora Roberts for her tenacity and her sage advice to other writers. I admire Deb Raney for her sweet grace and her ability to make me see that things I might consider set-backs are really blessings. I admire most any writer, regardless of the path they might choose, simply because writing is very hard work and I respect the artist in all of us.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Favorite—being alone in a room with books all around me and a blank page waiting for me. Least favorite—having to leave that room to actually promote the books I write! I don’t like jealousy and pettiness and we see a lot of that out there. I don’t like people who jump to conclusions about Christians. Christians are humans, too!

How much marketing do you do? What's your favorite part of marketing?

I don’t do a lot of heavy marketing. I run a couple of ads here and there, have notepads stamped with my name and titles, send out reader letters and updates once a year, do signings as often as possible and hand out books wherever I go. My favorite part of marketing is meeting readers who really do like my books. That’s worth all the effort!

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Words of advice. Keep your eye on the prize and never give up. If you want to write commercial fiction, learn to be professional and assertive, but never let the writing take over your entire life. It has to be fun and rewarding, not so stressful that you begin to dread your dream. And remember, goals are just dreams with deadlines. You can dream big, but set little workable goals to get you where you want to be. Oh, and always pray. That is the best advice!