LET’S WELCOME LENORA WORTH AUTHOR OF: CLOSING THE DEAL

LET’S

WELCOME

LENORA WORTH

AUTHOR OF:

Rad-Reader:  What gave you the burning desire to tell this story?

Lenora:    I had an idea for a wedding venue and my Tule Publishing editor suggested I set it in the very popular Hill Country. That's when the three friends and the venue came alive. I could picture the Victorian mansion, Blossom Inn, in my head. 

Rad-Reader:  What gave you the idea to write this story?

Lenora:  I had always wanted to do a wedding venue. The three friends came into my head and I could see all of them being involved in working with each other. The inn--Sarina, the wedding cake and catering--Kayla, and the bridal boutique and wedding gown designer--Mona. I loved these ladies the moment they came to mind and I'm so excited to share their stories.

Rad-Reader:  Can you give us the backstory for Sarina and Drake?

Lenora:    Drake and Sarina come from different worlds but have similar tragedies in their pasts. She was raised by her grandmother after her parents died. Drake lost his mother to cancer when he was in his teens. That bonded them, but when he tries to buy her property a few days after she buries her grandmother, things don't go so well. Now they both want one thing--Blossom Inn. She wants to sell but begins to see the value of keeping it. He wants to buy it and tear it down to build swanky condos and houses. They begin to fall in love, but they can't compromise.

Rad-Reader:  How long did it take you to write this story?

Lenora:  Since this is a shorter romance, it took about three months. But I loved every minute of it!

Rad-Reader:  Why did Sarina not come back to town like her friends did after college?

Lenora:    Sarina loved Blossom but it held tragic memories for her. She lost her parents at a young age and while she adored her grandmother, she envied her friend's loud, colorful families. She wanted her family back. So once she could leave, she did so. Her friend came back to help the family while she tried to make a life in Dallas. She was becoming very successful in advertising when she learned she'd inherited the large Victorian mansion her grandmother had turned into a bed-and-breakfast inn. She did not want to stay but fate brought her back.

Rad-Reader:  Didn’t she ever notice during those times she came home how much the inn needed work done to it?

Lenora:  She rarely came home and when she did, she paid little attention to the inn's needs. She worked all the time. When she does return, she realizes she should have done more for her very giving, caring grandmother, Francis. Now she wants to make up for that. Her friends definitely want her to stay.

Rad-Reader:  Isn’t it mean of Sarina’s friends to guilt her into staying in order for their businesses to benefit?  I mean, Wow!  She would have to give up her job, her life, not to mention all the repairs and bills her grandmother left behind. How is she supposed to live with no steady income?

Lenora:    That was one of the conflicts. They wanted her to stay but they also knew the final decision would be up to her. When she told them her reasons for leaving, they were shocked. She'd held her secrets close. Soon they rally around her and help her decide. And they try to protect her from a man they believe to be a conqueror who will change their pretty little town forever.

Rad-Reader:  It doesn’t seem as though Drake’s father cares about his needs or wants for that matter anyone else’s.  Just his own.  So, why is he still trying to please him doing things he hates? 

Lenora:   Sutton Dunmore is still mourning his wife, so he's closed himself off from the world. But when Drake finally confronts him, he suddenly understands that his son is falling in love and his hard heart opens at last. That scene is one of my favorites in the book.

Rad-Reader:  He doesn’t mind lying to people to get what he wants to please his dad which by every account never happens, Correct?

Lenora:    He tries to please his dad, so he holds off on revealing the truth while he plays both sides--convincing Sarina and convincing his dad that he can do this. But in his heart, Drake doesn't like the deceit. That does him in, in the end :)

Rad-Reader:  Sarina keeps spilling her guts.  Is she like that with everyone?

Lenora:    I didn't realize she'd spilled her guts but she did share things with her friends which is what all women do! She's been closed off for so long, I think having her friends back to pester her and push her helps her to open up and let it all out. That also helps her to appreciate her past which she'd been running from for a long time.

Rad-Reader:  Drake seems like he is an open person is that his normal personality?

Lenora:   Drake is a good guy who is torn between duty to his hard-hearted daddy and duty to the woman who has rocked his world and made him question his every decision. I think that's fairly normal with a lot of us. But these conflicts help us to grow and change and ultimately do the right thing.

Rad-Reader:  Everyone seems like they want help, but they all have a vested interest in the outcome.  No one is there for Sarina.  Who is really in her corner?

Lenora:    I think in the end, they are all in her corner. She listens to advise and absorbs what she can use. The whole town and even Drake and his father come through in the end. I think sometimes we have to win people to our corner by our actions and our determination. She became determined to save her home and not sell it.

Rad-Reader:  Why would her grandmother leave people large chunks of money yet leave Sarina in such financial trouble at the inn?

Lenora:   Her grandmother had a good heart but not a good business sense. Sarina sent her money and thought she'd used it for the inn's upkeep. But her grandmother took care of the place she loved, first and foremost. I've known a lot of people who do that, especially in small towns. But Francis was wise and that worked out in the end. (And in the Inn!)

Rad-Reader:  Drake felt this instant connection to Sarina but was still willing to play her at first with a player’s truth.  How would he like being played like that?

Lenora:   No one would like being played like that, no. But he felt a keen duty to please his father. He had to choose between the two and when he stood up to his father, he gained the girl and his father's respect.

Rad-Reader:  Jessica shows up after Drake throws a tantrum the night before.  He was upset because Sarina withheld info from him.  But she finally tells him the truth.  Why was it ok, for him to withhold but not her?

Lenora:    He was always honest about wanting to buy the property. But he wanted to help her and keep his integrity with his father. Jessica was the breaking point that pushed him over to Sarina's side. But Sarina didn't want his help, so he felt betrayed after his willing sacrifice. He had to prove himself and he did.

Rad-Reader:  Trust goes both ways he is the one who started with a lie so how can he expect her to trust considering her present situation?

Lenora:   He had to learn that lesson the hard way. He decided to stay and convince her to sell but then his goals changed, slowly, but surely. He knew she didn't trust him. So, he left and came up with a way that would win her over. I'd like to believe that made him noble.

Rad-Reader:  If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play…

Sarina:  Kate Upton

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/98938523041621200/

Drake:  Justice Joslin

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/317926054941440872/

Kayla:  Debby Ryan

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/226165212523063688/

Mona:  Demi Lovato

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/544583779928955946/

Samuel:  James Denton
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/706220785299164127

Mrs. P:  Jodie Foster

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/147915168997532275/

Mr. Fedrick:  Colm Meaney

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/826340231609313816/

Lenora:  

Sarina:  Reese Witherspoon  

https://pin.it/zwg7km2nkxixq5

Drake:  Patrick Dempsey

https://pinit/3gvcxvi75w3gx

Kayla:  Blake Lively  

https://pin.it/fv3ee5ieq5bve6

Mona:  Eva Longoria  

https://pin.it/ugcnqxydhq2sj3

Samuel:  Bill Murray

https://pin.it/jgzdzgvb4zz2oy

Mrs. P:  Carol Burnett 

https://pin.it/chnnqcnlifvl4c

Mr. Fedrick:  James Brolin
https://pin.it/akzpwwbs44zzen

 

Rad-Reader:  What song or songs best describes your couple or your book as a whole?

“Fighting for Me – Riley Clemmons”

Sarina has lost so much starting at a young age.  Nothing was ever a sure thing she always doubted her feelings and judgments when it came to relationships within anyone.  Never give to much away of yourself or any of your secrets you could get hurt.  Yet, from the minute she met Drake the opposite seemed to happen.  She found herself drawn to him.

https://youtu.be/in1uxSpvsw0

“Kiss by Kiss – Brett Young”

Drake needed to get away after breaking up with the dragon lady.  When they needed to scope out Blossom, Texas to check on a piece of land to develop.  What he found was a woman who everything his mom and he had ever talked about what love would be before she passed.  Sarina like his mom was a true Texas belle strong, beautiful, and a spitfire.

https://youtu.be/PU3YTw4T7dg

“Let It Be Me – Ray Lamontagne”

When the pressure for both Sarina and Drake hit a moment where the small amount of trust seemed to be broken.  It was time for Drake to go home.  Sarina needed her space and Drake needed her trust.

https://youtu.be/6AxgOhgf_Ac

Lenora:  Oh, that's tough. I love all music, but Texas demands, country songs.

I really don't have any song titles that come to mind. 

Rad-Reader:  What are the different genres that you have written?

Lenora:    I write sweet romance, faith-based romance and romantic suspense and some women's fiction here and there.

Rad-Reader:  How and when did you start writing?

Lenora:   I started writing at a young age and sold my stories on the playground for twenty-five cents per copy. But I sold my first book in 1993. I've been steadily writing since then. So, almost thirty years..... I've written over eighty books and novellas.

Rad-Reader:  Was it always a burning desire to write?

Lenora:    Yes. I knew I wanted to write after an assignment in the fourth grade. That was it for me.

Rad-Reader:  What are three things that you can’t leave home without?

Lenora:   lipstick, good shoes, and a good book

Rad-Reader:  Are you married, and do you have any children?  How do they feel about your writing career?  Any other budding writers?

Lenora:    I've been married to my high-school sweetheart for almost 45 years. We have two grown children, a girl, and a boy. They appreciate my career and they are both avid readers and they both love to write.

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project and when is it coming out?

Lenora:   Right now, I'm working on the last Blossom book and romantic suspense for Love Inspired--set in NY.

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your books?  Links

Lenora:    

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Closing-Deal-Brides-Blossom-Texasebook/dp/B07RT6YB7Z

or 

https://amzn.to/2Mq86BT

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/closing-the-deal-lenoraworth/113597148

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you on the Web?  Links

Lenora:  https://www.lenoraworth.com

@lenoraworth twitter

@lenoraworthbooks Facebook

lenoraworth Instagram 

Lenora, 

Thanks for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to be with us.  I know how hard that can be.  I really enjoyed reading your book.  I hope you remember us in the future when another book comes out.  We would love to feature it on our Shout Out: An Author's Place page.

Thank,
Char