Do you want to visit The Shoe Box? Lenora Worth :)

Hello. I'm very excited because I took a new step in promoting my books. I'm starting a newsletter. We're calling it The Shoe Box. You all know how much I love shoes. I also love shoe boxes. They seem to hold so many different things in life. Old photos, jewelry that will never be untangled, one earring, one sock. Love letters and cards and notes. Things like that.

So I thought what better name for my e-news? The Shoe Box. I hope we'll find fun things there. I'm not much on going on and on about things so this will be a new experience. But I wanted to invite all of you to go to my website at www.lenoraworth.com and find the Mailing List bubble located on the home page. You can sign up for The Shoe Box there.

My first attempt will be a Christmas letter and update. But first, I probably need to decorate my house! I might ask you to send pictures sometimes, too. So we can share them together and I can keep them in my shoe box! I hope rather than a newsletter, this will be more like a letter home. I'll include any upcoming releases and some prizes here and there.

Meanwhile, I hope you all have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas! I appreciate our readers so much. You are the beat of our hearts and the thread that keeps all of us together. We write for you. Your support means the world to all of us! My one wish for this season: Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me :)


This story is being reissued just in time for Christmas!

 



Ask Elnora--About being a princess? Lenora Worth

Hello, princesses and divas! I'm in a very good mood this morning. Maybe because I had a good week, writing wise. I have a new batch of stories to create, new books to write, new ideas to play with--and of course, all of these characters in my head who won't let me alone until I tell their stories.

I'm also very excited about the upcoming September release of my next Love Inspired Suspense--In Pursuit of a Princess. It's about a widowed American princess who has a lot of secrets. But a handsome photojournalist follows her around and decides he needs to find out those secrets. I enjoyed writing this story because I think deep inside we all have a little bit of princess in us.

And who doesn't love a handsome photojournalist?

That got me to thinking--If you were a true princess, would you use your powers for good or evil? Would you buy princess shoes or would you hide in your castle and read books all day? Would you serve your friends cupcakes and coffee or ice cream and lemonade? Or would you be the kind of princess who shunned fluffy girly stuff and went out to fight important battles?

I believe we'd all fight the good fight, even wearing our tiaras and pink shoes. Let's discuss being princesses. Who is your favorite fairy tale princess? I like Cinderella of course ;)) One shoe can change a girl's life, after all!

Ask Elnora--About Packing? Lenora Worth

Hello my precious friends! Well, it's official. Elnora is moving to Florida. We sold our house last weekend and now it's time to get packing. Luckily, Big Daddy has already done most of the heavy packing and the heavy lifting and the ... everything involved in moving five hundred miles south.

I expect him to pack my computer and me into a big box and duct tape us and then just set us up in my office in Florida. Most of what is left involves my office, my office closet, my shoe closet and my clothes closets. Now I have to decide what to keep and what to throw away.

After 53 books--I'm working on number 53 right now--I have a lot of big envelopes stacked all over my office. I have galleys, and proof copies and AAs and editing copies so that's about 15,000 pages of copy paper.  I mean, I started on a word processor (after throwing my typewriter and white-out out the window). I've been through two typewriters, one word processor and about three computer and this ancient laptop I have now. A lot of keys have given their best to my tapping fingers.Writers don't like to throw things away, do we? We also don't like to pack things for a move. We mostly like to sit and write and keep our comforting clutter around us. But I must sort, simplify and save.

That got me to thinking? What's the worst moving experience you've ever had? What's the funniest moving experience you've ever had? What's your favorite move? And is it ever easy to move to a new place and leave the old one behind? Let's discuss while I sit here and wonder what to take and what to leave behind.

Here's to new horizons--

Ask Elnora--About that word "like"?? Lenora Worth

Hello, my friends. Remember in school when someone would run up to you and ask "Will you be my friend?" Sometimes, Elnora said "yes" and sometimes Elnora ran away shrieking. (But that was mostly so the boy doing the asking would chase me.) These days, the word LIKE is all over cyberspace. It's called social networking, of course. Elnora remembers the good old days when people actually had to get to know each other before they could declare "I really like you." Now, we stare at a screen, look at a picture, or lack of one, and go "Hmmm, let me think about this." For about two seconds. That's because of course we all want to be liked. And if we're liked then we must like that person in return. Another code word for this is "follow". If I follow you, will you follow me? But wait, where are we going? Sometimes, Elnora gets the hives just thinking about this stuff. I don't even know how to make paragraphs appear on this blog, as you can plainly see. So I just do a stream of consciousness rather long continuing paragraph and hope nobody notices that I haven't stopped to take a breath! (Or I insert a picture I rushed out to the backyard to take!) That always breaks things up! See--

But back to this like stuff. The marketing and media darlings at my big, wonderful publishing house "suggest" that we have a digital plan. Yeah, right. I know exactly what that is. Don't we all??? Elnora has joined the big communtiy of writers--that's a no brainer. I love hanging with my peeps! I have a blog and I visit blogs. I'd hate to miss anything! I have a website, too. Hey, maybe I'm getting the hang of this tribe thing!~ I have a Facebook page. I like that! I tweet, although I finally learned not to call it "tweeder." I am from the South, after all. Yes, I have a Google Alert that scares the dickens out of me because I fear it will be a horrible review coming through. A widget? Excuse me, but proper ladies don't indulge in widgets!!!! I am just now confessing to my editors and my digital team about my ... er .... online presence. And I'm going to find out how to join that darn Affiliate program. I did try that once but something went terribly wrong! But ... I like people all over the place and they seem to like me back! So let's discuss social media? What is it that you like about that word "LIKE"? And what is it that gives you the hives??? Oh, and I did clean my office today. Big Daddy really "liked" that! No dust bunnies and my books are all packed away! What do you "LIKE" about social media? Does it help you sell books? Do you have a tribe? (Elnora has more of an entourage that follows her to the shoe sales! Now that's a big LIKE!!!)

Ask Elnora--About Oreos and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese??? Lenora Worth

Hello, my little cookies. Elnora has had a rough few weeks but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or rather the shoes at the end of the shopping aisle. No, I haven't even felt like shopping! The horror! I have, however, cruised the Internet and admired some of the new spring fashions. Even a bad back can't keep a girl down for long. Next week, it's more doctors and some injections and then we'll see if things improve. But enough about pain. Let's talk about Oreos. You know this year is the 100th anniversary of the Oreo cookie. And it's also the 75th anniversary of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Two of Elnora's major food groups. When I was much younger and didn't have such a bad back, I used to enjoy staying up with my husband and our friends all night, playing cards and eating Oreos. Yes, that was considered an appetizer in my house back then. I have been known to eat a whole bag of Oreos. And not gain a pound. Darlings, those days are so over. Now I don't dare bring an Oreo into the house for fear of gaining a pound by just having one of the tempting little things nearby. But I do so love to twist those cookies apart and ... I always eating the creamy one first and save the pure chocolate half for last. And who can resist macaroni and cheese? I know the boxed kind is not so healthy, but on a bad night when you're staring into that dark cave called a pantry and nothing is shoutiing out at you, a box of mac and cheese can save dinner! Maybe even save your marriage. So let's talk about comfort food! And have you tried those delicious fudge-covered Oreos? Or the white chocolate covered Oreos??? Really good on a regection or revision day!!!Really good when your back is hurting and you have a serious deadline. (Okay, Elnora does occasionally go to the store and buy a bag or two, even now.)How will you celebrate the marvelous Oreo? Do you eat it all at once, dip it in milk or coffee, or twist it in half and savor each bite? Or maybe all of the above? What is your favorite cookie? What is your favorite mac and cheese recipe??? Do you love your macaroni and cheese with black pepper on top? Or maybe a little nutmeg? Now I'm hungry again! Let's dish!

Ask Elnora--About the ACFW conference??Lenora Worth

Hello, beautiful people. I am at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis. Big Daddy drove me and sweet Betsy St. Amant up here. Wasn't that nice of him? I'll tell you about our escapades as the day goes on. I hope to post happenings here all day long. Not that Elnora would gossip, but just think of me as Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood, except today is Access ACFW! Did you know our own Margaret Daley is Madame President of ACFW??? Yes. Elnora is so proud of her. And I'm even more proud of her upcoming book from Summerside "From This Day Forward." I'm reading it right now. I also have my friend Cheryl Hodde's upcoming book on my nightstand. "The Wedding Kiss" looks like a winner to me! The cover is exquisite and I know the writing will be the same. Watch for these books. They should be on the shelves soon. Of course, Elnora loves seeing what kind of shoes everyone is wearing. I only packed five pairs! And two purses. Okay, Betsy and I both have extra shoe bags. What can I say? I get bored wearing the same pair of shoes! I'll try to post some shots to facebook. But the next best thing to shoes at this conference is ... books!!! Lots and lots of books in the bookstore. I brought an extra bag just for books, but Big Daddy thinks it's my "business bag." I shall fill it with books and more books. Where I will put them, I have no idea! So ... I only have my iphone here so things might get sketchy. But I will try to post as often as I can. Friday is my busy day. Breakfast with our editors Melissa Endlich and Elizabeth Mazer. Then a panel discussion about "seat-of-the-pants" writing with Karen Ball and several other writers. We're winging that one! Then a lovely dinner with all the LI writers! Lots of hugs and chatter at that, no doubt. Saturday I get to visit with my wonderful editor Pam Hopkins. This is her first time at ACFW. I'm so glad she's here. While I'm busy here, if there are any questions you want to ask, let us know. If I don't know the answer, I will hunt someone down and find out! What would you like to know about LI writers, Christian fiction and what goes on at this wonderful conference? As a reader or as a writer?? Or both??? Now's the time to ask. We'll all be checking in and we'll be glad to answer your questions. Okay, my feet hurt already!