Lenora Worth and Valerie Hansen Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
LENORA: I’m a Southern girl. Always wanted to be a writer. Married my high school sweetheart and moved from Georgia to Louisiana. Sold my first book in 1993.

VALERIE: My maiden name is Valerie Hansen so it seemed very natural to use it for my Love Inspired books. This is #50 for LI, by the way. On the outside I’m a gazillion years old but on the inside I’m about forty, with two kids and seven grands.

Q: As a child or teenager, did you ever dream of being an author?
LENORA: Yes. I knew in grammar school I wanted to write. I wrote stories even back then.

VALERIE: An author, an actor, an artist, a veterinarian and a ballerina. That last dream was quashed when I grew to resemble a strong Nordic woman and fulfilled my heritage. ? I went on to work as a Vet. Tech. and commercial artist for a short time but ALWAYS wrote.

Q: What was your biggest obstacle on the road to publication?
LENORA: Finding the courage to announce to the world that I wanted to write. I had to believe in myself in order to get past the naysayers and doubters.

VALERIE: Thankfully, I didn’t know at first how hard it is to break into print. If I had, I might have quit before I even began!

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Surviving Christmas in “Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas” with Lenora Worth writing High Holiday Alert?
LENORA: This is a two-in-one novella with my friend Valerie Hanson. I’m excited to be partnered with Val. My story involves daycare owner Josie Callahan and K9 officer Dalton West and his partner Luna: It’s set in Arizona Josie is being stalked so Dalton and Luna step in to protect her and the children she loves, especially his daughter Maisy who stays at the daycare after school.

VALERIE: Lenora and I were asked to write connected novellas as a Christmas extra for the Rookie K-9 Unit series. We had both participated in the series of six books and were very familiar with the stories, so we put our heads together and coordinated our novellas. Together they make up a complete book. She is a true joy to know and work with.

Q: Where did the idea for this story come from?
LENORA: Valerie and I brainstormed and worked back and forth on creating two separate stories that merge at Christmas time. We had the characters so we discussed plots and came up with these stories.

VALERIE: It grew out of the original series. We had to find characters who had not yet had their stories told, then bring them together to celebrate Christmas.

Q: Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her.
LENORA: Josie is strong and sure but she went through a bad marriage and her husband died due to a tragic work-related accident. She left Texas to start a new life near her aunt in Arizona. Josie kind of popped into my head when I revisited the town of Desert Valley, where we’d both worked on stories for a continuity that came out earlier this year.

VALERIE: I have a special place in my heart for dog trainers, dogs, the US military and children. They all come together in this book. It’s a perfect melding of concern, faith and love.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
LENORA: Right now, I just finished another K9 suspense continuity story (along with Valerie and four other wonderful LIS writers and I’m about to start on an exciting Love Inspired story that has a very strong conflict. A warrior hero who is born into a pacifist community.

VALERIE: I just finished a historical for LI about Cherokees. “Her Cherokee Groom” will be out in May 2017. “Special Agent”, another contemporary K-9 unit book is scheduled shortly after that. Now it’s time to start something new.

Q: What is a favorite memory from your childhood?
LENORA: Riding my bicycle on country roads and dreaming up stories in my head. Reading a good book near what we called the “branch.” A stream near my house.

VALERIE: This is a hard question. Riding a carousel is right up at the top of my list. I’d get an all day pass to ride anything I wanted and spend 90% of the time on a wooden horse, going around in circles and telling myself wonderful stories. I actually owned a real carousel horse as an adult but had to sell it when we moved.

Q: Where do you escape for some quiet time?
LENORA: I take a good book and head for the beach near where I live in Florida.

VALERIE: My garden is a wonderful place for contemplation. Or I can sit on the porch swing in front of my house and marvel at God’s gift of beauty. That’s why it’s featured on my website. It’s my sanctuary.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?
LENORA: I’d read all day. Or work in a shoe store or book store.

VALERIE: I’d probably be pushing up daisies. I have to write. Period. However, I have learned that a person needs other outlets. Most of mine come through church.

Q: What is the craziest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?
LENORA: I went on a mission trip after Hurricane Katrina, down to Grand Isle, Louisiana. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I fell in love with Grand Isle and the people there.

VALERIE: Besides get married at seventeen? Let’s see. I’m afraid of heights but I climbed up on the roof of a house we were building to nail it and stayed sitting once I got there by scooting from place to place. When it was time to climb back down the ladder I was shaking so badly I had to be helped. A lot. Same thing happened when I climbed a Mayan pyramid in Mexico, only then I got hysterical at the top! That time I ended up backing all the way down the steep stone steps. There were a lot of them!

Q: What one thing have you always wanted to do but couldn’t afford to do?
LENORA: I’d love to take a long trip to Ireland one day.

VALERIE: Not that I can think of. I have pretty much adopted the apostle Paul’s view to be content in everything I do. I’m not always successful but my life has been full and I have never gone hungry. If I yearn for what is out of reach, it’s like telling the Lord I don’t appreciate what I have or trust Him.

Q: I’m an avid gardener and have to ask what kind of flower you would be and why?
LENORA: I’d be a sunflower because they are warm and welcoming and they always turn their heads toward God.

VALERIE: This may be the hardest question of all. How about a wild violet. I have those here and they are almost indestructible. Their roots spread and they are hardy enough to withstand winter snow and summer heat. Like me, they always come back strong.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?
LENORA: www.lenoraworth.com, Facebook: Lenora Worth and Twitter @lenoraw

VALERIE: www.ValerieHansen.com www.Loveinspiredauthors.com on Facebook as Valerie Hansen and also as Valerie Hansen Whisenand, my personal site.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
LENORA: I loved writing this Christmas story. Who doesn’t love a good Christmas story!
VALERIE: Funny you should ask. ? God has once again proved to me that He has my best interests at heart. You see, I have long had problems with family holiday celebrations, particularly Christmas. Friends have heard me say “I would rather have a root canal than write a Christmas book.” Well, this is my second! And it has not only been a pleasure, it has led to healing.