Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Sweetheart Deal by Lenora Worth, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
I first discovered Love Inspired books a few years ago, and one of the first Love Inspired authors I read was Lenora Worth. I loved it and began seeking out more of her books.
One of her series is set in the panhandle of Florida. As I read them, I realized the town they were based on was a small town I’d lived in. I then discovered Lenora lived in the area.
The more I read Lenora Worth’s books, the more I had this strange feeling that we could be friends. I felt sad that we both lived in the same town, but not at the same time. One day I prayed, “Lord, let me someday meet Lenora.”
It was a strange prayer. I’ve never before prayed to meet a specific person. I have no idea why I did that day, other than it just felt like something I should do.
Flash forward to last fall. I felt God leading me to write Christian romance, so I joined Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers. Soon afterwards, they announced they were launching mastermind groups. That’s not something I’d normally sign up for, but decided I needed to do it.
I assumed I’d be placed in a group with other newbie fiction writers like me. Instead, I ended up in a group with three prolific, bestselling authors, including Lenora Worth. When I saw her name on the list, I cried. Not only did God answer my simple prayer, but offered confirmation that this was, in fact, the direction He was leading me.
Lenora has turned out to be an amazing blessing in my life. Her sweet spirit, encouraging attitude, and throughtful insights have helped guide me in my writing career.
I’m excited now to be able to interview Lenora and help promote her newest book, The Sweetheart Deal, a story I know is dear to her heart. I trust you will be blessed by the interview and by this new book.
Author Interview
What was the inspiration behind The Sweetheart Deal?
My husband and me 😊 We met when we were about five years old. My sister and her husband lived in a cottage in his grandparents’ backyard. His father was in the Army so he moved a lot. But he came back in middle school and we flirted a lot. Left again and returned in high school. I told my friend he was the boy I was going to marry. And now we’ve been together over 50 years 😊
How is this book different from your others?
Well, it’s my first Indie book! It’s my baby from the first word to the last. Also, it’s a beach story which I love. I always wanted to write stories set on a beach but it never worked out with traditional publishing. So I decided to write this book for myself and other beach lovers.
What do you hope readers will get out of this book? I hope readers will see the sweetness of this relationship and how sometimes the person we search for can be right there with us the whole time. It has a bit of a faith element that helps my hero and heroine find each other and I hope readers will pick up on that and know God has a plan for us.
What other books are you working on?
I’m working on a Love Inspired K9 Christmas novella due out in 2026 and I hope to get started on the second book set in Sweetheart Bay, which I hope will be as sweet and fun as this one.
How do you incorporate your faith in your fiction?
I let my characters show their faith organically in their words and how they handle life. I call it a soft faith thread with a strong presence.
Who is your favorite woman in the Bible?
Mary, the mother of Jesus. I always think of her and how she had to overcome shame and judgement and how she fought for her son, no matter what anyone else said or did. Any mother would do the same, but she had a lot to carry in her lifetime—the blessing being she gave birth to Christ, our Lord.
What is your favorite Scripture?
“Be still and know that I am God.” –Psalm 46:10 This verse has come to me so many times when I didn’t want to be still. I wanted to get things done. Even with this book, and my worries that I’d mess everything up or it wouldn’t sell, I saw this passage several random times in several places. It’s my go-to reminder that God has this!!
Anything else you’d like to share?
I just want readers to give this story a chance. It’s my first attempt at Indie, but now that I’ve moved through the learning curves, I can’t wait to do it all over again. I pray this story will touch someone and make them smile and feel stronger in their faith. That’s always my goal with any book.
Thank you!
About the Book
Title: The Sweetheart Deal
Author: Lenora Worth
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: September 10 2025
Genre: Sweet Cozy Romance
“One day I’m going to marry you…”
Jake Harper had said those words to Vanessa Conroy since kindergarten, but after watching her parents’ bitter divorce and living with her mother’s devastation, Vanessa made a promise to herself—she’s never getting married. She’ll stay single and pursue her dream of being a ready-to-wear fashion designer.
In high school, Vanessa dated and broke up with every bad boy in the book, while Jake remained her consistent buddy. He was her wingman, her best friend, her go-to person for special occasions, but she held him at a distance. Why ruin a wonderful friendship? On the night of their final prom, Jake takes a risk and kisses her. Stunned by how right it feels, Vanessa rashly blurts out a deal: if they’re still single at thirty, maybe she’ll marry him
Now, thirteen years later, they’re back in Sweetheart Bay to be part of her sister’s wedding. And they’re both still single at thirty. Vanessa begins to see Jake in a new, more romantic light, but Jake, a successful architect living in California, hasn’t said a word about their old pact.
As family drama bubbles and old feelings resurface, Vanessa must face the one possibility she’s always run from: what if her true love has been standing beside her all along? Can she and Jake find their happily-ever-after back on Sweetheart Bay?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
About the Author
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll, Lenora Worth writes romance and romantic suspense for Love Inspired, sweet romance for Tule Publishing, and single-title Amish stories for Kensington Books. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and she received the Romantic Times Pioneer Award for Inspirational Fiction. Lenora is a NY Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and ECPA bestselling writer and a 2019 RWA RITA® Finalist. With one-hundred-plus books and novellas published and 5.3 million books in print, she enjoys adventures with her retired husband and loves reading, baking, and shopping … especially shoe shopping.
Go to lenoraworth.com to sign up for Lenora’s newsletter and find her book list and upcoming releases.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a $20 Amazon gift card, print copies of Designing His Bride and The Widow’s Unexpected Suitor, and beachy goodies!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 23, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 30, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Let's chat! What are your thoughts?