Spotlight & Giveaway: Designing His Bride by Lenora Worth

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lenora Worth to HJ!

Hi Lenora and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Designing His Bride!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

This is Mona and Ryne’s story. They met at a wedding and were instantly attracted to each other, but both are hiding hurts that keep them apart. That and a dog named Woof!
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

“What is that awful noise?” Mona Perez pushed her hair away from her face and hit at her pink satin pillow. She checked the dainty Victorian clock on the nightstand and squinted through the thick hair that fell back over her eyes. Six a.m. on a Saturday. Something inhuman grinded and roared outside her apartment over the Falling Leaves Boutique.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

 
He rides a Harley and she likes long walks. They are opposites on just about everything. Ryne was the inspiration for this book. He kind of showed up and started making trouble. I wanted to write his story and I knew I’d write Mona’s story. Food cravings—barbecue and cheesecake! Research—Barnwood Builders on HGTV. I had always watched that show and I figured Ryne would be good at salvaging old wood and making it into beautiful cabins. But when he comes to Blossom and starts building next to Mona’s home and work place, they don’t get off to a good start.

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book. As you wrote your protagonist was there anything about them that surprised you?

Mona and Ryne both surprised me but when I started giving Ryne a tragic past, my heart for him grew in a big way. He’s a bad boy with a good heart—my kind of hero. And Woof showed up and surprised me, too. The big, lanky, goofy dog also stole Mona’s cold heart. She did not want to let go of her fear of commitment!

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

When they first met again (opening scene where she stares down a bulldozer because he’s disturbing her with the noise.)

“Mona Lisa Perez,” he said with a lopsided grin. “We meet again.” Mona silently groaned and gritted her teeth. “Ryne Kilpatrick. I should have known it was you. So this is the land your said you’d bought?”

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I want people to laugh and cry and root for Mona and Ryne. I want people to laugh at Woof and his antics. I want readers to have fun in Blossom, Texas. I sure had fun writing this series.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m working on Love Inspired Amish suspense right now but hope to write more Tule books and I’ve signed a three-book contract with Kensington to write three single-title Amish romances. I’m excited about the first story—part mystery and part love affair.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Digital copy of Designing His Bride and Tule Publishing swag.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you like books that features pets? Woof wanted me to ask this question!

 
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Excerpt from Designing His Bride:

“So what’s wrong?” Sarina asked an hour later.
They were in the private sitting room of Sarina and Drake’s suite upstairs. A warm fire roared in the quaint but fully restored fireplace, and a coffeepot with a variety of pods sat on the counter in the tiny galley kitchen Drake and Sarina used when they wanted to be alone. They had a bedroom and bath, a sitting room and the sparkling little kitchen with white subway tiles and white-and-gray marble counters. But the best part was they’d turned the turret at the top of the house into their private porch, complete with two white wicker rocking chairs and a small table. That and Sarina’s huge walk-in closet, of course.
This little apartment reminded Mona of her own place, which only heightened her resolve to stay calm about her new neighbor. She couldn’t move, after all.
“I brought breakfast,” Mrs. P said from the open door of the private hallway. “Blueberry scones and croissants stuffed with fruit and cream.”
“Come in, please,” Sarina said, getting up to assist Emma Patterson, who helped her cook and refused to let anyone else clean around here.
Mrs. P, as everyone called her, came with the house. But Sarina loved her and Samuel Henley, the front desk keeper and a good bouncer. They’d both returned to their positions when Sarina had come home, and now they were engaged to be married.
Sarina rubbed her hands together. “This looks great but, Mrs. P, you didn’t have to bring this up.”
Emma placed the tray on the long kitchen counter and turned, her red hair standing up around her face and head, her bright-pink daisy-embossed sweater shouting against her khaki skirt. “Yes, I did. I want to hear about the new man in town.”
“R-y-n-e. Ryne is destroying the woods beyond Falling Leaves,” Mona finally said. “He woke me up way too early this morning. He brought a bulldozer and began shredding trees and crushing flora and fauna.”
Mrs. P made herself a cup of coffee and sat down near Sarina. “This whole place needed a facelift, so makes sense this would happen.”
“Explains the noise I heard when I got up,” Kayla said with a grin, her long, blond ponytail slipping over her shoulder. “That thicket needed some clearing.”
“Says who?” Mona asked, thinking Kayla looked way too happy this early in the morning and her engagement ring winked too much also. But then, she and Holt were doing a quick turnaround on the engaged-to-be-married thing. They wanted a Christmas wedding and they’d only had three months to plan it. But Mona was on board, and Sarina was handling it like a pro.
Kayla moved between wedding planning and overseeing her new catering kitchen being added onto the original Falling Leaves Café. Holt showed up several times a week. He came back and forth from San Antonio to set up his next food truck near the café. They were so happy. Mona loved being around them, but she was now the last holdout in the love department. That meant everyone tried to fix her up with a man.
Ryne’s smiling face came to mind.
The wedding would include a huge buffet inside the elegant dining room of Falling Blossoms, followed by bonfires out in the garden. The ceremony would be beautiful with a Victorian Christmas theme. Kayla had approved the wedding dress design Mona had sketched and was now working on day and night.
Sarina poked Kayla. “Mona claims those woods as her own.”
“Yes, I know that,” Kayla replied. “But she never actually goes into the woods.”
“I do so. I follow the path to Falling Blossoms Inn and Falling Waters Café almost every day.”
“But always dressed in a monotone designer outfit,” Kayla said, pointing to Mona’s black wool pants and gray cashmere sweater. “Like a fashion fairy walking through the forest.”
“I didn’t look this way earlier when I confronted Ryne.”
“You confronted him?” Sarina leaned in. “Tell us more.”
Mrs. P’s green eyes widened. “What happened?”
“He was shifting gears on that big bulldozer, and I stopped him.”
Kayla nibbled at her food. “You stared down a bulldozer.”
“Yes, and the machine he was driving too.”
“Ryne’s not that bad,” Sarina said. “He’s good at his job, and that’s why Drake hired him to oversee this entire build. He salvages old barns and cabins and uses whatever he can to build new homes. I think that’s romantic and sweet.”
“So sweet,” Mona said. “The man’s building his own salvaged cabin next to my home.”
“What?” Sarina glanced at Kayla then back to Mona. “He’s going to be your neighbor?”
“Yes. I’m surprised Drake hasn’t mentioned that to you.”
Sarina shook her head. “He’s told me a lot about this new project, but sometimes it seems like too much to remember. Our deal included Dunmore Development buying up the wooded acreage all around the estate proper—on both sides beyond the house and the two outbuildings. Both of which happened to be occupied now by you two, thankfully. He said Ryne was thinking about renting something here while he helped with the development, maybe even our cabin on Canyon Lake.”
“Well, he might stay in your place for a while.” Mona sipped her coffee and wished for something stronger. “But he’s building himself a cabin a few yards from my pergola. How am I supposed to handle that?”
Mrs. P’s cell rang. “Oh, I have to go. But Sarina can fill me in later on this new development.” She rushed out, the scent of her gardenia perfume leaving a trail behind her.
Mona’s friends waited a beat and then gave her the look. The one where they eyed each other and sent a secret message before one of them told her what they were thinking.
“You should relax and go with the flow,” Sarina suggested.
“Yes.” Kayla bobbed her head and grabbed a slice of banana. “See where the path takes you.”
“I won’t be able to go on the path,” Mona pointed out. “There won’t be any path because a cabin will be sitting there.”
“Maybe it’s time to get off the path,” Kayla replied. “I mean, Ryne is single and good-looking and gainfully employed. Take another fork in the road. Think outside the box. Take the road less traveled.”
Mona let out a groan and then dove into a croissant filled with cream cheese and fruit. “Are you serious?”
“You kept telling me to go after Holt, remember?”
“I think I warned you both to be careful too,” Mona reminded Kayla. “Now we have one married and one engaged.”
“Well, then you have to follow a different path and get yourself into the same terrible situations we’re now in,” Sarina said before biting into a strawberry biscuit.
“Exactly.” Kayla’s shudder was dramatic. “We’re both so miserable, you know.”
“You two are no help. You’re supposed to side with me, remember?”
“We do side with you.” Sarina took a sip of coffee and fluffed a pillow. “But we want you to be happy. You were down before my wedding.”
“Things started changing in a big way. You got married, Kayla went all hot for Hog Heaven Holt, and then my mother started flirting with and semi-dating Drake’s dad, not to mention my father pining for her even though she divorced him. Isn’t that enough to make a person sad?”
“More than enough,” Kayla replied. “We’re still here, and your mom and Sutton Dunmore are just friends, probably because she still loves your dad. But you’re still single and maybe feeling a bit left out?”
“Well, there’s the light at the end of the tunnel,” Mona retorted. “Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”
“We want you to be in love like we are,” Sarina explained. “But only if that’s what you really want.”
She didn’t know what she wanted, but Mona felt the sting of the truth in her friend’s words. “I’m still working that out, but I have to admit I feel as if I’m losing a part of both of you. All this change has me completely disoriented.”
“So you don’t want to stay single?” Kayla asked. Then she added, “And you haven’t lost either of us. We’re all back together now.”
“I’m perfectly fine being single,” Mona replied, thinking anything but and wondering when it had become an issue. “And I’m thankful every day that we’re all together, working side by side. But I won’t throw myself at the first hunk I see on a big mean machine to equal things out.”
“Hunk? Did she say hunk?” Kayla looked over at Sarina.
Sarina’s green eyes sparkled. “I do believe she did. And he is a hunk. No doubt about that. Those broad shoulders and that beefy build. I guess sawing logs and tearing down old cabins builds a man’s physique.” Shrugging, she winked. “And a man on a bulldozer is always hot, right?”
“Hush,” Mona said, tossing her long bob back so she could bite into her croissant. “I can’t let him think I like him.”
“But you have noticed the man?”
“I’d be blind not to notice him,” she admitted. “Cover model meets woodsman of the year. He’s earthy and brash and full of ego. He’s a walking L.L. Bean advocate.”
Sarina nabbed a grape. “That’s a whole lot of noticing for someone who doesn’t want to notice a man.”
“Again, hard not to notice. He’s going to build his own cabin about fifty yards away from the boutique.”
“So he’ll be doing his thing, and you keep doing you.” Kayla let out a hoot. “I have to admit, this will be intensely interesting.”
“Yes, so interesting to watch a man building a cabin. With his bare hands. He’s annoying and flirty and so obviously hunky. This is making my blood boil.”
“We can tell,” Sarina said, looking from Mona to Kayla. “What are you going to do?”
“What can I do?” Mona got up and found a dark-roast coffee pod then popped it into the single-cup coffeemaker. “I’m going to work—if I can stand the noise. I’ll ignore him and get on with things.” Then she whirled and pointed at Sarina. “I blame Drake for this. Him and his idea to build authentic cabins and Tudor and Victorian mini-mansions all around Blossom. Think about it—he brought us all this woe, and then he got Holt here. Holt came close to buying the lot Kayla wanted, right next door to the café.”
Kayla shook her head. “But he didn’t. He caved, and now I own that land. Well, the bank does. Drake vouched for me with the bank, and after Holt and I are married, we’ll have joint ownership since his food truck will parked next to my new catering kitchen. A win-win.”
“For you.” Mona finished her food and dusted off her fingers. “Not for me. I understand the spot by my shop doesn’t belong to me, but I’ve guarded it and watched over it. Now, it’ll belong to someone else. Drake finagled Ryne into coming here.” Her shrug dramatic, she said, “It’s a conspiracy. They circled us with all their hunkiness and they won’t go away.”
Kayla let out a gasp. “Are you serious? We’re grown women. You know how Sarina and I struggled with all the whole falling-in-love issues. Love is not easy but it is worth it.”
“But Ryne’s an enigma. One minute, he’s flirting like a rock star, and the next he goes all silent and brooding. He snuck up on me with that dragon-slayer machine and now he’s in my head and digging up my worst fears, right along with most of the trees I love.”
“The funding from the sale of that land is helping to renovate the inn,” Sarina reminded her in a firm manner. “And that’s a bad thing because…”
“Oh, all right. It’s a great thing. I’m having a moment of doubt,” Mona admitted. “I’ve been focusing on myself too much. Everything is changing so fast.”
“But you both wanted me to stay here and help rebuild Blossom,” Sarina replied, her eyes widening in shock. “Now you’re bemoaning that?”
Mona gave her an apologetic frown. “No. I don’t want to complain, but I won’t have my pretty, private path through the woods anymore.”
“Time for a new path,” Kayla said, getting up to put away her empty cup. “I have to get to work. Mona, relax and let nature take its course.”
“Nature as I know it is different now,” Mona retorted. “There is a wolf stalking through the woods.”
“Then make like Little Red Riding Hood and conquer that wolf,” Kayla suggested.
Mona stared out the window where the gazebo stood. So many weddings had taken place there. “But what if that wolf conquers me first and I lose myself?”
Sarina came to stand beside her. “What if you win over the wolf and get to keep yourself in the bargain?”
“Like my mother did with my father?” Mona asked before turning to leave. “Ryne reminds me of him, you know. Mixed signals do not make for a good relationship.”
She couldn’t risk it. Her parents had seemed solid, but they’d had a lot of undercurrents she’d never noticed, and now they were divorced and still miserable. What if that happened to her?

Ryne stood studying the now-empty lot he’d cleared this morning. It wasn’t perfect yet, but it was a nice, big square of land that belonged to him. The rest of his property could be gradually cleared and landscaped too, but this first acre would be the beginning of his new life. He’d left certain trees here and there. Tall pines and old live oaks on each side of the property to act as a privacy shield of sorts, twisted oaks to add shade and character, some old bald cypress trees along the springs and…a wisteria vine he’d almost torn apart until he’d thought about the woman who’d stared him down this morning.
She’d smelled like wisteria and honeysuckle with something exotic and spicy in the mix. So, he’d left the wisteria and pruned it enough that it wouldn’t take over again. It had made a home on an old oak that stood smack-dab in the middle of the line between his property and hers. But the oak was still alive and thriving. Come spring, the wisteria would bloom fragrant purple, starry flowers, and the blossoms would fall on both of their property lines. A connection he shouldn’t want or need.
Because he’d had wisteria in his yard once before.
He thought about Mona Lisa Perez again and envisioned her standing underneath the wisteria tree, glaring at him with that amazingly attractive pout. When he’d looked up this morning to see her there, Ryne had thought he might have been hallucinating.
But no. A mad woman could stop anything from a tank to a bulldozer, and Mona had not looked happy at all. Which had stopped him cold.
He liked her happy or in a sparring mood, and liking her should be a concern for him.
When he’d met her at Sarina and Drake’s rehearsal dinner and then stood across from her during the ceremony, little sensations of awareness moved through his body. This woman had demanded his attention while she’d ignored him completely.
Tall and tan, with sleek, dark-brown thick hair that fell in a slant that brushed at her shoulders, dark eyes that reminded him of a forest at night, and her lips. Pretty, pouty, and luscious. He’d heard of figuratively being hit by a lightning bolt, but it had never happened to him until that night.
Straight to the heart.
Glancing over at what used to be the estate carriage house, and apparently was now her home and place of business, Ryne wondered why a beautiful, successful designer had chosen to stay in such a small town. Why wouldn’t she be in Dallas or Houston or even New York? From what Drake had told him, Sarina and her two friends were all accomplished, bright, and independent women who’d decided to invest in their hometown.
Challenging, but worth the challenge?
He smiled when he thought of how Mona had compared him to an armadillo. But she truly was a colorful butterfly. Underneath her cool exterior, he could see the flutter of her wings. She’d want to stay free. Or she’d want to be set free.
He couldn’t capture that one. No need to even try.
“You look so serious.”
He turned to find Drake strolling onto his property. “Hi, man. I was about to go back to your cabin to wash up.”
“The cabin that used to belong to you, you mean?” Drake said, his gray eyes flashing amusement. “I never did understand why you decided to sell the place, but I’m glad you did.”
Ryne didn’t want to bring up the memories he’d worked hard to put away, so he laughed. “Well, now I’m paying you rent.”
“No, you’re not. You stay for free, like I told you. Either at the inn or the cabin, whenever you need to. This project is important to me and to this town. Sarina gave her approval on all of our development plans, so I feel good about what we’re doing. I’m glad you’re a part of it.”
“Me too. I needed a big project to keep me busy.”
Then Drake laughed. “Of course, I somehow forgot to explain to her that this particular property was yours. She reamed me out with a cute smile about that.”
“Did you forget?”
“No, I think I assumed I’d told her already. Apparently that assumption was wrong.” His gaze moved over the open clearing. “I get so busy, sometimes I can’t remember what I’ve discussed and with whom.”
“I’ve noticed the women around here can hold their own,” Ryne replied, glancing toward Falling Leaves Boutique. “And they have excellent memories.”
“You can say that again. But you and I are going to make this town shine, without tarnishing its tiara. We might need to respect the women who’re at the center of things, however. They like progress, but they demand keeping Blossom quaint and quirky.”
“Keeping things intact and quaint,” Ryne said, nodding. “It’s the best plan, Drake. This place is different. It doesn’t need a lot of fancy stores or heavy traffic on the weekend.” Glancing toward the main street up past the property line, he added, “It seems to flow right along. Busy and full of tourists but not overdone and crowded.”
Drake stared at the springs beyond the trees Ryne had left intact. “I know. Took me a while to see that, but now it’s all coming together.” He walked around with his hands on his hips. “You got a lot done today. When are you bringing in the whole crew?”
“After I clear out more on my own,” Ryne said. “You know me. I have to get a feel for the place. I can only do that when I’m standing here alone going over the design in my head.”
“And I interrupted,” Drake replied, concern filling his eyes.
“It’s okay. I had my moment. I’ve got it all in my head now.”
Ryne could picture his two-storied cabin here. A modern-day cabin made from centuries-old wood and framed out in the original way, log latching to log. He’d have a big front porch for watching storms and a big back porch for watching the always-moving springs. He’d saved some pretty Texas Ash saplings that would grow strong now that the underbrush and surrounding shrubs had been cleared away. They’d form a perfect frame on each side of this particular part of the property.
“This has been my dream for a while now,” he admitted. “I knew I’d found my spot when you brought me here and showed me this land.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Drake said. “You’ve been through a lot over the last few years.”
Ryne couldn’t speak, so he lifted his chin and let some of the memories come back to the surface. “Like I said, I needed this project and I need to start over.”
Drake’s gaze moved from the new ground to the Falling Blossoms property line. “Think you’ll get along with your neighbor in the carriage house?”
Ryne looked over at his friend. Drake always managed to pull him from the brink. “Do you think I don’t see what you’re doing? You and Sarina have become matchmakers. Holt is marrying Kayla. That leaves Mona and me.” He stomped the dirt off his work boots. “You’re both running out of friends to pair up.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Drake said in a weak protest. “I’ve been too busy with this development and my new life to worry about your love life.”
Ryne leveled him with a hard stare. “Yes, you do know what I mean. You like to close deals, Drake. But I’m not one of your projects.”
“Then why did you buy this particular land?” Drake asked, his tone serious now.
“I told you, I like it here. And to answer your question, I talked to Mona this morning. We reached a truce of sorts.”
Drake’s grin returned. “Did you now?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I know Mona,” his friend replied, his eyebrows lifting up. “So I’m thinking she marched over here and let you have it with both barrels.”
“You do know Mona,” Ryne said on a chuckle. “Best ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ I’ve ever seen.” When he saw the smug expression on Drake’s face, he added, “And I’m guessing she told Sarina and Kayla about confronting me. Then Sarina told you all about this morning and our encounter beside the bulldozer, after she fussed at you about not explaining things clearly.”
Drake slapped Ryne on the arm. “Yep. Best story I’ve heard all day. All week maybe. Worth getting into trouble. But I hate that I missed it.”
“Mona was something to behold,” Ryne admitted with a wry grin. “Fierce and with a definite battle stance. I think if she’d had a sword, I’d be slashed through right now. She reamed me out in both English and Spanish.”
“She also speaks French,” Drake warned him.
“Oh, that could do me in, man.” Ryne didn’t care which language Mona used. The woman got to him in more ways than he wanted to admit. She was a paradox full of challenge. “But you also know me. I’m a loner and I roam around like a nomad.”
“I realize that,” Drake replied as they strolled over broken limbs and stumps that would have to be blasted. “But…this seems like settling down to me, and I’m glad about that.”
“This is having a place to land,” Ryne replied. “A place where I can be by myself and listen to the water streaming by or grab my kayak and go for it. Maybe I am settling down, but I’ll never settle. You of all people should understand that.”
“I do understand.” Drake surveyed the property again before continuing. “I did the same thing, so I can’t judge. I’m glad you and Holt are here. We’ve been friends for a long time, same way Sarina, Kayla, and Mona have been friends. It could all work out.”
“So you need to pair me with Mona to complete the circle?”
His friend shook his head and gave him a crooked smile. “No, man. We’re not pairing you two. The sparks were flying before we even got to introduce you to her.”
“Well, those sparks have to fizzle out. I mean, she’s a beautiful, interesting woman, but she’s got her world and I’ve got mine. I don’t think we’ll mesh, other than passing coffee or sugar over the fence she’s threatened to build.” Shrugging, he added, “I’m here because I like this place. It’s a new beginning, which will force me to get to know a town full of good people.” Ryne watched the water shooting by. “I had to give up the cabin on the lake. Too many memories that didn’t get to happen there.” He tucked his hands in his jacket pockets. “I’m trying to stare down the memories and start fresh.”
Drake nodded and stayed silent while they watched the water. “Welcome to Blossom,” he finally said. Then he turned toward the wisteria vines Ryne had left intact. “And…I hope you get to know a certain intriguing fashion designer.”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not on a sure thing,” Drake replied. “C’mon. Sarina invited you for dinner and you don’t want to miss Mrs. P’s lasagna.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

He rides a Harley and she likes long walks, but the chemistry between them is electric

Ryne Kilpatrick was once in love, and he thought it was forever. But tragedy struck, and he’s sure he’ll never love again. He’s become a bit of a lone wolf and a player, preferring to casually flirt then walk away.

When the sexy bad boy starts building a cabin next to her boutique in Blossom, Texas, Mona Perez finds it too close for comfort. The attraction sizzles, but she needs to keep her distance as she no longer trusts romance after her parent’s marriage imploded. Mona’s shocked to learn that her mom and dad still love each other, but her mom feels like she can’t recommit because Mona needs her. So Mona plays cupid and comes up with the perfect plan to prove she’s emotionally moved on—she’ll ask Ryne to be her pretend boyfriend.

Mona’s confident she won’t lose her heart, but her pretend boyfriend starts to seem like the real deal. Should she keep up the charade or follow her heart?

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Meet the Author:

Lenora Worth writes romance and romantic suspense for Love Inspired and also writes for Tule Publishing. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards and several have been RT Reviewer’s Choice finalists. She also received the RT Romance Pioneer Award for Inspirational Fiction. “Logan’s Child” won the 1998 Best Love Inspired for RT. She has made the NY Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With eighty books published and millions in print, she enjoys adventures with her retired husband, Don. Lenora loves reading, baking and shopping … especially shoe shopping.
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