First Page-The Soldier's Mission by Author Lenora Worth

The first page today is From The Soldier's Mission by Author Lenora Worth.

Chapter One

"She couldn’t get his voice out of her head.

Laura Walton thought about the man she’d come to the desert to find. The man everyone was worried about. The man who, a few weeks ago, had called the CHAIM hotline in the middle of the night.

“My father died in Vietnam,” the grainy, low voice said over the phone line. “My brother was wounded in Desert Storm. He’s in a wheelchair now. And I just got back from Afghanistan. Lost my whole unit. Lost everyone. I think I need to talk to somebody.”

Laura had been on call that night, volunteering to man the hotline that CHAIM held open for all of its operatives. But only one call had come to the Phoenix hotline on that still fall night. One call from a man who was suffering a tremendous amount of survivor’s guilt.

Laura understood this kind of guilt. She didn’t have survivor’s guilt, but her own guilt ate away at her just the same. She’d lost a patient recently. A young patient who’d taken his own life. She’d failed the teenager.

She didn’t want to fail Luke Martinez.

The soldier’s tormented words, spoken with such raw pain, had stayed with her long after the man had hung up.

Which he did, immediately after confessing that he needed to talk."

To read a longer excerpt, click here.
http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?itemid=22733&cid=416

Author Lenora Worth & Dress for Success

My guest today Love Inspired Author Lenora Worth shares the way she helps women find their inner strength. Here's Lenora, bless her heart.

"I believe in helping other women so when I decide to support a non-profit organization, I always do research to this end. Therefore, I’ve been involved in Dress for Success for many years, as both a volunteer and a board member. Our local affiliate has a nice boutique where women who need a helping hand to get back into the work place can come and shop for an interview suit and later, a work day suit, including accessories. Being a part of this has been so rewarding for me, I wanted to share this with everyone I know.

We gather gently worn clothes for the boutique all year long and once a year, we have a “Send One Suit” clothes drive where several local businesses help out with dry-cleaning and donations. We have various fund-raising events throughout the year, too. And we have several national sponsors such as Dress-Barn, Avon, Mary Kay Cosmetics and Lia Sophia jewelry, just to name a few. These sponsorships are distributed accordingly throughout the many affiliates. I’ve work as often as I can in the boutique, helping to dress clients. It’s so much fun to help the women shop for the perfect outfit for an interview. The women are referred by other non-profit organizations and we have guidelines and rules, but helping to suit them is a life-changing assignment. We start with asking them about themselves and what type of work they have applied for. Then we pick out blouses, skirts, pants and jackets to fit their work. We also help them find the right shoes and purses to go with their new outfits.

Women enter uncertain and embarrassed at times, but emerge looking confident and professional. I think the best part of being a consultant in the boutique is watching the transformation. They beam with pride when we find the right suit and so do we. Dressing to impress, what some might consider frivolous, is really a very important component in building a woman’s confidence and courage. It does make a different, in their minds and in the eyes of an employer. Dress for Success began in New York in 1997 and is now Dress for Success Worldwide. To date, we’ve suited over 300,000 women in over 80 cities and in five countries (and counting.) We also offer continuing support with a Professional Women’s Group that mentors by bringing in speakers and consultants on a monthly basis. And most affiliates offer a Career Center where women have access to technology and can improve their professional skills by updating resumes, practice business writing and take care of any type of business tasks. I’m so proud to be a part of such a strong, vital organization and I encourage women everywhere to learn more about Dress for Success Worldwide. It’s a network of strong women working to help other women. And that’s something we can all celebrate."--Lenora Worth

Here's Lenora's latest Love Inspired romance. She is donating a copy to my MEGA May gift basket. Leave a comment to be eligible for the end of the month drawing. Thanks, Lenora--Lyn

http://www.lenoraworth.com

May 2010--Hometown Princess

June 2010--Risky Reunion

August 2010--Mission: Bodyguard

December 2010--The Soldier's Mission

Author Lenora Worth & Carly & Mexican Dressing

My guest today is Lenora Worth a long time dear friend. I visited Lenora earlier this year when my dh and I were coming home from Texas. She was a delightful hostess. Here's Lenora:

"I live in Louisiana, near the Texas border so Mexican food is like second nature to all of us around here. I rarely had Mexican food growing up back in Georgia. But when I discovered it after moving out here many years ago, I fell in love with it. And I've found that in spite of the basic ingredients of meat, cheese and beans and spices, not all Mexican dishes are the same. My recipe is original--a combination of dishes I've tried and liked with some Southern cooking thrown in for good measure.

My daughter Carly is the strong woman who helped me create this dish. She came home from a high school Spanish class one day, needing a recipe to translate from English to Spanish (or maybe it was the other way around.) Anyway, I gave her this recipe and I think the teacher had some questions regarding the long-drawn out version but if I remember correctly, Carly got a good grade anyway. Below is the short version. It's a cross between a tamale pie and southern cornbread dressing.

So this recipe is dedicated to my spicy, fiery, strong daughter who went after her dream of being a high school teacher. She's had many trials since pursuing that dream but now we're rejoicing that she is still able to be a teacher in spite of some set-backs. She's worked hard, learned some valuable lessons and continues to grow and mature as a strong, beautiful woman who knows her own heart. Here's to you, Carly! (Carlita in Spanish.)

Mexican Dressing Casserole:

1 pound of hamburger meat, cooked (Or chopped cooked chicken)
I recipe of cornbread (homemade or boxed)
1 can of Rotel (Mexican diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 can of chicken broth
2 cups shredded mixed cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese (or more to taste)

Salsa for topping

Break cornbread into a big bowl
Pour chicken broth over broken cornbread
Add Rotel
Stir until cornbread is moist then add cooked meat and cheese. (A little salt and pepper or cilantro is good)
Mix everything until it's moist
Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown.
Serve with salsa as gravy and enjoy. Add more cheese on top if you want.)

I hope this easy recipe spices up your dinner. We love it around here.

Lenora :-)"

I'm getting so many excellent Mexican-style recipes. I can't wait to try each one. My family will heartily approve! Here's a sneak peak at Lenora's next book The Gift of Wonder which comes out in October. And drop by her website and see ALL HER SHOES! Thanks again, Lenora!--Lyn