Today sees the release of A Semi-Sweet Summer by Jan Elder. Jan very kindly not only sent me an author interview, but also a character interview. So please read on to the end of the page :)
Excerpt:
With
weighted steps, Cassidy headed toward the car and crumpled into the passenger
seat. “Where’d you get all that energy, Gabby? Don’t country people meander?”
She
vaguely remembered when her life felt more like a brisk walk than the frantic
gallop of her life in the big city. Vaguely.
“Us
country-people tend to stroll through life and enjoy the journey—unless there’s
fried chicken involved. Then it’s every man, woman, or child for themselves.
Ready?” Gabby shifted into gear and prepared for take-off.
Out
of the corner of Cassidy’s eye, something huge and decidedly bovine moved over
by her property line. “Hold up.”
Gabby
pulled up short and Cassidy stiff-legged it out of the car. She strode across
the lawn, her heels sinking into clover with every step. When she was ten feet
away from a mangled fence, she spied a man headed in her direction, picking his
way across the field next door. His periwinkle-blue cotton shirt stretched
across broad, muscular shoulders, his thick, dark-brown hair was ruffled by the
light breeze.
OK,
he had nice, wide shoulders, but she had a damaged fence. She stepped closer.
The oxford button-down fit him as if it was made for his fine physique. Her
ex-boyfriend’s London tailor couldn’t have done any better.
Cassidy
moved another step closer. The man’s chestnut-brown eyes, with a hint of
copper, zeroed in on hers as he swiped an errant lock of hair off his forehead.
Hunter
Gray?
The
blast from her past nearly slapped her to the ground. In high school, she’d
pined for this man from afar. In her adolescent journal, she’d waxed lyrical about
his many fine attributes. She’d lain awake countless nights dreaming of the
dimples in his face, his broad chest…and his lips.
And
then, at the end of her sophomore year, he’d ruined it all. Her passion swung
the other direction—hatred for his despicable self.
Hunter
whistled through his teeth, a slow smile gracing his lips. “Well, hello,
neighbor.”
“Is
that your animal on my lawn?” She knew a bovine when she saw one, and this one
was impressive. Long, long legs, massive hooves, and…who knew cows could be so
whopping enormous?
The
cow turned dark, liquid eyes on Cassidy and she could swear the creature
smirked. Wickedly. As if it were claiming the lawn as its own.
“Oh,
you mean Marigold?”
He
named his cows after flowers? “Yes. Why is Marigold on my lawn?”
“What can I say? She’s the adventurous type.” He pushed a
hand through hair the color of brisk iced tea—that wavy, tousled hair. “Don’t
worry. I’ll fix your fence.”
She
screwed up her face until she found the semblance of a smile. “Fine. And I’d
appreciate it if you’d get your cow off my turf. Now.”
Why
wasn’t she over this stomach-clenching angst? She’d forgiven him years ago, so
why did the rusty barb of humiliation pin her like a bug to a board?
She
smothered a sigh just as the recalcitrant cow lifted her tail and plopped a
cow-pie on spring-green grass.
My Review:
This one held my attention from first page to last word, making putting it down virtually impossible. Cassidy and Hunter's story pulls you in, tugs on every heart string you have, and a couple you didn't know existed. From chuckles to sobs, this story has it all and shouldn't be missed.
My Review:
This one held my attention from first page to last word, making putting it down virtually impossible. Cassidy and Hunter's story pulls you in, tugs on every heart string you have, and a couple you didn't know existed. From chuckles to sobs, this story has it all and shouldn't be missed.
buy here:
How did you come up
with your premise? Is there a story behind your book? How did the story evolve?
A Semi-Sweet Summer is a “new
adult” novella, part of Pelican Book Group’s Pure Amore line. A large part of
this book harkens back to my teenage years, my thoughts swinging to a boy I had
the biggest crush on in school. He was three and a half years older (I even still
remember his birthday) and he was definitely in the “elite” segment of our
church youth group—the cool kids I so longed to be a part of. Sorry to say, I
followed him around like a puppy, learned all of his favorite foods, his chosen
hobbies, etc. I try not to think I actually stalked him, but I was very aware
of his presence, and searched for ways to be near him.
In A Semi-Sweet Summer, I tried to transfer some of that raging angst
into fodder for Cassidy’s discomfort in finding her unrequited love living
right next door. Like most of us, Cassidy never really fit in—hardly that
enviable cheerleader, not a person that anyone would notice. Rather, she sees
herself as sort of an ugly duckling. Can anybody out there relate?
For those who are
not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
Hunter Gray is very intrigued by his new neighbor. His escape artist cow,
Marigold, engineers an introduction…but it's not quite the first impression he
was hoping for. Baffled by the nagging suspicion he’s seen this woman before,
he plots to win Cassidy’s heart at every opportunity.
With the object of her unrequited love living within shouting distance,
Cassidy prays for strength to forgive and forget. And Hunter? He just wants to
get back to his own dream to grow his farm and get to know the pretty girl next
door. If she'll let him.
Are there any fun
titbits about this story you can share with us?
In order to research the
story, I “had” to visit a local upscale chocolate truffle shop, The Perfect
Truffle in Frederick, MD. Randy, the owner of the shop, spent a whopping three
hours with me, telling me all about the ins and outs of making the finest
chocolate. And THEN, he let me choose twelve truffles to take home. I shared
the chocolate with my writers group, and luckily, that day, there were six of
us. Two for each! Seriously delicious!
Here's the website in case
you just want to drool at the photos:
How did you decide
on the setting?
I was walking by a chocolate
truffle shop one day, stopped in to “take a look” at the “display” and, well,
there ya go…
When will it be
released?
August 18, 2017 – TODAY!
Yippee!
Washington D.C. Keep moving
north and west and currently live 75 away, near the skinny part of Maryland.
If you could live
anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Idaho. My sister lives there
and I miss her. Plus, it’s slower paced than where I live and the people are
nice. And, from visiting my sister many times, I have learned there are
chocolate truffles there too. Having chocolate nearby is a must for me now,
apparently.
What’s your favourite
colour?
I have three just because … I
can. Twilight blue (see previous novel Love, Lies, and Fireflies for a description),
lilac, and dusty rose. They also happen to look good together.
What advice would you
give a new writer just starting out?
Your first draft is going to
be awful. Get used to it. Just keep writing and fix it later—one of the most
useful things I’ve ever read about writing. I think it was in Writers Digest
magazine. Kinda takes the pressure off.
Are you working on
anything at the present you’d like to share with us?
Part three of the Moose Creek
series. Part one, Moostletoe, part two, Moosed Opportunities, and now… part
three Almoosed Heaven. Lots of fun, lots of romance, lots of moose to love.
Should be coming out the November.
What did you want to
be when you grew up?
Too easy. An author.
Do you really, really
want a dog?
No. Have two cats. Love them
both. Don’t have to take them outside. And they’re self-cleaning. And to all of
you dog people out there, I do love dogs also. I have been owned by four at
various times growing up. If there were no cats in the world, a sheltie would
be my fall-back animal.
Do you hate how you
look in pictures?
Good gravy, doesn’t most
everybody? I’ll get back to you when I lose 20 pounds and let you know if that
helps.
What were you doing
at midnight last night?
Writing. My best time to
think, create, and write. If I’m not doing that at midnight, I’m reading a good
fiction book. Or petting a cat. Or watching my neighbor have to walk his dog
out in the elements.
What is your favourite
animal?
I believe we’ve covered this
but just in case … cat, cat, cat, and uh, cat. I wanted four, my husband wanted
zero, so we have two. Love my husband. Lots.
Have you ever cried
during a movie?
If the movie is a good one, I
cry. All the time. I cry at Hallmark card commercials. Just do.
What is your favourite
pizza?
Anything that doesn’t have
anchovies in it on it or near it.
Are you a morning
person or a night person?
Extreme night owl. The rest
of the world needs to start everything later. Like four hours.
Hero
Tell
us your name and a little bit about yourself?
Hello. I’m Hunter Gray. Thanks for having me here
today. The most notable thing about me, I guess, is that I’m a dairy farmer. My
favorite cow is named Marigold. (Hunter laughs). I’m not sure how my new
neighbour Cassidy feels about her though. The cow has a habit of showing up on
Cassidy’s property. Without an invitation.
Tell
us about where you live and why you choose to live there?
I live in a sleepy little town called Crystal Falls.
A slice of heaven, really, in the rolling hills of western Maryland.
What
is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know?
I’ve always been a sucker for red-heads. With blue
eyes. And a taste for chocolate.
What
obstacles did you have to overcome in order to reach your Happily-ever-after?
I grew
up on the farm and sort of took it over when Dad retired. I wanted to make it
my own though and do it right. Got my agriculture and husbandry degree from The
University of Maryland and I’ve worked hard to make it profitable. It’s hard
though. My sister is tied to a wheelchair and she needs … extra consideration.
Takes a lot of time, but I’m working on a solution to that problem.
Tell
us about your special lady. What makes her special?
What I really love about her is that she was willing
to give me a second chance. Not everyone would do that, especially these days.
She has so much love to give, but I gotta tell you it was hard to soften up
that hard shell. In the end, it was oh so worth it.
The
first time you saw her, what did you think? Did you like her immediately, or
did she have to grow on you?
You know that’s a great question. I was sure I’d
seen that woman before, but I couldn’t place her. I kept asking her questions,
tried to get her to talk, but to say she was “evasive” would be putting it
mildly. The lady was downright secretive. But did she have to grow on me? No. I
liked that feisty woman from the moment I saw her stamp her cute little foot at
my cow.
And
now some silly questions.
Pepsi
or coke
Pepsi – it’s a tad sweeter and I have a real sweet
tooth.
tea or
coffee
Coffee, with plenty of cream. I am a dairy farmer,
you know.
elephant
or tiger –
Tiger. I even have an orange cat.
roast
dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)
Burger and fries. I’m a simple kind of guy.
classical
music or pop
Anything with a beat, so I guess classical is out.
sunrise
or sunset
Sunrise. I have to get up to milk the cows so I’ve
seen quite a few.
walk
or run
I’m a country-boy. I don’t walk. I mosey.
chocolate
or crisps (chips for our US readers)
Oh, I’d better say chocolate here. My gorgeous new
neighbor owns a chocolate truffle shop!
CONNECT WITH JAN ELDER
Website: http://janelderauthor.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/janice.elder.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanElderAuthor
Contact Information: www.janelderauthor.com/contact
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Elder/e/B00VXW5F2C/
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