Today, I’m excited to bring you an interview and excerpt from A Semi-Sweet Summer by my friend Jan Elder. Jan Elder is an inspirational romance writer with a passion for telling relatable stories. She strives to write novels that will strengthen the reader’s faith, while also providing an entertaining and engrossing love story. She lives in Maryland with her beloved husband and two pampered cats.
EM: Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself?
Hunter: 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 neighbor Cassidy feels about her, though. The cow has a habit of showing up on Cassidy’s property. Without an invitation.
EM: Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?
Hunter: I live in a sleepy little town called Crystal Falls. A slice of heaven, really, in the rolling hills of western Maryland.
EM: What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to reach your Happily-ever- after?
Hunter: 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.
EM: Tell us about your special lady. What makes her special?
Hunter: 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.
EM: The first time you saw her, what did you think?
Hunter: What did you think the first time you saw your new next-door neighbor, Cassidy Cooper? Ooh la la. WOW!
EM: What was your second thought?
Hunter: Double WOW! (Hunter waggles his eyebrows).
EM: Did you like her immediately, or did she have to grow on you?
Hunter: 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.
EM: Let’s try a fun question. Who is your favorite fictional character?
Hunter: Okay, this might be a little on the silly side, but I’ve always been fond of Superman. Even had the pajamas when I was a kid. Do they make them for adults? I might have to check that out.
EM: Anything else you’d like to share with us before you have to go milk the cows?
Hunter: I’ve been teaching a Sunday morning Bible study class for the twenty-somethings in my church. The more I teach, the more I find myself going back to the basics. Always remember: “Jesus loves me, this I know.” That’s all you really need.
Thanks, Jan, for convincing Hunter to come and chat with us today!
Since Jan is one of my critique partners, I get to read all of her books before they’re published. It’s a beautiful thing. I really enjoyed A Semi-Sweet Summer. Here’s an excerpt…I think you’ll see why I found the book so fun!
Out of the corner of Cassidy’s eye, something huge and decidedly bovine moved over by her property line. “Hold up, Gabby.”
Her friend 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.
You can get your very own copy of A Semi-Sweet Summer on Amazon.
And you can connect with Jan on her:
Website
Facebook page
Twitter
Goodreads author page
Jan would like to give away two e-book copies of A Semi-Sweet Summer – so leave a comment and let her know what you’d do if you went outside to find your neighbor’s cow in your yard!
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
Hi Elizabeth and Jan. Thanks for the interview, a cow arranging a meeting between hero and heroine…sounds fun:) Hmm, if I found my neighbours cow in my yard…make sure it stayed away from my fruit trees..then call the neighbour!
Blessings:)
It’s such a cute book – and the cow is a really fun addition. I’m trying to picture a cow here in suburbia and just can’t. :)
Thanks for coming by!
Well, where I live, we’ve gone outside to find deer in our yard. I usually run get my camera and take a picture! The deer have “trimmed” all the lower branches of our apple trees, feasted on all my hydrangea blossoms, and eaten a few other flowers, but I still enjoy seeing them in my yard. :-)
I’ve enjoyed all of Jan’s books that I’ve read so far, so it would be fun to win one of this one.
Deer are so pretty — we have a couple of places near us that we will often see a big deer family when we drive by.
I like feisty characters. This sounds like a must read. Thanks for sharing.
As for your question, I hope I don’t find find a cow in my yard since I’ve always lived in the city, farm animals are forbidden so it would be just close to impossible to find one. That being said, the alternative (finding a cow in my yard) would probably be a freak out experience — something would have to be really really wrong.
I can’t imagine it super well myself :)
Jan’s characters are always a little feisty — some more than others.
I’d be shocked if I went outside and found a cow on my lawn since I live in the middle of suburbia and I think I’d probably call my parents.
I have this book and have already read it! It was such a fun book to read!
Ha. Yeah, I’d be on the phone for sure to someone :)
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
. such a wonderful excerpt. I am laughing because I would have no problem moving marigold back onto her own property. I grew up on a farm and we were always doing this with cows that came a visiting. LOL got to know a lot of cows in the area. only the bulls we left alone and called their owners LOL
Oh I love this!
We have two orphan fawns living on our farm right now, often grazing in our side yard. They lost their spots a few weeks ago! Fun to watch, but when one started eating my strawberry PLANTS, not just the berries, I shooed them out. They were back soon, though. We’ve had them since early summer.
I’ve met more than one cow wandering around my yard, but that might be expected since I live on a farm! For me, it was always, “Oh, darn, the fence is down again. Where this time?”
Ha. I guess if you live in a farm it’s not quite so unexpected. :)
Really nice interview! Thanks for sharing Jan’s story with us.
Being a city girl I don’t really have a yard, which is sad.. but In case I had one and found a cow in it, I guess I would call my mom, they are her favorite animals!
That’d be a treat for your mom then! :)
We’ve been told to call animal control if we see a donkey from a neighboring farm. I guess I would do that for a cow as well. We live in a new subdivision so there are farms scattered around us.
Hi Jan! :)
LOL, love that excerpt!
Thanks Autumn!
Oh interesting! I don’t think our animal control would know what to do with a cow. :)
When we first moved here, to the country, our neighbors cow appeared in our front yard! Never happened again. However, we now have deer feeding at our persimmon tree regularly! Sounds like a fun book to read!
How funny! You lived the first chapter of the book ;) We have a lot of folks here with visiting deer :)
I know exactly what I’d do if the neighbor’s cows were in my yard since it’s happened more than once. I’d call to let them know about it. Fortunately for my husband, the neighbor doesn’t look like Hunter is described! Lol! It sounds like a fun book.
Thanks for stopping by, Wemble. My father grew up on the farm and he had a cow named Magnolia. Cute, huh? Blessings, Jan
Hi Margaret. Yes, deer are so pretty, as are the cows in A Semi-Sweet Summer. Hero Hunter takes great care of his bovines! Thanks for stopping by. Blessings, Jan
Hi Valerie. I think I’d shoo any creature away from my strawberry plants. Yum. Magnolia the cow only went for the clover and she can have it. Blessings, Jan
Hi Priscilla, yes, freak out is right if you found a cow in the city. Of course…free milk! Thanks for stopping by and hope you get a chance to enjoy A Semi-Sweet Summer! Blessings, Jan
Hi Jessica. In A Semi-Sweet Summer, since Cassidy lives next to a dairy farm, a cow in her yard shouldn’t have come as a total surprise, huh? Thanks for stopping by. Blessings, Jan
Hi Becky! Thanks so much for the compliment. SSS was a great deal of fun to write (and research!). Blessings, Jan
Hi Lori, Cows that came “a visiting.” What fun! I should have called you when I was reaching the fabulous bovine! Blessings, Jan
Cows are opportunists, huh? Do your cows have names?
Cows are my sisters a favorite animal too! She has cow paraphernalia all over her house! Blessings, Jan
Hi Diana, Animal control for a cow, huh? If it happens, just call Hunter the dairy farmer from A Semi-Sweet Summer. He’s ever so helpful. :) Blessings, Jan
Thanks, Autumn! Miss talking to you and hope you’re doing well! Love, Jan
Thanks for stopping by, Jackie! I think my cats would enjoy watching a cow in the yard … as would I as long as I don’t have to clean up after it. The kitty cats love watching the occasional deer that wanders by. Blessings, Jan
Grin, thanks for stopping by, Sherri. I should have talked to your neighbor before writing the chapter to make sure I got all of the details right! Blessings, Jan