I’m excited to have my friend Jan Elder visiting InspyRomance today. Jan and I started our journey to publication together a while back and have been friends and critique partners pretty much right from the get-go. I think, once you read a little about her latest release Moosletoe, you’ll understand why. Moosletoe is part of Frosting and Flurries, a boxed set of five Christmas novellas up on Amazon. The other amazing authors in the set are Kimberly Rae Jordan, Cecelia Dowdy, Clare Revell, and Marion Ueckermann. Jan’s contribution is Moostletoe 
!
And now, here’s a little interview I conducted with Jan (via email, sadly, instead of in person) all about this fun novella.
Elizabeth: I love the title Moosletoe — where did you come up with it?
Jan: I had several titles in mind, all revolving around those elusive moose. One of my beta readers suggested this one because there is a section in the book where…nope can’t tell you because that would spoil it. I did ask friends to vote on the title they liked best, though, and Moostletoe won by a huge margin. Next up in the Moose Creek series is Moosed Opportunities.
Elizabeth: Oh! I love the next title, too. Too much fun! Now, tell me, in Moosletoe, what are two best traits of your hero?
Jan: Eric Palmer is definitely an alpha male, at least in his career. He’s a forest ranger in the northernmost county in Maine and he wrestles moose for a living. Yes, there really is such a job. He jumps from helicopters and slaps radio collars on unsuspecting moose. On the other hand, he is also on the quiet side, he’s a tad shy, and he’s very easy going. The best of both worlds in the guy department.
Elizabeth: Quiet and shy but a moose wrestler. What an interesting combination. Lots of scope for the imagination there. What are his two biggest flaws?
Jan: Eric has been hurt and he carries some heavy baggage. His ex-wife is not a nice woman and his opinion of women is consequently tarnished. He was hoping that his two dachshunds would prove to be enough company, but despite his resolve, he really craves a woman in his life—a good woman. Enter our heroine, but I’ll talk about Sammie next.
At the beginning of our story, Eric was also pretty far away from God. He’s working on that, though. Thanks to Samantha. Oh, my. There she is again! Well, we’d better move on to her next.
Elizabeth: Indeed! Sammie’s definitely trying to get her five minutes here. By all means, tell us about your heroine. And while you’re at it, how about her best traits?
Jan: Samantha Evans (Eric calls her Sammie) is a Methodist minister fresh out of divinity school. She sees the world with decided optimism. I wouldn’t say that her glasses were rose colored because that would make her seem immature and she is anything but. Maybe her spectacles are a gentle powder pink blush. She sees the good in people and she draws the goodness out of them.
Elizabeth: I love that (and I loved reading her, too. Her optimism is a joy.) You don’t see many books about female ministers, so that’s kind of fun as well. Does she have any flaws?
Jan: Sammie does have a few flaws because she’s human (at least in this author’s mind.) Her innate kindness makes her a bit on the naive side. Because she sees the good, she tends to ignore the bad, and she can be easily hurt. She says she’d rather been too sensitive than not enough, and it’s one of the traits Eric likes best about her.
Elizabeth: Oh yeah, that’s kind of putting your heart out there to get stomped on. But there are also some major benefits to that lack of cynicism. Do you have a favorite scene in your novella? Why do you love it?
Jan: My favorite scene is when Eric and Sammie are in the prayer closet. I’m not going to reveal that one though because it’s a surprise. Instead, I’ll share my second favorite scene. Matilda the moose is in trouble. The following is a glimpse of what happens when she gets stuck in a fence:
As they headed toward the fence at the back of the large yard, the trapped moose turned her head and fastened Samantha with the longest, most distressed face she’d ever seen. Somehow, the words “there’s a moose stuck in the fence” had not prepared her for the sight of two hooves sticking to the top of tall pickets.
Poor moosie indeed!
The TV news reporter strode toward Eric and Travis, a determined set to his jaw.
Eric took charge. “Dale, you can film, but be quiet about it and keep well back. I know everybody loves Matilda, but she’s a wild animal and she’s scared. You too, Mr. Tremblay.”
“We’ll do our best to behave.” Dale smirked. “But the TV audience is going to eat this up and we’re here to serve.”
Eric grimaced. “She’s just a moose for crying out loud. People in Aroostook County see them every day.”
The TV crew moved into position. Eric glanced at Samantha. “Sammie you asked what you can do. Your job is to pray we can get this moose out of trouble, fast.”
“Will do.” Samantha nodded and clung to the fence line several yards away. Matilda puffed, her breath sending up a cloud of steam. Samantha’s heart went out to the creature, and she unleashed a silent prayer. If God cared for the lowly sparrow, He surely loved the magnificent moose.
Eric’s eyes zeroed in on the television camera as two men continued to edge closer. “Confound it, Dale, stay back. Don’t you have a zoom on that contraption?”
The cheeky, young reporter lifted his chin. “We’ll stay back as long as you give us an exclusive after the rescue.”
Eric planted his hands on his hips and huffed. “Exclusive? Dale, what do you think this is? Portland? You’re the only TV station there is in these parts. Just keep your distance. Hey, Tremblay? You have a small hatchet?”
A protest erupted from the cameraman. “Surely, you’re not going to hurt that wild animal.”
Eric shook his head. “No, of course we’re not going to hurt her. We have to break up the fence.”
Dale cocked his head. “Why can’t you just yard on it until her feet come out?”
Huh? Samantha searched her memory banks. Yard on it. Ah, yes. Pull hard.
“Do I look suicidal? I’m not getting anywhere near those back hooves. We have a crazed five-hundred-pound moose who’s not thinking straight, here.”
The cameraman grumbled and when Eric turned his back, the cameraman made a hand gesture that meant … Samantha wasn’t sure what it meant, but it couldn’t have been nice.
Matilda shifted her back feet, tried to maneuver backward and pitched a bit to the side. The wooden fence scraped against her front fetlocks and she bellowed, a terrible noise that rang hollow in the damp, night air. Terrified, her eyes flicked back and forth, the whites showing. Helpless, Samantha prayed harder and shuffled her feet to keep the circulation moving, her chest squeezing.
The cameraman hefted his camera and aimed it at the reporter. The show was about to begin.
Elizabeth: That is, indeed, a great scene. And I love all the little Maine-isms you incorporated into the book. It’s well done and adds a nice flavor to the characters and setting. Is this a stand-alone or might there be future installments set in this lovely Maine town?
Jan: As mentioned above, I did decide to turn this into a series. Now that I’ve created this fictional town, the characters voted to live on. Part II of the Moose Creek series picks up where part one leaves off. I’m not sure how many books there will be at this point, but at least three.
Elizabeth: Yay! I can’t wait to see more of Moose Creek…and I think I’ve already identified the heroines for books 2 and 3. And I could maybe see a 4th if she gets her attitude adjusted. Anything else you want to add?
Jan: Yes! I’m struggling with a title for Part III and I’m hoping that some of your readers might have a “moosie” idea. So what ya got, folks? I’m open to suggestions.
Elizabeth: Oooh…we have a very creative bunch of readers, I bet you get some great ideas. You want it to be sort of a Moose pun, I’m guessing. I’ll have to ponder myself.
Jan: Thanks, Elizabeth for having me on InspyRomance today!
Elizabeth: Thanks for being here.
If you want a little more detail about Moosletoe, here’s the blurb:
Fresh out of divinity school, Rev. Samantha Evans is ready to conquer the world for Christ. She lands in Moose Creek, Maine, a tiny backwater town with more moose per square mile than men. Even worse, one of her new parishioners chews up new ministers for breakfast, and he’s hell-bent on sending her packing.
Forest ranger Eric Palmer is done with women. Determined to live simply with no encumbrances, he’s moved to Northern Maine to study the moose population. With Christmas right around the corner, he runs into his buddy, Sammie, the girl who’d been his best friend when they were teenagers. Unlike most of the women in his life, he trusts her implicitly. But could she ever be more than a friend?
When Samantha’s career is on the line, Eric must save her job and rescue his own shattered heart in the process. But how does Matilda the town moose factor in?
You can get your very own copy of Moosletoe in Frosting and Flurries
And you can connect with Jan here:
About Jan:
Jan Elder is an inspirational romance writer with a passion for telling stories other wom
en can relate to on a deep level. She
strives to write the kind of book that will strengthen the reader’s faith, introducing the reader to a loving and forgiving Lord who walks beside us in our daily lives, while also providing an entertaining and engrossing love story.
Happily married for thirteen years to loving (and supportive) husband, Steve, the two live in central Maryland along with Jamie (a chubby black and white tuxedo cat), and Shu-Shu (a willowy tortoiseshell cat). On the weekends, Jan and Steve comb the nearby countryside in search of the perfect ice cream flavor.
Don’t forget to comment with some ideas about a Moosie name for the third book in the series!
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.
Thanks Elizabeth and Jan, am looking forward to reading. My mum went to Canada last year and saw moose there, she bought my kids socks with “don’t moose with me” on them and moose mugs! She even found moose poop earrings!?! Have fun coming up with a name, I look forward to reading more:)
Thanks for introducing us to Jan, Elizabeth. What a great title! I look forward to reading it.
Thanks for the inspiring introduction to Jan Elder, a new author for me. The boxed set Frostings and Flurries included five delicious Christmas romances filled with unexpected twists, diverse settings, strong characters, written by unique cast of authors (USA, Canada, England, and South Africa). Each sweet romance has a cake motif and the recipe included. The stories immediately draw the reader into the plot and conflicts. The reader connects with the troubled but interesting characters. In The Sweetness of Her Love, who would not want to grant one’s 90 year old grandmother’s wishes with the perfect birthday cake. The next four romances – Sugar and Spice, Moostletoe, The Hector Clause, and Ginger and Brad’s House each have some expected twists in the story, that are resolved in a satisfactory manor. This box set has just the right amount of stories (under 10 stories) and each romance is a stand a lone and five star hit.
Thanks Jan Elder for an inspirational, but fun romantic novella. The title made me chuckle, I enjoy play on words and idea. I have never been to Maine, so I enjoy new settings. Since, I am not familiar with moose, I enjoyed learning about moose wrangling. Fun, but informative well developed read. Thanks. One of my favorite sets this season,
One of my favorite parts about living in Alaska was seeing the moose. Once I had one sleeping right outside my bedroom window. They are truly beautiful, powerful animals. Here in Vermont we have moose but they aren’t easy to find. Once we had relatives visiting from the mid west and they went on a moose hunt to see one. It was a fruitless search but they did get to see lots of beautiful country side. Lots like a wonderful book, another book to add to the ” to be read list”. Thank you for what looks like a wonderful story!!
Well thanks to the Supernatural TV show I can not think of moose without thinking of Sam, so that would be my vote for a name.
Don’t moose with me! I love it :) how fun.
Thanks, Jill. Hope you enjoy it (I’m biased but I’m pretty sure you will.)
Renate – thanks for the marketing copy for the whole set so folks can get the big picture (and Marion posted about it last week as well.) Glad you enjoyed Moosletoe!
I’ve been to Alaska and Maine and still never seen a Moose. One day! They’re such interesting creatures.
Ha! Don’t you love it when a show or a book gives us a mental picture so vivid that you can’t get away from it?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Moostletoe,as well as the rest of the novellas in the set. I’m looking forward to the next story . My son and daughter call each other brother bear and sister moose after a movie they watched together when they were young. They give each other presents along that theme. So….we have stuffed moose , moose on a mug, and moose and bear flannel pjs. I’ll have to show them your series ☺
Oh! I love those nicknames :) how sweet. Glad you enjoyed Moosletoe — I really did too.
Oh, this sounds fun! Thanks for inviting Jan to our blog, Elizabeth. Let’s see. Something with Moostake (Mistake). The Sound of Mooseic. Chocolate Moose. Easily Amoosed (amused)… the sky’s the limit!
Ha! Love the idea of a Moosetake :) maybe An Innocent Moosetake or Moosetaken Identity
Now you’ve got me in the zone :)
I thought of Chocolate Moose too :-)
Sounds like a fun read!
I already have my copy and I can’t wait to read.
Mmm…chocolate :)
It really is, Merrilee!
I hope you love it as much as I did!
I’ve started Frosting and Flurries but didn’t get to this story yet. Sounds interesting and I was very intrigued about moose in a romance. I can’t think about a good name but Valerie Commer had some cool suggestions.
I hope you love it when you get to it!
Sounds like a fun read! I live in Maine and have seen a couple of moose in the Greenville area. I hope to never meet one on the road though, I don’t think it will end well, for either of us.
Oh indeed. Please don’t meet one on the road!
Moose droppings are very popular for making jewelry in Maine, too. I had a fun scene about it in one of my books. However, I looked up photos and decided I’m okay not owning any. :)
Oh ick. No thanks!
Not to mention the Moose Collection pajama collection from LLBean in the same book. Now you’ve got me thinking about them all over again. Not a bad thing. ;)
Now those sound adorable.
Thanks Elizabeth for introducing us to Jan Elder. I finished reading “Moostletoe”, in Frosting and Flurries, yesterday. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable read with special down-to-earth characters, quirky humour that leaves a smile on your heart and a message of God’s hand in our lives.
As a PK of a Free Methodist pastor, it was unique seeing the denomination highlighted. I felt a connection with Samantha, going to a new church, the struggles to fit into an established church while developing new friendships, a ministry and her leadership.
I was young when we moved from Michigan to Northern Ontario where we had numerous opportunities to see Moose. My closest encounter with a moose occurred as a Social Work colleague and I traveled a bush road just after dusk. We saw what appeared to be two red lights, much higher than our car, bouncing back and forth across the road as they came towards us. We stopped the car and just waited, not knowing what was on the road in front of us. The red lights turned out to be the reflection of our headlights on the eyes of a HUGE bull moose. As you can imagine, we held our breath waiting to see his reaction to this little orange hatchback in his way. He calmly sauntered past our car, and from the passenger seat I looked UP at his under belly. His legs alone were higher than our car and his rack (antlers) was wider than the car. Thankfully he didn’t see us as a threat.
An interesting fact is that because moose do not have much, if any, fat, their hide is not oily and does not reflect light making them extremely difficult to see in the dark. That is why we could not tell what was in front of us, only seeing his eyes until he was very close.
Here are a couple of names: “The Great Moosescapades” “Bammooseled by Love”
What a great story — thanks for such a clear visual of the scale of a moose! So glad you enjoyed Moosletoe.
Thank you everyone for checking in with Elizabeth Maddrey today. I got some great ideas for moose titles and I even learned a bit more about moose myself. I had such fun reading your comments! Writers keep writing. Readers keep reading. God bless you all! ~ Jan Elder
I think I could closely relate to Sammie in the fact that I like to see the good in people and sometimes that has caused problems. I tend to ignore the bad (or just can’t believe it) and I have been easily hurt, especially when someone says I’m too sensitive or are wearing rose-colored glasses. I’m neither–at least I don’t think so–because I know each one of us can have the tendency to have negative attitudes or mess up in our life (it’s human nature) and just because I like to see the good in someone doesn’t mean I’m ignorant of human nature :-) So I’ve had to develop a harder skin & just be who God made me to be!
I’ve heard that Moose can be aggressive! And they are HUGE so for Eric to put a radio collar on one (I think) would be dangerous. But maybe these ones are friendly :-)
There’s an ice-cream flavor named “Moose Tracks”, maybe a book title suggestion? :-)
Hey there, Trixi. I so appreciated your comment. Seeing the good in people is a strength, not a weakness. But I also know it can cause pain sometimes to be so sensitive (I’m the same way). Besides being a writer, I’m a life coach and it sounds like you have the gift of empathy and really feel, see, and absorb the emotions of others. God made you who you are for a reason and that’s a very good thing. And as to collaring those moose? Eric knows what he’s doing so don’t worry about him. :) Moose tracks…good idea! God bless you, Jan
What a great title! My friend loves all things moose! It makes it easy to buy gifts for her!!