My guess is that when you think of a romance novel, goats are not the first thing that come to mind. Faithful pooches or fluffy kitties, yes. Possibly a horse running across a field, mane and tail streaming in the breeze. But a goat? Not so much.
However, I never claimed to be a normal romance author. If you’ve read my Farm Fresh Romance series, you might have already suspected that. So when I decided to spin a new series from that one but set in Spokane, Washington, I had a good look at what’s already happening in that city in regards to food initiatives, in particular. And one of the first things I discovered is that Spokane allows backyard chickens and goats in some parts of the city.
Immediately the first scene of the first Urban Farm Fresh Romance, Secrets of Sunbeams played through my imagination:
Eden Andrusek stopped so suddenly the screen door slammed her backside. Where was Pansy? Eden shaded her eyes and glanced around the backyard. No way. She’d only been inside a minute.
“Pansy!” she yelled, jogging down the three steps to the barren yard. “Where are you?”
The answer seemed to be… nowhere. Eden’s gut clenched. No, no. No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
The gate at the side of the small house was definitely closed. The backyard was completely fenced with no hiding places. Except…
Eden’s pulse quickened at the sight of a vertical board in the side fence hanging slightly askew. She ran across the yard, nearly tripping over the metal bucket Pansy had been playing with, and pushed at the errant board. It swung aside. That was definitely enough room for the escape artist.
She crouched and peered through the gap into the neatly mowed lawn of the Victorian next door. A side table with a glass of something clear and red sat beside an empty deck chair facing…
“Pansy! No!”
The goat only glanced over as she chewed the paper dangling from her mouth.
“Drop it, Pansy!” Like that would help. Dogs might be trainable. Goats? Not so much. Eden yanked at the board, but she wasn’t as skinny as the Nigerian dwarf. No way was she fitting through that gap. And she definitely wasn’t going over the eight-foot fence without a ladder.
Eden dropped the board and bolted through her gate and around to the house next door. Man, they didn’t even have a side gate. She pounded on the door while jabbing the doorbell. Wasn’t there a new renter? Surely someone was home. Somebody had to have left the nearly-full glass out there, to say nothing of the papers.
The papers that were being devoured in present time.
She pounded again. “Let me in!”
No voice. No footsteps.
Eden twisted the doorknob, and it gave beneath her fingers. She hesitated for an instant. Should she do this? Was it breaking in if the door was unlocked? Maybe she should go back to her yard, grab a hammer and remove another board or two. That had to be better than entering someone’s house uninvited.
She pushed just a little further. Was there a clear path to the back door from here? Maybe she could scoot through with no one the wiser. After all, if someone were home, they’d surely have come to the door by now.
A set of patio doors was clearly visible past the dimly lit interior. On the other side, Pansy knocked the glass onto the deck chair and began to lap up the liquid.
To read the entire first chapter, click here.
About Secrets of Sunbeams:
Especially if your neighbor is a goat.
Eden Andrusek knows she should have fixed her fence last week. It’s too bad her runaway goat makes a less-than-ideal first impression on her new neighbor, who turns out to be cute, brilliant… and a little uptight.
Solar architect Jacob Riehl is furious when he returns outside to find a goat eating his presentation. As someone who likes everything in its place, he has little sympathy for a farm animal in the city or its tattooed owner, but there’s something about the lovely Eden that captures his attention.
What will it take to win over a man whose only pet was a goldfish? And how long can Jacob and Eden go without addressing the goat in the room?
Next month I’ll blog about the process of creating the cover for Secrets of Sunbeams. Meanwhile, above is a peek at the photo shoot my illustrator/cover designer held for reference images for the cover.
Secrets of Sunbeams will first release in Whispers of Love. If you haven’t checked it out or pre-ordered it yet, you will definitely want to. Twelve romance novels from Christian authors you love, and not a single one of these stories has ever been published before! Click here for more information and links to pre-order the collection on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and iBooks.
What is the most unusual pet or animal you’ve ever seen in a romance novel?
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Probably the most unusual pet I’ve seen in a romance was a snake…yuck. I’d much rather see a goat.
What a fun sounding story:) My husband sometimes teases me that I was named after my parents’ pet goat- so not true!! Most unusual pet in a romance story- probably an alpaca- gross cos it kept spitting everywhere!
Looking forward to reading this!
Thanks Valerie! I think goats are adorable and romantic. In Northern Indiana many Amish farms have goats and sell goat cheese. Can’t wait to read Whispers of Love and your new romance Secrets of Sunbeams.
What a cute opening scene! A bunch of us locals finally convinced the city council to allow us to have chickens in the city. We all know not to push for more, and this is a reason why! :-)
I am definitely a city girl, so farm animals are not my thing, but I always feel closer to my mom (who was raised in a small farm environment). I’ve preorder Whispers of Love, so I’m in for another experience with animals. I can definitely imagine how chocked Jacob would have been.
I think your goats are the most unique. We’ve had a parade of different animals while raising three children :-)!
I’ve recently read a romance novel where a rabbit was the pet. It rode around town in the heroines bicycle basket.
A goat brings to my mind of “Jimmy” the goat on the Andy Griffith show that ate a belly full of dynamite.
I love your stories, Valerie. :-) How unique to put a goat in a story. I think that is awesome!
I love goats! Sounds like a great, fun read.I just pre-ordered it and can’t wait to read it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing the first chapter with us Valerie. I really enjoyed it. I pre-ordered Whispers of Love earlier this month. I am really looking forward to reading Secrets of Sunbeams.
Our neighbors had a goat and numerous other animals when I was a kid in Montana, and I lived in Spokane when I was in high school. I’m going back for my class reunion in July. Your books sounds very entertaining.
ME TOO! While Jacob is Team Goldfish and Eden is Team Goat, me? I’d choose anything before Team Snake. I wouldn’t read it. Just couldn’t. *shudders*
The author could have minimized the spitting for more romance, LOL! Too funny.
I’m looking forward to reading YOURS in Whispers of Love!
I love goats. I just finished reading your first chapter and cannot wait to read the book. So clever!
Thanks, Renate! Jacob in my story won’t be as easy to convince.
My own small, rural town doesn’t allow chickens or bees within city (to say nothing of the goats!). There is plenty of lobbying happening using cities like Spokane as a standard. When I spoke to animal control in Spokane, she assured me that domestic livestock constituted a very small percent of the calls they receive.
Thanks for taking a chance on Pansy, Priscila! I hope you’ll love her… Secrets of Sunbeams… and all the stories in Whispers of Love.
Now I’m envisioning an entire parade. The goats are wearing (and eating) party hats, the rabbits are being pushed in baby strollers… it goes on and on! What a fun visual. :)
A rabbit sounds like a “romantic” pet!
I had to look up that episode to watch later! I have never watched much TV, never having lived in the same house with one until I was 25 and then having a husband who controlled the remote. ;) Here it is if anyone else wants to watch: https://youtu.be/ziocq6tS8ms
Thanks! I hope Pansy and I will live up to expectations. :)
All the authors of Whispers of Love thank you for your pre-order. We are hoping to bless many people with a variety of romantic stories bringing glory to Jesus. Even with goats. ;)
Thanks for the pre-order, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the first chapter!
Let me know if you expect to have any free time when you’re in Spokane. Maybe we could get together?
Thanks Sharon! I hope you enjoy Secrets of Sunbeams. :)
The first interesting pet in a book that pops to my mind is a donkey named Steve in Shanna Hatfield’s “Bertie”. He was quite the comical character. Sounds like Pansy is as well! I’ve already preordered Whispers of Love! Can’t wait to check out your story in it! That was quite the interesting excerpt! :)
A donkey would be an interesting pet for a romance, yes. Hmm, wonder if I can work one in sometime?! Thanks for pre-ordering Whispers of Love. I think you will get 12 treats.
A goat is definitely an unusual animal in a romance, but oh my the hilarity that must ensue!! What a story to tell the kids or grand-kids on how you met & fell in love :-) Thanks to good old Pansy…haha!
Sounds delightful Valerie, I love an author who includes animals in their stories. It adds another layer where the writer can use their imagination & maybe humor to boot! How fun :-)
Thank you! I hope Pansy meets up to your hopes! :)
Val–I LOVE this!! So cute. What a great way to start a romance. :)
Thanks! I hope the story fulfills the beginning. :)
I’m imagining if this happened to my husband…He’s pretty laid back but he HATES goats! I think my favorite animal appearance would have to be the elephants in Orphaned Hearts by Marion Ueckermann. As for unusual, it would be really cool to have a pot-bellied pig in a story.
Yes, Marion’s elephants were very cool! Not sure I could pull off a pet pot-bellied pig, as I tend to think of pigs as ham-on-the-hoof!
Can’t wait! I have to say, I love goats. Did I mention I can’t wait? Why is June so far away!
Ha! Right now it feels like June is TOMORROW! I have so much to do in May (like write most of the second book, Butterflies on Breezes) that I’m dreading it even beginning!
Valerie, you have me HOOKED! Can’t wait to read your story. Thanks Katy for the reminder of my orphaned elephants. My mind was turning to the hedgehogs I had in A Match for Magnolia, but they were wild pets, and played a small role in the story. Pansy sounds like she’s a major character.
I buy goat’s milk products from a local farmer and they tell me the funniest stories about their goat. They even had a baby goat try to get into my car on one visit. I had petted and cuddled the cute little thing and it decided I was it’s new mama! Broke my heart to have to leave it behind, but I have no experience caring for a nubian goat. Looking forward to your new series, Valerie!
Hi Marion! Yes, exactly. Without Pansy, Eden and Jacob’s story would have been completely different from “as written” just like Abigail and Simon’s story centers on the elephants. Can’t wait to read your Whispers of Love novel as well. :)
Aw, sounds like a sweetie! My friend Bonny makes goat cheeses and soaps. I’m hoping to have her at my personal blog sometime soon with a cheesemaking post. :)