Looking Out the Window: Jan Elder Discusses Her Books, Love, Lies and Fireflies and Frosting and Flurries. Gives Away Two e-Books

A Warm Welcome to Jan Elder

Jan will give away two kindle books—the first a kindle copy of Love, Lies, and Fireflies. The second, a kindle copy of the five-book set, Frosting and Flurries, where the readers will find her book, Moostletoe.

What a treat. Here's Janice Bittner’s Chocolate MOOSTLETOE Cake.  In Moostletoe, the owner of the local coffee shop is a baker. There is a celebration in each of the five books, complete with a very special cake.

CRUST:

3 cups finely crushed chocolate graham crackers

¾ tsp. espresso powder

1 stick butter, melted

FILLING:

3 cups chocolate chips

2 tbsp. butter

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. espresso powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips

Mix the crushed crumbs and the espresso powder. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9” or 10” springform pan. Chill until ready.

Beat the eggs and the egg yolks, and set aside.

Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan. Slowly add the egg mixture in 3-4 additions, whisking well after each addition. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly.
With and electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder and vanilla, and beat until stiff peaks form.

Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate, mixing well.

Gently fold in another 1/3 of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the last 1/3 of the whipped cream until as few streaks remain as possible without deflating the mousse.

Fold in the peanut butter chips.

Pour mousse onto the crust. Freeze until ready to eat. Thaw for about 1 hour before serving.

Yum! Thank you for sharing that delicious recipe with us!

About Mooseltoe, Jan's selection in the Frosting and Flurries boxed set

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?

Now, tell us a little about yourself.

I am privileged to come from a family of writers. My mother, brother, and sister are all published authors. Seven years ago, when I slammed into age 50, I guess I was feeling a little left behind. I decided it was high time to dive into my own writing career and I started a novel in earnest. My mom just turned 93 and she’s knee-deep in creating another book so I figure I have another several decades (I hope) of writing ahead of me. Yippee!

Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read?

I’ve always been a reader. My favorite books growing up in elementary school were A Wrinkle in Time, The Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m also a night person. I loved summertime when I could stay up until all hours of the night reading. I’m sure my mom tried to get me to bed at a “normal” time, but after a while she gave up. No point. I’m still up until at least 2:00 a.m. enjoying a good book and my best time to write is after the sun goes down.

Tell us about your latest full-length novel, Love, Lies and Firelies.

Didi O’Brien is engaged—at least she was an hour ago. Now she’s not so sure. Her fiancé, the suave Kevin Cabot, has just revealed that he’s been unfaithful, and he’s not the least bit sorry. Reeling from the betrayal, with her plans for a happily-ever-after life in doubt, she prays for direction. The answer comes as a complete surprise. God has someone better in mind.

Middle school teacher, Jake Montgomery, is struggling with some issues of his own. Sadly, a year previously his fiancée had been killed in a car crash. Battling anger and despair, in a mountain-top experience, Jake wrestles with the Almighty, and is ready to live again. In his youth, he’d felt an unmistakable call to the ministry but, like the prophet Jonah, since then, he’s been running hard in the wrong direction.

Through a crisis of faith, and glimpses of mercy, Didi and Jake find each other. But can they find the strength to resolve the many obstacles that conspire to keep them apart?

In three words describe your style of writing.

By the seat of my pants.

Oops. Sorry. That’s twice the number of words you were looking for, but you get the point. When I write, I’m as surprised as the reader as to what happens. I just keep going until we get there.

How do you get to know your characters?

In Love, Lies and Fireflies, I gave my main characters a personality test (Myers-Briggs) and then I designed some of the responses from there. What would that type of person do in a particular situation? How would they react? And then what would he/she do next?

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing? 

Actually, I’m doing it. Not only do I get to write, I’m also a Christian life coach. I get to talk to people about their gifts and talents and explore who God made them to be. Talk about a great job! We all have something special to do in this world and I help people find out what that is.

What are you working on right now?

My newest book just released on November 1, 2016. It’s in a “boxed set” on Amazon of contemporary Christian novellas called Frosting and Flurries. This is the first time I’ve been privileged to be in a compilation with four other stellar authors, and I’m proud to say that I’m the newbie in the bunch. (I have four books out…and they have…lots.)  Kind of nice to ride on everyone else’s coattails so I hope it’s a success. The other authors are Kimberly Rae Jordan, Cecelia Dowdy, Clare Revell, and Marion Ueckermann. Lots of fun! Right now I’m working on the second book in the series, Moosed Opportunities.

Buy Frosting and Flurries On Amazon

An excerpt from Jan's novel, Love, Lies, and Fireflies 

While Love, Lies, and Fireflies is basically a romance, there are some decidedly suspenseful elements. When I was half-way through the book, the bad guy, Kevin Cabot, a.k.a. The Cad, demanded his own voice. I found it intriguing to get into the head of a villain. Below happens to be HIS favorite excerpt:

Leaving the side streets, Didi made a quick left, a hard right, and a headlong dash toward the woods at the edge of town. Now that she’d gone this far, there was no turning back. She veered left down Deer Hollow Road. She had no other option.

She hoped with all her heart Kevin wouldn’t risk getting his precious car dinged and defiled on the steep, slick gravel road, but to her dismay, he followed ever closer. A jagged streak of lightning strobed through the sky, and Didi glimpsed his grinning face in the mirror. The man Didi had once thought she loved was enjoying the chase.

She was going way too fast, but she didn’t have a choice. Didi hit the gas and sped on. Sliding down the steep hill, she steered the car as if her life depended on it, slamming into ruts, dips, and potholes. She narrowly missed the ditch on the right side of the road, swerved around the ancient oak on the left, and kept moving.

As she rounded the next curve in the road, she lost control of the car and sideswiped a giant walnut tree, crumpling the driver’s side door. Still, she kept going. For a split second, the Italian job seemed to slow, but it was only an illusion. Instead, at the end of the bend, Kevin was right on her bumper, inching closer, closer, closer. He flashed his lights and honked his horn as if this were all a joke. Keeping up the pressure, Kevin sped up and slowed down, teasing her, thrusting and lunging, fencing with her but never quite hitting her. Frightened out of her mind, Didi punched the gas pedal, the car nearly flying over a rise. On the other side of the hill, the old compact car slipped down the incline, slithering straight toward the swollen stream.

Didi shrieked in terror. The one-lane bridge was out. She had nowhere to go but down.

“Lord Jesus, help me!” She stamped hard on the brake. The little red car spun on its wheels, wet rocks skittering beneath her as she continued her relentless rollercoaster ride toward the creek.

Buy Love, Lies and Fireflies On Amazon

Bio: 

Jan Elder is an inspirational romance writer with a passion for telling stories other women 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.

Visit Jan's Author Page on Amazon

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