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Showing posts with label dairy farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy farming. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Beyond the Book: Copper Pennies

Welcome to Beyond the Book. Do you like to cook? My name is Kara Cochrane, and I was Elaine's heroine in Her Kind of Man. Cooking is one of my hobbies, and since it's snowing today, and I can't get out much I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes with you. Hope you like it.

Copper Pennies

2 lbs. carrots sliced
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 small bell pepper cut in thin strips
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
1/2 c. salad oil.
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Boil carrots in salted water just until fork tender.  Drain and set aside to cool. Mix carrots, pepper, and onions in bowl you can seal tightly. Combine soup, oil, sugar, vinegar and seasonings. Mix well and pour over vegetables. Refrigerate.

Let me know if you try it.

Her Kind of Man was designated A True Gem!

Available at Amazon and most other retail outlets.



Friday, October 3, 2014

Saturday Sample: Her Kind of Man


Her Kind of Man is on sale. You can get your copy for only .99 at http://www.amazon.com/Her-Kind-Man-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B007TCJ36E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412390733&sr=1-1&keywords=her+kind+of+man   

You can also buy the book at http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=her-kind-of-man

Here's a blurb and excerpt from Her Kind of Man.


Blurb:
Is it possible she’s finally found her kind of man?
Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids, so when Kara’s fiancĂ© Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.
A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.
But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross.
Excerpt:
Ross had drifted off to sleep with a muscled arm thrown across Kara’s waist. She wondered if she could slide away from him without waking him up. She eased forward, but his arm tightened around her and pulled her back against him.
Near panic swept over her. She couldn’t breathe!  She had to move away from him. This time she didn’t try to ease away. She pushed his arm away, and Ross turned over to his other side and freed her.
She pulled the covers around her shoulders and wished he hadn’t objected to her putting her nightgown back on after they’d made love. “I like the way you feel against me,” he’d whispered in her ear, so of course she’d left it off.
She’d only been married a few hours and had already learned a lot about her character. Unhappily, most of it was bad. She guessed she must have a lot of her father in her. After all, what decent woman would behave the way she had with a virtual stranger? Hadn’t she only been going out with Ross for a few weeks? 
Her breath came faster now. Maybe Ross thought she was a slut. She didn’t like that word, never had, but it sure did describe her behavior. It made her cringe to think of the things she had begged him to do. He’d whispered words of endearment to her and treated her so gently and tenderly. Didn’t it bother him that his wife had moaned and bucked against him like he was a bull in the barnyard?
She’d expected to find physical satisfaction in her marriage, but not the wild, dark, burning waves which had swept over her and left her exhausted, sweaty, and shaken. Yes, undoubtedly her behavior was a legacy from her unknown, deviant father, for even though she didn’t love Ross she knew one thing; the thought of a repeat performance totally took her breath away.






Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Beyond the Boook

Greetings! My name is Kara Cochrane, and I was Elaine's heroine in her Lachesis Publishing release Her Kind of Man. Before I go any further, I'd like to congratulate Elaine on her 41st wedding anniversary. She was such a beautiful bride. If you'd like to see her dress, scroll down to yesterday's post, and you can see her picture.

Have you ever felt out of place?  If so, you know how uncomfortable it makes you feel.  It’s kind of like wearing clothes that are just a shade too small.  You can’t relax no matter what you do.  I recently had just such an experience.  My sister's boyfriend decided to propose to her, so he invited her family and his own to come and watch him.  We went to some local gardens that have a pretty little waterfall.  With the waterfall in the background, we stood behind Josh-that’s his name- and waited for my sister  to arrive.  She came around the curve in the path and saw everyone.  I took a picture at that exact moment, and it’s so funny I crack up every time I look at it. 

So, why did I feel out of place?  Because of what I was wearing.  I understood that it would be a casual moment, but the groom- to-be was even wearing a tux.  I had on capri pants and a button up, yellow checked blouse.  Needless to say, I hate the pictures.

That isn't the only time I've felt out of place. I'm a city girl who works at the post office, but when I started dating Ross Williams who owns a dairy farm, I was definitely out of my element.  The picture was complicated by the fact that Ross wasn't my first choice.  One of my sisters stole the man I wanted. But rest assured, things turned out for the best. I wouldn't trade Ross Williams for any man on the face of the earth.

In this excerpt, I'm having dinner at Ross’s farm.  Ross and his brother Bobby are babysitting Bobby’s son while I helps with the dishes.  Here’s a blurb and excerpt from Her Kind of Man.  You can buy the book at http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b133189/Her-Kind-of-Man/Elaine-Cantrell/?si=0 or at http://lachesispublishing.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Her%5FKind%5Fof%5FMan 

It's on sale at Amazon and at www.lachesispublishing.com for only .99

Blurb:
Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man?

Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancĂ© Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.

A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.

But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross.


Excerpt:


Ross set Justin down the minute he and Bobby stepped off the porch. The child took off running while Bobby and Ross sat down on the steps to watch him play.
Bobby leaned back on his elbows and crossed his legs. “She’s nicer than she used to be.”
 “Yeah, she is,” Ross replied as he patted his big collie who’d ambled over for some attention.
“In high school she didn’t have much time for anyone outside of her own circle of friends, not even a good-looking kid like you.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Ross laughed as he gave the dog one final pat.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” Bobby retorted. “Are you serious about her, or is too soon to tell?”
“I want her, Bobby.”
Bobby sucked in his breath. “Is she serious about you?”
“What is this, twenty questions?” Ross threw a scowl Bobby’s way, but it didn’t seem to faze him.
“It’s me worrying about my kid brother.”
Ross relented. “All right, I don’t think she’s serious about me yet, but I think she will be. Right now she’s hurt over Miles and her sister, but I’ve been able to make her enjoy my company anyway, so yeah, I think things are going to work out fine.”
Bobby picked up a pebble and tossed it across the yard. “Did you sleep with her last night?”
Ross flushed and cursed himself for it. “None of your business.”
“Mom thinks you did.”
“What?”
“She talked to me before you and Kara got here.” Bobby closely appraised Ross’s face. “She smelled perfume on your shirt when she picked it up off the floor, and you overslept this morning. So, she decided you’d made love to Kara.”
“And she wanted you to talk to me,” Ross guessed with a wry grin. “Dad isn’t here to keep me on the straight and narrow, so she asked you to do it.”
Bobby laughed. “Exactly.”
“Well, you can tell her I didn’t.”
“Not yet, anyway.” Bobby jabbed Ross with his elbow. “I know you, Ross. If you want something bad enough, you keep trying until you get it. You remind me of Dad, but this time you’d better slow down and think things over.”
“Sure, I will,” Ross agreed. From long experience he knew the best way to shut Bobby up.
Bobby burst into laughter and scared a passing barn cat who hissed and skittered away.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was thinking about Kara wiping chicken poop off her high heels.”
Ross frowned. “Were you spying on us?”
“No, but when you got here, I was chasing Justin through the living room. I looked out in time to see what happened.” He grinned at Ross. “She isn’t dressed for the farm.”
 “Well, no, high heels and suede pants aren’t standard farm issue,” Ross answered with a shrug, “but it’s just a meal and not a tour.”
Justin returned dragging a chicken by the neck.
Ross jumped off the step and ran to meet him.
“Is it dead?” Bobby demanded.
Ross pried the chicken from Justin’s chubby hands. After a shake, it squawked and ran away.

“I’m going to see if they’re finished with the dishes yet,” he said, leaving Bobby to tend to his rambunctious son.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Beyond the Book

Hello, my name is Kara Cochrane, and I was Elaine's heroine in Her Kind of Man.


I like going to movies, don’t you?  For one thing the refreshments are better than what I have at home, and for another the movie just looks better on a big screen in a dark room. I’ve seen lots of romantic movies. Can you guess the name of these movies?


1.He was a paraplegic former Marine, and she lived on Pandora in the Alpha Centauri star system.

2.She called him Preppie, and his family disliked her, but nobody expected her to die of cancer.

3.They were both robots, but in this Pixar release they learned to overcome their model differences and find true love.

4.She was an Austrian governess who fell for her employer and helped the family escape the Nazis  during the beginning of World War II. 

5.He gave his life for hers when their unsinkable ship sank in the bitter North Atlantic Ocean.

6.She didn’t realize he and his family were vampires until she had already given him her heart.

7.He was a troubled rich boy, and she’d had hard times too, but just when they got their lives together, disaster struck in 2001.

8.Julia Roberts played a hooker whose life was changed forever by one of her clients.

9.Her wedding in Greece didn’t happen, but her mother and father’s did.

10.She’s a mysterious stranger who arrives in a small North Carolina town and meets a local widower whose children like her.

You give up?  Here’s an answer key.
1.Avatar
2.Love Story. This one is old, but if you like to cry buckets of tears just find a copy and watch it.
3.Wall E
4.The Sound of Music
5.Titanic
6.Twilight
7.Remember Me
8.Pretty Woman
9.Mama Mia
10.Safe Haven

If you like romance, you'd like Her Kind of Man. Why not check it out?  You can find it at Amazon and most other online retail outlets.

Blurb:
 Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man? Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancĂ© Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress. A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time. But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Saturday Sample: Her Kind of Man

Today's post is from Her Kind of Man which is published by Lachesis Press.  In this excerpt my heroine Kara is at the library with her sister Katie. They're looking at pictures of wedding dresses because Kara is soon to marry her high school sweetheart.




Kara turned at the softly spoken greeting. “Oh, hello, Ross. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I saw your engagement picture in the paper. Best wishes.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Ross nodded and moved toward the circulation desk.
“If Brandon ever gets tired of you, you can always marry Ross,” Katie whispered as she pulled another magazine from the stack on the table.
“He’s a dairy farmer for crying out loud.” Kara rolled her eyes. “Can you imagine me milking the cows?”
Katie clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I’d love to see you pulling on a cow’s teats. Seriously, though, Ross may be a cow farmer, but you’ve got to admit he’s cute.”
“Shh, keep your voice down. He’ll hear you. To tell you the truth, I’ve never given any thought to his looks.”
“Neither have I until now,” Katie agreed. “He’s awfully tall and good looking. It’s hard to believe that in high school he always faded into the background.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s because he wasn’t an athlete.”
Kara’s gaze drifted to Ross who had just handed his library card to the librarian. He had to be six three at least. Katie was right. Why had she never noticed how handsome he was? He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, broad shoulders, and a strong face with regular, even features. Even though he wasn’t an athlete in high school, he certainly had the physique for it.
“My, oh, my,” Katie breathed. “Look at the muscles across his back.”
“Probably from farm work. I think his father worked him pretty hard when he was a kid,” Kara whispered. “Don’t you remember? Ross didn’t go to the prom our senior year because his father needed him at home.”
“I bet he didn’t go because you were going with someone else. Ross always reminded me of a devoted, old spaniel. He adored the ground you walked on, and I think he still does.”
Kara chuckled when she remembered Ross’s lovesick behavior. “That’s a pretty good description. Every time I spoke to him I expected him to duck his head and blush. One word from me and he was too tongue-tied to put two syllables together.”
Katie closed her magazine. “Remember when you let him change a tire for you in the senior parking lot?”
“I remember. Brandon and I sat on the tailgate of Ross’s truck talking while Ross changed the tire.” The smile faded from Kara’s face. “That wasn’t very nice was it?” She bowed her head. “I can’t believe I did such a lousy thing.”
“I’m sure he’s forgotten all about it,” Katie comforted. “In high school girls can be such—”
“Don’t say it.” Kara slid another magazine across the table and sat back in her chair. “Here. Take a magazine, and let’s look for the perfect dress.”
Blurb: 

Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man?

Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancĂ© Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.

A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.

But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross. 
Buy Link:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-herkindofman-771739-149.html and at most other retail outlets.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Beyond the Book: Ross is Back


Hello, Ross Williams here. I was Elaine’s hero in Her Kind of Man. Did you know that I operate a dairy farm? My father established the farm, and after his death I bought my brother’s share so now Little Knoll belongs to me. Do you know anything about dairy farming? You do? Great. See if you can correctly answer these questions. I’ll make it easy for you and only do true-false questions.

1.All milk contains antibiotics.

2.Modern dairy farmers don’t practice sustainable agriculture.

3.Dairy cattle are nothing more than milk machines.

4.Milk is so expensive because dairy farmers want to get rich.

5.Less than 2% of Americans are involved in farming.

 

Okay, here are your answers.

1.False. If milk is found to contain antibiotics, it can’t be sold. It’s disposed of.

2.False. Farmers need clean air, water, and land for their cows.

3.False. If cows aren’t healthy and well-cared for, they won’t produce lots of milk.

4.False. The price of milk is tied to dramatic increases in energy/fuel, distribution, transportation, feed, and supply costs.

5.True. Lots of people have never been to a real, working farm.

 

Drop by Little Knoll sometime, and I’ll give you a tour. I think my operation will impress you.  I don't practice totally organic farming, but I'm close to it.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: What a Dreadful Thing to Happen

Welcome to my blog. Today's six sentences come from Her Kind of Man.  In this excerpt, my heroine, Kara, just opened her Christmas present.  What she found is shocking to say the least.


Kara took the lid off the box and saw a card lying there on the tissue paper. She took it out of the envelope and read, Brittany, you make me red hot for you.

Kara almost cried, but she didn’t. Her eyes flashed as anger came to her rescue. She tossed the box to Ross who still sat on the floor beside the Christmas tree. “Next time be sure to have them wrap the presents in different paper.”

You can get the book at http://www.lachesispublishing.com/proddetail.asp?prod=HerKindofMan, at Amazon, and at http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b133189/Her-Kind-of-Man/Elaine-Cantrell/?si=0

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome!  Today's excerpt comes from my brand spanking new book Her Kind of Man.  The book is so new it hasn't even been uploaded to Amazon and other outlets yet.  But if you'd like to read it, you can buy it at http://www.lachesispublishing.com/proddetail.asp?prod=HerKindofMan

First a quick blurb, then the excerpt.

Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man?

Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancĂ© Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.

A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.

But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross.

Excerpt:  In this excerpt Kara my heroine has gone to the movies with her sister Katie.  As they leave the theater, they see their other sister Kelly kissing Kara's fiance.

Kelly's eyes glittered like two burning blue coals. “We planned to tell her tomorrow night. We wanted her to have the weekend off to…to…to get used to things.”
Brandon looked Kara directly in the face for the first time. “I’m sorry, Kara. You have to know I never meant to hurt you, but I can’t marry you if I’m in love with your sister.”