Generally speaking, we don’t host a lot of cover reveals. Then I received an email from Lyrical asking if I’d like to do a reveal for a very unique contemporary cover. I was all set to politely decline, and then…
There it was.
HELLO THERE.
I shared the image with the others in our Slack channel:
Sarah: Everyone, please meet Why Did It Have to Be You? by Allyson Charles.
RedHeadedGirl: Um. I mean, it’s a VERY cute goat.
Sarah: I think his name is Tohtes.
RHG: Of course it is.
Carrie: I don’t understand what’s happening here and I’m pretty sure a baby goat is not going to be conducive to romance.
Sarah: Hey, square pupil eyeballs are tohtes sexxay.
RHG: You don’t keep them in the bedroom!
Sarah: … you don’t??
RHG: No. You keep them in the horse pasture to eat the underbrush. And your idiot dressage horse occasionally becomes concerned they are horse eating monsters so he runs away. Thus getting cardio even when not being ridden.
And then when you’re at the pasture gate the four of them crowd around looking for horn and butt skritches.
Sarah: So maybe it’s the dressage horse asking, “Why did it have to be you?”
RHG: Maybe!
Carrie: Unless it’s an orphan baby goat which has to be bottle fed, in which case it will be time consuming.
RHG: Late night feedings leading to late night conversations over a sneepin’ goat babby, romance blossoms.
Sarah: I’d read that.
Now, that isn’t the plot of this here book. At least, I don’t think there are bottle fed goat babby scenes. Here’s the cover copy:Connie Wilkerson has worked her butt off to go from heartbroken paralegal with a drinking problem to becoming Pineville, Michigan’s fiercest new lawyer. But she’s still short on luck. Exhibit A: her very first case is against bad-boy contractor David Carelli.
Carelli has been a thorn in Connie’s side since high school, getting away with whatever he dreams up. He’s blond, handsome, and he dresses like a model. But everyone in town knows he cuts corners. Just the way he looks at her really gets Connie’s goat. She’s going to get him into chambers and settle the smug right out of him.
There’s just one problem. Exhibit B: Their supposedly hostile negotiations are turning hot instead. Now the jury is out on whether a second chance is recommended…
It sounds like a second-chance (sort of) enemies-to-lovers story. With goats. Tohtes goats!
So to make this fun for everyone, how about some Name That Baby Goat shenanigans?
Drop your suggested name in the comments, and you’re entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon. We will select the winner at random on Friday 21 October around noon ET.
Standard disclaimers apply: void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and willing to feed the goats at odd hours. Sturdy boots are advisable. Photography and squeeing over baby goats is permitted during posted times. You may pick pumpkins, but not baby goats. Mind the gap, and also the small, smelly piles.
So, what would you name that goat?
UPDATE: The winner is Heather M. with Goaty McGoatface, which I find to be hilarious given the Boaty McBoatface hype earlier this year!
Dave, after the main guy because what better way for the lead gal to irritate MG then to name a goat after him.
Animals get P-names in my family, so I’d call him Puddles.
Twinkle Toes.
Troll!
Sherman
Blossom
Casper (the friendly goat)
Buster.
@Aline: but Moses supposes e-rron-eous-ly.
Also, as a paralegal (but not one who is heartbroken or with a drinking problem and who has no desire to become a lawyer), you do NOT get involved with opposing counsel/party/expert. Just, NO! NOT EVER!!
Billy Bush
Rosebud
Roo. Because goats are ruminants (like cows). According to a friend they make great “lawn mowers”. 🙂
Cute cover!
Hmm…. Taco.
I’d name the goat Atticus, after my favorite fictional lawyer.
Since it’s a legal story, “Docket”, since the goat is always on hers…
Goatot (Godot)
Nannie?Nanny?
Getyer!
Tuuli.
Rosie…for obvious reasons.
Pickles of course!
Copernicus – why not?
Schwänli (that is the name of the white goat in Heidi and means little swan). Best wishes from Switzerland
Do we know if the goat is male or female?
Margoat
Hugoat
Pronouncing the t is optional.
Nicole.
That’s my cousin’s name and before anyone gives me flak for wanting to name a goat after my cousin, there’s a story behind it. When she was 10-11 years old, she used to make a “goat noise.” This was long before the whole goat screaming/Taylor Swift thing and as we were from NYC, I have no idea why she started doing this, but it was hilarious. So, if I were to ever get a goat, it would have to be named Nicole.
Eet-saul Thathings. Pronounced:’Eats All The Things.’ You can call him/her ‘Eet’ or ‘Saul’ for short.
Trouble, of course.
Gabhar (Irish for goat).
Squeeing with awwwwww for little baby animals is something like how I squee when imagining those romantic Irish endearments (“a ghra, or “mo chroi”)being directed toward me, especially when whispered by my favorite Irish romance/action hero Roarke.
Horatio
Telula
Charlaine :))
We had a goat when I was younger named “Spock” because my grandpa was really into Star Trek and thought the goat resembled him. Now when I look at goats I bust out laughing half the time because they are goats, half the time because I think of Spock.
I also like the name “Goat-ee” 🙂
Griffin. I have no real rationale as to why, it just seems like a name that would fit a goat.
Mickey
Goaty McGoaterton, because every time I think about that Boat that the Internet almost got to name I laugh
Am I the only one who thinks it should have been a lamb instead of a baby goat? Just so they could call the book “Why Did It Have to Be Ewe?”
Someone already mentioned Mr. Tumnus which is the most proper name for a goat. But how about Bathsheba?
I had the best baby goat in the world growing up named Loki. Loki thought he was a dog. He ran with my dogs, including chasing cars down the road. People would come from all over to drive by our house out in the middle of freaking nowhere so Loki could chase them. He lived up to his name. I can’t help but smile every time I think of him. He would have that same “I’m gonna burn shit down” look on his face that the cute little goat has on that cover, LOL.
Vincent van goat.
That goat is adorable! I offer “The Honorable Lord Wendell Hubert von Geiszler, aka Huey” as suggested by my friend Theresa, who is very imaginative at naming things.
Wollstonecraft. Because that is one feminist goat.