For the Friendships that Inspire Us: Tule Nonfiction Author Marie-Claude Arnott Reflects on her Release Day (PLUS A GIVEAWAY!)

This is it… My first book, Biography of a Friendship, is about to take flight after safely landing at Tule’s nonfiction imprint, and next to its amazingly imaginative fiction authors. It took ten years to complete, including much time spent in the doldrums for me, and in a drawer for my manuscript. 

When I promised to my dying friend that I’d write a book about all of this, I meant us; as decades-long friends shattered by her stage IV pancreatic cancer diagnosis. I also meant her; as my ever-matter-of-fact friend with a colorful life. It would be a biographical novel. 

But, emotionally paralyzed by my loss, I couldn’t bring myself to start writing until I stumbled upon NaNoWriMo, and I dived in. Without an outline, my first draft was very disjointed, and it left me cold. But thanks to happenstance, I met a memoirist. She said I wouldn’t find my voice unless I spoke for myself.  I had to rewrite this novel as a memoir. And so, MC became I.

I wrote Biography of a Friendship to help other women, two friends like us perhaps. Two friends contemplating their new life because one is dying. Although Juliette asked me to accompany her to the end of her final journey, it wasn’t the story I wanted to write. There was much more to my friend’s life and our friendship than her illness. There would also be much more to the story than I could have imagined. 

There was no balking when a thought emerged from my unconscious mind. This part of my creative nonfiction journey wouldn’t leave me alone until perspective completed its arc. Until all was clear. Only introspection would give me that perspective. It was difficult and time-consuming. 

In this story of a friendship, my friend’s illness became the vehicle that took me back to my memories of us and made me ponder our then-present and its unknown. When it stopped, my journey continued. Until it unexpectedly led me to flick the light on the shadows of my life.  

In the end, that journey became more of a crusade, but it brought me peace. I hope it will help other women find theirs.

Join me on release day in the Tule Book Club Facebook group, March 14th, from 10:00-10:30 a.m. (PST)

Since I was the recipient of a previous giveaway, I am paying it forward with a $10 Visa gift card to the first person who will answer the question correctly: What was one of the two reasons I chose this specific date for my book release? 


About the Author.

Marie-Claude Arnott is thrilled to join the Tule Publishing Group as the first author of its new nonfiction imprint. Her memoir Biography of a Friendship will be released in March 2024.

She lives in Vancouver with her husband and regularly visits her family in France and California. She studied foreign languages early on and received a BA in International Studies later. After a two-year distance learning course from the London School of Journalism, she wrote for a citizen journalism site, SEO-based content, travel stories for an award-winning digital magazine, and a column for a newspaper. A collection of nonfiction stories and a novel are in the works. She loves to write, read, golf, garden, the sunsets of the Northwest, French pastries, and the fun of fashion. She is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Federation of British Columbia Writers, and North Shore Writers’ Association.


Q&A with Tule Author Candace Havens as She Talks Ainsley McGregor Film News!

We connected with Tule author, Candace Havens, on her recent news that her Ainsley McGregor mystery series will launch with Candace Cameron Bure as our distinguished Ainsley!

Q: Where were you when you found out that A Case for the Winemaker had been optioned for film?

I was at home working on a new mystery series and our wonderful publisher, Jane Porter, texted that she had news. I may have freaked out a little!

Q: What are your watch party plans? 

I’ll probably gather family and friends at my house for a sleuth-themed get-together. They won’t forgive me but I might make them come as their favorite sleuths. 

Q: How is Ainsley McGregor taking the news differently from Candace Havens? 

I think she would have been just as surprised as I was. The news came out of nowhere and is quite flattering to us both. I mean, she’s a fictional character, but she would be overwhelmed with gratitude just like me. 

Q: Which actor have you been told you most resemble?

I have no idea. That’s something you all will have to tell me. I can say I’m super excited that Candace Bure is playing Ainsley. She’s the perfect fit! 

Be sure to check out the entire Ainsley McGregor series by Candace Havens and mark your calendars for your very own watch party!


About the Author.

Bestselling and award-winning author Candace Havens has had more than thirty novels published. She is one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. She does film reviews on Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS.


A Fictional Place Close to Author Dani Collins’ Heart: MARRYING THE NANNY RELEASE DAY

My real-life connection to fictional Raven’s Cove began when my Auntie Honey, my mom’s sister, showed me photos from her visit to the tiny village called Shearwater on remote Denny Island. It’s situated in the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia’s central coast and her son, my cousin Lorne, worked there for over twenty years. 

There was something very nostalgic for me in Auntie Honey’s photos. My father and both grandfathers had been commercial salmon fishermen who had stopped there as they sailed north to fish. I immediately smelled the salty breeze and the evergreens and the specific earthy-damp that permeates the air from constant rain. I was hooked (pun intended). I had to set a book there. 

My husband and I decided to visit. Getting there involved flying to nearby Bella Bella, taking a shuttle to the wharf, then climbing on a water taxi to cross the strait to Denny Island. After that, you rattled your luggage up the ramp, across the graveled frontage road, and into the beautiful, rustic lodge. 

 

The village itself had everything you need, but only one of everything: a grocery store that doubles as liquor store and post office, a pub/restaurant, a hardware store, a laundromat and a gift shop that sold housewares. There was even a mill and an airstrip, but the dominant feature was the full-service marina, since there was nowhere else to get your boat repaired within a day’s sail. 

It was perfect

I had been noodling a Three Men and a Baby take-off, one with three half-brothers who are estranged and must collectively take custody of their infant half-sister. This fly-in location where the brothers must rely on each other while they rescue the resort was a great way to add pressure. 

I called it Raven’s Cove and started working on their back stories, which included a complicated relationship with their profligate father and his recent making of yet another baby with yet another woman. Reid, the eldest, had a particularly sticky relationship with his father and swore to never go back to Raven’s Cove again. Good luck with that, Reid!

When it came to his heroine, I reached for another memory from my youth, when our neighbor hired a nanny from New Zealand. Back then, I didn’t know much about the country except that they called gumboots ‘wellies,’ (but I became intrigued enough that I’ve since visited NZ twice.) 

I made Emma a Kiwi. She’s escaping her painful divorce and takes the first job she can get—nanny to a May-December couple in Raven’s Cove. She’s caring for their baby, Storm, when the couple’s small plane goes down. 

Enter the three bears—Reid, Logan and Trystan. They’re willing to work together on repairing Raven’s Cove so it can be sold and provide Storm an inheritance, but they treat their baby sister like a hot potato. Emma loves Storm and wishes she could keep her, but how? 

Practical-minded Reid sees the ideal solution in Marrying the Nanny, but Emma promised herself she would only marry for love next time. Is her love for Storm enough? Or could they turn a marriage of convenience into something more?

Book your trip to Raven’s Cove today with Marrying the Nanny. Then look for:

Book Two: Forgiving Her First Love, July 16, 2024

Book Three: Wanting a Family Man, Oct 1, 2024 (Coming to the Tule site soon!)


About the Author.

Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. While she is best known for writing contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule Publishing, she also writes historical and erotic romance. When she’s not writing—just kidding, she’s always writing. Dani lives in Southern BC, Canada with her high school sweetheart husband.

Author links:  Website Facebook X  |  Instagram TikTok BookBub Amazon Goodreads Linktr.ee


Tule Author Q&A: H L Marsay Talks About Her Tule Mysteries!

Tule Mystery author, H L Marsay stopped by to talk about her recent releases, her characters, and when she first discovered her love for mysteries.

Q: What difference between The Lady in Blue and Inspector Shadow series excites you the most as an author?

A: The Chief Inspector Shadow series is set in the present day and in York, my home city, so writing those books feels quite safe and familiar. However, the Lady in Blue Mysteries are set during the First World War and I loved the challenge of writing a historic series. Also, Dorothy and some of the other main characters are based on real people, so there was a huge amount of research for each story. I immersed myself in reading books, watching documentaries, and even listening to music from the period. I also made several trips to London. Although the city has changed a lot in the last hundred years, it was still possible to visit some of the locations I mention in the books, such as the Marlborough Street Magistrate’s Court (now a very swish hotel), Caxton Hall, and Cheyne Row, where Mary and Margaret lived. It was wonderful to feel I was walking in the footsteps of all the amazing women who feature in the Lady in Blue Mysteries.

Q: Share some of your favorite feedback for The Body in Seven Dials. What do you think readers will bond with in A Death in Chelsea?

A: The release of a new series is always a nerve-racking time, but I was thrilled to hear some of my readers describe The Body in Seven Dials as “compelling,” “fascinating,” and “a remarkable story.” In A Death in Chelsea, we see Dorothy and her colleagues investigating the death of an elderly and very wealthy gentleman. Unfortunately, he was also a rather unpleasant man, so there is a long list of possible suspects. 

I hope readers will bond with my main character, Dorothy Peto, and the other members of the Women Police Volunteers. They were so brave and so determined to do something to help their country when it was at war, although they weren’t even allowed to vote. One review of the first book said, “It was inspiring to read what ideas they had to try and better themselves.”

Q: You grew up binge-reading detective series. Do you recall who introduced you to your first mystery? 

A: My sisters are seven and ten years older than me (I was a surprise/mistake depending on who you ask!) so like any self-respecting little sister, I spent many hours raiding their rooms for cassette tapes, makeup, clothes for dressing up, and, of course, books. It was during one of these raids that I discovered the complete collection of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven books. I immediately fell in love with these stories of seven children and Scamper, the dog, acting as detectives from their headquarters in a garden shed. Once I had devoured all those books, I progressed to the Famous Five, Blyton’s other series about a group of children who spend their summer holidays solving mysteries. I should also add that I was quite ill as a child, and most photos from when I was seven or eight show me sitting on a sofa with a duvet wrapped around me, a dog at my feet, and my head buried in a book. That still sounds like heaven to me!

Q: What still holds your interest in mysteries, even though as a writer, you now have an insight into how the magic happens at the keyboard?

A: I think the appeal of solving a puzzle is timeless. Whether it’s a classic from the golden age, a fiendish “locked room,” a cozy, or a chilling psychological thriller, I love trying to pick out the real clues from the red herrings and work out “who dunnit” before the detective does. That’s what makes mysteries so popular and so enduring and of course creates the biggest challenge when trying to write one!


About the Author.

H L Marsay grew up binge-reading detective stories and promised herself that some day, she would write one too. A Long Shadow was the first book in her Chief Inspector Shadow series set in York. Luckily, living in a city so full of history, dark corners and hidden snickelways, she is never short of inspiration. She has also written The Secrets of Hartwell Trilogy and The Lady in Blue Mysteries. The Chief Inspector Shadow Mysteries have recently been optioned for television.

When she isn’t coming up with new ways to bump people off, she enjoys drinking red wine, eating dark chocolate and reading Agatha Christie – preferably at the same time!

 


Find Some Luck in our March Releases (PLUS enter a giveaway!)

Read more about our new releases for March!

GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the March releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected at the end of the month.

Marrying the Nanny by Dani Collins
Release Date: March 5, 2024

When infant Storm is orphaned, nanny Emma Wright, on a work visa and still reeling from a painful divorce, yearns to adopt her but must relinquish Storm to her three adult half-brothers. They remind her of a pack of wolves—protective, but not prepared to care for a baby.  Alpha male Reid is especially aloof and intimidating.

Like his younger brothers, Reid Fraser left the Westcoast village of Raven’s Cove at eighteen and never looked back. Now a successful corporate consultant who rescues failing businesses—which is what this fly-in fishing resort has become, Reid must rally his brothers to save Storm’s inheritance, but he and his estranged brothers barely get along. They can’t deal with an infant, too. They need the nanny.

As Emma coaches Reid through midnight feedings and teething, they try to ignore the sexual pull between them. Then they learn Storm may have family who could take her from them. Reid proposes a marriage of convenience, but will it be enough to keep this fractured family together?

Sunset at Embthwaite Farm by Kate Hewitt
Release Date: March 7, 2024

When Anna Mowbray receives a curt message from one of her estranged daughters that her ex-husband–a silent and surly Yorkshire farmer –is dying, she realizes it’s time to return home. Twelve years ago when her daughters were mostly grown, Anna walked away from Embthwaite Farm with no plan except to preserve her sanity and to find a ray of light to cling to.

But going home is harder than even Anna imagines. Her daughters are miles away from forgiveness and rebuff her every overture of help and communication, and her ex, who knows why she left, doesn’t even want to speak to her. But Anna’s determined to face her demons, make amends, and reconnect with her family.

What she doesn’t expect is kindness from her neighbors and understanding and warmth from the handsome widower James Adams, as well as his warm and welcoming daughter Jane. As Anna grieves her old life and tries to come to terms with the mistakes and hurts from the past, can she create a future where there’s room for a family around her… and the possibility of love?

Sworn to Lead by Charlee James
Release Date: March 12, 2024

She’s everything he never knew he needed – but off limits in every way.

Being a Navy SEAL gives Neo “Ransom” Godfrey purpose and escape from his cold, elitist upbringing. But when he learns his estranged mother’s dead, orphaning a medically fragile half-sibling he’s never met, Ransom rushes home. He’s committed to his brother, his team, and his career, but can he juggle everything? When he meets his brother’s protective, blue-eyed nurse with an Irish lilt, his solution is simple—she should move into his Virginia Beach home where they can care for Jacob together—strictly business.

Brynn Yarrow has been Jacob’s nurse for five years. She’s unimpressed and on-guard, when six-foot-six of solid muscle and bright green eyes swaggers in full of promises. Brynn’s slow to trust, and his proposal that she move halfway across the country sounds crazy, but impossible to refuse. She loves Jacob and could never abandon him, or hurt him, like her family did to her.

Ransom has never had anyone test his self-control like Brynn. She deserves his protection, but he longs to give her so much more.

Biography of a Friendship by Marie-Claude Arnott
Release Date: March 14, 2024

Their friendship was a defining constant in their lives…

When Marie-Claude (MC) met Juliette in an office in Switzerland, she was starting a new job. Juliette was already established, sophisticated, and refreshingly blunt. The younger MC was drawn to Juliette’s wit and zest for life, and they quickly became friends. Even when careers, marriages, motherhood, moves, and tragedy separated them across decades and continents, their friendship thrived.

Then came the day MC saw a shocking photo of Juliette looking exhausted and aged. She pleaded for her friend to visit a doctor, but neither was prepared for the devastating diagnosis: pancreatic cancer. Both women were crushed but determined to make the most of their remaining months together. MC visited Juliette in France and later Switzerland, where MC agreed to accompany Juliette on her final journey. As the two friends discussed their friendship, lives, and views on death, MC was consumed by doubt. Could she be the friend Juliette needed?

“Be a part of Juliette’s conversation” was her answer, and her final gift to Juliette is this beautiful story of their friendship.

My Favorite Mistake by Stella Holt
Release Date: March 19, 2024

Fake dating her client’s gorgeous son was a mistake—enjoying his touch will be her ruin.

Bad boy Ian Maguire is a lawyer with an image problem. But he doesn’t care if the media is obsessed with him or deemed him the most wanted bachelor. He’s also not interested in relationships, until he meets his dad’s political strategist. With her cool confidence, dark features, and quiet beauty, she is tempting enough to get him to pretend to settle down. And he can promise they will both enjoy it.

Simone Jax is trained in managing a crisis, and she has the perfect plan for Ian’s playboy status. He just needs to agree to only be seen with one woman until his father’s gubernatorial election is over, even if it’s fake. But when the press captures a picture of them kissing and blasts it everywhere, she has no choice but to play the part of girlfriend.

Just when their fake relationship starts to feel genuine, Simone discovers she’s pregnant. Is this a secret baby or the start of a real romance?

The Dating Contract by Stacey Agdern
Release Date: March 21, 2024

Sports Agent Leah Nachman is knee deep in her sister’s wedding drama and inches away from her biggest career goal when she runs into the high school boyfriend who broke her heart. The last thing she needs is another confrontation with the man too many people are convinced is her bashert.  But perhaps he can be of use. After all, she’s totally over him. Right?

Sofer and Comic Letterer Samuel Levine is at a professional crossroads when he runs into what he believes is a fated second chance. He hasn’t seen Leah in ages, but the guilt over how they broke up still eats at him. When Leah proposes a fake ‘dating contract’ to help her make partner at her agency, and thwart her sister’s matchmaking,  Samuel agrees. His goal is forgiveness, after all.

But the more time they spend together as ‘plus ones,’ the more like fate the dates feel. Leah is convinced love and ambition can’t co-exist and Samuel’s convinced he’s losing her. Will they let their dating contract expire or give love another chance?

Second Chance at the Crossing by Fiona Marsden
Release Date: March 28, 2024

They never dreamed of forever until their lives began falling apart.

Connor O’Brien knew he didn’t deserve happiness. He had cost his family too much. When he fell into a relationship with Daisy Litton, he gave as much as he dared. Every day she was with him was a win, and as long as they had the same vision of the future, he believed he could hold on to her.

And then it all changed.

Daisy Litton fell for Connor the first time they met. He was everything she didn’t deserve, everything she needed. So long as she didn’t need too much. Starting a family was the last thing on her mind.

Until everything changed and she knew she had to leave.

Five years later, Connor still feels responsible for all they lost, so if he can help make Daisy’s return to The Crossing easier, he will. When they recklessly revisit how good they are together, the consequences could ruin everything they are building. Or will it give them a reason to put their hearts on the line, this time forever?


DARK IRISH DEMON: Release Day Blog Post Featuring Author Leigh Ann Edwards!


Welcome everyone. I’m Leigh Ann Edwards. I write fantasy stories for Tule–– usually historical and often romances, almost always with witches, Irish characters, and magical creatures. I’m thrilled to be on Tule’s blog today to tell you about my new Witch and Demon Hunter series. Dark Irish Demon, book one released today––February 29th

How cool to have a book release on Leap Year! What are the chances? Not just one in four years ––or one in one thousand four hundred sixty-one days. Especially considering how many authors Tule publishes. The probability of having a new release ready for publication that day are even less and the publishing schedule isn’t something an author determines. 

Therefore, I’m taking it as an sign that this is going to be a fantastic beginning to this new series. I’m having lots of fun writing it and ARC reviews have been great. A few readers even say it’s their favorite so far. 

For those who’ve read my Witches of Time series, Fiona Maguire and Lorcan Wright, the main characters in this Witch and Demon Hunter series, were secondary characters introduced in books three and four. I don’t believe I even gave them surnames then. Still, I really liked their characters and wanted to develop a story for them. I’m so glad Tule thought it sounded interesting and signed on to publish the series. 

In the Witches of Time series, originally, Fiona and Lorcan fought on opposing sides of the Battle of Magic. (The infamous battle between those with light and dark magic.) However Lorcan joined the benevolent group part way through. Skip forward about seven years and these characters both work for LAMB, an agency that locates and assesses magical beings. 

Fiona’s a witch and Lorcan is a half-demon. They are different in nearly every way imaginable and have an extremely complicated family history. When they’re given the ultimatum–– become partners and make each other responsible for following LAMB’s rules, or be let go, they’re both adamantly opposed. Yet, they want to keep their positions so reluctantly agree to the mismatched partnership. 

Lorcan is outgoing. He’s on a first name basis with everyone at LAMB. He’s physically affectionate and a hugger. He’s six foot four, has a gorgeous face and well-built body. With his black hair, intense green eyes, dazzling smile and sexy accent, women find him irresistible. (Well…most women!) He also drinks too much, swears a lot and sleeps around. 

Fiona is attractive with beautiful skin, hair and eyes. She’s physically fit, into martial arts––even has a black belt. She’s also nineteen years older than Lorcan. She’s confident, more reserved, dislikes being touched and prefers to keep to herself. She doesn’t put up with his juvenile antics or fall for his charm. She still despises his late father because of the pain he caused her. 

Each book in this series includes a couple from the Irish Witch series and Witches of Time series who’ll be brought in to assist with a mission or help solve the mystery. In Dark Irish Demon, readers will be reunited with Alainn and Killian from The Irish Witch Series.

I’m having so much fun writing the amusing banter between Fiona and Lorcan. I hope readers will love their comical or snarky interaction and exciting adventures. Many of the missions they’re sent on involve time travel. 

I’ve often thought it would be exciting to travel to the past, but I’d probably end up smack dab in the middle of a war or during a plague and die the first day. 

Although the concept is really intriguing, a lot about going back in time would be disturbing, even aside from the danger. Personal hygiene was much different and social norms then would seem appalling now. Being a woman in past centuries wouldn’t be easy either. Still, I like to fantasize about other times and when an author writes fantasy novels it allows them to blend fact and fiction as long as they’re true to actual historical events and people. 

I’ve never felt the same intrigue regarding the possibility of traveling to the future. Maybe because the unknown is even scarier than the frightening parts of the past. 

Lorcan and Fiona have magical abilities–– some the same, others different. They both see ghosts. However, he sees them as they were when they died and she sees them in a restored state. 

The two communicate with telepathy and move objects through telekinesis. Lorcan can walk through walls and stop time. Fiona is able to teleport from one location to another and move time forward or back. She can create time portals and he’s able to locate natural portals.

They both have premonitions and when Fiona touches someone she can often see their past or future. Lorcan’s faster and stronger than most and when angry can make things explode. Fiona can move objects and people from one location to another. 

During a recent Tule Book Club author visit, I talked about what constitutes magic. I believe there are many wondrous, magical things in nature. I see magic in sunsets, sunrises, moon phases, frost patterns and sparkles on the snow. 

Although no one has invented a time machine yet, even Einstein thought time travel might one day be possible. Our five senses are powerful time portals. They create memories that take us back––especially our sense of smell. If we smell something familiar and close our eyes it’s like we’ve been transported straight back to another time. I often feel that way about a certain taste or when hearing a song, too. 

When I’m driving down a dusty gravel road (we have lots in Canada) and there’s a Seventies song playing on my Bluetooth, it’s like I’m sixteen again on the  Manitoba backroads with my friends or boyfriend. At my age, the dust now kind of chokes me up and I can’t tolerate the music blaring, but still it’s almost supernatural how you feel like you’re right back there. 

I seldom hold a new baby and catch their precious scent that I don’t feel as though I’m holding my own newborn daughters or my grandchildren for the first time. 

When I smell rain on warm pavement, I’m five years old walking with my mum and brother eating a Big Ten. (an ice-cream treat something like a revel with chocolate on the outside and vanilla ice-cream in the center. They haven’t made Big Tens for probably 50 years.)

The fragrance of baby oil takes me back to our family’s lakefront cottage lying on the dock with my teenage girlfriends listening to music on our transistor radios. (Yes, we used baby oil to attract the sun to get a tan. Not a good idea and would now be highly discouraged as a melanoma waiting to happen! I have very fair skin so I suffered many risky sunburns while trying to achieve a tan like some of my friends who tanned easily.)

The tangy smell of Mandarin oranges always remind me of Christmas as a child. They were only available at Christmas time and we even referred to them as Christmas oranges. Our family had one or two boxes per year, tops, and they came in an actual wooden box. There was an orange in our stockings every Christmas morning and in the paper bags Santa handed out at the school’s annual Christmas concert. 

The combination of the brisk scent of a wintery evening and seeing sparkles on the snow will always transport me to being thirteen and experiencing that innocent first kiss, when my first boyfriend walked me home from public skating.  

I used to help my mum hang clothes on the clothesline and still love the smell of fresh sheets that have dried on the line. I have a small clothesline but our dogs like the challenge of pulling the clothes off which is a little counterproductive. Lol 

Are there any smells or tastes that take you back to another time? Does a certain song evoke a memory? 

It’s been fun discussing the new series, the magic in everyday life, and our own personal time machines. I look forward to being here in April for the release of book two in the series, Highland Dark Magic. 

Until then wishing you many magical moments. 

Leigh Ann

Leigh Ann Edwards’ fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and let her imagination soar.

An author for nearly thirty years, Leigh Ann has almost completed writing her fourth series with Tule Publishing and will soon begin a fifth. Besides writing, Leigh Ann loves spending time with her four grandchildren, reading, traveling, doing intuitive readings and reiki. Leigh Ann and her husband, their two cats, one large dog and their Boston Terrier puppy, live near Edmonton Alberta, Canada.

 


It’s Tule Mystery Madness and You’re Invited to Join the Challenge for an EPIC Mystery Giveaway!

Tule Mystery invites you to join the fun with your hobby: mystery books! Simply guess which one you think readers will vote to advance in the month of March—and win all 16 mystery books if you get the most correct. It’s our version of winner takes all!

Details on the giveaway contest can be found here.

One lucky winner will win 16 TULE MYSTERY EBOOKS!


Play Tule Mystery Madness and Win the Best Prize of All: MYSTERY BOOKS!

In March, Americans’ attention turns toward the excitement of the NCAA basketball tournament and the joy of bracketology—aka guessing who will win games in a winners-take-all scenario.

But why stop the prediction fun there?

Tule Mystery invites you to join the fun with your hobby, too: mystery books! Simply guess which one you think readers will vote to advance in the month of March—and win all 16 mystery books if you get the most correct. It’s our version of winner takes all.

(But we have some cool prizes for runner-up and third place, too!)

It’s a two-step process that begins with some sleuthing of your own.

Step one: click here to fill out your predictions. Want to know more about each book in the competition? See the info button for each title under the Participants tab and choose wisely—once you complete your entry, there’s no going back. You have until midnight on March 10 to complete your guesses. At that time, all entries will be locked in, and voting will start on March 11 between book pairings to see who wins each round. The more accurate your predictions, the better your chance at winning.

Be sure to bookmark the bracket page as well to check your standing in the Predictions Ranking tab.

Step two: Our books can’t actually lace up tennis shoes and dunk on each other on a basketball court. Instead, we’re going to ask mystery readers to vote on which title should advance in each pairing.

Round one: March 11 – 17, 2024

Round two: March 18 – 25, 2024

Round three: March 25 – March 31, 2024

Round four: April 1 – 8, 2024

The winners will be declared on the Tule Mystery Facebook page at 9 p.m. EST on April 8.

Starting March 11, look for Tule Mystery’s voting links through our Tule Mystery Facebook page, our Tule X account, and in our newsletter. Feel free to share the voting links with your fellow mystery readers. Influencing the vote is definitely allowed, but everyone gets just one opportunity to vote in each round.

Questions? Email Julie Sturgeon at tulepublishing@gmail.com and put “Tule Mystery Madness” in the subject line.

Bracket voting starts here: https://widgets.commoninja.com/3369c8dc-ef14-444f-9608-0c584094ed28


Want more Tule Mystery? Check out whodunnit and what’s coming soon at our mystery page here.


Author HL Marsay Drops In to Discuss Dorothy Peto AND Today’s Release of “A DEATH IN CHELSEA”

This week sees the release of A Death in Chelsea, the second book in my Lady in Blue Mysteries series. These stories follow the fictional adventures of Dorothy Peto, who was one of the first women to become a police volunteer during the First World War, so I thought I would share a little more information about her and the other women who helped form the Women Police Volunteers (WPV).

Dorothy Peto

Dorothy Olivia Georgiana Peto was born in Hampshire in 1886. Her family was wealthy and well-connected and her father was a successful landscape artist. She was educated at home and had dreams of becoming a novelist until war broke out in 1914. Deciding to make herself useful, she joined the voluntary police patrols in Bristol and Bath (although in my stories she is based in London). Despite her work training other women volunteers, when the war ended, she struggled to find a position with the regular police. Eventually, she was made director of the ten female police officers in Liverpool. 

In 1930, she transferred to the Metropolitan Police and became the first attested female superintendent. She formed her own branch of women police officers and insisted they should interview any woman charged with indecency and take charge of cases covered by the Children and Young Persons Act of 1933, especially those involving child abuse. When she retired in 1946, the number of female police officers at the Met. had grown from fifty-five to two hundred. In her later years, she returned to Hampshire and died in 1974.

 Nina Boyle 

Constance Antonina Boyle, known as Nina, was born in Kent in 1865. When her two brothers went to fight in the Boer War, she followed them to South Africa and worked first as a nurse and then as a journalist. It was while she was in Johannesburg that she first became interested in women’s rights.

When she returned to England, she joined the Women’s Freedom League and continued working as a journalist. She often wrote about how women were unfairly treated by the courts. Her protests at the Marlborough Street Magistrates Court led to her being arrested several times. 

When war broke out, she campaigned for women to be allowed to join the police. Her request was refused, so she joined forces with Margaret Damer Dawson to form the WPV in 1914. However, she left the organization only a year later following disagreements about enforcing curfews on women. She spent the rest of the war working as a nurse in the Balkans.

After the war, she travelled to Russia but what she saw there turned her against communism and to the right politically. When she returned to England, she attempted to stand in the Keighley by-election (the first woman to do so). Although her name didn’t appear on the ballot paper, her efforts meant women were allowed to stand in the General Election in December 1918. She also worked with the Save the Children Fund and began writing mystery and adventure novels featuring strong female characters, with titles such as “Out of the Frying Pan” and “Good Old Potts!”. Nina died in London in 1943. The Nina Boyle Memorial Prize was established in her name and is offered by the Royal Holloway University to either a History or Social Policy Student.

Margaret Damer Dawson

Mary Damer Dawson was born into an affluent Sussex family in 1873. Her father died when she was a young woman, leaving her independently wealthy. She used her money to fund various charities especially those concerned with anti-vivisection and campaigned against animals performing in circuses and being killed for meat. She also created a home for foundlings and was a talented pianist.

In 1914, she founded the WPV with Nina Boyle. It was Margaret’s money that financed the patrols. She had a close personal and professional relationship with Mary Allen. The two women lived together and when Nina left the WPV, Mary became Margaret’s second-in- command. When Margaret died in 1920, aged just forty-seven, Mary was the main beneficiary named in her will. The house Mary and Margaret shared at 10 Cheyne Walk now has a blue plaque to commemorate her and a birdbath dedicated to her memory stands in the garden nearby.  It is inscribed with the following quote, “He prayeth best who lovest best all things great and small”.[9]

Mary Allen

Mary Sophia Allen was born into a large and wealthy family in 1878. Although she was close to her sisters, she argued with her father, who was very traditional and against the emancipation of women. Mary left home in 1908 and joined Mrs. Pankhurst’s WSPU. She was imprisoned three times for breaking windows. During her incarceration she went on hunger strike and was force fed twice. 

When war broke out in 1914, she joined the WPV and became close to Margaret Damer Dawson. She was seen as slightly eccentric as she preferred to be addressed as Robert or Sir.

Following the end of the war and Margaret’s death, Mary continued to wear her Women’s Police Service uniform. She was increasingly drawn to far-right politics. She met Hitler and Mussolini and joined the British Union of Fascists. The British government became concerned by her activities and when the Second World War broke out, she was banned from travelling more than five miles from her home in Cornwall and was not allowed to use a car, telephone or wireless. After the war, she continued to campaign for animal rights until she died in 1964.

All four of these amazing women were awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire). None of them ever married or had children.

I hope you enjoy reading “A Death in Chelsea” to learn more about these inspirational women.

About the Author.

H L Marsay grew up binge-reading detective stories and promised herself that some day, she would write one too. A Long Shadow was the first book in her Chief Inspector Shadow series set in York. Luckily, living in a city so full of history, dark corners and hidden snickelways, she is never short of inspiration. She has also written The Secrets of Hartwell Trilogy and The Lady in Blue Mysteries. The Chief Inspector Shadow Mysteries have recently been optioned for television.

When she isn’t coming up with new ways to bump people off, she enjoys drinking red wine, eating dark chocolate and reading Agatha Christie – preferably at the same time!


“Write What You’re Dealing With” – A Message from Tule Author Sinclair Jayne on Her Recent Release (Plus a GIVEAWAY!)

Writing The Cowboy Charm was cathartic for me. What I didn’t expect was that it would be so much fun. I had had a couple of tough years struggling with the combination that I think so many of us go through at some point—balancing taking care of my mom’s declining health with launching my kids who were both in college but not far from my mind, while still trying to build my career and emotionally support my husband whose career was in a market flux. I was at a writing retreat—planning out book two in my Coyote Cowboys of Montana series (having written books one and three and starting to think about book four) and my friend Jane Porter said ‘write what you’re dealing with—make it work for you.’

So I did. I didn’t want The Cowboy Charm to be dark. I wanted it to be realistic and explore a valley in life, and yet focus on walking up the next hill. There will inevitably be times when we are grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, a friend, the future or opportunity we thought we’d have, and yet, if we keep going forward, acknowledging the loss or disappointment, we will find a shaft of light and a door opening.

When an author has a slightly heavier theme or a hero or heroine who is struggling, it’s important to find the light and laughter, and so Ryder Lea was born. I love my soldier/cowboy. He could be bitter or angry or shut down, but he’s not at all. He’s mister all in, hand raised, I got this. Usually in a group, that’s me, so in a way I was putting pieces of myself in a hero—not something I feel like I’ve done before. And yet he’s so much more—physical, eager, loyal and goal oriented. Totally ‘a dish’—something my grandma used to say, although I am not sure what meal he would be—lasagna comes to mind (because I love it and it’s tasty). 

The story is set—of course—in my favorite town of Marietta, Montana. In January. Brrrrrr, but Ryder brings the heat and sunlight and ‘can do’ attitude. Funny secret about that (shshshsh). I chose his last name—Lea—because it’s the last name of my niece, Reeva’s husband, John. Before I met John, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law kept saying he was a ‘can do guy.’ That’s all they’d say about him. Over and over, and other people who met him in the family said the same thing. Nothing else. And my husband and I just thought that was hilarious—like all the Sawhney’s were brainwashed (or non verbal).  We just had so much fun playing with that concept, and of course our daughter—16 at the time John and Reeva were getting married in a ginormous slap down Indian wedding (featured in my Misguided Masala Matchmaker series) joined in on the fun.

But, just like John (I can think of dozens of fabulous adjectives for), Ryder is so much more than ‘can-do,’ and he and Edison, my heroine, complement each other. He warms and heals her, and she in turn boosts him up as she sees all of his goodness and possibility. I loved the challenge of taking two characters who’d had some tragedies in their lives, but were determined to keep living, meet in improbable circumstances in the dead middle of winter, and yet find such joy and hope and of course an HEA that even made me cry a little. 

Hope you enjoy! Interested in more? Find me at https://sinclairjayne.com and sign up for my newsletter! Also, as a thank you for reading this, one lucky person picked from the comments on this post, will win a signed print copy of The Cowboy Charm and some Marietta and Sinclair Jayne swag!


About the Author.

Sinclair Sawhney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over seven years. Writing as Sinclair Jayne she’s published fifteen short contemporary romances with Tule Publishing with another four books being released in 2021. Married for over twenty-four years, she has two children, and when she isn’t writing or editing, she and her husband, Deepak, are hosting wine tastings of their pinot noir and pinot noir rose at their vineyard Roshni, which is a Hindi word for light-filled, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shaandaar!