The Spellbinding Mystery of Widow’s Walk: A New Literary Essential

It’s a new month, Tule Mystery readers–or should we say a Novel November? Whether you’re still shivering from the chills of October or you’re ready to feast on some new whodunits, Tule Mystery is here. And if you’re looking for a reason to be thankful, we’ve got a new release for you to mull over all the way until Thanksgiving.

Widow’s Walk

by Raemi A. Ray, Martha’s Vineyard Murders book 3 

Murder’s on the menu…

Attorney Kyra Gibson has a lot on her mind this Thanksgiving. She’s been working long hours on a multi-billion dollar corporate merger, her family is visiting from London, and her relationship with former police detective Tarek Collins is heating up. When she and her companions are invited by her aristocrat client to attend a formal gala at a historic mansion on Chappaquiddick, Kyra reluctantly agrees.

But Chappy is more than just a playground for the wealthy. It’s a wild, remote place cut off from civilization. When the first body is found, the occupants are worried. Was it an accident or murder? When a second guest is brutally killed and then a third, there’s no doubt and the guests fearfully turn on each other. They are locked in a house with a murderer picking them off one-by-one. Kyra, her best friend Chase Hawthorn, and Tarek must survive the night and find the killer, or one of them could be next.

Look for Widow’s Walk to keep you up through the night on November 6th. 

As you prepare to hunker down, you’re going to need some reliable page turners to keep you company under your layers during the day and under the covers at night. Be sure to sign up for the Tule Mystery Newsletter today so the only thing you’ll be missing this winter is the sun.


Written by Tule intern, Mitchell Leung.


Tule Author Q&A: Lisa Lin talks about her writing inspiration, incorporating snark and banter in her character interactions, and portrayal of Asian and immigrant family experiences.

What inspired you to start writing romance, and how did your journey from reader to author unfold? I started reading romance when I was 13. I was wandering around my local Borders or B&N and walked by the romance section and started wondering who this Nora Roberts chick was who was taking up half the shelf space. I picked one of them up (it was one of her MacGregor books), became intrigued by the idea of a meddling matchmaking Scottish grandfather, and started reading it. I haven’t looked back since!

As for how I transitioned from reader to writer, I suppose I always had story ideas in my head. And I should have known I was destined to be a romance writer when I watched this movie Princess of Thieves and was incensed the two lead characters didn’t end up together. Naturally, I re-wrote the ending in my head so they got the HEA they deserved. But it wasn’t until I met Tessa Dare in 2011 that I decided to pursue writing and publishing seriously. She encouraged me to go for it and I did! I will be forever in Tessa’s debt for her kindness, friendship, and support in getting me started down the path .

You’ve mentioned that you incorporate snark and banter into your writing. Can you share some of your favorite dialogue moments from your books? I have to admit I am fond of the moment in The Year of Cecily when she decides to teach Jeffrey a lesson about Netflix cheating and he promises to never do it again, and gives the Boy Scout and she tells him “You were never even a Boy Scout so this means nothing to me.”

And when she explained why she had to quit the Book Club. He chuckled. “Was the book club really that bad?” “I had to Marie Kondo the book club. It did not spark joy.”

In The Rachel Experiment,  I love this text convo between Luke and Rachel

Rachel: I have good news and bad news. Luke: Let’s start with the good news. Rachel: Really? I would think it’d be better to get the bad news first, get it over with. Luke: Don’t decision-shame me. I get to choose how I digest my news. Rachel: What? Decision-shaming? No way that’s a thing. Luke: MOVING. ON. What’s the good news?

And when Rachel had to set Luke straight about gender inequality in the workplace.

Upon seeing the look on Rachel’s face, he could muster only one response. “The patriarchy sucks?” “Just like colonialism and imperialism.” “Duly noted.”

In Bethany Meets Her Match, I love this snippet that perfectly captures Bethany and Ethan’s competitive spirits.

Bethany slid him a look. “Bet I vaccinate more people than you.” “No way,” he protested. She stuck out a hand. “Wanna bet?” Ethan frowned. “Name your terms.” “You do my charting for me for three weeks.” “One.” “Two.” “Fine.” “What do I get when I win?” he asked. “Up to you.” Bethany shrugged. “But really a moot point because you’re not going to win.”

And this exchange when Jaya, Bethany’s BFF tests the boundaries of their friendship.

“Do you want free babysitting or not?” “Oh, hell yeah. I may order some La Perla and finally splurge on that negligee I’ve been eying. And I’m saying now, it might get loud, so earplugs. My husband loves me in satin and lace.” Bethany took a deep breath. “Jaya, I love you but there are things I just don’t need to know.” And she may never be able to look Rahul in the face ever again. Or look at him at all. “All I’m saying is when kids come along your sex life takes a hit. I have no sexy lingerie anymore. My drawers are now full of granny panties.” “Does giving birth remove all TMI filters?” And why did no one inform her of that when she did her OB rotation? That was the sort of thing she’d need to know. “I’m home alone with a four-year-old all day for the most part now that I cut back to working at Helping Hands part-time. I’m starved for adult conversation.” “And sex.” Jaya nodded. “And sex.”

Major shout out to my amazing writer friend Sally Kilpatrick who helped me find these quotes!

I think what I enjoy most about writing good dialogue and snark/banter is the back and forth between the characters. It’s like watching two expert tennis players bat the ball back and forth across the net.

How do your experiences as an Asian-American influence the stories you tell and the characters you create? As someone who isn’t from the majority/dominant cultural/racial group in this country I think it’s important for me to tell stories that help reflect the vibrant and diverse tapestry that is the Asian community. Growing up, it was so hard to see someone who looked like me on screen, especially in leading roles, and the same in books. Part of the reason I likely glommed The BabySitters Club as a kid is because one of the main characters, Claudia Kishi, was Asian-American just like me! Claudia was Japanese American and I’m Taiwanese-American but back then, that was close enough, lol.

And this is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Asian Americans still aren’t very well represented in publishing and that is something I hope will change in the future.  I write my books from my perspective, and my experience, and I don’t claim to speak for the entire Asian American community and nor should I. My books can’t reflect every Asian American’s experience and perspective. The solution is to have MORE novels by Asian Americans out there so the full story can be told!

Can you talk about the importance of HEAs (Happily Ever Afters) in your work? What do you think they provide for readers? I think the HEA is the one unbreakable rule of romance. Deliver the HEA and you’re good to go-you can do whatever else you’d like with the story. Skip the HEA, and readers will rightly come at you with pitchforks. The HEA is so essential because it’s a contract with the reader. You promise them that despite the rollercoaster journey you put the characters through, all will be well by the end. As for what they provide for the readers, I think the real world can be beyond overwhelming with what it throws at you, and the good guys don’t always get rewarded and the bad guys don’t always get punished. But when you read a romance, for that space of time, you can rest easy knowing that you can escape temporarily into a world where good things DO happen to good people and by the time you get to The End, everything will be okay.

Friendship plays a significant role in your stories. Why do you think it’s essential to highlight female friendships in romance novels? I feel it’s important because of the role female friendships have played in MY life. Both my writing friends and non writing friends. Publishing is not easy, and so much of it is out of your control. My writing friends have been invaluable in helping me throughout my entire journey.  I would not have made it this far without them. They talk me off the ledge, believe in me when I don’t believe in myself, smack some sense into me when I need it, and are always happier and more excited for me than I am for me. They are my safe space.

Female friendships in particular are important to me because so often in media, women are pitted against each other and see each other as competition, and I want to show how powerful it is when women support each other and build each other up.

In addition, while romance focuses on romantic relationships (as it rightfully should!) I think it’s important to highlight how important other relationships are in a person’s life. Family relationships and friendships are just as valuable and worthy of being highlighted and explored.

As someone with a background in law and politics, how do these experiences shape your approach to storytelling? My background in law definitely influences my storytelling because my books are full of lawyers and law jokes! Hey, write what you know, right?  And as any writer will tell you we can and will grab inspiration from anywhere. The story Luke tells Cecily about a mouse in the jury box is a true story. I once sat in and was observing a trial when that happened.

As for how my political background affects my storytelling, I think it allowed me to meet all sorts of different people from different backgrounds. I am from the suburban part of Pennsylvania, but I got to meet folks from the rural areas, and from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It reinforced for me that where and how I grew up wasn’t the way everyone grew up and my experiences aren’t universal.  I hope that exposure helps me to write characters with a backgrounds different from mine more authentically and not resort to stereotypes and cliches.

You grew up in Pennsylvania and helped at your parents’ restaurant. What kind of influence does your upbringing have on your writing? The first example that comes to mind of how me growing up on the East Coast impacted my writing is when I sent my initial first draft of Cecily to my agent, and there was a scene where Jeffrey calls his friend Greg and Greg offers to let Jeffrey come over and they can escape to Greg’s basement Man Cave. And my agent had to gently remind me “Uhh basements aren’t really a thing in California, cuz…..earthquakes.” That was a stark reminder to me how important it was for me to check my biases and assumptions! Lol

As for growing up in a restaurant family, I like to think that helps me accurately portray how hard small business owners have to work, like when I talked about how Rachel’s parents had to work, even when she was home sick from school when she was a kid. And it’s why my characters are always kind and respectful to waiters!

What do you hope readers take away from your portrayal of Asian and immigrant family experiences? I LOVE when readers reach out to me and tell me how my characters or aspects of my book resonate with them. Especially Asian American readers who tell me they totally related to Cecily’s relationship with her mother Judith, or how true the family dynamics rang to them. Or how happy they were to see themselves represented on the page.  I have even had readers who weren’t Asian who have said “Even though I’m white/Middle Eastern/not Asian my relationship with my mother is just like Cecily’s!” or “My family overfeeds everyone too, just like Cecily and Jeffrey’s families!”

Basically what I want readers to take away from my books is that even though my characters are Asian, some themes (like family, love, food, friendship, etc) are universal, and resonate with everyone! These things transcend racial, ethnic, cultural, religious differences and are things we can all relate to.

You mentioned loving to binge-watch shows like The West Wing. How do your favorite TV shows influence your writing style or themes? One of the best compliments I ever received was from Sally Kilpatrick who told me I wrote Sorkin-ese dialogue. Aaron Sorkin’s writing definitely had an influence on me. I think it’s the reason why my writing is so dialogue focused. My characters just keep talking. I can write pages and pages of dialogue and totally ignore describing where the characters are, their surroundings, what they’re wearing, etc. Which can be a problem! Lol.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write their own voices stories, especially in the romance genre? I know it’s hard, and it’s an uphill journey but please please know how important and desperately needed your stories are! There are readers out there who are dying to read your books, who grew up not seeing any characters who looked like them reflected on the page, and are hungry for good  representation. HEA for all means just that. We all deserve to see ourselves reflected on the page. And above all, when you write from your own experience and perspective, it is totally legitimate, and in no way has to represent and speak to every Asian, African American,  Muslim, Jew, LGBTQ, Neurodivergent, Native, etc reader. It is not realistic to expect any one book to do that. Just do your homework, be authentic, and do your best. That’s all anyone can ask!

BONUS: What is one comfort read that you find yourself always reaching for again and again? I’m going to rely on the old lawyer/legal cop out-it depends. But it’s true! Nora’s MacGregor series is definitely on the top of the list. It’s how I got started in the genre so it’s fighting that it all comes full circle I suppose! Whenever I open one of the books, it’s like re-visiting with old friends, and like a warm comforting blanket. If I’m in the mood for a historical, a Tessa Dare (Spindle Cove!) or Laura Lee Guhrke (Girl Bachelors!) never fails. I also re-read Kristen Callihan’s VIP and Game on Series over and over, and Julie James is also in heavy rotation. When I want a good romance with Asian leads, I go for a Jayci Lee or Jackie Lau.  See? I can’t pick a favorite and you can’t make me, lol.


Judging Books By Their Christmas Covers: Kate Hewitt’s Holiday Charm

Calling all book cover art fans! If you’re excited by book covers with painted designs and charming landscapes, you’re in for a treat! With winter’s chill settling in, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with an aesthetically cozy, heartwarming holiday read. And Tule author Kate Hewitt has just the thing– a special talent for drawing us into charming worlds, especially through her enchanting book covers. From snow-dusted landscapes to cozy village scenes, her holiday titles exude warmth, comfort, and a touch of Christmas magic. Each cover not only sets the mood for her beloved stories but also invites us into that cozy, festive atmosphere we all crave this time of year. Let’s discover how Kate Hewitt’s holiday book aesthetics bring to life the essence of the season, inviting us to curl up and lose ourselves in the simple joys of Christmastime.


Christmas at Embthwaite Farm (The Mowbray Sisters series)

Welcome to Embthwaite Farm, a charming English home in North Yorkshire, belonging to the fractured Mowbray family…

~Cover Art~: A thick layer of snow carpets the path, sits heavy in the pine trees, and covers the cottage up ahead; a couple in red and green long coats that match the mistletoe above them is nestled arm and arm, a chocolate pup by their side…nothing says home for the holidays more than this cozy cover!

With older sister Rachel home to help run the family farm and navigate their father’s terminal illness, Harriet Mowbray feels untethered, yet surprisingly free. She wants to embrace her future but continually trips over the insecurities and hurts from her fraught family relationships. When a mysterious millionaire purchases a derelict manor home to renovate into a hotel set to open before Christmas, Harriet pushes herself out of her comfort zone and approaches the owner to become a client for her fledging bakery business.

Former gaming entrepreneur Quinn Tyler has sunk everything into this new venture, and Harriet finds him utterly unexpected. Confident, impulsive and fun, he sweeps Harriet off her feet and their friendship blossoms to Harriet’s surprise and delight. As they work together on the hotel’s finishing touches, Harriet and Quinn battle their insecurities and demons and make surprising revelations as they build their fledgling relationship.

As Christmas looms, will they have the strength of conviction to fight for the hotel—and their newfound love?

Embrace the warmth of love and family this season—order Christmas at Embthwaite Farm today! Plus, be sure to check out the rest of the beautifully, seasonally designed Mowbray Sisters series covers here!


A Casterglass Christmas (Keeping Up with the Penryns series)

To save Casterglass, all the Penryn children will need to return home, rebuild their lives among the ruins, and find love that has proved elusive…

~Cover Art~: A snow-covered English castle, white caps covering the channel, and a colorful, bundled up couple in jackets and scarves, all surrounded by fresh reds and greens of holly…it’s giving all the exciting chills of a Christmas castle family drama!

The Penryn family have always been eccentric—living in a dilapidated castle in the wilds of Cumbria with an orchid-mad father and a classicist mother who likes to re-enact Greek myths, who wouldn’t be? Penniless and proud, patriarch Walter Penryn resists selling his birthright and family legacy until taxes, bills, and the need for a new roof force him to reconsider.

Well-heeled Londoner Althea Penryn doesn’t expect a divorce and job hunt over the Christmas holidays, but her husband claims he’s done and the prenup is solid. She packs up her reluctant teenage children and heads home to Casterglass Castle to confront the ghosts of her past—including the real one her mother claims lives in the old guard tower. And then there’s her unexpected romance with local sheep farmer, John Braithwaite, who is everything her adulterous, solicitor ex-husband isn’t.

This Christmas, amid the renovation and potential heartbreak of losing her family home, can Althea find a new purpose and the happiness that has so long eluded her?

Spend this Christmas in the Casterglass castle by ordering your very own copy TODAY! Then, feast your eyes on the enchanting book covers of the entire Keeping Up with the Penryns series for more cozy castle charm!


A Cotswold Christmas (Willoughby Close series)

Welcome to Wychwood-on-Lea… a not-too-quaint village where frosty evenings, welcoming fires, and second chances will make this a Christmas you’ll never forget…

~Cover Art~: A cozy manor coated in snow, yellow warmth twinkling in the windows, and frosted pine trees catching the endless snowflakes falling all around…could the setting for this forced-proximity Christmas get any cozier?

Anna Vere has escaped to the Cotswolds for Christmas to try to heal from her broken engagement and, far worse, her broken dreams. When her reserved room at a bed & breakfast is flooded, she takes up the offer of camping out in Willoughby Close, the converted stables of the nearby manor house… and is taken under the wing of sexy local carpenter Colin Heath.

What starts out as merely helping a neighbor in need turns into far more as Colin and Anna share a surprisingly intense and emotional connection, weaving their own Christmas magic as they spend the holiday together. But Anna has a secret she’s scared to reveal, something that could destroy the fragile bond they’ve just created, and Colin knows she’s only in England for a short time. Can these two sudden soul mates risk their hearts for a love that has yet to be tried and tested?

Get the full cozy cottage experience with your own copy of A Cotswold Christmas NOW! And look forward to four more charming book covers illustrated in the Willoughby Close series, where everyday miracles and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed!


Cupcakes for Christmas (Return to Willoughby Close series)

Welcome back to Willoughby Close, with four new residents and happy endings to deliver…

~Cover Art~: A small-town bakery filled with treats and tea, brushstrokes painting the storefront with bright reds and greens…there can’t possibly be a sweeter place for romance to brew during the season of love!

Olivia James has always been happy running a tea shop and bakery in the Cotswold village of Wychwood-on-Lea, and helping her friends find their happily-ever-afters, topped by the perfect wedding cake. But as Christmas approaches, Olivia is home alone and questioning her choices while eating too many of her own specialty confections.

When Simon Blacklock, a handsome, whimsical stranger, breezes into her shop and buys a cupcake and then returns the next day and the day after, Olivia begins to dream. Can romance blossom amidst the sugar and flour? And after a lifetime of living on the side lines, is she brave enough to star in her own story? Simon may be hiding a painful secret, but Olivia harbors secrets of her own. If they can dare to risk their hearts, this Christmas might be the most magical yet!

Treat yourself to a sweet holiday romance—order Cupcakes for Christmas TODAY and indulge in a delicious read! Then, satisfy your craving for more cozy book art by exploring the rest of the heartwarming Return to Willoughby Close series!


A Vicarage Christmas (The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite series)

Welcome to Thornwaite, a quaint village tucked up in England’s beautiful but rainy Lake District… where homecomings happen and surprises are in store for the four Holley sisters…

~Cover Art~: A quaint village with pastel-colored cottages and forest green pines, all blanketed in mountains of snow–this is quite the charming invitation to a small-town English Christmas!

Welcome to Thornwaite, a quaint village tucked up in England’s beautiful but rainy Lake District… where homecomings happen and surprises are in store for the four Holley sisters…

Anna Holley, the third of four sisters, has always felt a little bit forgotten. A family tragedy when she was a child had her retreating deep into shyness, and social anxiety kept her on the fringes of the cozy chaos of the busy vicarage.

After several years away from home, Anna returns for Christmas… and an important announcement from her father. As much as she once loved the village, coming back is hard and puts Anna’s social capabilities to the test.

Avoiding her sisters’ bossy questions, she heads out to the local pub one night, and meets a handsome stranger nursing a pint. Somehow, unburdened by expectations, Simon seems like the perfect person to spill all her secrets to—including a hopeless, long-held crush on her sister’s boyfriend. Confident she’ll never see him again, Anna returns home… only to discover the next day that Simon is actually her father’s new curate!

Unwrap the charm of unexpected love this season with A Vicarage Christmas–order NOW! And don’t forget to explore the rest of The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite series and the quaint village book art depicted in their covers!


It will be December before we know it…so what better way to embrace the holiday spirit than with these charming titles, ones inviting us to cozy up with heartwarming tales of family, romance, and holiday magic? Imagine these hand-painted covers tucked in your lap on a chilly night–the fire is crackling, the smell of hot cocoa fills the air, and your favorite blanket is wrapped around you–I think winter just got a whole lot cozier thanks to Kate!

And from the autumnal hues of Yorkshire to the snow-covered villages of the Cotswolds, each book cover evokes a unique, picturesque winter wonderland. Twinkling lights, festive wreaths, and inviting cottages adorn these covers, all promising a delightful escape into quintessential English countryside Christmases–ones filled with love, redemption, and the sweet aroma of freshly baked treats. 

Cheers!


By: MJ Gryzik, Tule Marketing Intern


Author Nan Reinhardt shares an interview with Cameron Walker—Hero of “Made for Mistletoe”

Today we’re talking to Cameron Walker from Made for Mistletoe, Book 3 of the Walkers of River’s Edge series. Thanks for sitting down with Tule, Cameron.

Well, thank you for stopping by to talk to me and hey, call me Cam—all my friends do.

Okay, Cam, right off, tell us about your work—I’ve seen your work at the Arts Center and I see several pieces here. What made you want to be a cabinetmaker?

My Grandpa Fletcher, my mom’s dad, was a woodworker—not for a living, it was his hobby. He made beautiful pieces from native woods—hickory, oak, walnut, cherry—and from the time I was a little kid, I loved to watch him work. He had a workshop in his garage out on the old mill road, and I’d ride my bike out there every Saturday. He taught me how to turn a leg, how to carve trim, how to join drawers—just everything. He died a few years ago and when my gran moved into assisted living, she offered me his tools and machinery. Just about everything you see here was his and man, it’s so cool to be using his tools. I can almost feel where his hands were on the planes and saws and rasps. 

I can see how much you love designing and building furniture, but I know you also are a trim carpenter for your family construction firm. Do you think you’ll pick one or the other at some point? 

*Chuckles* Well, I’m a Walker, so I’m part of Walker Construction, no matter what. If my family needs me, I’ll be there. But, I can’t deny, I’m dreaming of the day I can do this full time. That said, there is the small matter of paying the bills. Walker Construction keeps me in lights and groceries and other life essentials. This *indicates his workshop* I do for my soul.

What is your most treasured possession?

Easy. Come with me. **Leads us into his house to the dining room** My grandfather made this cherry corner cupboard, and it was the first piece he let me help on. I did the cornice at the top and the bracket on the bottom—all by hand. I was ten. Man, I messed it up like a million times, but he was so patient with me. And I learned that’s what woodworking is—being patient.

You’re also a member of the Army Reserves. How did that come about?

After high school, I spent a year at UK, but academics just weren’t my thing. I didn’t want to join the service, but I wanted to serve, you know? So, my cousin Jack recommended I give the Reserves a try. I did and I liked it. I can help when I’m needed and still live here in River’s Edge with my friends and family close by. It’s the best of two worlds. 

You’ve already started decorating for the holidays, and your sister tells us you’re a big fan of Christmas. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?

Wow, that’s a tough question because I love everything about Christmas. I get into holiday mode right before Thanksgiving and I stay in it until New Year’s Day. My favorite thing? I think it has to be being here in River’s Edge—I can’t imagine the holidays anywhere else except with my family and friends doing all the stuff that’s tradition here, like the tree lighting and the Christmas parade and the candlelight walk. I love it all. Are you going to be here for the Flaherty’s Christmas Eve pitch-in lunch and show? Oh, you should stay—it’s off-the-hook fun.

Can we ask you about Harper Gaines? 

*Blushes* You can ask, but I don’t kiss and tell. *Takes a deep breath* Harper stole my heart, and now I’m working on stealing hers. I’ll keep you posted. 

Okay, good enough. So, on a lighter note, what’s your favorite dish at Mac’s Riverside Diner?

Just one? I love the whole menu. But, I will say that Mac’s meatloaf sandwiches are pretty amazing, and his omelets. Oh, and his blueberry pancakes and the burgers and…

You’re not going to pick just one thing, are you?

Nope.

Fine. Lightening round. You ready?

Sure.

Glass half-full or half-empty?

Who cares? The glass is refillable.

Pet peeve?

People who are unkind. 

Biggest secret?

I’m a secret slob—don’t tell my brother Joe, but my hallway closet is a death trap.

Greatest regret?

Hey, I’m only 31. I haven’t had time for regrets yet.

Chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

Moose tracks—you get both and peanut butter cups.

Favorite season?

Probably winter, because, you know, Christmas, but I love the river in the summer, too. Oh and the River Walk in the spring with the redbuds blooming … and fall with the festivals. I guess I don’t have a favorite season. I love them all.

Fair enough. Last question: If you could have dinner with any three people in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?

**Thinks for a moment** For sure, my grandpa because I’d love to show him some of my work. Any ex-pat from Paris in the twenties—Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein—just so I could ask questions about that time and hear their stories; it fascinates me. And finally, Harper Gaines because I’d like for her to meet my grandpa, and she loves Paris like I do.

Cam, thanks for talking to us today. We’re all excited to read your and Harper’s story, Made for Mistletoe

*Inimitable Cameron Harper grin* Which released October 24 and is available at most book retailers. Thanks for stopping by! Come again soon.


About the Author.

Nan Reinhardt headshot wearing blue shirtNan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 50 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake. Be sure to follow Nan Reinhardt on Threads.


Five Small-Town Murder Mysteries to Prepare You for Spooky Season

With the long-awaited changing of seasons from summer to fall comes the opportunity to participate in all of the time-honored fall traditions, such as baking, apple picking, corn mazes, harvest festivals, and pumpkin painting and carving. Now that October has arrived, and Halloween is just around the corner, it’s time to prepare for another season: spooky season.

Whether you’re craving a slow-burn murder mystery or a non-stop, bone-chilling thrill ride, you can’t go wrong with any of these five selections to get your heart racing for the scariest time of the year! Clear your calendar and brew up your favorite steaming witch’s brew, because these five small-town murder mysteries will have you ready for spooky season in no time, no haunted houses or trick-or-treating required!

1. Buried by CJ Carmichael

“A captivating read full of twists and turns.” —Goodreads Reviewer

Decades of silence. A shocking discovery. Some secrets refuse to stay buried.

True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he’d never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister’s upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement.

Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer.

As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond, who prefers her mysteries between the covers of a good book since the disappearance of her older sister Daisy.

The more they dig, the more buried secrets they unearth, only to realize nothing is quite what it seems, and the danger may be closer to home than they thought…

Get your true crime fix and claim your copy of Buried by CJ Carmichael today!

2. T.A. Cruz’s mystery thriller, Have You Seen Sarah Baker?

“Mind-blowing…you just have to read it to believe it.” – Starred Goodreads Review

Book cover with 'Have You Seen Sarah Baker?' by T.A. Cruz. Missing person poster on tree in woods.

The search is on, but what exactly are the folks of Fulton County hiding?

For five years, high school English teacher Sarah Baker has helplessly watched her marriage become emptier than the bed she crawls into alone each night. But a divorce would leave her in financial ruin, so she stays shackled to the husband who left his vows at the altar.

Then Sarah discovers an escape and takes the ultimate risk, only to find herself chained again—this time in the basement of a remote cabin.

When a grisly teen murder rocks his quiet northwestern town, rough-around-the-edges Sheriff Jeffrey Mills has his hands full identifying the body while facing the mounting pressure of tracking down the missing high school teacher the community is determined to find. In the blink of an eye, a heart attack sidelines him during the search, and Mills
faces an impossible choice: skirt the law and lose his one chance for redemption or leave Sarah Baker to her fate.

But one thing is clear: they’re both running out of time.

Solve the bone-chilling mystery of the missing Sarah Baker without needing a detective badge!

3. The Killer in Me by Winter Austin is perfect for readers who love strong female characters, tense, action-packed dialogue, and serial killers that are brought to justice.

What price is too great to stop a killing spree?

Elizabeth Benoit ran for sheriff to wipe out the corruption in the good old boys network of Eckardt County, but she has yet to break in her shoes when a stranger’s body is found in a ravine. With her ex back in town, a new deputy detective on the edge of losing control, and a crooked ex-sheriff out for revenge, Elizabeth’s resources are stretched thin. And then the second body drops.

Fearing a serial killer on the loose, Elizabeth launches an investigation that lays bare more than one family secret: The Kauffmann matriarch is full of advice, but her progeny have a mean streak that leaves a path of destruction in their wake. The Meyer patriarch has his own agenda, and the Kauffmanns have been a thorn in his ambition for too long.

Elizabeth and her deputies are about to face off against odds that are not in their favor. Only one source can tip the scales, but will she sell her soul for his help?

Start this thrilling read by Winter Austin today!

4. Bittersweet by CJ Carmichael

“If you’re in the mood for a really good mystery, a bit of romance, some small-town shenanigans and characters who will leap off the page at you – then you’ll enjoy BITTERSWEET.” – Goodreads Reviewer

Sometimes the truth can bite back..

In the quiet town of Lost Trail, Montana, the apparent abduction of long-time librarian Sybil Tombe shakes the community to its core. An elderly neighbor reports seeing a gray-haired, bearded man driving up to Sybil’s house the night she disappeared. New Sheriff, Zak Waller, plunges into the investigation but keeps uncovering more questions than answers.

As Zak peels back the layers of Sybil’s life, he discovers she was a master at keeping secrets. When reports surface of an old man lurking near a young girl at the local school, Zak wonders if it's somehow connected to Sybil’s disappearance. But what possible link exists between a young girl and a 60-year-old woman?

With time ticking away, Zak races against the clock to unravel the truth behind Sybil’s disappearance, all while trying to keep his relationship with Deputy Nadine Black alive. As the investigation intensifies, Zak confronts the possibility that the truth he seeks may hold devastating consequences for a beloved member of his community. Will he uncover the answers in time, or will the darkness lurking beneath Lost Trail’s tranquil surface consume them all?

Look no further than CJ Carmichael’s Bittersweet to quell your spooky-season desires for non-stop chills and thrills!

5. If you’re a fan of Celeste Ng, Agatha Christie, and Lisa Jewell, then Betrayal at the Old Hall by H L Marsay is perfect for you!

Welcome to Hartwell, an English village full of cobbled streets, pretty cottages, and dark secrets.

Lady Lucy Hanley is struggling to preserve crumbling Hartwell Hall for her son as rumours circulate about her husband’s disappearance. Her best friend, Rachel Foxton, feels trapped and lonely. She’s lived in Hartwell all her life and is exhausted after teaching during the pandemic, grieving her beloved father, and battling heartache. Dr. Meera Kumar is a new arrival. She’s always been the good girl, but now she needs to escape her marriage and make a fresh start for herself and her young son. And former London detective Jo Ormond has been transferred to Hartwell in disgrace. A quiet Yorkshire village where everyone knows your business is the last place she wants to be.

A friendship between the four women begins to grow but secrets run through this close-knit community like a loose thread—with just one tug, everything can unravel. Then a body is discovered, and a betrayal threatens them all.

Order your copy of Betrayal at the Old Hall today!


Written by Tule intern, Kristina Gaffney.


Anne McAllister shares that her latest release wasn’t originally intended to be its own book!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for joining me here today on the Tule blog. It’s always a treat to connect with readers because when I’m writing I’m usually not connecting with anyone but a couple of difficult hard-nosed people (can you say ‘hero’ and ‘heroine?’) and my dog. The dog is, literally, a golden retriever, and as far as golden retriever heroes go, he’s the best. Somedays he’s the one who keeps me sane!

He had a job doing that while I was writing A Cowboy’s Pursuit because – confession time – it was not supposed to be a book at all!  

It was supposed to be a sub-plot when I was writing The Great Montana Cowboy Auction. But when the Auction book got to be 96,000 words and Jace and Celie were nowhere near ready to get their act together and provide a nice counterpoint to Sloan and Polly, the actual hero and heroine of that book, I had two choices: I could write their enemies-to-well… enemies romance out of the book and they could go on being each other’s worst nightmare for life, or I could give them a book of their own.  

Foolishly, I decided they could have their own book.  I thought they’d be grateful. I thought ex-rodeo cowboy Jace would be happy to get a chance to woo the girl he’d had an eye on for a decade and convince her that he wasn’t the role model when her ex-fiancé strayed.  And I thought Celie, who’d dreamed of settling down, having a husband and family, would be delighted to discover that the boy she’d had a crush on back in her schooldays wasn’t the unrepentant bad guy after all.

But, no. That wasn’t how they rolled.  

I gave them their book, and the first thing Celie did was pack up and leave town! Elmer, Montana wasn’t big enough for both of them, she said.  Hard to get people together if they’re thousands of miles away from each other, I told her. As if she wanted to get together with Jace Tucker, Celie retorted. As if!

And Jace wasn’t any better. He thought she’d come to her senses.  He figured he could wait her out.  Ice ages have come and gone in less time than Celie O’Meara would take to melt in front of his eyes.  

It took them months to realize that someone had to do something.  Someone had to take a risk if we were going to have a book.  Honestly, I felt as if Tule and my editor and I were the ones taking the risk on these two stubborn people.  The only person who seemed to believe in them was ninety-year-old Artie Gilliam, who owned the town hardware store and meddled in their lives because, as he told me – and them — “Somebody’s got to.”

Well, thank heavens for Artie. 

At last Jace did something. He pursued her. Hence, the title of the book.  But, of course, it wasn’t as simple as that.  

There were those years and years of mistrust that still stood between them.  There was – on both their parts – the fear of being vulnerable, of letting someone in.  It’s a scary process, even if you ride broncs for a living.  Maybe especially if you ride broncs for a living, because that’s pitting your physical prowess and grit and muscle memory against a horse that wants nothing more than to shake you off his back in the next eight seconds. Battling a bronc and succeeding is do-able. Not every time, but often enough. 

But putting your heart on the line, not for eight seconds, but for forever – well, that’s something else.

Being vulnerable takes a kind of  courage Jace has never had to summon before.  It takes an honesty way harder than sticking to a bronc.  

Meeting that vulnerability with her own isn’t a piece of  cake for Celie, either. She had grown up believing in true love and happily-ever-after — until ten years ago when the morning of her wedding arrived – and her groom didn’t. Since then, not so much.  Not at all, actually.  

Being vulnerable to Jace was the hardest thing she’d ever do. She always expected the worst from him.  So did I, at that point.  He wasn’t giving either of us much of a reason to trust him. Even Artie was beginning to despair.

But after pursuing her, Jace did something unexpected. He said something that surprised Celie.  Shocked me. Only my editor seemed to take it in stride.  “See?” she said, ever the optimist. “I knew he could do it.” 

But then the question was, would Celie hold up her end?  Would she take a risk as well?  

Amazingly, she did. No, not amazingly. Of course she did, I realized, because with Celie and Jace it instantly became a matter of ‘anything you can do, I can do better.’  Even when it came to being vulnerable.

Not what I expected, but at least we had a story. 

It wasn’t always clear sailing. With these two it never was. But they got their act together at last.  They dared to shed their armor, to speak their minds (with a bit of backsliding because, Jace and Celie). 

And finally, because they took some risks, learned some lessons, dared to trust, they’re getting their happy ending – unless they’ve rewritten the end when I wasn’t looking.

I hope you’ll join them in their story.  I hope you’ll be as happy – almost – as they are at the end.  

And me?  I’m going to go walk the dog, then take a nap.

As I’m a great admirer of people who do difficult things like Jace and Celie did, leave a comment telling me what one of the toughest things you’ve ever done is. Or tell me the title of one of the best books you’ve read recently and why (because I can’t get enough of good books). Three days from now, one commenter, chosen at random, will win an e-book copy of The Great Montana Cowboy Auction or if you’re the winner and have already got a copy, you can pick an alternate title from my Tule backlist.  Happy reading!


About the Author.

Author headshot of Anne McAllisterYears ago someone told Anne McAllister that the recipe for happiness was a good man, a big old house, a bunch of kids and dogs, and a job you loved that allows you to read.  And write.  She totally agrees.

Now, one good man, one big old house (since traded for a slightly smaller house. Look, no attic!) a bunch of kids (and even more grandkids) and dogs (and one bionic cat) and seventy books, she’s still reading.  And writing.  And happier than ever.

Over thirty plus years Anne has written long and short contemporary romances, single titles and series, novellas and a time-travel for Harlequin Mills & Boon and for Tule Publishing. She’s had two RITA winning books and nine more RITA finalists as well as awards from Romantic Times and Midwest Fiction Writers. One of the joys of writing is that sometimes, when she can’t go back in person, she can go back in her mind and her heart and her books.


Author Kate Moore reflects on latest release – “It is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible.” –Jane Austen

Hello Reader,

Thanks for joining me here today. If we’ve not met, I’m Kate Moore, a fellow reader of Romance and also a writer. I write novels about falling in love standing up, mostly fully clothed, in the midst of family and friends. 

It sounds ordinary, but, of course, there is nothing ordinary about falling in love. It changes our consciousness of the world around us and of who we are. As readers, when we experience Romance novels through the characters, we, too, fall in love again. It’s a great ride, the kind you stand in line for at the amusement park just to experience once, and then dash to the end of the line, no matter the wait, to experience again.

Today, Tule releases my twenty-first Romance, The Raven’s Lady. It’s a story about a determined man’s pursuit of happiness and a spirited heroine’s rediscovery of it. 

Now wealthy, Sir Adrian Cole was once Raven, a nameless lost boy on the streets of London. (Think of the film Lion.) In Regency and post-Regency London, if you don’t know where you come from, how can you know where you belong? And Raven wants to belong. He’s over being out in the cold looking in. When his clever invention of a better fire engine and his courage in battling the great fire that destroyed the Houses of Parliament catapult him to a knighthood, he’s suddenly in the midst of the cream of London society, the ton. There he’s dazzled by an earl’s daughter and sets out to win her and, he thinks, happiness. Because he’s determined and single-minded, he won’t let anything stop him. But his sense justice makes him stand up for the underdog and brings him into conflict with the very people from whom he seeks acceptance. 

Lady Cassandra Lavenham, orphaned daughter of a duke, has had a falling out with happiness. Happiness deserted her, left her high and dry without a backward look when her first love wed another and an accident left her with a permanent injury. Now she’s desperately trying to keep the crumbling roof of Verwood Park over the heads of herself, her novelist aunt, and her imperious grandmother. Leasing Verwood to wealthy Sir Adrian Cole seems the perfect solution. But Raven is not the elderly gentleman tenant Cassie imagined. He’s young, devilishly handsome, and has an almost unconscious habit of coming to the aid of people she cares about. Cassie can’t decide whether she’s more infuriated by or attracted to him, but it doesn’t matter as he has set his heart on a cold beauty. 

Writing this story made me think about variations in story endings depending on whether the hero/heroine gets what they want and whether they still want it. Joni Mitchell’s line about Paradise comes to mind–Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone... How Raven and Cassie overcome missteps and blind spots on their road to unexpected happiness is their story. Read an excerpt below. 

I like to think of reading Romance as a kind of workout for a happy heart. It’s the best kind of workout because we make only a little effort, a little bend of the elbow, a little flick of the wrist, some rapid eye movement, and some working of our smile and laugh muscles for a great reward in renewed energy and the joy of being alive. So, I hope you’ll reach for The Raven’s Lady and start working your happiness muscles. For a chance to receive an e-book or print copy (USA only), join me at the Tule Book Club on FB today. 

Cheers,
Kate

Excerpt: 

“Stop.” She sneezed, and he handed her his handkerchief. “You are getting ahead of yourself,” she said. “Even if this house can be made livable, to get your lease you have to find your way into Grandmama’s good graces first.”

“You don’t think offering her a trainer will help?”`

“It might, but perhaps there’s something else about you that would …”

“Overcome the taint of trade in iron and glass? I assure you I have been welcome this winter in all the loftiest houses in Mayfair.”

“Have you?” Her dark brows went up. “Somehow I don’t think unbridled conceit will be a winning strategy with Grandmama.”

Raven choked. “Unbridled conceit?” 

“Apparently, you have acquired boundless confidence along with your fortune. Is that how you earned your knighthood?”

“I earned…”

She sneezed again, and Raven took hold of her elbow and led her through the house and out a door in the kitchen into a small courtyard. She leaned against a low stone wall overlooking a field, and sneezed a few more times. He waited.

“Speaking of conceit…” he began. “I wager there’s plenty of conceit in a household that can’t afford coal or servants or new gowns for a lady, but that pretends to be above leasing a portion of the property to a respectable man of means.” 

Her eyes flashed up at him. She was taller than Amabel, and fearless and frank in her bearing with no illusion of feminine frailty, and, he suspected, she was about to let him have it. Then another sneeze took her.

“Oh bother,” she said, recovering. “It’s no use getting angry. The truth is that leasing Verwood is the practical solution to our family’s dilemma. It is just that the littleness of a drawing room only twenty feet across is a strong a reminder of our circumstances.”

“Will her grace care so very much about the house if the stables prosper?” 

“No,” she admitted with a laugh. “You’re right. She will hardly spend any time here. But first we have to reconcile grandmama to you as a tenant.” 

Raven liked that we. It meant she was going to be practical. But he didn’t understand the problem exactly. “My money’s not suitable for the ladies of Verwood?”

“Your money’s fine. It’s you. You aren’t what we …” She waved a hand over his person. Even without a valet Raven had dressed himself to exacting London standards, so he couldn’t think what caused her to object to him. 

“What?”

“Expected.” She blew out a sigh. “The tenant we imagined was … old, quiet, settled… married, content to drive a gig about the lanes or shoot a few pheasants in season. You’ll be noticed.”

“You didn’t tell Trimley that you required any of these qualities in a tenant.”

“That’s because the Sir misled me. I thought Sir Adrian Cole must be a merry old nabob returned from India, or a mill owner bringing his wife and daughters from some blighted northern town to live in the healthful south. How did you acquire a ‘sir’ at your age?” 

“My age?” He no longer thought of himself as a youth. Dick Crockett was a youth. “I was knighted for making fire engines.”

“Fire engines?” The perplexed look on her face made him laugh. “When I joined my grandfather’s business, he asked me what I wanted to make. His fortune came from cannons for the army and the navy, but demand had slowed. I started with glass. Glass makes money, but it doesn’t excite my grandfather. Then I suggested we make better fire engines, engines that can pump more water, at a faster rate. He liked that idea.”

“And a better fire engine led to a knighthood?”

“Five engines. Ours were deployed against the fire in the Houses of Parliament last October.”

“You were there, fighting the fire?” 

“Yes.” His reputation as a man who fought the palace blaze meant he’d been pointed out in ballrooms all winter. Whispers had followed him. Women had looked at him with a sort of awe, and some women, with a kind of hunger.

Lady Cassandra gave him a shrewd assessing glance. Plainly, his firefighting did not stir any particular admiration in her.

He laughed and pushed away from the wall. “Not impressed? What about showing gratitude for sending disagreeable Hugh on his way?”

“I am grateful. Whatever your motive for that act, it was a kindness to Dick Crockett.”

“Motive? You suspect me of having a motive for helping a fellow who was getting the wrong end of an unfair fight?”

“You threw money at a problem and made it go away. That’s hardly heroic.”

“Does my money have to be heroic to rescue Verwood from insolvency?” 

She took a deep breath. “As I said before, it’s not the money, it’s you we need to present as an unobjectionable tenant.”

He shook his head. “You would prefer a tenant in his dotage who fought at Trafalgar or Waterloo?” 

She grinned at him and shrugged her shoulders. “Even a minor victory like Navarino would do. Mostly, it would help if you could manage to be forty or fifty and a bit more … staid.”

“That,” he said, “is beyond my power. I am staying at the Crown and can return directly if you think of any way of gaining her grace’s approval.”

“Oh, the Crown. Which horse did they give you?”

“Apollo.”

Her brows went up again. “Then you have made an impression. Apollo is the Crown’s best horse, and Grandmama likes him. You must come for tea.” 

“Tea? Why isn’t your solicitor handling the lease for you?” 

“Because women can manage their own affairs,” she snapped. 

“Tea it is, then, if you agree to support me as an acceptable tenant for Verwood, for my service to the nation.” Raven stuck out his hand to seal the bargain. He would have Trimley seek out Verwood’s solicitor and find out the reason for leaving him out of the lease plans.

She cast him a brief puzzled glance, then her hand met his. The sensation of it brought him up short, her small delicate hand in his larger one. He had been thinking of her as this forthright, strong-willed person, managing business affairs women usually left to men. The soft hand threw him off for a moment. 

She withdrew her hand, and he recovered. It was Amabel he should be thinking of, not this odd, prickly independent woman.


About the Author.

A Californian, Kate taught English lit to generations of high school students, who are now her Facebook friends, while she not-so-secretly penned Romances. In Kate’s stories an undeniable mutual attraction brings honorable, edgy loners and warm, practical women into a circle of love in Regency England or contemporary California. A Golden Heart, Golden Crown, and Book Buyers Best award winner and three-time RITA finalist, Kate lives north of San Francisco with her surfer husband, their yellow Lab, black cat, toys for visiting grandkids, and miles of crowded bookshelves.


Mia Heintzelman shares TWO perfect Christmas cookie exchange recipes from her recent release, “Last Christmas Crush”.

Need a fun new cookie recipe to try out before the holiday season hits? Want some fun and festive sweet treats for the mountain of cookie exchanges you’re likely going to sign up for?

Check out two of the cookie exchange recipes from Mia Heintzelman’s LAST CHRISTMAS CRUSH and take a bite of something sweet today!

LAST CHRISTMAS CRUSH is book three in The Fortemani Family series. Be sure to keep an eye out for book four ONE-NIGHT CRUSH, releasing in February 2025.


A Very Merry Turned Up Tuesday Frosted Sugar Cookies 

For the cookies 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks, see note 1)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk

 

For the frosting 

  • 2/3 cup butter cold and firm
  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or cream, cold
  • Food coloring

Instructions 

To make the cookie dough:

  • In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture and milk until just incorporated. Scrape dough on to a floured work surface, shape into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 2 days in advance.

To bake the cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • Roll chilled dough between parchment paper or wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with Christmas cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets with an offset spatula.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough. Scrape all remnants together and re-roll. If the dough becomes too soft or sticky, refrigerate an additional 10 minutes.
  • Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes (if thicker than ⅛ inch, they may take 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer to wire racks and cool completely before decorating with frosting (recipe follows).

To make the frosting:

  • In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together.
  • Add vanilla and milk and beat until smooth. Add more milk as necessary to achieve the desired consistency for writing on cookies.
  • Divide frosting into small portions and color each with food coloring as desired. Transfer to piping bags and decorate cooled cookies. 

Cocoa Cabana Hot Chocolate Cookies 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 packages hot cocoa mix or 3/4 cups hot cocoa mix (not sugar free version)
  • 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  •  2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows (add after chilling; press onto the top before baking along with chocolate chips)

Instructions 

  • Beat the butter and both sugars in large bowl with standing mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla; mix well.
  • In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients. This is a dry dough but be sure to measure the flour properly (see notes below) so you don’t end up with too much flour. Gradually beat dry ingredients into butter mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.  After chilling add the Mallow bits before baking.  I take about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough and press a few mallow bits into the dough as I form them for baking, adding the most on top with a few extra chocolate chips too.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough balls , 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool.

About the Author.

Mia Heintzelman is a polka-dot-wearing, horror movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters, she is likely reading, or playing board games and eating sweets with her husband and two children. She writes fun, unforgettable, more than just laughs romcoms about strong women and men with enough heart to fall for them.


Sinclair Jayne shares that romance is not just about falling in love, it’s about facing what you want to avoid most. (PLUS a giveaway!)

Writing Christmas with the Texas Cowboy was a total blast to the past for me.  Over five years ago, I traveled to Texas Hill Country with the Tule team and several Tule authors to research the Hill Country so that Tule could create a new town in Texas, similar to what the Tule team and so many authors over the years created and developed Marietta, Montana. We stayed in a VRBO in Fredericksburg and enjoyed several days of shopping, picture taking, researching, wine tasting, visiting tourist sites, including a historic dance hall. 

And we chatted, planned and plotted to not only create the bones of Last stand, but also the history, businesses and legacy ranches and family. We also brainstormed a catastrophic event that the initial group of authors would include in their first series to layer in some cohesion between very different series.

Traveling and working with so many talented authors was so much fun and inspiring. I would love to be a part of more multi-author series. All that creativity and collaboration feeds my soul and pushes me to UP my game.

I created a rather dysfunctional ranching family—The Wolfs–that had been torn apart by tragedy, secrets, scandal and addiction (that’s me—a ray of sunshine, always in fiction). My goal was to create three estranged brothers and over the course of the series, have them reconnect, come to terms with their past, and of course, boot some of their baggage as they met their match in a heroine. The first book A Son for the Texas Cowboy was of course a reunion romance—my favorite trope. But I realized as I started crafting the stories for the other two brothers—August and Anders—that reunion romances worked beautifully as they are so trapped by their past and their legacy. Falling in love forces them into the light (even as they fight it, or course).

I’ve been missing my Texas Wolf Brothers. I wanted to revisit them. Check in. See how they are building their own legacy and families. As I was crafting my Coyote Cowboys of Montana series in Marietta, I had a brainstorm. I had a new team leader of the group, and if I made him a secret Wolf Brother, I could send him back to Texas at the end of the Coyote Cowboy of Montana series.

This is only one of the many reasons I LOVE being a writer. I can build my own world and family and friends. So meet Wolf Conte, who knows that he has three half-brothers thriving in Texas he’s been avoiding for decades. The LAST thing the independent Wolf—a Special Forces soldier, not a cowboy–wants to do is go home, meet his secret family, be reminded of all he craved but never had, face the ghosts of his own past and the barrel racer he left behind.

Too bad Wolf. I sent you home. The trick with writing romance, is that it’s not about falling in love. It’s about being forced to face the ONE thing (or things) your hero or heroine want to avoid. And while your H or H or both are dancing around trying to cope and achieve their goals and move on, they are inexorably falling in love, even as they do their best to slip the rope and run in the opposite direction. Merry Christmas Wolf and Taya.

*** GIVEAWAY ***

For a chance to win a copy of “Christmas for the Texas Cowboy” along with a surprise Christmas ornament and reader swag, email me at authorsinclairjayne@gmail.com or through my website https://sinclairjayne.com. Be sure to use “Texas Cowboy Giveaway” as the subject line:

When sending my hero home to Last Stand Texas, I googled annual weather reports and pondered temperature averages. Not particularly snowy though local weather forecasters try to play it up for drama. Most of my Christmas books have been set in Montana, southern Oregon’s Siskiyous, or the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee—lots of snow so I was a little worried about how to create a true Christmas atmosphere. When you are reading a Christmas romance, does it need to have snow to feel fully authentic? Are you disappointed if a Christmas romance is set in a warmer climate.


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!


Author Michelle Dayton identifies the women of her “Tech-nically Love” series – but who does she identify with the most?

My Tech-nically Love series is getting a fantastic boost this month.  The four books in the series have beautiful new covers, and I’m so excited about them reaching more readers!   

This rebranding got me thinking about a conversation I had with my sister after she read the last book. She said, “Your main female characters in each book are so different from each other. Who do you identify with the most?”  (Being my sister, she definitely had a guess!)

Creating the heroines for each book was both my favorite part of writing the story AND the most difficult.  When I look at my reader reviews, I get a lot of feedback on the women I write. That is so rewarding because it means that the characters came across as individual, real women who resonated with the audience.

So, who are the women in these books?

Tess in The Love Hack

Ok, I admit it.  Tess is probably my favorite.  She is fiercely independent, mouthy, hilarious, and tough on the outside.  On the inside, well, she’s all of those things too, lol.  But more importantly, she’s tender, insecure, loyal, and loving.  At the start of the novel, she’s got some mommy issues, guilt about an ex-fiancé, and doesn’t feel like she deserves a long-term, happy, romantic relationship.   Over the course of the story, however, she fully comes into her own through her romance with Max.  Max sees Tess, almost immediately, inside and out.  And when Tess realizes that Max loves what he sees, there’s no stopping her.


Jo in Cupid Tricks

If Tess was center stage with her bravado and wit and bravery, then Jo is behind the curtain: a puppet-master, pulling the strings.  Jo was tricky to write because she makes a living pretending to be someone else. She’s a con artist, running a highly sophisticated romance scam.  So the challenge was to show the reader the real Jo, even when she was much more comfortable hiding behind her psychology PhD, her computer skills, and her brilliant performances.  It’s possible that Jo is the woman most readers see themselves in, because we all spend so much of our lives observing others and automatically shaping our reactions and behaviors around these observations.


Emily in The Love Clause

Oh, my poor Emily.  At the start of the novel, Emily is not living the life of her dreams. She’s estranged from her husband, and she spends 90 hours a week working at job that she feels “meh” about.  Worst of all, she doesn’t understand how she ended up like this … why did she blow up her marriage? Why is she wasting her brain and her life on a job she doesn’t love?  I adore Emily because (with the help of Tess and Jo!) she battles back and takes control of her life.  She triumphs, gets her happily ever after—and helps a lot of people along the way. 


Jane in Christmas Single Bells 

Just thinking about Jane makes me smirk. In Single Bells, I took on the classic Hallmark movie setup – “beautiful city girl returns to the adorable small town to save Christmas”—and flipped it on its head.  Jane is not that city girl; Jane is the townie chick who always wanted to escape her poor, (not-adorable) small town and never did.   But she is the one who is going to freakin’ save Christmas—and her entire town.  

 

 

 

 

I love hearing from readers more than anything else in the world.  If you tell me who your favorite heroine in the Tech-nically Love series, it will make my entire week!


About the Author.

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel — as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.