Whispers of Summer and Magic galore with Sinclair Jayne’s latest romance release.

July 8, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hey Tuligans,

I always love popping in to blog—it makes me feel rather literary.

Yes, I have a book coming out in July, and I believe that after thirty books, this is my first book that celebrates summer. It’s wild that it’s taken this long as—despite the heat—is my favorite season. Maybe that’s a remnant of my childhood where I perceived summer as being more carefree, but also when I was a mom with young children, I loved summer because there were so many fun day camps and activities our kids could try and maybe find a new passion, or we could indulge in chill out mornings at home, scavenger hunts or playdates in parks or along Lake Washington. And the best? Outdoor summer concerts with other families. We’d pack picnics, bring fun outdoor toys like bubbles, balloons or nerf planes or rockets for the kids to chase while we enjoyed the music and magical atmosphere.

What are some of your favorite summer activities—either alone or as a family or with friends?

This summer I had an amazing opportunity with my family to visit our son who is studying in Helsinki, Finland. We were there during the Summer Solstice. The Nordic countries go all out during the solstice, and we enjoyed a celebration in a park near the Helsinki Harbor. Summer (and winter) Solstice is a big deal, like the fourth of July in the US, although it’s celebrating the sun, light and nature.

A Whisper of Summer Magic is book three in my Southern Love Spells series. It features attorney Meghan Maye in a forced proximity, secret crush, opposites attract, next door neighbor and age difference romance with a very hot, very fun and flirty fire fighter. They knew each other as kids, but Jackson’s all grown up now and determined to seize his chance to win Meghan’s heart, even if it takes using her family’s heirloom cookbook that may or may not have a touch of magic.

I hope you get a chance to read it. My favorite place to read in the summer is in my front yard on our red Adirondack chairs while our dog Chai runs free in the front yard.

Enjoy your summer—and DM me about what you love about summer or plans you have for a shot at some new reader swag that’s in development now.

Before I head out, I wanted to share a variation on my Summer Sparkle. This drink can be a mocktail or a cocktail, depending on your mood. I enjoy cutting up a variety of fruit—mango, watermelon and berries and then splashing my favorite flavor of sparkling water—grapefruit or blackberry. And yes, sometimes I will also add a dash or Roshni rose (have to add a little plug for our small family vineyard) but sparkling wine or a dash or liqueur adds a bit of pizzazz (my favorites are cassis or grand marnier.)

Best wishes,

Sinclair Jayne

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!

Thrills, Chills & Cozy Kills: What’s New This July

July 3, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?

We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the July mystery releases.

Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

Good luck and happy reading!

Death Watch

by Carol Light

A dangerous killer is hunting for more than deer in this southern forest…

New police chief Tim Birch is too late on the scene to save his youngest officer from fentanyl exposure at a routine traffic stop, and the grief cuts deep into his department. Someone is trafficking dangerous pills in Crossroads, Arkansas.

Jana Nance has returned home to steer the town’s tourism and be close to her dying grandmother. But when she and her committee visit lakefront property designated to become a park, they discover the body of her godson, Eli Carson, fatally shot in a deer stand. Jana is convinced it’s murder and not suicide.

She might be on to something. Fentanyl pills were found with Eli’s body, but was he a victim or the dealer? Unfortunately, not everyone on Tim’s team wants him to uncover that answer.

It’s Jana’s job to bring change to Crossroads, and she’s determined to succeed—even though her plans threaten a lucrative illegal activity. Unless Eli’s killer is caught, Jana’s death watch may be her own.

Bonbons and Burglars

by Lisa Siefert

A high-profile wedding, a bakery disaster, and a frozen corpse—Ava Decker’s latest mystery is anything but sweet.

Pastry chef and small-town sleuth Ava Decker is thrilled to cater the most glamorous wedding of the season. But when the bride’s big day turns into a catastrophe—with a flooded venue, ruined desserts, and a dead body in Ava’s walk-in freezer—the celebration grinds to a chilling halt.

With her missing assistant as the prime suspect and a pair of mischievous kittens leading her to unexpected clues, Ava is up to her elbows in trouble. Add in her mother’s relentless matchmaking schemes and a charming yet infuriating billionaire, and Ava’s got more on her plate than just cupcakes.

Can Ava sift through the secrets and solve the case before the real killer serves up another deadly surprise?

Bonbons & Burglars is the fourth book in the delightful Frosted Misfortunes culinary cozy mystery series. If you love amateur sleuths, quirky small-town scandals, whisker-twitching feline sidekicks, and twist-filled whodunits, you’ll adore Lisa Siefert’s latest page-turning mystery!

Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, Ellie Alexander, and Mia Malone.

Death at the Wharf

by Jolie Tunnell

Determined to carve out a respectable life for herself in the raw and unforgiving world of 1882 San Francisco, widowed Mrs. Kelly bakes for the Palace Hotel and rents an apartment with Miss Smith, who manages a fancy glove shop. But a fateful trip to fisherman’s wharf with her friend and the discovery of a dead woman tangled in a net with a bible, once again throws her into the cooly critical Detective Max Fisher’s path.

Although Mrs. Kelly has no intention of pursuing the case, Miss Smith’s employer is brutally slain and a hidden stash of gold coins surfaces in the glove shop. Detective Fisher’s suspicious gaze turns toward Miss Smith when clues—from the vicious Barbary Coast to a chilling orphanage to treacherous whaling ships—tie her to both murders.

Desperate to exonerate her friend, though Detective Fisher doesn’t trust her, Mrs. Kelly faces danger as she unravels the truth and reveals that Miss Smith’s role in the murders may be more complicated than previously imagined. The more Mrs. Kelly uncovers, the closer she comes to being trapped in the killer’s net of greed, betrayal, and revenge.

Blood in the Cradle

by Cobie LaJeanne

It’s a case every detective dreads—the one that forces them to confront their traumatic past.

When decorated detective Chloe Van Belle receives a call about a severed limb in a fountain, she dreads returning to Encounters, a renowned angel-worshipping church tied to her dark childhood wounds. She’s further shocked to learn six-year-old Lillian vanished from the congregation without being reported.

Chloe’s half-sister Rosie, a devout believer engaged to the reverend’s son, remains unwavering that everything unfolds according to divine will, refusing to see the evil in front of her.

An eerie search leads to Lillian’s body tucked in a cradle with a vintage watch, linking the crime to a similar murder twenty years ago. The gruesome scene triggers Chloe’s morbid fascination with death, making her visual-gustatory synesthesia, which gives murder a literal sweet taste, harder to hide. With Chloe’s nightmares and half-memories resurfacing, she engages in a macabre game of cat and mouse with the killer.

As casualties grow and evidence points to the highest levels of the church leadership, Chloe must protect Rosie and her team—but is it from a monster or herself?

A must-read for fans of Alex Marwood’s The Poison Garden and Tana French’s In the Woods!

Death at Rock Bottom

by Kris Bock

She can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it before…

After solving the mystery of her predecessor’s death, geologist Petra Cloch wants to focus on her new job as the rocks and minerals curator at a quirky, small-town New Mexico museum. But her friend and colleague Liberty is suspicious of the “accidental” death of Frank Underwood, a retired petroleum engineer and rockhound who unexpectedly died while hiking. Frank acted odd and secretive in his last weeks—mumbling about an incredible find in the desert and aliens. Was he showing the first signs of dementia, or were more sinister forces at work?

Petra agrees to help excavate the truth, and soon, instead of meeting for book club, she and her friends become amateur investigators. Petra uses her gift and her brains to sort through the contradictory stories and confusing clues as she and her friends dig for answers.

Did Frank’s heirs decide to hasten their inheritance? Or did his rock shop business partner decide to go solo? Petra joins the local geological club to discover whether someone there acquired a taste for murder, because they’ll need rock solid evidence to catch a killer.

The July heatwave is extending to Tule romances – welcome to July releases!

July 1, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?

We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the July romance releases.

Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

Good luck and happy reading!

The Love Plot

by Elle Douglas

When brilliant biology professor Elodie McCarthy is forced to juggle her research and her family’s impending sale of the Butterfly Lake Lodge, she finds her focus, for the first time in her life, fractured.

Best-selling first time author Kendra Green fears a sophomore slump. She retreats to the gorgeous Canadian Rockies in the guise of research and meets the enigmatic professor, whose sharp intellect and magnetic presence make concentrating on her manuscript nearly impossible.

An affair is out of the question. Elodie needs to prove herself to earn tenure, and Kendra has to finish her book. But as professional boundaries blur in the wilderness, will Elodie and Kendra discover that love really can make the impossible possible?

A Whisper of Summer Magic

by Sinclair Jayne

Falling out of a tree and landing at the feet of a sexy neighbor is not the meet-cute of corporate attorney Meghan Maye’s dreams. He’s too handsome, too flirty, too fun and too young. She could ignore those flaws, if she were looking for a man, but she’s not. Meghan’s contemplating a career switch that sounds crazy even to her and will upset her ambitious parents. Plus, there’s bad blood between their families. Then he brings up the mysterious, heirloom cookbook—Southern Love Spells—and issues a challenge. And Meghan, even bruised and embarrassed, can’t let that go unanswered.

Firefighter Jackson Roberts wasn’t looking for trouble when he wandered onto a recently deceased neighbor’s property. He knows he’s not supposed to be there, but he’s housesitting for his folks, and he’s looking for answers to questions his family’s afraid to ask. As a first responder, he can hardly call 911 and walk away, but taking care of Meghan until she’s back on her feet will open a Pandora’s box. But Jackson rarely plays it safe, and he’s convinced Meghan’s worth the risk.

The Magical Bed & Breakfast

by Aimee O’Brian

In the small town of Hazard, the path to love is never ordinary—sometimes, it takes a little magic.

Kate Mayfield is done with city life and celebrity scandals. With her career as a reputation management consultant behind her, she’s sunk every penny into restoring the historic Hazard Inn, determined to turn it into a thriving bed-and-breakfast. But the charming seaside inn comes with more than she bargained for—hidden problems, a secret underground tunnel, and a mysterious antique desk holding an old musical score said to bring success if played perfectly.

Rory Rollins, famous rock band keyboardist, needs to disappear. With a stalker on his trail and the media closing in, he retreats to his hometown of Hazard, Rhode Island, planning to lay low. But when Kate asks him—believing he’s just a classical pianist—to help her play the duet, refusing means revealing the secret he’s desperate to keep.

As the two grow closer, so does the magic of Hazard. But with secrets between them and the past threatening to catch up, will love be enough to keep them together?

A heartfelt, sweet small-town romance with a touch of mystery and magic—perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Sarah Addison Allen.

Swept Away by the Cowboy

by Leah Vale

She learned never to mix business with pleasure…

Being the Chief Financial Officer for the Grit and Grace Rodeo Roughstock Company is a dream come true for accounting wiz turned ranch bronc rider Laura Senska. But the fledgling business she and her four business partners have poured their hearts and souls into is threatened when investors begin to mysteriously withdraw their support. The all-female company has always faced pushback for infringing ‘on a man’s world.’ Laura’s suspicious of the billionaire owner of the ranch they lease. Could Asher Halliday be undermining them to gain control?

Halliday Oil Company CEO Asher Halliday knows something’s wrong with the company his sister formed with her friends, but the CFO won’t confide in him and won’t accept help when he offers, even though his charms usually work on women. When a flash flood threatens the prime buckin’ bull stock, he and Laura face peril as they work to save the animals. Will she trust him enough to accept his help? Can he resist the danger the beautiful sun-kissed brunette poses to his hard-won control?

You Had Me at Taco

by Candice Y. Johnson

Starting over is more than a song lyric…

The last thing rising fashion designer Dayton Royal anticipated when she moved to Necessity, Texas was managing one of her cousin’s taco trucks. But after being skewered on social media for ruining her first famous client’s wedding gown and then her estranged mother reaches out to reconcile, Day retreats, drowning in tortillas, salsa and humiliation. Romance isn’t on her plate, until the handsome business owner she’s been casually flirting with makes a move.

Single dad Grant Thomas has been smitten since the stunner, Day, walked into his store. Though burned by love, Grant still seizes the opportunity to ask Day out –right before his ex-wife arrives demanding he take their angry teen for the summer, perhaps longer. Unsure if he can balance work, fatherhood and romance, Grant’s determined to try.

Inspired by her new relationship, Day becomes a mentor to Grant’s daughter and dives back into her dream career as well as indulges her creativity and love of tacos. But can she embrace her new life and family, as well as forgive her mother and past mistakes?

The Hero’s Bride

by Charlee James

One good deed…

When Mason “Red” Williams agrees to help his former teammate extract his fiancée’s best friend from a human trafficking ring, he accepts the mission. But when he’s guarding the ‘package,’ he fights against a powerful attraction. He should only feel responsibility, due to the power dynamic. Yet when she’s threatened with deportation, Red’s offer of marriage sounds practical and protective because guilt has him hiding his true feelings.

Thalia Flores is tired of being a pawn between a corrupt, deep-pocketed family and the legal system. She’s finished with living in fear after Red rescues her, and she has her first glimpse of happiness and freedom. Loving Red is easy, but when she’s threatened again, his offer of marriage falls flat. He’s an honest and noble man, and she won’t say yes just to watch him walk away when she gains legal standing.

But then Red needs her help, and for the first time in her life, Thalia has some control, and she knows just what she wants to do.

Rooted in Love: How a book about Trees Inspired The Love Plot

July 1, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

At a bookstore in Canmore, Alberta in 2023, I picked up a copy of The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. I didn’t realize at the time that I was purchasing the inspiration for a book about two women in the Canadian Rockies—but that’s exactly what happened. I read the book in a quick couple of days, and couldn’t stop thinking about the way trees communicate, support one another, and thrive in partnership. I was literally holding a secret manual for writing a slow-burn romance.

Enter Elodie and Kendra—two very different women, each under pressure to perform: Elodie, a driven biology professor fighting for tenure while helping her family sell the beloved Butterfly Lake Lodge; and Kendra, a bestselling crime novelist terrified that her second book will flop. Both are brilliant. And both have no business falling in love—until nature (and a little narrative magic) intervenes.

Much like the trees in Wohlleben’s forest, Elodie and Kendra begin their story rooted in separate goals, standing tall but alone. But just as trees distribute nutrients through underground networks to help their neighbors, these two women begin to nourish each other in unexpected ways. A shared cup of coffee, a hike up a mountain, a long night under the stars—did someone say ‘only one tent?’—small moments shift everything.

When I read the section of the book where Wohlleben writes about older trees protecting younger ones from storms and droughts, I thought to myself, isn’t that what love is, too? A kind of invisible shelter, a willingness to share your strength when someone else’s is running low. As Elodie and Kendra’s connection deepens, they begin to do just that: protect, nurture, and challenge each other. They become better not just with each other, but because of each other.

And of course, like in the other books in The McCarthy Sisters series, I couldn’t resist peppering the novel with cozy lodge vibes, lush pine forests, and enough of Jeannie McCarthy’s famous happy hour snacks to make your stomach rumble. But beneath the scenery is something tender and real—a story about letting your roots reach toward someone, even when it feels risky.

So if you love witty banter, academic crushes, forest metaphors, and romance that blooms slow and sweet, The Love Plot is waiting for you—bonfires and heart flutters included.

About the Author.

Elle Douglas writes small-town contemporary romance for lovers of warm, feel-good stories that are on the sweeter side. Her novels feature strong, relatable characters living in tight-knit communities, with a backdrop of stunning Canadian wilderness.

Elle is a lover of 90’s alternative music, a wannabe chef specializing in comfort food and a sometimes reluctant but usually dedicated gym-goer who lives in Toronto with her wife and their cat Lucy (or Lucifer, depending on the day). Between writing romance novels and working as a high school guidance counsellor, Elle works exclusively in helping others find their happily-ever-afters.

She is a graduate of TMU’s Radio and Television Arts program, OISE at the University of Toronto, and the University of Toronto Creative Writing program, and is a member of Toronto Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers.

5 Wedding Superstitions You Might Not Know About

June 26, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Almost everyone is familiar with the age-old American wedding traditions—“Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.” Many a bride has made sure that an item fitting each element of this adage is included in her wedding day finery.

In my latest from Tule Publishing, A Wedding to Remember, a second-chance romance between Hope and Slater plays out against the backdrop of a beautiful, nature-themed wedding at the Cabins in the Pines. As best man, Slater’s trying not to get on the wrong side of any wedding superstition faux pas, but everything still seems to be going wrong. When Hope, his former first love, shows up unexpectedly, she could be the solution to pulling off the perfect wedding for his best friends—or she could spell disaster as surely as forgetting the “something blue.”

What Slater doesn’t know—aside from how his reunion with Hope will end up—is that there is a plethora of lesser-known wedding superstitions that he should familiarize himself with besides the traditional (though, maybe he shouldn’t let Wyatt, the nervous groom, in on any of these).

Wedding dress color superstitions

An old Victorian superstition assigns a lyrical meaning to each wedding-dress color.

Married in white, you will have chosen all right.

Married in grey, you will go far away.

Married in black, you will wish yourself back.

Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead.

Married in blue, you will always be true.

Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl.

Married in green, ashamed to be seen.

Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow.

Married in brown, you’ll live out of town.

Married in pink, your spirits will sink.

While these rhymes are certainly musical, if they were all true, I wonder how many brides would wear brown in hopes of ending up living in an exotic locale like Hawaii or Paris?

Rain on your wedding day (No, not from the Alanis Morissette song!)

Sure, rain can spoil the reception. But did you know that it’s not always considered unlucky? Some believe that a wet wedding day is a sign of good luck, and that it means your marriage will be one that lasts. If you’ve ever tried to untie a wet knot, you know how hard it is. And don’t you want the day that you “tie the knot” to form the strongest cinch possible? With this superstition, it seems that a storm before might make for a weatherproof union after.

Moonstruck

The light of the moon is a beautiful thing to use to light up your wedding reception—some weddings ceremonies are even held under the soft, romantic night sky. One superstition that comes from ancient Greece says that if your wedding festivities were held under a full moon, your marriage was sure to be full of happiness, harmony, and longevity.

But avoid the new moon! The Greeks believed that the new moon was a draw for the spookier side of matrimonial magic, and so the marriage was in danger from curses and spells.

But Moonstruck is still in my top ten romantic comedies of all time.

June Brides

Summer is a beautiful time to plan a wedding—but did you know that, just like wedding dress colors, there’s a Victorian rhyme that predicts how the month of ceremony will affect the future of your marriage? I think any happily-ever-after fan would be glad to know that (according to superstition), a Christmas wedding would bring a happily-ever-after!

It goes,

Marry when the year is new,

Always loving, kind, and true.

When February birds do mate

You may wed, nor dread your fate.

If you wed when March winds blow,

Joy and sorrow both you ‘ll know.

Marry in April when you can,

Joy for maiden and for man.

Marry in the month of May,

You will surely rue the day.

Marry when June roses blow,

Over land and sea you ‘ll go.

They who in July do wed

Must labor always for their bread.

Whoever wed in August be,

Many a change are sure to see.

Marry in September’s shine,

Your living will be rich and fine.

If in October you do marry,

Love will come, but riches tarry.

If you wed in bleak November

Only joy will come, remember.

When December’s snows fall fast,

Marry, and true love will last.

Breaking up is…good to do?

Many cultures have a tradition of the bride and groom breaking something once the vows are recited, like a glass or plate, and the reasons range from symbolizing cultural history, to remembrance of past events, to predictions of how many years the union will last—the more pieces the items shatters into, the longer the bride and groom will remain in wedded bliss.

If you love weddings (superstitions and all!), I’d love to invite you to A Wedding to Remember, to be my guest at Wyatt and Delaney’s gorgeous ceremony in the woods. Come for the vows, the cake, the dancing—but mostly, RSVP to find out if Hope and Slater can rekindle the spark of something old into something beautiful and new.

About the Author.

With strong, relatable heroines and heroes too irresistible not to fall for, Cassidy Carter crafts sweet, fun, heartwarming romances that will win readers’ hearts. When not writing, Cassidy can be found digging in the garden or lost in a good book. Originally from the South, she now lives in the desert Southwest with her husband and two daughters.

The Other Side of the Story: A Release Day Conversation with Heidi Field

June 25, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Today marks a major milestone for author Heidi Field, whose gripping debut thriller The Other Boy is officially out in the world. A story born from curiosity, fear, and a deep understanding of human complexity, this novel dives into the haunting question: What if the child you raised chose a path you couldn’t have imagined?

In this candid release day Q&A, Heidi Field opens up about the emotional journey behind the book, the challenges of rewriting (and rewriting again), and the joy of finally seeing her story come to life. We talk inspiration, deleted scenes, and how her own family and life experiences shaped the core of the novel.

Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or someone fascinated by the dark corners of the human psyche, this conversation offers a powerful look into the mind behind The Other Boy—and what’s coming next.

Congratulations on your release! How does it feel to finally have your book out in the world?

Amazing! Definitely one of the most exciting moments of my life. I love writing, the whole process, from that first draft, to editing, and then the editor feedback and refining. Having spent nearly fifty years daydreaming and living a parallel life in my head, it feels great to be using that to create something that, hopefully, other people will enjoy too. Knowing how many writers are out there trying to get published, I do feel honored and privileged to have been accepted by Tule, and to have received all their wonderful guidance and expertise, their time and love, and to have been embraced by the Tule community.

What inspired this particular story, and how long has it been in the making?

After taking a Masters in Creative Writing at Winchester University, joining the course with the intention of writing YA fantasy novels, I discovered I was better suited to writing thrillers. My first chapters for every genre we studied ended up dark, with unhinged characters or protagonists facing unthinkable challenges. The Other Boy was inspired by a Dean Corll documentary, which left me wondering what it would be like to be the parents of one of his accomplices. I have two sons and three step children, and the idea that one of them could choose such a terrible path in life fascinated and frightened me. I had to write a story about it.

Was there a specific moment during writing when you felt, “Yes, this is it—this is the heart of the book”?

Writing The Other Boy has been a long process, four years since I began writing it, and I have learned A LOT on route. In the beginning, Blair was the focus of the story, her mental collapse following the death of her son, but as I wrote I realized that the story I wanted to tell was the discovery of who her boy really was, the journey she and Scott needed to take to find out why their child made the choices he made, and what it showed them about themselves.

What themes do you hope readers will pick up on or reflect on after finishing the book?

As with all stories, the book is about the relationships within it. Do you ever really know someone? What do you miss when you are too focused on your own path? As a parent, at what point do you pass the responsibility for choices made onto the child? The Other Boy is about parents and children, love and loss, regret, guilt and forgiveness.

Were there any scenes or chapters that were particularly challenging to write—or that you rewrote multiple times?

I have written at least five drafts of this book. Blair had a sister, who was featured throughout, and was cut out entirely. I lost whole chapters and rewrote the ending multiple times. I have easily written four times the final word count. The challenge, for me, was deciding what worked and what didn’t. It is a skill that I will always need to work on and seek help with, and the feedback from beta readers and from my incredible editor, Sinclair, has been invaluable. It is hard to see how characters, plot twists and dialogue will land with readers when you are so immersed in the process of writing. A fresh perspective is essential. I have tried asking my family for feedback, and awesome as they all are, they also love me and don’t want to criticize my efforts. I needed the criticism, the praise will come if the story deserves it.

This being release day, what does your ideal celebration look like? Quiet reflection, big event, or something else?

Much as I would love to go out and celebrate, quietly with my family, I will be attending my youngest son’s summer music concert. He is a sporty, football loving boy, who will be singing two solos in the concert, and I will be beaming with pride at his courage and talent. I spent three years at drama college after taking A-levels, and I loved the adrenaline buzz of being on stage, so watching my sweet boy perform will stir up all those forgotten memories and feelings. I will, of course, tell everyone I see that my book has been released, and I will be encouraging them all to buy a copy. I might even get a t-shirt printed!

Are there any behind-the-scenes stories or “deleted scenes” that didn’t make it into the final draft but you wish readers could see?

So many! I have set up an author page on FaceBook and I have a website, although I’m still learning to be more tech savvy with all the social media, but I will work towards posting blogs with some of the discarded scenes and alternative endings, as these are things I would love to see more of from other writers.

How has your writing process evolved from your last book (or earlier drafts) to now?

The Other Boy is the first in a three book series. The second book, The Other Mother, has been a much smoother ride in terms of the writing process. Firstly, I used the Save The Cat structure to do some light planning. I am not naturally a planner, and I did come unstuck midway through, producing a below par second half which I scrapped. The planning made me more efficient, gave me the motivation to set word count goals, three chapters a week, but, in the end, I needed to let my imagination take me on the journey. I want to be brave with my writing and go places I don’t plan to go, and I can only do that when I let my mind go free and allow the story to find its own path. That is the exciting part, the essence of why I LOVE LOVE LOVE this career. I can sit alone in my office, quiet, still, peaceful and my mind is free to go wherever it chooses.

What’s next for you? Are you already working on your next project, or are you taking time to enjoy the moment?

I have submitted The Other Mother to my editor, and I am now writing book three, The Other Killer. Book two and three tell the stories of two other characters from The Other Boy, continuing the story from different points of view, although each one also works as a standalone. This last one will bring everyone’s stories to a close, but there are twists along the way and a finish that even I don’t yet know. All of my stories show that there are many sides to a person, good and evil, love and loathing, trust and deception, secrets and truth. I hope my readers get to the end of my books looking at the world a little differently, seeing another side to the people they engage with, understanding that what you see is only a tiny part of who someone is. We are all complex, and whether you root for my characters or not, it will be an individual response, but who they turn out to be, I hope, will surprise you.

About the Author

Heidi Field was raised in the beautiful countryside of the South of England with her parents and her two sisters. In her twenties she was a freelance Sports Massage Therapist. She achieved a Degree in Zoology at the age of thirty and then went on to raise two boys and became the stepmother of three more young children. She still lives near her family home with her partner, their Great Dane and the children that have yet to fly the nest. In her early forties Heidi completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Winchester University. She entered the course hoping she would become a children’s fantasy writer and left with a burning desire to write contemporary mysteries and thrillers. Heidi wanted to put relatable people in extraordinary situations, challenge them, push them to their limits and watch them fight for their sanity. The Other Boy is her first novel.

Till Death (or a Killer) Do Us Part: Wedding Cozy Mysteries Worth RSVPing For

June 25, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Weddings are supposed to be joyful celebrations filled with love, laughter, and maybe a few embarrassing toasts—but in the world of cozy mysteries, a trip down the aisle can quickly lead to a trip to the morgue. From runaway grooms to bludgeoned bridesmaids, these wedding-themed cozies prove that saying “I do” can be downright dangerous. So grab a slice of (non-poisoned) cake and settle in—these whodunits are worth RSVPing for.

1. Vanilla and Vendettas by Lisa Siefert

When a cupcake hides more than just frosting, chaos is bound to follow. Pastry chef Ava Decker bakes up a sweet surprise for her BFF’s engagement—only to become the prime suspect when the diamond ring goes missing and the only witness winds up dead. Between a psychic with mixed priorities and an impulsive BFF, Ava has to whip up more than cupcakes to clear her name. If you love mystery with sass, sweets, and suspicious suspects, this deliciously twisty read is for you.

Perfect for readers who like their mysteries frosted with humor and sprinkled with chaos.

2. A Wedding and a Murder by Vickie Carroll

What should have been a dream wedding turns into a nightmare when one of the guests—an acclaimed romance writer—is murdered. PI Helen Rogers, her soon-to-be husband Ted, and their quirky investigative crew must dive deep into the world of publishing politics, professional jealousy, and hidden agendas to crack the case. With Aunt Lily next on the killer’s hit list, the wedding might turn into a funeral if they can’t find the culprit in time.

Come for the romance, stay for the reveal. This one’s for sleuths who like their mysteries laced with literary drama.

3. A Wiener Dog Wedding by M. Alfano

All Maddie wants is a simple ceremony with her fiancé, Detective Adam Waltz, and their beloved pack of dogs. But when the wedding officiant is found dead in a bowl of queso, Maddie and Adam realize someone’s out to sabotage more than just their big day. With small-town Texas charm, a loyal band of canine companions, and plenty of laughs, this mystery serves up a case that’s as cheesy as it is chilling.

Great for readers who love pet cozies, second chances, and weddings that go completely off-leash.

4. Maid of Dishonor by Nancy Robards Thompson

A dreamy wedding at a restored historic mansion turns deadly when the maid of honor—an old college friend with plenty of secrets—is found murdered. Maddie Bell and her mom had big dreams for their family-run wedding venue, but now they’re racing to solve the crime before rumors destroy their business. With a touch of Southern charm, mother-daughter sleuthing, and a social media scandal in the mix, this is one rehearsal dinner you won’t forget.

For fans of cozy family dynamics, high-society drama, and a touch of Southern Gothic flair.

5. Dishing up Deceit by Emmie Lyn

When a stranger shows up at a beach wedding claiming to be a long-lost relative—then winds up dead—chef-turned-sleuth Holly is once again pulled into a web of secrets. With the groom acting shady and the guest list full of potential suspects, Holly and her trusty dog Pip are on the case. As the tension heats up, Holly’s left wondering: is this a case of cold feet, cold-blooded murder, or both?

Perfect for fans of beachside settings, culinary clues, and mystery served with a dash of snark.

Whether you’re a sucker for second-chance romances, suspicious florists, or brides who sleuth better than they dance, wedding-themed cozy mysteries offer just the right mix of romance and chaos while bringing the plus one of secrets, scandals, and the occasional corpse. Whether you’re in it for the romance or the reveal, these five mysteries prove that “till death do us part” can be more than just a vow… it can be a clue. So throw on something comfy (bonus points if it’s white), pour yourself a glass of bubbly, and dive into a mystery where something old, something new, something borrowed… and something dead takes on a whole new meaning.

Giveaway Alert

Love the sound of these dangerously delightful wedding cozies? One lucky reader will win eBook copies of all five featured titles—because nothing says “I do” like a binge-worthy stack of mysteries.

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this blog post telling us your favorite mystery wedding trope (runaway groom, suspicious cake,blushing bride with a secret, etc.).

Winner will be selected on July 10th!

Going Rogue: Agent Heather Slade Breaks Into an Asylum in Kimberley Troutte’s Latest Release – The Intel

June 18, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I’m thrilled to announce that Book 3 in The Infiltrix series—The Intel—will be released on June 18th! This near-future spy thriller continues the high-stakes journey of undercover American agent Heather Slade, as she faces her most dangerous mission yet.

And trust me… this one is a wild, intense ride.

Heather is back with her elite crew of spies, hackers, and recon operatives—Mike, Hammer, Raven, Rat, Roman, and Worm. She trusts them with her life. But when innocent lives are on the line, Heather is willing to go rogue—even if it means breaking every rule in the book.

This time, she uncovers fragments of intel about a secret prison camp run by some seriously bad actors. When her search leads to a critical mistake and her fake father is captured and locked in an asylum, Heather launches a desperate rescue mission. But HQ has other plans: they’ve issued a kill order to silence him before he can spill any secrets.

Will anyone help her defy orders, break into the asylum, and get out alive?

Writing this series has been an absolute thrill. One of the things I’ve loved most is exploring morally complex characters. Heather and her team are far from perfect—they make mistakes, take risks, and blur the lines between right and wrong. That’s intentional. I wanted to create characters who feel real, whose choices make us stop and ask: What would I do in that situation? Which side would I be on?

If you love action-packed spy fiction, emotional depth, and flawed heroes fighting for what’s right in a world that often isn’t, I hope you’ll dive into The Infiltrix series. And if you’ve already started, get ready—The Intel is the most explosive installment yet.

Mark your calendar: June 18.
Agent Heather Slade is going rogue… and you won’t want to miss what happens next.

About the Author

Kimberley Troutte is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has been a Top 100 Amazon author and a Top 10 Romantic Suspense bestselling author for Amazon. Kimberley was a finalist in both the Vivian® and the RITA®–the highest awards for excellence in romance. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, a wild cat, a large iguana, an old snake, and all the other creatures that hubby and boys rescue.

To learn more about her novels, please visit her at www.kimberleytroutte.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Author Justine Davis talks about how book three in her Last Stand series came to be about.

June 10, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

As the third book in my latest Last Stand series, THE COWBOY COMES HOME, is about to be released, I got to thinking about how this one came about. A writer’s mind—well, this writer’s mind at least—resembles a pizza run through a shredder, only in reverse. I start with all these little pieces collected here, there, and everywhere, some of which fit together, most of which don’t. But eventually, I’ll take a scene I remember from here, that bit suggested by an article I read there, and my observations of people everywhere, and move them from that stew pot on the back burner of my brain to a plate and see if I can make anything resembling a pizza out of it all.

Now that I’ve mangled and tangled enough metaphors, let me tell you about the little pieces that came together to inspire the Home At Last series.

A movie supposedly “set” in the Hill Country of Texas that looked nothing like the Hill Country of Texas.
Yes, a certain famous actor who walked away from one of the biggest hit shows ever (a show I’ve never even watched, by the way. Yet…) because something else had hold of his heart.
Coming across a doctor’s description of the injuries my husband suffered when he was a motorcycle cop and got shoved under a parked car by a kid out joyriding in a “borrowed” car.
The memory of the blacksmith who used to shoe my horse back in my barrel racing days, a man who would handle a recalcitrant beast by swearing his head off at him, but in the sweetest, most loving and gentle tone of voice you have ever heard.

And there I had the first three books of the series, blossoming, and they in turn inspired the fourth and closing installment, which will be out in time for the holidays.

I’m sharing this because it’s not usually that clear to me, where all the pieces came from. Even now, with over 100 books in print, the process is still sometimes a mystery. I think I’ve always had this fear that if I dig too deep, if I try to hard to figure out how it works, it will stop working. So I leave it be, trust it to come through, and it always has. That’s not to say it’s all smooth running, sometimes I want to run away screaming, but as long as that pot’s still bubbling on the back burner, I know the solution will eventually float to the top. That eventually I’ll ask the right “What if?” question, and my characters—and I—will be off and running again. So what about those “What if?” questions?

At a talk I gave years ago at my local library, someone asked me the usual “Where do you get your ideas?” question. Setting aside my usual smart-aleck “When they’re on sale at Walmart,” answer, I pointed to a poster on the wall I’d noticed on my way in. It was of a little girl with an armful of books and a joyous expression on her face. Some distance behind her was a little boy with a fiercely cranky scowl on his face, looking as if he’d like to burn all those books. Obviously the point was that the books made for a happier person, and given we were in a library, that fit. But I said to the questioner, “What if I told you those two were siblings?” The room erupted with comments on what their life must be like, what each of them must be like, and their parents, and where they were going to end up in the future.

And that, my friend and fellow reader, is how it works. And after those 100 books, I still love the process, and the results. Which is more than enough for me to put up with the shredder and all the little pieces. Because some day, one of those pieces will be the key to a new story.

About the Author.

USA Today bestselling author of more than 70 books, (she sold her first ten in less than two years) Justine Davis is a five time winner of the coveted RWA RITA Award, including for being inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame. A fifteen time nominee for RT Book Review awards, she has won four times, received three of their lifetime achievement awards, and had four titles on the magazine’s 200 Best of all Time list. Her books have appeared on national best seller lists, including USA Today. She has been featured on CNN, taught at several national and international conferences, and at the UCLA writer’s program.

After years of working in law enforcement, and more years doing both, Justine now writes full time. She lives near beautiful Puget Sound in Washington State, peacefully coexisting with deer, bears, a pair of bald eagles, a tailless raccoon, and her beloved ’67 Corvette roadster. When she’s not writing, taking photographs, or driving said roadster (and yes, it goes very fast) she tends to her knitting. Literally.

Plundering History for a Good Mystery With Jolie Tunnell

June 9, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

When your family tree is full of Vikings, a tendency to accumulate treasure is only natural. I like to pillage and plunder in the neighborhood bookstores, and when it comes to hunting down stories, you’d be right to call me ruthless in the chase.

But, as the guardian of my family folklore and related memorabilia, I find my writing inspiration in the whispered stories of my ancestors. Eavesdropping on my parents or grandparents or aunts as they gossiped about a distant relative over coffee was enough to tantalize me with the scandals, rumors, and mysterious doings of skeletons hiding in the family closet.

Of course I brought one to life and gave her a story all her own.

Shadows in Chinatown introduces Norse protagonist Karine Kelly in the first book of my new historical mystery series set in 1882 San Francisco. Mrs. Kelly enters San Francisco as a thirty- year-old mail-order bride, with hard-working ethics and her blue eyes scanning the western horizon.

While she is nobody’s fool, she has a dream.

Mrs. Kelly wants to leave her Minnesota dairy farm life behind and become a lady in the big city. But her charming husband-to-be isn’t quite the golden ticket she’d been led to believe.

Or is he?

When Patrick Kelly is murdered on their wedding night, he leaves behind a trail of lies that leads Mrs. Kelly deeper into the teeming and tangled layers of city corruption, vice, and injustice. Writing diverse neighborhoods authentically was one of many challenges involved in this series. The drive for accuracy, from menus and maps to politics and prejudices, fueled my love for all things mysterious and historical with hours of deep-diving research.

1882 San Francisco is a fascinating period that deserves more attention in fiction. Landing
between the Gold Rush era and the great quake of 1906, my series preserves a time that is all but extinct. The earthquake and subsequent fires destroyed not only records and buildings, but changed the very landscape of the city, as debris from the wreckage was shoved directly into the water. Though most of San Francisco’s hills remain, you cannot walk the coastline today with 1880s accuracy.

Shadows in Chinatown coincides with Congress passing the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,
which dramatically impacted (and originated in) San Francisco and provides rich tension for the plot. Considering today’s political climate, the issues presented in this series will resonate strongly with readers.

In a literary world filled with contemporary whodunits, I invite you to explore a vanished San Francisco through the eyes of a determined newcomer who discovers that not all that glitters is gold.

If you enjoy historical mysteries with compelling characters and authentic period details, Mrs. Kelly’s mysteries in 1880s San Francisco should land at the top of your TBR treasure horde. After all, the past holds just as many secrets as the present—and solving them is twice as satisfying.

About the Author

Award-winning author Jolie Tunnell brings the past to life in suspenseful historical mysteries, bringing the flavor of the turn-of-the-century Wild West to the isolated mountains of Idyllwild and the writhing underbelly of San Francisco.

Her books gallop to the last page.

A Southern California native, she loves on her sprawling family, forces her freeloading tomcat to cuddle, and can drink her weight in Yorkshire Gold tea. Sign up for her extraordinary newsletter and settle in for a visit at JolieTunnell.com.