Words, Words, Words: Author Nan Reinhardt is a self-proclaimed “vocabularist”

August 7, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I love words.

I am a word freak, a language maven, a…a vocabularist, if you will. Okay, so maybe vocabularist isn’t actually a real word, but it should be because it describes me to a T. One thing my writing bestie Liz and I share is a love of words. We are both fascinated with language and how we use it, especially unusual or quirky terms.

I think I was meant to be a writer and because I’m a hopeless romantic, writing sweet contemporary romance like Make It Real, just seemed to make sense. Words are my bread and butter.

Several years ago, a friend sent me a note referencing something she’d read in political pundit Charles Krauthammer’s column, where he used the phrase Esprit d’escalier, referencing the fact that a politician had missed an opportunity to have the last word. Esprit d’escalier (“wit of the staircase”) is the French term for the devastating riposte that one should have given at dinner, but thinks of it only on the way out, at the bottom of the staircase. Those are the stock in trade for a romance writer—we love to end a chapter on a really terrific esprit d’escalier.

Esprit d’escalier—wow! What a great term for coming up with the right crushing reply just a little too late. And it has the added bonus of being French, which is always a win for me. Incorporating French into my everyday usage is fun and helps me remember enough of the language that I won’t embarrass myself next time I go to Paris (that is happening!).

Mon Amie is one my favorite endearments for friends and I often sign emails to close friends, Bises, which is the word for the French way of kissing each cheek in greeting. C’est la vie, c’est la guerre, c’est la pomme de terre is one of Son’s and my favorites. Translated literally, it’s “that’s life, that’s war, that’s a potato” but it means “That’s the way it goes” or “Dems de breaks,” and sometimes replaces merde (shit) when a disgusted French person is trying to be polite. I use Je ne sais quoi (I don’t know) and je t’aime (I love you) often. Husband and Son simply grin at each other. They know French is part of life with Nan, and that it’s not pretension on my part, but rather just a love of the language. Using French makes me happy.

As a writer and an editor, I have a passion for learning new words and using them. I got it from my mom, who also loved language and insisted we choose our words well. She spent serious time increasing our vocabularies with word games like Scrabble, Boggle, and Probe and crossword puzzles. To this day, family gatherings always include word games. I adore discovering new words and finding ways to use them in my writing.

So talk to me—tell me your favorite foreign phrases—the ones that bring you joy when you have the opportunity to include them in a conversation. Or share a great English word that makes you gleeful when you have the chance to use it.

About the Author.

Nan 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. Talk to Nan at: [email protected]

A month packed full of mysteries and cozies for our August release line up!

August 3, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Check out our August releases for Tule Mystery! If you haven’t already done so, be sure you’re subscribed to our Tule Mystery newsletter AND, if you’re interested in cozy mysteries, check out Tule’s Cozy Mystery Cafe and read up on our new cozy authors!

Release Date: August 5, 2024

Turning thirty can be murder!

When a body is discovered next to the Little Dog Diner on her milestone birthday, Dani Mackenzie finds herself scooping up a scandal instead of cutting cake.

The prime suspect is the new owner of the Blueberry Bay Grapevine, but the victim’s stepbrother and ex-girlfriend also have means, motive, and opportunity.

With this trio of suspects, it will take a good nose to uncover whodunnit. At least Dani has her best friend—her Jack Russell, Pip—at her side to help sniff out the killer! But in the meantime, her kick-off to her thirties is turning into more of an upside-down cake than a celebration as she uncovers money, a business scandal, and thwarted love at the core of this crime.

It will take the victim’s black Labrador and finding a winning lottery ticket to solve this mystery, but Dani never throws in the towel. Will she and Pip once again use their experience at solving mysteries to bring justice to Misty Harbor, Maine, or will they be caught in the crosshairs of the killer?

Release Date: August 12, 2024

What’s worse than a murder victim on your doorstep?

For Rebecca Cuthbert, it’s finding a cursed Egyptian charm tucked into the dead woman’s pocket. The ominous discovery propels the fearless shopkeeper and her immortal, chatty cat on a perilous hunt for the killer and another piece of the missing magical collection.

Unfortunately, Citrus Grove’s annual summer festival is tying up police department resources—including Rebecca’s new beau, Detective Nick Devon—which leaves Rebecca, her grandfather’s wisdom, and Aneksi’s mystical powers to crack the case.

As her investigation delves into the amulet’s eerie peculiarities and the deceased’s shocking connections with a menacing foe, as well as an unwelcome old flame from Rebecca’s past, Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust. Can she rely on her newfound friends in her adopted hometown, or will deadly revelations turn her into the killer’s next target?

Prepare to journey through unexpected twists, ancient mysteries, and a dash of romance in this cozy mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end!

Release Date: August 13, 2024

Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent.

Even in war, your enemies can linger too close to home…

While war and revolution continue to ravage Europe, Dorothy Peto embraces her new role at Scotland Yard as she and several detectives investigate a series of jewel thefts. Then Dorothy is tasked with assisting the inscrutable Inspector Derwent and the charming Colonel Lamarchant to find a missing French aristocrat. Their enquiries take them to a country house in Yorkshire, that’s been converted to a hospital for wounded soldiers and was the last place the Frenchman visited. However, the more questions they ask, the more questions they have.

When the body of a man suspected of being the marquis is discovered, the investigative team returns to London, but the dead man is a stranger. Dorothy speculates that the death, the jewel thefts and the missing Frenchman may be connected. She finds herself tangled in a web of conscientious objectors, Irish republicans and communist agitators, and not everyone is who they appear to be.

Release Date: August 22, 2024

Some secrets are safer lost at sea…

London based lawyer Kyra Gibson returns to Martha’s Vineyard and the beach house she inherited for an extended summer holiday. Still reeling from her father’s brutal murder and the role she and the handsome detective, Tarek Collins played in uncovering it, Kyra is hopeful for some peace and quiet. But when a summer squall reveals the wreckage of the pirate ship, Keres, rich with rumored treasure, all hopes of peace are dashed. Conservationists and treasure hunters descend on the exclusive island to lay claim to the ship. When two of the salvagers are killed, Kyra and Tarek’s friend, pub owner and amateur historian, Gully Gould is arrested for murder.

Determined to prove Gully’s innocence, Kyra, Tarek, and reformed playboy Chase Hawthorn team up to clear their friend’s name. But someone wants the treasure for themselves. And with someone willing to kill for it, there is more than just danger lurking along the island’s caves and coves. There is death.

Release Date: August 28, 2024

Murder has twisted them together…

It’s bad enough that Kyrie Dawn had an affair and a son with Charlotte McLaughlin’s husband, then, following his death, sued Charlotte for the two-bedroom love nest he’d purchased on a private residence cruise ship. That cabin was Charlotte’s consolation prize, and she’s chosen to travel the world in luxury, with her sister Jane along for the ride.

But now Kyrie Dawn has taken a job onboard teaching yoga—and she’s brought her little boy, who looks just like his father, with her.

Charlotte considers jumping ship as they sail toward Yokohama, Japan. Then the head chef is found in the downward dead position in Kyrie Dawn’s yoga studio, and all evidence points to her as the killer. She begs Charlotte and Jane to look after this friendly toddler—permanently if she’s found guilty.

With a second chance at motherhood snuggled in her lap, Charlotte must decide which life path to follow. Can she even set aside her hurt and anger to help exonerate the woman who ruined her life?

Tule Author Q&A: Get to know Tule Mystery Author Emmie Lyn and where she draws inspiration for her characters

August 2, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Growing up in a small New England town seems to have influenced your writing. What aspects of your hometown are most prevalent in your books? I’ve always preferred living in a small town – I’m not a city girl at all! I need space around me, nature to wallow in, and room for gardening. I have way too many flower gardens but it’s a passion and really, can you ever have too many flowers? I hope the slower pace in a small town and the ability to get away from the hustle and bustle of life shines through in my books.

Your mysteries are known for their twists and unexpected turns. How do you come up with such intricate plotlines and keep readers on the edge of their seats? Whenever the MC is happily living her life, something needs to change! I ask myself, what can go wrong? Or what’s the worst thing that can happen at a particular place in the story? There are always choices on any journey. When writing, I choose the dangerous path!

Living in rural Massachusetts with such diverse wildlife must be inspiring. How does your environment influence your writing and the settings of your stories? Being in nature is part of who I am. I love walking in the woods. It’s where my mind goes over the details of where I’m at in my story and without fail, something unexpected pops into my brain. Why? I don’t know but I think it’s the quiet that allows me to relax and put myself in the MC’s shoes. I try to add in details like walking on the beach, watching birds, collecting rocks—any element that adds to the scene but doesn’t overpower it.

Your black cat with an ‘extremely bad attitude’ sounds intriguing! Does your cat, or pets in general, inspire any characters or scenes in your books? My black cat is an interesting personality. He’s a survivor. My daughter adopted him in Africa when she was in the Peace Corp and couldn’t leave him behind. I think he has some of those wild African cat genes and I always have to be on guard around him or suffer a random attack. I suppose, he inspires the ‘bad guy’ in my books—unpredictable and sneaky. Not very likeable, is he?

My dogs on the other hand, have been happy go lucky companions. With Dash, in the Accidental Ghost Detective series, I imagine what I’d expect my dog to say or do and it’s usually comical because dogs are so in the moment and literal. I’ve always talked to my dogs and I take that one step farther in my books—they talk back!

What is your process for developing the colorful characters that populate your novels? Do you draw from real life, imagination, or a combination of both? I’m an observer, the person at an event who stays in the background. The person you need to be careful around if you don’t want to end up in a mystery! LOL. My characters come from everywhere. A snippet of a conversation I hear, or a physical characteristic I notice on a stranger. I never know what will work so I file lots of ideas away until the right time. Also, friends (and especially my mom) love to share what they think would work in one of my books. Sometimes they’re good ideas and sometimes not but you never know. Everything has a possibility if you think creatively.

You enjoy spending time in your flower garden. Does gardening provide a creative outlet or a form of relaxation that helps with your writing process? Honestly, gardening is when I clear my head of everything and try not to think about my writing. Pulling weeds, planting, watering, flower arranging is my therapy from mental overload; a way to get away from my characters. That might sound strange but the characters in whatever book I’m writing, live in my head and sometimes I need a break from them!

Hiking and spending time near the ocean are some of your hobbies. Do these activities influence your storytelling or provide inspiration for your book settings? My series that are set in the fictional town of Blueberry Bay on the coast of Maine is where I’d love to live someday. Whenever I get a chance to get away for a day, the ocean is my destination. I walk on the beach, have lunch at a local lobster shack, and inhale the salty ocean breeze. I love it! It all shows up in my books.

What do you find most challenging about writing mystery novels, and how do you overcome these challenges? I’m more of a panster than an outliner. I plan a few chapters at a time but then have to write to find out what will happen next. Writing a mystery is creating a puzzle. It’s easy to figure out how it begins and where it will end but connecting the pieces to get from the beginning to the end is tricky. To help on the journey, I create character images and keep track of important events as I write. The biggest challenge is to be sure everything lines up—timelines, who’s where when, who knows what detail, etc. The solution? Lots of careful rereading. Sometimes I wake up at night and realize something I’ve written doesn’t work and I have to get up to fix it!

Your stories often feature female characters in quaint, scenic towns. How do you ensure these characters remain fresh and engaging across different novels? That’s tough and I’m not sure I’ve been successful creating unique characters. I give them different habits, interests, fears, and desires. A new series is swirling in my head. The MC is in her 60’s so she will have a completely different personality and outlook on life than the characters I’ve written who are I their 30’s.

What advice would you give to aspiring mystery writers who want to create engaging and twisty plots like yours? Read a lot of mysteries and then start writing! There are so many books about writing but the best way to learn is to write. Come up with an idea, create characters, put them in an interesting setting, and have everything go wrong! It’s hard but satisfying when the story comes together.

BONUS: What is one book that you would consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? When I need to reset, I reach for Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The author, a botanist, embraces the idea that plants and animals are teachers. Her writing is both inspiring and timeless while connecting to the world around us, something I always strive for.

It’s too easy to get caught up in the drama of life. I try to enjoy each small wonder that passes through my day which is something that resonates in Braiding Sweetgrass.

“This is where it all falls apart” – Author Roxanne Snopek talks about the challenges Lucas must face in “The Maverick’s Surprise Family” – Out Now!

August 1, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Have you ever had stuff happen where you think, “This is it. This is where it all falls apart.” Maybe it’s simple stuff like… the third light bulb in a row burns out and you remember that the new bulbs are in the storage closet without a window… which is also where the flashlight is… and which also has a burned out bulb.

Or maybe it’s more complicated stuff like painful relationships, illness, career setbacks. We all face things throughout our lives that lead to moments of panic and discouragement. That’s life, right? But if we’ve developed some resilience, we know that everything is temporary. “A body can get used to anything,” as the saying goes. “Even hanging.”

Dark but true.

In The Maverick’s Surprise Family, Lucas Landry has already faced a lot of obstacles in his life. Born with mild cerebral palsy, he’s had to work hard at a lot of basic things the rest of us take for granted. But he had good parents who did everything right and helped him reach his potential.

Then, someone gets hurt, badly, on one of his outdoor adventure tours. He gets blamed—unfairly—but when someone’s looking to place blame, anyone will do. The business and the reputation he’s spent all this time and effort and passion developing is headed for ruin.

Then he finds out that he has biological siblings out in the world he never knew he had. Adopted as an infant, it never occurred to him to look. (Also, he’s a guy and guys, well… sometimes they’re not super dialed-in to the relational stuff.) But his mom pushes him to meet them. If nothing else, it’ll keep him from obsessing about his upcoming lawsuit, right?

And that’s when he meets Bayleigh Sutherland… who knows and loves the siblings in question. She doesn’t care about his CP, she’s protective of her friends and has no time for his self-pity and yeah, in a shocking twist… she’s into him. As in, instant chemistry. Sorry, Mom, Lucas thinks, but she’s a much better distraction.

So, they have a brief fling, clear parameters, no strings. Easy-peasy. Everything will work out right?

Nope. His lawsuit ramps up. His siblings are a handful. And then he discovers that Bayleigh—who has a grown son already, who has been infertile for years—is pregnant. And she didn’t tell him. Because she’s never letting a man be in charge of her again.

“This is it,” Lucas thinks. “This is where it all falls apart.”

But you know what? You can’t bounce back until you hit bottom.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the midst of All the Stuff, I don’t generally remember to feel optimistic about bouncing back. I’m more the whining “I’LL DIE IN THE DARK AND THEN YOU’LL BE SORRY” kind of person in that stage.

Fortunately, the universe looks after us, even when we can’t see it.

Lucas and Bayleigh both have to change and grow before they find their happy ending, but they do. And isn’t that why we read? To see someone else go through all the rough stuff, to watch them struggle and fail and keep going anyway and eventually find their way through and triumph. We can cheer for them and then maybe we can tuck a bit of that triumph away for ourselves.

Infinite ways to live, infinite kinds of problems, and infinite ways of overcoming… that’s what stories give us, a reminder that we can triumph in the end.

And we don’t even have to leave our couches.

About the Author

Born under a Scorpio moon, raised in a little house on the prairie, USA Today Bestselling Author Roxanne Snopek said “as you wish” to her Alpha Farm Boy and followed him to the mountain air and ocean breezes of British Columbia. There, while healing creatures great and small and raising three warrior-princesses, they found their real-life happily-ever-after. After also establishing a successful freelance and non-fiction career, Roxanne began writing what she most loved to read: romance. Her small-town stories quickly became fan favorites; print editions of her latest series were recently launched in France.

August releases are heating up at Tule! Check out our August romance release line up. (Plus, enter a giveaway!)

August 1, 2024 · 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 August 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!

Check out our new romance releases for August!

The Maverick’s Surprise Family by Roxanne Snopek
The Malones of Grand, Montana, Book 3
August 1, 2024

Make it Real by Nan Reinhardt
The Walkers of River’s Edge, book 2
August 6, 2024

All’s Fair in Love and Rodeo by Leah Vale
Grit and Grace, book 1
August 8, 2024

The Wrong Brother by Eve Gaddy
Montana Made, book 1
August 20, 2024

Her Missing Pieces by Susan Sands
Moonshine, book 1
August 27, 2024

Small Town Christmas Anthology by Jane Porter
August 20, 2024

Enjoy a fun excerpt from Charlee James’ latest release in her Sworn Navy SEALs series “Sworn to Defend”

July 30, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Thank you, Tule Readers, for your unwavering support and for joining me for the release of Sworn to Defend, the third book in the Sworn Navy SEALS series. This book features Hannah Day, a flight medic and single mom, and Hunter “Branch” Green, the Navy SEAL enthralled by the petite but tough redhead and her engaging son Collin. When Hunter has a near-death experience on a mission, he decides he’s done dancing around Hannah and will do whatever it takes to make them a family.

One of the most endearing characters in this book is Hannah’s son, Collin, who has autism, something that is very close to my heart for many reasons. If you’ve read the first two books, you’re already familiar with him. The teenager adores all things pizza, his best friend Jacob, and his mother. He forms a special bond with the SEAL team, particularly Hunter, with whom he instantly connects. Whether it’s the sensory room Hunter created for Jacob, Collin, and their friends at a Halloween party in Sworn to Honor or their shared love of making pizza, Collin is eager to see his mom find her happily ever after and welcome Hunter into their family.

In honor of Collin and Hunter’s love of crafting pizza in the kitchen, I’m excited to share Kitchen Treaty’s recipe for White Pizza with Spinach & Roasted Garlic. So good! This blog has so many wonderful, versatile recipes for vegetarians coexisting with carnivores.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and an excerpt from Sworn to Defend!

“How’s Collin doing?”

Hearing her son’s name made her smile until she remembered how his eyes filled when she told him about Hunter. She glanced down at her hands, trying to compose herself before meeting his gaze. “I told him you’d been hurt. That the doctors were doing their very best to help you get better. He was devastated when he heard.” She released a shuddery breath and unzipped the pack around her waist. When her friend Brynn told her about the accident, she hadn’t been able to suck in a breath. Realizing she’d have to tell Collin the man he idolized was hurt was even worse. She fumbled with the folded piece of paper and presented it to Hunter. “He’s been drawing pictures for you.”

Hunter’s fingertips brushed against hers as they exchanged the drawing, sending a current flickering over her skin. He took the paper and began unfolding it. Hands so huge shouldn’t be able to open something with such delicacy or care. How many times had she marveled over their differences in size? She was shorter than most at an inch over five feet. She had strong arms and muscled calves honed by the demands of her job and not a gym. She’d always been stocky but Hunter stood about a foot taller than her, making her feel almost delicate.

“Please tell him as soon as I’m out of the hospital, I’m framing this for my wall.” A myriad of emotions played over his face, but the one that shone brighter than the rest was love. Collin had formed an instant bond with Hunter, and until today, seeing with her own eyes he was going to be okay, she was terrified that link would be severed. “His memory is nothing short of amazing,” Hunter said, shaking his head in disbelief. He angled the drawing toward her, and she leaned in to get a better look. They were making pizzas together. An activity they’d shared on several occasions. “Remembered all my favorite toppings and colors.” His voice was closer now, even though his tone had dropped. Her breathing spiked. She wanted to do nothing more than lift her chin and find his lips hovering over hers. Instead, she kept talking.

“I’m not surprised. He remembers everything about you.”

“Well, seems like I’ve got a few lives left. I’ll be in the kitchen making pizza with him in no time.” His low chuckle brought the pent-up fear and anxiety of the last weeks rushing to the surface.

“You’re not a freaking cat, Hunter. You’re a man who can bleed and die. A man we’ve gotten to know over the past six months. One that means a great deal to my son.” And to me.

Xoxo-Charlee

Contemporary Romance Author Charlee James was introduced to a life-long love of reading listening to her parents recite nightly stories to her and her older sister. Inspired by the incredible imaginations of authors like Bill Peet, Charlee could often be found crafting her own tales. As a teenager, she got her hands on a romance novel and was instantly hooked by the genre.

After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, her early career as a wedding planner gave her first-hand experience with couples who had gone the distance for love. Always fascinated by family dynamics, Charlee began writing heartwarming novels with happily-ever-afters.

Tule Author Q&A: New Tule Author Melissa Westemeier talks nerd culture, her love of reading murder mysteries, and her writing process.

July 26, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Your immersion in nerd culture through your sons has clearly influenced your writing. How do elements of Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, and other franchises find their way into your books? In book 3 of my series, Detective AJ Lewis heads to Emerald City Comic Con. He and his buddies dress as Star Wars characters and geek out over their photo op with Ewan McGregror. AJ also keeps Star Wars action figures on his desk, as well as a Boba Fett bobblehead, frequently tapped for luck as he works. In every book he and his pals discuss comic books and new Marvel releases, Spiderman features in book one with commentary about the Multiverse. References to Dr. Who come up in all the books, too. I’ve included all of my boys’ faves, even Naruto gets included!

You’ve written rom-coms and a trilogy based on your experience tending bar on the Wolf River. How do these different genres and personal experiences shape your storytelling? I never set out to write in a genre, but my writing has definitely landed within them. A subconscious decision? With my rom-coms, once I realized my writing fit those genres, I tweaked the stories to better effect.

While every fiction writer is literally making it up as they go, I find it’s easier if I can include elements of what I know. My personal experiences season what I invent in my imagination, they inform characters and situations and help me include better details in my writing.

As I wrote Old Habits Die Hard, I didn’t actually know a murderer, but I take notes every time I visit my 95-year-old friend who lives in assisted living. I use her gripes and my observations of people’s behavior in the lobby and elevator to shape what life might look like in the Abbey.

Writing murder mysteries was a childhood dream of yours. What sparked this interest, and how did you transition into this genre? I loved READING murder mysteries, which made me want to write them. I did make a few attempts early on, but without success. During COVID a dear friend and former writing partner was diagnosed with vascular dementia and moved to a memory care facility. Mariana wrote murder mysteries. Another writing partner and I went to visit Mariana and she wanted to work on the groundwork for this story. We helped organize her ideas for characters, setting, and plot, and left thinking how great the concept was but Mariana wasn’t able to develop it beyond the pitch. A year later I found myself between projects and I picked up those old notes. My plan was to noodle around with it, see if I could pull the notes together and make a short story, maybe a book out of it, for Mariana. Next thing I knew, I’d written 30,000 words and was going strong. Turns out writing a murder mystery is MUCH easier if you work out a few details in advance, ha ha!

After writing Old Habits Die Hard, I learned it needed to be a series, so I got cracking on the next two cases. Now I find myself constantly wondering what could kill a person, how and why and who and where. I’m always thinking of what troubles could plague people living in senior apartments. It’s quite addicting once you start! You start looking for material everywhere!

Your books blend humor and nerd culture while tackling serious themes. How do you balance these elements to create engaging and thought-provoking stories? I believe levity helps readers digest the heavy stuff. I feel compelled to include the serious themes because I want readers to think about bigger issues that transcend a single story. Domestic abuse, urban sprawl, violence against women, human impact on the environment are real and people need to pay attention and take action to improve the world we share. “Know better, do better,” right? And we all experience these problems, so readers can relate to them when they’re included in fiction. Once I tried to write a straight-up tragic story. On the River involves domestic abuse and violence and I took that challenge very seriously. However hard I tried, though, the book wasn’t coming together, something was missing. It took a while for me to realize in my commitment to telling the tragic storyline, I’d left Maw Cooper, my crazy bait shop owner, out of the story. His storylines always brought a lot of humor to the table. I added him in and to my surprise everything came together better after I did that—the pacing, the tone, even the opportunities for other characters to engage with one another as they bore witness to Joanne’s situation and reacted to it. The humorous sections didn’t diminish the storyline about domestic violence, but Maw’s storyline gave the book balance so the reader could catch their breath and process what Joanne’s character endured. It boils down to what you want to achieve with your readers and what you want them to walk away knowing after they’ve read your book, and part of what they know stems from how they feel while they read your book. I try to consider these questions with each story I write.

In my murder mysteries I’ve included issues like aging, accessible housing, gentrification, and addiction.

How has your experience of marriage and motherhood, especially with three sons, influenced the characters and plots in your novels? My characters get into some zany situations and they have NOTHING on some of the crazy things I’ve experienced with my family. Team Testosterone has taught me patience and acceptance. Knowing these guys helps me add dimension to my male characters and make them more authentic. The boys will take any dare, accept any challenge, and I appreciate their creativity and their humor. I’ve written characters with those qualities and included some of Team Testosterone’s experiences in my books because I find them so entertaining. They’re also huge in developing AJ’s backstory in Old Habits Die Hard. AJ is really based on my oldest son in so many ways.

As someone who loves the outdoors, do you find that nature and your outdoor activities inspire your writing? If so, how? Every book I’ve written includes a natural setting. We all need a little fresh air and time outside near trees and birds to get our heads and hearts straight. I’m glad to put Bernie in the courtyard of the Abbey so she can tip her head back and stargaze, or place AJ in Alton Baker Park watching the squirrels. I’d like to bring these characters deeper into the wilderness sometime. Maybe in a future book? The woods can conceal all kinds of secrets…

Your passions include hiking, swimming, biking, and reading. Do any of these hobbies feature prominently in your characters’ lives or plotlines? Not really in this new series, and I’m wondering why not now!

Can you share a bit about your process for developing a murder mystery? How do you come up with the “whodunnit” and the intricacies of the plot? For me the trick is to first identify WHO dies, WHO kills them, and WHY. The HOW comes next. The other challenge in my series is involving both a detective and an amateur sleuth in solving the crime. Sister Bernie needs a plausible reason to get involved and she needs to access some clues to help solve the murder, so positioning her in the story is a huge consideration. She’s an 80-year-old nun, so the options get limited after a point. After I’ve written a chunk of the book (80-ish pages), my writing partners read it and speculate. I take notes on their questions and ideas because that gives me suggestions on red herrings to include, suspects I could elevate in the story, and how their deductions shape up against what I’ve planned for the book. My writing partners, Lauren Small and MK Graff are invaluable in the process.

What has been the most rewarding piece of feedback you’ve received from a reader, and how did it impact your writing? When my first book, Whipped, Not Beaten, came out, my husband’s co-worker gave the book to her mother as a gift. Her mother called her from vacation and she asked how she liked my book. “I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, your dad won’t put it down.” Turned out HE really enjoyed my rom-com novel, too! Learning that my writing had appeal to a range of readers gave me validation and built up my confidence that I can write for a wider audience. The idea of a man in his seventies reading my book on the beach told me I can hold ANYONE’S attention!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to blend humor, nerd culture, and serious themes in their writing? Do it. Nerd culture is underrepresented in adult fiction and genre fiction. If there’s a following for Spiderman fans or Star Wars fans, they’ll love seeing themselves and their passion portrayed in your story. Of course, it helps a lot if you’re a nerd or have nerds in your life who will educate you on the finer details about those worlds. Don’t be afraid to be funny, but don’t force it either. Humor stems from incongruities, so if you can mine for those, you’ll have success injecting humor in your writing. And as far as serious themes go, if an event or issue is playing out in your neighborhood, chances are other people are experiencing a similar situation where they live. They’ll appreciate seeing their lives represented in your story. If your characters are actively involved in solving their community’s problems, even better, because you’ve given readers a blueprint of how to respond and a model for change. Complaining about problems is cheap, and everyone can gripe about what’s wrong in the world. Getting involved in solving problems has great value, and if I can write characters who encourage people to behave productively in their communities, that’s a sweet victory.

BONUS: What is one book that you would consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is like going home. Wherever I open to, it’s familiar, like looking at the family photo album.

Tule Author Q&A: Laurie Beach discusses her Crickley Creek series and how her career has led her to becoming a full time writer.

July 19, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

We had a chance to sit down with Tule Author Laurie Beach and talk about how her career landed her as a full time writer, and how impactful her fictional town of Crickley Creek has become in her moving forward.

How has your diverse career background influenced your writing style and storytelling techniques? I learned to be clear while writing as a press secretary, concise when I worked as a television news reporter, and I added in an extra layer of creativity as an advertising producer. But the thing that taught me the most in my life was parenthood. I didn’t realize at the time how all of that intense human interaction and writing practice would benefit me in my future career.

Growing up in Alabama, what elements of Southern life and culture do you incorporate into your novels? I moved to Alabama in the second grade and left after graduating college. My mother was from California, and my dad from Montana. I became an observer of southern ways because I felt as though I didn’t fit in. I tried so hard to conform and assimilate, that the “fish out of water trope” from The Firefly Jar came naturally to me. Now, I feel incredibly lucky to understand some of the cultural idiosyncrasies, and to have experienced people who I used to perceive as different, but have grown to deeply love and appreciate.

What aspects of Southern settings do you find most romantic, and how do you incorporate these elements into your love stories? I am an absolute sucker for ancient oaks and Spanish moss. If I could make my husband propose to me all over again, I’d have him do it under a hairy 200 year-old tree.

How do you balance the charm of Southern hospitality with the potential for conflict in your romance plots? The opposite of charm is revulsion or displeasure and the South is filled with brilliantly sneaky ways of expressing those emotions. Balancing charm and conflict is so much fun! Can you share an example from one of your books where this balance is key to the story? In a name, Virginia Buchanan. She is a layered antagonist with a friend, Birdie, who is like a parrot on her shoulder telling all of her secrets. In the opening scene of The Firefly Jar, Virginia acts as the consummate hostess, until Charlotte Sinclair shows up. At this point the reader witnesses a woman behaving in the nicest way while expressing deep hatred at the same time. Birdie’s character is useful for pointing out Virginia’s sly digs and explaining why she’s doing it, thereby helping to maintain the balance of charm and conflict.

How did raising four children impact your journey to becoming an author? I don’t know if my kids delayed my writing career or caused it! When my last two children (twins) were about to begin Kindergarten, my husband gave me the best advice. He said, “You are being given the gift of time, do something with it you’ve always wanted to do.” That’s when I wrote The Firefly Jar. Do any of your children share your love of writing? My stepson, Drew, is an avid reader and very creative. I hope he writes a book one day because it would be a bestseller! My daughter, Brooke, loves to read and is probably the child most likely to take after her mother in this way. My daughter, Allison, wrote a brilliant (yet unpublished) children’s book, and my daughter, Natalie, is a beautiful essayist and social media specialist. None of them have shown any desire to write a novel yet, but there’s still time!

You mention being a sucker for elderly people and grumpy animals. Have any of these personal affinities inspired specific characters or scenes in your books? Absolutely! I volunteered for a hospice organization for five years and got so much joy from the people experiencing the I will say anything I want and I don’t care what other people think stage. It is so genuine and free. The character of Brownie in Christmas in Crickley Creek is one I hold especially dear for this reason. I even named him after my grandfather.

As far as grumpy animals, I feel like they’re misunderstood and see them as a challenge—a challenge that may or may not have landed one of my family members in the hospital with a dog bite on Christmas Eve. Animals are just like us, only they speak a different language. It takes time to learn it. I’m happy to say that we won that biting dog over and gave it a great life. Only one human and no animals were harmed in the process.

Why do you prefer happy endings in your stories? I’m one of those readers who feels betrayed if I spend hours on a book and get invested in the characters only to have a sad ending. I vowed to myself that I would never do that to people. Do you think they are important for readers today? I think readers should have all of the options. Sometimes we want a good cry, sometimes we want to be scared out of our minds (hello, Stephen King), and sometimes we just want to feel something. It doesn’t always have to be a romantic happy ending, but I do feel like we come to expect things from certain authors. For instance, I expect to cry with a Nicholas Sparks book, and I accept his endings, which are usually poignant, but not always “happy”. I just happen to be an author who strives to have her readers finish her books with a happy sigh and a warm feeling of time well spent. When circumstances in our lives have us down, it is nice to escape to a place where we can feel good.

How has living in California influenced your writing, especially compared to your Southern roots? I’ve been incredibly lucky that my family has remained in Alabama. I love noticing and enjoying the differences in both places. The food, the weather, social interactions, even what we do for fun varies in interesting ways. California has simply served to highlight those differences for me.

What types of books do you love to read, and how do they inspire your own writing? I always try to keep up to date on the books within my genre—women’s fiction. Outside of that, I go through phases. I read all of Harry Potter, the Twilight series, and I’ll even admit to reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I’ve also read tons of classics and every book by Jane Austen. Today, I’m reading a thriller (Stacy Willingham) and listening to RomCom (Christina Lauren). Everything from books to movies to real life inspires my writing. I’m always on the lookout for little gems that spark thoughts and ideas.

The Firefly Jar was a long-term project of yours long before it found its home with Tule. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in keeping your story alive for so long? The Firefly Jar was the first book I ever wrote, and the one that I edited and revised over and over again as I learned storytelling techniques. It would be shelved for a while as I practiced writing other things, and then pulled back out again. I used it to look for an agent and I shared it with friends. It is the most deeply personal book I’ve written. The challenges I faced were both within myself, and typical in the industry. What would people think of the book? Was my writing any good? When I finally got the confidence to pitch it or query it to agents, most of the time the effort went without response. It took over fifteen years to find a publishing home. And what were the most rewarding moments once you finally landed with Tule and expanded Crickley Creek?

Writing the second book in the series, Blink Twice If You Love Me, was like going on vacation to my favorite spot. I love Crickley Creek and the fictional people who live there. It was so gratifying to visit my good friends again. I will always be indebted to Tule because they gave me not just a physical book, but an audience. To get such positive feedback from readers has fueled the flame of my love for writing and opened the door to the career I longed for. No matter what happens from here on out, the title of author is mine. I will always feel awe and gratitude for that.

BONUS: What is one book that is a comfort read for you that you always find yourself reaching for? So many books feel like home to me, it’s impossible to choose just one. I find magical books like those by Sarah Addison Allen and Heather Webber to be comforting. But, if I was stuck in bed and needed to feel better, I’d want to be transported to my happy place—the Lowcountry. Therefore, I’d choose Anne Rivers Siddons, Dorothea Benton Frank, or Pat Conroy.

Dani Collins shares her Raven’s Cove characters most likely to…

July 16, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Whether you’ve started my Raven’s Cove trilogy yet or not, with the release of Book Two, Forgiving Her First Love, I thought you might enjoy getting to know some of the characters you’ll meet in these books by way of a ‘most likely to’ scenario. Here goes:

Most likely to steal every heart? Storm is the adorable baby who brings the three estranged Fraser brothers back to Raven’s Cove, their father’s fly-in fishing resort in BC’s central coast. She’s not yet a year and I promise she’ll steal your heart, too.

Most likely to tell someone where they can stick their heart? Sophie would really only say that to Logan, the middle Fraser brother. She’s mad. She loved him her whole life, had a fling with him after graduating high school, then he left Raven’s Cove without her, breaking her heart.

Most likely to grovel for an entire book? Okay, maybe it’s not the whole book, but Logan figures out pretty quickly that he messed up. The night Storm has a fever and Sophie helps him is a turning point. He starts to realize exactly how unforgivable his actions were and knows he has a long way to go just to earn her friendship again.

Most likely to win your heart by saying something goofy? Sophie’s son, Biyen, is eight. He loves dinosaurs. He is relentlessly cheerful and he is not Logan’s son, but Logan sure wishes he was. (This author may or may not have wanted to punish Logan for taking Sophie for granted.)

Most likely to get excited about a free meal? Sophie’s grandfather Art is modeled very loosely on my maternal grandfather who absolutely loved a free meal. It is a family joke that he would always show up if invited and would always leave as soon as he’d eaten.

Most likely to keep the three feral Fraser brothers in line by making them work together? The brothers have different mothers, but Logan’s mother Glenda did her best to turn them into a family when they were under her roof. To keep them from fighting, she put them to work. She’s diabolical that way.

Most likely to plot his life on a spreadsheet? Reid is the eldest. His mother had mental health issues so he is not comfortable in chaos. See Book One, Marrying the Nanny, where he learns babies are agents of chaos, but falls in love with Storm (and Emma) anyway.

Most likely to tell Logan he reminds her of her ex? Ouch, right? Emma had her work cut out for her when Storm is orphaned and three grumpy bears show up. In Marrying the Nanny, she falls for Reid, but she learns to love Logan and Trystan like brothers. She loves them more than her real brother, if you want the truth. He’s a real turd.

Most likely to develop millions of fans while living in the woods alone? Trystan is the youngest Fraser brother and a midlist celebrity for his wilderness survival series. He comes across as the brother who actually has his act together, but wait until you get inside his head in Book Three, Wanting a Family Man. Things aren’t exactly as they seem with him.

Most likely to cause everyone distress until they actually meet her? This is a tiny *spoiler* so skip it if you want to, but Cloe is Storm’s aunt. She looms as an unknown quantity and therefor a threat to the men’s custody of their baby sister. Then she turns up in Wanting a Family Man and she isn’t what they expected. She is Storm’s family, however, so they have to make room for her. Lucky Trystan, the loner, has to make room on his boat for her.

Most likely to want to visit Raven’s Cove in real life? You! Fun fact, you technically can because Raven’s Cove is loosely based on a real place. Look up Denny Island, BC. It’s hard to get to, though. Visiting within the pages of these books is probably cheaper and easier.

Forgiving Her First Love

They have a past they’d both rather forget…

When Logan Fraser arrives to save the marina she manages, Sophie Peterson is skeptical that she can count on him. She spent her childhood crushing on Logan, and they even had a brief affair when he came back to Raven’s Cove the summer she graduated high school, but he left again, breaking her heart.

Logan escaped Raven’s Cove to design luxury yachts. He was done with the relentless rain and a childhood of feeling responsible for other people’s unhappiness. His mother stuck out her difficult marriage for Logan’s sake, even when his father had yet another affair. By the time Sophie looked to Logan for happiness, he knew it was every man for himself.

Now Logan’s profligate father has died, leaving him an orphaned sister and a financial mess that demands a Herculean effort with his estranged brothers to resolve. He needs Sophie’s help, but her priorities are her son, grandfather and sanity. Still, she needs the job, but she’ll never trust Logan again.

About the Author.

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

Tule Author Q&A: Dani Collins shares some tips and advice for writers leading up to her latest Tule release!

July 12, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Tule Author Dani Collins stopped by the Tule Blog leading up to her upcoming release of Forgiving Her First Love, book two in her Raven’s Cove romance series for Tule.

Can you share the story of your journey to becoming an award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author? What does that mean to you? The journey starts when I was in high school. I found romance and wondered how you got a job writing those books. I rented a typewriter when I was twenty-one (yes, I’m that old!) and quickly discovered writing is hard. Also, rejection sucks.

I submitted to every publisher I could find for 25 years and sold in 2012 to Harlequin Presents. Coincidentally, that’s about the time Tule Publishing was born. I feel very blessed to have started out my published career surrounded by the many amazing authors and fabulously supportive team at Tule.

As far as what it means to me? It’s genuinely a dream come true. I spent many a dull hour at a boring day job dreaming of one day being a fulltime author and here I am. The awards and bestseller status are wonderful, but I’m most grateful that I get to write every day, see my stories get turned into books, then hear from the readers who love them. It’s incredible.

You’ve written a wide range of romance sub-genres. What inspires you to explore such diverse themes and settings in your novels? When I was chasing my first sale, I tried every new market that came along. I’ve always read nearly any type of romance so it was always fun to try writing something different—a ghost, erotic romance, a romcom or a medieval fantasy.

Once I began publishing, I found that writing the more grounded emotions of Marietta was a nice change-up from writing the glitz and billionaires of Presents. It exercises different storytelling muscles and keeps each type of story feeling fresh.

You’ve written rancher romance for Tule’s Montana Born imprint, what do you enjoy most about this genre of cowboys and ranchers and how does it resonate with your small-town roots? I’ve lived small town most of my life so it just feels like home. I love neighborly chats when you bump into someone at the grocery store and I adore the lighthearted gossip that is not mean-spirited, but more like keeping up with family. I love the sense of belonging and community that always shines through in the Montana Born books.

How do you create such compelling and relatable characters across your books? Do you have any particular methods or inspirations for character development? I don’t do a ton of preparations, but I always write 3-4 paragraphs about the character that lists their baggage. Eg. Three years younger than Logan, Sophie was in love with him from the moment he picked up her dropped sweater and brushed off the grass. … At eighteen, she followed him to the ferry slip, bag packed, but he made clear he wouldn’t take her with him. He didn’t want to marry her. He had bigger plans. (Forgiving Her First Love, Raven’s Cove Book 2, July 16, 2024)

It’s less about hard details, more about identifying the layers that will drive the character through the story. They are chasing or avoiding something. Why? What hole in their soul are they trying to fill?

I know it’s tough to pick a favorite, but do you have a favorite genre to write? I always include some humor in my books. Lately I’m leaning into that more and more and loving it.

How does living in Canada with your high school sweetheart and two children influence your writing? Do any real-life experiences sneak into your stories? My Raven’s Cove trilogy is a love letter to my roots on the Westcoast of Canada. My dad and both of my grandfathers were commercial salmon fishermen. Raven’s Cove is based on a real place where my cousin lived and worked as a tugboat operator for twenty years. By the time I got to book three where Trystan’s mother is canning peaches, I was channeling my grandmother. These three books are deeply influenced by my life.

I don’t consciously draw on specific memories of our family life. Our kids are grown and thriving, living with their own spouses. Doug and I are trying to get some travel in before they start having grandkids so I’m constantly looking at where we can go that I might set a book.

What did it feel like to win your first writing award and achieve USA Today Bestselling status? The award was for one of my very first books so imposter syndrome hit me pretty hard. I thought they’d made a mistake! Of course, it’s wonderful to win and see that bestseller tag, but I try not to get too hung up on accolades or reviews and focus instead on the things that I can control like which book to write next.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a writer, and what have been some of the most rewarding aspects of your career so far? The biggest challenge by far was persevering through twenty-five years of rejection. Perimenopause was no picnic, either. We lost my mom in 2021 and, at first, I wrote to escape the grief, but that eventually caught up to me. I went through a period of struggle, counselling helped, and now I’m in a really good place.

The rewards are endless. I marvel over the fact I get to invent people and situations and worlds for a living. I love when a story takes me down a rabbit-hole of learning something new. I love when an editor reads my book and gets what I’m trying to say and is as excited for the story as I am. I love, love, love when I get a note from a reader who says something in my story resonated with them. To me, that’s pure magic.

What advice would you give to aspiring romance writers who are just starting out? Are there any specific tips for writing across multiple genres?

Tips for New Writers:

You learn how to write a book by writing a book. Workshops and craft books can be helpful, but they offer tools and you learn how to use those tools by actually writing. You learn to find your voice by trusting your instincts. Accept that your first book probably won’t come out the way you hoped and just write it.

Also writing is rewriting. I know authors who spew out an ugly first draft then do massive revisions. Other authors essentially turn out a finished manuscript in one go without ever looking back. I fall somewhere in the middle, preferring to fix and polish as I go. You have to write a few books before you discover your process. Just keep writing.

Finally, the writing is yours. Embrace the joy of creating! No one can ever take that away from you. Publishing is a business. If you choose to publish, there may be rejection and compromise and bad reviews. Always remember they’re two different things and keep writing.

Tip on writing multiple subgenres:

It’s worth considering different pen names. Aside from one project, I’ve always used my own name. Readers know that I deliver sexy, humorous books with complex emotion. I always trusted that they could figure out and decide for themselves whether they were in the mood for a particular subgenre.

However, algorithms are not as smart as readers. Marketing has become very complicated. If I was starting my career today, I might consider using different names for different subgenres. Might. I’m just saying it’s worth some deliberation.

Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects? What can your readers look forward to next from you? I am *so* excited for Forgiving Her First Love, which is coming out on July 16th. It’s Book Two in my Raven’s Cove trilogy, which had a working title of Three Men and a Baby on an Island.

That pretty much sums up the concept for these books. You don’t need to read the first book, Marrying the Nanny, but you’ll probably want to.

In Forgiving Her First Love, Logan has come back to Raven’s Cove with his two half-brothers to look after their orphaned, infant sister and rescue their father’s fly-in fishing resort from bankruptcy. The men oversee different portions of the operation. Logan’s purview is the marina, where Sofie is the manager.

Sofie loved Logan her whole life, until they had a week-long fling when she was eighteen. Then he rejected her, leaving her on the ferry slip. She promptly went out and made some mistakes—not that you will ever catch her calling her son a mistake—but now she’s focused on being a mother. Logan can take a long walk off a short pier as far as she’s concerned.

Here’s a peek at exactly how mad she is at him. Logan has just asked her about her relationship with her son’s father. He’s hurt that she went straight from giving him her virginity to having a baby with someone else:

“Since when did you bring home men from the bar?” Logan’s brows crashed together.

“That smells a lot like judgment when I know for a fact that at nineteen, you spent your weekends in the bar, picking up girls. Trystan told me that’s what you told him you were doing when I asked him if you were enjoying university. Sauce for the goose.”

“Trying is the operative word,” Logan said through his teeth.

Trystan had been trying to help her shake off her long and useless crush. She had not appreciated him for it.

“Either way, I’m guessing that behavior continued more or less nonstop until you got the call that Wilf was gone and had to leave your condoms on your yacht while you moved in with your brothers. So I’ll say a polite f-you to you and your double standards.” She rose. “What did you want me to do, Logan? Sit here and pine for you some more?”

“No.” His jaw was locked, his mouth grim. “I’m saying it seems out of character to the woman I knew.”

The one who had saved herself for him. As if he had ever really known her or cared one way or another what she did.

“I was getting over you, Logan.” Screw him and his stirring up of all her old baggage. Now her tortured, angry emotions were leaking everywhere, especially out of her mouth. “I had an empty hookup with a stranger because I thought that’s how I deserved to be treated. Because that’s how you treated me.”

“Sophie.” He pressed back in his chair with shock.

“I hate you for the way you treated me,” she spat, letting the poison squeeze out at last. “But I hate myself more for allowing it. For spending so many years waiting for you. For not seeing that you never actually cared about me.”

“That is not true.” He shot to his feet. “I have always cared about you.”

“You didn’t care about anyone but yourself! But I don’t care about that. I’m furious with myself because I treated myself badly. I punished myself for being stupid over you, and I wound up derailing my future. That’s not your fault. I did that to myself.” She tapped her breastbone where it was throbbing as though fractured all the way through. “But I won’t do it again, Logan. I won’t do this.” She motioned between them. “I won’t have cozy chats with you where I share my feelings and you convince me I matter. Never again. Understand?”

He stood very still, fists clenched as though he were withstanding something unbearable.

“We work together. For Storm’s sake, I’ll help you with her if you need it. Stay in my house and wash my dishes and give Gramps a laugh. He needs it. But we both know you’re leaving as soon as you can. We are not friends. We never were and we never will be.”

BONUS: What is one book that you would consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? I’m going to say Pride and Prejudice, but it’s my comfort *watch*. The Colin Firth version. I watch it at least once a year.