Make way for new, swoonworthy November romance releases at Tule! (Plus, our monthly GIVEAWAY!)

November 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 November 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!

One Starry Christmas Night

by Barbara Hannay

The former soldier’s holiday homecoming takes a twist when he sees his childhood crush.

Bea Fraser never thought she’d return to Wirralong, but when her grandmother breaks a hip, the devoted schoolteacher rushes back to help. She’s not expecting to bump into Jaxon Hooper—her quiet, brainy childhood classmate who’s now an Army Intelligence officer on leave.

Jaxon leaves the job he loves to move closer to his gran who helped raise him. Her health is declining, and he doesn’t want her to be without family. He and Bea bond over their shared love for their grandmothers, but are shocked to discover the two women are sworn enemies. Why? Cautiously, they investigate the feud.

While enjoying local festivities, including a holiday market, Bea tries to deny the growing attraction while Jaxon dares to dream they can build more. She’s been betrayed and is slow to trust. But as the holiday lights shine and old rivalries simmer, Bea and Jaxon discover that sometimes the best gifts are the ones you don’t see coming.

Hot Christmas Cowboy

by Eve Gaddy

Christmas…with benefits.

Rancher Riley Fletcher has known librarian Letty North since they were kids. But recently he started to notice that Letty is beautiful and desirable, which convinces him she’d be the perfect woman to marry and build a family with. To think is to act for Riley, so this Christmas season, he sets out to convince Letty that they’d be the perfect couple.

Letty crushed on Riley for years. He was to her mind the ultimate sexy Montana cowboy, but no way will she marry him. She lost her parents at seventeen and ever since, she’s been unwilling to let anyone too close, certain she’d never survive another loss. But Riley has always been beyond tempting so she counters with her own proposal—date until New Year’s.

Riley cockily agrees, convinced he can win her heart by her artificial deadline, but against the backdrop of Christmas and New Year’s Riley soon realizes he’s deeply in love. What can he do to convince Letty to take a risk? And can she take a chance at love? Does she really want to be alone forever?

The Outback Cowboy’s Christmas Baby

by Kelly Hunter

She’s pregnant. He’s furious. And Christmas is coming. 

Mac Bodie doesn’t do roots, relationships, or Christmas cheer. A former ward of the state, he’s built an empire from forgotten land, turning dust into millions. Now he’s seized a cattle station next to his maybe-brother’s spread, hell-bent on unmasking the family who abandoned him as a baby.

Jess Lean doesn’t mind hard work, single-handedly running the cattle station her ailing father manages for a distant owner. But when Bodie—her unforgettable one-night stand—buys the land and uncovers their struggles, he’s no longer the laughing hero of her dreams. Worse, he spots her pregnancy before she does!

With Christmas closing in, vengeance within reach, and fatherhood looming, Bodie faces a brutal reckoning. Jess, whose passion still haunts him, refuses to marry him unless he dares to leave his past behind. Will he rise to become the man two unexpected families need, forging a legacy of love and forgiveness?

All he must do is take a chance on love and bare his fragile, guarded heart.

Promise Me This Christmas

by C.J. Carmichael

Mysterious events threaten more than a new romance–check into Bramble House B & B this Christmas…

Amy and Chet Hardwick anticipate another full house of guests for their third Christmas at Bramble House, including Amy’s brother rancher Carson Wilcox. But a series of unexplained mishaps begin to worry Amy, especially when journalist Larkin Carrillo arrives to investigate.

Following a painful assault the night of her high school graduation, Larkin left Marietta, determined to never return. But her grandmother is ill and needs help. Running into her once close friend Carson, stirs up happy memories along with unwanted wishes. She needs to focus on her grandmother’s health, and look into the curious and potentially dangerous happenings threatening the sterling reputation of Bramble House.

Carson doesn’t give up easily. He wants a second chance with Larkin. Helping her solve the problems at Bramble House may not only help save his sister’s business, but also convince Larkin that he can be trusted with her journalistic integrity and friendship. She’s built walls, and he may need some mistletoe magic to win her heart and promise to be his for this Christmas and for always.

The Rancher’s Christmas Bride

by Elsa Winckler

Willow Weston, a well-known artist, is working on an upcoming exhibition in Seattle when her brother Hayden puts Hunter Grant in charge of managing The Weston Ranch.

She’s seen the big cowboy with the killer smile around town but so far has managed to ignore the instant tug at her heart when he’s around. But now he’s living on their ranch and is constantly getting in her way, even intruding when she’s swimming naked in her favorite private hot spring.

Like her grandmother, Willow is fey as her mother calls it. She knows when something is wrong and she experiences the feelings of those she loves. She’s made peace with the fact that she’ll never have a family or even consider marriage, but when she and Hunter ended up being fake-engaged, things get complicated. Apart from the fact that she doesn’t want the responsibility of one more person’s feelings to consider, Hunter has made it clear he’s only on the Weston Ranch temporarily. There’s a family ranch waiting for him in Colorado.

There’s no way they can be together forever, is there?

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith

by Janice Lynn

A veteran with scars, a single dad with doubts, and a Christmas neither will forget.

Veteran Maggie Majors is in Pine Hill, Kentucky on a mission, not to get involved in the town’s over-the-top Christmas festivities. None-the-less, she’s judging their “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” contest. Twinkling lights, silver tinsel, and a borrowed princess costume aren’t going to fix the holes in her tortured-by-the-past heart, but Maggie will do anything to make the most of the second chance she’s been gifted. Even co-judge the games with a man who makes her insides jittery.

Firefighter Walker Bailey isn’t looking for romance, much less a fairytale happy-ever-after. He’d loved, lost, and been left a single dad. But spending time with Maggie has him adding her to the top of his Christmas wish list. If only he believed Santa could deliver the gift of love…

Can the spirit of Christmas bind their hearts, giving them a faith in love that can conquer their pasts?

The Firefighter’s Christmas

by Nicole Flockton

Hot-shot firefighter Zachary Langley craves anonymity after his daring rescue of campers caught in a wildfire catapults him to fame—especially with his famous talk show host mother using his story for ratings. He’s hoping his move to Marietta, Montana, will help him escape the spotlight. When he’s roped into helping Tulip “Tilly” Bloom organize an ambitious Christmas extravaganza, he’s less than thrilled.

Tilly’s set on proving her worth by pulling off a new and unforgettable holiday event highlighting their beautiful mountain town. But with the handsome Zach watching her every move, Tilly worries she’ll be distracted by the hottie and the inconvenient sparks flying amid the twinkling lights, snow-dusted streets, and holiday cheer.

As their chemistry ignites, will the secrets they hide derail the celebration and their budding romance, or can the reluctant hero and town favorite find the Christmas miracle neither expected?

One Last Christmas Wish

by Elle Douglas

It’s a Christmas where opposites attract…

Quinn McCarthy may be the youngest of the McCarthy sisters, yet she’s the most nostalgic. After years managing the marketing for her family’s treasured Butterfly Lake Lodge, deep in the Rocky Mountains, she’s heartbroken to see it sold and unsure what comes next. Determined to create one last magical holiday, Quinn plans a farewell Christmas celebration, inviting cherished guests from past years before the lodge changes hands.

Since losing his parents as a teen, high-powered tech entrepreneur Declan Grant has zero interest in twinkling lights or renewing ties, despite the fond memories he has of the McCarthy sisters. On the verge of closing a major deal, he’s not about to be sidetracked. But when a change of plans steers him back to the rustic lodge, he teams up with Quinn for a slew of creative and quirky challenges.

Opposites in every way, Quinn and Declan initially fight their attraction. But as old memories spark and new feelings ignite, they just might discover that letting go could hand them the key to a future they never imagined.

A Kiss of Southern Magic

by Sinclair Jayne

She’s given up on love, but her matchmaking sisters have a scheme. He’s a single dad needing a fresh start and a touch of magic to help his little girl…

Pediatrician Sarah Maye moved back home to Belmont, North Carolina years after being widowed, but everything’s changed. Her family’s hit by scandal, her sisters are loved up, and her beloved grandmother has passed. Feeling isolated, Sarah searches for a new purpose—a way to honor their grandmother’s legacy of giving. When the man her sisters tried to set her up with enters her clinic holding his sweet daughter’s hand, Sarah grieves for all she’s missed.

Single dad and history professor Luke Raimy is new to town with a short-term contract and a burning determination to create stability for his daughter as he builds a meaningful career. He’s mortified when he arrives at his daughter’s wellness check to see the elegant woman whom he thinks recently hit on him.

The timing and so much more is wrong, but can a little girl and a possibly enchanted cook book make it right?

Barbara Hannay returns to Wirralong for latest Christmas release – One Starry Christmas Night

November 3, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I just loved returning to Wirralong to write One Starry Christmas Night. Mind you, although I live in northern Australia, where it never snows at Christmastime, I’ve been known in the past to take my stories elsewhere, just so I can fantasise about snowflakes and sleighbells that I’ve never actually experienced. This time, however, I behaved myself and stuck to the plan. And, as I had last visited this outback small town when I wrote His Best Friend’s Baby, I couldn’t resist exploring another romance for characters who’d first known each other many years earlier in primary school.

In this story, Bea Fraser and Jaxon Hooper are brought back to Wirralong by their love and concern for their grandmothers, who have both been admitted into Wirralong’s new Aged Care facility, Riverbend House. Bea’s grandmother has had a hip replacement, so her stay at Riverbend is only short term, but Bea knows how important Christmas has always been to her Nan. She has so many cherished memories of the times they spent baking treats and making tree ornaments together and she can’t bear to think of Nan being alone through the festive season.

Jaxon’s Granny Prue has a more serious condition, so much so that he’s left his job with Army Intelligence so he can be closer to her. Prue had cared for Jaxon and raised him after he’d lost his parents and sister in a family tragedy and now, he will do everything he can to support her. 

Of course, even in a Christmas romance, we need complications, so while Nan’s black cat, Leonardo, is a point of connection for Jaxon and Bea, a long held antipathy between their two grandmothers has the opposite effect. 

And there might not be snow in this story, but the spectacular stars in the sky create their own sparkling magic. With the addition of Christmas markets, a choral singing project and a family mystery all set within Wirralong’s strong community spirit, I had a wonderfully joyous time writing this tale. I hope you find joy in reading it too. 

About the Author.

Barbara Hannay writes romance and women’s fiction. Her novels set in Australia have been translated into twenty-six languages and she has won the Romance Writers of America’s RITA award and been shortlisted five times. Two of Babrbara’s books has also won Romance Writers of Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year award.

Barbara lives in Townsville with her writer husband and enjoys being close to the Coral Sea, the stunning tropical scenery and colourful characters, all of which find their way into her popular stories.

 

Falling Leaves and Mystery Releases!

November 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 November 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!

The Chocolatier’s Curse

By: Christopher Seto

If you laughed with The Thursday Murder Club, you’ll instantly love the folks at Clumindell’s chocolate factory …

Criminologists, on the whole, do not solve crimes. So Ph.D. student Theo Chan is out of his comfort zone when a pair of enigmatic private investigators hire him for what sounds like a sweet summer gig. Soon, he’s thrust into the puzzle-box world of a classic small-town whodunnit, with few sleuthing skills to rely on.

“A clown climbs up the skeleton tree; A curse on you, a plague on me.” The cryptic prophesy was discovered in Antonia Pruskain’s pocket after her mysterious death at the Clumindell Chocolate and Confectionary headquarters four years ago. Ever since, a ghostly clown has haunted the grounds, always accompanied by inexplicable deaths and disasters. Now one of Clumindell’s founders is murdered inside a locked building, and the clown is the prime suspect.

To survive his first case, Theo must reckon with an unusual murder weapon, endangered tree frogs, paranormal YouTubers, and the shadowy motives of his own employers—who may be the biggest mystery of all.

Wings of Madness

By: R. John Dingle

Serial killers, like madness and gravity, just need a small push…

The body of a third young woman is discovered in a field outside Pawtucket Falls in New England the day FBI agent and profiler Gus Wheeler and his partner arrive to investigate a string of murders. The killings seem random, yet each victim was last seen in a club in the city’s Music Row, a scene Gus is uniquely qualified to navigate.

Camera footage shows the most recent victim flirting with the moody bassist of a popular cover band. Gus knows the former prodigy from his time in the New Orleans jazz scene, but the suspect’s memory is hazy, likely due to his rock star lifestyle. Complicating their inquiry, there’s no record of any of the victims leaving the clubs—with the bassist or alone. So where were they taken and how?

A serial killer’s at work, but as they circle their suspect, the killer strikes first making it personal for Gus. And with time running out, Gus is forced to play a madman’s game.

The Other Mother

By: Heidi Field

Suzannah is pregnant with her third child. The first is in prison. The second is dead. How far will she go to keep her unborn baby safe? 

When Suzannah learns she is pregnant, she feels like safety and happiness are finally within reach. Her handsome, successful fiancé, Alec, is over the moon about the baby. He proposes and pampers her. He thinks this is Suzannah’s first marriage and first child, but she’s keeping a few secrets. Actually, a lot of secrets. And they are dangerous…putting Suzannah in a position where she must choose who and what she’s willing to sacrifice to keep her baby and her freedom.

Drowning in her lies, Suzannah is desperate to bury her past, but her ex-husband, who abandoned her years ago, returns, stalking her and demanding to know what really happened to their daughter. When the imprisoned serial killer who lured and groomed her son, threatens to sell his story to the press, Suzannah feels like the life she’d built and the precious one she’s growing, teeter on a precipice. Now the two children she’s hidden from Alec may be the least of her worries.

Game Over

By: Shelly Jones

Wren Winters and her friends road trip to an annual gaming convention anticipating a fun getaway, not danger and a dead body.  

It’s been two years since game store owner Wren Winters’ husband died in a mysterious road accident, and she finally feels ready to attend the industry’s biggest gathering. She’s a little spooked because the event was where her husband had sent her a final text claiming he’d discovered something unexpected, but Wren is determined to push aside her doubts, purchase new games for her store and have fun.

Instead, she and her gaming group stumble onto a famous cosplayer strangled with her own lanyard, and the police are side-eyeing Wren. Then the threats begin, and Wren uncovers a new lead on her husband’s death. Surely, she can piece together what happened to Marcus at this very convention, despite the danger lurking around every corner. But the clock is ticking to solve the murder before weekend ends, when all the suspects will scatter like pieces swept off a board. Will she be able to trap a murderer before she becomes another victim?

Happy Halloween from Heidi Field!

October 31, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Happy Halloween Everyone!

My debut novel, The Other Boy, is a twisty psychological thriller about a serial killer, a teenage boy who became his accomplice, and the parents of a victim. All is not what it seems, and like every great fright night, you don’t know exactly what is lurking around the next corner.

The darkest parts of The Other Boy are set deep in the woods in an abandoned hunting shack. The killer is nicknamed the Pied Piper of Peasedale. The truth behind the death of Scott and Blair’s son, Jamie, is a mystery that they may not want to discover.

I wrote The Other Boy after watching a documentary on notorious serial killer, Dean Corll, who was given the name Candyman, because he owned a candy store. In Dean Corll’s world, those buckets of sweets had a far darker intention than they do on Halloween.

Two of my favourite comments from reviewers sum up my book perfectly:

It’s a story of love, grief, betrayal, and the terrifying realization that sometimes the people closest to us carry the darkest secrets. The Other Boy is haunting, clever, and brutally human. ~JeoGains~

It doesn’t hold your hand—but it might hold a knife to your emotional stability. ~PlotTwist&Tea~

I hope you have someone to hold your hand on the 31st.

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.

Spooky Season Reads: The Classics Raemi A. Ray Returns to Every Fall

October 30, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hi Friends, 

My name is Raemi, the author of the Martha’s Vineyard Murders, mysteries set on the wealthy playground island of Martha’s Vineyard. Fall is the perfect time of year for mysteries and thrillers and everything spooky and I’ve popped by the Tule Blog to a chat a bit about my favorite autumnal reads (and rereads).

Every year around this time I reread three books: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. It’s a YA historical fiction about a young woman from Barbados who travels to pre-Revolutionary Connecticut and how she, a British loyalist, acclimates to life in Puritan New England. It’s eerie enough to be perfect for a cold afternoon with a fire, but also light enough for younger readers. It also has the most adorable romance between Kit, our main character and Nat a sailor. In a more frightening turn of events, this book about the beginning of the Revolutionary War is a banned book for promoting witchcraft, of which, ironically, there is none.  

The next book on my list, and probably on every mystery lover’s list with good reason, is Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. There isn’t a greater villain in modern literature than Mrs. Danvers. She’s absolutely vile. The original mean girl, she lays our narrator bare with just a look. I want to write a character so hateable. I also love how Manderley, the gothic mansion at the heart of the story, is a character in the book. Rebecca wouldn’t have the same feel if it wasn’t set on the sprawling estate tarnished by tragedy. Manderley is actually the inspiration for the Hawthorn’s farm featured in my books. Like Manderley, Mander Lane (not a coincidence) is a great house, but it’s not a home. It offers no comfort to its occupants and is a stark reminder of the evil that lurks on Martha’s Vineyard. 

My final fall-reread, one I read every year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is Jane Eyre. I’ve probably read it thirty times by now. I love this book so much. I love Thornfield Hall, another dark mysterious house, hiding dark mysterious secrets. I love how the heroine has her happy ending, but it’s on her terms. It a time when women didn’t have much autonomy, Jane was always true to herself and her beliefs. Her story still resonates even today, 178 years later. All the women in Jane Eyre have fascinating stories. I desperately want someone to write a sequel telling Bertha’s. I’d love to get the details of her upbringing in Jamaica, her descent into madness, her imprisonment, and subsequent escape. I want to know what happens to her after the fire. In my mind, she sails back to the West Indies, maybe to Jamaica, maybe elsewhere. Who knows? And who wants to write it? I volunteer to beta read.

Of course, my fall TBR isn’t complete without a few new reads. I’m looking forward to two of my colleagues’ titles: John David’s new release, The Bystander and John Dingle’s Wings of Madness, releasing this November. I know they’ll both be fantastic and I can’t wait to dive in. So many books, so little time.

I hope I’ve inspired you to check out some classics, perhaps see the references to them in my series, and pick up a new spooky season read. Tell us what’s on your TBR. I’d love to know. 

Happy reading and Happy Halloween!

Susan Sands talks new second-chance romance in ‘Alabama Christmas Wedding’.

October 28, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hello Tule Friends!

I’m so excited to be here today on the blog with you. My newest Tule Christmas story, Alabama Christmas Wedding, is out now! If you’re familiar with my Tule titles, you might remember that my Alabama books were my very first Tule series. These are some seriously Southern stories with the most gorgeous covers! I’ve since written Louisiana and Georgia series.

Alabama Christmas Wedding is a deliciously romantic later in life love story. I originally published this novella a couple of years ago as Christmas Beach Wedding. The basic premise is the same, but I’ve made significant changes to the setting and connected it my favorite fictional town, Ministry, Alabama, and included some of my favorite characters from the Alabama series!

This story makes me think, “What if…” What if we had made different choices somewhere back in our younger lives? What if we’d chosen differently somewhere along the way and our lives had been completely altered? And, what if, at some point in the future we are faced with that choice again? Would we dare? Would we dare take a chance twenty-five years later with the one that got away after a lifetime of love and a family with the spouse we adored?

The back of the book says:

It’s been twenty-five long years since Jane Lafitte’s college sweetheart, Trevor Gardner, broke her heart, but life moved on. She never imagined she’d see Trevor again—until their adult children announce their own Christmas engagement—to each other!

Thrown together amidst cozy holiday celebrations, the old flames can’t deny the warm embers that still smolder between them despite the painful memories and practical concerns conspiring against them. Jane and Trevor agree to keep their romantic history a secret, but it gets complicated as they are immersed with planning a wedding between her daughter, Casey, and his son, Drew in the same town where the two of them planned to marry so long ago.

As Jane and Trevor reconnect, their tangled past resurfaces, making forgiveness the only way forward if they hope to navigate their future as soon-to-be in-laws. But what does it really mean to be family? Can they move beyond their past hurt to discover a new beginning together in time for Christmas?

 

I hope you will give Alabama Christmas Wedding a read! I look forward to hearing what you think of this very sweet second chance romance.

All the best,

Susan Sands

About the Author.

Susan Sands grew up in a real life Southern Footloose town, complete with her senior class hosting the first ever prom in the history of their tiny public school. Is it any wonder she writes Southern small town stories full of porch swings, fun and romance?

Susan lives in suburban Atlanta surrounded by her husband, three young adult kiddos and lots of material for her next book.

Bringing Holiday Traditions to Life with Tule Author Aimee O’Brian

October 23, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Every family has their own unique holiday traditions. To celebrate that spirit, I have included a Christmas themed novel in my Charmed Loved series titled The Magical Christmas Cottage. The first in the series The Magical Tea Shop was a springtime story that culminated in a community Memorial Day kite flying event.

The second book, The Magical Bed & Breakfast, was an autumn story and took a darker turn with a touch of eerie Halloween fun and finished up with a found-family Thanksgiving dinner. Each story features charmed objects that serve to bring our romantic couple together; although, admittedly, those charmed objects mostly complicate their lives at the start. I must make my characters work hard for those well-deserved happily-ever-afters! 

For me, anticipation of the holiday season begins in August. As the weather changes bit by bit, I began to plan. As summer leans into autumn, I lean into holiday prep. I began to bake. I start with blueberry pie which leads to apple then pumpkin and then walnut pie which somehow becomes chocolate cake by the end of the year. And cookie baking in my home is quite the extravaganza. For The Magical Christmas Cottage, I created an original recipe that I plan to try out on my unsuspecting friends later this month.

Naturally, my home décor gets in on the fun as colors transition from the bright summery look of fresh flowers to orange pumpkins, yellow gourds, and then, gradually, into an evergreen scheme because, I’ll be honest, my favorite holiday item is the Tree, yes, with a capital T. I collect Christmas ornaments all year long, wandering into Christmas-Year-Round shops while on vacation, much to my husband’s chagrin. He’s actually been known to just wait outside for me! 

Each year, new ornaments join my collections, because how can I resist? Over the years, I’ve themed trees by colors: red & green, white & clear. Over time, my tree decorations have edged toward purple with touches of magenta, blue, and green. One year, when the kids were little, and we had just moved back to California from Texas, we had a Mardi Gras themed tree in purple, green, and gold festooned with harlequin masks and beads. 

Each Christmas is magical all on its own. The decorations combined with scents of cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg set the mood to settle in and celebrate. I still have fond memories of one Christmas eve in the early days of my marriage, when my husband ordered pizza, and we sat on the floor on our new area rug to open our gifts from each other. 

So in this book, my very first Christmas novel, I sought to weave the magic from my holiday experiences into the story, scattering decorated trees throughout the community of Hazard.  I got to decorate each one just a little bit differently. But the tree in the cottage is a unique patriotic display in honor of the town’s intrepid dame Hazel Bestwick, who proudly claims her lineage back to the mythical founder of the community, Captain Edwin Hazard of the American Revolution. Because traditions take time. And holiday traditions brought to life make the best stories. 

About the Author.

Having lived in both California and Texas, Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more perennials in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.

Why Christmas, Why Mystery, Why This Story? Checking in with Tule Author Emmie Lyn.

October 22, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

There’s something magical about Christmas. The sparkle of lights on fresh snow, the scent of cinnamon and pine in the air, and the way a whole community seems to come alive with traditions both big and small. But what I love most is how the season gives us permission to pause, to reflect, and to grow closer to the people who matter most.

Of course, I can’t resist adding a little mystery to the mix. After all, what’s cozier than curling up by the fire with a golden retriever at your feet, a mug of hot cocoa in hand, and a page-turning story where secrets bubble just beneath the tinsel and twinkling lights?

When I began writing Poisoned Past, I wanted to explore how Christmas joy can clash with shadows from the past. For Nina, my heroine, the holiday season should be filled with simple pleasures—baking cookies, decorating with her daughter, and maybe, just maybe, letting her heart open to new love. Instead, she finds herself face to face with a dangerous truth that threatens to shatter the peace she’s finally found.

But Christmas is also about resilience. About second chances. And about realizing that even in our darkest hours, light shines brighter when we don’t face challenges alone. That’s where Ginger, her loyal golden retriever, steps in, reminding Nina (and maybe all of us) that love, loyalty, and courage often come in the most unexpected packages.

So why did I write this book? Because Christmas and mystery go hand-in-hand for me. Both are about anticipation—waiting to see what’s under the tree, or what clue will appear next. Both remind us that the greatest gifts are sometimes hidden in plain sight. And both prove that even the toughest hurdles can be overcome when we believe in the magic of hope, family, and love.

I can’t wait for you to curl up with Poisoned Past. May it bring a little suspense to your season, a little warmth to your heart, and maybe even inspire you to sneak your golden retriever an extra treat under the tree.

Happy reading!

~Emmie

About the Author.

Emmie Lyn grew up in a small town in New England, much like the towns where her female characters live—scenic, quaint and filled with colorful characters. She loves to create mysteries with twists and unexpected turns that draw readers in and capture their imagination.

Emmie lives in rural Massachusetts with her husband and a black cat with an extremely bad attitude. She shares twelve acres with a wide variety of wildlife including deer, bunnies, turkeys, and many songbirds. When she’s not busy thinking of ways to kill off a character (for a book, of course!) she enjoys a cup of tea and chocolate in her flower garden, hiking, or spending time near the ocean.

Mistletoe, Mochas, and Murder: Candy Canes and Crimes Release Day

October 20, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Mistletoe, mochas, and murder. When a Christmastime killer strikes, can one amateur sleuth save the festivities from chocolate-covered ruin?

Ava Decker craves clarity. Stuck in limbo while her maybe boyfriend takes flight overseas, the sarcastic pastry chef buries her insecurities inside her cupcakes. But as her town immerses itself in yuletide cheer, she pushes herself to re- enter the world and celebrate… only to discover a fellow confectioner’s body floating in a lake of fudge.

Grieving and prepping for the magical winter festival, the witty entrepreneur is dumbfounded by the news that she’s inherited the cocoa master’s decadent empire. And as a disgruntled relative contests the will and traces of embezzlement surface, Ava mixes a batch of relentless sleuthing with a pinch of help from her forensic accounting background.

Will refusing to walk away get her yule cake crumbled or put a grinch behind bars? Candy Canes and Crimes is the quirky sixth book in the Frosted Misfortunes Mysteries culinary cozy series. If you like strong female leads with self-deprecating humor, loveable animal sidekicks, and small-town holiday charm, then you’ll adore Lisa Siefert’s entertaining adventure.

Buy Candy Canes and Crimes for a pepperminty twist today!

About the author

Lisa Siefert is a USA Today Bestselling Mystery Author who writes humorous cozy mysteries. She dedicates all of her free time to testing out different latte flavors at every coffee shop she comes across and has never once skimped on dessert because life is too short not to. She lives in San Diego with Lucky, her own devious but adorable Abyssinian kitten. She excels at recounting every Hallmark Movie plot ever conceived and can also whip up a mean batch of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Her books feature amateur women sleuths that always believe in silver linings despite all of the murderous clouds surrounding them.

Behind the Veil: Halloween Q&A with Raemi A. Ray

October 19, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Today on the blog, we’re thrilled to welcome mystery author Raemi A. Ray—author of the delightful Martha’s Vineyard Murders series. With Halloween in the air and fall in full swing, we sat down with Raemi to talk haunted houses, guilty-pleasure snacks (looking at you, candy corn), and what’s next in her chillingly clever book series. From cults to corruption, and yes—even bat skeletons for the fireplace—Raemi’s answers are as sharp and unexpected as one of her plot twists. Let’s dive in!

1. If your book were a Halloween movie, what would it be called?

“Murder Island” sounds like a slasher movie, but I’ve always like the cutesy portmanteau titles like “Halloweentown” so perhaps, “Halloweenland?” Maybe the characters join in on a costume parade or something?

2. What’s your go-to fall treat or spooky-season snack?

Candy corn, in the candy corn shape and original color/flavor. I know it’s disgusting and I feel awful when I eat them, but the heart wants what the heart wants. The candy pumpkins are an abomination.

3. What are you currently working on? What inspired you to write this series/book?

I’m finishing up edits on Book 5 of the Martha’s Vineyard Murders series and working on Book 6. Truthfully, it’s a dull story about market research. There was nothing inspiring about the overall concept of writing mystery novels set on Martha’s Vineyard. However, the individual murder mystery stories are all unique and the ideas came from different places,
but mostly real life: Book 1 is about Cape Wind, an offshore windmill project, Book 2 is inspired by the story of the Whydah Galley, Book 3 is loosely based on a merger and acquisition I worked on (it was so boring), Book 4 is based on the unsolved Martha’s Vineyard murder of Clara Smith, Book 5 is about police corruption, and Book 6 will be about a cult.

4. Which character in your series would survive a haunted house—and who wouldn’t make
it out?

Gully would survive a haunted house. He’s unflappable and takes everything in stride. I haven’t told Gully’s story, yet, but it’s in the back of my mind. Despite being Dean Winchester-coded, Tarek wouldn’t make it. He’s too cynical and logical. He’d refuse to believe in ghosts even as they sucked out his soul. He also doesn’t believe in souls.

5. What’s one fall tradition you or your main character never skip?

Neither me nor my main character are much for traditions, but I have an unconventional tradition-by- convenience, I suppose. In the fall, I go shopping. My house is decorated with skulls and skeletons, and this time of year I can buy bone-themed things everywhere. As such, each autumn I shop for new house stuff matching my spooky year-round décor. This year I need new wine glasses, and I want a bat skeleton for my fireplace mantle.

About the author

Raemi A. Ray is the author of the Martha’s Vineyard Murders series. Her travels to the island and around the world inspire her stories. She lives with her family in Boston.

Photo Credit: L.A. Brown