Category Archives: Uncategorized

THE COWBOY’S WORD – Release Day Blog Post Featuring Sinclair Jayne! (Plus a Giveaway!)

Sinclair Jayne's The Cowboy's Word book cover with cowboy leaning on fence.

I can’t even tell all of you how happy I am to be back in Marietta, Montana writing cowboy stories for Tule. This series—The Coyote Cowboys of Montana—has, in my opinion, it ALL. My favorite hooks—cowboys, ex-military, jilted bride/substitute groom, prodigal son, barrel racer, doctor. My top tropes—reunion romance, secret baby, marriage of convenience, secret illegitimate son and the themes I adore exploring—redemption, re-invention, forgiveness. I have a rodeo cowboy, a jilted, expecting bride, A secret son finding his family, a Christmas homecoming and even a romance with a hint of mystery and long buried secrets (literally).

I’ve been thinking about this series, Coyote Cowboys of Montana, for a few years. I was playing with the idea of leaving home at eighteen, reinventing your life and building a successful career and then returning home again as a mature adult to fulfill a childhood dream/wish/fantasy. I wanted to explore the challenges my characters would face after stepping far outside their box and then trying to step back in. Would they fit? Do they want to? How can they bust out? And while I definitely wanted my heroes to be cowboys, I also wanted them to have been forced to leave the land they loved, become something else before returning to their ranch roots. 

As my premise, I made all five heroes teammates in Special Forces. Over the course of a year, each of them travels to Marietta, Montana as part of a vow they made to their fallen team leader, Jace McBride and to each other. Each of them has a task or an “amend’ that they will carry out in Jace’s honor.

While I love cowboys, the military piece was important to honor. I’ve had several family members serve in the armed forces—both Navy and Army, and while I have had one ex-soldier as a hero (Seducing the Bachelor), I never had a series centered around former soldiers. I wanted to explore these two iconic romance hero archetypes and I hope that you fall in love them as much as I did.

First up Remy Cross in The Cowboy’s Word. I created Remy especially for Shane Knight, a character I wrote in two early books that were part of a multi-author series featuring the Graff Hotel through the Holidays. Shane Knight is one of five sisters (three of them have their own love stories) and a bartender at the Graff Hotel (and former army psychologist with a painful secret). I have been wanting to write a love story for years, but the timing never felt right. Enter tall, dark, and determined Remy reluctantly back home in Marietta. He’s her perfect match. Remy’s task is to be a god father to the child of Jace’s best friend from high school. It seems easy enough, but of course his plan skews immediately into the late summer weeds. While Shane wants to remain emotionally safe, she’s sucked into riding rescue.

Photo of giveaway items that include three books, a "giddy up" throw pillow,  a hat, and some bandanas.I have been collecting some fun western themed swag, and would love to share a signed print copy of one of my Marietta Books and a few western items—bandana, jewelry, socks to a random reader who comments below to answer to this question: Is there a secondary character in any of the Marietta books you have read that you think deserves their own love story—who and what intrigues you about them?

–Happy Reading, Sinclair Jayne

About the author.

Sinclair Sawhney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over seven years. Writing as Sinclair Jayne, she’s published over 20 short contemporary romances with Tule Publishing. Married for over twenty-four years, she has two children, and when she isn’t writing or editing, she and her husband, Deepak, are hosting wine tastings of their pinot noir and pinot noir rose at their vineyard Roshni, which is a Hindi word for light-filled, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shaandaar!


Tule Publishing May 2023 Releases (and Giveaway!)

Read more about our new releases for May!

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

Love Me Beneath the Irish Moon by Karen Foley (Holiday)

Release Date: May 2, 2023

Love Always, Ireland, Book 2

They’re from two different worlds…

After being passed over for a coveted job in favor of her so-called boyfriend, Lori Woods desperately needs time to reflect. She packs up her Chicago life and catches a flight to Ballylahane, Ireland, but with a popular Beltane festival drawing crowds of tourists to the picturesque town, there’s nowhere for Lori to stay—until hunky Flynn O’Rourke offers her a cottage on his sprawling sheep farm.

No woman has ever aggravated—or aroused—Flynn the way Lori does. He’s had it bad for her since her last visit, but she made it clear it would never work between them. Now she’s back and Flynn has one last chance to show her they’re perfect together, even if it means risking everything—his farm, his future, and his heart.

Lori has no intention of falling for the passionate, protective, practically perfect farmer, no matter how ridiculously hot he is. In fact, she’s decidedly not going to fall for him. Unless the Beltane moon has other ideas…


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

Have You Seen Sarah Baker?  by T.A. Cruz (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: May 4, 2023

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

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

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

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

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


Four Secrets Kept by H L Marsay (Holiday)

Release Date: May 11, 2023

The Secrets of Hartwell, Book 2

Welcome to Hartwell, an English village full of cobbled streets, ancient curses, and buried secrets.

Although the village may have laid Lord Hanley to rest, his death creates almost as many problems as did his life.

While Lady Lucy Hanley hides in her manor home recovering from her miserable marriage and dodging a stalker, she’s determined to focus on raising her young son and finding ways to make the manor financially viable. Rachel Foxton, who’s long imagined a life away from Hartwell, has her dreams of escape thwarted by a family drama. Dr. Meera Kumar’s budding relationship with the village vet bathes her in a golden glow…until her ex arrives delivering troubling news that threatens everything she’s built. Jo Ormond is convinced she knows what she wants—her detective job back in London—but as she investigates several local crimes that seem linked, including Lord Hanley’s murder, Jo begins to contemplate putting down roots in Hartwell.

Can friends Lucy, Rachel, Meera, and Jo bury the secrets of their own pasts while danger follows them?


Book cover of Lisa Lin's release "The Rachel Experiment". Animation with man and women back-to-back holding hands.

The Rachel Experiment by Lisa Lin (American Heart)

Release Date: May 16, 2023

From Sunset Park, With Love, Book 2

Who knew that one night out would change everything?

As a financial analyst, Rachel Bai is more comfortable with numbers than people. When her boss promotes her to head a team in San Francisco, his message is clear—she has one year to build a successful team and become an effective leader. Rachel sets out to discover how to be more comfortable interacting with people, but a drunken night meant for research results in a mechanical bull ride and a one-night stand with a sexy stranger—definitely not part of her plan.

Attorney Luke Trudeau is intrigued by the mysterious woman who’s determined to put their night together firmly in her rearview mirror. So when Luke sees Rachel again, he proposes a deal: he’ll smooth out her rough social edges and teach her to charm clients if she’ll help him devise a financial plan to open his own practice.

It seems like a win-win, but Luke breaks the rules by falling in love. Can he convince Rachel that what they have is real and, when it comes to love, there are no set rules?


The Summer Wedding Hoax by Jami Rogers (American Heart)

Release Date: May 18, 2023

The Evergreen Brothers, Book 2

There’s nothing fake about this relationship, but that’s news to both of them.

Everything is falling into place for Will Evergreen. In a few short months, he’ll be moving out of his Wyoming hometown to launch his own business and finally step out of his brothers’ shadows. Will’s more than a cute, former whiz kid and will prove it by growing the family enterprise. Then Ava Robertson, the woman he failed to forget, comes crashing back to town. Suddenly, packing up is the last thing on his agenda.

Moving home isn’t the future Ava planned for herself, but when the job market forces her to do just that, she turns to the childhood buddy she left behind. Will isn’t the same boy she remembers. He’s all man now, so when her mother’s idea of moving forward means matchmaking, Ava begs Will to play the role of doting boyfriend.

Will agrees, but he’s keeping a secret. They’ll spend the summer attending weddings and family events as a couple, but he won’t let the one get away again—even if it costs him his future.


The Texas Cowboy’s Rescue by Debra Holt (Texas Born)

Release Date: May 22, 2023

Texas Heritage, Book 3

This charge nurse and helicopter pilot bring a new twist to flight risk…

Single mom Kenzie Calhoun has returned to Burkitt, Texas, and the Aces High Ranch determined to build a loving home. She has a new position as a nurse on an air medical evac team, a house to remodel, and a whip-smart six-year-old daughter to raise. After a disastrous marriage, the walls around her heart are high. There’s no room for another mistake in the romance department.

Major Deke Hayes takes pride in his air evac helicopter service that assists area ranches, including the Aces High, during roundups and predator removal. In his spare time, he flies emergency calls for the local hospital. But his call sign, Lone Wolf, says it all: his trust issues mean he flies through life solo, too.

That is, until precocious Brooke Calhoun, with a penchant for climbing trees and a fondness for sprinkles on cupcakes, can’t help but bring the two adults together with her antics. Will Kenzie and Deke see that sometimes walls have a way of crumbling in the face of second chances?


Spring Break Slaying by Jody Holford (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: May 23, 2023

The Wannabe Sleuth, Book 3

What happens on spring break stays on spring break…except murder.

It’s spring break in Rainbow Falls and true crime aficionado Annie Abbott is hoping to cater to the hoards of college kids descending on her coastal town by hosting a Gatsby-themed murder mystery party. She’s hoping her twenties era whodunnit at a local historic mansion will increase tourist revenue and build her business’s brand.

The party is the talk of the town when a despised social media influencer is attacked and left for dead on the estate’s grounds. With the help of her online friends, Annie searches for clues. The list of suspects reads like the town’s social directory—but who benefits most from the victim’s silence?

Annie’s parents are due home from their year-long adventure, so her time in Rainbow Falls is winding down. With a growing suspect list and tension among her friends, Annie worries about her own future. Should she settle in Rainbow Falls? Do she and Ben, her boyfriend and the town vet, have a future? Will she live long enough to find out?


Cowboy Meets Cowgirl  by Jeannie Watt (Montana Born)

Release Date: May 25, 2023

Return to Keller Ranch, Book 3

This cowgirl has finally met her cowboy match.

Adventurous Em Keller gave her parents more than a few gray hairs before leaving for college. Temporarily back in Marietta, Montana, after ending a disastrous romance, she’s hoping to make the family ranch her home base. She doesn’t have much time to renovate the crumbling, old homestead house, and when Em meets with the only available local contractor, she hits a brick wall. Trace Montero never liked her. Years ago, he even fired her.

Trace grew up scrambling for whatever crumbs he could find for himself and his two younger sisters. But now he’s built a successful contracting business dedicated to helping locals. The last thing he wants is to take a job from a privileged cowgirl who never appreciated what she had, but Trace reluctantly agrees to work on Em’s project. He plans to keep his distance, but Em’s more beautiful and disarming than he remembered.

Plus, Em knows how to work—and she knows how to kiss, too. As their walls come crashing down, can they envision a future with each other?


Stealing Mr. Right by Sinclair Jayne Sawhney (American Heart)

Release Date: May 30, 2023

Misguided Masala Matchmaker, Book 4

She’s found the perfect man…except not for her client.

Budding matchmaker and relationship “expert” Rani Kapoor should be walking on air. She helped find love matches for her cousin and sisters, her dissertation passed, and she’s inked her first book deal. But what if her success comes crashing down? Desperate to prove herself, Rani makes a bet. Using her new scientific method, she’ll find her first official client—her best friend—Mr. Right in time for her cousin’s wedding.

Tech tycoon Jasminder “Jas” Singh just sold his second start-up and is looking for his next challenge—breaking into the lucrative Indian tech market. But Jas lacks family connections and cultural knowledge, so all doors have been slammed in his face. Taking a new approach, Jas reaches out to the “Misguided Masala Matchmaker.” He has no interest in a bride, but he’s not above pretending he does so he can score an invitation to—and make business connections at—the Indian wedding of the season.

The minute Rani meets Jas, she realizes science has failed her again. Yes, the potential groom is perfect—for her.


Tule’s 2023 Mother’s Day Recommended Reads

In honor of Mother’s Day, the Tule team has picked out some titles we know you, or a very special mother, will love. Whether you’re looking for sexy or sweet, you’ll be sure to find a Mother’s Day treat!

Four Secrets Kept by H L Marsay

The Secrets of Hartwell, Book 2

Welcome to Hartwell, an English village full of cobbled streets, ancient curses, and buried secrets.

Although the village may have laid Lord Hanley to rest, his death creates almost as many problems as did his life.

While Lady Lucy Hanley hides in her manor home recovering from her miserable marriage and dodging a stalker, she’s determined to focus on raising her young son and finding ways to make the manor financially viable. Rachel Foxton, who’s long imagined a life away from Hartwell, has her dreams of escape thwarted by a family drama. Dr. Meera Kumar’s budding relationship with the village vet bathes her in a golden glow…until her ex arrives delivering troubling news that threatens everything she’s built. Jo Ormond is convinced she knows what she wants—her detective job back in London—but as she investigates several local crimes that seem linked, including Lord Hanley’s murder, Jo begins to contemplate putting down roots in Hartwell.

Can friends Lucy, Rachel, Meera, and Jo bury the secrets of their own pasts while danger follows them?

Buy Now

Montana Cowboy Bride by Jane Porter

Wyatt Brothers of Montana, Book 6

“I was glued to this one from start to finish. This author’s characters are just well developed and leap off the page. I wanted to be pals with Briar and just give her a hug. The poor girl was a little lost in life. She ended up at the ranch her brother runs with so much heaviness on her shoulders. Through out the story, Briar really grows as a person. She has some help along with the way with Jet, the hero, Miss Warner, the owner of the ranch, and Emma, the housekeeper all giving her a good advice and a chance to shine. This book was probably one of my favorites in the series. Briar and Jet grow closer throughout the story. Jet also has a complicated past with some baggage of his own. These two lost souls spend time growing together. This book was well written with great conflict to keep me devouring it to the end. .” – Lindy, Goodreads

Buy Now

An Unsuitable Boy by Sinclair Jayne Sawhney

Misguided Masala Matchmaker, Book 3

“An Unsuitable Boy (Misguided Masala Matchmaker Book 3) by Sinclair Jayne Sawhney is without a doubt my favorite of the series. Perhaps it is because the fearless Dhruv Narula finds the respect and love that his family should have given all along. It is hard being the black sheep of the family especially when it is undeserved.” – Paula, Goodreads

Buy Now

Her Cowboy Baby Daddy by Jeannie Watt

Return to Keller Ranch, Book 2

“This is such an entertaining read and a wonderful addition to this series. I loved reading Spence and Hayley’s story. Spence comes home to help out on the ranch but he is only planning on staying temporary. Hayley wants a baby but doesn’t want a relationship. When these two come together their story is funny, a little emotional with some drama. You do not want to miss this book. It will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish.” – Sherri, Goodreads

Buy Now

Lola and the Single Dad by Kelly Hunter

Outback Babies, Book 4

“Another wonderful read in this must read series this isn’t the first series set in Wirralong but it has the same lovely small town country feel that all of the series has but this one has something special babies each of the stories revolves around a baby belonging to one of the main characters In this case it is Oliver the baby son of blacksmith Ned who lost his wife at the birth of his son He is slowly getting his life back together with the help of family and friends Then a whirl wind in the shape of Lola Darcy arrives she is an aspiring actress in Wirrlong to visit her godmother There are instant sparks between these two and she soon connects with Oliver as she baby sits him. But can two such opposites have a future You will have to read to see.” – Debbie, Goodreads

Buy now

Mystery Newsletter Giveaway

This giveaway is only open to Tule Mystery subscribers! You can subscribe HERE.

Two lucky winners will have a chance to win Spotify audiobook copies of books 1 – 3 in C.J. Carmichael’s Bitter Root Mysteries series!

To enter, comment below  what your favorite type of mystery book is. Cozy? Thriller? Psychological? Domestic? Something else? Let us know!

Giveaway is open until Monday, March 27th at 11:59 pm PT. Open internationally. 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED


Tule Author Q&A: Anne McAllister loves a classic cowboy romance!

Anne McAllister stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the fourth book in The Cowboy’s Code series, A Cowboy’s Gift!

Where did you get the inspiration for A Cowboy’s Gift

Like most inspiration, it didn’t come cut from whole cloth, as they say.  I love Christmas – and Christmas stories – and I remember well the Christmas programs we did when I was a child, so the inspiration for that part of the book came from my own memories. The footloose rodeo cowboy who became Gus was inspired by a footloose nineteen-year-old rodeo cowboy I was related to who was no more ready to settle down than a five-year-old. Even I knew that, and I was barely more than five myself at the time.  He was equal parts tough and sweet and smitten, but he had the staying power of a gnat.  About like Gus at nineteen.   He grew up to be a great guy – tough and sweet and smitten still, but eventually responsible, mature and steady as a rock.  I suspected my Gus could be that sort of guy.  Gus’s name – well, I owe that to several generations of misguided parents in my dad’s family who named their little boys the same name that Gus got.  No wonder they were all called Gus!  Mary’s willingness to be a surrogate, carrying the baby her sister couldn’t, came from a friend who did exactly that for her own sister. I was struck by what a gift she had given her sister and brother-in-law, and Mary seemed to me to be the sort of person who would be willing to give that sort of gift.

 

This is a heartwarming second chance romance. What drew you to this trope? What’s your favorite trope to write? 

I like the trope for a couple of reasons. From a writer’s standpoint, given a short format of about 50,000 words, not having to spend a lot of time on the “getting to know you” phase of a relationship is a plus. You can just sort of dive right in and let the characters deal with the issues they already have with each other.  Conflict is easier to come by because they’ve already screwed things up once!  And that the second reason, really: I think, especially when people are young, like Gus and Mary, they don’t get it right the first time, and then they have regrets.  This is a way of giving them a second chance.  Wouldn’t we all, now and then, appreciate a second chance?  I don’t know that it’s my favorite trope, but it’s fun to write because there is always conflict built in – something to build on, to straighten out, something for my characters to tackle.

 

Free White Fedora Hat Hanged during Golden Hour Stock PhotoYou’re no stranger to a classic cowboy romance. What do you think it is about these stories that have you (and readers!) coming back for more time and time again?  

Well, they’re not billionaires (usually) so for me they’re more relatable.  I understand the appeal of the billionaire hero because he can provide security (obviously he’s a success), but the cowboy does a pretty good job of that, in his own way, too.  He’s the master of Getting It Done.  Someone said the other day they loved ‘competency porn.’  Sorry, I can’t remember who it was or I’d give their books a plug. But I thought, yes, competent heroes are, down to the ground, appealing.  There’s an old western saying about a good hand being one you wanted to “ride the river with.” But the appeal goes beyond competence, of course.  A cowboy who’s a hero is an honorable man.  He’s reliable (eventually, even if not at nineteen!), trustworthy, he cares for women and children and animals, and he’s a good friend (I just  checked the Gene Autry Code of the West mug I gave my dad years ago and which I now have back – and Gene agrees).  So he’s all that – and he looks pretty damn fine in Wranglers, long-sleeved shirts, boots and chaps! 

 

Do you have any favorite Christmas or holiday traditions?   

We must have – we’ve been celebrating it as a family for a long, long time, and many things stay mostly the same, but there are usually variations on the themes of spirituality (which takes a variety of forms), and family (which gets more extended and wonderful every year)  and celebration – always.   

 

What are you currently reading? 

I’m reading Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard which is fun so far. It’s my first book by her. I’m enjoying it.  I like heroes named Jack, so that makes it even better.  I’m also reading Tangible Things by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich which complements an EdX course I’m taking from Harvard University’s online offerings. It’s about looking closely and thinking broadly and learning what tangible things can tell us about life that is not just on the surface.  One of my class assignments was to pick an item and really examine it in every way I could think of; I chose a teacup, part of a set that had been in my family for 150 years at least.  Really  contemplating it – reflecting on all the people who had used it, the people who had made it, the process of getting the raw materials, the small line of gold leaf on the cup’s rim, the transportation that brought the cup to America from England in 1892, and why it had mattered more than other things that could have come instead  – all of that made for a fascinating experience. The book calls for the same attentiveness. It’s a thought-provoking read. 

 

About the Author

Years ago someone told Anne McAllister that the recipe for happiness was a good man, a big old house, a bunch of kids and dogs, and a job you loved that allows you to read.  And write.  She totally agrees.
Now, one good man, one big old house (since traded for a slightly smaller house. Look, no attic!) a bunch of kids (and even more grandkids) and dogs (and one bionic cat) and seventy books, she’s still reading.  And writing.  And happier than ever.
Over thirty plus years Anne has written long and short contemporary romances, single titles and series, novellas and a time-travel for Harlequin Mills & Boon and for Tule Publishing. She’s had two RITA winning books and nine more RITA finalists as well as awards from Romantic Times and Midwest Fiction Writers. One of the joys of writing is that sometimes, when she can’t go back in person, she can go back in her mind and her heart and her books.

THE CHRISTMAS CLUES: Release day blog post featuring Scarlet Wilson!

Today is release day for The Christmas Clues.  I adore Christmas stories and write one every year, but this year’s has a bit of difference.  This time my story is around a pair of almost strangers who been left something mysterious in a famous writer’s will.  In order to get their potential inheritance, the author has left them a series of clues that they must solve, and in the meantime, they might fall in love!  Think of this story as something you might see on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries at this time of year.  I can always dream!


My absolute favourite thing at this time of year is Christmas tree decorations.  I’ve had a tradition since I first got published in 2011 of buying a Harrods tree decoration with the year on it.  I have quite a collection now, all in different colours.  You can see that this year’s is purple.  I also got a special decoration last year after my husband brought home a puppy in October.  Our red Labrador is called Max and I got a special red lab tree decoration last year to add to our tree.

 

 

My last favourite is the pile of books tree decoration.  I spotted in last year online, and of course, they were all sold out.  I had to phone around a number of stores until I found one which had a few in stock they could send me.

 

Post me all your pictures of your favourite tree decoration, I can’t wait to see them!

 

About the Author

Scarlet Wilson wrote her first story aged 8 and has never stopped. She’s worked in the health service for over 20 years, training as a nurse and a health visitor, and now currently works within public health. Writing romances is a dream come true for Scarlet and she’s published with Harlequin Mills and Boon, Tule Publishing and Entangled Publishing. Scarlet lives on the West Coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached via her website.


Calling all Radish Readers!

Check out some new Tule additions on Radish!

 

Carol Marinelli’s Russian Billionaires series

   

Grab on Radish now!


Jackie Ashenden’s Bad Boy Sheikhs series

                                               

Grab on Radish now!


Jane Porter’s The Tycoon’s Forced Bride

Grab on Radish now!


Heather Novak’s Love Me Dead series

   

Grab on Radish now!


Megan Crane’s Project Virgin 

Grab on Radish now!


Amy Andrews’ Outback Heat series

 

Grab on Radish now!


Megan Ryder’s Knights of Passion series

   

Grab on Radish now!


THE CHRISTMAS BLUEPRINT: Release day blog post featuring Sinclair Jayne!

The first time I wrote a Christmas themed romance—The Christmas Challenge, which was part of my Montana Wilders series—I wasn’t really sure what I was doing. Jane Porter and the Tule Team had way more trust in me than I deserved at the time. I thought all I needed to do was write sweeter (at the time I was writing…spicier), include lots of snow (easy in Montana) and build up to Christmas day. 

As a mom, I’d tried to create Christmas memories and traditions with my family to imbue the season with meaning that had eluded me during my own childhood. I reasoned that a Christmas story needed to have lots of Christmassy activities to give it meaning. But after a conversation with Jane and attending her Christmas romance novel craft talk on Zoom several years ago, she said something that really stuck with me: Christmas stories are all about the emotion, the longing, the wish fulfillment of family and the warmth of coming or finding home. By dumb luck, I had sort of hit the mark with The Christmas Challenge because it was a reconciliation between twin sisters and also a homecoming both for the heroine and the hero. 

The Christmas Blueprint is my fourth Christmas story, and I feel like with each Christmas story, I find the spirit of love, giving, belonging, and embracing that I have been searching for. Like many of my stories, it involves personal transformation. The heroine, Sophia, is determined to build a life of purpose and meaning even as her parents and many people in the town still long to protect her after the devastating loss of her first responder fiancé. She loves her town of Bear Creek, Oregon and wants to keep the history and character alive even as she works to spear-head a project that she thinks will offer business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs, as well as boost tourism and community spirit. Enter the hero, Killian Flanagan (brother to the heroine in last year’s Lighting Up Christmas). He left Bear Creek after high school and has intended to stay gone, only a promise to a best friend has him returning—temporarily.

Sophia and Killian have a history—dancing around a potential romance—but the timing was never right and now there are too many memories and soon too many miles keeping them apart. Sophia is a five generation home town girl determined to make her mark, and Killian wants to build his own empire far north at a large architecture firm in Seattle. But of course they are forced to collaborate on a mixed-use plan for a recently renovated abandoned mill that is part of a larger private project. And even though they know that letting anything get personal is a mistake, they both seem unable to avoid making it. 

I rarely have an actual antagonist in any of my books. I prefer to let the hero and heroine’s emotions, history, circumstances and goals keep them apart, but in book one in my Bear Creek series, Lighting Up Christmas, I created a small town mayor with big and very personal ambitions. He had a history with both my first heroine Riley Flanagan and also with Sophia Gonzales. Both Riley and Sophia are all about win-win when they create a plan, but the mayor is all about win-lose. I am a little embarrassed to admit how much fun I had created this arrogant, entitled, glaring man. For me, I think he was a bit of a stress relief for the way politics have become rather fraught in our country, but also I found him a touch comical as well as tragic, which reminded me, that I still believe that kindness should and most often does ultimately win.

 

[GIVEAWAY CLOSED]

I hope you enjoy reading The Christmas Blueprint. For a chance to win a signed print copy of Lighting Up Christmas, a sweet-treat themed Christmas Ornament and a $10 Starbucks gift card, subscribe to my newsletter HERE and comment below your answer to: What is your favorite Christmas romance book or Hallmark movie and why? 

Winner will be selected on Wednesday, October 26th

Happy Holidays and happy reading. Tule has so many amazing Christmas releases this year, and another one of our authors, Joan Kilby, has a book turned Hallmark movie Long Lost Christmas. 

 

Best,

Sinclair Jayne

 

About the Author

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


CALLING ALL ANGELS: Release day blog post featuring Barbara Ankrum

Hi everyone! I’m so happy to be back on the Tule Blog and thrilled to be releasing another new book today! CALLING ALL ANGELS is the third book in The Guardian Angel Chronicles. I want to call it a trilogy because this one might be the wrap up book, but you never know. Those pesky story ideas just keep coming.

The thing most people want to know when you’re a writer is: Where do you get your ideas?

Sometimes, when I’m writing stories, they do actually feel like they come from somewhere else (besides my weird brain!) and this one kind of felt like that. This series was inspired by a difficult time for all of us, a time of isolation and separation, a time that really felt like no other we’ve experienced before. I remember watching tv during the height of the pandemic and seeing the surreal images of abandoned city streets and highways. Wild animals roaming through neighborhoods. As if the human world had just…stopped. And people? They were isolated in their homes, apart from one another, feeling lost and frustrated. Of course, this triggered a lot of writerly ‘what if’s’ for me. What if this isolation went on and on? What if this was what it might feel like to be on the ‘other side’? What if angels get lonely and long for the connection they left behind?

In this third book, CALLING ALL ANGELS, there are some familiar characters if you’ve seen in the other two, but it’s a stand-alone book if you haven’t. In this one realtor Emma James has been in a bad car wreck and she’s alarmed to find herself stuck somewhere between life and death in a coma. In the in-between. She moves unseen about the real world, and meets a sexy Scottish angel named Connor, who claims he’s her Guardian there to guide her through this nightmare. CONNOR, a centuries old angel, is wrestling with his own demons, despite his position as a guardian, and drawn to Emma because of –well…it’s complicated. There’s a mystery about her car wreck and she enlists a reluctant Connor’s help in solving it before something worse can happen to her precious niece. And it seems there is a long, long history between Emma and her Guardian but it’s only one he remembers. Do you see her dilemma?

I loved this story so much and loved watching these two long lost soul mates discover each other again. This is a romance with a little mystery thrown in.  And despite the subject matter, it’s really a lot of fun. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Please let me know if you do and if you feel like leaving me a review somewhere I’ll be very grateful to hear your thoughts!

This series, starting with Every Time a Bell Rings, is under option for film with MGM, a thrill I never expected. Keep your fingers crossed that one of them makes it to the screen sometime soon.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

I have a giveaway for one lucky reader here. A $10 Amazon Gift Card and a digital copy of CALLING ALL ANGELS!  To enter, just tell me: Do you believe in angels? Heavenly or otherwise….

I’ll choose a winner randomly on Wednesday 7/20 at 5pm. Please check back to see if you’ve won!


THE WITCH’S JOURNEY: Release day blog post featuring Leigh Ann Edwards

I’m really happy to be back on the Tule blog. It’s release day for The Witch’s Journey, book three in my Witches of Time series and I’m very excited. I enjoyed writing this book so much. It was such a lot of fun. Although I never write anything but historical fantasy, much of this book has a modern-day setting and the heroine’s from the present. 

Angelique’s also a witch. Hopelessly unlucky in love, on her best-friend’s suggestion, she uses a spell to summon her perfect man. Little does she know she’ll evoke Captain Faolan Mahoney––an eighteenth century Irish pirate. Angelique originally intends to return Faolan to his time during the next full moon when her magic’s strongest. They just have to fight the powerful attraction and not fall in love in the next four weeks.

It’s not exactly your typical contemporary novel, but it was great to include modern sayings and reference television, movies, songs and technology. It’s especially funny to see Faolan’s reaction to some items or when he tries to figure out what Angelique’s talking about. Her refers to the washer as the spinning machine and calls the TV, the odd shiny black mirror. 

Angelique is equally or even more out of her element when they go back to Faolan’s time and she experiences a taste of the dangerous life in the seventeen hundreds. Being a self-proclaimed germaphobe and peace-loving humanitarian creates problems for her with both the lack of sanitation and violence. Together, Angelique and Faolan time travel to three different centuries.

I’m absolutely thrilled with this book’s cover. Although I love them all, this is my favorite of the series. Pink’s always been my signature color with purple a close second so when I saw the mock-up, I was very pleased. I also love how the designer captured several different time periods.  

I enjoyed developing the main characters, writing their amusing banter, their emotional love story and including characters from previous books in this Witches of Time series and the Irish Witch series.  Another of my favorite parts of writing The Witch’s Journey was creating a little creature called an elgnorf––part elf, gnome and dwarf. He’s Angelique’s magical guide and much like a grumpy garden gnome. He’s cranky, sarcastic and impatient, but when Angelique gives it right back to him, they eventually develop a sweet friendship.

 I’ve always loved garden gnomes. There was one left with our house when we bought it. My husband joked that was why I wanted this house. My daughter also gave me another little gnome in a plant one Mother’s Day. Although they’re friendly-looking, not like the elgnorf from my story, both of my gnomes were the inspiration for creating this amusing character.  

It brings me joy envisioning and creating these magical worlds, fantastical creatures, interesting characters and love stories. I’ve especially appreciated writing this series during the rigid restrictions during Covid. I could just get lost in my writing and escape the real world. I’m from Alberta Canada. It’s been an especially hot, dry summer here. Having a severe sun sensitivity has also allowed me time to just stay inside and write. 

This May my family experienced a tragic loss. My son-in-law passed from cancer only twelve days after a terminal diagnosis. Understandably, it’s been really tough for my daughter and grandchildren who are thirteen and sixteen. There’s never a good time to lose a parent, but the teenage years are especially hard. Even though we’re aware life has no guarantees and we never know how long we have, it’s still such a shock when it happens close to home. So many have lost loved ones due to Covid, also. It’s a stark reminder to enjoy the time we do have which is an ongoing theme for Angelique and Faolan, too. 

I’m hoping to find a better balance with my writing and homelife. I provide parttime childcare for my two younger grandchildren before and after school or overnight as my daughter works shiftwork and her husband works away. I also homeschool my eldest grandson, but still I often find myself spending more time with the characters in my books than the special people in my life. 

With my upcoming series I intend to focus on treating my writing as a job, not a full-time obsession, although I fully admit when I finished writing book four, I felt lost and really eager to begin the next series. Instead, I had a little fun starting a Christmas story set in a small town in Maine. My sister-in-law has always insisted I write a Christmas book for her. I even have ideas for making it into a series. A lot of interesting characters are just emerging…. as they so often do. 

I look forward to being here on the Tule blog again in seven weeks for the October 4th release of book four, The Witches Reckoning, the last in this series. It ties up The Witches of Time series and my original series, The Irish Witch series

Magical wishes everyone, 

Leigh Ann Edwards

 

Leigh Ann Edwards has always been fascinated by history, magic, romance, witches and Ireland which all inspired her first series, The Irish Witch Series. Growing up in a very small Manitoba town on the Canadian prairies allowed lots of time to create stories and let her imagination soar. Now writing her third series with Tule Publishing, Leigh Ann also loves reading, traveling, spending time with her four grandchildren, doing intuitive readings and reiki.

Leigh Ann lives with her husband, their two very large dogs and two cats near Edmonton Alberta, Canada.