Nan Reinhardt took some time to talk about her new release, Christmas with You.

Christmas with You features a showboat. When was the first time you saw a showboat (real life or on-screen)?
Hmmm… I would say the very first time was in the movie version of Showboat, the 1951 musical based on Edna Ferber’s novel. I love the songs from that musical and somehow, showboats have always fascinated me. There are two on the lakes where we have our summer cottage—one, the Madame Carroll, is sort of what I based Aidan’s showboat, the River Queen, on since she has a stage and the owners do dinner theater on her, as well as proms and private parties and other events. The guys who own her were kind to answer my questions and share their knowledge.

What was Aiden’s role on the hit TV show he was written out of?
He played Detective Pete Atwood,  a “hot cop” on the TV show, LA Detectives. Young, smart, hip, and sexy, he was the perfect foil for the older, more staid police detective he was partnered with on the show. Women fans adored him and he was the only one on the show to win both an Emmy and a Golden Globe in the same year.

Why is Holly’s son so fascinated with the showboat?
I think it is the combination of missing his dead grandfather, who owned the boat and the fact that Mateo wants to be an actor. The showboat represents that dream for him. Once Aidan bought it, it became even more fascinating because he already had a hero-worship thing going with Aidan’s character on LA Detectives, which is one of Holly’s big worries in the story.

How has Aidan invested in River’s Edge?
Mostly, he’s invested financially in his family’s winery, helping Conor and Sean out with new equipment and also, he always helps around the vineyard when he’s home. But he sees the showboat as another way to bring tourists to a small river town that depends on tourism to survive. Buying the River Queen, renovating her, and starting up the Showboat Summer college course with the local college is his way of giving back to the town and to the college that helped him get his start as an actor. He wants to give young actors the same opportunity to practice their craft that he had.

Does Holly have a favorite tea set? If so, what is its significance?
Interesting question—she should have, shouldn’t she? That didn’t come up in the book, although she did haunt flea markets and estate sales when she first bought the shop, looking for all kinds of different teacups and saucers and luncheon plates to supplement the plain white china that was already there. It was her effort to make the tea shop a little bit more kitschy and fun. I think maybe her mom should produce a tea set that Holly doesn’t know about as a wedding gift in book 4 (yep, another Flaherty wedding is going to happen in Brendan’s book). Perhaps a sweet set with hand-painted violets that might be a family heirloom. Thoughts, anyone?

About the Author
Nan Reinhardt has been a copy editor and proofreader for over twenty-five years, and currently works mainly on fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Author Nan writes romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after they turn forty-five! Imagine! She is also a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She’s been an antiques dealer, a bank teller, a stay-at-home mom, and a secretary.

She loves her career as a freelance editor, but 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, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! She’s still writing romance, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, post-menopausal woman who believes that love never ages, women only grow more interesting, and everybody needs a little sexy romance.

Tule author Leigh Ann Edwards took a beat to chat about the second book in her Vikings of Highgard series, The Norse Sorcerer.

How did being a descendant of Solveig affect Brenna’s childhood?
Being a descendant of Solveig affected Brenna’s childhood in many ways. She lived in the grand Solveigian castle-like fortress. She and her sisters were protected by the towering walls and gates surrounding the fortress. There were many lavish rooms such as the Hall of Ancestors and Brenna and her twin sister, Asta, shared a huge bedchamber. Brenna had stronger powers than most Highgardians because she was of the line of Solveig. Perhaps the biggest and most life-changing difference of being a descendant of the goddess, Solveig, was it was believed they were immune to the Red Death.

If Mikkel had a life Motto what would it be?
I think Mikkel’s life motto would have changed a few times throughout his life. After Mikkel, Brandr and Hagen arrived in Midgard, his life motto might have been – Survive at all costs.  Later, it was probably – Look out for number one. After he met Brenna it became – Be the man she believes me to be.

What is Brenna’s biggest phobia?
Brenna’s biggest phobia is the fear of being alone. The thought always terrified her. That was the main reason she was the second sister to make the journey to Midgard. Torunn would be there to meet her and Brenna wouldn’t be left alone in their realm as Asta was.

Tell us about Mikkel’s first time on a ship. How old was he?
Mikkel’s first time on a Viking ship was when he was nineteen – older than many Vikings for a first-time sailing experience. He was physically strong for he had worked on a farm and then later in an ale house carrying heavy casks. He had been training for a long time with swords and learning how Vikings fought.

Mikkel had already made up his mind he would one day become an important earl with a grand longhouse and an army of warriors. When he was on the Viking ship for the first time, he realized how much he liked being out on the open sea. He was intrigued by voyaging to other lands and saw how respected the ship’s steersman (captain) was. He decided he wanted that, too. He worked hard toward making his aspirations a reality.

What actor do you envision to play Mikkel if The Norse Sorcerer was adapted for the screen?
I sometimes find it a challenge to visualize who might play my characters. There are some actors I think would work, but often I find the ones who might be best suited have already played another iconic character. However, I do think maybe Ian Somerhalder who played Damon on Vampire Diaries might do nicely as Mikkel. He has the sultry, bad-boy darkness and the mesmerizing blue eyes. Give Ian some Viking hair and clothes, I think he would be great as Mikkel.

About the Author
Since she was a child, Leigh Ann Edwards has always had a vivid imagination and lots of stories to tell. An enthusiastic traveler and author for over twenty years, her adventures in Massachusetts, Ireland, and the UK inspired The Farrier’s Daughter and its sequel novels in the Irish Witch series. Edwards adores animals, history, genealogy, and magical places—and Ireland is filled with many magical places. She lives with her husband and two cats in the lovely city of Edmonton, Alberta.

Tule authors Kelsey McKnight and Sarah Fischer took some time to discuss their new release, Royally Abandoned.

Tell us about the fictional kingdom of Aldora — what real-life country is it similar to?
Aldora is a small island nation off the coast of Great Britain. It’s most like the city-state Monaco, since although it’s tiny, it’s a wealthy nation with a strong monarchy. Now for some Aldora fun facts! The Montgomery royal family took the throne when an ancestor of theirs, a blacksmith, challenged the reigning king to a duel. Because the king was so disliked, the blacksmith beating him in combat brought a new reign of peace to the kingdom. Since then, the crown and the people have lived in perfect harmony. Greyson’s mother went to school with the late Princess Diana and they had a lifelong friendship…then they each married princes and became cousins through marriage!

How does Greyson pick Savannah, Georgia, as his destination?
Greyson’s mother was a fan of Gone with the Wind, a classic American film set in Georgia. When Greyson was deciding where he should move to, Georgia was the first place that came to mind. Then, he figured the easiest place to find construction or carpentry work in Georgia would be Savannah. Finding the perfect girl who just happened to be named Scarlett was just the cherry on top.

Scarlett teaches Greyson how to cook — what is her go-to dish?
Scarlett can’t just pick one dish, so let’s get a meal! From our personal recipe books, here are some things we think Scarlett would approve of…

If Greyson and Scarlett had a song, what would it be?
“If I Were a Bell” from Guys and Dolls.

What is your favorite holiday book of all time?
That’s a hard one, but we both read and enjoyed It Started With a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson

Note from the Authors

Royally Abandoned is the first time we’ve officially joined literary forces to write and publish a book we wrote together, but we’ve been friends for many years.

We met in college when we joined the same sorority and have been together ever since, even when we both began building families and lives in different states. Through constant texting, daily phone calls, and telepathic ability (just kidding), we’ve turned our university sisterhood into a lifelong friendship. When we each learned the other was writing their own little novels, we became each other’s makeshift editors and sounding boards as we learned the ropes in the publishing world.

When we finally decided to collaborate on a project, we knew we could build a charming world set in the thick of the holiday season. From a cozy peach cobbler café in Georgia to the opulent ballroom in the Montgomery Castle in Aldora, we want everyone who reads Royally Abandoned to feel that a book is better when you have someone to share it with.

Xoxo,
Sarah and Kelsey

New Tule author M.A. Guglielmo took a beat to talk about her new release, Summoned.

Zahara is an outrageous character. If someone gave her $5,000 to spend freely, where would she go?

Vegas, baby! And since she can magically enchant slot machines to do her evil bidding, that 5K might end up as a lot more money for her to spend on fashion and sweets.

What is Daniel’s favorite memory with his grandmother? Were they close?
Daniel received a good deal of comfort from his grandmother during his parent’s divorce, and her grand love affair with his grandfather is the kind of love he hopes to find.

Who would you like to play Zaid if Summoned was adapted for the screen?
Marwan Kenzari, who plays bad guy Jafar in the life-action Aladdin, has great potential to play the good-but-dangerous Zaid.

If Zahara had a favorite song, what would it be?
Bad Girls by M.I.A.

What are you currently reading?
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. Awesome world-building and a great slow burn on her romantic arcs.

About the Author
Born and raised in Rhode Island, M.A. Guglielmo is the proud mother of two wonderful daughters and works as a neurosurgeon in academic practice. Drawing on her life-long love of imaginative fiction, she writes stories based mostly on Middle Eastern and Southern European mythology and legend.

Tule author Jamie K. Schmidt took some time to talk about her second installment in her Three Sisters Ranch series, The Cowboy’s Hunt.

What initially drew Emily into the Peace Corps?
Emily wanted to show her family that she was a responsible adult, and getting the heck out of Last Stand, Texas, was high on her list because of her father’s temperament.  She also wanted to help make a difference in people’s lives, so the Peace Corps seemed like the best choice.

Are you a hunter? Have you ever been?
I’m not a hunter, but my father is.  While we don’t live on a farm, our family is lucky enough to have about thirty or so acres of forestland. For a chance of pace, every year he would go to a cabin in Vermont for the weekend to hunt. Without fail, we’d see three full rack bucks in our front yard while he was gone. One of my favorite stories he tells is when he and his friend, Bobby, were walking across a cow pasture and one of the cows didn’t like it.  So she charged them.  My father stayed put, but the cow chased Bobby all across the pasture and up a tree.

I only fired my father’s deer rifle once.  It was a .357 magnum, which is a weird caliber for a hunting rifle. My grandfather used a 12-gauge shotgun. I could barely lift that thing. My father’s rifle had the prettiest strap for it.  It was wide leather with a field of deer pictured on it, which is ironic if you think of it.  Anyway, we had a fifty-gallon drum with a can on top set up for target practice. He told me to tuck the butt of the rifle below my shoulder, take a deep breath and fire.  I knew the rifle was going to kick, but I hadn’t expected to be blown back.  I landed hard on my back, deafened – because I wasn’t wearing ear protection (It was the 80’s), with my finger still on the trigger, the rifle still tucked in my shoulder, but facing to the sky.  You wouldn’t believe the bruise I had on my chest.

When my mother started talking to him again and my bruise faded, he decided to have me try out his .22 rifle. Which for the curious, doesn’t kick at all. Or at least, not that I noticed.  This time, we were in my grandfather’s yard and the can was on his fence post.  My father takes the first shot. Clang! The can wobbles. I line up my shot. Clang! The can doesn’t wobble.  Well, that’s strange.  I take my second shot. Clang! Again – no wobble. So we go check it out. The can has one hole in it.  I’m so proud of myself.  I put the bullet through the hole my father made in the can. Not once. But twice. Sound impossible?  It was. But we had no other solution. A few days later, my grandfather calls us yelling his head off, “Who the hell put two rounds into my wheelbarrow?” My father threw me under the bus.  “The baby did it.” (I was sixteen.) My grandfather immediately deflated and was like, “Oh, all right.  I shouldn’t have left it out there.”  It was to the way right of where I was aiming, so far off the mark my father and I didn’t even consider that’s what I had shot.  Which is why you always stand behind someone who’s firing a projectile.

I took up the bow after that. My father had a beautiful longbow that was almost as tall as I was, and you’d string it by wrapping it around your leg. I loved that bow. I can’t remember the test weight, but I remember they told me it was too hard for me to drag back.  Well, that was all you had to tell me. I practiced and practiced until I could draw it back to my cheek without quivering too much. And once I could hold it steady, my father gave me some arrows without tips and told me to go shoot a tree. I was pretty good. That big oak tree never stood a chance. And then I saw the squirrel. I knew I could hit it. I hated squirrels. Not only were they destructive, they would eat my dog Christopher’s food right out of his bowl and taunt him while doing it. But Christopher was a gentle giant, a collie-husky mix, and just sat there forlornly and let them eat his food. So, this was going to be for Christopher. I drew back, aimed—but before I released the arrow, I realized I didn’t want to kill the squirrel. I knew that if I killed it, something in me would be forever changed. I knew how much I cried when I accidentally ran over a squirrel in the road.  What would I do if I deliberately chose to do it?  I decided I didn’t want to find out.

What is something you can find on the Three Sisters Ranch that you can’t find anywhere else in Last Stand?
Ghost.  Ghost is a rare white elk. She travels all around the back forty acres of the ranch, but she’s been known to come closer to the ranch house on occasion.

Donovan wants to go to Alaska. Has he ever been there or is it just his escape destination?
Yes, he was there tracking rabid animals. While he liked the challenge of pitting himself against a crafty predator like a cougar or a grizzly bear, he doesn’t hunt for sport.  He hunts to protect people and put suffering animals out of their misery.

As an eco-warrior, Emily loves all flora and fauna. What is her favorite animal and why?
Horses. She adores them and has been horse crazy since she was a little girl. She considers her palomino Sunflower one of the family.  When she was younger, she would barrel race in the Last Stand Rodeo. She goes out riding with her father when they move the cattle from pasture to pasture and also goes exploring their land not only with Sunflower, but also with the other trail horses on the ranch. Emily loves to exercise them and take care of them. Her sister, Janice, has a retired racehorse named Synergy that she sneaks peppermints too and takes him out for fast rides.

About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt, writes erotic contemporary love stories and paranormal romances. Her steamy, romantic comedy, Life’s a Beach, reached #65 on USA Today, #2 on Barnes & Noble and #9 on Amazon and iBooks. Her Club Inferno series from Random House’s Loveswept line has hit both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble top one hundred lists. The first book in the series, Heat, put her on the USA Today bestseller list for the first time, and is a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her book Stud is a 2018 Romance Writers of America Rita® Finalist in Erotica. Her dragon paranormal romance series has been called “fun and quirky” and “endearing.” Partnered with New York Times bestselling author and former porn actress, Jenna Jameson, Jamie’s hardcover debut, SPICE, continues Jenna’s FATE trilogy.