New Tule author Leslie Marshman stopped by to answer some Qs on her new release, Goode Over Evil.

What was Samantha’s favorite part about training to be a Texas Ranger and why?
Sam moved up the ladder from being a Texas State Trooper to a Texas Ranger, so she’d already gone through the police training necessary for the job, as well as the required number of years on the street.

As a Ranger, she enjoys working major crimes, becoming more adept at studying murder scenes and hunting down killers. And of course, working with the Joint Operations & Intelligence Center while she was posted in El Paso was very satisfying for her. In that capacity, she helped to bring down drug smugglers and hamper the cartels’ long reach across the border. She hates drugs and the devastation they wreak, and for good reason!

Who would you want to play Clayton if Goode Over Evil was adapted for the screen?
Scott Eastwood would make the perfect Clayton Barnett. He’s tall, rugged in denim, and handsome in a tux. I mean, look at these two pictures and tell me this isn’t Clay Barnett!

How does your psychology degree help you create your characters?
I specialized in both child development and criminology while I was getting my degree. I’ve always been fascinated with what makes people turn out the way they do. I spend a lot of time getting to know my characters, and I like to figure out what traumatic incidents affected them when they were younger, and how the resulting damage manifests itself in them as adults. This is true of all my characters, but I especially enjoy figuring out how the bad guys get to be such twisted psychos.

What added benefits does a Texas setting lend to your novel?
Well, the obvious benefit is being able to have a Texas Ranger as a heroine. The Rangers are the Texas equivalent to other states’ Bureaus of Investigation, but the long history of the Rangers is a fascinating blend of sacrifices and scandals.

Aside from that, Texas is quite an amazing place. I grew up on the West Coast and Colorado, so there were some things I had to get adjusted to when I first moved to Houston. Like humidity, giant flying cockroaches, and armadillos in the back yard. But I learned a long time ago that life’s too short to hate where you live, so I made it my mission to discover the wonders of Texas. It takes more than a day to travel it, east to west. Within its borders are deserts, mountains, forests, bayous, plains, beaches, boggy swamps full of cypress stumps, and crystal clear waterfalls. I can set stories in big cities with oil billionaires or small towns with cowboys and horses. There’s a mystique about the state and its Wild West history that readers and writers alike love. I’ve got more Texas-set story ideas churning in my head than I have time to write. And that’s always a good thing. (This is a picture of the lake I often camp and fish at that inspired Crystal Lake in Goode Over Evil.)

What are you currently reading?
I’m almost always reading two books at any given time. I’ve just started Stephen King’s The Institute. He’s been a favorite author of mine since his first book (Carrie), and for a long time my one hardcover book Christmas gift each year was his latest release. I still can’t resist grabbing his newest ones as soon as they come out.

I’m also reading Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz. I’m running behind on the Orphan X series, and trying to catch up before the new one comes out in January. I met the author at a signing in Houston at Murder By The Book, and the level of research he does is intriguing and impressive.

About the Author
Award-winning suspense author Leslie Marshman is (finally) putting her psychology degree to good use, getting inside the heads of her characters and figuring out what makes them tick. She writes novels that feature kick-ass heroines, the heroes who love them, and the bad guys who fear them.

Leslie called Denver home until she married a Texan without reading the fine print. Now she lives halfway between Houston and Galveston and has learned to embrace the humidity. Her household includes two miniature poodles named Harley and Davidson, and a three-legged box turtle named Stumpy.

If she’s not at her computer making things up, you’ll probably find her camping at a lake, a fishing pole in one hand and a book in the other.

Tule author Robin Bielman took some time to answer questions about her second book in her American Royalty series, Sweet Talker.

For this series, what inspired you to put the perspective in first-person?
I love reading books written in first person and so when I came up with the idea to write about three close-knit brothers, I couldn’t wait to really get inside their heads. I’m a pantser, meaning I don’t plot very much, and so I’m always following my character’s lead and having the book unfold through Ethan and Pascale’s eyes was lots of fun.

How did Pascale and Ethan meet during that “incredible summer”?
They met on a beach in Hawaii (of my favorite places!). Pascale was playing frisbee with her best friend and Ethan was tossing a football with his friend. She lunged for a catch at the same time Ethan dove for one, and they bumped into each other—literally. Ethan, being the charming and confident twenty-two-year-old that he was said, “Crash here often?” And that was the start of an unforgettable summer.

If Pascale had to wait tables, could she do it?
Absolutely! She wouldn’t hesitate to jump in where needed. Funny story — I’ve never been a waitress, but I’ve had lots of dreams about being one. And I’m always terrible at it, messing up orders and being totally flustered! LOL Pascale would rock waiting tables.

Is there a celebrity you envisioned when you were writing Ethan?
Yes! So, one of my favorite actors is Luke MacFarlane. He’s been in several Hallmark Channel movies, but he’s also one of the lead actors on Killjoys on the SyFy Network and I love him! Here’s a picture! *sigh*

What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading Stranded and Seduced by Charlene Sands. It’s so good! Romantic and sweet and super fun with a fake engagement and amnesia tropes. There’s also some enemies to lovers action between the hero, Risk, and heroine, April, which adds some great sexual tension. I’m dying to see how everything is resolved!

About the Author

Robin Bielman is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, frequent coffee shops, and spend time with her husband and two sons.

Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas. She writes with a steady stream of caffeine nearby and the best dog on the planet, Harry, by her side. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. To keep in touch, sign up for her newsletter on her website! www.robinbielman.com

Tule author Madeline Ash took some time to discuss her second book in the The Morgan Sisters series, His Billionaire Bride.

Who is Edwin’s favorite artist?
His idol, David Bowie. “He is everything,” Edwin says about him. Bowie’s creativity, aesthetic, and humility aside, Edwin is also drawn to the musician’s fluid representation of identity. It’s complicated, authentic, and undefinable. In a world of categorization, Bowie always suggested a different way of being. Identity that is as untouchable as a final guitar chord—and just as magical.

What is Carrie’s prized possession?
As a self-made billionaire, Carrie lives in a luxury penthouse with the financial freedom to acquire anything her heart desires. But her heart only cares for one thing—the health and well-being of her family.

Is there an actor you would want to play Edwin?
I would love a younger Eddie Redmayne. Not only would he look the part, but he’s adept at nuance, so would be able to capture Edwin’s unique blend of strength, compassion, vivaciousness and vulnerability.

What is (Carrie’s sister) Emmie’s favorite movie and why?
Tough question! Emmie’s favorite movie will have changed from before the events of The Wedding Obsession (The Morgan Sisters book #1) due to *spoilers*. In the past, it would have been something thought-provoking like Ex Machina or The Truman Show. Now, it’s much more likely to be Return to Me—a movie with a heart transplant patient heroine and a gorgeous romance!

What are you currently reading?
A couple of things. I often pair romance with young adult fiction, so am reading Obsidio, a gripping and compelling YA sci-fi by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (it’s SO good!) as well as How to Blow It with a Billionaire, a quirky and queer erotic romance by one of my all-time favorite authors, Alexis Hall.

About the Author

Madeline Ash is an Australian contemporary romance author and two-time RITA Award finalist. She has won Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year award (RUBY). She delves deep into the hearts and minds of her characters, creating flawed and compassionate leads—who are always rewarded with a happy ending.

Tule author Justine Davis took a moment to discuss her latest release set in Last Stand, Texas, Lone Star Nights.

How does Slater integrate his Ivy League education into his bartending?
Since his degree is in philosophy, he looks at people from that perspective. He’s always that half-step back, observing, and tends to categorize people in that way. People in all their varied types intrigue him, and he is fascinated when someone is a dichotomy, philosophically. He likes to draw them out to get them to see the conflict and see if they cling to it or change.

There definitely some history there, how did Slater and Joey first meet?
Joey was fourteen when she first saw Slater at the Last Stand Bluebonnet Festival, when she was doing a story reading at the library booth. (her career path was set early on!) When she finished she looked up and saw him, and he told her it was the best telling of that story he’d ever heard. She fell for him like the proverbial ton of bricks, but was mostly in awe and a little bit afraid, since he was an “older man.” (He was eighteen) And unfortunately for Joey’s tender heart, he was there waiting for her glamorous older sister. And that is a shadow she has trouble stepping out of.

Slater and Joey have such great dialogue. What inspired you to write it?
I’ve always collected quotations, from serious to funny. Sometimes the quotes themselves are meaningful, some are meaningful—or funny—when you consider who said them. So when I threw these two together, she being a librarian, and him a constant reader, somewhere along the line they fell into conversing in quotations, and trying to trip each other up on knowing the source. I used several from my collection for the book, but some of my favorites didn’t quite fit. For instance:

• Wise men speak when they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something. ~Aristotle
• Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75. ~Ben Franklin
• Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. ~George S. Patton
• Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party. ~Jimmy Buffett
• Words fascinate me. They always have. For me, browsing in a dictionary is like being turned loose in a bank.  ~Eddie Cantor (this one is truly me!)
• Not everything that counts can be counted. Not everything that can be counted, counts. ~Albert Einstein
• There’s more treasure in books than all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island. Best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life. ~Walt Disney
• Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. ~Rudyard Kipling
• And one of my all time favorites: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. ~Wayne Gretzky

What is the fastest way to ruffle Joey’s feathers?
Compare her to her beautiful, glamorous, and utterly self-serving older sister. Joey has lived in her shadow all her life, and she’s tired of it. And that Slater was engaged to that sister first makes her doubt…everything.

What are you currently reading?
Besides keeping up with the Last Stand authors, I’ve been on a Regency binge for some reason (probably having recently discovered Darcy Burke!). But it’s been interrupted to re-read the brilliant Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Prophecy in preparation for the next book, Archangel’s War coming next month. (That noise you hear is me champing at the bit…) There are not many authors I reread, but she is definitely one. I’m in awe of her world building and Raphael is the most incredible hero ever created in romance.

About the Author

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

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

You delve into two pretty complicated industries: Journalism and Medicine. What kind of research did you have to do?
Being honest, I cheated on the journalist front – I’m married to one! But having a peripheral view of the fast-paced news industry for more than a decade now is what inspired me to write about it. There aren’t many jobs where people constantly try to balance profitability with serving the public interest, which is what journalism so compelling.

I guess the same could be said about medicine, which is something I have zero exposure to (English major, hello!) yet it fascinates me. I recently realized that Grace is the third heroine I’ve written with a medical background (I have an orthopedic surgeon and a clinical psychologist in two novellas). I haven’t quite figured out the reasoning behind this yet – maybe I like the idea of the otherwise strong, capable female healer needing to heal herself as well? Either way, I have to admit that my scientific knowledge doesn’t extend much past a teenage devotion to the show ER!

Oren and his brothers buy the London Phoenix — what this the name of the newspaper before they bought it or is it symbolic?
They kept the Phoenix’s name, but it is also symbolic of the paper’s long and storied life as a broadsheet.

We find out Grace’s exes are bad news. In the past, was Oren more often times the dumper or the dumped? 
Oren would only really consider himself as having had one capital-R Relationship, which his ex-girlfriend Natalie. She ended things with him which I suppose puts him more firmly in the dumpee category, but the truth is he’s steered well clear of ever being half of anything that could be considered a relationship since then.

Is there any particular incident growing up that drove Grace to pursue emergency medicine?
Perhaps surprisingly for someone otherwise fairly level-headed, the unpredictability and spontaneity of emergency medicine is what attracted Grace. And scratching the surface, it’s possible that she liked the relatively low commitment inherent in emergency medicine, as opposed to a specialism with long-term patient care. Just like she hesitates to confront her relationship with her father, in emergency medicine she doesn’t have to work on building or maintaining long relationships with her patients – she can patch them up and ship them off.

What are you currently reading?

For the last couple of summers I’ve started reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series so that I’m caught up ahead of the next season when it airs on Starz in the fall (I have a thing about reading the book before seeing the film or TV adaptation!). Per tradition I’m spending 1400 pages of my summer with Jamie and Claire and at the moment I’m about halfway through The Fiery Cross.

About the Author

Rebecca Crowley inherited her love of romance from her mom, who taught her to at least partially judge a book by the steaminess of its cover. She writes contemporary romance with smart heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City, London and Johannesburg, Rebecca currently resides in Houston.