Tag Archives: Author Feature

Family Feuds and Release Day with Elsa Winckler!

May 5, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

The siblings on the Weston ranch have always known about the fight their dad and his brother had long ago, the reason why they never spoke to each other before they passed away. What they don’t know, is why. Their mother knows, but she’s not talking. Hayden Weston, the oldest brother on the Weston ranch ends the feud by reaching out to their two cousins Dylan and Carson Weston.

Both brothers jump at the chance to work with their cousins and eagerly move to the Weston leaving their unhappy childhood memories behind them.

In Home to the Cowboy, we meet Dylan Weston, a seedstock production specialist
like his brother. Because of his unhappy childhood, he isn’t interested in ever getting married but when he gives the leggy brunet outside town walking in the rain trailing a red suitcase behind her, a lift things shift.

June Kincaid grew up in the foster care system and the only family she has is her
best friend Abby. When she finds her boyfriend in bed with someone else, she decides to visit Marietta again, the only place where she’s ever really felt at home. (We meet her in Reckless with the cowboy when she visits Becket Weston to sign a book deal with him). Hopefully she’ll also have time to write the children’s story she’d been thinking about.

What she’s not prepared for is the seriously handsome cowboy who offers her a lift into town. His suggestion that they spend time together until she goes back to Seattle is tempting and sounds uncomplicated. So why does she hesitate?

I spent happy tears giving these two their happy ending – I hope you’ll enjoy it too. And oh,
the reason for the family is also revealed in this story!

Thanks for stopping by!

About the author

Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James, the Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life.

Although her three gown-up children rarely acknowledge the fact they have a romance-writing mom, her husband fortunately, is very proud of her, reads every word and is happy to make sure she gets the kissing scenes just right.

She likes the heroines in her stories to be beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong.  And the heroes must be strong but possess a generous amount of sensitivity. They are of course, also gorgeous.  Her stories typically incorporate the family background of the characters to better understand where they come from and who they are when we meet them in the story.

Sunrise at the Bennett Ranch: Cowboy Skillet Breakfast

April 30, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

This hearty breakfast fits right in at the Bennett Ranch kitchen or even as a special at the
Sagebrush Café. It’s simple, comforting, and perfect for feeding hungry cowboys—or anyone who needs to fuel up for the day ahead. I recommend you serve this to your ranch hands with strong coffee because every cowboy needs caffeine to be alert and ready for anything ranch and rodeo life throws their way.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

– 3 cups diced potatoes
– 6 slices bacon
– ½ onion, diced
– 4 eggs
– 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
– Salt and pepper
– Optional: green onions or chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Let cool, then crumble.
2. Save 1-2 tbsp grease in the pan.
3. Add diced potatoes and cook until golden and tender (about 15 minutes).
4. Stir in onion and cook until softened.
5. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over potatoes & onion.
6. Make 4 small wells in the skillet. Crack one egg into each well. Season with salt &
pepper.
7. Cover and cook until eggs are done.
8. Sprinkle cheese on top and cook until melted.
Alternative: Scramble eggs in the pan.

In Bentwood Creek, a broken vow leads to an unexpected promise.

Hayden Bennett is done with love. After being left at the altar, the Montana rancher returned home determined to protect his heart and honor his grandfather’s final wishes. But dividing the family ranch five ways, managing a wandering grandmother, and holding everything together alone is more than even a stubborn cowboy can handle.

This heartfelt small-town cowboy romance delivers second chances, found family, and a love that proves sometimes the safest risk is trusting the one who knows you best.

About the Author

Melinda Curtis is the USA Today bestselling author of light‐hearted contemporary romance, romantic comedies, and women’s fiction. Her book Dandelion Wishes was made into a TV movie – Love in Harmony Valley, starring Amber Marshall. She lives in Oregon’s wine country with her husband – her basketball-playing college sweetheart. While raising three kids, the couple did the soccer thing, the karate thing, the dance thing, the Little League thing and, of course, the basketball thing. Now when Melinda isn’t writing and Mr. Curtis isn’t watching college basketball, they do the DIY thing.

World Building a Small Town with Aimee O’Brian

April 16, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I love books where I can escape into the world created. The phrase world-building often elicits thoughts of science fiction or spy thrillers, medieval epics and sweeping family sagas. But a sweet, small town romance deserves a carefully crafted setting as well, one where a reader can step away into the lives of quirky neighbors; where family feuds and forgiveness are the reality; and where a hero can fall in love with a shop girl, a B&B hostess, a docent; or perhaps an anti-hero might just find himself captivated by the gray eyes of the youngest mayor the town of Hazard has ever seen.

I’ve had great fun writing my Charmed Love series and creating the magic of Hazard. It’s town square takes center stage in every book where on the green the statue of the town’s founder Edwin Hazard reigns in stately glory. But I didn’t stop there, oh no, with each story in the series, I delved deeper beneath the town where a warren of tunnels has a history going back to 1775; while above the town, the winds of Hazard become a character in their own right.

The Magical Library brings the Charmed Love series full circle. The town’s antagonist Derrick Cross wants vengeance for a centuries old wrong. He wants to take away everything that makes Hazard unique and transform it into Everywhere, America. He longs to reveal the truth about the town’s founder, who he views as a thief and reprobate. And the best part? He’s not wrong.

Whitney Hopewell the newly elected mayor wants what’s best for her town, a town she moved to as a teen, a town that took her in and made her feel special. This truth-loving former librarian, now presiding as mayor, knows she must usher a new era into Hazard. The housing mandate demands it, but Derrick sees this has his chance to enact his family’s revenge.

Fortunately, Hazard as a wind of its own with a charmed quilt that makes you dream of your one true love. And while Whitney and Derrick might think they are meeting for the first time, the magic of Hazard knows better in this romance meant to be.

For those of you who love Hazard, Rhode Island and its quirky historical society, its Ivy Way Tea Shop, the Worthy Bed & Breakfast Inn, and that darling Camellia Cottage overrun with black cats, don’t worry, I do have more stories dancing in my brain for this remarkable town. Still, this fourth book brings resolution to the stories so far, revealing the final verse of the Hazard Blessing and the town’s secrets along with it, proving that two factions from centuries past may just have more in common than they realized.

So please, allow yourself to take a break from the travails of daily life and step into a world of magical possibility where the winds guide you in the direction you need to go. I would love some help filling the details into my imaginings, so please share in the comments which of the Hazard, Rhode Island secondary characters you would like to see achieve their own happily-ever-afters.

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.

Behind the Story of The Other Killer with Heidi Field

April 15, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I cannot believe that I am about to publish my third book. I am really getting into the swing of regular writing alongside posting on social media and engaging on reader Facebook pages, and I am loving this wonderful world of books, and reader engagement, and writing my stories.

I have recently read three very different novels, a serial killer story with a romantic element, a creepy mystery that builds slowly towards the final twist, and a romantasy with some eye-popping spice. I was totally engrossed in each story, and I learned something from them, too.

I learned that romance can be deliciously added to any genre and it can provide an
added extra that makes an otherwise okay read into an unputdownable read. I
learned that stunningly written settings can draw you in as much as character and
plot, and that beautiful writing is as exciting as a well-drawn plot. I learned that a
strong male character with just the right amount of heart, charisma and
shortcomings, can make me stay awake reading for far longer than I wanted to.

The Other Killer has romance, twists, a handful of dark, secluded settings, and a
male character who is fighting to be the best man he can be, despite the damage he
carries around. It is a joy to write a series, to know characters so well that I can push
their limits and show another side to them, to change the readers view of them. You
will see Mason in a new light, you will feel differently about him, whether or not you
like what you see will be your personal response and either works for me.

I love the idea that people are complex and that situations can bring out traits that
have been dormant in a person, that all they need was the right push, the right
motivation, to become something unexpected.

Mason is unexpected. Shiv is unexpected. Even Pip will surprise you.

Standing on the pavement outside the prison is a rush like I haven’t felt in twenty
years, like someone’s been standing on my chest for two decades and they just
stepped off. Thoughts swirl around in my head, stuff I haven’t dared think about for
so long, possibilities, ideas, plans, simple shit, like, I get to take a dump on a crapper
with a seat, what it’s gonna feel like to sleep on a mattress with springs, not having
to watch my back or get my room turned over just because some arsehole feels like
making my life just a little bit harder. I don’t gotta do jack shit if I don’t wanna, don’t
gotta do what another man tells me to, don’t gotta sit in a room with bars like a zoo
animal no more.

Hell, I’m a g*ddam free m*therf*cker.

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. Writing contemporary thrillers, she likes to put relatable people in extraordinary situations, challenge them, push them to their limits and watch them fight for their sanity.

The Peasedale Woods Killers is Heidi’s first series, interweaving the relationships between mothers, sons, and serial killers, questioning where blame ends and responsibility begins.

An Author Finds Her Voice with Anna J Stewart

March 31, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

From the time I picked up my first romance novel back in high school (a very long time ago, LOL), I have known what I wanted to do: write romance novels. There simply wasn’t any other idea in my head, even as I explored various career paths. Those career paths were frequently dictated by whatever book I was reading: a paralegal (thanks to a romance by Kristen James), a coroner (because of the Kay Scarpetty books by Patricia Cornwell), an anthropologist (after reading one of Nora Roberts’s early Silhouettes). It took me far longer than it probably should have to realize that, as a writer, I could be any and all of those things for as long as it took me to write a book. And so…

Here I am. A good number of years later, with more than sixty books under my writing
belt. The majority of those are with Harlequin (my dream from that first day), but most
recently, I was given the opportunity to, in the words of my former editor, “write whatever
I wanted.” I cannot tell you the freedom and excitement hearing (or rather reading)
those words evoked. No restrictions, no guidelines, just write what your heart and soul
wants. Thus, the Circle of the Red Lily series was born.

I’m a lifelong obsessive with all things movies and Hollywood. I grew up on Saturday
morning Shirley Temple, Abbot & Costello, and Bogart movies. My all-time favorite movie (okay, I have a lot) is The Adventures of Robin Hood staring Errol Flynn (closely followed by Singin’ in the Rain). There’s something magical about those old classics, a time gone by even as they created and built the art form we enjoy today. Everything about that time, the studio system, the movie stars and glamour, the bright spinning lights of premiere night, is utterly fascinating to me. So I knew, when I was asked to write something that matters to me, Hollywood would have to play a part.

The initial idea was simple. What would happen if a photographer came across lost film,
developed it, and discovered that they were photographs that would call into question a
notorious murder case and conviction.

Riley Temple became that photographer, a paparazzo with a heart and a woman with
little faith in the justice system. Her roots run deep in Hollywood thanks to her late grandfather, a studio portrait photographer in the Golden Age of Hollywood and her Great Aunt Moxie, a character inspired by the one and only Shirley Temple (if Shirley had a bit of a spicy edge to her). Together they own Temple House, an apartment

building in the heart of Los Angeles that once served as housing for the stable of actresses, dancers and performers going back as far as the 1930s. When those pictures Riley discovered suddenly put her and her circle of friends in danger, she finds herself coming face to face with the absolute worst hero possible: a cop. Don’t you love it when they’re both utterly wrong—and right—for one another? Together they discover that the photographs unlock the truth of a secret society that has been hovering in the shadows of Hollywood for decades. A society that will do anything to remain hidden. Including kill.

Framed, Vanished, and Unearthed are the first three books in my five-book Circle of the Red
Lily series. I LOVE writing books featuring a close-knit community and Riley’s four friends, all of whom live in Temple House, are along for the ride of their lives with each of them getting their own happily ever after (after some dangerous shenanigans). And how do we know they’ll get their HEAs? Because I write romance! How they get there, however? Now that’s going to be the biggest mystery of them all.

I am so thrilled that this series has a home with Tule now and I’m even more excited to
be celebrating these first releases with them. How appropriate that these are the books
that finally helped me find my voice.

Welcome to the Circle of the Red Lily. I hope you all will enjoy my ode to Old Hollywood,
a time gone by, and that all important happily ever after.

About the Author

Anna J. Stewart is a National and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty emotionally layered romances, ranging from sweet to suspenseful.

A Maggie and Holt Medallion winner, Anna’s work has also been recognized as a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards and one of her novels, Recipe for Redemption, was optioned for a TV movie.

At the heart of every story Anna tells is family—the kind you’re born into, and the kind you fight for. Her characters wrestle with real struggles, deep wounds, and the kind of love that changes everything.

When she’s not writing or working with editing and book coaching clients, Anna can be found in her kitchen chasing comfort through baking, or deep in a TV binge that often includes The Great British Bake-Off, Supernatural, and anything Starfleet-approved. She shares her space—and negotiates for desk rights—with two cats, Rosie and Sherlock, who are equal parts muse and menace.

(Re)Introducing Wade Hendricks with Jill Sorenson

March 24, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hello all! I’m back to celebrate Sheriff’s Honor, the second book in my contemporary/Western romance series. This story features a recurring character named Deputy Sheriff Wade Hendricks. In Cowboy’s Last Stand, Wade is a rival for the heroine’s affections and a foil for the hero. He’s also the former best friend of Natalie’s husband, Mike, who died in combat. Although Wade and Natalie shared a night together, it was more of a flop than a love connection.

In Sheriff’s Honor, Wade has relocated to a new town and moved on. When he meets Meredith, he realizes his feelings for Natalie were never that strong. At one point he tells Meredith about their ill-fated encounter:

“I went over to Natalie’s house on Mike’s birthday,” Wade said. “I brought a bottle of his favorite tequila. We planned to hang out and reminisce. It was emotional, and we both drank too much. One thing led to another and we ended up in bed.”
“Did you fall in love with her before that, or after?”
“After.”
“Because it was so amazing?”
“No.” He winced at the memory. “It was awkward, actually. She called me Mike in the middle of it.”
Meredith sat up straighter. “What did you do?”
“I choked,” he said, shaking his head. “I hurried up and finished, and I left.”
“You finished?”
“What was I supposed to do? Not finish?”
“Did she enjoy it?”
“She did not.”
“She said that?”
“She didn’t have to. I could tell.”
Meredith clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “That’s terrible.”
He smiled wryly. “It was a huge blow to my ego.”

Things didn’t work out for Wade in Cowboy’s Last Stand. Luckily, he’s getting a chance for his own HEA in Sheriff’s Honor. He finds redemption and solace in Lost Lake, Texas with a
spunky ranch hand who captivates him completely.

You don’t have to read Cowboy’s Last Stand to enjoy Sheriff’s Honor, but I think it makes
Wade’s story more satisfying. Either way, I’m happy to (re)introduce a true hero with flaws and missteps who finally meets his match and gets it right.

About Sheriff’s Honor

She’s hiding from a past that could destroy her. He’s sworn to uncover the truth—no matter
what the cost.

Meredith Rose never meant to point a shotgun at the new deputy sheriff. But when Wade
Hendricks strides onto the Lost Lake ranch to visit his mother, all Texas heat and authority, her fight-or-flight instincts kick in. The honorable lawman makes her heart race for all the wrong reasons. Wade came home to bury ghosts, not dig up new ones. Yet the wary beauty his mother hired as a caretaker unearths feelings he’d rather keep hidden. The air sizzles every time they meet, but Wade knows better than to fall for a woman who lies to his face. When a cold case hits too close to home, Meredith becomes an unlikely ally–and a temptation he can’t resist.

In a small Texas town where secrets won’t stay buried, the forbidden fire between them threatens to ignite a blaze of cowboy justice.

About the Author

Jill Sorenson is a diehard romance fan and the dynamic author of more than twenty romance novels. She’s been featured twice in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and her books have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Most recently, she’s written for Harlequin as Susan Cliff. Now she’s making her comeback as Jill with a fresh start in Western contemporary romance!

Born and raised in the Flint Hills of Kansas, Jill transported to a small town in California. She still lives in the Golden State with her family, where she dreams about happy endings in cowboy country.

Why I Wrote A Little Bit Country (and Gave My Characters a Fresh Start Too) with Jacinta Peachey

March 23, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

I am Jacinta Peachey, a debut Australian author starting a new career, just like the two main characters in my novel, A Little Bit Country. If I can do it, so can my imaginary characters.

In A Little Bit Country, my two protagonists are forced to yet again change their lives. Jasmine is running from a toxic marriage, and Ben is reinventing himself after a motorbike accident.

After Ben loses part of his leg, he can no longer be a roofing carpenter. He becomes an egg
salesman, which wreaks havoc with his love like. Not only does he steal Jasmine’s clients, but he does a lousy job of it, signing contracts that sell the produce at a minimal profit. He’s in danger of being sacked, and the girl he spent a fabulous Saturday night with is avoiding him.

Why did I take up writing?

I retired early at 54 because of an arthritic condition. As a dentist, I could no longer do my job and wasn’t trained to do much else, but I was too young to stop as my brain is very busy. I have always loved to read, so I thought I would try becoming an author. Which is an arrogant concept, because creating a page turning book is hard. I had come from a science background and had to teach myself to write creatively. I have lost count of how many courses I have completed, and don’t get me started on my inability to spot spelling errors. Thankfully, someone invented spellcheck. What I would have given for computers in the 1970s and 80s when I was at school.

Also, I love to talk, and now I have lost my audience, AKA my trapped patients who couldn’t answer back because I had stuffed the mouths with cotton wool. Writing a book is the next best thing after years of talking at my patients, relating my life story or anything else that I was convinced was entertaining—and it was never flossing instructions.

My author journey took seven years, and A Little Bit Country is the fourth book I finished and the first to be published. It won the Romance Writers of New Zealand’s First Kiss contest and Romance Writers of Australia’s Ripping Start. Two organisations that I volunteer for.

Why did I base this book around chickens?

A lot of the story of A Little Bit Country is set on an egg farm because I am inherently lazy. I wanted the story to be about a girl, Jasmine, on her own farm, but the idea that she tended to cattle or sheep made my bones ache. I couldn’t put her through it. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for equal opportunities, but I am just over five feet tall and have no upper body strength. Chickens are light and their poo is small, not some enormous dinner plate sized cow pat. And it is easy to carry eggs—if you are careful.

I visited a small egg producing chicken farm run by a single woman and discovered it was doable. Yes, there are still heavy things to lift, but they aren’t enormous animals with minds of their own. Egg farmers also had time to socialise which made it easy for romancing.

And who doesn’t love a chicken? There are also dogs in the book because I am a dog person. Sorry no cats.

Where is the book set?

Dolphin Cove is the setting for all the books in my From the Outback to the Sea series. It is fictional and about three hours south of Perth, the city I live in, and the most isolated capital city in the world. It’s quicker for me to fly to Bali than to most Australian capital cities. Thank God I love to travel.

The area that Dolphin Cove is based in is beautiful. It’s on the Indian Ocean, near some fabulous surf breaks. The lush countryside is perfect for both dairy and beef farming and many wineries that produce delicious Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines (which gives me an idea for another book…) If you are ever on the West Coast of Australia it is definitely a place to visit.

Why small-town romance?

I love the story building that goes into a small-town romance. A Little Bit Country features many of the Dolphin Cove locals and lots of retirees. It starts and finishes at the Dolphin Cove hotel which features in all the books in my From the Outback to the Sea series.

Ben’s new job as a maintenance man is at the retirement village, a place that Jasmine regularly visits as she has roped in the women to help her make egg cosies—part of her marketing. Some of these characters were a delight to write about as they are always interfering in a blatant attempt to get Ben and Jasmine together.

What’s next?

The second book in From the Outback to the Sea series, A Little Taste of Home, will be out in September. I will also be self-publishing a contemporary romance with the first book out in May.

If you are (peachy) keen to find out more check out my author page below!

About the author

Jacinta Peachey is an international award-winning contemporary romance author. Her writing is the creative outpouring of a fertile imagination stifled by her first career as a dentist. With a ‘do as I say not as I do’ attitude, coffee, red wine, and chocolate fuel her writing passion. Her stories focus on strong, independent, yet mixed-up women as they navigate life’s unexpected turns.

Dead Man’s Duty RD Post with Fran Thomas Jr.

March 18, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

What would you do if the world thought you were dead?

If you could start over, brand new? New town, new name, new neighbors, and a chance to put a bloody past behind you?

Would you risk everything to come to the aid of someone you barely knew?

When Shannon Winters answers a desperate cry for help from a woman whose grandson died in county lockup from an alleged overdose, she thinks it’s an unfortunate but familiar story. Black, brown and poor white addicts barely rate a mention on the news or get a fair shake from a justice system stacked against them when they’re on the outside, let alone incarcerated. But something about the story resonates, and she takes up the woman’s cause. Ultimately, she finds herself wading into a vast criminal conspiracy which includes corrupt elements of law enforcement, and the wrong kinds of people notice. The more she digs, and the more questions she asks, the more she becomes a threat. And these people have ways to deal with threats. When an attempt on her life hits close to home, Ricky Hynes can only think of one man who can help. There’s a problem, though.

That man is dead.

As his best friend and one of the very few people who know otherwise, Ricky has a decision to make. He knows if the world learns Noah Winston is alive, the top spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted list is a certainty and a cold cell awaits. But Ricky also knows Shannon’s would-be killers won’t stop until they’re successful.

Deep down Ricky knows doing nothing is not an option.

When he gets Ricky’s call, the man now known simply as Hines is living in a small town on the west coast. His neighbors think he is a consultant for a defense contractor who travels frequently for business. He does, but unbeknownst to them he’s no hands-off consultant. He is what he has always been. A killer of men, and that type of business is always booming. Nevertheless, he otherwise lives a quiet, unassuming life, is friendly with neighbors, and has grown especially close with a couple of kids on the street. He seems to finally be free of the burning need for revenge which consumed him for decades and is as close to at peace as a man like him can be. He probably should have known it wouldn’t last.

Even dead men have a duty.

Readers will re-connect with familiar characters in this sequel to Ties That Kill and meet new ones as a global conspiracy is uncovered, one run by a ruthless organization that preys on the most vulnerable among us and employs a cadre of professional killers to protect itself. These people are used to working in the shadows, pulling the levers of power from afar. But they’re about to find out the shadows are a perfect place for a dead man to operate.

Silent Justice Book II, Dead Man’s Duty, is available from Tule Publishing today!

About the Author

Fran Thomas finds one of the most difficult things about the writing process is trying to find the absolute right genre to describe his books. Mystery, thriller, suspense, multicultural, Black/African-American, crime/conspiracy? As a former Principal, he now appreciates the D. All of the above option his students had on many tests.

Desperate to find heroes who looked like him while growing up, Fran gravitated to Marvel comics, and appreciated how its diverse heroes challenged cultural stereotypes. Iconic characters like the Black Panther, Storm and Luke Cage added unique perspectives and contexts to dynamic storytelling, as did anti-heroes like The Punisher. His Silent Justice series continues that tradition.

When not writing, he can typically be found in the gym, Krav Maga dojo or reading–Marvel comics are still a staple. A lifelong New Englander, he is eagerly awaiting the springtime arrival of his first grandchild.

Time for Spring Cleaning with Carol Light

March 16, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Sick of mounds of snow? Tired of wearing layers of clothing? Ready to put your sweaters, coats, and boots away and dig out your shorts? Most of us have had an unusually rough winter, so I propose we turn our thoughts to spring. Milder temperatures, flowers blooming, gardens to be planted, sun warmly kissing your face … and yes, spring cleaning. Open the windows, strip the beds, and let’s air out the house!

Cleaning up crime in Crossroads, Arkansas, is what my Southern Secrets Mysteries series is all about. That’s particularly true for Fatal Silence, the third book in this trilogy. Although both Deadly Inheritance and Death Watch have unique murders that are solved, some plot lines have carried through both mysteries and still need a resolution. In Fatal Silence I had to tie up those loose ends. All the secrets are at last revealed … or at least all that have been behind recent crimes in Crossroads.

And speaking of spring cleaning, Fatal Silence appropriately takes place in March. Originally, I set the story over Thanksgiving vacation, but I changed it to line up more with the actual release date of the book, March 16. Fortunately, all I had to do was switch some jokes about turkeys to Easter bunnies (Crossroads librarian Katy loves to dress up). The weather in November in Arkansas is often similar to March’s unpredictable temperatures, so no change there. I did bring out some early spring blooms to offer hope that warmer weather—and better days—would soon arrive. The villains didn’t care what time of year they committed their dastardly deeds, so they were okay with the new season. As for the good guys and gals, they had no choice but to roll up their sleeves and get to work cleaning up the town.

Lexie Gilroy is the female lead in Fatal Silence. A life-long resident of Crossroads, Lexie
married right out of high school and soon had her daughter, Sophie. Unfortunately, her marriage didn’t last and neither did her friendship with Ceci Rhodes, who soon started a relationship with Lexie’s ex. Living back at home with her parents, Lexie loves her work as a general contractor in her family’s business. She also has plans to take on bigger projects, like building the town’s new park’s facilities. However, when the bulldozer she convinced her parents to buy is stolen, Lexie’s dreams are put on hold. Worse, she recognizes one of the thieves—Gage Pope, her childhood hero who once saved her life. Deciding not to tell police chief Tim Birch, a close family friend, she takes matters into her own hands and confronts Gage. When he’s found murdered the next day, Lexie becomes a suspect, and that’s just the beginning of her problems.

Tim Birch returns as the police chief in Crossroads. When Gage is found murdered, his team has new questions about the bulldozer theft and Lexie’s connection with both crimes. And when someone targets Lexie to force her to withdraw her bid on the park contract, Tim’s protective nature takes over, even though he’s determined to step back from the murder investigation due to his close ties to her family.

But back to those loose ends from the first two mysteries. One of the subplots in all three books had to do with who was responsible for dumping waste in an already toxic pond. Reporter Jack Huddleston has been trying to uncover the culprits, but his clumsy efforts have only set back Tim’s investigation. Jack has to regain Tim’s trust, if he can overcome his lingering depression.

Californian transplant Cal Kinney also plays a major role in this story when he uncovers more malfeasance at Southern Pines Paper Products Company and decides to do something about it. When he starts receiving threats, he isn’t sure who to trust. Someone wants him fired, and their efforts to stop him soon prove more dangerous than underhanded office politics.

If you’ve ever had someone else clean your house or rearrange your cupboards, you know that it can be hard to adapt to other people’s ideas of cleanliness or organization. Change isn’t easy. Come to think of it, not everyone in Crossroads will be happy after the crimes in this story are solved and the villains caught. Hmmm, does that mean there’s room for another Southern Secrets mystery in the future? After all, no room or house stays clean forever. Can we expect any less of a town with as many secrets as Crossroads?

Have a wonderful spring! Wishing you sunshine, flowers, and hours of good reading—between cleaning jobs, of course.

About the author

Carol Light is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must use their talents and wits to solve. She’s traveled worldwide and lived in Australia for eight years, teaching high school English and learning to speak “Strine.” Florida is now her home. If she’s not at the beach or writing, you can find her tackling quilting in much the same way that she figures out her mysteries—piece by piece, clue by clue. You can also follow me on BlueSky.

Gaining a New Perspective with Marie-Claude Arnott

March 6, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Life happened since my last post: illness… loss… illness… recovery… I now approach the New Year soulful, grateful, and hopeful.

Since my previous blog, I have gained a new perspective on my book, Biography of a Friendship, published in March 2024, which was based on my notes from the 2025 Vancouver International Publishing Conference. They confirmed what I had already experienced and what I have experienced since then.

As per the ‘trends and themes’ discussed at that conference, narrative nonfiction such as memoirs, “remain difficult to get traditionally published and to reach an audience.”

As I reflect on this hurdle, and as an author who is not a public figure, I am grateful that my memoir was traditionally published and hopeful that it will reach a wider audience. I see my glass half full.

Biography of a Friendship fulfilled a promise.

Biography of a Friendship brought awareness to pancreatic cancer.

Biography of a Friendship has helped more than one reader, a humbling fact.

Even if gratification is more than in sales, publishing a book is, however, my publisher’s business. For this reason, I am available for book clubs (my gratitude to the West Van Best Book Club for having me in December), book signings, and other roundtable and Zoom discussions.

Thank you for contacting me here.