Tag Archives: Carol Light

KILLER CLOSE TO HOME: Release Day Blog Post Featuring Author Carol Light!

January 11, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Killer Close to Home is the third book in my Cluttered Crime mystery series about Chicago professional organizer, Crystal Ward. Her latest client is her backyard neighbor, Roscoe Tremaine, who’s recovering from a broken hip and preparing to move into assisted living. A widower and something of a curmudgeon, Roscoe’s been a friend to Crys and her husband, Rick, especially when a shooting left Rick paralyzed. Roscoe’s only family—his brother, two nieces, and one great-niece—don’t see him often…by choice. When he summons them to his house, he asks Crys to stay to meet them. To her surprise, he announces he’s changing his will to disinherit his nieces and giving ten thousand dollars each to Crys and his caregiver, Wink Keller.

That night, Roscoe’s house explodes. Although the cause is soon confirmed to be a gas leak, Crys begins to suspect that it may not have been an accident. Wink is fortunate to have survived the blast, but now he’s out of a job. The explosion also has another casualty. Trying to get out of bed to help, Rick falls and dislocates his shoulder, which requires surgery. Crys hires Wink to help her husband during his recovery.

Soon mysterious “gifts” begin appearing on the Wards’ front porch. What at first seem like childish pranks turn into vandalism and worse. Crys must learn more about the dysfunctional Tremaine family, a new neighbor overly anxious to be her friend, and Wink to stop a killer close to home before she becomes the next victim.

I’m often asked where I find my ideas, and the answer is everywhere! News stories are particularly helpful. Years ago I read about a woman who started a business delivering dead flowers and bouquets of black roses. Her clients included soon-to-be divorced spouses, victims of unhappy breakups, or others wanting to express their angry feelings in flowers. That feature story stuck in my memory and gave me an idea for one of the items found on the Wards’ front porch.

Another news story about a house that blew up provided inspiration for a cause of death that could look like an unfortunate accident. One of the worst gas explosions in recent U.S. history was in my former hometown, Indianapolis, in 2012. Much larger in scope than the one in my story, the Richmond Hill explosion killed two people, injured seven, and left twenty-seven homes uninhabitable. The owner of the house where the explosion originated and four others were convicted on multiple charges, including felony murder and deliberately causing the blast to collect insurance money. I couldn’t bear to destroy Crys’s house, not with so much else going on in her life in this book, so I scaled down the blast. Fortunately, my research led me to an article about an explosion similar in size to Roscoe’s that (oddly enough) had also occurred in Indianapolis. Maybe it’s good that I moved to Florida, where we only have to deal with hurricanes, sink holes, alligators, pythons, black bears, and heat stroke. Then again, maybe not!

I hope you’ll enjoy Killer Close to Home. Characters you’ve met in the first two books, Room for Suspicion and Deadlier Than Fiction, return to offer Crys support and comic relief, including Maggie, Mitch, and Connie, although you don’t have to read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one. If you prefer to listen to books, I’m excited to announce that all three Cluttered Crime mysteries will be released in audiobook format in February and March 2024. The fourth book, No Room to Hide, will be published June 6, 2024 and will also be available as an audiobook.

Wishing you all a happy new year and hours of reading pleasure in the coming year!

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.

Start the New Year Off Right! Check out our January 2024 Releases (Plus Giveaway!) Now!

January 1, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Read more about our new releases for January!

GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the January 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.

A Little Highland Magic
by Gerri Russell (Muse)

Release Date: January 9, 2024
Guardians of the Isles, Book 5

To have a future, she must face her past…

Half human, half fairy, Aria traveled to the human realm seeking safety with her family, the powerful MacLeods, where she is welcomed and accepted as a warrior. But her happiness will be short-lived if they discover her inadvertent role in their beloved mother’s death and the kidnapping of their infant brother, Kieran, by the cruel fairy king. Still, Aria plans to right the wrong by rescuing Kieren, but traveling to the fairy realm is dangerous and potentially a betrayal, for she must use the legendary Fairy Flag and its one last miracle to barter Kieran’s release.

Graeme Duff and his ancestors have served as flag bearer and protectors of Clan MacLeod for centuries. It’s his duty to guard the Fairy Flag, and when the beautiful, fierce, and intriguing Aria proposes using the flag to negotiate Kieran’s freedom, Graeme suspects treachery. He determines to accompany her, vowing to ignore the passion she evokes.

Can two independent warriors learn to trust? Or are they risking the destruction of everything they know and love?

Killer Close to Home
by Carol Light (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: January 11, 2024
Cluttered Crime Mysteries, Book 3

Not all clutter is visible to the human eye…

Professional organizer Crystal Ward’s latest client, her neighbor Roscoe Tremaine, is changing his will, an announcement that sets off an explosive reaction within his family. That same night, a gas leak ignites, destroying his house, killing him, and rocking the Ward family at its foundation.

Her husband, Rick, is injured in the blast, so Crys hires Roscoe’s former caregiver, Wink Keller, to help him recover after surgery. But trouble is just beginning. Both Crys and Wink are beneficiaries in Roscoe’s will, and their alliance sends accusations flying from the Tremaines’ side of the fence.

Crys has her hands full dealing with her client’s not-so-grieving relatives, a teenaged girl stalking Wink, and a suspicious fire inspector. But when threatening “gifts” left on the Wards’ doorstep escalate, Crys is forced to sort through a tangled web of relationships, including her own, to keep her family safe.

Was Roscoe’s death just an accident, or is there a killer close to home?

When the Viscount Wanted Me
by Lydia Lloyd (Muse)

Release Date: January 16, 2024
The Rake Chronicles, Book 2

Her reputation is at risk. He vows to help…but soon finds resisting her the greatest challenge of all.

When Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley, overhears the drunken Earl of Hartley claiming to have bedded Lady Henrietta Breminster, his best friend’s little sister, he is livid. He drags the passed-out earl to Breminster House to face punishment for his blathering, only to find himself face-to-face with Lady Henrietta in a sexy night dress and little else.

When Lady Henrietta Breminster sees the Viscount of Tremberley dragging the unconscious Earl of Hartley to her doorstep, she panics. Not only was she indiscreet with the earl, but she has long nursed a flaming tendre for her brother’s best friend. Now she must ask Tremberley to help her keep her biggest mistake from the gossips of the ton.

Drawn closer by their efforts to subdue the jealous earl, Trem and Henrietta soon discover their own forbidden attraction. But even as Henrietta discovers true passion with Trem, she knows she could never marry for anything less than love.

Lucky Strike
by Janine Amesta (American Heart)

Release Date: January 23, 2024
Love in El Dorado, Book 3

Is finding an unexpected gem a lucky strike?

After getting a late jumpstart in life, Luna Lanza isn’t afraid to get what she wants, including the place of her dreams. When she loses out on the perfect duplex and settles for a standard apartment, she’s disappointed. But Luna remains determined to make it work, even if it sparks a contentious relationship with her new landlord– the same guy she accidentally kissed in an impromptu photo shoot.

Still grieving the sudden death of his brother, reformed bad boy Sam Sunderland feels trapped managing his father’s rundown apartment building. When the spunky beauty, who unexpectedly kissed him, moves in full of ideas, he can’t help being intrigued– that is until she starts changing things behind his back, endangering his position and the relationship with his father.

Sam and Luna wrangle over rules and misunderstandings while fighting against the undeniable attraction between them. It’s a hard lesson to learn that ‘perfect’ can take many different forms. But will the renovations they do together lay a foundation to something more?

A Stolen Shadow
by H L Marsay (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: January 25, 2024
Chief Inspector Shadow, Book 7

This winter, the York pantomime opens as a farce but closes as a murder scene…

Chief Inspector John Shadow returns from a rare holiday to Italy but before he can unpack, he’s investigating the theft of an antique sabre. Everyone involved assumes it’s a prank, however later that evening, a reluctant Shadow attends the local pantomime—his least favorite form of entertainment—with his star struck sergeant. They watch stunned as Prince Charming dies on stage. Shadow suspects poison and launches an investigation. When he discovers the missing sabre backstage, Shadow realises the theft was no joke and the entire cast and crew are murder suspects. Then another body is found….

John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone but is assisted by the eager Sergeant Jimmy Chang. Together, the two men must work through an ever increasing list of jealous husbands, angry fathers and spurned lovers to discover the identity of the killer.

Someone Rotten Riding the Rails
by Kris Bock (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: January 30, 2024
The Accidental Detective, Book 6

Kate Tessler and her crew of misfits set out to blow the whistle on two feuding crime families . . .

Former war correspondent Kate Tessler has solved multiple murders since returning to her Arizona hometown, to the grudging appreciation of the local police. Now Detective Padilla and the FBI approach Kate with a proposal. Two Russian crime families have rented a private historic train to the Grand Canyon for their children’s wedding. The route is scenic and remote. No cell phones. The FBI needs to surveil, but anyone infiltrating the train must be above suspicion.

Kate poses as herself, sent by the newspaper to cover the society wedding, while her sister Jen is the photographer. Their multi-generational and eccentric crew pose as train staff. The goal is to observe, but that quickly derails when the groom disappears, and a search for him turns up a dead body. Everyone’s a suspect and trapped on the train.

The mob families won’t contact the police, so it’s up to Kate and friends to uncover the truth before their whole mission goes off the tracks.

DEADLIER THAN FICTION – Release Day Blog Post Featuring Author Carol Light!

September 7, 2023 · Posted by Tule Publishing

You probably won’t like Don Shirley when you meet him in the opening scene of my latest mystery, Deadlier Than Fiction. I don’t blame you. Don is LOSING IT, and the target of his ire is the protagonist of my Cluttered Crime mysteries, Crystal Ward, a professional organizer who is helping her client, Barb Shirley, convert her grandchildren’s playroom into an adult space that both Barb and Don can enjoy. Crys’s session is going well until Barb’s husband appears, red-faced and screaming at Crys about the old, dusty novels she’s donated to a charity.

No, Don’s not at his best in this scene, but when you understand what’s at stake for him, I hope you’ll have a little compassion for the man.

When I create characters, I picture their physical appearance, sometimes finding a picture on the internet that matches the image I have of them. Next, I decide what their key personality traits and values are. However, characters really start to have more dimension when I consider their relationships, both past and present. Who were their parents? Do they have any siblings? Who most influenced them to become the people they are today? Are they married and what is that relationship like? Who are their friends and who are their enemies? Many of the background stories I create are never shared with readers, but they help me to understand what drives my characters and whether they play well with others—or not.

Back to Don Shirley, the red-faced husband having a major meltdown and yelling at poor Crys. Don’s relationships are really to blame for that moment, not that I’m excusing his behavior. Don and Barb, who are long married and busy with careers, don’t communicate much about household matters. It would have helped Crys if they’d consulted about the book collection before Barb okayed the donation. But why should they? The bestsellers from the seventies had sat undisturbed in a bookcase for years. Then there’s Don’s relationship with his older brother, Bob, whom he both idolizes and fears. The strong bond between the two brothers has ensured that a deadly secret is kept for decades. Those dusty books? They’re hiding more than bestselling plots. Add into the relationship mix Bob’s greedy wife, some old elusive buddies of his, ex-cons that Barb is employing to do yard work… Like entwined cords, these relationships start to unravel even faster than Crys can untangle them, leaving more mayhem behind than an Arthur Hailey disaster novel.

Meanwhile, Crys has her own relationship issues, especially with her husband, Rick. A detective with the Chicago Police Department, Rick was paralyzed five years ago when he was struck by a bullet that damaged his spine. He struggles with the idea of his wife going into strangers’ homes and makes her promise to keep him informed and not protect him by keeping her problems to herself. Crys is agreeable, but she is also ready to take her business, Organizing Chicago, to a wider client base by advertising on the internet and social media. Unfortunately, Rick isn’t yet onboard for that step. The more Crys finds out about the Shirley’s, the more concerned—and curious—Rick becomes. Unless Crys can convince him to become a more active partner in both her business and sorting out this mystery, their relationship will continue to be a battle of wills.

Relationships. We can’t live without them, and in mystery novels, they can be deadly. I hope you’ll enjoy reading Deadlier Than Fiction and will continue to follow Crys and Rick in the Cluttered Crime mystery series.

Even if you never do like Don Shirley.

About the author.

Check out our September 2023 Releases! (Plus Giveaway!)

September 1, 2023 · Posted by Tule Publishing

September New Release graphic

Read more about our new releases for September!

September marks Tule Publishing’s 10 Year Anniversary and we’ve got some amazing releases to kick off our celebration!

GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the September 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.

Take Me Please, Cowboy by Jane Porter (Montana Born)

Release Date: September 5, 2023

The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 1
The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch, Book 1

Two worlds. One love. No compromise.

Professional rodeo cowboy Rye Calhoun has been the primary breadwinner for his family since he was seventeen. Now thirty, there’s still no time for romance, and there certainly isn’t room for beautiful Texan Ansley Campbell, an artist with big dreams…dreams that don’t align with his.

When Ansley Campbell’s ailing uncle needs someone to help him at Cold Canyon Ranch in Paradise Valley, Ansley volunteers, eager for some breathing space from her family of overbearing men. But when her uncle Clyde has an accident the weekend of the Copper Mountain Rodeo, handsome cowboy Rye Calhoun is there to help.

From the moment Rye and Ansley meet, their chemistry sizzles, but their worlds are nothing alike and neither of them is in a position to compromise. Is love really enough, or are they asking to have their hearts broken?

Deadlier Than Fiction by Carol Light (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: September 7, 2023

Cluttered Crime Mysteries, Book 2

Can she get the right read on this situation before someone ruins the ending?

Professional organizer Crystal Ward is at a crossroads with her business, Organizing Chicago. Her husband, Rick, isn’t on board with online advertising, and their friends and family are running out of referrals. And now her client’s husband is outraged to learn that Crys donated novels he had promised to his brother. Crys’s only hope of salvaging the situation is to recover the titles.

But she shouldn’t have judged those books by their covers. The secret they contain is valuable, and she’s not the only one trying to find them. What’s more, she’s now hiding a secret of her own. She’d promised Rick, a former homicide detective, that she’d avoid sketchy situations that could land her in danger. Her best move? To team up with a retired detective, who suddenly has his own agenda.

With danger mounting, she must use all of her sleuthing skills to sort out friend from foe and fact from fiction before a killer can write her own final chapter.

Tempt Me Please, Cowboy by Megan Crane (Montana Born)

Release Date: September 12, 2023

The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 2
The Flint Brothers Take Montana, Book 3

Five years ago, when Sydney Campbell came through Marietta on her way to the big Grey family Christmas, she ran into newcomer Jackson Flint in Grey’s Saloon. Directly into him.

In Montana to build some bridges with his older, billionaire half-brothers, Jackson didn’t plan to stay. Sydney was just visiting family from her high-stakes life in D.C. For one night they lit each other on fire, kissed goodbye, and never thought they’d see the other again.

But Jackson built more than bridges and put down roots. And just about every holiday, he’s watched Sydney turn up in town. The fire that always blazes between them gets hotter every visit, but this time is different. This fall, Sydney decides to stay a while. With the 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo taking Marietta by storm, Jackson knows this is the chance he’s been waiting for.

And he means to take it—if he can convince the only woman he’s ever wanted that there’s more freedom in loving him than letting go.

Four Silences Broken by H L Marsay (Holiday)

Release Date: September 13, 2023

The Secrets of Hartwell, Book 3

Welcome to Hartwell, a village full of cobbled streets, ancient curses and hidden secrets.

As the village prepares for Christmas, friends Lucy, Rachel, Meera, and Jo try to put the shocking events of the summer behind them. Though some secrets, it seems, refuse to remain silent.

Lady Lucy Hanley’s confidence has been boosted by making a success of her inherited estate and falling in love again, though ghosts from her past still threaten her. Rachel Foxton is finally happy and active in village life again, but is worried the person closest to her might destroy all her hard work and progress. Dr. Meera Kumar’s dream wedding is approaching, yet not everyone in her extended family is happy for her or wishing her well. And a trip to London and some unexpected news turns former detective Jo Ormond’s world upside down, forcing her to rethink her plans for the future.

As the year draws to a close, can the four women finally unravel the last of Hartwell’s secrets and move forward—together or apart?

Avery Daniels is Off Limits by Season Vining (American Heart)

Release Date: September 14, 2023

Romance in the City, Book 3

The heart wants what it wants…convenient or not.

Instead of winning a prestigious cooking competition, Sundia Sharma won infamy by breaking her tailbone on television. Thinking her culinary dreams are over, she prepares to head back to her corporate accounting job. That is, until a world-famous celebrity chef, impressed by her innovative recipes, offers her an internship at his new restaurant. It’s Sundia’s last shot to prove to herself—and her family—that she has what it takes. If only her crush wasn’t the chef’s personal assistant…and her new roommate.

With a love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation, Avery Daniels is practically famous—perhaps infamous—as far as West Coast lesbians go. As the right-hand woman to a celebrity chef, Avery barely has time to breathe, let alone do dinner or dates. She prides herself on staying cool in all situations, but something about Sundia gets under her skin—and in the stone-cold heart she denies having.

Sundia can’t afford any more mishaps—or temptations—and firmly friend zones Avery. But staying apart gets more challenging as both their walls slowly crumble in and out of the kitchen.

The Key to Forever by Kelly Cain (American Heart)

Release Date: September 18, 2023

Secret Ties, Book 3

She doesn’t need a man, but she does want a family.

Tori Matheny comes from a family of strong women who are all close and happily single. She plans to live the same way—an occasional fling, but never settling down. What’s the need? She is, however, curious about her birth family despite her adoptive mom and aunts strongly discouraging her search. Tori’s always known she was adopted and has never been able to shake her lifelong curiosity. When she runs into a childhood friend with plenty of time on his hands, he seems like the ideal candidate to help with her search.

After a nomadic lifestyle serving for years in the Veterinarians Without Borders program, Ethan Borden is permanently home and finally ready to settle down—buy a home, marry, and have children. He’s always had a crush on Tori, so when she asks him for help, he’s hopeful it’s the beginning of so much more.

Ethan is happy to help Tori find her birth family, but when Tori learns Ethan is hiding a deep family secret, can their budding relationship survive the generational betrayals?

Marry Me Please, Cowboy by Sinclair Jayne (Montana Born)

Release Date: September 19, 2023

The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 3
The Coyote Cowboys of Montana, Book 2

She has her eye on the prize. He has his eyes on her.

Former soldier, now rodeo cowboy, Huck Jones doesn’t believe in love or marriage. Still, a promise is a promise, and he’s prepared to honor his fallen team leader’s wish to walk his sister down the aisle in Marietta, Montana. When the groom bolts moments before the ceremony, Huck offers himself as her alternative groom.

Barrel racer Willow McBride hates the cowboy code, and the soldier code is even more annoying. She’s pregnant, not helpless, so when her late brother’s sexy friend offers himself as a sacrificial husband, the answer is a resounding no. She wants love not duty. Plus, the 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo is looking to be her last as a competitor, and she intends to win.

Huck may no longer be a soldier, but he still believes no man—or woman—should be left behind. He’ll need to woo the beautiful, stubbornly independent cowgirl and change her mind. Failure is never an option.

Fate’s Final Season by Leigh Ann Edwards (Muse)

Release Date: September 20, 2023

Maidens of the Mystical Stones, Book 5

Will the fallout of this mystical year finally be their undoing?

During the final season of the magical pact, a disheartened Rhianwyn Mulryan arrives in Welshland as Princess Lilliana, poisoned, cursed, and desperately afraid that Broccan is lost to her forever. A mysterious sorceress may be her only hope of survival, but can she be trusted? As Rhianwyn faces Lilliana’s enigmatic husband, Prince Tyven, and his brothers––all rumored to be cursed with dragon blood—the arrival of her own estranged husband further jeopardizes their marriage…and their lives.

Sir Broccan Mulryan is determined that he and his wife will put their tumultuous past behind them, but before he’s fully forgiven her, he receives a baffling order to protect Princess Lilliana. Only Lilliana doesn’t quite seem herself…

Back in Wessex, a ruthless bishop throws the kingdom into upheaval, endangering the lives of Selena, Elspeth, and the true Lilliana. To end the despised pact and reclaim their lives, all four women must return to the sunstones, together. But will they live long enough? And if they do, will discovering the source of the pact save them or tear everything apart?

Return to Embthwaite Farm by Kate Hewitt (Holiday)

Release Date: September 25, 2023

The Mowbray Sisters, Book 1

Welcome to Embthwaite Farm, a charming English home in North Yorkshire, belonging to the fractured Mowbray family…

When Rachel Mowbray left behind her family farm in North Yorkshire at eighteen, she never planned on returning. But when her ex-childhood sweetheart calls and insists she return due to her father’s declining health, she travels north. Every moment home reminds Rachel why she left—her sister Harriet is both hostile and cold, her father barely communicates with anyone, and the house feels stuck in time. Plus, her old neighbour and ex, sheep farmer Ben Mackey, still has the power to make her pulse race…a decidedly unwelcome realization!

As a can-do businesswoman, Rachel wants to sweep in and fix everything, but it seems as if no one actually wants her help and nothing goes according to plan. Even more alarmingly, she must face the confounding memories of her own childhood—and she questions how many of them she can truly trust.

As Rachel navigates her father’s health crisis and confronts old hurts with her sister and community, she wonders if she can finally find her happily-ever-after in the most unexpected place of all—home. But will she—as well as Ben—have the courage to fight for their future together this time?

Promise Me Please, Cowboy by CJ Carmichael (Montana Born)

Release Date: September 26, 2023

The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 4

Marietta has a way of bringing people together…

Cowboy Chet Hardwick is in Marietta, Montana, to compete in the 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo. Chet’s not there to make any waves, he needs to focus on the rodeo, avoid his deadbeat father, and return home. But when the beautiful owner at his bed-and-breakfast needs assistance, Chet can’t resist stepping in to help.

After a life-altering accident, Amy Arden left her Wall Street job and impulsively bought Bramble House B&B. While she learns the ropes, she’s also determined to uncover a secret from her late mother’s past—Amy’s birth father. The staff aren’t happy with Amy’s new ideas and quit, leaving Amy struggling to keep the fully booked inn operating. She finds an unexpected ally in one of her guests, a handsome, lone wolf cowboy, who is surprisingly easy to talk to. But just as their friendship heats up, ghosts from both their pasts arrive at Bramble House.

Amy knows Chet is the man she wants, but as Chet receives news that will take him far from Marietta, will he find his way back to her?

The Untold Story of Carol Bingley by Jane Hartley (Montana Born)

Release Date: September 27, 2023

The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 5

Carol Bingley has a certain reputation in Marietta, Montana. She’s an infamous gossip and overly generous with her sharp opinions. But Carol’s been hiding a painful secret.

Forty years ago, sixteen-year-old high school student Carol Franklyn was madly in love with a bad boy cowboy with an irresistible smile, and sexy swagger. The day he asked her to meet him at the local hangout, the Main Street Diner, Carol thought all her dreams had come true. What she didn’t know was that she had become a pawn in a cruel and manipulative game that would spin her life painfully off course.

Now happily married to a man who loves her unconditionally, Carol finally is ready to share her painful past, but will she be believed? And can she be forgiven when she faces two of Marietta’s most powerful, tight-knit families?

Carol has lost so much. But this Christmas, she hopes she can find two puzzle pieces of her past, and sets out on a journey hoping she will finally be healed, not once again hurt.

An Autumn to Remember by Robyn Neeley (American Heart)

Release Date: September 7, 2023

Brooks Bend, Book 2

Sometimes the secret ingredient is right under your nose…

Executive Chef Sloan Leary just received the invitation of a lifetime to create signature holiday dishes for a premier meal delivery service. If she wins the contract, she can finally expand her restaurant to Paris, fulfilling a promise to her late grandmother. But first she’ll need to complete her annual two-week culinary exchange. Sloan is shocked when she’s sent to a small-town diner in Brooks Bend, Connecticut. If that weren’t enough, she learns her audition is to create dog food for pampered pooches—she’s never even had a pet.

Ex-military handyman Alex Edwards knows plenty about dogs—his beloved labradoodle is also his emotional support companion. So he’s happy to help newcomer Sloan create a Thanksgiving meal fit for canine cravings. When Sloan encourages him to go all in with his carpentry business, Alex pulls back. He stopped taking risks a long time ago and is happy with his slower life…right?

As they work to find the right seasonings, can Alex and Sloan rewrite the meal plans for their futures…with each other?

ROOM FOR SUSPICION – Release Day Blog Post Featuring Carol Light

June 27, 2023 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? As human beings we’re naturally curious and want to know what happened, when it happened, who did it, and why. In crime fiction, we refer to the three M’s: motive (why), means (how), and moment (opportunity, or when). Putting the pieces
together to reveal the whole picture and solve the crime can be very satisfying (especially if you guess whodunnit!). So is the sense of justice when the culprit is caught. Order is restored.

My main character in Room for Suspicion, the first of my Cluttered Crime Mysteries, loves creating order out of chaos. Crystal (Crys) Ward is a professional organizer, which means she helps people declutter their spaces, whether it’s a basement, garage, entire house, or office.
Clearing a drawer, closet, or room and then organizing it to meet her client’s current needs is more satisfying to Crys than a cheese Danish from Milow’s Bakery. As with a good mystery, order is restored when she’s finished, allowing her clients’ lives to move forward.

I’ve always been drawn to self-help books and love organizing hacks. When I was thinking of a career for Crys, I knew I had to choose a profession that would bring her into people’s homes and even allow her to uncover their secrets. Sometimes just seeing how people live tells a lot about them. In this novel, Crys’s client Farrah is a neat person with minimal clutter who just wants professional help reorganizing her home office for greater efficiency. She’s expecting a promotion and preparing to move forward in her career. That’s all great, but doesn’t the lack of
mementos, photos, and other personal items also say something about this character? Maybe she’s all business—a workaholic with no hobbies or social life. Then again, she might just be a minimalist who believes less is more. But what if she’s put her past behind her and doesn’t
want reminders of the not-so-good old days? Her office may also offer to clues to her personality (unsentimental, no nonsense) by what’s NOT there as well as what is. As a writer, I have to consider what message or mood my setting will communicate to the reader. It’s another piece of the puzzle.

Now you might assume that Crys would be super organized at home, with uncluttered rooms and drawers that look like Marie Kondo just paid a visit. Alas, that’s not the case. Did I mention that Crys has two children, ages twelve and fourteen? Or that she lives in an older bungalow in
Chicago that had to be modified five years ago to accommodate her husband’s wheelchair and special needs? Or that the parlor they converted into their new master bedroom doesn’t have a closet? Crys does the best she can. Her secret failure to practice what she preaches is an unexpected twist that makes her human and hopefully more relatable. She’s not perfect, but she is ambitious. As soon as she can afford more renovations, she’ll fix her home’s problems and restore order. Unfortunately, discovering a dead man at Farrah’s house may end her career, especially if her client is arrested for murder.

Writing a mystery is like putting a 5000-piece jigsaw together, or piecing a quilt, which I also enjoy doing. I have to make sure all of the clues, red herrings, and suspects appear when they need to but not too soon. I have to have multiple characters who could have committed the crime. The three M’s apply to suspects as well as the killer. Perhaps they were at or near the murder scene when it happened. Or maybe they had compelling reasons to harm the deceased. They could have had access to the cause of death—the smoking gun, a deadly poison, or the nylon stocking used to strangle the victim. Nothing can be too obvious, or a dead giveaway (no pun intended). Few people have nylon stockings these days, so it would be too obvious for the eighty-year-old former Rockette with a drawer full of nylons from the 1960s to have done it.
She had to have been framed! Yes, there are always twists in a good mystery, too. I won’t make it easy for you, but I promise the pieces (or clues) will finally fit together providing you with the full picture.

I hope you enjoy Room for Suspicion. The second book in the series, Deadlier Than Fiction, will be published by Tule on September 7. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear about your favorite organizing hacks. What tricks do you have for staying on top of clutter?

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.