Calling all holiday book lovers!

**And if you’re seeking more holiday romances that shine beyond the South, stay tuned for more delightful Christmas titles from the rest of Tule’s diverse imprints!**

A Southern Christmas by Susan Sands, Sinclair Jayne, Laurie Beach

Unwrap three Southern Christmas stories in one–Merry Christmas!

A Georgia Christmas by Susan Sands

Christmas in Moonshine, Georgia is salon owner Merilee Bell’s favorite season. She might still be single in her mid- thirties, but she’s finally content, proud of her business and herself as she’s made strides to make peace with her past. And then just at closing time, a tall, dark and handsome new deputy enters her shop, and everything seems poised to change.

Weeks before Christmas, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, Randy Slade arrives in Moonshine posing as Moonshine’s newest deputy for an undercover sting to catch a group of high-tech property thieves. Only the sheriff is aware of his true identity, but from the moment he meets Merilee, who trades a haircut for free parking, he’s smitten by her smile and warm, friendly manner. Unfortunately, she also has a rental property perfectly suited for his undercover operation.

Randy doesn’t want to lie, but he has a duty to keep citizens safe, including Merilee. Can he do his job and still celebrate a small town southern Christmas, and maybe more with his dream girl?

A Taste of Christmas Magic by Sinclair Jayne

This Christmas, he just might believe in a little magic…

Rustin Wildish furiously left Belmont North Carolina as a teen to make his reputation in the culinary world. Over twelve years later, he’s back in the town that where the founding family of Mayes once branded him a worthless bad boy.  Intent to show them how wrong they were, he buys the local diner—considered an institution—from his former mentor and boss, Miss Millie Maye and transforms. Success will be his revenge as the Maye’s and other ‘upstanding families,’ are forced to eat their words and so much more. But then the youngest Maye daughter asks him for help, and he inexplicably says yes.

This Christmas Chloe Maye has finally bitten off far more than she can chew. She’s agreed to organize The Maye family’s annual fundraiser–a movable feast where historic downtown homes are open to the public and each serve one course of a lavish meal. Chloe can’t cook so armed with a historic handwritten cookbook she mysteriously finds in a mini library outside her Grandma Millie’s home, she approaches Rustin for help. She’s always crushed on him and is thrilled he’s back.

But when Rustin, who ignored her their entire childhood, takes a bite from the meal she cooks under his exacting supervision, the unthinkable happens. He falls head over heels in love…

A Saltwater Christmas by Laurie Beach

Christmas is a time of miracles–but is it magical enough to change a person’s mind?

Allie Westley’s Christmas will be a bit different this year. She’s taken a big step to move away from Nashville to Goose Island, South Carolina, to pursue her dream of becoming a wine enologist, and she’s not tripping over this chance to make a break from her family, either. She’ll spend December 25 doing her own thing. Although the beach might be cold, it is the perfect place for new traditions. 

But she was also counting on her new roommate, Sam Clare, to be a sister she never had. Instead, Sam is an ex-military man now working as a paramedic. Even his dog, Buttercup, is part wolf. Yet he turns out to be the most understanding person in her new world, despite the fact that she’s declared him her enemy.

As the season’s activities bring them together, Allie uncovers several details her new circle of friends weren’t forthcoming about. But will the secret Sam’s keeping break her heart or mend what she didn’t realize was broken?

Get 3x the Southern charm this Christmas and order A Southern Christmas TODAY!

Wrapped Up in Christmas by Janice Lynn

This Christmas brings an unexpected gift…

For years, quilt making has been Sarah Smith’s creative outlet. When she starts donating her one-of-a-kind quilts to hospitalized wounded warriors, she hopes her artistic designs will bring the soldiers peace and the knowledge that their service is appreciated. But this holiday season, Sarah finds herself mired in an arm-length repair list for the B&B she’s hoping to open. 

Former Army Ranger Bodie Lewis knows he’s lucky to be alive. But he’s struggling to adjust to civilian life after his injury and mired in survivor guilt. Needing a distraction, he sets out on a private mission to thank the quilt maker for her gift that comforted him during his recovery. He’s hoping he can do a good deed in return. Bodie’s stunned the artist is a young, beautiful woman and amused she mistakes him for the handyman. 

Bodie works on Sarah’s home repairs and soon her sweetness and Christmas spirit imbue him with something he thought he left on the battlefield…hope.

Stitch together love and healing this Christmas–order your copy of Wrapped Up in Christmas NOW! And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Wrapped Up in Christmas series here!

Christmas in Crickley Creek by Laurie Beach

She doesn’t need gifts under the tree this holiday season. What she longs for is a second chance.

Emma Shea Abernathy is fully aware of her social role: marry well, live extravagantly, and, most of all, exhibit perfection. And it started with saying “I do” to future governor Trent Broadway.

With her carefully crafted life in full swing, she knows she’s made a big mistake. Leaving it all behind, she hides out at her great-grandmother’s beach house in Crickley Creek. There, she discovers a secret room containing a well-preserved 1920s Prohibition speakeasy–and some surprising information about the women in her family. This leads to a new plan: to become a woman who acts contrary to what is expected. In other words, a Firefly Girl.

The problem is, no one else embraces her change of heart, especially her first love, Scruggs Willingham III. He still refuses to forgive her for marrying someone else. Despite the olive branches she extends throughout Crickley Creek, it appears she’ll spend Christmas alone.

Until a rare Christmas snow brings the one miracle she needs: the freedom to accept herself.

Life-changing snow and secret family speakeasies–order Christmas in Crickley Creek TODAY!

A Bayou Christmas by Susan Sands

It’s her first Christmas with her birth family…

Thanks to a bone marrow donation from her newly discovered sister, interior designer Allison Miers has just beat cancer and has been welcomed into her new family, the Bertrands of Cypress Bayou. She’s been curious about her birth family for years, and it seems they’re all trying to make amends for her mother abandoning her—even offering a trust fund if she’ll stay a year and give the town a chance.

As Allison arrives in town amidst preparations for the Cypress Bayou Christmas Festival, she’s quickly overwhelmed by the drama and competition between both sides of her birth families. Local mechanic Nick Landry is the most normal person she’s met so far, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s also handsome and friendly. Just as Allison starts to wonder if she’s finally found a new home, family, and a man to love, she discovers that Nick—just like both sides of her family—has been keeping his own secrets.

Family is all Allison has ever wanted, but should she listen to her head or her heart this unforgettable Christmas?

Order now and join Allison as she reunites with her family and finds love in the magic of A Bayou Christmas!

A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnne McLane

Can a royal prince find love and solace down south this Christmas?

Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington is devastated when he learns that his monarchy is being used as a tax haven for the wealthy and drug runners. To protect his people, he flees to Alabama and poses as Nick Worth, an inspector for the National Historical Society.

Anna Lee is floored when Nick Worth shows up on her doorstep to give her grant money to restore her home. She’s charmed by the handsome inspector with his European accent and takes him up on his offer. The two week restoration project turns into something much more, but Nick fears that his presence could put his southern beauty in danger.

As Christmas Eve approaches Nicholas must decide if he can put the woman he loves at risk or disappear from her life forever…

Join Prince Nicholas as he finds love and redemption this Christmas–order A Royal Christmas Gift today!

Noel, Alabama by Susan Sands

She’s finally come home, but will she choose to stay?

After twelve years spent building her career in Los Angeles, Bailey Boone returns home to Ministry, Alabama, weeks before Christmas with a large cast and crew. She’s desperate for a miracle to save her company’s big budget holiday film that just lost its winter wonderland location. Bailey may have bolted from Ministry before the ink on her diploma dried, but her hometown definitely knows how to throw an unforgettable southern Christmas. Except she forgot about the ghosts of Christmas past she left behind—especially her first love, Seth.

Sheriff Seth McKay never forgot the girl he let go so many years ago. They were soulmates, but he knew Bailey needed more than Ministry could offer. Now she’s back and more stunning and confident than ever. Despite the years, their connection and chemistry still burn bright. Can Seth find his own Christmas miracle and convince Bailey to write her story in Ministry…with him?

Homecoming, second chances, and a chance to rewrite your own happy ending–order Noel, Alabama TODAY! And if you can’t get enough of the festive Alabama spirit, check out Christmas, Alabama here!

The Christmas Sing Off by Sinclair Jayne

He’s closed the door on music and Christmas. Can her voice be the key? 

At the height of his fame, pop star Shepard Lake walked away. No one knows why, though rumors are rife. Creatively blocked, he seeks inspiration and a fresh start for his life and career by returning to his Tennessee roots. He finds far more than he bargained for when he is drafted to help with a small town Christmas festival.

Tyler Knight lives and breathes music, but a career as a songwriter remains a distant dream. When her sister asks her to return to their hometown, Sweet Tea, Tennessee, and help her with the town’s Christmas Carol Sing Off, Tyler is thrilled to have a change of scenery and a chance to start over after a series of disappointments. Then she is paired with the infamous Shepard Lake who’s too everything –handsome, confident, talented and way out of her league.

But is he? Will this Christmas be the one where Tyler gathers her courage to pursue her dreams of music and love?

Let the love and music pouring out of Sweet Tea, TN fill your holiday spirit this season–order The Christmas Sing Off today!

Just in Time for Christmas by Kim Boykin

These childhood sweethearts are more than clashing under the magnolia mistletoe…

Nobody does Christmas like Miranda Hamilton, and now that she finally has her chance to chair Magnolia Bay’s tree lighting and the cotillion, which benefits her late mother’s breast cancer foundation, this Christmas is shaping up to be the best ever. That is until her childhood nemesis Logan Mauldin buys his way on her committee and starts making plans of his own.

Logan Mauldin loves to get under Miranda’s very sexy skin, and it’s only fair. She’s been getting under his since long before their first kiss at 13. Logan’s the last man interested in co-chairing a Christmas committee or participating in a sexy bachelor auction, but since that night he interrupted Miranda on a date and cornered her under the mistletoe, he can’t stop thinking about her. Or vying for her attention and bugging the hell out of her.

Christmas cheer isn’t the only thing that heats up between the Miranda and Logan, but, thanks to a lie that is as much her fault as it is his, he loses the woman he’s loved since forever. Logan will need a Christmas miracle for Miranda to forgive him. A grand gesture to melt her heart and win her back just in time for Christmas.

Experience small-town Christmas magic and rekindled love under the magnolia trees this Christmas with your own copy of Just in Time for Christmas!

The Christmas Curse by Erika Marks

She’s haunted by the ghosts of boyfriends past…can she break the cycle this Christmas?

After being dumped by her last three boyfriends over the holidays, Emily Parker is determined to break her Christmas Curse–and what better way than to spend this Christmas at a remote cabin in the Carolina mountains, where her recently cold-footed boyfriend can’t reach her to break things off…

For small-town veterinarian Griff Boone, the holidays are only a painful reminder of loss–which is why he has a long-standing tradition of leaving town for Christmas. One last house call to Cozy Cabins’ aging golden retriever and he’s on his way out of Dodge until the New Year…

But when an ice storm strands Griff and Emily together for the holiday weekend, their careful plans to fly solo are tossed like last year’s tree.

Will unexpected attraction confirm Griff and Emily’s worst fears–or could this year’s Christmas Curse be a blessing in disguise?

Order The Christmas Curse today and find out if Emily can break the holiday heartbreak cycle!

A Very Married Christmas by Erika Marks

They left on the brink of divorce. Now they’re stranded together during a snowstorm…

Cookbook author Marley Chambers can’t think of a more festive way to spend Christmas than at a friend’s holiday wedding in her hometown of Magnolia Bay. If only her soon-to-be ex-husband, all-star pitcher, Beckett “Beck” Chambers wasn’t bringing his new girlfriend—and if only he wasn’t still the sexiest man to ever walk out onto the mound…

Beck never wanted the chaotic life of a sport star—especially not at the cost of his marriage to the only woman he’s ever truly loved. But his career is a runaway train—and he’s afraid it’s too late to hit the brakes.

But when a mix-up leaves Beck and Marley stranded together for Christmas Eve on the barrier island where Beck proposed years before, old memories burn bright—and sparks fly hotter than a bonfire on the beach.

Could the magic of the season bring the gift of a second chance, just in time for Christmas? 

Order A Very Married Christmas today and find out if Christmas can turn “I don’t” back into “I do!

Written by Tule Marketing Intern, MJ Gryzik

How has your diverse career background influenced your writing style and storytelling techniques? I learned to be clear while writing as a press secretary, concise when I worked as a television news reporter, and I added in an extra layer of creativity as an advertising producer. But the thing that taught me the most in my life was parenthood. I didn’t realize at the time how all of that intense human interaction and writing practice would benefit me in my future career.

Growing up in Alabama, what elements of Southern life and culture do you incorporate into your novels? I moved to Alabama in the second grade and left after graduating college. My mother was from California, and my dad from Montana. I became an observer of southern ways because I felt as though I didn’t fit in. I tried so hard to conform and assimilate, that the “fish out of water trope” from The Firefly Jar came naturally to me. Now, I feel incredibly lucky to understand some of the cultural idiosyncrasies, and to have experienced people who I used to perceive as different, but have grown to deeply love and appreciate.

What aspects of Southern settings do you find most romantic, and how do you incorporate these elements into your love stories? I am an absolute sucker for ancient oaks and Spanish moss. If I could make my husband propose to me all over again, I’d have him do it under a hairy 200 year-old tree. 

How do you balance the charm of Southern hospitality with the potential for conflict in your romance plots? The opposite of charm is revulsion or displeasure and the South is filled with brilliantly sneaky ways of expressing those emotions. Balancing charm and conflict is so much fun! Can you share an example from one of your books where this balance is key to the story? In a name, Virginia Buchanan. She is a layered antagonist with a friend, Birdie, who is like a parrot on her shoulder telling all of her secrets. In the opening scene of The Firefly Jar, Virginia acts as the consummate hostess, until Charlotte Sinclair shows up. At this point the reader witnesses a woman behaving in the nicest way while expressing deep hatred at the same time. Birdie’s character is useful for pointing out Virginia’s sly digs and explaining why she’s doing it, thereby helping to maintain the balance of charm and conflict.

How did raising four children impact your journey to becoming an author? I don’t know if my kids delayed my writing career or caused it! When my last two children (twins) were about to begin Kindergarten, my husband gave me the best advice. He said, “You are being given the gift of time, do something with it you’ve always wanted to do.” That’s when I wrote The Firefly Jar.  Do any of your children share your love of writing? My stepson, Drew, is an avid reader and very creative. I hope he writes a book one day because it would be a bestseller! My daughter, Brooke, loves to read and is probably the child most likely to take after her mother in this way. My daughter, Allison, wrote a brilliant (yet unpublished) children’s book, and my daughter, Natalie, is a beautiful essayist and social media specialist. None of them have shown any desire to write a novel yet, but there’s still time!

You mention being a sucker for elderly people and grumpy animals. Have any of these personal affinities inspired specific characters or scenes in your books? Absolutely! I volunteered for a hospice organization for five years and got so much joy from the people experiencing the I will say anything I want and I don’t care what other people think stage. It is so genuine and free. The character of Brownie in Christmas in Crickley Creek is one I hold especially dear for this reason. I even named him after my grandfather.

As far as grumpy animals, I feel like they’re misunderstood and see them as a challenge—a challenge that may or may not have landed one of my family members in the hospital with a dog bite on Christmas Eve. Animals are just like us, only they speak a different language. It takes time to learn it. I’m happy to say that we won that biting dog over and gave it a great life. Only one human and no animals were harmed in the process.

Why do you prefer happy endings in your stories? I’m one of those readers who feels betrayed if I spend hours on a book and get invested in the characters only to have a sad ending. I vowed to myself that I would never do that to people. Do you think they are important for readers today? I think readers should have all of the options. Sometimes we want a good cry, sometimes we want to be scared out of our minds (hello, Stephen King), and sometimes we just want to feel something. It doesn’t always have to be a romantic happy ending, but I do feel like we come to expect things from certain authors. For instance, I expect to cry with a Nicholas Sparks book, and I accept his endings, which are usually poignant, but not always “happy”. I just happen to be an author who strives to have her readers finish her books with a happy sigh and a warm feeling of time well spent. When circumstances in our lives have us down, it is nice to escape to a place where we can feel good.

How has living in California influenced your writing, especially compared to your Southern roots? I’ve been incredibly lucky that my family has remained in Alabama. I love noticing and enjoying the differences in both places. The food, the weather, social interactions, even what we do for fun varies in interesting ways. California has simply served to highlight those differences for me.

What types of books do you love to read, and how do they inspire your own writing? I always try to keep up to date on the books within my genre—women’s fiction. Outside of that, I go through phases. I read all of Harry Potter, the Twilight series, and I’ll even admit to reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I’ve also read tons of classics and every book by Jane Austen. Today, I’m reading a thriller (Stacy Willingham) and listening to RomCom (Christina Lauren). Everything from books to movies to real life inspires my writing. I’m always on the lookout for little gems that spark thoughts and ideas.

The Firefly Jar was a long-term project of yours long before it found its home with Tule. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in keeping your story alive for so long? The Firefly Jar was the first book I ever wrote, and the one that I edited and revised over and over again as I learned storytelling techniques. It would be shelved for a while as I practiced writing other things, and then pulled back out again. I used it to look for an agent and I shared it with friends. It is the most deeply personal book I’ve written. The challenges I faced were both within myself, and typical in the industry. What would people think of the book? Was my writing any good? When I finally got the confidence to pitch it or query it to agents, most of the time the effort went without response. It took over fifteen years to find a publishing home. And what were the most rewarding moments once you finally landed with Tule and expanded Crickley Creek?

Writing the second book in the series, Blink Twice If You Love Me, was like going on vacation to my favorite spot. I love Crickley Creek and the fictional people who live there. It was so gratifying to visit my good friends again. I will always be indebted to Tule because they gave me not just a physical book, but an audience. To get such positive feedback from readers has fueled the flame of my love for writing and opened the door to the career I longed for. No matter what happens from here on out, the title of author is mine. I will always feel awe and gratitude for that.

BONUS: What is one book that is a comfort read for you that you always find yourself reaching for? So many books feel like home to me, it’s impossible to choose just one. I find magical books like those by Sarah Addison Allen and Heather Webber to be comforting. But, if I was stuck in bed and needed to feel better, I’d want to be transported to my happy place—the Lowcountry. Therefore, I’d choose Anne Rivers Siddons, Dorothea Benton Frank, or Pat Conroy.