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MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS: Release day blog post featuring Ieshia Wiedlin!

Christmas traditions. 

It’s something that means a whole lot to Angela Miles in Maybe This Christmas. She spends a considerable amount of the story determined to make sure that her and her son David don’t lose their traditions and is devastated at the possibility that things may be changing. 

While writing this book, it got me to thinking about my own family traditions around Christmas, and what were staples in my home growing up. 

I kept coming back to the smell of home every December 23rd courtesy of my mother and her amazing baking skills. 

No matter if she was off from work or coming home from working a twelve-hour shift as a NICU nurse, she took the time to make sure our Christmas cookies were ready by Christmas Eve morning. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses in the middle, almond cookies, and my father’s favorite Apple Crisp. Every now and then she would even toss in a pie or two. 

Christmas just wasn’t Christmas without these tasty sweets, and we looked forward to them every single year. 

Now that I have my own family, those traditions have endured. 

Those smells now warm my home every Christmas Eve, while I call my mom occasionally for advice on a recipe. 

Below, you can find my late father’s favorite holiday treat, that he ate with French vanilla ice cream. I hope that you can add it to your own family Christmas traditions: 

 

Free Close-up of Apples in Wooden Bowl Stock PhotoApple Crisp

Use a Casserole dish /11 ½ x 8 ½ deep dish pan 

2 cans of Apple pie filling or fresh apples, any kind you like 

¾ cups of granulated sugar 

1/3 cup of oatmeal (my mom used quaker oatmeal)

1/3 cup of bisquik or jiffy mix 

½ cup of brown sugar 

1 tsp of nutmeg 

1 tsp of cinnamon 

½ stick of butter 

Pre-heat the oven to 375

Place the apples in the dish and spread evenly

Put the bisquik, oatmeal, nutmeg, and cinnamon in one bowl, mix 

Put butter, and sugars in a separate bowl and mix 

Combine the mixtures together in the one bowl with your hands. It should become a crumbly mix. 

Take the crumbly mix and spread over the apples by hand. 

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a golden brown

Feel free to add ¼ of chopped walnuts if you’d like 

 

Ice Breaker: What are some of your family Christmas traditions? 

 

About the Author

Ieshia Wiedlin grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and currently resides in Brookfield, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. She is married and has two great kids, Lucas and Zoey. She has always loved writing and telling stories, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, and is a huge junkie for all things Marvel and Star Wars. But somehow in the midst of loving all things sci-fi, she was a sucker for all things Molly Ringwald. Ieshia became a huge fan of rom-coms and loves stories with strong women characters. Growing up the youngest, and the only girl on her block, she craved strong women who fell in love. She loves romances with strong women leads who have conviction, but are also filled with humor. It’s important to her that women in her stories are smart, strong, loving, and funny, and also represent for sci-fi geeks and music lovers everywhere.

Tule Publishing October 2022 Releases

Read more about our new releases for October!

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

 

Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek by Kris Bock (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: October 3, 2022

The Accidental Detective, Book 3

Turning fifty in her childhood bedroom wasn’t on her bucket list…

Kate Tessler is convinced her sister is trying to kill her. In fact, she might prefer death to Jen’s “50 for 50 Challenge,” where Kate will try fifty new things throughout the year she turns fifty. Still adjusting to her new underemployed life back in her childhood home in Phoenix, the last thing Kate wants is to prepare for paddle boarding, especially when she receives an anonymous message claiming that Mayor Todd Paradise is taking bribes. The author claims to have proof, including photos, and challenges Kate to publish the story.

Could good guy Todd, Kate’s almost boyfriend, really be corrupt or is someone trying to set him up? Kate sets out to discover the truth, with help from her multi-generational, unconventional, and often unhelpful crew. She thrived reporting from war zones as an international war correspondent, but can she survive a deadly fundraising party, a close encounter with a taser, a turn at an open mic night, and a 100-pound dog named Whiskers?


A Boyfriend by Christmas by Jami Rogers (American Heart)

Release Date: October 4, 2022

The Evergreen Brothers, Book 1

She’s looking for the one. He just wants a plus-one.

This Christmas, tradition is going to be on photographer Lucy Adam’s side. She’ll finally find Mr. Right and marry him at the gazebo at Melody Square Park, where her late parents tied the knot. There’s just one snag in her plan. Scrooge, aka Carter Evergreen, plans to demolish the park. She needs all the mistletoe she can muster now that her goal has an expiration date.

Lucy has always been the girl next door—literally—and the one that got away. If she wants to find her true love, Carter’s happy to provide dating advice if she’ll be his plus-one at business functions. And to sweeten the pot, he’ll consider her ideas to save the park, too.

But Carter also knows the property is unstable and repairs are too costly. As they grow closer, he’s willing to do anything to save this holiday season for her—except grant her what she wants most. Can their partnership build the real foundation they need to create a magical future?


The Christmas Concierge by Beth Kendrick (American Heart)

Release Date: October 5, 2022

Christmas concierge Holiday Smith, known as “the Wish Granter,” procures impossible-to-find gifts for her elite clients. But after years of granting everyone’s wishes but her own, she promises her family that this year she’ll finally make it home for Christmas. Just one tiny glitch: a favorite elderly client begs Holiday to set up her grown granddaughter on a blind date with her old high school crush, tech-world escapee Alex Sappier…who’s somewhere off the coast of Maine.

Famously private, Alex flatly refuses a date with an old classmate he doesn’t even remember. And there’s nothing this beautiful stranger can do to persuade him. Unless…she’d be willing to cast her wish-making magic on his own Christmas family crisis?

Holiday has less than a week to rescue Alex’s family’s Christmas, arrange a Grinch-defying Christmas Eve blind date, and get herself home before a blizzard closes the roads—or worse, before they give in to the growing attraction between them.

As Holiday teams up with exactly the right man at exactly the wrong time, can she find a way to make her own wish for love come true this Christmas?


A Country Christmas by Fiona Marsden (Holiday)

Release Date: October 6, 2022

With Love, From Kurrajong Crossing, Book 6

This Christmas will bring the ultimate gift…

One night with a stranger changed Moira O’Brien’s life forever. She’s always denied needing a family of her own, until she met Gio and discovered life could offer her something more, something special—before it was snatched away. Now Gio and his daughter are back in Moira’s life, and this time Gio seems determined to stay.

After losing his wife a year ago, Gio Tsiarkas is ready for a fresh start with his daughter, Emilia. He’s in Kurrajong Crossing with a new home, new car, and the chance for a new life—maybe with the woman who’d been a much-needed bright spot in his life amid so much loss. All he has to do is convince his daughter that a new woman in his life won’t ruin hers. Oh, and hopefully find the woman.

When love and attraction come up against parental responsibility, will Gio and Moira have to make all the sacrifices? Or will a reluctant twelve-year-old discover Christmas can be about creating new families as well as holding onto the old?


A Christmas Shadow by H L Marsay (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery, Book 6

Even the season of goodwill can’t stop a murder…

Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow is reluctantly attending York Minster’s Advent Ceremony when the new Dean is taken ill after drinking wine. Was her allergic reaction a simple case of human error or could she have been poisoned? Shadow becomes suspicious when he learns someone else has died under similar circumstances. He begins to quietly investigate, but when the body of a young woman is recovered from the river, he knows he must act quickly. And this time, Shadow requires the help of someone from his past.

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 a maze of cheating husbands, corrupt clergy and criminal gangs to solve the murders before the killer can strike again.


The Christmas Blueprint by Sinclair Jayne (American Heart)

Release Date: October 12, 2022

Bear Creek, Book 2

She needs a win this Christmas. He’s standing in her way.

Boutique owner Sophia Gonzales is ready to shake off her grief and make some changes. As a new member of the town’s planning commission, she agrees to run point on an exciting proposal to repurpose an abandoned, historic mill for the city. But proving herself becomes far more challenging when she meets with her project partner—her late fiancé’s best friend who’s never agreed with her about anything.

The last thing architect Killian Flanagan wants is to move back to Bear Creek, but his best friend needs him to watch his daughter while he completes his last deployment. So Killian accepts a part-time city planner job, hoping he can avoid the one woman he’s never been able to forget. But not only is Sophia the first to greet him, she’s already got plans in motion for his—no, their—project.

It’s the ghost of Christmas past, with Sophia and Killian trying not to fall in love in the present…but maybe a future together is the real blueprint for happiness.


My Christmas with You by Fortune Whelan (American Heart)

Release Date: October 13, 2022

Dorseys of Conception Bay, Book 3

Christmas is a time for family and forgiveness…

Mabel Gray is no stranger to rebuilding her life. She ran away from her childhood sweetheart, ghosting him to create a life away from her controlling family in Conception Bay. Fifteen years later, she’s done it again. After walking away from her marriage and the hotel empire she built with her ex, she’s broke and a single mom to a teen. But with a loan from her mother, she plans to rise again, this time back in her hometown. Her only concern? Running into Danny, the man she’s never forgotten.

Danny Dorsey knows all about second chances. After recklessly crashing his car days after signing a professional hockey contract, he lost everything—including the girl he loved. Years later, he’s the wealthy creator of an illustrious social media and lifestyle brand. Finally feeling settled, Danny makes an unexpected detour to visit his family for Christmas…only to find himself sitting with Mabel at dinner.

Falling in love has always been easy. But will the secrets of the past once again tear them apart?


The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Paula Altenburg (Montana Born)

Release Date: October 17, 2022

The Endeavour Ranch of Grand, Montana, Book 4

Rodeo champion and buckle-bunny favorite Miles Decker is the “face” of professional bull riding. So when his famous face is badly scarred in a bull riding accident, he retires from public life and returns to Grand, Montana, to manage the new circuit rodeo on the Endeavour Ranch. He has few regrets—he’s made his money and has had his fill of beautiful women. But his future is upended when a surprise Christmas gift lands on his doorstep: an eight-month-old baby girl with his eyes and smile.

Local girl Tate Shannahan just lost her elf job, so being hired as the caregiver for Miles Decker’s baby is a godsend for an already difficult Christmas. Her twin brother’s death in a bull riding accident fractured Tate’s family, leaving her and her older brother to continue the Shannahan traditions alone—or not, as her brother decides. The baby is a joy, but working for a man who represents everything her family has lost isn’t easy.

Miracles happen at Christmas though, and as Miles and Tate discover new traditions together, can love grow where they least expect it?


The Fireman’s Christmas Wish by Nan Reinhardt (American Heart)

Release Date: October 18, 2022

The Lange Brothers, Book 3

Her heart is wide open, but he’s nailed his shut.

Preschool teacher Harley Cole has always viewed life through rose-colored glasses. With a career she loves, friends she enjoys, and a home that is her haven, there’s only one thing missing—finding her soul mate. As the holidays approach, Harley is inspired to help her former high school crush rediscover his holiday joy. It’s just a good deed…until the feelings she thought were gone come rushing back.

Fire Chief Becker Lange returns home to River’s Edge with a heavy heart. His divorce has emotionally ravaged him, leaving him more confused than ever about what women want. So to protect himself from another failure, he closes his heart. And then Harley Cole makes him a flirty dare that she can help him overcome the holiday blues. Beck’s not sure he wants to, but Harley’s a hard woman to tell no.

Can the magic of Christmas and a sweet stray kitten bring these two lonely souls together?


Murder Below the Mistletoe by Kaz Delaney (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: October 19, 2022

Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries, Book 4

It was going to be a Christmas wedding to die for…

What could go wrong when baker Rosie Hart heads to a snowy Colorado mountain lodge for a week of elaborate pre-wedding festivities at her friend’s wedding? The better question would be: what could go right?

Rosie’s fears for the nervous bride are confirmed when one of the wedding guests turns up dead. All evidence points to the groom being the intended victim, but with the guests dressed in Christmas-themed attire, and a dead Santa on their hands, Rosie’s not so sure. What if the killer did hit the right target all along?

Stuck in a blizzard with the wedding party being picked off one by one, Rosie’s investigative instincts kick in—only this time she’s acting without the support of her friends back in Airlie Falls. Until her four irrepressible card-shark mentors from Riverbend Retirement Village unexpectedly turn up to rescue her.

The more the merrier…right?


A Cowboy’s Secret by Anne McAllister (Montana Born)

Release Date: October 20, 2022

The Cowboy’s Code, Book 3

Montana cowboy J.D. Holt has more secrets than any man needs—and he’s not sharing a single one with bright and brainy Lydia Cochrane. He’s a hard-edged, down-to-earth cowboy, and she’s the smartest woman in the state. They have nothing in common—until Lydia buys his ranch!

Lydia has loved J.D. for as long as she can remember, but he barely knows she’s alive—that is, until she becomes his boss! Who cares if she isn’t a rancher? Lydia has never been afraid to learn, and surely J.D. can teach her the ropes. There’s a lot he could teach her if he’d ever look her way.

J.D. knows Lydia isn’t for him, and he definitely isn’t for her. But the longer he’s around her, the more she makes him want things he’s never wanted before—a home, a family, and mostly Lydia herself. J.D. knows he has too many secrets for this to work. But what if some secrets were meant to be shared?


The X-Mas Club by Lenora Worth (American Heart)

Release Date: October 24, 2022

Christmas is a time for miracles…

After a tragic traffic accident several years ago, Veronica Cearley has avoided all socializing and celebrating—especially during Christmas. Her daughter wants her mother back and finally gives her an ultimatum: this year, she’s spending Christmas with her fiancé’s family, and if Veronica doesn’t rediscover the joy in life, she won’t be involved in planning her spring wedding. When Veronica finds a flyer inviting people to attend a “Not a Christmas Club” on her daily walk, she wonders if fate has played into her hand.

Cullen Murdock doesn’t want to spend Christmas alone. He’s back in Hidden Mountain, Georgia, on business, and while he and the town have a history, he’d prefer to keep it locked in the past. He puts a plan in motion to ensure he has company for the holiday, hoping that the other lonely people he’s invited are willing to accept his mysterious invitation and make a few positive life changes.

Forced together with three other lonesome people, Veronica and Cullen fall hard and fast, but will Cullen’s secret steal their newfound Christmas spirit?


Maybe This Christmas by Ieshia Wiedlin (American Heart)

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Romancing the Doctors, Book 2

Maybe this Christmas she’ll unwrap what she really wants…

Angela Miles is a hardworking mom, doing everything she can to make sure her family traditions endure with her twelve-year-old son, David. Before her husband passed, choosing the Christmas tree on the first day of December and creating magazine-worthy decorations meant the world to them, and she can’t let these memories disappear. But this year, she’s also in the midst of planning a blowout gala for her nonprofit, Acts of Faith, and David is more into Chicago Bulls games with his friends than hanging out with her.

Dr. Shawn Atkins is a pediatric surgeon devoted to staying the best in his field. But when an opportunity arises to help Angela with the gala, he jumps at the chance to be her knight in shining armor. Angela has always challenged him to up his game, so he’s happy to help her out. What he’s not prepared for is how that decision turns his whole world upside down.

This Christmas, will new experiences open the door to a chance at love that neither of them is expecting?


Once Upon a Christmas by Jane Porter (Holiday)

Release Date: October 26, 2022

Can the magic of the Christmas season lead to a fairy tale happy ending?

When Cara Roberts’ family plans an extra special Christmas to support her after her broken engagement, she wants nothing to do with the holiday. After learning her brother and his wife can’t use the cottage vacation they purchased, she impulsively escapes to an English cottage in the bucolic village of Bakewell, despite having no idea where Bakewell is.

Lord Alec Sherbourne of Langley Park is no fan of Christmas, but following in his parents’ footsteps, he annually donates his impressive 19th century country home to be decorated and opened on December weekends as a community fundraiser. This year, Christmas is complicated by the arrival of a pretty American woman who booked a cottage on his estate—only the cottage is occupied. Forced to take her under his vast roof, he’s dismayed when a storm and frozen pipes keep her with him longer than he’d anticipated. Even more worrisome, her presence is making it feel like Christmas for the first time in forever.

As these two holiday housemates become friends, is there something more in the Christmas air?


Christmas at Belhaven Hall by Karla Kratovil (Muse)

Release Date: October 27, 2022

The Maidens of Marbury, Book 3

She wants nothing to do with him or the holiday frivolities…

Lady Olivia Rivenhall has always lived at Belhaven Hall. A year has passed since her husband’s unexpected death, and she’s been living in limbo wondering when she will have to vacate her home and finally decide what to do with the rest of her life. Just as she is beginning to believe that the new earl will never come to take possession of the manor, Maxwell Drake walks back into her life.

After almost dying in a gutter in Venice, Maxwell Drake vows to turn his life around. Learning that he’s inherited his estranged cousin’s title is exactly the fresh start he needs. Max is looking forward to enjoying Christmas in the English countryside at the estate he’s missed, but he’s dreading facing his cousin’s widow, the only woman he’s ever loved.

The attraction is stronger than ever, but so are the wounds. As Christmas magic steals through the ancient halls and secrets beckon to be shared, can these two lonely hearts find a second chance at love?

THERE YOU ARE: Release day blog post featuring Ieshia Wiedlin

When I started writing There You Are, I knew that my main character would be one that had a true love for all kinds of music. Hip-Hop, R&B, Amina would love, but Indie music would be the thing that she really connected to and wrapped herself around to convey her emotions and feelings. 

The more the story started to develop in my mind, and eventually on the page, I began making a playlist of songs. Each song I felt told a story of Amina and Nathan’s relationship. Stories of how they met, how it felt when they were together, how they felt about each other. Each time I came back to this story to revise and edit, I listened to this playlist, and was presented with a new idea or emotion. Before I knew it I compiled a playlist of 41 songs. I would like to share a few that are my favorites. 

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