Tag Archives: Justine Davis

Meet Tule Publishing’s First 10 Cowgirls as Part of our #Tule10 Anniversary!

Tule Publishing has hit a milestone 10 years and we’re celebrating all month long with showcasing some of our first 10’s! Learn more about our first 10 authors, meet our first 10 cowboys and cowgirls, and maybe find yourself wrapped up dreaming of the holidays with our first 10 Christmas stories!

We are so thankful for each of you for continuing to put your faith in us to continue bringing you amazing reads. You are a crucial part to our success and we couldn’t have made it to our 10th anniversary without you! We hope you stick around all month for more celebratory blogs and are looking forward to another 10 years – cheers!

Meet Tule Publishing’s First 10 Cowgirls

Big Sky Mavericks, Book 1
Big Marietta Fair, Book 2

Some dreams come with a big price tag.

Bailey Jenkins left her hometown of Marietta, Montana at eighteen, poised to take college and the rodeo world by storm–despite Paul Zabrinski. On the eve of her great escape, at the top of the Ferris Wheel at the Big Marietta Fair, he invoked his great-grandmother Hilda’s curse. “If you do this, Bailey Jenkins, I will hate you forever. And I’ll call on my great-grandmother to curse you. She was a Gypsy witch, you know.”

Fifteen years later, Bailey’s back–shattered, humbled by fate and bruised at the soul level but determined to rebuild–once she helps her parents get back on their feet. She didn’t expect Paul Zabrinski to meet her plane, but seeing him strong, handsome and successful is somehow fitting. After all, Bailey didn’t need Paul’s gypsy great-grandmother to put a curse on her–Bailey already had the worst luck on the planet.

Never say never.

One look at Bailey Jenkins–his first love, the woman he adored…and cursed–and every emotion Paul Zabrinski felt fifteen years earlier comes rushing back. The love of his life broke his heart and made him hate her…or so he thought. The line between love and hate is very narrow, with only so much room for forgiveness. But Paul Zabrinski owns Big Z Hardware and Construction. If anyone is capable of building a bridge for them to cross together, it’s him.

Carrigans of the Circle C, Book 5

For years Callan Carrigan has been her father’s right hand man, so when her dad’s will names city slicker Court McAllister the new owner of The Circle C Ranch, Callan feels betrayed on every level.

Then she and her sisters find their mother’s diaries, hidden from them by their father since their mother’s accidental death 18 years ago, and the shocking revelations explain a lot. Reeling, Callan seeks refuge in the local saloon, where it seems no one can reach her, until Court offers her a challenge.

If she agrees to be foreman at the Circle C for one year, he’ll deed the ranch back to her and her sisters. The deal seems too sweet at first—until Callan realizes Court has his eyes on something she protects even more than her family’s land—her heart.

Wildflower Ranch, Book 4

Australian cowgirl Bridie Willis travels to Montana to escape the pain of losing her father. Headstrong and determined, she plans to spend the summer alone photographing wild animals. Instead she finds herself saddled with a stubborn cowboy as a back-country guide.

Ethan Morgan has been shaped by a childhood spent on the run. Cautious, steady and conservative, he is tasked with ensuring the beautiful, risk taking cowgirl doesn’t ditch him or come to any harm.

But the biggest challenge Ethan must face is to accept how Bridie makes him feel. And the biggest risk Bridie must take is to trust in her heart.

Wildflower Ranch, Book 6

Headstrong cowgirl Peta Dixon has put her life on hold this Christmas to prove she can run her ranch as well as any man. There isn’t anything she can’t ride, fix, or stare down, and the only things to scare her are long hemlines and sky-high heels.

Self-made rancher Garrett Ross normally doesn’t take orders – he gives them. But when asked to step in to act as a temporary foreman on a Montana ranch over the holidays, he can’t refuse.

Yet when Garrett meets the beautiful and stubborn ranch owner, he realizes he’s signed on for a whole lot of trouble. Cynical and jaded, he has no time for feelings. And when Peta meets the man she’s to share her life with until Christmas, she discovers she no longer wants to be the person others expect her to be…

Will the rancher finally listen to his heart and admit he can’t live without a certain straight-talking cowgirl?

The Gallaghers of Montana, Book 5

He knows who she is…but she doesn’t

PI Mitch Hardeman is an expert at finding people, so when Glenna Gallagher disappears from the ranch where she works, her brothers hire Mitch to find her. He thinks his job is done after he tracks her down, but Glenna doesn’t know him, and she doesn’t remember her brothers or even her real name. Mitch must earn the beautiful cowgirl’s trust so he can bring her back home.

She doesn’t know who she is… but she knows who she wants

With traumatic amnesia caused by a bus accident, Glenna Gallagher knows nothing of her life before that day. She only knows she’s in danger, and that Mitch offers protection and the truth about her identity. But once home in Marietta, her memories are still missing. Can she convince Mitch that she doesn’t need to remember her past to know he’s the only man she wants? And will she regain her memory in time to save herself and the man she loves from the danger that follows her?

Blackberry Cove Cowboys, Book 1

When Kendall Kelly‘s career as the free spirited punk country crossover queen ends in a fiery ball of doom and humiliation, she has no place to go but back to her hometown Blackberry Cove, California, where she abandoned her secret husband years ago without so much as a note. She’s hoping to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and finally cut the last tie to the only man she ever loved.

As part owner of Kelly Family Farms, Damian Sloan has spent the last few years rebuilding the floundering business into a growing organic farm. He thought he’d moved on from his broken heart, but when Kendall barges back into his life—broken but beautiful as ever—he soon realizes he hasn’t forgotten. Or forgiven. Kendall threatens everything he’s built, but he can’t quite turn her away.

Damian and Kendall must put aside their differences for the success of the farm they both depend on. Maybe, in the process, they can rebuild what they tragically lost.

The Tremaynes of Texas, Book 4

What happens when a tenacious sheriff takes on a determined cowgirl and her champion bull?

It’s never easy to make it in a man’s world, and cowgirl Tori Tremayne has chased the same dream most of her life—producing a champion bucking bull on the pro rodeo circuit. With her prize bull Maximus, she’s so close to winning top prize in the finals this year she can taste it. She can’t afford any distractions, especially not the tall, dark and swoony sheriff she’s admired all her life.

Sheriff Gray Dalton has been in love with Tori since they were kids. He doesn’t want to change Tori or derail her goals, but he does want to combine their dreams—build a life and family with her while she continues to pursue her career and passion. Gray knows he has to shake Tori up so that he can step out of the friend zone she’s so determined to keep him in.

Can Gray prove to Tori that with him she can have it all—career, love and a family?

The Hartman Brothers, Book 3

She has a lot to prove and won’t get distracted by a cowboy again…

Barrel racer Ella James Sanders has one goal for her breakout year in Pro Rodeo—to make it to the National Finals Rodeo and prove to her hometown that she’s more than a girl raised on the wrong side of town. But her dream quickly crashes when an accident injures her and her horse, ending her rodeo season and leaving her in the care of the man who carelessly broke her heart years ago.

Cowboy and veterinarian Ty Hartman knows what it’s like to be rejected by those close to him. Ty’s loved Ella since high school, but she’s rejected him twice so he’s resolved to keep his distance and protect his heart…until an accident forces Ella and her horse into his life and he can’t step aside. As he cares for the feisty cowgirl, he feels himself falling for her again.

Can he convince this cowgirl that not only is he a man she can trust, but that he’s also a man she could love?

Texas True, Book 4

They’re made for each other, he just needs to prove it.

Pilot Nate Kershaw may be one of Whiskey River’s biggest players, but from the moment he met cowgirl Damaris Walker, he was smitten. After sharing a searing kiss years ago, she made her feelings clear so Nate doesn’t dare press for more than friendship. No other woman can win his heart, so when his beloved grandmother tells him her dearest wish is to see him settled down, Nate decides it’s the perfect opportunity to convince Damaris they’re meant to be.

After a devastating betrayal years ago, Damaris is still unable to trust or risk her heart—especially with a charming lady-killer like Nate. Against her common sense, she agrees to be Nate’s fake girlfriend and finds herself falling for him harder than she did two years ago.

When Damaris learns Nate has been deceiving her about his true feelings, her fears and trust issues reignite. Will Nate be able to convince Damaris to overcome the pain of the past and take a risk on forever—with him?

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 4

Sometimes the line between love and hate is blurry…

Cody Rafferty and Britt Roth may have grown up on adjacent Hill Country ranches, but they’ve always been oil and water. Britt knows it’s because Cody’s a tech nerd who doesn’t get the ranch life she loves. Cody knows it’s because Britt’s a single-minded cowgirl, who lives to complain about the technology he loves. Their families claim it’s because they were born within minutes of each other.

They’ve declared one truce in their lives—when Cody’s father was KIA overseas. Neither of them expected there would be another, but when Cody suspects a crash of his test drone spooked Britt’s champion barrel racing horse, endangering her life and future, he calls a second truce. Prodded by guilt, he steps up to take care of Britt and her beloved horse. Britt balks, but Cody’s hard to refuse even for a tough cowgirl. Forced together, they learn surprising things about each other neither ever knew.

Can these two lifetime adversaries learn to get along, especially when they realize that the sparks that fly between them aren’t fueled only by anger?

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for stopping by to meet the first 10 cowgirls of Tule Publishing! Here’s to a great year of #Tule10!

Tule Author Q&A: Justine Davis did barrel racing like her heroine!

Justine Davis stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the fourth book in The Raffertys of Last Stand series, Cowgirl Tough!

Where did you get the inspiration for Cowgirl Tough?

When I started the Raffertys series, I had very little idea what the last book would be about. I knew I wanted a cowgirl, because by the usual standards Cody, although he grew up on a ranch, wasn’t that much of a cowboy. He could ride because he grew up riding, and he’s always ready to pitch in when necessary, but his gadgets are his first love, and his biggest challenge thus far was making them useful in ranch life. I thought the contrast might be fun, and as it turned out, it was!

 

How is Cody different from his brothers, Keller, Chance, and Rylan? How is he the same?

It’s not just that he’s a tech genius that makes him different, that’s as much a matter of timing and mental knack as anything. The main reason he’s different is that as the youngest brother, he was also the youngest when their military father was KIA. His brothers were all teenagers, while he was only nine. That made a tremendous difference in how he handled—or didn’t handle—the loss. But their mother, Maggie, truly rules the roost, and her unfailing love and dedication to both her family and the ranch that is their heritage shaped Cody, and fostered the loyalty to his brothers and the ranch that guides him.

 

How do you relate to Britt, your heroine, and how do you hope readers will relate to her? How do you relate to Cody?

As a one time barrel racer myself—albeit nowhere even near as successful!—I felt truly connected to Britt. I understood her passion for the sport, the exhilaration of a good run, and most of all the horses. I hope that comes through in the writing, especially to those who perhaps aren’t familiar with the thrill of riding a thousand-pound animal full tilt through a cloverleaf pattern around objects that give you a new appreciation for shin guards. 

As for Cody, I’m also a bit of a tech fan, although only in certain areas and only as a consumer; coding (sorry Cody!) is beyond me. I have flown a drone, and was in awe of the image from the high-res camera. I also have the same capacity Cody does of getting so wrapped up in a project that everything else falls by the wayside!

 

This is your second Last Stand series. Can you share how you manage to write stories in a town with so many different authors writing their own characters?

It’s probably a bit easier for me since thanks to Tule I had the good fortune to be deeply involved in the creation of Last Stand as a location. I love the Hill Country anyway, so I was delighted when Tule wanted to build this community. Having been in on the ground floor as it were, I feel as if I could find my way around if I ever was magically plopped down there, since I helped choose much of what’s there, especially the Main Street/common areas. I called on my law enforcement background to help create the traffic accident that was instrumental in launching the series for the foundation authors, so I’m fully invested in Last Stand. That said, it’s wonderful to work with some great authors, where you can send out a question and get helpful answers on characters, places, or anything else you might need to borrow! 

 

What are you currently reading?

While my Regency binge continues, Eve Gaddy’s Texas Cowgirl, set in neighboring Whiskey River (where I also “lived” for a while) jumped the line. I just finished it, and besides the great main couple, I adored the relationship between the hero and his lovable grandmother. Also just finished Margaret Mayhew’s I’ll Be Seeing You, and as a bit of a WWII buff, I loved the story of a woman trying to find her father, a Yank stationed in England during the war. Until I decide what’s next fictionally, the current read is something I’ve been slogging through for a while; the owner’s manual of a Cessna 206H. Ah, I love research…

 

About the Author

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

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

Tule Publishing April 2022 Releases

Read more about our new releases for April!

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

 

Blood Thinners by Heather Novak (Muse)

Release Date: April 4, 2022

Love Me Dead, Book 1

The only thing more annoying than a ghost flash mob is a rogue vampire attack…

Supernatural investigator Mina Summers is only one undercover mission away from the promotion she’s worked for her entire career. Her assignment is simple: figure out why several unregistered vampires are going rogue—including one that ruined her best suit—and attacking humans. Her investigation leads her to Thinner, a new celebrity-endorsed weight loss company that’s shrouded in mystery and promises seemingly impossible results.

Mina’s convinced she’ll finish her mission in time for dinner, but when she face-plants into Carma Nicks, Thinner’s smart and sexy vice president, Mina’s suddenly out of her depth. Surely her heart is only racing due to adrenaline, right? Falling for—and sleeping with—a mark goes 100% against protocol, but Mina’s plans to keep her distance are as flimsy as the agency-issued ghost that resides in her apartment.

When Thinner’s secrets disrupt the peace between supernaturals and humans—and threaten Carma’s life—Mina’s forced to choose between protecting her dream career or saving the woman she loves.


Stuck with You by Fortune Whelan (American Heart)

Release Date: April 5, 2022

Dorseys of Conception Bay, Book 1

They’re both starting over. Fate’s determined they do it together.

NHL all-star Clark Dorsey is still at the top of his game, but he’s done with hockey. The night of the championship, Clark announces his retirement and returns to Seattle to spend time with his sick brother and figure out his next move. He needs to unwind, but his interfering brother sets him up by renting half of their shared condo to a beautiful, opinionated and fascinating woman.

Nurse Leena Lopez is done with the spotlight. When her whirlwind fairy tale romance ends in a cheating scandal, Leena’s suddenly broke, alone and hounded by paparazzi in a new city. Desperate to put down roots, Leena says yes when a patient offers her the condo he shares with his Canadian hockey star brother. She can ignore the teenage crush she had on Clark Dorsey—he won’t even be in town.

But Clark arrives and they’re both thrust back into the headlines they’ve been desperately avoiding. Can they figure out how to be alone together? Do they want to?


Something Shady at Sunshine Haven by Kris Bock (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: April 7, 2022

The Accidental Detective, Book 1

She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.


Two Nights to Forever by Rebecca Crowley (American Heart)

Release Date: April 11, 2022

Orchard Hill, Book 2

Time doesn’t heal all wounds, but love just might…

Eve Klein almost has it all: a thriving career, great friends, and adoptive parents who’ve supported her in everything—including her quest to find her birth mother. She’s hired a private investigator, and while she waits for the last piece of her history to make her whole, she focuses on the most exciting deal of her career—a controlling share in Keller and Sons, a luxury watchmaker.

To most people Keller watches are status symbols, but to Saul Keller they’re handcuffs. He thought his brother had everything under control, until a distress call from an employee forced him to leave Wall Street and move home to Orchard Hill, Missouri. A year on, he’s shifted from trying to save the family business to selling it—and finally setting himself free.

Eve is Saul’s most exciting—and alluring—professional adversary, and he’s exactly the type of high-flyer she’s sworn to stop falling for. But when she needs his help to prepare for a Passover seder with her birth mother, the lines between business and pleasure become perpetually blurred.


Cowgirl Tough by Justine Davis (Texas Born)

Release Date: April 12, 2022

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 4

Sometimes the line between love and hate is blurry…

Cody Rafferty and Britt Roth may have grown up on adjacent Hill Country ranches, but they’ve always been oil and water. Britt knows it’s because Cody’s a tech nerd who doesn’t get the ranch life she loves. Cody knows it’s because Britt’s a single-minded cowgirl, who lives to complain about the technology he loves. Their families claim it’s because they were born within minutes of each other.

They’ve declared one truce in their lives—when Cody’s father was KIA overseas. Neither of them expected there would be another, but when Cody suspects a crash of his test drone spooked Britt’s champion barrel racing horse, endangering her life and future, he calls a second truce. Prodded by guilt, he steps up to take care of Britt and her beloved horse. Britt balks, but Cody’s hard to refuse even for a tough cowgirl. Forced together, they learn surprising things about each other neither ever knew.

Can these two lifetime adversaries learn to get along, especially when they realize that the sparks that fly between them aren’t fueled only by anger?


Losing It by Shelli Stevens (American Heart)

Release Date: April 14, 2022

Bro Code, Book 1

Thou shalt not sleep with thy friend’s sister…

It was basically the number one rule of the bro code, and Blake Wolfe just came dangerously close to breaking it. How could he know that the gorgeous woman he made out with at a party was his friend’s little sister? Now that he knows, she is hands off…which is easier said than done.

Kristen Watson is in Seattle for a much-needed vacation after graduating college. Though she has more planned than just hanging out with her bestie—it’s also the perfect time to ditch her virgin status and have a little fun before joining the real world. But finding the perfect guy is proving harder than she expected, especially when the perfect guy is apparently off-limits.

Blake knows trying to dissuade Kristen from the plan is useless. So he does the next best thing and volunteers to be her wingman. But helping her pick “the one” might be as challenging as trying not to claim her for himself.


Only a Highlander Will Do by Gerri Russell (Muse)

Release Date: April 19, 2022

Guardians of the Isles, Book 2

Enemies and lovers are but two edges of the same blade…

Tormod MacLeod vows revenge on the MacDonalds, who brought war to his clan’s doorstep. Gathering a company of men to attack the MacDonald home, Tormod discovers a beautiful red-haired lass being taken to marry Garrick MacDonald, the clan’s heir. Tormod kidnaps the fiery beauty to be his own bride—and to torment her dastardly fiancé.

Fiona Fraser is forced to leave everything familiar when her father pledges her to a man she’s never met. But before she can meet her groom, whose cruel reputation precedes him, she’s taken hostage by a vengeful Highland rogue. Fiona’s given three days to decide her fate—marry the imposing soldier who imprisons her but ignites her passion, or choose a different MacLeod.

When Fiona hears her father is a hostage, and the MacLeods have breached the barrier between the human and fairy worlds, she’s forced to make a terrible choice to save her people and home. Can Fiona and Tormod put aside their family bonds and clan loyalty for the love they feel for each other?


A New Mantra by Sapna Srinivasan (American Heart)

Release Date: April 21, 2022

The Sood Family, Book 1

She’s always done what was expected of her. Until…

When 30-year-old Seattle-based Indian housewife Mira Sood is blindsided by her husband’s extramarital affair, her three-year arranged marriage is shattered. Humiliated, heartbroken, near-broke, and facing the united dissension of her orthodox family, Mira is desperate to rebuild her life. She moves in with her rebel cousin, searches for any job that will take her, and impulsively signs up for a half-marathon race. There’s just one problem—Mira’s experience with running starts and ends with running to catch the bus.

With herself as her biggest critic and doubter, Mira commits to the race and is assisted by entrepreneur Andy Fitzgerald, a handsome, elite marathoner who helps her create a training schedule and personal goals. When the lines of friendship begin to blur, Mira realizes she’s facing an even bigger challenge.

Can Mira embrace her stronger, more independent self—risking another heartbreak and disappointing her family—or will she once again play it too safe and let the possibility of happiness slip away?


The Montana Doctor by Paula Altenburg (Montana Born)

Release Date: April 25, 2022

Grand, Montana, Book 2

Moving on is never easy…

Small-town doctor and Endeavour Ranch co-owner Dr. Dallas Tucker has very few problems in life—other than a shortage of time and an inheritance he doesn’t believe he deserves. He loves volunteering at the local nursing home and is planning to open a clinic on the ranch. But when he discovers the woman who loved and left him has moved to Grand, Montana, he sets out to win her back.

Brewmaster Hannah Brand still regrets her impulsive mistake at her sister’s wedding. After discovering her high school sweetheart had cheated on her, she had a passionate one night stand with a charming doctor and left town. Determined to pursue her dream of opening her own brewery, Hannah moves back to Grand and is determined to move on with her life—single.

But when the same handsome doctor walks through her door—and clearly makes house calls—Hannah’s past comes flying back. When old doubts resurface, Hannah wonders if time really can heal all wounds…


The Cowboy’s Texas Sky by E. Elizabeth Watson (Texas Born)

Release Date: April 26, 2022

The Dixons of Legacy Ranch, Book 2

They have a second chance at love…if they’re brave enough to take the risk.

Fifteen years ago, Skylar Rivers fled from home after her boyfriend’s Army unit was annihilated. Now, she’s a veterinarian who’s created a foundation to honor Travis and the dreams of a ranch they shared. When a car accident lands her and her foster son in the ER, Dr. Travis Dixon arrives—seemingly resurrected from the dead. Their chemistry still flares hot, but he’s changed, and she has a troubled teen to protect.

Travis Dixon has many regrets. Most notably, losing his best friend in a battle that took his foot and nearly his life, and then turning to the bottle during recovery. He hurt everyone he loved, but is now a respected orthopaedic surgeon determined to establish a riding program for injured vets. When the blonde beauty he never forgot throws his heart and his plans into a tailspin, he realizes he wants to reconnect with his roots and find a new place in Skylar’s life.

They’ve both run from their pasts. Can Skylar make room for Travis in her future?


No Safe Haven by Melinda Di Lorenzo (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: April 28, 2022

Trinity Calhoun Mystery, Book 2

You can’t go home again…but can you return to the life you’ve made?

After a harrowing experience in her childhood town, Detective Trinity Calhoun has at last been cleared to return to her job at the Vancouver PD—but with a caveat. Her boss insists that she eases back into it by being chained to a desk. Trinity understands the request. She knows it’s reasonable. But that doesn’t mean she likes it. Or will abide by it.

And the desk, it seems, is the last place she can be. Because someone is stalking her. Baiting her. Using her long-solved domestic abuse cases to draw her out. And whoever the culprit is, they know an awful lot more about her than she does about them. Soon, everything Trinity values is on the line: her memories, her reputation, even her sanity. Nowhere is safe, and she can’t trust anyone offering her help—including her closest allies.

But is putting faith in only herself enough to stay alive?

 

Tule Publishing January 2022 Releases

Happy New Year! 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.

 

Doctor in the Outback by Nicole Flockton (Holiday)

Release Date: January 11, 2022

Welcome to Bunya Junction, Book 3

Can she find the courage to love again?

With running the busy small-town hospital at Waratah River and setting up a foundation to help others achieve their dreams like he has, Dr. Scott Carruthers has his plate full. So when a beautiful specialist obstetrician is employed to ease his workload, his inconvenient attraction toward her is a complication he doesn’t need.

Dr. Franceen Lewis arrived at Waratah River Hospital to start her life over. After a tragic loss and the resulting breakdown of her unsuitable marriage, she’s ready to focus on her career and help those who need her. Working with Scott challenges her not only professionally, but personally. Getting involved with another man is not on her to-do list, but Scott shows her again and again that not all men are as shallow and unreliable as her ex.

The longer they work together, the harder they fall…but can Franceen really put the past behind her and reach for the happiness she deserves?


Breaking the Cowboy’s Rules by Sinclair Jayne (Montana Born)

Release Date: January 13, 2022

Montana Rodeo Brides, Book 3

It’s time to take advantage of his player reputation…

Pro rodeo bronc and bull rider Bodhi Ballantyne is always upping the stakes. This year he’s been hiding a secret, and when he and his cousins come home to Marietta, Montana, for the Copper Mountain Rodeo and learn their granddad is contemplating selling his legacy ranch, Bodhi challenges his cousins to a game to save their futures. To stay in the game, they’ll each need a bride by the end of the rodeo.

Nico Steel is on the run from her family, her fortune, and her unwitting role in the corporate scandal of a generation. After cooperating with the FBI and the New York state attorney’s office to right the wrongs, she drives across the country, desperate for peace and reinvention. One impulsive stop at a saloon along with a dance with a sexier-than-sin cowboy and suddenly Nico’s learning to shoot whiskey and agreeing to be a stranger’s fake fiancée for the week.

They’re both players, so it’s a win-win—unless one of them loses their heart.


Scammer Girl by Michelle Dayton (American Heart)

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Tech-nically Love, Book 2

Technology complicates everything, including love.

Five years ago, Jo Harper did a bad thing. Dumped, injured, and in crippling debt, Jo did what any desperate woman with a PhD in psychology and above-average computer skills would: become an elite, undetectable online romance scammer. Now Jo and her team of four young women bring in enough cash to keep them securely afloat. Their targets? Married cheaters.

Jamie March, Bay Area royalty known as “The Conscience of Silicon Valley,” hates every aspect of online crime, especially those who defraud people. And when it appears that his brother is the victim of a sophisticated romance scam, he can’t stand idly by.

What’s weird though, is that when Jo and Jamie meet…they don’t hate one another. Not at all. He makes her laugh and feel alive again. She challenges his intellect like no other. But they can’t trust one another, right? And you can’t fall in love with someone you don’t trust—or can you?


Can’t Go Home by Melinda Di Lorenzo (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: January 20, 2022

Trinity Calhoun Mystery, Book 1

“Do you remember Savannah?”

How could she forget? Two decades ago, Trinity Calhoun‘s best friend—18-year-old Savannah Stuart—went missing. Just weeks later, Savannah’s body was found brutally slain outside the mountain town. With no suspects or leads, the local authorities dismissed the murder as a tragic one-off, likely perpetrated by a tourist. But Trinity wasn’t convinced.

Determined to do better for other victims, she left town and settled in Vancouver, rising through the ranks to become a detective. She’s never looked back. But now, an unexpected phone call from her former lover has her barreling down the highway to face the past.

Another young woman has disappeared under eerily similar circumstances. Allegedly. But the local police are disinterested. Trinity’s ex has a tenuous—at best—hold on his mental and physical health. And Savannah’s secretive and handsome brother is in town, asking an awful lot of questions.

Trinity’s focus is clouded. Maybe her judgment, too. As she wades through her past, she needs to answer a potentially life-threatening question: is there a dangerous, repeat criminal on the loose, or is she just desperate for closure?


Cowgirl in Love by Jamie Dallas (Montana Born)

Release Date: January 24, 2022

The Hartman Brothers, Book 3

She has a lot to prove and won’t get distracted by a cowboy again…

Barrel racer Ella James Sanders has one goal for her breakout year in Pro Rodeo—to make it to the National Finals Rodeo and prove to her hometown that she’s more than a girl raised on the wrong side of town. But her dream quickly crashes when an accident injures her and her horse, ending her rodeo season and leaving her in the care of the man who carelessly broke her heart years ago.

Cowboy and veterinarian Ty Hartman knows what it’s like to be rejected by those close to him. Ty’s loved Ella since high school, but she’s rejected him twice so he’s resolved to keep his distance and protect his heart…until an accident forces Ella and her horse into his life and he can’t step aside. As he cares for the feisty cowgirl, he feels himself falling for her again.

Can he convince this cowgirl that not only is he a man she can trust, but that he’s also a man she could love?


Once a Cowboy by Justine Davis (Texas Born)

Release Date: January 25, 2022

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 3

He’s a cowboy through and through…

Rylan Rafferty was a cowboy long before interest in his leatherworking artistry and saddle making for the rich and famous catapulted him to national fame. He values his privacy, so when a popular Texas magazine wants to feature him, his first inclination is to run. His military father who died in combat when Rylan was a teen was the artist, not him. But then he meets the photographer, and Rylan suddenly no longer wants to bury himself in his work.

Kaitlyn Miller values three things above all else—the memory of her father, her photography, and the mentor who first handed her a camera. Her beautiful but flawed mother may have chipped away at her self-esteem as a child, but Kaitlyn has confidence in her work. So she’s thrilled to be back home in Texas for her first big break—a photo shoot of a local Last Stand artist.

When plain Kaitlyn collides with gorgeous Rylan, unexpected sparks fly. But can he convince her that her generous heart and artist’s eye make her more than beautiful to him?


Hush, My Darling by Winter Austin (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: January 27, 2022

Benoit and Dayne Mystery, Book 2

Sometimes, the past starts to bleed into the future…

Dark memories haunt Eckardt County Deputy Lila Dayne. Two years ago, she survived a serial killer’s attempt to add her to his growing list of victims in Chicagoland, but the fight cost her more than just time lost to surgeries and rehab. Now she’s finally beginning to connect with the people in this small section of southeast Iowa, even if she can still sense him watching her.

Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit has her sights on bringing down Eckardt County’s corruption when two bodies surface, both bearing striking similarities to the serial killer victims discovered along I-80—and one delivers a personal message for her department. Lila spirals out of control under the pressure, pushing everyone out of her life.

As Elizabeth and her deputies try to bring Lila back into the fold, the killer closes in, marking his next victim. Lila must shake free of her fears and trust those who have supported her—or the killer will finish what he started.

Tule Author Q&A: Justine Davis is a dog person!

Justine Davis stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the second book in The Raffertys of Last Stand series, A Texas Christmas Miracle!

 

Where did you get the inspiration for A Texas Christmas Miracle?

From images I’ve never forgotten. One, of the Military Working Dog Teams National Monument at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in, appropriately, Texas. The sculpture is of a handler and four dogs (a Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Labrador retriever and a Belgian malinois, the breed featured in the book) done by brilliant sculptor Paula Slater. Second, also by Slater at the same location, is the sculpture of a Vietnam era soldier pouring water into his helmet for his loyal dog. (the sculpture is a functioning fountain for visiting dogs to drink from, a beautiful touch) The dogs back then were considered nothing more than equipment, and were often left behind, abandoned to their fate in a war torn country, in a culture where they were sometimes considered food. That is a part of our history that has always sickened me, and thus while the first monument makes me nod in approval, the fountain makes me cry. And from the beginning, I knew Chance would be a man who would see to those who saw to him and his brothers in arms.

 

This story is about Chance and Ariel, but it’s also about Tri, a wounded military K-9 who brings these two together. Are you a dog person? Do you or did you ever have any pets?

As you can see, this story is very much about Tri as well. I love these dogs; they’re such brave and wonderful—and smart!—animals. I am absolutely a dog person, and have had several through the years. (horses too, but that’s another story…) Currently I have my beloved Elf, a half border collie mixed with something unknown but thankfully much less intense. I adopted her from a Navy guy who sadly had to rehome her, and after a period of adjustment, she’s become the sweetest thing in my life. She spends the day in my office with me while I work, and in fact has been known to bound up the stairs, then stop on the landing and give me the side eye until I get moving up there fast enough to suit her. I swear she’s saying “Aren’t you supposed to be working??”

 

If you could spend the day with Chance or Ariel, who would you choose and what would you do?

Oh, undoubtedly Chance. (I’m an all about the hero kind of girl…) But I would love to watch him work with the dogs, see how he settles them and calms them and convinces them they’re safe. The combination of command and gentleness is irresistible to me. That is definitely my kind of man. 

 

Do you have any favorite Christmas or holiday traditions?

Since I spent so many years in law enforcement, where Christmas was just another day we had to work, those kind of fell by the wayside except for Christmas cookies and eggnog. Oh, and a Charlie Brown sort of Christmas tree, a tradition that began when one year we saw one on a trash pile on the morning of Christmas Eve and I couldn’t resist bringing the poor thing home. But I always used to volunteer to work Christmas mornings so that the folks with little kids could be at home with them. I got my payback on New Years! 

 

What are you currently reading?

At the moment I’m doing an editing read-through on the final Rafferty book, and when I’m doing that I have to focus on that book and not read anything else, so that I don’t miss something. However just prior to that, I finished Dean Koontz’s (speaking of dog lovers!) fabulous “Nameless” series of novellas. I don’t do horror but these aren’t, they’re about adding fairness and truth to the lives of people who have been deprived of both by others, and they were fascinating and wonderfully written. I both wanted to read them one right after the other, but also didn’t want them to be over, which for me as a reader is the best compliment I can give. And not to name drop, but Mr. Koontz happens to live in the city I used to work in, and the man works late! I found this out working the graveyard shift at the PD when he would trip their house alarm by accident, and call to say all was okay. Usually around one or two in the morning. When I get on a roll myself and work late, I always think of those brief chats we had. 

 

About the Author

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

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

Tule Publishing October 2021 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.

 

The Witch’s Reckoning by Leigh Ann Edwards (Muse)

Release Date: October 4, 2021

The Witches of Time, Book 4

They’ve prevailed against the greatest of odds, but will the ultimate battle lead to their reckoning?

The beautiful Irish witch Alainn O’Brien and her husband Killian, a handsome warrior chieftain, have been in love most of their lives. While danger has followed the gifted witch and her sovereign guardian ruthlessly and relentlessly, their love and commitment have always saved them. But now, finally returned to their castle, they and the other witches and guardians must face what may be their greatest challenge yet—the long-predicted battle between light and dark magic.

With death in the air, secrets revealed, others concealed and a spell of discontent placed upon the chiefdom, threatening even the strongest relationships, Alainn and Killian’s troubles grow exponentially. When they receive an ominous invitation to meet with the infamous Dark Lord Odhran, they must decide if it’s worth the risk.

To defeat Odhran, they’ll need to band together and combine their powers, crossing the realms of time and pushing the boundaries of magic. Who’ll live to see the battle and who’ll live through it?


Christmas Ever After by Clare Connelly (American Heart)

Release Date: October 6, 2021

Cape Hope, Book 2

He once chose her happiness over his. Can this Christmas be their second chance?

Cassidy Hanna never felt like she belonged in Cape Hope, so she fled town and heartbreak ten years ago for a new life in Manhattan and everything she ever dreamed of—a great job and the perfect boyfriend. Only she’s never felt emptier and more alone. When her beloved grandfather falls ill, she knows she must push aside the past and return home to help.

Letting Cassidy go without a fight was the hardest thing Cape Hope doctor Phoenix Walker had ever done. Even as his own life fell apart, he lied and encouraged her to fly far from home to live out her dreams. Now Cassidy’s back—just for Christmas—and Phoenix wonders if they can have a second chance at a happy ever after…even if it’s just for the holiday.


Ending on a Die Note by Nancy Robards Thompson (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: October 7, 2021

The Wedding Bell Mysteries, Book 3

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely killers…

Everybody’s talking about Hemlock’s annual fall festival’s headliner band, ShakesPierre. Everyone but Tess Harrison, whose breakup with Pierre, the lead singer, left them both singing the blues years ago. And now that Pierre is back, he’s publicly putting his feelings for Tess in the spotlight.

So when Pierre ends up stabbed in the alley outside Tess’s bakery, she’s the number one suspect—especially since she’s famously known for her quality kitchen knives. But the evidence strikes a false note with Maddie and Jenna Bell, who are determined to clear their friend’s name and make sure the real murderer plays…uh, pays for his crime.

The clues lead them out of Hemlock and into danger far outside of Sheriff Jackson Bradley’s jurisdiction. Can Maddie save everyone before the real killer strikes back and Tess goes down for a crime she didn’t commit?


The Christmas Fix Up by Barbara Ankrum (American Heart)

Release Date: October 11, 2021

The Guardian Angel Chronicles, Book 2

Heaven made a mistake. Can one clumsy, rebellious angel right a wrong by Christmas Eve without losing her heart?

Angel Elspeth Aloysious is hidden in celestial clerical work to avoid painful memories when her mentor sends her on her first earthly mingle. Her task—open the closed heart of the handsome and busy Sam Wynter so his daughter can have a new mother before she drifts too far from her destiny. Elle has one week and one rule—don’t fall for Sam.

Sam Wynter has no intention of remarrying. Instead, he’s focused on raising his daughter Molly and building his career. But when he meets a captivating and beautiful stranger in town for the holidays, he rediscovers joy and a sense of fun with Elle through donating his time and skills to those in need. Both Sam and Molly quickly bond with the sparkling Elle, and Sam starts to dream of a different future.

The clock is ticking down on Elle’s time on Earth. Can these two mismatched soulmates, who are worlds apart, find their happy ever after?


Love and Latkes by Stacey Agdern (American Heart)

Release Date: October 12, 2021

Friendships and Festivals, Book 3

You can’t make a latke without breaking a few eggs…  

Batya Averman is ecstatic when a latke fry-off committee chooses her as its web designer—until she learns the event is in Rivertown, New York, the hometown she fled years ago. But she’s no longer the girl with an embarrassing history and an unrequited crush on Abe Neumann. This delicious competition is Batya’s chance to further her career, and this time she won’t run.

Abe Neumann can’t pass up the opportunity to enter the town’s latke contest. He dreams of throwing caution to the wind and leaving his accounting firm, opening a Jewish deli, and choosing his own happiness. The prize money would bring him closer to making his dream a reality, but when Batya comes back to town, Abe remembers that a deli isn’t the only thing he’s wished for.

When the fry-off’s celebrity host has to pull out of the competition, Batya is determined to step up to the challenge. This Hanukkah, can Abe fix the past and convince Batya that dreams, like latkes, are better when they’re shared?


A Ghostly Shadow by H L Marsay (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: October 14, 2021

Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery, Book 3

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you…

This Halloween, the notorious rivalry between York’s iconic ghost walk tour guides spirals out of control when the body of one guide dressed as the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin is found hanging from a tree. A few days later, his partner, who plays Guy Fawkes, is killed by an explosion of gunpowder at their office.

Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who notices the smallest details about other people, but endeavours to avoid their company. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. Although he would prefer to work alone, he is assisted by his eager and easygoing partner Sergeant Jimmy Chang. Despite a sprained ankle, a stray cat and an impromptu trip to Oxford, the two men investigate the shocking murders that have York on edge. Are the murders the work of a madman or a business feud?

And then the killer strikes again.


Lighting Up Christmas by Sinclair Jayne (American Heart)

Release Date: October 18, 2021

It’s her first Christmas alone…

Spending her first holiday without her large, loud family allows electrician Riley Flanagan more time to find commercial clients for Flanagan & Sons, the third-generation family business she’s taking over. But when the town council nixes her Christmas-themed light garden, she approaches new-to-town entrepreneur and vintner Zhang Shi, hoping to land him and his not yet open winery as a client. He’s not interested, but Riley never gives up that easily.

It’s his first Christmas celebration…

Zhang Shi bought a mountainside property and planted a vineyard to escape his corporate life in the Bay Area and reconnect with his nature-loving grandfather. Fiercely independent and private, Zhang reluctantly calls Riley to rig an emergency electrical fix shortly before he entertains some colleagues. Zhang’s determined to avoid the town’s Christmas celebrations, but Riley is hard to refuse and impossible to ignore. And as she pulls him closer into the tight-knit community, he’s no longer sure he wants to.


A Texas Christmas Miracle by Justine Davis (Texas Born)

Release Date: October 19, 2021

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 2

Two people who don’t believe in Christmas or miracles…

Retired from special forces and back on his family’s Texas ranch, Chance Rafferty’s finally found some peace through creating a foundation to rescue and retrain military K-9s thought to be beyond redemption. He prefers to be left alone with his dogs and his work, but when a woman arrives shortly before Christmas looking for the dog that saved her husband’s life, Chance is astonished at the dog’s—and his own—response to her.

Though it’s been years, Ariel Larson still dreads the Christmas season because it marks the anniversary of her deployed husband’s death. When she learns her husband’s K-9 partner survived combat, Ariel feels she’s been given a lifeline to escape her grief. She suddenly has a sense of purpose she’s been desperately missing. But she never expected the man determined to rehabilitate the traumatized animal would have such a stunning impact on her own life.

Can these two wounded hearts come together to create their own Christmas miracle?


Jingle Jammies by Robyn Neeley (American Heart)

Release Date: October 20, 2021

She’ll find her true love in a snowfall…

Or so Charlie Dobbs’s late mother always predicted. But surely that prophecy didn’t apply to towing a famous pajama designer out of a ditch. Besides, Charlie has no time for love—the season always has its share of wrecks, her schedule is packed with Elfcapade festivities, and she’s ditching her mechanic overalls and moving to New York City right after Christmas.

Spencer Carmichael would rather be in the Bahamas, but his famous holiday pajamas have failed for the second year in a row. He’ll need a fresh attitude to overcome this creative block, but the only thing he’s finding in his hometown is a fascination with the woman who saved him from a snowbank. In order to spend more time with Charlie, he offers to take on her never-ending to-do list in exchange for her designing his pajamas.

But partnerships that last beyond Christmas Day require trust. Can Charlie and Spencer put aside the fabric and bows and December trimmings long enough to discover what they really need this Christmas?


Christmas in Full Bloom by Denise N. Wheatley (American Heart)

Release Date: October 21, 2021

This Christmas, can they slow down long enough to smell the roses and fall in love?

When savvy, up-and-coming floral designer Lauren Beal returns home to Maple Valley, Michigan, for her sister’s holiday wedding, she’s determined to be the perfect maid of honor. She didn’t expect the best man to be the college crush she’d reluctantly left behind to pursue her Chicago-based dreams.

Family practice doctor Mel Jennings always knew he’d remain rooted in Maple Valley to work for his father’s clinic. He happily juggles his demanding practice with philanthropic endeavors that connect him to his tight-knit community. Sparks fly when he reunites with Lauren, the one who ran away. As they enjoy Maple Valley’s Christmas festivities, Mel remembers how close they once were. But can they ever have a future?

Lauren finds herself falling for Mel and suspects the feelings are mutual. Yet they’re both pulled in different directions by work and family. Will the pair find a moment alone during the hectic holiday season to figure things out, or will they miss their chance at love once again?


On Christmas Tree Cove by Sarah Vance-Tompkins (American Heart)

Release Date: October 27, 2021

The Adair Family, Book 1

This Christmas calls for a special touch of magic…

December was always a special time for seaplane pilot Morgan Adair, but after losing her parents six years ago, the holiday is a quiet affair. When her siblings announce plans to sell the family home, Morgan longs to experience her favorite, now-forgotten tradition one more time: a lighted tree that, for over a hundred years, has appeared floating on a boat in the harbor every Christmas Eve.

The Taylors were always rivals to the Adairs in the once-thriving fishing village of Christmas Tree Cove, but Jesse Taylor was much more. He wanted to be understanding when Morgan set aside their plans to escape to Chicago in order to hold her family together, but his future as a successful freelance photographer soared on without her.

As Morgan dives deeper into the history of the mysterious holiday appearance, she discovers that true love has always been at the heart of the annual tradition. Can the wonder of Christmas and a few surprises along the way rekindle that love for Morgan and Jesse too?


A Casterglass Christmas by Kate Hewitt (Holiday)

Release Date: October 28, 2021

Keeping Up with the Penryns, Book 1

To save Casterglass, all the Penryn children will need to return home, rebuild their lives among the ruins, and find love that has proved elusive…

The Penryn family have always been eccentric—living in a dilapidated castle in the wilds of Cumbria with an orchid-mad father and a classicist mother who likes to re-enact Greek myths, who wouldn’t be? Penniless and proud, patriarch Walter Penryn resists selling his birthright and family legacy until taxes, bills, and the need for a new roof force him to reconsider.

Well-heeled Londoner Althea Penryn doesn’t expect a divorce and job hunt over the Christmas holidays, but her husband claims he’s done and the prenup is solid. She packs up her reluctant teenage children and heads home to Casterglass Castle to confront the ghosts of her past—including the real one her mother claims lives in the old guard tower. And then there’s her unexpected romance with local sheep farmer, John Braithwaite, who is everything her adulterous, solicitor ex-husband isn’t.

This Christmas, amid the renovation and potential heartbreak of losing her family home, can Althea find a new purpose and the happiness that has so long eluded her?

Tule Author Q&A: Justine Davis never wants to leave Last Stand!

Justine Davis stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the first book in her Raffertys of Last Stand series, Nothing But Cowboy!

 

Where did you get the inspiration for Nothing But Cowboy?

The idea was born out of my husband’s tendency to adopt people. Not always kids, he was always willing to help anyone, but throughout his adult life he had numerous boys who gravitated to him because he could teach them things they wanted to know. He could build anything, from houses to cars (such as my own classic Corvette) and fix almost anything that broke. One came around because he loved cars and his father didn’t, another because he’d lost his own father. Some were around for years, not simply to learn but because they could talk to my husband in a way they never could to their parents. But he had rules and they respected them, and him, and more than once he got them started on a better path. And that was the kind of huge heart I wanted to portray in this story. 

 

This is the first book in the Raffertys of Last Stand series, but it isn’t your first time writing a story set in Last Stand. What was it like to come back? Will we see any familiar faces? 

Actually, I never left Last Stand, mentally, anyway. I’ve been in love with the place since we first dreamed it up! It was great fun to set up a new family, with some of the same Texas themes but very different characters. And you will absolutely see familiar faces; Keller Rafferty, the hero of Nothing But Cowboy, is a close friend of Shane Highwater’s, and he and Kane Highwater’s beloved Lark Leclair are a big part of an important scene. In fact, all the Highwaters make an appearance of sorts, either on stage or off. 

 

What song would be in the soundtrack to Keller and Sydney’s love story? Why?

Definitely a song written and performed by my dear, much-missed friend, Hal Ketchum. It’s called “I Know Where Love Lives” and the lyrics could easily be said by Keller to Sydney. It starts with all the places love doesn’t live, like grand hotels, beach houses, and big yachts, then goes on to say love lives in places full of laughter and tears and toys. It ends with “You keep your mansions of gold, I don’t care/Because I know where love lives.” Keller could easily be saying this to the wealthy, world traveling Sydney. 

 

Are your characters set before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go? What did that development process look like for Nothing But Cowboy?

I usually know the bare bones of a character, or something significant about them that I think I can build on. Sometimes I’ll start with an image that catches my eye and makes me think “Hmm, there’s a story there.” Sometimes I know their backstory, roughly, but haven’t worked out how that will affect the character today. But they also develop and sometimes change as I go. And I never know everything about them, nor would I want to, because one of my favorite moments in writing is when, later in a story, it suddenly hits me: “So that’s why he did/said that back then!” In Nothing But Cowboy, Keller was who he was, rock solid and Texas strong. It was Sydney who was trickier to figure out, especially how the way she’d grown up had affected her. And how despite an awful beginning, she’d built something amazing.

 

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently—and very belatedly—reading J. K. Rowling’s adult series featuring war hero turned private detective Cormoran Strike. I’d meant to long ago and got sidetracked, but now that I’ve started I’m gobbling them up! I love the complexity of the stories, and the way the hero’s mind works, his inner battles, and the London setting. I even enjoy having to look up the occasional British-ism that I don’t know. 

 

About the Author

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

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

Tule Publishing June 2021 Releases

Read more about our new releases for June!

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

 

 

The Wedding Planner Playbook by Shannon Stults (American Heart)

Release Date: June 1, 2021

May the best wedding planner win…

After spending years making a name for herself as one of Atlanta’s top wedding planners, Tori Schaefer moved to the small, coastal town of Bedland Shores, Georgia, to take over her mother’s wedding planning business. While attending a wedding to assess the local competition, Tori meets a charming, camera-wielding stranger with a smile that leaves her heart stuttering.

Wyatt Rhodes has always loved helping couples celebrate their special day and created Narrative Weddings to do just that. When he runs into a gorgeous woman at one of his weddings, he’s completely smitten until he learns she’s his competition for the most influential wedding the town has ever seen.

They have two weeks to find the perfect venue and pitch their ideas to the bride. Tori is willing to do whatever it takes to land the gig that’ll put her business on the map. Can she find the balance between attraction and rivalry, or will her determination to win lose her a chance at her own happy ever after?


Capturing the Texas Rancher’s Heart by Debra Holt (Texas Born)

Release Date: June 3, 2021

The Tremaynes of Texas, Book 1

She thought she’d protected her heart…

After a tumultuous childhood, nurse Jamie Westmoreland craves the comfort of predictability. She loves her quiet life in a small Texas ranching town and finally feels in control until a handsome rancher becomes her newest patient. He challenges her at every turn, but Jamie is too stubborn to admit she enjoys their sparring, and that he makes her heart race. But when his charming little cowboy son starts following her around, her long-neglected heart opens.

Thomas Tremayne, the eldest son of a well-respected local ranching family, is both mom and dad to his young son and has no plans to change. When a ranch injury requires an in-house expert, the nurse who called him out on his attitude is sent to help him heal. She’s even harder to resist on his ranch than she was at the hospital, but Thomas is determined to try—except he’s out-numbered. His son decided he wants a mom, and nurse Jamie is his choice.

Can two stubborn adults let down their guard long enough to let love in again?


An Acquired Taste by Kelly Cain (American Heart)

Release Date: June 8, 2021

The Everheart Brothers of Texas, Book 1

May the best chef win…

After four years at the country’s top culinary school and several years as head chef in her mother’s restaurant, Rowan Townsend has built a notable reputation. Her farm-to-table collard greens have long been bringing everyone to the yard, but limits on the restaurant’s size have led to long waits. Looking to expand the restaurant, she enters a televised chef competition. The problem? Her infuriatingly-talented nemesis from culinary school also enters.

To the culinary world, Knox Everheart is restaurant royalty. As much as Rowan wants to deny it, he’s a gifted chef. Rowan knows her arrogant arch-nemesis is confident he’ll win—he’s certainly given her a run for her money more times than she’d like to admit. But this time, she’s ready to show him who’s boss.

Their rivalry soon sparks fireworks in the kitchen and, as the competition heats up, so does Rowan’s attraction to Knox. And somewhere between pasta and gumbo, they both need to decide what’s worth fighting for.


Cowboy Honor by Michelle Beattie (Texas Born)

Release Date: June 10, 2021

Tangled Up in Texas, Book 5

This time he wants it all…

Hudson Granger’s family has been estranged since he was a boy. Sixteen years later, not much is different. Or so he thought. After an eighteen-month deployment, he arrives home to his family’s Texas ranch and is shocked by how much life has changed. His brothers are mending fences and have found love. Their father is slowly recovering from a massive heart attack. The kick to Hudson’s chest—learning he has an infant daughter.

Nurse Avery Collins never planned on telling Hudson their vacation fling had resulted in a child. He’d made it clear he wasn’t looking for anything serious, and after her dad ran out on her and her family, she didn’t want to rely on a man for anything. But when her daughter has a serious health scare, Avery’s hand is forced.

Despite their sizzling attraction, Avery is determined to keep Hudson at arm’s length, co-parenting only. But Hudson wants everything—a wife and a family. And he’s determined to get it.


A Case for the Cookie Baker by Candace Havens (Tule Mystery)

Release Date: June 15, 2021

Ainsley McGregor, Book 5

It’s all fun and games until the last cookie crumbles…

Ainsley McGregor and the entire town of Sweet River, Texas, are preparing for the annual summer celebration. And thanks to the extra tourist traffic, Ainsley’s shop, Bless Your Art, has never been busier. Good thing her new friend, Lizzie, has opened a bakery nearby and provides Ainsley and her staff with tasty treats and daily sugar rushes. It’s all cookies and fun, until someone ends up dead in the bakery and her new pal is the prime suspect.

Ainsley is convinced Lizzie is innocent. Unfortunately, her brother, the town sheriff, and her boyfriend, Jake, have some not-so-secret suspicions. With a town full of strangers who just might be suspects, Ainsley finds herself targeted by a killer. Even as her world crumbles faster than a cookie, she’s determined to prove her friend’s innocence—if she can stay alive long enough.


Price to Pay by M.A. Guglielmo (Muse)

Release Date: June 17, 2021

From Smokeless Fire, Book 3

She’s gone from party girl of the paranormal to the world’s best hope against a deadly fallen angel.

Zahara‘s tired of saving the world from imminent doom, and her enemy to almost-lover Harut’s “no hanky-panky before marriage” rule is driving her crazy. To take the fight to his evil brother Marut, Zahara returns to the land of the jinn to cobble together an alliance between the peoples of the Mountains of Qaf to defeat the fallen angel. Everything that can’t go wrong does anyway, and after dealing with a malfunctioning magic carpet and killer unicorns, Zahara has to steal back an enchanted feather from a feared necromancer and face down the father she’s never known.

As more of the jinn join Marut in his plan to destroy humanity, Zahara needs Harut’s help more than ever—to save the world and her heart. But when the final confrontation comes, defeating one brother may mean Zahara loses the other forever.


Nothing But Cowboy by Justine Davis (Texas Born)

Release Date: June 22, 2021

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 1

He thought he was content, until she walked in the door…

Keller Rafferty abandoned his dreams long ago to help his mom raise his brothers after his father’s death. Duty, family and deep roots still guide him as he runs his family’s Texas cattle ranch and cares for his new, grieving foster son. They’re just beginning to find a balance when a beautiful and determined woman arrives on the ranch.

Sydney Brock spent her entire globe-trotting life thinking she had no family except her ne’er do well, nomadic, irresponsible parents. When she discovers her parents lied and she has a newly-orphaned cousin, Sydney rushes halfway around the world to provide the teen with something she never had—a home. She’s shocked to be thwarted by a protective—and sexy—cowboy.

Sydney’s determined to form a relationship with her cousin, but Keller doesn’t trust that the worldly woman will stay in small town Texas. It’s up to Sydney to prove him wrong, and the longer she spends time with Keller, his family and her cousin, the more she vows to do just that.


History of Us by Stacey Agdern (American Heart)

Release Date: June 24, 2021

Friendships and Festivals, Book 2

Do they have a future together, or is their relationship ancient history?

Anna Cohen, perpetual assistant at the Manhattan Museum of Jewish History, lands a golden chance to curate her own exhibit when her boss sends her to Rockliffe Manor, New York. She’s to assist an influential Jewish family as they organize an exhibit of their own in time for the town’s Summer Days Festival. While she’s there, Anna just needs to convince them to part with some of their archival history for an upcoming exhibition—something they’ve always refused—and not get involved with her ex, the family’s heir. Again.

Jacob Horowitz-Margareten wants to help save the world. Despite having no time to spend organizing his family’s archives, he’s always had a soft spot for Anna. The chance to spend more time with her intrigues him, but he doesn’t trust her boss or the museum she works for with the tangible bits of his family’s rich history.

As they work together, Anna and Jacob need to decide what’s more important: their history or the story their hearts are telling them.


Say I Do by Joan Kilby (Montana Born)

Release Date: June 29, 2021

Sweetheart, Montana, Book 2

She’s been over him for years, until he returns home…

In her new role as tourism director, Brianna Renton intends to put Sweetheart, Montana, on the map with the first annual Cherry Blossom festival. She’s also supervising the build of a new community hall by her father’s log cabin construction company. But the project is stalled and an unexpected visit from a former employee could be the answer to Brianna’s prayers. Except he’s her ex.

Angus Adams never forgot Brianna. When they were together, he put her on a pedestal and was determined to win her hand by proving himself and working hard to eventually buy into a partnership with her father’s company. He accepted a scholarship at a prestigious university to get his architecture degree, planning to return for Brianna, but she broke up with him the week before he left with no explanation.

Saying yes to helping her during his vacation is easy. Trying to win her heart while protecting his own is much harder.