Read more about our new releases for February!
GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the February 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.
Kate Hewitt stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the first book in the Keeping Up with the Penryns series, A Casterglass Christmas!
The Penryns are quite the family. Where do you get the inspiration for this series and the characters?
It was so much fun writing this family with all their quirks and eccentricities. I had a little inspiration from the classic book I Capture the Castle, and also from the castle Casterglass is based on, in Cumbria, Muncaster.
How do you relate to Althea, your heroine, and how do you hope readers will relate to her? How do you relate to John?
I relate to a middle-aged woman struggling to figure out what the rest of her life is going to look like. I think everyone gets to an age where time doesn’t stretch out as endlessly as before, and it makes you think more seriously about your choices. I relate to John as someone who has been slow and steady and dependable, faithful in the little things, who is looking for more in life.
What was your favorite scene to write and why?
My favourite scene to write was probably Althea’s arrival, when she is plunged into this crazy family and their amazing castle, with all its quirks.
Here is a snippet:
“Come on,” she told her two children who were lagging behind, and she headed for the kitchen door. Its handle turned easily enough, and Althea breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the kitchen, the comforting rumbling of an Aga like a soundtrack to the room as well as her childhood. In the gloom lit only by the moonlight outside, filtering from behind the storm clouds, she saw everything exactly as it had always been: the battered red Aga along one wall, the rectangular table of scarred oak seating twelve taking up one end of a room the size of a basketball court, or at least half of one. Several Welsh dressers lined another wall, filled with dusty Willow Ware. On the other end of the kitchen there was a sofa and several squashy armchairs, every one of them piled with old newspapers and magazines.
“What is that smell?” Poppy exclaimed in disgust as she stepped into the kitchen behind Althea. “It’s absolutely rank.”
Althea took a sniff, and then wished she hadn’t. The usual musty, dusty smell of home had definitely been dialled up a notch or five. And knowing her family, it could be originating from anything or anywhere.
“I’m not sure,” she hedged as she put down her bag by the door. “Maybe some milk’s gone off.”
“Or a whole cow.” Poppy shuddered as she looked around the room. “This looks like something from an episode of Hoarders.”
Do you have any favorite Christmas or holiday traditions?
Yes, lots, and readers might recognize them from some of my Christmas books! We have shepherd’s pie on Christmas Eve, and also read Luke 2 and sing Silent Night before hanging our stockings. On Christmas Day, we all go around one at a time and open presents, and then there’s a scramble at the end. And of course we have a Christmas roast dinner, and Christmas crackers (a particularly English tradition!) and pavlova for dessert.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading a sweeping epic set in Colonial India, called Zemindar.
About the Author
Kate Hewitt wrote her first story at the age of five, simply because her older brother had written one and she thought she could do it too. That story was one sentence long—fortunately, they have become a bit more detailed as she’s grown older.
She studied drama in college and shortly after graduation moved to New York City to pursue a career in theatre. This was derailed by something far better—meeting the man of her dreams who happened also to be her older brother’s childhood friend.
Ten days after their wedding they moved to England, where Kate worked a variety of different jobs—drama teacher, editorial assistant, church youth worker, secretary, and finally mother.
When her oldest daughter was one year old, she sold her first short story to a British magazine, The People’s Friend. Since then she has written many stories and serials as well as novels. In 2007 she received ‘The Call’ from Mills & Boon for her first Harlequin Presents novel, The Italian’s Chosen Wife. Since then she has written over 25 books for Harlequin, and also writes women’s fiction for Carina UK and Lion Hudson Press. She loves writing stories that both tackle tough issues and celebrate the redeeming power of love.
Besides writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and learning to knit—it’s an ongoing process and she’s made a lot of scarves.
Kate lives in a tiny village on the northwest coast of England with her husband, five young children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude
As I write this, the part of the world I live in—Wales, in the United Kingdom—is in full lockdown for at least three more months. Nothing is open—not schools, or shops, or restaurants, or cafés, or gyms or movie theatres or even playgrounds.
I have five children who all need to be online for school, and our internet is very patchy at the best of times, so recently they’ve either been burning through their phone data or staring at a page unable to load while a class or lecture goes on without them. Plus, I have a book due to my editor on February 1st, and it’s very hard to focus on it when I’m meant to be homeschooling my seven-year-old.
We haven’t been able to have people in our house in ten months, and we’re currently forbidden from meeting with anyone, inside or outside, who doesn’t live with us. My mother, whom I haven’t seen for a year, is seriously ill with Alzheimer’s, and has started forgetting who people are, and as she lives in the US I’m unable to see her.
With all this in mind, there are times when I feel pretty low. Times when I feel like giving way to either rage or despair. And sometimes I do. Sometimes I seek comfort in a glass of wine or a piece of cake—nothing wrong with either, but it has taken a self-medicating role in my life, which is unhelpful.
But I didn’t write this post to complain, as much as it might seem like it right now! I wrote it to remind others as well as myself that whatever life throws at you, and it has thrown a lot at all of us, we don’t need to give into despair. Being thankful—cultivating an attitude of gratitude—has really helped me to get through these tough times.
Sometimes I am thankful for big things—that my husband and I and all our children are healthy, for example—and sometimes for little things-the sunrise in the morning that turns the sky pink, that steaming cup of coffee I can curl up with. It only takes a moment on the internet to realize how fortunate I am compared to many, but even if things get worse, I know there will always be something to be thankful for.
Ann Voskamp develops this idea in her book 1000 Gifts, where she aimed to write down one thousand things she was thankful for. And what she discovered was that the more thankful she was, the more things she discovered to be thankful for. Gratitude led to joy.
So if you’re struggling today, try to find just one thing to be thankful. Maybe it’s a comfy chair, or a ray of sunlight, or a good book, or a hug from your family member. Whatever it is, I hope it helps you to get through this time that has been challenging for so many. And my feel-good romance about a widow who gets a second chance with a sexy younger man can help, too! Remember Me at Willoughby Close is out on January 19th, and I absolutely love the hero and heroine, James and Laura.
Take care everyone!
Kate
Kate Hewitt wrote her first story at the age of five, simply because her older brother had written one and she thought she could do it too. That story was one sentence long—fortunately, they have become a bit more detailed as she’s grown older.
She studied drama in college and shortly after graduation moved to New York City to pursue a career in theatre. This was derailed by something far better—meeting the man of her dreams who happened also to be her older brother’s childhood friend.
Ten days after their wedding they moved to England, where Kate worked a variety of different jobs—drama teacher, editorial assistant, church youth worker, secretary, and finally mother.
When her oldest daughter was one year old, she sold her first short story to a British magazine, The People’s Friend. Since then she has written many stories and serials as well as novels. In 2007 she received ‘The Call’ from Mills & Boon for her first Harlequin Presents novel, The Italian’s Chosen Wife. Since then she has written over 25 books for Harlequin, and also writes women’s fiction for Carina UK and Lion Hudson Press. She loves writing stories that both tackle tough issues and celebrate the redeeming power of love.
Besides writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and learning to knit—it’s an ongoing process and she’s made a lot of scarves.
Kate lives in a tiny village on the northwest coast of England with her husband, five young children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever.
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.
Read more about our new releases for November!
GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the November 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.
Read more about our new releases for August!
GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the August 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.
Read more about our new releases for November!
GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the November 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.
Read more about our new releases for October. GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a book of their choice from the October releases. Comment down below with your name, email address, and which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
Read more about our new releases for July. GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a book of their choice from the July releases (via our newly launched TuleBookShop). Comment down below with your name, email address, and which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
