Tag Archives: stacey agdern

New Year, New Romances, New MUST ADDS to your TBR! (Plus, our monthly giveaway!)

January 1, 2026 · Posted by Tule Publishing

GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?

We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book copy of one of our January 2026 releases!

Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

Good luck and happy reading!

The Warrior’s Vow

by Charlee James

Can a wounded warrior and a healer fight their way to safety and find a future together?

It started as a regular team mission to rescue aid workers and children—dangerous like so many others. But it quickly derails when one of the hostages kills two of her captors and escapes by jumping into the Amazon River. Sully Carter saves her from drowning, but he’s shot, and it’s a race to the extraction point before infection can set in and endanger his life.

Internationally based traveling nurse Jane Laurier has been betrayed before and is no stranger to danger. She’s clueless about how to deal with a man who’s kind, wants to take care of her and looks at her as if she’s special. Feeling like she owes him her life, and guilty because his distinguished career might be over, she stays by his side, taking on the role of protector.

As Sully slowly heals, he starts thinking about a future with Jane, never dreaming they will face a bigger threat on the home front.

The Kosher Conundrum

by Stacey Agdern

When disaster strikes, it’s time to make a fake dating scheme with her bestie.

Wedding and event planner Naomi Nachman’s carefully planned life just went up in smoke. When her impossible boss suddenly retires, canceling a multitude of contracts, Naomi’s career and her cousin’s wedding are tanked in one fell swoop. Now Naomi must rebuild her reputation and save the wedding by turning to the one man she can trust.

Jason Greenblatt is facing his own career crisis. Thanks to one tabloid-style photo, his traditional family thinks he’s more playboy than professional chef. He needs to prove himself or his hopes to work in his family’s celebrated knish business will slip out of reach, which is the only reason he entertains Naomi’s audacious proposal.

But as they work together to fix the broken pieces of their lives, sparks fly and the fake partnership begins to feel real, Naomi and Jason discover that the toughest challenge isn’t salvaging reputations or even staging the perfect kosher celebration. It’s risking their hearts.

Love, Lies and the Lost Lord

by Karla Kratovil

He’s nobody’s hero, yet he may be the man to help an imperiled lady save herself….

Rhys Seaton has been many things—bastard, street thug, criminal, spy, and now a wealthy business man, but his death bed promise to his mentor sends him on one last job with only a vague direction: Stop Lord Lavensham. On a moonlit night he breaks into Lavensham’s study searching for clues only to interrupt the duke’s lovely daughter-in-law on a similar quest. The fragile beauty wakes his curiosity and his protective instincts.

Lady Violet Sommerset is in desperate straits. Married to the cruel heir of the Duke of Lavensham, she’s endured isolation and abuse, but now with child, she needs to find leverage to blackmail the duke as he is the only man who can control his violent, drunkard son. In the duke’s dark study, she finds an unlikely ally in Rhys Seaton.

As they work to uncover the duke’s dirty deeds, they discover a friendship that crosses social strata and grows into a love that just might become the safe haven each of their hearts long for.

A Rancher to Remember

by Cassidy Carter

A wayward cow brings them together. A threat to everything they love might tear them apart.

Alexandra Brent-Collingsworth runs a tight ship at Cabins in the Pines. So when a runaway cow crashes her high-profile lakeside event, she’s furious–especially when the owner turns out to be the gruff rancher next door who can’t seem to control his livestock or his attitude. Alex has worked too hard to protect her found family and her stake in the resort bordering Cannon Ranch to let one stubborn cowboy derail it all.

To widower Maddox Cannon, the ranch is more than land. It’s a legacy. His family has lived there for generations, and he’ll do whatever it takes to defend it from the noise, traffic, and constant expansion of Cabins in the Pines. The last thing he needs is a city-bred businesswoman meddling in his way of life.

But when newly unearthed documents call both their properties’ ownership into question, Alex and Maddox must team up to protect what’s theirs. Control has always been their armor—but to find the truth, they’ll have to risk something even bigger: their hearts.

The Sheriff’s Rescue

by Stella Holt

She’s home for a few days, but a snowstorm, forbidden attraction, and a smoking hot sheriff have other plans…

As the family outcast, Shelby Shepherd won’t stay in her small hometown of Sandy Point, Georgia one second longer than she has to. Her wealthy and connected family look down on her. But when a rare blizzard shuts down the town, Shelby’s stranded in a ditch. Being rescued by the local sheriff, Wesley Hart, wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t starred in all her unrequited high school dreams. Now all grown up, he’s utterly irresistible—and totally irritated by her presence. Too bad the only space in town for Shelby to shelter is his bachelor pad.

Wesley Hart has no time for house guests, especially Shelby—the gorgeous daughter of his nemesis. Shelby’s beauty is only matched by the trouble she brings, but turning her out in the storm is not an option. He’s determined to remain polite, professional, and resist his attraction to her.

But Shelby’s tired of being ignored, and Wesley’s ready to break a few rules. What happens when a fling doesn’t begin to quench their desire?

Under the Lawman’s Watch

by Debra Holt

He’s a Texas law man charged with protecting her. She’s a judge accustomed to controlling everything in her life and courtroom. When danger threatens, can these two opposites find a compromise?

District Court Judge Erin Finley Latham might come from wealth and power, but she’s worked her way to the top to become a no-nonsense, by-the-book judge. When two judges are murdered and she’s threatened, Erin refuses to run or hide.

US Marshall Rance Parker is dismayed by his new assignment—to sequester and protect the lofty Judge Latham instead of hunting down the threat. Still, he interrupts Judge Latham’s court, shuts down the proceedings, and hustles her into protective custody, ignoring her protests. No cell phone, no detours, no packing, no calls. No.

Hiding Erin at a family cabin on their Destiny River property, Rance is surprised that Erin enjoys board games, cooking and learning to fish. When Erin eyes the handsome, confident lawman, she feels less like a hostage and more like a woman enjoying the attention of an attractive man. Rance knows she’s out of his league, but can the magic of Destiny River convince him to try to win her heart once the danger’s passed?

The Cowboy’s Comeback

by Nan Reinhardt

It’s an enemies to lovers showdown between the cowboy who can’t trust and the cowgirl who won’t forgive.

Injured rodeo cowboy, Bo Kennedy, takes a job as a horse trainer at a Montana ranch. His skills training cutting horses are in high demand, but he’s holding out hope his days of competing aren’t over. Then his first client arrives, desperate for help with her mare. One problem, she’s his ex.

When World Champion barrel racer Cassie Franklin needs a new horse quickly, her last hope to rebuild her career is to switch to cutting competitions. She brings her new mare to Juniper Falls Ranch, hoping the highly hyped horse whisperer can help. She’s stunned to see Bo. They haven’t spoken in five years after he wrongly accused her of sabotaging his horse when he saw her flirting with his fiercest competitor.

Working together seems impossible, especially as the chemistry still sizzles. Will one of them finally lower their guard and admit they were wrong?

Tule’s Hanukkah & Jewish Romance Recommendations to immediately add to your TBR

December 12, 2025 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hanukkah is a season of light, connection, and tradition—so why not pair it with stories that glow just as brightly? Tule Publishing has a rich list of Jewish and Hanukkah-centered romances that celebrate heritage, family, and the joy of finding love. Whether you’re looking to curl up with a holiday romance or explore stories rooted in Jewish identity, these recommendations from beloved Tule authors are a perfect place to start.

Below is a curated list of series and stories from Stacey Agdern, Rebecca Crowley, Kelly Cain, and Jennifer Gracen; all featuring Jewish characters, Jewish joy, and heartfelt journeys. You can explore full blurbs and purchase links anytime at TulePublishing.com.

Hanukkah Romances to Light Up Your Reading List

Stacey Agdern – Friendships and Festivals

Stacey Agdern is known for writing Jewish stories filled with community, culture, and a whole lot of heart. Her Friendships and Festivals series is a celebration of Hanukkah traditions and the magic of love during the holiday season.

Miracles and Menorahs

History of Us

Love and Latkes

These stories blend festive charm with emotional depth, offering romances where the season itself becomes part of the love story.

Rebecca Crowley – Orchard Hill

Rebecca Crowley brings warmth and tenderness to her Hanukkah-set romances. Orchard Hill is perfect for readers who love small-town charm wrapped in meaningful holiday moments.

Shine a Light

Two Nights to Forever

Coming Home to You

Home for Hanukkah

Expect gentle, heartfelt arcs that dive beautifully into family, belonging, and Jewish tradition.

Jennifer Gracen – Holidays in Manhattan

Part of The McKinnon Brothers series, Jennifer Gracen‘s Holidays in Manhattan offers big-city sparkle with a Hanukkah twist. If you love stories that balance family chaos, emotional connection, and holiday hope, this is a perfect seasonal read.

Kelly Cain – Secret Ties

Kelly Cain’s Secret Ties series weaves Jewish heritage into a contemporary, romantic, and engaging storyline full of surprises and emotional depth.

A Kiss from the Past

Two Sides of a Secret

The Key to Forever

These titles blend romance with themes of identity, legacy, and the bonds that shape us.

More Jewish-Centered Romance Beyond the Holidays

While not all of the following titles are set during Hanukkah, they all feature Jewish characters, culture, and identity woven meaningfully into their stories.

Stacey Agdern – Last Girls Standing

A relatable and heartfelt series that spotlights modern Jewish heroines navigating friendship, love, and the occasionally messy journey to happily-ever-after.

B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake

The Dating Contract

The Dreidl Disaster

The Kosher Conundrum (coming 2026)

Rebecca Crowley – The Stars of Texas

Looking for Jewish cowboys? Yes, they exist—and Rebecca Crowley delivers them beautifully. This series blends Texas charm with stories of identity, love, and resilience.

Texas Cowboy Sweetheart

Texas Reckless Cowboy

Last Dance with the Texas Bull Rider

Texas Cowboy Flame

A perfect pick if you want something different in your Jewish romance reading.

Wrap Up Your Hanukkah with Stories Full of Heart

Whether you’re lighting candles, frying latkes, or simply enjoying cozy winter evenings, these Tule Publishing romances will bring warmth and joy to your season. Each story honors Jewish heritage in its own way—through holiday celebrations, meaningful customs, or characters whose identities shine brightly on the page.

Tule Romance Recommendations Based on Your Favorite Emily Henry Books

December 12, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

It’s no secret that the romance genre is currently dominating the publishing industry, especially with so many subgenres to choose from. From historical romance to contemporary, “romantasy,” and even the paranormal, the romance genre continues to be one of the single most popular book genres across the United States, according to industry research and bestseller lists.

With such versatile offerings across the genre, it’s no wonder readers from all walks of life have found their home in romance, especially those that portray common themes from modern life.

One popular contemporary romance author, Emily Henry, is renowned for doing exactly this: examining both the beauty and complexity of being human, while also experiencing the challenges of love and life. With flawed heroines, charming male leads, and witty dialogue, Henry’s bestselling novels challenge the preconceived notions of the genre, and continue to inspire contemporary authors to aim for the same.

Whether you’re in search of another tense, enemies-to-lovers novel like Henry’s Beach Read or Book Lovers, or you’re in search of a new heartwarming romance trope to try, Tule has the best contemporary romances for you!

Check out our top nine romance recommendations below based on your favorite Emily Henry books—it’s never too late to find a new favorite!

Emily Henry Book #1: Beach Read

Henry’s Beach Read is a beloved fan favorite for a reason, challenging the romantic notions of two characters who couldn’t be more opposite, yet continually find themselves drawn to each other. What starts as a heated encounter between rivals gradually turns into something more. Now all they have to do is overcome their complicated feelings for each other…

Tropes: Rivals to lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity, competition

Monopolove by Mia Heintzelman

Monopoly (n.) 1) the exclusive possession, control, or exercise of something. 2) a classic board game with all the answers to Harper Sloane’s problems.

If Harper Sloane has learned anything, it’s that you can’t throw money at a problem. So, when she learns the beloved game store she owns with her sister and best friend is struggling, instead of mortgaging her pride and grabbing the pile of uncashed checks from her absentee father, she rolls up her sleeves and enters the city’s Monopoly tournament to save Love & Games.

Declan Wilde is a handsome, new-in-town doctor looking to set his karma straight. When he pays for Harper’s coffee, she’s horrified. She quickly repays her debt—with interest—to prove she doesn’t need his charity. But when Declan turns up at Love & Games to enter the tournament, refusing his business isn’t an option.

Forced to see each other at every practice, the tension starts to feel like a challenge beyond the game board. As they go over strategies for play, is their rivalry still just enemies playing games, or has it turned into something more?

Monopolove is perfect for fans of board games, rivals-to-lovers, and competitive tournaments. Order your copy HERE!

An Acquired Taste by Kelly Cain

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.

An Acquired Taste combines the culinary atmosphere of The Bear with the competitive rivalry of The Hating Game. Get your copy HERE!

Emily Henry Book #2: People We Meet on Vacation

For the readers that love that slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance, books like Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation are perfect for you! With two main characters that are forced to reconcile their once-childhood friendship with the growing chemistry between them, these books contain the very best of the pining tropes you know and love.

Tropes: Friends to lovers, opposites attract, childhood friends, long-term crush

The Key to Forever by Kelly Cain

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

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

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

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

Cain’s The Key to Forever examines the complexities of a friendship where one character is already pining for the other, but can’t (or won’t) express it. Get your copy HERE!

Charmed by Chocolate by Steena Marie Holmes

When Leah ran off to Southern California, she hoped to leave freezing cold winters and unrequited love behind. She was never meant for a small town life and the timing with her longtime best friend–and secret soulmate–was always hopelessly off.

But after a mishap on the hit reality show Charming, Leah declares her love for Wade nationwide and is publicly dubbed “Lonely Leah.” She returns to Marietta to hide at her family’s home–from the media who wants to turn her into a human interest story, from the townspeople upset with her blunder, and most of all, from Wade, who wants to talk.

It took Leah leaving town to wake Wade Burns up to the reality that he’s head over heels in love with his best friend. But now that she’s back home, she’s giving him the cold shoulder. With chocolate and a grand gesture, can Wade charm his way back into Leah’s heart?

Charmed by Chocolate is perfect for fans of addictive reality shows, warm, small-town settings, and complicated friends-to-lovers romances. Claim your copy HERE!

Emily Henry Book #3: Book Lovers

Similar to Beach Read, Henry’s Book Lovers employs the rivals-to-lovers trope, but in this novel, those initial strong feelings of dislike are revealed to be nothing more than preconceived notions and misconceptions. When those misconceptions are finally shattered, the two once-rivals begin to see just how alike they are, and how blurred the line between dislike and attraction really is.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, misconceptions, instant spark

Cupid Tricks by Michelle Dayton

The internet complicates everything—especially love.
Jo Harper isn’t always who men think she is. Every day she dons her psychology PhD and above-average computer skills like a super cape to right love’s wrongs. She and her team of four young women run an elite, undetectable online romance scam designed to trick 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. And their compatibility is off-the-charts sexy between the sheets. But enemies-to-lovers is only a fantasy.

Or is it?

Cupid Tricks is Book Lovers, if its niche was a love of computers instead of books. Begin the Tech-nically Love series HERE!

Emily Henry Book #4: Happy Place

Everyone loves a second chance, and these two novels like Henry’s Happy Place are full of them! With two characters that are forced to face past regret from their relationship, new silly encounters, and burgeoning friendship, these selections are perfect for a snowy, heartwarming read.

Tropes: Second chance romance, forced proximity, friends-to-lovers

Clued in Christmas by Mia Heintzelman

Nadia Sikes usually loves the holidays—cozy game nights, snowy mountain girls’ trips, hours decking the halls at Love & Games. But when her two best friends and co-owners find love, all she wants is to tuck away her heart and make it through the season.

Quietly handsome bookstore owner and single dad Micah Hamilton is determined to a) build lasting Christmas memories with his little girl and b) avoid Nadia. When his daughter asks to attend the holiday festivities at Love & Games, though, Micah is forced to introduce the woman who broke his heart, to his child she never knew existed.

The scene would drive anyone to plot their romantic reunion…and someone does. Between turkey dinners, tree decorating, and mistletoe kisses, mysterious notes begin showing up at the game store. As Nadia strings together clues, motives, and suspects for this twisty whodunit, she and Micah are blindsided by the return of their desire.

Is it a mistake to lose themselves in each other again? Or will a Christmas miracle bring them back to where they belong?

Heintzelman’s Clued in Christmas is a perfect seasonal read, combining the holiday spirit, a love of board games, and that special someone. Get your copy HERE!

The Dating Contract by Stacey Agdern

Sports Agent Leah Nachman is knee deep in her sister’s wedding drama and inches away from her biggest career goal when she runs into the high school boyfriend who broke her heart. The last thing she needs is another confrontation with the man too many people are convinced is her bashert. But perhaps he can be of use. After all, she’s totally over him. Right?

Sofer and Comic Letterer Samuel Levine is at a professional crossroads when he runs into what he believes is a fated second chance. He hasn’t seen Leah in ages, but the guilt over how they broke up still eats at him. When Leah proposes a fake ‘dating contract’ to help her make partner at her agency, and thwart her sister’s matchmaking, Samuel agrees. His goal is forgiveness, after all.

But the more time they spend together as ‘plus ones,’ the more like fate the dates feel. Leah is convinced love and ambition can’t co-exist and Samuel’s convinced he’s losing her. Will they let their dating contract expire or give love another chance?

Claim your copy of The Dating Contract HERE, which also features similar tropes to Henry’s Funny Story!

Emily Henry Book #5: Funny Story

It starts with a mutually-beneficial arrangement, nothing long term or too complex. After all, the two love interests are only interested in their short-term alliance, not each other. Right? Wrong. Once they realize that they don’t want their time together to end, and that their friendly feelings have grown into something mutual and unavoidable, they will be forced to come to terms with a new arrangement. But will it satisfy them both?

Tropes: Fake dating, mutually-beneficial arrangement, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract

The Rachel Experiment by Lisa Lin

Who knew that one night out would change everything?

As a financial analyst, Rachel Bai is more comfortable with numbers than people. When her boss promotes her to head a team in San Francisco, his message is clear—she has one year to build a successful team and become an effective leader. Rachel sets out to discover how to be more comfortable interacting with people, but a drunken night meant for research results in a mechanical bull ride and a one-night stand with a sexy stranger—definitely not part of her plan.

Attorney Luke Trudeau is intrigued by the mysterious woman who’s determined to put their night together firmly in her rearview mirror. So when Luke sees Rachel again, he proposes a deal: he’ll smooth out her rough social edges and teach her to charm clients if she’ll help him devise a financial plan to open his own practice.

It seems like a win-win, but Luke breaks the rules by falling in love. Can he convince Rachel that what they have is real and, when it comes to love, there are no set rules?

Order your copy HERE!

The Valentine Quest by Melissa McClone

Keep your competition close…and your heart even closer.

When Nevada Parker travels to Marietta, Montana, she anticipates enough peace and quiet to finish her PhD dissertation. Cupidville turns out to be anything but quiet. In fact, it looks like Valentine’s Day—her least favorite holiday—exploded all over the small town.

Among the sea of red hearts, “Be Mine” signs, and pink, pink, pink, Nevada spots a flyer for a multi-day race called The Valentine Quest. The grand prize—a luxury tropical vacation—would be the perfect welcome-home gift for her brother who’s leaving the military.

Dustin Decker sure could use a break from giving city slickers sleigh rides—and from the now ex-girlfriend who issued an ultimatum. Even with a bum knee from his bull riding days, the race’s grand prize is as good as his—until he realizes he needs a partner for some of the more complicated tasks.

He makes a strategic pact with the prim, bookish Nevada. But with a kiss, their unlikely alliance turns into something more…and soon racing isn’t the only thing on their minds. As the finish line nears, they must decide if the grand prize is worth more than what they’ve found together…or if one of them will walk away empty handed—and broken-hearted.

The Valentine Quest is funny, charming, and heartwarming… Start reading it HERE!

There’s something to love for everyone in any romance! Stay up to date with Tule’s newest romance releases, blog posts, and giveaways by signing up for our newsletter HERE or subscribing to our news feed!

Written by Tule Marketing Intern, Kristina Gaffney

Winter flurries bring in new December romances from Tule

December 1, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?

We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the November romance releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

Good luck and happy reading!

Who cares if the people of Marietta call Cal Casey the forgotten one? Cal’s proud of his wildly successful brothers—as long as they stay out of his way. He has a ranch to run and a wife to acquire. Preferably one who doesn’t remind him of the woman who’d married his best friend.

But Red Evans is four years dead this Christmas and his widow needs all the ranch help she can get. By providing it, Cal is honoring Red’s memory, serving the valley he loves, and being a decent godfather to Red’s son. Nothing more. His brothers are wrong.

Surgical nurse Beth Evans is hanging onto her late husband’s ranch by a thread, her eleven-year-old son is skipping school to mend fences, and she owes steadfast cowboy Cal yet another big apology. The last time she messed up this badly, she’d blamed him for breathing!

It’s not Cal’s fault Beth’s long-buried feelings for him are rising again. Or maybe it’s all his fault. All she knows is that hot tempers, mistletoe kisses, and her plans to sell up and leave the valley before Christmas aren’t helping.

Must Love Mistletoe by Kelly Hunter is out December 4, 2024.

Mayor Olivia Nachman is ambitious and excited to be elected to the county legislature, and better serve her Jewish community. Busy helping the newly elected mayor transition into his new role in January, she’s blind-sided by an epic public relations disaster that puts many members of the temple and community at odds, threatening Hannukah. An influential friend hires “a fixer,” but now Olivia has to work with a way-too handsome PR consultant who thinks he knows everything.

Artur Rabinovich knows how to spin a story and fix almost any PR problem. But when he’s hired to help the city of Briarwood solve a delicate situation, Artur’s initial investigation makes the situation worse. In search of answers, he turns to the outgoing mayor, who doesn’t trust him, for help. But working with Livy creates a new problem: balancing his attraction to her and the need to impress his new boss.

Will Liv and Artur learn to compromise and mix business with pleasure without jeopardizing the project or their careers before the dreidl spins its last? Or will the situation and the relationship end up a disaster?

The Dreidl Disaster by Stacey Agdern releases December 5, 2024.

She’s terrified of falling in love. He’s terrified of losing her…

For Hanna Moss, love has always come with danger. From the incessant stalking by an ex to nearly losing her life in a hit-and-run accident, she vows to remain alone—and safe. So when her golden retriever, Bella, welcomes a handsome private investigator into their lives, Hanna is reluctant to confide in him.

Blake Bowman returns to Clam Cove, Maine, with a shattered heart. All he wants is to enjoy a much-needed quiet vacation far from his ex-girlfriend. But when he meets beautiful, injured Hanna, his focus shifts…because it looks like what happened to her was no accident.

Hanna is terrified of the feelings she’s rapidly developing for Blake and refuses to repeat her past mistakes. Blake is determined to help and protect Hanna, even if that means putting love on hold.

Find out if Bella can help these two humans understand that trust is a two-way street, the heart can be repaired, and love can bloom again.

Tangled Trust, book 1 in the “Danger in the Cove” series by Emmie Lyn is out December 10, 2024.

She isn’t looking for love, but can love break through her walled-off heart?

Beautiful and independent, Shelly Scott is always looking over her shoulder, wondering if she’ll have to run again. Her new position as manager at Dessert First Bakery shines more light on her than she likes, but Jake, her golden retriever, the handsome male in her life—loyal and attentive—is always there when anxiety immobilizes her.

Max Bailey, bestselling author, thinks he has everything. Until he realizes the one thing that’s lacking is someone to share his life with. When talented Shelly catches his attention, he wants to know more about this woman with a dazzling smile, a heart-melting laugh, and walls around her heart.

Then Shelly’s past crashes into her present, paralyzing fear takes over, and shocking information is revealed. The scandalous truth that is uncovered about her unhappy childhood is the very last reality she could have imagined.

Can Max and Shelly’s friendship survive… or will the answers discovered destroy their budding romance?

Exposing Secrets, book 2 in the “Danger in the Cove” series by Emmie Lyn is out December 10, 2024.

More details on Jane Porter’s upcoming release Christmas at Cold Canyon Ranch – SOON!

Tule Author Q&A: Stacey Agdern shares insights on drawing inspiration from the city, hockey, and her Jewish heritage

September 6, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Stacey, as a former bookseller, how has your experience in the book industry influenced your approach to writing romance novels? I think my bookselling hasn’t effected my approach to writing, so much as it’s affected my approach to things that are part of the post writing process. What things I want on a cover, what I want my covers to look like, how to approach a bookseller/bookstore about stocking my books and what I want on the back cover of my books, are the kinds of things that are influenced by my time in a bookstore. The way you present a book is important to booksellers because it’s important to customers.

You’ve reviewed romance novels in multiple formats. How has this extensive reading and reviewing shaped your own writing style and preferences? It’s funny because one of the things I’ve learned is that writing fiction and writing non fiction use different parts of my brain. Which means that it’s easy to separate the two. But the lessons I’ve learned about writing stories that deliver the satisfying answers to the questions tropes ask are easily transferable.

Incorporating Jewish characters and traditions into your stories is a significant part of your work. What inspired you to focus on this aspect, and what impact do you hope it has on your readers? I’ve always been a reader. Before I reviewed, before I realized I was writing romance novels, I read. A ton. At first, I gravitated towards world-building heavy science fiction and fantasy books, then to thrillers and then to historical, enjoying the idea of losing myself in the story and the pages. And then I started reading contemporary romance.

I enjoyed those books, but in the back of my mind I found myself wondering what it would look like if someone like me got her happy ending, someone who went to temple and had big gatherings on Friday night, someone who celebrated miracles and oil in December and someone who celebrated over matzah at spring time.

And as I was already writing, the questions I was asking drove me to add characters like me into my stories, in the hopes that readers who felt the same way could see themselves on the pages of a romance novel.

Can you share some of the unique challenges and rewards of writing stories that feature Jewish traditions and characters? One of the fun things I learned from reading a ton is the fact that hidden inside each trope, whether it’s a character trope or whether it’s a plot trope, is a question. Once you unravel the trope and figure out what the question is, it’s easier to adapt it to stories that feature Jewish characters and customs.

Writing the Character of Jacob, the billionaire hero of History of Us, writing the Hanukkah story at the core of Miracles and Menorahs and the core trope of B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake are all instances through my writing where I’ve taken tropes and adapted them.

But each of those takes extra work – understanding what the trope is, what’s needed to adapt it and the specific Jewish cultural knowledge needed to adapt the trope within the reader’s expectations.

The reward? The excitement when a reader tells me History of Us is their favorite book, the joy of recognition in Miracles and Menorahs and the excitement at B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake.

You’ve given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. What are some of the most common misconceptions about romance novels that you aim to dispel? I think one of the biggest problems with the contemporary response to romance, and the one that drives me the most up the wall, stems from the fact that people who don’t like the genre as a whole, think all romance novels are the same. And that book they’re the same as is *always* the last romance novel they’d come into contact with- whether it’s the historical series that’s everywhere because it’s been adapted, the paranormal series about sparkling vampires or the famous adaptation of the book that showed the different shades of grey. Even books with the famous male cover model who hasn’t appeared on covers since the 80’s are referenced in these type of conversations.

Every genre evolves; the romances published today are extremely different in important ways from the romances published even five years ago, let alone from the romances published in the heyday of the single named male cover model which was at minimum, 40 years ago.

Even critical favorites in other genres or types of fiction and non fiction all evolve; to these people it’s just these romance novels that are stagnant.

Living in New York, not far from your favorite hockey team’s practice facility, do you ever find inspiration from the city or the sport for your stories? There are two huge questions here, so I’m going to answer them separately.

One of the biggest bits of thematic inspiration in my books comes from the relationship between the towns in the metro New York area and New York City. In most small town stories, the relationship between the ‘city’ and the ‘small town’ is adversarial, featuring people who have to choose to leave ‘the City’ and embrace small town life in order to have a life worthy of romance. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and as someone who grew up betwixt and between, living in a small town and while simultaneously embracing city life, I felt that it was important that my books, especially the Friendships and Festivals series, reflected that.

As for hockey content? You should probably call the Last Girls Standing series hockey adjacent, because a plotline related to the sport features prominently in each of the books. A retired Hockey player is the main male character of the B’nai Mitzvah Mistake, and his quest for increased Jewish recognition and inclusion in the sport serves as one of the main plotlines. His new agent is the main female character in The Dating Contract, and the major decision one of her female clients makes on her hockey journey features prominently. The actions of a hockey team, somewhat inspired by the actions of a real life team, serves as the catalyst for The Dreidl Disaster.

What advice would you give to writers who want to incorporate their cultural heritage into their writing but are unsure where to start? First and most importantly, read in the genre you want to write in. You can’t write a genre you don’t know, and it’s so much easier if it’s a genre you love.

The next, is think about what you read, what you like. And think about what’s missing.

The stories that are missing are the ones you want to write. Think about the tropes that you want to use and figure out the way to showcase the parts of your culture that work perfectly with the conversations with the stories you’ve fallen in love with.

With your background as a reviewer and speaker, how do you stay current with trends in the romance genre, and how do these trends influence your writing? That’s another thing that carries over from my bookseller years- watching books as they’re signed, watching the industry in general and doing my best to try and pinpoint directions where publishing is headed, and where I fit in. But most importantly to this kind of a process are my friends in the industry- writers and otherwise. It’s crucial to have people I can talk out the information I gain with. These conversations give me perspective so I can use the information in ways that are productive.

What upcoming projects or themes are you excited to explore in your future books? The one I’m enjoying diving into right now is the idea of a wedding book. I’ve loved reading them for years, but now I’m going through and reading a bunch of them, seeing how much of the wedding is on the page, how the couple finds their own story in the process of planning and organizing someone else’s wedding. It’s so much fun putting my own spin on the process and incorporating Jewish wedding traditions.

BONUS: What is one book that you consider a comfort read that you find yourself always reaching for? So in my headboard I have two different shelf compartments, one reference books and the other I call my ‘goodnight’ shelf. The books in the goodnight shelf vary from Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter to Laura Florand’s Chocolate Touch. Margaret Rogerson’s ‘An Enchantment of Ravens and Nalini Singh’s ‘Heart of Obsidian’ among titles by Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Hoyt. The one thing each of them have in common, is that they’ve been read and reread, available for me to just dive into at any point for the time I need a reread of a scene or chapter that ends up being the entire book.

Hanukkah in August with Tule Author Stacey Agdern!

August 8, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Hanukkah in August.

Sounds like a good idea right ? I mean if we’re going to pair summer months with winter holidays, August and Hanukkah work perfectly. The 8th month would seem like the perfect match for a second snippet of a holiday that famously lasts 8 nights long. It’s the perfect way to share the dream of cold in the depths of summer as hot as August can be.

In the Jewish calendar, there’s somewhat of a precedent for this. Pesach Sheni, literally translated as second Passover, is an extra Passover seder that takes place about a month after the night before Passover begins. This allows people who missed Passover because they were overseas, for example, to experience the holiday.

Over the years, my dad put this particular bit of religious knowledge to good use. The first time was when I was in university and unable to come back to New York to join my family’s Passover seder. But by the time Passover Sheni came around, I was home and ready to celebrate the holiday the way I knew it. Since that first time, my family has observed Passover Sheni a few times since, welcoming relatives and friends when circumstances kept us from having them for Passover (when it was originally held).

In 2020 and 2021, my family wasn’t able to gather in person for Passover, but by Passover Sheni 2022, we did. That year we had three seders- two virtual and the third in person.

This way, following the precedent of second Passover, people who missed celebrating Hanukkah the first time, can gather with friends and family in August to celebrate. We can put out menorahs once more, make the traditional hanukkah foods, and dream of dreidls in the snow….while it’s almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

About the Author.

Stacey Agdern is an award-winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She incorporates Jewish characters and traditions into her stories so that people who grew up like she did can see themselves take center stage on the page. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility.

The Landmarks of a Relationship: The Javits Center and THE DATING CONTRACT

March 25, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

For years before I started pursuing writing professionally, I spent a period of time working at a bookstore in Grand Central Terminal. The store carried a bunch of things, one of which was a section of books dedicated to New York- history and photo books loved by tourists and locals alike. One of my favorite NYC photo books had a beautiful photo of a ceiling made of light, window and glass.

It was the photo book I recommended to people who were searching for one, and every single time, I folded out the page and revealed the photo. It was, of course, beautiful. And every single time, there was surprise at the location of the photo – the Javits Center, the convention center filled most of the year by all sorts of conventions and exhibitions.

But this special photo was of things you could only see if you’re in the building looking up. And most of the time, our attention is focused on the things in front of us, the things we’re there to see, not the beautiful spaces, some of which happen to be just above us.

The building, the spaces we see when we’re looking everywhere but up, shows up in The Dating Contract. Twice.

First, the Javits Center shows up at the beginning of the book. The opening scene is filled with the anticipation and nerves of people excited to get into the building and the wedding expo it’s hosting, contrasting with the fmc Leah’s own misgivings, as well as the mmc Samuel’s concerns and thoughts as he sits in his booth and deals with the reactions of the crowd. The Javits center and Samuel’s booth is also the location of Leah and Samuel’s first meeting in years.

The second time the Javits Center shows up is much later into the story ; Leah and Samuel have made their agreement, and Leah is now attending Comic Con as Samuel’s bodyguard/confidant as he signs posters he’s drawn for the first time.

The location is generally the same; on the same upstairs floor. However, the booth on the right side, in an area filled with artists waiting to display their art to potential people in search of an autograph or Ketubah; the signing area is in the area designated by MoviePix for that purpose, and Samuel is signing only posters he lettered for a historical romance series.

The equivalent of the beautiful view that happens when we look up is the emotional arc that sits in between the two different appearances of the landmark convention center. From the way Samuel and Leah react to each other, all the way to the mood of the entire convention, you can see the development of the relationship between the two characters from their first encounter. In the space between the two scenes, you can see the evidence that Leah and Samuel are on their way to resolving their past and will end up together for real.

No matter what they think ☺

About the Author.

Stacey Agdern is an award-winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She incorporates Jewish characters and traditions into her stories so that people who grew up like she did can see themselves take center stage on the page. She’s also a member of both LIRW and RWA NYC. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility.

Find Some Luck in our March Releases (PLUS enter a giveaway!)

March 1, 2024 · Posted by Tule Publishing

Read more about our new releases for March!

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

Marrying the Nanny by Dani Collins
Release Date: March 5, 2024

When infant Storm is orphaned, nanny Emma Wright, on a work visa and still reeling from a painful divorce, yearns to adopt her but must relinquish Storm to her three adult half-brothers. They remind her of a pack of wolves—protective, but not prepared to care for a baby. Alpha male Reid is especially aloof and intimidating.

Like his younger brothers, Reid Fraser left the Westcoast village of Raven’s Cove at eighteen and never looked back. Now a successful corporate consultant who rescues failing businesses—which is what this fly-in fishing resort has become, Reid must rally his brothers to save Storm’s inheritance, but he and his estranged brothers barely get along. They can’t deal with an infant, too. They need the nanny.

As Emma coaches Reid through midnight feedings and teething, they try to ignore the sexual pull between them. Then they learn Storm may have family who could take her from them. Reid proposes a marriage of convenience, but will it be enough to keep this fractured family together?

Sunset at Embthwaite Farm by Kate Hewitt
Release Date: March 7, 2024

When Anna Mowbray receives a curt message from one of her estranged daughters that her ex-husband–a silent and surly Yorkshire farmer –is dying, she realizes it’s time to return home. Twelve years ago when her daughters were mostly grown, Anna walked away from Embthwaite Farm with no plan except to preserve her sanity and to find a ray of light to cling to.

But going home is harder than even Anna imagines. Her daughters are miles away from forgiveness and rebuff her every overture of help and communication, and her ex, who knows why she left, doesn’t even want to speak to her. But Anna’s determined to face her demons, make amends, and reconnect with her family.

What she doesn’t expect is kindness from her neighbors and understanding and warmth from the handsome widower James Adams, as well as his warm and welcoming daughter Jane. As Anna grieves her old life and tries to come to terms with the mistakes and hurts from the past, can she create a future where there’s room for a family around her… and the possibility of love?

Sworn to Lead by Charlee James
Release Date: March 12, 2024

She’s everything he never knew he needed – but off limits in every way.

Being a Navy SEAL gives Neo “Ransom” Godfrey purpose and escape from his cold, elitist upbringing. But when he learns his estranged mother’s dead, orphaning a medically fragile half-sibling he’s never met, Ransom rushes home. He’s committed to his brother, his team, and his career, but can he juggle everything? When he meets his brother’s protective, blue-eyed nurse with an Irish lilt, his solution is simple—she should move into his Virginia Beach home where they can care for Jacob together—strictly business.

Brynn Yarrow has been Jacob’s nurse for five years. She’s unimpressed and on-guard, when six-foot-six of solid muscle and bright green eyes swaggers in full of promises. Brynn’s slow to trust, and his proposal that she move halfway across the country sounds crazy, but impossible to refuse. She loves Jacob and could never abandon him, or hurt him, like her family did to her.

Ransom has never had anyone test his self-control like Brynn. She deserves his protection, but he longs to give her so much more.

Biography of a Friendship by Marie-Claude Arnott
Release Date: March 14, 2024

Their friendship was a defining constant in their lives…

When Marie-Claude (MC) met Juliette in an office in Switzerland, she was starting a new job. Juliette was already established, sophisticated, and refreshingly blunt. The younger MC was drawn to Juliette’s wit and zest for life, and they quickly became friends. Even when careers, marriages, motherhood, moves, and tragedy separated them across decades and continents, their friendship thrived.

Then came the day MC saw a shocking photo of Juliette looking exhausted and aged. She pleaded for her friend to visit a doctor, but neither was prepared for the devastating diagnosis: pancreatic cancer. Both women were crushed but determined to make the most of their remaining months together. MC visited Juliette in France and later Switzerland, where MC agreed to accompany Juliette on her final journey. As the two friends discussed their friendship, lives, and views on death, MC was consumed by doubt. Could she be the friend Juliette needed?

“Be a part of Juliette’s conversation” was her answer, and her final gift to Juliette is this beautiful story of their friendship.

My Favorite Mistake by Stella Holt
Release Date: March 19, 2024

Fake dating her client’s gorgeous son was a mistake—enjoying his touch will be her ruin.

Bad boy Ian Maguire is a lawyer with an image problem. But he doesn’t care if the media is obsessed with him or deemed him the most wanted bachelor. He’s also not interested in relationships, until he meets his dad’s political strategist. With her cool confidence, dark features, and quiet beauty, she is tempting enough to get him to pretend to settle down. And he can promise they will both enjoy it.

Simone Jax is trained in managing a crisis, and she has the perfect plan for Ian’s playboy status. He just needs to agree to only be seen with one woman until his father’s gubernatorial election is over, even if it’s fake. But when the press captures a picture of them kissing and blasts it everywhere, she has no choice but to play the part of girlfriend.

Just when their fake relationship starts to feel genuine, Simone discovers she’s pregnant. Is this a secret baby or the start of a real romance?

The Dating Contract by Stacey Agdern
Release Date: March 21, 2024

Sports Agent Leah Nachman is knee deep in her sister’s wedding drama and inches away from her biggest career goal when she runs into the high school boyfriend who broke her heart. The last thing she needs is another confrontation with the man too many people are convinced is her bashert. But perhaps he can be of use. After all, she’s totally over him. Right?

Sofer and Comic Letterer Samuel Levine is at a professional crossroads when he runs into what he believes is a fated second chance. He hasn’t seen Leah in ages, but the guilt over how they broke up still eats at him. When Leah proposes a fake ‘dating contract’ to help her make partner at her agency, and thwart her sister’s matchmaking, Samuel agrees. His goal is forgiveness, after all.

Second Chance at the Crossing by Fiona Marsden
Release Date: March 28, 2024

They never dreamed of forever until their lives began falling apart.

Connor O’Brien knew he didn’t deserve happiness. He had cost his family too much. When he fell into a relationship with Daisy Litton, he gave as much as he dared. Every day she was with him was a win, and as long as they had the same vision of the future, he believed he could hold on to her.

And then it all changed.

Daisy Litton fell for Connor the first time they met. He was everything she didn’t deserve, everything she needed. So long as she didn’t need too much. Starting a family was the last thing on her mind.

Until everything changed and she knew she had to leave.

Five years later, Connor still feels responsible for all they lost, so if he can help make Daisy’s return to The Crossing easier, he will. When they recklessly revisit how good they are together, the consequences could ruin everything they are building. Or will it give them a reason to put their hearts on the line, this time forever?

Tule Publishing October 2021 Releases

September 30, 2021 · Posted by Tule Publishing

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?

HISTORY OF US: Release day blog post featuring Stacey Agdern

June 24, 2021 · Posted by Tule Publishing

History, Change and Memories

By Stacey Agdern

As the world changes yet again, we’re starting to revisit places and people we haven’t seen in a while. Each of these places have memories attached to them; some of the places have good memories and some have bad ones. But they’re all formative in so many ways. This is something that Anna, one of the two main characters in History of Us is dealing with.

For so many reasons, Rockliffe Manor, one of the two locations in History of Us, was a formative place for Anna. She spent childhood summers there with her grandparents from the time when she was 4 and a half. It was there where she built one of the most formative relationships of her life — the one with Jacob, the other main character in History of Us.

As an adult, because her relationship with Jacob is fractured, returning to Rockliffe Manor is hard despite how much she loves it. Her reaction is to try and see the town as it is now, as opposed to the one that lives in her memory. To make the best of the present, she dives into the social life of the town as it is.

As we return to places we haven’t been, I hope your journeys are full of good memories and new joys. And I hope that like Anna and Jacob, out of the darkness of the past you find light.

Stacey Agdern is an award-winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She incorporates Jewish characters and traditions into her stories so that people who grew up like she did can see themselves take center stage on the page. She’s also a member of both LIRW and RWA NYC. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility.