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Author Spotlight: Roxanne Snopek Is Here with Holiday Fun!
What a pleasure to welcome my fellow Tule Publishing author, Roxanne Snopek back to the Spotlight! USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Snopek writes award-winning contemporary women’s fiction and romance with an anti-patriarchal flair. Her characters have the same concerns we do about women’s rights, gender politics, tolerance and equality—but they get to fight their battles and win! Roxanne forces her characters (and occasionally herself) out of their comfort zones to do the right things, and they (and occasionally she) become better people for it. Roxanne writes, rages, and ruminates from her lakeside home in southern British Columbia, where she lives with her partner of 36 years and two prescient poodles.…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s a Mom Thing Edition
This Thanksgiving weekend, when we were all together as family, I realized something significant. It wasn’t startling, but I saw it in all the parents/grandparents who sat around my sister’s huge, but cozy table. It’s this. We never ever stop being parents—once you have a child, you’re signed up for life and beyond. We moms suffer just as much when our child struggles at age 45 as we did when they fell and broke their arm at age 5. I once heard that a mother is only as happy as their unhappiest child. I don’t know if that’s true or not because I only have one, but I do know…
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Author Spotlight: Susan Lute Kicks Off the Holidays for Us!
We have winners! Stephanie Ludwig, you are the winner of an e-book copy of The Christmas Makeover and Linda Danis, you are the winner of an e-book copy of The Prodigal Brother Returns. Susan will be in touch with both of you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and participating–we love talking with our readers! I’m delighed to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author, Susan Lute, to her first appearance in the Author Spotlight. She’s also kicking off the Holiday Season for us with her wonderful Christmas romance, The Christmas Makeover, and a fun giveaway! Susan loves to write bold, brave, heartwarming stories. Like all children of military families, she spent much…
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Sunday Snippet: The River’s Edge Is Happening Edition
I’m old enough to remember when people would say something was “happening.” You know, like “it’s a happening place”? I’m not sure when that phrase started or when it stopped being part of the vernacular, but this past week, my little town of River’s Edge, Indiana, was a happening place–for real. Let me explain… River’s Edge, my fictional town on the Ohio River, is inspired by a real town on the Ohio River called Madison, Indiana. Madison is a lovely place, filled with history and culture and art and wonderful kind folks. It’s one of my very favorite places to visit, and when I wanted a setting for my sweet,…
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Author Spotlight: Jamie K. Schmidt Is Here with Her Newest Release and a Giveaway
We have a winner! Amanda Schieber, you are the lucky recipient of Jamie’s sweet highland cow! Jamie will be in touch. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love talking to our readers! I’m happy to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author Jamie K. Schmidt to the author spotlight today. USA Today bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt, writes contemporary love stories and paranormal romances. Her steamy, romantic comedy, Life’s a Beach, reached #65 on the USA Today bestseller list, #2 on Barnes & Noble, and #9 on Amazon and iBooks. Jamie writes daily, drinks lots of tea, and sneaks away to play World of Warcraft whenever she makes her deadlines. Along…
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Sunday Snippet: The Deep Sigh Edition
Every morning, I meditate. I sit in the wing chair in the dark living room, and I use an app called Insight Timer to begin each day. I find that the meditations offered there help me get through the day. One of the things the teachers there talk about is our breath. How we breathe affects so much of how we feel. When Husband and I took a yoga class several years, we learned to focus on “the breath.” That was where I learned the in for four, hold for four, out for four, which I depend on when the world goes mad and I feel like screaming. The instructors…
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Author Spotlight: Barbara Ankrum Is Here with Holiday Joy!
Liz Flaherty, you are Barbara’s winner this week! Barbara will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love talking to our readers! I’m having the best fun this week welcoming my fellow Tule authors into the spotlight with their Christmas romances! Today, it’s Barbara Ankrum, here with her newest Hardestys of Montana novel! Barbara Ankrum has a thing for the West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married and raised two children in Southern California, which, in her…
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Author Spotlight: Janice Lynn Is Back with More Holiday Joy!
Winner!! Sarah Taylor, you are Janice’s giveaway winner. Janice will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and joining us! I’m happy to welcome Janice Lynn back to the author spotlight with her newest Wrapped Up in Christmas story! She had me with the cover–isn’t it gorgeous? USA Today bestselling author Janice Lynn lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo–who’s the true princess of the house–and a bunch of unnamed dust bunnies who took up permanent residence after Janice started her writing career. After writing more than thirty books for Harlequin, Janice began writing heartwarming sweet romance stories…
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Sunday Snippet: The Focusing Elsewhere for a Minute Edition
This week, writing, finding my creative escape has been really hard as current events have overwhelmed me. But if I am the writer that I claim to be, that I want to be, shouldn’t I be able to write, no matter what? I always maintain that writing is essential to who I am and it is, but there are days, now and again, where I want the people in my head to just sit quietly for just a little bit, while I take a deep breath and recenter. So, I’ve been focused elsewhere the past couple of days–getting ready to close up the lake cottage. It’s November 10 and it’s…
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Author Spotlight: Stella Holt Is Here with a Gift for You!
We have a special treat today, mes amis! Fellow Tule Publishing author, Stella Holt is here with a gift for you! She’s celebrating the start of her new series, The Southern Hart Brothers, coming in May 2025! But that’s a ways off, so here’s a gift for you–a free novella! The First Kiss is a prequel to book 1, Last First Kiss, in the six-book steamy, slow-burn series, Legacy of the Maguires. All you have to do is click the link and download this gift! Author of your next binge-worthy romance series, Stella Holt has been plotting sexy, tear-jerker stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born a…
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Sunday Snippet: The Snap Judgments Edition
I was thinking about snap judgments–how we all make them and how we all have them made about us. Here’s what got me started–social media trolls. Bear with me, I promise I’m going to make this connect. At least ten or twelve times a week (sometimes that many in a day!) I get friend requests on Facebook and even more on Instagram from trolls–either random bots or really bored and kinda sleazy guys looking for attention. No, I’m not going to be your friend because you “like my smile” or you think I’m “gorgeous” and you “can’t stop thinking about me.” Seriously? You don’t even know me, dude. Being blonde…
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Author Spotlight: Elle Douglas Brings the Christmas Joy!
Cheri J, you are Elle’s winner of the mouse ornament and an ebook; Roseann McGrath Brooks, you are Elle’s winner of a $10 Amazon gift card. Ell will be in touch with you both! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love our readers! I’m so happy to welcome fellow Tule author and fellow Christmas romance author Elle Douglas to the Spotlight today with her new holiday novella, Wish Upon a Christmas Star. Is that the most gorgeous cover or what? Elle Douglas writes small-town contemporary romance for lovers of warm, feel-good stories that are on the sweeter side. Her novels feature strong, relatable characters living in tight-knit communities, with…
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Sunday Snippet: The We’re on Hiatus Edition
Yup, we’re taking a break this Sunday–I have to be at poll worker training early this morning, and besides, you’ve seen way too much of me this week! I’m giving you a break from Nan and all things book-release related today! (You’re welcome!) But I will be back next week to share whatever’s on my mind … see you here next Sunday! However … (there’s always a however, isn’t there?) However … I still want to share the something that delighted me this week, and it wasn’t my book release, although that was grand! It was being with our kids on Friday night for the Headless Horseman Hayride at Conner…
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Author Spotlight: C’est Moi!
We have a winner! DeeAnn Kraft, your name was chosen at random as the reader who will receive the fun prize! Thank to everyone who stopped by! So delighted to share the magic of Christmas with you! I’m in the spotlight today with Christmas magic and a bunch of fun! I know it’s only October, but I’m ready for the holidays and so is River’s Edge. Today is release day for Made for Mistletoe, book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series and we are all about the holidays! This one is Cameron Walker and Harper Gaines’s story and it is full of emotion and heart. I cried while…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Been a Week Edition
And so it has…been a week, I mean. Husband and I both got flattened by a dreadful flu virus–the week we were planning to go get our flu shots. Sigh. Obviously, that’s been put off for another week. We are both doing better by now, although I’m a couple of days ahead of dear Husband because I started showing symptoms on Sunday and he didn’t feel crummy until about Wednesday. I even moved into the guest room so I wouldn’t breathe on him while we slept, but unfortunately that tactic didn’t serve us. The doc verified it was a flu virus and not Covid when I took Husband in on…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Officially Autumn Edition
I read an article a few years ago that talked about Autumn resolutions–how they’re much easier than New Year’s resolutions because they’re inner resolutions. A fall renewing of your spirit and determination. I like that idea—just a quiet resolve to do better. The worrying thing will need work this fall–the knot in my stomach is back, I think mostly because of politics. That whole situation terrifies the tar outta me, but outside of voting, what can I do? I need to do something, so I’ve volunteered to work the polls for the first time in at least 20 years. Otherwise, I’ll just live my life, love my family and friends,…
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Author Spotlight: J.C. Kenney’s Here with a Fab New Series!
And we have a winner! *Drumroll* Janine, you were chosen at random to receive an e-book copy of Panic in the Panhandle! J.C. will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week to celebrate with J.C. and me! Sure loved seeing you! I gotta tell you, I think I’m almost as excited about J.C. Kenney’s new release as I’ve been about my own! Right off, I kinda have a stake in his new Elmo Simpson series of mysteries with Tule Publishing. I was the one who encouraged him to submit the proposal to Tule–I just knew they’d be a good fit, and because I freelance…
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Sunday Snippet: The Post-Retreat Musings Edition
I’m in a post-retreat haze. It happens every year after Liz and I get back from our semiannual (it means twice a year, I looked it up!) writing retreat. We do one in January in a little town in the hills of Southern Indiana and we do one in October, usually somewhere in Michigan. At every retreat, we write and talk and eat and drink wine and write and process and talk endlessly and write… Oh, and did I mention that there’s always great wine and chocolate and lots of good food? (I think I might have, but it bears repeating.) We don’t do restaurants quite as much as we…
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Author Spotlight: Dani Collins Is Here with a Raven’s Cove Novel!
Cogratulations to Roseann Brooks! You are Dani’s winner! Dani will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! What a treat to welcome Tule author, Dani Collins to the Spotlight today. Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. While she is best known for writing contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule Publishing, she also writes historical and erotic romance. When she’s not writing—just kidding, she’s always writing. Dani is married to her high school sweetheart. They’re empty-nesters living in Southern BC, Canada. Website | Facebook | Instagram|…
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Sunday Snippet: The We’re on Retreat Edition
I think there’s a chance that this is the most-anticipated writing retreat Liz and I have ever had. Seriously. We both have been beyond ready for this getaway. Not sure why this one has been such a star in the distance for both of us. Maybe because it’s been a long time (January) since our last retreat or maybe because we’re both feeling our ages a little more this year and life somehow feels shorter. Or maybe we both needed a getaway. Whatever, we’re here and it’s already been nearly twenty-four hours of bliss. Oh, we both miss the husbands–so each retreat evening we spend some time on the phone…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Leigh Ann Edwards with Her Newest Demon Hunters Novel!
Congratulations, Liz Flaherty, you are Leigh Ann’s winner! She will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by–we love talking to our readers! What is more fun than romantasy? Not much! I’m so happy to welcome fellow Tule author, Leigh Ann Edwards back to the Spotlight! She’s here with her newest Witch and Demon Hunter book, Ghost Ship’s Dark Spell, and it is yummy! Leigh Ann Edwards writes smoking hot romantic fantasy with badass heroines, alpha heroes, history, castles, and magic. She believes love is love, that villains should get their comeuppance (sometimes with a stake through the heart), that pleasure is NOT a four letter word, and that…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Not Christmas Yet, But…Edition
It is only September, but for me, for River’s Edge, it’s almost Christmas! When I write a holiday-themed romance, it’s usually during the gray days of February or the cool rainy days in early April. That’s because for a book to be released during the holidays, it has be done and ready for production by May. So am I feeling the holidays at those times? Not so much. I’m just over the holidays at that point. But I sit down at my desk, close my eyes, and take myself back to River’s Edge in December. The shops are all decorated with twinkle lights and green and red garland. Carly has…
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Author Spotlight: Back in Montana with Barbara Ankrum and the Hardestys!
We have a winner! Heather Farr, you are Barbara’s recipient of a gift e-book from her Tule books. Congratulations and Barbara will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love talking to our readers! Welcome back to fellow Tule author Barbara Ankrum! Barbara has a thing for the West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married and raised two children in Southern California, which, in her mind, makes her a native Westerner. Her newest novel releases today, and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Yard Sale and Memories Edition
So, sister PJ had a 2-day yard sale this weekend and I went to help out. It was a neighborhood event, rather ill-timed, I originally thought, because the main drag to her lakeside home was closed to through-traffic Saturday for a town-sponsored mini half-marathon. Folks coming on Friday had no problem getting to her neighborhood, but yesterday, they had to figure a workaround to get there. As it turned out, hardcore yard salers figured it out, and crowds were great both days. Gorgeous early fall weather helped our cause–we had sunshine and blue skies and a lovely September breeze. I confess I’m not much of a yard sale person. I’ve…
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Author Spotlight: Kaz Delaney’s Here with Cowboys and a Giveaway!
We have 2 winners! Cindy McCarter, you are Kaz’s winner of an ebook copy of The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise and DeeAnn Kraft, you are Kaz’s winner of a $10 Amazon gift card. Congrats to you two and thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love our readers! What a treat to welcome Kaz Delaney back to the Author Spotlight! She’s not only a fellow Tule author, but also a good friend and has proven to me time again that friendships grow strong even when you haven’t actually met in person. Spanning a 30 year career resulting in 84 books, which includes a Tule Publishing cozy mystery series The Hart of…
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Sunday Snippet: The Don’t Faint, But It’s a Snippet Edition
I know how infrequently my Sunday Snippet actually features a snippet from a book, but that’s because I’m trying not to let each Sunday be all about my books. I muse and whine and talk about other stuff a lot more, and I think that’s okay, don’t you? It’s been a week… but this whole summer has been, I dunno, weird. I’ve been in a strange mood. I think it has more to do with the state of country instead of the state of Nan. For the first time in a very long time–probably since 2008, I feel hopeful again about the United States. Hope has been at a premium…
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Author Spotlight: Author Kadee McDonald Is Here with Fun and a Giveaway
Congratulations to BN–you are Kadee’s winner! She’ll be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and joined in the conversation! I’m happy to spotlight sweet romance writer Kadee McDonald today. Kadee enjoys writing sweet contemporary romance, where love triumphs over the busy lives and the multitude of problems her characters face every day. The first five titles in the PAWS for Romance series are available now wherever eBooks are sold, along with an eBook box set of the first four books. Also available exclusively on Amazon (and in KU) are the first two novellas in a new series, Second Chance at Christmas. Look for them whenever you’re in the mood for…
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Sunday Snippet: The Procrastinor’s Oh, Hell, What Day Is It Edition
I’ve been procrastinating…okay, no big news, right? I am a world-class procrastinator. I passed amateur status years ago and have gone into full-time professional procrastination. Nobody wastes time as well as I do. And honestly, it doesn’t even have to be time spent scrolling around the Web. I can put off doing anything that needs to be done with something as basic as folding laundry—oh, excuse me for a minute, I do have to get some stuff out of the dryer… brb… Fifteen minutes later…I’m back, clothes folded and put away, next load is in the washing machine, and while I was in there, I sorted the recycling, which I…
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Author Spotlight: Back to Birdville with Fiona McArthur
Congratulations to Doris Lankford! You are Fiona’s winner! She will be in touch! Welcome to Fiona McArthur! Fiona has written more than fifty-five books and shares her medical knowledge and her love of working with women, families and emergency services in her stories. In her compassionate, pacy fiction, her love of the Australian landscape meshes beautifully with warm, funny, multigenerational characters as she highlights challenges for midwives and doctors, rural and remote families, and the strength shared between women. She always champions the underdog, and the wonderful, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Then that bit of drama thrown in because who doesn’t love a few tears, a heartfelt sigh…
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Author Spotlight: Get Wrapped Up in Christmas with Janice Lynn
A big welcome to new-to-Tule author Janice Lynn! USA Today Bestselling author Janice Lynn strives to write characters who evoke strong emotions and make readers want to go along on their journeys. She writes sweet contemporary Christmas stories for Tule. Janice also writes contemporary Medical Romances for Harlequin. Her books have been best sellers on numerous platforms and have won numerous awards, including the National Readers Choice Award, the Golden Quill, Romantic Times Magazine’s American Title, and the Holt Medallion Award of Merit. Janice lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who’s the true princess of the house and a bunch of unnamed dust bunnies who took up…
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Sunday Snippet: The Summer of the Sundress Edition
I confess, I got nothin’ for this week–I mean seriously, between editing gigs and revisions and book promotion and book signings (That’s Lizzie and me at Whyte Horse Winery last Sunday!), and getting into discover for book 1 in my new Dykemans of Rivers Edge series, my brain is exhausted and empty. So… I guess I’m going to tell you about something fun that I discovered this summer… ya ready? This summer, I’ve rediscovered dresses. Okay, so not fancy, like-we-use-to-wear-to-church dresses. You remember those? They required ironing and pantyhose? No, not those dresses. I’ve found sundresses. Cute, knit ones that have an empire waist and come in fun colors. This…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Katherine Garbera!
Beth Reimer, you are Kathy’s winner! She will be in touch! Thanks to everyone for stopping by and joining in the fun! I’m so pleased to welcome author Katherine Garbera to the Spotlight! Kathy is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 115 books. She is celebrating her 27th year as a published author in 2024 and is still thrilled to bring stories of happily-ever-after to her readers. Her books are known for their emotional impact and sizzling sensuality. She lives in the midlands of the UK (a.k.a. not London) with her husband and sweet miniature dachshund. Her newest novel, How to Charm a Nerd, released from Harlequin on…
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Sunday Snippet: The I May Need a Smack Edition
Okay, so yes, I’m a world-class worrier. But I only worry about important stuff, like whether or not the voices in my head that become novels might suddenly stop talking to me or that no one will buy my books or that they will buy them, but hate them or that I’m going to have a heart attack while I’m driving… See? Only really important stuff. The book fears are more real right now because I have a new series to start with Tule Publishing, and I worry that maybe there aren’t any more stories from River’s Edge to tell. That’s totally dumb because of course there are more–tons more.…
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Author Spotlight: Leah Vale Is Here with Rodeo Fun!
I’m delighted to welcome fellow Tule author, Leah Vale to the Spotlight today. Having never met an unhappy ending she couldn’t mentally “fix,” Leah Vale believes writing romance novels is the perfect job for her. A Pacific Northwest native with a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington, she lives in Central Oregon, with a huge golden retriever who thinks he’s a lap dog. While having the chance to share her “happy endings from scratch” is a dream come true, dinner generally has to come premade from the store. Website | Facebook | Instagram Thank you so much for this opportunity to introduce my new contemporary romance series with…
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Sunday Snippet: The Maybe This Is How It Happens Edition
It’s August 11. Summer is nearly over. How did that happen? I’ve been married for 51 years! How did that happen? Grandboy is 12 and he’s back in school. How did that happen? I’ve got 16 published novels and another two on the way in October and January, plus I’m contracted to write four more books for Tule. Whew–how did that happen? I’ll be 71 next month, how the hell did that happen? Can you tell I’m a little overwhelmed with… well, life stuff and work stuff and writing stuff at the moment? I am, yet I go on ahead and do what needs doing because don’t we all? The…
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Author Spotlight: C’est Moi & I’ve Got a Fun Surprise for You!
We have a winner! Cathy Poyser, your name was chosen at random and you will be receiving my box of goodies. Watch your email, I’ll be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by. I love hearing about your flower memories! Just a quick little spotlight because it is release week for Make It Real, book 2 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series. I had such a good time with this story researching and asking questions about flowers, gardens, landscaping and oh, serious leg injuries and poison ivy reactions. All in a day’s work for authors… Make It Real They were only faking it…. A landscape designer for his…
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Sunday Snippet: The Confluence Edition
Confluence: noun; a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point I am at the confluence of finishing a book, starting a new book, and promoting a new release. It’s a weird place to be, particularly when I’d rather be somewhere quiet where all I have to do for a whole week is read for pleasure, take long walks along a lovely lake, and simply breathe. I think I might need a vacation… That said, what a wonderful feeling to be able to type “The End” at the finish line of a long arduous writing experience. Aren’t they all? Some more than others. This one wasn’t quite as…
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Sunday Snippet: The Note to Self Edition
Liz and I had another conversation a couple of days ago about weight and weight loss and being disgusted with our bodies. Why do we do this to ourselves? How can we possibly expect to be healthy inside our selves if we’re constantly dissing the outside of our selves? I wonder why my generation of women are so terrible about our own self-images. Today’s young women are much healthier about their body images–at least they appear to be. I think I am part of a generation of females, hopefully, the last generation, who believes that if they aren’t the ideal, then they aren’t worthy. Let’s not do that, okay? Note…
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Author Spotlight: More Wedding Bell Mysteries with Nancy Robards Thompson
Congratulations to Angela Crockett–you are Nancy’s winner! She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone for stopping by! We love talking to our readers! What fun I had chatting with my pal and fellow Tule author, Nancy Robards Thompson! Nancy is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes cozy mysteries, romance, and women’s fiction. Fresh out of college, she worked as a newspaper reporter covering Central Florida government, tourism, and business, but soon discovered reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Much happier to report to her muse, Nancy has sold more than fifty books to five traditional publishers (and is exploring indie publishing). Her work, which critics…
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Sunday Snippet: The Book Signing Edition
This post is going up before I do a book signing here in the Ohio River town that is the inspiration for my fictional town of River’s Edge. I’m speaking to a writers group at 2 p.m. and then signing books at a fun coffeeshop right on Main Street. I’m really looking forward to this event, although I confess that the butterflies in my tummy have butterflies. Speaking is so far out of my wheelhouse, but I think it’s a good exercise to do it, and I’m hoping to do more of it at libraries and book clubs. Today, I’m talking about what a copy editor does and what we…
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Tuesday Quickie: Cozy Mystery Deal from Nancy Robards Thompson
Hey Mes Amis, a Tuesday quickie here! If you’re looking for a fun cozy mystery series, now is a great time to get started with Nancy Robards Thompson’s Wedding Bell Mysteries. SLAY BELLS RING, book one in the series, is FREE for a limited time, and book two in the series, A CRIME OF FASHION on sale for $2.99. Here’s a little bit about SLAY BELLS RING: Fans of Gilmore Girls and Murder She Wrote won’t want to miss this suspenseful cozy novel from USA TODAY Bestselling author Nancy Robards Thompson. It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it. Wedding planner Jenna…
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Sunday Snippet: The July Memos Edition
Yup, it’s that time again… I have some things to say… Dear July Weather, I’ve enjoyed the rain and wow have we needed it! That said, I’m kinda over the sultry heat and humidity. Can we just stick to the low 80s and a shower or two, or even a great gully-washer, for the rest of the summer? Swelteringly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Hair, You know I love you and that I can even be a little prideful of how pretty you are most of the time, but (and refer to the previous memo to weather), it would be nice if you’d hang onto a style for longer than five minutes…
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Author Spotlight: Big Author News from Me
Yup, it’s me in my own spotlight this week because man, oh, man, July has suddenly become crazy promo month for yours truly. So, I’m going to post everything that’s happening here, with links, so you can pick what you want to check out. Right off, Tule and I are doing several fun things this month: Goodreads giveaway: We are giving away 100 e-book copies of Make You Mine, book 1 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series over on Goodreads. Just click one of the links and it will take you to the page where you can enter for a chance at one of the 100 copies. This lasts…
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Sunday Snippet: A July Check-In
Every couple of years, I break out my copy of Sara Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance. She calls it “A Daybook of Comfort and Joy,” and it truly is. If you’ve never read the book, I recommend it highly and it’s even available as an e-book! I downloaded it to my Kindle a few years ago, which makes it easy to have wherever I am, but I’m still partial to the hardback book because it has my notes in it from previous years, and it’s cool to read those, too. I’ve been doing the Simple Abundance meditations this year because I need that centering right now. Part of the meditation is…
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Special Author Spotlight: Bestie Liz Flaherty Has a New Release!
I’m sorry to bother you—I know this isn’t a regular posting day on this blog, but my friend Liz Flaherty asked me…well, no, she actually kind of demanded…that I post this because she’s not sure she’s annoyed enough people on her own blog. She wants everyone to know her new book, Pieces of Blue, is out today. Yeah, that’s her yelling. Even better, just for today, its ebook version is 99 cents! Good grief, she’s yelling again. So, here are the blurb and the buy links. Please order the book so she can stop interrupting me. It really is a pretty good story… Blurb: Self-imposed loner Maggie North has worked…
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Sunday Snippet: The Me & Writing Edition
Someone once asked me to share something I learned since becoming a writer. The list is endless, but there a couple of things I can name right off the top of my head. The first is writing is hard work. Anyone who tells you different is either lying or not a writer. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a novel or a back cover blurb, a short story or a 500-word magazine article. Writing is hard. It requires discipline and creativity, time and research, and most of all a love of the game. If you don’t love to write, if the process itself isn’t an intrinsic part of who you…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Is Back with a New Release!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Latesha B, your name was drawn randomly from all our commenters. Leigh Ann will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and joined in the conversation. Leigh Ann Edwards always brings the magic when she stops by and today is no exception. She has a brand new book out in her Witch and Demon Hunter series and I can’t wait to read this one! She stopped by for a quick chat and to share details about Dark Knight’s Kiss. Leigh Ann’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her…
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Sunday Snippet: The Anniversary Edition
It’s our wedding anniversary. Husband and I have been married 51 years today. Last year for our 50th, we took a trip to Oregon and celebrated our day with wine and supper on a beautiful deck overlooking a gorgeous vineyard. It was heaven. Today, we’ll have another kind of heaven, celebrating with homemade flatbread pizzas and a good chianti. Maybe a walk down to the lake in the moonlight. 51 years. Wow…that sounds like a long time. Probably because it is a long damn time. Marriages in this country don’t usually last for over 50 years. We are a nation of disposable everything, including marriages. Folks seem to me to…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Hope I’m Not Irrelevant Edition
As I write my 30-something characters this week, I’ve been thinking about how much of the world I am not a part of any more—specifically, pop culture. Liz and I talk frequently about how we are aging out of many things. She wonders if she’s aging out of romance novels–reading and writing them. I sometimes wonder if I’m aging out of being able to keep my plate as full as I do with editing gigs and writing deadlines and book promotion because stuff falls off sometimes, and more often than I like, it’s fun stuff like time with family and friends. Every now and again, I watch younger writers who…
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Author Spotlight: A Chat with New Tule Author, Kate Moore!
Today, I’m so pleased to welcome a new Tule author, but not a new author, Kate Moore! Kate taught English Literature to generations of high school students, who are now her Facebook friends, while she not-so-secretly penned Romances. In Kate’s stories an undeniable mutual attraction brings honorable, edgy loners and warm, practical women into a circle of love in Regency England or contemporary California. A Golden Heart, Golden Crown, and Book Buyers Best award winner and three-time RITA finalist, Kate lives north of San Francisco with her surfer husband, their yellow Lab, toys for visiting grandkids, and miles of crowded bookshelves. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram N: Welcome…
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Sunday Snippet: The Ode to Grandboy Edition
“Grandchildren fill a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.“—Unknown For a woman who once said, “It’s fine if we don’t get grandkids, it won’t be the end of the world,” this quote couldn’t be more true. Yes, it’s all about Grandboy this week. He turned twelve yesterday, which means he’s almost a teenager. My heart! I’m completely besotted with this child…er, young man. Each time I’m with him, I’m more bewitched with his intelligence, his humor, his charm…his heart. He is the kindest kid I know and worries about things like hurting someone else’s feelings and what he can do to make life better for someone…
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Author Spotlight: Carol Light Is Here with a New Mystery and a Great Giveaway!
We have two winners! Sue Farmer and Beth Reimer, you will each receive a gift card from Carol! She will be in touch. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We love hearing from our readers! My pal and fellow Tule Publishing author Carol Light is in the spotlight today with her newest book in the Cluttered Crime mystery series, and I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome her back! No Room to Hide releases today and I gotta tell you, I got a sneak peek, and it’s another winner! Carol is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a…
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Sunday Snippet: A Real Snippet!
Good Sunday to you all. Thanks for stopping by. I don’t say it enough, but I really appreciate all my lovely readers who come by every Sunday to see what’s happening in Nan’s world. I’ve never considered myself to be all that fascinating, but I sure am glad you want to be here with me. Right off, I’m nervous as heck about the cardiac PET scan tomorrow–seriously nervous and scared about what they might find. But, we take whatever comes along and deal with it, right? So… that’s that. I won’t have any conclusive results before I go back to Dr. B to discuss what the test showed. I’ll get…
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Author Spotlight: Barbara Ankrum Is Back with a New Book and a New Series!!
Y’all know how much I love celebrating my fellow Tule authors, right? Today is a big party because I have the amazing Barbara Ankrum in the Author Spotlight with a new release coming out tomorrow and a fun giveaway! Barbara Ankrum has a thing for the West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married and raised two children in Southern California, which, in her mind, makes her a native Westerner. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tule Publishing Barbara, tell us…
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Quick Update: We’ve Got a Contest Happening!
Oh, mes amis, just a quick post to let you know about a fun contest/promotion I’ve got going now through June 6! It’s a biggie! A chance to nab 20+ sweet romance books and a free e-reader! Check this out! Love is in the air… If you haven’t read Make You Mine, you can enter to win it on BookSweeps today — plus 20+ exciting Sweet Contemporary Romances from a great collection of authors AND a brand new eReader 😀 Here’s the link https://bit.ly/azbb-sweet-contemporary-romance When you’re done, comment to let me know you’ve entered! Hope you’ll come out to play with me now through June 5! Hugs galore!
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Sunday Snippet: Heart Update # Ummm… Whatever…
Good Sunday morning, mes amis, and I hope you’re enjoying this long holiday weekend. It’s the weekend when we honor all those soldiers who died in service to our country. I am so grateful to anyone who fought and currently fights for the security of the United States and to protect our constitution. A smile and a salute today to all those brave men and women who died fighting for to keep America and the world safe and free. Now, to the update: As you all know, although I try not to dwell on it here, I am in heart failure–Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction–HFrEF. Don’t you just love…
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Author Spotlight: Bestie Liz Flaherty has a New Book Coming Soon!
We have a winner! Cheri J, you are Liz’s winner. Liz will be in touch! What’s more fun than shouting out my bestie’s new book? Not much! Today I’m welcoming Liz Flaherty to the Spotlight with pre-order info for her newest novel, Pieces of Blue. I’ve read this one because, you know, besties… and it is purely Liz’s gorgeous storytelling! She’s here to tell us about it and she has a fun giveaway, too, so read on! Liz Flaherty has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and…
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Sunday Snippet: The May Memos Edition
I do have fun with memos, especially when they are good news, so here goes! Dear Readers, ARCs for Make It Real, book 2 of the Walkers of River’s Edge series are now available on BookSprout! Click this BookSprout link to nab an e-book ARC to read and review! Merci, et bisous toujours, Moi ~*~*~*~ Dearest Office Garden, Oh, how you are growing and looking so very lovely! It was delightful to come home to all this amazing color! Happy, Happy, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear heart, Hey, I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do–taking the meds, exercising, eating right–so what’s with the breathlessness when I walked the hills at the lake?…
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Author Spotlight: C’est Moi!
We have winners! Congratulations to Cathy Shouse, Meg Napier, and Debra Pruss–you all get a a free e-book ARC of Make It Real. You’ll be hearing from my publisher! Thanks to all three of you and everyone who stopped by to chat! I love talking to my readers! Every so often, I hop into the Author Spotlight to let you know about stuff happening with my own books. Today, we’re all about Make It Real--book 2 in The Walkers of River’s Edge series. Gotta tell you, I love. love Lee Hyat’s cover on this one! She’s captured Joe and Kara and the whole feel-good vibe of Make It Real. Joe…
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Sunday Snippet: The There’s Another Mother’s Day Treat Edition
Yup, there is indeed more Mother’s Day celebrations! My publisher, Tule Publishing sure loves to celebrate moms and I’m so glad they do. I’m a mom, I had a great mom, Son married a woman who is a terrific mom to my darling Grandboy. All in all, I’m in favor of moms. So happy Mother’s Day to all who are moms, have a mom, been a mom figure to anyone ever… in other words, women everywhere. So as a quick reminder,<– this Happy Mother’s Day boxed set, which happens to include book 4 in my Four Irish Brothers Winery series, The Baby Contract, is still available at a fantastic price.…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Tule Mystery Author Raemi Ray
We have a winner! Sandy Pride, you will receive a signed copy of A Chain of Pearls! Raemi will be in touch with you. Thanks to you and everyone who stopped by! We love hearing from our readers! What a treat to introduce debut Tule Mystery author Raemi Ray to you, mes amis! Raemi Amanda Ray is the author of A Chain of Pearls, her debut and the first book in the Martha’s Vineyard Murder series. Her travels to the island and around the world inspire her stories. She lives outside Boston. When not writing or traveling she earns her keep as the personal assistant to the resident house demons,…
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Author Spotlight: Kyra Jacobs Takes Us Back to Bourbon Falls!
I’m so pleased to welcome fellow Tule author and fellow Hoosier, Kyra Jacobs to the Spotlight today! Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor, and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. Her romance novels range from sweet contemporary to romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy. No matter the setting, Kyra employs both comedy and chaos to help her characters find inspiration and/or redemption on their way to happily ever after. When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid…
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Sunday Snippet: The Mother’s Day Boxed Set Edition!
Happy Sunday, mes amis, and happy Cinco de Mayo! Today’s post is a giant promo because Tule Publishing, in all their wonder and glory, is celebrating Mother’s Day 2024 with a boxed set of books that all feature moms or moms-to-be or moms that wanna be. And one of the books included in this special set is mine! The Baby Contract, book 4 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series is a part of this limited edition boxed set, Happy Mother’s Day, which is currently priced at just 99 cents! But the price will go up soon, and then this fabulous boxed set will be gone at the end of…
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Author Spotlight: Kris Bock Is Back at the Cat Café with a New Novel at a Great Price!
Pride and Prejudice at The Cat Café: a Furrever Friends Sweet Romance #7 By Kris Bock It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune should donate to a cat rescue. Overworked PhD student Liz takes a break at the local cat café with her friend Jade, who wants to start a special needs cat rescue. When Jade pitches her idea to Carl, who is in charge of corporate giving for a rich local family, sparks fly between the two. Meanwhile, snark flies between Liz and Carl’s best friend, William. William seems stuffy and rude, and worst of all, he doesn’t like cats. Meanwhile,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Aging Sometimes Bites Edition
Yes, yes, I’m going to whine. This week, I’m entitled just a little, so grant me a moment and then sunny Nan will be back onboard. I fell off my garden stool a few weeks ago–putz move. Just lost my balance, toppled backward and bruised the living crap out of my hip and thigh. A fall that 10 years ago would’ve been silly, but not awful. I’ve had a giant bruise on my hip and thigh for three weeks now…I mean the whole back of my leg is black-and-blue and it drifted down to my knee (thanks to my thin blood). I showed it to my doc when I went…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Is Here with the Magic!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Latesha B., you’re Leigh Ann’s giveaway winner. Leigh Ann will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by! What a treat to welcome friend and fellow Tule author Leigh Ann Edwards back to the Spotlight! Leigh Ann Edwards’ fascination with history, romance, magic, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her expanding collection of published novels. Growing up in a Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left lots of time to create stories and let her imagination soar. An author for thirty years, Leigh Ann is presently writing her fifth series with Tule Publishing. Besides…
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Sunday Snippet: The Photo Dump Edition
It’s been a week, mes amis. Book release on Tuesday, promotion, promotion, promotion… and I capped off the week with a book signing at a local author event. In between the bookish stuff, I’ve been working on two editing gigs and helping with spring yard work. My brain and my body are pretty fried. I need a day of doing nothing and doing it well. That day might be today. The sun is shining, temps in the mid-fifties are predicted, but the no wind, which means a walk with pal Mary will be in order for sure, and maybe Husband and I will take a drive out to see blossoming…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me! I’ve Got a New Release!
It’s here! Release day for Make You Mine, book 1 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series. I’m so excited, I’m practically squeeing! This book is a little different for me because my heroine, Maddie Ross, is someone sorta out of my wheelhouse. She’s a tough, independent, career-driven woman who’s been fighting the glass ceiling. Not quite as soft a heroine as I usually write. She was a challenge, but one that I loved. Here’s the blurb. The book is available in both ebook and print, so please do nab it if it isn’t already on your Kindle. I’ll be all over the Web this week with interviews and reviews…
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Sunday Snippet: Another Deep Breath Edition
How did it get to be April 14 already? I mean, seriously, wasn’t it just Valentine’s Day and the ground was covered with a light blanket of snow and my gardens were still sleeping? Now everything is popping up, flowers are blooming, bushes and trees are leafing out. These are my gorgeous tulips that my sweet neighbor, Mary, gave me for my birthday in September. As you can see, my office garden is starting to wake up. Husband has already mowed twice, and y’all know he’s happiest on his mower. We’ve had torrential rain this week, so the lawn is lush and green and as soon as it dries out…
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Author Spotlight: Stacey Agdern Has a New Book and a Fun Giveaway!
We have a winner! Linda Calderone, you are Stacey’s giveaway recipient. Stacey will be in touch. Thanks to you and everyone for stopping by! We love talking to our readers! One of the very best things about being a part of Tule Publishing has been meeting all the other Tule authors. So many gifted writers! One of them is Stacey Agdern, whose novels are fun and flirty and just delightful! Stacey 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…
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Sunday Snippet: The We’re Sad Edition
We lost Husband’s mom on Thursday. She was 98 years old and pretty much sharp right until the last few days of her life. She drove a car until the past couple of years and lived alone until the last few months. She was a classy lady–always dressed to the nines with her hair done and her nails manicured. And lipstick–always lipstick! These last few months, I was her personal manicurist, and it brought us both a lot of pleasure. We’d never really connected on a deep level in the 50-odd years I’d known her beyond our mutual love of her son and grandson. But she loved my nails,…
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Author Spotlight: J.C. Kenney Is in the House with a New Cozy!
What a treat it is to welcome my pal, fellow Midwesterner, and fellow Tule author to the spotlight! J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of mysteries full of oddball characters in unusual settings. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour and The Bookish Moment webcasts. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat. You can find him online at https://linktr.ee/jckenney. Hi, friends! It’s great to be visiting Nan and you all today. A few weeks ago, Magic Box Murder, book 3 of my Darcy Gaughan Mysteries came…
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Sunday Snippet: The Happy Easter Edition
Remember Easter when you were a kid? Man, I do. It was an event at our house every spring. The night before Easter, we colored hardboiled eggs with the Paas Easter egg dye kits. Remember those? After we kids went to bed, Mom, who was probably already exhausted from working at the grocery store all day and studying whatever courses she was taking for her nursing degree, hid them around the house. Then, she’d iron everyone’s Easter clothes–usually made by our Aunt Alice, who was a stellar seamstress–so we’d look spiffy the next morning. I loved my dress and hat and little umbrella purse the Easter I was seven. I…
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Big Doings! HEPL Local Author Fair!
We’ve got a new category going here on the blog: Big Doings! And we’re starting with a really big happening! Hamilton East Public Library’s giant Local Author Fair. I’m joining nearly 60 authors and literary organizations for Hamilton East Public Library’s #HEPLLocalAuthorFair2024. The event will have authors available to sign books, a chance to win prizes, and more! The event will be held on Saturday, April 20 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM at the FORUM Events Center, 11313 USA Pkwy, Fishers, Indiana. Can’t wait to see you there! Mark your calendars and save the date for April 20 at the FORUM Events Center in Fishers. I’m cooking up a treat…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Audrey Schuyler Lancho
One of the best parts of being in a writer’s circle is meeting new authors. Audrey Schuyler Lancho and I met when we were both part of a sprinting group with Bryn Donovan last fall. We didn’t really get to visit all that much because the focus was sprinting. I got a lot of writing done, but in the minutes between sprints, I got to chat with the other writers in the group. It was fun! Audrey Lancho is the author of emotionally moving and uplifting historical and contemporary clean romance. Audrey’s Victorian romances include Seven Days at Mannerley and the forthcoming A Telephone at Mannerley, published by Vinspire Publishing.…
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Sunday Snippet: The March Memos Edition
March has been an incredibly busy month so far–finishing a book, starting a new one, editing gigs to do, promotion to get lined up, plus housework and laundry and keeping fit. Thus, I do have a few things I need to get off my chest–the first one is a yay, though! Dear Gal’s Guide Library, Congratulations on your 2024 anthology–Nourish. It releases April 13 and I can’t wait to get my copy! And huge congratulations to bestie, Liz Flaherty, whose essay “The Rickrack Chronicles” won a second place medal in the anthology! Nobody does it better, my friend, and I’m so proud of you! Beaming, Nan Dear Spring, Are you…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty is Here with the Gal’s Guide Anthology!
I’m always thrilled to welcome bestie Liz Flaherty to the Spotlight, and today is particularly fun because she’s here to tell us about a very special anthology that she is part of. Liz has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and has to re-decide most every day) that the definition of success is having a good time. Along with her husband of lo, these many years, kids, grands, friends, and the occasional cat, she’s doing just that. Find her on Facebook or her blog, Window Over the…
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Sunday Snippet: A “The End” Edition
Yup…I’m there, well, sorta. I wrote THE END yesterday on Cam and Harper’s book, Made for Mistletoe, but I may still have another tiny scene to write, so that will be today’s mission. This book has been a journey. Christmas books always are. I love writing about Christmas in River’s Edge, but getting really creative and coming up with new holiday stories for my characters is sometimes harder than writing stories that happen at non-holiday times of the year. I confess I write my idea of the perfect Christmas in the River’s Edge books and it looks nothing at all like real Christmas in my life/family. Don’t get me wrong–the…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Ready for Spring Edition
Spring seems to be springing already and you know, we really haven’t had much of a winter here. Oh, we’ve had few days of snow, but no real accumulation, and a few days of serious cold, but no long stretches of temperatures below freezing. That’s unusual but certainly not unheard of here in the middle of the United States. I remember lots of mild winters. These are crocuses discovered on one of my walks in the hood, aren’t they sweet? My tulips that neighbor Mary gifted me last fall are starting to peek up–they’re going to be yellow, she says, and I can’t wait to see them bloom! But I…
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Author Spotlight: Dani Collins Has a New Release!
Congratulations to Kathleen Shaputis! You are Dani’s giveaway winner! Thanks to everyone who stopped by, we love talking to our readers. Y’all know how much I love spotlighting my fellow Tule Publishing authors, right? Well, today, Dani Collins is with me and I couldn’t be more pleased to introduce you to her. She’s here with a brand new series and a fun giveaway. Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. While she is best known for writing contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule Publishing, she also writes historical and erotic…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Pushing Edition
Yup, I am. Working on first draft of book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series, Made for Mistletoe, (deadline is in three weeks), and I’m nearly at The End. I’m hoping Cam and Harper’s story will touch hearts and bring special holiday joy for lovers of all things River’s Edge. I’m also working on promo for book 1 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series, Make You Mine, which releases April 16. All this in addition to my day job, copy editing. I’m really falling in love with Cam Walker–he’s just a big cinnamon roll (as are so many of my heroes). But Cam’s heart is so big…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Leigh Ann Edwards!
Leigh Ann’s winner is Kate Sparks! Congratulations Kate–Leigh Ann will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We do love talking to our readers! I’m delighted to welcome fellow Tule author, Leigh Ann Edwards, back to the Spotlight! She’s got a brand new series releasing–Witch and Demon Hunter and is it ever exciting! She also has a giveaway for you today, so be sure to check that out! Leigh Ann Edwards’ fascination with history, romance, magic, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her expanding collection of published novels. Growing up in a Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left…
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Sunday Snippet: The Under the Covers Edition
We have winners! Margie and Gretchen, you are the winners of an ARC of Make You Mine. I’ll get those right out to you! And remember the caveat–a review would be so appreciated! Thanks for stopping by, everyone!! Got your attention, didn’t I? (Sorry–nothing but sweet romance reads here.) But, you’re in luck this Sunday because rather than whine about my body, which has had a rough, rough week, I decided to reveal all three (3!) covers from my newest River’s Edge series from the amazing Tule Publishing, The Walkers of River’s Edge! I’m so jacked about this new series! The books all release in 2024, so what can I…
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Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Is in the House!
We have a winner, yay! Congratulations, Robin Whitaker, you are Sinclair’s giveaway winner. She will be in touch with you to arrange to get your prize to you. Thanks to you and everyone who joined in our conversation! We do love talking to our readers! I love it when one of my very favorite authors (and also my editor!) drops by! Sinclair Jayne has so much energy, she just lights the place up! She’s here with her newest release, The Cowboy Charm and a fun giveaway. Sinclair is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of…
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Sunday Snippet: The Start of a New Year Memos Edition
Every so often, I do a memos edition–just random stuff that’s on my mind and needs to be dumped. This is one… feel free to add your own memos in the comments. I love it when you share! Dear Winter, Make up your mind already…snow and desperately freezing temperatures or mild and teasing us with spring? My daffodils are confused and so am I. Shiveringly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Creative Brain, One book at a time, okay? Stay focused, finish Cam and Harper’s story, then you can move on. Distractedly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Chocolate, Yes, I know you are delicious and wonderful and taste like magic, but you have to stop…
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Happy Valentine’s Day–Here’s a Treat for You
Patty, Judy, and Hidee–you are winners! You all will be receiving an ebook of The Valentine Wager! Thanks for stopping by! I love talking with my readers! Happy Valentine’s Day! Yup, it’s Valentine’s Day. Husband and I low-key it with a nice dinner here at home and maybe a card if we remember… which often one or both of us don’t. After 50 years of marriage, I like to think every day is Valentine’s Day. You with me? But since it’s a special day, here’s a little gift from me to you. Comment below with your favorite kind of Valentine gift–candy, flowers, dinner out, lingerie, jewelry… whatever. Just let me…
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Sunday Snippet: The Writing from Other People’s Experiences Edition
I’m writing book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series–it’s Cam Walker’s story. He’s fallen in love with the new girl in town–a lovely young artist who also happens to be a widow. As a fiction writer, sometimes, my own life directs my storytelling, but honestly, most all of what I write comes from other people’s experiences, from absorbing narrative through films, books, music, and TV, and from listening. Okay, maybe eavesdropping in restaurants and airports and in groups of people, and from conversations I’ve been a part of and some that I’ve only been an observer in. That’s all part of the discovery process–what happens before you start…
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Author Spotlight: M.A. Guglielmo Is Back with a New Novel!
We have a winner! Joannie Sico, you are M.A.’s giveaway winner–she will be in touch with you. Thanks, everyone, for stopping by! We love talking to our readers! I’m excited to welcome M.A. Guglielmo back to the Spotlight! She’s here today with Rifted Hearts, book 1 in her new Rift World fantasy romance series. M.A. has a lead magnet for it, a short-story prequel (“Witch City Rift”) set in a future Salem, Massachusetts. The story is a free download for people who want to sign up for her newsletter. M.A. Guglielmo is a neurosurgeon, mother of two awesome daughters, and a life-long fan of speculative fiction. Her Italian grandmother may…
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Sunday Snippet: The Validation Edition, II
You know who I envy? Writers who have complete faith in their work and themselves. The ones who write a book and always know immediately that it’s great stuff and is going to sell like hotcakes. Or the ones who may know their work needs help, but believe so strongly in their own stories that they push on, striving to make them better. They never doubt their abilities or spend days wondering what they’re doing trying to write a novel, for Pete’s sake. They don’t wonder if they’re fooling everyone, including themselves, with this whole author thing. Sometimes, I can be that writer. When a scene works perfectly, when I’ve…
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Author Spotlight: Fiona Marsden is Here with an Upcoming Release and a Fun Giveaway!
We have a winner! Janine, you were chosen at random as Fiona’s giveaway recipient. She will be in touch with you. Thanks a million to everyone who stopped by! We do love connecting with our readers! I’m so happy to welcome Fiona Marsden, another author pal from “down under,” to the Spotlight this week. Fiona Marsden has lived most of her life in rural Australia, sharing her five-acre block with kangaroos, wallabies, and the odd koala and possum. Born and bred in Queensland, Australia, Fiona grew up in the far west of the state, lived for several years in Brisbane and is now settled on the Granite Belt in the…
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Sunday Snippet: The Annnd… We’re Off! Edition
And so we are. Today, Liz and I are headed down to the hills of Southern Indiana for a writing retreat–our annual winter event. This is our third January retreat. We stay in a beautiful and comfortable inn in the center of the cute little town of Nashville. The Artist’s Colony Inn is the perfect place for a winter retreat with large cozy rooms and a fab restaurant, plus breakfast is included with our room. Our first Nashville retreat was in 2022 and we happened upon the Artist’s Colony after our original hotel turned out to be … well, not really prepared for our visit. Anyway, we scooted into town,…
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Author Spotlight: Dakota Harrison is Back with Exciting News!
We have a winner! Kathleen Shaputis, your name was randomly selected to receive a free e-book from Dakota! She will be in touch with you! Thanks, everyone, for stopping by! We love talking to our readers! I’m welcoming fellow Tule author Dakota Harrison back into the Spotlight today. Dakota lives in a (not so) sunny part of Queensland, Australia, with her human and fur kids, and harbors a strange love of UGG boots. K- and J-Pop feature heavily in her home, especially when drafting her novels, drawing inspiration for her heroes from the music videos and anime, much to her children’s delight and her husband’s sufferance. She loves writing both…
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Sunday Snippet: The Eeek, I Need a Break Edition and a Question
I’ve been working and writing pretty much nonstop for… well, for the last five years for sure and probably longer and I need a break. That’s not a whine…well, okay, maybe a little bit of a whine, but the fact is, I need to get away. Thankfully, I am getting away in about about a week! YAY! Liz and I are going on retreat for four days and I can’t wait. Retreat doesn’t mean I’ll stop writing. As a matter of fact our retreats are all about writing, but it does mean I’ll set my editing gigs aside for four days and focus entirely on the current WIP. Plus I…
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Author Spotlight: Mystery Writer Carol Light Has a New Book!
We have a winner! Kathleen Bylsma you were randomly drawn to receive Carol’s giveaway. Carol be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone for stopping by! We love talking to our readers! Know what I love? Carol Light’s Cluttered Crime Mysteries. And now there is a brand new one and her heroine, professional organizer Crys Ward, has somehow landed in the middle of another murder. Carol’s here to tell us all about writing this new book, plus she has a giveaway for one lucky commenter! Carol Light is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must…
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Sunday Snippet: The Introducing the Walker Family & a Giveaway Edition
Winner!! Sue Farmer, your name was selected from the comments as the recipient of an e-book copy of Home to River’s Edge and a $5 gift Amazon gift card! I’m sending you an email! Wow–I can’t believe January is nearly half over, can you? Or that it’s time to start promotion on the new River’s Edge series The Walkers of River’s Edge. Y’all know the Walkers, they’ve been around in other stories, including Home to River’s Edge. Jazz Weaver fell in love with Eli Walker, and at the end of Christmas in River’s Edge, Jenny and Gabe attended Jazz and Eli’s wedding on New Year’s Day. The other Walkers have…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Shall Thole Edition
It’s here. The New Year. It snowed yesterday and I opened the front door to take a picture and to inhale the crisp, cold scent of it. Snow brings a hush to the world and peace to my heart. So many people my age leave the state for warmer climes and I totally don’t get it. I like the change of seasons here in the Midwest, I don’t mind the snow–I don’t even mind being stuck inside if the snow makes travel hazardous. I’m writing the third book in The Walkers of River’s Edge series. It’s Cameron and Harper’s story and it’s coming hard, I confess. I’m not sure why…
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Sunday Snippet: The End of Year Edition
2024 looms–and that is indeed the word I mean to use–looms. Not just personally, but also in regard to the whole world. We are living in chaotic and scary times, and I keep thinking what can I do? The only answer I can come up with as 2023 closes is to hang on. Keep doing what I’m doing–write, work, spend time with my family, spread love, pay attention to what’s happening in the world…vote. This may be the election year that I put in time as a volunteer for a candidate. My stomach roils at the thought of what’s happening in Washington (not much thanks to a do-nothing off-the rails…
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Sunday Snippet: The Merry Christmas Edition
Mes Amis, it’s Christmas Eve. I’m all ready for the holiday except for Husband making his famous cranberry Christmas cake for tomorrow’s celebration at Son and DIL’s house. Tonight Sister PJ and BIL will be here with us for our traditional chicken-and-noodles Christmas Eve supper. We’ll go to candlelight service after supper and then come back here for presents and dessert. It’s been a pretty low-key holiday season so far, and you know, I’m fine with that. 2023 is almost over and I’m fine with that, too. It’s been a busy year; 2024 is probably going to be busy as well. I don’t do resolutions anymore. I don’t like that…
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Sunday Snippet: The Holiday Reprise Edition
Mes, Amies, it’s been a long week and I didn’t get to writing my snippet this week, so you get a repeat. It’s one of my personal favorites, so I hope you enjoy… Despite struggling financially, my mom always made the holidays a treat for me and my sibs. We always had a Christmas tree, the house was always filled with the scent of cookies baking and there was always, always music. Oh, the music of it all! Mom would go to the Firestone store or to the Marathon gas station every year and pick up their annual Christmas album to play on our old console stereo. Remember when a…
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Author Spotlight: Bestie Liz Flaherty Dropped By Today!
What’s more fun than having your bestie stop by the Author Spotlight? Not much! I’m so pleased to welcome Liz Flaherty to the blog! Liz Flaherty has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and has to re-decide most every day) that the definition of success is having a good time. Along with her husband of lo, these many years, kids, grands, friends, and the occasional cat, she’s doing just that. Find her on Facebook or her blog, Window Over the Sink. A girl just can’t have too…
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Author Spotlight: Patricia Fischer Is Here with a Holiday Medical Romance
I’m happy to welcome fellow Tule author Patricia Fischer to the Spotlight today! Even when she was a former trauma and critical care nurse, Patricia always wrote. Either in a journal or short stories, but none of her words ever saw the light of day. That was until she took a journalism class at the local community college and the idea of becoming a health journalist made sense. Fast forward a couple of decades and several published books later, Patricia continues to combine her medical experiences into her stories, blending into stories that (hopefully) make people laugh, but also educate. Patricia has four kids and lives with her husband in…
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Sunday Snippet: The December Memos Edition
A long time ago, I did a monthly thing called Memos–it was fun and I’m not sure why I stopped, but this week, I figured I’d revive it, so here goes… Dear Readers Who Stopped by My Book Signings This Month, Sure loved seeing you and I do so appreciate you coming out to buy books and visit with me! Thanks for buying my books as holiday gifts–what fun I had packaging them up for you! Happy to be Signing Books, Nan ****** Dear Weather, It’s about two weeks ’til Christmas–time for some snow. Not a lot, mind you, just enough that it feels more like the holidays. Wouldn’t Mind…
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Author Spotlight: Susan Sands Has a New Holiday Anthology
Congratulations to Doris Lankford–you are the winner of Susan’s giveaway! Hope you enjoy that Fraser fir candle! Susan will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by–we always love a chance to talk to our readers! I had such fun meeting my fellow Tule authors this past summer at our Tule Author Retreat. One of them was Susan Sands–a charming and delightful writer of Southern romantic fiction. She’s here today to share a holiday anthology she’s participating in with five other authors, Once Upon a Christmas Kiss, and she has a special giveaway for one lucky commenter. A self-described late bloomer, Susan Sands began writing her first…
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Author Spotlight: Janine Amista Is Here with a Holiday Romance!
We have a winner! Roseann McGrath Brooks, you are Janine’s recipient from her giveaway! Janine will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone for stopping by– we love talking to our readers. I do love it when authors come back for another visit! Fellow Tule author Janine Amista is back today with her brand new holiday romance, A Poinsettia Paradise Christmas. She also has a fun giveaway for you, so read on! Janine Amesta is a California girl who now lives in the high desert of Oregon with her husband and their cat, Hitchcock. She studied screenwriting in college, but her moody thrillers always had way too much flirty…
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Sunday Snippet: The Holy Cats, It’s December Edition
Yup…it’s December and that happened before I even realized Thanksgiving week was over. Seems as if I’m gobsmacked every single year to realize Christmas is just over three weeks away at the beginning of December. Is it just me? I didn’t used to be this way. Long ago, BAN (Before Author Nan), I was pretty well through my Christmas shopping, the house would be decorated, I’d have started my Christmas baking by now. This year, I’m just grateful to have finished my latest WIP by the deadline (which, okay, I confess, was on an extension). Now, I’m taking a writing breath, but still doing Christmas in River’s Edge promotion for…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Anne Armistead!
One of the very best part of being an author is meeting other authors. Anne and I just met recently–we are both doing sprints through November with the amazing Bryn Donovan. Anne and I connected immediately in the short time we get to chat between sprints and I’m so delighted to introduce you to her today. Anne Armistead earned her English literature degree from the University of Georgia and her MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University and is a member of the Georgia Writers of Romance (GRW), Atlanta Writers Club (AWC), and Historical Novel Society (HNS). The damaged hero wins her heart and the hearts of the heroines in…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Love Autumn Edition
Autumn is my favorite time of the year, even though I’m often restless and sad in the fall. It’s an ending in so many ways, and yet there is that feeling of joyful beginning that comes with Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. We’re closing up the cottage this weekend, packing perishable items that can’t stay over the winter, storing linens, and winterizing. The saddest thing is leaving our lake friends. It’s odd, but in the summer, the lake often feels like our real life, and when we come home, it seems as if we are just marking time until we can go back there. I’m not sure…
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Thursday: The Happy Thanksgiving Edition
That’s all, actually. Happy Thanksgiving, mes amis. I am grateful for so many things in my life, but close to the top is that I get to share my thoughts, my joys, my sorrows, my life with all of you. Have a good day today–rest, be peaceful, spend time in fellowship with those you love, drink some good wine, and taste everything! With gratitude,
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Sunday Snippet: The Moments of Blessing Edition
Thanksgiving week is a time for gratitude. To look back on the year and count my blessings because oh, how I am blessed. This past year has been such a busy one. Between writing and book releases and editing gigs and promotion, I’ve barely had time to simply breathe. But even amidst all that scurrying and time spent at my computer, writing and working, I’ve had moments. Too many to list them all here and too many people in my life to mention them all here, although they are always in my heart, but here a few moments from this year. Moments with Husband: Dancing in a vineyard in Oregon…
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Author Spotlight: Laurie Beach Has a New Holiday Romance & a Fun Giveaway!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Julie Rupert–you are the winner of Laurie’s giveaway. She will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat! We love, love talking to our readers! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Know what I love? Sharing my favorite authors with you! Laurie Beach is definitely one of my very favorite authors of Southern contemporary romance. I’ve fallen in love with Crickley Creek and the wonderful characters she’s created in that small South Carolina town. Be sure to check out her fun giveaway below! Laurie Beach is a former news reporter, advertising producer, and political press secretary who, after raising four children, is…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Anne McAllister
I’m very pleased to welcome fellow Tule author Anne McAllister back to the spotlight–her books always charm me and they will you, too! Years ago someone told Anne McAllister that the recipe for happiness was a good man, a big old house, a bunch of kids and dogs, and a job you loved that allows you to read. And write. She totally agrees. Now, one good man, one big old house (since traded for a slightly smaller house. Look, no attic!) a bunch of kids (and even more grandkids) and dogs (and one bionic cat) and seventy books, she’s still reading. And writing. And happier than ever. Over thirty plus…
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Sunday Snippet: The Just 15K More Edition (& There’s a Snippet!)
That’s 15K more words until Kara and Joey’s story is done and I can do the necessary stuff to get it ready to go to my editor. I’ve been a writing machine the past week, getting up every morning to get at least a thousand words in with a great group of sprinters led by Bryn Donovan, writer, editor, and all around, great person. I’m at the dark moment–which in my books is rarely dark-dark, mostly just a little on the gray side, and frequently, it’s not a conflict between the two MCs, as much as it is an issue for one of them that he/she must solve in order…
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Author Spotlight: Kris Bock is Back with a New Romance and Fun Recipes!
Welcome back to Kris Bock, who’s here today with her Accidental Billionaire Cowboy, widowed Texas rancher Ava Tomlinson. Plus, get recipes for two fun holiday party treats! I love that this book features a seasoned heroine! It’s always great fun to have Kris her in the Author Spotlight! In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a billion-dollar lottery. They’re advised to go into hiding, but they have animals needing care. They’ll have to stay and fend off envious friends, scammers, and fortune hunters. Can they build new dreams and find love amidst the chaos? Readers say: “I was hooked from the start. This book series just keeps…
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Special Treat: Lani Diane Rich Is Here!
Mes amis, I usually keep my guest posts to Wednesdays and Thursdays, but today’s guest is such a special friend and writer and teacher that I’m bringing her in early this week so you can meet her. Lani is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning podcaster, and story expert, and she is my dear friend. She’s published 12 novels with Hachette, St. Martin’s Press, and Penguin, and has taught storytelling, screenwriting, and television production at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Her book, How Story Works: An elegant guide to the craft of storytelling is the last book you will ever need on story structure and…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Writing Edition
Yup, mes amies. I’m writing like a crazy woman, but taking breaks to stand up and walk around and eat now and again. My brain is mush, so I got nothin’ for today, so here are so gorgeous pictures of River’s Edge. Y’all know that my little fictional town is based on Madison, Indiana, and Brenda Guess Shropshire is an amazing photographer who captures the most spectacular photos of that river town. Take a look and enjoy! I’ll be back next week with a special guest on Tuesday and an Author Spotlight on Wednesday. Hope to see then! Gratitude for today: The tooth is extracted and and I’ve gone from…
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Author Spotlight: Sarah Vance-Tompkins Is Here with Holiday Fun!
We have a winner! Marie-Claude Arnott, your name was selected at random to receive Sarah’s giveaway prize of a $10 gift card. Marie-Claude, Sarah will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by–we do love talking to our readers! I’m so excited to have Sarah Vance-Tompkins with me today. We met at the Tule Author Retreat in July and she just utterly charmed me–an immediate kindred spirit. Not only was she fun and lovely, but she’s from my favorite state in the union–Michigan! Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She received an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Going Dark Edition
Oh, mes amies, I’ve had such fun this past week with the launch of Christmas in River’s Edge, book 3 in the Weaver Sisters trilogy–more stories from River’s Edge. I love my little town so much and I’m just thrilled readers love it there, too! Reviews are coming in and so many folks want to come to River’s Edge for the holidays. Oh, how I wish we all could do the Candlelight Walk together and head to the showboat for the Flaherty’s annual Christmas Eve pitch-in lunch and holiday show! Alas… only in books. And speaking of books, I’m working furiously on book 2 in the newest River’s Edge series,…
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Monday Funday: The Release Day Edition
We have a winner, mes amis! Congratulations, Carol Alscheff! You are the winner of the holiday box of goodies! I’ll be in touch with you for a mailing address! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented–y’all made release day a very happy one! Oh, mes amis! We are floating on air today as Christmas In River’s Edge, Book 3 in the Weaver Sisters trilogy launched this morning. If you pre-ordered, it’s on your e-reader–have fun! I’m a little late getting here because I spent the morning doing my Medicare Wellness check–I am, well, that is. Very well actually. My primary care doc was overjoyed at the rise in my…
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Sunday Snippet: The Closed Until Tomorrow, so a Real Snippet Edition
Yup…all is well, but book release is tomorrow, so there will be doings here tomorrow–book news, a nifty giveaway, fun, and games. Today, I give you a quick snippet from Christmas in River’s Edge. Tomorrow, we celebrate! Snippet Setup: Jenny and Gabe are reaching toward one another, but neither is sure what the relationship can or should be. After a long phone call, he invites her out to visit an archeological dig that a university friend of his is doing. Now, she’s getting ready for bed and imagining what the two of them might be: “Sounds great. I’ll pick you up. Dress warm, wear boots,” Gabe instructed, a smile in…
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Author Spotlight: Debra Salonen Has Books and a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Glenda Martillotti! You are Deb’s giveaway winner! Deb will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by–we love talking to and getting to know our readers! I love turning the blog over to my favorite authors and today, it belongs to my buddy and fellow Tule author, Debra Salonen! Former award-winning newspaper journalist Debra Salonen is a nationally bestselling author with 26 published novels for Harlequin’s Superromance and American lines and one single title release for Harlequin Signature. Several of her titles were nominated for “Best Superromance,” including UNTIL HE MET RACHEL, which took home that honor in 2010. Debra was…
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Author Spotlight: Elsa Winckler Is All About the Holidays!
We have a winner! Judith Flynn, you will receive an e-book copy of Elsa’s A Match Made in Montana. Elsa will be in touch! I do love welcoming my fellow Tule authors to the blog, so today is a treat because Elsa Winckler is with me. Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James, the Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life. Although her three gown-up children rarely acknowledge the fact they have a romance-writing mom, her husband fortunately, is very proud of her, reads every…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s All About the Promo Edition
Today, it is, mes amis. It’s actually Saturday late afternoon. I’ve met a friend for breakfast, edited almost 80 combined pages on two different projects today, made some notes about my own WIP on my lunch break, gotten rained on during my quick walk around the ‘hood, and frankly, my brain is fried. Grandboy is due here any moment and I need to go back and change the sheets on his bed. Then I’ll take him to the theater for his next-to-last performance of As You Like It. It’s been a day… not a bad day at all, just a day where I could’ve taken a nap at any given…
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Author Spotlight: Love & Games (And a First Kiss!) with Mia Heintzelman
We have a winner! Congratulations to Karen Foley! Mia will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog! We appreciate our readers more than you know! I am always so happy to feature fellow Tule Publishing authors here in the Author Spotlight, so today is a special treat! The adorable Mia Heintzelman is here with her newest Love and Games novel, Clued In Christmas. I met Mia at the Tule Author retreat this summer and she was a delight! Mia is a polka-dot-wearing, horror movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters,…
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Author Spotlight: Big Doings in Christmas Town!
We have a winner! Mary Morgan, congratulations! You are Liz’s winner! She will be in touch! Thanks for coming by — we love talking to our readers!! See y’all again soon! My own bestie, Liz Flaherty, is here with the brand new Christmas Town Anthology, Lights, Camera, Christmas Town! She and seven other authors have brought the Christmas cheer again this year with a fun holiday story! Liz has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and has to re-decide most every day) that the definition of success…
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Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition, Rev. 3
It really is Heart Update number three, I went back in and counted. I’m overjoyed to tell you that we’ve got nothing but good news this time. I had an echocardiogram in August and although I’d read the results on MyChart (a blessing and a curse, if there ever was one!), it was good to see Doc B and hear her reaction to what I’d seen there. She was all smiles when she came into the exam room, not with balloons and confetti, but perhaps the verbal equivalent. “Wow, great news, huh?” Yup, indeed! The echo showed that my ejection fraction had risen from 37 to 50! (Up is how…
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Author Spotlight: Kris Bock Is Back with a New Cozy!
Got a chance to catch up with the amazing Kris Bock recently and our conversation is below. Kris Bock writes romance, mystery, and suspense. See all her books published by Tule Publishing with links to other retailers or visit her Website, Amazon Author Page, or GoodReads Author Page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter to get a free Accidental Detective mystery story, a free cat café novella, and more. Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before…
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Sunday Snippet: The And We’re Off… Edition
…like a herd of turtles. Yup, we are! Liz and I are headed for a writing retreat this morning, so this is a necessarily quick post. We booked a VRBO in, of all places, Bardstown, Kentucky. No idea why we chose that place except that we’d never been there and it looked charming, so we thought, why not? The plan is to write, write, write–I need to get words in on the second book in my Walkers of River’s Edge series. Joey and Kara’s story is percolating away in my head, it just needs to come out the ends of my fingers! Liz is working on a women’s fiction story,…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Fortune Whelan!
Debra Pruss, you are Fortune’s winner this week! She will be in touch with you! Thanks to Deb and everyone for stopping by. How we love talking to our readers!! I’ve met so many fascinating and wonderful people since beginning my career as a writer–it’s been such a ride. One of those is Fortune Whelan, who is a fellow Tule author and a great sprint partner. She’s here today with her latest book and a fun giveaway. Amazon bestselling author Fortune’s stories are “charming, silly, and emotionally fraught” with “fast-paced plot[s] that keep pages flying”. When she’s not at her standing desk fending off feline invaders, you can find her…
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Sunday Snippet: The September Resolution (And Birthday!) Edition
Our winner is Joanna Mallozzi Owen! I’ve contacted you on Facebook, Joanna, so watch for a private message from me. I read an article a few years ago that talked about September resolutions–how they’re much easier than New Year’s resolutions because they’re inner resolutions. A fall renewing of your spirit and determination. I like that idea, just a quiet resolve to do better. The worrying thing will need work this fall–the knot in my stomach is back, I think mostly because of politics. That whole situation terrifies the tar outta me, but outside of voting, what can I do? Just live my life, love my family and friends, and try…
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Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Is Here & I’m Excited!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Shari Bartholomew! You will receive Sinclair’s too-fun gift package! She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who came by–we love our readers! Best days are always when I get a chance to be with my editor and dear friend, Sinclair Jane Sawhney and today’s a best day because she is in the Spotlight with her new book, Marry Me, Please, Cowboy! It just landed on my Kindle and I can’t wait to dig into this new story by one of my very favorite authors (and my very favorite editor!). Be sure to check out her giveaway at the bottom of this…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Is Here!
We have a winner! Congratulations, bn100, you are Leigh Ann’s giveaway recipient. I’m sorry I don’t know your name, but I will pass your email info on to Leigh Ann and she will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping–we love our readers and depend on you to keep the Author Spotlight going! I’ve had so much fun with Leigh Ann Edwards’s Maidens of the Mystical Stones books, haven’t you? I’m sad to see it end, but delighted for Leigh Ann’s success with this wonderful series! She’s here today with the last book in the series, Fate’s Final Season, where she wraps up the series and brings…
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Sunday Snippet: The Begin Again Edition, Plus a Snippet!
Good Sunday morning, mes amies. It’s kinda cloudy here at the lake and the forecast is calling for rain and cool temperatures, which is okay. We need the rain and it’s supposed to be sunny and pleasant the rest of the week. So boat rides after work, but no swimming–the lake has cooled off considerably. We’re having guests this week, which is always a joy, but we also have work to do. Husband plans to scrub the back of the cottage, we need to reset the last of the border bricks in the back as well, and we’ll start scraping the deck in prep for priming and painting sometime before…
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Author Spotlight: Kristina Knight Brings the Texas Girls (and a Giveaway!)
We have a winner! Congrats to Latesha B. You’ve won a free e-book from Kristina’s backlist. She will be in touch! Thanks to everyone for stopping by! It’s always a pleasure to welcome my fellow Word Wranglers to the Author Spotlight and today I’m delighted to turn the blog over to Kristina Knight. Kristina began her writing career as a radio and television journalist, working for NBC affiliates throughout the Midwest as a reporter, anchor, and producer. After covering everything from a serial killer’s capture to the National Finals Rodeo, she decided to leave the TV biz in favor of writing stories she was passionate about. Kristina writes sassy contemporary…
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Author Spotlight: Jane Porter Celebrates 10 Years of Tule Publishing!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Anne Hardy, you will receive Jane’s amazing prize package! She will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for dropping by and sharing in the Tule Publishing anniversary celebration! Mes amies, I am honored and excited to welcome my publisher and my friend, Jane Porter, to the Author Spotlight. She is a remarkable woman–publisher, author, teacher, mom, wife, world traveler, entrepreneur–a woman I admire beyond words. Jane is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 70 romances and fiction titles, She’s been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times and won in 2014 for Best Novella with her…
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Sunday Snippet: The Celebration Edition
What am I celebrating? Well, mes amies, mostly life. Husband’s colonoscopy this week was clean–no signs of the cancer that turned our summer last year on its ear. He’s feeling well and the gastro doc was pleased enough to order his next check for three years from now. We are relieved and feeling very blessed. My heart is doing well, too, so right now, two healthy seniors here. YAY! I’m also in celebration mode because reviews for Meet Me in River’s Edge are coming in and they’re terrific! Readers are loving Jo and Alex’s story and that just warms my heart. Everyone has been so kind! This snippet from Kim…
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Author Spotlight: Mystery Writer Carol Light Has a New Release and a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Linda May! You are Carol’s gift card winner! Carol will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by–we can’t do this without our dear readers and followers–we appreciate you! I gotta tell ya, mes amies, having Tule Mystery author Carol Light in the Spotlight is a special treat because she’s not only a fantastic writer, she’s also a good friend and a great conference/retreat roomie! She’s here with book two in her Cluttered Crime series and a fun giveaway! Carol is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must use…
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Sunday Snippet: The Summer’s Closing…Sorta Edition
I really can’t believe it’s Labor Day Weekend. The lake is busy, busy as it is every holiday weekend, so we went out early this morning for a boat ride to avoid the crazy. There is a sort of leaving feeling in the air here in our little lake community. Some folks will close up their cottages for the season, others (like us) hang on a bit longer. We generally start closing up closer to Halloween, but we’ll pull the boat in late September or mid-October. But fall is definitely on the way. The cottonwoods and walnut trees are turning yellow and dropping leaves. On our way up to the…
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Author Spotlight: Paris Wynters Brings the Romance…and Hockey!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Wanda Archuleta–you are Paris’s giveaway winner. She will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! What a treat to welcome Paris Wynters back to the Author Spotlight! Paris is a multi-racial author of steamy contemporary romances full of pulse-pounding passion. Her books follow the romantic journeys of feisty heroines as they find love with smoldering hockey stars, rugged military men, and alongside charming cowboys. She is the author of The Three Keys Ranch series, The Navy SEALs of Little Creek series, Love On The Winter Steppes, Called into Action, and her newest book, a hockey romance, Totally Pucked. Paris resides in New…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Not All About Me, It’s Liz Flaherty Edition
And today, it isn’t all about me because as I’ve been saying all week–I’m kinda sick of me. Book promotion will do that to you… just sayin’. So today, the snippet is all about my bestie, Liz Flaherty. One of my favorite of her books, A Soft Place to Fall is on sale for just 99 cents through August 31. If you haven’t read it, grab it. When Liz rereleased this title, I couldn’t have been more delighted to go back into Early and Nash’s world. It is a beautifully told story of a marriage that got lost, a family that came apart when they weren’t even looking, and how…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Debut Author Janine Amesta
I love introducing you to new authors and today’s spotlight shines on Janine Amesta, a brand new Tule Publishing writer, whose first book, Striking Gold, releases today! Janine is a California girl who now lives in the high desert of Oregon with her husband and their cat, Hitchcock and dog, Pippin. She studied screenwriting in college, but her moody thrillers always had way too much flirty banter. She’s a master at jigsaw puzzles, skilled at embroidery, and critiques bad movies on Twitter. GIVEAWAY: Janine has a fun giveaway going—just click prize picture here and the link will take you right to the Rafflecopter where you can enter for a chance…
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Author Spotlight: Stella Holt Is Here with a New Series and a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Laurie Gommermann you are Stella’s lucky winner of an e-book copy of Book one in the Legacy of the Maguires series Last First Kiss! Stella will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone for stopping by! I’m excited to bring you debut author and fellow Tuligan, Stella Holt this week! Author of your next binge-worthy romance series, Stella has been plotting sexy, tear-jerker stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born a Georgia peach, Stella loves all things country but calls the beach home even though she’s currently living outside D.C. with her family. Most days she can be found drinking too…
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Sunday Snippet: The Time to Breathe Edition
Good morning, mes amies! It’s been a week, kids, it’s really been a week! Release week is always kinda crazy, and this one has been particularly wild because I’ve been all over the Web, including being chosen as a Fresh Pick on Fresh Fiction yesterday–totally awesome!! Check it out! Heart Update: Tuesday, I had an echocardiogram, expecting to hear that my heart had improved slightly on the 4-drug protocol, but wowee! My Ejection Fraction went from 37 to 50 (normal is 55-70), so those pricey meds are truly working! I am feeling better, stronger than I have in probably five years, so yup–taking a handful of meds twice a day…
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Author Spotlight: The It’s Me! Edition (Pssst…There’s a Giveaway!)
***We have winners! Michelle J and Linda Herold–you were both chosen at random for a free e-book copy of Meet Me in River’s Edge, Lisa Reigel, you are the winner of the prize box! I’ll be in touch! Thanks so much for helping me celebrate Jo and Alex’s story!*** Does it feel like we were just here a few months ago? We were! But today is a red-letter-day for me, the Weaver Sisters, and Tule Publishing! Jo Weaver’s story, Meet Me in River’s Edge releases today–it should be waiting for you on your e-reader when you wake up this morning! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this…
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Sunday Snippet: The Wow, What a Week Edition
And it was indeed, mes amies, quite a week! Author Nan has had a pretty cool time this past week. Right off, the story for Joey and Kara–book 2 in the Walkers of River Edge series is underway and so far, I’m liking it. Right now, the best part is researching garden shops and nurseries and plants. Wow. So much to learn to write these two characters. It’s a shame I don’t retain too much of what I learn in this research, isn’t it? Next, the Authors Over 50 podcast I did with Julia Daily ,back in April, dropped on Thursday and I sound halfway intelligent, which is always a…
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Author Spotlight: E. Elizabeth Watson Heats Up Summer with a Highland Rogue
We have a winner! Congratulations, BN100! You are Elizabeth’s winner of a kindle e-copy of A Highland Rogue to Ruin. Elizabeth will be in touch. Thanks to you and everyone for stopping by the blog! We sure appreciate your support. I’m very excited to welcome fellow Tule author and brand-new friend, E. Elizabeth Watson to the Author Spotlight today. We met in person at the July Tule Author Retreat, and we even did a morning of sprinting together while we were there. She is funny and warm and I treasure having a new friend. She’s here with her newest release and a fun giveaway! Elizabeth is an Amazon Top 100…
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Sunday Snippet: The What the Heck Happened to Summer? Edition
Seriously… how is it already August 6? I mean, wasn’t it just May and Husband and I were looking forward to our 50th anniversary trip to Oregon and I was busy making plans with my writer pal Carol Light for our trip to San Juan Capistrano and the Tule Author Retreat and checking with my sibs for a visit to my brother’s in Woodland Hills? I’m sure that was just a week ago… Yikes! Oregon is a fond, wistful memory now. The Tule Author Retreat remains ingrained in my heart and mind as a wondrous time with fellow authors and editors and the Tule team, as well as a fun…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Laurie Beach!
So this is cool–we have a winner! Congratulations, Kimberly Field, your name was chosen at random from all the commenters today, so you are the winner of the Pat Conroy cookbook and a signed print copy of Blink Twice if You Love Me. Laurie will be in touch with you! Thanks to Kimberly and everyone for stopping by the blog–we love having you here and joining in our conversations! Oh, mes amies, I’m so thrilled to welcome back one of my very favorite new writers! Laurie Beach is an extraordinary voice in the world of Southern fiction; Tule Publishing is so lucky to have her and I’m so lucky to be…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Really Tired and I Got Nothin’ Edition
I’m not going to whine, even though I feel like I could. Isn’t it funny, though, how you can’t seem to catch up on sleep? Why, do you suppose? I mean, it makes sense to me that if you miss some sleeping time, then sleeping more later should fix it. But things don’t seem to work out like that. Right now, I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I can’t do that, so here I am. On the upside, I’m at the lake, I’ve gotten to swim several times this week with friend Moe and Grandboy and Son, and we had time with our kids up here.…
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Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue #4 (and Final) Edition
We’re headed home–flying back to the Midwest today after a week in California and has it ever been a week! Tule Author Retreat was a joy I will always remember and the rest of the week with my family has been lovely, too. It’s been too long since I last saw my brother and although he’s dealing with some health issues, he’s still my bro–funny, warm, wry, and easy to be with. Sister PJ came out with Brother’s granddaughter to join the party and it’s been fun getting to know this 14-year-old young woman. Brother’s son, DIL, and grandboys are here, too, and what a treat they are! They are…
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Wednesday Snippet: The Travelogue #3 Edition
So, here’s the thing, mes amies. I haven’t had a moment to write for the past 36 hours or so. So much great stuff planned by the Tule Publishing team and spending time with other authors and eating… Oh mes amies, the food! We’ve been luxuriating in delicious meals and snacks and wine, oh my! Yesterday started with breakfast–for Carol and me, it was at a darling little place called Ellie’s Table at the Egan House, a few blocks from the inn. We had quiche and Carol also had a chocolate croissant the size of a football, while I added a slice of cinnamon crumb coffee cake that tasted exactly…
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Monday Snippet: The Travelogue #2 Edition
Wow, has it ever been a crazy busy last 36 hours! Carol and I got to San Juan Capistrano around 1:30 on Sunday, and walked from the train station to the hotel, lugging our bags. It was only a few blocks, so it was fine. We were pretty glad we were able to check in, though, because we were both ready for rest, lunch, and a few moments to chill. Turns out, we skipped lunch and went down the road to buy me pajamas. Yes, in all my uber-efficient packing, I spaced putting jammies in my suitcase. I know, I know, a real DUH moment. We found a Marshalls and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue #1 Edition
We made it to California! Writer buddy and fellow Tule author, Carol Light and I are almost to our Tule Author Retreat. Carol flew from her home state to mine, where I joined her on a very crowded Southwest flight to Dallas. After a couple of hours hanging out in Dallas, we caught our flight to Burbank. Both flights were full, but honestly, no delays and everything went so smoothly. Tired, but happy, we got a Lyft to our hotel and settled in. Since we didn’t have a car and the hotel is in rather an industrial part of Burbank, we opted for supper at the hotel restaurant and were…
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Author Spotlight: Audrey Wick Has a New Novel!
What fun to welcome Audrey Wick to the spotlight today! She is a writer, a teacher, and world traveler and I always love talking to her! Be sure to check out her latest novel, Seeing Us–links below will take you right to it! Audrey is a novelist of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. She is also a full-time English professor at Blinn College in Texas and serves on faculty at the San Miguel Literary Sala. Her writing has appeared in college textbooks published by Cengage Learning and W. W. Norton as well as various literary journals. She has been a repeat contributor to Writer’s Digest and Woman’s World. Audrey believes…
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Sunday Snippet: The Sure, Why Not a Real Snippet Edition
It’s been a week, mes amies. One full of writing and family time and lake time and Liz time… a week where I wrote THE END on Jack and Maddie’s story and sent it off to my editor with my heart alternately in my throat and my socks, wondering what she will think of their story. Funnily enough, I wrote nearly the last four chapters at her house with her sitting across from me, writing herself. Don’t think that wasn’t a cool, but weird experience. Crit partners and betas have said good things about it… get ready for the title because I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here yet… Make…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome, Romance Author Lynn Crandall!
We have a winner! Liz Flaherty, you are the winner of an ebook copy of Then There was You. Congratulations. Lynn will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! It’s always a pleasure to welcome my fellow Hoosier authors to the Spotlight. Today, it’s romance writer, Lynn Crandall, who’s here with Book in her Love In Dunes Bay series, Then There Was You. After cutting her writing teeth as a feature writer for commercial and trade magazines, a reporter for newspapers and radio, and an executive editor for a communications company, bestselling, award-winning author Lynn Crandall tuned her voracious appetite for stories to writing contemporary and paranormal romance,…
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Sunday Snippet: The How Does It Happen Edition
It’s July. How did that happen? I’ve been married for 50 years! How did that happen? Grandboy is 11. How did that happen? I’ve got 14 published novels and another two on the way in 2023, plus I’m contracted to write four more books for Tule. Whew–how did that happen? I’ll be 70 in two months, how the hell did that happen? Can you tell I’m a little overwhelmed with… well, life stuff and work stuff at the moment? I am, yet I go on ahead and do what needs doing because don’t we all? Right now, it’s all about the writing… People ask me all the time, “How do…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Debut Mystery Author Carol Light!
We have a winner! Sue Farmer, you are the winner of a $10 Amazon gift card! Carol will be in touch with you! Thanks to you and everyone for stopping by and commenting. We love conversations with our readers! Mes amies, I’m so excited to bring debut author, Carol Light, into the Author Spotlight today. Carol is an amazing writer as well as a fellow Tule author. Her debut novel, Room for Suspicion, released on June 27 and it is a treat of a mystery! Carol is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Not Really Here Edition
Hey mes amies, It’s been a crazy week–Husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary with a little break from life. I’m still writing, but there’s other shenanigans going on, too. I’ll be back next week with so fun stuff to tell you, pictures, and a lot of gratitude! Meanwhile, stay safe, stay well, be kind, and most of all, stay grateful!
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Has A Soft Place to Fall
You know what’s the best part of having another author for a bestie? I mean besides all the other great things about Liz Flaherty? When you need someone to fill a slot, you can say, “I have no one in the Author Spotlight this week. Want to dash off something?” And she does! Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and wanting to travel. The author of 20-some books and her husband Duane share an old farmhouse in North Central Indiana that they talk about leaving. However, that would require clearing baseball trophies from the attic and dusting the pictures of the Magnificent Seven, their grandchildren, so they’ll probably stay…
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Sunday Snippet: The Whine, Then Find the Sunshine Edition
It’s been a tough week. My shoulder hurts, really aches, from spending so much time in front of my computer, working on editing gigs and writing Jack and Maddie’s story. Son is dealing with a lot of stuff that I wish so much I could take off his plate, but I can’t. I can only listen. (Even when they’re in their forties, your mom instincts kick in.) We’re doing work on the lake cottage, making choices about where we want to spend refurbishing dollars this year, except that those dollars now have to be shared with medicine expenses because I hit the damn doughnut hole with my heart meds this…
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Author Spotlight: Anne McAllister is Here With a New Cowboy!
Annnnd…we have a winner! Jan Trampp, you are the lucky winner of Anne’s Giveaway. Anne will be in touch with you. Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by! What a treat to have the amazing and accomplished Anne McAllister back in the Author Spotlight! She’s here to tell us about her newest novel, A Cowboy’s Promise, which released on June 8. Two-time RITA winner and nine-time finalist, Anne has written 70-ish books for Tule Publishing and Harlequin Books. She was named Midwest Fiction Writers “Writer of the Year” and also received Romantic Times’ Career Achievement Award as “Series Author of the Year” and, of course, awards are great. But…
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Author Spotlight: Lara Van Hulzen Has a New Release Coming and a Fun Giveaway!
Congratulations to Laurie Gommermann–you are Lara’s Giveaway winner! Lara will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I’m just delighted to welcome fellow Tule author Lara Van Hulzen back to the Spotlight. Her newest book, Until I Met You, book 3 in her Endicotts of Silver Bay series releases on July 20, but is available for pre-order now! Love this cover, mes amies! They look so happy! Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor Series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s a Snippet Edition!
One of the very best days in an author’s life is the day the mail carrier or the UPS person drops a box on the porch that’s full of the first print copies of your soon-to-be-released novel. Last week I had a great day! This arrived early this week and suddenly Jo and Alex’s story felt real. Jo and Alex’s story is dear to my heart because these are two people who have so much stuff to work through and yet somehow, they manage to find each other. Alex is a scientist and a type 1 diabetic who only longs to find a cure, and Jo has a sad secret…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Is Back with More Magic!
We have a winner! Cheri J, you are the winner of Leigh Ann’s giveaway. She will be in touch with you. Thanks so much to Cheri and everyone for stopping by to check out Leigh Ann’s newest release! Today is the day book 4 in Leigh Ann Edwards’s Maidens of the Mystical Stones releases and I’m so pleased she’s here with us today for the big launch, and she has a fun giveaway, so be sure to check it out and comment to win! Leigh Ann Edwards’s fascination with history, romance, magic, time-travel, and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her expanding collection of published…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Cheryl Reavis!
I’m so pleased to put the spotlight on author Cheryl Reavis today! Former public health nurse, now award-winning romance novelist, Cheryl Reavis, describes herself as a “late bloomer.” Her Silhouette Special Edition, A CRIME OF THE HEART, reached millions of readers in Good Housekeeping magazine and won the Romance Writers of America’s coveted RITA award the year it was published. She has also won the RITA award for her Harlequin-Silhouette novels, PATRICK GALLAGHER’S WIDOW, THE PRISONER, and THE BRIDE FAIR. BLACKBERRY WINTER, THE BARTERED BRIDE and a Berkley novel, PROMISE ME A RAINBOW, have been RITA award finalists. She has received numerous awards from Romantic Times magazine. Her award-winning literary short stories have appeared in The Crescent Review, The Bad Apple, The Mosaic,…
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Sunday Snippet: The No Thanks to Aging Edition
Been thinking about aging, particularly after the neighborhood yard sale we had this weekend. So many of the folks participating were our age or older and as anxious as us to purge some of the stuff they’d had in their homes forever and a day. Ironically, a lot of the people wandering the ‘hood buying the stuff the rest of us were getting rid of were… wait for it… people our age. Go figure, right? A few years ago, when Husband and I moved from our home of 37 years to our new place here in the ‘hood, we did a major purge. Like truly big. A wonderful group of…
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Author Spotlight: Stacey Agdern Is In the House!
Stacey Agdern is not only one of my favorite authors, she’s also a friend and fellow Tule writer, so it’s a special treat to welcome her back to the Author Spotlight. I love how she brings her culture into her stories and her new series, Last Girls Standing, with Tule Publishing is no exception. Book one in the series, B’nai Mitzvah Mistake, drops today! Stacey 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…
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Sunday Snippet: The Editor Nan Edition
Nine years ago–gosh, has it been that long? Nine years ago, when Husband retired, took off his watch, and said, “I’m done,” we agreed that I would work until I got to age…well, a certain number. We’d worked endlessly on a retirement budget, figured every dime, and knew exactly what we’d need to maintain the lifestyle to which we’d become accustomed. Back then, it felt a long way off and I was sure that by the time I got to that number, I’d be ready to stop editing. Well, that certain number now looms large on the horizon and I’m not at all sure I’m ready to hang up my editor…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Sinclair Jayne Sawhney!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Cherie J, you are Sinclair’s giveaway winner! Sinclair will be in touch with you. Thanks for stopping by, everyone!! Man, I love featuring my favorite authors on my blog and Sinclair Jayne Sawhney certainly comes in that category, plus, bonus! She’s also my editor at Tule Publishing and I adore her! Sinclair Sawhney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over…
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Sunday Snippet: Another I Got Nothin’ Edition
Seriously…I got nothin’. Right off, I’m late with this–usually I have it up at 6:30; it’s now 7:15. I lingered in bed this morning because it is a dang chilly morning here at the lake, we worked hard yesterday, and the kids came for supper and Euchre and we stayed up late-ish. We did have a great time after supper. Son went around the table for a couple of hours and had each of us pick a song we wanted to hear. He cued every one up on his Apple music app and played them through our Bluetooth speaker, so we listened to a mad variety of music from the…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Reese Ryan!
We have a winner! Ann Bilbrew, you were chosen at random as the recipient of Reese’s giveaway! She will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I’ve been a huge fan of Reese Ryan’s books for some time, so having her here in the Spotlight today is sort of a squee fan-girly moment for me! Award-winning author Reese Ryan writes sexy, emotional, grown folks romantic fiction set in small Southern towns about characters finding love while navigating career crises and family drama. She’s the host of Story Behind the Story—her YouTube show where romance readers and authors connect. Visit Reese online at ReeseRyan.com. She’s with us…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me and Jo Weaver
Jennifer Wright, you are my winner! I’ll be in touch to get your mailing address so I can send you your gift box! Thanks, everyone, for stopping by and commenting! I love having you here! Yup, it’s time for another River’s Edge story, my children. The second book in the Weaver Sisters trilogy is currently available for pre-order and I’m so delighted to bring you Jo Weaver and Alex Briggs’s story. They were fun to write because they are pretty much an opposites-attract kind of love story. Except that deep down, they weren’t opposites at all. Here’s the scoop and below that are links to pre-order Meet Me in River’s…
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Sunday Snippet: The Mom Edition
It’s Mother’s Day and although I sometimes have trouble with whole concept, which I once was convinced came about because a greeting card company needed sales. Turns out my cynicism button had been pushed because that’s not how it came about at all. A woman named Anna Jarvis spearheaded the celebration of Mother’s Day because she wanted to honor her mother who’d passed three years earlier. She ushered in the first Mother’s Day with a church celebration in West Virginia. And on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as national Mother’s Day and asked Americans to give a public thank you to all their…
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Author Spotlight: J.C. Kenney Is Back with a New Cozy!
We have a winner! Latesha B, your name was chosen at random and you will be receiving a signed copy of Concert Hall Hit. J.C. will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone for stopping by. What’s more fun that a great cozy mystery? Not much! I’m crazy about J.C. Kenney’s stories and he’s got a brand new one out for our reading pleasure! J.C. Kenney is the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. His debut, A Literal Mess, was a finalist for a…
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Sunday Snippet: The Spring Fever Edition
Mushy mind—it’s a thing and wow, do I have it right now. I have a very bad case of mind mush—my ability to focus and function is seriously out of whack. I’m not sure if it’s spring fever or what, but fact is, I’m just not able to focus on much of anything right now. I think I’ve mentioned before, probably in the spring, that my grandmother used to say she was muzzy—isn’t that a great word? I’m muzzy. I’ve got four books to write for Tule Publishing in the next two years and my heart frequently stops (not really!) at the thought. I’m about 15K words into Jack Walker’s…
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Author Spotlight: Ava Cuvay Is Bringing the Dragons!
I love celebrating my fellow Midwest romance authors and today is real treat as my guest is not only a great writer and world builder, but she’s a funny, warm, smart woman. Ava Cuvay writes out-of-this-world romances featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… She resides in central Indiana with a hubby who makes her laugh and kiddos who are growing up way too quickly. She believes life is too short to surround yourself with negative people, everything is better with champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon. I’m lucky enough…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Laurie Beach!
And we have two winners! Audrey W. and Liz Flaherty, you’ve won Laurie’s giveaway! Laurie will be in touch. Thanks so much for stopping by! You know, I adore Southern fiction and discovering debut Tule Publishing author Laurie Beach feels like a gift from the universe. I’m full of joy to welcome Laurie to the Author Spotlight today. Laurie Beach is a former news reporter, advertising producer, and political press secretary who, after raising four children, is parlaying her love of reading and writing into a career as an author. She is a sucker for elderly people, grumpy animals, and happy endings. Having grown up in Alabama, she loves novels…
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Sunday Snippet: The Spring Cleaning Edition
We spring cleaned yesterday–every room from stem to stern–and the house looks and smells so fresh and I’m very glad, but… Is it just me or do we care less about housework as we get older? Once upon a time, Mondays and Tuesdays were my housecleaning days. I literally cleaned for two solid days, working my round butt off scrubbing floors and bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, doing laundry. At least twice a year, I pulled everything out of the china hutch, washed every piece, and put it back in, all shiny clean. I reorganized closets and drawers four times a year, washed windows every spring and fall (I still do that!),…
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Author Spotlight: T.A. Cruz Is Here with A Thriller!
I’m so pleased to welcome fellow Tule author T.A. Cruz to the spotlight today. His debut thriller releases on May 4 and I can’t wait! We had an opportunity to chat and I know you’re going to be as intrigued as I am! Raised in a small California farming town, T.A. Cruz spent his childhood honing an imagination as vast as the wheat fields stretching around him for miles. With 6 years of military service, and passport stamps from around the world, part of him will always be in that little town with a single stoplight and a population of 1500. A lifelong lover of horror, and things that go…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Been a Ride Edition
Release week is done. What a ride–blog appearances, podcasts, promotion like crazy… and it’s not over yet. But the first rush is finished and I’m back to focusing on writing the next series. If you haven’t gotten your copy of Home to River’s Edge, book 1 in the Weaver Sisters series, sure hope you click the link and grab it. Jazz and Eli’s story is heartwarming, emotional, and a fun introduction to the Weaver Sisters. Plus…there might be a little hint of whose stories are coming up in the next River’s Edge series. Today, I’m going to take the day off, spend some time with Husband, maybe weed some gardens,…
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Author Spotlight: Let’s Go to the Circus with Karla Kratovil!
We’ve got a winner! Congratulations Joannie Sico! You are Karla’s giveaway winner! Karla will be in touch with you. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, and thanks to everyone who came by! Fellow Tule author, Karla Kratovil is here today with her new release Making the Marquess Mine, a Regency romance that has an unusual twist–the heroine runs away to the circus! From the time she read fairytales as a child, Karla Kratovil was hooked on stories that ended in happily-ever-after. Now as an author of sexy historical romance she gets to craft her own happy endings. Karla lives right on the edge of Northern Virginia’s wine country with her college…
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Tuesday Treat: Home to River’s Edge Has Launched–Let’s Party!
We have two winners! Sandra Pride and Cindy McCarter, your names were drawn at random as the winners of my giveaway! I’ll be in touch with you! Thank you to Sandy, Cindy, and everyone who stopped by to help me celebrate Home to River’s Edge! And to a lot of fanfare, I might add! I’m pretty much all over the interwebs today, which feels a little funny, but on the other hand, this is how we do book release in 2023. Home to River’s Edge is officially out–those of you who preordered should find it on your e-readers when you wake up this morning and anyone else who didn’t…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Almost Here Edition
And so it is! Almost here, that is. “It” is the release of my newest novel, Home to River’s Edge, book 1 in the new Weaver Sisters trilogy. The Weaver Sisters are the latest citizens of River’s Edge, Indiana to get a story. I’ve talked so much about here that y’all know the story by now… but since it’s release week, you get a new snippet. After all, this is called Sunday Snippet and it is Sunday… Setting up this snippet, Jazz is home from Washington, DC, and has been hiding in her old room in her parents’ house, sleeping, eating junk, and just generally being despondent. Her sisters are…
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Author Spotlight: Mia Heintzelman Brings the Fun and Games!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Fedora Chen! You are Mia’s giveaway winner. She will be in touch with you. Thanks to you and everyone for stopping by! Such fun to introduce you to best-selling author and fellow Tule Publishing author, Mia Heintzelman, whose Love and Games series is just delightful! We had a wonderful chat! Mia is a polka-dot-wearing, horror movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. She writes fun, flirty, unforgettable romance about strong women and men with enough heart to fall for them. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters, she is likely reading, playing board games, or eating sweets. She…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Kris Bock!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Laurie Beach, you’ve won an ebook of Charming the Billionaire Cowboy from Kris’s Accidental Billionaire Cowboy series. Kris will be in touch! I’ve fallen in love with Kris Bock’s Accidental Billionaire Cowboy series from Tule Publishing and have been waiting breathlessly for the next title to release. It’s here! The Billionaire Cowboy’s Proposition released April 6. Kris writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona. Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote…
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Big Doings!! A Chance to Win Some Fun Stuff…
Mes Amies, the promotion for Home to River’s Edge has started and I’m beyond excited! Fresh Fiction is running a contest for the next 14 days–I hope you’ll cruise by and enter for a chance to win some fun stuff! Just click any of the links in this post or click on the picture below and you’ll find yourself where you need to be to enter! Have fun!! Thanks always for your support! There will be more fun and games as April 18 gets closer, so stay tuned!
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Sunday Snippet: The Spring Is Here Edition
Right off, Happy Easter to all who celebrate! Spring seems to be springing already and you know, between health stuff and writing like a madwoman, I am more than ready. The gardens are coming to life–check out my hyacinths–aren’t they pretty? We’ve had a typical March in the Midwest—warm, lovely, sunny days and then cold, gray, and chilly ones. But now it’s April, and somehow this spring seems particularly promising, because ever since all this heart stuff, everything has felt…I dunno—unsettled. I’m not the only one feeling a sea change—with the weirdness that politics has become, I think the whole world is in this boat on many different levels. Liz…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Stops by with Christmas Town Magic!
What fun to have my bestie check in with some news about the Christmas Town anthology coming up in October! What’s the scoop on the new Christmas Town anthology, my friend? Thanks for sneaking the Christmas Town wrecking writing crew in to visit, Nan! It won’t be here until October 10—go ahead and mark your calendars; I’ll wait—but the storytellers of Christmas Town, Maine, are busy getting our duckstories in a row. (Yeah, that’s not really a word, but for writers of continuity stories of any genre, it’s important!) A little history—as opposed to duckstory—in case you haven’t been to Christmas Town before. The series started with Christmas, Actually, by…
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Sunday Snippet: The And So It Begins Edition
What begins is book promotion… yup, we’re just over a couple of weeks away from the release of the first book in the Weaver Sisters trilogy–Home to River’s Edge. I’m so very excited about these sisters and introducing you to Jasmine Weaver and Elias Walker. Their story is a second chances and a starting over tale of falling in love. Since it’s Sunday, here’s a snippet for you. It’s from the very first chapter and the setup is that Eli Walker, who’s still grieving his fiancée who died over two years ago is parked on the side of the road leading up to the house he’d been building for them…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards is Back with a New Book!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Patty Fontenot Duplechin! You are Leigh Ann’s giveaway winner. Thanks to you and everyone who stopped by! If you’re into fantasy and magic and you haven’t discovered Leigh Ann Edwards’s stories yet, you must! Leigh Ann Edwards’ fascination with history, romance, magic, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her expanding collection of published novels. Growing up in a Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left lots of time to create stories and let her imagination soar! An author for thirty years, Leigh Ann has almost completed writing her fourth series with Tule Publishing and started a fifth. Besides…
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Author Spotlight: Darlene Fredette Is Here with a New Release!
Isn’t it a treat to discover writers who are new to you? I love it when that happens and Darlene Fredette is one for me. Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. Retired from a career as Director of Administration and Marketing, she now has eleven published contemporary romance books and is an artist at heart. When she isn’t researching her next book or having a pencil, paintbrush, or a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, she’s with her husband, daughter, and one-hundred-pound yellow Labrador. Hope you enjoy this little chat I had with Darlene! N: Welcome to the blog,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition, Rev. 2
I think this is update 2, but if it’s number 3, well, sorry about that, and thank you for being patient with me processing this whole thing with y’all. I won’t update you every time I go to the cardiologist because that would be major TMI for you guys. That said, you’re kind to come along and I always appreciate all the good wishes. Right off, the good news is things are improving. I’m way less tired and can pretty much make it through a whole day and not lose steam. I still get breathless when I walk too fast or uphill or exercise too strenuously, but my cardiologist, Dr.…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Sapna Srinivasan!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Jenny Chlipala–you are Sapna’s giveaway winner. She will be in touch with you. Thanks to Jenny and everyone who stopped by! Hope you’ll come back soon! I do love welcoming back authors who’ve been in the Spotlight before; having old friends stop by for a visit is always a treat! Today, fellow Tule Publishing author Sapna Srinivasan has popped in to tell us about her new release, A Homecoming Mantra, book 4 in her Sood Family series, plus she has a great giveaway! Sapna lives in Seattle, WA with her perfectionist husband and perfect daughter. Her name in Hindi means “dream” and true to…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Dawdling Edition
And so I am…it’s been a lazy Sunday so far, to the extent that I’m just now writing my Sunday Snippet for this week. Truthfully, the week has been… well… busy, so a dawdle or two is in order today. Right off, happy birthday to darling Husband, who turned 74 last week and is still the hottest guy I know. We celebrated with the neighbors on Wednesday night with spice cake and wine and then again on Thursday with the kiddos. I made beef stew and we had the best Italian bread and more spice cake and wine. All in all, turning another year older was mostly painless for him,…
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Author Spotlight: Trish Morey Takes Us to Cornwall!
We have 2 winners! Congratulations, Margie and Leigh Ann, you are Trish’s giveaway recipients! Trish will be in touch with you regarding your prizes! Thanks for coming out to play with us! What fun it is to introduce y’all to a new-to-me author! Today’s spotlight is on Trish Morey, a fellow Tule Publishing writer, whose newest book, The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran, released on March 9. I’m so excited to have discovered Trish and this delightful rom-com. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of her books! USA Today Bestselling Author, Trish Morey is four times nominated and two times winner of RWAustralia’s Romantic Book of…
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Sunday Snippet: The Settling Back In Edition
It’s me again! Time for just a plain old Sunday Snippet since I’m back home from Hawaii and settling into normal Editor and Author Nan life. Laundry, a new editing gig, laundry, walking the ‘hood with neighbor Mary, reviewing copy edits on book 2 in the Weaver Sisters series, writing…oh, and did I mention laundry? I have a serious case of jet lag–feeling like I could sleep for a week, but I’m trying to get my circadian rhythms back to what they should be. Weird that I’m suffering jet lag from traveling across three time zones the same week that we here in the Midwest spring forward. My body has…
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Monday (& Sunday) Snippet: The Vacation is Winding Down Edition
Right off, here is my breakfast view this morning–our hotel is at Berkeley Marina. Pretty. I didn’t post last night because really, all we did yesterday was fly from Kona to San Francisco. A long plane ride during which I slept a lot and Son worked, and then we played some Trivia together on the screen in front of his seat. We did walk down to a lovely al fresco breakfast in Kona before we packed up and headed to the airport. The Kona airport is… interesting. Everything’s outside, even the gates, you get to your plane by walking across the tarmac and climbing up a rolling flight of stairs.…
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Saturday Snippet: The Last Day in Hawaii Edition
Yes, it’s true. Today was our last full day in Hawaii and we decided that it would be a chill day and it was. We walked down into Kona for breakfast with a view. Then we wandered back up the hill and spent the rest of the morning hanging out, doing laundry, Son caught up on some work stuff, and I read (I’m reading Lisa Lin’s The Year of Cecily and it’s charming.) When he got done, he said, “Let’s go see the chocolate guy.” What intelligent person would say no to that? The chocolate guy is Kona Magic Chocolate, a roadside stand that sells absolutely the smoothest chocolate I’ve…
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Friday Snippet: The Let’s Explore The Big Island Edition
And so we did! It’s our first full day on the Big Island of Hawaii–a much different place from Honolulu and Waikiki. Right off, it’s more laid back, not the hustle and bustle of a big city or a tourist destination like Waikiki. And maybe a little bit wilder, more natural, more of a small-town vibe. No less expensive, though, and that needs to be said. Son asked if I thought I could live here. Although it is gorgeous and amazing, if I lived here, I’d be on the street with a tin cup and shopping cart. There’s no place in Hawaii I could ever afford to live. I’m not…
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Thursday Snippet: The We’ve Changed Islands Edition
Big day today. We checked out of our lovely Marriott Resort and Spa around 8:00 a.m. and piled into Ruby’s rental car–four of Son’s colleagues and moi. The kids (they’re all Sons age, so kids definitely applies) dropped me at Pearl Harbor and then they went on to one last meeting, this time in Pearl City. I gotta tell you, Pearl Harbor was fascinating, sobering, touching, extraordinary–all the things you would imagine it to be. I started at the submarine exhibit and the anchor memorial that honors the men who perished on the Arizona–The boats out the to Arizona weren’t running this morning, so I opted to take the shuttle…
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Wednesday Snippet: The Another Day In Paradise Edition
It was a lazy day today–much like yesterday, although different in that Son and I walked down the Strip for breakfast. It was lovely to start the morning with him. Then he went to his conference and I came up to the room to write. Got about 1K words in–not bad. I’ll take it. After I got to a writing stopping place, I wandered down to the beach to walk along the shore and out on the pier. No whales but lots of surfers and tourists. I had an appointment to get my hair washed and blown out at noon (this is Liz’s and my travel thing–we don’t do our…
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Tuesday Snippet: More Hawaii Stuff…
I’m being completely and utterly self-absorbed this week, which is what vacation is supposed to be, yes? I think I buzz-posted enough about last night’s luau except to say that the Royal Hawaiian is a spectacular place. Full of history and just gorgeous. Son and I wandered a bit before the luau and oohed and ahhed appropriately at all the lovely frescos and high ceilings and the garden where there was a giant banyan tree. Today’s been a me day–a true one. I wrote in the morning–got in about 2K words, then went down to the beach for a little ramble, however I didn’t see any whales. After that I…
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Monday Night Snippet: The I’m a Little Buzzed Edition
You know what’s great about Son? He’s always up for an adventure and he makes me want to be up for adventure, too. The number of firsts on this trip is lengthy–some are silly, like I’ve never used the Lyft app before, some are awesome, like I’ve never hade a Mai Tai before… but the firsts are racking up like cordwood. #1 first? I’ve never blogged after four (yes, 4!) cute drinks at the Royal Hawaiian… two mai tais, and two blue Hawaiians. I’ve never worn a pink kuikui-nut lei before (no pic of that–not sure why), I’ve never been to a luau before and did I mention I’ve never…
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Monday Snippet: Day 1 in Hawaii
Well, not quite a whole day 1, but I’m posting now because I’m writing this morning and this view is so knock-my-socks-off (if I were wearing socks) gorgeous, I just can’t resist sharing this with you. The trip here to Waikiki was pretty uneventful except for typical airline silliness, which we bore well because Son is a seasoned traveler and I always look at travel days as lost days. I never worry about delays or other such nonsense because traveling is an opportunity to people-watch and this time, it was a chance to be with Son, so a little flight delay was no big issue. The 9-hour flight cross-country, cross-ocean…
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Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue Edition
Okay, the start of a travelogue. As you’re waking up and reading this, I’m on a plane with Son headed to Hawaii. Seriously. He’s going for a work thing, I’m tagging along because when your 40-something kid invites you to go along with him to Hawaii for a week, you get the okay from your cardiologist and then you say, “you betcha!” (I actually did that the other way around, but our secret, okay?) Darling Husband (who is no traveler by choice) will stay home and hold down the fort, and DIL and Grandboy have work and school, plus they’ve already been to Hawaii, so this was a perfect opportunity…
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Author Spotlight: Cozy Writer Sarah E. Burr Talks Magic and Mystery
We have a winner! Congratulations Leah Dobrinska! You are the winner of Sarah’s giveaway. She will be in touch with you. Thanks to Leah and everyone who stopped by to meet Sarah! Cozy mystery writer Sarah E. Burr is a new friend and a new writer discovery for me–I met her when I appeared on The Bookish Hour podcast she does with brand new Tuligan, J.C. Kenney. She was delightful, her cozies are charming, and I’m so pleased to have her in the Spotlight today. Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She currently serves as the…
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Sunday Snippet: The Hello, Gorgeous Edition
“Suddenly, I thought, This is my body. I live in it. I play in it. I can’t deny it anymore. This is my fat body. I’m standing at the corner of Life and You Better Get Going. I stepped off the curb and I never looked back.” ~~Camryn Manheim, actor “Hello, gorgeous!” That is what I’m practicing in my mirror every time I pass it. “Hello, gorgeous!” This whole I’m old, I’m fat, I hate my body, I need to lose weight thing has become a common topic of conversation among me and my friends, in women’s groups on FB–just everywhere women of a certain age gather. And I think…
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Author Spotlight: H L Marsay Has a New Mystery Series!
Congratulations to Rose Ward–you are H L’s winner! She will be in touch. Thank you for stopping by! I was so thrilled to hear that H L Marsay has a new mystery series coming out that I had to have her come back to tell us all about it! H L Marsay grew up binge-reading detective stories and promised herself that someday, she would write one too. A Long Shadow was the first book in her Chief Inspector Shadow series set in York. Luckily, living in a city so full of history, dark corners and hidden snickelways, she is never short of inspiration. When she isn’t coming up with new…
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Sunday Snippet: The Post Retreat Edition
It’s funny–it always takes me about a day to regroup after Liz and I have been on retreat. Settling back into my office, using the PC instead of the laptop, doing laundry, etc. I pretty much dropped my stuff yesterday and spent the day with Husband, catching up in the way married people who’ve been apart for a few days do. But today, I’m back in my office, looking out at a frosty morning and debating where to start. Well, apparently, I decided because here I am writing my Sunday Snippet. The retreat was, as always, fun and productive and full of words and story processing and sharing ideas. Liz…
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Author Spotlight: Elsa Winckler Brings Us Some Valentine Joy
We have a winner! Latesha B., you are the winner of an e-book copy of Elsa’s story, Kissing Charlie! She will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! What’s more fun than Valentine romance? Valentine romance in Tule’s Marietta, Montana written by the amazing Elsa Winckler! So happy to welcome her to the Author Spotlight today. Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James, the Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life. Although her three gown-up children rarely acknowledge the fact they have a…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Love Being an Editor Edition
I gotta tell you, I love, love my job as a freelance copy editor. I’ve got a editorial high going right now because the book I just worked on was a little slice of literary heaven. This author’s voice is so gorgeous and her stories are enchanting. This is the third one of her books I’ve copy edited, and every one has been such a pleasure. I can’t reveal her name right now, but y’all are going to meet her here this spring because she’s agreed to do an Author Spotlight when her first book releases. I’ll be recommending her books to anyone who’ll listen, so watch the Spotlights, okay?…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Has a New Release and a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Janine, congratulations! You are the winner of Leigh Ann’s giveaway. She will be in touch! Thanks for always stopping by the blog–I sure appreciate your support and so do my Spotlight authors! It’s always a pleasure to welcome back my fellow Tule authors to the blog and today I’m delighted to have Leigh Ann Edwards in the Spotlight. Leigh Ann’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and…
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Author Spotlight: Liza Malloy Has a New Book!
Bonjour, mes amies! It’s always such fun to feature a fellow Midwest author on the blog, so I’m delighted to welcome back Liza Malloy. Liza Malloy writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction, new adult romance, and fantasy. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where her heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily-Ever-After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in the Midwest with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming. Her…
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Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition
So many kind folks have been checking in with me about the whole heart issue, I thought I’d fill y’all in on the latest. I promise not to belabor the heart thing, but I confess, it’s pretty large and looming here in Reinhardtville. January has been a month of doctors, labs, stress tests, new meds, and a whole new heart clinic and new cardiologist. Right off, I’m crazy about the new doc and her PA. They are kind, smart, understanding, and positive–all good qualities when one’s heart is failing. My diagnosis of HFrEF (Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction) is one they work with almost exclusively, so they know their…
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Author Spotlight: Me Again with Big Doings on the International Front!
Bonjour, mes amies, and what a fun day it is! It is an International BookBub day for moi! The Valentine Wager, Book 1 in the Lange Brothers Trilogy is a BookBub Feature Deal in Canada, the UK, and Australia with a special sale price on the e-book! But that doesn’t mean that my U.S. readers have been left out. My awesome publisher has made The Valentine Wager e-book 99 cents everywhere, so if you haven’t had a chance to download this one yet, I hope you’ll check out this fantastic sale! Links are below! Amazon | B&N Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Amazon UK |…
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Sunday Snippet: The Book Sale Edition
So this week’s Snippet is short and sweet! The Valentine Wager, e-book 1 in the Lange Brothers series is currently on sale for only 99 cents! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, interestingly enough. If you haven’t had a chance to download this story, here’s the perfect opportunity! Won’t be at this low, low price for long so hop on over to your favorite e-book retailer and grab your copy! If you’re in the UK, Canada, or Australia, this sale will show up in your BookBub email on January 25. Don’t miss Ryker and Kitt’s story–it’s a fun one! The Valentine Wager He’s a notorious flirt, so she lays down…
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Author Spotlight: Sapna Srinivasan Interviews Her Heroine and Has a Great Giveaway!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Lisa Mettler, you are Sapna’s winner of a $25 Amazon gift card! Sapna will be in touch with you! Thanks go everyone who stopped by the blog! Hope to see you often! I love welcoming back my favorite authors, like Sapna Srinivasan, whose new book, A Mantra for Miss Perfect, book 3 in her Sood Family series releases today. Sapna lives in Seattle, WA with her perfectionist husband and perfect daughter. Her name in Hindi means “dream” and true to its meaning, Sapna finds gratification in dreams and storytelling. She was born in southern India, raised in northern India, and spent the better part of…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Lisa Lin!
Beloved readers, I’m so delighted to introduce you to Tule Publishing debut author, Lisa Lin. Lisa has been an avid romance reader and fan since she read her first Nora Roberts novel at the age of 13 after wandering the aisles of her local bookstore. Lisa loves that romance has the power to inspire, and believes that HEAs are for everyone. Lisa writes light contemporary romantic comedies with a liberal dash of snark and banter. She enjoys delving into the complexity of Asian and immigrant family experiences, and celebrates female friendships in her trademark dry, witty style. As an Asian-American author writing own voices Asian American stories, Lisa hopes that…
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Sunday Snoppet, er, Snippet: The Writing Is Hard Work Edition
Someone once asked me to share something I learned since becoming a writer. The list is endless, but there a couple of things I can name right off the top of my head. The first is writing is hard work. Anyone who tells you different is either lying or not a writer. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a novel or a back cover blurb, a short story or a 500-word magazine article. Writing is hard. It requires discipline and creativity, time and research, and most of all a love of the game. If you don’t love to write, if the process itself isn’t an intrinsic part of who you…
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Author Spotlight: Debra Holt Is Here with a New Texas Heritage Novel!
Oh, mes amies, how fun is this? My fellow Tuligan, the amazing Debra Holt, is releasing The Cowboy’s Lady, Book 2 in her Texas Heritage series today! I’m in love with that cover, aren’t you? Born and raised in the Lone Star state of Texas, Debra grew up among horses, cowboys, wide open spaces, and real Texas Rangers. Pride in her state and ancestry knows no bounds and it is these heroes and heroines she loves to write about the most. She also draws upon a variety of life experiences including working with abused children, caring for baby animals at a major zoo, and planning high-end weddings (ah, romance!). Debra’s…
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Author Spotlight: Me Again with News and a Giveaway
Cathy Shouse and Latesha, you are my winners! I’ll get an e-book copy of Falling for the Doctor to both of you! I don’t have my usual guest today. I think everyone is recovering from the holidays and trying to get started on 2023, just as I am. But I got some good news from my amazing publisher, Tule Publishing. Some pre-order links for Home to River’s Edge are up! I’m so very excited about this new series–The Weaver Sisters. They’ve have been rambling around in my head since I wrote Max Lange’s story, and they keep whispering, “Tell our stories, please!” So I did and I am (Books 1 and…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Shall NOT be THAT Old Lady Edition
I fear 2023 may turn out to be the year of Nan questioning everything that happens–not complaining, mind you, just wondering why and trying not to chalk all manner of body issues up to, let’s say it together now–Nan’s fat ass. This week has been truly awful, my friends, because I’ve had an abscessed molar that caused me incredible pain–worst pain ever, and I’ve had arthritis for years, a broken foot, and a baby without any anesthetic. People say mouth pain is the worst and they are not lying about that. I finally saw an endodontist on Thursday who said the tooth was too angry to work on that day,…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Has a Re-Release!
I was so excited when bestie, Liz Flaherty, told me she was rereleasing her inspirational romance, A Soft Place to Fall, because it is one my very favorite of her books. I knew I had to have her stop by and tell you all about it! USA Today bestselling author Liz Flaherty started writing in the fourth grade when her Aunt Gladys allowed her to use her portable Royal typewriter. The truth was that her aunt would have let her do anything to get her out of her hair, but the typewriter and the stories it could produce caught on, and Liz never again had a day without a what…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me!
Happy New Year again, mes amies. I’m using my first Author Spotlight day of 2023 to bring you some fun news and to tell you about the new series I have coming this year from Tule Publishing. Right off, news! Guru Son put a Subscribe link here on my website, so now you can subscribe to the website and stay up-to-date with all the news from me, like new releases, book signings, speaking engagements, Author Spotlights, and Sunday Snippets. We’re still working out the kinks, but please do click and subscribe if you’re inclined, and I promise not to bombard you with emails. My new River’s Edge series, The Weaver…
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Sunday Snippet: The How Is It Possibly 2023? Edition
Good morning! I actually know the answer to this one–days pass, time goes on, life continues whether we are prepared for it to do that or not. I’m not going to set intentions or goals or resolutions or even find a word for the year. Neither am I going to reflect back on 2022. Y’all were there. No need to rehash what turned out to be a difficult year for me. I am, however going to name the things for which I am thankful from 2022 because gratitude is key to everything else in life. If we aren’t grateful for what we have– the ups and the downs–how can we…
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Author Spotlight: Debra Salonen Wraps Up 2022 with Holiday Memories and a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Bonnie Gonzales, you won a $15 gift card from either Amazon or Starbucks. Debra will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! 2022 is nearly gone, mes amies, but it’s been a great year of Spotlights where I’ve featured so many wonderful authors! Today is no exception. It’s always a pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow Tule author, Debra Salonen. A former award-winning newspaper journalist, Debra is a nationally bestselling author with 26 published novels for Harlequin’s Superromance and American lines and one single title release for Harlequin Signature. Several of her titles were nominated for “Best Superromance,” including Until He…
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Sunday Snippet: The Ho, Ho, Ho Edition (Including a Cover Reveal and a Snippet!)
I’m not sure why I titled this blog that way, except that I’m going to give you a gift today. It’s Christmas Day and I’m not here, I’m at Son’s house celebrating with my family. I hope all of you are doing the same or if not, enjoying a quiet day full of good food, good wine (if that’s your preference), and something sweet, as well as moments of peace and coziness. Cover Reveal Here is my gift to you–the cover (Isn’t it gorgeous?) and the title reveal for the first Weaver Sisters story, Home to River’s Edge. It is Jasmine Weaver’s story and here is the blurb and the…
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Author Spotlight: Katherine Garbera
I’m happy to have fellow Tule author Katherine Garbera in the Spotlight today with some holiday questions for you and her answers! Take a look! Katherine is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 115 books. She is celebrating her 25th year as a published author in 2022 and is still thrilled to bring stories of happily-ever-after to her readers. Her books are known for their emotional impact and sizzling sensuality. She lives in the midlands of the UK (a.k.a. not London) with her husband and a sweet miniature dachshund. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest Kathy, you’re up! Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying December.…
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Author Spotlight: Bestie Liz Flaherty Shares Wishes and Memories
We have a winner! Congratulations Jennifer Wilck! You are the winner of Liz’s giveaway. She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared their holiday memories! Happy Holidays! I adore having my bestie on the blog–her voice is what drew me to her over ten years ago and she has been a gift in my life ever since. USA Today bestselling author Liz Flaherty started writing in the fourth grade when her Aunt Gladys allowed her to use her portable Royal typewriter. The truth was that her aunt would have let her do anything to get her out of her hair, but the typewriter…
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Sunday Snippet: The Sounds of Christmas Edition
Wow… last week’s snippet garnered way more attention than I ever expected. I’m so grateful for all the wonderful light and love and words of support as I begin this journey with my crazy old heart. I promise updates, but we’re not going to focus on that here so much. This month I’ve asked the authors in the spotlight to focus on a special Christmas memory or something they love about the holiday season. So far, it’s been a treat to read their holiday stories, so I thought today on the Snippet, I’d share some of my favorite holiday memories. Despite struggling financially, my mom always made the holidays a…
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Author Spotlight: Have You Met Author Lenora Worth?
We have a winner! Congratulations, Valri Western, you have won an ebook copy of The X-Mas Club from Lenora! She will be in touch. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented! Happy holidays, mes amies! I think this is Lenora Worth’s first time here on the blog and I’m so delighted to have her join us with her new Tule holiday release, The X-Mas Club. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Rolls, Lenora Worth writes romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. Her books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards. She also received the Romantic Times Pioneer Award…
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Author Spotlight: Ieshia Wiedlin Is Back with a Christmas Romance!
What a wonderful holiday treat to welcome fellow Tule author, Ieshia Wiedlin back to the Spotlight with lovely Christmas memories and a new release! Ieshia grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and currently resides in Brookfield, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. She is married and has two great kids, Lucas and Zoey. She has always loved writing and telling stories, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, and is a huge junkie for all things Marvel and Star Wars. But somehow in the midst of loving all things sci-fi, she was a sucker for all things Molly Ringwald. Ieshia became a huge fan of rom-coms and loves stories with strong women characters.…
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Sunday Snippet: The Oh, My Heart Edition
I have always determined to be very honest here, but at the same time, try not to give y’all TMI. This may fall under that heading, but I gave you part of this story earlier, and I feel I owe you the rest, such as it is. Remember a couple of weeks ago when I said that if the cardiologist told me my heart issues are because I’m fat and post-menopausal, I was going to kick him? His shins were saved because that’s not even close to what his diagnosis was. I sorta wish now that it had been–it would be beat the actual facts all to hell and back.…
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Author Spotlight: Laura Van Hulzen Has a New Book and a Gift!
And, we have a winner! Janine, your name was chosen at random to receive a $25 Amazon gift card from Lara. She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone for coming by! I do love featuring my fellow Tuligans on the blog and today I’m welcoming Lara Van Hulzen. Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy. Lara loves tea, baseball, and living in Idaho…
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Author Spotlight: Patricia W. Fischer Talks Writing, Lockdowns, and Deadliness
Fellow Tule author Patricia W. Fischer is in the spotlight today talking writing, creativity and deadlines–all in the context of pandemic lockdowns. Native Texan Patricia is a natural born storyteller. Ever since she listened to her great-grandmother tell stories about her upbringing the early 1900s, Patricia has been hooked on hearing of great adventures and love winning in the end. On her way to becoming an award-winning writer, she became a percussionist, actress, singer, waitress, bartender, pre-cook, and finally a trauma nurse before she realized she needed to get her butt to a journalism class. After earning her journalism degree from Washington University, Patricia has been writing for multiple publications…
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Sunday Snippet: The “I Can’t Remember” Edition
Had lunch with Liz yesterday and it wasn’t long enough, but we both needed to get going, so we parted ways reluctantly. On the way to the cottage, I thought of something else I wanted to talk to her about, and I nearly called her from the car, but I didn’t because we both needed to focus on driving. I still can’t remember what it was I wanted to tell her… and that seems to be a theme in our lives. “I can’t remember… ” There are so many of those moments anymore. I can’t remember why I came back to the guest room closet… so I leave, get halfway…
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Author Spotlight: Rebecca Crowley Brings the Hanukkah Joy and a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Carolyn McCutcheon, who won Rebecca’s giveaway. Carolyn, Rebecca will be in touch. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! You all are the reason I do this and I’m delighted when you check us out! Mes Amies, I’ve asked all my December guest authors to use their spotlight time to share something special about the holidays, and I’m so pleased to have fellow Tule author Rebecca Crowley here to share her thoughts about Hanukkah. Rebecca writes contemporary romance about good people doing their best, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City, London, and Johannesburg, Rebecca currently resides in…
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Author Spotlight: Anne McAllister’s Here with a New Release!
Congratulations to Latisha B, Kris Bock, and Dani Fleming–you each will receive an ebook copy of an ebook of A Cowboy’s Secret from Anne. And congrats to Kim Matlock, who is the winner of a $10 Amazon gift card. Anne will be in touch with all of you. Thanks for stopping by and thanks to everyone for your support! Hey, my lovelies, I’m so pleased to welcome Anne McAllister back to the blog with her newest release and a fun, fun giveaway for y’all. Years ago someone told Anne McAllister that the recipe for happiness was a good man, a big old house, a bunch of kids and dogs, and…
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Sunday Snippet
Well, it’s Sunday again… how did that happen? It’s been a very quiet Thanksgiving weekend with a lovely dinner at sister Pam’s house and otherwise just hanging out here at home, working and writing. Yesterday, we got our holiday decorations down from the attic–is it me or do the boxes seem to multiply up there in the heat over the summer? Husband and I broke into them and got all our outside lights and decorations put up since it was quite a nice day. They turned out pretty nice, don’t you think? There’s a lot going on promotion wise for The Fireman’s Christmas Wish. Right off, we’ve got a terrific…
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Author Spotlight: Thanksgiving Joy with Roseann McGrath Brooks
We have a winner! Congratulations, Lori Celluzzi, you are the recipient of an Amazon gift card from Roseann. She will be in touch with you. Isn’t it fun to hear about how authors bring the holidays into their writing? Today, the day before Thanksgiving, Author Roseann McGrath Brooks is here to talk about her new novel, plus she has a fun giveaway for you. Roseann is proud to admit to being a romantic. Midnight Clear at Christmas, a novella, is the third book in her Vacation Friends Romance series. When not reading, writing, running, and hanging with friends, she’s an editor for a marketing agency and tutors in the writing…
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Sunday Snippet: The Heartfelt Edition
Okay, as you know from my post a couple of weeks ago, I’m dealing with heart issues again–seems like when I very first started this blog way back when, I was having stupid heart issues. Yup, I’ve been dealing with this since December 2011. So, I’m back on a 7-day heart monitor (those puppies have changed a lot in 11 years) and on Tuesday, I have an echocardiogram, which will tell the cardiologist why I’m breathless and tired just walking around the block or going up a flight of stairs. I’m really, really hoping he doesn’t tell me it’s because I’m fat and post-menopausal because if that’s his diagnosis, I’m…
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Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Brings the Holiday Fun!
We have a winner! Jenny Chlipala, you are the lucky recipient of Sinclair’s fabulous giveaway prize! She will be in touch with you! Thanks for commenting and thanks to everyone for stopping by! What a treat it is to welcome my friend, my editor, and fabulous author, Sinclair Jayne back to the Author Spotlight! She’s here with her new holiday release, The Christmas Blueprint and a fantastic giveaway, so be sure to comment for a chance to win! Sinclair is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with…
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Author Spotlight: Joan Kilby Celebrates Thanksgiving with a New Release
We have a winner! Kimberly, you are the winner of a print copy of Second Chance Dad--Joan will be in touch with you! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who stopped by! Happy Thanksgiving, mes amies! Today I’m welcoming award-winning author Joan Kilby to the Author Spotlight with her newest release, Second Chance Dad and a fun giveaway! Joan writes sweet, sexy contemporary romance with a touch of humor. When she’s not working on a new book Joan can often be found at her local gym doing yoga, or being dragged around the neighborhood by her Jack “Rascal” terrier. Her hobbies are growing vegetables, cooking, traveling and reading–not necessarily in that…
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Sunday Snippet: The Snowy, Yup, It’s a Snippet Edition
Hiya, happy Sunday. Well, okay, it’s actually Saturday morning and it’s snowing here in the city (probably up at the lake cottage, too, from the look of the radar), and we are snug in our little brick house enjoying this view. I love snow, particularly the first snow of the season. It makes me want hot chocolate and a fire in the fireplace, a soft snuggly sweater and a good book. And speaking of good books… See what I did there? It’s called a transition or a segue. It’s an author trick to lead readers to the next part of the story. That one wasn’t very subtle, but it’s fun…
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Author Spotlight: A Chat with Romance Author Kris Bock
Debra Pruss, you are Kris’s winner! She will be in touch with you! Thanks for stopping and commenting this week! Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona. Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Get a free cat café novella, mystery stories, and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Other-Worldly Edition
So the scene is this: I’m writing this on Saturday mid-morning at the breakfast table, and I’m gazing out the windows that look out on the leaf-covered back yard. After several warm and sunny days–unusual for the first of November in my part of the world–we have dreary gray skies and rain. I should go walk on the treadmill, but instead, I’m having a second cup of coffee. Besides, going back to the treadmill means that I’d actually have to rise from my chair and I’m disinclined. I’ve been a weird state of mind since Liz and I got back from writing retreat, and I’m not sure why. I think…
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Author Spotlight: Kimberley Ash Is Here with a New Release!
I‘m delighted to turn the blog over to award-winning author Kimberley Ash, a British expat who has lived in and loved New Jersey for almost 30 years. She writes fish-out-of-water stories about people who find home where they least expect it. When not writing contemporary romance or romantic women’s fiction, she can usually be found cleaning up after her two big white furry dogs and slightly less furry children. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest Kimberley, the floor is yours! Hello everyone! And thanks so much to Nan for hosting me and my book! Hold is my love letter to single mothers. When we left Thea in…
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Sunday Snippet: The Chasing Summer Edition
It’s October 30 and it’s chilly and a little breezy here at the lake—crisp autumn chilly. The sun has been shining all weekend, until today. Clouds are rolling in and I think we’re due some rain. We raked leaves yesterday and hauled 10 golf-cart loads to the detritus pile up on the hill. It’s truly fall… and now I’m wondering what the hell happened to summer? I know summer was here—after all the cottage is still open (although we’re closing up soon). I vaguely remember a boat ride or two, several swims in the lake, although not nearly as many as previous years, and a lot of editing work, and…
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Author Spotlight: Ieshia Wiedlin Brings Some Holiday Cheer!
I’m so pleased to share Ieshia Wiedlin’s newest release, Maybe This Christmas, Book 2 in the Romancing the Doctors series, with y’all today because it’s a terrific holiday romance! Ieshia grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and currently resides in Brookfield, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. She is married and has two great kids, Lucas and Zoey. She has always loved writing and telling stories, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, and is a huge junkie for all things Marvel and Star Wars. But somehow in the midst of loving all things sci-fi, she was a sucker for all things Molly Ringwald. Ieshia became a huge fan of rom-coms and loves…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Used Up Edition
I’m not whining, I promise. But it’s been a pretty busy week and the weeks ahead look mighty full as well. I’m already longing for a writing retreat and we just got back from one a couple of weeks ago. Book release is wonderful and humbling and somehow the imposter syndrome kicks in, which I’m trying very hard to damp down. I am a good writer and I should own that and enjoy the flurry of book release praise and move on. The Fireman’s Christmas Wish is a good book–a well-told story and I love these two characters as much I’ve loved any I’ve written before or since. But I…
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Author Spotlight: Moi! And an Interview with Harley Cole
One of favorite shows has always been Inside the Actors Studio—James Lipton’s questions were insightful and fun. I know that Lipton claimed he got his question ideas from a French interviewer Bernard Pivot, who was on the air in France for over 25 years. Pivot credited Proust for the list, and Proust said he didn’t actually create the questionnaire he’s credited with, but merely answered them, making what was once a parlor game infamous. I’ve never done an interview with a character I’ve written before, so I thought it be fun to try it with Harley Cole, the nursery school teacher heroine in The Fireman’s Christmas Wish. I’m going to…
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Sunday Snippet: The Grandboy Edition
Grandboy days are always the best for Husband and me, and they’re fewer right now because he’s in school and he’s involved in things like being in plays and doing stuff with his parents and friends. Plus ,you’re never sure exactly how interested a ten-year-old boy is in being with a couple of old farts. But in his words, “I love being you guys. This house feels so comfortable.” I’m not sure there’s a higher compliment in the world than that. He was sad when we sold the “Christmas House,” thrilled when we lived with him and his parents for six months, and sad when we found our new home.…
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Author Spotlight: Elsa Winckler Has a New Release!
I’m so pleased to let y’all know that my writer pal Elsa Winckler has released Loving Brooke–the third book in her Unexpected Love series with Inkspell Publishing. Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James The Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life. She married her college boyfriend and they are fortunate to live in the picturesque little seaside village of Betty’s Bay, South Africa. She adores writing kissing books with strong, beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong heroines and dashing Alpha heroes who loves fiercely and…
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Author Spotlight: Fortune Whelan Takes Over with a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Latesha B! You will receive a signed copy of My Christmas with You! Fortune will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyonea for stopping by! Y’all know I love having guests on the blog–the Author Spotlight days are my faves, but I love best simply turning the blog over to my author pals. Today, it belongs to fellow Tule author Fortune Whelan, whose Dorsey Brothers series has been such fun! Fortune’s stories are “charming, silly, and emotionally fraught” with “fast-paced plot[s] that keep pages flying.” When she’s not at her stand desk fighting off feline invaders, you can find her on her yoga mat or shelving books…
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Sunday Snippet: The Gift of Retreat Magic Edition
And what it gift it was! We worked, we walked, we ate, we worked some more, we drank wine and ate junk, walked more, processed and shared and talked endlessly, and oh, how we worked! We both agreed it was the most productive retreat we’d ever had. Liz got lots of words in on her new project, I got all the revisions done on the second Weaver Sisters novel that was due back to my editor the day we returned from South Haven. Our condo was amazing and gorgeous and incredibly comfortable, and our view was spectacular. It took us most of the trip to learn that the drawbridge went…
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Author Spotlight: Sarah Vance-Tompkins Takes Over
Congratulations to Rosanna Leo, who’s dream travel destination matches Sarah’s–London! Rosanna, Sarah will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! Please come by again soon! I’m turning the blog over to Sarah Vance-Tompkins today and I’m just delighted to do it! Sarah was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She received an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, and went on to work in feature film development for ten years. Prior to film school, she worked as an on-air radio personality. She is a lifetime reader of romance and is excited to be writing in the genre. She and her…
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Author Spotlight: Meet Author Cathy Shouse
I have to tell you, I love introducing you to new local authors. Cathy Shouse lives in my state and we’ve met up several times through Romance Writers of America and local author events. She is charming and fun and we had a great chat recently. Cathy writes inspirational cowboy romance. Her Fair Creek series, set in Indiana, features the three Galloway sons of Galloway Farm. Much like the characters in her stories, Cathy once lived on a farm in “small town” Indiana where she first fell in love with cowboys while visiting the rodeo every summer. N: Welcome to the blog, Cathy! I’m so delighted to have you visiting…
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Sunday Snippet: The On Our Way Edition
Today’s snippet is necessarily short because I’m meeting Liz in a couple of hours and we’ll be on our way to Michigan for our fall writing retreat. If I could be any more excited, I promise you I don’t know how. I’ll be doing revisions on this trip with probably a little bit of new writing tossed in–I need to get started on Book 3 in the Weaver Sisters trilogy. Liz will be working on her new project, which isn’t mine to tell about, but I’m really excited about it! We’ll wander the west coast of Michigan, checking out lighthouses, wineries, beaches, and great restaurants, but mostly, we’ll be in…
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Author Spotlight: Welcoming Back Author Kris Bock
Meet Kris Bock, who’s here with Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek: Book 3 in the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series! Kris writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In the humorous Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Which book are we talking about today, Kris? Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek: The Accidental Detective Book 3 in my humorous mystery series is out October 3 and available for preorder now! Can you tell us more about the main…
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Author Spotlight: Chatting with Leigh Ann Edwards
Congratulations, Christina Salem, you are Leigh Ann’s giveaway winner! Leigh Ann will be in touch! Thanks to you and all the folks who stopped by! I was happy as can be to have a chance to chat with fellow Tule author and my friend Leigh Ann Edwards this week. Leigh Ann’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel, and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and let her imagination soar. An author for nearly thirty years, Leigh Ann is…
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Sunday Snippet: The Whoops, It’s Monday Edition
Yup, I spaced it, and I swear it’s not because I’m turning 69 years old today (I hear the cheers and good wishes, thank you!). Rather it was because I turned my computer off before I started getting ready for a family birthday celebration and just never turned it back on. I rarely do that, but I put everything, except preparing for a day with sister and the kids out of my head and focused entirely on celebration. It was nice. So today, you get book promotion, which certainly saves you time and me, too. Next week (October 2-6), Liz and I will be on retreat, so we’ll be posting…
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Author Spotlight: Heather Novak Brings Us Paranormal Romance and a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Susan Nenonen–you are Heather’s giveaway winner! Heather will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! What a treat to welcome fellow Tule Author Heather Novak to the spotlight today! In her own words, Heather writes Bold, Breathtaking, Badass Romance. When she’s not pretending to be a rock star with purple hair, award-winning author Heather Novak is crafting sex-positive romance novels to make you swoon! After her rare disease tried to kill her, Heather mutated into a superhero whose greatest power is writing stories that you can’t put down. Heather tries to save the world (like her late mom taught her) from her home near…
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Author Spotlight: Rebecca Crowley Talks Rosh Hashanah and Her New Novel
Congratulations to Laurie Beach! You are Rebecca’s giveaway winner! Rebecca will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I’m delighted to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author, Rebecca Crowley, to the Spotlight today. Rebecca writes contemporary romance about good people doing their best, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City, London, and Johannesburg, Rebecca currently resides in Houston. Her new book Coming Home to You is the third book in her Orchard Hill series. Take it away, Rebecca… Happy New Year! No, you didn’t oversleep until January – it’s Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which…
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Sunday Snippet: The Fashionista (Not!) Edition
So…I have two events that I’m attending next week–a gala for the arts group that DIL works for and my–get ready for it–50th high school reunion, and I need to decide what to wear for both events. The gala is black tie optional and when Moe and I went last year, we wore nice dresses, but saw every possible kind of outfit there, including, believe it or not, black tie. Folks wore everything from shorts and T-shirts to gowns and tuxes. I liked wearing my dress, but I’m not a dress kind of girl. I feel, and I know how dumb this is so don’t bother berating me for it,…
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Author Spotlight: A Chat with Mystery Writer Melinda Di Lorenzo
I’m so pleased to have gotten a chance to talk to mystery writer Melinda Di Lorenzo this week. Melinda is the author of 30 books. Her writing includes current titles with Harlequin, Kensington, Tule, Headline Eternal, and Orca. Her work has nearly 3 million reads on Wattpad. Her novels feature strong female leads and quick pacing, and they always end with an unexpected twist. Melinda lives with her family on the West Coast, sandwiched between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean—the perfect backdrop for finding inspiration. N: Welcome to the blog, Melinda! I’m so delighted to have you visiting today. So, what inspired you to start writing? A: Thanks for…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Need a Break from Technology Edition
Congratulations to Deb Pruss! You are my winner of an e-book ARC of The Fireman’s Christmas Wish. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and you who took the time to comment. What a great conversation! Do you ever wonder how we survived before computers and cell phones and Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and websites and blogs? I can’t remember when I last dialed (literally dialed) a telephone or used the tuner on the television to change the station. When I last typed something a typewriter or used a paper roadmap to figure out where I was going, or opened a recipe book to find a new way to…
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Author Spotlight: Amy Andrews Talks Medical Romance and She Has a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Camille Keys, you are the winner of Amy’s giveaway this week. She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by–I love introducing all my readers to my author buddies! I’m so pleased to welcome author Amy Andrews to the blog, all the way from down under! Amy is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling, Aussie author who has written eighty-plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. Her books bring all the feels from sass, quirk, and laughter to emotional grit and panty-melting heat. For many, many years she was a registered nurse which means she knows things–anatomical things–and she’s not…
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Sunday Snippet: The Back Home Again Edition
We’re back in the city after just over a week at the lake. It was very nice there–swimming, a couple of boat rides, time with lake pals… all in all, the lake was lovely. Our city neighbors came up for a day while we were there and we really enjoyed visiting in a different venue. The lake was turning over, so we didn’t get to swim, but we took a long boat ride and enjoyed the sun and the lovely early September breezes. Lunch was hot dogs on the grill, chips, veggies, and some delish brownies that neighbor Mary brought. Yum! We sat on the deck under the trees and…
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Author Spotlight: Debra Holt Talks Texas and Her New Series
Today I welcome fellow Tule Publishing author, Debra Holt to the Spotlight. Her newest book The Texas Cowboy’s Proposal releases tomorrow, September 1. Born and raised in the Lone Star state of Texas, Debra grew up among horses, cowboys, wide open spaces, and real Texas Rangers. Pride in her state and ancestry knows no bounds and it is these heroes and heroines she loves to write about the most. She also draws upon a variety of life experiences including working with abused children, caring for baby animals at a major zoo, and planning high-end weddings (ah, romance!). Debra’s real pride and joys, however, are her son, an aspiring film actor,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Gone Fishin’ Edition
Yup… I really had nothing for today. My brain is exhausted and empty from finishing up the second book in the Weaver Sisters trilogy for Tule Publishing. I’ll be sending it off to my editor tomorrow and I’ll be on pins and needles until I hear from her. I’m never sure if I’ve hit the mark or not–sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t, but with the help of my editor, the awesome and brilliant Sinclair Sawney, it will turn into what it should be. So, this morning, when I was lying awake in bed, wondering what I was going to write about in the Sunday Snippet, Son texted, “Anybody awake?”…
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Author Spotlight: Tracy Solheim Talks Story Soundtracks & a Giveaway
Congratulations to Teresa Christianson–you are Tracy’s giveaway winner! Tracy will be in touch to get your prize to you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented! After years of writing reports and testimony for Congress, my friend and fellow author, Tracy Solheim decided to put her creative talents to better use. A two-time finalist for the Maggie Award for Excellence and recipient of the 2020 Georgia Author of the Year Award, she’s the USA Today best-selling author of contemporary sports romance, romantic suspense, and small-town second chance novels. Tracy lives in the heart of SEC country, also known as the suburbs of Atlanta, with her husband, two adult children who frequently show…
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Sunday Snippet: The Whoo-Hoo! Edition
Yup, I’m doing a happy dance! [Imagine Snoopy here–I don’t feel like looking for a free meme.] This week I received a new four-book (4 books!!) contract from my amazing publisher, Tule Publishing and I can’t find words big enough to express my excitement. I love working with Tule, both as author and as a copy editor. The folks at Tule are the absolute best friend an author (or a CE) can have–supportive, giving, kind, generous with their thoughts and ideas–all the things an author could want in a publisher. So… I’m ecstatic and can’t wait for y’all to meet the Walkers. The guys first showed up in The Valentine…
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Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Sawney with an Upcoming New Book and a Great Giveaway!
Congratulations, Kate Bobb! You are Sinclair’s winner! She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and took the time to participate! We love it when you do! It’s such a treat to welcome amazing author, Sinclair Jayne Sawney to the Spotlight! Not only is she a great writer, she’s also my editor and my friend, which makes today a triple treat! Sinclair is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has…
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Sunday Snippet: The BookBub Edition
It’s been a crazy week–not bad crazy, just busy crazy. I’m late getting this up because I slept in just a bit this morning after spend the last three days doing a rush project for a new client. I gotta say, rushing the work is always rough, but I really like this new client. She’s fun and friendly and kind and her book was delightful. I hope it’s the start of great relationship. I’ve written a lot this week as well, but the next couple of weeks will be devoted to finishing my current WIP–book 2 in the Weaver Sisters trilogy–and getting it into my editor’s hands, which means I’ll…
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Author Spotlight: Kelly Cain Has a New Release and a Fun Giveaway!
We have a winner! Congratulations, Debbie Tyler–your name was randomly drawn from the commenters to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Kelly will be in touch with you. Thanks for coming by and thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented! What’s more fun that introducing you to a fellow Tule author? How about introducing you to a fellow Tule author with a new release? Meet Kelly Cain, mes amies! Kelly is a native Northern Californian but has spent the last couple of decades in Texas, currently residing in the live music capital of the world, Austin. Consequently, most of her books are set somewhere between those two locations. Kelly…
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Sunday Snippet: The, Yup, It’s a Real Snippet Edition
It’s true. Sometimes the Sunday Snippet is exactly that–a snippet from one of my stories. Today, promotion begins on my next release–The Fireman’s Christmas Wish, book 3 in the Lange Brothers trilogy. Another story from River’s Edge, but this one is a holiday romance. It is currently available for preorder and will release in just about two and half months. That doesn’t even seem possible… It feels as if Falling for the Doctor just came out. But here we are, so onward, yes? I hope y’all are enjoying the Lange Brothers novels–I confess to you, there are pieces of me and my life in these brothers’ stories, particularly the thread…
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Author Spotlight: Fortune Whelan Is Here with a Word for New Writers and a New Release!
I always have fun when Fortune Whelan’s in the house, so today is a special treat! She’s here with some advice for new writers, but also to share her new release One Night with You. I asked her to send me a little something about herself and I got this, which I absolutely refuse to edit or shorten in any way because it just so very Fortune! Here she is! A little about me, I’m a first generation Filipino-Canadian and if you’re wondering if my family dynamic stayed the same way since 1979, it did not. My parents divorced in the early 90s, along with everyone else’s, remarried, procreated some…
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Sunday Snippet: A Day of Lake Life Revisited
Some days are just perfect lake days, you know? Days where you’re having so much fun, you forget to take pictures, you forget you even have a phone, so what this post lacks in pictures, I hope I can make up for in words. I got up early to write, but before I started, I made coffee and checked the outside temperature. When I opened the front door to slip out onto the deck, a doe and her two fawns were nibbling our neighbor’s hostas. The fawns still had spots, so they were pretty young. They bolted when they heard me, but they sorta hung around because we kept spotting…
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Author Spotlight: Dakota Harrison Has a New Book and Giveaway!
Congratulations to Debra Pruss, who is Dakota’s giveaway winner! Debra, Dakota will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped and commented! I’m so excited to welcome fellow Tule author, Dakota Harrison to the Spotlight today! When I asked her to give me a bio, she sent me this, and I loved it too much to change it up as if I were telling it, so in her own words, please meet Dakota Harrison! My first attempt at writing a book was about my first love—horses. But this was no ordinary horse, he was from Alpha Centauri and could talk. I also illustrated this book. I learned the…
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Author Spotlight: Leslie Marshman Has a New Mystery and a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Janine! You are the winner of Leslie’s giveaway! Leslie will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented! I’m pleased to welcome friend and romantic suspense writer extraordinaire Leslie Marshman to the Spotlight today! Multi-award-winning author Leslie Marshman is (finally) putting her psychology degree to good use, getting inside the heads of her characters and figuring out what makes them tick. She writes novels that feature kick-ass heroines, the heroes who love ’em, and the bad guys who fear ’em. Leslie called Denver home until she married a Texan without reading the fine print. Now she lives halfway between Houston and Galveston and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Power Outage Edition
So, I’m writing this on Saturday and it’s storming like crazy up here at the lake. Wind, rain, thunder, lightning–all the good stuff that make a Midwest summer storm. We’ve had branches down–cleanup is coming as soon as the rain ends and a power outage that happened right at breakfast time and lasted about three hours. We ended up having warm cantaloupe, which I cut up by flashlight, and graham crackers for breakfast because we didn’t want to open the fridge during the outage. I wasn’t able to work because my laptop battery had just started to charge when the power went out… too bad for editor Nan, who does…
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Author Spotlight: Fiona Marsden Has a New Release and a Giveaway!
And we have a winner! Congratulations, Barbara Bates! You are Fiona’s winner of a $5 gift card! Fiona will be in touch wit you! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to meet Fi and to comment! I’m happy to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author, Fiona Marsden to the Spotlight today. Fiona started as an avid reader. She was late in finding romance novels, but once found, they became an addiction. Considering she wrote poetry and stories from a young age, it was only logical that the next step would be to write her own romances. Her favorite genres are contemporary and historical. She recently started writing rural romance reflecting her long…
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Sunday Snippet: The “Whew” and a PSA Edition
Today, I’m going to tell you about something that has been happening here in my life, something that I haven’t really shared here because 1) it’s rather personal and 2) I worried that sharing it would affect the outcome, which is stupid, I know, but I’m old and that’s how we aged folks think. We worry about jinxing things and other silliness. But we are through this time now, so I’m going to use today’s blog as an opportunity for a PSA. It is this, Get a colonoscopy! If you are over 50 and you’ve never had one, go book it now. If you are 40 or older and you…
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Author Spotlight: Barbara Ankrum Is Calling All Angels and She Has a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Congratulations Lori Plach, you are Barbara’s winner of a $10 Amazon gift card and an e-copy of Calling All Angels! Barbara will be in touch! I’m so very pleased to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author, Barbara Ankrum, back to the Spotlight today! She always brings fun and the best books with her! Barbara has a thing for the American West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married and raised two children in Southern California, which, in her mind, makes her…
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Sunday Snippet: The Rainy Edition
It’s been soooo dry here in the Midwest for the last four weeks. We’ve been watering gardens every day, and the potted plants sometimes twice a day, but we held back watering the lawn because all the experts said not to. It’s hard to watch your lovely green lawn go slowly to brown straw, but lawn people say that you can let the yard go without water for up to four weeks before you risk losing it. After four weeks, water only every two weeks to keep the roots hydrated. So we waited… and day before yesterday, Husband finally set out the sprinklers and gave the grass a good drink,…
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Author Spotlight: Sapna Srinivasan Is Back with a New Book and a Giveaway!
Fedora Chen, you are Sapna’s winner! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! There’s nothing more fun than sharing great news from my fellow Tule Publishing authors–I love this group of writers, they are my heart. Today’s news comes from the amazing Sapna Srinivasan, whose second book in the fabulous Sood Family series, A Rebel’s Mantra releases on Tuesday, July 12. Sapna lives in Seattle, WA with her perfectionist husband and perfect daughter. Her name in Hindi means “dream” and true to its meaning, Sapna finds gratification in dreams and storytelling. She was born in southern India, raised in northern India, and spent the better part of her adult life…
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Author Spotlight: Liza Malloy Is Here with a New Book and a Giveaway!
Joy, you are Liza’s winner! Congratulations! Liza will be in touch with you! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you’ll come again!! There are so many great Midwest romance authors and I’m delighted to introduce you to one of them–Liza Malloy! Malloy writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction, new adult romance, and fantasy. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where her heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly…
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Monday Special: This is a Big Deal!
Today, I have a fun surprise to share with you… I’ve teamed up with 35 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of sweet contemporary romances to 2 lucky winners! Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader? 😁 You can win my novel Falling for the Doctor, plus books from authors like Susan Lute and Alethea Romig. Enter the giveaway by clicking here 👉 https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/july-2022/win-a-bundle-of-sweet-romance/ Good luck and I hope you have fun meeting all kinds of new authors on BookBub! Nan
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Promoting Edition
It’s Sunday again–how did that happen? Apparently, the passage of time is happening while I’m busy doing other stuff. I’m actually getting some writing done right now, which is a miracle that I’m not questioning, just going with it. That said, I don’t have much to say here today, so here’s what’s going on in the promotion world instead. I spent a delightful hour with Aaron and Bree over at the Categorically Romance podcast. They are such good fun to chat with–they actually read my books before the podcast, seem to enjoy the stories, and have great questions. You can check it all out here. Also, Fresh Fiction and I…
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Author Spotlight: Christi Barth Talks Research and Her New Release
I’m always happy to welcome authors back to the Spotlight and today, Christi Barth has stopped by the blog again with her new book, Hottie on Her Shelf, which releases July 11. USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance. Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world. Christi’s going to talk…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Really Tired Edition
I am… it’s been a very trying week. Some of the reasons are personal and I won’t go into them here, but ending the week with the SCOTUS overthrowing Roe v. Wade was pretty much the capper on a completely shit week. That said, I’m not going to get all preachy here, I’m just too tired… Instead, how about a real snippet from the next book that is releasing in October–The Fireman’s Christmas Wish. It’s Becker Lange’s book and honestly, Beck just melts my heart. I wasn’t sure how putting this grumpy divorced firefighter with chipper, sweet nursery school teacher, Harley Cole, was going to work, but wow, these two…
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Author Spotlight: Kris Bock Is Back with a New Cozy!
I’m so pleased to welcome fellow Tule author Kris Bock back to the spotlight with a brand-new release, Something Deadly on Desert Drive. Kris writes mystery, romantic suspense, and romance. She has lived in ten states and one foreign country but is now firmly planted in the Southwest, where many of her books are set. Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. She writes for children as Chris Eboch and M. M. Eboch with over 100 published books. When not writing, you’ll probably find her reading, unless she’s out on a hike or…
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Author Spotlight: Deborah Blake Has a New Cozy and a Great Giveaway!
We have a winner! Valri Western, your name was randomly drawn and you won the $25 Amazon gift card from Deborah! Congratulations! Deb will be in touch with you. It’s always a treat when the author in my spotlight is also a long-time friend. Deborah Blake and I met years ago through a mutual author friend and although we’ve never met in person, we follow each other on social and keep in touch via email. Deborah is the author of the Baba Yaga Series from Berkley (Wickedly Dangerous, Wickedly Wonderful, Wickedly Powerful), as well as the Broken Rider Series, and the Veiled Magic series. The Catskills Pet Rescue books are her first cozy…
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Sunday Snippet: The Lake Life Is the Best Life Edition
I know. I know. I’ve done this topic before, but it’s my blog, so… you get another one today because it’s June and we’re here and so are Son and Grandboy and it’s been a good Father’s Day weekend so far. We got the cottage washed, which needed doing since May, but all the rain made it impossible, but it’s shiny clean now and I’m going to work on sprucing up the shutters today. Also, got plans to weed–we’re going to get new river rock for around the whole cottage, but we aren’t there yet. But, you know. it’s the lake, so we don’t feel the urgency, which is what…
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Author Spotlight: A Chat with Author Elsa Winckler
Roseann Brooks, you’re Elsa’s winner! She’ll be in touch to send you your e-copy of Kissing Charlie! Enjoy!! Last week, fellow Tule author, Elsa Winckler invited me to her blog for a glass of wine and a chat, and I had so much fun, I thought I’d return the favor today. Elsa has been reading love stories for as long as she can remember and when she “met” the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James The Brontë sisters, etc. during her Honors studies, she was hooked for life. She married her college boyfriend and they are fortunate to live in the picturesque little seaside village of Betty’s…
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Author Spotlight: Fiona McArthur Has a New Release and a Giveaway!!
We have a winner! Betty Connery, you are the winner, chosen at random to receive a free e-copy of The Baby Whisperer. Fiona will be in touch with you! Y’all know how much I love spotlighting my fellow Tule Publishing authors and today is another special day as I introduce you to Fiona McArthur–one of Tule’s Aussie authors. Fiona has written more than forty books and shares her medical knowledge and her love of working with women, families and emergency services in her stories. In her compassionate, pacey fiction, her love of the Australian landscape meshes beautifully with warm, funny, multigenerational characters as she highlights challenges for rural and remote…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Been Quite a Ride Edition
Wow… release week is nearly done–I have a few more things happening, but mostly, I can breathe again. Well, sorta. Work has piled up while I’ve in promotion and writing is a little behind, but I can reset my focus now, I think. I hope. A word of thanks to all the great readers, reviewers, bloggers, friends, family, publisher… everyone who helped get the word out about Falling for the Doctor. There are still some things in the offing–reviewers who need to post, ARC readers who need to review, a couple of podcast, which I just adore doing, and Carmen Cook’s Reading from the Revenge Garden is coming up today…
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Author Spotlight: C’est Moi and I’ve Got a Giveaway!!
We have a winner! William Harris was randomly chosen as the winner of the prize package–William, I will be in touch! Thanks to everyone for stopping by! I sorta figured it was silly not to use the Spotlight this week to toot my own New Release horn since yesterday, book 2 in the Lange Brothers trilogy, Falling for the Doctor came out to some small fanfare. So here we go! A quick little bio in case you don’t already know–I am a USA Today bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. My day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is my first and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Snoozy and Anticipation Edition
I’m at the lake this weekend, sleeping. Seriously…it’s as if someone has drugged my beverages. All I want to do is sleep. We’re both in that mode. I think it could be both of actually relaxing for the first time in months, but we’re going to bed early-ish, waking up late-ish, and taking little catnaps throughout the day. We should be getting some things done here at the cottage–window washing, floors need to be scrubbed, and we need to trim around the edges of the yard. The boat is finally in the water, and I did vacuum it really well yesterday before we launched, but the seats need to be…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Has a New Release!
I’m always so glad to feature my bestie, Liz Flaherty, here in the spotlight and never happier when she has a new book out. We process story every single day so I feel the birth pains of her books and she feels mine. Reinventing Riley grew so naturally out of Syd and Clay’s story, A Year of Firsts, and I loved seeing her back in her little town of Fallen Soldier, Pennsylvania. Writing a series is hard and more than once, Liz and I have giggled over one or the other of us has forgotten a detail about our little towns. We have a bunch of fun being each other’s…
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Sunday Snippet: The Am I Irrelevant Edition
So, I’m thinking today about how much of the world I am not a part of anymore–specifically, pop culture. Liz and I talk frequently about how we are aging out of many things. She wonders if she’s aging out of romance novels–reading and writing them. I sometimes wonder if I’m aging out of being able to keep my plate as full as I do with editing gigs and writing deadlines and book promotion because stuff falls off sometimes, and more often than I like, it’s fun stuff like time with family and friends. Every now and again, I watch younger writers who go after their lives with fervor and energy…
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Author Spotlight: Jane Porter Is Here!
Sandy Pride, you are Jane’s winner! Jane will be in touch with you soon to get your prize package to you! Congratulations and thank you for visiting and commenting here! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to talk to Jane! Okay, I confess to squeeing with delight when Jane Porter asked to be in the Author Spotlight! I mean, Jane Porter!! She is one of my writer heroes and I’ve been fan-girling for a whole month in anticipation of featuring her on the blog. I’m beyond delighted to have Jane in the Spotlight today. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 70 romances and fiction titles, Jane Porter has been…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s a Snippet Edition
Beth R, you are the winner of a free e-book! I’ll be in touch! Good Sunday morning to y’all. The sun is supposed to be shining here at the lake after a few days of gloomy skies and rain, rain, rain. However, no sign of sun yet, it’s rather cloudy and foggy… I imagine the sun will be along at some point. I’m working quite a bit right now and trying hard to get writing done on the second book in the Weaver Sisters trilogy. I’m also pushing like mad to get promotion set up for Falling for the Doctor. To that end, here’s a quick snippet from the second…
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Author Spotlight: Karla Kratovil Has a New Release and a Fun Giveaway!
Winner of Karla’s giveaway is Melissa Combrink! Congratulations, Melissa, Karla will be in touch! I’m happy to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author Karla Kratovil to the spotlight today. From the time she read fairytales as a child, Karla Kratovil was hooked on stories that ended in Happily Ever After. Now as an author of sexy historical romance she gets to craft her own happy endings. Karla lives right on the edge of Northern Virginia’s wine country with her college sweetheart, two terrific teenagers, and two blond terriers. She is a Taurus. Like any good earth sign she loves good food, good wine, and getting her hands dirty growing things in…
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Author Spotlight: Something Blue
Pal, Robyn Neeley has gotten together with some other amazing authors to produce Something Blue, an 18-novella sweet romance anthology that features a wedding theme. It is purely fun, folks! Check it out! Something Blue A Sweet Romance Anthology Toss the bouquet and say “I do” to this collection of sweet wedding-themed romcoms from the team who brought you the USA Today Bestseller Christmas Actually! 18 all-new novellas by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Four Royal Weddings and an (Almost) Funeral By Teri Wilson Someone posh, someone new, someone annoying, something…true? A pair of royal correspondents from rival news outlets in London can’t seem to stop bumping…
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Sunday Snippet: The Procrastination Edition
I’ve been procrastinating…okay, no big news, right? I am a world-class procrastinator. I passed amateur status years ago and have gone into full-time professional procrastination. Nobody wastes time as well as I do. And honestly, it doesn’t even have to be time spent scrolling around the Web. I can put off doing anything that needs to be done with something as basic as folding laundry—oh, excuse me for a minute, I do have to get some stuff out of the dryer… brb… Fifteen minutes later…I’m back, clothes folded and put away, next load is in the washing machine, and while I was in there, I scrubbed the sink and the…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards Talks About her New Series and She Has a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Robyn L, you are the winner of Leigh Ann’s giveaway! She will be in touch! Thanks everyone for stopping by! I’m pleased to welcome Leigh Ann Edwards back to the Author Spotlight today–I love celebrating my fellow Tule authors! Leigh Ann Edwards’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and let her imagination soar. An author for nearly thirty years, Leigh Ann’s presently writing her fourth series with…
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Author Spotlight: Jana Richards Talks Characters and Clothes
I love it when my worlds connect and this is one of those days. Jana Richards, whom I met through being fellow Word Wranglers is my guest today and I’m so pleased to introduce you to her. Jana has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick. When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies,…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Did It Edition
I did indeed do it–the book signing at Whyte Horse Winery and wow, was it a blast! Right off, there isn’t a more welcoming venue than this winery. The owner, Amanda Thomas, is so very accommodating and welcoming–just ready to help you in any way she can. Plus her winery and bistro has some of the best food and wine around. The folks who come there are looking for fun, so to be part of that is a treat. Lots of laughter, lots of conversations, lots of noise, and lots good wine and of wonderful scents from the pizza oven! We had a great day, both selling books and talking…
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Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Sawhney Talks Multicultural Romance
Audrey W! You are the winner of Sinclair’s fabulous giveaway this week! Sinclair will be in touch! I love Author Spotlight days, particularly when I get to spotlight a fellow Tule author! Today, I’m featuring a great writer, who also happens to be my editor and good friend, Sinclair Jayne Sawhney. Sinclair Sawney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over seven years. Writing as Sinclair…
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Sunday Snippet: The Rethinking My Energy Edition
This week I had a long conversation/catch-up with my dear friend and former editor, Lani Diane Rich. She is an amazing writer, teacher, editor, person, who always inspires me to be better. We’d lost touch for a while and seeing her face again warmed my heart and restored my soul. Writer friends, if you haven’t gotten into Lani’s How Story Works podcasts or the book, I highly recommend both or either. You will rethink how you tell your stories, I promise. Among the many things that Lani and I talked about for almost two hours was how we spend our energy–are we truly spending energy on what we value or are…
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Author Spotlight: Ann B. Harrison Has a Story to Tell and a Giveaway!
Y’all know how much I love featuring authors on the blog, right? Well, today I’m so pleased to have Ann B. Harrison with me. Ann was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia with her husband, three children and dog in 1991. After moving to the lush green wine region of Australia’s Hunter Valley, Ann has the perfect surrounding to let her imagination to run wild. She alternates her time between writing western romances, women’s fiction romantic and playing in her garden. Two kinds of hero make Ann to a mass of nerves. The hot cowboy with a slow sexy drawl (she used to live out in the desert and enjoyed every…
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Sunday Snippet: The News Edition
Well, it’s a new Sunday morning and I just opened up the house to let in some fresh spring air. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there’s a gentle breeze. It’s the last week in April and it finally feels like spring, although we’ve had what is typical for spring in the Midwest–rain, cold, snow, warm temps, and then chilly again. We went up the lake yesterday–just for the day–and cleaned up the yard. Picked up sticks, weeded, and swept winter’s detritus off the deck. Then came home and christened our new deck here with margs and a lovely visit with neighbors, Mary and Bob. How we…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty
It’s always fun when my bestie joins me on the blog and even better when she’s in the Spotlight. Today, she’s here with her new release, Life’s Too Short for White Walls and giveaway! Be sure to check out the Rafflecopter down below! Besides hanging out with me, Liz spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and thinking she should clear a path through the fabric stash that furnishes her office. Liz is rather bewildered by where she’s at in life. She doesn’t feel…er…elderly, but the truth is that she is. The Magnificent Seven grands have grown up on her, her own kids are all now older than she is, and her…
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Sunday Snippet: The Lefty Edition
No, I’m not talking politics, I’m talking literally from the left side. That’s how I see life because I’m a lefty. And not just left-handed, but extremely left-handed. Don’t ask me to do much of anything with my right—it simply ain’t gonna happen. It’s not always easy being a lefty in a right-handed world. I grew up during the time when old-fashioned school teachers thought that being a lefty was a bad thing. My first grade teacher thought it was just plain wrong, so she made me sit on my left hand and write with my right as I learned to form the alphabet. I did it. I was six…
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Author Spotlight: Shelli Stevens
What’s more fun than having fellow Tule author Shelli Stevens drop by? Not much! Shelli is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who read her first romance novel when she snatched it off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of eleven. One taste and she was forever hooked. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then, she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer. Shelli is a true pluviophile (lover of rain) and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. She writes various genres…
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SundaySnippet: The Spring Fever and a Real Snippet Edition
THE WINNER OF THE E-BOOK ARC IS SHARI! I EMAILED YOU, SHARI! THANKS EVERYONE FOR STOPPING BY AND FOR COMMENTING!! Yeah, I’ve got it bad, kids. Spring fever has struck here at our little brick house in the city with all the usual symptoms. I’m staring longingly out at the gray rainy days, wishing the sun would come out so I could wander the ‘hood with friend Mary. We stop along the way to admire the tulips and hyacinths and daffodils that are popping up in neighbors’ yards. Last year at this time our peach tree was blooming (too early, I might add), a late frost hit it, and we…
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Author Spotlight: Sapna Srinivasan
What a treat it has been for me to meet and sit down with debut author and fellow Tuligan, Sapna Srinivasan. Sapna lives in Seattle, WA with her perfectionist husband and perfect daughter. Her name in Hindi means “dream” and true to its meaning, Sapna finds gratification in dreams and storytelling. She was born in southern India, raised in northern India, and spent the better part of her adult life in the United States. She, therefore, unabashedly clutches her Indian roots while embracing the American in herself. She loves to cook traditional Indian food and, yes, she uses cilantro in practically everything. When she isn’t cooking, writing, or being intellectually stumped…
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Author Spotlight: Kris Bock
I’m so pleased to have fellow Tule author, Kris Bock in the Spotlight today. We had a fascinating chat. Kris writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. This collection includes a ten-page mystery short story set in the world of “The Accidental Detective” series, information about the series, and the first chapter of book 1. After that are three fun, short stories originally written for children. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a…
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Sunday Snippet: The Hey, It’s Just Me Edition
Yeah, sometimes a blog post is nothing more than “hey, it’s me!” Today is one of those Sundays, mostly because I have very little to say. I’m writing, I’m editing, I’m taking walks and swimming, and doing the usual stuff. Authors may have wonderful fantasy lives, but our regular lives are pretty ordinary. Even my news is sorta meh–I got new glasses and new contacts. The dentist decided not to do a root canal on my aching tooth, and instead is having me use a mouth guard at night, so I have one–it makes me sound funny, but since I wear it at night, who really cares? We have a…
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Sunday Snippet: The QOTD and a Snippet Edition
Yeah, again, I’ve got nothing. Writer bestie Liz says when you have nothing, make a list. I thought about a list, but then I remembered that I have a list–“A Year of Journal Prompts.” Why wouldn’t that work for a blog, too? So I dug it out and found the one for March 27. “Pick a movie character you identify with.” Really? Argh! I was going to skip that, but then I thought–you know, this could be a good exercise. A movie character I identify with… the one I truly identify with, not the one I’d like to be. I think my answer would have to be Jo March in…
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Author Spotlight: Kaz Delaney Has a New Release and a Fun Giveaway!
WE HAVE A WINNER! Congratulations, Sharon Forrest, you are the winner of Kaz’s giveaway–a $20 Amazon gift card! Kaz will be in touch with you! Thanks, everyone, for stopping by and chatting!! You know what I love? Getting to know my fellow Tule Publishing authors. They are all such great women, full of enthusiasm and talent and kindness. Kaz Delaney was a joy to interview! Award winning YA & children’s author, Kaz Delaney, and her alter ego, have currently sold 73 titles between them over a 28-year career. Her books have won many awards, among them the prestigious Aurealis Award for best paranormal and ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Association) awards. Her novel ‘Dead, Actually’ (Allen & Unwin) was nominated…
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Sunday Snippet: The Learning Curve Edition
You know, if you’d asked me, say 10 or even 5 years ago, if I still had tons of stuff to learn, I might have told you, “Nope, I’ve lived and loved a lot of years…I think I’m pretty well where I should be knowledge-wise.” And wouldn’t that have been arrogant and presumptuous of me? I discover, pretty much daily, that knowledge is a growing and expanding thing. When there is something I feel I’ve learned all I can about or more specifically, all I care to learn about, well, the Universe laughs. Case in point–book promotion. Something I sorta suck at and yet, I must do, so I’m learning…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Ready for Spring Edition
I am. Aren’t you? We had a whisper of spring this past week–a couple of days in the sixties–and oh, man, it was lovely. I walked in the ‘hood with neighbor, Mary, checked out the green that is peeking up from my garden beds, and just stood in the driveway and inhaled the scent of spring. That said, I’m writing this Sunday post on Saturday morning and it’s currently 13 degrees out. So cold, there isn’t even frost on the ground. Welcome to the Midwest, where the only real weather guarantee is that there will be some. I’m not whining, though, because I love living in the Midwest, where we…
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Author Spotlight: Kelly Cain
I’m so pleased to welcome fellow Tule author Kelly Cain back to the spotlight with a brand new release, A Tasty Dish. This book just released on Tuesday and I am so excited to read it because I loved the first book in the series, An Acquired Taste. Those Everheart brothers! Yum! Kelly is a native Northern Californian but has spent the last couple of decades in Texas, currently residing in the live music capital of the world, Austin. Consequently, most of her books are set somewhere between those two locations. Kelly writes multicultural romance with determined women directing their own fates, and the swoon-worthy men who adore them. She…
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Sunday Snippet: The How About an Actual Snippet Edition
I named this Sunday post “Sunday Snippet” because I really intended to do that–give you a snippet of a story every Sunday. Obviously, I got off track on that, and I’m not going to apologize because too many snippets leaves no reason to buy the books. A snippet should be a quick sample…a taste, if you will. So you will continue to get tastes of my books, but you’re also going to get a lot of Nan because…well, because this is my blog and I get to choose what happens here. (I’m not really as bratty as that sounds, truly.) All that said, guess what! You get a snippet today!…
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Sunday Snippet: The Snap Judgments Edition
I was thinking about snap judgments–how we all make them and how we all have them made about us. Here’s what got me started–social media trolls. Bear with me, I promise I’m going to make this connect. At least ten or twelve times a week (sometimes that many in a day!) I get friend requests on Facebook and even more on Instagram from trolls–either random bots or really bored and kinda sleazy guys looking for attention. No, I’m going to be your friend because you “like my smile” or you think I’m “gorgeous” and you “can’t stop thinking about me.” Seriously? You don’t even know me, dude. Being blonde and…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty
I confess I love having my bestie in the spotlight. We always support each other, and her new book is such a great read, I really wanted to tell y’all about it. But I figured why should I do that when she’s perfectly capable of telling you herself? Just a quick bio in case you don’t already know Liz Flaherty. She spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and thinking she should clear a path through the fabric stash that furnishes her office. She also loves to travel and spend time with the grandkids (the Magnificent Seven) and their parents. She and Duane, her husband of a really long time, live in…
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Author Spotlight: Mia Heintzelman
I do love introducing you to authors new to me! Meet Mia Heintzelman! Mia is a polka-dot-wearing, horror movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. She writes fun, unforgettable, more-than-just-laughs romance about strong women and men with enough heart to fall for them. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters, she is likely reading, playing board games, or eating sweets. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and two children. Her new book, The Friendship Contract is Book 1 in the Terms and Conditions series and the excerpt sent me right to Amazon to grab the book. Check it out…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Might Need a Vacation Edition
It’s been a crazy month so far. With the release of THE VALENTINE WAGER on February 1 came a flurry of promotion, blog appearances, giveaways, interviews, and book signings (one canceled due to weather, the other, a great success!). In the midst of all this, I’m still working on editing gigs for clients and doing revisions on the first Weaver Sisters book. My mind is a bit on overload and my brain is…well…tired. I was thinking last night how much I’d love to go to that cabin in the mountains of North Carolina where the Word Wranglers had their retreat last August. How I’d love to rent it for a…
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Author Spotlight: E. Elizabeth Watson
I always love having my fellow Tule Publishing authors stop by for a chat. We are a close group and this is a wonderful opportunity to get to know some pretty wonderful writers better. Today, E. Elizabeth Watson came by and we had a ball! E. Elizabeth Watson is an award-winning, Amazon Top 100 bestselling, and Barnes and Noble No. 1 ebook bestselling author. Her heroes are strong and strapping. Her heroines are determined to break the mold. Grab a book and go on an adventure through the Scottish Highlands or stay tuned for her debut cowboy series. Whether wearing kilts or pearl-snaps, her heroes wear plaid! N: Welcome to…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Still in Promotion Edition
Well, The Valentine Wager released two weeks ago and yeah, I’m still in full promotion mode. The book signing at Whyte Horse winery was canceled because we had snowstorm the day before and the whole state was in red-alert emergency mode and roads were pretty much impassable. We’re setting a new spring date for that one, so that’s all good. Watch for me in late April or early May there. I did end up signing at the Gal’s Guide Library in Noblesville yesterday and had an absolute blast. Right off, the folks at Gal’s Guide and Nickel Plate Arts are just delightful–so warm and welcoming. Thanks to Leah and Lisa…
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Author Spotlight: Ieshia Wiedlin
Happy to welcome fellow Tule Publishing author Ieshia Wiedlin to the spotlight today. Ieshia grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and currently resides in Brookfield, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. She is married and has two great kids, Lucas and Zoey. She has always loved writing and telling stories, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, and is a huge junkie for all things Marvel and Star Wars. But somehow in the midst of loving all things sci-fi, she was a sucker for all things Molly Ringwald. Ieshia became a huge fan of rom-coms and loves stories with strong women characters. Growing up the youngest, and the only girl on her block,…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Moi!
Yup, today, I’m in the spotlight because today is release day for The Valentine Wager, book 1 in the Lange Brothers series from yours truly and Tule Publishing. If you haven’t discovered River’s Edge, Indiana, yet, I invite you to meet all the fun and quirky citizens of this little town on the banks of Ohio River. You’ll fall in love with everyone! Start with the Flaherty Brothers, whose stories are told in The Four Irish Brothers Winery series, and then meet the Langes–three brothers who are all first responders in River’s Edge. If you want to start with The Valentine Wager, by all means, do! All the River’s Edge…
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Sunday Snippet: The Get Ready for Shameless Self-Promotion Edition
Yup, it’s that time. Book release week means y’all are gonna be inundated, bombarded, deluged, drenched… well, you get the picture. You’re gonna hear a lot about The Valentine Wager, which releases this Tuesday, February 1. I am over-the-moon excited and I hope you are, too. This is Book 1 in the Lange Brothers series–my three brothers who are all first responders in River’s Edge, Indiana. Yeah, we grow ’em brave, compassionate, and kinda sexy in the Hoosier state (and not just in my imagination!). If you pre-ordered, The Valentine Wager will be on your e-reader when you wake up Tuesday morning. If you haven’t, why not? Oh, sorry, I…
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Author Spotlight: Elizabeth Thompson & Friends
Once Upon A Friendship Anthology Ten of your favorite bestselling authors have come together to bring you ten full-length novels of family, friendship, and love. These feel-good books will have you cheering, dreaming, and anticipating your next great read as you work your way through the tears and triumphs. From Ashley Farley’s southern charm to Cindy Kirk’s sweet hometown romance to Elizabeth Thompson’s passport to faraway worlds, get ready for your next favorite book. And your next. And your next. Be inspired by dynamic characters as they explore the complexities of family, learn what it really means to be a friend, and find their own personal happiness. A touch of heartbreak,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Gearing-Up Edition
Book Release Day! It’s getting close and yet, there is a sense of unreality about my upcoming book release. It’s been over a year since my last release and I’d forgotten how much work there is. So many people to contact, promotional materials to send out, getting ready for book signings, which means boxing up enough print titles for each signing. (I still have to do that.) Writing blogs, getting prize packages ready for giveaways, ordering swag, and contacting other bloggers to see if they’ll give me a moment or two. My publisher, Tule Publishing, does way more than most to help their authors promote and I’m so very grateful…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Has a New Spring Release!
I love having my bestie on the blog, especially when I get to crow about her latest book! She’s got a new one coming out in April, but you can get a sneak peek if you… oh heck, I’ll let her tell you all about it! No matter how many books into being a writer you are, every new release is nearly as thrilling as the first one. Not every cover—oh, heavens, no—and, for traditional authors, not every publisher or contract, but every story. It’s interesting to me that once a book is published, it’s not all that much mine anymore. One reason I’m often meh about people covers is…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Going on Retreat Edition
Yup, I am going on retreat and I’m so excited, I could jump out of my skin! Liz and I are headed to a little hotel in the southern part of the state, where we will probably pretty much be the only guests. There’s a lovely restaurant downstairs and the little tourist town we’ll be in is pretty much closed up for winter. We will write and process and brainstorm and talk. There will be wine and chocolate and cheese and crackers and coffee because that’s how Liz and I roll, but mostly we’ll be writing. She is a little past midway in her current book, and I hope to…
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Sunday Snippet: The First Real Snippet for 2022 Edition
It’s cold here–like really cold. Single digits cold. We went up to check on the lake cottage on Thursday and discovered that the pilot light on the furnace had blown out in the high winds they’d had on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was 23 degrees in the cottage and the antifreeze in the toilets had a skim of ice. Yikes! Husband relit the pilot and then we went to friend Moe’s (she’s a year-rounder) and stayed in her warm house until ours got up to a decent temperature. The cottage is totally winterized, so all is well, and the time away from my computer gave me the opportunity to sit…
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Sunday Snippet: The New Year Edition
It’s 2022. I’m celebrating, but very quietly. It’s almost as if I’m tiptoeing into the new year, holding my breath, not touching anything, and looking around for whatever is going to fall on our collective heads next. I hate that this is what I’ve become–a person who approaches everything with such caution, even a new year. But if the last two years have taught me anything at it, it’s to pay attention, to be careful, to know what’s happening in the world around me. There is a lot happening this year for me–I have three new books releasing in 2022 and I have two book signings that I hope can…
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Author Spotlight: Fortune Whelan
One of the best parts about becoming a Tule Publishing author has been meeting and becoming friends with so many wonderful authors. Fortune Whelan is one of those that I’m honored to call friend as well as colleague. Fortune is a raconteur with a penchant for telling lies (or storytelling, whatever), mostly to entertain herself. She writes small town sweet contemporaries, mafia adjacent dark romances, Grey’s anatomy inspired love stories, and intense romantic suspense. Her stories have an energy that will take you for a ride. So, get in and buckle up. N: Welcome back to the blog, Fortune. I’m so delighted to have you with us today. What inspired…
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Sunday Snippet: The River’s Edge Map Edition
I was so thrilled to get the darling map of River’s Edge, Indiana, my little fictional town on the Ohio River, that local artist Alyssa Overton created for me. This is the official unveiling, although you will find it in every e-book that takes place in River’s Edge from now on, as well in print editions of my River’s Edge stories starting with Falling for the Doctor, which releases in June 2022. So now, here you go. Thinking about breakfast at Mac’s Riverside Diner? Maybe a trip out to taste some wine at Four Irish Brothers Winery & Vineyard? How about a twilight walk along the River Walk or perhaps…
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Sunday Snippet: The Holiday Romance Edition
You know, I try not to do too many posts that are purely self-promo, although I grant you that I do say a lot about writing and my books here. Disclaimer in place, today’s post, by necessity, is short and sweet. Love holiday romance? Me, too. Here are a few that I love. Feel free to add to this list in the comments. I’d love your suggestions. A Christmas Town Homecoming: The latest offering from the Christmas Town authors who include my writing bestie, Liz Flaherty. Her story, Remember When, is just one of ten charming coming home stories in this anthology. Lighting Up Christmas: Sinclair Jayne’s latest…
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Author Spotlight: Anna Hague Has a New Book and a Giveaway!
Liza Malloy, you are Anna’s winner! She will be in touch. I love spotlighting my fellow Indiana authors and Anna Hague definitely qualifies! Anna spends part of her days in the writing cave creating her own spin on love stories. The other part of her days, she is a freelance sports reporter crafting stories about a variety of athletic events including high school, college, and professional level sports. She’s had the fiction bug her whole life, but in 2015 decided, “It’s now or never.” In November of 2016, her contemporary novel Captured Hearts debuted. Anna reads all sorts of love stories, and she writes the same way. She has published the…
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Sunday Snippet: Holy Cats! It’s December!
Wow. It’s December! How did that happen? Just last week, it was Halloween, right? Somehow, days slip by and the holidays are nigh and I have a book due in about 6 weeks… So, I’m writing in the mornings, working on editing gigs in the afternoon, and trying to get holiday stuff done in the evenings. All in all, breathing is out of the question until after January 15, 2022. That’s not really true…I am taking a breath now and again, and as I look at my December calendar, there isn’t all that much on it. The overwhelm only feels…well…overwhelming. But I can do it. I’ve done it before and…
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Author Spotlight: Rebecca Crowley
I’m pleased to have fellow Tule author Rebecca Crowley in the spotlight today. Rebecca hails from Manhattan, Kansas, home of Kansas State University and ubiquitous references to ‘The Little Apple’. She pulled up her Midwestern roots to attend Barnard College in New York City, before moving to London to pursue an MA at UCL. She spent six years in London and four years in Johannesburg, South Africa before relocating to Houston in 2017. Rebecca is married to the charming Brit she met while studying abroad at Oxford, and mom to a little girl she hopes will eventually love romance, too. Today she writes smart romance about imperfect people finding their…
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Sunday Snippet: Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts
This holiday weekend has flown by, hasn’t it? I’m a little stunned at how quickly it’s all happened. But, it’s another Thanksgiving in the hopper and we’re thinking about Christmas. We don’t generally decorate right after Thanksgiving because we do like to keep our decorations up through the New Year and they start to feel stale if we get them up too early. So even though today is the first Sunday in Advent, we won’t be putting up our tree until next week or even the following week. I’m about a third of the way into the first book in the Weaver Sisters series, which will begin releasing in 2023.…
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Sunday Snippet: The Pre-Thanksgiving Edition
Giving thanks every day on Facebook this month has improved my outlook. That is bigger than it sounds, mes amies, because my outlook has pretty much sucked for quite some time. However, I went to the grocery store this morning…yes, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and what a lovely experience it was! Folks wore masks, were polite and easygoing. The store shelves were fully stocked, nobody seemed to be hoarding anything, the produce department had gorgeous fresh veggies and fruit. I bought pears and lettuce. I even found vegan queso cheese for Husband–a real victory if it tastes decent. All in all, the trip to Kroger gave me hope for…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty Has a New Book and a Holiday Giveaway!
Congratulations, Roseann McGrath Brooks, you are Liz’s winner! She’ll be in touch! “Some of the joys in being a septuagenarian are unexpected. Google is one—how else did you think I knew how to spell septuagenarian? Dressing however you want is another. It’s especially fun to wear what a blonde twenty-something on Facebook assures you is completely wrong for you.” – Liz Flaherty, Window Over the Desk Getting romance novels published is hard for me these days—not so much because I’m the age I am, I guess, or because I look the age I am, but because I sound the age I am. The editors I’ve worked with in past years…
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Sunday Snippet: The End of the Season Edition
I’m better. The muscle relaxers helped me get through a couple of days and now I’m off all the chemistry and just depending on good stretches and paying attention to how I’m sitting when I work. Hopefully, I won’t have to deal with that pain again. It’s the weekend we close up the lake cottage, which is always bittersweet, but we are ready to stay at home in the city for the cold winter months. By about mid-March, we’ll be longing for the lake again. Funny how that happens, but I think that the cycle of lake life runs like that. Not hot and cold, but rather, our inner selves…
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Guest Author: Ieshia Wiedlin
I got to sit down with fellow Tule author, Ieshia Wiedlin recently and what fun it was to get to know her! Ieshia grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and currently resides in Brookfield, Illinois, which is a suburb of Chicago. She is married and has two great kids, Lucas and Zoey. She has always loved writing and telling stories, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, and is a huge junkie for all things Marvel and Star Wars. But somehow in the midst of loving all things sci-fi, she was a sucker for all things Molly Ringwald. Ieshia became a huge fan of rom-coms and loves stories with strong women characters. Growing up the…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Hurt Edition
Yeah, I hurt, and I hate it! I did something squirrelly to my neck and shoulder last week, and ice and ibuprofen weren’t cutting it. So when I wen in for my annual checkup on Thursday, I mentioned the pain to my doc. She felt around (yikes!), found the offending muscles, recommended some exercises to help stretch out the pain and wrote me a scrip for a muscle relaxant. Said to give it two weeks and if it’s not gone by then to check in with her again. So…muscle relaxants. Um…the dose is two before bed, however, Doc said that since I’ve never had muscle relaxants before, I should start…
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Author Spotlight: Jeannie Moon Is Back In Compass Cove!
What a treat to welcome fellow Tule author, Jeannie Moon to the blog today! USA Today bestselling author Jeannie Moon has always been a romantic. When she’s not spinning tales of her own, Jeannie works as a school librarian, thankful she has a job that allows her to immerse herself in books and call it work. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jeannie has three kids, three lovable dogs, and a mischievous cat and lives in her hometown on Long Island, NY. If she’s more than ten miles away from salt water for any longer than a week, she gets twitchy. Welcome, Jeannie! Link | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest |…
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Sunday Snippet: The Anniversary Edition
It’s the four-year anniversary of signing my first book contract with Tule Publishing. What a fun ride it has been since then! I’m writing book #8 for them with two more after this one and hopefully another 4-book series for another family in River’s Edge. Whew! I love this little town and all the people in it. The characters feel like family to me and I truly hope they do to my readers as well. Speaking of River’s Edge—we were, right? It’s been a while since I’ve given y’all an actual snippet so today here you go. A little tiny snippet involving the town from The Valentine Wager. Setup, briefly,…
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Author Spotlight: Stacey Agdern Talks Food as Love
I’m so pleased to welcome fellow Tule author and one of my dear sprinting buddies, Stacey Agdern, to the blog today. She has a new book out in her Friendship and Festivals series for Tule–Love and Latkes–and it is charming! Stacey 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. You can find Stacey on her…
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Author Spotlight: Roseann Brooks Is Here with a New Novel and a Giveaway!
Giveaway winner is Susan Wright! Congratulations, Susan–Roseann will be in touch. I’m so pleased to welcome Roseann McGrath back to the blog with her new novel, Wonderfully Made, the second book in her inspirational series, Vacation Friends. Roseann is not only a fellow romance author, but also a fellow editor. That’s how we met originally. Roseann reads and writes romance novels. In her other life, she edits business technology communications for a marketing agency and tutors writing and beginning French at a local college. She lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two keep-you-on-your-toes cats and is thankful for very supportive friends and family. Be sure to read…
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Sunday Snippet: The Questioning Edition
Time passes so quickly that Sunday comes along before I realize it’s been a week since my last missive here. A few months ago, I bought a little book called A Year of Journal Prompts. I’m bugged by the fact that I feel I need that little book, but I confess I’m really glad to have it. The author must have been feeling my empty-brain pain when she put it together. She has 30 or more prompts for each month of the year and Octobers are mostly about reevaluation–taking a look at where you are, where you’d like to be. Things you are happy about, things you aren’t so pleased about.…
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Author Spotlight: H L Marsay with a Halloween Question and a Giveaway!
CONGRATULATIONS BETH REIMER–YOU ARE H L’S WINNER! SHE’LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU! I’m so pleased to bring H L Marsay back to the blog for a special Halloween edition of the Author Spotlight! H L always loved detective stories and promised herself that one day, she would write one, too. She is lucky enough to live in York, a city full of history and mystery. When not writing, the five men in her life keep her busy – two sons, two dogs and one husband. When she isn’t coming up with new ways to bump people off, she enjoys red wine, dark chocolate, and blue cheese – not necessarily…
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Sunday Snippet: The Time to Start a New Book Edition
And so it is. I didn’t take the break I intended to take before I dove into the new novel and I think maybe I should have. Between editing gigs and life stuff, I could’ve used a few days of doing absolutely nothing. Reading, watching mindless television, long walks around the ‘hood, some fall yard cleanup–that kind of nothing. Instead, I panicked about deadlines and began Jasmine Weaver’s story, which has been rattling around in my head since before I wrote Becker’s story. Chapter 1 of Jazz’s story is with my critique partner now and I’ve brainstormed endlessly with Liz and my friend Kelly and Husband… but she’s still in…
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Author Spotlight: Barbara Ankrum’s Here with a New Christmas & a Giveaway!
What a treat to welcome fellow Tule author Barbara Ankrum to the blog today! Barbara has a thing for the West and has written both historical and contemporary romances, all set in that magical place. Twice nominated for RWA’s RITA Award, her bestselling books are emotional, sexy rides with a touch of humor. Barbara’s married, and she raised two children in Southern California, which, in her mind, makes her a native Westerner. Find her at the links below and enjoy her story of writing The Christmas Fix Up. Be sure to scroll down and check out her fun and fabulous giveaway–answer her question in the comments for a chance to win…
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Sunday Snippet: The Rosemary’s Birthday Edition
No, I’m not playing with classic horror movie titles here, it is actually my mother-in-law Rosemary’s birthday. Well, her birthday week. Tomorrow, she turns 96. And she is still rockin’. At 96, she still lives in the little house she raised her two sons in–67 years in the same house. Can you even imagine that? People move around so much these days–most folks I know have lived in at least a dozen houses in their lifetimes so far. Even my kids are on home #5 and they haven’t even been married nineteen years yet! Rosemary still drives her car–not far, mind you, but she can get herself to the bank…
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Author Spotlight: Leigh Ann Edwards (And There’s a Giveaway!)
Leigh Ann’s giveaway winner is Christine Grissom! Congratulations, Christine! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented. Chris, Leigh Ann will be in touch. I love it when Leigh Ann Edwards stops by the blog–she always brings such wonderful stories for us! Today, it’s the fourth and final book in her Witches of Time series with Tule Publishing, The Witch’s Reckoning. Leigh Ann’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and let…
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Free Book!!
Love Hallmark Movies? Love a great Christmas romance? Me, too! So here you go, from Tule Publishing and moi–A Small Town Christmas e-book is free for a short time! If you haven’t met the Flaherty brothers and the town of River’s Edge, now’s the time! Have fun!! Amazon | Apple Books | B&N Nook | UK | Tule | Google Play
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Sunday Snippet: The Autumn Is Here Edition
I love fall–I always have, and not just because my birthday is in the fall, but also because it’s a lovely time of year. Not an ending, but a beginning of cooler weather, sweatshirts and jeans and warm beverages and apples and pie and snuggling on the sofa in front of a fire. We cut back some of the stuff in the front garden today–the one under my office window. It’s still got green and flowers in it, but not so much color as plants go dormant for a long winter’s nap. Husband loves the purple verbena and the colorful cosmos that are still hanging on, so we’ll leave those…
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Author Spotlight: Fortune Whelan
Hi, kids! I’m so excited to introduce you to fellow Tule Publishing author, Fortune Whelan. Not only is she a Tuligan, she’s also one of my sprinting partners, and a person I’m so grateful to have in my corner. Fortune is a raconteur with a penchant for telling lies (or storytelling, whatever), mostly to entertain herself. She writes small town sweet contemporaries, mafia adjacent dark romances, Grey’s Anatomy-inspired love stories, and intense romantic suspense. Her stories have an energy that will take you for a ride. So, get in and buckle up. We had a chance to chat a little bit about writing recently: What advice would you give to…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s a Snippet Edition
I’m sort of on a writing break–not really because I’m starting the first book in the Weaver Sisters series, but I’m not pushing. Mostly, I’m doing other stuff. I fall cleaned my house, went to a gala fund raiser for Nickel Plate Arts (my first foray into the world in almost two years), I watched a couple movies, I’m reading like crazy, I took walks, I had lunch with my sister for our birthdays… you know, real people stuff. I’ve also been working on promotion for The Valentine Wager, writing to reviewers, etc. and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Jasmine’s book–the first Weaver sister to get her…
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Author Winter Austin Is Here with a New Novel and a Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY WINNER is Liz Flaherty! Congratulations Liz, Winter will be in touch with you! I’m very pleased to welcome fellow Tule author, Winter Austin, to the blog today. Winter says she perpetually answers the question: “were you born in the winter?” with a flat “Nope.” Having returned to her home state, Winter has stepped into the chaotic world of a full-time wife, mom, author, and employee. A lifelong Midwest gal, Winter grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability…
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Sunday Snippet: The Whew, I Did It Edition
Wow. It’s been quite a week. Mostly because I finally wrote THE END on Book 3 in the Lange Brothers series. Becker’s book, The Fireman’s Christmas Wish, is in the hands of my fabulous editor, Sinclair Sawney, and I confess that I’m really nervous about this one. There’s a lot of me in grumpy Becker Lange and a lot of what I wish I could be in sweet and charming Harley Cole. Before this book, I’d never thought about how much of myself goes into my books, even though friends who know me and read my novels often say, “Oh, that line or that situation or that moment of humor…
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Author Jeana Mann Is Here with a Free Box Set and a Giveaway!
Today, I’m delighted to turn the blog over to fellow Midwesterner and USA Today best-selling author, Jeana Mann. Jeana gave up a career in the corporate world to write about sexy billionaires and alpha bad boys. With over twenty books, three series, and several awards beneath her belt, she’s never regretted her choice to live out her dream. She’s a free-spirit, a wanderer, and loves animals with a passion. When she’s not tripping over random objects, you’ll find her walking in the sunshine with her rambunctious dogs and dreaming about true love. The floor is yours, Jeana… Hey, everyone! I’m thrilled to be here today. Thank you so much, Nan,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Pretty Pictures Edition
Yeah, I’m still under that deadline–getting closer, but not quite there–and September 15 looms large. So no words today, wise or otherwise. Instead here are some pretty pictures of our gardens as they drift into fall. Enjoy! But first, a quick bit of Tule Publishing business–we’re celebrating our 8th birthday with a 50% off sale on all e-books (including mine!), so hop on over to the Tule Shop and get happy! Stay well, stay safe, wear your mask, and most of all, mes amies, stay grateful!
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Sunday Snippet: The Oh, Hell, I Almost Forgot Edition
I know, I know. It’s Sunday Snippet time and I’m here editing away and dammit! It hit me that I hadn’t posted my blog yet. Is 2:30 on Sunday afternoon too late? I’m saying no. I have a list of blog prompts for each month of the year, which I do not consider cheating, merely assisting. Sometimes, when I’ve got nothin’, like today, these prompts are my best source of inspiration. Today’s is “What are the best things about fall?” This is a terrific one for me because I love fall. Right off, I’m a fall baby–born in late September, along with my brother, my grandmother, my sister, my brother-in-law,…
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Author C.R. Grissom Is Here with a New Release and a Giveaway!
C.R.’s giveaway winner is Kathleen Shaputis! Congratulations, Kathleen, C.R. will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and special thanks to those of you commented. Pleased to be turning the blog over to fellow Tule author, C.R. Grissom today. C.R. lives in San Jose, California—smack dab in the middle of Silicon Valley. She works for a high-tech company by day, and at night writes contemporary sports romance featuring young adults as they transition to college. Winner of the 2018 RWA Golden Heart Award in young adult romance for her first manuscript: Mouthful. Take it away, C.R… Hello everyone, I’m excited to be featured on the blog today. I…
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Sunday Snippet: The Lake Life Reality Edition
We are in our 10th year, 11th season here at the lake. It’s hard to believe we’ve had our cottage for so long, particularly given that we waited for so long to buy one. It seemed like whenever we were ready to buy, cottages were just out of our reach and when they were in our reach, we weren’t in a position to consider buying one. Ten years ago, when this marriage-long dream came true, we were overjoyed. We still are, although the realities of lake life are a little different from the fantasies. The fantasies didn’t include have to scrub the cottage down a couple of times a year…
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Sunday Snippet: The Sorry, I’m Busy Writing, So Here’s a Real Snippet Edition
Yeah, I am writing–lots! I’m facing a deadline that is way too close for comfort and I’ve turned into a writing hermit again. I’m sorry to my friends and family who keep wondering what’s become of me. I’m in front of my computer, writing Becker and Harley’s story, which seems to be coming along well as long as I don’t overthink and just let them have their way. There’s Christmas, a cute kitten, a guy who’s learning to love again, and a woman who hopes to be the one to bring him back into the light. Here’s a snippet from my current WIP: Her heart expanded to about twice its…
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Leigh Ann Edwards Has a New Release and a Giveaway!
Danielle Hammelef is our winner of the signed copy of A Witch’s Journey! Leigh Ann will be in touch! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I’m so pleased to welcome Leigh Ann Edwards back to the blog. Leigh Ann’s fascination with history, romance, magic, fantasy, time-travel, and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her growing collection of published novels. Growing up in a very small Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left a lot of time to create stories and let her imagination soar. An author for over twenty-five years, Leigh Ann is now completing her third series with Tule Publishing and soon to start…
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Sunday Snippet: The Five Memorable Days Edition
My friend Liz is a great source of inspiration, especially when it comes to blogging. When I don’t know what to write, she gives me fantastic ideas and one of her best is “Do a list.” Lists are always fun and something y’all can participate in, too. Today, I’m pulling this idea from a writing prompt that we used a few years ago on the Word Wranglers–telling about our five most memorable days, but the trick was that we couldn’t use the usual Pollyanna days–like our wedding day or the day our kids or grandkids were born or the day we signed our first book contract. Those are givens. So…