Jane, where is your new book?
Ah! Such a good question. And the answer is—I don’t know. It’s not done. It’s been hard to focus.
Q. What are you doing that’s distracting you from writing?
A. Another excellent question! The truth is: everything. Family, sons moving into new abodes, Ty making some career shifts, Mac starting driver’s ed. We are just busy. But I’m also writing less as I work more and more on Tule editorial and film projects.
Most of my readers know I founded a publishing company in 2013, but a lot of authors still don’t know that Tule is ‘mine’. Tule is a real company, managed by an incredible team of publishing professionals, staff who do the hard stuff while I play publisher. 😉
I thought it was time to give you a bit of backstory about how Tule came about—for those who don’t know– and then over the next couple of weeks highlight each of our different team members. You can also check out Tule’s about page here.
Q. So in the very beginning, how did Tule Publishing come about?
A. In 2013 I wanted to do something creative and commercially viable with my close friends, CJ Carmichael, Megan Crane and Lilian Darcy. We were all Harlequin authors and yet we wrote for different lines. We thought it would be fun to do something together, and we decided to write some loosely linked stories set in Montana.
We met up in Montana in May of 2013, and brainstormed at CJ’s Flathead Lake cottage, before piling into her car with way too much luggage (I was to blame for the too much luggage) and we hit the road, traveling across Montana to Livingston, Bozeman and throughout Paradise Valley. At CJ’s cottage and on the road, we did extensive world building, creating our own town and individual story series ideas, which became Montana Born’s 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and also, Tule’s first imprint.
At this point, Tule Publishing was little more than an LLC and the first imprint little more than a marketing tool so readers could find our Marietta, Montana stories easily. Marketing makes sense to me. Before I sold my first book, I was in sales and marketing for six years and then a teacher for six years, and I know how important it is for your customer to be able to find you.
This is how we added more stories to Marietta: We’d published two rodeo stories in September and then two more in October. Then we needed more stories so I reached out to Katherine Garbera at the RWA Anaheim conference and told her what we were doing and invited her to write a Christmas story for Montana Born. She, in turn, reached out to Melissa McClone who also agreed to write a Christmas story.
We just kept adding authors and stories, not just to Montana Born, but to two other newly created imprints, Holiday and then Southern Born. Our growth was really organic. Authors would find us or we’d find them, and it turned out to be a win-win for all of us. What makes Tule work is that we really wanted to be supportive of smart, successful, creative women – we wanted an environment that respected and empowered authors – without ever marginalizing them. That meant we couldn’t take every book, and it meant that we made mistakes as we learned on the job. Admittedly, not every decision, or every story, has had the sales and success we’ve wanted, but Tule’s strength is being small, flexible and focused on the goal of supporting talented authors and keeping the communication open, honest and real.
What’s next?
Q. Who was Tule’s first full-time hire?
A. Tule’s first staff member was Meghan Farrell, who had just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. She’d packed up her car after graduation and headed west, landing in San Clemente. Her mom was good friends with a friend of mine from Visalia, and was given my name as a local contact. Meghan and I met for coffee in late September 2013, and was hired almost right away. She joined Tule after our first two rodeo stories were published, but before the 2nd two, so it’s fair to say she has been here since virtually the beginning.
Stay tuned for more of Meghan’s story with Tule, coming Saturday!
Giveaway
For a chance to win the Montana Born Extravaganza, share in the comments your favorite part of the many stories set in Montana. Contest ends on March 17th and the winner will be posted here. Check back on the 17th for the winner!
the setting
I love everything about the series. I think the different authors really spices it up. I’m trying to catch up on every Marietta story.
I love the families and the intertwining of the stories from them. Their sense of community is refreshing.
Love at the chocolate shop was my absolute favorite series.
I often hoped that the shop was real, so I could go visit both the town and the chocolate shop.
I love how all of the characters are almost like one big family; always there for each other no matter what.
Now, I need to back up a bit, Mac is learning to drive? Where did time go?
I love reading about the different families and the beautiful scenery.
I have been reading Tule since the very beginning. I love CJ’s stories.
I love how it feels like a place I would want to live and when characters pop in and out of books, it is like visiting old friends.
I love how characters overlap/ intertwine. I also love the beautiful scenery descriptions. I didn’t realize you had been in sales/marketing, but it makes sense knowing how snacking you market Tule!
Our sordid some temp work in Montana and loved the scenery. My husband visited Montana as teen and loved the clean air. It cleared up his acne.
Meant son did, my goodness NOT sordid. Sorry. Typo.
I love all the families and the beautiful countryside. Thanks for your great generosity.
I love the scenery and the atmosphere always the characters. Thank you for sharing.
I love the mountains, the town of Marietta and of couse the people who live there arrive and find l9ve and all the places that have been created.
Oh and I do love the snow and the animals.
I love the emotion in the stories, too hard to choose one thing.
Have Fun
Helen
Love the setting and family , small town.
I really enjoy the family aspect of the stories and that Marietta itself is a character in the books. It’s not just a place.
I love the scenery and the people. I would love to live in Marietta especially over the holidays.
What I love the most is how people from every walk of life are represented. I appreciate how the characters support each other to rise above their struggles whether that struggle is reputation, physical disability, or socioeconomic status.
I love the town and never knowing when a character is going to pop in to another author’s book.
The small town feeling
I love the stories set in Marietta, and the thread of characters set there.
The sense of community with all the families and visitors to the towns. You feel like you actually know them personally.
I love stories set in the same place and people overlapping so you feel like you really get to know the place and people rather than one story and never again. These types of books and series always make me want a tv series or a movie! Or more likely, to travel there!! This blog made me realize I really need to sit down and see what books from Tule I haven’t read!
I most love the small town feeling of Marietta, from the Bramble house to the Graff. Christmas in Marietta is magical and the town goes all out to celebrate.
I just read Montana cowboy Christmas!! Love the family. How they protect each other. The love they have! Can’t wait to read about the other adventures!
Having visited and loved Montana, reading the books makes me feel like I am living there, among the awesome mountains and beautiful valleys and the good people there, who are hard working, interesting flawed but trying to find love and happiness together.
The setting
I love the interaction between characters and the interconnecting stories. It’s definitely a place I would want to live.
I love all the different books Tule offers. I initially found books set in Marietta, Montana through NetGalley. I actually thought Marietta was a real town because there were so many books that were set there. I wanted to go visit as it seemed like a wonderful place. It was such a bummer to realize it was a fictional town. I enjoy reading and rereading so many of the books. I love all the different families and enjoy their interactions. All of the authors have done a fabulous job creating the businesses, holiday traditions, interconnected characters and the secrets of the past.
I went to Montana State University in Bozeman from 1994-98, and I met my husband there. I have beautiful memories of my time there, and I love reading the stories set in Marietta and picturing the beautiful Paradise Valley.
I enjoy the town of Marietta.. The town. the businesses, and the people are wonderful. I líke thé intértwíníng óf everyone. Always there to help añd support one another,
I love reading about each member of the families. Seeing how they interact with others. I love how strong the families are within. It makes you want to pack up and go visit. Of course I would need some chocolate.
I knew you were a clever woman, have a great team behind you, fabulous writers and stories. How much you branched out from the beginning, is amazing. Thank you for following your dream.
I have visited Montana and fell in love, it is such a beautiful place (and I was living in Hawai’i at the time). I just love the setting
I love the characters, there connections, the settings. And mostly everything about the storyline.
The setting, the families, and how everyone interacts with each other.
I love the way families pull together for each other.. It reminds me of how I grew up with my family.
I love the Bramble house stories! My favorite is the Bramble House Christmas. CJ writes great characters and the descriptions of the town’s celebrations was si heartwarming. I want to see the movie. I haven’t read all the Marietta books but they are on my TBR list.
Wasn’t that a hallmark movie ? Loved Cormac and Bears stories.
I love all the amazing characters!
I love the photography & characters in MT
I close my eyes & just visualize the beauty you write about!! I have friends there & hope to get to Whitefish in the summer ☀️
Thank you for all the great stories
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Montana twice. There is nothing as beautiful as the big blue Montana sky and the land that stretches mile after mile. In these books we can all see that in our minds and the Cowboys make it all come to life!
I love everything about Marietta, Montana. The small town is near to my heart as I grew up in a small town in Georgia. It has many similarities to Marietta with the town full of people who know you and all of your family too. I hope to visit Montana one day.
I loved the interconnected stories of the Montana Born books. Still one of my very favorite series.
Congratulations! You won this giveaway. Please send Jane an email to [email protected] letting her know you won her “Life Update/Tule” giveaway and let her know where to mail your prize.
I honestly did not know Tule was yours until reading this post, and I have been with you for years. Keep going!
I have been here since the beginning and love how Marietta has grown and how all the stories add something but remain interconnected. It’s a place that makes you feel that you should move there and be at home.
I like the small town feel and the little mom and pop stores and it makes for interesting characters because everyone knows everyone.
I love reading about the beautiful scenery.
I like the small town feel.
I love that it’s a place I’d want to live – love the small town and family feel of it
I love the Heart and Soul each author puts into their books.
I love the connected stories; makes it feel like a real place especially since your points of view are different; like in a town. Bramble House pulls at my heart strings but so do the continuation of the families and even the exes can be redeemed. I do love the pictures of the authors and the map of the places you’ve built or repurposed. ❤️❤️
The characters and the setting!
The genuine camaraderie that exists between the people in Marietta. Their love and respect of the area and each other’s right to go their own way.
I love the community feel, it’s like an actual small town here with everyone connected. Catching up with characters in subsequent books is something I enjoy, being able to see how my favourite characters from earlier books are doing.
Location!!!!!!
Friends dropping by from other books
Small town location
I love the sense of time and place… each book is unique, but I don’t have to wade through “world building” before the story begins. The world already exists and I am just visiting… AGAIN!
I love the community settings as well as the ranch life & town life. When I read a Tule book, I want to go visit and/or live there. I’m still searching for a Christmas Inn like C J s Snowbound in Montana
Marietta…I want to live there
I love the connections and the real, down to earth feel of the stories. These people could be my neighbors and I love that!
I enjoy reading about the town and the people.
I was not a cowboy story reader until I found Tule. I really love them now and always look forward to new ones. It’s an empty month without a Tule cowboy novel.
I love that Marietta was created. To me, it’s a real town that I would want to live in. I love when businesses are added to this town and it just keeps growing and growing. This is definitely a community that I would love to see in a Hallmark movie. It has such a cozy vibe.
I love all the Montana stories – esp the chocolate shop series
I love how you created the town of Marietta, a place I’d love to visit, and maybe live. At least I can visit/live there through your (collective words). Thank you.
So cool to hear about the birth of Tule Publishing, which I am so very proud to be part of, both as an author and an editor! You are amazing and inspiring! Thanks for sharing this scoop and I can’t wait for the next installment!
Community. Faith. Always a way, with care from the community. HEA.
I love the happy smiling faces.
I love the small town feel
And how they are all watching out for each other
I love the characters and settings in Tule novels. I feel like I want to move in and be a part of their lives.
I really liked how the different authors blended stories together in the multi-author series and then each developed a series on their own that related back to the area and people. Began reading when Tule was originated. You are to be commended for creating a special place for authors to participate. Hope the Tule group continues for the next many years.
I love the small town feel and the families. I love the series about certain families. Marietta, Montana feels like a real place; one I would love to visit & maybe live at.
I love the small town stories and the way you feel connected to the characters.
I found you and CJ and then you built TULE and I fell in love with Marietta.. it’s been a great time so far and I have no doubt it will continue.
Thanks for all you and this group have done so far!!!
the families sharing, caring and beautiful settings.
I love that it is all about family’s and friends and how they all work together to form an great bond.
The mountain atmosphere! I also love the sense of family that is a theme in a lot of the stories.
Marietta is one of my favorite fictional towns.
I love the stories about Marietta. I love that it is a community where I would love to live, where people look out for each other. Plus two of my very favorite authors have written stories set there!
I love all I read about Montana. I want to retire there. I find Montana to be so untouched and not yet ruined by man.
I want to visit Marietta for real. Loving all of the feels.
I haven’t had the chance yet to read them , but would love to read and fall in love with Montana !
Even though I haven’t read them, they sound like wonderful books. I will have to start reading them.
I love how all of different authors bring their characters in the Montana stories to life and into our hearts! The stories are beautifully written and cannot wait to see what else the Tule authors bring us!
I love the community of authors and readers that I have found since I started writing for Tule. Being one of the founding authors means a lot to me–and so do you Jane! xoxo
I like the fact that old friends come back to visit and help. Just like in our lives our friends don’t just disappear just because a book is finished
The families and sense of community , ai love small towns .
The stories are so descriptive .
I love how you’re able to cover most of the state and with different authors being able to tie the books together. Thank you so much for this giveaway.
I love them so much that I want to live there . Every time I crawl in to the books it’s like visiting old friends new friends and family.
I love the family connections and how family comes together when someone needs help. Also, how the communities of the small towns come together to support everyone even though they are nosey and gossip at other times. Everyone is there for each other.
They feel like home!!
Just the small town feel, these people would be great neighbors and friends. Makes you just want to live there.
I love the mountains, the ranches and the town of Marietta but more than that, I love the people. The ranch families are salt of the earth, hard working and with strong moral compasses and then there are the wonderful Marietta locals, loveable people like Sage Carrigan, and those we have all learned to love to hate like Carol Bingley.
I’ve always wanted to go to Montana, it’s on my bucket list. I love the setting, the scenery and all the characters.
I love the community that I as a reader get to be a part of! I love when I get to stop by Sage’s for a treat or go to The Graff for a special occasion. When someone passes Bramble Lane I remember who their neighbors are.
When my daughter told me a couple of years ago that she was moving to Bozeman I was excited that she would be so close to Marietta.
I Love all the amazing characters and settings! Thank you for the amazing giveaway!
That they are based in my home state – yeah MT!
Marietta is so full of hope and happiness. That’s what has drawn me in. The world seems to be lacking a lot of that right now so I’m so thankful for Tule and the wonderful fictional worlds that I can lose myself in.
I’m pretty sure I have those first Tule books.
Been a follower since the beginning. Even submitted once (got a lovely rejection).
The sense of community in Tules lines is what draws me back to your books and I’ve really enjoyed meeting new authors because of that, all because my daughter met you at a conference years ago.