Tea Party Tuesday - A Winner is Announced!

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday, everyone - I hope you'll take a few moments after we've had our tea to explore the site. You may find something you like.

Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. Milk? Sugars? This plum tea cake looked perfect for our time together.

The contest for reaching 1,000 likes on my Facebook Author Page culminated in a bit of drama last night.

When the counter was at 999, a friend of mine in Idaho called her daughter and asked her to like my page, which she did.

Then, someone (accidentally, I'm sure) unliked the 1,000th like and sent me back to 999! 

Oh, woe is me! I was so discouraged. Have you ever had one of those days?

A friend tried coming to my rescue and asked his followers to like my page. Well, the counter went backward because if someone has liked my page, not remembering they already liked, and hits the like button again, it can delete the first like.

More people on Facebook joined in until the number of likes finally went over 1,000.

Meanwhile, when I initially reached 1,000 likes, gung-ho me immediately entered the last 20 likes into a drawing and selected a winner. I had Sarah Elizabeth McRae's book ordered and on it's way before the number went back down to 999.

Congratulations, Sarah of Juneau, Alaska! She choose "The Long Trip Home" as her prize.

May I refill your cup? 



I think this photo says it all.

Thanks for joining me today, and a big thank you to all who liked my author page. I hope you have a splendid week, devoid of drama like mine!

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill 

Tea Party Tuesday at Mirror Lake Inn

Welcome to my website! I'm happy you took a few moments to stop by. After we share tea and refreshments, please check out the pages and get acquainted with the Jillian Bradley mysteries.

Let me pour you a cup. Milk? Sugars? Please help yourself to some sandwiches and tarts. Aren't they lovely?

Did you notice the silver cake tongs? I almost got a pair of these for Mother's Day, but received sunglasses and an oversize purple and black case instead. Maybe next year.


Over the weekend I enjoyed afternoon tea at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, New York. Fierre, the server, brewed my Earl Grey to perfection. And the chocolate chip cookies were wonderful! I was doing research for my next book "Murder at Mirror 
Lake" due out at the end of 2014.

Another server showed me around the kitchen and introduced me to two of the chefs as I gathered research for the setting of the murder.

Let me refill your cup. There we go. Have another cake if you wish. Please don't leave them for me to finish!


Regarding the contest for a book giveaway, seventeen more of you have liked my Facebook page. Thank you. Please note that I usually serve tea there every afternoon so I hope you'll join me if you haven't already.

To enter, please click the Facebook button on the right and like my author page. Or, you may click this link to like:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Jill-Thames.../124340760960323 Thank you! Only three more entries before the drawing.  

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A Little Background...

  When I was in junior high school, I wanted to become an architect or a yacht designer. After high school, my best friend and I dreamed of opening a studio where she could teach dance and I would teach piano. The closest I got was getting a degree in music, teaching piano lessons at home for one year and serving as the church choir director for four years.
   My husband took me on business trips to great resorts, my friends and I had tea parties, and life was generally good until one day, I got bored.

  Since I loved to read murder mysteries, why not write one? The quest was short lived since our youngest still needed my attention, until nine years later when I took advantage of my tech-savy son and plunged into the world of blogging. I salvaged the book I had started called "Murder in Half Moon Bay" and published the first Jillian Bradley mystery in 2010.
  Then I started writing Book 2 "The Ghost Orchid Murder."

  They used to say, "Life begins at forty," but for me, a new life as an author began in my sixties. I hope you enjoy Jillian Bradley's adventures with her little companion, Teddy. The stories are based on the wonderful life God has given me filled with travel, good times with family and friends, and our little Maltese, Chloe.

   I am a member of Leander Writers’ Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW CenTex Chapter), and Central Texas Authors.

   Thanks for the visit - now explore if you like, and don't forget to finish your tea.

  Oh, I almost forgot. In the bottom right-hand corner you might like to hear the radio interview on Blog Talk Radio featuring a few of my COZY MYSTERY MAGAZINE friends and me. Thanks for checking it out!

   Caring is sharing - please share anything you like using the buttons in the footer. Thank you!

The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series * * * * * Tea Party Tuesday (and a little contest)

Welcome to my website! I'm happy you took a few moments to stop by. Here you'll find information about my books, a live interview on YouTube, and the latest news on upcoming releases. 

You're just in time for Tea Party Tuesday and a chance to win one of my books!

Only twenty more likes on my Facebook page will bring the number to 1,000. For a chance to win, the next 20 people who like my page will be entered into the hat. Here's the link or like it on the sidebar. 

Thank you! 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Jill-Thames.../124340760960323

Good luck!

Update 6/14/14: Seven new people have liked my page for a chance to win one of my books. You now have thirteen more chances to win! Like now!

Courtesy The Baker-Chick.com

Now for some tea and banana pudding cupcakes. For the recipe, click the link. Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. Milk? Sugar?

I was reading the new issue of Tea Time Magazine with the Old Blue Willow tea service  on the cover and thought how lovely these yellow cupcakes would go with the blue dishes. 

Is there anything richer or creamier than banana pudding?

Have another - they're small.

I remember buying a set of Old Blue Willow years ago. The problem was my house didn't match them - I think they belong in a white kitchen or in a cozy cottage, don't you? All I have left of those dishes is a serving platter, which I use all the time. Sigh. 
 
If you're interested in Old Blue Willow, you may want to read a post I wrote on Cozy Mystery Magazine. Here's the link:The Mystique of Old Blue Willow.

Let me refill your cup.

If you would like to read one of my books, please like my author page on Facebook and I'll enter your name in a drawing. When I've reached 1,000 likes, I'll announce the winner. 

If you haven't read any of the Jillian Bradley mysteries, why not read "Murder in Half Moon Bay" first? It's a free e-book on Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords (they distribute to Apple iBooks). If you like afternoon tea, you might enjoy reading about Jillian Bradley and her friends enjoying the pleasant ritual as they help solve homicides.

   FREE on  Amazon   Kobo  Nook and Smashwords!
Amazon International Links: http://authl.it/b3

Thanks for joining me today - it was lovely to have you.

See you in my books!

~Nancy Jill

******************************************
A Little Background...

  When I was in junior high school, I wanted to become an architect or a yacht designer. After high school, my best friend and I dreamed of opening a studio where she could teach dance and I would teach piano. The closest I got was getting a degree in music, teaching piano lessons at home for one year and serving as the church choir director for four years.
   My husband took me on business trips to great resorts, my friends and I had tea parties, and life was generally good until one day, I got bored.

  Since I loved to read murder mysteries, why not write one? The quest was short lived since our youngest still needed my attention, until nine years later when I took advantage of my tech-savy son and plunged into the world of blogging. I salvaged the book I had started called "Murder in Half Moon Bay" and published the first Jillian Bradley mystery in 2010.
  Then I started writing Book 2 "The Ghost Orchid Murder."

  They used to say, "Life begins at forty," but for me, a new life as an author began in my sixties. I hope you enjoy Jillian Bradley's adventures with her little companion, Teddy. The stories are based on the wonderful life God has given me filled with travel, good times with family and friends, and our little Maltese, Chloe.

   I am a member of Leander Writers’ Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW CenTex Chapter), and Central Texas Authors.

   Thanks for the visit - now explore if you like, and don't forget to finish your tea.

   Cheers!

  ~Nancy Jill

  

   Oh, I almost forgot. In the bottom right-hand corner you might like to hear the radio interview on Blog Talk Radio featuring a few of my COZY MYSTERY MAGAZINE friends and me. Thanks for checking it out!

   Caring is sharing - please share anything you like using the buttons in the footer. Thank you!