In Memoriam

Aunt Gayle with some of  her beloved grandchildren.

What's the best way to honor someone after they pass away? For me, I chose to dedicate Museums Can Be Murder to my sister-in-law, Gayle Elaine Biggs, known in my family as Aunt Gayle, a saint, and the most loving grandma — hands-down — that any child could wish for. Gayle had a dry wit that kept us laughing at family reunions. She also cooked non-stop for her family. My sister-in-law was so loving that she encouraged my brother to build a pool just so their family would congregate at her house and she could cook for them.

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I based one of Jillian Bradley’s sisters-in-laws, Paige, on Gayle. Her character first appears in Book 5 Pacific Beach, again in Book 6 Waiting for Santa, and lastly in Book 11 Museums Can Be Murder. I gave her only one child, Kaitlin Romero, who plays an important role in Book 11 as it's her boss Amanda Corbin who's murdered. In reality, Gayle had three amazing children.

I don't understand why Gayle got cancer. Does anyone understand this horrible disease? The only good thing I can surmise is in remembering the old saying, “Only the good die young.” Gayle was good. She was young. Fortunately, her death was painless and she died knowing the Lord had prepared a place for her when she left her earthly home. And amazingly, she was able to say goodbye to her pastor, her husband, her children and their spouses, and all nine grandchildren, one by one. They will never forget her.

Neither will I.

It's a good thing to remember those we love. Now Gayle can also be remembered every time someone reads these books.

Thanks for letting me share my heart.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Nancy Jill Thames was born to write mysteries. From her early days as the neighborhood story-teller to the Amazon Author Watch Bestseller List, she has always had a vivid imagination and loves to solve problems – perfect for plotting whodunits. In 2010, Nancy Jill published her first mystery Murder in Half Moon Bay, introducing her well-loved protagonist Jillian Bradley and clue-sniffing Yorkie “Teddy.”

When she isn’t plotting Jillian’s next perilous adventure, Nancy Jill travels between Texas, California, and Georgia finding new ways to spoil her grandchildren, playing classical favorites on her baby grand, or having afternoon tea with friends.

She lives with her husband in Texas and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) CenTex Chapter.

To learn more about Nancy Jill, visit these sites.

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"A Cup of Cozy 3" is Out!

Amazon.com

And now there are three, with the first book as our free gift. So excited to announce the launch of  "A Cup of Cozy 3"  in this cozy mystery anthology series filled with short mysteries and holiday recipes.

This issue introduces Janice Hanna Thompson, a popular award-winning and well-loved author familiar to many in the Christian literary world.

Linda P. Kozar writes a story taking place in Turkey, while Cynthia Hickey's story revels in a masquerade mystery. My story "Final Performance" takes place in San Francisco when Jillian and her garden club friends attend "The Nutcracker" in the heart of downtown.

I hope you enjoy the stories as well as the yummy recipes at the end. Happy Holidays! And reviews would be simply lovely. Thank you, dear readers.

~Nancy Jill 

NANCY JILL THAMES

   I suppose the most logical explanation of where imagination for writing my books comes from would be the fact I was an Air Force brat who moved around constantly until I was in the sixth grade. We lived in interesting places, too. Casablanca, French Morocco, where camels and gendarmes (French policemen) passed our house on a daily basis and Las Vegas, Nevada - boy, was it hot! Valdosta, Georgia,  Albuquerque, New Mexico....One night I lay awake counting the number of places I've lived and it came to fourteen!

   My mother was always off playing bridge or bowling with the other officers' wives while my three brothers and I entertained ourselves, making up adventures and getting into mischief. We had servants or baby-sitters, of course, but as long as we were busy, they left us alone.

   Coupled with the fact that I never saw a TV until I was eight and having two type-A parents, I guess it was inevitable I would be a writer someday. 

   I became a believer when I was almost nine thanks to my parents who were devout Christians. They made sure we attended Sunday school and church every week. It was at that time I was given piano lessons. I went on to playing in church, singing in a Madrigal group in high school, and getting a music degree from UT Austin. 

   God has blessed me beyond even my wildest imagination, always guiding my life, giving me a loving husband, four wonderful children, and a number of precious grandchildren. 

   I hope you enjoy the Jillian Bradley mysteries - they are works of love.

To stay in touch please visit these sites.

Twitter - @mystriterdva

Blog - Author Nancy Jill Thames, Queen of Afternoon Tea
Pinterest - mystriterdva
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Goodreads - Nancy Jill Thames
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jillthames@gmail.com

AWARDS

                 

                           

Tea Party Tuesday Review of THE CEMETERY CLUB by Blanche Day Manos and Barbara Burgess

Won't you join me for a nice cup of tea? Please help yourself to some refreshments, too.
Lately, recreational reading has re-entered my life for reasons I may choose discuss someday. But not today. One book worth telling you about was "The Cemetery Club" by Blanche Day Manos and Barbara Burgess.
There was nothing I didn't like about this cozy mystery. From the gruesome discovery of  the body under a pile of brush, which gave me chills, to escaping the bad guys, this book held my attention until the end. If you like a great story with  a sprinkling of Oklahoma history and heart, read "The Cemetery Club." Here is a link to the series: 
http://www.amazon.com/Blanche-Day-Manos/e/B0090018EI

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill Thames~

Cover Sneak Peek at Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake"

Simply had to share - Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake" is Coming Soon!!!!! Very Soon!!!

Coming 2014!

  When Jillian and her garden club friends decide to take a fall color tour in New England, they have no idea the resort they choose as home base will soon be a setting for murder. And more than one. 

  Who killed the hotel's head chef in his own kitchen and why? His cuisine was excellent but his personality left a bad taste. Together with Jillian's Yorkie companion Teddy, and the help her garden club, Jillian works with Lake Placid's top gun Police Chief Mark Taylor in uncovering the killer.

Please stay tuned, reader friends.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill 

Tea Party Tuesday ~ Tea at the Empress Hotel

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday, everyone! This photo on Pinterest made me stop in my tracks -- isn't it wonderful?

Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. Milk? Sugars?

When I went to the photo site, I found it was taken by a lovely Russian travel agent who lives in Victoria, Canada -- setting for Book 10 "Murder at the Empress Hotel" coming 2015, so I simply had to post.

From the shiny silverware to the garnishes, I believe I've chosen well. My early family (we had two sets of children thirteen years apart) and both sets of grandparents made the trip to Vancouver Island from Sacramento, California, up the Pacific Coast. We took the ferry across to reach the island, and that afternoon we enjoyed famed afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel. It was a wonderful experience.

I read they serve on average 500 teas everyday. Amazing!

The hotel is so renown that recently a man bought it without even seeing it, on reputation alone. It will certainly be fun to use as a setting. 

Let's try the finger sandwiches - they look delicious! And I think I'll take a scone, too. Please help yourself.

I pray as fall ushers in, we all stay healthy and safe. 

Cheers! 

~Nancy Jill

The photo is from the setting in 

Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake." 

Watch for it soon!

(Don't you love the shoe bomb?)

Tea Party Tuesday ~ In the Mood for PUMPKIN

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! I'm so happy you stopped by today. These colorful polka dot cups caught my eye on Pinterest, as well as the link for the yummy crock pot recipe - feel free to click!

We'll enjoy a virtual cup now, but I want to try the recipe soon.

The weather has been delightful here in the Bay Area where I'm spending time with my family. Yet, I noted a huge hail storm reported not far away in Napa where an earthquake hit recently. Never a dull moment where the weather's concerned.

Oh, of course. I'd be happy to pour you a refill.

One of my all time favorites, no matter what kind of weather we're having, is Einstein Bagels - the apple spice one. They may even be featuring their pumpkin spice bagel now. I'll have to check. Found it! It's their pumpkin walnut crunch bagel. Sooo yummy, people.

Currently, I'm working on Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake" where Jillian and two of her garden club friends, Ann and Nicole, are taking a fall trip as leaf peepers in upstate New York. There's a freshly baked apple pie in there somewhere, I do believe.

The manuscript is with the beta reader team now. I can't wait to launch!

Have a wonderful week, dear readers. Enjoy the pumpkin spice latte and please let me know how it turns out.

Cheers!     

~Nancy Jill        

Tea Party Tuesday * Fall Color Tour

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! May I pour you a nice cup of tea? Milk? Sugars?

Since I just finished writing about a luscious strawberry cream cake in Chapter One of "Murder at Mirror Lake,"  I thought we'd enjoy a virtual slice.

 

My husband and I took a road trip last week to Santa Fe, New Mexico to attend my cousin's 50th wedding anniversary. It was also nice to be able to stop in Lubbock, Texas for a visit with my husband's cousin and his family whom we hadn't seen for 46 years! Dogs and kids abounded, much to our delight.

In this ninth book in the series, Jillian and her friends take a fall color trip in upstate New York and Vermont. Plans for the visit unfold during Jillian's Garden Club monthly meeting. Of course, Teddy gets to attend the meeting and looks forward to the morsels Jillian may toss his way.

It's such fun to write these mysteries. People with dogs seem to relate to the way Jillian interacts with Teddy in much the same way I interact with dogs and children, treating them with interest and respect.

May I refill your cup? What do you think of the cake? I do believe it's one of my favorites, along with German chocolate, Texas picnic cake, and Carrot cake. Ah, any excuse to enjoy dessert!

I hope you'll read the Jillian Bradley mysteries. They're full of intrigue, beautiful settings, and afternoon tea! What could be better? Thanks for joining us today.

All Jillian Bradley wants is to spend a quiet weekend by the ocean and enjoy her afternoon tea. But a startling discovery draws Jillian and her garden club friends into solving a mystery that threatens her life and changes her future.

'Murder in Half Moon Bay,' Book 1 in The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series, introduces Jillian's little companion 'Teddy,' a Yorkie who falls prey to danger but rises to become a sleuth dog in the next book.

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

 

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday * What to Wear for Tea

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! Does anyone remember "come-as-you-are" parties? We used to do them all the time. They were so much fun! 

One time our WMU (Women's Missionary Union) had a "come-as-you-are" breakfast at my house as a kick-off for a mission study.  I collected women in aprons stained with spaghetti sauce, in hair rollers (now I'm dating myself), and in pajamas. 

Just for today, I thought we'd have a "come-as-you-are" time together and comment on what we're wearing. As you can see by the above photo, this is someone's idea of what to wear if we were going out somewhere, but what about now?

I'm wearing a black tee-shirt, baby blue jeans, and tan leather flip flops. No make-up, and hair clipped back with a barrette.

What about you? 

If Jillian were going for tea, usually at a resort, she'd wear a skirt or slacks. She would not wear jeans, unless she was at a dude ranch - and then there probably wouldn't be any afternoon tea!

It's funny -- sometimes I get a review telling me descriptions of what Jillian and her friends are wearing are unnecessary, and then another reader will say how much they enjoy reading such details. All I can do is write from my heart, and my heart says to live in my books the way I like to live in real life.

What do you like best? Settings, scenery, interesting characters (including what they wear) or plot?

Thanks for joining me today. Now we can enjoy our tea! 

~Nancy Jill

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