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!

Tea Party Tuesday - Where It All Began

Welcome to our tea party! 
  
I'm delighted you could join us. Let me pour you a cup of tea. Milk? Sugars? Please help yourself to sandwiches.

   
Since my protagonist, Jillian Bradley, enjoys afternoon tea as often as possible, I thought I'd share how and where it all began.

According to Twinings, afternoon tea, a quintessentially English tradition, is rumoured to date all the way back to 1662 when  Catherine of Braganza, King  Charles II of England's Portuguese wife, introduced tea to the royal court. But the afternoon tea menu, as we have come to know and love it, took quite a while to develop. 

By the late 1830s - early 1840s afternoon tea was evolving to become a social occasion and it's even hinted at in an unfinished Jane Austen novel from 1804,The Watsons.   Around this time, it was usual to have a long gap between the relatively light 'luncheon' served around midday, and dinner served around 8pm.

The Duchess of Bedford was a close friend of Queen Victoria and a prominent figure within London society at the time. She requested that light sandwiches, tea and cake be brought to her in the late afternoon because she had a 'sinking feeling' due to the long gap between meals.

Over time, she started to invite close confidantes to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey, to exchange news and stories over tea and light refreshments, and gradually these kinds of afternoon teas became a tradition. (This is where Jillian Bradley picks up the tradition!)

Other social hostesses quickly picked up on the idea and the practice became respectable enough to move it into the drawing room.  This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880s upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o'clock.

Nowadays, we may only dress up for tea on special occasion, but I've been to tea shops that  provide hats, just in case you want to! And look at us now - we enjoy afternoon tea together on Tea Party Tuesday at Queen of Afternoon Tea! 

I hope you'll get my free copy of "Murder in Half Moon Bay" (if you haven't already downloaded it) and begin the series filled with afternoon tea and adventure. 

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

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - New Cookbook on the Scene

Welcome to our tea party today. Let me pour you a nice hot cup of Darjeeling and we'll get started. Milk? Sugars?

Do help yourself to the food - we have Scottish fare today, rather appropriate since my husband and I've been watching the "Monarch of the Glen" series on Netflix (for the second time).

I wanted to share a new cookbook that launched last week called "Cozy Food" edited by cozy mystery author and friend, Nancy Lynn Jarvis. I think you'll enjoy this unusual collection of recipes by 128 cozy mystery authors. Look for my Raisin Scones and Mock Devonshire Cream recipes inside.

Buy on Amazon.com

As I read each name I noted three in particular. The first was Camille Minichino, aka Margaret Grace, author of the Miniature Mystery series. In 2001, Camille signed one of her books for me wishing me well in my writing at the first literary conference I had ever attended. What an inspiration she was!

Please help yourself to a scone - they look absolutely delicious!

Sandra Balzo was another author who responded to a question I had. She was so gracious and kind and encouraged me to hang in there! She writes the Maggy Thorsen Mystery series and Main Street Murders.

Let me refill your cup.

Finally, Traci Tyne Hilton, a fellow collaborator on our Cozy Mystery Magazine blog has contributed a recipe to  Cozy Food. Traci writes cozy Christian fiction like I do and is a prolific author of the Plain Jane and Mitzy Newhaus Mystery series.

You may want to explore the back cover as a resource for finding new authors. I hope you'll get a copy and spread the word on the share buttons below!

Thank you for spending time with me today. I enjoyed the company.

~Nancy Jill

See you in my books!

Tea Party Tuesday - My Favorite Shortbread Recipe

Welcome to our tea - let me pour you a nice hot cup and we'll have a nice chat. Today, I've made shortbread from a recipe I've had for ages. A dear friend by the name of Sherry Niemi gave it to me years ago when we used to meet for a weekly craft time and luncheon. There were four of us, perhaps the first garden club of sorts. 

The garden club began as an old fashioned sewing circle reminiscent of the one my husband's grandmother belonged to. Ladies would get together, sew, chat, and have lunch. Oh, what a fun time they had. I thought my friends and I could do the same, and so we did.

After I moved from Sacramento to the Bay Area of California, I continued the tradition with new friends. Whenever I bake the shortbread, though, I fondly remember our first group.

Let me refill your cup, and do have another cookie.

I don't know about you, but whenever I visit my grandchildren I love to bake. When my husband came with me on this last trip and saw all the baking I did, he asked why I didn't bake at home. I merely stated the obvious - we don't need the extra calories! Then I felt sorry for him so that's why I baked the shortbread today. The recipe is simple - I hope you'll try it sometime.

Scottish Shortbread
Yield: 1 doz. pressed cookies or 2 doz. rolled cookies
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I used salted mixed nuts for variety.)

Mix sugar and flour together, add butter and cut in with fingers or mixer.                     

   Add nuts.

 Mix well.

Press into cookie mold (or roll out on floured board and use a cookie cutter). 

 Place on ungreased cookie sheet (I like to use parchment paper), and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

 When you read the Jillian Bradley mysteries, I hope you'll experience the fun our garden clubs had every time we met. What about you? Do you get together with a group of friends on a regular basis?

Thanks for joining me today.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - A Mothers Day Tribute

Welcome to our tea today. Let me pour you a cup. Milk? Sugar? Mothers Day is this coming weekend - I hope you all have a lovely day with your children celebrating you! As you can see from the photo, I'm thinking about two characters in my books. Jillian Bradley is a childless widow with only a tiny Yorkie for a companion. What would she be doing on Mothers Day, I wonder. With four children of my own, I've never really thought about how women who have no children might feel on this particular day. Perhaps they focus on their own mothers, or celebrate the event with those who have kids. 

I think if I were someone like Jillian, I would not only honor my mom, but would probably have a dog, or maybe more than one to shower with affection. This week I read a post on Facebook that touched my heart. It said that a dog is part of it's owner's life, but an owner is a dog's entire life.

Please have a finger-sandwich or two.

How do you plan to celebrate this weekend? 

These scones are lovely! 

Let me refill your cup.

I think for dessert I'll try this lovely strawberry tart. Please take whatever you like.

Whether you are a mom or simply have one, I hope your Mothers Day turns out special.  And if your mom has passed, I hope you'll remember the good things about her life. 

If you still need to find a gift, consider giving my books - they're easy to order online in paperbacks or eBooks. Here's the link: http://ow.ly/wydwp
Thank you!

Until we meet again, cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - Top Ten Reasons to Drink Afternoon Tea

Shall we have tea? Do join me this week as we glimpse how tea is served at one of the finest hotels in London - the Lanesborough.

Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough Hotel

In my books, Jillian Bradley often enjoys this lovely ritual, whether staying at a fine resort such as the Ritz-Carlton in "Murder in Half Moon Bay" or at a lovely London hotel such as the one above in "The Ruby of Siam." 

In my upcoming book "The Long Trip Home," you'll read about afternoon tea being served in the bed and breakfast where Jillian mysteriously finds herself after her wedding. I hope you'll enjoy the story.

Here are ten reasons why I love afternoon tea. If you think of another, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Top Ten Reasons to Drink Afternoon Tea

1. Everyone needs an indoor picnic once in a while.

2. There is a need to use lovely dishes on occasion.

3. Tea gives comfort and doesn't demand anything.

4. One only has to think about adding milk or sugar, nothing else.

5. Conversation is typically pleasant.

6. Teatime gives one something to look forward to during the day.

7. Delicious snacks are traditionally consumed.

8. Tea is beneficial to health.

9. One doesn't need to eat much at dinner.

10. Tea can be enjoyed year-round, any day of the week, hot or cold.

Cheers! Thanks for joining me today. I enjoyed our tea together. Hope to see you next week for 

Tea Party Tuesday.

In the meanwhile, Go Jillian and Teddy!

 

~Nancy Jill  

Sharing is caring - please share on the sites below. Thank you! 

Tea Party Tuesday

Special on the menu today - Starbucks Vanilla Bean Scones.

Click for the Recipe!

One of my favorite things to do with my granddaughters is having afternoon tea. We drink tea at their house (they live in California, I live in Texas), throw tea parties for the neighborhood kids, and visit tea rooms in the Bay Area.

I highly recommend the Camellia Tea Room in Benecia, California where my granddaughter and I visited. On a nice day they serve tea outside in front of the shop. We especially enjoy the variety of tea choices and find it hard to resist buying some to take home. Be sure and call for reservations if you plan to go.

Have you noticed a resurgence in the interest in afternoon tea? (Besides the political tea party, I mean.) I have. Business people are choosing afternoon tea meetings instead of the proverbial lunch and many cozy mysteries are based on tea. Laura Childs, for one, writes the Tea Shop Mysteries.

Click if you want to check it out.

Pinterest, a popular social network, is full of tea images that I find hard to resist. It seems I'm always looking for more images and sites to add to my Afternoon Tea board. I'd love to have you follow my pins. 

While you're there, you might want to check out the other boards I created. There is one for my Jillian and Teddy Books and if you scroll down you'll find a board for each individual book. 

Every story I write has afternoon tea included. I hope you take advantage of reading  Book 1 "Murder in Half Moon Bay" as a free gift.

My Free Gift to You

This is my way of introducing readers to The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series where I get to write about the lovely places I've been and the afternoon teas I've enjoyed, along with a good whodunnit, of course!

Thank you for joining me today. It was such a pleasure!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday, dear readers. Let me pour you a nice cup of hot tea.

Milk? Sugars? 

Today I'm serving Lemon Lift. I find it refreshing and appropriate for Spring!

 

The photo above is from Hotel Granduca in Houston. The article I found on their site was about the History of Afternoon Tea and Tea Etiquette 101. I was familiar with the facts but differed on one point. 

When I visited England, I was told milk was added first, then the tea and sugar. The tradition was based on trying to prevent the cup from cracking. The milk acted as a buffer for the hot tea.

What are your thoughts?

Please have a sandwich. I don't care for smoked salmon but the cucumber one looks good. What are your favorites?

Last week I took a rest from writing the first draft of "The Long Trip Home" but will now start the rewrite, adding more description and detail.

This past weekend, my husband and I made a visit to San Antonio to see our daughter and plan the next Jillian Bradley Mystery. Holly helped choose names for the characters, which was a great help.

Let's try the scones. I love to spread them with lemon curd and clotted cream, but strawberry jam or orange marmalade are lovely, too.

 

May I refill your cup?

The pastries look delicious!

I hope you had a good week. Thanks for joining me today - it was a pleasure to have you.

See you next week!

~Nancy Jill

How I Went From Housewife to Author

I stepped into the author boat in 2010 and have been rowing hard ever since. This video was made to share at the upcoming Art and Author Fair at the Georgetown Library.  If you'll be in the Austin, Texas area on that day, please mark your calendars to attend. I'd love to meet you! 

I'd really appreciate you sharing this post on Google + and all your social networks. The share buttons are at the end. Thank you! 

 

Have an awesome week, my friends!

~Nancy Jill

May 10, 2014, 1:00 to 5:00 PM

Georgetown Public Library, 

402 W. 8th St. Georgetown, Texas 78626

Treat yourself to an afternoon of art, acting, music, wine, and great books. Meet local artists and authors who make the world come alive as we “look in the book”.

Featuring

Central Texas Authors

Dramatic Readings by Sun City AcTAG

Exclusive literary-based Art & Photography by Texas artists

Music by The Sun City Mountain Dulcimers, 

Two-Day Suitcase, & Ron Braley Renaissance Lute 

Keynote Speaker Rhiannon Frater

Refreshments & Spirits

Free for all

The Story Behind Teddy

As some of you may have already guessed, many authors use their imagination to come up with characters for their stories like I did with Jillian's companion, Teddy. Here's how it happened.

Since living in the Bay Area of California has always been one of the most expensive places to buy a house, we rented for the first twelve years of our daughter's life. Like most children, Holly wanted a dog in the worst way and begged us to get her one. We promised when we bought a house we'd buy her a puppy.

The very week we moved into our new home, Holly began her search online for the perfect puppy, and soon found one - a female Maltese in Florida. After two flights, Chloe arrived in Oakland where we picked her up in Cargo at the airport. She pranced out of her crate and into our hearts.

But there was a problem - Chloe's food did not arrive with her. She wouldn't eat any dog food we bought, began to lose weigh and grew lethargic. The vet suggested Pedialite to keep our precious puppy hydrated and wished us luck.

That night our luck changed when my husband brought home Taco Bell for dinner. Our son, Michael, offered Chloe a bit of cheese from his Cheesy Gordita Crunch, and Chloe ate it. Then he offered her bits of lettuce, meat, and tortilla, and she liked that too and began to perk up. From that day forward, we fed Chloe a diet of ground meat, veggies, fruit and grains which she eats to this day.

When I created the character of Teddy, I modeled his diet after Chloe's. The tricks and commands Jillian teaches her little companion are the ones I taught Chloe.

When readers ask why I don't use a Maltese for his character, I tell them that Chloe was simply too heavy for the tote -- too much good food, I guess. Fortunately, my neighbor had a handsome little Yorkie the entire neighborhood loves. When it came time to make my author photo, I borrowed Romeo (and his owner to care for him) for the shoot.

He was such a good boy! The little fella posed for so many shots, at one point he fell asleep in my arms. My friend rewarded him for his good behavior with a peanut butter flavored chew toy which he got stuck in his fur.  

And so the antics of Teddy began. You can start following Jillian and Teddy's adventures by reading Book 1 Murder in Half Moon Bay - my free ebook gift to you. 

Amazon,  Kobo, Nook, and Smashwords

Have a wonderful week, dear readers.

~Nancy Jill

Hickey and Prentice - No, That's Not a Trapeze Act

Cynthia Hickey

Multi-published author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries published through Barbour Publishing, with a novella releasing in March 2013. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013 and 2014 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

Candice Prentice

Candice Prentice is the author of Murder in the Milk Case, Band Room Bash, and Kitty Litter Killer(Print, Barbour Publishing, 2005-2006), andMayhem in Maryland—a cozy compilation (Print, Barbour Publishing, 2008). She also co-authored three romances published in 2010 by Barbour. In 2013, MacGregor Literary Agency re-released Candice’s cozies as e-books. You can find out more about them here.

Candice lives in Maryland with her husband and Jack the Whiney Dog, who is the subject of many of her personal blog articles. She reads and researches for fun and especially enjoys medical history, which explains her collection of antique medical bottles and memorabilia.    

Candice Speare Prentice

Intriguing Stories. . .Inspiring Hope. . .Finding Joy in Restoration

Represented by: Sandra Bishop at MacGregor Literary

My website: www.candiceprentice.com

Find me on Facebook

Enjoy!

~Nancy Jill

Justice - Jillian Bradley Takes it Personally

When asked, "What are your books about?" I often say, "In six words or less - Gardening columnist and Yorkie solve homicides."

True. But intrinsically speaking in all of the books Jillian Bradley seeks justice.





 
Justice for her conference associate and those Jillian finds murdered in connection in Book 1 "Murder in Half Moon Bay."

Justice for her colleague suspected of murder and for the victim's mother in Book 2 "The Ghost Orchid Murder."


Justice for an amnesia victim caught in a crime web in Book 3 "From the Clutches of Evil."

Justice for victims suffering from grief in Book 4 "The Mark of Eden."

Justice for Jillian's nephew arrested for the murders 
of a mother and daughter and justice for them in Book 5 "Pacific Beach."

Justice for several victims killed around Christmas Eve in Book 6 "Waiting for Santa."

And justice for a swindled victim, the death of her husband, and the murder of a London police officer in Book 7 "The Ruby of Siam."

 







To get started in the series Book 1 "Murder in Half Moon Bay" is free on Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords. Books 2-7 are only $3.99. Not a bad price for reading stories about justice. Please visit the Books page to order.

I hope you'll give the books a try and cheer Jillian and Teddy on as they seek justice along their journeys.

Have an awesome week, dear readers!

~Nancy Jill