Love the Long Weekends - I Think...

By Nancy Jill Thames

Yes, we're having fun this long holiday weekend... entertaining family with home cooked food, watching fireworks, and having a reason for cleaning the house are good things. Except I think I like reading about how Jillian Bradley goes about having fun better. Here's the reason: I leave out most of the physical pain in my stories - in real life, I feel the repercussions of actually doing the work preparing for the fun. I look at it this way, if you're like me, I want to get away from aches and pains, not read about them. However, in order to create realism an author must write about pain.

Excerpt from Book 3 FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL

Taking out a book from her large tote, along with a small thermos, which I assumed was filled with coffee, Nurse Evans set them on the table. Smiling, she put her purse on the floor beside her medical bag.

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     “Now, please don’t worry about anything,” she reassured me. “I’ll peek in on him every thirty minutes to make sure he’s all right. Doctor Peters briefed me on his condition. I know what to do, so you run along to your party and leave him to me. I have a grandson his age.”

     Relieved, I took a deep breath and descended the stairs. One minute left before the first guest was to arrive. Okay, think festive…excited. This would be difficult.

     What was I doing getting involved like this? No, Jillian, helping this boy is the right thing to do. Right thing... right thing? I silently prayed to get through this evening calmly. Breathe. Exhaustion set in. The calmness didn’t come so easily. 

Notice how I only mention: Exhaustion set in. I don't elaborate because I believe most people reading the book have experienced exhaustion. More importantly is the sentence that follows: The calmness didn't come so easily. This sentence creates tension for the heroine trying to solve Luke's identity.

To read more, you may want to get out the book. 

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend celebrating the birthday of our amazing country.

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her chocolate cream pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild, the American Christian Fiction Writers, CenTex Chapter of ACFW and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com

 Nancy Jill is busy working on Book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.

Enjoy Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY as an ebook for free!

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4 Ways to Preserve Memories

By Nancy Jill Thames

How many of you still make jam? When I was a young housewife, my garden club friends and I enjoyed making peach or strawberry preserves - especially in the summertime. We'd tie on handmade aprons and spend the day sterilizing jars and cooking up batches of sweet fruit with a little sugar and pectin. After the fruit was thick, we ladled it into the jars and sealed them in hot water baths. What a triumph to divvy up the days work and take our share home. Making homemade ice-cream was a lot of fun, too. 

Now those days are only a memory. How to hold on to such wonderful times? I figure there are four ways.

 





1. Think about them once in a while and smile to yourself.

2. Put photos of memories in a scrapbook to peruse now and then.

3.Talk to your family and friends about the good 'ol days. Or,

4. Write a book.

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Our family enjoys wonderful holidays together - especially Christmas. "Waiting for Santa" was written with fond memories of our family traditions that continue to this day. Not only does the book preserve memories for me, now others who enjoyed those traditions can hold on to them as well. 

After five books in the series, I felt it was time for Jillian Bradley to fall in love in "Waiting for Santa," which she does, only with two different men. And, as the ending suggests, the story isn't over yet! 

I hope you enjoy reading about our traditions. Maybe it will inspire you to preserve a few of your own in some special way. Have a wonderful week, dear readers.

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her Chocolate Cream Pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren in two states, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales.

nd. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jillthames@gmail.com

Meet Goliath the Cat in "The Mark of Eden"

GOLIATH

Teddy, Jillian's Yorkie, is an important character in the series. Having friends for Jillian's pet is a good way to add to the story, especially for all the pet lovers out there. In "The Mark of Eden" Goliath appears as an adopted stray in the home of Chief Frank Viscuglia. Margaret, his wife, invites Jillian and Teddy to stay with them in Half Moon Bay as the two investigate the disappearance of a dear friend. Teddy must co-exist with the huge cat as a house guest. Read the book to find out how they get along.

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The idea for Goliath came from an incident that happened to my father when I was a teen. Loving cats the way I did, I was always bringing home strays. Unfortunately my dad was allergic so he'd wind up carrying them off and depositing them in the country.

One cat was dropped off not too far from the Air Force base where my dad worked. The next morning the same cat sat on my dad's desk, waiting for him. I believe one of his colleagues took the poor thing and gave it a home. The idea found it's way into "The Mark of Eden" only the cat shows up on Chief Viscuglia's desk. If you like cats, you might enjoy the read. Have any of you ever experienced cats or dogs finding you after you've tried to distance them? I'd love to hear your story. Have a great weekend, dear readers.

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her Chocolate Cream Pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren in two states, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales.

Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London, England. To learn more about the author and check out her books, please visit her blog at  

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jillthames@gmail.com

To view and purchase her books on this site, please visit the Cozy Book Store.

A SETTING FOR MURDER

HAY GRAPPLER AT THE OLD MERCANTILE

SUNOL JAZZ CAFE

I always found the tiny, tucked away town of Sunol, California mysterious. Sunol's main attraction was and still is its Jazz Cafe, a gathering place for the locals. I renamed the town "Canyon Grove" and then imagined a body, grasped in the clutches of the hay loader, suspended from the old warehouse roof, and concocted the story. Jillian finds herself solving this mystery not at a resort, but very close to her own home. When she gets into dire trouble, Teddy plays the part of the hero. 

Christmas – the busiest time of the year! And on top of everything, Jillian is throwing an engagement party for two dear friends. But on a final errand before the party begins Jillian witnesses a horrific car crash and notices two witnesses leaving the scene of the accident. She and Teddy pull a survivor from the wreckage, and together they attempt to solve the mystery of the amnesia victim, a 17-year-old boy she and Teddy take under their wing. After one of the witnesses is found brutally murdered, 

SCENE OF THE CRIME

Jillian discovers an ominous connection between the boy and a string of heinous murders in a nearby remote farming community. And when Jillian stumbles across a mysterious compound, she is determined to unlock old family secrets to solve the mystery of his identity even though taking the risk creates the ultimate test for her and Teddy's survival. 

Get your copy today! 

"From the Clutches of Evil"

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 Thank you for your readership!

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of "Jillian Bradley Mysteries," Christian fiction based on travel adventures with her husband. The stories reflect Nancy Jill's love of art and serving afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller's List and won awards for her blogs. Nancy Jill is a Texas Longhorn, having earned her degree from The University of Texas in Austin, where she resides. The author donates 10% of book sales to the Central Texas SPCA-a no kill animal shelter.

Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" due out in 2013.

Member of the Leander Writers Guild.