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

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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 - 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

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

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

People are Asking - What is the order of your books?

Yes, the number of books in the Jillian Bradley Mystery Series is piling up! I think it's time to post them in order so you won't miss anything that happens with the characters during Jillian's adventures.
Thank you for joining us - Go Jillian and Teddy!

Book 1

"Murder in Half Moon Bay"

Book 2

"The Ghost Orchid Murder"

Book 3

"From the Clutches of Evil"

Book 4

"The Mark of Eden"

Book 5

"Pacific Beach"

Book 6

"Waiting for Santa"

Book 7

"The Ruby of Siam"

Book 8 (Coming 2014)

"The Long Trip Home"

A Christmas Letter

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December 2013 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

From the posts on Facebook and tweets on Twitter I notice almost an equal amount of joy and pain. If you and your family are experiencing joy I rejoice with you. For those who are going through trials I pray that God will see you through. He has certainly seen my family, friends, and I through 2013.

   As a perfectionist my goal this year has been to rewrite the books in the Jillian Bradley mystery series. Tonight at the stroke of midnight I will have succeeded.
   Next year I look forward to the launch of Book 8 "The Long Trip Home." I hope you will add it to your reading list and find out what happens next to Jillian and Teddy. It's going to be quite an adventure! 

   For my fellow authors I wish great writing success in 2014. My wish for you, dear readers, is a prosperous and happy new year. Thank you for your readership. See you in January - I hope you have a lovely holiday season.

Love and Warm Wishes,

   ~Nancy Jill Thames

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