Tea Party Tuesday ~ Birds of a Feather

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday. Please enjoy a nice cup of tea as we share a little time together.

Tea etiquette suggests talking of only positive things. So even though some of us (including myself) have faced challenges this week, things have a way of working out. That's the sage advice my mom has given me. The mere words "working out" gives hope for solutions.

I pray whatever situations you find yourself in - good or bad - you'll know that celebrating or working on the solutions with the help and support of family and friends brings us all together as frail humans.

Thank you for all your prayers and support dealing with my mom this past few weeks. Today, she's getting a pacemaker - working on a solution to her heart stopping.

Love and hugs to all you dear readers.

~Nancy Jill 

My dear mom and me.

Victory Over Struggles!

By Nancy Jill Thames

The struggles of being an author simply fly out the window when we receive five-star reviews like this one. Thank you Margie Jessie of Washington, USA for taking the time to submit your comments. Readers like you make writing worthwhile. 

Here's what Margie says: Murder in Half Moon Bay, May 22, 2013

By 

Margie Jessie (Washington, USA)

This is the first time I have read any Nancy Jill Thames writings. Thoroughly enjoyable. She holds your attention and your interest with the twists and turns, makes it hard to put down. Jillian Bradley truly comes to life with her partner (and adorable dog) Teddy. The descriptions of the areas and people makes them all real.
I have purchased more of her books and I know I will enjoy each one as I did the Murder in Half Moon Bay. 

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 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 for free!

Amazon Paperback $8.09
Kindle FREE!
Barnes and Nobel $8.99/Nook Book $2.99
FREE on Smashwords and Kobo!

PLUG IN FOR POWER

Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could plug ourselves in and recharge? For electrical devices we use chargers, for electronics we simply plug the cord into a socket. What about you and me though, especially on Monday mornings? Exercise, good nutrition and rest are important, however there's more. For me, goals are my main motivation. Wired that way I suppose, but it's not a bad thing. What about you? Is Monday your favorite day of the week? Only when I feel in control of my to-do list do I ever look forward to the first day of the work week. 
     Today was tough to get started, feeling overwhelmed with self-imposed deadlines to get "Waiting for Santa" edited for my great Beta Reader Team to peruse. Coupled with everyday tasks, I wanted to run away to Hawaii and veg. Instead, I put one foot in front of the other, made breakfast for my wonderful hubby, threw together a crock pot of chili beans and cleaned off the Adirondack chairs on the patio. Okay, I feel a little energy coming. Nope, went away again. Maybe if I sit and  read something inspirational and pray for God to give me strength...yep! That did it! Perfect scriptures from Isaiah now have me up and running, doing this blog post for instance. Perfect. Sheets are washed, cookies baked and I feel the coffee kicking in! Now on to my list - only nine more things to go. Have a great week, my friends.

~Nancy Jill

SOMEONE BELIEVES IN YOU!

A MESSAGE ON MY HEART TO SOMEONE READING THIS POST TODAY. LIFTING YOU UP FOR HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT, MY FRIEND. ~NANCY JILL

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

If it was easy, everyone would do it...Think working toward your goal is difficult, fraught with hurdles and distractions? Great! You will succeed at whatever you've decided to accomplish. Hats off to a few people I admire this week: Scarlett Rains, for working hard getting reviews and spreading the word about her blog, Tonya Kappes, for getting her Street Team up and running while raising a family of three busy teens, and Terry Stark (Terry Tyler) for getting back up when she felt overwhelmed wearing all the hats of an indie author. Thank you for your inspiration! Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

HAVE COURAGE...

Ever have one of those days where you feel beaten down, deflated and have no energy? We all do. Besides getting some good food and rest, the only thing we can do is tell ourselves that we'll get back up on the horse tomorrow and try again. Most of the time our off days are related to bad weather or brain drain from over work. Isn't the word "tomorrow" lovely? Wishing all of you the courage to forget about the bad days and move into the good ones. Blessings on all of you, my friends.

R.I.P.

Here's a question for you: If you were to die right now, what would people remember about you? I asked myself that question and decided to become a novelist so my books would count as some achievement. Now, I'm too busy to even ask such a question! I believe our happiness comes, not from others, but from within ourselves. What are you doing to contribute to the world? I would really like to hear from you! Have a lovely day, my friends.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

To my friends all over the world: Whatever you're facing today, please join me with a smile. We could make a difference between someone staying discouraged or lifting someone up. (It might even be you!) Sending hugs and a smile your way. Please share!

 

NOT TO PLAN IS A PLAN TO FAIL

I truly believe that nothing is impossible. There are authors who have run circles around me publishing many more novels a year than I do. How do they do it? I know one thing they do. They plan. A timeline is crucial for completing any goal. It's the first step to seeing your dream come into focus and what an exciting one! My timeline for Book 6 in The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series "WAITING FOR SANTA" is set. My running shoes are on and the starting gun has fired. Nothing is impossible, but you must be willing to make a plan and then go for it! I hope you are going for whatever dream you have. Good luck on your journeys to all of you, dear friends!

WE CAN ALL RISE!

I felt my feathers burning yesterday. I actually came to a screeching halt after juggling edits on five books at the same time. I've stopped before. I'm sure we all have. Our minds and bodies can only take so much self-inflicted pressure before they just shut down! Aren't we fortunate to live in a time of fast food, frozen meals and deli-choices, like mashed potatoes and fried chicken? I call that looking on the bright side. I'll begin anew working with the material I have in my hands today and wait patiently for what I need to complete my projects. And like the phoenix, I'll rise with new life to conquer publishing my mystery series. Don't tell me that bird is a myth! Enjoy your weekend, dear friends.

REAL/VIRTUAL FRIENDS

If I'm feeling blue (which is rare for me), I find people who communicate their sentiments through the written word are far more sincere than someone verbally throwing a tired cliche my way. Those of you who responded to my last post about the ups and downs of being an author encouraged me so much and I wanted to thank you. Despite the fact that our tear ducts no longer produce as much fluid as they should for healthy eyesight, due to staring at our computer screens for most of the day, I must say that I enjoy being with all of you virtually and count you as friends, especially when you care enough to give me encouragement when I need it. I for one believe most of us try to put our best foot forward when we post and tweet, and I think it makes for a lovely world, albeit a virtual one. Do you have more friends online or off?

HURDLES AND HURRAHS

 

This picture expresses how I felt coming home from San Diego this afternoon. I was flying high meeting new readers, handing out cards and basking in the attention of being an author. Hurrah for me! Then I hit a hurdle. One that's been hounding me since I began publishing my books. I need more help with my writing, and I need to hire someone to help me. Big hurdle! But I can still jump over it and keep in the race. One doesn't come to a hurdle and just stop. No. One figures out a way to either jump over it or go around it and move on. That's what I intend to do. One day,  I'll look back and remember the hurdles and know I deserve the hurrahs. Have a positive and productive day, my friends, and keep jumping over your hurdles!

HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

As I scan posts and tweets all day long I notice two things: Either the poster or tweeter is happy about something, or they're venting about something. Sometimes the vents are warranted as a grief is shared or a is request made. But the posts and tweets I love to read are the ones that share victories, great or small, and noteworthy items such as encouraging quotes or inspirational videos. Uplifting words and photos make me feel like my glass is always at least half full, and many times filled to overflowing.  Keep them coming, dear friends. You know who you are!

P. S. If you haven't taken advantage of getting a free Kindle copy of my 3rd book FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL, please click the link on the slideshow in the upper right hand corner and get the download. Book 3 is a free thank you gift (a $3.99 value) for all my mystery lover friends. I hope you enjoy the story.

YOU! YES, YOU!

How are you feeling today? Got a cold? Flu? Doesn't matter! Everyone gets sick occasionally and it's never fun. But it ends. And when it does, the only thing holding you back from reaching your dreams and goals is you! Yes, you! I love the idea that most of our negative reasoning comes from thoughts that we've invented and are simply not true! Just for today, rid yourself of every excuse to be negative and focus instead of everything that you can do to make this a productive day. (Unless, of course, you have a cold or the flu!) Come on everyone! Be grateful for all the things going right for you and ignore the things that aren't; you've probably invented them anyway. Join me for a lovely, productive day and together, lets' see what happens!

TWEET AND RE-TWEET

I did a tweet today that was re-tweeted to 75,000 followers. After I thanked the gentleman and added a note of appreciation, he re-tweeted my note to his 75,000 followers once again. I went to another site and voted in a poll, stating my opinion and mentioning that I wrote murder mysteries. The host of the site posted my book link to all of her fans and I gained even more exposure which resulted in a lovely spike in sales which enabled me to reach my monthly sales goal early on. Finding readers who enjoy my books is so rewarding. Knowing so many people bought my books today made me very happy, and all the work I put into my craft so worthwhile. A lovely feeling, indeed. So when you have an opportunity to pass something beneficial along, don't hesitate. You just might make someone's day very special, like someone did for me today. I'm so grateful to both of them.