It's a Mystery! Live Podcast

YouTube

Get some insight into Nancy Jill Thames' books...and her little dog, too!

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 * Cate Winslet Sets the Stage in "Titanic"

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

This photo of Cate Winslet in "Titanic" to me sets the stage for what afternoon tea is all about. Taking a much needed break in the afternoon, enjoying the warm goodness of aromatic tea, and fortifying one's self with a delicious snack to see us through until dinner.

Whenever I see photos like this I want to dress prettier, always wear makeup, and BE Cate Winslet -- don't you?

Perhaps we all can't be movie stars, but we can do things to make us feel like them.

Please have a sandwich.

The books I write are a way of preserving the fond memories I shared with my Garden Club friends. Every week we would gather, do a craft, enjoy a luncheon at our hostess' home (or go out for lunch or tea), and resume our craft projects until it was time for afternoon tea. Our parties ended when it was time to pick up the children from school.

May I refill your cup?

Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake," due out the first part of November begins with such a gathering in the home of Jillian's friend, Ann Fieldman as they celebrate Jillian's birthday. Details of her Costa Rica trip to visit Dr. Vincent Fontaine are revealed, and a trip to Lake Placid, New York leads Jillian and her friends to help discover the murderer of the executive chef at the Mirror Lake Inn. Of course, Teddy is instrumental in uncovering an important clue in the case.

Pastry?

If you haven't read any of the Jillian Bradley mystery series you may want to start with Book 1 "Murder in Half Moon Bay" available as a free ebook on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. Click the link to download your free copy. Thanks for giving the books a try! 

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

It was delightful to have you. See you next week.

Cheers!

            

~Nancy Jill

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

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

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

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

Back Home in Clover Hills...from "Murder in Half Moon Bay"

This is the final chapter from "Murder in Half Moon Bay." I hope you enjoyed the story. 

CHAPTER 25

“That was a delicious meal, Jillian.” The chief laid his fork down across his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin, a true gentleman.

The rest of the guests joined in with high praises of their own.

I smiled.

“I thought it would be fun to do the Indian fare–it’s one of my favorites.”

I loved it when people enjoyed my hospitality.

Teddy sauntered off to his dog bed, ready for his day to end.

“I can’t believe it’s already been a week since we’ve seen each other.” Margaret sipped her lemon water. “I’ve barely seen Frank because he’s been so busy with the Westover case.”

“It was pretty involved, but we finally have enough concrete evidence to bring Thomas to trial for sentencing. The sad thing is, Thomas might be happier in prison rather than spending the rest of his life with his cantankerous wife.”

Several chuckles reverberated around the room, but people tried to keep as straight-faced as possible.

“Perhaps that’s why he confessed.” Margaret chimed in.

Now no one could hold back. We all had a good laugh.

“Why don’t we have some dessert and you can tell us all about it, Chief. There’s chocolate cinnamon torte or pecan pie with whipped cream.”

“May we have both?” Ann grinned. “Small slices?”

We laughed and I took everyone’s orders for dessert. Margaret insisted on helping me clear the table.

After everyone had their dessert choice, I poured coffee and passed around the cream and sugar.

Ann couldn’t wait to hear what really happened with Thomas Westover. Nicole and Dominique seemed subdued, but I could tell in their eyes they wanted to know what happened as much as Ann and I did.

“I think you’d better start with Spencer Hausman since that’s where I left them, Chief.”

The chief had just taken a bite of his torte, but after a sip of coffee, began where I had left off.

“According to Thomas, Spencer would have been a dead man no matter which way he turned. We know the mob was after him for the unpaid gambling debt because of the thug in the Camry showing up.

“Meanwhile, the terrorists, rattled by Regina’s death, figured they had better get rid of any evidence linked to them before they hit the road. They assumed Spencer Hausman knew of their activities because his name was on the plagiarized articles. They weren’t taking any chances. They wanted him eliminated just in case.

 “On the night Spencer was murdered, he had gone to the Westovers’ office to siphon off more funds from The Venus Flytrap. He must have been desperate by then, knowing that the mob was after him. When he accidentally came across a link to the bioterrorists in the file, he thought he could blackmail Thomas into giving him even more money to keep him quiet.

“Thomas agreed to meet him and then called Jillian to set her up. He figured he would take care of her nosing around and Spencer at the same time. Thomas met Spencer and shot him.

“Thomas had Lewis Ibarra set up Teddy to be kidnapped to keep Jillian from prying, but it only made her more determined to find out who did it.”

“It was Lewis Ibarra, the hotel manager?” Dominique sounded incredulous.

“Oh, yes. And unfortunately, Dr. Nagera paid with his life to help us get that information. I’m sorry, Dominique, I know he was a friend of your family. But if it hadn’t been for Dr. Nagera’s help, we would have had a hard time trying to figure out who was working with Thomas from inside the hotel. Dr. Nagera was a brave man.

“We checked with Walter who remembered Ibarra was working when he wasn’t scheduled, which was very unusual. Ibarra probably made the call to Jillian, or made the key for the kidnapper to use.

“Jillian guessed the perpetrator kidnapped Teddy because she was getting close, so she scrutinized what she knew even further to catch them. That’s when we put our heads together and figured out, by process of elimination, that no one else involved had the motive, means, or opportunity to carry out such heinous murders.

“When we talked to the FBI agent and listened to the information he had on Regina, the Anatolias, Dr. Grant and the Westovers, we surmised it had to be one of the Westovers. We didn’t know which one until we brought Evelyn in for questioning to see what her reaction would be.

“She cooperated fully and gave us enough information to show us it had to be her husband. When we confronted him, he denied murdering Regina vehemently. He said we had no proof. However, there was proof.

“Evelyn provided it indirectly for us.”

The chief stopped to drink some coffee I had just warmed up.

“When we questioned Evelyn, she told us what really happened. She woke up to use the bathroom the night of the murder, right after Thomas had slipped out of bed. She knew then what she had suspected all along–Thomas must be having an affair. She also figured it had to be Regina.

“She pretended to be asleep when he came back and she could tell he was not himself. She waited until morning. After the news of Regina’s murder hit, Evelyn knew Thomas had done it. She decided to remain silent, knowing a wife couldn’t be forced to testify against her husband.

 “After she suspected Thomas, she went to her office, closed the door and perused the books more carefully–looking for evidence of Thomas’ adultery. She found what she wasn’t looking for–The Venus Flytrap account.

 “She called the police anonymously and tipped them off about Thomas’ business. It was a little cold of her, but she wasn’t going down with her husband.”

I took up the story after I refilled everyone’s coffee. “Thomas thought he would be safe going to Regina’s room that night. Evelyn wore earplugs, and usually took a sedative, but since she’d had a few drinks, Thomas thought he’d be safe in slipping out to go to Regina.

“Everything was ready. He couldn’t wait until morning to tell Regina that he’d made all the plans to leave Evelyn. He let himself in with a key that Lewis had made for him. When Thomas told Regina of his plans, she laughed. That’s when he killed her.

“I told the chief that I suspected the book we found in Regina’s brief case inscribed ‘all my love’ was one of the two I saw Hugh Porter sign for Thomas when I stood in line in back of him at Hugh’s signing.”

“They were Thomas’ prints all right.” The chief sounded satisfied. “His DNA will also likely be confirmed when we get the tests back from the lab. It will prove he was the last person to see her alive.”

I added, “Thomas had plenty of time after he played a round of golf that afternoon to stop by Regina’s room for a rendezvous. I heard them. I just didn’t know it was Thomas.”

***

It was getting late, and the chief stood, saying he had a big day tomorrow.

Margaret stood with her husband.

“He’s taking me away for the weekend to get a little rest and relaxation.”

I insisted on doing the dishes myself and began walking my guests to the front door.

“You know, I actually feel sorry for Evelyn Westover,” Nicole remarked, as I helped her on with her jacket. “She lost her son, and now, she’s losing her husband.”

The chief nodded. “I tend to agree with you, especially in light of the fact that Thomas confessed to having their son’s girlfriend meet with a deadly accident.

“He also confessed to murdering Katherine Anatolia when she wanted out. He really came unglued in the end. I think everything he’d done finally caught up with him.”

“Confession is good for the soul, they say.” Nicole sounded sad.

After saying goodnight to everyone I thought about the terrorists who still lurk, plotting to do harm. I knew we had to be vigilant and remain on the alert, or one day–they would succeed!  

  

Not the End

If you like to read about lovely places and fabulous cuisine, enjoy the Jillian Bradley mystery series. Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY for your e-reader is free! 

All books are G-rated and contain no profanity.

Kindle  Nook  Smashwords  Kobo

  See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames has published Christian fiction since 2010. The author of seven books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List. In addition, she won first place in her church's 4th of July celebration 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 personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers' Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW),  CenTex Chapter-ACFW, and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. She resides with her husband in Leander, Texas.

CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com