Tea Party Tuesday ~ A New Year Begins!

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! Today, I'm featuring morning coffee instead of afternoon tea simply because today it's where I am on my journey into the new year. 

Every so often my friend Laurel and I meet at her house for coffee and chit chat. She provides the coffee and I provide the goodie. We both then provide the chit chat! These mini raspberry coffee cakes from Walmart were perfect for us weight conscious gals.

After telling my friend about the tumultuous experience moving my mother into assisted living (never easy), she shared about her new life for the next two years house and dog sitting for her son while he and his family move to Singapore. Wonderful how things work out. Although they'll be missed, the little family won't have to worry about things back home with Laurel in charge.

And that's the way things go. My father had a saying - "There's nothing more certain than change." How true in my life and Laurel's too. What about you this year? Will you be doing the same things in 2015 as you did in 2014? I hope you will have enough to do to keep busy, but still have time for a little fun. One thing I've decided to do for sure after moving my mom - I'm going to start collecting things I love on Pinterest boards instead of buying them and trying to find a place to store them. Like this teapot to my china - it's only $1,099.00 on Replacements Limited! 

Thanks for joining me today on Tea Party Tuesday. Happy New Year!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday's Top Ten Gift Ideas for Cozy Mystery Lovers

 

For those of you who like to do their holiday shopping online as I do, here are some great  gift ideas for readers on your list. All books are G-Rated and contain no profanity - just good whodunits! Books are written in a series but can be stand-alone.

FOR ADDED FUN, TEDDY (JILLIAN'S SIDEKICK AND SLEUTH-DOG) APPEARS IN EVERY BOOK - MOST OF THE TIME WITH A NEW FRIEND OF HIS OWN.

1. If you want to give your reader an oceanside stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel with all the amenities (plus a little gossip), give them a copy of

"Murder in Half Moon Bay." $10.99

2. For readers who enjoy gorgeous sunsets or insight into endangered species, a mystery set at Sanctuary Spa Camelback Mountain might make a good gift. Give them a copy of  "The Ghost Orchid Murder." $13.99

3. To experience a bit of early California history in the Bay Area along with a heart-warming story, give them the Christmas adventure of "From the Clutches of Evil." $9.99

4. Does your reader like whale-watching, Waikiki Beach, or perhaps a cruise to Catalina Island? Then they  might  enjoy 

"The Mark of Eden." $11.99

5. For a visit to San Diego complete with Jillian's family reunion at a five-star oceanfront hotel you might want to give a copy of 
"Pacific Beach." $10.99

 6. For Christmas lovers and those on your list who enjoy a bit of romance "Waiting for Santa" $10.99 might be just the thing. 










7. A London adventure awaits in "The Ruby of Siam" and ends with Jillian's wedding.  $10.99

8. A terrible tragedy causes Jillian to come to the defense of a friend accused of murder in "The Long Trip Home." $8.99

9. In "Murder at Mirror Lake,"Jillian's garden club friends decide she needs a girl's getaway to view the fall color in New England, but when the head chef where they're staying is murdered, Jillian and her friends must help defend the accused son of a dear friend. $9.99

10. Another suggestion is "A Cup of Cozy," a free e-book gift on Amazon and Smashwords to you from the authors of Cozy Mystery Magazine. A collection of short stories, recipes, and introductions to author's works.






Along with the first addition, why not give "A Cup of Cozy 2" to those on your list who love holiday mysteries, menus and mirth? A collection of six new short stories by the authors of COZY MYSTERY MAGAZINE. $2.99

If you can't decide which book to buy for those on your list consider giving them the entire series. (Under $99 + SH) They'll love reading about the adventures of Jillian and her sidekick, Teddy, as they help solve homicides which fall across their path. Amazon.com

There you have it! Ten holiday gift ideas for everyone who enjoys a good whodunit cozy mystery, or animal mystery. Happy shopping, dear readers!

  See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Tea Party Tuesday ~ Getting Ready for the Holidays

Hello everyone - welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! Please join me for a nice cup of tea and some refreshments. Don't these jam tarts and pecan tassies look delicious?

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner and for many of you Black Friday, too, I've decided to offer my first book "Murder in Half Moon Bay" as a free gift. You can download it now to read later when you're ready for a break during the hectic holidays. (Or January perhaps?)

Download Your Free Gift Here!

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.

Please feel free to share this offer with anyone who might enjoy a cozy mystery. Thank you! 

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving full of blessings with friends and family this year.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill 

Tea Party Tuesday ~ A TV Series On the Horizon?

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. Milk? Sugars? My heroine and I take three sugars. I know, it's excessive, but it does taste good! 

Excessive is a word I now refer to when describing the voices in my head. They're constantly suggesting new characters and plots. All I can do to quiet them is create a title and register the ISBN numbers. Yesterday, the voices told me to write Book 11 "Murder at the Met," a story about the murder of a virtuoso in New York City.

What I need is a screenwriter!

Do you know of any? Please comment if you do. I think Jillian and Teddy's adventures would be fun to watch!

Please have some refreshments. And let me reheat your tea.

Of course I do have help from my husband and son who whisper plots in our everyday conversation. They're incorrigible! Especially my son, Michael, who will even go so far as to give me a pendant with a key on it for my birthday with a card that says, "Here is a key Jillian finds. What does it unlock?"

I love them. But little do they realize that if and when a screenwriter comes knocking, I'm pointing him or her in the direction of my voices. 

Cheers! 

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - Fall ~ A Perfect Time for Tea

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday - I'm so glad you've joined me. Let me pour you a nice cup of tea.

Milk? Sugars? Do have some snacks.

Now that the kiddies are back in school, many of us can sit back and relax. Days are shorter, nights are longer, and things seem cozier in general.

To me, fall and winter are never long enough. Sitting by a crackling fire sipping tea, well, it doesn't get any better for a lot of us.

Especially if you're a reader!

This fall two new books are coming on the market that I think you'll enjoy.

"A CUP OF COZY 2" is the latest anthology from the authors of Cozy Mystery Magazine. You'll not only find cozy holiday stories showcasing our styles, but also holiday menus and recipes from each author.

Book 9 "Murder at Mirror Lake" is also due to launch. Jillian and her garden club friends take a fall trip to upstate New York only to find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation of an executive chef. A fun whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the end.

Lots of great reading coming up! I can't wait.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday * A Toast To Betas

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! I would like to raise a toast to my wonderful 
Beta Reader Team: 
Barbara Babcock
Tom Biggs (my wonderful brother)
Deborah Fox Belissio
Roxanne Day
Sid Frost
Brenda Burke Johnson
Donna Montgomery (who's been with me from the very first book!)
Gale O'Brien
Michelle Tucker Reed
Maxine Rohde
Shanan Shepherd
Ted Thames (my sweet husband) and
Karen Timmermann

These eagle eye readers will take the rough draft of Book 9 "Murder At Mirror Lake"

and make notes of suggested changes to enhance the work. Their input is invaluable to an indie author such as myself. As a thank you, I'll be sending them a signed copy when the book is hot off the press. Betas such as these often write the first reviews, helping to successfully launch a book.

So a huge thank you, Betas, as we begin this undertaking. Your input is most appreciated.

                     Cheers!

                    ~Nancy Jill

 

Tea Party Tuesday * Rosita, the Red Hibiscus

"Rosita-September 2014"

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! I'm so glad you've joined me today. Let me pour you a nice cup of tea and we'll chat a while. Milk? Sugars?

Rosita is my husband's red hibiscus. He's raised her from a tiny plant one foot high. Since we live in Texas, where it's hot, hot, and hotter, I only allowed him one plant to care for.

Seriously, one is all he really has time for. But then he talked me into letting him buy a small Easter cactus family that he named "La Familia."

At least "La Familia" is low-maintenance.


Not Rosita.

Oh, no. Not her. You see, if left outside, Rosita would freeze her little roots off with the first cold front in November. The solution?

We must move her inside like we did last year. Only now, Rosita is twice the size she was last year and will occupy most of our morning room.

Still, she's therapy for my husband, so letting her live another year is the least I can do.

He compliments her.

He checks her soil to make sure it's moist.

He prunes her faded blossoms and tells her how much he looks forward to her next rush of blossoms.

Sigh...if only he'd do the same for me.

Then again, I really can't blame him.

The difference between Rosita and me is only this -- she's silent.

Never says a word.

Never talks back, criticizes, or complains.

What's not to love?

I get it. Perhaps I should take a lesson from Rosita and keep silent once in a while.

Or, I could forget to bring her inside....

Do you winter over plants inside where you live? I'd love to hear about them. Thanks for joining me today. I had fun.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill 

Look for my new book "Murder at Mirror Lake" coming in November 2014.

When Jillian and her garden club friends decide to take a fall color tour in New England, they have no idea the resort they choose as home base will soon be a setting for murder. And more than one.

Who killed the hotel's head chef in his own kitchen and why? His cuisine was excellent but his personality left a bad taste. Together with Jillian's Yorkie companion Teddy, and the help her garden club, Jillian works with Lake Placid's top gun Police Chief Mark Taylor in uncovering the killer.

Tea Party Tuesday * Special Guest Leslie Matthews Stansfield

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! We're delighted today to have a special guest, author Leslie Matthews Stansfield, known as Lee by her friends. It's such a delight to have you join us today. Let me pour us some tea and we'll get started. Milk? Sugars? Please help yourself.
Thank you, Nancy Jill. It's a pleasure to be here.
Please have a sandwich. We have several kinds to try.
Thank you. They look delicious.
Please tell us about your new book, which I understand is part of a series.
 My new book, Mr. Tea and the Bobbin’ Body, is the second in the Madeline’s Teahouse series.  The series involves two sisters, Karen and Terry Sutter, who turned their childhood home into a teahouse after the death of their mother Madeline.   
What a wonderful idea!
They have a possibly psychic macaw named Mr. Tea who is prone to make outrageous comments.  
How fun.
 In this book, the sisters are involved in a high school reunion that suddenly turns deadly when one of the guests, a former football player, is found bludgeoned to death in the swimming pool. Terry's boyfriend, Detective Greg Mullins, and his partner, Tom O'Hara, are on the case. 
 Sounds full of mystery.
When another body turns up, Terry and Karen, along with two loveable seniors, Uncle Henry and Aunt Rose, who live next door, put their heads together to try and find the common thread. What they uncover is a terrifying story of brutality, revenge, deceit and old secrets that won't stay buried. 
Oh, my! I'm sure readers will find it fascinating.
Please have a pastry. I have to confess I bought these at a bakery.
They look wonderful!
Lee, it has been a pleasure to have you as our guest today. We look forward to reading your books!
Thank you for the invitation.
And best success with your Madeline's Teahouse series.
Thank you, Nancy Jill.

We'll see you next week! For more information on Lee, please read her bio and follow the links to purchase her books.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

LESLIE MATTHEWS STANSFIELD is the author of Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup, the first book in the Madeline's Teahouse series, and Mr. Tea and the Bobbin’ Body.  She is also the author of a previous book, Windsor Locks, on the town she lives in. She grew up in Delmar, New York, and credits her friends with developing her imagination. Leslie is a graduate of University of Hartford and received her Masters' degree from the University of Phoenix in Educational Leadership. She is a math tutor in a public school.  She is currently working on her third book in the Madeline's Teahouse series. She has four children and eight grandchildren and lives in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LeslieMatthewsStansfield?ref=hl

Website:  http://lesliematthewsstansfield.weebly.com/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/866190.Leslie_Matthews_Stansfield

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Leslie%20Matthews%20Stansfield&sprefix=Lesli%2Caps

Publisher:  http://cozycatpress.com/