Tea Party Tuesday ~ Happy New Year!

Only $2.99 - Perfect for rounding out the holiday season.

Nancy Jill's Chocolate Cinnamon Torte

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday, dear readers. I hope your holidays have been enjoyable and your New Year's Eve will bring further joy. At our house, we make Beef Bourguignon - a family tradition.  The recipe can be found in this year's issue of "A Cup of Cozy 2" along with other yummy recipes and short mysteries from my fellow authors at Cozy Mystery Magazine. You may also want to try my recipe for Chocolate Cinnamon Torte that I've included- a perfect treat for afternoon tea. 

Cheers for a Blessed 2015!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday * Audrey Hepburn - A Woman for All Seasons

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! 

Let me pour you a nice cup of Constant Comment - a tea appropriate for our chat today. Milk? Sugars?

A dear friend uploaded a quote from Audrey Hepburn on Pinterest the other day and it caught my attention. A visit to my friend's board revealed numerous quotes from the well loved actress, and no wonder!

Surviving the Nazi occupation in her home country of Belgium left her undernourished for the rest of her life. Ironic that many of her admirers longed to have a figure like hers.

Please have a finger sandwich - I made them fresh this morning.

Perhaps playing the iconic Anne Frank had an effect on Audrey Hepburn's outlook on life. If you look closely, her quotes are right up there with Shakespeare in popularity.

More tea?

Hepburn's life was by no means perfect. She married and divorced. Cancer eventually took her life at the early age of 64, the same age another well loved lady passed away - Jacqueline Kennedy  Onassis, ironically from cancer as well.

After a life of unforgettable performances in  films, in the end Audrey Hepburn gave an important final quote - "As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other to help others." And she did serving children in need all over the world as the ambassador for UNICEF.

Like heroine Jillian Bradley, Audrey Hepburn also had a Yorkie she named Famous. He traveled with her everywhere, just like Jillian's dog Teddy, and like Jillian's companion, he was well loved. I try to emulate people like Audrey Hepburn in my books - well loved figures who unselfishly contribute to others.

For dessert we have and Macadamia Feast Cake squares. I wonder if Audrey Hepburn would have shared a morsel or two with Famous. Here's the recipe. 

Macadamia Feast Cake

1-1/3 cups Bisquick

3/4 c sugar

3 T soft butter or shortening

1 egg

3/4 c milk

1 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a square pan, 8 X 8 X 2 inches, or a round layer pan, 9 X 1-1/2 inches. Mix Bisquick and sugar. Add butter, egg and 1/4 cup of the milk. Beat 1 minute medium speed on mixer or vigorously bt hand. Gradually stir in remaining milk and the vanilla. Beat 1/2 minute longer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve with Broiled Macadamia Topping.

Broiled Macadamia Topping:

3 T soft butter

1/3 c brown sugar, packed

2 T light cream

1/2 c flaked coconut

1/2 c chopped macadamia nuts

Mix ingredients and spread on warm baked cake. Set oven control at broil/and or 550 degrees. Place cake 3 inches from source of heat. Broil until nicely browned, about 3 minutes.

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Blog Hop!

Blog Hopping??? What’s that??? That was my first response to those words.
Well, according to others, Blog hopping is when one blogger posts questions, tags another blogger, and asks them to answer those questions. The second blogger links back to the first one and also forwards to another blogger they have tagged. This is a way to increase our exposure. It’s also fun, and you meet new bloggers/writers.

The sister of a dear friend who was my first editor tagged me - Terri Rodgers Bright. I recently chatted with Terri and discovered she loves dolls and is in the process of writing her first book. Below are MY answers to Terri’s questions.

What am I working on? Book 8 in the Jillian Bradley mystery series – “The Long Trip Home.” The story set in London continues from “The Ruby of Siam” and deals with the tragic event following Jillian’s wedding.

How does my work differ from others in its genre? Most cozies have themes such as cats or culinary. My work features a gardening columnist by the name of Jillian Bradley and her Yorkie sidekick, Teddy. The dynamic duo set about solving homicides with the help of Jillian’s garden club friends. The books infuse resort settings, lovely afternoon tea, and delectable restaurant menus.

 Why do I write what I do? I always wanted to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren but the only talent I had was music. By incorporating fond family memories and my travel experiences with my husband into stories, I could leave a hard copy of my life.

How does my writing process work? Ideas spring from my husband and I having a simple conversation and off we go creating a storyline. I set a goal to write two books a year, map out a timeline for each and begin. Plot comes first, characters second, and details of the story last. Once I have the elements in hand, I begin to weave the tale.

Here is my list of “forward to” authors: Their name contains the link to their blog.

Sherry Chamblee: She writes Romantic comedies and Christian Romances.

C.L. Ragsdale: She writes cozy Christian mysteries and super-hero books.

Please click the link to Terri’s blog, as well as the link(s) forward to the next author(s). Again, to access any of these links, you simply click on the author’s name. Thanks for reading my blog, and for also viewing the blogs of these other writers.

~Nancy Jill

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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A Smashwords Inverview with Nancy Jill Thames

 

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

Yes. An explanation was needed to justify taking our pet rat, Sandy, to the pound due to my husband's allergies. Since the children were young I believed a story would help them understand. I wrote a fairy tale and used our names spelled backward to disquise the real characters in our sad situation.

What is your writing process?

Since I write murder mysteries I use a loose-leaf binder to jot down answers the story must address such as who gets murdered, why they were murdered, who the murderer was, and how the victim was killed. Then I create the cast of characters and write a backstory on each.
I create a random list of elements I want to include and a list of events, then I divide the elements into groups of ideas that seem to fall together. Once I have about a hundred elements, I create twenty chapters and give them titles best suited to the five elements I place in each.

How do you approach cover design?

Since I write a series I selected a format that would be recognizable for each volume. In my case the title goes first followed by a suitable photo or image. Beneath the photo is the sub-title of A Jillian Bradley Mystery. I place the book number beneath it, then my name on the bottom. I choose colors to go with the theme.

What are your five favorite books, and why?

I've read many books in my life but the ones I love and re-read are "Snow Falling on Cedars" (I love the imagery), and all the Agatha Christie mysteries (I love trying to solve the who-dunits).

What do you read for pleasure?

Best sellers if the subject matter has a redeeming quality like "The Girl With the Dragoon Tattoo" and "The Hunger Games" trilogies. I love the Harry Potter series.

What is your e-reading device of choice?

IPhone and iPad.

What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?

Offering the first book "Murder in Half Moon Bay" free on all platforms gives readers a sample of my writing. If they like the first story, they usually purchase the rest of the series.

Describe your desk.

Neat and orderly.

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

I grew up mostly in the bay area of California. Most of the stories I write take place there except for the ones where my protagonist is traveling.

When did you first start writing?

I really never wrote a story until the pet rat incident. Once I did, I progressed to writing down stories my grandmother handed down. In 2001, I embarked on writing a murder mystery to see if I could.

What's the story behind your latest book?

In 1983 my husband and I took a trip to Great Britian and France. I kept a diary and wanted to capture the memories so I wrote "The Ruby of Siam" which takes place in London.

What motivated you to become an indie author?

Indie sounded like the least path of resistance.

How has Smashwords contributed to your success?

If it hadn't been for Smashwords I wouldn't have been able to sell my book for free on all platforms. I never realized the vast reach it has with so many channels until I started getting the quarterly sales profits.

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

I can create a world where I'd like to live and hope that others will join me as they read my stories.

What do your fans mean to you?

Friends!

What are you working on next?

Book 8 in the Jillian Bradley mystery series "The Long Trip Home." I'm also creating a short story mystery series called "Lawrence." I have nine titles in the works.

Who are your favorite authors?

Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, C.L. Ragsdale and D.A. Featherling.

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

My fans waiting for the next book.

When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?

I enjoy watching mysteries, traveling with my husband on business trips, visiting my grandchildren and family in California and playing the piano.

How do you discover the ebooks you read?

Apple iTunes is a great resource. I can read a sample of a book and know immediately whether I want to download it or not. The site is very convenient to use.

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

Aside from mandantory reading in school, I remember reading "Leave Her to Heaven" when I was a young teen. I loved the way the story evolved, shrouded in mystery, and the setting of the lakehouse. I wanted to live in a place like that for a long time. 

Published 2013-10-05.

Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author, publisher or reader. 

If you like to read about lovely places and fabulous cuisine, enjoy the Jillian Bradley mystery series.

Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY 

on 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