Tea Party Tuesday - New Cookbook on the Scene

Welcome to our tea party today. Let me pour you a nice hot cup of Darjeeling and we'll get started. Milk? Sugars?

Do help yourself to the food - we have Scottish fare today, rather appropriate since my husband and I've been watching the "Monarch of the Glen" series on Netflix (for the second time).

I wanted to share a new cookbook that launched last week called "Cozy Food" edited by cozy mystery author and friend, Nancy Lynn Jarvis. I think you'll enjoy this unusual collection of recipes by 128 cozy mystery authors. Look for my Raisin Scones and Mock Devonshire Cream recipes inside.

Buy on Amazon.com

As I read each name I noted three in particular. The first was Camille Minichino, aka Margaret Grace, author of the Miniature Mystery series. In 2001, Camille signed one of her books for me wishing me well in my writing at the first literary conference I had ever attended. What an inspiration she was!

Please help yourself to a scone - they look absolutely delicious!

Sandra Balzo was another author who responded to a question I had. She was so gracious and kind and encouraged me to hang in there! She writes the Maggy Thorsen Mystery series and Main Street Murders.

Let me refill your cup.

Finally, Traci Tyne Hilton, a fellow collaborator on our Cozy Mystery Magazine blog has contributed a recipe to  Cozy Food. Traci writes cozy Christian fiction like I do and is a prolific author of the Plain Jane and Mitzy Newhaus Mystery series.

You may want to explore the back cover as a resource for finding new authors. I hope you'll get a copy and spread the word on the share buttons below!

Thank you for spending time with me today. I enjoyed the company.

~Nancy Jill

See you in my books!

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 - A Mothers Day Tribute

Welcome to our tea today. Let me pour you a cup. Milk? Sugar? Mothers Day is this coming weekend - I hope you all have a lovely day with your children celebrating you! As you can see from the photo, I'm thinking about two characters in my books. Jillian Bradley is a childless widow with only a tiny Yorkie for a companion. What would she be doing on Mothers Day, I wonder. With four children of my own, I've never really thought about how women who have no children might feel on this particular day. Perhaps they focus on their own mothers, or celebrate the event with those who have kids. 

I think if I were someone like Jillian, I would not only honor my mom, but would probably have a dog, or maybe more than one to shower with affection. This week I read a post on Facebook that touched my heart. It said that a dog is part of it's owner's life, but an owner is a dog's entire life.

Please have a finger-sandwich or two.

How do you plan to celebrate this weekend? 

These scones are lovely! 

Let me refill your cup.

I think for dessert I'll try this lovely strawberry tart. Please take whatever you like.

Whether you are a mom or simply have one, I hope your Mothers Day turns out special.  And if your mom has passed, I hope you'll remember the good things about her life. 

If you still need to find a gift, consider giving my books - they're easy to order online in paperbacks or eBooks. Here's the link: http://ow.ly/wydwp
Thank you!

Until we meet again, cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - Grand Dogs and Baked Goods

Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday! Let me pour you a nice cup of tea and we’ll chat awhile. Milk? Sugar? 





I’m serving one of my favorites today - blackberry sage from the Republic of Tea.

Have a sandwich. They’re walnut cream cheese on raisin bread. I learned to love walnuts living in California, but pecans are tasty, too.

This weekend my husband and I are grand dog sitting in California, which is delightful. The Bay Area weather right now is gorgeous! 

Anytime we can combine a visit with helping out we do so. He takes Chloe and Bailey for long walks and spends time playing with them while I bake goodies for the family.  So far I’ve made an oatmeal cake, a fresh strawberry pie, oatmeal raisin cookies and a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough to bake later.

The truth is I understand why working moms don’t bake like we used to. The cleanup alone is massive! Who has time? So when I visit it’s fun for me, and this way my husband and I don’t wind up eating all the goodies! 

May I refill your cup?

Please have a lemon and cranberry scone. There’s lemon curd inside. Aren’t they delicious?

Lemon and Cranberry Scones

Good news! Book 8 “The Long Trip Home” is ready for the proof reader and then off to the presses. This means I upload the file to Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Kobo, and Smashwords who then make it available to readers all over the world. I can’t wait to launch! 

Jillian and Teddy’s next adventure “The Killington Murders” will launch in October. The story is set during a fall color tour in Killington, Vermont. 

Caramel Turtle Cheesecake

Now for dessert. I thought this caramel turtle cheesecake would be good.

Thank you for joining me. I pray you all stay safe until we meet again.

~Nancy Jill

Tea Party Tuesday - Top Ten Reasons to Drink Afternoon Tea

Shall we have tea? Do join me this week as we glimpse how tea is served at one of the finest hotels in London - the Lanesborough.

Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough Hotel

In my books, Jillian Bradley often enjoys this lovely ritual, whether staying at a fine resort such as the Ritz-Carlton in "Murder in Half Moon Bay" or at a lovely London hotel such as the one above in "The Ruby of Siam." 

In my upcoming book "The Long Trip Home," you'll read about afternoon tea being served in the bed and breakfast where Jillian mysteriously finds herself after her wedding. I hope you'll enjoy the story.

Here are ten reasons why I love afternoon tea. If you think of another, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Top Ten Reasons to Drink Afternoon Tea

1. Everyone needs an indoor picnic once in a while.

2. There is a need to use lovely dishes on occasion.

3. Tea gives comfort and doesn't demand anything.

4. One only has to think about adding milk or sugar, nothing else.

5. Conversation is typically pleasant.

6. Teatime gives one something to look forward to during the day.

7. Delicious snacks are traditionally consumed.

8. Tea is beneficial to health.

9. One doesn't need to eat much at dinner.

10. Tea can be enjoyed year-round, any day of the week, hot or cold.

Cheers! Thanks for joining me today. I enjoyed our tea together. Hope to see you next week for 

Tea Party Tuesday.

In the meanwhile, Go Jillian and Teddy!

 

~Nancy Jill  

Sharing is caring - please share on the sites below. Thank you! 

Tea Party Tuesday - Jillian's Garden Tips

How was your week? Last weekend we held our daughter's engagement party, and this weekend we celebrate our son's birthday and Easter. With so many exciting activities happening, I think I need a cup of tea. Won't you join me?

 

I thought we'd have our time together by the fire. It's been chilly for the past few days here in Texas. Spring seems to be so indecisive this year! What about in your area? 

Let me pour your tea. Today I'm serving English Breakfast, a favorite of mine.

Milk? Sugars? Please take whatever treats you like. I'm going to start with a curried chicken sandwich.

How many of you are on Pinterest - the site where boards are created to hold things of interest? It reminds me of scrapbooking only with links.


I think I'll try a lemon tart.

This week I created a board for Jillian's Garden Tips. 

In my books, she sometimes shares from the Ask Jillian gardening column so I thought others might benefit from her knowledge. Plus it's such fun to find tips and pin them!  

May I refill your cup? 

Here's an excerpt  from my second book "The Ghost Orchid Murder."

It was time to get dressed, but I felt so lazy I decided to check my e-mails first. Everything was going well at the paper. Some ads for gardening paraphernalia I always received…click, delete; a comment from a reader saying they loved the last column on summer bulbs...enlightening; more solicitations for gardening tools…delete, and then I was finished. No personal messages, no family member in crisis, no one needing me in any way.

Maybe that was a good thing, but I couldn’t fool myself. Being needed was what life was all about. Did Vincent need me? That remained to be seen. I shut down my computer and got dressed just in time for room service.

 

Thanks for joining me today. I enjoyed our tea together. 

Hope to see you next week for Tea Party Tuesday.

In the meanwhile, Go Jillian and Teddy!

~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