Holiday Gift Guide for Cozy Mystery Lovers

Hello, dear readers! 

I hope this holiday season finds you and your family well and safe. In these turbulent times, I'm reminded that we must treasure each day God gives us.  As we press on, Thanksgiving seems to be officially blended in with Christmas as more and more people choose to decorate early, including myself. With traveling more to grown children's homes for the holidays, I find myself compelled to decorate earlier every year when the holidays get closer. Now, instead of decorating the day after Thanksgiving, we will be having our tree-trimming party the weekend before. Anyone else experiencing this change of events?

The next thing to start thinking about is gifts and what to give. I find parents are the most challenge. My mom doesn't need a thing, but she does love to read. Books bring a different world to readers and provide great entertainment for hours. I count a new book as a definite treat!

If you'd like to give a friend or a loved one a gift that keeps on giving, the Jillian Bradley mysteries might be a good choice. Rated G with no profanity or offensive scenes, they are the perfect gift choice for readers on your list. Books range in price from $7.99 to $11.99 for paperbacks and FREE to $3.99 for eBooks. Not bad when you consider one can purchase the entire series for under $99.00 + tx and s/h. (Amazon Prime members enjoy free s/h!) 

Besides the 10 book series, there are short stories about Jillian and Teddy included in the holiday anthologies "A Cup of Cozy" series, and the latest one out "Happy Homicides." The "Cup of Cozy" anthologies include recipes and menus, and recipes and crafts abound in the bonus issue of "Happy Homicides."

Here is a complete list of books and buy links: 

 Book Purchase Sites 

Whatever gifts we give and receive, may we be reminded of the greatest gift of all - Jesus, God's only begotten Son. 

Happy Holidays!

~Nancy Jill

God has blessed me beyond even my wildest imagination, always guiding my life, giving me a loving husband, four wonderful children, and a number of precious grandchildren. I hope you enjoy the Jillian Bradley mysteries - they are works of love.

To stay in touch please visit these sites.

Twitter - @mystriterdva

Blog - Author Nancy Jill Thames, Queen of Afternoon Tea
Pinterest - mystriterdva
Blog - Cozy Mystery Magazine
Goodreads - Nancy Jill Thames
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jillthames@gmail.com

Here Comes Santa!

As some of you may already know, the authors of COZY MYSTERY MAGAZINE have published our second holiday anthology. We'll be offering 

"A CUP OF COZY 2" FREE! each Wednesday until the week of Christmas as a way of saying thank you for your readership. I hope you enjoy the story I wrote introducing strategic planner Lawrence Rivers, who, like Jillian Bradley, is also a  dog lover and amateur sleuth. Lawrence is the husband of Jillian's new Horticultural Society friend, Vivian.

Besides six short holiday mysteries, you'll also find lovely holiday menus and recipes I think you'll enjoy.

Free on Amazon Kindle!

As we begin the holiday season, I hope and pray each of you will think of the reason for the season - the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

~Nancy Jill

#Snippet Time!

Like a book lover with a whole day to spend at Powell's City of Books, I am faced with a few too many options right now. That is to say, I have too many books going at once! Last week I finally decided which I would focus on, so hopefully I can make better headway in the next two months than I did in the previous.

Much of what I have recently written won't be real books until almost Christmastime, or even later, the poor dears, so I thought it would be a good time to share a sample.

Have you ever seen Renovation Realities on HGTV? I love that show. They follow hapless (sometime not so hapless) homeowners as they fix up their homes. The families have realistic budgets, realistic skills and abilities, and realistic time constraints. None have those crews of twenty working day and night you see on other HGTV shows. It's hilarious, and comforting, if like me, you have a tendency to tear your house apart and put it back together when you are bored.

So when I thought it might be time for a Mitzy Neuhaus novella, I thought of renovation realities. Something short and funny, and maybe with no dead bodies, a little more like Foreclosed, if you will, but a tad shorter.

So, without further ado, here is what may well be the intro of the next Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery.

The Neuhaus Job

The renovation you are about to see is real…

The shoemaker’s children go shoeless, and the developer’s wife lives in an unfinished home. But that’s about to end for Mitzy Neuhaus and Alonzo Miramontes. Alonzo, a local developer has just completed a warehouse renovation and has taken the week off to finish the basement of his 1970’s custom home with his wife, Realtor Mitzy Neuhaus. They have seven days and a maximum cash budget of three-thousand dollars, but are their eyes bigger than their wallets? We’ll find out as the Neuhaus-Miramontes family takes the next week to make their old house…as good as new.

“My name is Alonzo Miramontes. My wife Mitzy and I are turning the wasted storage area in our daylight basement into a workout room. We’ll be ripping out the drop ceiling, plumbing a drinking fountain, adding mirrored walls, a ballet bar, a TV and surround sound. I’m a licensed contractor and my wife isn’t completely useless, so I think we can get this done in a week.” Alonzo nudged Mitzy with his elbow. “You’d agree, right?”

Mitzy smiled for the camera. “I’m far from useless, and we’ll get it done in three days or my name isn’t Mitzy Neuhaus!”

“It isn’t. It’s Mitzy Miramontes, remember?”

Mitzy laughed. She looked away from the camera and fanned herself. “Can I get a retake on that one?”

“No way. We’re keeping that one, right guys?”

The guy with the mic nodded silently, a grin plastered on his round face.

Mitzy drained her coffee mug and checked the time on the microwave clock.

It was five in the morning, but the television crew had already filmed their breakfast sequence.

Now they had to walk around the house explaining the job they were about to undertake.

Alonzo led the way downstairs. He sniffed and tipped his chin at the camera.

“Ready?” The camera man asked.

Mitzy appreciated that the crew wasn't chatty in the morning. She was chatty in the morning, and wouldn't have minded a bit of cheerful company herself, but she had to live with Alonzo, and getting him to film the intro sequence with a smile had been hard enough.

“Sure.” Alonzo shrugged.

The camera man waved to get their attention again. “Okay, you’re live.”

Mitzy smiled for the camera, “Alonzo is a professional. Finishing our basement should be a snap.”

“I usually have a bigger crew than this.” Alonzo grunted. “But we can probably get this done if you can keep your mind on the job.”

Mitzy laughed. “Drink your coffee.”

Alonzo sniffed. “I’m getting a cold, so I don’t want to mess around. Get in, get done, get out.”

Mitzy rolled her eyes. “He’s much nicer by noon, I swear.”

***

In the mean time, if you haven't read any Mitzy Neuahuas, Foreclosed, the first in the series, is always free, for Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo...you get the picture! (The linked Title above takes you to my blog's book page where you can find links for the book at all available outlets.)

Winners of Free Ebook!

at Amazon

at Barnes and Noble

at iTunes

Health, Wealth and Murder has officially released!

And the winners of the drawing for three free copies are.....

Ellen Kennedy!

Beth Carpenter!

and

Ronna Lord!

Please comment with your email formatted like this: name at email dot come to prevent spammers. :) I will delete them right away, for you, but this will help in the mean time.

Thanks for celebrating the new release with me.

Ariane the Overexposed Stock Image Model

When I shopped around for pictures for the cover of Good, Clean Murder, I was looking for someone young, fresh faced, and cleaning houses. There was only one girl in all of stock-photo-land who fit that bill. She had dozens of cleaning poses and outfits to chose form. Her pictures were professional and well produced. It was a no brainer to pick Ariane!

As it turned out, the rest of the world agrees with me. My Plain Jane is everywhere! I spot her on the ads at the bottom of celebrity gossip blogs telling me to reduce my debt. I've seen her in Walmart on the packaging for a backpack you can color. The other day she was telling me to get some exercise, and while at the library last week, I saw her on the cover of Face Magazine (for kids) telling me she loves Paris!

It's no wonder fans have started a Facebook page for her called "Ariane the Overexposed cover model" or that I get fan mail--for her!

Even though she's everywhere, selling everything from train tickets to cell phones, I'm not sorry I made her my Plain Jane. She's embodies so much of what I picture when I write this character; energy, enthusiasm, a natural beauty. Little known secret: The model is half Chinese, so I like to think that maybe Jane's Grandma was Chinese too. :)

In honor of Ariana, I want to reveal the cover for Health, Wealth, and Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery and offer a contest.

In the comments, let me know a place you think you have run across Plain Jane and I will put your name in the hat for an early release of Health, Wealth, and Murder! I'll draw THREE names for a free copy of Health, Wealth, and Murder and announce the winner next week. (The book will release May 1st, so that is the day I will email the books out!)

Without further ado, here's the newest cover!

Order in Chaos

By Nancy Jill Thames

What's the saying? "If I only knew..."

Perhaps it's best I didn't know all the ins and outs of publishing a mystery series when I began three years ago. For instance, when I update with a new book like "The Ruby of Siam," all the previous books need to include the new title. (Six books times four versions equals twenty-four changes right there.) But that's why I hire a formatter like Rik Hall up in New Brunswick. No worries thanks to this man.

At times I got so confused trying to update all the files my office was truly in chaos. Then I made a sign: One Book at a Time. Seems to work. These past two weeks I've rewritten Book 2 "The Ghost Orchid Murder." I'm excited about the edits my writing coach has suggested. Now I begin the process of uploading the new file to Kindle, CreateSpace, Nook Press, Kobo, and Smashwords. 

There's a new platform I recently became aware of called Google Plus which is like Apple iTunes. What fun it will be to see the response from that site.

For this weekend, however, I'll shut down my computer, tidy up my workspace and curl up with my iPad to watch a few "Murder She Wrote episodes on Netflix. Somehow I can't face another printed word. What's your favorite way to unwind on the weekends? If you haven't tried the Jillian Bradley Mysteries you may enjoy reading about her adventures helping solve homicides along with her Yorkie companion, Teddy. 

Book 1 "Murder in Half Moon Bay" is free on all platforms.

Enjoy your weekend, dear readers.

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill Thames

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

If you would like me to sign your ebooks please click the link.
 I love technology!
Authorgraph 

Enjoy Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY on your ereader for free!

Kindle  Nook  Smashwords  Kobo

Free Cozy Mysteries and Three Ways to Have a Great Free Ebook Promotion

I finally took the plunge and decided to offer Good, Clean Murder for free for a limited time. I'm glad I did because now almost 40,000 people have a copy of it! The book peaked at number 3 on Amazon's best seller list, and has is still number 12!

Today is the last day to grab it for free, so do it while you can! Good, Clean Murder free at Amazon!

For the writers out there wondering about how to maximize the effectiveness of a free promotion, these are my top three tips:

1. Run free promotions for the first book in a series.
The goal of a free promotion is to increase your overall sales, this happens fastest if readers can grab your free book and then buy the next one. Also, I have heard a pretty convincing story that Amazon algorithms have changed and the book that was free no longer has the benefit of increased rank after the free promo ends.

2. Advertise the free promotion.
Effective ads aren't free, which is part of why you want to promote a series: if you do it right you will have to pay for your ads. There are only a few sites that are have a big impact on your sales, but it is wise to go to Authormarketingclub.com and attempt to get an ad at every site they have listed for some point in your promotion. Because things change so quickly in this business the best thing you can do is check out each site that is listed at AMC and then check out how highly ranked the books they advertised are. The ones that are worth paying for have put their books in the top ten of the whole Amazon best sellers (free) list.

3. Boost your Facebook post while your book is free.Facebook lets you boost posts for a little quick cash. Like all ads, this is tax deductible. Unlike many other ads, this post will be targeted to people who know your current fans so it is almost like word of mouth, but not quite. For $30 the post about my free book went out to 6600 people, had 151 clicks, and gained 12 new fans. As for overall impact on the promotion, 151 clicks on my link isn't much compared to the 40,000 people who grabbed a copy, but the 12 new fans are a big deal!

If you have the opportunity to offer you book for a limited time or for a long time, I'd take it. Just make sure you are set up to enjoy the maximum impact!




And hey, if you love free books, Foreclosed: A Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery is still free too!

 

 

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

By Nancy Jill Thames

How many of us Christians struggle during the week to keep our thoughts on things that are noble, pure, and  lovely? What about things that are excellent or praiseworthy? I for one watch a maximum of 10 minutes of news (only because I eat lunch with my hubby), and episodes of PG-13 or lower rated miniseries on Netflix. Bible study gets about 10 minutes of my time, and the rest is spent writing and social networking. Great - probably doing a fair job on keeping my thoughts in check. 

But with all the choices of books available, one has to ask which ones allow me to have my cake (entertainment) and eat it too (keeping my faith in check). Behold the Christian Cozy Mystery!

The subjects we authors use may be broach sinful situations (murder, adultery, greed, blackmail, etc.), but nearly always the heroine offers help to those people who desire change. Besides, we don't cloud our minds with graphic situations. What a win-win situation! We readers get to enjoy mystery and suspense along with experiencing examples of faith in action. I'm good with this! What about you? Hope you enjoy your weekend!

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!

You Can Do This!

By Nancy Jill Thames

Like to solve puzzles? 

To publicize the launching of Book 7 "THE RUBY OF SIAM," I'm offering a free paperback or download to the first person able to match first sentences to their book. Each book has the Search Inside feature on Amazon.com, so take a peek and go for it! Good luck!

1. Caroline was playing innocently in her own front yard with her new puppy when the car struck her down.  

2. The invitations had gone out a few days ago to three of my dearest friends in the world.   

3. Daisy Larsen bustled.   

4. Warmed by the fire, Teddy had fallen asleep on the sofa.  

5. Madison looked about nervously toward the back of the house, hoping and praying that no one would notice their departure.  

6. The gun discharged during the struggle, and the bullet struck his heart.  

A. "FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL"

B. "WAITING FOR SANTA"

C. "THE GHOST ORCHID MURDER"

D. "MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY"

E. "PACIFIC BEACH"

F. "THE MARK OF EDEN" 

To win, leave your answers in a comment and follow the site.  Thank you for playing! 

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.

 Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jillthames@gmail.com