50 Ways to Enjoy Fall

 

 

 

50 Ways to Enjoy Fall

 

 

1. Road trip to see the changing leaves.

 

2. Check out a local craft or harvest Festival.

 

3. Visit a pumpkin patch.                                                          

 

4. Go apple picking.

 

5. Take a walk in the woods.

 

6. Have a bonfire.

 

7. Tell ghost stories.

 

8. Play in a leaf pile.

 

9. Get involved in The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

 

10. Throw a costume party.

 

11. Learn to bake a pie from scratch.

 

12. Watch a scary movie.

 

13. Make S'mores.

 

14. Create a fall centerpiece.

 

15. Go tailgating with friends.

 

16. Visit a haunted house or corn maze.

 

17. Build a scarecrow.                                 

 

18. Plant spring bulbs.

 

19. Attend an Oktoberfest.

 

20. Read a good mystery or horror novel. 

 

21. Learn to knit a scarf.

 

22. Go geocaching in a state park.

 

23. Learn to build a fire.                                                     

 

24. Rent a cabin in the mountains.

 

25. Make a festive wreath.

 

26. Start a journal.

 

27. Watch the sunset.

 

28. Take a hot air balloon ride.

 

29. Go horseback riding.

 

30. Learn to cook with butternut squash.

 

31. Perfect your signature chili recipe.

 

32. Tour a winery.

 

33. Shop for the latest fall fashions.

 

34. Grab some binoculars and start bird watching.

 

35. Donate warm clothing to The Salvation Army.

 

36. Spend a day antiquing.

 

37. Arrange and pot beautiful fall annuals for the porch.

 

38. Read by the fire.

 

39. Hike to a breathtaking overlook.

 

40. Carve a pumpkin.

 

41. Start a new hobby.

 

42. Sketch the season.

 

43. Learn to preserve food and create your own antique labels.

 

44. Take a hayride.

 

45. Go on a ghost tour.

 

46. Make caramel apples.

 

47. Explore a historic district on foot.

 

48. Find a way to volunteer.

 

49. Visit a zoo.

 

50. Host a game night.

 

Deborah Malone has worked as a freelance writer and photographer since 2001, for the historical magazine "Georgia Backroads." Her writing is also featured in "Tales of the Rails," edited by Olin Jackson and the "Christian Communicator." A member of the Georgia Writers Association and of American Christian Fiction Writers, she has an established blog, Butterfly Journey.

 

 

 





"Tomorrow is another day..." -Scarlett O'Hara

 Amazon * Barnes & Noble Online 
*Kobo *Smashwords

What will tomorrow bring? That's the last line in my ninth book "Murder at Mirror Lake." The main character has gone through a heart wrenching time and has to pick herself up and face the challenges of a new day. 

I find myself, along with hundreds of others, facing the same question as members of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) descend on the Hyatt Regency in Dallas September 17th-20th and spend time together learning more about our craft and, perhaps more importantly, discovering more about our purpose as Christian writers.

It will be the first writing conference I have attended so I am looking forward to what tomorrow and the whole weekend will bring.

One highlight of the event for me will be meeting some of our authors on CMM face to face for the first time. I'll be sure to post pictures. 

I pray we'll come away with fresh perspectives that, hopefully, will add not only entertainment value to you wonderful readers, but spiritual value as well. As always, we appreciate your readership and look forward to hearing your comments and reviews.

Cheers for what tomorrow will bring!

~Nancy Jill 


Nancy Jill Thames was born to write mysteries. From her early days as the neighborhood story-teller to the Amazon Author Watch Bestseller List, she has always had a vivid imagination and loves to solve problems – perfect for plotting whodunits. In 2010, Nancy Jill published her first mystery Murder in Half Moon Bay, introducing her well-loved protagonist Jillian Bradley and clue-sniffing Yorkie “Teddy.”

When she isn’t plotting Jillian’s next perilous adventure, Nancy Jill travels between Texas, California, and Georgia finding new ways to spoil her grandchildren, playing classical favorites on her baby grand, or having afternoon tea with friends.

She lives with her husband in Leander, Texas, where she is a member of Leander Writers’ Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW CenTex Chapter), and Central Texas Authors.

To learn more about Nancy Jill, visit these sites.

Twitter @mystriterdva

http://www.nancyjillthames.com

Pinterest

Cozy as Baby Blankie

Can you find the baby? :D

I left my job when I had my first baby. I was pretty lucky to get to stay at home with my Norah, but also, it was a part time retail, so it wasn't like I could afford daycare anyway!

Around that same time, my friends were all having babies, too. I had a blast making baby quilts for as many of them as I could! Sometimes I was pretty broke and had to shop my mom's fabric stash, and the early blankets were far simpler than the later ones. But each one was a labor of love for a baby I was so excited to meet!

(The striped squares are puppy themed, and the back is puppy fabric.)

My sister in law had a baby this year, and for the first time, I found it difficult to find time to sew! I love this new nephew every bit as much as all of the others, but between driving the kids to band camp, writing and publishing Spoiled Rotten Murder, and prepping for the class I will be teaching at ACFW in Dallas....I just didn't have time!

I saw the writing on the wall early though, and decided to involve the family so that this blanket, even though it would have to be simpler in construction, could have just as much hand made love. I found some fantastic comic book print fabric and had my girls draw super hero themed squares to go with it! I also embroidered a Superman for the center square.

It's big, it's blocky, and doggone it, I even managed to not get a couple of corners matched up. (I had one job!) But it's also fluffy, bright, and something we all worked on together. I have to mail to the nephew, since he lives far, far away, but I am so happy to be able to welcome him into the world with a little bit of hand made love!


I can't share a picture of the whole thing yet, since my sister in law hasn't seen it, but I CAN share all of these mystery novels for just 99 cents! Dying to Read: A Library of Killer Cozies

A FUN RECIPE By Cynthia Hickey

What do you talk about when you have nothing to say? You don’t! You post a recipe!

Here’s a great recipe to prank someone on their birthday. It looks disgusting, but is wonderfully tasty. Of course, once you use it with one person, you can’t play the same joke on anyone else at the party.

Kitty Litter Cake

Ingredients Nutrition

Servings 20 Units US

·         1 (18 ounce) box spice cake mix or 1 (18 ounce) box German chocolate cake mix

·         3 eggs (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         ¹⁄₃ cup oil (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         1 ¹⁄₃ cups water (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         1 (18 ounce) box white cake mix

·         3 eggs (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         ¹⁄₃ cup oil (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         1 ¹⁄₃ cups water (or as called for by your cake mix)

·         1 (6 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix

·         1 (18 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies

·         green food coloring

·         12 small Tootsie Rolls

·         1 new kitty litter box

·         1 new kitty litter box

·         1 Pooper Scooper

Cynthia Hickey loves to pull pranks, on the page and off. Check out her best-selling cozy mystery series, The Nosy Neighbor Series. The first book, Anything for A Mystery is here. 

  

Multi-published and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold more than 300,000 copies of her works. Cynthia is a board member for CAN (Christian Authors Network). She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazone blog and Suspense Sisters blog. Her and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

Three Letters to God

Writing can be full of highs and lows. As a Christian I've often wanted to give up whenever I receive a negative review or sales are low (like at the end of the month when readers are pinching pennies). But here's one thing I've done for encouragement early in my writing career - I wrote letters to God. I'd like to share three I've saved. They begin a little over a year after I'd published "Murder in Half Moon Bay." I pray they may inspire you a little with whatever challenges you may be facing.

                                          Sunday, September 11, 2011

Dear Lord,

What do you want me to do with my life? You say, "Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Me. Take care of the orphans and widows." So, show me how to do those things. I think of widows and see a need for reaching out, really, seniors in general. I see a need at the SPCA. I need a community to be a part of, a tribe, a family.

I want to do more for my family. Food, support, attention. Please show me Your will for my life. I don't think it's in being an author.

I love You, Lord,

Jill

                                                                                                          Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Dear Lord,

It seems Ted (my husband) believes in my writing ability. The technology is in my favor. I can only do this with Your help and guidance so I continue to look to You for instruction.

Thank You!

I love You!

                                                                                                                           April 3, 2012

Dear Lord,

Thank you for affirmation that You want me to write books. I've never been so happy!

Book 1 is my free eBook gift to you to start the series.
Kindle  Nook  Kobo  Smashwords (iTunes)

I love You!

Nancy Jill Thames,

Author

Blessings on your day, dear readers.  

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill

Nancy Jill Thames was born to write mysteries. From her early days as the neighborhood story-teller to the Amazon Author Watch Bestseller List, she has always had a vivid imagination and loves to solve problems – perfect for plotting whodunits. In 2010, Nancy Jill published her first mystery Murder in Half Moon Bay, introducing her well-loved protagonist Jillian Bradley and clue-sniffing Yorkie “Teddy.”

When she isn’t plotting Jillian’s next perilous adventure, Nancy Jill travels between Texas, California, and Georgia finding new ways to spoil her grandchildren, playing classical favorites on her baby grand, or having afternoon tea with friends.

She lives with her husband in Leander, Texas, where she is a member of Leander Writers’ Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW CenTex Chapter), and Central Texas Authors. 

To learn more about Nancy Jill, visit these sites.

http://www.nancyjillthames.com

Twitter @mystriterdva

Pinterest

Fighting Crime in the Big City

Well, the truth is Rome, GA is not a big city but I did help fight crime for a night. In Rome you are able to ride along with a police officer on his shift. I was privileged to ride with Officer Cory of the City of Rome Police Department. This is great for research when writing any genre of mysteries. Come along with me as I tell you about our big night. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that I did have to stay in the car when on calls. However, I could see the small monitor on their screen and I could hear what he was saying. Let's go on some calls!

3:00 - Time for group briefing before going out on the beat. Sectors and cars were assigned. 

3:30 -  We got a call to check on someone at one of the local extended stay motels known for drug use and prostitution. A woman had called in to 911 saying she was concerned about her father and thought he might be suicidal. We made the call and officer Cory discovered the man was all right. He called his daughter and relayed the message to her. 

3:50 - We no sooner got down the road when we came upon a wreck that had just happened. Officer Cory turns the car around in the middle of the road and proceeds to work the wreck. No one was hurt, but the EMT's were called to check out an elderly lady. She was fine, but I'm afraid the car wasn't as lucky and had to be towed.

4:11 - While I was waiting on Officer Cory to wrap up the wreck scene I heard there was a domestic situation between two unrelated people at the local CVS right across the street. Since he was tied up we didn't go to that one so I don't know the outcome of that situation.

4:26 - We were called to the local senior apartments where a lady said there was a young child being abused in one of the apartments. Officer Cory went to check it out and talked with the man living there. He said the child was his eight year old son, but had not been to the apartment for two weeks. We went to the child's home and followed up on the accusation. 

5:23 - While he was talking with the young man I heard a call where a suspect was running on foot. The description was a white male with black facial hair and a pony tail. At the time I did not realize we were in the neighborhood where the suspect was. When Officer Cory returned to the car he zoomed away to the location. We were the second car to arrive at a residence where the suspect ran  into. He jumped out running and about 3 or 4 other cars zoomed in on the area. The suspect was apprehended and I saw him being handcuffed, frisked and led to the car. If we'd been a few minutes earlier we'd have arrested the suspect - well I mean Officer Cory. The suspect had fled the scene of a wreck.````

The next few hours were quite and during that time Officer Cory worked on reports and we took a break to eat supper. Then we were back on the beat.

8:30 - A call came in to go to a domestic situation between a wife and husband. This call lasted about 45 minutes with the officers writing a citation banning the husband from coming on the property. 

We were headed back to the station to drop me off (Officer Cory was working a 10 hour shift until 1 a.m.) when there was a call to a situation where a man was going from door to door in a neighborhood asking if they had stolen his wallet. The man had gotten into a argument with a couple of the men living in the neighborhood. Officer Cory couldn't get him to leave. When he did start to leave he bumped into one of the men with his car. Officer Cory got him out handcuffed him so he could talk to him. He wrote him a citation and then followed him home to make sure that's where he went.

10:00 - Finally arrived at the station and I thanked Officer Cory for letting me tag along for the night and wished him a safe night. I so appreciate what these Officers have to deal with day after day protecting us. 

The great thing about the time we spent together I was able to pick his brain about the duties of police and the protocols. I had many questions and he was so gracious to answer all of them. If you're thinking of writing a mystery or just want a night of excitement then call your local police station and inquire if they have something like this for citizens. Some areas even offer a citizens academy. 

 

Death in Dahlonega is being offered on Kindle for a special price of .99.

Deborah Malone has worked as a freelance writer and photographer since 2001, for the historical magazine, "Georgia Backroads." Her writing is also featured in "Tales of the Rails," edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of Georgia Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. 

Spoiled Rotten Murder

Poor Jane.

So many readers took a side in the little love triangle of Jane and Isaac and Jake that when Jane finally realized where her heart was (in Bright New Murder) I couldn't just abandon Isaac! Readers loved him. And anyway, I had drawn inspiration for his character from my own dear husband (warts and all, poor, Daniel.) And I love the guy, too, so in the last year, we have taken a detour from Jane's adventures to follow Isaac overseas to a new job and a new romance in the Tillgiven Romantic Mysteries.

But, if you happened to pick up our blog's short story collection, you got a little taste of fun for Jane--a taste that is very important! So if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend

A Cup of Cozy 2. Jane's story in that book is a series must read! And you must read it now, because Spoiled Rotten Murder, the fifth Plain Jane is finally live in ebook and paperback!

A missing groom, a dead gamer, and a woman who had the nerve to design a popular video game. A case of possible insurance fraud turns into a bloody mess for Jane Adler and her new boss at the Senior Corps of Retired Investigators.

But the good news is Jane Adler has gone legit. As an intern for SCoRI, she's getting the supervised hours she needs for her Private Investigator's License. And her first case as a real investigator proves murder is not a game.

Spoiled Rotten Murder is just 99 cents for a limited time!

*clears throat and prepares TV announcer voice*

But that's not all!

Also for a limited time, you can get five mysteries for just 99 cents in the Dying to Read collection...a library of cozy mysteries, (featuring the first Tillgiven Romantic Mystery, Hard to Find)...

But there's more!

Speaking of romance, you can pick up a copy of Hearts to God, my own Western romance in Love Out West, a collection of four Western romances--all for just 99 cents!

You're probably thinking, "That's an obnoxious announcer voice" and "That's a lot of links to click."

*clears throat and puts down coffee. Talks in normal voice again*

I apologize. That was an obnoxious voice. And it is kind of a lot of links. On the other hand... it's ten novels for less than three dollars!

And you can make it 11 novels for less than three dollars by clicking one more link...tracihilton.com

If you click that one, and sign up for my newsletter, you get a free copy of Dark and Stormy, the second Tillgiven Romantic Mystery!

Happy Reading!