A Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery

Hello, everyone. Today I wanted to share about Old Country Roses China. According to Macy's this pattern is the most popular pattern in the world! It's no wonder. The lovely pink, red and yellow roses are suited to any season. Rimmed with gold, this china is truly stunning! The first cup and saucer in my collection was handed down from my Aunt Louise who knew I loved to collect them. 

Soon, after being inspired by a photo on Pinterest, I searched online until I found this cup and saucer in the Avon shape. I simply couldn't live without it!

And then, I had to purchase the tea set because I needed an extra creamer for a party I was hosting. The set was less expensive than the creamer alone. 

I don't know what makes your heart go pitty-pat, but for me it's beautiful dishes. The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series has afternoon tea in every book. Some say I use too many descriptions of food and clothes but writers write about who they are and what they do. If you love beauty like me along with a good mystery free of anything unpleasant except perhaps a murder here and there, you may want to check them out.

Thank you for joining me this week. I pray you stay safe and sound in the days ahead.

 Try Book 1 in the series as a Free eBook!

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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.

See you in my books!

~Nancy Jill

COVID-19 What is Going to Happen Now?

When I lay down at night, my mind whirls with thoughts of the day:

How long will our food last?
If my husband gets sick, will I?
Will hospitals overflow with virus victims?
Will we have enough medicine to get through this virus if we catch it?
What about those losing jobs?
In essence, what is going to happen now?

No one knows.

But I can begin to see good things emerging:

The environment in Italy is clearing of pollutants due to less traffic. Wild life is returning.

Children, home from school, are with their parents.
Parents are spending less time on their cell phones and tending to their family’s needs.
Many businesses are finding ways to give back to the community.
Less time is being spent commuting.
Many are cooking again because they have to and some are enjoying it!
Families are drawing closer together.
Older parents are receiving attention.
Neighbors are stepping up to help the elderly and those at risk.

You can probably think of more. 

I also believe our country will become more self-sufficient, which is a good thing.
We as a nation have endured hardships in the past. We have also revived and learned valuable lessons along the way. 
Yes, the worst may be yet to come. Let us hold onto our faith, our values, and most importantly, each other. For then we focus on what we can do each day instead of wondering what is going to happen tomorrow. #FlattenTheCurve

~Nancy Jill

What Inspires Me To Write

When I was a little girl living in California my family would travel to Arkansas to visit my grandparents. It was a little long drive, so my parents would tell stories. Sometimes they would even make them up, like “The Dog With Radar Ears” or “How to Find a Good Wife.” That was my first inspiration along with reading every book I could put my hands on.

After I got married my husband and I traveled on his business trips and I kept diaries so I could remember details. The first trip we took to great Britain and France I fell in love with afternoon tea and good coffee. I brought the customs home with me. Those travels and afternoon tea inspired me to put them in books, again, so I could remember.

It all started when we had to get rid of Sandy, our daughter’s pet rat that we all loved dearly. To help soften the sad news I wrote a story called “The Sacrifice” explaining how detrimental the rat’s allergens were to my husband. After I wrote that story I discovered something. I liked to write!

In 2001, Murder in Half Moon Bay was my very first attempt at writing a novel. I loved reading murder mysteries but was burned out with the authors I had been reading, so I decided to write a mystery of my own. 

My inspiration for Jillian Bradley and her Yorkie companion came from staying at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay for four days where my husband and I were attending an off-site board meeting for his company. With time on my hands I began creating a murder mystery based on the hotel and inspired by different people I met. I began taking notes of the surroundings and used my imagination to create a protagonist that might be a guest at a gardening conference. I used my husband's name Ted for her little dog, Teddy, since I would have her be a widow.

After writing 12 chapters I shared the plot with my 14 year old daughter and was told how dumb it was and that nobody would ever read it. Discouraged, I ltucked it away for 8 years until one day our son suggested I write a blog.

I began with Camp Grandma Fun but decided to publish my manuscript one chapter at a time for feedback. A newspaper called The Half Moon Bay Review became interested in the story and wanted an interview. Now I was really inspired to finish my book.

A few months later I self-published “Murder in Half Moon Bay” and put it on the market. I included afternoon tea and created the character of Teddy, an intelligent little Yorkshire terrier who is the protagonist’s inseparable companion. And people bought it!

My son inspired me to write the second book using the setting of our next conference in Scottsdale, Arizona called The Sanctuary. He suggested writing about a murder centered on an endangered species since the protagonist is a garden columnist. “The Ghost Orchid Murder” now initiated the series of 11 books and a collection of six short stories to come. 

I must add that my husband and I enjoyed collaborating on plots and I credit him for much of my inspiration.

I hope you enjoy the reads. Stay safe. #FlattenTheCurve

 

~Nancy Jill Thames

Can Cozy Mysteries Stir the Imagination or Touch the Heart?

Authors are often loath, like some actors, to review their own work. We are too critical and want to constantly edit or rewrite. But when we achieve a stirring of the imagination or touch the heart we succeed in our craft.

 Yesterday I read a short story I'd written a few years ago called "Raven House."

Scene of the Crime

As writers often do I'd created an unlikable victim and the handful of possible murderers. When I read the story again, surprisingly, tender elements emerged creating moments that were heart touching indeed. Without giving too much away, one character finds forgiveness and freedom from guilt, as the main character, Jillian Bradley, sees an opportunity for reconciliation. In another instance a different character finds true contentment in spite of overwhelming odds his life has dealt. 
   Can a cozy mystery stir the imagination or touch the heart? This one did.

   "Raven House" is included in The Jillian Bradley Short Story Collection along with "Teddy Saves Christmas," another heartwarming tale, "Final Performance," not your average Nutcracker
presentation, "Lawrence Buys a Gift," a story full of imagination, "Birthday Bash," with a blast from Jillian's past, and "Sweets, Treats and Murder," a rather grisly story revolving around Valentine's Day. The candy shop is cozy, but not the actual murder. I do apologize.

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See you in my books!

~Nancy Jill Thames
https://nancy-jill.blogspot.com/