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

COZIES TO COMFORT

 By Nancy Jill Thames


This past week I had the privilege of communicating back and forth with a Jillian and Teddy fan. As she waited by her husband's bedside after he'd had surgery, she told me it was such a comfort, sitting on those hard cold chairs, to have her Kindle in hand reading the series. She's shared that she's read the books many times, and each time she hungers for another story. At present, I only plan to write a total of eight since my poor old body may not be able to take much more work on the computer. We'll see.

I was struck by the effect fictitious characters can have on readers. For instance, when I choose a book, I look for inspirational characters, whether I find myself rooting for them to conquer evil or fighting their way toward justice. With Jillian and Teddy, I want readers to find a good supportive friend and a virtual (trouble-free) pet. This fan and others tell me that to them, the characters I've created are real. Regardless of whether or not fans like the characters, one of the main objectives of my writing is to share the life of a Christian. I hope my books inspire you.

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, American Christian Fiction Writers, ACFW CenTex Chapter, 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 on your ereader for free!

Amazon Paperback $8.09
 Kindle FREE!
Barnes and Nobel Paperback $8.99
Nook FREE!
FREE on Smashwords and Kobo!

Stuff and Feathers

By Nancy Jill Thames

Boy, the east coast, including many of my family members, took a severe hit this week. Recovery will be long and costly. Still, in spite of the flooding, fires, toppled trees and loss of power, people found ways to keep cozy. What struck me the most was how different people reacted to the disaster.

Someone's Trampoline in Sparta, NJ - Home of my Relatives

One woman in Atlantic City was overwhelmed with the loss of her ocean view restaurant. Another restaurant owner said he was confident his place would be rebuilt, and fond memories of wedding receptions and other celebrations would remain intact for his customers. Yes, business sites suffered and so did people's homes. Many were completely destroyed.

Structures and their furnishings are what I call "stuff and feathers." I tried looking up the origin of this term with no luck. But as my east coast relatives gathered in the one house that did have power, I thought about what really matters in life. Sometimes a disaster helps us to see more clearly that our possessions are simply "stuff and feathers." Of course, my family's main priority was charging their devices - I don't consider those "stuff and feathers" at all! Why? Because we stay connected with those devices. Facebook posts and tweets kept people in touch with shared information and messages of support. At least we had satellites.

By coincidence, there is a power outage in my upcoming book "Waiting for Santa" due out at the end of November. Talk about timing! Believe it or not, some family members, like in my book, made their situation fun! They built campfires in their fireplaces, and by firelight, read to the kids and played games. My niece made hot chocolate in saucepans held over the fire. Her kids loved it! If that isn't cozy, I don't know what is.

So today, many of you will be reeling from the storm's aftermath. My heart goes out to you, wishing you hadn't suffered losses. Hopefully, you'll keep your chin up and bless God for His promise to never forsake us - even in times of disaster. By keeping our eyes on Him, everything else is only "stuff and feathers."

I'd appreciate comments on how you're dealing with your storm situations. Thank you!

~Nancy Jill Thames 

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - stories often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years.  Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs, a pie contest for her Chocolate Chip Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit the Cozy Book Store and her blogs: 

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames

"Queen of Afternoon Tea" Celebrity Author Interviews

            

Wedding Bells

by Nancy Jill Thames

Tomorrow is the big day! Our son Mike is marrying Catherine, his beloved. For those of you who've happily experienced passing the baton of mothering to your son's new wife, you'll understand my feelings of joy and relief! She'll take good care of him, I believe. God has been so gracious to provide wonderful mates for three of our four children. We trust Him to provide for our youngest daughter Holly as well. As I posted previously on my Cozy Mystery Author blog, the many details of preparation seem like happy steps toward the wedding. Instead of feeling burdened with huge lists of things to do, I feel energized by the thought of God's answering our prayers for mates who are believers. And guess what else God did? He spurred me on to get "Waiting for Santa" rewritten and into the hands of my editor before the week got carried away with all the things to do. "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 HBP).

See you next week here on Cozy Mystery Magazine!

~Nancy Jill

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - stories often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs, a pie contest for her Chocolate Chip Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit the Cozy Book Store and her blog:

Queen of Afternoon Tea ~ Nancy Jill Thames.

The Cozy (Crazy) Fall Season

by Nancy Jill Thames

Watching a lot of television is not in the cards for me, but I do get snippets of news from online friends all over the country. Posts of early snowfalls in the Northern regions, photos of crock pots plugged in with tasty stews and soups simmering, and glimpses of plans for celebrating Halloween pop up on my screen indicating Fall is here. In Texas, the seasons are unpredictable. I've been here when the temperature is 90 degrees one January, and ice storms rage the next. For now, though, the temperatures are settling into the lower 80's with 60's in the evenings. Nice. Finally, I can say we're coming into the cozy fall season! 
Or should I say the crazy fall season? 

This fall our youngest son is getting married to a lovely young lady whom we are growing to love more each day. What a blessing! And what a crazy time getting the wedding together. Maybe it's just me, but when I have company coming, I want everything in my house to be just "so." In order to accomplish this major feat, many shopping trips are needed. Yesterday I went to four stores and came home with a sleeper sofa, ottoman, bed linens, new bathroom shower curtain and accessories, and a sack full of table toppers for the rehearsal dinner we're giving at our house. Whew! Crazy! But oh, so much fun. And what better excuse to buy all the things I've been wanting for the past couple of years? The best thing about this crazy cozy fall season, though, is that my family and friends from California will be coming to visit for a few days. I'm even throwing in a family reunion luncheon for my mom's side of the family - one cousin she hasn't seen for 75 years! Crazy! Well, maybe, but the memories of this particular fall will be precious, especially when our son and his bride walk down the aisle next Saturday evening and say, "I do."

~Nancy Jill

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - stories often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs, a pie contest for her Chocolate Chip Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit the Cozy Book Store and her blogs: 

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames

"Queen of Afternoon Tea" Celebrity Author Interviews

How Much Fun Can One Person Stand?

by Nancy Jill Thames

Wouldn't it be lovely to have one more day in the week? What would you do with an extra day? I think I would do absolutely nothing but kick back and rest. Alas, this wish probably won't happen in my lifetime. Sigh. In the meantime discipline and organization will carry me through the out-of-town-company, the apartment warming for our youngest daughter, the rehearsal dinner barbeque, the mini-family reunion luncheon the following day, and our son's wedding the same evening. 

The thing about it is that it's all fun stuff. Really. Sure there's planning and chaos but hey, no pain - no gain. In my upcoming book "Waiting for Santa," Jillian is expecting a houseful of out-of-town company for Christmas, including a pug puppy. She's also thrust into a murder investigation while juggling romance between two suitors. And I thought I had challenges! The book is all in good fun and captures fond memories of my own family's holiday traditions. Now all I have to figure out is how to juggle between my own busy life and launching this book by November! Hmm. With discipline and organization...and remembering how fun it is to write cozy mysteries for readers like you, I should make that deadline. 

See you next Friday here on Cozy Mystery Magazine. Have a great weekend, my friends.

~Nancy Jill 

Visit the Cozy Book Store for a free offer this weekend!

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - stories often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs,  a pie contest for her Chocolate Chip Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit the Cozy Book Store and her blogs: 
Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames
"Queen of Afternoon Tea" Celebrity Author Interviews