Guess His Name - Win the Book!

Okay - this is hard so I'll be giving hints until someone guesses.
Hint #1. His name has four letters and contains an "a."
Hint #2. His name begins with an "S."

For all you cozy mystery lovers here's a challenge: Guess the name of the amnesia victim and you win  a copy of "FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL" (or a book of your choice from the series). First one to leave a comment with the correct name wins. Enter as many times as you like but only one guess per comment. Good luck! Winner announced on next Friday's post IF someone guesses. To send you your prize I'll ask for your e-mail at that time.

Happy Reading this weekend! Here's a review to get you started - read carefully. His name is NOT Luke.

 Fun, cozy read April 9, 2013

Jillian Bradley, the heroine in the Series, becomes guardian to a young teen after an accident leaves him with amnesia and his female companion dead.  An implanted chip in the young man pushes Jillian to discover who her houseguest is and why no one has filed a missing person's report. Plenty of rest is prescribed for Luke, the temporary name given the young man and with around the clock nursing, Jillian is given the freedom to put her listening ear to good use. A fun cozy mystery, I highly recommend this book. ~Barbara Ann Derksen

Thanks for the great review Barbara!

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 in two states, 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, England. To learn more about the author and check out her books, please visit her blog at  

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jillthames@gmail.com

To view and purchase her books on this site, please visit the Cozy Book Store.

The New Baby Has Arrived!

By Nancy Jill Thames

                                         

Is it a boy or girl? You'll have to read "Waiting for Santa" to find out.

Available now on Kindle $3.99 or Paperback $8.99
Coming to Nook soon!

                                                   

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 in two states, 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, England.

To learn more about the author and check out her books, please visit her blog at  
Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jillthames@gmail.com

To view and purchase her books on this site, please visit the Cozy Book Store.

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.

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

But honey, it's not real!

 by Nancy Jill Thames

As authors, we are able to take great liberty with our characters - what they look like, their back stories and how they act. In my upcoming novel, "Waiting for Santa," Jillian Bradley has a couple of romantic interludes, which is a departure from most of the previous books. When my husband read those sections he became jealous, as if he pictured me involved with the love interests! Now, I do admit to basing some of my protagonist's character traits on myself - hair color, being a gardening and art affectionado, and of course one who serves afternoon tea. But the stories are not real! He says, "I feel like punching him when..." Sorry I can't tell you what made him say this because that would be a spoiler. Further on in his reading he said, "Your readers are going to eat this up!" Well, I certainly hope so because that's the whole point! Writing fiction is the most fun of all simply because we create stories that we'd like to really happen. Hmm. Maybe my husband will get a few ideas! I've been taking care of grand kids this week in California while he's reading the book for the first time, but when I return home it will be interesting to see if he treats me any differently. Maybe I ought to say, "But honey, it can be real." "Waiting for Santa" is the sixth book in the Jillian Bradley mysteries due out at the end of November. Do you every try out ideas you read about in books?

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - 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 Chip Chocolate 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

Spouting Off About Teapots

by Nancy Jill Thames

A Mother's Day Gift

"Queen of Afternoon Tea"

From Wikepedia we learn a brief history of a clever invention - The Teapot!

The teapot probably derived from the ceramic kettles and wine pots which were also made in bronze and other metals and were a feature of Chinese cultural life for thousands of years. The earliest example of a teapot that has survived to this day seems to be the one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware; it has been dated to 1513 and attributed to Gongchun.

Early teapots are small by western standards because they are generally designed for a single drinker and the Chinese historically drank the tea directly from the spout. The size reflects the importance of serving small portions each time so that the flavours can be better concentrated, controlled and then repeated. *I would also add that the spout was designed with a grate to keep the tea leaves from getting into the person's mouth or later into the cup.

"The sweetest melody is always found in the heart of a friend."

From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxury goods. The ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze. Porcelain being completely vitrified will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea stayed on top in the dry.

My Everyday Teapot

Tea drinking in Europe was initially the preserve of the upper classes since it was very expensive. Porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time. It wasn't until 1708 that Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus devised a way of making porcelain in Dresden, Germany, and started the Meissen factory in 1710. When European potteries began to make their own tea wares they were naturally inspired by the Chinese designs.

A Gift from London, England

In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production and artistry. Among the many artists in Boston, there were four major families in the city's silver market, including Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots.

A Wedding Shower Prize

I'll refrain from posting a photo of my silver tea service because currently, it's wrapped tightly in plastic and I'm not ready to use it. We'll wait until the weather turns cooler and we can sit by the fire.

I used to own a simple white teapot, but one year I decided to give it to my Mom along with a Thistledown tea cozy for her birthday. She has entertained many of her neighbors serving tea using this gift.

Teddy

The heroine in my novels enjoys afternoon tea whenever she gets an opportunity, whether at the Ritz-Carlton or serving it to her garden club friends. Her little Yorkie companion Teddy adores a few morsels from the fare as well!



From "The Mark of Eden"

Buy on Amazon.com $2.99

Teddy appreciated the morsels of chicken salad sandwiches, but when someone gave him a bite of cucumber sandwich, he only ate the bread spread with cream cheese. Later, she would find bits of cucumber behind the sofa. After enjoying some bits of scones with the lovely crème fraiche, he hopped up onto the sofa, nestling in his favorite mohair throw. The ladies’ soothing chatter soon lulled him to sleep for a lovely nap, while Jillian continued to refill teacups with the blackberry sage tea, and offered more of her tempting specialties.



Here's an excerpt from "Murder in Half Moon Bay."

Buy on Amazon.com $2.99

I never tired of the Ritz-Carlton’s afternoon tea. Warm sunlight filled the soft peach and muted green lobby where they serve tea every afternoon. Ann waited for me, sitting comfortably in a green and white printed booth. A white tablecloth lay across the table adorned with a small bouquet of fresh fall flowers. Ann smiled upon seeing me come toward her and moved over a bit to make room for me to join her.

“Hello, Jillian,” she said. “You look pretty discouraged. The tea ought to revive you. Here’s our server.” A young dark haired woman wearing the hotel tan and green print uniform smiled and asked if we would like the ‘Set Tea.’ After answering in the affirmative, Ann and I put our heads together and debriefed...

The server brought our tea—a pot apiece, steaming with our individual choices, and then a three-tiered plate stand filled with sweets and savories of every description.

We helped ourselves to the delicacies as the server, Alicia, poured out. “Milk?” she asked. We both nodded a “yes,” and then she asked, “Sugars?”

From the Dollar Tree

Teapots, for me, hold wonderful memories. I've poured many a cup for my garden club friends, neighbors, nieces and nephews. 


What about you? Tell us about your teapots.



Next week I'll share some cups and saucers from my collection. Each and every one also holds a particular memory of the person  or occasion from where it came.

A Gift From My Sister-In-Law

A Miniature Beatrix Potter Tea Set

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries.

Find out more about her on the About Us page, here on Cozy Mystery Magazine.

Thanks for joining us today!

'Tis a New Day for the Kiddies

What mystery are you reading this week?

For moi, I'm reading "Davey the Detective" a brand new children's book by Emlyn Chand. Can't wait to share it with my grandchildren on my iPad! They love reading stories (and watching movies!) this way. Anyone else doing this now? I love the way the pages can expand when I'm pointing out a detail. Ah...technology! Have a good day.

~Nancy Jill Thames

Author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries

"The Reboot Series" - Fun Reads - Banana Pudding Recipe Included

by Nancy Jill Thames

 After a hiatus from reading, getting my latest book "Pacific Beach" launched, I decided to read my fellow Cozy Mystery Magazine author's books. C.L. Ragsdale came up first after reading one of her posts. I just finished book 2 "The Mystery of Hurtleberry House" after reading book 4 "The Wrong Ghost" and just ordered book 3 "The Island of Living Trees." Such fun cozy ghost stories! And behind the adventures of Irene Walters, reporter, and her cameraman, Troy Stenson, is a sinister sub-plot that I can't wait to uncover. The way C. L. weaves her Christianity through her stories is inspiring - ways we Christians can learn to use in our everyday lives as well.

When I was on the last two chapters of "The Mystery of Hurtleberry House," I got so caught up in the story that I wound up eating three bags of Southwest Airlines peanuts and a whole bag of popcorn. There was butter all over the sides of my Kindle as I clicked forward the pages and came to the end. Talk about a cliff hanger - I kept clicking the Kindle wanting to read more but sadly, it was the end. That's when I ordered book 3. Now I'm really hungry! Thanks C. L. for the fun reads. Keep 'em coming! You can buy these books in our Cozy Book Store for only $.99 - so check them out.

Nancy Jill's Banana Pudding

We authors work hard at our craft and often need a little something satisfying to eat, like creamy, smooth and delicious Banana Pudding. When it comes to taste tests, I'm somewhat of a snob. I care that my recipes are the sweetest, richest, and most memorable recipes my family will ever know. This recipe comes from Allene Hafner, one of The Triple L Cooks of The First Baptist Church Tyler, Texas. Thanks Allene for this excellent recipe! Just head on over to the Cozy Kitchen for the recipe. Happy reading, Cozy Lovers!

"Queen of Afternoon Tea"

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series based on her life experiences of traveling with her husband, staying in exclusive hotels and resorts. She loves serving afternoon tea and is known as Queen of Afternoon Tea. Writing is her latest creative outlet, along with playing classical piano. She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives with her husband in Leander, Texas. She is a member of The Leander Writers Guild.

To check out my 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 here on Cozy Mystery Magazine.

Or visit:

http://www.nancy-jill.blogspot.com ,

http://www.nancyjillthames.wordpress.com

http://www.authornancyjillthames.webs.com

WHAT IS A "COZY" MYSTERY??? BY DEBORAH MALONE

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cozy mysteries, also referred to simply as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. The term was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.^[1]

Characters

The detectives in such stories are nearly always amateurs (village policeman Hamish Macbeth, featured in a series of novels by M. C. Beaton, is a notable exception) and frequently women. They are typically well-educated, intuitive, and often hold jobs (caterer, innkeeper, librarian, teacher, dog trainer, shop owner, reporter) that bring them into constant contact with other residents of their town and the surrounding region.^[2] Like other amateur detectives, they typically have a contact on the police force who can give them access to important information about the case at hand, but the contact is typically a spouse, lover, friend or family member rather than a former colleague.^[3] Dismissed by the authorities in general as nosy busybodies (particularly if they are middle-aged or elderly women), the detectives in cozy mysteries are thus left free to eavesdrop, gather clues, and use their native intelligence and intuitive "feel" for the social dynamics of the community to solve the crime.^[2]

The murderers in cozies are typically neither psychopaths nor serial killers, and, once unmasked, are usually taken into custody without violence. They are generally members of the community where the murder occurs, able to hide in plain sight, and their motives—greed, jealousy, revenge—are often rooted in events years, or even generations, old. The murderers are typically rational and often highly articulate, enabling them to explain, or elaborate on, their motives after their unmasking.

The supporting characters in cozy mysteries are often very broadly drawn and used as comic relief. The accumulation of such characters in long-running cozy mystery series, such as those of Charlotte MacLeod, frequently creates a stock company of eccentrics, among whom the detective stands out as the most (perhaps only) truly sane person.

Content

Cozies virtually never dwell on sexuality or violence, or employ any but the mildest profanity. The murders take place off stage, and frequently involve relatively bloodless methods such as poisoning and falls from great heights. The wounds inflicted on the victim are never dwelt on, and seldom used as clues. Sexual activity, even between married characters, is only ever gently implied and never directly addressed, and the subject is frequently avoided altogether.

The cozy mystery usually takes place in a town, village, or other community small (or otherwise insular) enough to make it believable that all the principal characters know, and may well have long-standing social relationships with, each other. The amateur detective is usually a gregarious, well-liked individual who is able to get the community members to talk freely about each other. There is usually at least one very knowledgeable, nosy, yet reliable character in the book who is intimately familiar with the personal history and interrelationships of everyone in the town, and whose ability to fill in the blanks of the puzzle enables the amateur detective to solve the case.^[2]

Cozy mystery series frequently have a prominent thematic element introduced by the detective's job or hobby. Diane Mott Davidson's cozies, for example, revolve around cooking, Parnell Hall's around crossword puzzles, Monica Ferris's around needlework, and Charlotte MacLeod's "Sarah Kelling" series around art. Other series focus on topics ranging from fishing, golfing, and hiking to fashion, antiques, and interior decoration. Cat-lovers are well-represented among the ranks of cozy-mystery detectives, notably in the work of Rita Mae Brown and Lilian Jackson Braun, as are herbalists (of whom the best known is Ellis Peters' medieval sleuth Brother Cadfael).^[4]

Avoidance of explicit sex and violence, emphasis on puzzle-solving over suspense, a small-town setting, and a focus on a hobby or occupation are all frequent elements of cozy mysteries. The precise boundaries of the sub-genre remain vague, however, with the work of authors such as Aaron Elkins and Philip R. Craig considered borderline cases.

A COZY REVIEW OF "MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY"

By Scarlett Rains

Something’s fishy at the Ritz…and it doesn’t sit well on a cracker!  

---

 

Murder in Half Moon Bay

Book Description (per Amaon)

Publication Date: April 10, 2012

When a shocking murder disrupts the West Coast Garden Club Society's second annual conference, gardening columnist Jillian Bradley joins with Chief Frank Viscuglia to help in the investigation. Could it be the mean spirited conference director? Perhaps it's the wealthy widow on the make for her next husband; or maybe the killer is the haughty business woman who shows no regard for her brow beaten husband.

Set in beautiful Half Moon Bay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jillian moves through the exclusive hotel property, local nurseries, colorful restaurants, and private mansions searching for the truth, pausing with her friends for cups of afternoon tea along the way. She uncovers a series of mysterious events that lead to solving several murders, both past and present. With the help of her garden club friends and her Yorkshire terrier 'Teddy', Jillian discovers not only a killer, but a far greater menace that could threaten us all.

Product Details

·         Paperback: 178 pages

·         Publisher: CreateSpace (April 10, 2012)

·         Language: English

·         ISBN-10: 1452882088

·         ISBN-13: 978-1452882086

My Review

Murder in Half Moon Bay, (Jillian Bradley Mysteries, No. 1) is an entertaining, fast-paced, read. Nancy Jill Thames’s clever protagonist, Jillian Bradley, doesn’t miss a beat.  She, and her garden club friends, arrives at the West Coast Garden Club Society’s Annual Conference in Half Moon Bay expecting to relax, spend the weekend gleaning gardening tips, whiling away pleasant hours surveying plant specimens, and sampling great food.  Jillian quickly realizes there is something fishy going on at the Ritz…and she’s not talking about fertilizer! The soil at the Ritz-Carton doesn’t need enrichment.  Bodies are popping up over there faster than bean sprouts on steroids!  Good thing Jillian is not only a gardening expert, but a VERY good listener, a keen observer of detail…and a list-maker.  Put all that together, stir in the ‘contributions’ of Teddy (Jillian’s little Yorkie –who may just be telepathic!) and you’ve got yourself a great potting mix for a budding detective. 

As Nancy Jill Thames’s delightful story unfolds, a botanist might prove more useful than the FBI or the local police department.  All sorts of cross-pollination seems to be going on, what with social butterflies flitting around, landing in who knows whose room, and things taking root where they never should have been planted!   I’m not one for spoilers, but there are weeds that need pulling at the Ritz-Carlton and Jillian’s just the gal for the job. She and her friends waste no time. They get to work, digging in the dirt, to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed Thames’s family-friendly mystery very much.  This charming book earned 4/5 hearts. I would have given it 5/5, but one of the plot points troubled me.  As brilliant as Jillian clearly is, I couldn’t see a police chief allowing her to question suspects, until later in the series —after she establishes her stellar reputation as a sleuth. That trifle aside, Murder in Half Moon Bay is the sort of book to enjoy on a rainy day, snuggled in a recliner with a nice cup of Jillian’s favorite, Lady Earl Grey, tea.  I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a clever mystery that’s not soaked in blood and gore.  I look forward to reading all of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries.