Happy Pecan Day!

And how appropriate since I just turned in my revisions for another Adams Grove novel, Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies. This book is Cody Tuggle's story and if you loved him in Out of Focus, I think you're going to really go crazy for him in this book. I had so much fun writing it, and I even had some special help. The lead guitarist of the Bret Michaels Band is Pete Evick...and guess what....he's a native Virginian just like me. He answered a slew of questions about the music world to help me bring a realistic feel to Cody's role in the story. I really can't thank him enough for helping me make that book come to life.

So Happy Pecan Day!

Here's a little pecan trivia for you--

1. There are two Pecan Days. One in March and One in April!
2. The Pecan tree is the only nut tree native to North America.
3. It would take 97,812,000 9 inch pecan pies to circle the earth.
4. Pecans can be frozen and re-frozen for up to two years!

Hugs and happy writing~
Nancy

Forward....MARCH!

So here we are on February 25th and March is knocking on our door. This year seems to really be flying by, but winter is still hanging on with it's fingernails dug right into my sunshine wishes.

Hopefully, we're running out of cold winter days though, at least that's what Punxsutawney Phil would like us to believe. So, here's to hoping that little guy was right and we're counting down the last of the cold and blustery days of 2013.

Today is a perfect day to celebrate that too because  IT'S NATIONAL CHILI DAY. 
Yes. Really. I wouldn't kid you about this.

So, how do you like your chili?
Good ol' Texas style with no beans?
Con carne?
Or are you one of those healthier eating turkey or vegetarian chili lovers. Do you like lots of chunky tomatoes or do they need to be pureed to suit your palette, like my husband?


And now the real question.
Do you like your romances as spicy as your chili?

Me? Well my chili tastes do match my choice in romances. I like mine with a mild heat that's hidden under a little sweet.

Happy Chili Day!
Nancy

Snow On Friday/(Tuesday*64) = Southern Virginia in January

Thirty degree variation in one week?
I know! Crazy, right?
I'm drafting my Monday morning blog post on Friday evening with nearly 3" of snow outside and temperatures in the 20's. But as a lifelong Virginian - I ain't scared. Oh no! Because if you're a Virginia native like me, you know that no weather pattern is going to stick around long in these parts.

Case in point -- our forecast ---


And quite honestly the snowy icy cold weekend is perfect timing, because I'm on deadline. PECAN PIE AND DEADLY LIES is due to my editor on February 1. It's been a really fun book to write because I've been spending all my free time with honky tonkin' country western singer Cody Tuggle and well....'nuff said! He's a hot hero and if you read Out of Focus, you already know that.

Knowing that we've got a couple nearly 70 degree days coming up next week, I think that I'll be able to keep my buns glued to the chair through the cold days and make the last tweaks so I can play outside later this week :)

Now -- today, JANUARY 28, is National Kazoo Day. So here's to happy memories of kazoo playing birthdays and driving our parents crazy when we were kids. Yes, they still sell them at Dollar Tree - so stop and pick some up and surprise your family with some dinner music tonight. That's bound to get a smile (okay maybe an eyebrow lift).  Trivia:: Alabama Vest (a man, not a clothing outfitter) first invented this delightful-sounding, easy to play instrument in Macon, Georgia in the 1840's.

Wish me luck on the deadline. Hopefully by next post I'll have the final cover for Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes to share with you - coming July 9th!

How's your January been?

About Nancy :: I am the author of the Adams Grove series and the co-author of the YA novel, inkBLOT. I write stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.

Check out my website NancyNaigle.com and on facebook and twitter @NancyNaigle

Two more Adams Grove novels coming out in 2013. 
Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes will come out in July, followed by Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies around Labor Day.  
Join my newsletter to get all the updates first! 

Thanks so much for being a part of my journey.

Hugs and happy reading.

NEW YEARS EVE - countdown to 2013

As we get ready to ring in the new year, it's always a time of reflection for me. I like to look back on the year, the new friends I've made, the old friends I've reconnected with, the progress I've made with personal goals and all the fun along the way.

Here in our household we've always followed the tradition of fresh black-eyed peas on New Years Day for good luck. I start on Sunday soaking a good salty Virginia ham and on New Years Eve I'll be slow cooking that ham and the black-eyed peas together.

Now, it was news to me to learn today that you're supposed to eat collards for money. Who knew? Not me, and I have a garden full of fresh collards. I think I'll add them to the menu just for good measure, even if they don't sound too good together.

We stay home, the husband and I, on New Years Eve and we'll probably celebrate 2013 on the Greenland time zone. I can stay awake that long!

What will you be doing and what traditions do you follow?

About Nancy :: I am the author of the Adams Grove series and the co-author of the YA novel, inkBLOT. I write stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.

Check out my website NancyNaigle.com and on facebook and twitter @NancyNaigle

Two more Adams Grove novels coming out in 2013. Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes will come out in July, followed by Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies around Labor Day.  Thanks so much for being a part of my journey.
Hugs and happy reading.

A Giving Season

It shouldn't be a seasonal thing, but it does seem that as we get to the end of November our thoughts turn to the holidays and with the holidays come memories. With memories our hearts open up just a little bit more and I think that's part of why the holidays seem to always foster a little more giving.

I'd like to challenge folks this year to add one extra thing to your list that is for absolutely no one you know. Just a small charitable donation to help others. If we all give a little - it really will add up to a lot.

~I hope you'll help me~

Now through December 1st you can donate as little as $10 and make a huge difference in support of the Life Rocks Foundation. They send type one diabetic kids to camp, support the Wounded Warrior Project, and so many other amazing charities, even pet adoption through a partnership with PetsMart. And this foundation is $1 in $1 out -- it all goes to help, no overhead.
Here's the link. https://www.crowdrise.com/bretmichaelsliferocks/

I've posted a donation, when you follow the link above to make your donation add an (N) after your name in the donation listing and send me an email at nancy@nancynaigle.com so I have your email address and we'll do this thing! I'll be drawing a copy of Sweet Tea and Secrets for every ten donations that get made by us. I even have some audio copies so if that's your preference include it in the email!  If you win I'll give you the option to have it autographed to whomever you'd like and I'll even wrap it up all pretty for you, too.

Oh! And for all you gals that have Virginia connections like me (I was born and raised here!) the guys in the Bret Michaels Band are all from Virginia. So, let's show our southern Virginia is for Lovers giving side and support them in their efforts.

I'll post the winners on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nancynaigleauthor by Monday December 3rd so I have plenty of time to get the winners their prize in time for holiday gift giving -- but every single one of us that donates will already be a winner by putting smiles on faces in the most special way.

My next post won't be until New Years Eve -- so let me say to all of you now - thanks for giving and...
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays however you spend them.
Nancy

It's an Autumn thing - y'all ready?

The first official day of the season has come and gone - it's AUTUMN!
Colors are quickly shifting from bright vivid jewel tones to rich, mysterious fall colors and I'm already starting to see a shift in the colors of the treeline on the back of my property.

This weekend I was going to make a quick dash to the post office only to be caught, with no option but to wait, as the 50 year celebratory parade marched its way down Main Street Emporia, VA for the Peanut Festival. At first, I'll admit it, I was frustrated and saying things like,

I don't have time for this.

Wish I had my laptop or a book.

Great. How long will this take?

But once I pulled up as close as I could so that as soon as the parade was over I could make the turn to get the packages mailed, I found myself drawn right in to the festivities. A long stream of antique tractors sputtered and putt-putted by. I wish I'd counted them. John Deere green easily outnumbered the other types. Some were solo and others towed along trailers with floats representing various groups from the community.

Candy was tossed from the floats as they made their way down the parade route. Young kids had Piggly-Wiggly plastic sacks that looked to be filling up quite nicely, but what I found the most amusing was the senior citizens that were darting out to get candy. One gal in a Tweety bird shirt was with two other seniors who clearly wanted to act like they were too old for the fun, but they snapped up that candy Miss Tweety risked life and limb for in a hurry, and I swear Miss Tweety scooted one kid out of the way! - twice!, to scoop up tootsie rolls, chocolates and other sweet treats, along with what looked like some coupons from where I sat.

High School bands marched through with baton twirlers, flags swooping and great sounds that had folks tapping their feet and getting in the groove.

The parade lasted a good solid 45 minutes and ended with the emergency vehicles making the most noise of the afternoon. I had no idea there were that many firetrucks and emergency vehicles in the county! I'm feeling pretty safe right now.

As I left I had a huge smile on my face. Not just from the parade and the memories it brought back to me, but from the feeling I got as I watched families scurry hand-in-hand through the crowds away from the parade route - all wearing big smiles.

Now I'm in the mood to pick out a pumpkin and get to carving to make the season feel official. So, tell me...are you going to:

1. Choose a real or fake pumpkin?
2. Giant, big, small or a tiny gourd-sized one?
3. Carve or Paint your pumpkin?
4. Create a spooky scary scene or a funny one?

The weather here has been nice enough to sleep with the windows open and I love it when it's "sweater weather" which puts me right into the mood to be outside under the stars. Hope it's been that pretty where you live.

Happy Autumn, y'all!

Nancy

PS--Sweet Tea and Secrets releases tomorrow - new cover - new scenes and lots of southern fun.

I hope you'll help me celebrate the release by passing the word around. Hugs and happy reading~

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Secrets-Adams-Grove-Novel/dp/1612185959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348348082&sr=8-1&keywords=sweet+tea+and+secrets 

Back to School = School Supply Sales = ★★★★★

I hope everyone has had an amazing summer. Just like when I was a kid, it felt like it went by too quick, but I can't say I'll be sad to see some cooler temperatures roll in. It's been a steamer! 

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in back-to-school mode, but I love it when the circulars start coming out with all the back-to-school supplies, because if you ask me there’s a smudgy grey line between school and office supplies. And even though I don’t have kids, you can bet I’ll be right there in line next to Mom’s with their baskets loaded – the only difference will be I won’t really have a checklist hehehe. Oh, and even better, I don’t have to share. I’ll stock up on notebooks, markers, pens, pencils and, yes, even some crayons. You just never know when you’re going to need a day to color outside the lines. Best therapy ever!

Kids these days are lucky. They live in the land of sticky notes and erasable ink pens. When I was growing up my mom would scotch tape scraps of paper to her pocket book with embarrassing lists of everything she didn’t want to take a chance on forgetting. The whole world knew what her priorities were. Those new erasable ink pens are the best. I remember having to sacrifice many a page of legal ruled paper after making too many mistakes on the ink rewrite. Not any more....have you tried those Pilot FriXion ink pens. They are the superhero of ink pens. A little rubbery end, not like an eraser at all – more like a smooth piece of rounded plastic, that somehow sweeps away your ink and leaves the paper unmarred.

The other thing back to school makes me think of is that great line in the movie You’ve Got Mail. Remember when she talks about a “bouquet of sharpened pencils”? Man, if someone gave me a bouquet of sharpened pencils, or better yet pretty highlighters...I’d be thrilled to pieces.

So what’s a blog post without at least one fun picture?

Here’s a picture of one of my very favorite birthday presents on my 50th birthday 7/29. My dogs, Hunter and Dakota, got it for me. They did too, my husband said so!   Isn’t it adorable. It’s a sticky note holder!

That's my thoughts on Back to School and School Supplies --- a five star event!

Life is good in 2012. Mom’s, I hope enjoy the time that you’ll have back now that the kiddie’s are back in school...for the rest of us...stock up on crayons and practice coloring outside the lines. It’ll do ya good.

Hugs and happy scribblin’

Nancy

PS – the re-release of Sweet Tea and Secrets is just around the corner. It’ll be out in print, digital and audio on 9/25. New cover, new twists. I hope you’ll help me spread the word. You can even pre-order if you like à http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Secrets-Adams-Grove-ebook/dp/B0087340OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344825357&sr=8-1&keywords=sweet+tea+and+secrets+montlake

SWEET TEA AND SUMMER VACATIONS

Happy last summer Monday of July friends.
Nancy Naigle here and I'll be joining you the last Monday of every month from my farm here in southern Virginia. We raise goats here on Holland Farm which is located not but about 20 minutes from the Carolina line off I95. Thanks for joining me today.

I love summer and as a kid I loved summer vacations. Here in southern Virginia my family spent a lot of time on the beach, sunning, crabbing, and enjoying the outdoors. As we hit those middle grade years we did the Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion trips. How did we survive the heat? I don't do it so well these days. Well, beach days are over for me. Aside from the fact that I can't stand the thought of shopping for a swimsuit, I swear it's hotter now than it used to be. My momma is a redhead so you can imagine how well I tan -- yeah, I don't. I get burnt slap up while my husband turns as brown as piece of jerky. It's just not fair.

One thing that I do still love about summer is getting together for picnics and cookouts. Okay, cookout and eat-in. Isn't it cool when you get to the point where everyone has their specialty so you barely have to suggest who is bringing what -- everyone already knows. My step-children hit that level this year. Michelle brings watergate salad and Michael surprised us with his homemade potato salad at our last get together. Both were perfect. I guess that was their final step into adulthood. :) We'll be celebrating Michael's 30th birthday in August. Seems like not that long ago he was learning to drive...in my car...my heart racing....gulp!

Summer tip: When the temperatures are scorching I try to make ice cubes out of whatever beverage I'm serving, too. It helps keep folks with a cool drink in hand that stays fresh to the last drop. There's nothing worse than watered down sweet tea!

Here's the link to Pearl's famous sweet tea from my novel Sweet Tea and Secrets~

http://www.NancyNaigle.com/sweettea.htm 

Here's to summer vacation memories and making new ones that are just as wonderful.
Hugs and happy summer~
Nancy