The Holiday Spirit

 

Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27th. It commemorates the meal the Pilgrims shared with their new Native American friends on the shores of Plymouth, Massachusetts. After landing there, from England (via the Netherlands) in 1620, and after losing 1/2 their numbers in the first harsh winter, they certainly needed something to celebrate.

Learning to grow corn and finding the less-than-pretty turkeys quite tasty, I am glad that the 50+ who survived kept living and thanking the good Lord. My husband shares his blood with six of those brave surviving Pilgrims, so Thanksgiving means a lot to us.

This is the first family celebration since my mom passed away in September. The group at the table is smaller but the laughter and dreams go on. With the Christmas holiday right around the corner, why not dream a little? Yes, most of my decorations are up and we will work on putting exterior lights out next week. I have no room for our little tree since I still cannot get rid of an extra couch, since I inherited mom's pretty green one, but that's okay. 

What plans are filling your date book? Travel? Sleeping-in? (we are retired so we can do that) I hope to continue writing while reading a new book, here and there. I am almost through the TAF Omnibus IV which includes my story Neighborly Love. It is a modern take on new neighbors and Scottish Highland games in a contemporary setting. 

Reading is a perfectly wonderful way to spend a cold weekend or dark, snowy night. We don't get much snow here in North Carolina, but we do get nasty weather. The camp lanterns are ready along with the gas fireplace. We will enjoy its coziness. Enjoy! And, if you need more book ideas, check out all my titles HERE.

Happy Holidays!

Nancy Lee Badger

November is Speeding By

Veteran's Day has passed and I was thrilled to see how many folks posted NICE things to say about our Veterans. Dozens of restaurants offered free meals too. 

My birthday has also come and gone for another year and America's Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Thursday Nov. 27th will be a day of remembrance and thanks...thanks for another year, but a day to remember our dear mother who passed away on September 1st. Our table will be smaller and the company a bit reserved. We will enjoy a home-cooked meal and thank my husband's Pilgrim ancestors for coming to this new country in 1620.

An upcoming trip to Florida will give us a chance to visit the cemetery to make sure the gravesite is complete and the stone is correct. The Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell is a beautiful site. A few days in the Florida sun might cheer us up a little, too.

The year will end soon and I am hopeful for new and exciting things. I have returned to writing and will do my best to bring stories to life. I am currently editing a story with a historical Scottish Christmas theme that, unfortunately, could not be worked on in order to be released this year. No excuses, but everything went downhill medically and family-wise in July. 

I have tons of books available in ebook and print. Prices are reasonable. Please check them out. You can find all the books and their Buy Links HERE

Thanks for listening, 

Nancy Lee Badger

CHECK OUT MY STORY

 

CHECK OUT MY STORY  

NEIGHBORLY LOVE 

IN THIS FUNDRAISING ANTHOLOGY

just released by the Writing Group

TRIANGLE ASSOCIATION 

of FREELANCERS (aka TAF)

I step out onto my back deck. The leafless trees cannot disguise the monstrosity behind my small cottage. The four-level structure leers down at my property, but I am getting used to it. I bought the cottage for a bargain during the big building’s construction. The former owner knew what was going up.

I’d prepared for this. My bedroom and den have thick, room darkening, navy-blue curtains. Noise is another bother. If I leave windows or my back screen door open for air flow, I hear cars in the parking garage beneath the structure. Worse, car alarms blare at all hours.

As if on cue, an alarm blasts, nearly making me spill coffee on my slacks.

“I am a writer, y’all! Have a heart and keep the noise level down!” Yelling into the wind makes me feel better, but it wouldn’t accomplish much.

The alarm stops.

“About time!” Taking a deep breath, I sit at my deck’s table. As I think about whether or not I should bring my laptop outside, or return to my claustrophobic den, a voice answers.

“Sorry, sir. I must have hit the alarm button instead of the lock. My car be new and this bloody fob be verra’ weird.”

I pause.

The woman with a lovely accent sounds young, but I can’t see her through the windowless walls of the parking garage. Never mind, she worked her magic and quiet has resumed.

Sipping my coffee, I think about my new book. The decision to write a Scottish historical novel came out of left field. Mom reminded me last month of our Scottish ancestry, although our ancestors emigrated centuries earlier. I feel American, not Scottish. However, a visceral need to write a novel with a Scottish theme hit me one night, so here I sit wondering how to approach it.

Watching movies like Braveheart and episodes of Outlander isn’t enough. My niece made me sit through the animated Brave movie. They all gave me a sense of Highland life, but not enough to write an outline.

“Ye be looking deep in thought, but I again wish to apologize for the rude noise. Will ye forgive me?”

I choke on my coffee.

 Get your copy today and check out the stories, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as poetry, from over 30 members as they raise funds to keep the organization striving to help its members achieve their writing goals. TAF is 501(c)(3) nonprofit group of professional freelance writers primarily based in the Triangle region of North Carolina.

Print Versions

AMAZON     AMAZON AU

Barnes Noble PRINT   BAM

Quail Ridge Books   Powells

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Amazon Ebook   Amazon AU

Amazon CA   Amazon UK

APPLE   KOBO

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and many other Buy Links HERE

Happy reading!

Nancy Lee Badger

A NEW RELEASE & FUNDRAISER

On September 18th, the Triangle Association of Freelancers, based in the Raleigh North Carolina area, is releasing another anthology that will raise funds for our non-profit group. The print version is available at AMAZON and will be found in other places as well. 

It was a dream job - until I got hit in the head with a pickle. . . My dress-up shoes are pinching my toes. . . Mississippi Mamaw muscadine jelly biscuits for breakfast, and the fried bologna on the white wonder for lunch. . . Life can be this frightening sometimes. . . "Where are we?" she asks with anxious uncertainty. . . The queen called. . . Sir John FitzAlan drew a slow breath against the pain in his half-healed side. . . Mandy crunches on thinly packed snow with her powder blue hiking boots on the rocky, semi trodden path. . . ."Where do you plan to travel next?". . .Jagged bolts of lightning flashed across the sky. . . The wind shakes the empty trees. . .These opening sentences lead you into a reading experience you've never known before! Words from fictional stories, essays, memories, and poetry; each has its own unique offering. Do you dare to step inside the mind of another? Are you up for the challenge? This wide array of selections will tickle you, entice you, and satisfy your thirst for the written word and hidden messages unveiled. An omnibus that makes you wonder, brings tears, laughter, shakes your head and makes you think deep thoughts. It's a great read!   252 Pages!

Covid Strikes Again

 

...and made my 95 year old mother sick, who then shared it with me. Unfortunately, complications took her from us on September 1, 2025. 

She was a wonderful woman and will be missed. Here is our family get-together on July 4th 2025. By July 24th she was sick with covid and pneumonia.

Seize the day, folks! You never know when someone will suddenly be gone. Love you always, Mom!

A New Book by Renée Filippucci-Kotz

Renée Filippucci-Kotz is a writer friend of mine, here in Raleigh, North Carolina. She stopped by to share her latest children's book, Mark of the Dragon. The colorful cover and pages filled with fun are available now!

Book Blurb: 

As Willow approached her thirteenth birthday, a mysterious mark appeared on the palm of her right hand. Not long after its appearance, Willow received life-altering news. This news sends her off on a journey full of adventure, danger, and portals to another world. Along the way, she encounters fantastic creatures with untold secrets and ancient wisdom who will forever change her life.

Excerpt:

Jagged bolts of lightning flashed across the sky. The wind screamed like a demon, the rain came so hard it stripped leaves from the trees, and the earth rumbled. Then, at the exact moment Willow was born, the storm ceased. It wasn’t so much the storm gradually faded away; it simply stopped. The clouds disappeared, and the full moon shone brightly.

Thirteen years have passed since the night of the storm, yet it was forever etched in the townspeople’s memory. Even now, the townspeople spoke of it with a mix of awe and fear, their voices hushed as if the storm itself might hear them. They whispered about Willow's birth during such an intense gale, some even calling her cursed or blessed, depending on their beliefs. Her mama explained it was because some people were superstitious about her being born the night of such a fierce storm. And even though she didn't fully understand why, Willow always felt set apart from those around her.

Renée has been telling stories to children since she started babysitting at the age of 11. She is the author of three chapter books: AJ’s Wish, Pepper’s Misadventure, which received honorable mention in Shoal, the Literary Journal of the Carteret Writers, and Mystery at Camp Piney Woods. 

In addition, she has published four picture books: Booker and the Stinky Smell, Smokey and Clover the Runaway Goat, Cody to the Rescue, and Katie’s New Home. She lives with her husband in central North Carolina.

Learn more about the author, 

Renée Filippucci-Kotz here:

Books By Renee     Facebook

Check it out! Great summer reading! 

Here are the Buy Links:

Amazon       Amazon AU

Amazon UK    Barnes and Noble  

Amazon Print

Vacation Time...Where will you Go?

The beach? The mountains? A foreign country? There are many choices, even if funds are few. 

'Vacationing in Place' is a concept many take to heart. Turn off the phone, make some cool beverages, and find time to read.

Check out all my novels. 

Ebooks and print copies.

Find all Buy Links HERE

Enjoy!

Nancy Lee Badger