HAPPY HOGMANAY and Welcome to 2023

The biggest holiday of the year is just a memory, but with the New Year revelry just around the corner, now is the time to look back on another year.

2022 was filled with the continuation of a milder but still scary Covid pandemic. For me, I was busy writing. SANDY was released in May. Clan of Dragons boxed set came out in July. I was a contributor to The TAF Omnibus and Yuletide Kisses Medieval Christmas anthology. All this writing really kept me busy!

Let’s hope 2023 is happier, healthier, and just as productive. Bring on the bright lights, fireworks, and crowds…well, I will continue to keep my distance, but the future looks pretty bright.

After a family dinner on New Year’s Eve, I look forward to a quiet night watching TV here in Raleigh as the North Carolina Acorn drops, with quick channel changes to see how Time Square is doing. 

Because of my part-Scottish heritage, which is why I write books with Scottish characters, I will celebrate Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) my way. Many of my books are on sale through Mid-January. Check them out HERE and enjoy!
 
 

Katie's New Home by Author Renée Filippucci-Kotz

I invited author Renée Filippucci-Kotz, a fellow writer friend in Raleigh, North Carolina, to share her recently released book. 

At some point in time almost everyone moves to a new home. Sometimes the move is across the country and sometimes it is across town. Leaving your home and saying goodbye to your friends can be scary. Will you like your new home? Will you make new friends? Everyone has these thoughts. Katie loved her home. It's where she grew up. It had a big back yard and lots of trees. Her best friends Skipper and Lucy lived next door. Life couldn't be better. Then one day her world changed. Katie's family is moving to a new town. 

 

In Katie's New Home we are introduced to Katie, a sweet Labrador who has these same worries. Will Katie like her new home and make new friends? Follow Katie to her new home to discover the answers.

      AMAZON    AMAZON Paperback  

AMASON Hardcover     BAM

More About the Author

Renée Filippucci-Kotz became interested in  writing for  children while working with foster
children. In addition to her picture books,  Booker and the Stinky Smell,  Smokey and Clover the Runaway Goat, and Cody to the Rescue she has written three chapter books, AJ’s Wish, Pepper’s Misadventure, and Mystery at Camp Piney Woods.  

When  not  writing, she  enjoys  reading, gardening, traveling and spending time with her husband and pets. They live in North Carolina. Connect with her here:

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK    TWITTER

Check out Photos from recent Highland Games

 

I visit various Scottish Highland games around the country to get ideas for my novels. Watching men in kilts as the march, play the bagpipes, turn the caber, or shoot a longbow is apt to stir anyone's imagination.

Seeing Highland cows with their impressive horns and watching folks dressed in period clothes as they stoke a fire to cook their dinner also stirs my appetite to pull out my laptop and write.

I also love the ocean. Although I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, I spent many weekends with family and friends in the waves at Fire Island and Jones Beach. These happy memories gave me the idea to set my story opening on the shores of Scotland's North sea.

My latest idea is set around the Christmas holiday which was referred to as Yuletide in medieval times. An author I know suggested we get together with other authors and each write  stories set around medieval Scotland and the Yuletide season. Of course, romance plays a big part in each historical tale! Who knew those brand new stories would come together in time for the upcoming holiday season?

I got together with Allison Butler, Aurrora St. James, and Ria Cantrell to share our Christmas stories with all our readers.

Available in ebook and print.

Order your copy today HERE

YULETIDE KISSES is Now Available in Ebook and Print!

Release Day, November 1st, was my official start to the Christmas (or, in this case Yuletide) season.

Allison Butler, Aurrora St. James, Ria Cantrell and I each wrote a story on how Scottish couples celebrated the Yuletide season in medieval times. Each story is BRAND NEW and only available in

YULETIDE KISSES: a Medieval Christmas Romance Anthology

My story is titled

A GIFT FROM THE SEA

A shipwrecked son of a clan chieftain, Monroe hides his full identity from the young lass who saves him from the waves, and her brothers. An attack by seafaring warriors puts all their lives in danger and the resulting deaths place a shadow over the upcoming Christmas Festivities. Leading Gwyn and her family toward his home far from the coast of Scotland’s North Sea could be a mistake, yet be the only way to keep them all alive.

Amazon     AmazonUK    AmazonCA 

 AmazonAu    Goodreads  

Amazon PRINT

FREE on Amazon KDP

I would love to hear your honest opinion of this book. 

Feel free to email me anytime at

nancy@nancyleebadger.com

(p.s. check out my personal GIVEAWAY )

HAPPY HALLOWEEN & SAMHAIN!

Halloween is just a couple of days away. In the Celtic world, where my book A Gift from the Sea is set, Halloween was called Samhain. 

Samhain originated in ancient Europe as a Celtic holiday, but today, it is an event that is celebrated worldwide. It's a pagan holiday that acknowledges the end of the harvest and honors the changing of the seasons, with cold weather right around the corner.

While Halloween does have roots in Samhain, they are not the same thing. Samhain is still celebrated today by various groups including Wiccans and there are many ways in which the festival is celebrated. There are not only group rituals, but single rituals as well.

Whether you celebrate with kids in costumes, roaming the neighborhood, or simply enjoy the changing of the leaves (such as these in my front yard), take care and enjoy the change of seasons. 

Nancy Lee Badger

My work is included in TAF's new book!

 

Book news: the latest TAF anthology is out! I am a long-time member of the Triangle Association of Freelancers based here in Raleigh, NC. This book is our first fiction and poetry anthology, full of all kinds of unexpected stories that will touch and entertain you, and poems that will invite you to stop and linger over their words. I submitted a poem and a story, which were accepted to be part of this publication. The ebook is available immediately. Find out more about TAF here. 

The TAF Onmibus: Stories & Poems

Find the huge assortment of Buy Links here at

books2read.com/TAFomnibus

p.s. do not forget that 

YULETIDE KISSES: A MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS ANTHOLOGY

WILL BE RELEASED 

NOVEMBER 1ST!

A Grand Giveaway to Celebrate YULETIDE KISSES

 

The coast of Scotland's eastern shore features in my new book A Gift from the Sea. It is one of four books in the newest anthology, titled 

YULETIDE KISSES:

A Medieval Christmas anthology

To celebrate, the four authors have gotten together to offer a fantastic gift...no purchase necessary (but we hope you buy the book!) 

The contest runs from Oct 17-31st 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click only on the ones you want in order to enter

Find all Buy Links HERE

A New Book Release by Sue Anger

LAST KNOWN PORT

by Sue Anger

 

1923 was the year for boats and booze and rag and jazz.

      And the occasional missing sailor.

Anxious to see his brother after sailing off-shore for weeks, Jake Parson sails into Beaufort, North Carolina, in the Spring of 1923. After he docks in the harbor, he learns his brother is missing at sea. Set against Prohibition’s backdrop of boats and booze and rag and jazz, Jake senses foul play and believes the answers to his brother’s disappearance lay in the port town. His search leads him into the rum-running operations of Beaufort’s watermen.

 

You may order 

Sue Anger's Debut Novel

LAST KNOWN PORT

from Dorrance Publishing.

 

More about the Author

Sue Anger grew up in Beaufort, North Carolina, where the past is always present. As a child, it was easy for Sue to walk around Beaufort’s windy streets, sail her waters and imagine the folks who had passed before her. And she never tired of listening to the stories of the land and the sea. Connect with Sue here: SueAnger.com 

 

 

Check out My Next Book ON SALE!

 

YULETIDE KISSES is now available for pre-order! Grab some hot cocoa and snuggle under the covers this season with four all-new medieval romances by best-selling and award-winning authors.

 From friends to lovers to a marriage of convenience, hidden identities and his best friend’s sister, you’ll be swept away to the magic of Christmas in Scotland where braw heroes will do anything for the women they've come to love.

The four brand-new stories include: 

Keep the Yule Fire Burning by Allison Butler

His Christmas Angel by Aurrora St. James

Celtic Nollaig Moon by Ria Cantrell

A Gift from the Sea by Nancy Lee Badger

Why take the time to pre-order this ebook"

When you do, you receive the SALE PRICE

as well as a BONUS EPILOGUE! 

Click here to find Buy Links

Remember, the Bonus Epilogue will only be given to pre-ordered books. The Sale Price is only good for a very limited time. 

I am very proud of this connection with three other authors who got together with an idea to brighten the holidays.

Nancy Lee Badger

Weather is Coming our way

 

We arrived home last week from an 11 day trip through New England with only two partial days of rain. Now we are in the possible path of Hurricane Ian. Raleigh, NC is ready and we are very happy we had three dead or dying trees removed in the last year. We have family in Florida who did not make it through the storm unfazed. 

All I can do is work on all the photos I took during our trip, keep in contact with family, and get back to a 'normal' existence. Possible? Who knows. while the power flows and the flooding is kept at bay, I will work and think up new stories. Here are a few photos as a hint to next week's blog post.

STAY SAFE!

Where did the Summer Go?

It is still summer here in Raleigh, NC. I can keep the doors and windows open later each day, but we are still seeing temperatures in the mid-eighties. Soon enough we will be complaining of the cold. With floods in some communities and raging fire in others, I take a moment each day to enjoy what I have...a house, a family, and my health.

Schools are back in session. I am looking forward to learning more about the craft of writing at the next in-person meeting with the members of my local Romance Writers of America chapter. Yes, 'seeing' them all on Zoom was okay, but in-person is different.

The group also offers a Zoom link so members who live near the ocean or up in the mountains can join in. North Carolina is a large state and we are the only RWA chapter. Speakers are fantastic and I look forward to each meeting on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Find out more HERE.

In the meantime , I will soon be autographing books at the New Hampshire Highland Games in Lincoln, NH and you can get info and directions HERE. 

Autumn starts September 22nd so enjoy every minute of summer that you can!

COVER REVEAL for YULETIDE KISSES

Earlier this year, I agreed to write a story to be included in an ebook antholgy with three other authors. I have done things like this in the past, but this is the first time we are all writing brand new stories with a general theme: Medieval romances set during Yuletide (more contemporarily known as the Christmas holiday season).

My story is set on the shores of Scotland's North Sea and is titled A Gift from the Sea. Here is the plot:

Gwyn’s life changes the moment the naked sailor on the beach opens his eyes. Helping him hide from the others and getting him to safety in her barn goes awry when strangers attack. Did they follow Monroe? Leaving her home was the right thing to do, but meeting his wealthy friend proves embarrassing to a farm girl. A chance meeting with a neighbor gives Monroe the wrong idea, and he leaves. When she follows him, we find her begging for Monroe’s life.

  

A shipwrecked son of a clan chieftain, Monroe hides his full identity from the young lass who saves him from the waves, and her brothers. An attack by seafaring warriors puts all their lives in danger and the resulting deaths place a shadow over the upcoming Christmas Festivities. Leading Gwyn and her family toward his home far from the coast of Scotland’s North Sea could be a mistake, yet be the only way to keep them all alive.

Besides my book, new stories written by 

Aurrora St. James and Allison Butler and Ria Cantrell 

are included

To celebrate the November 1st publication of Yuletide Kisses, 

I gave away an Autographed Print Copy 

of my most recent book in the Treasure Tales series

THE DUKE'S DIAMOND

which is also set in Scotland

and the winner is...GLENDA M!

August Already?

 

The dog days of summer are upon us. How can it be August already? The Labor Day Holiday in the United States, celebrated this year on September 5th, is right around the corner. Back-to-school sales fill the stores and a few have been putting up Halloween decorations. Can Christmas be far behind?

Recently author Donna Steele and I held a Christmas in July promotion that was fun and eventful. I love Christmas, but I am not in a hurry for winter. However, launching my new boxed set was the intention and it worked. Find all Buy Links for Clan of Dragons HERE.

Are you an author? Do you have a backlist? Check out my article over at the FF&P Blog titled Turning Backlists to Boxed Sets.

So, during August I head outside each morning, surrounded by nature, and read a book. Once the temperature hits 82F, I have to go back inside, but the morning air is invigorating. I do long for the simple days when we had a Golden Retriever puppy and we lived near the beach. I keep those memories alive. I hope your memories are as well.

In the meantime, READ!

Nancy Lee Badger

 

Christmas in July

Christmas in July is now over!

Here is a description of what hours of reading will bring you:

Nancy Lee Badger brings you over 800 pages from five books she calls the Clan of Dragon series. A long time ago, off the coast of Scotland’s Isle of Skye, something incredible began. Among lush green forests, flower-filled meadows, and black jagged mountains, dragons live in the shadows. It all starts with Robina, daughter of the fairy king, who meets a huge black winged creature. From their union rose three dragon brothers.

You will meet Evan in SPARK, Wynn in SMOKE, and the oldest brother, Dougal in the book titled SMOLDER. They are searching for mates on an island where other dragons no longer exist. What they find instead through their ability to shift into other forms are miracles that keep you turning the page. The last book, SANDY, brings you the story of a lonely dragon visiting Skye. What he finds are pirates and an irritating woman. 

FIND ALL BUY LINKS HERE

Author and good friend 

Donna Steele announces the 

release of her new book!

Accounting for Evil 

Book 3 in the Unknown Tasks series 

is now available!

HERE

Find out more about 
all of the Books by
Donna Steele
HERE

Let it snow!

Time to Celebrate with FIREWORKS and Author Nancy Lee Badger!

Summer is well under way and there is so much to enjoy. One is Independence Day which will be celebrated in the United States of America on Monday July 4th. Since that is a weekday, we will probably hear fireworks all weekend. My family will get together to grill burgers or brats and just enjoy being together.

We need to remember why the holiday came about and we are proud of all our ancestors that fought during the Revolutionary War to make our country free from British rule.

We are mostly of English descent, and mainly a mixture of ethnicity, but the truth is our families have lived in the northern part of the country since the 1600's. Our generation has ended up in Raleigh, North Carolina and we are working to accept our southern lives. 

Because I decided to move near my sisters, who had headed south for various reasons, I retired from 911 in New Hampshire and fill my days writing romance novels. Mom has moved here as well. She edits my books and has taught us to play Mah Jong. My latest book, SANDY, is now part of my Clan of Dragons Boxed set which will be released in one week at a special low price during CHRISTMAS IN JULY. Make a note or watch for its release Friday July 8th.

Pre-order now here: 

Amazon    Amazon UK    Amazon CA   Amazon AU

It is SUMMER TIME!

 

Have I told you how much I enjoy getting up early, pulling out the lawn chair and bucket of sunflower seeds, and welcoming my neighborhood critters? A carrot brings out two rabbits including the little fellow (above).

I love to read and am currently getting paid to read, but I am also trying to write more stories that keep screaming to be put on paper.

What's next? 

I finished a Scottish historical adventure, set around a medieval Christmas. A GIFT FROM THE SEA will be released November 1st in an Anthology created by a group of authors we are calling YULETIDE KISSES. Yum!

In January 2023, I will release the third (fourth?) book in my Treasure Tales series. The series actually started with LOVE, HAMISH, a novella, then was followed by full-length historical novels THE EARL'S TREASURE and THE DUKE'S DIAMOND

Writing and reading keeps me busy and I hope you are enjoying the weather and 'friends' like I am doing.

Nancy Lee Badger

Cover Reveal CLAN OF DRAGONS Boxed Set

Summer starts this month, although temperatures around the south have been climbing since March. Flag Day is June 14th here in America, and our yard is dotted with small flags. Our youngest son's birthday is coming (need to change those lottery numbers!) That's right...I almost forgot...our son was born on Father's Day way back, but it's not on the same day this year. 

My hubby and I will be celebrating another anniversary and it happens to fall on Father's Day this year. That day, June 19th, is also being called JUNETEENTH and I am working to understand its true meaning. 

I believe this fairly new Federal Holiday is called: Juneteenth National Independence Day; Jubilee Day; Emancipation day; Freedom Day; and Black Independence Day.

It's a busy month so I thought I should do something simple. Today I am releasing the cover of the upcoming boxed set called Clan of Dragons. Two novellas and three full-length stories are together and will be released on July 8th. The boxed set is over 800 pages and will be available in ebook. 

PREORDER IS AVAILABLE HERE

Nature Calls with Nancy Lee Badger

While reading books outside in the early mornings (before the temperatures here in Raleigh, North Carolina rise above 85 F) I enjoy nature. New bushes are thriving after several dead trees were removed. 

A baby rabbit is usually out in the grass, and several chipmunks show their faces. I throw a carrot to one and sunflower seeds to the others. Heading inside for the day, I can look out my kitchen window at my bluebird house, the birdbaths, and two feeders.  I surprised a deer who must have really good hearing to notice me up high. 

Reading keeps me calm as do my little visitors. The temperature is a cool 72F so I am off to set up my folding chair, grab a book from my extensive library, and relax. Join me?

Find all my BUY LINKS HERE