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

Summer is HERE!

Technically, summer starts June 20th but the weather around here in Raleigh, North Carolina sure feels like summer. Temps are over 90, storms threaten every afternoon, and flowers succumb to the appetite of the deer. The local power company powers down our A/C when black-outs are possible, and we have already had a couple of power outages. My shower is pretty dark when the lights go out!

Through it all hubby and I sit back and remember our first apartment. No A/C, no control on the temperature (the thermostat was in the lower apartment), no A/C in any of our cars, and it was usual for camp lanterns and flashlights to be close-at-hand.

The difference? We married and set up our first home in New Hampshire. The mountain breezes and nearby rivers of cool, clean water, as well as lakes and hiking trails made our summers a treat. Vacationing in nearby Canada or a trip to the Dover coast for lobster made for a great life. Forty-nine years later, we manage it all...together.

What do you do to survive the weather that seems to have turned worse across our country? We are NOT looking forward to possibly 13 or more hurricanes. These massive storms are unpredictable. Only 4 hours west of us, the towns of Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Asheville, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock and many more were nearly destroyed only nine months ago. 

Find your flashlights and heed the warnings, 

but try to enjoy SUMMER! 

(Don't forget your summer reading...)

Nancy Lee Badger

The Story Continues across North Carolina

 Happy, Happy Friday the 13th!

Although I was not born in North Carolina, I have come to love this part of our fabulous country. After traipsing around the state, mostly using recommendations by my sisters who had relocated here years before, I discovered the North Carolina Museum of Art. It swept me away and when its 164 acres brought me to the open-air Rodin Garden, I was hooked. Huge statues by the sculptor, Auguste Rodin, made ideas swim in my writer's mind. The result?

The Warriors in Bronze series.

Published April 15: HEAVEN-SENT WARRIOR

Asleep inside a bronze statue, a naked Frenchman wakes a century later to save a half-Fae, museum curator from a demon bent on ruling our present-day world.

Published May 15: HEAVEN-SENT HIGHLANDER

A Scottish Highlander falls in battle only to awaken beside bronze statues at a present-day museum. Befriended by a beautiful Fae creature and her allies, he must defeat a demon or die.

To be Published June 15: HEAVEN-SENT FLAME

An English lass grows up in a Scottish coven only to awaken in a strange new world with sculptures, a handsome man, and a hate-filled demon. Falling in love while saving the world was not the plan!

These books are available in ebook and print.

Find all Buy Links

HERE

The beginning of summer is right around the corner, so these books make great 'beach reads.' Will you consider adding one to your beach chair?

Nancy Lee Badger 

p.s. Happy Father's Day June 15, 2025

p.s. Happy birthday to our son, Eric, born on Father's Day many years ago (when it was June 16th)

Another Book Release? Why Not!

A Scottish Highlander falls in battle only to awaken beside bronze statues at a present-day museum. Befriended by a beautiful Fae creature and her allies, he must defeat a demon or die.

It is one month since I released the book Heaven-Sent Warrior, the 1st book in my Warriors in Bronze paranormal romance series. 

This 2nd book in the trilogy, titled Heaven-Sent Highlander, takes the story in a new direction with a Scottish hero and a demon with a personal vendetta.

Here is the plot: 

At an American museum, surrounded by bronze statues by Auguste Rodin, a Scottish Fae beauty is at a crossroads. Now that Gwendolyn’s friends are engaged, and the demon they fought vanquished, should she return home? After committing a terrible act, she could not explain to her cousin why she had appeared on his doorstep.

Alexander awoke in darkness inside a bronze statue. Remembering how the green of Scotland’s Culloden field had turned red with blood and bodies that day in 1746, had he died before awakening nude and sightless in front of strangers in present-day Raleigh, North Carolina? The mystery of how was overshadowed by why. Told that another warrior awoke when a demon threatened to take over the world, had a second demon escaped Hell?

Training with swords and wooden staffs against a powerful Fae warrior is difficult at best and blurry vision made the experience intense. When the demon appears and demands Gwen join him, Alex must use all his new skills and Heaven-sent powers to keep her and the world safe. 

The book is available in ebook and Print. Find all Buy Links HERE 

Thanks for reading!

Nancy Lee Badger

My New Book is Making the Rounds!

 

My Blog Tour has started. Learn more about my book, Heaven-Sent Warrior, the first in my Warriors in Bronze series. The book is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover HERE

Take a moment to visit these blogs 

that have shared my release:

Steele Stories   and   The Road to Reinvention

...and a great big thank you to my Blog Tour's host's Website

SILVER DAGGER BOOK TOURS

A 'NEW' Book for a New Beginning

 

April has been a busy month for me as an author and traveler. When preparations for the release of my new book Heaven-Sent Warrior were finalized (the book was released April 15th), my hubby and I traveled to visit relatives in hurricane-devastated Western North Carolina then attended the Loch Norman Highland games. 

The book is a romantic paranormal with fantasy elements set in present-day North Carolina. My characters meet at the fictional Raleigh Museum of Art and their adventure takes them to the Blue Ridge Mountains then to the Atlantic Ocean. 

With the book available as an ebook, a paperback, and hardcover, everyone should find their copy HERE. 

Our visit to Asheville, Swannanoa, and Black Mountain opened our eyes to the tragedy a 1,000 year flood and 1,200+ landslides had caused. Our relatives lost trees and a shed, but not their homes. However, all the food in their refrigerator was lost due to weeks with no power. Drinkable water took trips to distribution centers to find, once the roads opened.

Our cousin gave us a drive-around tour and she was surprised at how much work had been accomplished in the last few weeks. She attributes it to a recent visit from President Trump. So many people lost their homes as the buildings washed down the river. Others have struggled to clean-out and make their standing homes livable.

Leaving those mountains, we arrived near the southern end of Lake Norman, north of Charlotte. We attended Saturday's Loch Norman Highland Games and were happy to see the rainy weather had cleared. We cheered on the clans and bands, had our shredded USA flags retired by burning them in a patriotic ceremony, and visited the historic village. We ate meat pies and shortbread and listened to the bagpipes while watching athletes perform (Women challenged other women, while men hung out together. Only the kids wrestling was co-ed). 

Now that we have returned home, I am off to set the table for our family's Easter 2025 Get-together, hoping the weather will allow us to sit together on the deck. I will remind you once in awhile about my new book and work on bringing out the next two books in the series. 

Enjoy Passover and Easter.

Nancy Lee Badger  

This Old Dog...

This old dog (me) decided to publish another book. I have published or had stories published about 45 times since my first book. All three of the publishers of some of those titles closed their doors. An author needs to take those 'orphan' books and release them again.

A new life for any book takes time...editing, rehashing the story line, updating the language, creating new covers, etc. is easy for me but it takes time. I don't mind as I have found ways to make it work. I was able to upload a clean document of my re-edited story to my Kindle app on my phone. It reads and looks like a book I can buy on Amazon, although without a cover.

That is where this old dog needed to really learn new things. I did my best, but publishing with IngramSpark proved too convoluted (is that an old person's word?). They used terminology I have never heard of and figured I have a time crunch, since I will be attending a writer's conference in May and want to show off my stuff. I bought a Bowker ISBN through them, but Amazon (aka KDP) states I can use it with them if I do not use it with IngramSpark. ISBN numbers are necessary if you want wide distribution and a professional look.

Back I went to Amazon KDP. I have not released a book through them since May 12, 2023. I loved releasing The Rogue's Ring and am glad I set up my promotional blogs in advance because one week later, I fell off a curb at the airport and broke my left wrist and 5 ribs. Ouch!

Once I could type with two hands again, I returned to writing, and summited a short story that was released last September 2024 in The TAF Omnibus 3 which is a fundraising book with my writer's group, the Triangle Association of Freelancers based in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Weeks ago I submitted another short story for this year's fundraiser and it was accepted! That book will be published in September 2025. I am on a roll!  

Today, I managed to re-upload the interior of my book to KDP(they said some letters were too close to the edge) and make my very first PDF photo of the back cover, spine, and front cover all made by lil' ole' me. I love the book and am happy it will again see the light of day. This will be a hardcover copy, and I will get back to work on the ebook. In the meantime, the spring weather here at home is hitting the 70's so it is time to walk (and watch those curbs!) 

Many thanks in advance to those that helped me with the original book...Kim Beegle and Lynn Erla Beegle for making me aware of the beautiful Art Museum nearby. For freelance Editor Kathleen Rothenberger for urging me to publish the manuscript many years ago, and Author Jennifer Delamere for her help with the French language peppered throughout the story. Using part of the museum as scenery along with the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Outer Banks makes this book a North Carolina must-read!

Keep an eye out for ...

Happy Spring!

Nancy Lee Badger

Green with Envy

While writing my next novel, I was looking forward to celebrating Saint Patrick's Day on Monday March 17th. Imagine my surprise when Ancestry.com/DNA no longer lists 'Ireland' as one of my ancestor's ethnicities! What happened? I know it was there, but now the closest they show is Scottish ancestry, specifically from the Isle of Mann. That little island is spitting distance from the eastern shore of Ireland. 

So, I will sip some non-alcoholic beer and wear a green shirt and cry. Maybe it will come back because I have found a couple of ancestors who came from Ireland, but the percentage is so small, it no longer shows.

While I cry in my beer, I would like to announce that the short story I submitted to TAFNC.com has been accepted. NEIGHBORLY LOVE will appear in the book TAF Omnibus 4 in September. This is the Triangle Association of Freelancers fourth annual fundraiser that has accepted my stories. 

With that completed, I am re-editing three books in my formerly published Warriors in Bronze series after the publisher closed its doors and the rights returned to me. The story lines are paranormal and set in North Carolina and I am removing and adding words to make them more timely. I am thrilled to bring my characters back to life. The next step? Making new covers!

March weather earlier this week was brutally cold for North Carolina. As I write this the temp is heading toward 80F. The daffodils are enjoying the sunshine and I am heading out for a walk.

Nancy Lee Badger 🍀

Another FULL February

We have a busy, busy month and the top three on my mind are 

Ground Hog Day

The Super Bowl

Valentine's Day

The Super Bowl is held Sunday evening, February 9th, and we will watch from the comfort of our den as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs. I will keep the name of my favorite team to myself as my choice usually loses.

Valentine's Day is for romance and chocolate. I am hoping for a little of both, but that's my secret (the chocolate part? I will keep it from my doctor.) Does anyone else besides me like white chocolate? I bought a brick in Concord, New Hampshire from the Common Man Restaurant. Delish!

Also, did you know that several of my boxed sets 

are free with Kindle Unlimited?

And several ebooks sell for only $2.99 (US)?

Please check them all out HERE

Ground Hog Day is a memorable one for not-so-good reasons. My wonderful dad passed away on that day six years ago, yet it feels like yesterday. Last Sunday, Ground Hog Day, my son fell off a ladder. Is it sad that I know how to get to the Emergency Room at the nearest hospital? All turned out well for him, but will I recall the date for years to come? Yes!

I am back writing more stories in tribute to my mom who has persevered and continued to be in our lives, even though the love of her life is gone. We are fortunate to have her nearby and happy. 

Nancy Lee Badger 💖