Early Christmas Excitement Is Good for You ~ Nike N. Chillimi

Early Christmas Excitement Is Good for You 

by Nike N. Chillemi

I've been hearing in news reports that people who put up Christmas decorations early tend to be happier people. I don't know how they measure such a thing, but I do know that Christmas decorating make me happy. I know that as soon as I begin seeing Christmas decorations in the stores, I feel happy. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm like the character in the movie "Elf," or that anyone should be, but Christmas cheer is just that…cheerful.

Looking a little deeper, as a Christian, I think the world is desperate for some light, relief from the darkness. Christmas is that time for many and they want to extend it. They want it to come earlier and earlier. Of course, the real reason Christmas is the season of light, and love is because it celebrates the birth of the Baby Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world.

It's one of the reasons why I wrote a Christmas detective story/murder mystery. You can read them anytime of year, I suppose, but it's so much more fun to read them when Christmas displays are popping up…even if it's early. I think mistletoe and murder mysteries go together. It's so much fun to cuddle up with a Christmas murder mystery -- early. Why wait for Christmas when you can have the Christmas mystery spirit now. BLOOD SPEAKS is my Christmas novel. It's filled with Christmas decorations, shopping scenes, winter scenes. However, it's most endearing quality is the story's fifty-something character, Bertha Dagney, who thanks God for everything, even when she's framed for murder.

BLOOD SPEAKS in a nut shell…

Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels, Brooklyn gal PI, waited a long time for the solitaire on her finger. When her sometimes boss, a shadowy figure and director of a secret government organization, offers a one-week bridal shopping vacay in Maryland she jumps at it.

Joined by bridesmaids, Sandra Daube and Bertha Dagney, Ronnie sets off for the village of Heritage Cove on Arrowhead Lake, Maryland. Their joyous stay at the rustic yet luxury Heritage Cove Inn is shattered by a murder with tendrils and a clandestine motive stretching back to the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

It doesn't take long for Ronnie and her gal-pals to become targets of the killer. It goes without saying, Taylor County Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant Dawson Hughes leaves Texas to protect his bride-to-be. He's joined by Sandra's employer, conservative political activist Ben Cohen. No obstacle can keep Gabby Hayes look-alike Hoot Dagney from the side of Bertha, his new bride.

  

Author Bio:

Nike N. Chillemi writes contemporary detective and/or suspense novels with a touch of wry humor, and there's often a national security twist to them. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better.

Nike is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chair, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She has been a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories; and an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. Her four novel Sanctuary Point series (out of print), set in the mid-1940s has finaled, won an award and garnered critical acclaim. 

The first novel in the Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels/Dawson Hughes series HARMFUL INTENT won in the Grace Awards 2014 Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense category. She has written book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and John 3:16 Marketing Network. Find Nike online at:

http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
Blood Speaks Amazon purchase link: https://amzn.to/2PR0b2x
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nike.chillemiTwitter: @NikeNChillemi

Christmas Traditions ♦ Nike Chillemi ♦ Book Spotlight

 Carrying On Christmas Traditions 

by Nike N. Chillemi

It doesn't seem that long ago, but it's been almost two years since I moved from Brooklyn (NYC) to the north-eastern Florida coast. I relocated from a large house to a much smaller one. I moved everything that had personal history, furniture, art-work, what-nots. The same can be said for my Christmas decorations.

Nike's Grandparents' Ornaments

Nike's Parents' Ornaments

I was a huge Christmas decorator in Brooklyn. I didn't take all of my Christmas decorations, but I did take every single one that had personal significance. 

I have the two remaining ornaments from my grandmother's tree dating back to the 1940's. I display ornaments from my parents' tree, dating to the 1950's. 

I don't hang either my grandmother's or my parents' ornaments on the tree but rather show them in my china cabinet. I have cats and am leery of breakage.

"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise. ~ Ephesians 6:2 [NKJV]

Some time last week, my daughter Victoria phoned from Brooklyn, asking where we had obtained our decorated, fresh wreath. Each year, about two weeks before Christmas (when it was cold enough so the wreath would last and not loose needles) my husband Joseph, myself, and our three girls piled into the car to get our wreath. After we found the perfect one to decorate our porch railing, we'd stop at an abfab real Italian pizza parlor (not a chain) and have a merry-eating time. Many large cities in cold climates have tree vendors setting up shop on well-traveled streets where they display cut, fresh trees and decorated wreaths. I told Vicky the street corner in Brooklyn where we always got our wreath. She will be going to get her wreath about two weeks before Christmas to carry on the family tradition.

"Children are a gift from God, they are his reward. ~ Psalm 127:3 [TLB]

Joseph has been gone one year. I still carry on family traditions. I also make new traditions for myself with my Christian gal-pals. Lynn and Deborah, are in my immediate posse. We three frequently lunch, roam fresh markets, thrift shops and/or malls, eat at each other's houses where we watch Hallmark movies. We are part of a loosely organized group in our town where 6 - 12 of us get together once a month to dine and/or do something. This month we're going to the historical society's Gingerbread House Extravaganza and then to Jimmy Johns for a bite to eat. Quite a number of the women are employed in one capacity or another by Trinity College. So, I state uncategorically, it's an interesting group. And so, I'm moving forward, always forward.

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." ~ Proverbs 18:24 [NKJV]

  

 

BLOOD SPEAKS, in a nut shell…

Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels, Brooklyn gal PI, waited a long time for the solitaire on her finger. When her sometimes boss, a shadowy figure and director of a secret government organization, offers a one-week bridal shopping vacay in Maryland, she jumps at it.

Joined by bridesmaids, Sandra Daube and Bertha Dagney, Ronnie sets off for the village of Heritage Cove on Arrowhead Lake, Maryland. Their joyous stay at the rustic yet luxury Heritage Cove Inn is shattered by a murder with tendrils and a clandestine motive stretching back to the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

It doesn't take long for Ronnie and her gal-pals to become targets of the killer. It goes without saying, Taylor County Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant Dawson Hughes leaves Texas to protect his bride-to-be. He's joined by Sandra's employer, conservative political activist Ben Cohen. No obstacle can keep Gabby Hayes look-alike Hoot Dagney from the side of Bertha, his new bride.

About Nike:

Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started at a very young age. Her first major work was a Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned as a little girl (colored might be more accurate) about her then off-the-chart love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista with a humorous side. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better.

Nike is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chair, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She has been a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories; and an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. Her four-novel Sanctuary Point series (out of print), set in the mid-1940s has finaled, won an award, and garnered critical acclaim. The first novel in the Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels/Dawson Hughes series HARMRUL INTENT won in the Grace Awards 2014 Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense category. She has written book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and John 3:16 Marketing Network. 

http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

  

Delving into the Realities of College Life with Nike Chillemi

Delving into the Realities of College Life, a Story Behind the Story post 

by author Nike Chillemi

Columbia University image by Pixabay

When I started out writing my first Christian New Adult Romantic Suspense, what didn't I know about college life today? Everything, it seems. Oh, there was one thing I did know that still held true. College cafeteria food remains ultra-horrible. Kids usually stick to the one or two menu items that are pretty good, like hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, and make-your-own-salad.

Other than that, I was at a loss. This is a generation that lives in and by their smart phones. I have a dumb phone and use it basically for making calls. Oh, dear, I was in trouble at the very start.

I had to give myself a stiff shake and remind myself I am a writer. There is such a thing as research. Much of what I found (but not all) was disheartening. It seems college students are woefully ill prepared socially, and college professors lament they lack common sense. Umm, that sounds about where I was at right out of high school when I went to college.

I came across articles written by 20-somethings complaining how today's movies misrepresent college. One young writer said these films had her "stoked" that she was going to have the best time ever in college. These films made it seem as if college was all about partying, making lifelong BFFs, and once-in-a-while going to classes.

So, in THAT SPECIAL ONE, I tried to present a more realistic picture of college…even as I wrote in deep conflict and a very, very low point for the heroine. I brought in the need for friendships in college and tried to show the difference between healthy friendships and unhealthy ones. I also gave my heroine and hero jobs while they were in school because college isn't a no care in the world place. I tried, and hopefully succeeded, to present a relevant picture of college life, while presenting a thrilling story.

About Nike:

Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started at a very young age. Her first major work was a Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned as a little girl (colored might be more accurate) about her then off-the-chart love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista with a humorous side. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better.

Nike is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chair, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She has been a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories; and an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. Her four novel Sanctuary Point series (out of print), set in the mid-1940s has finaled, won an award, and garnered critical acclaim. The first novel in the Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels/Dawson Hughes series HARMRUL INTENT won in the Grace Awards 2014 Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense category. She has writte book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and John 3:16 Marketing Network.  http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Purchase Link:

THAT SPECIAL ONE on Kindle https://www.amazon.com/That-Special-One-Contemporary-Romantic-ebook/dp/B075QQZ9VB/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506596416&sr=1-1&keywords=That+Special+One%2C+chillemi

Social Networking:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nike.chillemi

Twitter: @NikeNChillemi

I'd Love to See My Series on TV ♦ Nike Chillemi ♦ Giveaway

Image design by Peggy Blann Phifer

I'd Love To See My Series On TVby Nike Chillemi

Oh, yes, I'd be thrilled to have my series on TV. That's if they didn't water down the Christian inspirational message, and that's a big if. This would be my potential problem with any television producer in the market for taking a chance on an independent detective story writer.

I think, the problem for them wouldn't be that the story was dull, or lacked enough action scenes for television. There's plenty of action in my Veronica "Ronnie" Ingles/Dawson Hughes trilogy and even some grit. Television's problem with my stories would be the lack of salacious scenes and the lack of gratuitous scenes glorifying the underbelly of society. Those two seem to be the default setting for today's cable television series. That is one reason I watch so little TV, even the so-called excellent crime fiction dramas.

Actually, I did watch two such series. I won't name them. I stopped because eventually they each got so dark in outlook I could not stand to expose myself to them any longer. Of course detective series, by their very nature, deal with darkness as the cops pursue a killer. These otherwise excellent TV series began to glorify the darkness and wallow in the debased. That's when I had to use the "off" button on my remote.

Let me give you an introduction to my Veronica "Ronnie" Ingles/Dawson Hughes trilogy. Below are the thumbnail blurbs for each. And I'll be giving away a copy of the first in the series, HARMFUL INTENT. **Details below**

HARMFUL INTENT: Sweet, askance romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully. ~  Betrayal runs in private investigator Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels' family. 

So, why is she surprised when her husband of one year cheats on her? The real shock is his murder, with the local lawman pegging her as the prime suspect.

DEADLY DESIGNS: Fast paced detective story, with dry humor. Sweet, romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully.  ~  Private investigator Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels teams up with Deputy Dawson Hughes to find a geeky radio broadcaster's missing wife and young daughter. They fear the woman and child were taken by Islamic terrorists as revenge against the husband's pro-Israel, conspiracy theory broadcasts. The investigation takes Ronnie and Hughes from a manicured Connecticut estate, to interviews with an elitist A-List society crowd, and run-ins with cranky local police detectives. Then they plunge deep into the seamy, drug-riddled underbelly of the fashion world, with the specter of international terrorism hovering.

 

BLOOD SPEAKS: Taut and compelling detective story, with a clandestine twist. Dry humor. Sweet, romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully. ~ Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels, Brooklyn gal PI, waited a long time for the solitaire on her finger. When her sometimes boss, a shadowy figure and director of a secret government organization, offers a one-week bridal shopping vacay in Maryland she jumps at it. It doesn't take long for Ronnie and her bridesmaids to become targets of the killer. It goes without saying, Taylor County Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant Dawson Hughes leaves Texas to protect his bride-to-be. He's joined by a conservative political activist and a Gabby Hayes look-alike who are bound to defend their bridesmaid lady loves.

Nike N. Chillemi has been called a crime fictionista due to her passion for crime fiction. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and is the founding board member of the Grace Awards, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. 

She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. She writes monthly book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine.

Her recent contemporary detective series (HARMFUL INTENT and DEADLY DESIGNS) has garnered acclaim and has been called: sassy, witty, gritty, charming, and yummy. 

Her historical suspense Sanctuary Point series brought on a crime wave that swept the south shore of Long Island during the 1940s (BURNING HEARTS, GOODBYE NOEL, PERILOUS SHADOWS, DARKEST HOUR) won acclaim and awards. 

Where to find Nike:

My Author Page on Amazon

Contact me on Facebook

Tweet Me

**Nike is looking forward to giving an ebook copy of HARMFUL INTENT to one blog reader who leaves a comment.

Entering is easy! Just leave a comment in the section below, along with your email (in case you win) and, to make things interesting, tell us why you'd like to win this book.

Giveaway ends Thursday, April 6, 2017, at Midnight O'clock, Central Daylight Time.