Book and Bag - Vicki Batman Yikes! #badbook #readromance #MFRWauthor

I just finished the January book club selection and did not like it. Not. At. All. I didn’t like it from the get-go. Our group thought the book would be a mystery, like the cover blurb said. Only it wasn’t. 

The author is quite notable in his field and has written books about his subject. The book club book was a combination of his expertise with the mystery. Only the book was predominantly the history and very little of the mystery.

I was sorely disappointed. This book was greatly reviewed and won prizes. 

We began reading for our December meeting. When that day rolled around, we were all whining and agreed to extend to January with the idea we needed the extra month because of the holidays. I used the time off to read my favorites—romance and mysteries. When January 1 came, I put on my big girl panties and finished. I gladly admit I skipped over the historical stuff to get to the mystery. 

Finished! Uh, no. There were notes, a biography, and pages more. I truly didn’t care to read that either.

However, guilt set it. Not enough to make me go back and read the skipped pages, though. I began to think what if my books were boring?

Coincidentally, I did some website maintenance and noticed I didn’t have a buy link for one site. I scooted over there and found…a two starred review. Yikes! It was hard for me to read. She didn’t like the book at all; however, she did say some nice things, too. 

I went back to my website, made the changes, and noticed all the four and five starred reviews. Overall, my books get high marks. I felt a whole lot better.

So back to the book club selection… I went to Amazon to read the reviews. There were tons (the book is that famous). I scrolled to the one stars and voila! Everything the readers had said was exactly how I felt. It wasn’t me. 

The interesting about book club books we don’t like is we have the best discussions. So next week, I’m looking forward to what my friends have to say.

So what stops you from reading?

Got the winter doldrums? Try this winter anthology, Whispers of Winter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNX2LZ/

The last days of summer. The first day of fall. #autumn #monarchmigration #Halloween

Summer drags on forever in the state where I live. Oh, occasionally, we get a cooler breeze and then pop back to the nineties, then a cool front, and finally, we settle into fall. Used to be in October, we would have lots and lots of rain, especially during the State Fair. Trying to find a decent day to go was a challenge, but that has changed.

And like all things, will undoubtedly change again.

What is fun for us in October is to watch for the migration of the monarchs. Outside my kitchen window is a huge lantana. It's the plant that has tiny pink and yellow flowers in a bouquet. It will even grown after a car runs over it. Mine is about six feet tall and twelve feet wide. A friend from my old neighborhood gave it to me right after we moved to this house. She dug and dug and finally, it came up with a raggedy root. She didn't know if it would live and if not, she had another to pass on.

I stuck my piece in a hole, tossed water on it and let 'er rip. The plant took off. And has continued to do so. I've moved babies to other spots. 

Most years, bees and butterflies visit it. This year, we had a lot of monarchs. My son had just commented on how large it was and maybe I should cut it back. Then the visits began. Truly a joy! And other varieties of butterflies came too.

And as if on cue, another front passed through, bringing a burst of rain. The butterflies moved on. And fall came.

Do butterflies migrate through your neighborhood?

Do you pull out a book when you hear the pitter patter of drops on the leaves? Try these--Temporarily Employed and

Temporarily Insane, the Hattie Cooks mystery series.  

Find all the fun at: Amazon

.@VickiBatman - What name was popular when you were in school? #namingbaby #MFRWorg #RLFblog #cozymystery

The Name Game

When I went to grade school, there were at least three other girls in my class with the same name. However, they were spelt differently.

I’m: Vicki

Those girls were: Vikki, Vickie, Vicky

Later on and when I thought about it, Susan, Cathy, and Kathy names dominated, as did variations with full names or short names, like Katie, Katy, Kat, Cathie, Cathleen, Suzie, Suzy.

So when I was pregnant with #1son, Handsome and I struggled over naming him, even though we didn't know he would be a boy. I’d toss out something.  “No.” And more. “Nope.”

.@VickiBatman - The amazing doodle doos? poodoos? What kind of dogs are those? #poodles #MFRWorg #RLFblog #dogs

I was raised a cat girl. I love 'em. Mine is now twenty-one years old. However, Handsome was raised with dogs. 

When #1 son was small, Handsome brought home the cutest puppy, a sheepdog. I named him Baxter (although the three year-old next door referred to him as Bastard). LOLOL. The problem with Baxter was he grew and grew and grew, finally weighing in at 150 pounds!!! I kept asking Handsome if he was supposed to get that big. And being so large also meant he was a handful and really, too big for the kiddoes.

Baxter left us when he was twelve. Most big dogs only make it to that age. And several years went by without dogs. Which was fine, we had cats. 

.@VickiBatman - Measuring Time: tick-tock #MFRWorg #RLFblog #milestone

Tick-tock

I reached a milestone in Jazzercise this month: I’ve been working out for 32 years. (Yes, I know this admission ages me. Feel free to go on thinking I look younger than I am. Lol.)

Milestone:

I have been writing for ten years.

I have a momentous birthday.

Handsome’s company is 23 years old.

My #1 son has a significant birthday.

When my sons began school, I found time was measured by holidays--school starts in mid-August, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, back to school, Valentine’s Day, Spring Break, April Fool’s Day, Memorial Day, school is out.

Every year was the same for a long time. And did it ever fly by.

.@VickiBatman - Is the party over? After Christmas blues #MFRWorg #RLFblog #plottingprincesses

Last week, I returned from a vacation after Christmas. We'd left Christmas afternoon and drove six-seven hours to see Handsome's mom and other family members. The next day, we drove to our vacation destination.

Where we stayed was snow-covered and quite beautiful. In fact, we had mostly gray days with flurries and a snow during our stay. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and read.

Then we drove home with tiny-tiny sleet pelting the windshield. The roads were clear--thankfully. We drove over a pass and into sunshine spreading into a valley. That didn't last long. A thick fog blanketed everything. Normally, we see hills and antelopes. I could see the cars in front of me and considered it lucky we could accelerate to 60. We did make it home, tacking an extra hour on our return.

.@VickiBatman - "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived" #MFRWorg #MFRWauthors #KOD #TWRP

Time to Party!

My Journey began a few years back when I took the challenge to write something. I am a huge reader. However, deep in my being was a tiny bubble, a kernel and I didn't dare admit anything to anyone about my secret desire: I wanted to write a book. 

But I was scared. Because writing a book meant showing it to someone to read it--right? Because books are meant to be read. Which meant what if readers don't like it? 

The idea of not being liked stifled me; so I shelved and shuttered the idea until...I was challenged. 

One of my favorite movies is Strictly Ballroom, a Cinderella story set in the ballroom scenario. A not-so attractive girl who everyone takes advantage of desperately desires to blossom by becoming a ballroom dancer. A young man has the chance to be ballroom champion if he picks the right partner. These two come together and fulfill their dreams. 

Right before the big show, the young man admits his fear about dancing in a new way. The girl quotes an old family saying, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." Wow!

.@VickiBatman - The BIG Goof #LongLiveLongmire #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

The BIG Goof - #LongLiveLongmire

A few weeks ago, word filtered through that the superb Western, Longmire, had been cancelled at the end of three seasons.

I was shocked! So were a lot of other folks.

I began watching this superb show because it wasn’t about Housewives, or chef cook-off, or a badly behaving bridezilla. Nope, Longmire was about a sheriff, his staff, family, and friends who lived in a small Wyoming town. The series is based on the books written by Craig Johnson.

The show averaged 5.6 million viewers. Isn’t that a lot of people? More viewers than “Mad Men” and “Justified” according to a Wall Street Journal article. Wall Street Journal

Yes, but it seems the viewer-ship is primarily older viewers—the average age of 60 versus 48. According to the Wall Street Journal article, “Longmire’s fate is reflective of two growing trends in the television industry-the obsession of advertisers with younger viewers and the desire of TV networks to own as much of their content as possible.” An executive at the network said, “...we genuinely loved the show, but the audiences in the key demographics just weren’t there.”

Does an anniversary make you feel nostalgic? #PlottingPrincesses #MFRWorg

Have the Years Passed Quickly for You?

After I had been secretly writing for a few months, I sat down to have dinner with Handsome who had been mega traveling. We chatted about the usual—kids, cats, house, his trip, my upcoming class reunion. Then he asked, “What have you been up to?” meaning besides Jazzercise, needlepoint, and reading.

I drew a deep breath and let this rip quickly, “I’ve been writing.”

Honestly, I don’t stun Handsome much. But this admission did. His eyes went large and he went from a reclining position to sitting straight. Then his eyes narrowed, “Writing what?”

Move over #soccer. I like playing the game What If? #MFRWorg

Hey, don't hate me because soccer isn't my favorite game. LOL

 

Actually, I didn't grow up with soccer. Football reigns here. But then, my cousin began playing and I accompanied my aunt and uncle to his games. And since we went to the same university, I watched him play there.

But there are other games. For example, this car game:

What if a friend decided to play a silly Q & A while driving home from a fun girl weekend?

What if she asked the question, “Write the opening words of a book using the word window.”

What if your answer was doggie doo-doo?

#PlottingPrincesses # @VickiBatman - A Laugh a Minute

Laugh a Minute

You may have noticed my tagline: Vicki Batman, sassy writer of sexy and funny fiction.

I never thought of myself as being funny until a friend said something. I was like me? Really? I'd always appreciated books with humor.  And when another friend pressed in my arms #4 Janet Evanovich, I sighed with contentment after I read it, thinking someone who wrote what I liked to read. Naturally, I gobbled all of them up.

When I began writing, I noticed funny words crept in my work. And so did creepy witty dialogue. And I played havoc with internal dialogue. And found smiley faces in the edits.

After several of my short fictions were published in the True magazines, I let my girlfriends read them and watched and listened for their reactions. I saw smiles, snorts, giggles, ha's, etc. I knew then I'd done my job and done it right.

Finding a good funny word doesn't usually come through on my first draft. I have to work it-work it-work it. And when I go back later on and read what is there and it makes me smile--even after multiple thousands a gazillion passes—then I know all was done correctly.

So here's a treat from my funny romantic suspense/mystery, Temporarily Employed (coming soon!).

Vicki Batman ~ Cover Reveal!!! Temporarily Employed

A long journey for my baby is paying off

and I'm delighted to share with you!

Here's a little blurb to whet your appetite:  

Hattie Cook's dream job is down the toilet and her new SUV violated. Desperate for cash to cover the basic necessities of rent and food, she takes a temporary job at Buy Rite insurance company where she uncovers an embezzling scam tied to the death of a former employee--the very one she replaced. The last thing she wants is to clash with By-the-Book Detective Wellborn, no matter how much he makes her heart pound.

Allan Charles Wellborn has secretly adored Hattie all his life.  He evolved from a pocket protector-wearing geek to a handsome police detective.  When the police determine there's more to the death of a former Buy Rite employee, he steps in to lead the investigation.  Overly dedicated, always perfect, he puts his job first, even if doing so ultimately hurts the one he loves.

Can the killer be found before Hattie's time is up?