Blog: Have You Ever Wished You Could? #cutemeet #lightheartedromance #MFRWauthor

Have you every wished you could do something but were too embarrassed to do so? Or to shy? Or worried about what others would think?



I grew up a shy girl. I know that might contradict with what you know about me now. I love meeting new people and doing fun things. And as for embarrassing myself? Well, the likelihood of meeting those folks again is zilch.



I have always had in the background these wishes—

I wish I could draw/paint (and I don’t mean the walls of the house. I can do that). I’ve never had an

art lesson. The closest I ever came was a wine and paint class. I didn’t do badly because the instructor gave great directions. And now, I’m happy expressing myself through stitching embroidery and needlepoint. So maybe I'm okay with not learning how right now.



I wish I could dance. All I wanted in high school was to be a member of the dance team. But there was one drawback-I’d never had a dance lesson. I tried out my sophomore year and didn’t make it. In my junior year, I decided to be a manager based on the prior year.  I worked out with the other girls and could do what they did. So why didn’t I try? The teacher agreed to let me. I high-kicked my way perfectly. But jazz dance? That’s where no training showed. The teacher must have known how much I wanted to be a dance team member. She told me I’d have to work extra hard (which I did). And as a married woman, I found Jazzercise and have been happily dancing ever since.

I wish I could write. Ever since I read Dick Francis’ mysteries, I had the urge to write. But I had no guts. I knew deep inside I couldn’t take the rejection. After a friend pushed me to try, I felt more comfortable in my writing shoes. I worked and worked and joined Romance Writers of America and the local chapter. There I made friends and honed my craft. I had the rejections, but I’d learned how to handle that and plowed on. I’m glad I did. I’ve learned so much and grown immensely.



I know many of you have had “I wishes.” Is it too late? What would you do?


Creativity abounds in this fun, light-hearted, cute-meet collection:

Find yours at: 


 Amazon    Print     Nook   Other

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/

Plotting Princesses: Vicki Batman - You know what’s really annoying? #MFRWorg #readromance #householdchores

I try not to be a gripey person. I take on tasks I dislike and finish them. There is one household chore I really dislike, and I think you’ll be surprised when I say... 

Changing out the toilet paper tube for a fresh roll.

Yep, the springy thing bouncing all over the room, getting on hands and knees and finding it, and pushing all just so to get it back in the holder drives me crazy. I wish I had installed the kind where the roll slips over the rod.

Silly, isn’t it?

Vicki Batman : A Writer’s Good Life #MFRWorg #readromance #RWA2018

The best part of being a writer is meeting writers. Sharing, collaborating, buying books. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m at the Romance Writer’s of American convention attending workshops, classes, dinners and lunches, and signing books at the Indie Signing. 

Last year was a huge one for me. I signed at the Indie Signing and my mystery at the Signing for Literacy. I had so much fun. Many writer friends I’ve made over fourteen years stopped by and picked up books. There were strangers who came looking for me! A friend who made the call to notify me I’d finalled in her chapter’s contest.

I think I broke my smile that day.

I’m not a fast writer lately. Life has pushed me around and I do what I do. Though, when I have looked back, I have been amazed at what I’ve done:

35 short stories and essays

2 romantic comedy mysteries

So I’m absorbing new information, hanging with old and new friends, and soon shall be flexing my fingers and hitting the keyboard.