Vicki Batman's Blog, page 17

Handbag and Book with author Kris Bock - A delightful interview and two handbags??!!

Um, handbag? I live in a small town in New Mexico. The dress code ranges from "casual" to "sloppy." 
I prefer my handy waist pack. It carries everything I need, it has an outside pocket for my car keys, and I can snap it on and go hands-free. (I also haven't worn dress shoes in about a decade. It's for my own safety, really. I'm clumsy enough even in running shoes.)


I do have a couple of pretty little purses I can pull out for the rare fancy event. 
I got this leather one in Afghanistan when I was ten years old. My family lived in Saudi Arabia and traveled to Afghanistan during one of the windows where tourists could do that. I like it more for the memory than the practicality, but clearly I've kept it for many years.







What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.
Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.
Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.


More about Kris Bock: Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. 

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.


Red, White or Blue? Blue is my favorite color. Any shade works, but especially aqua, teal, or the shade of a New Mexico summer sky. 
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Fall in New Mexico is amazing, with cooler temperatures and the smell of roasting green chile.
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? Pie – I generally make myself a birthday pie instead of cake – although anything chocolate is good, especially brownies or chocolate chip cookies. (Check the "Recipes" label on my blog for café sweet treats, holiday goodies, and New Mexico specialties.)
Coffee, Tea, Champagne? Tea.
Country music or Michael Buble? What? Who? I mostly listen to classic rock.
Pencil or Pen? I like pens in a variety of colors.

Find Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café on Amazon , or free with Kindle Unlimited.
Find Kris Bock at her Amazon page .

Blog: Handbag and Book with guest author Lynda Rees #handbag #funaccessory #romanticsuspense #MFRWauthor

Vicki, you’re the inspiration for my bag. Your lovely blog featured a bag you had created of one of your published works. I was so in love with it, I followed the same path. A delightful married couple in Russia handcrafted the purse for me. It took about a month and cost much more than I usually pay for a handbag. The results were well worth the cost and wait. 
This bag is fun to carry and attracts attention wherever I go. It’s a great way to meet people. They ask me, instead of me asking, “Do you like to read?” I’m continually handing out business cards to wonderful people I meet who enjoy reading. Thank you, Vicki, for the awesome idea.  Real Estate Agent Chloe Roberts lands in an assassin’s crosshairs when she returns to her hometown after her fiancé disappears without a trace. She uncovers shady family secrets and is pursued by a billionaire developer, a country music star, a lovable lawman and a presumed-dead gangster. Murder puts a crimp in her budding relationship with the man of her dreams. He may lose her to another. Chloe, her wealthy client, mother and grandfather are prime suspects, as the killer targets the next victim. 
More about Lynda Rees: This award-winning storyteller lives on a farm in Kentucky. Born in the splendid Appalachian Mountains the daughter of a coal miner and part-Cherokee Indian, Lynda grew up in northern Kentucky when Newport prospered under the Cleveland Mob as a gambling and sin mecca. Her fascination with history’s effect on today’s lives works its path into her written pages. Having traveled the world working with heads of industry, foreign governments, and business managers during a corporate career in marketing and global transportation, this free-spirited adventurer with workaholic tendencies followed her passion with writing. Her debut historical novel Gold Lust Conspiracy is an award-winner. Debut romantic suspense, Parsley, Sage, Rose, Mary & Wine of Book 1 of The Bloodline Series, is a RITA finalist and award winner. The 10-book series is set in Kentucky horse country. Lynda’s middle-grade children’s books, Freckle Face & Blondie and The Thinking Tree are co-authored by granddaughter Harley Nelson. Lynda hopes you enjoy her stories and you become life-long friends. 
Red, White or Blue?  I adore the combination of the colors, creating our national flag. One flies on my front porch every day. For clothing, I prefer red. I’m a bright color gal. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Spring is my favorite time of year. I love the rebirth of everything and green sprouting across fields surrounding my home. Fall is a time of relief from summer’s heat and reaping the last of what our crops bare. I adore its beauty, flamboyant color, and fresh air. Winter has a unique charm. Burr! It’s dreary and icy here. Summer is fun and activity for my family, swimming, boating, fishing and horseback riding. It’s hotter and more humid than blazes in Kentucky. 
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? Pie, of course, lemon, cherry or blueberry. Here’s one of my signature dishes for your fans. I created it when I for my next book, The Bourbon Trail, launching next year. So this is a delicious sneak peek. 
THE BOURBON TRAIL DERBY PIE 9” pie crust Mix in a bowl: 1 stick butter4 eggs1 cup sugar (or Splenda)         l/4 cup bourbon¾ cup light corn syrup1 Tsp. Vanilla Fold in: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Pour into crust. Bake 50-60 minutes until the center sets. Cool completely. Top with whipped topping and shavings of dark chocolate. 
Coffee, Tea, Champagne?   I love all three but who can live without coffee? 
Country music or Michael Buble?  Country all the way. 
Pencil or Pen? Definitely pen. I keep them everywhere, along with my stash of reading glasses. If your readers want one of my personal pens, tell them to reach me via email. I’d be happy to send them one. 
Find Real Money, book 9 The Bloodline Series at:  Purchase
Find Lynda Rees at:  Website

Handbag and Book with author Kris Bock - A delightful interview and two handbags??!!

Um, handbag? I live in a small town in New Mexico. The dress code ranges from "casual" to "sloppy." 
I prefer my handy waist pack. It carries everything I need, it has an outside pocket for my car keys, and I can snap it on and go hands-free. (I also haven't worn dress shoes in about a decade. It's for my own safety, really. I'm clumsy enough even in running shoes.)


I do have a couple of pretty little purses I can pull out for the rare fancy event. 
I got this leather one in Afghanistan when I was ten years old. My family lived in Saudi Arabia and traveled to Afghanistan during one of the windows where tourists could do that. I like it more for the memory than the practicality, but clearly I've kept it for many years.







What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.
Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.
Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.


More about Kris Bock: Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. 

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.



Red, White or Blue? Blue is my favorite color. Any shade works, but especially aqua, teal, or the shade of a New Mexico summer sky. 
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Fall in New Mexico is amazing, with cooler temperatures and the smell of roasting green chile.
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? Pie – I generally make myself a birthday pie instead of cake – although anything chocolate is good, especially brownies or chocolate chip cookies. (Check the "Recipes" label on my blog for café sweet treats, holiday goodies, and New Mexico specialties.)
Coffee, Tea, Champagne? Tea.
Country music or Michael Buble? What? Who? I mostly listen to classic rock.
Pencil or Pen? I like pens in a variety of colors.

Find Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café on Amazon , or free with Kindle Unlimited.


Find Kris Bock at her Amazon page .

Blog with Alice Renaud: a #vintage handbag and #supernaturalromancestories #MFRWauthor #shortstories

This is a vintage, black, beaded handbag. It’s from the Fifties, but the style is more like the Forties. I found it in a charity shop. It’s in very good condition, so the lady who owned it probably didn’t use it very much. I think it was a special occasions handbag, the one she got out when she had a special event to go to. Maybe a ball, or an anniversary date with her husband. 
It’s not very big, but bigger than what a lot of girls carry nowadays, and the handle is quite stiff. Its owner would have worn it on her arm, the way our Queen still does. I like vintage clothes and handbags. Handbags are best because they always fit! They make me feel that I’m travelling back in time, like the heroine of my story “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Although my heroine, the apprentice witch Sapphire, travels much further back than the Fifties – all the way back to the seventeenth century, when handbags hadn’t been invented!

  A collection of brand new supernatural romance stories by award-winning BVS authors!

The Sweetest Magic of All by Alice Renaud: When a sexy apprentice witch and a hot warlock go back in time to locate a magical amulet, they find more than they bargained for. It's May Eve, the most magical night of the year, and normal rules don't apply...

Mystic Desire also includes stories about Native American dream catchers, mystical jewelry, lustful vampires, a grumpy leprechaun, a ghostly terrier, a zombie apocalypse and things that go bump and ooh! in the night. There is something for everyone in this anthology!


More about Alice Renaud:
Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

Red, White or Blue? Blue, colour of the sea, the sky and my husband and son’s eyes.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? The older I get, the more I love spring and summer.
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? All three, in that order.
Coffee, Tea, Champagne? Tea every day, champagne for special occasions… every week end is a special occasion! I had to stop drinking coffee as it gave me palpitations.
Country music or Michael Buble? Country music
Pencil or Pen? Computer


Find Mystic Desire at: Book Vendor
Find Alice Renaud at: Facebook

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Surround yourself with warmth and love

May you be surrounded with the ones you love.May your day be glorious!May the food be delicious!May your heart be filled!
Happy Thanksgiving, Vicki

Handbag and Book with #guestauthor Kelley Heckart #MFRWauthor #holidayshopping #newbook

Like most females, I have numerous handbags in different styles and sizes. My husband can’t understand why I need so many purses. Sometimes I need a big one, a medium one, a small one, or a super small one for clubbing. LOL 
I decided to post a picture of a handbag that is special to me for a couple of reasons. It’s a unique design and my mother made it for me. My mom sewed it from an old pair of jeans, and she added this cool, velvety purple leopard print fabric on the inside. This purse is more of a tote bag for me because of its larger size. With its numerous outside pockets, it comes in handy for long car trips. Time can’t separate them, but fate can. Dina, the wild, strong-willed drummer for Hecate’s Fury and wearer of the Gateway rune, is thrust back in time where she meets a tall, handsome faery king. Beneath all the beauty of the aes sidhe city lurks a dark, menacing danger, and nothing is as it seems. Another covets her Shadow-walker and bruja powers. Past and present collide as both males vie for her. Only the power of love and sacrifice can unite her with her true mate.
More about Kelley: Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog, and a number of backyard “pets.” Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors and alpha heroes, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic, and romance. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor, practices target archery, and writes and records music with her husband.
Red, White or Blue? BlueSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter? FallChocolate pudding, cake, pie? CakeCoffee, Tea, Champagne? TeaCountry music or Michael Buble? Neither. LOL I’m a hard rock chick.Pencil or Pen? Pen
Find Awakening the Fae at: Amazon Find Kelley Heckart at: Website

It's a Fun Day! It's a New Release Day!!! Sommerville holidays... #MFRWauthor #RB4U #christmasstories

Hopes and wishes and holiday kisses...Sommerville holidays. 
Holiday Disaster: Days before Christmas, a librarian experiences plumbing issues and visits from Mr. Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Claus.
The Littlest Angel: Two people. One ornament for the tree. Can a twosome find common ground and discover the true meaning of Christmas?
Holiday Handbag Extravaganza: Christmas Countdown is on! A hunk-a-licious customer pesters a boutique owner to locate a vintage handbag for his mother. Too bad the wedge between them is his sister, the meanest girl in town.

Find your holiday ever after at: Amazon & KU
May your days be Merry & Bright! Vicki

Handbag and Book: author Jessica James - A favorite handbag and a romance book

Thanks so much for letting me share my favorite handbag today! This isn’t the most expensive one I own, but it’s my go-to bag for vacations and traveling because it’s so light. I bought it in Ocean City, Md., on the Boardwalk – which is where my first military suspense novel was born, so it has special meaning. I usually only use it in the summer, but I pulled it out in honor of Veteran’s Day this past Monday.

As you can see, it has a big pocket in the front for my phone AND my glasses. (I’m always digging around in my handbag searching for my regular glasses or my prescription sunglasses). Harder to see is another small pocket on the shoulder strap, which I use for business cards.

There is another interior pocket for lipstick, chapstick, etc., and then the big roomy main compartment for the rest of my essential “stuff.”

Part of the reason I was drawn to it is because of the patriotic colors since I write about the military, but I also love it because it’s so easy to take care of. Just throw it in the wash every now and then, and it’s good to go.



History, mystery, and a love story that spans centuries… Two people trying to escape their pasts find a connection through an old house—and fulfill a destiny through the secrets it shares. Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen. Readers will go on a journey that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.


More about Jessica James: Jessica James is an award-winning au­thor of historical fiction and military suspense/thrillers ranging from the American Revolutionary War to the modern day war on terror. Her novels are inspired by her love of the land, her belief in everlasting love, and her curiosity about the past. She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction and a recipient of a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America, among other national literary awards.
 
Red, White or Blue? Blue – I love it so much, I even have a blue roof on my house. (And of course, I love all three together, too!) 
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? – Fall. Love warm days with cool nights, clear blue skies, and changing leaves.
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? – I’m not a big dessert eater, but love peach pie. 
Coffee, Tea, Champagne? – Coffee. Strong. 
Country music or Michael Buble? – Country music.
Pencil or Pen? – Pen.


Find Lacewood at: books2read
Find Jessica James at facebook.

Handbag and Book: #author Lucy Naylor Kabash and her #book Will o' the Wisp #mfrwauthor #readromance

Several years ago, we were planning a trip out West, and I was in search of a bag that would be both useful and that had a “western” look. Enter the clearance rack at my local Meijer grocery/department store. Yep, I buy most of my purses off the clearance rack, because I love to change purses often, and while I keep them forever, I don’t like to spend a lot of money on them. 
The color, the little bit of fringe and the slightly distressed look drew me to this bag. It turned out to be perfect for traveling, as it’s not too heavy and yet has a lot of places and pockets to store everything from a small notebook and pens to my phone, an extra car key, hand sanitizer, several flavors of lip balm, my husband’s medication, not to mention the brochures and pamphlets I like to pick up at visitor centers and rest stops along the way. The strap is long enough to wear it crossbody and yet can just be slung over one shoulder without being too long. I’ve taken this purse on several trips West now, and I’m happy with how well it’s held up. I’m hoping it will accompany me on a few more trips to my favorite places out West.
In spite of a broken heart, Allison Delaney carved out a life for herself and her young daughter on her grandparents' farm. Her child and the horses she rescues are all that matter. Then a sudden threat to their safety puts her back in touch with Shane McBride, the man she never thought to see again.Returning to the small town of Silver Creek brings back a lot of memories for Shane, ones he treasures haunted by the ones that made him leave, but this time he is determined to stay and make things right.
Trusting Shane may be her only choice, but now Allison fears not only the threat against her farm but the risk of losing her heart again.


More about Lucy Naylor Kubash: I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember and was first published when I sold a number of short stories to Woman’s World magazine. Those stories are now included in five anthologies on Amazon. I presently write novel-length romance. I’m a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and Mid-Michigan RWA, and I also write a monthly column called The Pet Corner, where I advocate for homeless pets. My husband and I live in southwest Michigan, with our dogs; Ace, a silly Terrier mix, and Foo Foo, a crazy Pomeranian, and two kitties, Zombie and Sandwich. We have two grown children and a number of granddogs. We love to travel, especially out West, where I’m always on the lookout for a new setting for my books.


Red, White or Blue?   Blue
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?   Fall
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie?   All of the above! But love apple pie.
Coffee, Tea, Champagne?   Tea
Country music or Michael Buble?   Country
Pencil or Pen?   Pen


Find Will o’ the Wisp at:  Amazon    


Find Lucy Naylor Kubash at: Website

Handbag and Book: #author Adite Banerjie and her #book Just the Way You Are #romance #MFRWauthor

I never thought I would get an opportunity to discuss my never ending romance with handbags. So thank you, Vicki!  

It all started when I was in college and my favourite handbag was slashed by a pickpocket in a crowded Mumbai train. Oh, the tears I shed! Not for the wallet that was nicked from my handbag and the rupees that it contained. But I grieved for my pretty handbag that I so cherished. 

My loss transformed me into an obsessive handbag buyer over the years. :P I found this lovely matte finish leather handbag at a sale in a local mall. Unlike most of my bags which are super roomy, this one has just one large pocket to keep essentials such as keys, a wallet and a phone. I can even squeeze in my kindle. It never fails to draw some oohs and aahs from friends and fellow handbag lovers. 
Single mom and bridal makeup artiste Shikha Verma is finally in a good place – both professionally and on the personal front. A chance encounter with a charming musician, who is much younger than her, has her throwing caution to the winds and breaking vows she’s made to herself. Walking away is the right thing to do. After all, she can't risk another heartbreak when she has only just recovered from one.
Yash Kulsreshtha has never been more attracted to a woman and the lady definitely is into him. Why then is Shikha hell bent on pushing him away? Surely their age difference is not such a big deal? But before he can convince her, she storms out of his life. Are Yash and Shikha destined to stay apart or will life hand them a chance at happily-ever-after? This novella is a feel-good, emotional romance and the first book of the Soulmates Series. 

More about Adite Banerjie: Adite Banerjie is a romance author and screenwriter based in New Delhi, India. After a fulfilling and exciting career as a business journalist she turned her attention to fiction. Three of her romance novels have been published by Harlequin/Harper Collins India. In 2018 she embarked on her Indie journey as an author-publisher. She also writes screenplays and in 2017 one of her scripts made it to the semi-finals of the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowships.
 
Red, White or Blue? All three, but if I had to pick one: red!
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Fall.
Chocolate pudding, cake, pie? I can have cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Coffee, Tea, Champagne? Coffee… gallons of it!
Country music or Michael Buble? I’m more of a Bollywood music kinda person.
Pencil or Pen? Pen


Find Just the Way You Are at: Amazon
Find Adite Banerjie at: Website