Vicki Batman's Blog, page 2
December 22, 2022
Merry Christmas from HBW! Have you watched "Star in the Night" this year?
I love holiday movies. Many years ago, my sister ran across "Star in the Night" after watching "Christmas in Connecticut" on TCM.
This Academy award-winning short film tells the Nativity story set in 1945 auto court. Like I said, it is a short film, truly thirty minutes.
Settle back and take a gander in what I believe will become your favorite Christmas movie.
Three cowboys riding across the desert with gifts for no particular recipient, see a distant bright light and find it comes from the Star Auto Court sign where the owners and guests work together to help a young pregnant wife and husband.
A Star In the Night - 1945 original short movie - YouTubeMay your and your family have a blessed holiday season. Much love, Vicki
December 15, 2022
Blog: Handbags, Books...whatever welcomes author Samanthya Wyatt and a recipe and her book today!
I love this recipe. It is delicious. So good and basically no calories. Ha. I think it’s fairly easy to make. It is time consuming. You need to chop up all the ingredients, fry the burger, but dump it all in a crockpot and let cook all day. My neighbor shared it with me and now I fix it as often as I can. Here it is in my crockpot right now.
Burger Cabbage Soup
2 lbs hamburger 5c beef broth
1 cabbage, chopped 2 cans diced tomatoes (basil, oregano, garlic)
2c celery 2t oregano
2c onion 2t basil
1 green pepper, diced ( I add red or yellow pepper)
2 clove garlic 1/2t red pepper flakes ( I let hubby add to his bowl)
Few shakes black pepper 1/2t salt (optional)
Brown hamburger, add all ingredients to crockpot, stir, cook on high 5-6 hours
About the Book:
Will Nathaniel find his former home no longer a mausoleum of horrors? Will Serena’s grandfather rip her from the safety she has found in her lover’s arms?
At his brother’s insistence, Nathanial has returned to Greystoke Manor; his ancestral home—the prison of his youth. It is time for him to accept the inheritance he tried to escape and face the ghosts of his past. Thinking the manse dwelling deserted, he finds a female hiding in the stables. As the mystery unravels, Nathaniel is shot, Serena is abducted, and now he must rescue the woman who has captured his heart.
In a desperate attempt to escape her grandfather, Serena Fielding does not care she has nowhere to go. How she will live is not the concern, but that she will. For if she stays under her grandfather’s roof any longer, she will surely die. Serena’s fear and fortitude force her on a desperate journey. One where she fights to survive and fights the awareness a dark lord has awakened within her.
About the Author:
Samanthya Wyatt writes sizzling hot romance with a twang of suspense. Intensely emotional characters with a deep passionate love for friends, family, and most importantly—between the hero and heroine. Although her first love is historical romance, this award-winning author also writes contemporary. Additionally, she has written a book of one family’s struggle based on true life events.
Samanthya left her accounting career and married a military man, traveling and raising her children in the United States and abroad. She now lives with her husband in the Shenandoah Valley. On a sunny day, you can find her and her husband driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or going to car shows in their 1969 Mustang convertible. She enjoys long walks, and a book to read on a sandy beach. Starbucks is her favorite drink, and she likes hearing from her fans.
She invites you to lay the worries of the world off your shoulders and get lost in the pages of a romance, where you embark on a journey with the hero and heroine, become involved in a dream, plunge into a world of fantasy, and live an adventure your heart can share.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Blue, my favorite color!
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Absolutely love the fall.
Cake or Pie? Not much of a sweeteater, but I do like apple pie.
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Always coffee. Starbucks! Yum!
Country music or Michael Buble? Michael Buble’
Pencil or Pen? Pen- a long pen.
Find out More at:
The Daunting Greystoke: Amazon
Samanthya Wyatt at: Website
December 8, 2022
HBW Blog - Vicki Batman: Very Lucky Gal Celebrating a Small-town Christmas
I am a very lucky gal-very lucky to have two good friends I travel with the first weekend of December to a small town for a Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. We have tons of fun shopping, dining, and staying up late chatting.
I grew up in a small town near a large one where everything about Christmas thrilled me. My family decorated the real Fraser fir (flocked white) and the living room, wrapped packages, and ate a holiday meal after opening the presents.
I love to write short stories, especially holiday ones. The stories are set in small-town Sommerville. I'm often asked where Sommerville came from. My imagination! However, it resembles the neighborhood I live in-one where the yards are decorated for holidays, front porch concerts, a neighborhood watch, friendly get-togethers.
Sommerville holidays too:
Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heartwarming holiday tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.
The Great Fruitcake Bake-off: When a five-time baking champion teams up with her new neighbor for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off, they discover baking a prize-winning entry is complicated, bad guys are plotting to take the crown, and first prize isn't just about a ribbon.
Christmas Romeo: When two feuding co-workers win Christmas river cruises at the company holiday party, they discover each other isn’t so bad after all.
Twinkle Lights: When the owner of a Christmas tree stand has a heart attack, a do-gooder and a reformed high school delinquent turned lawyer meet the challenges of running the establishment; yet, when revenue goes missing, fingers are pointed.
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 these fun books at: Amazon
November 24, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
November 17, 2022
Blog: Handbag and Book welcomes Ruth A. Casie on her favorite book and her new book today!
This was a recent book recommendation from my PA. I read it in one night and in the morning loaded up book two in the series. I finished that, too. What took me so long to find this wonderful story! I LOVE and write about strong, smart women and the men who deserve them. You will, too. This is a must read.
Excellent! I cried. Elementary, said [Sherry Thomas].
I am a reader who prefers stories with strong female characters. Not to the point of making the male characters sappy. No, never that. I want to read about strong women and the men who partner with them and deserve them.
Charlotte Holmes is that type of character. I fell in love with her before the end of the first chapter. Set in Victorian London, Charlotte proves to be clever, head-strong, determined, a rule-breaker, I could go on and on. Our heroine this strong has the potential of overshadowing her hero, but not Lord Ingram Ashburton. He is not a foil, but a well-crafted worthy partner.
But there is much more to this book than a simmering love story. So much more. This is a superb mystery with several well thought out twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat turning pages.
Sherry Thomas has brilliantly reimagined Sherlock Holmes into a female infused with Holmesian expertise and insight creating for us an exciting new version of the well-known, well-loved character.
On a personal note, thank you, Ms. Thomas for creating the awesome duo and stories that I cannot put down.
About Your Book:
It will take magic for Cosette to believe in her abilities.
Is Avery the only one who can conjure the spell?
Cosette Binet has been in the service to Queen Marie of France, since she was a young girl. She watched private ballet performances for the queen and was fascinated by the great Marie Camargo’s footwork and high leaps. Cosette studied to become a ballerina and earned a rare opportunity to audition for the Paris Opera Ballet’s corps de ballet where she met and found her soul mate, Avery, the ballet director. Her first performance brought the audience to their feet, but when she was chosen for a principal part in another ballet, a fellow dancer had her doubting her ability and Avery’s devotion.
While searching for additional dancers for the corps de ballet, ballet master, Avery Parsons DuBois, watched Cosette dance and was captivated when she performed a grand jetè that soared further and higher than anyone he has ever seen. Mesmerized, he was drawn to the dancer and fell in love with her. He offered her a position in the ballet, but when she began to doubt her ability and his love for her, he had to do something. He gave her red slippers and told her they were Marie Camargo’s dance shoes... filled with magic.
Did the red slippers hold the magic that made her a great ballerina or was it Avery’s love?
About the Author: Ruth A Casie is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical adventures from the shores of medieval Scotland to the cobblestone streets of Regency
London. Within the pages you’ll . Grab your favorite cup of tea, or an ale if you prefer, and join her heroes and heroines as they race across the pages to find their happily ever after. Ruth hopes her stories are your next favorite adventures!
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Red for passion and emotion
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Fall for the brilliant colors and crisp weather
Cake or Pie? Pie… ala mode please
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Champagne with a touch of cassis
Country music or Michael Buble? Michael Buble, to go with the champagne
Pencil or Pen? Pen, no need to make any changes
Find out more at:
Find The Red Slippers at: buy book
Find Ruth A. Casie at: facebook
November 10, 2022
Handbags, Books...whatever welcomes J. Arlene Culiner - Favorite Recipe and Book--A Room in Blake's Folly
I do love making fermented vegetables, particularly sauerkraut (which tastes so much better than store-bought), cucumber pickles, and green tomatoes. I find that fermented foods are gently sour, without that sharpish, mouth-puckering bite of vegetables pickled in vinegar. Not only that, fermented foods are good for us, they can accompany any main dish, and they can be added to soups for extra flavor.
At the end of every growing season, there are so many green tomatoes around, and people rarely know what to do with them all. Once fermented, they’ll keep for months in a cool place. Not only that, they’re incredibly easy to make.
The origin of fermented foods? When the Mongols invaded Europe, they brought their fermented food with them, and sauerkraut became a real hit!
How to make fermented green tomatoes:
Kosher or sea salt— approximately three tablespoons of salt for each quart or liter of water
Dill (preferably fresh, but dried will do)
Juniper berries
Bottled water, or water that has been left to stand overnight so the chemicals evaporate
Any spices you like: fresh garlic, cumin, coriander, bay leaves
A large bottle or mason jar
Cut your green tomatoes in quarters or eighths (depending on their size)
Heat up enough water to fill the jar when packed with tomatoes
Let the salt dissolve in the hot water
Put the tomatoes in a jar with a plastic, not metal, lid (if possible)
Add the cooled salted water and the spices—as many and as much as you want
For those who love chilies, a few can also be added
Make certain all the tomatoes are covered by the salty liquid (I weigh them down with a little
dish). Leave them for two to three weeks, opening and closing the lid daily to let out fermentation gases. The tomatoes will darken as they ferment, and this is normal. Keep tasting them, and when they’re wonderful, store them in a cold/cool place. Enjoy!
About the Book:
In one hundred and fifty years, Blake's Folly, a silver boomtown notorious for its brothels, scarlet ladies, silver barons, speakeasies, and divorce ranches, has become a semi-ghost town. Although the old Mizpah Saloon is still in business, its upper floor is sheathed in dust. But in a room at a long corridor's end, an adventurer, a beautiful dance girl, and a rejected wife were once caught in a love triangle, and their secret has touched three generations.
**
Back in 1889, when Blake’s Folly boasted three mining companies, many saloons, and brothels, Westley Cranston, adventurer and journalist, fell in love with the former prostitute Sookie Lacey. Over the next one hundred and thirty years, their powerful romance influenced those who came after: these six stories tell the tale.
About the Author: J. Arlene Culiner
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, and storyteller, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New
York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Red, always, but greeny-blue always charms me, too.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? All are fine.
Cake or Pie? Neither, but give me something spicy or sour, and I’m yours forever
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Champagne, but if I have a choice, I’d prefer coffee for breakfast.
Country music or Michael Buble? Neither. Renaissance and Baroque music, yes, please!
Pencil or Pen? Both, depending on the job.
Find out More at:
Buy link: books2read
Website: Website
Handbags, Books...whatever welcomes Jill Culiner - Favorite Recipe and Book--A Room in Blake's Folly
I do love making fermented vegetables, particularly sauerkraut (which tastes so much better than store-bought), cucumber pickles, and green tomatoes. I find that fermented foods are gently sour, without that sharpish, mouth-puckering bite of vegetables pickled in vinegar. Not only that, fermented foods are good for us, they can accompany any main dish, and they can be added to soups for extra flavor.
At the end of every growing season, there are so many green tomatoes around, and people rarely know what to do with them all. Once fermented, they’ll keep for months in a cool place. Not only that, they’re incredibly easy to make.
The origin of fermented foods? When the Mongols invaded Europe, they brought their fermented food with them, and sauerkraut became a real hit!
How to make fermented green tomatoes:
Kosher or sea salt— approximately three tablespoons of salt for each quart or liter of water
Dill (preferably fresh, but dried will do)
Juniper berries
Bottled water, or water that has been left to stand overnight so the chemicals evaporate
Any spices you like: fresh garlic, cumin, coriander, bay leaves
A large bottle or mason jar
Cut your green tomatoes in quarters or eighths (depending on their size)
Heat up enough water to fill the jar when packed with tomatoes
Let the salt dissolve in the hot water
Put the tomatoes in a jar with a plastic, not metal, lid (if possible)
Add the cooled salted water and the spices—as many and as much as you want
For those who love chilies, a few can also be added
Make certain all the tomatoes are covered by the salty liquid (I weigh them down with a little
dish). Leave them for two to three weeks, opening and closing the lid daily to let out fermentation gases. The tomatoes will darken as they ferment, and this is normal. Keep tasting them, and when they’re wonderful, store them in a cold/cool place. Enjoy!
About the Book:
In one hundred and fifty years, Blake's Folly, a silver boomtown notorious for its brothels, scarlet ladies, silver barons, speakeasies, and divorce ranches, has become a semi-ghost town. Although the old Mizpah Saloon is still in business, its upper floor is sheathed in dust. But in a room at a long corridor's end, an adventurer, a beautiful dance girl, and a rejected wife were once caught in a love triangle, and their secret has touched three generations.
**
Back in 1889, when Blake’s Folly boasted three mining companies, many saloons, and brothels, Westley Cranston, adventurer and journalist, fell in love with the former prostitute Sookie Lacey. Over the next one hundred and thirty years, their powerful romance influenced those who came after: these six stories tell the tale.
About the Author: Jill Culiner
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, and storyteller, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New
York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Red, always, but greeny-blue always charms me, too.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? All are fine.
Cake or Pie? Neither, but give me something spicy or sour, and I’m yours forever
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Champagne, but if I have a choice, I’d prefer coffee for breakfast.
Country music or Michael Buble? Neither. Renaissance and Baroque music, yes, please!
Pencil or Pen? Both, depending on the job.
Find out More at:
Buy link: books2read
Website: Website
October 27, 2022
Blog: Handbags, Books...whatever - Vicki Batman shares her handbag find from Salzburg and two holiday books
Handsome and I finally were able to travel down the Danube. In Salzburg, I shopped in the old town and found this beautiful dark red handbag with gold embellishments. It has a crossbody strap and a pocket on the inside, which is where I stored the strap. All my goodies fit inside.
I always gravitate to red and was happy to find a different shade. And the size is perfect!
About the Book: Sommerville holidays
Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heartwarming holiday tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.
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.
About the Book: Sommerville holidays too
The Great Fruitcake Bake-off: When a five-time baking champion teams up with her new neighbor for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off, they discover baking a prize-winning entry is complicated, bad guys are plotting to take the crown, and first prize isn't just about a ribbon.
Christmas Romeo: When two feuding co-workers win Christmas river cruises at the company holiday party, they discover each other isn’t so bad after all.
Twinkle Lights: When the owner of a Christmas tree stand has a heart attack, a do-gooder and a reformed high school delinquent turned lawyer meet the challenges of running the establishment; yet, when revenue goes missing, fingers are pointed.
About the Author: Vicki Batman
Funny, sweet, and quirky, Vicki Batman’s stories are full of her hallmark humor and romance
and will delight all readers. She has sold many romantic comedy works to magazines, several publishers, and most recently, three humorous romantic mysteries. Along the way, she has picked up awards and bestsellers. Avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Chocaholic. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Red
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? All
Cake or Pie? Cake
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Champagne
Country music or Michael Buble? Michael
Pencil or Pen? Mechanical pencil
Sommerville holidays: Amazon
Sommerville holidays too at: Amazon
Vicki Batman at: You are here!
October 20, 2022
Handbags, Books...whatever: author J. L. Delozier shares her Favorite Movie and Her New Book
I love mysteries and creepy paranormal, especially old-fashioned ghost stories. My favorite directors are M. Night Shyamalan and Guillermo del Toro, whose Crimson Peak ranks up there in my top ten favorite movies as well. When did you first watch it? In the theater in 1999. I gasped out loud at “that scene” – the big twist/reveal!
Why do you like it? It was so artfully done, yet entertaining. I never saw the twist coming, and afterward, most people, including myself, wanted to watch the movie again to see the clues we missed! On second viewing, they’re so obvious.
Would you recommend this movie to others? Absolutely
Are some of your favorite actors in it? Bruce Willis and Toni Collette rock. Little known fact: I based the grieving detective in my upcoming The Photo Thief directly on Willis’s Dr. Crowe from this movie. In fact, there are several knods to Mr. Shyamalan in the book. If it were ever made into a movie (a girl can dream, right?) he’d be the perfect director.
A small plot summation. From IMDb: A frightened, withdrawn Philadelphia boy who communicates with spirits seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.
About the Book:
Photos never lie.
Still grieving his toddler’s death, Philadelphia P.D. Detective Dan Brennan is assigned to investigate a socialite’s fatal fall down her mansion’s staircase. The victim’s daughter alleges her mother was murdered. Her evidence? The dead on the vintage photographs displayed on the mansion’s walls have told her so. The epileptic young woman claims she can talk to the dead. Compelled to listen to the reclusive teen’s pleas, Brennan investigates her mother’s death and stumbles upon a disturbing commonality as he reopens a quartet of cold cases. Entangled in the wealthy family’s long history of madness and murder, Brennan faces a choice: label the death an accident and save his career or commit professional suicide for the chance to hear his daughter’s voice once again.
As a physician, J.L. Delozier draws inspiration from science that exists on the edge of reality—bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries, and anything that seems too weird to be true. Her debut was nominated for a “Best First Novel” award by the International Thriller Writers organization; her fourth novel, Con Me Once, won a Silver Falchion Award. Her short fiction has won an Omega Award and appeared in Artemis Journal, The Pittsburgher, Thriller Magazine, Retreats from Oblivion, and the anthologies, Noirville: Tales from the Dark Side and Writers Crushing COVID-19. A retired Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn State, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and feline twins. Her first murder-mystery, The Photo Thief, arrives Oct, 2022 from CamCat Books.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Blue. I’m a Wednesday’s child – full of woe
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?Fall. 100%. Melancholy hangs in the air.
Cake or Pie? Cake, everything except angel food. It’s a mislabeled disappointment.
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Coffee. The darker the better.
Country music or Michael Buble? Michael Buble, or better yet, the original – Dean Martin.
Pencil or Pen? Pen. I’m no heathen.
Find out More at:
The Photo Thief at: Amazon
J. L. Delozier at: WebsiteOctober 13, 2022
Handbags, Books...whatever welcomes author Sadira Stone: Are you a handbag person? and her new book
To be honest, I’m not much of a handbag person. Since I tend to be hard on them, I buy most of my purses in thrift stores! That way, I can enjoy a variety of colorful bags and not feel bad when they get scuffed. I found this pretty metallic green bag in Las Vegas’s Deja Blue boutique. The color called to me—check out the floral lining! I’ve worn this one to concerts and dinners on the Vegas Strip. It’s not too big or heavy, and the long, cross-body strap leaves my hands free for holding a cocktail while pulling slot machine handles.
About the Book:
Loving him means risking the only family she has left.
Bangers Tavern’s hunky bouncer Jojo has been crushing on Lana for years. After losing her parents, Lana’s sole focus is keeping her teen brothers on track and together in the home they grew up in. One more slip-up, and her interfering tías will separate the boys. But when their teen shenanigans land them in trouble, Jojo may be the only person who can save them. This slow burn, sizzling hot friends-to-lovers workplace romance celebrates the glorious chaos of 21st century family—the ones we’re born into, and the ones we gather to our hearts.
About the Author: Sadira StoneAward-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set
in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique. Set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in dance class, strumming her ukulele, exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira at sadirastone.com.
Answer these questions:
Red, White or Blue? Blue! Most of my wardrobe is in shades of blue and green.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Fall. I miss the colorful foliage of the Pacific Northwest, where I lived until recently, but here in Las Vegas, fall brings mellower temperatures and balmy evenings.
Cake or Pie? Berry pie, please!
Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? Soooo much coffee.
Country music or Michael Buble? I’m a Vegas girl now, so I’ll take the crooner.
Pencil or Pen? Both, in large quantities! Also highlighters.
Find Sweet Slow Sizzle at your favorite bookseller: books2read
Find Sadira at: website
