Vicki Batman's Blog, page 35

Handbag and Book: Riding the coasters w Joanne Guidocio #amusementpark #rollercoaster #leatherhandbag

May 1997.  I was in the thick of my teaching career and very much involved in the extra-curricular life of the school. So, when admin asked for volunteers, I agreed (along with four other teachers) to accompany a bus-load of students to Canada’s Wonderland, the 330-acre theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Toronto.

It would be my first time visiting the theme park, and I was determined to go on a few roller coaster rides. Having shied away from the experience during my childhood and adolescence, I knew it was now or never. To ensure that I wouldn’t back out, I shared my goal with colleagues and students.

While discussing outfits with the female supervisors, I quickly learned that none of my leather clutches or totes would be appropriate. So, I rushed out that afternoon to shop for a stylish, small and roomy (love my oxymora!) purse that wouldn’t interfere with my roller coaster experience.

My manifestation skills must have been very strong. I found the perfect Mann* purse, a lovely shade of cognac brown leather with two pouches and a cross-body strap. The following day, I went on three challenging roller coaster rides and lived to tell the tale.

*Leather by Mann, founded by Karnig Mann in 1970, was a family-run business that specialized in leather furniture and accessories. Unfortunately, the Guelph and Kitchener stores have closed.

When Gilda Greco invites her closest friends to a VIP dinner, she plans to share David Korba’s signature dishes and launch their joint venture— Xenia, an innovative Greek restaurant near Sudbury, Ontario. Unknown to Gilda, David has also invited Michael Taylor, a lecherous photographer who has throughout the past three decades managed to annoy all the women in the room. One woman follows Michael to a deserted field for his midnight run and stabs him in the jugular.Gilda’s life is awash with complications as she wrestles with a certain detective’s commitment issues and growing doubts about her risky investment in Xenia. Frustrated, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers decades-old secrets and resentments that have festered until they explode into untimely death. Can Gilda outwit a killer bent on killing again?On sale for 99¢ until October 27Find Too Many Women in the Room at:  Amazon
Where to find Joanne: Website

Joanne, I worked at an amusement park. We put a couple of things in our pockets OR tucked in our shirt and put a wallet inside. LOL

New release from Tina Donahue #witchdoctor #magic #potions #newbook

Warning--a witchdoctor's nightmare. Contains potions with weird side effects, a sorceress with limited magical skills and a yearning heart, plus a minor god who wants to get down and dirty.Bad, bad boy.   For Becca Salt being a witch isn’t all magic. Too curvy and lonely, she spends her nights running a makeover service for demons, vamps, weres and zombies who want to project a more human, normal side. Their goal? To get the babes without the authorities hunting them down like rabid dogs. Once Becca suppresses the worst of their beast, they’re on the hunt and gone.Dating has been a definite bitch for Eric Diletto. Although he’s hot and hung, he’s also one of Cupid’s descendants—a god born to believe in courtship, courtesy and all that other junk. Tired of women dumping him for the bad boys, Eric hires Becca to release his inner beast. Grrrr. Two potions later, they’re crawling all over each other. With Eric’s newfound dominance, he’s definitely the man. And the god, who intends to take Becca here, there and everywhere. Who said sorcery and love wasn’t fun?       The front door swung open. Heat and humidity poured inside, along with racket from the street party. Drunken voices mingled with throaty laughter, pounding drums and trumpets. The instruments reached and held their highest notes. A guy slipped inside. At least six-three, he had an athlete’s build—lean and muscular, his shoulders broad, hips narrow, thighs powerful. Becca’s pulse thumped in her ears, drowning out the other sounds. She stepped closer. Classically handsome, he wore his hair preppy-style, longer on the top, shorter on the sides. Those locks were a warm chestnut brown streaked by the sun and tousled, begging for a woman to smooth them back. Becca lowered her hand. She hadn’t intended to lift it. His golden complexion spoke of days spent outdoors, perhaps from skinny-dipping in a pool, water streaming over his firm pecs and abs…and lower. She suppressed a delighted shiver. He wore leather loafers, beige khakis and a white dress shirt opened at the collar, the sleeves folded back to mid-forearm. Masculine yet civilized. The staff had done an outstanding job on this guy’s makeover. No wonder Zoe had suggested him for the advertising pieces. A fat raise for everyone was in order. Maybe even part ownership in this place. They’d made this dude over to the nth degree from… Becca wasn’t certain what kind of demon he was or his level in Hell. She’d never met him before. Maybe he’d taken so long to get there because he couldn’t pull himself away from the god he now saw in his mirror.


Website/Blog: Website       Find at: Totally Bound


Congratulations, Tina, on your new book!     
 
 

The Last Days of Summer, The First Days of Fall #coolertemperatures #leavesfalling

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

Handbag and Book w Karilyn Bentley #accessories #designerfashion #paranormalromance

Handbag and Book with Karilyn Bentley
My niece gave me this adorable little purse. Isn't it cute? It's leather and relatively small. It will only hold my phone and credit cards, but it's great to take out at night when I don't want to take my regular purse. It's lightweight and the strap fits crossbody so I often forget I'm carrying it.  I love this little purse! And since my niece gave it to me, it's extra special too!
       Gin Crawford has enough problems dealing with her empath abilities. Finding out she's the world's newest demon-slayer is the last thing she needs. Unfortunately, when she slips on a mysterious bracelet she is given no other choice. On the plus side, her new gig comes with Tall, Dark and Handsome, a mage who may or may not have her best interests at heart. Thrust into a power-play between good and evil, Gin must choose a side before she becomes the next victim in the ongoing battle.
     The evil man-thing stands on my porch, his lips turning in a menacing smile of death. I don’t need to touch him to know he wants me dead. Muscles freeze, trapping my breath in my lungs. Like a rabbit in view of a wolf, I’m immobilized, waiting for death’s blow. Time slows, his gaze locks on mine, trapping me in place.
     Move, move, move! My mind screams as the man’s fingers twitch.
     But the spike of adrenaline explodes into my limbs too late to stop the backhand blow slamming across my jaw.
     I superman it halfway across the living room. Land on the hardwood floor in a thud of pain-ridden limbs. My jaw morphs into a screaming ball of nerves. My head no sooner hits the floor than I hear the bracelet scream, a high-pitched wail quivering through my skin like vibrations from a tuning fork. The bracelet tightens around my wrist, cutting off the circulation, and then it loosens with a pop at the same time I hear the door click closed.
     Ohgodohgodohgod, I’m going to die. I don’t want to die. No, no, no, no, no. Pain and terror hold me crumpled on the floor as my mind crawls backward in time.
     But I’m no longer a child, fearful of fists and words, cowering on the ground.
     I’m a fighter.
     My head spins, but I refuse to lie on the floor waiting to be killed, so I attempt to stand. Evil Guy laughs as I ass-plant it. Laughs as a moan escapes my lips. He takes a step toward me, right arm drawn back for a hit. His fist hurls toward my face, but I manage to block it with my left arm. My right arm, the one with the bracelet, shoves forward, slamming into his chest.
     His black eyes widen, mouth open in surprise, his hands fluttering to his chest before dropping. I stare at my hand, stare hard, for I’m as surprised as Evil Guy. The bracelet had become a sword, a long, thin spike of metal extending from the silver links, straight into Evil Guy’s heart.
     A sword?
     Definitely a sword. The flat of the blade rests against the back of my hand, cool metal heating from the warmth of my skin. Small silver links circle around my palm, lending stability to the two-foot long sword.
     I’m not sure which scares me more, Evil Guy paying me a visit or the fact the bracelet performed a morphing trick.
Find Demon Lore (A Demon Huntress Novel Book 1) link at Amazon for 99c until 10/26!! A Great Price on AmazonFind Karilyn Bentley website link at: Website  Hey, Karilyn! The bag is adorable and it is so sweet of your niece to gift you with it. Can you say how the owl face is decorated? Painted?

Last Year was Tough. This year is tougher. #cancer #cancersucks #surgery

I'd like all of you to do me a huge favor: Tomorrow, go to Romance Lives Forever on 10/13 at: https://www.rlfblog.com/   .

I'm blogging about Handsome's and my journey through his second surgery to repair his jaw which collapsed last year after radiation he received ten years earlier for base of tongue cancer.


Then I need a second favor: share this post. Our wish is for this post to help someone who might be going through this kind of treatment. 


And while we're at it, a third favor: just give someone you know who is traveling their own cancer journey a "thinking of you."


And finally, for you:

Handbag and Book w Pamela Thibodeaux #newbook #designerhandbag #inheritance

 Handbag and Book with
Pamela Thibodeaux
I’ve never been fond of carrying a purse. I’ve always found the bigger the purse, the more junk that ends up in it. I’ll never forget the Christmas my son gave me a gift card and wanted me to buy a designer purse. At the time I was living and working at a guest ranch in TX and told him I couldn’t see paying that much money for something I’m going to kick under the seat of my truck LOL! Another Christmas he took me to NYC and I bought this little handbag as it is perfect to carry the essentials and not be bulky or cumbersome, and it fits in the best hiding places (under the seat, in the console or glove box). As you can tell by the photo, it is wearing thin in a couple of places and one of the zipper handles is broke. Guess I’ll be changing purses soon, but I can assure you, it won’t be another huge, bulky one.
Widowed at age thirty-nine and suffering from empty nest syndrome, Rebecca Sinclair is overshadowed by grief and loneliness.  Will an unexpected inheritance in the wine country of New York bring meaning and purpose to her life and give her the courage to love again?US Postal worker Raymond Jacobey has been in love with the little widow since he first set eyes on her.  Will he gain her heart or lose her?
Something about the shadow of pain and the hint of fear in his gaze tugged at Rebecca’s heart. “How do you know my husband?” she asked, then wondered at his obvious hesitation.“Your husband was in Air Force, right?”The question was almost a statement, and Rebecca nodded slowly, wondering how this kid could know that.

“He stationed in Korea?”Again, Rebecca nodded. A knot of apprehension formed at the base of her skull. “A couple of times,” she admitted quietly.He smiled. “He kind to my mother. She encourage me to look him up when I come to school in United States, I sorry to hear about his death.”Shamed now by her previous treatment of him, Rebecca stepped away from the door. “Would you like to come in?”Surprise registered on his face, followed by joy. His quick grin touched her in a way that only a mother would understand.
Find The Inheritance at: AmazonFind Pamela Thibodeaux at: Website Pam, let's talk handbags. I think you might like the small crossbody style. Holds lots of essentials, leaves hands free and can be kicked under the car seat. (However, I don't leave handbags in the car.) Have you considered the crossbody style?  Rafflecopter Giveaway Link: click here
 

Found Object, and it's all Mine! #vintagepostcard #oldromance #bookshelves

Over the weekend, I tried to plow my way through the book club selection, but no. It didn't interest me. I found the memoir rather whiny; therefore, I couldn't relate. And on that Sunday, I began the prep for the colonoscopy on Monday. (Feel free to say ick with me.)

I wanted something more enjoyable to read. So I went to my bookshelves and picked a romance from the author my mom introduced me to at age fourteen--Emilie Loring.

The books aren't too long and I finished pretty quickly (especially because I was up until midnight). I selected another one and as I dived in, a postcard fell out.


What a fabulous surprise. This postcard is dated November 21, 1910. On the front, are two turkeys, Thanksgiving Greetings, an eagle, flowers, fruit and other animals. On the flipside is a one cent stamp. The card was printed in Germany.

Here's what is written in pencil:
 Dear Friend, How are you getting along thinking of you every day. I enjoyed my visit very much. I would like to here (sp) from you. From <can't read name>

At first, I thought I'd purchased the card because I do have a small collection. But I would never leave it in a book. I have a box I put mine in.

I decided to go with a found object. Several years ago, Handsome asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said all of Emilie's books in hardback. I had a few and many in paperback. I gave him a list and on Christmas morning, there the books were. I was thrilled.

Yes, I'm thinking a found object. Isn't that lovely?


Has this ever happened to you?



Temporarily Insane. Where dead bodies turn up at an accounting firm. Not so good.

Find TI at:   Amazon  TWRP B&N   iBooks

Yup, Still Partying for Annual Fun Day! #birthdaygift #handbag #accessories

Handbag and Book with VB

Did you want to know? Yes, those darn FB ads do work, especially on me and handbags. Did I need a new handbag? Not really. I know some of you think I go overboard (just remember I do donate to Goodwill). But my excuse is Annual Fun Day!!!

One ad caught my eye for a beeeee - youuuu - ti - ful tooled red leather handbag. Instantly, I was all in, only to find it had been sold out. Seems I was not the only one shopping that day. So I decided to look the site over and found this:

I did buy it. For Annual Fun Day cause an Annual Fun Day without a handbag is no Annual Fun Day.

In addition to the crossbody handle, there is a shorter tote handle. I can detach either at will (Love the whole Fire at Will Geico commercial). The color is that cool sage green. The leather is very suede-like. Nice ball clasp with decorative frame.

Inside is a lot of room. A big zipper pouch with two slide pouches.

This one has an air of fall color about it and since fall hasn't come to my part of the U.S. yet, I'm waiting on its debut.



Confession time: Who has bought their own birthday present?


As we know, Hattie carries cool handbags in the Hattie Cooks mystery series. If you have missed these goodies, now is your chance to buy them at: Amazon

Travel & Book with Izzy Szyn : #readerconferences #LoriFoster #fairytale

Even before I started writing, I loved to travel to book conferences to meet my favorite writers, hang out with other readers. One of my favorite places to go is the Reader/Author Get Together otherwise known as RAGT near Cincinnati, Ohio.



Run by Lori Foster and an incredible group of volunteers, you get a chance to mingle and talk one on one with writers and readers. I compare it to going to a family reunion of people you actually want to see. There’s lots of food (included in registration fee), raffle prizes that goes to a good cause One Way Farm for severely abused kids and two booksignings.
 I’ve attended everyone except for two, the year I moved from Michigan to Oklahoma. Then I missed last year when I went to visit my mom in Detroit. You only thought you knew the story of Beauty and the Beast.
When Bella's father runs into the woman known as the Beast, she agrees to take his place as a prisoner for the next six months. Plenty of time to get out of her pending marriage to the son of the village's wealthiest family.
When Bella is sent a list of demands and rules, one rule stood out: DON'T FALL IN LOVE.
That seemed simple enough, for who could fall in love with a Beast?
         She’d just stopped at a door when something wrapped itself around her ankle. Looking down, she saw a vine with thorns winding its way up her leg. Holy shit, Bella tried pulling at the vine, but it tightened around her leg even more.
Pressing herself against a wall, another vine wrapped itself around her stomach. Holding her in place.  She tried to scream, but the vine was so tight she couldn’t get anything out.
“Bella, what are you doing here?” Ms. Anna came upon her.
“I was looking for you.”
“Do you remember what I said about this part of the house?” Ms. Anna asked.
“Yes,” Bella answered, “not to enter it. But I wanted…”
“Silence,” Ms. Anna ordered. “There isn’t an excuse for disobeying my orders. Now, what should your punishment be? Vines, release her.”
 Find Bella and the Beast at: Amazon
Find Izzy at: Facebook

Handbag and Book w Amy Tasukada #romance #fanboy #handbag

Handbag and Book with Amy Tasukada
I bought this bag from the Japanese brand Miho Matsuda about three years ago. The photo is from the first day it arrived in the mail.

It’s a massive purse and I’ve been stuffing everything from cameras to books inside. I love the rose print design.

            A robot fanboy. An erotic voice actor. When love comes calling, will they shed their armor?

Sato’s only long-term relationship is the one he shares with his Gundam collectibles. He dreams about the kind of unconditional love his parents enjoy. If only he could break out of his shell, he might find his special someone…

Outgoing playboy Aoi has sworn off relationships. He knows they only distract him from his budding voice acting career. He’s earned a few loyal fans, and if he keeps at it, he may even earn enough to never worry about being evicted again…

When Sato meets Aoi at the local anime store, there’s definitely a spark. But even as they tread carefully, their commitment issues and Aoi’s troubled past soon muck things up before they can start. In order for Sato and Aoi to have their happily-ever-after, they’ll both have to take a leap of faith… and hope to be caught.

Sato stepped away and waited for the rest of the family to finish their New Year prayers. The wafting musk of burning incense dampened the rush of the crowd, and even Sato didn’t mind the time spent in line. When Dad finished his prayer he bought everyone a wooden emaplaque to write down their New Year’s wish.
“Are you going to wish for a robot toy again?” Michiko laughed as Sato stared at his ema.
“What are you wishing for?” Sato asked.
“A prosperous year.” Michiko grinned. “Then I can buy more boys’ love manga. There’s so many good series out now, my paycheck is gone even before it hits the bank.”
Sato twirled the marker through his fingers and stared at the horse painted on the wood. For as long as he could remember, he had wished for something related to mecha anime. It had received a good laugh when he’d been a child. So each year he’d done it until it had become his standard wish.
Michiko wrote her wish and Sato sighed, brushing his finger against the rough wood. The bumps and grooves of each year the tree had lived could be lived in a matter of seconds with a single stroke down the length. His life could end today and the ema would’ve lived a more interesting life. At least it had a horse on one side. All Sato had to show for his life was a home filled of polystyrene Gundam figures. He wanted someone he could love as much as he loved his robots.
He neatly wrote his message on the plaque and tied it to the tree branch.
“Awww,” Michiko cooed. “My little brother is growing up and wants to find romance.”
“Stop it.”
“I know some cute guys. I can see if they want to date.”
Sato’s eyes widened. “I don’t want your help again.”
“Who knew he’d end up being—”
“I can get my own date,” Sato said, even though he’d never even talked to a guy, outside work, since college.
Find Would it Be Okay to Love You? at: books2read
Find Amy Tasukada at: Website

Amy, the handbag is gorgeous! Is the fabric silk? Do you have other handbags in this brand?