Vicki Batman's Blog, page 39

Handbag and Book w J J Montgomery - Splurging is practical? #LouisVuittonhandbag #fashion #accessories #RLFblog

Handbag and Book with J J Montgomery  To say that I love my handbag is an understatement. I feel like my handbag and I have a relationship, and when I describe when I bought it, it’s like describing love at first sight. 
  I was in Nashville with my best friend. I had just been promoted and we spent a night out listening to live country music and drinking peach moonshine. And if you’ve ever had the misfortune to drink peach moonshine for more than about five minutes, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how awful I felt when I woke up the next morning.   The only cure we could think of was fried chicken and getting our hair washed so someone would rub our heads until we felt better. So we did these things and wandered into a mall, feeling mildly better but again; peach moonshine. So that’s a relative “good.”   I’d always coveted a Louis Vuitton purse. And I’d always wanted a giant purse. When we walked past this impossibly elegant store, my best friend pulled me inside.   It was all kind of a blur, but I spotted the bag and walked up to it and put it back down about four separate times. The saleswoman was kind and very Southern and she could tell I was on the fence. So she told me a story about how durable this bag was, how it would last forever. And the example she gave me was that one of her clients used hers as a beer cooler. On fishing trips. Well, in my hungover state this seemed 1) excessive and yet, 2) dare I say – practical?   She then told me the purse was rated to carry 200 lbs before the straps would break. And what had seemed an impossibly silly expense suddenly seemed so doggone sensible I knew I had no choice.   Since that time, my son has vomited on it and I’ve spilled an entire bottle inside it. It’s been used as a diaper bag, a cat toy and a big rig for hauling matchbox cars. No, I’ve never used it as a beer cooler. Yes, it’s probably held up 200 lbs or more.   
Louie and I have been together now for seven years, which is only slightly less time than I’ve been married. And the seven year itch is nowhere in sight.    “…If you ever find yourself in a place where rent-a-cop is the only job your less-than-stellar reputation will allow, you might as well opt for good scenery. This much I’d figured out since I’d wrecked my old life back home. Be a rent-a-cop in Oregon, and live in the shadow of who I used to be? Shudder. But rent-a-cop on Maui? That was a different story. Hell, I was a mustache and red Ferrari away from being Magnum, P.I. ”   “As I rounded the highest point of the trail, I looked out over the peninsula that separated Secret Beach from Makena Beach, nearly at Maui’s southernmost tip. A lone surfer, dark-haired and gleaming like a seal, ducked beneath a giant, rolling wave. I held my breath as he went under, waiting for him to emerge, and had to expel air before his head finally surfaced, yellow surfboard beneath, his strong arms propelling him outward to sea. Even at this distance, I could see the hard outline of his muscled back, saltwater streaming off him as those muscles worked before he came to a rest, sat up on his board, and turned his face toward the sun.  See, why couldn’t I fall for a guy like that? Someone who was carefree, uncomplicated, and unbelievably hot? Why was it my hormones only raced when confronted with grumpy, distant, and unobtainable? And hot, I reminded myself. My hormones at least had that part right.”    Find Gun for Hire at: Amazon  Find J J Montgomery at:  Website Oh my, JJ, even I can find no reason not to buy this gorgeous bag!

To Donut or Not? The dilemma #breakfastfood #RLFblog #MFRWorg #tastytreat

Did you know I’m a donut fiend? I LOVE them. A Lot. I especially love cake and buttermilk cake ones the best. I even like the small powdered sugared ones. (Big confession: Handsome and I pick these up as we head back from vacation. He has coffee. I have milk. LOL)

But I’ve learned over the years not to eat them too often because of additional poundage in areas I don’t need additional poundage.As time has passed and my kiddoes have grown and moved into their own lives, there isn’t anything I really need. No jewelry. No fancy dinners. But what I really enjoyed and cherished most of all: a walk on a Sunday morning to our local donut shop. Some years, this is easier to do than others. Kiddoes have plans. Handsome and I might be traveling. Or we have icky weather. But when the beautiful collision of people and time happens, we chat and ramble our way to our favorite destination.

After our Mother’s Day trip this year and the kids had gone, I turned to Handsome and said, “This is what I want every year. For my birthday. For Valentine’s Day. For Mother’s Day. A walk on Sunday morning for donuts.”He said, “Me, too.” By the way, my heroine from "Raving Beauty," featured in Just You and Me boxed set, has a huge affinity for Dee's Delicious Donuts. hehehe
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#Handbag and Book w Joanne Guidiccio Still Loving My Vintage Purse #Vintageclothing #vintageaccessories #RLForg #Rssos

Handbag and Book with Joanne Guidiccio  
I had always associated vintage clothing with the early part of the twentieth century, but recently I discovered that clothing from the 1920s to twenty years before the present day is considered vintage.
I imagine the same applies to purses.
I purchased my first “grown-up” purse during the summer of 1977. My mother had hinted that I needed to upgrade my wardrobe in preparation for my first year of teaching: suits, pumps, an LBD, and an evening purse.
So, together we went on a mini shopping spree that included a stop at Birks in downtown Sudbury. One of North America’s most prestigious jewellers since 1879, Birks was the Go-To stop for diamonds, pearls, fine jewellery, watches, and the perfect gift for almost any occasion. Receiving a gift beautifully wrapped in their trademark blue boxes would automatically elicit oohs and aahs at birthday parties, showers, and other festive events.
While browsing, I fell in love with a black patent leather clutch on display. I recall my mother raising her eyebrows at the price of $25. Applying an Inflation Calculator, I calculated that $25 would be worth $103.71 (American) and $140.10 (Canadian) in 2017. I paused only momentarily and then bought the purse. Later, I purchased a matching pair of black patent leather pumps.
Over the years, I’ve replaced and given away many purses, but I can’t seem to part with my vintage Birks purse. It brings back memories of a lovely summer afternoon spent with my mother, preparing for that quantum leap from student to working woman.  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? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CORaCadAnbA
Find Too Many Women in the Room at: Amazon US Find Joanne at: Website Giveaway: Click on the link for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
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 Joanne, I have a handbag given to me when I graduated from high school. Does anyone else keep handbag treasures? 
 
 

Handbag and Book: a change #newoffice #organization #chocolate #RLFblog

Writing & Book
Handsome and I remodeled our house a while ago. I designated a small bedroom downstairs as my office as we had four upstairs. Until recently, my desk was adjacent to the window. I loved looking outside at before movethe birds and squirrels. Cars go by and accidents do happen. The two red oaks we planted back then are now giants. I know spring is coming when the coral blooms appear on the flowering quince. To my right, I have a brown loveseat decorated with my needlepoint pillows and gifted ones from friends and family. On the walls are covers from my stories. And most importantly, there are four stuffed bookcases. And then…I got a laptop and discovered the beauty of writing everywhere!But that created a whole new problem: not using my office and it was beginning to look like office dump. So I decided on my way home from work out I needed a change to motivate me back to my beloved spot. Once home, I took off my workout shoes, shrugged off my jacket, and shoved my desk next to the bookcases. I no longer look outside my window, but I can see what’s going on outside my office door. I cleaned out the inbox, cleaned off my desk except for projects which I stacked better than random.And here’s what I really discovered, I look at the supply closet and front and center is chocolate staring back.  I can't forget my biggest news of all: Just You and Me boxed set hit the Amazon #1 Bestseller list. Find yours at: iTunes   Amazon   B&N   Kobo   Google

#Handbag and Book - Pragmatic accessory? #notadesigneraccessory #sexyescapades #RLForg

Handbag and Book with Adriana Kraft 
Definitely, the opposite of a designer handbag! Pragmatic, for a lot of reasons. For years I carried a large handbag that always contained anything I or a family member might need. When I began to develop shoulder trouble, I started downsizing and figuring out what I could do without. It probably helps that the kids are all grown by now J.But last fall, we obtained tickets to see a professional golf tournament, and even the small purse I’d moved into wasn’t tiny enough for the PGA regulations: “No opaque bags larger than a small purse 6 x 6 x 4,” which this one exactly fits. Once I took it to the tournament, I discovered I liked it. It manages my wallet, phone, small spiral notepad, pen, pencil, lipstick, a tissue or two, breath mints and a couple other essentials quite comfortably. Plus, with my keys attached to it, I’m less likely to drive off without bringing the purse along!Where did I get it? I don’t even remember. Do I like the color? Well, it goes with anything I wear (pragmatic again!), so I love that I don’t have to think about it.All of which has set me wondering – I don’t think of myself as a particularly pragmatic person. I love adventure, and the fiction I co-write with my husband is off-the-charts sexy escapades, not for the faint of heart. So maybe having a few practical items in my daily life sets energy free for the adventures of our life, as well as those we put on the page.That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!
What could college English professor Caitlin Shanahan ever have in common with the brash carpenter Kurt Davis?  Meghan Keenan, that's what.  The twenty-year-old sprite brings the unlikely pair together through sharing her sexual delights with each of them.  Peering through shuttered eyelashes, Meg Keenan nearly purred. She’d seen the tall figure of Cat Shanahan leave the curtained window. Apparently the lanky redhead had no idea the sun struck the window in a way that showed her slim form off to nice advantage.Meg snickered. Why else would she choose this particular time of day to come out onto the sundeck? Because the sun shining on the window exposed Cat to her view almost as much as she was exposed to Cat’s.At least she had the woman’s attention. Meg closed her eyelids and exhaled slowly. Soon she’d have Cat’s body.Stretching languidly, Meg smiled and sat up. Her plan was proceeding quite nicely. Kurt had been pissed she’d rented the professor’s upstairs apartment. Though Meg was quite comfortable being a townie, Kurt carried a chip on his shoulder about town-gown tensions. Was that part of why he’d never gone to college in spite of doing so well in high school? Instead, he and Jack Mobly had established a construction company. At twenty-four, Kurt had a certain amount of control over his life that Meg envied. He didn’t seem to care that there was a world outside Burntside, Wisconsin.She, on the other hand, needed to see beyond the horizon. She hadn’t found her ticket out just yet, but she knew she’d find a way. Fortunately, they both knew that. Meg was ready to leave Burntside, and she wanted Kurt to have something he didn’t even know he wanted. She wanted him to have Professor Caitlin Shanahan.
Find Seducing Cat at: AmazonFind Adriana at: Website

Finishing a Book #amreading #romancebook #lovestory #RLFblog

Finishing a book I didn’t like...
Sigh. We’ve all been there. We check out the cover and like it. We read the blurb and like it. We might even read the first page and like it. Then we delve in and get going. After a while, something seems weird or off and we begin to wonder how is this going? The first indicator. Hmm.But hey, we persevere because we might know the author and his/her work and it’ll work out. Right?So not the case recently for me. You see, I belong to a book club and most of our selections are different from my regular romance or mystery reading. And this month’s book (I won’t name names) was pretty much awful. It could be me. Maybe I read too fast and skimmed something important. Yup, good ol’ justification. Because I read this book for book club, I felt compelled to finish. I want to have good discussion about it. And a tinsy-tiny part of me thinks I will learn something even from a bad book.So weigh in—finish bad book? Or not? And speaking of good books, according to my sister, my romantic comedy short story, “Raving Beauty,” part of the Just You and Me boxed set, is the best I’ve written. If you want to know more, go to: iTunes
 

Happy #releaseday! Just You and #boxedset #RLForg

Yipee!!! today is the day!

With great joy I announce the release of the Just You and Me boxed set which features my romantic comedy short story, "Raving Beauty."
I'd written this story long ago and waited for the perfect place to put it and this set is it. Fifteen authors came together. And the set is priced at 99cents.

Here's a fun snippet:
"Hey," Daniel said. Crud.          "Are you drowning in there?"         "No."         "Want your back scrubbed?"         "Are you a famous, buffed-up action hero?"         "No."         "Then, eat poo and die."         "I was thinking-"          Amazing.          "-I'm going to pick up some burgers."         My stomach growled.          "I won't be long. Be out soon, or I'm coming in."         "Ha. We both know you want to see me naked."         "Been there, done that already today. And by the way-”         “What now?”         I heard him move closer to the door, and then he softly said, “The mole on your left hip is worth exploring…with my tongue.”         I screamed.Find "Raving Beauty" in the Just You and Me boxed set at: Amazon   Happy reading!!! VB

What has me doing a happy dance? Just You and Me boxed set & my story #Rssos #RomBkLove #RLFblog

Yipee!!! today is the day!

With great joy I announce the release of the Just You and Me boxed set which features my romantic comedy short story, "Raving Beauty."
I'd written this story long ago and waited for the perfect place to put it and this set is it. Fifteen authors came together. And the set is priced at 99cents.

Here's a fun snippet:
"Hey," Daniel said. Crud.          "Are you drowning in there?"         "No."         "Want your back scrubbed?"         "Are you a famous, buffed-up action hero?"         "No."         "Then, eat poo and die."         "I was thinking-"          Amazing.          "-I'm going to pick up some burgers."         My stomach growled.          "I won't be long. Be out soon, or I'm coming in."         "Ha. We both know you want to see me naked."         "Been there, done that already today. And by the way-”         “What now?”         I heard him move closer to the door, and then he softly said, “The mole on your left hip is worth exploring…with my tongue.”         I screamed.Find "Raving Beauty" in the Just You and Me boxed set at: Amazon   Happy reading!!! VB

Quilted with Love - a gift from Mom #Momslegacy #heritage #quilting #RLFblog

 
Quilted with Love by Mom
Over two years ago, my parents passed away. When my sisters and I cleaned the house, we found Mom had stashed away a lot of quilt tops. A true treasure!
We divvied them up and I brought home about eight. One sister took hers to a shop and later on, showed us the finished product. They were exquisite. I wanted mine done too and asked if she would mind taking them. She said yes. Very big squee
First, she went fabric shopping for the backside. She asked me if there was anything in particular I wanted. I said no, except for one thing. She had had Mom’s name quilted on hers and I wanted the same for mine. Done.
Here are some photos of them:  Overall design 
   Detail 
 Her name Did I mention I have two of these? Yes, just alike. Long ago, Mom worked at a factory that manufactured table linens. She picked up things for very little. Was I surprised to find two of the same quilt top!  The fabric is definitely from an earlier time, but doesn't matter to me. I love them because she pieced them.   Isn't this a great gift?   I have stuff for my kiddoes; however, I do have some stories too. One is "Raving Beauty from the Just You and Me boxed set, only 99cents. Find it at: Amazon

Cake Fail - if at first you don't succeed, go buy #happybirthday #newbook #boxedset #MFRWorg

I have baked for most of my life and especially so throughout my kiddoes younger lives. I even took cake decorating classes and always made sweet confections for family and friends.
And then there was yesterday. A cake fail.
I really wanted to bake a layer cake for #2’s birthday. So after I removed the finished layers from the oven and let them cool, I did what I always have done--run my spatula around the inside edge, set a plate on top of the pan and flipped it over. Half stuck. I was like OMG. I set a lot of the broken pieces on top, wondering if I could do something with the mess besides cake balls (not my fav). I eyeballed the second layer and repeat and flip and half stuck.
I was feeling jinxed.
I decided Whole Foods was getting a nice visit from VB because I wasn’t going to waste my time with another possible failure.
I dumped the second layer on top of the first. Put the clear glass cake dome on top and pushed the stand in the corner. I also ate the nice chunky pan remnants and they were totally yummy. So what does cake fail have to do with my new short story, “Raving Beauty?”
Let’s take a peek at heroine Kelly Stinson who was coerced into representing Yahoo! Ranch Steakhouse in the Sommerville Chamber of Commerce’s pageant. As Kelly struts across the stage, let’s take a read:
Gently, my pal nudged me forward. Hearing the audience’s whoops and claps, I plastered a smile on my face and took a step. The heel of my four-inch stiletto caught in a sizeable indentation in the hardwood floor. With a fast prayer, I managed to correct myself before executing a major swan dive off-stage and strode with the confidence one could summon when thrust into a group of girls ten years younger and twenty pounds lighter.
         "Kelly is the owner of Creative Boutique which specializes in goods crafted by Sommerville locals. She loves to read, run, and misses her favorite companion, her kitty, Romper." The announcer bent toward the microphone. "How about a big Texas howdy for Kelly?"
         Using the skills I'd honed as an erstwhile fashion model in the golden days of college, I crossed the stage toward the podium, paused with hands on my hips. When the applause had died, I pivoted to move center stage. As my heel caught another divot, grace abandoned me. With a pop-pop-pop, my ankle bowed cockeye, and this time, my worst nightmare came true. I tumbled over the edge of the stage.
Landing flat on my flipside, I blinked vacantly at the acoustical tile ceiling. Somewhere in my stupor, I heard a chorus of gasps, a pounding of feet, and someone hurdling over the rows of chairs, launching to my side. A hand swept along my face and down my arm, pausing intermittently to compress. I fluttered my eyes once. Twice. When able to focus a third time, I stared into the grass-green irises of Ben Stewart.
LOL. I love this excerpt, especially because it brings back my good ol’ days of when I represented my friend’s moped shop in a recreational vehicle pageant. There is good news about that venture—no swan dive offstage.
Preorder Just You and Me boxed set featuring my romantic comedy short story, “Raving Beauty,” at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCZWL6N True confession time: have you had a baking failure?