Vicki Batman's Blog, page 53

When Black Women Fall, 2/8-14 featuring L Penelope #RssosSisters #MFRWorg #Blackliterature #covertalk #giveaway

The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines. When is it? February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.
The Unwashed Cover by L Penelope
I recently read this story about how bestselling middle-grade author Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson fame) had no recourse when several of his international publishers whitewashed the covers of his books and portrayed a black character as white. He complained, but even for an author of his stature and sales, the correction took far too long.

A day or two later, an author in a Facebook group lamented that her cover was whitewashed by her small press. This is in no ways new, and it never stops being infuriating.

I turned on the TV yesterday and caught a clip of some movie where Blaire Underwood was being beaten by the police for literally no reason. The movie was set in the 1950s. My husband and I just looked at one another — no words needed to be said. It seems we’re still fighting the same battles over and over.

I’ve been told that I was very “courageous” for putting black faces on the covers of my books. This made me indescribably sad. Will white readers feel like my books aren’t “for them” because they don’t feature people who look like them on the covers? Have I ever felt like a book wasn’t for me because of the lack of diversity on the cover? That I wouldn’t be able to relate or enjoy it? Of course not. And my philosophy is to start as you mean to go forward. As an artist (and a control freak) I want to create and through my work begin reshaping the world in the way I want it to be.

I made decisions regarding my covers that many believe will impact sales for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I just like seeing black people on my covers. And having my covers represent the characters in my books. To quote a Twitter poster “the melanin is winning.” And since I self publish, I can do whatever I want. I don’t have to shout into the void and not be heard like Riordan or Ursula LeGuin or the many other authors whose books have been whitewashed over the years and continue to be so.

One day representing my reality the way I live and perceive it will stop being “courageous” and just be normal. Until then, I’ll put whoever I want on my covers and be grateful I have the freedom to do so.
Maia-It's hard to be normal when you see the dead everywhere. So I gave up. I just focus on staying out of their way. But the guy haunting my roommate is different. He’s impossible to ignore, and now other people can see him too.

He says my roommate is the only one who can save him from an eternity of torment. But one night he follows me into my nightmare and rescues me from my demons. Now he’s all I think about. This must be what it's like to fall... for someone who can never be mine.

Caleb-A lifetime ago, I found my soul mate in the human world. But being angelborn means I don't have a soul. When I lost my one true love, I lost my future and my freedom. Now, I have a second chance — she's been reborn and I must gain her love again or serve out the rest of my eternal sentence alone.

But this time I am a fugitive with powerful angels hunting me, and I'm running out of time. You only get one soul mate, and mine isn't the broken, scarred girl, who sees what no one else can. She's a distraction I can scarcely afford — but I'm unable to stay away from her.

Find Angelborn at: Amazon    B&N      Apple    Kobo    ARE

Enter When Black Women Fall giveaway at: Giveaway!!!


Thank you so much, ladies, for visiting with me today and talking about book covers. L. Penelope's cover for Angelborn is outstanding.

#Handbag Monday - Romantic Suspense author Jo-Ann Carson with & a book! #MFRWorg #RssosSister #shoesrock

If it's Monday, it's
Handbag Monday
where we're showing off our favorite accessory
and a bookwith author Jo-Ann CarsonA purse to fit my life into...My cat purse is fifteen years old and even though its vibrant blues have faded, I love it as much as the first time I laid eyes on it. The design by Laurel Burch appeals to the cat and art lover inside me. The one who wants out. I used it exclusively as my go-everywhere purse for two years. Large and solidly built, I could carry a whole tomcat in it if I chose to, but instead it held an odd collection of the bits and pieces of my world. I thought initially that I could fit my whole life into it, or at least what I needed to get by. As time passed the small knitting projects, which I tucked into one corner, started creeping out and taking more space, until the purse became my knitting bag. I always smile when I look at it, partly because of the aesthetic of the beautiful cat design, but mostly because it holds so many memories and my knitting.  Maggy Malone, a curvy, blond, blues singer with a sultry voice and a razor sharp mind is starting her life over after a lousy marriage… when a dying man tells her a dying secret  Walking through a dark alley at three-thirty in the morning wasn’t smart, but Maggy Malone didn’t have a choice, or at least not one she liked. A bone-numbing, cold wind off the Salish Sea hit her face as she opened the back door of the Black Cat Blues Bar. Pulling her jacket close to her body with one hand, and holding her guitar case in the other, she descended the stairs into the inky darkness of the night. But after her first step, she checked over her shoulder.Vancouver in November—endless gray skies and drizzle. The waning moon slipped behind layers of dark clouds, leaving little light to help her on her way. She quickened her pace. A warm glow beckoned from the street lamp, just a hundred yards away. Her scalp tingled as if a dozen spiders slipped across it. She took a deep breath of the salty night air. What the hell. She could handle a few minutes of fear. Singing in the best blues bar on the coast had been her life dream. If it meant getting up close and personal with the creepy, back alley on occasion, then so be it. Her shoulders tightened. Stepping over dirty needles, used condoms and Micky D wrappers left behind by the people who shared the alley—the prostitutes, the addicts and the homeless—she tried not to let the sadness of their lives reach inside her. But the stagnant stench of rotting garbage and urine turned her stomach. If only it would really rain, then the city would be washed clean. Where are the street people? Usually there’d be one or two around at this time of night, huddled against the cold, brick walls with only a blanket to keep out the cold and misfortunes of the night. Something felt wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it . . .  but something. She looked over her shoulder again. No one. A chill crawled slowly up her spine. She adjusted the weight of her canvas guitar case into her other hand and prepared to run. She wasn’t sure what she would be running from, but just in case. A woman in an alley has to be ready. It had been a long night. She should never have descended into this God forsaken alley. Friggin Frank. It was his fault. She took a deep breath as her eyes darted in every direction. The feeling of darkness, much darker than the night around her, picked at her senses. Her throat tightened and she couldn’t swallow. I’m just scaring myself. The lights of the street were only a few yards away. Everything will be fine. Then she saw the body lying still in a pool of blood. A silvery spike protruded from his chest. Find Black Cat Blues at: Amazon Thanks, Vicki, for hosting me today. You are not only a great writer, but also a great friend to other writers. Hugs… Jo-Ann (www.jo-anncarson.com)  My pleasure, Jo-Ann! Now, I want to know who out there is a dog or a cat person? Or both???

Movie Mom on 45 years #MFRWorg #RssosSisters #anniversary #elephantintheroom

Movie Mom

A couple are planning their 45th anniversary party when the husband receives  news that a former girlfriend's body has been found in Switzerland, setting in motion the wife's doubts about their marriage.   My thoughts: I really wanted to see this movie. Charlotte Rampling is a superb actress. The film really focuses on the actors portraying their emotions and we can see and feel them. My newspaper gave it an A, but I thought maybe B+ because I didn't quite buy into her character's doubts. I believe people can have many loves in their lives. I don't think his past is her past, although his does shape him. The big elephant in the room is if he has been married to her for 45 years, is that enough? Do we have to know every minute detail of our spouse's past?  This one can be viewed for great acting and that is well deserved of notice. FMI: Wikipedia 

Maine travels with #romanticsuspense author Marsha West #MFRWorg #RssosSister #beautifulvacations

Let’s travel with... Marsha West, a retired elementary school principal, is also a former school board member and theatre arts teacher. She writes Romance, Suspense, and Second Chances. Experience Required. Her books are available at all e-stores and in print at Amazon and from her.
My January release, ACT OF TRUST, Book 2, The Second Chances Series is set in the fictional town of Griffin Harbor, Maine. I’m a Texan. My heroine is a Texan. You may wonder how I could set the book in a place in which I don’t live. My husband and I have traveled to Maine many times over the years. In fact, one year we went twice! To Camden for our anniversary in June

        and then again to Moosehead Lake for our more traditional fall trip in October. Maine a looooong way from where I live. No matter how we cut it, we’re a whole day getting there. The sun first hits parts of Maine before any other part of the US. Maine is a huge state with a wide variety of terrain. You can see mountains, forests, lakes, sand beaches, and of course, the ubiquitous rocky coast of Maine in the Barry Manilow song. Even its largest cities, Portland and the capital Bangor are on the smaller size especially when compared to a Dallas, Houston, or even Fort Worth.

In Texas, we’ll get as cold as Maine (without the snow), but it will only be for a week at most and then could be followed by days in the 70s (as it is today when I write this post!) I admire the hardiness of Mainers, and I’m constantly blown away by the incredible Maine vistas. If you haven’t been, you need to make plans to go now. An inheritance changed everything.Mildred stopped and nailed Kate with a beady-eyed stare. “You do plan to turn over the Thompson land to the Conservancy Trust, don’t you?”“I don’t know yet, Mildred. My daughter’s coming to visit, and then we’ll decide together what we want to do with the land. It’s possible she’ll want to keep it in the family. Be a nice place for her to get away from the hectic-ness of New York City.”
“Liddy would be pleased with either the Trust or you keeping it in the family, but she’ll haunt you if you sell to Holland.”
Kate leaned away. The venom in the woman’s tone made Kate’s heart rate trip up and her hands grow sweaty. Mildred completely believed her statement, enough to cause Kate nightmares. “She’s giving every option plenty of consideration,” Jim jumped in. Was he afraid Mildred’s hard sell would reverse Kate’s leaning in his direction?“I’ve had my say. Good night to you both.”
Find Act of Trust at:  AmazonFind Marsha West at:  Website   What state do you think has the best picture postcard landscapes?   

Joanne Guidoccio & her #hippie handbag & #romanticsuspense #RssosSisters #MFRWorg #vintageaccessories

Handbag Monday welcomes...Joanne GuidoccioI hadn’t planned on spending Day 1 of Life after Breast Cancer Diagnosis in a mall, but my friend Karen insisted. “Once those chemo appointments start, you’ll have no time to shop. Get everything now, and you won’t be scrambling later.” As we walked through the mall, I mentally planned my shopping list: nightgowns, pajamas, a new robe, comfy day clothes. I was surprised when Karen pointed to my black, leather purse. “You’ll need a larger bag for when you start your treatments. Something more durable that’ll hold its shape.”I started to argue and then stopped. After all, she was the seasoned warrior who had already traveled this path.

Purses are easy, I thought. I don’t have to worry about sizes and dressing rooms. And, in this case, form would follow function. Or so I thought.
To my surprise, I found myself rejecting almost every bag I saw that day. I didn’t like the expensive leather totes, and I turned up my nose at the Plain Jane canvas bags. And then I saw it. The perfect chemo bag – a riot of colors, shapes, symbols, numbers, and words – designed by Alma Atonutti.
 Lover’s Choice | Distance Runner | The Who | Keep It Light | Space | Earth | Savings Service | 123456 | $ | abcdefghijk“There’s no sense or meaning to any of these words or symbols,” Karen said, shaking her head. “And all those clashing colors. But if you like the hippie bag, go ahead and buy it.”
That hippie bag became my constant companion during chemo, surgery, and radiation. I threw everything into the bag and still there was room for more.  I was often reminded of Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpetbag that yielded an assortment of items. And her timeless advice: Dig deep and you will find your treasures.
A brunette lottery winner never has an alibi when dead blondes turn up in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.        I noticed a man making his way through the crowd that had gathered outside the front window. Tall and lean with salt and pepper hair, the man sported a black leather coat and a light gray suit. When he stopped to talk with Uncle Paolo, he flashed a badge. As I approached the two men, my heart started beating faster. Carlo Fantin. How could I have forgotten my old high school crush? If anything, he looked even better now than he did back then. He hadn’t bulked up or lost his hair. He was still hunk material.        He stared, his blue eyes widening in surprise and something else I couldn’t quite define. Amusement. Anticipation. Maybe even lust. Whatever it was, he had stopped talking to Uncle Paolo and was now giving me his full attention.        He flashed the beautiful smile that had once captivated me and every other female student at Sudbury Secondary. “Hello, Gilda. It’s good to see you again. Uh, in spite of these circumstances.”        “Hi Carlo, I’m–”        “Detective Fantin.” My uncle shouted.        Before I could say anything, Aunt Amelia piped up, “We’re so glad you came, Detective. We’ll sleep better tonight knowing that you’re in charge.”        My mother and Sofia appeared at my side. All those years ago when I had fantasized about connecting with Carlo, I had envisioned many wonderful scenarios where we would bump into each other and fall in love—on the beach, dance floor, even at a bar. Never in a million years, did I think we would reconnect in these circumstances with my family in tow.
Find Joanne at:   Website   Find the Season for Killing Blondes at:   Amazon   Joanne, I love that a handbag carried you through chemo!   Do you have a go-to bag for traveling, hospital, needlework?

Author Tina Donahue & #newbook Loving Lies #giveaway #magical #MFRWauthor #RssosSisters

Let’s Get to Know...Tina Donahue is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Kensington, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing, Booktrope, Luminosity, Decadent, and indie. She is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
Deception knows no limits. Passion knows no bounds.
On a shuddering breath, Isabella searched the market for any means of escape and found none. Too many people pressed close with no clear route from the area. If only she could see what was behind her, she might find a way out.A quick glance showed even more people and cramped stalls, proving how trapped she was. The eunuch’s high-pitched shout suddenly rose above the slaver’s angry growl. Wanting away from them, she inched back. The eunuch dashed to her right, blocking her. The slaver to her left and reached for her robe.Piercing wails filled the heated air.Isabella stiffened. The slaver’s hand fell from her. He and the eunuch turned toward the sounds. Two dark-robed women pressed their hands to their veiled mouths. Children had stopped playing, their youthful eyes widened in wonder or fear at an aged man. His white beard trailed down his chest, and infirmity bent his tall frame, forcing him to keep his face lowered. He wore a turban and full robe, the voluminous fabric hiding the contours of his body.Suddenly, he thrust his hand into a fire used to cook some manner of food.Many in the crowd gasped. A young girl backed into a basket of olives, toppling it. The fruit rolled across the ground until it reached a pool of spilled honey where a black cat prowled.The aged man kept his hand in the fire without bellowing in pain. He chose three smoking coals, tossing the hot embers from his right hand to his left much as jugglers did at fairs with brightly colored balls.This was no fair nor was he a juggler, but a fakir, a holy man.Isabella had heard tales of such beings who traveled the Arab territories. Fakirs had no homes or commerce, begging for food as they roamed from place to place, performing amazing feats to shock everyone, as he did now. Merchants, free women, and children waited to see what the strange man would do next.With no one watching her, Isabella prepared to break into a run, to lose herself in the throng. The fakir tilted his face and met her gaze.Her heart caught. His eyes were arresting and strangely beautiful, his gaze so intent she stepped back. His expression changed. With a hard frown, he seemed to warn her to remain where she was. He turned to the eunuch and slaver, crying to them in Arabic, his voice reedy with age.Her stomach churned. Was he warning them of her intent to flee?When he looked back at her, raw power lit his expression, holding her to the spot.Even if she’d wanted to move, she couldn’t now. The eunuch and slaver stared at her.The air grew heavier than before and far too still. The slaver adjusted his weight from foot to foot as he and the eunuch spoke to the fakir. The holy man answered in kind, juggling the hot coals. He drew closer to them, his movements inefficient and tottering, no different from a babe. The slaver stepped back. The eunuch did not. His shrill voice rose in what sounded like an oath. The fakir hobbled closer, the hot coals jumping more slowly between his hands. At last he responded, his voice low.The eunuch scowled and shouted a string of foul-sounding words. The fakir grabbed the eunuch’s throat, pressing the hot coals to it. Squealing in agony, the eunuch fell to the ground, rocking and mewling.Frightened sounds rippled through the crowd. The holy man spoke to the spectators, who exchanged glances with each other and shuffled back.The fakir grabbed more hot coals from another fire and staggered toward the slaver. Unlike the eunuch, the slaver offered no retort as he stepped back quickly. The fakir followed. It was a strange dance, the fakir plodding forward a step, the slaver retreating the same distance as he focused on the newest coals.Again, Isabella realized no one noticed her. Before she could think to escape, the fakir was at her side, clutching her hair in his free hand, shouting at the others.Again, they backed away.He yanked Isabella toward him and whispered in Castilian, “When I release you, grasp your throat and cry out. Your freedom and life depend upon it. Do you understand?”Her heart hammered so wildly she could barely breathe, much less think. With no time to consider why he would help her, she nodded.The fakir shouted something to the others then brought the coals close enough for her to feel their heat. She clutched her throat and wailed.The slaver spoke hurriedly, his words seeming to beg for mercy.The fakir lifted the hot coals to his mouth and blew. Flames poured from his parted lips. Screams tore through the crowd with more than a few bolting.The fakir gripped her wrist, his touch steel.Again, he lifted the coals to his lips. Flames shot out of his mouth, which he directed to the black silk hanging on a stall. The cloth caught fire. He bolted, pulling her with him.She struggled to keep up as they dashed through the narrow streets of the market, past stalls and startled people. Behind them, men shouted. She glanced over. Guards pursued them. The fakir ran faster, forcing her to follow. They darted down one cramped street after another. He knocked over goods deliberately. Both of them dodged buyers. Finally, he rushed into an unattended shop offering a variety of baskets.Before she could question why this place was empty of a merchant or buyers, the fakir pushed her toward a shadowed corner near the entrance and shielded her with his body. She was so close to him her face and breasts pressed against his surprisingly muscular back. He shifted his weight. An object beneath his robe tapped her knee. She looked down at a long, thin outline hidden by the fabric. A sword?
Find Loving Lies at: Amazon: Amazon   B&N   Kobo  iTunes

Find Tina at: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
Tina is  offering one winner her (or his) choice of FIVE of her backlist ebooks from this list (25 choices):
1. Adored – RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT2. Deep, Dark, Delicious – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit3. Lush Velvet Nights – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award4. In His Arms – SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT5. Sensual Stranger – 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT6. The Yearning – Top Ten Bestseller7. Take Me Away – #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books8. Unending Desire – Best Book Rating LASR9. SiNN – Nominated for Book of the Week LASR10. Sinfully Wicked – Magnificent – Romancing the Book11.  Claiming Magique – Top Pick – NOR12. Illicit Desire – Four Stars Romantic Times13. Come Fill Me – Five Stars – Guilty Pleasures14. Losing Control - Four and a Half Stars - Sensual Reads15. Shameless Desire - Four and a Half Stars - The Jeep Diva16. Illicit Intent – Four and a Half Stars – Sensual Reads17. Deep Within Me – Four Stars – Romantic Times18. Seven Sensuous Days – 4 Stars – Long & Short Reviews19. Stolen Desire – 4 Stars – Romantic Times20. Taking Eve – What to read after FSOG and Story of O21. This Time When We Touch – Erotic Paranormal22. Carnal Takeover – BDSM23. Wicked Takeover – Erotic Contemporary24. Intimate Details– Menage
25. Freeing the Beast – Readers’ Choice Awarda Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you, Tina, for being with me today and for showing you new book!

Talking to kinderkids #kindergarten #bookcovers #RssosSisters #MFRWauthor

Visiting kindergarten & books
Last week, I had a unique opportunity. I was invited to spend an hour with kinderkids and talk about book covers. 

I jumped at the chance. 

For a long while, I haven't spent much time in a grade school. I wanted to see what was going on, get the rhythm of the school day, and make new little friends. 

I arrived early and ran into the teacher in the hall who escorted me to the classroom. The large space had a special area for their cubbies, round tables to work at, play and learning stations, and a large rug sectioned into colorful squares. 

The teacher went to retrieve the students while I set up. One by one they filed in the room and took a seat on the rug. 




When all were assembled, I introduced myself and sat down. I began my talk with two really good books: Harold and the Purple Crayon and Goodnight Moon. We talked about what color stands out? Is the title big or little? Is the author's name big or little? What else to you see in the cover? How does the cover make you feel?

The teacher had said this group was bright and she was right. No one was shy and they answered my questions. At the end of my discussion, they asked their own questions. How long have I been writing? How many words are in my books? Is Batman my real name? We talked about fiction has real elements--like plumbing. LOL

The kids are going to write their own books. I said I would love to read them and they asked if I could come back. Gladly!

I'm showing off my new cover for Temporarily Insane. Do you like the blue?




Find all my books at: Author Central

Double the Trouble #handbag #MFRWauthor #RssosSister #shoes

Handbag Monday

Are you seeing double?  I did when I spotted the brown bag on the right before Christmas.Let me backtrack. Several years ago for my birthday, my sissie gifted me with the green bag. I looked at it in a store when shopping with her and dismissed it as not my style. But she must have seen me lingering over it and thought I would want it. Voila! Happy Birthday, Vicki!!And I decided to carry this one and to my amazement received tons of compliments. I began to look at the handbag in a new light. It went with so many things and the green color had me thinking spring. The inside of the green bag is finished in a pink satin with a pocket. It's just big enough, I lose things sometimes. But it is big enough to hold a book--a good priority. The handles snap shut in a cool fashion, too. There is not maker's tag. I'm thinking a kit.So fast forward to this year... While perusing my favorite stop to shop for needlepoint handbags, I found the brown one. I thought makes sense to buy it because I love the green one so much. The lining of this one is black--yup, easy to lose things. And the bottom isn't pinch pleated like the green one. Sadly, brown doesn't get the compliments like green. Now, I'm waiting for red and blue!
Want more handbag action in a book? Check out Temporarily Employed where my heroine carries different handbags. All the fun is at:  Amazon   Amazon PB   TWRP ebook   TWRP PB

Break out the champagne! #newbook #RssosSisters #MFRWauthor

Lately, I have written about everything except for my new book. Yup, The Wild Rose Press will be publishing Temporarily Insane, my second romantic comedy mystery, featuring my always job searching heroine, Hattie Cooks, and the hunky detective, Allan Wellborn.

Here's a blurb: No man. Bad job. And Murder. Hattie Cooks is still searching for her dream job and one might be available...in the Big Apple, far away from friends, family, and Allan Wellborn. In the meantime, she finds temporary employment at an accounting firm where two auditors turn up dead.

Detective Allan Wellborn dumped Hattie for Blonde Bimbo who coincidentally is employed at NLB where fishy things are taking place. When Allan interviews Hattie, he must determine why all signs point to her as a possible suspect. Can Hattie find out who is murdering auditors before she’s arrested?

Pretty much fun--right? So here's an excerpt:

“Stop it, Hattie!” Trixie had some nerve. Her reprimand, the one which skewered a stabbing pain to my right eye, sounded terribly out of character, like she had little patience for me. Maybe she felt rushed. Ordinarily, she was the nicest person I knew who didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The kind who rescued animals, picked up trash at Sommerville Park, and delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly during her lunch hour.   Not today. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest in a school-girl flaunt. Trixie tilted forward in her ergonomically designed chair, her bosom almost resting on her desk. “This nonsense has to end. Your moan sounded like an obscure breed of a bizarre...untamed...wounded animal.” She returned to an upright and seated position. In tiny increments, she rotated from side-to-side, waiting for me to say something not insane.In truth, Trixie had pounded the nail on the head. I had nothing to add. My whole life had turned into an obscure, bizarre, bad reflection of itself, thus wounding me to my core. I sighed and pouted an if only. Don’t go there.My funsister friend owned the employment agency Jobs Inc., and on occasion, she’d--mostly--happily assisted me in finding temporary work since my dream job had been flushed down the proverbial toilet a few months back, thus soiling my picture-perfect life. For this newest offered assignment, I’d be employed as an administrative assistant for the managing partner at Northside, Lancaster, and Brookside, Certified Public Accountants, headquartered in my hometown of Sommerville.   At first, she’d sounded oh-so pleasant when we began our chitchat about the opportunity. “Think accounting,” she’d teased, followed by a small chuckle.     Her laugh had spoken volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica proportions. Did I tickle your funny bone? And finally, here's a small cover sample:    Have you read Temporarily Employed? Find this fun one at: Amazon Amazon PB  TWRP ebook  TWRP PB
 
 
  

The Gray Days #Weatherisinterestingtoday #RssosSisters #MFRWorg #amreading

Hopefully, you have blue skies and the air is crisp with winter. We've had a year of rain and some gray days. And for extra special interesting day, we have ice or snow.Gray days are when I throw a light blanket on me and hit the couch. I grab the channel changer and head to the movie stations and settle in for a long stretch, the requisite diet drink and popcorn by my side.  Sometimes, I'll haul out my needlepoint and watch and work. The hours slip by as I go from one movie to the next. Once, Handsome asked me what I wanted for my birthday. He laughed when I named two girly movies, popcorn and a cold drink. No boys. No man. No housework. Nothing. Just me and my movies. It was a really great day.As a youngster, my bleh days weren't so bad. With three sisters, I had built-in playmates. We played a lot of board games, card games, did puzzles, and read. Sometimes, the non-network TV station showed a really good old movie. Sometimes, we baked cookies or other treats.The best part of this time of year is we can slow down from our hectic pace and get back to ourselves. To indulge just a bit. To laugh and to love. To read.  What do you indulge in when you have a rainy day? 
Here's an excerpt from my romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed: No frisking and no arrests were--so far, in my book--a good thing. As Sarah Anne’s older brother, I found it easy to eliminate him from the stalker, murderer, and rapist categories. The something in the truck line sounded similar to approaches used in past dating experiences. For instance: “Want to come up and look at my etchings?” Translated: A roll in the hay.Or the ever popular “Would you like to meet Mr. Lizard?” Translated: Mr. Wiggly Worm.“How about coming to my place for a drink?"Translated: To ply me with multiple drinks and the requisite roll in the hay.I hadn’t fallen for those then and wasn’t going to be a sucker now. He stuck his hands on his hip and said, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not a stalker, murderer, or rapist."  Apparently, he could read minds. "Just a minute." I closed the door partially to release the chain, then opened it. “Why can’t you just tell me whatever itis?” “No. I want to show you---” “Not a Picasso?” I asked. “No.” “Not an iguana?” A perplexed expression crossed his face. “A what?” “Not your pet worm?” “What pet worm?” “Not---” “Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking. The only worms I know about are for fishing.”May your days be full ofgood reads and great fun!
 I know you are itching to find Temporarily Employed. Here's how:
Amazon   Amazon PB   TWRP ebook   TWRP PB