Vicki Batman's Blog, page 80

.@VickiBatman ~ #handbag Monday: author Carmen Stefanescu shares a spring favorite #accessories #MFRWorg

~Handbag Monday~ Today, I have a special guest, author Carmen Stefanescu. Carmen is a teacher and writes paranormal fiction. But most interestingly, she lives in Dracula country!

Welcome, Carmen! Let's see what you brought:

 My favorite handbag for this spring:

Superstition Vintage has this Vintage Needlepoint Purse with Pearl Clasp and chain handle. I love all the colors and floral patterns. I think I can wear it with different outfits. Surely, Anne, one of the characters in my novel, had a handbag like this one.

OMG, Carmen! These are exactly the kinds of bags I love. We are so simpatico, girl!

Here's a blurb from Shadows of the Past, a paranormal with light romance and horror:

The discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross, in the hollow of a tree, open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England.


Find Carmen at:  Website
Find Shadows of the Past at:    Amazon


Thank you, Carmen, for sharing your pretty handbag with me today!

*************************************** Poinsettia Handbag: Week 9

 I am a few weeks behind on the Poinsettia bag. Handsome and I have been traveling for business (plus a little fun on the side). I barely had time to read. This past week, I really got to work. I finished one side and started the second one. I love the accomplishment of filling in around the flowers and pushing through to the edges.  I did decide that I wouldn't be using the gusset piece for the gusset! Instead, it will become the handles. At least, I'm hoping the needlepoint shop will say that's okay. I don't like large tote handles that sling over the shoulder. For some silly reason, those fall off. 

.@VickiBatman ~ #Movie Maniac: Locke

  Blurb: A construction foreman's life, family, and job are forever altered when he is determined to do the right thing for the woman he had a one-night stand with. I had not heard of this movie, but being the movie lover I am... I always peruse the movie guide in our paper every Friday morning and this one grabbed my attention. Featuring Tom Hardy (Batman's Bane) and a cast of actors you never see on screen but hear. Minute by minute, new dilemmas are thrown at Ivan Locke as he journeys to London and yet, it is never boring. His face, voice, body language tell a great story. From the article, we learn the movie was filmed in two takes in a car on a flatbed trailer. The other scenery and light shots are well done too and make the film very cohesive.  Time flew by. Handsome and I talked about this one for hours after it was over. A very good movie and I heartily recommend it. Tell everyone. FMI: Locke

.@VickiBatman ~ Brenda Novak's Online Auction for Diabetes Research May 1 - 31 includes moi!

  Auction begins May 1 and ends May 31!!
Have your cake and eat it too! You can own a limited edition collection of fourteen digital contemporary romances by some of today's biggest authors. I am proud to support this fine cause and have donated 3 e-books which will be loaded on to a Nook reader: 

Nook GlowLight #2: http://goo.gl/i0vrCn


Other authors included on the reader are:

Jan Carol Abney - TEXAS PRISONER - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE LOVE - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE PRIDE - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE PASSION - Romance
Jayne Rylon - KING COBRA - Romance (Erotica)
Cynthia Woolf - TAME A WILD HEART - Romance (Western)
Cynthia Woolf - REDEEMED BY A REBEL - Romance (Western)
Vicki Batman - BUG STUFF…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Vicki Batman - LITTLE BIRDIE WHO…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Vicki Batman - MAN THEORY…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Dale Mayer - HIDE'N GO SEEK - Romantic Suspense
Dale Mayer - TOUCHED BY DEATH - Romantic Suspense/Mystery
Opening Bid: $3.00
 Would you want to miss these goodies? I think not! Go now: http://goo.gl/i0vrCn

 

.@VickiBatman ~ springtime needlepoint intrigues you?

~#handbag Monday~ You know I love my needlepoint handbags. A few years ago, this one appeared on eBay. The color in the picture is off, otherwise you could tell it has beautiful pink flowers (I love pink!) green leaves and a neutral beige background.  
  Take a closer look at the handle. It's a brown tortoiseshell plastic. And the interior is a pale pink moire. The perfect size and goes with everything spring. I know some of you change bags with the change of the seasons. Do you have a spring bag you prefer?  

.@VickiBatman ~ Oops! Did you forget Mother's Day? Here's a gift every Mom will like

    Are you ready? Mother's Day is fast approaching, like this coming Sunday, May 11. Skip the flowers. Skip the chocolate. Go for a book!And MuseItUp Publishing has great offers going on. Like this one: Store Wars for FREE!!!


 https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/component/content/article/3-about/about-us/442-mother-s-day-2014-specials
Here's a tiny tease from Store Wars:

        "This stuff is crap." I ran a finger along the edge of a faux-finished table parked inside the store's entryway, flicking more than a hint of dust from my fingertip. My best girlfriend, Tracy, and I were scoping out the competition in the Sommerville Historic Depot District, one of which was Tejas Souvenirs owned by an old flame's mom. So far, no business we'd visited had measured up. The other stores all looked...tacky touristy.                             I walked through to the next section, thoroughly disgusted with what lay before me. This store needed major first aid. No quality merchandise anywhere. The overpowering scents of vanilla and cinnamon from the cheap candles loaded on another table top caused me to have a major sneezing fit.           Tracy passed a tissue. "Janie, need this?"          "T'anks." I stuffed the used wad in my pant’s front pocket, praying the urge to let loose again would bypass. "Why in the world is a huge candle display by the front door, assaulting a customer when he-slash-she walks in? I can't be the only one who's allergic. And look..." I pointed to the section at the top of four steps, "room diffusers up there. Another brand of candles over there. And yes, people, let's combine those with scented bath products. A whole lotta stinky people and stinky homes are out there in the big wide world."          Tracy scribbled notes as I surreptitiously took pictures of the store's contents. "Undoubtedly," she said in a hushed tone. "So what else turns you off?"           In one corner, imitation leather purses embellished with rhinestone crowns had been stacked on a glass and chrome shelving unit. Cheap, gemstone bracelets decorated a nearby display stand. I pointed to a shirt rack and said in a soft voice, "I'd never wear these clothes."          With a frown, Tracy cupped her mouth. "Me, neither. They're aimed for the nighttime crowd—if you catch my drift."          "I do. Yuck." Taking in the whole enchilada, I stopped when I spied the jean-clad backside of a male employee sweeping the floor. God, I hope he hadn't heard us. I steered Tracy aside and whispered, "We'll have no problems with Twinkle Toes succeeding in the Depot District. Even better than the mall."          "I agree. Let's split up, take mental notes, and meet out front in fifteen minutes."          I peeled off to the left, and she went to the right. The man cleaning glanced over his shoulder and straightened. "May I help you?"          Instantly, my body froze like an icicle. It couldn't be— Could it?Fletcher? As in my once upon a time boyfriend, Fletcher Babcock? When had he abandoned the bright lights of Big D and return to Sommerville?

 Click this link for your FREE copy: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/component/content/article/3-about/about-us/442-mother-s-day-2014-specials



Happy Mother's Day to all moms and Happy Birthday to #2.

.@VickiBatman ~ #Movie Maniac: Kinky Boots

     Recently, Handsome and I went on a getaway to New York, and I just had to see the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Kinky Boots.When the movie aired several years ago, I was enamored. It was so well acted (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joel Edgerton). The story pulled at the heartstrings and all was tied at the end with a HEA.

Here’s the blurb: The son of a struggling Northampton shoe factory owner forms a partnership with a drag queen to save the business and discovers they aren’t so different after all.Kinky Boots, the musical, is based on the movie and follows the story I knew. The musical numbers were written by Cyndi Lauper (yes, her!) and are really well done. The set was used very creatively. All the characters were well-defined.

I wouldn’t miss either one. In fact, if Kinky Boots is on cable, I will watch it over and over. I love the fashion show and the music at the end.
For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinky_Bo...

.@VickiBatman ~ I get thrills and chills over this author #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

I can't even remember when I first read
Mary Stewart romantic mysteries. I remember my sister reading The Crystal Cave (about King Arthur and Merlin) in high school and I liked it. Maybe it was when I was a single gal and shared a two bedroom apartment with my roomie. I worked in corporate retail for a large department store; so I occasionally had a day-off during the work week. One day, I perused her book shelves and found Nine Coaches Waiting by Ms. Stewart. I know I checked to see if this was the same one--yes, she was. The book instantly enthralled me.

I grew up not buying many books. Oh mainly a Scholastic one in elementary school. But for the most part, I've always been a large library devotee. So when I discovered Nine Coaches Waiting, I wanted more. Like most readers, if I found an author I really, really liked, I wanted to consume everything they'd written. So I took my hard-earned savings and bought Ms. Stewarts's books.
 


I've reread them so many times. It's like a great homecoming. Her heroines travel to cool places. The heroes are manly men. One of my favs is Madam, Will You Talk? Here's the blurb: A widow and friend travel to the south of France and encounter a wanted antiques dealer trying to get back his kidnaped son.

Hooked? I've always said this one would make a fabulous movie. Airs Above the Ground features a jewel thief, a circus, a stolen Royal Lipizzaner stallion, and a spy. My Brother Michael retraces a brother's steps in Greece. during World War II. 


Do you have a feel good go-to author?








For more about Mary Stewart, check out the unofficial fan page: Mary Stewart

.@VickiBatman - #Movie Maniac: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Something about this movie intrigued me from the get-go. So when traveling recently, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty aired on the plane. I remembered liking the film when I saw it originally. Now, I like it even more.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreaming negative assets manger for Life magazine who emba… Morerks on a global journey that turns into an incredible adventure. Go to Greenland - checkRide a helicopter - checkDrop from helo to ship - checkSkateboard in Iceland - checkGet the girl - check This isn't a flash-bang we're-on-a-wild-and -razy-ride CGI film. It's thoughtful. Provoking. Character transforming. And probably one of my favorite Ben Stiller movie. Throughout the movie, Life magazine's motto is prevalent: To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed and to feel that is the purpose of life. Pretty cool--right? Years ago, I came up with my own life motto: Go. Do. Live. Life is an Adventure. For more information on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, go to: Film “To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed and to feel that is the purpose of life.”
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/walter-mitty-dreams-up-the-purpose-of-life/#PxrbJxV9OUAghqC2.99“To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed and to feel that is the purpose of life.”
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/walter-mitty-dreams-up-the-purpose-of-life/#PxrbJxV9OUAghqC2.99“To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed and to feel that is the purpose of life.”
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/walter-mitty-dreams-up-the-purpose-of-life/#PxrbJxV9OUAghqC2.99

.@VickiBatman ~ Brenda Novak's Online Auction for Diabetes Research May 1 - 31 includes moi!

      Auction begins May 1 and ends May 31!!
Have your cake and eat it too! You can own a limited edition collection of fourteen digital contemporary romances by some of today's biggest authors. I am proud to support this fine cause and have donated 3 e-books which will be loaded on to a Nook reader: 

Nook GlowLight #2: http://goo.gl/i0vrCn


Other authors included on the reader are:

Jan Carol Abney - TEXAS PRISONER - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE LOVE - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE PRIDE - Romance
Phoebe Conn - FIERCE PASSION - Romance
Jayne Rylon - KING COBRA - Romance (Erotica)
Cynthia Woolf - TAME A WILD HEART - Romance (Western)
Cynthia Woolf - REDEEMED BY A REBEL - Romance (Western)
Vicki Batman - BUG STUFF…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Vicki Batman - LITTLE BIRDIE WHO…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Vicki Batman - MAN THEORY…AND OTHER STORIES - Romantic Comedy
Dale Mayer - HIDE'N GO SEEK - Romantic Suspense
Dale Mayer - TOUCHED BY DEATH - Romantic Suspense/Mystery
Opening Bid: $3.00 Would you want to miss these goodies? I think not! Go now: http://goo.gl/i0vrCn

 

.@VickiBatman ~ This Apple #Cake is easy peasy. Honest!

A few weeks ago, I tagged along with Handsome when he attended a conference. Before going to shows, we went to dinner. At one spot, I had to have dessert: Apple Crumb Cake

Fast forward to Easter.... I like to make a nice dessert and lately, have been baking a strawberry cake. So I went through my recipes and came across an easy apple cake recipe. I had to make it, but with my own touch.






Apple Cake

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into slices.
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 box of white cake mix
1 stick of butter

Spray your pan with nonstick spray. Zest the lemon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Toss together the apples, zest, juice, and sugar. Layer in your pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the apples. Melt the butter and pour over the cake mix. Bake 350 for 35-45 minutes, definitely until bubbly.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

It is absolutely delicious. You could omit the lemon and sub a bit of cinnamon. I'm just hooked on the fresh apple taste and tired of overly cinnamon-y desserts.




Do you have a special cake you like to bake?