Vicki Batman | Romantic Reads and Such

Tags

We have a treat today as Vicky Batman share with us her new book Temporarily Employed and discusses the amazing power that music can have.

*****

Music and memories go hand in hand. The other day, I clicked on an easy-listening iTunes playlist I’d created, and the Beatles’ song, And I Love Her, came up.

Once upon a time, I was a young single chick and liked several guys. I went on a casual night out with a friend I had stirrings of feelings for. I think he did too, but was afraid to act on them.

So we went to a show, and afterwards, we drove around town with the windows down. I pushed my long hair out of my eyes and let the moment take me away. At the end of the evening, this song came on. He turned to me and sang the whole thing. I part of me wanted to believe this meant more than just singing a song. But I’ll never know. He didn’t kiss me good night or utter another word. He dropped me off and drove away.

Not long after, I met another who chased me until he caught me. He couldn’t and can’t sing well, but he tries. LOL

Obviously, this was a strong memory because I remember it blanket-blank years later. And hearing the song makes me wonder whatever happened to that boy and a bit wonders what might have been.

In my romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed, Hattie visits Allan’s apartment and hears:

Upon his return, I noticed he’d pulled off his coat and tie. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to the elbow, exposing the man hair covering his wrists. The top shirt button had been unfastened. Lordy, I swallowed deeply. He looked so sexy like throw-him-on-the-ground-and-roll-around-like-heathens sexy.

He crossed to the media center and turned on his iPod stuck in a sound dock. A Chris Botti song, one of my favorites, filled the room with its sexy jazzy sound.

Arousal instantly covered my body from head-to-toe. Feeling self-conscious, I pressed my nose in the cat’s fur to cover my translucent imaginings.

A. Wellborn stood by the music player all the while silently observing me.

Totally aware, I hoped he thought terrific things about me like the ones I had about him. After a while, he made his way to the sofa and casually sat next to me, setting his arm on top of the sofa cushion.

How does he do that? How can he act so calm, cool, and collected? I felt ready to pop like a balloon, and he seemed so at ease.

Whew! Well, I’m fanning self.

Do you have a song that is special to you?

*****

Temporarily Employed

by Vicki Batman

Romantic Comedy/Cozy Mystery, 75k

Released October 17, 2014, The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

New Job. New Love. And Murder.

Hattie Cook’s dream job is down the toilet and her new SUV violated. Desperate for cash to cover the basic necessities of rent and food, she takes a temporary job at Buy Rite insurance company where she uncovers an embezzling scam tied to the death of a former employee–the very one she replaced. The last thing she wants is to clash with By-the-Book Detective Wellborn, no matter how much he makes her heart pound.

Allan Charles Wellborn has secretly adored Hattie all his life. He evolved from a pocket protector-wearing geek to a handsome police detective. When the police determine there’s more to the death of a former Buy Rite employee, he steps in to lead the investigation. Overly dedicated, always perfect, he puts his job first, even if doing so ultimately hurts the one he loves.

Can the killer be found before Hattie’s time is up?

*****

Excerpt:

“Yuck.”

Pretty much covered the whole freakin’ day.

A blinding red-white, red-white strobe, reflected in my brand new Wrangler’s rearview mirror, seized my attention. The police. I tossed my hands skyward, ready to surrender. I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Like I’d commented this a.m. to my roommate, Jenny, “Today, anything’s possible.”

My Bad Day checklist included:

– Crappy job interview, one which might have provided desperately needed income.

– Wore gut-busting panty hose on a hot day which had now worked past my waist and strangled my diaphragm.

– A barely blowing air conditioner indicated something had malfunctioned in my new, fun car.

I stole another glance in the mirror, and with great reluctance, flipped the right turn indicator. My vehicle coasted to a stop on the shoulder of Boston Avenue in my hometown of Sommerville, a nice suburb located between two large cities. Four lanes of cars and trucks zipped by as I sat there where every single one of my family, friends, friends’ friends, and their friends—including Rat Fink Suzanne—would see a police vehicle positioned right behind mine. Gleefully, drivers would chant the “Ha-ha, got you, not me” ditty.

How embarrassing.

After killing the engine, I flopped back in the seat. Shooting the morons the finger was an idea. Nah. I’m too exhausted to care.

A litany of: “No, not hiring.” “Just filled the position.” “You’re over qualified.” “You’re under qualified…” tornadoed through my head. Coupled with the intense job search through various outlets like the internet and completing numerous online employment applications, no wonder my body had been depleted of all life force.

Not even a breeze blew to take the edge off the unbearable summertime heat. Tangled wild trees and dry scrubby bushes banked the roadside. The grass had taken on a scorched look. Rolling down the driver’s window, I surveyed my surroundings. Nothing great. Nothing new.

I stole a glance in the side mirror at the policeman who strode purposefully along the shoulder. The gravel crunched under his boots. He looked huge, probably because his uniform, which appeared to be bulked with a bullet-proof vest, made him resemble a buffed-up superhero in size. Exceedingly intimidating.

Sigh. When things went wrong, they were really wrong.

*****

Author Info:

Like some of her characters, award-winning author, Vicki Batman has worked a wide variety of jobs including lifeguard, ride attendant at an amusement park; a hardware store, department store, book store, antique store clerk; administrative assistant in an international real estate firm; and a general “do anything gal” at a financial services firm–the list is endless.

Writing for several years, she has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories to TRUE LOVE, TRUE ROMANCE, TRUE CONFESSIONS, NOBLE ROMANCE PUBLISHING, LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS, MUSEITUP PUBLISHING, and THE WILD ROSE PRESS. She is a member of RWA and several writing groups and chapters. In 2004, she joined DARA and has served in many capacities, including 2009 President. DARA awarded her the Robin Teer Memorial Service Award in 2010.

Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

Find Vicki at:

Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkv

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman

Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=116288777&trk=hb_tab_pro_top

Google+: bit.ly/1zUggDF

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vickibatman

Plotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com