Mrs. Batman

Vick Batman is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author with three kids, two dogs, and a husband named Handsome.  She’s sold many romantic comedy works to the True magazines, several publishers, and most recently, two romantic comedy mysteries to The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups as well as an avid Jazzerciser, Handbag lover, Mahjong player, Yoga practitioner, Movie fan, Book devourer, Cat fancier and Best Mom Ever who adores her Handsome Hubby. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard, thinking “What if??”

And yes, Batman is her real name.

Temporarily Insane – “unpredictable combination of humor, romance, and mystery,”
“entertaining from the first page,” “fresh and endearing”

Synopsis for Temporarily Insane:  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 from friends, family, and Allan Wellborn, the man who still makes her heart race. In the meantime, she finds temporary employment at an accounting firm where two auditor friends turn up dead.  Detective Allan Wellborn dropped Hattie for a 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 suspect.  Can Hattie discover why Allan dumped her and who is murdering auditors before death strikes again?

Thanks, Vicki!  And now, The Questions:

What’s your writing background?

I blame my friend, Susan, and she takes credit for it, too. She challenged several of us with a silly car game question: write the opening paragraph of a book using the word window. Two days later, I had eight chapters. She read them and said, “Keep going.” So I have.

What are your favorite books?

There are two books that wowed me instantly. I closed the covers and had a cool moment, then reread them. Come to Grief by Dick Francis and A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux. Then there’s Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Why mysteries?

Reading mysteries goes back to the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Agatha Christie, the romantic mysteries of Mary Stewart, Emilie Loring. I just like them. I’ve added Dick Francis, Elizabeth George, Janet Evanovich.

Do you see the need for all these sub-genres or do you think we’ve become over-specialized?

I haven’t thought about this before. For a while, I didn’t like getting out of my comfort zone in my reading. I found a book that showed if you like so and so, you might like so and so, which for me, was Dick Francis. I also didn’t want to waste time reading something I might not like. Once I joined a book club, I got over that. Even if I don’t like a book, I’ve learned something.

Why writing and not ceramics, or gourmet cooking, or anything else really? If not writing, then what?

I’ve always been a huge reader, but I was fortunate to have a crafty mom. Every Monday, the women in her family met at my grandmother’s house. They were always making things, crochet, sewing, quilting, tatting. At age nine, my grandmother taught me embroidery and that continues to be a part of my life. A while back, I taught myself needlepoint and enjoy those projects. I truly believe those creative outlets fire my writing.

From where do your ideas come?

Sometimes, people say the craziest things. Sometimes, I say I am going to write a story about xyz. I’m a pantser and [like to] let it flow.  That said, I do know there’s a beginning, middle, black moment, the end, and lots of stuff in the middle.

What’s your routine? Do you work out while writing, take breaks, or simply gut it out?

I’m up at six and go to my workout. Back by 8:15 and shower, followed by eating breakfast and reading the paper. By 9:30 I’m working. Take a break for lunch or errands and back to work until 4:30 or 5. I don’t work on weekends since Handsome underwent cancer treatment eleven years ago.

What is your favorite place to walk?

On Sundays, Handsome and I walk to Starbucks with our malti-poos, Champ and Jones. Otherwise, I just enjoy walking, except when very very cold.

Do you think writing is a form of therapy and, if so, has it helped you work through anything in particular?

Writing has challenged me in a way nothing else has. When I told Handsome I’d started a book, he said, “You’ve changed.” I think he was uncomfortable with the change at that time.

Do you work outside of writing, i.e., do you have day job?

I basically quit the day job after two years of working for Handsome. He started a company and began travelling way too much. Our family life was a wreck. So once he could replace me, I stayed home. We had our moments monetarily, but pulled through.

Your perfect day – go.

I love being with friends and family and sharing laughs.

What has been your greatest writing lesson? How about life lesson?

For my first book, an author critiqued. She said to write tight and suggested a book on the subject. That made a great difference. As for life lesson…like I mentioned, Handsome had cancer. It was rough and still has to undergo treatments to fix what radiation did. Being with loved ones is the most important thing ever.

If you could be a character in any novel, what character would you be?

You’ll laugh. Bridget Jones.

And the last question.  Do you think writing can save the world?

Through all kinds of writing, a reader experiences life events. And it is educational. An educated society will carry the next generation through.

Want more?  How about a Book Excerpt from Temporarily Insane:

Trixie had some nerve.

“Stop it, Hattie!”

Her reprimand, the one which had shot a stabbing pain to my right eye, sounded terribly out of character, like she had little patience for me. Ordinarily, she was the nicest person I knew, didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The kind who rescued animals, picked up trash at Somerville Park, and prepared food for the elderly.

Not today. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest in a school girl flaunt.

Trixie tilted forward in her desk chair, her bosom almost resting on her desk. “This non-sense has to end. Your moan sounded like an obscure breed of a bizarre…untamed…wounded animal.” She returned to an upright and seated position and in tiny increments, rotated her chair from side-to-side, waiting for me to say something not stupid.

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 fun sister friend owned the employment agency Jobs Inc., and on occasion, she’d 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 assign-ment she’d located, 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 yak about the opportunity. “Think accounting,” she’d teased, followed by a small chuckle.

Her laugh had spoken volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica proportions.

pjlazos 4.10.17