Interview of Author Vicki Batman #RB4U #authorinterview

Today I'm excited to share with you an interesting interview with funny and fabulous author, Vicki Batman! Yes, you did read that right...She's Batman! *wink*  But even better, her stories are witty and filled with endearing characters you're sure to love!


Vicki, can you share a little bit about yourself?

~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, giving her plenty of crazy material for her writing.

Writing for several years, she has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories. 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??"

And now onto the interview....

How did you celebrate publishing your first book? I emailed everyone!!! I texted. I danced with my kitty because she was the only one at home. LOL

What is the most important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing? Marketing. And more marketing. So much this fall that I haven’t written much on my next book or story. Very frustrating.

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book? Probably too much! I might have characters drive a Jeep, a heroine carry a handbag. Trade funny banter. Eat my favorite foods. (If you love handbags, Vicki has the best post each week on different and interesting bags! Be sure to check it out!)

Of all your characters, who’s your favorite, and why? Hattie Cooks from Temporarily Employed, my romantic comedy mystery. I walked in her shoes: lost the job I loved and was betrayed by a man.

Covers. Ever get one you wish you could change? Oh my yes! San Diego or Bust is just too blue.

Give one advice tip to an aspiring author. Write and write more. Keep persevering.

Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books? All the time. As they say, truth can be stranger than fiction. In a Valentine story, I put in the Dear John letter I received on Valentine’s Day. I’ve used things my men have said or done, too.

Any part of a book that drives you crazy as you write: beginning, middle, or end? The middle. I have to make sure that the incidents ratchet things up.

Out of your entire backlist, which book has the best opening line? What's the line?  From “Drive My Car”, a True Love short story: Officer Webber Whitlock, whom I secretly referred to as Witless Whitlock, slid in beside me.

How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas? I usually put something in a word doc and revisit occasionally.

Now onto the Fun Stuff....

What is your favorite holiday and why? April Fool’s Day. Handsome proposed on that day. lol

What are two things people might be surprised to know about you? I was Miss Oak Lawn Moped. At age 9, I missed a month of school due to a bad spell with pneumonia.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher.

Favorite food. Cake!

Favorite happy memory. While pausing for a hike with Handsome, he turned to me and unexpectedly said, “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Favorite drink. Champagne.

Hot summer days or chilly winter nights? Hot summer days.

What is the top thing on your bucket list? Machu Pichu

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Give us all good health.

And now onto Vicki's latest release...

Temporarily Employed, romantic comedy mystery

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.

Detective Allan Charles Wellborn has secretly adored Hattie all his life. 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. 

Buy links for Temporarily Employed

Amazon ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Temporarily-Employed-Vicki-Batman-ebook/dp/B00N4J5FDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410893535&sr=1-1&keywords=temporarily+employed

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Temporarily-Employed-Vicki-Batman/dp/1628304979/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412359358&sr=1-2&keywords=temporarily+employed

The Wild Rose Press ebook: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5829

The Wild Rose Press paperback: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5896

Finally...tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!

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/

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

Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com

Anything else you’d like to add?

I love to write romantic comedy and if you like to read it, please give my work a try! And I’d love to hear from you, too.

Thank you Vicki for stopping by and best of luck with Temporarily Employed!