Character Interview: Temporarily Employed by Vicki Batman

 

Temporarily Employed, romantic comedy cozy mystery

Release Date: October 17, 2014

Author: Vicki Batman

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Word Count: 75,000 words

 

Temporarily Employed book information

Cover: attached separately

 

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.

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.

 

 

Vicki Batman Information

 

 

 

Author bio:

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??"

 

Links for Vicki Batman

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

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1515093723

Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com

 

Buy links for Temporarily Employed

Amazon: 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

TWRP: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5829

 

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

1. What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance? I’m a cop; so who wouldn’t want to run around in action scenes with a gun? Lol. I like teasing Hattie and the snappy things she says back. She was pretty shy when younger and that’s all gone now. Mighty attractive. I like romance scenes because she’s gorgeous and I get to put my hands all over... well, you know.

1. What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere? I hang with my newly adopted cat, Lucky, and like to read biographies. And workout.
2. Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in? She’s the one in charge.
3. Do you like the way the book ended? No, I don’t, but I can’t say why. That would ruin the ending.
4. Would you be interested in a sequel, if your writer was so inclined? Absolutely, there’s a wrong that needs righting.
5. What is your least favorite characteristic your writer has attributed to you? Geekdom. It’s hard to shake when in high school, but as an adult? We all know geeks rule.
6. Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about?  Career-wise? I’m fine there. Have already had a promotion. Relationship-wise? I’ll take Hattie and... well, you know.
7. What do you do for a living? A detective for Sommerville Police Department, formerly an auditor.
8. What do you wear when you go to sleep? boxers
9. What is your most prized possession? Hattie’s pink underwear.
10. What sound or noise do you love? I like great jazz, like Chris Botti.