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5 Easy Questions: Bug Stuff and Other Stories @VickiBatman #RLFblog #comedy
Bug Stuff and Other Stories 5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick, easy,
and fun. Today’s guest is Vicki Batman.What is your go-to meal
to order when you dine out? Your favorite “I know it will hit the spot”
item.A really great burger. I call it meat for the week.What were you like when
you were in school?Incredibly shy. Hard to believe now, isn’t it?Would you rather stay
inside and watch snow falling, or get out in it and build a snowman? I never
have enough snow to build a snowman; so stay inside with a huge bag of Cheetoes, great movie on TV, and doing needlepoint.What is your favorite
quote?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention
of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid
in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming Woohoo, what a ride!What was the last movie
you watched (home or theater)?The Thin ManAbout the Book
Title: Bug Stuff…and Other StoriesGenre: romantic comedyAuthor Name: Vicki BatmanBook heat level (based on movie ratings): GFrom sassy writer gal, Vicki Batman, comes three romantic comedies
sure to tickle your fancy. “Just Desserts”: a political dinner gone disastrous
brings together a reluctant attendee and her handsome seat-mate.“Bug Stuff”: An accountant unites with his co-worker
to exterminate a pesky adversary. “With This Ring”: When a wife forgets
the all-important little black dress, everything turns into something utterly romantic
and unforgettable in the end.Buy This Book
Publisher: Vicki BatmanAmazon: http://amzn.to/1cuV6RyBarnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1gaie8PSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/394602Author Social Media
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatmanFacebook : http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkvPinterest : http://pinterest.com/vickibatmanShelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1515093723Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman -
RLF Gem Award: Top Bloggers Feb 2014 Romance Lives Forever #RLFblog #blogging
RLF Top Blogger Award Last month, Romance Lives Forever had 28 posts in a 28 day month.
A new interview was introduced: 5 Easy Questions. It consists of 10 questions,
of which, an author can pick five, making it one of the fastest to do. This is
great for the busy author with a new release. You can download a copy here:5 Easy Questions – pick 5 fun things from a list http://is.gd/rlf_5easyQsTop Five Bloggers for the Month
The top five posts, judged by page views are listed below. Congratulations to each author!1. Daisy Banks2. Vicki Batman3. Marilyn Baron4. EM Lynley5. GA HauserHonorable mention: Kryssie Fortune and I tied for sixth place.Romance Lives Forever features authors and new books. It has a
blogger’s FAQ page with a downloadable guide and optional interviews. Readers
can follow via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Bloglovin’, Linky
Followers, email, an RSS feed, and there’s a blog button readers and authors
can grab. RLF takes up to three images per article, so authors can share
previous books. The blog uses author or publisher names as SEO tags on posts,
and author Twitter handles in the titles. The site is broadcast over Triberr
with a potential reach of over a million readers via its Twitter-linked
network. Twitter mentions are also gathered in several Paper.li ezines, giving
the author additional opportunities for promotion.The Romance Lives Forever
Paper.li ezine features guest authors on its front page every day. The Yahoo Group Romance Lives Forever has
nearly 1200 members, and is Kayelle’s private group. It is open once a month to
authors who have been guests on the blog. Guests get one day to post info,
share news, book releases, offer contests, and so on. For that day, the group
is open and members are allowed to reply and take active part. It’s like an
old-fashioned chat, where you can share and answer questions. Only authors who
have reserved the day are allowed to post, so it’s exclusive. There is no
charge. You can read more about it here: http://is.gd/rlfauthordayShare your book cover on Romance Lives Forever
Limited spots to share book covers are available. Cost is $3
per month, with discounts for covers posted for one quarter and up to one year.
Covers can be changed monthly.Sign Up for a Future Post
Sign up form http://is.gd/rlfblog_requestGuest calendar http://is.gd/rlfdatesMy thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives
Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:AJ Nuest, Alanna
Lucas, Berengaria Brown, Celia Breslin, Denysé Bridger, Diane Burton, Gwen
Knight, HK Sterling, Kathy L Wheeler, Lady Blade, Lauren Linwood, Leta Blake, Liza
O’Connor, Nancy Corrigan, Samara King, Samara King, Susan D Taylor, Suz deMello, Zanna Mackenzie -
13 Tips for Sharing Links @vickibatman #RLFblog #authortips
Bug Stuff… and Other Stories As
authors, we write or create something, and we want to share with the BIG WIDE WORLD.
But how?I’ve collected
a few tips to ease your way:1. In each blog, there should be buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Goggle+ and
more to click on. When you do, an automatically generated blurb appears. Use this! Send our happy camper to Facebook
(you can send to multiple pages, too). And remember
on Facebook to intrigue readers by beginning
your post with a question. That gets more visibility.Don’t forget
to use other buttons and forward our camper to Google+ , LinkedIn, Stumble Upon,
Twitter, and a whole variety of others.Author and
fellow Plotting Princess, Michelle Miles, recommends a Jetpack
plugin called “Publicize” to have it go out to Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
when it’s published.2. Copy your post with link on your Facebook page. In most cases, a picture
from the blog will appear as well–which makes your post more desirable. Again,
remember to begin the post with that all important question.On Facebook,
you can share on other pages you are
an administrator on. This is very desirable.
Click share, find pages you manage from
the drop down menu, click on the appropriate page, and post.3. Take that just posted text, which includes the link and copy, and paste
onto your writer group pages on Facebook. You
do belong to other groups—right? They want to know your good news, and in a
lot of cases, they might share the link with their friends. Sharing is a good thing.4. Do you belong to a Tribe in Triberr? Consider signing up and have your RSS
feed automatically networked (check Networked Blogs) to the tribes where your
mates will share the twitter post.5. Do you have a Twitter manager like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite? If so, create
an @mentionyourname column. You can edit and retweet your tweets throughout the
day. Easy peasy. Just avoid being spammy.Have you considered
setting up columns for your friends and other organizations? Do it! You can retweet from there, too.
And I’m betting a lot will reciprocate. And while we’re at it, try saying thank
you to a new follower or someone who tweeted your tweet. Nice is always appreciated.One note about tweets: try to
tie it to reader emotion. You want the reader to respond to your tweet. A generic tweet is ignored.6. Still using Yahoo groups? I do, and whenever I blog, I share the post and
the relevant link with those groups. After all, you do want some commentors!It does help
to begin your subject line with your name
and an intriguing title for your post.
Even a post ending in a question can hook someone. Be fun and playful.7. Create a tweet and ask your friends to tweet for you. Be sure to include
relevant hashtags ( # ). Just don’t overdo.8. Join a tweet group which posts daily tweets and retweets for each other.
And if you do, abide by the rules.For example: via @VickiBatman Hate to squish bugs? Bug Stuff
and other stories coming soon. http://vickibatman.blogspot.com #agroup
#amwriting #indie #ebook.Remember: 140 character limit. So you might want to sign up with Bitly (https://bitly.com/ ) and make that
link smaller, thus having more characters for the tweet.Aside: I just
tweaked the above tweet and added my Bug Stuff cover and it looks fantastic!!!9. Are you a member of Google+ ? It’s becoming the newest thang! In Google+
you group your friends. Alisha Paige, writer and Plotting Princess, says to remember
to use the Public button so your post
goes out to new friends.10. Are you on Goodreads? If so, your blog can be RSS fed to your page.11. Are you on Author Central? If so, your blog can be linked to your page.12. Lots of your sites will allow you to set up your twitter stream. Go to Unstoppable Heroes to see Kayelle Allen’s:
http://kayelleallen.com/blog/13. Join Marketing for Romance Writers and
use their street team. It’s free to members!The cyber
world changes constantly, and just when you think you have it down, something new
will pop up. Perhaps, these tips will prove useful to you.Do you
have any tips you’d like to share?By the Author
Bug Stuff… and Other StoriesAmazon http://amazon.com/Stuff-other-stories-romantic-comedy-ebook/dp/B00HPA8PVY
About the Author
Vicki Batman has three men in the house and often muses why God
did that to her.Author Social Media
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/vickibatmanFacebook: http://facebook.com/pages/Vicki-Batman-sassy-writer-of-sexy-and-funny-fiction/133506590074451?ref=hlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatmanAmazon Author Central: http://amazon.com/Vicki-Batman/e/B005AY5ZN8 -
RLF Gems: Top Bloggers for 2013 #RLFblog #BloggerAward @vickibatman @LSbooks
Top Blogger 2013 Award. In December, Romance Lives Forever had 30 posts in a 31 day month
(Christmas Day was a day off). On the 30th, there was a post celebrating Cover
Love, a feature introduced in 2013.Top Five Bloggers for the Month
(judged by page views)1. Vicki Batman2. Kristina Knight3. H Lewis Foster4. Sabrina York5. LA SartorHonorable mention: Elodie Parkes and Diane Saxon.For the year, it was no surprise that the new feature Publisher Week
brought in top honors. Three times in 2013, for one week, a single publisher
was featured. Two special events held during the year also grabbed the top
spots. The Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp
Events
post shared news about a free marketing camp for
authors, and the Halloween Pizza Party shared favorite pizza toppings by a
large number of our guests. The other top winners were all individual authors who rocked the blog in
2013.Top Bloggers for 2013
(judged by page views)1. Liquid Silver Books
(June)2. JMS Books (September)3. EM Lynley (April)4. Boroughs Publishing (February)5. Marilyn
Baron (August)6. Susan
Taylor (March)7. John Steiner (January)8. MFRW Summer Camp
Events (July)9. Vicki Batman (May)10. Halloween Pizza Party (October)11. Vicki Batman (December)12. Elle James, Delilah Devlin (November — a shared post)Special mention: Vicki Batman
Vicki has been a frequent guest and contributor to the blog, and has
been the top blogger twice in 2013. As a thank you to her, I’m presenting her
with one year of cover ad space at no cost. Sincere thanks to Vicki for her friendship
and support of the Romance Lives Forever blog.
RLF Gem Award Romance Lives Forever features authors and new books. It has a
blogger’s FAQ page with a downloadable guide and optional interviews. Readers
can follow via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Bloglovin’, Linky
Followers, email, an RSS feed, and there’s a blog button readers and authors
can grab.. RLF takes up to three images per article, so authors can share
previous books. The blog uses author or publisher names as SEO tags on posts,
and author Twitter handles in the titles. The site is broadcast over Triberr
with a potential reach of over a million readers via its Twitter-linked
network. Twitter mentions are also gathered in several Paper.li ezines, giving
the author an additional opportunity for promotion.The Romance Lives Forever
Paper.li ezine features guest authors on its front page every day. The Yahoo Group Romance Lives Forever has
nearly 1200 members, and is Kayelle’s private group. It is open once a month to
authors who have been guests on the blog. Guests get one day to post info,
share news, book releases, offer contests, and so on. For that day, the group
is open and members are allowed to reply and take active part. It’s like an
old-fashioned chat, where you can share and answer questions. Only authors who
have reserved the day are allowed to post, so it’s exclusive. There is no
charge. You can read more about it here: http://is.gd/rlfauthordayShare your book cover on Romance Lives Forever
Limited spots to share book covers are available. Cost is $3
per month, with discounts for covers posted for one quarter and up to one year.
Covers can be changed monthly.Sign Up for a Future Post
Click the tab above or click here: http://is.gd/rlfblog_requestMy thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives
Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:
AJ Kelton, Beth
Barany, Brenda Whiteside, Barbara Donlon Bradley, Dana Lorraine,
Kristin Wallace, Dariel Raye, JL Sheppard, Joanne Wadsworth, Kate Lowell, Kayelle
Allen, KC Klein, Keira Andrews, Kim Cresswell, LM Brown, Patricia
Walters-Fischer, Rhonda Laurel, Tricia Andersen, Victoria Pinder -
Writing Tips: Tickle Your Nose @VickiBatman #RLFblog #authortips
Great Fruitcake Bake Off Welcome Vicki
Batman back to Romance Lives Forever for a few writing tips.In church this past winter-almost-spring,
I sat behind a couple with granddaughters. The woman removed her fur scarf and set
it around a blonde cutie’s neck. The little one gathered the ends and rubbed them
across her face and pressed them to her nose.I wanted to do that. I wanted to buy
a fur collar and do what she’d done in the worst way. Just by watching her, I could
feel the softness brushing my mouth and the scent of Chanel No. 5.I like to buy vintage handbags, and
recently when I opened up one, a whiff of perfume teased my nose. Something old
and special. Remember when ladies put scent on their hankies and stowed it in their
bags? Remember peeking through Grandmother’s bath cupboard and seeing the cobalt
blue perfume bottle with a silver label inscribed Evening in Paris?My cat is twenty years old and doesn’t
venture outside much. But when she does on a bright summer day, she will park herself
in a corner outside my window. I’m so afraid I’ll forget and leave her there; so
after a while, I retrieve her. I always kiss the top of her head, feeling the velvet
of her fur against my mouth. And she smells fresh, as if she had absorbed sunshine.
Evening in Paris My malti-poos on the other hand have
silky hair which grows into riotous ringlets. When freshly laundered, they are incredibly
soft and the hint of apricot from the shampoo lingers. But after a couple of weeks,
they cease being adorable and become plain ol’ smelly dogs. Dirt-stained paws, gooky
eyes, sour scent.On Sunday, I took the dogs for a long
walk. As we turned the last block toward home, I noticed the green pecans on the
asphalt from the squirrels’ munching. Even lines from gnawing were visible on the
hull. The leaves from water-starved trees littered the pavement. Some shaped into
long beige cocoons. Others in various stages of disintegration. The tink-tink of
the doggies’ badges clinking as they marched onward by my side.When we write, are we taking the time to engage all our senses? Do we really
feel? Do we really smell? Do we hear?
Green Pecans What does our hero’s hair feel like?
Long is different from short. What does their skin feel like? Most men have hair
on their arms, legs and chest, and that intriguing line which runs below their waistband.
And don’t forget the scruffy beard and the adorable twinkle in their eye which makes
a gal want to twinkle right back and move right into the sexy dance… Whoa. Too
much romance writing. LOLWe can enhance our power of sense
by observation. Stop rushing through the day. Sit. Listen. Take a lengthy look.
A deep inhale and a cleansing exhale. What does the raindrop plopping on the tin
roof of a boathouse actually sound like? What kind of caw does a parrot make when
he flies overhead? What does gravel crunch like when we walk down a path?It’s hard to put sights, sounds, tastes,
and smells into words; yet when we get it right, we transport our readers further
into our story and giving them an intimate experience.Sometimes, we over rely on ourselves
to create the sights and sounds.When I posted a blog about watching
rain one morning, several people described the sound of rain. Lesson learned–ask
friends what they hear, see, taste, smell. Everyone’s experience is a little different
from our own, and maybe, just maybe, they might describe it better and the words
to take my work to the next level will come to me.How do you enhance your senses for
your writing? What do you recall from reading a good book where the author
brought out the senses?Buy Links
Museitup
Publishing http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/the-great-fruitcake-bake-off-detail/About the Author
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,
and Museitup Publishing. 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
Me HereWebsite: http://vickibatman.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatmanPinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatmanPlotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.comYou May Also Like
Read Christmas Promises the new #AspenGold Series by Cheryl StJohn, Bernadette Jones and *Lizzie Starr @gold_aspen #RLFblog #AmReadingRomance #Anthology
Read Secret Santa: A Romance Collection the new #CharityAnthology by Gabbi Grey + 80 authors @GabbiGrey #RLFblog #RonaldMcDonaldHouse
Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 #sweetromance @MilouKoenings – 18 other authors #RLFBlog
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Christmas Recipe: Tomato Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting @VickiBatman #RLFblog
 Great Fruitcake Bake Off Welcome Vicki Batman to the blog with a wonderful cake recipe that has a secret ingredient (tomato soup).—When I grew up, my mom and her family baked and crafted special
things at Christmas time. Mom and our neighbor spent a whole day making divinity,
and yes, it was divine. My sisters and I did Wrap-a-thon. My grandmother was known
for her special dessert: Tomato Cake.Before you get all weirdly freaked out, know this: I am/was a
picky eater and I loved this cake. It does have tomato soup in it, but you know
what? If you didn’t know that was an ingredient, you’d love it too. There are spices,
nuts, raisins, and a decadent cream cheese frosting.This year, I wrote a hilarious holiday story entitled “The
Great Fruitcake Bake-off.” I do like fruitcake. There are lots of varieties,
some of which don’t have the candied fruit we’ve come to associate with the treat.Care to be daring and try a variation on Grandmother’s holiday
cake?Tomato Cake
From Campbells
Soup: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/tomato-soup-spice-cake-243542 cups all-purpose flour1 1/3 cups sugar4 teaspoons baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s®
Condensed Tomato Soup1/2 cup vegetable shortening2 eggs1/4 cup waterHeat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan. Stir the
flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves in a large
bowl. Add the soup, shortening, eggs and water. Beat with an electric mixer on low
speed just until blended. Increase the speed to high and beat for 4 minutes. Pour
the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Frost with:Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ C crushed pineapple with juice2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugarBeat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a medium
bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture
is smooth and creamy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the pineapple and juice,
1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is the desired consistency. Fill and
frost the cake.This version is a tad different from Grandmother’s as it uses
eggs and my sissie likes the Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting. Grandmother added
raisins and chopped dates too.And just to keep you hungry, here’s a fun excerpt from
“The Great Fruitcake Bake-off.” Happy Holidays to you and yours!Buy Links
Museitup Publishing http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/the-great-fruitcake-bake-off-detail/And other e-retailers on December 6.About the Author
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, and Museitup Publishing. 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 Me Here
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatmanPinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatmanPlotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
