PlottingPrincesses

The new addition and the new edition! #newbook #newbaby #newparents #romanticcomedy

2019-07-18T02:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe by the time you read this, our new granddaughter will be born. My daughter in law looks ready to pop and at her last check-up, the doctor said the baby will most likely come before her due date.

There's something special when the children you raise have children of their own. I can see how happy and excited #1son is. He is so ready. And thanks to changing times, he will be able to be home with her for a bit. I want to see him give her a bath, read to her, give her a kiss, hold her hand, see her run to him.

I want her to know and love Handsome and me. That she will think we are the cat's meow. LOL. That she will always know we have been there for her. That we can pass on a bit of knowledge and she will appreciate it.

I also have a new book. Sommerville days are three stories, featuring sassy heroines. Here's a bit:

Isn't the cover fabulous?

Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heartwarming tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.

Store Wars: The competition is heating up when Janie's old flame returns to town and is running his family's store. Could following dreams break her heart?

Raving Beauty: What if the love of your life was in front of you all along?

San Diego or Bust: When a young woman plans a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, disaster strikes—is her Mr. Right the right Mr. Right?

And from a favorite story, "Raving Beauty," (the end made my sister cry):

"I can't believe I let your loony brother, who's tormented me all my life, talk me into this."

With my eye on the teenage competition standing off to one side, I tugged the swimsuit’s leg opening into place to better cover my hip. "Just because I did some modeling in college doesn't make me a pageant diva. Back then, I was incredibly skinny, and clothes fit easily."

"Daniel is a rat. He took advantage of your third, or was it your fourth, margarita, Kelly?" Maggie Ackerman, my best friend and roommate, adjusted the scarlet satin sash draped across my body. Glittery stick-on letters spelled out Miss Yahoo! Ranch Steakhouse. "Don’t worry. You’re beautiful and will be fine. Now, hold still."

I watched her pick my brown hair at the crown of my head with an old-fashioned teasing comb. When the eerie suspicion I resembled a scary dame with Big Texas hair from the television show, “Dallas,” I turned my head to avoid the mirror.

"Close your eyes." She blasted my hair with several short bursts of super freeze-it hairspray. "Now, that ain't goin' nowhere."

FYI: "Raving Beauty" comes from an incident where I was a beauty contestant. Fortunately, what happened to our sassy heroine didn't happen to me.

Find yours at: Amazon

Blog: Have You Ever Wished You Could? #cutemeet #lightheartedromance #MFRWauthor

2019-06-20T04:00:00.000-05:00

Have you every wished you could do something but were too embarrassed to do so? Or to shy? Or worried about what others would think?

I grew up a shy girl. I know that might contradict with what you know about me now. I love meeting new people and doing fun things. And as for embarrassing myself? Well, the likelihood of meeting those folks again is zilch.

I have always had in the background these wishes—

I wish I could draw/paint (and I don’t mean the walls of the house. I can do that). I’ve never had an

art lesson. The closest I ever came was a wine and paint class. I didn’t do badly because the instructor gave great directions. And now, I’m happy expressing myself through stitching embroidery and needlepoint. So maybe I'm okay with not learning how right now.

I wish I could dance. All I wanted in high school was to be a member of the dance team. But there was one drawback-I’d never had a dance lesson. I tried out my sophomore year and didn’t make it. In my junior year, I decided to be a manager based on the prior year. I worked out with the other girls and could do what they did. So why didn’t I try? The teacher agreed to let me. I high-kicked my way perfectly. But jazz dance? That’s where no training showed. The teacher must have known how much I wanted to be a dance team member. She told me I’d have to work extra hard (which I did). And as a married woman, I found Jazzercise and have been happily dancing ever since.

I wish I could write. Ever since I read Dick Francis’ mysteries, I had the urge to write. But I had no guts. I knew deep inside I couldn’t take the rejection. After a friend pushed me to try, I felt more comfortable in my writing shoes. I worked and worked and joined Romance Writers of America and the local chapter. There I made friends and honed my craft. I had the rejections, but I’d learned how to handle that and plowed on. I’m glad I did. I’ve learned so much and grown immensely.

I know many of you have had “I wishes.” Is it too late? What would you do?

Creativity abounds in this fun, light-hearted, cute-meet collection:

Find yours at:

Amazon Print Nook Other

Michelle Miles: Milestones

2019-06-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

I’m supposed to be working on a weekly report and an agenda for a meeting. Instead I’m thinking about milestones and the next phases of life.

My son recently graduated from high school. Don’t we look awesome in this picture? I’m very proud of all he’s accomplished.

People have been congratulating me, which I thought was odd. I mentioned it to my husband. He looked at me like I’d grown a third head. “Am I going to have to explain this to you, really?”

So, he did.

All those times I got him up and ready for school, even when he didn’t want to go.
All those school lunches I made.
All those school functions I volunteered to chaperone.
All those school parties.
All those band concerts/competitions/football games.
All those times I was a shuttle/taxi/chauffeur.
All those birthday parties.
All those school plays.
All those band fees I happily paid for because I knew he was doing something he loved.
All those times I sat with him at the kitchen table and helped with homework. And then when I couldn’t help him, made sure he was turning in school work.
All those times I pushed him to do something I knew he should do because he would regret it if he didn’t.
All those times I bought him school clothes and supplies.
All those times I took him to the doctor/dentist/orthodontist/eye doctor. ALL.THOSE.TIMES.
Most of these things I did by myself because I was a single mom.

And, of course, that’s not all. We are now entering the next phase of his life. He was awarded a scholarship to the community college. He’s enrolled and registered and begins his next adventure in the fall.

As we were leaving graduation, his 4th grade and 5th grade teachers made their way to us outside the convention center and hugged him and congratulated him. I can’t even begin to express how wonderful that was that not only did they remember HIM, but they remembered ME, too. And made a point to find him in the crowd.

What he doesn’t know is that this time in his life is special. It’s fleeting. I’m sure he’ll have some regrets—we all do. He can’t see into the future like I can and that’s okay. That’s part of growing up.

There are many more milestones to come. As we age, we hit different ones. College graduation. Marriage. Deaths. Raising kids. New jobs. Job changes. Hitting those “big” birthdays. I guess I’m feeling nostalgic and a little sad that this phase is over. But you know what? The best is yet to come.

blog w @VickiBatman - There’s No Escape! EMFRWauthor #readromance #escaperoom

2019-05-16T03:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, #2son had a big birthday and when I asked what he would like to do, he said an escape room. I had read about different ones. My DIL and #1son had done some. So I was game to try.

Eight of us arrived and picked Alien Blood Bank Robbery. The hostess demonstrated how different locks worked. Gave us gear to wear—lab coats and head bopper headbands (the kind with hearts, stars, etc. which bob on a spring). We were told we could ask for three clues and had one hour to complete the task.

Here’s the background:

For decades, the aliens have been modifying human DNA. Eddie the Alien cleans the lab every night and has developed a secret love for humans. He wants to help and has left clues for us to use to break in and steal the blood samples.

Inside the first room, we found a school locker, table, various locked boxed. Magnetic board. We wandered around to get accustomed to the room, and secretly thinking something would magically pop out and we would be on our way. Yea, that didn’t happen. We asked for a clue.

The clue enabled us to work one lock, which enabled us to work another lock, etc. Finally, a door opened to an adjacent room set up with more locks, boards, etc. We solved those and eventually, were able to unlock a safe and procure the DNA.

We finished with minutes to spare. LOL

Would I do an escape room again? Yes! Using our brains is a good thing. And our group worked well together. I’d like to try the Wild West Bank Robbery. All that bandana and hat stuff sounds like fun.

Have you done an escape room?

Want to submerse yourself in a great read and escape? Why not try Just Desserts…and other stories:

Vicki's newly released collection of 11 sweet short-fiction reads is where ordinary life

takes cute and unexpected turns.

Find your copy at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Desserts-Other-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B07CT8XC5F/

Print: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Desserts-Other-Stories-writer/dp/1718719302/ref=sr_1_28?keywords=just+desserts&qid=1554829514&s=books&sr=1-28/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-desserts-and-other-short-stories-vicki-batman/1128592107?ean=2940155242031/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/823338/

Plotting Princesses - Vicki Batman: I Failed at Painting #paintbynumbers #MFRWauthor #shortstories

2019-04-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

I like to think I’m something of a creative person. After all, I write books and short stories. I stitch needlepoint and embroider. I can do lots of things. But I can’t paint.

Every morning, I work out, come home and have a bit of breakfast while perusing the paper. Last week in the metro section at the top of the page, I saw an obit for Dan Robbins followed by the heading “Artist created first paint-by-numbers pictures.”

I had to read the whole obituary to learn more about Mr. Robbins and paint-by-numbers. He developed his idea based on an inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci. He remembered “Leonardo used numbered background patterns for his students and apprentices.” He decided to try that too.

His boss hated it but saw potential. Mr. Robbins created landscapes, horses, puppies, and kitties.

Sales reached at peak at 20 million in 1955.

I remember going to the five and dime stores and seeing the kits. I tried once. Lousy. I didn’t have a good steady hand for painting.

Nowadays, I’ve seen finished paintings at flea markets and antique malls. Some are pretty good. I searched the internet and found many places where one can purchase a kit. I even found a museum: https://www.paintbynumbermuseum.com/catalog-page/8565

Not long ago, I went to an event where an instructor taught a class in how to paint a specific painting. She really broke down the elements and I enjoyed what I’d done immensely. The most interesting thing happened after we broke for lunch. At the back of the room, I turned and looked at the tables topped with paintings. All were different. Just like the artists.

Were you bitten by the “paint-by-numbers” bug?

Here's my creative bit--Just Desserts...and other stories:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Desserts-Other-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B07CT8XC5F/

Print: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Desserts-Other-Stories-writer/dp/1718719302/ref=sr_1_28?keywords=just+desserts&qid=1554829514&s=books&sr=1-28/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-desserts-and-other-short-stories-vicki-batman/1128592107?ean=2940155242031/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/823338/

Handbags, Books...Whatever - Tick-Tock Clock #findingatreasure #familyheirloom #shortstories

2019-03-21T03:30:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of years, my sisters and I have been sorting my parents’ things. Each of us claimed jewelry, pictures, other odds and ends. From one of Dad’s boxes, I picked up an Elgin watch. I had to laugh because the band was the classic expand-o-matic kind that I remembered being advertised constantly on TV.

Just for grins, I gave it a wind, and sure enough, it ticked. I wound some more and set the correct time. Sliding it on my arm, every now and again, I would look to see if the time was holding up and it had! I wore the watch over the next few weeks just to confirm how it ran. All was good. So I took it to the jeweler for a check.

The jeweler said the watch came from the fifties, that the band was probably the original – surprise! I asked to have it cleaned and his initials engraved on the back.

Not long ago, my mother-in-law passed, and as my sisters-in-laws and niece went threw her precious belongings, I picked up a small gold watch. Just for grins, I gave it a wind and set the time. This watch, too, stayed on time. The band didn’t snap properly. I thought “what the heck” and took it to the jeweler’s for his thoughts.

We didn’t guesstimate the era the watch came from. She was born in the mid-thirties; so I’m thinking she received the watch in the forties. He did listen and watch and was impressed that something so old kept good time. He said the watch repair man could fix the catch and would clean it as well. I opted to have the back engraved with all of her initials.

I like wearing multiple things together on my left wrist-bracelets, watches. I have no problem in putting on two watches and something else. The more the merrier. I’m excited about having something that once belonged to family and now belongs to me.

Is it dessert time? I’m a chocolate a day kind of gal and rarely pass up cake. In that vein, how about delving into these dessert stories:

Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heartwarming, “cute meet” tales,

filled with fun and forever possibilities.

ebook print B&N other e vendors

Vicki Batman - It’s really Simplicity, isn’t it? @Simplicitypatterns #craftingwithmom #readromance #MFRWauthor

2019-02-21T03:30:00.000-06:00

My sisters and I grew up with Mom making our clothes and hers as well. It made money sense to do so and back then, my parents were all about stretching every penny. There were huge fabric stores like Cloth World and Hancock’s. Sometimes, we would go with Mom to those stores and go through the pattern books, like Simplicity, McCalls, and Butterick, but never Vogue because those were more complicated and she had little time for that.

Patterns allowed people to create their own clothing. The books we thumbed through were our version of stylish fashion magazines and offered a glimpse of glamor. We could imagine ourselves garbed in gorgeous outfits. Mom often made us matching dresses for Easter, like these:

Aren't we cute?

We would help my mom lay the printed tissue on the fabric and learned how to pin it into place. If we could cut straight (not me, Mom said), we cut along the lines. Mom pinned the pieces together and then sewed them. One time, I did try to make a dress with her help. She was a tough teacher, and mostly, I learned how to rip and sew again. And again. Since ripping was not fun, my creativity did not go into sewing.

After I graduated from college, I worked for a local department store. I desperately needed new work clothes. Who did I turn to? Mom! She made me several Chanel-styled suits in various fabrics, sometimes, dresses, and special evening wear. I loved them!

In 2018 while shopping in my favorite Joann’s, I ran across several Simplicity collectibles. Memories crowded my head and of course, I purchased a few items, like these:

Are you into sewing clothes?

And here’s more creative fun—Just Desserts…and other stories, eleven romantic comedy short stories sure to make you feel good.

Amazon ebook Amazon PB B&N Smashwords

Michelle Miles: Adventure is Coming

2019-02-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

Back in the early 2000s, I started writing a twice-weekly serial for the now-defunct Keep it Coming. I'd wanted to write something fun and different. A time travel. With lots of action and adventure and maybe a splash of romance.

Then Keep it Coming closed but Inara Press was born. They specialized in serialized fiction. I was able to land a contract with them…and then they folded shortly thereafter. But the person who was my editor there was also an editor at Samhain Publishing and she invited me to compile the serials into a novel format and send it to her. It was accepted.

A Bend in Time, the first book in the Adventures of Ransom & Fortune, was released in 2007 by Samhain. The second book, A Break in Time, followed shortly thereafter. They were both in print at one time. And then Samhain folded and I got my rights back, not necessarily in that order but you get the idea.

I’ve had the rights back to these books for a long time while I decided what to do with them. I wanted to make sure I did the series right and gave Skye and Dane another crack at being published. I loved writing this series. They were so much fun. But I’d made Dane a hit man and redeeming him was…hard. He was not a nice guy in the original series. In fact, he was kind of an ass. Not really a good quality for the hero.

One day I printed off the first book and did a read-through. My writing has certainly changed in the last ten years, so I knew it would need to be updated. Plus, having Dane as the hit man just really bothered me. I broke the novel into two novellas. Part one would now become volume one; Part two would be volume two.

Part of the story was that there was a hit man, so I split that part off from Dane’s character and made a totally new villain that was 100% villainy, thereby making Dane 100% heroic. It meant I didn’t have to work as hard to redeem him, because he didn’t need redeeming at that point. As for the villain, well, he’s just a super bad guy working for the ultimate bad guys. But I didn’t know who those bad guys truly were.

Then one day I was binge-ing Person of Interest on Netflix for about the tenth time. I loved this show when it was on TV and miss it a lot. I got to thinking about the root of the show. There was The Machine and then there was Samaritan, one being controlled by our heroes and one being controlled by the baddies. Then Timeless premiered on TV, the short-lived time travel series on NBC. It was a pretty decent show and I was sad when it was canceled. And so while I was working on editing Highland Fling, I started putting some things together and well…I sort of borrowed some ideas from both those shows for my adventure series.

I will tell you this. It’s a time travel; it’s adventure; it’s action…and while each volume has story threads that are wrapped up, the overall story arc is ongoing throughout the series. There will be more than two volumes. How many volumes is still up in the air.

I’m really excited to re-release these stories once again with all new, gorgeous covers and totally edited and updated stories. I think you are going to love hanging out with Skye and Dane. I know I do! It’s up for pre-order right now at Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Amazon pre-order coming soon.

In the coming months, I’ll be sending my newsletter subscribers exclusive excerpts that will not be posted anywhere else. Be sure to subscribe today if you're not already to be the first to read the all-new revised opening of volume one! In the meantime, click one of the buttons below to pre-order your copy today, both for $0.99 until after release.

Get Highland Fling here. Releases February 19, 2019.

Get Dead of Winter here. Releases March 5, 2019.

Book and Bag - Vicki Batman Yikes! #badbook #readromance #MFRWauthor

2019-01-17T03:30:00.000-06:00

I just finished the January book club selection and did not like it. Not. At. All. I didn’t like it from the get-go. Our group thought the book would be a mystery, like the cover blurb said. Only it wasn’t.

The author is quite notable in his field and has written books about his subject. The book club book was a combination of his expertise with the mystery. Only the book was predominantly the history and very little of the mystery.

I was sorely disappointed. This book was greatly reviewed and won prizes.

We began reading for our December meeting. When that day rolled around, we were all whining and agreed to extend to January with the idea we needed the extra month because of the holidays. I used the time off to read my favorites—romance and mysteries. When January 1 came, I put on my big girl panties and finished. I gladly admit I skipped over the historical stuff to get to the mystery.

Finished! Uh, no. There were notes, a biography, and pages more. I truly didn’t care to read that either.

However, guilt set it. Not enough to make me go back and read the skipped pages, though. I began to think what if my books were boring?

Coincidentally, I did some website maintenance and noticed I didn’t have a buy link for one site. I scooted over there and found…a two starred review. Yikes! It was hard for me to read. She didn’t like the book at all; however, she did say some nice things, too.

I went back to my website, made the changes, and noticed all the four and five starred reviews. Overall, my books get high marks. I felt a whole lot better.

So back to the book club selection… I went to Amazon to read the reviews. There were tons (the book is that famous). I scrolled to the one stars and voila! Everything the readers had said was exactly how I felt. It wasn’t me.

The interesting about book club books we don’t like is we have the best discussions. So next week, I’m looking forward to what my friends have to say.

So what stops you from reading?

Got the winter doldrums? Try this winter anthology, Whispers of Winter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNX2LZ/

Michelle Miles: Hello, 2019!

2019-01-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

Another year has closed and the start of a new one is officially off the ground.

I, for one, am glad to see the old year go. The last six months were rife with breaking things--cars, oven, house heater, windshields. And also new things--fix cars and heater, new windshields, oven, new cookware. I treated myself on Cyber Monday with a set of Calphalon cookware and I can honestly say it's the best cookware I've ever had.

Aside from all that, the last year was a hard one for me, creatively. I let all the awful things happening in the industry stifle my writing (Cocky Gate, book stuffing). I think I just got caught up in the drama, which is something I try never to do but I had a hard time looking away from that Cocky Gate thing. I stopped writing for a good six months when I got depressed over sales and everything happening in the industry and had a very "why bother?" attitude.

Towards the end of the summer, though, I got off Twitter and started thinking, seriously, about my future writing.

For 2019, I’ve decided I want to focus on the writing and publishing my backlist as well as some new material. After 60+ rejections, it makes you re-evaluate your writing life and make decisions about the career. Even though I have a day job, I do consider this a second career, so it was time to move forward instead of standing still. I’m throwing myself into indie publishing and looking forward to getting those stories told and in the hands of readers. My focus is all on the writing and the books and not so much on the marketing, though I do understand that plays a role as well.

I don’t want to get hung up on the money aspect of it like I have in the past. It’s a soul-crushing feeling sometimes to look at sales and see nothing for weeks or sometimes months. And I know that’s mostly my fault. I haven’t been producing like I should or want to. I haven’t been talking to my 3000+ newsletter subscribers. I hope to change that for 2019.

I haven’t given up on the dream that someday my books will be on the bookshelves or they’ll be turned into movies. I have very specific ideas about who should play my lead characters. Heck, I’d even settle for an HBO series. *grin*

There are other non-writing things I want to accomplish, too. Declutting is always high on my list. Getting the kid graduated and into college is another. Overall, though, I’m proclaiming 2019 Year of the Books.

How about you? What are you plans for the new year?

Book and Bag: Stars in the Night Sky #Christmasisalmosthere #readromance #awardwinningfilm

2018-12-20T02:30:00.000-06:00

Stars. How many times have we looked up and noticed them twinkling? And have you noticed them elsewhere?

For a long time, I have traveled with girlfriends to a small town for their Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. The historic homes are decorated and docents tell interesting historical things. We eat great food, exchange gifts, and stay up til the wee hours, munching on M&Ms and chatting.

And a part of our visit is to The Enchanted Forest where we wander through approximately 75 Christmas trees. One year, the tree toppers entranced me. Many were star-shaped. Here's one I found:

Long ago, my sister introduced me to a special movie, A Star in the Night. It's a post-WW2 nativity story, set in the West. A couple looking for a place to stay the night. A disgruntled motel owner's only available room is a barn. Lots of folks pitch in to help with the baby. All were led to the motel by the lit star on the water tower.

My gift to you is this short, Academy award-winning film.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+star+in+the+night&view=detail&mid=A44E932708E48D154FE5A44E932708E48D154FE5&FORM=VIRE/

Michelle Miles: How to make $3 million writing books

2018-12-04T04:00:00.000-06:00

Do I have your attention? :)

This post isn't about how to make $3 million from writing books. I don't have the secret formula. Sorry about about the click-bait.

I’ve been writing for publication since 2001. The entire lifespan of my son. I’ve seen the industry change from the traditional houses ruling to indie publishing booming. To Amazon claiming its own stake in the publishing game. The rise and fall of small presses. The downsize of traditional publishing.

I joined RWA in 2004 and was so happy to find a writing home, a place where others understood me. A place where I could make connections with other writers. I was hungry to learn everything from craft to industry. Back then, the contest circuit was the way to go. The only way to catch the eye of an agent or editor. Careers were launched that way (I can think of two off the top of my head).

But things changed. The world changed. The industry changed.

One scroll through my Facebook newsfeed shows me ad after ad of someone hawking their latest get rich scheme. And that’s what it feels like to me. Buy their stuff and make an obscene amount of money writing books!

To which I snort.

I have no doubt in my mind that it absolutely works for some people. I know, in fact, there are several courses that DO work and are well-worth the money. But what about the other ones? The ones with promises of endless money just by publishing a book?

I’m not bashing indie publishing—not at all. I’m not bashing anyone who knows how to make money selling anything. Lord knows I suck at it myself. If you can make a living doing something that affords your mortgage, paper towels and laundry soap, I think that’s great. But I also think it’s far too easy to get caught up in the money of books and not the storytelling of books.

I made the mistake myself. I got so pissed off I wasn’t making money writing, I quit for nearly eight months. EIGHT MONTHS of my life I let slip away, not writing, because I was holding a grudge against…nothing tangible. And so I started sending out queries to agents thinking since I couldn’t afford indie publishing then, by God, I would get in with one of the bigger houses and show them!

Wrong.

Sixty-five rejections later… I said, eff this sh*t.

With four completed novels sitting on my hard drive, I got back to work. I rewrote one of my backlist and got it ready for publishing. Then I decided maybe I could buy cover art a little bit at a time and figure out a way to get some inexpensive editing and put these books back out.

I’d already had cover art for my paranormal shifter romance. I decided it may as well make me pennies than sit collecting dust on my hard drive. I put it up for sale and had a nice initial response, a few good reviews. The more I thought about it, the more I decided I’d give indie publishing another go. But this time, I would not let myself be distracted by the “noise” of social media, the lure of getting a publishing contract. I could still write my books and be happy.

Writing is hard, y’all. There is nothing easy about it, really. Is it fun? Hell, yeah. Is it worthwhile? Of course, it is. Do I feel full-filled when I finish a book? Yes! I also get a little zing of excitement when I order cover art and see it land in my email because I know that means my book has finally come to life.

A little piece of me feels likes I'm giving up on that big dream of getting an agent and writing for a "big" publisher. But the other part of me can't stand the thought of letting those books linger, unpublished and unloved. It took a lot of thought and soul-searching, but I finally decided the only person responsible for how I feel about my writing, how successful I think I am, is me. I'm not abandoning my ultimate dream altogether. I'm just modifying it.

So here’s what I think. Do your thing. Write your words. Tell your stories. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or listen to the social media noise or worry about the almighty dollar. Be informed, YES. Stay on top of the industry changes, ALWAYS. Know your readers. Know yourself!

Find your worth and keep writing.

Blog: Happy Release Day for Whispers of Winter, a holiday anthology #fruitcakelovers #romanticcomedy #MFRWauthor

2018-11-15T02:30:00.000-06:00

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!

Whispers of Winter holiday anthology which includes my romantic comedy short story, The Great Fruitcake Bake-off.

When five-time champion Samantha Greene teams up with her new neighbor, Dixon Roberts, for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off, they discover baking a prize-winning entry is complicated, bad guys are plotting to take the crown, and first prize isn't just about a ribbon.

“I’m not entering this year.” I pinned an unbreakable stare on Bethany, my co-worker and long-time friend who lived in the same apartment complex as me. Standing firm, I crossed my arms. “Period.”

We'd arrived early for work and were piddling over coffee in her cubical like we always did before diving into the nuts and bolts of company business. She rolled her eyes in the “I'm so not believing this” fashion and tweaked the Santa garland decorating her cube's walls. “Why not, Samantha? You should be proud to be the five-time winner of The Great Fruitcake Bake-off. You're a-a”--her words trailed off as she searched the ceiling for the ultimate in descriptive--“legend.”

I dropped my arms to twitch my black skirt in place, then I tucked my shoulder-length hair behind my ear. I let loose a long exhale, “Is being a legend in the fruitcake world a good thing?”

“What’s your point?” Bethany asked.

“Alright already, it's exhausting. Finding the perfect recipe, then bake and exhibit it. The tension comes close to killing my holiday enjoyment. Besides”-–I shoved my finger in her direction—-“shouldn't the love be spread? Shouldn’t somebody else win the Bake-off?”

“Oh, by golly, Sam.” Bethany's hands covered her eyes. A few seconds passed, then she clasped them to her chest, inhaled, and composed her annoyance before saying, “We're talking fruitcake here. It's not groundbreaking like-like the Declaration of Independence. Or the Pyramids.”

Find this one and many other great stories at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNX2LZ/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-of-winter-nicole-morgan/1129416841?ean=2940161939208/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/whispers-of-winter-2/

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/whispers-of-winter/id1441003491?mt=11&fbclid=IwAR0adp-71OzhnmSp40SB-AzIgj8s5B01xgKM5ePnUFgk_dY_dq17AhVY5G8/

Michelle Miles: NaNo

2018-11-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I mean like really participating. Not just signing up and then ignoring my book for the next 30 days.

(For those who may not know, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month during November where you write 50,000 in 30 days AND survive the Thanksgiving holiday!)

Anyway…I decided to get off my duff and start working on book two in my Dragon Protectors series. I really hadn’t intended to start writing that book yet but when I put the first one up for preorder and it started getting a good response, I figured I better get on it. I even went so far as to go ahead and upload a preorder over at Draft2Digital and gave myself six months to complete it and get it ready for sale.

I can do this.

I sat down and read through the first few pages I’d already had and realized that the story wasn’t half bad. I was kind of impressed.

And then my friend and fellow princess, Elizabeth Essex, mentioned there was a NaNo support group over on FB and invited me to join.

So, I did.

I can totally do this.

I found the ladies over there were posting their daily check-ins with word count and rewards. And so I started writing my butt off.

I sat at the keyboard one Sunday night and hammered out 2100 words. And then I got the 5-day streak badge from NaNo.

Yes, yes. I can do this.

When I logged into NaNo, I also noticed I’d hit the 1,677, 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 badges. At the time of this writing, I’m hovering at around 28,000 words. I really want to hit that 40,000 mark so I can earn that next badge.

I can tell you with complete confidence, the book is crap. But, hey, I can fix crap. I’m just gonna keep on keeping on.

I'm doing this.

Blog: Quilting Magic with Ties #holidayanthology #crafting #readromance

2018-10-18T02:30:00.000-05:00

A lot of you know I call my husband Handsome. When we first married, he gave me a card signed with Handsome Husband. I shortened it. (And Handsome is a pretty nice looking guy. )

I grew up when working men wore suits to their job and to church, to shows, etc. I like the look. Handsome’s career began at a large accounting firm and he wore the “uniform” too. He especially liked ties and for a long time, never threw any away.

An employee at his company makes quilts. After a chat, he decided to have one made into a quilt. Take a look:

He had her put on the back his philosophy about ties:

The good news is he culled through his ties again and had a second quilt made, and a third one:

Here’s the sash detail and labels:

Some people are soooo creative.

Creativity abounds in this holiday anthology, the Whispers of Winter, featuring my romantic comedy short story, The Great Fruitcake Bake-off:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNX2LZ/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-of-winter-nicole-morgan/1129416841?ean=2940161939208/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/whispers-of-winter-2/

Michelle Miles: Crafty Crafts

2018-10-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve been in a bad funk with the writing lately (mostly ignoring it) so I decided to turn my attention elsewhere.

Most of you know I do other crafts. I opened my first Etsy shop to sell my handmade cross-stitch ornaments. I stitch A LOT of Santa faces. They are so cute. But I’m expanding and doing other little ornaments.

Stuff like this:

And this:

All these will be post in the shop soon! Shameless plug: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Houseof1000Stitches

In addition to that, I’ve discovered mason jars and how fun they are to paint. I started out simply, too. With these little handmade soap dispensers.

Now I’m painting wine bottles. I’ve got my first attempt going on right now but it’s not finished. Right now, it’s just painted with primer and kinda boring.

I also made this cute candy cane striped mason jar as a vase.

I don’t think I’ll sell the jars since they take so long for me to make BUT I do love making them. I have a whole case of mason jars to experiment with.

Most writers I know have other creative passions. I think it’s that creative brain we have.

Do you do arts and crafts? What do you like to do?

CUT! Costumes in Movies, part 4 #historicalromance #moviecostumes #readromance

2018-09-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

From the CUT! Costumes in Movies exhibit, I'm focusing on evening gowns. And are there some doozies:

Who loved to play dress up? Me! Once, I went to a tag sale when I was about ten and for a very small fee, I bought a dark blue evening gown. I just loved it. Today is our last look at CUT!! and I'm featuring evening gowns.

From Phantom of the Opera, we have this lovely pink creation worn by Emily Rossum as Christine:

Isn't it gorgeous? Love the shade of pink, how the train is gathered and embellished with flowers and ribbons.

Have I said how much I LOVE red? This stunning red dress was worn by Laura Flynn Boyle:

A little art deco flavor, slimmer silhouette:

And lastly, a slinky dress and suit:

Plotting Princesses: Vicki Batman - You know what’s really annoying? #MFRWorg #readromance #householdchores

2018-08-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

I try not to be a gripey person. I take on tasks I dislike and finish them. There is one household chore I really dislike, and I think you’ll be surprised when I say...

Changing out the toilet paper tube for a fresh roll.

Yep, the springy thing bouncing all over the room, getting on hands and knees and finding it, and pushing all just so to get it back in the holder drives me crazy. I wish I had installed the kind where the roll slips over the rod.

Silly, isn’t it?

A few years back, Handsome informed me he intensely dislikes putting sheets on the bed. I have to admit our bed can be challenging. Even using deep pocket sheets, tugging the corners into place takes a strong man. Handsome has ripped a few. Finally, I decided to just cover the thick top pad only. Problem solved? Yes; however, he still hates helping. He’d rather wash the dogs.

Sometimes, writing drives me crazy. There will be a story I’m working on with a difficult problem and I am reluctant to go back and tackle it. My head will worry and worry and I’ll get some ideas. I write them down, saving for when I’m ready. But the project is always there, almost nagging me. Eventually, I do go back and when I do, HALLELUJAH!

The truth is the problem may or may not be solved. I usually chip away at it through rewriting and editing, and then my issue will be resolved. Not ideal but is the truth.

Many years ago, I critiqued six 1,000 words short stories for a friend and in doing so, learned how to write short stories. I also learned what is really important for very short stories. Other authors say they can’t write that short. I believe it is just a matter of keeping an eye on the word count and determining what is needed for the story.

A little hard work. Totally worth it. Better than changing the toilet paper roll.

Eleven 1,000 word cute meet, clean and whole some short stories full of fun and forever possibilities. Find yours at: Amazon

Like Short Stories? Check out my new venture: Short Stories Rock I'm giving away and e-book. Comment on the post on FB.

What's your least favorite chore?

Vicki Batman : A Writer’s Good Life #MFRWorg #readromance #RWA2018

2018-07-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

The best part of being a writer is meeting writers. Sharing, collaborating, buying books. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m at the Romance Writer’s of American convention attending workshops, classes, dinners and lunches, and signing books at the Indie Signing.

Last year was a huge one for me. I signed at the Indie Signing and my mystery at the Signing for Literacy. I had so much fun. Many writer friends I’ve made over fourteen years stopped by and picked up books. There were strangers who came looking for me! A friend who made the call to notify me I’d finalled in her chapter’s contest.

I think I broke my smile that day.

I’m not a fast writer lately. Life has pushed me around and I do what I do. Though, when I have looked back, I have been amazed at what I’ve done:

35 short stories and essays

2 romantic comedy mysteries

So I’m absorbing new information, hanging with old and new friends, and soon shall be flexing my fingers and hitting the keyboard.

From a reviewer: Just Desserts was such a quick and fun read. These cute little short stories will have you smiling and some will have you laughing out loud. These stories are quick and give you a few minutes away from reality. Stress relievers. Perfect for a summer beach read. I read this book all in one sitting. This book is great if you don’t have a lot of time. Vicki has a great sense of wit and humor which is what makes this book so enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Just Desserts.

Amazon Print Nook Other e-retailers

2018 Literacy Autographing Information

When: Saturday, July 21, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. MT

Where: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Plaza Ballroom (Plaza Building, Concourse Level)

Proceeds from book sales benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide and Literacy Coalition of Colorado

We look forward to having you at our event! Here are some things to know before you arrive:

This event is open to the public and is free of charge to attend.
You do not need to register to attend this event as a fan.
Since this is a fundraiser event for literacy organizations, attendees will not be allowed to bring books from home into the event. Plan to purchase books on-site.
We accept cash and major credit cards.

Author Vicki Batman on Handbag and Book - My Observations about Dogs #gettingapet #catsanddogs #romanticcomedy

2018-06-21T02:30:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be laughing hysterically just from the title of my blog because you know I grew up with cats, not dogs. My mom didn’t want to fence the yard for a dog. Our first cat was a huge gray guy named appropriately Smokey. He was born between our wooden and the neighbor’s chain link fences.

Over the years, there were others, like Mischief, Fuzzy, Snuffer. Our last two were farm cats from Kansas named Romper, aka Roo, Roo-roo, Romp, and her sister, Scooter, aka Scoo.

Handsome, however, grew up with dogs. He loves to tell the story of their sheepdog who ate the Thanksgiving turkey (Christmas Story, anyone?). So when #1son was about three, he adopted Baxter, a sheep dog who grew VERY LARGE. Baxter was too big for little kids and no one could walk him well.

After Baxter and Snuffer passed, we adopted the farm girls. They were little and squirmy and perfect for boys’ love. Both had a long shy streak and would hide behind furniture when people came over.

Many years passed and Handsome began to yearn for another dog.
This time, he did more research. I liked the size of beagles, but he said no, he’d found the perfect pet – Malti-poo. They don’t shed, are smart (poodles are second smartest dogs), and are good natured. Off he went one Saturday and came home with TWO??!! I must add I wasn’t too surprised, but this story I had to hear.

The pups were running in a large fenced area, and the little white one, which we named Champ, seemed to be the ringleader. Handsome was smitten. Then he watched a while longer and saw a slightly bigger gray one watching everyone. His heart was struck and home he came with Jones (yep, like in Indiana Jones).

These two are inseparable. Jones truly pines for Champ when they are apart. Jones is incredibly fast and has caught squirrels, lizards, and birds. Champ is our happy-go-lucky perpetual two-year old. On our walks, he has to mark a spot every ten feet. (I now allow him to have three stops). Jones gulps his food (probably picked up from being crowded out of food as a puppy). Champ doesn’t care. They are tough dudes and rarely complain. For a one-on-one, Champ likes to set his front feet on my chest. Jones will stretch across our laps and sigh contentedly. They followed Roo and Scoo (mostly to sniff their bottoms) and sat with them when they passed. They were easy to train or maybe I was easy to train. LOL. They love everyone.

So, my observation is this: if we ever get another dog, I am letting Handsome pick because these two are priceless.

Do I write pets in my stories? Of course! Real life has real pets. But I did write a hilarious one about a bug. She’s feisty and quick. Check out “Bug Stuff” from Just Desserts…and Other Stories:

“The water bug kind?”

“Yes.” His gaze shifted around. “I’m positive it winked at me.”

“Must be a female.” I chuckled. “So, squash it.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Why?”

“Cause she’s sneaky?” He pointed. “See? She’s hiding behind the faucet.”

Want more hilarious fun? Find Just Desserts at many e-retailers and at: Amazon

Michelle Miles: Living in a Fishbowl

2018-06-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

I had a recent experience on Facebook that has me questioning my very existence on Facebook.

My post was somewhat controversial, though I had no intention of it being that way, and generated over 170 comments (don’t bother looking for it; the post is no longer available for public consumption). It was merely my observation of the double standard that exists in our world. What’s good for the goose is sometimes not good for the gander.

When we put ourselves on social media, and post things that are considered hot topics, we unwittingly invite these people into our world. If our thought or opinion doesn’t align with theirs, then we’re open for attack. Everyone and everything comes under careful scrutiny by people who know better and people who have no problem telling us about it.

A perfect example was the woman who replied to a picture of my cat to tell me I should be feeding him out of a plate instead of a bowl. My response was, “Are you seriously telling me how to feed my cat?” to which her reply was to call me a b*tch, unfriend and block me.

So be it. I don’t need her on my friends list anyway.

But it angered me. Why is it okay for her to come over to my profile, crap all over it and then unfriend and block me?

Another post had a guy telling me I was irrational and ignorant. Um, okay? Because you know me personally, HOW? And you can tell that by reading ONE of my posts? Because I’d never seen him comment on anything of mine EVER and I’ve been on Facebook for over nine years.

Being a somewhat public figure has its pitfalls, as we all know from the recent news about Roseanne. And LeBron stomping out of his interview carrying his man-purse has caused all sorts of ridicule on Twitter.

I think I’m just weary of social media altogether. I’ve been saying this for a while now. Maybe I just need a break from it all, because it’s starting to feel like I live in a fishbowl.

Vicki Batman - Thirty-four #readromance #RLFblog #MFRWorg

2018-05-17T01:30:00.000-05:00

34 I counted just the other day because I kinda had thirty in my head. So why the number?

I’ve written thirty-four short stories.

I began by writing my romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed. Then I critiqued six very short stories for a friend, and all of the sudden, the rhythm of writing these fell into my head. Then an idea came, and I was off. I churned out a lot of short stories, many of which were pubbed by magazines and other publishers, some have been in anthologies.

I really do like writing short. My life has been upside down and concentrating on a book is hard for me. I can pop in and out of a short story and feel as if I’ve accomplished a lot.

As for very shorts…

I’ve collected eleven, two of which have never been pubbed before. Here’s a bit about them:

Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heart-warming and very short tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.

Included are:

Bug Stuff ~ An accountant unites with his co-worker to exterminate a pesky adversary.

Just Desserts ~ A political dinner gone disastrous brings together a reluctant attendee and her handsome seat-mate.

With This Ring ~ When a wife forgets the all-important little black dress, the evening turns into something utterly unforgettable.

Good Girls Finish First ~ When men friends are challenged to fix breakfast if they lose a race, one woman leads the pack and discovers finishing first can lead to romance.

Ouch ~ Who knew a yoga class would be so dangerous...and romantic?

Man Theory ~ When a geeky co-worker espouses his theory on love, a friend risks her heart.

Tommy and the Teacher ~ A young boy steals from the school’s book fair causing interesting possibilities to arise.

Absolutely Positively Lost ~ Helping a map-challenged young man find his way is truly serendipitous.

The Little Birdie Who ~ A new town, a new friend, a new beginning. Who would have thought a little bird could bring two people together?

Check Her Out ~ It’s a sticky situation, especially between a store manager and Auntie Caren when her nephew must pay for the gum he stole.

This Is Not Working ~ One of those days at a new job when nothing is going right, and then the boss steps in.

Are you thinking short stories are not as satisfying as a book? Shorts are VERY satisfying.

Find Just Desserts…and Other Stories at: Amazon Nook

Michelle Miles: May Day

2018-05-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

It's May! Can you believe how fast it got here? Seems like we were just celebrating New Years Day.

May is probably one of the best months of the year (besides October - I love Fall!). Lots of fun stuff happens in May. My birthday. My husband's birthday. Mother's Day. Memorial Day Weekend. The end of school. It's a busy month for sure.

And this year, we have a royal wedding to look forward to! I can't wait. I enjoy following the royals from their wedding to the birth of their children.

I had a blog post all written and ready to post but after re-reading it (and after my cool down period), I decided it was far too snarky. And so here I am talking about May 1/Beltane while The Fifth Element plays in the background.

I like May even if it is the official beginning of our hot Texas summers. There's lots of shopping happening during the month and cake and ice cream. That just can't be beat.

What do you love about May?

Vicki Batman on What's inspiring you? #readromance #springishere #RLFblog

2018-04-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

Nature is!

I have always liked the beautiful colors of flowers; however, my obsession really began about three years ago when Handsome and I traveled the Rhine on a river cruise. We began our journey in Lucerne, Switzerland in late June. The weather was perfect, in fact, almost like spring compared to the heat my area experiences in the summer. Many variety of flowers bloomed everywhere. I became captivated and took many photos. Some flowers resembled those grown at home. I also spotted new plants. Even the tiny orange weed in the crack next to a white-washed building captured my fancy.

This year, the spring flowers are bountiful, most likely due to the abundance of rain and cool temperatures. The antique climbing roses is loaded with tiny pale yellow bouquets. (These are the same plants I nearly chopped down, too.) Every day, I see new things—a snowball viburnum bursting with large blossoms. Many colors of Iris. Hot pink Gerbera daises. Green roses.

The air is fresh, perfumed by the budding flowers. The breeze lifts my hair and brushes across my mouth only to stick on my lip balm (no flavor). On dog walks, Champ, our white malti-poo, toddles along, stopping to pee every ten feet. His smoky gray brother, Jones, has long straight legs and walks like he knows what he is doing, only he doesn’t most of the time. Kids handling super-hero kites which are struggling to find lift. My neighbor is dead-heading the yellow and purple pansies with their fanciful smiles along her front walkway garden.

So how is all this loveliness inspiring?

I’ve been working harder at effective descriptions by adding how I feel and what I see. Hopefully by doing so, you--the reader--are experiencing a better mind picture.

Here’s an example from Temporarily Employed, my humorous romantic mystery:

“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.

Hopefully, you are seeing a young woman having a bad day, absolutely nothing going right. And the cherry on the sundae is the police stopping her.

If you would like to read more, the fun is at: Murder & Mayhem .

Michelle Miles: New Quarter…NEW GOALS! Sorta…

2018-04-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

It’s really hard for me to get it in my head that it’s April. APRIL! The first three months of the year are gone in a puff of smoke.

I think I’ve mentioned before I have this journal I use daily to keep me on track for my goals. I discovered, too, long ago that it’s too hard for me to plan an entire year of goals. With the Best Self, it breaks down the year into 13-week increments. I set three goals for those 13 weeks. They can be anything I want. So, because I want to produce more books and get myself out of debt, I decided to start tracking these goals.

This quarter, I’m starting my fourth journal. As I look back at my previous journals, I’m kind of a one-trick pony. I have the same goals listed. Well, the same OVERALL goals. Ultimately, I want to write full time and have zero debt. But the journal allows me to break that down into manageable pieces I can achieve.

This last quarter, I finished drafting the second book in my urban fantasy series. Book 1 is still unpublished. I’ve been asked when it’s coming out and the truth is I don’t know. At the end of 2017, when I finally got back to writing the series, I had a wild idea. Write the entire 5-book series from start to finish. So that’s what I’m doing. I’ve started book three and hope to have it drafted by the end of June. Plus, I’m still tweaking book one. What I really like about writing them all at once is I can go back from book to book and add little foreshadowing moments to make it look like it was planned all along (I’m a pantser. Please don’t ask me to plot. My brain might explode.)

Anyhoo, one of the other things I want to do is get myself out of debt. It’s so hard, folks. Probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I’m convinced the Universe is conspiring against me. Just when I start to make a little extra money, the house payment goes up. Tax Refund? SNORT. What’s that? We haven’t had one in years. I hate it so much. And so, it’s a struggle to get myself in order and keep on that budget and send large chunks of money to these credit cards. I feel like I’m climbing a mountain with no day pack. I may die of exhaustion any minute now.

And then I put on my happy face and decide to keep on keeping on. I can do this!

Last quarter, I managed to accomplish 2 of my 3 goals. I’ll take that as a win.

This quarter, I want to accomplish all three goals. They’re pretty much the same as last quarter but that’s okay. I’m still working toward the big, overall goals. I talk more in depth about all of this over at my blog, which you can read here. Also, if you’re interested in the Best Self Journal, you can find out more here as well as purchase.

I know I have my work cut out for me and to that I say BRING IT ON.

Oh, and happy April!