Vicki Batman Interview Part 1

Let’s get to know you a little more.  Tell us a about yourself.

 Hi, Andrew, and thank you for having me. I’m Vicki Batman, aka Batman’s girlfriend. Lol. I have been happily writing for ten years and a long time huge reader since I could, cutting my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. Eventually, I read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and wow. Later on in adulthood, I discovered the superb mystery writer, Dick Francis.

What inspired you to write?

A friend actually prompted me. But I ignored her for several years until she challenged me to write the opening paragraph of a book using the word window. I didn’t stop until I’d written 8 chapters. She read it and said to keep going. So I did.

Tell me a little about your book. 

Temporarily Employed, a funny cozy 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. The last thing she wants is to clash with By-the-Book Detective Wellborn, no matter how much he makes her heart pound.

Allan Charles Wellborn has secretly adored Hattie all his life.  He evolved from a pocket protector-wearing geek to a handsome police detective.  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?

How did you come up with the story?

See what inspired me (ABOVE) ! I’m a total pantser and just kept regurgitating until one day, was done.

Tell me about your main character.  Who is he/she, what makes them special to you?

 A little FYI: I always wanted to have 3 daughters and name them Holland, Hailey, and Hattie. Hattie Cooks is a newly unemployed junior retail executive and only wants her job back. But jobs like hers are scarce in her hometown of Sommerville; she has to take a temporary job which just happens to be one that replaced a former employee who was murdered.

Who has been your greatest writing inspiration?

 Like I said, I always wanted to write like Dick Francis. But my book and my writing isn’t really like his. I write funny. So my second inspiration is Janet Evanovich.