Temporarily Employed
Vicki Batman
Romantic Comedy/Cozy Mystery,
75k
Released October 17, 2014, The
Wild Rose Press
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?
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?
Buy Links: Amazon B&N The Wild Rose Press
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.
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??"
Find Vicki at:
Website:
http://vickibatman.blogspot.com
Facebook:
http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkv
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/VickiBatman
Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/vickibatman
Author
Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman
Google+:
bit.ly/1zUggDF
Plotting
Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
Shelfari:
http://www.shelfari.com/o1515093723
Email:
vlmbatman@hotmail.com
Giveaway: Kate Spade Handbag
Thank you so much for hostessing me! I dig the shopping thing--see handbag. lol
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