Monday, October 27, 2014

.@VickiBatman - author Chris Keniston : Handbags, Cars & Dislocated Shoulders--Oh MY!

My guest today is a fellow Plotting Princess, Chris Keniston, with thoughts on a heavy handbag on

Handbag Monday


Some days I feel like the only female on the planet who can't find a practical place for her handbag while driving. It seems a forgone conclusion that no male automobile designer has ever had a wife point this little tidbit out to him or the problem would be solved. 




If I'm in the car alone, the passenger seat works just fine. But when I'm not alone? Well, some folks are nice enough to volunteer their laps. Not best case scenario. Others the floor space by their feet – which probably already has their handbag so unless they care to ride with their feet on the dashboard- that's not going to be optimal either. 


Many cars have the little compartment between the bucket seats ( note I would not object to the return of front bench seats). These compartments are way too small to actually hold a handbag, but a handbag can be set atop. This at first seems the perfect solution, until you take that right or left hand turn and your bag and its contents go flying all over the back seat. Inevitably I find my favorite lipstick melting under the seat sometime mid August. 


So the final choice is to simply start with my handbag on the floor of the backseat. If I place it behind the passenger seat, with a little stretching I can in a hurry grab that sucker and fling it forward to retrieve any number if essential items from bug spray to credit cards to that especially favored lipstick.  Until the one day when I stretch and reach and lift and pull and along with my handbag, my shoulder stretches and pulls and- oh my lord- what have I done????


Six weeks of physical therapy later I come to the same conclusion I've had all along. There is no practical place for a handbag in a modern car ! 


I am thrilled to announce that myself and six other authors are pulling our works together in a boxset of 7 full-length contemporary romances: Fast Men, Slow Kisses to say thank you to all the real heroes. The military men and women who serve and protect us every day.  And especially those forgotten heroes struggling here at home. All proceeds from Fast Men, Slow Kisses will be donated to causes that support military service members and their families in the United States and Canada. 

Find Fast Men, Slow Kisses at: Amazon


Find Chris at: Website 

Thanks, Chris, for sharing your handbag and the wonderful anthology!

9 comments:

Kelly McClymer said...

Chris & Vicki -- I never have a place for my purse, either. I hope some car designers are listening! What a great cause -- may you raise a ton of money to help these wounded warriors.

chris keniston said...

thanks Kelly!

I am so very excited to be a part of this boxset and having a chance to support the Wounded Warriors Project.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Kelly! If I don't have a guest, I drop mine in the passenger floorboard. sigh. What we do for handbags.

Laurie Kellogg said...

Cute, Chris!

I generally carry a purse no larger than a thick hardcover book with a shoulder strap, so when I have a passenger, I can tuck it front of my seat, behind my calves or hang it off the headrest from the back.

I was so happy to join you and the other fabulous authors on this project. Hoping we raise lots of money for our soldiers!

chris keniston said...

Oh My Laurie - I can't believe it NEVER occurred to me to try and hang it off my own seat!

I'm going to try that as soon as I get home ! :)

and yeah- I am super excited about having a chance to make a difference!

Jennifer McAndrews said...

I have a hanger hook for the car that hangs from the headrest post, with hooks to the back of the passenger seat that I can hang my purse from. Best thing ever!

Now off to check out the fabulous project for soldiers...

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Jennifer! Wow a hangar? I'm looking for one of these. Thanks for posting.

Angela Adams said...

"Fast Men, Slow Kisses," what a great title!

Unknown said...

Well, Vicki ... it seems I have no answer to your problem since I never have one for myself. When I am alone, the bag sits in the passenger seat. When I have a passenger, it sits either next to my left hip or on the floor board under my knees. Works for me.

What a wonderful project for our service men and Wounded Warriors in particular. From the vantage of the boomer who has seen decades of neglect for Vietman vets, this is a wonderful act of kindness. To remember what so many have suffered on our behalf and to find a way to reach out and show them someone cares.

"Fast Men and Slow Kisses" is a great title and a wonderful way to raise funds for this much needed project :)