#Movie Mom ~ Philomena #MFRWorg #RLFblog #adoption

Movie Mom 

Philomena, a 2013 drama, directed by Stephen Frears, is based on the book 

The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. 

The movie tells the true story of  Ms. Lee's 50-year-long search for her forcibly 

adopted son, and journalist Martin Sixsmith's help in finding him. 

My thoughts: I wanted to see this movie when it came out, but sometimes, indie films aren't at the theater very long and didn't get to. I liked this movie a lot. 

The subject matter--forcibly adoption--is so hard to comprehend nowadays, and the nuns's starchy attitude about pregnant young women is heartbreaking. We can only imagine what Ms. Lee (and all the young women) went through. To continue lying to her as an older woman is unfathomable. The relationship between the two main characters is fun to watch. 

Ms. Dench is always good in everything she does. Mr. Coogan's performance is very likable and I hope he does more of this kind of work.  The film moved well and is heart-wrenching, yet joyous in many places.

FMI: Wikipedia

.@VickiBatman - Food = Good w @author Louise Lyndon: #chickensalad & Of Love and Vengeance #MFRWorg #RLFblog

Today, author Louise Lyndon is sharing a fab recipe and 
a tad about her new book on: 

Food = Good

Potato and Chicken Salad

4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) skinless chicken breast
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
2 sage leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes on a sheet tray, toss with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan cover chicken with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Poach until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from poaching liquid, let cool for a bit, and cut chicken into cubes.

In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, chicken and bacon with the celery, onions, and garlic. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, herbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Mix until well combined.

Mmm, Louise, I'm a huge chicken salad fan. Anyone else love it like me? 

Forced to marry Lord Aymon to ensure her nephews survival, English Lady Laila vows undying hatred for the Norman she holds responsible for so many deaths. Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek vengeance he deserves.  But will Laila really let Aymon die once she learns the truth?

A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret? 

Contact Louise at:  louise_lyndon@yahoo.com
Find Louise at:  www.LouiseLyndon.com
Find Of Love and Vengeance at: Amazon US

Participate in Louise's giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

.@VickiBatman - welcome author Margo Bond Collins w #handbag & a tale #MFRWorg #RLFblog

Hi, all! I am delighted to be here today—but the way I got here was a little odd.  I need to preface this story with the fact that in addition to being a writer, I have a full-time job as a college professor and an incredibly active four-year-old daughter. I am almost perpetually distracted.  

Several months ago, I sent an email to Vicki about guest posting on her blog. She said yes, and a few days later, she sent an email asking about the post she had sent me for my blog. I didn't remember anything about a blog post from her, but Vicki and I belong to some of the same writers' groups online and have posted on one another's blogs before—and as I noted, I'm more than a little absent-minded—so I assumed I had simply forgotten agreeing to have her as a guest blogger. I asked her to re-send the post, and I put it up on my main blog.

When I sent Vicki the link, she responded asking about the post on the second blog.

You are determined to embarrass me, aren't you?

I had indeed started a second blog just a few weeks before, but I didn't remember telling anyone about it. Still, Vicki had used my name in the post ("I'm glad to be a guest today on Margo's blogs"), so clearly she knew what she was talking about. 

I posted on the second blog and sent her the link. Vicki's response this time was to ask about a specific blog—one that belonged to someone else named Margo.

Vicki and I have laughed about that incident several times since then, but I've also decided to assume it's some kind of fate. We are clearly meant to post on one another's blogs often! 

Today, I'm here to talk handbags—and the handbag I'm featuring today is one of my favorites, perfect for a parent, a literature professor, and the absent-minded type in general. My favorite handbag is this one:

It's not brand-name. It wasn't expensive. It's not fancy. 

It is, however, a bag that I bought in a street market in Athens, Greece last November, when I was there for an academic conference. From the corner shop where I got it, I could see the Theatre of Dionysus, the birthplace of modern drama. And every time I look at the bag, I remember the long history of literature that stretches from all over the world and leads to all of us who now write.

On a more practical note, it's big enough to carry not only my usual items (a wallet, a comb, my phone, and so on), but also anything I might need to carry for my toddler—a change of clothing, a few toys, a book or two. 

And even though it's a bag that I carry in the spring and summer, I hang it on the door knob of the closet in my office year-round—right next to prints of the covers that I am working on at any given moment—so it's almost as much a decoration as it is a handbag. 

Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.

When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city's vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department. 

But she didn't know then what she knows now: there's a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning. 

So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders, discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the war for the human race. 

But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?

Connect with Margo at:  Email        Website

Find Sanguinary-Night Shift at: Amazon



Wow, Margo, that's some book! Congratulations!!!

.@VickiBatman - "If I take it, I can make it" : Unbroken #movie mom #MFRWorg #RLFblog

War movies bring the past front and center. 

* Movie Mom *

When growing up, all the men in my families fought in WW2. They didn't talk much about it. I knew one was in a gun turret, one on ski patrol in Italy, my dad worked with aircraft and drones in the Navy. Movies about wars may sometimes glorify what happened. But the truth is those who serve are heroes.

Unbroken is a WW2 movie,  produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, and based on the 2010 non-fiction book Unbroken. The film revolves around the life of USA Olympian Louis Zamperini, survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber was downed, and was sent to a series of prisoner of war camps. Zamperini died on July 2, 2014 at the age of 97. 

My thoughts: OMG. How anyone survived-shaking head. It's hard and true and gritty. I was never bored. I sobbed.

After seeing Saving Private Ryan, I said to my young sons they needed to remember the sacrifices their family made for all. I worry that people nowadays as we move further and further from that time period will not remember. But we should. Every war and every person in war should be remembered and thanked. 


FMI: Wikipedia

Do you watch war films? 

.@VickiBatman - author David Russell is into ceramics & writing #crafts #writing #MFRWorg #RLFblog

A treat to have author, David Russell, to talk about his ceramic work 

and his book, Dreamtime Sensuality:

I have been doing ceramics for 10 years or so. I had a spell in hospital, and was introduced to pottery via the Occupational Therapy; the teacher was very sympathetic, and encouraged my free imagination. One represents a fish's or reptile's spines showing above the surface of the sea. The other represents volcanic action, with molten lava. This may be my nearest approximation to a handicraft.

David, I'd love to see other work. 

The characters in this quartet of stories are intelligent, sensitive and literary. They are also supremely voyeuristic and open-minded.

Find David at: blogsite

Find Dreamtime Sensuality at: Amazon

.@VickiBatman - A painting turned #handbag? That's right! #fashion #accessories #MFRWorg #RLFblog

~Handbag Monday~

Today, I’m going to show off my Christmas gift to me. It’s from a shop called Swarm and is located overseas. I remember perusing a magazine and her handbags were featured. I thought this is way cool for, you see, the handbags are made from paintings. 

So I splurged when an email came my way from Swarm with free shipping. Check this out:

Don’t you love this boat scene?

Who would have thought? The handles are sturdy leather and stitched and fastened with a grommet as well. The whole bag is lined in a sturdy white canvas. There is a good-sized pocket sewn in as well.

Although may be a bit large for everyday use, I am going to carry it for a while and test it out.

FMI about Swarm: website

What do you think? Would you carry a handbag made from an old painting? 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5469437/?claim=vbzyucamrej">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

.@VickiBatman - fairy tales come true is a good thing? Into the Woods #movie mom #MFRWorg #RLFblog

Tired of action/adventure films? Something else that takes you somewhere you've never gone? 

* Movie Mom *

Into the Woods, a musical based on the Stephen Sondheim Broadway show and features  Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, and Johnny Depp. The premise of the movie takes its inspiration from the Grimm fairytales "Little Red Riding Hood", "Cinderella", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "Rapunzel". 

My thoughts: The film opens with the baker and his wife whose wish for a child could be granted by a witch if they procure several items. In doing so, they encounter characters from other tales. 

I liked this the movie, but thought a tad long and dark. It made me want to see the Broadway show. The effects were very good. The acting and singing nicely done. The Wolf might be a bit suggestive. The show left me wondering about wishes which come true and the consequences may not be what we want.


FMI: Wikipedia

Are you a fan of fairy tales?

.@VickiBatman - author Silver James on #handbag Monday: Do Cowgirls Cry? #MFRWorg #RLFblog #Harlequin #accessories

*  #Handbag Monday  *

Second week back with Handbag Monday. And we have a special guest -- Silver James. Let's peek at what she brought:

And here’s a big thanks, to Vicki for hosting me and my fab new handbag today! 

I grew up in the days of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and cowboy kitsch. Since I also spent a great deal of my formative years on horseback, I developed a nostalgic fondness for the fashions as an adult. I have boots. I have lots of turquoise bling but I sure needed a new purse to with ’em.


I first saw this handbag on-line in an email. Now I’m a persnickety shopper. I want to feel, open, measure—the straps and cargo area have just right! It was a leap of faith to order it—on sale no less—from the internet. Now that it’s here, the straps are a little short (I like to sling a bag over my shoulder), but the rest of the bag is awesomesauce! The closure strap is real hide, the leather tooling around the bottom kicks my cowgirl fashion sense into overdrive, and the metal working is Celtic knots. This purse ticks off my two favorite styles—Cowgirl Celtic! It also goes with every pair of boots I own. Here’s to boots and bling! It’s a cowgirl thing.

Wow, Silver, this one reminds me of the bag I have made from boot tops. 

COWGIRLS DON’T CRY: 

The wealthiest of enemies may seduce the ranch right out from under her.

Find Cowgirls Don't Cry at: Amazon
Contact Silver James at: Website



What do you think? Are you a cowgirl at heart? 

I’ll also happily send an autographed copy of the book to one of the commenters! Yipee!!! and thanks, Silver!!

@VickiBatman - #Movie Mom & The Theory of Everything

Time to catch up on movies!

* Movie Mom *

The first film to kick off the holiday season was The Theory of Everything,  a 2014 biographical drama which deals with Jane Hawking's relationship with her ex-husband, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of motor neuron disease, and his success in physics.The film stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

My thoughts: excellent. Well acted. Moved quickly. Never boring. Great snapshot into the 60's, 70's, etc. I know very little about Mr. Hawking and was greatly impressed by the love story which moved to his disease, family, and his success in physics. I expect there will be some Oscar buzz with this one.

FMI: Wikipedia

.@VickiBatman - Kathryn Jane a handy beading craft. Is she hearing Voices? #MFRWorg #RLFblog #Romanticsuspense

Hello everyone, and thanks, Vicki for having me here!

First of all, I’m a haphazard crafter.  I tend to play at it, and don’t follow rules. Or read instructions. I see something I like and try to make the same. I’m impatient.

My beading endeavors, like everything else I do, grew organically.

It began when I saw metal bookmarks with pretty dangling beads at a craft event, and fell in love. Unable to afford more than one, I agonized over the choices. They were all so dang pretty. Long story short, I thought, why not make my own, and use them as gifts with my books.

Off to Michaels I went, then on to Jo-Ann’s, and eventually Amazon. In just a short few weeks, I’d amassed a lovely collection of beads and things. What fun I had creating and expanding from bookmarks to bracelets, key-rings, zipper pulls, and then my own invention, the senior’s set.

First a bit of a story for explanation. My mom lives in an independent living facility with a large dining room. When residents go for meals, they leave their walkers outside in the hallway because a nice lady or gentleman walks them to their tables, and back out afterward.

Here’s where it gets complicated when a 90 year old woman says, “My walker is the blue one.” Um, there are lots of blue ones, and red ones, and black ones. Some have a luggage tag with a name, some have a pom pom, or a little stuffed animal. But most have very little to tell them apart.

This is why I created the senior’s (walker) set. It consists of one long elastic string of pretty beads with a loop and hook so it can be wrapped around the bar of any walker, a matching key-ring, and a zipper pull, bookmark or bracelet.

Anyone assisting the 90 year old lady can look at her key-ring, zipper pull, or bracelet and find the matching beads on one of the dozens of walkers parked in the hallway.

Best of all, they’re pretty!

My mom loves having something pretty instead of what she calls an ugly or boring luggage tag. Also, if she drops her keys, the staff will be able to match them up with her because of the beads on her walker.

 She's desperate to stop a killer, 

he wants his wife back.

Find Kathryn at: http://kathrynjane.com/ 

Find Voices at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q06XLAY 

.@VickiBatman ~ simply delightful: a red clutch stole my heart #MFRWorg #RLFblog #handbag

When I first started purchasing needlepoint handbags, I looked on eBay and ETSY. This one caught my eye because I love RED!

*Handbag Monday*

This adorable clutch is covered in petit point, a kind of tiny needlepoint,and measures 9 1/2 in by 4. The inside is covered in a dark salmon with a flat pocket on one side and a gathered pocket on the other. For more information on petit point versus needlepoint, go to: stitch

Red is the dominate color; however, the colorful flowers of red, pink, yellow, ivory and cornflower blue stands out nicely.The case is silver metal and the catch is quite unusual. There is no identifying mark.

This bag looked superdooper with the black wool crepe dress I wore for New Year's this year. 

Have you ever carried a needlepoint handbag? 

Vicki Batman obsesses over handbags and loves a great bargain. Her stories regularly feature them too. See for yourself in her romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed, at: Amazon