Today we are interviewing the wonderful Diane Burton. Please help us in welcoming her to the MFRW Author blog.
Where can your readers find you?
Shelfari: Diane Burton
Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?
FaceBook & my blog
Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?
In Switched, Too, a former astronaut candidate gets the chance to go into space. He just has to pretend to be his twin, the captain of an alien starship. Switched, Too crosses several genres. It's a space adventure with romance, suspense and intrigue. It is the second book in the Switched series but is complete on its own.
How do we find out about you and your books?
On my website www.dianeburton.com and on my blogsite http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/ you'll find my biography plus descriptions and excerpts from each of my books. I blog every Monday on various topics—sometimes on writing, more often about things that interest me and hope they interest others.
Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I write romance novels because I truly believe in happy ever after. But, HEA does not automatically happen as soon as you find your true love. You both have to work at it. That's what I show in my novels with my characters. I met my own hero on a blind date and although we've been through some difficult times (health issues, job transfers, unemployment) we're still together after nearly forty years. The good times far outweigh the difficult ones.
Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I'm at my most creative early in the morning. First, I grab a cup of coffee (love my Keurig) then open the laptop. I'll write until late morning when my dear, sweet (hint of sarcasm there) husband drags me to the fitness club. Then, it's back to writing, rereading, revising. There are days when the words just flow and flow. Then, there are the days when my muse goes gallivanting, nothing works and I'll spend way too much time on Twitter and Solitaire.
Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?
The idea usually starts with the first scene, which I "see" like a movie. I start writing and the characters begin revealing themselves. Same with the "world". I have to keep track of the details as I go or I'll forget them. (Sometimes, I think my brain is a sieve.) I'll have a basic plot, which refines itself as I write. Usually around chapter 8, I need to define each main character's goal, motivation and conflict (if the characters haven't already revealed them). I do research as needed. Now, I really wish I could do active research—pilot a spacecraft, visit other planets, meet aliens (not creepy/slimy ones, of course). My alternative is to read science fiction/romance, watch sci-fi adventure movies and find interesting "space" facts on the Internet.
Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why?
Absolutely. Life is too serious. We need something to give us a lift. Humor does that. I really enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz's (Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick) humor and the situations her heroine gets herself into. Always a good chuckle. I love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series because they are so laugh-out-loud funny. While I can't do slapstick comedy the way she does, I try to incorporate humor in my books.
Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)
I'm married to a really great guy who has always been very supportive and encouraging—especially when I was so discouraged I wanted to quit. We have two children and two grandchildren. Because of my husband's job, we moved a lot around the Midwest. We're Michiganders so we were glad our last move brought us home. I was an elementary school teacher BK (before kids) and worked at various temp office positions after. My most fulfilling job was raising my children and now babysitting my grandchildren, which I don't get to do near enough. My last job with an oil & gas exploration company was very interesting—a whole new world. I enjoy gardening and quilting.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Switched begins the adventure of twins switching places. It takes place aboard a starship, where I'd really like to be. I had so much fun writing that book. To be honest, I have fun writing all my books, but Switched was my first published book so it holds a special place in my heart.
Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Keep at it. Or to quote from the movie Galaxy Quest, "never give up, never surrender." And finish the darn book. You'll never "find" time to write—you have to make time, if that's really what you want to do.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?
That they had a good time on a great adventure, that they laughed and sighed and even shed a tear, and at the end they smiled.
Please fill the blanks with your favorites!
Dessert: Coconut cream pie
City: Denver
Season: Fall
Type of hero: Strong, gutsy, protector with a sense of humor, courageous enough to step back from a fight
Type of heroine: Strong, gutsy, protector with a sense of humor, smart enough to know when to accept help
Blurb for Switched, Too:
Be careful what you wish for...you might get it.
Down-sized astronaut candidate Scott Cherella leaps at the chance to go into space. He just has to pretend to be the captain of an Alliance of Planets starship. His lifelong dream quickly becomes a nightmare when sabotage erupts. To save the ship and crew he has to depend on an uptight, disapproving colleague.
The only time Veronese Qilana broke the rules tragedy resulted. She vowed never again. Now, to protect the real starship captain, she'll have to deceive the crew by helping the imposter. They must work together to uncover the saboteur and get the crew safely home. In doing so, they discover opposites really do attract.
Excerpt from Switched, Too:
Scott had no choice but to use the computer now. Before tackling it for the first time, he'd hoped for the privacy of his quarters—and Veronese Qilana's help. His reluctant co-conspirator ditched him as soon as they came aboard. He mentally kicked himself for his selfishness. They were in the middle of a crisis. She had her duties. He had his.
Damn. He didn't want to tackle the computer. Suck it up, Ace. You can do this. You wanted adventure. You wanted to explore space. You got it. Now, man up.
He sat in the captain's chair. Automatically, an instrument panel on the right swung up and in front of him. A hit in the solar plexus might have been easier to take. Symbols and shapes he'd never seen before covered the segmented screen. It might as well be filled with ancient Sanskrit. Panic shot through him. He couldn't read.
Diane released The Chameleon (An Outer Rim Novel: Book 2), a Sci-fi/Futuristic Story, in May 2014.
