Please help me welcome my friend Diane Burton to the blog today with her latest in the Alex O'Hara Series, THE CASE OF THE FABULOUS FIANCE! Before we dig into the read, let's find out a little more about Diane...
First off, thank you for allowing me to interview you. Could you tell us what is the best thing you’ve learned about writing and/or the publishing business?
How helpful, generous, and supportive other writers are. An example of this is going on right here. On our online group (Authors Helping Authors), we tweet for each other, share on FB, for spots on blogs, and so many respond—like you, MJ.
Believe me, it's my pleasure. And I agree about authors being generous people, Diane. I've actually given that same answer when I've been asked that question. When we're shocked on a regular basis by the evil in the world, it's nice to be surprised by people's goodness. Give us a brief glimpse at your road to publication.
I wrote for ten years before my book was accepted by a small niche publisher. Another ten years passed (life intrusions) before I tried self-publication. In the 5 years since I’ve had one book pubbed by a small press and self-pubbed 7 more. I’m very happy self-pubbing. I hire a freelance editor and a cover artist. Although I’m a DIY girl from way back, those two jobs are best left to the professionals.
Again, I concur. And it's funny how similar our stories are. I had twelve books written before I even started pursuing publication. Now that we know a little about your writing, how about you as a person. Where do you live? Where would you love to live?
I live on the west coast of Michigan, fifteen minutes from Lake Michigan. We moved here two years ago to be closer to our daughter and her family. Best move we’ve made. Love the time with the grandkiddies.
Share with us a little about your family. You mentioned your daughter, any more kids?
I live on the west coast of Michigan, fifteen minutes from Lake Michigan. We moved here two years ago to be closer to our daughter and her family. Best move we’ve made. Love the time with the grandkiddies.
Share with us a little about your family. You mentioned your daughter, any more kids?
I met my husband of 43 years on a blind date. We have 2 children. Our daughter lives nearby with her husband and 2 children. Our son lives in Phoenix with his wife and 8-month-old girl. We’re looking forward to spending Christmas with them. Now I just have to convince Hubs we need to spend most of the winter in Arizona.
Yes! Brilliant! Now here are a few questions just for fun--
What was one of the best Christmas presents you ever received?
My 2nd best gift was a Brownie Hawkeye camera when I was 10. It led to a lifelong hobby of photography. My absolute best Christmas present was my daughter, who was born 2 weeks before Christmas.
Name your favorite children's story.
My grandmother gave my sister and I a set of books, My Book House. Each volume had stories appropriate to an age group or grade. The 1st book was nursery rhymes, 2nd short stories, 3rd fairy tales, etc. The 1st book was well used, pages are torn and falling out. The 12th book looks brand new. Although I’m the oldest of 7, none of the others read the books. They’re now mine and I share them with my grandkids.
That's cool! How special that you get to share that with them! What one thing (modern convenience) could you not live without?
I can’t think of anything I couldn’t live without. If I had to, I’d adapt. But I think flush toilets would top my list of what I don’t ever want to live without.
Ahh...yes. Good point. Hmm...kind of a bad segue, but...what are your three favorite smells?
A baby, almond flavoring, bacon.
What was one of the best Christmas presents you ever received?
My 2nd best gift was a Brownie Hawkeye camera when I was 10. It led to a lifelong hobby of photography. My absolute best Christmas present was my daughter, who was born 2 weeks before Christmas.
Name your favorite children's story.
My grandmother gave my sister and I a set of books, My Book House. Each volume had stories appropriate to an age group or grade. The 1st book was nursery rhymes, 2nd short stories, 3rd fairy tales, etc. The 1st book was well used, pages are torn and falling out. The 12th book looks brand new. Although I’m the oldest of 7, none of the others read the books. They’re now mine and I share them with my grandkids.
That's cool! How special that you get to share that with them! What one thing (modern convenience) could you not live without?
I can’t think of anything I couldn’t live without. If I had to, I’d adapt. But I think flush toilets would top my list of what I don’t ever want to live without.
Ahh...yes. Good point. Hmm...kind of a bad segue, but...what are your three favorite smells?
A baby, almond flavoring, bacon.
Thanks so much for having me, MJ.
Blurb ~
Alex O’Hara wants to take her investigation agency in a new direction—background checks for potential spouses. She hopes this new case will do the trick when a high-powered executive asks for info on her boyfriend. Is the man she met on a cruise her Mr. Right or is he too good to be true? On the same day, Alex gets another case—finding a deadbeat dad. And both women want to double her rates so she’ll give them highest priority. She can’t believe her luck. Her finances are on the upswing. If only Nick Palzetti was around to share her good news. He disappeared on Christmas Eve, and she hasn’t heard from him in almost three months. Then glitchy phones and no internet bring everything to a screeching halt.
Excerpt ~
I picked up the pen before looking at Nora Finley. Even though I was in the middle of a major case, I never turned down a prospective client. At least, not right away. I’d hear her out and then decide.
“What can I do for you?”
Her expression completely changed. The high-powered exec disappeared. In its place, caution and . . . vulnerability. “Ellen VanderVeen said I could trust you.”
I smiled. Ellen and I had been friends since college. That girl had more fashion sense in her baby finger than I did in my entire body.
“Yes, I know Ellen.”
“She said you helped her investigate her fiancé.”
I nodded.
She hesitated and appeared to rethink what she was doing in a private investigator’s office. Quickly, she came to a conclusion. “I’d like you to do the same.”
“You want me to vet your fiancé?”
“He’s not my fiancé. Yet.”
She didn’t explain any further, so I asked, “Why? Do you suspect something?”
“No. Oh, goodness, no.” She pursed her lips before continuing. “My father left me a prosperous financial firm plus a sizeable inheritance. I am not saying that to brag but to explain my concerns. In my younger days, I was, uhm, taken advantage of. I need to be sure this man truly loves me—me, not my money.”
Although nobody would ever mistake me for an heiress, I understood her caution.
“I am almost forty years old,” she said. “I want to have children before I’m too old.”
Again, I understood. I’d recently passed a landmark birthday. The big Three-Oh. Rather than worry about kids, though, I devoted myself to my business. After a rocky start, I was on a pretty even keel. Plenty of work. Not enough time. But I did have plenty of time before settling down with kids. And a husband, of course. I’m kind of old-fashioned like that. I’d thought Nick might— Don’t go there.
“Ma’am, if you’d called for an appointment, I could have saved you a trip. I do not have time to devote to your case.”
A crestfallen Nora Finley stared at me, her mouth slightly open. I guess nobody ever turned her down. While hers might be interesting, I didn’t have a good feeling about this case. A client might want the lowdown on a prospective mate—as I’d discovered before—but they often resented the bearer of bad news. Of course, the client could be grateful if the news was good, like my friend Ellen.
“I will double your usual retainer.”
“It isn’t a matter of money—” Although money never hurt. “—I’m in the middle of a large case that is taking up all of my time.”
“How soon will you finish?” No longer disappointed, she looked calculating.
God save me from rich people who think everyone should drop what they’re doing to attend to them.
“Three weeks, minimum.”
“Good. I will be out of the country for the next four weeks. You may finish your present case then check into Clyde Wilson.”
Well, shit. I mean, shoot. I was trying to break my bad habit of swearing. I had misgivings about this woman. Demanding, she was going to be difficult to work with. She exuded the power that came from old money. Power that expected everyone to drop everything and do her bidding.
But then I’d had difficult clients before and managed them. I could probably wrap up the fraud investigation in a couple of weeks. I’d given myself a cushion when I’d told her three.
Were my misgivings about her enough to turn down double my retainer?
I drew the pad closer to me. “Tell me about this man. Clyde Wilson?”
That better not be a smug look on her face.
The Case of the Fabulous Fiancé is available at:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0195K8F6G
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-case-of-the-fabulous-fiance-an-alex-o-hara-novel
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/case-fabulous-fiance-alex/id1066537800?mt=11
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/599181
Author Bio ~
Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and The Case of the Bygone Brother, a PI mystery. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and three grandchildren.
For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com
Connect with Diane Burton online
Blog: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmburton72
Facebook: http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor
Goodreads: Diane Burton Author
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dmburton72/
Sign up for Diane’s new release alert: http://eepurl.com/bdHtYf
