Sunday, November 27, 2016

Guest Diane Burton Talks Holiday Aftermath and SciFi Romance Sale

Posted by: Veronica Scott
Veronica sez: I've known today's guest forever! We've been on weekend snippet hops together and on group blogs...happy to have Diane Burton here today to talk about the aftermath of the holiday!

Diane: Thank you so much for having me as a guest.

I hope your Thanksgiving was better than expected. Family get-togethers can be stressful. One year, my brother and I squared off over politics. Geez, I should know better. I’ve always admired my youngest sister who is so laid back. She doesn’t let herself get rattled or stressed, especially when hosting family dinners. My other sister is the opposite. Everything has to be perfect. She jumps in before anyone even thinks about helping then gets upset because she does all the work.

I’m somewhere in the middle. I used to stress over holiday meals. Not anymore. If you see dust, don’t tell me. LOL Now, my daughter says it’s her generation’s turn to host. I do like having the family at our house, but she’s seen how physically difficult it is for me and how tired I get. Good daughter. After she first married, she set a tradition, alternating Christmas and Thanksgiving between the two families. This is our year for Christmas.

So we had Thanksgiving dinner at my niece’s. We watched parades and lazed around since no one had to prepare anything—or it was already prepared. Football captured the guys’ interest. While the Lions have been doing pretty well lately, football is not my game. My middle sister wanted to watch the dog show. Then it was time for dinner. Yum. Everyone brought something. We were asked to bring rolls. Really hard work there.

After dinner, we all went into a tryptophan coma. Naps were definitely in order.

I didn’t go shopping on Black Friday. First, I hate shopping. Second, I hate crowds. I’ve been shopping online. Will I do more shopping tomorrow? Am I crazy?

No matter how you spent Thanksgiving, the meal itself wasn’t that important. (See, that’s how I’ve changed.) It’s family and friends who are important.

Diane's Wedding
My daughter and her husband and me and mine (bad not  grammar, I know) celebrate something more than Thanksgiving. We were both married on Thanksgiving Day. This family tradition started with my mom’s parents. Thanksgiving was the only day my grandfather got off work so they married on that day. My dad was in the service and was able to get furlough for Thanksgiving Day and the day after. So that’s when my parents married. I thought it would be cool to follow their example and Hubs agreed. (Great guy!) That was 44 years ago. Then our daughter married on Thanksgiving 18 years ago. Daughter and I agreed that we’ll both emphasize to her daughter that she doesn't need to be the 5th generation to marry on Thanksgiving. Will she listen? I hope so. Who needs that pressure.


I hope all who traveled returned home safely.








Starting tomorrow, I’m participating in a 3-day free and 99 cent sale on sci-fi romances at http://www.smschmitz.com/promo. My book Switched will be offered for 99 cents. Check out the list at this site! (Veronica NOTE: I have two books in the sale as well!). 

The blurb for Switched:
As if being kidnapped by aliens isn't bad enough, Jessie Wyndom discovers they grabbed her by mistake. She wise cracks past her fear especially when she learns she was part of an experiment separating Terran twins before birth. Her twin just took Jessie's place back in Ann Arbor, Michigan while she gets to twiddle her thumbs on an Alliance of Planets starship. The only good part is the hunky captain. Except. He's so unemotional he could be Mr. Spock's double.

Captain Marcus Viator's well-organized life is turned upside down by the free-spirited female from Earth. Problems with the starship prevent him from returning her to her home. Together, they discover treachery and true love.

Revised version of book published in 2001.

20 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for inviting me here today.

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    1. It was our pleasure! Especially loved seeing the wedding photos...

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  2. I enjoyed the post Diane- hope you all had a wonderful anniversary- and No black Friday shopping for me either, I shop online most of the time.

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  3. What a lovely tradition of marrying on Thanksgiving Day! Your granddaughter may want to continue it, but of course putting pressure on her to do so will not be a good idea. Loved the Switched series!

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    1. We'll give g'daughter a choice. No pressure. Thanks, Patty.

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  4. Family get-togethers are always both challenging and exciting for our big crew; they usually happen in summer since we are spread from Hawaii to South Carolina with VA in between. Fun to hear how other families cope. Nice post and happy holidays!

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Wow, your family is spread out. Yes, family get togethers can be challenging. I love seeing my sisters, brother-in-law, niece & her husband. Glad to be home, though.

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  5. What a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition, Diane! Love the photos. Happy anniversary to you and hour hubby, and to your daughter and son-in-law! The Switched series sounds great...will check it out!

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    1. Thanks, Leah. I know sci-fi is not your cup of tea, but it was fun to write.

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  6. Did not know about the Thanksgiving wedding traditions. That really is very cool. Glad you had a nice holiday. The idea of Black Friday shopping gives me the willies. We babysat the youngest grandkids so their parents could jump into the fray. Best of luck with your latest sale!

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    1. Thanks, Margo. No babysitting for us. Just watching a movie during which my sister & BIL fell asleep.

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  7. Happy Anniversary! Enjoyed your post. Best of luck with the sale!

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  8. sounds like a lovely thanksgiving ... Happy Anniversary!
    Good luck and God's blessings
    PamT

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  9. How marvellous- happy anniversary Diane 😊. Love the blurb for Switched, it sounds very original , good luck with the sale. Nicole

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  10. Enjoyed hearing about your wonderful Thanksgiving. It's funny how different all the sisters are. There are 5 girls in my family, and we are all pretty different too. But, I think our differences work well for family gatherings. We all have our specialty areas. My baby sister's specialty used to be that she did nothing except look cute (even when she was nearing forty...LOL), but I'll have to say, she's stepped up the past few years and she contributes as well. :) I love your tradition of weddings on Thanksgiving. That's awesome! What a bargain on Switched. If I didn't already have it, I'd for sure snatch it up.

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    1. LOL at your last sentence, Alicia. Sisters can be different, can't they? My middle sister is slowing down some, but she still can't just sit and talk after a meal.

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