In addition to the usual blog posts
every Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and
day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on
Saturdays, focusing on things related to
writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with
authors
etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on
Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.
* * *
Today I'm featuring Diane Burton and the release of her romantic suspense book, Numbers Never Lie. I love suspense and I'm a sucker for romance, so this sounds like a great read.
Thank you so much Ellen for inviting me to your blog. I’m hoping to meet
Simon the Time Traveling Cat. Is he around?
[Editor's Note: Sorry, Simon isn't here today. He's off chasing lizards. I'll tell him you said hi.]
Ellen and I are members of the
Insecure
Writers Support Group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month. We
can write about our insecurities and successes, ask or give advice. Each month
we have an optional question, in the event we can’t think of something. This
month, I wrote about Life changes—how Life can throw you a curve and set you on
a path you didn’t expect and probably didn’t want to be on. It happens. How we
deal with it is more important.
On Monday, I was on
Maureen
L. Bonatch’s blog and talked about this very thing. Not to repeat a post,
I’d like to touch on a slightly different aspect. When the stresses from family
and/or the paying job get you down, when you had your path all planned out,
suddenly everything changes. You try to handle everything. After all, you know
authors who get up at five in the morning to write, you know or have read about
writers who keep going no matter what Life throws at them.
Some of us just can’t do it all. Stress can keep us from sleeping. So while
we’re dealing with family issues, a spouse losing her/his job, whatever, we find
we can’t write. Your creative muse went on vacation without you. You don’t have
the energy to do it all.
That’s when guilt sets in. You should be writing, but you can’t. You’re
beyond tired, you’re exhausted. “What’s the matter with me?” Others can do it,
why can’t I? Here’s a news flash: you aren’t other writers. None of us know what
they’re going through and what sacrifices they are making. You are you. Put
guilt aside. Don’t worry about the unfinished manuscript. If you’re under
contract, talk to your editor. They’re understanding. They’d rather know sooner
than later. If the deadline is one of your own making, do yourself a favor and
postpone it. Most importantly, shove guilt out the door. The story will be
there, even fifteen years later.
Does it sound like I know about this first hand? It
should. And I had the guilt that accompanied all that stress. But, as I just
said, the story will be there. Fifteen years ago, I started NUMBERS NEVER DIE, a
romantic suspense. Life threw me one of those curves. No, make that three nasty
curves. The story had to be set aside—no energy, creative or otherwise. This
winter, I dragged that story out of floppy disks (remember those?) and finished
that story. I think it’s even better than it would have been fifteen years ago.
NUMBERS NEVER LIE
A Romantic Suspense
By Diane Burton
Release Date: July 9, 2018
Length: approx. 80,000 words
Available at
Amazon http://a.co/gUmO9wZ
Free with Kindle Unlimited
BLURB
A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie.
As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant;
Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Upon returning from
a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe
her brother Jack’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t
investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only
recourse.
Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy
to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in
touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an
accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if
he thinks she’s wrong.
A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s
right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack do that puts Maggie in danger?
EXCERPT
During lunch, Jack asked about the camping equipment in the garage. “I
thought your camping days were over when Trish moved away.”
As it often did, Maggie’s eyes teared up at the thought of Trish Morrow.
They’d been best friends since kindergarten. A natural born leader, Trish could
get anybody to do anything—like conning Maggie into helping with the group of
pre-teen campers. Last summer, after eight months of unemployment, Trish’s
husband took a job in Denver. Trish and the kids followed, and there went the
leader of the group.
“We’ve been meeting,” Maggie said around the lump in her throat.
“Suck-er.” Jack grinned. “How many volunteer jobs do you have now? Little
League umpire, peewee hockey ref, high school girls’ baseball coach—”
“I get paid for that one,” she interrupted. “Can I help it if the girls
wanted to get together to talk?”
“From the camping equipment you were loading into your SUV, it looks like
you’re going to do more than talk.”
She shrugged. “They still want to go to Isle Royale. Their theory is if they
practice camping all summer and into the fall, Trish will come back for the trip
next summer. We’re going on an overnight camping trip tomorrow.”
“You got another mother to help chaperone?”
Maggie grimaced. “Not exactly.”
He dropped his sandwich. “You aren’t taking the girls by yourself? That’s
crazy.”
“Add in irresponsible, brother dear. Which I’m not. I’d never take kids on a
trip without another adult.” She eyed him with an appraising expression.
Jack held up his hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m up to my eyeballs in work.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to ask you, although it did cross my mind.”
“So, who’s helping you with the troop?” Jack pulled a couple of grapes off
the stems and popped them into his mouth.
“Ellen’s dad.”
Jack started to choke. She jumped up ready to do the Heimlich until he
laughed. She considered whacking him on the back on general principle.
“Drew? Drew Campbell? The guy whose idea of casual is loosening his tie?”
At least, Jack’s tired expression was gone. She tapped her short, no-nonsense
fingernails on the table. “I’m so glad I could provide entertainment with
lunch.”
He continued to laugh—almost braying.
“I’m loaning him your sleeping bag and backpack.” She worked hard not to
smirk.
“What! You’re loaning out
my camping equipment?”
“He’s your friend. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Jack started to laugh again. “Oh, God. I wish I could be there to watch.” He
went off again, laughing so hard tears formed until he wiped them away. “Drew
Campbell wimped out of Cub Scouts.”
Numbers Never Lie is available at
Amazon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diane Burton combines her love of mystery,
adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides
writing science fiction romance, she writes romantic suspense, and cozy
mysteries. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children
and five grandchildren.
For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website:
http://www.dianeburton.com
Connect with Diane Burton online at
Blog |
Twitter |
Facebook |
Goodreads |
Pinterest
Sign up for Diane’s new release alert:
http://eepurl.com/bdHtYf
Do you like romantic suspense? Are you going to pick up a copy of Numbers Never Lie? What have you been reading lately?
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