Celebrating Diversity

This is my first post here and I’m thrilled to be part of this group. We’re all romantics—just a little weird. No, wait. We’re not weird, our stories are. Oops, not weird exactly. Different. Yes, that’s a better word. We think beyond the ordinary, beyond the “normal”—whatever normal is.

We are a diverse group. We write about space adventures, were-folks (so many different combinations of shape shifters), vampires, elves, dragons. The list is endless. The stories within each subgroup are as diverse as the writers themselves.

I write space adventures—from twins separated before birth (yes, you read that

correctly) then switching places in the Switched series to adventures on the frontier of space, the Outer Rim. My love of space began with Alan Shepard’s first flight beyond our atmosphere. I remember watching the television transfixed by the launches of each flight. And the day Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, holy cow. Each liftoff was scary and exciting at the same time. Men, and later women, venturing into the unknown. How thrilling was that! News reporters, anxious to fill time, gave statistics while scientists explained how the rockets worked and what the flights would be like. But they didn't go into what these first explorers were feeling. That was left to imagination.

Then the public’s interest waned. Another space flight? Ho, hum. Not for me. My imagination—always a little weird—took off on more adventures. Then Star Wars hit the movie screens. OMG, if I hadn’t been hooked before, I was then. What an adventure. But when the first Star Trek movie came out, I was so bummed. I’d loved the original series, but that movie was almost excruciating to watch. Sooo sloooow. The producers made up for it with The Wrath of Khan. That was more like it. A fast moving adventure, filled with danger and enough humor to make things interesting. J.J. Abrams’ revival of the franchise has brought back the adventure and humor of the original series. I can’t wait to see what he does with Star Wars.

Science fiction movies have changed over the years, just as movie goers have changed. So too sf books. There are purists who insist on sticking with the roots of the classics. Just as there’s an audience for classic sf, science fiction romance appeals to a different audience. Each of us who write sfr take our characters in different directions. Our "science" goes from light (mine) to more complicated and heavy with detail. Each appeals to different readers at different times. Sometimes I enjoy reading heavily-ladened science fiction. Other times I'm in the mood for something lighter.  Celebrating our differences, enjoying the diversity of writing allows so many more readers to discover the possibilities.

While my most recent book is a romantic suspense, I haven’t given up my love of space adventures. I’m currently writing the second book in the Outer Rim series about strong women on the frontier of space. Adventure and romance. What a combination.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing science fiction romance. Besides the Switched series, she is the author of The Pilot, a series about strong women on the frontier of space. One Red Shoe is her first romantic suspense. 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 two grandchildren.

           For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

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