Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 24

Manic Monday: Hello cough 2023!

(Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on pexels.com)

Hello My Happy People,

I know I should have started up my blogs again last Friday, but I came back from New Years in Amsterdam with an unwanted souvenir, the flu. At least it's not CoVid, I've had three negative tests, but at this point it really doesn't make me feel any better because last Friday I think I would have been okay with a coma it hurt so much.

I am better today but we are still going to the doctor tomorrow. It has started sliding into my lungs and I am scheduled for a medical procedure next week and am still hoping I can clear this up so I don't have to postpone it. Honestly, I'm shocked I didn't come home with CoVid. There are no health precautions at all in Amsterdam anymore. The general public seems to be doing well with that, but for someone who is immunocompromised like me, that is pretty dangerous ... C'est la vie.

We do not have another trip planned for a few months, so I have time to build my health back up again. I have two books I need to finish and one I want to begin. The first I think will be part seven Into the West: Family Ties, the final book of The Into the West Sage Serial. I want to finish that and begin the FBI profiler books starting with The Touch. Plus, I'm finally ready to start working on my autobiography, Free Bad Haircuts with Each Craniotomy, talking about my neurological conditions, the brain surgeries, and my continual recovery ... it's time.

But for now, I'm going back to bed. I hope your holidays were amazing and the new year has started out better for you than for me! (Update: I fixed the typos I noticed, it's hard to read and cough at the same time.)

Go forth and be happy, people!

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

Season 2 Begins February 1st!

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on January 09, 2023 11:37

Friday Funnies: Holiday Break & Jokes!

Hello My Happy People,

Today is going to be the last blog until January 6th. I am going to take a break from everything to spend some quality holiday time with my family. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with your own families and friends.

In the meantime, I want to share this last collection of Dad Jokes to start our holiday break off right. Be sure to check out the replays of some of our most popular author interviews with Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt while we are on hiatus and prepping for Season two coming the first Wednesday of February 2023. We are working on scheduling more amazing guests and upgrading equipment to make season two better than ever. See you in 2023!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and Best Wishes for the coming year!

Dianne and Everyone at Burckhardt Books

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

A: Frosty-flakes.

Q: Where do Mr. & Mrs. Frosty go to celebrate New Years Eve?

A: The snowball.

Q: Why does everyone love Frosty the Snowman?

A: Because he's so cool.

Q: What's Santa's favorite candy?

A: Jolly ranchers.

Q: Why does Santa Claus go down chimneys instead of using doors on Christmas Eve?

A: Because chimneys soot him better.

Q: What did copy editors call Santa's helpers?

A: Subordinate Clauses.

Q: What do elves use to clean Santa's sleigh the day after Christmas?

A: Santa-tizer.

Q: What do Santa's little helpers like to eat on a winter day?

A: Elf-abet soup!

Q: What do baby elves learn in Kindergarten?

A: The elf-abet.

Q: What did Santa say to the elves when he saw their Christmas tree?

A: It looks good, but you could Spruce it up.

Q: What subject do elves love to study in school?

A: Chemistree.

And last but not least ...

Q: What do people have if they are afraid of Santa Claus?

A: Claus-trophobia.

The Night Before Christmas (Cartoon) 1968https://youtu.be/XatT0kJIhAc

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on December 23, 2022 11:00

Book Banter EP 45: Christmas Stories

Hello My Happy People,

Today in the finale of season one of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, I share some of my favorite Christmas movies with you. I have always liked some of the traditionally popular ones, but my favorites have always been a bit more obscure. Afterward, I'm going to read a Christmas short story I wrote as a tie-in to my Into the West Saga Serial.

I want to thank you all for listening to the podcast during this inaugural season of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt. It has been such a fun experience for me as I learned how to do a podcast and continually worked to do it better. I plan to continue working on cleaning up some more technical issues during the holiday break so season two will be even better.

From everyone here at Burckhardt Books, we wish you all the most joyous of holiday seasons no matter what it is you celebrate this time of year. May the New Year bring you nothing but peace, happiness, and success in your endeavors.

Merry Christmas,

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on December 21, 2022 11:10

Manic Monday: Christmas Markets!

Hello My Happy People,

It is no secret that I am not big on typical Christmas traditions normally. When I was living back in Kansas, I would wait until Christmas Eve to put up a tree, I had Chinese food for Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve and would spend the night watching horror movies. What can I say? I'm an odd duck.

But then I met and married my husband who happens to LOVE everything about Christmas. I now live in a house where the Christmas tree and all the decorations go up with the first day of advent and do not come down until the epiphany in January. P.R. wants to watch traditional Christmas movies and do all the things that go along with the holiday ... yay ...

I did manage to negotiate keeping my traditional Chinese food on Christmas Eve and we watch Die Hard as the first Christmas movie of the night. Then on Christmas day it's a turkey or goose for P.R. and a veggie roast for me and LOTS of homemade eggnog ... heavy on the bourbon.

I will say one tradition I can totally get behind is the Christmas markets here in Germany. I love getting roasted chestnuts and a cup of hot Glühwein (mulled wine). Something about that just seems so out of a Dickens novel to me. Walking around the old part of town you can smell the candied nuts being made and see all the handcrafted gifts for sale. It is almost enough to make me forget I don't like normal holiday traditions.

Whatever it is you enjoy this time of year, I hope this year will be your best holiday season ever no matter if you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Yule or any of the other holidays that happen this time of year. Even if you don't celebrate anything at all, I hope this is the best December of your life!

Happy Holidays, People!

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. (coming in season 2) LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on December 19, 2022 11:00

Friday Funnies: Christmas Jokes

Hello My Happy People,

I don't know about you but I am starting to look forward to Christmas. My bonus daughter Mary, will be here next week and I will be taking time off from everything to spend quality time with her and my family.

We have so many great things planned and I am really looking forward to it. I am recording a special podcast for next wednesday to end season one with. I hope you will join me to close out what has been a fantastic year for me, setting up my recording studio, figuring out how to do a podcast, and speaking with so many great authors. I can't wait to share season two with you. It is already shaping up to be bigger and better! You will not want to miss out!

Why not join my mailing list? I never spam you, I'm too lazy to create enough content to do that. You can quit at anytime, no strings attached ... ever! With the mailing list, you get freebies and you always know when there are new podcasts, blogs, and most important ... book releases!

Until next week, have a lovely weekend!

Dianne

Q: What did the wise men say after they gave Mary the gold and frankincense?

A: But wait ... there's myrrh!.

Q: What is it called when Santa get scared if he gets stuck in a chimney?

A: Claus-trophobia!

Q: What do you call an elf who refuses to make toys and quits Santa's workshop?

A: A rebel without a Claus!

Q: What do you call a ghost reindeer?

A: A Cari-boo!

Q: What do you say when a snowman has an angry fit?

A: He had a meltdown.

Q: Why do reindeer like the rocker Pink so much?

A: She sleighs!

Q: What carols do grapes sing at Christmas?

A: 'Tis the season to be jelly.

Q: What's the difference between the normal alphabet and the Christmas alphabet?

A: The Christmas alphabet has Noel in it.

Q: What did the gingerbread man put under his quilt on the bed?

A: A cookie sheet!

Q: Who is never hungry at the holidays?

A: The turkey, because he’s always stuffed.

Q: What did Santa name his dog?

A: Santa Paws!

Q: Where do Santa's reindeer meet for coffee?

A: At the local Star-bucks!

And last but not least ...

Q: What’s the absolute best Christmas present?

A: A broken drum ... you just can’t beat it!

50 Christmas Jokes

Sandy Allnock's Artventure

https://youtu.be/z1mU-Hu09NQ

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes (coming in season two) LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 16, 2022 11:00

Book Banter EP 44: Top 10 Gifts for Indie Authors

Hello My Happy People,

Today I had to do a quick change up. If you follow me on TikTok, you know the promo for this week's podcast stated I would be interviewing bestselling romance author LM Wilson. Unfortunately, a serious family emergency came up for Wilson the morning of the interview and we had to reschedule her interview for the beginning of season two in February.

I tried to hit up a few other friends for a quick substitution but with the all the holidays, everyone's schedule is filled. Since we are getting so close to Christmas and other gift giving holidays, I thought a list of potential gifts for the indie author in your life might be helpful. I did a lot of digging around on the internet and came up with some great suggestions to fit any budget from $0 to $200 and up depending on the package deal you get.

So head on over to your favorite podcast hosting site (or just click the microphone below) and listen now!

Happy Holiday's People,

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. (coming in season two) LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 14, 2022 11:10

Manic Monday: 13 Day to Christmas!

Hello My Happy People,

I hope you are all done with your Christmas shopping and just sitting back, enjoying the holiday season. I feel like time is just getting away from me everyday. I need days to have about 30 hours, I think, to do everything I want to do in a single day.

I still need to finish doing a few things around the house to get ready for my bonus daughter, Mary, to come for Christmas. I need to figure out what I am going to cook for me for a vegetarian Christmas main dish, P.R. and Mary (and most likely Shaggy too) are going to share a goose. I have books to write, podcasts to record and blogs to write and schedule them all for publishing during the holidays. I want to get everything done as soon as possible so I can just spend time with my family. It just makes me tired thinking about everything left on my To Do list.

I am sure many people are thinking, why not just skip the blogs and podcasts over the holidays? Honestly, I don't want to skip them because I do not want to lose the momentum I have been gaining lately. I have seen an increase in website visits of about 170-200% increase weekly. I am hoping at some point that will translate into more book sales and finally making an actual profit, something I have yet to do. Plus, I'm too obsessive/compulsive to just skip things like that. I might forget to do them, but I rarely just skip doing them.

This week on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, I have another new interview with bestselling romance author, LM Wilson. She is in Australia so the time difference was a bear to figure out when we were setting up this interview. Luckily, there are charts online where you can look up the conversions. I will be up at 6:30AM to set up the studio to interview her at 7AM here in Germany. I am sure those of you who know me, know I am NOT now NOR will I ever be a morning person. This interview will be 100% fueled by Lavazza coffee! I wonder if they would consider being a sponsor?

It will be interesting if my natural accent sneaks out like it usually does when I'm tired. The "neutral midwest" accent I speak with now was cultivated carefully over the years. I worked in broadcast for a short while and had considered going that career direction at one point. That is the accent which is usually preferred in broadcast. But when I get tired, oh Lord! My original natural accent starts to creep back in. I can start y'allin' and ferin' all over the place. It could be fixin' to be an interesting interview! I am a born and bred Kansan, but at times my accent was so heavy as a kid that people asked me if I was from Eastern Texas.

Next wednesday, I will be broadcasting the final episode for season one of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt. I will be reading a Christmas story I wrote that ties into the seventh and final Into the West Saga Serial book, Into the West: Family Ties. In fact, I think parts of it will make it into part 7, just not sure how right now.

So much to do and running out of time to do it all ... as per my usual! Keep watching these blogs to see just what I can get done before Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

LM Wilson, author of The Last of the Spirit Drakes. (Episode 44: Dec. 14, 2022) LM Wilson's Amazon author page Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Germany) Buy ,The Last of the Spirit Drakes on Amazon.de (Australia) Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. (Episode 43: Dec. 7, 2022) Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on December 12, 2022 11:00

Friday Funnies: SciFi Fun!

Hello My Happy People,

I am just busy, busy, busy this week but I want to get so much stuff done before my bonus daughter Mary, gets here for Christmas. I plan to take time off to just hang out with her since we only have her for two weeks this visit.

I hope you checked out my podcast interview this week with Sci Fi author Kira Hagen where we talked about her first book, Strangelings. She read a bit from her book and we talked about her inspiration for her book and what she has planned for the entire run of her "space opera".

I also hope to do some baking this week. I got canned pumpkin a few weeks ago because I was craving pumpkin bread and I have yet to getting around to making it. Though I probably have need to make a cheesecake first, P.R. has been craving that for months and I have yet to make that either. I need longer days (or a maid)!

I am working on a few things I will share here in a week or so, so keep watching the blogs and my social media as new and excitings things develop for Burckhardt Books.

But for now ...

it's time for some jokes!!!

Enjoy,

Dianne

Q: What kind of flowers grow in outer space?

A: Cosmos.

Q: Why do Ewoks have so much hair?

A: Fur protection!

Q: Do you think there is intelligent life on Mars?

A: Sure, you don’t see them spending billions of dollars to come here, do you?

Q: What do you get if you cross Star Wars and a country singer?

A: Darth Brooks

Q: What fast food do the Borg love?

A: Borger King!

Q: What kind of cares do Borg drive?

A: A Nissan Cube

Q: Which side of an Ewok has the most hair?

A: The Outside!

Q: How do you know if you have a galactic apple?

A: If it has a worm hole in it!

Q: Why can’t two Doctors be together?

A: That would create a pair-o-docs!

Q: How do Ewoks communicate over long distances?

A: They use Ewokie Talkies

And last but not least ...

Q: Why are Jedi never lonely?

A: Because the Force is always with them!

https://youtu.be/hjtr3_L6qGA

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany) Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

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Published on December 09, 2022 11:00

Book Banter EP 43: Kira Hagen SciFi Author

Hello Happy People,Dianne is joined today by her friend, author Kira Hagen. Kira has published her first book, Strangeling, Children of the Broken Dawn book 1 and is receiving great reviews. You can find her on Amazon (links below).Kira shares her inspiration for this series and her plans for part two, which she is working on now. She blends folk lore and legends from many cultures and mixes them with scientific explanations to build a world that is both imaginative and entertaining.Kira reads a bit from book one to give you a good example of her humor and the creativity she brings to her writing. If you love sci-fi, you do not want to miss this show. Listen now.Enjoy,

Dianne

^ Click to listen now ^

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne:

,Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author What is a ,Chiari Malformation, a ,Syrinx (Syringomyelia), and ,Hydrocephalus? Want to know more about the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt? Check out ,Episode 1: Who Am I?

Support Our Book Banter Buddies (guest interviews):

Kira Hagen, author of Strangeling. Kira Hagen Amazon author page Buy Strangeling on Amazon.com (USA) Buy Strangeling on Amazon.de (Germany) Sonali Dev, author of The Vibrant Years. (Episode 42: Nov. 30, 2022) Sonali Dev's website Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.com (USA) Buy ,The Vibrant Years, on Amazon.de (Germany)

Past Guest Interviews:

,Mark L. Redmond website: The Box M Gang (Episode 8: March 23, 2022) ,Buy The Box M Gang on Amazon ,DJ Jamison, Amazon Author Page (Episodes 21 & 22: July 6 & 13, 2022) ,Two Truths and a Lyle free book promotion ,Allie "Book Historia" Alvis website (Episodes 23, 24, & 25: July 20 & 27, Aug 3, 2022) ,Bite Sized Book History - YouTube Channel ,Lisa Sillaway "Social Media Professor" (Episodes 26 & 27: Aug 10 & 17, 2022) ,Social Media Professor on Facebook Kara Vogt from ,Kavo Creative Studio (Episodes 32 & 33: Sept. 21 & 28, 2022) ,Wise Oak Soapery website ,Wise Oak Soapery on Facebook Carrie Donovan - writer/musician (Episode 37, October 26, 2022) ,Walpurgisnacht ,,- short story ,Backyard Whiskers - Rockabilly Band Webpage ,Children of the Corn - Band Video Carrie and the Dirty Pillows - Band Video

Support Us:

It's even easier now to support Burckhardt Books and our Book Banter Podcast, many options are no cost to you. ,Click here for more information.

View more on Stephen Burckhardt's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 07, 2022 11:10

Manic Monday: The Shocking truth ...

Hello My Happy People,

When I changed this blog to "Manic Mondays" I had no idea how prophetic that name would be. Today is a good example. I am so far behind in work today because this weekend we developed an electrical problem in our apartment. One of the fuses kept popping off and we kept resetting it, but then it started to spark a little.

Sparks and electrical lines are never good, so of course we let the landlord know. We had been smelling a dead fish smell in the apartment, but we thought it was just our dog passing gas as I had fed him some raw salmon that day. Turns out it was not our dog (I apologize for blaming him), apparently that smell can be an indication that the insulation on electrical wires are overheating.

We unplugged everything that was nonessential and waited for the electrician to show up today to check it all out. Turns out our fuses were not the main problem, the insulation on the wires was virtually gone. Lucilky, we got an electrician here before anything really bad happened. When you live in an old building with old wiring, this can be an issue.

I did lose the whole day of work (I couldn't even play Fortnite to kill the time). I tried for a very short time to use my computer while we waited for the electrician. I unplugged everything else in my office, but even doing that the power drain was still too much. My computer kept shutting off and then it started flashing. That freaked me out. I decided to shut down and unplugged it too so as not to damage it.

I am back up and running now (obviously) and I will be getting this week's podcast edited tonight. I was able to connect with my guest author last week and do the interview ahead of time so I have plenty of time to edit before Wednesday. Thank goodness! I really want you all to meet his author, my friend Kira Hagen.

This week on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, Kira joins me to talk about her new sci-fi novel Strangeling, Children of the Broken Dawn, Band 1. This is Kira's debut novel and it's really good. To give you a brief idea of what her book is about, I thought I would quote the opening of the description on Amazon.com (

Kira does an incredible job blending her own creative storytelling with myths and legends from around the world. Her characters are relatable and realistic even though many are becoming creatures of lore. If you like sci-fi/fantasy, you need to check out Strangling and listen to our chat this Wednesday on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt.

Now I need to go finish the podcast, add in opening and closing bits, and clean up noise as best as I can (you will hear Kira's birds in the podcast, it was funny and led to an interesting bit about her book), and adjust sound levels. Even fairly clean interviews can take a lot of technical work to get it ready to go. Good thing I love doing all of this!

So I'm off to finish up some work, now it's time for you to go forth and have a great week, people!

Enjoy!

Dianne

,Podcast Links

Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.

Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:

BurckhardtBooks.com/podcast ,Buzzsprout ,Apple Podcasts ,Spotify ,Amazon Music

Burckhardt Books Pages:

,Subscribe to Our Newsletter ,Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and listen to our Book Banter Interview Archive) ,Writing Prompt Challenge (Rules, prompts, and submission links on Writing Prompt Challenge page)

About Dianne: