The Case of the Meddling Mama by Diane Burton #AHAgrp #MFRWauthor

Today I have my friend and author, Diane Burton visiting. She shares an interesting thought on mother-in-laws. I have to admit that my relationship with my mother-in-law was not the best. How about yours?

​Mothers-in-Law
 
Women have always had different relationships with their husband’s mother than with their own mothers. Some are great, while some are more difficult than others. My family loves my husband. My dad thought he was super since they spoke the same language—engines and DIY projects. Hubs’ parents always treated me well. On the other hand, my mother’s parents never thought my dad was good enough for their daughter. My mother-in-law’s mother-in-law lived with them for twenty-five years. After that experience, she always said she’d never move in with us.
 
I’m fortunate that my daughter-in-law and I get along well. In fact, we have a great relationship. She, our son, their toddler daughter, and two big dogs lived with us for two months this summer while looking for a house. When they left, while I appreciated the quiet, I missed them, especially my DIL.
 
So. what if your mother-in-law moved in with you? Would you rejoice or freak out? I suppose it would depend on your relationship with her and the reason she moved in. Is she easy to get along with? Or does she butt in on your relationship with her son? Is she super-critical? Is no one good enough for her son? Does she have to move in because she can’t afford (or is afraid) to live alone? Can she no longer care for herself?
 
What if you had no warning? What if she arrives, saying she’s left her husband, and is moving in with you?
 
That’s the situation in The Case of the Meddling Mama. Nick’s mother just shows up, announcing she’s left Nick’s dad and is moving in until she finds her own place. Alex (Alexandra) O’Hara, private investigator, always had a good relationship with Nick Palzetti’s mother. Though stunned at his mother’s decision, Nick doesn’t see any problem with “business as usual” with regard to his living with Alex. She refuses to sleep with him with his mother down the hall. But when he leaves on assignment, she’s left with his mother. It’s a good thing she has two easy cases to take her mind off Alex’s shaky relationship with Nick—and his mother. A philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend.

Excerpt:
 
“Alexandra, is that you?” Maria Palzetti, Nick’s mom and self-appointed office manager, called out as I came in through the back door of the agency.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“It is I,” Maria corrected as she bustled down the hall. Short and a little on the plump side, she always looked stylish. Today, she wore a floral infinity scarf over a soft lavender short-sleeve sweater and a gray skirt. Her salt-and-pepper hair framed her face on which she wore light make-up. “Always remember to use proper English.”
“Yes, Mother,” I said, hoping my grin would take the sting out of my smart-aleck response. After Mom died, Maria had become the closest thing to a mother, even though she never tried to take Mom’s place. Actually, she was my mother-in-law—she just didn’t know it.
And I wasn’t saying.
 
The Case of the Meddling Mama is the third in the Alex O’Hara mystery series. It’s available at:
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords
​

---

About the author:
 
Diane Burton grew up in the Detroit-area. After moving several times around the Midwest because of her husband’s job, they retired in West Michigan, in a Lake Michigan resort town similar to the fictional one in the Alex O’Hara mystery series.
Diane 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. She is also a contributor to two anthologies: Portals, Volume 2 and How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband have two children and three (soon to be five) 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
​

---

Thank you, Diane, for stopping by. I wish you much success with your book!

Connie