Today's guest is not new to us. Diane has shared thoughts and treasures with us and been in our spotlight before. Today we get a peek into her newest release, Rescuing Mara's Father, a Middle Grade Science Fiction Adventure novel.
3 friends, a hidden starship, a quest
Her father is gone! Taken by the Queen of Compara’s agents. Mara has to rescue him before the Queen tortures and kills him.
Instead of the kind, loving father she’s always known, he’s become demanding, critical, with impossible expectations—not just as Father but also as the only teacher in their frontier outpost. Mara would rather scoop zircan poop than listen to another boring lecture about governments on Central Planets. Give her a starship engine to take apart or, better yet, fly, and she’s happy. Now, he’s gone.
Never mind, they’ve had a rocky road lately.
Never mind, Father promised she could go off planet to Tech Institute next month when she turns fifteen, where she’ll learn to fly starships.
Never mind, she ran away because she’s furious with himbecause he reneged on that promise. Father is her only parent. She has to save him.
Along with her best friend, eleven-year-old Jako, and his brother 15-year-old Lukus, Mara sets off to find her father. Her mentor, old spaceport mechanic, seems to know why the Queen captured Father. In fact, he seems to know her father well. But, does he tell her everything? Of course not. He dribbles out info like a mush-eating baby. Worse, he indicates he’ll be leaving them soon. And Lukus can’t wait to get off their planet. Mara’s afraid they will all leave, and she’ll be on her own. Despite her fears, Mara has to rescue her father.
Excerpt:
“Sit, Mara.”
Basco’s quiet order stops me. His tone has such force I do as he says. “Jako
gave you good advice that you should heed. You need a plan.”
“But we’re
wasting time sitting here. What if the ship takes off? Call Dockmaster and—and
tell him to delay the ship.”
He glances away
from me. “The ship is gone.”
“No.” Despair
crashes down on me. I slump against the wall. “We’ll never find him. We don’t
know where they’re taking him. They’re Coalition. They could take him
anywhere.”
“We are not
going after your father,” Basco says.
“What?” I cry.
“He gave me
explicit instructions to get you to safety if this situation ever arose.”
“Why would he do
that? How could he even know the Coalition would come after him?”
Basco sighs.
“His actions from long ago have caught up with him. Now, the forces of a
powerful person have found him.”
I’m still
anxious to get going, to do something, to find Father. “What did he do? Who’s
after him?”
“That’s not
important now.”
“Yes, it is,” I
persist. “How can I know what we’re up against if I don’t have all the facts?”
That’s what Father always told me. Get all the facts. “Who is after him?”
“Queen Bormella
of Compara.”
“What?” Jako and
I whisper-shout in unison.
“The Queen wants
Father? Why?”
Basco eyes me as
if trying to make up his mind what to say. I can almost see him come to a
conclusion. “Taking Grendarus is a means to an end. The person she really wants
is you.”
I gasp. “Me? Why
me?”
“She has her
reasons. That is why I have to take you to a safe place.”
“Forget going to
some safe place. I’m going after Father.”
Basco gives me a
long look. “Do you realize that if you try to rescue Grendarus, the Queen could
take you?”
“So?”
“Mara.” Lukus
finally speaks. “Didn’t you pay attention to anything Teacher said about
Compara? About what Bormella does to prisoners?”
I hate that he
reminds me. Of course, I remember the lectures on corrupt governments among the
Central Planets, especially Compara. But that was just lectures. Words about
places as far away and as removed from us as storybook tales.
Now it’s real.
Father is Queen Bormella’s enemy. Hang on, how would she even know him? We live
out on the Frontier. How could he be her enemy? Stars and asteroids, she
tortures and executes her enemies. If she wants me, I must be her enemy, too.
Fear for Father, fear for myself overwhelm me. I slide down the wall and
struggle to breathe.
“Don’t you get
it, Mara?” Jako says. “She’ll torture you . . . or worse.”
The first time D.M. Burton saw Star
Wars IV: A New Hope, she was hooked on science fiction and space travel.
The Star Trek movies made her want to
travel to other planets. Alas, she is still Earth-bound. D.M. and her husband
live in Michigan, close to their two children and fivegrandchildren.
Join D.M. Burton's readers’ group on Facebook.
For more info and excerpts, visit D.M.’s website: http://www.dmburton.com
She writes adult fiction as Diane Burton, whereshe 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.
For more info and excerpts from
her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com
Connect with Diane Burton
online.
Website:http://www.dianeburton.com
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Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
