I'm amazed over and over again by the wonderful books available for young people compared to the number of titles I had access to at the MG grade level and especially science fiction stories. I don't usually include excerpts when I have guests on my blog, but this short one from Diane is too good to not include. Take it away D.M.
Thanks, Susan, for inviting me to share my new release, Rescuing
Mara’s Father, a science fiction
adventure. This was my first attempt at writing juvenile fiction (suitable
for age 9 & up). My older grandchildren (ages 9 and 12) have always known I
write fiction and that they have to grow up before they can read my books. An
idea popped into my head about a teen girl living with her father on the
frontier of space, the Outer Rim. I was busy writing the fourth book in my
Outer Rim series, a science fiction romance and ignored the idea. But each
night before I went to sleep, the story of the girl and her father returned.
Sometimes, a writer has to listen to her Muse.
Every writer knows that somedays the writing flows, you’re
“in the zone.” And other days, it’s a struggle. Writing about Mara and her
father seemed to flow, most of the time. I’m a pantser, writing by the seat of
my pants, instead of a plotter. Generally, I know what will happen in the
story. The big, black moment in this story gave me fits. I think I rewrote it
five times. But once I found the right scene, the rest of the book flowed.
My grandchildren are reading the book now. Grandson (9) says
it’s a lame title. He offered to help with the next story. 😊 He’s nothing if not outspoken. I hope my
younger readers (and their parents) enjoy Rescuing Mara’s Father.
Blurb:
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 him because 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
“There you are!” Jako kneels next
to me, his urgent voice and torchlight in my eyes wake me up.
I gasp, my heart racing. I must
have fallen asleep. I was dreaming about being chased.
“I’ve been looking all over for
you!” He lowers his torch and scoots back.
As I sit up, I shove my hair out of
my eyes. My braid came undone while I was sleeping. Automatically, I reach up
and use my fingers to comb through my long hair. Jako is breathing hard and
heat rises off his small body.
“Why were you looking for me?” I
ask as I rebraid my hair.
“I was afraid they got you, too.” He
gasps for breath. “I didn’t see you when they took him on board, so I ran back
to your house. The Dunpus brothers were laughing about how the goons hauled you
away, screaming and crying. I knew they were lying. You wouldn’t cry.” His eyes
grow wide. “You should’ve seen their ship, Mara. It was so cool. It was a—”
“Hold on. Took who?”
“Isn’t that why you came up here?
To get away from them?”
“Them who?” I might be awake, but
my mind is still muzzy. “Slow down. You aren’t making any sense.”
Jako grabs my arm. “Your father,
Mara. Coalition goons arrested your father.”
Buy links:
About the Author:
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 five grandchildren.
Join D.M. Burton's
readers’ group on Facebook.
She writes adult
fiction as Diane Burton, where she 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.
Connect with Diane Burton
online.
How cool would it be to live on the Outer Rim? I bet the stars are beautiful out there. Did a movie or book hook you on a particular genre? Can you beat Diane's five rewrites on a scene?
WINDY HOLLOW
Tara Tyler has had a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After moving all over the US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her husband and one boy left in the nest. She has two series, Pop Travel (sci-fi detective thrillers) and Beast World (fantasy adventures), plus her UnPrincess novella series where the maidens save themselves. She's a commended blogger, contributed to several anthologies, and to fit in all these projects, she economizes her time, aka the Lazy Housewife—someday she might write a book on that... Make every day an adventure!
