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Peaceful view--Florida Gulf of Mexico
Photo by J.Q. Rose |
September 21 is International Day of Peace
declared by the United Nations Resolutions.
"Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples." --United Nations
We can all work toward peace within our families, neighborhoods, communities, regions, countries. Wishing you peace within your heart.
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Fellow author and Michigander, Diane Burton, is my guest today. Well, actually her character, Sara Grenard is here. She is the main character
and narrator of Diane Burton’s new science fiction romance novella, Mission
to New Earth. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway found at the bottom of the page to win a $10. Amazon gift card.
Hello, Sara. Thank you for visiting today, Please introduce yourself.
My name is
Sara Grenard. I’m commander of the mission to Serenity. That’s the name my team
gave to the Goldilocks planet that might be just right for humans. We’ll
explore, build a settlement, and start families.
Tell us about your family?
I don’t have one.
A few distant cousins, I guess. I have no sibs, and my parents were killed in
an auto accident 10 years ago. That made it easier to leave everything behind
to go on a one-way trip to a new planet. Although I have no blood family, my
team is my family. The six of us have
bonded better than relatives.
Are you athletic?
You bet. I
can’t sit still. That’s why teaching wasn’t my best choice of occupations.
Why didn’t you continue teaching?
A student who
was much bigger attacked me. My principal didn’t support me, so I filed a
police report. That didn’t go over well. I figured it was a losing battle. When
I saw that the United Earth Space Agency was looking for volunteers to go on a
one-way trip to new planets, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. To be a
pioneer.
What’s your favorite sport?
To watch?
Baseball. I know, seems contradictory with me not being able to sit still. But
Dad liked to watch the Detroit Tigers on TV, and I loved that time with him. As
far as participating, I love surfing and swimming. Running and taekwondo. The latter I learned so I
could defend myself. No one will ever attack me again and get away with it.
What’s the best part of being an
astronaut?
The
challenge. Our training has been demanding. Mentally, physically, emotionally.
We’re going to make sure humankind has a safe place if an evacuation is
necessary. From all the crises on Earth, that may be necessary sooner than we
think.
Here are the
deets about Diane Burton’s Mission to New Earth.
Genre: science fiction romance
Release date: August 31, 2016
Length: 88 pages (25k words)
Back of the Book: Mission to New Earth
Would you go on a one-way trip to
explore a new planet? Would you do it to save humankind?
Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling
resources force the United Earth Space Agency to expedite exploration of new
planets for a possible new home. When new crises ensue—a giant tsunami and the
threat of nuclear winter—the timeline changes. Eight years of training crammed
into four. Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, but are they ready for
the one-way trip? Will the Goldilocks planet prove just right for Earth’s
inhabitants? Before time runs out.
Excerpt:
From the pictures sent
back by the probe of the Earth-like planet we named Serenity, our new home
would look as natural as Earth itself. I wanted so badly to believe the reports
that the surface would have breathable air, that we would be able to walk
outside without our enviro suits, that we could live there as we lived on
Earth. After two years in an enclosed environment, I was going a little
stir-crazy. More than a little. Being an outdoor girl, cabin fever had hit me a
lot sooner than the others. Rather, I used to be an outdoor girl.
So how did a California
beach girl like me end up on Saturn’s moon, preparing to make history? It was a
long story, best reserved for a starlit night in front of a campfire
overlooking the dark waters of the sea, and accompanied by a cool glass of
wine. With Marsh, of course. Even he didn’t know my whole story. Just like I
didn’t know his.
The short version: I
volunteered. Slightly longer version: my parents died in a car accident;
teaching bratty kids sucked, especially when a kid eight inches taller and a
hundred pounds heavier attacked me, and the principal didn’t support me.
Believe me, I was ready for a change.
And what a change.
I never imagined I’d be
selected. Not when over fifty thousand applied within ten hours. Or so I heard.
Out of five hundred thousand applicants, the eighteen of us became the chosen
teams. Oh, not as easy as that. The tests they put us through—physical,
psychological, intellectual—still boggled my mind.
And I used to think
teaching high school kids with more money than smarts was a challenge. Nothing
prepared me for the adventure of a lifetime.
Being a pioneer.
About the Author:
Diane Burton combines her
love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic
fiction. Besides the science fiction romance
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Author Diane Burton |
Switched and Outer Rim series,
she is the author of One Red Shoe, a
romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mystery series. She is also a
contributor to two anthologies: Portals,
Volume 2 and How I Met My Husband.
Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and three
grandchildren.
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newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bdHtYf
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