~ Hey There, I've Got A Mission For You...MISSION TO NEW EARTH ~

I'll give you the details on that mission in a second. First, let's meet Marsh Rayburn...

[Interviewer whispers] OMG, would you look at this guy? Six feet two inches of fabulous male. I swear there isn’t an inch of fat on him. And those shoulders. A mile wide, at least. Dreamy dark eyes, dark hair. [regular voice] Marsh, come on in.

[Interviewer whispers] He has a loose-limbed walk, almost a swagger. And when we shook hands . . . OMG, his clasp was warm and firm and made me feel like I’m the most important person in the world and he would take care of me. [regular voice] Ladies and gentleman, I’d like you to meet Marsh Rayburn, second in command of the Mission to New Earth. Marsh, have a seat. Welcome.

Marsh: Thank you. I’m happy to be here to tell your readers about our mission to find a planet conducive to humanity. This is an exciting venture by the United Earth Space Agency. Three planets have been identified in the so-called Goldilocks zone where it’s not too hot, not too cold, but just the right environment for humans. Our team—

Interviewer: Hang on, Marsh. We want to know about you, not your mission. Tell us about yourself.

Marsh: [shifts uncomfortably] What do you want to know? 

Interviewer: We want to know about Marsh the man, not the astronaut. 

Marsh: I’d rather talk about the mission. With all the crises on Earth, it’s imperative that we find an alternate planet, in case of evacuation.

Interviewer [snorts]: Like that’s going to happen. C’mon, Marsh, throw me a bone here. Tell us where you grew up.

Marsh: [shakes head] I’m afraid Earth is on its last legs. We have screwed up this planet big time.

Interviewer [shoots a warning look]

Marsh: Okay, okay. I grew up on the family farm in Nebraska. Played basketball in high school. Got a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Graduated with an engineering degree. Joined the Navy then volunteered for the New Earth mission. Listen, I’d rather talk about the mission.

Interviewer [shakes finger at him]: Uh, uh, uh. Tell us about your family.

Marsh: [deep sigh] I’m the oldest of eight—even split, four boys, four girls. Like my parents, they’re all farmers. My brothers have taken over the family farm so Dad could retire. My sisters married farmers. Together they have fourteen kids.

Interviewer: Then you’re the only one who isn’t married and isn’t a farmer. How does your family feel about you going off on a one-way trip to . . . what’s the name of that planet? Serenity?

Marsh: That’s right. Our team named our destination planet Serenity to convey our hope of a serene life for its inhabitants. My family would rather I stay here on Earth.

Interviewer: Wow. Not too supportive, huh? How did your upbringing influence who you are today?

Marsh: My parents drilled into us a sense of responsibility and service. I think they meant service to the community, but I took it to mean service to our country—the United Americas—and to Earth itself.

Interviewer: Okay, let’s get down to the best part. What was your first thought when you met Sara Grenard?

Marsh [smiles broadly]: I took one look into those gorgeous blue eyes, and I was a goner.

Interviewer: Why did you fall for her?

Marsh [still grinning]: She is one kick-ass woman. I’d seen her during initial training at White Sands, New Mexico. She has a quiet, efficient way of getting people to work together. That’s why she’s commander of our mission, not me. I’m a my way or the highway kind of guy. Anyway, during training, she pinned me to the mat and laid a sizzling kiss on me. I knew then I’d met my future mate.

Interviewer: Whew. Is it getting hot in here? [clears throat] Why did you choose to go on this mission?

Marsh: Figured I had a lot to offer the team. I wanted to make a difference. That probably sounds hokey. I’d been in a few fire fights while I was in the SEALS. I wanted to do something good for humankind.

Interviewer: Doesn’t sound hokey to me. So tell me, how would you spend a free day?

Marsh [snorts]: What’s a free day? We’re working night and day to get ready for this mission. After the tsunami that wiped out the entire East Coast, the Powers That Be crammed eight years of training into four. We have to find another home before more disasters hit Earth.

Interviewer: Okay, I get it. But if you did have a free day . . .

Marsh: I’d spent it with Sara on a beach—she loves the water. Not likely to get that here on Titan. But if Serenity lives up to its pictures, we’ll have that beach. [stands] I have to get back to work. [strides away]

Interviewer: Uh, sure. Thanks for the interview. Bye. Well, that’s it, folks. Marsh Rayburn and his team will head off to Serenity tomorrow. We wish them Godspeed and good luck.

Here are the deets on Diane Burton’s Mission to New Earth: a novella

Genre: science fiction romance

Release date: August 31, 2016
Length: 88 pages (25k words)

Blurb ~

Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to ramp up exploration of new planets for a possible new home. As Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, are they ready for the one-way trip? Will they be in time to save humankind?

Amazon - https://amzn.com/B01JXZR0AK

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/mission-to-new-earth-a-novella

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/mission-to-new-earth-a-novella/id1148678942?mt=11

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mission-to-new-earth-diane-burton/1124495394?ean=2940156923311

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/661493

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Giveaway ~

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Author Bio ~

Diane Burton 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, 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.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

Links ~

Blog: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

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