RESCUING MARA’S FATHER Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway!

As someone who was captured by the spell of story-telling practically from the cradle, I know how important it is to entice a young mind with the potential found between the covers of a book. So, I jumped at the chance to preview author buddy, Diane Burton’s first venture into the Young Adult market. Having read all of Di’s quirky contemporaries and high-flying space operas, I eagerly began RESCUING MARA’S FATHER. I found it an impossible read – impossible to put down! Foolishly, I began reading it on my lunch hour at work . . . not enough time! Couldn’t wait to get home to cue it up on my laptop and jump back into the adventure of the spunky (but never obnoxious) teen heroine and her sidekicks, young and old. (I’m buying a copy for my grandson!). What an adventure! Take a taste . . . then run to One Click!

My Review: Rescuing Mara’s Father by Diane Burton

Impossible to put down! 5-Stars!

In this tightly woven, highly entertaining Hero(ine)’s Journey from pampered to imperiled, Mara is the perfectly imperfect 14-year-old, filled with the dreams and drama of someone who never quite fit in and doesn’t realize the importance of what she has – the safety of a loving home – until it’s suddenly stolen from her. The challenges she and her devoted friends will undertake to find her kidnapped father provide the stuff of great and constantly sustained adventure.

The author’s talent for world-building is amazing, evolving naturally on each page from the delightful ‘slanguage’ of the characters to the differences of castes and cultures set in a lush, often harsh backdrop that embraces the reader and doesn’t let go. Wonderfully paced backstory reveals traverse the dangerous path of long-kept secrets, constantly teasing with subtle foreshadowing to keep pages flipping all the way to a satisfying end for readers of any age. Can’t wait to read more from this new (to Young Adult) author!

Preview Book

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 our planet. Mara’s afraid they will all leave, and she’ll be on her own. Despite her fears, Mara has to rescue her father.

About D.M. Burton

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.

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For more info and excerpts, visit D.M.’s Website.

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.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s Website.

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