Sneak Peek at the Story line for Losing Dani Strumm

OK, I know it isn't very nice to say "Sneak Peek," but blur everything so you can't read what the note cards say.

However, it really is a sneak peek because I will tell you some information. The first thing I am going to share is why everything is blurred. Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot stand spoilers. I loath them with a passion. I hate when people ruin shows, movies, books, or any of them. I don't want to know names, places, events, don't tell me anything!

I would tell you about the last terrible spoiler someone gave me, but it would be impossible without it being a spoiler, so I will change all the details.

A movie was coming out that I waited years for. It had a few previous films in the series and was highly anticipated, and everyone was waiting for the release.

A man, who knows I hate spoilers, saw the movie on opening day, which I could not. I had to work, and he came into my work and purposely told me of the main character's unexpected death. I could have screamed.

So...I try my best to give the readers something without giving them something. It's a fine, tricky line.

As you all know, my upcoming novel is Losing Dani Strumm, a story about a young woman who dreamed of traveling to an alien world her entire life. She finally gets the chance and has a horrible accident, crashing onto the planet's surface. She is injured with limited food and supplies, and help is months away.

I have spent a lot of time writing this one.

I have also put a lot of thought into the story. It was difficult for me because there was so much I wanted to do, but it all had to fit. It had to feel right. This is the first of the seven books I have written so far that I have had to put down for months and come back to. I am happy I did! When I returned, the story began writing itself, as it should. It is flowing like cool water in a stream. With little effort, it is revealing itself as I type, and I love it! I love this story.

Here is a list of the chapters and their names. Although you may think they reveal something, they do not. None are actual spoilers, nor tell the story. I was careful of that.

1. Out of Orbit

2. Kevin

3. Awakened

4. When They Met

5. To Die

6. Guests

7. Homecoming

8. Is this Love

9. My Old Flame

10. Looking Down

11. Two Paths

12. The Rescue

13. The End

The first half of the book has passed through copy-editing, and I am writing the second half, which will go to copy-editing upon completion. There is one element of this book that I have never dealt with before, and that is I want this book to be a hardcover. Hopefully, it isn't much different than the other seven book covers, and I will have no issues.

Here is an excerpt from the book,

"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—the warning buzzers continued blaring, the lights flashed as the pod shook and rumbled with a deafening sound. Her teeth chattered from the vibrations as she tried speaking, "Mayday! Mayday! Alvarez, do you copy? Alvarez, this is Devo-1. Do you copy?" her voice vibrated as she struggled to concentrate.

Items began to break loose and shake throughout the cabin as Dani grasped the control stick with both hands, trying to correct the pod.

"Come on!" she yelled, pulling with all her strength as the ship continued to spin out of control.

"Devo-1, this is the Alvarez, we copy, over."

"Alvarez, I'm in the escape pod. I'm going down. I can't get it to correct; the explosion must have damaged the pod. I can't control it," she continued hitting buttons and manipulating the stick, trying to regain control."

Book Description:

Dani was a natural in school. Her only distraction was an absent mother and a suicidal brother whom she felt overly protective. Maybe because she assumed the role when her mother abandoned them, or perhaps it was just her nurturing way.

She worked hard after graduating, joining the military to expedite her acceptance and training in the Institute, which almost guaranteed her entrance into the New Earth Corps.

The New Earth Corps is where she would set her sights on a once-in-a-lifetime mission to Tau Ceti e, the nearest Earth-like planet, where she would become the first woman explorer in deep space.

The mission was only possible once every 60 years because of the strange elliptical orbit of Tau Ceti e, which made it impossible to reach in a person's lifetime. However, modern technology did allow humankind to get to the edge of the planet's orbit every 60 years for approximately three months. In addition, deep sleep, or hypersleep, allows Dani to travel a great distance to carry out this dangerous and previously failed mission.

The last mission team was never heard from after a scouting trip to the planet 60 years earlier.

Dani dreamed her entire life of this mission.

Her job was a simple one. Release scientific orbital satellites around Tau Ceti e to gather important information for team two, which would form a landing and exploration party.

What could go wrong?

Within minutes of releasing the second satellite, something went horribly wrong.

Dani would find herself scrambling for the emergency escape pod to escape a dying ship. Before long, she was on an alien planet with two weeks of supplies, two days of oxygen, a broken leg, and her rescue nearly two months away.

Losing Dani Strumm is an exploration story with self-discovery and a compelling and surprising tale of forgiveness. It's about love, luck, fate, and a complex woman with one last shot at her lifelong dream.

---

Time for me to stop posting about it and get back to writing. I am very excited for everyone to read Losing Dani Strumm, and I cannot wait for everyone's reaction to my latest novel!