Diane Burton: #WeWriWa ~ SWITCHED: Where Are We?

This is an amazing weekend, one that rarely happens. Three major religions are celebrating a high holiday: Easter, Passover, and Ramadan. However you celebrate, if you do, I'm sending happy wishes.

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thank you to everyone who stopped by last week.

From now through the end of April, my science fiction romance, Switched, is on sale for 99 cents. This was my first published book, so it has a special place in my heart.

Set up: Jessie Wyndom has been beamed aboard an alien spaceship, which she doesn't believe. She and the Captain just arrived on the bridge. We pick up where we left off last week.

Snippet:

Slowly, Jessie turned toward a crew of four seated at different stations. One looked human, the others were outfitted to look like alien species. “Your costumer and make-up artist must be professionals. I can’t get over this--it’s like I’m on the bridge of a spaceship.”

“You are on the bridge of a spaceship,” the man calling himself ‘Captain’ said. “More accurately, this is the Alliance of Planets research starship, Freedom.”

His pompous tone was back. She couldn’t resist. “Whatever you say, big guy.” Then, she gave him a wink to let him know she was willing to play along with this fantasy.

And a little more, if you're interested:

He stiffened his already straight shoulders.

“Don’t get all huffy on me now, Captain. Are they supposed to be your officers?” She waved at those seated at computer consoles around the room. “Hi, guys.”

Nobody responded. They just looked at her as if she were the alien. Except for the Captain. He shot her another look before pointing to each person. “This is my crew. Navigation Officer Glaxpher, Science Officer Xaropa, Communications Officer Cabbeferron, and First Officer Klegznef.”

The last person eyed her like he was a vulture and she was roadkill. He made her shiver in a totally different way from the hunk. She looked away. “Like I’m going to remember all their names,” she muttered. She lifted her chin. “Okay, Captain. Where are we really? This place is big enough to be Cobo Hall.”

He looked puzzled before he tapped the keypad on his watch. “Cobo Hall. Ah, a large place of assembly in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Detroit, a city known for the manufacture of despoilers of your atmosphere. Primitive vehicles you call cars.”

Great. An environmental nut. “Yep, that’s the Motor City all right.”

Blurb:

Kidnapped by aliens? By mistake?

Wise-cracking mechanic Jessie Wyndom gets the surprise of her life when she's accidentally transported aboard an Alliance of Planets starship. Then, she learns an identical twin who was raised on an alien planet has taken her place on Earth. They are victims of a scientific experiment that separated Terran twins before birth. Jessie doesn't believe it. This is all a gag perpetrated by her brother and his nerdy friends.

Years of discipline enables Captain Marcus Viator to maintain the austere, emotionless persona prized on his planet, Serenia. Until he meets the bold, impertinent Jessie. She must go back to Earth before she disrupts his well-organized life. When he tries to return his unwilling visitor, he discovers the ship has left Earth's orbit--supposedly at his command. When more sabotage crops up, Marcus and Jessie must work together to protect the crew and themselves. As their attraction grows, treachery and violence force them into decisions that could separate them forever.

Switched is available for 99 cents at:

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords