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This summer I took a break from writing newsletters to finish the first draft of my sequel, "
Mystical Aria: Starship Diary." In this young adult science fiction - fantasy novel set in 2028, tween psychic Aria Vanir writes diary entries about her adventures aboard the
Rama XI superspaceship with good aliens, the Gallions from Vitchera. Read her ideas on to tell humans about the Gallions in
Aria Vanir Speaks.
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| Blue Whale in Sea of Cortez |
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Jean's Journey to Listen to Blue Whales
My dream of an adventure with blue whales turned into a lesson of not needing to prove my encounter to the rest of the world. These largest known animals on Earth taught me the simplicity of treasuring an inner journey to picture them with my heart.
My fascination with blue whales started when I walked through an exhibit on whales during a seventh-grade field trip to the Smithsonian. Decades later, as I envisioned the shape of the starship for my first young adult novel, a blue whale came to mind. During a flash of inspiration two years ago, I scribbled a high-level plot about aliens and blue whales for a Mystical Aria sequel. When I realized a link between blue whales and my novels, I felt these whales were trying to tell me something. I set an intent for an encounter with blue whales to hear their message.
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Female SEAL Candidate Tests the Waters
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Set in 2028,
Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen boasts
two Navy SEAL female characters. Lieutenant Elizabeth Manger, the mom of Aria's best friend, Tommy, speaks multiple languages and serves as a communications specialist.
The second female SEAL, "Ringer," won champions as an amateur boxer.
This summer, science fiction drew closer to reality as the first woman enlisted to become a Navy SEAL.
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| Author Jean Neff Guthrie |
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Fun Facts About the Author
As much as I enjoy traveling, I hate to pack.
I'm a packing procrastinator. From ski trips with friends to long weekends with family in Virginia, I put off packing to the last hour. My typically strong self discipline deteriorates when I look at an empty suitcase. I struggle to decide which clothes I need.
I didn't inherit my mother's tenacity to pack at least three days before any trip. Alas, that gene skipped me.
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Aria Vanir with her Transmission Diary |
 Aria Vanir Speaks
Sequel Hints
The sequel, "
Mystical Aria: Spaceship Diary," will tell how Aria got the idea in 2028 for "
Aria's Universe: Do Good Aliens Exist?"
In the following excerpt from the first draft of the sequel, Aria writes ideas in her diary on how to tell humans about the Gallions:
I'll interview the Gallions like they do with the celebrities in tMags. I'll ask Peakte to make a modification to my crystal scroll so it records our conversations. Maybe he can add video because seeing is believing. Then I could have my own spicy young adult show about the Gallions. We could record the show in different parts of the Rama so people on Earth see the inside of a real starship. Oh, this will be astro exciting!
I could call my show, "Gal World." Na, that's too girly girl. The show will need to entertain dudes like Tommy. Maybe, "Galactic Gallion Insights." Na, will sound too adult and boring.
I know!
I'll call it, "Aria's Universe." That's clean, simple, and spicy splash.
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| Humpback Whale Breaching |
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Humpback Whale Watching in Virginia Beach
2/19/2029
Dear tDiary,
Virginia is for Lovers, and I love humpback whales! We went to see the humpback whales and dolphins today on a school trip for President's Day. It was cold-too astro cold even for Jackie to surf-but I didn't mind because we saw humpback whales jump high in the sky and then flop SPLASH into the ocean. Most astro thing I'd ever seen in the Atlantic since Drake did a 360 on a WaveRunner last summer.
Dolphins followed our boat from the dock out to the ocean and back. They looked like they were having the most fun of anyone. One dolphin looked right at me as if it wanted to tell me something. I wonder if we will ever understand their beeps, chirps, and squeals enough to carry on a conversation.
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