From Earth To Terra: A New Beginning

by Beverly Jenness

Some 200 years in our future, the Earth is dying. Climate change has taken its toll. The rains do not fall. Wars are waged over the most precious commodity, clean water. The Life Trust Guild, a group with ties dating back for hundreds of years, have been planning a solution. They have infiltrated all levels of government and businesses. Their scientists have searched the cosmos for another planet, one where they could send people from Earth, and they found one. Now, all they had to do is steal a couple of spaceships from NASA, load them with supplies and all the knowledge from Earth they can lay their hands on, toss in a few hundred civilians, shake well and voila, instant Earth. Unfortunately, things don't always go how they are planned. The dynamics of the people on board cause some serious disturbances in the tranquility of the new settlements on Terra. The prejudices from those who had money against those that didn't and against the Tubers, genetically modified humans, begin to fester. The colonists were paired up before they left, as expanding the population was crucial. Follow along as these settlers try to survive all that their new world throws at them while trying to avoid a major internal rift between the factions.

433 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2016

About the author

Beverly Jenness was born in Stanton California to a stay at home mother and a career military father. By the time she was four years old she had been from California to Pennsylvania to France and back to California. She grew up moving from place to place, frequently. As an introverted child, making new friends was always a difficult challenge. She spent hours alone cultivating a utopia in her mind. Where many children had imaginary friends, she had an imaginary world. This time helped her to develop her creative streak which has given rise to her novel
Beverly was a high school dropout (became very bored with public education.) but later obtained her GED and then, after taking a few classes, her High school diploma. Over the years, she obtained an associate’s degree in Applied Science as well.
Beverly has two children, three stepchildren and three grandchildren plus a friend of one their son’s that has adopted her and her husband.
Being around so many young minds as technology has evolved, has given Beverly many ideas for this novel as well as others to come.
Currently, Beverly is still gainfully employed building aircraft in Wichita Kansas. Although, over the years, she has attempted other occupations: life insurance, real estate, multi-level marketing, even retail. All of which has aided her in her writing.
Beverly is one of those people that other people seem drawn to confide in. She is the type of person, everyone loves to talk to, and she listens. The stories they tell her, she weaves into the personalities of her characters, giving them much more depth and making them believable.
Beverly is currently working on book two in the 'From Earth to Terra' series, 'Stone City'. It should be released by the years end.

Reviews

[Leah (White Sky Project) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Earth to Terra by Beverly Jenness is an interesting and well written sci fi piece. The fascinating storyline takes place several hundred years in the future - the planet and civilization is on a steep decline and it's only a matter of time before mankind is killed either by wars or the total demise of Earth. A secret group called The Life Trust Guild has been working for years to save people, animals, knowledge and technology. The plan is to steal two NASA ships and send them to another planet. One day they finally set their plan in motion and soon the colonists find themselves starting anew in a strange planet. Most are determined not to make the same mistakes that resulted to Earth's decline, but now they have to contend with new dangers in the unfamiliar planet as well as conflicts among themselves. Old prejudices and politics surface and rifts begin among the colonists.

I finished this book pretty quickly since it's a fast-paced and easy read. The storyline is fascinating and kept me glued the whole time. I enjoyed reading about all the scientific details which to me seem quite sound and believable enough. The characters are interesting and the world building creative. I like the description of the strange new planet and its strange flora and fauna. Though it also leaves you with many questions, Beverly Jenness's From Earth to Terra takes you through an exciting journey from beginning to end. Beverly Jenness writes a compelling first instalment to a series that seems promising.

I reviewed this book for Readers Favorite and was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are my own.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3.5 out of 4 (but I always round up.) I did like this one, the story was interesting and the characters were people you could really identify with. My problem is that it was a bit choppy at times. I would have liked more description. I wanted to know more about their lives and how the earth had gotten to where it was (not be told but to experience the demise of the earth.) This is at once plausible and implausible. Could we destroy the earth through neglect and warfare?...Absolutely. Do I envision having the technology to travel to other planets several light years away?...Not really. However, that wasn't a problem for me. In the end I ask myself if I would read a second book in the series, and I would. I genuinely want to know what happens on Terra and I genuinely want the colonists to find a way to survive and thrive on the new planet.

[James f Nyberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author? Really?

This author weaves a readable tale that is both fun and timely. The science is valid. The problems solved were believable. Descriptions of imagined creatures were well crafted. She shows you can't run away from Earth's domineering politicos. The tension builds as... Well that would be a spoiler. This will make a great Hollywood film! Have fun. It is well worth the time.

[Scott Sammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad as a foundation to a series. Common tropes and archetypes, but well presented.

I buy and download only books with at least 300 pages. With that baseline it is notable that some books take much longer to read than others. From Earth to Terra: A Be A Begining (sic) is one of the brief ones, taking about give hours to read. (I sympathize with authors who spend weeks to craft a story that is read in an afternoon.) This is not a standalone entertainment, but rather an introduction to characters for a series. Do not expect to receive life altering revelations of to be transported to a fantasy world like Hogwarts, this is solid sci-fi with ready made archetypal characters and relatively common plotline. It is however well done with few areas to cite for complaint. I enjoyed it enough to hope for better works to come.

I will be buying the next installment and hoping for the payoff that the first work hints toward.

[David Wayne Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best colonization book I have read this year.

I love reading books dealing with the colonization of new worlds. This book was spot on. I could not put it down, except to watch my Auburn Tigers get beat by Penn State. I recommend this book to anyone who like that genre.

[Anne (w/ an E) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed reading this story. It was well-written and well-researched. The beginning of the book was my favorite kind of "apocalypse". This story was not predictable, which is one of my requirements for a good book. I am looking forward to the next book.