Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)
The snippet is from Two Against the Stars (story below the excerpt), my latest release. Continuing on from last week where Carialle tries to help her elderly landlady. Edited slightly from the published version to fit into our rules here.
“My late husband planted this tree when we moved in here, all those years ago.” Mrs. Galaganos sighed, “He was such a romantic—he carved our names into the trunk, with a heart, in honor of our love. This tree is my last link to him—he died a year ago. I’ll be devastated if it dies too – I feel close to him when I’m out here gardening in the shade of the tree,” Her voice quavered and Carialle feared the elderly lady was on the verge of tears.
She peered more closely at the inscription and could barely make out two names and several slashes resembling a date. The carving was old and clearly not the cause of the tree’s current health problem. “Bugs, living deep within the trunk, feasting on the rising sap.”
“How—how can you tell?”
“I know a lot about plants – I’ve studied them,” Carialle improvised. The tree was attempting to tell her what course of action might help it fight off the infestation.
Next week I’ll continue with this scene..
The story:
Empathic priestess Carialle has escaped the evil Amarotu Combine, but she’s hardly out of danger. Not when she risks everything to rescue a drugged man from a crooked veterans’ clinic. By lulling the clinic staff to sleep, she reveals her powers. And once again, criminals are after her and her rescuer.
Marcus Valerian, a wounded Special Forces veteran, never expected to have his life threatened by the clinic that’s supposed to help ex-soldiers like him. But when he wakes from a drugged state to find a lovely woman urging him to run–he does. In his family’s remote fishing cabin, he suffers the agony of withdrawal, soothed only by her powers.
In their idyllic hideaway, the two also discover a nova-hot attraction flaring. But can they stay alive long enough for it to become more? Not if the Combine has anything to say–they are not giving up until Marcus is dead and Carialle is their weapon
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Oh, I hope she is able to help this tree for that woman without giving herself away. Great snippet! 🙂
That’s such a sweet story behind the tree. I really hope it survives. People can form powerful connections to plants and trees just as much as they can to animals and other humans, as I’ve discovered during my 17 years and counting with my spider plant Kalanit.
Neat skill to have. I wish the trees could talk to me. 🙂 Sometimes I wish they could simply talk. The giant oaks in my yard…the stories they could tell…
Great bit of the older woman’s backstory. 🙂
A science fiction romance about a Tree Whisperer. I love it!
Good cover there, Carialle. 😉 Hope she can help.
Marvelous snippet. Oh, to have such talent. Do you have any left over in the computer, my friend? Hugs.
Such a touching story behind the tree. I hope it stands tall and healthy ’till the end of time.
Very nice! The tree with the names carved in is definitely something that any reader can relate to. Made me a little sad because I have a gigantic tree in my backyard that I loved and have to get cut down because insects killed it. Great writing!
What a beautiful and tragic snippet!
Great snippet. I hope she can save the tree. We have a tree in the garden, planted in memory of my mother. My Dad kisses it whenever he passes. Trees can evoke great sentiment.
I hope she can save the tree, for its own sake as well as her landlady’s. I love my plants and am still hurting over the loss of the ancient grapevine on the back porch. (My neighbor killed it by trying to prune off the dead stuff — or so he says.)
Trying to hide her special talent is so difficult. Yet, she must take care of the tree (and other vegetation) so they can take care of her. Love this story.
Yay! More tree-talk! I love it, and I love the metaphor for the couple. Great snippet.
What a sweet story about the tree. I have always loved trees and feel they are special, living entities (yes, I’m a tree hugger!) I do hope she can save the tree without compromising her secret.
A lovely, poignant scene. I wish I had that skill. My plants need it.
What a lovely memory to have. Now to get rid of those bugs!
Let’s hope she can help. Lovely snippet.
I like this gift of hers. My plants would be screaming for water and I’d never get any sleep… lol
Very good nostalgic dialogue.