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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

The excerpt: I’ve jumped ahead. The child is discharged from the clinic and she and her  nanny are waiting for their groundcar. Saffia moves on to other patients. Just an ordinary day at a busy colony medical clinic…

Saffia’s handheld pinged and she knew she was running seriously behind, as always, so she left the room, walked through the decontaminating ray and proceeded to her next appointment, Zak Stuurt, a crusty old fisherman who she’d seen at the diner on any number of occasions. He enjoyed teasing her in a good natured way and today resumed his practice of inviting her out on his commercial fishing boat. “You’d like it, doc, see the ocean up close and personal. There are giant mammals in the deep waters, pods of up to fifty individuals  including babies come to the surface to play in the waves and sing. And other, smaller ones fly above and below.”

“I’m not here as a tourist,” she said while observing his heart on the scans and expanding her parameters to examine his lungs as well and then his liver. “But thank you. I’m sure the actual tourists enjoy the sights.”

VS Note: The rest of the scene: 

“Sure do. Running those excursions for them in the season pays my costs for the entire year,” he said. “The fishing is a side hustle. If I can trap enough crustashes, then I’ve got gravy. Offworld chefs pay through the nose for our sweet tasting green beasties.”

Murmuring polite interest, she disengaged Warby’s scanners and made notes for herself.

Stuurt pulled on his pants and shrugged into his well-worn but scrupulously clean blue shirt and folded the medical gown, placing it on the table.  “All ship shape.  What’s the verdict, doc?”

“According to your file, it’s the same basically as last year’s exam.”

The blurb: Newly graduated from a prestigious interstellar medical school, Dr. Saffia Mandell has been assigned to the Haven Two colony on the galaxy’s outer rim as the only doctor for some 2000 human residents. She’s counting the days until her five years there is up, trying to adjust to rural living after life in the crowded Inner Sectors and fighting her attraction to Chief Ranger Micah Navonn. She’s dreading the upcoming tourist season when the rich and pampered will descend on the planet for the scenic wonders and novel sports opportunities and no doubt inundate her little clinic but the colony depends on the seasonal income to survive.

As the senior official for his people, the Calinurra, the indigenous inhabitants of Haven Two, Micah enforces the treaty, regulates the tourist permits, patrols the forests and resists his fascination with Dr. Mandell. He never expected to be involved with a human woman and doesn’t want to believe in the concept of a fated mate. He wants to keep his life simple and isn’t ready for any long term commitment. Besides Saffia keeps proclaiming she’ll be leaving when her appointment is up in four and a half years so why should he risk his heart?

Then a ship arrives unexpectedly carrying a very ill little girl and soon the deadly virus is spreading through Haven Two. The colony authorities are desperate to cover up the problem to preserve the all-important tourist season and Saffia and Micah have to work together to battle the outbreak, the local administration and their undeniable feelings for each other.

Can the colony survive? And will Micah and Saffia be able to move past their fears about entanglements to act on the mutual attraction?

An 87K word novel of the far future…

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