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.

It seemed to me people were about equal on whether they wanted more of the scene with the baby grizval cubs or me to move on to more of the medical issues, so since that’s really the theme of the novel, I’m moving forward in time.

The excerpt (Giving you the whole thing aince we essentially have no limit now): 

Henry was supposed to arrive an hour before her, to open the clinic, set things up for the day and accomplish other administrative tasks. He also dealt with the early arriving patients.  It was part of the arrangement that allowed him to skip working the weekends. Saffia frowned as she walked up to the clinic’s portal and found it locked, no lights on inside. Checking her wrist chrono to make sure she had the time right, she gave the three waiting patients an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry we’re keeping you out here in the cold,” she said as she keyed open the door and allowed them to walk past her. “If you’ll make yourselves comfortable in the waiting room, we’ll be right with you.” Wondering where her nurse was, she headed toward the office wing and nearly tripped over a stack of toys piled messily beside the reception desk.

“Whoa, doc, be careful,” Henry said as he rushed through the door and came to her side.

“What is all this? And why are you late?” Saffia hated to have her morning routine disrupted because it was part of how she maintained her calm center and professional balance. She needed things to be as expected and she had to have her few minutes of meditation in her office. She wouldn’t permit herself to take the time today, not with patients waiting outside while she and her staff were late. She focused more closely on Henry who seemed a bit pale. “Are you sick?”

VS: Uh oh, not a good sign….we’ll have one more excerpt from COLONY before I switch to my Pets In Space 5 story, STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE. There’s so much story left to tell in COLONY but we must move on.  (The book is for sale after all LOL.) Next week I’ll jump ahead over lots of things and show you the answer on Henry. Allergies, or????? 

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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