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 a few days. Micah, the Chief Ranger, has rescued an injured hunter, had to track down the mama grizval (a big furry predator with fangs and huge claws) the hunter had shot and now…

Much later in the evening, Saffia got a call from Micah. “Calling to check on Dayn,” he said. “Were you able to save his arm?”

“Yes, although we’re trying to get him to Sector Hub for advanced care and therapy.” She couldn’t stop herself from grimacing. “I never knew there could be so much paperwork and process. Henry’s handling most of it but I have to review and sign everything. Thanks to your fast action today, at least Dayn has an arm to save. I’m not sure how the colony’s charity fund regards cyber augmentation parts.” She peered more closely at the vid. Micah looked as tired as she felt. “How are you? Did you find the grizval and the cubs?”

VS: The rest of the scene:

He rubbed his forehead and frowned. “Dayn did wound her. I trailed her for about a mile and then found her down in the brush. I had to end her misery.”

Even though she was terrified of grizvals and despite the fact she’d spent all day trying to save the life of the man who’d shot the animal, sorrow  for the creature touched Saffia’s heart strings. “Tragic news.”

“Yeah, not a good day. The one bright spot is I managed to find the den and retrieve the cubs. I’ve got them here at the ranger station, penned up in back. You can probably hear them in fact, squalling.” He winced as a particularly loud yowl reverberated in the background.

She grinned because she could indeed hear the ear splitting noise. “Now what? Will you hand raise them?”

“I have a team coming in tomorrow to take them on. We have an animal conservation center deep in our own territory where the cubs can be cared for and eventually released into the wild. Right now they’re in the cute stage, which helps, since I’ll have to bottle feed them a couple times in the middle of the night. I won’t be so mad when I get up at 2AM once I see their faces.” Micah’s eyes were soft and he chuckled.

Remembering the adult grizval pictures she’d seen in her briefing packet, Saffia shuddered. “Hard to imagine.”

Micah’s next remark surprised her, as he issued an unexpected invitation. “Want to come see them? Can you get away for a little while?”

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…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play

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 and her nanny spent the night at the clinic and this is the next morning. The clinic clerk is speaking as Saffia arrives.

“The Fremington-Ulms have already left three messages, wanting to know when they can send a driver to pick up the girl and the nanny and lift off.”

“I was hoping to be in the office before the parents got impatient. They must really be driven to make it to wherever their next event is happening.”  Saffia kept walking, going past the desk and heading into the office wing. She’d checked with Warby twice during the evening and again this morning when she got up and was relieved to hear Liddy had enjoyed a quiet night, with lessening symptoms. After taking a few minutes to get herself organized, she headed for the girl’s room, finding her sitting up and eating a hearty breakfast, sent over by the diner, which had a contract with the clinic. Liddy seemed much refreshed and cheerful.

“Wow, are you having any food with the syrup?” Saffia asked with a laugh as she surveyed the breakfast tray, “Your stomach must be doing better.”

Liddy tossed her hair and finished chewing a huge bite of the pancakes, “I feel great, Dr. Mandell. You made me all better—I want to be a doctor like you when I grow up,” She took a big swallow of juice.

VS Note: And the rest of the moment:

Saffia scanned the data on the sensor panels, “No fever, congestion clearing, heart rate normal, you’ve been a model patient, exactly the kind a doctor wants to have.” She checked Mifura, “You’re looking even more tired today.  I can have the nurse come sit with Liddy while she finishes her meal, and I can give you a quick exam if you’d like.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine.” The nanny sat up straighter. “I didn’t sleep too well in the portable bed here. But Liddy slept through—she didn’t even wake up completely when the night nurse checked on her. Once we get back to the ship and I can finally get a good night’s sleep in my own bed again, since the crisis is past, I’ll be fine. But thank you. Are we free to leave then? My employers are most anxious to leave orbit.”

VS note: Dum de dum dum (ominous music)…the nurse isn’t feeling well….more to come…

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…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play

I released a new book a few weeks ago but I’ll do a few more weeks of excerpts from COLONY UNDER SIEGE: INTERSTELLAR PLAGUE…

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: Saffia gives the parents no choice on Liddy staying overnight in the hopsital:

The father chewed his lip while the mother wrung her hands and the nanny put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Liddy was heartbreakingly stoic about all the adults’ reactions.

Probably used to this traveling circus. “I can transmit a medical groundstop order to the spaceport, for your ship,” Saffia said, tired of the whole discussion and pitying Liddy.  Warby [the medical Artificial Intelligence at the clinic] couldn’t deliver the results fast enough to suit her. She’d prefer to have the family out of her hair and off the planet but a faint instinct about the little girl’s case held her back. She’d wait for test results. Having decided, Saffia forced herself to soften her tone, “But of course I’d rather not do anything so highhanded.”

The generational billionaire seemed shocked by her adamant stance, fiddling with his gleaming feelgood case again, “Well, if you really think she should be hospitalized.”

“We’ll take good care of her and you’re both welcome to stay. We can set up an extra bed in the room.”

VS: And the rest of the scene:

Saffia was sure the couple would decline but she’d make the offer to any set of parents with a child this young so the Fremington-Ulms deserved the same consideration.

“Mifura will stay.” The mother kissed her daughter on the forehead and headed for the door. “We’ll collect you first thing in the morning, darling. Have fun.”

The parents left and Saffia released a pentup breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Rubbing her chest, which ached from the stress, she exchanged sympathetic looks with the obviously long suffering nanny.

“I’m glad you’re going to keep her tonight, doctor,” Mifura said. “This seems like a peaceful place. She’ll be able to rest without them fretting her and quarreling over every tiny thing.”

The nanny seemed to have no compunctions about discussing her employers but Saffia didn’t care to have such a conversation in front of the child.

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…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play

I released a new book two weeks ago but I’ll do a few more weeks of excerpts from COLONY UNDER SIEGE: INTERSTELLAR PLAGUE…

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: Saffia continues her examination of the sick child:

Leaning closer, she donned her special visors, upped the magnification and added the light, to inspect the red bumps. Clearly the rash had peaked probably a day ago and was fading, the blotches contracting rather than spreading. “Does it itch?” she asked the child. Getting a head shake in return, Saffia smiled and straightened, “I doubt the animal is involved then. You’ve managed to catch a kind of cold, the one thing the human race has never resolved in all these centuries of progress.” Focusing on the mother now, she added, “Fairly often a child will develop a rash with a fever as the immune system overreacts to the stimulus.”

“So what’s the diagnosis? She’s not merely suffering a common cold. Give us some credit for good sense here.” The father was contemptuous and seemingly impervious to the fact he was giving a diagnosis to an actual doctor.

VS Note: More of the scene…

“Prescribe an inject for the symptoms and let us get out of here. We have to be on Yamurk Five by next week for the annual charity auction. My wife and I donated several items and have more we’re bidding on.”

“Oh yes.” Mrs. Fremington-Ulms sat up straighter and positively bubbled with enthusiasm. “The Babbajrr Diamond Chalice and the new painting by the artist whose name I forget and—”

“I’d like to keep her here overnight for observation,” Saffia said, making rapid notes for the AI on her handheld  and asking Warby to get a vid of the child’s rash. “She’s not presenting with any specific illness but she’s a bit dehydrated, which is affecting her heart rate. I’d also like to see the fever come down before releasing her. There might be complications developing. We’ll have results from the various tests shortly, so I should be able to eliminate any more serious possibilities.”

Tapping his toe on the clinic’s floor, the father frowned. “I should have known better than to waste my time coming to this obscure planet. Are you sure you’re Sectors-trained? Check your AI, give my daughter a medinject of whatever and we’ll be out of here so fast—”

“No.” Saffia assessed the wan, thin child and had no trouble making the call. “Surely you can spare one night to ensure your child receives proper care. I’m assuming you don’t have a medical module on your ship’s AI or a medtech on the crew or you wouldn’t have come to me.”

VS: Next week Saffia will put her foot down…

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…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play

I released a new book two weeks ago but I’ll do a few more weeks of excerpts from COLONY UNDER SIEGE: INTERSTELLAR PLAGUE…

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: Saffia continues her examination of the sick child, who has just proclaimed that “Fluffytail died…” :

Unsure if this was a significant fact, Saffia leaned closer, “And who or what is Fluffytail?”

The father gave the nanny a glare, “A pet my daughter was allowed to acquire on Hantimere, against my specific orders.”

“He was soft and sweet,” Liddy said, addressing Saffia, her voice hoarse, “He had stripey colored fur.”

“Sounds pretty,” Checking her patient’s inner left ear and then the right, Saffia followed up on the original point, “What kind of animal was it?”

The parents exchanged glances and the mother shrugged.

“A mangy rodent of some sort, big tail, annoying chitter. Fit for a street child to keep in a box, hardly suitable for my daughter. Why we’re wasting time discussing wildlife, I can’t imagine,” Having delivered himself of this heartfelt scorn, the father turned away with an oath and pulled out a feelgood stick.

“No smoking in here,” Saffia said sharply, “Didn’t the pet have papers describing its species? It must have to be allowed off the planet with Liddy.”

VS: And the rest of this discussion:

“She lured the beast in with food at the damn park,” the father said, stuffing the feelgood back into the elaborate metal box he’d withdrawn from his jacket pocket. “And allowed to sneak it aboard the ship.” He pointed at the nanny with his free hand and shouted, “And you will be getting fired.”

The child wailed, clinging to the nursemaid. The mother made soothing noises, directed at the husband, rather than the child.

“Seven hells, the damn thing probably got into a vent on the ship and is perfectly fine, living off crumbs in the crew mess for all I know,” he said. “Why all this interest in the animal anyway? My daughter is the one who’s sick. Unless of course the damn manager at the spaceport got it wrong and you’re actually a veterinarian.”

Ignoring the jab at her professionalism, Saffia said, “I was curious about the rash on her chest. Could have been an allergy to the pet fur.”

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…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play