July 28, 2013
Hello!
It's been a great
writing week…for organizational stuff. LOL I've spent almost every day working
on taglines, plotting story ideas, adding to characterization charts, and
fixing small details in several thisclosetobeing finished manuscripts.
I feel so
productive!!
Tonight's post is
from one of those almost there stories. Mia's Choice is stretching into a
something close to a novel, but I think it'll remain a novella. Especially
after I get through the final round and ruthlessly edit unnecessary stuff. J
Here's the tagline:
Mia Sinclair finally
got her doctorate and embarks on a work trade assignment to a new space
station. But when she runs smack into Hal Manning, and her past, she has to
face her demons, which isn't easy because she promised she'd never be under any
man's control again.
And a sneaky peek…
Hal Manning sat behind his desk
and heaved a sigh. Dealing with a mix of military and civilian crew gave him the
worst headache. He wondered, not for the first time, whose bright idea it had
been to combine the two and send them out into deep space to construct a new
outpost.
Probably someone with a pay grade
much higher than his.
He pulled out the log reports and
sifted through the pile of complaints. Could the commandos do their drills
somewhere else? Could the science geeks conduct experiments that made the ship
reek of indescribable aromas in the hold instead of on the same level as living
quarters? And could they both just stay out of each other's way?
Maybe he should lock everyone in
the cargo hold and let them duke it out.
Better yet, barricade him in and
let the inmates run the asylum.
Yeah, wouldn't happen.
Hal worked steadily for the next
hour on the logs, writing orders, confirming information and filing memos. The
name on the last report caught his attention.
Mia Sinclair.
Check that. Doctor Mia Sinclair. The woman took every opportunity to remind him
and his crew of the fact. She had zero appreciation for the common use of last
names as a greeting or acknowledgement of presence.
So very different from the girl
he used to know.
When she boarded the Queen Amalie he'd been stunned stupid.
Sinclair happened to be her married name so it hadn't pinged for him on the
manifest.
Hal sat back and let the memories
roll through his mind. They'd grown up together. Dated. Fallen in love. They'd
had a chance once…a long time ago. But Mia cut it short. Carved him out of her
life and sent him packing.
Okay, not entirely true. More
like she'd boxed up and checked out.
He'd known her as Mia Furlough.
Way back when they'd been wet behind the ears and barely out of primary school.
She'd been vibrant, lively, and fun. He'd fallen for her completely and without
reservation.
Thought it had been the same for
her. But he'd been so very wrong. She didn't come close to being the person
he'd thought she'd been. Not after her grandfather died.
Mia went from free spirit to
gilded bird in a matter of weeks. She cut herself off from everyone, stopped
hanging out with the kids after classes and refused to see Hal or return his
phone calls.
A couple of months later, she
disappeared. Moved away. Didn't come back. He finally heard she'd left for a
position in the prestigious Academy of Science on Mars. Her father pulled some
strings to get her in. Or so Hal had been told.
The hometown connection kept him
sporadically up to date on Mia. She'd graduated with her degree later than
expected due to her marriage to a top scientist. She'd cared for both ailing
parents until their deaths three years ago. The nasty divorce that followed
apparently set the social and scientific communities on their ears.
He'd been bowled over when she
boarded his vessel as the science liaison, newly assigned to Space Station Alpha.
Hal shook his head, clearing the
memories, and leafed through Mia's report. About halfway through, he sat up
straight in his chair and re-read the last two paragraphs. The ship had what wrong with its water supply? Three
weeks into their journey and a major cock up like this?
A bunch of scientific terms he'd
probably need a translator for muddied up the page. The part he didn't need a
degree to read simply stated one of the reserve water containment tanks had
been contaminated and could not be used. How in the hell had that happened?
Could she be wrong?
Hal doubted it. Doctor Sinclair had
meticulous down to an art form. She filed her reports on time. Showed up for
the daily briefings precisely five minutes before they started and from what
scuttlebutt he heard about her, ran a tight ship in the lab.
He sighed. He'd have to talk to
her about the contamination. He considered the subject too important for him to
delegate. The fact he found himself avoiding her whenever possible didn't sit
well with him anyway.
Combing his hair back from his
face, he rose, gathered the report and exited quarters.
Might as well get the good doctor
in for a visit and get it over with. He was pretty sure he knew where she'd be.
Holed up in her quarters or working in the lab. She rarely went anywhere else. He'd
find a junior officer and have them escort Mia down from the lab deck.
Wouldn't she just love that?
Heh. Nope. Mia is
not going to be thrilled she has to meet Hal in his quarters, but she'll deal. J
That's it for this
week. Catch everyone on the flip.
ML Skye
