Nebula Award Nominations conclude at the end of February. Smuggler's Valor has been on the suggested reading list for months and I am hopeful I will get some nods. Not sure if I get enough to make the finalist, but a snowball now can start and avalanche.
Here is a brief excerpt from my award-winning novelette, Smuggler's Valor.
Praying the battle offered a lasting distraction; I secured my gear and broke cover. After a deep breath, oxygen filled my lungs, and I started my run. It was more a series of long-distance hops than an actual sprint. With each landing, my speed increased; the jumps propelled me faster and I covered more ground.
After a half kilometer, I checked my optics. The dome’s main airlock lay ahead. My ears thumped and chest shuddered as my heart pounded from the exertion.
It’s not much farther. You can make it.
On my next leap, I discovered my second wind, ignoring the pain in my labored lungs. Determination drove me on. Home was where I needed to go, back to Gracie. I jumped again, but on the landing my footing failed, and I slipped on a patch of ice.
Trepidation roused, but I refused it, my microgravity training kicking in. With a quick adjustment, I reoriented. My padded knees skipped on the ground, dug in on the second touch and I skidded to a stop. No decompression alarm sounded; my suit’s HUD displayed full integrity. I sighed, long and slow. Relief washed over me like a comforting wave. That’s when the colony’s airlock exploded.
