NEILA (knee-AH-la)is the first of a seven book series. The story is about a stranded strange looking baby alien discovered, like Moses, in a tiny open vessel snagged in a cluster of shallow water reeds a short wading distance from where Grace Higgins was hanging her laundry. On a temperate May Spring morning. Grace and George Higgins were in the back yard of their rural lake side home located in a quiet inlet off the isolated northern portion of Loving Lake in the township of Weathering when Grace spotted a curious object caught in the reeds. The curiosity gets the better of her and Grace waded out to investigate the object. As she draws closer she screams out "George Come here please HURRY " As George approaches they both are transfixed at what they see: A purple caste little female infant with huge eyes, pointed ears webbed fingers and toes with a soft angel glow pulsating around her. The little stranger reaches out making typical baby sounds and Grace reaches down to pick her up with George anxiously standing by with wide eyes to say the least. Her little arms embrace Grace's neck and at that moment Grace and George Higgins were given the greatest gift of their lives. Neila is raised as their daughter under the constant strain of complete secrecy. No two parents ever loved their child more than the Higgins who were never blessed with a child of their own. The joy NEILA ( named by George) gave them was beyond expression. This, therefore, is a story about the deep family love, commitment, compassion, empathy and yes, adventure, lots of it. It speaks to how any innocent child of any origin, even extraterrestrial, can be taken into one's heart. Neila's living circumstances were of necessity limited in movement, time and scope for many years until against her better judgment she finally gets restless and curious. She decides to discreetly explore the world beyond the Higgin's lake side property. This leads to many exciting adventures, special interactions, some risk and alarm in the local area. In the quiet soft radiance of moonlit evenings Neila looks to the stars and ponders her real origin, but cannot imagine in the deepest part of her heart ever leaving her beloved adoptive Earth parents. Being around Neila makes everyone experience ineffable joy, as if one were spiritually immersed in a magic elixir of radiant beauty, glowing love and the subtle scent of mimosa issuing forth from within this wondrous little alien raised by devoted parents on a planet not her own.