The Next Encounter

From Author Wars - https://authorwars.com/publications/the-next-encounter-338411.html

Overview:

Title: The Next Encounter
Author: Donald Thompson
Year: 1982
ISBN-10: 0449144585
Publisher: Fawcett Gold Medal
Price: $2.50
Pages: 224
Binding: Paperback
Type: Novel
Title Reference: The Next Encounter
Notes: Info from Locus #255 (April 1982).
Cover artist credit on this book from The Whole Science Fiction Data Base 8; there's a signature on the bottom right of the cover with a "W" visible. "First Fawcett Gold Medal printing: March 1982" on copyright page of Archive.org copy.