Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above for other participants) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.)
Today I’m jumping back to Tourist Trap, continuing on from December 15 when Roi found his hang glider misbehaving. Here it has just tried to leap up into a stall.
By the time Roi managed to get it settled into level flight, he found himself headed southwest, straight for the curtain wall before the waterfall and far below the level of the cliff top. Carefully he prepared for another turn, pulling in, sliding his weight to the left, and pushing out, keeping his movements feather light and mentally thanking Derik for insisting that he learn the nearly impossible feat of flying his glider totally uncompensated. The scarlet wing sideslipped violently and made a determined effort to perform a cartwheel, then changed its mind and tried for a back flip instead. Roi fought back with weight and muscle, his body drenched with sweat inside the heavy parka. This time he managed to keep track of his orientation, and when the wing surrendered into level flight, he was heading north within the updraft along the cliff front. Far above and ahead of him a violet speck swung out from the cliff and turned back southward, and Penny’s voice came abruptly into his helmet. “Roi, what do you think you’re doing? Are you all right?”
Tourist Trap is available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon and iUniverse. If you want an eboook, Kindle is out of line on price. Let them know! I can supply a PDF in return for an honest review.
About the book:
A vacation with his three best friends from slavery and a manhood challenge: Roi is given the graduation present he has dreamed of. Dogsledding, hang gliding, a chance to see Pleistocene animals transplanted to a Terraformed vacation world, horseback riding, sailing … all the sports he has returned to with his recovery from paralysis, and a few new ones to learn.
They’re prepared for danger from weather, wild animals and extreme sports. But none of them realize that Roi’s half brother Zhaim, determined to recover his old position as Lai’s heir, intends to kill them if he can—and he’s decided that the dangers of the trip will make a perfect cover for his schemes.
How long will it take them to realize that the “accidents” they keep running into are more than just accidents?
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I seemed like Roy was doing everything well, I wonder what Penny wants.
Roi’s glider is far too low and it’s clear to Penny’s eye he’s flying erratically. It’s obvious to her there’s something wrong with the glider.
That was scary! I wonder if Penny can help him somehow? Sheesh, you really create a lot of tension in a short space! Love your detailed descriptions of how Roi tries to right the glider.
She’s in charge of the group; she needs to know what’s going on.
Exciting snippet, such great detail!
I read up on hang gliding and had an experienced hang glider check out what I wrote.
I’m sitting in my desk chair maneuvering right along with Roi. Super eight.
Thanks–that’s what I was trying for.
Excellent as usual, Sue Ann! Thank heavens for Derik’s insistence! Everyone should have a Derik . . .
Derik is a former owner of Roi, and at least part of his helpfulness is due to guilt.
Vivid and exciting! I felt like I was there, hang gliding too…all the details! A tense, excellent excerpt as always from your novels…
That’s what I try for.
great detail on his flying. very realistic
I hope so, though I must admit I’ve never tried hang gliding.
Very exciting snippet. Fabulously paced too.
Thanks.
Great description of his battle with the glider.
And I had to laugh at the ever-so-helpful “Roi, what do you think you’re doing?” (Having dealt with a bolting horse while the person with me (my mother) offered such helpful advice as “Pull her head around” and “Don’t let her get onto the road.” I could feel a surge of irritation at that comment. Of course, Penny did soften it by asking if he was all right…)
I’ve had more experience with horses than hang gliders, and I know just what you mean.
One of my mom’s cousins was badly injured in a hang-gliding accident once. I hope that doesn’t happen to Roi.
Not totally an accident.
Super description of his struggle with the glider.
Pathetic fallacy, but in the POV, it’s reasonable.
This doesn’t sound like an accident to me. I’d be suspicious of something having quite this many issues.
And scared. Very scared. Mid-air is not a good place for malfunctions.
Yes, but at this point Roi is confident he can teleport or levitate out of danger.
I like this–great description of his fears.
Not so much fears as being very, very busy.
Lots of tension in this snippet!
This scene’s pretty tense.
I read in the comments that you’ve never tried hang-gliding. I have to say, I would have guessed otherwise from reading this snippet. Wonderful description! The blurb sounds like it’s a good read. If you send my a PDF, I’ll read and review it, Sue Ann. I checked the linked Amazon. I think there’s a way for customers to tell them that they found it at a lower price elsewhere. I’ve done it before and recall that they ask for the link of the lower priced site, and eventually they will lower the price to match. I don’t have a Nook, and I know nothing about iUniverse and formats. If there’s a format available at iUniverse that is readable on Kindle, I’ll buy the book. I do like to support my fellow writers when possible.
I checked out several books and magazines on hang gliding, and asked an experienced hang glider to check what I’d written. (Did the same thing with the dog mushing, but at least I’ve had know some mushers and have some experience with other breeds of dog.)
I think MOBI is basically the same format as Kindle. Wikipedia says:
Mobipocket
Format: Mobipocket
Published as: .prc; .mobi
The Mobipocket e-book format is based on the Open eBook standard using XHTML and can include JavaScript and frames. It also supports native SQL queries to be used with embedded databases. There is a corresponding e-book reader.
The Mobipocket Reader has a home page library. Readers can add blank pages in any part of a book and add free-hand drawings. Annotations — highlights, bookmarks, corrections, notes, and drawings — can be applied, organized, and recalled from a single location. Images are converted to GIF format and have a maximum size of 64K,[16] sufficient for mobile phones with small screens, but rather restrictive for newer gadgets. Mobipocket Reader has electronic bookmarks, and a built-in dictionary.
The reader has a full screen mode for reading and support for many PDAs, Communicators, and Smartphones. Mobipocket products support most Windows, Symbian, BlackBerry and Palm operating systems, but not the Android platform. Using WINE, the reader works under Linux or Mac OS X. Third-party applications like Okular and FBReader can also be used under Linux or Mac OS X, but they work only with unencrypted files.
The Amazon Kindle’s AZW format is basically just the Mobipocket format with a slightly different serial number scheme (it uses an asterisk instead of a dollar sign), and .prc publications can be read directly on the Kindle. The Kindle AZW format also lacks some Mobipocket features such as JavaScript.[17]
Amazon has developed an .epub to .mobi converter called KindleGen[18] (supports IDPF 1.0 and IDPF 2.0 epub format, according to the company).
iUniverse says: Use the Mobi file on these devices and readers:
all versions of the Kindle, and all versions of the Kindle app.
Use the ePub file on these devices and readers:
Sony® eReader, Kobo eReader, NOOK™, iBooks (iPad/iPhone/iPod), Stanza, Bluefire (iOS & Android).
Use the PDF file with Adobe Acrobat on a personal computer.
iUniverse is basically my publisher.
My heart was in my throat as I read your amazing description in the hang glider. Your research was right on. Great job.
Excellent action description! Hope Roi IS okay! Great 8.
Not much Penny can do if he’s not.
Somewhat hair raising for Roi! Hope Penny can help in some way. As others have said, it sure sounds like you’re an experienced hang glider, Sue Ann. Kudos on the research!
Getting the facts right is an important part of making science fiction or fantasy believable, in my opinion. I’m currently muttering at a book (not fantasy) in which a 3 year old filly is assumed to be the ideal horse for use in teaching a beginner to ride.