It’s Sunday: time for snippets from published or unpublished works from a variety of authors. Click the logo above to get the list and links for Weekend Writing Warriors; click the logo below for the Snippet Sunday list.

Roi’s hang glider has been misbehaving, and in trying to straighten it out he has triggered a screamer which effectively negates his esper abilities.

Even a tight mental shield couldn’t stop the pain in his head entirely, and levitation and teleportation were no longer even remotely possible. Whoever was responsible for the sabotage had intended for the glider to kill him. Any normal telepath, raised to depend on esper talents, probably would have panicked.

Roi, however, had been conditioned from birth to find ways of dealing with impossible situations without betraying his esper abilities. His involuntary start had thrown the glider into another tumble, and his helmet speaker was raucous with cries of alarm from the others. “Shut up and keep clear,” he snarled in response as he struggled to get the scarlet wing flying again. Somehow he leveled off heading more or less toward the orange roof, though he was too low now to make the distance without a thermal, and too wary of the blood-colored wing to trust his ability to circle in an updraft for height. The ground below was studded with boulders and cut by gullies, and looked almost as hostile as the suddenly unfriendly sky.

I think he’s finally realized he’s in real trouble.

The blurb:

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?

 Tourist Trap, the second novel of the Jarnian Confederation, won first place in science fiction and fiction book of the year in the 2011 Reader Views contest.

Reviewers say:

“Fans of Sue Ann Bowling’s novel Homecoming will not be disappointed with its sequel. Tourist Trap returns the reader to the world of the Jarnian Confederation—to Roi, Lai, Marna, and all of their friends and relations. The author does a stellar job of bringing these characters to life, allowing the reader to not only see their actions but to understand the culture and politics that motivate them. (ForeWord Clarion review)

“Tourist Trap” is a great read for anyone that wants motivation and feeling to accompany the action in their sci-fi adventure. Alien beings and super powers are an integral part of Roi’s story but what makes this novel really shine is the heart. Nobody is good or evil just because that’s their assigned role. Just like in real life, everyone has their own motivations and desires, and Bowling does a great job of letting the reader see what it would be like to walk in the shoes of Roi, Xazhar, and even madman Zhaim. (ReaderViews review)

Homecoming (iUniverse, 2011) is available from:
iUniverse http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000188494/Tourist-Trap.aspx
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tourist-trap-sue-ann-bowling/1104199464
Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/Tourist-Trap-Sue-Ann-Bowling/dp/1462029582/
in dust jacket, trade paper, and e-book formats.