It’s Sunday: time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and snippet Sunday (click the logo below) blog hops at allow authors to share up to 8 sentences of their work, from draft to published. I’m posting again from Tourist Trap, my second published book. Blurb below. Last week Roi managed to pull off and drop his mitten, in order to be able to open the catch on the power pack compartment of his misbehaving glider.
Again Roi reached for the catch.
He had to adjust constantly for the changing wind resistance of his asymmetrical body position, and when the cover popped off the power pack compartment, changing the shape of the streamlined upright, the wing tried again to escape his one-handed control. He thrust his fingers desperately into the power pack cavity, jerking the pack clear of the wiring.
The sudden silence in his head was deafening. Carefully he opened his mental shields, feeling for the nearest thermal. There, ahead and to the left, a small one, but rising faster than the glider’s sink rate. He nosed down, shifted his weight left and pulled up, feeling and seeing the glider turn into the thermal and begin to rise. He didn’t think he could climb enough on this little sprat of a thermal to make the cabin, but with luck he could make it out of the broken land.
Whew. (Wipes sweat from forehead.) But he’s not on the ground yet. And while he’s pretty sure who’s behind the sabotage, he still doesn’t know how it happened.
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)
Tourist Trap (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.
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'Homecoming' Blog 