Welcome to another Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Roi has landed safely after his hang glider was sabotaged, and has used his object-reading ability to determine who has touched the glider since he test-flew it the day before.
Roi felt a sick coldness growing in his middle as he probed deeper. Timi, and nobody else, had handled the access hatch since Roi himself had reset the compensation level the day before. Could Zhaim actually have succeeded in influencing Timi to the extent that the Clan boy would try to kill him? Roi could not believe that. Sure, they had disagreements, mostly about Timi’s growing tendency to push what Roi saw as a dangerous flirtation with Zhaim. Roi could even imagine Timi attacking him in a fit of temper, as he had during the snowball fight. But a calculated murder attempt like this?
He pulled his hands back, wiping them on his parka as if he could wipe away the impression his mind had taken from the control bar.
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; 5 star)
“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
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
in dust jacket, trade paper, and e-book formats.
Buy Homecoming from iUniverse
'Homecoming' Blog 
Good tension. He’s got lots of questions it would seem.
That he does.
Hmm, did Zhaim manage to trick someone into doing the dirty work? You’ve got me wondering!
I’m not sure trick is the right word.
This is getting Shakesperean with friends stabbing each other in the back, lovers betraying lovers. You’ve created a complex world, my friend. Intriguing eight.
Realistic worlds are complex.
Feels like there are more questions than answers emerging, and likely things are not quite as they seem to be…
Isn’t that the way life is?
I love this:
“He pulled his hands back, wiping them on his parka as if he could wipe away the impression his mind had taken from the control bar.”
I’m also intrigued by the whole mind control aspect, and have to wonder if maybe Zhaim is influencing Timi to pursue his crush oh him.
“Flirting” may have been the wrong word here. I did not intend any sexual implication, but Zhaim has been egging on Timi’s dissatisfaction with being technically Roi’s slave, even though from Roi’s POV it is the best way he can protect Timi until they’re both adult.
This is a complicated world you’ve created. Now thar Roi knows about the danger he can protect himself better. I’ve grown fond of him.
If he chooses to.
Great job with creating even more mystery and tension here. Great snippet.
Glad you like it.
Hmm, intriguing and I feel sorry for Roi, having to suspect his friends and argue the pros and cons in his head. But it is a matter of life and death…excellent excerpt!
Still have a little more to go.
Someone is sabotaging the trip and sowing seeds of discord along the way. Great snippet.
Right.
I’ve had that sick feeling in my stomach before. Nicely done!
And Timi’s on his way down to join him.
You weave good intrigue as well as fantastic worlds, Sue Ann. And your character motivations are excellent, too. 🙂
Thanks. Glad you like it.
Oh, I can think of so many ways a clever and ruthless person could cajole, trick, or threaten his friend(s.). Roi better watch his back!
At least he knows there’s a potential problem now.
You’re an evil, evil person. (And I mean that in the nicest way possible.)
I’m sure my characters would agree.
Just wonderful descriptions, Sue Ann. You say just enough, and Roi’s gesture at the end is perfect.
I enjoy trying to experience things through my characters’ senses.
So complex. I love it!
And Roi has to deal with it.
Detailed and intriguing!
I still have a few snippets to go on this one.
Poor Roi, he has no way of knowing who to trust, or not trust. Now he is worried that even his friends could be turned, he’s got to be feeling quite desperate. Terrifically tense snippet.
He’s got resources that way, though he doesn’t like to use them. But he doesn’t trust where he should.
Excellent snippet. It feels real. I think it’s because it’s so candid in Roi’s POV. You write it so well that it’s easy to relate to the shock and disbelief he feels at what (and who) he suspects.
I end to be tight in single points of view within a section, but I write with multiple points of view. That doesn’t show in snippets, though. Maybe the next scene I show should be from someone else’s POV–like Zhaim.