Quotations from Mercedes Lackey

These are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling last week. All but the last are from Mercedes Lackey’s Beauty and the Werewolf.

“Mules were quiet and sensible.” Bella does not feel up to riding one of Sebastian’s hunters, but a mule sounds like a possibility.

“No amount of crying was going to change what had already happened.” Bella has plenty of reason to cry, but recognizes that it won’t do any good

“A child learns what he lives with.” Bella is beginning to get some feeling for why Eric is the way he is.

“The best magic is unobtrusive. It just makes life go a little smoother.” Sebastian’s philosophy of magic.

“I can’t absolutely promise you nothing would go wrong.” Sebasian, speaking to Bella after he proposes that she help him in his magic-working.

“Anything could happen when you had a world with green talking faces in mirrors in it.” Bella has seen magic before, but her first encounter with a mirror-servant (see Disney’s Snow White) is more than a little unsettling.

“Getting Roi to admit he’s having trouble isn’t easy.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Coryn is talking to Nebol, the Headmaster of their school, but Roi is still acting like the slave he was raised as.

North Pole Weather 5/5/14

The sun will rise today at 5:03, and set 17 hours 32 minutes later at 10:28 this evening. Solar elevation at noon is over 40°, and civil twilight will last almost until midnight. As far as daylight is concerned, we’re rapidly approaching summer.

Temperature, too, though I’m not actually putting anything in the ground yet. But I’m leaving the mints, which have been hardening for a week, outdoors at night now that it’s supposed to stay above freezing, and added the thyme, lavender and rosemary to the hardening table.

The birch leaves are swelling fast: greenup time! The two photos were taken about 24 hours apart, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, so you can see how fast the leaves are enlarging. And we’ve broken 70°F.

Of course I don’t trust it to stay that warm, but right now I’ve broken out my shorts and don’t need a sweatshirt to work outdoors. I’ve started watering, too. Right now the fire danger is extreme, though we do have a sprinkle of rain today. Not enough, though.

As of Monday at 8:30, the Sunday YouTube of the weather report had not been posted. If it shows up later today, I’ll add it. It looks a little cooler next week, but still very springlike.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

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.

Photo Source

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.

Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents: Both Sides Now.

Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents is a blog hop with up to 200 word snippets of things we have written, published or unpublished. Click the logo above to find links to other participants. This bit from Both Sides Now (tentative title) is a continuation of the initial meeting between Kevi and Coralie. Remember Kevi has awakened to find his hands and feet almost useless, as is his Healing ability.

Which also meant he could not Heal the person whose pain he felt. Well, he had other resources. Marna had encouraged him to learn every medical tradition he could, as part of his training as a Healer, and there were a number of ways to control pain. Conventional medicine used drugs, but he was also Jibeth-trained, among other traditions, and sleep-singing would do as well.

He looked down again at his feet, and decided that if he broke bones walking on them, the bones would probably need to be broken and reset anyway. The hay walls did not imprison him; there was an obvious opening a few steps from the bed. He got to his feet, steeling himself against the pain, and hobbled over to the door. The floor was rock, with bits of hay and grain here and there. Uncomfortable for bare feet, even those in better shape than his.

The door led to a darkened maze of hay bales and feed sacks, piled more to let air circulate than for easy navigation. He went back for the light, holding it awkwardly in the crook of one arm, and began trying to find the injured person.

Jarn’s Journal Year 10 Day 26

Year 10 Day 26

There are times I wonder if I remember anything.

Photo Source

I had just returned from exploring more of the volcanic island when Rainbow asked me, “Are you bringing salt this year?” It took me a moment to realize that while I was exploring the far north partly because the light was good and the sea ice still at its maximum this time of year, the equinox was also shortly before the time the People would return. In fact, I’d started exploring northward partly as a way to occupy myself until they did come back. And I’d “traded” quite a lot pf the salt I had in storage for tanned skins.

“Salt,” I said, deciding the volcanic island could wait. “Wrong time of year for Northern meat; the animals will be coming out of winter, and they’ll be thin. In fact, most of the northern plants will be out of season, too. Dates, figs, and I might help the men collect honey. I can keep the bees from stinging. Have you seen any sign of the People yet?”

“Two scouts. Giraffe was one.”

So tomorrow I will have to visit the salt lake again, and check the few sweet date trees. I might also check the fig trees to the north, and perhaps collect more of the sweet-smelling gum. I wonder what will be new at the gather this year?