Weekend Writing Warriors (Tourist Trap)

It’s Sunday today, and you know what that means. Lots of snippets from lots of different authors, some of whom can be found by clicking on the logos above and below.

Today’s snippet is from my second published book, Tourist Trap. Here’s 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?

For today I’ve picked a relatively sexy snippet, though it’s not human sex. We’ve already established that Token. one of the saddle horses, is coming is season and becoming difficult to handle as a result.

The little meadow was open and gently cupped, with no place in creance range where a horse could be hiding. Roi opened his mind to the horses’ sensory impressions and quickly found Raindrop, Freckles, Dusty, Splash and the three pack horses, but no trace of Token. He called them all in with a suggestion of the grain in the packs, and reached farther for Token. He picked up the massed senses of a wild herd, perhaps an hour’s ride to the west and then, nearer, a flood of rampant equine sexuality.

“Oh, hells,” he groaned. “A wild stud did come in here, and he’s driven her off. I can feel her, but I can’t get through to her to bring her back. Flame, if I ever said you had a one-track mind, I apologize.”

Tourist Trap is available from iUniverse, from Barnes and Noble and from Amazon, but compare prices. Last time I checked, Amazon was still charging way too much for the Kindle version. The publisher e-book price is under $5.

Vara (A to Z Challenge)

Vara is R’il’noid, though not High R’il’noid. She is a breeder and trainer of performance horses, and lives near Nik on Seabird Island. Like most fertile R’il’noids she is subject to the Genetics Board as far as having children is concerned. Her last pregnancy was, by Board decision, to Derik. Trouble was, she knew Derik in his misspent youth and gave in only reluctantly to letting him have anything to do with their son, Coryn. Needless to state, Coryn was conceived by the laboratory procedure, though Derik did insist on using conditional precognition to determine the timing and which fertilized egg was implanted.

Vara appears in Homecoming and Tourist Trap, and will have a continuing part in my upcoming trilogy. Here she is speaking from about a third of the way through Homecoming, after Coryn has invited Roi to visit over the school holidays, and she has (reluctantly) allowed Derik to visit as well, since at this point in time he is one of Roi’s guardians.

I’m glad I sent those extra food packages to Cory. I thought he was just trying to take advantage of me, but after seeing what his “starving, motherless tutee”  looks like, I really don’t think I sent him enough. If he could walk, the boy would be a walking skeleton!

What on Central was Derik thinking of, to send a paralyzed child in a float chair to a school like Tyndall! Oh, Cory says he’s bright enough, But I can’t believe the others aren’t giving him problems. Not with the way he pulls in on himself at any sudden move. I’ll certainly let Derik know how I feel about the situation when he gets here!

At least Roi doesn’t seem afraid of the horses, and Cory says he was quite a rider before he was paralyzed. Still wants to be, I think. At any rate, he really lit up when Cory offered to take him riding double this morning. I did insist that they take old Cotton, instead of that feisty mare Cory had started to saddle! I’m not so sure about letting them go bareback, though when I mind-touched Coryn to check on them a time or two, Ander was the one having problems. I thought that bay might be too much for him, but Cotton’s really the only quiet horse I have right now.

I’m doing my A to Z blogs from my books, both characters and background information. For characters I’ll introduce them quickly, say what point of time they’re talking from since their situations change drastically through the books, and let them talk. The format of background information will vary according to what I’m talking about. Bold type indicates that more information has been or will be available in another A to Z post. All of these blogs will be scheduled to go live just after midnight Alaska time. Click below for the list of participants.

Horse Color Genetics Index

Color genetics is a long-time hobby of mine, and I’ve written a number of posts about the genes that determine color and pattern in horses. These posts are being reissued with new photographs, so the later dates are generally more complete. I also have an extensive website on genetics and coat color in dogs.

Horse Color Genetics Index

The Basic Colors of Horses 10/31/10; reblogged 9/22/12

The Agouti and Extension Loci in Horses 11/27/10; 10/6/12

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Classes of modifying genes 10/13/12

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Palomino (Cream)  Genetics 11/06/10; 10/20/12

Pearl: a Palomino Complication 11/14/10; 10/27/12

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Dun: a Wild-Type Dilution Gene in Horses 11/21/10; 11/4/12

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Champagne: Another Dilution Gene in Horses 12/5/10; 11/10/12

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Silver Dapple – Another Dilution Gene in Horses 12/12/10, 11/17/12

Two Rare Dilutions and a Summary of Dilution Genes in Horses 12/19/10 11/25/12

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The Genetics of White on Horses 12/27/10, 12/1/12

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The Grey Gene in Horses 1/3/11, 12/8/12

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The Roan Gene in Horses 1/9/11, 12/15/12

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Other Patterns of White Hair in Horses
1/17/11, 12/22/12

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White Body Markings on Horses 1/24/11, 12/29/12

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The Tobiano Gene in Horses 1/31/11, 1/5/13

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Sabino Spotting in Horses 2/6/11, 1/12/13

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The Frame Gene in Horses 2/14/11, 1/19/13

The Splashed White Gene in Horses 2/28/11, 1/26/13

Horse Colors: Manchado and Brindle 3/7/11, 2/2/13

White Horses 3/20/11, 2/9/13

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The Leopard Gene in Horses 3/29/11, 2/16/13

The Leopard Gene in Horses (Continued) 4/2/11, 2/23/13

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The Leopard Gene in Horses Part 3 4/10/11, 3/9/13

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The Leopard Gene in Horses 4 4/17/11 3/16/13

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Horse Color Genetics: Darkening Genes 4/24/11, 4/23/13

Horse Color Summary 1 5/1/11,  3/30/13

Horse Color Genetics, Final Summary 5/8/11, 4/6/13

Other Posts to do with Horses

The Horses of Homecoming 4/17/10
Obstacle Racing (Homecoming Glossary) 6/26/10
A Circus Horse with no Circus 7/11/10
Tourist Trap: What’s It About? 8/16/11