Weekend Writing Warriors: Rescue Operation

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.)

I am still quoting from Rescue Operation, this time from Roi’s POV after his return from solving the problem of the planet convinced its health problems were an attack by others.

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Source: Hubblesite.org

Roi Laian stretched, feeling the interface lounge accommodate to his motion and gently massage his body as he shifted position. He opened his eyes, briefly interrupting the computer’s download to his brain as he absorbed what he’d already received. Plenty of decisions he wouldn’t have made if he had been here, but nothing really disastrous. Still, it was good to be back.

He glanced out the window wall of his office, taking in the rolling pastureland dotted with grazing horses. Swim, ride, or work out in the controlled-gravity gym? After he’d checked out the situations Zhaim had indicated were resolved, Roi decided, and reactivated the full computer connection.

The Horizon situation first, he decided, but he was only a few minutes into that when he jerked upright on the lounge.

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I don’t think he’s favorably impressed by Zhaim’s solution.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.)

This is still from Tourist Trap. Roi is back on the ground and has the fire pretty well under control. He has decided that though he doesn’t like using his object-reading abilities, he’s going to have to determine who sabotaged his glider

Photo Source

In this case, Roi decided, it might be a very useful skill indeed.

The cooling from the snow he had continued to pile on the upright, together with the reduction of the air supply, had pretty well stopped the fire.  Closing his eyes and opening his mind to any lingering impressions, Roi reached out to put his hands on the control triangle.  Himself, of course.  Traces of Flame, who had helped him set up and inspect the glider just before the flight, and of Penny, who’d helped the day before.  Neither, however, had touched the control triangle except at the top, where both had checked its attachment to the wing.  The only fresh trace beside his own anywhere near the electronics was — Timi?  From yesterday, when he’d held the compartment door open?  But this felt more recent …

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: Barnes and Noble, iUniverse, and Amazon in dust jacket, trade paper, and e-book formats.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.)

Today I have another bit from Tourist Trap. Roi has finally managed to get his glider on the ground, and has time to think as he waits for the others to join him.

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There were still patches of snow, too small to have been seen from the cliff, hiding in the shade of the thicker tufts of dead grass, and he packed several handfuls around the hot end of the upright.  Shutting off the air supply should help, too, he thought, and he replaced the cover on the power pack compartment.  He must have dropped the power pack.

He couldn’t think of anyone except possibly Zhaim who might have wanted him dead.  And whoever had sabotaged the glider would have touched it, left traces of his personality behind.  Reading objects wasn’t one of his strongest talents, but Derry had told him often enough that his weakness in that aspect of esper work was simple lack of application.  “You don’t like eavesdropping,” his uncle had told him, “and there’s a lot of eavesdropping in reading an object’s history.  But that doesn’t mean it’s a useless skill.”

Blurb for Tourist Trap: 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: Barnes and Noble, iUniverse, and Amazon in dust jacket, trade paper, and e-book formats.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

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.

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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.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

Time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below) again! I’m still posting from Tourist Trap, from the hang gliding scene. Roi has realized that the misbehavior of his glider is probably due to sabotage, and he’d better bail out. But at the last minute he finds himself wondering about his parachute.

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What if the chute had been sabotaged too? He reached into the package with his mind, and spat out a couple of curses from his years as a slave. The chute felt as if someone had tied it in loose knots and stuffed it into the holding bag. He’d really be in trouble with that deployed.

Better try to use his perceptive and telekinetic abilities to get the compensation circuit straightened out, he decided, and reached mentally for the chip in the left upright of the control triangle. His mind touched something that should not have been there at all, and he cried out aloud and doubled up under the impact of a high-powered screamer.

Roi had felt screamers before, and managed to work through them after a fashion. This one, however, was far stronger than anything in his experience.

And he’s just barely been able to control the glider at full ability. With the screamer going, most of his esper talents are useless.

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)

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.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.)I’m posting again from Tourist Trap, and this excerpt follows immediately after last week’s. Roi is trying to work out what is wrong with the compensation circuit on his hang glider, while in midair just after diving off a cliff. A very high cliff.

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A sideslip would be compensated for by lengthening the flight cable to the inside wing, changing both weight distribution and dihedral. There were other, more subtle changes in wing shape and angles, but the direction of change in cable length was fundamental to compensation.

When his glider had started to sideslip, the left wing cable had been in Roi’s field of view, and he was sure he had seen in shorten.

Very carefully, he pulled back on the control bar, bringing the glider’s nose down and increasing speed. He was watching for the nose cable to lengthen, and when he saw it shorten instead he immediately pushed out, bringing the glider back to level flight.

The glider’s flight had been normal yesterday, but today the compensation circuit was somehow working backward, destabilizing the already inherently unstable wing instead of stabilizing it. He couldn’t imagine how that could happen, other than deliberate sabotage, and in that case the sooner he bailed out the better. He moved a hand to the emergency chute on his chest, and felt a sudden unease.

In Roi’s universe, hunches are an untrained, empathy-driven form of the esper ability of conditional precognition. Listen to that unease, Roi!

Tourist Trap is available from Barnes and Noble, iUniverse and Amazon, though the Amazon Kindle price is out of line with the other two e-book prices. 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?

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

Sunday’s the day for snippets from all kinds of authors. To find those posting on Weekend Writing Warriors, click the logo above; for snippet Sunday click the logo below.

I’ve picked 8 sentences from my second published book, Tourist Trap. This follows immediately after last week’s sentences.

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Roi swallowed hard and took a couple of deep breaths. “I’m having control problems,” he said. “Stay clear.” His mind was working frantically, trying to make sense of what he thought he’d seen when he started the turn.

Designing a glider was a battle between maneuverability and stability.  Performance gliders like their Hangin’ Frees were so unstable in basic design as to be almost unflyable. Micro circuitry controlling cable lengths and fabric curvature made them manageable. If a glider nosed forward too steeply, for instance, the compensation circuit would lengthen the nose cables and warp upward the trailing edges of tail and sail, thus lifting the nose away from the dive.

What did Roi think he saw? Come back next week or buy the book.

Tourist Trap is available from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. 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?

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming available in all formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

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This continues Roi’s controlled dream from last week.

Get away! Keep running! But Snowy was frozen in shock just long enough for the gasping giant to grab his arm and swing him against the wall, hard enough that Snowy felt bones splinter. The guard must have felt it, too, and known he was in trouble for damaging his owner’s property. His eyes flicked to the balcony railing, and he made a sudden dive for Snowy. Something in Snowy’s mind knew the guard’s intention and struck out is frantic self-preservation, and at the same instant Snowy was inside the guard’s mind, somersaulting over the balcony railing and falling, screaming, to the stone-paved floor below, while the slave he had intended to destroy before  it could communicate what he’d done huddled on the balcony above ….

If you’ve been wondering about that “I think I killed a man,” this is what Roi remembers.

Next week I’m going back to to the hang gliding in Tourist Trap.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

It’s Sunday* again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming available in a variety of formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

This is a continuation from last week, with Roi as he is forced to relive a memory.

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Snowy had learned so early that he could not remember learning that crying, struggling, or any expression but happiness or eagerness to please would bring uncontrollable pain. He knew how to keep his owners happy, if anything he did could manage that.

Still, he hated being a catamite. He wanted to strike out, and kick, and struggle, but he knew better than to think he could get away with it. So he hated and ran, head down and arms pumping as he returned along the balcony to the slave quarters.

Corner ahead – better slow down; one of the guards might be – was! – coming the other way.  But neither his body nor the mind inhabiting it responded in the slightest to his concern. Horrified, he tried to rouse himself, knowing to the smallest detail what was to come, but helpless to do anything except to keep running until his lowered head slammed into the guard’s groin.

Not a good move for a slave.

*Oops, I scheduled this for Saturday instead of Sunday by accident, so you’re getting it a day early.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

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It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming, available in a variety of formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

Last week was a break, with an excerpt from the sequel of Homecoming,  Tourist Trap. This week I’m going back to Homecoming, but to a point a little after the scene with Derik and Roi. Just remember that Roi was originally called Snowy.

“If you feel like hitting someone, run it off,” Snowy’s mother had told him. “Just make sure you’re running in the direction your owner wants. You’re not likely to get in trouble that way.”

Snowy had done a lot of running in the six months since he’d been sold away from his mother. Six months? Wait a minute, that had been years ago. Not that he’d liked his mother’s owner, or the overseers who gave most of the orders. But this new owner, and the brutes he expected to keep his slaves in line, left him half sick with fear.

Wondering about the italic portions? The controlled dreaming Roi is being subjected to has that effect — he cannot change the memory, but he is simultaneously remembering and reliving it.