Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

Another Sunday, another snippet. For other authors participating in Weekend Writing Warriors click the logo above; for Snippet Sunday click the logo below.

Setup: Roi has managed to pull the power pack and convince his father not to have the Trek company guard him. Now he has the glider circling in an updraft to regain some of the height he has lost.

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The glider was responsive now, if cranky, and he thought back to Derry’s lessons on his own uncompensated wing. He had sworn the task was impossible when he had first tried uncompensated flight. After the negative compensation he had just experienced, the natural instability of the little craft was a joy to work with. He didn’t even want to think about what the glider would have been like if he’d been using full compensation, rather than a quarter.

An acrid smell brought his attention back from the world circling below him, and he groaned as he saw smoke pouring out of the empty power pack compartment. Cautious exploration with his bare right hand confirmed the heat in the left uptube, in the region of the compensation chip. Whoever had sabotaged his wing had made sure that the evidence would be destroyed, and the glider’s misbehavior probably attributed to a short circuit. Come to think about it, he wasn’t sure how much heat the synthetic that made up the control bar would stand without weakening or even igniting.

Maybe he shouldn’t have insisted that the escort craft leave him alone!

I’m going to keep posting from Tourist Trap (available from Barnes and Noble, iUniverse and Amazon) until Roi is faced with a decision that will have repercussions for the rest of the book. Meanwhile:

1. I try to return comments, but I will take at most ONE try at a captcha. If I don’t get it (and some are pure guesswork to my eyes) no comment.
2. I don’t go to adult only posts unless they comment on mine.
3. Although this post was already scheduled, I went into the hospital Wednesday for a lumpectomy. (Outpatient. Ha!) I may not be up to much in the way of coherent comments.
4. Everything went fine and I’m feeling well, but my modem is acting up so I’m on and off the internet.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.) I’m still posting from Tourist Trap, my second published book, and Roi as just told his father that if he doesn’t make the Company quite riding herd on him, he’ll make sure they can’t. The conversation is mental, hence the italics.

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I mean it, Father. This trip may not seem like much to you, but it’s important to me. He wasn’t even sure why it had become so important, except that he’d never in his life had the opportunity to do something he wanted on his own.

A long moment of silence, as his shadow shrank on the ground below. If I ask the Company not to shadow you, will you promise to contact me or Kyrie the way you did just now if anything happens that you need help? We can’t afford to lose you, son.

There was a sense of surprise from the craft shadowing his, and it suddenly accelerated and turned away. Thanks, he thought as he broke the connection.

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

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

We’re still with Roi, right after he has let loose his frustration into his father’s mind, in this snippet from Tourist Trap. Italics within the quote indicate mental communication.

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Roi?  He felt the surprise in Lai’s mind-voice, and a distinct feeling of — respect? — that he had initiated contact at such a distance.

For once in my life can’t you let me do something I want to do, on my own?  Or am I as much your slave as I was Derry’s?

He felt his father flinch at the accusation.  What happened, Roi?

            We’re gliding down to the plains, I had a minor problem with the wing, and there’s a Company flier pacing me.  Get him off me now, or I’ll arrange that we lose the finders.

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?

Reviewers of Tourist Trap 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

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

I’m continuing from last week with Roi, who has just regained control of his sabotaged hang glider – but his problems aren’t over yet. This snippet is from Tourist Trap, published in 2011 and winner of the Reader Views award for best fiction book of the year in 2012.

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He looked down at the ground to his left, searching for his own shadow to help him estimate distance. Two shadows?

He turned his head and saw a large power flier pacing his glider, above and behind him, where most of the craft was hidden by the wing above him. Rage flooded through his body, and he gathered and channeled it toward the enemy craft, banking his own wing enough to see the markings on the craft that must have been responsible for his plight. He reached toward the flyer, with every intention of blasting it out of the sky, and abruptly saw the mammoth device, and picked up a hint of concern over his own plight from the vessel that had become his target. Horrified, he wrenched at the building rage, somehow transmuting it and changing direction toward where Central and his father should be, ten light years away.

Get this goddam baby-sitter off my back! he snarled into his father’s mind, and felt Lai’s shocked response.

 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.

Also, I’m asking for help in identifying book or writer on this. Our local librarian is stumped.

The main character is a dragon shifter.  She is with the police but some are afraid she will go to the dark side since she had one parent that was good and one that was bad.
There is a witch in a wheel chair who is around 600 years old.  There is a prophecy that if  she dies 3 times a curse will be broken.
There is a character named Princess Bri or Brianna
They all live on an island.
The Island has Protectors and only the characters can go on and of the island.
The previous stated witch and a warlock dies and in the process of coming back, the daughter of the witch dies.
There is also a character that is a “normal” human Special Ops guy that kills off demon-like beings.

Anyone have any clue as to what this book/ or series is?

 

Weekend Writing Warriors: Tourist Trap

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.) These are blog hops where authors of all genres (mine’s science fiction) post up to 8 sentences of anything from rough drafts to published works.

I’m still posting from Tourist Trap (blurb below) my second published book. Roi is a few thousand feet above the ground in a malfunctioning hang glider, and has accidentally triggered a screamer that nullifies his esper abilities.

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Both the screamer and the compensation circuits needed power, he thought. He had felt no difference in weight distribution when he’d lifted the glider for takeoff, so there was at least a chance that the small power pack in the right upright was feeding both. Carefully, almost holding his breath, he began working his hands toward each other on the control bar. When they touched, he maneuvered the left hand under the right. His right hand came up, working at the catch of the power pack compartment.

The catch had never been designed for mittens.

His breath sobbing with frustration, he brought his right hand back to his mouth and used his teeth to pull the scarlet mitten off and let it drop. It fell away to the rugged ground beneath him, turning over and over until it was so small he could no longer see it.

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: 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

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: 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. The group is hang gliding off a major escarpment to the plains below. Roi is the last of the group to take off, because of his telekinetic ability to help the others if needed, and has been admiring the jewel-colored gliders as they turn north along the mountain front to take advantage of the updraft it is producing. Incidentally, Roi’s perception allows him to “feel” the thermals.

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The cliff was beautifully streamlined, and the air beneath Roi flowed as smoothly as honey.  The cliff rim was dropping behind him, and the plains spread to the end of the world ahead, dotted with the warm columns of rising thermals.  He could fly beyond the horizon on a day like this, he thought exultantly, fly to the lake that lay somewhere at the end of the lazy curves traced by the Surprise far below.  He pulled in slightly on the control bar, accelerating to turn northward after the others.

The wing nosed over, diving so abruptly toward the toe of the slope that Roi was caught by surprise.  Startled, he pushed out hard, using his whole body to throw his weight as far back as he could.  Slowly, reluctantly, the wing leveled out into steady flight.  Then, as swiftly as it had dived, it tried to leap upward into a stall.

What’s happening? He just test-flew the glider yesterday, with no hint of a problem!

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: Tourist Trap

It’s Sunday again, and time for snippets from authors far and wide. For Weekend Writing Warriors click the logo above, for Snippet Sunday click the logo below.

This week I’m posting a snippet from Tourist Trap, available in all formats from Barnes and Noble, iUniverse and Amazon, though I can’t seem to get Amazon to offer a reasonable e-book price. Point out the lower prices to them. This is some 20 years earlier than Horse Power. An unexpected jibe has just knocked Roi out of the sailboat Timi has been piloting

 

If you knocked him out, something in the back of Timi’s mind whispered, there’s a good chance he’d drown.

That’s crazy, his saner self replied.  Roi’s my friend.

He’s your owner.  How can he possibly be your friend?

He was almost back to the eddy now, and with a surge of relief—or was it hatred?—he saw Roi’s head break water.  The R’il’noid was pawing feebly at the water, seemingly unable to use his right arm, and he was choking and coughing.

All you have to do is hit him like this, the voice whispered, and to his horror Timi felt his hands moving, not to assist Roi until the boat could get back to them, but to kill.

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.