Skye Ritchey's Blog, page 37
November 25, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Kill Switch
I hope everyone who observes Thanksgiving had a terrific one. The fam and I went to my dad's for a very low-key dinner and quality time together. It's been a few years since we've been able to do that, which is weird because he only lives two miles away from me. LOL
I can honestly say this year I'm so thankful that my family and work life is on an even keel and I some majorly great ideas popping for both my writing and a business venture I hope to pursue in the new year. My editing work keeps me busy and I get to read new books all the time. For a book nerd, there's nothing better.
Television took a back seat to some work commitments and the holiday. I caught a bunch of Classic Who episodes. I'm in season two during the Rome arc. Thoroughly enjoy watching the first doctor.
I’m almost finished with season one of Penny Dreadful. There are times when the show seems to plod along a little. I hope that smooths out with the next season.
Legends of Tomorrow had a great Thanksgiving episode. I kind of like Nate being with the time bureau. Of course a huge showdown with his dad is inevitable. Sadly. I also kind of love Ray getting a little tarnished and being so uncertain about some of his decisions. Makes him a lot more interesting.
Wow. Wynonna Earp keeps getting better. They never quite do what I expect them to do and I love it. Messy relationships playing out on screen is highly entertaining.
Got in another episode of The Dresden Files and I remember watching this one. I hope the new incarnation stays with some of the interesting details of how Harry became a wizard. Also got the last episode of Underbelly's first season. Gotta say it started out pretty slow but ended up being pretty decent.
I watched Midsomer Murders while getting caught up on folding laundry. The entire episode… so yeah, I had a crap ton of clean clothes to fold. Also got an episode of Babylon 5 in on the same day.
To round out the week, I caught episode seven of Birds of Prey on CW Seed and then followed up with The Flash's All Doll'd Up. While I like Nora, she can be a little whiny sometimes. Hope that changes soon.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Kill Switch, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of write a scene where the characters are beaten up and jealous and suddenly have a need to let that jealousy out.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Karsen Hill and Theo Gordon live in a modern world full of magic and mayhem. Torn apart by their circumstances, they still share a powerful attraction and it will take a kill switch to keep their feelings at bay. When a bar of the same name opens, the duo can't resist meeting to explore their options.
And a preview snippet…
Karsen Hill sank down over the thick length of Theo Gordon's rigid erection. "Ahhh, Theo, I never get tired of riding you." She rocked her hips, drawing him deeper inside.Theo's eyes slid closed and he groaned. "Karse, I could die a happy man right now." His fingers gripped her thighs, digging into her muscles.She leaned down and captured his mouth in a lingering kiss. Theo's tongue dueled with hers and his palms moved to cup her ass.Increasing the pace, she upped the friction by grinding hard against his groin. After being together almost two years, they had unlocking pleasure down to a fine art. Tonight, she craved a hard and fast release and Theo obliged, grabbing her hips and using his thumbs to circle her clit. The motion sent tingles of awareness along her nerve endings.The past month… had been crazy. Her work as a bounty hunter took her to some dark places infested with demons, vampires, and other dodgy preternatural creatures. The never-ending power plays between the ruling houses kept her busy.Theo lifted his chin. "Focus on now, Karsen. You're with me, right?" His tongue flicked over her nipple then his lips trapped the bud and sucked hard.She gasped and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. And I'm close, Theo."His phone rang and she groaned, grabbing the offending device to check the caller ID. "It's your mom." As usual, the woman's timing sucked balls.She'd been dragging Theo into the family drama more and more. The shifters ruled in Shadow City, setting the laws the lesser houses adhered to. Teller Stewart, Theo's grandpapa, fought hard to become the alpha laird and, to date, he ruled with just fairness.Theo's mom, Teller's daughter… not so much.Theo made a growling sound. "I'll call her back." He focused on her other breast.Karsen dropped the phone and rolled her pelvic bone, grinding against Theo again. The pressure started blooming low in her spine. His hard cock throbbed deep inside her.Her phone buzzed with her handler's notification tone. "Argh… not now." She picked up the device and read the brief text."Urgent. Respond ASAP"Not now, Seamus.Theo barked out a question. "Seamus?"She nodded. "Says it's urgent. Everything's urgent with him." And too many times they defined the word differently.Seamus could wait.Dropping the phone, she planted her hands on Theo's chest. "I'm so close… I'll get him—ah, god, yes—later." She loved the way Theo hit every single sweet spot she had.Theo brushed his thumbs over her clit and she shuddered, toppling over the edge into an orgasm that took her breath away. Theo clamped his hands on her hips and thrust upward, bucking against her before going tense and gasping her name. His release sent little shockwaves of pleasure through her, robbing her ability to stay upright. She collapsed on his chest then slowly eased sideways, spent and sated.God, she loved him.
I'm pretty excited about this story. Finding the time to sit and write in long stretches is my biggest challenge. Someone needs to invent a way to imagine the words and have them transfer directly to the screen without typing. LOL
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
I can honestly say this year I'm so thankful that my family and work life is on an even keel and I some majorly great ideas popping for both my writing and a business venture I hope to pursue in the new year. My editing work keeps me busy and I get to read new books all the time. For a book nerd, there's nothing better.
Television took a back seat to some work commitments and the holiday. I caught a bunch of Classic Who episodes. I'm in season two during the Rome arc. Thoroughly enjoy watching the first doctor.
I’m almost finished with season one of Penny Dreadful. There are times when the show seems to plod along a little. I hope that smooths out with the next season.
Legends of Tomorrow had a great Thanksgiving episode. I kind of like Nate being with the time bureau. Of course a huge showdown with his dad is inevitable. Sadly. I also kind of love Ray getting a little tarnished and being so uncertain about some of his decisions. Makes him a lot more interesting.
Wow. Wynonna Earp keeps getting better. They never quite do what I expect them to do and I love it. Messy relationships playing out on screen is highly entertaining.
Got in another episode of The Dresden Files and I remember watching this one. I hope the new incarnation stays with some of the interesting details of how Harry became a wizard. Also got the last episode of Underbelly's first season. Gotta say it started out pretty slow but ended up being pretty decent.
I watched Midsomer Murders while getting caught up on folding laundry. The entire episode… so yeah, I had a crap ton of clean clothes to fold. Also got an episode of Babylon 5 in on the same day.
To round out the week, I caught episode seven of Birds of Prey on CW Seed and then followed up with The Flash's All Doll'd Up. While I like Nora, she can be a little whiny sometimes. Hope that changes soon.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Kill Switch, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of write a scene where the characters are beaten up and jealous and suddenly have a need to let that jealousy out.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Karsen Hill and Theo Gordon live in a modern world full of magic and mayhem. Torn apart by their circumstances, they still share a powerful attraction and it will take a kill switch to keep their feelings at bay. When a bar of the same name opens, the duo can't resist meeting to explore their options.
And a preview snippet…
Karsen Hill sank down over the thick length of Theo Gordon's rigid erection. "Ahhh, Theo, I never get tired of riding you." She rocked her hips, drawing him deeper inside.Theo's eyes slid closed and he groaned. "Karse, I could die a happy man right now." His fingers gripped her thighs, digging into her muscles.She leaned down and captured his mouth in a lingering kiss. Theo's tongue dueled with hers and his palms moved to cup her ass.Increasing the pace, she upped the friction by grinding hard against his groin. After being together almost two years, they had unlocking pleasure down to a fine art. Tonight, she craved a hard and fast release and Theo obliged, grabbing her hips and using his thumbs to circle her clit. The motion sent tingles of awareness along her nerve endings.The past month… had been crazy. Her work as a bounty hunter took her to some dark places infested with demons, vampires, and other dodgy preternatural creatures. The never-ending power plays between the ruling houses kept her busy.Theo lifted his chin. "Focus on now, Karsen. You're with me, right?" His tongue flicked over her nipple then his lips trapped the bud and sucked hard.She gasped and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. And I'm close, Theo."His phone rang and she groaned, grabbing the offending device to check the caller ID. "It's your mom." As usual, the woman's timing sucked balls.She'd been dragging Theo into the family drama more and more. The shifters ruled in Shadow City, setting the laws the lesser houses adhered to. Teller Stewart, Theo's grandpapa, fought hard to become the alpha laird and, to date, he ruled with just fairness.Theo's mom, Teller's daughter… not so much.Theo made a growling sound. "I'll call her back." He focused on her other breast.Karsen dropped the phone and rolled her pelvic bone, grinding against Theo again. The pressure started blooming low in her spine. His hard cock throbbed deep inside her.Her phone buzzed with her handler's notification tone. "Argh… not now." She picked up the device and read the brief text."Urgent. Respond ASAP"Not now, Seamus.Theo barked out a question. "Seamus?"She nodded. "Says it's urgent. Everything's urgent with him." And too many times they defined the word differently.Seamus could wait.Dropping the phone, she planted her hands on Theo's chest. "I'm so close… I'll get him—ah, god, yes—later." She loved the way Theo hit every single sweet spot she had.Theo brushed his thumbs over her clit and she shuddered, toppling over the edge into an orgasm that took her breath away. Theo clamped his hands on her hips and thrust upward, bucking against her before going tense and gasping her name. His release sent little shockwaves of pleasure through her, robbing her ability to stay upright. She collapsed on his chest then slowly eased sideways, spent and sated.God, she loved him.
I'm pretty excited about this story. Finding the time to sit and write in long stretches is my biggest challenge. Someone needs to invent a way to imagine the words and have them transfer directly to the screen without typing. LOL
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
November 18, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Kidnapped
Geez… what a week. I can honestly say I've never worked harder on a copy edit than I have for the past twelve days. I've actually never taken twelve days to complete a copy edit before. TLDR… it's a long manuscript and there were a crap ton of glitchy little things that needed review. My brain kind of hurts right now. LOL
To top the long work week off, my daughter had three nights of after-school events. National honor society inductions on Tuesday, golf awards banquet on Thursday, and the holiday parade on Friday, which we made five gallons of hot chocolate for the choir kids to drink and keep warm while riding the float. Seriously… it's not as easy to make five gallons of a hot drink as one might think. And… my daughter's also in band so she doesn't even ride the float with the choir. She marches and misses all the chocolaty goodness.
Needless to say, I'm now behind on my television viewing. I actually couldn't watch the finale of The Last Ship. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this show yet. I'm going to miss that damn ship and its sailors so much.
I do have a brief rundown of what I did get to see. Caught another episode of Strike Back's fifth season. I'm starting to like this group a lot. I do miss the instant chemistry the previous cast had, especially the leads. That said, the dynamic is different enough with this group that I'm interested in where things go. And they're completely pared down, carrying on with how the previous incarnation ended. The commander is rebuilding and restoring the reputation of Section Twenty. So… they get lots of wiggle room.
Caught the Chicago crossover event with Fire, Med, and PD. Thoroughly enjoyed all three shows. I've lost some love for Chicago PD. The fifth season kind of lost me with all the sneaky snitchy bullshit. I really want to watch Chicago Med from the beginning. Here's hoping that happens in the near future.
I'm almost finished with Luke Cage. Disappointed there won't be a third season but maybe we'll see the character is something else. Who knows.
Got an episode of Murdoch Mysteries in. I like how this show weaves current topical events into the storyline, showing how often history tends to repeat. Not necessarily a great thing, but it's fun to see how they work it all out.
Watched a couple episodes of Classic Who. I'm behind on the new season but should get caught up soon. Started a new episode of Penny Dreadful and should finish the first season by the end of the month.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Kidnapped, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of "think French Revolution, a commoner and a noble". I like the commoner and the noble aspect but, eh, didn't really want to dive into the French Revolution. Instead, I'm hoping to get that kind of feel with an urban fantasy vibe.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Jaina Wraith discovers Seb Morrison is a member of the nobility and she kidnaps him, fully intent on having him executed. When Seb reminds her how many times he's come to her aid, she has to decide whether to help him escape or leave him to a tragic fate.
And a preview snippet…
Seb Morrison cut through the park on his break from working in the plotters' gardens. At ten, his duties only included watering the many rows of vegetables and keeping the plots free of weeds and critters. When he got time off, he went to his favorite spot, under the huge oak in the square, to read, write, or draw."Give me that back. It's mine."He glanced toward the voice. Jaina Wraith struggled with two tough nuts, the name given to youths who lived in the dregs and earned their living by brute force. They were trying to take her novice healer's kit. Jaina cherished the small box because her father made it, giving his blessing for her to follow in his footsteps as the prime healer.Just last week, she'd shared the good news and showed Seb the contents of her case.She doubled up her fist and punched one in the shoulder. "Let go. There's nothing of worth in here. It's a novice kit." She kicked the other one in the shin.The taller of the two, Rash Markey, countered her statement. "Yeah, what if your dad decided to stash some good stuff in there? We wanna see for ourselves." He finally got the kit away from Jaina.But not for long. She snatched it back when he tried to pry it open.She tucked the case under her arm. "I've got bindings, a needle, thread, and some poultices. That's it."The shorter, bulkier tough nut, Dav Warder, grabbed her arm. "Then let's see. Those herbs and stuff might be worth something." He made a move to take the box.Jaina ducked and dodged, trying to get around the duo.Seb made a quick move and stepped in between Jaina and the toughs. "Leave her alone." The two guys had at least two years on Seb, but he'd hit a growth spurt and topped both by a couple of inches.Rash narrowed his eyes. "Why? What's it to you?" He made a move to get in Seb's face.Seb planted his hands on his hips. "It's belongs to her and you should respect her property."Dav snorted. "If I get hold of it, it'll become mine. Your logic is stupid."Seb gave Dav a hard look. "You're not going to take it from her."The duo exchanged a glance.Rash tried a different tactic. "Who are you to say so? Some hoity-toity noble bum?"Ugh. Calling him a wharf rat would be less insulting. No one who lived on the fringes wanted to be lumped in with the nobility.Seb shook his head. "I'm no noble. But I paid attention when they handed out manners, which means you don't take something that doesn't belong to you." He jabbed Rash in the shoulder. "Good manners aren't exclusive to nobles, you moron."Dav tsked. "Maybe not, but possession is almost exclusive to ownership and if you can't keep what you have, you don't own it." He knocked the box out from under Jaina's arm and made a dash for it.Rash tried to give aid but Seb stopped him with a hard uppercut to his chin. Jaina chose that moment to use both fists and boxed Dav's ears. The two toughs yowled in pain and scampered off muttering curses twelve-year-olds shouldn't even know.Jaina retrieved her kit and dusted off the dirt. "I didn't need you to save me, you know." She sent him a sideways glance.Seb admired her fierce independence. She showed no fear when dealing with the tough nuts. He wouldn't take that away from her.He nodded. "Of course you didn't." He started toward the oak where he'd stashed a book earlier.Jaina fell into step beside him. "Then why did you butt in?" She skipped ahead and turned to look back in his direction.Seb shrugged. "Because two against one isn't fair no matter how well you can defend yourself." His mother taught him to always stand up when someone needed help.Jaina stopped for a moment, her head tilted to one side. "Oh." She paused a moment then added, "Well… thank you, I guess." Her cheeks went pink.Seb gave her a wide smile. "You're welcome." He stopped at the tree, reaching inside the hollowed out spot to grab his book. "Wanna stick around for a while?"Jaina shook her head. "Can't. Gotta meet my dad at the old man's estate. Anwar has been beating the stable hands again. I'm learning how to apply the poultices to stave off infection from the crop marks." She waved farewell and started back toward the city gates.Seb sighed. "Anwar is such an ass." Not even Seb's mother would get angry at his use of foul language.Because she knew exactly how much havoc the Grafton heir could cause. After all, Anwar happened to be her nephew. Not that her brother Hanson claimed his sister. He banished Seb's mother to live on the fringe when she married Cantor Morrison, Hanson's chief courier.Anwar, at the tender age of five, caused Seb's dad's death by planting a splitter in the axel of the car he drove for work. Anwar meant it as a prank, but the splitter didn't do its job until Cantor went around a precarious curve in the drive leading away from the estate. When the device popped the wheel, the car swerved into traffic and Seb's dad had been killed in the resulting crash.Born three days later, Seb never got to meet his dad.
I'm really hoping the world-building comes through without having to do a lot of detailed descriptions. I like to experiment with minimalism. Thankfully my beta babes always let me know when I fall short.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
To top the long work week off, my daughter had three nights of after-school events. National honor society inductions on Tuesday, golf awards banquet on Thursday, and the holiday parade on Friday, which we made five gallons of hot chocolate for the choir kids to drink and keep warm while riding the float. Seriously… it's not as easy to make five gallons of a hot drink as one might think. And… my daughter's also in band so she doesn't even ride the float with the choir. She marches and misses all the chocolaty goodness.
Needless to say, I'm now behind on my television viewing. I actually couldn't watch the finale of The Last Ship. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this show yet. I'm going to miss that damn ship and its sailors so much.
I do have a brief rundown of what I did get to see. Caught another episode of Strike Back's fifth season. I'm starting to like this group a lot. I do miss the instant chemistry the previous cast had, especially the leads. That said, the dynamic is different enough with this group that I'm interested in where things go. And they're completely pared down, carrying on with how the previous incarnation ended. The commander is rebuilding and restoring the reputation of Section Twenty. So… they get lots of wiggle room.
Caught the Chicago crossover event with Fire, Med, and PD. Thoroughly enjoyed all three shows. I've lost some love for Chicago PD. The fifth season kind of lost me with all the sneaky snitchy bullshit. I really want to watch Chicago Med from the beginning. Here's hoping that happens in the near future.
I'm almost finished with Luke Cage. Disappointed there won't be a third season but maybe we'll see the character is something else. Who knows.
Got an episode of Murdoch Mysteries in. I like how this show weaves current topical events into the storyline, showing how often history tends to repeat. Not necessarily a great thing, but it's fun to see how they work it all out.
Watched a couple episodes of Classic Who. I'm behind on the new season but should get caught up soon. Started a new episode of Penny Dreadful and should finish the first season by the end of the month.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Kidnapped, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of "think French Revolution, a commoner and a noble". I like the commoner and the noble aspect but, eh, didn't really want to dive into the French Revolution. Instead, I'm hoping to get that kind of feel with an urban fantasy vibe.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Jaina Wraith discovers Seb Morrison is a member of the nobility and she kidnaps him, fully intent on having him executed. When Seb reminds her how many times he's come to her aid, she has to decide whether to help him escape or leave him to a tragic fate.
And a preview snippet…
Seb Morrison cut through the park on his break from working in the plotters' gardens. At ten, his duties only included watering the many rows of vegetables and keeping the plots free of weeds and critters. When he got time off, he went to his favorite spot, under the huge oak in the square, to read, write, or draw."Give me that back. It's mine."He glanced toward the voice. Jaina Wraith struggled with two tough nuts, the name given to youths who lived in the dregs and earned their living by brute force. They were trying to take her novice healer's kit. Jaina cherished the small box because her father made it, giving his blessing for her to follow in his footsteps as the prime healer.Just last week, she'd shared the good news and showed Seb the contents of her case.She doubled up her fist and punched one in the shoulder. "Let go. There's nothing of worth in here. It's a novice kit." She kicked the other one in the shin.The taller of the two, Rash Markey, countered her statement. "Yeah, what if your dad decided to stash some good stuff in there? We wanna see for ourselves." He finally got the kit away from Jaina.But not for long. She snatched it back when he tried to pry it open.She tucked the case under her arm. "I've got bindings, a needle, thread, and some poultices. That's it."The shorter, bulkier tough nut, Dav Warder, grabbed her arm. "Then let's see. Those herbs and stuff might be worth something." He made a move to take the box.Jaina ducked and dodged, trying to get around the duo.Seb made a quick move and stepped in between Jaina and the toughs. "Leave her alone." The two guys had at least two years on Seb, but he'd hit a growth spurt and topped both by a couple of inches.Rash narrowed his eyes. "Why? What's it to you?" He made a move to get in Seb's face.Seb planted his hands on his hips. "It's belongs to her and you should respect her property."Dav snorted. "If I get hold of it, it'll become mine. Your logic is stupid."Seb gave Dav a hard look. "You're not going to take it from her."The duo exchanged a glance.Rash tried a different tactic. "Who are you to say so? Some hoity-toity noble bum?"Ugh. Calling him a wharf rat would be less insulting. No one who lived on the fringes wanted to be lumped in with the nobility.Seb shook his head. "I'm no noble. But I paid attention when they handed out manners, which means you don't take something that doesn't belong to you." He jabbed Rash in the shoulder. "Good manners aren't exclusive to nobles, you moron."Dav tsked. "Maybe not, but possession is almost exclusive to ownership and if you can't keep what you have, you don't own it." He knocked the box out from under Jaina's arm and made a dash for it.Rash tried to give aid but Seb stopped him with a hard uppercut to his chin. Jaina chose that moment to use both fists and boxed Dav's ears. The two toughs yowled in pain and scampered off muttering curses twelve-year-olds shouldn't even know.Jaina retrieved her kit and dusted off the dirt. "I didn't need you to save me, you know." She sent him a sideways glance.Seb admired her fierce independence. She showed no fear when dealing with the tough nuts. He wouldn't take that away from her.He nodded. "Of course you didn't." He started toward the oak where he'd stashed a book earlier.Jaina fell into step beside him. "Then why did you butt in?" She skipped ahead and turned to look back in his direction.Seb shrugged. "Because two against one isn't fair no matter how well you can defend yourself." His mother taught him to always stand up when someone needed help.Jaina stopped for a moment, her head tilted to one side. "Oh." She paused a moment then added, "Well… thank you, I guess." Her cheeks went pink.Seb gave her a wide smile. "You're welcome." He stopped at the tree, reaching inside the hollowed out spot to grab his book. "Wanna stick around for a while?"Jaina shook her head. "Can't. Gotta meet my dad at the old man's estate. Anwar has been beating the stable hands again. I'm learning how to apply the poultices to stave off infection from the crop marks." She waved farewell and started back toward the city gates.Seb sighed. "Anwar is such an ass." Not even Seb's mother would get angry at his use of foul language.Because she knew exactly how much havoc the Grafton heir could cause. After all, Anwar happened to be her nephew. Not that her brother Hanson claimed his sister. He banished Seb's mother to live on the fringe when she married Cantor Morrison, Hanson's chief courier.Anwar, at the tender age of five, caused Seb's dad's death by planting a splitter in the axel of the car he drove for work. Anwar meant it as a prank, but the splitter didn't do its job until Cantor went around a precarious curve in the drive leading away from the estate. When the device popped the wheel, the car swerved into traffic and Seb's dad had been killed in the resulting crash.Born three days later, Seb never got to meet his dad.
I'm really hoping the world-building comes through without having to do a lot of detailed descriptions. I like to experiment with minimalism. Thankfully my beta babes always let me know when I fall short.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
November 11, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior
As someone with family and friends who have served or are serving in the military, I'd like to thank all of our service members for their courage, sacrifices, and efforts. Thank you.
It's been a rough week with two difficult manuscripts and the end of daylight savings. Seriously, I've been all out of sorts and my internal clock hasn't caught up yet. LOL
I didn't get a lot of television in this week—see above for why—but I did stay current on usual shows. The Last Ship killed off another of my faves, which means I'm trying to prepare for a high body count in the finale. A box of tissues and alcohol might be involved. Just saying.
Arrow kicked some butt. I'm kind of liking the flash forward stuff, especially because the flashbacks are a thing of the past for the most part. I'll give kudos to Stephen, Emily, and Katie because I think they're doing some stellar work. The rest of the cast is on point also. Riverdale's Midnight Club episode rocked. The more batshit this show gets the more I seem to enjoy it. And it's definitely over the top.
Legends of Tomorrow keeps delivering great episodes. I'm always excited to see who's going to interact with whom. The constantly changing dynamic of the cast is so much fun.
I did catch an episode of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and, honestly, I love this show. It's going to go down as one of my favorite viewing experiences. I also caught an episode of Classic Who and finished up an episode of Midsomer Murders.
That's it on the television front. Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of using a magical setting with two top mages.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Freddie and Owen, top adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.
And a preview snippet…
Freddie Radd burst through the doors of the Mage Academy and stopped to drag air into her lungs after the hard run from the lower dormitory bathing suite.Owen Parker followed hot on her heels. "That… was so much fun!" He caught her hand in his and dragged her toward the gardens east of the quad.Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes Owen let regret bite him on the ass before they even finished one of their practical jokes on the cadets. Their latest—exploding confetti bombs in the shower heads—had been a stroke of genius. The squeals and cursing worth hiding in a cramped laundry bin to view their handiwork.Confetti almost topped glitter for being difficult to get rid of.Sharing her brainstorm with Owen and pulling it off made her entire day and Freddie danced on the edge of being happy, almost forgetting she and Owen would never be. The euphoria never lasted long. She always crashed back down when the hard truth smacked her in the face. Owen Parker could be her best friend and fellow instructor but never her lover. No matter how attracted they were to each other.Stupid family feuds.Owen snapped his fingers. "Hey, come on. Come back to me." He gave her a long, questioning look.Freddie smiled and shoved the melancholy aside. "Sorry, what's next?" Owen got to choose their final adventure for the day.His lips curved in a triumphant smirk. "We're going to do something no one has done in over two decades." Reaching into his pack, he retrieved a bottle of Amberlane, a potent alcohol distilled with magick.Freddie's eyes went wide. "Where did you get that?" The golden elixir topped the list of contraband adepts always sought.Oh… they could have some fun with that liquor.Owen waggled his eyebrows. "Sometimes it pays to have an inside connection."Yeah, it did. Owen's great-grandfather cofounded the Mage Academy and his family still held authority. Unlike hers—who got shoved aside in a power play.Which made her acceptance to the academy at age twelve and her subsequent position as an instructor something to shock the board… and set the rumor mill to overload.Freddie didn't care about the drama. She'd proven herself on merit by working harder than anyone else. Except maybe Owen. He walked a fine line between upholding the family name and making one for himself.A brilliant idea flashed in her mind. "Let's go to the maze." The constant changing layout never failed to entertain.Owen stared in her direction. "You know the side effects to Amberlane, don't you?"Oh, yes. She did. Maybe she'd have lucid waking dreams of really hot sex with him.Giving him a nod, she grabbed his hand. "Of course. What's the worst that can happen?" She started for the entrance of the maze, dragging him along. "Let's go."
I'm having fun with this story. Friends to lovers is a favorite trope and I love the family drama on top of everything.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
It's been a rough week with two difficult manuscripts and the end of daylight savings. Seriously, I've been all out of sorts and my internal clock hasn't caught up yet. LOL
I didn't get a lot of television in this week—see above for why—but I did stay current on usual shows. The Last Ship killed off another of my faves, which means I'm trying to prepare for a high body count in the finale. A box of tissues and alcohol might be involved. Just saying.
Arrow kicked some butt. I'm kind of liking the flash forward stuff, especially because the flashbacks are a thing of the past for the most part. I'll give kudos to Stephen, Emily, and Katie because I think they're doing some stellar work. The rest of the cast is on point also. Riverdale's Midnight Club episode rocked. The more batshit this show gets the more I seem to enjoy it. And it's definitely over the top.
Legends of Tomorrow keeps delivering great episodes. I'm always excited to see who's going to interact with whom. The constantly changing dynamic of the cast is so much fun.
I did catch an episode of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and, honestly, I love this show. It's going to go down as one of my favorite viewing experiences. I also caught an episode of Classic Who and finished up an episode of Midsomer Murders.
That's it on the television front. Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of using a magical setting with two top mages.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Freddie and Owen, top adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.
And a preview snippet…
Freddie Radd burst through the doors of the Mage Academy and stopped to drag air into her lungs after the hard run from the lower dormitory bathing suite.Owen Parker followed hot on her heels. "That… was so much fun!" He caught her hand in his and dragged her toward the gardens east of the quad.Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes Owen let regret bite him on the ass before they even finished one of their practical jokes on the cadets. Their latest—exploding confetti bombs in the shower heads—had been a stroke of genius. The squeals and cursing worth hiding in a cramped laundry bin to view their handiwork.Confetti almost topped glitter for being difficult to get rid of.Sharing her brainstorm with Owen and pulling it off made her entire day and Freddie danced on the edge of being happy, almost forgetting she and Owen would never be. The euphoria never lasted long. She always crashed back down when the hard truth smacked her in the face. Owen Parker could be her best friend and fellow instructor but never her lover. No matter how attracted they were to each other.Stupid family feuds.Owen snapped his fingers. "Hey, come on. Come back to me." He gave her a long, questioning look.Freddie smiled and shoved the melancholy aside. "Sorry, what's next?" Owen got to choose their final adventure for the day.His lips curved in a triumphant smirk. "We're going to do something no one has done in over two decades." Reaching into his pack, he retrieved a bottle of Amberlane, a potent alcohol distilled with magick.Freddie's eyes went wide. "Where did you get that?" The golden elixir topped the list of contraband adepts always sought.Oh… they could have some fun with that liquor.Owen waggled his eyebrows. "Sometimes it pays to have an inside connection."Yeah, it did. Owen's great-grandfather cofounded the Mage Academy and his family still held authority. Unlike hers—who got shoved aside in a power play.Which made her acceptance to the academy at age twelve and her subsequent position as an instructor something to shock the board… and set the rumor mill to overload.Freddie didn't care about the drama. She'd proven herself on merit by working harder than anyone else. Except maybe Owen. He walked a fine line between upholding the family name and making one for himself.A brilliant idea flashed in her mind. "Let's go to the maze." The constant changing layout never failed to entertain.Owen stared in her direction. "You know the side effects to Amberlane, don't you?"Oh, yes. She did. Maybe she'd have lucid waking dreams of really hot sex with him.Giving him a nod, she grabbed his hand. "Of course. What's the worst that can happen?" She started for the entrance of the maze, dragging him along. "Let's go."
I'm having fun with this story. Friends to lovers is a favorite trope and I love the family drama on top of everything.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
November 4, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Justified
November 4, 2018
We're entering the next to last month of the year… how did ten months already fly by? I got some scary news earlier in the week. My younger sibling had a major heart attack while at work and ended up having surgery to put stents in. He's actually doing terrific, considering it's one of the worst types of cardiac infarctions. I'm so very grateful I still have him around.
Needless to say, television viewing ended up being limited this week. The Last Ship killed off one my favorite characters and I’m still mourning that loss. Thankfully, The Flash had a pretty terrific episode and I love the introduction of meta-tech. Arrow is doing a great job of keeping me interested. I didn't know how I'd end up liking the whole prison angle, but I'm very satisfied with how it's playing out. Legends of Tomorrow remains excellent. I'm always surprised by how fast the hour flies by when I'm watching.
I caught another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I'm about halfway through the season and the end is being shaped. I truly forgot how much I loved this show. Also caught another episode of Birds of Prey. Stylistically, I love how this series plays out on the screen. Caught another episode of Lexx and completely forgot about Stan's trial. I actually enjoyed this one.
Doctor Who's episode with spiders ended up being pretty good. I'm never sure how I'll take to episodes with creepy-crawly things. Somewhat disappointed there won't be a Christmas special this year but having a New Year's show could be fun. We'll see.
Got another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold in. Enjoyed seeing how that one played out. I'm almost finished with the first season and I'm not sure if I'll continue on because it seems like the second series has an almost entirely new cast. I'll watch a few episodes and see what happens.
Caught another Hallmark movie, Hannah's Law. Ended up being pretty decent. I watched mainly for Greyston Holt, a favorite actor of mine.
Rounded out the week with some classic television marathons. The Saint throughout the week and Burke's Law this weekend.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Justified, a novella that started a while ago with the rise in popularity of superhero shows.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Electra Cage and Nix Naught shouldn't be together. She's firmly on the side of law and order and he's on whatever side pays the most. They justify their liaison when they discover a common enemy—one they'll need their unique skill sets to destroy.
And a preview snippet…
Nix Naught exited the high-rise building, unseen and armed with a wealth of stolen information. The data breach should go undetected for at least forty-eight hours. Not that it mattered. Nix never left any trace evidence behind for security teams to track him with."Thank you, Mom." She'd passed on her ability to manipulate DNA at the cellular level—the only decent thing she'd ever given Nix.Parental guidance had been nonexistent. Nix discovered how to use his freakish talent by complete accident and learned control by trial and error. But, once versed, he used his skill to every advantage.He opened his encrypted line and forwarded the coded files to his client. "And I make buttloads of money for being a ghost." An incoming beep alerted him to the payment made.He followed up with the key to read the information, a precaution he'd learned early on to take with some of the unsavory people he worked for. Closing the line, he made his way to his SUV and slid behind the wheel. Thirty seconds later, before he even had the vehicle in drive, a text notification pinged on his phone.He fished it out of his pocket and opened the message. "Son of a bitch." The entire quarter million transaction had been transferred out of his account. "How? How did that asshole manage to pull that particular sleight of hand?"Bribery? Blackmail? Didn't matter. His client screwed Nix over and he shouldn't be surprised. The guy defined double-crossing dickhead.Nix put the SUV in drive and pulled out into traffic. He'd planned to lay low for a while and soak up some tropical weather. Now… he'd be driving cross country, headed back home to find out what happened.He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "Metro City, you better watch out. I aim to make some waves."God help whoever got in his way.
I'm kind of excited to see where this one goes. The general outline is complete but the sages like to surprise me with plot twists on occasion. LOL
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
We're entering the next to last month of the year… how did ten months already fly by? I got some scary news earlier in the week. My younger sibling had a major heart attack while at work and ended up having surgery to put stents in. He's actually doing terrific, considering it's one of the worst types of cardiac infarctions. I'm so very grateful I still have him around.
Needless to say, television viewing ended up being limited this week. The Last Ship killed off one my favorite characters and I’m still mourning that loss. Thankfully, The Flash had a pretty terrific episode and I love the introduction of meta-tech. Arrow is doing a great job of keeping me interested. I didn't know how I'd end up liking the whole prison angle, but I'm very satisfied with how it's playing out. Legends of Tomorrow remains excellent. I'm always surprised by how fast the hour flies by when I'm watching.
I caught another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I'm about halfway through the season and the end is being shaped. I truly forgot how much I loved this show. Also caught another episode of Birds of Prey. Stylistically, I love how this series plays out on the screen. Caught another episode of Lexx and completely forgot about Stan's trial. I actually enjoyed this one.
Doctor Who's episode with spiders ended up being pretty good. I'm never sure how I'll take to episodes with creepy-crawly things. Somewhat disappointed there won't be a Christmas special this year but having a New Year's show could be fun. We'll see.
Got another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold in. Enjoyed seeing how that one played out. I'm almost finished with the first season and I'm not sure if I'll continue on because it seems like the second series has an almost entirely new cast. I'll watch a few episodes and see what happens.
Caught another Hallmark movie, Hannah's Law. Ended up being pretty decent. I watched mainly for Greyston Holt, a favorite actor of mine.
Rounded out the week with some classic television marathons. The Saint throughout the week and Burke's Law this weekend.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Justified, a novella that started a while ago with the rise in popularity of superhero shows.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Electra Cage and Nix Naught shouldn't be together. She's firmly on the side of law and order and he's on whatever side pays the most. They justify their liaison when they discover a common enemy—one they'll need their unique skill sets to destroy.
And a preview snippet…
Nix Naught exited the high-rise building, unseen and armed with a wealth of stolen information. The data breach should go undetected for at least forty-eight hours. Not that it mattered. Nix never left any trace evidence behind for security teams to track him with."Thank you, Mom." She'd passed on her ability to manipulate DNA at the cellular level—the only decent thing she'd ever given Nix.Parental guidance had been nonexistent. Nix discovered how to use his freakish talent by complete accident and learned control by trial and error. But, once versed, he used his skill to every advantage.He opened his encrypted line and forwarded the coded files to his client. "And I make buttloads of money for being a ghost." An incoming beep alerted him to the payment made.He followed up with the key to read the information, a precaution he'd learned early on to take with some of the unsavory people he worked for. Closing the line, he made his way to his SUV and slid behind the wheel. Thirty seconds later, before he even had the vehicle in drive, a text notification pinged on his phone.He fished it out of his pocket and opened the message. "Son of a bitch." The entire quarter million transaction had been transferred out of his account. "How? How did that asshole manage to pull that particular sleight of hand?"Bribery? Blackmail? Didn't matter. His client screwed Nix over and he shouldn't be surprised. The guy defined double-crossing dickhead.Nix put the SUV in drive and pulled out into traffic. He'd planned to lay low for a while and soak up some tropical weather. Now… he'd be driving cross country, headed back home to find out what happened.He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "Metro City, you better watch out. I aim to make some waves."God help whoever got in his way.
I'm kind of excited to see where this one goes. The general outline is complete but the sages like to surprise me with plot twists on occasion. LOL
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
October 28, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment
Well… we're almost to November and I'm really not ready for the month yet. Seriously, I'm wondering where 2018 went. Then again, it's been a bit of a bum year so maybe getting to 2019 sooner rather than later won't be a bad thing.
Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.
I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.
Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL
Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.
I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.
Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!
I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.
That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL
Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a free bonus read featuring Boyd and Sygin from A Little Yule Magick.
Here's the mini-blurb:
A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.
And a preview snippet…
Boyd Lagassi dismissed his group of novices. "Go on. Get ready for your next class." He gathered up the discarded towels close to the front of the room. "And remember, if you're going out on the grounds, take at least one other person with you, preferably more." With the sudden turn of warmer weather, the students chafed to get out and explore the grounds of the estate.Ethan Frommet, newly moved to intermediary status, stayed behind to help clean up after an intense physical instruction session. "Master Lagassi, do you think we can sit in on the next council meeting with the elders?" The "we" referred to the quad, what Sygin had decided to call the four teens that showed so much promise over the Yule holiday—Ethan, Harmony, Zack, and Melanie.Boyd took some time before he answered. "Well, you know Sygin and I trust you guys to handle yourselves and your newly learned abilities without question." He tossed the towels into the bin for washing. "But…""The wheels of progress are slow to change." Sygin entered the conversation after breezing into the room, Harmony hot on her heels. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, sometimes there's a solid reason for the lack of rushing things." She hid a smile when Ethan draped an arm around Harmony's shoulders.She'd been right when she said the hormones would start flying after the holiday.Boyd clarified her somewhat cryptic statement. "What Mistress Ball means is the elders won't take any chances with your lives until they have no other choice." And that day might come sooner than any of them wanted.Sygin gave the intermediaries a boost. "You guys have to trust Boyd and I will keep you in the loop. Our confidence in you isn't in question. The elders have a buttload of protocol they have to follow." She glanced toward Harmony, who nodded.She weighed in. "My gram helped write a lot of the procedures. She thinks an update will soon be warranted, but the council isn't ready to talk terms yet." Her eye roll spoke volumes.Sygin laughed and shot Boyd a sideways look. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"He shook his head. "It does. And between the four of us, the escalation coming from the other side means they'll have to talk about shifting protocol in the very near future." The elder in residence would have to crack the whip soon.Sygin followed up. "Look, why don't you grab Zack and Melanie and stop by for a quick briefing after the meeting. Boyd and I should be finished up no later than six."Boyd cracked a smile. "We'll order takeout for the normal people and restock the cereal for Zack." The kid needed an upgrade to his palate.Harmony snickered and Ethan snorted out a laugh. The couple agreed to drop by with their counterparts at the designated time.Sygin unlocked the brake on the laundry bin of damp towels, a frown on her face.Boyd snagged the heavy container and pushed it toward the door. "What's on your mind, Syg?" He had a pretty decent idea, because his concern about the ramped up reports of dark magick occurrences took up a lot of his head space.Sygin shrugged. "We predicted it would get ugly and it is. We didn't think about being caught in the middle here… between the council and our highly intelligent intermediaries." She shook her head. "It sucks."Yeah, it did. But Boyd's gut screamed they wouldn't be in the middle for long. Whether the council liked it or not.
It's fun to revisit this couple and their protégés. Maybe we'll see more of this group in the future.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.
I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.
Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL
Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.
I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.
Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!
I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.
That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL
Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a free bonus read featuring Boyd and Sygin from A Little Yule Magick.
Here's the mini-blurb:
A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.
And a preview snippet…
Boyd Lagassi dismissed his group of novices. "Go on. Get ready for your next class." He gathered up the discarded towels close to the front of the room. "And remember, if you're going out on the grounds, take at least one other person with you, preferably more." With the sudden turn of warmer weather, the students chafed to get out and explore the grounds of the estate.Ethan Frommet, newly moved to intermediary status, stayed behind to help clean up after an intense physical instruction session. "Master Lagassi, do you think we can sit in on the next council meeting with the elders?" The "we" referred to the quad, what Sygin had decided to call the four teens that showed so much promise over the Yule holiday—Ethan, Harmony, Zack, and Melanie.Boyd took some time before he answered. "Well, you know Sygin and I trust you guys to handle yourselves and your newly learned abilities without question." He tossed the towels into the bin for washing. "But…""The wheels of progress are slow to change." Sygin entered the conversation after breezing into the room, Harmony hot on her heels. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, sometimes there's a solid reason for the lack of rushing things." She hid a smile when Ethan draped an arm around Harmony's shoulders.She'd been right when she said the hormones would start flying after the holiday.Boyd clarified her somewhat cryptic statement. "What Mistress Ball means is the elders won't take any chances with your lives until they have no other choice." And that day might come sooner than any of them wanted.Sygin gave the intermediaries a boost. "You guys have to trust Boyd and I will keep you in the loop. Our confidence in you isn't in question. The elders have a buttload of protocol they have to follow." She glanced toward Harmony, who nodded.She weighed in. "My gram helped write a lot of the procedures. She thinks an update will soon be warranted, but the council isn't ready to talk terms yet." Her eye roll spoke volumes.Sygin laughed and shot Boyd a sideways look. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"He shook his head. "It does. And between the four of us, the escalation coming from the other side means they'll have to talk about shifting protocol in the very near future." The elder in residence would have to crack the whip soon.Sygin followed up. "Look, why don't you grab Zack and Melanie and stop by for a quick briefing after the meeting. Boyd and I should be finished up no later than six."Boyd cracked a smile. "We'll order takeout for the normal people and restock the cereal for Zack." The kid needed an upgrade to his palate.Harmony snickered and Ethan snorted out a laugh. The couple agreed to drop by with their counterparts at the designated time.Sygin unlocked the brake on the laundry bin of damp towels, a frown on her face.Boyd snagged the heavy container and pushed it toward the door. "What's on your mind, Syg?" He had a pretty decent idea, because his concern about the ramped up reports of dark magick occurrences took up a lot of his head space.Sygin shrugged. "We predicted it would get ugly and it is. We didn't think about being caught in the middle here… between the council and our highly intelligent intermediaries." She shook her head. "It sucks."Yeah, it did. But Boyd's gut screamed they wouldn't be in the middle for long. Whether the council liked it or not.
It's fun to revisit this couple and their protégés. Maybe we'll see more of this group in the future.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
Just One Moment
Well… we're almost to November and I'm really not ready for the month yet. Seriously, I'm wondering where 2018 went. Then again, it's been a bit of a bum year so maybe getting to 2019 sooner rather than later won't be a bad thing.
Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.
I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.
Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL
Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.
I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.
Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!
I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.
That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL
Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a free bonus read featuring Boyd and Sygin from A Little Yule Magick.
Here's the mini-blurb:
A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.
And a preview snippet…
Boyd Lagassi dismissed his group of novices. "Go on. Get ready for your next class." He gathered up the discarded towels close to the front of the room. "And remember, if you're going out on the grounds, take at least one other person with you, preferably more." With the sudden turn of warmer weather, the students chafed to get out and explore the grounds of the estate.Ethan Frommet, newly moved to intermediary status, stayed behind to help clean up after an intense physical instruction session. "Master Lagassi, do you think we can sit in on the next council meeting with the elders?" The "we" referred to the quad, what Sygin had decided to call the four teens that showed so much promise over the Yule holiday—Ethan, Harmony, Zack, and Melanie.Boyd took some time before he answered. "Well, you know Sygin and I trust you guys to handle yourselves and your newly learned abilities without question." He tossed the towels into the bin for washing. "But…""The wheels of progress are slow to change." Sygin entered the conversation after breezing into the room, Harmony hot on her heels. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, sometimes there's a solid reason for the lack of rushing things." She hid a smile when Ethan draped an arm around Harmony's shoulders.She'd been right when she said the hormones would start flying after the holiday.Boyd clarified her somewhat cryptic statement. "What Mistress Ball means is the elders won't take any chances with your lives until they have no other choice." And that day might come sooner than any of them wanted.Sygin gave the intermediaries a boost. "You guys have to trust Boyd and I will keep you in the loop. Our confidence in you isn't in question. The elders have a buttload of protocol they have to follow." She glanced toward Harmony, who nodded.She weighed in. "My gram helped write a lot of the procedures. She thinks an update will soon be warranted, but the council isn't ready to talk terms yet." Her eye roll spoke volumes.Sygin laughed and shot Boyd a sideways look. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"He shook his head. "It does. And between the four of us, the escalation coming from the other side means they'll have to talk about shifting protocol in the very near future." The elder in residence would have to crack the whip soon.Sygin followed up. "Look, why don't you grab Zack and Melanie and stop by for a quick briefing after the meeting. Boyd and I should be finished up no later than six."Boyd cracked a smile. "We'll order takeout for the normal people and restock the cereal for Zack." The kid needed an upgrade to his palate.Harmony snickered and Ethan snorted out a laugh. The couple agreed to drop by with their counterparts at the designated time.Sygin unlocked the brake on the laundry bin of damp towels, a frown on her face.Boyd snagged the heavy container and pushed it toward the door. "What's on your mind, Syg?" He had a pretty decent idea, because his concern about the ramped up reports of dark magick occurrences took up a lot of his head space.Sygin shrugged. "We predicted it would get ugly and it is. We didn't think about being caught in the middle here… between the council and our highly intelligent intermediaries." She shook her head. "It sucks."Yeah, it did. But Boyd's gut screamed they wouldn't be in the middle for long. Whether the council liked it or not.
It's fun to revisit this couple and their protégés. Maybe we'll see more of this group in the future.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.
I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.
Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL
Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.
I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.
Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!
I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.
That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL
Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a free bonus read featuring Boyd and Sygin from A Little Yule Magick.
Here's the mini-blurb:
A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.
And a preview snippet…
Boyd Lagassi dismissed his group of novices. "Go on. Get ready for your next class." He gathered up the discarded towels close to the front of the room. "And remember, if you're going out on the grounds, take at least one other person with you, preferably more." With the sudden turn of warmer weather, the students chafed to get out and explore the grounds of the estate.Ethan Frommet, newly moved to intermediary status, stayed behind to help clean up after an intense physical instruction session. "Master Lagassi, do you think we can sit in on the next council meeting with the elders?" The "we" referred to the quad, what Sygin had decided to call the four teens that showed so much promise over the Yule holiday—Ethan, Harmony, Zack, and Melanie.Boyd took some time before he answered. "Well, you know Sygin and I trust you guys to handle yourselves and your newly learned abilities without question." He tossed the towels into the bin for washing. "But…""The wheels of progress are slow to change." Sygin entered the conversation after breezing into the room, Harmony hot on her heels. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, sometimes there's a solid reason for the lack of rushing things." She hid a smile when Ethan draped an arm around Harmony's shoulders.She'd been right when she said the hormones would start flying after the holiday.Boyd clarified her somewhat cryptic statement. "What Mistress Ball means is the elders won't take any chances with your lives until they have no other choice." And that day might come sooner than any of them wanted.Sygin gave the intermediaries a boost. "You guys have to trust Boyd and I will keep you in the loop. Our confidence in you isn't in question. The elders have a buttload of protocol they have to follow." She glanced toward Harmony, who nodded.She weighed in. "My gram helped write a lot of the procedures. She thinks an update will soon be warranted, but the council isn't ready to talk terms yet." Her eye roll spoke volumes.Sygin laughed and shot Boyd a sideways look. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"He shook his head. "It does. And between the four of us, the escalation coming from the other side means they'll have to talk about shifting protocol in the very near future." The elder in residence would have to crack the whip soon.Sygin followed up. "Look, why don't you grab Zack and Melanie and stop by for a quick briefing after the meeting. Boyd and I should be finished up no later than six."Boyd cracked a smile. "We'll order takeout for the normal people and restock the cereal for Zack." The kid needed an upgrade to his palate.Harmony snickered and Ethan snorted out a laugh. The couple agreed to drop by with their counterparts at the designated time.Sygin unlocked the brake on the laundry bin of damp towels, a frown on her face.Boyd snagged the heavy container and pushed it toward the door. "What's on your mind, Syg?" He had a pretty decent idea, because his concern about the ramped up reports of dark magick occurrences took up a lot of his head space.Sygin shrugged. "We predicted it would get ugly and it is. We didn't think about being caught in the middle here… between the council and our highly intelligent intermediaries." She shook her head. "It sucks."Yeah, it did. But Boyd's gut screamed they wouldn't be in the middle for long. Whether the council liked it or not.
It's fun to revisit this couple and their protégés. Maybe we'll see more of this group in the future.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
October 21, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Judge a Book by Its Cover
We're past the halfway mark of October already? Geez, this month is flying by fast. Then again, it's been a somewhat difficult month for me workwise. Brain-draining would be an apt description.
So… television has been an important escape this week. Sunday night shows Doctor Who and The Last Ship ended up being terrific. I'm so happy to be excited for New Who again. The Last Ship kept things interesting. I'm a little confused why the guy got executed at the end, but I have a suspicion it'll be a turning point of some sort.
Arrow's premiere actually blew my mind a little. The fight scene juxtaposition of Oliver in the prison and Felicity in her apartment with Diaz is probably the best choreographed scene I've witnessed to date. Seriously, it's amazing. And, honestly, the rest of the show followed suit, leading right up to the surprise end. I'm excited to see what happens next.
The Flash remained good. Nice to see Cisco, Kaitlyn, and Ralph bonding and helping each other out. Looking forward to more of that. Riverdale… well… went full-on batshit with a whole new twist that I actually can't wait to watch unfold. The thing with Archie in detention isn't bad. I love the whole Veronica getting around her dickhead dad with Cheryl's help. Speaking of Hiram the 'Hole. Does anyone else want to smack the smarm out of him? Every time he's on screen I want to punch him in the face. That's some good acting by otherwise nice guy Marc Consuelos.
In other show news, I caught the first episode of Underbelly Files and enjoyed it. Caught Babylon 5, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, and Lexx in sci-fi fare. Pensacola Wings of Gold had a great episode where I wanted to bitchslap the billionaire dude who wanted his daughter saved at all costs. I also caught Strike Back, which had a great episode featuring Grace and her badass skills. And finally, I caught another episode of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I have a lot of love for that show.
That's it for television this week. Here's hoping my work and sleep schedule get back on track and I can enjoy even more during the near future.
Tonight's post is from Judge a Book by Its Cover, a novella that started with a writer's community prompt of "think high school mystery with a cheating scandal". Definitely a fun prompt.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Zeth Herrickson has to catch the culprits in a cheating scandal at the academy. Coorah Blair normally sits at the top of his list when things aren't right—except she's the one who brings the matter to his attention. They work together to track down the participants and go after the ringleader, who is much closer to both than they'd believe.
And a preview snippet…
Coorah Blair grabbed another exam and placed it in front of her. "This is my least favorite part of the job." Teaching, she loved and the fae academy gave her an open forum to share her knowledge.Grading tests, though… bleh.Her lips curved. "Figures I'm totally there for the physical testing of skill but not so much for the learned angles." She had reputation for flash and flair and she worked hard to keep it intact.She finished the second class exams and started on the third group. By the third final, she discovered a pattern. Going back, she thumbed through the first two files, pulling the questionable documents. By the time she completed the other four folders she found several more.Putting the exams side by side on the desk, she carefully examined each. "Son of a bitch." Fifteen tests had the exact same answers.Anger churned in her gut. She liked to push the envelope and question authority on a regular basis—especially when Zeth Herrickson, the academy's magistrate got involved—but she didn't agree with cheating in any form.As much as she hated the idea, Zeth needed to know about the tests and he needed to fix the situation. Right freaking now. Gathering up the offensive pages, she filed them in a folder to make copies later. The other exams went to their appropriate class file and awaited a return during the next session.Bile rose in her throat, anger mixing with disgust. She swallowed it down. Giving rein to her temper wouldn't help. Not now.Rising, she steeled her back and shoulders. "Brace for impact, Mr. Magistrate." She exited her classroom and marched over to the teacher's wing to confront Zeth about the entire situation.
I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I love adding suspenseful elements to the story and having my main characters work out what's going on.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
So… television has been an important escape this week. Sunday night shows Doctor Who and The Last Ship ended up being terrific. I'm so happy to be excited for New Who again. The Last Ship kept things interesting. I'm a little confused why the guy got executed at the end, but I have a suspicion it'll be a turning point of some sort.
Arrow's premiere actually blew my mind a little. The fight scene juxtaposition of Oliver in the prison and Felicity in her apartment with Diaz is probably the best choreographed scene I've witnessed to date. Seriously, it's amazing. And, honestly, the rest of the show followed suit, leading right up to the surprise end. I'm excited to see what happens next.
The Flash remained good. Nice to see Cisco, Kaitlyn, and Ralph bonding and helping each other out. Looking forward to more of that. Riverdale… well… went full-on batshit with a whole new twist that I actually can't wait to watch unfold. The thing with Archie in detention isn't bad. I love the whole Veronica getting around her dickhead dad with Cheryl's help. Speaking of Hiram the 'Hole. Does anyone else want to smack the smarm out of him? Every time he's on screen I want to punch him in the face. That's some good acting by otherwise nice guy Marc Consuelos.
In other show news, I caught the first episode of Underbelly Files and enjoyed it. Caught Babylon 5, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, and Lexx in sci-fi fare. Pensacola Wings of Gold had a great episode where I wanted to bitchslap the billionaire dude who wanted his daughter saved at all costs. I also caught Strike Back, which had a great episode featuring Grace and her badass skills. And finally, I caught another episode of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I have a lot of love for that show.
That's it for television this week. Here's hoping my work and sleep schedule get back on track and I can enjoy even more during the near future.
Tonight's post is from Judge a Book by Its Cover, a novella that started with a writer's community prompt of "think high school mystery with a cheating scandal". Definitely a fun prompt.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Zeth Herrickson has to catch the culprits in a cheating scandal at the academy. Coorah Blair normally sits at the top of his list when things aren't right—except she's the one who brings the matter to his attention. They work together to track down the participants and go after the ringleader, who is much closer to both than they'd believe.
And a preview snippet…
Coorah Blair grabbed another exam and placed it in front of her. "This is my least favorite part of the job." Teaching, she loved and the fae academy gave her an open forum to share her knowledge.Grading tests, though… bleh.Her lips curved. "Figures I'm totally there for the physical testing of skill but not so much for the learned angles." She had reputation for flash and flair and she worked hard to keep it intact.She finished the second class exams and started on the third group. By the third final, she discovered a pattern. Going back, she thumbed through the first two files, pulling the questionable documents. By the time she completed the other four folders she found several more.Putting the exams side by side on the desk, she carefully examined each. "Son of a bitch." Fifteen tests had the exact same answers.Anger churned in her gut. She liked to push the envelope and question authority on a regular basis—especially when Zeth Herrickson, the academy's magistrate got involved—but she didn't agree with cheating in any form.As much as she hated the idea, Zeth needed to know about the tests and he needed to fix the situation. Right freaking now. Gathering up the offensive pages, she filed them in a folder to make copies later. The other exams went to their appropriate class file and awaited a return during the next session.Bile rose in her throat, anger mixing with disgust. She swallowed it down. Giving rein to her temper wouldn't help. Not now.Rising, she steeled her back and shoulders. "Brace for impact, Mr. Magistrate." She exited her classroom and marched over to the teacher's wing to confront Zeth about the entire situation.
I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I love adding suspenseful elements to the story and having my main characters work out what's going on.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
October 14, 2018
Sunday Snippet: The Jade Claw
October 14, 2018
Wow, what a difference a week makes. The crisp feeling of fall has definitely arrived and I'm actually a little chilly at the moment. We'll probably have at least one more warm up before we settle into the true briskness of autumn in Ohio. Or… we could have one more nice week and then have a blizzard by Halloween. It's always hard to say. LOL
Got quite a bit of television watched this week. Some shows premiered their new seasons and I'm excited to settle in for the ride.
The Last Ship is crazy good and crazy wild. I'm always stunned when the credits roll because it doesn't seem like an hour should have gone by.
For premieres, I caught the new episodes of The Flash and Riverdale. Gotta say I ended up really enjoying both. Having Nora around could prove pretty interesting. And the whole situation with Archie is way over the top but, honestly, a ton of fun. Can't wait for Arrow this Monday. Also watched Chicago Fire and have mixed feelings on the episode. Maybe more on this next week.
And, of course, the Doctor Who premiere with Thirteen! What a great launch of the new doctor. Can't wait for more. After the disappointment with the last two seasons of Twelve, I'm excited to see where the show goes now.
I continued my rewatch of Babylon 5. The first season is so hit and miss but it also plants a lot of seeds for the following seasons. I'm always finding something new that ties into a future episode.
In other science fiction fare, I watched The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, Lexx, Wynonna Earp—a Christmas episode, and The Dresden Files. Also caught Luke Cage and Penny Dreadful.
In military fare, I caught another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Strike Back. I'm starting to gel with the new cast of Strike Back and I also need to go back to season two and do some sleuthing. I have a feeling there's a connection that's deeper than I realized. More later on this too.
Caught some mystery shows with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Murdoch Mysteries, and a couple of episodes of Peter Gunn. I started an episode of Midsomer Murders but didn't get to finish it yet.
I also watched episode five of Driven. I'm actually thrilled with this series and I'm so excited for more from Passionflix.
On a final note, I finished up Canal Road and what a satisfying ending. I'll be starting a new Australian series in the very near future. Looking forward to it!
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Jade Claw, a novella that brings a cop and a museum curator together over an artifact.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Skyrah Yule is caught in the middle of a paranormal mafia grab for power when several artifacts are stolen from the museum she works for. The agent investigating the break-in, Clay Wellstone, intrigues her, especially when she discovers he's got close familial ties with the suspected culprits.
And a preview snippet…
Clay escorted his witness to an interview room and tried to make her comfortable. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"She lifted her brows. "You wouldn't happen to have a bottle of ambrosia handy, would you?" He shot her a grin. "Um, no." He had a feeling a spitfire lurked under the surface of the collected woman. "Can't do that one. Not on the approved list." He considered making an exception with her and fought an urge to dig out the bottle of confiscated liquor Director Teague kept buried in his drawer. Skyrah sighed. "It oughtta be." Clay propped a hip on the table. "No argument here." Skyrah glanced up. "Let's just get this over with. How long before I can start cleaning the mess up?" Clay chuckled. "I'm supposed to be asking the questions." He settled down in the chair across from her. "Don't know now long, but the ident teams work quickly." She didn't like his answer, but he couldn't give her an exact timeframe. He had an impression she'd kick the stragglers into gear as soon as she got back to the museum. He'd love to stick around and watch. Skyrah rolled her eyes. "Right. Fine." She slouched down in her seat. "What do you need to know?""Let's start at the beginning again." He dug out his notebook and prompted. "Your class ran late?" Skyrah repeated everything she said earlier.She gave Clay a fairly accurate rundown of everything missing, all Tauric artifacts. She also mentioned she'd been approached by an interested collector—one Helena Cassus—a few weeks prior to the heist.Clay's back went up and he leaned in. "Wait. You had a visit from Helena Cassus?" He scribbled furiously in his notebook. "You're sure you have it right?" He knew the name well.He should. Helena Cassus happened to be in his father's inner circle. Didn't that just put Clay's balls in a vice? And the theft now made a sick kind of sense. When had he become an idiot? He should have immediately suspected…Skyrah frowned and moved forward, so close her forehead almost touched his. "Agent Wellstone, I catalog multiple crates from twelve provinces on a daily basis and teach hundreds of students per semester. I'm very good with names." She met his gaze, her eyes full of challenge. Clay eased back. Too close. She made him feel boxed in. He couldn't give his suspicions or anything away… not yet.He gave Skyrah a curt nod. "So noted." He laid his pen on the table and rose from his seat, deciding to end the interview. "We'll track Ms. Cassus down and pull her in for questioning." Walking to the door, he twisted the knob to push it open. "That'll be all I need from you right now." Skyrah narrowed her eyes, clearly expecting more. "You sure about that?" Clay nodded. "I have your contact information if we have any other questions." She stood up and fished her keys out of her pocket, then remembered she didn't drive. "Right. You're my ride." Moving toward the door, she stopped and started to say more then shrugged, exiting into the squad room.Clay exhaled a deep breath and hoped he had it wrong. Somehow, he doubted he did. And he didn't want to think about the repercussions. Not tonight.Instead, he watched Skyrah stride toward the exit doors, his lips quirking into a wry grin. Following her out, he blatantly admired the view she presented from behind.
I'm having fun with the cat and mouse angle on this one. Looking forward to finishing up and getting it out there.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
Wow, what a difference a week makes. The crisp feeling of fall has definitely arrived and I'm actually a little chilly at the moment. We'll probably have at least one more warm up before we settle into the true briskness of autumn in Ohio. Or… we could have one more nice week and then have a blizzard by Halloween. It's always hard to say. LOL
Got quite a bit of television watched this week. Some shows premiered their new seasons and I'm excited to settle in for the ride.
The Last Ship is crazy good and crazy wild. I'm always stunned when the credits roll because it doesn't seem like an hour should have gone by.
For premieres, I caught the new episodes of The Flash and Riverdale. Gotta say I ended up really enjoying both. Having Nora around could prove pretty interesting. And the whole situation with Archie is way over the top but, honestly, a ton of fun. Can't wait for Arrow this Monday. Also watched Chicago Fire and have mixed feelings on the episode. Maybe more on this next week.
And, of course, the Doctor Who premiere with Thirteen! What a great launch of the new doctor. Can't wait for more. After the disappointment with the last two seasons of Twelve, I'm excited to see where the show goes now.
I continued my rewatch of Babylon 5. The first season is so hit and miss but it also plants a lot of seeds for the following seasons. I'm always finding something new that ties into a future episode.
In other science fiction fare, I watched The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, Lexx, Wynonna Earp—a Christmas episode, and The Dresden Files. Also caught Luke Cage and Penny Dreadful.
In military fare, I caught another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Strike Back. I'm starting to gel with the new cast of Strike Back and I also need to go back to season two and do some sleuthing. I have a feeling there's a connection that's deeper than I realized. More later on this too.
Caught some mystery shows with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Murdoch Mysteries, and a couple of episodes of Peter Gunn. I started an episode of Midsomer Murders but didn't get to finish it yet.
I also watched episode five of Driven. I'm actually thrilled with this series and I'm so excited for more from Passionflix.
On a final note, I finished up Canal Road and what a satisfying ending. I'll be starting a new Australian series in the very near future. Looking forward to it!
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Jade Claw, a novella that brings a cop and a museum curator together over an artifact.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Skyrah Yule is caught in the middle of a paranormal mafia grab for power when several artifacts are stolen from the museum she works for. The agent investigating the break-in, Clay Wellstone, intrigues her, especially when she discovers he's got close familial ties with the suspected culprits.
And a preview snippet…
Clay escorted his witness to an interview room and tried to make her comfortable. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"She lifted her brows. "You wouldn't happen to have a bottle of ambrosia handy, would you?" He shot her a grin. "Um, no." He had a feeling a spitfire lurked under the surface of the collected woman. "Can't do that one. Not on the approved list." He considered making an exception with her and fought an urge to dig out the bottle of confiscated liquor Director Teague kept buried in his drawer. Skyrah sighed. "It oughtta be." Clay propped a hip on the table. "No argument here." Skyrah glanced up. "Let's just get this over with. How long before I can start cleaning the mess up?" Clay chuckled. "I'm supposed to be asking the questions." He settled down in the chair across from her. "Don't know now long, but the ident teams work quickly." She didn't like his answer, but he couldn't give her an exact timeframe. He had an impression she'd kick the stragglers into gear as soon as she got back to the museum. He'd love to stick around and watch. Skyrah rolled her eyes. "Right. Fine." She slouched down in her seat. "What do you need to know?""Let's start at the beginning again." He dug out his notebook and prompted. "Your class ran late?" Skyrah repeated everything she said earlier.She gave Clay a fairly accurate rundown of everything missing, all Tauric artifacts. She also mentioned she'd been approached by an interested collector—one Helena Cassus—a few weeks prior to the heist.Clay's back went up and he leaned in. "Wait. You had a visit from Helena Cassus?" He scribbled furiously in his notebook. "You're sure you have it right?" He knew the name well.He should. Helena Cassus happened to be in his father's inner circle. Didn't that just put Clay's balls in a vice? And the theft now made a sick kind of sense. When had he become an idiot? He should have immediately suspected…Skyrah frowned and moved forward, so close her forehead almost touched his. "Agent Wellstone, I catalog multiple crates from twelve provinces on a daily basis and teach hundreds of students per semester. I'm very good with names." She met his gaze, her eyes full of challenge. Clay eased back. Too close. She made him feel boxed in. He couldn't give his suspicions or anything away… not yet.He gave Skyrah a curt nod. "So noted." He laid his pen on the table and rose from his seat, deciding to end the interview. "We'll track Ms. Cassus down and pull her in for questioning." Walking to the door, he twisted the knob to push it open. "That'll be all I need from you right now." Skyrah narrowed her eyes, clearly expecting more. "You sure about that?" Clay nodded. "I have your contact information if we have any other questions." She stood up and fished her keys out of her pocket, then remembered she didn't drive. "Right. You're my ride." Moving toward the door, she stopped and started to say more then shrugged, exiting into the squad room.Clay exhaled a deep breath and hoped he had it wrong. Somehow, he doubted he did. And he didn't want to think about the repercussions. Not tonight.Instead, he watched Skyrah stride toward the exit doors, his lips quirking into a wry grin. Following her out, he blatantly admired the view she presented from behind.
I'm having fun with the cat and mouse angle on this one. Looking forward to finishing up and getting it out there.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
October 7, 2018
Sunday Snippet: It's Not What They Think
Well, hello, October! This is one of my favorite months. The weather usually gets cooler.The leaves start changing. And Halloween is just around the corner! It also means the holiday season is looming fast and furiously. Ugh. I'm not ready this year. LOL
Rough week with work and unexpected scheduling conflicts. I did get to watch some good television though. Caught the third episode of Strike Back's fifth season and had a surprise visit in the form of pictures from Stonebridge and Scott. I'm definitely intrigued! I also think I finally made the connection I needed to make. I'm slow sometimes.
The Last Ship seriously keeps me on the edge of my seat. I'm so sad and angry over a certain loss, but I totally called plot point even if it's a little disappointing. Caught the finale of Chicago Fire just in time for the new season to begin. I'll be behind per usual, but I'm glad I got to watch it.
Luke Cage is pulling some interesting things out of the woodwork. I'll admit I'm a little confused with where they're planning to take this season. That said, I love this show. And there's no Trish to really muck things up. Just saying.
Passionflix's Driven is so good. I watched the fourth episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the new holiday movie they have planned.
Murdoch Mysteries started their twelfth season with a fun episode. I always look forward to this series and the new twists and turns Murdoch and Julia and the rest of the cast face.
Caught a few more episodes of Peter Gunn's first season. The noir feel of this show never fails to make me happy. Penny Dreadful is seriously creepy sometimes and I'm kind of on the fence about whether I like it or not. LOL
Caught another episode of The Dresden Files and it was one I remembered liking a lot when it originally aired.
Rounding things out for the week, I caught an episode of Killjoys and love where things are going. I'll be so sad to see this show end next season.
I started the final episode of Canal Road and didn't have the chance to finish it yet. It's on the agenda for tomorrow.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from It's Not What They Think, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of "I know my wife". The idea is to write a scene or a story about an unknown side to a spouse.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Meaghan Wrath goes on the warpath, losing her hard won control over her powers and wreaking havoc on unsuspecting clan members. She's setting a crappy example, but her husband, Vinnie Grayson, walks a fine line by not reprimanding her. Her need let off steam and be rebellious never lasts long—usually the week leading up to the full moon—and a demand to stop will only land her on the hot seat—almost literally.
And a preview snippet…
Meghan Wrath walked through the Mage Academy lights flickering whenever she strode past. She paused and the illumination grew bright. When she moved away, dim shadows followed.She sighed. "Dammit. Not again." Third or fourth month is a row she'd had weird stuff happen with her powers.Last month, she had the same experience, but the intensity didn't surge under her skin as much.Her fingers almost crackled with energy. Tucking her hands in her pockets, she made her way to the residential quarters and quickly took the stairs down to her level. After entering her apartment, she shut the door and expelled a relieved breath.Bringing her palms in front of her, she wiggled her fingers. Every light in the room blinked on. Two bulbs burst, but the rest stayed brightly lit.Her shoulders slumped. "Shit. Why is this happening to me?" Curling her fingers into her palms, she did a long, slow count to ten.The door opened behind her and she jumped, blowing out two more lamps.Her best friend, Mathias Benson, stopped short just inside the room. "Again?" He shook his head and moved to her side.Meghan nodded. "Same as last month, but it's worse. The lights in the Fouster Hall went crazy when I walked by." She moved to sit on the couch. "And before that, the cupboard doors in the classroom popped open and the work aprons danced out and took a spin around the room before I got it under control." Slumping down, she leaned her head against the cushion. "Freaked everyone out and I left the class with Vinnie in charge." Her husband would no doubt cobble some kind of excuse together for the orientation class.Mathias sat next to her. "Have you looked into why this happens close to the full moon?" He propped his feet up on the oversized trunk in front of the sofa.Meghan shot him a sideways glance. "What are you talking about?" And why hadn't she caught the timing?Mathias shrugged. "Just something Vin and I were discussing last month when you went haywire." He met her gaze. "You seem to get off kilter around the waxing gibbous phase of the moon then get it together once the full moon has passed."Meghan tamped down a flash of anger. She didn't want to set anything on fire. She couldn't keep the curtains from billowing outward before settling back against the window frame.She took a deep, calming breath before responding to Mathias. "Let me get this straight. My husband talked to you about a theory but mentioned nothing to me?" There were times she hated sharing a best friend with Vinnie.Mathias held his hands up. "Well, yeah." He angled toward her, putting an arm on the back of the couch. "Not to leave you out, Meghan. That's not why we were talking about it. He's getting crap every time you do something weird and it's happening like clockwork lately." His brow rose, daring her to refute the truth.She couldn't. Dammit. Didn't mean she liked Vinnie and Mathias playing shrink behind her back.Mathias softened his voice. "Look, sometimes it helps to work stuff out in a non-hostile environment." Meaning if they included her, something might go up in flames?Probably. And the idea pissed her off. She should be part of solving her problem.She got pissy with Mathias. "I don't see why everyone goes to him. I'm the one who's pushing the limit. Even if I can't control when it happens." The energy bursts weren't exactly conscious moves on her part.And usually happened at the worst possible times. Unfortunately.Mathias snorted. "You're kidding, right?"She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I need to figure this out. Or Vin's going to get caught in the crossfire." More so than usual.Mathias's lips curved in a half-smile. "Not like he hasn't been before. He's comfortable sitting on the powder keg most of the time."Meghan lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, well, we'll see how long that lasts, especially if I keep having these magickal flashovers." The moon phase thing needed a thorough examination.Which she'd get started on ASAP. But not here where she lived with Vinnie. She'd ask for some time in the catacombs, maybe try a dreamscape spell and record the visions.Mathias got up. "Hang in there, Meghan." He started for the door. "You know Vinnie and I will love you no matter what. Even if you burn the place down all around us."Meghan rolled her eyes and tossed one of the throw pillows at him.But he'd said exactly what she needed to hear. No matter what happened, her husband and their best friend would stick by her side.
This story went in a direction I didn't expect and I love it! Here's hoping I can get it finished up and out into the world.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
Rough week with work and unexpected scheduling conflicts. I did get to watch some good television though. Caught the third episode of Strike Back's fifth season and had a surprise visit in the form of pictures from Stonebridge and Scott. I'm definitely intrigued! I also think I finally made the connection I needed to make. I'm slow sometimes.
The Last Ship seriously keeps me on the edge of my seat. I'm so sad and angry over a certain loss, but I totally called plot point even if it's a little disappointing. Caught the finale of Chicago Fire just in time for the new season to begin. I'll be behind per usual, but I'm glad I got to watch it.
Luke Cage is pulling some interesting things out of the woodwork. I'll admit I'm a little confused with where they're planning to take this season. That said, I love this show. And there's no Trish to really muck things up. Just saying.
Passionflix's Driven is so good. I watched the fourth episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the new holiday movie they have planned.
Murdoch Mysteries started their twelfth season with a fun episode. I always look forward to this series and the new twists and turns Murdoch and Julia and the rest of the cast face.
Caught a few more episodes of Peter Gunn's first season. The noir feel of this show never fails to make me happy. Penny Dreadful is seriously creepy sometimes and I'm kind of on the fence about whether I like it or not. LOL
Caught another episode of The Dresden Files and it was one I remembered liking a lot when it originally aired.
Rounding things out for the week, I caught an episode of Killjoys and love where things are going. I'll be so sad to see this show end next season.
I started the final episode of Canal Road and didn't have the chance to finish it yet. It's on the agenda for tomorrow.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from It's Not What They Think, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of "I know my wife". The idea is to write a scene or a story about an unknown side to a spouse.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Meaghan Wrath goes on the warpath, losing her hard won control over her powers and wreaking havoc on unsuspecting clan members. She's setting a crappy example, but her husband, Vinnie Grayson, walks a fine line by not reprimanding her. Her need let off steam and be rebellious never lasts long—usually the week leading up to the full moon—and a demand to stop will only land her on the hot seat—almost literally.
And a preview snippet…
Meghan Wrath walked through the Mage Academy lights flickering whenever she strode past. She paused and the illumination grew bright. When she moved away, dim shadows followed.She sighed. "Dammit. Not again." Third or fourth month is a row she'd had weird stuff happen with her powers.Last month, she had the same experience, but the intensity didn't surge under her skin as much.Her fingers almost crackled with energy. Tucking her hands in her pockets, she made her way to the residential quarters and quickly took the stairs down to her level. After entering her apartment, she shut the door and expelled a relieved breath.Bringing her palms in front of her, she wiggled her fingers. Every light in the room blinked on. Two bulbs burst, but the rest stayed brightly lit.Her shoulders slumped. "Shit. Why is this happening to me?" Curling her fingers into her palms, she did a long, slow count to ten.The door opened behind her and she jumped, blowing out two more lamps.Her best friend, Mathias Benson, stopped short just inside the room. "Again?" He shook his head and moved to her side.Meghan nodded. "Same as last month, but it's worse. The lights in the Fouster Hall went crazy when I walked by." She moved to sit on the couch. "And before that, the cupboard doors in the classroom popped open and the work aprons danced out and took a spin around the room before I got it under control." Slumping down, she leaned her head against the cushion. "Freaked everyone out and I left the class with Vinnie in charge." Her husband would no doubt cobble some kind of excuse together for the orientation class.Mathias sat next to her. "Have you looked into why this happens close to the full moon?" He propped his feet up on the oversized trunk in front of the sofa.Meghan shot him a sideways glance. "What are you talking about?" And why hadn't she caught the timing?Mathias shrugged. "Just something Vin and I were discussing last month when you went haywire." He met her gaze. "You seem to get off kilter around the waxing gibbous phase of the moon then get it together once the full moon has passed."Meghan tamped down a flash of anger. She didn't want to set anything on fire. She couldn't keep the curtains from billowing outward before settling back against the window frame.She took a deep, calming breath before responding to Mathias. "Let me get this straight. My husband talked to you about a theory but mentioned nothing to me?" There were times she hated sharing a best friend with Vinnie.Mathias held his hands up. "Well, yeah." He angled toward her, putting an arm on the back of the couch. "Not to leave you out, Meghan. That's not why we were talking about it. He's getting crap every time you do something weird and it's happening like clockwork lately." His brow rose, daring her to refute the truth.She couldn't. Dammit. Didn't mean she liked Vinnie and Mathias playing shrink behind her back.Mathias softened his voice. "Look, sometimes it helps to work stuff out in a non-hostile environment." Meaning if they included her, something might go up in flames?Probably. And the idea pissed her off. She should be part of solving her problem.She got pissy with Mathias. "I don't see why everyone goes to him. I'm the one who's pushing the limit. Even if I can't control when it happens." The energy bursts weren't exactly conscious moves on her part.And usually happened at the worst possible times. Unfortunately.Mathias snorted. "You're kidding, right?"She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I need to figure this out. Or Vin's going to get caught in the crossfire." More so than usual.Mathias's lips curved in a half-smile. "Not like he hasn't been before. He's comfortable sitting on the powder keg most of the time."Meghan lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, well, we'll see how long that lasts, especially if I keep having these magickal flashovers." The moon phase thing needed a thorough examination.Which she'd get started on ASAP. But not here where she lived with Vinnie. She'd ask for some time in the catacombs, maybe try a dreamscape spell and record the visions.Mathias got up. "Hang in there, Meghan." He started for the door. "You know Vinnie and I will love you no matter what. Even if you burn the place down all around us."Meghan rolled her eyes and tossed one of the throw pillows at him.But he'd said exactly what she needed to hear. No matter what happened, her husband and their best friend would stick by her side.
This story went in a direction I didn't expect and I love it! Here's hoping I can get it finished up and out into the world.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
September 30, 2018
Sunday Snippet: It's Always the Same Show
Wow, September flew by. Now that we're into fall the days always seem to go faster, probably because they're shorter and the activities tend to be jam-packed. I love the fall season so I hope I remember to take time to enjoy it.
As usual, the week got stuffed full of last-minute projects, but I did get some good viewing in. I caught The Last Ship on Monday because my brain needed time to recover from homecoming. LOL An excellent episode by the way.
I binge-watched classic Hawaii Five-0 most of the day on Sunday and it helped soothe my garbled mind. Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and I'm almost through the season. I think I still have about seven more to watch.
Got in another episode of Babylon 5 along with The Sarah Conner Chronicles. To keep with the sci-fi theme, I also watched episodes of Birds of Prey and Lexx. Rounded the week out with Pensacola Wings of Gold and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
Caught an all-day marathon of The Garage Sale Mysteries, too.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from It's Always the Same Show, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "tune in".
Here's the mini-blurb:
Lanie Beck and Titus Berkley are tasked with whipping a new class of cadet mages into shape for the Academy of light. The biggest problem they face is never agreeing on how to make it happen. The cadets quickly learn to tune in and enjoy the show.
And a preview snippet…
Lanie Beck whispered the beginning of the incantation to start the last phase of the final exam when Titus Berkley, her partner for the project interrupted her. "Keep it together, Lanie. Don't screw this up."A brief flash of anger singed her concentration. "Shush. I've got this." The line of flame Titus had created separated into small batches and she directed them into a box formation.Titus used a spell to raise the dancing fireballs high in the exam room. Lanie loved to watch him wield magick. He had so much control and it showed in the way his muscles bunched and flexed with each physical movement. She had a tendency to show off with some flair and add a little drama to the stages. Titus called her out, his low-key approach favored by the directors. He enjoyed her theatrics, but not for the academy finals.The flames reached the domed ceiling and Lanie began the incantation for the finale. Titus stepped up behind her, a lot closer than usual. She flubbed the last phrase and instead of a swirling ring of fireballs, the air sizzled and popped with raining flames.Everyone ducked for cover but a quick suppression spell put the fire out before anyone or anything got damaged. Titus grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward the table of mages, the one grading their performance.He nodded to the directors. "We'll take our retest from the beginning of the last phase." The mages gave their blessing.Lanie flushed hotly, embarrassed and a little pissed off at Titus. He'd thrown her off by changing his position for the last set.He stepped up and leaned in. "That's our one mistake. Try not to screw up again." He began the series of spell-castings.Lanie muttered, "Then stick to your mark, dammit." She took over when he created the dancing line of flame again.The final phase went off without a hitch. She got it right the second time. But the fact she messed up pissed her off because Titus pushed her buttons just because he could.She shrugged off the anger and pasted a smile on her face when Titus clasped her hand and walked to the center of the exam room.He kept his voice low. "We definitely passed. You did great on the retake." His fingers squeezed hers.The praise made her day. They did work well together. The attraction and chemistry they shared almost guaranteed they would. Opposites in almost everything, they had an interesting balance that created excellent results.Lanie's lips curved in a small smile. "I did great only because you set me off and you know it." She angled her head to meet his gaze. "The big question is why?"
I love writing the dynamic between Lanie and Titus. The back and forth they have is a treat, especially when Titus messes up in a big way.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
As usual, the week got stuffed full of last-minute projects, but I did get some good viewing in. I caught The Last Ship on Monday because my brain needed time to recover from homecoming. LOL An excellent episode by the way.
I binge-watched classic Hawaii Five-0 most of the day on Sunday and it helped soothe my garbled mind. Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and I'm almost through the season. I think I still have about seven more to watch.
Got in another episode of Babylon 5 along with The Sarah Conner Chronicles. To keep with the sci-fi theme, I also watched episodes of Birds of Prey and Lexx. Rounded the week out with Pensacola Wings of Gold and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
Caught an all-day marathon of The Garage Sale Mysteries, too.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from It's Always the Same Show, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "tune in".
Here's the mini-blurb:
Lanie Beck and Titus Berkley are tasked with whipping a new class of cadet mages into shape for the Academy of light. The biggest problem they face is never agreeing on how to make it happen. The cadets quickly learn to tune in and enjoy the show.
And a preview snippet…
Lanie Beck whispered the beginning of the incantation to start the last phase of the final exam when Titus Berkley, her partner for the project interrupted her. "Keep it together, Lanie. Don't screw this up."A brief flash of anger singed her concentration. "Shush. I've got this." The line of flame Titus had created separated into small batches and she directed them into a box formation.Titus used a spell to raise the dancing fireballs high in the exam room. Lanie loved to watch him wield magick. He had so much control and it showed in the way his muscles bunched and flexed with each physical movement. She had a tendency to show off with some flair and add a little drama to the stages. Titus called her out, his low-key approach favored by the directors. He enjoyed her theatrics, but not for the academy finals.The flames reached the domed ceiling and Lanie began the incantation for the finale. Titus stepped up behind her, a lot closer than usual. She flubbed the last phrase and instead of a swirling ring of fireballs, the air sizzled and popped with raining flames.Everyone ducked for cover but a quick suppression spell put the fire out before anyone or anything got damaged. Titus grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward the table of mages, the one grading their performance.He nodded to the directors. "We'll take our retest from the beginning of the last phase." The mages gave their blessing.Lanie flushed hotly, embarrassed and a little pissed off at Titus. He'd thrown her off by changing his position for the last set.He stepped up and leaned in. "That's our one mistake. Try not to screw up again." He began the series of spell-castings.Lanie muttered, "Then stick to your mark, dammit." She took over when he created the dancing line of flame again.The final phase went off without a hitch. She got it right the second time. But the fact she messed up pissed her off because Titus pushed her buttons just because he could.She shrugged off the anger and pasted a smile on her face when Titus clasped her hand and walked to the center of the exam room.He kept his voice low. "We definitely passed. You did great on the retake." His fingers squeezed hers.The praise made her day. They did work well together. The attraction and chemistry they shared almost guaranteed they would. Opposites in almost everything, they had an interesting balance that created excellent results.Lanie's lips curved in a small smile. "I did great only because you set me off and you know it." She angled her head to meet his gaze. "The big question is why?"
I love writing the dynamic between Lanie and Titus. The back and forth they have is a treat, especially when Titus messes up in a big way.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
