Sunday Snippet: Oracle's Prayer

Ugh. I'm fighting something,a cold, a virus, some other kind of ick. Not having fun with it at all. I havetwo client calls this week and I'm hoping I can manage both.

We got back up inthe high eighties this week. Supposed to have some rain on Monday or Tuesdayand I'm kind of excited for that. We definitely need it. The drought has beenupgraded to moderate.

Not a bad workweek. I'm almost finished with one of my work projects and making solid headwayon another that should be complete by the end of October. I start a new onesometime early in October and I'm looking forward to working on that one. I'llfind out if another new project will be starting on Tuesday.

Had a semi-decent viewingweek. Between not feeling the best and trying to finish up work projects, Ididn't know if I'd be able to watch much. But I made it through my usual showsand got to watch the back-burner ones also.

Started with MissFisher's Murder Mysteries and quite enjoyed the rewatch. It's one Iremembered from my original run through. Being in the US, it's fun to watch howfooty affects those that have a long, long history with the sport.

Caught another episodeof Foyle's War. This show is so well written, and I love the cast. Somany super young actors who have gone on to amazing roles.

Watched a new Deathin Paradise. I'm slowly coming around on Wilson. I think he might make a goodaddition to the team. The new police officer is also kind of growing on me. Ilove that he kind of came up with the solution to keeping Selwyn in his job.

Enjoyed another Poirot.Kind of leading everyone on a merry chase but keep them from going to Francewas very entertaining. Loved how Japp kept thinking he'd be losing his pension.

Caught another episodeof Elementary. I very much like the Joan and Sherlock vibe this season. Reallynot sure what's going on with the stalker detective but I hope Joan watches herback.

Watched another BatmanBeyond and didn't really remember this one. I have a vague memory of the conversationbetween Terry and Barbara but that's kind of all I remembered.

Enjoyed anotherepisode of Lower Decks. The opener for season two ended up beingentertaining. I really do appreciate the callbacks to all the other series. Funbit with Boimler at the end.

Finished up theepisode of Peak Practice I started a few weeks ago. Sam is going to bein a lot of trouble and I'm not sure I'm going to like how things go down withhim.

Also finallystarted season two of Reacher. I'm almost finished with the first episode,but I had to pause because of the whole cold / virus / yuck thing going on.Should finish it up this week. I think the very best moment so far is the Terminatoreaster egg. Kudos to the writer of the episode for that!

That's it for thelife update this week. Tonight's post is from Oracle's Prayer, a novellathat explores two people on opposite sides and how they arrived in the middletogether.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nason Forn, the daughter of an oracle, goes undercover totrap a wicked mage preying on young apprentices and thinks she's found her manwhen she discovers Lane Garganess standing over the body of the latest victim.But Lane has a covert identity, too, which puts him in a bad spot and on thewrong end of Nason's wrath.

And a preview snippet…

Nason rushed toward the abbey whereone of the trainees lived. She couldn't fight the feeling of something being terriblywrong. As in the dirty, bad wrong of danger. Her mother said Lena Carsale nevermissed a training session.Nason shuffled through her memory."Long, dark hair. Tiny. Very funny." She'd only met Lena once whenthey crossed paths after Lena finished up a ritual with Paloma.But she'd been regaling Nason's momwith the story of her first interpretation failure and she'd had such ahumorous outlook on the gaffe. Paloma praised her for admitting the novicemistake and not giving up.Nason darted up the steps to theabbey's front door. "I liked meeting Lena." Georgie also spoke highlyof her fellow apprentice.Nason tried all the rooms on thefirst floor and came up empty. "It figures." She double-timed takingthe stairs to the second level.Gut instinct—and quiet stillness—hadher bypassing the floor and heading for the spiral staircase that led to thetwo chambers on the third story of the house. They were used for meditation andscrying. The door to the room on the left stood open with no light coming fromwithin. The one on the right had a dim glow coming from beneath the closedpanel. Nason made a sharp turn, quicklytwisted the knob, stumbled into the chamber and stopped short. A robed manstood over the prone—and no doubt dead—apprentice. She hadn't made it in time.Dammit, dammit, dammit.Her less than quiet entrance drewthe man's attention and he slowly angled around, attempting to face her. Thinkingquickly, she cast a binding spell and halted his progress. She darted forwardand threw back his hood, wanting to look into the eyes of the monster beforeshe choked the life out of him with her bare hands.But when she stepped away, a gaspescaped her throat. "You!" Lane Gargamell?Shocked, she lost control of thebinding spell, and he lunged, grasping her biceps in a biting grip.He said one word."Sleep." His gaze flashed with mage fire.She had one fleeting thought. Aw,shit.Her eyes slammed shut and her worldwent dark.

I'm very excitedabout this one. I love writing characters who think they're enemies but they'renot.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye