Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sunday Snippet: Picture Perfect

What a great week in television for writing inspiration. I love to do my weekly roundup of viewing fare because it always gets my creative juices flowing. Sundays tend to be great writing days. LOL

Gotham might be having its best season yet. Truly, I love everything about it so far. I'm hoping the momentum continues and the show doesn't crash and go off the rails.

The Flash remains excellent. Loved seeing Jessie and Wells again. Also like the slow reveal of Caitlyn's issues. I'll leave it there for folks who aren't caught up yet.

Agents of SHIELD had a great episode. Everyone is finally back in the fold and it's time to move the story along.

Once again, Arrow proved to be awesome. Overall, it's still my favorite show. I love how they worked Quentin into the storyline and the way it went down. He makes so much sense for the new role he's taking on. Looking forward to the next episode to see how things go with Diggle.

Legends of Tomorrow also brought a great episode to my screen. I'm enjoying how hard the team is finding being an actual team. Very interested in seeing what happens with the new guy. Between Gideon and the two resident geniuses, I think he'll be alright.

MacGyver stayed fun. I have a fondness for train hijinks and the show delivered a terrific episode with a last minute save. Can't ask for more.

As usual, Van Helsing left me a little "meh". It's probably time to drop the updates since I'm not completely into the show. Sadly.

And that's it for television this week. I'll have some feelings about Murdoch Mysteries in the next post. YAY!

Tonight's post is from Picture Perfect, a novella about picturing the perfect future and making it happen.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Faeryn Carnes, a fire elemental, crossed through the Shroud, leaving the mortal plane. But when she returned, an unheard of occurrence, Seth Jacobson, an air elemental, is the only person she can count on, which seems impossible because Faeryn believes air and fire can't mix.

And a preview snippet…

Seth Jacobson always questioned the unexplainable. Never satisfied with blind acceptance, he sought answers, made inquiries, and dug deep for the truth. But Faeryn's death and reappearance… he didn't question at all. He'd literally watched her burn in Fae Fire then cross through the Shroud and yet… she'd come back. Hale and whole. The answer to how and why would either present itself or not… and Seth didn't care. She'd returned and he wouldn't seek anything else. Instead, he thanked whatever ruled the universe for the gift.
And warned the same factors. "Never, ever take her from me again." Not that Faeryn belonged to him.
Two months. He'd lived and mourned in limbo, keeping primarily to his loft aerie. His grief, understated and kept private, permeated everything he did. Going through the motion of life, he put up a decent front. Losing Faeryn hit hard. Those closest to him gave him space and made allowances, even if they didn't have to. He didn’t have death rites… the ritual period of mourning for life mates.
He clenched his fist. "Because she didn't choose me." Technically, she'd bonded with Taryn Sanders, an earth sprite.
Seth and Faeryn had a long and varied history. The insane pull between them obvious to everyone who crossed their paths. Earth sprites shook their heads. They were steeped in tradition and sought to live in harmony with nature, whether urban or rural. Fire and air made for a combustible union sometimes, but Seth and Faeryn often achieved balance. Water sprites rarely took notice of anything the flame manipulators did. And fire elementals avoided the water workers as a rule. Yet the chemistry between Seth and Faeryn grabbed the attention of the aquatic denizens. They'd recently started looking at ways the two groups could work in unison.
Seth heaved a sigh. "But Faeryn didn't trust me. She thought Tarn would be a safer bet for life mate." He brushed the old pain aside.
Her ingrained reasons came from a place of horrible childhood experience. He got that part. And having her back meant he'd start over from the beginning if necessary.
He settled into a lotus position and focused his mind. He manipulated the air current, filling his space with a gentle breeze. Revisiting the past called for soothing calm.
The image of Faeryn's face before she entered the shroud haunted him.
"I made a mistake, bonding with Tarn." Her hand cupped Seth's face. "And it's cost me… us… everything." She stepped away and turned toward the shimmering veil with fae fire behind it. "I was so certain. But completely wrong." She glanced over her shoulder and held his gaze for a long moment before walking into the void.
He didn't stop her, even when every instinct he had urged him to grab hold and not let go. But one man's desire to tame the fiery Faeryn created the untenable situation she'd found herself in. Seth refused to stand in the way of her sacrifice. Even if he hated the need.
She'd discovered Tarn's deception. When he couldn't bring Faeryn to heel, when she balked and fought against the constraints he put on her, when she realized earth smothered fire and tried to extinguish her internal flame, Tarn put her in the sights of a power-mad tyrant.
"If only she'd come to me."
But she hadn't. Maybe because admitting she needed Seth's traits would prove too overwhelming. She'd always feared Seth would overpower her and blow her flame out. But wind fed fire, helped it spread and grow. When they sparked off each other, the achieved a natural balance. Seth's adept status would keep them in check, never letting either flare out of control.
But Faeryn hadn't trusted their chemistry. Or him.
Until the very last moment before she disappeared.
And now that she'd returned? Well, Seth had never believed in the impossible before. But he'd damn sure make an effort now.
Finally acknowledging the simple truth, Seth opened his eyes. "No matter what, she's back. Doesn't matter how, but the why is important." Getting to his feet, he crossed the open space of his primary residence and entered the only enclosed area in the loft.
Lined with floor to ceiling shelves, the room spanned two levels. A fireplace broke up one wall, the section in front a perfect spot for two chairs with a cozy table between them. A built-in desk hugged one corner, surrounded with reference tomes for research. He settled behind the desk and pulled several volumes out, ready to dig in and seek enlightenment.
A rapid series of knocks halted his progress. Only one person had that particular cadence when stopping by.
Faeryn.
Rising, he left the books stacked neatly on the oak surface and went to let her in. He paused when he made it to his front door. Regardless of why she'd returned, Faeryn needed someone in her corner. He planned to be that someone.
He needed to be that someone.

Poor Seth will also have to convince Faeryn he's the one she needs.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

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