Sunday, December 10, 2017

Sunday Snippet: Beast in the Belfry

December 10, 2017

It's amazing what a dusting of snow on the ground can do to boost holiday spirit. We got just a tiny bit last night and it looks so pretty today.

Gotta say the mid-season finales for my shows pretty much pulled out all the stops. The Flash left Barry hanging in a very precarious place. Not sure I'm totally down with where everything is going, but it's fun to watch. Lost a good character on Legends of Tomorrow in the form of two goodbyes. I do appreciate the revolving door aspect of the show and look forward to seeing how the others interact without their friends. The holiday trimmings of the shows provided a nice backdrop.

Arrow killed it. James is setting up quite the legion of doom in Star City. I'm very interested in seeing how that plays out when the season returns. If his little cohort who got him out in the first place tries to harm Felicity or Curtis, I'll be really pissed. Just saying.

Riverdale shook things up with breakups all over the place. Yikes. I have another interesting theory about Alice Cooper. Can't wait to see if I'm right. Oh, and this theory doesn't involve FP, at least not about their past.

I'm all caught up on Gotham. Gotta say it hurt to watch Alfred and Bruce tear each other apart. I get where Bruce is coming from, I do, but the whole being a brat is kind of pissing me off. That said, rock bottom isn't always an easy trip to take so I'll be patient. Sophia is proving to be a formidable force. I had a sneaking suspicion she was more of a puppet master than anyone originally thought. It's also fun to see the stories with Butch and Tabitha and Ed and Lee unfold. Seriously, Gotham upped it game and I'm loving it. Having Harvey walk away though… yeah, that one hurt, too.

Murdoch Mysteries continues to be excellent. I can't wait for the holiday episode. I think I'm looking forward to it more than Doctor Who this year. I really can't wait for the new doctor and new showrunner. Honestly, I'm so very disappointed in where Moffat took the show. It lost the heart I always loved. Yes, I'm sure I'm in the minority.

I've started watching my stash of holiday shows. I had to get a new laptop and I'm slowly but surely getting all the episodes transferred over. My Plex server is getting a lot of use this week. Also looking forward to The Trouble with Mistletoe when Passionflix premieres the movie!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Beast in the Belfry, a spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A curse leaves artist Vittoria Blahm disfigured and marred for life. But Cal Gilligan sees the true woman under the scars and he falls hard for her when she saves him from plunging to his death. Vittoria can't quite believe anyone wants her and fears risking her heart to the possibility.

And a preview snippet…

Cal Gilligan locked the office and exited the building he'd be calling home when the new semester started. "It's good to be back." His alma mater welcomed him as their newest professor of literature.
After two years of knocking around, he'd been thrilled when they offered the position. He needed a place to put down roots, especially after losing his parents in a small-plane crash. Their missionary work had taken them all over the world and Cal grew up on planes and other conveyances—trains, boats, busses, even on the backs of animals—he'd pretty much survived all of them.
And benefitted from the hands-on education of navigating in foreign countries.
But now… he wanted to take stock. He'd lived so long in the shadow of his mom and dad, spending the last five years teaching English as a second language on their trips. He'd defined himself as their son. Past time for him to define Cal Gilligan, a man alone.
Crossing the quad, he headed for the parking lot. Not much had changed since he'd graduated. Some new trees and landscaping, a new seating area, and several charging stations for electronic devices—solar powered no less. But one significant difference loomed at the far end of the oval-shaped courtyard. The clock tower stood dark and silent.
Cal gazed at the lonely building. "I wonder what happened."
When he'd been in college, the tower drew students in with views of the entire campus and surrounding city. He'd gone up to the top many times, usually to study or write. He often sat out on the tiled roof below the clock face.
Wanting a closer look, he strolled the length of the quad and paused to read the sign at the main entrance. Closed to the public. Since he now had a teaching position, he wouldn't be considered the public, right?
Nostalgia urged him to try the doors. The two double slabs were locked up tight. Cal glanced over his shoulder, made sure no one else lurked in the area, then went around the side of the lower level and stopped outside the caretaker's entrance. His hand twisted the knob and the door swung open.
He flashed a smile. "Hot damn. I'm in." He wouldn't stay long, but he wanted to see the view again.

I'm having fun with reversing the gender roles in this story. Having Vittoria be the "beast" is more of a challenge than I anticipated, but I love writing the conflict she has with accepting someone as a friend who could end up being more.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

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