Sunday Snippet: A Spellbound Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Another long week and part of it has been spent wondering exactly how many US senators are still with us. One passed last night and another appears to be not recovering. I've been alive long enough to acknowledge how bananapants it is that we don't know for sure. I mean, when an elected official can take four months off and still get paid by taxpayers, not explain what's going on, or be seen in public, there's something wrong. The FMLA allows for twelve weeks without a threat to employment. Sixteen weeks is not cool. Just saying.

Weather cooled down enough to not be miserable. I have to make space in my garage for some things my daughter needs to have stored, and it's been cool enough at night that I can make headway. We were supposed to have rain most of the week and didn't get as much as predicted.

Work continued to be steady. I'm moving along on two ongoing projects, and I finished up a proofread and started a new copy edit. Also touched a back burner project and hope to dive in a little more this week. Writing is also going well right now and I'm happy about that.

Had a fairly decent viewing week. I made it through my usual list of shows and also did a binge marathon of Death in Paradise on Ovation.

Started out with a bonus episode of Foyle's War with the writer and creator along with the show's historian. Very interesting conversation.

Caught another episode of Tales of Irish Castles and moved into a more modern age. I think I have one episode left and have to say I've enjoyed this series.

Watched a new episode of Death in Paradise. Gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mervin interact with his brother and loved how everyone, including Catherine, came together to find Mervin. Seeing the punk-ass faux commissioner again kind of put the icing on the cake, even if he's still a punk-ass policeman now.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. The later movies are fun to watch but I do miss Hastings and Miss Lemon. And, of course, Japp. But it's also entertaining to dive into mysteries that have an intriguing premise.

Elementary had a great episode. Loved seeing Marcus put everything together with his girlfriend's ex. Really hated the ending though. I have a feeling all will not be as it seems.

Watched an episode of Young Justice and kind of liked seeing Connor and Megan in their regular joe roles. Also rather enjoyed Red Arrow asking Aqua Lad for help. And it looks like the overall mystery is starting to fall into place, with the behind the scenes machinations being revealed.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. Really loved seeing a different vibe with Rutherford and Mariner teaming up and Boimler and Tendi being together.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Spellbound Yule, a holiday spirit sexy short featuring a witch and a warlock.

Here's the miniblurb:

Holiday spirit, Bertram Goldwreath, has to bring Oakley Oliver, a witch and Calder Conrad, a warlock together over the Yule holiday so they can settle a territorial dispute. Oakley is looking forward to a quiet getaway at a bed and breakfast … until Calder invades her interlude and sparks fly.

And a preview snippet…

Calder woke up alone, but Oakley's side of the bed showed the signs of their night.

He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. "Wonder if I can talk her into more?" Heading for the bath, he cast a spell for his toothbrush and quickly cleaned his teeth then put a pair of loose pajama bottoms on.

Calder went down the stairs to find Oakley in the kitchen, wearing a long T-shirt, pensive and withdrawn. The sight kicked him hard. He didn't want her to be under strain any more than he wanted to be there either. After meeting her and being with her, the whole land dispute paled to what he wanted from the future now.

He put his arms around her. "I must've failed on epic levels if you're not happy and sated this morning." He hadn't been this relaxed in a very long time.

She turned and met his gaze. "Trust me when I say you didn't fail. My mood has nothing to do with your skill in bed." Her lips curved slightly and she gave a little shiver.

He dropped a kiss on her nose. "The land dispute?" What else could she be thinking about.

She nodded.

He led her into the sitting room. "Come on, let's talk about it." He settled on the couch and pulled her down onto his lap.

She raked a hand through her hair and explained. "We've cultivated the acreage and have a good supply of herbs and other plants we use for our craft and income generation. Many of the coven members rely on what we grow."

He nodded. "I see the dilemma." He ran a hand over her thigh. "Now, here's ours. We have a distillery and it's finally in the black. But … we've run out of storage to keep the casks. We need to build a new warehouse, but if we want to keep making a profit, we have to put up a temporary facility to house the product until our new structure can be built." He shrugged. "The land would be the obvious solution." One the warden needed if they hoped to stay debt free.

Oakley reacted with a groan. "This is crazy. We're both going to lose big parts of our livelihoods because of this stupid clause." She got up and paced back and forth. "There has to be a way to come up with a solution." She turned and faced him.

Calder expressed his doubts. "It's been fifty years. Don't you think it's been attempted?"

Oakley snorted. "No. Because the previous coven leaders, including my grandmother, let the bitterness fester and weren't open to the possibility of renegotiation." She made a disgusted sound.

Calder couldn't let her take all the blame. "The warden wasn't either and I didn't do anything to help. Especially after making so many attempts to contact you." And, yeah, nastygrams kind of hit the nail on the head.

Oakley met his gaze. "And now?" She moved to sit on the edge of the ottoman, her hands lightly resting on his knees.

Calder settled back against the cushions. "Now, I'm open to the idea of finding a mutual solution." He wanted to do whatever he could to make life good for the coven and the warden.

I love writing the holiday spirit shorts and pulling a couple together after they overcome an obstacle.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir (an Academy of Light novella)

Well, July is off to a banging start. Heat wave, the holiday weekend, and a lot of things converging at once. I've been a little off also. Not sure if it's menopause hormones or just general fatigue, but it's been a long week.

We should get a bit of relief from the extreme temperatures when some rain moves through over the next few days. I'll welcome the lower heat indexes.

Work is staying busy. I had a couple of great calls with potential author clients, and I'm excited to see where those go. I have project that shifted to the back burner that needs attention this week, hopefully tomorrow. I also had a project that might be coming back … again. It's the one that won't die, but thankfully, the revisions are all author requests and nothing concerning the edits. Whew. Moved a few smaller things in and out, which is always fun to break up the week. Almost finished with a manuscript proofread of a thriller that has a lot of twists and turns. I need to finish a written assessment on a read through of the opening book to a five-book series sometime this week also.

Had an okay viewing week. Didn't quite make it all the way through my usual shows but didn't do terrible either. I think the heat makes it hard to focus on more than one thing so the entertainment took a back seat to my work projects.

Started the week with another behind-the-scenes bonus episode of Foyle's War. This one focused on the historical recreations for the final episode and I thoroughly enjoyed the interviews.

Caught another episode of Tales of Irish Castles. We're into the seventeenth century, which apparently saw a lot of upheaval.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness. Again, very interesting how closely related to reality this season has been. I also think I'm liking how there seems to be an overarching thread that's following through all the episodes. That's not really standard or hasn't been for this series.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed the twists and turns. I love it when Poirot questions what he sees with his own eyes to solve the mystery.

Elementary had a great episode. Seeing the fallout from Shinwell's actions is interesting and I kind of hope there's some redemption there. The case itself ended up being really twisty and wildly bizarre as well.

That's all I had time for this week and that's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from The Souvenir, a fun novella about mages who are finding their way to each other.

Here's the miniblurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And a preview snippet…

Melick raked a hand through his hair. "I can't be her precept anymore." Okay … he could be, if she didn't feel the same way he felt about her.

But … her parting shot before they took her to the healing chamber made him wonder. What if she felt the same way about him? That could get tricky. And Melick didn't want to damage her progression through the levels of illumination. If word got out that the heir apparent and the mage's ward were involved, others would scream favoritism. Not that they didn't already but hooking up with Ramona while being her guide would cause major problems.

The whole situation tonight showed Melick something profound. He had to get a grip on how he felt, make sure Ramona had the same inclination toward him, and find a way to make sure nothing blew up in their faces.

The timing would have to be pitch perfect. "And I'll have it even worse being that my grandfather is the Mage Superior." Master Sawitch would have a field day and try every play in the book to remove Melick from the higher adept position if Sawitch even caught a whiff of Melick's plans.

Melick stared down the corridor where they'd taken Ramona. Thinking she'd been gone for good had definitely affected him greatly. But how did the experience affect her?

He only had one option. "I'm done wondering what if." He grinned to himself.

Having a solid idea of how to possibly test the waters, he made a quick stop or two to gather a few things he'd need. For once, he took a page out of Ramona's playbook and didn't think too far in advance. He'd worry about the fallout later.

With purposeful strides, Melick walked toward the infirmary, rewinding his last conversation with Ramona in his head. She'd be very surprised when she saw what he had planned for her. And he'd know for sure what step he had to take next…

This is such a fun story to write. Melick and Ramona are kind of destined but they have to get out of their own way first.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Slip of the Tongue

The end of June came a lot quicker than I expected. This month flew by, and I'm not sure I got as much accomplished as I hoped to.

The weather is still fairly mild for June but the heat index for the upcoming week makes me want to weep. It's going to be so, so hot.

Continued to have a busy work week. Several new potential projects are waiting in the wings and I'm excited about them. One is a fiction project with a really intriguing concept. Two others are memoir life-story projects. I've been working on quite a few of those and they're a nice change of pace. I continued working on the developmental edit, pulling a few more files into the master document. Also finished up a copy edit and started a new one.

Had a less than stellar viewing week. I felt a little bit off all week and couldn't focus on viewing new stuff. I did several binge marathons of early seasons of Death in Paradise for background noise. I also got a considerable amount of writing done because the sages were banging on the door in my brain.

I did watch another behind the scenes bonus episode of Foyle's War. This one showed a day in the life of an episode. Some great interviews with the cast and crew.

Also caught another episode of Tales from Irish Castles. This one explored tower houses and it seems like there are a bunch of them dotting the landscape. Really love getting an inside look at some of these castles.

Started an episode of Silent Witness and made it about halfway through. The subject matter is really tough to view and, honestly, hits a little hard. I don't know who is writing the show at the moment but, man, they're dead-on with the stuff that makes people flinch.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Slip of the Tongue, a novella where the main characters have to work through a betrayal to find their way to romance.

Here's the miniblurb:

Sylvie Brown and Holden Baker are word alchemists, creating the strongest, most intricate spells in their realm. One slip of the tongue can bring catastrophic destruction … or it can garner surprising results. Sylvie learns two little words can hold a wealth of meaning.

And a preview snippet…

Holden grabbed Sylvie, hauling her up. "I didn't do this." He had no idea who the hell did.

The premier nodded. "No, dear boy, I did." He glanced over his shoulder. "A simple summoning spell worked nicely." His lips twitched a little.

Boone glared. "Depends on who you ask. I don't take kindly to being yanked out of my district."

Sylvie stiffened. "But why? Why bring him here when we've worked so hard to keep him out." Her voice went hoarse on the word.

The premier squared his shoulders. "To settle this once and for all. If he wants a war, he'll be sorely disappointed. If I can pull him to me at my will, he can't hope to keep his power … not when word gets out."

Boone snarled. "I won't stop, old man. You caught me off guard once, it won't happen again." An angry glare accompanied the threat.

The premiere tsked. "I figured as much. And you're wrong…" He snapped his fingers and Boone changed into a large, gleaming crystal. "I caught you a second time, too." He reached down and picked up the purple facet.

Holden blinked then laughed. "I'll be damned. We should've thought of that." A rather genius solution to the Boone problem.

The premier glanced in Holden's direction. "Sometimes, the old ways are the best."

Holden flushed under the scrutiny. "About that, I can explain." Or he'd at least try.

The premier waved off the idea. "No need. But you do owe us recompense. I think finishing the job you began will do to start. Mr. Thargren won't be the last to try force, but we will be opening a dialog to find a peaceful solution." He turned his attention to Sylvie. "I'll be relying on you for assistance, my girl."

Her head bowed. "Yes, sir."

Holden stepped up. "If I can be of help, please count on me." He'd do whatever he could to move things toward a good outcome.

The premier held Holden's gaze for several long moments. "Won't be up to me." He glanced toward Sylvie then back to Holden. "Prove your worth, son." He stepped back inside his chambers and closed the door.

Holden's respect for the man grew by more than one notch. No wonder his grandpa liked Angus so much.

He turned and faced Sylvie. "I'll be ready, bright and early, to start on the reinforcements."

She nodded and started to walk away, her movements stiff and weary.

She got to the end of the corridor before she paused, looking back over her shoulder. "Thank you. For tonight." She didn't wait for a response, continuing away from him.

Holden watched her with a heavy heart. "I have a lot of ground to make up. And it's not gonna be easy."

I love how this story is coming together. Holden has his work cut out and he'll rise to the challenge.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Six Degrees of Separation

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, father figures, mentors, and fur dads out there. And if this is a hard day, please find peace where you can.

It's so mild in Ohio right now and I'll take the comfortable temperatures. We're supposed to have a soggy week, but the rain is welcome. Hopefully without flooding.

Busy work week with multiple projects crossing my desk. I have a potential new project with a new author starting possibly soon. Finished up a proofread and got that one invoiced. Continued work on a memoir developmental edit, pulling several files together into a single document. Also finished a copy edit and returned it for review. Started a new one that's on the long side, close to one hundred thousand words. A jammed week ahead.

Had a pretty good viewing week. I made it through my regular stable of shows and started one of my back-burner ones. I didn't end up making it all the way through but I'll finish it up this week. I hope.

Started with a Foyle's War behind the scenes interview with one of the guest stars. Very interesting.

Watched another episode of Tales from Irish Castles. Truly a fun series to watch. So many castles in Ireland.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise and kind of loved the bit of a cliffhanger. I also kind of like how Mervin is settling in with the other officers. Very cool to see the new sarge completely supported by the commissioner also.

Also enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very interesting case with an unexpected ending. So many colorful characters.

Elementary ended up being a little mind-blowing. I'm really interested in how the whole Shinwell situation will be resolved.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and I'm rather enjoying seeing how the team is coming together.

Also watched another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and I'm really amazed by how much I love this show. Started out being pretty iffy on whether I'd like it or not and I'm totally in if I haven't mentioned it before.

Started an episode of Peak Practice and made it about halfway through. There's a lot going on in this one and I didn't want to miss anything. I'll finish up this week. Maybe.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Six Degrees of Separation, a book in the Academy of Light series.

Here's the miniblurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, two Academy of Light magicians, have a single passionate encounter after Ramona nearly loses her life to a dragon. But when they navigate their new relationship status, Melick has to step down as Ramona's precept, but neglects to tell her why.

And a preview snippet…

Ramona had a big problem and didn't want to face the issue at the moment.

Being here had taken a big prod from Melick to get her out of bed and on her feet. His casually dropped bomb—the dragon isn't an organic creature, but biomechanical—had her brain screaming to get a better look.

She snorted. "Just as he'd known it would." The guy knew her too well.

He even had a pair of crutches at the ready and handed them over as soon as she sat up. A quick round of instructions from the medical staff—rest and elevate her leg frequently and do light physical therapy to keep her muscles warmed—and off she went to the lab. It didn't take her long to get lost in the intricacies of the highly advanced beast.

She'd been inside the dragon most of the day, working out the flight systems with the mechno master and his assistant. As soon as they'd discovered the dragon to be biomechanical, they hit a wall. Which she could help them scale.

She'd itched to get close and take a look. "Well, I got one." She'd quite literally crawled into the belly of the beast to see how it flew.

The mechno mancer peppered her with questions, and Ramona finally snarled for him to shut up and let her work. She'd figure it out … eventually. If he gave her the space to do so.

He'd gone for a meal break with the assistant. Melick had left a long time ago. He'd only stuck around for about ten minutes to make sure she got settled and hadn't returned. Even pissed off over the suggested precept change, she'd welcome his presence at the moment.

Heaving a sigh, she closed her eyes. "I need to head back to the infirmary and let the medical staff yell at me for not keeping my leg flexible." She'd completely lost track of time while she worked out the flight schematics.

The problem with getting back to the alcove? She couldn’t get out of the damn creature. Well and truly screwed, her leg and hip throbbed from inactivity.

Ramona tried to scoot backward to slide out of the confined area but by her fifth attempt to get out, frustration warred with pain. She tried lifting her leg over the hump but kept hitting the top of the dragon's midsection. Her knee had stiffened and she couldn’t flatten her leg out enough to get past the barrier.

Dammit, dammit, dammit. Why hadn’t she made it a point to move in and out of the stupid thing on a frequent basis? For that matter, why had she let the insane urge to help the mechno mancer figure out the dragon's systems drive her to leave the alcove in the first place?

She knew the answer to that.

Melick.

She let out a growl "Always Melick."

Why were they so awkward right now? What did her getting back on her feet have to do with anything? Ramona figured he used the excuse as his way of stepping back now that the crisis had been averted. But they couldn't put the pool experience back in the box. Hell, she didn't want to. She would admit being disappointed, but she'd rather have him as a friend than lose him altogether.

They were in a weird place she didn't enjoy. He continued to stop by several times a day, which made her happy and drove her mad, depending on her mood.

During one of the mad phases, she'd basically told him to fuck off, especially when he tried to be there for her when she made her first tentative attempt to get back on her feet. She hated being weak. She really hated being weak in front of Melick.

She'd finally refused to even try to keep going on the crutches, and he'd left in a fit of exasperation. She regretted not having his company, but fear had her by the throat, damn it. What if she didn’t get it together? What if the binding spells didn't last long enough to finish healing her knee?

The possibility of not being able to walk without aid freaked her out.

This story is all over the place but it's finally coming together. I love Ramona and Melick so much.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shit Happens

Kind of a long week and I'm glad it's over. There's something nice about starting a new week with a clean slate. Even if projects linger from one week to the next or challenges still need to be met.

We've got wild weather in Ohio again. Muggy and hot until a storm rolls through then it's lovely for a day until it gets muggy and hot again. The humidity is not fun.

Had a solid work week. One of the projects I thought was finished ended up having more revisions. At this point, the author is wordsmithing and really should leave things alone. That said, it's her last book and giving some grace can't hurt. I'm hoping to finish up a proofread on a science book this week and start a new project about a family history. I also have a developmental edit to get back to and copy edit to finish up. The copy edit is a holiday book and I'm so happy to have one of those to edit.

Had a pretty decent viewing week. I made it through my regular slate of shows, which actually made me happy. It was a busy week, and I ended up being kind of drained.

Started the week by finishing up an episode of Foyle's War. I do believe I have only the bonus episodes left.

Started a new series about Irish castles and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode. So much history I don't know, and I love learning new things.

Caught another episode of Silent Witness. The move to Birmingham seems to be resetting the series with a lot of darker content. I'm actually interested to see how this plays out.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed one of the better known classics with "Death on the Nile."

Elementary kind of blew my mind. Not sure how I feel about the whole Shinwell thing. It's going to prove interesting to discover Joan's reaction.

Enjoyed an episode of Young Justice. So far, I like the unfolding of the first season. The pacing is pretty good and the reveals are well-earned.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and really loved the interactions. I honestly didn't know if I'd find my groove with this show, but I did!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Shit Happens, a sexy short where the characters have to work through past trauma to get their act together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nyla White, an up-and-coming paranormal cage fighter, has buttloads of potential but her 'Sh*t happens' attitude prevents her from attaining the top spot. Erik Stevens, her trainer, pushes her to use her emotions to own her talent, which Nyla is hesitant to do—because she's got strong feelings for Erik.

And a preview snippet…

You've got to talk to me…

Her shoulders slumped. "I can't, Erik." She spun away, shaking off the excess energy.

He followed her. "Why? There's gotta be a reason for shutting me out. Not letting anyone in." His frustration came through loud and clear.

As always.

She paused, waging an internal battle with herself over what to tell him. "You know I lost everything, right?" She slowly turned to face him.

He nodded. "I do."

She paced back and forth. "I can't lose this. I won't." She needed one thing no one could take away from her.

The championship and prestige that went with it would be her singular achievement. Something earned and hers to keep. Just once, she wanted things to go her way.

Erik shook his head. "That doesn't explain—" Confusion marred his features.

She cut him off. "You're the why. I can't let anyone in for the same reason I shut you out." Her voice lowered. "Because you'll see—everything—if I open up." The admission cost her some pride, but she couldn't hold the way she felt in any longer.

Or deal with his constant pushing.

Erik's mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. "Oh."

Nyla threw her hands up. "Yes, oh. Do you get it now?" She definitely couldn't work with him anymore.

Erik gave a jerky nod. "Yeah, I get it." He turned away. "And I'm sorry. I should have seen it."

Nyla's gut twisted into knots. "No, you shouldn't have. And you wouldn't have if I didn't open my big fat mouth." She crossed the floor and grabbed her jacket.

She had to get out. Get away. Keep a shred of dignity.

Shrugging into the coat, she managed a calm tone. "I'll grab my gear and find a new trainer." Heading for the door, she refused to get teary eyed and blubbery over him.

Seriously happy with how this story is coming together. Both characters have some trauma they have to deal with and some hurdles to get over.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shine One On

Wow. June is kicking my ass and it's only seven days old. I'm choosing to look at the beginning of the month as the bottom of the well and it can only get better, because I won't be able to handle another appliance going down. Thankfully, delivery services are available on Sunday and I have shiny new fridge to replace the one that died on Friday. And my coffeemaker decided to be wonky this morning so, yeah, I'm still trying to troubleshoot that one. Glad I can pour over in an emergency.

Other than the appliance fiasco, the weather is all over the map, which isn't unusual in Ohio. More chilly days and a few really humid ones. Rain, wind, and little bit of sun. We're supposed to have a drippy week, which is okay because I don't think it's supposed to be severe weather.

Pretty decent work week. I finished up a few projects and should be close to finishing up the one that won't seem to end. Started a new proofread and I'm making good progress on it, even with the appliance distractions.

Had an okay viewing week also. Made it through my usual list of shows but didn't get to the back-burner ones.

Started the week with half an episode of Foyle's War. Should finish it up this week and move on to the bonus episodes.

Also caught the season twelve finale of Brokenwood Mysteries. Really enjoyed this season and hope to have another one because this is definitely a comfort show.

Watched an episode of Death in Paradise. Loved getting some good character building for Seb. I'm also looking forward to getting some for the new sergeant.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. This one took a bit of a twist and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next episode.

Elementary finished up a two-parter and the resolution ended up being fun. Also loved Sherlock's excitement about becoming a godparent.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and quite enjoyed it. Very fun to see Wally face his disbelief in magic.

Loved watching an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. The callbacks to other series are such a delight in this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Shine One On, a novella that explores an alternate history where prohibition didn't get repealed.

Here's the miniblurb:

In a prohibition era, Maxine Wynne provides speakeasy owner Drake Kestleman premium moonshine to keep his customers happy. When a corrupt revenuer goes after Maxine, Drake launches a plan to get her out of danger and out from under the shadow of the government bureaucrat.

And a preview snippet…

With his cock wedged between them, Drake flexed his hips, feigning full intercourse. "And action." He whispered the words against her ear.

By the third fake thrust, he feared getting off, the friction of her warm skin against his dick almost too pleasurable to bear. Her guttural moan suggested she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Maxine's fingers raked down his back to dig into his ass and he fought the urge to spill all over her belly. The primal need to be buried deep in her hot core kept him from doing so. And, damn, if he didn't welcome the tsk-tsk-tsking sound from behind and Maxine's startled yelp from below when each sound came. She scrambled under the single sheet on the bed, pushing Drake aside.

Saul smirked and gave a rude snort. "Really, Maxine? You expect me to buy the false modesty?" His gaze drilled into her.

Drake stood and moved to block the view of Maxine from four sets of prying eyes. He didn't try to cover his nakedness and bit back a bark of laughter when four gazes dropped to his softening shaft.

Stepping up to stand toe-to-toe with Saul, Drake snarled. "There's nothing false about her modesty. No one invited you in."

Saul's face reddened. "We pounded on the door and announced our presence and intention to search. Not our fault your carnal pursuits prevented you from hearing us." His gaze flicked to Maxine. "Although, the distraction is understandable." His tongue snaked out to lick his lips.

Drake jabbed a finger in Saul's chest. "Take your leave. As you can see, we're not hiding anything here." Except maybe raging lust.

Saul stood his ground. "We'll be searching the premises since we're already here." He motioned for his three henchmen to spread out.

Drake shrugged. "Feel free to do so." He followed Saul to the doorway. "We'll be out in a moment." He started to shut the door.

Saul stopped him with a booted foot blocking the heavy slab of wood. "Leave it open. I'm not taking any chances with you two." His gaze raked over Maxine when she sat up, holding the sheet against her.

Drake wanted to punch the man. Saul definitely made his interest in Maxine clear, and he wanted to covertly watch her dress. Maxine rolled her eyes and slipped from the bed. Saul's shadow fell across the living room floor from where he hovered, no doubt peering through the crack between the door and the jamb. And to her credit, she put on a show, holding Drake's gaze while dressing, knowing she had an avid audience.

When Drake's dick got hard again, her lips curved in a sexy smile and she winked at him.

Turning, she sauntered out into the main room and sidled up to Saul. "Hope you enjoyed the show." She slapped him hard across the face. "Consider that your price of admission, you son of a bitch."

Her show of defiance had Drake wanting to drag her back to the bed and finish what they started. Instead, he found his pants and started dressing.

This book is so much fun. Drake and Maxine have some steamy chemistry.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliance

I'm looking forward to seeing the end of May. It hasn't been a bad month or anything. It's nice to feel like I'm starting with a clean slate.

We've had some rainy weather but it's keeping the temperatures mild, which I love. Really hoping the cooler weather sticks around for another week or two. I have some yard and garden work I want to do.

Work ended up being pretty okay. I still have the wordsmithing author making changes, but I think the project manager is putting a stop to that. Hopefully, we'll be able to get the proofread over the finish line. I'll be finishing up the science book proofread this week. And I have a copy edit that should finish sometime tonight or tomorrow. It's the twisty mystery thriller and it's definitely been a wild ride.

Not a bad week for viewing. I got through my usual list of shows but didn't end up adding any of my reserve ones.

Started out by finishing up the episode of Foyle's War. I have one episode left then some bonus material to watch.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries and quite enjoyed it. Very interesting to see Mike move house and how the transition worked into the case.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness. Super happy to see Jack accepted as a professor. Also rather liked the resolution of the case.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. Always fun when he's kind of on his own. The case was very interesting also. I like it when he's solving old ones.

Elementary ended on an interesting note. I'm wondering if the mention of Sherlock's dad is going to come into play for the second half. Also fun to see Kitty again.

Watched an episode of Young Justice and I'm intrigued. The addition of Artemis could prove interesting. I'm leaning toward double agent.

Caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. Fun to see Boimler handle his first away mission. Also really fun to watch the other three try to outsmart their superior officers.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Shaken Alliances, the opening book for the Technorati series.

Here's the miniblurb:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And a preview snippet…

Janna moved into the cool down phase of her workout simulation. She only had time for a very quick shower before her appointment. Which she should probably get to if she didn't want to be a terrible hostess.

"Take your time. I'll come to you when you're ready."

Her lips quirked. "Allow fifteen minutes. I won't be long." She stripped off her clothes and rinsed off the perspiration from her exercise.

After toweling dry, she dressed in comfortable attire—a pair of loose-fitting pants and a long, flowing tunic. She left her feet bare, enjoying the sensation of the woven reed carpeting under her toes. Retrieving the light meal she'd prepared earlier, she placed it on the low table in her seating area and went back for a large pitcher of geely fruit infused water.

The gentle nudge to her mind came at exactly the right moment.

She smiled. "Come in. I hope you're doing well today."

Her dearest mentor entered her quarters, his long robes gliding over the floor. "I am, indeed. What have you prepared for us? I hope you didn't go to a lot of trouble." He settled on her long sofa.

Janna sat perpendicular to him in a soft chair. "I have dumplings and string noodles with an array of sauces. Also some roasted tanga meat." She plucked a skewer off the serving platter and set it on a plate.

The dumplings were packed with vegetables that paired well with the meat and noodles. Her mentor ate heartily, which satisfied Janna because he'd been looking a little frail lately. Then again, he had a demanding schedule.

When they finished, he brought up the reason he'd requested this meeting. "How did your interview with DeBerg go today?"

Janna answered honestly. "As we expected. He gave me a plum assignment and the trappings that go with it." She projected that portion of their meeting into her mentor's mind.

He frowned when he glimpsed the slimy innuendo coming from DeBerg.

Janna pulled back. "I didn't want to share that part." She had tremendous power and control of her mind-sharing ability, but her mentor had decades more.

He inclined his head. "I know. But you can't hide the underhanded tactics he uses. You'll have to walk a precarious path to keep him at bay while you attempt to complete the work." His head tilted to one side. "You neglected to share who your quarry would be. Is there a reason?"

She shook her head. "No, I'd rather speak of the task instead." She paused a moment. "DeBerg gave me the assignment of bringing in Paxton Teller. The number one most wanted member of the Technorati."

Her mentor's eyes widened. "It's a big task, are you ready?" His voice held no censure, but he'd be unwise not to wonder.

She answered with a question of her own. "Do you doubt my abilities, wise one?"

He met her gaze. "Not at all, dear Janna. But I worry for you. There is much more at play here than bringing in Paxton Teller." He leaned forward. "You have to know if you fail, you'll be exactly where DeBerg wants you."

Janna nodded. "In his debt, under his thumb, and a convenient scapegoat if he needs one." She'd come to that conclusion while doing her workout. "My belief is he's getting ready to make a move. Working behind the scenes to puff himself up and Teller will be his crowning achievement." The idea should have pleased her.

But … instead … she had grave concerns.

The wise one smiled. "And what does that tell you?"

She shrugged. "There are cracks in the machine. DeBerg doesn't want to fall through one, so he's going to attempt a climb." Her lips twisted. "Which means he's going to displace someone at the top … and he might use me to make that happen." She didn't have to add the part about her mentor being the one to get knocked off his perch.

The wise one lifted his chin. "Perhaps. But I'm well protected." He sighed. "Which doesn't mean this isn't worrisome." He settled more comfortably on the couch. "There have been rumblings going on for a long time. But the Technorati have been making some bold moves." His gaze met hers. "And you'll be directly in the crosshairs between the Alliance and the shadow magicians."

She hand-waved his concern. "I'll do my job. If there's a way to bring Teller in, I'll make it happen." She hadn't failed yet.

Her mentor sat quietly for a moment. "Janna, have you ever felt a call for something different?"

She blinked at the change of topic. Did she? She often yearned for more satisfying work. But she had nowhere else to go in the Alliance.

The wise one planted a seed. "Maybe you should seek more."

She shifted her inner gaze to him. "What more is there?" Technomancers were no longer allowed to hold elected positions.

He frowned. "If you can't imagine or don't know, I can't say more."

She let instinct guide her next question. "I've been reading the old texts. Are they true?" Were they really being held back from realizing their full potential?

The wise one's head dipped. "They're a very good place to start."

I'm excited about this opening book. I'm hoping to get this series mapped out and launched sometime soon.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye