Sunday Snippet: Kill Switch

January 26, 2014

Hello!

Okay, gotta say it. I totally didn't see the finale for Sleepy Hollow coming at all. I had a working theory that the sheriff would somehow be a descendant of Crane's. The sin eater? Not so much. Good crap, I love this show.

Let's see, what else? Arrow rocked it, per usual. I've seen a number of 'meh, this felt like a season one episode' on twitter and tumblr, and that's cool, but I like the episodes that slow down a little and focus on, or spotlight, specific characters. I completely see how others can consider it a hot mess of an episode, but I almost always find something interesting that comes into play later or a seemingly insignificant moment that ends up being big later. So yeah, I kinda love what I've come to call 'groundwork' episodes. J Arrow writers… you just keep doing what you're doing.

Banshee still has me looking forward to Friday nights. Lost Girl is changing up the game with everyone and I kinda love it. I also gave Bitten a whirl and well, I'm in. Didn't know if I would like the premise, but oddly found myself thinking about the episodes at random points during the day. Always a sign I'm hooked. J

That's it in television news. Writing has been good this week. Maybe it's the weather, with six to nine inches of snow, the sweeping, shoveling, and blowing gives me time to ponder storylines. LOL Tonight's post is from Kill Switch, a novella where my main characters might get their second chance, if they're brave enough to give it a shot.

Here's the tagline:

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…

Theo Gordon sat at the bar, nursing a scotch, letting his thoughts drift. The conversation with his father could be sorted out later. He needed to let his old man's revelations and advice settle a little before attempting to ponder them head on.

The door burst open and Theo's gut kicked into overdrive. He didn't have to turn around to know who'd entered.

Karsen Hill.

His built-in radar honed in regardless of whether she hit his line of sight. He downed the contents of his glass and tapped the bar for a refill. He'd arm up, just in case.

Sure enough, she breezed through the establishment in a straight line, coming directly to the bar. Her coat, no doubt filled with the tricks of her trade, landed on the coatrack and her ass parked it on the stool next to his.

She caught the bartender's attention. "The usual." She lifted her finger. "No, make it a double. Times two."

Mort nodded and poured her usual, vodka, straight up.

Theo leaned in. "Why don't you—"

Karsen held up a hand. "Do not speak." She downed the first glass. "Until I've finished this." She picked up the second and tossed it back.

Theo narrowed his eyes. She had a frazzled appearance. Her hair, normally straight as a pin, had snags and snarls and her hands were bruised and battered. The slightest tremor of her fingers when she turned the tumbler upside down sent his senses on full alert.

She heaved a sigh and slid her gaze toward him. "Why don't I what?" She angled around, facing him. "Find somewhere else to be? Not tonight, Theo. You can go screw yourself if you think I'm leaving this stool before last call." She flagged Mort down. "Just give me the whole bottle, will you?"

Theo's eyes widened. "Rough night?" Obvious question, but she needed a place to focus the rage rolling off her in waves.

She made a garbled choking sound. "It's been a rough month. Where the hell have you been?" She snapped her fingers. "Wait, never mind. You've been ensconced in the manse with your intended." Her shoulder lifted and she swiveled away to face the bar. "Of course you have no idea."

Theo bristled. "Actually, I do. Just didn't realize you were taking on every bounty all by your lonesome." He pushed back. "What happened to Wonder Boy? You finally cut him lose?" He scanned the room, looking for her handler, and he used the term loosely, Seamus O'Toole.

The guy rarely missed an opportunity to relive his glory days on Karsen's coattails.

Karsen flicked her glance in his direction. "Set a wedding date yet? Don't forget to leave me off the guest list."

Theo snorted. "No worries there. My mother is handling the invitations."

He wouldn't mention he might have found an out for his impending nuptials. Why dredge up hope? He and Karsen had been down the road before, more than once, and it had blown up in their faces—every damn time.

He signaled Mort for another scotch. "The date's been postponed. Grandpere is failing. He asked Mother to let him pass in peace."

Karsen's shoulders slumped forward. "Shit. I'm sorry." She angled her head and met his gaze. "I know how much he means to you."

Theo lifted his drink. "Yeah, well. Nobody lives forever." He raised the tumbler in a silent toast. "And he's had a good run."

Karsen poured another shot and clinked her glass against his. "Beimid ag ol."

Let's be drinking. Theo shook his head. Why the hell not?

He tossed the alcohol back. "Cheers."

Karsen waved the bartender over. "Give him the bottle, Mortie. We're gonna head upstairs."

Mort's bushy eyebrows raised, but he didn't say a word. He snagged the scotch and set it on the counter. Karsen gathered the bottles and her glass then slid off the stool.

Theo stayed put, weighing the consequences of following her. Karsen yanked her coat from the rack and headed for the back stairs.

She turned in his direction. "You got someplace to be?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or somebody you gotta call?"

She didn't add 'to ask permission', but the words echoed in his head.

Her challenging tone sealed the deal. Fuck the consequences.

He rose, his feet hitting the floor with a thud. "Nope. Let's go."

He left his tumbler behind. He'd have to face down memories from ten years ago when he followed her up the steps.

He'd be drinking straight from the bottle.

A man after my own heart, drinking directly from the bottle. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Judge a Book by its Cover

Hiya!

Whew. What a week. I've been wearing my editor hat, trying to keep up with some pressing deadlines. But I have had a little time to write on some current WIPs AND keep up with my heavy slate of TV shows.

First… Arrow returned! Great episode. Seriously, I feel like I'm watching a movie every time it's on. And Banshee did not disappoint either. Also, Lost Girl? I'm sooooo happy it's back. I love the cast to bits!

So, tonight's post is from Judge a Book by its Cover, a novella with magic and mayhem, two of my favorite things.

Here's the tagline:

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 strode into Zeth's alcove and yanked the heavy curtain, closing off the area to prying eyes and ears. "We've got a huge problem on our hands and you need to fix it."

Zeth glanced up from the text he studied. "Excuse me? Have you been cursed? Hexed? Bespelled?" He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "Since when do you, the bane of my existence, come to me to fix problems?" He lifted a brow. "Especially when you're the one who usually causes them."

She made a growling sound in her throat. "Look. Act like an asshat later. This is important." She dropped down onto the chair opposite his desk. "I just graded an entire class worth's of spells that had the exact same answers." She leaned forward, placing her forearms on the paper strewn surface. "As in word for word. Verbatim. Exactly the same."

Zeth straightened, his hands dropping to grasp the arms of the chair. "They cheated." He wrinkled his brow. "Honestly? I would have put you right at the top of the list." He tsked. "Except you're bringing it to my attention, so I suppose I'd have to strike you from it… or at least move you down a couple of spots."

She narrowed her eyes. "I. Do not. Cheat. Ever." She rose from the seat and leaned in, getting in his face. "Maybe you shouldn't make assumptions until you know all the facts." She sat back down. "Or judge a book by its cover." She waved her hand. "Something like that."

Zeth's respect for Coorah went up a notch, how could it not? She might drive him insane on a daily basis, but it took guts to call him on his bullshit.

He rested his elbows on the desk, steepling his palms. "You've got a point. And I'm sorry." He met her gaze. "But tell me, why do I have to fix the situation? You discovered the problem."

She snorted. "Because you're the magistrate, right? You enforce policy and arbitrate when necessary."

He nodded. "Yeah, but what do you suggest here? I've got what? Tests with the same answers? Were they all from the same class?"

She shook her head. "Well, no. Only a handful from each." Her shoulders slumped. "Meaning you don't have enough to go on. The law of averages wouldn't necessarily preclude a fraction of the same group coming up with the same answers."

He inclined his head. "Exactly. Without some kind of pattern, it won't do a damned bit of good to bring anyone in." He lifted a brow. "So what's my next move?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Are you really asking me?" She blinked. "I have no idea how to even respond."

He didn't blame her for being shocked. "Start by giving me your impressions of the students with the same answers." He clarified. "I'm looking for the motivation. Are they struggling in class? Pulling a prank? Why do they all have the same answers?"

Coorah tilted her head, pondering. "They're not having problems." She snapped her fingers. "They're lazy. Why do the work if they don't have to?"

Zeth bit back a grin. She'd nailed his suspicions pretty quickly.

He prompted. "So, that suggests what?"

She didn't hesitate. "Somebody's making a tidy profit."

Again, he gave her props, and made a split second decision. He wanted her help to track down the money man.

Zeth leaned in. "I wanna know who that is." He waited a beat. "Are you in?"

She met his gaze. "You want my help?" She glanced around the room. "Are you sure you're not the one who's bespelled?"

He chuckled. "I'm not under a spell. You've got the inside track. You know what to look for and who's involved so far." He settled back against the seat again. "Look. We don't see eye to eye on everything. That's a bonus. Coming from two different angles should speed the process along, yeah?"

She considered the idea. "It won't hurt. And I do wanna nail the person, or people, to the wall. I'm not a big fan of making profit off our cadets."

Zeth's lips curved. "Then let's get 'em." He rifled around on the desk to find a notebook and flipped it open. "Let's start with who's involved…" He glanced up, catching the slightly mortified look on her face. "Problem?"

She jerked her head. "No, no. Just trying to wrap my head around the idea I signed on to work with Hard Ass Herrickson." She held up a hand. "Give me a minute, will you?"

Zeth laughed, long and loud. Coorah Blair had just crossed over into enemy territory, also known as responsibility… new ground for her.

This one has been so much fun. I love opposites attract to find balance stories and Zeth is the one who definitely catches on to that fact first. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: It's Not What They Think

January 12, 2014

Greetings!

Well, off to a wacky weather start to the new year. Minus single digit degrees to fifty within forty-eight hours. Welcome to Ohio. LOL

TV shows are back this week, or at least most of them are. Have to wait until February for The Walking Dead, and April for Orphan Black.

But… Banshee returned Friday and, as usual, didn't disappoint. I honestly have no idea why the show is one of my must sees, but it totally is. And, holy crap, they jam a lot into a single hour, less than, actually. Caught Helix on Syfy, and it sufficiently creeped me out enough to keep watching. Lost Girl comes back on Monday, and I'm definitely up for some Bitten, which looks kind of awesome. Almost Human was pretty great, too.

Sleepy Hollow and Arrow return this week. I can't wait!! Looking for to The Tomorrow People, too.

Tonight's post is from the tentatively titled, It's Not What They Think, a novella with magic and the mayhem it causes when it can't be released. J

Here's the tagline:

Meaghan Wrath goes on the warpath, setting up fellow clan members for ridiculous pranks. 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, and a demand to stop will only land her on the hot seat—almost literally.

And a preview snippet…

Vinnie dropped down onto sectional. "It's not what they think. That I'll have to face Meaghan's wrath, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, and that she'll kick my ass if I try to stop the pranks." He shot Mathias a glance. "I know my wife. The stupid shit she's pulling is her way of letting off steam and being rebellious without having to disobey orders."

Mathias snorted. "Right, and making her stop, or worse, ordering her to, would put you in a really sticky position."

Vinnie sighed. "Well, yeah." He glanced up and met Mathi's gaze. "Look, I walk a fine line. Meaghan wields incredible power, if she doesn't let go and release it, she overloads. And right now, I'd rather suffer through bitching and complaining about stupid stunts than watch her go completely out of control."

Mathias shuddered. "Okay, that's a good point." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But Vinnie, man, the solution is right in front of you."

Vinnie cocked his head. "Then share it, my friend, because I'm tired of getting called into the elder chambers to explain why my wife is acting like a twelve-year-old on their first magic weekend."

Mathias chuckled. "My answer involves a much more grown up resolution." He shot a quick glance toward Vinnie's sleeping area. "If she's got power to burn, why shouldn't you benefit from it?"

The simplistic brilliance hit Vinnie like one of Meaghan's lightning bolts. Why the hell hadn't he thought of it? Maybe because he spent all of his recent time putting out the fires, sometimes literally, Meaghan started.

He dropped his head, thumping it on the back of the couch.

Mathias slapped Vinnie's shoulder. "Yeah, now he gets it. Think of the possibilities, Vin. Conjuring items for role playing, spells and incantations for some kinky bondage, and my own personal favorite—levitation sex." Mathias stood and started for the door.

Vinnie jumped up. "Wait. You had sex while levitating?"

Mathias turned. "Vinnie, I once knew a girl with half Meaghan's skill and she rode me to three midair orgasms." He lifted a brow. "Imagine what your wife could do."

Heated, vivid images filled Vinnie's head and he slowly sank back down onto the sectional.

Mathias laughed and opened the door. "Exactly, my man, exactly. I better not see you for at least three days." He waggled his eyebrows and exited, passing Meghan on her way in.

She burst through the door and stopped short. "Uh, Vin, you've gotta do something. I just singed Elderman Vice's robes." She pushed the heavy oak closed and paced the floor. "Seriously, I'm losing it. The guy walked by, radiating irritation—at me—and poof! His hem caught fire. I just know they're going to call you in again, and I'm sorry, but—"

Vinnie waved off her apology.

He got up and crossed their living space, wrapping her in his arms. "Meaghan, my love, I think I have just the thing to keep you from causing any more trouble." He leaned back and met her gaze. "What're your plans for the next three days?"

Vinnie's got his hands full, but what's a guy supposed to do, right? Meaghan is going to have a new found respect for her handsome husband very soon. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: It's Always the Same Show

Happy New Year!!

I hope 2014 is filled with everyone my readers want and, of course, lots of reading!

I'm not a big fan of resolutions, but I do love setting goals. This year, my hope is to publish at least six manuscripts and learn more about the graphic end of the business. Luckily, my oldest kidlet is something of a whiz when it comes to creating great designs, so I have a built-in tutor.

I'm also feeling a strong pull to get back into crafting and being creative. My youngest is all for this and wants to help out. I'm looking forward to the bonding time we'll have.

And my middle child is my TV buddy. We watch a lot of the same shows and spend quality time chatting and dissecting the episodes. All in all, a good time.

The husband is an avid golfer and I'm hoping we'll get to spend some time on the course together. Even when I only go along for the ride, which is about half the time, it's a nice way to relax and catch up with each other.

On the television show front, Sherlock is back!! The convergence of acting, writing, and filming just makes me so happy. New episodes of my other favorite shows start soon. Banshee returns this Friday and I'm excited and on edge just thinking about it. I have no idea why that show sucks me in, but it completely does. J

Tonight's post is from It's Always the Same Show, a novella featuring battling between the hero and heroine. But all is not what it seems…

Here's the tagline:

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 let out a frustrated yowl and stomped to her open doorway.

A newbie cadet, stopped her workout and bowed to Fiberous, the under adept leading the fluid motion class. "Oh, man, is she going to be okay?" The student angled her head around and took a step back. "It looks like steam should be coming out her ears."

The lead attendant crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, well, tune in, because it's about to get really interesting and probably very ugly." He snorted. "And steam is a definite possibility."

Lanie tossed him a nasty look, strode from her classroom, and rapped loudly on Titus's door. "Titus Berkley, get you’re your lame and sorry ass out here, now." She stepped back, bracing her hands on her hips.

A full two minutes went by before Titus deigned to open his door. "Do not use foul language, Lanie. I've got a roomful of cadets who don't need to listen to your mutilation of the common word." He braced his shoulder on the jamb. "What do you want?"

She exhaled slowly and poked a finger in his chest. "I want my cadets. At this very moment, they're supposed to be combining chemicals to make potions in my classroom." She snarled. "Why aren't they?"

Titus sighed. "Because I told you last week I'd need more time to go over the spells and incantations with them. We're getting into the final unit." He lifted a brow, daring her to deny his statement.

She couldn't, but she also recalled her response. "And I informed you extra class time would have to wait, because I have a tight schedule to keep."

Titus rolled his eyes. "Teaching the cadets how to blow shit up isn't a priority, Lanie, to anyone but you."

The student, Billa, glanced in Fiberous's direction. "Ouch. He hit hard with that one."

Fib shot her a look. "Doesn't mean he isn't right."

"Shut. Up." Lanie hated the fact Titus spoke in unison with her.

She moved forward, standing toe to toe with her nemesis. "Look. You don't get to dictate my schedule. And you definitely don't have the right to step all over my pre-arranged syllabus."

Titus leaned in close. "And I don't expect you to remember how intricate or important the wording is for the final unit, especially since you butcher basic grammar on a daily basis." He smirked. "But I'd rather not have fire raining down from the sky if we can avoid it."

Lanie flushed hot. "You son of a bitch. That happened one damn time. And it was as much your fault as it was mine." She whirled around, crossed the training area, and slammed her door so hard the glass rattled.

Fib shook his head. "You're a brave man, Titus. That woman is gonna rain holy hell down on you."

Titus grinned. "I know. I can't wait."

Needless to say, Lanie will probably have something very interesting in store for Titus, but… it may not be what anyone thinks. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye