Sunday Snippet: It's Academic

Well, it's my last snippet post of the year and I'm happy to note I didn't miss a week. That's a goal achievement I'm proud of.

Going into 2016, I have quite a few projects on tap for release and I'm very excited about those, too. I may roll a new weekly blog feature or try a newsletter this year. If anyone is interested, please don't hesitate to contact me to be added to the list.

Not much on the television front this week. I watched the finales for The Librarians and Agent X. According to my google fu, Agent X isn't renewed for another season, which is kind of disappointing. Since there are only ten episodes, I may try my hand at recapping the one and only season. We'll see what time allows.

On a side note, I did enjoy the Doctor Who Christmas special. It's my fondest hope I can get into the new season when it premieres, but I don't hold out much hope. The heart of the show is missing for me and unless the Doctor gets a truly marvelous companion, I doubt I'll be interested or able to keep with the all the cleverness Moffat tries to weave.

Oh, well. Looking forward to my favorite shows returning and having more to chat about each week.

Tonight's post is from It's Academic, a novella where my characters start out on the wrong foot but quickly get in sync.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Chaos and control don't mix, but Kari Pride and Thorn Summers must find a way to balance the two or drive each other mad when they become roommates. By the end of the semester, Thorn tempers Kari's sloppy habits and she makes him yield his ruthless organization for some much needed spontaneity. When their relationship gets personal, they have to figure out how to navigate new territory.

And a preview snippet…

Kari dumped the laundry basket of clean clothes on her bed and longed to leave them there. She'd much rather be practicing spells or making potion blends to use in class. But the past week taught her a little effort on her part paid off in unexpected ways.

Sitting on the edge of her mattress, she sorted the pants from the tops, the socks from the underwear, and piled her sports bras and pajamas in their own stacks. She started with her pants, folding some and laying the others off to the side to hang up. She did the same with her shirts. Rising, she hung up the clothes and stowed the in the closet and put the others in her dresser. Her bras went into cubby beside her bed and her pajamas went in the matching one on the other side, with the exception of the set she'd wear tonight. She stashed it under her pillow. Standing back, she nodded. Her bed looked neat and tidy, which would make Thorn a happy camper.

Speaking of, he entered their room and dumped his books on the desk. "It's laundry day. I'm here to help—" He broke off, getting a look at her bed and the empty basket. "Wow. You're done already?"

Kari grinned. "I am. Thought we could maybe go to the catacombs and work on a couple of projects." One of the unexpected benefits she'd discovered.

Thorn didn't mind pushing the envelope. Legacy family or not, he believed in testing his limits, which meant trying new things and revisiting ancient magick no longer in use. Their "extra projects" had become the highlight of the semester.

Thorn flashed a smile. "Let me grab a quick shower and I'll meet you there." He rubbed his hands together. "Ten minutes." Reaching into this closet, he retrieved his shower gear and fresh clothes then dashed out of the room.

Kari chuckled and dug out her spell book, some oils and powder for potions, and stashed both in a satchel. Draping the strap over her shoulders, she exited her room and headed for the pentagon, the academy's main courtyard surrounded on all five sides by schools of magick. Kari resisted the urge to pinch herself. If she dreamed the last month, she didn't want to wake up.

Crossing the upper half of the pentagon, she strode toward the tip where the entrance to the catacombs sat buried under the college of magickal healing. The underground crypt encompassed the entire space under the pentagon, a series of maze-like tunnels and dusty rooms filled with texts, magickal objects, and tons of historical artifacts.

Skipping down the stairs to what looked like a basement entrance of the building, Kari pushed on the two semi-recessed squares on either side of the stairwell and activated the door to the catacombs. She slipped inside and quickly sealed the entrance behind her. Lighting a small flare, she made her way to the room she and Thorn had been using for their projects. Filled with rows and rows of shelves lined with books and scrolls, the space had an antechamber where they practiced new spells and tried to get old ones to work.

Planting the flare in an alcove, she settled down at the table and pulled out one of the books they'd been reading from. She let her mind wander a little; she didn't want to work too far ahead. Thorn filled her thoughts and she shied away from the reason why. A crush didn't mean much and she considered the burgeoning feelings she had for him nothing more than infatuation. They were way too young for a forever kind of thing.

If forever love even existed.

The sound of footsteps approaching settled her firmly in the present, the future evaporating in the mist. Glancing up, she cracked a smile when Thorn entered, freshly showered and raring to get on with their projects. Kari tucked the desire for more in a dark corner of her heart and greeted Thorn with a wiggly fingered wave.

His answering salute made her laugh and broke the tension crawling up her spine.

I'm loving the mix of magick and romance. Kari and Thorn are so much fun to write.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: An Enchanted Yule, A Holiday Spirit Short

*meep* Pardon me while I have a small panic attack. It's somehow five days before Xmas and I have nothing wrapped. This doesn't happen, at least not for a long time. All I can say is the sages have been prolific and when they're feeding me words, I pretty much lose all track of time. So… a whirlwind wrapping session is on tap starting first thing tomorrow. Ugh.

I missed the Haven finale. See previous comment about the sages feeding me words. I'll catch it on demand in the near future. I hope. LOL

The Librarians and Agent X had pretty great episodes this week. I'm also in a good mood after watching the magic and mayhem the librarians get involved in. And Agent X makes the conspiracy theorist part of my brain work to figure things out. Two hour finale next week and I'm definitely interested in where the season ends.

That's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from An Enchanted Yule, a Holiday Spirit Short, where Hollis Goldstar has to get a sorcerer and wizard to put aside their differences so they can find romance over the Yuletide season.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Mercy, a sorcerer, wants to keep her own counsel and walks away from a relationship to do it. Andre, a wizard, is tired being treated as a lower life form by Mercy's ex. The holiday spirit tasked with bringing the duo together over Yule faces a huge challenge.

And a preview snippet…

Mercy slammed the receiver down and cursed the old-fashioned landline phone for not having caller ID. Décor be damned, she'd be updating and replacing the stupid thing in the very near future. She did not want to speak to Nathanial Ashford right now.

Blowing out a long breath, she put a hand to her forehead, willing the dull throb in her temples away. The doorbell chimed and she made a strangled choking sound. If Nathanial stood on her porch, she'd be hard-pressed not to conjure fireballs to rain down on his head.

Yanking the door open, she yelped when an embossed envelope popped into her line of vision then dropped to her feet. "What the hell?" Stooping down, she picked a card that read Yuletide Greetings on the front.

She stepped back inside the house, closing the door behind her. Slipping her finger under the flap, she opened the envelope and laughed when the enchantment spell blazed to life on the thick card.

You are cordially invited to spend Yuletide at the Goodacre Bed and Breakfast.

The charming, secluded inn has all the amenities and is decorated for the holiday season.

Come and enjoy the quiet solitude and peaceful scenery and reflect on the year ahead.

Send your reply via the shadow realm and arrive during the next meld.

Mercy wandered into her living room and settled down on the loveseat. Why not spend the Yule holiday away from everyone and everything? Considering they all ostracized her at the moment, she wouldn't be invited to share the usual festive season with anyone anyway.

She welcomed the opportunity to get out of town. She'd walked away from a dead end relationship with Nathanial. Her progressive views resulted in too many circular arguments over one particular faction in the netherworld—the wizards.

Her ex adamantly opposed letting the wizards have status in their society. Since the groundbreaking summit with the main groups of the netherworld—the shifters, vampires, immortals, guardians, and other supernatural beings—when the sorcerers were given charge of the wizard populace, Nathanial wouldn't allow any of the "wand-wielders" to hold office or attain rank. His idea that sorcery superseded wizardry went unchallenged for the most part. But Mercy argued each culture had roots in ancient magick and should equal representation within the community.

Nathanial vehemently disagreed and his displeasure colored every decision he made. Yet he wouldn't accept her choice to walk away—calling, dropping by, and being a general pain in her ass.

Mercy snorted. "No more, Nate." She'd accept the invitation and take a few days to come up with a way to make Nathanial see reason. "A bed and breakfast is perfect. I can think without being bombarded with a mix of angry accusations and beseeching entreaties." Reaching into the shadows, she forwarded her affirmative reply then conjured what she'd need to take.

She might not pull off a happy and joyous Yule, but she'd take a quiet and introspective one.

Mercy definitely needs a stress-free season. Too bad a wizard is going to crash her getaway. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Mistletoe Madness—An Enchanted Yule #MistletoeHop

Sponsored by Romance Beckons

Enter for a chance to win an awesome prize!

Grab your Mistletoe and pucker up!

Welcome to the Winter Warm Up Blog Hop, an excellent sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work.

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Bloggers: Please check out the excellent previews and spread the word.

~*~

My favorite family tradition started about ten years ago. I got the wild hair idea to have a themed holiday tree. I had my oldest kiddo pick the theme and we came up with ideas for how to make ornaments and use things around the house to decorate. To date we've had Under the Sea, Buried Treasure, Nature's Bounty, Candy Land, Snowflakes and Cupcakes, Techno Tree, Imaginext, Noah's Ark, Seahawks Rule—much to the chagrin of my Browns loving husband, and Bells are Ringing.

This year my daughter got to choose and she wanted to do something a little vintage. We've decorated a white tree with old fashioned looking ornaments in jewel tones. She hasn't really named it yet, but I've been calling it our Vintage Jewel tree. It's really quite lovely.

After getting the tree decorated, my favorite 'me' tradition is to turn on some seasonal music, get a glass of wine or cup of tea, and decompress by reading a holiday romance. It's a nice little respite from the crazy schedules, piles of presents, and butt-loads of wrapping paper waiting in the wings.

After getting the tree decorated, my favorite 'me' tradition is to turn on some seasonal music, get a glass of wine or cup of tea, and decompress by reading a holiday romance. It's a nice little respite from the crazy schedules, piles of presents, and butt-loads of wrapping paper waiting in the wings.

~*~

Traditions are wonderful things. But what happens when you can't follow an established one? Or you don't have any in the first place? When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, with couples who have challenges to face, but find love nonetheless. They also celebrate the season and keep their holiday spirit, or find it by the end of the story.

My holiday release, An Enchanted Yule, A Holiday Spirit Tale, features Mercy and Andre, a sorcerer and a wizard who are brought together by Hollis Goldstar, a holiday spirit.

I had so much fun writing the book and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and share your favorite part of the holiday season. (Maybe it involves books!)

~*~

Series Tagline: Holiday spirits are tasked with bringing opposites together.

Book Tagline: A holiday spirit brings Yuletide romance to Mercy and Andre.

~*~

Hollis Goldstar settled in by the fireplace and opened his new book. He loved the Yule season—cold weather, warm fires, and a new world to explore between the pages. He got through the prologue before the zing of energy pulsed under his skin, followed by the tinkling of a bell.

He slapped the tome shut. "Dammit. I thought for sure I'd have this holiday off." He'd worked the last three Yule seasons and deserved a break.

But apparently some misguided couple needed to find their way to each other and their joining had to happen over the season. Sometimes being a holiday spirit sucked huge dragons. Heaving a sigh, he retrieved his deck of holiday destinations and shuffled through the locations. He found a quaint bed and breakfast, which should function adequately for his needs. Personally, he thought manor house looked like a bucket of charm puked all over the place, but that kind of thing usually appealed to the human side of his charges. They always seemed spellbound by the décor and found the sentiment appealing.

He had his work cut out for him. Bringing a sorcerer and a wizard together could prove to be a challenge. He rifled through the information file the spirit master left. Mercy Mayweather, the sorcerer. Twenty-seven, beautiful, smart as a whip, but she'd chosen the worst possible man to spend her time with. Nathanial Ashford hated wizards and did all he could to keep them down. And now, after breaking up with him, Mercy paid a price with being ostracized. A difficult situation, especially during Yule, when the gifted communities tended to gather together.

The wizard, Andre Addison, acted as a leader for the community of wand-bearers. He regularly butted heads with Ashford over being kept in the dark and not being allowed to have a seat on the council governing the supernatural community. At twenty-nine, his good looks drew plenty women in, but his surly attitude often kept them at bay. Maybe a little one-on-one time with a newly single female could do the trick.

Then again, Hollis might not be able to let nature take its course this time around.

Heaving a sigh, he inscribed two enchanted invitations and sent them into the mist.

Time would tell if his charges were open to the possibility of outer forces being at work.

~*~

Series Blurb: Holiday spirits make the merry season bright. They also bring couples together, especially to right old wrongs.

Book Blurb: Mercy, a sorcerer, wants to keep her own counsel and walks away from a relationship to do it. Andre, a wizard, is tired being treated as a lower life form by Mercy's ex. The holiday spirit tasked with bringing the duo together over Yule faces a huge challenge.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website http://www.skyewrites.com

Get into the holiday spirit and relax! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Ill-Timed Case

Argh!!! The Flash, Arrow, and Agents of SHIELD left off at cliffhangery moments. But what awesome episodes!!! I have lots and lots of thoughts, but won't share here for the sake of saving some space. LOL

Haven has one more week and will end on a double episode. I truly hope it ends well, mainly because I've been with the show since the very beginning.

The Librarians and Agent X are still entertaining me. I really enjoyed last week's Agent X and can't wait to see what happens this week. Gotta say the actor playing the foil in last week's episode is making the rounds. He's been on a lot of shows I've been watching.

Looking forward to Agent Carter coming soon. I love the format and the entire cast of characters. Can't wait.

That's it for the TV roundup this week.

Tonight's post is from Ill-Timed Case, a novella where my main characters play a fun game of cat and mouse for a while.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Rex Van Adder, private investigator, has more cases than he can handle. Enter Gracie Lee, along with a dead body, and Rex scrambles to keep his head above water, especially since he knows Gracie is involved but can't figure out how.

And a preview snippet…

Gracie Lee breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That was too damned close for comfort." She crept through the boarded up store and made her way to the lower level.

She retrieved her data device and typed a quick message to her surrogate father, Sam Baldwin. [Our man betrayed. Yours are on scene. Need a pickup by the fourth street underground]. She tucked the messenger back inside her pocket and headed for the hidden entrance to the underground rail system. She'd be traveling through an abandoned part and shouldn't be spotted by anyone.

Like the man with Avery Marlow. She thanked the heavens for her innate sixth sense. She didn't have to turn to know she'd caught the man's interest because his gaze bored into her back when she walked away from the mid-grade hotel McGuiness summoned her to earlier.

Sadly, she'd arrived too late. Dougray already lay dead in the alley, stabbed through the heart. A brief search didn't turn up the jewel he'd brought for sale and she'd risked going to his room to find it.

She'd come up empty there, too. Dammit. Dougray had to have left a clue or something to indicate where he'd hidden the jewel. Sam would have to pull some strings to get her access to the case file.

The device in her pocket chirped, startling her. She paused in the darkened corridor and checked the message.

[Car is waiting. Come to my location and we'll decide next move].

Heaving another sigh, she picked her way to the fourth street panel door and entered the stations main hub. The dank interior smelled musty with disuse, but she'd grown used to the aroma after using the location so often. Climbing the steps to street level, she quickly entered the waiting vehicle, snuggling into the plush interior to ward off the evening chill. The rain picked up and her mind drifted to the handsome stranger again. Gut instinct indicated she'd be seeing him soon.

And she didn't quite like the thrill of anticipation she got when thinking about him.

Settling in for the ride, she shrugged off the idea. "Sorry, lover boy, I don't have time for romance right now."

I love writing a mix of urban fantasy and noir and this one is a fun blend of both.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Hush

December 6, 2015

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Even if you don't celebrate anything holiday related, I hope the festive nature rubs off and make December terrific.

So… Gotham. Interesting stuff building in this season. I'm truly loving all the potential and the twists and turns. I'm very curious about how they'll deal with Gordon's actions. I love how he's not afraid to get messy, but there has to be some kind of line he won't cross.

The Flash and Arrow crossover event ended up being pretty decent, especially since it bridges the setup of a new show. Could it have been better? Absolutely. But I think it accomplished a ton of stuff and stayed true to the characters.

The Walking Dead finale seemed a little flat, but I'll give the showrunners this one. The rest of the season has been so top notch; I'm willing to wait for a bigger payoff. In all honesty, I'm not super excited about adding the uber-villain into the mix just yet, even if the actor they cast is incredible. I'll reserve judgment until I see the new episodes.

Haven inches ever closer to the end and I'm on the fence about the stunt casting of Shatner. I love the man as an actor, but I hope the payoff is worth using him. I do have a ton of joy over the fact they're addressing Duke and Audrey's somewhat tumultuous relationship. It's my fondest hope the combined effort of Duke, Audrey, and Nathan will be what it takes to rid Haven of Croatoan and keep the town safe. We'll see if I'm on track very soon.

The Librarians and Agent X are still enjoyable. I like the slow reveal of John's background in Agent X and love the dropped hint in the most recent episode. Won't say more to keep the post spoiler free for now.

Last but not least, Agents of SHIELD and Doctor Who. I'm kind of excited to see where AoS ends up. I like seeing a darker Coulson, but I'm not sure I buy him getting all bent over the death of a woman he pretty much just met. Eh… we'll see what happens. And Doctor Who… well, I honestly don't have a lot to say. Or maybe I've got so much to say I can't possibly put it all in one post. Still hugely disappointed and, quite frankly, too stupid to really understand what the big freaking deal is with the hybrid crap. At least the Xmas episode looks pretty fun.

And that's it for television this week. I hope to start Daredevil and Jessica Jones over the holiday hiatus. YAY!

Tonight's post is from Hush, a novella where my main characters are hexed and have to communicate without words.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Kia Bleu and Chip Strachey have a powerful connection and finally give in to their attraction. When Chip's former flame hexes the couple, they have to learn to communicate without words.

And a preview snippet…

Chip took a moment, standing outside the bathroom. He hoped he exuded annoyance and anger. Adrenaline pumped through his veins—the zing of magic energy from Kia's exit thrummed along his skin. He'd been standing a little too close to miss the contact burn.

A cool hand settled on his forearm. "Chip, sweetie, what was that nasty exchange all about?" Sadie's too innocent gaze locked onto his.

Chip shrugged. "No idea. Kia just lost her shit and almost blasted me with a ball of anger." He nudged the door open and nodded toward the singed wall.

Sadie's eyes grew wider. "Oh, my. She's really gotta learn how to control her attributes." She sidled up close to him. "I did warn you about her, Chip."

He held her gaze for a long moment. "You might have been right." He let the door swing shut. "But it doesn't mean I want to jump back into couple status with you." Walking toward the exit, he glanced back over his shoulder. "I think I need some time alone, Sadie."

Her mouth dropped open and she made a sputter of disbelief. Ignoring the spiteful woman, he tossed off a wave and pushed through the crowd. He made his way outside and resisted the urge to spit the bitter aftertaste out of his mouth.

Sadie's display of feigned caring boiled in his gut. He wanted to hash out a plan for retaliation with Kia and set Sadie firmly in her place—very far away from him.

And Kia.

He strolled up the block, pondering how to remove the hex. Or better yet, turn it back on Sadie. A better of poetic retribution would be hard to come up with.

Making the turn toward The Cave, he figured Sadie would keep her distance and he and Kia could plan, plot, and possibly keep their passionate connection strong and hot. Whatever happened, the basement room should keep them protected and he could add an extra ward or two to make sure they weren't disturbed.

Ducking inside, he waved to Mario, who sat behind a counter taking wagers for the various magic sports going on in the main level.

Mario gave Chip a two-fingered salute. "You going up or down?" He accepted a wad of bills and ticked a box on the betting sheet.

Chip pointed to the floor and Mario rolled his eyes, but stayed quiet. Chip appreciated the reprieve, but fully expected a major ribbing in the near future. Mario liked using Chip as a draw for the upper levels, where the magic got darker and sport more dangerous.

Chip's participated waned over the last three years, but the requests for his presence hadn't slowed down. If he got the hex situation sorted, he'd offer a big event for Mario, one where they'd both make a healthy windfall.

He started down the steps but paused midway. Holy shit. Reversing the hex couldn't be so easy, could it? Taking the last few stairs at a job, he burst through the doorway and quickly rapped on the metal door of the second studio apartment. He couldn't wait to run his idea past Kia.

The heavy steel slowly creaked open and Kia peeked out. She flung the door open and hauled him inside, pushing him up against the wall and clamping her mouth on his. Her tongue slid past his lips and rational thought dissolved into a heady combination of lust and hunger. He had her shirt up and bra undone before the reason they'd met at The Cave came crashing back.

Making a low growl, he tore his mouth from hers and met her angry gaze. Holding up a finger, he tapped his temple, showing her he needed to share something. She heaved a sigh and stripped her bra off without removing her shirt. Shooting him a look to indicate they'd pick up where they left off, she stalked over to the table and pointed to a notepad and several pens.

He flashed a smile, crossed the floor and pulled a chair out. She sat, folded her arms around her waist, pushing her breasts upward, her nipples pebbled and taut under the fabric. He groaned low in his throat and she smirked.

Grabbing a pen, he started jotting down the basic premise of his plan.

I'm loving how this one is coming together. Fingers crossed the sages keep the words flowing.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye