Sunday Snippet: Oracle's Prayer

New television started for me this week. Gotham kicked off with a pretty solid premiere. I like Gordon playing bounty hunter. He's definitely got enough escapees to keep him busy. Really interested in where things go with Bruce and OtherBruce (aka Dude Who Looks Like Bruce).

Missed the premiere of Agents of SHIELD, but I'll catch up before the second episode. Looking forward to seeing how the team moves ahead.

Caught the second half of Van Helsing and I'm in for now. My fear is this show will be similar to Hunters where the first few episodes were good but things unraveled from there.

MacGyver ended up being better than I expected. As one of my favorite early adult shows, the original will be hard to beat. Then again, if the updated vibe continues and darker themes are explored, I could get behind the new reboot. Fingers crossed.

Needed some lighter fare, so started Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries again. I'll get back to Strike Back soon. Can't leave Stonebridge and Scott hanging for too long. LOL

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Oracle's Prayer, a novella that started with the two-word prompt "Bless you". I liked the idea of having a spiritual element in the story.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nason Forn, the daughter of an oracle, goes undercover to trap a wicked mage preying on young apprentices and thinks she's found her man when she discovers Lane Garganess standing over the body of the latest victim. But Lane has a covert identity, too, which puts him in a bad spot and on the wrong end of Nason's wrath.

And a preview snippet…

Lane paced the length of his grandfather's study. "You can't let this slide, Geppa. We have to find out who's behind the killings." Geppa Leon had to get out in front of the oracle slayings.

Leon frowned. "Exactly how do you propose I do so? You said yourself we can't trust the enforcement ranks. If I can't use them, I have no one else." His mouth thinned to a slash across his face.

The stubborn, old goat. Couldn't see what stood directly in front of him.

Lane growled. "Yes, you do, old man. You have me." He stopped and faced his grandfather. "Unless you don't trust me, either."

Leon snorted. "You're about the only one I do trust." Meaning Lane's dad hadn't made the list.

The old man's disappointment remained unspoken. Lawrence Garganess should be above reproach, but his thirst for debauchery and depravity made him a possible suspect in the murders. Lane didn't think his dad would cross the line into territory that might see him banished—the man relied on his connection to Leon too much to fuck it up entirely. The financial wherewithal that came with being related to the premier of the ruling house usually kept Lawrence in check, either by the threat of losing his considerable wealth or by freezing his accounts so he had to make an appearance to regain access.

Leon heaved a sigh. "You think your dad might be involved, don't you?"

Lane pinned his geppa with a hard stare. "I can't discount the possibility." He moved to crouch in front of Leon. "And neither can you. Let me do some digging, make inquiries." If nothing else, eliminating his dad would help point in the right direction.

Leon went quiet, gazing into the fire. No doubt he sought wisdom in the flames. Lane stayed put, unwilling to leave in case Geppa slid into a trance. The preternatural ability of divination often took a lot out of the old man.

A moment later, Leon blinked, coming back into himself. He met Lane's gaze and held it for a long second.

Lane broke the silence. "What did you see, Geppa?" He held breath, not sure he wanted to know.

Leon's mouth curved in a half smile. "Not what you're thinking, Lane. I didn't look to see if Lawrence had anything to hide." He paused, reaching for his glass of scotch before taking a sip.

Lane exhaled slowly. "Then why divine the flames?"

Leon placed the tumbler on the table again. "To make sure you'd be safe, Lane. My son can't rule, I won't allow him to." Disappointment filled his tone. "You're my heir. I have to think of the future."

Lane rose and moved to stand before the fire. "Meaning what, Geppa?" If the old man wouldn't cave, Lane would defy him.

Leon came to his feet, made his way to Lane's side, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "See what you can find out, Lane. I don't like the way the flames are dancing right now."

Lane gave a quick nod. "I'll see myself out, Good night, Geppa." Without waiting for a response, Lane exited the room and left the manor house.

Letting the cool air fill his lungs, Lane squared his shoulders. He had a new mission and planned to start right away.

The spell and spycraft is a lot of fun to write and I can't wait to dig deeper on this and work out all the angles.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Only When They Blink

Whew. The Last Ship had one of the best finales I've seen in a while. I'm so thrilled season four and five are already on tap and we'll get more of this terrific show. I'm honestly excited to see where things go with Tom, who's so broken right now, the Greens and their new family, and the rest of the crew of the Nathan James. Gonna be a very loooonnng wait for 2017.

Still need to catch up on Dark Matter so I haven't seen the finale yet. Hopefully next week I'll have some final thoughts on this season.

I think Gotham starts this week and I'm interested in where things will end up. With so many disturbed and unbalanced people on the loose, Gordon and company will have their hands full.

Fall television will be in full swing soon so there might be more shows added to the roundup.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Only When They Blink, a novella written as an updated and modern spin on The Princess and the Pea.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hale Easterson has fae blood running in his veins, but he won't follow the family old school traditions and mate by the designated age. He escapes to his private lake house to find an unconscious Winter Sorn, a beautiful woman, sprawled on his doorstep and realizes he may not be able to avoid what destiny has in store.

And a preview snippet…

A slap of cold air pushed Winter back into consciousness. She opened her mouth to scream, wildly trying to figure out what happened. The air whooshed from her lungs when her gaze caught sight of rolling pavement, the sound of wind screaming around her ears. The door of a speeding car hung open.

What the hell?

Pain rushed to her nerve endings and the memory crashed through her brain. A fist to the side of her face. Her head snapping back to meet the end of the bar. Hitting the floor in a crumbling heap. Then kicking. Over and over again.

The stupid assholes beat her.

Fight or flight instinct kicked in and Winter struggled against the restraining arms holding her captive. "Let me go!" She reared back, the fast-moving pavement outside sending a wave of dizziness through her.

The bands of steel holding her tightened more. "Hey, boss. The bitch woke up." Fetid breath fanned her face.

Butchie.

Fighting the urge to gag, Winter growled. "Let. Me. Go." She fought against him, needles of agony prickling everywhere.

Her entire body ached, like a huge, throbbing wound.

Martin craned his head around. "The plan doesn't change. Toss her out, Butchie. We don't need her anymore." He hit the accelerator, increasing their speed. "Stupid bitch can't possibly survive. Not when we're doing ninety."

Winter went limp. No way would she make it easy to throw her out of a moving car. Butchie cursed up a storm, pushing and jockeying her closer to edge. The wind whipped her hair around her face and the roar of the speeding vehicle whistled along her ears. The rolling pavement got blurrier when Butchie manhandled her toward the open door. He gave a hard shove and Winter hurtled out of the vehicle.

With no other option, she tucked her head and rolled when she hit the ground. Jarring pain ripped through her and she swallowed dirt, but landed in a sprawled heap, rolling over and over until her shoulders and head met something hard and solid. Stars burst behind her eyelids and she moaned. Everything ached—even her teeth. She tasted blood and spit a mixture of reddened mud and saliva out of her mouth.

Gasping for air, she couldn't drag much in. Punctured lung or just winded? She didn't know. Too much agony to focus on a single injury. She tried to move but the stars got brighter and the thumping in her head turned into a massive bass line. Shutting everything out, she concentrated on getting her bearings. Butchie and Martin didn't have more than a dozen brain cells between them. They couldn't have gone that far.

Moving very slowly, she rolled to her stomach and carefully raised her head, glancing quickly around. Nothing but waning light, trees, and rocks surrounded her, including the craggy one directly beside her. The call of a seagull pierced the air. Okay, and water. But where? Crawling forward, she winced with the effort it took. Yeah, maybe not a good idea.

Tears filled her vision. She had to find shelter. Good idea or not, she would suck it up and proceed. The temperature already hovered chilly and cold.

With twilight turning to dusk, nocturnal sounds floated on the windy air. Easing forward, she weighed the option of turning around and making her way to the road or the better plan to try for the treeline, at least to get out of the wind and maybe find a house. Her vision swimming, she opted for the trees. She struggled hard, slowly getting her feet under her. She stayed low, fighting dizziness and slowly moved in the direction she needed to go, gritting her teeth against the searing agony.

Dusk headed toward full-on darkness by the time she reached the trees, a blanket of pine needles and leaves greeting her arrival. Collapsing, she sprawled forward, unable to stay upright. She cradled her head on her arms.

Dragging in a haggard breath, she exhaled slowly. "No more. Can't go any further."

A tinkling chime drew her attention. Angling toward the musical sound, she spotted a welcoming light through the trees. Please, please let that be a house.

Digging deep, she got to her knees and headed toward the warm, golden beacon. The journey took a lot longer than she expected, but she finally emerged from the woods onto a stone patio. To her right, moonlight shimmered off a lake. To the left, a set of six wide steps shaped in a semi-circle led up to a house with weathered cedar siding. The steps looked daunting, each one about ten feet across.

With no other option, Winter started forward on her hands and knees. Her head pounded, her throat hurt, and she needed help. Praying someone would be home, she hit the first riser, wincing when the splintered wood dug into her hands. What's one more injury, right?

Halfway to the house, her waning strength gave out. Her vision swimming again, Winter closed her eyes, fully intending to rest a while then continue the rest of the way to the top.

Fate had another idea and, a few moments later, Winter succumbed to the inky blackness of unconsciousness.

I'm having a terrific time putting a modern spin on this classic fairy tale. I'm also loving the paranormal element.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: One of These Things

Well… it's kind of fitting the finale for The Last Ship is on the anniversary of 9/11. I have no doubt the end of season three will blow my mind. The previous episode has so much packed into it. Chandler knows what's happening on US soil. And it's not what he expected. The Greens were FINALLY reunited. If Blonde Ambition tries to do anything to their kid, I'm going to reach through the television and bitch slap her. Just saying. Pretty sure she'll focus on Chandler's family instead. Which means I'll still want to bitch slap her. LOL

I missed the double header of Dark Matter so I'll be playing catch up this week. I hope. I've got a crazy schedule through the end of the month so who knows.

No time to work on recaps of Killjoys season one. Maybe next week. I did get to watch a few episodes of Strike Back and should finish out season two soon. Might have to add recaps for this one to my list also. There's so much to love.

That's it for now. Should have few new shows to chat about soon.

Tonight's post is from One of These Things, a bit of a riff on The Ugly Duckling with a paranormal flair.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tanis Watts comes of age in the human world, but discovers she has fae abilities. When she's caught between warring factions, she falls in with the wrong side and barely escapes with her life. Seeking sanctuary, she lands on Falco Corsair's doorstep and runs headfirst into her destiny.

And a preview snippet…

Falco went for his usual run, leaving at dawn to make the rounds of the estate's perimeter. Once he completed the circuit, he left the grounds through the wooden gate and ambled along the winding path to the High Cleric's abode. When he knocked, she greeted him in the nude per their custom, and drew him into her warm arms and home.

After her embrace, she stepped back. "Welcome, Falco. I have the bathing chamber ready and waiting for you." Her fingers worked the zipper of his hooded sweatshirt down and her palms slid the garment from his shoulders.

Her touch soothed and aroused him, by design. "I look forward to the mineral waters, Calia." And more, since she'd worked her wiles.

Calia's lips curved and her hands pushed his workout pants past his hips, letting his erection spring free. "Mmm. That's not all you're looking forward to." She grasped his cock and let him through her small cottage to the outside atrium where a mineral spring fed the bathing pool.

She eased into the water, letting go of his shaft, and gathered a large pitcher to fill with the enriched liquid. Falco entered the pool, pausing to allow Calia to douse him with the steaming shower of mineral spirits. She repeated the process until Falco lifted a hand for her to halt.

Setting the pitcher aside, Calia made an appreciative hum. "Falco, I want my reward." She glided around him, her body cutting sensual swirls into the glistening water.

He caught her under the arms, hauling her close. "Then come and take, Calia. You know I won't deny you the life force you seek." His mouth slanted over hers and he freely gave her a burst of chi.

She moaned against his lips, drawing the energy deep within her. A sexual being by nature, when Calia accepted the role of High Cleric, she made a vow to deny her carnal urges, including seduction and siren calling—unless the male willingly participated. Falco couldn't absolve her from the promise she'd made to move up through the ranks, but he could ease her path by letting her feed on his base desires.

Calia wrapped her legs around his waist and he cupped her ass, bringing her hot center flush with his hard cock.

Falco slid one hand up to tangle in her hair. "Use me, Calia. Take what you need." His mouth ghosted over her jawline. "The next two hours belong to you."

She'd use every one of the one hundred and twenty minutes. Falco only had time to visit the cleric twice a month. As far as he knew, she didn't have anyone else who trusted her enough to give of themselves freely. Too many worried Calia would roam around in their deeper thoughts and discover their greatest fears and weaknesses.

Falco welcomed the intrusion. He sought guidance and control of his destiny. When Calia slaked her hunger, she'd reveal what she found in his psyche.

His instincts warned a wave of change would soon throw the White into disarray.

And Falco planned to get out ahead of the barrage.

I'm excited to see where this one goes. It's got some twists and turns.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: On the Circuit

Holy crap! The Last Ship only has two more episodes left and I'm dying to see both yet dreading the long wait for season four. ARGH! We got a favored familiar face last week and lost a new favorite. We also got to see one major enemy get his due. Now we just need to see Blonde Ambition get what's coming to her and hopefully find out if Jacob the Asshat reporter, who turned into a decent dude after all, met a terrible end. A LOT happened last week. Just saying.

The Killjoys finale rocked. We got some answers and spawned new questions. And, of course, one third of the team is separated from the other two. I wouldn't mind that being a thing for each season finale. I'm so interested in seeing how things play out for season three and look forward to the recurring characters maybe getting a little more backstory. And hey, if Rick Howland can start recurring, bonus points for that. Hat's off to Michelle Lovretta and her team for creating such a kick ass show.

Dark Matter is also weaving intriguing ripples. Yeah, ripples can't really be woven together, but this is science fiction so *blows raspberries*. I kind of loved the whole android / hologram dealio. And I'm kind of hoping we get some development / clear answers on the corporation thing. I'm all for murky waters and all, but I wouldn't mind some concrete motives either.

My rewatch of Killjoys season one is inspiring me to maybe do some fun recaps on my sister blog. If nothing else, I'd love to talk the mix of cast / costumes / music, because the first season nailed everything.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from On the Circuit, a novella that got its start from a fanfiction community writing challenge. I opted to go original instead of creating an alternate universe for my characters. The prompt stated to write a scene with the main characters as a rodeo clowns. Rodeo clowns are actually called bull fighters and they play a very important role in the events. I also added a fantasy twist instead of staying contemporary.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The popularity of breaking dragons on the rodeo trail lures Reggie Pitch to test her mettle as a bullfighter. She works her way up from green recruit and tries out for the big show with Dwight Merlyn as her trainer, which proves intimidating because not only is he attractive as hell, he's a third generation handler and his family breeds the rankest, meanest beasts on the circuit.

And a preview snippet…

She picked a terrific time to call bullshit.

Dwight cracked a smile. "Most of us do." He settled his ass against her changing station. "The ones who lack confidence tend to make lame references to big beasts." Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for her reaction.

Reggie smirked. "Size isn't his problem. Knowing what to do with it… well… he could use some pointers there." Heaving a sigh, she paced back and forth.

Dwight needed her to settle down and get her game face on. She'd worked her ass off to make the jump to the main show; she deserved her shot at making the grade to a full-time spot. If for no other reason than to rub his face in her accomplishment.

But she had ten minutes to get rid of the negative vibe left behind by Nordstrom.

If the dragons caught a whiff of the anger and frustration, they'd pursue her relentlessly with the sole intent of tearing her apart. Reggie could guard against some of the internal conflict, but the older beasts would instinctively scent the feeling and react accordingly—putting the rider and bullfighter in danger. She stopped her back and forth walk, facing away from him, and exhaled slowly before drawing in a long, deep breath. Good start, but not enough.

He pushed away from the table and grasped her shoulders. "Pitch, you've got five to get your shit together." Turning her, he slid his hands upward, his thumbs braced under her chin. "Forget Nordstrom. He can't take this away from you unless you let him." He held her gaze. "Don't let him."

Determination filled her eyes. "I won't." Her shoulders relaxed and the last of the tension drained away. "I'm good to go now."

He gave a quick nod. "Yeah, you are. Go show those beasts what you've got." Stepping away, he nudged her toward the door.

She strode forward, confident and capable. Pausing with her hand on the knob, she angled her head around, the visage of greasepaint one of macabre beauty. A wide grin split her face, adding a sinister appeal to the look.

Reggie tilted her head to one side. "Thanks, Dwight." Pushing the door open, she stepped forward. "Buy you drink after the rodeo?"

His gut kicked at the invitation. Probably a bad idea to get involved on a personal level with his star pupil, but what the hell. Her shit day and his questionable choices could battle for supremacy.

He flashed a quick grin. "Sure. I'll meet you here after the show."

Of course things will get very interesting after the main event. Dwight and Reggie take bad idea to a sexy conclusion.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye