Sunday, April 29, 2018

Sunday Snippet: An Eternal Yule

I'm amazed we're at the end of April. I think because the weather has been so winter-like in Ohio, it doesn't feel like we should be four weeks away from summer vacation. Even yesterday, the chilly weather felt more like a warm winter day than spring. LOL

At least the ramp up to season-enders on television seems to be worth staying inside for. That said, I have to play catch-up. The lead up to the school musical took a lot of time this week along with several editing projects.

I'm almost finished with Blindspot's second season. I have one more DVD to watch. My only complaint would be how slippery Shepherd continues to be. I truly hope the takedown is worth watching and, you know, actually happens.

I'm catching some new to me episodes of Midsomer Murders and I'm excited to see what else Acorn TV has to offer. Also caught an episode of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD and enjoyed both. Nice to Casey move up the rank chain. Also great to have Antonio back at District 21.

I'm up to episode nine of Jessica Jones. So far, the second season has been a little slower than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's given me time to really, really want to bitchslap Trish. I haven't decided how I feel about that yet. Usually it's Geri I want to smack really hard. LOL

Finally got to watch the musical episode of Riverdale. Watching Cheryl get her groove back? Excellent. I'm kind of on the fence about Hal and Alice. I had some investment in FP maybe finding some happy moments, you know? Archie and Fred being kind of on the same page made me happy, along with Betty and Veronica burying the hatchet. The ending though? Wow. Definitely some twisty shit.

I like Krypton. Seriously, the pacing is terrific so far with backstory being woven in with current plots moving forward. So far, so good. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and I'm a little on the fence with this one. The end of the episode threw me a little.

Endeavor is keeping my interest. I rather like seeing how Frost grew into his big shoes. Also started a subscription to BritBox and watched The Coroner. Really terrific first episode.

Today, I'm catching up on The Flash and hopefully Arrow. Also started Constantine: City of Demons. I'm gearing up for the character to be a regular on Legends next season.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from An Eternal Yule, a Holiday Spirit sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tortured vampire Haddon Hobbs can't seem to fight his bloodlust anymore and it's going to be the end of him if he can't. Psychic Tabitha Tarheel is tired of seeing the worst the world has to offer in her visions. Holiday spirit Joy Garland brings the two together over the Yule season to help them find renewed hope for the future.

And a preview snippet…

Joy Garland entered her spacious apartment and dumped half a dozen bags on the floor. "Whew! It's been years since I've actually had the time to shop for everyone on my list." As a holiday spirit, time had become relative, but she normally had some kind of job to do in the lead up to the festive season.
Dancing around in a circle, she closed the door, excited to get started on the wrapping and baking. She grabbed her bags and sashayed over to her kitchen counter, dropping two on the pristine surface. Doing a hip shake, she envisioned what it would look like in an hour.
She laughed. "Won't stay clean long. Honey cakes are messy sometimes." Crossing into the living room, she put the package with her wrapping paper on the carpeted floor and the remaining parcels on the oversized sofa. "Lots of pretty presents to organize and sort." Most of her friends and colleagues pulled what they needed from the human realm, but Joy missed doing normal human tasks sometimes.
Shopping in the quaint town she and her fellow spirits resided in gave her opportunities to catch up with folks she hadn't seen in a while. She'd managed to have a lovely lunch with two brand new spirits and enjoyed sharing her somewhat limited experience. Joy had been crossed over for less than a century.
Pulling items from one of her bags, she chuckled. "They need to chat with Hollis Goldstar if they really want to hear what being a spirit is like. The man's a grizzled veteran when it comes to what we do." Plus… Joy loved his somewhat snarky attitude and colorful commentary on his subjects.
Halfway through getting her purchases organized, a telltale buzz of energy pulsed under Joy's skin. She paused and, sure enough, a tinkling bell followed. Only taking a moment, she finished putting the gifts on the floor by the coffee table then made a beeline for her antique desk. Don't want the pulse to become a stinging buzz. A new assignment fluttered on the calendar blotter and Joy picked it up, reading through the pertinent details.
She glanced toward her living room. "Well, I might be shadow-wrapping the gifts, but I should still have time to make the honey cakes." She hoped.
Walking into the kitchen, she put the perishables away and made a cup of strong coffee. "I have a feeling this one isn't going to be a simple arranging for two people to meet in a crowded place situation." Entering the living room, she settled into a chair by the rustic hearth then called forth the files for Tabitha Tarheel and Haddon Hobbs.
Joy started with Tabitha. A psychic in the human realm, Tabitha owned a new-age shop filled with crystals and divination tools. Tabitha offered tarot readings and tended to hit spot on with her predictions for her clients. But… Tabitha also truly had the gift of second sight. She came from a long line of clairvoyants.
Joy shook her head. "Oh, sweetie, the things you've seen." Tabitha's ability usually showed her events as they occurred or just after the fact, which meant she could do little to prevent the terrible things she envisioned. "No wonder you're having trouble pushing your anger aside." Something Tabitha needed to do if she wanted to continue with her trade.
Picking up the next file, much thicker than Tabitha's, Joy read through Haddon Hobbs's life story. A true vampire, not one that had been turned, the man's storied past clashed with his current state of being. Haddon's existence remained neutral, but he'd been fighting bloodlust lately.
Joy frowned. "Not a good thing for a vampire." Especially one born like Haddon.
Then again, when a being lived for centuries and witnessed humanity's pros and cons on a daily basis, Haddon had probably lasted longer than most of his brethren before hitting the saturation level for stupidity. He'd come close to crossing a boundary and taking a life though.
Joy snuggled further into the chair. "Bloodlust is a tricky one to overcome. Once he gives in, he won't be able to just turn off the instinct. He'll start killing every time he feeds." And what a waste that would end up being.
Sipping her coffee, Joy considered her best course of action. "I need to get these two off the grid, maybe somewhere in the netherworld." She called up several locations, quickly discarding anything that had people. "Hmm… the Goodacre bed and breakfast. Secluded, charming, just right for Tabitha and Haddon." But they weren't exactly in a friendly state of mind. "Maybe if I throw in some bad weather, they'll be forced to rely on each other." The scenario had potential.
Getting up, she glanced at the pile of presents waiting to be wrapped. Later. She had a few hurdles to jump through if she wanted to conjure a blizzard in the netherworld.

I so enjoy writing the holiday spirit shorts. From coming up with cheeky names for the ghosts to deciding how to get the troubled couples together.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

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