Sunday Snippet: Hell is in the Details

A low-key week finally. Didn't have a ton of running around to do and got a lot accomplished. Finished up a developmental edit for an author and two full copy edits. I'm thrilled with the productivity!

Not a bad week in television. I rewatched the premiere of Wynonna Earp because it was soooo good. Also caught another episode of Canal Road and The Dresden Files.

Finished series twelve of Midsomer Murders and caught a few episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on Ovation.

Started a rewatch of Babylon 5, one of my all-time favorite shows. Caught volume one of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Also caught another season two episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I seriously forgot how much I loved that show. And it holds up pretty well, too. Finished Constantine and I'm ready for more John on Legends of Tomorrow.

Got an episode of Pensacola: Wings of Gold in and had mini-marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night.

Also watched the next episodes of Wynonna Earp and Killjoys. I'm gutted by events in Wynonna and Killjoys kicked ass in ways I thoroughly enjoyed. Seriously, Syfy, please give me more of shows like these. Please.

Got started on a few other shows but didn't have time to finish them yet. An update on those will come next week.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Hell is in the Details, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a mood, fear, nightmares, the feeling someone is following you.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Macyn has a one night stand with an immortal creature and suffers the consequences when he traps her in a maze of deception. Once free, she withdraws from her clan and it's up to Vig to bring her back from the brink of madness.

And a preview snippet…

Vig Ventura shoved the scroll aside and stretched the kinks from his shoulders. "Mace? You ready to go out?" Silence met his query.

He got up and looked for her. Nowhere on the first floor. Not on the second floor either. Headed for the attic on the off chance she'd gone up there to brood and curse him for being an ass.

Finally returned to the study and actually got a look at the time. "Aw, shit." He'd had his head bent over those damn texts for six freaking hours.

He always lost track of time when he got shoulder deep in research. Something Macyn didn't like—with good reason. They had plans tonight. And he'd screwed up. Again.

Grabbing his coat, he left his house and slid behind the wheel of his car. "I'll see if she went home. Maybe I can salvage something of the evening." They couldn't hit her favorite hot spots, but maybe a late dinner and a wild night in bed could still happen.

When he turned onto her street, her house sat dark and quiet. No car in her driveway and no porch light on. Damn. He'd really screwed shit up this time.

Heading back toward his neighborhood, he considered trying to call or even scrying to find her. "Nah. She's pissed. Rightfully so." He'd stop by her place in the morning and apologize profusely.

Hopefully she'd be willing to let him take her on a short trip to make up for not being available tonight. He'd drop the notes from tonight's research session off with the elders—let them interpret them—and whisk Macyn out to the lake for a few days of downtime.

Vague unease settled in his gut after he pulled into his garage. He wanted to put it down to the translations he'd completed, but the apprehension had a deeper hook. If the elders agreed with his findings, something dark would soon be in their realm.

After grabbing a quick shower, he crawled between the cold sheets on his bed and stared at the ceiling. "I should've cast a reminder spell. Or told Macyn to smack me upside the head if I got too deep." Not the first time their work pulled them in different directions.

They could be a better team. He always forgot she didn't have the same distractions he had when she went out to track for the elders. When she returned, his work started… more like continued, because he had an entire collection of historical items he could review and research while she went out to find more.

Heaving a sigh, he rolled to his side. "I'm sorry, Mace. I'll do better." His hand slid over the empty spot in his bed.

I promise I'll make the time you need.

I like the challenge of writing an established couple who run into issues because they don't quite have a handle on good communication skills.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Haunting Yule

I'm coming off another busy week. My youngest is finally doing her driver's training classwork and driving with the instructor. She also had her first week of summer band camp so the back and forth driving to and from kept me busy.

Not a bad week of television viewing. The return of Wynonna Earp and Killjoys topped the terrific stuff. I'm so excited to have both shows back on my screen.

Other than those, I got another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold in along with the second episode of Lexx. The latter is such a trippy kind of show. I'd forgotten how off the wall it could be.

I caught a Garage Sale Mysteries episode, "A Case for Murder". Not a bad little movie series. Enjoyed my first experience with the Hallmark show.

Also caught my military shows, Band of Brothers and Strike Back. I'm close to finishing up both seasons of each show.

Caught two DVD viewings of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with season two's first part. I'm kind of looking forward to the second part of season two if only to figure out the whole star-shaped villain thing.

I'm two-thirds of the way through Chicago Fire's sixth season. I'm going to miss Gabby in a big way. I'm almost afraid of what Matt's storyline is going to become. I'm also close to the last episode of Sense 8's first season. Looking forward to the holiday-themed movie that's next up and launches the second season.

Watch some classic television on the Pluto app for Roku. Fun stuff there. I've also been hitting some nostalgia by watching old episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Heat of the Night. I used to watch both shows when I lived with my Gram. We lost her this past March and it's been kind of wonderful to stroll down memory lane by revisiting these two shows.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Haunting Yule, a sexy Holiday Spirit short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Holiday spirit Thom Tinsel brings an unlikely duo together for Yule. Urika Uhl is a banshee holding on to a past she needs to let go. Ingo Ingalls is a goblin searching for his place in the netherworld. Thom's magick shows the couple their differences can help them build a strong future together.

And a preview snippet…

Thom Tinsel cut through the heavily wooded section of the town square on his nightly run through the spirit realm. He loved the snow-covered trees and the quiet thud of his footsteps on the wintry trail. With Yule approaching fast, the stars sparkled brightly in the sky.

This year, his matchmaking abilities wouldn't be needed. "I can spend the season in corporeal form, enjoying the wassail, honeycakes, and midwinter feasts." Maybe he'd even throw one of his own.

A zinging buzz coursed through his veins and he stopped running. Dammit. Not now.

But of course now. The powers that be almost always found two lonely, lost people who needed each other and Yule tended to bring out the direness of getting them matched. Taking off at a slow jog, he cut through the woods and headed for his building and the warmth of his apartment.

After entering, he took the stairs—might as well finish his workout—to the tenth floor and found his mission fluttering in front of his door. He grabbed the parchment and quickly skimmed the contents. Okay, not an easy task. Didn't that just figure?

He took a speed shower and settled before his gas fireplace. "Well… let's see if this is going to be as difficult as I think it is. Banshees and goblins don't really get along all that well." He reached out and pulled all the information he could find on his two charges.

He started with the banshee, Urika Uhl. Her tremendous skill put her at the top of the seer group. But her attitude sucked. Haughty and proud, she'd burned a few bridges over the past year.

Thom dug a little deeper into her history. "Well, she's got some baggage. Maybe checking it would make her burden a little lighter." Easier said than done.

The goblin, Ingo Ingalls, looked like a standard tear-em-up, beefy brute on the page, but he had some hidden depths. Ones that pushed him to the fringe of the goblin society. Yeah, he had the typical enforcer job, working as a bouncer at the Devil's Den, the hot hangout for preternatural beings. His huge physique made him a prime specimen to break up drunken brawls and bring control to chaos after the last call.

But Ingo didn't fit in. "Because he thinks with his heart instead of his head." Not a typical goblin trait.

But one that might serve Urika well. Bridging the gap between her preconceived perceptions, rightfully earned, and the direction the goblins needed to go in, Ingo might be the driving force. If he showed Urika a kinder, gentler version of his species, her mind could open to the potential good the two groups could bring forth.

Thom sighed. "The trick is getting them away from outside influences." Someplace a little isolated and off the beaten trail.

Goodacre.

The image of the picture-perfect manor house popped into Thom's head and he nodded. "Definitely the best choice." The quaint bed and breakfast had a unique aura that brought out the best in its occupants.

Now he had to craft a perfect invitation for both parties. And he had the beginnings of a great idea for how to schedule the delivery so they couldn't say no.

"Drop the invite during a heightened conflict."

Shouldn't be hard when both were magnets for clashes. Urika with her in-fighting and Ingo with his bar brawls.

Thom rubbed his hands together and got to work.

I'm enjoying the Holiday Spirit shorts. They're fun!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Halloween Haunt

Whew. Crazy-busy week. I spent much of the past seven days brainstorming a new business idea with one of my closest friends. We're close to making a decision about moving forward or not. I'll keep everyone posted.

Not a bad week for television. Got in more Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Decent episodes but I'm always thrown by Batman not being Kevin Conroy. Ah, well. That's how it goes.

Got a couple episodes of Constantine in. I'll have one more to watch to finish up the season. Also caught the first episode of Lexx. I remember the original run but didn't get to watch everything from start to finish. Looking forward to seeing the entire story.

Watched another episode of The Coroner. It fits in well with my other mystery shows. Got two episodes of Midsomer Murders and Endeavor in. I'm caught up as far as I can be with Endeavor. Have to wait for season five to become available for binge-watching.

Watched a Hallmark movie, The Art of Us. I had the pleasure of editing the wonderful book from Tule Publishing. The movie turned out really well.

Caught my military shows with one episode each. Band of Brothers and Strike Back. Also followed up with an episode of Chicago Fire.

Sense 8 had another terrific episode. I'm always blown away with the seamlessness of the cluster interactions. I can't wait to watch more of this show. Started The Dresden Files with the first episode. I enjoyed this show when it originally aired. I'm up to episode seven of Canal Road and the twisty turns keep on coming. I'm very invested in seeing how the show plays out with regards to Spencer's wife's death.

I started a classic series in black and white called Medic. There are only twelve episodes available on the app, but I'll see how the second one is before deciding to continue or not.

Finally started the second season of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I so wish there had been more of this show. Things really jelled in season two.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Halloween Haunt, a sexy short featuring Lantern Jack.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. Hadria Hardcastle is a clairvoyant medium who runs an investigation agency—she solves the unsolvable. Safford Sturgeon is a six-hundred-year-old vampire tired of his undead existence. When a trail of dead bodies leads Hadria to Safford's front door, she has to decide if he's guilty or being framed. Safford won't make her job easy, but meeting Hadria shakes him out of his lethargy and promises to make his life worth living.

And a preview snippet…

Lantrien Jacquard, also known as Lantern Jack, had righted all of his wrongs. But his efforts weren't enough to break the curse that kept him trapped and living his life as a jack-o-lantern. Nope. He had another hurdle or two to clear before he'd be allowed to live in peace.

And he didn't know if he could pull off the required tasks. He didn't like not being confident. Not one damned bit.

"I have to bring two polar opposites together. And there's no history to fall back on." With every other couple he'd brought together, there had been some kind of "in", something Jack had done that could be changed, to fix the harm he'd caused. "But this new challenge? Bringing a clairvoyant named Hadria Hardcastle together with a centuries-old vampire named Safford Sturgeon? Where do I even start on this?"

The one advantage Jack had at his disposal? Being able to see key points, places where Hadria's path might converge with Safford's. And Jack wanted to start with the gifted medium. Vampires were notoriously uncooperative and Safford had six hundred years of baggage getting in his way.

Which meant some old enemies had a few scores to settle with the cranky undead man. A score in the plus column for Jack. But Hadria would be easier to guide, her open mind susceptible to what Jack could reveal. And her passion for the truth should give him room to maneuver the duo into seeing their salvation from loneliness in each other.

He hoped.

"Now I have to test my theories and set the stage."

If he succeeded here, he'd have one more obstacle to overcome then he could seek his reward with his lady queen.

Jack is almost finished with his challenges. This story brings him one step closer to his ultimate goal.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Gotta Make a Living

Ugh. I love fireworks but my dog… not so much. Seriously, July is a rough month because various places around where I live have events and they're within hearing distance. The poor dog just shakes, trembles, and pants like it's the end of the world. Oddly enough, thunderstorms don't tend to bother her much. When they're really severe she gets a little antsy and won't settle down, but she doesn't tremble and shake. Here's to getting through the midway point of the month when the last show is scheduled. Whew.

Had a decent viewing week for television shows. Caught Endeavor and Midsomer Murders. The mystery shows are always a treat.

Caught the second part of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Started season five The Batman and it's terrific.

Watched my military shows, Band of Brothers and Strike Back. I'd forgotten how crazy Strike Back gets about midway through season four. I'm looking forward to seeing if season five keeps the frantic pace alive.

I'm almost finished with season one of Sense8. I love the interactions of the group and how the fallout from those is super awkward sometimes. I'd love to have a little more information about the whole conspiracy angle but I'm truly thrilled with how the first season unfolds.

Got another two episodes of The Sarah Conner Chronicles in and, seriously, that was some awesome television. I miss the show a lot.

I only got to episode four of Mutant X before the app pulled the show. Now I'll have to find it somewhere else. Pensacola Wings of Gold had a good episode but I'm not glued to it the way I thought I'd be. I'm almost finished with Constantine. It's a bit of a struggle to stay attached to the episodes but I want the backstory when John joins the Legends lineup.

Last but not least, Canal Road is such a great show. I'm totally invested in Spence's mystery and I want to smack Olivia for telling him to not watch the video on his wife's laptop. I'm certain he'd have the proof his wife and son's death was murder. GAH!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Gotta Make a Living, a novella that started with a scene prompt of "smoking guns".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Niles finds Claire standing over a dead body and can't decide if he should call the cops or haul her into his arms. Claire makes the choice easy by asking him if he sees any smoking guns. They decide they better work together to find the killer before Claire is framed for a murder she didn't commit.

And a preview snippet…

Claire Thorpe zeroed in on her mark, a man named Jordan Heparin. Head of Ipso Bio-Medical research and development, the guy always had supper in the Langley Arms's dining room before retiring to his suite on the seventh floor. His habit of having a pre-dinner drink at the bar gave Claire the opening she needed.

Sliding up onto the barstool next to Jordan, she set her clutch between them. "Bartender, I could use a whiskey, neat." Heparin had a mix, probably a gin and tonic based on the highball glass with clear liquid.

Jordan shot her a sideways glance then turned his full gaze on her. "I'll take care of that, Joe." He signaled the barman. "Put it on my tab."

Right on target and according to plan.

Claire gave Heparin a nod. "Thank you." She angled around to face him.

Give him some cleavage to ogle. Planting an elbow on the counter, she leaned forward a little. Sure enough, his gaze dropped below her neck, giving Claire the opportunity to check his suit pocket for his room key. No luck there.

Heparin's lips curved in a wolfish smile. "I'm waiting on a table in the dining room. Would you care to join me for dinner?"

Claire made a show of putting her hand on his lapel and peering over his shoulder to check out the dining area. Bingo! The key card rested in his inside pocket.

Settling back, she gave a small sigh. "I'd love to, but they look pretty busy and I have a pressing appointment in a little while." She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "But I'm very disappointed I can't join you." Almost too easily, she pilfered his room key, hiding it in her palm.

Sliding the keycard under her purse, she turned back to her drink.

Jordan put a hand on her thigh. "I'm here every night. If you're ever back in the area, the invitation is open." He took a long swallow of his drink and a moment later the maître d called his name.

He downed the rest of his gin and tonic. "That's me. I hope your meeting goes well." He waved to Joe. "I'll settle up on my way out."

Claire gave Jordan another smile. "I hope the meeting goes well, too. Thanks again for the drink." She downed the rest of her whiskey.

He made his way into the dining room and she slid her clutch and the keycard off the counter then smiled at the bartender. With a waggle-fingered wave, she made her way out of the bar.

Two minutes later, she keyed into Jordan's suite and got to work. Five minutes after entering, she found the hidden compartment behind the headboard and pulled out a stack of files. Rifling through the folders, she found the one she needed.

And hit pay dirt. "Bingo! Here we go." Retrieving the small camera scanner in her clutch, she took pictures of each page in the file. "Damn. Conrad is gonna flip." Conrad Pesterman didn't want to steal the designs, even though corporate espionage ranked as the normal course of business.

People like Pesterman, the head of C & P BioTech, tried to walk the righteous path of not being a dick and taking shortcuts.

Claire snorted. "Too bad he's one of the rare few." She finished getting the intelligence and put the file back in its hiding spot.

At least Conrad would know if C&P's schematics had been leaked for the synthetic living skin project. Based on what she'd scanned, if there hadn't been an actual leak, proprietary information had at least been shared.

Conrad would be very disappointed. He prided himself on picking solid employees. Claire took another moment to read through the Ipso file to see how far along the company had progressed on the production of a prototype. So far, they didn't have a working sample, but the notes from C&P would give them a jumpstart.

Claire frowned when she exited the room. She hated to break the news to Conrad. But he paid her a fat retainer to deliver the truth, whether it packed a punch or not. Reaching the main floor, she milled about in the lobby until the desk clerk took a step away from the counter. She deposited Jordan's room key in the lost-and-found tray and strolled out of the hotel. Hailing a cab, she gave the driver her street address. She'd contact Pesterman as soon as she arrived home and make arrangements to deliver the scanned file.

She settled back and ignored the busy street traffic passing by. "This is one call I don't look forward to making."

I love the noir vibe and I hope I'm pulling it off in the story. Claire and Niles are fun to write.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Ghoulish Games (A Lantern Jack Tale)

Wow. We've officially completed half a year. Where does the time go? Seriously, it doesn't feel like half the year should be gone already.

Kind of a busy week, but I stayed pretty much caught up on my current slate of shows. I caught the Wonder Woman movie and it was pretty terrific. Looking forward to the next one.

Caught two episodes of Sense8. Really loving this show. I'm looking forward to watching the whole thing.

Also caught two episodes of Mutant X. I'd forgotten how much the wardrobe reminded me of La Femme Nikita. I miss the fashion of the late 90s sometimes.

Watched quite a few episodes of Classic Who this week and ended up about halfway through the Aztec arc.

Two episodes of Canal Road also. I'm finally getting a better feel for the characters and who they are. Really great mix of storylines.

Caught an episode of Midsomer Murders, Endeavor, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, and Constantine. Also watched Pensacola Wings of Gold, Band of Brothers, Strike Back, and Chicago Fire. I love the mysteries and military shows.

Caught part of the first season of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I've seen several episodes of this show but hadn't been able to see the first season. It's fun but nothing will ever top Batman the Animated Series.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Ghoulish Games, a Lantern Jack Tale.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. When Glenna Greer finds a man on her doorstep she faces a dilemma. Use her powers to save—which she is forbidden to do—or let him possibly die. The urge to heal is strong in the wood nymph and she risks banishment going against her clan's directive. When she discovers Radbourne Renner is a hellhound, she's really in a quandary.

And a preview snippet…

Lantrien Jacquard, also known as Lantern Jack, existed in his cursed form and worked at making amends so he could be free once again. He'd tackled many of his wrongs, paving the way for balance to be restored to the netherworld of preternatural beings. He'd managed to clear his highest hurdle by bringing the sprites and the spawns together after centuries of animosity. Now, he had a few more wrongs to right and this All Hallows, he would see if the nymphs and the hellhounds were ready to act in their best interests.

"Not that they know what's in their best interests." Jack had seen to it they didn't.

So long ago. When he'd been in such a dark place. It hadn't taken much to drive a wedge between the frolicking nymphs and the protective hounds. Jack had developing chaos down to an art form by that point.

"A little whisper here and a low rumble there and the magickal nymphs locked down the use so the hellhounds couldn't take advantage of them." Of course, the hellhounds wouldn't have pushed the established boundaries if Jack hadn't suggested it in the first place.

Why shouldn't the hellhounds use the nymph magick for personal gain? Didn't the nymphs owe them for acting as their protectors? No monetary payment existed, right? So the hellhounds should receive something for their long-standing service.

"And the nymphs were so easy to frighten. When the hellhounds started demanding recompense for their services, especially when they were in human form, the nymphs cowered and shivered in fear." The size disparity alone played into the fear factor.

Hellhounds were notoriously hulking and large and nymphs were usually petite, even the males rarely got taller than five-eight or nine.

Now, Jack had to figure out a way to reignite the protective instincts of the hellhound and the nurturing nature of the nymphs. "Won't be easy. The nymphs haven't used magick in almost a century." Hellhounds had a scent trigger for fae magick.

Jack's plan for amends hinged on Glenna Greer. She'd descended from the oldest line of nymphs and her family kept the chronicles. Of course, it helped that Glenna practiced her craft, covertly and secretively, in a cabin deep in the wooded acres of the glade. If Jack presented Glenna with a moral dilemma, he'd bet her natural response would be offering aid and comfort.

Enter Radbourne Renner into the mix. Jack had to be slightly nefarious to accomplish making them meet, but Rad needed a push in Glenna direction. His mistrust of all things magickal made him a prime component. If Rad could learn to trust Glenna, the duo would unlock the key to bringing the two groups back together.

Of course, Glenna would have to go against the ban on using her magick. But to save a life, Jack would bank on her doing so.

"Now all I have to do is put Rad in a dangerous situation and let nature take its course."

With All Hallows approaching, landing a hellhound in a tricky spot wouldn't be that difficult. Tempers flared hot when the group got together and, with a little nudge from Jack, Rad's biggest rival at the homestead wouldn't hesitate to take his anger out on the unsuspecting hound.

"Then all I have to do is guide him to Glenna's doorstep."

What could go wrong?

Writing Jack's tale of redemption is so much fun. He's not an easy character to write sometimes but I enjoy how he brings couples together.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye