Sunday Snippet: Place of Honor

It's so weird to be in the last week of the month. Sometimes it felt like August would never end and other times like it flew right by. I'm actually looking forward to September.

Busy week with work projects but I did get some shows watched. I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and so far enjoy the second season.

Caught several episodes of Peter Gunn. There's a marathon next weekend I'll probably end up watching also.

Watched the Tomb of the Cybermen episodes of Classic Who. I'm bummed there aren't a lot of the second doctor's episodes available for viewing.

Also caught another Midsomer Murders episode. I like the new guy. I also need to figure out when they started working for Midsomer Constabulary instead of Causton CID. Probably way back in a previous season and I just missed it.

I'm in the middle of a 77 Sunset Strip marathon. This is one of my favorite classic shows.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Place of Honor, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A band of bounty hunters go after urban legends, bagging, tagging, and removing the threat from cities, towns, villages, and sprawling rural landscapes. Wiley Star has a score to settle and Hex Harrigan can't deny her quest for vengeance—but when Wiley lands on the wrong end of a double cross, it's up to Hex to track her whereabouts and save the day, which proves difficult because his personal feelings keep getting in the way.

And a preview snippet… (CONTENT WARNING for questionable consent; main character is mesmerized while having sex)

Hex entered the lower level and almost lost his shit. He'd been warned. He expected to witness depravity at its worst.

But seeing Wiley on top of a Darkwing—wearing nothing but leather chaps—with her hips rocking and rolling over his torso while she sucked off another member made his blood boil hotter than an inferno. "What the fuck is she doing?" The woman he'd let go would never allow anyone to use her like this.

Not even for vengeance.

Hex fought the instinct to bring hellfire down on the Darkwings in attendance. First and foremost because they'd probably bend the flames to their will—chaos demons had the ability to wield the underworldly power in whatever manner they chose. Second but still important… he wanted to take the entire group out in one go. No stragglers. No escapees. Every damn one of the Darkwing cloister needed to cease existing.

"Too damned bad I don't have a fucking clue how to make that happen."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, mainly to keep from pounding the closest demon into dust. No way could he tip his hand yet.

The leader, an oily toad of a guy, openly leered while stroking his dick. "Mmm. She looks good spit-roasted like that. But I wanna see her go airtight." He jerked his head toward a hulking, tatted-up beast of a man. "Lawson. Drop trou and give her a big one." His mouth twisted in a nasty sneer.

Lawson followed orders. He shucked his leathers and fisted his impressive dick.

Hex swallowed bile. Why the hell didn't Wiley put up a struggle? She didn't pause in her actions at all.

Mango called out. "Hey, sweet ass!"

She pulled away from the thrusting shaft in her mouth, angling her head toward Mango.

A telltale, eerie green hue glossed over her irises. Mesmerized. That explained her easy compliance.

Mango licked his lips. "Spread your cheeks, princess, Lawson's gonna fill you up." His hand went to his crotch, cupping his cock and balls.

Hex vowed the three men currently abusing Wiley would be the first he'd take out. Standing sentinel, he counted every cruel act inflicted and tallied how many swaths of skin he'd be carving off each man. In one week's time… he'd work his way to a place of honor.

And hell would be paid.

This story took a darker turn from what I usually write and I'm not quite sure everything will stay in. That said, it became important to show what Hex and Wiley are dealing with.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

Ugh! August is fast becoming the craziest month I've ever had. This past week I filled my gas tank up on Monday and by Wednesday, I only had half a tank left. For perspective… a full tank of gas usually lasts about two to three weeks for me. Does that say anything about the week I had? LOL

Seriously, though, a lot of back and forth travel several times a day did give me lots of windshield time. It also gave terrible drivers and a buttload of construction but that's a whole different rant for another day.

I did end up having a highly productive week workwise, which means I didn't have a lot of time for television. I did hear the news of Krypton's demise unless another network picks it up. Here's hoping that happens. I really do love the characters.

I've been rather disappointed that my once favorite network is no longer in the running for my viewing time. I either watch on demand via the app or not at all. It makes me sad that Syfy has fallen so far. I literally used to watch the channel almost exclusively way back in the day.

As much as I love the convenience of streaming shows, I miss having a wide variety of stuff to choose from during the day on regular cable television. I have been enjoying the local channels' digital offerings. MeTV, Decades, Comet, Charge, This TV, etc. has some great classic stuff. That's what I've been having on in the background. I'm also a big fan of Ovation right now.

I did get to watch a few more episodes of Peter Gunn this week but that's about it.

Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And a preview snippet…

"Virgo! Wait!" Gunn Gladstone burst into the center of the maze, the source of hellfire in the realm.

Virgo paused with her foot on the threshold of the pit. "I have to go, Gunn. You were there. The lone quorum member who voted to let me stay." The only person who didn't blame her for the Sohn family sins.

He grasped her biceps. "Give it time. You can't really be held responsible for your misdeeds. You were acting under orders from your family." His palm cupped her face. "They're the ones to blame. And because they're not here, you're taking the brunt of anger from the revelations." His gaze held hers, trying to offer reassurance.

Virgo didn't want any. Because she had followed orders. Without question or argument.

Until she met Gunn and received an education with how mage politics were supposed to work.

Shaking her head, she eased away from him. "I'll never be good or… clean… enough to stand by your side. Not unless I face the trials." She grabbed for his hand. "I have nothing to lose except you and the quorum vote made anything we might have had impossible." Her heart kicked hard against her ribs. "You know this."

Gunn's lips twisted in a grimace. "I know there's no guarantee you'll survive the trials. At least with banishment, there's a chance we could have a future." He pulled away from her.

She sighed. "Gunn, if I don't survive, there's a reason. And I'm doing this whether you accept it or not. At least this way you won't be tainted by your association with me and you'll stay on track to take over as quorum leader. They'll never let you ascend if you're still tied up with me." He shouldn't need her to state the facts…

Gunn's face hardened. "Then don't expect me to be around if you survive. If you can't trust me enough to work things out for you, we're already over." He stepped back and out of her way.

Virgo spun around, unwilling to let Gunn see the tears gathering in her eyes. "We already were before we met." She trusted him… she did not trust herself.

She took a step forward, the flames licking at her ankles.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Gunn's retreating figure.

Someday, I'll be worthy of you and I'll walk through hellfire to prove it.

Closing her eyes, she dropped down into the burning fire.

I have a lot of love for this story. Virgo and Gunn are on a wild journey and I'm having so much fun writing their tale.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Picture Perfect

August is shaping up to be the busiest month I've had in a long time. Between running around with my daughter and new projects landing in my inbox, I need about five more hours in each day.

Very limited television viewing this week. I ended up not starting the playlist listen while working. Too many interruptions.

I did watch a marathon of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Also caught some Peter Gunn episodes.

Other than that, the manuscript evaluations I've been working on took precedence. It's easier to review and assess when it's quiet and I don't have something else trying to pull my attention away from the material.

On a very happy note, I finished up a manuscript I've been writing for a long, long time. It's the follow up to Shyler: Finding Home, a Furlough 99 novella. The story ended up being more involved than I thought it would be and it turned out so much better than I'd hoped. Look for it soon!

That's pretty much it for television this week. I really want to get back to Krypton and finish up Riverdale and Arrow. Hopefully this week.

Tonight's post is from Picture Perfect, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Faeryn Carnes, a fire elemental, crossed through the Shroud, leaving the mortal plane. But when she returned, an unheard of occurrence, Seth Jacobson, an air elemental, is the only person she can count on, which seems impossible because Faeryn believes air and fire can't mix.

And a preview snippet…

A singular, incessant thought brought Faeryn to Seth's doorstep. Seek solace. She'd be happy as goddamned lark if she could find some form of comfort away from the constant buzzing in her mind.

When Seth opened the door, her world righted itself. The gray haze surrounding her return turned bright with a rainbow of color. But she didn't understand why.

Seth gave her a questioning smile. "You doing okay?" He stepped back, inviting her inside.

She crossed the threshold and another piece of her jigsaw self fell into place. "Honestly? Not sure what I'm doing right now." Her gaze scanned the familiar interior of Seth's home.

Nothing changed. Neat, tidy, welcoming. Warm and inviting. Like the man.

For the most part.

She asked the question burning her brain. "Why aren't you freaking out? Everyone, and I mean everyone, is up in arms. I'm either cursed or a demon spawn dressed up in Faeryn's skin." She shook her head. "Those were the nicest things anyone said." The rest… didn't bear discussion.

Seth's lips kicked into a wry twist. "I hate to break it to you, Faeryn, but people said that about you before you…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "Uh… left." He nodded toward the sofa. "Wanna just chill and relax or did you have a specific reason for stopping by?"

Faeryn made her way to the couch. "Don't think I didn't catch how you didn't answer the question." Should she let it slide or dig deeper?

The internal voice chanted its mantra… seek solace.

What the hell else would she be doing at Seth's?

By rights, he should hate her. She trashed their relationship, their friendship, and practically anything else that held them together.

Seth took a seat in the chair next to the sofa. "The short version is I'm not freaking out because I don't care." He crossed an ankle over his knee.

Her heart dropped into her stomach. The sting of his words cutting deeper than she wanted to admit.

He shook his head. "That didn't come out right. What I mean is I don't care how or why you're back. I'm happy you're here." His voice held the warm quality she'd come to crave.

She snorted softly. "I think you're the only one. Which serves me right. I get that." Settling back into the plush cushions, she tucked her legs under her. "Hell, I'm not the same person. I'm different, but I can't quite pinpoint the how or why." She huffed out a sigh. "It's beyond frustrating. Like I'm on borrowed time but I don't know what the expiration date is." Leaning her head back, she stared at the ceiling.

Seth straightened and put his forearms on his knees. "Maybe we can figure it out. I pulled out some of the ancient texts. There has to be something in those that will point us to what's going on with you."

Faeryn dropped her chin to meet his gaze. "You're willing to help me?" She didn't deserve him. She really didn't.

Seth's lips curved. "Like I said. I'm happy you're back… for however long you're here."

And didn't that nail the big scary thing hovering in the back of her mind.

If she had a purpose… what would happen once she discovered it?

This story has some twists and turns I didn't quite expect. Sometimes the sages like to throw things in and keep me on my toes.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Physical Therapy

Whew. Long, long week with a ton of busywork stuff along with my regular workload. I sometimes get the idea that most of my family members don't realize how long or how many phone calls it often takes to make things happen. Luckily, I'm in a position where my job isn't at stake if I need to make those frequent and often time-sucking phone calls. But… bleh.

Had an even more sporadic viewing week. I'm not fairly behind on a lot of my shows. But… I did catch up on some laundry so not a bad tradeoff. I got two episodes of Blue Heelers in while folding and stacking clothes. LOL

I got a little more of Riverdale watched but haven't finished the episode yet. I might be getting to the place where I need to switch over to music. The main reason I've been light on viewing for the past few weeks is a heavy work schedule and lots of distractions from other drama.

I have so many playlists that I listen to while driving. I should probably start listening to them while working also. Maybe I'll start that this week.

Since there's not much to report, tonight's post is from Physical Therapy, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Flint Hollywell, a talented physical therapist, loves nothing more than watching arena ball player Tappen Bligh work her magic on the playing field. But when a career-ending injury sidelines Tappen, Flint is determined to get her back on the grass where she thrives on the action.

And a preview snippet…

Flint Hollywell jumped up from his reserved seat and bellowed with the crowd before sitting back down. "Third row, midcenter. One of the best seats in the house." He'd worked his ass off to afford season tickets and never missed a match.

The Banshees were the most amazing team to watch. And Flint didn't care what kind of hit his reputation took for being a full-on fan. He wore his jersey with pride and never left home without his green and white cords, the Banshee team colors.

Tonight's game had a brutal edge underneath the stellar quality of the plays. Elbows flew and cracked against chins, shoulders, and torsos. Hip-checks and knee gouges doubled when the Banshees played the Demon Dogs. The beauty of watching the peak physicality of the players in action never failed to hold him rapt.

Even when the professional side of him winced at the damage the teams inflicted on each other.

Then again, his work in physical therapy and athletic training gave him a close-up view of what happened when bodies were pushed past their limit.

Helping those injuries heal became a bonus.

His friend Mason nudged Flint. "Tannen's on fire tonight. And the Dogs are sniffing for blood." His gaze never left the field.

Flint nodded. "Gilda's kicking their rivalry into the stratosphere. I can't believe the officials haven't called her on some of those questionable blocks."

Mason laughed. "Probably because the Banshees have only missed once when old Gildabitch plays dirty."

A valid point. Tannen's score hadn't cracked double digits yet, a rarity for her. But her assists were off the charts for this game. One of the things he loved about the Banshees? Their teamwork approach to winning. Tannen Bligh led by example and shared the spotlight with her fellow players.

Flint leaned forward, shaking his head when another block cut close to the penalty range. "Come on, ref! Make the call." Disgusted, he shoulder-checked Mason. "Gilda's earning her nickname tonight. I can't believe how blatant she's being with the use of magick." Only physical magick—primarily levitation—could be used during match play.

Spells, incantations, conjuring… all counted as illegal and weren't allowed. Gilda all but spoke words out loud while adding an edge to her elbow throwing and hip-checking.

Mason's eyes went wide and he fist-pumped the air. "Tannen's setting up to score. She's getting in place for her kick-ass combo."

Flint didn't respond. He didn't want to miss a moment of watching Tannen Bligh defy gravity with her incredible acrobatic combination.

Writing action scenes is something I thoroughly enjoy. Creating the rules for arena ball has been a fun experience.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye