Sunday Snippet: Stay the Course (Warlock's Curse book one)

We're entering week … eh, I'm not even sure … of the social distancing and I'm truly hoping we start to see the case numbers come down. We're doing what we can to stay inside and away from others. We do try to order from our local restaurants a night or two a week to help support the establishments.

Had a slower than normal week of television viewing. I started out by finishing up Strike Back's third episode. I'm very excited for the rest of the season. I also caught the declassified short for this episode.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and hope to finish it this upcoming week. So far, I'm truly enjoying this show.

Watched the end of a Gargoyles episode and got two more in. I don't remember Xanatos being such a cheesy villain when I watched this show with my oldest. Man, he is one though.

Started the first season of The Witcher. Gotta say I'm intrigued. Here's hoping the rest of the season measures up.

For fun, I watched the blooper reel for Dirty, Sexy Saint and laughed out loud a couple of times. I love how much behind the scenes Passionflix shares with its members.

Caught another episode of Arrow. I'm not sure if it's because I know it's ending or if the writing has just kicked it up a notch but I can honestly say I end up getting all choked up with tears in every episode so far. We're getting to the home stretch so I don't expect that to change.

Also watched another episode of Murdoch Mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having the ladies take center stage was much appreciated. I'm a little intrigued by Violet showing her sharpened teeth, which probably won't bode well for William and Julia in the next two episodes. That said, I'll be happy if Miss Violet Hart ends up going down in flames. I'm not a fan.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Stay the Course, a novella that opens the Warlock's Curse series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris is at a crossroads and has to choose whether to find her path to fulfillment as an adept or stay stagnant in her current position. She decides to go on a journey quest, but has to leave Falk Ridenour behind. Falk isn't happy, but supports her choice, even knowing the hardship she'll face.

And a preview snippet…

What do I want?

Nadia wanted to punch a hole in the universe and disappear. She wanted to figure her shit out and become a white-robed witch. She wanted … to be normal, dammit.

She heaved a sigh. "I want all this…" She motioned around the classroom. "To be easier like it is for everyone else. I'm tired of being a freak of nature. Can you fix that?" Would that he could or at least tell her why she struggled so much.

Falk made his way to her side. "I would if I could. You know that." His tone held a wealth of sincerity.

And she believed him. Hell, he already had. Falk didn't treat her like a total misfit … unlike everyone else in the coven's rookery, the school for discovering and learning about their gifts.

Falk grabbed her hand and tugged her over to the small couch by the windows. "Look, let's give magick a break for a while." He waited until she sat and put her feet under her thighs. "What else do you enjoy doing during downtime? Reading? Music? Art?" He angled toward her and gave her his full attention.

Geez. Something of a loaded question. And a little out of her comfort zone. She could be snarky and say she liked to have lots of sex, but he didn't deserve the disrespect. Any discussion of her weird hobbies involved letting Falk get a peek inside her chaotic mind and she weighed how much of her inner self to reveal. Then again, what did she have to lose?

Maybe she'd test the interest level a little. "You really don't want to know what I get up to when I'm not in class, do you?" She wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

His gaze didn't waver. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Okay, then. She'd start with something somewhat simple but a little dangerous. See if he really wanted to dive into the freak show she called her life.

Standing, she held out her hand. "Come on, it's better if I show you." A break sounded wonderful … even if Falk might live to regret taking an interest.

I'm very excited about this series. The ideas popped very quickly and the other books are pretty much plotted. Now to find the time to really flesh everything out and get them finished up.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Spellbound Yule

Gotta say, the whole limiting of physical distance and having my youngest's senior year pretty much cancelled is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. I have three people in the house who are pretty much deemed essential workers. One is in food production and the other two are grocery workers. If the reins get tighter on limiting movement, I'm pretty sure they won't get a break.

For me, as someone who's worked from home for the past decade or so, it's business as usual for the most part. I have more interruptions than usual but otherwise, my routine hasn't changed overmuch. There's something comforting in that.

Had a semi-decent week of watching television. I finished up the Heart Guy from last week and I'll give it a go. I have a feeling this one is going to have messy relationships and I always like train-wreck shows.

Also caught another arc of Classic Who. It's always fun to see the effects from the late sixties and early seventies. Doctor Who isn't any better or worse for shows of its time.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. I'm finally starting to get into the relationships and getting to know the villagers. I love the scenery in the show.

Caught the livestream of the Dropkick Murphys concert on St. Patrick's Day. Terrific show and highly entertaining. I hope to catch some of the Broadway shows that are available for streaming also.

Watched the rest of season one of Danger Man. I'll be starting season two in the upcoming week.

Started episode three of Strike Back. Nice to have a familiar face back in the fold. Also, Chetri is really growing on me. She's got quite a personality and interacting more as an equal with the rest of the team. I love that.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Spellbound Yule, a holiday spirit sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Holiday spirit, Bertram Goldwreath, has to bring Oakley Oliver, a witch and Calder Conrad, a warlock together over the Yule holiday so they can settle a territorial dispute. Oakley is looking forward to a quiet getaway at a bed and breakfast … until Calder invades her interlude and sparks fly.

And a preview snippet…

Bertram Goldwreath kneaded the dough for his famous tipsy tinsel knots. "I can't believe how many we went through last year." The annual Yule gala for his fellow holiday spirits had become a showcase for his baking skills.

He divided the dough into four different sections for flavoring and coloring. Crossing to the ingredients spread out on his counter, he began the selection process of picking out the perfect mix of sparkle and cheer. He grabbed a bottle of glittery silver sugar just before the zing tingled up his arm.

Bertram heaved a sigh. "Damn. It figures." He snatched up a container of glaze laced with peppermint schnapps and stomped back to the island where his dough awaited.

With a snap of his fingers, he summoned the assignment from the ether.

Carefully wrapping up three of the sections, he stashed them inside the fridge then returned to work on the fourth. Sprinkling flour on the smooth butcher block surface, he slapped the ball of dough down and worked out any air bubbles while reading the issue he'd have to handle before he could finish his tipsy tinsel knots.

Pausing, his eyebrow quirked. "Goodness, they love to save the big challenges for the holidays." His task to bring a witch and a warlock together wouldn't be easy.

Oakley Oliver inherited her position as the Lawngrove coven leader from her grandmother when she passed on to the afterlife just after the summer solstice. Oakley's mom didn't survive giving birth and Oracle Oliver accepted the responsibility of raising her granddaughter. Grandma O never dreamed she wouldn't have time to fully prepare Oakley for assuming the leadership role. But her gift of foresight failed nine times out of ten when it came to family.

Bertram rolled his eyes. "Isn't that always the way? Provide soothsaying for everyone else but can't help out your own." He went back to working the dough and reading the background for Oakley.

The older witches were putting pressure on Oakley to keep a tract of land—one involved in a long-standing dispute—which should have been turned over to the local warden of warlocks during the past year's Samhain celebration, according to a treaty made between the groups over fifty years ago. And they had her over a barrel because if they didn't accept her as the coven leader before the first anniversary of Oracle's death, Oakley's legacy status would be revoked and she'd be out of Lawngrove for good.

Bertram shook his head. "Grandma O, you left Oakley a pretty big mess." Of course, she couldn't shoulder the blame.

A nasty divorce between a witch and a warlock put the ownership of the land in question and the resolution, meant to be a short-term solution, didn't solve anything. Every decade the tract traded hands. Witches had the use for ten years then the warlocks got a turn. So far, the only thing the treaty accomplished had been to keep the two factions on opposing sides.

Rolling out the dough, Bertram snorted. "A terrible situation, especially since a group of the witches is trying to renege on the deal." And, boy, the warlocks weren't happy about being denied their rightful ownership.

Calder Conrad, the current head of the Yardbrook warden, had stepped up his campaign to have the coven honor the agreement. And, okay, his methods left a lot to be desired. A barrage of messages, timed to arrive at inconvenient times, had been dropping for the past week. Of course, Oakley kind of left him with little choice.

He'd respectfully given her three months to deal with her grandmother's death before broaching the topic.

Bertram tsked. "Probably should've struck when they were all reeling with loss." A cutthroat idea, maybe, but one that might have worked.

Instead, the delay gave the old guard biddies time to strategize and close ranks. Calder had an uphill battle to make the exchange of ownership and Oakley needed to either step into the role of leadership and make decisions or let the elder witches run roughshod.

The spirit chuckled. "Gotta give it to Conrad. The man has a gift for wreaking havoc on Oakley's schedule." He sobered. "Which'll be fun to get around since the powers that be want the couple together and end the rift." The miracle of Yule can only do so much.

Using a spatula, Bertram cut precise lines in the dough, creating a dozen strands. "At least I know exactly where to send the duo. Goodacre Bed and Breakfast is the perfect location to get these two hooked up." Secluded, beautiful, and tucked away in the nether realm, the place would be spellbinding during the holiday season and just the spot for the witch and warlock to work things out on a fundamental level.

Bertram huffed out a laugh. "And precisely what I need to pull this off." Dusting off his hands, he put a damp towel over his creation then popped into the mist to get the inn ready for two occupants.

I love writing the holiday spirit sexy shorts. Coming up with the spirit names is half the fun, especially when adding a bit of a holiday twist to them.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir

Yeesh, it's practically winter again. We had a bit of sun, rain, and snow today. Crazy. But I got to meet up with my two high school best friends for our last excursion before we hang back and wait to see what the global pandemic ends up doing.

Had a lighter than normal work week and got some cleaning done. I had some decent viewing also. Started out with finishing up the second episode of Strike Back. It ended up being a darned terrific episode. I have a nasty feeling how the series will end. Anytime a blood feud is mentioned … just saying.

I caught several episodes of Danger Man, putting me about halfway through the first season. Really like this show.

Watched an episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Russia. Also loved how John brought Roy back into the fold. I should be getting close to the big crossover event.

Got the Halloween episode of Riverdale in. Gotta say the whole Jason thing really creeps me out. Mr. Honey also creeps me out. I'm a Reggie fan even though he can be something of a douche canoe. I loved the Archie and Veronica storylines. But the best probably had to be the Betty and Jughead bits. Stonewall or whatever the hell the name of the prep school is has some dark twisty people. And, of course, Betty's ordeal with the prank phone calls ended up being well done. I'm not sure what the hell Charles is up to but here's hoping it's not something truly crappy. The little end caps with the flash forwards keep me intrigued.

Also watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Loved the clip-show angle and revisiting the Meyer / Clegg rivalry. I had a true suspicion Clegg wasn't actually dead. That said, I'm not sure I like the fact he's not. Just saying.

Started a new series for me … The Heart Guy. I'm giving it a test run to see if it's what I want to dive into now that I've reached the end of Midsomer Murders for now.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Souvenir, a novella that got a start with writing community prompt and book two of the Academy of Light series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And a preview snippet…

She cursed her own stupidity. No one knew she'd come out to the secondary practice field. Against the rules, but she always bent them to suit her whims. And usually got away with it.

But not this time.

Her nose thumbing would have to bite her in the ass… and right after she'd pulled off the ultimate coup.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ramona knew better. She'd lost track of time and stayed out too long. The giant dragon had plagued the Academy of Light for six long months. Sometimes more than one beast rained fire and destruction on the campus grounds, but it always happened just around dusk when the sun started its descent toward the horizon.

And the beasts always eluded capture. None of the traps laid for the creatures seemed to lure them at all. It had the upper levels in a state of perpetual frustration.

And here she came… out for some extra practice and boom! The damn thing finds her. Okay, okay, she could work with this. She only had to survive the encounter.

The beast hurtled past and made a surprisingly agile turn to come back at her. Ramona had to do something to slow it down. She bobbed up and down, hovering and weaving back and forth to stay out of its line of fire.

She didn't have any weapons and probably couldn't control a beast the size of the dragon with a spell. Not on her own. But she might be able to do some damage with projectile missiles. She whispered a hasty incantation and called on the surrounding rocks and large stones to line up beside her. One by one she sent them flying toward the huge beast as it got closer and closer to her. It dipped and spun around, snarling and growling, spewing flames and heat, several streams only narrowly missing her.

Dammit, she had to do something to bring it down.

Ah ha! Perhaps a combination of the projectiles and a seeking spell? What could it hurt? Ramona gathered up more debris and held it, ready to hurtle toward the beast. She reached down deep and spoke the ancient words of the incantation, adding a twist of her own.

"Find the weakness and bring it down." She sent the thought out to the hovering arsenal then flung it toward the dragon.

The beast continued its flight directly toward her, tail swishing back and forth with angry snaps. The rocks followed its path but the beast showed keen reasoning skill, flapping huge wings to increase its speed. Closer and closer, it got to Ramona, who realized it nefarious plan almost too late. She'd be caught in the line of fire… what hit the dragon would hit her too.

Piss and bones. That would teach her to underestimate the intelligence of a foe.

Options limited and panic rising, Ramona put as much space between her and the dragon as possible. She urged the debris to shape itself into a singular weapon and let out a cheer when it targeted the soft underbody below the column of the dragon's neck. The weakest spot. She hoped.

When the large pile hit the area, Ramona hovered safely in air. The dragon jerked, stopping short and made a pained roar. Puffs of smoke belched out its nostrils but no flames followed. The short-lived victory didn't last long. The dragon dropped like a stone, rolling end over end with a speed she hadn't expected. She attempted to get clear, but its spiked, scary tail flipped wildly and caught her just below the knee. Shooting daggers of agony spread out, running up her thigh and down her calf. Damn, hurt like a bitch. The zing of pain broke her concentration and Ramona let out a startled yelp then got pulled into the dragon's trajectory.

Oh, no. They were gonna land hard on the field. Thinking quickly, Ramona muttered a shielding spell and kept the bulk of the dragon's weight from crushing her. But she also trapped herself underneath the huge beast with no way out. If she broke the spell, she'd be flattened. And if she didn't … she'd eventually run out of air.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Melick would shake his head and chastise her for nothing thinking her plan through. The guy had contingencies for contingencies and drove Ramona mad with it. Although she sorely wished she'd heeded his advice to always have one strategic backup in place.

She had no doubt she'd hear all about her lapse when she got back to the academy. If she got back. Pushing her fear aside, Ramona lamented her situation. She had almost no wiggle room. She could lie down or stay bent in a perpetual squat. Her knee ached and throbbed, she had to get the pressure off the joint. Easing onto her side, she groaned and tried to get comfortable.

I love this fun series. Ramona and Melick are friendly rivals that become more and it's one of my favorite tropes to write.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Slip of the Tongue

What a weird weather week. Of course, it's March in Ohio so not exactly uncommon. We had beautiful spring-like temperatures at the beginning of the week and by Thursday it got chilly again. A little bit of snowy flakes and brrr! degrees outside.

Finished up a big project and another one on the smaller side and also started a new one. Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of television in this week.

I watched the last Midsomer Murders that's currently available. I rather hope they do another season. I love this show.

I also caught another series one episode of Peak Practice. I'm enjoying this series quite a lot.

I started the eleventh series of Classic Who and loved the introduction of Sarah Jane. I'm so sad Elisabeth isn't with us anymore. She made Sarah Jane such a great character.

I've watched about eight more episodes of Danger Man. John Drake is definitely a pre-Bond character study. The first season is a lot of fun so far.

Caught two more episodes of Gargoyles. The second season is quite a mish-mash. Not to say it's not good but a lot is going on.

Started the second episode of Strike Back's final season. This show. I'm going to miss it when it's gone.

Hmm. Maybe I watched more television than I thought. But that's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Slip of the Tongue, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sylvie Brown and Holden Baker are word alchemists, creating the strongest, most intricate spells in their realm. One slip of the tongue can bring catastrophic destruction … or it can garner surprising results. Sylvie learns two little words can hold a wealth of meaning.

And a preview snippet…

He loved the way the word alchemist blushed while at the same time sending him a look filled with sin and seduction. The messy bun atop her head tilted to one side and several strands had escaped to frame her face. The disheveled appearance suited her.

And conjured images of how she'd look in his bed.

He let go of her hand. "I really wouldn't." Surprisingly, he'd responded to her on contact.

He rarely made connections with people, male or female, on an initial introduction. Experience taught him most weren't what they presented to the world. But… Sylvie lacked guile.

Her shoot-from-the-hip style showed she aimed straight and true. Well, duh. Being a word alchemist probably helped. The intent behind people's words often bled through on spellcasts and Sylvie would have to be especially careful with how hers were taken.

Which explained how and why she'd made a solid first impression with him.

She laughed and shook her head. "You might regret having that thought. Right now, as much as my body is screaming for some hot and heavy action, my brain is too full of shit that needs to be done." Flicking him another sultry glance, she turned away. "Like the fortification of our wards and protections." Reluctant acceptance filled her gaze when she met his again.

Holden gave her a slow and thorough once-over. "So, we'll save that thought for later then." He nodded toward her interrupted project. "Do you need to finish up with that?"

Her eyes widened only for a second before she covered her surprise. He'd seen through the invisibility hex, one of his skills, and wanted to show her a glimpse of what he could do.

She sighed. "Yeah, I do." Heading toward her kitchen area, she stopped by a long table separating the two rooms. "Can you use this space to set up? I figure it's got plenty of room to spread out and we can each sit at one end." Her hand swept over the area.

Holden assessed the surface and agreed. "What about your meals? Will this"—he held up the tube of blueprints—"get in the way?" Four different sets would take up a lot of ground.

Sylvie laughed. "I never eat at the table. But the room looked so empty, I put one in to balance the space." Turning again, she started toward the cloaked spellcast.

Curious now, Holden asked, "Where do you eat?" He'd need to get some recommendations since he didn't know the lay of the land yet.

Sylvie pointed to the living area. "In front of the fire or down at the pub in the village."

A low table surrounded by pillows separated a loveseat and sofa on either side of the hearth. Two wingback chairs faced the mantle, creating a cozy spot for conversation or contemplation. She had excellent taste and a minimalist style.

Holden flashed a smile. "I might have you show me where this pub is. I'm a sucker for a good stew and hearty bread." His mouth watered thinking about both.

Sylvie grinned. "It's fish and chips for me. Nothing beats a good beer batter." She glanced toward the clock. "Let me finish up and I'll be happy to treat you. My way of saying welcome to Thornglade and thank you for being here."

Holden looked forward to spending time with her. "Sounds great. I'll get started here while you work." So far, he had no reservations about accepting this job.

He hoped that wouldn't change later.

I enjoy witty banter and having a story set around words and the play on them that can be very fun and lead to good and not so good things. Sylvie and Holden are masters at their craft and use their words wisely.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Six Degrees of Separation (an Academy of Light novella)

Well … the beginning of my birthday week is off to a chilly start. The good news is the temps are supposed to warm up this week, which is kind of nice. I could use a little mild weather to improve my mood. The other good news is our new roof did indeed fix the leak situation. We had several days of icy rain and no drips!

Busy week on the work front again. I like having multiple projects but a particularly brutal edit made for a long seven days. I'm looking forward to the new week.

Light viewing schedule for television. I needed to focus on work in a big way. I finished up the premiere episode of Strike Back and, okay, Coltrane's attitude improved. Hmm. Maybe not improved, but at least I get why he's kind of off the rails. A terrific episode overall.

Watched two more episodes of Gargoyles and I think I missed both in the original run. I enjoyed viewing the new-to-me ones.

Caught another episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed the somewhat insane mix of past and present in the aptly titled "Present Tense" episode. I'm looking forward to a return to Russia in the next one.

Watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and quite liked revisiting an old nemesis of William's, especially since he's been somewhat converted into an ally. I also loved the intrigue of having Brackenreid's daughter meet his wife.

Started an episode of Riverdale and got sidetracked with work. I'm hoping to finish up soon and maybe see the end of the farmies once and for all. Fingers crossed.

Other than the above, I caught an airing of Grease 2, which is actually one of my all-time favorite movies. I even like it better than the original. I also did a marathon of mystery movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Six Degrees of Separation, book two in the Academy of Light series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, two Academy of Light magicians, have a single passionate encounter after Ramona nearly loses her life to a dragon. But when they navigate their new relationship status, Melick has to step down as Ramona's precept, but neglects to tell her why.

And a preview snippet…

Sawitch saved the day. Melick continued to mull over possibilities to get Ramona engaged in a project a week later. She remained immobile, doing the barest of bare minimum therapy. Melick dropped by daily, but Ramona acted bored and disinterested. Frustrated and frazzled, he'd leave within half an hour.

Master Sawitch stopped him after a particularly brutal silent treatment from Ramona. He had the request for precept change in hand.

"Why should I sign this?" His voice had the growly quality it got when Sawitch didn't like something.

Melick sighed. The guy always made things more difficult than necessary. Melick considered making an excuse, but opted for the truth instead.

"Because I have feelings for Ramona and need to be free to pursue them."

The old man narrowed his eyes. "She feel the same?" He frowned his displeasure.

An image of her face in the throes of passion flashed in his mind. "I don't know. But I can't find out while I'm still bound." He didn't volunteer additional details.

Sawitch pondered for a moment. "You can't find out while she's still in the healing chambers either." The chastising tone grated on Melick.

But the man had a point. "Look. I've tried everything I can think of … short of casting a spell to light a fire under her ass. She won't budge."

Sawitch grew thoughtful. "You know, that dragon is giving the technos a bunch of trouble."

Melick blinked and shook his head. "And why the hell would I care about th—" It hit him. "It's biomechanical." Not his field of expertise, but…

The master's lips twitched. "Your Ramona has an interest, yes?" He quirked a brow.

Melick nodded, chagrined he hadn't thought to check the progress with the dragon. "She certainly does." Finally … a simple solution, one he could make work.

Sawitch lifted the clipboard and signed the transfer request. "I'll start interviewing candidates tomorrow." He started down the corridor.

Melick called him back. "Master Sawitch." The older man stopped. "Why the help? You don't like either one of us."

Sawitch shook his head. "Ramona can be a pain in the ass, but she felled the beast. That took balls." His eyes got a crafty look in them. "And smarts. Always thought she had it in her to be more than flash and flair." Pride crept into his gaze. "She finally proved it."

Melick inclined his head, acknowledging Sawitch's change of heart. "And me?" He almost couldn't wait to hear what altered the master's perception of him.

Sawitch gave Melick a long considering look. "The Mage Superior asked me to think about something the other day."

Melick lifted a brow. "And it involved me?"

Sawitch shook his head. "Not directly, no. It concerned the future of the Academy of Light." He waited a moment, and then continued. "He wondered who I thought would serve it best … once he's gone."

Melick frowned. "I don't understand. He's not going anywhere. Is he?" He couldn't. Not anytime soon.

Sawitch got it. "Not yet. But he will one day and I don't like to admit that fact." He sighed. "The thing is, it made me face the possibility … whether I wanted to or not."

Melick had to give him credit for the admission. "And?"

Sawitch sighed. "I don't like change. But Afton thinks you're the best man for the job." His nose wrinkled, but he didn't dispel the old man's belief. "He also said you'll need someone like Ramona by your side. To keep you in check and to give you a shove when necessary." Sawitch shrugged. "The old man isn't wrong."

Closest thing to admitting Afton had it right and Melick wouldn't get anything better than that. Sawitch, for all intent and purpose, had just given Melick his seal of approval, something he figured he'd have to fight tooth and nail to receive.

Stunned, Melick went with his gut. "I'm not sure how to respond." Once given, Sawitch made sure his support didn't waver. The man held loyalty at the top of his list.

Sawitch snorted. "Yeah, well … don't let it go to your head. You've got a long wait to wear the sage's robes."

Melick didn't argue. He didn't say anything, still shocked by Sawitch's actions.

The master gave him a nudge. "You've also got a prickly female to get motivated. What're you waiting for?"

Melick blinked. "Right. Right. On my way." He turned, resisting the urge to look back, pretty certain the exchange hadn't been an optical illusion.

He wondered if his luck would hold when he visited Ramona.

I'm excited about the Academy of Light series of books I have planned. There will be several others featuring different types of characters and possibly different schools within the academy.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye