Sunday Snippet: This Is Your Life

Well, April still feels like a mix of winter and summer but not spring. We have hot days then plummet back to cold. I’m hoping May evens it out and we hold steady for a while.

Had a crazy-busy week with work. More projects coming in hot and needing immediate attention. I’m so happy that all of them are absolutely fun and exciting to work on. I love them!

I did have very limited time for viewing this week. I don’t mind the trade off, because I usually have an old standby on in the background like Perry Mason, Columbo, or Murder, She Wrote.

I did finish up Strangest Things and I ended up enjoying the episode.

I also caught another episode in my great rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. This upcoming week, we’re going with a double header to round out season one.

I’ll be starting a new episode of The Mandalorian later tonight.

I also got to listen to my daughter’s radio show. It’s finals week and they get to choose their music. My daughter and her co-DJ picked seventies hits for their time slot. And they made great choices if I do say so. And I do.

That’s pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight’s post is from This Is Your Life, a novella with hex magick playing a role in keeping a couple apart.

Here’s the mini-blurb:

After a harrowing month of captivity in a rival faction's territory, Welch Harrinson can't seem to find his will to keep living. Rina Lewes devises a perfect way to remind Welch why life can be good.

And a preview snippet…

Rina couldn't take it anymore. Welch's distance created a chasm in her heart and soul. She had to find a way to reach him, remind him of their love and passion. Hell, he needed to remember his identity.

She paced back and forth, turning ideas over in her head. The Shringla clan worked some serious hex magic, turning Welch into a shell of his former self. She couldn't counter without knowing the exact incantations their rivals had used, but she might be able to work around the potential traps by nudging Welch down memory lane, rebuilding his knowledge of self and hopefully renewing their bond.

She crossed the floor and picked up the phone, dialing the one person who wanted Welch back as badly as her. His father. For his son, he'd put aside his petty judgments of Rina's lack of bloodline.

She hoped.

He finally picked up on the third ring. "Harrinson's Holistic Health."

She took a deep breath. "Wiggam? It's Rina. Can we meet at the coffee shop?"

Wiggam responded. "Is this about Welch?" He thanked a customer and the bell chimed over the door.

Rina answered simply. "Yes." She wouldn't waste more words.

Wiggam paused a moment. "Give me fifteen minutes to have Shirley come in. I'll be there."

The line disconnected and Rina snorted. "Don't bother asking if I can be there in fifteen." She shook her head. "Someday that man will get a piece of my mind." Grabbing her bag, she shoved the phone inside and exited the cottage.

She'd play very nicely with the elder Harrinson … for now.

The drive passed in a blur, her mind spinning with how to tell Wiggam his son had no clue who they were. And if that old man gave her any kind of shit, she'd lose it. Bad enough Welch didn't appreciate her at the moment. Wiggam never had and probably never would sing her praises.

Her lips quirked. "Not like I'll join the chorus for him either." Making the turn into the parking lot, she cut the engine and dragged in a deep breath. "Nothing for it. Gotta bring my biggest detractor up to speed."

Rina and Wiggam will eventually find some common ground, but it’s not going to be an easy journey. Welch is the glue that will hold them together.

That’s it for this week.

 

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Think Twice

Celebrated my thirty-fourth anniversary this weekend! We had crappy weather, so we brought Chinese home and stayed in for the evening.

Had another busy work week and I'm so thankful the projects are rolling in. Working on a terrific manuscript and I'm so excited to dive into the story. This will be a fun one!

Had a so-so week of viewing television. I'm still focusing on the great cleanup and spent a good amount of time reorganizing and rearranging things in my living room.

I did finish up Wednesday and I enjoy this show so much. I'm excited to see where things go from here.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. The autumn leaves one is fun. I love how much this show still appeals to both kids and adults.

Watched the premier episode of Brokenwood Mysteries season nine. This is another show I have a lot of love for. I miss a few of the original recurring characters but I'm enjoying some of the newer ones. Trudy in particular ends up being fun.

Enjoyed an episode of Endeavor. I'm kind of sad to see Thursday falling in with the new crew. But I'm hoping there might be a twist to this thread. We'll see what happens.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. I'm nearing the end of the classic episodes and I'm happy I did a full rewatch. There are a bunch of episodes I either missed as a kid or completely forgot.

Started a new Silent Witness two-parter. I kind of like seeing Nikki in therapy. Not really sure what's going on with Jack, but he's never boring. Thomas is another one I'm not sure about. His interaction, or lack thereof, with his daughter left a lot to be desired. Clarissa is awesome as always.

Enjoyed another episode of Battlestar Galactica. This is another one of my favorites because Lee Adama steps fully into the role of being a badass.

Also needed some background noise and I ended up watching the Surf Now channel and The Forgotten Coast. Ended up enjoying it a lot.

Started another episode of Strangest Things. Kind of an odd mix of topics with this one, but very interesting so far.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Think Twice, a novella where the characters take two steps forward and one step back more than once with each other.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Judd Millian asks Pru Watson to work with him to take out the evil invading their city, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. But when he wants something more, she's reluctant, unable to commit to an answer. The indecision drives a wedge between them, but Pru won't let Judd get sucked into the worst part of her past.

And a preview snippet…

Pru hesitated before answering. "Because you matter. This is my mess to clean up. I can't deal with something happening to you because of me."

Judd opened his mouth, closed it, swallowed hard then visibly relaxed his stance before he finally spoke. "You do realize you're doing exactly the thing you never wanted me to do, right? You're taking the decision out of my hands and not giving me a choice." He held her gaze, daring her to counter.

And she wanted to. Wanted to deny the truth of his words. But she couldn't because he'd called things exactly right.

Her shoulders slumped. "I do now." She whirled away. "I've been so blind. Because I let my need for revenge and closure consume and drive me to the point of absurdity." She turned back to face Judd. "I don't have to do everything alone. Especially this. The good of all takes priority. I finally understand this." How many times had he pulled her out of the fire.

Going it alone didn't matter because Judd always turned up at the right time.

She needed him for a lot of things, but only one she had confidence to ask about. "I'd like to plan the op together. Can we do that?" Anything else would maybe come later.

Judd tilted his head to one side. "And after?" He didn't spell it out, but what he wanted couldn't be clearer.

She bit her lip, chewing over her response. "I don't know. What I want and what I can have are often two very different things." At least to her brain they were.

Judd shook his head. "They don't have to be. The fact you won't see the difference is a big part of our problem." He sighed. "And honestly, we can plan an op together and maybe get lucky and pull it off, but half the trouble is the constant start, stop, move forward, go back, then dive headlong off a cliff. It's exhausting and it's not healthy for either of us." He started walking back and forth. "I've given you all the space I possibly can. I don't think it's too much to ask to have some kind of assurance that once this is over … we can actually, I don't know, maybe have a conversation about where we go from here and what we want from the future."

She gave a nod. "It's not. Too much I mean. You're asking me to make a decision before we get tangled back up in trying to eliminate the evil running rampant in the city." The idea scared the hell out of her, but he deserved some kind of assurance.

Judd and Pru are on the same side but often at cross purposes. This ended up being a conversation they needed to have.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: That Explains Everything

Had a wild week with several work projects coming in hot and taxiing on the runway. Also had some wild weather, which isn't a big shock. We're supposed to be chilly again sometime next week, which I'm not looking forward to.

Very slow week of viewing. Between the work projects, weather, and an award ceremony for my daughter's university, I didn't get a lot watched.

I did get another episode of Pennyworth watched and, ugh, it kind of broke my heart. The fallout is not going to be pretty, I'm sure.

Watched one my very favorite episodes of Battlestar Galactica with "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down." Seriously, the acting in this episode is beyond stellar. The dinner party from hell has to be one of the funniest scenes in the entire series, which okay, might not be saying much because the subject matter of the series isn't always open to humor. But kudos to the writers for working it in whenever they could.

I also started a new episode of Wednesday and I'm definitely settling in and enjoying the wild ride. The snark is top notch and Wednesday's quest to find answers that keeps generating more questions intrigues me. I love this show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from That Explains Everything, a novella that puts the characters in a precarious situation with a master manipulator.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tasha Yale wants Brax Vermillion but can't seem to break her connection to Staz Yarrow—until she's taken by Lanai Conns. Finally aware of the nefarious machinations, Tasha fights to get back to her clan and Brax … before it's too late.

And a preview snippet…

Tasha woke up after spending a full week with Staz being home. "He hasn't mentioned when he'll have to leave this time." Oddly, she looked forward to him going out again.

Brax probably played a role there. The desire for Staz to stay grew weaker with each passing day and the pull to see Brax nosed in hard. Usually, she dreaded letting Staz go, hence the reason they tended to fight before he headed out for a tracking excursion.

She got up to make coffee, refusing to think too hard about the reason she wouldn't put up a big fuss when Staz took off again, which would no doubt be soon.

She entered the kitchen and found Staz pouring two mugs of liquid manna.

Her heart softened a little. "Thanks, you didn't have to do this." He rarely did anything domestic around the cottage—unless he had to leave early.

Only then did he take over coffee duty.

Staz gave her an odd smile. "I know, but you do so much for me, and I don't always show you how much I appreciate it." He backed up to lean against the counter.

She tilted her head to one side for a moment then gave him a long, considering look. Maybe they'd get through a farewell without arguing, for once. Might be a first for them.

She straightened and took a bracing gulp of the brew. "It's so sweet of you." She pulled eggs from the fridge and got breakfast started, putting four slices of bread in the toaster.

Halfway through cooking, her fingers grew tingly. She put the spatula aside and flexed her hands. When she reached for the utensil again, the room grew fuzzy and her ears had a roaring sound in them.

She turned. "Staz?" Her vision swam and she got dizzy. "There's something..." She collapsed, barely able to stay conscious.

Staz crouched down, leaning in close to her. "The only wrong is your boyfriend Brax won't be seeing you today." He dragged her to the door before picking her up and hoisting her over his shoulder. "I can't believe you've been sleeping with him. Ruined the plan, you stupid bitch." Nudging the heavy oak slab open, he carried her to his car.

Her last thought focused on Brax before the full extent of how duped she'd been hit her hard.

Tasha's situation is going to hit hard when she finally regains consciousness. And Staz will have some explaining to do.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliances (a Technorati novella)

Happy spring holidays for those who celebrate. We're having a nice, quiet weekend with excellent weather for once.

Long work week but I got a lot accomplished. Should have one of my projects finished up this week and another ready to move on to the next phase. The third is in a holding pattern for now and we'll pick that one back up in about two weeks.

Had an okay week of watching television. I've also been working on the great clean out project again and that limited some of my viewing time.

I started out with Strangest Things. This show always entertains me with the wild and weird stuff they feature. The psychograph shed some light on at least one X-Files storyline for me.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Flesh and Bone." The reintroduction of the Leoben character is an excellent watch, even if I completely dislike that particular model of cylon. The acting is terrific in this episode.

Caught another episode of The Mandalorian. Nice to see the big bad from last season is still a big bad. Always great to see Carl Weathers. Loved Grogu's antics in this one. Can't wait to watch the next episode.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Loved seeing the fan crew again. Not sure how I feel about bringing Jan back into the story but I'm thoroughly enjoying the new wrinkle with Oliver and Teddy. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Shaken Alliances, the opening book in the Technorati series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And a preview snippet…

The chancellor of the Alliance stepped up to the podium. "On this defining day, let it be known that the Guild of Technomancers will forthwith be in league with the Alliance, acting as mediators and part of the executive branch." He paused and looked out at the crowd below then directly toward the hololens filming his speech and sending it out among the coalition of planets. "Welcome to the golden age of the Alliance!"

The crowd roared and the chancellor melted back into the shadows before entering his chambers. Satisfaction infused him and he nodded to Rennick, the junior delegate from the guild. Rennick lifted his chin and gave the chancellor a long, level look before turning to exit for his journey back to wherever technomancers gathered.

And so it went. A very powerful, but peaceful group signed on the dotted line and sold themselves out. The technomancers let the Alliance dictate how they'd use their talents, let the galactic force put restrictions on their abilities. The thought behind it was pure. If they could provide assistance and help forge peace where there none existed, how could that be bad?

After all, the chief tenet of the guild, learned as soon as the ability manifested, hadn't changed in eons. Bring harm to none.

But the concept of brokering peace altered over the years to protecting the Alliance and making things run smoothly for the galactic entity at all costs.

The guild's goodwill became a travesty and had to be stopped. A rift formed and an underground movement started with the formation of the Technorati. The Alliance made moves to halt the progress, tightened up their hold on the guild and forbade them from practicing outside the influence of their keepers.

Some fell in and towed the line. But a few others walked away and chose their own path. They refused to be held to someone else's standard. They went out and honed their craft, experimented, tested boundaries, and completely broke free.

The small group of Technorati became the hunted. Tracked down at any cost and offered a choice. Come back into the fold or suffer the consequences. Most chose to stay as they were. Some dodged the bullet by escaping or going deeper into hiding. Those on the inside that wanted to be free got assistance from the rogue group. They were smuggled out and provided for until they got on their feet.

More and more of the technomancers started to escape and the Alliance formed a new division. One created to put a stop to the exodus.

Being hunted by their own people made breaking the bonds of servitude more difficult...

But not impossible.

I'm excited by the way this story is coming together. I think I figured out how I want to leave things before I start book two.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Tantalizing Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

An interesting start to April with howling winds and a kaleidoscope of weather. We got a mix of pretty much everything. Rain, flurries, high wind advisory, and temperatures all over the place.

Solid week of editing. I have three projects that are moving forward at a great pace. I'm looking forward to getting these completed.

Had a decent week of television. I'm not quite back to my full rotation but I've been writing a lot more and that's not a bad thing.

Caught another episode of Wednesday. I love the lore and world building in this show. Didn't know if I'd like having Wednesday at the center of a prophecy but I like where things are going at the moment.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Always fun to catch a couple that don't always make the rotation of encores.

Enjoyed the finale of Midsomer Murders. I kind of miss when they did six to eight episodes per season, but the four we have this time around are all excellent.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Six Degress of Separation." This episode has so many great one-liners with two coming from Doc Cottle. Seriously, it's hard to top the writing and acting in this show.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice and it ended up being a bit of a doozy. I think I have five episodes left of this series and a lot is supposed to happen. Not sure I'm quite ready for it.

Watched another episode of Classic Who. I'm nearing the end of this season and I'm not sure where things are going with this arc, but I'm excited to find out.

Started the second half of Silent Witness. Nikki just can't catch a break. I'm quite interested in finding out where the twists are leading. Update next week on this.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from A Tantalizing Yule, a holiday spirit short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

During the Yule season, Ginger Radiance, a holiday spirit, has to get Regina Royal, a sexy sprite, under the same roof with Fakhir Frenum, a studly spook. The two have a clash of wills, creating a massive snowstorm that leaves them stranded … plenty of time to let the holiday work its magick on the wary enemies.

And a preview snippet…

Regina Royal flopped down on her sofa. "Argh, no, I can't. I really can't." She crossed her fingers to negate the little bitty lie she just told.

She literally could not do another party. She needed a break and maybe some quiet time. And none of her sprite community would understand she didn't crave being the life of the party all the time.

Regina sighed. "No, no. I'm not going to Swell's shindig over yours." Swell Harrington, a fellow sprite, threw the best soirees, which irritated Harley Knowles to no end. "Look, Harley, it's been nonstop happenings since All Souls. Even I need a night off now and again." And how. "Yes, Harley, I'll make your next get together. I promise." She ended the call.

Never let it be said Regina Royal didn't commit to being the queen of all things fun. But someone—anyone else—deserved to have a moment in the spotlight. Because I'm exhausted.

So exhausted.

And quite frankly a little worried about her lack of spirit. Then again, no one ever asked after her. They didn't wonder if she'd had a good day, week, or month. Nope. Everyone called on Regina to liven up their lives. Honestly, considering she spent the bulk of her time being surrounded by so many people, she shouldn't feel so lonely.

Her phone rang again, and she refused to answer. No doubt another sprite wanted her to put in an appearance.

"How did I get to be the go-to person for party cred?"

Okay, stupid question. Her antics were legendary. But, geez, couldn't someone else dance on tables and drink cocktails out of a pair of heels?

"Not like I've got a moratorium on creativity."

Swell came close. But if he didn't host the fete, he tended to be the snark master instead of a fun guy.

Her head lolled back on the cushion, and she heaved a sigh. Her phone's notification went off again. She muted the volume.

"Argh, this is crazy!" The air shifted around her directly before her doorbell rang.

Rising, she went to answer and discovered what caused the ripple in reality. An envelope hovered outside. She grabbed the packet and opened it … almost afraid to find yet another invitation to yet another party.

"Ohh … not a party…" She scanned the parchment-lined card.

When you need a break from the endless balls…

But you can't escape the next round of calls.

Pack your bags and slip away…

For a solitary soiree.

To make the holiday shine bright…

Slip through the veil after midnight.

The mysterious sender provided the location of the Goodacre Bed and Breakfast with instructions to arrive later that night.

Thrilled beyond belief, Regina got just what she needed. "Oh, hell, yes. This is perfect." She got up and headed for her bedroom. "Won't need much. I have no one to impress…" And she loved the idea of packing light.

This story is a lot of fun. There might be a name change for one of the characters, but I love the vibe of this group.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye