Sunday Snippet: Uncommonly Good

Getting a later than usual start on my blog post today. We lost power for about four hours. Finally got some rain after about ten days and the power blips. It's not even storming. Go figure.

Still moving along on my work projects. I'm so excited about the two manuscripts I'm editing. Both are part of a series with two different authors. Can't wait for the rest of the world to see them!

Had a pretty good week of viewing television. I'm still in the midst of the great clean out so not a huge amount, but a few extra hours.

Started the premiere episode of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. So far, I'm loving it. I paused mid-episode mainly because I want to be able to watch uninterrupted.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Quite a good mystery for this one. Thoroughly enjoyed the episode.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. This one had some action, which doesn't happen often.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Classic Who's season twenty-six and I'm looking forward to the finale. Then I have to decide if I'm jumping into New Who or taking a break.

Caught the first half of a Silent Witness two-parter. Intriguing episode with some odd little twists. Looking forward to seeing how it ends.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "The Farm". I have mixed feelings about this episode. Loved the creeptastic look into what the cylons are up to on Caprica. Hated the deeper dive into my most disliked character in the entire series. So, enjoyed watching with my co-watcher but tempered that with knowing what will come later with the most disliked character. Should be doing a double-header next week!

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm very happy to be starting this series from the beginning and working my way through in the established order. This is such a fun watch.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Such a great episode! Things are moving into place, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Caught the first episode of Madam Blanc Mysteries' second season. It's a holiday themed episode and actually quite terrific. I'm kind of wondering if Dom and Caron will be vying for Jean's affections, which I hope won't be the case.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Uncommonly Good, a novella that brings two mages from different sides together under unusual circumstances.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Shelby Fewes and Creed Campanalla have a very friendly rivalry vying for top name in their respective dark and light organizations. When Creed is ordered to eliminate Shelby for retaliation, he makes a different call and the duo have an uncommonly good time proving the two sides can live and love together.

And a preview snippet…

Creed didn't pull his punches. "You've made a huge impression on the light master." And not a good one.

Shelby snorted. "Let me guess. You're supposed to make me go away." She did a slow walk around his living area, fingering the tapestries hanging on the wall.

Creed grunted. "Yeah, but I'm making a different call." Everything in his gut screamed to dig deeper.

Shelby arched her brows. "What? Out of the goodness of your heart?" Her gaze dropped to his groin. "Or maybe you're thinking with some other muscle?" Her lips twisted in a smirk, and she took a seat on the sofa.

Creed frowned. "My attraction for you has nothing to do with my decision. The way you fought in the cage and the conversation I overheard after the shower does." She'd been dealt a terrible hand.

Shelby's mouth thinned. "You eavesdropped?" She leaned back and folded her arms over her chest.

Creed lifted a shoulder. "I planned to duck in and compliment your sense of fair play but saw the dark overling looming over you. And, yes, I stuck around to hear what he had to say."

Shelby shook her head. "And that alone made you change your mind?" Her tone called bullshit.

Creed flung a hand out. "You know what? I was already questioning my orders after the fight. And, okay, more so after the free show you gave, but the clincher is your ten years of servitude. You're what? Twenty-five?" He took up the other end of the couch.

She nodded.

Creed fought the bile rising in his throat. "So, you started serving at fifteen?" Way too young to do the stuff she did.

She narrowed her eyes. "Is there a point to this math lesson?" She cocked her head to one side. "Where are you going with this?"

Creed bit back a sigh. "Yes, there's a point. You started serving before the age of consent. I'm betting ol' Evil Dark didn't give you a choice, did he?" And the dark overling probably didn't share the age limit with Shelby.

Shelby frowned. "Why would he? My mom ODed and owed him a crap ton of money. Someone had to pay her debt."

Creed gnashed his teeth. "Okay, but, by law, you couldn't be held responsible because you were under seventeen. You should've been placed in a neutral haven until you picked a side." He paused. "Have you ever declared fealty to the dark? Or gone through the ceremony?"

Shelby tilted her head to one side pondering. "No. But I signed a contract to pay back my mother's debt."

Creed all but snarled. "A contract you can't be bound to because it breaks about a dozen laws. The dark overling will be lucky if he's not removed from power."

Shelby's eyes widened. "You mean—" She broke off, the full realization of what had been done to her hitting hard. "Oh, hell no." She got up and paced back and forth. "I've been running around maiming and killing at his whim for no damned reason?" Her hands balled into fists. "Fuck that."

Creed got to his feet. "Cut yourself a break. You didn't know, right?" He crossed to a cart and picked up a bottle of alcohol.

Shelby shook her head. "No, no I didn't." She ran a hand through her hair. "I barely had time to process finding my mom before he swooped in and had the contract in my face." She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head back, her eyes shut and her face twisted in pain.

A need to protect her rose unbidden in his mind. He couldn't shake how horribly she'd been wronged.

He poured her a drink and pressed it into her hands then nodded toward the couch. "Why don't we settle in and start at the beginning?"

I love, love, love this story. Creed and Shelby are very well matched even if they're supposed to be on opposite sides.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye