Sunday Snippet: Whatever It Takes

Wow, August kind of flew by. I'm always amazed how fast the week slips away, which probably means I need to go outside and get some grounding time in. I'm going to blink, and it'll be the holiday season. Just saying. Maybe I'll moon watch this week with the blue supermoon happening.

Had a busy work week. I'm finishing up an extended project and working on a new manuscript copy edit. Also gearing up for a new developmental edit and a new manuscript assessment in September. Looking forward to working on new books in these two series.

Had a decent week of viewing television. I still haven't watched the final episode of Peak Practice season nine. I needed good vibes this week and didn't want anything to bum my mojo.

I actually caught two episodes of Suspects. I finished out the first season and started season two. The second season is four episodes but they're both two-parters. Looking forward to seeing what happens. I'm a bit bummed that I can't watch all five seasons of this show … unless they become available on the streamer I'm currently using.

Finished the first season of Cannes Confidential. My choice for the big bad was correct and that makes me happy. I'm so hoping there will be a second season of this show.

Caught the second half of Silent Witness's two-parter. Ended up enjoying the twists this one took. A great cast of guest stars really added to the storyline.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. This show makes me happy, which might seem weird because it's always about a murder. The cast is amazing and that's why I love it.

I'm on the fence with Fantasy Island. I enjoyed the episode but I'm not here for having angst solely for the sake of having angst. No thanks. We'll see how the season ends.

Finally continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. "Sacrifices" ended up being such an interesting episode even if it shortchanged a couple of characters. One of the critiques I have about this show is not digging into the storylines when they should have. The previously on Battlestar Galactica does a lot of heavy lifting in seasons two through four and it's not necessarily a good thing.

Watched another episode of The Batman. This one introduced Penguin and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this episode.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Aunt Miriam made another appearance as did the McNulty's.

Restarted the Agatha Christie Hour and enjoyed the episode. I have one episode left in this series and then I'll have to decide if I want to dive into another Christie series or find something new.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Whatever It Takes, a novella that puts a couple on a treacherous path to find their version of happily ever after.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lysanor Bela runs the gauntlet and while she survives the experience, it messes with her mind. She has a vision of killing Baron Saltman—and gauntlet revelations are never wrong. Lys will do whatever it takes to keep Baron alive as long as possible—even if it means walking away from their relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Something's wrong. Lys should have finished by now.

Baron backed up and glanced at the timer. "She's been in there too long." Longer than anyone else to date.

He kept the comment under his breath. He wouldn't disturb the watchers. They had a job to do and didn't need to be distracted … again. Magheen's interruption earlier only drew the attention of one other, so Lys wouldn't suffer any penalties.

If only his mind seek had worked, he'd have a better idea of what might be going on with Lysanor. The unease of not being able to pinpoint what troubled him didn't sit well. He'd never been blocked before.

Ready to call an end to the test and send a team to pull her out, he hesitated. Lys would be crushed if he stepped in. She had worked and trained hard to get her shot at the gauntlet. If she failed, she'd lose her status and rank within the realm. Earning another chance wouldn't be easy, but Lys would do it … if only to be by his side.

She had the skill to be a master in the magedom. And her intuition rarely missed the mark. Discovering her path would put them one step closer to the vision he had of their future.

So, he waited. "Gotta give her time. At least a little more." He couldn't let her stay in much longer.

Because he couldn't lose her.

Too much time in the gauntlet could be fatal. The exertion needed to get through coupled with the mental stamina required sometimes wreaked havoc on the central nervous system. And while most recovered, a rare few had permanent damage. He wouldn't risk that with Lysanor.

He grabbed the handheld receiver. "Give her five more minutes then send in the med techs." Hanging up, he ignored the raised eyebrows of the other three people in the viewing room.

They couldn't hold his decision against Lysanor. If she made it out, the watchers could chalk his caution up to an overreaction on his end. But he'd rather err on the safe side and have a team ready and waiting.

Curling his fingers into his palms, he exhaled slowly. "Come on, Lys. Cross back through." And do it soon…

I like the way this story is coming together. Lysanor and Baron have a battle ahead of them and the fight will be worth it.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye