Sunday Snippet: Casting Spells (a Lantern Jack tale)

Geez. I can't believe January is almost over. It's been a month. Hell, it's been a year and we're only through the first month. Heh.

Had a crazy-busy work week and I'm so thrilled! Several new projects are in my calendar and I'm moving full steam ahead on my new venture. Truly hoping I'll have it ready to launch in the next few weeks.

Solid week of viewing. Didn't quite make it through my full list of shows, but the new work projects are taking priority and I'm totally okay with that.

Started with My Life Is Murder. So much fun to see Renee O'Connor acting with Lucy Lawless again. A great episode.

Enjoyed another Agatha Raisin episode. Nice to have James back even though I have a feeling he won't be a permanent fixture. The episode ended on a cliffhanger so I'm looking forward to picking back up this week.

Watched the first of a two-part Silent Witness. The tension building in this episode ended up being excellent. I'm a bit disappointed in Nikki's story thread. The student seriously screamed creepy stalker from the first moment he popped up on screen. I have a very sneaking suspicion he did something and if true, I really want a major repercussion. I'm also hoping like hell Jack's family isn't going to be smaller by the end of the next episode.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise and had seen bits and pieces of this one. So glad I got to watch the whole thing. I like getting backstory for the island cast.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. Kind of loved Sherlock sort of being there for Watson at the end. The dynamic between the two characters is fun to watch. Getting a glimpse of Jane's backstory is also nice. Makes me wonder about the lawyer guy though. I'm not a fan of fast and loose storytelling.

Started season two of The Batman. I remember being so disappointed they changed the theme song. I do rather like the introduction of Batgirl.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Loved this the first time it aired and thoroughly enjoyed again. So much fun.

Starting my viewing schedule over again. The Secret Life of Amy Benson, VIP, and Battlestar Galactica will hopefully get a watch this week. I also need to pick back up with Peak Practice in the near future.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Casting Spells, a Lantern Jack novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

The Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. Celia Carmichael is overwhelmed by her new role as coven head and she's determined to learn all she can about the familiar who chose her, the cat named Haven. Nyx Nolan is on a mission to discover where the remains of his ancestor, the former leader of the warden of warlocks is buried. The man disappeared over a century ago and left a signet ring and a photo for Nyx as the only clue to his whereabouts. Celia and Nyx discover their histories are entwined and they have the power to lay the animosity between the witches and the warlocks to rest.

And a preview snippet…

Nyx Nolan issued a terse demand into his phone. "Buy the company. They won't get a better offer." He'd doubled the asking price.

His warden hovered on the brink of financial collapse. Nyx had a golden touch but the other warlocks weren't as naturally gifted. The warden's resources had dwindled over the last several generations.

Nyx snorted. "My father hasn't helped." The man's proclivities were legendary, and his generation spent faster than they acquired.

Wresting control hadn't been easy, but Nyx had a window of opportunity to prove he had the stones to lead.

"It would be easier if I didn't meet with opposition on every front." Or some lame mystery to solve.

He fingered the packet delivered by special courier this morning. A quick spell cast revealed layers of protective magick with a blood connection. So, a relative would somehow be involved.

But how? "Maybe one of my ancestors had a vision?" He couldn't think of anything else to explain the mysterious package. "Only one way to find out." He buzzed his admin, Benoit Lethgate. "No disturbances until further notice. That includes my father." Nyx did not want to deal with his dad's issues today.

Benoit gave his assurance. "I understand, Mr. Nolan. You can be sure if anyone gets past me, I'm either dead or dying."

Nyx thanked the admin and signed off, chuckling at the Mr. Nolan bit. Nolan grew up with Benoit and their friendship went back to their childhood. He couldn't imagine a better person to have his back.

Nolan also took Benoit at his word. The physically imposing man would not let anyone near Nyx until he gave the word. The former linebacker didn't lack physical prowess, not at six-three and one hundred ninety pounds, and he had a strong handle on spellcasting. A veritable army wouldn't get by the beefy man.

Benoit often acted as a bodyguard when Nyx traveled, which tended to not be necessary, but the man's presence often saved time and hassle. Other fae beings usually thought twice about testing Benoit's patience. And that gave Nyx time to do what he needed.

Nyx spent several hours getting through the protective bindings of the package. When the final seal lifted, he opened the box to find a signet ring with an enclosed photo of a manor house along with a note.

 

Seek information … knowledge will come.

Find the manor house … clues to the past.

Take no one else … travel from your home.

Reveal the secret … find truth at last.

 

Answers to the past were a priority for Nyx. He needed to know why the fortunes of the warlocks turned terrible. Had they been cursed? Hexed? And, if so, why?

He got up and crossed his office, pulling the door open. "Benoit, I'm going to need you to run interference for me." And maybe not ask any questions.

Benoit narrowed his eyes, studying Nyx for a long moment, then gave an emphatic nod. "Whatever you need, boss."

The Lantern Jack tales are so much fun to write. I love weaving in Jack's back story with the current issues the main couples face.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Calamity of Chaos (a Chaos novella)

Still bitterly cold in Ohio, but by midweek, we'll see high forties and low fifties and lots of rain. We're going to have a lot of sick people in the near future. The back-and-forth weather is horrible for keeping folks healthy.

Busy work week again, which I'm so thankful for. I'm also working on my new venture and should have news soon. I'm hoping by February.

Decent viewing week. I didn't quite make a full run-through of all my shows, but I got very close.

Started with My Life Is Murder again. Very interesting episode with some fun backstory. I love getting more information about the characters.

Watched a holiday episode of Agatha Raisin. This one kicked off season four and it ended up being a lot of fun. I loved the mix of characters.

Finally continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with the feature of Razor. We had to backtrack a little to pick up with this one. I'd forgotten how much I loved Lee in this special feature.

Caught an episode of Silent Witness, which finished up a two-parter. I feel for Jack, and I loved getting some more details about his family. I feel for what Ryan's been through, but I'm glad Jack is finished covering for his brother.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. This is another episode I didn't get to see, and I quite enjoyed following the clues. Looking forward to another episode

Enjoyed another episode of Elementary. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Also loved Joan trying to find Sherlock a sponsor and him not quite being able to just say he doesn't want her to leave at the end of her contract.

Caught the final episode of The Batman season one. Excellent finale with three of the big bads trying to unmask Batman. Also loved the introduction of Commissioner Gordon. Looking forward to starting season two.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both vignettes were ones I didn't remember so nice to have something new to me.

Started season two of The Secret Life of Amy Benson and rather liked the first episode. I'm a little curious how much book detail is being left out, but I don't think it takes away from what we're seeing.

Also started an episode of VIP but didn't get to finish it. I'm not even sure what's going on yet.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Calamity of Chaos, a Chaos novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

Esme and Ashton embark on a trip to America, on the trail of their nemesis's partner. Calamity ensues when they stumble upon a dastardly plot to keep them from returning home.

And a preview snippet…

Ash pulled Eric aside. "You're absolutely certain you won't join us?" He could delay the launch by a day.

Eric shook his head. "You've been asking me that for the past week. I'm not going to change my mind." He crossed the hangar and retrieved a bag from the pile being loaded into the ship's hull. "Besides, someone has to hold down the estate." His gaze drifted to the woman standing next to Esme. "And I won't leave Bonnie. Not until Mobride is no longer a threat."

Ash didn't blame Eric. Bonnie Lancaster risked her life to help Eric and saved Ash in the process. Eric found himself a stellar woman. The fact that Mobride used to abuse her during his brothel visits made her role in his downfall particularly contentious.

Eric stooped down and unlaced the top of the bag. "I do, however, have a couple of gifts for you. Already showed Del how they work." Reaching inside, he withdrew a rectangular slab. "This detects Olympus and will give a reading on how refined the ore is." He nodded toward the canvas satchel. "There's one for you, Del, Esme, and Smithers." He bent down again. "I also have something that might save time if you need to reach us over here." Holding a large box-shaped item, he opened the hinged top. "You'll need refined ore and a wide-open space, preferably someplace high up, to operate this device. The Olympus gives it a long range and I have the matching device in the carriage house." He tucked the communicator back inside the bag and refastened the laces.

Ash huffed out a breath. "You never cease to amaze. What else is in there?" He nodded toward the duffel.

Eric's lips twitched. "Some odds and ends. Del can fill you in." Rising, he jerked his head toward the rest of the group. "Let's get you guys boarded. Then I'm going to get Bonnie home and settled in." He started toward the others.

Ash fell into step beside Eric. "Does that communicator work both ways? Can you contact us if needed?" Moving Bonnie to the estate should afford the most protection, but Ash didn't count Mobride completely out.

Eric's lips curved. "Probably." His gaze darkened. "But I added some perimeter defenses to the estate, so I rather doubt we'll need to get ahold of you."

Ash chuckled. "I should've known you'd have things well in hand."

I'm having a lot of fun with this series. I'm not going full-on steampunk but I hope the vibe is there.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Broken Down and Maxed Out

Brrrr. It's cold outside. Thankfully, we only lost power once during the first gusty windstorm and didn't lose it all while the wind howled over the last three days. And I can live with a couple of inches of snow. Not a huge fan of temperatures in the teens but layers help when I have to take the dogs out.

Had a super-busy work week and I'm thrilled to have my calendar filling up with projects. I like to stay steady because it keeps me motivated and focused. When I have too much free time I get lost in a haze.

Not a bad week for viewing. I made a full circuit through my regular shows minus the rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. The power blip caused a delay there.

Started the week with My Life Is Murder and enjoyed the episode. The mystery ended up being pretty decent.

Caught the second half of Agatha Raisin and thoroughly enjoyed. The cast really hits on all cylinders and even though I miss James, I love the vibe of these characters.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. I'm kind of happy to see Jack's familial issues. His brother is a piece of work and I'm interested to see where things go with him. Rather like the new colleague. Looking forward to seeing how she fits in.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I didn't really remember this one so I enjoyed it. Fun to see the commissioner on the suspect board.

Caught another episode of Elementary and quite liked the way Sherlock ended up being on the outs with both Joan and the captain. Fun episode.

Enjoyed another episode of The Batman. I'm nearing the end of the first season and all the players are established for the most part. And the episodes are holding up fairly well.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. I didn't remember either of the vignettes so really enjoyed watching both.

Finished out the first season of The Secret Life of Amy Benson. I'm intrigued and interested in how things are going to play out in the next season, which I'll probably start this week.

Also managed to finish the episode of VIP that I started last week. Looking forward to a new one this week if time permits.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Broken Down and Maxed Out, a novella that explores what happens when a couple hits their wall of limitation at the same time.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Dallas Kirk and Rafe Quinoza, two top agents in the Ministry of Magickal Defense, are broken down and maxed out they turn to each other to regroup and recharge. But when they reach their saturation point at the same time, they struggle to keep their connection strong, which is difficult when they blame themselves for a mission gone wrong.

And a preview snippet…

Rafe waited until Dallas healed completely then drifted off for a few hours. He woke up just before dawn and wondered what had happened the previous night.

His hand skimmed her torso, and his mind absorbed the details. "Shit, Marjam had backup." Did I miss a key piece of information?

Dallas could've handled Calla on her own. But the monstrous mercenary gave her a big hurdle to overcome before she could get to Marjam. The guy looked like he ate steroids for each meal … and he had a familiar face.

Rafe grunted when the name came to him. "Hank Willem. Nasty piece of work." And very expensive.

How the hell could Marjam Calla afford Willem's fee?

A question for another time. After Rafe got rid of the images scrolling through his brain. Willem worked Dallas over pretty hard. The asshole had his hands around her throat more than once and used hellfire to keep her busy while Calla tried to escape.

But Dallas prepped in advance and had the warehouse sealed off. Which meant she couldn't call in for help. She'd finally used a sage bomb to subdue Willem then went after Marjam. He didn't go down without a fight, flinging whatever he had close at hand in Dallas's path. He'd clocked her with a trailer awning and left a line of abrasions on her jaw. Then he finally got backed into a corner, giving Dallas a chance to get him cuffed and controlled.

She took Calla out to the SUV and returned for Willem only to find he'd managed to escape the sage containment field.

Dallas woke up and met his gaze. "You know what happened?" She rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand. "Should've used salt to trap the huge goon Calla had covering his ass." She frowned.

Rafe lifted his chin. "His name's Hank Willem. A nasty merc that's way above Marjam's ability to compensate." There had to be another player in the background.

Dallas grunted. "That's what I thought, too." She narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't we know about him?" She waited a moment. "Unless we have a breach in the ministry."

Rafe shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean anything's possible, but I'd guess Willem was a last-minute addition. My information said Calla would be alone." His gut twisted. "You think this is on me?"

Dallas rolled her shoulder. "No, I don't blame you. I'm pissed because I walked into a trap and set myself up to fail by warding the warehouse and cutting communication. Not my idea of fun to battle a huge hulking bruiser only to have him escape." She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Not to mention making me have to mess with my hair." Sliding to the edge of the bed, she stood and headed for the bathroom.

Rafe tracked her movement, getting a look at the uneven and ragged edges of her hairline. "I'll call Adam and let him know you'll be in later than expected." He reached for his phone and dialed their direct superior.

I love how this story is coming together. Rafe and Dallas are pulled right to the edge and it's fun to write that angle.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Broken Arrow

Well, January in Ohio has been the usual weird warm one day, cool the next, and hey, let's throw some snow into the mix. It's not a lot of snow, but it's enough to be annoying until we get the first really good blanket of the white stuff.

Solid work week. I had a bunch of projects going and added a few to my calendar. I'm kind of excited to be delving into some new territory. I also got a lot done on my new venture and updating my website, which is very much needed. I've neglected it for far too long.

Had a decent week of television. Didn't quite make it through every show, but I got most of my current slate watched.

Stared the week with My Life Is Murder and kind of liked seeing a bit of Alexa's past even if her friend ended up being the culprit.

Caught the first part of a two-part Agatha Raisin. Enjoyed it for the most part. I'm not a fan of the whole lack of progress with Bill and Toni, but I loved having Roy back.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness and I'm disappointed they lost Adam after a handful of episodes. What a twist though.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise, starting the fifth season. I'm very much enjoying being able to watch all the episodes in chronological order.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I kind of like the lack of boundaries and the need to establish them. This episode kind of brought that idea home in a big way.

Caught another episode of The Batman. "Grundy's Night" ended up being so much fun and it's one I didn't quite remember from my original run through.

Watched another Classic Rugrats. I actually didn't remember either of these, so it was fun to watch.

Finally, started a new episode of The Secret Life of Amy Benson. I'm enjoying this series, but I also feel like a lot is being left off the screen. Probably the biggest fallback when adapting books for viewing. That said, I love that Passionflix is doing this. So many books to choose from and they've chosen some of the very best.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Broken Arrow, a novella that explores the relationship between a couple dealing with a limiting experience.

Here's the miniblurb:

Cailin Berg is a broken arrow, a mage suffering from a crippling experience who can no longer use their skills, and she wants to find a way back to her practice. Phelps Morlach can't give her any answers, but he will offer whatever assistance he can provide … especially since he holds some of the responsibility for Cailin's predicament.

And a preview snippet…

Phelps got another book from the pile sitting on his desk. "There has to be an answer here." He'd spent the past month studying possibilities for Cailin's dream and potential reasons for her appearance through a portal with no memory.

The obvious reason hit hard. "She could be a darkling." And wouldn't that suck.

Darklings tended to walk a shadowy path whether they wanted to or not. The pull to use the black arts often overcame the ability to cause no harm with magick. Anything damaging would make steep deposits in the negative column of karma.

Phelps dug into his research on darklings and made notes for an hour before putting that tome aside and grabbing another.

He heaved a sigh and started a new section on his notepad. "Maybe she's a changeling…" Which could explain the big gap in her memory.

Changlings were often blank slates waiting for direction. Cailin's dreams could be prophetic of things to come or a warning of what to avoid. The not knowing part about her past made reaching a conclusion difficult. But the lack of memory could also be part of the journey. Cailin would be able to choose what road she wanted to travel if she had the changling gene.

His heart leaned in the direction he wanted it to go, and he spent the next few hours poring over passages filled with information about other changlings and how they navigated their course. A lot of the descriptions fit Cailin's set of circumstances. Hope reared itself like a bright, shiny beacon, and Phelps gave himself permission to revel in the possibilities for the future.

But he didn't spend too much time in that happy place.

Because there could be one additional explanation for Cailin's troubles.

He put the books back on the shelf and retrieved a carton filled to the brim. "She could be carrying a curse, which might also explain a lot." Setting the box on the table, he started digging through the books, leaflets, and handwritten journals.

He picked a few different works. Curses, hexes, and bedevilments would be his topic of research for the next day. Right now, he needed to get some sleep, or he wouldn't be able to work with a clear head. Placing everything he'd need in a neat arrangement he got up and headed for his bedroom.

After crawling between the sheets, he let his mind drift to the edge of the city and a bar called the Houndstooth. Cailin would probably be finishing her shift and getting ready to head to the Shanty soon. Turning to his side, he ached with the knowledge of where she'd landed. He'd known her whereabouts within the first day after she'd left.

But … he kept his distance. She had to find her truth. Until he had something to offer in the way of assistance, he'd leave her on her own.

Even if the idea kicked him in the gut.

 I love how this story is coming together. Phelps is a great character to write.

 

That's it for this week.

 Cheers!

 Skye