Sunday Snippet: Elemental Healing (a Lantern Jack tale)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. For everyone else, I hope your weekend is rocking with good vibes!

We got some terrific news this week. My youngest, who will graduate from university in May, got accepted into grad school! She's so excited and will have a Master of Arts Administration when she finishes.

Had a fairly busy week with work projects. Discovered one ended up with a corrupted file and had to fix some weird, random code that inserted itself into the file. What a pain!

Decent week of viewing television. I'll admit some was mainly background noise while I worked on editing. But not bad overall.

Ended up getting two episodes of The Batman in this week. Enjoyed both and should be on track to catch another one this week.

Also caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Weirdly, I remember two but from different episodes. They always did two per show and I distinctly remember one from each of the episodes I watched. Weird.

Watched another episode of My Life Is Murder and, once again, enjoyed it. Dueling bakers isn't something I would normally think of as a premise for murder.

Enjoyed another episode of Midsomer Murders. I have one left for this season and then it's time to wait for more again. Good thing there are plenty of other mysteries to keep me occupied.

Started the new season of Silent Witness. Another new face or two for this season and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting this season.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. We're getting closer to Humphrey's exit and Jack's entrance. I'll be able to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. The new vibe between Holmes and Watson is fun. I'm enjoying a slightly softer version of Sherlock.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I skipped one because I really didn't care one bit about the whole saga of Andrew and Kate. But it's interesting that Will is back. Should be a wild ride.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Elemental Healing, a Lantern Jack tale.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. Erica Ellis is a fire demon whose powers are going out of control. She needs intervention and an ancient ritual could save her from harming others. Perth Pettigrew is a mystic knight and knows the old rites. Too bad he's no longer using his gift. It's up to Lantern Jack to bring the two together for some elemental healing.

And a preview snippet…

Erica woke up, thankfully still numb. A full bottle of liquor knocked her back a few hours. She might have to grab more to be safe.

She blinked away the sleep them jolted upright. "What the hell?" An ugly carved pumpkin took up space on the nightstand.

It greeted her. "Hello, I go by Jack."

She rubbed her eyes. "Huh, you're new." She glanced around. "Did Blenden bring you?" Who else could've entered her studio apartment while she slept.

Her low-simmering anger faded. He'd never brought her anything before. If a weird gourd could count as a gift.

Jack tsked. "Blenden didn't bring me. But I am here to help you."

She laughed. "Oh, sure. A creepy jack-o-lantern is going to help me. Right." How, exactly, did the plant think it could assist her?

Jack responded. "You can doubt all you want, but I'm your only hope."

Seriously? Maybe she wouldn't plan on drinking whiskey anymore. Clearly, the potent alcohol had her hallucinating. And gave her a raging headache.

Erica groaned. "I'm talking to a damned pumpkin." She got up on wobbly legs and started for the small bathroom. "What do you know about me anyway?"

Jack filled her in. "I know you're out of control and losing your grip on your ability more with each passing day. How bad do you think it'll be on All Hallows?"

Erica paused then sat down. Hard.

She raked a hand through her hair. "Shit. I didn't even think about that." And she should have.

Jack pushed her. "You need to."

Erica sighed. "If Blenden hadn't bailed, this wouldn't be a problem." Why did her mentor leave her high and dry, especially so close to All Hallows?

Jack made a noncommittal reply. "Maybe he didn't bail. Maybe he did. Either way, you have to step up and decide what to do."

Erica huffed out a breath. "Right because that's so easy to do." She inhaled slowly, trying to find her center. "Fine. Got any suggestions?"

Jack chuckled. "You won't like it."

At this point, Erica didn't care. "I don't enjoy drinking myself to an early death either." And she really hated the idea of being anywhere near as drunk as she'd need to be on All Hallows in order to not hurt anyone.

Jack replied. "There's a place—a rock quarry—about an hour's drive from here. If you go out of control, there's not much you can burn down out there."

Erika considered the idea. Safer to be away from people until—hell, better make that if—she got her ability under control. But she could use help. She didn't want to live at a quarry for the rest of her days.

She eyed the pumpkin. "What about Blenden? If he comes back, he won't know where to find me." She didn't want to believe the grizzled, old demon abandoned her.

Jack made a sound of frustration. "Maybe someone else will show you the way. You can't count on an old fire demon."

Right. As if someone else is going to leap to my aid. Erica had a brief thought about the handsome mystic knight. Too bad he needed an attitude adjustment.

Which led her back to Matchick. "Blenden's the only one who gave a shit. No one else gives a damn about helping me transition."

Jack sighed. "I'm not saying he didn't care. I'm saying he's old and maybe unable to help anymore."

Is that why he hasn't been around lately?

Erica growled on an angry breath. "Fine. But if I have to camp out, I'm not going." She couldn't do tents for obvious reasons.

Jack's face twisted. "There's a small building the foreman used to stay in. It's cinder block so you can't damage it too much."

Erica snorted. "Gee, thanks for the confidence." And why did she feel insulted by a pumpkin?

Jack smirked. "Do you want directions or not?"

Erica got up and started gathering stuff to pack. "Not like I have any other options."

I have so much fun writing the Lantern Jack tales. This one is a little tricky but I'm enjoying it.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dawn of the Sun

Ohio weather is tripping on some kind of psychedelic drug right now. We're in our third winter at the moment, so hopefully actual spring will happen in about two weeks. Of course, we'll have to give or take a month because who knows how long the state will be under the influence.

Had a crazy week of work, a mom crisis mode occurrence, and of course the weird weather, which wreaks havoc on my sinuses.

I didn't get much television watched this week. Too many things going on to really pay attention to my shows.

I did get an episode of Death in Paradise watched and enjoyed it. I hadn't seen any of this one and ended up really liking the mystery.

I also started an episode of Elementary and should finish it up today. I love the fun dynamic of Holmes and Watson after last week's near miss with Watson's life.

Other than that, I might be back on track this week, but I won't hold my breath. My brain is doing weird things and having a very hard time staying focused on more than one thing at a time. It's driving me batshit.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dawn of the Sun, a novella that launches a couple on a journey to save their people.

Here's the miniblurb:

Apollo and Aurora aren't supposed to get together, but the Universe has other ideas. When everything starts to go sideways, two mortals personify the ancient deities and balance is restored.

And a preview snippet…

Alston fought the hands keeping him from being at Aleina's side. "Let me go, you assholes." He had to tell her … so many things.

Like how much he needed her. He didn't care if they argued all the time. She made him think and feel and challenged him to change his perspective. She drove him beyond insane sometimes, but also sent him to dizzying heights. He didn't want to be in a world that didn't have her. What the hell would that even look like?

Aleina breathed in a sharp gasp of air and the medical team went into action getting her stabilized. Alston shrugged off the restraining grip of the orderly and relaxed when the healer gave the all clear. Everyone stepped back from the gurney and Aleina slowly opened her eyes.

The healer clasped Aleina's palm. "You're finally on the road to recovery. You need some rest, and we'll evaluate you overnight." She eased away and nodded for the physician to assess the patient.

Aleina glanced around, her gaze landing on Alston. His shoulders hunched and he tried to shrink into the background. Now that she'd stabilized, he didn't need to be here. And she probably didn't want him to be. He'd been so happy she came back from the brink and didn't think about leaving as soon as she'd opened her eyes. He thought about heading out now, though.

When she didn't look away, her gaze completely inscrutable, Alston started to head for the door.

She called him back. "Alston, wait." Her voice rasped and she cleared her throat before nodding toward the healer. "Can we have the room? I want Alston to stay so we can talk for a while." She shuffled a little on the bed and the physician propped a pillow behind her back.

The healer frowned. "Not too long. You'll need rest to recover." Her lips quirked. "I realize that's a big ask, but I'm not taking any chances with you." With a pointed look, she left the room and called for everyone else to follow her.

Alston moved forward, standing beside the bed. "Thank the universe you're alive." He reached for her hand and squeezed it between his.

She smiled. "Grab a seat. I have a lot to tell you." Her eyes flashed with excitement.

He tilted his head, not quite sure how to take her almost jubilant mood. But he pulled a chair around and settled beside the bed. He didn't care about anything else but spending time with her.

Until she launched into something about a between life and death thing. The she shared a vision of the future granted by Pythia—a glorious future, where their children would rule or shape the world for generations to come.

And he had no idea what to do with the onslaught of information except try to absorb the words and make sense of them later.

I like how this story is shaping up. There should be two more books following this one and I can't wait to see how they go.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dangerous Elements (a Lantern Jack tale)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's been a chaotic week with work projects and life stuff going on. And my distraction levels are making me frustrated. But … I'm still getting stuff done so I can't really complain.

I definitely didn't make a full round of shows this week. Just didn't have the bandwidth with my focus being all over the place.

I did catch an episode of The Batman and had vague memories of watching this the first time around. Joker episodes are hit and miss in the version of the dark knight.

Watched an episode of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm almost finished with this show, and I'll miss it when I'm done. Such a fun cast of characters.

Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and again enjoyed the mystery. I'd seen something of a similar nature of the plot based on a true story, so this episode ended up being a lot of fun.

Finished up the final episode of Silent Witness season twenty-five. I'll be starting season twenty-six this week. Ended up really enjoying the limited episode run.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dangerous Elements, a Lantern Jack tale featuring shifters and keepers.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. The long-standing animosity between shifters and the human council comes to a dangerous head. Dahlia Derringer is next in line to rule the council and she's stepping into the role because a shifter almost took her father's life. Otto Orpheus leads the shifters and he's furious a rogue fox acted against his orders. Samhain is nigh and the shifters need to replenish their aura … if Otto can get Dahlia's permission to do so.

And a preview snippet…

Dahlia's fists clenched. The sheer audacity! She tamped down a strong urge to punch Mr. Otto Orpheus in the face. Acting innocent after what they did? Inconceivable.

But … he didn't appear to be going anywhere so… "Fine." She dug her phone out of her back pocket. "If it gets you off…" She scrolled to her video app and mashed her thumb on the icon. "Here." Shoving the phone in his face, she swallowed down the bile threatening to spew forth.

Otto's eyes went wide then narrowed into angry slits. His lips twisted in a pained grimace and he blanched before two spots of red flushed his cheeks. The footage showed a fox shifter attacking her father, biting his calf to bring him down then tearing into his arm and chest, trying to get to his jugular. Her dad rolled into a ball, tucking his head to his sternum and using his arms as protection. The fox bit and clawed at her father's back, shredding his shirt and leaving a bloody mess behind.

Dahlia came into view and fired a warning shot in the air. She couldn't risk taking aim at the fox—not when he hovered over her father. She could've taken the animal down when he ran, but concern overrode her instincts and she went to her dad instead. The video ended on her phone, but she had the security camera feed saved on their server.

Otto snarled a curse. "God dammit." He met her gaze. "Is Dean—" He broke off, swallowing hard. "How is he?"

Dahlia huffed out an angry breath. "Not dead, but it was damned close." She might as well give him the full status. "And he could still take a turn. He's feverish and fighting infection." And had a long road to recovery.

Otto sighed. "Look, I didn't orchestrate this, and I don't condone it." He paced back and forth, a hand running over the top of his head. "But I can't say I'm shocked something like this happened." He paused and met her gaze. "I'm not surprised a shifter went rogue. It's long been a point of contention—the lack of access to our sacred ground."

She growled, low in her throat. "Are you seriously defending that damn fox?" After seeing what it did to her dad?

Otto shook his head. "Not defending him or his actions. But I understand where he's coming from. For most of us, the land calls out—we need it, and it needs us."

The longing in his voice almost got to her. But, no, whether he sanctioned the action or not, one of his members caused harm and almost killed her father. She wouldn't let him spin this in any way.

Dahlia squared her shoulders. "Are you saying the attack was my dad's fault?" Her voice all but quaked with anger.

I'm very excited to have another installment underway in the Lantern Jack series. I love these stories so much.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance in the Underground (First Breed Nation)

Man. What a crazy-busy week. Our weather is still being contrary. Warm and spring-like a couple of days followed by another blast of winter. My sinuses are not thrilled.

I didn't get through a full round of television this week. I had way too many irons in the fire and needed to focus. My brain doesn't want to cooperate at all. Thankfully, I have three current projects, which lets me bounce around when I can't concentrate on one specific thing.

I did get a holiday episode of My Life Is Murder watched and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's interesting to see how the southern hemisphere celebrates the holiday in the middle of their summer.

I tried to watch the behind-the-scenes Agatha Raisin, but it wouldn't play. That's two seasons now that I can't access the specials. I'm kind of bummed about that.

I started the new season of Midsomer Murders and loved the episode. I'm excited to dive back into this series. It's fun to see an older Betty.

Silent Witness continues to be very intriguing. I really want to know who's behind the curtain pulling the strings.

Caught another Death in Paradise and remembered some of this one. Mainly the beginning and the end. Not sure what happened to the middle part and why I missed it the first time around but it's nice to finally see the whole episode.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I like the slow progression of trust being built with Sherlock and Watson. I have a sneaking suspicion that Sherlock now knows Joan isn't being paid by his father anymore. I'll be interested to see how that plays out.

That's as far as I made it for viewing this week and that's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Dance in the Underground, a follow-up novella in the First Breed series.

Here's the miniblurb:

The First Breed Nation has to open another file. Vince Grillo is Raven Malone's right-hand man in the underground community, where the freaks and geeks seek refuge. Raven sends Vince undercover at a strip club where exotic dancers are disappearing then turning up dead a few days later. Evita Viccars, the headlining act, takes one look at Vince and tries to stake her claim on the shifter. Too bad she's the next victim on the phantom stalker's list.

And a preview snippet…

Vince Grillo entered the canteen and made a slow walk to Raven Malone's table. "You really need an office, Rave." He pulled a chair out and spun it around, sitting with his forearms resting on the back.

She glanced up from a stack of notes and some kind of printed report. "If I had an office, I'd never get to leave." Her gaze scanned semi-full space. "I've been trying to get out of here for the last three hours. Every time I get up, someone else stops by to unload whatever issue they have on me." Sighing, she raked her fingers through her hair.

Vince's lips twisted. "That's why you texted me? To get a break for a few?" He didn't mind, but he'd been knee-deep in renovating one of the empty sections of their underground space in the unused subway terminal.

Raven huffed out a breath. "Actually, no. I texted because I've been trying to track you down." She met his gaze. "I need you to do something for me. And you're not gonna like it." Shuffling through the printed paper, she pulled a page out and turned it toward him.

Vince glanced at the sheet in front of him. "Crime scene photos?" Four grisly images along with typed captions covered the surface.

Raven shook her head. "Not officially. Gio's working on a case and thinks one of ours is involved." She placed her phone on the table and started a video.

Vince narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the screen. The grainy security camera footage left much to the imagination, but Vince's stomach churned regardless. The scene unfolding could have been the opening to a horror movie with an assailant giving chase to a woman, entrapping her, and unleashing terror on the lone female.

Vince flashed Raven a quick look. "What makes Gio think it's one of ours?" Committing acts of evil didn't require preternatural genes—or altered DNA.

The shit straight-up normal humans let loose on the world ranked as something vile half the time.

Raven nodded toward her device. "Keep watching." She exhaled slowly, a sure sign she held a lot back right now.

Vince focused on the video again, the beat-down sickening even without sound. Ten seconds later, the assailant hovered over the prone woman then another second later, they disappeared from the screen.

Vince's head snapped up. "Is there a glitch in this video?"

Raven jerked her head back and forth. "Nope. Whoever delivered that brutality can either make themselves invisible or they've got a teleportation ability." She shuffled through the notes on the table.

Vince let out a low whistle. "We don't have much data on first breeds who can teleport or have built-in cloaking devices." He could dig through the archives, which he anticipated Raven wanting him to do. "That's why you wanted to see me? You want me to troll through our information and see if anything hits?" She'd have to handle the geek side of things.

No one had more knowledge about the genetic splicing trials than Raven.

Raven winced. "Yeah, sorry, but that's not what I need you for." She inhaled deeply then spit everything out. "I want you to go up top and work undercover to find out whose behind this."

Vince reared back. "Fuck that. You know I hate going up top unless it's to shift and run or make short excursions for you." The idea of staying up there for an extended period made his hackles rise.

Raven held up a hand. "That should tell you how important this is. She's the third victim and this person is escalating. They're carefully choosing women that work at one location. The first two were pretty banged up, but this one? She's barely hanging on. There's a good chance she won't pull through." Raven pinned him with an understanding look. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to. Gio can't go undercover because he's known at the venue. I don't trust anyone else down here to handle the situation." She riffled through the pages again and pulled on out. "This is a list of her injuries along with the previous two."

Vince read through the lengthy bullet points. Damn. The first two had extensive bruising and contusions along with some lacerations and abrasions. The third woman had broken bones, internal bleeding, and a fractured skull.

The guy—Vince's gut wouldn't accept the assailant as being a female—definitely upped his game.

Heaving a sigh, Vince closed his eyes. "What hellhole are you sending me to?" He blinked when Raven didn't respond right away.

Her lips twitched … just a little. "The Twisted Stiletto."

Vince's mouth dropped open. "The upscale gentleman's club that pulls in five figures every night?" Probably six digits one the weekend.

Raven lifted her chin. "The very one."

Vince huffed out a breath. "Well … shit." He couldn't say being up top would be loads of fun.

But it would be interesting…

I love this series, which has two books in the works so far. If all goes well, I'd like about three more.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Countdown to Midnight

Well, March definitely enters the year with a roar. We've had the crazy weather that hops back and forth between warm and cold along with snow showers, thunderstorms, and thirty-degree temperature changes in twenty-four hours. Weirdly, it's somehow fitting that March is my birth month. Volatile and a wee bit mercurial.

My focus is still all over the place, but I have multiple work projects, which helps when I need a change of scenery. It drives me batty when I read the same paragraph over and over because I keep getting distracted by everything. Being able to hop from one manuscript to another helps in a weird way.

Had a decent week of viewing. Still not quite getting a full slate in, but I'm happy with the shows I'm keeping up with. I'm having issues with one of the streamers on a device, but I got the show watched despite the tech glitches.

Started out with the finale of Agatha Raisin. I have a bonus behind-the-scenes episode to watch then it's on to a new show. I'll miss this one. I've had so much fun watching the characters interact and solve mysteries.

Caught another Silent Witness episode. So sorry about Jack's dad. And the whole deal with his mom is beyond sad. Very nice to see Nikki be there for him. I'm wondering about Simone at the moment and Sam is playing a very cagey game.

Enjoyed another Death in Paradise. I'd seen most of this one and enjoyed it the first time. I love Martha to bits and can't wait to finish Humphrey's run to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. Interesting episode and I'm almost sorry the FBI lady will live to show up again in the future.

Caught an episode of The Batman. I had vague memories of watching this the first time but not everything. I'm still not sure how I feel about Batgirl. I think I end up liking her better once Robin enters the show.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I didn't remember either of the vignettes, which I'm kind of happy about. The later seasons were kind of hit or miss for us when the kiddos were young.

Finished the second season of The Secret Life of Amy Benson and I'm really hoping we get a third. I'm invested in the characters and want to see what happens next.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Countdown to Midnight, a novella that reunites a couple in the run up to New Year's Eve.

Here's the miniblurb:

When a necromancer is hell-bent on raising an army of ghostly beings on the cusp of the New Year, Jace Pembroke, a mystic advisor, is called to stop the spirit-wrangler, but she can't do it alone. She needs help from ghost hunter Ridley Saint, but convincing him won't be easy because they used to be a couple and she walked away because a ghostly ancestor took up residence in Jace's home. Fighting the clock as it ticks toward midnight, Jace has to stay mum about what tips her off to keep Ridley away from her ghost and attempt to banish the spirit-wrangler trying to bring the beings across the divide.

And a preview snippet…

Solstice Eve

Jace Pembroke relaxed in a tub full of bubbles. "Finally have some time to recharge and nourish my inner self." Closing her eyes, she sank lower in the water, letting the frothy suds brush up against her chin.

"Jacie, my girl. You've got big trouble brewing."

Jace's eyes popped open. "Gram, I don't want to hear anything negative right now. You know how hard I've been working to sort out everyone's issues." The holiday season brought out so much in people … sadly, not all of it good.

Jace's grandmother took corporeal form, something she could only do on the solstices and equinoxes.

She wagged a finger. "I know, I know. But this can't wait. Norman Thurgooder is getting ready to wreak havoc in the city, right here in our glade." She paced back and forth.

Jace's nose scrunched up in concentration. "Thurgooder. Why is that name—" She broke off when the memory clicked. "Wait, the necromancer?" What kind of shit plan did the spirit-wrangler want to unleash?

Mellie Pembroke paused long enough to nod. "Yes, the necromancer. Rumblings are strong on the other side. Everyone is excited about New Year's Eve when Thurgooder has decided to launch his master plan." She waved her hands back and forth. "Get out of that tub and get dressed. We've got a lot to get through and you'll be a prune by the time I'm done explaining." She faded out then called from Jace's bedroom. "Don't waste time, Jacie."

Jace heaved a sigh and pulled the stopper from the tub. Only one other person called her Jacie and Jace couldn't let her thoughts go to him right now. Too many memories to sort through and not enough time to take a trip down that lane.

Drying off, she firmly closed the door on her past. "I walked away from Ridley for a reason." And that reason happened to be in her bedroom right now.

Jace made the short trip to her room and found her gram pacing again. "Okay, Gram, you're going to make me dizzy if you keep up with the back and forth on my floor." She pointed to the chair in the corner. "Take a seat and I'll get dressed." Rifling through her drawers, she pulled out a pair of leggings and a waffle-knit shirt.

Mellie shook her head. "No time for sitting, Jacie. You've got someplace to be and a favor to ask." She waved her hand and continued walking.

Jace frowned. "Where, exactly, do I have be?" She pulled the pants on and shrugged into the shirt. "And who am I asking for a favor?" Yanking another drawer open, she found a pair of thick socks and tugged them on.

Mellie paused and leveled her gaze on Jace. "You have to find that young man of yours. We're going to need his help."

Say what? She couldn't have heard her grandmother correctly. No way could she bring a ghost hunter in to whatever the necromancer had planned. Ridley's first action would be to send Mellie to the afterlife.

Jace blinked and shook her head. "Hell, no, Gram. That's not going to happen."

This story is in the very beginning stages, but I'm having so much fun writing it. I love a good ghost versus an evil being.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye