Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

Well… we're almost to November and I'm really not ready for the month yet. Seriously, I'm wondering where 2018 went. Then again, it's been a bit of a bum year so maybe getting to 2019 sooner rather than later won't be a bad thing.

Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.

I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.

Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL

Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.

I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.

Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!

I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.

That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL

Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a free bonus read featuring Boyd and Sygin from A Little Yule Magick.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.

And a preview snippet…

Boyd Lagassi dismissed his group of novices. "Go on. Get ready for your next class." He gathered up the discarded towels close to the front of the room. "And remember, if you're going out on the grounds, take at least one other person with you, preferably more." With the sudden turn of warmer weather, the students chafed to get out and explore the grounds of the estate.

Ethan Frommet, newly moved to intermediary status, stayed behind to help clean up after an intense physical instruction session. "Master Lagassi, do you think we can sit in on the next council meeting with the elders?" The "we" referred to the quad, what Sygin had decided to call the four teens that showed so much promise over the Yule holiday—Ethan, Harmony, Zack, and Melanie.

Boyd took some time before he answered. "Well, you know Sygin and I trust you guys to handle yourselves and your newly learned abilities without question." He tossed the towels into the bin for washing. "But…"

"The wheels of progress are slow to change." Sygin entered the conversation after breezing into the room, Harmony hot on her heels. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, sometimes there's a solid reason for the lack of rushing things." She hid a smile when Ethan draped an arm around Harmony's shoulders.

She'd been right when she said the hormones would start flying after the holiday.

Boyd clarified her somewhat cryptic statement. "What Mistress Ball means is the elders won't take any chances with your lives until they have no other choice." And that day might come sooner than any of them wanted.

Sygin gave the intermediaries a boost. "You guys have to trust Boyd and I will keep you in the loop. Our confidence in you isn't in question. The elders have a buttload of protocol they have to follow." She glanced toward Harmony, who nodded.

She weighed in. "My gram helped write a lot of the procedures. She thinks an update will soon be warranted, but the council isn't ready to talk terms yet." Her eye roll spoke volumes.

Sygin laughed and shot Boyd a sideways look. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

He shook his head. "It does. And between the four of us, the escalation coming from the other side means they'll have to talk about shifting protocol in the very near future." The elder in residence would have to crack the whip soon.

Sygin followed up. "Look, why don't you grab Zack and Melanie and stop by for a quick briefing after the meeting. Boyd and I should be finished up no later than six."

Boyd cracked a smile. "We'll order takeout for the normal people and restock the cereal for Zack." The kid needed an upgrade to his palate.

Harmony snickered and Ethan snorted out a laugh. The couple agreed to drop by with their counterparts at the designated time.

Sygin unlocked the brake on the laundry bin of damp towels, a frown on her face.

Boyd snagged the heavy container and pushed it toward the door. "What's on your mind, Syg?" He had a pretty decent idea, because his concern about the ramped up reports of dark magick occurrences took up a lot of his head space.

Sygin shrugged. "We predicted it would get ugly and it is. We didn't think about being caught in the middle here… between the council and our highly intelligent intermediaries." She shook her head. "It sucks."

Yeah, it did. But Boyd's gut screamed they wouldn't be in the middle for long. Whether the council liked it or not.

It's fun to revisit this couple and their protégés. Maybe we'll see more of this group in the future.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland… #HappyHolidaysHop

A beautiful sight… with a great book

Sponsored by Nicki J. Markus | Asta Idonea

Welcome to the Author Happy Holiday Hop

In a meadow, you can build a snowman, then sit back and read a great book.

Please enjoy the reading snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

~*~

What makes your holiday happy? A ton of gifts under the tree? Spending time with family? The holiday tunes? Lots of fluffy, white stuff falling from the sky?

For me, spending the season with family and friends makes my holiday happy. I also love wrapping presents and making fun treats to share with others. I started a new tradition this year that I've dubbed the Great Holiday Show Binge Watch Extravaganza. I have a bunch of holiday themed television shows ready to stream to fill my days with lots of cheer.

I also love to write and read holiday themed romance. When writing as Skye Ritchey, I like to weave paranormal elements into my books. Using magic, special abilities, or diving into mystical scenarios means my characters often have choices to make.

My holiday releases, An Enchanted Yule: A Holiday Spirit Tale and A Little Yule Magick are filled with yuletide traditions.

In the first, Mercy and Andre are brought together by Hollis Goldstar, a holiday spirit. He's got his work cut out for him because wizards and sorcerers don't like to share space. Mercy and Andre call a truce and discover sharing the season together isn't the horrible experience they think it will be.

The second features Sygin and Boyd looking forward to sharing the Yule holiday with some festive traditions. Some sinister outside forces interrupt their plans for a hot tryst and the adept mages become responsible for getting their students home safely. The couple isn't certain how they'll pull off regaining their yuletide cheer.

I had so much fun writing the books and both are on sale through the end of the year. If either of the excerpts strikes your fancy, please consider purchasing the full copy.

~*~

An Enchanted Yule: A Holiday Spirit Tale

Series Tagline: Holiday spirits are tasked with bringing opposites together.

Book Tagline: A holiday spirit brings Yuletide romance to Mercy and Andre.

Hollis Goldstar settled in by the fireplace and opened his new book. He loved the Yule season—cold weather, warm fires, and a new world to explore between the pages. He got through the prologue before the zing of energy pulsed under his skin, followed by the tinkling of a bell.

He slapped the tome shut. "Dammit. I thought for sure I'd have this holiday off." He'd worked the last three Yule seasons and deserved a break.

But apparently some misguided couple needed to find their way to each other and their joining had to happen over the season. Sometimes being a holiday spirit sucked huge dragons. Heaving a sigh, he retrieved his deck of holiday destinations and shuffled through the locations. He found a quaint bed and breakfast, which should function adequately for his needs. Personally, he thought manor house looked like a bucket of charm puked all over the place, but that kind of thing usually appealed to the human side of his charges. They always seemed spellbound by the décor and found the sentiment appealing.

He had his work cut out for him. Bringing a sorcerer and a wizard together could prove to be a challenge. He rifled through the information file the spirit master left. Mercy Mayweather, the sorcerer. Twenty-seven, beautiful, smart as a whip, but she'd chosen the worst possible man to spend her time with. Nathanial Ashford hated wizards and did all he could to keep them down. And now, after breaking up with him, Mercy paid a price with being ostracized. A difficult situation, especially during Yule, when the gifted communities tended to gather together.

The wizard, Andre Addison, acted as a leader for the community of wand-bearers. He regularly butted heads with Ashford over being kept in the dark and not being allowed to have a seat on the council governing the supernatural community. At twenty-nine, his good looks drew plenty women in, but his surly attitude often kept them at bay. Maybe a little one-on-one time with a newly single female could do the trick.

Then again, Hollis might not be able to let nature take its course this time around.

Heaving a sigh, he inscribed two enchanted invitations and sent them into the mist.

Time would tell if his charges were open to the possibility of outer forces being at work.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Holiday spirits make the merry season bright. They also bring couples together, especially to right old wrongs.

Book Blurb: Mercy, a sorcerer, wants to keep her own counsel and walks away from a relationship to do it. Andre, a wizard, is tired being treated as a lower life form by Mercy's ex. The holiday spirit tasked with bringing the duo together over Yule faces a huge challenge.

~*~

~*~

A Little Yule Magick

Book Tagline: Boyd and Sygin use a Little Yule Magick to get their holiday off on the right start.

While Boyd took his turn in the shower, Sygin dressed and pondered Yule. She and Boyd had the estate pretty much to themselves—as they had for the past five years—with the maintenance guy, Bart, heading out last night along with Anna, the cook, and Cat, the cleaning wonder-woman—who kept the huge four-story, three winged house spotless. Yeah, she used her magick skills, but Sygin got exhausted just thinking about the amount of work the lady accomplished in a day.

Two other adept apprentices, who helped with the coursework, left before dawn for their homes. With trouble brewing, the staff and students always traveled in pairs or groups—except for the elder in residence. A grand mage, he didn't enter or leave by conventional methods, just let Boyd know he wouldn't be around until after the beginning of the year. He'd spend the holiday on sabbatical, in a sacred dwelling only the highest ranking members knew about.

She exited their suite and contemplated how much longer she and Boyd could keep their traditions. They had several, aside from her fried honeycakes. Finding the Yule log together always created fun, and they usually dragged a huge piece in so it lasted throughout the three day celebration. Boyd made wassail—her personal favorite, because they drank the brew in bed, toasting accomplishments and new goals. But mainly, they enjoyed the quiet solitude of being together, making love whenever they wanted and reaffirming their connection.

How much longer would she and Boyd have the luxury of time? She'd been a toddler when the Unified Clan split into two factions. Her family followed the teachings of the light—health, healing, help, and heart. The other side dwelled on the dark arts, malice, mayhem, malevolence, and often… murder. But they'd kept a low profile, until recently, and Sygin couldn't quite grasp why rumblings were happening now.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Sygin and Boyd are adept mages, looking forward to their winter break. Being alone in the big manor for Yule is their most cherished tradition. But a series of mishaps may keep them from their celebratory festivities.

~*~

Please stop by my website

Spread the holiday cheer! Visit the other participating authors.

Santa Baby, Have You Been Naughty or Nice? #MistletoeHop

Sponsored by Romance Beckons

Grab your mistletoe and pucker up!

Welcome to the Mistletoe Hop, a fabulous sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work and answering the question of whether they've been…

NAUGHTY OR NICE

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link. Enter by leaving a comment for a chance to receive a free copy.

~*~

Have I been naughty or nice?

Honestly? I'm all about the balance.

So, the answer to the question is… Both!

Being naughty—not mean, of course—can be so much fun. Sharing an innuendo-filled joke to make someone smile—or snort soda out their nose—is a hoot. Picking the perfect gag gift for siblings before they get yours… totally cool. Letting loose and straying from the tried and true gives life a little oomph and boosts my horizons.

Which pays off in huge ways.

Then again, it costs nothing to be nice and, hey, showing kindness feels good. Whether giving one of my daughter's fellow golfers a lift to practice so their parents don't have to leave work early or providing supplies to a local animal shelter or food pantry, being generous with my time or giving to a cause near to my heart refills my emotional piggy bank.

Even small gestures have big impact.

~*~

Being naughty and nice might confuse the jolly, fat man, but it makes for some great romance. When writing as Skye Ritchey, I like to weave paranormal elements into my books. Using magic, special abilities, or diving into mystical scenarios means my characters often have choices to make. Should they be naughty or nice?

Having the hero and heroine at cross purposes with another group or each other and mixing in a healthy dose of sexual tension is what I love to write. I have two holiday releases with this terrific combination.

An Enchanted Yule, A Holiday Spirit Tale, features Mercy and Andre, a sorcerer and a wizard who are brought together by Hollis Goldstar, a holiday spirit. They're not excited about being together but end up making the most of their yuletide gift.

A Little Yule Magick has Sygin and Boyd looking forward to their yuletide break. Their hot tryst is derailed by outside influences and neither is sure they'll be able to find their holiday cheer.

Excerpts for both books are below. Please enjoy!

~*~

An Enchanted Yule: A Holiday Spirit Short

Series Tagline: Holiday spirits are tasked with bringing opposites together.

Book Tagline: A holiday spirit brings Yuletide romance to Mercy and Andre.

~*~

Hollis Goldstar settled in by the fireplace and opened his new book. He loved the Yule season—cold weather, warm fires, and a new world to explore between the pages. He got through the prologue before the zing of energy pulsed under his skin, followed by the tinkling of a bell.

He slapped the tome shut. "Dammit. I thought for sure I'd have this holiday off." He'd worked the last three Yule seasons and deserved a break.

But apparently some misguided couple needed to find their way to each other and their joining had to happen over the season. Sometimes being a holiday spirit sucked huge dragons. Heaving a sigh, he retrieved his deck of holiday destinations and shuffled through the locations. He found a quaint bed and breakfast, which should function adequately for his needs. Personally, he thought manor house looked like a bucket of charm puked all over the place, but that kind of thing usually appealed to the human side of his charges. They always seemed spellbound by the décor and found the sentiment appealing.

He had his work cut out for him. Bringing a sorcerer and a wizard together could prove to be a challenge. He rifled through the information file the spirit master left. Mercy Mayweather, the sorcerer. Twenty-seven, beautiful, smart as a whip, but she'd chosen the worst possible man to spend her time with. Nathanial Ashford hated wizards and did all he could to keep them down. And now, after breaking up with him, Mercy paid a price with being ostracized. A difficult situation, especially during Yule, when the gifted communities tended to gather together.

The wizard, Andre Addison, acted as a leader for the community of wand-bearers. He regularly butted heads with Ashford over being kept in the dark and not being allowed to have a seat on the council governing the supernatural community. At twenty-nine, his good looks drew plenty women in, but his surly attitude often kept them at bay. Maybe a little one-on-one time with a newly single female could do the trick.

Then again, Hollis might not be able to let nature take its course this time around.

Heaving a sigh, he inscribed two enchanted invitations and sent them into the mist.

Time would tell if his charges were open to the possibility of outer forces being at work.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Holiday spirits make the merry season bright. They also bring couples together, especially to right old wrongs.

Book Blurb: Mercy, a sorcerer, wants to keep her own counsel and walks away from a relationship to do it. Andre, a wizard, is tired being treated as a lower life form by Mercy's ex. The holiday spirit tasked with bringing the duo together over Yule faces a huge challenge.

~*~

~*~

A Little Yule Magick

Book Tagline: Boyd and Sygin use a Little Yule Magick to get their holiday off on the right start.

Boyd Lagassi shifted his position and dragged Sygin Ball up to straddle his thighs. "I want your famous fried honeycakes." His mouth closed over her nipple and he flicked his tongue back and forth.

Sygin moaned low in her throat. "Famous only because it's one of the few things I can make and not screw up." She rocked forward, lifting her hips and pushing backwards onto his hard shaft.

Boyd closed his eyes, relishing her warm heat. "And it's tradition. Five years and counting." He flexed his thighs then relaxed and let Sygin control the pace.

She kicked up the speed, her hands planted firmly on his chest. He opened his eyes, loving to watch Sygin. Her passion for him took his breath away, her expressive face showing every nuance, her gaze going darker, the green irises going from a soft leafy color to a deep pine shade.

Her hips rolled back and forth, her breaths coming in short little bursts. Not long now, for either of them. Boyd slid his hands down to cup her ass, urging her forward. Her fingers curled into her palms, the knuckles grazing his skin, digging in to his flesh. He welcomed the mild discomfort, needing the edge to hold off, wanting his release to follow hers.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Sygin and Boyd are adept mages, looking forward to their winter break. Being alone in the big manor for Yule is their most cherished tradition. But a series of mishaps may keep them from their celebratory festivities.

~*~

I had so much fun writing the books and I'm giving away a digital copy of your choice for this blog hop.

Please leave a comment for your entry and share whether you top the naughty or nice list and which holiday themed book strikes your fancy.

Please stop by my website

Find out who else has been naughty or nice! Visit the other participating authors.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Live, Love, & Read—Freedom Hop

LET FREEDOM RING!

Welcome to the Freedom Hop, a great sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

~*~

How wonderful is it to have the independence to choose how we live our lives, who we love, and what we read?

I'm lucky enough to have always had the choice and I've used my liberty to do what I love… write about hot romances between men and women, edit for authors who write about all kinds of love—from best friends who become lovers to same sex couples and relationships that include multiple partners, and read all of the above with voracious abandon.

When writing as Skye Ritchey, I tend to focus on magic, fantasy, and paranormal or supernatural settings, characters, and stories. Exploring things not of our realm is whimsical and freeing. Being able to imagine what a character can do or how they react to the world around them is exciting and challenging.

For this year's Freedom Hop, I'm sharing short samplings of all my current titles and a longer excerpt of my most recent release, Cupid's Curse, which I'm giving away for the blog hop. I had the best time writing Bree and Archer. Both characters had very strong voices and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote their story.

~*~

Cupid's Curse

Available on Amazon ~ $2.99

Archer Stewart, a Cupid of the First Order, suffers the wrath of Eros when he nips the wrong woman with an arrow. Cursed by the god of love, Arch spends his days making perfect matches or he had to deal with some unpleasant consequences.

Bree Daniels is indirectly responsible for Arch's predicament and seeks advice from Aphrodite, hoping to find a way to make amends. After almost two years apart, Bree finally realizes Arch is the man she wants and she's willing to risk her immortality to set him free.

Excerpt:

The push-pull-whoosh feeling weighed on Bree and she shoved everything else aside and readied herself to pop in on Arch.

She blipped, shimmered, and landed with a flourish—something she'd perfected by lots of practice—to find Arch comfortably sprawled on the overstuffed couch, chatting it up with Merry Deerfield.

Stupid cow.

And Arch didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable having Miss Merry practically sitting in his lap.

Stupid man.

But worse, neither one paid her any attention.

Not part of the plan. But she could adjust.

Tilting her head sideways, she cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry… I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Arch flicked a glance toward the hour glass by the viewing pool. "Would it matter if you were?" His tone clearly indicated it wouldn't have bothered him.

Bree didn't like to be on the defensive as soon as she arrived. It made her off kilter. Her bravado saved her.

She tossed her head and sent a bored look in Arch's direction. "Not to me, but I imagine it would to you." Her gazed shifted to Merry. "And your friend, of course." Bree waited a beat. "No one likes to be caught with their pants down."

Arch snorted. "Except you."

Okay, totally not fair. And it only happened one time, dammit.

Bree hid her embarrassment behind an audacious front. "Well, yes…" She flicked her gaze toward Merry again. "But I'm not standard fare around here."

To Merry's credit, she only rolled her eyes in response to the insult.

Arch didn't hold back. "Bree, you're not standard fare anywhere." He got up and gave Merry a hand. "You're more like an overused trend… not worth the price."

Bree flinched. That one hurt. But she couldn't blame him for lashing out.

Arch's voice went flat. "You're also late."

Bree recovered quickly. "For which I'll happily apologize." She remembered her conversation with Aphrodite and grinned. "It really couldn't be helped."

Arch shook his head. "Let me guess… you were tied to a bedpost and lost track of time?"

Book Tagline: Cursed by the god of love, Archer Stewart, a Cupid of the First Order, knows exactly who to blame—his fellow cupid, Bree Daniels.

Brand Tagline: When gods and mortals play together… the result is often unexpected.

~*~

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY

To celebrate our freedom to live, love, and read, I'm giving away Cupid's Curse, which is the introductory book in the Meddlesome Gods branded series. More titles are coming this fall.

To enter, please leave a comment and let me know how you like to spend the 4^th of July. Non-US readers, let me know what would celebrate with fireworks.

~*~

More books by Skye Ritchey

A Magical Affair

Available on Amazon ~ $3.99

A mansion atop a wellspring of magic lets Romy, Heath, and Stacie live out their fantasies.

A Little Yule Magick

Available on Amazon ~ $1.49

Boyd and Sygin use a Little Yule Magick to get their holiday off on the right start.

An Idyllic Affair

(With ML Skye)

Available on Amazon ~ $3.99

On the run from their enemies, an island sanctuary gives Geoff and Linnea time for An Idyllic Affair.

~*~

Please stop by my website

Celebrate with more fireworks! Visit the other participating authors.

Smokin' Hot—Hot and Bothered: A Little Yule Magick

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Greetings!

This week we're tasked with sharing a scene with sexual tension to leave us hot and bothered. Nice! Especially if you live in a cold climate… like Ohio in March. Seriously, I have to remind myself I was wearing shorts and flip flops in October sometimes. LOL

For my feature, I'm posting a scene from a holiday themed book, A Little Yule Magick.

For a little background, here is the book tagline:

Boyd and Sygin use a Little Yule Magick to get their holiday off on the right start.

Bring on the tension…

Sygin grinned. "I promise to make it worth your while."

Boyd quirked a brow. "Oh yeah? Care to share how?"

Sygin paused outside the door to the east wing. "No details, but since we'll be out finding our Yule log, use your imagination." She pushed the handle on the door and entered the long hallway leading to their suite.

Boyd waggled his eyebrows. "Hmmm. You know that might not be a good idea. I have a highly developed sensory perception."

Sygin snorted. "Then I guess I better out do myself from the last time." She took off, sprinting along the plush carpet and stopped outside their front door. "Starting with a nice little warm up in the shower." She twisted the knob, dashed inside the apartment then dragged her shirt over her head.

She tossed it outside the entrance and laughed, running to the bathroom and starting the water.

Boyd took his time, closing and locking the heavy oak door then placing a ward hex as an extra layer of protection. Students on their last day before break liked to prank their teachers. He should know, he'd done the same.

Grinning, he popped the button on his dungarees, eased the zipper down, and headed toward the sound of running water. Pushing the denim past his hips, he entered the space and caught sight of Sygin, naked under the spray. She never ceased to make him hard and ready within moments.

A good thing, considering they had a bunch of students to get home for the Yule break.

Stepping out of his pants, he entered the shower enclosure and joined Sygin under the steamy mist.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Lucy and Brian—creative rivals and romantic partners—are pushing the boundaries of their work and stepping into the realm of indie success. They're challenged with keeping their relationship strong and hot when leading their friends up the ladder.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

A Toasty Holiday Treat—A Little Yule Magick

Sponsored by Romance Blog Hops

Enter for a chance to win an awesome prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Link

I'm giving away a copy of my holiday story, too! See below for details.

~*~

Grab something warm to drink and cozy up!

Welcome to the Winter Warm Up Blog Hop, an excellent sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work.

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Bloggers: Please check out the excellent previews and spread the word.

~*~

Holiday Traditions. No matter what holiday is celebrated—Yule, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, or just gathering with family, there's something great about having familiar traditions.

When I was growing up, we always opened one gift on Christmas Eve. My two brothers and I got very excited when Mom called us in and handed the pretty packages to us. Usually, we received new pajamas, sometimes socks, or maybe a winter coat. Regardless of what we revealed, she made sure the items were similar. I kind of loved that about her.

Now that I have three kidlets of my own, we've established a couple of our own traditions. From the time my oldest, now twenty-one, could eat solid foods, we've made cinnamon rolls for breakfast after opening all the gifts under the tree. It's still going strong, with the exception of the year our local store didn't have cinnamon rolls stocked when we were shopping and we substituted the orange flavored ones instead. My daughter still reminds me it's unacceptable to have orange-iced rolls for Christmas morning. Our back-up plan is now to make cinnamon toast instead. LOL

My favorite family tradition started about ten years ago. I got the wild hair idea to have a themed holiday tree. I had my oldest kiddo pick the theme and we came up with ideas for how to make ornaments and use things around the house to decorate. To date we've had Under the Sea, Buried Treasure, Nature's Bounty, Candy Land, Snowflakes and Cupcakes, Techno Tree, Imaginext, and Noah's Ark. I know I'm missing one in there somewhere, but that's the general idea. This year, we're going with a Seahawks tree, using green, blue and white ornaments, in honor of my middle kidlet's favorite team.

After getting the tree decorated, my favorite 'me' tradition is to turn on some seasonal music, get a glass of wine or cup of tea, and decompress by reading a holiday romance. It's a nice little respite from the crazy schedules, piles of presents, and butt-loads of wrapping paper waiting in the wings.

~*~

Traditions are fun to include in books. When writing as Skye Ritchey, I tend to focus on romance with a paranormal aspect, sometimes with magical abilities or beings. Weaving in those fantastical elements is so much fun, but I try to keep the story grounded in the here and now. When the hero and heroine find love, while dealing with the extraordinary, it makes me happy.

Traditions, old and new, often play a big role in paranormal romance. For my holiday release, A Little Yule Magick, Sygin and Boyd love to spend the Yule holiday enjoying the myriad of customs they've established. A little twist of danger only makes the couple appreciate their special brand of celebration even more.

I had such a great time writing A Little Yule Magick and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and tell me your favorite holiday tradition, if you have one. (Maybe it involves books!) A random.org drawing will determine the lucky reader who received the copy.

~*~

Book Tagline: A Little Yule Magick is needed to get the holiday off on the right start.

~*~

While Boyd took his turn in the shower, Sygin dressed and pondered Yule. She and Boyd had the estate pretty much to themselves—as they had for the past five years—with the maintenance guy, Bart, heading out last night along with Anna, the cook, and Cat, the cleaning wonder-woman—who kept the huge four-story, three winged house spotless. Yeah, she used her magick skills, but Sygin got exhausted just thinking about the amount of work the lady accomplished in a day.

Two other adept apprentices, who helped with the coursework, left before dawn for their homes. With trouble brewing, the staff and students always traveled in pairs or groups—except for the elder in residence. A grand mage, he didn't enter or leave by conventional methods, just let Boyd know he wouldn't be around until after the beginning of the year. He'd spend the holiday on sabbatical, in a sacred dwelling only the highest ranking members knew about.

She exited their suite and contemplated how much longer she and Boyd could keep their traditions. They had several, aside from her fried honeycakes. Finding the Yule log together always created fun, and they usually dragged a huge piece in so it lasted throughout the three day celebration. Boyd made wassail—her personal favorite, because they drank the brew in bed, toasting accomplishments and new goals. But mainly, they enjoyed the quiet solitude of being together, making love whenever they wanted and reaffirming their connection.

How much longer would she and Boyd have the luxury of time? She'd been a toddler when the Unified Clan split into two factions. Her family followed the teachings of the light—health, healing, help, and heart. The other side dwelled on the dark arts, malice, mayhem, malevolence, and often… murder. But they'd kept a low profile, until recently, and Sygin couldn't quite grasp why rumblings were happening now.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Sygin and Boyd, adept mages, are looking forward to their winter break, being alone in the big manor for Yule is their most cherished tradition. But a series of mishaps may keep them from their celebratory festivities.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Get cozy and relax! Visit the other participating authors.

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Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—A Little Yule Magick #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from A Little Yule Magic, coming soon. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Sygin and Boyd.

This week, we get a hint of danger.

Book Tagline: A Little Yule Magick is needed to get the holiday off on the right start.

~*~

While Boyd took his turn in the shower, Sygin dressed and pondered Yule. She and Boyd had the estate pretty much to themselves—as they had for the past five years—with the maintenance guy, Bart, heading out last night along with Anna, the cook, and Cat, the cleaning wonder-woman—who kept the huge four-story, three winged house spotless. Yeah, she used her magick skills, but Sygin got exhausted just thinking about the amount of work the lady accomplished in a day.

Two other adept apprentices, who helped with the coursework, left before dawn for their homes. With trouble brewing, the staff and students always traveled in pairs or groups—except for the elder in residence. A grand mage, he didn't enter or leave by conventional methods, just let Boyd know he wouldn't be around until after the beginning of the year. He'd spend the holiday on sabbatical, in a sacred dwelling only the highest ranking members knew about.

She exited their suite and contemplated how much longer she and Boyd could keep their traditions. They had several, aside from her fried honeycakes. Finding the Yule log together always created fun, and they usually dragged a huge piece in so it lasted throughout the three day celebration. Boyd made wassail—her personal favorite, because they drank the brew in bed, toasting accomplishments and new goals. But mainly, they enjoyed the quiet solitude of being together, making love whenever they wanted and reaffirming their connection.

How much longer would she and Boyd have the luxury of time? She'd been a toddler when the Unified Clan split into two factions. Her family followed the teachings of the light—health, healing, help, and heart. The other side dwelled on the dark arts, malice, mayhem, malevolence, and often… murder. But they'd kept a low profile, until recently, and Sygin couldn't quite grasp why rumblings were happening now.

Coming Soon!

~*~

Book Blurb: Sygin and Boyd, adept mages, are looking forward to their winter break, being alone in the big manor for Yule is their most cherished tradition. But a series of mishaps may keep them from their celebratory festivities.

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.