Showing posts with label Fractured Fairytale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fractured Fairytale. Show all posts

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Sunday Snippet: Mirror of the Mist

February 24, 2019

I'm finally pretty much through the worst of the respiratory nastiness. It's so nice to breathe semi-normal again. It's amazing what a difference it makes to take a deep breath on not end on a coughing spasm.

Not a bad week for television viewing. I finished up Endeavour's second episode of the fifth season. Also caught an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I rather like where they've put things with Brackenreid.

Finished Luke Cage and, honestly? I liked where the series ended. I'd love to see more and I'm disappointed I won't be able to. The biggest drawback to all the streaming options now is how proprietary they're all becoming. Makes me a little sad.

Watched some Classic Roswell, third episode of the first season, which ended up dovetailing in an interesting way with the second episode of Roswell, New Mexico. Isobel using her powers to freak Maria out in the classic version played against Michael and Isobel using theirs to mess with Liz in the reboot. I'm invested way more than I thought I'd be in the new version. It's moving up the list of shows I don't want to miss.

Caught the Killjoys episode where they rescue the kids and blow up the RAC… and lose one of their own. Seriously, this show grabs me every time I watch. There's so much going on but the emotional beats always shine and don't get lost in the action. I'm looking forward to finishing out season four.

I'm through the halfway mark of Underbelly: Razor. The death toll keeps rising and the "Blood Alley" episode added to it with one of the major players going down. I'm loving the odd little beats of inner betrayal and turmoil, too.

On the sci-fi front, I watched an episode of Painkiller Jane and The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Each episode had a theme of painful past memories. Also caught an episode of Birds of Prey and had forgotten this one. I think I'm at the next to last episode before the series ends.

Finally, I watched the season one ender of Pensacola Wings of Gold. It's a to-be-continued-in-season-two thing and I guess I'll watch the first episode to see how they resolve getting rid of the entire team and starting from scratch. After that… eh… not sure I'll watch more.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Mirror of the Mist, a fun twist on a classic fairy tale.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An urban riff on Snow White, Cecelia Dumond, a black arts priestess, tasks Dys Hunter to assassinate her counterpart, a mystic oracle named Lyric Song. Dys goes undercover in a fight club to gain access to the powerful beauty. Little does he know, she's the one to lead him home, back to his rightful place as heir to his father's empire.

And a preview snippet…

Dys entered the office of Thrune's director of operations and stopped short. "No effing way. What the hell have I walked into here?"
Not at all what he expected. Based on the training facility, a stripped down setup with a half dozen sparring centers and functional, yet state-of-the-art, monitoring equipment lining the outer perimeter, Dys didn't foresee the haven of simple sophisticated elegance he'd been led into by the two guard dogs otherwise known as fighters on Thrune's roster.
Or the director to be more stunning than her name suggested. A direct gaze pinned Dys to the spot and carefully schooled features gave nothing away. Maybe he had the wrong person?
Dys quirked an eyebrow. "Lyric Song?" Did she have an assistant gatekeeper kind of thing… like several layers to get through before the big meet-up?
His information didn't cover the small details and his mission had one priority. Get the hell on the roster and dig deep for every secret Thrune Ultimate had.
The vision ignored him, directing a question to thug number one. "Nardo, did I miss a scheduled appointment on my calendar?" Her voice held a pleasant tone, but also mild censure.
Nardo shook his head. "No, Lyric. This is completely unscheduled." He jerked his chin toward Dys. "But he wouldn't be persuaded to leave and you don't like it when we use brute force to remove unwanted applicants from the premises."
Lyric's lips curved. "You're right, I don't. The risk of injury is too great to have my best fighters throwing down to prove a point." Her hands fussed with the items on her desk, rearranging them then putting them back where they were.
Thug number two added his observation. "He demanded an audition and we put him through the regular routine." His voice carried a smirk, which she acknowledged with a raised eyebrow.
If they considered what they put him through the regular routine, Dys would eat his boots. But he'd outlasted the five other guys on the roster. That bought him entrance into the inner sanctum.
Now he had to stay there and get his name added to the ticket.
Lyric shifted her gaze between the two current fighters, but addressed the second one. "Beltane, what's your assessment of… I'm sorry, does the wannabe have a name?" She glanced between the fighters again.
Nardo shuffled behind Dys and nudged him forward. "His name's Dys Hunter. That's all he'd give us."
Lyric got up and came around the desk, propping a hip on the edge.
Beltane moved forward and handed Lyric a clipboard. "He's got skill. It's raw and unchecked, but he should be able to hold his own in the areas I checked off."
Lyric took several long moments and reviewed the assessment. Dys used the opportunity to study the woman who ran the training facility. Not for the first time, Dys wanted to know why Cecelia had such a hard-on for bringing Lyric down. She didn't own the place only acted as the director for the man behind the business.
That said, Dys followed orders and did whatever Cecelia asked of him. Basically, he'd do anything for a taste of her, to bask in her power and swim in a pool of lust with her. The things Cecelia could do with her mouth alone kept Dys's dick in a perpetual hard state.
But… Lyric Song's quiet attractiveness rivaled Cecelia's chiseled beauty. A comparison of contrasts, the women couldn't be more different. Cecelia's diminutive stature made her appearance delicate and ethereal. Lyric had a whole hot, curvaceous thing going on. Killer legs, feet clad in black stilettos, brought her already impressive height close to his. Cecelia demanded attention with barely there, gauzy, and diaphanous clothing that left little to the imagination. Lyric's fitted and tailored attire included a skirt, blouse, and jacket combo that covered all the good bits yet hinted at the glory underneath and encouraged a man to envision unwrapping the delectable body hidden by the pretty packaging. Dys's brain sifted through an X-rated preview before the clearing of Lyric's throat made him rein in the steamy visual.
He met her gaze, keeping his steady and certain. She narrowed her eyes, leaving him with no doubt she'd pretty much guessed where his thoughts had been. He wouldn't apologize, but he would take care to be less obvious in the future.
Lyric straightened and went back behind the desk. "Well, Mr. Hunter, it appears you've passed the preliminary qualifications and look good on paper." She set the clipboard aside and started fussing with the tea service on the cart next to her. "Let's see how you do with a verbal interview over tea." A tray filled with hearty sandwiches appeared from the middle section appeared from an alcove and she set it out on the desk. "Would you care to join me for that or would you like to leave now?"

I'm thoroughly enjoying putting my spin on Snow White. It's fun to twist things a little and see what kind of story will appear.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Sunday Snippet: Blondie and the Three Wizards

July 12, 2015

Well… not a bad week, with the exception of a nasty case of poison ivy. Bleh. I'm not fond of being itchy in any way, shape, or form. *scratch, scratch*

SDCC happened this week and I'm so excited for a couple of new shows and movies. I also love seeing the actors from my favorite shows do their panels. Looking forward to taking some time to dive into everything.

Teen Wolf is getting really creepy, which I love. I'm sort of long on theories and not much else, but something tells me Peter Hale is behind everything. LOL He's so easy to blame.

The Last Ship is so good at drawing out and ramping up tension. Another show where I have theories about who's behind the scenes trying to manipulate everything. I can't wait for tonight's episode.

My Friday night lineup of Defiance, Killjoys, and Dark Matter keeps getting better and better. One of the things I love about Defiance is how quickly they move the plot along. And a major brawl between Amanda and Stahma never hurts anything. Pushing the envelope where family relationships are concerned is also an interesting choice. And speaking of family relationships, the Jaqobi brothers are quickly turning into one of my favorite sibling duos. I'm holding back on forming strong opinions with Dark Matter at the moment. I can't quite figure why Two is going for Three yet. I have a few ideas, but none have formed into anything solid yet.

Tonight's post is from Blondie and the Three Wizards, a sexy short take on Goldilocks with a twist.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Xandra Blue, a mage adept, has to pick a new mentor from three extremely sexy wizards. All three have the skills and could make great partners, but the guys don't make it easy for her to choose.

And a preview snippet…

"Xandra, you'll need to choose a new mentor." The Wizard Master, John Silo, slid three files in her direction. "I took the liberty of narrowing down the options to the top three."
Xandra shrank back. She didn't want to think about finding a tutor yet. Her grief resided heavily in her heart and mind.
She frowned. "We laid Makepeace to rest this morning. Do I have to make a choice right this moment?" Did Silo have no idea how much Chris's death affected her?
The sage studied her for several long moments. "Xandra, you can't fall behind. I'm aware the difficult position you're facing, but it's because of your circumstances that I'm asking you to put your sadness aside and meet with the three wizards as soon as possible." His eyes held sympathy, but also resolve.
Xandra sighed. "May I at least have the rest of the day to mourn Makepeace?" Twenty-four hours shouldn't be too much to ask.
Silo nodded. "You may, my dear. But no longer. You'll need one on one time with each candidate and I need your decision by week's end." He moved the files to the edge of his desk. "Go ahead and take these with you. Review the information when you have time." He eased away from the desk and stood up.
Xandra rose and reluctantly took the files. "Yes, Master Silo." Turning, she made her way slowly to the door.
Silo gave her one final piece of advice. "Give each one a fair chance, Xandra. You'll discover the correct mentor if you carefully weigh their skills and personalities."
Xandra made a noncommittal grunt and exited the Wizard Master's office.
Carefully weigh the options. No big deal, right? Except her decision could determine whether she got to stay in the apprentice program to develop into a fully qualified wizard, or get shipped off campus and relegated to performing simple tasks in the regular workforce.
So, yes, her decision would prove to be a very big deal.
Xandra is going to have her hands full trying to figure out which wizard will be her best bet.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Sunday Snippet: Beast in the Belfry

Happy Father's Day to all the terrific dads out there.

This week in TV? Gotta talk about the Orphan Black finale. Holy crap. I swear, every time I think I've got everything figured out the curve ball smacks me in the face again. I LOVE this show.

Killjoys ended up being better than I thought. Definitely happy to add it to my Friday night lineup. Defiance is dark this season and I like it, a lot. Dark Matter followed its premiere with another great episode so I'm in. So happy to have good TV on Friday nights again.

Strike Back's episode provided the high octane adventure I crave. I will say I sincerely hope Mei gets her richly deserved reward in the very near future. Please and thank you.

Finished a few more episodes of Teen Wolf. Should be caught up in time for the premiere in the next week or so. Also started Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. What a kick ass show! Very much along the lines of The Murdoch Mysteries, which is one of my favorites. Looking forward to binge watching more soon.

The Last Ship premieres tonight! Can't wait to see what the crew gets into this season. Bring on the action.

Tonight's post is from Beast in the Belfry, a novella with a Beauty and the Beast vibe, featuring a hex that needs to be broken.

Here's the tagline:

A curse leaves artist Vittoria Blahm disfigured and marred for life. But Cal Gilligan sees the true woman under the scars and he falls hard for her when she saves him from plunging to his death. Vittoria can't quite believe anyone wants her and fears risking her heart to the possibility.

And a preview snippet…

Jejune cursed her brother for his over the top obsessions. She understood Hessler's unquenchable desire to call someone his, but his methodical madness would drive even the sanest woman away. Jejune spent an inordinate amount of time cleaning up her brother's messes. Vittoria would be the hardest of all, because even though Jejune grasped her brother's need to lash out, his cruelty never failed to surprise her. Jejune's softer heart required she at least try to set her brother's vindictive hex aright.
But it wouldn't prevent Vittoria from suffering in the near future.
Jejune rolled to a stop on the north side of the quad. She didn't have a lot of time; the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon. Expending more energy than she wanted, she removed Vittoria from the car using magic. After creating the vortex that swept Hessler from the sitting area, she didn't have much left. She levitated Hess's student to the edge of the grassy courtyard and arranged her face down on the ground. Leaning over Vittoria's prone form, Jejune whispered a charmed counter to her brother's hex.
Vittoria would not have an easy time getting her life back. If she ever did.
I'm enjoying trying my hand at gender swapping Beauty and the Beast. So much fun to write.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye