Sunday Snippet: All Day Sucker (Paranormal)

Well, back to illness again. Middle kiddo is experiencing something more than the stomach flu. Not sure what it is yet, but it’s not pleasant. Hope to have some answers by mid-week. It’s not fun watching them go through the rough ride.

Not a bad week for television but had some distractions with the above-mentioned illness. I watched the rest of Silent Witness’s sixth season and should be starting season seven this week.

Also caught another episode of Blue Heelers. I’m still enjoying this show a lot. And, wow, there are a bunch of seasons on this one.

Caught my usual mystery fare on Ovation again. Hoping to find a Bond movie marathon over the Thanksgiving weekend to watch.

That’s pretty much it for television this week. Tonight’s post is from All Day Sucker, a sexy short promotional companion piece for Cupid's Curse.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Archer and Bree, Cupids of the First Order, have an eternity together, which means they like to keep things interesting. Archer plans a dinner party as a surprise for Bree but she ends up blowing his mind instead.

And a preview snippet…

Even though Bree buzzed with sexual tension, she thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful dinner with her favorite people. Who knew the cupids I used to lampoon would become such good friends? She loved all of them dearly. Even Merry, who used to make Bree insanely jealous.

Especially when Bree arrived at the grotto and found Merry laughing it up with Arch. Bree wanted to smash the woman's face in. But … the reunion that followed—thanks to Aphrodite's carefully enacted plan—rocked Bree's world right down to her red-painted toenails. A lovely series of images flashed in Bree's mind and she sizzled with erotic need.

Bree sent Arch a very hot glance and licked her lips. She'd devour him right here if he gave the go-ahead. Which he wouldn't. Damn the man.

Merry caught the vibe coming off Bree and, after everyone finished up their last bites of food, she made an astute observation. "As much as I'm sure we'd all love to spend hours with our favorite couple, something tells me Bree wants to spend hours blowing Arch's mind … among other things." Her eyebrows waggled.

Bree laughed. "You know me a little too well … but I'm glad you do."

Merry took her cue and got up, carrying her plate and glass into the kitchen. Everyone else good-naturedly helped clean up then offered a round of good-byes. The flurry of activity and innuendo-laden ribbing only heightened Bree's desire.

Hugs and kisses preceded everyone on their way out the door, which Bree closed and locked.

Then, she turned to face Arch, whose gaze darkened to a sexy smolder.

Bree gave him a long, slow grin. "Happy anniversary, my love." She unfastened the clasp of her dress and let it slide to the floor.

I love this couple. Cupid's Curse ended up being so much fun to write, I needed to catch up with Bree and Archer to see how they were doing.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Manifest Legend

Whoo boy… winter arrived with an icy drizzle followed by some major snow. I'm very glad I have no place I need to be that involves travel. Ugh.

Another slower week for television. I had a project that needed some solid focus and I used music as my background noise for less distraction. Oddly enough, it was a New Year's Eve playlist. LOL I also had some outside things going on; lunch with my daughter and cousin and a lengthy concussion assessment for my middle kid. Okay, he's not really a kid anymore since he just turned twenty, but he needed to have someone with him while they did the tests and I'm glad I was there. Turns out he's probably had a concussion for at least a couple of years. Epic fail on my parental duties there.

I did catch the finale of Strike Back. Kind of liked the way it ended but I'm used to a little more closure. I'm definitely looking forward to the new season in the next week or so.

Watched an episode of Chicago Fire and—thank whatever rules the universe—the stupid deputy commissioner appears to be out. Who knows for how long, but man, I hate that storyline. Also saddened that Severied lost his dad. Really thrilled Benny came through in the end though.

Caught an episode of Luke Cage. Actually kind of liked watching several relationships implode. Almost to the end of the season then, sadly, won't have any new to look forward to. I'm so excited for Punisher's second season but I'm hitting up Iron Fist and Dare Devil first.

I watched some behind the scenes stuff from Passionflix. If you're not a subscriber, check it out if you love books made into movies. Had time to finish up the web planet arc of Classic Who also.

I finished out the week with an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. This show continues to make me happy and hasn't fallen back on repeating storylines yet. After twelve years. That's amazing.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Manifest Legend, a short story free read that helps set up the Sanctuary Island stories.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Insula Ara is a mystical island offering sanctuary to those in need, but when she reveals herself for the first time, Cedric Edward Teasdale, former crewman of a privateer, almost blows his chance for refuge… and a reunion with his lost love.

And a preview snippet…

Ceet rose and strolled down the path to the shoreline. He looked out at the inlet and said a sad farewell to his former mates. They were a good crew and he'd miss them.

A quiet hush fell, all around him, and Ceet shifted his eyes around slowly. An eerie feeling trickled down his spine and he jumped when a loud crack reverberated and a deafening roar burst through the skies. Thunder boomed and lightning danced all around him. Even the trees seemed to scream their fury.

Ceet threw up his arms, fists punching toward the sky. "Now just you calm down! I ain't a going anywhere." He shouted, raising his voice as loud as he could. "We had a deal and I aim to keep my end. Now, stop this nonsense!"

He flung his arms down and the noise ceased. Peace and quiet returned.

"Just like a woman, it is."

Ceet ambled over to the encampment area and built up a fire. Nightfall would come on soon. He'd have to start thinking about building permanent shelter right away.

His eyes scanned the coastline then he turned and looked at the dense foliage behind him. Dusk settled around the island, he wouldn't make much headway tonight. He gathered up the foodstuffs left behind and set about making dinner.

After eating, he secured his camp—more out of habit than concern for safety. He strung a hammock and started to climb onto it when a winking glint caught his eye. Over by a small outcropping of rocks there looked to be something bobbing up and down in the water.

He'd check it in the morning. The day had been long and his body and mind needed rest. Ceet crossed his ankles and lay back in the canvas bed. His eyes closed and he waited for sleep to claim him.

The nocturnal rest eluded him. Even with his eyes shut the blinking was noticeable. It reflected off the large leaves of the trees above him.

With a heavy sigh, Ceet rolled out of the hammock, lit a lantern and made his way toward the group of rocks. Might as well discover whatever the island wanted him to find. And Ceet knew it was Sanctuary that made the flashing brighter when he tried to sleep.

Getting closer, he realized he'd have to wade into the surf to actually retrieve the object. "You jest couldn't let me get me rest, could ye?" The water was still on the warm side when he went in.

It was also up to his chest by the time he got to the spot. Lantern held high, he checked for creatures before sticking his hand inside the group of rocks. Feeling around he found what the island had for him and pulled the object out to get a better look.

A compass.

Ceet harrumphed. "I've got one of these. I don't need another one, do I?" The device grew warm in his hand. Ceet turned it over and tried to find the source of the heat.

I'm having a lot of fun working in Ceet's backstory with the mystic island of Sanctuary.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

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

Sunday Snippet: Manifest Legend

April 10, 2016

Just in time for the weekend, snow showers in Ohio. LOL Considering I was still wearing shorts and flip-flops in October, I won't gripe anymore. J

Update on the gimpy kid… she'd made huge strides over the last week, going from her splint down to a boot and now easing into a brace. She's doing therapy and it's making a huge difference. She won't be ready to jump hurdles before the end of track season, but she's mobile and crutchless for the most part. *throws confetti*

Sad there isn't a new Walking Dead, but also a little relieved. I'll give next season a quick go then decide if I can deal with Negan or not.

The Magicians is almost to the season ender and I'm kind of excited to see what happens. Bitten is also two episodes away from its finale and I'm kind of sad there won't be any new episodes to look forward to.

No new The Flash, but Agents of SHIELD had a terrific showing. I rather like how the deep division seems to be setting up Captain America: Civil War.

Arrow… wow. I'm actually kind of shocked at who we lost. That said, never say die in a show based on a comic series. There's a solid chance we'll see the one we lost again.

Legends of Tomorrow put a good episode together. I really love the complicated mix and relationships portrayed. I will admit, I'm actually kind of tired of Savage constantly having the upper hand. I'd like to see a serious blow dealt to him and maybe an introduction of some other villains.

Still need to watch Banshee, but I have the eps ready to go. And the first episode of Wynonna Earp proved awesome! If the second ep is as good, I'm all-in. Kind of looking forward to The Hunters and hoping it holds my interest.

That's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from Manifest Legend, a free origin story for the caretaker and island in the Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island brand.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Insula Ara is a mystical island offering sanctuary to those in need, but when she reveals herself for the first time, Cedric Edward Teasdale, former crewman of a privateer, almost blows his chance for refuge… and a reunion with his lost love.

And a preview snippet…

"Captain, make fer the ship. You 'ave got to get off the island." Cedric Edward Teasdale might be a lowly crewman, but he knew battle tactics and strategies better than most seasoned officers.

And his captain had to get much needed supplies to the front.

"I'd love to head out, Ceet, but the hold is still being filled. I can't leave without the bulk of the cargo." Captain James Avery didn't do anything by half measures.

Ceet understood. Avery wasn't a privateer because he had to be. And the man didn't just play at raiding other ships for sheer enjoyment. No, Avery was cut from a different cloth.

He believed in the crown and would do whatever necessary to protect it.

"Aye, Captain. That ye can't." Ceet took a step forward and lowered his voice. "If'n you'll excuse me impertinence, sir, I took the liberty of outfitting that old battlement with fodder for the canons. They be primed and ready."

Ceet experienced a humble moment at the look of pride on Avery's face.

"Your impertinence is excused, Ceet. You've done well."

Bobbing his head at the compliment, Cedric looked to the horizon. "I can hold 'em off til you get the hold filled. Then you 'ave to make yer getaway swift and sure."

Avery nodded. "I can only spare two men. That won't hold them off for long."

"Beggin' yer pardon again, sir. You can't spare that. I'll take one man for an hour half. And that's to load up additional fodder for the canons. Once that's done, he'll be out on the last boat to the ship. You'll need all hands to make yer escape."

Avery pondered Ceet's words in silence before speaking quietly. "I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me, Ceet."

"Yessun, you will. And it's no sacrifice. I could do worse than this beaut of an island."

Avery turned, his eyes surveying the lush landscape. "You're sure? I'll return if we make it through, but it could take years."

"I'm sure. I've grown to love this place. I'll take care of the island and it'll take care of me."

"God willing, Ceet."   

"Swift sailing, Captain. May the wind always be at your back."

"Farewell, my friend."

Ceet is a terrific character and so much fun to write. The island is also fun to portray.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye