Sunday Snippet: Haunted Hideaway

Whew. It's been a week. My washing machine saga continued, and I finally called it. Investing in a new machine, hopefully in the near future before my laundry pile grows exponentially into a mountain.

I finally finished the very, very long proofread and thankfully should have the final queries answered this weekend. I have a new holiday manuscript for copyediting and it's about halfway complete. Have I mentioned I love holiday stories?

Not a bad week of viewing. I got a few extra shows watched this week.

Caught the second episode of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've mentioned how much I love the characters, but Madison had such a great role in this week's episode.

Watched another Best in Paradise. This episode introduced Martha and I enjoyed her run on the show with Humphrey.

Finished the two-part episode of Death in Paradise where Florence says goodbye for a while. Such a sad but great send off for her.

Started another episode of Elementary. Should have it finished up later tonight. I'm quite enjoying this second season so far.

Caught another episode of The Batman and remembered it from the first watch I did. Excellent story that dives into the symbiotic relationship between Batman and his rogue gallery.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Haunted Hideaway, a novella that features a ghost bringing a couple together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Harley Rand meets Ruck Tate when she moves back to her small hometown and leases an apartment in a historic village. Little things happen from the moment she moves in—items mysteriously end up in different locations, the doorbell rings and no one is on the other side, and random things go wrong in the apartment. Intrigued, Harley dives into the history of the buildings in the village and discovers a few fun facts and a couple of unsettling ones … like the building is probably haunted. Harley believes in ghosts but has no idea how to broach the topic with the handsome superintendent. She may not have to … Ruck has a few secrets he's not quite willing to divulge, even to the lovely new tenant.

And a preview snippet…

Ruck drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Figures she's as hot as she sounded on the phone." He'd rather hoped she would be unattractive and less his type.

Nope. Harley Rand hit all the ticky boxes. Sense of humor. Total confidence. A smokey voice that had a touch of sass to it. One that also revealed more about her than she probably wanted.

Yep. He could totally fall for the new tenant in apartment three. Too bad she had about zero interest in dating anyone. Not with a bad breakup being part of the reason she decided to return to her hometown.

Ruck grunted. "The guy who let her go is an idiot." Or maybe just blind.

None of Ruck's business. Except she'd been open about the need for a fresh start. And her plan to avoid getting tangled up in a relationship.

Ruck understood … to a point. He'd had five terrific years with his wife before an icy road and a reckless driver took her life. Grief had a hold on him for the first three years after the accident. He'd slowly emerged on the other side and while he didn't go out often, he'd tested the waters a few times over the past twenty-four months.

Pulling into the parking lot of the foundation office, he cut the engine. "Too bad the first person to really strike my fancy wouldn't be interested." Slipping out of the cab, he headed for the door next to the maintenance bay to get some equipment to tend the huge planters by the visitor center.

An eerie thought struck him. He probably should've warned Harley about the possibility of weird sounds at odd times during the day and night. Then again, she'd mentioned working there back in the day. Maybe she already had experience with the old building's quirks.

Ruck snorted. "I'd bet there's one thing she didn't have to deal with back then…" And hopefully she wouldn't have to now.

But he wouldn't hold his breath. Only a matter of time if he didn't miss his guess.

I love working with an established location and adding fictional elements to the story. So much fun!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Guts and Glory

I can't believe we're at the end of June already. It's crazy how fast time is flying right now. Probably because of the whole respiratory yuck that ate up most of the month. Thankfully, that seems to have finally run its course. Feeling so much better now.

Had a super busy work week. Playing catch-up isn't my favorite thing on the planet. But I did finish a proofread and made solid progress on the other two projects on my plate.

Had a very limited viewing schedule this week, mainly because I really wanted to make as much of a dent as possible in my work. I had my usual background comfort shows playing in the background with Perry Mason and Midsomer Murders. I love the channels dedicated to one show, which is how I get Midsomer whenever I want. And Perry Mason is easy to find on the classic TV channels.

I did catch an episode of Best in Paradise and enjoyed revisiting how JP got reacquainted with Rosie. I'm enjoying the cast member introductions to each episode.

I also watched the first of a two-part Death in Paradise. I'd seen a bit of the episode before and knew what to expect but it's very powerful to watch from the beginning. Looking forward to the second part this week.

I started an episode of Elementary and didn't make it all the way through. I'll finish that one up later tonight.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Guts and Glory, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

Ghosts, spirits, ghouls, and spooks are big business for Royal McKnight and Gamble Preacher, who each head rival teams that deal with and sometimes get rid of the specters. Gamble fears Royal is in over her head when a nasty ghoul wreaks havoc on the city and can't be banished, but Royal has an ace up her sleeve and doesn't need Gamble's assistance … until her team is in danger and Gamble has to save the day.

And a preview snippet…

Royal McKnight entered her headquarters and living space through sublevel two. "What a night." She shut and warded the door leading from the abandoned subway tunnel then headed for the first flight of stairs that would take her to sublevel one.

She shrugged out of her long jacket and draped the garment over her shoulder before entering the small enclosure that would take her to the first floor of the former First United Bank, which now operated as the base of operations for her team of ghost hunters.

A side door opened and her second in command, JJ Hardaway ducked into the hexagon-shaped landing from the parking garage that also doubled as their decontamination area. Clad only in a pair of loose warmups, a sure indicator he'd tangled with something—ghost, spirit, ghoul, or spook—and ended up covered with ectoplasm … or something worse. She'd heard a call go out but couldn't respond, because she'd had her nose to the ground following a possible lead.

JJ shook his head and jerked his thumb behind him. "I recommend avoiding the decon area for at least an hour. It'll take that long for the smell to dissipate." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "And I might need spend another thirty minutes in the shower." A shudder rippled over him.

Royal arched her brows. "Do we need to debrief first?" She kind of hoped not … a ton of research beckoned her.

JJ rolled his eyes. "Nah. Nothing special about the callout. Standard spook removal." His lips quirked. "Except for the part where the spook went corporeal just as I sprayed the deterrent on it."

Royal grimaced. "Ugh. You got skunked." No wonder JJ warned about the stench.

Spooks could manifest in solidified form for brief periods. If they were doused when they had a physical shape, they exploded in a barrage of congealed spookly bits. Yuck.

JJ rolled a shoulder. "Happens to the best of us." He nodded toward the steps. "Heading up or down?"

She lifted her chin. "Up. Gotta hit the stacks and do some research." She paused a moment. "Have you heard any rumblings about the old library?" She'd staked the place out based on a rumor she'd overheard at the Gilded Chalice, her favorite watering hole.

JJ grunted. "Only that Preacher's crew has been sniffing around that area." He nudged the door to the first floor open then held it for Royal.

Royal bit back a curse. "Figures. It's been a while since we bumped up against them." Not like both teams didn't have enough work with sightings and subsequent removals.

Gamble Preacher and his group were friendly—for the most part—rival ghost hunters. Former military, Preacher employed other fellow soldiers from all branches of the armed forces. Royal's cohorts all carried on a long-standing family tradition, each either inheriting their role or coming to the team after an otherworldly experience. She often put her instincts and knowledge of folklore and urban legends up against Gamble's precisely planned operations and often got better results. But … after fifty years of dealing with the spectral population—because a group of well-meaning but seriously misguided novices accidentally opened a portal from the afterlife—no end to the spooky visitations seemed to be in sight. Which meant there should be more than enough room to work without a lot of overlap.

JJ padded over to the monitoring station and fist-bumped with his partner Marcus. "Need you to take a break. Gonna need someone to scrub my back."

Marcus covered his nose with his hand. "Yeah and hold their breath while doing it." He winced. "Man, you reek."

Royal chuckled. "I was trying so hard not to point that out." She waved the guys off. "Go on, you two. I'll take the tablet with me and keep an eye on the panels." She started unloading her tools of the trade onto the desk.

The guys headed for the second floor where the living quarters were. Royal draped her jacket over the back of the chair and grabbed the oversized device, switching the feed from the computer monitors to the tablet. Keeping only one weapon tucked into her pocket, she headed for the elevator to take her to the third floor.

Her gut all but screamed they had a nasty ghoul on their hands, and she wanted to be one step ahead of Preacher and his gang.  

I'm excited about this story. I'm in the very beginning stages but the sages are feeding me a lot of great ideas.

 

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

Sunday Snippet: Haunted Hideaway

Happy Independence Day if you're in the US. If not, I hope you're having a terrific weekend. Our weather is very pleasant and mild so I'm not going to complain about that. I will express frustration with random people letting off fireworks, but only because our doggos hate them.

Had a truly jam-packed, great television viewing week. Started and ended the week with No Offence. I finished up the series and I'm not disappointed at all. What a experience!

Also watched Silent Witness and I'm almost through the second episode of the two-parter. I watched the first part at the end of last week and should have this one finished up by the time I'm ready to post this blog entry.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. The fifth part of the key has been found so I'm almost ready for season sixteen to come to a close. So far, I've been on the fence with this season but it's enjoyable.

Watched an episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one dived into the cover-ups in the US. I'm always fascinated by how much this show reminds me of the X-Files. I love it.

Enjoyed two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Rudolf Nereyev and Elton John were the guest stars. Really enjoyed Elton.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I'm starting to like the new doctor. He kind of rubs everyone the wrong way but I truly feel for the guy coming to a small village where the residents are all used to things being a specific way.

The Hardy Boys had a terrific episode. I'm kind of interested in how the boys are dealing with starting at a new school and uncovering their mom's past there.

Dove into another Master Class with David Carson. I didn't think I'd get much out of the whole collage lesson but I did walk away with a few ideas about how textures and colors work together on a physical level.

Watched Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and, wow, Sabrina definitely had a bomb blow up in her face. I'm kind of glad to see it but also now wondering how everything is going to play out. Still not a big fan of Wardwell.

Caught another episode of Street Legal and thoroughly enjoyed. I'll be honest … I'm not always a fan of Olivia but I enjoyed her interaction with Emily. I'm also really interested in the dynamics of the partners. Definitely going to enjoy watching the rest of the episodes.

The Ready Room had a great recap and family reunion with Wil, Jonathan, and Brent. Such a fun episode and really looking forward to the next one.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and really enjoyed it. I'm totally down for the rivalry between Halsted and Rhodes but I'm looking forward to when they're really great friends too.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. I'm kind of interested in how this one plays out because Nick has been getting on my nerves lately. We'll see if that improves or not.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Haunted Hideaway, a sexy short that got a start after a conversation with a friend about a spooky tale of the building she lives in.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Harley Rand meets Ruck Tate when she moves back to her small hometown in Ohio and leases an apartment in a historic village. Little things happen from the moment she moves in—items mysteriously end up in different locations, the doorbell rings and no one is on the other side, and random things go wrong in the apartment. Intrigued, Harley dives into the history of the buildings in the village and discovers a few fun facts and a couple of unsettling ones … like the building is probably haunted. Harley believes in ghosts but has no idea how to broach the topic with the handsome superintendent. She may not have to … Rand has a few secrets he's not quite willing to divulge, even to the lovely new tenant.

And a preview snippet…

Harley Rand pulled into the nearly empty parking lot behind the huge brick building on Whitewoman Street. "Wow … nothing like being hit with a ton of memories." She'd spent a lot of time in the building during her high school years.

Back then, the canal-era historic village drew in a good bit of tourism and provided a solid part-time job even if she had to wear period appropriate clothing at Captain Black's Sweet Shop. The corner business drew in hungry visitors and locals who wanted a quick lunch or to grab some of the famous candy and ice creams.

Harley tilted her head to one side, glancing up at the second and third stories. "Not so much now." The sweet shop had become an upscale wine and coffee bar about five years ago.

Pop the Cork seemed so out of place in the village but only because Harley had been away almost ten years. The inn at the south end of the road now housed the local branch for one of the state colleges. The general store across Hill Street had morphed into a deli marketplace with the general store moving to the opposite side of Whitewoman. Harley got out of her car and breathed deeply. Nothing like coming home.

She turned and walked to the end of the parking lot then grinned. "At least the Pewter Pub and Lock Twenty-Three remained the same." The restaurant and bar had been a staple in the village for as long as she could remember.

A truck pulled into the parking lot and the driver killed the engine. Harley squinted a little, trying to get a glimpse of the man inside. He drove a foundation vehicle so he had to be Ruck Tate, the guy she'd been speaking to for over three months, trying to arrange the deposit and scheduling the move. The driver's side door popped open and she got her first look at the head of maintenance.

Dammit … he would have to be her type. Not too tall, day-old scruff, and longish hair. She'd hoped he'd be pot-bellied and close to retirement.

Then again, his whiskey-smooth voice belied that wish, something she'd known deep in her gut.

Pasting a smile on her face, she strode forward. "Ruck Tate?" She thrust her hand forward.

He grinned. "Yeah. And you're Harley Rand. It's nice to have a face to put with the voice I've been hearing." He shook her hand and nodded toward the building. "Ready to head in? I've got your keys and your copy of the lease." Letting go, he glanced around. "You've got movers coming, right?"

She lifted her chin. "Not until early tomorrow. But I'll be staying so I can greet them when they get here."

Ruck stepped up onto the wooden decking and led the way to upper level then pushed the main door open. "They can park on the street below. It'll be easier for them to bring your stuff up the steps from there." He stopped by the mailboxes in the vestibule. "You're box number three." He handed her the key. "If you have packages, the delivery guys usually leave them on the table or on the floor beside it." He glanced up. "Unless you give them different instructions. So far, we've never had trouble with people taking stuff that doesn't belong to them."

Harley accepted the key and followed Ruck into the hall. He stopped outside unit number three and unlocked the door then handed her the key. She sent him a brief smile then entered her new home. He followed her through and explained where to find everything then handed her the lease. She tucked it inside her purse and asked a few questions, which he answered.

He started for the door and she followed but he stopped short and she bumped right into his back.

Her face heated. "Ugh. Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "No, my fault. I forgot to give you the garage door opener." He retrieved it from his back pocket. "If you'll come back out, I'll show you which one you can use."

She nodded and followed him again. Big mistake. Stop looking at his ass.

Hard not to. His khaki cargo pants fit snugly without being tight. The sleeves of the dark green T-shirt with the foundation logo hugged his biceps. She really needed to get a grip and remember why she'd decided to be footloose and fancy free. No more relationships.

Ruck paused at the foot of the steps leading to the garages. He titled his head, as if waiting for a response from her.

Harley blinked. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

His lips curved. "I asked if you wanted to meet me up there with your car. Unless you've got stuff to unload?"

She did have a few things, namely the air mattress she'd be sleeping on until her furniture arrived in the morning. "I'll just follow you up on foot for now."

He dipped his head and flashed a smile. "Let's go."

He made short work of showing her the space and giving her the code if she forgot the opener. After they walked back down to the parking lot, he headed for the truck.

Harley waved. "Thank you. I appreciate you meeting me here."

Ruck lifted two fingers and saluted her. "No problem. Call me if need anything." He backed out of the lot and headed up Hill Street.

Harley blew out a slow breath. "Whew. Here's hoping I won't have to call." He had such a nice guy vibe.

And her promise to avoid entanglements already teetered on the edge.

I love writing Harley and she's going to have some fun with an uninvited but not unwelcome presence very soon.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye