Sunday Snippet: Ghoulish Games (a Lantern Jack tale)

Ugh. Still feeling terrible and under the weather. The respiratory yuck that's going around in my area is awful. I think I'm through the worst. Fingers crossed!

Had a whole slew of new projects land in my inbox this week. I'm so thankful for the work and truly hope I can get back to a normal schedule where I don't crash several times a day and need to rest.

Slow viewing week, mainly due to the aforementioned rest periods. When I only got about two to three hours of sleep at a stretch, those nap sessions were super important.

I started the fifth and final season of Suspects. Wow, brutal opening episode and kind of a heartbreaker. I have a feeling Jack is going to go completely off the rails. And Charlie needs to have a moment to grieve and wrap her head around everything.

I finished the tenth season of Brokenwood Mysteries. I love this show so much. I'll look forward to the next season with lots of anticipation.

Caught another episode of Best in Paradise. I rather liked meeting Humphrey's dad and rewatching this episode ended up being a great reminder of how fierce Florence could be.

Enjoyed an episode of Death in Paradise. I'd watched a little of this one and I'm glad I got to see it from beginning to end. Very twisty plot threads in this one.

Watched another episode of Elementary. Nice to see Mycroft again. Loved the new dynamic between the brothers. Gotta say I'm on the fence with the whole Watson sleeping with Mycroft deal, but we'll see if I come down on one side or the other later.

Caught an episode of The Batman and it's one I remember from my original watch. I liked seeing Dick in school and the double-cross by the Riddler ended up being fun. The ending, though, topped everything.

Enjoyed a Classic Rugrats episode that departed from the normal two to three vignettes. "Finsterella" was such a fun episode of the show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Ghoulish Games, a Lantern Jack tale featuring a nymph and a hellhound.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. When Glenna Greer finds a man on her doorstep she faces a dilemma. Use her powers to save—which she is forbidden to do—or let him possibly die. The urge to heal is strong in the wood nymph and she risks banishment going against her clan's directive. When she discovers Radbourne Renner is a hellhound, she's really in a quandary.

And a preview snippet…

A pounding head, throbbing pain in his side, and complete disorienting location gave Radbourne Renner his first taste of fear in over a decade. "What happened!" The headache made his brain mushy. "Where am I and how the hell did I get here?" An image of Jared Janko popped into his mind. "Aw, fuck, no.'' His breath hissed out between his teeth. "That asshat is behind this." The throb in his side burned and he put his hand against it. "Shit." His fingers came away covered in blood. He paused, taking a labored breath. "No wonder I'm a mess. I've been fucking stabbed."

Rad had no idea what set Janko off this time. They'd been unfriendly rivals almost since birth. Radbourne tended to avoid tangling with Jared … usually didn't have the patience to deal with the hothead and learned from experience the man had no honor. He had a mean streak, a bloated ego, and fought dirty—the wound in Rad's side a testament to that fact. The head of homestead banned weapons for anyone attending the gatherings.

Rad snorted then winced when another searing stitch reminded him of the gash. "Apparently Janko didn't get the memo." More like the dickhole chose to ignore the head's command.

Then freaked out when and dumped Rad in the middle of nowhere. A vague memory of being dragged to a truck and hoisted into the bed skittered through his aching mind. Trying to get his bearings, Radbourne couldn't get past the pain to scent the way toward home. Or … Janko masked the trail, hoping Rad would perish and leave Jared in the clear. His focus went dark and gray again. Imminent peril had his preternatural senses kicking in.

Radbourne sniffed the air. "There's someone living out here." He followed his nose and nearly fell down in gratitude when a small cottage came into view.

With his vision swimming, he stumbled toward the house and hopefully help. Less than ten feet from the porch, his knees gave out and he sprawled to the ground in a heap. Numb and dizzy, he didn't even attempt to get back up.

He tried to call out, but his voice only gurgled in his throat. "Dammit, so close, so close." He closed his eyes, unable to fight the heavy sensation spreading through his body.

On a long exhale, the black veil of unconsciousness swallowed him whole.

I love writing the Lantern Jack tales. Glenna and Radbourne are getting Jack closer to fulfilling his penance and ready to move on to his afterlife.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Ghoulish Games (a Lantern Jack tale)

You know, it's been a week. I don't which planet is in retrograde right now but it's effing everything up. LOL My washer died and the delivery of the new one has been moved three times. I might get it Tuesday but I'm not holding my breath. The husband had a deer smash into his vehicle and it's a probably a loss. My daughter's car is having issues. I'm kind of scared to even walk outside in case the sky falls or something else weird.

All that said … I'm not really complaining. It's just a lot of bizarre, inconvenient stuff hitting all at once and I'm kind of scratching my head and wondering how soon the universe will right itself. LOL

Had a great work week and got some solid television viewing in. I started out UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This episode focused on abductions and I always find those stories fascinating.

With the new season of Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries premiering this week, I caught the behind the scenes special from season one. Lots of fun information and interviews.

Watched another episode of The Muppet Show. The guest was Steve Martin and he had fun with his appearance.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys. The mystery is getting deeper and I'm thoroughly enjoying the way everything is coming together. I love the group of friends and how they're completely in on the whole deal now.

I enjoyed another segment of Master Class. David talked about developing logos and I got some good information from him. I have a few tweaks to make to a couple of logos I've put together for book series.

Caught another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I'm getting a little more invested in the characters and I'm interested in where everything goes. I love Hilda's new job!

Peak Practice had a good episode. It took me a while to get into the storyline but I liked how the show played out. It seemed like it was going to go in a tragic direction but ended up not going that route.

Started a new to me show with Street Legal, which is a spinoff of an eighties original. I loved the premiere episode and think I'll end up liking this one.

Caught another episode of the Ready Room, recapping episode four of Picard. Wil is a lot of fun when he's interviewing the actors and I loved the behind the scene special effects segment.

Started an episode of Chicago Med and, so far, I'm enjoying it. The surgeon character is such an ass he's fun to watch. Another aptly titled episode with choices as the theme.

Last but not least … Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries premiered!! I've been so excited for a second season and I'm so happy I had two episodes to watch. This show is so much fun and it took a direction I didn't expect but I'm totally there for. Peregrine isn't a carbon copy of Phryne and that thrills me. I have so much love for the sixties vibe, too. Not sure why that era fascinates me so much but I'm almost always down to watch things set during that decade. And I'm over the moon I'll have another episode to watch soon!

That's pretty much it for this week's update. Tonight's post is from Ghoulish Games, a Lantern Jack sexy short featuring a nymph and a hellhound.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. When Glenna Greer finds a man on her doorstep she faces a dilemma. Use her powers to save—which she is forbidden to do—or let him possibly die. The urge to heal is strong in the wood nymph and she risks banishment going against her clan's directive. When she discovers Radbourne Renner is a hellhound, she's really in a quandary.

And a preview snippet…

Glenna Greer sat in her sacred circle next to the hearth in her home and cast outward with her mind. Her subconscious soared, leaving the tiny cottage in the forest glade to wander among the mature maples, oaks, walnuts, and pines.

"And my favorite ash and birch trees too."

She maintained wary watchfulness. If caught using magick, she'd be sanctioned—possibly banished. She had nowhere she could go, but she couldn't resist pushing boundaries.

A loner at heart, Glenna didn't want to give up everything associated with the nymph community. She had friends even if she didn't see them all the time. They gave her space, which she appreciated and she tried to be available when they needed something.

But she didn't understand the archaic reasoning behind the total lockdown on using their magickal gifts. "Why have them if we can't hone them?"

She caught a brief flash of something hovering on the fringes of her consciousness. An unfamiliar man approached from the highway—someone not of the glade. Startled, she merged back into her corporeal form and let out a gasp.

Rising from her charmed location, she dashed to her front door and flipped the deadbolt. "Just in case." She closed her eyes and swallowed the bubble of nerves climbing in her throat. "I have nothing to fear. This is my domain." But … her brief glimpse of the man—hulking with bulky muscles—kicked her personal safety instinct into high alert. "There's a good chance I'm freaking out over nothing."

When she projected, she often slipped into the past. For all she knew, the guy could've been a relic—a visitor from long ago. But … her gut warned otherwise.

Moving back to her magickal circle, she lowered down and assumed a lotus position. "Maybe meditation will shed some light." She cleared her mind—as much as her heightened senses would allow—and slowed her breathing. Inhale, exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

A few moments later, her eyes snapped open. "Oh, no." A big change headed her way and Glenna had no idea how to prepare.

I have so much fun writing the Lantern Jack stories. My fondest hope is to do a twelve days of Halloween and release the whole series.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Ghoulish Games (A Lantern Jack Tale)

Wow. We've officially completed half a year. Where does the time go? Seriously, it doesn't feel like half the year should be gone already.

Kind of a busy week, but I stayed pretty much caught up on my current slate of shows. I caught the Wonder Woman movie and it was pretty terrific. Looking forward to the next one.

Caught two episodes of Sense8. Really loving this show. I'm looking forward to watching the whole thing.

Also caught two episodes of Mutant X. I'd forgotten how much the wardrobe reminded me of La Femme Nikita. I miss the fashion of the late 90s sometimes.

Watched quite a few episodes of Classic Who this week and ended up about halfway through the Aztec arc.

Two episodes of Canal Road also. I'm finally getting a better feel for the characters and who they are. Really great mix of storylines.

Caught an episode of Midsomer Murders, Endeavor, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, and Constantine. Also watched Pensacola Wings of Gold, Band of Brothers, Strike Back, and Chicago Fire. I love the mysteries and military shows.

Caught part of the first season of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I've seen several episodes of this show but hadn't been able to see the first season. It's fun but nothing will ever top Batman the Animated Series.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Ghoulish Games, a Lantern Jack Tale.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. When Glenna Greer finds a man on her doorstep she faces a dilemma. Use her powers to save—which she is forbidden to do—or let him possibly die. The urge to heal is strong in the wood nymph and she risks banishment going against her clan's directive. When she discovers Radbourne Renner is a hellhound, she's really in a quandary.

And a preview snippet…

Lantrien Jacquard, also known as Lantern Jack, existed in his cursed form and worked at making amends so he could be free once again. He'd tackled many of his wrongs, paving the way for balance to be restored to the netherworld of preternatural beings. He'd managed to clear his highest hurdle by bringing the sprites and the spawns together after centuries of animosity. Now, he had a few more wrongs to right and this All Hallows, he would see if the nymphs and the hellhounds were ready to act in their best interests.

"Not that they know what's in their best interests." Jack had seen to it they didn't.

So long ago. When he'd been in such a dark place. It hadn't taken much to drive a wedge between the frolicking nymphs and the protective hounds. Jack had developing chaos down to an art form by that point.

"A little whisper here and a low rumble there and the magickal nymphs locked down the use so the hellhounds couldn't take advantage of them." Of course, the hellhounds wouldn't have pushed the established boundaries if Jack hadn't suggested it in the first place.

Why shouldn't the hellhounds use the nymph magick for personal gain? Didn't the nymphs owe them for acting as their protectors? No monetary payment existed, right? So the hellhounds should receive something for their long-standing service.

"And the nymphs were so easy to frighten. When the hellhounds started demanding recompense for their services, especially when they were in human form, the nymphs cowered and shivered in fear." The size disparity alone played into the fear factor.

Hellhounds were notoriously hulking and large and nymphs were usually petite, even the males rarely got taller than five-eight or nine.

Now, Jack had to figure out a way to reignite the protective instincts of the hellhound and the nurturing nature of the nymphs. "Won't be easy. The nymphs haven't used magick in almost a century." Hellhounds had a scent trigger for fae magick.

Jack's plan for amends hinged on Glenna Greer. She'd descended from the oldest line of nymphs and her family kept the chronicles. Of course, it helped that Glenna practiced her craft, covertly and secretively, in a cabin deep in the wooded acres of the glade. If Jack presented Glenna with a moral dilemma, he'd bet her natural response would be offering aid and comfort.

Enter Radbourne Renner into the mix. Jack had to be slightly nefarious to accomplish making them meet, but Rad needed a push in Glenna direction. His mistrust of all things magickal made him a prime component. If Rad could learn to trust Glenna, the duo would unlock the key to bringing the two groups back together.

Of course, Glenna would have to go against the ban on using her magick. But to save a life, Jack would bank on her doing so.

"Now all I have to do is put Rad in a dangerous situation and let nature take its course."

With All Hallows approaching, landing a hellhound in a tricky spot wouldn't be that difficult. Tempers flared hot when the group got together and, with a little nudge from Jack, Rad's biggest rival at the homestead wouldn't hesitate to take his anger out on the unsuspecting hound.

"Then all I have to do is guide him to Glenna's doorstep."

What could go wrong?

Writing Jack's tale of redemption is so much fun. He's not an easy character to write sometimes but I enjoy how he brings couples together.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye