Sunday Snippet: An Enticing Yule

A lovely week with warmer temperatures and some rain. Excited to see some spring weather rolling in. It's supposed to be in the high fifties and sixties this week and I'm totally down with that, even if it gets chilly at night.

Not a bad week for writing either. I played catch-up on a few more manuscripts and fleshed out some plot bunnies. The sages are on a roll right now and I'm not sure what prompted their creativity. I won't complain though.

Good week of television also. I watched a couple of movies starting with Enola Holmes, which I ended up really enjoying. Glad to hear there will be another one at some point. I also watched a total favorite of mine, Grease 2. This is one of those cases where I loved the sequel more than the original. Seriously.

I restarted my watch of Picard, picking up with episode six. Wow, a lot to unpack in that episode. I'm excited to see what happens next.

I finally started Chicago Med. I've been waiting to see the first season and ended up getting access. Enjoyed the first episode.

Caught two episodes of Peak Practice. I ended the second season and started the third. Both were good episodes.

Watched another episode of No Offence. I like the overarching storyline for the new season and the wrap-up of the previous season's fallout. I'll be honest and admit I'm not keen on the new supervisor but I'll reserve judgment for now.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness and it was as twisty as I thought it would be. Enjoyed the two-parter.

Started season fifteen of Classic Who. Pretty decent opening arc the lighthouse setting. Interestingly, it ties into one of those unsolved mysteries of the unexplained and I love it when the show does that kind of thing.

Caught another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused on Area 52 and what might or might not be going on there.

Two more episodes of The Muppet Show are complete. I'd forgotten about Harry the mad bomber. He made an appearance and blew some stuff up.

That's about it for television and this week's wrap-up. Tonight's post is from An Enticing Yule, a Holiday Spirit sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A shifter and a watcher have to find their Yule cheer … with a little help from holiday spirit, Cinnamon Mistleberry. She's got her work cut out for her. Pandora Prewitt is a multi-shifter struggling to find her true form or risk banishment from her tribe. Dexter Diamond is a watcher, the group of preternatural humans who document the shifter chronicles, questioning his life's work. Cinnamon brings the duo together at Yule to show them the enticing value of love.

And a preview snippet…

Pandora entered her small cottage and slammed the door. "Dammit. I know what I have to do. Riding my ass won't make it happen any sooner." She paced back and forth, giving her anger full rein.

Fear crept in, hovering on the fringe.

She stopped. "No, I won't be swayed by scare-mongering." If the pack pushed her out, so be it.

No. On her own, she'd surely lose her mind. Already, the symptoms of feral psychosis nudged at her. She struggled to focus during her shifts and each time she tried a new form and failed to connect, she died a little more.

"Why can't I find the right fit?" The thought of being banished or locked away in a psychiatric ward almost choked her.

She wouldn't survive. She wanted to soar with freedom, live the way her pack members did—in harmony with their animal side. Frustrated, she flung her jacket off and tossed it on the table.

When a loud knock sounded, she stomped to the door. "By all that rules the universe, leave me alone." Yanking the heavy oak toward her, she stared at empty space. "What the hell?" She'd fully expected to find her pack alpha frothing at the mouth.

Instead, a burst of smoke delivered a sealed envelope that landed on her small porch. Glancing around, Pandora bent down to retrieve the parcel. No one hid in the bushes or along the tree line.

Closing the door, she flipped the letter over and back. "No address or name. Huh."

An ornate seal gave an official-looking flair.

A thread of worry wound its way through her. "I hope this isn't bad news."

She had until after the Yule holiday—through the first of the year, in fact—to find her true form.

A horrible thought occurred. "Unless the pack decided to cut their losses." She blinkdly walked into the living room.

They wouldn't push her out before the holiday, would they? Why wouldn't her alpha deliver the news himself if they did? The envelope trembled along with her hands. Should she open it or not?

"Gah. Only one way to find out what's inside." She slipped her finger under the seal and lifted the flap.

Pulling out an embossed card, she breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The search for your form needs a key for the lock

A place to lay low without pressure from a ticking clock.

Come to Goodacre for nurturing care.

The discovery of your nature might be found there.

 

Instructions to confirm the reservation and how to arrive in the nether realm via the mists followed the invitation, along with a seasonal Yule message.

Pandora didn't hesitate. "Yes, definitely yes." The parchment etched her reply on the page then winked out of sight.

Pandora dashed into her bedroom and packed for an extended stay. "If nothing else, I won't have to walk on eggshells around everyone who's waiting for me to sink or shift."

As if she enjoyed the constant scrutiny.

I'm super thrilled with how this story came together. I have so much fun with the holiday spirit shorts.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Mistletoe Madness—An Enchanted Yule #MistletoeHop

Sponsored by Romance Beckons

Enter for a chance to win an awesome prize!

Grab your Mistletoe and pucker 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.

~*~

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, Noah's Ark, Seahawks Rule—much to the chagrin of my Browns loving husband, and Bells are Ringing.

This year my daughter got to choose and she wanted to do something a little vintage. We've decorated a white tree with old fashioned looking ornaments in jewel tones. She hasn't really named it yet, but I've been calling it our Vintage Jewel tree. It's really quite lovely.

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.

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 wonderful things. But what happens when you can't follow an established one? Or you don't have any in the first place? When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, with couples who have challenges to face, but find love nonetheless. They also celebrate the season and keep their holiday spirit, or find it by the end of the story.

My holiday release, 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.

I had so much fun writing the book and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and share your favorite part of the holiday season. (Maybe it involves books!)

~*~

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.

~*~

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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website http://www.skyewrites.com

Get into the holiday spirit and relax! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: A Valentine Caper

So… some good TV this week. Strike Back continues to be excellent viewing. Awesome to see Martinez and Richmond kick ass as they're trained to do. I did call the wife, which is all I'll say for now. Can't wait for the next installment!

Orphan Black, once again, totally blew everything out of the water. Seriously, every time I think I'm cool to settle back and watch, another twist has me sitting on the edge of my seat with my mouth hanging open. I love it!

Defiance returned and, geez, cleaned freaking house. Not only is the E-rep gone, with the exception of Berlin—thankfully—but three regular characters are no more. I love having Nolan and Amanda working in tandem. We'll see how long that lasts.

The premiere of Dark Matter has me intrigued enough to keep watching. I like the blend of characters so far. Hopefully, as the show unfolds, that'll stay the case. Who knows? Killjoys opens next week and I'm very much looking forward to adding it to my Friday night viewing.

More on new shows next week…

Tonight's post is from A Valentine Caper, a novella set around Valentine's Day, featuring a workaholic cupid who needs some downtime.

Here's the tagline:

A cupid, Lorna Heartshorn, is a workaholic who wants to spend Valentine's Day—the one day her magic doesn't work—with a mortal man who needs a hot woman. When Gus Shepler pops up on her radar, she thinks she's found the perfect guy and sets out to seduce him. No easy feat, since he's sworn off women after a string of bad luck and nasty break-ups.

And a preview snippet…

Lorna Heartshorn dropped down beside her fellow cupids, Marie and Katie. "I'm finally taking some time off. What should I do?" She waved to the waiter and signaled for her usual, a slinging arrow—cranberry juice, green apple schnapps, and vodka.

Marie snorted. "Since when do you ever take time off?" She idly toyed with her stir stick, spearing a cherry from her love struck martini.

Katie chimed in. "Wait a minute. Valentine's Day doesn't count, Lorna. We all get that day off." She rolled her eyes. "The one day our magic doesn't work shouldn't count." She brought her cupid's bow, a frothy pink concoction, up to her lips.

Lorna shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. But I'm thinking about taking an extra day or two. I need to have a fling and I want a mortal man." Her drink arrived and Lorna fought the urge to down the entire glass.

Marie blinked. "Did you say mortal? Since when do you traipse around with birthday set?" She took a sip of her martini. "I've known you seventy years and you've never had a burning desire to go off the celestial plane."

Marie spoke the truth. Lorna used to visit the mortal coil at least twice a year when she'd first become a cupid almost a century ago. But she'd had decades of staying in the ether, the mists separating the celestial from the humans inhabiting the earth.

Katie tilted her head to one side. "What's going on with you? You're not like having a midlife crisis or anything, are you?" She leaned closer, peering over the top of her tall tumbler.

Lorna laughed. "No. I'm not having a meltdown or anything crazy." She swirled the liquid in her glass. "I'm just… I don't know… out of touch." She didn't have a clue how to explain the weird disconnect she'd had with everyone lately.

Marie smirked. "You're suffering burn out, Lorna." She slid her gaze toward Katie. "Told you."

Katie nodded. "Yep. You did." She settled back in her seat. "Marie has a theory, Lorna."

Lorna rolled her eyes. "Well, do share. I know you can't wait." She took another sip of her cocktail.

Marie squared her shoulders, getting into mother hen mode. "How much vacation time do you have saved up?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Lorna smirked. "I don't know. Seven years?" She sobered. "Maybe more." What would she do with time off?

Hike through a mountain range. Relax on a beach. Sail around the world. Bah! She'd be bored within forty-eight hours. She loved her work.

Marie threw up her hands. "Seriously? Come on, Lorna, how can you not realize you're completely tapped out?" She calmed down and schooled her features. "Sweetie, you're so good at matching and extremely dedicated, but yes, you're also out of touch. Very."

When Marie dragged out the adverbs, it meant shit just got very real.

Marie and Katie are a hoot and they're going to give Lorna what she wants along with what she needs in the form of Gus Shepler. Let the matching begin…

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

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!

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, another hint of what's going on.

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

~*~

Boyd received a split second premonition and caught Zack just before he entered the garage. "Hold up. Something's not right." He held a finger to his lips and quirked a brow, hoping Zack understood.

Zack nodded and moved behind Boyd then flattened against the wall to provide backup if needed. Boyd cracked the door ajar and swept his gaze back and forth. Noxious fumes hit his nose and he coughed before hitting the button to open the garage bay door. The van sat, running with its lights on, but Boyd didn't see Ethan anywhere. A brisk wind cleared the space and Boyd turned to Zack, motioning for him to remain behind and quiet. The young man inclined his chin in acknowledgment.

Boyd entered the large area. "Ethan? What's up? Leaving the van running in a closed space is dangerous, man." He walked the perimeter of the large bay before stooping down to look under the bus. Nothing.

Snow blew in from the outside and Boyd got up, crossed the concrete floor, and hit the button to close the door. "Zack, come on in. We've got a problem."

Zack peered around the corner. "You didn't find Ethan, did you?"

Boyd shook his head, grabbed the intercom handset, and waited for the tone to sound before speaking. "Sygin, pick up the nearest comm, please."

Her voice met his ears a few seconds later. "Yeah, Boyd, what's up?"

He motioned for Zack to check inside the bus. "We found the van running, but Ethan's gone. Do a headcount right now. Make sure no one else is missing." He quickly calculated how much time had passed since Ethan left the residential area.

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

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

Sunday Snippet: A Little Yule Magic

I'm truly thrilled with how much I'm enjoying the TV season this fall. Once again, Arrow and Sons of Anarchy blew me away. Gotham and Sleepy Hollow were excellent. The Walking Dead only has two more episodes before the break and I can't wait to watch.

I've had major back spasms over the last two days and Walking Dead actually made me forget how painful it is. LOL

I've also been listening to loads of music lately and putting several playlists together. Sometimes when I write, I like to have specific mood tunes playing in the background. And sometimes I need total silence, which in my house usually only occurs between midnight and four a.m. LOL

Tonight's post is from A Little Yule Magic, a sexy holiday short I'm scrambling like mad to complete for a December release. LOL

Here's the tagline:

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.

And a preview snippet…

Boyd put Ethan Frommet through his paces. "No, Ethan, you have to be alert, use all your senses." Boyd flicked his wrist and sent his pupil sprawling to the floor. "Confrontations aren't always on a physical level." He held out his hand, offering Ethan an assist up. "Sometimes a seasoned mage will use a combination of magic and brute force."

The young man waved Boyd off and rose under his own steam. "Yes, Master Lagassi." He walked off his frustration for a few moments then returned to face Boyd. "What's my weakness?"

Boyd motioned for the group to gather around. "What did Ethan forget?"

The youngest mage responded. "To use visual clues. You drew his attention by speaking and he forgot to watch your hands."

Boyd smiled. "That's correct." He rubbed just under his ribs. "But he gave me a run for my money, didn't he?" He waited a beat. "That's why you'll run into mages who start with a physical fight and finish with magic. Someone like Ethan, who's extremely fit and strong, but untested, can be taken out by an opponent twice his age and much weaker." He nodded toward the shower room. "Get cleaned up and pack your gear. That's all for today."

The guys all headed for the huge bathroom, ribbing each other about their upcoming break.

Boyd grabbed a towel from the climbing wall, wiped his face, and looked up to see Sygin standing just inside the door.

She inclined her head, making her way toward him. "Nice of you to use opponent instead of guy. They need to get used to the idea they could face a woman on the playing field or in battle." She stopped, facing him with her head tilted to one side.

Boyd's lips curved. "They'll have no choice but to get used to the notion when you start training with them after Yule break."

This one is coming together nicely and hopefully will be completed in the next two weeks. I know, down to the wire, but the sages pulled this one out at the last moment.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Saturday Standard: Meet Heath Graystone

To celebrate my Halloween-centric novella, A Magical Affair, I wanted to do something a little fun.

My new blog feature called the Saturday Standard is what I've come up with. Each week one of my pseudonyms will conduct an interview with one of the characters of a featured story.

This week… Heath Graystone will be answering questions about spending the weekend with Romy Bludd and Stacie Williams.

Let's get to it…

THE SATURDAY STANDARD

Skye Ritchey: Hello, Heath. Thank you for agreeing to answer some questions.

Heath Graystone: Hello. I'm happy to participate.

Skye: First up, I'll start with the same question I asked Stacie last week. What do you do for a living?

Heath: I'm a director for a local television production company. I mainly do commercials, public service announcements, and sometimes special edition programming for the holidays.

SR: Sounds like a busy job?

HG: It can be. I put in some long days.

SR: What do you do during your downtime?

HG: Spend time with Romy. Hang out with my friends. I also read a lot. I have a favorite author whose spy thrillers, I enjoy.

SR: Oh! Fun. And hearing that brings me to my next question. What did you think when you found out what Romy had planned for your weekend getaway? At a magical mansion?

HG: [laughs] That all my fantasies had just come true? Seriously, though, after discovering her plans, I figured I'm definitely with the right woman. And the fact she invited Stacie, who I love to death, only reinforces my feeling.

SR: Stacie is a sweetheart. She and Romy have been friends for a long time, right?

HG: Oh, yeah. They've been close forever. I honestly can't think of anyone else Romy would trust as completely. Romy loves to push the envelope and I tend to go along for the ride. But if she'd chosen anyone else, I don't think the weekend would have gone as well as it did.

SR: Because Romy has a hard time relinquishing control, right?

HG: You could say that. But Stacie worked some magic and, well, Romy surprised me.

SR: Sounds like she caught you off guard in a great way.

HG: I could tell you...

But he doesn't have to… read all about how Romy surprised Heath with one of his most cherished desires in A Magical Affair.

Available on Amazon

Other e-retailers coming soon!

I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of the Saturday Standard. Stay tuned for more next week with Romy.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Nothing Special

So… Orphan Black keeps blowing my mind. Seriously, I would have NEVER dreamed I'd be interested in seeing Vic the Dick again, but playing opposite Allison is such an interesting little twist. Angie, or whatever her name is, kinda continues to irritate me, but I'm totally along for the ride to see what she's trying to pull off.

The whole deal with Helena creeps me out, but keeps me riveted to the screen, too. LOL Then there's Sarah… I have so much love for her. The cold war between Rachel and Sarah and how it's dragging Helena and Cosima into the middle of it keeps me glued to the screen.

And let's talk about Paul. Without revealing too much, I sooooo want to know more about him, but I love the loosely defined loyalties he has and the way he's pulled from all directions.

Enough about television… tonight's post is from Nothing Special, a short story where my main characters are convinced they don't have anything special between them. Of course, they're wrong. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Masha Tuck and Ryce Reynoldson work tirelessly around the winter solstice to help provide a meaningful celebration to their fae and non-fae neighbors. Masha uncovers the perfect gift for Ryce—just a book, nothing special—but if she gives it to him, it'll add depth to their weird relationship and she's not sure she's ready for them to be a 'thing'.

And a preview snippet…

Masha stood outside Ryce's small cottage, trying to decide whether or not to knock on his front door. They'd finally completed all the tasks and the solstice had come and gone. And she still had the vintage book on ancient cooking arts. Masha felt a little foolish about giving it to him, especially since the holiday had passed. She'd totally bailed and couldn't get up the nerve on the actual day of celebration. Stupid. She'd found a book. Nothing special.

Except it could be construed as having meaning. Did she want to give the weird 'thing' between her and Ryce depth? He'd probably take it as a sign she'd been thinking of him. And well, she had. A lot. The guy filled her thoughts at the strangest times. Why else would she be compelled to dig through the donated box of goods at the disposition center?

Maybe because she and Ryce spent the bulk of their waking hours at the place. Then, occasionally, they spent the hours they should be sleeping having incredible sex. The physical aspect didn't happen all that often, but they had worked up to once or twice a week.

"No, it's nothing special. We're not a couple. Just friends." She waited a beat. "With really awesome benefits."

She tucked the book under her arm and lifted her hand, knocking on the door. It opened within moments, Ryce's quick grin giving her a warm greeting.

This will hopefully be a holiday release in December.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Magical Affair

Greetings!

Whew! I'm relieved to say my favorite characters are still intact on Strike Back and Sons of Anarchy. And I got to see more of Stonebridge than I have in a while. :D

Arrow returns Wednesday and I'm dying to have it back on my TV. The behind the scene teases and brief clips are only serving to whet my appetite. Come on, Wednesday!!

Enough about television. It's time to share some good news!! The release date for A Magical Affair is October 26. Silver Publishing's special call for Magic and Mayhem is available for pre-order now.

Here's the tagline:

Welcome to Magic Meadows, the place where fantasies are fulfilled in vivid detail by an ancient wellspring of magic.

And another preview snippet…

Heath knocked on the heavy oak, arched door, then stepped back to wait. His eyes drank in the sight of sedate luxury. On the drive up, his breath caught in his throat at the sheer size of the place—a huge four-story center section, with three-story wings on each side. He'd bet his last dollar there'd be a courtyard or gardens with some kind of stables or guest house finishing off the square. Or maybe the gardens would open up to a rolling landscape with outbuildings tucked back into the dense forest behind the mansion.

His anticipation kicked up a notch when the handle clicked and the door swung inward, revealing a tall, thin man with inky, black hair.

"Welcome to Magic Meadows." He ushered Heath inside.

Romy stood at the bottom of a grand-looking staircase, and her best friend Stacie hovered on a step behind her.

Heath grinned. He had no idea Stacie had returned from her trip to Japan.

Romy moved forward and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Heath, this is Jarvin, the owner of all this." Her free arm swept outward.

Heath stuck his hand out. "Jarvin. Nice to meet you." He gazed in Romy's direction. "What's up your sleeve?"

She chuckled. "Funny you should ask that." She angled around, grasping his hips. "Jarvin and his partner, Vivica, are launching a new kind of retreat, here, at Magic Meadows." She held out a hand, and Stacie came forward. "They invited us to be their first clients. A trial run for them to work out the… uh… more interesting aspects of their specialty, before officially opening their doors."

Heat radiated off the women, and Heath had a solid idea of what Romy had in mind. His pants grew almost uncomfortably tight around his rapidly hardening length. His curiosity kicked into high gear, too. Romy hadn't revealed everything yet.

He turned his gaze toward Jarvin, sizing the man up. Absolutely not Romy's type, a little too thin and long-faced, but he wanted to get the guy's measure, maybe figure out what the 'more interesting aspects' could be.

Jarvin's lips curved in a knowing smile. "Heath, your lovely Romy has some very specific things planned for your stay here. The Meadows is a remarkable place, sitting atop an ancient wellspring of magic." He paused when Heath narrowed his eyes. "I don't blame you for being skeptical, but please displace your doubt." Jarvin turned and held out his hand. "Vivica, darling, let's show Heath what we can do."

A stunning blonde with an hourglass figure and a hot red dress came into view on the second floor. She smiled and started a slow walk from the end of the corridor leading toward the stairs. Before his eyes, she morphed from curvy to lean and leggy, wearing fuck-me heels and a sheer white negligee. Heath blinked, and when he looked again, her hair had changed to a shimmery black. Two steps later, she sported a short, cropped cut, dangly jewelry, and wore hiking boots with cutoff denim shorts and a halter in an ethnic print. When she reached the top of the stairs, Heath sucked in a breath. The walls and steps faded, replaced by a fire escape on the exterior of a brownstone building. She kicked the release and started a descent down the metal rungs. Halfway down, the scene changed again, the stone altered to an ornate, gilded interior with lush, carpeted steps, and Vivica now had an elaborate up-do in a shade of chestnut that complemented the emerald green sheath and matching shoes she wore. She reached the bottom and made her way toward Heath, grasping his hand in greeting.

Heath shot a sideways glance toward Jarvin. "Okay, very impressive. I won't even bother asking how, because frankly, I don't care. It's enough to know it's possible." He turned toward Romy and noticed the room had gone back to its original decor. "You never cease to amaze, Rom. One of the many reasons I love you."

She flashed a wide smile. "Thought you'd get on board." She nodded toward Stacie. "And, as expected, Stace is happy to participate." She hooked an arm around her friend's shoulders.

Heath observed Stacie, noting the differences between the women. Stacie had been Romy's roommate in college, and Romy confessed they sometimes literally shared a bed. He could care less. In fact, he got hard just thinking about Stacie's curves tangling with Romy's long and leggy frame.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. "Glad you're back… and here. Romy has great taste in friends."

Stacie gave him a flirty smile. "And in men. I can't wait to get started."

I'm so excited about the release! Please enjoy!

That's it for this week.

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Cheers!

Skye