Sunday Snippet: Illustrious Curse (a Lantern Jack tale)

As usual, we're having bizarre weather. Got hot again then a stormfront moved through and now we're back down to the sixties. I'm not complaining about the cooler temperatures or anything, but I'd rather stick with one range for longer than a week.

Still loaded up with work projects and I'm making solid progress on all of them. Sometimes it's like spinning plates and trying to keep them all going at the same rate, but I love the variety of the stuff I'm working on right now.

Not a bad week for viewing television. I did the taking a break from wall-to-wall words thing again and got pretty much a full round of shows in this week.

Started off with Best in Paradise and enjoyed the rewatch of "Dark Memories." I have one more episode left for this series then I'll be switching over to Beyond Paradise. I'm looking forward to starting that one.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise with the ninth season premiere. I think this is Jack's last season and the new guy takes over for the next one. Enjoyed the episode a lot.

Watched another episode of Elementary and enjoyed it. Not a huge Moriarity fan, but I like the layers and back and forth between Holmes and Watson with Moriarity.

Finished up the third season of The Batman and I'm getting ready to start the fourth. I honestly can't remember if I ended up liking the fourth season or not.

Also caught an episode of Classic Rugrats and the three vignettes were ones I don't remember seeing before so nice to have something new to me.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Illustrious Curse, a Lantern Jack novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right his final wrong. Inara Ives is a distant descendant of Jack's wife, the former banshee queen. Her royal blood is diluted, but still strong. Taben Tarrah can trace his ancestry back to the cursed goblin king, Lantrien Jacquard, but his noble blood is tainted by the lineage. Jack brings the two together to finally put his past to rest and join his deceased bride in the afterlife. The duo won't make it easy … but Jack's success over the years means he won't be thwarted.

And a preview snippet…

Taben jerked in his sleep and woke up, a piece of the tattered parchment stuck to his face. "Damn." He carefully peeled the milled page from his skin. "Gotta be more careful." The files were the only thing he had to go on if he had any chance to figure out how to remove the horrible hex on his family bloodline.

"You're not going to find the answers you want in those old pages."

Taben startled at the voice coming from the corner of the table. Then he blinked, not at all certain he hadn't lost his mind. A grizzled-looking carved pumpkin stared back at Taben. Pumpkin? Shit. The lightbulb went off in Taben's mind then just as quickly went off.

He shook his head. "No. No way." His gaze went back to the creepy gourd. "Tell me you're not my cursed ancestor Lantrien Jacquard, the dethroned goblin king."

The pumpkin wobbled back and forth. "You already know I am. And I go by Lantern Jack now. I no longer use my former name." Jack edged closer to the scattered papers on the table. "You won't find the answers you seek, because you're missing more than a few pages."

Taben breathed out on a long exhale. "Then fill me in. What do I have to do to remove the stench of your misdeeds?" He cocked his head. "Wait. You're the one who's been healing rifts, aren't you?" Maybe things would actually get better now.

Jack rolled back and forth. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I've done penance and, yes, I've healed old wounds, but the final chapter has yet to be written." He paused and shrank in on himself a little. "I can't interfere with you as much as I did the others."

Taben jerked his chin up. "Because we're the same bloodline?" It would make sense, based on what he'd read so far.

Jack wobbled again. "That's the main issue. But there's another one." He moved to the parchment and nudged it closer to Taben. "The missing pieces are the key. And you don't have them."

Taben sighed. "Okay, where can I find them and what, exactly, am I looking for?" At this point, he'd scale mountains to get what he needed.

Jack snorted. "You don't need to climb anything. You have to go down. Deep in the archives." He paused again. "And I can't tell you, exactly, what you're looking for, but you'll know when you find it…" He trailed off.

Taben met his ancestor's gaze. "How?" Murky answers annoyed the hell out of him.

Jack's mouth thinned to a straight line. "Because you're looking for the murderers responsible for my queen's death." In a blink, he disappeared from the table.

Taben sucked in a harsh breath. "Well, fuck." No pressure or anything then.

Rising from his chair, he headed for his room. He'd throw some clothes in a bag and pack up some food and head for the archives.

"Nothing like crawling around in a huge crypt … especially close to All Hallow's."

 

This will be the end cap to the Lantern Jack series and I'm excited to get this one finished up.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Haunting Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Man. Whatever alignment the planets are in has been wrecking things in my house lately. After the washing machine saga, our coffeemaker took a crap. It's less than a year old. Seriously … not the norm. But the good news is a new washer and coffeemaker should arrive sometime this week barring any other global server outages.

Had a super busy work week. Finished the holiday manuscript and received a mystery and a romance for copy edit. Picked back up with a novella I've been working on with an author for a while now and enjoying getting back into the groove of the book. Also had an author reach out about a new twist on a previous project. Really fun week!

I didn't get a lot of screentime this week, but I watched a few shows. I'm in a weird place with viewing. I want to watch stuff, but my brain isn't settled on exactly what. Kind of want to binge something with a lot of seasons for a while to see if that will reset the needle.

I loved the episode of My Life Is Murder. Actually really twisty with an interesting outcome. Once again, Madison shined. I love that character.

Caught another Best in Paradise. This one featured the farewell to Martha, which ended up being so funny and sad at the same time. Excellent episode.

Watched another Death in Paradise with the introduction of the new DS. Not completely sure if I like her or not. Stay tuned.

Started an episode of Elementary but struggled to stay focused so I'll finish it up this week.

And that's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from A Haunting Yule, a Holiday Spirit short featuring a banshee and a goblin.

Here's the miniblurb:

Holiday spirit Thom Tinsel brings an unlikely duo together for Yule. Urika Uhl is a banshee holding on to a past she needs to let go. Ingo Ingalls is a goblin searching for his place in the netherworld. Thom's magick shows the couple their differences can help them build a strong future together.

And preview snippet…

Ingo waded through the throng of brawlers in the club, intent on breaking up the melee. "What is it about the holidays that make people stupid?" He stunned most of the participants in his path with a quick grip between their shoulder and neck and a muttered suggestion charm for them to head home.

He had the two who started the fight in his sight and had almost reached them when his counterpart Bart Nim sailed over a row of tables from the opposite end of the bar and placed both hands on the head of the biggest fae and twisted his neck, breaking it and slaying the demon.

Ingo grasped the other fighter and held him back. "Don't or you'll end meeting the same fate." Once Bart went in to kill mode bodies started dropping.

The lead bartender cleared the building and Ingo grabbed the dead demon by the feet. Bart got a hold of his arms, and they carried him out to the parking lot where he'd be picked up for last rites. Something no one wanted to do at the happiest time of the year.

Ingo waited until they got closer to the bar entrance before going off on Bart. "This is why everyone thinks we're only good for bashing heads."

Bart only grunted.

Ingo planted his feet, choking down the urge to punch the other goblin. "It's Yule. And now some family will always have the memory a goblin killed their relative. Can you not see that?"

Bart shrugged. "Ask someone who gives a shit. Lethal force is authorized if more than a dozen are tearing the place up." He started to walk away.

Ingo stepped into his path. "I had everyone cleared out. You waited until there were only two left before you acted." Like the duo represented some massive threat.

Bart sneered. "So I did. Nothing you can do about it now." He went back inside.

Ingo crossed the parking lot and went up the stairs to the owner's office to give him a report on the death and the way Bart escalated the situation by killing one of them.

After Manuel shrugged off Ingo's concern, he tried one more tactic. "We're headed down a dark path, Manny. We have very few allies and those only tolerate us. When we need something, no one is going to be there." Why did he have to explain this?

Manny gave a cursory nod. "Yeah, I hear you." He lifted his chin. "Why don't you deliver the news? You're more tactful than any of the others."

Ingo refused. "Nope. I'm not doing the death knock for you. In fact, I'm never doing them again. I'm not the asshole that keeps taking lives." He stormed out of the office and headed home.

By the time he walked the short distance to his residence, his anger threatened to boil over. He found a parchment envelope hovering by his door. Thinking it might be from his boss, he tore the missive open ready to rip it to shreds. But the gold foil lettering couldn't be from Manny. The guy wouldn't know nice stationery if it bit him on the ass.

Ingo unfolded the card.

The tidings of the season

Don't always bring cheer.

When mayhem seems to rule

The happiest time of the year.

Seek some peace and solitude

No matter the cost.

Take time away

Before all is lost.

The address for the Goodacre Bed and Breakfast followed the invitation along with instructions for the arrival time and dates.

Ingo huffed out a breath. "Hell, yes. This is perfect." He definitely needed a break, or he'd be knocking heads together.

Something he no longer wanted to do…

I love writing the Holiday Spirit shorts. Urika and Ingo are a bit of a challenge, but I'm so happy with how this story is playing out.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye Ritchey

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: Fundamental Basics (Lantern Jack tale)

Welcome June and another month where time will probably fly by too quickly. Doesn't help that I'm under the weather right now and feeling yucky. Hopefully whatever this is will pass quickly and I can get back to normal.

Had a solid work week. Finished up a cozy mystery proofread and made progress on a developmental edit. Also got a lot of writing done, which makes me happy because I've been hitting walls lately.

Fairly good viewing this week. Managed to go through my show list twice. I might start adding in a few more shows but I like this current group.

Finished up the fourth season of Suspects. I'll be starting the fifth and final season this week. Looks like a banger ending for this series.

Caught two episodes of Brokenwood Mysteries. Both were excellent. Very fun to see how Halloween is celebrated in New Zealand, especially since it's spring there instead of fall. Very cool.

Watched two episodes of Best in Paradise. I'm enjoying the intros by the actors and I'm enjoying their picks for favorite episodes.

Also enjoyed two episodes of Death in Paradise. I'd seen bits of both episodes but not the whole thing. Loved the one with the zoo. Also like how much Jack is becoming a part of the community.

Caught two episodes of Elementary. Interesting to see Gregson's personal life on a bit of a display. Also thoroughly enjoying Sherlock's interactions with Joan as he fully sinks into the partnership.

Watched two episodes of The Batman. Fun to have Harley Quinn introduced. And I very much enjoyed the New Year's Eve episode.

Also enjoyed two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I'd forgotten they started to work three vignettes in after the movie. Not sure if I really like that in hindsight.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fundamental Basics, a Lantern Jack tale.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. A sprite, Farin Frazier, is a social outcast who comes together with Qeb Quince, a spook (shade?) who is questioning his undead existence. The two shouldn't be attracted to each other, they're mortal enemies, but they find some common ground on All Hallows, when magick is at its strongest.

And a preview snippet…

Farin Frazier shook her head. "Thank you for the invite, Maggie, but you know how much I hate the big blowouts on All Hallows.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Farin, you don't give yourself enough credit. If you come, people will talk to you and include you in the festivities."

Farin shuddered. "That's my fear. I do fine one on one, like with you and me. But large crowds of people make me tongue-tied and when I do talk, I say the wrong thing."

Maggie sighed. "Okay, but I'll be over bright and early the day after to fill you in on all the happenings—who's doing who and where." She laughed. "You know the random hookups are the craziest on All Hallows."

Yes, Farin had firsthand knowledge about becoming a notch on a random sprite's bedpost. And the humiliating aftermath.

She gave Maggie a bland smile. "I'll be here with coffee and those tasty little cakes you like so much."

Maggie tilted her head to one side. "You're going to meet someone one of these days who will bring you out of your shell."

Farin didn't live in a shell. She inhabited the real world fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses. The beautiful home she'd created satisfied her on an elemental level. Where verbal communication always tripped her up, speaking through design and art came easily. Maggie kept Farin updated on the happenings in the glade, which suited Farin just fine.

Maggie snapped her fingers. "Hello? Are you listening?"

Farin nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I hear you. My knight will come soon. Blah-blah-blah." She got up and emptied her coffee mug. "I don't need a dude on a white horse to save me from myself." She wouldn't mind a guy who liked art and had patience with socially awkward women, but whatever. "I'm perfectly okay living vicariously through you and creating my art to sell online and in the city."

Maggie sighed. "I know you're all right with your life, Farin. But you deserve a man who gets you on a fundamental level and lets you be you but also makes you better." Her eyes went wide and bright. "And one that rocks your world sideways."

Farin grinned. "Like Jansen does for you?"

Maggie's smile let up the room. "Exactly. I want my best friend in the whole universe to find her other half. It's amazing."

Farin hugged Maggie. "If it happens, I hope I'm as happy as you are." But Farin wouldn't hold her breath.

Maggie grabbed her bag. "It won't happen if you never put yourself out there." She held up a hand. "But I get it. You don't want to do the finding at the big bash." She made her way to the main door. "Maybe think about coming to the council meeting next month. You do have a stake in what they decide for the glade."

A valid point. But … the community center meant lots of fae from the glade. Bleh.

Farin shrugged. "I'll think about it." And she would for about a hot minute.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "I'm coming to get you for it and won't take no for an answer." With a waggle-finger wave, she left Farin to the quiet afternoon.

I have so much fun writing the Lantern Jack tales. Qeb and Farin are cool characters and making Jack work his magick on them is a joy.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Fiery Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Had a solid week of getting stuff done. This makes me happy. Got a garden planted. Okay, my husband got most of the planting done. I only did one thing, but I call that a win anyway.

On the work front, I did fairly well also. I'm hoping to launch a new venture in June, and I finally got back to setting that up. I also finished up a copy edit and started a proofreading project.

Solid week of viewing also. I'm in a bit of a groove and sticking with a cluster of shows. I still have a weird urge to binge watch a marathon of something, but I've resisted that urge. It's so easy to fall down a rabbit hole and not get anything done.

Ended up getting two episodes of Death in Paradise watched. One featured a Day of the Dead tie in, which is notable only because I'm watching a different show today that has a Day of the Dead tie in.

Also got two episodes of Elementary in. Started season two and got to meet Mycroft, which I enjoyed. Also got some additional Joan backstory and I'm glad to see some of that.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Batman. Both were ones I remembered from my original run through the show. Season three is different as I don't feel as connected to the characters, but it's a pretty solid season so far.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I've started season eight and I'd forgotten it's a lead up to the Rugrats in Paris movie and all the episodes are interconnected.

Watched two episodes of Suspects. I finished up season three and started season four. The premiere of four had a very twisty case and I really enjoyed that one.

Started season ten of Brokenwood Mysteries. I love this show so much. There's a terrific cast of characters and I love that Frodo and Todd have found both bodies so far this season.

Also enjoyed the finale of season twenty-six of Silent Witness. I'm finally one hundred percent caught up with the series. Now I play a waiting game until season twenty-seven.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fiery Yule, a holiday spirit sexy short.

Here's the miniblurb:

A holiday spirit, Spruce Lightfir, gives Enzo Escada, a fire demon, the perfect place to lay low over the Yule holiday. Enzo craves some time alone, away from the demanding overseer of Enzo's peerage. When Quinne Quailer, a mystic, arrives for a sabbatical from the human world, Enzo is cranky about the intrusion … until Quinne's presence calms his fiery inner soul. Maybe the miracle of Yule can free Enzo from his life of servitude.

And a preview snippet…

Quinne Quailer completely lost her cool. "We're entering the most festive time of year, and the constant petty arguments are beyond disappointing." If she had to mediate one more disagreement about how to handle … anything … she'd go mad.

I established a council to help ease my workload not heap more on.

So far, the group of twelve spent more time fighting over hierarchy than actually resolving tribe issues.

Quinne stared her group down. "Why do you bring these minute issues to me?" She sighed. "This is stuff you should be working out amongst yourselves." Gathering her sacred items, she stowed them in her leather satchel. "I'm done for today. When you decide to stop being argumentative and start helping your fellow tribemates, let me know." With quiet dignity, she turned and walked out of the room.

She exited the council house and made the short walk to her home. Off balance, exhausted, and deeply wounded, she refused to let the tears gathering behind her eyelids escape. Trudging up the half dozen steps to her porch she found a parchment envelope on her doorstep.

Wary, she opened the packet and read the invitation.

The time has come for solitude at last.

Replenish your spirit and make it last.

Lay down your burden and embrace some cheer.

Travel to Goodacre to end the year.

A set of instructions and available dates were enclosed, along with a strong suggestion she take some time to enjoy the bed and breakfast over the yule holiday.

Quinne discounted the idea. "Yeah, I don't have time." Shouldering her way into her house, she sighed. "I really need to stay right here." But she longed for solitude.

Why shouldn't she have some downtime? If everything fell apart … well, maybe that would kick the council into gear. And possibly spur them to do what needed to be done.

She closed her eyes when a knock sounded on her door. The oak slab barely cracked open before Harriet Hurst, one of the tribal council, pushed her way inside. Quinne blinked at the invasion.

Harriet planted her hands on her hips. "What kind of drama-queen crap are you pulling?" She sucked in a deep breath. "I mean, what kind of example are you trying to set by storming out of the meeting?" She arched a winged brow.

Quinne's mouth dropped open. Harriet wanted to berate Quinne's behavior. When she and the other members couldn't get out of their own way long enough to do the job of governing and helping the rest of the tribe?

Quinne finally had enough. "Why am I the leader?" If pulling rank and throwing some weight around didn't nip this … nothing would.

Harriet started to argue. "Well, because—" She stopped and snapped her mouth shut.

Quinne pressed her lips together. "Exactly, because no one else wants the burden of responsibility." Winding up, she pushed her point. "And why am I the mystic healer?" Pinning Harriet with a hard glare, she waited for the only response available.

Harriet flushed and glanced away. "No one else living has the gift." Her words were softly spoken because they were true.

Quinne flung out a hand. "And there we go. I'm basically working two jobs with the welfare and well-being of the entire tribe in my hands. And you want to chastise me for taking the council to task for not helping?" Quinne all but dared Harriet to deny the accusation.

Harriet shook her head and backpedaled. "No, I'm not. That's not what I'm doing…" Her voice trailed off and she shrugged.

Quinne made a garbled choking sound. "Yes, it is." She considered the invitation again. "You know what? I'm going on a brief sabbatical. I obviously need one since you feel I'm not conducting myself as a proper leader should."

Harriet held up her hands. "I never said that."

Quinne repeated Harriet's words back to her. "I'm pulling drama-queen crap and setting a questionable example. That's what you opened with."

Harriet scrambled with excuses. "But … but … it's almost yule."

Quinne rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll leave detailed notes for the council." She already had a handbook filled out if any of the members had bothered to read the information.

Harriet tried one final tactic. "What if someone needs healing?" A smug twist had her lips curving.

Quinne hardened her resolve. "That's what the infirmary is for, Harriet. And if there's an emergency, one of the other medical healers can contact me." She nudged Harriet toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some packing to do." Closing the stunned look on Harriet's face behind the heavy wood, Quinne headed for her room to gather some clothes.

She really didn't want to go at first. Now she couldn't wait to leave. For some nice, quiet alone time.

Zipping up her suitcase, she settled at her desk and started a note for the healers. "Goodacre Bed and Breakfast, here I come…"

The holiday spirit stories are so much fun to write. I love coming up with quirky names for the spirits and resolving the conflict between the two paranormal love interests.

 

That's it for this week.

 

Cheers!

 

Skye

Sunday Snippet: An Eternal Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Another crazy week. This time on more of a personal front, which isn't all that unusual. I don't normally get slowed down though and I did this week. We got to see almost totality for the eclipse and that was actually a lot of fun. Our streetlights came on at three in the afternoon on an otherwise sunny day. Seriously. Lots of fun.

Had a fairly decent week of viewing and caught up on most of my regular schedule. I've pared it down a little and kind of hope to get back into a full rotation sometime soon. If I'm paying for streaming services, I should be using them, right?

Ended up catching two episodes of The Batman. I'd completely forgotten the original sidekick storyline with Prank for the Joker. Ended up enjoying that one. Also kind of loved the "Thunder" episode. That one I did remember.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I must have missed a big portion of the seventh season because I don't remember any of the vignettes. Kind of nice to have new-to-me material to watch.

Enjoyed an episode of My Life Is Murder. I think I have one more left before bonus material. Going to miss this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Caught the holiday episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to diving into the new season.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Loved seeing Jack's niece again. Looking forward to finishing this episode.

Said good-bye to Humphrey on Death in Paradise. Really liked the way his run ended. I'm excited to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. I'm almost through the first season and I'm very much enjoying this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from An Eternal Yule, a holiday spirit short featuring a vampire and a psychic.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tortured vampire Haddon Hobbs can't seem to fight his bloodlust anymore and it's going to be the end of him if he can't. Psychic Tabitha Tarheel is tired of seeing the worst the world has to offer in her visions. Holiday spirit Joy Garland brings the two together over the Yule season to help them find renewed hope for the future.

And a preview snippet…

Haddon's fangs sank deep into the throat of the would-be rapist. The red haze of bloodlust clouded Haddon's mind. The vile human gurgled and choked, his heartbeat slowing almost to a halt.

Haddon finally got a grip on reality and thrust the nearly dead man into the tattered boxes beside the dumpster. "You're not worth it. Killing you would be too merciful." And this guy deserved none.

The man sneered—drained of several pints of blood and barely breathing—he actually sneered. The time it would take for cretin to recover from his injuries might not be long enough. And it got more difficult to resist removing the shit stains on humanity. Haddon almost caved to the burning need to end the despicable wretch's life, but the air shifted around him and the persistent buzz of the supernatural pinged along his awareness. The stinging sensation would get worse if Haddon delayed answering the call.

With a low growl, he stumbled out of the alley and ran directly into a hovering envelope. He snatched it from the air and clasped it between his fingers. Fighting against the strong pull of the rage to go back and finish off the terrible, sexual predator once and for all, Haddon quickly sped to his home with preternatural speed. Once inside his brownstone, he tore the envelope open, fully expecting a summons from the council to address his bloodlust.

Instead, he'd received a parchment invitation. "Huh, didn't think anything could surprise me anymore." The brief missive got directly to the point.

 

The winter solstice is a special time of year.

Not the time to lose all you hold dear.

Some time away would do you good.

A solitary stay in a protected wood.

Travel the mist later tonight…

And make an effort to set things right.

 

The name of the location stood out in bold capital letters with coordinates not far from his residence to enter the nether realm.

Haddon tucked the invitation inside his coat pocket. "The Goodacre Bed and Breakfast." Sounded preciously quaint but he'd live with overblown chintz if it meant a possible solution to his dilemma. He didn't have a death wish. But he also grew weary of fighting the pull of bloodlust. After centuries of living through the terrible things humanity did to itself, disgust and disdain bubbled and boiled under the surface with constant pressure.

Grabbing a large duffel bag, he packed light. "Some casual stuff and a pair of boots for walking in the woods." Maybe he'd find a way to beat the short fuse he'd been living with for months. "Six centuries of harmony and balance shouldn't end without at least trying." Exiting the building, Haddon darted down the access street that led to the storage area behind the four-unit brownstone.

A few moments before the stroke of midnight, the mist rolled in, and Haddon walked forward waiting for the fog to surround him.

Another moment later, he found the veil and started to cross through it. "Here goes nothing…"

Or maybe everything…

I have so much fun writing the holiday spirit shorts. This one is on track to become a favorite!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: An Enticing Yule (Holiday Spirit short)

April is starting off with a bang. We've had seven days of volatile weather. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, and another big drop in temperature with snow flurries. I thought for a while we might end up with a blizzardnado—complete with sharks. If you know you know. It's that time of year where keeping warm-weather clothes beside arctic gear isn't a bad idea.

Due to the crazy weather, I didn't get a lot of viewing in this week. I also had a full plate plus dessert of work projects. I'm very happy to have multiple things to occupy my time!

I did get another episode of My Life Is Murder in and loved getting to see Madison strut her stuff undercover. I'm going to miss this show when I'm finished watching.

Caught Midsomer Murder's final episode for this season. Enjoyed the mystery. I'm a little disappointed that it feels like the characters don't know much about each other. Winter has been with Barnaby for quite some time now and it seems like the interactions they've had in the past are quickly forgotten. Really the only thing that kind of irritates me about British mystery shows.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness. I think I'm going to like the new guys. I really enjoy Jack and Nikki together. The case was very confusing, but I ended up liking how things turned out.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. It's almost the end of Humphrey's run and I'm kind of excited to finish up and start Jack's journey. And also pick up with Humphrey and Martha back in England.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. Kind of fun to see some of Joan's old life collide with her new one. Not super thrilled that her friends thought she needed an intervention, but at least they came around by the end.

That's it for the life update this week. I'm hoping to get back on track this week, barring any weird and wild weather.

Tonight's post is from An Enticing Yule, a holiday spirit short featuring a shifter and a watcher.

Here's the miniblurb:

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…

Dexter didn't need the confirming nod from the other invitee.

And the moment he got within two feet of her, his senses kicked in. Shifter. Well, damn. Nothing like being on the spot. She didn't look all that happy to see him either.

He grabbed his bag. "Look, I'll leave. You got here first." He'd find somewhere else to figure out his future.

She reached out, placing a hand on his bicep. "You don't have to do that." She flung an arm out. "Look at this place. There's more than enough room for two." She removed her palm from his sleeve and stepped back. "I just thought…" Her words trailed off, leaving an awkward vibe.

He picked up on her thought. "That you'd be alone, right?" Yeah, he kind of thought the same.

She lifted a shoulder. "Well, yeah." She shook her head "No matter." Her hand shot forward. "Pandora Prewitt."

Familiar with the name, a piece fell into place.

He clasped her palm. "Dexter Diamond. I have a feeling we're here by design." He let go and pointed toward the sitting room. "Let's maybe get a little comfortable." He headed through the arched entryway.

Someone definitely put a little thought into the décor. A fire burned in the hearth. Greenery draped … everywhere. Muted gold complemented the earthy tones of the garlands. Welcome comfort almost anyone would feel … but he could be the exception.

Pandora followed him inside. "What do you mean, we're here by design?" Her gaze swept the area, and she gave a slight nod.

He settled in a wingback chair. "You're a shifter. One, I'm assuming, facing a dilemma." He didn't need to be a genius to sense she had trouble on her mind.

Her eyes widened and she perched on the edge of the sofa. "How do you know that?" A note of wariness entered her gaze.

Dexter rolled a shoulder. "It's my job. I'm a watcher."

She opened her mouth then closed it.

He gave her a minute to digest the information. "We don't normally interact with pack members. It's easier if we don't." At least he'd learned that much.

Pandora's chin lifted. "Helps with objectivity, right?"

He smiled. "Something like that." Not that he ever stayed objective.

Pandora leaned against the armrest. "You think someone brought us together on purpose?" Her tone betrayed the interest she had in the topic.

Dexter gave a nod. "More like something, but, yeah, that's what my gut is telling me." Not that he trusted his internal barometer much right now.

She went quiet again, gazing into the fire. Dexter let the silence stretch out, testing his rusty instincts. Pandora would open up if she wanted to. If not, well, still more than enough room for two in the house.

She finally turned her attention to him again. "I want to be angry at being manipulated, but, honestly, I've hit the lowest place I can be in. Having someone else here might save my life."

As far as reactions went … totally not what he expected.

I love writing the holiday spirit shorts. It's so much fun coming up with the conflict and names for the spirits.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Elemental Healing (a Lantern Jack tale)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. For everyone else, I hope your weekend is rocking with good vibes!

We got some terrific news this week. My youngest, who will graduate from university in May, got accepted into grad school! She's so excited and will have a Master of Arts Administration when she finishes.

Had a fairly busy week with work projects. Discovered one ended up with a corrupted file and had to fix some weird, random code that inserted itself into the file. What a pain!

Decent week of viewing television. I'll admit some was mainly background noise while I worked on editing. But not bad overall.

Ended up getting two episodes of The Batman in this week. Enjoyed both and should be on track to catch another one this week.

Also caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Weirdly, I remember two but from different episodes. They always did two per show and I distinctly remember one from each of the episodes I watched. Weird.

Watched another episode of My Life Is Murder and, once again, enjoyed it. Dueling bakers isn't something I would normally think of as a premise for murder.

Enjoyed another episode of Midsomer Murders. I have one left for this season and then it's time to wait for more again. Good thing there are plenty of other mysteries to keep me occupied.

Started the new season of Silent Witness. Another new face or two for this season and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting this season.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. We're getting closer to Humphrey's exit and Jack's entrance. I'll be able to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. The new vibe between Holmes and Watson is fun. I'm enjoying a slightly softer version of Sherlock.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I skipped one because I really didn't care one bit about the whole saga of Andrew and Kate. But it's interesting that Will is back. Should be a wild ride.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Elemental Healing, a Lantern Jack tale.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lantern Jack is back to right another wrong. Erica Ellis is a fire demon whose powers are going out of control. She needs intervention and an ancient ritual could save her from harming others. Perth Pettigrew is a mystic knight and knows the old rites. Too bad he's no longer using his gift. It's up to Lantern Jack to bring the two together for some elemental healing.

And a preview snippet…

Erica woke up, thankfully still numb. A full bottle of liquor knocked her back a few hours. She might have to grab more to be safe.

She blinked away the sleep them jolted upright. "What the hell?" An ugly carved pumpkin took up space on the nightstand.

It greeted her. "Hello, I go by Jack."

She rubbed her eyes. "Huh, you're new." She glanced around. "Did Blenden bring you?" Who else could've entered her studio apartment while she slept.

Her low-simmering anger faded. He'd never brought her anything before. If a weird gourd could count as a gift.

Jack tsked. "Blenden didn't bring me. But I am here to help you."

She laughed. "Oh, sure. A creepy jack-o-lantern is going to help me. Right." How, exactly, did the plant think it could assist her?

Jack responded. "You can doubt all you want, but I'm your only hope."

Seriously? Maybe she wouldn't plan on drinking whiskey anymore. Clearly, the potent alcohol had her hallucinating. And gave her a raging headache.

Erica groaned. "I'm talking to a damned pumpkin." She got up on wobbly legs and started for the small bathroom. "What do you know about me anyway?"

Jack filled her in. "I know you're out of control and losing your grip on your ability more with each passing day. How bad do you think it'll be on All Hallows?"

Erica paused then sat down. Hard.

She raked a hand through her hair. "Shit. I didn't even think about that." And she should have.

Jack pushed her. "You need to."

Erica sighed. "If Blenden hadn't bailed, this wouldn't be a problem." Why did her mentor leave her high and dry, especially so close to All Hallows?

Jack made a noncommittal reply. "Maybe he didn't bail. Maybe he did. Either way, you have to step up and decide what to do."

Erica huffed out a breath. "Right because that's so easy to do." She inhaled slowly, trying to find her center. "Fine. Got any suggestions?"

Jack chuckled. "You won't like it."

At this point, Erica didn't care. "I don't enjoy drinking myself to an early death either." And she really hated the idea of being anywhere near as drunk as she'd need to be on All Hallows in order to not hurt anyone.

Jack replied. "There's a place—a rock quarry—about an hour's drive from here. If you go out of control, there's not much you can burn down out there."

Erika considered the idea. Safer to be away from people until—hell, better make that if—she got her ability under control. But she could use help. She didn't want to live at a quarry for the rest of her days.

She eyed the pumpkin. "What about Blenden? If he comes back, he won't know where to find me." She didn't want to believe the grizzled, old demon abandoned her.

Jack made a sound of frustration. "Maybe someone else will show you the way. You can't count on an old fire demon."

Right. As if someone else is going to leap to my aid. Erica had a brief thought about the handsome mystic knight. Too bad he needed an attitude adjustment.

Which led her back to Matchick. "Blenden's the only one who gave a shit. No one else gives a damn about helping me transition."

Jack sighed. "I'm not saying he didn't care. I'm saying he's old and maybe unable to help anymore."

Is that why he hasn't been around lately?

Erica growled on an angry breath. "Fine. But if I have to camp out, I'm not going." She couldn't do tents for obvious reasons.

Jack's face twisted. "There's a small building the foreman used to stay in. It's cinder block so you can't damage it too much."

Erica snorted. "Gee, thanks for the confidence." And why did she feel insulted by a pumpkin?

Jack smirked. "Do you want directions or not?"

Erica got up and started gathering stuff to pack. "Not like I have any other options."

I have so much fun writing the Lantern Jack tales. This one is a little tricky but I'm enjoying it.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Castle Christmas Carol

Well, the shortest month is off to a banger start. I had a full slate of projects and managed to get through two before their deadlines. The other two aren't due until midweek, and I have two more starting this week. I'm so excited to have a full calendar!

Had a semi-solid week of viewing. Made it most of the way through my current round of shows and I'm hoping to continue the same this week. We'll see if the workload allows for it.

Started off with a My Life Is Murder behind the scenes interview with Lucy Lawless. Ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Should be ready to start season three this week.

Finished up the two-part Agatha Raisin. Somewhat disappointed with how the storyline played out with James and Agatha. But also really enjoyed the mystery. I love the reveals from Sarah's past and Bill and Toni better stay together or I'm going to lose my mind.

Caught the second half of Silent Witness and I'm rather happy my fear did not come to light and the grad student didn't drug Nikki's drink. I also love that she basically said, yeah, no thanks to him. I would not mind if Nikki and Jack took their shot. We'll see how that goes.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I really don't remember any of this one, so it was nice to have no expectations going in. Actually enjoyed the mystery unfold.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. Very fun watching Sherlock interact with Joan's family and the way her mom kind of planted the seed for Joan to stick around and work with Sherlock.

Caught another episode of The Batman. I remember watching this the first time around, but I guess I was thinking Batgirl didn't show up until season three. So wrong on that count.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Again, these were two vignettes that I didn't remember, so it was nice to have new to me stuff to watch.

I'm enjoying the second season of The Secret Life of Amy Benson. Episode two had some good reveals and I'm kind of excited to see where things go in the next one.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice. I'm really, really not interested in the whole Andrew and Kate saga. The ex-husband is a total dick and Andrew is a blockhead if he can't figure out Richard is behind everything. Will be skipping the next episode and moving on to Will's return.

Didn't have time for my Battlestar Galactica rewatch this week and I skipped VIP because I wanted to get Peak Practice in. I'll try to pick up with those if time allows.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from A Castle Christmas Carol, a reverse harem holiday story.

Here's the miniblurb:

Ebony Schrool, the daughter of a toy magnate, is summoned to a meeting at Halliday Castle in the first week of December. She's surprised to find three men—each representing her past, present, and future—all bearing news she doesn't want to hear. Ebony is used to doing things her way, even when her decisions wreak havoc on SchroolRules Toys employee morale. Foley Norton, Patton Gates, and Pearson Beatty have to show Ebony the error of her ways before the holiday season is beyond saving and they're not above using seduction to make their case.

And a preview snippet…

Ebony Schrool pulled into the semicircular drive of the monstrosity of a castle perched at the top of a cliff. "Why on earth am I here?" A single winding road that went on forever. "Not to mention a sketchy-ass bridge across the bay." And the creepy tunnel that led to… "Wow. Gorgeous view." A courtyard in front of the castle stretched clear to the edge of the cliff. "Almost worth the crazy drive to get here."

Almost.

But not quite.

She still didn't know why she'd been summoned to this way out of the way location. "There'd better be a damn good reason to drag me to the end of the earth." Aside from the view.

Popping her door open, she slid out of the car and stretched the kinks out. Once she retrieved her suitcase—the letter informed her to be prepared for several days—she started toward the huge arched doors. Her mind spun with too many thoughts.

Why did I blindly accept this invitation during our busiest time of the year? Because the underlying threat of losing SchroolRules did not compute for her. Not after spending the last two years since her dad married Maleva Lonce aka the stepwitch rebuilding and rebranding the company to Ebony's specifications.

And turned me into the most hated person in the organization. Well, too bad. Ebony had something to prove to her old man, namely if he wanted to hitch his wagon to a woman after knowing her for less than a month, Ebony would protect the legacy of the business he started with her mom. Ebony refused to allow her stepwitch to get her money-grubbing paws on the assets of the toy company.

Which means I have to wrest control from my dad. Not an easy feat. But she'd pulled the profit margin up and reduced costs. Part of her expenditure-cutting measures put a stop to the annual shutdown of the factory from December fifteenth through the end of the year. Her dad started the tradition during the second year of business and the company ate the vacation time. He considered the gesture a holiday bonus and all employees still had two weeks of paid vacation they could use throughout the year. Ebony discontinued the time off this holiday season.

Which pisses everyone off but so be it. They'll get the pay but not the vacation. She needed to keep production going if she wanted to show she could run SchroolRules better than her dad. And, right now, she didn't want anything more in the world than besting him.

How did it come to this? Stupid question. The how would be Maleva Lonce-Schrool. She'd driven a wedge between Ebony and her dad. When Maleva asked for a seat on the board, Ebony flat-out refused to consider the idea and threw down the gauntlet by challenging her father to let Ebony run the company. If she didn't show improved profits after three years, the stepwitch could join the board.

Ebony paused on the trek to the door. "I will not lose to her." Dragging her case, she marched forward and used the doorknocker.

After several long seconds, the arched wooden panels opened, and Ebony strolled into the main hall. When her eyes adjusted to the interior, her mouth dropped open at the three men greeting her. Her eyes narrowed and her mind whirled. Had she just walked into a trap?

Shaking her head, she huffed out a frustrated breath. "What the fuck is going on? Why am I here?" 

This story is a challenge but also so much fun. I love taking a classic and spinning it on its head.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye