Sunday Snippet: Man Up

Finally, a fairly lovely week. The weather took a turn for the better with mild temperatures and some sun.

Gotta say The Magicians finale shocked and surprised me. Loved it! The premiere of The Hunters has me intrigued so I'll continue watching to see how things pan out. No episode of Bitten this week, unless I missed the US viewing night. I've seen the next to last episode and some big twisty-turns I didn't expect.

Agents of SHIELD had a great episode. I have to give Brett Dalton credit for being so good at playing truly creepy. He's got the chops to pull it off.

Legends of Tomorrow also had another great episode. And finally, looks like we'll have a new / another villain. Glad to see the potential there.

Loving Wynonna Earp. I'm all caught up and really excited about the potential for this series. Still need to watch the first three episodes of Banshee, which I'm hoping to do later tonight. Also started a new ITV drama, Marcella, and so far, really like it. One of my favorite actors is starring so I'll be glued no matter what. LOL

And finally, I'm getting back into X Company, an excellent Canadian drama about WWII. Loving the second season so far.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Man Up, a novella built around the prompt of "a drunken game of one-upmanship goes all the way"

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hattie Hale and Nero Palmer, instructors at the Academy of Light, are supposed to set the example, but can't quite get past their competitive natures. A drunken game of one-ups-manship goes all the way to the sleeping chamber because neither will admit to being outdone.

And a preview snippet…

I must have a death wish. Why else would he accept the gauntlet Hattie had thrown down?

Entering the Scholar, the oldest, still in business bar in the community closest to the campus, Nero quickly scanned the surroundings and zeroed in on a corner booth. With a jerk of his head indicating his intent, he made a beeline for the empty spot. Hattie followed, hot on his heels. He had no doubt she'd already conjured up an order the moment they'd walked inside.

Sure enough, a bottle of Stiltskin's Gold Label and two rocks glasses held court in the center of the table. He slid in on one side of the booth and waited for Hattie to settle in across from him.

Eyeing the alcohol, he quirked an eyebrow. "Gold Label? Really?" He wanted to wash the bitter aftertaste of the tie away, not drink himself into a coma.

Hattie smirked. "Why not? We need something strong to counteract the stench of loser, right?" Tapping two fingers on the bottle, she dispersed the first round.

Nero lifted a shoulder. "Loser is a bit harsh, don't you think?" He sipped the smooth blend, waiting for after burn to kick in.

Because it always did. The family recipe obtained legendary status, the amber liquid lulling unsuspecting drinkers into a false sense of security before the alcohol bared its teeth, its fangs releasing a hot trail of venom that kicked hard and fast deep in the gut.

Hattie tossed back her drink and gave a three count before blowing out a harsh exhale. "Whew! Yeah, that'll burn through anything." She flicked her finger against the bottle again and shot a grin Nero's way. "You gonna keep up or what?" She brought the glass to her lips again.

Nero snorted. "Don't you worry about me. I'll get my fair share." He drained the contents and refilled.

Slow and steady won the race and if Hattie opted for fast and loose, he'd definitely drink her under the table. She talked a big game but he had yet to see anyone handle top shelf Stiltskin by rapidly consuming it. A small smile played about his lips.

Hattie narrowed her gaze. "What's going through that awesome brain of yours?" She blinked and corrected. "I mean twisted brain. Yeah, that's it." She drained her glass again.

Nero grinned but didn't comment on her slip. "Nothing complicated, Hattie. I'm having an internal debate about how long you can last slamming back the Stiltskin the way you are." He finished off his drink and refilled.

Hattie swirled her finger in a circle then jabbed it in his direction. "You just wait and see, Nero. I'm gonna blow your mind."

He gave her a level look but didn't reply. Mainly because he had a sneaking suspicion betting against her would be a mistake of epic proportions.

And, not being stupid, he wouldn't take a chance on losing.

Again.

Nero's a smart guy. Not betting against Hattie is a very wise move. Doesn't mean he won't get sucked into trying to outdo her though. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Loss

So, first week of April in Ohio and we had a wintry mix of sleet and snow yesterday. *shakes head* Come on, Mother Nature, cut us a break. LOL

On the television front… The Walking Dead set everything up for the finale tonight. I'm actually thinking I won't watch it live. It's been a rough week and my brain might just break if one of my faves doesn't make it out alive.

Missed Gotham on Monday and haven't caught up yet. This plays into the rough week angle. My teenage daughter had her first track meet Monday night and badly sprained her ankle during the warm-ups. The poor kid didn't even get to compete. The good news is she cleared all the hurdles. The bad news? She needs to work on the landings. LOL Needless to say, she's on crutches and miserable but gets to see the orthopedic guy tomorrow. Whew.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD had great episodes. I liked seeing the fallout from previous episodes on both shows. Time travel always kicks my interest up a notch and The Flash usually pulls off nice twists when it happens. Henry Simmons is terrific at playing Mack and I'm glad he's on Agents of SHIELD.

Arrow added some new layers to relationships and it was cool to see a Flash villain show up in Star City. I kind of liked having Felicity save the day and Curtis was a total riot in the Arrow cave / bunker. I love his character so much.

Legends of Tomorrow surprised me with revealing how Mick survived his encounter with Snart. Very cool to see Sara back in Nanda Parbot and being introduced to Talia. I loved the little seeds / references to Nyssa, too.

I checked into The Magicians and love the kind of twisty things they're doing with the relationships there. Bitten also had a great episode, but I'm truly sad another pack member met his end. I'm very ready for Elena and company to kick ass and end the menacing presence in their lives.

I'll be catching up with Wynonna Earp and Banshee sometime today. Will probably be adding little bits to next week's post on both.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Loss, a novella built around how my main characters handle the loss of their mentor. And how they find their way back to each other… if they can.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Welsh Hollingsworth is the golden child of Clan Grimstone, but when he's expected to fill the void left when his dad dies, he can't quite figure out how and he hopes Cagney Gaines can help him find some insight. Cagney can't deal with the loss of her mentor, the one constant in her chaotic world and she leaves when Welsh needs her the most. One year later, she returns to find a very different Welsh—one who doesn't welcome her with open arms.

And a preview snippet…

Cagney quietly made her way to the grotto. She'd snuck inside the compound, through the small fissure she and Welsh created when they were teenagers. How many times had they busted curfew using their secret passage? More than she could count.

She entered the small alcove and stopped; glad she'd used a dampening spell to silence her footfalls. Welsh stood at the altar, facing the double urns forged from pewter, holding the ashes of his ancestors. She approached from behind, but left plenty of space between them. No way would she intrude on his moment of remembrance.

Cagney tried to think of something to say, but being home, seeing Welsh, knowing the huge hole she'd left behind and the damage it probably caused had too many emotions clogging her throat. She couldn't speak so she remained quiet.

Welsh didn't turn around, but he broke the silence. "Thanks for coming, Cagney."

She didn't question how he knew. She'd never be able to explain the almost unbreakable connection they had, the deep awareness of each other when in close proximity. Even after being gone for months, he'd sensed her presence. She'd been so caught up in grief and guilt she closed herself off from sensory instincts. If she hadn't, she would've waited and not intruded on Welsh's time in the grotto.

Geez, they had so much left unsaid between them.

Welsh finally turned and met her gaze, held it a long moment, then stepped back. "I'll leave you to have a moment."

Cagney nodded thanks. She wanted, needed, to apologize to Wallace for leaving when she did. But she also owed Welsh the biggest act of contrition. She'd left him when he needed her the most.

He got about ten steps away from the exit when Cagney turned. "Welsh." Her voice got stuck, no words would come.

Her heart ached with the loss. Her eyes watered with grief and the need for forgiveness. Welsh took a step forward and Cagney ran to him, wrapping herself in his embrace.

She put her head over his heart and whispered. "I'm so sorry, Welsh. For everything."

Cagney's home but there's a lot she has to make up for. Welsh doesn't plan to make it easy on her.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior

Well, the big super bowl game is on tonight and I’m watching a Star Trek Next Gen marathon instead. LOL Don't get me wrong, we still have all the food and trimmings, like WAY more than we need, but with several televisions in the house, the game can be merrily playing in the kitchen and living room while I hunker down in my writing cave and watch something totally different. If anything really exciting happens, the family will let me know. :D

So, next week The Walking Dead returns and I'm not sure if I'm super-excited or not. I think I am, but won't know until I see the new episode. And Bitten is coming soon, February 15 on Syfy. Definitely excited for more of that show.

My usual shows all had great episodes. I completely forgot to mention The Magicians in last week's post, but I'm seriously liking that show. And Lost Girl is in its final run of episodes. I've seen the way it ends and I'm definitely watching the last hurrah. I hope another show with fae-releated characters turns up sometime.

The Flash ended up surprising me, which I'm always thrilled to have happen. Arrow also threw in an interesting reveal and I'm speculating like mad now. Legends of Tomorrow mixed up the teams and I'm down with them doing that on a regular basis.

Agent Carter has such a great mix of humor and tension. I almost wish there could be a longer season, but I'm also kind of happy with the brevity, mainly because the writing stays pretty focused and doesn't dart off on too many tangents.

Last but not least, The X-Files had one of those instant classic episodes that I could watch over and over again. I can't wait to talk to my brother about it. Teen Wolf, again, feels rather choppy, but I've been thinking about that and have come to the conclusion it's supposed to feel that way, especially since the creepy doctors can warp time, or whatever it is they do. So yeah, I just needed to have that last little piece click into place. LOL

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that started with a wild hair idea and has blossomed into an old family feud that needs to be settled by my main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Freddie and Owen, top Adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love, but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.

And the preview snippet…

Orville Parker glared in his son's direction. Owen tried to muster up an appropriate response… but hell, he'd had too much fun to even try and deny the charges his father made. Cooling his heels in the maze with Freddie had been worth finishing off the bottle of Amberlane, even though the potent alcohol had been banned since the elder Parker's days at the Mage Academy. The stuff went down smooth but packed quite a punch, and sometimes the amber liquid induced hallucinations and could also trigger a dormant ability. Still, nothing his dad could say would change Owen's mind.

"You're both barred from classes."

Except that. Owen wouldn't stand to have something he'd achieved taken away because he'd actually gone and had fun for once. He opened his mouth to protest.

Freddie beat him to the punch. "Are you insane? You can't lose your two best instructors."

Ha, best argument yet. "Yeah, what she said." Owen held his dad's gaze. "Who else do you have on the roster that can teach new cadets how to master the gyroscope with their minds?" Exactly no one.

Orville shrugged. "We'll get by. You two aren't getting back into a study room until you've cleaned up your acts."

Freddie snorted. "What's to clean up? We have the highest percentage of cadets who make it through. No one else is even close."

Orville acknowledged her words with a brief nod. "True. But…" He paused. "When my top two Adepts are acting like recalcitrant teenagers, something must be done about it. And treating you like the age group in question seems a good place to start."

Owen didn't like the inference. "Since when does blowing off steam get lumped in with juvenile behavior?" Geez, his dad needed to relax a little.

The elder Parker lifted a brow. "Invisible shaving cream in the west corridor…" He held up a finger. "Levitating candelabras in the chapel." He added a second. "Exploding confetti balloons in the main bathing suite. Cheap parlor tricks are beneath Adepts at your level." His hand slammed down onto the heavy oak of the desk. "You're supposed to set the example. The cadets follow your lead. You're the grown-ups." He growled. "Act like it, dammit."

Owen didn't have an argument, except… "Look, Dad, no one got hurt. That should count for something."

Freddie chimed in again. "Damn straight. Do you have any idea how much skill it takes to pull off half the stuff we did without putting anyone in the healing chambers?"

Orville shot her a blistering look.

She lifted a shoulder. "Okay, stupid question. Of course, you do." She met his gaze. "What do you want from us here?"

Orville rose from the edge of the desk. "Sixty days probation where you two have to refrain from doing any kind of spell casting or conjuring." He held up a hand to stop any protests. "If you refuse, that's it. You lose all privileges and any tenure you've gained."

Freddie gasped. Owen didn't blame her, the punishment didn't quite seem to fit juvenile role his dad had cast them in. But… the man had a point, even if Owen hated to admit it.

He stood. "Fine. What do you suggest Freddie and I do to alleviate stress and tension?"

Orville lifted a brow. "You've got sixty days to figure it out. And I if I have to explain the myriad of methods you can use to bust boredom, you can't be my kid."

Freddie chuckled then laughed outright. Owen blinked and looked at his dad a little closer. The man couldn't be serious. Except… yes, he could.

Well, hell's bells. He'd be happy to oblige his old man.

Shrugging, Owen reached out and grabbed Freddie's hand, hauling her out of the chair. "Let's go, Freddie. I'm pretty sure we can figure out some grown up stuff to do."

Freddie smirked. "Sixty days, right? Yeah, plenty of time to get and be creative." Turning, she gave Orville a backhanded wave. "Just remember, you're the one who made this rather grand suggestion."

Oh, if only having fun would be that easy. LOL But Freddie and Owen have an uphill battle to wage.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: It's Not What They Think

A quick break from discussing television to talk about the crazy weather in Ohio. Okay, make that the weird weather everywhere. If you're experiencing it, let me know. LOL

Finally watched The Abominable Bride and thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the back and forth and I'll leave it there so I don't spoil anything. But I'm looking forward to seeing a new season, whenever that might be.

Excited to have my shows return but also so busy I'm struggling to keep the dates straight. LOL Nothing like having a ton work to plow through. J I did catch the winter premiere of Teen Wolf and I'm glad to have that bit of crazy to look forward to each week, especially with a familiar face returning.

Tonight's post is from It's Not What They Think, a novella where my main characters have to get creative to help my heroine control her magical powers.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Meaghan Wrath goes on the warpath, losing her hard won control over her powers and wreaking havoc on unsuspecting clan members. She's setting a crappy example, but her husband, Vinnie Grayson, walks a fine line by not reprimanding her. Her need let off steam and be rebellious never lasts long—usually the week leading up to the full moon—and a demand to stop will only land her on the hot seat—almost literally.

And a preview snippet…

Meghan blinked, shaking her head. "I just told you I set an elderman's robes on fire and you're what? Planning a weekend getaway?" Did he not realize how close to the line—no, how far over the line—she'd gone.

Vinnie frowned. "No. I don't plan for us to go anywhere or leave the compound." He caught up. "Oh, right. Don't worry about Vice. I'll smooth things over." He stepped away, moving to the desk and grabbing the phone. "Seriously, Meghan, clear your schedule for the next seventy-two hours, okay." Punching in a series of numbers, he only waited a moment before speaking. "Elderman Vice? Yeah, yeah, I know… No… About that… Yes, sir. I'm aware she's been escalating… No, it won't happen again. In fact, she's agreed to stay in residence until the full moon passes. Yes… I'm going to be here with her… No, she won't leave and yes, I give you my personal guarantee. Right. Yes. Thank you." He hung up the phone and met her gaze. "Man, he's pissed." His lips quirked.

Meghan arched a brow. "And you're amused? Are you stupid? Or just crazy?" After the last month with her, he could actually be both.

Vinnie snorted. "I'm neither. In fact, I'm pretty damned intelligent." He lifted a shoulder. "Or at least our best friend is."

Meghan tilted her head to one side. "Mathias? Really?" A snort escaped. "Oh, please, I can't wait to hear his latest pearl of wisdom." Moving forward, she stepped into Vinnie's personal space. "Lay it one me."

Vinnie flashed a grin. "Sex." His hands grasped her hips. "For the next three days." Waggling his eyebrows, he leaned in, running his lips along her jawline.

Meghan barked out a laugh. "See… there's a reason we like him." She wrapped her arms around Vinnie. "But seriously? Aren't you the least bit concerned I'll bring more pain than pleasure?" With her power being at the apex, she didn't always have the control she needed.

Vinnie nipped at her earlobe. "Nope. Because the way I figure things, if I keep you in orgasmic bliss, you'll be too sated to do much damage." His hands tugged the hem of her shirt upward and he dropped to his knees, licking a wet trail from her waistband to the underside of her bra.

The idea had merit. If she combined magick with sex, her energy levels would dissipate. In theory, a workable solution and one she could totally get behind.

Running her fingers through Vinnie's short, cropped hair, she nudged his head back. "In that case… you'd better get busy and take the edge off before we really get down to business."

A wolfish smile twisted his lips and he flicked his gaze from her belly to the floor. Her yoga pants pooled at her feet and he rose, dragging her shirt up and over her head. She got rid of her bra with a quick, muttered incantation.

Vinnie stepped back, his gaze sweeping over her, lingering on her hot spots—caressing her breasts and warming the juncture between her thighs. He snapped his fingers and stood naked before her, his erect cock proudly jutting out. Crooking his finger, he motioned her forward and her feet carried her willingly, stopping when the head of his dick brushed against her heated skin.

Reaching out, Vinnie cupped her ass with one hand, hauling her closer. "I think we'll need at least two rounds to take the edge off, yeah?" He urged her up onto her toes and worked fisted his erection, working it along her folds before sliding home in a single, smooth thrust.

A satisfied hum rumbled in her chest and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Sounds about right to me." Head dropping back, she rocked her hips against his groin.

Great mage, she loved her husband.

The sages are being somewhat tight-lipped with this one. They've got the general idea of where they're going to take me, but they're being stingy with the big details.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye