Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

If anyone is headed into a major heat wave this week like I am, stay hydrated! And try to stay cool, especially if your location is as humid as mine is. Humidity is a nightmare.

Had a busy and productive week. Making good progress on two of my projects and sliding in some random finishing bits on a few others.

Started a huge cleanup job in the kitchen. My poor countertops need to be reorganized and cleared of clutter. I got the largest one scrubbed down and mostly organized. Still need to find a new home for a few items.

Also have some mundane tasks to plow through this week. Not sure I'll make it but I can't put it off any longer. My procrastination skills are top notch!

Had a decent viewing week. I ended up making it through my usual slate of shows, which rather makes me happy.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the episode again. The characters in Phyrne's past are always fun.

Caught another episode of Art Detectives and, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy this show. Looking forward to the next episode.

Watched the season thirteen holiday special of Death in Paradise and enjoyed meeting Neville's mom. Should be fun to watch the last season of Inspector Parker's tenure.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Kind of fun to see him on holiday and solving a murder. I'll admit the resolution came together a little oddly for me but an interesting episode nonetheless.

Caught another episode of Elementary and quite enjoyed Sherlock's revelations about friendship. So fun to watch Marcus chill with Sherlock at the end.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. Having the Royal Flush gang back proved fun. Also like Terry making a solid choice at the end to stick with Dana.

Enjoyed an episode of Classic Rugrats. The holiday themed episode is one I remember and I really need to add it to my holiday watch list if I do one this year.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella that reunites a couple after almost a decade apart.

Here's the miniblurb:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader, and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

Early let her head fall back against the cushions of the couch. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night, but this place is too nice for me to stay any longer…" She angled her head toward the chair. "Not that you'd let me." At least she'd had a few hours to plan her next move.

Salem narrowed his gaze. "Look … as much as I'm reluctant to get involved with this, I can't ignore your situation." He exhaled slowly. "It's my literal job to sort this out." He lifted the mug to his mouth and took a deep gulp of the coffee.

Early shook her head. "It's really not. I haven't been a member of the group for nearly a decade. You don't owe me anything."

Salem set his cup on the table. "Maybe not. But I do owe the people who trust me to lead them." He leaned forward and laced his fingers together. "Vengeance hounds tend to stay their course until they're either recalled by whoever summoned them or they achieve the goal they were sent to do." Meeting her gaze, he shrugged. "You'll have to stay in the realm until we figure out the who and why." He leaned back again. "If you don't want to stay here, and I get why you don't, you'll need to find a place where you can be safe."

Early tilted her head to one side. "You almost sound like it matters." Did she want him to care what happened to her?

Oddly … she did.

Salem frowned. "Considering I didn't give anyone permission to summon a hound it damn well does matter." His brows arched. "As you pointed out, a hound on the loose is dangerous to humans. And now to the fae." His eyes took on a hard edge. "It also tells me something is lurking below the surface. And I have to find out what."

Okay, she couldn't really ask for more, like having her life being in danger topping the list. Especially after she'd walked away. She'd be grateful he would let her stay until the hound no longer posed a threat.

She inclined her chin. "Of course. And it goes without saying that I'll be available for whatever you need." Rising, she gathered her mug and carried it to the kitchen. "I'll clean up and bind the house and yard, so the hound doesn't disturb the property." She poured the coffee out and rinsed the cup.

Salem followed her. "Any thoughts on where you'd like to go?" He set the half-full mug on the counter.

Early gave a nod. "The catacombs. I think they'll be the safest place in the realm." She could possibly contain the hound in the depths, and she'd have plenty of supplies for spells and alchemy.

Salem's head jerked backward. "You're sure? Not many creature comforts there."

Her lips curved. "Not yet anyway." She gave him a sideways glance. "Unless you object to having me make a few changes…" Using her skill set for interior design could be fun.

Salem shook his head. "No. No objections." He propped a hip against the counter. "Let me know when you get settled, and I'll drop by with some of the texts. We can research and compare notes and hopefully find out who sent the hound after you."

She dried her hands. "Okay. Give me until lunchtime. The hound usually lays low during the daylight hours and comes out at night. I bought myself about twenty-four hours, but it won't take it long to find me." She'd bet it already had but wouldn't show its face until darkness fell again.

Salem straightened. "All right. I'll stop in after lunch." He headed for the front entrance. "See you then." Letting himself out, he quietly closed the door behind him.

Early finished cleaning up and repacked her bag. After warding the house and adding a binding spell to the yard, she hefted the strap over her shoulder and started down the lane toward the catacombs.

She had a feeling the memories would assault her before she even arrived at the huge stone caves.

After all, she'd spent many, many hours in the complex with Salem … back when they loved each other more than anything.

But she didn't hold out much hope Salem would have the same onslaught.

Salem and Early want to get through the hard stuff and be reunited, but neither will admit it to the other.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

Very intense and bizarre weather this past week. We had a significant warm up, which melted a lot of the snow. Then we had a ton of rain followed by high water and flooding. To top it off, the temperatures dropped again into the teens and twenties and we got more icy rain and snow. Seriously, it's crazy.

Had a very busy work week with projects landing in my inbox. I'm happy to have the work flowing and keeping me busy. Oddly, my writing time is shorter but I'm getting a lot done.

Had a solid week of television viewing. Introduced a couple of additional shows and I'll be adding a new one next week.

Caught two episodes of Snoopy in Space: The Search for Life and finished up the first season. I'll start season two this week.

Started a new two-part Queens of Mystery and rather enjoyed the episode. I love the aunts and I'm starting to really enjoy the secondary characters. Matilda is such a great character even if she frustrates me sometimes.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness's opening for season sixteen. Started a new two-parter and enjoyed it.

Watched three episodes of Classic Who. I should finish the arc up this week and move on to the next one.

Caught two more episodes of The Alaska Triangle. I have so much fun watching this show. I really love the haunted places and mysterious forces vignettes.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Muppets. The show has really grown on me even if it'll never replace the original in my mind.

Watched two more episodes of Harrow. I'm quite enamored with this show and I hope things play out the way I'm expecting them to. There's a twist I didn't quite expect and I love it and it also makes me think things will fall where I think they're going to. I can't wait to find out.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice and even though I knew what to expect, the death did not play the way I thought it would. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet.

Enjoyed two more MasterClass lessons with Es Devlin. She discussed scale and architecture along with storytelling with light. The light lesson fascinated me. I'm a sucker for well-lit—not to be confused with brightly lit—settings. I'm glad I dropped into this class.

Watched two episodes of Paranoid. I'm quite taken with this show. I love the intrigue and mystery and the dynamic of the forming relationships. I think this one might end up with something of a gotcha and I'm quietly waiting with anticipation to see if I'm right.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. One of my favorites, "Meet the Carmichaels," gave me some happy joy for the week. This show fills me with so much nostalgia.

Finished up season three of Chicago Med and started season four. A lot went down on the three finale. I'm still trying to wrap my head around where everyone currently is in the opening of four.

I watched the last available episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I have two behind-the-scenes specials to watch and then I'll have to impatiently wait for anything new.

Finished up an older episode of Blue Heelers. I'll be adding more of these to my weekly lineup. Looking forward to getting back into this one.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Man, this series really brings a great cast of characters together. I'm never bored and I'm glad I'm watching the second season right now because I'm getting to know Pike at the best possible time with the new Trek arriving soon. I can't wait.

That's pretty much it for this week's viewing update. Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella that puts a reunion on hold with fae court intrigue.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

Salem waited until the ashes cooled before he started home. He'd shut everything out for the duration of Glenda's final rest. Blank. Cold. Alone. Wallowing in grief? An emotion he couldn't afford and didn't deserve to have.

Yet he grieved. More for the loss of his friend instead of the love of his life. Early would forever have that sole distinction.

And he kind of hated her for holding the title.

Making his way along the overgrown path, he opened up his mind to other bits and pieces. No one asked his permission to let loose a curse. Technically, they didn't have to gain consent, but most of the fae court respected him enough to enquire. A vengeance hound proved difficult to summon. And Salem probably wouldn't grant allowance. Hounds—vengeance, hell, shadow—tended to be used underground, definitely not out in the open. Which meant someone wanted his position. Why else would they send a creature into the human realm after Early?

If they kept Salem distracted, a power grab would be much easier. He'd have to fight to keep the mantle of leadership. Oddly, he found he wanted to, which not only surprised him, the idea shook him up.

He hadn't asked for the responsibility of leading the fae court. Instead, he'd had it thrust upon him on the Wise One's death. Salem refused the moniker, stating he hadn't gained enough years to be considered in the same realm as their former master. He accepted the title of Chief Magistrate and performed his duties with as much fairness and diplomacy as possible. Which didn't always please everyone.

Especially some of the more volatile fae factions. Peace had reigned for more than a decade, the result of the Wise One's hard work and diplomacy. Some of the more aggressive sects—the mesmers, the shifters, and the mindbenders—champed at the bit to inspire conflict and dredge up old grudges.

Salem took the trail that curved around the lake then skirted the village square before turning onto the lane leading to the proper residences of the court. Even the homes in the small town had strong divisions, with like-minded groups sticking together. The task of discovering who unleashed a vengeance hound weighed heavily on his mind. But he couldn't put off starting the search.

I love writing this one. Internal conflict with an external push is always fun.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

It's been a busy, busy week. I've got a new long-term project in a new to me genre and I’m excited to get started. Also finished up a couple of copy editing projects that were fun to work on.

About normal television viewing. I finished up the rewatch of Roswell, New Mexico. I'm serious when I say this show is kind of consuming me right now. Also caught the newest episode and it's everything I expected as to the reveal of the fourth alien but it also surpassed my expectations in so many ways. I don't know if there's going to be a triangle with Michael, Maria, and Alex but I actually like where things are right now. I'm not a huge fan of triangles but this has potential to be really interesting.

Caught another episode of Underbelly: Razor and really liked where things went. Wally leaving Kate came at just the right time and I'm interested to see how she fares without him. I'm also excited to see where Tillie and Nellie end up. Probably not in the best circumstances.

Watched two more episodes of Peter Gunn. This is such a great show for inspiration when I want to write something with a flair of noir. It's moody and stylish and the mix of grim and dark with humor is excellent.

Caught an episode of Strike Back and my heart goes out to Wyatt. At the same time, I'm totally down with Coltrane going rogue. It's such a section twenty thing to do. And the responses from the team? Perfect. I'm kind of hoping Katrina sees used-to-be Pavel as the evil force he is and switches allegiance again. We'll see what happens.

Watched another episode of Chicago Fire and loved how the group came together for Foster. Doctor Asshat definitely got the message. At least I hope he did.

Iron Fist had a great episode. I love watching Ward try to navigate through emotions. Joy, I'm not so sure about. I can't quite decide if I understand and sympathize where she's coming from or if I want to write her off the way I've written Trish off in Jessica Jones.

Caught an episode of Classic Roswell and Alex and Liz broke my heart all over again. I did love, love, love the way they took Topolski down though.

Watched an episode Murdoch Mysteries. The reporter lady drives me nuts but I loved how she handled getting William and Julie to recognize how much George contributed to their book. The murder case also entertained.

Caught the second episode of The Murders and I really like the partnership between Nolan and Kate. I want to know more about both characters.

I started Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and I'm excited to see how this show stacks up to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

That's pretty much it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a story that involves a lie and include a funeral.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

Early's gut twisted. She deserved his scorn. Hell, she hadn't expected anything less. But, mage's blood, her timing couldn't suck worse. Arriving on the day he performed final rites on Glenda? The universe might be trying to tell her something. Too bad she didn't plan on listening.

She never did.

She'd walked away with no intention of ever coming back, but too many close calls forced her return. The only reason she could come up with for a hound chasing her had everything to do with home. Someone had cursed her and she had to find out who and why. Sadly, she couldn't rule out Salem. She wanted to, but he had some rage issues… not that she blamed him. She hated to think he might stoop to using a hound, but ten years had passed, so ruling it out… not yet.

She pushed for an answer. "Is your name at the top of the list, Salem?" Her eyes slid shut and she braced for his reply.

He didn't disappoint.

He made a low growling sound. "We're not doing this right now." He took the large ornamental spade and walked the perimeter of the pyre. "I'm laying Glenda to rest." He paused, pain marring his features. "You're intruding, which is what you do, but just once, you're going to respect the boundaries and leave." His head snapped up and he pinned her with his gaze. "Now."

Early dragged her lower lip between her teeth, biting back an urge to hurl a scathing comeback. She didn't want to encroach on his ceremony. She had no choice.

She blew out a long, cleansing breath. "I have nowhere to go, Salem."

He snorted. "Because you burned every bridge you could find on your way out." His shoulders slumped. "The Brackin house is empty. You can stay there tonight." He closed his eyes, effectively shutting her out.

Early took a moment, studying Salem, noting the changes a decade had wrought. Not many, but his face had filled out, softening the angular planes and valleys. Grief showed prominently through the tired lines around his eyes.

Early walked toward him, carefully staying clear of the burning flames.

Stopping next to him, she laid a palm on his forearm. "I'm sorry about Glenda." She squeezed lightly and moved forward, leaving him to mourn in solitude.

This one is coming along nicely. Early and Salem have some issues to work through and he is definitely not going to be an easy target.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

Ahhh, The Last Ship makes me so very happy. And none of my favorites ended up dead in the last episode so there's that, too. I won't hold out too much hope for a death free episode tonight. Best to be prepared, right?

Killjoys came back with a bang. Gotta say I'm super happy to see it back on my screen. Here's hoping the whole season is as terrific as the premiere.

Dark Matter… eh, I was a little disappointed in the opener. That said, there are some interesting developments, especially given the ending. I'll reserve judgment before deciding if season two is a bust.

The finale for Wynonna Earp rocked. Fingers are still crossed for a second season. Some great seed were planted for future threads and I hope Syfy gives this show a chance.

Babylon 5 rewatch continues. I'm almost through the first season and so many little things I missed on the other viewings are popping up. I love when that happens.

Strike Back is also entertaining me with the same things happening. I catch small things I missed when I watched the first time.

That's it for TV this week. Hope everyone enjoys the fireworks shows if they like that kind of thing. Me? I'm happy watching them on what else… television. J

Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella that started with the prompt of write a story that involves a lie.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

The first fingers of dawn streaked through the sky when he lifted the latch on the gate and walked up the well-tended path to the small cottage. Knocking three times, he stepped away from the door and braced for impact.

Several moments passed and he turned, frustrated he'd even thought about stopping so early. He got three feet away when the door jerked open, revealing Early clad in a fluffy robe, her hair dripping wet rivulets on the collar.

She eased back and gave him a nod. "Salem. Had a feeling you'd be here early." Sweeping her arm toward the interior, she invited him inside. "Coffee's on, so help yourself. Give me a moment to get dressed and I'll join you." She didn't wait for a response, assuming Salem would do as directed.

Even though caffeine sounded just about right and lifesaving, he perversely refused to go further than the foyer. She'd had a feeling he'd be here early? Had she drawn him with her spellbinding magick? He had no idea what she'd been into in the human realm. He couldn't discount the possibility she'd gone over to the dark arts and become involved with the outcasts who practiced black fae magick.

Early emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a flowing shirt and wine-colored leggings. Salem cast his gaze in her direction and gave her a slow onceover.

She stopped and rolled her eyes. "Oh, sweet universe, Salem. I haven't gone all dark side on you." Throwing her hands up, she stomped into the kitchen. "You can believe the worst of me but, dammit, never, ever, think I'd throw my lot in with the black souls who practice that dangerous hoodoo shit." Her displeasure had coffee sloshing out the mugs she poured the liquid into.

She grabbed a towel to mop up the mess, muttering obscenities.

Some things never changed.

Picking up the cups, she carried them into the small living area, handing one to him. "You're easy to read, Salem. At least to me. Not that hard to figure what your next move would be." Stepping back, she met his gaze. "This may not mean jack, but I'll never use magick on you. I give you my word." Her tone dared him to not believe her.

Salem studied her for several long moments before taking a bracing gulp of the strong brew. "I'll accept your word for now. But trust doesn't come easily." He nodded toward the seating arrangement by the fireplace. "We'll have to rebuild some of the bridges you burned." Following her, he took the chair after she settled onto the couch.

Early sighed. "A massive undertaking, I know." She gave him a sideways glance. "I had no other choice but to come back, Salem. I couldn't let the hound roam around in the human realm."

And didn't she nail the problem on the head with one, brief statement.

I'm really enjoying the discovery in this story. This one is pretty much total pantster. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

April 27, 2014

Greetings,

Whew. Wild week in TV. Arrow, of course, amped up the tension and drama with a total shocker at the end of the episode. Okay, maybe not a total surprise, but wow, I'm dying to see what happens next. S.H.I.E.L.D went to great places and planted some new seeds for a future season (I hope!) and Orphan Black delivered another taut hour of viewing pleasure. I have several things I want to see happen with Rachel, but I'll save those for a fandom blog post. LOL I'm honestly not sure about the whole Helena/religious cult dealio, but I'll keep watching to see what happens.

Writing wise, the week ended up being way more productive than expected, in a truly odd way. I've been updating my Works in Progress page and the exercise is shaking off some cobwebs and getting the creative juices flowing again. I love it when that happens. J

Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella where my main characters have to find their way back to each other… if they can.

Here's the tagline:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

Early spoke quietly. "It's hard to let go of someone you loved."

Salem agreed. "It is, yes." But he hadn't loved Glenda enough. He'd used her. And she him. But they were good for each other… for a while. He'd thought maybe… no, he hadn't really. And she knew it. She wanted one last decent thing before giving it up. And maybe she'd hoped they could find their way back… but he wouldn't lie. Not this time. And Glenda realized it… he hadn't meant to take away her hope, but he had.

And she'd given up. Because of him. And Early.

Salem sighed. "Why are you here?"

Early shrugged. "It was time to come home."

Salem slid his gaze sideways. "This isn't your home anymore. Did you forget that?"

Only he could grant her access back into the fold… and right now… he didn't feel inclined. She could interact and visit family and friends—if she still had any. But unless he welcomed her, she wouldn't be embraced by the fae. Not quite a full on shunning where she'd be turned to ash if she crossed the threshold, but uncomfortable nonetheless. She'd have to resort to accepting whatever hospitality she could find and wouldn't be able to put down roots or stay past her welcome.

Early replied succinctly. "I haven't forgotten anything." She turned towards him. "You don't plan to make this easy, do you?"

Salem worked the ashes, scooping them toward the center of the pyre. "Apparently you have forgotten." He glanced up. "Nothing's ever easy with you."

Early lifted a brow. "Oh, it gets worse. I've got a vengeance hound on my ass." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Know anything about that, Salem?"

A sucker punch to the face would've shocked him less, but he wouldn't show his surprise. Not here, or now.

He held her gaze for several long moments. "There's a long list to go through to narrow down the possibilities, Early." His flicked a glance toward the fire. "And I'm a little busy at the moment."

~:~

Early's gut twisted. She deserved his scorn. Hell, she hadn't expected anything less. But Mage's blood, her timing couldn't suck worse. Arriving on the day he performed final rites on Glenda. The universe might be trying to tell her something. Too bad she didn't plan on listening.

She never did.

She'd walked away with no intention of ever coming back, but too many close calls forced her return. The only reason she could come up with for a hound chasing her had everything to do with home. Someone had cursed her and she had to find out who and why. Sadly, she couldn't rule out Salem. She wanted to, but he had some rage issues… not that she blamed him. She hated to think he might stoop to using a hound, but ten years had passed, so ruling it out… not yet.

She pushed for an answer. "Is your name at the top of the list, Salem?" Her eyes slid shut and she braced for his reply.

He didn't disappoint.

He made a low growling sound. "We're not doing this right now." He took the large ornamental spade and walked the perimeter of the pyre. "I'm laying Glenda to rest." He paused, pain marring his features. "You're intruding, which is what you do, but just once, you're going to respect the boundaries and leave." His head snapped up and he pinned her with his gaze. "Now."

Early dragged her lower lip between her teeth, biting back an urge to hurl a scathing comeback. She didn't want to encroach on his ceremony. She had no choice.

She blew out a long, cleansing breath. "I have nowhere to go, Salem."

He snorted. "Because you burned every bridge you could find on your way out." His shoulders slumped. "The Brackin house is empty. You can stay there tonight." He closed his eyes, effectively shutting her out.

Early took a moment, studying Salem, noting the changes a decade had wrought. Not many, but his face had filled out, softening the angular planes and valleys. Grief showed prominently through the tired lines around his eyes.

Early walked toward him, carefully staying clear of the burning flames.

Stopping next to him, she laid a palm on his forearm. "I'm sorry about Glenda." She squeezed lightly and moved forward, leaving him to mourn in solitude.

Salem is stuck between a rock and a hard place—my favorite spot for characters. :D

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye