Sunday Snippet: The Prank Police

Wow. June flew by in a wild blur. Half the year is gone and I'm kind of wondering where it went. July and August are going to be fairly busy with some time off in each month that I'm not quite ready for but probably need to recharge.

Didn't get as much television watched this week. I struggled to get through a new-to-me show and probably won't finish it.

I watched an episode of The Snoopy Show and finished the first season. All in all, an enjoyable watch. I'll start the second season this week.

The show I struggled with is Resort to Murder. I think because it got a somewhat slow start and the pacing is slower than I like. I might revisit this one at a later date.

Watched another episode of Silent Witness and liked where it ended up. The story took a somewhat expected twist and I loved it.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. The daleks are up to their usual insane plots and I kind of like Ace as the new companion.

Finished the first season of Most Terrifying Places in America. Oddly, the next season is three and I can't find a second season … so there's that weird twist.

Almost finished with the first season of The Mandalorian. This show makes me happy. I haven't decided if I'm going to go right into the second season or if I'll wait until the third one is ready to launch. Stay tuned.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys and enjoyed it a lot. Things are getting very twisty and turny and I'm here for it. Looking forward to the next episode.

Thought I finished the first season of The Babysitter's Club, but I have two more episodes to watch. I started episode nine and look forward to seeing what Camp Moosehead has in store for the group.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from The Prank Police, a novella that puts the main characters in the hot seat and has them paying back a long-overdue debt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The mage academy is rife with pranksters and Zenna Doyle and Kyrk Rydercroft must corral the new recruits when they all test their new found powers. And to top it off, the couple pulls duty at the worst time—the night of the blue moon when magic is at its strongest.

And a preview snippet…

Kyrk met Zenna in the quad. "How did the meeting with campus security go?" He fell into step beside her.

Zenna rolled her eyes. "Basically, he's less than thrilled. But he'll have his people on standby if they're needed." She took a left and headed for the school of alchemy. "Did you cover everything with the healing center?"

Kyrk gave a nod. "I gave them the list of supplies to have on hand." Usually that included a lot of salves, poultices, and warming stations for when the adepts decided to freeze the lake. "The healers are on alert. They're also less than excited about finals week during a blue moon." He trotted up the steps of the building and pulled the door open. "Once we get this place warded, we should put a protective shield around the healing centers, just in case." He waited for Zenna to enter then let the heavy oak swing shut behind them.

Zenna made her way down the darkened corridor. "I wish someone would've had the foresight to ward this place during our finals week." Her lips curved. "But then we would've missed the look on Max's face when he had to wade through the sea of foam to get to the second floor." She made a stop by the alchemist lab and placed a series of runes on the threshold then sealed them.

Kyrk chuckled. "Personally, I admired his creative language when he realized the foam turned his skin green … and wouldn't wear off for two days." Geez, they'd been lucky he didn't expel them for that prank.

Zenna bit back a laugh. "He's got a flair for making compound words." She jogged up to the second floor.

Kyrk took his time, his mind filled with memories of the crazy stunts they got away with. He stopped outside another lab and used runes to ward the space. Zenna took care of shielding a supply room. She turned and met him at the top of the steps.

On the way down, she snapped her fingers. "Damn. We should stop by and give the head greenskeeper a crash course in countering some of the weird shit he'll be dealing with." She snorted. "Or just give him our number and tell him to hit us up with anything he can't handle."

Kyrk frowned. "You think he'll need to?" He exited the building started down the steps.

Zenna snagged his arm. "He'll need to. Remember how we decided the quad needed gigantic lollipops and the hiking trail should have a glass path?" She shook her head. "What the hell were we thinking with that one?"

Kyrk groaned. "I regret the glass path." The super slippery trail caused quite a few injuries. "But the lollipops were cool."

Zenna started back toward the quad. "Yeah, they were." She grinned. "We were so stressed out after finishing our exams we got a little power-drunk."

He flashed a smile. "Too true." He sobered. "Can you imagine if there'd been a blue moon when we ruled hell week?"

Zenna met his gaze. "Uh-uh. Probably good there wasn't one. Max would've lost his mind." She grabbed Kyrk's hand. "And it's possible we might have blown up the entire academy."

Kyrk hauled her close. "I refuse to believe that. We kept each other in check even when we were wreaking havoc." His lips brushed over hers.

She wrapped her arms around him. "Okay, we did. But I don't think we'll be as lucky." Tilting her head back, she pulled a face. "We'd be smart to get some rest now. It's gonna be a long-ass week."

Kyrk grunted. "Point made. Let's go." Easing away, he twined his fingers with hers.

Let the games begin…

I'm having a lot of fun with this story. Kyrk and Zenna are going to have their hands full even after trying to protect everything.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Prank Police

I'm welcoming September with open arms. August ended up being a truly weird month. We'll see if September flows any smoother.

Decent week of television. I stuck with classic and mysteries. I finished up a 77 Sunset Strip binge watch last week and launched into Peter Gunn, logging about seven more episodes via Prime and now a marathon on regular cable.

I caught the Classic Who episodes of The Enemy of the World. Interesting segue… an episode of The Saint featured the actor who plays Two. It's just a weird little connection that made me smile.

I also watched another Midsomer Murders episode. Oddly, they're back to Causton CID again instead of Midsomer Constabulary. Obviously, it's not a huge deal, just one of those random things that popped out at me.

Yes, I'm strange.

Tonight's post is from The Prank Police, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The mage academy is rife with pranksters and Zenna Doyle and Kyrk Rydercroft must corral the new recruits when they all test their newfound powers. And to top it off, the couple pulls duty at the worst time—the night of the blue moon when magic is at its strongest.

And a preview snippet…

Zenna Doyle placed her hands on the desk in front of her. "You have got to be kidding. What did we do to piss you off?" She stared the director of the mage academy down.

A slow, wide smile spread across Max Bentis's face. "Remember the saying about payback?" He quirked an eyebrow.

Kyrk Rydercroft, Zenna's partner in teaching and everything else, stopped pacing for a moment. "That it's a right bitch?"

Zenna snorted. Too damned true.

Max nodded. "That's the one." He pulled a thick folder from his bottom drawer. "Do you also remember, oh… seven or eight years ago when I was in the position you two are in now?" He made a show of casually opening the file and flipping through the pages.

Zenna shot Kyrk a sideways glance. He shook his head. No way were they going to admit remembering anything they did back in their adept minor days.

Zenna didn't like the direction this conversation headed in.

Max smirked. "And do you remember the week before finals and who the ringleaders were for the most hated time of the year?" He tapped the pages in front of him.

Kyrk muttered an oath. "Seriously? I barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning."

Of course, Max had no problem reminding them of their former shortcomings. He spun the folder around, showing the proof in vividly colored notes. Then he turned to the final page where Zenna and Kyrk, in their less than infinite wisdom, signed a promissory pledge to handle finals week whenever the presiding precept chose.

Max settled back in his seat. "Ring any bells now?" He gaze dared either of them to try his patience.

Zenna's shoulders slumped. "Fuck."

Max clapped and rubbed his palms together. "Exactly." He slapped the folder shut and stuffed in back inside the drawer.

Kyrk started pacing again. "You do realize we're due for a blue moon." He stopped. "They're going to be insane with power."

Zenna shuddered. Great Mage. The entire week would suck huge, hairy balls.

Max's lips split in a wide smile. "I absolutely know all of the above. Why do you think I saved that little trump card in the back of the file?" He pushed away from the desk and stood up. "I've been waiting for this moment for two years."

Zenna gave him props. "That's brilliantly evil. Kudos for being able to hold out this long." Honestly, she admired the hell out of the sneak attack.

Max preened for a moment.

Kyrk snorted. "Geez, Zen, don't stroke his ego. He'll be lucky if we're still standing next Monday."

A fair point.

Max shook his head. "Hey, there are two of you. The same cannot be said when you two coordinated hell week during your last year." He pinned Kyrk with his gaze. "I had to find something worthy to challenge your skill-set."

Zenna shrugged. "Fine, fine. We'll manage. At least you'll be around if anything goes totally hinky."

Max held up a hand. "Oh, no. I'm going to be as far away from this place as possible starting in"—he glanced at his watch—"about ten seconds." Jerking his head toward the door, he waved them in that direction. "Have fun."

Zenna opened her mouth to argue, but Kyrk grabbed her wrist. "Don't. As much as it pains me to say it, we had this coming." He tugged her out of Max's office. "And we don't have much time to prepare… so let's get going."

Zenna exhaled on a heavy sigh. "Let the games begin."

This story is so much fun. It took a direction I completely didn't anticipate but I'm happy with where it's headed.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Prank Police

I'm always amazed by how fast the last three months of the year fly by. I look at today's date and think, wow, Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks. Which means Christmas is only a month away, then the New Year. It's crazy.

Television didn't disappoint this week, even with election coverage on Tuesday. I did skip The Walking Dead and watched Chris Hardwick for the after show. Sometimes I need some distance from my favorite shows. LOL

Gotham had a good episode. I'm not quite sure if I like not having as much Bruce and Alfred this season. I really like their chemistry and I love the way Alfred interacts with everyone else. Looks like we'll get more of them this week.

Arrow delivered, as usual. I quite love the interaction between Thea and Quentin. With his daughters gone and her parents out of the picture, the surrogate family connection is terrific. I'm very interested in what Miss Ratings-Grabber will do with the information she has on Oliver. Didn't really expect them to address the fact Oliver didn't spend all five years on the island. Glad they've decided to work that angle in.

Legends of Tomorrow had a fun episode. I'm still kind of iffy on the whole Ray thing, but I'm hoping he finds his true footing.

MacGyver's introduction of Murdoc turned out okay. Glad Bozer's in on the whole deal and hopeful they'll start using his skills at some point. Not sure about the Nicki thing, but I'll reserve judgment.

Need to catch up on Murdoch Mysteries and I have a Killjoys season one disc to watch, but that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from The Prank Police, a working title for a novella built on the two-word prompt of "Oh, [insert deity here]".

Here's the mini-blurb:

The Mage Academy is rife with pranksters and Zenna Doyle and Kyrk Rydercroft must corral the new recruits when they all test their new found powers. And to top it off, the couple pulls duty at the worst time—the night of the blue moon when magic is at its strongest.

And a preview snippet…

Kyrk stumbled to a stop behind Zenna. "No effing way." He shot her a sideways glance, gauging her reaction to the insane sight greeting them.

Her mouth hung open and she took an angry step forward.

Kyrk grabbed her shoulder. "Uh-uh, Zenn. Take a breath, count to fifty, then move." He gave her less than thirty seconds before she blew up at the group of half-naked recruits, writing on the floor in various states of ecstasy.

She snapped her mouth shut and turned her blistering gaze on him. "This is not what we were called out to. Mage Superior said itching syndrome." She growled low in her throat. "We've got a big ass problem if he can't tell the difference between that and an ecstasy enchantment." Her shoulders tensed. "You don't think they were stupid enough to charm the whole—" A wave of bliss crossed her features. "Shit, they were." Grabbing his hand, she spun around and dragged him from the room.

Kyrk didn't make it out unscathed. His dick swelled and throbbed in his pants. Lust held him in its grip. The recruits launched what equated to a sex bomb and didn't limit the area to a containment circle. The entire room pinged with their combined magick.

Zenna shuddered when another hot flash of charged energy hit her hard. She slammed the door shut, flipping the lock. Whirling, she shoved Kyrk up against the sturdy oak and smashed her mouth against his. He hauled her close, reaching around to cup her ass and grind his rigid cock into the heated juncture of her thighs.

Zenna moaned. "Cloaked veil, Kyrk. Cast it." Her hands popped the button of his jeans and worked his zipper down. "Quickly, okay." She sucked on his neck, ghosting her lips up to his jawline. "We got a fire to quench here." Her palm wrapped around his hard shaft.

Kyrk blew out a harsh breath. "Right. Cloaked veil." He closed his eyes, focused, and whispered the incantation. "Done." They wouldn't be visible to anyone passing by.

Zenna sank to her knees. "Pants. Off. Now." Her mouth closed over the tip of his dick and her tongue swirled around the crown.

Kyrk groaned. "Hell, yes." He shoved his jeans past his hips and hooked his arms under her shoulders, pulling her up so he could step out, letting the denim pool at his feet. "Your turn." His fingers dipped under the waistband of her pants, teasing along the skin.

The urge to rip them from her body warred with his higher brain. The need coursing through him induced by the enchantment, he fought the primal call to take what he wanted, damn the consequences. The academy had rules and protocols for using sex spells for a reason.

Zenna stripped off her clothes. "Stop thinking, Kyrk. Only makes the enchantment stronger." She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pushed it upward.

Kyrk took the hint and yanked the garment over his head. "What the hell were they thinking? Pulling a stupid stunt like this." He followed instinct, lifting Zenna and backing her against the door.

Zenna's lips twisted in a sly smile. "Stupid, no." Her hips rocked, brushing her wet folds along the length of his shaft. "Pretty smart, yes. Blue moon magick, ecstasy enchantment, the whole group in one place…" Her mouth hovered over his. "They're contained in a safe place for the moment, probably having the most intense orgasms they've ever experienced, and we're within earshot." She caught his lips in a hot kiss. "Why are we still talking?" Her hips shifted and she sank over his cock.

Kyrk savored the feel of her hot core surrounding his rigid dick. "Who's talking?" His hands cupped her ass, bringing her flush with his groin.

Zenna flashed a sexy grin. "Exactly. Give me hard and fast, Kyrk. Don't wanna waste the sexual mojo." She braced her shoulders against the door.

She made a great point. He could do hard and fast.

Probably more than once.

Gotta say, it's fun to write magick-inspired sex. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Prank Police

July 13, 2014

Greetings!

Whew. I'm coming off a really long week but I did have time to watch Defiance and Dominion. And if all goes well, I'll be watching The Last Ship tonight.

Tonight's post is from (working title only) Prank Police where my main couple is driven to the brink of madness by their students on the night of the blue moon.

Here's the tagline:

The Mage Academy is rife with pranksters and Zenna Doyle and Kyrk Rydercroft must corral the new recruits when they all test their new found powers. And to top it off, the couple pulls duty at the worst time—the night of the blue moon when magic is at its strongest.

And a preview snippet…

Zenna tried hard to ignore the insistent buzzing of the phone. She opened her eyes, blinked, and squinted to see the time. Three a.m. Great Mage, would the stupid adept minors never go to sleep?

Reaching out, she snagged the phone from the nightstand. "Doyle. What's going on this time?" Her breath whooshed out when she got a rundown. "Yeah, yeah. We're on it." Disconnecting the call, she sat up and jabbed Kyrk in the shoulder. "Let's go. We've got prank number seven hundred and ninety-two to deal with."

Kyrk groaned and rolled out of bed. "What is it this time?" He shoved his feet into a pair of pajama bottoms then shucked them off and put on a pair of jeans instead.

Zenna dragged a shirt over her head, realized she had Kyrk's, started to yank it off then decided to leave it. Kyrk could wear his zip up hoodie.

He glanced up, taking the jacket from her. "Zenn? What're we heading into?" He shrugged into the sweatshirt and zipped it up.

Zenna opened her mouth to explain then shook her head. "Just come with me, Kyrk. You'll see for yourself." Grabbing his arm, she tugged him toward the door. "Three more hours until sunrise. If I don't kill someone between now and then, it'll be a miracle."

Stay tuned to see if Zenna makes it through the next three hours without shedding blood.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye