Sunday Snippet: Protect the Target

Well, the first week of December is in the books, and it ended up being super busy for me. I had a follow-up appointment with my primary care doctor, and we went over the results from the colonoscopy. While everything looks okay, I have to go back for another scan in six months. Um … yay? Bleh. I also have several moles we're going to remove in January and my blood pressure is still a little high so I'm starting meds for that. All in all, a productive appointment.

I'm not juggling as many work projects, but I have a tricky copyedit that I need to do some research on and a proofread that's due next week. I also have reading to do for the developmental edit of the memoir. I also have two more projects waiting in the wings. I like the idea of having a strong end to the year.

I did not get much viewed this week. I've been in a bit of a slump and just needed a break. I did do some binge watching of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, My Life Is Murder, and I got a bit more the of Foyle's War episode watched.

Other than that, I had adulting to do like check insurance coverage for the procedures I need to have and paying bills. I hate how much time that stuff eats up.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Protect the Target, a novella that puts the main characters is harm's way and they use subterfuge to outsmart their opponent.

Here's the miniblurb:

Noya Vix is a walking target with a lot of magical factions coming after her, the most persistent being Lenj Gottman, who wants to exploit her precognitive ability. Booth Wanderlux is her number one protector, but he's got issues with keeping Noya out of harm's way because she refuses to lay low until Lenj is caught.

And a preview snippet…

Noya Vix focused on the series of runes and oghams just inside the veil of a shadow glade. "This could be the one." Closing her eyes, she calmed her breathing and opened her mind.

Images shuffled in her head and thoughts tried to intrude, but she shut the door on them and only allowed the visual array prominence. Three pieces clicked into place, but the others didn't.

Exhaling on a sigh, she silently cursed the lack of progress. "Dammit." She started to uncross her legs but a hand on her shoulder kept her sitting down.

Booth Wanderlux crouched beside her. "We've got company again." He motioned for her to follow him, staying low to the ground.

She got to her knees and crawled behind his retreated form. "How the fuck did they find us this time?" She hadn't told anyone which shadow glade they would be checking.

Booth grunted but said nothing. He used his preternatural ability to lead them through the veil and into safety. No doubt he'd have plenty to say once they cleared the danger zone.

Noya would give up her precognitive skill if it meant making Lenj Gottman lose his major hard-on for her. The man made life more of a hell for her than trying to find a new glade for her mage brethren. He figured if he could control her, he'd be able to become the de facto leader of the society.

She huffed out a breath. "Over my dead body." Which, yeah, could become her reality if Booth didn't have her back.

Gottman represented everything terrible happening in their current home. Depleted resources, unbalanced representation, and a forceful consolidation of power against everything she held dear. Their entire system teetered on the brink of disaster … all because of one man.

Booth shifted carefully through the veil, leading Noya out into the dim light of dusk in their current glade. Clasping her hand, he stuck close to the tree line until they cleared the boundary of the property and entered the relative safety of their estate grounds. She trudged beside him, taking the stone path up to the house.

Outside the door, she tugged him to a stop. "Do you know how they found us?" Keeping her voice low, she angled her head toward the entrance. "Starkey's gonna have questions." He always did.

Booth lifted a shoulder. "I can only guess, and that's not going to go over well with him." He paused a moment. "The attempts to get to you are weighing on him. He's gonna be ready to take action after this one." Twisting the knob, he pushed the door open.

Noya sighed. "Which means he's going to be in total Grandpa-mode. Great." Not.

Because not only did she have to deliver bad news she'd also have to fight Starkey to keep trying to find a new glade.

Fun times.

I'm having fun with this story even if it's coming together in weird out of sequence bursts.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Protect the Target

Kind of a weird week in flux. I keep getting a lot of stuff done but more things get added to the plate. Not complaining, the timing is just odd.

Had a solid week of viewing. I'm kind of jammed schedule-wise this upcoming week so I'm hoping to stay on my semi-normal schedule by watching ahead a little.

Got to watch two episodes of The Snoopy Show. This season seems a little less seasonal and I'm okay with that.

Started the new season of The Brokenwood Mysteries. As usual, an excellent premiere episode. Familiar faces with the secondary characters, which I completely love.

Finished up the second half of a two-part Silent Witness and started a new episode. This season is off to a roaring start with good episodes.

Watched the final episode of a Classic Who arc and should be starting a new multipart one this week. Hoping the daleks are gone for a bit.

Caught another episode of Most Terrifying Places in America. This one focused on cursed towns and ended up being more interesting than I anticipated.

I started Moon Knight and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode. My brother highly recommended the series and I'm excited to talk about it with him.

Watched an episode of The Hardy Boys and the danger is amping up. My one complaint for this season would be how the Fenton storyline is playing out. I'm also very iffy on the whole Joe plot points. I'm hoping there's a good explanation for why he's being a little butt.

Enjoyed an episode of Peak Practice. I have a feeling the next episode might have a lingering issue left over from this one.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She talked about her writing tools and I got several good ideas from her.

Got the first episode The Babysitter's Club season two in and enjoyed it. This is a charming show and I'm sorry there's not going to be another season after this one.

Watched an episode of The Ready Room. The interview with Sonequa Martin-Green ended up being so terrific.

Enjoyed an episode of Chicago Med. I'm kind of wondering what's going on with April. I think the writers sell her short and that makes me sad because I love her character.

Finished up Tangled, a Passionflix original. I'll be starting season three of Driven this week and I'm looking forward to it.

I've started a rewatch of Batman: the Animated Series. I'll probably be doing a bunch of DC Comics shows, specifically Titans and Doom Patrol, in the near future. Again, my brother highly recommended so I'm giving them a whirl. But I have to start with my all-time fave, which is Batman: TAS.

Started a new-to-me series with the Agatha Christie Hour. The first episode ended up being enjoyable so I'll continue on. Looking forward to another episode.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Protect the Target, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Noya Vix is a walking target with a lot of magical factions coming after her, the most persistent being Lenj Gottman, who wants to exploit her precognitive ability. Booth Wanderlux is her number one protector, but he's got issues with keeping Noya out of harm's way because she refuses to lay low until Lenj is caught.

And a preview snippet…

Booth woke up to a cool hand ghosting over his thigh to land on his hip very close to his groin. His lips curved and he turned, letting the palm make contact with his dick. Noya finally decided to come to bed.

He let out a sigh. "'Bout time you joined me, Noya." Fingers cupped his erection.

A low, sultry voice answered. "Sorry, lover, if I'd known you were waiting, I'd have been here a lot sooner."

His eyes blinked open to find someone definitely not Noya grasping his cock.

He shoved her away and scrambled off the bed. "Who. The fuck. Are you?" He flipped the lamp on.

Red hair, pale, creamy skin, and green eyes filled his vision. A silky gown clung to her curves and she gazed upward with arched brows. She moved with feline grace, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed.

She tilted her head to one side. "Name's Shara Hawthorn. I had no idea the room was occupied when I came in." Her mouth curled into an appreciative grin. "When I found you, I thought providence answered my latest wish." Her gaze did a slow once-over before meeting his again.

Booth narrowed his eyes. Her voice would lure men to do her bidding. But something about her … didn't ring true.

He moved forward, placing his knee on the mattress. She didn't move except to lower her head slightly. Leaning in, he caught the aroma of pear, sandalwood, and lavender—Noya's signature scent.

Cupping her chin, he lifted her face to the light. "What are you playing at, Noya?" He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, encountering a high, smooth surface instead of the angular, prominent jut.

Her shoulder slumped. "Dammit to hell. What gave me away?" She eased away from him and slid off the bed.

He huffed out a breath. "Fragrance. You're wearing your usual." If not for that, he would have been completely fooled. "Nice job on the voice." He gave her a long perusal. "And … everything else." Slowly moving forward, he made a circle around her. "Pretty damn amazing, actually."

She lifted her chin. "Shit, I should've thought to change the scent. But otherwise, good to hear. Because I'm not going to be left behind." Her hands landed on her hips.

Booth gently batted them away and drew her close. "No, didn't think you would be." His mouth grazed her jawline. "And neither did Starkey. He wanted you to be creative and you definitely went above and beyond." His fingers trailed upward, sliding under the straps of her gown to nudge them off her shoulders.

Noya shook her head. "Should've known. No wonder Lorna didn't bat an eye when I told her what I wanted to do." She dropped her arms and let the gown fall to the floor.

Booth licked his lips. "This is gonna be an experience, I can already tell. I mean you're you … but you're not." The difference in skin tone and the hair and eyes proved to be jarring, but also a turn-on.

Noya traced a finger down his chest, stopping at his waistband where his boxers concealed the long, hard length of his dick. "Something tells me it's not going to be a bad one." She nudged the briefs down then grasped his hard-on.

Booth scooped her up and deposited her on the bed. "Let's find out…"

I'm having a lot of fun writing this one. Noya and Booth always find creative ways to work their issues out.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Protect the Target

This past week I got to experience my daughter's first "senior night", this one for golf. She's my youngest and the last one we need to get through high school. Which is actually funny because she's also the most organized of my three kiddos and we haven't had to do much to get her through anything. Okay, except to maybe open the checkbook or whip out the debit card.

Anyway, the golf team had a scramble with another county team and the girls had a great time. This is a little poignant for three of the four seniors because they're all four-year letterman and they literally launched the girls' golf team for the high school. My daughter and one of her friends were the true masterminds, getting another freshman and two sophomores interested so they could form a team. There had to be at least four girls and they had five so they were good to go. In the four years they've had a team, the roster grew to eight, dropped to seven, then went back up to eight again this year. It's been exciting to watch the group grow and change and support each other.

Next up, is senior night for band and that's next weekend. I'm hoping for a non-rainy football game. This past week, the game got delayed due to lightning. Fun times.

Had a busy week overall with work but did get some television viewing in. I kept up with more episodes of Peter Gunn. I'm almost through the second season.

Also got some Classic Who in with The Mind Robber, The Invasion, and The Kroton multi-part episodes. I think I'm through the mixed episodes that are part animation and part regularly shot scenes.

I also watched three more Midsomer Murders episodes. I'm in series seventeen so I have about three more series to finish up.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Protect the Target, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Noya Vix is a walking target with a lot of magical factions coming after her, the most persistent being Lenj Gottman, who wants to exploit her precognitive ability. Booth Wanderlux is her number one protector, but he's got issues with keeping Noya out of harm's way because she refuses to lay low until Lenj is caught.

And a preview snippet…

Noya checked her reflection in the mirror. "Not bad if I do say so." And she did.

Lorna gave a low whistle. "Damn, girl. I'm impressed with our brilliance." She made a slow circle around Noya.

Brilliance might be an understatement. With Lorna's magickal help, a full-on transformation of Noya's hair, skin tone, facial features, the works, had taken place. Instead of dark brown locks, Noya sported a shimmering shade of red. Her eyes were a leafy green, which looked so different from her usual color of burnt umber. The olive of her skin now appeared as flawless and creamy. She kind of missed the shadows and planes of her darker skin tone. Lorna also made her cheekbones fuller and less angular.

Now, Noya needed to work on altering her speech pattern and her gait.

Lorna made a tsking sound. "Mm-mm-mm. Booth is gonna lose his mind when he sees you." She tilted her head to one side. "Darlin', that man isn't going to recognize you."

Noya banked on that fact. If Booth didn't immediately know her, she stood a chance of pulling off the biggest sleight of hand to nail Lenj's ass to the wall. And, dammit, she would have a hand in taking that fucker down.

Noya tried a new voice, lowering the pitch of her tone. "Do you really think so?" The sound flowed out of her mouth, smoky and sultry.

Lorna's eyes went wide. "Holy shit. You make me think of cigarettes and whiskey in a back room somewhere." She chuckled. "I take full credit for the magickal enhancement of your looks, but, Noya honey, everything else is all you." She swished her hand back and forth. "Lemme see you walk around a bit."

Noya complied, concentrating on shortening her stride to a loose shuffle instead of the usual strut she normally did. She slouched forward instead of squaring her shoulders and made a short circuit of the bathroom. The weird jockeying would take some getting used to and she couldn't hold the illusion for long, tripping up on her way back to Lorna's side.

Laughing, Noya shrugged. "Yeah, that's gonna take some work." And probably some painkillers to ease the kinks her muscles would get.

Lorna nodded. "You'll get the hang of it." She leaned in. "How are you gonna let Booth in on the new look?"

Noya made a grimace. "I'm going to do it where he'll least expect it…" She met Lorna's gaze. "Tonight… in bed."

Wouldn't that be a rare treat?

Okay, maybe not.

Noya is so much fun to write and her partner in crime for this scene is very much an enabler, which won't make Booth very happy.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Protect the Target

I hope everyone survived the crazy sales if you ventured out. Me? I stay home and avoid the insane traffic, surly moods, and disappointment. LOL

Thoroughly enjoyed the premiere of The Librarians. I love this show. The Walking Dead had a solid episode. Love the interactions with the Hilltop people and Maggie and Sasha are terrific.

Gotham is truly coming into its own this season. I'm thrilled the show finally found it footing.

I'm so excited for the crossover episodes with Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. It's going to be a fun week!

I started my Great Holiday Show Binge Watch. JAG started the marathon and Doctor Who is up next.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Protect the Target, a novella started from the prompt of "Oh, wait".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Noya Vix is a walking target with a lot of magical factions coming after her, the most persistent being Lenj Gottman, who wants to exploit her precognitive ability. Booth Wanderlux is her number one protector, but he's got issues with keeping Noya out of harm's way because she refuses to lay low until Lenj is caught.

And a preview snippet…

Booth found Starkey in his quarters and knocked on the door.

Starkey glanced up from his book. "Booth, come on in." He closed the tome and settled back in his chair. "How'd the conversation with Noya go?" A small smirk curved his lips.

Booth crossed over to stand in front of the desk. "Exactly as you'd expect." He shifted his gaze to the chair opposite his mentor.

Starkey waved a hand, inviting Booth to sit. He sank down and kicked his feet out. The older man didn't speak, waiting patiently for Booth to continue.  Loyalty to Noya battled allegiance to Starkey. The two constants in Booth's life stuck him between a rock and a hard space.

Noting he didn't deal with on a regular basis.

Booth lifted a shoulder. "She's not happy. Which you can't blame her for." He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. "She gets it. But she hates the idea of using a decoy. Thinks she should be the bait." Blowing out a frustrated breath, Booth straightened and met Sharkey's gaze.

The older man nodded. "But you explained that wouldn't happen and she's pissed." Starkey pinned Booth with a hard stare. "So now you're thinking about caving and letting her join the fray." He made a statement instead of asking a question.

Booth's shoulders slumped. "Dammit, Stark. I'm tired of being the rock you two toss back and forth at each other. Yes, it's hard for me to cut Noya out of the action. She's like my right hand, and it's harder to fight without her." He softened his tone. "But you're not making a bad call here. It's just we each know Noya and she won't sit back and let the plan unfold. Tell me you get that."

Starkey's lips curved in a wry smile. "Oh, I get it. And she'll find a way to be included." He spread his hands out, turning the palms upward. "But she'll have to be cagey and smart, dig deep into deception. Pull all the tricks out of her ass." Leaning forward, he held Booth's gaze. "And that's exactly what we need."

The light bulb went off. "For her to make it harder for Lenj to track her." Booth tamped down the anger at being manipulated. "You planned this little contingency, shaking Noya up so she's actively working to stay concealed yet still in the loop." He had to give the old man props.

Starkey inclined his chin. "I'm not sorry for thinking ahead. But putting you in the middle sucks. If there'd been another way, I would've used it."

Booth lifted a shoulder, accepting the situation. "If it keeps Noya safe, I'll deal." Rising, he headed for the door. "Looking forward to the day I won't be used as the weapon of choice between you two though." He didn't wait for Starkey's response, twisting the knob and leaving before the guy could get a word out.

At least Booth had an idea of what to expect and how to proceed. He kind of looked forward to seeing what crazy scheme Noya would dream up to get in on the takedown of Lenj.

I've been brainstorming ideas for how Noya is going to be right in the thick of the action. Lots of fun!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Protect the Target

Do any of my readers watch Defiance? I'm totally loving the new season. The tagline of Tick, Tick, Tick seems to fit the way the episodes have been going. I'm looking forward to when everything blows up and comes to a head.

Dominion and The Last Ship are also on my must view schedule. I kind of like finding new shows in the summer to sink my teeth into. I'm also rewatching the original La Femme Nikita series from the 90s. I love that show! Oh, and Peacekeeper Wars! So much good TV right now.

Tonight's post is from Protect the Target, a novella where my main characters battle some inner demons while facing a big threat.

Here's the tagline:

Noya Vix is a walking target with a lot of magical factions coming after her, the most persistent being Lenj Gottman, who wants to exploit her precognitive ability. Booth Wanderlux is her number one protector, but he's got issues with keeping Noya out of harm's way because she refuses to lay low until Lenj is caught.

And a preview snippet…

Noya paced back and forth. "Oh, wait. Your plan won't work." She paused and shot Booth a sideways glance. "Because it doesn't include me." She went back to burning off her nervous energy.

Booth rolled his eyes. "It'll work better for that reason." He braced for impact.

Noya slugged him. "No, it won't. You need me."

Booth grasped her hips and tugged her forward. "I do, yes. But, Noya, you can't take the chance."

She rested her forehead against his chest. "Because Lenj will go for me and the old man made it clear I have to be protected." She sighed.

Booth smoothed his hands over her back. "Yes. And I wish it didn't have to be this way, but he's right." His lips brushed over the top of her hair. "Your ability to read the runes combined with the precognitive skill is our best shot at finding a place to call home." He lifted her chin to meet her gaze. "And I want a place to settle down." His head lowered. "With you."

He sealed his mouth over hers and Noya got lost in the kiss. She hated sitting on the sidelines, but a chance to put down roots and spend her life with Booth took some of the sting away.

Noya and Booth have a lot of trouble ahead, but if they can keep each other on an even keel they'll come through.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye