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

Another long week and part of it has been spent wondering exactly how many US senators are still with us. One passed last night and another appears to be not recovering. I've been alive long enough to acknowledge how bananapants it is that we don't know for sure. I mean, when an elected official can take four months off and still get paid by taxpayers, not explain what's going on, or be seen in public, there's something wrong. The FMLA allows for twelve weeks without a threat to employment. Sixteen weeks is not cool. Just saying.

Weather cooled down enough to not be miserable. I have to make space in my garage for some things my daughter needs to have stored, and it's been cool enough at night that I can make headway. We were supposed to have rain most of the week and didn't get as much as predicted.

Work continued to be steady. I'm moving along on two ongoing projects, and I finished up a proofread and started a new copy edit. Also touched a back burner project and hope to dive in a little more this week. Writing is also going well right now and I'm happy about that.

Had a fairly decent viewing week. I made it through my usual list of shows and also did a binge marathon of Death in Paradise on Ovation.

Started out with a bonus episode of Foyle's War with the writer and creator along with the show's historian. Very interesting conversation.

Caught another episode of Tales of Irish Castles and moved into a more modern age. I think I have one episode left and have to say I've enjoyed this series.

Watched a new episode of Death in Paradise. Gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mervin interact with his brother and loved how everyone, including Catherine, came together to find Mervin. Seeing the punk-ass faux commissioner again kind of put the icing on the cake, even if he's still a punk-ass policeman now.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. The later movies are fun to watch but I do miss Hastings and Miss Lemon. And, of course, Japp. But it's also entertaining to dive into mysteries that have an intriguing premise.

Elementary had a great episode. Loved seeing Marcus put everything together with his girlfriend's ex. Really hated the ending though. I have a feeling all will not be as it seems.

Watched an episode of Young Justice and kind of liked seeing Connor and Megan in their regular joe roles. Also rather enjoyed Red Arrow asking Aqua Lad for help. And it looks like the overall mystery is starting to fall into place, with the behind the scenes machinations being revealed.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. Really loved seeing a different vibe with Rutherford and Mariner teaming up and Boimler and Tendi being together.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Spellbound Yule, a holiday spirit sexy short featuring a witch and a warlock.

Here's the miniblurb:

Holiday spirit, Bertram Goldwreath, has to bring Oakley Oliver, a witch and Calder Conrad, a warlock together over the Yule holiday so they can settle a territorial dispute. Oakley is looking forward to a quiet getaway at a bed and breakfast … until Calder invades her interlude and sparks fly.

And a preview snippet…

Calder woke up alone, but Oakley's side of the bed showed the signs of their night.

He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. "Wonder if I can talk her into more?" Heading for the bath, he cast a spell for his toothbrush and quickly cleaned his teeth then put a pair of loose pajama bottoms on.

Calder went down the stairs to find Oakley in the kitchen, wearing a long T-shirt, pensive and withdrawn. The sight kicked him hard. He didn't want her to be under strain any more than he wanted to be there either. After meeting her and being with her, the whole land dispute paled to what he wanted from the future now.

He put his arms around her. "I must've failed on epic levels if you're not happy and sated this morning." He hadn't been this relaxed in a very long time.

She turned and met his gaze. "Trust me when I say you didn't fail. My mood has nothing to do with your skill in bed." Her lips curved slightly and she gave a little shiver.

He dropped a kiss on her nose. "The land dispute?" What else could she be thinking about.

She nodded.

He led her into the sitting room. "Come on, let's talk about it." He settled on the couch and pulled her down onto his lap.

She raked a hand through her hair and explained. "We've cultivated the acreage and have a good supply of herbs and other plants we use for our craft and income generation. Many of the coven members rely on what we grow."

He nodded. "I see the dilemma." He ran a hand over her thigh. "Now, here's ours. We have a distillery and it's finally in the black. But … we've run out of storage to keep the casks. We need to build a new warehouse, but if we want to keep making a profit, we have to put up a temporary facility to house the product until our new structure can be built." He shrugged. "The land would be the obvious solution." One the warden needed if they hoped to stay debt free.

Oakley reacted with a groan. "This is crazy. We're both going to lose big parts of our livelihoods because of this stupid clause." She got up and paced back and forth. "There has to be a way to come up with a solution." She turned and faced him.

Calder expressed his doubts. "It's been fifty years. Don't you think it's been attempted?"

Oakley snorted. "No. Because the previous coven leaders, including my grandmother, let the bitterness fester and weren't open to the possibility of renegotiation." She made a disgusted sound.

Calder couldn't let her take all the blame. "The warden wasn't either and I didn't do anything to help. Especially after making so many attempts to contact you." And, yeah, nastygrams kind of hit the nail on the head.

Oakley met his gaze. "And now?" She moved to sit on the edge of the ottoman, her hands lightly resting on his knees.

Calder settled back against the cushions. "Now, I'm open to the idea of finding a mutual solution." He wanted to do whatever he could to make life good for the coven and the warden.

I love writing the holiday spirit shorts and pulling a couple together after they overcome an obstacle.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Spellbound Yule (Holiday Spirit short)

Whew. What a long week. I've got three work projects going and some movement on my possible new venture. And crazy weather that keeps hopping back and forth from super cold to very mild. I'm not a fan.

Had a somewhat decent week of television. I'm not back to my normal schedule because my work projects need solid focus. But … I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things.

I finished up the Midsomer Murders I started last week and really enjoyed the episode. I have a lot of love for Barnaby and Winters.

I caught an episode of Peak Practice. I'm in season nine and what I consider the home stretch since there are three seasons left after this one. Not a bad episode but I do miss some of the recurring characters from earlier seasons.

Continued my Battlestar Galactica rewatch with my friend. Season one starts with what I consider to be one of the absolute best hours of scripted television ever. "33" is in my top ten episodes of Battlestar and probably in my top ten episodes of television. Edge of your seat viewing for the entire episode. Terrific stuff.

Watched an episode of Classic Who and finished out the arc. I have ten episodes left to finish out the full run of classic episodes. I think I'll be starting a Death in Paradise run after I conclude with Classic Who.

Started the first of the final two episodes in season twenty of Silent Witness. I'm looking forward to finishing it up and seeing where things go.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Spellbound Yule, a Holiday Spirit short featuring a witch and a warlock that need to settle a dispute.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Holiday spirit, Bertram Goldwreath, has to bring Oakley Oliver, a witch and Calder Conrad, a warlock together over the Yule holiday so they can settle a territorial dispute. Oakley is looking forward to a quiet getaway at a bed and breakfast … until Calder invades her interlude and sparks fly.

And a preview snippet…

Oakley arrived through the veil to spot a man coming in from the other direction. "Damn, so much for alone time." She put a brave smile on display when they reached the porch of the large manor house at the same time.

Quite a handsome specimen. If she had to share her alone time, he'd at least be pretty eye candy. And with snow coming down, there might not be much else to do.

She lifted her chin. "Um, happy almost Yule." She could start off on a good note.

He paused then nodded. "Happy Yule." His booted foot shuffled a swath of powdery white flakes in front of him.

By mutual silent agreement, they stepped up onto the porch to get out of the falling precipitation. The man gave her a slow once-over and she preened … just a little. How long had it been? Maybe alone time could turn into slaking a thirst with a very hot guy. Happy Yule to me.

Then he introduced himself. "Calder Conrad." He dropped his duffel onto the floorboards.

Oakley groaned. "Dammit. So much for that happy daydream." The warlock … here? Argh.

He frowned. "I'm sorry, what daydream?" One eyebrow arched.

She sighed. "Never mind. I'm Oakley Oliver." Might as well get everything on the table.

He blinked, his mouth dropping open a little. "Really? I thought you'd be much older." His brows furrowed.

Oakley hid her surprise. "Sorry to disappoint." Why would he think she'd be an older woman? He couldn't be more than a year or two older than her and he led the warden.

He shook his head. "You're really the new coven leader I've been trying to meet with?"

Oakley jerked her head upward. "I am." And she'd been avoiding seeing him face-to-face—okay, not quite true—she'd been told not to respond to his demands.

Calder huffed out a breath. "First, I'm not disappointed. I mean, you're gorgeous. But I am shocked … as you can probably tell." He paused a moment. "How did you become so disagreeable at such a young age?"

Oakley's mouth fell open. "I'm disagreeable? Who sends multiple nastygrams on a daily basis?" And at the most inconvenient times?

Calder made a confused sound. "Nastygrams?"

Oakley shrugged. "What else would you call them?" Even if they came like clockwork, which they didn't, the implied tone reeked of mean-spiritedness.

Calder grunted. "Fair point." He rolled a shoulder. "But I'm at the end of my rope. Is there a reason we can't come to an agreement?" He paused and took a breath. "After months of non-negotiation?"

Guilt flooded her and Oakley closed her eyes, almost caving in to the desire to shout in frustration because she hated being in the middle of opposing forces. But she didn't give in. Instead, she shivered.

Meeting his gaze, she grabbed her bag. "Can we get out of the cold?" She didn't wait for an answer.

She pushed the door open, stepped inside, and shopped short. "Wow." An overload of festivity met her eyesight.

A hard thump against her back sent her forward again, her gaze struggling to soak everything in. Decorations covered every available surface. Nothing garish or over the top, but literally understated elegance oozed from floor to ceiling.

Calder let out a low whistle. "Holy crap. Talk about decking the halls."

She laughed. She couldn't help it. But how could she possibly like this guy?

I love writing the holiday spirit shorts and having fun with bringing two characters together.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Spellbound Yule

Gotta say, the whole limiting of physical distance and having my youngest's senior year pretty much cancelled is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. I have three people in the house who are pretty much deemed essential workers. One is in food production and the other two are grocery workers. If the reins get tighter on limiting movement, I'm pretty sure they won't get a break.

For me, as someone who's worked from home for the past decade or so, it's business as usual for the most part. I have more interruptions than usual but otherwise, my routine hasn't changed overmuch. There's something comforting in that.

Had a semi-decent week of watching television. I finished up the Heart Guy from last week and I'll give it a go. I have a feeling this one is going to have messy relationships and I always like train-wreck shows.

Also caught another arc of Classic Who. It's always fun to see the effects from the late sixties and early seventies. Doctor Who isn't any better or worse for shows of its time.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. I'm finally starting to get into the relationships and getting to know the villagers. I love the scenery in the show.

Caught the livestream of the Dropkick Murphys concert on St. Patrick's Day. Terrific show and highly entertaining. I hope to catch some of the Broadway shows that are available for streaming also.

Watched the rest of season one of Danger Man. I'll be starting season two in the upcoming week.

Started episode three of Strike Back. Nice to have a familiar face back in the fold. Also, Chetri is really growing on me. She's got quite a personality and interacting more as an equal with the rest of the team. I love that.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Spellbound Yule, a holiday spirit sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Holiday spirit, Bertram Goldwreath, has to bring Oakley Oliver, a witch and Calder Conrad, a warlock together over the Yule holiday so they can settle a territorial dispute. Oakley is looking forward to a quiet getaway at a bed and breakfast … until Calder invades her interlude and sparks fly.

And a preview snippet…

Bertram Goldwreath kneaded the dough for his famous tipsy tinsel knots. "I can't believe how many we went through last year." The annual Yule gala for his fellow holiday spirits had become a showcase for his baking skills.

He divided the dough into four different sections for flavoring and coloring. Crossing to the ingredients spread out on his counter, he began the selection process of picking out the perfect mix of sparkle and cheer. He grabbed a bottle of glittery silver sugar just before the zing tingled up his arm.

Bertram heaved a sigh. "Damn. It figures." He snatched up a container of glaze laced with peppermint schnapps and stomped back to the island where his dough awaited.

With a snap of his fingers, he summoned the assignment from the ether.

Carefully wrapping up three of the sections, he stashed them inside the fridge then returned to work on the fourth. Sprinkling flour on the smooth butcher block surface, he slapped the ball of dough down and worked out any air bubbles while reading the issue he'd have to handle before he could finish his tipsy tinsel knots.

Pausing, his eyebrow quirked. "Goodness, they love to save the big challenges for the holidays." His task to bring a witch and a warlock together wouldn't be easy.

Oakley Oliver inherited her position as the Lawngrove coven leader from her grandmother when she passed on to the afterlife just after the summer solstice. Oakley's mom didn't survive giving birth and Oracle Oliver accepted the responsibility of raising her granddaughter. Grandma O never dreamed she wouldn't have time to fully prepare Oakley for assuming the leadership role. But her gift of foresight failed nine times out of ten when it came to family.

Bertram rolled his eyes. "Isn't that always the way? Provide soothsaying for everyone else but can't help out your own." He went back to working the dough and reading the background for Oakley.

The older witches were putting pressure on Oakley to keep a tract of land—one involved in a long-standing dispute—which should have been turned over to the local warden of warlocks during the past year's Samhain celebration, according to a treaty made between the groups over fifty years ago. And they had her over a barrel because if they didn't accept her as the coven leader before the first anniversary of Oracle's death, Oakley's legacy status would be revoked and she'd be out of Lawngrove for good.

Bertram shook his head. "Grandma O, you left Oakley a pretty big mess." Of course, she couldn't shoulder the blame.

A nasty divorce between a witch and a warlock put the ownership of the land in question and the resolution, meant to be a short-term solution, didn't solve anything. Every decade the tract traded hands. Witches had the use for ten years then the warlocks got a turn. So far, the only thing the treaty accomplished had been to keep the two factions on opposing sides.

Rolling out the dough, Bertram snorted. "A terrible situation, especially since a group of the witches is trying to renege on the deal." And, boy, the warlocks weren't happy about being denied their rightful ownership.

Calder Conrad, the current head of the Yardbrook warden, had stepped up his campaign to have the coven honor the agreement. And, okay, his methods left a lot to be desired. A barrage of messages, timed to arrive at inconvenient times, had been dropping for the past week. Of course, Oakley kind of left him with little choice.

He'd respectfully given her three months to deal with her grandmother's death before broaching the topic.

Bertram tsked. "Probably should've struck when they were all reeling with loss." A cutthroat idea, maybe, but one that might have worked.

Instead, the delay gave the old guard biddies time to strategize and close ranks. Calder had an uphill battle to make the exchange of ownership and Oakley needed to either step into the role of leadership and make decisions or let the elder witches run roughshod.

The spirit chuckled. "Gotta give it to Conrad. The man has a gift for wreaking havoc on Oakley's schedule." He sobered. "Which'll be fun to get around since the powers that be want the couple together and end the rift." The miracle of Yule can only do so much.

Using a spatula, Bertram cut precise lines in the dough, creating a dozen strands. "At least I know exactly where to send the duo. Goodacre Bed and Breakfast is the perfect location to get these two hooked up." Secluded, beautiful, and tucked away in the nether realm, the place would be spellbinding during the holiday season and just the spot for the witch and warlock to work things out on a fundamental level.

Bertram huffed out a laugh. "And precisely what I need to pull this off." Dusting off his hands, he put a damp towel over his creation then popped into the mist to get the inn ready for two occupants.

I love writing the holiday spirit sexy shorts. Coming up with the spirit names is half the fun, especially when adding a bit of a holiday twist to them.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye