Sunday Snippet: Stay the Course (Warlock's Curse)

February has been the oddest month. Between weird weather and random catastrophes, it's been a doozy. I'm kind of happy to be welcoming March in this week.

Finished up a work project and made really great progress on one of the others. I'm blessed with authors who turn revisions around in record time. It's very helpful and keeps their work fresh in my mind.

I also made some progress on my new venture. Only a tiny amount, but it makes me happy to chip away at my to-do list. Brings me a wee bit closer to be able to launch.

Didn't get a lot of television watched, but I did finish up Strangest Things. I have so much fun listening to the experts discuss the weird and wonderful artifacts.

I also continued my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. This week's episode was one of my favorites, "Bastille Day." Some truly excellent parallels about picking a side and being true to a set of core beliefs.

I also started season two of The Mandalorian. I hoped to finish up Ms. Marvel before starting another Star Wars show, but I want to be up to date for season three.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Stay the Course, the opening book for the Warlock's Curse series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris is at a crossroads and has to choose whether to find her path to fulfillment as an adept or stay stagnant in her current position. She decides to go on a journey quest but has to leave Falk Ridenour behind. Falk isn't happy, but supports her choice, even knowing the hardship she'll face.

And a preview snippet…

Falk stared up at the building. "Are you serious?" Even if only three stories, the height seemed daunting.

Nadia smirked with a nod. "Absolutely." She bounced on her toes and rubbed her hands together.

He glanced toward her. "And you can't use magick to scale the side?" Or keep from crashing to the ground…

Nadia's brows drew together. "Where's the fun in that?" The sideways glance she sent his way dared him to refuse.

He wouldn't—he needed to reach her and help her find her center. Falk went with the moment, mainly because Nadia had finally relaxed and showed him another side. One he liked even more than the angry, frustrated woman he had to help guide.

Placing his hand on the rough stone, he nodded. "Let's do this." And don't let us die.

She started, placing her foot on the windowsill. "Follow me." Grasping the side trim of the window, she pulled herself up then reached out for the lower edge of the porch roof.

After hoisting herself onto the slightly slanted surface, she repeated the process by placing her foot on the sill in the gable in the center of the second floor then scrabbled up onto the peak, using her arms to keep her balance. Reaching up, she gripped the eave of the third floor roof and stuck her foot on the cedar siding and pushed upward. She planted her knee on the spouting running along the roofline and launched forward onto the angled pitch of the top floor.

Falk followed her, putting his feet and hands as close to where she'd put hers as possible. He had the advantage of being a few inches taller than Nadia and cleared the first and second floor without issue. Once he almost made it to the top, he had a premonition of her—alone, bedraggled, and defeated—and he lost focus. His knee slipped off the spouting and he dropped down, scrambling to hold on to the rough shingles.

Nadia grasped his biceps, then his hand, tugging him upward. He toppled forward with a grunt his mind still full of Nadia's miserable countenance. Straightening himself up, he sat back on his butt, breathing deeply. The vision faded, replaced by her concerned face studying him carefully.

She looked him over. "You okay?"

He lifted his chin but said nothing, especially when she tilted her head to one side with a narrowed gaze. Then she dropped down beside him and leaned back on her elbows. The rightness of having at his side settled over him. He'd examine and meditate on the precognitive event later.

Nadia needed this distraction and he needed to figure out the puzzle she represented. And, if he had to be honest, he wanted to spend the time with her. Away from the classroom and training hall where she had nothing to prove. Not that she has to prove anything to me. Too bad the board of elders didn't feel the way Falk did.

Nadia nudged his shoulder. "Look up." She tilted her head back and gazed at the night sky.

Falk did as she suggested. "Wow." Stars sparkled and glittered overhead. "I see why you love the view from up here." He dropped back to his elbows to get more comfortable.

Nadia chuckled. "I come up here a lot, especially after a frustrating training session." She slid her gaze his way. "Being on the rooftop gives me perspective."

He could see why. Having the night sky spread out filled with endless possibilities would be a nice blanket to cover a rough day. Made making the climb up kind of worth it. Getting down … maybe not so much.

He angled toward her a little. "Gotta be honest. Pretty sure I'll be using magick to get down." If she thought less of him so be it.

Nadia let out a laugh. "No need for that." She pointed to the rear gable. "There's an access door to the third floor over there." Her face split with a wide grin.

Falk arched his brows. "Would've been nice to know that earlier." But he had to chuckle.

Only Nadia could convince him to try scaling a manor house just for fun.

He sobered when a brief flash of his earlier vision filled his mind. An odd sense of foreboding dimmed his enjoyment of being with her … but only for a moment. He pushed the precognitive event aside and looked back up at the sky.

I love this series. Nadia and Falk won't have an easy path but moments like climbing a house together give them good memories.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Stay the Course (Warlock's Curse book one)

We're entering week … eh, I'm not even sure … of the social distancing and I'm truly hoping we start to see the case numbers come down. We're doing what we can to stay inside and away from others. We do try to order from our local restaurants a night or two a week to help support the establishments.

Had a slower than normal week of television viewing. I started out by finishing up Strike Back's third episode. I'm very excited for the rest of the season. I also caught the declassified short for this episode.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and hope to finish it this upcoming week. So far, I'm truly enjoying this show.

Watched the end of a Gargoyles episode and got two more in. I don't remember Xanatos being such a cheesy villain when I watched this show with my oldest. Man, he is one though.

Started the first season of The Witcher. Gotta say I'm intrigued. Here's hoping the rest of the season measures up.

For fun, I watched the blooper reel for Dirty, Sexy Saint and laughed out loud a couple of times. I love how much behind the scenes Passionflix shares with its members.

Caught another episode of Arrow. I'm not sure if it's because I know it's ending or if the writing has just kicked it up a notch but I can honestly say I end up getting all choked up with tears in every episode so far. We're getting to the home stretch so I don't expect that to change.

Also watched another episode of Murdoch Mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having the ladies take center stage was much appreciated. I'm a little intrigued by Violet showing her sharpened teeth, which probably won't bode well for William and Julia in the next two episodes. That said, I'll be happy if Miss Violet Hart ends up going down in flames. I'm not a fan.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Stay the Course, a novella that opens the Warlock's Curse series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris is at a crossroads and has to choose whether to find her path to fulfillment as an adept or stay stagnant in her current position. She decides to go on a journey quest, but has to leave Falk Ridenour behind. Falk isn't happy, but supports her choice, even knowing the hardship she'll face.

And a preview snippet…

What do I want?

Nadia wanted to punch a hole in the universe and disappear. She wanted to figure her shit out and become a white-robed witch. She wanted … to be normal, dammit.

She heaved a sigh. "I want all this…" She motioned around the classroom. "To be easier like it is for everyone else. I'm tired of being a freak of nature. Can you fix that?" Would that he could or at least tell her why she struggled so much.

Falk made his way to her side. "I would if I could. You know that." His tone held a wealth of sincerity.

And she believed him. Hell, he already had. Falk didn't treat her like a total misfit … unlike everyone else in the coven's rookery, the school for discovering and learning about their gifts.

Falk grabbed her hand and tugged her over to the small couch by the windows. "Look, let's give magick a break for a while." He waited until she sat and put her feet under her thighs. "What else do you enjoy doing during downtime? Reading? Music? Art?" He angled toward her and gave her his full attention.

Geez. Something of a loaded question. And a little out of her comfort zone. She could be snarky and say she liked to have lots of sex, but he didn't deserve the disrespect. Any discussion of her weird hobbies involved letting Falk get a peek inside her chaotic mind and she weighed how much of her inner self to reveal. Then again, what did she have to lose?

Maybe she'd test the interest level a little. "You really don't want to know what I get up to when I'm not in class, do you?" She wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

His gaze didn't waver. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Okay, then. She'd start with something somewhat simple but a little dangerous. See if he really wanted to dive into the freak show she called her life.

Standing, she held out her hand. "Come on, it's better if I show you." A break sounded wonderful … even if Falk might live to regret taking an interest.

I'm very excited about this series. The ideas popped very quickly and the other books are pretty much plotted. Now to find the time to really flesh everything out and get them finished up.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Stay the Course

So… last day of April is here and I'm finally starting to realize I have a kid graduating in a month. It's my second experience, my oldest graduated five years ago, but, wow, reality hits in weird ways. LOL I've got a party to plan and things to make happen.

Thank goodness for television when I need a reality break. Gotham came back with a vengeance and delivered a very fun hour of TV. While the whole owl society thing makes me roll my eyes, I have a feeling the payoff will end up being worth it.

The Flash returned with a great episode. I'm not feeling as much love for this season's overall arc, but I do enjoy this show so much. I have two working theories for who revealed themselves to Kaitlyn and either makes me very excited.

Arrow continues to be my favorite show. Having Felicity go dark side is an interesting twist, even if it feels a little forced sometimes. Throwing ARGUS in and creating tension and conflict with John makes me happy. Looking forward to seeing how the season ends.

Riverdale upped the stakes again. My twitter feed is half and half on the love / hate for the show. Personally, I love it. There are some terrific little twists that make me happy. And I thoroughly enjoy the grown-ups getting caught up in their own drama and how that plays out between the kids.

I haven't really mentioned Doctor Who. There's a reason for that. While I really like the new companion and the sidekick, I'm just not excited about this season. I'll be happy to get through and see who Thirteen will be. Hopefully we'll get a new Master, too.

Class isn't bad. It's not quite the same as Sarah Jane's adventures, but it's got a good vibe and I like the interactions with the characters.

I've been busy enough to not really have time to catch up on my binge watch shows. With nicer weather, my cleaning gene kicks in and I start mini-projects that tend to last the entire summer. LOL

That's it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Stay the Course, a novella that began with the two-word prompt of "God speed". Technically, that should be one word, but I'll run with the prompt anyway.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris is at a crossroads and has to choose whether to find her path to fulfillment as an adept or stay stagnant in her current position. She decides to go on a journey quest, but has to leave Falk Ridenour behind. Falk isn't happy, but supports her choice, even knowing the hardship she'll face.

And a preview snippet…

Falk Ridenour observed his current pupil work through a tricky incantation for making a plant sprout. "No, Nadia, pull back. You're going to—" The seedling rapidly expanded, grew to maturity, then shriveled and disintegrated into dust.

She threw her hands in the air. "Dammit!" Stalking to the corner, she lowered her head and breathed in and out, using the technique to calm down.

Falk gave her some space. He didn't have to point out where she went wrong. Nadia Iris's talent bordered on phenomenal. Adept at manipulating witch magick on multiple levels—very uncommon—she lacked control. His assignment to help her find a focus proved challenging and often mind-boggling. How could he help her when she couldn't get a handle on any one gift?

Then again, the fact she seemed to have attunement to all known elements of the witch's pentagram made her a rarity worth exploring.

She tilted her head back and blew out a heavy sigh. "Why can't I get this?" Straightening, she turned to face him. "Hell, I don't get anything?" She spun around, clearly frustrated.

Nadia got almost everything. Managing it, on the other hand, not so much.

Her irritation and discouragement didn't help. The forces they drew on tended to clash during her use and Falk had yet to get a handle on why. His strength with the psychic gifts usually helped determine a reason for a pupil's struggle. But Nadia almost always blocked him when he tried to get a read on her issues. Probably not intentional, yet another angle they needed to figure out.

Whatever might be going on, his inability to help also made her crazy. He didn't have to use his talent to see that one. Her body language and attitude telegraphed her annoyance for the entire world to see.

Nadia whirled back around. "What am I supposed to do, Falk?" Her arms folded around her waist and her foot beat a rapid staccato on the floor.

Falk didn't have a definitive answer, but as long as she held back, they wouldn't accomplish anything.

He gave her his best bet. "You have to decide to move ahead or remain stagnant, Nadia. That means asking a hard question. What do you want?"

Nadia's going to ask that question over and over again. It's looking like there might be two more books after this one.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Stay the Course

Gotta say, I'm fairly easy to entertain, but I love it when the shows I watch elevate my standards. Right now, just about all my faves are hitting one hundred percent satisfaction levels. Once again, The Walking Dead blew me away. My super hero shows, Arrow, The Flash, Agents of SHIELD and Gotham are amping up the tension. My batshit insane shows, Haven, Sleepy Hollow, and Sons of Anarchy keep getting a little crazier and that keeps me glued to the television.

I also like a good mystery and got to watch Inspector Lewis last week. I usually catch up on the series when it's available on DVD, but I couldn't sleep and PBS was showing it. I've also been watching previous seasons of The Murdoch Mysteries (also known as The Artful Detective) on Ovation. Why they changed the name for US television is beyond me, but it's a great, fun Canadian show.

Tonight's post is from Stay the Course, a novella featuring a strong female character with a strong male standing behind her, backing her up.

Here's the tagline:

Nadia Iris is at a crossroads and has to choose whether to find her path to fulfillment as an adept or stay stagnant in her current position. She decides to go on a journey quest, but has to leave Falk Ridenour behind. Falk isn't happy, but supports her choice, even knowing the hardship she'll face.

And a preview snippet…

Falk drew Nadia close. "God speed." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She eased away. "No good hunting?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Falk shook his head. "Not this time. I have a feeling whatever you're looking for is going to find you." He squeezed her hands. "Just stay the course."

Nadia pulled him into a tight embrace. "I will. Thank you." She stepped back and grabbed her rucksack. "I wish you could come with me."

His lips curved upward. "Your journey is yours alone, Nadia. I'll be here when you return."

She cupped his face. "I will come back. I promise you."

He placed his palm over hers. "I'll see you then." He brushed his lips over her skin and released her hand.

She nodded and started toward the waiting vehicle. Falk fought the urge to call her back. He needed to let her go, to seek her answers. She'd find her purpose, but she wouldn't come home the same woman. Didn't matter. He'd love her regardless.

Short, little peek tonight, but hopefully the tone and mood come through.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye