Sunday Snippet: Still of the Night

August is starting out with a weird vibe. The temperatures have been very mild and I'm wondering how much we'll pay for that in the fall months or the winter. Thrilled for the kiddos going back to school in a week or so because they might not roast during the first few weeks like they normally do.

I'm still trying to get some things that I've been putting off in the checked boxes. I did manage to fix the leak in my bathtub, which was way overdue. Should help with my water bill. I got the part needed to fix the washing machine and that's a project for this week. I hope.

Work projects are going somewhat smoothly. I did have the book that won't go away come back one more time. The developmental edit I've got on the back burner is heating up again. I'm also working on a coaching project that's part pull the manuscript together and part help the author get it ready for a copy edit. Had a solid week with copy edits and proofreads also.

Had another good week for viewing. Nothing extra but made it through my usual slate of shows. Also did another Death in Paradise binge of older seasons.

Started with another episode of Marple. I kind of like the actress playing Jane. She's kind of snappy and a little punchy (not physically) with her dialog and I love it.

Also watched another episode of Ireland Coast and Country. I'm really enjoying this series. I now want to make vermouth. Just saying.

Caught an episode of Death in Paradise and finished up season fifteen. I ended up kind of liking the niece. Looking forward to the holiday episode if there is one this year. And also kind of excited about the next season. I really love this show.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. The mystery ended up being kind of twisty and I loved seeing Poirot's author friend again. She's a hoot.

Elementary ended up being really good. The whole thing with the woman who leads meetings and Sherlock kind of came from left field, but I'll hold out to see what happens with that. I'll be disappointed if she ends up being Moriarty. The whole take down of the gang is really interesting. Can't wait to see what happens there.

Watched another episode of Young Justice and pieces are falling in place. Nearing the end of the first season and I'm interested in seeing what happens to the team.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and love how the season-arc mystery is coming together. Also enjoyed the Cerritos team pulling off a ruse to get what they needed. And the name drops from other shows always make me happy.

That wraps up the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Still of the Night, an Academy of Light novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

Salem Rhys has the perfect recipe for brewing dark lager, a potent alcohol that will go over huge at the mage academy … but doesn’t have the know-how or equipment to create the concoction. Jared Meyer, a tech genius, can definitely help her out. Salem falls hard for her business partner but considers him out of her league until Jared proposes more than a money-making venture.

And a preview snippet…

With smoke starting to creep out along the window frames, Jared dashed into the warehouse to find his grandpa frantically trying to extinguish four fireballs to no avail. The spells he used increased the flames with each incantation. Jared didn't need a hard guess to know his granddad fucked up on an epic level.

He skidded to a stop not far from the old man. "Grandfather, what did you do?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Jarvis threw him a look. "Don't just stand there, boy, help me. That stupid girl hexed her orbs, but combined, we should be able to overcome the magick and douse the flames." He went back to muttering spells.

Jared snorted. "Looks to me like that very brilliant woman bested you." He stood his ground even though the heat from fire grew with each breath. "What. Did. You. Do?" Something horrible no doubt.

His grandfather paused. "Thought you were up to your old tricks and came to see for myself what you'd gotten into with my money." His gaze lowered to take in the floor.

Jared huffed out a breath. "And you took one look at Salem and decided she was just another gold-digger slut after the family riches." Anger filled him at the thought.

Jarvis's face flushed a darker shade of red. "Actually, I assumed she was another piece of ass and said as much." He raised his gaze to meet his grandson's

Pissed off, Jared shook his head. "Then this place can burn to the ground." He started for the exit.

His grandfather exploded. "What?" He chased after Jared. "No. No, you don't want that. She set me straight. Called me on my bullshit, she did. And she defended you." He grasped Jared's bicep. "Now, help me, Jared." A frantic note entered his voice.

Jared gave it two heartbeats before he tossed out a word. "Hierarchy." He had to give Salem kudos for thinking that one up on the spot.

The orbs extinguished their flames, four piles of ash falling to the floor. Pride filled Jared along with another emotion he didn't recognize until this very moment.

Love.

He loved Salem with everything in him.

Jared walked over to the wall and propped open a window. "You know what? You're a pitiful old geezer… and … you were right to cut me off." He faced Jarvis. "But here's the deal. I'm serious about this venture." And serious about Salem, but dear old granddad didn't need to know that part. "You're going to back off, pay up, and repair the damage … and stay the hell away from Salem." Hell, Jared might not be welcome anywhere near her after his grandfather's stupid stunt.

Jarvis gave a nod. "Fine. I'll cover the damages and leave you two alone."

Jared lifted his chin. "That's a good start." He poked a finger in his grandfather's chest. "And you better hope I can smooth things over with Salem … or flaming fireballs won't be the worst thing you experience from her, old man." His threat delivered, Jared left the building and went to find his business partner … and hopefully a little more.

I'm so happy with this story and how it's coming together. Jared and Salem are a fun couple.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Still of the Night

March entered the room with some wild weather, which isn't a big surprise. Still having the back and forth chilly then warm and lots of rain and wind. I expect nothing less from my birth month.

 

Got a lot accomplished on my work projects. I have a new one coming in sometime in the next week or two and I'm looking forward to jumping into another new one this week.

 

Didn't get a lot of television watched this week, but I got a few episodes in.

 

Finished up The Mandalorian episode I started and thoroughly enjoyed it. My brother used to be obsessed with the sand people so it's fun to see them in action in this episode.

 

My Battlestar Galactica rewatch continued with "Act of Contrition." So many great moments in this episode and the acting is stellar. For a show that came out twenty years ago, I have vivid memories of watching this for the first time.

 

I also caught another episode of Only Murders in the Building. I kind of love where they're taking things at the moment. It'll be hard to top the first season for me, but I'm excited to see how this plays out. I'm really hoping it holds up.

 

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Still of the Night, a novella that brings an uptown guy and a downtown girl together for a money-making venture.

 

Here's the mini-blurb:

 

Salem Rhys has the perfect recipe for brewing dark lager, a potent alcohol that will go over huge at the mage academy … but doesn’t have the know-how or equipment to create the concoction. Jared Meyer, a tech genius, can definitely help her out. Salem falls hard for her business partner but considers him out of her league until Jared proposes more than a money-making venture.

 

And a preview snippet…

 

Salem pulled into the small parking lot a bit wistful about stopping the hot and sexy action yesterday. But she also kind of appreciated Jared's pull back. Jumping into something intimate when this whole idea could go belly up would be a stupid thing to do.

Grabbing her supplies, she popped her door. "Not that stupid can't be fun."

She entered the warehouse only to be met by a man who paced around muttering under his breath.

He caught sight of her and tossed up a hand. "Bah. A piece of ass. I should've known." The look he gave her condemned her on the spot.

Her temper lit, she dropped her bags on the counter. "Excuse me? I'm no one's piece of ass." Although she could have been if Jared hadn't stopped yesterday.

The gentleman gave a rude snort. "You will be soon enough. Jared's got Meyer blood running through his veins."

And yet, Jared didn't act like a raging asshole, unlike crankypants old guy. Angry beyond rational thought, she conjured a fireball, but the old man easily deflected it. He sent her a scathing look.

Salem snarled. "Who the hell are you?" He had about half a second to confirm her worst suspicion.

The man straightened his jacket. "Jarvis Meyer. Jared's grandfather. I came down to see what he was so all fired up about." He rolled his eyes. "I'm disappointed to see he's still thinking with his dick."

Salem almost laughed. "You're so wrong about that." Growing angrier by the moment, she threw down the gauntlet. "And you know what? Get out. You're not welcome here." At this rate, he never would be.

Jarvis looked down his nose. "You can't order me out of a building I paid for."

Salem arched her brows. "Really? Okay then." She built up several fireballs, adding a hex to all four. "Since money is all that matters to you … I'll hit you where it hurts." She launched the flaming orbs, hurtling them to the four corners of the building.

Grabbing her precious book of magick, she spun and started for the door. Mr. Jarvis the asshat could suck donkey balls for all she cared. And Jared could wait in line behind him.

Except … he probably deserved better from her.

Halfway to the exit, she stopped. "You know, if Jared was only thinking with his dick, he could've fucked me and taken my only possession." She held the book up. "Instead, he offered a partnership and put in as much time as I have. If you ask me ... he's the one with brains and foresight." Turning back, she made her way to the door and crashed into Jared on the way out.

He grasped her arms. "What's going on? What happened?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pulled away from him. "If you want to salvage anything, the release spell word is hierarchy." Head high, she sailed past him and didn't look back.

I love Salem and her take-no-prisoners attitude. Thankfully, Jared does also!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Still of the Night

Gotta say it's so hard to have my youngest's senior year be put on indefinite hold. So far, the musical is canceled, which is to be expected. Prom is postponed for now. Graduation is up in the air as far as walking to get a diploma. She's handling it pretty well all things considered. I'm very proud of the level of maturity she's showing.

Not a bad week for television but slower than usual. I've been taking on as much work as I can in case the well runs dry there. Who knows how long the quarantine will last?

I can safely say I'm disgusted by the fact Hiram is a free man on Riverdale. And I'm beyond "meh" about a long-lost daughter showing up. I am very intrigued by the whole flash-forward cut scenes at the end of each episode. I'm very interested to see where those go.

Caught another episode of Danger Man, which started season two for me. I guess I didn't realize the second season went to hour-long episodes. I'm not sure I've seen any of those.

Watched the season two premiere of Roswell, New Mexico. I'll be brutally honest … I'm really not sure I'm down with the whole "let's kill Max" concept. For now, I'm trusting the creator but if I'm let down with where things go, I'll be done watching. I do love Michael's journey so far. I'm not thrilled Maria is still completely clueless about the alien angle, but I'll see how that plays out also. I love where Alex and Kyle are right now. Here's hoping I'm not completely let down by this show.

On a very happy note, I'm in the middle of watching Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears and it's so, so good. I'd read reviews that implied it didn't measure up to the series, but, in all honesty, I'm actually pretty pleased with I'm seeing so far. Considering this movie happened because fans were more than happy to crowd source the filming, I'd say the general public can zip it.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Salem Rhys has the perfect recipe for brewing dark lager, a potent alcohol that will go over huge at the mage academy … but doesn’t have the know-how or equipment to create the concoction. Jared Meyer, a tech genius, can definitely help her out. Salem falls hard for her business partner, but considers him out of her league until Jared proposes more than a money-making venture.

And a preview snippet…

Jared crossed the pentagon cursing his ignorance. "What the hell was I thinking?" Great mage, he hadn't been.

As usual.

Sometimes having a genius IQ made him really stupid. No wonder his family wanted to teach him a lesson in humility. He needed one.

He might have to apply practicality to his everyday life, but if he fell on his face, he had a family that would dust him off and urge him to start over.

He shook his head. "Salem has no one." What would that be like?

Alone. No family. And lots of problems.

A flush of shame headed his face because he'd never thought about anyone else's circumstances. Why would he? As the golden child of a long line, he didn't need to. But he should.

He snorted. "The whole point of being cut off, right?" Or one of the excuses his family gave him anyway.

And not without cause. Jared couldn't deny he pushed the limits of acceptable behavior because he could get away with doing so.

Lost in recriminations, he didn't hear the running footsteps come up behind him until a hand grasped his shoulder. Turning, his eyes widened to find Salem, slightly short of breath, but otherwise unfazed by jogging to catch up with him. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut this time.

She exhaled and cleared her throat. "Look, let me apologize for being bitchy back in the common area. In my defense, I literally just left the dean's chambers after being informed I have to come up with my tuition or leave in two months." She paused, closing her eyes for a moment. "I don't want to leave; I love it here … but I have nothing. No savings, no emergency fund, and like I said, by the time my mom's estate makes it through probate, it'll be too late." She blew out another gust of air. "No matter. It didn't give me cause to be an asshole."

Jared admired her sense of decency … especially when he actually pulled the dick move. "No worries, Salem. And no need to apologize." He waved off the idea.

She shrugged and tilted her head to one side. "Did you mean it when you said you'd help if you could?" A note of desperation crept into her gaze, marring the incredible green hue.

He flinched internally. He'd pay for her entire run if he had access to the funds. Which he no longer did. But maybe…

Giving her a nod, he confirmed. "Sure. I can't offer to make the payment, but I have a couple of family members on the board. Did you want me to speak with them?" It would cost him pieces of his pride and probably a good bit of dignity, but he kind of liked the idea of helping a damsel in distress.

Salem shook her head. "No, no. That's a nice gesture and all, but I was hoping you might help with this." She thrust a sheet of notebook paper his way. "Do you know where I can find the items on this list?"

Jared took the page and scanned the odd mix of rare herbs and weird industrial supplies. Wheels started turning in his head. There were several different things she could use the items for and—

He met her gaze. "What are you up to, Salem?" His eyes narrowed. "You're not going to blow something up, are you?" The industrial equipment would make terrific housing for explosives.

Salem made a garbled choking sound. "Of course not." Her insulted tone came through loud and clear.

He cocked his head, the gears quickly shifting in his brain. "Okay, then … you're what? Making a still to brew alcohol?" The mix of herbs made more sense now.

She lifted a shoulder. "Maybe. I've got my mom's recipe for dark amber. Figured I could sell it for tidy profit if I can figure out the tech to magick ratio." She paused, her shoulders slumping. "And find a way to buy what I need."

Jared studied her for several long moments. Her idea might prove sound. She could make a killing with the upcoming festivals. Beauty and brains. I might have discovered my personal kryptonite. He wanted to help her in a big way. And possibly work an angle to his benefit too.

He read over the list again. "Can I keep this? I know of a place where you could get the equipment." As to the plant stuff… "Can't really help on the herbs. Organic magick isn't my thing. Too boring." Although, the way she wanted to use them made him wish he'd paid more attention during those classes.

Salem hesitated, eyeing the list. Ah … she didn't trust him. Why the lack of faith stung, he couldn't say, but it did.

Shaking his head, he folded the paper and tore it in half, keeping the section with the industrial supplies. "Here." He handed the organic list items over to her. "Wouldn't want you to think I'm trying to steal your super-secret recipe." Although, he wouldn't mind getting cut in on what should prove to be a profit-making venture.

Salem blushed a charming shade of pink. "Again, sorry. But I really need to make this happen and trust isn't something I have in large supply right now." She tucked the paper into her pocket.

Jared shrugged. "Fair enough. Give me the rest of the day. I'll let you know if I find a source for this stuff."

She gave a quick nod then turned and walked away.

He'd made it to the other side of the quad before realizing neither had set a time or place to meet.

He snorted. "If this venture is going to work, we need to communicate a little better."

Wouldn't that be fun?

This story is so much fun. Jared and Salem are slowly going to figure out the trust and communication thing.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Still of the Night

Well, a crazy month begins for me this week. For whatever reason, May is always insane. Awards ceremonies, musical concerts, and, this year, a graduation. I'm just now starting to feel the feels about my middle kidlet ending his high school journey and getting ready to embark on his trip through adulthood. I should be more in the camp of two down, one to go and I'll get there… probably the day after we get the party out of the way. LOL

Television this week ended up being terrific. Gotham had a great episode with a few twists I didn't foresee. I'm still on the fence with the whole owl society thing, but I'm leaning toward liking where things are going.

The Flash ended up surprising me with the reveal of Savitar. I thought maybe Ronnie or Jay would end up being behind the suit, or possibly Thawne in some roundabout way. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the episodes play out.

Arrow's episode reminded me again why I love this show so much. It's been a little uneven this season but the show always pulls everything together in ways I don't expect. I can't wait for Wednesday to get here for the next installment!

Riverdale's reveals paid off in a big way. At least for me. I have several items on my wish list for the finale and some saved back for the next season. I'm excited for the possibilities with Cheryl and where she'll go, seeing how the dynamic plays out in the Cooper household, and what happens with everyone caught in the potential crossfire. What I'm not overly excited about? Hiram Lodge. Seriously. I kind of don't care a fig about that dude, especially if he's all oily and smarmy and goes out of his way to be a dick. We'll see. I'm watching closely, CW. Don't muck this up.

My summer shows should be returning soon and I'm looking forward to watching my favorites. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up on some of the mainstream fare I missed also.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Still of the Night, a novella that got a beginning with the two-word prompt "you first". I got an immediate flash of one character handing the other something to drink and saying the words. The rest flowed from there.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Salem Rhys has the perfect recipe for brewing dark lager, a potent alcohol that will go over huge at the mage academy… but doesn’t have the know-how or equipment to create the concoction. Jared Meyer, a tech genius, can definitely help her out. Salem falls hard for her business partner, but considers him out of her league until Jared proposes more than a money-making venture.

And a preview snippet…

Salem Rhys entered the common area of the brownstone hall that acted as student housing for the Academy of Light—the premier school for gifted mages, witches, and wizards. Normally, she loved this space. Turn of the century architecture modernized by generations of brilliant minds making it their own. The eclectic décor usually acted as a balm, a welcoming home away from home.

But not today.

Today, Salem didn't see the cozy seating areas when she passed them, heading for the small, corner nook by the large windows. Numb and chilled to the bone—despite the warm afternoon, she sank down onto her favorite sectional and curled up to stare out over the campus pentagon. The loss of her mom didn't really hit until an hour ago, right after Salem left the solicitor's office.

Someone dropped down beside her and Salem turned, thinking to ask for some space to ponder her problems. But instead, stunned, her eyes went wide. Jared Meyer's family had prominent standing with the academy board, several relatives were members, and they pretty much provided most of the community with opportunities for employment. Why he chose to park his butt next to her, she had no clue. But… after the day she'd had so far, a hot and handsome guy sharing a seat with her rated as the best thing to happen.

Jared kicked his feet up onto the ottoman and his head dropped back to the overstuffed cushion. He heaved a sigh then straightened and angled his head toward her.

He gave her a slow once-over. "You look how I feel." Shifting his position, he turned a little to face her then winced. "Shit. Sorry. Of course you do. You just lost your mom."

Surprised he knew anything about her, she nodded. "There's that… and the fact the only things she specifically left me are her books of magick." None of which would pay for her tuition or her living expenses.

Jared's mouth dropped open. "But you were her only heir. Isn't that right?" He quirked an eyebrow.

How did he know that? They had a few classes together but didn't mix much socially. Bumping into each other on pub crawl night didn't count, right?

His brow arched higher. He waited on an answer.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but her estate has to go through probate before I have access to anything the creditors don't take." The process would take months and Salem didn't have that long.

Not to mention her mom's long illness meant the medical and healer expenses wouldn't leave much left over. But Salem could stretch out a budget with the best.

Jared laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'd offer to help but I'm the same boat." He rolled his eyes. "I'm being cut off. To teach me a lesson." He made a hand-wave motion.

Salem blinked and shook her head. Did he really think they were in the same boat? Being cut off from family money and having next to nothing didn't compare. He didn't have to worry about being kicked out of school. The possibility loomed in a very real way for her.

She folded her arms over her chest. "What? Did you overdraw the trust fund?" Yikes, she sounded bitchy, didn't she? "Look, I'm sorry, but you really can't compare our circumstances."

Jared had the grace to flush. "You're right. I just meant I'd help if I could." He got up. "I am sorry about your mom, Salem." He turned to walk away. "I'll see you in class."

She stared at his retreating back. Stupid to be snarky with him. Her problems weren't his responsibility. He'd made a nice gesture with the offer of condolence and commiseration and she'd thrown it in his face.

"Way to go, Salem. The hot and handsome guy now thinks you're a raging bitch."

Then again, the hot and handsome guy would never be in her league, cut off or not.

Gotta say, this one is a treat. The back and forth between Salem and Jared is funny and snappy. Can't wait to see how it finishes up.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Still of the Night

How did half the year slip by already? Seriously, I think I'm still stuck back in January. LOL

Then again, I know it's summer when Strike Back returns! It's not on in the US yet, but I'll be happy to do a rewatch when it hits Cinemax. I'm totally bracing to not have a full team by the end of the ten episode run. Something tells me Stonebridge and Scott have been way too lucky to date. Just saying.

Orphan Black continues to bring it's A game. I love, love, love the dynamic of putting Helena with Allison. I will say I'm not at all surprised Rachel pulled a magic rabbit out of her ass. I'm actually a little thrilled I can still hate her. I totally want to see her and Rudy in a room together and honestly don't care if neither comes out. LOL

Bitten had its US finale on Friday and I knew what would happen but the losses still smacked me in the gut. Season three can't get here fast enough for me.

On the Teen Wolf front, I'm about halfway through season four and I'm slowing down a little so I don't have so long to wait for new episodes. Although, I guess I could totally do a complete rewatch from start to finish if I get through the last handful of episodes too quickly. :D

That's it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Still of the Night, a novella where my characters start a partnership then becomes a couple.

Here's the tagline:

Salem Rhys has the perfect recipe for brewing dark lager, a potent alcohol that will go over huge at the mage academy… but doesn’t have the know-how or equipment to create the concoction. Jared Meyer, a tech genius, can definitely help her out. Salem falls hard for her business partner, but considers him out of her league until Jared proposes more than a money-making venture.

And a preview snippet…

Jared quirked a brow. "One of us has to drink first."

Salem pursed her lips. "Please, go ahead." Her confidence with the first try bordered on nonexistent.

Jared shook his head. "You know, I've got seniority and I'm not afraid to use it." He waved his arm toward the still with a flourish. "I insist you have the honor."

Salem snorted. "Which basically means you're afraid to drink first." She couldn't actually blame him.

He laughed. "Hell, yes. We're using your recipe for this stuff. Your culinary skills aren't known to be the best." Being wise beyond his years, he took several steps back.

But Salem only rolled her eyes. "Oh, Jared. You should know I wouldn't steer you wrong when it comes to drinking. My knowledge there is legendary."

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Then drink up, Salem." He folded his arms across his chest. "Show me how it's done."

Putting on a brave face, she grabbed a jar and turned the valve on the barrel, letting a trickle splash into the container. Taking a deep breath, she drained the contents, swallowing in one gulp. God, what horrible, horrible swill. The taste so foul, she concentrated to keep a grimace off her face.

Wiping her hand across her mouth, she nodded toward the still.

Jared flashed a quick smile and dispensed about a shot's worth into a clean glass. He downed the liquid only to spew it everywhere once it hit the back of his tongue.

Coughing and choking, he sputtered. "Holy shit, Salem. This stuff could eat through metal." He spit several more times. "Or maybe run a vehicle. I think gasoline might taste better." He shuddered with distaste.

The gas comment clicked with Salem. "Oh damn. I'm pretty sure you just hit the nail on the head." She turned and went through the ingredients she'd used. "My mom was notorious for mixing things up." She should've used the recipe for biofuel her mother had given her for the alcohol.

Jared's eyes widened. "Tell me you've got the right mix written down somewhere, or all the hard work we've put in so far is moot."

Salem grinned. "Oh, I've got it written down. And it's actually brilliant. No one will ever be able to steal the recipe." Crossing the room, she dragged out the covered binder, flipped to the correct page, and motioned Jared over. "Check this out."

He glanced down and let out a bark of laughter. "You're right. They'd look at this and skip right over it." Holding a hand up, his lips curved. "We're in business."

She high-fived him. "Let's clean the still and do another trial run." Salem sent a quick thank you out to her mother.

The woman might have been disorganized and a little whacky, but she had the best recipe for potent alcohol.

I'm honestly not completely sure where these two are going to take me, but I'm along for the ride. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye