Sunday Snippet: An Eternal Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Another crazy week. This time on more of a personal front, which isn't all that unusual. I don't normally get slowed down though and I did this week. We got to see almost totality for the eclipse and that was actually a lot of fun. Our streetlights came on at three in the afternoon on an otherwise sunny day. Seriously. Lots of fun.

Had a fairly decent week of viewing and caught up on most of my regular schedule. I've pared it down a little and kind of hope to get back into a full rotation sometime soon. If I'm paying for streaming services, I should be using them, right?

Ended up catching two episodes of The Batman. I'd completely forgotten the original sidekick storyline with Prank for the Joker. Ended up enjoying that one. Also kind of loved the "Thunder" episode. That one I did remember.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I must have missed a big portion of the seventh season because I don't remember any of the vignettes. Kind of nice to have new-to-me material to watch.

Enjoyed an episode of My Life Is Murder. I think I have one more left before bonus material. Going to miss this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Caught the holiday episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to diving into the new season.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Loved seeing Jack's niece again. Looking forward to finishing this episode.

Said good-bye to Humphrey on Death in Paradise. Really liked the way his run ended. I'm excited to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. I'm almost through the first season and I'm very much enjoying this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from An Eternal Yule, a holiday spirit short featuring a vampire and a psychic.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tortured vampire Haddon Hobbs can't seem to fight his bloodlust anymore and it's going to be the end of him if he can't. Psychic Tabitha Tarheel is tired of seeing the worst the world has to offer in her visions. Holiday spirit Joy Garland brings the two together over the Yule season to help them find renewed hope for the future.

And a preview snippet…

Haddon's fangs sank deep into the throat of the would-be rapist. The red haze of bloodlust clouded Haddon's mind. The vile human gurgled and choked, his heartbeat slowing almost to a halt.

Haddon finally got a grip on reality and thrust the nearly dead man into the tattered boxes beside the dumpster. "You're not worth it. Killing you would be too merciful." And this guy deserved none.

The man sneered—drained of several pints of blood and barely breathing—he actually sneered. The time it would take for cretin to recover from his injuries might not be long enough. And it got more difficult to resist removing the shit stains on humanity. Haddon almost caved to the burning need to end the despicable wretch's life, but the air shifted around him and the persistent buzz of the supernatural pinged along his awareness. The stinging sensation would get worse if Haddon delayed answering the call.

With a low growl, he stumbled out of the alley and ran directly into a hovering envelope. He snatched it from the air and clasped it between his fingers. Fighting against the strong pull of the rage to go back and finish off the terrible, sexual predator once and for all, Haddon quickly sped to his home with preternatural speed. Once inside his brownstone, he tore the envelope open, fully expecting a summons from the council to address his bloodlust.

Instead, he'd received a parchment invitation. "Huh, didn't think anything could surprise me anymore." The brief missive got directly to the point.

 

The winter solstice is a special time of year.

Not the time to lose all you hold dear.

Some time away would do you good.

A solitary stay in a protected wood.

Travel the mist later tonight…

And make an effort to set things right.

 

The name of the location stood out in bold capital letters with coordinates not far from his residence to enter the nether realm.

Haddon tucked the invitation inside his coat pocket. "The Goodacre Bed and Breakfast." Sounded preciously quaint but he'd live with overblown chintz if it meant a possible solution to his dilemma. He didn't have a death wish. But he also grew weary of fighting the pull of bloodlust. After centuries of living through the terrible things humanity did to itself, disgust and disdain bubbled and boiled under the surface with constant pressure.

Grabbing a large duffel bag, he packed light. "Some casual stuff and a pair of boots for walking in the woods." Maybe he'd find a way to beat the short fuse he'd been living with for months. "Six centuries of harmony and balance shouldn't end without at least trying." Exiting the building, Haddon darted down the access street that led to the storage area behind the four-unit brownstone.

A few moments before the stroke of midnight, the mist rolled in, and Haddon walked forward waiting for the fog to surround him.

Another moment later, he found the veil and started to cross through it. "Here goes nothing…"

Or maybe everything…

I have so much fun writing the holiday spirit shorts. This one is on track to become a favorite!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams

Welcome to October, the month with two full moons. Make of that what you will. I had a terrific week. Made a ton of progress on the cleanout and organization. Got a new set of rune stones. Met my two best friends for an evening of fun and laughter. And made headway on a work project.

Not a bad week for television. I watched a lot of Silent Witness. Finished up the third season and started on the fourth. It's shorter than the previous seasons, so I should be ready to start the fifth early this coming week.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. Apparently Nick's past has come calling. Not very far into yet but it's an interesting episode.

Watched part of the first episode of Bomb Girls. I'm excited about diving into this series. I've heard some great things about it.

I also watched a bunch of videos about rune casting again. They're very soothing, especially when I'm shredding paper.

Tonight's post is from Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nita, Deacon, and Callen fall victim to Morpho, the Dream Tender, who plants vivid imagery in their minds while they slumber. When the trio wakes up primed and ready for action, they try to fight the erotic pull, but fail.

And a preview snippet…

Callen appreciated Nita calling him. And Deke. They'd been a trio every summer while growing up. Now that Nita inherited the ice cream shop from her gram, she'd be a permanent resident, like Deke and Callen.

He dusted off his hands. "I'm hungry. How's grilled chicken sound for dinner?" He'd brought some over from his place.

Nita made a yummy sound in her throat. "Awesome. I've got cabbage and can make a slaw." She glanced around before heading for the door.

Deke added his two cents. "Perfect for chicken tacos. Got any tortillas?" He closed the door and Nita locked up.

She gave a nod. "I do. Cal, you good with tacos?" She fell into step between them, just like when they were young.

His stomach growled. "Absolutely. Won't take long to grill up the chicken. You guys get the slaw and everything else ready?" He followed Nita into the house her grandmother left her, three blocks over from the ice cream shop.

Deke and Nita gave Callen a thumbs-up and he grabbed the marinated breasts from the fridge and fired up the grill. Deke brought a beer out and set it on the patio table. Callen popped the top and took a long swallow. Ten minutes later, he finished the brew and plated the meat.

Entering through the backdoor, he placed the platter on the counter. "Bird's cooked. Need help with anything else?" He tossed his bottle in the trash bin and grabbed another.

Nita glanced over her shoulder, her hair still damp from a shower. "We're good. If you wanna grab a shower, the water should be hot. I timed Deke to make sure he didn't hog it all." Her lips twitched.

Callen laughed. "Man, you're still doing that?" He shook his head and ducked into the small three-quarter bath off the kitchen.

He and Deke both had a couple changes of clothes stowed in the linen cabinet. They'd be here at least the rest of the week to help Nita get ready to reopen the shop.

After quickly rinsing the day's work off, he entered the kitchen and took his place in the assembly line for taco-making. Lots of laughter, reminiscing, and flirty banter between trips back for more and dinner counted as a success.

Deke leaned back in his chair and groaned. "Let's head outside. If I stay in here, I'll eat more and I'm stuffed." He scooted back and crossed over to the fridge. "I got some hard cider at the new place by the orchard. Let's have some."

Callen and Nita followed Deke out to the patio and settled in at the table.

Once everyone had a bottle of the cider, Callen lifted his. "Here's to picking up where we left off and the first weekend of operation reopen."

Deke and Nita tapped their bottles against Callen's. Nothing quite like good friends and being reunited.

This is a fun concept and I love mixing the otherworldly aspect in. The trio makes it easy for me, too. I love long-standing friendships.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Thousand Reasons

I'm a little surprised May is at an end and I shouldn't be. Then again, I spent the entire week getting days mixed up so there's that.

Pretty decent week of television viewing. I started out by finishing the Roswell, New Mexico episode and, frankly, loved it. I like that Maria didn't let Liz off the hook. I'm so glad she knows what's going on now. I also hope she gets over the betrayal and becomes an ally for the alien side. I'm very cautious about Cameron's appearance. Something tells me she's going to be doing a lot of backstabbing but for a good reason. I don't for a moment believe Jesse is as bad off as he makes out to be and we'll be seeing his evil ways rear their ugly heads again. And, finally, Isabel. What a terrific episode for her. I enjoyed the way her connection to Max was explored and explained. I'll look forward to more of this type of storyline for her.

On a fun note, I got to watch my daughter's graduation via YouTube. I can honestly say it was rather nice to sit in a cool house to see her get her diploma rather than sitting in a hot stadium. The circumstances might not have been ideal, but the school put a ton of effort into making the graduation special and I appreciate their work.

I started an episode of The Heart Guy and, well, didn't finish it. The show isn't grabbing me the way I'd hoped. I'll probably come back to it later.

Also caught another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. For a show that's well over twenty years old, some of the storylines are very relevant to today's circumstances.

Caught the beginning arc of the fourth doctor on Classic Who. Four has a long, long run for the show and I'm excited to get started on his tenure.

Watched one episode of Gargoyles and it's another one I didn't remember from my initial viewing. Pretty decent episode with some cat and mouse maneuvers.

Was able to get in another episode of Strike Back and quite enjoyed it. The team now knows what's going on with the blood vendetta and I'm excited for the final three episodes. Can't wait to see how the series ends. The declassified behind the scenes also ended up being really enjoyable.

Caught another episode of The Witcher and I'm getting sucked deeper into the mythology of the show. I thoroughly enjoyed all three storylines, two of which converged together in this episode. I'm interested to see what happens next.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. I'll be starting a new Passionflix movie sometime later tonight and look forward to seeing the first part of Gabriel's Inferno.

Tonight's post is from A Thousand Reasons, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Dix Benson wants life to finally settle down after he passes the advocacy exam. But when Willow Gold decides to accept a job flying missions in a very hot zone, he can think of at least a thousand reasons it's a very bad idea. Convincing Willow will be the challenge.

And a preview snippet…

Willow Gold signed the contract and thrust her hand forward. "Thank you for this opportunity. I can't wait to get started." She firmly grasped her new boss's palm.

Maxon Barnes gave her a wide grin. "Welcome to the team. You're bringing a lot to the table. We're lucky to have you." He walked her to the door and out into the empty reception area.

Willow waved and made her way to the front entrance. Exiting out into the early evening light, she barely contained her excitement. She'd be dropping into meta-human hot spots and helping to bring them out or protecting them from the locals. The latest wave of enhanced people had the general population in an uproar and reaction had taken a nasty turn.

Willow shook her head. "Good thing Dix is going to be a powerful advocate for them." She had no doubt they'd be celebrating his successful completion of the difficult exam to become a member of the council association.

Being an advocate meant Dix would be part legal eagle, part social worker. And he'd be damned good at both. He had a stake in how meta-humans were treated. Hell, they both did. Neither had great power, but Dix could read people and pick up on their thoughts and feelings and Willow had extrasensory capabilities, kind of like having her five senses on steroids.

She grinned. "Which will be very handy in my new job." The smile faded while she pulled out into the post-rush-hour traffic.

A little edgy, she made a quick pit-stop at a local Gengi house to grab some takeout. Part congratulatory celebration—she had no doubt Dix passed his exam—and part peace offering—she neglected to inform him of her work opportunity, the food haul tantalized her nose and taste buds. Willow pushed a kick of guilt down. Dix had too much on his mind in the lead-up to the final testing. She refused to distract him from his preparation.

But she'd needed something new. She enjoyed her consulting gig with the ministry of meta-affairs but the itch to work directly with people that were only just discovering their power burned in her brain. Getting to them from the outset, helping them get a grip on their new skills, and protecting them from frightened outliers until they could be relocated or handle their ability safely meant the world to Willow.

And Dix is gonna hate it.

Pulling into the garage behind their building, she cut the engine. "I should've told him." Given him time to get used to the idea.

A thousand reasons why she'd kept information to herself tumbled through her mind.

Not stealing his thunder topped the list. But a close second rolled up and stood out. They'd worked long and hard to get where they were—comfortable in a relationship—and this would rock the boat. Possibly even capsize it.

Shoving the thought aside, she grabbed the food and headed inside.

"We'll be fine."

I originally thought this one would be a sci-fi romance, but it keeps wanting to go in a paranormal direction. I finally caved and made some changes.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Consortium of Chaos

YAY!! So far two posts in a row. Of course it's easy to start off strong with a goal…the trick is to keep the momentum going. :D

But hey, I'm motivated at the moment, so I'll just enjoy for now.

Tonight's Sunday Snippet—I can't really call it Six Sentence Sunday because I'm so terribly bad at limiting the number of sentences—is from a manuscript a little over halfway completed. The sages are evil trolls and gave me the broad strokes of the entire story, but like to dole out the important details a little at a time. Cheeky buggars.

This one has a bit of a steampunk flavor, but I can't really call it a full blown genre member. I do hope it's an enjoyable read though. :D

Let's start with a tag line:

A missing brother, a madman's sinister plot to make a perfect world, and a connection so strong it saves a life hundreds of miles away. Ashton Sylvester and Esme Von Staunton never have a dull moment.

And now for preview snippet…

Ashton Sylvester, Earl of Cranford, watched his counterpart, Esme Von Staunton, smoothly glide down onto the landing patch. The zeppelin touched ground with barely a bump. He'd been fortunate indeed when he'd fallen for the best airship pilot around, not to mention a beautiful one.

She had her cloak thrown back over her shoulders, the purple lining shimmering while she worked the controls to shut the blimp down. Ash thought the color suited her. It complemented her gray eyes, which would be very tired looking right about now.

They'd left at dawn to attend a meeting with the Consortium of Mining & Minerals. The talks went on and on. And on. And on. Hence the reason for their near midnight landing.

Esme killed the power and turned off the valve that ran the boiler. She turned and strode toward him, cloak flying out behind her.

"We're home." She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Bit late for that dinner you promised me now."

Ash sighed. "I'm sorry for it. We'll grab something light from the larder then head for our bed." She didn't need his assistance, but accepted his arm as they disembarked from the zeppelin. "You have to be as wiped out as I am."

Esme yawned. "How'd you guess?"

"I didn't have to. I can feel your fatigue. And your day started an hour earlier than mine."

A stickler for pre-flight checks, Esme rolled out of bed long before he had. If she piloted the ship, she ran the list herself.

Her head dropped to his shoulder. "Sometimes that ability of yours irritates me. I can't hide anything from you."

His lips quirked. There were also times she loved his attunement skills…usually when he made her scream in bed.

He cast a speculative glance in her direction. "And why would you want to?"

She laughed. "It's not so much that I want to…but since I can't, I feel like I'm missing something."

See…I can never keep it at six sentences. LOL

Here's a bit of what I used for inspiration for the ship…

Cheers!

Skye