Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir

Well, February has so far been a crazy mix of freezing, in the teens temperatures and mild almost spring-like weather. Mother Nature is in a mercurial mood right now and it's wild trying to figure out how to dress for the day. I miss being able to get my winter stuff out and not having to bother with warm-weather clothes for a couple of months.

Had a busy week with work projects and have a couple more lined up in the near future. I'm kind of happy they're all different types of manuscripts and none are in the same stage of editing.

Had a slow week of television. I'm still working to get everything from the old PC to the new one and ran into another snag with trying to set up my email accounts. Spent a large portion of the week trying to figure that out and get it working. Bleh.

I did catch the pilot episode of Pennyworth and really enjoyed it. I've heard great things and now that I know season three is the end, I'm going to attempt to watch before it disappears too.

I also watched the second part of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries with one of my friends. I'm so excited to have this rewatch party to look forward to each week. We'll be trying two episodes a week starting with season one.

Got a start on the latest season of Midsomer Murders. Barely got through the opening credits so I'll have to finish up this week.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from The Souvenir, a novella that starts a four-book series that has yet to be named.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And a preview snippet…

Melick Traynor stormed into the mage superior's tower. "You can't call off the search for Ramona." He risked much, voicing his opinion, but the mage superior would at least let him vent.

The man happened to be his grandfather.

Melick stopped in front of Afton Traynor's large table. "We can't give up on her." Missing for most of the day, the hour approached midnight when the cumbersome beast liked to plague the campus with its ire. No one not on patrol should be out alone. And Ramona didn't report in, which didn't necessarily mean anything, but the weird vibe Melick couldn't shake said otherwise.

He'd been blessedly happy for the session break because she'd have something else to focus on like figuring out if she wanted to stay in dorms or move to a residential cottage. The bane of his existence, Ramona loved nothing more than pulling pranks, stunts, and practical jokes whenever he'd be close at hand. And usually on the receiving end of more than a few.

He'd gladly forgive every single happenstance if they found her. Melick didn't realize how much he'd grown to care about her until he no longer had her underfoot.

The mage superior glanced up, his eyes stern. "Do you believe I want to?" He unclasped his hands and indicated Melick should sit.

Melick didn't. Instead, he paced. How did he express how important Ramona had become? Afton cared deeply, of course he would. Ramona's grandfather had been Afton's best friend. When he passed on, the elder Traynor took on the role of surrogate keeper.

"It's session break and we're spread too thin to keep this up." Afton rose and gathered his robes, draping them like a mantle over his shoulders. "We must be vigilant and guard against more attacks."

He slowly walked around his table and Melick noticed how tired his grandfather appeared.

Afton stopped by the tower window, gazing out at the grounds below. "Ramona is capable. Very much so. Her natural ability surpasses many of the upper level ranks." He angled his head to shoot Melick a knowing look. "You, of all people, know this."

Melick did. But she lacked control, especially when it came to physical manifestations and that usually led to trouble. And Grandfather is well aware of that.

Melick heaved a sigh. "I won't give up on her." He met the older man's gaze. "No one can stop me from searching on my own time."

The no one Melick referred to was Master Sawitch. His grandfather's oldest living friend and number two in the Academy of Light echelon. Sawitch had a major problem with Ramona. They butted heads over everything from the pranks she played to his rigid adherence to the Book of Lumina. Ramona thought set boundaries should be pushed against and Sawitch believed the opposite.

Their opposing point of views made for some interesting debates in open forum.

And Ramona got away with pushing the envelope due to her status as the ward of the mage superior. Afton doted on Ramona, much to Sawitch's consternation. Melick quite enjoyed the drama centered on the dynamics when they played out, especially when not directed at him.

I'm still trying to decide if this will be an Academy of Light story or if I'll rename the place of study, but Melick and Ramona don't care as long as they're front and center.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir

Yeesh, it's practically winter again. We had a bit of sun, rain, and snow today. Crazy. But I got to meet up with my two high school best friends for our last excursion before we hang back and wait to see what the global pandemic ends up doing.

Had a lighter than normal work week and got some cleaning done. I had some decent viewing also. Started out with finishing up the second episode of Strike Back. It ended up being a darned terrific episode. I have a nasty feeling how the series will end. Anytime a blood feud is mentioned … just saying.

I caught several episodes of Danger Man, putting me about halfway through the first season. Really like this show.

Watched an episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Russia. Also loved how John brought Roy back into the fold. I should be getting close to the big crossover event.

Got the Halloween episode of Riverdale in. Gotta say the whole Jason thing really creeps me out. Mr. Honey also creeps me out. I'm a Reggie fan even though he can be something of a douche canoe. I loved the Archie and Veronica storylines. But the best probably had to be the Betty and Jughead bits. Stonewall or whatever the hell the name of the prep school is has some dark twisty people. And, of course, Betty's ordeal with the prank phone calls ended up being well done. I'm not sure what the hell Charles is up to but here's hoping it's not something truly crappy. The little end caps with the flash forwards keep me intrigued.

Also watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Loved the clip-show angle and revisiting the Meyer / Clegg rivalry. I had a true suspicion Clegg wasn't actually dead. That said, I'm not sure I like the fact he's not. Just saying.

Started a new series for me … The Heart Guy. I'm giving it a test run to see if it's what I want to dive into now that I've reached the end of Midsomer Murders for now.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Souvenir, a novella that got a start with writing community prompt and book two of the Academy of Light series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And a preview snippet…

She cursed her own stupidity. No one knew she'd come out to the secondary practice field. Against the rules, but she always bent them to suit her whims. And usually got away with it.

But not this time.

Her nose thumbing would have to bite her in the ass… and right after she'd pulled off the ultimate coup.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ramona knew better. She'd lost track of time and stayed out too long. The giant dragon had plagued the Academy of Light for six long months. Sometimes more than one beast rained fire and destruction on the campus grounds, but it always happened just around dusk when the sun started its descent toward the horizon.

And the beasts always eluded capture. None of the traps laid for the creatures seemed to lure them at all. It had the upper levels in a state of perpetual frustration.

And here she came… out for some extra practice and boom! The damn thing finds her. Okay, okay, she could work with this. She only had to survive the encounter.

The beast hurtled past and made a surprisingly agile turn to come back at her. Ramona had to do something to slow it down. She bobbed up and down, hovering and weaving back and forth to stay out of its line of fire.

She didn't have any weapons and probably couldn't control a beast the size of the dragon with a spell. Not on her own. But she might be able to do some damage with projectile missiles. She whispered a hasty incantation and called on the surrounding rocks and large stones to line up beside her. One by one she sent them flying toward the huge beast as it got closer and closer to her. It dipped and spun around, snarling and growling, spewing flames and heat, several streams only narrowly missing her.

Dammit, she had to do something to bring it down.

Ah ha! Perhaps a combination of the projectiles and a seeking spell? What could it hurt? Ramona gathered up more debris and held it, ready to hurtle toward the beast. She reached down deep and spoke the ancient words of the incantation, adding a twist of her own.

"Find the weakness and bring it down." She sent the thought out to the hovering arsenal then flung it toward the dragon.

The beast continued its flight directly toward her, tail swishing back and forth with angry snaps. The rocks followed its path but the beast showed keen reasoning skill, flapping huge wings to increase its speed. Closer and closer, it got to Ramona, who realized it nefarious plan almost too late. She'd be caught in the line of fire… what hit the dragon would hit her too.

Piss and bones. That would teach her to underestimate the intelligence of a foe.

Options limited and panic rising, Ramona put as much space between her and the dragon as possible. She urged the debris to shape itself into a singular weapon and let out a cheer when it targeted the soft underbody below the column of the dragon's neck. The weakest spot. She hoped.

When the large pile hit the area, Ramona hovered safely in air. The dragon jerked, stopping short and made a pained roar. Puffs of smoke belched out its nostrils but no flames followed. The short-lived victory didn't last long. The dragon dropped like a stone, rolling end over end with a speed she hadn't expected. She attempted to get clear, but its spiked, scary tail flipped wildly and caught her just below the knee. Shooting daggers of agony spread out, running up her thigh and down her calf. Damn, hurt like a bitch. The zing of pain broke her concentration and Ramona let out a startled yelp then got pulled into the dragon's trajectory.

Oh, no. They were gonna land hard on the field. Thinking quickly, Ramona muttered a shielding spell and kept the bulk of the dragon's weight from crushing her. But she also trapped herself underneath the huge beast with no way out. If she broke the spell, she'd be flattened. And if she didn't … she'd eventually run out of air.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Melick would shake his head and chastise her for nothing thinking her plan through. The guy had contingencies for contingencies and drove Ramona mad with it. Although she sorely wished she'd heeded his advice to always have one strategic backup in place.

She had no doubt she'd hear all about her lapse when she got back to the academy. If she got back. Pushing her fear aside, Ramona lamented her situation. She had almost no wiggle room. She could lie down or stay bent in a perpetual squat. Her knee ached and throbbed, she had to get the pressure off the joint. Easing onto her side, she groaned and tried to get comfortable.

I love this fun series. Ramona and Melick are friendly rivals that become more and it's one of my favorite tropes to write.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir

Had a terrific weekend with great weather for my middle kid's graduation party. My boys were super easy. They're pretty much no muss, no fuss guys. My daughter, on the other hand, will be a sophomore and I think I'm going to start planning her party next week. LOL She's very much a social whirl and gets involved in tons of activities. I might need to rent a venue for hers. LOL

Gotham's finale rocked. I'm so glad the show seemed to find its footing in the third season. I'm pretty much thrilled with all the storylines and where they're leading into for the next season.

Friday brought some much-needed excitement back to my television screen. The double premiere of Dark Matter kept me glued to the screen. Then the follow-up with the Wynonna Earp premiere had me staying put. I'm so happy to have the shows back and can't wait to see where everything goes. Killjoys is up this week and I'm impatiently awaiting its return.

As mentioned last week, I'm just not into this season of Doctor Who. I wish I could sink into the storylines like I've been able to in the past, but I'm struggling. A lot. Very disappointing.

Orphan Black, by comparison, had a kickass return. The clones kicked Saturday night into high gear and I don't anticipate anything less than a wild and reckless ride. My one and only hope is I don't lose any of my favorites. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Souvenir, a novella that sets up and opens the events for Six Degrees of Separation.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And a preview snippet…

Ramona sat soaking in the carved stone tub that had been filled for the third time. She finally felt clean, but she could still smell the stench of the dragon. She thought the scent might be permanently imbedded in her nose.

She shuddered and winced at the movement. Criminy, she ached in places she didn’t think it was possible to ache in. But she was blessedly alone, at least for a while.

She'd had to threaten to do bodily harm to the medical staff, once she was back on her feet, to get them to just go away already. She gingerly sank down in the tub, watching to make sure her knee didn’t get bumped. A huge sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes only to have them snap back open.

Someone was in the room with her.

“I thought I told you to leave me in peace for the next thirty minutes.” She sat back up again, moving slower than she would have liked. “Don’t make me get out of this tub and hurt you.”

She almost laughed at that. Odds weren't in her favor to be injuring anybody for a while.

“Is that any way to speak to a higher level mage, Threes?” Melick stepped out of the shadows dressed in casual workout clothes. He had a towel draped around his neck, a bottle of soap in one hand and the biggest, fluffiest sponge Ramona had seen since her last holiday home in the other hand.

She sat there stupefied. “What the flaming hell are you doing here?”

A floating sensation engulfed her when he walked closer. Maybe the painkillers the medic had given her right before she left had finally kicked in. Oh hell, could Ramona be hallucinating? It should have taken at least half an hour for the meds to take effect. The only reason the med staff allowed her that amount of time alone.

Melick ambled his way over to her. “Wow. Nice greeting from someone who asked me if I wanted to give them a bath.” He stooped down alongside the tub and ran his finger through the water. “Change your mind?” He was almost giddy with the excitement of finally getting his hands on her.

Ramona was sitting in a tub, naked, and her nightly fantasy was right next to her. It couldn’t possibly be real.

“Is this really happening?” She cocked her head to the side to see if Melick was still there. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”

She shook her head. If he wasn’t, she was going to find a way to keep a supply of whatever the hell it was they gave her on hand.

Melick chuckled. “I’m really here, Ramona.” He slid his hand over her shoulder, relishing the feel of her flesh against his fingers. “See. Real skin against skin.” He sat back to look at her. “What did they give you for the pain, anyway?” He was hoping to keep her off-guard, but he didn’t want her incoherent.

Overcome with modesty she hadn't known she possessed, Ramona sank down in the tub a little further, being careful with her knee. “Um… I’m not sure, but since you are actually here, it doesn’t matter.” Her brow wrinkled. “Do you really think you’re going to give me a bath?”

Was he insane?

Was she, for wanting said bath?

Melick dropped the sponge in the water with her. “That’s my plan.” He found an examination stool, wheeled it over to the edge of the tub and sat down on it. “Any objections?”

I need to work on some revisions to avoid head-hopping in this scene but I'm pleased with the interactions.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Souvenir

February 17, 2013

I have a wonderful secret to share. Watching an all-day marathon of Firefly makes catching up on mountains of laundry more fun than it should be. LOL

Tonight's Snippet is from The Souvenir featuring two of my favorite characters. (Yes, I know. I say that frequently. :D) It has a follow up in the works called Six Degrees of Separation that I'll preview next week. I'm hoping to submit both at the same time.

Here's the tagline:

Melick Traynor and Ramona Peartry, childhood friends and top students in the Academy of Light, compete for prominence in their respective classes. But when Melick throws out a challenge, Ramona takes an insane risk to prove him wrong and winds up tangling with the dragon plaguing campus grounds.

And here's the preview snippet…

Ramona Peartry let out a loud whoop.

The extra practice she'd put in finally paid off. The elusive quadruple somersault followed by a double barrel roll had finally been attained. Showy stuff and usually frowned upon, but she'd set a goal two years ago when she'd entered the Academy of Light so to actually achieve it? Divine Master, she felt infused with warmth and a sense of accomplishment.

She made several giddy flips and dips in celebration and couldn't wait to get back to campus and throw her solid win in Melick's face. She obviously did not lack the stamina and control to pull off the difficult maneuver.

Not anymore.

Her face split in a wide grin. Crowing to him would be the highlight of this semester. Melick Traynor might be her precept, an elder adept who tried to mentor the lower level cadets, but she counted him as a friend, too. She'd become a ward of the Master Sage when her parents died and had grown up alongside Melick.

Now, at the age of twenty, and halfway through her training, her pranks made him insane, but he made her just as mad with his rigid adherence to the rules. And yeah, things had been a little weird lately. She caught Melick looking at her like he'd seen her for the first time. The way she looked at him sometimes. It put a strain on their interactions. Having something to make him proud might nudge them out of the funk they'd been in.

She made a slow, steady bank around the back of the practice field and spun forward to head home. A strangled gasp escaped when she looked up and saw her worst nightmare headed directly toward her.

A huge, gleaming red, dragon…one that spewed fiery flames from its mouth.

Holy underworld.  She'd just flown into big time trouble.

Ramona biting off more than she can chew? Nothing unusual. Getting her out of the scrapes is half the fun of writing for her. :D

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye