Sunday Snippet: Whatever It Takes

Wow, August kind of flew by. I'm always amazed how fast the week slips away, which probably means I need to go outside and get some grounding time in. I'm going to blink, and it'll be the holiday season. Just saying. Maybe I'll moon watch this week with the blue supermoon happening.

Had a busy work week. I'm finishing up an extended project and working on a new manuscript copy edit. Also gearing up for a new developmental edit and a new manuscript assessment in September. Looking forward to working on new books in these two series.

Had a decent week of viewing television. I still haven't watched the final episode of Peak Practice season nine. I needed good vibes this week and didn't want anything to bum my mojo.

I actually caught two episodes of Suspects. I finished out the first season and started season two. The second season is four episodes but they're both two-parters. Looking forward to seeing what happens. I'm a bit bummed that I can't watch all five seasons of this show … unless they become available on the streamer I'm currently using.

Finished the first season of Cannes Confidential. My choice for the big bad was correct and that makes me happy. I'm so hoping there will be a second season of this show.

Caught the second half of Silent Witness's two-parter. Ended up enjoying the twists this one took. A great cast of guest stars really added to the storyline.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. This show makes me happy, which might seem weird because it's always about a murder. The cast is amazing and that's why I love it.

I'm on the fence with Fantasy Island. I enjoyed the episode but I'm not here for having angst solely for the sake of having angst. No thanks. We'll see how the season ends.

Finally continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. "Sacrifices" ended up being such an interesting episode even if it shortchanged a couple of characters. One of the critiques I have about this show is not digging into the storylines when they should have. The previously on Battlestar Galactica does a lot of heavy lifting in seasons two through four and it's not necessarily a good thing.

Watched another episode of The Batman. This one introduced Penguin and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this episode.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Aunt Miriam made another appearance as did the McNulty's.

Restarted the Agatha Christie Hour and enjoyed the episode. I have one episode left in this series and then I'll have to decide if I want to dive into another Christie series or find something new.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Whatever It Takes, a novella that puts a couple on a treacherous path to find their version of happily ever after.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lysanor Bela runs the gauntlet and while she survives the experience, it messes with her mind. She has a vision of killing Baron Saltman—and gauntlet revelations are never wrong. Lys will do whatever it takes to keep Baron alive as long as possible—even if it means walking away from their relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Something's wrong. Lys should have finished by now.

Baron backed up and glanced at the timer. "She's been in there too long." Longer than anyone else to date.

He kept the comment under his breath. He wouldn't disturb the watchers. They had a job to do and didn't need to be distracted … again. Magheen's interruption earlier only drew the attention of one other, so Lys wouldn't suffer any penalties.

If only his mind seek had worked, he'd have a better idea of what might be going on with Lysanor. The unease of not being able to pinpoint what troubled him didn't sit well. He'd never been blocked before.

Ready to call an end to the test and send a team to pull her out, he hesitated. Lys would be crushed if he stepped in. She had worked and trained hard to get her shot at the gauntlet. If she failed, she'd lose her status and rank within the realm. Earning another chance wouldn't be easy, but Lys would do it … if only to be by his side.

She had the skill to be a master in the magedom. And her intuition rarely missed the mark. Discovering her path would put them one step closer to the vision he had of their future.

So, he waited. "Gotta give her time. At least a little more." He couldn't let her stay in much longer.

Because he couldn't lose her.

Too much time in the gauntlet could be fatal. The exertion needed to get through coupled with the mental stamina required sometimes wreaked havoc on the central nervous system. And while most recovered, a rare few had permanent damage. He wouldn't risk that with Lysanor.

He grabbed the handheld receiver. "Give her five more minutes then send in the med techs." Hanging up, he ignored the raised eyebrows of the other three people in the viewing room.

They couldn't hold his decision against Lysanor. If she made it out, the watchers could chalk his caution up to an overreaction on his end. But he'd rather err on the safe side and have a team ready and waiting.

Curling his fingers into his palms, he exhaled slowly. "Come on, Lys. Cross back through." And do it soon…

I like the way this story is coming together. Lysanor and Baron have a battle ahead of them and the fight will be worth it.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Whatever It Takes

Terrific week on the great office cleanout! I got a ton of shredding done and cleared out from under my table and desk. I got a great hand-vac that did an awesome job of getting the carpet cleaned up. The cabinet I got to put under my desk fits really well and I'm closer to being sorted and organized! One more cabinet for under my table and three bookcases to go. Okay, not quite true. I still have a major amount of shredding to do and then I have the rest of the finding where to put everything phase. But … I can already notice a big difference in having a semi-clear area to work in. It's amazing!

Kind of a slow week for television. I'm working on a developmental edit that requires a lot of focus so I don't use anything as background noise.

I watched a lot of Silent Witness. I'm well into the third season and I like the cast changes.

I also caught several more rune videos. They're actually quite relaxing as well as informative.

Last but not least, I watched the first season finale of The Witcher. Gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rather liked getting a small bit of backstory about Geralt. Also quite impressed by the mages and Yennifer's role in the battle. I've been a little on the fence with her character but she's definitely growing on me.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Whatever It Takes, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lysanor Bela runs the gauntlet and while she survives the experience, it messes with her mind. She has a vision of killing Baron Saltman—and gauntlet revelations are never wrong. Lys will do whatever it takes to keep Baron alive as long as possible—even if it means walking away from their relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Lys caught her breath, trying not to succumb to a heavy lethargy. "I don't have time." Rising on wobbly legs, she fought her weighted limbs and trudged forward. "I will not fail."

Eerie howls and screeches filled her head. Wraith-like shadows followed her everywhere. Inky darkness swallowed her whole.

"Holy shit. Did I fall into a void?" She might not find her way out if she had.

She shook her head. No … voids were rumored to exist but no one had actually been lost in one. At least not to her knowledge.

But what if they are real?

No. Even if they were, she couldn't give in. She had to get out.

Trying to focus and block out the chaotic noise, she moved, never stopping even when her body fought her. Driven by instinct, she started a climb—she couldn't progress any other way. The drowning sensation got worse the higher she went but her senses also grew sharper.

Pulling herself one hand and one foot upward at a time, she struggled to breathe. "I'm so close. I can feet it." She finally broke free, tumbling out of the gauntlet, gasping for air.

Disoriented, she dragged clean, clear air into her lungs but her vision blurred. Exhaustion won out and she collapsed, facedown, on the ground. Med techs swarmed around her. Who called them? Baron. Of course. Always thinking of me. When the techs whisked her off, she had one fleeting glimpse of Baron. The urge to reach out hit hard, but the predictive image of her slicing his throat wouldn't fade away. She survived the gauntlet and achieved mage status but the cost might just break her. Turning her head away, she closed her eyes. She couldn't face yet … maybe not ever. I won't be the instrument of his end. It's my turn to take care of him.

I like the challenge of writing Lys and her journey. Baron is a steady guy but he'll face a set of hurdles too. Fun stuff!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Whatever it Takes

Well… another homecoming is in the books and life can return to semi-normal, which is still crazy but less so. LOL

Terrific week for television with shows returning for their fall premieres (and one season ender)!

The Last Ship's finale was everything I'd hoped for. The people I wanted to see not make it died in appropriate ways and they didn't touch anyone on my "better not kill" list, so, yeah, I'm thrilled to bits with how the season ended. And it looks like season five will be terrific! Can't wait for next summer.

I honestly didn't know if I'd like The Flash, but it ended up being a great episode. Cisco keeps things interesting and I like where Caitlyn is right now. Same goes for Legends of Tomorrow. Their reboot after messing up all of time is excellent. Can't wait to see what they end up doing for the rest of the season.

Arrow's premiere rocked. I really didn't know how they'd end up resolving the island explosion and it looks like there will be plenty of repercussions. I'm interested in what happened to the few we didn't see in the opening episode, namely the former league crew. I can honestly say it was awesome to see Raisa back with Oliver, too.

Gotham had another terrific episode. This show just keeps getting better and better. I like how they're beginning to weave Bruce's story into Gordon's… finally. I'm pretty "meh" about the Sophia Falcone stuff but we'll see where it goes.

My Netflix queue random pick ended up being Midsomer Murders. I'm enjoying a nice revisit to this show.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Whatever it Takes, a novella that got a two-word prompt start of "baby steps".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lysanor Bela runs the gauntlet and while she survives the experience, it messes with her mind. She has a vision of killing Baron Saltman—and gauntlet revelations are never wrong. Lys will do whatever it takes to keep Baron alive as long as possible—even if it means walking away from their relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Baron Saltman entered the challenge room, assailed by memories of his journey almost a year ago. He approached the next participant, the only one allowed to do so.

He placed an arm around her. "Good luck, Lys. You've got this." When she turned and flashed a smile, he hauled her closer, hugging her for encouragement.

No one had an easy time when they ran the gauntlet. The fiery maze structure pushed its participants through a series of increasingly difficult scenarios, often throwing past hardships in the path to serve as distractions. The gauntlet acted as a shield for the upper levels of the magical hierarchy, weeding out the weak-minded and less skilled, advancing only those who managed to get through. The ones who left intact normally had a precognitive event that helped show them their future path. Occasionally the vision could be clouded and unclear, which could be scary for the young mages.

But Lysanor Bela feared nothing.

When she tilted her chin up and met his gaze, he gave in to instinct and slanted his mouth over hers, his lips moving with assurance and promise. He'd be here when she finished her run, waiting to start their life together. When she eased away, she gave him one last, lingering took followed by a solid nod.

With a final curve of her lips, she turned to face the flaming wall of the gauntlet. "I'm ready."

Baron backed away, keeping her in his sight until he had to turn to climb the stairs to the viewing alcove. He jogged the short distance upward then took his spot for the ceremony. Only three other people were there and he ignored their presence, focusing on the woman he loved.

He leaned forward and made the announcement. "You may begin."

She squared her shoulders and placed her right foot on the burning entrance line. Taking a deep breath, she started her journey through the gauntlet to test her will and fortitude and prepare her for the master level of magedom. Baron stood riveted, the memories of his experience floating through his mind. The challenge he faced almost did him in, but his trial by fire ended with the accompanying vision of a powerful future for Lysanor and him.

They would eventually be the ruling couple of the realm. But… not without some serious obstacles. He hated how the hurdles they would face were hidden in shadow when he'd run the gauntlet but the outcome—ruling with Lys—outweighed his concern.

She only had to make it through and the future belonged to them. Baron couldn't wait to spend his remaining days with his one and only love.

I'm excited to see where this one goes. Looking forward to getting more on the page.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Whatever it Takes

Hello!

All right, people, I have dire thinky thoughts about two of my favorite shows, Strike Back and Sons of Anarchy, which I won't share here, but suffice to say, it's not looking good for a few characters. EEK!

Thank goodness, Arrow returns in two weeks and I can get my superhero fix again soon. Whew.

Tonight's post is from Whatever it Takes, a novella with magical elements, a gauntlet that can seriously mess with the characters' minds, and a couple who really need to be together, but have some big challenges before it can happen.

Here's the tagline:

Lysanor Bela runs the gauntlet and while she survives the experience, it messes with her mind. She has a vision of killing Baron Saltman—and gauntlet revelations are never wrong. Lys will do whatever it takes to keep Baron alive as long as possible—even if it means walking away from their relationship.

And the preview snippet…

"You need to take baby steps. You can't expect to be the same you were before surviving the gauntlet. It's not that easy, Lys." Baron knelt in front of her.

Lysanor snorted. "Yeah, well, you'd know, wouldn't you?" The man had gained close to fifty pounds in her absence.

Baron frowned. "Yes. Yes I would. Took me a year to get to the state I was in, and I didn't get out of by myself." He rose and stepped back. "Maybe you should think about that for a while."

Her head snapped up. "Oh, so it's my fault you blew up to huge proportions?" It figured he'd blame her, especially when she had no control over how she'd react to the gauntlet.

Baron huffed out a harsh breath. "Geez, Lys, that's not what I meant. If you're going to be pain in the ass difficult, forget I said anything." He turned abruptly and headed for the heavy oak door.

Lysanor had a flash of every single argument she'd ever had with Baron. So many, sometimes ugly and harsh, but he always came back. Always forgave her. And usually forgot her biggest transgressions.

And the man would be brutally honest, whether she liked it or not. She sorta loved that personality trait the most. In short, she needed him on her side.

"Baron, wait." Lysanor sighed. "I'm sorry. It's so much easier to lash out rather than listen. You pushed yourself hard to get back in shape. It's my turn." She looked down at her hands. "And I can't do it alone. Something tells me getting my head back on straight will be a bigger challenge than dropping fifty pounds." She'd most definitely hold back the part of her vision, until she absolutely had to fill him in.

Baron sank down beside her. "Whatever it takes, Lys." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Whatever it takes."

Lys wants to keep Baron safe, but she's got a lot to learn about how very persistent he'll be. Thankfully, Baron has a good head on his shoulders and he'll figure out what her biggest concern involves.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye