Sunday Snippet: Rack and Ruin

I have a new furnace! It's shiny and pretty and takes up a lot less space than our old one did. And it's amazing how nice and toasty the house is again. Here's hoping the much-improved energy efficiency pays off too.

My workload is still crazypants. Trying to get prepped for having the equipment going in and out of our house didn't leave me a lot of time the past week. I also have a goal of seriously getting rid of a bunch of stuff that's been collecting in odd, random places for the past two decades.

I did get some television watched, starting with another episode of Midsomer Murders. I think I might have found the show I'll be replacing Midsomer with, but I have made a final decision yet.

Caught a few more episodes of Sapphire and Steel and watched a full arc of Classic Who. Sapphire and Steel is actually pretty interesting with a different style.

Watched a Halloween episode of Murdoch Mysteries, which ended up being pretty fun. I love it when William has to deal with people and things he doesn't feel comfortable with. Pretty cool variation on the theme song also.

Also caught another episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries. I really do like this show and the friendship between Frankie, Trudy, Flo, and Mary. My favorite season is still the first one, but if this is going to be a long-haul show, I'm down with the changes to the style.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Vespa Thorn, a maintenance adept for the Mage Ministry of Defense, is an addictive gambler—whenever, wherever, she'll go all in. Hale Walterson, a special forces soldier has a problem with sex—he can't get enough of it. Vespa wants Hale, but he's the one thing she won't bet on until he challenges her to keep up with him.

And a preview snippet…

Hale Walterson bit back a groan. Just his luck the best tech pulled duty today because she always found a reason to bust his balls. Blowing out a long breath, he strode into the well-ordered workspace.

He placed his wrecked stun-winder in front of Vespa Thorn, the maintenance adept. "This needs fixing." Maybe he'd get lucky and the clipboard she held would keep her attention.

Nope.

She set the board aside and frowned. "Again?" Picking up the device, she began an inspection of the charred defensive weapon.

Hale slowly turned to make his way out of the workshop, hoping like hell the too-pretty-for-maintenance-work mage didn't put the pieces together before he made his escape.

Not his fault his M-MOD unit kept getting called out to break up disruptions.

Vespa growled. "Hold it right there, Walterson." She marched around the counter and brought the stun-winder with her.

Hale paused, a kick of guilt hitting him in the gut. He had abused the weapon, but not on purpose. His last eight-hour shift only had forty-five minutes of downtime. Probably wouldn't matter to her though.

She poked him in the chest. "What did I tell you about not giving the stun-winder enough time to recharge before amping up to a higher setting?" Her face expressed her disgust.

Hale shrugged. "It's a design flaw." He couldn't resist a small dig. "One you should work on fixing." Getting her wound might not be his best move, but the weapon did have too many limitations.

Vespa made a garbled choking sound. "No. It's user error. You abuse the device." She turned and headed for her workstation. "How can a hot guy who has brains and brawn not understand simple instructions?" She placed the stun-winder on the surface of her area and ducked down to get some spare parts.

She thinks I'm hot. Good to know.

Vespa continued with her tirade. "We're supposed to stun our targets as a last resort when spells can't contain them." She removed the burned out charging cartridge and replaced it with a fresh one.

Hale defended his side. "Yeah, well, in the middle of a melee it's not always possible to get an incantation out when fists are flying." A lame excuse, but still true.

Vespa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Maybe you should use shorter spells so you don't overtax that big brain of yours." She checked the readiness of the stun-winder.

It charged but wouldn't fire. Hale glanced down and braced for impact. The compliment about his intelligence would definitely get called into question now.

She shot him a sideways glance. "What else did you do to my weapon?" The sputtered and died again.

Hale's head whipped up and he quirked an eyebrow. "Your weapon?" He folded his arms over his chest. "Last time I checked my name is on the registration."

Vespa dismantled the stun-winder piece by piece. "If you want your name to stay there, you need to take care of the stunner." She grabbed a cloth and started cleaning the gun.

Hale flushed because she had a point. "I'll apologize for the condition. I've been neglectful about proper cleaning." He'd own being lax… too many distractions that he needed to get under control.

He grabbed another rag and started helping—the least he could do, right?

Especially if he wanted to stay on her good side.

I love Vespa and Hale! They're terrific at what they do but not without faults, which they'll discover about each other soon.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Quiver Full of Arrows

Whew. This week flew right by. We're still waiting on our new furnace, which I should have by my next post. My workload is bananas right now and I didn't get a chance to watch much television due to deadlines. It's also been a busy week with my daughter's golf banquet and awards ceremony and state band competition.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers but stopped midway through so I need to finish it up this week.

I started out with Midsomer Murders and watched the first episode of the final series. The new coroner is kind of fun and recognizable from a Doctor Who episode, at least that's where I remember her from.

I'm limping through the Riverdale musical episode "Big Fun". I keep stopping the action because I don't want to miss anything. I can honestly say I'm impressed with the way this episode is put together. I love how many of the group is involved in the musical. The only thing I'm not a fan of is how much screen time Eleanor is sucking up. I realize there's a reason for it but she's right up there with Hiram in the characters I love to hate department. I do think I'll have time to finish up later tonight or early tomorrow. Then it's off to the new season of Arrow, where I'll probably weep through every episode.

I caught a few holiday movies in the background during the workday and also ended up catching a bunch of Blue Bloods episodes.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Frey Witter, codename Crossfire, is sent to bring in mercenary for hire, Solaris Polanski, aka, Moon Shadow for a covert mission. He's got one little problem. Solaris answers to no one—and she used to work for the other side.

And a preview snippet…

Solaris lifted her gaze to meet his. "I doubt that." But he had her.

And, dammit, she didn't have the energy to battle with him. She slowly got to her feet. He didn't make a move to help her and, honestly, he earned points for not doing so.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled. "Okay, who sent you? The name is going to be a deciding factor because ninety percent of the agency goons are assholes and I'd rather take an arrow than work with or for any of them." She'd had too many double crosses to fully trust anyone from the covert government unit.

Frey gave her a long look. Would he shoot her? She couldn't tell and it almost thrilled her to not be able to read him. Given enough time, she'd learn the silent language he spoke, but fat chance she'd the opportunity… unless…

Frey broke his silence. "Norm Coleman." His shoulders tensed while he waited for her response.

Solaris closed her eyes. He'd named the one person she couldn't refuse.

"Aw, fuck. Guess I'll live to see another day." She owed Norm and she always paid her debts.

Even if she'd rather eat glass.

Frey relaxed his stance, which didn't do anything to dissipate the coiled energy coming off his body. The man oozed readiness, no doubt willing and able to leap into action at a second's notice. She didn't want to admire the quality… but she did.

She glanced around for a vehicle. "If we're going, let's go. I'd rather get whatever the hell Norm wants out of the way." She finally spotted the matte black vehicle tucked into the shadows by a row of dumpsters.

Frey gathered his crossbow and started toward the SUV.

Solaris followed but paused. "Look, before we take off, I have one condition." And he probably wouldn't like it.

Frey's finger tightened on the trigger of his crossbow. "And that would be?" He slowly angled around, keeping the weapon primed.

Solaris dropped her bomb. "You're bringing me in so you're going to be my handler. Norm and I need a buffer. I elect you." She'd be lucky if she and Norm got through with their little meeting without blood being shed.

Frey frowned. "Might not be possible. I go where they tell me." He smoothly angled away again.

Following orders. How boring.

But she wouldn't cave on her decision. "It's a stipulation I won't give in on. I come in—without trouble—and you take the role or we end it here." And what a shame that would be.

Frey gave her a level look, holding it for several long moments. "I'll see what I can do. I don't make promises I can't keep."

Solaris made her way to the SUV. "You'll keep this one. Especially if we hit the caverns and retrieve the diamonds." No way would she let that jackpot go uncollected.

Frey shook his head. "That's not the mission." He yanked the back door open and propped his equipment within easy reach.

Solaris gingerly got inside the vehicle. "Trust me when I say Coleman will thank you if you bring them along. His black-op budget can always use a boost." And she would definitely need the leverage.

This story is coming together better than I expected. I love putting characters in a situation where their gut instincts have to make decisions.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Quilt of Fate

Hello, November. The temperature dropped significantly, which kind of sucks for my household since we can't get our new furnace until the middle of next week. That said, with some careful placement, space heaters are doing an excellent job of keeping the house comfortable. As long as we don't dip into single digits, we're golden.

Not a bad week for television. I have a heavy workload right now but still squeezed in some decent viewing.

I started out with Riverdale and, wow, what a great episode. I'm still catching up from last season so this episode featured FP's fiftieth. Cole Sprouse and Skeet Ulrich brought their A games. Also loved the linked montage of Archie's king of the mountain battle with Cheryl and Toni's hot session in the speakeasy. The breakup ended up being a lot more painful than I anticipated but excellent work from the women. Reggie and Veronica's falling out also packed a punch. Reggie is very much growing on me as a character. A few random notes… I absolutely hate the entire farm storyline. I also dislike Hiram with the passion of a thousand suns going supernova. Don't see that changing anytime soon.

I finally got to sit and watch Arrow's season finale. I can honestly say the ugly crying didn't stop after the credits rolled. Everyone acted their collective asses off—Stephen and Emily in particular. Stephen, quite frankly, blew me away. Watching him evolve as Oliver over seven seasons has been a true joy. Seriously… I'm going to miss this show so much. My one main disappointment is not getting any scenes with Oliver and Mia. I'd love to see the two actors interact.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murdoch Mysteries. Nice to see George's family tree expand and with such a terrific character (pun intended). I have so much fun watching this show.

Frankie Drake Mysteries also made me smile. I'm still getting used to the new opening and the somewhat different shift in the show's dynamic. That said, it's growing on me and I like the fabulous foursome and their interactions.

Caught a new story arc on Sapphire and Steel. This show is usually background noise for me when I'm working and I have the horrible feeling I'm really missing a lot. I'm going to make an effort to really focus when I start the third assignment.

Watched the beginning of series nine with Classic Who. The daleks returned to be a huge pain, per usual. I always enjoy episodes that feature them.

Should be catching another episode of Midsomer Murders in the very near future.

That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Quilt of Fate, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadie Fall and Cable Reilly are transported to an alternate reality by the Moerae. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos have plans for the fated couple who couldn't save their original universe, but can alter the future for their new one.

And a preview snippet…

Nadie crossed the threshold into the cottage. "Okay… we followed you. Now would be a good time to start answering questions." She reached out and tugged Cable inside the small home.

He needed to keep up or the trio would definitely leave him behind.

If the group could be believed… and, oddly, Nadie committed to going with what the women said—way too bizarre not to—they had a purpose for her and Cable.

The middle woman, Lachesis, if Nadie's childhood memories held true, indicated they should sit in the airy room. "Please, relax and get comfortable. You've had a long journey and it's not quite over yet." She waited until Nadie sat and Cable got settled in beside her. "You've seen one possible future, a long time traveling for naught."

The old woman, Atropos, gave a rude snort. "We should let them follow that thread to its completion. Would serve them right for the havoc and chaos we've had to bear witness to." She arranged herself in an ancient rocking chair and waved a hand, palm side down, revealing a huge tapestry spanning the entire living space.

Nadie attempted to school her thoughts, not wanting to give away how much the dig pained her. Cable tensed beside her, but a quick shake of her head had him slowly easing the rigid set of his shoulders.

The young woman, Clotho, smirked. "Easy there, big fella. Attie gets a little cranky when you lot keep making the same mistakes over and over. But she's willing to give rare second chances." She waggled her eyebrows. "Especially when primo specimens like you two come along." Leaning back in her seat, she fanned herself. "I mean think of the beautiful children you two could create." She gathered up a piece of the tapestry and tapped the fabric, bringing a spinning wheel and started creating a long length of thread.

Lachesis tsked. "Clotho, stop jumping ahead. You're going to muddy up the timeline and spawn more questions. We have enough to get these two through as it is." She settled into a wing back chair and conjured a needle between her fingers.

Nadie glanced toward Cable. "Are you following all this? We're apparently the guests of fate itself, which may or may not be a good thing." She hoped for the former because the idea of shadow drifting through any more realms made her heart hurt and her stomach churn.

Cable flicked his gaze her way. "I'd say sitting here with fate is a far sight better than any other alternative at the moment. But you know me… I hardly ever get anything right on the first try."

Clotho stopped spinning and laughed. "Oh… I'm going to enjoy you." She raised an eyebrow and pinned Nadie with her stare. "You'd do well to hang on to this one."

Nadie met her gaze and held it. "I firmly intend to."

I'm having a lot of fun putting my spin on the fate trio. Nadie and Cable are cool characters who face their future with a combination of humor and snark.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Quiet Hell

Bleh. I found out we need to get a new furnace because ours is old, horribly inefficient, and very dangerous. Fun news I didn't really need or want. The good news is the new furnace will be super energy efficient and probably save us a buttload of money overall. I definitely won't complain about that.

Had a semi-decent viewing week. I caught two episodes of Midsomer Murders and should be ready to start the final series. I'll be sorry to see Cam go. I liked her.

Caught episodes of Murdoch Mysteries and Frankie Drake Mysteries. I'm kind of on the fence with the new season of Frankie. I liked the first episode but it feels like a very different show. I loved the first season, enjoyed the second season, so I'm hoping I'll fall into a groove with the third. We'll see how it goes.

Finished up the first story arc of Sapphire and Steel. I rather like the show. I'll give the rest of the season a whirl and see how it goes with this one too.

Watched the rest of Classic Who's season eight. I'll be starting season nine this week.

I should also be catching the final episode of Arrow's season seven run. I'm trying to savor every last moment because season eight is the final bow.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Mattox Lang lives in a quiet hell, seeing and sensing paranormal activity. Bruce Wendelson has haunting dreams that linger, but he can never recall the details. Mattox understands Bruce's torment and hopes to ease her own by helping him deal with the nightmares.

And a preview snippet…

Mattox wanted to snatch the offer back as soon as it left her mouth. But she couldn't stand the torment oozing from every channel coming from Bruce. The man didn't have much longer before he went completely mad.

Bruce narrowed his gaze. "You actually see what I'm thinking?" He tilted his head and gave her an overt once-over.

Marie made an attempt to step in. "Uh, Bruce, maybe we should give Mattox a little breathing room." She started for the coffeepot.

Mattox waved off Marie's concern. "It's okay, Marie. I'm good now." She did her best to shield her senses and met Bruce's gaze. "Being crude doesn't change facts, Mr. Wendelson. But I'll give you points for being inventive." Her lips twitched when his mouth dropped open.

His gaze went speculative. "You could be well-versed in reading people. I still don't believe you can see what's in my head." He folded his arms over his chest.

Mattox leaned in closer to him and pitched her voice low. "Sex. Up against the wall. You pulled a switch and had your shoulders braced with me straddling your thighs. That's why you got points for being creative." She sat back and gave him a pointed glance.

His face took a ruddy shade of red. "Damn. Okay. You've made your point." He met her gaze this time. "I'm sorry. That was a total dick move and you didn't deserve it." Slumping back, he sighed. "I'm usually not a complete asshole."

Marie brought two cups of coffee over and handed one to Bruce then held the other up, asking if Mattox wanted it.

She accepted gratefully. "Thanks, Marie. I really am okay now." The shielding helped and the caffeine would clear the cobwebs from passing out.

She still had a running movie playing in her mind, but she filtered out the hopelessness and frustration that held Bruce in their grip. Her heart went out to the man, even while her brain urged caution. Instinctively, her gut warned he had the power to break her.

Marie took a chair and turned it around to face them. "Well, Mattox… I'm right, aren't I? Bruce is special like you." She almost preened.

Mattox gave a brief snort. "I've always thought of it more as a—"

Bruce cut in. "Curse."

Mattox huffed out a laugh. "Exactly." She turned toward Marie. "I don't know what's going on yet… if Mr. Wendelson has an ability or if he's just caught up in something else, but I should be able to help."

Bruce broke in again. "It's Bruce, please. If what I suspect is going to happen happens, Mr. Wendelson is gonna get old real quick." He paused and took a bracing gulp of the coffee. "We'll need to be on a first name basis."

Mattox grinned. "Bruce it is. Obviously, I'm Mattox. I rarely use my last name." She tried to avoid anything to do with her mother. "I do think I can help you, but if you don't want one-on-one sessions, it's going to be difficult."

Bruce closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. "I had a traumatic experience as a kid during therapy. But I'm willing to do just about anything to be able to sleep again." His gaze went dark and stormy.

Man, did she feel his pain on that topic.

Mattox braced herself and put a hand on his arm. "What I do isn't therapy, Bruce. Not in the traditional sense." She stopped a moment then opted to finish with the biggest truth bomb she could. "But you'll have to be comfortable with me sharing your bed for a while."

I like writing Mattox and Bruce. Wounded souls that find their way to each other is one of my favorite things.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Quicksilver Flash

Well, another homecoming house party is in the books and I'm so thankful we had such a great group of kids to host over the last four years. A few faces came and went, but for the most part, the core group has remained the same. I'm looking forward to seeing what this group of kids ends up doing in the future.

It's been a crazy week with a ton of work projects coming in and I'm truly thankful to be busy. Sometimes my projects dwindle a little in the fall and that doesn't seem to be the case this year.

A limited week of television, but some good progress made. I started a new classic British series called Sapphire and Steel. It's pretty decent with some time-wimey elements.

I also started a new arc of Classic Who. I didn't realize quite how much of a role the Master had in the third doctor's run.

Caught an episode of Midsomer Murders and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm almost through with series nineteen and have the final season to watch.

Watched another episode of Arrow and should be ready to start the new limited season eight in the near future. I started the penultimate episode but had to pause to get ready for homecoming. I'm going to miss this show so much when it's gone.

Also viewed an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and quite enjoyed it. I'm a little wary of what they're possibly doing with Julia, but we'll see how things go.

Finished up Frankie Drake Mysteries second season and look forward to starting the third. I'm pretty excited to see where things go from here.

Caught another episode of Riverdale. I can honestly say the whole farm thing really kind of annoys me. That said, this show tends to pull off a few twists that end up making me like what I didn't before. With the exception of Hiram. I love the actor but truly hate the character.

Also started another episode of Blue Heelers but have to pick it back up this week. Ran out of time to finish watching it.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Winsome Crown, a scientist's daughter, searches for her lost father in the wilds of the mountains. Lynx Hadrington lives alone and away from society—by choice. When Winsome stumbles onto his little piece of sanctuary, he can't deny her plea for help, but he fears the worst for her dad. Only one person has ever survived a brush with the Quicksilver Flash—him.

And a preview snippet…

Lynx cradled the soft form of Winsome close to his chest. "I knew you'd be trouble. I knew it." Correction… his innate ability informed him.

Not for the first time, he cursed the day he met Wadsworth Crown and agreed to act as a guide for the man. Even if the professor ended up becoming a friend and confidant. They'd parted on amiable terms, but Lynx specifically asked the man to leave him out of any further expeditions and experiments.

Lynx picked Winsome up, carried her to his bed, and gently placed her on the mattress. "You are going to stir things up, aren't you?" More like stir him up.

He'd gone two months without glowing or shimmering. She walked in and within minutes, he'd reacted to her. Damn.

He smoothed the hair back from her forehead. "Hmm. You're overly warm. That shouldn't be, not after you've been out in those frigid temperatures." Loosening the top button of her flannel shirt, he checked her pulse.

Slow and steady with a hop every few beats. Probably exhausted and rundown. Moving to her feet, he unlaced her boots and slid them off, placing them beside the bed. He drew a blanket up and over her then exited the small room and crossed over to the kitchen tucked into the corner of the cabin.

Reaching into the fridge, he pulled out some leftover chicken and set it inside his one and only stock pot. "Some broth and plenty of fluids should get her fixed up right." And maybe shorten her stay.

Setting the burner to a medium-high temperature, he added some seasoning then filled a glass with water and carried it into the bedroom. After checking her once more, he got some pain killers, shook two out of the bottle, and placed them beside the glass.

He paused before leaving. She had Wadsworth's facial features but instead of a light hair color, hers had a deeply luxurious onyx color. Her mother must have been a raven-haired beauty.

Another gust of wind rattled the cabin walls and Lynx backed out of the bedroom. If he lost power, he might have to make the broth over the fire. The woman in his bed would need the sustenance when she woke up.

"And then she needs to be on her way… for my peace of mind."

This story is coming together nicely. I'm going for a bit of a steampunk flair and having fun adding those elements.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Question Everything

So far, October is a pretty good month. My daughter is on the homecoming court for the first time and is excited to participate in the annual parade coming up in a week or two. She'll be hosting her annual gathering next weekend and we've got a laundry list of stuff to get finished up before then.

Not a bad week for television. I started out with a Passionflix original, Brother's Honor and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I'm excited to see the other two movie's in this trilogy when they're available.

I also caught up on some Arrow, watching an episode from last season. I'll be a little behind when season eight premieres but I should be caught up soon.

Watched the first episode of Murdoch Mysteries's new season. This show is so much fun. I love the characters more each year.

For some reason, I missed the last two episodes of Frankie Drake Mysteries's second season. I got one episode watched and have the final one and the first three of this season to get caught up on.

I'm also catching up on Riverdale. I finished an episode and watched another full one. I haven't seen the premiere of season four yet, but I plan to have at least a full box of tissues handy when I do watch it.

I still haven't decided what I'll be picking up after Peter Gunn, but I'll be starting that this week.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Temple Sparrow discovers her family is part of an underground society of beings and creatures who secretly control the city, she eschews their traditions and finds her true vocation, seeking answers. Hunt Gambit doesn't trust anyone, least of all Temple, but playing by the rules isn't an option and he'll use her knowledge to get what he needs and teach her to question everything.

And a preview snippet…

Two days after her father's funeral, Temple Sparrow stormed into his study demanding answers. "Is it true?"

Her mother, Tressa, cool and haughty as always, answered. "It is." Her gaze barely met Temple's before she went back to reading the file in front of her.

Temple seethed and flung an arm out. "I can't believe this. How did I grow up in this mausoleum and not know anything about my family's involvement in the underground?" The city's black market traded on the supernatural beings they exploited for the normals.

Tressa closed the folder and tapped her blood-red nails on the surface before she responded. "Because I made sure it was kept from you." She got up and smoothed the skirt of her black dress.

Fucking widow's weeds for a cold fish. One who gave nary an actual shit about her husband's death. Or much of anything else except keeping up the appearances of being successful.

At the cost and on the backs of every average fae being.

Tressa lifted her gaze. "If I had my way, you wouldn't have been informed yet. You're entirely too volatile and not at all ready for a seat at the head table."

Temple snorted. "Keep your damn table, Mother. I won't sit anywhere near the stink of corruption you want to wallow in." If her mom knew anything about Temple, she'd already be aware of this sticking point.

Tressa gave a quick head shake. "I wouldn't be so certain. I'm not the only—"

Temple cut Tressa off. "Oh, but I am. If you're involved, I'm not. Call one of your craven family members and ask them to join the club." Anyone on the Wingate side should be more than happy to step up.

Except Uncle Marsh. He had little to do with his four siblings' power grabs.

Tressa gave Temple a hard look. "Walking away means you leave with nothing."

Temple huffed out a breath. "Did you forget about Grandmara's trust?" The one she now had access to since her dad died.

The stricken look on her mother's face said she had. Score one for Grandmara Vi. 

Temple rolled her eyes. "Of course you did. A mere half million is chump change for someone like you. But it's all mine and you can't touch or control any part of it… which means you can't touch or control me." She gathered up her scattered thoughts and turned on her heel. "Good-bye, Mother. I hope you wither in this monstrosity you call a house, but I'm sure that won't be the case."

Tressa followed after her. "You can't leave, Temple. Once you're aware of our ties to the underworld, there's no recourse. You either take up the reins or they take you out."

Temple paused at the door and looked over her shoulder. "Let 'em try." She sailed out of the study and strode directly to the front door.

The warning sent a fissure of fear down to her toes, but she'd never cower in front of her mom. But Temple would take some precautions and do her damnedest to expose the rot at the root of the city's founding family trees.

I love writing Temple and I can't wait for her to meet up with Hunt. They've got a wild and twisty road ahead of them.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Quest for the Kingfish

Boo! It's the month of Halloween and creeptastic treasures! I love October. That said, it's also the time I need to start thinking and doing my holiday shopping. I do not want a repeat of last year when I waited way too long to get stuff done.

Had a busy week driving all over the place with my daughter. We had a college visit on Monday. I picked her up from the district tournament for golf on Wednesday. And I picked her up from her band competition because she needs to be up and out early in the morning. I forgot how much windshield time driving gives me. LOL

Not a bad week for television. I haven't started any of the new seasons of my faves yet. But… I did finish up Peter Gunn. I have a few ideas of what to replace that slot with but haven't landed on a specific one yet.

I caught two episodes of Blue Heelers. I'm still at the beginning of season two but I love this show. It has a great cast.

I started season nineteen of Midsomer Murders. I can honestly say I took the death of Sykes really hard. Seriously. Which is actually kind of sad but, man, that was one cool dog. The new one, Paddy, is also fun, but I had years' worth of Sykes antics to enjoy. Anyway… I like the new DS guy but I miss Charlie. I'm watching an episode with Jones in it and it kind of makes me nostalgic.

I got to watch two more arcs of Classic Who. The Claws of Axios and Colony in Space. I'll be starting a new one this week.

I also plan to watch the new Passionflix movie that released this week. I'm looking forward to it.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Stevie Peel is a little bit backwards and standoffish, but she loves a good mystery. Griff Lannsiter takes an immediate liking to Stevie and when she finds an ancient scroll tucked into the dusty stacks of the research library, he offers his help on her quest to find the elusive Kingfish.

And a preview snippet…

Stevie Peel sneezed when her feather duster disturbed a pile of moldering dust. "Dammit. I can't believe they won't let me use magick to clean this nightmare of a library wing." Rubbing her nose brought on several more violent eruptions. "Argh! This sucks." She tossed the offending cleaning tool over her shoulder and raised her hands to cast a spell to make the shelf clear.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice came from the doorway leading to the main library.

She didn't have to look to see who decided to interrupt her punishment. Griff Lannister. The only guy… hell, possibly the only person… on campus who would dare. She'd been sentenced and banished to this solitary pursuit for hexing half the pavilion during the winternight festival dance.

Stevie lowered her arms. "You're not me but, yeah, I can't cheat." She shot a gaze over her shoulder. "Besides, I'm not in the mood to kill you right now." Her lips kicked upward in a smile. "Even though I could definitely hide your body in here and no one would find you." Heaving a sigh, she went to grab the stupid feather duster again.

Griff moved into the cavernous room with a laugh. "You won't kill me. I'd come back to haunt you and you'd never know another moment of peace again." He propped his hip on a table stacked with books she'd removed from the shelf.

Stevie chuckled because he totally would haunt her and she had no trouble picturing him drifting around and making her life even crazier than usual.

Moving back to the shelves, she swept the surface again. "Why are you here anyway?" Not that she minded, but the precept made it clear her punishment should be carried out alone.

Griff flipped one of the tomes open, stirring up more dust. "Eh, you got a bum deal. Not fair you have to clean this whole annex and aren't supposed to have anyone down here with you just because you mixed up a few words of a spell." He glanced up from the book. "If they paid attention, they would've known you weren't ready for a public rite." Slamming the book shut, he coughed when a waft of dust rose up to his face.

Stevie shrugged, even though his support touched her deeply. "I could've said something." Except she couldn't. She didn't do well with admitting defeat.

And she didn't talk about her issues with her mind going blank in crowds with anyone but Griff. And only because he pulled it out of her in his very Griff way.

What did the guy see in her?

Griff shuffled through the pile of old papers on the table. "Did they give you a deadline for having this cleanup thing done?"

Stevie snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm pretty sure they're hoping it'll take me the rest of this semester and the next one so they don't have to worry about me ruining the end of year festivities or the Valentine's ball. I mean, how would it look if I ended up making more of the student population succumb to a sleeping spell?" An entire dance floor of people dropping like stones, all because she goofed up the word order.

Griff glanced around the huge expanse of space. "I'll bet you're done within the month. Don't forget we have most of January off for semester break."

Stevie rolled a shoulder. "Except for the mounds of dust, I like it down here. It's quiet and very non-peopley." Her gaze slid sideways in his direction. "Present company excluded." But she didn't mind having his presence.

Griff gave her smirk. "Meaning I'm not people?"

She shot back. "Meaning you're one of the few I actually like." Something that continued to surprise her.

Griff puffed out his chest. "I like being at the top of your list."

She blinked and sputtered. "Totally not what I said." But probably true.

He turned and started toward the doorway, waving his hand in the air. "Doesn't matter, I heard your inferred meaning." He sailed through the exit and left her standing alone.

Shaking her head, Stevie laughed. "Inferred meaning, my ass. You heard what you wanted to hear."

But he didn't happen to be wrong. He did top her list.

I love writing Stevie. I wanted a character that had something of a learning disability but didn't let it stop her from achieving what she wants. And I wanted Griff to not try and fix her or solve her problems but to support her because he sees the potential she has. This story is so much fun.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye