Most of my Halloween plans of paranormal investigations were side lined between rain and worries. Most of them were going to be outside and I am not risking a) falling b) contracting covid or anything else and setting my surgery back. There’ll be other investigations and Halloween fun but only if I do what I need to survive my cancer.

Today for Halloween I’m sharing a snippet from my paranormal novella, Cassadaga Nights, set where I used to live in Cassadaga Florida. Hope you enjoy.

Ryan drew his shield over himself, letting his psychic senses dampen down. All day, most days, he dropped his armor, walking around exposed, vulnerable on all sides to the flood of stimuli. Such was the life of a professional psychic. He was unable to cut himself off when he was on the job. His clients depended on his abilities. While he could cold read a person to give Houdini a run for his money, Ryan was the real deal when it came to being psychic. Houdini would have had a helluva time debunking his abilities.

Blurb-

Santino Bellomi and his coworker, Cam, are sent to Cassadaga, Florida by the Aspida Pneuma, a group of psychics and mages. Their job is to rescue a nixie from a polluted lake and to check out the town, which is known for its psychics. New recruits to the Aspida are always welcome and where better than a spiritualist camp to hunt for them? What Santino wants most, however, is to finish the assignment quickly. He isn’t a fan of heat and humidity, and he’d looking forward to a well-earned vacation once the mission is over.

Ryan Doyle grew up in Cassadaga, where being psychic runs in the family. Ryan has never roamed far from home, though it’s hard being a geeky gay, wannabe urban fantasy author living in a small town. His job as one of the town psychics is fairly routine until he meets someone new. Ryan has never encountered anyone with a psychic shield so strong until Santino sits down for a reading. Intrigued, he asks Santino out even though Santino is as secretive as he is fun.

Santino hopes to win Ryan over both for himself and for the Aspida. And he’s hoping his skills in the kitchen will swing the balance in his favor. Ryan has almost given up on finding love, living in rural Florida. Can a seductive tourist be the answer to his dreams?

Things never run smoothly for those in the Aspida. What should have been a simple rescue mission is plagued by mosquitoes, enraged ghosts, and someone or something draining residents of their life force. Ryan’s first foray into adventure may be his last.

Buy it at Nine Star Press or here on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Cassadaga-Nights-Jana-Denardo-ebook/dp/B08H88LPK2

The Rainbow Snippet group can be found on Facebook. It’s a fun low-pressure snippet sharing group for LGBTQ+ fiction. Come join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets

It’s been a bad week. I had a biopsy and it came back endometrial cancer. So now I’m in a holding pattern waiting to see the oncologist and schedule surgery. I don’t know yet what happens after that.

But I’m still around, still writing (need the distraction more than ever). I’m picking up with Behind Blue Eyes again. They’re finally at Aneirin’s home.

Aneirin snorted, leaning his head into the recess for the retinal scanner. The door opened and he ushered Kaleo in. The young man stopped immediately, his eyes wider and his jaw loosened as he took in the space with its muted, calm color palette and soft, inviting couches.

“I didn’t know you had houses so big! I thought that place last night was a hotel or something. Mom told me about those.”

“No, that’s was Pherick’s condo and this is just the living room. Grimoald, I’m home,” he called.

“Just…” Kaleo, following Aneirin deeper into the house.

Suddenly a heavy weight hit Aneirin’s shoulders, nearly knocking him down. Kaleo yelped. The mass slithered off Aneirin’s shoulders, into his arms, a rough tongue caressing his cheek. Smoke butted her horned head into the bridge of his nose, making him see stars. His pet’s love was scary sometimes.

“Smoke, you bad girl! Don’t do that!”

Another busy weekend of cosplaying at Tsubasacon (Edalyn Clawthorne) and then Halloween parties at a cabin in the woods. It was fun but it’s left me scrambling to get this up.

I’m continuing with Behind Blue Eyes and Aneirin and Kaleo have gotten to one of his homes.

Kaleo dropped his chin against his chest. “I didn’t mean…I’m sorry. Guess I don’t know how you live.”

He patted Kaleo’s shoulder. “I’m sure I have misconceptions about slum life as well. We’ll both be learning for the foreseeable future. I think Setak might be the closet fit. She probably won’t mind running home for a set of clothing. Grimoald is a bit wider in the hips than you. We’ll have to find you shoes to borrow.”

“This is a pain for you.” Kaleo sounded apologetic.

Yes it was, Aneirin thought, in so many ways, especially morally. “Pherick isn’t much of a forward thinker. He didn’t think about preparing my house for you.”

Kaleo finally brought his head back up. “Pherick?”

“He’s the one who purchased you. You saw him last night. He’s a good friend but he’s not…how shall I put this? He’s not a deep thinker.”

“Oh, the dumb friend. We all have one of those,” Kaleo agreed. “I figure if you don’t have a dumb friend, you probably are the dumb friend.”

Aneirin snorted, leaning his head into the recess for the retinal scanner. The door opened and he ushered Kaleo in. The young man stopped immediately, his eyes wider and his jaw loosened as he took in the space with its muted, calm color palette and soft, inviting couches.

The Rainbow Snippet group can be found on Facebook. It’s a fun low-pressure snippet sharing group for LGBTQ+ fiction. Come join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets

The onslaught of job woes and various time sucks continues and I’m lucky to get to this every other week.

I’m switching back to Behind Blue eyes. We left off with Aneirin and Kaleo heading for his home. THey’re just about to one of them.

“I guess. I should have known a fan…a Merchanter would have servants.”

Aneirin didn’t know what word Kaleo had bitten off, but assumed it was some derogatory slum term for the Merchant class. “I have only a few here, more planet side.”

He looked around the shuttle bay. “This isn’t your home?”

“Yes, well it’s my orbital condo. I often stay here when I’m working in the remote lab, but I spend a lot of time planet side as well. Grimoald, my majordomo travels with me. Setak is the maid, though we have servos for much of that and Danil cooks when needed and there is security as well. They all live in the orbital colony but not necessary here in my condo. They are very well paid for it,” Aneirin said, realizing how stiff it sounded.

Kaleo dropped his chin against his chest. “I didn’t mean…I’m sorry. Guess I don’t know how you live.” He patted Kaleo’s shoulder. “I’m sure I have misconceptions about slum life as well. We’ll both be learning for the foreseeable future.

The Rainbow Snippet group can be found on Facebook. It’s a fun low-pressure snippet sharing group for LGBTQ+ fiction. Come join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets