M.L. Skye's Blog, page 11

Sunday Snippet: Leading the War Effort

I hope everyone whocelebrates US Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday. Mine was low-key, which is howI enjoy the holiday the most. As usual, my husband cooked for ninety-seven peopleinstead of the three that were here, but that means leftovers and readilyavailable meals for a few days!

Kind of a lightweek for work projects in varying stages. I ended up getting a decent amount ofwriting completed. I finished up two manuscript drafts and I'm in thefine-tuning stage for those. I'm excited to start revising! I also did some additionalplanning for the other ventures I'm trying to launch soon. Should be anexciting December!

Had a great week oftelevision viewing. I got an extra show in this go around but still didn't getto pick back up with my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. Hopefully thisweek.

I ended up watchingtwo episodes of Silent Witness. I'm sad that Clarissa is leaving butlook forward to new faces. Can't wait to pick up with the second half of thecurrent two-parter. It ended on a cliffhanger.

Also got two episodesof Death in Paradise in this week. Started season four, which I'm enjoying.Humph is a lot of fun and Dwayne has been very entertaining so far.

Ended up watchingtwo episodes of Only Murders in the Building also. Finished thepenultimate episode last night and, wow, I love this show. And … I'm prettysure I guessed correctly with a slight twist on the murderer. Can't wait towatch the final episode.

Enjoyed two episodesof The Batman. One I remembered and the other one I didn't so reallyenjoyed that one. Not sure how many episodes are left in the first season butlooking forward to more.

Caught two more episodesof Classic Rugrats. I did remember both. An interesting bit was thetheme changed for one episode then went back to the original. Weird what I noticewhen I'm streaming shows.

Watched anotherepisode of VIP. The over-the-top storylines are so much fun. I reallymiss some of the shows from the late nineties and early aughts.

Enjoyed a behind-the-scenesepisode of My Life Is Murder. I'll be starting season two this week,unless there's another bonus episode.

Also watched abehind-the-scenes episode of Agatha Raisin. A lot of fun to see and hearthe actors talk about their characters. There might be one more BTS for seasontwo then I'll be moving on to season three.

Picked back up withPeak Practice. I skipped ahead a little because I honestly don't careabout Andrew and Kate's torrid relationship. Might try to work another episode inthis week.

That's pretty muchit for this week's life update. Tonight's post is from Leading the WarEffort, a novella that puts a bit of a spin on soldiering a la Jason Bourneor Steve Rogers.

Here's theminiblurb:

North Normandy becomes the test subject for a supersoldier project and his first mission is to rescue his captured father. FrankieGant knows the venture inside out, but lacks the emotional connection hersuperiors feel the candidate will need. Frankie acts as North's handler andwhen the planned op goes south, she risks her life, undergoing the same processto pull both men out of enemy territory.

And a sneaky peek…

North entered the training room tofind testing equipment and devices instead of workout mats and accoutrements."What's going on?" He looked forward to more routines with her.

Frankie sent him a too-brightsmile. "Welcome to phase three." She slapped electrodes on his chestand reached up to affix one to his temple.

He caught her hand. "Hold up.Slow down." He tried to catch her gaze but kept picturing her naked, whichdidn't help his thought process.

Frankie quirked a brow and tiltedher head slightly.

He let go of her hand. "Sorry.So that means I finally passed muster?" Would've been nice to know he'dcleared the hurdle.

Her face colored and she clearedher throat. "Yeah. Yes. Your unorthodox approach seemed to getresults." She finished applying the electrode to his head.

His voice lowered. "That wasall you, Major." Pleased when she gave a slight shudder, he added,"You issued a challenge and I only rose to the occasion." In multipleways.

She moved away, which also gave hima kick of satisfaction. She's not immune to the wild chemistry—even if she'dlike to be. He liked the thought.

But … he let her have some space."What's next? Phase three is all monitoring, right? Checking my body'sreaction to the meds and testing strength and endurance?" Which shouldincrease at a steady rate.

Frankie nodded. "We'll drawblood to make sure you're not having adverse reactions to the medication. We'llrun scenarios for the physical examination, and I'm adding a final series ofcognitive tests to track the enhancements." She paused then continued."Not that you needed much. You have a remarkable level of baseintelligence."

North cracked a wide smile. "Ihear a compliment there. A rarity coming from you." He couldn't resistpoking at her armor a little.

Frankie shrugged. "I givecredit where it's due."

North snorted. "You shouldtake the credit, too. You're the heart of this program, Major. The departmentbrass has no idea what a gift they have with you." Or they did and choseto be assholes about it.

Frankie lifted a shoulder."I'm more like a headache, but I fight for what I believe in." Shechecked the placement of the tabs then grabbed the wires.

Then why didn't she fight forherself? North wouldn't rock the boat right now, but someday he'd press foranswers. Because he needed to know why she didn't push harder for herself.

Currently, he hoped he had her fullsupport. "What about who you believe in? Will you fight for me, Major?"

She held his gaze. "Yes,always."

His heart rate kicked up and hethanked the universe she hadn't hooked him up to the machinery yet.

I love, love, lovethis story. North and Frankie are so much fun to write and I can't wait to finishthis one.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Last Best Chance ... for a Good First Impression

Entering thankfulweek with so much to think about and be grateful for. There's a lot going on inlife right now and some of it's not great. But … there's also so much that's goodand I always try to focus on the good stuff. I spent way too many years as aglass half empty girl. The stress of that did not do me any favors.

I got to edit anamazing holiday story, which I didn't expect and I'm so happy I got the project.It's from one of my favorite authors too!

My husband starteda new job that he can do during his off season from the golf course, which is anamazing opportunity.

I got to watch aplay my daughter did the entire lighting setup for, and I'm so glad I got to goand see what she's accomplished with her theater major. I already get to hear herradio show for her media production major. She has a semester left and I can'twait to see the amazing things she does with her future.

Had a pretty decentweek of television viewing. I managed a full round of my current slate of shows,minus the Battlestar Galactica rewatch. Hoping to pick it back up thisweek.

Started out withthe first half of a two-part Silent Witness. Kind of an interesting casemixed in with the personal aspect for the characters.

Caught another Deathin Paradise. This is an episode I got to see part of before and it's niceto have the full context of everything that happened.

Loved the episodeof Only Murders in the Building. So awesome to see Theo again. I lovehis friendship with Mabel. I'm kind of hoping the trio is back together by thenext episode, but it's fun to see Mabel interact with other people. Going to missseeing her in her aunt's apartment though.

Watched anotherepisode of The Batman. This one introduced the Riddler. I'd forgottenhow much teamwork between Yin and Batman was in this one.

Enjoyed another episodeof Classic Rugrats. I kind of remembered both and liked being able tosort of rewatch and still be a little surprised.

Caught an episodeof VIP. This one ended up being a lot of fun and had some terrificcharacter moments.

Watched an episodeof My Life Is Murder. Nice to see Alexa kind of joining in andparticipating in a celebration. Here's hoping we get more of that in later episodes.

Also got another episodeof Agatha Raisin in. This ended the second series and had so many greatmoments. I'm excited to see what season three brings.

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Last Best Chance… for a Good First Impression, a novella that has a fun first meeting betweenthe main characters.

Here's theminiblurb:

Cadence Coll, a top pilot, dreads her new assignment tothe Cressida because the scuttlebutt has the CAG known for his rigidadhesion to the status quo. Nik Garrick likes order and structure, and his newflying ace has a mile-long list of infractions. Cadence and Nik discover firstimpressions aren't always what they seem and a rush to make a judgment isn'tthe best idea.

And a sneaky peek…

Nik poked his head outof the office. "Lieutenant Coll, a moment?" He walked back to thedesk and settled on the edge.

Cadence entered."You needed to see me?" She unzipped her flight suit and shrugged outof the sleeves.

Nik grunted andindicated she should take a seat. "Noticed you took your third late-shiftrotation. I'm assuming it's to avoid early shifts?" He hated to call herout, but he couldn't have her swapping schedules all the time. "If youwant to drink your weight in Carmonite ale, you'll have to do it when you haveR and R instead of inconveniencing your squadron because you can't roll out inthe morning." He ignored her narrowed gaze and continued on his tangent."Gotta say I'm disappointed you're living up to the information in yourjacket. What happened to turning over a new leaf?" Her current spate of lateshifts didn't bode well for her.

Cadence's lips thinnedbut she stayed silent.

Nik tsked."Nothing to say for yourself?" Another layer of disappointment edgedinto his gut.

Cadence tilted herhead. "Sure you're though listing my detractions? Nothing else toadd?" She tied the sleeves of her suit around her waist, flexing herfingers a couple of times.

Nik lifted his chin."I'm through."

Cadence planted herhands on her hips. "Well, then. For the record, I'm not switching so I candrink my weight in Carmonite ale, and I don't have a problem with earlyshifts." She rocked back in the chair. "I've been switching rotationswith Bowser because he has a thing with a hot petty officer who's assigned tofirst watch, which means Bowser only gets to spend time with her in theevenings." Her voice took on a hard edge. "To top it off, he's usuallyscheduled with Markum who the petty officer dumped for Bowser. Bowser wanted alittle time to deal with the rivalry before flying with Markum again." Shesettled the chair back on its legs.

Nik huffed out abreath. "So, what? You took it upon yourself to solve the problem?"Why didn't he know any of this?

Cadence shrugged."That's one way to look at it."

Nik cocked his head."Is there another?"

Cadence lifted herchin. "Try this on for size. Maybe the end goal was to make yourjob easier."

Nik frowned. "How?If I don't know about problems, I can't fix them." Did she not get that?

Cadence did a head tiltof her own and her voice went flat. "Does it ever get heavy?"

Nik furrowed his brow."Does what ever get heavy?"

Cadence folded her armsacross her chest. "Carrying the weight of the universe on yourshoulders?" She got up. "From now on, I'll stick to my schedule—nomore switching out to help a fellow pilot." She started for the door."By the way, I hope you'll note—in my jacket—how I avoided punching mysuperior officer in the mouth. It might be nice to have some positive tobalance out the negative." She sailed through the door with grace anddignity without waiting for a response.

Nik shook his head. "Well,I got that completely wrong." And Cadence let him go on a track before shecalmly delivered the truth.

Could I be more ofan ass right now?

Hell, no.

And she'd totallycalled his bullshit—rightly so. His preconceived notions definitely played arole in his thought process. He needed to apologize … but not before he didsome internal reflection.

"Why did I soeasily assume the worst about her when she's shown me nothing but good?"

I love this story.It's so much fun writing characters that don't always get things right then gettingthem to figure things out.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Kick in the Burn

November iscontinuing the crazy weather tradition. Warm a few days then frigid a few. The whiplashroller coaster is in full force. Please keep arms and legs inside during theride and make sure you've got plenty of allergy meds and mucus relief tabletson hand.

Had a somewhatlight work week and got to focus on writing, which is kind of great consideringit's Nanowrimo month.

Also got somedecent screen time this week. I didn't do a double rotation, but I did make afull run through of all my shows with a little overflow.

I caught two episodesof Agatha Raisin. Season two is a bit different with longer episodes anddifferent titles. So far, I'm enjoying the fallout from the aborted wedding …and the mysteries of course.

Watched the secondhalf of Silent Witness and started a new two-parter. I'm enjoying thekind of messy storylines. Considering this series has been around fortwenty-three years, it's interesting to see how much it's changed from thebeginning.

Enjoyed two episodesof Death in Paradise and finished out season three. Kind of niceto see Humphrey's wife and get an actual end to their relationship. Also greatthat neither really ended up being the bad guy.

Caught anotherepisode of Only Murders in the Building. Loved how the trio finally gotto work together … sort of. That might be the only thing that really sticks outas being a little off for me this season. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the mystery.

Enjoyed anotherepisode of The Batman. I like seeing the villains kind of double up andthen double cross each other.

Got another episodeof Classic Rugrats in and remembered both vignettes. Thoroughly enjoyedboth. It's so much fun going back to this show and thinking about watching whenmy kids were little.

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Kick in theBurn, a novella that brings a couple together during a marathon worksession.

Here's the miniblurb:

Jaden Scratch and Ridge Quartermain spend a lot of timecomparing notes about flying. Working late into the night filling out fitrepson their pilots, their conversation takes a very personal turn and kick in theburn takes on a whole new meaning.

And a sneaky peek…

Ridge got his shower and changedinto a uniform. He bumped into Petty Officer Jansen in the mess when he stoppedto order the coffee for what would surely be an all-night session.

He apologized for breaking theirnot-date. "Um, duty calls. I won't be able to make it tonight."

Maria shrugged. "I understand.Maybe we can get together another time." She zeroed in on a marine lancecorporal and quickly took her leave.

Ridge started to make his way downto the office … not horribly upset about the missed opportunity, whichsurprised him. Even if Jansen completely fit his type—easy on the eyes and lackinggumption. But, eh, lately the easy-pickings, high-wattage sex drive packagedidn't make for satisfaction. Having a night off to take stock and go through amillion fitreps—especially with Jaden—might be more stimulating.

Ridge had to own being a littleintimidated by Lieutenant Scratch. She had looks, brains, and a natural abilityto fly, all things he admired. What his dad called a total package. Jaden alsohad a sterling reputation, getting along with everyone. And … she seemed toknow exactly what she wanted from life.

Aside from flying, Ridge had noclue. His dad wanted a son who moved up the ranks—and Elliot Quartermain madethat happen. A friendly conversation here, a glowing reference letter there. Ridgedidn't have to do more than show up for duty. Sometimes the interferencechafed, but sometimes it came in handy—like now, when he ended up being sixweeks behind on fitreps.

Ridge entered the office to findJaden setting stacks of reports out. Her casual attire threw him for a moment.He assumed she'd be in uniform—her by-the-book reputation almost warrantedfatigues at the very least—since they were on duty. Instead, she had someflirty ensemble in two shades of purple. The color suited her.

And made him drool a little.

She glanced up and caught himstaring.

He flashed a smile. "Did Imiss the memo? The one that changed this to a casual work session?"

I love writing thiscouple. Their story has been a lot of fun to dive into and it's coming togethernicely.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Keeping Up with Honor

Ugh. Turning theclock back is a bummer. I've been reading arguments for staying on standardtime or making daylight saving time permanent. I think I'm coming down on makingDSL permanent, but either way, it would be nice to not have to turn the clocksin any direction.

Had a busy work weekand hit my daily goals to stay on target for project dates. I also got a lot ofwriting in and updated some completed manuscripts for my new venture. I trulyhope to launch it before the holidays.

Not a bad week ofwatching television. I'm debating on how many streamers I'm going to keepbecause they keep raising their prices. I'm okay with paying more if it's notall going into shareholder pockets. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind ofdeal SAG-AFTRA can make with the studios. That might also help me decide whichstreaming platforms I'll be keeping.

I ended up startinga new Silent Witness two-parter and struggled a little with this one. Domesticviolence is a hard watch and there aren't many clues to who the culprit is. I'mhoping to finish the second half later today.

Caught another Deathin Paradise and enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Humphrey and can't wait tofinish his run so I can watch the spin off Beyond Paradise.

Watched another episodeof Only Murders in the Building and enjoyed it even if a lot of thescenes were goofy. It's kind of nice to have the comedic skills of the cast ondisplay.

Got another episodeof Battlestar Galactica in on my rewatch. This one had some good momentswith a lot being left unsaid, which ends up biting a few people later.

Enjoyed another episodeof The Batman, which finished up the two-part origin story of Clayfaceand put Yin on the tentative side of the Batman.

Watched another episodeof Classic Rugrats. I remembered the first part with the submarine imaginationscenario but forgot about the one where they discover Chuckie is left-handed. Ilove going back to these episodes and seeing them again.

Caught anotherepisode of VIP and enjoyed it. It's fun to see the characters out oftheir element. It's also fun to see Val figure out what's actually going on.

Enjoyed another episodeof My Life Is Murder. Nice to have a bit of Alexa backstory about herhusband and how his death still affects her.

And that's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Keeping Up withHonor, a novella that puts a couple on a collision course with their futureafter splitting them apart in the present.

Here's the miniblurb:

Honor Brock goes against orders and runs a fool's missionto find a lost artifact. Rush Masterson tests a theory and risks his life totrack her down. Once he finds her, he has to keep up because Honor won't goback until she has what she wants.

And a sneaky peek…

Rush's words slapped her hard. Shedeserved the scorn. But the broken trust stabbed at her heart.

She spoke to his retreating back. "I'msorry, Rush."

Maybe she could show him they stillhad a shot. No, she'd blown her chance with him. She had been selfish, wantingone night with him in case she ended up not making it.

But she'd survived and he'dfollowed her. Now she'd have plenty of nights with Rush, but not the kind shewanted.

She sighed. "Well, I can stillsave the fleet." Packing up her bag, she hefted it over her shoulder andwent out to meet Rush.

He studied her for a long moment,his face inscrutable. "Where to?" He arched an eyebrow.

She ached to touch him, to rewindto the obs deck and tell him everything she should've told him.

Instead, she grabbed a map andnodded toward downtown. "Ancient history museum. About fivekilometers."

Rush huffed out a breath."Long walk. Why don't we find something to get us there faster?"

She tilted her head to one side."Okay, not a bad idea." She crossed the street to a parking garage."Think anyone left their key in the ignition before they fled?" Shepeered through the windshield on the vehicles closest to her.

Rush dropped down, running hishands along the under carriage of a van. "Probably not, but they mighthave a spare set, in case they got locked out." He moved on to a smallcoupe.

Her face flamed. She should'vethought of that. She mimicked his actions, coming up empty in her row. Rushstarted on the next section, and she did the same.

Two cars in, her fingers grazed afamiliar oblong shape. "Rush. Think I hit paydirt here." She gave ahard tug and the magnetic box fell into her hand.

Sure enough, a spare key took upthe space. A shadow fell over her in the dim light. Rush glanced down andcracked a slight smile. She stood up and pressed the unlock button. Rush pulledthe passenger door open and slid inside.

Honor followed, wrinkling her nose."Man, remind me to crack a window if we ever have to flee a planetagain." Musty, stale air circulated when she started the engine.

Rush nodded toward the dash."Fuel?"

She checked the gauge. "Half atank. Plenty enough to go downtown and back." She backed out of the spaceand drove out of the garage, headed for the museum, carefully navigating thebuckled areas of the pavement.

She slid a couple of looks inRush's direction. He stared straight ahead, his face set in hard lines. Idid that to him. The responsibility ate at her. And she had no idea how tomake it right. Or if she could, no matter how much she wanted to. Then again,she didn't ask him to come along and chase her back home. So yeah, he ownedthat one.

With no traffic or lights, theycovered the five kilometers in short order. She parked in front of the museumand shut off the engine. Rush popped his door open and walked around the frontof the car.

Honor waited a few moments, gettingher head back in the game. "Find the artifact, figure out the ship, headhome." Everything else could wait.

Rush braced his hands on thewindow. "You coming?" Impatience laced his tone.

Heaving a sigh, she nodded."Yeah, let's get this done." She stopped. "Shit. No lights orpower. Why didn't I think of that?" Maybe because she'd been consumed withfear and doubt about the mission.

Rush smirked. "No idea, but Idid." He reached into his bag and brought out two lights.

Damn the man for pulling her assout of the fire. Again. She got out of the car, grabbed one of the torches, andstalked to the unlocked entrance.

I'm actually havinga lot of fun with this story. It's kind of my favorite what-if type ofscenario.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Keeper of All Things Secret

We had another weekof record high temperatures, which means we'll be having brisk, chilly weatherthis week. Time for more soup! Trick or treat is actually on Halloween thisyear and we're supposed to have rain and wind. Should make handing candy outlots of fun.

Had another busywork week and also got a good bit of writing done. I'm very close to being readyto launch my new venture. I think everything is lined up.

Had a decent weekwatching television. I'm still in that weird place of needing silence to focussometimes, which is truly odd for me. I usually need some kind of backgroundnoise going on.

Ended up catchingtwo episodes of My Life Is Murder and enjoyed both. Alexa is growing onme a little more. I'm very interested in getting some additional backstory forher.

Watched a full episodeof Agatha Raisin and started another one. I'm kind of crushed they're goingto drag out the whole deal with James. I kind of love them together.

Caught the secondhalf of the Silent Witness two-parter. Ended up liking the twists inthis one.

Enjoyed an episode ofDeath in Paradise. I remembered this one from my sporadic watching onthe Ovation channel. So weird that this episode timed so closely to Haydn'sdeath. She guest-starred in this episode.

Watched anotherepisode of Only Murders in the Building. Seriously enjoyed this one. ButI do miss having the trio solving the mystery together.

Caught an episodeof The Batman. It was the first of a two-parter and introduced theorigin of Clayface in this version.

Enjoyed another episodeof Classic Rugrats. I remembered one of them but not the other. Kind ofnice to be surprised.

Watched another episodeof VIP and enjoyed it. It's fun when the whole team goes out for job.

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Keeper of AllThings Secret, a novella that features political intrigue and a hot couple.

Here's theminiblurb:

Gili Main, chief of security for an orbiting spacestation, supports her boss who is up for reelection. Parr Minerval is anexcellent leader and should have the election in the bag. But his opponent isplaying dirty and Gili appoints herself as the keeper of all things secret to preventthe wily upstart from twisting the facts to his advantage.

And a sneaky peek…

Gili straightened Parr's lapels."I know you do. And I hate that you have to go this direction to guaranteesafe passage through the Danzig Sector." She pressed a kiss to his lips."If people can travel without fear of pirates or raiders dogging theirsteps, there's less of a chance your opponent will gain a foothold." AndSal Hander would make a terrible director.

The man drank too much and gambledtoo much, but somehow managed to maintain his political capital and leverage.Probably by underhanded tactics. He had a cadre of worker drones that alwaystook a fall if their boss got out of hand.

Parr's shoulders slumped. "Youknow how I feel about the lack of transparency." He walked away, his backnow rigid with tension.

Yeah, she understood the weight hecarried. But she also grasped, on a level he didn't, the importance ofprotecting those who came and went from this station—the ones who put theirlives in the hands of the director—no matter the smokescreen needed to make ithappen. "Parr, you do good work here. As long as you always have the bestoutcome for everyone in mind, you'll keep doing that job." Because peoplelike Sal would use the position to line their pockets and screw everyone andanyone over.

Parr turned. "Good intentionsdon't always win, Gili. Someday the wrong deal will be made, and therepercussions won't be worth the cost." He gave her a determined smile."But not today. The Danzigs have too much to lose." He opened thedoor and exited, leaving her to discreetly follow a little later.

Gili waited the usual five minutesthen left the cabin. "Someday Parr is going to really get why they call ita discretionary fund." Until then, she'd keep him out of the line of fire.

This story is a lotof fun. I enjoy this couple so much, and it's kind of my jam to write anestablished couple trying to keep their relationship together during aconflict.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

I can't believeOctober is almost over. We have our fall weather in full swing though and thatmakes me happy. Made two batches of potato soup over the weekend because we hadrain and chilly temperatures. Perfect for this time of year.

Had a busy workweek with one difficult but fun project and another in the final stages. Alsogot a lot of writing completed. I finished up the two manuscripts from lastweek and I'm doing final read throughs before sending off to beta readers. I'mso excited!

Had another lightweek of watching television. I go through phases were I'm either need to focuson other things and can't have background noise or I'm not quite in the mood towatch anything.

I did get another episodeof Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm enjoying season three.It's a little jarring to not have the trio as tight as they have been, but Ilike the different dynamics playing out.

Watched another episodeof The Batman and loved it. I remember this one from my original watchand it's fun when Alfred has to save Bruce's butt to keep his secret safe.

Also caught anotherepisode of Classic Rugrats. Both had good moments with Dil and I'd forgottenhow cute some of the episodes were after he came along.

Enjoyed anotherepisode of VIP and liked having some Nikki backstory. I can't rememberif we get anything for Quick and Kay or not.

Caught adouble-header of Battlestar Galactica with "Exodus" parts oneand two. I can honestly say there's not a wasted moment in the almost two hoursof viewing. These two episodes are premium … even the parts I hate that featureSam and Leoben, my two least favorite characters.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Just One Moment,a bonus story currently featuring the characters from the Capital City Seasonsseries. The title is going to change, but I haven't made that alteration yet.

Here's the miniblurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Justone moment to say everything that needs to be said.

And a sneaky peek…

The squawk and echoing chirp of twophones had Chris Renfer slapping at the nightstand beside the bed.

Melanie Pramble reached over him."Both phones. That's weird." She retrieved her phone and dropped hisbeside the pillow.

Chris swiped over the screen."Renfer." The fuzziness of sleep left him when Angus Murphy's lowgrowl issued a terse greeting.

Melanie's conversation driftedacross the bed. "Yes, Margo. I'm sure he's on with Angus now. Yes, I'llask him." She angled toward Chris. "Can you put it on speaker?"

Chris tapped the screen. "Sir,you've got Melanie and me now." A slow swirl of adrenaline filled hisveins.

Angus cut directly to the chase."This storm has the city under siege between flooding and fire." Heexhaled slowly. "Ben and Jess are on their way in. I need your group andthe rest of Ben's team. The whole damned bunch." The muffled sound of himspeaking to Margo came through. "To save time, Margo's going to callRoberts in. We're asking Roz to be on standby."

A streak of lightning outside litup the room. Melanie had clothes set out for him and she hastily stuffed herlegs into a pair of canvas cargo pants.

Chris gave a nod. "Yeah,that's good. We'll be in as soon as we can get there." Thunder rolled andthe sky lit up again.

Angus ended the call and Jim slidfrom the bed, dragging his shirt from the top of the pile Melanie set out. He yankedit over his head while walking to the window. A torrent of rain slashed againstthe pane and an eerie glow flickered to the east. Must be the fire.

Melanie put her hair up in atopknot. "It's ugly out there, isn't it?" She grabbed two oilskincoats from the closet.

Chris grunted. "Gonna be abitch to get down to HQ." Of all the nights to leave his vehicle at thestation.

Melanie shrugged. "We could gounderground … if it's not flooded." She put another set of clothes into ago bag and started packing one for him.

Chris finished dressing and stuffedhis feet into his boots. "Thanks. You didn't have to do this." But heappreciated her forethought.

Because he had no doubt they'd needthe extra clothes before this crisis ended.

Melanie leaned closer to thewindow. "Instead of going underground, we should take the skywalk. I canalready tell the tunnels will be flooded." Her lips twisted in a grimace."I can't even see the building across the street."

Chris nodded. "Skywalk itis." He zipped his bag and grabbed hers.

Melanie draped the oilskin slickersover her arm. "At least we have access from here. I don't think I'd wantto try and cross any of the roads right now."

They exited the apartment and headedup to the top floor skywalk entrance. Their trek between buildings took on asurreal atmosphere with the lightning flashing and thunder booming the entireway to HQ.

I'm having fun withthis one. It started out as something very simple and took on a life of its own,hence the title change. I have another couple I'm going to feature in the newversion of Just One Moment…

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Jammed In

Whew. Very busyweek and we had crazy weather to top it off. I'm not a fan of the back andforth super warm one day then very chilly the next. Wreaks havoc on my sinuses,which is never fun.

Also had a busywork week with multiple projects in various stages of completion. The sagesalso picked this week to start chattering in my ear, which is excellent becauseI got a lot of writing done. I'm almost finished with two projects and soexcited! Brings me one step closer to getting my new venture launched.

Had a very lightweek of watching television. With so many irons in the fire, TV took a backseat to everything else. I'm honestly in a bit of a weird place with content Iwant to watch. I've been in the mood to binge shows, but I hate to do that whenI have subscriptions to a number of streaming services. Then again, I haven'twatched anything on Netflix in forever and I pay for that monthly. Thankfully, otherfamily members watch a lot of that streamer.

I finished up the VIPepisode from last week and kind of enjoyed the Tasha backstory. I love televisionfrom the late nineties.

Caught another episodeof My Life is Murder. Alexa is growing on me a little. She often grates,which I think is a character trait. Blunt honesty is fine, but there's a crueledge to hers sometimes and I'm not a fan of that in a main character.

Enjoyed another episodeof Agatha Raisin. The cast of characters is so much fun. I love when thesidekicks get in on the action. I kind of pegged the murderer early in this one,but I like being able to pick them out then see how they actually committed thecrime.

Started a newtwo-part Silent Witness. I'm enjoying the slightly different format inthis season, but I miss having the team function as a team together.

Watched another episodeof Death in Paradise. One of my favorites that I got to watch all theway through the first time. I agree with Humph … the genius of the murder kindof blew me away.

Also caught anotherepisode of Battlestar Galactica. The opening eps of season three are so,so good. Actually, the first twelve episodes are pretty terrific. After that,things kind of go slightly sideways, but this show is still one of the bestI've ever watched.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Jammed In, anovella that brings a couple together during an emergency situation.

Here's themini-blurb:

A simple clean up goes awry when a junior officer mixesthe wrong chemicals together, leaving senior officers, Barrie Scott and WalshClinton, to sort the mess out. The two ranking members have to fight theirfeelings when they're forced to double up and share a bunk until thecontaminant is cleared.

And a sneaky peek…

Two hours after Walsh left, Barriehad a good schedule ready for him and headed up toward his office.

The alarm klaxon sounded for achemical spill—a series of low tones in rapid succession.

The overhead communication systemkicked on. "Attention all decks, pass the word. Lieutenant Scott and CaptainClinton report to junior officer quarters." The alert repeated and the klaxoncontinued.

Barrie took on at a dead run."Dammit, Washout." Her gut screamed he'd be behind whatever happened.

The guy could fly like a dream buthis common sense out of the cockpit left a lot to be desired. A chemical spillcould be a nonevent or a major catastrophe. With Ford Callis, aka Washout, involvedshe'd lean toward catastrophic.

She charged down to the juniorpilots' quarters and pushed her way through the growing crowd. "Make ahole, people." She stumbled to a halt beside the drop door.

Sure enough, Washout paced back andforth, his gaze pointed upward as if seeking divine inspiration—orforgiveness—from the universe.

The drop door confirmedcatastrophic. "What did you do, Washout?" She really didn't want toknow.

Callis started to explain, butBarrie caught sight of Walsh and held up a hand. "Hold up. Captain Clintonis making his way through the spectators. No need to explain twice." Shegazed at the black tar-like mess in the bunk room, her nose burning and eyes stingingeven though the six-inch thick, hydraulically sealed hatch did its job keepingthe toxic fumes at bay.

The contamination level gauge stillregistered in the red, but slowly crept down. Judging by the crawl ofprogression, at least another twenty-four hours would be needed before the allclear to unseal the hatch. Who the hell knew how long before they could geteverything back in order for use?

Walsh finally arrived and heaved asigh when he got a look inside the space. Barrie nodded, indicating Washoutcould begin his explanation.

Callis flung an arm out."Look, basically I was busting out the cleaning, but I came in aftersomeone else had already put sealant on the deck." He frowned. "I usedthe Exceliclean, and, well, you can see what happened." He waved a handtoward the window.

Barrie cringed. Geez. He mixed apowerful cleaner with the still-wet sealant, which created the tar-likesubstance covering the deck. To top everything off, the interaction causednoxious fumes that could burn skin on contact, harm nasal passages and lungs,and irritate eyes. All of which created major problems.

Walsh nailed Washout with a hardglare. "Callis, what's the first rule of working with chemicals?"

Ford flushed. "Check the logto see what's been used before." He squirmed under the scrutiny ofeveryone there.

Walsh didn't relent. "And thesecond?" His eyebrows arched.

Callis sighed. "Confirm thereare no hazardous interactions when going with something new?" His faceflushed deep red.

Walsh got up close and personalwith Washout. "Did you follow the rules?"

A round of snorts and laughterfollowed the question.

Washout mumbled his reply."No, sir." His red-rimmed eyes filled with fluid.

Barrie stepped in. "And nowwe've got twelve pilots cut off from their racks and their gear until thecontaminant levels are in the green and the mess can be safely cleaned. Do youknow how hard it is to remove that tar crap?" Not that she had more than apassing knowledge of the difficulty, thank the universe.

Callis sighed again. "I have afeeling I'm going to find out."

Walsh slapped him on the shoulder."You're damned right. But first you're going to the infirmary to getchecked out and cleared for duty." He turned to address everyone."Quarters are off limits. Check the ready room after 1500 to get temporarybunk assignments. Until then, the rec areas and gyms will have to do." Hisvoice rose over the outburst of displeasure. "See the quartermaster forgear and uniforms."

People started to disperse, butBarrie stayed back. Her mind spun, trying to picture how to manage thissituation on top of the update project.

She met Walsh's gaze. "So,what's the plan?" She had no doubt he'd be roped into solving this crisistoo.

Having a lot of funwriting this one. I love having a random catastrophe bring a couple together.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Intimate Bond

And our abovenormal temperatures are over for now. Most of the week ended up being kind ofhot and humid. Friday brought some rain and cooler weather, like a twenty-degreedrop. It definitely feels more like fall.

Busy with workprojects and I'm getting closer to launching the new venture I've been workingon. I'm not quite ready for prime time but I'm getting there. So excited!

Kind of a slow weekfor viewing television. I had some distractions and ended up being focused onother things.

I caught anotherepisode of Agatha Raisin and thoroughly enjoyed it. Agatha might end upgetting her man, but my big question is whether she'll want to hold on aftershe gets him. I kind of like the true to life vibe this show has.

Finished up thesecond part of Silent Witness and actually kind of enjoyed the twistyturns this one took. Also enjoyed seeing Nikki and Matt try to work through abumpy bit.

Caught another episodeof Death in Paradise. I'm somewhere in the middle of whether I like howthe commissioner tries to nose in these early seasons. I love the character andI like how he interacts with the others even if I'm not completely sure if he's100 percent legit sometimes.

Watched another episodeof Only Murders in the Building. Lots of little shout outs to Broadwayin this episode and I liked that. Also loved seeing Oliver's son so concernedabout his dad. Kind of bummed there's a new detective, but holding out hopewe'll see our favorite one later.

Started seasonthree of my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. The opening episode ranksright up there with "33" for being so well done. The next episode is alsostellar. Can't wait to watch it again.

Enjoyed an episodeof The Batman. The Joker returned and wreaked havoc per usual, which is alwaysfun. And Alfred's snark was on point as always.

Watched an episodeof Classic Rugrats. Kind of fun to see some bumps in adjusting to havingDil in the mix. I'll always have a soft spot for the first five seasons becausethose were the ones I watched the most with my oldest kiddo, but I also enjoythe newer seasons because they have a larger dynamic, especially when two morecharacters are added to the mix.

Started another episodeof VIP and should finish it up later today. I forgot how many dreamsequences this show had whether it be sleeping or waking ones. They're alwayskind of odd but fun.

That's pretty itfor the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Intimate Bond, anovella that brings a couple together during a particularly rough time.

Here's theminiblurb:

Lindsay Redd has a big problem with one of her pilots,but when the younger woman goes down in flames, Lindsay can't let go of hergrief. Doyle Ingersoll has to find a way to push Lindsay back into top-gun formand isn't above using sex to make it happen.

And a sneaky peek…

Doyle knew Lindsay's game—even ifshe considered her hunting him down for sex anything but a game.

He stealthily kept watch. He'd drawher out—when the time came. Until then, he'd drop a few subtle truth bombs.

He started by leaving a coffee forher after a long shift. He corralled her after-action reports when she pulledback-to-back shifts. He even replenished her shower kit when he noticed she'drun out of several items.

And he never said a word about anyof it.

Lindsay came strolling into hisoffice and sat down, studying him for several long moments.

Doyle quirked a brow. "If youhave a need for something hot and aggressive, you'd better lock the door."He waited a beat. "And this time say what you want up front." Hedidn't have an issue with being a hard body for her, but he wanted to hear hersay the words.

Her face flushed. "Why?"She arched an eyebrow.

Doyle bit back a sigh."Because I'm game for almost anything but getting caught with my dick outisn't on the list." Something she should know.

She made a growling sound androlled her eyes. "No, I get that part. Why are you doing shit for me?Being nice." Her hand waved back and forth as if that explained anything.

Doyle huffed out a breath."Look, Linds, aside from the sex thing, I'm not doing anything for youthat I wouldn't for anyone else." How did she not understand?

And, okay, maybe he did pay moreattention to her, but why wouldn't he? They'd been friends forever. And hecared about her, dammit.

Lindsay raised her eyebrows."Lurking in the background? That's something you'd do for anyone?" Asmall smirk crossed her face.

Doyle frowned. "If that's whatyou think I'm doing, you haven't figured things out yet." He got up."I have somewhere else to be, but you're welcome to stay as long as youwant." He strolled out, whistling a tune, outwardly showing normalcy.

Inwardly, disappointment threatenedto choke him. And, okay, maybe a twinge of frustration over her still notgetting it. But … he'd give her some space and see if she'd come around.

This story went ina direction I didn't expect, and I love when that happens. Lindsay is a toughnut to crack even if Doyle knows exactly what she needs.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Internal Dialog

Welcome to SpookySeason month! I love October even if we're having unseasonably higher temperatures.Fall is such a fickle season in Ohio, but I'm hoping for an actual cooling downbefore winter snow comes calling.

Super busy workweek with little projects, which actually gave me some time to write andorganize. I'm hoping to launch a new venture in the next couple of weeks andhaving that extra time is helping.

Not a bad week forviewing television. The timing of my work projects overlapped a lot this week,so I didn't get to watch as much.

Watched the firstof a two-parter Silent Witness. This one is very twisty and I'm afraidNikki is headed for heartbreak. I love the premise of the case, though.

Caught another episodeof Death in Paradise. The contrast between Richard and Humphrey is fun.Richard was very tight-lipped and refused to be vulnerable. Humphrey is supervulnerable almost from the word go. He's also much more in tune with people ingeneral.

Started seasonthree of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say, I'm not quite asriveted as I was for the first two seasons, but I love that we get to dive intoOliver's world. We kind of started in Mabel's even if we didn't know that factat first, and season two brought Charles's past into the picture, literally.It's fun to see Oliver interact with the theater crowd.

Watched another episodeof The Batman. Rather enjoyed the take on the puppet master Scarface inthis 'verse. And Alfred setting up Bruce's dating profile always makes me chuckle.

Started season sixof Classic Rugrats. Introducing Dil with two episodes of how life isdifferent was a good choice. Loved Spike saving the day in his episode.

Caught anotherepisode of VIP. Lots of fun and they nailed the trash TV talk-show vibe ofthe late nineties / early aughts.

Started another episodeof My Life Is Murder and I'm enjoying it. Alexa is a tough nut to cracksometimes and I kind of like that. I do get a little annoyed when she's callousand treats others like they're a waste of her time. Hopefully that smooths outat some point.

And that's prettymuch if for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from InternalDialog, a novella that puts the characters on opposite ends of a misunderstanding.

Here's theminiblurb:

Tom Callahan is an excellent soldier who never makesstrategic errors on the job but tends to mess up on the personal front. AbbeyParks is a firecracker who gets things done and rarely takes time to ponder adecision before she leaps. But when she crosses a line she doesn't know exists,she and Tom have to navigate their way back to each other, which isn't easyconsidering they never approach a situation the same way.

And a sneaky peek…

“Nice speech, wasn’tit?”

A brisk step had Abbeycatching up with Tom in short order. A major feat with the premier's welcomeback show complete because the causeways were jammed with people.

Lost in thought, Tomturned at her words, a distracted smile curving his mouth. “Short one. MadamPremier knows when to keep it brief.” He turned back, retreating into his headagain.

So much had happened whilethey were gone, and he still struggled to let it all sink in.

His grandfather had commandagain. The premier had been reinstated. The elusive key had been retrieved.They even found the crypt … complete with a map and direction to go in.

But most of all … Abbey camehome. Her presence made him so happy he didn't know how to deal with it.

Abbey stuck to his sidebut didn't try to speak. Too many people teamed around to have a chat anyway. Whichhe kind of thanked the universe for. He couldn't seem to get his shit together. 

And he still didn’t knowmuch about what she went through on Orion. But it hadn't been good. She seemedto settle right back into routine and had yet to take him up on his offer totalk about anything she might need to discuss.

But something whispered justa little off with her.

Walking beside her now, Tomreally wanted to make her sit and open up. Didn't have to be with him. But …she wouldn’t. Not when they had fallen right back into their usual back andforth as if nothing had gone down before she’d left. Which is probably forthe better… But he should at least explain why he’d had such a bad reactionto the whole Francois thing.

Except he couldn’t … becausehe didn’t exactly know why. But finding out she'd slept with Garnier had pissedhim off even if it shouldn't.

Because I have noclaim on her.

I love writing internalconflict that creates external conflict and Tom and Abbey definitely have both.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Hot Rocks

Our temperaturewarmed up again but didn't get super-hot, so the week ended up being very nice.The leaves are starting to turn and are already falling to the ground. I'm sadthe colors aren't nearly as bright as they used to be.

Had a busy work weekwith lots of potential new projects. I also had some extra time to finish up a fallholiday short story, which makes me so happy! I ended up getting a good chunkof writing done and hope that continues this week.

Ended up with a decentweek of viewing television. I got a little distracted with writing so about onefull round of my current lineup. Not bad all things considered.

Watched twoepisodes of My Life Is Murder. So far, I'm enjoying the series. I feellike I might get a little annoyed with Alexa, but it's early days yet and that mightchange. I do love the supporting characters and how Alexa's backstory isunfolding at a slow drip.

Got almost two episodesof Agatha Raisin watched. I'll be finishing the second one up latertoday. Another show where I love the supporting characters so much. And Agathais a lot of fun.

Finished up thesecond half of Silent Witness, which finished out season twenty-two. Ithoroughly enjoyed Nikki knowing in her gut she hadn't made a mistake and thenfollowing that through to prove it. I was kind of bummed the assistant ended upbeing the reason for the problems. Also loved the additional case of the drug-trialtesting and how that one played out.

Started seasonthree of Death in Paradise. I've watched the episode before, but it's agreat example of how to bring in a new character while giving the original aproper send-off. Looking forward to Humphrey's tenure.

Finished up FantasyIsland's second season. I ended up being fairly pleased with the lack ofextended angst between Elena and Javier. So nice to see Ruby's daughter andfollow that story. The wives' club fantasy ended up being pretty great also. Ifand when the writer and actor strike is over, I'll look forward to a seasonthree if the show is renewed.

Caught anotherepisode of The Batman and it's one I'd forgotten. I like having somedifferent or lesser-known rogue characters. And the Alfred and Bruce interactionsare fun in this series.

Watched a double-headerof Battlestar Galactica with "Lay Down Your Burden," the seasontwo finale episodes. So much to love and so much to not love about these twoepisodes. And I'm still completely amazed with how prescient this series endedup being. It's freaky sometimes.

Enjoyed an episodeof Classic Rugrats, which ended season five and ushered in the firstmovie and baby Dil. I'd completely forgotten about Charles's parents being inthis one. Kind of cool to see them.

Also caught anotherepisode of VIP. It's one I remember from way back in the day and a funone, where Tasha actually give Val kudos. This is an over-the-top wild show butso much fun to watch.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hot Rocks, anovella that brings two characters together under horrible circumstances butalso gets them to face their issues.

Here's the miniblurb:

Ava and Walt are taken by the enemy and subjected totorture. They won't find a better time to examine their long and storied past,right?

And a sneaky peek…

Walt closed his eyes. Bythe cosmos, I didn't miss her sassy mouth. Okay, maybe he did a little.

Walt grimaced. "Asif existing didn't piss him off already?"

Ava's knack for keepinghim on his toes—by questioning everything—might have prevented his headlongrush into attempting too many crazy stunts during the war and counted as themain reason he lived to help rebuild the galaxy. Dammit. She would haveto be the one Woggins caught.

Ava snorted. "Can'targue that point." She hissed out a breath. "Dammit, this metalburns." She shifted her position, which brought his forearms into contactwith the searing metal.

He winced but kept agrunt of pain behind his lips.

He hoped but couldn'tbe certain he got a signal blast out. If he did, he prayed one of their formerplatoon members bothered to check. But … since he had no way of being sure,he'd give the news to Ava straight-up with no chaser.

He shook his head. "No,I'm not stupid. If I keep his focus on me, you might have a chance." Ifthey didn't scorch to death first.

Ava made a rude sound."Right. Because Woggins will suddenly grow half a brain and understand theconcept of mercy." She rattled the frame. "You're not stupid. You'redelusional."

Walt didn't doubt hemight be. "Maybe, but there's a chance—a slight one—and I won't give up untilI know it's a bust. I used an old relay signal and might have got a codedmessage out." And … if only one of their former attack squad got thesignal, they'd come.

Hopefully withreinforcements.

Ava huffed out an angrybreath. "Care to share what's going on in your overly optimisticbrain?" Her lack of faith came through loud and clear.

Before he could reply,Woggins strolled back in.

Walt lowered his voice."Just follow my lead." He might be able to buy some time. "Now,Ava, you know Dim Shade Hollow wasn't our first battle campaign. We were onRotten Ridge, remember? That crazy-narrow ledge on the side of Mount Waller."Getting a platoon with forty soldiers set up and ready for battle on thatnightmare of a cliffside challenged all of them.

Walt would never forgethis first look at Ava, dragging a rail cannon into position then unleashing avolley of explosive rounds on the Axis forces trying to get through themountain passage below. Their squads eventually merged at the end of thecampaign … mainly due to casualties.

Ava made a noise ofacknowledgment. "Ah, yeah. That's right." She paused a moment."First time we kicked the enemy's balls up to their teeth." Shestruck with a verbal barb. "Didn't we, Woggins?" Her head snappedback when Vince slapped her.

He snarled. "Sheerluck gave you red dogs the edge there. It sure as shit wasn't skill." Herattled the frame, making it tilt wildly.

Walt grabbed the hotsteel, wincing against the burning pain. Ava's fingertips grazed his hands,then nudged them off the rack. He flexed his palms, trying to ease thediscomfort.

Vince made a slowcircle around them. "Enough strolling down memory lane. Time to get downto business." He jerked his head toward his two henchmen.

They made quick work ofunhooking Ava and dragging her from the alcove.

Walt closed his eyes."Fuck. So much for buying time."

I'm not completelysure where this story is going. Actually, I know where it's going but how itgets there is the part that's slowly coming together. I'm pretty happy with thedirection so far.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye