M.L. Skye's Blog, page 25

Sunday Snippet: Manifest Legend

I did get my vaccine this past Tuesday and only had mild side effects, for which I'm very grateful. I'm glad it's out of the way and look forward to everyone else getting theirs and finding a new normal.

Had another slower work week and caught up on more writing. It's nice to focus for longer periods when I'm able to. Had a few distractions involving family member health issues but both of those were expected.

Television ended up being fairly decent this week. I finished a new arc of Classic Who and it might be the last one with Sarah Jane Smith. I'm not sure but should find out this week.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. Jack and Amanda finally got married and had some drama prior to the wedding.

Caught the last two episodes of No Offence's first season and, wow, what a great ending. A little twisty and turny but very satisfying. Also caught the deleted scenes and a behind the scenes meeting of the cast and creator. Worth the watch.

Watched a couple episodes of The Muppet Show. Again, I had some great memories of watching as a kid. I'm enjoying diving back into the show.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers but haven't made it very far yet. Looks like a good episode so far.

Caught another episode of Silent Witness. Almost at the end of season nine. This looks like another good two-parter.

Did a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0 and watched a good portion of season nine. I'll have to revisit because I missed some key points, but it's a decent season so far.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Manifest Legend, an introductory bonus read for the Insula Ara universe.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Insula Ara is a mystical island offering sanctuary to those in need, but when she reveals herself for the first time, Cedric Edward Teasdale, former crewman of a privateer, almost blows his chance for refuge … and a reunion with his lost love.

And a sneaky peek…

Ceet rose and strolled down the path to the shoreline. He looked out at the inlet and said a sad farewell to his former mates. They were a good crew and he'd miss them.

A quiet hush fell, all around him, and Ceet shifted his eyes around slowly. An eerie feeling trickled down his spine and he jumped when a loud crack reverberated and a deafening roar burst through the skies. Thunder boomed and lightning danced all around him. Even the trees seemed to scream their fury.

Ceet threw up his arms, fists punching toward the sky. "Now just you calm down! I ain't a going anywhere." He shouted, raising his voice as loud as he could. "We had a deal and I aim to keep my end. Now, stop this nonsense!"

He flung his arms down and the noise ceased. Peace and quiet returned.

"Just like a woman, it is."

Ceet ambled over to the encampment area and built up a fire. Nightfall would come on soon. He'd have to start thinking about building permanent shelter right away.

His eyes scanned the coastline then he turned and looked at the dense foliage behind him. Dusk settled around the island, he wouldn't make much headway tonight. He gathered up the foodstuffs left behind and set about making dinner.

After eating, he secured his camp—more out of habit than concern for safety. He strung a hammock and started to climb onto it when a winking glint caught his eye. Over by a small outcropping of rocks there looked to be something bobbing up and down in the water.

He'd check it in the morning. The day had been long and his body and mind needed rest. Ceet crossed his ankles and lay back in the canvas bed. His eyes closed and he waited for sleep to claim him.

The nocturnal rest eluded him. Even with his eyes shut the blinking was noticeable. It reflected off the large leaves of the trees above him.

With a heavy sigh, Ceet rolled out of the hammock, lit a lantern, and made his way toward the group of rocks. Might as well discover whatever the island wanted him to find. And Ceet knew it was Sanctuary that made the flashing brighter when he tried to sleep.

Getting closer, he realized he'd have to wade into the surf to actually retrieve the object. "You jest couldn't let me get me rest, could ye?" The water was still on the warm side when he went in.

It was also up to his chest by the time he got to the spot. Lantern held high, he checked for creatures before sticking his hand inside the group of rocks. Feeling around he found what the island had for him and pulled the object out to get a better look.

A compass.

Ceet harrumphed. "I've got one of these. I don't need another one, do I?" The device grew warm in his hand. Ceet turned it over and tried to find the source of the heat.

This is a fun origin story to write. Ceet is a great character and very adaptable, which is important to the other books.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Make the Call

Well, I think I get my vaccine this week. I'm actually rather excited they made it to my age range. I'll look forward to being able to be out and about more than I currently am.

Had a slower work week, which ended up being nice to get caught up on some writing and start some new projects that have been waiting in the wings. Also caught some television.

Ended up watching two arcs of Classic Who. I am in season fourteen and but I'm not halfway as I originally thought.

Caught two episodes of No Offence. I'm almost finished with the first season and it's getting really good. I'm thoroughly enjoying this show.

Watched the first part of Silent Witness and started the second. It's actually kind of a creepy episode.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice, which ended up being really good. I'm near the end of the second season and almost ready to start the third.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and it continues a bit from the previous episode. It's getting a little more into the personal lives of the characters.

Also watched several episodes of The Muppet Show. I'm having some seriously fun childhood flashbacks.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gia Pimm has everything she wants, but a reminder from her mother—that Gia will always suffer when good things happen—makes her walk away from Nolan Curry. But when she needs antibiotics, she swallows her pride and makes a call to the man who has them—Nolan.

And a sneaky peek…

Nolan shifted restlessly on his bed, inching closer to a terrific orgasm. "Damn, Junie, you're amazing."

The woman, Junie Bly, sent a quick glance upward but kept her mouth firmly wrapped around his dick. Her hand fondled his balls and her tongue swirled around his shaft. Wouldn't be long now … then he'd return the favor.

Next would be some bunk gymnastics that should leave both sated and spent. If things went really well, by morning they'd have sex in the shower before she disembarked to head back planet side. He rarely deviated from his established routine and he never, ever had the same woman twice. Not since—

The comm unit on the wall beside his bed buzzed. Nolan frowned. No one should be disturbing him. He'd given orders to his XO not to contact him unless the ship caught fire or they were under attack.

He snatched the handset. "What?" Junie surprised him by continuing to suck his dick, which he kind of appreciated.

His XO, Kato MacMillan huffed out a breath. "Sorry to interrupt your quiet time with the flavor du jour, but there's a call you need to take." He emphasized need.

Nolan growled. "This better be important." Sometimes he and Kato didn't define words the same way.

Kato snorted. "I think you'll find it so. Wait one." He didn't give Nolan a chance to reply, which his XO would pay for later.

The line clicked and Nolan opened his mouth to grumble but the voice stopped him cold.

"Nolan?"

Gia. Son of a bitch.

"Yeah." He said nothing else because too many questions bombarded his brain.

She hesitated. "Um, I have a favor to ask and Lila suggested I call you directly." The words left her mouth in a jumble.

Translation. She had no other choice. Sweet irony? Or a bitter victory?

He had no idea. He'd fallen into sensory overload between the lips and tongue working their magic and Gia's voice invoking memories that slammed into his brain, which had his balls drawing upward and pumping his release into Junie's mouth. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning Gia's name.

First, because Junie did the work. Gia only sped up the process and—shit—he didn't know what the hell to do with that fact. Except ignore the fuck out of it.

"Nolan? Nolan?" Gia's voice cut through the static in his brain.

Nolan gripped the receiver harder. "Yeah, what?" He shook his head, clearing the erotic imagery from his mind. "A favor, right? What is it?" He'd be honor bound to provide whatever she wanted, because of Lila's involvement.

Junie sat up, curling into his side. Nolan wrapped an arm around her. He had every intention of seeing to her satisfaction … as soon as he got rid of the intrusion.

Gia briefly explained the situation. "If you could see your way to providing one allotment of antibiotics, it would be helpful." She left off there.

Nolan trailed his fingers over Junie's shoulder and indicated he'd be right back. He couldn't really discuss the matter with another civilian taking up space in his bed where she could overhear everything.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he got up and ducked into his small bathroom. "Just to make sure I have it straight. Lila's basically in a position of needing a back channel to get medication because she can't show preferential treatment for your significant other?" He paused. "Is that the gist?" And, yeah, he twisted the knife a little.

Gia bit out one word. "Yes." She sighed. "Can you help?"

Those three words cost her, he had no doubt.

Raking a hand through his hair, he gave her the answer she needed. "Yeah, I can help. Give me until the morning to requisition the meds and get things smoothed over with the quartermaster. I'll contact central communications when they ship out and they can contact you when they're ready to be picked up." He exited the bathroom and made his way back to his bunk.

Gia sucked in a harsh breath. "Copy that. I mean, okay." She waited one beat. "Nolan, thank you."

He bit back a small grin at her slip-up. "Yeah, I'll be in touch." He ended the call and replaced the handset.

Junie came up behind him. "Everything all right?" Her hands skimmed over his shoulders.

Nolan gave a nod. "Right as rain." He nudged her backward and crawled between her legs. "Where were we?" His head dipped and he pressed a trail of kisses along her thigh.

Junie gave a low moan and draped her calves over his shoulders. Nolan went to work, flicking his tongue over her clit. He'd finish out his session with Junie then arrange for the antibiotics. He planned to deliver them himself.

Because hearing from Gia showed him one untenable thing—he'd never get her out of his system, no matter how many flavors du jour he hooked up with.

And the damn fool woman should have to suffer the way he did. Giving her the meds she wanted, face to face, would likely piss her off and, frankly, he wanted her scathing mad.

This scene ended up being harder to write than I thought it would be. Nolan's in a dark and twisted place and it's hard to keep him there.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Major Issues

Hello, March! It seems weird that a year ago next week, I went out with friends to celebrate birthdays and a week later we started the state shutdown. It's been both the longest and shortest time span between the two. I'm not sure that makes sense, but it's definitely how the last twelve months have been for me. LOL

My middle kiddo, who is actually a grown adult, ended up being admitted to the hospital on Monday. He's got some health issues going on and he's really tired of trips to urgent care, the ED, and various doctors. I'm hoping he eventually gets a solid diagnosis and starts to find some relief soon.

Had another fairly busy week with work. My projects have slowed down a little since last June, which is a blessing and a curse. I like having more time to hit some side projects but I also like to stay busy so I don't lose my groove.

Not a bad week for television. I caught a couple episodes of Silent Witness. Season nine started on such a downer but one of the things I love about British dramas is how they explore the journeys characters take. US television doesn't do that as often.

Watched another episode of No Offence. I'm still enjoying this show. I like the overreaching arc of a serial killer and the case of the week stuff also. Good show.

I caught another episode of Peak Practice. I'm almost finished with the second season and I'm looking forward to easing back into this show on a regular basis.

For fun, I started watching The Muppet Show series. I remember experiencing the original run with my two brothers. It was one show we all agreed on and watched together without fighting. Brings back good memories.

Caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0 and I'm almost at the point where I stopped watching regularly. Not sure if seasons eight through the end will be on, but I'll try to finish out the series.

Finally, caught another arc of Classic Who and started season fourteen. I can't remember how many seasons the fourth doctor had, but I think I'm at the halfway point.

And that's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Major Issues, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ellis Wright, a damn good pilot who works hard at her job, runs into an old nemesis—Major Anton Bernhard—and he tries to put her on the defensive again. But Ellis isn't the same raw cadet from five years ago. This time around she'll bring in her backup—Trey Shuttleworth—if she can convince him the rumor about her affair with the major isn't true.

And a sneaky peek…

"Ellis Wright, lieutenant. Reporting as ordered." Ellis stood at attention in front of the officer's desk.

The officer faced away from her, the tall back of the chair only showing a dark head of hair.

"Lieutenant Wright, I see you're still bucking orders." The seat spun around to reveal none other than Major Anton Bernhard. "Looks like you didn't learn anything from our previous association." He tapped a stack of folders—her fit reps—on the desk.

Ellis swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. Her worst damned nightmare back to haunt her life. She wouldn't sit back and comply this time.

Staying rigidly formal in her stance, she kept her tone respectful. "I learned you're the worst kind of officer, sir. The type that abuses their rank, power, and subordinates." She gave him a sweet smile even though her blood pressure soared.

Bernhard smirked. "Hard to prove though. Especially when you're caught trying to fudge the stats."

A blatant lie, which he knew then and now.

Ellis snapped. "I earned those numbers. The right way. But you tried to take it away." And she'd been stupid enough to let him.

Major Bernhard shrugged. "You were an easy mark. You wanted to get out of Delphius so badly you believed me." He got up and came around the desk to stand almost toe-to-toe with her.

Ellis got up in his face. "Damn straight I wanted out. And you thought you'd stop it from happening." She fought hard not to revert back to the terrified cadet she'd been then.

Bernhard shook his head. "Here's the thing. I couldn't have even if I followed through. Your scores were so damned good, they'd have busted me back down to ensign before they'd let you get away." He smirked again. "The fact you fell for the ruse made my victory over you all the sweeter."

Ellis wanted to punch him in the face. "Well, good for you. But I'm a hell of a lot smarter now."

He waved her fit rep back and forth. "Doesn't look like it. Admiral Cain doesn't appreciate officers who buck the system. I can make sure she doesn't find out." His suggestive tone slithered down her spine.

Ellis snorted. "Right. What do you want this time? Something tells me a blowjob isn't gonna do it for you."

Bernhard sneered. "You assume correctly, Lieutenant." He cocked his head and frankly appraised her. "Nothing less than access to your entire body will prevent me from going to the admiral with what I know."

Ellis briefly considered her answer. "I don't think so, Major." She moved to stand toe to toe with the superior officer. "I'm in a relationship." The irony of those words hit hard.

I'm having fun with this one. I'm liking how Ellis is keeping her confidence with the major even if she's still flying by the seat of her pants.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Luck Runs Out

The shortest month went by really fast. I can't believe we're headed for March again. It's been such a weird year and I'm actually kind of blown away that it feels like the last twelve months have flown by yet also seemed to last a decade. Seriously.

Had a somewhat busy work week and didn't get a lot of television watched. But I got a few things viewed. Started with Silent Witness and finished up the first episode of season nine.

I actually got two arcs of Classic Who watched. I think I'm almost finished with season thirteen. I like this season. There have been some interesting episodes and I love Elisabeth Sladen a lot.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I had to do some downloading with the IMDBTV app to get back into this one. That's what happens when I take a longish break.

As usual, I caught my mystery shows on Ovation and some Classic Perry Mason. Also caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I'm hoping to see the last two seasons at some point.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Luck Runs Out, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Domino Montgomery and Webb Wellesley are totally different personally and professionally, but they work seamlessly together. When they land an off world transport assignment, they have to babysit a condemned prisoner and deal with an impish captain who's hiding a wee bit of a secret of his own.

And a sneaky peek…

Domino Montgomery loved her job with the Inter-Stellar Emergency Services Unit. Based out of Queen City, Mars, her work could take her to a penthouse at the top of a skyscraper or down to the tent squats where communal living took on a whole new meaning. Sometimes she even went off planet, when the ISP needed an assist.

Seeing such a broad spectrum of life always held Domino's interest, especially since she grew up around it. "I mean half my family works in the care-giving sector." Domino used to wonder if the thrill and adrenaline rush would taper off or she'd experience burnout. "But I haven't."

Nothing got her juices flowing faster than hearing the tones drop from central dispatch when a call came in. Hell, she'd been almost seven before she realized most normal people ran from burning buildings and the wail of sirens instead of toward them.

"Then again, normal depends on the way a person defines the word." Domino prided herself on not fitting the mold for the standard description. "Who wants to be the same as everyone else?" She sure as hell didn't.

In fact, she'd just returned from an out-packing trip to Mars's equator. The guys on station thought her plan to spend two weeks trekking around and transporting to and from the location in a stripped-out military plane completely insane. Whatever. Domino learned at an early age to enjoy downtime and live life. To the very fullest if possible.

Hence the reason she took her allocation each quarter and found something fun, exciting, and different to experience. "Even if one particular person tries to shit all over my party." Namely Webb Wellesley.

He'd blinked in surprise when he heard her plans. "Do you have a death wish? The equator is half a planet away from here. What if you get stranded?" He'd looked to the other guys, seeking backup.

They all shook their heads. The general consensus being she could do whatever she wanted on her vacation—even if it sounded really out there. Kind of standard for Domino.

And, hey, she made it back with time to spare.

Entering the station, she greeted two of her coworkers and made a beeline for her room, stopping short when she got there. "Oh, hell, no. This will notdo." The space had been cleaned to within an inch of its life and the sickly, disgusting green carpet made Domino want to heave.

She dumped her bag and crossed over to the small dresser along the windowless wall, pulling open drawers and flinging clothes out.

Her captain poked his head inside the room. "Montgomery, welcome back." He stepped in and his lips twitched but he said nothing. "Go check your gear. You're up for a prison transport drop run but you'll need to sign off on the equipment first." He started toward the door. "I'll send your ride-along partner to get you for the briefing." He didn't wait for a response.

Domino frowned but grabbed her rucksack and headed out to do as ordered. A prisoner transport should be straightforward. Why did they need a briefing?

This one is going in a direction I didn't expect and the captain isn't playing as much of a role as I thought he would. I love it when the sages throw me curveballs. LOL

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Lover's Lament

What a week. I spent a lot of time texting family and friends in Texas to make sure they were making it through their worst deep freeze ever. Even my brother, who lived in Ohio for most of his life, had a tough time. He's in the Dallas area and, so far, has had two pipes burst. Here's hoping that's the worst of the damage.

Television ended up being pretty light this week. I caught another episode of No Offence, which I'm enjoying a lot.

Also finished up the final episode of Silent Witnessfor season eight. I'll be moving on to season nine this week.

I've heard some good things about Riverdale, so I should probably finish up what I have to watch and get started on the new season.

Weirdly, the sages have been feeding me a ton of new story ideas, which I love, but I also have a massive amount of WIPs that need to be finished. I need to have a sit-down chat with those pesky imps.

Tonight's post is from Lover's Lament, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Taryn Untied and Holmes Selari, two soldiers under a constant stream of pressure, start making mistakes due to lack of any kind of down time. Their superior officer finally orders them to take R&R on the Lover's Lament and promises to conveniently forget their location if anything else goes wrong. Thirty-six hours of alone time should clear up their cranky attitudes.

And a sneaky peek…

"Why the hell isn't my bird ready to go?" Taryn Untied stalked across the hangar deck and snagged the arm of a deckhand. "The retrofit should've been done four hours ago." Why didn't anything go right anymore?

Gee, maybe because everyone took stupid pills for breakfast.

The crewman, Janty Combs, pulled away from Taryn's grasp. "What retrofit, sir?" She grabbed the clipboard and ran her finger down the list of planes. "There's nothing listed here." Her gaze met Taryn's. "Did you check it on the post-flight report?"

Taryn had no idea if she had or not. She'd been lucky to get the craft landed after pulling a double shift rotation.

The deck chief nosed into the conversation. "Is there a problem here, lieutenant?"

Taryn snapped her gaze to his. "Yeah, chief. My bird is down and I'm due back out on the next shift." Her head spun at the thought. "Wanna tell me why the part didn't get installed?"

The chief, Robbie Newman, gave her a smug look. "I'm pretty sure it's because you didn't check the little ticky box to let us know it needed to be done."

Taryn did a slow five count. "Bullshit. Even if I didn't make the note, the stripped piece is noticeable. Anyone with a pair of eyeballs can see it right there in the open." She shouldn't have to explain any of this.

Robbie folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe so, lieutenant, but we have twenty-seven birds on the hangar deck right now."

Taryn snorted. "So what? Checks and balances, chief. The post-flight report isn't the be all end all of anything. It's your job to go over them between launches. The checklist is only a guide meant to help you out." She couldn't and shouldn't have to do everything.

Right, as if that makes a damn bit of difference.

Newman flung his arm out. "We've been a little busy, sir. In case you hadn't noticed." His voice lowered to an angry hiss.

Taryn resisted the urge to punch Robbie in the face. "Not a good comeback, chief. You should've caught it. Talk to me about busy when you're pulling back-to-back shifts on four hours of sleep. Until then, the whole deck crew can kiss my ass and fix my damn plane." But not in time for her to fly it. "Whose plane is available?"

The chief glanced at the ready board. "Tandem's is closest to the launch tube." His lips twitched.

Taryn closed her eyes. "Great." George Tandem always left his cockpit smelling like the putrid cologne he splashed on before every shift.

Robbie laughed and shook his head. "You asked. I answered."

Taryn gave him a level look. "I'm going to kill you in your sleep." If she didn't die from the overpowering scent of eau de George and utter exhaustion first.

I'm having a fun time writing this one. Taryn is about to flip out but help is on the way.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Lottery

Happy Valentine's to those who celebrate. We're supposed to get blasted with more snow but I definitely won't gripe about it because I have family and friends in Texas that will no doubt have it so much worse.

Semi-busy week again with a new work project. Things are picking up a little and I'm grateful and happy to have work still coming in.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and have a feeling it's going to be an interesting one. I love getting slice of life glimpses into the town and how it operates.

I finished up the first part of Silent Witness's last two episodes of season eight. I'll be starting the second part this week. Then it's off to season nine.

Caught another episode of No Offence and I'm still liking the show. I'm not a big comedy fan, which is probably evident in my weekly recaps, but I will give dramedies a shot. Glad I stuck with this one.

New seasons are starting of show I normally watch but I'm so far behind. I haven't been in the mood or the right headspace to really absorb some of them. Maybe I'll get there during the blizzard that's supposed to be headed our way.

I also caught my usual fare of mystery shows this week, but that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from The Lottery, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A devastating illness tears through a space colony and repopulation is paramount for continued survival. Veronica Fine and Garrett Delroy think they'll be exempt from the lottery which will match up prime candidates for procreation, but word comes down all members of the colony have to participate, even members of the military. When they're matched up, both suspect some behind the scenes maneuvering from the planetary leader.

And a sneaky peek…

Veronica nodded. "Damn straight. And that opens up a barrage of other issues. Who's going to babysit? Shit, parent, whatever? Neither of us has plans to muster out. What do we do with a kid?" Geez, her brain spun with questions.

Michael held up a hand. "Valid concerns, but I'm not the man with the answers here." His frown said more than his words.

Of course not. Only one person had the master plan. Veronica narrowed her eyes, wondering if the commandant and the chancellor's personal lives would end up in the deep freeze because of this lame idea.

Garrett pushed back at his dad. "What about the logistics? Did the chancellor give any thought to those? How do we maintain a duty roster when officers are tied up either trying to create life or care for it once it arrives?" He paced back and forth.

Again, Michael shook his head. "Look, I don't disagree. Why don't you two go straight to the source of concern for answers?" One side of his mouth twisted.

Veronica no longer wondered if things had cooled between the commandant and the chancellor anymore. They had. No doubt about it.

Veronica snorted. "Wanna bet she won't have time to see us before we're supposed to report to the GCB?" And wouldn't that put another wrinkle on top everything.

Garrett growled. "Screw that. I don't think she checked the charter articles before she issued those orders. Unless we're at war, she can't make us report anywhere with only twenty-fours' notice." He stopped walking and almost started on another tirade.

Michael stepped in. "She'll see you. I'll make sure of it." The low snarl in his tone indicated he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Veronica slid Garrett a sideways glance. They might not accomplish anything by listing their grievances with the chancellor. But they had to try, right?

Garrett nodded. "Thanks, Dad. Can't really ask for more."

Veronica hoped to lighten the mood. "Well, we could … but we won't." She sent the commandant a wobbly smile.

Michael pushed away from the desk. "I haven't said it yet, but I'm happy for you two." He came around and put an arm around each of them.

Veronica appreciated the gesture. Their change in status came at a weird and chaotic time. The old man's acceptance meant a lot.

Garrett and Veronica accepted the congratulations but Veronica hoped their relationship wouldn't become a casualty of the population mandate.

We can survive this, right?

I'm having a lot of fun with the premise of this story. I like having a couple who pretty much just discovered they want to make a go of things then have a huge curveball thrown at them.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Losing the Light

So far, February has been cold and snowy in Ohio. Not a complaint or anything. It's been a while since we've had snow that stuck around for longer than a day or two.

Had a fairly busy work week but I did manage to get a couple of shows watched. I started with the last two episodes of Queens of Mysteryand also caught the behind the scenes and easter egg specials. I'm looking forward to another season of this show if they decide to go ahead.

I started another episode of Silent Witness and should finish it up over the next day or so. This two-parter will round out the eighth season and I'll start nine in the near future.

Caught the first episode of a new-to-me series, No Offence. Set in Manchester, I really liked the first episode. It's a bit of a dramedy which isn't usually my cuppa but I'll give this one a solid shot.

Also got another episode of Blue Heelers almost finished. This had a fun crop circle thing going on to offset a tragedy. The only thing left is the reveal of who committed a murder.

Caught my usual Ovation mysteries also. And I found a channel that's showing Poltergeist: The Legacy, which I loved when it originally aired. I really miss old-school Syfy channel sometimes. The current incarnation annoys me to the point I can't really watch it anymore. I think the freak of the week movies really ruined the entire channel for me.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Walker Garrett always does the right thing—except when it comes to Barret Danks. Barret never listens when she doesn't want to hear what's said, but Walker's ultimatum has her accepting a post on a newly terraformed planet. With him in the air and her on the ground, working out their issues doesn't seem likely … until Walker gets a call to meet with Barret's boss.

And a sneaky peek…

"How long do you think it will take for the unrest to settle down?" Barret Danks dropped down beside her current, but unpublicized, better half, Walker Garrett.

He glanced up from the pile of reports he reviewed. "With the political nature? Probably the standard two or three years." He set the files aside and brought her legs up onto his lap.

Barret flicked her gaze toward the hatch. "Is this a good idea?" They hadn't gone public about their status.

Walker shrugged. "If we're going to be here for a while, people will figure it out." His tone implied they probably had already.

His hands wrapped around one of her feet and massaged, his fingers digging into the arch. Any concern about being caught in a compromising position dissolved.

Barret groaned. "I swear you have magic in your fingers." And other parts of his anatomy.

He grinned. "It's why you keep me around, right." He used his knuckles to work over a knot.

She did what he expected and laughed, but the comment jabbed a little. To date, their relationship hovered somewhere between casual friends with benefits and exclusive almost long-term. Seriously, after working together as long as they had, he'd become her best friend. She never wanted to lose that.

She nudged her other foot closer. "You're good for lots of things but foot massages rank pretty high on the list." She grinned when he took the hint and started rubbing again.

She turned her attention to the reason they were orbiting a newly terraformed planet. The shaky political situation had the entire ship talking. Nothing like the threat of failure to make tongues wag.

Barret shifted to a sitting position. "We're going to be doing a lot of policing aren't we?" They probably wouldn't be able to help doing so.

Walker nodded. "Maybe at first. But the electoral delegates should set up a law enforcement faction within the first six months. After that, the military hangs back and usually manages engineering projects on a large scale until the infrastructure is up and running." He got up to file the reports he'd been viewing earlier.

Barret waited until he settled back beside her. "Ugh, makes my head ache." She shifted her position and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd rather eat gears than deal with all the intrigue and craziness on the planet." She had better plans for her time with Walker tonight.

He got up and held out his hand. "Sounds like you need my magic fingers somewhere else." He wagged his eyebrows.

Barret grasped his palm. "Damn, you take hints really well." They made their way to their favorite hookup spot—the training room on the lowest deck.

Barret had her shirt off and her pants halfway down before Walker had the hatch secure. When he turned, she crooked her finger and let her fatigues hit the floor. He yanked his shirt over his head and popped the button on his pants. Barret stepped away from her clothes and laughed when Walker stalked after her.

He caught up and hauled her close to his chest. "Are you aiming to misbehave?" His voice went low and smoky.

She tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "Don't I always?" Dragging her tongue along his jawline, she nipped at his lower lip.

Walker growled and caught her face between his hands "You're a wicked woman, Barret." He leaned in close.

She grinned." I know. It's one of the things you love most about me."

At least she liked to think so.

This story took a few turns I didn't expect and I'm excited to see what else the sages throw my way.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Lockdown

With January coming to a close, the first month of the year is in the books. Oddly, I have a good feeling about 2021. I hope I'm right and the year is terrific for everyone.

Ended up with a full slate of work projects this week and I welcomed them with open arms. But they kept me pretty busy so I didn't get a lot of television watched.

I did finish up the second part of the racing episode of Silent Witness. Ended up being very twisty and turny.

I caught a full arc of Classic Who and I'm about halfway through the thirteenth series. I think I like the previous season better than this one so far.

Started a new Queens of Mystery episode and I'm still enjoying this series. I hope they end up doing another one. It's a lot of fun.

As always, I caught the usual mysteries on Ovation and some additional classic episodes of Perry Mason.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tod Langkowski and Mitzi Stahl are trapped when a power outage aboard their ship locks them in the training area. The commander and his CAG have a unique opportunity to examine their relationship—and where it should go—with zero interruptions.

And a sneaky peek…

Colonel Tod Langkowski answered when his XO's name flashed on his holo screen. "Major, what's the good word today?" He shuffled through his memos, pulling one from engineering, which she probably wanted to discuss.

Belinda got directly to her point, as she always did. "Did you review the issues we're having with the power conduits?" She didn't wait for confirmation she didn't need. "They're evaluating the problem and should have a sitrep soon."

Tod nodded. "Good. Keep me in the loop." He flagged the communiqué and set it aside. "Anything else?" He assumed there would be when she didn't end the conference.

Belinda gave a brief shrug. "We've got a bit of a Mitzi problem."

Okay, when didn't they? His CAG rarely did anything by the book and she always skated on the edge of standard operating procedure, but she ran tight-knit squadrons and got results. Tod let a lot slide with Mitzi because he'd known her forever—their dad's usually ended up stationed on the same base.

Sitting back, he gave his full attention to his XO. "Is this a general Mitzi problem or a CAG and XO problem?" The two women hadn't found a comfortable groove yet.

Belinda gave him a pointed stare, indicating the former.

Tod sighed. "What happened this time?" He didn't ask who held the blame because his CAG and XO usually split it right down the middle.

He'd never understand why the two women rubbed each other the wrong way. Actually, he totally got why they did, but convincing them would be impossible.

Belinda shrugged. "She left here with blood in her eye and I'm not the person to handle her this time."

He narrowed his gaze at the qualifier but didn't dive into her reason for making it. "Okay, anything I need to know?"

Belinda glanced away, a sure indicator she'd been pushing Mitzi's buttons. "Not really. Just thought you might like to remind her she has an example to set now that she's moved up to being the CAG."

Tod bit back another sigh. Mitzi didn't need an instruction manual—she'd been around the military structure her entire life—but she often pushed against boundaries, which drove his by-the-book XO bonkers. Belinda lived and breathed regulations, unless it suited her not to.

He gave a nod. "Fine. Any idea where she went?" He'd rather not search the entire ship.

Belinda snorted. "She something about pounding a heavy bag. The gym, maybe?" Another line buzzed and Belinda checked the screen. "Gotta take this. It's engineering."

Tod inclined his chin. "Let me know if you need me." He signed off the video screen and pushed away from his desk. "If Mitzi's pissed off, she wouldn't go anywhere there might be people."

That meant she didn't go to the main gym on c-deck. But Tod had a solid idea where she'd be. They had a smaller gym on d-deck tucked between two small arms lockers and across from the target range.

He pushed away from his desk and crossed his quarters. "Guess that's where I'm headed."

This story is a lot of fun. The XO is being a little sneaky and the weird stuff happening with engineering ends up helping her out.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Living with Scars

Wow, January is almost over and it's been a month. I'm cautiously optimistic the year will get better and crossing my fingers to be on the safe side.

Had a semi-busy week with work and I'm still on my cleaning spree. I did get some television watched. Started with another arc of Classic Who and watched the four-part Pyramids of Mars. Will probably get another arc in this week.

Started the next two episodes of Silent Witness. Oddly enough, it featured a horse race and I just finished editing a book about a thoroughbred dynasty so I understood a lot of the jargon.

Also started a new episode of Blue Heelers. There's another new cast member and I'll reserve judgment on whether I like her or not.

As usual, I caught a bunch of the Ovation mysteries and some classic Perry Mason. I also caught a marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I might be somewhat over the loss of Chin and Kono and ready to watch the final seasons. We'll see.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Living with Scars, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Britta Dane, a woman who avoids entanglements, lets Yale Sullivan get a little too close. But when she finds a way to put some distance between them, she lands behind enemy lines. When she finally returns, a little broken and torn up with guilt, she has to find a way to get her brand of normal back.

And a sneaky peek…

Shit. He would ask the question, wouldn't he? The urge to run hit Britta hard, but she resisted … barely. She might as well answer … with truth. Even if the thought terrified her, she didn't have much left to lose.

She sucked in a deep breath and jumped in. "Because you scare me. No, we, scares me." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "At least it did."

Yale lifted a brow. "Not anymore?"

She almost wanted to hug him for not just going with her and only asking a simple question.

One she could kinda answer. "Not as much." In her usual roundabout way.

Yale pressed, but only lightly. "What changed?"

She sighed and stayed quiet for a minute, trying to form her reply. "The whole time I was gone you were there. In my head. At first I tried to ignore you. But that didn't work." She shot him a narrow-eyed look. "You can be very loud and obnoxious, even in my imagination."

He snorted but didn't respond.

She worried her lower lip. The next part could make or break how they continued forward. But she wouldn't hold anything else back.

She glanced away then forced herself to look him in the eye. "Then I tried to drive you out by using Shep." She didn't have to give the details. Yale knew her extremely well.

He didn't react. Okay, his jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything. And why would he? He had every right to shut down on her before completely losing it. She'd just proven his point that she used sex to run away or attempt to make everything okay.

Well, the joke ended up being on her.

She lowered her gaze, staring at her hands, twisting her lap. Because it didn't work. Never did. She sorta got that now.

She waited for the explosion. When Yale didn't get up and stalk out with a well-deserved 'Told you so', she decided to continue.

Raising her gaze to his, she shrugged. "As you already know, the deal with Shep didn't turn out well."

Yale leaned forward. "Wait. Are you saying he was the one—" He broke off, unable to give voice to his suspicion.

Britta didn't have that problem. "Who turned me over to the enemy because we had a less than stellar tumble in the sack?" She shrugged again. "You betcha. But who knows? Maybe he tried to use me the way I used him." She left out the part where she called out Yale's name in the throes of passion. "Would serve me right if he did."

Yale snarled. "Stop it. Right now." He shook his head. "You didn't dump him outside an enemy outpost and leave him for dead. He had to know what they'd do to you."

"Maybe." She got up. "But you called it. You warned me that playing fast and loose with someone's feelings would bite me in the ass." She turned back toward him. "You were right." She crossed the office, feeling caged up … like she always did when she had to talk about that period of time.

Yale got up and chased her down. "And what? You think that makes me happy?" He grabbed her arm. "Christ, Britta. Nothing could be further from the truth." He let go of her. "So it's on me then? You're off the rails and it's my fault?" He stalked back toward the couch, clearly pissed off.

Which, honestly, confused the hell out of her. "What?" She followed him across the room. "No." How did he come up with she blamed him?

He flung a hand out. "So the crazy stunts, binge drinking, and utter lack of giving a shit about yourself is what? Jolly fun times?"

Britta sat back down. "I don't know what it is. I really don't."

"You gotta figure it out, Britt. Find a way to get okay."

She frowned. "Why? So I can go out there and fight with a clear head? Not gonna happen. Besides, I don't need a clear head to pull the trigger."

Yale sighed. "You're so wrong. But I'm done trying to convince you. You wanna kill yourself, nothing I can do about it. But I won't let you be responsible for killing someone else. You're grounded until you work this shit out."

She jumped up, ready to battle. "You son of a bitch." Quickly realized he wouldn't budge. "Fine. I'll get a transfer to a ground unit. I'm sure they can use the help."

"You can try. But I don't think the XO is gonna be so willing to sign off on your request this time. Even he sees the damage you're doing."

She paced back and forth. "You think you can do this? Because you think I have a problem." She tilted her head sideways. "Or does this all boil down to the fact we didn't have mind-blowing sex like you thought we would?" She gave him a nasty look. "It'll never happen now."

Yale's lips twisted. "I know." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And the fact you think it makes a difference speaks volumes about how twisted up you are." He leveled his gaze on her. "I'm not that guy, Britt. I never will be."

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. What the hell could she say? She actually already knew he'd never be that guy. And she sucked major balls for implying differently.

Yale gave her a look full of disappointment. "You're dismissed. See the chief on your way out. He'll put you on the schedule for maintenance shifts." He added quietly. "Quit the drinking, make the morning briefings, and I'll get you back on rotation."

Britta nodded and slowly made her way to the hatch. She had a lot to think about.

This story is all over the place but it's finally starting to come together. The sages like to deliver ideas in small bits but I'm having fun with the pieces.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: A Little More

Okay, I've been on a cleaning spree again, which means I had a somewhat slow week with television. I haven't been in the mood and my attention span is limited right now.

I did get a new episode of Blue Heelers started. It's an interesting one and I'm enjoying it.

I also finished up the final chapter of the second episode of Queens of Mystery. I really like this show.

Caught the second part of a Silent Witness episode and quite liked the mystery this time. I also enjoyed getting to see the transition from Sam to Leo as professor. I've never seen how they handled that.

Other than my usual slate of Classic Perry Mason and The Saint along with the Ovation shows, I haven't caught much else. Ovation has a new-to-me show called King and I've seen a few of the episodes. Not bad. I'll see if my opinion holds.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lexie Krost and Tighe Milligan work and live together—and a little more—on a remote base in the depths of space. They shouldn't act on their attraction, but the pull is strong and once they've crossed the line they have to figure out how to be a little less.

And a sneaky peek…

Tighe Milligan dragged his butt down the corridor to quarters. "Ugh. No more double shifts—at least not for a while." He'd pulled the back-to-back shifts to help out a friend who wanted to ship out early for his new post. "Right now, I want nothing more than a shower and some rack time." He didn't bother grabbing clothes. "Heh, I'll probably have the head to myself." Not to mention the corridors.

Damned spooky and eerily quiet. Who knew an almost empty starbase could be creepy. Okay, everyone knew that.

He ducked into the head and started a shower then stepped under when the spray warmed. "Fourteen people and two command officers rambling around on a starbase." By the time they finished the shutdown, they'd all be in each other's pockets if only to avoid the vast feeling of loneliness.

He lathered up and rinsed off then took some extra time to let the hot water work out some of the kinks from eight hours in the cockpit. "At least we've got a decent group remaining." The CO, Colonel Barrick Klemper made sure he kept a crew that got along.

Tighe chuckled. "That's the only reason Lexie's still here." She made Klemper lose his mind on a semi-regular basis.

Lexie. Man. He attempted a test run with her, primed the launch tube but flamed out. Hell, every guy on station had tried their luck with her. Gorgeous looks combined with a wild sense of humor and high intelligence made her extremely attractive. She shot everyone down.

Tighe laughed. "She didn't need any help trying Klemper's patience by adding breaking frat regs to her list of annoyances." Grabbing a towel, he dried off.

Turning him down didn't keep her from flirting up a storm. And they'd developed a friendly rivalry. One he'd miss like crazy when they finished the station shutdown.

With a towel around his waist, he headed for quarters. "Day before laundry day and one pair of socks left. I can't wait to put them on." The deck always made him chilly when he went barefoot.

Ducking into the bunkroom, he grabbed his clothes from his locker. "Dammit." One of his socks had gone missing.

A quick search turned up nothing.

"Lexie."

Damn fool woman. He didn't doubt she'd taken the match to his pair. He should've expected the theft. She'd been too quiet lately. And with Colonel Klemper off base, she didn't have anyone else to drive insane with her antics.

"Figures, she passed the torch to me."

The fact he read her moves so well probably didn't count as a good thing. He spent a little too much time observing her antics in action. She had such a creative mind.

But … she'd called it. While tempting to act on the attraction, with so few crew left everyone would know. But … he'd use whatever means necessary. He had to get his sock back.

Yanking on a T-shirt and boxers—and one damn sock—he took off to find his thief.

I'm having so much fun writing this one. Lexie and Tighe are a great couple and I love their dynamic.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye