M.L. Skye's Blog, page 38
September 30, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Stripped to the Skin
Wow, September flew by. Now that we're into fall the days always seem to go faster, probably because they're shorter and the activities tend to be jam-packed. I love the fall season so I hope I remember to take time to enjoy it.
As usual, the week got stuffed full of last-minute projects, but I did get some good viewing in. I caught The Last Ship on Monday because my brain needed time to recover from homecoming. LOL An excellent episode by the way.
I binge-watched classic Hawaii Five-0 most of the day on Sunday and it helped soothe my garbled mind. Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and I'm almost through the season. I think I still have about seven more to watch.
Got in another episode of Babylon 5 along with The Sarah Conner Chronicles. To keep with the sci-fi theme, I also watched episodes of Birds of Prey and Lexx. Rounded the week out with Pensacola Wings of Gold and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
Caught an all-day marathon of The Garage Sale Mysteries, too.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Stripped to the Skin, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of rewriting a scene from your favorite show but give it a twist. I chose to write one from Battlestar Galactica and instead of oxygen deprivation I went with a malfunction that made the temperature rise.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Kaley Pick and Dax Christopher are trapped in an isolation chamber when a ship-wide power outage occurs. The temperature rises and they have to strip to the skin—a perfect time to consummate their growing attraction—except they're not alone. A junior officer is stuck with them and he's not dealing well with the heat.
And a sneaky peek…
Kaley Pick paced the small confines of the isolation area. "Figures one of you asshats brought some kind of contaminant back with you." She didn't like downtime with nothing to do.Dax Christopher quirked a brow. "So you're sure it wasn't you that stepped in something nasty then?" He propped a shoulder against the wall and let his gaze track her progress.Stupid man.The third member of their team, Brad Robinette, added his two cents. "Yeah, Lieutenant, what makes you so sure?" He didn't move from his spot on the tiny sleeping berth against the wall."Shut up, Bird Dog." Kaley spoke in unison with Dax.Robinette rolled his eyes. "Sucks being an ensign to two lieutenants." He swiped a hand over his forehead and pulled his t-shirt away from his body, fanning himself.Dax moved to sit on the small bench beside the table where they ate their meals. "What's got you all hyped up? We've only got three more hours left in iso." He leaned forward, placing his forearms on the metal top.Kaley stopped pacing. "You know I hate being confined with nothing to do." She started walking again. "Gives me too much time to think." Which never worked out well for her.Dax couldn't disagree. "Yeah, okay. But you don't have to get twitchy. It's almost over."Kaley loved the fact he'd totally call her on being jumpy but understand why.She snorted. "That's exactly why I'm twitchy." And feeling flushed.Robinette cut in. "Is it me or is it really hot in here?" He got up and went to the door. "Seriously, I'm sweating buckets." His face pressed against the small glass window, but it didn't seem to help.Kaley didn't like the way Bird Dog looked. His hair stuck to his skin, his soaked shirt clung to his body, and his breathing had gone shallow. Dammit! Dax got up and met Kaley at Robinette's side.He nodded toward the comm unit. "Try to get in touch with someone." He led Brad to the berth and got him settled. "It is hotter than a sauna in here." He snagged a bottle of water, one of their last ones, and gave it to Robinette.Kaley picked up the handset. "It's dead. No tone." She hung up and looked out the window.The observation area appeared to be deserted. Shit. Of course everyone would be scarce when they actually needed someone.Dax came over to her side and looked out the window. "Looks like the outer door is closed." Meaning no risk of contaminating anyone by leaving before the allotted time. "Let's go out and try the comms." He tried the hatch and it wouldn't budge. "Dammit, it's jammed." He had sweat dripping from his face.So did Kaley. Sweat on her face, dripping down her back, and between her breasts. Ugh. How did she miss the rise in temperature?Because she thought her anxiety caused the perspiration. And it skyrocketed with the current hatch situation.She pushed Dax aside. "Let me take a look." She pulled the panel to the inner mechanisms. "Dax, it's not jammed. It's autolocked." Well, crap.Dax peered over her shoulder. "Which means malfunction. Perfect."Kaley sighed and put her head against the hatch. "What a time for the ship's systems to go haywire." A thud hitting the floor drew her attention.Robinette lay sprawled on the floor beside the berth.Perfect.
I love to take a scene and turn it on its side or spin it around. Dax and Kaley are fun to write and I love adding little beats between them on the page.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
As usual, the week got stuffed full of last-minute projects, but I did get some good viewing in. I caught The Last Ship on Monday because my brain needed time to recover from homecoming. LOL An excellent episode by the way.
I binge-watched classic Hawaii Five-0 most of the day on Sunday and it helped soothe my garbled mind. Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and I'm almost through the season. I think I still have about seven more to watch.
Got in another episode of Babylon 5 along with The Sarah Conner Chronicles. To keep with the sci-fi theme, I also watched episodes of Birds of Prey and Lexx. Rounded the week out with Pensacola Wings of Gold and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
Caught an all-day marathon of The Garage Sale Mysteries, too.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Stripped to the Skin, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of rewriting a scene from your favorite show but give it a twist. I chose to write one from Battlestar Galactica and instead of oxygen deprivation I went with a malfunction that made the temperature rise.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Kaley Pick and Dax Christopher are trapped in an isolation chamber when a ship-wide power outage occurs. The temperature rises and they have to strip to the skin—a perfect time to consummate their growing attraction—except they're not alone. A junior officer is stuck with them and he's not dealing well with the heat.
And a sneaky peek…
Kaley Pick paced the small confines of the isolation area. "Figures one of you asshats brought some kind of contaminant back with you." She didn't like downtime with nothing to do.Dax Christopher quirked a brow. "So you're sure it wasn't you that stepped in something nasty then?" He propped a shoulder against the wall and let his gaze track her progress.Stupid man.The third member of their team, Brad Robinette, added his two cents. "Yeah, Lieutenant, what makes you so sure?" He didn't move from his spot on the tiny sleeping berth against the wall."Shut up, Bird Dog." Kaley spoke in unison with Dax.Robinette rolled his eyes. "Sucks being an ensign to two lieutenants." He swiped a hand over his forehead and pulled his t-shirt away from his body, fanning himself.Dax moved to sit on the small bench beside the table where they ate their meals. "What's got you all hyped up? We've only got three more hours left in iso." He leaned forward, placing his forearms on the metal top.Kaley stopped pacing. "You know I hate being confined with nothing to do." She started walking again. "Gives me too much time to think." Which never worked out well for her.Dax couldn't disagree. "Yeah, okay. But you don't have to get twitchy. It's almost over."Kaley loved the fact he'd totally call her on being jumpy but understand why.She snorted. "That's exactly why I'm twitchy." And feeling flushed.Robinette cut in. "Is it me or is it really hot in here?" He got up and went to the door. "Seriously, I'm sweating buckets." His face pressed against the small glass window, but it didn't seem to help.Kaley didn't like the way Bird Dog looked. His hair stuck to his skin, his soaked shirt clung to his body, and his breathing had gone shallow. Dammit! Dax got up and met Kaley at Robinette's side.He nodded toward the comm unit. "Try to get in touch with someone." He led Brad to the berth and got him settled. "It is hotter than a sauna in here." He snagged a bottle of water, one of their last ones, and gave it to Robinette.Kaley picked up the handset. "It's dead. No tone." She hung up and looked out the window.The observation area appeared to be deserted. Shit. Of course everyone would be scarce when they actually needed someone.Dax came over to her side and looked out the window. "Looks like the outer door is closed." Meaning no risk of contaminating anyone by leaving before the allotted time. "Let's go out and try the comms." He tried the hatch and it wouldn't budge. "Dammit, it's jammed." He had sweat dripping from his face.So did Kaley. Sweat on her face, dripping down her back, and between her breasts. Ugh. How did she miss the rise in temperature?Because she thought her anxiety caused the perspiration. And it skyrocketed with the current hatch situation.She pushed Dax aside. "Let me take a look." She pulled the panel to the inner mechanisms. "Dax, it's not jammed. It's autolocked." Well, crap.Dax peered over her shoulder. "Which means malfunction. Perfect."Kaley sighed and put her head against the hatch. "What a time for the ship's systems to go haywire." A thud hitting the floor drew her attention.Robinette lay sprawled on the floor beside the berth.Perfect.
I love to take a scene and turn it on its side or spin it around. Dax and Kaley are fun to write and I love adding little beats between them on the page.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
September 23, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Strategic Wagers
Well, it's homecoming weekend and our football team won the game last night, which is an amazing feat. They came from behind and pulled out the win. The weather took a cool turn and the group we hosted for the pre-festivities had a lovely evening to take pictures.
Had a super-busy week leading up the big group activity, but I did get some solid viewing in. I'm working through Luke Cage and I like the newest season but I'm a little disappointed in pushing the anger angle. I'm hoping it ends up being worth the character assassination. Looking forward to the second season of Iron Fist.
Caught the third episode of Driven, Passionflix's first limited series. I'm really enjoying this one. So far, everything they've released is pretty terrific. Can't wait for the holiday offering this year.
The Last Ship's second episode kicked some serious butt. I hang on the edge of my seat each week to see what happens next. The hour flies by too. Why can't time move that fast when I'm stuck waiting somewhere? LOL
Also got another episode of Peter Gunn's first season out of the way, along with several episodes of Classic Who. Watched the second episode of Penny Dreadful and, holy crap, there's some crazy stuff going on in this show. I love it.
Caught episode five of Wynonna Earp. This show improves with every new twist. Not sure how I feel about Mamma Earp, but I'm in for the ride. Also watched an episode of The Dresden Files. Someday I need to read the books this series was based on.
Caught the next to last episode of Canal Road. As I predicted in something like episode two or three, my money is on the lawyer for setting everything in motion and getting rid of Spencer's family. We'll see if I'm right with the final episode.
I watched the DVD of Hairspray and really liked it. This is a movie I didn't catch the first time around and I had fun watching.
The rest of the week, I filled in with the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. I'm pretty sure I've almost made my way through both series with only a few hit-or-miss episodes being left to watch.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Strategic Wagers, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Onyx West and Lev Thorogood, friends and fellow crewmates, have the best kind of friendly rivalry. But when Onyx decides she can best Lev at a game of strategy, something he rarely loses, she pulls out all the stops to win.
And a sneaky peek…
The night started out innocently enough. An offhand wager from Onyx West saying she could win a strategy game against him.Lev Thorogood quirked a brow. "Strategy isn't your strong suit, Onyx. You tend to fly by the seat of your pants." They'd had these little bets since getting stationed at the same base.Onyx smirked. "But my lucky streaks are legendary, Lev. Try not to forget that."How could he? First came cards, the wager that started it all. And Onyx had him there. Her hot runs rarely cooled off long enough to let anyone win, least of all him.But, oh, man… the fun. His brain flipped all the way to the Broward and the lovely little glimpse she'd given him into her psyche. Even if she didn't mean to provide one.Onyx cut the deck. "Come on. Someone has to be willing to sit at the table with me."A chorus of groans went around the rec room. No one had anything left to lose. She'd cleaned everyone out.Lev pulled out a chair. "Let's change things up a little." He sank down and kicked his feet out, settling in.Onyx tilted her head. "What do you have in mind?"Lev flashed a smile. "Something simple. High card wins." Evened up the odds a little.So he thought.Onyx grinned. "Okay. What's the bet?" Her nimble fingers shuffled the cards several times.Lev took a moment to reply. "Best of five? You pick the spoils."Onyx put the deck in front of him. "Let's go with shots. Alcohol of choice." She tapped the cards.Lev cut and nodded in her direction. "Done. You draw first." His lips curved when she overturned a three of clubs.He flipped over a jack of spades.Onyx slid the cards his way. "Looks like the jack buried my poor little three." She snagged a jack of hearts on her next turn.Lev came up with a seven of the same suit. "And your jack stomped all over my hearts." Onyx laughed. "So sorry. I'm a heartbreaker." She gave him a saucy wink.The play continued with puns and innuendo flying. They got to a point where he owed her three shots and she owed him two. Lev enjoyed the banter and liked the fact the stakes were fairly even.And he truly loved sitting across from the hottest female in the squadron. Getting caught up in the playful exchange, he could almost ignore the fact they were on a military base in the middle of an asteroid belt. The risqué back and forth with Onyx had him turned on and ready for action.Until one of the pilots walked by and delivered a cold splash. "Geez, find an empty supply closet somewhere." He rolled his eyes and stalked away.Onyx cringed. "Damn. Almost forgot we had an audience." She cast her gaze around the room and sank down a little in her seat.Lev put the brakes on his libido. Too soon. And from the look on Onyx's face—a cross between mortification and disappointment—she'd come to the same conclusion.Swiping the cards off the table, she met his gaze. "So, yeah, I should hit my rack." She got up and pushed her chair up against the table, regret tingeing her voice and her gaze clouded.Lev waited until she started to walk past him. "Hey…" He grasped her forearm. "This is just us dialing it back a little and taking some time, okay?" His fingers trailed down to capture hers.Her brown eyes flared with renewed interest and a little calculated speculation. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Squeezing his hand, she tucked the cards in her pocket and made her way to the exit.Lev moved his feet up onto her seat and scrunched down in his chair. He didn't like to rush things. He needed to know what he might get into with the gorgeous pilot. Onyx had an enter-at-your-own-risk vibe and he kinda wanted to discover why. He loved puzzles… and Onyx should prove to be an interesting one to figure out.
The back and forth with Lev and Onyx is so much fun to write. This hot little game gets steamy between them.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Had a super-busy week leading up the big group activity, but I did get some solid viewing in. I'm working through Luke Cage and I like the newest season but I'm a little disappointed in pushing the anger angle. I'm hoping it ends up being worth the character assassination. Looking forward to the second season of Iron Fist.
Caught the third episode of Driven, Passionflix's first limited series. I'm really enjoying this one. So far, everything they've released is pretty terrific. Can't wait for the holiday offering this year.
The Last Ship's second episode kicked some serious butt. I hang on the edge of my seat each week to see what happens next. The hour flies by too. Why can't time move that fast when I'm stuck waiting somewhere? LOL
Also got another episode of Peter Gunn's first season out of the way, along with several episodes of Classic Who. Watched the second episode of Penny Dreadful and, holy crap, there's some crazy stuff going on in this show. I love it.
Caught episode five of Wynonna Earp. This show improves with every new twist. Not sure how I feel about Mamma Earp, but I'm in for the ride. Also watched an episode of The Dresden Files. Someday I need to read the books this series was based on.
Caught the next to last episode of Canal Road. As I predicted in something like episode two or three, my money is on the lawyer for setting everything in motion and getting rid of Spencer's family. We'll see if I'm right with the final episode.
I watched the DVD of Hairspray and really liked it. This is a movie I didn't catch the first time around and I had fun watching.
The rest of the week, I filled in with the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. I'm pretty sure I've almost made my way through both series with only a few hit-or-miss episodes being left to watch.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Strategic Wagers, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Onyx West and Lev Thorogood, friends and fellow crewmates, have the best kind of friendly rivalry. But when Onyx decides she can best Lev at a game of strategy, something he rarely loses, she pulls out all the stops to win.
And a sneaky peek…
The night started out innocently enough. An offhand wager from Onyx West saying she could win a strategy game against him.Lev Thorogood quirked a brow. "Strategy isn't your strong suit, Onyx. You tend to fly by the seat of your pants." They'd had these little bets since getting stationed at the same base.Onyx smirked. "But my lucky streaks are legendary, Lev. Try not to forget that."How could he? First came cards, the wager that started it all. And Onyx had him there. Her hot runs rarely cooled off long enough to let anyone win, least of all him.But, oh, man… the fun. His brain flipped all the way to the Broward and the lovely little glimpse she'd given him into her psyche. Even if she didn't mean to provide one.Onyx cut the deck. "Come on. Someone has to be willing to sit at the table with me."A chorus of groans went around the rec room. No one had anything left to lose. She'd cleaned everyone out.Lev pulled out a chair. "Let's change things up a little." He sank down and kicked his feet out, settling in.Onyx tilted her head. "What do you have in mind?"Lev flashed a smile. "Something simple. High card wins." Evened up the odds a little.So he thought.Onyx grinned. "Okay. What's the bet?" Her nimble fingers shuffled the cards several times.Lev took a moment to reply. "Best of five? You pick the spoils."Onyx put the deck in front of him. "Let's go with shots. Alcohol of choice." She tapped the cards.Lev cut and nodded in her direction. "Done. You draw first." His lips curved when she overturned a three of clubs.He flipped over a jack of spades.Onyx slid the cards his way. "Looks like the jack buried my poor little three." She snagged a jack of hearts on her next turn.Lev came up with a seven of the same suit. "And your jack stomped all over my hearts." Onyx laughed. "So sorry. I'm a heartbreaker." She gave him a saucy wink.The play continued with puns and innuendo flying. They got to a point where he owed her three shots and she owed him two. Lev enjoyed the banter and liked the fact the stakes were fairly even.And he truly loved sitting across from the hottest female in the squadron. Getting caught up in the playful exchange, he could almost ignore the fact they were on a military base in the middle of an asteroid belt. The risqué back and forth with Onyx had him turned on and ready for action.Until one of the pilots walked by and delivered a cold splash. "Geez, find an empty supply closet somewhere." He rolled his eyes and stalked away.Onyx cringed. "Damn. Almost forgot we had an audience." She cast her gaze around the room and sank down a little in her seat.Lev put the brakes on his libido. Too soon. And from the look on Onyx's face—a cross between mortification and disappointment—she'd come to the same conclusion.Swiping the cards off the table, she met his gaze. "So, yeah, I should hit my rack." She got up and pushed her chair up against the table, regret tingeing her voice and her gaze clouded.Lev waited until she started to walk past him. "Hey…" He grasped her forearm. "This is just us dialing it back a little and taking some time, okay?" His fingers trailed down to capture hers.Her brown eyes flared with renewed interest and a little calculated speculation. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Squeezing his hand, she tucked the cards in her pocket and made her way to the exit.Lev moved his feet up onto her seat and scrunched down in his chair. He didn't like to rush things. He needed to know what he might get into with the gorgeous pilot. Onyx had an enter-at-your-own-risk vibe and he kinda wanted to discover why. He loved puzzles… and Onyx should prove to be an interesting one to figure out.
The back and forth with Lev and Onyx is so much fun to write. This hot little game gets steamy between them.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
September 16, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Steamed
Whew. What a week. Our high school's homecoming is next weekend and we're in a flurry to get the last-minute accessories for the big event. We usually host about six couples each year and we're getting the menu finalized and nailing down who's bringing what. Like I said. Whew.
Had a semi-productive viewing week for television. The season premiere of The Last Ship didn't disappoint. I loved how much exposition they packed into small moments. I'm so excited for the next episode, even though we lost two of my favorite characters.
I caught the second episode of Birds of Prey. Also caught episodes of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Lexx. I'd forgotten what happened during the most recently watched Lexx. Now I need to see the next episode to see what the fallout was. LOL
Caught a classic movie on DVD, Crazy Love. It's a Myrna Loy / William Powell comedy and it was excellent!
Watched another episode of Strike Back. I'm beginning to like how the team is coming together and it was great to have some references back to the previous incarnation of Section Twenty.
Finally, I watched the next to last episode of season six Chicago Fire. I'll be interested to see what happens in the finale.
That's pretty much it. Caught the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night along with a mini-marathon of The Saint.
Tonight's post is from Steamed, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of having one main character have enough of the other main character's innuendo and do something about it.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Page Wagner and Gannon Bendis pull long range recon duty and Page decides they need to play truth or strip. After several days of sexy banter, Gannon has enough of Page's innuendo and confronts her… in the shower.
And a sneaky peek…
Page Wagner stowed her gear in the duty locker aboard the small cruiser she'd call home for the next week. "Normally, I'd ask who I pissed off to get this temporary assignment." Instead, she said a silent thank-you.Because… she'd hit the jackpot with partners. Gannon Bendis should be directing their small two-cabin craft to the star system they would be working in right about now. Long-range scan details tended to be boring with lots of charting, recording, and reconnaissance during specific hours and not much of anything else for the duration. She'd gone a full day before being bored to tears—long enough to almost arrive at the location for the scans.Which meant she could see if any kind of spark existed between her and Gannon. "Not like I don't already have the hots for him." She totally did.And why wouldn't she?The man defined the word attractive, at least in her dictionary. About five-ten, with broad shoulders, a defined chest, and arms that made t-shirts look sexy. And his ass? Drool-worthy. Not many people could make fatigues look good, but Gannon absolutely did.Throw in dark hair and eyes and she might as well tattoo yum on her tongue.Grabbing a deck of cards, she ducked into the common area and waited for Gannon to secure the cruiser in the specified location. When he entered from the cockpit, she gave him a wide smile. He nodded and made his way to the small food storage area and snagged a quick-heat meal.Page quirked an eyebrow. "We're all set?" Stupid question, but one to get a conversation rolling.Gannon gave her a sideways glance. "Would there be a reason we wouldn't be?" He popped the meal into the cooking unit and hit start.Page's lips curved. "Not particularly. I'm used to flying into an assigned territory instead of flying out." She didn't balk at being relief pilot, but she wouldn't lie either.Gannon removed the package from the oven and hot-fingered it to the table. "Yeah, we're safe and secure in the first quadrant and I set the modules to record. We'll get an alert if anything pings out there." He peeled the film away from the dinner and the aroma of spicy noodles wafted up from the tray.Page settled back and shuffled the cards. "And the motion sensors? How far out did you go with the scope?" Mundane topic, but one easily discussed while he ate.He chewed and swallowed. "Five hundred kilometers in all directions. If we don't get an advance warning with sound, we'll have time to move if we need to." He finished off the entrée and got up to recycle the trash.Page waited until he sat back down before pouncing with another question. "Care to play some cards?" She shuffled the deck again several times.Gannon eyes her hands but shook his head back and forth. "Nah. I think I'll grab a book. I brought more than one." He made a move to get up.Page tsked. "Come on, Gannon. Indulge me." She whipped the cards from one and to the other in slow waterfall. "Let's play truth or strip."He blinked then frowned. "Such a game doesn't exist." His head cocked to one side. "You're mixing it up, right?"Page shrugged. "Well, gotta get creative." She shuffled the cards again then set the deck on the table. "Can't do truth or dare because there're only two of us and there's nothing we can dare each other to do." She paused. "Except maybe sending prank messages but, oh, yeah, we're on long-range recon and have to stay radio silent." She flashed a smile.Gannon nodded. "Okay, point made." He kicked back, folding his arms over his chest.Page took that a cue to continue. "And strip poker is out of the question." Please take the bait.Gannon quirked a brow. "Why?"Page snorted. "Wouldn't be fair."Gannon reacted by sitting up and placing his forearms on the table. "Why not?"Page laughed. "You'd end up naked all the time." She paused a moment. "Not that I'd mind. I like eye candy. But I'm nothing if not an equal opportunist." Biting her tongue, she stopped there.Gannon tilted his head to one side. "You think you're that good?" His tone held plenty of disbelief.Page tsked. "Not to brag, but, yes. I'm not allowed to sit in at the poker table anymore." She'd been banned within two months of arriving on the Essex.Gannon settled back in his chair again and kicked his feet out. "Okay, how do you see this equal opportunity nude-fest working?" Clearly, she'd piqued his interest.Page grabbed the cards again. "Thought you'd never ask." She cut the deck then shuffled. "High card chooses. If you say truth, you have to answer a question honestly. If you don't answer, you have to remove two articles of clothing." Not bad for making something up on the fly.Gannon considered the rules. "What happens if we decide to pass on answering the question?"Hmmm. Think fast, Page.She grinned. "Simple. If either of us passes, we choose which article of clothing the other has to remove."Score one for the power of creative thinking.
This is a fun little story and I love the dynamic between Page and Gannon. The whole truth or strip trope is something I like to explore as an ice breaker with characters.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Had a semi-productive viewing week for television. The season premiere of The Last Ship didn't disappoint. I loved how much exposition they packed into small moments. I'm so excited for the next episode, even though we lost two of my favorite characters.
I caught the second episode of Birds of Prey. Also caught episodes of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Lexx. I'd forgotten what happened during the most recently watched Lexx. Now I need to see the next episode to see what the fallout was. LOL
Caught a classic movie on DVD, Crazy Love. It's a Myrna Loy / William Powell comedy and it was excellent!
Watched another episode of Strike Back. I'm beginning to like how the team is coming together and it was great to have some references back to the previous incarnation of Section Twenty.
Finally, I watched the next to last episode of season six Chicago Fire. I'll be interested to see what happens in the finale.
That's pretty much it. Caught the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night along with a mini-marathon of The Saint.
Tonight's post is from Steamed, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of having one main character have enough of the other main character's innuendo and do something about it.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Page Wagner and Gannon Bendis pull long range recon duty and Page decides they need to play truth or strip. After several days of sexy banter, Gannon has enough of Page's innuendo and confronts her… in the shower.
And a sneaky peek…
Page Wagner stowed her gear in the duty locker aboard the small cruiser she'd call home for the next week. "Normally, I'd ask who I pissed off to get this temporary assignment." Instead, she said a silent thank-you.Because… she'd hit the jackpot with partners. Gannon Bendis should be directing their small two-cabin craft to the star system they would be working in right about now. Long-range scan details tended to be boring with lots of charting, recording, and reconnaissance during specific hours and not much of anything else for the duration. She'd gone a full day before being bored to tears—long enough to almost arrive at the location for the scans.Which meant she could see if any kind of spark existed between her and Gannon. "Not like I don't already have the hots for him." She totally did.And why wouldn't she?The man defined the word attractive, at least in her dictionary. About five-ten, with broad shoulders, a defined chest, and arms that made t-shirts look sexy. And his ass? Drool-worthy. Not many people could make fatigues look good, but Gannon absolutely did.Throw in dark hair and eyes and she might as well tattoo yum on her tongue.Grabbing a deck of cards, she ducked into the common area and waited for Gannon to secure the cruiser in the specified location. When he entered from the cockpit, she gave him a wide smile. He nodded and made his way to the small food storage area and snagged a quick-heat meal.Page quirked an eyebrow. "We're all set?" Stupid question, but one to get a conversation rolling.Gannon gave her a sideways glance. "Would there be a reason we wouldn't be?" He popped the meal into the cooking unit and hit start.Page's lips curved. "Not particularly. I'm used to flying into an assigned territory instead of flying out." She didn't balk at being relief pilot, but she wouldn't lie either.Gannon removed the package from the oven and hot-fingered it to the table. "Yeah, we're safe and secure in the first quadrant and I set the modules to record. We'll get an alert if anything pings out there." He peeled the film away from the dinner and the aroma of spicy noodles wafted up from the tray.Page settled back and shuffled the cards. "And the motion sensors? How far out did you go with the scope?" Mundane topic, but one easily discussed while he ate.He chewed and swallowed. "Five hundred kilometers in all directions. If we don't get an advance warning with sound, we'll have time to move if we need to." He finished off the entrée and got up to recycle the trash.Page waited until he sat back down before pouncing with another question. "Care to play some cards?" She shuffled the deck again several times.Gannon eyes her hands but shook his head back and forth. "Nah. I think I'll grab a book. I brought more than one." He made a move to get up.Page tsked. "Come on, Gannon. Indulge me." She whipped the cards from one and to the other in slow waterfall. "Let's play truth or strip."He blinked then frowned. "Such a game doesn't exist." His head cocked to one side. "You're mixing it up, right?"Page shrugged. "Well, gotta get creative." She shuffled the cards again then set the deck on the table. "Can't do truth or dare because there're only two of us and there's nothing we can dare each other to do." She paused. "Except maybe sending prank messages but, oh, yeah, we're on long-range recon and have to stay radio silent." She flashed a smile.Gannon nodded. "Okay, point made." He kicked back, folding his arms over his chest.Page took that a cue to continue. "And strip poker is out of the question." Please take the bait.Gannon quirked a brow. "Why?"Page snorted. "Wouldn't be fair."Gannon reacted by sitting up and placing his forearms on the table. "Why not?"Page laughed. "You'd end up naked all the time." She paused a moment. "Not that I'd mind. I like eye candy. But I'm nothing if not an equal opportunist." Biting her tongue, she stopped there.Gannon tilted his head to one side. "You think you're that good?" His tone held plenty of disbelief.Page tsked. "Not to brag, but, yes. I'm not allowed to sit in at the poker table anymore." She'd been banned within two months of arriving on the Essex.Gannon settled back in his chair again and kicked his feet out. "Okay, how do you see this equal opportunity nude-fest working?" Clearly, she'd piqued his interest.Page grabbed the cards again. "Thought you'd never ask." She cut the deck then shuffled. "High card chooses. If you say truth, you have to answer a question honestly. If you don't answer, you have to remove two articles of clothing." Not bad for making something up on the fly.Gannon considered the rules. "What happens if we decide to pass on answering the question?"Hmmm. Think fast, Page.She grinned. "Simple. If either of us passes, we choose which article of clothing the other has to remove."Score one for the power of creative thinking.
This is a fun little story and I love the dynamic between Page and Gannon. The whole truth or strip trope is something I like to explore as an ice breaker with characters.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
September 9, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Stealing Hannah
Well, September is off to a bumpy start. Not in a bad way, more like a "here are some changes, let's see how you like them" kind of thing. So far… meh… I'm not a big fan. LOL
Got some solid television viewing in. I'm still not back to the usual schedule, but I'm getting there. Right in time for the new seasons to start.
Last week, I caught Chicago Fire and I'm almost at the end of season six. Also caught another episode of Luke Cage and a few episodes of Classic Who. I also watched the second episode of Driven from Passionflix.
Started Penny Dreadful and wow, not at all what I expected and better than I thought it would be. Looking forward to more of this show.
Caught another episode of Killjoys and, seriously, I love this show so much!! The banter is sheer perfection and the complicated relationships are awesome. I got another episode of The Dresden Files in and caught a couple of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Followed that up with Canal Road. I have two episodes left of this one and I'm still not one hundred percent sure if I've called the killer of Spence's wife. Guess I'll find out soon.
Watched another series thirteen episode of Midsomer Murders and followed that with Babylon 5 and The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I also watched a marathon of Hallmark Channel's The Good Witch movies.
All in all, not a bad week for television. Tonight's post is from Stealing Hannah, a novella filled with sibling rivalry and a meeting the wrong brother first trope. One of my favorites.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Hannah Keane gets caught between Kane and Trent Canterman when their sibling rivalry heats up. Kane loves to push his brother's buttons by telling everyone Trent likes to steal girlfriends. When Kane introduces Trent to Hannah, Trent decides stealing Kane's girl is a good idea to settle the score once and for all.
And a sneaky peek…
"You gotta watch out for my brother, Hannah. He likes to steal my girlfriends."Trent Canterman's shoulders tensed. He'd wondered when Kane would bring that up. "For god's sake, Kane. Give it a rest." He directed his gaze to Hannah, his brother's flight instructor, and current main squeeze. "I was in twelfth grade, Kane ninth, and the girl in question played us against each other."Why did he feel the need to explain any of this to Hannah Keane, who probably didn't give two shits? Trent should shut up now and leave well enough alone. No one wanted to get sucked into his sibling drama with Kane. Especially when dinner had gone well and Trent almost had one foot out the door. Hannah chuckled, pulling Trent's jacket off the coat rack. "Sounds like a cop-out to me." She handed the well-worn leather garment over."Yeah, well. Kane found out the truth later." He shrugged into his jacket. "Thank you." Leaning forward, Trent kissed Hannah on the cheek. "For the hospitality." He slapped Kane on the back and wrapped an arm around him. "I'll call you later. Maybe we can find a pick-up game of barrelball?" He might as well end on a good note, if possible.Kane smirked then nodded and walked Trent to the door. "Sounds great, bro. I've got class 'til four, but after that, schedule is wide open." Trent grinned and ducked out. "Later." He lifted his hand, waved at Hannah, and headed for the stairs. By the time his feet hit the bottom step, Trent's smile disappeared. Damn his brother. The guy got everything. And always, always had to bring up the stupid girlfriend deal. Jogging out to the street, Trent hailed a cab and climbed in the back. "Delphi base." The cabbie started the meter and Trent settled back, letting his thoughts drift to the incident that started Kane's one-track mind.Sarah Marsters. A grade ahead of Kane. And she liked older boys. Trent overheard her telling her friends she said yes to Kane's invite to a dance, hoping to get an introduction to his older brother. Trent didn't want to let his sibling get tangled up with such a conniving girl.Too bad his good intentions blew up in his face. Trent thought he'd head Sarah off by introducing himself and acting like an ass. He had zero clue she'd enjoy it. She liked the aggression and returned it in kind. Kane came outside to find Trent up against the wall with Sarah's tongue down his throat. Nothing Trent said made a difference. Kane misinterpreted his brother's misstep as stealing his girl out from under him.And still brought it up any chance he got.After almost seven years, his brother could give it a rest. Trent had half a mind to show Kane what he could really do if he set his mind to it. Why not prove his sibling right? The fact Trent liked Hannah, or that Kane seemed happier than he'd ever been, couldn't quite win out over the thorniest bit of rivalry between brothers.Trent had been wrongly accused, tried, and sentenced to constant reminders of one stupid incident. Hell, the way Trent looked at it; he'd saved Kane a pack of heartache over a skanky bitch and instead of thanking Trent, Kane rubbed salt in the wound. Didn't help his brother chose to believe the sweet-faced, black-hearted Sarah over family. Kane should've had more faith in Trent.Several months after the tongue-in-throat incident Kane learned the cold, hard truth when he caught Sarah behind the weight room with one of Trent's classmates. But did Kane appreciate Trent's gesture after that? Nope. He had too much fun blaming Trent.The cab let Trent off at the entrance to the base. He made his way to the guest quarters and let himself in. Flopping down on the bed, Trent made a decision. Since Kane wanted to keep bringing up the girlfriend stealing, Trent would prove him right. Once and for all. He'd start a campaign to steal Hannah right out from under his brother's nose. First thing in the morning, Trent would drop by her class on the pretext of checking how Kane was doing in flight school.Yeah. That would work out very well.
I honestly love exploring the dynamic between siblings and how messy it can be sometimes. Trent's decision will definitely bite him on the ass and seeing how that will play out makes writing the story so much fun.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Got some solid television viewing in. I'm still not back to the usual schedule, but I'm getting there. Right in time for the new seasons to start.
Last week, I caught Chicago Fire and I'm almost at the end of season six. Also caught another episode of Luke Cage and a few episodes of Classic Who. I also watched the second episode of Driven from Passionflix.
Started Penny Dreadful and wow, not at all what I expected and better than I thought it would be. Looking forward to more of this show.
Caught another episode of Killjoys and, seriously, I love this show so much!! The banter is sheer perfection and the complicated relationships are awesome. I got another episode of The Dresden Files in and caught a couple of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Followed that up with Canal Road. I have two episodes left of this one and I'm still not one hundred percent sure if I've called the killer of Spence's wife. Guess I'll find out soon.
Watched another series thirteen episode of Midsomer Murders and followed that with Babylon 5 and The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I also watched a marathon of Hallmark Channel's The Good Witch movies.
All in all, not a bad week for television. Tonight's post is from Stealing Hannah, a novella filled with sibling rivalry and a meeting the wrong brother first trope. One of my favorites.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Hannah Keane gets caught between Kane and Trent Canterman when their sibling rivalry heats up. Kane loves to push his brother's buttons by telling everyone Trent likes to steal girlfriends. When Kane introduces Trent to Hannah, Trent decides stealing Kane's girl is a good idea to settle the score once and for all.
And a sneaky peek…
"You gotta watch out for my brother, Hannah. He likes to steal my girlfriends."Trent Canterman's shoulders tensed. He'd wondered when Kane would bring that up. "For god's sake, Kane. Give it a rest." He directed his gaze to Hannah, his brother's flight instructor, and current main squeeze. "I was in twelfth grade, Kane ninth, and the girl in question played us against each other."Why did he feel the need to explain any of this to Hannah Keane, who probably didn't give two shits? Trent should shut up now and leave well enough alone. No one wanted to get sucked into his sibling drama with Kane. Especially when dinner had gone well and Trent almost had one foot out the door. Hannah chuckled, pulling Trent's jacket off the coat rack. "Sounds like a cop-out to me." She handed the well-worn leather garment over."Yeah, well. Kane found out the truth later." He shrugged into his jacket. "Thank you." Leaning forward, Trent kissed Hannah on the cheek. "For the hospitality." He slapped Kane on the back and wrapped an arm around him. "I'll call you later. Maybe we can find a pick-up game of barrelball?" He might as well end on a good note, if possible.Kane smirked then nodded and walked Trent to the door. "Sounds great, bro. I've got class 'til four, but after that, schedule is wide open." Trent grinned and ducked out. "Later." He lifted his hand, waved at Hannah, and headed for the stairs. By the time his feet hit the bottom step, Trent's smile disappeared. Damn his brother. The guy got everything. And always, always had to bring up the stupid girlfriend deal. Jogging out to the street, Trent hailed a cab and climbed in the back. "Delphi base." The cabbie started the meter and Trent settled back, letting his thoughts drift to the incident that started Kane's one-track mind.Sarah Marsters. A grade ahead of Kane. And she liked older boys. Trent overheard her telling her friends she said yes to Kane's invite to a dance, hoping to get an introduction to his older brother. Trent didn't want to let his sibling get tangled up with such a conniving girl.Too bad his good intentions blew up in his face. Trent thought he'd head Sarah off by introducing himself and acting like an ass. He had zero clue she'd enjoy it. She liked the aggression and returned it in kind. Kane came outside to find Trent up against the wall with Sarah's tongue down his throat. Nothing Trent said made a difference. Kane misinterpreted his brother's misstep as stealing his girl out from under him.And still brought it up any chance he got.After almost seven years, his brother could give it a rest. Trent had half a mind to show Kane what he could really do if he set his mind to it. Why not prove his sibling right? The fact Trent liked Hannah, or that Kane seemed happier than he'd ever been, couldn't quite win out over the thorniest bit of rivalry between brothers.Trent had been wrongly accused, tried, and sentenced to constant reminders of one stupid incident. Hell, the way Trent looked at it; he'd saved Kane a pack of heartache over a skanky bitch and instead of thanking Trent, Kane rubbed salt in the wound. Didn't help his brother chose to believe the sweet-faced, black-hearted Sarah over family. Kane should've had more faith in Trent.Several months after the tongue-in-throat incident Kane learned the cold, hard truth when he caught Sarah behind the weight room with one of Trent's classmates. But did Kane appreciate Trent's gesture after that? Nope. He had too much fun blaming Trent.The cab let Trent off at the entrance to the base. He made his way to the guest quarters and let himself in. Flopping down on the bed, Trent made a decision. Since Kane wanted to keep bringing up the girlfriend stealing, Trent would prove him right. Once and for all. He'd start a campaign to steal Hannah right out from under his brother's nose. First thing in the morning, Trent would drop by her class on the pretext of checking how Kane was doing in flight school.Yeah. That would work out very well.
I honestly love exploring the dynamic between siblings and how messy it can be sometimes. Trent's decision will definitely bite him on the ass and seeing how that will play out makes writing the story so much fun.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
September 2, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Star Chasers
Greetings, September! I decided to start at least thinking about what to do for holiday shopping this year. I'm fairly certain I've decided the direction I want to go in for the kids and the husband. Possibly even my parental unit. This never happens. I fully expect the world to stop spinning sometime in the near future. Just saying.
Had a super crazy and busy week, but still got some solid viewing in. Granted, I did end up doing the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. I also got a solid block of The Saint in. Also got two episodes of Classic Who watched.
I started Sunday with Midsomer Murders then followed with Babylon 5 and The Sarah Conner Chronicles.
Monday, I caught the Birds of Prey pilot episode. I loved this show so much when it premiered. Tuesday was Pensacola Wings of Gold. Wednesday, I watched another episode of Lexx and on Thursday, I watched Surprised by Love, a Hallmark original. Finally found one I thoroughly enjoyed.
On Friday, I started season five of Strike Back. I got interrupted during the first episode so I'll finish it over the weekend. I did finish Band of Brothers, which is one of my rewatch at any time shows.
Saturday has been a big block of The Saint again. Not sure what else I'll get into but I'm writing the blog post a little early so it's out of the way.
Still behind on Killjoys and Wynonna Earp, but I'll definitely make sure to watch every single episode in the near future.
That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Star Chasers, a novella that will probably launch at least one follow-up book.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Marnie Ritoli, a kick-ass mechanic for the premier team in the galaxy, is presented with a dilemma: choose a new mate or leave the Chasers. But Marnie knows Luce Carrington isn't dead, and she won't play second fiddle to anyone, so she does what she's best at and finds a loophole in the league rules, picking Luce's best friend… the person who backs her into a corner in the first place.
And a sneaky peek…
Luce Carrington jerked awake. Mind jumbled, a throbbing pain pounded at the base of his skull. Okay, maybe he'd just regained consciousness instead of waking up. He looked around and two things registered. The first? He had to figure out his location. He could solve that little issue as soon as the room stopped spinning. And second? Someone wanted him dead. Why else would he be blessed with the mother of all monster headaches? The latter wouldn't be so easy to figure out. The list, long and varied, would take some time to pare down. At least to a manageable level. Too many people on too many planets had axes to grind with him. But there were two people he could trust with his life. Marnie Ritoli and Winston Ashcraft. He also relied on the rest of his crew, they were all family, but even family members had favorites.Except his. The real one, the familial unit he'd walked away from. He'd have to add those names to the list of potential people with lethal intent. He'd renounced any claim on the Carrington interests, but it wouldn't stop some of his less savory relatives from trying to better their odds.Christ, his head hurt. But the room had stopped going in circles, so he risked trying to stand. Slowly. Very slowly. He braced his back against the wall and moved upward, inch by inch, until upright. Everything went hazy, pinpricks burst behind his eyes and Luce sucked in several deep breaths before he could see clearly again.He had to think, move past the pounding in his head, and figure out his next move. Whoever put him here hopefully thought they'd done the job and killed him. That should buy him some time.To do what? He couldn't bring whatever shit he'd stepped into to the club. And he couldn't risk contacting Marnie or Win, not until he knew if anyone on the crew put his current situation into play.With no one to cover his back, he felt naked and exposed."Hey, mister, you all right?"Luce whirled around to find a slip of a girl standing inside the entrance… of a cargo hold. One piece of the puzzle fell into place. Friend or foe? Only one way to find out.Luce strode toward the female, snaked an arm out, and hauled her soft and curvy body against his hard frame. Okay, not a girl, but a woman. Clear and guileless green eyes widened and she sucked in a surprised breath before molding herself against him. Her blond head barely grazed his chin when she wrapped her arms around him.Raising her face, she gave him a wide smile before lifting her foot and stomping down, hard, on his ankle.Spinning away from his grasp, she put some distance between them. "Look, asshole, I'm strictly hands-off. I cook in the galley. You want more, you gotta book your time with the dickhead porter who runs the girls." She marched up and punched his arm. "You're not supposed to be here. No one is."Luce admired her chutzpah. She'd caught him off guard, which had to be her intent when she'd all but glued herself to his side. But despite her hard words, fear trembled in her voice. He could use the emotion to get some answers.Reaching out he grabbed hold of her arms. "Then what are you doing down here?" He cast his gaze around the space. "I don't see any kitchen supplies around."She turned her head away but shrugged. "It's quiet down here." Her eyes glanced upward. "It's not up there." She jerked away from him. "This is my refuge. Or it was until you showed up." She put a hand on her hip. "So go away and don't come back."Luce snorted. "I'd be happy to if I knew where the hell I was."Her head tilted to one side. "Are you serious? How do you not know where you are?"
I actually love how this one is coming together. I kind of have a thing for taking an established couple and having them be apart in the beginning of the book.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Had a super crazy and busy week, but still got some solid viewing in. Granted, I did end up doing the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. I also got a solid block of The Saint in. Also got two episodes of Classic Who watched.
I started Sunday with Midsomer Murders then followed with Babylon 5 and The Sarah Conner Chronicles.
Monday, I caught the Birds of Prey pilot episode. I loved this show so much when it premiered. Tuesday was Pensacola Wings of Gold. Wednesday, I watched another episode of Lexx and on Thursday, I watched Surprised by Love, a Hallmark original. Finally found one I thoroughly enjoyed.
On Friday, I started season five of Strike Back. I got interrupted during the first episode so I'll finish it over the weekend. I did finish Band of Brothers, which is one of my rewatch at any time shows.
Saturday has been a big block of The Saint again. Not sure what else I'll get into but I'm writing the blog post a little early so it's out of the way.
Still behind on Killjoys and Wynonna Earp, but I'll definitely make sure to watch every single episode in the near future.
That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Star Chasers, a novella that will probably launch at least one follow-up book.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Marnie Ritoli, a kick-ass mechanic for the premier team in the galaxy, is presented with a dilemma: choose a new mate or leave the Chasers. But Marnie knows Luce Carrington isn't dead, and she won't play second fiddle to anyone, so she does what she's best at and finds a loophole in the league rules, picking Luce's best friend… the person who backs her into a corner in the first place.
And a sneaky peek…
Luce Carrington jerked awake. Mind jumbled, a throbbing pain pounded at the base of his skull. Okay, maybe he'd just regained consciousness instead of waking up. He looked around and two things registered. The first? He had to figure out his location. He could solve that little issue as soon as the room stopped spinning. And second? Someone wanted him dead. Why else would he be blessed with the mother of all monster headaches? The latter wouldn't be so easy to figure out. The list, long and varied, would take some time to pare down. At least to a manageable level. Too many people on too many planets had axes to grind with him. But there were two people he could trust with his life. Marnie Ritoli and Winston Ashcraft. He also relied on the rest of his crew, they were all family, but even family members had favorites.Except his. The real one, the familial unit he'd walked away from. He'd have to add those names to the list of potential people with lethal intent. He'd renounced any claim on the Carrington interests, but it wouldn't stop some of his less savory relatives from trying to better their odds.Christ, his head hurt. But the room had stopped going in circles, so he risked trying to stand. Slowly. Very slowly. He braced his back against the wall and moved upward, inch by inch, until upright. Everything went hazy, pinpricks burst behind his eyes and Luce sucked in several deep breaths before he could see clearly again.He had to think, move past the pounding in his head, and figure out his next move. Whoever put him here hopefully thought they'd done the job and killed him. That should buy him some time.To do what? He couldn't bring whatever shit he'd stepped into to the club. And he couldn't risk contacting Marnie or Win, not until he knew if anyone on the crew put his current situation into play.With no one to cover his back, he felt naked and exposed."Hey, mister, you all right?"Luce whirled around to find a slip of a girl standing inside the entrance… of a cargo hold. One piece of the puzzle fell into place. Friend or foe? Only one way to find out.Luce strode toward the female, snaked an arm out, and hauled her soft and curvy body against his hard frame. Okay, not a girl, but a woman. Clear and guileless green eyes widened and she sucked in a surprised breath before molding herself against him. Her blond head barely grazed his chin when she wrapped her arms around him.Raising her face, she gave him a wide smile before lifting her foot and stomping down, hard, on his ankle.Spinning away from his grasp, she put some distance between them. "Look, asshole, I'm strictly hands-off. I cook in the galley. You want more, you gotta book your time with the dickhead porter who runs the girls." She marched up and punched his arm. "You're not supposed to be here. No one is."Luce admired her chutzpah. She'd caught him off guard, which had to be her intent when she'd all but glued herself to his side. But despite her hard words, fear trembled in her voice. He could use the emotion to get some answers.Reaching out he grabbed hold of her arms. "Then what are you doing down here?" He cast his gaze around the space. "I don't see any kitchen supplies around."She turned her head away but shrugged. "It's quiet down here." Her eyes glanced upward. "It's not up there." She jerked away from him. "This is my refuge. Or it was until you showed up." She put a hand on her hip. "So go away and don't come back."Luce snorted. "I'd be happy to if I knew where the hell I was."Her head tilted to one side. "Are you serious? How do you not know where you are?"
I actually love how this one is coming together. I kind of have a thing for taking an established couple and having them be apart in the beginning of the book.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
August 26, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Spider's Webb
Ugh. My daughter had her first fender bender already. I haven't even made the first car payment yet. LOL
She's fine, which is all that truly matters. The car isn't completely wrecked and that's also a good thing. Whew.
Needless to say, I had a lot of distractions this past week. That said, I did get a few good viewing sessions in.
I started Luke Cage's second season and liked the first episode. I'm very interested in seeing what happens with everyone. Also caught two episodes of Killjoys and one of Wynonna Earp. Still behind, but I'll get caught up eventually.
Started the limited series Driven from Passionflix. So far… definitely so good. I'm so happy to be a founding member of this venture.
I ended up getting an episode of The Dresden Files in along with the tenth episode of Canal Road.
On DVD this week, I caught Batman: Assault on Arkham and the Veronica Mars movie. Enjoyed both!
Also did my usual marathon viewings of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. Got in an episode of Peter Gunn, too.
And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Spider's Webb, a book in the Furlough 99 universe.
Here's the tagline:
Spider Smith, techno geek extraordinaire, meets his match when Hailey Webb decides she needs his expertise. When her carefully planned escape from a life of crime goes awry, Spider wants to help, but with his team out on a fool's mission, Spider has to fight the battle on his own.
And a sneaky peek…
Spider snarled. "So the guild is on a fool's mission. There's no fugitive." Dammit. They could've used the funds.Hailey cringed. "Yeah, sorry about that. But if you'll let me—"Spider grabbed her arm and dragged her behind him. "Let you what? Explain?" He whipped her around and marched her forward. "Oh, yeah. You're definitely gonna be doing some serious chatting." Thank the universe Spider caught Hailey before she could finish corrupting the security system. He dragged her to his lair and dumped her in an overstuffed recliner. Grabbing for the comm headset, he started to call in the guild."We'll see if there's a nice bounty on your head. The guys'll like that. It's been a quiet week."Hailey snorted. "Whatever, dude. I could save you time and tell you there's not." Spider paused, moving the microphone down. "You didn't have time to delete yourself. No way."Hailey's lips quirked. "Listen, I hate to break it to you, but I could work circles around you."Spider scoffed. "I don't think so. Your work is sloppy, messy, and amateur."Hailey rose from the chair and moved in on Spider. "Hey, dumbass. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fuck code up in just the right way to alert the super genius security guy…" She poked him in the chest. "That would be you…" Her hand fell away and she rambled on. "But not clue in the above average intelligent crew breathing down the back of my neck?"Spider blinked. "Shit." It would take a fuck ton of talent and finesse.She smirked. "Damn straight, you moron. The shit's pretty deep and someone just dropped me in it, neck high." She pinned him with her gaze. "Again, that would be you."Because he'd caught her sooner than she wanted. Spider heaved a sigh. "Shit."Hailey shook her head. "You know, for a brilliantly smart guy, your vocabulary is hugely lacking." She paced back and forth. "No way you're gonna be the one to cover my ass. I'm pretty much a walking ghost right now."Only a true pro could purposefully screw up the code enough to ping him but not alert the crew she ran with. Hell, she might be better than him.Stunned at her skill, Spider finally got his brain to kick in. "Look, this is salvageable."Hailey spun around. "Really? How?"Spider shrugged. "I let you go. You meet back up with your team and finish the job."Hailey shook her head. "Uh-uh. They'll never believe I got tagged by the guild and didn't spill."Spider pondered a moment. "So you tell them you convinced me you'd make it worth it to let you go."Hailey tilted her head to the side, considering the idea. "Hmm. Been a long time since I've pulled out the tits and teeth routine." She chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've been caught and needed to."Spider frowned. "I was thinking more along the lines of a credit exchange."Hailey snorted. "They'd never believe that. A guy with your skill set can get all the credits he wants." She dragged the ponytail holder from her hair and mussed it up. "But a wild night with me… they might just go for. Especially since none of them can ever get near me. And your boys are on fugitive patrol in the mining colony." She paused. "But my team will still be suspicious. That could be a problem."Spider had a solution. "You really do need someone to cover your ass."Hailey smirked, then purred. "You volunteering for the job, big man?"If her voice made his dick hard, he had a fleeting thought about what her mouth could do.Hailey snapped her fingers. "Hello? Stop thinking with the little brain and focus."Spider shook his head. "Right. Focus." He moved to his setup and opened multiple programs. "And, yes, I’m volunteering." His fingers flew over the keyboard, entering a long series of commands. "Look at the monitors." He nodded toward the screens. "I'm hacking our droid units, telling them to log your every move." He turned and guided Hailey a few feet to her left. "Stand still." He hit enter, carefully watching the holovid scan Hailey from head to toe. "Your image is uploading to every droid and security monitor we have on station. They'll follow every move you make as soon as I enter the command code."Hailey grinned, long and slow. "Geez. You're beyond skilled." She shuddered. "I'm actually very turned on right now."Spider's dick jumped in response. "Later." Realizing how that sounded, he added. "Er, if you're not, you know, dead or behind bars."Hailey laughed. "Oh, my god… I'm stupidly happy I took a chance and finally got to meet you."
I have so much fun writing Hailey and Spider! This couple knows how to keep each other on their toes.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
She's fine, which is all that truly matters. The car isn't completely wrecked and that's also a good thing. Whew.
Needless to say, I had a lot of distractions this past week. That said, I did get a few good viewing sessions in.
I started Luke Cage's second season and liked the first episode. I'm very interested in seeing what happens with everyone. Also caught two episodes of Killjoys and one of Wynonna Earp. Still behind, but I'll get caught up eventually.
Started the limited series Driven from Passionflix. So far… definitely so good. I'm so happy to be a founding member of this venture.
I ended up getting an episode of The Dresden Files in along with the tenth episode of Canal Road.
On DVD this week, I caught Batman: Assault on Arkham and the Veronica Mars movie. Enjoyed both!
Also did my usual marathon viewings of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night. Got in an episode of Peter Gunn, too.
And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Spider's Webb, a book in the Furlough 99 universe.
Here's the tagline:
Spider Smith, techno geek extraordinaire, meets his match when Hailey Webb decides she needs his expertise. When her carefully planned escape from a life of crime goes awry, Spider wants to help, but with his team out on a fool's mission, Spider has to fight the battle on his own.
And a sneaky peek…
Spider snarled. "So the guild is on a fool's mission. There's no fugitive." Dammit. They could've used the funds.Hailey cringed. "Yeah, sorry about that. But if you'll let me—"Spider grabbed her arm and dragged her behind him. "Let you what? Explain?" He whipped her around and marched her forward. "Oh, yeah. You're definitely gonna be doing some serious chatting." Thank the universe Spider caught Hailey before she could finish corrupting the security system. He dragged her to his lair and dumped her in an overstuffed recliner. Grabbing for the comm headset, he started to call in the guild."We'll see if there's a nice bounty on your head. The guys'll like that. It's been a quiet week."Hailey snorted. "Whatever, dude. I could save you time and tell you there's not." Spider paused, moving the microphone down. "You didn't have time to delete yourself. No way."Hailey's lips quirked. "Listen, I hate to break it to you, but I could work circles around you."Spider scoffed. "I don't think so. Your work is sloppy, messy, and amateur."Hailey rose from the chair and moved in on Spider. "Hey, dumbass. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fuck code up in just the right way to alert the super genius security guy…" She poked him in the chest. "That would be you…" Her hand fell away and she rambled on. "But not clue in the above average intelligent crew breathing down the back of my neck?"Spider blinked. "Shit." It would take a fuck ton of talent and finesse.She smirked. "Damn straight, you moron. The shit's pretty deep and someone just dropped me in it, neck high." She pinned him with her gaze. "Again, that would be you."Because he'd caught her sooner than she wanted. Spider heaved a sigh. "Shit."Hailey shook her head. "You know, for a brilliantly smart guy, your vocabulary is hugely lacking." She paced back and forth. "No way you're gonna be the one to cover my ass. I'm pretty much a walking ghost right now."Only a true pro could purposefully screw up the code enough to ping him but not alert the crew she ran with. Hell, she might be better than him.Stunned at her skill, Spider finally got his brain to kick in. "Look, this is salvageable."Hailey spun around. "Really? How?"Spider shrugged. "I let you go. You meet back up with your team and finish the job."Hailey shook her head. "Uh-uh. They'll never believe I got tagged by the guild and didn't spill."Spider pondered a moment. "So you tell them you convinced me you'd make it worth it to let you go."Hailey tilted her head to the side, considering the idea. "Hmm. Been a long time since I've pulled out the tits and teeth routine." She chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've been caught and needed to."Spider frowned. "I was thinking more along the lines of a credit exchange."Hailey snorted. "They'd never believe that. A guy with your skill set can get all the credits he wants." She dragged the ponytail holder from her hair and mussed it up. "But a wild night with me… they might just go for. Especially since none of them can ever get near me. And your boys are on fugitive patrol in the mining colony." She paused. "But my team will still be suspicious. That could be a problem."Spider had a solution. "You really do need someone to cover your ass."Hailey smirked, then purred. "You volunteering for the job, big man?"If her voice made his dick hard, he had a fleeting thought about what her mouth could do.Hailey snapped her fingers. "Hello? Stop thinking with the little brain and focus."Spider shook his head. "Right. Focus." He moved to his setup and opened multiple programs. "And, yes, I’m volunteering." His fingers flew over the keyboard, entering a long series of commands. "Look at the monitors." He nodded toward the screens. "I'm hacking our droid units, telling them to log your every move." He turned and guided Hailey a few feet to her left. "Stand still." He hit enter, carefully watching the holovid scan Hailey from head to toe. "Your image is uploading to every droid and security monitor we have on station. They'll follow every move you make as soon as I enter the command code."Hailey grinned, long and slow. "Geez. You're beyond skilled." She shuddered. "I'm actually very turned on right now."Spider's dick jumped in response. "Later." Realizing how that sounded, he added. "Er, if you're not, you know, dead or behind bars."Hailey laughed. "Oh, my god… I'm stupidly happy I took a chance and finally got to meet you."
I have so much fun writing Hailey and Spider! This couple knows how to keep each other on their toes.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
August 19, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Specter's Masquerade
Yeesh, another crazy-busy week. And it's allergy season for me, so… yay. Not.
I had a particularly lengthy manuscript with formatting issues so my viewing schedule dwindled again this week. As usual, I caught marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night as background for much of the week.
I caught a CW Seed pilot called Cupid's Match. Gotta say that one looked kind of interesting. Also watched Pensacola: Wings of Gold and another episode of Lexx.
I ended up starting and not finishing another Hallmark Movie. I apparently like the mysteries way better than the meet-cutesy ones. Still… I'll keep sampling.
On DVD, I caught two Batman movies. Bad Blood and The Killing Joke. Both were pretty decent and I enjoyed the more adult-oriented storyline.
Finished season four of Strike Back and I'm geared up for season five. Looking forward to seeing if I like the new cast as much as I loved the previous one.
I'm almost finished with season six of Chicago Fire. I truly love where the cast is right now. Of course, there's a major shake-up for season seven so I'm not sure how I'll like that.
Caught a sci-fi marathon of original series Battlestar Galactica, Kolchak, the Night Stalker, Lost in Space, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea last night. I love revisiting some of those classic shows.
And that's it for television this week. I'm behind on Wynonna and Killjoys but should catch up this week. Fingers crossed. Tonight's post is from Specter's Masquerade, a novella set on a space station and the opening book for the Masquerade series.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Juna Newberry starts her new position as head of security on the Specter Spacestation under fire. She walks into the job two days before the biggest gala event of the solar year, a threat is made on the personnel, including the principal owner of the station, Maddox Specter, all while fighting her attraction for the sexy entrepreneur.
And a sneaky peek…
"You brought a new chief of security in two days before the Specter Masquerade?"Maddox Specter paced back and forth in his conference room. The sheer stupidity of the board's decision hit him harder than it should. Especially when he'd been out on the fringes of space, discussing a new venture with Roman Holly and catching up with two other old friends. Dammit, he'd earned a brief holiday, had worked his ass for it, in fact.But he should have counted on the board to move in and make a few sweeping changes. They battled against him at every opportunity.Paul Edwards, the chairman, made a soothing sound. "Now, Maddox, you said yourself we needed to move on hiring someone."Maddox whirled around, the holo images swimming in his vision. "Not two bloody days before the biggest event of the year!" He lowered his voice. "And not without consulting me." Sweeping his gaze over all the holographic visages, he asked. "Who spearheaded this exercise in stupidity?"No one spoke up or took credit. Maddox didn't care who jumped the gun. They were all a bunch of morons.At least they'd gone with one of his top five choices. Juna Newberry had serious qualifications. And she'd probably put them to good use if he didn't get the hell out of this meeting and do some damage control.Maddox turned to face Paul, singling him out. "Edwards, this isn't finished. Once the masquerade is over, we'll be meeting again. I won't have the board running roughshod over Specter Station." And he wouldn't need their backing much longer.Edwards quirked a brow and smirked. "I have no doubt you'll have plenty more to say, Maddox, but we're not done here. We still have the new galleria bid to go over."Maddox snorted. "Right now I don't care about adding new shops. The bid can wait. I have a new head of security to get settled in." He turned on his heel and walked out of the conference room.Walking the short distance to his private office, he entered, giving a terse order to his admin. "Wanda, get me a meeting with the new head of security as soon as she arrives." He loosened his tie, tossed it onto the credenza behind his desk, and walked over to the bar to pour a splash of Carbonite bourbon into a glass.His admin's soothing voice replied. "Guess what, Maddox? She's already waiting on you."Maddox glanced up and sure enough, his new employee stood moving back and forth in the reception area. His eyes slid closed and he downed the alcohol. No time to prepare, but he'd meet the situation head-on.Heaving a sigh, he grabbed his tie and put it back on. "I'll meet her now. Grant access, Wanda." Knotting the fabric shouldn't feel like a noose, but somehow… it did.
The sages gave me a huge chunk of this story in one go and then they kind of stepped back and cut off the flow. I have the outline finished and story points for the other three books now. Here's hoping I can finish this one up and launch the series soon.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
I had a particularly lengthy manuscript with formatting issues so my viewing schedule dwindled again this week. As usual, I caught marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night as background for much of the week.
I caught a CW Seed pilot called Cupid's Match. Gotta say that one looked kind of interesting. Also watched Pensacola: Wings of Gold and another episode of Lexx.
I ended up starting and not finishing another Hallmark Movie. I apparently like the mysteries way better than the meet-cutesy ones. Still… I'll keep sampling.
On DVD, I caught two Batman movies. Bad Blood and The Killing Joke. Both were pretty decent and I enjoyed the more adult-oriented storyline.
Finished season four of Strike Back and I'm geared up for season five. Looking forward to seeing if I like the new cast as much as I loved the previous one.
I'm almost finished with season six of Chicago Fire. I truly love where the cast is right now. Of course, there's a major shake-up for season seven so I'm not sure how I'll like that.
Caught a sci-fi marathon of original series Battlestar Galactica, Kolchak, the Night Stalker, Lost in Space, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea last night. I love revisiting some of those classic shows.
And that's it for television this week. I'm behind on Wynonna and Killjoys but should catch up this week. Fingers crossed. Tonight's post is from Specter's Masquerade, a novella set on a space station and the opening book for the Masquerade series.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Juna Newberry starts her new position as head of security on the Specter Spacestation under fire. She walks into the job two days before the biggest gala event of the solar year, a threat is made on the personnel, including the principal owner of the station, Maddox Specter, all while fighting her attraction for the sexy entrepreneur.
And a sneaky peek…
"You brought a new chief of security in two days before the Specter Masquerade?"Maddox Specter paced back and forth in his conference room. The sheer stupidity of the board's decision hit him harder than it should. Especially when he'd been out on the fringes of space, discussing a new venture with Roman Holly and catching up with two other old friends. Dammit, he'd earned a brief holiday, had worked his ass for it, in fact.But he should have counted on the board to move in and make a few sweeping changes. They battled against him at every opportunity.Paul Edwards, the chairman, made a soothing sound. "Now, Maddox, you said yourself we needed to move on hiring someone."Maddox whirled around, the holo images swimming in his vision. "Not two bloody days before the biggest event of the year!" He lowered his voice. "And not without consulting me." Sweeping his gaze over all the holographic visages, he asked. "Who spearheaded this exercise in stupidity?"No one spoke up or took credit. Maddox didn't care who jumped the gun. They were all a bunch of morons.At least they'd gone with one of his top five choices. Juna Newberry had serious qualifications. And she'd probably put them to good use if he didn't get the hell out of this meeting and do some damage control.Maddox turned to face Paul, singling him out. "Edwards, this isn't finished. Once the masquerade is over, we'll be meeting again. I won't have the board running roughshod over Specter Station." And he wouldn't need their backing much longer.Edwards quirked a brow and smirked. "I have no doubt you'll have plenty more to say, Maddox, but we're not done here. We still have the new galleria bid to go over."Maddox snorted. "Right now I don't care about adding new shops. The bid can wait. I have a new head of security to get settled in." He turned on his heel and walked out of the conference room.Walking the short distance to his private office, he entered, giving a terse order to his admin. "Wanda, get me a meeting with the new head of security as soon as she arrives." He loosened his tie, tossed it onto the credenza behind his desk, and walked over to the bar to pour a splash of Carbonite bourbon into a glass.His admin's soothing voice replied. "Guess what, Maddox? She's already waiting on you."Maddox glanced up and sure enough, his new employee stood moving back and forth in the reception area. His eyes slid closed and he downed the alcohol. No time to prepare, but he'd meet the situation head-on.Heaving a sigh, he grabbed his tie and put it back on. "I'll meet her now. Grant access, Wanda." Knotting the fabric shouldn't feel like a noose, but somehow… it did.
The sages gave me a huge chunk of this story in one go and then they kind of stepped back and cut off the flow. I have the outline finished and story points for the other three books now. Here's hoping I can finish this one up and launch the series soon.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
August 12, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Something New
The start of the school year looms closer for my last kidlet. She'll be starting her junior year but she's already been involved in fall activities. Band camp for two weeks and three-day-a-week practices in the evenings. The golf season officially started and she had her best eighteen-hole round this past week with an eighty-eight on a par seventy-two course. In between all that, she worked a part-time summer job at our local pool, got hired and trained for a new part-time job at a local restaurant that opens in a few weeks, and got her first car. GAH! Okay, the husband and I are actually paying for the car, but she's involved in so much we decided she needed a vehicle. She'll be contributing toward the payment and her insurance with the part-time job and banking the rest of her paycheck in her shiny new checking account.
The struggle is real… my wee one is fast approaching adulthood.
So… the busy week of car loans and new editing projects kept me from my usual viewing schedule. I did a lot of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night marathons. I did catch a few other shows.
Wynonna Earp. Watching everyone grieve for Dolls broke me a little. It's Wynonna Earp so of course there was nothing standard for the process. And we got quite a bit of plot momentum and new secrets. This show… never a dull moment. Ever. And one of the best fight scenes ever in the history of fight scenes on Wynonna Earp. Just saying.
I'm behind on Killjoys, which makes me very sad. I'll hopefully catch up this week. Fingers crossed.
I caught another episode of Garage Sale Mysteries, which I'm rather fond of. I like the dynamic and mix of characters. And in the mystery category, I caught the first episode of Midsomer Murders season thirteen. Moving right along on the episodes I haven't seen yet.
Also caught some more The Dresden Files and remembered by I enjoyed this show so much when it originally aired.
Caught another episode of Canal Road and I gotta say I have a theory on who either killed Spence's wife or ordered it done. I'm totally going to freak out if I'm correct. Australia has some kick ass television… just saying.
I watched two Batman DVDs this week. Gotham by Gaslight ended up being a terrific experience, topped only by a rather grown-up for animated DC fare of Batman and Harley Quinn. Seriously, I'm down with the kid version, but I'm completely there for a more adult-oriented movie.
Caught another episode of Babylon 5, basically the opening of the first season after the initial pilot. I'm looking forward to rewatching the entire series. Also caught most of another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles.
And that's about it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Something New, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of creating a scene with multiple positions and something that hasn't been tried before. Fun!
Here's the mini-blurb:
The sex is always good between fellow fleet officers Margie Range and Eli Kennington, but Margie wants to try something new. The challenge? They're on a ship deep in the black and the position she wants to attempt needs a lot more space than is currently available, but she won't be denied.
And a sneaky peek…
When the XO dismissed Eli's team, he took Margie's warning seriously and went straight to the mess. "I'll have the baked steak with potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables." He flashed a grin at the server. "Better add an order of bread, too."Her lips curved and she picked up two individual loaves, adding them to his tray.He grabbed an iced drink then found a seat and settled down to eat… a lot of food.When had he become so wrapped up in Margie's spell? Right. About five minutes after meeting her.Bold and brash, she demanded attention without asking. She carried her commanding presence in the way she moved. Graceful confidence mixed with relaxed intensity. A study of contrasts, yet she made them work. He'd never admit to having a type, but from his dating history, Margie didn't fit the standard mold. Dark hair, pulled ruthlessly back from her face, showcased her expressive eyes, which sucked him into her orbit. He took one look into the amber-flecked brown gaze and stopped thinking with his head. His dick, on the other hand, had no problem taking over and determining what it wanted.Margie Range.The polar opposite of what he normally considered for female companionship.He chuckled around a bite of food. "Didn't take me long to figure out I'd been going after the wrong females."Only an inch or two shorter than his five-eleven height, she had sinful curves he could hold on to for days. Her legs, especially when wrapped around him, were incredible. And she had a laugh that never failed to brighten his day, pull him deeper into her web, and turn him on—usually all at once.In short, Margie made being deep in the blackness of space not only bearable but fun.His Margie-sense tingled when he'd finished half his dinner. Looking up, he spied her chatting with a petty officer and accepting a small duffel. Eyes narrowed, he waited until she sat across from him to ask about the exchange.He nodded toward the duffel. "What's in the bag?" Knowing her, it could be anything from laundry to contraband.Margie smiled. "You'll see. I wasn't kidding about that eight-hour thing." She pushed his straw to one side and drank half his remaining drink. "Eat up, Eli. Time's a-wasting."He finished his food in record time and got up to stow his tray in the proper bin.Margie fell into step beside him. "Ready?"Eli gave her sideways glance. "Where to?"Margie shot him a sexy look. "Just keep up. We're headed to D-deck." Her lips twisted in a sultry grin.Eli didn't have to wonder about the location anymore. D-deck had overnight quarters and surplus accommodations for delegates and visitors. But he couldn't wait to hear how she managed to secure a prime destination on ship without raising suspicion.He'd lay money she had a good story for how she accomplished such a feat.
This is a fun little manuscript. I'm looking forward to finishing this one up.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
The struggle is real… my wee one is fast approaching adulthood.
So… the busy week of car loans and new editing projects kept me from my usual viewing schedule. I did a lot of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night marathons. I did catch a few other shows.
Wynonna Earp. Watching everyone grieve for Dolls broke me a little. It's Wynonna Earp so of course there was nothing standard for the process. And we got quite a bit of plot momentum and new secrets. This show… never a dull moment. Ever. And one of the best fight scenes ever in the history of fight scenes on Wynonna Earp. Just saying.
I'm behind on Killjoys, which makes me very sad. I'll hopefully catch up this week. Fingers crossed.
I caught another episode of Garage Sale Mysteries, which I'm rather fond of. I like the dynamic and mix of characters. And in the mystery category, I caught the first episode of Midsomer Murders season thirteen. Moving right along on the episodes I haven't seen yet.
Also caught some more The Dresden Files and remembered by I enjoyed this show so much when it originally aired.
Caught another episode of Canal Road and I gotta say I have a theory on who either killed Spence's wife or ordered it done. I'm totally going to freak out if I'm correct. Australia has some kick ass television… just saying.
I watched two Batman DVDs this week. Gotham by Gaslight ended up being a terrific experience, topped only by a rather grown-up for animated DC fare of Batman and Harley Quinn. Seriously, I'm down with the kid version, but I'm completely there for a more adult-oriented movie.
Caught another episode of Babylon 5, basically the opening of the first season after the initial pilot. I'm looking forward to rewatching the entire series. Also caught most of another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles.
And that's about it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Something New, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of creating a scene with multiple positions and something that hasn't been tried before. Fun!
Here's the mini-blurb:
The sex is always good between fellow fleet officers Margie Range and Eli Kennington, but Margie wants to try something new. The challenge? They're on a ship deep in the black and the position she wants to attempt needs a lot more space than is currently available, but she won't be denied.
And a sneaky peek…
When the XO dismissed Eli's team, he took Margie's warning seriously and went straight to the mess. "I'll have the baked steak with potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables." He flashed a grin at the server. "Better add an order of bread, too."Her lips curved and she picked up two individual loaves, adding them to his tray.He grabbed an iced drink then found a seat and settled down to eat… a lot of food.When had he become so wrapped up in Margie's spell? Right. About five minutes after meeting her.Bold and brash, she demanded attention without asking. She carried her commanding presence in the way she moved. Graceful confidence mixed with relaxed intensity. A study of contrasts, yet she made them work. He'd never admit to having a type, but from his dating history, Margie didn't fit the standard mold. Dark hair, pulled ruthlessly back from her face, showcased her expressive eyes, which sucked him into her orbit. He took one look into the amber-flecked brown gaze and stopped thinking with his head. His dick, on the other hand, had no problem taking over and determining what it wanted.Margie Range.The polar opposite of what he normally considered for female companionship.He chuckled around a bite of food. "Didn't take me long to figure out I'd been going after the wrong females."Only an inch or two shorter than his five-eleven height, she had sinful curves he could hold on to for days. Her legs, especially when wrapped around him, were incredible. And she had a laugh that never failed to brighten his day, pull him deeper into her web, and turn him on—usually all at once.In short, Margie made being deep in the blackness of space not only bearable but fun.His Margie-sense tingled when he'd finished half his dinner. Looking up, he spied her chatting with a petty officer and accepting a small duffel. Eyes narrowed, he waited until she sat across from him to ask about the exchange.He nodded toward the duffel. "What's in the bag?" Knowing her, it could be anything from laundry to contraband.Margie smiled. "You'll see. I wasn't kidding about that eight-hour thing." She pushed his straw to one side and drank half his remaining drink. "Eat up, Eli. Time's a-wasting."He finished his food in record time and got up to stow his tray in the proper bin.Margie fell into step beside him. "Ready?"Eli gave her sideways glance. "Where to?"Margie shot him a sexy look. "Just keep up. We're headed to D-deck." Her lips twisted in a sultry grin.Eli didn't have to wonder about the location anymore. D-deck had overnight quarters and surplus accommodations for delegates and visitors. But he couldn't wait to hear how she managed to secure a prime destination on ship without raising suspicion.He'd lay money she had a good story for how she accomplished such a feat.
This is a fun little manuscript. I'm looking forward to finishing this one up.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
August 5, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Sibling Rivalry
Wow… it's August. Almost time for school to get started again and the fall sports season to get underway. For me, this means feed the team for one of my daughter's golf matches and getting ready for football games and band competitions. Oh… and homecoming. We got the dress picked out and ready to order today. Yeesh.
Had a low-key week in television. Got kind of busy doing other things and ended up watching a lot of binge scheduling of Murder, She Wrote.
On DVD, I finished up Batman: The Brave and the Bold and got the second half of The Batman's season five episodes. Really enjoyed both.
Finished up the second to last episode of Strike Back's fourth season. Caught a Chicago Fire episode and also watched the season one finale of Sense8. Man… I'm completely sucked in to this show. I was going to watch the second season of Luke Cage then watch season two of Sense8, but I need to know what happens next. LOL Sorry, Luke… I'll be there soon.
Started Patrick Melrose but it didn't grab me. I'll watch it sometime later. Had a binge watch of The Saint on regular television. I'll be hunting down the entire series in the near future. Really love the show.
I'll be watching Wynonna Earp and Killjoys later this week. Had too much stuff going on Friday night to watch live.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Sibling Rivalry, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing something similar to boot camp. I picked flight school.
Here's the mini-blurb:
When Fayne Cartier falls for his brother's flight instructor, Rumor Child, he has no idea how difficult dating will end up being when his brother shows signs of not having the chops to qualify. Rumor won't cut him from her class thinking the sibling rivalry may be just what the younger Cartier needs.
And a sneaky peek…
Fayne waited outside the instructor's office. "Rumor Child. Sure has a sassy mouth on her." And he'd definitely noticed her lips, which he'd love to see used for something other than kissing him off.Fayne did a quick personnel search with his handheld. Okay, she had the chops to back her attitude up, as much as he hated to admit it. Maybe he could talk some sense into her since his brother wouldn't listen.Fayne sighed. "Dammit, Renner." Thinking he had to follow in their father's footsteps.Not that the old man disabused his youngest of doing so. Fenrick thought being a pilot should top both of his sons lists. So… of course Renner fell right in if only to please the elder Cartier.The door opened and Fayne waited until his brother exited and turned the corner before he ducked back inside Rumor Child's room.Lieutenant Child glanced up and heaved a sigh. "I don't have time for—"Fayne cut her off, holding up a hand. "I came to apologize for butting in to the interview." He dropped his arm and finished up. "I overstepped and deserved getting thrown out." There, hopefully, that would smooth the way for what he really wanted.Rumor narrowed her gaze, tilting her head to one side. "And?" She drew the word out, leaving no doubt he wouldn't get anything past her.He liked her and the fact she saw right through his apology.He flashed a smile. "Let me take you to dinner to make up for being an ass." He waited, full of anticipation for her response.Again, she didn't disappoint.She snorted. "And to talk me out of adding your brother, right?" She rolled her eyes.Fayne shrugged. "More like letting me share my concern in a calm and rational manner." Hopefully, he could manage that feat.Rumor shook her head. "As much as I appreciate the gesture, I don't have time." She walked around her desk and gave a pointed look at the files spread across the surface. "I'll be here until at least nine after I finish conducting interviews." She met his gaze.Disappointed, but completely understanding, Fayne nodded. "Another time then?" He held out hope.Rumor gave him a long, considering look. "I think I'd like that." Pulling her chair out, she sat down, opening the top folder on the pile.Backing toward the exit, he grinned. "Sounds great." He turned and left her office, heading for the parking lot.The beginning of a kick-ass idea formed in his mind. If she couldn't have dinner out, he'd bring it in to her. His brother's potential mistake notwithstanding, Fayne wanted to spend more time with the intriguing flight instructor.
Fayne is definitely going to meet his match in Rumor. They also won't have an easy time staying on the same page.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Had a low-key week in television. Got kind of busy doing other things and ended up watching a lot of binge scheduling of Murder, She Wrote.
On DVD, I finished up Batman: The Brave and the Bold and got the second half of The Batman's season five episodes. Really enjoyed both.
Finished up the second to last episode of Strike Back's fourth season. Caught a Chicago Fire episode and also watched the season one finale of Sense8. Man… I'm completely sucked in to this show. I was going to watch the second season of Luke Cage then watch season two of Sense8, but I need to know what happens next. LOL Sorry, Luke… I'll be there soon.
Started Patrick Melrose but it didn't grab me. I'll watch it sometime later. Had a binge watch of The Saint on regular television. I'll be hunting down the entire series in the near future. Really love the show.
I'll be watching Wynonna Earp and Killjoys later this week. Had too much stuff going on Friday night to watch live.
That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Sibling Rivalry, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing something similar to boot camp. I picked flight school.
Here's the mini-blurb:
When Fayne Cartier falls for his brother's flight instructor, Rumor Child, he has no idea how difficult dating will end up being when his brother shows signs of not having the chops to qualify. Rumor won't cut him from her class thinking the sibling rivalry may be just what the younger Cartier needs.
And a sneaky peek…
Fayne waited outside the instructor's office. "Rumor Child. Sure has a sassy mouth on her." And he'd definitely noticed her lips, which he'd love to see used for something other than kissing him off.Fayne did a quick personnel search with his handheld. Okay, she had the chops to back her attitude up, as much as he hated to admit it. Maybe he could talk some sense into her since his brother wouldn't listen.Fayne sighed. "Dammit, Renner." Thinking he had to follow in their father's footsteps.Not that the old man disabused his youngest of doing so. Fenrick thought being a pilot should top both of his sons lists. So… of course Renner fell right in if only to please the elder Cartier.The door opened and Fayne waited until his brother exited and turned the corner before he ducked back inside Rumor Child's room.Lieutenant Child glanced up and heaved a sigh. "I don't have time for—"Fayne cut her off, holding up a hand. "I came to apologize for butting in to the interview." He dropped his arm and finished up. "I overstepped and deserved getting thrown out." There, hopefully, that would smooth the way for what he really wanted.Rumor narrowed her gaze, tilting her head to one side. "And?" She drew the word out, leaving no doubt he wouldn't get anything past her.He liked her and the fact she saw right through his apology.He flashed a smile. "Let me take you to dinner to make up for being an ass." He waited, full of anticipation for her response.Again, she didn't disappoint.She snorted. "And to talk me out of adding your brother, right?" She rolled her eyes.Fayne shrugged. "More like letting me share my concern in a calm and rational manner." Hopefully, he could manage that feat.Rumor shook her head. "As much as I appreciate the gesture, I don't have time." She walked around her desk and gave a pointed look at the files spread across the surface. "I'll be here until at least nine after I finish conducting interviews." She met his gaze.Disappointed, but completely understanding, Fayne nodded. "Another time then?" He held out hope.Rumor gave him a long, considering look. "I think I'd like that." Pulling her chair out, she sat down, opening the top folder on the pile.Backing toward the exit, he grinned. "Sounds great." He turned and left her office, heading for the parking lot.The beginning of a kick-ass idea formed in his mind. If she couldn't have dinner out, he'd bring it in to her. His brother's potential mistake notwithstanding, Fayne wanted to spend more time with the intriguing flight instructor.
Fayne is definitely going to meet his match in Rumor. They also won't have an easy time staying on the same page.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
July 29, 2018
Sunday Snippet: Set the Record Straight
A low-key week finally. Didn't have a ton of running around to do and got a lot accomplished. Finished up a developmental edit for an author and two full copy edits. I'm thrilled with the productivity!
Not a bad week in television. I rewatched the premiere of Wynonna Earp because it was soooo good. Also caught another episode of Canal Road and The Dresden Files.
Finished series twelve of Midsomer Murders and caught a few episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on Ovation.
Started a rewatch of Babylon 5, one of my all-time favorite shows. Caught volume one of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Also caught another season two episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I seriously forgot how much I loved that show. And it holds up pretty well, too. Finished Constantine and I'm ready for more John on Legends of Tomorrow.
Got an episode of Pensacola: Wings of Gold in and had mini-marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night.
Also watched the next episodes of Wynonna Earp and Killjoys. I'm gutted by events in Wynonna and Killjoys kicked ass in ways I thoroughly enjoyed. Seriously, Syfy, please give me more of shows like these. Please.
Got started on a few other shows but didn't have time to finish them yet. An update on those will come next week.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Set the Record Straight, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of rewriting a scene from a favorite television show. I chose one from Battlestar Galactica and a new story was born.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Keegan Brimm and Warner Misona check their feelings for each other at the spaceport airlock and have a knock down fight before they finally drag out all the baggage between them to set the record straight.
And a sneaky peek…
Keegan Brimm cleared the dishes from the table. "I'm really sorry Damien wasn't here for your visit." She dumped the plates in the sink.Warner Misona got up, grabbing the takeout boxes and putting them in the trash. She gave him bonus points for helping. Damien never bothered with the small everyday stuff. Hard to believe his best friend did and without a single prompt from her.She snagged a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to Warner. "Thanks. Nice of you to help out." Popping the cap, she tilted the bottle and took a long drink.Warner laughed. "You'd never know it, but Mrs. Jones actually made Damien and I clear the table and do dishes when we were growing up." He opened his brew and followed her into the living room. "She would also kick Damien's ass for not telling you he'd made plans."Keegen choked down her recent sip. "Damn, busted. I didn't a crappy job of covering for him, didn't I?" She liked Warner… a lot.He chuckled. "You did fine. I've known Damien too long and his lack of remembering important details is legendary. As is his tendency to blab about everything else not important."Oh, hell. Warner probably knew every gory detail of her sex life with Damien. She should probably be pissed, but couldn't do more than be embarrassed.And the next two hours and four more beers a piece proved Warner had a gift for conversation. He blew her mind with the wide variety of topics they touched on. She treaded in dangerous territory. If Damien didn't already have her locked in, she'd be very tempted by Warner. Hell, I already am tempted. So not good.He got up and carried the empty bottles into the kitchen. "I'd better head out. Let Damien know I'll catch up with him the next time I'm in town." He propped his shoulder against the arch separating the rooms. "And thank you for being so gracious. You didn't have to let me barge in and disrupt your evening."Keegan got up, the effects of five beers making her relaxed and fanciful. "I gotta say you've been a terrific guest. I can see why Damien considers you the second best man on the planet." She moved forward, heading toward the front door.Warner laughed. "Him being the best, no doubt." He followed behind her, his presence at her back sending a tingle of awareness down her spine.Keegan slid a glance over her shoulder. "Well, yeah, of course." Damien definitely didn't lack confidence.Probably one of the things that made their personalities clash sometimes. She didn't lack confidence either.Warner's lips curved in a wide smile. "The guy never changes." He gave her a quick hug. "Thanks again for having me." Then he eased back to lean down, probably to brush a kiss over her cheek.Keegan turned her face and instead his lips met hers.What the hell am I doing?
This doesn't quite go where the end of the snippet suggests but it's definitely a sparking moment between Keegan and Warner.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
Not a bad week in television. I rewatched the premiere of Wynonna Earp because it was soooo good. Also caught another episode of Canal Road and The Dresden Files.
Finished series twelve of Midsomer Murders and caught a few episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on Ovation.
Started a rewatch of Babylon 5, one of my all-time favorite shows. Caught volume one of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Also caught another season two episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I seriously forgot how much I loved that show. And it holds up pretty well, too. Finished Constantine and I'm ready for more John on Legends of Tomorrow.
Got an episode of Pensacola: Wings of Gold in and had mini-marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night.
Also watched the next episodes of Wynonna Earp and Killjoys. I'm gutted by events in Wynonna and Killjoys kicked ass in ways I thoroughly enjoyed. Seriously, Syfy, please give me more of shows like these. Please.
Got started on a few other shows but didn't have time to finish them yet. An update on those will come next week.
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Set the Record Straight, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of rewriting a scene from a favorite television show. I chose one from Battlestar Galactica and a new story was born.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Keegan Brimm and Warner Misona check their feelings for each other at the spaceport airlock and have a knock down fight before they finally drag out all the baggage between them to set the record straight.
And a sneaky peek…
Keegan Brimm cleared the dishes from the table. "I'm really sorry Damien wasn't here for your visit." She dumped the plates in the sink.Warner Misona got up, grabbing the takeout boxes and putting them in the trash. She gave him bonus points for helping. Damien never bothered with the small everyday stuff. Hard to believe his best friend did and without a single prompt from her.She snagged a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to Warner. "Thanks. Nice of you to help out." Popping the cap, she tilted the bottle and took a long drink.Warner laughed. "You'd never know it, but Mrs. Jones actually made Damien and I clear the table and do dishes when we were growing up." He opened his brew and followed her into the living room. "She would also kick Damien's ass for not telling you he'd made plans."Keegen choked down her recent sip. "Damn, busted. I didn't a crappy job of covering for him, didn't I?" She liked Warner… a lot.He chuckled. "You did fine. I've known Damien too long and his lack of remembering important details is legendary. As is his tendency to blab about everything else not important."Oh, hell. Warner probably knew every gory detail of her sex life with Damien. She should probably be pissed, but couldn't do more than be embarrassed.And the next two hours and four more beers a piece proved Warner had a gift for conversation. He blew her mind with the wide variety of topics they touched on. She treaded in dangerous territory. If Damien didn't already have her locked in, she'd be very tempted by Warner. Hell, I already am tempted. So not good.He got up and carried the empty bottles into the kitchen. "I'd better head out. Let Damien know I'll catch up with him the next time I'm in town." He propped his shoulder against the arch separating the rooms. "And thank you for being so gracious. You didn't have to let me barge in and disrupt your evening."Keegan got up, the effects of five beers making her relaxed and fanciful. "I gotta say you've been a terrific guest. I can see why Damien considers you the second best man on the planet." She moved forward, heading toward the front door.Warner laughed. "Him being the best, no doubt." He followed behind her, his presence at her back sending a tingle of awareness down her spine.Keegan slid a glance over her shoulder. "Well, yeah, of course." Damien definitely didn't lack confidence.Probably one of the things that made their personalities clash sometimes. She didn't lack confidence either.Warner's lips curved in a wide smile. "The guy never changes." He gave her a quick hug. "Thanks again for having me." Then he eased back to lean down, probably to brush a kiss over her cheek.Keegan turned her face and instead his lips met hers.What the hell am I doing?
This doesn't quite go where the end of the snippet suggests but it's definitely a sparking moment between Keegan and Warner.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
