M.L. Skye's Blog, page 4

Sunday Snippet: Vice

The work projectabundance continues. I'm plugging along and chiseling away at the four currentprojects I have on my plate—two copy edits, a proofread, and a developmentaledit are the main events. I also have a set of revisions to review and a readthrough to start. It's chaotic but also … fun? I love that everything I'mworking on right now is so different. Not one of the manuscripts is similar tothe other ones.

As usual, totallyunhinged weather in Ohio. It's cold. It's hot. It's both in one day. Rain, sun,gloomy clouds, and hey, a chance for more snow. I did get lucky and had amostly clear night for the recent blood moon eclipse, which was amazing towatch. Being a night owl comes in very hand sometimes.

Had a limited viewingschedule this week, mainly because I needed to focus on the words in themanuscripts. I did get a few things watched. I might have to give bingewatching something for background noise a go for the next few weeks.

Finished up BeyondParadise and thoroughly enjoyed the first season finale. They packed so muchinto this episode. The case, Humph and Archie fight, more shenanigans from theChief Super, Esther and Hump bonding, Margo being Margo, Kelby being Kelby, andof course, the crew from Death in Paradise at the end. I can't wait towatch the first holiday episode this week!

Caught an episodeof Elementary and quite enjoyed it. Interesting interactions between theconsulting trio and the police duo and twisty bits thrown in to keep thingsrolling.

Enjoyed an episodeof Batman Beyond. It's one I definitely remembered and liked during myfirst watch of this series.

Watched an episodeof Classic Rugrats and actually remember this one, which is odd becausemost of the ninth season has been new-to-me stuff.

Started an episodeof London Kills, the opener to the fourth season. I had to stop partwaythrough because I need to pay attention and this isn't the week for me to dothat.

Also binged amarathon of Peter Gunn on one of the live PlexTV channels. I've beenhitting Plex up for a lot of viewing fare lately and I might end up using itover the next several weeks for background noise. Stay tuned.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Vice, a novellawhere the characters get together despite it being a terrible idea.

Here's theminiblurb:

Mercy Flynn and Bishop Hiller, two of Space StationTitania's brightest employees, have many vices, but the biggest one for either?Each other. They have to live and work together and avoiding the temptation totake things into personal territory wears on each, making the thin line ofprofessionalism very blurry.

And a sneaky peek…

Mercy escorted Ivan to his one andonly meeting for the day. "Mr. Lemig, you're scheduled to review themining contracts for Darbin's kelcite ore with Titania's commerce director.While you're occupied, I'll get to work on your requested itinerary for therest of the day." She stopped outside one of the private conference areas."If you finish early, please wait for me to return. The attendant will behappy to assist you with refreshments or entertainment modules." Openingthe door, she ducked inside to make sure Rave Neptite had arrived.Rave lifted his chin. "Mercy, I'mready." He patted the stack of portable files.Mercy smiled and made theintroductions between the men before stepping out and sealing the door. She abeeline to Bishop with a list of activities the dignitary wanted to participatein. She almost couldn't wait to see his reaction.He glanced up when she handed himthe curated notes. "Gambling, the bathing chamber, and a visit to theprivate club. Is there no limit to this guy's need for debauchery?" Bishopsnorted his disgust.Mercy bit back a grin because heresponded exactly the way she'd imagined.She shrugged. "Apparently not."Folding her arms over her chest, she met his gaze. "What do you want me todo to get this rolling?" She hadn't given him the best news yet.Bishop heaved a sigh."Nothing. I'll make personnel assignments and get back with you before he'sthrough with the contract reviews." He opened the employee roster.Mercy grimaced. "Well … thatmight not work. The dignitary requested the two of us." Apparently, Ivanneeded to posture and look important on top of being as depraved as possible.Bishop growled. "Are fuckingyou serious?" He shot her a look over his shoulder. "Does he realizethe less we know about his vices the better?" He put his head in hishands. "Great universe, help me." Grumbling, he straightened andreached up to pull down two handheld comp units.Mercy huffed out a breath."The universe could give two shits about us." If the great expansecared, it would stop sending randy politicos their way.She took one of the devices, openedthe roster and synced her machine with Bishop's.He got up. "Fine. Let's getstarted." Keying in two names, he swiped and sent them to her.Mercy's lips twitched. "You'regonna be fun today, aren't you?" The dealer he'd chosen pretty muchguaranteed Lemig would leave with much lighter coffers.She kind of feared who Bishop wouldpick for the bathing chamber.Bishop rolled his eyes with a grimtwist to his lips and stalked out of his office.Mercy let out a long exhale."Gonna be a long, long day."

Enjoying this one.Mercy and Bishop are fun to write and throwing Ivan in there makes thingsinteresting.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Viable Options

What a week! Mybrain is all spinny at the moment because I have an abundance of work projectsin my inbox. I love having a full calendar. That said, I need about five morehours in each day, please and thank you.

Honestly, theoverflowing inbox comes at an excellent time for me. I have several things thatneed attention, one of them being the brakes on my car. Now to buckle under andget the work done.

Weather in Ohio istypical for March. Maybe a little on the extreme side, but March always seemsto be whiplashing back and forth between winter and spring. Today is springlikewith temps in the fifties. Yesterday we barely broke freezing for our high.

Another verylimited week for viewing. I'm not kidding when I say five more hours each daywould be helpful. Just saying.

I did finish up theDeath in Paradise episode I started last week. So sad to see Floranceleave again. But what a way to go out. And pretty sure we'll see her again.

Also started a BeyondParadise episode, which will finish out the first season. I'm reallyenjoying this show.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Viable Options,a novella that brings a couple together under intense circumstances.

Here's the miniblurb:

Karlin Hex and Jay Shaliman are trapped high in themountains when their planet is attacked and left for ruin. Jay decides plan Ais to find a ship, get off the planet and find their way to the military fleetor a viable spaceport. Karlin finds the notion admirable but wonders what hisbackup option is. That's easy—plans B through Z are the same as plan A.

And a sneaky peek…

Karlin couldn't escape the stenchof failure. "How the hell does an attack occur with zero notice? What thehell is the purpose of a remote outpost if it can't capture an advancewarning?" Her shoulders slumped.Okay, she didn't personally fuck up.Not really. But an attack on the scale of what they suffered should have hadsome kind of chatter, right?She rewound the last twenty-fourhours and scrolled through the audio looking for anything she could've missed."There's nothing." With a sigh, she signed off the base system."No one out there to hear me anyway." She couldn't leave to try andget to a base until morning. "And what good will it do?" The closestone lay in ruin and everyone who could get off the planet would be gone withintwelve hours.Geez. Everything tilted a littlesideways. The crushing weight of despair tried to swallow her whole.She pushed the weight of reactionback. Couldn't deal with or wrap her head around the idea she'd be dead soon.Getting up, she grabbed a bottle of alcohol and decided to drown her misery inwhiskey.Twisting the cap off, she took along swallow. "Here's to the end of … well … the world, I guess." Shetucked the bottle under her arm and left the comm station area.Crossing into the small livingspace, she walked through and ended up out in the garage area. Setting thewhiskey on the workbench, she pulled several of the storage bins down from theshelves and poked through them. Lots of odds and ends that could come in handy.She grabbed another quick drink then wandered to the first aid station, pullingsupplies out of their containers and stuffing them into another crate.She followed up by digging throughthe fresh food supply. "Plenty here … not that I'll be around long enoughto worry if this stuff goes bad." No doubt they would.Rifling through the rest of thecupboards, she found several cases of MREs. Meals ready to eat might not havegourmet quality, but they traveled well and provided nutrition in convenientrations. Absently, she gathered a decent supply—she had no idea why—then stowedthem in the garage with medical supplies.After making a quick dinner of eggson toast, she bedded down with the whiskey for comfort and a loose plan to spendthe next day weighing her very limited options for survival.

I love to take ableak outlook and sprinkle little glimmers of hope, even if they'resubconscious sparkles.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Veracity of War

Wow, March is beingits typical mercurial self. Warm up and then plunge back into the teens andsingle digits. The back-and-forth weather is normal but not fun.

Crazy-busy weekwith work projects. I'm thrilled to have my calendar filling up and excited tostart some new manuscripts. Also getting more details sorted out for Tip JarShorts. I need to find a full day I can dedicate to getting everything where itneeds to be.

Very limitedviewing this week. My brain decided it needed quiet to focus on the reading Ineeded to finish up for one of my work projects. I probably needed the break.

I did get more ofthe One Lane Bridge episode watched. I might take a brief vacation fromthis one. There's a lot going on in this show and focus is going to beimportant so I don't miss anything.

Finished up seasonthree of London Kills with the behind-the-scenes bonus episode. I alwaysenjoy getting a deeper look at how everything comes together in a series.

Started anotherepisode of Death in Paradise. I'm about halfway through and I like thetension in this one. Also enjoyed Neville and Commissioner Patterson being onthe same page for once.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Veracity of War,a novella that explores changing dynamics in a relationship.

Here's the miniblurb:

The veracity of war takes a toll when Emerson Gambleassumes command of a military outpost after his captain loses his life. SheenaTram wonders if they'll be able to maintain their relationship when the burdenof responsibility always gets in the way.

And a sneaky peek…

"To a good man and anexcellent CO. I have big shoes to fill." Emerson raised his glass."To Captain Elias Marx."Along with the rest of the unit,Sheena raised her glass. "To Marx!" She downed the shot and turnedthe glass upside down before meeting Emerson's gaze. "A speech wouldn't beremiss, especially after that excellent sendoff." She might be pushing boundaries,but she wanted Emerson to get off on the right path.And letting the unit know how heintended to move forward would quell any uncertainty.Emerson didn't call her out, but henarrowed his eyes just a bit before he took a deep breath. "A speech.Right." Squaring his shoulders, he directed his gaze over the entire unit."I couldn't ask for a better crew than the one I'm with right now. We'vebeen through the worst humanity has to offer, and we've come through thatgauntlet … maybe not intact or unscathed, at least not on a personal level butstronger as a cohesive group. That's where our strength is. We function better becauseof each other, because we have each other's backs. If we find a weak spot, wepick up the slack together and share the burden. Marx trained us that way, andI have no doubt we'll continue to honor his memory by utilizing those lessonsunder my command." He picked up a shot freshly poured by the medic. "ToRazor Company. Sharp and true."Everyone toasted. "Sharp andtrue!"Sheena downed her alcohol, savoringthe burn of the liquid and the words of Emerson's toast. Sharp and true. Simplisticbut hugely effective as a rallying cry. And that's what he'll have to be.As their new leader, Emerson would have to be sharp on the uptake and true tohis subordinates. Where will that leave us? She had no answer to thequestion, but she'd be the first in line to help ease the transition regardlessof how it might affect the personal relationship with Emerson.Two hours later, members of theunit started heading for their racks. Everyone wanted to be as well rested aspossible before the next mission operation. Sheena stayed behind to help clearup the glasses and bottles. And to spend some time with Emerson.After stowing the alcohol in thecupboard, Emerson made his way to the large expanse of windows, gazing into thedepths of space. The tension returned to his shoulders, and he heaved a sigh. Sheenaput the washed glasses away and observed him for several long moments. She hadno idea what kind of weight he carried with the bump in rank, but she did havea way she could help soothe his unease.Making her way to his side, shewrapped her arms around him. "What do you see out there? Because it's notthe stars."Emerson snorted. "I'm seeing ablack void that needs filled, and I'm not ready." He circled her waist."I don't think being a good soldier qualifies me to take over for thecaptain."Sheena frowned. "Marx couldhave picked anyone to assume command. He chose you." Her head tilted back,and she met Emerson's gaze. "Why do you think he did?" Emerson didn'tlack confidence, so what had him twisted up?He shrugged. "Honestly? Myguess would be because I'd served with him the longest." Easing away fromher, he clasped her hand and led her to one of the long, wide benches tuckedinto the alcove that faced the windows.Sheena nodded. "Okay, thattracks. But he trusted you to get us to the egress point. That has nothing todo with how long you've served with him." She swung her legs up andmotioned for Emerson to do the same. "You already acted as his de factosecond in command. He delegated a lot of responsibility because he counted onyou to follow through with his orders. Even the unspoken ones. You didn't haveto stop and think about how he would've handled things. You didn't have toquestion what he wanted to happen. And you never let him down. That's why hepicked you to assume leadership." The truth of that observation couldn'tbe denied.Emerson shifted his position andsettled her back against his chest. "Kind of like how you and I worktogether … perfectly in sync." His lips brushed her temple.Sheena didn't know how much longerthey would be, but she smiled. "Pretty much." She angled her headaround. "And not just during battle." Her hand cupped his face, andshe met his mouth with hers.Emerson deepened the kiss andworked the buttons on her shirt undone, exactly how she planned. She had asinking feeling their relationship would be in a for a big change, but for now,she'd tuck that concern away and enjoy being with him. Shrugging her arms outof her sleeves, she broke the embrace and quickly shed the rest of her clothes.

I like how thisstory is coming together. It's fun to dig in to an established relationship andsee what pops up when outside factors force change.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Unlawful Acts

Well, had a betterweek than the last one. Still not completely tip-top but feeling way betterwith the worst of the cold finally over. We got more snow this week, but warmertemperatures are around the corner. At least for a few days.

I got caught up onmy work projects and lined up a potential new one. I'll be starting a new copy editon one of my favorite mystery series and continuing my read through on the nonfictionproject.

I'm setting up astorefront for Tip Jar Shorts. I'm kind of doing things a bit backward, but themore I thought about it, the more I figured a storefront would lend legitimacyto this endeavor. I wanted to keep things super simple and offer various methodsof payment and I might still be able to do that, but I also thought it would bebest to have immediate access to a downloadable file instead of waiting on adelivery to an inbox. We'll see which version works out the best.

Had an okay week ofviewing. I didn't make a full cycle through of my shows, but I did get the backhalf watched. And I might be adding one additional show to the roster. I'll leteveryone know if that happens.

Watched another episodeof Elementary and rather enjoyed this one. Sherlock's dynamic with Joanis different and getting more settled. And Kitty is fitting in with both inways I didn't expect.

Also caught an episodeof Batman Beyond. I remembered this one and enjoyed it. I did forget theinteraction with Terry and his brother so that was a nice reminder.

Enjoyed anothernew-to-me episode of Classic Rugrats. I sometimes wish Nickelodeon hadcontinued with the plans for the pre-school show and added more of All GrownUp. The nostalgia is strong with this franchise. Instead, Spongeboband other weird stuff took off.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Unlawful Acts,a sexy short that puts a couple in close proximity to work out theirdifferences.

Here's the miniblurb:

Effy Carmichael, an up-and-coming officer, wants the jobof alpha team leader and deserves it, except she's a few years too young tohold the position. When the spot goes to one of her oldest friends, JonahKirkland, Effy has to swallow her pride and welcome him even while she fightsthe powerful attraction between them. Hooking up with Jonah is against regs,but it may be worth committing an unlawful act to finally realize one of hermost closely held desires.

And a sneaky peek…

Effy's heart kicked against herribs. How the hell to answer? Maybe with the truth … even if it might be scaryugly …She laid it out. "I wanted theteam leader job. And I should've had it." Sighing, she conceded the loss."Except, of course, I didn't qualify." Waiting a beat, she put theperiod at the end of the sentence. "And then they send you." Sheshrugged. "Which should be awesome but, honestly, I'm having a hard timeseparating my personal feelings from the professional…" She trailed offbecause the admission cost some pride.Jonah blinked. "Personalfeelings?" His thumb brushed over the top of her hand. "As in … wait,why haven't I ever gone after that before feelings or just the age-oldfriendship type?"Effy narrowed her eyes. "Areyou making fun of me?"He shook his head. "No, Eff.I'm not. Believe me, I'm not." He huffed out a laugh. "Heh, you'venever given me a hint of hope that you saw me as anything but a brotherly typeof friend." His hand squeezed hers.She pursed her lips because … truefact. "Maybe you didn't look hard enough." Her lips twitched.Jonah snorted. "And maybe yourpoker face is too good for me to see through."She rolled a shoulder. "Thereis that." She'd become very good at keeping her true feelings hiddenbehind a mask.Jonah tugged her a little closer."So … if I'd never received this promotion, we'd have spent the rest offorever not getting it on?" His palms skimmed along her torso.Awareness skittered through her."Maybe." Anticipation thrummed through her veins.Jonah's mouth curved. "Well,that sucks."She agreed with a nod.Jonah sobered. "Can we getpast this whole thing? The job situation? Because if we can't, I'll transferout of here." His voice held a note of conviction.She didn't hesitate. "We canget past it. I just needed to be pissed off for a couple of months." Hecouldn't leave now.Jonah lifted his chin. "Andyou're over it now?"She wrinkled her nose. "Prettymuch."Jonah got serious again. "Inthat case … I can think of a very inappropriate way for you to thank me."He tipped his head toward her. "Right now."When she opened her mouth to uttera comeback, Jonah slanted his mouth over hers. A very effective way to shut herup, and she probably wouldn't give him another opportunity like this … ever. The helmet forgotten, she let thekiss consume her. They could've kept dancing around this for years. Effy slidher tongue along his lower lip as she leaned into the embrace. She became the aggressor, backing away,she pulled him upright and started tugging at his shirt. "Off. Now."She stepped back and slid her sweatshirt over her head, then started on hersports bra. Jonah made short work of his shirtand, after tossing it behind him, pulled her to him and kissed her again. Hislips slid to her shoulder and his hands began to unbutton her pants.She cupped his chin. "We'regoing to do this?" She left the here unvoiced. "Technically, sex onthe premises constitutes an unlawful act." Not that she gave a damn.He pushed her pants down as far asthey would go. "Don't much care at the moment."Effy stepped out of her fatigues."Okay, yeah. We're going to do this." She reached forward and ran herfinger down his chest and stopped at the waistband of his sweatpants beforelooking up at him. "Think you can handle it?"

I love Effy and Jonah.Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Uniform Differences

Whew. It's been a week.I'm under the weather and not enjoying that at all. I'm behind on my two workprojects and we're getting a buttload of snow at the moment. Also … I'm on coldmedication and it's making me loopy. Fun times.

I made a video forTip Jar and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I'm excited about thisnew endeavor and hope it gets some traction.

Really slow weekfor viewing. Between being under the weather and everything else going on in theworld, I didn't have the spoons to really dive into my shows.

I didn't end upfinishing the episode of One Lane Bridge. I'm hoping to get to it thisweek.

I did watch thefinale of London Kills and it ended up being pretty thrilling. I have abehind the scenes episode to watch and then I'll be starting the next season.

Caught an episodeof Death in Paradise and enjoyed it. I'm liking Neville a lot more this season.Very interested in how things play out with Florance's under cover job.

Started an episodeof Beyond Paradise and should finish it today. I ended up sleeping a lotover the weekend and just didn't have a chance to get the whole episode in. Idid get a chuckle that Humph named his duck Selwyn because that's thecommissioner's name from Death in Paradise. Not sure how I missed thatbefore.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Uniform Differences,a novella that brings a couple together by focusing on their differences.

Here's theminiblurb:

When it comes to respect, Tegan Gruss and EllsworthBoshuk have a few uniform differences when defining how to show it. Ellsworthis tired of her constantly busting his chops—he's her superior officer—butTegan doesn't care about rank when someone isn't worthy of her time or effortand Ellsworth is very worthy.

And a sneaky peek…

Ellsworth rolled a shoulder."Look, I've been thinking. I rely on you too much." He paused amoment. "And to be honest, it borders on an abuse of power." Lettingout a sigh, he owned the truth. "Because, to further blur the lines, I'velet my attraction for you get in the way and I should know better." He didknow better.Her eyes went wide. "Wait, doyou honestly think I give a crap about the regs? No one pays attention tothem." When he quirked a brow, she backpedaled a little. "Okay, letme rephrase. Regs get broken a lot out here. It's not blatant and we policeourselves." She folded her arms over her chest. "What do youexpect?"Probably a good question. What didhe think happened in remote outposts? Far from the stern eye of the admiralty.Of course, things were less rank and file.He grunted. "I don't expectanything from you." He folded his arms over his chest. "From me, Iexpect to not put you in a position where I can take advantage of you."More than he already had by relying on her and letting their chemistry makethings murky.Tegan rolled her eyes. "As ifI'd let you. Well … I actually would if it involved a hot romp on a lazyafternoon." She got up close and personal with him. "And it wouldmost likely go something like this…" Her mouth hovered close to his, a slytwist to her lips.Then she leaned in and caught hislips in a sizzling hot kiss. He didn't think twice when her tongue invaded thenplundered. His arms unfolded and he brought his hands up to cup her face,tilting her head to take the embrace deeper.When a low moan rumbled up from herchest, reality slapped against his brain. He ended the lip-lock, way moreslowly than he should because he wanted to remember every detail to replaylater. In vivid color and on loop in his mind.Easing back, he brushed his thumbover her cheek. "Yeah, no. This can't happen right now. Not when I'mtrying to get my feet under me." Even if he'd rather have her there. She gave him a sexy smirk. "Fine.I can live with that." Trailing a finger down his uniform shirt, sheflashed a smile. "Let's see how long you can."Turning, she did a slow walk to theexit giving him ample time to watch her incredible ass on the way.

I am having so muchfun with this story. Tegan loves to push buttons, and Ellsworth enjoys her effortsto thumb her nose at protocol.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Unexpected Surprise

Happy KendrickLamar Does the Halftime Show to all who celebrate. I'll be feasting on foodthat's terrible for me because that's my favorite part of this weekend.

I'm still doing smallthings for Tip Jar Shorts. I'm trying to get my other blogs and my author websiteupdated with the new material and I'm looking at possible setting up immediatedownloads. That's a goal and I hope I can get there. Trying to gauge interestfirst. I also kept up with drawing one oracle card a day and posting the resultson Bluesky.

Had a fairly busywork week. I finished up a copy edit and completed a combination copy editproofread. I also had a terrific meeting with a new client, and I'll be workingon evaluating their manuscript over the next few weeks. Very exciting!

Slow week forviewing. I had a lot of distractions and couldn't focus on watching very much. Ithink lack of sleep played a role there. I'm trying to figure out what kind ofsleep schedule I need right now.

I did get a fewshows in, starting with Elementary, which ended up being a really great episodeand I enjoyed it.

Also caught an episodeof Batman Beyond. I'm very nostalgic for this show right now andthoroughly enjoying the rewatch.

Watched another episodeof Classic Rugrats. Again, the two vignettes were new to me. Although, Ithink they were out of order with the rest of the season because one showed howChas and Kira ended up with the coffee shop.

I started an episodeof One Lane Bridge and should finish it up today. This show has sometwists, and I enjoy those but also need to be able to focus so I don't missimportant details.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Unexpected Surprise,a sexy short story with a fun premise.

Here's theminiblurb:

Roma Dobbs and Case Havensworth, two soldiers with a longand storied history, finally tie the knot, but keep it very low-key and don'ttell anyone. Case's dad shows up without warning on their second weddinganniversary and gets an unexpected surprise—a not so new daughter-in-law.

And a sneaky peek…

Calarched his brows. "Okay. How did that work? If you weren't going to be atthe same location?"Case'slips twisted. "Very carefully." He sent Roma a sideways glance.Shesmiled. "We realized the attraction was getting deeper. Case's unitwouldn't be attached to our base much longer, so I asked him where things wereheaded."Casesnorted. "I said they were headed to dangerous ground." He'dnever wanted anyone more than he wanted her.Romalaughed. "I liked the sound of that."Cal chuckled."I'll bet you did. You always liked to go where you weren't supposed to."Somethinghis dad had to deal with when Roma went through basic training and drew him asher instructor. In fact, she'd met Matt through their dad. Romaacknowledged the truth with a lift of her chin. "True. I do like to testboundaries. And I would've crossed the line if Case had been on board with theidea." She huffed out a breath. "But he played it cool and smart andwouldn't trash our careers for a quick lay."Caseshook his head. "Nope. I suggested we wait another two weeks then meet onneutral ground." He named the resort asteroid they'd agreed to. "I'llspare you the erotic details." Basically, nonstop sex for two full days.Calgrunted. "Yeah, I think I get the picture." He cocked his head."So, that's when you got togethertogether?"

Roma metCase's gaze. "In a way. I figured we'd have a one-shot deal. Spend theweekend together. Get it out of our system. Go on our merry way."Cal lipstwitched. "Didn't work like that, did it?"Romaturned her attention to Cal. "Uh-uh. Even though I didn't plan on seeinghim again, we ended up making a date to meet up after Case's next temporaryduty assignment."

I'm actually havinga lot of fun with this sexy little short. Roma and Case are a joy to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Understanding Truth

Welcome February! Theshortest month seems like a great time to start new things. I've challengedmyself to post every day on Bluesky and I picked drawing one oracle card from arandom deck each day. So far, I'm two for two.

I'm also going to launchthe side project I've previously talked about. Tip Jar Shorts is a fun way toget sexy romance short stories right to your inbox. The blog is up and runningand still a work in progress. I'm so excited to see how things go! If you'reinterested, check it out!

I had a busy workweek with a challenging copy edit but it's almost complete and I'm happy I gotto work on this mystery series. A few more bits and pieces to check and it'llbe on its way to the publisher.

Had a somewhatquiet viewing week. Between getting Tip Jar finished up and the copy edit, Ineeded a quiet background to get everything done.

Caught another BatmanBeyond episode. I remembered this one and enjoyed during my first runthrough of the show.

Enjoyed an episodeof Classic Rugrats. I'm in the final season and catching some episodes Ihaven't seen before.

Watched another episodeof One Lane Bridge and I'm still enjoying the show. It's kind of a slow,moody narrative and I'm rather into that right now.

Caught another episodeof London Kills and I'm kind of wondering what the hell is going to happennext. I'm also wondering what the superintendent thought would happen when hetried to run.

Enjoyed anotherepisode of Death in Paradise. The vibe is very different with seasoneleven and I'm kind of okay with that. I like the new sergeant and I'm lookingforward to seeing where things go with Florance doing an undercover stint. Ilike that the reason is tied back to a previous murder.

Loved the episodeof Beyond Paradise that I caught this week. I'm interested in how Humphreyand Martha work through their issues and was so happy to see her rebuff Archie,even if he's portrayed by one of my favorite actors. I'm still on the fencewith Martha's mom. I can't quite decide if I like her or not. We'll see how therest of the season goes.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Understanding Truth,a novella where the main characters navigate some challenges in their life.

Here's theminiblurb:

Perdix Plane and Brock Halliwell are soldiers who finallyunderstand a few simple truths. They're not normal people, they don’t followstandard operating procedure, and they'll never have a conventionalrelationship—and maybe that's perfectly okay.

And a sneaky peek…

Brock liked having Perdix a littleoff balance.He entered the mess and made hisway to her table. "Are you waiting for anyone?"She shrugged. "No."He sat, settled in, and dug intohis food. "Seamus isn't due back in?" Might as well find out wherethings stood between Perdix and the other man.She narrowed her eyes. "Well,yeah. But we aren't into eating meals together." Her face twisted in agrimace.Brock liked the sound of that. Probablya casual thing, which might be hopeful thinking on his part. He scooped up alarge bite of his entrée.Perdix shot back with a question."How's Dionne?" Her eyebrows arched and she kept her tone casual.Brock finished chewing. "She'sfine. Having dinner with another dispatcher with a hope for brunch in themorning." At least that had been her plan.Her eyes widened. "And you'reokay with the situation?" She couldn't keep the surprise out of her tone.Brock cracked a grin."Considering I introduced them, yeah."She made a confused sound.He explained. "Look, she'sgreat. And she was good for me…" He paused a moment, trying to figure outhow to put his feelings into words. "But not as a significant other. She'sbest at being a terrific friend." His lips quirked. "And that's whatwe are. Really great friends." He hoped Dionne found her future with FranzHeffer.Perdix tsked. "How do you dothat? Remain friends with your ex-lovers? I can never manage to pull that featoff."Brock quirked a brow. "Am Inot a friend, then?"Perdix snorted. "Of course youare."He gave her a pointed look."So, you've managed the feat at least once." Probably more if she botheredto keep track.She tilted her head to one side."I guess I have." She straightened and glanced away."Considering I almost killed you I'd say that's pretty amazing."Brock frowned. "You didn'talmost kill me. The bullet went through pretty clean, all things taken intoaccount." He shoved his tray aside and leaned in. "Since we're on thesubject ... why did you really stop by after the incident?" He couldn'tshake the idea she had a completely different reason than the one she gave.Perdix gathered her tray. "Ithought I did more damage than they were saying." She rolled a shoulderand got up. "That's all." Stepping away from the table, she liftedher chin. "I'll catch you later." She carried her tray to the washstation and exited the mess hall.Brock tracked her movements,pondering the weird vibe. "Still have some work to do there."

I like exploringperceived challenges in a relationship. Perdix and Brock have more than one ofthose.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Under a Crescent Moon

We had a bit of athaw with temperatures just a little above freezing. It's not going to last longbut nice to step outside and not have it hurt to breathe.

Work ended up beingvery busy this week. And I made some progress on my side project. Hoping tolaunch by February, but that's not a given. I am crossing my fingers though.

Didn't quite makeit all the way through my usual shows. I did add a new one, which I think I'm goingto enjoy.

The new show I addedis One Lane Bridge and I watched the first episode. There's a bit of aparanormal twist to this that I'm very interested in.

Caught anotherepisode of London Kills. It was nice to get some Billie backstory. Alsonice to see movement on the larger case. Looking forward to a new episode thisweek.

Enjoyed an episodeof Death in Paradise. New sergeant is fun, and the mystery ended upbeing interesting. Looking forward to more of season eleven.

Watched another episodeof Beyond Paradise. I'm enjoying my favorite actor's character in this.Loved the mystery and piecing everything together.

I started an episodeof Elementary and I'm enjoying it. I'm not quite sure what's going onwith Watson's guy, but I have a sneaking suspicion there's more to him thanwe're seeing and not in a good way.

That's it for thelife update this week. Tonight's post is from Under a Crescent Moon, asexy short featuring conflict between a couple when a secret is revealed.

Here's theminiblurb:

Tyra Blanc, a top military pilot, harbors a secret lovefor classic old romance movies. When she's not paying attention during abriefing, her superior officer, Dev Dravenish, reveals her weakness and Tyra iscaught between wondering how he discovered the information and how to deal withthe all-out ribbing coming her way.

And a sneaky peek…

"Dismissed."Tyra's head shot up. Shit. She'dzoned out again. Sliding from her seat, she wondered if..."Lieutenant Blanc, a moment,please." Dev called out from the podium.Yep. He'd noticed. Dammit.She walked up to the front of thebriefing room. "Sir?"Dev folded his arms over his chest."Little distracted this morning?" He arched both brows.She winced. "Not so much distractedas … well … maybe a little unfocused." Yeah, that sounded lame even toher.Dev's eyes widened and he droppedhis arms. "A little unfocused? You were all but snoring backthere." He leaned and pitched his voice low. "If our nocturnal activitieshave you nodding off during briefings, maybe we should find alternative ways tospend our time together." Tyra deserved to catch some grieffor almost—okay, actually—falling asleep, but what else did he think theyshould do if not having sex?She tilted her head to one side."You think we should do what? Read books? Have a tea party?" Not muchtwo people could get into that didn't involve the rest of the ship.Like sitting in at a card game ormaybe catching up at the rec room bar. Possibly sitting through entertainmentshows.Dev shot back. "Gee, I don'tknow. Maybe you'd rather watch some old romance classics." His lipsquirked. "Something with a noir flair."The room went a little dark when whathe meant dawned on her. He shouldn't have any kind of knowledge about hersecret passion for the old-time black and white romance films. Her reasons forloving the genre were extremely personal and very private. Having Dev whip thesubject out left her feeling naked and exposed … even if they were alone in theroom.She didn't like having her secret trottedout and used against her.Her gaze narrowed. "How didyou know about that?" She hissed the words out.Dev blinked in surprise thenbackpedaled. "Josh told me in a drunken confession during a game ofcards."Son of a bitch. It figured. And,oddly, hurt.Tyra schooled her features."And did your brother share the information with everyone else?" Alittle bruised and battered, her heart twisted in her chest.And anger made her vision swim.Confused, Dev shook his head."No, it was just him and me. Why? What's the big deal?"Tyra ignored the question, needingto escape before she said something she shouldn't. "Fine, whatever. I'llbe sure to pay attention during the briefing tomorrow." She lifted herchin. "No problem." She stomped off, biting her tongue and fightingback tears.Dev wouldn't understand why shecouldn't talk about the topic. And she didn't have the capacity to explainright now. Not when memories were crowding her thoughts, and she fought theurge to drown in them.

I love digging intoweird quirks that create drama between characters. Tyra and Dev are kind of onthe cusp of something more, which might be in jeopardy now.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: To V or Not to V (a V-World novella)

Winter blast islingering for at least another week. Our low is supposed to minus eight on Tuesday.And I'll probably have to go out when it's that low. I can't wait.

Lighter than normalwork week, but I had come copy editing on my plate. Finished one project and startedanother one. I also have some new stuff floating in the wings and willhopefully start that soon.

Had an okay week ofviewing and made it through the full slate of shows. I'll be starting a new onethis week and I'm pretty sure I have the show picked out.

Finished up theseries run of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. I quite enjoyed this show. SometimesI got annoyed at the antics but mostly loved the interactions between the characters.

Caught anotherepisode of London Kills and loved the twisty turns in the episode. I'mloving the vibe between the characters and I'm happy to see Billie become afull detective constable. Looking forward to the next episode.

Loved the Christmasepisode of Death in Paradise. The beginning of season eleven is off to agreat start. Really cool to see Dwayne again.

Enjoyed another episodeof Beyond Paradise. My favorite actor showed up and I'm very excited tosee what happens. Still not sure about the mom. Can't quite figure out if she'sgoing to be an anvil between Humphrey and Martha or supportive.

Watched another episodeof Elementary and quite enjoyed. I'm not really sure about Joan's newlove interest. I actually think he's a bit annoying.

Caught anotherepisode of Batman Beyond and loved it. I remembered this one andpossibly caught an easter egg related to Batman: The Animated Series andthe Gray Ghost character. Fun times!

Enjoyed the lastepisode of the eighth season of Classic Rugrats. I'll be starting thefinal season this week. Very much looking forward to picking back up with newepisodes once my rewatch is complete.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from To V or Not to V,a V-World novella.

Here's theminiblurb:

Mallory Biden and Surge Tempest work side by side topolice crimes in V-World, a virtual reality recreation area where anyone canlive out their wildest fantasy. But when Surge goes rogue to track down an oldnemesis and enters the Void Zone, a dangerous, untraceable place hehelped create, Mallory will risk getting trapped inside to pull him out.

And a sneaky peek…

Mallory entered Rick'sworkspace and sat on the chaise recliner. Her leg bobbed up and down withnervous tension while she waited for her brother to finish his computations. Rick rose from hisseat, grabbed a pair of V-Goggles and handed them to Mallory. She swung her legs upand settled back in the recliner. "Okay. You're sure you can trackme?" The goggles dangled from her finger, and she spun them around acouple of times. Rick turned toward her."Yes, Mal. I'm sure." He fiddled with the second set-up, matching itto the one he had monitoring Surge's movements. "I'm not gonna letanything happen to you." He focused back on the screen in front of him."You are my fave sibling, youknow." Mallory snorted."I'm your only sibling, you idiot. But I'll take the compliment." Shepushed out a nervous breath. She trusted Rick, sibling jokes aside. He wouldn'tlet her get trapped or stuck in the grid with no way out. In short, he wouldn'tlet her down. He never had. Lifting the goggles,she adjusted them to fit her head. "You'll drop me in, right? No matterwhere Surge is or what he's doing?" Her anger had settled into a cold ballin the middle of her stomach. It actually helped. Enabled her to be as calm asshe could be about the situation.V-World and some of thethings that went on there made her queasy. The work took her to the lessdesirable places, the sex rooms, the shoot 'em galleries, the speed zones,where seasoned participants often took advantage of newbies who didn't know theropes. But she got to nab those abusers.The VZ, almostimpossible to police, had a lawless atmosphere. The speed zones in the VZthrived on high speed, adrenaline charging chase and pursuits. The shootinggalleries didn't get progressively harder. Participants dropped in bothsections and if they got pegged … game over. The hackers couldn't enter theranges again and they had to find a new form of fun. The sex rooms in V-Worldhad a racy, raunchy vibe. The VZ went ten steps further, adding a darklytwisted depravity to the acts available.She'd grown up aroundviolence and mayhem, they tended to not faze her. And she had a bit of a kinkyside, but most of what transpired in the VZ made her want to heave. The outerfringes she could handle, they inclined toward the deeper sections of V-World.The rest of the zone, though, like virtual reality hopped up on syntho, thelatest highly addictive narcotic. Insanity ruled the streams in the VZ. Rick cleared his throat,and Mallory snapped her attention back where it should be. He glanced in herdirection. "Mal. I know how important this is to you." Thisbeing Surge. "I'll slide you into whatever scenario he's got going on.First as an observer—you'll have a thirty second window before you canactualize—after that, you decide when to go hot." Mallory frowned."Why the delay?" Rick shook his head."Jesus, Mal. This isn't like V-World where we can see what's going on oncewe have the trace. If Surge is in the middle of a fire fight, you could getkilled. Literally." He stopped short, took a breath and continued. "Idon't mind covering your ass while you're in the zone, but I'll be damned ifI'm taking over on a permanent basis." Mallory didn't sayanything. She couldn't have if she tried. He'd hit on the topic she didn't wantto think about. Rick would pick up the slack if anything happened to her, buthe'd be hard pressed to hold everyone together the way she did. Her brother likedlurking in the background. Liked just being there to cheer, egg, and urgeeveryone else on, to save the day with a slick program or to pick up the piecesand put her back together when she occasionally shattered under the strain ofbeing the HBIC of their covert little group that monitored and played oversightfor the sprawling virtual scene. If she got lost orcouldn't make it out, he'd do his best to step up and lead even though theyboth knew it would never be enough. Giving him a curt nod,she sat back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Okay. Hook me upand send me in." She heard the keystroke—thelast thing she'd hear of the real world until Rick pulled her out or she leftof her own accord—and opened her eyes. The blue-green-red of the gogglesreflected off her irises, and she was in. Oh. My.

This series is somuch fun to write. I'm very excited to see where it goes with Surge andMallory.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Top Honors

The winter blast isstill underway. I'd love to send some of our precipitation out to California tocombat the wildfires burning LA right now. Another 3-5 inches of snow in the nextday or so. Thankfully, I don't have to really go out for anything until the endof the week.

I made progress onmy side project. I have a few more things to upload and some links to get set,then I'll hopefully be ready to launch. I also did some future planning on whatmanuscripts to focus on next. At least it's movement!

Very light workweek again. Still working on the readthrough for my friend and I completed a manuscriptproofread. Hoping to have another new one to get started on this week.

Not a bad week forviewing. I had some distractions but nothing major. I also think I've found thenext show I want to watch on one of my streamers.

Finished up thepremier episode of London Kills. This is definitely going to be a wildseason. Can't wait to see more.

Caught anotherepisode of Death in Paradise. Kind of sad to see JP leaving but excitedto see what happens next. Marlon is growing on me so that's a good thing.

Started the spinoffBeyond Paradise and enjoyed the opening episode. I'm interested to seewhere things go with Humphrey and Martha. Not sure about Martha's mom. So far,not a fan. I do love the team and look forward to more interactions with them.

Watched another episodeof Elementary. Enjoyed the dynamic with the Sherlock regular, the mathguy. Also kind of enjoyed the Joan and Kitty scenes. I'm not sure what's goingon with Kitty but I don't think she's really committed to the group therapything. We'll see if I'm right about that…

Finished up the secondpart of the opening episodes of Batman Beyond. I'm excited about thisrewatch. The theme song alone makes it worth another visit to this one.

Enjoyed another ClassicRugrats episode. This one was the launch of All Growed Up and Ihadn't seen the bookend with the original babies. Such a fun episode.

Also finished up anepisode of Peak Practice, which I ended up liking. Will is still a bitof a prat but and I really, really dislike the finance guy, but overall, thisended up being a great episode.

That's it for thelife update this week. Tonight's post is from Top Honors, a novella thatbrings a couple together even with the dad being a pain in the butt.

Here's theminiblurb:

Katie Beal and Hilton Hillion have a very public breakupafter she fails him from basic flight. Two years later, Forbes Hillion bumpsinto her at Hilt's graduation from the academy and sparks fly, but Katie won'tgo down the same road again … after all, her career can't withstand anothersetback from Forbes's dad.

And a sneaky peek…

Katie debated about confrontingForbes that night when he stopped by her apartment.She let him in and gave him achilly greeting. He narrowed his gaze but settled on the sofa in the livingroom. She couldn't put off asking him. She needed to know if he'd broken hispromise.She squared her shoulders. "Ihad an interesting meeting with my CO today."Forbes blinked. "Damn. I'mshocked my old man moved so fast." He huffed out a breath.Katie crossed the room and openedthe door. "I'd like you to leave." She met his gaze. "Now."Anger kicked hard against her ribs.Forbes held up a hand."Wait." He got up.Katie shook her head. "No. Youpromised you wouldn't butt in. You're not a man of your word." And, damn,if disappointment didn't smack up against the anger.He moved to stand beside her."There's a reason I stepped in. Please let me explain, then I'llleave." His eyes held a wary appeal.Katie heaved a sigh."Fine." She shut the door. "Start talking." Folding herarms over her chest, she clamped her jaw.Forbes ran a hand through his head."I had no intention of butting in until I came across some importantinformation." He filled her in on his dad's transgression. "He had nobusiness judging you for something he'd done himself—especially when theoutcomes were so different." His voice softened. "And … he'sdepriving the service of a top-notch instructor in the process."Shock washed over her. She reallyshouldn't be surprised Walsh had a past, but she wouldn't have pegged him forthis. And it kind of explained why he'd reacted the way he had when Katiefailed Hilton.She relaxed. "You still had noright to stick your nose in." Especially when she'd asked him not to.Even if the outcome worked in herfavor.Forbes reached for her hand."Yes, I did. I love you, Katie, and I'll do whatever it takes to right myfather's wrong. You shouldn't have to pay the price to ease his guilt."His thumb stroked over her skin.She fought past the surprise of hisadmission. "Okay … when you put it like that"—he said he lovedher—"I can't really argue." She had so much to say, but the lovething had her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.Forbes squeezed her fingers."So, you understand?"Katie nodded. "Yes. Ido."He let go of her hand and twistedthe doorknob.Katie shook her head. "Whereare you going?"Forbes glanced over his shoulder."I said I'd leave if you listened." He held her gaze. "I reallyam a man of my word."She tugged him back. "And I'mallowed to change my mind." She wrapped her arms around him."Stay?"

I love thevariation on one of my favorite themes / tropes of meeting the wrong brotherfirst. Katie and Forbes are a lot of fun.

 

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

ML Skye