M.L. Skye's Blog, page 6

Sunday Snippet: Stealing Hannah

The end of Octoberis nigh and, man, it's been a month. Between work projects and personal life stuff,time flew by fast. Helped my oldest kidlet move some things from their oldplace to their new one and also took him for a job interview. Happy to say hegot an offer and should start sometime soon. Also looking forward to trick ortreat night and then gearing up for the holidays.

Happy to say theareas where I had my extractions are finally healed up enough that I can eatmost types of food. I'm still careful with anything hard and crunchy butotherwise normal intake isn't a challenge anymore.

Stayed busy withwork. Have a tricky manuscript that's kind of giving me fits with continuityand consistency concerns, which makes the edit slow way down. Sent off a coupleof quotes for upcoming projects and look forward to getting started on those.

Had a decent weekof viewing. I made it through a full round of my shows but kind of in backwardorder. Will probably have the same thing this week.

Started off with anepisode of Elementary and thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice to see Lastradeget back on track. Interesting twisty case also.

Caught an episodeof The Batman and enjoyed it. Always like seeing the Flash in action. Iremembered most of this episode also.

Enjoyed an episodeof Classic Rugrats and only remembered one of the vignettes. The othertwo were either new to me or memory holed.

Watched anotherepisode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. I do remember bits of this one and I’m gladI got to see the whole thing from start to finish.

Caught another episodeof London Kills and I like how the new cases play into the overall caseof the disappearance of David's wife. Looking forward to seeing how this seasonends.

Enjoyed anotherepisode of Death in Paradise. Loved the case because it's fun to see abit of Ruby's past mixed in with the present. I enjoy her interactions with CommissionPatterson. Gotta say, I'm not sure I enjoy Neville Parker. I appreciate thefact he's very different from the previous three DIs but … the constantafflictions are, well, annoying.

On a side note, Idiscovered there's a second spinoff of this show that's set in Australia. I'mlooking forward to seeing it when it's available in the US.

Started a new two-partSilent Witness and it's terrific to see Jack's niece take a role in theLylle. Looking forward to the second half of this episode.

Another side note …most of the cast from Battlestar Galactica is in Chicago for the twentiethanniversary of the show. I've been poking around all weekend to stay up to dateon what's happening at the convention. My mind is completely blown that it'sbeen twenty years since the premiere of the series. It's still probably myall-time favorite show.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Stealing Hannah,a novella that has one of my favorite tropes to write … meeting the wrong brotherfirst.

Here's the miniblurb:

Hannah Keane gets caught between Kane and Trent Cantermanwhen their sibling rivalry heats up. Kane loves to push his brother's buttonsby telling everyone Trent likes to steal girlfriends. When Kane introducesTrent to Hannah, Trent decides stealing Kane's girl is a good idea to settlethe score once and for all.

And a sneaky peek…

Hannah looked up fromher desk, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "What are you doinghere, Trent?""That'sLieutenant to you, Junior Grade." Hannah raised a brow."Okay … Lieutenant." She sat up straighter. "Doesn't make thequestion less valid. What are you doing here?" Trent leaned in close, purposefullyinvading her personal space. "I have to have a reason?"Hannah sat back,putting some open distance between them. "We just met last night, and youshow up here this morning? Yeah, you've got a reason." Trent pasted a sardonicsmile on his face. "In that case, you can tell me how my little brother isdoing." He lifted a brow.Hannah snorted. "Don'tyou really want to ask if I'm letting him skate through class because he fucksme whenever I want?" Crude and right to thepoint. He had to give her points for that.He flicked his gazedownward. "Are you?" Hannah rose and thistime she leaned in close to him. "I don't base my grade on how well mystudents perform in bed."Trent quirked a brow. "So,Kane's not the first, then?" Hannah's eyes wentflat. "Not your business." She couldn't quite keep the sneer off herface when she added, "Sir." Trent didn't back off. "Kane'smy brother." As if that explained everything. Hannah narrowed her gaze."He's old enough to whip it out, Lieutenant. That means he's old enough toknow the score." Trent didn't like theanswer. "And what exactly is the score with you, Hannah?" "That'sLieutenant, j.g. Keane, Sir." Trent smirked."Touché. Junior Grade." He quite enjoyed the verbal sparring.Hannah's lips twitched."The score is, I like your brother. And until I don't, you've got nothingto worry about." Trent considered Hannah.Her words, her demeanor. And decided she spoke the truth. Maybe his brotherwouldn't get a free pass.Relieved, Trentrelaxed. "And his class work? What's the score there?" Hannah sat back down."He does okay. Struggles a little but works hard." She raised hergaze. "He pushes himself to match you." Trent snorted. "That'sthe old man's doing. He thought sibling rivalry was a good thing." Trentshrugged. "It's not that big a deal." Except Kane made it one…Hannah abruptly changedgears on him. "Have I answered each question to your satisfaction, Sir?"She stood up. "Class starts in five." Trent backed up andgave her room to come around the desk. His goal hadn't been to piss her off, sohe played his safe card. "I don't have a score sheet, Lieutenant. You'rehis instructor and he's my brother. I had to check it out." Hannah shrugged."Whatever. I get it. But he'll do what he wants. You should knowthat." Trent rolled his eyes."Believe me, I do." He stuck out his hand. "No offenseintended." She juggled her coursebooks and shook. "None taken." She gripped his hand hard when he wentto pull away. "Not much anyway." Point made. He offered an olivebranch. "Have you been in the new Mach VII yet?" When she shook herhead back and forth, he dangled the bait. "Wanna give it a go?" Hislips lifted in a smile.Hannah tilted her headsideways. "Are you serious?" Trent lost his grin. "Idon't joke about flying new prototypes." She considered amoment. "Then hell, yes. I'd love to get my hands on it." Her facelit up at the prospect.Trent walked with herto the door. "I'll let you know as soon as I arrange it." She nodded and headedfor class. Trent watched her stride down the corridor, cocky and confident.He found himselfrelishing the challenge she presented.

I have fun writingverbal sparring and Trent and Hannah are very good at shooting barbs.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Star Chasers

Had a less thanproductive week after having two teeth extracted. It's strange because theyreally weren't difficult to remove—well, one of them ended up being a littleharder than the other—but it still threw me off. I think because they were on oppositesides with one on top and the other on the bottom, which made eating a tadchallenging.

I also took timeaway on Friday to meet my daughter so we could do early voting. Very happy tohave that done! I voted to raise my taxes for the school and emergency serviceslevies.

Work stayed busywith some cleanup on two drafts and two copy edits. I also checked changes ontwo proofreads. Those were kind of dropped in on the fly.

Didn't quite make afull round of my usual shows this week, but I did get through about half.

Watched anotherepisode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder and it was one I'd seen at least part of.Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Caught another LondonKills and I'm liking this show. The overarching mystery of what happened tothe DCI's wife folded into the two cases is interesting to me. I'm a littleworried about the trainee DC. Things could go really sideways for her if she'snot careful.

Enjoyed another Deathin Paradise episode. I kind of feel like this is the season where CommissionerPatterson gets a lot more screen time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ienjoy him.

Finished the secondhalf of Silent Witness and, whoo boy, what a ride this two-parter was.I'm going to be very interested in seeing if there's any fallout fromeverything that went down.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Star Chasers,which will probably end up being the series or duology's name … but I haven'tquite decided yet.

Here's theminiblurb:

Marnie Ritoli, a kick-ass mechanic for the premier teamin the galaxy, is presented with a dilemma: choose a new mate or leave theChasers. But Marnie knows Luce Carrington isn't dead, and she won't play secondfiddle to anyone, so she does what she's best at and finds a loophole in theleague rules, picking Luce's best friend … the person who backs her into acorner in the first place.

And a sneaky peek…

Marnie breezed into Win's loungeand made her announcement. "I choose you."Win looked up from his accountingbooks. "What?" Confusion marred his handsome face.Marnie reached behind her andpushed the door shut. She had a feeling things might get a wee bit loud in thenext few moments.Walking closer to the desk, sherepeated. "I pick you. As my mate." She crossed her arms and waitedfor the explosion.Win tossed his pen on the desk androse slowly. He leaned forward, getting a good look at her very serious face.Opened his mouth, closed it and shook his head."Are you insane?"Pretty much the reaction sheexpected. "Nope. You're all mine, big man." She bit the inside of hercheek to keep from saying more.Win rounded the desk and grabbedher arms. "You can't pick me, Marnie. It's not allowed."She raised a brow. "Yeah, Ican. League rules state I can choose whomever I want, as long as they're notattached to anyone else." She looked around behind him. "You hiding awoman under the desk, Win?" She knew the moment she had him, his eyes wentflat and cagey.He let go and stepped back."You know I'm not. And you know why." He perched his ass on the edgeof the desk. "As president, I'm free to do whomever I want, whenever Iwant." He gave her a determined stare. "It's gonna stay that way."Marnie snorted. "No. It'snot." She crossed her arms in front of her again. "I checked thecharter. That's not a stipulation for this crew."He shot up. "Son of a bitch,Marnie. It's accepted as one."She shrugged. "Not anymore.I'm taking you out of play." She almost hated being evil about it.Win snarled and raked his hand overhis head. "You bitch." He spun around and paced back and forth.Marnie winced but stood her ground.He couldn't deny her request. Not when he'd put her on the spot to make it.Win turned and faced her, acalculating edge to his voice. "Fine. I'm out of play." He prowledtoward her. "And you'll be ready and willing when I decide to collect onmy rights to your tasty and tempting treats, yeah?" He trailed a fingerdown her arm.She'd known he'd try to brazen itout and threaten her with that one.She smiled sweetly. "You cangive it your best shot." Her hands smoothed down his chest. "But ifyou do … you can expect my size eight boot up your ass…" She cupped herhand between his legs. "And this big dick of yours in a vice." Shelifted her gaze to his. "Don't think it won't happen."Win swallowed and stepped away."Why?"She prepared an answer for thatone, too. "Because you put me in a corner. I'm returning the favor."Emotion clogged her throat when she choked the words out.Win sighed, beaten. "Damnyou." He sank down on the edge of the desk.She'd won the battle, which didn'tmake her feel better. Only Luce could do that. But … with her point made andstatus safe, Marnie headed for the door.Before she opened it, she turnedback. "You should already know that without Luce, damned is exactly what Iam." Her hand twisted the knob, and she exited the lounge, dejected anddepressed … probably only a little bit less than Win at the moment.

I'm so excited aboutthis two-book story. It's going to get a little messy, but I'm having a lot offun planning this one out.

 

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

 

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Specter's Masquerade (a Specter Station novella)

A weird week ofchilly weather and lots of cleaning projects. I'm at that place where the clutteris driving me bonkers, but I don't have enough hours in the day to really focuson a good cleanout. So … I'm tackling small areas to at least make a littleprogress.

Lots of workprojects landing in my inbox. A few have been quick turnarounds, which I enjoy.I love having a project that I can finish up in a few hours. That type of workhelps when I also have three difficult manuscripts that challenge my brain andone that requires a lot of focus.

Had a solid week ofviewing. I'm still trying to finish up an episode of Peak Practice, butI made it through a full round of shows.

Started with Mr.and Mrs. Murder, an Australian mystery series. I've seen several episodesbut not in order and I'm looking forward to watching this one from beginning toend. Thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, which I had not seen.

Also started anew-to-me British crime drama called London Kills. Loved the first episodeand look forward to watching this series.

Caught another episodeof Death in Paradise introducing the new DI. Enjoyed the interactionbetween the commissioner and his new lead detective. Interesting to havesomeone Patterson doesn't particularly like as part of the team.

Started a newtwo-part Silent Witness. I'm intrigued by the premise of this one. Ithought the episode felt a little disjointed and I'm hoping the initial murdersomehow ties into the other two. Kind of happy to be guessing on this one.

Watched a funepisode of Elementary with the return of Lestrade. I love the actor, soI love the character. Plus, he's much less annoying than Mycroft.

Enjoyed an episodeof The Batman. Finally got a return of Batgirl. I'd forgotten Fireflypowered up in a big way and almost blew up Gotham. Great episode.

Caught another new-to-meepisode of Classic Rugrats. I'm not a great fan of the three-vignetteformat but I do have a lot of love for this series.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Specter'sMasquerade, a novella that brings a couple together on a space station daysbefore a huge gala.

Here's theminiblurb:

Juna Newberry starts her new position as head of securityon the Specter Spacestation under fire. She walks into the job two days beforethe biggest gala event of the solar year, a threat is made on the personnel,including the principal owner of the station, Maddox Specter, all whilefighting her attraction for the sexy entrepreneur.

And a sneaky peek…

Maddox still wanted todo bodily harm to every member on his board, but he couldn't fault theirchoice. After spending half the day with Juna, his confidence in her ability toseamlessly step into the position soared. He loved her sharp mind. Hell, heloved everything about her.Sitting back while sheread through her final notes, he envisioned the type of costume he'd provide.She wore a no-nonsense ponytail, with her hair pulled sleekly back from herface. His fingers itched to pull the holder off so he could see the burnishedbrunette tresses settled over her shoulders, hopefully bare. She had great bonestructure with nicely proportioned curves her uniform couldn't hide. Not thatthe standard issue garment did spectacular things for her, but his activeimagination had no trouble filling in the details.She glanced up andcaught him gazing in her direction.She quirked a brow."Do I have something on my face?" Her gaze traveled down. "Or onmy uniform?"His lips twitched. Junafocused primarily on work, but provided flashes of humor, too. He'd loveworking with her professionally and hoped like hell to wrangle something on apersonal level, too.Even if the timingsucked and probably couldn't be worse. Juna Newberry drew his interest like nowoman had in a long time.She cleared her throat."Mr. Specter?"He shook his head."Maddox, please. Save the Mr. Specter for official use only." Why nottest the waters?Juna set the notepadaside. "Okay, I'm sensing something more than employer-employee in yourtone. Am I mistaken?" She paused a moment. "Because, if not, I'dprefer if you were direct and even blunt." Folding her hands in her lap,she held his gaze.Maddox cut to thechase. "You're not wrong. I'm a driven man and know what I want." He waiteda beat. "I want a piece of you." Stopping for a moment, he went on."I realize I'm out of line here, but I don't believe in mincing wordseither." He rather hoped he wouldn't get a punch to the jaw for his brutalhonesty.Juna exhaled on a longbreath. "Okay, I respect having things out in the open but, yeah, out ofline and crappy timing." She glanced away, inhaled deeply, then turnedback and pinned him with her gaze. "Can we talk about our mutualattraction after the masquerade so I can stay on task and up to speed withoutbig distractions?"The words tumbled outof her mouth at a rapid pace all on the one drag of air she'd taken in.Maddox cocked his headto one side. "Of course. But to be clear, you did say mutual attraction,right?" He should leave well enough alone, but the impulse to push forclarity wouldn't let him.Juna gave a terse nod."I did. But I won't—can't—think about it right now. I need to get back tomy team and start doing my job." She ended any additional chance forbanter by rising from her seat. "Which I'll do right now." Smoothingthe creases from her uniform, she shot him a grin. "It's been anextraordinarily interesting start to my tenure with Specter Station." Witha wink, she turned and exited his office.Maddox leaned back inhis chair and put his hands behind his head. His board might be the bane of hisexistence, but they'd done him a good turn by bringing Juna Newberry into hisorbit.A wide smile crossedhis face. Paul Edwards would shoot stardust out of his ass when Maddox thankedhim for the wonderful treat.

I love this series!There are three more books featuring Maddox's friends and I really hope I canget their stories launched within the next year.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Specter Station (a Specter Station novella)

A weird week ofchilly weather and lots of cleaning projects. I'm at that place where the clutteris driving me bonkers, but I don't have enough hours in the day to really focuson a good cleanout. So … I'm tackling small areas to at least make a littleprogress.

Lots of workprojects landing in my inbox. A few have been quick turnarounds, which I enjoy.I love having a project that I can finish up in a few hours. That type of workhelps when I also have three difficult manuscripts that challenge my brain andone that requires a lot of focus.

Had a solid week ofviewing. I'm still trying to finish up an episode of Peak Practice, butI made it through a full round of shows.

Started with Mr.and Mrs. Murder, an Australian mystery series. I've seen several episodesbut not in order and I'm looking forward to watching this one from beginning toend. Thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, which I had not seen.

Also started anew-to-me British crime drama called London Kills. Loved the first episodeand look forward to watching this series.

Caught another episodeof Death in Paradise introducing the new DI. Enjoyed the interactionbetween the commissioner and his new lead detective. Interesting to havesomeone Patterson doesn't particularly like as part of the team.

Started a newtwo-part Silent Witness. I'm intrigued by the premise of this one. Ithought the episode felt a little disjointed and I'm hoping the initial murdersomehow ties into the other two. Kind of happy to be guessing on this one.

Watched a funepisode of Elementary with the return of Lestrade. I love the actor, soI love the character. Plus, he's much less annoying than Mycroft.

Enjoyed an episodeof The Batman. Finally got a return of Batgirl. I'd forgotten Fireflypowered up in a big way and almost blew up Gotham. Great episode.

Caught another new-to-meepisode of Classic Rugrats. I'm not a great fan of the three-vignetteformat but I do have a lot of love for this series.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Specter'sMasquerade, a novella that brings a couple together on a space station daysbefore a huge gala.

Here's theminiblurb:

Juna Newberry starts her new position as head of securityon the Specter Spacestation under fire. She walks into the job two days beforethe biggest gala event of the solar year, a threat is made on the personnel,including the principal owner of the station, Maddox Specter, all whilefighting her attraction for the sexy entrepreneur.

And a sneaky peek…

Maddox still wanted todo bodily harm to every member on his board, but he couldn't fault theirchoice. After spending half the day with Juna, his confidence in her ability toseamlessly step into the position soared. He loved her sharp mind. Hell, heloved everything about her.Sitting back while sheread through her final notes, he envisioned the type of costume he'd provide.She wore a no-nonsense ponytail, with her hair pulled sleekly back from herface. His fingers itched to pull the holder off so he could see the burnishedbrunette tresses settled over her shoulders, hopefully bare. She had great bonestructure with nicely proportioned curves her uniform couldn't hide. Not thatthe standard issue garment did spectacular things for her, but his activeimagination had no trouble filling in the details.She glanced up andcaught him gazing in her direction.She quirked a brow."Do I have something on my face?" Her gaze traveled down. "Or onmy uniform?"His lips twitched. Junafocused primarily on work, but provided flashes of humor, too. He'd loveworking with her professionally and hoped like hell to wrangle something on apersonal level, too.Even if the timingsucked and probably couldn't be worse. Juna Newberry drew his interest like nowoman had in a long time.She cleared her throat."Mr. Specter?"He shook his head."Maddox, please. Save the Mr. Specter for official use only." Why nottest the waters?Juna set the notepadaside. "Okay, I'm sensing something more than employer-employee in yourtone. Am I mistaken?" She paused a moment. "Because, if not, I'dprefer if you were direct and even blunt." Folding her hands in her lap,she held his gaze.Maddox cut to thechase. "You're not wrong. I'm a driven man and know what I want." He waiteda beat. "I want a piece of you." Stopping for a moment, he went on."I realize I'm out of line here, but I don't believe in mincing wordseither." He rather hoped he wouldn't get a punch to the jaw for his brutalhonesty.Juna exhaled on a longbreath. "Okay, I respect having things out in the open but, yeah, out ofline and crappy timing." She glanced away, inhaled deeply, then turnedback and pinned him with her gaze. "Can we talk about our mutualattraction after the masquerade so I can stay on task and up to speed withoutbig distractions?"The words tumbled outof her mouth at a rapid pace all on the one drag of air she'd taken in.Maddox cocked his headto one side. "Of course. But to be clear, you did say mutual attraction,right?" He should leave well enough alone, but the impulse to push forclarity wouldn't let him.Juna gave a terse nod."I did. But I won't—can't—think about it right now. I need to get back tomy team and start doing my job." She ended any additional chance forbanter by rising from her seat. "Which I'll do right now." Smoothingthe creases from her uniform, she shot him a grin. "It's been anextraordinarily interesting start to my tenure with Specter Station." Witha wink, she turned and exited his office.Maddox leaned back inhis chair and put his hands behind his head. His board might be the bane of hisexistence, but they'd done him a good turn by bringing Juna Newberry into hisorbit.A wide smile crossedhis face. Paul Edwards would shoot stardust out of his ass when Maddox thankedhim for the wonderful treat.

I love this series!There are three more books featuring Maddox's friends and I really hope I canget their stories launched within the next year.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Something New

October is startingoff on something of a down note. But it's spooky season and that makes me veryhappy.

Received some sadnews this morning about one of my current authors. He had a rare form of brain cancerand passed peacefully yesterday. I'm so glad I got to know him and his story,which I hope we'll be able to share with others.

I ended up having adecent week with work projects and managed to get some other things done alongwith a good bit of writing. Have one manuscript almost finished up and I'mexcited to get it out in the world.

Pretty good week ofviewing also. I managed to make it all the way through my current roster ofshows and got one that simmers on the back burner most of the time mostlywatched.

Started the weekwith the season finale of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed theepisode. So great to kind of have some closure for Alexa's cycle of grief. Iloved how the two-part episode played out.

Caught DI Jack'slast episode of Death in Paradise. Really enjoyed his sendoff and lookforward to the new DI's introduction in the next episode. Really have to thankmy sister-in-law for recommending this show.

Finished up thesecond half of Silent Witness. The episode took a turn I didn't expectand that always makes me happy. For a show that's been running for twenty-sevenseasons being able to surprise the audience—or at least me—is excellent.

Watched an episode of Elementary andquite liked it. It's fun to watch Sherlock and Joan navigate their living togetherand it's really awesome to see Joan stepping out and solving some of Sherlock'scold cases.

Enjoyed an episodeof The Batman with Green Arrow featuring as the Justice Leaguecharacter. This ended up being a pretty decent episode even without anappearance by Batgirl again.

Caught an episodeof Classic Rugrats. Some more new-to-me vignettes. Enjoyed all three.

Also got most of theway through a Peak Practice episode, which is the one that simmers onthe back burner when I don't have time to do a full cycle of shows. Lookingforward to finishing this one up.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Something New,a sexy short that gives a couple a chance to explore their relationship.

Here's theminiblurb:

The sex is always good between fellow fleet officersMargie Range and Eli Kennington, but Margie wants to try something new. Thechallenge? They're on a ship deep in the black and the position she wants toattempt needs a lot more space than is currently available, but she won't bedenied.

And a sneaky peek…

Wow, she'd stunned him.Am I okay seeing her completely naked—and not in a shower? Hell, yes. Hisdick hardened even more, and his fingers itched to touch every inch of her.He gave a jerky nod."Uh, yeah. Very okay." He made a move to start on his pants, butMargie shook her head.She pointed to hisshoes, which he toed off and kicked pushed off to the side. His hands went backto his waistband, but she twisted her head back and forth again. Then shestepped forward, trailing a finger from his sternum to his fatigues. She grasped his wrists."I want the honors." She popped the button and glanced up. "I'llreturn the favor." Pushing the fabric past his hips, she waited until steppedout and kicked them aside.Margie rocked back onhaunches and ran her gaze over him, starting at his feet, traveling upward.Naked and exposed, he let her look her fill, even though a vulnerable sting of uncertaintyslithered down his spine. Could she possibly find him lacking. When her tonguedarted out to wet her lips, his confidence soared. Only the bobbing of hiserection made the experience uncomfortable.Margie met his gaze."Damn, you're incredible." Her eyes went dark and sexy.He flashed a smile."I'm feeling pretty good right now. You have that effect on me." Shealways did.She rolled up to herknees and leaned in, grasping the back of his thighs, sliding her hands up tocup his ass. "I love everything about you." Her tongue swirled aroundthe tip of his cock. "And I finally get to taste you." Sliding herlips over his length, she sucked him deep into her mouth.Eli's eyes slid closed.Warm heat surrounded his shaft, and she used the exact right amount of pressurewhen her head pulled back and moved forward again. Her fingers dug into buttcheeks and, if possible, his cock swelled more. Margie worked some kind ofmagic with her lips and tongue, and he resisted the urge to thrust deeper.His fingers tangled inher hair. Being naked while she still had all her clothes on heightened thetension building at the base of his spine. He fed the desire by exploring herscalp with his fingertips. Margie brought one hand forward and fondled hisballs. Eli lost the tenuous thread of his control and groaned, spilling his releaseinto her mouth.Margie eased away andgave him a crooked smile. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to dothat." She accepted his outstretched hand and slowly got to her feet.Eli blinked to clearthe pinpoints of pleasure still exploding behind his eyelids. "That … was… amazing." The high from getting off surged along his veins.And he really wanted togive her the same euphoria.

Having fun writing thisone. Giving a couple room to go deeper with their relationship is such a goodtime.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Sibling Rivalry

What an end to themonth. Our weather has been wet and drippy for most of the week. Notcomplaining because we needed the rain. Of course, the dreary stuff hits theweek of our county fair, which is my husband's favorite time of year. Thenagain, a little water falling from the sky won't deter him from going orenjoying himself.

Work finally sloweddown a little and I had some time to catch my breath. I have a new copy editand proofread combo I'm working on and should have a new project starting thisweek. I'm also expecting more on the developmental edit I've been working on.And … a project I had a hand in is finally uploaded for proof … after almostfour and half years of rewrites and revisions. I'm so excited!!

Had several reallygreat conversations with my daughter this week. I love hearing her ideas ofwhat she wants from the future. This young woman has a good head on hershoulders and I'm so proud of her. Graduate school is opening her mind and eyesand I'm excited to see what she does.

Not a bad week ofviewing. The time to catch my breath also gave me a bit of freedom to catch upon my slate of shows. I made almost a full round this week!

Caught twobehind-the-scenes vignettes for Signora Volpe. I always enjoy seeing andhearing how things work and what the actors think about their show.

Watched an episodeof Death in Paradise and enjoyed it. This is one I hadn't seen before,and I loved the way the mystery played out.

Started a newseason of Silent Witness. Very interesting premise and I'm looking forwardto the conclusion next week. I'll be starting Beyond Paradise after I finishthe new season.

Enjoyed an episodeof Elementary. It's interesting to watch Sherlock serve as an AA sponsor.And I really like Watson kind of stepping out on her own to solve a cold case.

Finished up thesecond part of the season four premier of The Batman. Kind of forgot Batgirldidn't really feature in these opening episodes. I think she makes a returnlater in the season.

Also caught anepisode of Classic Rugrats. I only remembered one of the vignettes, so Ienjoyed seeing the other two.

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Sibling Rivalry,a novella that brings a couple together after they have a less than stellarbeginning.

Here's theminiblurb:

When Fayne Cartier falls for his brother's flightinstructor, Rumor Child, he has no idea how difficult dating will end up beingwhen his brother shows signs of not having the chops to qualify. Rumor won'tcut him from her class thinking the sibling rivalry may be just what theyounger Cartier needs.

And a sneaky peek…

Fayne blinked at thevision walking toward him. "I knew she'd rock civilian clothes." Frankly,even in uniform, she blew him away.But tonight, she'd gonefor some kind of casual glamour. She'd paired a form-fitting T-shirt with a flowingcardigan that fell to her knees. Her pants were made from something soft andhugged her curves. A pair of suede booties with a slight heel and some understatedjewelry completed the outfit. She gave him atentative smile when he stood to pull her chair out. "You clean upnice." Her gaze showed keen appreciation.His crisp button-downand dark-twilled pants had been a last-minute decision, but he'd wanted to makeit clear he wanted to spend time with her as more than his brother'sinstructor.Glad he'd put someeffort into his attire, he leaned down. "And you look amazing." Hesettled back in his seat and smiled when the server immediately brought menusto the table.Neither needed time todecide. Rumor ordered the baked steak dinner and Fayne went with his favorite chickendumplings. Once they had their drink order, he opened the conversation withquestions about time in flight school and they compared notes about theirinstructors. She mentioned using his stats, along with his dad's, as a goal toachieve. He regaled her with stories of trying not to live in his old man'sshadow.He carefully avoidedmentioning his brother. He didn't want anything to ruin the evening.Halfway through themeal, Rumor finally said something. "Are we really going to ignore the bigspecter in the room?" Her head tilted to one side in question.Fayne lifted ashoulder. "I don't want to risk screwing this up." But she had apoint.Rumor smiled. "Gonnabe hard to pursue something if we can't talk shop. If you're superuncomfortable with the idea, we'll have to skirt the issue."Fayne hedged a little."I'm not uncomfortable. I'd love to know how Renner is doing." Orpossibly not doing.Rumor quirked a brow."Even if he proves you wrong?"Fayne chuckled."Definitely. But my gut is screaming Renner isn't cut out forflying." He waited a beat. "So … how's he doing so far?" Hedidn't know if he really wanted the answer.Rumor's lips twitched. "Holdinghis own." She sobered. "But like you said, he won't face a true testuntil we get past the basics. He's absorbed everything he knows to datepractically by osmosis. That will only take him so far."Fayne couldn't faultthe logic she used. "And if I'm right?" Would she accept defeat withas much grace as she'd handled everything else?Rumor patted his hand."You're getting a little ahead of things here. Let's cross that bridgewhen we get to it. Until then, my mind stays open." She brushed her thumbover his skin "The question is … can you leave it alone and let him passor fail on his own?" She'd very nicely turned his question back on to him.Fayne took a moment toconsider his answer. "I'm willing to try." And he would stick to thatpromise.Rumor flashed a grin."Then you and I are off to a solid start."

Having some funwith this one. Rumor loves a good verbal sparring session and Fayne likes awoman who gives as good as she gets.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Set the Record Straight

September has beensuch a weird month. Our weather is all over the place—again—and we're baking inhigh temps. Also have a drought at the moment. I mean the grass crunches when Iwalk on it right now.

I think we have ourcar issues solved. Mine is back with a new computer and we did end up with atotal loss on the CR-V. Found one to replace that and we're getting everythingin order to finalize the purchase. Here's hoping that ends our car drama for a good,long time.

Another super busywork week. Finished up a project and started a new one. I'm in a holdingpattern for two more and I may have a new client for some writing coaching.Very excited about my calendar right now!

Did not have agreat week of viewing. Too many things distracting me and needing my attention.I might have to start doing playlists instead of television shows. If I do theplaylist thing, be forewarned, I have very eclectic taste in music.

I did get an episodeof The Batman watched by starting the fourth season. This introducedSuperman to the roster, which also means Lex Luthor put in an appearance alongwith Lois and Jimmy.

Caught an episodeof Classic Rugrats. All three vignettes were new to me, which is fun. Ifeel like I must have skipped several seasons though because I don't rememberwatching or rewatching several episodes that really stand out in my memory.Might have to check to see if I did.

Also started anepisode of My Life Is Murder. This is a two-parter and looks to end thefourth season. Looking forward to finishing this one up and waiting patientlyfor a fifth season. Fingers crossed!

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Set the RecordStraight, a novella that makes a couple face what they feel for each other.

Here's theminiblurb:

Keegan Brimm and Warner Misona check their feelings foreach other at the spaceport airlock and have a knock down fight before theyfinally drag out all the baggage between them to set the record straight.

And a sneaky peek…

Keegan enjoyed the surprised lookon his face. "Let's set the record straight again." She moved in,backing him up against the hatch. "From this point forward, it's not justup to me. I did the casual thing for so long because I wanted the business withWestcroft settled before pursuing anything." Her hands skimmed up alonghis chest. "But you made me see how empty and unsatisfying that was."Her fingers trailed downward to gather the hem of his shirt. "We werebuilding a good foundation to work from, but that damned notification came inand sent me reeling." She inched his shirt up while grazing her lips alonghis jawline. "I'm over it. And I want this." Leaning back,she held his gaze. "As long as it's mutual and—"His mouth claimed hers, cutting offthe rest of her statement. Oh, good and holy universe. His lips were steamygoodness. Better than she remembered.She tore her lips away from his."You can trust this, Warner. I hope you believe that." She couldn'tblame him if he didn't.He cupped her face. "I do,Keegan. I do." He snagged the back of his collar and yanked his shirt off thenhelped her with hers.Keegan loosened the button of herfatigues. "In that case … where were we?"He gathered her close. "Ithink we were about to find a comfortable spot to get naked and consummate theagreement." His lips scorched a trail along her shoulder.Keegan shoved her pants down."Ah, yes." She kicked her feet free and strode to the cushionedbench. "Will this do?"Warner shucked his pants. "Ithink it might."He moved to stand beside her, andshe nudged him down with the full intention of rocking his world with a blowjob. But he surprised her by grasping her hips and trailing kisses around hernavel. She gasped when he dipped his tongue into the indentation at the sametime he slid a finger along her folds.He moaned. "Mmm, Keegan …you're hot and wet."Keegan's head fell back. "Iget that way every time I'm around you." And sometimes even when not.His eyes slid shut. "Don'ttell me that. Now I'm going to picture you that way all the time."She laughed and eased away."I'm not going to be sorry about it." She dropped down to her knees."But I will regret not getting at least a taste of this bad boysoon." She wrapped her hand around his impressive length and lowered herhead.

This has been a funstory to write. I love to resolve misunderstandings with hot action.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Serving Justice (companion to Justice is Served)

Once again, Ohioweather is all over the place. But at least it hasn't been sweltering hot. Hadsetbacks with our cars. Mine is still not quite ready. The new engine computer thegarage ordered didn't work so they got another one. Hopefully this week. My husbandhad a deer literally jump on top of his CR-V, shattering the windshield,knocking the rearview mirror off, and sending the driver's side mirror clearover to the passenger side floor. It even dented the top of the car up to thesunroof. I'm pretty sure it's a total loss. Luckily my husband is okay, asidefrom having a ton of glass all over him. He found glass all the way in the backof the vehicle.

Really busy workweek. I finished up a copy edit and continued work on a developmental edit.Also started a new project that's not quite a developmental edit, but it iscleaning up a lot of formatting in a manuscript to get it ready for a copyedit, which a colleague is going to do. Had an exchange with a new author andhope to work with her in the future.

Semi-decent week ofviewing. I didn't quite make a full round, mainly because I spent a lot of timeon the phone trying to get the insurance sorted and line up a rental until we knowfor sure what's going on with the CR-V.

I did get anepisode of My Life Is Murder in and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of twistsand turns in this one. Once again, Madison stole the show. Also really cool tohave indigenous representation for the storyline. And … more hints aboutAlexa's family. Here's hoping we'll see more of them.

I think I watchedthe finale of Signora Volpe, and it might have set up a future episodefeaturing Sylvia's ex. That would be a lot of fun. So awesome to see her niece againand getting to know her dad. Isabelle ended up stealing this episode. Going towatch the behind-the-scenes stuff next.

Finished up Bestin Paradise with the first of the two-parter that set up Florance's exit. Itwas a great episode and very bittersweet as the actress mentioned when she introducedthe episode.

Also caught anotherDeath in Paradise and enjoyed the mystery. It's also fun to see Jacktrying to move on from the loss of his wife. The awkward but awesomecommunication with Anna is lovely to watch.

Started an episodeof Elementary but need to finish it this week. Too many distractions toget all the way through the show. It looks like a good one though.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's episode is from Serving Justice,a novella that's part of an experiment I'm doing with the other two pseudonyms.This is the sci-fi version of Justice Is Served.

Here's theminiblurb:

Jaxine Goodstone is an unwilling pawn in a battle forcontrol of an asteroid field and its mining colony. When a control chip isactivated in her, she executes the sitting board members then stumbles into thearms of Upton Viccars, a government agent sent to negotiate the mineral rights.When Jaxine has no memory of her actions, Upton suspects foul play andgradually earns Jaxine's trust—while slowly falling for her—and together theyuncover a devious plot that leads back to her childhood in a group home fororphans.

And a sneaky peek…

Jaxine Goodstone staredat the bright light shining over her head, listening to the monotone voices of thedoctor and his surgical assistant as they discussed the procedure they wantedto do. Her eyelids drooped and she hated the cold feeling of the fluid theywere administering to her through the IV in her arm. The sterile antisepticsmell of the operatory made her nose itch. At twelve, she didn't understand thereason she needed to have surgery, but Dr. Leonardo Moon convinced the matronof the group home Jaxine would be forever changed by the treatment. Her fosterbrother Lem Falco said he'd be happy to stay at the hospital with Jaxine untilthe doctors cleared her to go home. At seventeen, he thought he deserved achance to show his responsibility.What a load of crap. Butthe matron apparently bought into his sincerity, because he'd come along withJaxine."Jaxine, you'rerelaxed now and ready for the procedure. Do you understand?"Jaxine automaticallyresponded, "Yes, Dr. Moon.""Good, good."He placed a rubber mask over her face and moved in closer. "Do youremember what we covered in our pre-op discussion?"Jaxine nodded."Yes, Dr. Moon.""And what wasthat, Jaxine?"She didn't hesitatewith her answer. "I have to count backward from one hundred."Dr. Moon smiled."Good, Jaxine, very good." He lifted his surgical mask into place."Please begin."Jaxine began asinstructed. "Ninety-nine, ninety-eight, ninety-seven…" A floatysensation filled her, and she drifted along a sea of clouds.Dr. Moon glanced upwhen someone else entered the room. "She's ready. You know what theparameters are once this is complete?"Jaxine's eyes twitchedand she tried to pay attention. Parameters for what? Did the matron know aboutthis?"I know exactlywhat the goal is. I'll make sure she carries through with the plan."Lem? Why is he inthe operating room?Jaxine tried to voicethe question, but her sluggish mind couldn't fight pull of the IV and the sedativegas from the mask. The conversation around her became muffled and distorted,and she finally gave in and drifted back with the fluffy, white clouds.

I love the conceptfor this story and it's a lot of fun to write similar books in three differentgenres. Looking forward to getting them out there in the universe.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Sabotage

As usual, we'rehaving bizarre weather. Got hot again then a stormfront moved through and nowwe're back down to the sixties. I'm not complaining about the cooler temperaturesor anything, but I'd rather stick with one range for longer than a week.

Still loaded upwith work projects and I'm making solid progress on all of them. Sometimes it'slike spinning plates and trying to keep them all going at the same rate, but Ilove the variety of the stuff I'm working on right now.

Not a bad week forviewing television. I did the taking a break from wall-to-wall words thingagain and got pretty much a full round of shows in this week.

Started off with Bestin Paradise and enjoyed the rewatch of "Dark Memories." I haveone more episode left for this series then I'll be switching over to BeyondParadise. I'm looking forward to starting that one.

Caught anotherepisode of Death in Paradise with the ninth season premiere. I thinkthis is Jack's last season and the new guy takes over for the next one. Enjoyedthe episode a lot.

Watched anotherepisode of Elementary and enjoyed it. Not a huge Moriarity fan, but Ilike the layers and back and forth between Holmes and Watson with Moriarity.

Finished up the thirdseason of The Batman and I'm getting ready to start the fourth. Ihonestly can't remember if I ended up liking the fourth season or not.

Also caught anepisode of Classic Rugrats and the three vignettes were ones I don'tremember seeing before so nice to have something new to me.

That's pretty much itfor the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Sabotage, anovella that sets a couple up for a bit of a twisty mystery to solve … in space.

Here's the miniblurb:

Pilots Sapphire Naught and Gifford Fell are tasked withfinding a saboteur and neither is allowed to fly until the culprit isapprehended. The cat and mouse game of tracking and luring their prey into atrap takes its toll on their relationship but ends up making them see new sidesto each other.

And a sneaky peek…

Giff signaled thebartender. "Another round here." He motioned to the empty glasses onthe table.The drinks helped pullSapphire out of her mood. At least the thundercloud disappeared from over herhead. Deep into a game of darts, she laughed when her opponent missed thetarget by a mile.Neal Blanchard, afellow pilot dropped down beside Giff. "Good to see her having fun."He nodded toward Sapphire.Giff studied Neal amoment. The other man flew well, but didn't really gel with either squadron.Something about the guy always seemed a little off. And his comment aboutSapphire puzzled Giff.He leaned back in hisseat and quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah? Why's that?"Neal shrugged."When you guys came in, she looked pissed, like she wanted to tear someonea new one."Giff couldn't disagree,but Neal's statement rubbed Giff the wrong way. "Look, she had a closecall today and anyone would be angry when someone they trust fucks up."Especially when the error didn't make sense.Neal's eyes widened."What happened?"Giff gave him thebare-bones version. He didn't intend to spread rumor and innuendo. Not whenanyone could make a mistake.Neal let out a lowwhistle. "And top-ranked Sapphire missed it on the preflight check?"He stopped just short of referring to her as the golden girl.Giff had no intentionof playing Neal's game tonight. "Uh, no. She didn't miss anything.Preflight was down to Warrenty, who apparently fubared it up." Damn, heshouldn't have let Blanchard push buttons.Neal became agitated."What do mean? Warrenty never screws up."Giff archedhis brows. "You got a thing for the deckhand?" Neal would be in Unrequitedville… Monica had a steady thing with one of the engineers.Neal shut his trap."What? No, not at all." He backpedaled. "She's good, probablythe best on the chief's deck." He snagged a napkin and crumpled it.Giff agreed."Yeah, but she's also human and can make a mistake."Neal frowned."Doesn't seem like her though." His gaze followed Sapphire when shewent to retrieve her winning darts. "Nothing gets in her way, doesit?" Crumpling turned to shredding.Giff blinked."Who? Saph?" He shrugged. "Nah, what she can't plow through, shebounces back from." One of the many things he loved about her.Neal studied her alittle longer then abruptly stood. "Guess that's why she stays at thetop." An odd glare lit his eyes. "Have a nice night, Fell."He dropped the torn napkin on the table then turned to leave.Giff lifted his chin upthen tilted his head to the side, watching Neal elbow his way out of the bar."He's a strange one."

Having a lot of funwith this one. Giff and Sapphire are a cool couple to write.

 

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

 

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Roll the Hard Six

Hello, September.Here's hoping you're not as maniacal as August. I'd love for the weather tomake up its mind and hold for a while. I don't imagine that will actuallyhappen.

Had a lovely dayoff to travel to the Hocking Hills area to meet up with my cousins on my mom'sside of the family. We're hoping to make it an annual event. I couldn't takethe whole weekend, but it was so much fun to spend time with them. Bonus pointsfor being close enough to my daughter's location for grad school that I couldtake some of the things she forgot.

Still insanely busywith work and I'm happy for the new projects coming my way. Also kind ofthrilled they're all a bit different so it's not the same thing for eachmanuscript.

Had an okay week ofviewing. I got to watch a few things when I needed a break from wall-to-wallwords. Sometimes it's nice to have a minivacation to reset my brain.

Caught an episodeof The Batman and enjoyed it. It's a two-parter so I'm hoping to watchthe second half this week.

Enjoyed an episodeof Classic Rugrats. I don't really remember this one, but the laterseasons of the show weren't watched quite as many times as the earlier ones.

Got an episode of MyLife Is Murder watched and loved it. Again, Madison really stole the show.And the wink-wink-nod to Xena at the end was fun and awesome.

Started an episodeof Signora Volpe and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when Sylvia'sundercover assignment is discovered.

That's pretty muchit for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Roll the Hard Six,a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt. I picked up thischallenge and added another spin to it. The phrase is from the reboot ofBattlestar Galactica, but it also has real-world use. I'm trying to blend thetwo and having fun doing it.

Here's the miniblurb:

While serving on a star cruiser, Devin Granger and FosterCordell have a friends-with-benefits relationship. When Foster has to faceenemy raiders while alone on patrol, Devin realizes the depth of her feelingsfor him, which can't be a good thing in the middle of a war zone. The onlything she can do is maintain the status quo … if Foster survives the surpriseencounter.

And a sneaky peek…

"Valance, Nomad.Contact. Seven raiders entered carom four five two."

Devin's breath hitchedin her throat. "What the hell?" Enemy craft entered at an angle …which—shit—put Foster on the other side.Meaning those sevenraiders were between Foster and the Valance.Adrenaline coursedthrough her chased by suffocating fear and worry. She raked a hand through herhair. Her heart pounded and her throat clogged. He didn't have backup. Fosterhad the lone recon patrol this shift.Devin almost doubledover, the crash of reality making it hard to breathe. He's trapped. Alone.Fuck! She had to find someplace quiet and calm the hell down.Dashing into the emptybriefing room, she switched the comm panel to listen to the live feed.The XO barked an order."Launch alert fighters."Devin snorted andalmost choked. She paced back and forth, shaking her hands, trying to relievethe tension in her shoulders. Her stomach heaved and roiled.She raked a handthrough her hair. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I love him.Her feet paused."What? I can't love him." Her skin broke out in a cold sweat."Who falls in love in the middle of a warzone?"Apparently she did.Geez.The alert fighterslaunched, and she resumed her back and forth in the briefing room. The pilot'schatter faded to the background, and her mind bounced between picturing thegrid in her head and calculating the math to get to Foster's coordinates.Another frigid blast oftruth gripped her hard. "Save yourself, Foster. You have to." A heavyweight wrapped around her chest. "No one else is gonna do it for you."Shit. No one elsecould. Out in the soup, trapped with seven raiders between Foster and the Valance.No way would the alert fighters reach him in time.Devin sank down in afirst-row chair, closing her eyes. She envisioned Foster's position, countedmaybe three ways he could get past the enemy combatants. But … two neededanother pilot out there on his wing. The third—his best and only shot—wouldprobably get him killed.At the very least, itwould damage his ship to the point where he'd never make it back to the nest onhis own. But … it might buy him enough time for the alert squadron to get outthere. Maybe.Devin leaned forward."Go for it, Foster." He'd know the maneuver she thought of. Hell, hisdad damn near invented it. "Come on, Nomad. Roll the hard six." Herlips quirked.He liked to claim hehad no idea what people meant when they said the phrase, but Foster absolutelyknew. Fergus Cordell used the combination as a thought exercise in war college.When his instructor told Fergus it couldn't be done, the elder Cordell provedthe other man wrong by staging a demonstration … and cost the military atraining craft.Devin huffed out abreath. "Classic example of just because something can be done doesn'tmean it should be." But in Foster's case, the opposite held true.With her knee bouncing,she pictured the scenario. Foster would wait until the raiders were close. Thenhe'd do an end-to-end flip, hit the reverse thrusters while doing a barrel rollso the ass-end of the ship headed toward the enemy. The best odds were theraiders being caught so off guard they moved the fuck out of the way to avoid acollision. And the genius of the barrel roll meant none of them could get atarget lock on Foster. However … the maneuver always proved to be dangerous asfuck. Imagine, spinning over and over—in reverse—with no way of seeing anythingbehind the ship. If Foster cleared the enemy formation, he might get lucky andbe able to fire at one or two of the other crafts, but probably not. The tollit took on the ship—and the pilot—topped the list of reasons the hard six nevergot taught in flight school.Her knee stopped movingup and down. "Gotta be truly insane to think this is Foster's bestshot." But … she did.Leaning back, shestared up at the dark ceiling, willing Foster to use the move, willing him tocome back to her. And definitely trying not to freak out after realizing sheloved him. She had no idea what to do with her new-found knowledge, especiallywhen it might not matter. Not if—Foster's voice soundedover the comms. "Valance, Nomad. Launch an SAR team. Think I'm gonna needthem."Devin barked out alaugh. "Damn straight you will."An eerie sense of calmsettled deep in Devin's bones. The certainty she'd see him again had herpushing up out of the seat and heading for the hangar deck.

I loved puttingthis scene together. Action mixed with a big emotional moment is a lot of funto write.

 

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

ML Skye