Skye Ritchey's Blog, page 4

Sunday Snippet: Man Up

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 Man Up, anovella that brings a couple together when they compete to see who can outdowho.

Here's the miniblurb:

Hattie Hale and Nero Palmer, instructors at the Academyof Light, are supposed to set the example, but can't quite get past theircompetitive natures. A drunken game of one-ups-manship goes all the way to thesleeping chamber because neither will admit to being outdone.

And a preview snippet…

Hattie wished she could sip her mugof coffee slowly, but she always inhaled the first blast of caffeine of theday. "Right, then. I'm ready for a refill. You can talk now." Shereached for the carafe and filled her mug while carefully watching him throughher lashes.She had to give the guy props. He'dkept up with her last night and didn't seem too bad off. In fact, he appearedto be doing just fine. A notch of respect ticked up for him.Nero's chin lifted. "Ground rules?Let's start there." He propped an ankle on his knee. "We need somesurprises because we know each other's strengths and weaknesses in theclassroom." Hattie blinked. "Wow. You'vegiven this some thought, haven't you?" She didn't care how they competedbecause her main goal had been to … what had been the original point?Right. She kind of wanted to testthe waters and see if anything developed between them. But … she didn't want tobe obvious.Nero arched his brows. "Whywouldn't I? You issued a challenge and, well, it could be fun to compete forsomething other than test grades." He nodded toward the pot on theottoman. "Mind if I have more? The coffee really is excellent."Hattie's lips twitched. "Can Icount that as a win?" She scooted the carafe closer to him.Nero laughed. "Why not? I haveto concede it's better than anything I've ever brewed." He refilled hismug and shook his head.An idea popped into her mind."Okay. Let's make one of our ground rules competing in nonmagickal areas."She had a couple of super-secret recipes she could pull out and blow his mindwith.Nero pondered for a moment."Yeah. I'm down with that. Like a mix of magick we don't use in theclassroom and regular, everyday stuff." Sipping from the mug, he watchedher over the rim of the cup.Hattie hid a smirk. "Allright. I'll cook dinner tonight. You can cook tomorrow. Monday … well, we'llsee how it goes. We can use it as a tiebreaker if we need to." Warming upto the plan, she made another suggestion. "For something magickal, I thinkwe should try something with runes. Set a ward and see if the other can breakit." She loved puzzles.Nero tilted his head. "Yeah,okay. For nonmagickal, I'm thinking darts? I have a board in my shed. We couldgo best two out of three." He paused a moment. "For something withmagick, how about layered hexes? We'll start at the same time and see whofinishes first?"Hattie added a stipulation."Somewhere neutral for the runes and hexes. That way neither of us has anadvantage over the other." She flashed a smile. "I'm not worriedabout the darts. Two out of three makes it fair." Settling back, shesipped more coffee.Nero set his empty cup on theottoman. "I think we're good to go. Like you said, we can use Monday if weneed tiebreakers for anything." He made to stand up.Hattie held up a hand. "Holdup a minute. I'm already one ahead of you with the coffee. I think we shouldswitch nights. You cook tonight and I'll cook tomorrow." She had to givehim a shot at keeping things even.Nero narrowed his gaze again."You need to get groceries, don't you?" The sly twist to his lips gaveaway his teasing.She snorted. "No, but I wasthinking we could maybe get the dart game out of the way after dinner." Mainlybecause she wanted to see him in his own space to get some ideas for thelayered hexes.Nero shrugged. "Let's sayseven for dinner." He got up and started for the door. "Don't belate."She grinned. "Wouldn't dreamof it. See you then."

Having a lot of funwith this one. Competing as a get to know each other outside of theirprofessional setting is a hoot to write.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Loud As Hell

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 Loud As Hell, afollow-up story to A Quiet Hell.

Here's the miniblurb:

Bailey Wendelson has come a long way and learned a lotsince almost trapping his brother in a prison for the paranormally gifted. WhenBailey meets Yazmin Meechum, a woman with siren capabilities, she has no desirefor his assistance, but he won't walk away because she's being followed by thepeople he used to work for.

And a preview snippet…

Yazmin pushed her cartto the self-checkout area. "Gotta love twenty-four-hour grocerystores." She always waited until after eleven p.m. because the aisles weremore or less deserted.She ran her items overthe scanner and paid with her debit card. She smiled and nodded when thenight-shift manager asked if he could put her cart away. Grasping the bags, sheexited the store and retrieved her key from her jacket pocket.The parking lotlighting left a lot to be desired, but the tradeoff of fewer people to dealwith ranked pretty high on her list. With the exception of talking to herself,she rarely had to interact verbally with anyone. Luckily, she didn't have farto go.She hit her key fob tounlock her car. "Home. Unpack. Binge watch something until I fallasleep." Not exactly a thrill a minute but she'd grown used to theroutine.Almost to the vehicle,she'd just pressed the trunk button when a large man grabbed her arm and triedto pull her into a van sitting opposite to her sedate sedan. She screamed and thegroceries went flying. Twisting and turning, she started to fight back whenanother guy attempted to scoop her legs up. Kicking out, she shouted for helpagain.A metal baton came outof nowhere and cracked the guy trying to grab her legs on the head. He landedon the asphalt with a loud grunt. The other brute let her go and engaged in afight with her rescuer. Punches were thrown and the baton struck the assailanton the knee, the shoulder, and the nape.The rescuer whirledaround, and Yazmin's eyes went wide. Bailey Wendelson. Holy shit.His head jerked towardher car. "It's not safe. Pretty sure they planted a tracking device."He collapsed the baton and tucked it into his coat. "We don't have muchtime. Will you let me get you somewhere safe?" His eyebrows arched.Not trusting her voice,she gave a shaky nod.He used his thumb topoint over his shoulder. "I'm over here. Sorry about the groceries, but weneed to get moving now." He headed for his vehicle, not waiting to see ifshe followed.But follow she did,sliding into the passenger seat of the running car. Bailey put the SUV in gearand gunned the engine, lurching forward and barely stopping before pulling outonto the nearly deserted street.Yazmin hunched into hercoat and stared straight ahead. Who were the men and what did they want? Howdid Bailey know she'd need help? Willing her heart rate to slow down, shetwisted her hands in her lap. What the hell am I getting into?

Then a ridiculousthought pinged in her brain. Dammit. My trunk is still open.

I'm having a lot offun with this story. Bailey really wanted to redeem himself after being a bitof an ass in the first book.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Loss

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 Loss, a novellathat explores how the main characters deal with a devastating blow.

Here's theminiblurb:

Welsh Hollingsworth is the golden child of ClanGrimstone, but when he's expected to fill the void left when his dad is killed,he can't quite figure out how and he hopes Cagney Gaines can help him find someinsight. Cagney can't deal with the loss of her mentor, the one constant in herchaotic world and she leaves when Welsh needs her the most. One year later, shereturns to find a very different Welsh—one who doesn't welcome her with openarms.

And a preview snippet…

Cagney surveyed the group gatheredon the tracks and lining the subway platform. "I've gotta hand it toWelsh. He mobilized the clan in a hurry.'' She met Jacko's gaze. "He's nothappy about staying behind." She wouldn't be either if she'd been in hisplace.Jacko rolled a shoulder. "Someoneneeds to call the shots and, like it or not, that's him." He shook hishead. "And he needs to be protected. This is a coordinated attack. Takingthe old man out? Bold move to get the ball rolling."Cagney nodded. "Bold butstupid." The one thing Clan Grimstone didn't lack?Loyalty.Word of Wallace's death at thehands of Bainbridge spread quickly, and members all but poured out of thewoodwork at Hollingsworth House. With communication lines blown, the telepathswere working in a chain to get logistics and movement down and relay orders on.Cagney had met Jacko at the subway terminal and, along with twenty women andthirty men, had a trap set for the Stoneworth clansmen.The sound of screeching wheels onmetal echoed through the tunnel.Jacko nudged her shoulder."This should be them. The train is dark." He readied his pouch togive the signal.The man's bag of tricks neverfailed to amaze Cagney. Damn good thing he'd arrived at the house in one pieceto get the details of Wallace's death. Cagney didn't know if she could have ledthis battle on her own. Not with—Guh. She couldn't even think aboutWallace not being around when she got back. No way.Jacko clasped her shoulder with agnarled hand. "Easy, Cag. I need you here with me." With a gentlesqueeze, he let go and readied to launch the counterattack.Cagney gave him another nod."On your mark." Shoving aside her grief, she let the anger takecontrol.When Jacko gave the go, Cagneyunleashed her rage and rained hellfire down on the darkened car. Men spilledout on both sides, and Jacko directed the other clansmen in a strategicskirmish that quickly cut the Stoneworth numbers to half. Now, with a fairfight, both groups pulled back on their magick and entered into physical battlemode.Cagney jumped into the middle ofthe fray, each blow, kick, punch, and strike chipping away at the tenuous holdon her pain. By the time the Grimstone side had the advantage, rounding up thestragglers of Clan Stoneworth, and she threw her final fist, the tears blurredher vision.Connecting with her adversary'sjaw, she growled. "For Wallace." She let the opponent hit the tracksin a heap of battered flesh.Jacko made his way to her side."The old man would be proud of you." He flung an arm around hershoulders. "Let's go see how our new leader fared." He limpedforward, a little worse for the skirmish.Cagney didn't argue, and sheappreciated Jacko ignoring the grief overflowing from her eyes. His gaze held asheen of moisture too. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Cagney didn't stop the streamof tears, letting them run freely. But she'd be dry-eyed when they briefedWelsh—because he would need her to be strong and unbreakable when they gotback.And she would be both even if itkilled her.

This one is comingtogether in so many ways I didn't expect, and I'm excited to see what elseunfolds.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Long Time No See

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 Long Time No See,a novella in a yet-to-be-named series.

Here's theminiblurb:

With Jonni on probation with the Marsoni clan and Valestranged from the Janis clan, the couple is forging their own path within thefae realm. The Vellas clan is on the warpath and Jonni receives a tip about whotheir next target is. She and Val have to decide if they're going to interveneor stay on the sidelines and not get involved, which could have seriousramifications for Val.

And a preview snippet…

Jonni Mars rolled her hips, drawingVal deeper into her core. "Damn, it's good to have you back." Sheplanted her hands on the bed close to his shoulders, her fingers curling intoher palms.Val hissed out a breath. "Goodto be back. Didn't enjoy tending to clan business, especially when I walkedaway for a reason." His head lifted and his lips latched on to her nipple.Her eyes slid shut, pleasurespiraling through her. Val never failed to give her exactly what she needed toamp up the zinging awareness coursing along her nerve endings. He'd beencloistered with the Janis clan for two weeks, out of touch and unreachable. Shestarted climbing the walls by day three because they'd spent nearly every daytogether for the last six months.Being on probation sucked. Shedidn't realize how much space Val filled in her life … or how much of a distractionhe provided, easing the huge void she'd landed in by being stuck on thesidelines. She couldn't even patrol without permission right now.Val's lips traveled up to hershoulder. "Missed you." He nuzzled her collarbone.Jonni changed the pace, slowingdown and moving sensuously over the hard length buried deep inside her. "Yeah,same." Her head lowered and she met his lips.Val slipped his tongue past herteeth to tangle with hers. His hips rose in counterpoint with her smoothrocking motion. Jonni slid closer to the edge of bliss. When Val skimmed hispalms along her torso and around to cup her ass, he applied pressure to holdher in place. His groin bumped the hard nub of nerves, creating just the rightamount of friction to send her over.She broke the kiss on a gasp."Ah, yes." A shiver rippled over her, and she came, her inner musclesgripping hard on his cock.Val groaned. "So hot. Love towatch you lose control." He thrust upward two more times and shudderedunder her.Jonni collapsed atop his chest, herbreath coming out in short bursts. Val wrapped his arms around her, his fingersdrawing lazy circles on her skin. She loved basking in the afterglow with him.The chirp of a phone broke themoment.Her head popped up. "Yours ormine?" She glanced toward the nightstand beside the bed.His phone screen stayed dark.She sighed. "Ugh. It'smine." Sitting up, she leaned over and fished her device out of her pocketand swiped to answer, not bothering to check the ID. "Hello." Thevoice on the other end made her shoulders tense. "Yeah, okay. I'll bethere in fifteen minutes."Val's eyebrows arched."Everything okay?"Jonni shook her head."Probably not. But I've got a meeting I can't miss."

I've just startingreally writing this one and I can't wait to dive in and see where things go.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Lie to Me

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 Lie to Me, anurban fantasy romance.

Here's the miniblurb:

Jana Ricks has a target on her back, and she wants RhysMcPherson to help her get rid of it. Rhys loves Jana, but may not be able toprotect her, not if they want to stay alive, which he's determined to makehappen … even if it means giving up the future he wants.

And a preview snippet…

Several hours later, Rhys ruled outhex cat and hell hound. "It doesn't make sense." Plus, dammit,nothing he'd tried revealed the animal.And it had to be an animal.Frustrated, he ran a hand throughhis hair. "What other magickal being could it be?" Not many werecontrollable even by dark magick.A dark steed? Too big. Cloven goat?Too small and focused. Cloven goats only created havoc. Jinx rats weren'tparticularly useful except as annoyances because of the bad luck they brought. Thesame with pox hares. Crossing paths with the mangy rabbits could induceinsomnia and indigestion, but not much else.Another thought hit. "Maybe avex fox." Rhys shuffled some of the texts on the table to uncover the onehe needed. "Ah, no. Too rare." No sightings in the last severaldecades.Jana entered the living room,carrying a tray of bubbling concoctions. "Here's the next batch." Sheplaced the mixtures at his elbow.She'd proven to be extremely helpful.Spell casting and brewing potions were often tedious, but she plowed throughwith perseverance. She'd even labeled the containers to help him find the oneshe wanted quickly.He met her gaze. "Thank you. Let'ssee what these reveal." He waited until she sat across from him thenselected the first pot and worked successively through the batch trying tobring forth the nasty predator dogging Jana.The action took him back … to whenthey'd done this kind of thing a lot. He missed her—them. But they couldn'twork as a couple.He didn't blame her for Rand'sdeath, but she did hold responsibility. He couldn't get past that. Not yet.Maybe not ever. Especially withLindi and the kids as a constant reminder. But he loved Jana. Always would.When none of the new spell potionsworked, ideas and thoughts started shuffling in his head. "Let's go over theinfo again. Your gut said hell hound or hex cat, right?" She rarelymissed.Jana nodded. "But the spells aren'trevealing the beast."Rhys scraped a hand over his head."Why? Dammit. Why can't I figure it out?" This kind of situationshouldn't be beyond him.Jana rocked back in her chair."Maybe it's both." She shrugged one shoulder.Bingo! She might have just hit thejackpot.Profound inspiration smacked him inthe forehead. "Holy shit." Rhys went to a new book—one he'ddiscounted earlier. "You might be onto something." He thumbed throughthe pages. "A blended link with a side of cloaking." He read throughthe details and whistled low between his teeth. "That's some powerfulfucking magick." But the concept fit.Her chair thumped forward."Who's got the ability to pull that off?" Jana frowned.Rhys slid his gaze sideways."One brain teaser at a time. Let's see if we're right first."He transcribed the pages for thenecessary spells then helped gather the necessary ingredients.While filling the vials, he explainedthe process. "We'll need to work together. Uncloak first, break the link,then banish the creatures." Excitement to be working with her thrummed inhis veins when he filled the vials. "Are you ready?"

It took a while forme to figure out where this story wanted to go, but I'm so happy with whereit's headed now.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Left Unsaid

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 Left Unsaid, anovella that explores different methods of communication when speaking doesn'thelp.

Here's theminiblurb:

Haven and Pryce are involved in a covert war betweenhumanity and the fae. When the battle takes a nasty turn for the worse andtheir lives are in danger multiple times, the couple realize it's sometimesbetter to communicate without words.

And a preview snippet…

Haven had no doubt what Prycewanted. "His pound of flesh." Talking might come later, but rightnow, he needed an outlet, one she'd happily provide.She filled out a hastily wordedreport and dropped it off at the makeshift command center. She showered andcalled in to central communications. "Hey, Ross. I'm gonna need atwelve-hour window. No calls. No disturbances. Complete radio silence."She wrapped a towel around torso. "And include Pryce. If anyone asks,consider it lost time. He hasn't had a chance to work through his brother'sdeath yet." She chewed on her lip. "And he needs it." Becauseof the role I played.Ross made a rude sound. "Andyou're what? Babysitting?"She bit her response out."Something like that." She waited a beat. "And you can stopbeing a dick. You took three days when Maria died." She didn't begrudgeanyone their grief, but she'd be damned if Ross would pull that shit.He responded with a contrite tone."Yeah, you're right. As of right now, your clock is ticking."Haven hoped it would be enough."Thanks." She hung up and considered getting dressed. "Whybother? That's not what this is about." She exited her quarters andcrossed the hall.She didn't bother with a knock.Instead, she let herself into Pryce's space, shutting the rest of the worldout. Like her, Pryce only had a towel slung low around his hips. Dropping allpretense, she let hers fall to the floor, indicating the next move belonged tohim.A flash of lust tinged with anger lithis gaze, sending a jolt of heat through her. Pryce didn't hesitate, he strodetoward her, the damp terrycloth lost on the way. Wedging his thigh between herlegs, he backed her up against the wall. Haven welcomed the hair-roughened skinagainst her clit, another zing of hot desire threading through her nerveendings.He caught her chin in one hand andslanted his lips over hers. His tongue thrust deeply and Haven responded witha low moan. His aggression inflamed her need, but she kept a tight leashon her desire. This is Pryce's moment. Pryce worked his free handbetween them to find her slick and ready.He broke the kiss, his stare drillinginto her. "You're wet. You want this…"Haven held his gaze. "I wantyou, Pryce. No matter what." She rocked her hips and grasped his erection."In any way you want." Always.His eyes darkened. "You mightlive to regret that, Haven. I'm really pissed right now." His words cameout on a growl.She lifted her chin. "I know.But I'm still here. And I'm not going anywhere." Unless he kicked her out.

This story iscoming together is a way I didn't expect, but I'm thrilled with how things aregoing.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Led Astray

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 Led Astray, a novellathat brings a couple together even if they're not supposed to fall for eachother.

Here's theminiblurb:

Gia Schmidt is tasked with bringing Orrick Triolo aroundto her clan's way of thinking, but he proves a hard case to crack, even withher considerable skills. Orrick's got something she wants but if she's notcareful, he'll lead her astray instead of the other way around.

And a preview snippet…

Gia toyed with her food. "Ifyou want to avoid a war—and you should—agreeing to a summit between all theclans is a good idea." Gia ended on a sigh.At least Orrick listened to herspiel without comment. She could break the entire list of possibilities downinto minute detail but wouldn't waste her breath. Not unless he gave her apositive sign. He signaled for a refill of coffee. Gia resisted the urge tokick him under the table.Finally, he took a slow sip of thehot brew then met her gaze. "Why come to me? The elder triad of Triolosholds the power in our family. They're the ones you should be talking to."Gia huffed out a breath. "Doyou know how many have tried to get meetings with them—even one?"Orrick lifted a shoulder. "Notreally, no."Gia leaned in. "Every singleclan has tried alone. And together. And every time they're ignored or rebuffed.Threats have been made if anyone outside tries again."Orrick blinked. "Why? What doyou think I can do?"Gia shrugged. "Ask them to seereason. The Triolos have a lot of power. They're tired of warring factions. Butthe grab for complete control isn't playing out the way they want. Instead ofgiving them what they desire, the move has united the clans against them."Orrick arched a brow. "Youdon't think we'll win?"Gia bit back another sigh. "Idon't know. You might. But the toll in lives and lost resources will cost allof us."Orrick tilted his head to one side."That's a good point … and a possible opening."Gia nudged the spark of hope aside."So … you'll make the pitch?"Orrick lifted a chin. "I'llconsider it, yes."The flame flickered. Happy aboutthe response, she let a small smile curve her lips. Maybe things would end upworking out.Orrick took some wind out of hersails with a disclaimer. "I'll need some time to find the rightapproach."Gia slumped. "How much?"Her grandfather lacked patience on a good day.Orrick held her gaze. "I'm notsure. Let's maybe meet for dinner in a few days and I should have a betteridea."She agreed. What else could she do?And she didn't hate the idea ofseeing him again.

I'm having fun withthe cat and mouse aspect of this story and the characters are stepping up inbig ways to help move the plot along.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Knowing Truth

We had a bit of athaw with temperatures just a bit 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 Knowing Truth, a novellathat got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

Shila Sellers knows time is growing short for her faebrethren to find the enchanted glade they need to survive, and she takes a bigrisk to make the elders listen to her. Quinton Bobbitt knows Shila is on ajourney to find the true path they need to travel, and he'll back her no matterthe cost. Together, Shila and Quinton map out their destiny and find the roadto a new home.

And a preview snippet…

Shila stood outside the temple,wishing she'd let Quinton come with her.Adam pulled the drape aside."She'll see you now." He swept his arm out, indicating Shila shouldenter.She exhaled slowly and crossed thethreshold. The interior reeked with incense and the scent of low-burningcandles. Lauret reclined on a chaise with her feet propped up on a cushion.Inner knowledge swam in Shila'smind when she made her way to Lauret's side. She sent a questioning look inAdam's direction. As usual, the elder sage gave nothing away.Shila decided not to pull anypunches. "Cancer sucks."Lauret blinked and responded."Who told you?" She shifted her position, wincing slightly until shefound another comfortable spot.Shila shook her head. "No one.I just know." She couldn't explain the weird insights she kept receiving.Just like she couldn't give anyonea reason for creating the maze, other than having the deep, abiding sense sheneeded to make the elaborate network. And she didn't care if the scrolls had nomention of the labyrinth.Lauret studied Shila for severallong moments. Shila weathered the scrutiny because Adam already decided to sendShila out to traverse the maze. He believed in her.Finally, the priestess narrowed hereyes. "What else do you know?"Shila looked her straight in theeye. "We're going about finding our new glade the wrong way." She hopedLauret didn't ask her to clarify details … because Shila didn't have any.Lauret sighed. "Okay, SisterSellers. You have my leave." Straightening, she gathered her robes aroundher. "What do you want from me?"Shila shrugged. "Faith wouldbe great, but I don't want anything from you." Not even a blessingbecause who the hell knew if Shila would be successful?The priestess frowned. "Ican't, in good conscience, blindly follow you when you don't have any kind ofidea where to go either." In other words, she'd continue using the scrollsfor guidance.Honestly, what could it hurt?Shila gave a curt nod. "Aslong as we understand each other, Madame Priestess." With a small bow,Shila turned and headed for the exit.Adam followed after a brief wordwith Lauret.Shila waited until he closed thedrape before speaking. "I'll leave at first light." She hesitated fora moment then squared her shoulders. "And I'm not going alone." Shemet the elder sage's gaze. "Quinton is coming with me."

I'm just gettingstarted with this one and I have a general idea where things are going. I can'twait to see how everything plays out.

That's it for thisweek.

 

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Kings of Chaos

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 Kings of Chaos,a novella about a paranormal motorcycle club in a to-be-named series.

Here's theminiblurb:

Ainslee and Witt are stranded during a charity ride for theirlocal children's organization. Foul play is involved, and they have todetermine which rival club member has the most to gain or if someone closer tohome is the culprit. Either way the warlocks versus wizards mindset is supposedto be null and void when a truce is underway.

And a preview snippet…

Witt loved the start of a groupride. The roar of the engines. The rush of adrenaline. The camaraderie ofriding with his brothers. And, of course having Ainslee by his side.Ainsley swung her leg over her bikeand flashed a grin. "Gonna be a wild trip." She settled back andwaited for the signal.Only two other old ladiescame along on charity rides. Each had two Kings as their old men. Thetrios were well-established and rarely did anything apart. Witt's old mandidn't like the multiple partner setup, but he couldn't argue against apoly group. The club bylaws specifically stated polyamorous relationships werelegal and binding. Personally, Witt found the practice kept members frombutting heads and creating havoc. So far, all parties proved the system workedboth ways."Fuck you, Argathorn. Kerri cameto see me off. Why waste time with a shit stain like you?" Andy Rytol shovedhard against Merrick Argathorn's shoulder.Merrick sneered but didn't respond,other than to put an arm around the woman in question.The competition between the men forKarrie Warner had reared its ugly head. Again. Witt lost his calm. He straightened from his reclinedposition. "Hey, lock that shit down." He pinned the instigator withhis gaze. "Karrie, get your ass back in the clubhouse and stay there untilwe're gone."She bowed her head and made a briskgetaway. She might not stir the pot intentionally, but she hadn't figured outhow to keep the rivals from hitting the boiling point either.Witt pointed at the men. "Youtwo"—his voice lowered to a snarl—"stop acting like assholes whocan't figure out which dick is bigger. If you keep it up, I'll solve theproblem by hexing your poles down to the nads." He gave both men a hardglare. "Clear?" The men shifted uncomfortably butgrumbled and nodded. Argathorn straddled his motorcycle and Rytol stooped downto check his foot plate.Ainslee leaned in close."Harsh, but effective." She put her palm on his thigh, sending asoothing stream of serene vibes his way.Witt lifted his chin. "That'sa problem for another day." He laced his fingers with hers.Wyatt gave a sharp whistle, and thenoise and chatter dwindled. An air of expectation and excitement rippledthrough the members. Wyatt faced forward at the head of the group.The old man raised his fist."Let's ride." His bike roared to life.The cacophony of engines startingand motors revving reverberated through the parking lot. Wyatt moved out,everyone else falling into a line behind him. At the edge of the apron, Wittgave Ainslee a quick, hand kiss—a charity ride tradition—and pulled out ontothe street.The wind hit his face, and the lureof the open road squashed the earlier discord.

This is going to bea fun series to write. Ainslee and Witt set the stage for the next two books inthe series. I can't wait to get started!

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Kindred Spirits

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 Kindred Spirits, a novellathat mixes a little multiple partner fun with magic at a mage academy.

Here's theminiblurb:

Merrit Rhodes accepts a teaching position at the AthenaAcademy of Magic and Semblance to earn her rites. Vaughn Gregorvich and KirbySelwig are best friends and fellow instructors who fall hard for the newestaddition to the campus. Sparks literally fly when the trio decides to test thepower of three after a night of drinking a powerfully potent new cocktailcalled Elixir.

And a preview snippet…

Merrit had a dilemma.How did I even try to ignore thesimmering awareness and sexual tension with these two guys?Kirby put her at ease. His runningcommentary while they gathered what she'd need for uniforms and her new livingspace entertained and informed. He acted like a big goofball, but she didn'tmiss the agile way he moved or the controlled lion-like grace to his stride. Hehad an aura of openness and a flair for the dramatic. Merrit enjoyed hiscompany.But Vaughn … well … he made herhyperaware of his presence. He stalked through the stores with a panther-likequality, something almost regal, but deep and dark. Something about him stayedhidden in the shadows and he didn't feel like sharing. Walking a finely honedblade might be the way to describe the vibe she got from him. Instinct screamedone wrong move would send the knife plunging deep into her heart and mind.The idea thrilled and terrified herin equal measure.Fingers snapped in front of her."Hello? Merrit, you still with us?" Kirby's raised eyebrow gave him arakish look.Merrit shook her head. "Sorry.Yes. What were you saying?" The men each had several shopping bags inhand, while she also carried two on either side.Vaughn smirked. "He asked ifyou know what Dean Hargrove's first name is?"Merrit paused a moment."Honestly? I don't. None of the correspondence referred to him as anythingbut Dean Hargrove."Kirby grinned. "That's hisname." Confused, Merrit stopped walking."What is?"Vaughn cracked a smile, a sly twistto his lips.Merrit laughed. "You'rekidding. His name is Dean Hargrove and he's the dean of Athertons?" Kindof a weird and wild coincidence.Kirby nodded."Absolutely!" He leaned in. "You're pretty quick on the uptake.Most new recruits don't catch on until at least the third of questioning backand forth."Merrit shot a quick glance towardVaughn. Had he meant to give away the joke? His wry response had clued her in.She shrugged. "I'm just lucky,I guess." She always tried to downplay her intuitiveness.Kirby snorted. "Or maybe youhave strong oracle fu—like your mom."Merrit raised her brows. "Howmuch do you two know about me?" Her history had pockets of secrets.Vaughn rolled a shoulder. "Notas much as you think. Kirby's talent is drawing people out, but you're provingto be a tough case."She smiled. "Good."Kirby blinked. "Good?" Hemade what she could only refer to as a confused dog sound.Merrit gave a nod. "Yes. Ihave a feeling things come way too easily for you two. A challenge will keepyou on your toes."Kirby sputtered and mumbledsomething unintelligible.But Vaughn surprised her. He threwhis head back and laughed. The man needed to do that more often.Holy shit.

I'm having so muchfun writing this trio. The sages are having a good time feeding me this story.

 

That's it for thisweek.

Cheers!

Skye