Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Ready Weekend

Heh, so far the bumps have not smoothed over in October. But … that could have more to do with the yucky cold I picked up from the husband. It's like I have fuzzy slippers in my head, and I'm not a fan.

Our tire trauma is still ongoing. I now have four tires paid for and the appointment is scheduled for this week. I still have to have my front and rear rotors and pads replaced as soon as possible also. That might end up being a November problem. I do want to get that managed before we start getting snow.

Still having fairly mild weather. I love having an actual fall. I'm hoping we're not having fake fall, and we'll end up with ninety degree days again. But won't be surprised if it happens.

Had a decent work week even with the cold. I'm moving slowly on the evaluation, but the book is pretty interesting. Finished up a copy edit and started a proofread. I'm hoping to finish the proofread later today. I also need to hit my backburner project that I keep putting on hold.

Had a sketchy viewing week. Between the cold and other things going on, I didn't quite make it through my usual line up. I did do a binge watch of Death in Paradise.

Started with Marple and thoroughly enjoyed the episode. Very fun to see the mystery unfold and watch Jane piece everything together. Fun watching experience.

Watched another episode of Britain's Most Scenic Counties. I'm enjoying Cheshire. There are a lot of interesting bits and bobs. While the white cliffs of Dover in Kent definitely draw attention, there seems to be more urban adventures in Cheshire.

Enjoyed an episode of Return to Paradise. I'm very much on the fence with Mac and Glenn's interactions. Watching her calm him down was a lot of fun. Knife-thick tension there. Also really enjoyed getting some insight to Colin's past in this one.

Caught another episode of Poirot and, wow, what an adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the band get back together. I've missed Hastings, Lemon, and Japp.

Elementary had a terrific episode. Glad to see Sherlock somewhat back to his old self. I loved how much confidence he has in Joan's ability to be a great parent. Also quite liked the interactions between Joan and the pregnant mom. What a great episode.

Started an episode of Young Justice but ran out of steam. I'll finish it up this week. I think I remember this one or at least parts of it.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Ready Weekend, a novella that brings a couple together for babysitting duty and gives them an opportunity to explore their attraction.

Here's the miniblurb:

Angie Strickland and Derrick Fields are thrown together when they're called upon to care for their best friends' little one for a three-day weekend. Their biggest challenge is getting a crash course in what it's like to be a parent while dancing around an unacknowledged attraction. By the end of the weekend, Angie and Derrick are exhausted and certain of one thing—they want to be together but they're not quite ready for parenthood.

And a snippet preview…

Derrick Fields frowned when he answered his phone. "Yo, Mark. What's up? Everything okay? You usually text when you want to catch a game on TV." Although there weren't any good ones coming up.

Mark laughed. "Everything's fine. Well … generally speaking. I do have a bit of a situation I could use some help with."

Derrick's brows arched. "Okay … you have my attention." Seriously, Mark never had problems.

Mark huffed out a breath. "Well … I have a work conference this weekend and my folks are in Arizona visiting friends, and Janie's mom and dad are also unavailable this weekend." He paused. "It's a huge favor, but could you stay with Lyds? It'll only be Friday night through Sunday afternoon." He said the last sentence like his life depended on it.

Derrick blinked. "You want me to stay?" Damn, he didn't know the first thing about infants.

Mark didn't hesitate. "Yes. This is my kid we're talking about. I'm not trusting her with just anybody. And Janie won't go unless we have a rock-solid person lined up." He sighed. "I really need her to come with me. I'm due for a promotion and having her there could speed up the process."

Derrick hedged. "I'm not saying I can't, but why me? Aside from being her godfather, I'm not exactly super up on what babies need." He'd die before letting anything happen to Lydia, but what if he caused the anything?

Mark chuckled. "Dude, you have three younger sisters, and I know you used to babysit them." He waited a beat. "All. The. Time."

Derrick snorted. "My guy … they were all out of diapers and feeding themselves by the time I had to keep an eye on them. But … you're right. If I can survive three bratty tweens, I can absolutely manage a tiny baby who can't walk or talk yet." He hoped … maybe. "Yeah, sure. I'll stay with her. Just keep your phone on and be ready for a zillion questions."

Mark gave a relieved sigh. "Thanks, man. If you stop by after work on Friday, I'll give you the rundown. And thank you. Seriously. This is way harder than I thought it would be." He made a garbled choking sound. "We haven't had to leave her for more than a few hours, and I'm not sure who's having a harder time. Janie … or me."

Derrick offered reassurance. "My guess is it's pretty even. But … silver lining. First time is the hardest. And it's only a weekend." Which, yeah, freaked Derrick out but not enough to say no.

He wanted favorite couple to have a worry-free conference.

Mark let another relieved sigh. "I'm going to owe you a solid. A really big one."

Derrick laughed. "Yeah, well, I won't hold you to that. See you Friday."

Mark signed off and Derrick sank down onto the couch.

What the hell had he agreed to do?

This story is in the beginning stages, but I love where I think it will go!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: New Year's Promise

It's spooky month!! Kind of happy to the end of September. It was definitely a rough month. October is starting with a few bumps but here's hoping they'll smooth over soon.

Got my new tires and what a difference. Hit a snag with the husband's tires. We can't do two. It's all-wheel drive so they'll only replace all four. Sigh. We now have to wait until this weekend to get them replaced. Tires are expensive.

Had truly lovely weather. Mild temperatures that feel like fall are such a surprise. I'm not holding my breath that we won't end up with a big spike again, so I'm enjoying while I can.

Had a decent work week. Had another super challenging copy edit but got through it. Almost finished up with the evaluation read through. And I might be able to get back to my lingering project, which needs attention. I'm also hoping to make headway on my side project, which I'd really like to launch soon.

Good viewing week. I made it through my usual group of shows. I also included two binge marathons of Death in Paradise. The show makes me happy.

Began with Marple. Interesting episode that had some wild twists and turns. Very fun to see Tom Baker on screen.

Started the new season of Britain's Most Scenic Counties and enjoyed the introduction to Cheshire. Another area I'd love to visit at some point.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise and enjoyed the mystery. Also really enjoyed seeing Mackenzie try to figure out the appeal of dating apps. Loved the interaction between her and the team also.

Watched an episode of Poirot and I'm really enjoying Ariadne Oliver. She's such a fun character. The mystery also ended up being twisty, which I also enjoyed.

Elementary had a great episode. I'm enjoying Sherlock's challenge with recovering from the concussion. Not sure how I feel about the serial killer getting away. Kind of hoping he gets caught without taking out anyone else.

Enjoyed another episode of Young Justice. I remembered some of this one and liked the pacing of the plot. Always fun to see Wally learn life lessons.

Caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and loved the callbacks to Next Generation and Voyager. This show knows how to pay homage to its ancestors.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from New Year's Promise, a novella about a wedding on New Year's Eve.

Here's the miniblurb:

Long-time couple, Kay Holt and Trevor Wolfe, makes it official when Trevor proposes on Christmas Eve. Kay wants a small ceremony and dreams of a New Year's Eve wedding. Trevor surprises her and arranges for them to say I do at midnight during a holiday getaway with their best friends.

And a snippet preview…

Trevor entered the bedroom after seeing his family off for the night. "Mom said to come over in the afternoon for Christmas festivities. They want to sleep in…" He trailed off when he caught Kay wiggling her ring finger, the light from the lamp catching the glint of the solitaire while she sat on the edge of the mattress.

He couldn't believe he pulled off the surprise. With a lot of help, of course.

Kay glanced up. "What?" She laughed. "Sorry. It's just so beautiful."

Trevor made his way over to her. "So … we're engaged now." He tugged her to her feet then pressed kisses along her jawline. "I wonder if the sex will be different."

Kay chuckled and hauled him close. "Let's find out…" Her fingers pulled the waffle-knit shirt from his cargos. "We can think about what time to leave tomorrow … tomorrow." She popped the button on his pants.

Trevor smiled. "Good plan." He nuzzled her throat then slid her shirt up.

She lifted her arms to let him pull the garment up and over her head. She took over, lowering her yoga pants and sliding them off. He shucked his then dragged his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor.

Kay stepped into his arms and met his lips. His hands ghosted along her skin. Touching her didn't feel physically different … but the emotional impact? Yeah. Her saying yes to their future hit different in the best possible way.

Kay eased away and met his gaze. "This does feel different. Better." Her mouth grazed his shoulder. "Who knew?"

Trevor grinned. "Was just thinking the same." He nudged her toward the bed and sat down, his hands grasping her hips.

Kay sucked in a breath when he kissed her stomach then pulled her on top of him. She straddled his thighs, leaning down to mesh their lips together. He cupped her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples.

Kay made a low hum. "Love when you do that." She shifted and rose up, sliding over his shaft.

Trevor moaned. "This feels exactly the same. Hard to improve on perfect." He palmed her ass, urging her to move over him.

Kay's lips curved. "Could be fun to try." She rocked back and forth, using a slow pace.

Trevor relished the slick, warm heat of her gripping his dick. "Mmm. Yeah, it could." He flexed upward, bumping against her groin.

Kay shifted back and forth, adding a circular motion before grinding into his pelvis. Trevor placed his hands on her thighs and moved his thumbs to her clit, brushing them over the hard nub, amping up the friction. Kay's head dropped back and her fingers curled into fists on his chest.

Her breathing went shallow. "Unf … right there, Trev. Feels … good…"

He swiped a little harder and groaned when she tightened around his cock. A shudder washed over her and her knees dug into his torso. He held on for a few moments more then followed behind her, his orgasm rolling through him.

Kay collapsed down, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Merry Christmas, future wife."

Her head popped up. "Merry Christmas, future husband." Twisting to one side, she snuggled up close to his side.

Trevor pressed a kiss to her temple. He pulled off the surprise proposal.

Next up … the surprise wedding.

With a little help from their friends and family.

I love writing holiday romance and really like throwing some NYE romance into the mix.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Neighbors

Yeesh. Still dealing with the tire issue but have an appointment to get the replacements on Tuesday. I can't wait. But … we now have to get two new tires for my husband's vehicle. It's like dominoes falling … one thing after another.

Had some seriously cool temperatures this week. Also rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. We're supposed to have clear weather for the beginning of the week but more rain from Thursday through the weekend.

Work projects were pretty smooth this week. I finished up the wild ride copy edit and completed a proofread that had a few issues but overall ended up being great. Still working on the evaluation and making good project. I have another back burner project I'm hoping to get to this week.

Had a solid viewing week. I made it through my usual slate of shows and got to binge Death in Paradise a couple of days.

Started with Marple again and enjoyed the mystery. There were a lot of twists and turns with a resolution that ended up being sad but excellent.

Finished up the first season of Britain's Most Scenic Counties. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting Kent and look forward to the next season and new location.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise and enjoyed it again. Reggie reminds me of Margo from Beyond Paradise. Both are filled with local knowledge and wield their power when it counts the most. Great mystery also.

Watched another Poirot and liked the twists and turns. Very interesting to hear all the discussion of the upcoming war and having three mysteries instead of one ended up being quite fun.

Elementary got a little freaky. The possible serial killer struck very close to home, and I really hope things don't go in an obvious direction. Can't wait to watch the next episode to see if they do or don't.

Enjoyed an episode of Young Justice and loved seeing the young team dealing with being the grown-ups in the room. Kind of interested to see what happens with the stolen bit.

Ended the week with an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and totally loved the call back to the original series. Fun episode with plenty of weird thrown in for good measure. I'm going to be very sad when I finish this one.

That's the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Neighbors, a novella that has a couple who broke up living across the street from each other.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Vonnie Caldwell and Glenn Doyle break up, Vonnie's brother moves in with her to help with expenses. Glenn heads out to live with his sister, and he doesn't have far to go … she's across the street, which gives the former couple's siblings ringside seats while Vonnie and Glenn try to navigate being neighbors.

And a snippet preview…

Glenn stared out the window of his sister's condo, watching Vonnie's brother move more stuff in. "I guess this is a permanent thing." He really didn't think his life would implode this badly when he moved across the street.

Gina came up from the basement with a laundry basket of clean clothes. "If you're not careful, you're going to be accused of being a full-on stalker." She dumped the plastic container on the sofa and started folding items.

Glenn gave her a side-eye. "From looking out a window?" He snorted.

Gina made a rude noise. "At your ex's residence where you used to live. It always starts small, Glenn." She tossed his garments on the end of the cushion.

Glenn pushed away from the wall and moved to gather his stuff. "Thanks for washing these. I'll do the next load." The least he could do after she let him move in.

Gina rolled her eyes. "You could go talk to her. Or hell, send her a text. Check in." Putting her folded laundry in neat stacks, she picked one up.

Glenn shook his head. "Nah. She'd accuse me of being wishy-washy and not being able to make up my mind. It's kind of her go to." Which annoyed him a lot.

Gina sighed and trotted up the steps to put her clothes away.

Glenn made a neat pile of his then went back to the window.

Gina came back down. "You know what? I'm calling bullshit here. Vonnie didn't say you were wishy-washy. She said you refuse to act like you're part of a couple." She paused for a moment then started back in. "Let me ask you something. How would you like it if some man-ape had his hands all over Vonnie and you came over to hang with her? Would it piss you off?"

Glenn shrugged. "Probably." Not that he'd ever had to worry about that.

Gina made a garbled choking sound. "So, why shouldn't it piss Vonnie off? And has she ever not stopped a conversation to acknowledge you or your status as her boyfriend when you have come around?"

He grimaced. "No. Usually she makes this slick and sly move where she shifts her position and slides her arm around my waist or moves to stand in front of me. Sometimes she'll lean up for a kiss." She always made that so smooth also. "She makes it pretty clear we're together without being rude."

Gina flung her arm out. "Then why the fuck can't you do the same?" She shook her head. "Geez, Glenn. Letting some hoochie mama paw all over you because you don't want to be rude is stupid … especially when it makes you a dick for letting it happen in front of the person you're supposed to be in love with."

Glenn grunted. "Yeah … when you put it that way, I do sound like a dick."

Gina snorted. "There's no sounding like one about it. When you do that shit, you are being a grade-A, total-shit asshole. And I'm embarrassed to call you my brother." With another disgusted sound, she grabbed the basket and headed back down to the basement.

Glenn winced. Leave it to his sister to lay out his biggest fault with brutal precision.

I love writing siblings, and this has a double shot of them. Glenn and Vonnie will end up owing their family members a lot.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Muse It Up

Whew. It's been a very long week. A slow leak in one of my tires means I've been filling with a portable device every other day or so. Add in the oven going out on our stove and scrambling to find another one on top of the tire issue. We did get the range replaced and hope to have the tire situation under control this week. Bleh.

Weird weather again. Storms and some back and forth temperatures. I really hope we don't pay for the somewhat mild temperatures by having a super-hot October and November. Would also love to not have flooding from the rain. We've been very lucky so far.

Work projects were gnarly again. Started a new copy edit that, well, went okay as far as the copy edit part is concerned. The story? All over the place. I don't have to be the target audience for the manuscripts I edit, but whew! I struggled with this one because I had a hard time following the plot, which I don't run into very often at the copy-editing stage. I'm also working on a manuscript evaluation and that is going pretty well. I'm very interested in the subject matter, which always helps.

I made a little progress on getting my side project ready to go. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more this week. I'm kind of excited to see if I can make this happen before the end of the year.

Had a terrible viewing week. The copy edit needed a lot of my focus, which isn't a bad thing. I made it almost halfway through my usual shows.

Started with Marple and enjoyed the mystery. Very fun to have two Janes in the story. Also enjoyed getting a glimpse of nostalgia with Miss Marple and her childhood.

Watched another episode of Britain's Most Scenic Counties and learned more new things about Kent. I'd love to visit someday.

Caught the season two premiere of Return to Paradise and quite enjoyed being back in Dolphin Cove. Loved having Jack Mooney make an appearance again and having him kind of give Mackenzie a fatherly type of tough love. She does need to sort things out with her past before heading back to London … if she heads back.

Started an episode of Poirot but didn't get it finished. I'll pick it back up this week. I hope.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Muse It Up, a novella where an author finds his muse after suffering from writer's block.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gallagher, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippet preview…

Nate stretched the kinks from his shoulders. "Whew. Mind's still spinning with ideas." But he needed a break.

After six hours of sleep, he made coffee and had a breakfast wrap of scrambled eggs, sausage, and spinach. That fueled the morning writing session. Now he headed for the kitchen to throw some sandwiches together.

Spreading mayo on some sourdough bread, he huffed out a breath. "Gotta go fast and easy." He'd put another four hours in on his laptop then hit the treadmill or a hiking trail.

Grabbing his water pitcher, he scooped the sandwiches up and went back to his writing nook. He'd already decided he'd be dropping in at the Library again later. Tonight would be coffee only. No doubt he'd have another late night or early morning with his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Leaning back, he finished off one of the sandwiches and let his thoughts drift to Hunter. He looked forward to seeing her again … but dialed back the excitement a little. Mainly because he had no idea if he should mention how she had kickstarted his brain.

He shook his head. "Do I thank her? Or just play things cool?" He definitely didn't want to make things weird.

He hated not being sure how to proceed, because he really found Hunter attractive. But … he got the feeling she'd been through something recently. Maybe she'd share.

He kind of hope so … he wanted to know everything about her. "Whoa. Calm down, Nate. Think about this." Things could go sideways … especially if he clued her in to being his muse.

But he wanted to be honest. Subterfuge worked well in his books but rarely played out with good results for him in real life. His last relationship went south because his girlfriend liked to play head games. She would run hot then cold and try to lead him on a merry chase, which he didn't have the time to figure out or the desire to pursue.

He snorted. "Didn't take her long to pack up and move on when I basically admitted my deadlines were more important than playing what does Melanie want all the time?" Which made him something of a dick, but he could live with that label.

At least he couldn't be accused of cheating or leading Melanie on. He'd made a clean break and wished her nothing but the best when she left. After that, he steered clear of getting involved with anyone new and focused on finishing the series.

Nate won't keep his interest in Hunter a secret for long and he won't hold back how much influence she's having on his new series.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Monumental Headache

It's so weird to be almost halfway through the month already. Time is weird. Last week felt like it dragged on forever but also had a lot of stuff jammed into it.

Weather ended up being crazy with a tornado warning that thankfully went north and east of us but did touch down in several places in our county. We've got more volatile weather headed our way this week. Maybe. It makes me bonkers how not accurate the weather reports are now.

Work projects ended up being a little exhausting this week. I had a project that should have been simple but spiraled into a bit of a mess. We finally got that one all figured out, I think. I finished up a copy edit and started a new one. And I got to dive into a new nonfiction book project that I'm excited about.

On a small side note, I've been feeling the pull to get my side project launched and ready to go. To that end, I'm working on some Halloween shorts that I hope to have ready to go in October. Fingers crossed!

Had an okay viewing week. I did make it through my regular list of shows and did more binge watching of Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise.

Thoroughly enjoyed an episode of Marple. There were so many twists and turns but I loved the ride.

Caught another episode of Britain's Most Scenic Counties and continued the exploration of Kent, which I'm enjoying a lot.

Watched the finale for Beyond Paradise season four. So happy with everything. My frustration with Anne turned out to be for naught. She really kicked everything on its side. So glad Smith is not going to be around anymore. Truly loathed that guy. Thrilled to bits that Esther and Archie are giving things a go and that Kelby has a sweetheart. I cried when Zoey left on her adventure, but I loved her maps bringing Esther and Archie together.

The Orient Express episode of Poirot hit weird for me. Such a stellar cast but things felt a little off and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the ending, which is quite probably by design. I think visually filmed plays out differently than the visual that reading creates. I don't know.

Elementary had another interesting episode and I'm wondering how the escalation is going to go with Sherlock's meeting guy. Very glad the captain and Detective Bell are aware of what's going on with Sherlock's concussion situation.

Caught an episode of Young Justice that I vaguely remember watching during the show's run on television. With so much going on with three different story points, I actually enjoyed the action.

Watched another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and, once again, thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the crew. A lot of fun seeing them confront past issues on Starbase 80.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Monumental Headache, a novella that explores what might happen after a one-night stand that turns into something more.

Here's the miniblurb:

Cadee Walsh has a high stress job and needs to blow off steam. She spends the night with Worth Pettigrew, recharging from the incredible sex. Imagine her mortification when she finds out he's her new boss.

And a snippet preview…

Cadee wanted to hunt Matt down and punch him.

She inhaled slowly and met Worth's gaze. "To be clear, I am not prone to workplace romances. In fact, you're the first and only one I've ever had." Her fingers flexed on the table. "And it's not like I knew I'd literally run into you two hours after you left my house." She exhaled on a long breath.

How could she get Matt to understand she had zero interest in him?

Worth broke open one of his rolls. "I don't think anyone had that one on their bingo cards." He spread a little butter on one half.

Cadee huffed out a laugh. "True." She sobered. "I'm really not sure what to do about this whole Matt situation. I've never encouraged him. I'm clear when I say I don't want to go out with him." She sighed. "This sucks. Even if I wanted to see you outside of work, it would only give him ammunition to create drama and make life hell." Grabbing her fork, she stabbed a pile of lettuce onto the prongs, picturing Matt while doing so.

Worth placed a hand on hers. "Hey, the salad didn't do anything to you." His thumb brushed over her skin. "But I get it. Murdering a pile of lettuce is better than committing actual homicide on a coworker." His lips twitched.

Cadee rolled her eyes. "You're awful. But you make a good point." She set the silverware aside. "That said, I can't deal with having a guy act like he's my boyfriend and warning off other men I might like to go out with because he thinks we're in a relationship." She paused. "Which we are not." Her teeth ground together.

Worth cocked his head. "Would you? With me?" He shook his head. "Sorry, what I mean is … you said warning off other men you might like to go out with. Am I one you might consider?" His fingers stilled on her hand.

Cadee pressed her lips together. "Damn. That kind of slipped out unexpectedly." She straightened and squared her shoulders. "I won't deny I've thought of you since our night together, even when you're being a pain in my ass at work. But … don't you think Matt will make anything and everything difficult?" She hated even saying those words out loud because doing so gave more power to the guy trying to make her life hell.

Worth lifted his chin. "It's possible. Mainly wanted to see if there's a chance here." He settled back against the booth cushion, picking up his fork again.

Cadee narrowed her gaze. "Meaning there's a possibility you'll be sticking around?" Did she want him to?

She took a moment and turned the thought over in her brain. Yeah. She wouldn't mind getting to know him. But working together might make things difficult even without Matt's interference.

Worth lifted one shoulder. "I've been thinking about it. I loved the travel when I first started but I'd like to settle and I have connections here." He met her gaze. "I know we'll have to navigate some choppy waters, and I can't promise I won't be a pain sometimes, but I'm interested in seeing where things go with us."

Cadee smiled. "I think I'd like that."

This story took a path I didn't expect but I'm rolling with it because I love it.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Mixed Signals

September is off to an okay start. Still feeling a little off … not really frustrated more like being stuck in limbo yet feeling like there's something that needs to be done. It's weird.

Had several thunderstorms roll through, which did a lot of back and forth with the temperatures. Today is cool and sunny, but midweek was steamy hot. Pretty sure it'll get to boiling again in the near future.

Not a bad work week. Finished up the proofread and started a new copy edit. I had a great call with a new author, and I'll be starting on a manuscript evaluation this week. Really excited about this book. Also had some breakthroughs on several of my WIPs, which is always a bonus!

Had a decent viewing week. I made it through my usual slate of shows and binged some Death in Paradise again. This show has kind of nudged Midsomer Murders out of the top spot of my go-to shows.

Started the week off with Marple and, again, I really enjoyed the mystery. Kind of fun to see Tommy and Tuppence in their later years.

Watched another episode of Britain's Most Scenic Counties. I enjoy seeing all the green areas in Kent. Also loved seeing the different types of boating available.

Caught another Beyond Paradise. Loved that Kelby's girl actually made it to Shipton Abbot. Kind of hated the awkwardness of the dinner party Anne threw with Mister Smith. But I loved the vague ending when Humphrey went to confront Smith with his decision. Methinks Smith let something very important slip during the dinner. Can't wait to see if I'm right.

The Halloween themed episode of Poirot ended up being such a fun ride. Well, as fun as murder can be anyway. So many twists and turns.

Elementary ended up being pretty interesting. I'm kind of holding my breath with the small clues and hints about the possible serial killer luring Sherlock into a dangerous situation. Also kind of interested in Joan's situation with becoming a mom.

Watched another episode of Young Justice. Thoroughly enjoyed the fallout from the training exercise and also loved seeing Connor interact with the New Genesis team.

Caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and once again loved it. This show is so good.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Mixed Signals, a novella that explores a second change at romance after a friendly fire incident.

Here's the miniblurb:

Avery and Trigg, both undercover cops, can't keep their relationship going. Their work makes it hard to stay connected. When mixed signals results in Avery shooting Trigg in a friendly fire incident, she wants to set the record straight and maybe test the waters to pick up where they left off.

And a snippet preview…

Avery Squire watched the ambulance pull away. "I can't believe I shot Trigg Bertelli." Nothing like pulling the trigger and having her ex significant other get in the way.

At least she'd caught him in the shoulder. If he hadn't stepped into her line of fire, she'd have had a clean target. Why the hell had he been there? Her undercover unit spent weeks setting up the sting operation in the backwoods bar and grill suspected of laundering money.

She shook her head. "Someone got their signals crossed." Raking a hand through her hair, she found her superior officer and turned her weapon in.

The paperwork would be a bitch. Friendly fire incidents sucked.

She cocked her head. "How did the second unit end up at our operation?"

Her boss, Morley Rafer, snorted. "Sheer shit luck. Gregson had two guys undercover with the Dirty Bastards motorcycle gang, and they picked tonight to make a drop." He gave her a pointed look. "You should head out. Take a couple of days." He paused. "This isn't on you. There's no way you could've prevented what happened." His chin lifted. "I'll keep you posted on Bertelli's status."

Avery nodded. "Yeah, thanks." She turned to leave, keeping the rapidly setting in reaction at bay until she slid behind the wheel of her car.

She'd shot Trigg Bertelli. The very last person on the planet she'd ever want to harm. Okay, do more harm to. Because she'd loved him once.

Resting her head on the steering wheel, she let out harsh laugh. "Hell, I still do." Not like she ever stopped.

But … he had a significant other, and she wouldn't get in the way of that. Besides, he'd never want her again. Not after she'd ruined their relationship by not being able to smoothly step in and out of her assumed roles. After she split from Trigg, she'd finally got help and now worked regularly with a therapist.

She heaved a sigh and started the engine. "Too bad I realized I needed to get my shit together a little too late." But at least she'd be able to unpack the trauma of shooting her ex.

This one is coming together in a way I didn't expect and I love that.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Mistletoe Madness

Bleh. It's been a week of frustration, and I can't really explain why. I hate it when I feel like everything is either standing in my way or that I'm stuck in reverse with zero forward momentum. Maybe August has just been a bit of a rough month even when there were fun things happening. Who knows?

Not a terrible weather week. The temperatures were fairly mild for August. I'll enjoy that while I can because it's supposed to heat up again this week.

I was supposed to head out for an annual get together with my cousins but ended up not being able to go because I didn't feel well at all. And next year I do believe I have a wedding on the weekend we usually get together so I'll be sending pictures from the ceremony to my fam!

Work projects kept me busy again. I finished up a copy edit and started a proofread. I also finally got all the images stripped from the developmental manuscript. Whew! There were a lot of them. I also scheduled a call with a potential new author and I'm excited to see where that goes.

Had an okay viewing week. I made it through all of my regular shows and binged Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise again. They're my comfort go-to shows at the moment. I also spend some time watching a documentary about Dolly Parton to help ease the sting of losing the wonderful light she spread around the world.

Started with Marple again and I really do enjoy this version of the show. It was interesting to have something of a different narrator for the episode. The mystery ended up being twisty as usual.

Began a new series with Britain's Most Scenic Counties and visited Kent. I think there are several more episodes in that county, and I'm looking forward to seeing them.

Watched another episode of Beyond Paradise. I love Martha and Esther's friendship. They're so much fun. I'm very interested in where things go with Anne and her cryptic mention of the delicate situation with Mr. Smith. I have a great fear she might be dating him and that will suck majorly. I do love that Humphrey basically unloaded about the situation. Looking forward to a resolution about that. Also … Kelby blasted Margo kind of broke my heart but kudos to him for standing up for himself.

Enjoyed another Poirot episode. The mystery ended up being super twisty and I love how Poirot got very emotional during the reveal. Betrayal never sits well but it really stabs hard when it happens to Hercule.

Elementary had another great episode. I'm really wondering what's going to happen when Sherlock realizes his support person is a murderer. Or maybe it'll be a big twist, and he won't end up being a murderer. Either way, I'm very interested in what happens next.

Watched another episode of Young Justice, and I don't remember any of this one. A truly gut-wrenching watch. Loved the little bits of random characters popping up!

Caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and I'm going to miss this show when I'm done. I seriously didn't know if I liked the show in the first season and now I'd pretty much die for these characters if needed. Ther really should be more seasons for me to enjoy.

As mentioned, I watched the beginning of a documentary about Dolly, and I hope to finish it this week … unless it's been taken down. I also watched quite a few music videos. What an amazing woman.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Mistletoe Madness, a novella that brings a trio together for a very happy holiday.

Here's the miniblurb:

After burying her mother right before the holidays, Delaney Nixon comes back home to deal with the estate and decide what to do with her future. Two former beaus offer condolences and help, each hoping the spark might reignite even if they've agreed to leave old feelings alone while getting Delaney through the merry season.

And a snippet preview…

Westin slid an arm around Delaney's shoulder. He didn't flinch when Scotty laced his fingers with hers. Westin hadn't known until that moment if he'd really be okay with playing nice.

But the anguish in Delaney's voice convinced him she truly had deep feelings for him and Scotty. He loved and wanted her enough to share. He wouldn't ask her to choose.

Westin exchanged a look with Scotty and nodded.

Scotty brought her fingers to his lips. "Del, we're not going to make you choose."

Westin nuzzled her throat. "Yeah, there's no pressure here." She smelled like the past, present, and future all the same time.

She snorted. "Right, you'll each be happy to what? Take turns? Set up a schedule? How do you see this working?" She didn't give either a chance to respond. "It won't work, unless you're willing to share—"

Scotty cut in. "Actually…"

Westin jumped in too. "Is that what you want, Laney? For us to share?" The more he dug down deep, the less he cared about having Scotty be with her too.

She shot him a heated look. "I just admitted I want both of you, which makes me sound like a greedy bitch. But I can't pick one of you. Combined, you're exactly what I want in a man."

Scotty rolled a shoulder. "Then, yeah, we're willing to share." He flicked his gaze to Westin.

Delaney's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?" She all but gasped the words.

Westin nodded. "As a heart attack."

Delaney slowly shook her head. "No way. This can't be happening."

Scotty stood up and Westin followed suit. Each held out a hand. Westin couldn't believe how okay he started feeling about this setup.

Scotty wiggled his fingers. "It can happen. If you want it to."

She reached out with trembling hands. "I do." Her voice went low and husky. "I really do."

Westin glanced upward. "Then let's take this upstairs. Are you okay with that?"

I love writing holiday romances and I also love having a why choose scenario.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin