Sunday Snippet: Breaking Ice

Hello and Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Gearing up for Walking Dead and watching the Doctor Who special for the third doctor. Also letting my holiday dinner settle while doing both. LOL

Tonight's post is from a work in progress entitled, Breaking Ice. It's still in the planning stages…I have way too many manuscripts in the planning stages…but yeah, I won't complain because words keep flowing. LOL

So, here's the tagline: (Subject to change. LOL)

Bailee and Oakes have a long history of breaking each other's heart and leaving a long trail of personal drama everywhere they go. But they finally have a shot at being on the same page after going one on one in a charity sparring match, if they can trust themselves to get it right this time.

And here's the snippety peek…

Oakes flinched when the nurse put two butterfly bandages over his brow. At least he didn't gasp against the pain when they taped his wrist. His lips quirked. He and Bailee showed the younger kids a thing or two. Even when they couldn't stand each other, they fought well together. It helped Bailee always seemed to know exactly what he planned to do and followed through with something complementary.

He risked a glance in her direction. She hadn't said more than three words since they left the fight cage. 'Are you okay?' didn't give him much to go on, but then again, she rarely provided more than she had to, making him work to draw anything of substance out. Part of the reason she drove him insane most of the time. And the reason they couldn't seem to get past the starting gate.

The nurse grimaced and tossed a couple of ice packs in their direction. Oakes wrinkled his nose when he caught the one headed his way. Dried sweat and cage smell. Not a pleasant aroma.

He shot Bailee a sideways glance. "Man, we're ripe."

Bailee snorted, but didn't disagree. "Yeah, it's pretty potent." She thumped the bag and mashed it between her hands, activating the cold chemicals. "But you know what?" She raised her gaze and met his after gingerly placing the ice pack on her ankle.

Oakes raised a brow and winced. "Ouch. What?" He braced for anything; a scathing retort, a pithy smack down, or maybe, if he got lucky, none of the above.

She grinned. "We kicked ass. So the stench? Totally worth it." Leaning back against the makeshift cot, she heaved a satisfied sigh.

Happy she seemed thrilled, he agreed. "Yep. Worth it." Could they start over…again?

Sliding his glance sideways, he pondered Bailee for a few moments. She'd been as bumped and bruised up as him, but it didn't detract from her peak physical condition. The physical between them never suffered. Everything else…gave them trouble. But when she entered the cage, she'd seemed less manic and more controlled. Oakes found himself letting hope build a little.

Enough to make a bold suggestion. "Wanna give me a bath?" A loaded question, but it would gauge her mood.

Bailee's gaze shot to his and she couldn't look away. Her mouth opened, closed, and then her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip. A flicker of indecision crossed her face, followed by something indefinable. The indefinable drew him in, kicking the hope up another notch.

She spoke quietly, "Are you sure you wanna go there, Oakes?"

Something in the tone, the finality maybe, filled him with resolution. He'd push as far as she'd let him.

He didn't look away, or even blink. "Yeah, I'm sure. Can you handle that?" He waited a beat. "This time."

Oakes, my man, I think Bailee might just be ready to get it right this time. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blame it on the Rain

So…who knew I'd grow so attached to Merle the Moron on Walking Dead? I sure didn't. LOL Mum's the word on his fate for now, but wow, what a twist.

Tonight's post is a random bit from Blame it on the Rain, something still in the planning the stages, but this scene would not leave me alone until I wrote it. LOL

I literally have no idea how I'm going to get the characters to the point in the excerpt, but it's sure going to be fun doing it. :D

Here's the tagline:

Vala and Gates work together leading tours through the wilderness and love their job. But when close friends go through a breakup, Val and Gates take opposite sides and it strains their relationship, especially when they get trapped in the elements and have to find shelter for the night.

And here's the snippety peek:

"Geez, do you think this stupid rain will ever stop?" Vala poked at the paltry fire, trying to stir up the embers.

Gates settled back against his rucksack. "Eventually." He shrugged. "You know, it kinda doesn't bother me. I mean, seriously, rain? Real, drenching, soaked to the skin rain." He chuckled. "It's been a while since I've experienced anything like it. It's kind of fun."

Vala snorted, adding more wood to the fire. "Yeah. Loads of laughs to have dripping hair smacking you in the face when the wind gusts." She glanced back over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Your definition of fun doesn’t match mine."

Gates nudged her hip with his boot. "Come on. You love being out of the city as much as I do." He scooted sideways, when she scrambled back away from the flames to lean against his pack.

She sighed. "It is pretty great to be standing on actual ground, muddy though it is, even if the reason sucks—" She stopped speaking abruptly, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth.

A sure sign she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying more on the subject.

Gah. He didn't want to fight with Vala. Not anymore. They could pick up arguing about Jane and Karl in the morning. The couple's sometimes toxic decision making had given them a reason to get out of the city, even though it would delay making the rendezvous with the rest of the tour group.

A trek through a veritable jungle during what felt like a monsoon wouldn't be his first choice for getting Vala alone, but it could've been worse. They could've come to blows over the ill-timed absence of their best friends. He considered Vala's abhorrence for slogging through the mud a bonus, or they probably would have. The woman always seemed to take the opposite side from him and could argue over the minutest details. Made trying to have a relationship very interesting sometimes.

The rain continued to beat down outside, but the small clearing under the canopy of trees provided a good spot to erect their portable bivouac, offering a nice buffer against the whipping wind. Vala had made short work of getting the MREs and rationed water out of her pack before assisting him with the fire. She'd then gone quiet and pensive after they'd finished eating. Gates worried about their friends, too, but he didn't want to spend the next eight hours brooding over what they'd face when he and Vala caught up to them and gave them their marching papers. A distraction would be in order and he had a brilliant idea in mind.

If he could get Vala to cooperate.

He bumped her shoulder with his. "At least we'll be dry for the night."

Vala snorted. "Yeah, if you don't count our soggy clothes and the constant drip in the corner over there." Her head jerked toward the back of the shelter.

Gates shook his head. "Vala, shut up. You're ruining the moment."

She angled her head towards him. "Are we having a moment, Gates?"

He swung his gaze to meet hers. "We could be, if you'd let it happen."

Vala's lips quirked and she turned, molding her body to his. "What, exactly, do you want me to let happen?"

Gates cupped her face with his hand. "This." He caught her lips with his, running his tongue over her lower one before plunging it inside her mouth.

The kiss grew heated and he'd swear the temperature rose in the shelter. Wouldn't, in fact, be surprised if steam didn't generate between them.

Vala broke the kiss and eased back, a quirky grin on her face. "You know, you have a point about the rain being pretty damned awesome." Reaching down, she grabbed the hem of her shirt, dragging the damp fabric up and over her head. "But the clothes? Have to go."

Why the hell would he argue?

Why indeed? LOL Jane and Karl put Vala and Gates in a tricky spot, but they're going to make the most of it…rain or no rain. :D

And that's it for tonight. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Bikini Beach

Happy St. Paddy's Day to all of Irish descent. And well…to those not, too. LOL

Been fighting an all-day headache, the kind that kind of just hangs there and acts annoying. Will keep the post brief because of that. L

Tonight's preview is from another manuscript I just got started, Bikini Beach. Again, the idea came from a prompt posted to one of my writing comms. Seriously love getting a spark from those.

Here's the tagline:

Talia Ashe loves her job, but she's ready to kill her partner, Hugh McVey because he's pushing hard to get a project done and they're down to the wire. She takes a mental health day, to keep from doing Hugh bodily harm, but he ruins it when he shows up on her patch of beach.

And here's the snippety peek…

6 am

breep-breep-breep-breep-breep

Talia Ashe threw her pillow to drown out the obnoxious sound of her alarm. Flinging an arm over her eyes, she decided she couldn't face getting up and going in to work. And considering she'd worked past midnight the night before, she shouldn't have to.

Four hours of sleep just didn't cut it and one day couldn't possibly hurt. The delay would piss her partner off, but Hugh could suck donkey balls. If she had to deal with his constant push-push-push to get the job done attitude another day she'd lose her mind.

Or run the risk of maiming him with sharp objects.

Not his fault their client died mid-project and his widow decided to take the reins and change everything. The woman had no clue about production schedules, order fulfillment, or what it took to change the packaging at the very last possible moment. Or what missing the launch date would do to her bottom line. But she didn't have a board of directors to worry about so she could do whatever she pleased.

Stifling a huge yawn, Talia grabbed her phone from the bedside stand and dialed Hugh's number. Expecting the call to go to voice mail, she got a surprise when he answered on the second ring.

"McVey." He sounded tired, but alert.

Shit. She'd have to scramble fast to sound ill.

"Hugh. Ughhh…" She hoped the feigned moan added the right touch. "I think the clam chowder from yesterday's lunch is trying to kill me. Can you manage on your own today?" She braced for the explosion.

"What!?" Hugh didn't disappoint. "Dammit, Talia. Why didn't you have the cobb salad like I did yesterday?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, it could've been the Thai food we ordered in for dinner. Whatever the culprit, I'm two seconds away from heaving again, so unless you wanna watch me puke all day, I suggest you soldier on and I'll be back in on Thursday." She firmly tamped down the guilty kick in her stomach.

Hugh gave a terse response. "Fine. But your timing couldn't suck worse. Deadline is next week and we still have details to nail down." He heaved a sigh. "Do you need anything? I can stop after I meet with Barclay's widow."

The woman had a name, Minerva, but she and Hugh almost exclusively referred to the bane of their existence by her grieving status. Probably because the woman rarely started a sentence that didn't begin with 'As Paul's widow'…

"Talia, are you okay?"

The genuine concern in Hugh's voice had remorse creeping up again.

Talia quickly answered, "Yeah. Just needed a moment." She definitely didn't want him to stop by…she had no intention of being home. "I don't need anything, but thanks for the offer. See you Thursday."

She didn't wait for a response and pressed end. The unexpected gesture from Hugh threw her a little. They worked for a co-op and had been partnered up for this project based on their individual skills. She'd known him by reputation for a couple of years, but after working with him for a straight six months, he still surprised her sometimes.

The guy didn't have an 'off' button and she could usually deal with it, but the last two weeks had put a strain on her ability to play nice. And after listening to him snap and snarl about everything, most of it directed toward her, she wanted a twenty-four hour break. Hugh acted as the project head and she had more or less been following his lead—working nonstop—but not today.

Today, Bikini Beach called and Talia fully planned to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf, giving her brain a much needed vacation. She'd go back to work on Thursday, fully recharged and ready to face whatever new kind of hell the Widow Barclay could throw at them.

She grabbed her pillow and reset her alarm for 8 am. Settling back down, her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted back to sleep.

Hugh and Talia will find getting out of the office can be a great thing to get the creative juices flowing. But first…they have to clear the air a little. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Anything Goes

Okay, Walking Dead has been great the last two weeks. This makes me very happy!

Now I'm rewatching all the eps of Arrow. I seriously love the show!!

But…a post needs to be made!

Tonight's blog is about another fairly new manuscript still in its infancy stage. Working out all the kinks and getting the story points all set is one of my favorite things to do. Anything Goes got its start with a two word prompt from one of my writing communities. I LOVE prompts. Really helps get the creativity flowing.

Here's the tagline:

On the eve of Olivia Barton and Luke Johnston's wedding, their friends and co-workers at the twelfth precinct throw a rehearsal 'roast' for the couple. Their unconventional courtship is chronicled for everyone to enjoy and none of the names are changed to protect anybody.

And here's the snippety peek…

John Layman tapped on the crystal goblet and called for everyone's attention. "All right, boys and girls, we all know why we're here, so let's hear it for Luke and Olivia." He started a round of applause and loud cheers soon followed.

Olivia Barton entered the executive lounge on Luke Johnston's arm, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Luke's best friend would have something hugely embarrassing planned. It wouldn't be one of his shindigs if he didn't. The man insisted on throwing a celebratory party a week before their wedding and Olivia couldn't say no. John had planned the entire matrimonial affair because Olivia didn't have the time or patience to deal with the details. The concept it would blow up in her face hit her just after she said 'go for it'. She had no idea what John had planned and according to Luke, he didn't either.

Luke nudged her with his shoulder. "I can kill him now and we can run, if you want."

Olivia barked out laugh. Leave it to Luke know what her thoughts were. Hadn't always been that way, but he could read her like a book now.

She shook her head. "Nah. Let's see what Mr Mojo has up his sleeve. I wanna know why he demanded we get dressed up when we wanted something super casual."

Luke's hand slid down and grasped hers and he led them around the long string of tables to the dais area where a smaller, more intimate set-up had been placed with three chairs surrounding a round tabletop.

Luke squeezed her fingers. "You know he hates that nickname." He draped an arm around her shoulders. "You should use it more often."

Olivia grinned and stepped up onto the dais. "I just might, depending on what he pulls tonight." She moved to stand beside John. "Okay, John. We're here. What's on the menu for the evening?"

John turned and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Something you're either going to love, or hate with an intense passion." He faced the gathering of their friends again. "All right. We have the happy couple held captive, so let's get on with the festivities." John dropped his arm and moved to stand between Luke and Olivia. "With the big day scheduled for next Saturday, I thought it would be a roaring good time if we all got together and shared our most interesting…and possibly insane…stories about how our two crazy kids got together."

John stepped back and wrapped one arm around Luke, the other around Olivia. "Without further ado…welcome to Luke and Olivia's Matrimonial Roast!" Ducking backwards, John dashed for the podium, dimmed the lights, and directed the spot to shine and capture Luke and Olivia.

A roar of laughter and applause sounded throughout the executive lounge. Olivia seriously considered making a run for it, but Luke shrugged, snagged her hand, and pulled out a chair. She plopped down and scooted close to his side. If she had to endure a retelling of their unconventional romance, she'd damned well need his support.

But looking out over the room, filled with their closest friends and colleagues, she decided it couldn't be all bad. Unless… John prompted everyone with which stories to tell.

And he would. The shit.

Olivia leaned in, nuzzling close to Luke's ear. "If I kill him, you'll help me hide the body, right?"

I think I'll leave Luke's response for when I get this one published. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: All Bets Off

March 3, 2013

Greetings!

Trying to get my posts up earlier this weekend and see if I can start a trend. J

Also watching Banshee, catching up with last week's episode before trying to get this week's. Gotta make time for Walking Dead, too.

So much TV, so little time. :P

Okay, this week's preview is from a newly started manuscript, All Bets Off. The sages pretty much threw out a random plot bomb and it exploded in my face. I'm not very far along yet, but I love the potential for this one. I might even submit for a special call if my contrary sages keep cooperating. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Kellen Bairds and Pierce Abbotson make friendly wagers on a regular basis until Kellen won't admit Pierce won their latest round. When he calls her on the lie, she gets angry because no amount of money on earth will make her reveal how kinky her dreams are. Or her feelings for him.

Here's the snippety peek:

Kellen snarled. "Fuck you."

Pierce shook his head. "Not if you paid me."

Ouch. And the dumb ass completely missed the point, but why should it surprise her. He always did.

She countered. "I have paid you, you moron. Every single time I lost a bet." She came around the counter to stand toe to toe with him. "What the hell is your problem with this?"

He made a garbled choking sound. "My problem? You won't admit I won this time." He leveled his gaze on her. "And I did. Fair and square." His finger jabbed her in the shoulder. "And you're welching on it."

He had her there. No way did she plan to answer his question.

Kellen scrambled for a comeback. "You can choose to look at it that way." Backing up, she returned to her spot behind the counter, wanting the barrier between them. "But I refuse to let you pry into my personal life. So deal with it."

Pierce rolled his eyes. "How the hell is asking for the details of your most vivid fantasy prying into your personal life. For all I know you could totally make something up and I wouldn't be the wiser."

Okay, he had a point. But when he'd asked…she hadn't been prepared. And her most vivid fantasy…involved him. Naked, hot, and ready for action. She wouldn't, couldn't answer because a porntastic movie started playing in her head and she barely kept herself from trying to strip him down and make it a reality.

So she refused to say anything. Stupid, stupid mistake. Now he wouldn't shut the hell up about it.

Damned man.

Hee hee hee. Kellen's got it bad for Pierce. And luckily, he's just as hot for her. If all goes according to plan, they'll have a lovely kinky evening and decide to go for more. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin