Sunday Snippet: Zane's Ghost

Greetings!

Gah! What a week in television. Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D got interesting, Sons of Anarchy kicked several plots up a notch, Arrow continues to WOW me, Haven had a kick ass episode and Walking Dead still amazes and creeps me out all at the same time. J I already miss Strike Back, but hopefully a new season will be announced, if it hasn't been already.

Shifting gears, tonight's post is from Zane's Ghost, a novella featuring characters that land in the middle of a moral dilemma. Gray and Kella don't make it easy for each other to get out of the quagmire.

Here's the tagline:

When Zane Warchild goes down in the line of duty, Kella Fine blames herself—after all, she realizes her mistake when she crosses a personal line and steps way back from Zane. Gray Warchild grows quickly tired of Kella wearing her guilt like a badge and putting his brother's ghost between them.

And a snippety peek…

Benton Warchild strode into the room. "Shut up. Both of you." He planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've had just about enough of listening to you two slice each other to shreds." He jerked his head toward the long, leather couch. "Sit down. And don't even think about ducking out. You're going to listen—and hear—what I have to say."

Kella trudged to the sofa and chose the spot closest to the door. Gray took his time—his only outward display of defiance—and opted to sit at the opposite end, as far away from Kella as possible. His dad didn't move, standing directly between the objects of his wrath and their exit.

Gray settled back, figuring he might as well get comfortable.

Benton sent a scathing glance in each direction. "What, exactly, is your problem?"

A rhetorical question, neither Gray nor Kella answered.

Benton shook his head. "You two have been dancing around something—something that could be good. Why haven't you done anything about it?"

Kella rolled her eyes and looked longingly towards the door. Gray slouched down and kept his mouth shut. He could explain exactly why he and Kella didn't act on their attraction—because the damn fool woman wouldn't let it happen.

Benton studied each for several moments then sighed. "Because of Zane." He turned his attention to Gray. "Your brother wouldn't give a damn if you pursued something with Kella. You're stupid to think he would."

Gray shot back. "Dad, you don't know everything. Zane and I… we had some issues." And almost every damn one had to do with the other two people in the room.

Benton scoffed. "Bullshit. I know more than you think." He pinned Gray with his gaze. "You never talked to me, but Zane did. About everything."

He left the rest hanging. The old man probably assumed Gray would figure things out eventually and realize what they'd talked about. The biggest problem with the concept? Gray seriously doubted Zane had been completely honest with Benton, which meant Gray would continue to keep his mouth closed.

Benton swung his gaze toward Kella. "And you. You hang onto your guilt so tightly, I'm not sure you'll ever let it go. But I'm telling you to try." He paced back and forth. "Zane's gone. It's not your fault. Get over it." He stopped. "Move the hell on and stop wallowing in self-doubt. It doesn't suit you."

Kella opened her mouth to retort but thought better of it. She clamped her lips together and stared straight ahead. Gray almost let her hang under the glower of his dad, but decided to let her off the hook.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You've made your point, Dad." He glanced up and met his father's gaze. "I think we're done here." Gray made sure the dismissal came through in his tone.

Benton snorted. "Fine. I'm leaving—heading upstairs, in fact," he started for the door, "but if I hear you two going at it again, I'm coming back and I won't be playing referee, I'll be physically kicking you two out the door."

Kella waited until the old man cleared the first landing. "Hard to get a word in with him, isn't it?"

Gray huffed out a breath. "You had your chance." He got up and went to the bar, grabbing a glass from the shelf above it.

Kella followed. "Oh no. Uh uh." She added a tumbler next to his. "Your old man has a way of twisting shit back around and laying open old wounds…" She chose whiskey and poured a healthy amount into the cup. "And jabbing a hot poker into them every damn time."

Gray's lips quirked and he took the bottle from her hands. "Yeah, Dad's kind of notorious for ripping off the scab, says it keeps the sore from festering." He picked up his drink and tossed it back.

Kella slowly sipped. "You know he's wrong, right? Scabs are part of the healing process. Sometimes they leave scars, but those usually fade away."

Gray turned and faced her. "Yours haven't." He held her gaze, waiting for her to look away.

She didn't.

Instead, she took a step closer. "Not yet. But he nailed it. I gotta let go and move forward."

Yep, I'm gonna leave it there. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Your Move

October 20, 2013

Hello!

So… one of the things I love about The Walking Dead is how much it blows my mind and creeps me out in equal measure. LOL Seriously, the show has so many little nuances that always suck me in, and yet it tops itself weekly by grossing me out to the point of wanting to heave. :D

Let's see, what else? Strike Back season finale did NOT disappoint. I have one or two teeny quibbles, but I had a huge grin on my face with the final scene, so yeah, direct score for season three (or, well, four, if you count the way I do and consider the first series with Armitage and Lincoln as number one). I honestly hope there's another season to watch and enjoy.

Arrow also ranks right up there on my obsession list. I want to talk and write meta posts about how much I love it. I haven't been so obsessed with a show since the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Sons of Anarchy comes close, but I sort of avoid the fandom circles for the show.

Anyway, tonight's post is from Your Move, a novella about returning home and finding what the character is made of. :D

Here's the tagline:

Reilly Mounts returns to her hometown after an impulsive marriage and a divorce that's turning ugly. Caden Bromley, her high school flame, wants to pick up where they left off, but Reilly needs some time to figure out where he fits in her life… and she has to deal with her soon to be ex.

And a snippety peek…

Reilly entered Caden's office. "When did you deliver the flooring for the bathroom?"

Caden glanced up from his paperwork. "Around eight." He went back to writing numbers on the page.

Reilly flicked her tongue over her lower lip. Eight pm. Shit. Marco would've been in the middle of his seduction routine. Had Caden…

Only one way to find out. "Why didn't you knock? I was home."

Caden snorted. "I'll say. And occupied" He tossed the pencil on his desk. "What's going on, Reilly? I thought you were getting divorced."

She answered. "I am."

Caden lifted a brow. "Really? You sure about that? You were pretty hot and heavy with the guy."

She put her hands on the desk and leaned in. "So what? You don't own me, Caden. You have no right to spy on me."

Caden slowly nodded. "You know what, you're right." He got up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "You win. I'm done." Caden walked past her to the door.

Dammit. She didn't want to fight with him. She wanted to curl up next to him and unload about the last two days.

"Caden."

His paused, his fingers on the knob.

"Wait."

He dropped his hand to his side. But he wouldn't turn around. Reilly got the message.

The next move would have to be hers.

Reilly's stuck between a rock and hard place, and she really wants the hard place. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Busted in Bubbles

Hi!

So…. Walking Dead is back!! Arrow premiered!! The Tomorrow People is pretty awesome. Strike Back is one episode away from the finale and ripped my heart out Friday. And Sons of Anarchy is batshit crazy, which I totally love.

TV is good right now, people. So very good. Oddly, when I've got great stuff to engage my mind, I tend to write more prolifically. This is not a bad thing. LOL

Tonight's post revisits a recent release, Busted in Bubbles. I'm thrilled to pieces with how this manuscript turned out and hope everyone else enjoys it as much.

Here's the tagline:

Emsley and Rayne turn up at the same conventions several times a year and Emsley always short sheets Rayne's bed. Imagine her surprise when she lets herself into his cabin to follow tradition and discovers Rayne soaking in a tub full of bubbles. Busted, she can flee the scene or… join a very hot man for some bath time fun.

And another snippety peek…

Rayne settled back in a tub filled with loads of frothy bubbles and lifted a glass of champagne to his lips. He sipped the contents slowly, allowing the sparkling fluid to tease his taste buds. Closing his eyes, he sank down to enjoy the soak, letting the warm water and alcohol work their magic.

Jorn Pestle had made it possible for Rayne to finally take a night and truly kick back and relish life. He'd worked non-stop over the past three years, putting in long hours first with smaller sized companies then moving up to medium ones, always doing the job from start to finish, building his reputation as a man who followed through. He didn't sub-contract anything, preferring to consult, plan, train, and install all aspects of the security systems he recommended and usually built to custom specifications. He rarely went with one particular brand, mainly to avoid becoming complacent. He liked to tweak the product and add additional layers, too.

The work challenged him and he'd set the bar high for his end goal. Today's contract put him one step closer to reaching his objective. Now came the tricky part. After being a solo act, he'd arrived at the point where he needed to bring on a partner—and he had the exact person in mind. He only needed to make an offer and have the individual accept.

Sitting up, he drained the champagne from the glass and refilled the flute. He smiled and closed his eyes. He'd make the proposal soon. This weekend even, if all played out the way he expected.

And it would. He'd done his research. In fact, the candidate he had in mind would probably make an appearance very soon.

Taking another sip, Rayne expelled a satisfied sigh and sank back, letting the bubbles cover him again.

He only had to wait.

And he doesn't have to wait for long… stay tuned.

Click to Buy

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Merry and Bright

Greetings!

Whew! I'm relieved to say my favorite characters are still intact on Strike Back and Sons of Anarchy. And I got to see more of Stonebridge than I have in a while. :D

Arrow returns Wednesday and I'm dying to have it back on my TV. The behind the scene teases and brief clips are only serving to whet my appetite. Come on, Wednesday!!

Enough about television. It's time to share some good news!! I submitted a novella, Merry and Bright, for Silver Publishing's special call for Holiday Wishes and received the contract tonight! Tonight's post features another snippet from the now upcoming release!

Here's the tagline:

After losing her parents, Presley wishes new holiday traditions were easier to establish. Instead of being alone, she ends up in bed with Gunnar and Frazier. The cop and the firefighter heat things up and cool them down. Presley can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

And another snippety peek…

Presley Griffith exited the treatment area and made her way to the staff lounge. Her shift had ended over an hour ago, but when the paramedics brought in an abuse victim fifteen minutes before her scheduled leave time, she stayed to help out.

She loved a good trauma, but she often wondered what drove people to commit violent acts against each other—especially close to the holidays when good cheer and glad tidings were supposed to be abundant.

"Right. Not so much." At least she'd left the patient in the very capable presence of Detective Gunnar Stewart.

She pushed the door to the lounge open, grabbed a large mug of coffee, and plopped down beside Frazier Boyle, the lead medic from two house. His good looks fooled some of the nurses, but he had a keen mind and cared about his work. He also flirted shamelessly and had loads of charm, just a few reasons why Presley enjoyed his company so much.

He glanced up from his report. "Tough one. That kid is barely legal and her pimp kicked the shit out of her for calling home."

Presley grimaced. "I hate seeing the stupidity of the human race sometimes. At least I left her in good hands." She paused. "I didn't think Gunnar had duty tonight."

Frazier winced. "He didn't. I called him. He pulled a similar case last week."

Presley nodded. "Ah. Gotcha." She tilted her head from side to side. "Man, it's been a long day."

Frazier scooted his chair back and patted his lap. "Come on, gimme your feet."

Too tired to argue, she slid her clogs off and propped her legs against Frazier's thighs. It felt so good to stretch out a little.

Frazier grabbed both of her feet in his hands and squeezed. Presley bit back a moan—the man had great hands, and her twelve hours plus had taken a toll.

Shit. Twelve hours.

She straightened. "Look, I've been here since seven am, my feet probably—"

His thumbs dug into the balls of her feet.

Her head lolled back. "Oh, my God, that feels sooooo good."

Frazier grinned. "I have magic in my fingers, Pres. You should experience everything they can do."

Presley chuckled. "So you keep saying." She sort of had no doubt he could make her sing with satisfaction… if she'd let him.

Frazier focused on her right sole, kneading and massaging between her toes. Even through her socks, the warm touch of his hands soothed her aching muscles.

Frazier snorted. "And you keep turning me down."

Presley didn't answer, lost in the exquisite play of his ministrations. She didn't exactly turn him down, but she chose not to take the bait. Frazier, with the full, sensual curve to his lips, hit her hot spots. But his best friend, Gunnar—cool, aloof, but intensely sexy—also got her blood thrumming and her heart pounding. She truly liked both and didn't want to choose… not yet. But it didn't stop their friendly rivalry.

Frazier switched to her other foot and pressed his fingers along her arch. A relaxed languidness settled in her limbs. She could almost die happy.

She groaned. "God, yes. That's perfect. Right there." She flexed her toes and shuddered.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear there's hot sex going on in here."

Presley jerked her feet from Frazier's grasp and angled around. "Gunnar, how's my patient?"

Gunnar sat in the empty chair at the table and gave a quick rundown. "She's scared and hurting." He picked up Presley's forgotten mug of coffee and took a large gulp. "And she's not talking much yet. But she will. I've got good vibes about this one." He glanced toward Frazier. "Thanks for calling me."

Frazier nodded. "No problem. Not exactly SOP, but I figured you'd be interested. What are best friends for?"

Gunnar drained the mug and got up for more. "She liked you a lot, Pres. Commented how you made her feel safe."

Presley smiled. "I'm glad I put her at ease. She fought the doctors when they tried to restrain her to get x-rays because she wouldn't settle down."

Gunnar eased back down in the seat. "That's because her pimp set up for a bondage session. She's still pretty green"—he added a tub of creamer to the java—"she balked and ran, called home, and barely hung up before the bastard caught up to her."

Presley sighed. "She could've potentially been home for the holidays. Now she'll be here—safe, but alone."

Gunnar nodded, a hard edge to his gaze. Presley had no doubt when he got a hold of the pimp the guy would remember Gunnar for a long time. Frazier finished writing his report and closed the file. Presley tried really hard not to get caught staring at either man. She had a case of the holiday blues and didn't want to drag either guy into it.

And that's where I'll leave it for now. Needless to say, Presley's holiday starts looking up in a very big way. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin