Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

I tend to open my Sunday Snippet blog posts with 'My Week in TV' run down and I realized I've never really explained why. It goes back to one of my big reasons for writing in the first place—what if? Television, GOOD television, always makes me ask things like: what would happen if… or what could this character do if that character did [insert random scenario here]. Seriously, the 'what if' possibilities are endless, which when it comes to writing, provides a crap ton of fodder for the imagination, right?

Of course, the definition of good, great, and awesome TV is subjective. The shows I love may be something you hate, so apologies if this part of the blog is mucho boring. J

Quick recap for the past week: The Walking Dead delivered, as mentioned in my last snippet post. Bitten and Lost Girl both made for brain eating material. Almost Human had a solid episode, and I really forget how much I kind of love that show until I'm watching it, you know? Arrow finally returns this week and I sooooo can't wait. All in all, the Olympics are great and all, but I'm glad my favorite shows will be back.

Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella rather near and dear to my heart since it involves something I'm close to—the fire service. Half my family is members of fire departments and works and/or teaches in the field.

Here's the tagline:

An arsonist wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Greg Desoto heaved a sigh. Five years of work spread out in smoldering ashes, the only remains of the bar he'd built inside a former sewing factory. His shoulders slumped and the stinging wind whipped around, blowing snow in his face. The cherry on top of the entire fubar mess—homeless in the middle of winter.

A firm hand landed on his shoulder. "Mr Desoto?"

He angled his head, his eyebrows rising. "Greg. And yeah." He fought back a shiver but couldn't keep his teeth from chattering.

The speaker had turnout gear on, but looked clean compared to the other fire fighters milling around the scene. She had her helmet pushed back and didn't have a mask. The long tail of her braid snaked around her neck and draped over her shoulder. He wondered why she'd sought him out.

She gave him a grim smile. "I'm Sadie Kyle, arson unit." She draped a heavy wool blanket around him. "Please don't shrug this one off. The temperature is dropping rapidly and if you're up for it, I'd like to ask some questions."

He nodded. "I've got nowhere else to go at the moment. I lived above the bar." He blew out a long breath. "What do you need to know?"

Sadie laid a hand on his and nudged him toward one of the ambulances. "Let's get out of the wind. Have the paramedics looked you over yet?"

His head jerked. "I'm fine, really. Got out before the building really got fully involved." He stepped up into the back of the rig, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't understand why the sprinkler system didn't kick on." He sat on the edge of bench, avoiding the cot, and glanced up in Sadie's direction. "I had a new one installed two months ago." He frowned.

~*~

Sadie's gut churned. A new sprinkler system. Greg Desoto's bar made the third fire in six months to have a similar set of circumstances. An aide worker walked by with a carrier of coffee and Sadie snagged two. She needed a moment to get her head wrapped around the possibility of a serial arsonist before she sat down with Desoto to get some answers.

Handing one of the cups to Greg, she angled around and perched her butt on the floor of the unit, leaning back against the open door. Her bulky bunker pants would make maneuvering around a huge pain in the ass. She placed her coffee on the floor under the cot and reached into her interior pocket for her small notebook and a pen.

She flipped to the first empty page then glanced in Greg's direction. "Mr Desoto, Greg, do you have any enemies who'd want to see you or your business harmed?"

Greg snorted. "Not likely. I've worked hard to establish good relationships with the other business owners around here. I picked this neighborhood because the majority of the owners live within a few blocks of their shops." His mouth twisted. "We pull together and sponsor block parties in the summer and a big holiday stroll on the weekends between Thanksgiving and New Year's. This doesn't only hurt me, it hurts them."

Sadie nodded and jotted down a few notes. She'd look into the other business owners as a precaution, but she had a strong feeling they'd all be cleared.

She stopped writing. "You mentioned a new sprinkler system. Who installed it?" She crossed her fingers, hoping her instincts were off base.

Greg answered. "Five Alarm Sprinkler Systems."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Sadie closed her notebook, fighting the urge to snap her pen into pieces. "Thank you, Greg. I've got enough to get started and I still need to investigate the interior of the building." She needed to get the hell out of the ambulance and do her job. "Can I contact you through your insurance company?"

Greg nodded, his eyes narrowing a little. "I use a local agent—"

Sadie jumped in. "Kyle Addy?"

Greg's eyes widened. "Yeah, how did you…"

She cracked a brief smile. "I grew up in this neighborhood. Kyle's the best there is."

Greg's lips quirked. "He's a good man. He's actually on his way down. He wanted to make arrangements for a place for me to stay."

Sadie reached out, placing her hand on Greg's forearm. "We'll find whoever did this. I'm sorry for the loss of your business."

Greg gave her a twisted half-smile. "Not your fault, but thank you."

Sadie eased out of the unit, tucking her notebook back inside her pocket. Greg had it so wrong. The destruction and devastation of his livelihood might not be her fault, but she'd bet her pension part of the blame would land at her doorstep.

Sadie had a damned good idea who the culprit would turn out to be… and who he really had it in for.

Her.

*cue dramatic music* LOL Seriously, I have a ton of research to do, but it's been so much fun to dive into this story.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Review: Merry and Bright – Four Hearts!

I received a lovely review for my holiday special call, Merry and Bright. I'm always thrilled when someone takes the time to post what they liked about the book.

Cat, I can't promise you'll get what Presley did, but you're on my 'NICE' list.

Thank you!

~*~

Rating: Four Hearts

Site: Strictly Romance Reviews

Reviewer: Cat

You can read the full review here.

~*~

My favorite part…

"Santa, I’ve been a good girl this year too. I want what Presley got.

If you like friends to lovers, Sexy firefighters, hot cops and a loving hot ménage and a sweet sexy Christmas story this is for you!  Grab a snuggly blanket and a hot cup of cocoa and enjoy!" – Cat, reviewer

~*~

Available at the following locations:

Silver Publishing | Amazon | BN | Kobo | Bookstrand | All Romance

Sunday Snippet: Follow Instructions

February 16, 2014

Hello!

So… The Walking Dead didn't disappoint. And Chris Hardwick's Talking Dead makes me happy. LOL

Arrow is amping up the action, and true to my word, I did recap the pilot episode over on my Universes Altered blog this week. If I'm not overloaded with deadlines this week, I'll hopefully have the second episode recapped by the weekend. Or, I might hit Bitten and catch up with that one so I can do current recappage.

GAH! So many choices. LOL

Tonight's post is from Follow Instructions, a short story with a fun premise—leaving notes to amp up the attraction.

Here's the tagline:

Risa Pym and Ford Thrummond, fellow paramedics, enjoy playing one-upmanship with each other, using sexy banter to bank the fires of their attraction. A slight mishap occurs when Ford exits their squad, and Risa decides it's time he learns the ins and outs of how to use the grips properly… and not so properly.

And a snippety peek…

"Hey, Ford, how's the foot?" Risa Pym propped a shoulder on the jamb of the door leading from the ambulance bay to the common area.

Ford looked up from stack of papers in his lap. "Eh, it's healing." He grunted. "Too damn slowly."

Risa smirked. "Someone needs to show you how to safely get in and out of the rig." She pushed away from the door and entered the room. "Maybe once you're healed up, I can find some time to explain the finer points."

Ford quirked a brow. "This coming from the woman who broke her elbow playing volleyball?"

Risa laughed. "Hey, at least I won the game." She plopped down onto one of the recliners. "That's like going down in combat, right?"

Ford rolled his eyes. "Whatever you need to believe, Risa." He glanced back down at the file and made a few checkmarks.

Risa frowned. They usually had fun bantering back and forth, but since Ford's mishap, not so much. He didn't like being out of commission and she totally got that part. Hell, she almost went insane when she had to be off until her arm healed. At least he could work light duty.

Risa nodded toward the TV. "Mind if I watch? Don't wanna interrupt or distract you."

Ford shrugged. "Won't bother me. I'm used to tuning out the background noise."

Risa used the remote and flipped through the channels until she found a show about alien abductions. She'd seen the episode before and basically wanted a reason to stay and observe Ford. There had to be a way she could pull him out of his funk.

Sinking down into the cushion, she pondered how she might tempt him into being fun again. The beginning of a plan formulated in her mind—notes with funny little directions could put a smile back on his face. She could tuck them into all kinds of places—his duffel bag, under his pillow, his duty locker—where he wouldn't be able to miss her stroke of genius. And he'd know they were from her, she'd make certain.

Why not start now?

Hopping up, she pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off.

Ford glanced up. "Leaving already?"

Risa snorted. "Eh, I've seen this episode already. Guy's been taken from his home for over two decades even though he moves every two or three years."

Ford shook his head. "Maybe the metal chip they put in his head acts like a GPS device so they know where to find him."

Risa laughed. "Maybe you're onto something there, Ford." She crossed the common area and headed for the kitchen. "I'm gonna grab a sandwich. Shout if you need anything."

Ford waved her off and went back to his checklist.

Risa's lips curved. At least he'd be surprised when he found the first note—maybe enough to laugh out loud for once.

Risa will succeed in making Ford laugh… but she'll also make him moan for more. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fits and Starts

WooHoo! The Walking Dead is back tonight! So excited to see what happens next.

In other TV news, Arrow and Bitten continue to eat my brain, so much so, I've decided to dust off my Universes Altered blog and start recapping the episodes. Hopefully if I do weekly brain dumps, I'll have more space in my head. :D

What else? Almost Human, Lost Girl, and Helix are still must see. And Banshee, gotta take a moment to mention Friday's episode. I loved it. Usually, there's so much going on it's hard to keep up—I love that, don't get me wrong—but I seriously enjoyed having a tight focus on Lucas and Carrie/Ana this week. I don't know, for such an almost quiet episode, some big shifts occurred. Important ones, I think. But I'm really excited to see the next episode when shit goes sideways and everything is back to normal. J

Tonight's post is from Fits and Starts, a novella where my main female character gets her life back on track by fits and starts. So far, it's been a rough ride, but I'm loving how Pru makes slow progress.

Here's the tagline:

After escaping from a madman's clutches, Pru Stark can't quite find her footing again. She pushes her man, Dane Callaway, away and refuses to see the little girl she saved. Dane can give her space, but he won't stay on the sidelines, not when Pru needs him the most, even if she can't quite admit it. 

And a snippety peek...

Pru burst through Dane's open door, waving her fitrep back and forth. "What the hell is this, Dane." She held the report in front of her. "Request for active status, denied." She pinned him with her gaze. "Why are keeping me from work?"

Dane closed the file on his desk and leaned back in his seat. "Did you read your psych eval, Pru? Doc says you're not ready, and I’m not gonna argue with her." He nodded toward the extra chair. "Have a seat and we'll talk about what needs to happen before you're cleared for work."

She threw the fitrep on the cluttered surface. "I don't want to 'talk'. I've done every damned thing you and your creeptastic team of medical professionals asked."

He shook his head. "Except the one thing you need to do."

Damn the man. She whirled around, pacing back and forth. No one would make her do something against her will again. Or convince her she had to do what they said because she needed some stupid form of closure. Maybe if Dane's group of gurus had their entire life rewritten through drugs and mind games, she'd credit them with having a clue. Until then… they could kiss her ass.

And so could Dane.

She stopped and spun to face him. "You know what, Dane? That fitrep is bullshit." She dropped down into the chair. "They don't have the right to keep me from working. And neither do you."

Dane leaned forward, placing his forearms on the desk. "I sign the paychecks, Pru. Pretty much gives me the right to do whatever I feel is necessary to keep my people safe." He held her gaze. "Sending you out in the field before you're ready isn't going to help anyone." He held up a hand. "And yes, what happened to you is playing a big role in why I'm not taking any more chances."

Pru rolled her eyes. "What happened to me? You have no idea what I went through, Dane. What they made me believe." He only knew what she wanted him to know.

Dane's mouth twisted in a sad smile. "You'd be surprised, Pru. It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together." He sighed. "But you're right. I don't everything. And that's how you want it." He settled back again. "But you're missing a piece of your soul right now and that little kid has it. You either get it back, by seeing that she's okay and happy with her family, or you walk around with a sucking flesh wound for the rest of your natural life." He met her gaze. "It's your choice."

She hated him so much. She'd happily punch him in the face—except it would give him a reason to send her back to the therapist's office.

She hopped up and paced the confines of the room. "I can't. I just can't be around her right now."

Dane shook his head. "No, Pru, you won't. There's a difference. Nothing's stopping you, but you." He waited a beat. "She misses you. Her pretty angel."

Tears sprang and Pru fought hard to keep them from falling. "I'm not an angel and you know it." Her resolve hardened. "And she'll get over it. She'll forget me soon enough and move on with her happy life."

Dane countered. "A life you could be part of, if you'd stop being so damned scared. She's got room in her heart for you." He softened his tone. "You saved her life, Pru. She's not going to forget that, regardless of how young she is."

Pru snorted. "Jesus, do you hear yourself?" She scoffed. "Since when did you become an expert?"

Dane shrugged. "I'm not. You know I’m not. But I can read and do research."

Pru's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

Dane heaved a sigh. "Because I love you and you're a giant ball of pain. Anything I can do to ease how badly you're suffering, I'll try. Knowing how one little girl turned you inside out seemed like the best place to start."

Pru shook her head. "She's not the one who turned everything sideways. The group who had her did the damage." She sank back onto the chair. "And I am afraid. I'm afraid seeing her will take me right back to that fucking place and I'll lose it again." She blew out a harsh breath. "It's not her fault, but I don't want to ever blame that little girl… and we know I could. I won't take a chance and possibly hurt her." She met Dane's gaze. "Because then they win, and I'm not okay with that."

Dane nodded, a satisfied gleam in his eye. "And there we have it… progress."

This story is in the infant stages, but I'm really excited to see how all comes together. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book--Down in Mexico #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today I'll be sharing a glimpse of Down in Mexico, my opening short story from the South of the Border series.

Her brow knit with confusion. "But I thought you said—"

"I did. I lied."

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. So many emotions crossed her face he couldn't keep up with them.

She got up and paced the kitchen. "What exactly did you lie about?"

"Things aren't completely over. There's one more member of the espionage group out there. The top guy."

She stopped walking and leveled her angry gaze on him. "You son of a bitch." Her hurt and anger almost did him in.

"Look, Kier. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do to draw him out."

"Right. A member of the most covert team in the world can't figure out a way to take out the last target without dragging me into it?" She whirled away from him to look out the window. "God, I'm so stupid. I'm nothing but bait to you."

Lars shot to his feet. "You'll never be 'nothing but bait' to me. I love you, dammit."

She angled her head around and rolled her eyes. "Right. You love me so much it could get me killed. Thanks for that."

Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead, living life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate members of a lethal crime syndicate. Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico and their reunion is sweet… until Lars reveals a pesky detail he forgot to mention.

$1.99| Buy Link Amazon

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

February 2, 2014

Hiya!

Remember when I mentioned being in for Bitten last week? Well, I'm a little more than in… I've become quite obsessed. Like scary obsessed. Haven't done that since Arrow last year, when I rewatched every episode like three times in a row before it would leave my brain. Yeah, that's what Bitten has been doing to me. And I've got books I can read and devour, too. Oddly, I've had them on my Kindle for ages and ages, but haven't been in the mood to really dive into a full series read. I am now. LOL

Walking Dead returns next Sunday. YAY! My middle kidlet and I always enjoy being completely grossed out before bedtime. J Helix has filled that slot a little, but it's not quite as compelling as TWD, in my opinion. Good show, but I haven't found anyone I want to root for yet. Actually, I take that back. I did… but the character is now dead. Dammit.

Oh, and, Captain America: Winter Soldier? April needs to get here right now. My soft spot for Cap is getting bigger and bigger. :D

Tonight's post is from the novella, Feeling Alive where my main female character goes through some major personal drama.

Here's the tagline:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

Wake woke up to an empty bed. He sat up slowly and glanced around his room. Empty. He probably should've anticipated Maddox bailing on him.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress, he pondered his best course of action. He could track her down, maybe demand more answers. No, she'd poured her guts out and the gaping hole hadn't even scarred over yet. Rising, he strode into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He'd figure out what to do about Maddox after he woke up a little more and downed some coffee.

Lathering up, his hands grazed over a sensitive spot on his shoulder. He'd bet she'd left her mark. His mind flashed back to her mouth, teeth, and nails moving over his skin. The woman gave as good as she got, and welcomed an even exchange.

Rinsing off, he shook his head back and forth, clearing the water from his eyes and hair. He grabbed a towel and dried off quickly, leaving his ears for last. He pushed the fluffy fabric against his head, walked out to the room, and stopped short.

Maddox sat at the small table with two steaming cups of coffee and what looked like breakfast. She lifted a brow and he remembered his nude state. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he changed gears, getting his head around the fact she hadn't bailed.

He also went from groggy to oh hot damn in two seconds flat.

Settling into the seat across from her, he studied her for several moments. She met his gaze head on and handed him one of the coffees.

He took a bracing gulp. "Thanks." He cocked his head. "I'll admit, I figured you made a mad dash for anywhere but here when I woke up alone."

Maddox opened the bag, reached in, and handed him a container. "Thought about it, but you strike me as the type who wouldn't leave well enough alone." She popped the lid to her box and the aroma of home fries and gravy filled the room.

He followed suit and dug into the food before commenting. "Look, I don't want to make more anything than there is…"

She chewed and swallowed. "Good, then don't."

He frowned. "But what exactly was last night?"

She quirked a brow. "Two consenting people having super-hot sex. That's it."

He snorted. "Bullshit. There was more going on with you than a need for a hard dick." He sipped more coffee. "Care to fill me in?"

She stabbed at her potatoes and glanced away. He'd hit a nerve. Good. He wouldn't pretend he had any claim on her, but she'd left a brand on him. And he'd dig until certain nothing existed between them.

She swung her gaze back in his direction. "Last night was me remembering I'm alive." She looked down and toyed with the food in the carton. "And feeling it." She raised her face. "Every bit of it." Her lips curved. "Felt good. Because I haven't let myself really feel anything since Avery died."

Wake reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. He stayed quiet, wanting her to work through whatever she needed without him pushing. He'd done enough prodding last night.

She sighed. "I've done some research. Losing a partner is like losing spouse. Avery and I weren't involved, but he knew everything about me. Favorite food, how I like my coffee, what movies I like to watch. Hell, he even knew when to bring ibuprofen in for my menstrual cramps, because I never remembered to stock up." She laughed. "Your brother would've made a great husband."

Wake nodded. "He had a knack for being awesome."

Her eyes filled, but she blinked the tears away. "He did. But I'm doing him any favors or honoring his memory by not living." She met his gaze again. "I realize, now, I need to feel and be… well, alive. If I don't, I'll wither and fade into nothing."

Wake squeezed her hand. "If that's all last night was, you reaffirming your place among the living, I'd get it." He let go of her and resumed eating. "It might be a little awkward to start a relationship with your former partner's brother."

She pinned him with her gaze. "Dead partner's brother. Sorry for being blunt. But former makes it sound like Avery transferred to another unit. He didn't. And I'm the reason he'll never have a chance." She glanced away, shrugging. "Honestly? Awkward doesn't come close to accurate." She took another bite of food going quiet for a moment.

Wake pushed his box away, his appetite gone. He couldn't argue her point about the craziness of getting tangled up together. But dammit, he kind of didn't care.

Maddox cleared her throat. "Wake, how can you not hate me, at least on some level?"

The question caught him off guard, but he answered. "Oh, part of me does. The brother side is seriously pissed. You're recklessness got Avery killed. And almost took another life." He softened his tone. "But the rational man underneath, the one who sees the whole situation, gets it, Maddox. You spiraled down, but you're leveling out, right? I'll grieve my brother and move on. That's all I can do."

"And getting involved with me won't be a constant reminder? How's that work, Wake?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. But the reason I came here isn't the reason I want to stay." He paused. "Wait, actually, it is. You."

Her head jerked. "You're letting your dick do the thinking right now, Wake."

He snorted. "Considering I'm sitting here in nothing but a towel and hard as a rock, you could be right." He held her gaze. "But physical attraction isn't the only thing driving my reason for wanting to stick around. Avery talked about you. A lot. Good things. Bad things. The kind of stuff siblings talk about." He paused and drained his coffee cup. "I got a good picture of who he worked with every day." He shrugged. "It's not like I'm totally blind here. And if I know my brother, you've got a pretty solid idea of the good, the bad, and the ugly of me, too."

Her sheepish grin answered. "Well, yeah. There is that." She shrugged out of her flannel shirt, revealing the form fitting tank underneath. "I'm not sure it's an advantage, but it's something to work with." She stood and rounded the table, holding out her hand. "Check out isn't until noon. That gives you three hours to convince me this isn't the worst of the worst ideas."

Wake grasped her palm and rose, leaving the towel behind. He scooped her up and deposited her on the rumpled bed. She scooched back, leaning against the pillows, already working her jeans down.

He put his knee on the end of the mattress. "Guess I'd better get started then, yeah?"

Dragging her tank over her head, she waggled her eyebrows. "You catch on quick, Wake." Throwing the shirt and pants past his head, she crooked her finger. "Now, come here, and start convincing."

Any bets on how the convincing goes? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin