Sunday Snippet: Hang Ten

Whew. How great did Arrow's episode seventeen turn out? Birds of Prey surpassed my expectations and blew my mind. Always love it when shows do that to me. J

Walking Dead also delivered a solid episode. I'm so ready for the finale tonight and crossing my fingers the group will all be together by the end of the episode… even though Terminus can't be a the refuge it's touted as being. Too easy, right? LOL

Bitten has one more episode and I'm dying to know if the show will be renewed. Still reading the books and there's a lot the producers can mine from the various storylines. I'll cross my fingers and hope for a green light on season two in the near future.

Tonight's post is from Hang Ten, a short story/novella about a couple who competes against each other but have a relationship. How they keep things interesting is at the heart of the story.

Here's the tagline:

Farren and Penn—professional surfers—have very different styles when competing. Farren goes for broke, taking chances with moves that others won't try. Penn is all about the physics of his craft, sometimes holding back because he can't predict everything. Two different methods, opposite ends of the spectrum, but an interesting mix when they're off their boards and out of the water.

And a snippety peek…

Farren dropped down beside Avery and kicked her feet out, letting the fire warm her toes. "Nice job today, Ave." The rookie surfer pulled a second place win.

Avery grinned. "Thanks, Farren. I caught a wicked awesome wave." She leaned closer to Farren. "Did you see Penn's ride?"

Farren cracked a smile. "Nope. I missed it. Heard it was spectacular, though." She settled her beer on the side of the chair. "He worked hard for his win." Her gaze found Penn's across the flickering flames.

Penn nodded, but continued his conversation. Farren smirked and grabbed her drink, bringing the bottle to her lips. She'd never grow tired of needling Penn about his obsession with using physics for surfing. Then again, she also appreciated his uncanny ability to calculate on the fly while riding a wave… even if she'd never admit the notion aloud. She took a long swallow of her one and only beer for the evening.

Avery nudged Farren's arm. "Do you know if he's hooked up with anyone?" Her gaze lingered on Penn.

Farren choked down the liquid. "Er… well… you can certainly ask around." She swallowed again, clearing her throat. "Or better yet, ask the man himself." Wouldn't Penn love having the rookie hot for him?

Okay, no. But Farren would have a roaring good time watching him squirm out of her clutches. Besides, Avery had a sweet disposition and loads of talent. Penn might just go for her.

Of course, Farren would do bodily harm to each if he did.

The keep things interesting part is not letting the others surfers in on their relationship. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Merry and Bright #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 Merry and Bright, one of the Holiday Wishes releases from Silver Publishing. What? The temperature in Ohio dropped again and it feels like winter. J

Tagline: Presley wants to start some new holiday traditions, but waking up in bed with Gunnar and Frazier isn't what she had in mind.

~*~

Presley sat in the middle of happy chaos, surrounded by gifts, wrapping paper, and her two guys. "Look, I love being an auntie. My brothers keep thinking I need to get married and have a buttload of kids, but I'm perfectly content borrowing theirs." She laughed. "Dave, the oldest one, fears I'll end up an old lady surrounded by sixty cats."

Frazier narrowed his eyes. "Hmm. No, can't see that. Twenty-five, maybe, but not a cat over fifty."

Presley wadded up a pile of wrapping paper and threw it his way, striking his chest. "Shut up. They don't think I’m normal because I'm not in a huge rush to start dropping kids like they did."

Gunnar shrugged. "Sounds perfectly normal to me. Then again, I think I define the word a little differently than most." He kicked his feet out and leaned back against the couch. "To date, I've celebrated one"—he made air quotes—"traditional holiday with the works, and a mishmash of every other kind you can think of"—he ticked off the names—"Hanukah, Kwanza, Yule, and then we had the standard dinner, visit from Santa, and treats at the group home." He lifted his shoulder again. "Definitely something different all the time."

Presley gave him a sad smile. "Sounds a little lonely."

His lips quirked. "Sometimes, but seriously, not that often." He nodded toward Frazier. "What about you, Fraz?"

Frazier rolled his eyes. "Normal growing up, but over the last five years, more like a warzone." He got up and started gathering the torn wrapping paper. "If the folks weren't having a shouting match, my mom would go on and on about how insane her youngest son was for running into burning buildings instead of out of them." He jammed the festive packaging into a trash bag.

Gunnar snorted. "Dude, she's got a point." He ducked when Frazier tossed Presley's huge pillow in his direction.

Presley gave Gunnar a considering glance. "Says the hard-assed detective who steps into the line of fire." She shook her head. "You're both kinda crazy, but so very necessary."

Gunnar smirked. "It takes a special kind of weird to do what we do, right, Fraz?"

Frazier nodded. "You know it, bro."

Enjoying herself immensely, she got up and helped Fraz clear up the mess while Gunnar neatly stacked her new gifts under the tree. She plopped down on the couch, and the guys settled on either side of her.

Leaning her head back against the cushion, she said, "Guys. I have a confession to make." She propped her feet up on the coffee table. "I'm never, ever going to own a cat."

Frazier burst out laughing, and Gunnar's shoulders shook.

Frazier nudged her leg. "Pres, don't let your brothers get you down. You'll either find someone you want, or you won't. Felines don't have to be involved."

Gunnar rested his head on the cushion beside hers. "A dog might be nice, though."

~*~

~*~

Blurb: After losing her parents, Presley Griffith will be spending the holidays alone, and wishes new traditions were easier to establish. But instead of being by herself, she ends up in bed with Frazier Boyle and Gunnar Stewart. The cop and the firefighter heat things up and cool them down and Presley can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

~*~

~*~

Available

Silver Publishing

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Amazon

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All Romance E-books

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BN 

* 

Kobo 

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Bookstrand

~*~

Please stop by my website

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

Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

My week in TV started with an intense episode of Walking Dead and kept amping up from there with Arrow and Bitten. I kind of wish I had a Chris Hardwick type to decompress with after watching the latter two also. LOL Seriously, the season finales may break my brain. And the glimpses we're getting of Orphan Black have me impatiently waiting for April 19.

Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella about betraying love and the fallout afterwards.

Here's the tagline:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Two years later they bump into each other and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Mace dropped the half-eaten sandwich. "Why do you stay with me?" He shoved the plate aside and fought an urge to heave.

Deb lifted a brow. "You're asking me now?" She arose from the couch and gathered up their trash, carrying it to the kitchen.

Mace waited until she returned with two cold beers before responding. "Yes. I'm asking. I'd like to know."

Deb took a long swallow of her ale. "Convenience." She picked at the label on the bottle, peeling an edge away from the surface. "I hate the whole dating scene. Never knowing for sure if I'll end up with a great guy or some stalker who wants to murder me in my sleep isn't my idea of fun." She shuddered. "I've known you a long time and when Zetta left with her new husband, I saw a chance to be with someone who would treat me well even if he could never love me." She shrugged. "So, I stay with you because it's convenient, which maybe makes me sound pathetic, but we enjoy a lot of the same things, treat each other with respect, and don't expect a forever and ever after." She stopped toying with the label and raised her gaze to his. "And the sex is pretty great, too."

Mace huffed out a chuckle. "Even after I've put on thirty pounds in the last year?" He shook his head. "Never mind. You're nothing if not brutally honest, which I appreciate." Mace reached out and grasped her free hand. "Now it's my turn." He squeezed her fingers. "Convenience aside, you deserve better, and I want you to go after someone who can love you." He let go. "I think Mike Warner would jump at the chance to go out with you." He settled back, waiting to see if she'd consider the idea.

Deb tilted her head, studying him for several moments. "You think so?" She straightened. "Wait. Are you breaking up with me?" She fidgeted with the bottle again. "Because it sounds like you are."

Mace hedged. "It's not so much breaking up as setting you free. Why stay tangled up with me when I've got some serious life issues to work though? I'm not the man I want to be… but I don't know if or when I'll ever get there." He gently added. "It's not fair to ask you to stick around when I need to focus on me."

Deb's lips twisted in a sad smile. "I guess not, especially when your biggest hurdle isn't around to be knocked down." She got up and walked toward the door, grabbing her jacket and purse from the coatrack. "Take care of yourself, Mace. You deserve to find someone who will love you and stick around." She twisted the knob, then glanced back over her shoulder. "If you see Mike before I do, have him call me, okay?"

Mace nodded. What else could he do? Deb exited, closing the door quietly behind her.

A lighter feeling settled over him followed by a heavy dose of determination. He'd let Deb down as easily as possible, but her parting remark about being loved by someone who would stick around echoed in his head.

The truth of her words rang true, but after going downhill over a bad break-up he figured getting his shit together should be his priority. And the first step would be to get back into some kind of fitness routine, which meant getting off his ass and doing something physical.

Determined, he got up, grabbed his keys from the side table and snagged his jacket.

A nice stroll around the park should be a good place to start.

As far as break up scenes go, I struggled with this one. Deb isn't the woman for Mace and he's finally pulling his head out of his ass enough to realize it… but I didn't want either to turn into a stereotypical butthead or shrew, so… I wrote a very civilized split, keeping in line with their very civilized, if somewhat wrong, relationship. I hope I achieved the feeling I wanted. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Banner Thursday—South of the Border

Welcome to my new blog feature—Banner Thursday!

The general idea behind the posts is to reveal some type of artwork pertaining to one of my books—a cover, a banner, or maybe a logo or web page header.

If I didn't create the work, due credit will be given along with what I love about the graphic design. I've been very lucky to have some spectacular art for covers. J

To get things started, I'm going to post banners, beginning with the various series I have underway. I maintain three blogs, so I'll be rotating from week to week. My other blog locations are: ML Skye and Skye Ritchey. The website: Skye Writes will also share the spotlight.

The first one I'd like to feature is South of the Border.

Tagline: South of the border: Mix a little danger with hot romance.

Blurb: Danger and romance meet south of the border, where the stakes are high and the couples are hot.

I love action and adventure so the South of the Border series is my way of living vicariously through my characters. At the moment, I have three books planned, but the sages are whispering about a fourth. So far I'm waiting to see what they come up with. J

Books available

Available at Amazon 

Books in progress

Along the Shore

In the Jungle (Title subject to change, the sages are being imps about it.)

That's it for this week's post. 

Sunday Snippet: Ghost of a Chance

Hello!

Okay, no Arrow episode this week and I missed my favorite show. L But, we did have new Walking Dead and Bitten, which made me super happy. I love reading the speculation about Daryl and whether he'll fall in with those rogue survivors or play nice until he can track down Beth. I'm rather hoping for the latter. It would make a nice bookend to the episode where he more or less sent his past life up in flames.

Bitten's episode for this week has me full of anticipation. I cannot wait to see Elena's worlds collide. J Orphan Black is gearing up for next month and I'm following their instagram page with an obsession. My twitter feed is rife with speculation… to the point I'm pondering a blog post with my wish list for the season. I'll just add that to my ever growing pile of stuff that needs attention. J

Tonight's post is from Ghost of a Chance, a novella featuring main characters whose guilt for having a connection almost keeps them apart.

Here's the tagline:

Valerie Queen and Jay Pennyworth meet through Chad Adsworth, Jay's best friend. When Chad is killed in a plane crash, Valerie reunites with Jay after five years. When the chance meeting leads to a long discussion, they end up spending the night together… but specter of Chad hovering between them may be more than they can overcome.

And a snippety peek…

Valerie drained her glass and worked her way up to asking the big question. "Why me? And why now?" She set her glass on the coffee table.

Jay narrowed his eyes. "With regards to what?" He poured wine into her goblet.

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Coming back. Possibly staying. At the shop, you said you wanted to look me up while you were in the city. Over dinner, you mentioned coming back for me."

Jay nodded. "I did? Yeah, okay, I did." He leaned back against the cushion, slouching down. "I came because I wanted to see you." He met her gaze. "And maybe see if you'd be interested in something more."

Valerie tried to wrap her head around the 'something more'. "After five years? Seriously, Jay. Why would you want me? I'm not even your type." She tucked her feet under her thighs.

Jay's eyebrows rose. "My type? How the hell would you know what my type is?" He grabbed his glass from the table.

She shrugged. "Chad said—"

He inclined his head. "Ah, that explains it." He took a sip of wine. "You know what, Valerie? My best friend had no damn clue about the kind of women I went out with." Jay stopped. "No, that's not right. Chad knew exactly what kind of woman I wanted. And he told you the opposite." His lips twisted in a sardonic smile.

Valerie frowned. "Why would he do that?" The idea made no sense.

Jay slid his gaze toward her. "Because you fit the bill, Valerie. And Chad figured it out. He wasn't stupid." He placed his goblet on the table.

Valerie opened her mouth and shut it again. "No, sometimes he was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Including me." She should've known, after spending time with Jay, how far off the mark Chad led her.

Jay scooted closer on the sofa. "He knew me the best. Would've seen right through me when he introduced us." He reached out and laced their fingers together. "Knew I'd give you wide berth because he found you first."

Valerie untwined their hands, picked up her glass and drained the contents. "Then why tell me a bunch of lies?" She paused, then answered her question. "He didn't trust me." She gripped the glass harder, pushing back the hurt.

Jay shook his head. "No, that's not it." He pried the goblet from her fingers and set it aside. "He didn't trust himself. To be the man you thought him to be."

Valerie huffed out a breath. "That's stupid." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Chad's insecurities continued to baffle her. Smart, generous, loyal, how could he think so little of himself?

Jay's lips curved. "Love can make people stupid, Valerie. Chad wasn't immune."

Valerie scoffed. "Doesn't seem to affect you." Bold, confident, and still amazing-looking, Jay couldn't have lacked for company during their five year separation.

Jay snorted. "You're so wrong. I've never loved anyone, Valerie." He shrugged. "At least not enough to take any kind of chance. I always walk away."

Valerie nodded. "Like you did after Chad's funeral?" She sighed. "I woke up and you were gone."

Jay glanced away. "I couldn't stay, Valerie. Losing Chad, the funeral, then spending the night with you… I couldn't deal with everything all at once." He met her gaze again. "Guilt over sleeping with you consumed me. I betrayed Chad and took advantage of you."

Valerie shook her head. "No, you didn't. I did exactly what I wanted that night." She moved away, sliding to the end of the couch, needing some space. "I'm insulted, no make that pissed, you think I'd let you take advantage." Agitated, she rose and cleared the glasses and bottle from the table. "Christ, Jay, I get feeling like you betrayed Chad, or more like we betrayed him, but I didn't sleep with you to be close to him."

Jay got up and followed her to the kitchen. "I'm sorry, Valerie. This, coming back and seeing you? Bad idea." He propped his hip against the island. "Look at us. Five years later and the ghost of my best friend is still between us."

Valerie whirled and met his gaze. "For you, maybe. I put Chad's memory to rest a long time ago. You should do the same, Jay."

He studied her a moment then nodded. "You may be right." He straightened and started for the foyer. "I'd better take off, get back to the hotel." He grabbed his jacket from the coat rack.

Valerie stepped out into the hall. "So, you're walking away, then?" She waited a beat. "Again?"

I seem to have a major thing for putting siblings and best friends between my main couple. The possibilities are so endless.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Busted in Bubbles #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 Boyfriend's Brother, my brand new release from Silver Publishing.

Tagline: Is there anything hotter than a man in a tub full of bubbles? Emsley Bourne wants to find out.

~*~

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Ems. The whole short sheeting of my bed is fun and all, but come on… it's been a year." He leaned forward a little, his mouth hovering an inch from hers. "I think it's time to play something else, don't you?"

Emsley fought back a shudder. God, his voice sounded like good Scotch. Smooth, with just a touch of bite to it.

Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lower lip. "Something more grown up maybe?" She straddled his thighs and scooted forward until her hips were flush with his groin, his thick erection pressing against her. "I could go for that… if you're really game."

Rayne moved fast, capturing her lips in a very hot kiss. Emsley groaned low in her throat and gave herself over to the onslaught of sensory overload. His tongue swept inside her mouth and she responded, wrapping her arms around him, one hand traveling up to the back of his head, her fingers raking through his dark hair. The other slid down his back, drawing him closer. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. Craved the contact like an addict.

A first for her. She rarely felt a consuming need for sex. Then again, she'd had a thing for Rayne since the day they bumped into each other at his first conference three years ago. She'd gotten to know him, not well, but enough to know he found her attractive.

~*~

~*~

Tagline: Is there anything better than a bath time romp with a hot man? Emsley Bourne wants to find out.

Blurb: Rayne searches for the perfect woman to complement his business and his life. Emsley Bourne fits the bill.

Emsley lives for the next thrill, whether in business or life. When she keeps running into Rayne McKinnon, she looks no further.

Available:

Silver Publishing 

~*~ 

Amazon 

~*~ 

All Romance Ebooks 

~*~ 

BN 

~*~ 

Kobo 

~*~ 

Bookstrand 

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website 

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

Sunday Snippet: Getting Schooled

March 9, 2014

Whew. Crazy weather week of back and forth between frigid temps and snow and a lovely little warm-up that didn't last very long. LOL At least I had good television to watch.

As predicted, Arrow's episode fifteen, The Promise, proved to be seriously bad ass. I almost think they crammed too much into the hour—I would have loved to see a little more detail. I'm just not quite down with Slade being so uber-pissed at Oliver over Shado's death. Yes, I'm aware the Mirakuru IS the reason he's not particularly rational. But Ivo's manipulation seemed a little conveniently heavy-handed. Of course, Oliver's guilt doesn't help so there's that. LOL I'm also really interested to see if the rumor mill speculation about who Felicity's father is proves correct.

Bitten is still eating my brain. Seriously, the final episodes of the season should be mega-uncomfortable for the characters. And if Daniel Santos doesn't die a horrible death like he did in the books, I'm gonna lose my mind. J

Only one episode of Banshee left and I'm actively praying Rabbit gets his due. Then I'll probably have to wait for next season to see what the fallout will be from Proctor, but I can deal. Something to look forward to. J

Tonight's post is from Getting Schooled, a novella where my characters get schooled by their tween-aged campers. Fun times!

Here's the tagline:

Tamsin and Ike are resident leaders at neighboring summer camps. Tamsin works with upper crust girls and Ike has underprivileged boys. When a grant program director suggests bridging the gap, neither is very excited by the prospect, but once they meet, both get schooled in by how well the kids get along.

And a snippety peek…

Ike spun around and snarled. "Up yours."

Tamsin lifted a brow. "Really? Do you have any idea how juvenile that sounds?" Her lips twitched, but she didn't laugh.

Ike sighed. "I spend my day with twelve-year-olds. Can't help it if they rub off on me." He gathered up the folder he'd put together for the grant director.

Tamsin snorted. "I don't know any twelve-year-old who still says 'up yours'." She neatly stacked the flash drives she'd used for her presentation.

He narrowed his eyes. "Probably because you're spending a lot of time teaching them to say 'fuck you'." The insult rolled off his lips before he could stop it.

She blinked. "Wow. Harsh." She sank down onto one of the brightly painted, wooden folding chairs.

Contrite, Ike apologized. "Yeah, sorry. You seem to bring out the mean in me." A terrible excuse for being an asshole, but Tamsin's stunt with director pissed him off.

She definitely took advantage of all the privilege at her fingertips. He chose to keep things simple and opted for a dry erase board and the file. He'd donated new laptops to the camp, paid for out of his pocket, so his boys could gain some experience working with graphics and gaming programs. Her girls had more interest in the latest make-up and fashion trends than learning valuable skills and Tamsin encouraged them by staging a big end of summer soiree, complete with a runway show and 'virgin' cocktail party. What pre-teen needed to learn how to walk a catwalk and make small talk over non-alcoholic mixed drinks?

Ike has preconceived notions about Tamsin. He's going to be very surprised when Tamsin reveals where she comes from. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Get a Room

Holy jeezits. Arrow blew my mind this week. My twitter feed was full of a bunch of not so great comments, but I loved, loved, loved everything about fourteen. And episode fifteen is supposed to be filled with even more bad-assery. And Bitten just keeps getting better and better. I seriously can't wait each week for the next episode. My fingers, and all other appendages, are crossed for a second season. Also read about the Flash pilot being filmed. Currently, that's the show I'm most looking forward to for next season.

I've also been enjoying seeing Jamie Bamber on my screen in The Smoke. He's so good at roles he can sink his teeth into, and playing Kev definitely gives him room to flex his acting chops. J

Tonight's post is from Get a Room, a novella where my couple gets to rekindle their old flame.

Here's the tagline:

Talon and Haim have a complicated past. When she returns and asks Haim for a favor, they're ready to act on their attraction again… except they keep getting interrupted.

And a snippety peek…

Haim opened the door and fought to keep his jaw from dropping.

Talon Lance stood on his front porch, looking fresh-faced and gorgeous as ever.

Haim blinked, not quite certain his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Nope. She still waited patiently, one eyebrow raised, for him to kick his brain into gear and greet her.

He shook his head. "Talon." He shifted his gaze, checking the drive for a vehicle, wondering if she'd come alone.

Or if she had the husband with her.

A sleek, white coupe sat parked behind his truck. Empty, thank whatever ruled the universe. He shifted his attention back to Talon.

Her lips quirked. "Haim. Do you have a minute?" She glanced behind him, indicating he'd need longer than 'a minute'.

Haim stepped back, throwing the door open a little wider. "Uh, sure." He made room for Talon to enter, the ingrained manners his mother drummed into his head rising to the occasion. "Can I offer you coffee? Or something cold?" He closed the heavy oak quietly and led the way to the kitchen.

"Nothing, thanks." She followed along, her footfalls slower while she checked out the work he'd done over the last five years.

And he'd done a lot—stripped the interior down to the studs and started almost from scratch—new walls, floors, paint, furniture, the works. He stopped between the table and exit to the newly enclosed back porch. He'd put the finishing touches on the trim two days ago. Not that Talon would know or care.

Talon remained by the entrance to the room, standing next to the refrigerator. "The house looks amazing. Did you do it all?"

Haim had no desire to make small talk.

He nodded. "Yes." Crossing his arms over his chest, he bluntly asked. "Why are you here?" His mom's influence only went so far.

Talon chuckled. "Right to the point, as always." She moved forward, coming to a halt and grasping the back of a chair by the table. "I need a place to hold a benefit fundraiser and the camp is the perfect venue."

Maybe she would only need a minute. "No." He brushed past her, heading back toward the front of the house. "If that's all you needed…" He twisted the knob to open the door. "I've got several errands to run." He dragged the heavy wood toward him and swept his arm forward.

Talon planted her hands on her hips. "Unless you plan on walking, I've got you blocked in." She nodded toward his drive. "And I'm not leaving until you hear what I have planned."

Okay, Haim, think back and use your memory of Talon's old habits, my man. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin