Sunday Snippet: Read Between the Lines

Wow. Orphan Black makes me so happy. The complete insanity of the plots never fails to entertain. I can actually say same the same about Arrow. I have no clue where they're going to end up going, but I'm definitely sticking along for the ride. The Flash is also upping its game. I'm looking forward to seeing how this season ends.

My catch-up viewing of Teen Wolf continues. I'm about finished with season two and apparently the truly crazy cakes stuff hasn't even happened yet. Can't wait to see what season three has in store.

Tonight's post is from Read Between the Lines, a sexy short where my characters bond after a brief flirtation.

Here's the tagline:

Lexa Bode finds a letter Kers Jarvis wrote to his father at the tender age of seven. Her heart breaks for the handsome firefighter. The missive covers so much, but the young Kers leaves a lot unsaid, things his old man wouldn't see, but Lexa does—she can't miss it, she considers subtext her second language.

And a snippety peek…

Lexa glanced up when a knock sounded on the door jamb. Kers propped a shoulder against the surface and sent her a sexy smile.

She folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket. "Hey, how are you?" A guilty flush crept up her spine. "What's up?"

Kers nodded toward the empty desk. "Is he in today?"

Lexa shook her head. "Yes, but no. He's on station, but out on a training exercise." She grabbed a pad of sticky notes. "Want to leave him a message?"

Kers snorted. "Nah. Why waste the paper? It'll just end up in the trash can and he'll pretend he didn't see it." He straightened. "I'll catch up with him the next time I'm off when he's on." He started to turn, but paused. "Do you have plans for dinner?" He glanced toward the clock. "I can stick around for if you'd like grab something to eat."

She thought about the letter burning a hole in her pocket. "Yeah, give me five? I can scoot out of here a little early." Her lips twitched. "Considering I had everything done by two PM, I don't think he'll mind." When Kent left the station house, she always finished up early, mainly because he couldn't interrupt every five minutes.

Kers gave her a knowing smirk. "I'll be in the common area. Take your time." He backed out of the doorway and strolled down the hall.

Lexa quickly took the letter from her pocket and dashed over to Kent's desk where she stashed it back under the OSHA files in his bottom drawer. Still feeling a little guilty for reading the missive, she sat quietly for a moment. Going to dinner with Kers might shed some light on his relationship with his dad. Not really any of her business, but she'd grown fond of Kent and the powerful attraction she had for his son compelled her to dig for answers.

Hopefully she wouldn't bury herself in the process.

I'm kind of enjoying this duo. Lexa lands in a tricky spot and it's been fun watching her squirm.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Oceanfront Villa

Hello!

So… Orphan Black? Who doesn't love this show? Seriously, it's so mind-bendy and twisty. Watching Tatiana play one clone as another never fails to blow my mind. This week having Sarah act as Rachel and Alison play Sarah… well… just so damned amazing. And Delphine? The woman kicks ass. That's all I'll say. LOL

I'm dying to get to know the Castor clones and then see if the boys can play as crazy as the girls. Saturday won't get here fast enough.

Arrow and The Flash continue to make me happy. Agents of SHIELD, too. Melinda May backstory? Yes, please. Maybe we'll get some Grant Ward flashback action in the future. Wouldn't mind seeing more of what made him so batshit crazy.

If you're not catching Bitten and Lost Girl on Syfy, you need to. Excellent shows!

Made it through the first season of Teen Wolf and gotta say, I cheered out loud when one of the characters bit the dust. Actually, two, but I have a feeling dead doesn't mean forever on this show. LOL. All in all, totally enjoying season two.

Will be starting Daredevil on Netflix in the near future. I hope.

That's it for TV related news. Tonight's post is from Oceanfront Villa, a novella reconnecting my main characters after they've drifted apart.

Here's the tagline:

Danielle Finch is a hardworking doctor who rarely takes time off and her relationship with Vince Darkholme, an in demand attorney, suffers for the lack of face time. When Vince's client offers the use of his oceanfront villa, Danielle readily agrees to take two weeks to rekindle the passion she sorely misses with Vince.

And a snippety peek…

Danielle Finch balanced her phone between her chin and shoulder. "I want those results by the time I get to the office. I'm not making Monica Rense wait any longer." She glanced up when her husband walked into their bedroom.

Vince Darkholme still had the power to take her breath away. But… she tilted her head and almost dropped the phone when he mouthed the words 'how long'. When had he let his hair grow out? The normally short, cropped cut had disappeared, his hair reaching the collar of his shirt and a curl of bangs barely touched his eyebrow, now quirked, waiting on her answer.

She blinked and flashed five fingers. He gave her a quick smile and nodded.

The voice on the other end of the phone cut through her thoughts. "Dr. Finch? I said I can courier over Ms. Rense's results. Will that work for you?"

Danielle responded with a brisk affirmative. "Yes. And it's not about me, it's about a woman who's been more than patient during two lab screw-ups." She gathered her bag and attaché case, stuffing her office keys into the side pouch. "I know it's not your fault the first culture became contaminated, but she's been through a difficult trauma. I think you understand, right?"

The lab director agreed. "Yes, Dr. Finch. I'll personally make sure the courier leaves within the next five minutes."

Danielle thanked the gentleman and ended the call. Shoving her hair off her face, she grabbed her coat and exited the bedroom. Vince waited in the hall, car keys in his hand.

She gave him a slow once over, wondering if she'd missed anything else. "You won't be late for court, will you? I can drive." She opened another pocket on her purse and fished around for her car keys.

Vince laid a hand on hers. "I have client meetings this morning, so we're good." His fingers laced with hers. "I'd love to drop you off at the medical building. Maybe we can stop for coffee on the way in?"

She calculated the time and winced. "I'd love to, but I'm expecting some important test results and I'd like to be there when they arrive." Dammit. They never got to enjoy coffee together anymore.

Vince shrugged and opened the door to the garage. "No problem. We'll try to go Sunday morning." He got her door then dashed around to the driver's side. "Unless you have rounds?"

She sighed. "I'm not supposed to, but Dana Morales asked me to be on standby in case her daughter goes into labor." She slid into the passenger seat. "Can we make a tentative date?"

Vince frowned, but lifted a shoulder. "Sure. If you don't a call, we'll have brunch at Risa's." He started the engine. "How's that sound?"

Risa's. God, she loved the place.

Danielle smiled. "Sounds terrific." Her phone chirped and she glanced at the caller ID.

Her office. She answered and settled into a quick rundown with her office manager while Vince drove into the city.

Kind of having fun with this one, especially writing the disconnect part. Should make for a nice and steamy reunion of sorts. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Youth is Overrated

What a rainy, miserable week. But hey, at least we didn't have any snow.

Not a lot of new television to watch, but the Bitten finale did not disappoint. Especially the ending. Whoa! If there's not a season three, there better at least be a movie to explain that whole dealio.

Finished up a rewatch of the X-Files. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the last two seasons, even without Mulder. Getting ready to begin Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and get back into Teen Wolf. Plus keep up with the last episodes of The Flash and Arrow.

Orphan Black is back next Saturday and I can't wait to get a double dose of clones. Looking forward to how the Castor guys fit into the story.

A final random note, I read Eliza Dushku is joining the cast of Banshee for season four and I have very mixed feelings. I thoroughly enjoyed her as Faith on Buffy, but her last few roles have underwhelmed me. Here's hoping she does a great job and fits in well with the cast.

Tonight's post is from Youth is Overrated, featuring a long-married couple offering a collective listening ear to their oldest son.

Here's the tagline:

Tatum Moore and Fisher Vogler have three grown children and their oldest is considering divorce. When he seeks advice from his parents, they try not to interfere but provide insight into a passionate opposites attract marriage and how to make it work.

And a snippety peek…

Tatum Moore arched her back, rocking her hips against Fisher Vogler. The orgasm hit hard and she gasped, then groaned.

Fisher's fingers dug into her thighs and he thrust upward, sending aftershocks coursing through Tatum. He always nudged her a little past bliss and sent her spinning into ecstasy.

And then he followed right behind her, his head thrashing on the pillow, harsh bursts of air whooshing from his lungs. Tatum got off even more watching his eyes pop open, passion and love burning in the green depths.

All for her. Always for her.

She shuddered, another zing flowing over her when Fisher's palm skimmed over her hip and around to cup her ass, urging her forward.

She collapsed atop his chest, her breathing ragged and uneven. His arms wrapped around her and his lips trailed along her temple.

Spent and sated, she inhaled deeply, loving the smell of Fisher, sex, and the early morning mist of rain drifting in through the open window. Exhaling slowly, she let her eyes drift shut and snuggled closer to her husband. After the exertion, she figured Fisher wouldn't mind a nice, little nap, especially while still seated inside her.

Reality had other ideas. A series of three loud knocks sounded from the front door downstairs, dispelling any thought of staying in their warm, cozy cocoon.

"You guys need to get presentable before you come down." Their oldest son, Jamie, shouted. "I'll make the coffee."

Fisher groaned. "I guess we can't have breakfast naked now, can we?" He shifted, sliding out from under Tatum.

She rolled onto her back, dragging the covers up and over her. "Why did we have kids again?"

Fisher ducked into the bathroom and started the shower before coming back to drag the comforter away from her. "I have no idea. But there's coffee brewing, so we must have raised at least one of them right." He held out a hand.

Tatum grasped his fingers and let him tug her from the bed. "Yeah, yeah. I guess that deserves some consideration." She followed Fisher into the bathroom and grinned when he made room in the stall so she could get under the spray. "We do have great kids, don't we?"

Fisher popped the shampoo open and started lathering her hair. "The best, yes." He nudged her under the water so she could rinse the suds away while he scrubbed his head.

Tatum switched places with him and soaped up, then squirted cleanser on another washcloth for Fisher. She ducked under the steamy mist, letting the frothy bubbles slide off her skin. Fisher took her spot when she exited the stall, grabbing a thick, fluffy towel to dry off with. He snagged one after he turned the water off and made short work of rubbing down and stepping in to a pair of sweats. Tatum finger-combed her hair and shrugged her bathrobe over her shoulders. Jamie's wife, Risa, picked it out for a Christmas present.

Fisher jammed his feet into the slippers their middle kid, Deidre, bought as a gag gift. The fuzzy bear claws never failed to make Tatum smile. After grabbing a T-shirt with their youngest son's university logo on it, Fisher quirked an eyebrow.

Tatum waved him out. "Go on. I'm going to throw on some yoga pants and a shirt and I'll be right down." Fisher turned to leave their room. "And there better be a hot mug of coffee waiting for me when I get there."

Fisher smirked. "There always is, babe. Whether it'll be hot or not depends on you." He ducked the pillow she sent sailing towards his head, his laughter echoing off the walls.

God, she loved the man.

This one is a little different for me and I'm really loving how the story is coming together.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Saturday Standard—Busted in Bubbles: Rayne McKinnon's digital daily recording

I've taken a long hiatus from posting the Saturday Standard. It's time to revisit this fun little blog idea.

What is the Saturday Standard?

A fun little sneak peek behind the scenes, featuring character interviews or another type of glimpse into their lives, or six or seven questions about the setting, plot or character traits, or a collage of inspirational pictures I used while writing the manuscript. Basically, anything that strikes my fancy.

This week, I'm sharing an excerpt from Rayne McKinnon's daily digital recording. Rayne is the hero of Busted in Bubbles and he's almost achieved everything he planned, with one more client to sign. He's got a reason to be a little excited…

Let's listen in…

Set up a meeting with Jorn Pestle and plan to sell strong to win his business. The man does his homework so he knows I'll back up anything I promise. The timing couldn't be better to gain his corporate accounts. Triple S will be on site at the conference, which means Emsley Bourne will be in attendance. If all goes according to plan—and let's face it, when doesn't it?—I'll be able to have a conversation with her about more than coffee and security products.

The only iffy part is Emsley herself. She's such a wild card. But… if my gut is right, she'll get on board, especially if she pulls her usual stunt of short sheeting my bed. She'll have a challenge this time because I'm in a cabin instead of a standard room. Something tells me her unique skillset will see her through. I can't wait to find out.

End daily recap, Rayne McKinnon

Check out Rayne and Emsley's interaction after she uses her stealthy talent in Busted in Bubbles.

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

Available on Amazon

Rayne McKinnon sells a lucrative security-consulting job and it's time to move on to his next objective: adding a partner. He wants Emsley Bourne, personally and professionally, and puts a plan in motion to achieve his goal. She only has to follow through with her usual tradition.

Emsley lives for the next thrill, in business and life. She's got a unique skill set and uses it to gain access to Rayne's cabin to follow through on her standard short-sheeting escapade. Imagine her surprise when she discovers Rayne soaking in a tub full of bubbles. Busted, she can either flee the scene—or join Rayne for some bath time fun.

Sunday Snippet: X Out the Date

April 5, 2015

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Happy chocolate overload day to those who don't.

So… finale for The Walking Dead last week? AWESOME! My middle kid and I stayed up spinning random theories for a good, long time after the episode ended.

The Flash and Arrow have my brain working overtime, too. I've missed television that makes me stay engaged after the show ends. Keep finding myself getting snared with 'Oh! How cool would it be if [insert random plot bomb here] happens. I can sort of say the same about Agents of SHIELD, but not to the same extent. I did kind of love how the last episode ended though.

Bitten only has one episode left and I can't wait to watch!! Really loving the second season and looking forward to watching on Syfy in a few weeks. So surprised and kind of thrilled to see a character pop back up. The guy is sooo good and I enjoy his work.

And last but not least regarding TV, The Last Ship has it's summer air date. June is looking up. :D

Tonight's post is from X Out the Date, a novella where my couple is on the threshold of taking their relationship further.

Here's the tagline:

Preston Ayl and Elliot Newman are on the verge of making a strong commitment. Attending conferences on opposite ends of the country, the week away from each other is proving more difficult than either expects and they're crossing out the date until they're back together.

And a snippety peek…

Preston Ayl checked her schedule for the fourth time. "God, I wish the conference didn't have so many required courses." A full freaking week, from Sunday to late Saturday night.

Elliot Newman shot her a quick glance. "At least you'll be somewhere sunny and warm. I'm stuck heading New England in the middle of winter." His lips twitched. "Of course if I close this sale, it'll be worth freezing my ass off." He flipped the turn signal on and pulled into the long-term parking area.

Preston bit back a sigh. The classes didn't bother her, being away from Elliot did. Six months together and they hadn't had a reason to test their burgeoning relationship. She didn't give much credence to the whole absence made the heart grow fonder, but maybe the week apart would be good. Elliot mentioned moving in together and she her gut jumped with excitement over the idea. But her brain kicked in and put on the brakes.

Stupid brain.

Elliot nudged her shoulder before tucking a hank of hair behind her ear. "You're overthinking again. Cut it out." He turned off the ignition and faced her. "There's no rush, we're not in a hurry."

Preston smiled. Leave it to Elliot to know exactly what she had on her mind. He had an uncanny ability to read her thoughts.

Gathering up her bag, she leaned in close. "You're right." She gave him a quick, hard kiss. "But… I'm going to miss having you next to me in bed this week."

Reaching for the door handle, she gasped when he caught her face in his hands, slanted his mouth over hers, and gave her a thorough kiss. One leaving her breathless and hungry for more.

His pressed his forehead against hers. "And I'm going to miss waking up to your warm, welcoming heat, too." Another lingering lip-lock. "But it's only a week. And we'll talk every night, right?"

She eased away and met his gaze. "Absolutely. I'll be X-ing out the days after our nightly calls." A little shiver slid down her spine. "I'm really looking forward to hearing your voice every night."

Elliot grinned. "Maybe we'll try some video chats, too." His voice took on a sexy edge. "That could be fun."

When he waggled his eyebrows, Preston laughed, loving his humor. She angled toward the door, cracked it open, and braced for the cold chill in the air. Elliot popped the trunk and exited the car, too. Meeting her at the rear of the vehicle, he grabbed their bags and handed hers over.

She shouldered the carry-on then laced their fingers together. "I'm glad you suggested sending my luggage ahead. Should make getting through security less of a hassle."

Elliot flashed a smile. "And easier to hop the shuttle to departures." The big van pulled up to the covered kiosk and opened its doors.

Preston preceded Elliot and took the first open seat. He dropped down beside her and settled back, wrapping an arm around her. The ride didn't last long, and when the van dropped them off, she turned to Elliot, leaning in for one last quick kiss before going their separate ways. She headed to get checked through security and Elliot strolled toward a coffee shop to kill a couple of hours before he needed to catch his flight.

After setting her stuff on the conveyor, she glanced back over her shoulder. Elliot gave her one last wave before taking a place in line.

Preston slowly made it through the security check and wandered toward her gate. She had at least thirty minutes before she could board and then a long flight ahead of her. Dragging out a notebook, one she should save for her continuing education classes, she started a list—Fun things to do on a video chat.

Damn Elliot for planting that idea in her head.

Not sure exactly how this one is going to go, but I'm excited to find out. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Saturday Standard--Busted in Bubbles: A page from Emsley Bourne's journal

I've taken a long hiatus from posting the Saturday Standard. It's time to revisit this fun little blog idea.

What is the Saturday Standard?

A fun little sneak peek behind the scenes, featuring character interviews or another type of glimpse into their lives, or six or seven questions about the setting, plot or character traits, or a collage of inspirational pictures I used while writing the manuscript. Basically, anything that strikes my fancy.

This week, I'm sharing a page from Emsley Bourne's journal. Emsley is the heroine of Busted in Bubbles and she's completely stoked she managed to pull off a silly little prank against Rayne McKinnon. She's got a reason for being so thrilled…

Take a look…

Success! I can't believe I pulled off short-sheeting Rayne McKinnon's bed. And it was soooo easy. Well, for me, anyway. Thanks, Dad! Sometimes is pays to have a criminal in the family.

So, I wonder how long it'll take Mr. Uber-Security-Expert to figure out who's pulling the stunt. Seriously, I can have so much fun with this. Rayne ends up coming to almost every conference I attend. I figure he'll have me nailed as the culprit within a month, maybe two. The guy's got a solid reputation and knows his shit. Totally hot, by the way. I love a man with the smarts to back up his good looks.

Short-sheeting. Man, I haven't tried to attempt that feat since summer camp a loooonnnggg time ago. Most fun I had as a kid. And yeah, completely juvenile, but at least it brings back one of the few happy memories I have of growing up. Before I had to move in with Dad. Eh, whatever. At least he gave me a skill set I can use for work. Who knew knowing how to bypass security systems would turn into such a lucrative, honest, profession? It's a good thing no one asks me how I know so much about the pros and cons of our product line.

Anyway, here's hoping Rayne figures out my little trick pretty soon. I'd love to see his reaction and maybe finally have a reason to spend time with him that's not sitting over coffee or talking shop at lunch.

Fingers crossed.

~Emsley~

Find out how long it takes Rayne to peg Emsley as his trickster in Busted in Bubbles.

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

Available on Amazon

Blurb: Rayne McKinnon sells a lucrative security-consulting job and it's time to move on to his next objective: adding a partner. He wants Emsley Bourne, personally and professionally, and puts a plan in motion to achieve his goal. She only has to follow through with her usual tradition.

Emsley lives for the next thrill, in business and life. She's got a unique skill set and uses it to gain access to Rayne's cabin to follow through on her standard short-sheeting escapade. Imagine her surprise when she discovers Rayne soaking in a tub full of bubbles. Busted, she can either flee the scene—or join Rayne for some bath time fun.

Thank you for stopping by!