Sunday Snippet: Calling Bull

Whew. What a week in television! First, Teen Wolf pulled off a pretty interesting ending for the summer finale. That being said, I'll happily watch Theo die in a fire created by Parrish if that ever happens. Just saying.

The Last Ship threw in a few more little twisty bits. I tweeted last weekend about wishing they'd stop killing my faves and boot off the Ramseys. Here's hoping someone heard my plea. LOL

Defiance turned in a kick ass finale. I'm so hoping it's not the end of the series, but if it is, I could live with the way it ended. That said, I think there's a buttload of potential left and hope to see more from this show. Dark Matter ended up being way better than I thought. Finally have more info about Two. It's a little sketchy but enough to keep me interested. And wow… I have to say I didn't see the end coming with Six. I'll leave it there for anyone who hasn't seen how things are left, but yeah, I'm in for more.

Not sure what Syfy has slated for their Friday nights now, but whatever it is, the shows have a tough act to follow. Fingers crossed for good stuff.

Haven't mentioned Dominion lately, but again, good show that's holding my interest. We'll see how they leave things for their finale. Haven is starting soon and I'll probably be a blubbering mess when it's over because I love that show so much. Stay tuned. LOL

Tonight's post is from Calling Bull, a sexy short where my hero knows my heroine a little too well and isn't afraid to remind her.

Here's the mini-blurb:

No one knows Ivy better than Ward. A fact she truly hates sometimes. But when he pushes her into a corner, she either comes out swinging or learns to forgive and forget.

And a snippety peek…

Ward Farthington barreled through the corridors with one thing on his mind. Find Ivy Tweed and make her see reason.

He rounded a corner and almost collided with a desk sergeant. "Sorry, Frank." Ward took a step back. "Did Ivy come this way?" His gaze swept the crowded hall.

Frank gave a quick nod. "You bet she did." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "And she looked pissed as hell. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

Ward sighed. "Don't I always?" He could push Ivy's buttons without even trying.

One of the many drawbacks to growing up with her, first next door and then later, after her dad died, in his family's attic bedroom. He'd moved to the basement less than a year after she moved in, the added distance not always helping to tame the wild hormones pinging at age sixteen.

Frank jerked his thumb toward the equipment room. "Think she ducked in there. Quieter than the locker room and Barney's punching bag is still hanging up." His hand clamped on Ward's shoulder when he started to walk away. "Don't be too rough on her, boyo." He slapped Ward on the back and strolled away.

Ward rolled his eyes. A precious flower Ivy would never be. Her name sometimes suited her, clinging to bad habits a good pruning might circumvent. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and strode to her latest hiding place.

With his hand on the knob, he hesitated. Maybe Frank had a point and Ward should just leave her alone.

This one is coming together so nicely. I can't wait to finish and share with everyone!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Call of the Ripper

August 23, 2015

Still battling the cold / allergy / viral evilness thing. But… I think I'm finally in the last stages. <fingers crossed>

Teen Wolf has me confuzzled. I seriously don't know where or how everything is going to end up. I will say I kind of can't wait for the end of the Dread Doctors. I'm pretty much done with giving any kind of crap about them. Not my favorite storyline to date. Just saying.

Defiance keeps getting better. The twisty-turny stuff makes me happy. I love how even with internal betrayals, judgment and forgiveness tends to be fast and certain. I really do hope this show continues.

Killjoys season finale proved to be excellent. I'm so in love with this show, enough that I'm considering doing recaps for my fandom blog. Need to make a note to get the DVDs ASAP.

Dark Matter also gave me something I wanted, more information about Two. I'm liking how the crew is starting to gel and work together. The scene in the vault with all the guys was a treat to watch.

And once again, The Last Ship brought a ton of drama to the table. I'll be honest, I really want Chandler to take a step off the high horse and remember what things were like before he picked up the POTUS. Rachel made a gut call and kept everyone else out of it, taking full responsibility. And in this case, the greater good should outweigh any righteous indignation.

Also… I have a bad vibe about who cut the video to make it look like the ship bombed New Orleans. I hope we'll find out if I'm right this week.

Tonight's post is from Call of the Ripper, a novella blending a Jack the Ripper research team with suspense and sexiness.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Two 'Ripperologists' take a working vacation to experience the essence of Jack's madness. But when a modern day stalker takes an interest in their excursion, the call of the ripper hits a little too close for comfort.

And a snippety peek…

Faith Dowd thrashed on the bed, terrifying imagery rolling through her head. A dark alley on a damp evening. Fog rolling in, the murky darkness almost smothering. The flash of a blade slicing downward, tearing into flesh. Searing pain ripping through her, a pool of red seeping from her skin.

Faith screamed and the sound echoed through the silent room. The wail pierced the night again and again. But she couldn't stop.

Sean McDermott shook her. "Faith! Wake up. It's a nightmare." His arms wrapped around her and she fought him.

Still trapped in her dreamscape, she flailed and scratched and tried to jerk free.

Sean let her go, but smoothed one hand down her hair. "Faith. It's time to wake up." He used a soothing tone, his voice a caress. "Come on, babe. Come back to me."

She calmed, her breath shuddering in and out in stuttered gasps. "Sean?" Her eyes blinked open and his gorgeous face hovered over hers.

He traced a finger along her cheek. "Yeah, babe. You're okay. I've got you." He sat up, settled back against the pillows, and opened his arms wide.

Faith shook her head, trying to clear the grisly dream from her mind. She crawled up and let Sean wrap her in his warm embrace. Still shaking, she tucked her head under his chin and dragged the comforter up over them.

Sean pressed a kiss to her head. "Did you have the same nightmare?" His hand smoothed over her arm, his touch light but reassuring.

Faith nodded. "Yeah. Worse this time." She burrowed closer to his side. "The deeper and closer we get to finding more information on Jack, the gorier my nightmare becomes." She braced for Sean's response.

He didn't disappoint. "Maybe you should take a break for a while. It's not the Ripper is going anywhere." He waited a beat. "I can work on the research for a few weeks, just until you're sleeping better."

His offer surprised her. Sean preferred discussion and dissection of information and he provided an excellent counterpoint to some of her more out there theories. Their back and forth garnered butt loads of comments on their blog The Call of the Ripper.

Faith lifted her chin, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. "Really? You'd do that for me?" Her hand smoothed down his chest, stopping at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Sean's lips twisted in a sexy smile. "Faith, my love, you know I'll do just about anything for you." His eyes went dark and sensual.

Faith slid her palm lower, cupping his growing erection. "In that case, let's try some sexual healing. See if getting physical shuts off the Jack filter in my brain." She rose up to her knees and straddled his thighs, leaning in to mesh her lips with his.

If this one comes together like I hope it will, it's going to be a fun ride.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Cabin

Greetings!

Ugh. I'm fighting a nasty summer cold / allergy / yuck something, which I'm hoping runs its course before next week. School starts on August 25, but my kidlets already have golf and football stuff going on. We've already had a football scrimmage and our first golf match is Monday. Sadly, I won't be going because I can't breathe when I go outside. LOL Ugh. Seriously, my nasal passages can clear up any time now.

Let's see. Teen Wolf? Yeah. A shit ton of stuff happened in the last episode. Glad to see things moving forward. I'm now excited to see Monday's episode. If I'm not in a cold / allergy medication induced coma. <see above>

Friday night on Syfy is still kicking major ass. Defiance turned in a pretty awesome episode. But… I was sad to see one of the characters go. I'm also dying to see where this whole thing ends and there better be another season to wrap stuff up. I'm going to be very angry if there isn't. LOL

Killjoys seriously keeps me glued to the screen. This is another one where a new season is a must. The pacing and everything else related to backstory and world building is just about perfect. The only thing I'd like to see a little more of is John's history. I'd even throw Pawter in there, too, but I'm actually okay with what's been revealed of her history so far. Here's hoping next week's episode is mind-blowing.

Dark Matter… cliffhanger ahoy! I'll be riveted to see how Two gets out of the predicament she landed in. I'm also interested in seeing where they end this season. While this show spends a little more time on backstory / exposition, I'm definitely excited by the possibilities of more.

The Last Ship. What can I say? I've praised everything from the pacing, characters, actors, and writing. I'll add all the twists and turns to the mix. I totally didn't see Rachel's ballsy action last week and I can't wait to see if shit flies or not. I'm kind of hoping for the latter because seriously? Her move needed to happen. Just saying.

And enough about TV. Tonight's post is from The Cabin, a novella where my main characters almost let family drama get in the way of something really great.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Whip meets the woman of his dreams when he tries to convince Kari to give his brother another shot at her art class. But when she can't accommodate the request, Whip still wants to pursue a relationship… until his brother tries to get in the way and Kari decides she won't come between them.

And a snippety peek…

Kari Kells shook her head after reviewing Warner Harrington's portfolio. "This guy didn't even try to follow the guidelines to get into my class." Closing the heavy zip-up folder, she set it aside and started on her notes.

She began with a rejection letter, explaining in plain terms Warner needed to double check the qualifications if he wanted to apply for her class again in the spring. Then she made opened the portfolio again and made detailed comments on his lack of vision, his half-assed attempt create something modern with paint slashes and splatters, which actually looked like a four-year-old's work. The sloppy techniques showed haste and little thought behind the projects.

If he wanted an art credit, it wouldn't be in her class. She wouldn't waste her time on someone who'd attempt to bluff his way through the semester course.

In fact, she resented the hour she spent reviewing and rejecting Warner's application. Her class had room for twenty students and over one hundred vied for one of those spots. And most of those put forth a huge amount of effort to get in.

Not so with Harrington. She shook her head again, then attached the notes and closed the portfolio. After printing off the rejection letter, she stuffed it in an envelope and gathered up the materials to drop off at the office.

Locking her office door, she started down the hallway. "Better luck next time, kid. You're not going to be happy, but a good lesson to learn." Her heels clicked on the tiled floor, sounding the death knell for Warner Harrington to earn an elective credit in art.

I'm excited about this one. I love having a family dynamic even if it's not a full-on sibling rivalry.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Breaking Ice

So… Mad Max: Fury Road? Kick ass movie. Seriously, an excellent two hours of viewing pleasure. And I'm from the generation that started the whole Mad Max franchise and this movie blows the original ones out of the water. Enough said.

Let's see… Teen Wolf. Can't really say much. I'm sort of waiting to see what happens. This season isn't holding my interest as much as I'd hoped, but I'll reserve judgment until I've seen more.

But my Friday night lineup is kicking everything into high gear. Defiance rocks. I'm always kind of stunned by how quickly the dynamic changes. Same goes with Killjoys. Only two episodes left before a break and I want more. I have a feeling this show will eat my brain in the off season. Not a bad thing. Dark Matter turned in a pretty decent episode, but I can honestly say I'd like tighter writing. First season world building aside, it would be nice to get a little more information on Two, since we've seen a fair amount on the others.

The Last Ship is a little over halfway through its second season and I can't wait to see how things start getting resolved. This is one of those shows I'm stuck between wanting more and being happy a season is short and sweet, leaving me time to savor the goodness before a new one starts. LOL

Tonight's post is from Breaking Ice, a sexy short where my characters work out some aggression on each other so they can start over.

Here's the mini-blurb:

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

And a snippety preview…

"You don't get it Oakes. And we're through." Bailee Young made a wild gesture, knocking her beer off the table.

The bottle hit the floor and liquid shot out everywhere. Oakes got soaked, his shirt taking the brunt of the spray.

He rose. "Yeah, Bailee, we are. I'm taking the job in DC." He grabbed a handful of napkins, mopping up as much of the mess as he could. "You stay right here in Chicago and wallow in your misery." Turning on his heel, he stalked to the exit and left the bar.

Bailee fought back humiliating tears. She wouldn't cry, hated getting emotional in general and truly abhorred doing so over yet another breakup with Oakes. Their personal drama always heated up after she lost a match and she couldn't take any more turmoil right now. Good riddance to Oakes.

Slapping a twenty on the table, she flagged a server and nodded to the spilled beer. "I'm sorry for the mess…" Glancing up to see a dozen or so set of eyes on her, she continued. "And for creating a big scene." Shaking her head, she started for the door. "Show's over, people. Go back to having fun." Escaping into the cool night air, she leaned against the brick façade, heaving a sigh.

Dammit. Battling with Oakes over stupid shit and breaking up hadn't been her plan for the night. She needed to get a grip. What had they even fought over this time? She couldn't remember. Okay, she could. She'd lost a preliminary bout and would have to work her way back to being in contention for a spot on the pro circuit. Holding an amateur title didn't mean jack if she couldn't make the transition to the big time. Sponsorship would definitely ease her burden.

Between caring for her mother, building a clientele for her personal training business, and trying to pay off her student loans, she barely had time to get ready for the weekly cage matches she needed to win to stay afloat. Something had to give and her relationship with Oakes usually took the hit. No wonder she and Oakes kept doing the on again, off again dance.

Off again. For good this time.

I'm taking the job in DC.

Christ. A stab of guilt hit her hard. Had he mentioned an offer? She didn't remember talking about a possible move, but she'd been treading water lately, barely keeping her head above the surface. He could've said something and she totally blew it off.

No wonder he got frustrated with her.

She pushed away from the building and headed toward the parking lot. She could call him, maybe apologize and...

No. A clean break would be best for both. A long distance relationship wouldn't work. Not for her. And with Oakes gone, she'd have one less plate to keep spinning in the air.

Unlocking her car, she opened the door and slid behind the wheel. She rested her head on the steering wheel, a dull throb creeping along her temples. The urge to throw up nearly overwhelmed her, but she swallowed down the bile and started the vehicle.

A hot shower, some painkillers, and a solid eight would do wonders to improve her outlook. Pulling out into traffic, she headed for home.

And a lonely bed.

Break up scenes are always interesting and I rather enjoyed writing this one.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Bonus Score

So… I have the final two episodes of Strike Back waiting to be watched and I'm putting it off. Because I want to savor the last two hours before it's over for good. LOL

Teen Wolf… eh, this past week felt like a bunch of set-up, which is okay, but I'm kind of wanting the new guy to be found out and I really want to know what the hell is going on with Stiles. Here's hoping Monday's episode sheds some light.

The Last Ship continues to keep me glued to the screen. I love everything about this show, the actors, the pacing, the storyline, and most definitely the characters. So much awesome rolled into forty-five minutes. Just saying.

Friday night lineup is still kicking major good vibes. Defiance and Killjoys each turned in superb viewing. Repercussions abounded and I pretty much loved both episodes. Dark Matter also dropped some interesting info bombs, which did indeed tie back to the clues in previous episodes. Really liking the dynamic and the way it changes when new stuff is revealed about the characters.

Tonight's post is from Bonus Score, a sexy short where my characters get their game on.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Zeva and Bo meet through a gaming community and hit it off. They start spending time together and a series of wagers over who the better gamer is takes an interesting turn when sexy distractions become part of the strategy. When they decide to settle up once and for all, a bonus score leads to an unexpected win and the crown is claimed.

And a snippety peek…

Zeva Bloom's finger hovered over the send button. "Jen, am I crazy to meet up with this guy?" She glanced up from the monitor, digit still poised to make the connection.

Jenny Blake shook her head. "As long as you tell me where and when then stay in touch, no, you're not crazy." She waited a beat. "Okay, you're totally bat shit, but for completely different reasons." Her laughter spilled out, long and loud.

Zeva eyed her best friend but sent the private message. "You're not amusing. And I just replied, so cross your fingers for me." She closed the tabbed window and logged back on to her gaming comm.

Jenny's eyebrows rose. "You're not going to wait for a reply?" She joined into the game, coming to Zeva aid, wiping out a ton of rebel soldiers.

Zeva shrugged. "Nah. I might really want to meet this guy, but I can't seem to eager, right?" Her fingers flew over the keys, moving her avatar steadily along to get to the egress point for the next level.

Jenny nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you don't want be all in like you were with douche canoe Dane." She blasted a long line of cannons, clearing a spot for Zeva to slip through.

Zeva bit back a smile. Jenny nicknamed Dane Studtgardt douche canoe when he'd led Zeva to what amounted to a flash mob in his honor. And the ass hat hadn't had the courtesy to show up in person to see the fifty females gathered to meet him, all thinking they had a date. Instead, he'd had a buddy of his show a recorded message on the big screen televisions in the bar, claiming a total win for pulling off the amazing stunt. At the time, Zeva wanted to crawl to the nearest dark corner and lick her wounds, but now she could almost laugh about the experience. Okay, maybe not laugh, but the smile part she had totally down.

Thanks to Jenny.

Her friend snapped her fingers. "Yo, Zeev. Get with the program. Hit the next level already."

Zeva blinked and got back into the game. "Yeah, right. Getting with the program." She wouldn't score much this round, but she really just wanted to relax and blow stuff up.

The foray back into possibly meeting another gamer, someone who had the same interests and lived to play, proved highly distracting. But BoSS89, also known as Bo Schneider, could wait an hour—if he'd even responded to her reply yet. On screen, he seemed perfect, but Zeva had the same experience with douche canoe Dane. No… actually, she hadn't. Bo used a biting wit and snappy snarkasm Zeva loved. Dane had pretty words and practiced prose, something Zeva wouldn't fall for again anytime soon.

Her phone pinged. She'd forgotten to turn off notifications. A response, maybe? Her gaze slid sideways, trying to read the screen.

Jenny sighed. "Dammit, Zeva, just check it already. We're pretty much playing for fun tonight anyway."

Zeva grabbed the device and swiped her finger over the message app. Bo's avatar popped up on the screen.

Jenny glanced up. "You'd better read it out loud. I wanna know what's going on." She stopped playing and waited.

Zeva's lips quirked. "I quote, 'Coffee sounds great. Are you close to the Java Jump? I have Tuesday and Wednesday off this week. Either day works for me, but sometime after noon.'."

Jenny laughed. "A man after your own heart. I'll bet he doesn't get up before eleven. Just like you."

Zeva grinned. "I'm going to reply. Wednesday okay with you?" She started tapping out the message. "You don't go in until after six, right? In case anything goes sideways."

Jenny nodded. "Yep, I'm working the late shift that day. I'll be around."

Zeva hit send and tried to fight the wave of excitement surging through her veins. Douche canoe Dane taught her to be a little more cautious. Screw it. She had a date and a good feeling.

She'd roll with it for now.

So far, this one chugging along. The sages are a little stingy with the flow, but when they get on track, it's fun to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin