Sunday Snippet: Once in a Lifetime

The Last Ship continues to blow my mind. I love the words that come from Chandler's mouth. Is the man perfect? Hell, no. But I'd totally back whatever play he wanted to make, even if it blew up in our faces. Can't wait to see what Blond Ambition tries to pull this week. And I have to say, the whole building of a wall thing, making the regional borders permanent, haunts me a little. I'm very interested in how that whole thing plays out. And hey… I get to see a familiar face on this week's episode!! YAY!!

Killjoys stayed dark and twisty and I won't complain. I'm saddened by the loss of a character who became a favorite. I'm also really interested in finding out what the hell is up with the faux scarbacks Evil Delle has working with her. Because that's a snag I want to see play out.

Dark Matter dialed the tension back a little and I'm okay with it. I continue to be amused by the little callbacks to the Stargate 'verse—this week it was a personal shield—and hope the inside references don't get to be too much. We'll see how that goes.

No Strike Back this week, but I did finish up season two of Babylon 5. I'm taking a small break to start on some 80s movies with my daughter and I've also got season one of Killjoys on tap. I'm revisiting the first episodes to see if there are some seeds planted that I missed. :)

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Once in a Lifetime, a novella that started with the prompt of one character hearing the other calling their name in the throes of passion. I loved the challenge of coming up with something for that crazy idea.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Evan McCoy overhears Sasha Knepf shout his name when she's in the throes of passion with another man. He confronts her the next day in the hotel suite and demands an explanation, which she's not inclined to provide since he ditched her after their second dance at the annual ball.

And a snippety peek…

Sasha Knepf tugged her shirt over her head and looked up to find Evan McCoy staring in her direction.

She blinked. "What?" Fighting the urge to finger-comb her hair, she met his gaze.

Evan waved a piece of paper back and forth. "You get the security assignment? For the big deal shindig at the Hampshire?" He yanked his locker open and pulled out a shower kit.

Sasha bit back a groan. She'd give anything to be a fly on the wall when he showered. The man had a gorgeous physique.

Evan snapped his fingers. "Sash? Are you on the detail for the formal thing?" He cocked his head to one side.

Sasha shook her head. "Yeah, and I got the note it's civvie attire instead of full dress uniform." Her lips curved. "Which is terrific because it's too damned hot to wear long sleeves and wool in the middle of the summer."

Plus she wouldn't have to drag the heavy garment to the dry cleaner.

Evan closed his locker door and leaned toward hers, catching a whiff of the inside. "Probably a good thing." His nose wrinkled.

Sasha's face flamed. If nothing else, she needed to get rid of the socks piling up in the bottom of her bin. And maybe do a couple loads of laundry.

She quirked a brow. "Are you calling my personal hygiene into question?" Based on the smell of her locker she couldn't blame him.

Evan snorted. "You have hygiene? I seriously can't tell." One side of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

With a wink, he strolled into the shower area and pulled the curtain around the stall.

Sasha gave him a long hard look. "We'll see about that, Evan. Just you wait."

Having a truly wonderful time meandering through the writing on this one. Sasha and Evan are a joy to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: On the Bench

August 21, 2016

Well… Blonde Ambition finally showed her true colors on The Last Ship. About damned time. LOL I'm going to be really super pissed if anything happens to Kara because of Allison's machinations. I almost dread watching tonight's episode. Almost. J

Killjoys. Wow. Took a very dark turn and I love it. The way the cast works together amazes me. There's tension, usually understated, and buttloads of chemistry with everyone. I hope this show lasts for a good long time.

Dark Matter had a very trippy episode with an alternate 'verse. The showrunners have crap tons of experience with the concept, coming from the Stargate stable. The possibilities of the blink drive makes for lots of interesting scenarios. Looking forward to seeing what they do with that.

My Strike Back and Babylon 5 rewatches took a nosedive. My schedule exploded last week and I had zero time to watch either. Hopefully I'll get to reconnect this week.

Looking forward to several new shows this fall and, obviously, my returning favorites.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from On the Bench, a novella that got its start with a prompt from a fanfiction community where one character doesn't leave when the other joins them on the bench.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Peyton Bice comes of age around the mixed marital arts sporting events and her past comes calling in the form of her father's former star fighter, now a leading trainer. Rookie Cliff Westfordson offers a shoulder to lean on, but Peyton fears getting tangled up with the newest recruit on her dad's roster.

And a snippety peek…

Roman smirked. "You're such a raving bitch, Peyton." His arm swept over the prone form. "You wrecked Carmella. Look at the damage you inflicted." He yanked the sheet off his latest lover. "Look at it! The bruises. The contusions." He stepped closer, his voice a low snarl. "And then there's what you can't see… the internal bleeding." His hand shot out and gripped Peyton's jaw. "You'll pay for this, Peyton. I'll make sure of it."

Peyton jolted awake. Her vision blurry, she blinked and spotted an imposing figure huddled beside her. A gasp escaped and she scrambled backwards but had nowhere to go. A strong hand gripped her wrist and she pulled hard to get away.

Roman's threat echoed in her brain, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. No way. Rearing her arm back, she let her fist fly only to smack up against a solid, open palm.

She blinked and shook her head, clearing the last of the dream from her head.

Cliff wrapped his fingers around her hand. "You're okay, Peyton. You're in your dad's office." He let go and gave her a moment to calm down.

She glanced around, confirming his words. Big, messy desk; a row of beat up, old lockers used for storage; and a blinking neon beer sign. Yep, definitely her dad's office.

Peyton put a hand to her temple. How did she get here? The fuzzy details became clear. Sitting on the ugly, brown leather couch, she had a vintage Indian blanket draped over her. Cliff had moved down to the end, stretching his legs out. Jesus, he looked good.

Cliff slid his gaze sideways. "Must have been some dream." He tilted his head, studying her with hooded eyes.

Dream? More like nightmare. The menace in Roman's posture and tone kicked her heart rate up a notch, even now. But something about the fuzzy remnants stuck with her. Something about Carmella's injuries. She closed her eyes, letting her subconscious replay the moment Roman pulled the sheet away.

Her lids snapped open. "It was on the wrong side." Peyton straightened, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch. "Carmella's bruising was on her right side." The huge contusion on her abdomen couldn't have come from Peyton.

Cliff's head whipped upward. "What did you say?" He turned to face her. "About Carmella?"

Peyton got up and paced back and forth. "She had an internal injury on her right side. I noticed the spot when we were sparring." She stopped and glanced in his direction. "And she bruises forming along her ribcage. I couldn't have put those there. Our fight didn't last long enough for them to pop out." Son of a bitch… the stupid cow should have never entered the cage.

Cliff got up and made his way to her side. "I knew it. I knew someone had put a beat down on her before the match." He met her gaze head on. "One guess who's at the top of my list." Disgust laced his statement.

Peyton's gut lurched. "Roman, right?" Who else could it be?

Cliff growled. "Damn fucking straight." He turned, walking to stand in front of the desk.

Peyton wanted to heave. Roman treated people—particularly women—like shit. His ego demanded adoration and when the fawning didn't prove up to his standards, his asshole meter went off the charts. But injuring someone on his roster?

Made him low and vile and probably psychotically dangerous.

But none of that explained Cliff's vehement dislike of her ex.

Peyton folded her arms across her chest. "What's your beef with him?"

Cliff turned, a brow raised. "What makes you think I have one? The guy's a raging ass cock. Don't need another reason, do I?" His left fist clenched, giving Peyton all she needed.

She pushed back. "Look, everyone… and I mean everyone knows my history with the fucker, but you? Had a serious hate on for him from the moment you entered the gym." She moved forward, keeping her arms wrapped around her middle. "Why?"

Cliff's gaze went flat. "Because you—and Carmella—aren't the first women he's tried to destroy."

A little longer than normal, but this scene ended up being a revelation when I wrote it. Couldn't wait to share with everyone.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Oceanfront Villa

Wish I had commentary about The Last Ship. Looking forward to the new episode tonight. Where's Rachel when we need her to figure out the science? I'm actually wondering if her former flame has something to do with the green mist stuff. Can't wait to find out who's behind that.

Killjoys continues to intrigue me. I'm so excited to see where this season ends up. I love how the various factions all seem to have pieces to a puzzle but no one knows what the puzzle looks like yet.

Dark Matter had a terrific episode. Great to see Five get some screen time to remind us of her mad skills. Three and Four make a fun team. I'm interested in finding out what else is going on behind the scenes.

Babylon 5 has two episodes left in season two… I think. Can't remember if they did a standard twenty-two episode season or not. I'd forgotten how much of an impact Talia's betrayal had, even if she had no idea what happened.

No Strike Back this week. Had way too much other drama going on to be able to watch. *sigh* Maybe I'll get to it this week.

That's the TV update for this week. Tonight's post is from Oceanfront Villa, a novella started with the prompt of characters vacationing together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

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's cultured voice confirmed her schedule with her office then went on to discuss setting an appointment for one of her patients. The one whose test results Danielle needed to personally receive.

Vince frowned. Why hadn't she said anything about the trouble with the lab? Usually she kept him in the loop, especially when she had frustrating things happen.

When have you been home to listen?

He hadn't been lately. At least not before Danielle had gone to bed for the night. He slid his gaze sideways and blinked. She had vivid burgundy streaks woven throughout her raven-colored hair and the ends were tinged with silver. The combination should have looked edgy and maybe harsh, but it gave Danielle a fun, modern vibe.

How had he missed a striking change? What an ass. If he said anything now, he'd be a total dick.

Making the turn into the parking lot of her office suite, he pulled into her space. "Dani, we're here."

She glanced up and laughed. "I'm right outside. See you in a few." She clicked off the call then turned to face him. "Thanks for the ride. Home for dinner, tonight?" Gathering her bag and attaché, she popped the door open.

He had a late meeting on tap, but cancelling sounded damn good right now.

Reaching out, he grabbed her shoulder. "Yeah. Want me to bring something home?" Maybe he'd get spice beef noodles from their favorite Asian restaurant.

Danielle sent him a harried glance. "Sure, whatever you want." She leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "I've gotta go. Expecting those test results." Scurrying out of the car, she made a waggled finger wave and dashed into the office.

Vince sat behind the wheel, gazing at nothing. "We're distracted and unconnected. When did Danielle and I stop communicating?" The idea didn't sit well.

Putting the car in reverse, he backed out and drove on autopilot to his firm. Taking the elevator up to his floor, he couldn't tamp down the tension creeping along his spine. What else had he missed with Danielle?

Maybe he should find out over dinner tonight.

I'm enjoying this one. Writing the disconnect between the characters is an interesting endeavor. Looking forward to seeing how they work their way back to each other.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: No Words

Well… a lonely week without an episode of The Last Ship, but the previous episode gave me lots of fodder to make theories about. LOL. I seriously think Blonde Ambition has an agenda we have yet to see. A friend suggested Allison is in cahoots with Jacob the asshat reporter and I love the idea. On the Asian front, Chandler has his hands full. The green mist stuff may make me find a new favorite color. LOL

Killjoys keeps getting better and better. Truly love how lots of threads are working their way together and twisting around each other. This show continues to amaze. And guess what? It's got green plasma goo stuff, so, yeah, maybe orange is going to be my new favorite color. LOL

Dark Matter finally dropped some details about Nyx, one of the new crew members. Looking forward to seeing how the interaction with Four changes when she finds out what he suggested for her brother.

Babylon 5 rewatch continues and I'm almost at the end of season two. I'm looking forward to diving into three because the groundwork from the first two seasons starts building one of my favorite characters arcs of all time.

I viewed more Strike Back and remembered how much I loved all the mistakes they let Stonebridge and Scott make in season two. Seriously, the duo messed up on a pretty big scale… several times. LOL I think that's why it became one of my favorite shows.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from No Words, a sexy short that got a beginning with the prompt… A moment of quiet. I added a quick summary to help when I started writing—solitude can be craved, sought, and given.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Colby Mass and Webster Bishop are soldiers in an elite unit and usually go full tilt into action. But when they find unexpected down time, they discover solitude can be craved, sought, and given, sometimes in unanticipated ways.

Here's the snippety peek…

Webster got a boost from being around Colby. Being in meeting after meeting all day nearly drove him mad. By the third briefing, he almost hoped they'd get a call to some random hot spot for a hostage extrication or maybe a target takedown.

But his shit day all but disappeared after ten minutes in her presence.

She didn't bombard him with questions or make random comments about nonsensical topics. Her quiet action of drawing—doodling, she called it—soothed the snarly beast yapping in his brain about wasted, unproductive moments going over the same information again and again.

If they didn't know their shit by now, the whole company would be screwed.

Downtime should be spent away from the job. But they couldn't leave the base. So… finding a spot for relaxation paid off. Colby usually hit the recreation area and Webster joined her when solitude didn't appeal.

He took a tray when she slid one down. "Thanks." An efficiency of movement got their silverware, napkins, and place settings in front of them.

Colby scooped up the main dish. "Want some?" She dumped the chicken and gravy onto his plate.

Webster offered her applesauce and noodles. "Enough? Maybe some of the—" He pointed to the peach cobbler.

Colby groaned. "God, yes." She filled her cup with tea then poured water into his.

He heaped two helpings of the dessert onto their plates and followed her to a corner table.

Settling into the seat, he draped the napkin over a knee. "Smells good." Scooping some food onto his fork, he shoved the bite into his mouth.

Colby grinned. "Yeah, it does." She tucked into her meal, slurping a noodle between her lips.

Webster loved to watch her eat. She enjoyed food and savored every bite. Easy to do when they often went days existing on ration packs. They spent the next several minutes making soft sounds of satisfaction and closing their eyes in bliss. The mess hall only had three other people, not including the galley staff of two, who started carrying the food containers into the kitchen.

Colby kicked back and sipped her tea. Webster rifled around in his pocket and brought out a hunk of partially carved wood. He reached for his blade, but Colby flipped hers open and handed the knife to him.

She nodded. "Just sharpened it this morning. Should do a nice job on the details."

Webster quirked an eyebrow. "You know what it's going to be?" He hadn't actually decided yet.

Colby flashed a smile. "Nope. But you always do intricate stuff."

Her observation surprised him. He put the tip to the wood and made a long slice along the edge. She made a good point. He often did swirls and curls on his carvings.

Colby chuckled. "Didn't think I noticed, did you?"

He glanced up, pausing the knife. "Not really. But I should have." He went back to smoothing out the line he'd created. "You see and sense things most people don't."

Colby send him a knowing smirk and leaned back, propping her feet up on the opposite chair.

Settling into a comfortable silence, Webster continued working with the wood until the mess hall emptied and the lights were cut to single row behind the serving area. Colby nudged his thigh and jerked her head toward the exit. Webster carefully closed her blade and returned the knife. Colby grinned and pushed away from the table before standing up.

Webster rose, slid the carving back into his pocket, and went to gather up their trays. He blinked when he found the table empty and shot a quick glance in Colby's direction.

She laughed. "You were kind of absorbed with the work." Turning, she started for the nearest door.

Webster caught up and fell into step beside her. "You're all right, Mass."

Colby bumped her shoulder into his. "I know." Letting out a bark of laughter, she made a sharp left and lifted her hand in a wave.

Webster paused, shaking his head. Then he chuckled. His earlier crappy mood completely gone, he gave Colby all the credit. She didn't beg for attention or clamor for responsiveness. Instead, she offered quiet support and sly humor, letting him unwind at leisure. And by doing something he loved, which she became part of by sharing something personal.

Colby might be the perfect woman.

Another longer look, but I liked the flow of this scene. This may end up tying into another sexy short called Fantasy Exchange, but I'm not sure if the worlds will mesh yet. Stay tuned.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin