Sunday Snippet: A Simple Thing

Okay, Riverdale, you have my attention. My high hopes were met and surpassed. Here's hoping the following episodes stay the course. My sister blog, Universes Altered, might pick up a weekly recap on this show. The acting and cast are a terrific mix and I look forward to seeing what this crew does.

Gotham's follow-up episode intrigued me. I'll lay money Leigh made a deal to stay away from Jim to spare his life. We'll see how long that lasts. Having Jerome loose in the city will be chaotic to say the least. If the origin story I think is playing out continues, I'm in. I also love the other two prongs of the cold war between Ed and Oswald along with the mama drama between Selena and Bruce. Thoroughly love how the trio of plot threads are playing out.

The Flash returned and didn't disappoint. Future vibing is kind of cool, but something tells me the crew is going to have burnt asses before it's all over.

Legends of Tomorrow always makes me happy when they visit someone famous before they're, well, famous. Having George Lucas kind of made the show. While I rather enjoyed Malcolm and Damien's team-up, I'm not sure how much fun it'll be if it's overused. I don't, however, think Mick and Stein sharing screen time will ever get old. More of that, please.

Arrow rocked, as usual. I have some doubts about the district attorney really helping Oliver, but we'll see what happens. Having Earth 2 Laurel is an interesting twist. Looking forward to seeing what happens there. Loved the bonding moment between Curtis and Rene, too.

Finished up Strike Back through season three. Holding off on four, but should start it soon. Got caught up on The Librarians, Murdoch Mysteries, and Teen Wolf. I'm thrilled to be current on all three. Whew. Missed the premiere of The Magicians and hope to catch up on that one soon.

Decided to forego watching MacGyver for now. I might binge watch after the season is over. The show just isn't holding my attention like I want it to and the cast shake-ups aren't something I'm thrilled with.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Simple Thing, a novella that got a start from a writing community prompt of making one character lose a bet and having to plant a kiss on another in front of an audience then things get out of hand. I really liked this prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

River Cyd loses a bet and has to have a lip lock with Gus Berkeley. No big deal—they've shared them before. But the simple kiss goes from zero to smokin' in less than a second flat and River isn't quite sure when complicated became the norm between her and Gus.

Here's a snippety peek…

River Cyd wiped down the bar at GoGo's while reviewing her notes for her final exam. Her master's degree within reach, she'd doubled up on her study sessions.  The buzzer sounded by the back door and she frowned. Deliveries weren't scheduled until after one and she'd come in at eleven… fifteen minutes ago.

Tossing the rag in the sink, she made her way to the rear exit and checked the monitor. The craft beer delivery man stood outside, hands jammed in his pockets and his toe tapping the ground.

River keyed the code and opened the door. "Hey, Joe. What's up?" She propped the steel door with the block of wood.

Joe gave her a harried smile. "Boss's wife is in labor and he's closing up shop early. Asked if I could make my deliveries and get back ASAP." He walked around to the front of the truck and grabbed a clipboard from the seat. "If you can sign for the twenty cases, I'll go ahead and start getting them into the bar."

River held up a hand. "Hold up. You need Gus's signature and he's not down here yet." She glanced inside the vehicle, noting the almost empty rear interior. "Are we your last stop?" Her gaze swept over a photo, taped to the sliding door, showing a woman and two dark-haired kids.

Joe nodded. "Yeah. I saved you guys for last." He leaned against the truck, the clipboard tucked under his arm. "You sure you can't sign for the beer? I won't tell my boss if you don't." His lips curved in a lopsided grin.

River shook her head. "No way, Joe. Gus'll have my hide." She tilted her head to one side. "I'll tell you what. Let me run up and see if he's home. Maybe he can come down, sign for the beer, and let you get going." She crossed the alley and dashed up the steps to Gus's apartment.

Joe gave her a thumbs-up. "Thanks, River. Appreciate it."

She waved and knocked on the door. Glancing through the window, she snorted. Gus wouldn't win any housekeeping awards. Clothes were flung everywhere, dirty dishes stacked in the sink, and office paraphernalia littered the table. She banged again and still didn't get a response.

She looked over the railing. His motorcycle sat parked in its usual spot, so he should be home.

River tried the knob. It twisted and she pushed the door open, sticking her head inside. "Gus? You home?" Running water greeted her ears.

Stepping inside, she tried again. "Hey, Gus? You around?" The shower shut off and River opened her mouth to say his name again but the words died in her throat.

Gus strolled from the bathroom toward his bedroom, gloriously naked up to his head, which he had covered with a towel, sopping up the water that clung to the ends of his hair. River gasped and Gus spun around, giving her a full frontal view.

Good God.

The man should pose nude for the sake of posterity. River drank in the sight—broad shoulders with some ink on the left, defined pecs, ripped abs, and—holy heaven above—an impressive cock. Even soft, it had length and girth.

Her gave flew upward, glancing off his and River worked to form words. But her brain got stuck between "I want" and "Gimme". Her fingers curled into her palms to keep from making grabby hands.

This one is fun. River and Gus get hot and heavy without really thinking through the consequences.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Severing Ties

January 22, 2017

Okay, I finally finished the six seasons of Hawaii Five-0 that were available on Netflix. Only a few small quibbles, the biggest being it makes me insane when actors play two different, unrelated roles on the same show. I love Ingo Rademacher, but don't make him the parent of a kidnapped child in one episode and then call him back to play a prosecuting attorney trying to bring Five-0 down. Seriously? Were there no other actors who could have played one of those roles? Ugh.

And thank the universe the whole Gabriel Waincroft saga is over. Yeesh.

I'm all caught up on Teen Wolf and aside from wanting to throw things because they brought Theo the Asshat back, I'm loving this season.

I'm working on The Librarians and should start catching up on Murdoch Mysteries and Sherlock this week.

Gotham returned and, yeah, definitely happy it's back on my screen. Now I need all my other DC shows to come back. Also looking forward to seeing what Riverdale ends up bringing to the table. That one could be really fun or truly terrible. Fingers crossed for the first option.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from Severing Ties, a novella that started with a writing community prompt to write a breakup scene. I enjoyed writing it so much I wanted to build the story leading up to the split.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lucky Block and Booker Severn provide all the crazy antics their small town can take. But when they finally sever ties, the community pulls out all the stops to show the couple they belong together.

And a snippety peek…

Lucky Block glanced at the clock and groaned. "Dammit, Booker is going to be so pissed." Her gaze focused on the project folder spread out on the desk. "Still have at least an hour of work to do." She shot off a quick text, giving him an apology and begging off for their date.

Settling back in her seat, she rubbed at the kinks in her neck. The late night would be the fourth one in a series of weeks filled with overtime. Her phone pinged and she glanced at the message.

"Seriously? Again?"

She rolled her eyes. Figured. The concept of doing something well and not stopping until she achieved perfection ended up being lost on Booker Severn. The man did everything right the first time and never second guessed his work.

Lucky sighed. "If only I had that problem." She typed out a response. "Let's shoot for a date night next week." The deadline for her current job would be met by then.

After five years of meandering through a quagmire of career indecision, Lucky buckled down and vowed to stay the course in her chosen profession. She didn't want to be the butt of the town's jokes anymore.

And she refused to be Booker's charity project. She'd pay her way or die trying.

Funny how living down their past seemed to be getting in the way of their future.

The decade of being on again-off again didn't help.

Her phone beeped. "Yeah, okay. See you at my place later?"

She hesitated a moment, weighing the option of going home and getting some much-needed rest or heading to Booker's and possibly arguing over their broken date. Maybe he wouldn't start a fight. She'd been talking about how this job kicked her ass on a daily basis.

Before she could change her mind, she texted. "I'll be there." Setting the device aside, she straightened and started back in on the work.

Maybe, if she played her cards right, she'd finish up and not be exhausted.

Lucky and Booker have what I call distraction syndrome and need to overcome the obstacles they've thrown up without realizing they're there.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Selling Tickets

Another crazy week with weather. At least we didn't get the huge ice storm the forecasters predicted. Thank the universe.

This week in television saw a lot of Hawaii Five-0. I'm developing a healthy obsession with Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. I'm working on season six and then it'll be a waiting period until season seven is done airing. Gotta say I'm pretty pleased with the continuity on this show. That said, I do have a couple of questions that haven't been answered yet. Maybe they'll have a resolution later?

Still need to catch up on The Librarians and Teen Wolf. Gotham returns this week, I think. I'm interested in seeing how the death of Mario is resolved.

Missed the return of Agents of SHIELD. Playing catch up on that one, too. So many good shows, so little time.

Tonight's post is from Selling Tickets, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "move along". I had an immediate scene pop into my head and went on a roll with brainstorming.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Kurt Trevarthan owns a popular nightclub and trusts Winnie Clay, one of his oldest friends, to keep things running smoothly. He never dreams he'll have to rely on her when his old man shows up—after a decade away—on the anniversary of Kurt's mom's death, but Winnie comes through and keeps the Trevarthan men from killing each other.

And a snippety peek…

Winnifrid Clay cast her critical gaze over the interior space of Solange's, the new club her partner, Kurt Trevarthan, built almost from the ground up. She always did a final walkthrough, looking for missed details. Final inspections were long over, but Winnie hadn't put her stamp of approval on the place yet.

Nostalgia filled her. She'd been with Kurt for a dozen years and this place meant a lot to him. A nudge of wistfulness crowded into her brain. She'd been in love with Kurt since day one. But… while he slept with her on a regular basis, he never asked for more.

And he never would.

Didn't matter she got the reasons he'd decline asking for a life with her. And she did get them, had been witness to the final blowup between Kurt and his dad and helped pick up the pieces. She'd worked alongside Kurt to move forward and stay off his dad's radar ever since.

"But someday, you'll have to deal with him, if only to close the book once and for all."

"Close what book, Win?" The head bartender wore a quizzical look.

Winnie shook her head. "Nothing, Frank. You know I'm always talking to myself." She waggled her fingers and moved along, taking in the DJ booth.

State of the art equipment and a splashy design would keep patrons on the dance floor, which would make them nice and thirsty and boost tab sales. Kurt would start out and stay in the black with this club. After helping him turn two other struggling bars around, Winnie confidently believed he'd succeed with this near to his heart venture.

With or without her.

Yes, she'd created the look for Solange's. She'd followed every step of the process from buying the building, to renovation, to running interference with the contractors and suppliers. Kurt's name resided on the deed to the property purchased outright five years ago with no mortgage, but Winnie's touch everywhere else.

She took pride in the accomplishment…

But the sense of being settled after a job well done escaped her this time. Wanderlust hovered just over the horizon and Winnie stood at a crossroads. Continue working and sleeping with Kurt as the status quo or shake things up and see what else life had to offer.

What do you want, Winnie? Her inner voice kept asking the same question.

"I have no idea and that's the problem."

Okay, she had a general idea. Once the club opening launched, she wanted time. To think, reflect, and decide what her next move would be. Two weeks should do it.

The office door opened and Kurt strode out. Even after a dozen years, her heart still kicked in her chest. Looks aside—because rugged handsomeness only went so far—his intensity and focus drew her in. Dressed down for a day of stocking alcohol for opening night, his jeans rode low on his hips and the black t-shirt clung to his torso and his solid biceps stretched the sleeves.

Make that two weeks… alone. With no Kurt to distract her from thinking clearly.

I'm excited to finish this one and see how it turns out.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: A Rustic Affair

As usual, the weather in Ohio is all over the map. A balmy fifty degrees one day and single digits the next. It's crazy.

I'm working my way through my binge watch of Hawaii Five-0. I'm currently in season 4 at the halfway mark. I'm rather happy with the continuity to this point. When shows play with their history and / or rewrite it, I get a little cranky. (I'm looking at you NCIS: LA)

Need to catch up on The Librarians and Teen Wolf. Definitely looking forward to the return of my regular shows later this month.

Tonight's post is from A Rustic Affair, a novella with a bit of a twist, featuring two heroes who are finally ready to retire but struggle with how to do it.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Necia Sands and Falcon Seaver, two mercenaries for hire who finally retire from the life, try to settle down. Being opposites draws them together, but it also makes them clash over simple things—like finding the right place to live.

And a snippety peek…

Necia grimaced. "Nah, I'm actually sick of traveling. I'm ready to put down roots and stay in one place." She tilted her head to one side. "I think the longest I've spent in one location is four months." Her gaze met his. "That's when I met you."

Falcon's lips twisted in a half-smile. "When I shanghaied your wet work job for the company, you mean?" She'd been so pissed she almost shot him.

Twice.

She quirked an eyebrow. "I got my man in the end. You were the bonus payout."

Falcon didn't remind her it had taken two failed attempts on his life before she came around to that way of thinking. He needed information her target had and his intervention put her reputation on the line. Necia considered Falcon collateral damage… until his boss called her handler and she backed off.

Necia moved to stand toe-to-toe with him. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't think so at the time." Her hands grasped his hips. "But it didn't take me long to come around." She tilted her chin up and brushed her lips over his jaw.

Falcon wrapped his arms around her. "Only about two weeks or so." Fourteen days of playing cat and mouse while he extracted the intel he needed before letting her finish her job.

Necia cracked a smile. "A fun two weeks. I spent most of that time plotting ways to kill you, you know."

Falcon chuckled. "Then of course you enjoyed it." He walked her backward toward the front door. "Think of this place as another opportunity to plan my demise." Twisting the knob, he pushed the heavy oak inward and nudged her into the small foyer.

Necia sucked in a breath. "Um, yeah. You said it needed work." She shot him a sideways glance. "Not a complete reno." Moving forward into the sitting room, her gaze scanned the dusty interior.

He followed her line of sight, taking in the rickety steps to the second floor, the narrow hall leading to the kitchen. A den and bathroom lined the space. She'd probably flip at the upstairs. Two bedrooms, another bath, and an open area that might make a nice office space.

Not that they'd need an office. They were retired. No more work for hire.

Necia angled her head around and pinned him with her gaze. "Let's do it. Call the owner."

His mouth dropped open. "Seriously?" He actually thought she'd put up more of a fuss.

Necia grinned. "Yeah, seriously." She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the kitchen to the back door. "Listen… you can hear the waves crash from here." Pulling the curtain aside, she gazed out the window. "Add a porch out here and we can sit outside and probably feel the salt water spray off the ocean."

Falcon moved up, planting his hands on her hips. "Sounds pretty terrific."

Necia leaned her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, it does… Once we completely gut the place and start over." Her wide smirk suggested his next several months would be incredibly busy.

Falcon wouldn't have it any other way.

I think this is going to be a fun one to finish up. It's challenging to write conflict between two characters when they're working to avoid it.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Running Dialog

A very Happy New Year to all!

Hope everyone survived the holiday season and 2017 is starting out with peace and joy.

I finished up my Great Holiday Show Binge Watch Extravaganza for the most part. Mainly single episode shows from a wide variety of dramas. I still have a couple of shows on my DVR that I'll watch after everyone goes back to school and work.

Started a binge watch of the reboot of Hawaii Five-0. After watching the Christmas episodes, I had enough interest to start the series. So far, I'm enjoying the reboot and started season two yesterday.

Looking forward to the return of my regular shows this month.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Running Dialog, a sexy short about the highs and lows of living with the person you work with.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Margo Miln and Del Lamberto, two of the remote outpost's best medics, argue all the time. Sometimes their rapid fire disagreements can be a pain… and occasionally their lively discussions lead to truly awesome things.

And a snippety peek…

Margo tossed back the clear alcohol, letting it slide down her throat. If she didn't want to maintain her credibility, she'd compliment Del on the mixture. She very much doubted she'd be able to top his latest recipe.

Del entered the Pit—they were going to laughingly call their quarters the head, but decided not to risk it—and flopped down on his cot. "What a day." He rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand. "What's the verdict? Is the swill top shelf or rot gut?" His gaze remained steady when it met hers.

Put on the spot, Margo answered honestly. "Top shelf, Del. It's ready to serve to the masses." She didn't have to tell him he'd made his best batch yet, right?

Del fist-pumped the air. "Yes. Great news!" He leaned over the edge of his cot. "The natives were getting a wee bit restless." He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress. "I'll go post a notice on the community board." Rising to his feet, he started for the door.

Margo jumped up. "Hey, wait. Let's make this a party. Something themed, like a luau or something retro-inspired." She caught up and followed Del out the door.

He glanced down. "Not sure that's a great idea. None of us brought along much." Making the turn, he entered the commons area. "But we could check the supply closet and see what's in there."

He grabbed a sheet of paper from the printer and started making a sign. Margo opened the supply closet and pulled out boxes left behind by other crews. After rifling around, she came up with an idea for the party. Several costumes had been tucked away and the assortment of decorations should prove more than enough to carry out the concept.

She dragged the crates to the middle of the floor. "So… I'm thinking—"

Del turned around. "Roaring twenties." He tacked the notice to the bulletin board.

Margo nodded. "Yeah, think speak easy and—"

Del snapped his fingers. "Bathtub gin."

Margo grinned. "Exactly." She separated some of the boxed items and made piles for the other crew members. "We'll drop these off outside quarters and tell everyone to add their own ideas to the theme." She couldn't wait to start turning the commons into a smoky gin joint.

Del gathered up the piles. "I'll drop these off. You get going with the decorations." He hustled toward the corridor. "Will a couple of hours do?"

Margo nodded. "Yep." She started moving chairs away from the large table in the center of the room. "Hurry back so you can help." She glanced up to see Del's middle finger provide his response.

But he'd be back in plenty of time. Del wouldn't leave her hanging.

She hoped.

Having fun figuring out where this one is going. Margo is a hoot to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin