Sunday Snippet: Ugly Drunk

Some nice weather, not too hot or cold. No snow, which is always a bonus. Fingers crossed it stays mild. Of course, everyone knows not to hold their breath. It's still March.

Didn't pay much attention to The Walking Dead, but did catch The Talking Dead. Definitely going to have to check out Hardwick's The Talking because it should be loads of fun.

How much longer is the hiatus for Gotham? I'm missing the dark, crazy ride.

The Flash had another crossover with Supergirl and, I have to admit, the mash-up ended up being fun and worth the watch.

Arrow… wow. I guess I'm going to assume Oliver's last buried deep secret is finally out there for, well, the viewers at least. Kudos to that walk down memory lane. That said, I've got a crap-ton of questions and need to watch again with zero, I mean absolutely no interruptions or distractions. I do have a hope some of the bad guys are now going to ripple out from Oliver's past transgressions, especially Talia. I would love to see an Oliver / Nyssa / Talia meet up. That would be worth an entire episode, right?

Looking forward to a new episode of Riverdale. I've missed seeing my new favorite group of actors.

Finally finished Luke Cage and thoroughly enjoyed the first season. I'll admit I'm not thrilled with how it ended but I'm assuming all will be addressed soon. Continued the City Homicide rewatch and have most of season two out of the way.

Still need to catch up on a few other shows and might get to those this week.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Ugly Drunk, a novella that got its start with the two-word prompt, "of course".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Pippa Rice is a problem solver and when she takes a job at a local watering hole, her natural skill defuses quite a few tricky situations. Too bad she can't quite figure out how to fix her boss, Wood Finnian. The guy has more baggage than an airport, but Pippa isn't one to give up on people, ever.

And a snippety peek…

Wood sobered up fast, easing away from Pippa. Her lips, lush and swollen, remained open, inviting him back for more. He cupped one side of her face and went back for another kiss.

Home. She tasted like home and great things and a future he wanted so badly he might kill to have it. And marshmallows.

Okay, maybe the alcohol still burned in his brain.

Didn't make their chemistry any less potent.

He pulled away from her, blinking several times. "Whoa."

Her lips twisted in a wry smile. "I know, right?" She moved a few feet away, putting some space between them.

Wood shook his head, still dazed and very hot for her. "I didn't. Not until just now." His tongue flicked over his lower lip and caught a hint of her flavor again. "Whoa."

She grinned, wide and full. "You're repeating yourself." Her husky tone went straight to his dick.

And realization dawned. He affected her the same way.

He met her gaze. "So that's why…" His voice trailed off.

She nodded. "Yes, that's exactly why." Pippa glanced away, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I got the vibe right away. Felt the pull almost immediately." She blew out a breath then raised her gaze to his again. "You have the power to break me, Wood. And I ran scared."

He didn't want to break her. Destroying furniture while he slaked his lust with her body wouldn't be off the list though. Carnal images of her in his bed with her fingers wrapped around the headboard filled his mind. Jesus. Could his cock get any harder? But her admission cut through the fiery haze heating his blood.

He lifted his chin. "Looks like I'm not the only one with issues." Maybe she understood better than he gave her credit for.

Her lips twisted again. "Nope. I'm attracted to danger. It's like catnip for me." She spoke with quiet purpose. "You… are super dangerous." Her eyes flashed with a spark of determination. "And you should be off-limits." A quick dart of her tongue over her top lip showed her indecision.

Wood struck fast. "That's not what you want, is it?" He closed the space between them, reaching out to grasp her hips. "You want me. Dangerous or not." Tugging her close, he met with resistance when she planted her hands on his chest.

Pippa edged away. "Doesn't matter, Wood. We're at cross-purposes." She put some additional distance between them. "You're thinking spectacular sex, which is great and all, but you're not ready for me. Not yet." Darting around him, she made a beeline for the door.

Wood quickly beat her to the exit. "What if I am? We won't know unless you give me a shot."

It's decision time for Pippa. Take a chance on Wood and the possibility of something terrific or stay safe in her comfort zone. She's a brave woman…

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Transference

March 19, 2017

And we had about two inches of snow this week. Mother Nature is laughing her ass off right now.

The Walking Dead had another great episode. I always love Carol and I enjoyed Morgan's journey. The Talking Dead follow up made me happy, too.

The Flash took a turn I didn't expect and I like it. Looking forward to seeing what else the speed force comes up with to throw at Barry.

Legends of Tomorrow going to the moon proved a fun ride. Personally, I want a lot more Mick and Martin scenes. Their timing is so terrific. I'm also loving the Sarah / Rip dynamic. Love this show.

Arrow upped the tension by a zillion. His past keeps coming back to haunt him in huge ways. While I love how Adrian has everything twisted in his direction, I'll enjoy seeing him go down. At least I hope he goes down. Hard. And doesn't get back up. I'm also waiting for Felicity to land on the hot seat. Something tells me she's going to get into a mess she can't get out of.

Riverdale had a bye week, which makes me sad. No new episode this week either. Grr.

I finished up the first season of City Homicide and started Luke Cage. So far, I'm enjoying the Harlem vibe and look forward to seeing how Luke comes into his hero status.

Still need to catch up on Murdoch Mysteries and X Company. Possibly this week.

And that's it for television. This week's post is from Transference, a novella that started with a scene prompt... One character is loading up their belongings for a move or transfer and they find a letter that reminds of their last time with another character.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Leslie Karr is packing her meager belongings to move into a new apartment and finds a letter from Granger Unger explaining why their night of shared grief over the loss of his brother can't go anywhere. After three years, Leslie still wonders if he may have been wrong and decides to test the waters by looking him up before she leaves town.

And a snippety peek…

Granger tossed a ball against the wall of his office. He'd sent all the lab techs home—no one had great ideas after working twenty-four hours straight. He couldn't leave—not yet.

His team hovered on a breakthrough, so close Granger could almost see the solution in his mind. But not quite.

"Argh!" The ball hit, bounced, and returned only to roll between his trash can and file cabinets.

Rising, he dragged on a jacket and exited the office. The darkened lab cast shadows on the floor and walls. When did it get dark? The clock read just after nine. Geez, I need a life. He'd been cloistered in his office for well over three hours. But he had nothing to get home to or anyone waiting on him.

His stomach rumbled. "Okay, food I can do." He locked the lab and jogged down the steps to the first floor.

The security guard glanced up from his monitoring station. "Heading home, Granger?" He settled back in the chair and folded his hands over his belly.

Granger cracked a smile. "Not yet, Wallace. Heading out to grab a bite then coming back to work." He paused by the counter housing the camera feeds. "Can I get you something?"

Wallace shook his head. "No, thanks. The wife cooked up a storm today, trying a bunch of new recipes for her blog." He patted his stomach. "I'm her official taste tester and, man, I'm about to burst from eating so much." A satisfied grin crossed his features.

Granger lifted a hand in farewell. "Sounds terrific, Wallace. I'll be back in about thirty minutes." He waited for the guard to buzz him through the door then exited into the brisk night.

Suppressing a shiver, he strolled away from the research facility and crossed the road, heading toward an Irish pub that served excellent food in short order. The stars twinkled in the clear sky and Granger took a moment to gaze upward. He liked this time of year, but the usually mild weather of late spring hadn't arrived yet. The bite of winter lingering well after its normal run. Ohio weather never failed to amuse and amaze him.

He pulled the door open and entered the pub, the blast of warmth welcoming and full of comfort. The owner, Donal, lifted his chin in greeting then jerked his head toward the kitchen. Being a regular provided top-notch service without saying a word.

Granger gave a thumbs-up then grabbed a seat by the window. He didn't wait long, getting his order within fifteen minutes. Donal waved Granger off and suggested he come in to pay his tab this weekend.

Donal always seemed to know when Granger needed a break. He'd definitely stop in on Friday or Saturday and unwind. But first, his team needed to find their breakthrough.

Wallace nodded, the phone to his ear, when Granger walked past. He hit the stairs again, going up a floor then wandered down to the lab and back into his office. Settling behind the desk, he popped the lid on his takeout container then noticed his message light flashing.

Hitting the speaker, he keyed in his password. Maybe inspiration struck one of the techs. Nothing prepared Granger for the blast from his past.

"Hi, Granger. It's Leslie. Stupid of me to call, but, well, I finally graduated and have several interviews scheduled—God, that's not why I'm calling. I'd like to see you, if you're not too busy. I'll be in town Friday, staying through next week. If you're available, give me a call."

She signed off with her contact number.

Granger blinked and sat, hard, in the chair. Jesus. Leslie. How many times had he thought about her over the past two years? Every time he'd thought of Thad, which, granted, hadn't been as much recently. He missed his brother, especially around the holidays when Granger didn't have any family to visit.

But he'd held firm to his promise to leave Leslie alone. "And what did it get me?" A string of one-night stands and weekend relationships.

But he couldn't lay the blame at Leslie's feet. He wrote the letter. But she didn't reply or respond. You didn't leave her much of an opening. He hadn't. Not even a smidgen. How had she coped? He still got a kick of guilt over leaving that letter in her mailbox. She didn't have anyone either. Who had she turned to when she needed someone to talk to? God, he'd been such a shit. Pulling away not even a month after his brother's death. Hey, dumbass, she wants to talk to you now. Call her.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed her number.

Granger is going to kick himself for not calling Leslie sooner. But it gives him the opportunity to examine where he is and where he wants to go.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Toying With Desire

March 12, 2017

Seriously, the back and forth of warm then frigid weather is the one thing I hate about March. My sinuses rebel in a big way and it's never pretty. LOL

The Walking Dead had a great episode last week. Nice to see Rick and Michonne working together. Rosita on the warpath is also pretty great to watch.

The Flash is speeding along to the reveal of the big bad and I have a sneaky feeling I'm not going to like who it ends up being. We'll see what happens.

Legends of Tomorrow finally brought Rip back from the edge of evil… or did they? It's never one hundred percent certain with this group. Looks like a great episode coming up.

Arrow had the week off and I missed my Wednesday night fare. I'm not a huge fan of these stupid three week hiatuses. Just show the damn episodes already.

Riverdale also had a great episode. This series is fast becoming my number two show. I loved getting some background about Fred and FP. That said, if Fred had a band in high school, why was he pretty much unable to connect with Archie about his music? Little things and details like this can make or break a show for me. Here's hoping there's some improvement there. I love sneaky Betty. Cheryl's right about Betty betting a terrible liar, but she's got some game with her clueless parents. On a side note, the seeds being planted for a messy situation with Betty, Jughead, and Archie make me happy. I'd like to see a little more Dark Betty emerge.

I finished up Jessica Jones and ended up loving how things played out. As hard as it is for my brain to wrap around David Tennant playing a raging asshole, I gotta give him kudos for being completely creepy. Started a rewatch of one of my favorite Australian series, City Homicide. I love that show. Also need to catch up on X Company and Murdoch Mysteries.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Toying with Desire, a novella that got a start from a challenge to write something not the norm.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Carly Johnson, a savvy business owner who sells sex toys, isn't looking for love… her track record is terrible. But when she meets Zeke Moran, under less than stellar circumstances, sparks fly and Carly wants to take a chance… but first he has to get over his preconceived ideas about her career.

And a snippety peek…

Zeke Moran wondered how the hell a demon of a woman got the upper hand over him. Staring at the empty space while the door slowly swung shut, he felt the loss of heat they'd generated.

Carly Johnson turned out to be nothing like he imagined. She didn't have blond hair or huge tits—though hers were more than adequate—and her head didn't appear to be empty.

No, she seemed intelligent. Eloquent. Cool under pressure. He'd come looking for some skeevy, trampy type. Instead he met up with a weird mix of sexy smart and hotly demure.

The combination completely threw him.

Hell's bells.

He followed her outside… didn't have much of a choice. Found her leaning casually against the concrete barricade in front of the bar, looking strangely ethereal under the neon glow of the sign. She popped up as soon as she caught sight of him, but waited for him to make his way to her. Stuck out her hand as soon as he was close enough.

"Carly Johnson… and I'm assuming you're Lola's brother, Zeke?"

She'd thrown him again. He didn't expect her to be amicable. Zeke shook her hand, even though her friendly demeanor pissed him off. The woman had him twisted sideways and upside down.

And he didn't like it one damn bit. Who cared if her grip was firm, yet soft at the same time?

He sure as hell didn't.

Dropping her hand as if it burned, he growled. "Damn right, I'm Lola's brother. And I wanna know just who the hell you think you are, talking my sister into cheating on her husband."

Zeke tends to step in great big piles of his own creation. He'll learn to think before he opens his mouth.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Throw in the Towel

If February in Ohio can be an angsty monster, March is its drama queen sibling. The wind is doing some wicked crazy things lately.

I'm kind of looking forward to The Walking Dead tonight. Of course, whether I watch the entire episode depends on if Negan makes an appearance. I really, really don't like him eating up screen time. No offense to the actor. He's terrific.

The Flash had another great episode. Dueling Harrisons is fun to watch. I'm truly wondering if Iris has a future on this show. I love the actress so I hope she does. That said, the CW isn't afraid to kill off favorites, so, yeah, there's that.

Arrow had another great episode. I had a sneaky suspicion about Adrian, especially after he mentioned Oliver stole his girlfriend back in the day. Season five is kind of up and down but the threads merge in ways I'm not usually expecting and I like that.

Riverdale is still holding my attention. I'm a little iffy on the jumbled up feeling I get, like there's not really a solid through-line, but I'm more than willing to hang in there and see where everything goes. I chuckle at their previously ons… I know a show that used to slip stuff that didn't make it onscreen into the previously ons… just saying.

Finished up season two of Daredevil and loved how everything came together. Looking forward to more with Matt, Foggy, and Karen. Started Jessica Jones and hit just over the halfway mark. It's not quite as great as Daredevil, in my viewer opinion, but I'm enjoying the acting and the characters. Okay, I'm not really excited about Hogarth, but eh, whatever.

And that's it in television this week. Tonight's post is from Throw in the Towel, a novella that got a start with the writing community prompt of "Towel-related hijinks". Such a fun idea!

Here's the mini-blurb:

Taurin Beach and Craig Wallmartin are top competitors on the mud run circuit. When Craig is caught by a reporter with nothing but a towel, it gives Taurin the perfect idea for catching his attention and finally getting what she wants. Him.

And a snippety peek…

Once she cooled down, she caught sight of Craig Wallmartin, the hot, hard object of her latest fantasies. Fit men made her weak in the knees and Craig could be a cover model for one of her books. Maybe all of them. He'd won the men's division and looked to be chatting with a rep from one of the shoe sponsors. He dripped with sweat and had mud and muck from head to toe—just like Taurin did. Then again, what screamed buy these shoes more than a walking epitome of demonstration? Schmoozing with a rep would be worth the itchy, caked on goodness when the course clay and debris started to dry.

But not for her.

Squeezing the mud out of her hair, she ducked into the mobile shower area the course owners had set up. Stripping off her disgusting clothes, she stepped under the hot spray, thanking the universe for the corporate cash kicking in the extra bucks for the huge comfort. She rinsed off the dirt, sweat, and—ouch—blood. A stray vine of a jagged prickly bush caught her just below the bicep.

"Might help if I learned to look where I'm going."

The small gash burned like hell but cleaned up okay. A little triple antibiotic and she should be good to go. She finished up with a double hair wash and finally turned off the shower.

Shivering a little, she wrapped a towel around her torso and quickly jammed her dirty gear into her duffel bag. Hoisting the bag over her shoulder, she started to exit the shower area into the changing room but paused when she heard voices. She hadn't heard anyone else enter the facilities.

"Mr. Wellmartin, Craig, can I get a few quotes for our viewers?"

Taurin poked her head around the partition separating the changing area from the central hub of the building. Sure enough, Craig stood—a towel wrapped around his waist and still wet and dripping from his shower—blinking at the brazen reporter from mudrunmainia.com. Lori Michels, if Taurin remembered correctly. And didn't the woman have some gall?

Craig's grip tightened on the terry cloth. "Lori, if you'll give me five minutes, I'll be happy to speak with you." He used his free hand to guide Ms. Michels toward the exit.

The woman protested. "Please, Craig, I'd really like to get a jump on everyone else…"

Taurin narrowed her eyes when Lori shifted sideways a little and Taurin caught sight of Lori's phone—recording the exchange with Craig.

Holy shit. The reporter would definitely have a jump on everyone else—an almost naked Craig would drive a buttload of traffic to mudrunmania.com site. Lori kept squirming around, trying to stay in the competitor's zone and Craig struggled to keep his towel covering his midsection. Lori, no doubt, got some very revealing footage.

Taurin couldn't stand the spectacle anymore. She dropped her duffel and rifled through for some clean clothes. Yanking a shirt over her head, she then pulled on some shorts and dashed out into the open area.

She planted her hands on her hips. "Hey, Craig, you might wanna check her phone. She's been recording your entire exchange."

His demeanor immediately went from friendly exasperation to angry disgust.

Lori shot Taurin a venom-filled look before she gasped and tried to play her ballsy move off as an accident. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She swiped the back button on the device and stopped filming. "Must've inadvertently hit the camera icon while you were trying to shoo me out." She batted her eyelashes.

Taurin snorted and rolled her eyes. My ass you didn't know exactly what you were doing.

Craig didn't buy the lame excuse either. "I doubt that." He shook his head and growled. "I think you've got what you wanted. Now, get out." He pointed to the exit.

Lori smirked and made a hasty retreat.

Taurin strode back to the women's side and grabbed the rest of her gear then slid her feet into her flip-flops. She turned around and almost bumped into Craig, still holding his towel in one fist.

Geez, the guy should come with a warning label—lethally hot, please don't get too close. Her gaze focused on the hard, bare chest a mere few inches in front of her. She resisted the urge—barely—to touch the smooth skin, marred by a single, jagged scar on his left pec. She'd love to trade war stories about battle wounds… in bed.

Glancing up, she found him giving her a hard stare and she quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, sorry. Did you need something?" She squashed the desire to list the things she'd be happy to do for him.

He shook his head. "No, just… look, thanks." His voice had gone gruff and grumbly. "For, well, helping in there." His head jerked toward the changing area. "Can't believe she filmed me. I don't get it." He grimaced.

Her eyes widened at his discomfort. Did the guy have no clue? Maybe he didn't.

She flashed a grin. "Are you kidding? Mud Run Mania should pay you. You'll increase traffic and traction to their website once her video goes viral." She moved past him into the less intimate space of the changing area.

Other competitors started rolling in and she dumped her duffel bag on a bench, lifting a hand in greeting to a few.

Craig followed her after throwing on a pair of clean shorts. "Do you really think a video of me in a towel telling Lori to get out will generate that much interest?" He snorted.

Taurin blinked. He really didn't have any kind of idea how hot he looked. Members of both sexes were giving him once-overs on their way to the showers.

She bit back a laugh. "Again, I ask, are you kidding? Hell, yeah, it will." Needing to leave before she said more, she gathered her bag and beat a hasty retreat.

I enjoy writing fun romps and this one is well on the way to being one of those.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin