Sunday Snippet: Up the Ante

So… last day of April is here and I'm finally starting to realize I have a kid graduating in a month. It's my second experience, my oldest graduated five years ago, but, wow, reality hits in weird ways. LOL I've got a party to plan and things to make happen.

Thank goodness for television when I need a reality break. Gotham came back with a vengeance and delivered a very fun hour of TV. While the whole owl society thing makes me roll my eyes, I have a feeling the payoff will end up being worth it.

The Flash returned with a great episode. I'm not feeling as much love for this season's overall arc, but I do enjoy this show so much. I have two working theories for who revealed themselves to Kaitlyn and either makes me very excited.

Arrow continues to be my favorite show. Having Felicity go dark side is an interesting twist, even if it feels a little forced sometimes. Throwing ARGUS in and creating tension and conflict with John makes me happy. Looking forward to seeing how the season ends.

Riverdale upped the stakes again. My twitter feed is half and half on the love / hate for the show. Personally, I love it. There are some terrific little twists that make me happy. And I thoroughly enjoy the grown-ups getting caught up in their own drama and how that plays out between the kids.

I haven't really mentioned Doctor Who. There's a reason for that. While I really like the new companion and the sidekick, I'm just not excited about this season. I'll be happy to get through and see who Thirteen will be. Hopefully we'll get a new Master, too.

Class isn't bad. It's not quite the same as Sarah Jane's adventures, but it's got a good vibe and I like the interactions with the characters.

I've been busy enough to not really have time to catch up on my binge watch shows. With nicer weather, my cleaning gene kicks in and I start mini-projects that tend to last the entire summer. LOL

That's it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Up the Ante, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt of have the main characters "manipulate" each other under a poker table. How could I possibly resist that one?

Here's the mini-blurb:

Mutual satisfaction starts at the poker table when Vianca Berry and Fritz Hattenfield begin a flirtatious game that ups the ante of their new relationship.

And a snippety peek…

Vianca Berry finished up the work on a sweet, classic motorcycle. "How the hell did I land this job?" A dream gig, she couldn't have asked for anything better.

She split her time between tending bar and wrenching cars and bikes. Bartending came easy. She'd learned at her father's knee. It helped she had good genes and an easygoing personality. Wrenching proved harder. Not the actual mechanical aspect, getting anyone to take her seriously.

Then she met Fritz Hattenfield.

"Sex on two legs." Vi grimaced and glanced around, making sure no one overheard her description.

Geez, she needed to quit talking out loud, especially to herself.

But the description fit. The man oozed masculine appeal. Tall, built, and with just enough edge to make her crave being around him.

Danger, Vi, danger.

She snorted out a laugh. "Get a grip, girl." Rising, she turned and bumped into the object of her latest fantasies.

Fritz gripped her shoulders and quirked an eyebrow. "Chatting up the oil stains again?" His lips curved in a sexy twist.

Vi gave him a smirk. "You know me, Fritzie. Can't help myself." The wall of his chest against her arms seared her skin.

Tight t-shirts shouldn't look so good on a man.

He stepped away, his palms sliding down to her forearms. "As long as they don't start talking back." His lips twitched and he winked.

Vi laughed. "So far, so good." She turned back toward the bike. "She's all finished. Want me to call Bosco and let him know?"

Fritz shook his head. "Nah. He'll be over right after work." He nodded toward the clubhouse across the parking lot. "He can't ride her before he finishes his shift."

Bosco belonged to the Wayfarer's Motorcycle Club and worked as a rad tech at the local hospital. Fritz owned the club and held the charter position as president. Half her salary came from being the bartender and the other half came from Fritz's garage.

So the man should really be off-limits.

But her libido urged her to go for it.

Vi resisted—she enjoyed the early flirtation stage too much to bypass it completely.

Quirking a smile, she planted her hands on his chest, enjoying the twitch of his pecs, and pushed back and away. "Better get this moved out into the lot then." She grabbed the handlebars and shoved the hulking machine toward the bay door.

She definitely got a workout moving the heavy motorcycles around, which helped her legs and ass look outstanding. Or so she'd been told. The low rumble of appreciation coming from Fritz reinforced the notion.

Vi glanced over her shoulder. "When you're done staring at my ass, maybe you could give a hand?" She laughed when Fritz blinked and shook his head.

He stepped up. "Right, yeah. Let me." Maneuvering the cycle into the lot, he wrestled it into a space. "Not my fault you've got the best ass I've seen in years, Vi. Can't blame a guy for admiring the view." Placing the kickstand down, he met her gaze.

Vi cracked a grin. "Not blaming you, Fritzie. But you could return the favor and let me follow you into the clubhouse." She made a twirling motion with her finger, indicating he needed to precede her.

His mouth twisted in a wry smirk. "Always aim to please." He wiggled his butt back and forth before smacking a hand on the left, jean-clad cheek.

Vi threw her head back and laughed.

Then thoroughly enjoyed the view.

I'm having fun with this one. It's not huge on conflict but the tension is way fun to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Underfoot

Well, my youngest attended our local prom last night and she looked so beautiful. I'm always amazed I had a hand in creating my kids. They're good people. J

Gotham returns Monday! I'm pretty excited for the final half of this season. Also looking forward to having my CW shows back with new episodes. And the summer TV fare isn't looking too bad either.

My work schedule is jammed and I love it! I like to stay busy, even when it cuts into my writing time. I could live with about four more hours each day, but I'm getting a lot better at managing personal with professional.

Tonight's post is from Underfoot, a novella that got a writing community prompt beginning. One character is a reclusive writer struggling with their latest novel; the other is a beautiful / handsome stranger that shows up when their car breaks down. What a kick-ass scenario!

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nona Rack, a footloose artist and Jane of all trades, breaks down beside reclusive author West Wentworth's house at two am during a blinding snowstorm. The cranky writer lets her stay, even though she's underfoot, and before he knows it, he's discovered a new muse.

And a snippety peek…

West Wentworth snarled at the interruption. A quick glance at his watch showed the time to be two a.m. Who the hell would disturb him at such a late hour? Didn't matter. The last chapter sucked balls. He couldn't get a handle on his newest heroine and his frustration showed in the prose.

Another series of knocks sounded and he got up, stalking through the house to answer the door. Whoever waited outside, better have a damn good reason for being there.

Throwing the deadbolt, he yanked the heavy oak slab inward. Icy air swirled around him and he blinked. Jesus, when did the weather turn so crappy?

A huge coat stood in front of him. A parka with faux fur trim, hiding a face with an upturned nose. The nose caught his attention followed by the cupid-bow lips. Words swirled in his head and he committed them to memory.

Slender fingers pushed the hood back, revealing a little more of his visitor. Dark hair, clear green eyes. He blinked again, hoping like hell the vision in front of him didn't turn out to be a hallucination.

She launched into an explanation. "Sorry to bother you, especially at an ungodly hour, but I slid off the road and my car is stuck." She tilted her head up a little to meet his gaze. "I'm pretty sure I won't get anyone to come out until this blizzard lets up." The wind picked that moment to bluster, spraying both with icy pellets.

West quirked an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do?" No way would he be pushing a car anywhere in this weather.

She studied him a moment. "Allow me to impose and let me stay until morning?" She rushed on. "At least until I can get a look at the damage." Her lips twitched. "I swear I'm not hiding an ax under this huge coat." She patted the front down then wiggled back and forth.

She shoved her hood all the off. He resisted the urge to picture what she looked like without the hulking jacket.

And, hell, she looked harmless enough. He stepped back, inviting her in with a sweep of his arm and a frown. The timing couldn't be worse with his deadline looming and no finished manuscript.

He waited until she brushed past him before speaking. "Fine, you can stay. But don't expect me to entertain you." He closed the door and turned to find her removing her coat and toeing off her boots.

She flashed a grateful smile. "No problem. A place to plant my ass is all I need." Moving by him, she placed her footwear by the door and swung her parka on the coatrack. "Nona Rack, by the way. Thanks again." Her hand shot out in front of him.

West took her palm in his. "West Wentworth." He definitely noticed her ass when she nodded and turned to move further into his home.

He shook his head. Too long without a woman, buddy. He stepped up, grasping her elbow and directed her into the den—a leather-infused nightmare left over from his dad, but it had a murphy bed she could sleep on. He tugged the latch to lower the frame to the floor.

She took everything in without comment, helping to fluff up the pillows.

He grabbed an extra blanket from the back of the sofa. "Bathroom is down the hall to the left, third door on the right." Soaking up the pleasing picture she made, sitting on the edge of the mattress, he reined in his imagination. "There should be linens in the closet if you want a shower in the morning." He started toward the door.

She rose, following him. "Thank you. Seriously. I won't get in the way and I'll try to be out of here as soon as possible." She paused at the threshold. "Um… good night."

His lips curved upward. "'Night." He stared at the door longer than necessary after she closed it.

Oddly rejuvenated, he strolled to his office and sat down, his fingers hovering over the keyboard only a moment before words starting pouring out.

Maybe a late night visitor wouldn't prove to be a bad thing.

Honestly? I'm having a load of fun writing this. There's a chance it's not going to go in exactly the direction I originally planned and I love it when that happens.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Under the Influence (South of the Border)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. I'm always down for baked ham, mashed potatoes, and noodles. Also, the weather couldn't be more beautiful today.

Thoroughly enjoyed Talking with Chris Hardwick last week. I truly enjoy his casual approach to interviewing. He's such a fan of everything and it shows.

Not much on television this week. I'm looking forward to the return of my lineup.

Riverdale had a great episode. Secrets and sins run deep in the small town and it's so cool to see the interesting ways both get exposed. It'll be fun to see how Archie's mom mixes it up with everyone.

Had a busy work week but had some time to look forward to some returning shows. It looks like Syfy on Fridays will be awesome this summer. Killjoys, Dark Matter, and Wynonna Earp all in one block? Doesn't get much better.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from Under the Influence, a South of the Border novella. I'm really hoping to dive back in to this world and finish up a couple of related books.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When her father dies, Lilith Jans inherits a piece of hotly sought after property in Mexico. She also unknowingly takes on an unpaid debt, which puts her life in danger. Hayden Knoxville makes her an offer she wants to refuse, but can't—sell to him and he'll deal with the men coming to collect payment.

And a sneaky peek…

Lars Rademacher blinked and shook his head. "Wait, Kier, back everything up a moment." He grabbed her hand and tugged her down beside him. "What does Maria need our help with?" He'd happily give the woman a kidney if necessary.

After all, she took Kiernan in when she had no one else. And she welcomed him with open arms—something he didn't take for granted.

Kier curled up on the lounge chair and got comfortable. "Her niece, Lilith, inherited her father's bar two towns over. Maria is beside herself. She's so happy Lilith is coming down, hopefully to stay, but…" She paused a moment, frowning.

Lars prodded for more. "But… what? Kier, what's going on?" Not like his Kier to keep things bottled up.

Not since they'd reunited and got their lives back.

Kier angled toward him, heaving a sigh. "Maria thinks a big problem will keep Lilith from sticking around." She snagged his beer and took a drink.

There's a story here. "Start at the beginning, Kier. How is Lilith related to Maria? Mom's side? Dad's side?" He retrieved the bottle and emptied the contents.

Kier reached into the cooler and grabbed another. "Her mom, Jauanita, is—was—Maria's sister." A smile twisted her lips. "According to Maria, they were different as night and day. Maria likes the slower pace of her cantina. You know, steady flow of customers, mostly locals who she's known her whole life. Jaunita preferred bigger crowds, a faster pace. She opened a beachside bar and gained quite a reputation for good food, great service, and primo events." She popped the top off the beer and handed it to Lars. "Juanita met Lilith's dad down here when he was on vacation. Two months later, he bought in to the bar and they got married."

Lars tilted the bottle and took a long swallow. "Okay, what happened to Juanita?"

It's so much fun to revisit Lars and Kiernan, the couple who started the South of the Border series.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Under the Impression

Ugh. This has been a rough week. A nasty stomach virus worked its way through the entire family. So glad we're all back to being semi-normal.

Looking forward to catching Talking with Chris Hardwick tonight. I'm excited to see what he brings to the screen each week.

Legends of Tomorrow had a solid finale. I look forward to seeing how the team deals with the time quakes. Awesome to see Mick pretty much choose his side.

Riverdale keeps getting better and better. I love this show. Watching Archie screw things up makes me happy. It's nice to have a character who gets to grow and change… as long as he actually gets to do both.

Finished up season three of City Homicide and got a start on season four. I'd forgotten how much I didn't like Rhys. Can't remember if he ended up growing on me or not. Took a small break to rewatch Pitch Perfect and do my happy chair dance while viewing.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Under the Impression, a novella that got a start with the two-word prompt of "bloody hell". A fun one for sure!

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gris Ravenswood, owner of the hot night spot, Impressions, has it bad for his lead bartender, Kari Dans, but she's in a relationship with a semi-pro golfer. When Kari imbibes too much at an after party and puts the moves on Gris, he thinks he's finally got a chance… until Kari receives a text and runs off to be with the guy who always leaves her behind.

And a snippety peek…

Kari Dans propped her arms on the window of her boyfriend's car. "How long this time?" She'd had a whirlwind thirty-six hours with him.

Bernie shrugged. "Probably not until early on Monday next week. You'll be off, right?" He revved the motor, his impatience to take off obvious.

Kari brushed off a quick stab of irritation. "Yes. Always am." She leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth. "Good luck with your tournaments." Easing away, she barely got her arms free before he sped out of the parking lot.

Bernie didn't stop at the entrance, merging out into traffic to the blare of several horns. Kari shook her head. She probably should've let him go earlier this morning when he'd first suggested dropping her off to get her car.

Heaving a sigh, she turned and stopped short. Gris Ravenswood had a shoulder propped against the brick façade of his bar, a frown marring his normally handsome face. Probably acted as a witness to her public display of affection with Bernie. A hot flush crept up her neck, which she squashed immediately. She could kiss her boyfriend whenever she wanted on her time.

But when had he arrived? "Hey, boss." She strode forward. "Are you in the habit of watching the private moments of your staff?" And making them feel like idiots?

Gris pushed away from the wall. "Only when they occur in a public parking lot." He keyed in the entry code of the bar. "Alcott in a hurry or something?"

Kari shrugged and tugged the door open. "Yeah, sort of. Left my car here Sunday and he had to drop me off." She entered with Gris following on her heels. "He's got a big tournament swing this week. Won't be back until Monday." God, she needed to shut up.

Gris didn't care or need to know about her boyfriend's schedule. Especially when he always looked like he'd eaten something nasty whenever Bernie's name came up. Which didn't make much sense, but Kari rolled with the reaction. She didn't need Gris's approval.

He walked behind the bar and flipped the switch for the neon backdrop. "What does Alcott do on the weekends?" He actually sounded interested.

Kari dropped her bag in the bin behind the counter. "Because those are my heavy work nights?" She laughed. "He usually unwinds from his trip and rests up to be with me." She waggled her eyebrows.

Gris wore an inscrutable expression. At least he didn't grimace or make a comment. She'd left herself wide open for one.

He lifted his chin and changed the subject. "Gonna be down in the cooler doing inventory. If you need anything…" He nodded toward the steps leading to the lower lever.

Kari grinned. "Don't interrupt while you're counting. Got it."

Gris laughed and headed down the stairs.

Kari grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist then got busy with the setup before opening. Gris gave her a lot of leeway with what happened in her domain behind the bar. She'd suggested the backdrop of vintage neon signage and he'd approved the purchase. And he appreciated her streamlined method for storing the liquor, which also received compliments for being visually pleasing. The work surface remained spotless since she'd commandeered two of the sinks for dumping rinds, peels, and mixing equipment. A dishwasher kept glasses clean and at the ready.

He ran a tight ship and treated his employees well. She enjoyed working for him. Didn't mean she had him figured out though.

She snorted. "Yeah, right." So far, he kept most of his personal details under wraps.

Which piqued her curiosity. If Bernie didn't take up her free time, she'd be very tempted to get to know Gris much better.

Although maybe not in the carnal sense. Mixing business and pleasure didn't always work out and she loved her job.

But she'd really like to know why Gris had such a dislike for her boyfriend.

I'm excited about how this one is coming together. Here's hoping the sages keep communicating.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Unacceptable Behavior

Well, the beginning of April is here and I've been bitten by the spring cleaning bug. This is not a bad thing. House, garage, and computer files are getting spiffed up and decluttered.

The Walking Dead finale is tonight and I'll be there. Not sure I'll pay a lot of attention, but I can't not watch.

The Flash introduced an irritating villain. Can't say I'm sad to see him go. Also really frustrated with the whole Savitar storyline at this point. I'm ready for the final end game and season finale.

Legends of Tomorrow rewrote reality and kept me entertained. Looking forward to the season finale to see how they resolve everything. Mick remains one of my favorite characters and it better stay that way.

Arrow's deft mastery of weaving Oliver's past into his present life will be missed. This isn't to say the writers won't continue churning out excellent fare. In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues. Something tells me Oliver's past will still come back to haunt him in many other ways.

Riverdale had a new episode and, wow, I wanted to get a better read on Alice Cooper… I got it. A little sad it's at the expense of Hal, but the interesting wrinkle might be worth it. FP's playing a sly game. He doesn't get near enough credit for being a true mastermind. Come on, people. He's Jughead's dad. The kid had to get his smarts from someone. Just saying.

I'm still binge-watching City Homicide, working my way through season three. The first season is probably my absolute favorite but I do enjoy the later seasons also.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Unacceptable Behavior, a novella that got started with a writing community prompt of making one of the main characters the new kid at school. I always enjoy spinning tales from a great prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Blain Donahue wants to buy into a fight club and decides to invest when he meets the main attraction Roxane Kewes. He's known her a long time—since high school where she constantly got in trouble—and thinks it's great she's found an outlet for her unacceptable behavior.

And a snippety peek…

Roxane Kewes gazed at the monolithic building sprawled in front of her. "Another school, another learning curve." She had starting over down to a science.

Until this year.

When her mom decided to move during the summer instead of the middle of year like they usually did. The woman had managed to land a "whale" that had more money than sense. She dumped Roxane with her grandma and took off to build a nice, fat bank account.

And she didn't want her almost eighteen and legal daughter cramping her style.

Roxane snorted. "No doubt Winona will land on her feet once she's done lying on her back." She'd been calling her mother by her first name since the age of twelve.

Winona liked to pretend they were sisters.

Grandma Char gave up on her youngest daughter on a long time ago, but she didn't hesitate to take Roxane in. She let Roxane use her car and suggested she get on down to the high school first thing and get signed up for classes, which started the following day. First thing turned out to be seven a.m., according to Charlotte Jackman.

And no one argued with Grandma Char… except Winona.

Roxane usually melted into the background for a couple of days, getting a feel for the social structure and staff hierarchy when she arrived at a new school. If she got lucky, she'd get the goods on at least one teacher or other administrator during her two-day window of laying low.

She chuckled. "Moving thirteen times in eleven years taught me more than any of my teachers did." Striding toward the school, she glanced in the windows of the empty classrooms.

The front doors stood propped open and Roxane ducked inside, staying close to the wall. The floors were highly buffed and super shiny. Creeping along the corridor, she found the administrative office and entered. She planned to do some snooping if no one greeted her.

Amazing what digging through files turned up sometimes. Finding a clipboard with registration forms on the counter, Roxane grabbed it and tucked it under her arm. Might come in handy if she got caught poking around. A folder on one of the desks gave Roxane a list of employees and their positions. Each column had pictures beside the staff member's name. A thump and a muffled groan drew her attention and Roxane edged down the hall toward the sound. Straining her ears, she listened, waiting for something to indicate where the noise came from. Maybe she'd find a chatty janitor who liked to gossip.

Another thud and a low groan came from an office to her left. She made a beeline to the door of the dean's office and cracked it open. Got an eyeful of the dean nailing a woman from behind. Roxane scanned the folder in her hand and barely kept her mouth from dropping open. Pay dirt. The dean of students, Mark Cline and the principal, Sandra McMahon—both married—were getting it on.

Roxane dug her phone out of her pocket and snapped a few pictures. Wishing she had some brain bleach, even though the retina-burning sight would provide terrific leverage, she eased the door shut and left the offices. Stashing the device back in her shorts, she sent a silent thank-you to her MIA dad for sending it to her.

The guy at least tried. Not his fault her flake of a mother bailed on their relationship within six months of Roxane's birth. He tried to stay in touch, usually tracking them down through Grandma Char. He even sued for custody once, but the court considered Winona the more stable parent.

Roxane rolled her eyes. "If they only knew." She'd text her dad later and catch up.

Right now, she beat a hasty retreat to Grandma Char's car. She'd get registered during official school hours.

Roxane's unacceptable behavior is revealed, but it's far from the beginning of her learned ways.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin