Sunday Snippet: The Cabin

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. Ours was low key, exactly the way I like it.

Somewhat of a short week for television. I did enjoy The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Getting some insight into Mick's world made me happy. The big crossover is coming up on Monday and I'm kind of excited to see it.

Arrow's Thanksgiving episode turned out to be excellent. Love having Thea back and hopefully back in true Thea form.

As usual, I'm behind on a few of my binge watch shows but I'm addicted to the Hallmark Channels' holiday movies. I really love having something going pretty much 24 / 7.

Looking forward to the return of Riverdale next week.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Cabin, a novella that got a writing community start with a prompt of: Grandpa's cabin.

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…

Warner Harrington slammed the door and stomped into the kitchen. "Whip, you're not gonna believe what that bitch professor did to me." He waved an envelope with an open letter back and forth.

Whip leveled his gaze on his younger brother. "Why don't you calm down and fill me in." He put the lid on the pasta sauce and turned the burner down.

Warner had cooking duty on Wednesday nights. But Whip stepped in when his brother didn't show up until five minutes ago. Well after six p.m.

Warner paced back and forth. "She's not letting me into her class. And I need the elective or I can't take what I want to next semester." He paused a moment, sniffing the air. "What's on the stove, bro?" Reaching out, he removed the lid and inhaled deeply. "Ah, man. We just had pasta two days ago." He grumbled about needing variety in their diet.

Maybe if he'd been home when he should have been, they wouldn't be having spaghetti a second time this week. Whip resisted the urge to thwap his brother upside the head. One thing at a time and schooling came first.

Whip nudged his brother back on topic. "You said something about your class…"

Warner shoved the letter toward Whip. "Yeah, stupid bitch refused to let me in her class."

Whip grabbed his brother's wrist before taking the page. "What did I tell you about respect, Warn?" He tightened his grip. "Do we need to have the conversation again?" He hated having to play three roles sometimes.

Dad. Mom. Brother. So much easier before Mom died and Dad left.

Warner jerked his hand away. "No, we don't. I'm sorry." He pointed to the letter. "I'm pissed because it's too late to sign up for another elective and I needed this class."

Whip quickly read the rejection. "Okay, look, it says you can pick up your portfolio during her office hours. Maybe I stop by to get it and speak to Ms. Kells and see if she'll reconsider." Putting the letter aside, he went back to getting dinner ready. "Why didn't you have a backup in place like we talked about?" He set the table and indicated Warner should get some glasses for their drinks.

Warner pulled two tumblers down from the cupboard. "Eh, the art class looked like the easiest class for credit. The others had too many assignments and research projects." He filled the cups with tea because Warner didn't remember to stop and get soda yesterday.

Whip brought the food to the table. "Fine. Busting your chops obviously won't do any good since it's too late but, seriously, you've got to get your shit together, Warner."

His brother flashed a smile. "That's what I have you for, bro. You'll go talk to the lady and get it all straightened out." He pulled his chair out and dug into the spaghetti.

Whip shook his head but stayed silent. His brother's confidence in Whip's ability to smooth things over might end up being misplaced. But Whip would try. He couldn't not at least make the attempt. But Warner might end up being sorely disappointed.

Whip's negotiating skills only went so far.

I'm having fun writing the bratty Warner. Whip's going to have to decide what to do about his immature brother.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Breaking Ice

The weather in Ohio is truly crazy. We had flooding from rain yesterday and snow today.

Television this week ended up being pretty terrific. The Flash pulled in a bunch of Harrys to help save the day. Legends of Tomorrow had a fun episode with old Hollywood.

Riverdale had an interesting episode with some changing dynamics. I'm still on the fence with Hiram and whether or not I like him. I'm coming down on the not liking side but he gets some interesting snark lines so that pitches him into the fun column.

Arrow remains probably my favorite show. If the team can't be together, I like having two storylines that run along a similar theme. Also very glad John's secret is out in the open. Having Curtis work on a solution is excellent.

Catching up on Gotham today. I'll be glad to see the last of Professor Pyg. It's good to see Bruce again, too. There's never enough Alfred on the screen. LOL

I'm behind on Murdoch Mysteries. Having issues with my laptop and I usually watch via the website on that device. Here's hoping I get it fixed this week.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Breaking Ice, a sexy short about a couple who gets a second chance to get things right.

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 peek…

Oakes stopped outside his new digs, an apartment provided by the small regional start-up that just launched a new brand of athletic supplements. He grabbed his phone and thumbed through the contacts. Had Bailee's name brought up and almost hit send before he remembered they weren't checking in with each other anymore.

He tossed the phone back to the passenger seat. "Dammit. I gotta stop doing that." He'd lost count of the times he'd almost called her.

Old habits die hard.

How could she be an old habit? Maybe because they'd been doing the relationship dance for the better part of five years. On fire for each other for eight or nine months, in splitsville for six, then back to smokin' hot burn the sheets before plunging once again into cold, lonely nights. On and off. On-off. On. Off.

At one point, they might have had a future. He'd made the climb to the pro circuit, landed some endorsements and sponsors. Started talking with some of the companies about sales work. He had the background and experience. Could've  helped Bailee with her business and her journey to a pro spot.

Except she didn't want his assistance. Fine. He could cheer her on from the sidelines.

Her crazy schedule with too many irons in the fire often got in the way of her chances for victory. "Not to mention making it damned difficult to spend time together." He could live with being low man on the totem pole—he understood her need to prioritize her responsibilities.

What he couldn't do, at least not anymore? Act as her personal punching bag when she lost important bouts. Not when he offered to help. Tried to give her a hand up. Wanted to shoulder some of her burden. Bailee Young wanted no part of riding on Oakes's coattails.

He snorted. "And I can respect that. I truly can."

She wanted to walk her path all alone and he finally got it. Moving several states away should give her all the space she'd ever need. And give him a fresh start in a different area. He welcomed the challenge of a new job. Maybe he'd even throw his hat into the arena here, too.

Focusing on work and attaining a new title would fill the void left by Bailee.

Right?

He exited his vehicle. "Guess I'll find out, won't I?" Reaching in, he picked up his phone and messenger bag.

Breakups suck and sometimes distance is the only thing to give perspective. Bailee and Oakes definitely need some distance.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Bonus Score

Ugh… what a week. I've been down with a combination of cold / flu symptoms. I'm pretty sure I've pulled at least three different muscles from coughing, sneezing, and blowing my nose incessantly. Bleh.

Not a bad week for television viewing. The Flash had a girls night out that brought Felicity Smoak over from Arrow and entertained in a big way. Legends of Tomorrow kind of disappointed me by bringing Damien Darhk back, even if the fight sequence proved to be very entertaining.

Arrow also had a great episode. Loved getting to know Dinah's former partner and have some background there. I'm fond of the actor who's in the role and look forward to seeing more of that storyline play out. Also liked having Oliver work with Slade. I'm excited to see where that goes, too.

Riverdale turned things up to triple digits. I'm still liking my theory about who the black hood is. Alice's past coming out and her reaction made the whole show for me. I want to see that story explored a little more. My one true hope? The snake charmer ends up being Alice's long, lost sister. How much fun would that be?

Once again, I have to catch up on Gotham. The whole cold / flu thing had me napping when it was on. LOL

The holiday movie overload is ongoing. I thoroughly enjoy the cheesy, sappy, happy fare. I've even watched a couple of them more than once.

Looking forward to more terrific TV this week. Tonight's post is from Bonus Score, a sexy short that's been a lot of fun to brainstorm.

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…

"Java Jump. Wednesday. Four p.m.?"

Bo Schneider tamped down the kick of excitement when he read the response. He quickly fired back with an affirmative reply. Wednesday at four couldn't get here soon enough.

He shook his head. "Whoa… slow down, Bo." Wouldn't do to get too caught up in the moment.

Then again, he'd had zero luck finding someone who got the gaming aspect of his life. He hoped Zeva turned out to be more in tune than the last five gamer girls he'd gone out with. Those women defined hardcore way differently than he did.

He lifted a shoulder. "Zeva seems different." For one thing… she didn't chat during a campaign, which drove Bo crazy.

If you're playing a MMORP and teammates are counting on you, don't be typing in the text screen asking if anyone else is hungry.

Zeva also liked the single player experience as much as Bo did. Massive multiple online role-play gaming gave him a way to connect with large groups of people from all over the world. And the anonymous aspect helped him grapple with his shyness.

His lips curved. "Enough that I can actually make dates and keep them now."

Hadn't always been the case. He suffered through elementary school and junior high, until he joined a gaming club his freshman year. Having a group of kids who got him boosted his confidence and their encouragement helped him crawl out from under his shell. First by engaging with others online then by meshing the boy behind the keyboard with the man who needed to interact with other humans if he ever wanted to get somewhere in life.

He'd definitely carved a niche. As the head of marketing for a game developer. Immersing himself into a virtual world never failed to spark creative ideas.

"And getting paid to play video games doesn't suck."

He grabbed his keyboard and loaded up an old favorite.

So far, the vibe between Zeva and Bo is a lot of fun. I'm hoping the story comes together the way I keep seeing it play out in my head.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blatant Affair

Welcome to November! We're almost finished with 2017 and I'm honestly looking forward to a new year. It's been a rough ten months so far.

Excellent television viewing this week. The Flash had a great episode. It's always fun to see Cisco on the hot seat. Really enjoyed his storyline. Also interested in seeing where things go with Joe and becoming a father again.

Legends of Tomorrow didn't have a terrible episode. The homage to ET maybe went a little overboard but still fun.

Riverdale was sort of on the fence for me… until I got a wild hair theory about who the black hood is and now I have to stay tuned to see if I'm right. I'm honestly fairly disappointed with the addition of Hiram to the fold. He made a better villain working from the shadows.

Arrow continues to amaze me. I love the way roles continue to be mixed up and everything is fluid. That keeps me glued to the screen.

Got caught up on Gotham and watched this week's episode. I won't be disappointed to see the end of Professor Pyg but at least the plot is moving forward and I'm down with that.

Having fun watching holiday movies on the Hallmark channels. There's usually something on one of them that catches my interest.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Blatant Affair, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of creating a story featuring blatant fraternization.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valley Cruz and Flynn Boatman fall for each other and don't hide their feelings. But when company policy dictates they can't be together, they'll start a blatant affair no matter the consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Flynn stuck the tip of the needle into his skin and pulled the thread through the gash on his arm. "I hate getting wounded in the field." He'd learned tending to the injuries on his own saved time and effort.

Why hit up an emergency department or urgent care facility when he could do the stitching up?

The bad part? He didn't like the actual poking around on himself. To cope, he sent his brain down memory lane, envisioning Valley's hips sashaying out the door. Ms. Fitzhugh had quite the presence. And, damn, the woman made a solid impression.

He finished up the second stitch. "Wonder what she looks like out of those trashy clothes?" His lips curved when he pictured her naked. "Okay… with normal clothes on." Probably shouldn't get in the habit of imagining his coworkers wearing nothing but skin.

But the idea kept his mind off the next three stitches. He tied off the final one and split the thread with his teeth. Gathering his supplies, he put everything neatly back in his case. After zipping it up, he stood and placed the bag in his locker.

"You know there's an infirmary two corridors over, right?"

His lips twitched. Where was she five minutes ago? He shut the door and turned to find Valley propped against the door jamb. Clad in navy cargo pants that hugged her curves, her fitted t-shirt skimmed the waistline. Without the fake cleavage, her proportions were damn near perfect. She'd scrubbed the overdone makeup from her face and pulled her previously teased hair back into a sleek ponytail. All in all, the transformation made her even more appealing.

He leaned a shoulder against the metal framing. "An infirmary? They must not have covered the location in the new guy welcome package." She rewarded him with a sexy smirk.

She pushed away from the wall and came over to examine his handiwork. "Hmm. Not bad." Her gaze met his. "You've got some field training then?"

Leading questions to get answers? An expression of interest, maybe?

He lifted a shoulder. "I might. A little scratch like this doesn't need a lot of attention."

Valley quirked an eyebrow. "I count a half-dozen stitches. That's more than a scratch." She folded her arms over her chest. "New guy jokes aside, you should at least let Doc Savage give you a quick once-over. There's no telling where that knife has been or what Bright used it for. And Victor pays the good doctor to make sure his operatives stay in top form."

She had a valid point. Pissing off his new boss by not following protocol would be stupid. Not to mention keep him on the newbie list in Valley's eyes.

He gave a quick nod. "Right. Heading two corridors over then." He made to move past her.

Her hand caught his uninjured bicep. "You don't have a weird aversion to doctors, do you?" A quick flash showed her teeth in a smile.

Flynn held her gaze longer than necessary. "Why? You wanna come hold my hand if I do?"

Valley chuckled. "Good one. Keep that up and you'll fit right in around here." She gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "Get going. I promise you'll be just fine."

Pleased he'd made her laugh, Flynn cracked a wide grin. "I'll take your word for it." He turned when he got to the door. "Maybe he'll give me something to get rid of the new guy smell." He left the room to the sound of Valley's laughter.

This one is very fun. I like the idea of having a couple who pretty much puts how they feel out there for everyone to see.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin