Sunday Snippets: The Deep End

Greetings on this final day of 2017. I hope everyone had the best of holiday seasons and wish all nothing but wonderful things for the upcoming new year. I have several goals I'll be working toward and I'm kind of excited about starting with a shiny new calendar.

Holiday movies are winding down and I'll be a little sad to see them disappear until the next holiday season. There's something a little magical about Christmas movies. My one wish would be to see some diversity and have Hanukkah, Kwanza, and even Yule or the Solstice represented. I'm fascinated by other traditions and wouldn't mind seeing some movies built around them.

The Doctor Who Christmas special ended up being good. "Twice Upon a Time" tied some things up and delved back into the shows history and, yeah, I'll give credit to Capaldi's final bow. A worthy ending to Twelve's tenure.

Murdoch Mysteries "Home for Christmas" hit all the right notes. This show is in its eleventh season and, honestly, it's only improved with age. The cast is top notch and the revolving round of historical bigwig and the guest stars that portray them rarely disappoint. I'm happy this remains on my watch radar.

I've also been enjoying Frankie Drake Mysteries—another Canadian show. I like the leads and, so far, the mysteries have been entertaining. This is a little similar to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. If you enjoyed that one, give Frankie Drake a try.

I've started the second season of Chicago Fire and I'm a little disappointed in the whole McLeod storyline. Maybe if I had a little more to go on with why she's hell-bent on getting Boden out I might care a little more. And Benny Severied whispering in her ear isn't quite enough in my book. That said, I love everything else about the first five episodes.

I don't think I've talked about Passionflix, a new $4.99 a month subscription streaming movie service. It's brand new and they're creating original movies—and possibly series down the road a ways—and also offer several classic romantic films with more to come. To date, they have three original movies available for viewers. They're all based on best-selling romance novels and have varying levels of steaminess. The site has a convenient BON—Barometer of Naughtiness—rating system so viewers can find their comfort zone. I've been able to catch the first two, Hollywood Dirt and Afterburn | Aftershock. Guys… it's worth the $4.99 a month for those two alone. I'll be viewing the final new release The Trouble with Mistletoe later today. If you love romance, give this service a consideration.

And that's it for television viewing this week. This year's final post is from The Deep End, a novella that has one of my favorite tropes—sibling rivalry.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Raelin is six months into a relationship with Eames, but isn't feeling the spark… until she meets Eric, Eames' brother. The sibling rivalry takes an ugly turn and Raelin takes a big step back so the men can mend fences.

And a snippety peek…

Eric Bannerman left the interview with high hopes. He liked the company and the guy who ran the operation. It wouldn't be a hardship to work for Rand Bremer's outfit.

Eric blew out a long breath. "Big change, though." Ten years in the navy had led him to a crossroad. "Do I stay or go?"

Lately, he'd been itching to do something new. He loved the structure and routine of military life, but a new challenge sounded appealing.

His phone rang. "Bannerman."

"Bro, we're still on for dinner but can we meet at seven?" Eames rarely if ever bothered with greetings.

Eric didn't care what time they met. "Sure." He just wanted to see his brother and spend some time with him. "Where do I find this Rooster Rue's place?"

Eames gave Eric directions and signed off. "Rae's looking forward to meeting you. You'll love her."

Eric shook his head. His brother used to fall in and out of love every other week when they were in high school. He'd had quite the reputation as a heartbreaker.

"Maybe that's changed."

Eric almost wished he had Eames's ability to connect with women from the word "go". Eric dated but rarely found anyone he wanted to spend time with after the second or third month. His track record included more one-night stands than he'd ever admit to.

Part of the reason involved moving from base to base and being deployed. Neither left a lot of time to develop deep connections and became one of the reasons Eric craved change. He'd like to put down roots, meet someone and maybe start a family.

If he accepted the job with Force Solutions, he could combine his love of travel but have a permanent home base. And he'd be close to his brother. Their parents lived abroad with demanding careers in sales. Neither had been back to the US for longer than a week in almost eight years. Eames stuck around after graduating college and talked up the city. Enough so Eric jumped at the opportunity to interview with Rand.

Finding the restaurant, Eric pulled into the parking lot. "Might as well do some exploring if I'm going to call this place home."

And he'd pretty much decided to do exactly that.

I'm pleased with where I think this one is going. Sometimes the characters run off in a different direction, but Raelin and Eric seem to be playing nicely for now.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Curiosity Kills It

Season's Greetings!

As usual, I'm running around like a crazy woman finishing up everything at the last moment. I'm only halfway through Operation Wrap Shit Up but I'll get it all done. I always do… even if it's not until four a.m. Christmas morning. LOL

Slow week in television, which isn't a bad thing because I had a few editing projects to finish up and I didn't need the distraction. I did manage to finish the first season of Chicago Fire and I can't wait for the second season to start arriving in my mailbox.

I have the Murdoch Mysteries holiday special ready to watch while we're decorating our tree later tonight. I'm looking forward to the Doctor Who special if only to watch the regeneration into a new doctor. Sadly, I never warmed up to Capaldi as the Doctor and I'm ready for a new face.

I still have the Riverdale winter finale to watch and I'm hoping to finish up my wrapping while viewing that episode. Considering I'll probably be going nonstop until the wee hours, I might even watch it more than once. LOL

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Curiosity Kills It, a novella that started with the idea of battling coworkers who become more.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Pagan and Chuck push each other's buttons… and not in a good way. But Pagan has a moment of clarity when she spies Chuck in the shower—they argue so much because they fight a powerful attraction. Hooking up may not be the answer, especially since they work together, but Pagan's curiosity gets the better of her and she has to find out.

And a snippety peek…

Pagan steamed with anger—for a good ten minutes, waiting on Chuck to return. "Screw it." She marched into the dressing area and… no Chuck. "What the hell?"

He might have been dirty, but not that much.

"Damned man is probably staying under the spray to avoid me."

She paced and fumed. Paced…

And fumed.

She had things to say and he would listen. She'd grown tired of his constant "reminders" of what and how she needed to do things. Maybe if he left her alone, she'd adhere to policy.

"Not like I need a babysitter."

She made another circuit of the dressing room. "How freaking long can he spend under the water?" Probably forever if it meant he didn't have to deal with her. "Dammit." She'd talk to him in the shower.

She entered the steam-filled area and stopped short. Whoa. Holy smokes.

Chuck faced the wall, his head resting on the smooth tiles. With his arms stretched out, the water sluiced down his spine. Good God, the man had an incredible back. Broad shoulders, rippled torso, and a tapered waist. And his ass… sculpted to perfection. Long legs with sinewy muscle completed the package.

A wave of lust hit her so hard she backed out as quickly as she'd stumbled in. She grabbed the side of the lockers and sucked in a harsh breath. No way. She didn't even like Chuck. No freaking way could she be lusting after him.

Her body said otherwise—weak knees, quickened pulse, and pounding heart.

The shower shut off and she dashed from the head, running down the corridor to the workout area. She couldn't face him, not with the heady visuals running through her mind. A quick round of reps should do the trick and drive her libido down.

Grabbing a kettlebell she started doing squats.

No way. No way. No. Way.

Her inner voice had a good laugh at her reaction.

Way.

"Shut up."

Needless to say, Pagan avoided Chuck for the rest of the shift.

I like where this one is going and hope to have more ready in the coming year.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Camden General

Whew. What a crazy week. I'm still in the throes of trying to get the house cleaned up so we can decorate our tree. We usually wait until Christmas Eve to add the ornaments, which is a good thing because I've misplaced a package I bought to go along with our superhero theme this year.

I'm behind on my shows again. Between shopping, editing, and writing, I need about four more hours each day to get stuff done. LOL That said, I'm almost through the first season of Chicago Fire and, yeah, I really love the show. I'm going the DVD route because I never watch first run anything on NBC. I'm in about year twenty of a boycott and don't see that changing anytime soon.

I've also been enjoying holiday episodes of my favorite shows. There are so many classic television shows with themed episodes and I'm trying to build my collection. I also discovered a new to us channel on my local feeds and it shows a lot of old favorites. I won't complain. It's fun to revisit stuff I loved back in the day.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Camden General, a novella that explores what happens when a one-time hookup becomes way more personal.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jayden and Whit, two of Camden General's best emergency department staff, come together after losing a patient. Trying to navigate the fallout becomes even more difficult when their one-time hookup turns into a very personal relationship.

And a snippety peek…

Dr. Jayden Betts entered the staff lounge and noticed a new face on the nursing board. She checked the roster and discovered the handsome image belonged to Whit Brackenreid. The name pinged but she couldn't place why.

Shrugging a shoulder, she turned, poured a mug of coffee, and tried to remember where she'd seen the surname. "Too many case files in too short a time." Probably stupid of her to go back through the last six months but she liked to get a feel for the types of cases she'd be dealing with.

Her transfer to Camden General a week ago still had her head in a whirl. "And I've still got that new Doc smell." She added a little creamer to her coffee and stirred.

"What's that, Doctor Betts?" Wendy popped into the room and opened the fridge.

Jayden shook her head. "We've got a new nurse? Does that mean I'm no longer the ED newbie?" She added a hopeful smile and waggled her eyebrows.

Wendy laughed. "Well… kind of but kind of not." She put her dinner in the microwave and moved closer to the table. "Whit's a very familiar face around here—to most of us." She leaned in. "He's a former paramedic making the transition to our side." She put air quotes around the "our side".

Jayden gave an exaggerated sigh. "Damn. That figures. I'm still the local new guy."

Wendy gave her a commiserating pat on the shoulder. "Sorry, Doc. Seems so." She got and retrieved her food. "You'll like Whit. He's smart, quick on his feet—he had to be when he was running squad—and, whoa boy, very easy on the eyes." She dropped down and vented the lid of her meal.

Jayden quirked an eyebrow. "Is there anything there… between you two?" Not really her business, but she didn't like to step on toes.

Wendy shook her head. "Nah. He's a total flirt but not inappropriate. And he's all business during a trauma." She tilted her head to one side. "At least he was when he ran on the fire department." Blowing across her fork, she popped the bite into her mouth.

Jayden nodded. "Good to know." She got up and drained her mug. "Hopefully, we'll have a light evening and I can remember everyone's names." Rinsing her cup, she put it in the strainer and waved to Wendy on the way out of the lounge.

She should have known voicing the desire for a light night would blow up in her face.

I'm truly happy with the possibilities here. If everything comes together for this story, I might have some additional ideas for follow-ups.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Calling Bull

It's amazing what a dusting of snow on the ground can do to boost holiday spirit. We got just a tiny bit last night and it looks so pretty today.

Gotta say the mid-season finales for my shows pretty much pulled out all the stops. The Flash left Barry hanging in a very precarious place. Not sure I'm totally down with where everything is going, but it's fun to watch. Lost a good character on Legends of Tomorrow in the form of two goodbyes. I do appreciate the revolving door aspect of the show and look forward to seeing how the others interact without their friends. The holiday trimmings of the shows provided a nice backdrop.

Arrow killed it. James is setting up quite the legion of doom in Star City. I'm very interested in seeing how that plays out when the season returns. If his little cohort who got him out in the first place tries to harm Felicity or Curtis, I'll be really pissed. Just saying.

Riverdale shook things up with breakups all over the place. Yikes. I have another interesting theory about Alice Cooper. Can't wait to see if I'm right. Oh, and this theory doesn't involve FP, at least not about their past.

I'm all caught up on Gotham. Gotta say it hurt to watch Alfred and Bruce tear each other apart. I get where Bruce is coming from, I do, but the whole being a brat is kind of pissing me off. That said, rock bottom isn't always an easy trip to take so I'll be patient. Sophia is proving to be a formidable force. I had a sneaking suspicion she was more of a puppet master than anyone originally thought. It's also fun to see the stories with Butch and Tabitha and Ed and Lee unfold. Seriously, Gotham upped it game and I'm loving it. Having Harvey walk away though… yeah, that one hurt, too.

Murdoch Mysteries continues to be excellent. I can't wait for the holiday episode. I think I'm looking forward to it more than Doctor Who this year. I really can't wait for the new doctor and new showrunner. Honestly, I'm so very disappointed in where Moffat took the show. It lost the heart I always loved. Yes, I'm sure I'm in the minority.

I've started watching my stash of holiday shows. I had to get a new laptop and I'm slowly but surely getting all the episodes transferred over. My Plex server is getting a lot of use this week. Also looking forward to The Trouble with Mistletoe when Passionflix premieres the movie!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Calling Bull, a sexy short where my main characters are very good at calling each other out on their bullshit.

Here's the mini-blurb:

No one knows Ivy better than Ward. A fact she truly hates sometimes. But when he pushes her into a corner, she either comes out swinging or learns to forgive and forget.

And a snippety peek…

Are you trying to kill another partner?

Ward's words rang in Ivy's ears and she gave the punching bag a hard shove. Tears welled in her eyes and she dashed them away.

Damn Ward for making her get emotional in the first place. Stupid, idiot man. Would she never learn? Not like she didn't have two decades of experience dealing with Ward the Walking Wonder's utter perfection.

She should leave the unit. She clearly didn't have her head in the game right now. But having Ward illustrate, point by point, how far down she'd fallen made her want to stick around—if only to prove him wrong. But her recent track record gave him a lot of ammo.

Yeah, high speed chases that end up putting your rookie partner in the hospital have a way of doing that, Ivy. No shit.

Even her inner voice mocked her stupidity. "You've been listening to Ward too long."

"I know you're not talking about yourself. You never listen to me." Ward stepped into the room and closed the door.

God, she truly didn't need more from him today. Too raw, wounded, and close to the edge to have him stuff more recriminations in her face.

She made a strangled, choking sound. "You are such a pain in my ass."

Ward smirked. "Trust me when I say this, Ivy. The feeling is nothing but mutual." He moved further into the room.

And sucked out all the air. "Why are you here?" She met his gaze. "Did you forget something on your long list of Ivy's recent screw-ups?" No doubt he could rattle off a zillion more ways she could get someone else killed.

He lifted his chin. "Considering you should have it memorized, I wonder why I have to keep repeating the same things over and over."

She rolled her eyes. "No one asked you to be my keeper. So why don't you stop?" Because he couldn't help himself. Ever.

Ward advanced another step. "Because you're hanging on by a thread, Ivy." He got up close and personal. "You already crossed the line once. Doing it again is—"

If Ivy didn't care so much for Ward she wouldn't take his words to heart so much. Then again, something has to give soon and Ivy's going to fight it every step of the way.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Call of the Ripper

Happy December! The most wonderful, crazy time of the year is in full swing. I'm excited for the holiday and really need to get my house cleaned up so we can actually celebrate. LOL

The mega-crossover of DC shows occurred this week and it did not disappoint. So many things happened with interesting pairings and twisty turns. Supergirl and Arrow kicked off the fun and the crazy times spilled over into The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Great to see some familiar and new faces. I won't get into much more, but the double wedding ended up being a surprise for me. YAY!

Riverdale continues to go places I don't expect. I have such a love / hate relationship with this show. I'm actually so happy we didn't have any Lodge parent appearances. I loved Hermione last season but this season I'm very "meh" about her. I also loved getting some insight into Sheriff Keller's personal life. I'm not necessarily a big Mayor McCoy fan, but I like the interesting twist with them. I also, somewhat shockingly, liked the beginning of Chuck's redemption. I'll stay tuned to see if that comes to anything.

I need to catch up with Gotham. I had way too much work to get through and took a full break from television on Thursday.

I did manage to catch up with Murdoch Mysteries yesterday and enjoyed both episodes I needed to see.

I'm still watching holiday movies on the Hallmark channels and should get started on television episodes this week. I'll probably begin with the Doctor Who specials. That's kind of my thing; I always begin with those.

That's it for this week's television wrap-up. Tonight's post is from Call of the Ripper, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of write a story where the characters are investigating Jack the Ripper.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Two 'Ripperologists' take a working vacation to experience the essence of Jack's madness. But when a modern day stalker takes an interest in their excursion, the call of the ripper hits a little too close for comfort.

And a snippety peek…

"Sean! Come look at this." Faith turned the laptop toward the hall where Sean would enter from.

He moved closer, bending down to get a good review of the images she found. "We haven't seen these before, have we?"

The pictures were scans of old letters talking about the murders.

She shook her head. "No. And see, there's a Whitechapel address on them." Giddy excitement filled her.

Sean took the computer and settled down beside her. "In the murder area?" He enlarged the picture.

Faith shook her head. "Don't know yet. I'll start comparing maps with the address and maybe use current satellite imagery." Her fingers itched to get started.

Sean chuckled. "Which is my cue to get the hell out of your way and let you get started." He passed the laptop over. "I have a meeting with the Adders. Should be able to nail down the job and get it scheduled for fall." He got up and crossed over to the coatrack.

The relentless rain hadn't stopped for over twenty-four hours.

Faith waved him off and dived into researching the address on the letters.

Two hours later, she growled her frustration and opened a browser tab for her blog.

I love research. That said, going back over one hundred years and trying to "see" what once was is so damned hard. Between old maps and current satellite details, the jumble created in my brain is making it impossible to get a good picture of what the streets of Whitechapel were like during the Ripper's reign of terror.

She posted a scan of the maps along with a captured image of the street level view.

The good news is… after I verify some information I'll have some new details and the usual speculation that goes along with it. Until then… wish me luck.

And pray I don't go insane during the process.

Watch your backs,

Faith

She clicked on update and waited for the post to upload. At least the short entry helped clear her head. And checking comments from her followers would provide a distraction when the grid lines started blurring again.

Her lips curved. "No doubt the regulars will have a bunch of suggestions, too." She had the best audience.

Like-minded people whose fascination with the morbid and macabre rivaled hers. They loved the adventures Faith dragged Sean into—late night library runs, collector and estate sales, and Faith's personal favorite, the candid discussions Sean filmed. They got a lot of traffic from those, especially when Faith offered up real-time commenting from viewers.

The key in the door gave her a reason to take a longer break. Maybe bouncing some ideas off Sean would shake the cobwebs loose.

Oddly enough, this one has been fun to brainstorm and write. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything comes together.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin