Sunday Snippet: Throw in the Towel

It's so weird to be in the last week of the month. Sometimes it felt like August would never end and other times like it flew right by. I'm actually looking forward to September.

Busy week with work projects but I did get some shows watched. I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and so far enjoy the second season.

Caught several episodes of Peter Gunn. There's a marathon next weekend I'll probably end up watching also.

Watched the Tomb of the Cybermen episodes of Classic Who. I'm bummed there aren't a lot of the second doctor's episodes available for viewing.

Also caught another Midsomer Murders episode. I like the new guy. I also need to figure out when they started working for Midsomer Constabulary instead of Causton CID. Probably way back in a previous season and I just missed it.

I'm in the middle of a 77 Sunset Strip marathon. This is one of my favorite classic shows.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Throw in the Towel, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

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…

Hell, yeah, it will.

Craig mulled over Taurin's response with his gaze on her retreating back.

Maybe he should call her back and ask her to explain. "Okay, no. I don't need a connect the dots lesson." But the flash of… what? Disbelief? Interest? Whatever…

It threw him.

And the view of her ass in the clinging shorts didn't help.

He followed the women's stats and Taurin ranked at the top of the pack. He'd made a name quickly, to the point of having a few nibbles from sponsors. But Tauren?

"Hell, she outclasses me." For the most part.

He started the mud runs for fun but developed a passion for competing. His work in sales gave him lots of flexibility and he'd finally managed to map out his schedule to coincide with the weekend races. Kind of nice to bump into the same people and get to know them a little.

"And, man, I want to get to know Taurin Beach more than a little."

He couldn't do that standing in a damned towel.

After taking a quick look around for more nosy reporters, he finished dressing and shoved his dirty gear into his duffel bag. His mind drifted to Taurin again.

"I wonder what she does for a living?" He'd have to check the affiliation bios.

Exiting the tent, he spied Taurin sitting by the huge bonfire the event managers would get started at dusk. Maybe I won't have to check the bios. She no longer had her gear and she sat in a comfortable camp chair. She must be staying on site. He had a room booked in a hotel about five miles up the state route. Man, he envied her if she had a camper or a trailer. If he kept competing, he'd definitely look into investing in one.

Why not start the getting to know Taurin better thing right now?

He made his way over to her location and dropped his bag on the ground. She glanced up from reading something on her phone, her eyebrow arched in question.

He hunkered down, using his duffel to keep his balance. "Mind if I ask a personal question?" Hopefully, she'd keep the running banter they had in the shower area going.

Her lips curved with a sly smirk. "Guess that depends on how personal it is." She tucked her phone into the cupholder on the chair. "Ask me and I'll let you know if I mind."

Yep. Definitely keeping the banter up.

I like writing about potential competitiveness between characters. In this case, a mutual respect already exists so their rivalry will hopefully be fun.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Tell Me More

Ugh! August is fast becoming the craziest month I've ever had. This past week I filled my gas tank up on Monday and by Wednesday, I only had half a tank left. For perspective… a full tank of gas usually lasts about two to three weeks for me. Does that say anything about the week I had? LOL

Seriously, though, a lot of back and forth travel several times a day did give me lots of windshield time. It also gave terrible drivers and a buttload of construction but that's a whole different rant for another day.

I did end up having a highly productive week workwise, which means I didn't have a lot of time for television. I did hear the news of Krypton's demise unless another network picks it up. Here's hoping that happens. I really do love the characters.

I've been rather disappointed that my once favorite network is no longer in the running for my viewing time. I either watch on demand via the app or not at all. It makes me sad that Syfy has fallen so far. I literally used to watch the channel almost exclusively way back in the day.

As much as I love the convenience of streaming shows, I miss having a wide variety of stuff to choose from during the day on regular cable television. I have been enjoying the local channels' digital offerings. MeTV, Decades, Comet, Charge, This TV, etc. has some great classic stuff. That's what I've been having on in the background. I'm also a big fan of Ovation right now.

I did get to watch a few more episodes of Peter Gunn this week but that's about it.

Tonight's post is from Tell Me More, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Shannon Tewes and Webber Dillon work for a premier event planner and don't always see eye to eye. Shannon has a knack for putting Webber on the hot seat whenever their boss is around and Webber has several ideas of how he'd retaliate if he ever got Shannon in a compromising position.

And a snippety peek…

Webber Dillon yawned and stretched then swung his legs over the mattress to sit up. "I gotta stop working seventeen hours a day." A hot shower and breakfast on the go should wake him up.

Of course, coffee would be necessary for him to stay awake. Early morning meetings sucked balls.

He made the shower short even though he wanted to stand under the hot spray for at least an hour. "Right… not this morning." He had to go over the emailed images Shannon sent earlier in the week.

Right in the middle of the haunted garden project. He barely finished the wrought iron edging Marjorie insisted on adding to pathways. Of course, her last-minute faux forgetfulness amounted to bullshit. Marjorie loved to dump a pile of steaming crap in his lap so she could watch him frantically try to pull off the impossible.

Shaking his head, he poured a travel mug of coffee. "Not sure how much longer I can take Marjorie's ballbusting." Then again, he only had to do one thing to get her to back off. "Right. Not gonna happen." Ever.

So far, he'd kept his end of the deal from hell he'd struck with the event planner. And he planned to never give her a reason to pull her trump card. His work ethic spoke for itself but Marjorie had his balls in a vice and wouldn't hesitate to use any leverage she could gain to force his hand.

He took his caffeine to the table and opened the file Shannon sent. After familiarizing himself with the plans, he jotted a few notes and ideas to add during the meeting. Shannon did good work. Her mock-ups were easy to follow and she didn't scrimp on detail.

He grabbed his folder and tucked it under his arm. "And she got it in before the meeting for once." Finally… he could look forward to a less stressed and busy week.

Scooping his coffee up, he headed for his SUV ready to grab a quick breakfast taco on his way in to Fabulous Fetes.

Webber is going to lose his mind when he discovers Shannon had a last-minute, brilliant idea for the wedding. How much fun will it be when she decides to apologize?

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Surf's Up

August is shaping up to be the busiest month I've had in a long time. Between running around with my daughter and new projects landing in my inbox, I need about five more hours in each day.

Very limited television viewing this week. I ended up not starting the playlist listen while working. Too many interruptions.

I did watch a marathon of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Also caught some Peter Gunn episodes.

Other than that, the manuscript evaluations I've been working on took precedence. It's easier to review and assess when it's quiet and I don't have something else trying to pull my attention away from the material.

On a very happy note, I finished up a manuscript I've been writing for a long, long time. It's the follow up to Shyler: Finding Home, a Furlough 99 novella. The story ended up being more involved than I thought it would be and it turned out so much better than I'd hoped. Look for it soon!

That's pretty much it for television this week. I really want to get back to Krypton and finish up Riverdale and Arrow. Hopefully this week.

Tonight's post is from Surf's Up, a novella that started with a writing community scene prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Marla Siff and Farley Osbourne protect a wealthy businessman as part of his entourage. People assume tech geek Farley is the muscle, but Marla is the combat-trained protective detail. When a threat looms, they retreat to the private shores of their client's own island and Marla and Farley fight their attraction to keep their boss safe.

And a snippety peek…

The small twin-engine taxied to a halt and Farley did a quick sweep of the island via the security cameras. "All clear." He grabbed his gear and stuck close to his employer when he exited the plane.

Marla brought up the rear, keeping Lane between her and Farley. The pilot didn't disembark, immediately driving down to refuel and take off again. The trio walked the short distance to the waiting Land Rover, painted to Lane's specifications in bright red and crisp white, the colors of Pennylane Enterprises.

Climbing inside the vehicle, Farley did another scan with cameras and motioned for the driver to move out. Keeping his eyes glued to the tablet during the brief ride to Lane's manor house, Farley pulled up the feeds for the interior of the main dwelling, the pool house, and the duplex Farley shared with Marla when in residence.

Marla tsked. "Always with your nose buried in tech." She popped open a compartment and withdrew a bottle of water.

Farley didn't glance up. "Yeah, yeah. You do your thing and I'll do mine." He sent a quick look toward Lane. "House is clear. Want me to bump the air conditioning up a little? Inside temperature is seventy-five degrees." Lane usually liked his interior space at close to arctic levels.

Lane hand-waved the question. "Nah. Leave it." He opened an app on his phone and Farley bit back a laugh when the thermostat took a nosedive.

Marla shoulder-checked Farley. "You gonna ask me?" She batted her eyelashes.

Farley smirked. "Nope. The duplex is at a perfect seventy-two degrees." The exact climate he and Marla preferred.

She flashed a smile. "You take such good care of me." She made a show of swooning in her seat.

Lane made a gagging sound. "Geez, get a room, you two." He rolled his eyes.

Farley slid into fantasy mode for a few moments, picturing Marla sashaying into his bedroom with nary a stitch on. He shared accommodations with Marla on a regular basis and they had yet to cross any lines. But, somehow, on the island where they had separate entrances and exits to a shared house, the idea of getting a room became sexier. And, okay, his brain worked in weird ways but he'd always put it down to the fact the when they shared a hotel suite or an apartment, they bumped into each other all the time. In the duplex, his imagination ran wild, wondering what Marla got up to.

Lane intruded into Farley's fantasy. "I wanna learn how to surf."

Farley blinked. "Do what now?" Body surf? Boogie board? Surely Lane didn't mean on an actual longboard or regular surfboard.

Lane gave a snort. "You know… surf. Hang ten." He flung an arm out. "I own a damned island, not to mention a sporting goods company. Shouldn't I know how to do island things?" He shook his head as if Farley asked a stupid question.

And, okay, maybe a little on the mark, but, hell, Lane pulled the idea out of his ass.

Marla gave a growling sigh. "Who's coming and how long do we have to vet them?" She grabbed her bag and fished out her phone.

Lane smiled. "Jacobi Jannsen will be here in the morning. And he's famous among the surfing world so you don't need to vet him."

Farley barely got in a two-and-a-half count before Marla unsheathed her claws.

She leaned forward. "Excuse me? We vet everyone who comes to one of your private residences." True fact. "What if Jannsen has money problems and he's collecting a big payoff to drown you in the ocean." Her tone clearly stated she might consider doing the drowning.

Farley already had Jannsen's bank records open and started an in-depth background check.

Lane shook off her concern. "As your counterpart can no doubt tell you, Jacobi is flush with cash at the moment." He settled back on the seat and pinned Marla with his gaze. "I'm not a complete moron, Marla. Jannsen just signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Pennylane Sports." He reached for the door handle when the Land Rover pulled to a stop in front of the manor house. "He agreed to teach me when we finalized the contract yesterday."

Marla climbed out behind Lane but shot Farley a questioning glance. He confirmed Lane's details with a nod before getting out.

Her shoulders slumped. "Fine. But you're not going out alone with him. I don't care how many dotted lines he signed on." She brushed past Lane to check and unlock the front entry.

Lane gave her a wide grin. "I figured as much. That's why you two are going to learn with me."

Farley choked down a laugh and braced for the inevitable explosion.

So far, writing Farley and Marla and their interactions with Lane has been a complete joy. I love these characters!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Summer's Eve

Whew. Long, long week with a ton of busywork stuff along with my regular workload. I sometimes get the idea that most of my family members don't realize how long or how many phone calls it often takes to make things happen. Luckily, I'm in a position where my job isn't at stake if I need to make those frequent and often time-sucking phone calls. But… bleh.

Had an even more sporadic viewing week. I'm not fairly behind on a lot of my shows. But… I did catch up on some laundry so not a bad tradeoff. I got two episodes of Blue Heelers in while folding and stacking clothes. LOL

I got a little more of Riverdale watched but haven't finished the episode yet. I might be getting to the place where I need to switch over to music. The main reason I've been light on viewing for the past few weeks is a heavy work schedule and lots of distractions from other drama.

I have so many playlists that I listen to while driving. I should probably start listening to them while working also. Maybe I'll start that this week.

Since there's not much to report, tonight's post is from Summer's Eve, an Organic Nature short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The beginning of summer means Vin Derbish is chest-deep into his busy season. Eppie Collins is used to not seeing much of Vin during the month of June, but suggests a spontaneous camping trip when the weather turns nasty with thunderstorms. A few days in a cabin with pouring rain as their soundtrack can't be a bad thing.

And a snippety peek…

Eppie Collins ran inside to grab the phone. "Hello." Her breath came out in gasping pants.

Vin Derbish groaned. "Damn, Eppie, it sounds like you're having sex."

She laughed. "That would be hard to do since you're not around." The month of June hit squarely in the middle of his busiest time of year.

He sighed. "And I won't be for at least another week. But…" He paused to say something to one of his workers. "I have an idea for getting together if you can get someone to cover the farm this weekend and maybe make a couple of calls for me."

She liked the sound so far. "Fill me in and I'll bribe or beg whoever I have to." If Lily couldn't cover weekend hours, Dani might be able to.

And Dani owed Eppie for the Easter emergency, even if Eppie would've been there no matter what.

Vin's voice came through louder and clearer. "Whew. Sorry. Next time I'll wait until I'm actually in my truck before I call." He switched over to Bluetooth. "So… if you can find someone to cover, Greg mentioned he'd be staying in town from Wednesday through Monday morning. He's helping spearhead the organizers for the veterans who'll be participating in the summer reading program at the library. That means the cabin will be free and I thought maybe you could meet me there."

Eppie hesitated a little. "I'd love to, Vin, but how do you see this working? Me at the cabin for fourteen hours a day while you're working? Which isn't a no, by the way, more a question about whether it's worth making the trip for the whole weekend." She could go up on Saturday and head back on Sunday.

Vin chuckled. "Man, I'm screwing this up royally. Check the weather report. We're supposed to get a line of thunderstorms rolling through for the next five days." He waited until she'd pulled up her app. "There's a good chance I'll be available and I know how much you love storms."

Eppie pictured watching the clouds roll in from the cabin's small porch. "Oh, yeah. Sounds awesome." She waved to Lily when she entered through the front door. "Let me talk to Lily and double-check with Greg. I'll give you a call later, say after nine?" He usually worked until they had no light left.

This close to the summer solstice meant he put in some very late evenings.

Vin let out a whoop. "That'll work. I'll probably be having a beer with the guys at Mo's." The little tavern sat just across the county line and had half a dozen rooms Vin's crew had taken over.

Eppie grinned, getting excited. "I'll speak with Lily now. Love you." She ended the call and motioned Lily over. "I have a proposition for you…"

I love this couple so much. This series is a joy to write and coming up with small… snapshots… into their relationship is challenging but also fantastic.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin