Sunday Snippet: Vin's Valentine (An Organic Nature Short)

Hard to believe November is almost over. I think the whole furnace fiasco made the month seem a lot shorter than it actually was. That and my workload hasn't decreased… not that I'm complaining.

Had a somewhat slower week with television. I stuck mainly to marathons during the day. I did get some old-school Midsomer Murders watched along with several episodes of JAG.

I watched another episode of Riverdale and, man, Edgar is super creepy. Also, I still dislike Hiram with the passion of a thousand suns. I actually loved the whole shakedown of the gargoyles. The filming of that scene had me glued to the screen.

Other than that, I'm halfway through an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and really hoping they're not going to have Julia and William break up over the doctor who has the hots for her. I'd be very disappointed.

I also had a run of Classic Who episodes on Pluto TV. Nice to have that on in the background when I'm getting the dishes done or folding clothes.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Vin's Valentine, a sexy Organic Nature short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After Eppie revealed her kinkier side to Vin, their trust and bond is deeper and better than ever. But there's someone else who knows how Eppie likes to play and he's hell-bent on worming his way back into her life.

And a snippety peek…

Vin Derbish turned into Organic Nature's driveway and narrowed his gaze. "Who's driving an expensive import around here?" He slowed when the driver barreled toward him, peering to get a look at them.

The lane had plenty of room but Vin swerved a little to avoid a collision. "Shit driver, whoever the hell it is." He caught a view of the guy when he sped past. "Huh…" He braked and confirmed his suspicion in the rearview mirror.

The license plate of the BMW read NASHONE.

Vin rolled forward again. "What's Eppie ex doing in town?" He pulled into his usual spot close to the house, got out, and headed around to her studio. "Hey, Ep? That was Jordan Nash, right?" Vin didn't deal with Nash directly, but he'd worked on several of his projects.

Eppie rolled her eyes. "None other. He dropped in, spewed his usual bullshit, and I sent him packing." She put another crate under the worktable. "I can't believe he made the effort to find me then drive out here. Why the hell would he?" She grimaced and glanced away.

Vin frowned but didn't comment. They didn't speak of Nash often, especially since he'd cleaned Eppie's bank account out and she hated the fact he'd played her for a fool. Vin's experience with Sheri bordered on something similar with the exception of Sheri not hiding the fact she liked Vin's monetary achievements.

Eppie shook her head then shot Vin a heated glance. She started toward him, her fingers undoing the buttons of the flannel shirt she wore. After shrugging it off, she untucked the waffle-knit thermal shirt from her jeans.

Vin didn't move, waiting to see what she did next. A trickle of concern moved through him. Did Nash stir up old feelings of uncertainty in her?

Eppie grabbed hold of his heavy jacket and pushed him against the wall. "You're a little overdressed." She pushed the garment from his shoulders.

Vin shook his arms free but gave Eppie full rein. She lifted her chin, slanting her mouth against his. Her kiss went off-the-chart hot in under two seconds. Vin grasped her hips but held back. An underlying hint of desperation in her lips threw up a red flag.

When she popped the button of his jeans, he gently halted her progress. "Eppie… Are you with me or Nash right now?" He'd gladly drop trou and have sex with her anytime, but not if she had her ex on her mind.

Eppie blinked. "What? Why would you think—"

Vin gave her a pointed look. "It's a fair question." One that deserved an answer.

Even if she didn't want to face it.

These two… I love writing Eppie and Vin. The challenge of having an established couple work their way through everyday relationship hurdles is something I enjoy.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Vicarious Living

I have a new furnace! It's shiny and pretty and takes up a lot less space than our old one did. And it's amazing how nice and toasty the house is again. Here's hoping the much-improved energy efficiency pays off too.

My workload is still crazypants. Trying to get prepped for having the equipment going in and out of our house didn't leave me a lot of time the past week. I also have a goal of seriously getting rid of a bunch of stuff that's been collecting in odd, random places for the past two decades.

I did get some television watched, starting with another episode of Midsomer Murders. I think I might have found the show I'll be replacing Midsomer with, but I have made a final decision yet.

Caught a few more episodes of Sapphire and Steel and watched a full arc of Classic Who. Sapphire and Steel is actually pretty interesting with a different style.

Watched a Halloween episode of Murdoch Mysteries, which ended up being pretty fun. I love it when William has to deal with people and things he doesn't feel comfortable with. Pretty cool variation on the theme song also.

Also caught another episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries. I really do like this show and the friendship between Frankie, Trudy, Flo, and Mary. My favorite season is still the first one, but if this is going to be a long-haul show, I'm down with the changes to the style.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Vicarious Living, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes adversity can be overcome and living vicariously through fantasy proves to be a good thing. Lola Humes and Wright Wesslop discover a mutual way to cope when they meet at their group counseling sessions. They're not supposed to interact outside the anonymous therapy gatherings, but neither is very good at following the rules.

And a snippety peek…

What the hell am I doing?

Lola didn't share information about her past. Yet she'd blabbed a lot to a hot stranger. Wright Wesslop could prove to be disruptive to her life. She lived for change, but she also like to control when it occurred.

Three weeks of meetings and the man pretty much had her whole story. Then again, she had his too, but he'd only just finished the twelve-steps. She'd completed her right out of high school.

Wright nudged her shoulder. "What's going through that brain of yours?" He warmed up her coffee.

Lola chuckled. "Honestly, something trivial. I was thinking about how varied our reasons for drinking are." Losing a sibling, if she had one, would be a damned good reason to drown sorrows.

And Wright had done exactly that when his brother died.

His lips kicked up in a smile. "The reasons all lead to the same place for us." He glanced out at the remaining group of members. "Here. Trying to stay on this side of sober."

Lola nodded. "Fair point. And I'm glad no one really gets judgmental about how different our stories are." Her teenage angst didn't rate that high as a good reason—at least not in her newly written book—but at the time, she would've taken any excuse to blot out the hot and cold, back and forth, up and down parenting style her mother adhered to. Not that her mom didn't try, but she truly didn't get Lola, which meant they didn't see each other often.

Wright ducked his head. "I appreciate the lack of judging too but sometimes I don't understand why being sober means adhering to rigid rules for some people." He lowered his voice. "I need a little danger in my life… it just doesn't have to be in the form of alcohol."

Lola blinked. Holy shit. Finally… someone understood. The freedom she found in throwing caution to the wind—minus liquid courage—helped her try new things while maintaining control. Being sober didn't mean being boring.

Lola set her cup on the table. "Would you like to grab some decent coffee? There's a little shop across town on Fifth that serves a terrific no-frills dark roast with a choice of pastry." She paused a moment, then sweetened the invite. "The danishes melt in your mouth."

Wright cocked his head to one side. "I'm up on Fifteenth. What's the name of the shop?" He placed his half-filled cup beside hers.

Lola tucked the knowledge of where he lived away for a moment. "Danko's. It's pretty much dead center between Ivy and Chestnut." And she lived two blocks up from Chestnut on Maple.

Weird… they lived in pretty much the same neighborhood.

Wright gave a nod. "I know the place but I've never been. Sounds like tonight is a good time to go." He gave her a wide smile.

Lola flashed a grin. "Meet you there?" When he nodded, she gave a small wave and headed for the exit.

Danger looks damn good in the form of Wright Wesslop.

I'm taking this one slowly and trying to make sure I hit the right beats.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: A Very Awkward Evening

Whew. This week flew right by. We're still waiting on our new furnace, which I should have by my next post. My workload is bananas right now and I didn't get a chance to watch much television due to deadlines. It's also been a busy week with my daughter's golf banquet and awards ceremony and state band competition.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers but stopped midway through so I need to finish it up this week.

I started out with Midsomer Murders and watched the first episode of the final series. The new coroner is kind of fun and recognizable from a Doctor Who episode, at least that's where I remember her from.

I'm limping through the Riverdale musical episode "Big Fun". I keep stopping the action because I don't want to miss anything. I can honestly say I'm impressed with the way this episode is put together. I love how many of the group is involved in the musical. The only thing I'm not a fan of is how much screen time Eleanor is sucking up. I realize there's a reason for it but she's right up there with Hiram in the characters I love to hate department. I do think I'll have time to finish up later tonight or early tomorrow. Then it's off to the new season of Arrow, where I'll probably weep through every episode.

I caught a few holiday movies in the background during the workday and also ended up catching a bunch of Blue Bloods episodes.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Very Awkward Evening, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Vi Palona's rock star mom wants a sit down meeting with Garwin Noth's academic parents, which Vi keeps putting off because her mother, Mina, has no edit button. When Mina crashes a birthday dinner, Vi figures her mom can't do much damage… but five minutes into the evening she learns how wrong she is.

And a snippety peek…

Vi opened the door and almost groaned.

Her mother flung her arms wide and shimmied her hips. "Surprise! I told you I wanted to drop in. Here I am." She nudged past Vi and entered the foyer.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Of all the nights for her mom to call Vi's bluff… she picked this one. Why now?

Vi grabbed Mina's arm and pulled her aside. "Mom, this isn't a good time. Gar's parents are over to celebrate his birthday." And

Mina cocked her head and blinked in confusion. "I thought you said they were on some weekend retreat."

Vi lifted a shoulder, quickly covering her cover story. "They canceled to spend the evening with Gar." White lies never hurt anyone, right?

Mina waved her hand. "No matter. I've been wanting to meet the people who spawned the glorious hunk you're shacked up with." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "I'll bet they're gorgeous." She added an eyebrow waggle for effect.

Vi closed her eyes and sighed. "Seriously, Mina?" Did she always have to be so damned superficial?

Mina frowned. "You only call me Mina when you're angry. What did I do this time?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Vi shook her head. "Never mind, Mom. We're getting ready to sit down for dinner. You might as well join us."

Mina strutted into the living room. "Happy birthday, Gar! Since I didn't know it was your birthday, I'm giving you the only gift I have right now… myself." She spun in a small circle then whipped out the rock and roll horns, bending her middle and ring fingers into the palms of her hands. "So… this is the couple who still has a little something-something going on post-divorce. Go you two." She thrust her hand forward. "I'm Mina, Vi's mom."

Lance colored up to a ruddy shade of red but clasped Mina's palm. "Lance Noth and Garwin's mother, Janice." He cocked his head to one side. "You're the lead singer for the Damn Banshees, aren't you?"

Mina flashed a grin. "In the flesh. I'm so glad I get to meet you two." She shot Vi an arched eyebrow look. "My daughter thought you'd be out of town this weekend. I'm happy you're not, even though you probably would've ditched the seminar and stayed in your room the whole time."

Janice blinked then recoiled a little. Why wouldn't she? Who the hell wanted a running commentary from someone who knew fuck-all about them? And vice versa. And, of course, it highlighted the fact Vi lied about Lance and Janice taking a weekend retreat.

Vi broke in quickly. "Dinner's on. We can all get seated." She started for the table in the corner, dragging a side chair to make room for Mina. "I hope you guys don't mind my mother joining us." And maybe ruining the entire evening.

I love this story and writing Mina brings me so much joy. It's a fun dynamic to create a character with no filter or edit button.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Veritas

November 3, 2019

Hello, November. The temperature dropped significantly, which kind of sucks for my household since we can't get our new furnace until the middle of next week. That said, with some careful placement, space heaters are doing an excellent job of keeping the house comfortable. As long as we don't dip into single digits, we're golden.

Not a bad week for television. I have a heavy workload right now but still squeezed in some decent viewing.

I started out with Riverdale and, wow, what a great episode. I'm still catching up from last season so this episode featured FP's fiftieth. Cole Sprouse and Skeet Ulrich brought their A games. Also loved the linked montage of Archie's king of the mountain battle with Cheryl and Toni's hot session in the speakeasy. The breakup ended up being a lot more painful than I anticipated but excellent work from the women. Reggie and Veronica's falling out also packed a punch. Reggie is very much growing on me as a character. A few random notes… I absolutely hate the entire farm storyline. I also dislike Hiram with the passion of a thousand suns going supernova. Don't see that changing anytime soon.

I finally got to sit and watch Arrow's season finale. I can honestly say the ugly crying didn't stop after the credits rolled. Everyone acted their collective asses off—Stephen and Emily in particular. Stephen, quite frankly, blew me away. Watching him evolve as Oliver over seven seasons has been a true joy. Seriously… I'm going to miss this show so much. My one main disappointment is not getting any scenes with Oliver and Mia. I'd love to see the two actors interact.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murdoch Mysteries. Nice to see George's family tree expand and with such a terrific character (pun intended). I have so much fun watching this show.

Frankie Drake Mysteries also made me smile. I'm still getting used to the new opening and the somewhat different shift in the show's dynamic. That said, it's growing on me and I like the fabulous foursome and their interactions.

Caught a new story arc on Sapphire and Steel. This show is usually background noise for me when I'm working and I have the horrible feeling I'm really missing a lot. I'm going to make an effort to really focus when I start the third assignment.

Watched the beginning of series nine with Classic Who. The daleks returned to be a huge pain, per usual. I always enjoy episodes that feature them.

Should be catching another episode of Midsomer Murders in the very near future.

That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Veritas, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tillie Cruz has a moment of veritas when she shoots Faxon Jarvis in a friendly fire incident. The realization she wants a life with him may be too late because Faxon has a new relationship and Tillie doesn't want to mess it up. But she may not have to—her bullet may have done the trick.

And a snippety peek…

Tillie leaned into the window of the car. "Thanks for the ride." She pounded her fist lightly on the door then turned and started for the precinct house.

"Hey… can I get your number?"

Tillie closed her eyes and paused. Damn… so close to a clean getaway.

She pivoted and went back to the car, only ducking down this time. "Look, I thought I made it pretty clear and we agreed to scratch each other's itch. Let's leave things there, okay?" She met his gaze, trying like hell to even remember his name.

Max. Right.

Max rolled a shoulder. "Didn't hurt to try. Look me up again if you need another scratching post." He put the car in gear and rolled away from the curb.

Tillie breathed a sigh of relief. Six months out from her break up with Faxon and she still had zero desire to get tangled up with anyone else. The guy du jour thing worked just fine.

No it doesn't.

Tillie yanked the door to the precinct house open and ruthlessly ignored her inner voice. Her pushy inner self could get bent. Tillie would focus on her career and prove Faxon wrong about everything.

Why does it matter if he doesn't anymore?

Tillie tossed her bag into her locker. "Argh. Shut up." Dragging out a fresh shirt, she quickly tugged the one she wore over her head and traded it with the new one.

Jensen Gates poked her hear around the end of the row. "Uh… I didn't say anything." She gave Tillie a raised eyebrow. "Rough night?"

Tillie rolled her eyes. "Depends on how you define rough. The sex was fantastic. The drop off this morning not so much." She sank down on the bench and grabbed her work shoes.

Jensen's lips quirked. "That's the third one this month. Are you sure you're telling them you're only interested in a one-time, mutually satisfying romp?" She braced her shoulders against the opposite row of lockers.

Tillie shook her head. "Always." Shoving her foot inside a closed clog, she reached for the other one. "Maybe I'll see what's available in undercover work right now. I need something different." She smoothed down her pants, pressing against the fabric.

Jensen nodded. "You could also look into some task force openings. I heard there were two spots coming up." She fell into step beside Tillie after they exited the locker room.

Tillie pursed her lips. "Hmm. I like the sound of that. I'll check into it." She parted company with Jensen at the causeway. "Thanks, Jen."

Either area—task force or undercover—would take up time and give her focus. She'd check with her lieutenant to see if he'd put in a good word for her.

You're still trying to fill a Faxon-sized void.

Tillie growled. "Shut. Up."

If she didn't know better, she'd swear her inner voice guffawed.

I like Tillie's inner voice. It's so much fun to write internal conflict, especially when the inner self is snarky and almost always right.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin