Sunday Snippet: Drag Out the List

June is coming to a close and I can honestly say this feels like the longest effing year while at the same time the days are flying off the calendar. It's bizarre and baffling. 2020 is probably going to go down as the year I want to forget but won't be able to. LOL

Rather slow week of television but I did get a few things watched. I started with Kings of Broadway, a charity program on YouTube. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Started season three of Danger Man and thought it would be color episodes, but it's not yet. Enjoyed the first episode.

Caught another episode of Strike Back and Strike Back Declassified. I've only got two episodes left and then I'll have to start a rewatch because I love these characters so much.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and look forward to seeing how it ends. I like this Aussie drama and have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of familiar faces.

Watched another episode of Gargoyles. It's one I don't remember so it was nice to have something to sink into. I think I'm about a third of the way through the second season.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Drag Out the List, a novella that's coming along nicely.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Velma and Kade have loads of sexual tension, but Velma keeps him at arm's length. Kade gets the why, but when she pushes him a little too far he turns the tables on her and she ends up in a compromising position—number seventeen on his list.

And a snippety peek…

Kade finished scraping the paint from the window in his bedroom. Screaming pink and some kind of marbled fuchsia and gold gave him a headache. Dee loved bright colors. Turquoise, hot yellow, sunny orange, and bright lime green rounded out the decorating scheme of the apartment. He'd asked Jim about it and the man chuckled.

He nodded toward the alley. "If you look in the garage, there's enough sandy gray to repaint the entire interior." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "I figured we'd have to redo the apartment before we could even dream of selling the place. We're lucky you saw past the blinding riot and made an offer."

Kade could kiss Jim for having the foresight to buy a nice beachy neutral. The color looked great in various lights and would give him a good backdrop to add some color. Nothing flashy like Dee's cavalcade of retina-twitching options, but a mix of blues and some pops of green and maybe a splash of red would work well. He thanked his interior designer mother for instilling a sense of good taste in him from an early age.

Putting the putty knife aside, he stood before the window. He loved the sound of the waves drifting onto the shoreline. The water appealed to him. Lake, ocean, river, didn't matter as long as the sound made it to his ears.

Making the move south ended up being a good fit. Okay, he'd only been official for two weeks, but he'd accomplished a lot during his brief tenure. Yeah, he still needed to move his furniture in, but the futon mattress worked as a bed for now. Painting came first, then the big stuff could come in. The most important detail had been covered. The ice cream shop belonged to him. No partners, no personality clashes, no nightmare dissolving of assets. He'd never been married, but he'd bet a divorce settlement would have taken less skin off his hide.

From this point on, sole proprietorship only. At least in his professional life.

"Now the personal … that's something else entirely."

His friendly neighbor piqued his interest. He looked forward to getting to know her better. She didn't give off a married vibe, but maybe she had a boyfriend. He rather hoped not. Easy on the eyes, a killer smile, and loads of curves made her a winning combination. He liked women who were fit but not to the point they were all angles and sharp planes. Velma had toned arms and legs paired with soft rounded hips, which he loved. Her ass looked damned good in shorts. She'd had her hair in a messy bun on top of her head and her eyes showed a range of emotions not to mention a lot of intelligence. Velma definitely caught his attention.

After a quick look at the time, he stripped his shorts off and entered the small bathroom to grab a shower. "No stinky pits for dinner." Humming an old crooner classic, he washed the sweat and paint flecks off then stood under the spray letting the hot water hit the kinks in his shoulders.

Physical labor kept him in good shape along with walks or runs along the beach. He'd put in a lot of extra work during the two weeks he'd been down here and his muscles were protesting. When the water started cooling, he shut the shower off and quickly toweled dry. Digging through his supply of clothing, he snagged a pair of blue cargo shorts and a brand-new white T-shirt. On his way out, he grabbed a sky blue twill button-up and tossed it over his shoulder. Slipping his feet into a nicer pair of his athletic slides, he started across the small thoroughfare separating their back entrances. The smell of grilled chicken seasoned with some kind of spicy mix hit his nostrils and his mouth watered. Eating out had advantages—no clean up—and takeout proved convenient. But he couldn't wait to have a nice, quiet dinner with a beautiful woman. He missed having a good conversation along with his meal.

When he ducked through the well-maintained opening to Velma's patio, his heart sank. She had company…

A tall guy who had the look of a longtime native.

Didn't that suck big ones?

I loved writing this scene. Working in Dee's interior design scheme had me chuckling while I typed.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Down the Middle

June 21, 2020

I can't believe there's only one more week and a few days of June left. This year seems to be flying by so fast—even with a pandemic and social distancing.

Slow week of television again but a good one for client phone calls. I have a couple if potentially interesting new projects to be excited about.

I did finish up Danger Man with the last few episodes of season two. I'll be starting the color episodes this week along with the new title of Secret Agent. Should be fun.

I also got through the Riverdale episode I started last week and, surprisingly, it got better. I kind of understand where Alice came from but it still annoys me to no end. Veronica's savage takedown of Hiram made my week. I also ended up really enjoying the Cheryl session with the guidance counselor—whoever tagged Gina Torres for that role deserves a raise. I'm very intrigued by the cutaway end scenes. If not for my absolute complete and utter loathing of Hiram, I would be so set to keep watching this show. As it is, I literally hate that character so much, I'll probably only skim through the season.

I caught another episode of Roswell, New Mexico and thoroughly enjoyed it. I like Alex and Michael working as a team without the usual UST between them. Having them become actual friends is a great thing and I'm totally there to watch that happen. Loved having the former Max back as a Mains ancestor. Here's hoping he'll be available for more flashback scenes. I like where Isabel is headed and love what she did for Arturo and Liz. Also loved, loved, loved Kyle's scenes with his mom. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the dean's daughter storyline, but I'm down with whatever happens. I kind of have a tiny hope Kyle ends up hooking up with Cameron at some point … but that's only if Jessie doesn't have her abducted. I totally don't believe he's been shackled by anyone or anything. In fact, I'd lay odds he's the actual private security firm's leader. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.

Last but not least, I watched another episode of Peak Practice. I've been staying with the chronological order for now and I'm working my way through the second season. Should have it finished up within the month. I hope.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Down the Middle, a novella that's coming along with my bounty hunters finally figuring things out.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Bounty hunter Ursa Goode always gets her man … if Jake Weatherwax doesn't beat her to him. But when a target escapes and comes after her, Ursa has to take Jake up on his offer to work together and split the reward right down the middle. The need for a partner rubs her wrong, but Jake definitely doesn't.

And a snippety peek…

Ursa entered the illegal club and scanned the entry and exit points. "Two ways in and out." And probably a hidden egress or two in case the cops came calling.

She'd burned half a dozen favors getting intelligence on Llewellyn. Didn't matter. She'd call in whatever marks she had left then beg, borrow, or blackmail if those ran out.

The thumping bass line of the dance music fueled her adrenaline. Her instincts indicated her informants had done her a solid. This place represented a smorgasbord for someone like Cavil. He'd be frothing to get his hands on something young, comely, and eager for a little danger in their life. Male, female, nonbinary, gay, straight … Cavil didn't care what label the package wrapped itself in; he sought someone pliable and willing to walk a wild edge.

She made a vow. "Not tonight, asshole." She wanted to put him down this time.

Making her way through the throng of bodies crowding the makeshift club, she finally elbowed her way to the bar. The location afforded her a view of everything; the dance floor, the rafters, the DJ booth, and the exits. Only the facilities were out of her sight.

She pointed to a bottle of vodka and lifted her chin. The bartender pulled it down and poured her a shot, sliding the glass in front of her. She downed the liquid and relished the burn it made down her throat.

When she flashed a ten, the bartender shook his head. "First one's on the house. And when I get a looker like you, the tab's open." He waggled his eyebrows.

Ursa rolled her eyes, but stayed friendly. "Just the one. I'm waiting for someone." He didn't need to know she didn't want a hookup.

And who knew … if she took care of business, she might end up needing a hard, hot body to celebrate with. The bartender definitely fit the bill. Built but not jacked up, he'd be worth pursuing if she didn't have other plans.

He gave her a slow once-over. "Let me know if you change your mind." His graceful acceptance put him up another notch in her book.

She winked. "Will do." She turned and propped her elbows on the bar behind her and scanned the crowd.

So much movement between the bodies writhing on the floor to the spectators either watching or scoring their own brand of entertainment. Ursa glanced up to the rafters, clocking more than a few groups conducting shady deals. Probably a hefty payday up there if she were inclined to check. She only wanted one cash out tonight.

Cavil. Her gut said he hadn't arrived yet. She'd wait … not so patiently.

Two hours later, the hairs on the back of her neck rose and her waiting game ended. She caught sight of Llewellyn when he slid in from the back door. He hadn't changed all that much. A little heavier and with longer hair, he still had close-set, hooded eyes. Why would that change? His eyes were something she'd never forget. And the fact she'd have to look into them again kicked her rage up into the red zone.

She pushed away from the counter and followed Llewellyn but kept a good distance between them. If his tactics held true, the bastard would pick someone in the first ten minutes of his arrival then stalk his prey until close to closing. For an illegal place like this, dawn would be breaking before the DJ played the last song.

Ursa shook her head. "Gonna be a long night." But she'd watch and wait.

I'm pleased with how this story is finally coming together. After a long brainstorming session, I've got the flow nailed down and the action figured out.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Dodging Bullets

So far, June is shaping up to be a weird month. Work has slowed way down, which isn't an all bad thing. I've been very fortunate to have a steady flow when so many others have been furloughed or, worse, completely lost their job. That said, it's weird to have time on my hands so I'm hitting projects I've been putting off for ages. It's kind of wonderful and scary all at the same time.

Hit or miss week with television viewing. I haven't been watching as much as I normally do, mainly because I've been doing a good bit of writing. I did catch another episode of Danger Man. Almost finished with the second season.

I caught the penultimate episode of Arrow. Green Arrow and the Canaries ended up being more entertaining than I thought it would be. I'd watch the new version if it comes around.

Also started another episode of Riverdale. I'll be honest, I'm probably done after this season. Alice came such a long way and now she's back to being her obnoxiously overbearing self. I had so hoped she'd maintain her character growth. Bleh.

That's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Dodging Bullets, a novella that's coming along with main characters that have a long history.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sable and Gage live on the same street and survive their childhood by having each other's backs. When they grow up, they're still looking out for each other, but instead of ducking verbal barbs and flying objects, they're dodging bullets instead.

And a snippety peek…

Sable couldn't believe Gage followed her. When Betty found out, she'd go batshit on Gage's ass. Then blame Sable.

Again.

She grabbed another box of T-shirts. "Your mom is gonna flip her shit when she finds out you followed me." She dumped the box and shoved half over toward Gage.

He shrugged. "She's been in full-on bitch mode for months now. This isn't going to make her any worse." He sorted through the shirts, lining them up in a pile. "I wish I knew why she spiraled all the time." Deftly, he folded the tee in front of him.

Sable had a solid idea why Betty Waterson hated her life. But … what would telling Gage accomplish? At fifteen, would he want to know intimate details about his mother's life before Prescott?

Knowing why his mom hated Sable could help him understand. Or … it could cost Sable the one person—aside from Bernie and Prescott—who helped keep her sane. Her gut said Gage wouldn't walk away … and she hoped he wouldn't.

Pausing mid-fold, she angled around, resting her butt on the workspace. "You might want to cut your mom a break." It almost pained her to say those words.

Gage stopped, his gaze flying to hers. "Why the hell would you want me to?" He grabbed a stool and sat upon it.

Sable shrugged. "My grandma filled me in on some things last night. You know my dad wrote most the The Bangers songs, right?" Ivan had a gift with words.

Gage folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, so?" His eyes narrowed but he didn't say more.

Sable absently flicked specks of imaginary lint off the cotton fabric. "Their very first hit, the one that put them on the road to stardom, was 'Elizabeth is Calling'." She swallowed hard, kind of wishing she hadn't started the conversation. "Know who he wrote that one for?" Gradually, she raised her gaze to meet his.

His face showed confusion first, then a dawning realization, then disbelief.

He shook his head. "No effing way. You're saying my mom is the Elizabeth in the song?" He got up, pacing with agitated steps.

Sable nodded. "According to my grandma, my dad and your mom were a hot item back in the day. They broke up when Betty went to school because my dad put everything he had into the band and getting them a record deal and setting up live shows. He wrote the song as wish fulfillment or something like that." She paused, because her brain still struggled to imagine her dad with Gage's mom.

Gage stopped walking. "What does this have to do with anything?" He went back to striding back and forth.

Sable sighed. "Apparently, when the song hit big, your mom came home on break hoping to pick back up with my dad." She stopped again, hating the next part.

Gage huffed out a breath. "Sable, you can't not tell me the rest." He sat down again, bracing his hands on the edge of the stool.

She blew out a long breath. "She came home too late. Because the week before, my dad met Bianca and ended up marrying her and taking her on tour with the band." The one and only time Ivan got drunk, according to Grandma Zelma. "And that's why your mom hates—hated—my dad. And my mom."

Gage shook his head. "And, what? That gives her a pass to hate you too. Why should I cut her a break for that?"

Sable's eyes filled. "Because she's your mom and even though Bianca sucked at being a parent, she's never coming back and I wouldn't wish that on anyone." The tears overflowed and she dashed them away.

Gage came up off the stool and hauled her against him. "Dammit, Sable. I'm sorry for making you cry. But it's not fair. The way she treats you." He eased away, gently cupping her chin. "I'll try to be more understanding, though. Even when I want to smash things when she's yelling at my dad and us all the time."

Sable gave him a small smile. "Thanks. Trying is good." She held his gaze, tingles of awareness running through her.

A first for her. She hugged Gage and Garth all the time, but not like this … being held, comforted, and … cared for by Gage seemed so different.

The moment stretched out and the air in the room shifted. Gage's eyes turned darker and his grip tightened on her chin. His head drifted toward hers and Sable's breath hitched in her throat…

Garth burst into the room. "Gage, bro, you gotta get home. Mom's ready to call the entire precinct in to find you." He stopped short. "What's going on? Why're you all up close and personal with Sable?" He cocked his head to one side. "And why's she crying?"

Gage rolled his eyes. "Why do you think, dumbass?" His gaze met hers, a silent communication passing between them. "She's still a little sad about her parents." Pulling away, he squeezed her hands. "I'd better go, but I'll see you later." His tone held a wealth of promise.

Sable nodded again, unable to form words. She moved aside, letting Gage pass by her, and stood alone in the room when he left with Garth.

Her fingers brushed over her chin where Gage's had been. If Garth hadn't interrupted when he did, I would've had my first kiss. And she wouldn't have minded one little bit.

I love this story and how it's coming together. Gage and Sable are fun characters and the family drama is a treat to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Deep End

Well, June is off to an auspicious start. Not only a pandemic still raging but global protests against police brutality and systematic racism. It's a wild time to be alive. Whew.

Not a bad week of television viewing overall, especially considering how intense this past week has been. I started out with some new Blue Heelers and almost finished up the episode.

Also caught several more episodes of Danger Man. I'm almost through the second season and should be starting the third soon.

I did indeed start Gabriel's Inferno and I've been catching bits and pieces throughout the week. This is a movie I want to watch during uninterrupted time so it'll take me a while to get through the full two hours. I'm excited there will be more to come with a second part to this and I think two more books to adapt. Good stuff so far.

Also did some additional listening to the Battlestar Galactica soundtrack for season three. I'm going to have to hunt down the works I don't have from Bear McCreary. He's truly a remarkable composer.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Deep End, a novella with a sibling rivalry component—one of my favorite tropes.

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's 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…

Raelin buried her nervous tension and exited the car. "How long has your brother been in the navy?" Such an odd choice considering Eames drove a route sales truck for an auto parts manufacturer and his mom and dad were successful representatives overseeing US interests in Europe.

Eames draped an arm over her shoulder. "He's been a squid for ten years, or close to it." Pulling the door to the bar open, he cracked a wide smile. "Yo, Eric! Long time, no see, bro." He left her side and shook hands with a slightly older version of himself.

Raelin hung back, especially when Eames bear-hugged his brother and made a show of lifting him off his feet. Classic Eames, drawing every eye in the room their way. Raelin shook her head. The closest thing she had to a sibling—her cousin Mara—would utterly die if Raelin greeted her with so much enthusiasm.

Mara had very specific ideas of how people should conduct themselves in public. Raelin loved her cousin to death, but didn't have a lot in common with her. They got along famously as long as Raelin didn't get too rowdy.

Eames stepped away from his brother. "Rae, come meet the firstborn Bannerman." He snagged her arm and tugged her forward. "Eric, meet Raelin Hicks. A woman of significant taste." He sent a wink her way.

Raelin rolled her eyes but thrust her hand forward. "Nice to meet you."

Eric clasped her palm and met her gaze. A zing shot through her and she blinked. Hello, deep end. The drowning pull of desire hit her hard. Holy shit. What the hell?

Eric's firm grip lingered a little. "Uh, same." He let go, cleared his throat, and glanced away.

Rae tried to recover. She'd met a man she could probably spend the rest of her life with—her boyfriend's brother. Geez. She did not just think that.

Eric snorted. "You know, I gotta ask how you manage to put up with him? I mean, I'm his brother so I kind of have to…" He flashed a quick grin in his Eames's direction.

Eames huffed out a breath. "Did you miss the part where I said she had impeccable taste?" He quirked an eyebrow and looked toward her.

Rae finally got her tongue unstuck from the roof of her mouth and shrugged, joining in the banter. "Eh, he kind of grows on you." She fell into step between the men when a hostess flagged them for their table.

Eric chuckled. "Right. Mainly because he plants roots and sprouts up like a bad weed."

Eames pulled his chair out. "At least you didn't compare me to toilet paper on a shoe." He settled down and grabbed a menu. "That's usually what you cock off with."

Eric smirked and sat down.

Rae responded the only way she could … by laughing her ass off.

I love writing siblings and Eric and Eames are fun, even when they have a big conflict. I can't explain why I have so much fondness for meeting the wrong brother first, but it's one of my favorite things to dive into.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin