Sunday Snippet: Fits and Starts

I'm not quite sure where the month of September went but it's almost over. The weather in Ohio is currently fall-like. Not sure how long that will last. I could actually get behind having it stick around for a while.

Pretty decent week of viewing. I'm back on my usual schedule for the most part. I'll be starting a new show on one of my streamers, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it or give up that slot for now.

Watched another episode of Ted Lasso. Gotta say, I definitely see the appeal and how so many people have utter undying love for the show. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Caught another episode of the Agatha Christie Hour. I loved the twists and turns in this one. Good intrigue without being a full-blown mystery.

Enjoyed the first part of Silent Witness. There's a good mysterious vibe in this two-parter and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out this week.

Started season twenty-six of Classic Who and loved seeing the colonel back again. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Watched another Strangest Things episode and learned about desert glass. Well worth the view for that alone.

Caught an episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Geez, a lot happened and I'm still trying to process everything. Definitely need to catch up on season two of The Mandalorian to fill in the missing blanks. Looking forward to doing that.

Only Murders in the Building is such a terrific show. The pacing is excellent and the reveals are pretty much perfect. Hat tip to all involved in the writing and acting.

Enjoyed another episode of Blue Heelers and it actually ended up breaking my heart a little. One of the scenes hit a little too close for comfort involving a pet that had to be put to sleep.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She discussed finding an agent and what to pay attention to when dealing with contracts.

Watched another Umbrella Academy episode. I'm definitely getting hooked on this one. I love the characters and how they interact with each other and outsiders. Klaus is a wicked-fun gem. Also nice to see Luther before his transformation. Felt horrible for Diego and my heart really goes out to Vanya. Loved the scene with Allison, though. Great stuff.

Enjoyed two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. Two of my favorites were in this bunch. Anytime Angelica is foiled by Susie is worth the watch.

Also caught another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. This ended up being a good one. I like the episodes when there isn't a major villain from the rogue gallery for Batman to deal with.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fits and Starts, a novella puts the characters on opposites of a dilemma.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After escaping from a madman's clutches, Pru Stark can't quite find her footing again. She pushes her man, Dane Callaway, away and refuses to see the little girl she saved. Dane can give her space, but he won't stay on the sidelines, not when Pru needs him the most, even if she can't quite admit it.

And a snippety peek…

A loud blast woke Pru up and sent her sprawling from the bed. She rose and a second explosion had her crashing into the wall, her head cracking on the hard surface. The hard jolt had reality becoming a sharp focus but meshed with her dreamlike existence of the last six months.

Everything jumbled in her mind, but danger came through with crystal clarity.

Pru rubbed her temple. "Minnie!" Tearing out of the room, Pru sprinted across the hall into the girl's room. "Minnie! Honey, where are you?" She had to find her daughter.

"Over here." The voice trembled.

Pru found Minnie huddled under her vanity. "Okay, sweetie, come here. We need to get out, okay?" She reached out a hand.

Minnie shook her head. "I'm scared." The words squeaked out and she shuddered.

Pru got down and scooted close. "I know, Minnie. Me, too. But we'll make it. I'm your avenging angel, remember? I won't let anything happen to you." The adrenaline rush kicked her into instinct mode.

The world crashed back with resounding simplicity. Her past—the real one—poked through the haze of dreamy make-believe. She didn't belong here. She never had.

She almost sank under the emotional overload, but her training kicked in. She'd get them out. Snatching Minnie up in her arms, Pru dashed through the apartment and into the corridor. Debris rained down and another boom shook the building. A brief flash of memory ripped through her brain and Pru crouched low, keeping Minnie pressed against her chest. Heavy footfalls sounded around a corner and Pru risked taking cover against the wall. The ceiling collapsed and caught three armed guards under its weight.

Pru stripped a gun off a fallen henchman. She checked the chamber with Minnie clinging on, her little legs wrapped around Pru's waist. Pru had a full clip of ammo and an exit to find. She made her way through the debris and rubble. Making a break for the open main hub, she encountered an armed force of three. Enemies. No doubt in her mind now.

She braced her hand on Minnie's back. "Put your head on my shoulder and don't look up." She picked the first one off, then the second. She went for the third, but he got taken out from the side. She swung her arm toward the assailant ready to fire.

"Pru! Don't shoot. It's me. It's Dane."

Her arm slowly lowered, fingers trembling, the emotional barrage too much. She recognized the name and the voice. And she broke, clasping Minnie close.

Dane enveloped her in his embrace and she finally caved and collapsed. Too many conflicting details filled her mind. She didn't know up from down or fact from fiction, but she did know him.

Dane swept her up, along with Minnie. "It's okay, Pru. We're going home." He clutched them close and headed out of the building.

Home. Pru didn't know what the word meant anymore.

This story took me on a few twisty roads but I love how it's coming together. Pru is going to have to redefine what home is in the near future.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fair Play

Not a bad week. I made excellent headway on the two projects I'm editing and got some writing of my own done. The weather has been so nice and comfortable. Not quite chilly enough to be considered fall but also not the sweltering yuck we often have this time of year.

I'm finally more or less back on my regular viewing schedule. I might be dropping one of my streamers because they're going to paid only and, frankly, I'm not that interested in the content to pay five bucks a month for it. We'll see how it goes.

Caught several episodes of Classic Rugrats. I'm into season four and trawling through the memory banks. I love reminiscing about sitting with the kids and watching this when they were wee little ones.

Watched maybe the last episode of Chicago Med for me. This is the streamer that's going to paid only and I'm not that interested in continuing to watch. I'll see what happens in a few weeks.

Enjoyed two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. I have so much love for this series and tend to rewatch on a semi-frequent basis. There's a very good stable of villains and the animation is great.

Caught another episode of Ted Lasso. Gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed Ted losing his shit with Rebecca. I also loved the whole method of breaking the curse. This is a great show.

Watched the season eight finale of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I have a behind the scenes episode to watch then another wait for new episodes. Looking forward to seeing what Mike had to say to the proposal at the end.

Enjoyed the second part of Silent Witness. Looking forward to seeing what season twenty has to offer. I'm loving the dynamic between the characters.

Finished up season twenty-five of Classic Who. Not a bad way to end the season. I also discovered there's at least one more so I'll start it this week.

Caught another episode of Strangest Things. I liked the segments in this episode. A hoax and a spectacular way-before-its-time device caught my attention.

Loved the episode of The Book of Boba Fett. It featured the return of the Mandalorian and I'm a little spoiled for season two of The Mandalorian because of this, but I'm totally okay with that.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. This show. I have a lot of love for it and can't wait to jump in to season two.

Watched the season eight finale of Peak Practice. A lot of moving pieces and setting things up for next season. I'll be starting nine in the near future.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She focused on the business of writing and I ended up getting some good information from this lesson.

Umbrella Academy ended up being great. I'm really loving this show. I very much enjoy finding out little bits and pieces about the characters and the pacing is excellent.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fair Play, a sexy short follow-up to Imagination.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Rand Allerdyce takes Holland Dukes by surprise, bringing their sexy games to her office when she's working late one evening. Rand plans to engage Holland's voyeuristic side and give her the thrill of possibly being caught. Holland loves the idea as much as she loves Rand.

And a snippety peek…

Hollace glanced up from her laptop. "Janie, did you get the email about the seven p.m. call with the Seattle office?" Why did they want to push the four o'clock phone meeting back today of all days?

Janie popped her head inside Hollace's office. "I did and Jones Lawrence just pinged me on our instant messenger to apologize. Apparently one of their partners is getting in late due to a delayed flight." She shook her head. "They don't want to reschedule to a different day because they need your input for a client meeting tomorrow." Janie hesitated a moment. "Do you need me to stay? Or come back?" Her gaze went to the clock, ticking toward three p.m.

Hollace waved her off. "No. I'll have them send the summary of the meeting to you via email. It'll be the least they can do for notifying us at the last moment." She grabbed her phone from her desk. "I'll stick around. By the time I get home, I'd have to turn around to come back in for the call." Her dinner plans with Rand would have to happen on another night.

Janie arched her brows. "Are you sure? I'll call the daycare center if you need me."

Hollace shook her head. "Uh-uh. Tim's working nights this week, right?" When Janie nodded, Hollace continued. "No way then. Head out at your normal time. No sense racking up additional fees." Especially when Janie hoped to become a homeowner soon.

Janie flashed a smile. "All right. But if they change the call to an earlier time, I can stay until six before I'm charged extra." She ducked back out and settled behind her desk.

Hollace swiped to her contacts and hit Rand's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Hello, beautiful. What do I owe for this midday call?"

Hollace pictured him behind his desk, jacket off and sleeves rolled up. "A rain check on dinner tonight. I have to stick around for late call from our Seattle location."

Rand tsked. "Rain check it is. We'll shoot for Thursday. I've got a light week."

She smiled. "Thursday should work. I'll grab some takeout on the way home. The Asian place around the corner has the best dumplings."

Rand hummed. "Mmm. Sounds great. I'll see you later." He signed off. "I love you."

Hollace returned the sentiment. "Love you, too." She ended the call and sat back in her chair.

Maybe she and Rand could have their cuisine in bed and dine naked.

I have an idea for a couple more stories with Rand and Hollace so this might end up as a small series. Yay!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Elective Campaign

Had a fairly busy week between work and the new venture I'm putting together. The play I'm editing is so much fun. It's deep and twisty and bonkers in the best possible way. I hope I have another chance to edit more plays.

Had a pretty good week trying to catch up to my regular viewing schedule. I'm not quite there yet because other things have been pulling my attention away from screen time. Also, my sleep schedule is all messed up at the moment. Not sure why, but probably hormone-related. Fun.

I watched an episode of Peak Practice and should finish up season eight this week. From what I've reviewed, seasons nine through twelve go a little off the normal path and dive deeper into soap opera territory. I'm okay with that.

Caught two more MasterClass lessons with Roxane Gay. I truly love listening to her speak. The first one focused on engaging with you readers and I ended up getting a lot out of that one. The second lesson noted the importance of having a day job for stability and I also appreciated what she had to say about that topic.

Started The Umbrella Academy and, so far, I love it. I'm two episodes in and I like the dynamic between the characters and I'm excited to see what comes next. Looking forward to diving deep on this one.

Enjoyed the season finale of The Ready Room. Pretty sure Wil takes over for the next one and I'll look forward to his take on Discovery.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med and I have a weird feeling I know where things will end up going with Will and Asher. Fairly sure this might end up being my last season. I do love anything with Dr. Charles, Maggie, and Miss Goodwin. I also love Ethan. We'll see what happens by the end of the season.

Caught another Batman: The Animated Series. I loved Poison Ivy's introduction in this series and also seeing more of Harvey Dent before things happen with him.

Enjoyed a little more of Resisting Roots but didn't get to finish the movie yet.

Watched another Ted Lasso. I'm definitely a fan. Keeley cracks me up and I love where things are going with her. Ted kind of broke my heart yet made me so happy when he benched Jamie. I truly hope there's some kind of redeeming arc for him because I literally loath him at the moment.

Caught another Agatha Christie Hour and thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the non-mystery aspect of this show because there's still a lot of suspense, which I love.

Started season twenty of Silent Witness and quite enjoyed the opening first part. Looking forward to finishing this one up next week.

Almost finished with season twenty-five of Classic Who. The greatest show in the galaxy will hopefully end on a great note for the season. I'm pretty sure that brings me close to the end of the classic episodes. Not sure if I'll jump to New Who or switch to a different genre for a while.

Watched another episode of Strangest Things. I like diving into the mysterious objects they feature and learning new information. The cast of experts is very diverse and I love that.

Caught another episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Loved the pickup from when Fennic went down in The Mandalorian. I seriously love this show.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. There's so much awkwardness that is played to perfection by the three main cast members. I'm excited to see what happens in the next episode.

Watched an episode of Blue Heelers and ended up enjoying it a lot. Wayne actually ended up being a fairly decent guy in this one and that's not always the case.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Elective Campaign, a novella that follows the characters as they navigate a new job and campaign for mayor with a blossoming relationship.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Mac is running for reelection and needs a logistical planner on his roster to win. Yancy has the training and background but she presents a problem … Mac is very attracted to her. They fight the pull but give in, and once it's discovered, he might lose more than the election.

And a snippety peek…

Yancy pulled into the hotel parking lot. "Well, I'm glad they had a room available. Nice view of the rivers." The three-story building sat on the side where one river formed from two merging together.

Viv got out and turned around in a circle. "I like it. So many trees. Can you imagine what this'll look like in the fall?" She popped the back door open. "Just an overnight bag? Or full suitcase?"

Yancy pondered a moment. "For now, let's go with overnight bags. We'll have to dig for suitcases." They entered the lobby and quickly got checked in.

Once they were in the room, Yancy settled on one of the beds. "So, you're really interested in staying?" She had to admit a bit of a good vibe if they did.

Viv plopped down close to the headboard. "I'm all for it. I love the area and the town." She tucked her feet under her legs. "I mean, it's big enough to not know every little thing about everyone else, but yet it's small enough for everyone to matter." Reaching into her tote bag, she withdrew a stack of pamphlets. "And look at all the stuff there is to do. This area has wineries, a brewery, a historic village. All this stuff is right up your alley, Mom." She handed a tri-folded leaflet over that featured a downtown revitalization schedule of events.

Yancy browsed through the information and met her daughter's gaze. "Okay, we'll see how it goes." She dug the card Mac gave her out and then retrieved her laptop. "Why don't you see what's available on the job boards? I'll give Shari Campbell a call and ask if she can recommend houses or apartments."

Viv grinned. "This is awesome, Mom. I think we're going to love it here." She whipped out her phone and started scrolling.

Yancy got up and stepped to the window looking out over the river. A good feeling settled over her and she savored it. A new place to call home and start over sounded perfect.

She typed in the number on the card and smiled when Shari answered. "Hello, this might sound strange, but I received your card from Mac Davison and he suggested I call…"

This is a fun story to write. I love having a mother-daughter relationship mixed with the dynamic of finding a new romance.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Drowning Pull

Greetings to the month of September. I'm kind of not ready for it yet, mainly because once the calendar changes to the ninth month, it seems like October, November, and December zoom by super fast.

Had a great work week and made some progress on my new venture. I'm crossing my fingers I'll be able to launch sometime between October and December. Another reason I'm not quite ready for the new month.

Decent viewing week. I'm not quite caught up on everything, but I'm getting there. I did make a full rotation of my usual shows but I'm off schedule, which confuses my weird brain.

Got two episodes of Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm kind of loving this show. Had a great conversation with my daughter, who also loves it.

Caught an episode of Blue Heelers and kind of thought a couple of the characters were acting unlike themselves. But I did like the mystery.

Enjoyed another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She did another workshop and talked about finding your voice as a writer. Very good stuff.

Finished up The Babysitters Club and I'm so bummed there aren't any more episodes left. I'll be starting a new show this week but haven't decided which one yet.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The Chanukah episode is one of my favorites and I always enjoyed watching it with the kiddos. The Mother's Day episode is also up there even if it's a little bit of a downer.

Started Resisting Roots, a Passionflix original. So far, I'm enjoying it. Looking forward to finishing up this movie.

Caught another episode of Chicago Med and struggled to stay interested. I liked two of the storylines and didn't really have much invested in the other two. Season five might be my last one.

Enjoyed another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. This one introduced the Joker and my major appreciation for Mark Hamill's portrayal of the iconic bad guy started all over again.

Watched the Christmas episode of Ted Lasso and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ted having Rupert's number made me happy. Also loved Roy in this one. And I'm finding a deep appreciation for Keeley. I really love the dynamic she has with Rebecca. Jamie … I absolutely dislike with an intense passion. Just saying. Coach Beard is awesome. And so is Nate.

Caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I'm kind of bummed I only have one more left of the season. This show makes me happy.

Finished up the second part and final episode of Silent Witness's season nineteen. Looking forward to starting the new one next week.

Watched another episode of Classic Who. I'm a little lost with what's supposed to be going on but I had a few distractions while I was watching this episode. Looking forward to the final two for this season.

Enjoyed another Strangest Things. This one had several fun artifacts. One happened to feature in a middle grade book I edited a few years ago. Very fun to see a breakdown of the item the author wrote about in his book.

Caught another episode of The Book of Boba Fett. I actually love this show a lot. It's right up there with The Mandalorian. I'm hoping there will be another season of this one.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Drowning Pull, a novella that explores one way grief brings a couple together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lane Addison drowns his grief over losing his brother in alcohol, until a blonde distraction sits down beside him. Injured and off the circuit, Weslee decides to have a pity party for one until she sees someone deeper in the well than she is. A hot hookup later, Lane thinks he's found the perfect woman in Weslee, until she mentions her fiancé.

And a snippety peek…

Shit. What the hell am I doing?

Weslee dashed back into the apartment, hastily donned shorts and a tank top then went to greet Brad. "Okay, totally obvious what happened last night. But—"

Brad waved a hand. "Whatever, Wes. One-time thing, right?" He dumped his bag by the door then moved into the kitchen to start making some coffee.

Weslee blinked. He's shrugging off the indiscretion? Wow. His lack of giving a shit spoke volumes about what he'd probably been up to on the road.

She glanced at the door. Watching Lane leave hurt more than it should, especially after one night. And it broke her heart a little to see his eyes go flat and dead again—like they'd been when she met him in the bar.

The difference from the night before when they'd shared her bed almost took her breath away. When he asked if he could see her again, she had a moment of indecision, wanting to possibly pursue something with him … but she had to be honest—a little late, but necessary. And Lane had rightfully shut her down. Her own stupid fault for being depressed and moody and taking one night to do whatever she wanted, no holds barred. She honestly didn't want to examine the reasoning too closely right now, because she wouldn't like what it said about her state of mind.

Entering the kitchen, she grabbed a mug.

Brad leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "How did your appointment go?"

Surprised he even remembered, she didn't mince words. "After this week, I'm cleared to do PT on my own and I can compete, but..." She paused a moment, the decision sitting heavy on her shoulders. "I run the risk of doing further damage that I won't come back from." She met his gaze. "So, I'm done professionally. I'll do exhibitions and hopefully stay on as an ambassador for the sport." She stirred some creamer into the coffee.

Brad pushed away from the wall. "You know, Wes … that doesn't really work for me. We're supposed to be a golden couple, one on the ice, one on the snow. If you're out, maybe we should end things now." He shrugged, almost like ending an engagement ranked with ordering a pizza.

Angry, Weslee called him on the bullshit. "Right. Let me get this straight. You're fine with me sleeping with someone else, but you'll break our engagement because I'm no longer going to be pro?" How did that make sense?

And she might have let a potentially great thing walk away because she couldn't end things with Brad herself.

He rolled a shoulder again. "Look, mistakes happen. You hooking up with someone else, especially when I'm on the road, well, it would've happened sooner or later."

He told on himself with every word, pretty confirming her suspicions about what he got up to when the team traveled. She could kick herself for not confronting him about it. And she hated herself for being no better than him.

Brad propped a shoulder on the door jamb. "Your professional days ending changes the dynamic a little too much. Won't be mutually beneficial anymore and I have to think of my career, especially when it's still going strong."

And if that didn't lay everything on the line, and distill Brad's priorities down to their essence, nothing else did.

She nodded toward the door. "In that case, I'm keeping the apartment. Get whatever you need for a few days and go crash with one of your teammates." She dumped the coffee into the sink. "I'm getting a shower. Be gone when I'm done. You can arrange a time when I'm not here to get the rest of your stuff." She left the kitchen without looking back.

And wondered why her heart felt more bruised over the lost chance with Lane Addison than it did for a broken engagement.

This story deviates a little from the regular path but I'm kind of happy with where it's going. I like to challenge myself and getting Weslee and Lane to their happy end is stretching me to see things from a different perspective.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin