Sunday Snippet: King's Ransom

Can't believe June is almost over. This year is flying by so quickly. Or maybe it's just so much is out of control it seems that way.

Great week of work. I'm finishing up two big projects and hopefully setting up the groundwork for more. I'd love to find some balance between big jobs and smaller ones.

Had a decent week for viewing. We had some weather roll through, and I took the precaution of not starting anything when we might lose power.

I started a new two-parter of Silent Witness. Kind of an interesting premise and I'm not completely sure where this one is going. I like that.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise, and it's one I hadn't seen yet. I do love watching the series in chronological order.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Final Cut," which is one of my very favorite episodes. There's a lot going on in this one and it's all amazing.

Finished the second season of Only Murders in the Building and, holy hell, I loved how it ended! Can't wait for season three!

Also managed to catch another episode of Classic Rugrats. It brought back some memories because my kiddos wanted to try flan because of this one.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from King's Ransom, a novella that dips back into the Blatant Affair universe.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Scientist Livvie King needs protection—she possesses a rare book that people will kill for. Nab Ransom is assigned to transport her safely to a secure destination and he's got a big problem—he shouldn't be falling for the woman he's supposed to guard with his life.

And a snippety peek…

Livvie King curled her fingers into her palms. "It's too weird. Having three near misses. I'm not accident prone at all." She couldn't ignore the bizarre, life-threatening events around her anymore. "And that's why I came to you, Mr. Cruz." If a private security company couldn't keep her safe, no one could.

Victor Cruz lifted his chin. "My company specializes in protection, prevention, and often apprehension. We'll be able to keep you safe." He arched his eyebrows. "You said you're a scientist? Are you sure you're not being targeted for something work-related?" His tone skeptical, he tilted his head to one side.

Livvie sighed. "I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I don't do top-secret work and the, uh, accidents started happening after I inherited my grandmother's book of recipes." She patted her messenger bag. "It's going to sound strange, but her distillery caters to a lucrative clientele. Several attempts have already been made to purchase her formulas, but I don't want to sell them. It's her legacy to me." She met Victor's gaze. "And I can't leave my job yet, so pulling up stakes and moving won't be happening for at least a year or two. That's why I have the book with me." In hindsight, probably a big mistake.

Victor did a slow nod. "Okay, we'll assume the book is the target and they'll go through you to get it." He picked up his phone. "I'm texting one of my operatives. We'll do an introduction then talk specifics for getting you home." Placing the device back on the desk, he focused on his computer. "I'm printing a standard contract and we'll add addendums as needed until you're happy with the package."

A rapid series of knocks sounded on the door behind her, and Victor called for the person to enter.

Livvie turned and bit back a gasp. The man entering took her breath away. Tall, but not towering, he had broad shoulders, defined biceps, and a tapered waist. Wearing a pair of dark blue fatigues and a grey Henley with the Cruz logo, he lifted his chin in greeting and flashed a brief smile.

Then he focused on his boss. "You have a client you wanted me to meet?"

Victor rose and came around his desk. "Yeah. Nab, this is Livvie King." He swept his hand toward her. "Livvie, this is Nab Ransom, one of my top operatives. He'll make sure you get home in one piece." He indicated Nab should take a seat.

Livvie shook her head. Nope. This wouldn't work at all. Her goal of not drawing any undue attention to herself could only fail on epic proportions if she had to travel with a mega-hot man in tow.

She made a sound of protest. "Don't you have someone less, well, attractive? I mean I'm trying to be incognito and this one will…" She made an all-encompassing motion with her hand. "Draw a lot of attention." Geez, did she really just say that?

Nab blinked. "You want someone else because you think I'm too good-looking?" He slid his gaze toward Victor. "That's a first."

Victor grunted. "That it is. But you heard the client. I'll find someone else for this detail." A frown marred his face, but he grabbed his phone again.

Nab lifted his chin. "No problem, boss. I don't mind the downtime. Lets me dive back into my X-Files rewatch." He met Livvie's gaze. "Nice to meet you, Ms. King." He started for the door.

Livvie's mouth dropped open. This hot-ass man is an X-Files fan? She would've never believed it if she hadn't heard it from his lips.

Livvie jumped to her feet. "Wait!" She glanced toward Victor. "I've changed my mind. I'd be grateful for Mr. Ransom's protection." She couldn't go wrong with a guy who loved Mulder and Scully.

I'm not quite sure where this story is going yet but I love these characters. There might be some shenanigans with my couple from Blatant Affair.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Killing Time

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there, including fur dads and mentors. We've got beautiful weather after a very soggy week.

My work projects are bringing me so much joy right now. The books are so amazing! Also heard from one of my authors on two new stories he's got percolating right now. And I got a text message from one of my current authors that completely made my weekend. So … work is awesome right now.

Had a very good viewing week. I ended up doubling up on a couple of shows because the mood struck.

Ended up catching two episodes of the Brokenwood Mysteries. Both were pretty great. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting another one of Mike's ex-wives. And my heart kind of broke for him by the end of that episode. I'll probably finish out season nine this week.

Finished the complete run of available Classic Who episodes. Have to say in retrospect, it's weird how there have been seven doctors and only one master. That said, I'm actually kind of happy with how Seven's tenure ended. Not sure if I'll watch the movie with Eight or just skip over to New Who. It might be a few weeks before I start that.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness. This two-parter ended up being very twisty and I liked it. Looking forward to starting a new one this week.

Watched two episodes of Death in Paradise. I'm enjoying watching from the beginning in chronological order. It's nice to see how the original group came together.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Only Murders in the Building. What a cool twist or three. Can't wait to watch the finale this week.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. This is my nostalgia show. I have so many great memories of watching this when my kiddos were little.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice. Joanna breaks my heart sometimes. And we're nearing the end of season nine when things don't go so well for her.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with a double-header of "Home Part I and II." These are two of my favorite episodes of season two. The fleet is brought back together, and the acting is stellar.

Enjoyed another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Very interesting development at the end. I have a feeling I'll either love or hate the twist.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Killing Time, a fun sexy short with the characters having a sexy fun time during a stakeout.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Landry comes up with a great idea to kill time while on a stakeout with her hot coworker. Her biggest challenge? Getting Thryn to participate in a lively game of truth or strip.

And a snippety peek…

"We have movement out back." Thryn adjusted the angle of the tiny camera mounted on the garage.

Landry's head bobbed while she typed out the dialog. "Sounds like they're locking up for the night." Her fingers flew over the small keyboard she'd brought.

Between seven thirty and eight fifteen their targets had significant movement. Work-mode Landry had gone all business versus the bantery personal-mode Landry. She proved to be efficient, detail-oriented with her descriptions, and fast with transcribing conversations. She also shifted smoothly between one and the other. When they had five minutes of downtime, she quizzed him on his favorite noodle entrée.

Her chin lifted. "Back gate is locked tight and T1 is checking the garage while talking to himself." Her lips quirked.

Thryn followed the movement, recording the sequence of stops made by T1, aka the man of the house. Once he returned back inside, Thryn switched over to the interior feed, which required less work on his end. The small recording devices were motion-detectors and filmed anything that moved.

He took a moment to observe Landry while she typed. She made the standard black on black look sexy. Probably not appropriate to be thinking about her that way, but I'd be dead not to notice.

She relaxed her posture. "Both T1 and T2 are in the shower, separately." A wry grin lifted her lips.

His brows arched. "As opposed to together, right?" He swiveled toward her. "Seems wasteful." Their intelligence suggested the duo were intimately involved.

Landry smirked. "Speaking from experience?" Her head angled toward him.

He laughed. "Not recently, no." Movement in the drive caught his attention. "A car is pulling up. Looks like two occupants leaving the vehicle and heading for the front door."

Landry focused on the small monitor beside her. "They're discussing whether or not our couple is home." She typed their dialog into the document on her tablet screen.

A flurry of activity drew their attention for a couple of hours with the visiting couple sitting out on the patio until after midnight. Once they left, the targets finally appeared to be settled in for the night. The lights went out and the security system kicked on.

After another ten minutes, Landry removed her headset and set it aside. Their recording unit would kick on if the duo started talking again.

Thryn quirked an eyebrow. "Wanna order something to eat?" He pulled up the number of the noodle house.

Landry gave a nod and pointed to her favorite dish. Thryn ordered and said he'd pick it up. They had a fifteen-minute wait.

Landry chuckled. "Nothing like grabbing dinner after midnight." She leaned back in her chair.

Thryn shrugged. "Stakeouts are hell on the digestive system, especially if you're not careful." He'd worked with other operatives that made terrible food choices.

While they waited, they talked about other operations they'd been involved in. Both had some close calls and neither got too probing with their questions. Sometimes the less said the better.

Thryn stepped out to pick up their order and turned his experience with her over in his mind. "She's chatty without revealing a lot. And she doesn't overshare—unlike a few others I've pulled surveillance detail with."

When he returned, they ate in companionable silence then he grabbed his book. Landry pulled out a tablet and scrolled through her emails. He'd read the same page twice and finally gave in to the urge to observe her. She kind of fascinated him. She fit most of the impressions he'd had about her before arriving for their shared detail. Being somewhat up close and personal in the confined space, he'd been able to form new thoughts. She kept her straight hair pulled back in a serviceable ponytail, which showcased her angular cheekbones. Her nose is a little crooked from taking a flying elbow during an extraction. He rather liked what she probably considered an imperfection. The jagged line added character to otherwise flawless—in his eyes—features.

She glanced up and caught him staring. He held her gaze—feeling like she'd want him to own his perusal of her. A small, wry smile twisted her lips when she looked back down to her tablet.

Somehow … he'd passed some sort of test. Not sure why, the idea pleased him.

I'm having so much fun writing this one. Landry and Thryn make it very easy.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Ker and Moros

Getting a later than usual start on my blog post today. We lost power for about four hours. Finally got some rain after about ten days and the power blips. It's not even storming. Go figure.

Still moving along on my work projects. I'm so excited about the two manuscripts I'm editing. Both are part of a series with two different authors. Can't wait for the rest of the world to see them!

Had a pretty good week of viewing television. I'm still in the midst of the great clean out so not a huge amount, but a few extra hours.

Started the premiere episode of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. So far, I'm loving it. I paused mid-episode mainly because I want to be able to watch uninterrupted.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Quite a good mystery for this one. Thoroughly enjoyed the episode.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. This one had some action, which doesn't happen often.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Classic Who's season twenty-six and I'm looking forward to the finale. Then I have to decide if I'm jumping into New Who or taking a break.

Caught the first half of a Silent Witness two-parter. Intriguing episode with some odd little twists. Looking forward to seeing how it ends.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "The Farm". I have mixed feelings about this episode. Loved the creeptastic look into what the cylons are up to on Caprica. Hated the deeper dive into my most disliked character in the entire series. So, enjoyed watching with my co-watcher but tempered that with knowing what will come later with the most disliked character. Should be doing a double-header next week!

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm very happy to be starting this series from the beginning and working my way through in the established order. This is such a fun watch.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Such a great episode! Things are moving into place, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Caught the first episode of Madam Blanc Mysteries' second season. It's a holiday themed episode and actually quite terrific. I'm kind of wondering if Dom and Caron will be vying for Jean's affections, which I hope won't be the case.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Ker and Moros, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt about putting a modern spin on characters from a pantheon.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When they meet on the hiking trail, Leticia Sutton and Dustin Pierce carry guilt for past transgressions that weighs them down. The new acquaintances are at their lowest point and agree to meet each week for friendly therapy, which developments into an attraction between the two. By the end of their journey they have to decide if they have a solid foundation to build a relationship or if they should remain friends.

And a snippety peek…

Leticia Sutton veered off the marked trail. "There's no challenge if you stick to the tried and true." And she needed to do something punishing right now.

Pushing through some underbrush, she edged her way into a dense copse of scrubby trees. The gnarled trunks twisted and wound together, leaving no doubt they sprang up from sprouts of older growth. The mass provided an odd reflection of her life. Conflict surrounded her—at least it had for going on five years now.

Lettie squeezed through a trio of cottonwoods and winced when a limb scratched her arm. "I wanted difficult and definitely got it." She started an upward climb, carefully picking her way along the inclined land.

The hike would be good. Great if she ended up exhausted enough to sleep. Bad news always amped her anxiety up to a twelve. And the news about her ex-boyfriend Mark couldn't be worse. He'd posted about his terminal test results on social media three days ago.

Lettie closed her eyes a moment. "That's number three. The third person I've been close to who's had an awful medical diagnosis." She exhaled slowly and started walking again. "I swear I'm cursed." Or she had the ability to curse others.

First her mom with heart attack that led to her death five years ago. Then her cousin had pancreatic cancer that took him a year ago. Now Mark had a grim diagnosis.

Lettie angled upward again, using the trees to aid her ascent. "We didn't work together as a couple, but we had some good moments." Unfortunately, the not so great outweighed the fewer and far between good times.

Still, she wished him well when they ended their relationship nine months ago.

Pausing to catch her breath, she shook her head. "Probably should've just said good-bye and left it there." But she wanted to go out on a pleasant note.

Because Mark got snarly and snappy when things didn't go his way and that became the sticking point that drove a wedge between them. And even though they didn't work, she couldn't stop from feeling the weight of guilt. Which made zero sense but rational didn't always work in her brain.

Reaching out for the closest tree, Lettie's fingers missed the trunk and she stumbled, her feet slipping on the loose dirt. She tried to correct her balance, but overcompensated and twisted her ankle in a jumble of exposed roots. Sliding sideways, she lost a battle with gravity and ended up tumbling down the hillside in a heap of flying arms and flailing legs, her fingers scrabbling for anything to stop the fall.

She finally came to a stop when she crashed into a pair of sturdy boots attached to solid legs in khaki dungarees.

Blinking to clear her vision, she glanced upward and met the green gaze of a guy dressed in a red flannel over a T-shirt that matched the color of his eyes.

He stooped down, peering closely at her. "You okay? That was one hell of a drop." He held a hand out, seeking permission to check her over.

Lettie gave a nod, trying to find her voice. "Uh, yeah. Not exactly what I had planned." She straightened her leg and grimaced when her ankle screamed in agony at the movement.

His palm ghosted over her head, shaking twigs and leaves loose. "Ack. Looks like you might've done some damage. Hold still and I'll check it out." He moved down and gently picked her leg up.

The motion had her fingers curling into the ground and she hissed out a breath. "Yeah. That hurts." Tears sprang up behind her eyelids.

The guy gave a nod. "Probably sprained." He dragged his phone out. "And we're out of range here, but there's a signal on the main trail. Can I help you get there?"

She met his gaze for a brief moment and gave a shaky nod. He didn't need to get tangled up with her, but she did his assistance … at least long enough to get a call out.

He thrust his palm forward. "In that case … name's Dustin Pierce. Happy to be of service." He tucked his shoulder under her arm and got her to her feet.

She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Uh, Leticia Sutton. Glad I'm not the only one who went off the trail today."

I'm not sure where this story is going yet, but I love the possibilities. The couple meets under odd circumstances and it's fun to play with that angle.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Keeping Secrets

The first week of June is in the books and I got a big chunk of my garage cleaned out, which makes me very happy.

Work projects are moving along and I'm hoping to line up another project or two in the near future. I love a full calendar!

I had a decent week of television even with the great garage cleanout. I'm not up to my regular schedule yet and I'm actually okay with that.

I finished up the second half of Silent Witness and actually liked the kind of twisty ending it had. Lots of red herrings in this episode.

Started a watch of Death in Paradise. I've never seen this series from the actual beginning and I'm excited to dive in.

Caught another episode of Only Murders in the Building and I loved having some Mabel backstory. The fact she loved The X-Files as a kid makes me so happy.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. "Resistance" is such a great episode … with the exception of introducing a character I absolutely disliked with intense passion.

Watched an episode of Classic Rugrats. The two segments were ones I had forgotten and I'm always happy to watch those.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Keeping Secrets, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Priscilla Porter and Barry McDaniel are a happy couple—but they're keeping secrets from each other, which leads to suspicions and brings them close to breaking up.

And a snippety peek…

Priscilla Porter poured two mugs of coffee. "Nothing like starting the day after noon." Then again, nothing beat late night wake-up calls when her significant other, Barry McDaniel, caught a late flight home.

She startled a little when arms circled her waist, and a stubbled jaw nuzzled her neck. Turning slightly, she met Barry's lips for a lingering kiss. They were coming up on the fifth anniversary of their move-in-together date and she wanted to do something special and fun for him.

She eased away, her gaze drinking in the sight of him. "You're only wearing a towel." Barry grinned. "And you're only in a robe." His fingers trailed along the edges of her lapels.

Priscilla slid her palm down Barry's chest. "Guess that makes it easy to pick to pick up where we left off in the wee hours of the morning." She tugged the towel loose and let it fall to the floor, revealing his expanding hard-on.

Barry's eyebrows arched. "In the kitchen?" He nudged the robe over her shoulders.

The garment glided down, pooling at her feet.

Priscilla leaned into him. "Mmm … maybe not right here." Her lips ghosted over his jawline. "But if you can't run naked in your own place what's the point?" Giving his butt a quick tap, she made a dash for the bedroom.

Barry laughed and gave chase. "You'd better be in my favorite position." His bare feet made slapping sounds on the hard wood.

Priscilla crawled up on the bed on all fours and angled her head around when Barry followed her in. "You mean like this?" She gave her ass a shake.

Barry made a low growl. "Ahh, yeah. Perfect." His knees hit the mattress and he scooted in behind her, his hands skimming along her sides to reach around and cup her breasts.

Priscilla moaned. "The only thing better than wake-up sex is before breakfast sex." Her nipples pebbled under Barry's touch.

Barry nudged his hard length along her folds. "Yeah, but both are distant seconds to coming home sex." He thrust forward, sliding in deep.

Priscilla made a low hum. "Ah, yes. Good point." Her head dropped and she pushed back against him. "Anytime is the best with you."  

I like the premise of this story and can't wait to really explore how things go almost completely wrong when this couple decides to surprise each other.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin