Sunday Snippet: Midnight Promise

Our temperature warmed up again but didn't get super-hot, so the week ended up being very nice. The leaves are starting to turn and are already falling to the ground. I'm sad the colors aren't nearly as bright as they used to be.

Had a busy work week with lots of potential new projects. I also had some extra time to finish up a fall holiday short story, which makes me so happy! I ended up getting a good chunk of writing done and hope that continues this week.

Ended up with a decent week of viewing television. I got a little distracted with writing so about one full round of my current lineup. Not bad all things considered.

Watched two episodes of My Life Is Murder. So far, I'm enjoying the series. I feel like I might get a little annoyed with Alexa, but it's early days yet and that might change. I do love the supporting characters and how Alexa's backstory is unfolding at a slow drip.

Got almost two episodes of Agatha Raisin watched. I'll be finishing the second one up later today. Another show where I love the supporting characters so much. And Agatha is a lot of fun.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness, which finished out season twenty-two. I thoroughly enjoyed Nikki knowing in her gut she hadn't made a mistake and then following that through to prove it. I was kind of bummed the assistant ended up being the reason for the problems. Also loved the additional case of the drug-trial testing and how that one played out.

Started season three of Death in Paradise. I've watched the episode before, but it's a great example of how to bring in a new character while giving the original a proper send-off. Looking forward to Humphrey's tenure.

Finished up Fantasy Island's second season. I ended up being fairly pleased with the lack of extended angst between Elena and Javier. So nice to see Ruby's daughter and follow that story. The wives' club fantasy ended up being pretty great also. If and when the writer and actor strike is over, I'll look forward to a season three if the show is renewed.

Caught another episode of The Batman and it's one I'd forgotten. I like having some different or lesser-known rogue characters. And the Alfred and Bruce interactions are fun in this series.

Watched a double-header of Battlestar Galactica with "Lay Down Your Burden," the season two finale episodes. So much to love and so much to not love about these two episodes. And I'm still completely amazed with how prescient this series ended up being. It's freaky sometimes.

Enjoyed an episode of Classic Rugrats, which ended season five and ushered in the first movie and baby Dil. I'd completely forgotten about Charles's parents being in this one. Kind of cool to see them.

Also caught another episode of VIP. It's one I remember from way back in the day and a fun one, where Tasha actually give Val kudos. This is an over-the-top wild show but so much fun to watch.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Midnight Promise, a holiday-themed novella that got a start with brainstorming story ideas session.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lance Norris leaves the military just in time for Halloween and he can't wait to get home where he reconnects with Melba Johnson, his recently divorced high-school sweetheart and the owner of a popular hometown bar. Determined to win Melba back over, Lance embarks on a whirlwind courtship throughout the holiday season and plans to propose at midnight on New Year's Eve. The only stumbling block? She still has close ties with her ex.

And a snippety peek…

Melba Johnson turned from her spot on a ladder when someone rapped on the door of her bar. "Hey, Tani, can you let Jake in?" She nodded toward the entrance.

Melba's employee stopped painting the window and let Jake Hawkins—Melba's ex-husband—in.

Jake darted over. "Need some help?" He took the black, orange, and purple bunting Melba had draped over one arm and widened it out.

Melba smiled. "Thanks. I'm going all the way across with it." With both hands free, she stapled the fabric as far down as she could.

Tani put the finishing touches on the witch's hat taking up most of the window. "How's it look, boss?" She stepped back, waving her arm with a flourish.

Jake nodded. "I'm not the boss, but that looks spectacular." He glanced up to Melba. "Are you using the black light paint again? People loved that last year."

Melba climbed off the ladder and moved it down to the center of the bar. "We are. Tani's adding a black cat on the other window. Should look amazing from the outside." She gave Tani a thumbs-up. "The hat is perfect." She angled around to get back on the ladder, but Jake had the rest of the bunting hung.

He came down. "Figured my arms are longer." He handed her the stapler. "Need help with the lights?" He nodded toward the strands she had sitting on the bar.

She tilted her head. "Didn't you just get off work?" He had a twenty-four-hour shift at the fire department.

Jake shrugged. "Yeah. We had a slow night. So, I don't need to head home and crash." He took one set of lights. "Where are you thinking for the green ones?"

Tani stopped painting the outline of the cat. "You two blow my mind. I've never seen a couple get divorced and become best friends." She shook her head.

Melba laughed. "Helps that we were best friends before we got married." Something they shouldn't have done in the first place.

Jake started winding the green lights around the pillar at one end of the bar. "You've worked for Melba since she took over the bar. You know the history." He met Melba's gaze and flashed a smile.

Melba grinned back. "Our biggest mistake was trying to keep up with the Joneses." As in, getting married because all their friends were tying the knot.

A really bad decision, which they discovered last year. If anyone would've told her she'd get married at twenty-two, separated at twenty-five, and divorced by twenty-six, she'd have called them a liar. But she also wouldn't have met Jake, who truly had been her best friend before their ill-fated nuptials.

Tani laughed. "You also had the most amicable breakup ever." She went back to filling in the outline of the hair-raising cat.

Jake finished winding the lights and came around for another strand. "There's one part of the story she doesn't know, does she?" He picked up the purple lights.

Melba lifted her chin. "No, she doesn't. No one knows except you, and you deserved to know why we couldn't stay married." And why she'd probably never say I do again.

Because … she'd already given her heart away to someone else and they still had it.

I'm so happy with how this scene came together. I'm having fun exploring how an amicable parting of the ways can work well for a character.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Midnight Cruise

Our fall-like weather remained with us … to the point we had record lows. I have to laugh a little because it's like a yoyo swinging up and down with record temperatures in both directions. It's nuts.

Had a very solid work week. Possible new projects that I'm excited about and finishing up a big one, which feels really good.

Not a bad week for viewing television. I didn't make it through two times like last week but had almost a full rotation of the shows I normally watch.

Enjoyed another Agatha Raisin episode. I'm settling in with this cast of characters and I love the village vibe. Looking forward to more episodes.

Started a new Silent Witness two-parter and I'm really interested in where this one goes and what's going on at the Lyle. The second half should be terrific.

Caught the finale for season two of Death in Paradise. I'm a little sad because the season three opener is obviously the loss of one of the main characters. But I'm excited to start in with a new character.

Watched another Fantasy Island episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm also happy to report Roark and Javier seem to be on better footing and the angst factor did not get amped to ten or above. A pleasant surprise. The whole deal with Ruby should be interesting to watch unfold. Not sure how I want things to go there.

Enjoyed another episode of The Batman. This one featured Firefly and I kind of loved the Bruce and Alfred banter in this episode.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats and loved it. One part had the babies journeying to the basement ala Indiana Jones style. The second one had the full set of McNultys for a birthday party. So much fun.

Started another episode of VIP but didn't make it all the way through. Too many interruptions to finish, but I hope to get the rest watched today.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Midnight Cruise, a holiday-themed novella for New Year's Eve.

Here's the miniblurb:

Once upon a time, Bessie Marshall met Cesar Wright and they had a glorious fling for the week of spring break their senior year of college. Fast forward five years and Cesar is back in his hometown to launch a new business venture and he wants his friends to help him make a test run on New Year's Eve. Imagine his shock when he bumps into Bessie—who moved to the riverfront city two years after graduation—and she wants nothing to do with him, which shouldn't surprise him considering he left her without so much as a good-bye.

And a snippety peek…

Bessie tilted her head to one side. "You bought a riverboat?" Why not lease until he knew if his idea would work?

Cesar shrugged. "Well, yeah. I can't create a floating dinner club without one." He settled across from her at the conference table.

Bessie huffed out a breath and shook her head. "Okay, true. But most normal people don't have the cash on hand to just buy a boat. Seriously. And you drop, what?" She did a quick mental calculation. "Seven figures? Like it's nothing." She really had no clue what that would even be like.

Cesar frowned. "No, not like it's nothing. It's an investment. One I'll make pay off within two years if all goes to plan." He straightened. "What's your problem with this?"

Bessie wet her lower lip, stalling for time. Because she didn't know how to answer. She knew nothing about Cesar Wright. Not really. And her brain struggled to mesh the low-key flip-flop and board shorts guy she'd spent the most incredible week of her life with and the mega-wealthy, impeccably dressed man sitting across from her. But she failed spectacularly because the incredible things they'd done together kept flashing through her mind.

Exhaling slowly, she finally responded. "Nothing really. Your idea is something I could market in my sleep, but I'm not sure working with you is a good plan. There's no guarantee we'd work well together. What makes you think we would?" She truly had no clue.

Cesar blinked. "Tell me you're not serious. Have you forgotten we spent a week together? What makes you think we'd have any trouble getting this project off the ground?" He folded his arms over his chest.

Bessie made a garbled choking sound. "I don't know, Cesar. Possibly because you don't know the first thing about me on a professional level. And it may be because this project has nothing to do with fucking each other, which is basically all we did for the duration of our time together." Okay, not completely true, but geez, seven days of sun, sand, and sex—with occasional meal breaks—didn't exactly qualify him to judge her work ethic or her anything five years later.

The man had no idea what her life looked like … or how badly he'd bruised her heart.

Cesar's lips twisted in a wry grin. "You still shoot straight and speak your mind. That hasn't changed." He relaxed his stance, leaning forward and placing his forearms on the table. "But you've made your point. So, let's come at this from a strictly professional perspective. Your work speaks for itself. You've managed to land a third of your team's new clients in the three years you've been with Thrust Marketing. Better still, you've worked with five difficult, ready-to-run accounts and retained four. The fifth wasn't worth the time and effort, but the company has nothing but great things to say about you." He sat back. "And that's why you're perfect for this project. I won't believe our personal history will keep you from being the consummate professional I know you are." He met and held her gaze. "Am I wrong?"

Bessie opened her mouth then slowly closed it because he'd done his homework. And, well, he'd pretty much rendered her speechless.

This story is in the beginning stages, but I'm so pleased with how it's coming together. Bessie is a fun character and Cesar is going to learn the art of groveling.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Meet Me by the Mistletoe

Ohio had record high temperatures this past week, but the weekend has brought some fall-like weather. I'm looking forward to seeing the leaves change even if it seems like the colors are less vibrant than they used to be.

Juggled several work projects and I'm in the final stages of two and starting a couple of small new ones. I'm liking the mix of things I'm currently working on. It's fun to stretch my wings sometimes.

Had a solid week of viewing, which seems weird because I did have a lot of work stuff to get done.

I started a new to me series with Agatha Raisin and thoroughly enjoyed the first two episodes. I think I'm going to like this one!

I finished up season two of Suspects and, wow, the last episode kind of packed a punch. I'll have to wait to see if more episodes become available on the streamer I use. I'm not quite ready to sign up for yet another one to see the remaining seasons.

Caught the first episode of Peak Practice season ten. Also started the second episode but got a little distracted. I might end up skipping a few because I really don't care about Andrew and his affair.

Watched a Silent Witness two-parter that dived into the Troubles and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns.

Forgot to include Battlestar Galactica in last week's recap. Watched "Captain's Hand," which is one of my favorite episodes. This week we watched "Downloaded," which is kind of the beginning of the end to a promising series. With twenty years of hindsight, I can honestly say I didn't need or want to know that much about the cylons.

Enjoyed two episodes of Death in Paradise. I loved the hurricane episode. Only Richard would think it's just a little wind. One more episode for season two and then it's time for a changing of the guard.

Caught two episodes of Fantasy Island. I'll admit, I'm on the fence with Roark and Javier. I'm kind of down with the building of the friendship and letting Javier all Elena out for trying to protect Ruby. The thing is … he's not wrong, but he should also know Elena might have been down this road before and she almost always has information she can't share, which is kind of hinted at when Ruby more or less forgets about Mel. What's next? She forgets her kids? So … I rather love that this thread looks like it will be spun out to a thin tether. Also makes me wonder what's in store with Ruby's tattoo.

Watched two more episodes of The Batman. ManBat and Victor Frieze were the bad guys for these two. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this show the first run through.

Enjoyed two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Finally had another one with Susie, which makes me happy. Also forgot how much fun it was to have Chuckie act like Angelica for a day.

Started a rewatch of VIP. Sometimes it's so much fun to go back to shows from the late nineties and early aughts and enjoy the creative license and sheer escapism they provide.

Also started another new to me series with My Life Is Murder. I'm not quite finished with the episode, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far!

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Meet Me by the Mistletoe, a holiday-themed novella featuring the trio from Merry and Bright.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Presley Griffith wants to create one more new holiday tradition with her men, Gunnar Stewart and Frazier Boyle, and celebrate their one-year anniversary with style. With hectic schedules revolving around the hospital, fire station and police department, she's not sure she can pull it off. A cryptic message to meet her by the mistletoe at a secluded bed and breakfast brings both men calling with bells on.

And a snippety peek…

Frazier stood outside Presley's door and tilted his head. "What the hell?" He pulled the note from its spot between the jamb and the hard oak surface.

Gunnar peered over Fraz's shoulder. "Gunnar, text me when you get this." He unlocked his phone and shot off a quick message. "Fraz got done early. We're at your place."

Fraz's eyebrows furrowed. "Wonder why she's not here." She did ask them to meet her.

Gunnar's phone chimed. "She says, 'Check inside the door and bring the bags. Then meet me by the mistletoe at 1717 Wemberly Place.'" Gunnar shot Fraz a sideways glance. "Wemberly? That's a residential street like three blocks over." He narrowed his gaze.

Fraz nodded. "Yeah, brownstones and those big mansions turned into four and five-unit condos." He arched his brows. "Weird she wants to meet us there, right?" He slid his key to Presley's apartment in the lock and popped the door open.

Sure enough, two duffel bags sat just inside the door. Fraz grabbed Gunnar's and handed it over then picked the other one up. They could walk from here … but some instinct told Fraz they should take Gunnar's jeep.

Fraz lifted his chin. "Let's leave my car here and take yours." He started for the SUV.

Gunnar grunted. "You really have no idea what's going on?" He unlocked the vehicle and slid behind the wheel.

Fraz shook his head. "I don't. But the bags suggest we're either staying or going somewhere. Might as well have a car, just in case." He sent Presley a text. "On our way. Be there in five." Pocketing his phone, his brain spun with questions.

Gunnar stopped at a light. "Think she knows about our surprise?" He patted his jacket pocket.

Frazier rolled a shoulder. "If she does, it's because you talk in your sleep." His lips twitched.

Gunnar did not talk in his sleep.

Gunnar snorted. "Yeah, right. Dude, you're the one who can't keep your yap shut." He gave Frazier a pointed look.

Frazier's face flushed. "In my defense, I didn't say anything. I sent a text to our group chat instead of to you. And we still managed to surprise her because she didn't know what type of cake we were getting for her birthday." Geez, send one wrong text and never live it down.

Gunnar parked on the street and cut the engine. "1717. Two houses up. Looks like the porch light is on." He peered through the windshield.

Frazier narrowed his gaze. "And it looks like there's a light on inside. Guess we should find out what's going on." He opened the door and grinned when Presley waved through a downstairs window.

Gunnar fell into step beside Frazier, and they made their way to a three-story brownstone that had seen better days. Peeling paint on the stoop and door along with a mailbox tilted sideways and the house numbers going in three different directions greeted them when they walked up the steps. Gunnar angled his head, a question in his gaze.

Frazier shrugged. "Let's knock and see what happens…"

I have a lot of love for this trio. It's fun to write fluffy fiction for the holiday season.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Make Me

September has ushered in yo-yo weather. We had record low overnight temperatures this past week and we're supposed to end up with record high temperatures this week. My sinuses are not happy right now.

I'm still finishing up the copy edit for the extended project and should have it ready this week. I'm looking forward to starting a new project in the next week or so. September is shaping up to be a busy month and that makes me happy.

Didn't have a bad week of viewing. I got a lot of episodes in and finished up a series, which means I get to start a new one this week. I have no idea what that will be yet, but probably a mystery.

I caught two episodes of Death in Paradise. One I remember seeing before and the other new to me. This is why I love going back and watching in chronological order.

Also watched two episodes of Fantasy Island. Enjoyed both for the fantasy aspect. Did not enjoy the angst factor. As usual, you take a perfectly good couple and break them up for a stupid reason. Depending on how the next few episodes go, I'm probably done with this show.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Batman. Bane and Catwoman were introduced and the Catwoman episode was a lot of fun. The Bane episode wasn't bad either.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The four vignettes were all ones I'd remembered and pretty fun to watch again.

Finished up the Agatha Christie Hour and enjoyed the final episode. I love mistaken identity hijinks and this episode had a splashy party to boot. So much fun.

Caught the second half of Suspects and thoroughly enjoyed watching the team unravel the tangled web of who did it. Also kind of great to get some insight into the characters' personal lives.

Finally watched the season nine finale of Peak Practice. It was as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not looking forward to Andrew's personal life being a main focus of season ten, but I'll still be watching.

Finished the second half of Silent Witness. This one ended up being very twisty and I like that. Looking forward to the next two-parter. Might get more insight into Jack's character.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Make Me, a novella that brings a couple together after a tragic loss.

Here's the miniblurb:

Adri Leonard and Moses Nichols train and manage recruits for a private security firm. When Adri loses a team in the field, she refuses to train a new group. Moses has to get her back on board because they need a support team ASAP for a mission-critical operation and he's not above using their long-standing personal connection to make it happen.

And a snippety peek…

Moses charged into the training room. "Adri, what the hell is this?" He flipped through the roster of names. "You can't trash an entire class on their first day." This group had the basics down, most with experience in either law enforcement or spec ops in the military.

Adri's shoulders went rigid, but she grabbed a carafe of coffee and started filling her travel mug. "Pretty sure I just did." She ran out halfway through filling her container and huffed out a breath.

Moses clenched his jaw. "Look, you know we've got seventeen active teams in the field, and I've got five staffed with support specialists. That means a dozen teams are twisting in the wind without crucial operating assistance." He shuffled the pages again. "We've got mission-critical operations, one in particular, that need trained teams. They're sitting ducks until they get them." He should not have to make this point. "And we'll be fucked if we end up with another call out in the next two weeks."

Adri angled her head around. "We're already fucked." She moved to the next carafe and swirled it, making sure it had liquid inside. "Bring in the next group."

Moses tsked. "No one in the next group has any law enforcement or military background. They're starting at ground zero." And there's not enough time to bring them all up to speed.

Adri turned to face him. "Then they start at ground zero. Because the previous group is done." She jabbed her finger into the files he held. "It says so right there on the top page. Maybe you should read it again." She screwed the lid on her cup and headed for the door.

Moses did a quick five count. "Adri. This is not a debate." He set the files aside and started to follow her.

Her obstinance couldn't stand—no matter how long they'd been friends and colleagues.

She whirled around and stalked toward him. "Well, Moses, I'm the instructor. The only one you have." Standing toe-to-toe with him, she snarled. "If I say we start over, we start over. I will not, not send another team out that isn't ready." She jabbed a finger into his shoulder and her gaze dared him to defy her decision.

He almost wished he didn't have to test her will. Almost. Because he understood the drama now. Too bad they didn't have the luxury of playing things safe right now.

He huffed out a breath. "That's what this is about then. It's not about the new class." He stared her down, pushing hard. "It's the one we lost." He clocked the moment he hit home when her gaze wavered, only for a moment, but enough to prove him right.

If possible, she got even closer before she quietly challenged him. "Careful. You're treading water in dangerous territory." The words rasped from her throat.

Her proximity suggested violence if he didn't bow to her demand. And, frankly, he would almost welcome a throw down if only to strip away the bullshit façade and get her to deal with her grief over losing an entire team in the field.

He stood his ground. "Step back. Now." If she refused, he'd have to resort to unfair tactics.

Her gaze went hard. "Make me." Her tone almost begged him to retaliate.

His eyes narrowed and he pondered the best way to handle this situation. Then he reached out and hauled her against his chest, crushing her mouth under his. He swallowed her startled gasp and drew the kiss out, sliding his tongue past her lips to brand the inside of her mouth. Her travel mug hit the floor and her hands fisted in his shirt, twisting the fabric. Her head angled to the side, deepening the embrace with her heated response.

When the lip-lock ended, Adri blinked and ran her thumb over her lower lip. "Wow. What the hell was that about?" Her eyes were dazed, and she smoothed her hands over her arms.

Moses grunted. "I think you know, Adri. From day one, you set a goal to push my boundaries. And I've let you get away with it. But you shot across the line when you challenged me to make you step back." His voice softened. "Sounded damn close to the double dawg dare you dropped at my feet the first night we met. What did you say then? Do you remember?" He wouldn't forget her words any time soon.

Adri glanced down. "Something like if I ever cross the line, a good, swift kick in the ass will usually get me back on track." She looked back up, a note of contrition in her eyes.

Moses did a slow nod. "Right. But, instead of kicking your ass, I went with my gut and opted for the kiss instead." And he maybe should've thought that idea through a little more.

Because, damn, he could barely think about anything else now.

Adri exhaled a shaky breath. "Yeah, well, you might have made the right call there." A pained laugh bubbled out. "Although, I'm not sure where we go from here." She shook her head and bent down to pick up her mug.

Moses waited until she got to her feet before speaking. "Let's start with reviewing the applicants again." He gentled his tone. "If there are any you truly feel can't make it through the program, we'll set them aside and bring them in with a later class." He reached for the files.

Adri put her hand on his. "You're asking me to put their lives on the line. I'm not sure I can do that … again." She squeezed his fingers. "The weight of that responsibility sits on my chest so hard it hurts to breathe sometimes." Her voice wobbled but she kept her emotions in check.

Moses cupped her face. "I know. I do. This isn't easy. But … let's think about how many additional lives could be lost if we don't get the support out there where it's needed." His thumb brushed over her cheek. "Won't that add to the weight you're already carrying?"

She swallowed hard and gave a nod. "When you put things that way, yeah, probably." Inhaling deeply, she lifted her chin. "Okay. Let's review the candidates and see what I have to work with." Turning away, she pulled a chair out and settled at a table.

Moses took a seat across from her and opened the first file. For now, he'd get her through this hurdle and back on target.

After that … he'd confront his actions and what they meant for the future.

Writing characters that push each other's buttons is so much fun. Adri and Moses are a great team, but they definitely come at things from very different places.

 

That's if for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin