Sunday Snippet: Muse It Up

I can't believe October is almost over. We have our fall weather in full swing though and that makes me happy. Made two batches of potato soup over the weekend because we had rain and chilly temperatures. Perfect for this time of year.

Had a busy work week with one difficult but fun project and another in the final stages. Also got a lot of writing completed. I finished up the two manuscripts from last week and I'm doing final read throughs before sending off to beta readers. I'm so excited!

Had another light week of watching television. I go through phases were I'm either need to focus on other things and can't have background noise or I'm not quite in the mood to watch anything.

I did get another episode of Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm enjoying season three. It's a little jarring to not have the trio as tight as they have been, but I like the different dynamics playing out.

Watched another episode of The Batman and loved it. I remember this one from my original watch and it's fun when Alfred has to save Bruce's butt to keep his secret safe.

Also caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both had good moments with Dil and I'd forgotten how cute some of the episodes were after he came along.

Enjoyed another episode of VIP and liked having some Nikki backstory. I can't remember if we get anything for Quick and Kay or not.

Caught a double-header of Battlestar Galactica with "Exodus" parts one and two. I can honestly say there's not a wasted moment in the almost two hours of viewing. These two episodes are premium … even the parts I hate that feature Sam and Leoben, my two least favorite characters.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Muse It Up, a novella that brings a couple together when both are looking for something new.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gallagher, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

"See, Uncle Paul, the place cleaned up really well." Hunter Gallagher turned her phone and did a slow sweep of the main room.

Paul Kilkenny snorted. "You and I define cleaned up a little differently, my girl."

His long-term girlfriend nudged him. "Shut up. It looks amazing, considering Hunter's had two days to whip it into shape."

Hunter's lips curved. "Thanks, Louanne. By the time you guys get back from Ireland, you won't recognize the apartment." Not if she pulled off all the plans she had for the place.

Paul draped an arm around Louanne. "Even though the reason sucks, the timing ended up being perfect for you to move in above the bar." He leaned closer to the screen. "You sure you don't want me to call Declan? Maybe see if he can get a couple of his biker friends to go teach your rat bastard of an ex-fiancé a lesson in manners?"

Louanne gave a nod. "Yeah, and how to keep his grubby paws of your hard-earned cash." Her face turned fierce.

Hunter shook her head. "Yes, I'm sure. I do not want either of my brothers trying to handle my ex. I own my shit. I trusted the idiot, which says more about me than anything." Like she should never get engaged again.

Or open joint financial accounts.

Danson Smythe took Hunter's money and his actual fiancée and headed for Mexico, leaving Hunter with whatever cash she had on hand and an angry landlord. Thankfully, her name hadn't been on the lease, and she got moved out within twenty-four hours.

Louanne waved her hand. "Oh, honey, no it doesn't. That young man hid his true colors behind a sparkly shield. Now that he's revealed himself to be a black-hearted ass, you're so much better off." She slid her gaze toward Paul. "And your uncle's right. The timing ended up working out for all of us. You were going to take over managing the Library for Paul anyway and now you don't have to drive across the city to do it. It's kind of win-win, right?" Her shoulder rolled in a shrug.

Hunter laughed. "When you put it like that, yeah, it's definitely a bonus. And if last night is any indication, I'm going to love working here."

Here being the bar her uncle owned. The space above had been living space way back in the day. Paul didn't use the second floor, but he did make sure everything met building codes.

Paul gave a nod. "You're gonna do great with our regulars. They're a good bunch. And I'll check in every Sunday before you open. If you need anything before our weekly meetings, let me know." His gaze glanced somewhere off the screen. "Uh, looks like they're getting ready to load the bus. We'll check in again soon."

Louanne did a waggle-fingered wave and ended the FaceTime.

Hunter shook her head. She loved her uncle and his girlfriend. Paul took Louanne to Ireland in the hopes she'd finally relent and marry him. They'd been together almost twenty years and she remained steadfast in both her commitment to Paul and her refusal to wed. Hunter respected the hell out of Louanne for going against the grain, especially in a family that got somewhat entrenched in traditional values even while embracing change when it happened.

Hunter crossed over to her new entryway and slid her feet into serviceable shoes. "Time to head down and open the Library."

And see what happened on the next page of her life…

I love writing Hunter's family dynamic. I can't wait to see if her brothers make an appearance.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin