Sunday Snippet: Spring Chickens (Organic Nature)

Gearing up for a busy week with work projects and my youngest's graduation from college. I think we're also going to have some nasty weather, which should be fun.

Had a solid week of work and writing, which makes me very happy. I might be finding my groove again. I so hope I am. I'm not a fan of being unable to focus when I need to.

Had a decent week of television viewing. Made it through the modified list of shows and started over.

I caught the final two behind the character bonuses for My Life Is Murder. I'm somewhat hoping there's another season. Based on a little research, I think there might be.

Also watched two episodes of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Both were enjoyable. Kind of sad to see the pub owners no longer with the cast but interested in Dom's uncle being a possible addition. Hopefully he won't be too shady.

Enjoyed the two-part Silent Witness. A lot of twists and turns in this one and I liked them. Looking forward to starting a new two-parter this week.

Finished up season six and started season seven of Death in Paradise. I'm excited to dive further into Jack's tenure as the DI. It feels like this is when cast members start their merry-go-round of coming and going. But I'm looking forward to more of this show.

Caught another episode of Elementary and Moriarty is making their presence known. I'm kind of interested in how this might play out over the seasons. I'm very much loving the dynamic with Sherlock and Watson.

Watched another episode of The Batman. I guess it was the season two finale. It always kind of annoys me when the first season is twice as long as the remaining ones. That said, pretty sure Robin makes an appearance in season three so there's that.

Enjoyed an episode of Classic Rugrats. Again, these were new-to-me vignettes. Not sure what happened with season seven during the original run, but I'm happy to see those now.

Also finished up the Peak Practice episode I started a while ago. Hoping to get another one in this week.

That's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Spring Chickens, an Organic Nature sexy short.

Here's the miniblurb:

A four-day weekend over the Easter holiday puts Vin Derbish in the mood for some alone time with Eppie Collins. A family emergency sees Eppie taking in her niece and nephew, which gives Eppie and Vin some perspective on parenthood.

And a snippety peek…

"Where are my little munchkins?" Eppie entered her house and set her bag inside the door.

Her niece and nephew came running from the living room, bouncing up and down with excitement.

Lily followed, her lips quirked in a grin.

Eppie's brows arched. "Wow, you're happy to see me." Her gaze narrowed. "Or did you two get into the Easter candy?"

Her niece rolled her eyes. "Aunt Eppie, it's not even Easter yet. We don't have candy to get into."

Lily grabbed her tote bag from the counter. "They were finishing off the brownies I made earlier. The test run of the new recipe meets their approval." She patted the outside pocket. "Should be a hit at Mom's brunch."

Eppie walked Lily to the door. "Thanks for staying. I'm so glad you were able to pinch hit until I got here." Vin snuck past them and greeted the kids.

Lily leaned in close. "They're a little worried about their dad. Brave faces for now, but I wanted to let you know that might not last once the sugar high wears off." She pushed the door open.

Eppie followed her. "Thanks for the heads-up. Vin and I will find things to keep them occupied. Maybe we'll stream movies on the side of the house tonight and pop popcorn over a fire."

Lily laughed. "They'll love that. Let me know if you need anything." She waved and headed for her car.

Eppie went back inside and found Vin rinsing the plates and glasses in the sink.

She stuck her hands in his back pockets and squeezed his ass. "Movie night outside? We can start a fire and curl up with blankets and pop popcorn."

Vin frowned. "Mmm. Might be better inside. Supposed to dip down into the low thirties." He grabbed a dishtowel and turned to face her. "We can still pop corn over the fire in here." A slow grin crossed his face. "And build a blanket fort." He waggled his eyebrows.

Eppie chuckled. "Kids'll love building a fort. I'm going to assume we'll have them overnight, so indoor campout should be fun." She tilted her chin up and planted a kiss on Vin. "Good plan. You won't mind if they have to stay, will you?" She usually went to Dani's if they needed someone overnight.

Vin shook his head. "Nah. I might have to head out tomorrow to finish up a few odds and ends at the cabin, but I'll wait to see what's going on with Ken first."

Eppie smiled and eased away from Vin. "Hey, kiddos, how does an indoor campout sound?" Might as well get them started on picking a movie.

The squeals and cheers coming from the living room were off the chart happy ones.

Eppie grabbed the phone. "Think I'll order pizza for dinner." She keyed the number in.

Vin's lips curved. "Are you bucking for the best aunt ever award?"

Eppie snorted. "I already have that honor. This is just one of the reasons why I do." Spoiling her sister's kids ranked high on Eppie's list of fun things to do.

Even if it drove Dani nuts sometimes.

I'm not quite sure where this story is going yet. I know what I think should happen, but Eppie and Vin don't always go where I want them to.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Sparkle and Boom (Organic Nature short)

Can't believe we're almost through April. And yet … it's been a really long month. May has some great things happening, namely my youngest graduating from college. She starts grad school in the fall, and I'm amazed by her. I can't wait to see what she does with her future.

Had an okay week of viewing. I'm behind on my work projects so I didn't push hard to get stuff watched, but I did make a full rotation of my shows.

I finished the regular series of My Life Is Murder. I have the bonus content left to watch. I actually loved this show. And, to my astonishment, it looks like there will be a fourth season! And it premieres tonight if I can trust the interwebs.

Caught an episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. A little disappointed with the friction and push back from Caron about interference with the case, but it's probably a little more true to life than not.

Finished up Silent Witness and loved how it ended. Things didn't go quite the way I expected. I love it when that happens.

Watched the first episode of Jack's tenure of Death in Paradise. I liked the transition from Humphrey to Jack. We're also getting into episodes I've not seen anything of yet and I'm excited to watch new stuff.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. This one didn't have the police coming to Sherlock for consultation. He brought a case to them, and I'd like to see more of that. Almost through the first season so maybe I'll get what I want here.

Caught another episode of The Batman and it's one I remembered watching before. I love it when Alfred's past comes calling. He's got some interesting friends.

Watched an episode of Classic Rugrats and, again, this is a new to me one. I don't remember either of the vignettes and that's always fun for me.

Finished out the week with some more Peak Practice. I'm trying to get through the episode I started a few weeks ago. I might get it finished this week.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Sparkle and Boom, an Organic Nature short set in July.

Here's the miniblurb:

Eppie Collins and Vin Derbish head back to the city for another fireworks extravaganza. Maj comes through with comping the VIP suite again, but right before the thrilling show, the couple is interrupted by the last-minute arrival of the registered occupant, much to Maj's dismay.

And a snippety peek…

While Wilkes might not be Eppie's type, she completely got why Maj found him attractive. In the tailored suit, the man defined cultured and refined … with just a bit of roughness under the starched collar. Vin gave a low mmm-hmm under his breath and Eppie turned toward him with an arched brow.

He shrugged, which could mean anything from agreeing Wilkes made a nice fit for Maj to excitement for being able to stay in the lovely suite again.

The elevator slid to a smooth stop and the doors whooshed open. Wilkes led the way to the suite with Maj falling into step beside him. He keyed in the code and gained entry to the charming, old-world penthouse.

 After setting his case inside the foyer area, he turned to face Eppie and Vin. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'd like to keep Maj for a few moments." His arms went around Maj's waist.

Vin's lips quirked upward. "Is the second bedroom all right? We'll put our cases in there if it is." He followed Eppie into the plush interior.

Wilkes flashed a smile. "Perfect. We won't be more than a few moments." He didn't take his gaze from Maj during the brief conversation.

Eppie's spine tingled in the best way. Then guilt set in. She grasped Vin's hand and hurried through the suite.

Vin did question why she'd become a speed demon all of a sudden … not until they were in the bedroom with the door closed. "What's up, Ep? You've gone mercurial on me." He stashed the bags on the chair perpendicular to the bed. "Is your matchmaking radar coming online?"

Eppie snorted. "No. Because my instinct says no matchmaking is necessary. I think Wilkes is either proposing to Maj or will before the holiday is over." She'd bet the next quarter's profit on it.

Vin's head jerked back. "For real? Geez, Ep, maybe we should try to find somewhere else to stay? I don't want to intrude if this is supposed to be a special weekend for them." His brows drew together.

Eppie shook her head. "Let's hold off for a few. I could be wrong." Be she doubted it.

Vin reached out and grabbed her hips. "You could be. But it's not likely." He dropped a kiss on her nose. "You've got a habit for calling things straight."

She lifted a shoulder. "That didn't really start until I met you." And finally figured out what being happy should look like.

Vin smiled. "Glad I could help with that." He hugged her close. "Should be head back out or…" His gaze shifted to the bed. "Find something to occupy our time for a while."

Eppie laughed. "I'd like nothing more than a hot and sexy romp with you, but…" She paused when voices carried through from the living area. "I think we should head back out." Lacing her fingers with his, she leaned in. "We can save that thought for later, right?"

Vin gave her a wide grin. "Absolutely."

I love writing Eppie and Vin and their adventures. This series is so much fun!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Severing Ties

Another crazy week. This time on more of a personal front, which isn't all that unusual. I don't normally get slowed down though and I did this week. We got to see almost totality for the eclipse and that was actually a lot of fun. Our streetlights came on at three in the afternoon on an otherwise sunny day. Seriously. Lots of fun.

Had a fairly decent week of viewing and caught up on most of my regular schedule. I've pared it down a little and kind of hope to get back into a full rotation sometime soon. If I'm paying for streaming services, I should be using them, right?

Ended up catching two episodes of The Batman. I'd completely forgotten the original sidekick storyline with Prank for the Joker. Ended up enjoying that one. Also kind of loved the "Thunder" episode. That one I did remember.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I must have missed a big portion of the seventh season because I don't remember any of the vignettes. Kind of nice to have new-to-me material to watch.

Enjoyed an episode of My Life Is Murder. I think I have one more left before bonus material. Going to miss this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Caught the holiday episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to diving into the new season.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Loved seeing Jack's niece again. Looking forward to finishing this episode.

Said good-bye to Humphrey on Death in Paradise. Really liked the way his run ended. I'm excited to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. I'm almost through the first season and I'm very much enjoying this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Severing Ties, a novella where the characters discover cutting ties isn't as easy as they want it to be.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lucky Block and Booker Severn provide all the crazy antics their small town can take. But when they finally sever ties, the community pulls out all the stops to show the couple they belong together.

And a snippety peek…

"Well, hello, Booker. Fancy meeting you here."

Booker paused by the frozen food and rolled his eyes. Tansy Blaylock never did her grocery shopping in store. He'd seen her in the pickup slots more than once.

And she happened to the third female who accidently on purpose bumped into him this afternoon.

Booker lifted his chin. "Tansy. What brings you inside the store today?" As if he couldn't guess.

The breakup with Lucky a week ago.

Tansy blinked and stumbled over her response. "Oh, well, I … uh, thought I'd pick out some steaks." She shrugged. "You know you can't leave choosing a great cut of meat to the employees. That's something you kind of have to do for yourself." A sidestep hid her cart from his view, which, no doubt, held exactly zero steaks.

In fact, he didn't see anything inside.

Booker arched his brows. "You're aware this is the frozen food aisle, right?" He sounded testy, but he'd planned to make this a quick trip.

Tansy's gaze darted back and forth before landing on one of the freezer doors. "Er, right. Thought I'd grab some of these first." She yanked on the handle and snagged a bag of garlic knots. "They're terrific with steak." Her head tilted to one side. "I could show you. Maybe you could swing by tonight and we can grill the steaks and catch up." Tossing the bag into the otherwise empty cart, she gave him a hopeful look.

Booker shook his head. "I'm not interested, Tansy. But thanks for the offer." He held his basket up. "I'm headed for the checkout now then settling in to watch some Twitch streams." He retrieved a box of lasagna and lifted his hand.

Tansy frowned. "You know you're better off without her, right? Lucky can't make up her mind, which she proved by walking away from you." Grabbing the item she just put in the cart, Tansy threw it back inside the freezer. "Enjoy your night, Booker." She turned and walked away, leaving the cart behind.

Booker sighed and made his way to the self-checkout. He could've been less blunt. Tansy didn't know he'd been asked out by two other women. But her rude remark about Lucky—completely uncalled for—got Booker thinking a little.

Maybe he'd been too rough on Lucky. After all, he had the hometown advantage. She'd come for college, earning a full-ride scholarship to the local university. And she'd stayed after falling in love with the area. In the ten years since, she'd had exactly two visits from her parents on separate occasions, and they only sporadically reached out when the mood struck. Or they needed something. He understood her feeling of abandonment. But, dammit, she could trust him a little, couldn't she. Hadn't he proven he'd stick around?

But did you actually? He might be tied to this town in a physical sense and would never leave. But that's not the problem, dumbass. Lucky knows all that. You showed zero support for her concerns. Like wanting to make a place for herself and stand on her own. She needed to prove her worth, even if only to herself.

He could've given her the time and space she asked for.

Instead, he'd thrown down a gauntlet and demanded she make a choice.

In public.

With a slew of witnesses.

Tansy Blaylock couldn't be more wrong. "I'm not better off without Lucky. She's better off without me…"

I'm so happy with how this scene came together. Booker needed a wake-up call and Tansy did a nice job of delivering one.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Seize the Day

April is starting off with a bang. We've had seven days of volatile weather. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, and another big drop in temperature with snow flurries. I thought for a while we might end up with a blizzardnado—complete with sharks. If you know you know. It's that time of year where keeping warm-weather clothes beside arctic gear isn't a bad idea.

 

Due to the crazy weather, I didn't get a lot of viewing in this week. I also had a full plate plus dessert of work projects. I'm very happy to have multiple things to occupy my time!

 

I did get another episode of My Life Is Murder in and loved getting to see Madison strut her stuff undercover. I'm going to miss this show when I'm finished watching.

 

Caught Midsomer Murder's final episode for this season. Enjoyed the mystery. I'm a little disappointed that it feels like the characters don't know much about each other. Winter has been with Barnaby for quite some time now and it seems like the interactions they've had in the past are quickly forgotten. Really the only thing that kind of irritates me about British mystery shows.

 

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness. I think I'm going to like the new guys. I really enjoy Jack and Nikki together. The case was very confusing, but I ended up liking how things turned out.

 

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. It's almost the end of Humphrey's run and I'm kind of excited to finish up and start Jack's journey. And also pick up with Humphrey and Martha back in England.

 

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. Kind of fun to see some of Joan's old life collide with her new one. Not super thrilled that her friends thought she needed an intervention, but at least they came around by the end.

 

That's it for the life update this week. I'm hoping to get back on track this week, barring any weird and wild weather.

 

Tonight's post is from Seize the Day, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

 

Here's the miniblurb:

 

When Pixie Ross almost dies after a hit-and-run accident, she wakes up with two prevailing thoughts. Life is short and she's done playing the field. The man of her dreams has been standing at her side for ages—her best friend Kemp MacGuiness. Now she has to convince him she's serious after years of keeping him at arm's length.

 

And a snippety peek…

 

Pixie Ross ran out of the library and trip-walked down the steps. "I gotta stop losing track of time." She wouldn't have a moment to spare to get to her shift at the tearoom unless she cut across campus.

She stepped off the curb and started to cross the road, juggling her backpack and tote bag. The squeal of tires didn't register. Neither did the impact. Not until she landed several feet away on the street. Her head hit the rough surface with significant force.

She blinked and tried to get up. "Damn. I've been hit." Her vision swam, going gray about the edges.

Slumping to her side, she fought to stay conscious. "Gonna be late for work." The roar in her ears drowned everything else out.

She didn't hear a car screech to a halt. Or the running footsteps. Couldn't make out the words when someone grasped her shoulder and stopped her from trying to sit up. Garbled sounds accompanied concerned looks from the person in front of her. She blinked again, which actually hurt. Closing her eyes shouldn't be painful. The person holding her arm had their phone to their ear. Were they calling CampPo—the campus police? The gray got fuzzier and darker and the people surrounding her started swirling in a circle. Pixie tried to focus, to assess where she hurt the most.

But everything ached and burned and stung and throbbed. With a whoosh, pain hit hard, and the underwater echoing sounds suddenly took on a clearness that made her head pound from the commotion going on around her.

"Yes, we need an ambulance. No, she's not unconscious, but she's not responding to the questions you said to ask her."

Pixie wondered who wouldn't respond. Wait. Did they mean she didn't respond. What questions? No one asked her any questions.

Her head tilted to one side and a sharp stabbing zing shot through her. Her vision blurred to black, and everything went blessedly quiet for a moment.

Until the wail of sirens cut through the silence. After that, Pixie couldn't stay alert long enough to understand anything going on around her. She sank deep into the inky darkness of unconsciousness.

 

This one is barely started but I'm excited to see where the story goes. I love writing friends to lovers.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

 

Skylin