Sunday Snippet: Things Even Out

I can't believe we're at the end of June already. It's crazy how fast time is flying right now. Probably because of the whole respiratory yuck that ate up most of the month. Thankfully, that seems to have finally run its course. Feeling so much better now.

Had a super busy work week. Playing catch-up isn't my favorite thing on the planet. But I did finish a proofread and made solid progress on the other two projects on my plate.

Had a very limited viewing schedule this week, mainly because I really wanted to make as much of a dent as possible in my work. I had my usual background comfort shows playing in the background with Perry Mason and Midsomer Murders. I love the channels dedicated to one show, which is how I get Midsomer whenever I want. And Perry Mason is easy to find on the classic TV channels.

I did catch an episode of Best in Paradise and enjoyed revisiting how JP got reacquainted with Rosie. I'm enjoying the cast member introductions to each episode.

I also watched the first of a two-part Death in Paradise. I'd seen a bit of the episode before and knew what to expect but it's very powerful to watch from the beginning. Looking forward to the second part this week.

I started an episode of Elementary and didn't make it all the way through. I'll finish that one up later tonight.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Things Even Out, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

The return of a family member triggers a long-standing trauma in Heather Jerome, and she turns to her best friend Shad Wilhelm to cope. Shad sticks close and talks her though several rough patches, which isn't easy for him because he's been in love with Heather for a long time and she has no idea how he feels.

And a sneaky peek…

Heather Jerome fished her phone out of her pocket. "Hey, Mom. Gimme a sec." She motioned for Shad Wilhelm to man the counter then popped into the staging area of the coffee shop. "Okay, what's up?" Had to be something semi-important for her mom to call during a busy time.

Jenn Jerome all but squeed into the phone. "You'll never guess who's coming back?" She paused, letting the drama build.

Heather bit back a sigh. "You're right. I probably won't." Grabbing a tray, she started putting brunch sandwiches together.

Jenn huffed out a breath. "Fine. Spoil the fun." She tsked. "Crap. Sorry. Just realized you're probably slammed right now."

Heather rolled her eyes. "No worries. Shad's here today. I've got an extra set of hands." He'd stopped in after his shift at the fire department and stuck around.

Her best friend and silent partner would keep the line moving for the tea and coffee drinkers and early morning scone grabbers.

Jenn chuckled. "Shad will definitely put smiles on some faces this morning. Emmie mentioned the other day she always looks for him on his off-shift days."

Heather grinned. "Yeah, he's not bad for business." Which hopefully meant his investment would pay off in big ways.

Jenn echoed the sentiment. "Between the two of you and your creative ideas, I predict a long and prosperous partnership."

Heather did a quick reminder. "Shad's a silent partner, Mom. Don't forget that." At least for now.

Heather hoped he'd change his mind but wouldn't push him on the subject.

To get back on topic, she prompted Jenn. "Who's coming back?" She finished a tray of sandwiches and stored them in the cooler.

Jenn clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Oh, right." She made a sound of apology. "You're Aunt Nona called. Proctor is moving in to their old house on Brookside Lane. Isn't that awesome?"

Heather kind of split into two beings. One who made the appropriate responses to Jenn's announcement while she explained about the long-term renters moving after almost two decades of living in the home. The other Heather flashed back with vivid clarity to the age of five and being at eleven-year-old Proctor's mercy. Her ears roared and her vision swam.

She took a deep, calming breath. No. Surely twenty years changed a person, right?

"Heather, did you hear me? I'm going to have them over for dinner before Nona heads back to the city. You'll come, won't you? Welcome your cousin back and all."

Heather shook her head. "Uh, not sure, Mom. Depends on when. But let me know and I'll try to be there." Yeah, maybe not.

Jenn finally ended the call and Heather set her phone on the stainless-steel work surface. Proctor Mason moving back. Her hands were clammy and shaky, which annoyed her.

At thirty-two, Proctor had surely grown of the preadolescent monster phase, right?

She berated herself. "Doesn't matter. I'm not five anymore." Still … the idea of him being around permanently kind of wigged her out.

Then again, she'd spent the worst year of her life at his hands. She could have five minutes of existential dread, couldn't she? Sure, she absolutely could.

Shad poked his head over the café doors. "Hey? Everything all right?"

Heather huffed out something between a laugh and a sob.

And for the first time since she'd met Shad—three months after Proctor's family moved away—she had no idea how to answer.

This story is in the very beginning stages. I have a good idea of where things will go but Shad and Heather might have different ideas.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Temporary Fallout

We definitely had a hot week and I'm so glad I got rid of most of the yucky upper respiratory crud. We're due for some major storms later today so that should be interesting.

I'm still not quite caught up on my work projects but I'm making headway. Thankfully none of them have red line due dates. I did manage to finish a proofread and will be sending it on its merry way later today. I still have another proofread and a copy edit to work on this week.

Had an almost nonexistent viewing week. Between playing catch up on my work projects and still being kind of bleh, I stuck with my comfort viewing of Perry Mason and Midsomer Murders. I did work in a few binge episodes of Death in Paradise on regular television.

That said, I did start the new season of My Life Is Murder and I'm loving the premiere episode so far. So nice to have Alexa and Madison back!

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

Here's the miniblurb:

Witter Benson is called in from the field to take over when the head of a security firm—and his father—is shot and it's a job he doesn't want. His partner, Lane Stahl, tracks down the responsible party and Witter leaves to help her bring in the culprit, regardless of the problems his absence will create. With the future uncertain, Witter knows one thing for sure—the fallout he'll face is worth bringing in the person who caused harm to his family.

And a snippety peek…

Witter Benson nudged Lane Stahl's thighs apart then licked a trail from her belly button down to the apex of her legs. "Been waiting over a week to do this…" His tongue delved between her folds then swiped over her clit.

Lane gave a low moan. "Gonna have to stop getting separated during egress. But that diversionary tactic is one we'll use for future training." Her fingers threaded through his hair.

A burst of pride filled him. He'd come up with and executed the plan on the fly and it worked, buying the time they needed to get a family out of a nasty spot.

Sliding two fingers inside her core, he fluttered them over her g-spot. Lane hissed out a breath, squirming under his teasing onslaught. He'd give her relief soon … he couldn't wait to be buried deep and making up for lost time.

Lane draped a leg over his shoulder. "Witt, not that I don't love when you go down on me, but don't make me wait. It's been over a week." Her heel nudged his back.

Witter withdrew and kissed his way upward, stopping to lavish attention on each breast before settling his groin at her hips and entering her with a smooth thrust.

Lane made a satisfied hum low in her throat. "This one's gonna be fast for me." She rolled her pelvis, meeting his on the downstroke.

Witter nuzzled her neck. "Quick and dirty for the opener. Slow and steady for the encore." After that … well, who knew?

Lane writhed beneath him. "Mmmm … I like the sound of that." Her calves wrapped around his torso and her hands grasped his biceps.

Witter picked up his pace, edging closer to a release. He went deep and rotated his hips, grinding against her sensitive bundle of nerves. Lane gasped, her fingers digging into her skin. When she shuddered through her orgasm, he pulled back and drove forward two more times before he came, her name a strangled oath erupting from his mouth.

Collapsing sideways, he scooped her close with one arm, a kaleidoscope of colors bursting behind his eyelids and a roaring buzz thundering in his ears. Once he caught his breath, the vibrating jolt didn't stop.

Lane nudged him with her elbow. "That's your phone." She reached out and snagged the device from the nightstand.

Witter answered with his best terse tone. "Benson. This better be good." He'd put in for forty-eight hours downtime.

The voice on the other end shattered the blissful vibe with a few terrible words. "Adam Zebra. Baker Adam David." The call ended.

He didn't need more information. "Fuck." The translation amounted to the head of the security firm went down and the outlook sucked ass.

Lane propped up on her elbows. "Tell me." She already knew the news wouldn't be good.

Witter sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "We gotta go in. My dad's been shot." He met her gaze. "Doesn't look good."

This one is barely started but I'm loving the possibilities of where these two characters can go.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Tell Me More

Happy Father's Day to anyone celebrating. For those not for whatever reason, I hope your day is filled with peace and calm and you find your joy.

It's been a really rough week. I definitely didn't make it through the worst the week prior. I had a lot more yuck to get through. Thankfully, I'm now down to some nagging congestion, but I can breathe again and I'm not coughing every five minutes, which makes me happy because we're due for some awful heat this week.

Managed to stay mostly on top of my work projects. I'm not as far along as I'd like to be, but I'm within my window to meet my deadlines. Not being 100 percent isn't fun but at least I can work around being less than my best. If I had a job with set hours, I'd still probably be fighting through the slog of upper respiratory yuck.

Had a very slow week of viewing. I didn't have the brain power to get involved in much of anything but comfort shows like Perry Mason and Midsomer Murders.

I did catch another Best in Paradise and thoroughly enjoyed the introduction from Don Warrington. It's fun to hear him speak without the Caribbean accent.

I also watched another Death in Paradise and it's one I only saw bits and pieces of when it first aired. Nice to see if from start to finish.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Hopefully I'll be back to somewhat normal for next week's entry.

Tonight's post is from Tell Me More, a novella that explores how a couple comes together after being at cross purposes.

Here's the miniblurb:

Shannon Tewes and Webber Dillon work for a premiere event planner and don't always see eye to eye. Shannon has a knack for putting Webber on the hot seat whenever their boss is around, and Webber has several ideas of how he'd retaliate if he ever got Shannon in a compromising position.

And a snippety peek…

"Fuck my life with a blow torch." Webber kicked the structure, praying it stayed together.

Miracle of miracles, it did. Thank whatever ruled the universe.

Hot, sticky, hungry, and irritated because the first three frames didn't want to cooperate, he finally found the method to the madness of constructing the tunnel so it could be erected and torn down quickly, but also safe for guests to walk through. And he only lost two hours of his life on that part. Now, he had to gear up to lose the next seven days to this cluster-fuck project.

Dragging a hand through his hair, he growled. "Damn Shannon and her stupid-ass ideas." Especially when she put him on the hot seat.

If he refused and said he wouldn't do the work, Marjorie could always find someone else. They wouldn't have the same high standard, but Marjorie didn't always care about the quality. She did care about sticking him between a rock and an immovable force … namely her.

He sighed. "Why do I do this to myself?"

Right. Not a hard answer. He loved the steady work she provided. And he'd grudgingly admit the tunnel idea would rock the wedding reception. But no way did Shannon have any concept of how much time went into figuring out how to make shit sturdy yet keep it light enough to haul back and forth to a location. Someday, he'd sit her down and explain—in excruciating detail—how difficult her brilliant ideas made his life.

Dragging another arch over, he started the process of getting it connected. How many times had he pulled off a last-minute miracle? Marjorie never wanted to hear what couldn't be done, so he inevitably made Shannon's vision happen.

He snorted. "I seriously wonder if Shannon spends her days visualizing ways to wreck my life?" He hadn't gone out on a date in months.

Who had time? Fantastic Fetes kept growing. Its reputation as the event planner to use, built on a lot of his sweat, made the phones ring and online contact forms flow in at a steady pace. As long as he got paid and didn't have to cave in to Marjorie's twisted bargain, he'd deal.

Shannon probably had lots of dates. He had several notions of what he'd like to do with her, if he ever got her in a compromising position. Because annoyance aside, he actually liked her. Super hot, she never used her looks to take advantage of situations. At least not with him. And he wanted to admire her serious creativity but tended to get stuck in pissed-off mode because her genius usually meant hard labor for him.

Because of Marjorie and her insane desire to blur the lines between personal and professional. Shannon had no clue about their boss's sexist bargaining. And he'd like to keep her in the dark. No one else needed to know how low he'd gone to get the job.

Lost in thought and work, he didn't hear the pounding on his door…

I'm having so much fun writing this one. Webber is ready to lose his mind but Shannon might have just the thing to keep him together.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Suspect Elimination

Ugh. Still feeling terrible and under the weather. The respiratory yuck that's going around in my area is awful. I think I'm through the worst. Fingers crossed!

Had a whole slew of new projects land in my inbox this week. I'm so thankful for the work and truly hope I can get back to a normal schedule where I don't crash several times a day and need to rest.

Slow viewing week, mainly due to the aforementioned rest periods. When I only got about two to three hours of sleep at a stretch, those nap sessions were super important.

I started the fifth and final season of Suspects. Wow, brutal opening episode and kind of a heartbreaker. I have a feeling Jack is going to go completely off the rails. And Charlie needs to have a moment to grieve and wrap her head around everything.

I finished the tenth season of Brokenwood Mysteries. I love this show so much. I'll look forward to the next season with lots of anticipation.

Caught another episode of Best in Paradise. I rather liked meeting Humphrey's dad and rewatching this episode ended up being a great reminder of how fierce Florence could be.

Enjoyed an episode of Death in Paradise. I'd watched a little of this one and I'm glad I got to see it from beginning to end. Very twisty plot threads in this one.

Watched another episode of Elementary. Nice to see Mycroft again. Loved the new dynamic between the brothers. Gotta say I'm on the fence with the whole Watson sleeping with Mycroft deal, but we'll see if I come down on one side or the other later.

Caught an episode of The Batman and it's one I remember from my original watch. I liked seeing Dick in school and the double-cross by the Riddler ended up being fun. The ending, though, topped everything.

Enjoyed a Classic Rugrats episode that departed from the normal two to three vignettes. "Finsterella" was such a fun episode of the show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Suspect Elimination, a novella where a couple is brought together by solving a mystery.

Here's the miniblurb:

On a college campus, someone is pulling some not-so-nice pranks that escalate to a dangerous level on a group of friends. Elena Houghton and Oscar Scanlon aren't going to put up with the nastiness anymore and take it upon themselves to eliminate the suspects to find the culprit. Along the way they discover a mutual attraction for each other.

And a snippety peek…

Elena Houghton unlocked the doors to Caldwell Hall. "Nothing like covering the six a.m. slot." Being the program director for both the college radio and television stations meant filling in when she couldn't delegate the responsibility to someone else.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. Caller ID sucks sometimes. Especially when no one wants to come in at the ass crack of yuck o'clock. When Suz Heslip texted to say she couldn't make it due to illness, Elena tried four different people and none of them responded to her calls or texts.

Pocketing her keys, she started toward the corridor leading to the radio studio. "That leaves me." She'd get the news recorded and review the announcements.

At least the early show only lasted sixty minutes. She could probably catch a nap before her class at eleven. If nobody else called in sick.

She passed the media classrooms and made the turn to get to the studio. She'd grown used to the tomblike atmosphere of the lower level of Caldwell and the maze of academic offices, lecture rooms, along with the studios. The building also housed the Thompson Theater—her other home away from home at the university—and quite possibly where she'd catch some additional shut eye.

Almost to the studio, her steps slowed. "What the hell?" The door stood open, which should not be the case.

The first thing she learned as a freshman two years ago? Never, ever leave the studio unlocked or let the door stay open. Had one of their incoming crop of students missed that memo? Who knew? But the responsibility of making that message heard landed at her feet.

A skitter of apprehension slid down her spine but she shook her head. "Stop it. You've been in this building alone more times than you can count." Then again, her recent film study of classic horror movies had creeptastic images running through her head.

She made a tsking sound. "Dammit, just go in already." Nothing lurked in the darkness.

Ignoring how stupid she felt, she crossed the threshold into the inky blackness … and let out a startled shout when a heavy figure dropped down from above glancing off her shoulder. She swung wildly and pushed hard against … something.

Biting back a terrorizing scream, she fumbled along the wall until her fingers found the light panel. Flipping every switch on, she spun around, blinking against the suddenly bright room but ready to do battle…

With an effigy?

"What the actual fuck?"

Someone had gone to a buttload of trouble. A large, stuffed form dangled from the ceiling braces surrounding the tiles. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a flannel with a set of headphones over the head, the macabre thing swiveled back and forth.

Pissed off and heart still pounding, Elena dragged her phone out and fired off a group text. "Mandatory meeting at Caldwell. 7am. Don't even think about not showing up." She sent the message then headed over to record the news, glad to have anything else to focus on.

During a break, she'd contact the professors and, shit, probably the campus police … because even if Mr. Creepy had been meant as a joke, someone still broke in. At the very least, the culprit created a dangerous situation.

Heaving a sigh, Elena dragged a hand through her hair. "There's goes my nap…"

I'm just starting this one and I'm excited to see where things go. Elena is so much fun to write with her focused and ordered personality. Oscar will have a slacker energy that drives her bonkers but also offers unexpected insight.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Surf's Up

Welcome June and another month where time will probably fly by too quickly. Doesn't help that I'm under the weather right now and feeling yucky. Hopefully whatever this is will pass quickly and I can get back to normal.

Had a solid work week. Finished up a cozy mystery proofread and made progress on a developmental edit. Also got a lot of writing done, which makes me happy because I've been hitting walls lately.

Fairly good viewing this week. Managed to go through my show list twice. I might start adding in a few more shows but I like this current group.

Finished up the fourth season of Suspects. I'll be starting the fifth and final season this week. Looks like a banger ending for this series.

Caught two episodes of Brokenwood Mysteries. Both were excellent. Very fun to see how Halloween is celebrated in New Zealand, especially since it's spring there instead of fall. Very cool.

Watched two episodes of Best in Paradise. I'm enjoying the intros by the actors and I'm enjoying their picks for favorite episodes.

Also enjoyed two episodes of Death in Paradise. I'd seen bits of both episodes but not the whole thing. Loved the one with the zoo. Also like how much Jack is becoming a part of the community.

Caught two episodes of Elementary. Interesting to see Gregson's personal life on a bit of a display. Also thoroughly enjoying Sherlock's interactions with Joan as he fully sinks into the partnership.

Watched two episodes of The Batman. Fun to have Harley Quinn introduced. And I very much enjoyed the New Year's Eve episode.

Also enjoyed two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I'd forgotten they started to work three vignettes in after the movie. Not sure if I really like that in hindsight.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Surf's Up, a novella that shows a couple finally crossing the line between coworkers to lovers.

Here's the miniblurb:

Marla Siff and Farley Osbourne protect a wealthy businessman as part of his entourage. People assume tech geek Farley is the muscle, but Marla is the combat trained protective detail. When a threat looms, they retreat to the private shores of their client's own island and Marla and Farley fight their attraction to keep their boss safe.

And a snippety peek…

Marla woke with one prevailing thought.

So, sex with Farley happened. Really, really good sex.

She rolled over to find Farley scrolling through security cam footage. "Anything interesting?" Aside from the change in their status.

Farley's lips turned down. "Like what?" His fingers scrinched the screen then swiped to the next frame of footage.

Marla huffed out a breath. "I don't know. An invasion of sea creatures? Or something similarly amazing." Kind of like the romp they had last night.

Farley side-eyed her. "Sea creature invasion?" He snorted. "Lane would try to lock them into a contract." He swiped to the next section of security screenings.

Farley wouldn't be far off base. Lane tried to get anyone—or anything—unusual he could use to further Pennylane's reach. His midas touch did a lot of convincing.

She propped her chin on her hand. "So … what's next?" She might as well poke the elephant in the room.

Farley didn't look up from the tablet. "Depends on Lane's schedule." He switched from exterior footage to interior.

Marla ignored the stab of disappointment. "I mean with us, you moron. How do we navigate this—working and sleeping together?" She'd never had the experience of sleeping with someone she worked so closely with.

Farley frowned. "Sex is sex. Work is work. It's not that hard." He opened a new window and typed something onto the screen.

Marla blinked. "Ouch. Okay. Put like that, I feel stupid." She sat up, ready to make a quick exit.

Farley's gaze shot to hers. "What? Why?" His eyes closed, and he shook his head. "Never mind. I realize how that sounded now." He set the tablet aside and faced her. "Let me try this again." He grabbed her free hand. "We work great together. That shouldn't change just because we're great in bed, too. And we'll always put Lane's safety first."

Marla chewed his words over. "And you don't see our feelings getting in the way of that?" She paused. "What if one of us is compromised?" They couldn't assume it would never happen.

Farley held her gaze. "You have to mean what if I'm compromised, because you're more than capable of getting out of a jam." He let go of her hand. "But you obviously don't think I am." A hard note entered his voice.

Now she got to rewind and realize how that question sounded. Not at all what she meant.

Marla reached out for him. "No, you're wrong. I thought maybe the different dynamic would be a problem. But it looks like it won't be." She eased back down and curled up close to him. "We are gonna need to communicate though. Misunderstandings are easy to create." But at least they made it through their first one.

Farley wrapped an arm around her. "Yeah, I see that now. Lots of stuff can get lost in the translation from work to sex." His lips brushed over her temple. "We should go for a beach walk and lay out some contingency plans."

Marla smiled. "We're definitely on the same page now."

This story is a lot of fun. Marla and Farley aren't a typical couple and I love writing the vibe between them.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin