Sunday Snippet: Trapping Flies with Honey

Washing machine update. The new washer got here and I'm happy to say the mountain of clothes is now a manageable pile. It's amazing!

Coffeemaker update. The new one arrived and it's a combo single cup or full pot. I love it. Here's hoping my caffeine habit doesn't trash this one in under a year.

Another crazy-busy work week. I finished up the mystery and the romance copy edits and started a cozy mystery. Also continued with novella edits. Had a couple of calls about two or three new projects. I'm excited! I also managed to get some good writing in for myself. A good week!

I didn't get much of anything watched on my viewing schedule. I did a LOT of social media scrolling, especially after Biden stepped aside and endorsed Kamala Harris for the democratic nomination. That's unexpected and exciting. Also spent a lot of time shaking my head over the GOP nomination for vice president. It's going to be an interesting couple of months.

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

Here's the miniblurb:

Acer Prewitt has a sweetheart deal—a busy roadside cafe the community loves and hometown girl, Mazzy Blume, as his current flame and event manager. When a newcomer sets her sights on taking Mazzy's place, Acer gives Mazzy space to handle the situation but also offers a solid piece of advice—instead of ripping the other woman a new one trip her up with kindness.

And a snippety peek…

Mazzy stormed into Acer's office. "Did you tell Jerica she could head-up the St. Patrick's Day event?" Anger rolled off her in waves.

Acer's brows drew together. "After the success we've had with the other holiday-themed parties?" He set his pen aside. "Do I look stupid enough to wreck a good thing? Or dumb enough to piss you off?" His eyes narrowed. "Why would you think I'd do that?" He never went out of his way to pique her temper.

Her shoulders slumped. "I have no idea. She made it sound convincing." Heaving a sighing growl, she started for the door.

Acer got up and caught her before she could leave. "Hold up. What's the plan, Mazz?" He wouldn't have his top employee making a scene.

Mazzy snarled. "To smash her face on the nearest surface." Her eyes flashed. "She buzzes around like fly, dropping shit presents wherever she lands." Another growling sound came from her throat. "And this time, she's trying to snag not only my regular customers, but my holiday specials, too. I'm done. No more free passes."

He understood her frustration and annoyance. After all, he'd hired Jerica Malone. He wisely wouldn't point out that Mazzy begged him to bring in more help for the diner.

His palm slid down her arm to clasp her fingers. "Look, Mazz, it's time to step in. I only stayed out of the way because you asked me to." He tugged her toward the small couch in the corner. "I'm not having any more of this crap … from either of you." He nudged her down and settled beside her.

Mazzy shook her head. "No. You're not getting involved." Her head hit the back of the cushion. "But you're right. This ends today. I need a plan."

Acer's lips quirked. "Here's a plan. Be nice." He waited for her inevitable explosion.

Her head snapped up. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "I am. My great-gram used to say flies like honey. So … you need to be sweet and kind and knock her down with it." Junie Prewitt rarely failed to get what she wanted in life. "Jerica wants you to engage. When you won't…" He shrugged.

The other girl would get bored and fall in line or she'd get mad and quit. At this point, he almost didn't care which.

Mazzy tilted her head to one side. "Huh. That just might work." She angled sideways and leaned in close to him. "You might be a brilliant genius." Her mouth caught his in a quick, hard kiss.

He laughed. "Good to know you appreciate more than my dick."

Mazzy rolled her eyes. "You know how much I love your ass, too. Right?" She smirked and waggled her eyebrows. "I can show you how much both mean to me when we get home tonight." She got up and started for the door again in a much better frame of mind.

Acer grinned. A disaster avoided and a hot romp in bed all but promised. Not a bad outcome.

This story is so much fun. It's in the early stages and Mazzy is such a treat to write.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Transference

Man. Whatever alignment the planets are in has been wrecking things in my house lately. After the washing machine saga, our coffeemaker took a crap. It's less than a year old. Seriously … not the norm. But the good news is a new washer and coffeemaker should arrive sometime this week barring any other global server outages.

Had a super busy work week. Finished the holiday manuscript and received a mystery and a romance for copy edit. Picked back up with a novella I've been working on with an author for a while now and enjoying getting back into the groove of the book. Also had an author reach out about a new twist on a previous project. Really fun week!

I didn't get a lot of screentime this week, but I watched a few shows. I'm in a weird place with viewing. I want to watch stuff, but my brain isn't settled on exactly what. Kind of want to binge something with a lot of seasons for a while to see if that will reset the needle.

I loved the episode of My Life Is Murder. Actually really twisty with an interesting outcome. Once again, Madison shined. I love that character.

Caught another Best in Paradise. This one featured the farewell to Martha, which ended up being so funny and sad at the same time. Excellent episode.

Watched another Death in Paradise with the introduction of the new DS. Not completely sure if I like her or not. Stay tuned.

Started an episode of Elementary but struggled to stay focused so I'll finish it up this week.

And that's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Transference, a novella that explores what might have been in a different way.

Here's the miniblurb:

Leslie Karr is packing her meager belongings to move out of her college apartment and finds a letter from Granger Unger explaining why their night of shared grief over the loss of his brother can't go anywhere. After three years, Leslie still wonders if he may have been wrong and decides to test the waters by looking him up before she leaves town.

And a snippety peek…

Leslie tamped down on the burst of nervous energy coursing through her. "This is a cute cape cod." She loved the house and she definitely loved Granger inviting her.

Granger angled his head toward her. "It's obviously a work in progress. Haven't had the time I need to really make any big changes." He held up the mayonnaise and arched his brows.

She gave a nod. "Yep. Still the only thing I like on sandwiches." Thad used to tease her because he'd been a mustard man all the way.

The thought tugged a little hard. The entire reason she'd wanted to see Granger … to address the past and possible start over for the future. At least as friends if nothing more.

Granger carried two plates to the table and went back to grab two glasses of water then sat perpendicular to her. "Mayo on both sides, right?" He picked his sandwich up and took a large bite.

 Leslie grinned, touched he'd remembered. "Absolutely." She bit into the roast beef and cheddar and had a flashback to the kiss they shared after her fight with Thad.

Granger had been eating roast beef when she'd stopped at his apartment off campus, wrecked after the nasty fight with Thad. Granger took one look at her tear-streaked face and dragged her inside. Over sandwiches, she unloaded. About the issues between her and his brother. About loving him but wondering if that would be enough to see them through the rough patches. As usual, Granger listened until she stopped talking then offered to drive her back to the dorm. He'd always been easy to confide in and she appreciated how he didn't judge or take sides even when it involved his brother.

Probably why she initiated the kiss before they left Granger's apartment. A wild, crazy impulse. A safe play because she trusted Granger. And even then … even though she loved Thad with her whole heart, she'd been drawn to Granger.

And the embrace rocked her foundation. So different from Thad. By the end of the lip-lock, Granger's hands had threaded through her hair and hers found their way to cup his cheeks. But they didn't want this. To become a cliché by hurting the one person they each cared so much for.

By silent agreement, they left the apartment and Granger drove her home. Thankfully, he didn't make small talk or become awkward when they saw each other again. But something had shifted between them. An awareness of what they could have been.

And when Thad died? Her instinct had her turning to Granger. He'd been a rock during the month that followed … and she had hope they might … well, become more.

Then he wrote the letter and left.

Granger set his sandwich aside. "You're thinking about the letter, aren't you?" He let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I should've had the guts to talk face-to-face with you." He met and held her gaze.

Leslie shook her head. "Actually, I was remembering the kiss, then losing Thad, and then the letter." Her lips quirked. "Might as well roll all the way back to the beginning of when things got weird." A flurry of relief hit her because she needed to hash this out with Granger.

He settled back in his chair and put his palms on the table. "If we're going down memory lane, I have to stroll a little further." His eyes closed. "I started falling for you way before you kissed me. That's why I didn't bring it up or mention it afterward." He blinked and focused on her. "Then Thad died and my feelings for you got really tangled up with my grief over him." His fingers flexed on the smooth surface of the table. "Would've been easy to take advantage of losing him and I didn't want to be that guy. Not with my brother's girl." He looked away then back to her again. "The letter was a dick move and I really am sorry."

Leslie swallowed her shock over Granger's admission of falling for her, needing to both savor the idea and sit with it for a moment.

But she quickly absolved him over leaving the letter. "It's okay. Time and distance gave me a lot of perspective. And you're not wrong about how easy it would've been to shift what I felt for Thad over to you." Now she had a confession to make. "But it wouldn't have just been a transference. Things changed for me a little after I kissed you." When his eyes widened, she quickly continued. "I didn't love Thad less, but you took up space in my head. And I sometimes wondered, you know, what if?" A weight lifted from her heart. "I had no idea you were wondering the same thing. But you made the right call by leaving. It made me put my head down and focus on finishing my degree. And I'm not sure I would have done as well as I did if you were there as a reminder of Thad." She truly understood that now. "But … finding your letter? Hit a little sideways and I really wanted to at least see you and maybe … I don't know…" She trailed off because she sounded completely off the rails.

Granger's lips twisted in a wry grin. "Start fresh? I mean we can't forget our history or our connection to Thad, but we can forge ahead, right?" His voice turned hopeful.

Leslie nodded. "I'd like that."

I'm happy with how this one is going. Sibling rivalry is a favorite of mine, even if the sibling is no longer in the picture.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Toying with Desire

Whew. It's been a week. My washing machine saga continued, and I finally called it. Investing in a new machine, hopefully in the near future before my laundry pile grows exponentially into a mountain.

I finally finished the very, very long proofread and thankfully should have the final queries answered this weekend. I have a new holiday manuscript for copyediting and it's about halfway complete. Have I mentioned I love holiday stories?

Not a bad week of viewing. I got a few extra shows watched this week.

Caught the second episode of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've mentioned how much I love the characters, but Madison had such a great role in this week's episode.

Watched another Best in Paradise. This episode introduced Martha and I enjoyed her run on the show with Humphrey.

Finished the two-part episode of Death in Paradise where Florence says goodbye for a while. Such a sad but great send off for her.

Started another episode of Elementary. Should have it finished up later tonight. I'm quite enjoying this second season so far.

Caught another episode of The Batman and remembered it from the first watch I did. Excellent story that dives into the symbiotic relationship between Batman and his rogue gallery.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Toying with Desire, a novella where preconceived notions need to be checked at the door if the couple has a chance at all of getting together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Carly Johnson, a savvy business owner who sells sex toys, isn't looking for love … her track record is terrible. But when she meets Zeke Moran, under less than stellar circumstances, sparks fly, and Carly wants to take a chance … but first he has to get over his preconceived ideas about her career.

And a snippety peek…

Carly chose a small diner on the outskirts of town. Off the beaten path, only two semi-trucks and a dark-colored sedan took up space in the parking lot.

Zeke shut off the engine and glanced in her direction. "When did this place open back up? The last time I was down this way, the building was empty." He slipped the keys from the ignition.

She popped the door. "About six months ago." Sliding her feet out, she turned her head toward him. "They make killer coffee. Trust me." She rose gracefully from the seat and shut the door, leaving Zeke no choice but to do the same.

He rounded the front of his vehicle and grasped her elbow. "It's good to see a new business spring up around here." He opened the door to the diner and let Carly precede him inside.

She smiled and agreed. "I travel out this way at least once a week and when I saw the lights and open sign, I stopped in." She greeted the waitress behind the counter, pointing to a booth in the corner. "It was after midnight, and I needed caffeine. The mug they brought was like manna from heaven." Plopping down on the seat, Carly scooted around to the center. "Is this okay?"

Zeke nodded. "It's great." He slid in beside her but left plenty of space between them. "Coffee after midnight? Wouldn't that make you all wired and edgy?" He huffed out a breath. "I'm pushing my usual cut off time and it's just after eight."

Carly grinned. "Yeah, but I'm a night owl." She waved to the waitress and held up two fingers. "And I'd just driven two hours from the city and had a lot of work to do once I got home. I closed a show out that night."

Zeke jerked his head in surprise. "You drove two hours for a show?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "For the stuff you sell?"

Carly's smiled, quick but sad. "I'm not ashamed of what I do." She propped her elbows on the table and explained. "It's a good living. I own my own business, work for myself, and set my own hours." She kept her eyes on Zeke, willing him to not be an idiot. "And yeah, sometimes that means I drive up to four hours one way, especially for larger shows or consults. But I don’t have to do that often." So far, Zeke just looked like he was trying to understand, not being judgmental.

"I also have a website for my clients to place orders." Carly shrugged. "I make great money and enjoy what I do."

Zeke was saved from having to comment when the waitress brought their coffee.

Carly sat up and let her place the steaming mug in front of her. "How're you, Jenae?"

The young woman grinned after setting another mug in front of Zeke. "Careful, it's really hot."

She looked back toward the counter then dropped her voice to low tones. "All I can say right now is thank you, Carly." Two more customers entered, and Jenae moved off, but called back over her shoulder. "Seriously, thank you."

Carly laughed at the springy bounce in the woman's step.

Zeke raised a questioning brow. "Can I ask what that's all about?"

Carly lifted her cup and blew across the surface. "You know, I'm not bound by anything like client confidentiality, but I do respect the privacy of my customers." She braved a sip, burned her lip a little and put the mug down.

Zeke added a bit of sugar to his brew. "Fair enough." He looked across the diner. "She looks very happy."

Carly nodded. "When I came in a few weeks ago, that wasn't the case." She normally didn't take cream but added some to the dark liquid to cool it down a bit. "We got to talking and the short version is that I ended up doing a couple's consult with Jenae and her husband." Her lips quirked upward in a smile. "Looks like it did the trick."

This story is so much fun. Zeke and Carly are a joy to write!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Throw in the Towel

You know, I love a great fireworks display … but … I don't love almost a full week of random nonstop barrages from different locations where I can't even see them. Because at least I'd be able to enjoy something while my poor doggos are huddled against me shaking and freaking out. In all seriousness, I don't begrudge people having the funds and knowledge to celebrate with fireworks. But I also hate the first week of July for anyone who has pets that can't deal with the show.

It's been a weird week with a toilet repair followed by a washing machine leak that needed fixed. I'm still working on the leak because, seriously, it's never a simple thing when I'm involved. I'm crossing my fingers for not having anything else water-related to deal with this week.

Had another super busy week of work. I'm slogging through a very, very long proofread and I'm almost at the finish line. Completed a copyedit that ended up having some consistency concerns but ended up being such a great story. And it's a holiday book! I love editing holiday manuscripts.

Didn't get a lot of viewing in, mainly because the proofread is difficult subject matter and so long I don't want to risk losing my spot by getting distracted. I definitely don't want to do a lot of repeat work because I lose my place.

I did get to watch an episode of My Life Is Murder. I so enjoy this show. The characters are such a delight.

I also finished up the episode of Elementary that I started last week. I have to admit I'm not quite sure if I'm down with Mycroft possibly being a bad guy. My guess is he's working with someone we've seen before, and I have two people in mind. Stay tuned to see if I'm right.

And that's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Throw in the Towel, a novella that brings a couple together while they compete on a fictional mud-run circuit.

Here's the miniblurb:

Taurin Beach and Craig Wallmartin are top competitors on the mud run circuit. When Craig is caught by a reporter with nothing but a towel, it gives Taurin the perfect idea for catching his attention and finally getting what she wants. Him.

And a snippety peek…

Taurin limped across the finish line in second place. "Serves me right." She'd taken a marked offshoot on the trail thinking it might be a fun challenge.

Instead, the detrimental detour ended up leaving her with a twisted ankle even if the alternate route didn't cost more time on the course. Slowing down to keep the injury to a minimum, she speedwalked the last half mile after putting a wrap on the affected foot. Some ice and elevation should get her squared away.

Her lips quirked. "And shouldn't mess up my plan to do the towel trick." Hopefully, she'd timed everything right.

Sure enough, as she'd predicted, Craig had a bevy of fans surrounding him, giving her a chance to duck into the shower area before him. She found an empty spot and turned on the water, stepping under the spray fully clothed. Fresh mud and caked-on dirt rolled off her body. Once clear of most, she yanked her shirt off and scrubbed her upper torso clean. Dropping her shorts, she followed suit with the lower half.

And, finally, she washed the sweat, pollen, and grit from her hair. "Ah … feels so much better." Finished, she turned the water off and grabbed her towel, wrapping the too small terrycloth around her midsection.

Her ass barely covered, she checked to see if Craig had entered the interior yet. Hot damn. She caught sight of his head above the partition separating the two shower areas.

Grabbing her rinsed gear, she rolled the wet clothes into a larger towel and walked into the communal space on the pretext of forgetting something. "Anyone find a black and red flip-flop?" Her question drew Craig's attention and—yes—his gaze dropped to her thighs and a flash of interest sparked in his eyes.

She turned, making sure he got a glimpse of her ass, and found the not-actually-missing shoe. "Never mind, I found it." Holding it up, she headed to the changing area and started dressing.

 A big smile spread across her face. Mission accomplished. And as much as she hated to leave him hanging, she had to make tracks to head home and cover a help-desk shift for a coworker.

And put her foot up and ice it down so she'd be set for next weekend's run.

I have so much fun writing this story. Taurin and Craig are a joy to spend time with.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin