Sunday Snippet: Dodging Bullets

This is going to be a super busy week. The best part is my daughter is graduating from grad school on Friday. I'm so excited for her. And very proud of her accomplishments!

Our weather did the warm up then plummet back down thing this week. Gorgeous, though. Everything is turning green and blooming. I love those first signs of new growth.

Got a lot finished up with work projects. I think I'm getting closer to having a work-life balance again. I hope so because I have a busy May and June coming up and need to get some things done around my house.

Pretty decent week of viewing. I ended up keeping Dark Winds on the back burner because one of my faves dropped new episodes.

I finished up the run of London Kills. I'm quite happy with where things ended up on the chance there won't be any new episodes. I will say I'm not keen on the other DI so I'm hoping that's not going to be a thing if there is more to this series.

Brokenwood Mysteries is back! Watched the premiere episode and it didn't disappoint. Kind of twisty and turny and a little bit bonkers, which is perfect. Also rather nice to see Mike's house again. It's been missing the last few seasons.

Enjoyed an episode of Death in Paradise. I'd seen most of this one and liked it. I'm interested in how things with Selwyn's daughter will end up playing out.

Caught another episode of Beyond Paradise. I'm almost finished with the second season and hope the third will be available soon. Really liked the episode. I loved the interactions with Esther and Zoe. And really loved watching Anne deal with the letdown of finding out her new man is married.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I have vague memories of this one but don't remember enough to know if Blight will end up making a return. My money is on yes.

Finished out the week with an episode of Classic Rugrats and, again, both were new to me. Actually loved the crawl space one. And, weirdly, I really enjoy Taffy.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dodging Bullets, a novella that explores the family dynamics around a couple that grew up together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Sable and Gage live on the same street and survive their childhood by having each other's backs. When they grow up, they're still looking out for each other, but instead of ducking verbal barbs and flying objects, they're dodging bullets instead.

And a snippety peek…

Sable didn't give Betty the courtesy of waiting for a greeting—she pushed her way inside Betty's house. "What the actual hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get Gage killed?" She rolled to a stop in the living room and whirled to face Gage's mom.

Betty sputtered. "Get the fuck out of my house. You can't just shove your way in here and start yelling at me." She planted her hands on her hips and braced her feet.

Sable arched her brows. "Why not? You yell all the time." She folded her arms over her chest. "And you don't get to dictate terms this time. You're goddamned lucky I'm not hauling you in for interfering with the police." By rights, she could arrest Betty.

Betty's eyes went wide. "Garth told you?" Betrayal laced her tone.

Sable rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, he at least listens to reason. He's holding back and waiting at the diner to see if Megan is with the group of women in the warehouse." At least Sable hoped Garth heeded her warning.

Betty frowned. "As a paramedic, Garth has every right to be on scene. They'll need EMS services."

Sable bit back a string of expletives. "Are you serious right now? You have no idea what kind of shape those women will be in, but you've seen what can happen. If she's been hurt—or worse—how's he going to deal with that? Is that what you really want for Garth?" Anger roared through her. "You suck as a parent. Putting one son's career on the line and possibly exposing the other to a nightmare scenario because of your need to trash Gage's life because he's with me." She pinned Betty with a hard stare. "If anything happens to either of them, I’m going to hold you responsible and make sure everyone knows you’re the one who fucked up and put them in harm’s way." And heaven help whoever gave Betty the heads-up.

Betty got a little bitter. "You're just like your mother. You barge in—uninvited—make wild accusations and then threaten me about my boys. Bianca used to think she was better than everyone else, and you're just the same, kicking the shit out of everything because you can." Venom poured from her.

Sable blinked. "Excuse me. You're more like Bianca than I'll ever be. She ruined everything in her life. But look at what you're doing now. Manipulating your boys to satisfy a whim … all because you find me lacking. If that's not kicking the shit out of everything because you can, I don't know what is." The fucking audacity of the woman. "And you know what the truly awful part is? You wouldn't have a relationship with Gage if not for me. I ask him not to skip dinners with you and Garth, because I know what it's like to lose your whole damn family. A mom is still a mom even if they're not the greatest. And it hurts to not have one. So, I encourage him not to cut ties with you." Maybe she should finally rethink that idea.

Betty snorted. "Sounds like you’ve got my boy wrapped." She grimaced and rolled her eyes. "Just like your mom had your dad wound around her finger."

Sable shook her head. "You're so wrong. It's never about bending Gage to my will. It's about what we feel for each other. I love him, and he loves me. I’m sorry that's something you missed out on and didn't get to experience." She paused a moment. "But I'm done being your emotional punching bag. It's been a fucking journey with you, and this is my exit ramp." She met the other woman's gaze again. "I'll never keep Gage from having a relationship with you, but I'm finished trying to make sure he does. From this point forward, that's all on you." Sable kept her head up and strode to the door.

Once she exited the house, she resisted the urge to run like hell to get away from the toxicity of Betty Waterson.

This story is coming together in bits and pieces, but I'm pleased with how it's shaping up.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Deep End

Very long week. Once again, the weather is all over the map, but spring might be peeking around the corner. Or, well, possibly summer. We could see eighty degrees (F) this week.

I might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on numerous work projects. I'm kind of excited about a couple of them being closer to the author's publication date. I have several nonfiction projects that have been super challenging but they're great books.

Had a decent viewing week. I did skip my new show this week. Didn't have the mindset to watch. Dark Winds will hopefully return during this upcoming week.

I'm almost finished with London Kills and it's such a good show. I've really enjoyed the way the weekly cases weave in and out of the overall story arc. And the character growth has been well done.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise with the season twelve holiday episode. Really good storyline! It's fun to get Selwyn backstory.

Watched another episode of Beyond Paradise. Sad to see Anne get caught up in a not-so-great situation. Loved the way Martha handled Zoe's mistake. Also fun to have Humphrey and Martha approved for fostering.

Got blown away by another episode of Elementary. The case ended up being intriguing and the end? Wow. Did not expect that to happen.

Watched an episode of Batman Beyond and enjoyed it. I remember this one from my original run through and loved the call back to Batman: The Animated Series.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I don't remember either of the vignettes and particularly liked the video game one.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from The Deep End, a novella about falling quickly into the deep end of romance.

Here's the miniblurb:

Raelin is six months into a relationship with Eames but isn't feeling the spark … until she meets Eric, Eames's brother. The sibling rivalry takes an ugly turn, and Raelin takes a big step back so the men can mend fences. But her gesture backfires when Eric cuts off all communication with his brother.

And a snippety peek…

Eric hovered in the background when Eames rolled in and knocked on Raelin's door.

His brother barely crossed the threshold before he apologized. "Rae, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dogged you about Eric.” He rubbed a hand through his hair and shrugged sheepishly. "Please don't hold that against me." He lowered his head and gave her his best puppy dog look.

Eric rolled his eyes and snorted. "Smart move, bro. She wasn't too happy with you." And she really had put her knives in a cupboard.

Raelin narrowed her gaze. "She’s in the room, and I'm not happy with either of you." She turned and headed for the window, pulling the shade aside to gaze through the glass.

Eames apologized to Eric next. “Look, man, Raelin's honest to a fault. And she gave it to me straight. But finding out she felt something for you and not me stung.” He rolled a shoulder. “But she made a clean break and it's really none of my business who she falls for—even if it's my brother."

Eric grunted. "It's not like we meant to like each other, and once we started dating, we didn't try to hide it. And, frankly, you didn't exactly seem stressed out about the breakup." He gave Eames a hard look. "But you stepped way out of line and ruined something that could have been great." And that part sucked balls.

Eames held up his hands. "I know. I'm sorry, man. I’m over it. If you two get together, I won’t stand in the way." He took a big step backward, emphasizing his promise.

Eric snorted. "Fat chance of that. Raelin pretty much hates both of us—not that I blame her."

Raelin made a frustrated noise. "Again, I'm in the room and, yes, I'm pissed." Her voice lowered. "But … this a weird, awkward situation with no real rule book, regardless of whatever bro code you seem to think you have to live by." She directed her attention to Eames with a hard look.

Eames flushed. "Point taken. But … seriously, I just wanted to apologize and let you know I'm done being stupid. What you two decide from here is up to you.” He started toward the door.

Eric nodded. "Thanks. And, yeah, let's head out and leave Raelin to enjoy what's left of the weekend." He'd made a promise, and he planned to stick to it.

Even if giving her space made him uneasy. He didn't want to let things or her go. But he didn't blame her for needing a moment or ten to figure out whether she wanted to be with him or not.

He walked out with Eames, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he left Raelin’s.

Mending fences isn't easy even if it's the right thing to do. Eric has to go an extra mile to fix things with his brother and Raelin.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Celebration at Midnight

Geez, halfway through the month already and I feel like I'm stuck in reverse. Not to say I'm not getting anything done. I am. Most of it is work related, which I'm not complaining about. But … I do need to do a better work-life balance. Even my daily oracle card draw is pointing me in that direction.

I'm still buried under multiple projects, and all are making solid progress. I've never had so many nonfiction manuscripts and I'm actually enjoying being able to switch back and forth between the variety of genres there and with my fiction manuscripts. I have a holiday horror story, a romance, and a mystery in fictional work.

Not a bad viewing week. I made it through my usual round of shows did get to add the new show. I enjoyed it and will add it to my current roster. There's one additional show I'd like to work in, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to.

Caught another episode of London Kills and, yep, the beginning of the showdown with David and Vivienne started. Can't wait to see what happens next. Rob and Billie should probably brace for impact.

The new show I started is Dark Winds. So far, really enjoy the premise and the pacing. The acting is top-notch also. I had a sneaking suspicion the new deputy would end up being more than met the eye. Glad I was right about that.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise and enjoyed it. I'd seen most of this one at some point on Ovation and I liked having the full episode from beginning to end. I'm also enjoying Darlene a lot. Glad they added her to the team.

Enjoyed another episode of Beyond Paradise. It's so much fun watching Martha's mom going on dates. I'm also interested in how things shake out with the fostering situation. Very cool to have some Margo backstory also.

Caught an episode of Elementary and I'm kind of sad Kitty is headed for parts unknown for now. I do love that her story had a satisfying resolution. Also so happy we got to see how she kind of saved Sherlock from himself.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. Inque made another appearance and that was fun. Also kind of cool to see Bruce back in the field and how much Terry tried to protect him.

Finished up with an episode of Classic Rugrats. Enjoyed both vignettes and also discovered I have more episodes than I thought I had left. This isn't bad news.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Celebration at Midnight, a holiday novella featuring Presley, Gunnar, and Frazier from Merry and Bright.

Here's the miniblurb:

Presley, Frazier, and Gunnar finally have New Year's Eve off at the same time and plan to celebrate with a quiet evening at home. Two days after Christmas, Gunnar is shot trying to bring in a felon and Frazier's fire department gets the call. Presley is on duty in the emergency room when the men come in and the trio comes face-to-face with their personal lives mixing with their professional careers. Once Gunnar is in the clear, they have even more reason to celebrate at midnight.

And a snippety peek…

"Can't believe we've got a trafficking station in the heart of this old neighborhood." Gunnar moved into position between a wheelie bin and the garage of the unassuming colonial they were getting ready to raid.

He crouched and readied for the go order, taking in the formerly well-kept backyard. Shrubs and bushes were bare but also tangled together in need of a good pruning. A sitting area had wooden furniture with peeling paint and some of the bricks were covered with patchy spots of overgrown dead grass.

Gunnar frowned. "The decay is probably worse on the inside…"

A noise at the rear of the garage drew his attention. An unknown door opened, and a man walked out and caught sight of Gunnar. Everything crashed together at once. Why didn't they know about the door? Because it didn't look like a door existed. The timing sucked and the op would probably be blown.

Gunnar didn't have time to do much more than turn toward the guy before the man fired a round, catching Gunnar in the vest above his heart. A second bullet zinged toward him and ripped through his shirt tearing at the flesh in his shoulder and whizzing past his ear. Searing, white hot pain gripped him, but Gunnar returned fire, winging the assailant.

Shock and disbelief warred for dominance followed closely by the realization the shot knocked the wind out of him because he struggled to breathe. His hands tingled, no doubt a reaction to getting shot. He had the foresight to key his radio twice before he dropped like a stone and sank toward unconsciousness.

Through hazy vision, he noted the shooter grabbing his shoulder and the strike team moving in. Over the roar in his ears, he caught the sound of doors being smashed in and the shouts of the strike team announcing their presence. One of his fellow officers apprehended the fleeing man and they would end up getting the traffickers.

Gunnar finally succumbed to inky darkness … with one last thought.

Fraz and Presley are going to freak the fuck out.

I love this trio so much. They're the first throuple I wrote, and I'm happy they're still giving me ideas for their story.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Call of the Ripper

April is off to a weird start. We had a tornado warning in the wee hours of Thursday morning. That was fun. The temperature warmed up then dropped back down with a chance of snow tomorrow or Tuesday. But, sure, we aren't having any climate issues.

Still plugging along on multiple work projects. I did finish up two and added another new one to my pile. I'm very happy to be busy!

Had a decent viewing week. Ended up making it through my full slate of shows and I think I know which new program I'm adding to the lot. I'll give it a view and report back.

Actually realized I did finish up London Kills last week, so I ended up watching another full episode. Things are headed for a showdown with David and Vivienne and I'm here for that.

Watched Death in Paradise and enjoyed the episode. Discovered Izzy is still around and, well, still not a fan. If she returns, maybe she'll grow on me.

Caught Beyond Paradise and thoroughly enjoyed it. So nice to have a little backstory for Esther. And, if rumors prove true, a potential love interest in season three. That'll be fun.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I'm definitely interested in how things will play out with Kitty's attacker. I can't wait to see if it gets resolved in the next installment.

Watched an episode of Batman Beyond. This is one I remembered from my original run through. Quite liked seeing it again.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats and it's one I don't remember so a new-to-me episode. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Only a few more left before I move on to the reboot again.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Call of the Ripper, a novella exploring an obsession with a legend.

Here's the miniblurb:

Two 'Ripperologists' take a working vacation to experience the essence of Jack's madness. But when a modern-day stalker takes an interest in their excursion, the call of the ripper hits a little too close for comfort.

And a snippety peek…

The stranger stayed tucked into the door well of a building across from the restaurant. "Knew she couldn't resist the bait." He shoved his hands into his pockets and let a sly smile cross his face. "Figures she brought the appendage with her."

Then again, having the man along provided better options. "I've planned for every contingency." And could add another trophy to his collection.

He had just to spot, too.

But really, everything depended on Faith. She held her partner's life in her hands. And I hope she makes the right choice.

His gaze narrowed when Faith toasted her glass against Sean's. Her lips curved in a sweet smile and her gaze turned playful. He didn't need to be close to picture the scenario. He'd seen it often enough. With every woman who'd ever wronged him.

Faith would be different. She had a spectacular mind. Once she realized how much he'd done to impress her, she'd forget about the auction facilitator.

The couple exited the restaurant and headed toward their hotel. He followed at a discreet distance, keeping the object of his desire in his eyesight. When they entered the building, he ducked inside also but didn't trail them to the lift. Instead, he made his way to the stairs and traveled up to their floor.

Waiting until they got inside their room, he took his keycard out and ducked into the neighboring one. He booted up his laptop and checked the video feed from the burner phone he'd placed outside their window. He'd planned this move as soon as they'd made the reservation so he could have eyes on them at all times.

Faith slid her jacket off and draped it over a chair, then stepped into the circle of Sean's arms.

The stranger grunted. "Enjoy him while you can, Faith dearest…"

Kind of happy with how this story is coming together. I like having a third point-of-view character in the mix.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin