Sunday Snippet: Elective Campaign

It's a long weekend in the US for the Memorial Day holiday and also graduation weekend for our local high school. Seems like a great time to have lovely weather, right? It's Ohio so the answer would be probably not. It's cloudy with a chance of rain. But at least the temperature is in the high sixties instead of the low fifties, which is more like March instead of May.

I'm making headway on the multiple work projects. Two have shifted off my plate for the next step in the publishing process and the other six are coming along. I should have at least two more finished up this week. YAY!

Had a pretty solid week of viewing. I did make it through my regular slate of shows and got started on my two new ones. Or, one new one and one that always seems to simmer on the back burner.

Enjoyed another episode in my rewatch of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The first couple of episodes do such a great job of setting up the dynamic between the characters and I thoroughly enjoy the actors so much.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise and like how awkward things are between Selwyn and his daughter. I also kind of enjoy Katherine being in his face but I also think she kind of oversteps sometimes.

Caught another episode of Poirot and enjoyed it. I often feel like the relationship between Poirot and Japp is shortchanged because we don't really see how that started, but the interactions are fun.

Enjoyed another Brokenwood Mysteries. Kind of weird but awesome the victim is someone we met in an earlier episode. And the mystery took some wild turns, which is always fun.

Watched another episode of Elementary and loved the interactions with Joan and Sherlock. The ice cream touch at the end is perfection.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and it's one I don't really remember much of but also one that I quite enjoyed. There's nothing like a storyline where a character is trapped in a computer and wants to escape to the real world. It's a weird trope that I love.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. The two vignettes are ones that were new to me, and I liked both. Weird bit with some out of order information as the Finsters were still calling their dog puppy instead of Pepper.

Watched another episode of Return to Paradise and I'm still enjoying this one. I'm very interested in seeing what happens with Mackenzie and her ex-fiancé. There's a lot of good potential to be very messy with this situation.

I got started on a new episode of Peak Practice but didn't make it all the way through. I'll try to finish it up this week.

Also started a new episode of Reacher, but paused because I need to pay attention and couldn't focus like I wanted to. I'll definitely finish this one up this week.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Elective Campaign, a novella about starting over in a new place with a new person.

Here's the miniblurb:

Mac is running for reelection and needs a logistical planner on his roster to win. Yancy has the training and background, but she presents a problem … Mac is very attracted to her. They fight the pull but give in, and once it's discovered, he might lose more than the election.

And a snippety peek…

Yancy went for a run. Her phone started pinging with news notifications and she read them on her watch. Some good. Some bad.

She slowed to a walk. "Ugh. I hate the notoriety." She wanted to do a good job, not fight through social media to make changes.

An older couple walking the trail caught her attention.

The woman gave a brief wave. "Aren't you the new logistical planner?" She shifted off the course and made her way toward Yancy.

Yancy nodded. "Yes." She took a drink from her water bottle. "First time I've been on this path. I started back at the lake, and I love how this is set up."

The duo showed surprise.

The man gave her an impressed look. "The previous planner rarely ventured away from city hall." He waved a hand. "Don't get me wrong, a super nice guy, but he didn't get out and about much."

Yancy wouldn't bad-mouth anyone whose circumstances she didn't know. "I'm new to the area, and I figured the best way to help the city run smoothly is to know the streets." She recapped her bottle.

The older lady gave Yancy a long look. "Did you get the job by sleeping with our esteemed city leader?"

Point-blank with nary a blink.

Yancy had to respect her bluntness. "Considering I haven't slept with Mayor Davison, no." She bit back a grin when the duo slid each other sideways glances.

The lady arched a brow. "Well, why not? That Mac is a handsome guy."

The gentleman nudged his wife with his elbow. "Or as the granddaughter likes to say, he's a total smoke show."

Yancy sputtered out a laugh. "That's what my daughter says also." She thrust her hand forward. "It's been wonderful meeting you."

The older couple introduced themselves as Scott and Stephanie Prospect.

Scott shook firmly and held on for a longer moment. "The city needs people like you and Mac. Best of luck with the election."

Stephanie leaned in and pitched her voice low. "You two shouldn't let Jackman spin the facts. Just saying."

The encounter gave Yancy food for thought. While cooling down from her run, she called Mac on the way back to her car. "Let's make some plans after I get moved in to my office."

Mac sputtered a little. "Okay. Are you sure?"

She smiled. "I am. And I'll fill you in when we meet. End of the workday tomorrow?" Why wait?

He didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. I'm tied up in meetings all day, but I'll stop by when I'm done."

Her lips curved even more. "Sounds great. See you then." She ended the call and made a beeline for her vehicle.

Can't wait to tell Viv I have plans to make plans.

I have so much love for Yancy and Mac and they needed someone else to root for them!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Drowning Pull

May is flying by at a rapid pace. This week has been intense with burning the candle at both ends for me. This is a good day to take some downtime, which I'm trying to do today.

Work exploded this week with multiple projects dropping into my inbox. I have four nonfiction manuscripts and three fiction manuscripts in various stages of editing. I don't normally have seven different projects going at the same time but, so far, I'm managing them. It'll make for a nice June once they're all turned in.

Had an amazing week of viewing. I got a full round of shows in and caught a couple of extras. Also started a new show that might be sporadically viewed until it's available for streaming.

I started a rewatch of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries this week. I'm waiting a some new episodes of a few other shows to drop and this is such a comfort series for me.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very twisty and turny, which is always fun.

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm happy to have some Naomi backstory. I'd love to see a bit more of that for the characters.

Started a from the beginning run of Poirot. I've seen quite a few episodes of this show but haven't watched any of them in order. This is another filler series until new episodes start dropping of my current shows.

Watched another episode of Elementary and quite enjoyed it. I'm always interested when weird cases pop up and the cryogenics angle ended up being interesting.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and have some vague memories of the first time I watched it. I'm wondering if the Ts are in any way a throwback to Mr. Terrific. I might have to dive down that rabbit hole at some point.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I don't remember either of these vignettes and I liked both.

I finished up an episode of Peak Practice and might start another one this week. This is one of my back burner shows and I'm happy I got to finish watching.

Started a new-to-me series and watched Reacher. Gotta say I loved the first episode. I did a bit of dive into write-ups of future seasons, and I think I'll stick with this one.

Also got a minimarathon of Return to Paradise in over the weekend. I'm looking forward to streaming this one when it's available in the US. Really enjoyed the first three episodes and I'm excited to see the rest.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Drowning Pull, a novella that plays on the right guy, wrong time trope.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lane Addison drowns his grief over losing his brother in alcohol, until a blonde distraction sits down beside him. Injured and off the circuit, Quesleigh decides to have a pity party for one until she sees someone deeper in the well than she is. A hot hookup later, Lane thinks he's found the perfect woman in Quesleigh, until she mentions her fiancé.

And a snippety peek…

Quesleigh struggled through a workout.

Her knee came close to being back in shape, but she needed to get ready for competition. "If I can compete." She pushed harder to up her reps.

She and Brad had some issues to iron out. He'd been combative and aggressive the past week, and she'd come close to telling him to fuck off into the sun more than once. Based on Josh's recommendations, she had a schedule and stuck to it.

The jingle of keys in the lock upstairs had her pausing her set of leg exercises. Grabbing a towel, she wiped her face and stood up just as Brad trotted down the steps. His damp hair suggested he'd showered after practice before heading home.

He started pushing before he even greeted her. "Almost ready to jump back onto the circuit?" His gaze raked over her from head to toe.

She shrugged. "Don't feel ready yet." Dropping the towel on the bench, she did some stretches. "I have to face the reality I might not get back to a competitive level." She'd give competing her best shot but wouldn't risk long-term damage.

Brad rolled his eyes. "You're such a baby, crying over a bum knee. Wah, wah." He left the room with a rude snort and went to dump his gear into the washing machine.

She tried not to engage. Brad had a game, and he did poorly if he got stressed out. He'd have to leave for the airport early in the wee hours of the morning.

Brad reentered and pushed harder. "What's Joshy-boy say? Or is he so far up your ass, he'll tell you what you want to hear? Which is to stay off the slopes." A ring of jealousy laced his words.

She didn't like the snide tone. One, because Josh had a boyfriend and two, because his skill as a therapist got her to her current status.

She tilted her head and turned the tables on Brad. "Where have you been spending the nights on the road, Brad?" He hadn't been with the team, according to his usual roommate.

Brad didn't deny or confirm her accusation. Instead, he stormed back up the stairs, calling over his shoulder. "Think whatever you want, Ques. I'm staying at the rink tonight."

She didn't have to think anything. And he wouldn't be staying at the rink. Her gut said he'd been stringing other women along—like Barbie—and he'd crash with one of them.

She had another reality to face. Her days as his significant other might be numbered. Brad would want someone else with clout ready to pose for the camera.

Grabbing some ice, she propped her leg up. "Do I care?" She could deal with Brad's flirty bait-and-switch attempts.

She hadn't been all that approachable lately. More like distracted and pondering a future doing something other than snowboarding. She'd like to believe Brad would support a career change, but doubt settled heavily in her stomach and mixed with the fear of the unknown.

Geez, she needed to stop dwelling on what could happen and focus on right now. She'd know more after her doctor's appointment in a few days. A little keyed up, she decided to go out and have fun over the weekend after she iced down her knee.

I think I found my groove with this story. Quesleigh is a fun character to write and she doesn't like to stay down or have fear so this scene came together better than I'd hoped.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Drag Out the List

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, mentors, and mother figures out there! Enjoy the day, and if it's a hard day to celebrate, take care of you.

Another wildly busy work week but a lot of projects moved ahead and some were completed. One contrary work thing took an unexpected turn and I'll be trying to figure that one out later today.

Had a decent week of viewing despite the busy schedule. I made it through a full round of my shows, minus one—Dark Winds—because it's not on the streaming service I have anymore. I think it's on another one, but I've been too busy to track it down.

Started the week off with Brokenwood Mysteries. This one ended up being a lot of fun with a couple of interesting secrets being revealed. Truly hope to see more of Trudy and Ray's mom.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise and enjoyed the mystery. Really not sure what Neville's DI friend is doing on the island but have a feeling it's not going to mean anything good.

Loved the Beyond Paradise holiday special for this past Christmas. I'm looking forward to diving into the rest of the season when it's available in the US.

Enjoyed another episode of Elementary. Interesting to get some backstory of Sherlock's time under the influence. Also intriguing that he stayed somewhat in the background. I like that kind of character progress.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and didn't really have any recollection about this one. I did enjoy seeing Terry use his Batman moves while out of the costume.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats and enjoyed both vignettes. I didn't remember either of them so more new-to-me stuff.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Drag Out the List, a novella that explores getting back out there after a bad breakup.

Here's the miniblurb:

Velma and Kade have loads of sexual tension, but Velma keeps him at arm's length. Kade gets the why, but when she pushes him a little too far, he turns the tables on her and she ends up in a compromising position—number seventeen on his list.

And a snippety peek…

When Velma stood up to clear the table, Kade finished his last swallow of beer. "Anything I can do to help?" He arched his brows.

Velma waved him off. "Nah. I've got this. You and Howie can crack open another beer and I'll be right back." She scooped up the plates, stacking them with the ease of someone who had worked in a restaurant.

Kade accepted another bottle from Howie and twisted the cap off. "Someone hurt her, didn't they?" He'd been putting the pieces together all through the meal.

She'd brought Howie in for moral support … a human safety net.

Howie lifted his chin. "More like someones, as in two people." He leaned in a little closer and lowered his voice. "One was her business partner and the third of our childhood trio. The other is an asshole named Matt Carson."

Kade winced. "Ouch. Let me guess. This Matt dude came between them?" A huge dick move.

Howie snorted. "And then some. He actually tried to take over the business because he had development of the location in mind." His voice took on a hard edge. "Thought he'd get his paws on the property through a relationship and set about stringing both Velma and Margie along."

Kade blinked. "As in…" He couldn't have been hooking up with each one, right?

Howie snarled. "Dating and sleeping with both? Yeah. That's exactly what he did." Peeling the label from the bottle, Howie met Kade's gaze. "Once Velma figured out Matt was a two-timing bastard, she cut ties with him fully expecting Margie to do the same." His hand curled into a fist.

Kade grunted. "Let me guess … She didn't." Ouch.

Howie gave a nod. "Nope. She kept right on seeing him and started flaunting the relationship in front of Vel." He tipped the bottle to his lips and drained half of it. "Velma sucked it up and tried to maintain the partnership and friendship. But it got much worse."

Kade grimaced. "I'm not gonna like this, am I?" A fist to the face would be too good for the schmuck.

Howie huffed out a breath. "I sure as hell didn't." He sighed. "Since I work for the fire department, we rotate going to the council meetings whenever ideas for new development are on the schedule. During one of those committee meetings, I found out Matt started the process of having plans drawn up for a new business that would combine his location with Margie and Velma's."

Kade's eyes went wide. "Did Margie know about this?" What a betrayal if she did.

Howie snarled. "Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Matt convinced her if they got married and she signed her half of the boutique over to him, he could buy out Velma and he and Margie could open their new venue."

Kade shook his head. "He didn't actually plan to buy Velma out, did her?" A ball of anger settled in his gut.

Howie pursed his lips. "Nope. The asshole figured he'd force Velma out by getting her to breach the partnership contract she had with Margie. You see, Margie got a bigger share of the profit because Velma lived at the location. Margie had her grandmother's cottage and didn't need the living quarters." Howie rolled his eyes. "Douce canoe Carson had the big idea to cook up a second set of books, showing Velma had been pocketing a larger percentage then leveraging her out with blackmail. And Margie agreed to go along with the plan."

Kade swallowed down the bile in his throat and chased it with half his beer. "Tell me everything blew up in his face." On a nuclear level.

Howie's lips curved. "Some of it did. I stopped by Margie's to see if I could talk her out of trashing a lifelong friendship for an asshole like Carson. Instead, I overheard everything and recorded the plot to blackmail Vel." His smile widened. "Didn't take much convincing to have a couple of my cop buddies pull Matt into the station and lay everything out for him."

Kade grunted. "Hope it went something like get the fuck out of town or no one will ever find his body." He'd deserve it.

Howie barked out a laugh. "Nothing quite that dramatic, but they made it clear he'd be hard-pressed to stay in business once they put the word out about his underhanded dealing." He sobered. "The part that didn't blow up in his face is Margie. She left with Matt and Velma bought Margie out of their contract—after they agreed on a dollar amount." He met Kade's gaze. "And that's the saga of Velma Arndt." He sat back and picked up his beer, taking a long sip.

Kade did the same, turning over all the information in his mind. The one thing that stuck? He didn't blame Velma one bit for calling in reinforcements.

This story is fun because the sages love these characters. Kade and Velma have a spark and watching it ignite is a joy.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Down the Middle

May the Fourth be with anyone who celebrates! And, wow, a shiny new month that's off to a wild start so far. Our weather has been crazy intense with loads of rain. My daughter graduated with a master's in arts administration, and I unfortunately had to miss due to being under the weather. But I'm so proud of her!

Work projects kept me very busy. I'm getting to a finishing point on one that's been difficult to get through and I have a new one getting ready to start. The weather has been wreaking havoc on productivity because the possibility of losing power is a constant concern.

I did have a decent week of viewing and made a full run through my regular slate of shows. I started a movie but didn't have time to finish it.

I caught an episode of Dark Winds and I'm still intrigued by everything that's happening in this show. I love that the FBI agent's cover is blown by episode two and I can't wait to see what happens with the fallout from that.

Also watched another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. This is truly one of my happy place shows. I'm rather curious about whether Gina is still rooming with Kristin or not and if not, what happened there.

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. Very curious where things might go with the Sophie and Neville thing and also where the whole last prepper standing thing will end up going since he's watching Neville.

Loved the season two finale of Beyond Paradise. Humphrey and Martha are so much fun, and the surrounding cast of characters is so good. I'm not always sure about Anne, but she's growing on me.

Caught another episode of Elementary and rather enjoyed Sherlock's attempt at taking care of Joan. And her solution to having her own space is genius.

Watched an episode of Batman Beyond with the beginning of season two. Ended up remembering most of this one. This is such a good follow up to the original series.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I have some vague memories of both vignettes, which is so weird because most of the ninth season is new to me.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Down the Middle, a novella about a couple that comes together while on the trail of a fugitive.

Here's the miniblurb:

Bounty hunter Ursa Goode always gets her man … if Jake Weatherwax doesn't beat her to him. But when a target escapes and comes after her, Ursa has to take Jake up on his offer to work together and split the reward right down the middle. The need for a partner rubs her wrong, but Jake definitely doesn't.

And a snippety peek…

An incessant buzz from her phone woke Ursa from a deep sleep.

Trying not to disturb the arm draped around her waist, she carefully reached for the device and checked her notifications. Looks like one of my sources got the goods. Gently easing out from under Jake's embrace, she got up and headed for the bathroom to read the text.

According to Baldy, one of her better informants, whispers were scattering that Llewellyn Cavil had holed up in an abandoned gas station over in the flats. "Hope you're right, Baldy." She splashed cold water on her face, running the odds that Cavil planted the location to lure her out against his overconfidence that she would take longer to track him. She figured about fifty-fifty even chance.

Exiting the bath, she dressed quickly then started for the door, with a fleeting thought about pulling a bitch move on Jake by leaving.

The sheets rustled. "Going somewhere, Ursa?" He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress.

Her shoulders slumped. "Shit. I'm sorry." Guilt didn't sit well with her. "But, look, I don't even know if this will pan out."

Jake angled his head toward her. "Okay, let me ask you something. Does any of this seem familiar?" His brows arched in question.

Ursa sighed. "Dammit, yeah." She went back to the bed and settled at the edge. "How do you want to play the angle?" Weird, how quickly she'd come to rely on his insight.

Jake got his jeans on—commando—and stood up. "We go together. You drop me about three blocks from the meet and I come in as backup." He yanked his shirt over his head and snagged his boots from the floor.

She nodded, got up, and started for the door, but turned back and collided with Jake. He steadied her and she leaned in, kissing him hard on the month.

Jake's eyes widened. "What was that for?"

Ursa rolled a shoulder. "Because. I'm not used to this working with someone thing. You could've made that something more than you did. Thanks for not." If the roles were reversed, she might not have been as giving.

He dropped a kiss on her nose. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm a pretty nice guy." He moved past her and pulled the door open. "Unless I have to be not nice." His meaning clear—he'd have her back—he swept his arm out, motioning for her to go first.

She sent him a wide smile and exited into the hallway.

This was a fun scene to write. I love Ursa's choice to be bluntly honest when she's caught out by Jake.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin