Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

It's been a busy week. We're still kind of off-kilter after the loss of our doggo. Our younger one is adjusting and I'm thankful for that. Our vet office is amazing, and they've been wonderful throughout this whole process.

Ohio weather is being very Ohio right now. Warm up, cool down, something kind of in between. I had to clear snow off my car at the beginning of last week. It didn't stick around, which is okay with me. I don't mind snow, but I'm also not quite ready for it yet.

Work was very busy this past week. Had a terrific Zoom meeting with an author and two other members of a team I often work with. We're getting ready to hand over the project for the next steps. Also had another Zoom session with a different author and they're making headway on their memoir. Finished up a developmental edit and we're getting ready to hand that one off also. Had an older project pop back up and I think we have that one resolved. I also finished up a copy edit and started a new proofread.

Not a bad viewing week either. I made it through all of my usual slate of shows. The next two weeks are going to be a little iffy, but I'll make an effort to stay current.

I started with the season three opener of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The introduction of her dad was fun, and I liked seeing Jack show a little jealousy.

Also caught another episode of Foyle's War and I'd forgotten how much of a role Andrew played in this episode. If I remember correctly, we won't see him again for a while.

Watched another episode of Beyond Paradise. I'm enjoying Archie and Esther's romance a lot. I loved Humphrey being in the uncomfortable position of having to question Martha as a suspect to clear her. And I'm so glad Anne finally spilled the beans about her biopsy.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. I love Hastings and Miss Lemon investigating and then chatting about Poirot. The lengths he went to to protect the countess kind of charmed me.

Elementary had a great episode. Discovering Joan has a half-sister is interesting. I also love how tangled up everything ended up being. Bringing Mycroft into the equation is a snare that will have some repercussions, I think. Especially with the NSA showing up again.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remembered it from my original watch. Getting Ace's backstory is great.

Also got to watch another episode of Lower Decks. The characters are starting to gel for me, and Mariner is way less annoying this season. Very glad I stuck with this one.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella that explores meeting the wrong brother first. One of my favorite tropes.

Here's the miniblurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice … until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

"Here you go."

Sef glanced at the card. "Imma Rusch?" He took a quick picture of her insurance information. "Sef Boltager. Nice to meet you … even if it's under really weird circumstances." He gave her the insurance card back.

Something about her intrigued him.

Seriously, what a way to meet someone.

They headed out the main doors.

A car waited for Sef in the valet area. "Ah, that didn't take long." He nodded toward the vehicle. "Part of my service package."

Imma's lips twisted. "I'll be scheduling a rideshare." She started tapping her phone.

Sef hated to make her wait, especially with those crutches. "Can I offer you a ride?" He hoped she'd say yes.

Imma narrowed her gaze a little. "Um, sure. I'm not far." She pocketed her device and grasped the crutches.

She accepted. Excellent. Sef helped get her settled into the car, and she gave his driver her address.

Once they pulled out of the parking lot, Sef awkwardly maneuvered to face her a little. "I really am sorry about the crash. I'll admit I was distracted and not paying as much attention as I should've been." He snorted.

Imma's eyebrows arched. "Tell me you weren't texting and driving."

He laughed. "No. I'm not that irresponsible." He shrugged his good shoulder. "I was angry about walking in on my former girlfriend with her new guy." His lips twisted. "We weren't even deeply committed … but, yeah, not what I expected to come home to." Serena didn't even have the decency to go to her own apartment.

Imma let out a low whistle. "Ouch. I'm sorry that happened to you." She focused her gaze out the window. "Were you away for work? Vacation?"

Sef nodded. "A bit of both. My stepdad sent me down to South America to scope out some possible business opportunities. I'm a facilitator. Go in, put feelers out, and do a vibe check." Then he got out of the way and let his brother handle the hard stuff.

Imma grinned. "I'm getting the picture now. You lay the groundwork." She lifted her chin. "The guy I'm dating does a lot of traveling also." She hesitated a moment. "We're pretty casual, but I think he might want more." Leaning back, she stared out the window again.

He'd be lying if he didn't admit to being disappointed. He'd have to find out her definition of casual. Maybe he had a shot if he played his cards right.

The car eased into a community of condos. Older but nicely built, the units were a triplex with two entrances facing each other at an angle to form the top of a Y and the third acting as the stem. The cluster had lots of greenery and nice fencing separating the yards.

Imma leaned forward and directed the driver to her driveway.

He pulled in and got out to help Imma exit the vehicle.

She got her crutched under her and ducked down toward the window. "Thanks for the ride. I appreciate not having to wait."

Sef lifted his chin. "Glad I could help." He moved forward a little when she started toward her sidewalk. "Hey, where do you think you'll do your physical therapy?"

She cocked her head. "Not sure. My PCP usually refers to Three Rivers."

Sef smiled. "Same. Maybe we'll bump into each other again."

Imma chuckled. "I'd like that. Thanks again." She shuffled up the walk to her front door.

Sef leaned back. He'd make sure his primary doctor referred him to Three Rivers Physical Therapy also. If nothing else, he wanted to see Imma again under slightly better circumstances.

I like how this story is coming together. It's a fine line to walk and I enjoy trying to make sure I fall off the tightrope.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Harvest Haven (an Organic Nature short)

I'm going to start with a doggo update. We thought our older doggo was doing better but, sadly, that wasn't the case. The vet took an aspirated sample of her lymph node, and the results came back as cancerous, probably MAST cell. The prognosis is never great for that diagnosis. But we planned to keep her comfortable and spend as much time as we could with her. Unfortunately, she took a turn for the worse and on November 7, we let her go to the great beyond. Hardest decision to make but she stopped eating and couldn't really afford to lose more weight than she already had. My heart hurts right now, but we're trying to ease the loss for our other doggo and that's been a blessing.

Obviously, even with everything going on with our dog, work continued. I finished up a proofread and have a new one scheduled for the upcoming week. I also have a couple of client calls and I'm excited about those. I'm in the middle of a copy edit for an opening book to a new series and it's going well.

I had an okay viewing week. I made it most of the way through my regular shows, with the exception of Lower Decks. I'll get back to it this week. I hope.

Finished up the second season of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I love the Christmas in July episode so much. There's some subtle groundwork being laid for the final season and I appreciate being able to look back and see it.

Caught another episode of Foyle's War. I really wanted to smash everyone working against Foyle in the face. The arrogance of the military spies grated hard on me this time around.

Beyond Paradise ended up being a lot of fun. I like the romance with Archie and Ester. And I love Humphrey and Martha with their fostering. I'm a little put out with the mom being so cagey. I get the why but it's annoying. I'm kind of hoping she ends up confiding in Zoe.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed it. I loved having him hoodwinked into solving a murder because an author wrote himself into a corner. And having the author kind of save the day was fun.

Elementary ended up being a great episode. I love Sherlock putting forth effort in his relationship and getting it wrong for the right reasons.

Enjoyed another episode of Batman Beyond. Loved Bruce and Max working together to find Terry. I had some vague memories of this one but didn't remember everything that happened.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Harvest Haven, the September month in the Organic Nature short series.

Here's the miniblurb:

The harvest season is a busy time for Eppie, but with their future set, she and Vin celebrate their life surrounded by family and friends. The couple takes the long weekend to recharge and bask in their brand of love.

And a snippety peek…

Vin's mouth dropped open when Greg pulled into Eppie's drive. "Holy hell. Look at this place…" The transformation blew his mind.

Greg's mouth kicked up in a grin. "I knew it would blow your mind." He put the truck in park and cut the engine.

Vin popped the door and slid out of the front seat to get a better look at the amazing décor for his not wedding. An explosion of fall color dotted the yard with dark peach, rust, sienna, and cream flowers. Mostly mums, but Eppie … and her band of merry helpers … interspersed other varieties to add texture and whimsy. Navy bows with some kind of orange wash fluttered in the breeze, and dark blue and orange tin lanterns either hung from flower hooks or sat nestled in the arrangements.

Walking forward, he got his first glimpse of the yard. "Wow." His significant other pulled out every stop.

Greg moved up beside Vin. "Kind of amazing, huh?" He slapped Vin on the back.

Vin gave a nod. "Seriously. Look at that arbor. It screams fall even though the leaves haven't started changing yet." And Eppie's gram would love the TLC her granddaughter had given the special spot.

Greg grunted. "There's a lot of tradition here. The energy is off the charts." He huffed out a breath. "Think I've been spending too much time with Kristaphie."

Vin laughed. "Nah, man. Eppie swears her gram will be here today. And I believe her." He started toward the shed, where Eppie had the guys gathering to wait before the festivities began.

Greg followed. "Want to get the trunk? Or wait until after the reception."

Vin pondered the question. "Let's do it during the reception. I'm kind of hoping she'll open it with everyone around."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, good plan." He checked his phone. "T-minus thirty. You ready?"

Vin smiled wide. "More than. I can't wait to wait by the arbor for Eppie."

He couldn't be a luckier man.

This is the next to last story of Vin and Eppie and I'm having a lot of fun writing this couple.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Harshing the Calm

Welcome, November! Honestly, October had great points and not-so-great points. Having a sick pet is not fun. Trying to figure out exactly what's going on isn't either. But she appears to be doing better so that's a plus.

We had a spectacular trick-or-treat night. The weather ended up being cooperative. Chilly but not cold, slightly windy but not gusty, and no rain. The past few years we've had flurries, frigid temperatures, rain, and the blowy, serious wind that makes everyone miserable. Having almost perfect weather is a nice change.

Had an okay work week. I finished up a copy edit and started a new proofread. Finalized a developmental edit with only formatting left to do before it moves over to a copy editor. I have a bit of research to do for the other developmental edit I'm working on and I should have that at least started today.

Not a bad week of viewing. I made it all the way through my current slate of shows. I didn't hit the backburner ones but, again, sick doggo equals a lot of time.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and I'm almost finished with the second season. I really did enjoy the downfall of Jack's former father-in-law. I also loved how disgusted Rosie ended up being with her dad. Christmas episode is up next and it's one I love to pieces.

Caught another episode of Foyle's War and finished out the second season. I'd forgotten Andrew crashed his plane and he had a bit of a romance with Sam. Looking forward to starting the third season.

Watched an episode of Beyond Paradise and thoroughly enjoyed Humphrey and Martha interacting with their new foster. Also quite enjoyed the Ester and Archie banter. I really hope Kelby ends up getting a girl because he's the sweetest guy ever.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. A lot of twisty-turns in this one and Poirot getting all bent over Hastings using the bathroom as a darkroom was hilarious.

Elementary ended up being very interesting. I'm kind of wary of Joan trying to get a mole inside Moreland's company. I think it's for protection so Moreland's enemies can't hurt Sherlock and, by extension, Joan. I'm very interested in whether Moreland is setting this up on purpose or if he's just underestimating Joan. Should be fun to find out.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and didn't really remember this one. Ended up liking it a lot. Always good to see Bruce out of the manor.

Lower Decks was so much fun. Beckett is growing on me and Boimler isn't annoying me as much either. And the theme song is still stuck in my head. I think it might be my favorite out of all the Trek shows.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Harshing the Calm, a novella about a second-chance romance.

Here's the miniblurb:

Gentry and Rayce have a volatile past, one they walk away from to start over. But old habits are hard to break and when their paths cross again, they discover they can repeat their mistakes or change and grow into something so much better.

And a snippety peek…

On their third shot, Gentry's eyebrows rose upward. "Wait. You're telling me Catie's ex tracked her down after his stint in the army and proposed?" She shook her head. "Just like that? And they had zero contact while he was gone?" Her fingers crumpled the napkin under the tumbler.

Almost pleasantly toasted, Rayce shrugged. "Pretty much." He rolled his square coaster into a long tube. "At least she let me down easy. And Dylan is a pretty great guy." And perfect for Catie.

Gentry blinked. "Um … sounds like you weren't too upset by the breakup. Not if you're hanging out with the guy." She laughed. "That's actually kind of wild … in a good way."

Rayce shrugged. "We belong to the same gym. He makes a good sparring partner in the boxing ring."

Gentry's lips quirked. "Better than me?"

Rayce chuckled. "Honestly? Probably not. I never have to settle wagers with Dylan in the bedroom after a round." Shit … did he just stay that?

Gentry laughed out loud. "Good to know. I'll bet he doesn't cheat to make wagers interesting either." She straightened out the napkin, smoothed it flat again then looked up at him through her eyelashes.

Rayce widened his eyes. "Did you think I didn't know you worked the odds in your favor half the time?" He loved the flirty banter they had going on.

Made him remember how much fun Gentry could be … when they weren't arguing. Usually about work. Or their schedules. Or how to make macaroni and cheese. Stupid stuff.

Gentry tilted her head to one side. "Wasn't sure. Thought I should maybe clear up any doubt though." She smirked. "Kind of like you letting me win if you liked my bet more than yours."

Rayce answered with a grin.

Gentry inclined her chin. "Thought so." She paused and dug her phone out of her pocket, typing out a quick text.

A moment later, her phone pinged with a response. She typed another message and got a speedy reply. She nodded and turned her phone facedown.

One side of her mouth curved. "It's official. Cal and I are through." She set the device aside and poured another shot.

Rayce blinked. "Just like that? And by text?" She moved fast.

Gentry shrugged. "Um, kind of? I texted that we needed to talk, and he replied that we didn't. He already knew moving would be a big ask." She drained her glass.

Rayce grunted. "You're sure?"

Gentry's head bobbed. "Yeah. I know myself. Long distance would never work. I mean, Cal's got a shot at the big leagues, and I don't have an interest in being a baseball significant other." She rolled a shoulder. "Besides, if he makes it big, it would blow my undercover work."

Absolutely true. One random photo on a fan's social media or an industry event could unravel a long-term operation. He didn't blame her for not wanting to be in the spotlight.

Rayce lifted his chin. "So, you're back to being footloose and fancy free?" He held his breath waiting for an answer.

Gentry cocked her head to one side, her eyes changing to a deeper color. "Unless you're into picking up again…" Her voice trailed off on a note of uncertainty.

Rayce threw caution to the wind. "Yeah, I just might be." Possibly a terrible call but he'd missed her more than he'd freely admit.

A charged moment passed between them.

Gentry grabbed her phone and held his gaze. "I'm still just around the corner." She tucked the device into her pocket.

Royce didn't hesitate. "Let's go." He didn't care if leaving with her proved to be a huge mistake.

Gentry tossed some cash on the table, then got up to leave. She gave a two-fingered salute to Bart and snorted when he smirked. Once outside, she grabbed Rayce's hand and made a mad dash to her apartment.

Racing up to the door, Gentry paused. "Are you sure?"

He answered by crushing her mouth with his. They stumbled inside, stripping each other on the way to her bedroom. Rayce felt like he'd come home.

But … how long would it last?

Rayce might be surprised by Gentry and her newfound sense of self. Gentry might be surprised too!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin