Sunday Snippet: Jingle, Jangle, Jingle

What a week. Our weather went completely insane and we got a wild mix of rain and wind. We lost power on Friday afternoon and finally had it restored on Saturday after about eighteen hours. Thankfully, it didn't get super cold overnight.

Work projects are moving along. I finished up the memoir and have two new potential jobs. I'm still working on a proofread and have some final touches to put on a copy edit. I'm hoping to get to a developmental edit that I put on the back burner last month because it's a manuscript that will launch an amazing series.

Had a limited viewing week. I managed to get through a couple of my usual shows but didn't get through my whole slate. Too many things pulling my attention and focus.

Started with My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery. Always fun to see Will and the sibling relationship he has with Alexa. Per usual, Madison had some great scenes.

Caught most of an episode of Foyle's War. I'd forgotten he kind of got pulled into the spy scene. Really fun to see his interactions with Sam after her marriage. Kind of bummed they recast the guy who played her fiancé in the previous season.

Watched an episode of Return to Paradise and it's one I remembered. I love the quirky interactions Mackenzie has with everyone but I really, really love when she has to deal with her messy emotions. Watching her apologize to Glen almost physically hurt to observe. Very good moment between them.

Started an episode of Poirot but didn't get a chance to finish it before I crashed. I'll finish it up and start the round of shows again.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Jingle, Jangle, Jingle, a holiday themed novella with a twist on a classic story.

Here's the miniblurb:

Work keeps getting in the way of Felicia Hammond and Marshall Greene being able to spend time together. When Marshall pulls off a holiday vacation package, they're excited to get away together. But Felicia is added to the schedule at the hospital and won't be able to go. Unknown to each other, both try to make the best out of the situation so they can have a happy holiday season.

And a snippety peek…

Felicia entered the house to the incredible aroma of Mamie's Diner food. After the day she'd had, she loved Marshall for thinking of this.

She found him setting the plates on the table. "You want to grab a shower before we eat?" He turned to get two glasses of water with lemon slices in them.

She gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I'll be five minutes." Just long enough to rinse the day off and leave the hospital behind.

Turning the water on, she rubbed at the back of her neck. Normally, when her shift descended into chaos, she could roll with the hits and come up smiling. Not so much today.

Stripping out of her scrubs, she stepped under the spray. "Universe, save me from docs who have to throw entire units off schedule." In his defense … he just transferred from a military hospital, but…

Damn. Did he have to gum up the system and throw everything off kilter?

After soaping up and rinsing off, she twisted the knob off and grabbed her towel. A quick dry down and lotion application followed then she slid into comfortable yoga pants and a T-shirt. The hot water helped ease her tense muscles and the yummy food would soothe the rest of her.

She strolled into the kitchen and settled across from Marshall. "This is awesome. It's been a day." Flashing a smile, she picked up her fork. "What made you think of this?" Tucking into the open-faced roast beef, she met his gaze.

His eyes crinkled. "We're going to the mountains for Christmas. I got an incredible deal on a house because the owners are spending the holidays with family." He scooped up a pile of carrots and shoved them into his mouth.

Felicia blinked. "No way. Seriously?" A week in the mountains sounded amazing.

No hospital. No new doctors to school on protocol. No patient alarms going off.

Marshall nodded. "Yeah, sent a deposit and have the directions and instructions for picking up the key." He grinned.

Felicia sighed. "I can't wait. I'll log in to the employee portal after dinner and put in for the time off." She had two weeks of vacation left and could bank one for the following year.

Marshall grasped her fingers. "Be good to get away for a while. Just the two of us." He lifted his glass with his free hand. "Here's to a merry and bright holiday."

She clinked her cup against his. "Ho, ho, ho." With Thanksgiving around the corner, she had something to look forward to in a few weeks. "I love you for this surprise." She waited a beat. "And dinner."

Marshall waggled his eyebrows. "I know the way to your heart." He squeezed her hand.

Felicia gave him a wicked smile. "And I know the best way to thank you…" Her gaze went to their bedroom.

Marshall's lips kicked up on one side. "Then we'd better finish eating so we've got energy to burn."

Felicia laughed and dug back into the succulent roast beef.

This is a fun one to write. Marshall and Felicia are a cool couple.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Jack in the Box

Whew. Long week filled with so many things going on. And, of course, weird weather. I also didn't sleep well at all … probably due to the upcoming time change. It's like my body and brain knows it's coming and tries to resist accordingly.

Ohio started the week with cold weather then warmed up to seventy degrees yesterday. We also had a lot of rain. Which gave us a lot of foggy mornings. Bleh.

Work projects are less backlogged than they were. I mostly finished up the developmental edit on the memoir, which feels good. A few small things left then it's off for a copy edit and proofread. This is such a great book! Also finished up a copy edit and started a new one. The new one is first person, which I'm not fond of. I also started a new proofreading project on a nonfiction book. I love being busy!

Had a decent viewing week. Made it through my usual slate of shows and did a little binge watching when I needed some background noise.

Started off with another episode of My Life Is Murder. Very fun to see a familiar face in the guest stars. One of the things I love about watching shows from New Zealand and Australia are the amazing actors who pop up frequently.

Ended up watching another Foyle's War episode instead of finishing the previous one. It's one of my favorites and finished out the season. Looking forward to starting a new season this week.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise and enjoyed watching it. Mackenzie trying to find her footing while avoiding the landmines of being back home is kind of compelling. And the supporting cast is fun.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. I like it when it's actually kind of easy to figure out the who then watch how the what and why happen.

Elementary had another great episode. I'm very interested in Joan's relationship with her former patient. My hope is he ends up not falling back into old and bad habits. The case also ended up being interesting with a twist or two I didn't expect.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and it's one I only partially remember. It's a two-part episode and I'm looking forward to the resolution.

Star Trek: Lower Decks had a great episode. It's always fun to see rivalries pop up and to learn interesting things about the other characters. The relaxation planet thread of the story ended up being very entertaining.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Jack in the Box, a novella about a couple trying to find their work-life balance.

Here's the miniblurb:

Carter Gill can't say no when someone needs a favor, which isn't a bad thing until he overextends, doesn't seem to have enough hours in the day, and his relationship with April Walters suffers. April understands and supports Carter's need to help people, but she has to convince him to slow down a little if only to avoid cracking under the pressure.

And a snippety peek…

Carter just finished wiping down the bar and drew April into his arms. "Ready to head up to the loft?" His lips grazed her forehead.

She tilted her chin. "Definitely. Been a long day for you." Her tone didn't chastise, which he appreciated.

He leaned in and meshed their lips together. A lick of guilt pinched in his gut. He owed her for skipping out on their trail walk earlier.

His hand cupped her face and his thumb stroked over her skin.

A yelp sounded behind them. "Whoops!" Dinah, one of his second-floor tenants poked her head into the bar. "Bad timing. I'll come back later…" She winced.

Carter sighed but angled his head around. "What's up? Has to be important if you're down here at three a.m." Hopefully, nothing major.

Dinah grimaced. "Not sure you'll think so, but Drew dropped his action figure in the sink, and it slid down into the disposal. He's freaking out because he thinks the disposal will eat his toy." She ran a hand through her hair. "And he won't go to sleep because he's worried about it." Her exhausted tone indicated she'd lost the battle with her five-year-old.

Carter glanced at April. Not the way he'd planned to make things up to her.

She gave a small shrug. "Up to you. I don't blame Drew for being scared. The garbage disposal sounds like a hungry monster." She pushed away from him and gathered the cleaning gear then left the bar without a backward glance.

Carter frowned. Another interruption and another moment lost. How much longer until they had time for them? Or … more like he had time for them.

Dinah made a squeaking sound. "Damn. I'm sorry, Carter. Should've let Drew sleep by the sink like he wanted to instead of bugging you with this right now."

Carter shook his head. "No, it's okay. Part of being the owner is taking care of my tenants. You guys are great, and Drew is such a good kid." He flipped the lights off and met Dinah at the steps. "Let me grab my tools, and I'll be right up."

She gave a nod and headed up the stairs. Carter ducked into the kitchen, hoping to find April but only the light over the sink greeted him. His shoulders slumped, and he entered the office to grab his toolbox then went up to the second floor, gently knocking on Dinah's door. She let him in and he barely crossed the threshold before Drew wrapped his arms around Carter's legs.

The little guy had a tear-streaked face but gave Carter a trembly smile. "My mom says you're gonna get my guy from the sink. Are you?"

Carter ruffled Drew's hair. "Gonna do my best, little man. Wanna come help?" If the kid wouldn't go to bed without knowing the fate of his toy, he might as well watch Carter work. Drew looked toward his mom. "Can I? Please."

Dinah tilted her head toward the kitchen. "Go ahead. But as soon as the toy is out, your butt is going straight to bed."

Drew's head bobbed up and down. "Okay, Mom. I promise." He led the way.

Carter followed and set his toolbox on the floor then pulled a flashlight from one of the side compartments. Holding the flaps open, he sent a stream of light down the drain. An arm reached upward, which meant this might be an easy grab and go situation. He hoped. Dinah sat at the table and pulled Drew onto her lap. Carter opened his kit and grabbed some needle nose pliers.

Those didn't work, but Carter got creative and used some putty, rolling it into a ball and sticking that on the end of the pliers. After two tries, he got the action figure out of the disposal. Rinsing it off, he turned to find both mom and son asleep at the table.

With a gentle nudge, he woke Dinah. "Got the guy. Better get your little man to bed."

She yawned and stood up with Drew in her arms. "Thanks, Carter. I'm so sorry I interrupted you and April."

Carter lifted a shoulder. "No problem. Glad we averted a tragedy here." He handed the figure to Dinah then gathered up his toolkit and headed out.

He made the climb up to the loft and let himself inside. April had left the small lights running along the top of the walls on, and he turned them off on his way to the bedroom. He'd hoped she'd be waiting up for him.

No such luck. He found her curled up on her side dead to the world. Shedding his clothes, he spooned up behind her and pressed a kiss to her temple. Tomorrow, he'd get up and make breakfast with all of her favorites.

The least he could do…

Carter needs to learn he can't be all things to all people. April might end up helping him figure it out.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Inked (a Black Unicorn Comics bonus)

Geez, I can't believe we're into March. February ended up being a complete blur for me. Then again, it's such a short month, even if I think it's weird how two or three days can make such a big difference.

Ohio weather is still acting like a drunk toddler. Warm one day, cold the next. Snow. Rain. Sunny skies. I am excited that it's getting light earlier, especially when I have to leave at six thirty to play taxi service.

Work projects are still rather backlogged. Well, maybe not backlogged more like stacking one on top of the other. I love being busy, but I have to admit, I've been a little overwhelmed lately. Then again, it's a good problem to have.

My viewing stayed on course for the most part. I made it through most of my usual shows. I've been itching to start something new but haven't quite decided what I want to watch yet.

Started the week with the fifth-season premiere of My Life Is Murder and once again, this show doesn't disappoint. Such a fun episode.

Watched most of an episode of Foyle's War. It's one I remembered and I enjoyed it, but kept getting distracted so I'll finish it up this week.

Another newish show for me is Return to Paradise. I've watched most of the first season but not in order, so I started the series from episode one.

Caught another episode of Poirot and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and seeing Poirot in his native surroundings.

Elementary ended up being a fun watch. I like it when Sherlock and Joan are on opposite sides of an issue but aren't nasty about it. And the case they solved was really interesting.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and remembered it after I got started on it. I enjoy seeing how far Terry has come since the beginning of the series.

Star Trek: Lower Decks had a great episode. Kendi is such a fun character and I love her. Also great to see Boimler, Mariner, and Rutherford in action together. It's been a while since they had a good adventure.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Inked, a bonus episode of the Black Unicorn Comics series.

Here's the miniblurb:

Brian and Lucy are celebrating their anniversary, and both have the same idea of getting a tattoo as a fun gift—but neither tells the other. The good news is both enjoy discovering where the other got inked.

And a snippety peek…

Brian Wells glanced up when Randy and Reg entered from the breakroom. "Thanks for meeting me here." He rolled his chair back from his desk and nodded to the two he'd brought over from the spare work spaces.

Reg held up a pack of hard cider. "Brought refreshments." He set the bottles on Brian's desk. "What are we here for, mate?" Slumping into a chair, he heaved a sigh.

Randy smirked. "Think it's past his bedtime." He bypassed the empty seat and hopped up on long, low shelving unit instead.

Reg gave Randy a side-eye. "When Ana can't sleep because the kid's moving around all night, I suffer with her." His lips quirked. "Least I can do since she's the one who's doing all the work right now."

Brian chuckled. "Have a feeling you'll both be in for it once the wee, little one arrives." Not long now either.

Reg pulled a bottle from the six-pack and twisted off the cap. "What's up, mate? We coulda met at the pub." He took a long swallow then kicked back in the chair.

Brian pulled two more ciders out and handed one to Randy. "Yeah, not for this. I needed someplace quiet and, well, private." He opened his brew and took a drink then leaned forward to rest his forearms on his legs. "You know Lucy and I are celebrating an anniversary soon, yeah?"

Randy lifted his chin. "Lemme guess, you wanna throw a surprise party?"

Reg snorted. "No. First, Lucy hates surprises." He shook his head. "Second, Brian is terrible at pulling them off."

Only his best friend could nail the truth so bluntly.

Brian shrugged. "Yeah, not my thing. And he's right about Lucy hating them." He grinned. "But I'm gonna surprise her anyway. Just not with a party." He looked from one guy to the other, letting the suspense build.

Reg broke first. "You sure this is a good idea?" He took another long pull from the cider.

Brian narrowed his gaze. "You don't know what the idea is yet."

Randy downed half his bottle. "Then get with the letting us in, so we either help, talk you out of it, or prepare for battle."

Brian laughed. "Yeah, yeah, okay." He let one more moment go by then spilled his idea. "Think I'm gonna get a tattoo, something kick-ass that has meaning for us."

Randy hopped up and slapped Brian on the shoulder. "That's a great idea!" He glanced toward Reg. "I'm team help Brian make this happen."

Reg pursed his lips for a moment then whipped out his phone. "I like this idea … but let's see what Ana thinks. She'll give us the woman's perspective." He fired off a quick text.

Brian held up a hand. "You gotta swear her to secrecy."

Reg rolled his eyes. "I will. I will. Let's see what she says first." A ping sounded and he opened the message. "She gives her approval." He typed a reply then set his device aside. "What're you thinking? For the tattoo?"

Brian rolled his shoulders. "Not sure yet." He met Randy's gaze. "Who do you recommend? And will they have something I can choose from?" He literally had no idea what he wanted.

Randy's head bobbed up and down. "I have an artist and, yeah, they've got art or you can do something custom. When are you thinking of having it done?" He finished off his cider and opened another one.

Brian huffed out a breath. "Don't know. Soonish? And we gotta keep this under wraps."

Randy hand-waved Brian's concern. "I got it. We'll schedule in my name and I'll be the go-between. Give a day or two to get some dates." He got his phone and opened his contacts.

Reg took the remaining two bottles of cider and opened them. "Here's to Brian's plan to surprise Lucy." He held clicked edges with Brian and Randy.

They finished off the drinks then cleaned up and headed for the back exit.

Unseen and unknown, Harry had been working in the darkroom and overheard the guys talking. His brain exploded with ideas for Brian's tattoo. Ducking back into his space, he sat at this table and started drawing…

I'm having so much fun with this bonus scene. I love Brian and Lucy so much.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin