Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

Well, the end of June is going to be a welcome sight for me. It's been a long month and yet somehow flew by in a blink.

Work projects are finally slowing down a little and I feel like I can breathe again. I have to play catch-up on some things that I had to let slide while trying to get through the bulk of my work. Hopefully, I'll get back to some cleaning projects and get more writing done.

Actually made it through all of my shows and finished up two that I had on the back burner. We had a lot of rain and some severe storms, but the power stayed on, so I got a lot watched.

Watched another episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and it's one I always look forward to. I love getting into Phyrne's history and her time in France explains so much about her.

Enjoyed another episode of Art Detectives. Nice to have a little backstory for the characters. Also enjoyed the mystery of this one. Messy rock-star drama added a nice twist.

Caught another Death in Paradise episode … possibly the one hundredth ep because Camile made an appearance. Excellent throwback to the very first episode also.

Watched another Poirot episode where he's either still on holiday or taking another one. I had seen most of this episode before and it's nice to have all the pieces fall into place.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. Interesting to see Gregson decide to stay with the eleventh and Iiked him seeking Joan's help with vetting his possible replacement. The overarching mystery also ended up being nice and twisty.

Caught another episode of Batman Beyond. I remembered this one and liked the team-up of Terry and Max. Bruce had some good lines in this episode.

I think I finished up the Classic Rugrats rewatch. I might go back and make sure I didn't end up skipping a season or two. I'll probably switch over the new episodes.

Finally finished up the episode of Peak Practice I started a while ago. Did not expect to see Sam propose even though I knew it would happen at some point.

Also finished up the second episode of Reacher. Gotta say, I really love this show. Glad I have several more seasons to view!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Feeling Alive, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

Wake stood outside the precinct building. "Damn, bro. How the hell do I do this?" He'd spent the however many days since he'd returned stateside dealing with his brother's estate—Avery left Maddox half his life insurance—and needing answers to the point he didn't know which way to turn.

Heaving a sigh, he started up the steps. "The only two things I know are my brother is dead, and I was in a motherfucking hot zone when it happened." The fucking irony smacked him between the eyes.

Avery getting killed by an IED and Wake being in an area where the entire countryside ended up being littered with them? The odds had to be astronomical of that happening, right? The answer might give Wake nightmares.

Wake headed up to Avery's former CO's office. He wanted answers and might as well start at the top.

Ray Garvey ushered Wake into his office and shut the door. "It's good to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances. Your brother talked about you a lot."

Wake lifted his chin. "Same. Avery loved this team. Spoke highly of all of you." He should probably get right to the reason he'd stopped by. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened. Can you shed any light on things?"

Garvey's open countenance swiftly changed to cagey. "I'd suggest you talk to his partner, Detective Maddox Reed." He folded his arms over his chest.

Wake raked a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Tried to call her. Several times." He even sent a text. "She's not answering." And he really needed to tell her about the insurance.

He didn't want the lawyers to handle the notification.

The CO sighed. "Look, try the Swirling Swine over on Eighth. She's had a rough time of it lately and goes there to blow off steam."

Wake nodded and turned toward the door.

Garvey stopped him. "Don't tell her I sent you. She's got no idea I know she hangs out there. Maybe tell her Avery mentioned the place to you."

Wake arched his brows. "Is it a problem for her to be there?"

The CO shook his head. "No. But she's been like a ghost since Avery's death. The rest of the squad has started calling her Reed the Robot. I followed her a couple of times to keep an eye on her." He shrugged. "I really don't want to lose another detective."

Wake grunted. "Fair point." He gave Garvey a nod and left.

This story is coming together better than I'd hoped. I think I'm getting a good handle of Wake.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

Well, we're off to move my daughter into her dorm for her very first semester of college. It's been a crazy whirlwind of a week, trying to get last-minute details nailed down and grabbing all the final items she needs to have with her. Thankfully, I've only got one project that has a deadline and my past self ended up being smart enough to work the move into the due date. Whew.

Not much viewing of television this week. Too many things going on. I did catch another episode of Danger Man, which happened to be another one I hadn't seen yet.

Also got through almost all of Gabriel's Inferno. Like I said, I'm kind of taking my time with this one and thoroughly enjoying it.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and a new character has been introduced. So far, he's a bit of dick. Not sure if I'll end up really liking him or hating him a bunch. Time will tell.

I'm really looking forward to having a little downtime once we get the college-bound kid settled in. The whole pandemic thing has completely thrown off my usual groove and I'm not quite sure if I'll get it back or if my new normal will take some getting used to.

That's my week in a nutshell. Tonight's post is from Feeling Alive, a novella that has a bit of a dark side before the light comes in.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

"Does Reed the robot care who claims the collar on this one?"

Maddox didn't have a clue which one of her coworkers dubbed her with the nickname. Hell, she couldn't muster up the will to give a shit what they called her. The word robot fit the bill. Maddox worked on autopilot, going through the motions, showing up for the job because she didn't know how to do anything else.

She slammed her locker shut. "Doesn't matter as much anymore." At least not the part about taking credit for busting lowlife drug dealers.

She got the job done, interacting as little as possible with her colleagues. The rift between her and them only grew wider without Avery to bridge the gap. He always used to coordinate a monthly meet-up for the squad room detectives, giving everyone a chance to blow off steam.

Grabbing her bag, Maddox headed down the stairs to exit the building. "Wonder if someone else will take on that little bit of team-building?" Definitely wouldn't be her.

She didn't have the stomach to play nice with anyone at the moment.

If fact, she needed to work out some serious aggression. Even with three solid busts, the week had been filled with one cluster fuck after another. If she wanted to at least appear sane and whatever passed for her new normal, she needed to have a good throw down with someone.

"I need a down and dirty fight followed by a nice, hard dick." She didn't really care how disappointed Avery would be in her right now.

Right. Keep telling yourself that, Maddox.

Okay, his opinion still mattered. Even if he'd never be able to voice it again. Part of the reason she hit her favorite dive bar almost every night had everything to do with punishing herself because she'd lost her voice of reason.

Crossing over to her vehicle, she slid behind the wheel. "At least this is one way to stop feeling numb for a while." Reversing out of her space, she left the lot and merged into traffic.

 Three blocks up and two over, a dimly lit place with decades of grime covering the walls called her name. Ironic that she went to a crappy tomb of a bar to feel a spark of life.

I'm honestly so pleased with how the scenes are coming together. Maddox is in a really low place and it's a challenge to write she speaks clearly with my sages and they know exactly how she wants things to go.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

My incredible and awesome gram left the world at around 1AM this morning. She gave me the very best adventures while I grew up and I'm going to miss her something fierce. As she said the last time I had the chance to be with her, "It's no picnic getting old." But she aged with beauty and grace. Considering I'm pretty much the spitting image of her, I hope I have the same experience.

It was a pretty great week for television. Legends of Tomorrow had a great episode. I loved having Wally and Rip together for an adventure and the whole pirate scenario kicked ass. I'm always sad when the show gets nitpicked to death. That said, it's not perfect, but I like that it isn't.

I missed the new episode of The Flash, but I'll catch up soon. Black Lightning turned out a good hour. I like having more of the pieces and outing the new kid on the block to her parents ended up being way better than I expected.

Arrow broke my heart. This is still one of my very favorite shows and having the two teams battling each other kills me. I'm not sure where the whole Laurel storyline is going, but I'm interested in seeing how it plays out. I'm really excited to have Roy return even if he'll probably get tortured… again.

I'm almost finished with season four of Chicago Fire. Still pretty thrilled with the overall arcs of the characters and I loved Mouch and Trudy's wedding. I have a new DVD to watch tonight and then I think it's on to season five.

I finished the first season of The Punisher. Gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The guy I actively wanted to die at the end is still kicking but I'm okay with that. The other one I wanted to see die a horrible death got what he had coming, so there's that. Here's hoping there's a season two.

I have to play catch-up with Gotham's newest episode. I'm also getting a few of my foreign shows lined up. Murdoch Mysteries and Marcella are on tap when I can find a few spare hours. Looking forward to both!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Feeling Alive, a novella featuring main characters that experience and emotional high together but have to face the hurdle of losing someone close to them.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

Wakefield Bigelow dragged his weary ass into the base camp and checked his weapon at the storage locker. He'd been in the field for two weeks and needed a shower, sleep, and whatever passed for food right now. A large deep dish pizza would invade his dreams but he'd settle for anything that didn't resemble an MRE. His quarters looked like home about now.

A bravo team member poked his head inside the barracks. "Yo, Bigs, the CO wants to see you ASAP. Something about your brother."

Wake went on alert. "Avery?" Why the hell would his brother contact him?

Jason quirked a brow. "Dude, you've only got one brother, right?"

A sick ball of dread dropped in Wake's stomach. "Shit. Yeah, just Avery." He nudged Jason out of the way and double-timed it to the CO's office.

Colonel Griffin Ames, retired military now heading up the civilian security operations, didn't demand strict discipline but he usually got it anyway. The man commanded a clean unit and garnered everyone's respect.

When Wake entered, the dread turned to anxious alarm. Colonel Ames's face delivered the news before he opened his mouth.

Wake gripped the back of the seat in front of the colonel's desk. "What happened?" His knuckles went white while waiting on the answer.

The colonel didn't pull his punches. "Your brother died in the line of duty a week ago. We received word this morning." He came around and clasped Wake's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Bigelow. I've arranged emergency leave for you. A military plane is standing by, waiting on your arrival. They'll fly you home so you can make arrangements for him." He directed Wake toward the exit.

Numb, Wake's feet moved but his brain took a moment to catch up. "He'll already be buried. We each left instructions with our folks' attorneys." Considering their professions, Avery had made the suggestion.

Almost like he assumed Wake wouldn't be around if something happened to his brother.

And he hadn't been.

Ames squeezed Wake's shoulder. "You have our condolences, Bigelow. Take whatever time you need. We're wrapping up here. I'll forward our new orders when I get them."

Wake blinked when he discovered the colonel had led him to the barracks. "Uh, yeah, thank you, sir." He entered quarters and grabbed his go bag.

Turning, he left and made his way to the waiting SUV. Food could wait. A shower could wait. He'd grab some sleep on the plane. Maybe when he woke up the nightmare of losing his brother would recede long enough for Wake to focus.

He wanted answers and he needed to be clear-headed when he started asking questions.

I'm rather happy with how this Wake scene came together. I wanted a specific tone and I feel like I got it the way I hoped for.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

Okay, lots of TV stuff to talk about. Gotham is truly upping the stakes and I love the way they're doing it. Gordon is so focused on the crazy sibling duo he's completely missing the trouble brewing with Cobblepot and Nygma. I can't wait to see what happens next. Sleepy Hollow had a decent fall finale. I've missed a bunch of important stuff and need to get caught up.

The Flash is coming along nicely. I'm excited to see where things go, leading up to the Legends of Tomorrow premiere. The same goes for Arrow. This season, between the two shows, there's been a great combo of moving the standard story arcs along with laying great groundwork for the spinoff getting ready to debut. Way to go shows!

Agents of SHIELD keeps throwing interesting twists and turns into the story and I love it. I'm excited to see where things go.

Haven is winding down and I'll be sad to see the show end. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching the adventures of Nathan, Audrey, and Duke. I'm also hoping Syfy fills the void with something good, but I won't hold my breath.

I'm looking forward to The Walking Dead's newest episode. Again, I'm so thrilled with the way this season is unfolding. The balance of total batshit insanity, intense encapsulation, and little seeds being planted is a thing of beauty.

A quick rundown of some other shows. I'm loving the new season of The Librarians. This show makes me happy. I'm also totally in for Agent X. TNT is bringing some great stuff to the screen. Murdoch Mysteries is also coming up with great storylines, which after almost ten years, is so awesome.

Last but not least, I can safely say the most recent episode of Doctor Who hit a home run, even though I'm still not a big fan of Ishieldr / Me. I'm seriously hoping we won't see her as a companion, but I won't hold my breath. *sigh*

And that's it for this week's television roundup.

Tonight's post is from Feeling Alive, a novella where my characters find love through the purging of their grief.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

Maddox Reed sat in a corner of the room, well away from everyone else attending the funeral. She heard the whispers. Everyone blamed her for Avery Bigelow's death. And maybe they should. If she'd waited for backup instead of rushing headlong into the warehouse, Avery might not have gone around to the rear of the building. She heard the whine of the IED when she entered through the door and only a quick retreat saved her.

But the blast took out most of the north wall, which happened to be the section Avery crouched behind.

So, yeah, everyone held her responsible and couldn't resist buzzing about it, even at the funeral.

Maddox didn't care. The biggest part of her, her heart, died with Avery. Not in a they were so hot for each lover kind of way. No. Avery acted as Maddox's checks and balances. He kept her from doing stupid things. Listened to her when she tried to sort out her life. Made her human. Without him, she didn't know how to function.

But she'd have to figure it out, because she refused to let anyone else deliver Avery's eulogy. The task should have fallen to his brother, Wakefield, since their parents died over a decade ago. But Wakefield couldn't make it, deployed on some super-secret military mission, and Maddox owed it to Avery to make sure his friends and coworkers knew what a great man he'd been.

Like they didn't already, but Maddox needed to speak the words. If for no other reason than to feel like she'd given him a proper send off.

The funeral director placed a hand on Maddox's shoulder. "It's time, Detective Reed."

Maddox rose and met the man's sympathetic gaze. No doubt he'd heard the rumble of opinion regarding her role in Avery's death. Giving the guy a curt nod, she slowly made her way to the podium next to Avery's casket.

Bracing her hands on either side of the structure, she looked out over the room before clearing her throat. "Avery Bigelow lived life to the fullest and made me a better person…"

I have a feeling this one is going to come together nicely. My characters are a joy to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

February 2, 2014

Hiya!

Remember when I mentioned being in for Bitten last week? Well, I'm a little more than in… I've become quite obsessed. Like scary obsessed. Haven't done that since Arrow last year, when I rewatched every episode like three times in a row before it would leave my brain. Yeah, that's what Bitten has been doing to me. And I've got books I can read and devour, too. Oddly, I've had them on my Kindle for ages and ages, but haven't been in the mood to really dive into a full series read. I am now. LOL

Walking Dead returns next Sunday. YAY! My middle kidlet and I always enjoy being completely grossed out before bedtime. J Helix has filled that slot a little, but it's not quite as compelling as TWD, in my opinion. Good show, but I haven't found anyone I want to root for yet. Actually, I take that back. I did… but the character is now dead. Dammit.

Oh, and, Captain America: Winter Soldier? April needs to get here right now. My soft spot for Cap is getting bigger and bigger. :D

Tonight's post is from the novella, Feeling Alive where my main female character goes through some major personal drama.

Here's the tagline:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

Wake woke up to an empty bed. He sat up slowly and glanced around his room. Empty. He probably should've anticipated Maddox bailing on him.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress, he pondered his best course of action. He could track her down, maybe demand more answers. No, she'd poured her guts out and the gaping hole hadn't even scarred over yet. Rising, he strode into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He'd figure out what to do about Maddox after he woke up a little more and downed some coffee.

Lathering up, his hands grazed over a sensitive spot on his shoulder. He'd bet she'd left her mark. His mind flashed back to her mouth, teeth, and nails moving over his skin. The woman gave as good as she got, and welcomed an even exchange.

Rinsing off, he shook his head back and forth, clearing the water from his eyes and hair. He grabbed a towel and dried off quickly, leaving his ears for last. He pushed the fluffy fabric against his head, walked out to the room, and stopped short.

Maddox sat at the small table with two steaming cups of coffee and what looked like breakfast. She lifted a brow and he remembered his nude state. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he changed gears, getting his head around the fact she hadn't bailed.

He also went from groggy to oh hot damn in two seconds flat.

Settling into the seat across from her, he studied her for several moments. She met his gaze head on and handed him one of the coffees.

He took a bracing gulp. "Thanks." He cocked his head. "I'll admit, I figured you made a mad dash for anywhere but here when I woke up alone."

Maddox opened the bag, reached in, and handed him a container. "Thought about it, but you strike me as the type who wouldn't leave well enough alone." She popped the lid to her box and the aroma of home fries and gravy filled the room.

He followed suit and dug into the food before commenting. "Look, I don't want to make more anything than there is…"

She chewed and swallowed. "Good, then don't."

He frowned. "But what exactly was last night?"

She quirked a brow. "Two consenting people having super-hot sex. That's it."

He snorted. "Bullshit. There was more going on with you than a need for a hard dick." He sipped more coffee. "Care to fill me in?"

She stabbed at her potatoes and glanced away. He'd hit a nerve. Good. He wouldn't pretend he had any claim on her, but she'd left a brand on him. And he'd dig until certain nothing existed between them.

She swung her gaze back in his direction. "Last night was me remembering I'm alive." She looked down and toyed with the food in the carton. "And feeling it." She raised her face. "Every bit of it." Her lips curved. "Felt good. Because I haven't let myself really feel anything since Avery died."

Wake reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. He stayed quiet, wanting her to work through whatever she needed without him pushing. He'd done enough prodding last night.

She sighed. "I've done some research. Losing a partner is like losing spouse. Avery and I weren't involved, but he knew everything about me. Favorite food, how I like my coffee, what movies I like to watch. Hell, he even knew when to bring ibuprofen in for my menstrual cramps, because I never remembered to stock up." She laughed. "Your brother would've made a great husband."

Wake nodded. "He had a knack for being awesome."

Her eyes filled, but she blinked the tears away. "He did. But I'm doing him any favors or honoring his memory by not living." She met his gaze again. "I realize, now, I need to feel and be… well, alive. If I don't, I'll wither and fade into nothing."

Wake squeezed her hand. "If that's all last night was, you reaffirming your place among the living, I'd get it." He let go of her and resumed eating. "It might be a little awkward to start a relationship with your former partner's brother."

She pinned him with her gaze. "Dead partner's brother. Sorry for being blunt. But former makes it sound like Avery transferred to another unit. He didn't. And I'm the reason he'll never have a chance." She glanced away, shrugging. "Honestly? Awkward doesn't come close to accurate." She took another bite of food going quiet for a moment.

Wake pushed his box away, his appetite gone. He couldn't argue her point about the craziness of getting tangled up together. But dammit, he kind of didn't care.

Maddox cleared her throat. "Wake, how can you not hate me, at least on some level?"

The question caught him off guard, but he answered. "Oh, part of me does. The brother side is seriously pissed. You're recklessness got Avery killed. And almost took another life." He softened his tone. "But the rational man underneath, the one who sees the whole situation, gets it, Maddox. You spiraled down, but you're leveling out, right? I'll grieve my brother and move on. That's all I can do."

"And getting involved with me won't be a constant reminder? How's that work, Wake?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. But the reason I came here isn't the reason I want to stay." He paused. "Wait, actually, it is. You."

Her head jerked. "You're letting your dick do the thinking right now, Wake."

He snorted. "Considering I'm sitting here in nothing but a towel and hard as a rock, you could be right." He held her gaze. "But physical attraction isn't the only thing driving my reason for wanting to stick around. Avery talked about you. A lot. Good things. Bad things. The kind of stuff siblings talk about." He paused and drained his coffee cup. "I got a good picture of who he worked with every day." He shrugged. "It's not like I'm totally blind here. And if I know my brother, you've got a pretty solid idea of the good, the bad, and the ugly of me, too."

Her sheepish grin answered. "Well, yeah. There is that." She shrugged out of her flannel shirt, revealing the form fitting tank underneath. "I'm not sure it's an advantage, but it's something to work with." She stood and rounded the table, holding out her hand. "Check out isn't until noon. That gives you three hours to convince me this isn't the worst of the worst ideas."

Wake grasped her palm and rose, leaving the towel behind. He scooped her up and deposited her on the rumpled bed. She scooched back, leaning against the pillows, already working her jeans down.

He put his knee on the end of the mattress. "Guess I'd better get started then, yeah?"

Dragging her tank over her head, she waggled her eyebrows. "You catch on quick, Wake." Throwing the shirt and pants past his head, she crooked her finger. "Now, come here, and start convincing."

Any bets on how the convincing goes? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin