Sunday Snippet: Zinging Barbs (a South of the Border bonus free read)

What a crazy week of weather. We had rain, rain, rain, which is probably great for the gardens—as long as the plants are hardy. We also had some close to freezing temps in the wee hours of the morning.

Another super-busy work week. Started a few new projects and I'm humming along on some others. I like having a variety of work and I definitely have that right now.

Another slower week for television. I got started again on doing some clearing out and sorting of stuff I've put off way too long. The good news is I've discovered a ton of missing socks, which makes me very happy.

I watched the second episode of Harrow's third season. So far, I really, really dislike the new boss. But … I kind of love the dynamic between Harrow and Fairley. Discovering Grace is married is something I'm on the fence with, but we'll see what happens there.

Caught another episode of Blue Heelers. I'm a little disappointed to find out I won't be able to watch the bulk of the series now. It seems to have been removed from the streaming service I've been watching it on. Maybe it'll pop back up again. I still have the season to finish then I'll see what happens.

Enjoyed another lesson of MasterClass with Neil deGrasse Tyson. This one talked about systems of beliefs.

Finished up Young Wallander: Killer's Shadow and it did not disappoint. I hope there's another season of this show.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I enjoy having this show on in the background when I'm reading emails.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and, wow, I'm starting to wonder a little if this is Conor's last season. Things seem to be ramping up quickly.

Enjoyed another episode of The Snoopy Show. This one had a bunch of spring-like vignettes.

Watched another episode of Loch Ness and there didn't seem to be a lot of forward momentum on the case, but little revelations popped up and into the storyline. I'm excited for the next episode.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness. I'm kind of happy Thomas didn't do something sketchy with the information he had on the ex's new boyfriend. Even though she pretty much deserves anything he hands out. She's a piece of work.

Managed to finish an arc of Classic Who. I'll be starting a new one this week. I'm still on the fence with Mel as a companion. She does a lot of screaming.

Also watched the last episode of The Laundry Guy. I actually hope he does another round of episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed the six available.

Watched the Marvel Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye. Honestly, I really loved the first season and I'm kind of hoping there will be another, even if it's primarily Clint-free. Some great groundwork is out there if they continue this.

Started a new episode of The Hardy Boys. I love the mystery of this season and I can't wait to finish this episode.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Zinging Barbs, a bonus free read set in the South of the Border universe.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Relic finder Vaughn Dyson sticks much closer to home since Faulkner Roush saved her life, but when an artifact all but lands in her lap, she insists on taking it to the university for safe-keeping, which Faulkner can't argue about even if they'll be late for a party in their honor.

And a snippety peek…

Faulkner Roush smashed the accelerator and shot past a large van then jammed on the brakes when another car cut him off. "Dammit!" He slid his gaze to his passenger. "Why the hell are we doing this again?" A spot opened up and he zoomed through.

Vaughn Dyson barely held on to the artifact, wrapped protectively in padding and paper foam. "Because my luck is shit—even though this beauty practically fell from the sky into my lap—and the black market dealers would probably kill to get their hands on it." She angled her head toward him. "You don't want to put our friends in danger, right?"

As if. And definitely hell no. Like he and Vaughn, their friends had to fight to be together. Lars and Kiernan, Vail and Ellery, and Hayden and Lilith finally had peace and calm in their lives. He and Vaughn didn't need to wreck their friend's hard-won happiness.

Of course, their status as a couple might be short-lived … if they couldn't make it to a gathering in their honor.

Taking a sharp left, he squeezed through the alley behind the university. "You know we're gonna be late. Again." They'd been late to the formal ceremony at the university bestowing an award for the return of the jade relic that had brought them back together.

Vaughn rolled her eyes. "Remind me again who made us late for that award?" Her lips curved in a sexy grin.

Faulk grunted. "Technically?" He flicked his gaze sideways. "You did. That dress all but begged me to strip it off…" He veered to the right and drove into the parking garage, pulling up to the freight entrance. "And I didn't hear any complaints or protests." He did, however, hear her vocal moans during their steamy sex on the sofa.

She smirked. "What can I say. You in a tuxedo is a big turn-on." Popping the handle, she ducked out of the vehicle. "Be back in five. I'm only taking this one floor up. It'll be safe in the vault until Tuesday." Pushing the door closed with her ass, she quickly entered the elevator and headed out of sight.

After five minutes passed, Faulk drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Come on, Vaughn. Don't get sucked into any debates with long-winded professors." He'd give her a little longer then all bets were off.

They had someplace to be.

I have a lot of love for Vaughn and Faulkner. Their story is coming along nicely and we'll get to visit with more characters from the South of the Border series.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: All Day Sucker (Bonus Read featuring Brian and Lucy)

March 15, 2020

Yeesh, it's practically winter again. We had a bit of sun, rain, and snow today. Crazy. But I got to meet up with my two high school best friends for our last excursion before we hang back and wait to see what the global pandemic ends up doing.

Had a lighter than normal work week and got some cleaning done. I had some decent viewing also. Started out with finishing up the second episode of Strike Back. It ended up being a darned terrific episode. I have a nasty feeling how the series will end. Anytime a blood feud is mentioned … just saying.

I caught several episodes of Danger Man, putting me about halfway through the first season. Really like this show.

Watched an episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Russia. Also loved how John brought Roy back into the fold. I should be getting close to the big crossover event.

Got the Halloween episode of Riverdale in. Gotta say the whole Jason thing really creeps me out. Mr. Honey also creeps me out. I'm a Reggie fan even though he can be something of a douche canoe. I loved the Archie and Veronica storylines. But the best probably had to be the Betty and Jughead bits. Stonewall or whatever the hell the name of the prep school is has some dark twisty people. And, of course, Betty's ordeal with the prank phone calls ended up being well done. I'm not sure what the hell Charles is up to but here's hoping it's not something truly crappy. The little end caps with the flash forwards keep me intrigued.

Also watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Loved the clip-show angle and revisiting the Meyer / Clegg rivalry. I had a true suspicion Clegg wasn't actually dead. That said, I'm not sure I like the fact he's not. Just saying.

Started a new series for me … The Heart Guy. I'm giving it a test run to see if it's what I want to dive into now that I've reached the end of Midsomer Murders for now.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from All Day Sucker, a sexy short featuring Lucy and Brian from the Black Unicorn Comics series. This will end up as a free read eventually.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Brian and Lucy Need have competing comic book series, a friendly rivalry, and a terrific, sexy relationship. When Brian is blocked on his next installment, Lucy provides some steamy inspiration to help him get through it.

And a snippety peek…

Oh no, he's blocked.

Lucy Sanderson pushed away from the wall. "How bad is it?" She entered the bullpen area and crossed over to Brian's desk.

He jerked to a sitting position. "Damn, Luce. You scared the shit out of me." He rolled a shoulder in answer to her question about his writer's block.

She propped her hip on his desk. "I woke up alone and figured, after last night's toss and turn session, you'd be here." Nudging him with her knee, she waited until he met her gaze. "Might help if you tell me what's going on." At least the words would be out there and possibly clear out the cobwebs.

Brian sighed. "If I knew what was going on, I wouldn't bloody well be here at ugly o'clock in the morning." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I'd be home with you, snugged up in bed." His head dropped and his shoulders slumped.

Lucy pursed her lips. Not like Brian to get all bent over their work. Then again, both were flying without a net and pushing past their comfort zones. Maybe a distraction would help…

She stooped down and nudged him upward. "Hey … talk to me. You've got a great idea with the spinoff. What's holding you back?" Her palms glided along his thighs, the silky fabric of his workout pants cool under her touch.

He exhaled with a long breath. "I can't visualize. Or … more like I can't stop at one place long enough for a scene to form. The ideas are there, but they're out of order or randomly popping up in my mind. I can't write that way." He snagged a pen and twisted it back and forth between his fingers.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, that sucks. And you're feeling the pressure because Reg wants the issues nailed down before we go into production." She worked her hands under his T-shirt, lightly tracing the skin. "You know the broad strokes, right? The details are being elusive…" She trailed off, glancing up for confirmation.

Brian lifted his chin. "Sums it up, yeah." His head dropped back onto the chair. "The ideas are flowing but they're a blur. Kinda like fast-forward hyped up on caffeine. It's maddening." A frustrated growl escaped.

Lucy had the perfect plan to help Brian break out of his funk. The bulge under his pants suggested he'd definitely be up for her idea. Now to convince him…

Her fingers dipped under the waistband and grabbed the fabric. "You know … Zapf once told me there's no better way to manage a lack of focus than to work for a reward." She started inching the garment down and lifted her chin, indicating Brian should raise his hips so she could expose his groin.

He gave her a narrow-eyed look but complied. "Should I be pissed at Z-man?" He let the pants pool around his ankles.

Lucy grasped Brian's partially hardened shaft. "Nah. Zapf was referring to the two full drawers of food he keeps stashed at his desk. When he's staring at a blank page, he'll add empty panels to get started then snag a snack. You know … as his reward." Lucy gave Brian's dick a light squeeze. "Then he'll add color or maybe some quick outlines in each square, anything to show progress." Brian's cock responded, filling her palm.

Brian gave a nod. "So, the idea here is you provide stimulation as a reward if I finally get rolling on this?" He grunted. "It could work, but I'm still not sure where to start."

Lucy grinned. "Try bullet points first." Her fingers curled around his erection, tugging up and down. "Doesn't matter how sloppy they are. Just jot each idea on the page. You can organize them later." When Brian grabbed his pen, she leaned forward and flicked her tongue over the tip of his dick.

He started writing and had five lines dashed off before he paused and glanced down. "You're gonna either get bored or tired."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about me." Her thumb rubbed over the head of his shaft. "This is like having an all-day sucker at my disposal and for my enjoyment." She jerked her head toward the desk. "Get busy while I have a little fun." Easing forward again, she swirled her tongue around then licked his length. "When you fill a full page, we'll up the ante…" She let the words trail off suggestively.

Brian didn't argue. He started scratching out words again.

Brian and Lucy are so much fun to write. I love getting into some of their smaller moments.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

The start of the school year looms closer for my last kidlet. She'll be starting her junior year but she's already been involved in fall activities. Band camp for two weeks and three-day-a-week practices in the evenings. The golf season officially started and she had her best eighteen-hole round this past week with an eighty-eight on a par seventy-two course. In between all that, she worked a part-time summer job at our local pool, got hired and trained for a new part-time job at a local restaurant that opens in a few weeks, and got her first car. GAH! Okay, the husband and I are actually paying for the car, but she's involved in so much we decided she needed a vehicle. She'll be contributing toward the payment and her insurance with the part-time job and banking the rest of her paycheck in her shiny new checking account.

The struggle is real… my wee one is fast approaching adulthood.

So… the busy week of car loans and new editing projects kept me from my usual viewing schedule. I did a lot of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night marathons. I did catch a few other shows.

Wynonna Earp. Watching everyone grieve for Dolls broke me a little. It's Wynonna Earp so of course there was nothing standard for the process. And we got quite a bit of plot momentum and new secrets. This show… never a dull moment. Ever. And one of the best fight scenes ever in the history of fight scenes on Wynonna Earp. Just saying.

I'm behind on Killjoys, which makes me very sad. I'll hopefully catch up this week. Fingers crossed.

I caught another episode of Garage Sale Mysteries, which I'm rather fond of. I like the dynamic and mix of characters. And in the mystery category, I caught the first episode of Midsomer Murders season thirteen. Moving right along on the episodes I haven't seen yet.

Also caught some more The Dresden Files and remembered by I enjoyed this show so much when it originally aired.

Caught another episode of Canal Road and I gotta say I have a theory on who either killed Spence's wife or ordered it done. I'm totally going to freak out if I'm correct. Australia has some kick ass television… just saying.

I watched two Batman DVDs this week. Gotham by Gaslight ended up being a terrific experience, topped only by a rather grown-up for animated DC fare of Batman and Harley Quinn. Seriously, I'm down with the kid version, but I'm completely there for a more adult-oriented movie.

Caught another episode of Babylon 5, basically the opening of the first season after the initial pilot. I'm looking forward to rewatching the entire series. Also caught most of another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles.

And that's about it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a sexy short bonus scene featuring Kiernan Darby and Lars Rademacher from the South of the Border series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment to say everything that needs to be said for Kiernan and Lars.

And a snippety peek…

Kiernan Darby loved sex. Especially with Lars Rademacher. The man had turned her world upside down. He might as well rock it, too.

And he definitely had the skill set to shake her foundation on a fundamental level.

"Did they teach you how to wow a woman during covert forces training?"

"Learned that on my own." His mouth paused over hers. "You know this isn't typical, right? You broke all my rules." His chin raised and he met her gaze.

Kiernan could get so lost in the depths of his eyes. "I broke all mine, too." She didn't make connections.

Her parents taught her not to at an early age. Hence the reason I'm stuck between a rock and the proverbial hard place. With no one to have my back except Lars.

His lips brushed over hers. "Stay with me, Kier. Don't go back to the past." He moved between her legs, settling his forearms on either side of her shoulders.

She sent him a wide smile. "Definitely like the present way better." Her thighs splayed wide, ready to accommodate him.

Lars didn't disappoint, shifting forward the head of his shaft nudging between her labia. His head lowered and he caught her mouth in a steamy kiss right before he thrust deeply, seating in to the hilt. Kiernan groaned. The length and girth of his cock filling her to capacity. She'd never get tired of taking him over and over, again and again.

She'd never get tired of loving him.

The thought terrified and soothed in equal parts.

Terrified because she didn't really know how to live with a man like Lars. One who protected her and actually gave a damn about her life. He'd scared the hell out of her when he showed up started asking questions about her small operation outfitting pleasure boats with high-end upgrades. Didn't take long for him to turn her into his informant and take her under his wing.

He demanded total honesty and she delivered the whole ugly story of her childhood in record time. A complete first for her. No one in her life had the total beginning, middle, and end of the Kiernan Darby tale of woe.

Except Lars.

He soothed the raw hurt she'd carried around with a rock-solid understanding of where she came from and a refusal to judge how she ended up working for a criminal enterprise. The falling for each other thing took both by surprise, but Kiernan wouldn't shy away from how she felt about him. Even if the idea of sharing her life with someone scared the hell out of her.

Lars stopped moving within her. "Kier… present tense." He flexed his hips, driving deep inside her. "Unless I'm losing my touch and you're getting bored." His eyes narrowed and he quirked an eyebrow.

She lifted her chin to ghost kisses along his jawline. "Not bored. Just amazed you haven't given up on me yet." Everyone else usually did.

Lars shook his head. "Never will, Kier. You've gotta remember that." He pulled back and thrust forward again, creating a delicious friction against her clit.

She focused on the sensation, shoving everything else but him aside. "I love you, Lars." Forever and a day.

He increased his speed. "Love you, too. Always."

I can't wait to finish this up and post it for readers to enjoy!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: All Day Sucker

What an incredible episode of The Last Ship! I loved the whole storm at sea and the cat and mouse game with the Greek ships. My fingers are crossed nothing happens to Master Chief. I'll be very upset if he dies.

Teen Wolf brought back even more former Beacon Hills faces. I'm excited and a little melancholy about tonight's episode. I'll be totally thrilled if Monroe finally dies a spectacular death.

I'm four episodes in on The Defenders and pretty much love it so far. Even Danny isn't as annoying as I thought he'd be. Jessica and Luke make me happy. Not as a couple or anything, I just love their shorthand conversations. And, of course, Matt is pretty much my favorite, always.

Hawaii Five-0 is pretty terrific in season seven. I like the interactions and pretty much like Steve getting some closure with Katherine. I'm not even halfway through the season yet, but here's hoping the remaining episodes are as good.

Gotham returned! I completely missed the premiere date but got caught up the next day. I LOVED the first episode of the season. I'm thrilled the show seems to have found its footing and delivers great television on a consistent basis.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from All Day Sucker, a sexy short free read set in the Black Unicorn Comic 'verse.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Brian and Lucy have competing comic book series, a friendly rivalry, and a terrific, sexy relationship. When Brian is blocked on his next installment, Lucy provides some steamy inspiration to help him get through it.

And a snippety peek…

Brian Wells stared at the monitor, his pen tapping out a chaotic rhythm on the desk with one hand, his fingers of the other on the keyboard. He waited for the words to flow… prepared either way for however his brain decided to send them.

He blew out a breath. "It's never this hard." Bloody blocked when he needed to get his next installment written so Harry could start the mock-up.

Maybe this whole spinoff idea just sucked balls. He could be back in bed with Lucy instead of sitting here hoping the wicked imps of inspiration would cooperate. No. Brian wouldn't put Lucy through another sleepless night.

At least not for anything other than fantastic sex.

She didn't say anything, but he'd kept her awake last night with his tossing and turning. Muddled and fuzzy images rolled through his mind… more like fast-forwarded. His brain couldn't settle on anything specific and that also never happened. Usually, a clear picture would take shape then an entire scene would morph into view. But this next issue didn't want to come easily.

Brian tossed his pen down. "So much for this spinoff being a grand idea." Reg wanted the entire run nailed down before they launched.

Not too much to ask. Black Unicorn routinely had a six-month commitment for publication and Reg liked to have the series ready to go, giving the artists time to work their magic and letting Chelle get her press kits together.

Brian wanted this project to do well. Maybe the characters decided to stop talking to him because they didn't want to be separated. But… they wouldn't be apart for long.

He sighed. "Just a six-issue run." Okay, six issues to start with.

But he didn't plan to keep them in different places forever.

"Argh!" He slouched down, resting his head on the back of his chair then spun around in circles. "Come on. Talk to me."

Writer's block is frustrating and spills over into the personal side of life. It's a good thing Brian has Lucy to set him back on the right path.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

Welcome to May! I'm excited to have some warmer weather finally… enough to want to be outside and working on my yard. :D

Let's see, television this week ended up being a mixed bag. I want to really love Hunters, but eh, not quite sure I'm feeling the joy with that one. We'll see what ends up happening.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD put out two good episodes. I'm truly interested in finally discovering who's under the mask in the Zoom's cage. Also hoping whoever it is, they're an ally. My jury is still out on AoS, but we'll see how the next few episodes go.

Arrow is breaking my heart, but wow, what terrific performances by the entire cast. My one small gripe has to do with showing Barry having his speed back when Tuesday's episode ended with Wells saying he'd help Barry get it back. Then again, schedules being what they are, they might not have had a choice. I'm just a little disappointed because they're usually so on top of small details like that.

Legends of Tomorrow remains pretty awesome. I'm so thrilled with the character interactions any disappointment I have over Savage being so smarmy as a villain are miniscule.

Wynonna Earp? Man… I love this show so much. It's acting as something of a replacement for Lost Girl with strong, kick ass females and the plotline is truly interesting. I love the sister dynamic and the fish out of water scenario Wynonna experiences on a regular basis. Looking forward to more revelations about Doc's deal with the devil and seeing how long he rides the fence.

Still behind on Banshee, but hoping to catch up soon. Also backed up on Marcella, but I rather love the twisty turns this series takes on a regular basis. Love not knowing if the heroine of the show is actually a villain, too. J

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a sexy short and free read that will have two similarly named titles by my alter egos, ML Skye and Skye Ritchey. The free read will feature two characters from a previous release. I always love revisiting my characters to see what they've been up to.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment to say everything that needs to be said for Kiernan and Lars.

And a snippety peek…

Kiernan ducked and took cover. The gunfire echoing in her ears and the rapid thumping of her heart dampened the sound of her short, gasping breaths. She'd lost sight of Lars, but he'd be close. He never let her get too far away.

The man always had her back.

And she loved him for it.

She almost jumped out of her skin when a hand clamped over her shoulder. Smothering a scream with her fist, she relaxed, instinct kicking in. A quick glance behind her and she breathed easier. Lars flashed a warning look and motioned for her to follow him.

Staying low, she crawled along the path Lars made through the overturned crates and shipping pallets. The rest of his team stayed engaged with the targets, also known as Kiernan's worst nightmare. Lars came to a stop inside the small office she kept directly beside the main entrance to her rented space in the commercial section of the marina.

Kiernan eased inside and heaved a sigh of relief when Lars pushed the door shut. The room offered additional cover and provided some soundproofing from the combat going on in the main work area. His hand cupped her face and she leaned into his palm.

He smoothed his thumb over her bottom lip. "You're doing great, Kier. This went to shit, but we have a contingency plan." He nodded toward the space between her filing cabinets. "There's your way out." Crab-walking over, he swung his feet out in front of him and placed his boots on the wall.

One hard kick later, a three foot by three foot square opened into the warehouse next door.

Kiernan's mouth dropped open. "What the hell?" Sure, she'd fit but he didn't expect her to leave him, did he?

Lars scooted out of the way. "I want you to get out and get clear of the building, at least two blocks." He held out a hand. "Now, Kier. I need you to do this for me." His gaze met hers.

A jolt of fear slithered down her spine. "Why, Lars? What's going on?" She moved closer, grabbing his biceps so he couldn't back away.

He flicked a glance toward her work area. "I need you safe and the only way to make that happen is to get you out of the line of fire." He kept his tone even, but frustration crept in.

Kiernan didn't take kindly to his words. "I'm not leaving you. We're in this together." They had been since the moment he'd pulled the rug out from under her, clueing her in to the people she worked for.

Lars grabbed her face between his hands. "You're a distraction right now. My team is putting their asses on the line and I have to be out there with them." His angry gaze zeroed on her.

She blinked, the sting of tears pissing her off. But she'd made a promise to follow his instructions to the letter and she'd do what he asked. Even if she wanted to punch him in the mouth.

Letting go, she eased away. "Fine. I'll take off." She turned, staying low, and started for the opening, but stopped and angled back around. "But first, I want one more moment of your precious time." She growled the words, lifting a brow, daring him to deny her request.

Lars exhaled slowly. "What, Kier? Seriously, you need—"

She cut him off. "I love you, Lars, even though you're being a total jackass right now." She crawled through the opening, not waiting on a response.

I had so much fun going back to reveal this moment between Kier and Lars. I hope everyone enjoys the final product.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin