Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

Another month end is almost in sight. August is gearing up to be a busy month for me and I'm excited and exhausted at the same time. I love being busy and having projects on my calendar but also have to remember to take time to decompress.

Cleanout project stalled again. I had deadlines to meet and also got a new office chair that needed assembly. Have to admit it's comfy.

Had a solid work week with several projects ongoing and two that needed to be finished. I got those out of the way and started a new one that's a long procedural.

Pretty good week of viewing. Made it through a full round of shows and started both of my back-burner ones.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the backstory of Janie and Phryne. Almost through the first season.

Started the new season of Madame Blanc Mysteries and a holiday episode. Looking forward to more of this show.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. Kind of sad to see Marlon go. He ended up growing on me. Thrilled to see JP back for a brief appearance. The mystery also gave Marlon time to shine, which is nice for his final ep.

Watched another episode of Poirot, which is the first of two parts. Looking forward to seeing how this one ends. A super-young Polly Walker is a guest star!

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I haven't quite decided how I feel about Moreland sticking around for a while, but I did like his interaction with Sherlock. The case also proved to be interesting.

Caught another episode of Batman Beyond and have vague memories of this one the first time around. Always fun to have Shriek back.

Watched another episode of Lower Decks. This show annoys and charms me in equal measure. I did quite like the interaction between mom and daughter even when I rolled my eyes several times.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I didn't quite manage to finish it but will get it done this week. I hope!

Also started and got most of the way through another episode of Reacher. I only stopped because I couldn't keep my eyes open. That's what watching a show at four a.m. will do.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella that brings an arson victim together with the investigator.

Here's the miniblurb:

A fire bug wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Greg shook Kyle's hand. "You sure you don't mind giving me a lift?" He'd be able to get his truck up once the fire marshal gave the okay.

Kyle shook his head. "Don't mind at all. I've got a room reserved for you at the Stratford and a townhouse lined up for you to move into in a day or so." He led the way to his roomy sedan.

Greg blinked. "Wow. I'm impressed. You've accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time." Sadie called it. Kyle proved to be the best.

The investigator surprised Greg. Professional but friendly enough to put him at ease during a horrible time. Sliding into the car, he exhaled on a long breath. Maybe he'd been affected more than he thought by the blaze? How weird to be stuck on Sadie Kyle.

Kyle pulled out and carefully navigated around the remaining fire apparatus. "Got any questions?" He started down the block that would take them to the hotel.

Greg asked the first thing that popped into him mind. "What do you know about the fire marshal investigator, Sadie Kyle?" Shit … he should be asking about how to get reimbursed for expenses like clothes and personal items he'd have to replace.

Kyle stopped at a red light and slid his gaze toward Greg. "I think the world of her. A great person with a good head on her shoulders." He focused on the road again and pulled forward. "Her dad and brothers are all firefighters. She left and went to a different city to get established and made her mark there." He kept talking while he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. "Came back about three years ago to accept a position with fire marshal." Cutting the engine, he angled around to face Greg. "As a matter of fact, you won't be far from her once we get you settled into some temporary digs…" He paused a moment. "At least until the rebuilding can begin on the bar." With a wry grin, he turned forward and popped the door open.

Greg didn't mind one bit if he lived close to Sadie for a while.

Then he blinked. "Wait. So, it's not a total loss then?" Sure looked that way when he stood, watching it burn.

Kyle gave a shrug. "We won't know until the investigation is complete. But if you can't rebuild at the sewing factory, I know several other locations—in the same neighborhood—that could work. People like and care about you, Greg, more than enough to want you to stick around." He reached into the back of the vehicle and withdrew a duffel bag. "They'll all pitch in and help out. You'll see."

Greg huffed out a breath and exited the car. "That's good to know and kind of you to say." He tilted his head when Kyle handed over the bag. "What's this?"

Kyle flashed a quick grin. "Something to sleep in tonight and fresh clothes for later. The hotel has a laundry service, but you'll want to get moving first thing after you get some rest."

Greg didn't know how to respond. "Thanks. That's not really adequate, but I'm kind of numb right now. I appreciate everything. More than I can say." The thoughtful gesture from the insurance agent meant a lot.

Kyle grasped his shoulder. "Let's get you checked in so you can get a little sleep. We're going to be busy this afternoon."

Kyle closed his eyes for a moment. Sleep sounded good if not impossible.

But he'd need a clear head to wrap his brain around everything that had happened in the last three hours.

I'm excited to see where this one goes. I have all the story beats notes and filling in the details is so much fun.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

Welcome to spooky month! October is one of my favorite months, even if it means holiday season is hiding around the corner. So far, we've had some fall-like weather and that's making me very joyful right now.

Had a semi-decent viewing week. Work projects are ongoing and I needed some quiet time to focus on those. But I made a full circuit of my standard streaming schedule.

Once again, Ted Lasso delivered a full-on episode. I'm nervously awaiting the moment when Rebecca reveals why she really hired Ted and dying to see the fallout. Keeley rules at being a mess but not staying that way. I love how she's absolutely not afraid of Rebecca because it never occurred to her to be so. This show. It's so good.

I tried to watch the behind the scenes feature for Brokenwood Mysteries but couldn't seem to get it to play. I'll try again this week.

Started a new show and watched the first episode of Suspects. So far, I'm hooked. I enjoyed the characters and watching the case unfold.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness and liked the twist the episode took. I kind of thought I had the right killer but the history part I didn't quite see coming.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. I'm ready for the Doctor's reunion with Leftbridge-Stewart. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't happen in the next installment.

Watched another episode of Strangest Things. This one featured the enigma machine and delved into the history of how the encryption finally got cracked.

Finished the first season of The Book of Boba Fett and I have to say, I ended up loving this show! I hope there's another season.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. What a mess Oliver and Mabel got into. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Started season nine of Peak Practice. Gotta say Andrew kind of annoys me when he darts off to figure himself out. I guess it's something of a character trait with him. Loved how Joanna and Sam held the line and got through the ordeal of having their patients down with an unknown virus.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She focused on getting published and what to expect from the traditional side of publishing and also delved a little into the small, independent presses and self-publishing. Good information.

The Umbrella Academy had a stellar episode. Pieces are falling into place and plots mixed with subplots are popping up. Allison's concern about Leonard is definitely warranted and I'm very interested in what Vanya's power is. I loved the interactions with Five and Luthor and Klaus and Diego and, of course, the standoff with ChiChi and Hazel ended up being terrific. This show is amazing.

Started season three of Star Trek: Discovery. Gotta say I'm kind of blown away. Can't wait to have Michael back with her crew and hopefully with the addition of a few more members. Excellent premiere!

Finished off the week with Batman: The Animated Series and got another episode without a feature rogue's gallery villain. I really enjoy the slice of life ones.

I'm also in the midst of watching more Resisting Roots, a Passionflix original. I might have it finished up this week, but I won't make any promises.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella featuring a couple brought together under harrowing circumstances.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A fire bug wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Sadie's gut churned. A new sprinkler system. Greg Desoto's bar made the third fire in six months to have a similar set of circumstances.

She gave him a semi-straight answer. "To answer your question, yes, we're investigating as a possible arson. They call me in when a sprinkler system doesn't function." Especially when a total loss occurred.

An aid-worker walked by with a carrier of coffee and Sadie snagged two. She needed a moment to get her head wrapped around the possibility of a serial arsonist before she sat down with Desoto to get some answers.

Handing one of the cups to Greg, she angled around and perched her butt on the floor of the unit, leaning back against the open door. Her bulky bunker pants would make maneuvering around inside a huge pain in the ass. She placed her coffee on the floor under the cot and reached into her interior pocket for her small notebook and a pen.

She flipped to the first empty page then glanced in Greg's direction. "Mr Desoto, Greg, do you have any enemies who'd want to see you or your business harmed?"

Greg snorted. "Not likely. I've worked hard to establish good relationships with the other business owners around here. I picked this neighborhood because the majority of the owners live within a few blocks of their shops." His mouth twisted. "We pull together and sponsor block parties in the summer and a big holiday stroll on the weekends between Thanksgiving and New Year's. This doesn't only hurt me, it hurts them."

Sadie nodded and jotted down a few notes. She'd look into the other business owners as a precaution, but she had a strong feeling they'd all be cleared.

She stopped writing. "You mentioned a new sprinkler system. Who installed it?" She crossed her fingers, hoping her instincts were off base.

Greg answered. "Five Alarm Sprinkler Systems."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Sadie closed her notebook, fighting the urge to snap her pen into pieces. "Thank you, Greg. I've got enough to get started and I still need to investigate the interior of the building." She needed to get the hell out of the ambulance and do her job. "Can I contact you through your insurance company?"

Greg nodded, his eyes narrowing a little. "I use a local agent—"

Sadie jumped in. "Kyle Addy?"

Greg's eyes widened. "Yeah, how did you…"

She cracked a brief smile. "I grew up in this neighborhood. Kyle's the best there is."

Greg's lips quirked. "He's a good man. He's actually on his way down. He wanted to make arrangements for a place for me to stay."

Sadie reached out, placing her hand on Greg's forearm. "We'll find whoever did this. I'm sorry for the loss of your business."

Greg gave her a twisted half-smile. "Not your fault, but thank you."

Sadie eased out of the unit, tucking her notebook back inside her pocket. Greg had it so wrong. The destruction and devastation of his livelihood might not be her fault, but she'd bet her pension part of the blame would land at her doorstep.

Sadie had a damned good idea who the culprit would turn out to be … and who he really had it in for.

Her.

I love this one! Sadie and Greg are meeting under terrible circumstances but it gets better … then worse.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

September 6, 2020

Hello, September. The great office reorganization is coming along. If all goes well, I might have the bulk of the work complete by the end of the year. I'm very happy with how everything is going so far.

Not a bad week for television. I finished up the Danger Man episodes that were available. Not sure what I'll start on to replace this one yet.

Caught an episode of Picard and enjoyed it. I'm not quite sure what to make of the guy who's captaining the ship yet. I rather liked getting a little more Ravi backstory.

Watched two more episodes of Peak Practice. I'm getting to the end of the second season and, so far, still enjoying the episodes.

Finished Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. I'd really love to have another season of this show. I feel like the final episode had everyone coming into their own as characters. Maybe we'll get lucky.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. I think I might be ready to start the next season or I'm getting close.

That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella with characters in the fire service, which is near and dear to my heart since my dad is a retired fire chief.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An arsonist wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Sadie Kyle answered her phone on the second ring. "Yeah, hello."

"We might have another one."

Sadie sat up and went from dead sleep to wide awake in half a second. "Where?" She put her phone on speaker and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be out the door in five." Rustling around, she snagged her thermal leggings and yanked them on.

Her boss, Wade Albright, gave her the rundown. "Close to you in Olde Towne. Another historic building conversion." He waited a beat. "Sprinkler system failed."

Damn.

Sadie dug through her work clothes and grabbed a heavy fleece pullover. "Which place?" Her old stomping grounds had buttloads of historic sites.

And her heart broke. She lived one neighborhood over now, but still frequented many of the places she'd grown up going to.

Wade rattled off the address. "It used to be a sewing factory."

Sadie nodded. "Now it's a bar … or it was." Stitch and Stone. Quaint charm with rugged industrial touches. A comfortable place for male and female clientele.

Wade confirmed. "Yeah, went up fast. Faster than it should even without the sprinkler failure."

Sadie shoved her feet into her clogs and snatched her jacket from her coat tree. "I'm headed out now. I'll have a prelim on your desk ASAP." She ended the call and exited her duplex, being careful to mind the icy steps.

Sliding behind the wheel, she drove the short distance to Olde Towne and slowed when she came up on the scene. Most of the fire had been knocked down by the three station houses on the job. She never failed to get a small thrill when she got within five feet of a ladder, engine, or aerial truck. Growing up around the fire service gave her opportunities to do so from a young age.

In fact, she'd moved home from a city several hours north to take the position in the arson unit. "Good to be close to family." After proving her worth in a place away from their influence.

Getting out of the vehicle, she didn't take her eyes off the building even when she made her way to the back to put her turnout gear on. Sitting on the edge of her car, she slipped her clogs off and stuck her feet into her boots then pulled up her bunker pants. She added the jacket, which blocked the icy wind kicking up swirls of snow.

Grabbing her helmet, she surveyed the firefighters doing cleanup and took in the damage. "Damn, what a loss." A weird vibe crawled up her spine. "Can't be a coincidence anymore. Not when a pattern is emerging." Saddened by the possibility of more buildings being hit, she tried not to jump to conclusions.

Even when her instincts all but shouted Fire!

I love writing this one. Sadie and Greg are fun characters even when everything is burning down around them.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

Ugh. It's been decades since I've had snow in April and we got two days of it last week. LOL

Anyway, television this week had a great run. Legends of Tomorrow continues to make me happy. Actually titling an episode about a guest star is brilliant. Seriously.

I missed Black Lightning's new episode but plan to catch up with everything with a binge watch in the near future. Also need to get caught up on Riverdale, but I have watched two of my saved episodes. Gotta say I'm so interested in Alice's past and who Chic's dad is. Considering she drove me insane last season, I like this newfound curiosity. Also loving the whole Blossom family drama. Seriously, Riverdale is hitting on all cylinders with me right now.

Arrow's episode ended up being better than I hoped. It's probably not a bad thing to have Oliver's leadership tested and questioned. It's not often I get to see a character actually have to progress through a moment of growth. That said, I hover on the fence with Laurel. I know what I'd like to see happen but I won't hold my breath.

Got another episode of Gotham in and rather liked having Bruce call Alfred. With so much going on, I'm always surprised how well all the plot threads mesh together.

On the other hand, Jessica Jones feels so disjointed sometimes. Not saying it's a bad thing… the overall theme of season two sort of begs for the disconnect. All in all, I'm happy with how things are playing out, with maybe the exception of Trish. My hope is season three will serve as a redemption platform for the character. If not, well… yeah.

Watched an episode of the current season of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. I'm working my way through to catching up on these. Also watched more of Blindspot. I'm up to the point of new episodes and literally cheered out loud when Jonah Fisher got his comeuppance. I loathed his character. I also wonder if anyone else kept hoping Kurt Weller would go Damien Scott on Fisher's ass? No? Just me? Okay. I can live with that. LOL

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a story set around an arson.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An arsonist wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Greg Desoto struggled to breathe. He coughed, trying to drag in air. Rolling to his side, orange flickered behind his closed eyelids.

Orange? What the—

An acrid smell hit his nose and he shot up out of bed. "Fuck!" The door and part of the wall in his room were ablaze. "Shit. Fire. Gotta move." He dragged a pair of jeans on, threw a shirt over his head, and grabbed his phone.

He scrambled to find his shoes. Twenty-degree weather trumped the burning flames. Jamming his feet in the first pair he found, he dropped low and pulled the quilt from his bed. He crawled to the window, the floor warm under his hands. The lower level had to be burning too.

Putting the blanket over his head, he forced the window open and glanced outside. "Hope the damned fire escape holds." Didn't matter, he had to get out of the building.

Climbing out, he managed to get the metal steps lowered and called 911 on the way down. When he reached the pavement of the side street, he caught his first look at the fully involved blaze currently ravaging his business and his home.

Shivering in the light snow, he stared, watching it all burn. "Son of a bitch."

The wail of sirens sounded but Greg shook his head. Nothing would save the building. The quick response might keep others from succumbing to the inferno, but that would be the best he could hope for.

Numb, Greg barely heard the firefighters telling him to get back, asking him if anyone else needed to get out.

He shook his head. "No, no. I was the only one in the building." Stepping back, he got out of their way.

They dragged hoses out and entered the building, working to douse the flames.

One big thought struck Greg in the middle of his head. "Why the hell didn't the sprinklers kick on?"

I'm hoping the sages cooperate a little more on this one. I have all the broad strokes planned out but the small beats are still forming.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

I tend to open my Sunday Snippet blog posts with 'My Week in TV' run down and I realized I've never really explained why. It goes back to one of my big reasons for writing in the first place—what if? Television, GOOD television, always makes me ask things like: what would happen if… or what could this character do if that character did [insert random scenario here]. Seriously, the 'what if' possibilities are endless, which when it comes to writing, provides a crap ton of fodder for the imagination, right?

Of course, the definition of good, great, and awesome TV is subjective. The shows I love may be something you hate, so apologies if this part of the blog is mucho boring. J

Quick recap for the past week: The Walking Dead delivered, as mentioned in my last snippet post. Bitten and Lost Girl both made for brain eating material. Almost Human had a solid episode, and I really forget how much I kind of love that show until I'm watching it, you know? Arrow finally returns this week and I sooooo can't wait. All in all, the Olympics are great and all, but I'm glad my favorite shows will be back.

Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella rather near and dear to my heart since it involves something I'm close to—the fire service. Half my family is members of fire departments and works and/or teaches in the field.

Here's the tagline:

An arsonist wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Greg Desoto heaved a sigh. Five years of work spread out in smoldering ashes, the only remains of the bar he'd built inside a former sewing factory. His shoulders slumped and the stinging wind whipped around, blowing snow in his face. The cherry on top of the entire fubar mess—homeless in the middle of winter.

A firm hand landed on his shoulder. "Mr Desoto?"

He angled his head, his eyebrows rising. "Greg. And yeah." He fought back a shiver but couldn't keep his teeth from chattering.

The speaker had turnout gear on, but looked clean compared to the other fire fighters milling around the scene. She had her helmet pushed back and didn't have a mask. The long tail of her braid snaked around her neck and draped over her shoulder. He wondered why she'd sought him out.

She gave him a grim smile. "I'm Sadie Kyle, arson unit." She draped a heavy wool blanket around him. "Please don't shrug this one off. The temperature is dropping rapidly and if you're up for it, I'd like to ask some questions."

He nodded. "I've got nowhere else to go at the moment. I lived above the bar." He blew out a long breath. "What do you need to know?"

Sadie laid a hand on his and nudged him toward one of the ambulances. "Let's get out of the wind. Have the paramedics looked you over yet?"

His head jerked. "I'm fine, really. Got out before the building really got fully involved." He stepped up into the back of the rig, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't understand why the sprinkler system didn't kick on." He sat on the edge of bench, avoiding the cot, and glanced up in Sadie's direction. "I had a new one installed two months ago." He frowned.

~*~

Sadie's gut churned. A new sprinkler system. Greg Desoto's bar made the third fire in six months to have a similar set of circumstances. An aide worker walked by with a carrier of coffee and Sadie snagged two. She needed a moment to get her head wrapped around the possibility of a serial arsonist before she sat down with Desoto to get some answers.

Handing one of the cups to Greg, she angled around and perched her butt on the floor of the unit, leaning back against the open door. Her bulky bunker pants would make maneuvering around a huge pain in the ass. She placed her coffee on the floor under the cot and reached into her interior pocket for her small notebook and a pen.

She flipped to the first empty page then glanced in Greg's direction. "Mr Desoto, Greg, do you have any enemies who'd want to see you or your business harmed?"

Greg snorted. "Not likely. I've worked hard to establish good relationships with the other business owners around here. I picked this neighborhood because the majority of the owners live within a few blocks of their shops." His mouth twisted. "We pull together and sponsor block parties in the summer and a big holiday stroll on the weekends between Thanksgiving and New Year's. This doesn't only hurt me, it hurts them."

Sadie nodded and jotted down a few notes. She'd look into the other business owners as a precaution, but she had a strong feeling they'd all be cleared.

She stopped writing. "You mentioned a new sprinkler system. Who installed it?" She crossed her fingers, hoping her instincts were off base.

Greg answered. "Five Alarm Sprinkler Systems."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Sadie closed her notebook, fighting the urge to snap her pen into pieces. "Thank you, Greg. I've got enough to get started and I still need to investigate the interior of the building." She needed to get the hell out of the ambulance and do her job. "Can I contact you through your insurance company?"

Greg nodded, his eyes narrowing a little. "I use a local agent—"

Sadie jumped in. "Kyle Addy?"

Greg's eyes widened. "Yeah, how did you…"

She cracked a brief smile. "I grew up in this neighborhood. Kyle's the best there is."

Greg's lips quirked. "He's a good man. He's actually on his way down. He wanted to make arrangements for a place for me to stay."

Sadie reached out, placing her hand on Greg's forearm. "We'll find whoever did this. I'm sorry for the loss of your business."

Greg gave her a twisted half-smile. "Not your fault, but thank you."

Sadie eased out of the unit, tucking her notebook back inside her pocket. Greg had it so wrong. The destruction and devastation of his livelihood might not be her fault, but she'd bet her pension part of the blame would land at her doorstep.

Sadie had a damned good idea who the culprit would turn out to be… and who he really had it in for.

Her.

*cue dramatic music* LOL Seriously, I have a ton of research to do, but it's been so much fun to dive into this story.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin