Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

Ugh. I'm fighting something, a cold, a virus, some other kind of ick. Not having fun with it at all. I have two client calls this week and I'm hoping I can manage both.

We got back up in the high eighties this week. Supposed to have some rain on Monday or Tuesday and I'm kind of excited for that. We definitely need it. The drought has been upgraded to moderate.

Not a bad work week. I'm almost finished with one of my work projects and making solid headway on another that should be complete by the end of October. I start a new one sometime early in October and I'm looking forward to working on that one. I'll find out if another new project will be starting on Tuesday.

Had a semi-decent viewing week. Between not feeling the best and trying to finish up work projects, I didn't know if I'd be able to watch much. But I made it through my usual shows and got to watch the back-burner ones also.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and quite enjoyed the rewatch. It's one I remembered from my original run through. Being in the US, it's fun to watch how footy affects those that have a long, long history with the sport.

Caught another episode of Foyle's War. This show is so well written, and I love the cast. So many super young actors who have gone on to amazing roles.

Watched a new Death in Paradise. I'm slowly coming around on Wilson. I think he might make a good addition to the team. The new police officer is also kind of growing on me. I love that he kind of came up with the solution to keeping Selwyn in his job.

Enjoyed another Poirot. Kind of leading everyone on a merry chase but keep them from going to France was very entertaining. Loved how Japp kept thinking he'd be losing his pension.

Caught another episode of Elementary. I very much like the Joan and Sherlock vibe this season. Really not sure what's going on with the stalker detective but I hope Joan watches her back.

Watched another Batman Beyond and didn't really remember this one. I have a vague memory of the conversation between Terry and Barbara but that's kind of all I remembered.

Enjoyed another episode of Lower Decks. The opener for season two ended up being entertaining. I really do appreciate the callbacks to all the other series. Fun bit with Boimler at the end.

Finished up the episode of Peak Practice I started a few weeks ago. Sam is going to be in a lot of trouble and I'm not sure I'm going to like how things go down with him.

Also finally started season two of Reacher. I'm almost finished with the first episode, but I had to pause because of the whole cold / virus / yuck thing going on. Should finish it up this week. I think the very best moment so far is the Terminator easter egg. Kudos to the writer of the episode for that!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella that explores a former couple reuniting and getting past their previous issues.

Here's the miniblurb:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Five years later they bump into each other, and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Four years later…

Zetta walked home after turning in her notice to the magazine. "I'm so tired of taking the same pictures over and over again." Truthfully, the shine wore off the job within two years. "And now it's about not having the stones to go back home, which is where I want to be." Home being the place she ran away from five years ago.

Except she couldn't quite face the idea of returning to her old stomping grounds. Not yet.

But she couldn’t continue as she had been. After the initial honeymoon phase ended—for work and her marriage—she'd gone downhill fast. And couldn't stand the person she'd become.

Jogging up the steps, she let herself into the empty house. She had no idea where Paul went, but since she hadn't come home last night, he could be anywhere. Likely the bar around the corner … his favorite place to drink his sorrows away.

She sighed and sank down onto the sofa. "Paul doesn't deserve my shit." He’d drink himself to death within five years. “If we keep going like we are.” Which they wouldn't.

His key sounded in the lock.

He entered and stopped, both happy and defeated to see her. “Who were you with this time?” Placing his phone on the shelf by the door, he entered the living room.

Zetta shrugged. “Names aren’t important." The never were.

Paul tossed his keys on the console table. “Right. Just the hard body and stiff dick. I keep forgetting that.” He sat down across from her.

Zetta shook her head. “No, you don't.” She never boasted about her extra-curricular activities, but Paul had a solid handle on her preferences.

Because they all looked like Mace.

Paul snorted. “Yeah, I do. Five minutes after you walk in the door, I forget everything except the fact you came home.” His lip curled in disgust, hopefully at her and not at himself.

Zetta leaned forward. "What happens when I don’t, Paul? Or if I didn’t return?" She pushed her point. "What happens if I leave and don't come back?"

Paul immediately got what she tried to say. “Then I deal. I always knew we were on borrowed time, Zee. That you’d wake up sooner or later and realize you picked the wrong guy.” He paused. “The part I didn’t figure for certain was whether you’d have the courtesy to tell me when that time came or not.” He met her gaze. “Now I know.”

Zetta swallowed hard. The defeat in his voice kicked her guilty conscience hard. Deservedly so. She’d done this to a man who should be happy with a wife and kids.

She moved off the chair and settled in beside Paul. “I’m sorry, Paul, You deserve so much more and so much better than me.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

Paul put an arm around her. “I know, but I couldn't walk away. I'd never do that to any woman, not after what my mom went through.”

Zetta lifted her face. “It’s not fair to you, though. And instead of you walking away from me, can we maybe look at this as me setting you free?” Because she needed to let him go; so he could find someone worthy of him.

He pressed a kiss to her temple. “We can do that, Zetta. I won’t fight a divorce, but I’m staying out here.” He shifted and turned to face her. “I’m assuming you’ll be headed back east?”

Zetta didn’t commit, because she hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Honestly? I have no idea where I’ll end up." Maybe she would make it home and maybe she wouldn't. "And, oddly, I’m totally okay with that."

This one is challenging in a way that I really like. The characters are messy and not completely where they need to be as people. I like writing this type of story.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

May 20, 2018

A great week with a busy schedule. The end of the school year is always jammed up with concerts, graduation parties, and last-minute final projects. Never boring.

Good week in television. Watched a little more Classic Who with The Daleks: The Dead Planet and The Survivors. Also caught another episode of Midsomer Murders. Watched the second episode of Constantine and, honestly, I'm enjoying the show. Definitely a good thing to get a better feel for the character since he'll be on Legends this fall.

Gotham continues to be a super-great pleasure to watch. I'm almost caught up and can't wait to see how this season ends. I'm a little on the fence about R'as, but we'll see what happens.

Watched Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. I'm still loving Chicago Fire. Chicago PD not so much. The whole Woods going after Hank thing is too contrived and using one of Hank's people as a mole has been done. Also, the never heard of before sister is too damned convenient. Right now… I'm done. I'll catch up on marathons later. Blindspot, however, is holding my interest. Even if I'm kind of "meh" on Roman being the new instigator, I love the team's new interactions.

The Flash is almost over for the season and I'm ready. DeVoe is becoming my least favorite villain of all time. I'm ready for them to move on and get someone new to be the bad guy. In contrast, Arrow's season finale ended up being one of my favorite episodes. I'm a little bummed Diaz got away. Seriously, I wanted him to either die in a fire or end up behind bars.

Started a new-to-me show on Netflix with Sense8. I'd started this a long time ago and finally finished watching the first episode. I'm now hooked and can't wait to follow the series. I also caught the next to last episode of Riverdale's second season. The reveal of the Black Hood was incredible. Cheryl and Betty teaming up made me happy. I'm ready for Hiram to get what's coming to him in a big way. I'm curious about who the hell attacked Archie and Fred and having a sneaking suspicion Hiram's dirty handprints will be all over that deal. FP carrying Jughead broke my heart. I'm so ready to watch the finale now!!

Caught another episode of Krypton and, holy hell, the maneuvering and shifting allegiances is kind of fun to watch. I'm excited to see how the rest of the season goes.

Started The Batman season three and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and still enjoy how fine a line Amy has to walk to get to the truth of corruption. Her interaction with Pete is also a lot of fun to watch. On tap for today is another episode of Endeavor and probably some additional Classic Who.

Whew! That wraps up television for this week. Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella that puts a twist on how a couple deals with breaking up.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Two years later they bump into each other and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Mace woke up to an empty room. Zetta's stuff still sat in the corner. Maybe she'd gone out for coffee or to grab breakfast.

Okay, brunch. She'd worn him out last night.

His lips quirked in a small grin and he threw the covers off and hopped out of bed. Every night from here on in, she could use and abuse him any way she wanted. Padding into the bathroom, he started the shower and waited for the water to warm before stepping under the spray.

Soaping up and rinsing off, his brain replayed last night from Zetta agreeing to move in to the wild romp between the sheets. He switched the water to cold in an effort to make his hard-on go down. Plenty of time later to revisit super-hot sex with his dream woman.

Stepping out of the stall, he grabbed a towel and quickly dried off. Wrapped the fluffy terrycloth around his waist, he grinned when he heard movement in the bedroom. He exited the bath and stopped short. Zetta had her bags gathered but paused when he entered the bedroom.

Mace blinked, tilting his head to one side. "What's going on, Zetta?" His brain refused to jump to conclusions.

Zetta opened her mouth, but snapped it shut when Paul Franks poked his head past the door jamb.

Franks lifted his chin in greeting, then focused on Zetta. "Ready for me to take these?" He took the cases from her.

Mace held up a hand. "Hold on." He glanced toward Zetta. "What's going on?" If he didn't get an answer soon, Franks would probably pay the price.

Zetta's ex had no business being in Mace's house.

Zetta waved Paul out of the room then turned to face Mace. "Change in plan. I got a call late last night from Evergreen Media." She clasped her hands together, the only outward sign of nervousness. "They offered me my dream job and I accepted." She looked away, dropping her chin down.

Mace scrambled to catch up. "That's great, right?" She'd waited a long time to land a job that didn't involve posing people for the camera. "I don't understand what the hell is Franks doing here, though?" Not like the guy had a clue about taking pictures.

Zetta kept her gaze lowered. "About that… the job is west coast based and I'm leaving today…" She finally glanced up, swallowing hard. "With my husband. Paul."

The world tilted sideways and flipped upside down. With my husband.

Mace went cold, which had nothing to do with being clad in nothing but a towel. No… this cold started deep inside and spread outward with shards of ice cracking up against the heat of his anger and rage. Husband. She hadn't gone out for coffee or breakfast. She'd gone out and married her fucking ex.

Less than what? Six hours after they'd made plans for their future? Fuck that.

And fuck Zetta.

Mace kept his voice calm and controlled. "Well, that's fucking spectacular." He refused to let loose the roar of fury burning its way up his throat. "Whatever, Zetta." He strode past her and stalked through his living room to the front door.

Zetta followed hot on his heels. "Mace, look, I'm sorry. I—"

He cut her off by yanking the door open. "Save it. You're not sorry. You don't crawl out of my bed and fucking marry your ex and get to apologize for it." He pointed toward the front porch. "Have a great life and get the fuck out of mine." He didn't give her the option to speak, grabbing her arm and pushing her forward.

Once she cleared the jamb, he pretty much slammed the door in her face when she glanced back in his direction. The sheen of tears in her eyes didn't cool his wrath. Instead, they pissed him off more. Drawing back, he punched a hole in the wall beside the oak slab. He opened a gash across his knuckles from the torn drywall. Maybe broke a bone, too.

Removing the towel, he wiped the blood and got a pair of jeans on. After running some water over the wound, he called Deb Browning, a nurse who lived a block over and a good friend.

Ten minutes later, she'd patched him up and had the whole sordid story of his all too brief reunion with Zetta.

Deb gently wrapped gauze around his hand. "Keep ice on it today and we'll see if the swelling stays down." She taped the bandage. "I don't think you broke any bones, but I'll take a look before I head in for work tomorrow. You might need an x-ray." Cleaning up her supplies, she zipped her first aid bag. "Do you want me to stay for a while? I'm here, Mace." She gave him a shy glance. "For whatever you need."

The unspoken offer might have been tempting if the cruel burn of betrayal didn't linger. But it did. And he wouldn't inflict his dark mood on anyone right now, especially a friend.

He tried for a smile. "Thanks, Deb. But I think I need some alone time… you know, to work through everything." A snort escaped his lips. "Without punching any more holes in walls."

Deb nodded. "I get it. I go in at three pm tomorrow so I'll stop by around two, if that works for you."

He got up and walked her to the door. "Yeah, that's fine." He squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks again. You're a great Florence Nightingale."

She grinned and gave him a wave before pulling the door closed behind her.

Mace's stomach rumbled, a reminder he hadn't eaten since last night. Fishing his phone out of his pocket with his uninjured hand, he called a takeout order in for delivery. His favorite noodle house had the food cartons to his doorstep within twenty minutes.

Mace sat down, flipped on a basketball game, downed two painkillers, and ate two cartons of peanut sesame goodness.

At least some things were always guaranteed to go down smooth, even if they didn't wash the bitter aftertaste of love gone wrong away.

I'm kind of happy with how this one is coming together. The crutches Mace and Zetta use are somewhat reversed and I like exploring that dynamic.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

Well, the big super bowl game is on tonight and I’m watching a Star Trek Next Gen marathon instead. LOL Don't get me wrong, we still have all the food and trimmings, like WAY more than we need, but with several televisions in the house, the game can be merrily playing in the kitchen and living room while I hunker down in my writing cave and watch something totally different. If anything really exciting happens, the family will let me know. :D

So, next week The Walking Dead returns and I'm not sure if I'm super-excited or not. I think I am, but won't know until I see the new episode. And Bitten is coming soon, February 15 on Syfy. Definitely excited for more of that show.

My usual shows all had great episodes. I completely forgot to mention The Magicians in last week's post, but I'm seriously liking that show. And Lost Girl is in its final run of episodes. I've seen the way it ends and I'm definitely watching the last hurrah. I hope another show with fae-releated characters turns up sometime.

The Flash ended up surprising me, which I'm always thrilled to have happen. Arrow also threw in an interesting reveal and I'm speculating like mad now. Legends of Tomorrow mixed up the teams and I'm down with them doing that on a regular basis.

Agent Carter has such a great mix of humor and tension. I almost wish there could be a longer season, but I'm also kind of happy with the brevity, mainly because the writing stays pretty focused and doesn't dart off on too many tangents.

Last but not least, The X-Files had one of those instant classic episodes that I could watch over and over again. I can't wait to talk to my brother about it. Teen Wolf, again, feels rather choppy, but I've been thinking about that and have come to the conclusion it's supposed to feel that way, especially since the creepy doctors can warp time, or whatever it is they do. So yeah, I just needed to have that last little piece click into place. LOL

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella where one character follows their dream but has to end a relationship to do it. Or so they think…

Here's the mini-blurb:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Two years later they bump into each other and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Zetta's phone buzzed on the nightstand. Groggy, she reached for the device and blinked, trying to read the caller ID. When her vision cleared and the number became legible, she scrambled out of bed and dashed into the bathroom.

The art director of a prominent media company wanted to talk, which he couldn't do if she didn't answer the damn phone.

Taking a deep breath, she hit answer. "Zetta Brown." Her stomach dropped to her toes and she cleared her throat.

Dean Farmont cursed. "Ah, dammit. You're on the Atlantic coast. I woke you up, didn't I?" He covered the phone and spoke to someone else, then came back on with Zetta. "Ms. Brown. I'm sorry if I did wake you, but your portfolio just crossed my desk and I have an immediate opening, if you're still interested in working for us."

Zetta's mouth opened on a silent happy scream and she resisted the urge to do a happy jig. But then realization dawned and she sank down onto the closed toilet. No way would Mace move across the country with her. He had deep roots here and a thriving place in the community.

Why did the universe see fit to give her exactly what she wanted—a man she could easily spend the rest of her life with—then dangle the one opportunity she'd dreamed of since childhood, all in the same day? What should she tell Mace? Wait for me. When I retire we can have our happily ever after.

Right. No way.

"Ms. Brown? Are you still interested in the job?" Dean's query had an impatient edge to it.

Zetta closed her eyes. "Yes. When do I start?" Her heart thundered in her chest while she listened to him give a date and a time for her to call back to get the final details nailed down.

She ended the call, a sick feeling churning in her gut. Mace would never believe she'd choose a job over him. Not after everything they'd been through.

A clean break. She'd need to do something pretty harsh and spectacular to make sure he wouldn't try and talk her out of leaving. The answer stared her in the face, right on her contact screen.

She swiped her thumb over the name and the recipient answered on the second ring. "Paul? It's Zetta. I need a favor."

I wanted to do something a little different with this manuscript and I think it's turning out quite wonderful.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

My week in TV started with an intense episode of Walking Dead and kept amping up from there with Arrow and Bitten. I kind of wish I had a Chris Hardwick type to decompress with after watching the latter two also. LOL Seriously, the season finales may break my brain. And the glimpses we're getting of Orphan Black have me impatiently waiting for April 19.

Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella about betraying love and the fallout afterwards.

Here's the tagline:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Two years later they bump into each other and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Mace dropped the half-eaten sandwich. "Why do you stay with me?" He shoved the plate aside and fought an urge to heave.

Deb lifted a brow. "You're asking me now?" She arose from the couch and gathered up their trash, carrying it to the kitchen.

Mace waited until she returned with two cold beers before responding. "Yes. I'm asking. I'd like to know."

Deb took a long swallow of her ale. "Convenience." She picked at the label on the bottle, peeling an edge away from the surface. "I hate the whole dating scene. Never knowing for sure if I'll end up with a great guy or some stalker who wants to murder me in my sleep isn't my idea of fun." She shuddered. "I've known you a long time and when Zetta left with her new husband, I saw a chance to be with someone who would treat me well even if he could never love me." She shrugged. "So, I stay with you because it's convenient, which maybe makes me sound pathetic, but we enjoy a lot of the same things, treat each other with respect, and don't expect a forever and ever after." She stopped toying with the label and raised her gaze to his. "And the sex is pretty great, too."

Mace huffed out a chuckle. "Even after I've put on thirty pounds in the last year?" He shook his head. "Never mind. You're nothing if not brutally honest, which I appreciate." Mace reached out and grasped her free hand. "Now it's my turn." He squeezed her fingers. "Convenience aside, you deserve better, and I want you to go after someone who can love you." He let go. "I think Mike Warner would jump at the chance to go out with you." He settled back, waiting to see if she'd consider the idea.

Deb tilted her head, studying him for several moments. "You think so?" She straightened. "Wait. Are you breaking up with me?" She fidgeted with the bottle again. "Because it sounds like you are."

Mace hedged. "It's not so much breaking up as setting you free. Why stay tangled up with me when I've got some serious life issues to work though? I'm not the man I want to be… but I don't know if or when I'll ever get there." He gently added. "It's not fair to ask you to stick around when I need to focus on me."

Deb's lips twisted in a sad smile. "I guess not, especially when your biggest hurdle isn't around to be knocked down." She got up and walked toward the door, grabbing her jacket and purse from the coatrack. "Take care of yourself, Mace. You deserve to find someone who will love you and stick around." She twisted the knob, then glanced back over her shoulder. "If you see Mike before I do, have him call me, okay?"

Mace nodded. What else could he do? Deb exited, closing the door quietly behind her.

A lighter feeling settled over him followed by a heavy dose of determination. He'd let Deb down as easily as possible, but her parting remark about being loved by someone who would stick around echoed in his head.

The truth of her words rang true, but after going downhill over a bad break-up he figured getting his shit together should be his priority. And the first step would be to get back into some kind of fitness routine, which meant getting off his ass and doing something physical.

Determined, he got up, grabbed his keys from the side table and snagged his jacket.

A nice stroll around the park should be a good place to start.

As far as break up scenes go, I struggled with this one. Deb isn't the woman for Mace and he's finally pulling his head out of his ass enough to realize it… but I didn't want either to turn into a stereotypical butthead or shrew, so… I wrote a very civilized split, keeping in line with their very civilized, if somewhat wrong, relationship. I hope I achieved the feeling I wanted. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin