Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

It's been a busy week. We're still kind of off-kilter after the loss of our doggo. Our younger one is adjusting and I'm thankful for that. Our vet office is amazing, and they've been wonderful throughout this whole process.

Ohio weather is being very Ohio right now. Warm up, cool down, something kind of in between. I had to clear snow off my car at the beginning of last week. It didn't stick around, which is okay with me. I don't mind snow, but I'm also not quite ready for it yet.

Work was very busy this past week. Had a terrific Zoom meeting with an author and two other members of a team I often work with. We're getting ready to hand over the project for the next steps. Also had another Zoom session with a different author and they're making headway on their memoir. Finished up a developmental edit and we're getting ready to hand that one off also. Had an older project pop back up and I think we have that one resolved. I also finished up a copy edit and started a new proofread.

Not a bad viewing week either. I made it through all of my usual slate of shows. The next two weeks are going to be a little iffy, but I'll make an effort to stay current.

I started with the season three opener of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The introduction of her dad was fun, and I liked seeing Jack show a little jealousy.

Also caught another episode of Foyle's War and I'd forgotten how much of a role Andrew played in this episode. If I remember correctly, we won't see him again for a while.

Watched another episode of Beyond Paradise. I'm enjoying Archie and Esther's romance a lot. I loved Humphrey being in the uncomfortable position of having to question Martha as a suspect to clear her. And I'm so glad Anne finally spilled the beans about her biopsy.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. I love Hastings and Miss Lemon investigating and then chatting about Poirot. The lengths he went to to protect the countess kind of charmed me.

Elementary had a great episode. Discovering Joan has a half-sister is interesting. I also love how tangled up everything ended up being. Bringing Mycroft into the equation is a snare that will have some repercussions, I think. Especially with the NSA showing up again.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remembered it from my original watch. Getting Ace's backstory is great.

Also got to watch another episode of Lower Decks. The characters are starting to gel for me, and Mariner is way less annoying this season. Very glad I stuck with this one.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella that explores meeting the wrong brother first. One of my favorite tropes.

Here's the miniblurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice … until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

"Here you go."

Sef glanced at the card. "Imma Rusch?" He took a quick picture of her insurance information. "Sef Boltager. Nice to meet you … even if it's under really weird circumstances." He gave her the insurance card back.

Something about her intrigued him.

Seriously, what a way to meet someone.

They headed out the main doors.

A car waited for Sef in the valet area. "Ah, that didn't take long." He nodded toward the vehicle. "Part of my service package."

Imma's lips twisted. "I'll be scheduling a rideshare." She started tapping her phone.

Sef hated to make her wait, especially with those crutches. "Can I offer you a ride?" He hoped she'd say yes.

Imma narrowed her gaze a little. "Um, sure. I'm not far." She pocketed her device and grasped the crutches.

She accepted. Excellent. Sef helped get her settled into the car, and she gave his driver her address.

Once they pulled out of the parking lot, Sef awkwardly maneuvered to face her a little. "I really am sorry about the crash. I'll admit I was distracted and not paying as much attention as I should've been." He snorted.

Imma's eyebrows arched. "Tell me you weren't texting and driving."

He laughed. "No. I'm not that irresponsible." He shrugged his good shoulder. "I was angry about walking in on my former girlfriend with her new guy." His lips twisted. "We weren't even deeply committed … but, yeah, not what I expected to come home to." Serena didn't even have the decency to go to her own apartment.

Imma let out a low whistle. "Ouch. I'm sorry that happened to you." She focused her gaze out the window. "Were you away for work? Vacation?"

Sef nodded. "A bit of both. My stepdad sent me down to South America to scope out some possible business opportunities. I'm a facilitator. Go in, put feelers out, and do a vibe check." Then he got out of the way and let his brother handle the hard stuff.

Imma grinned. "I'm getting the picture now. You lay the groundwork." She lifted her chin. "The guy I'm dating does a lot of traveling also." She hesitated a moment. "We're pretty casual, but I think he might want more." Leaning back, she stared out the window again.

He'd be lying if he didn't admit to being disappointed. He'd have to find out her definition of casual. Maybe he had a shot if he played his cards right.

The car eased into a community of condos. Older but nicely built, the units were a triplex with two entrances facing each other at an angle to form the top of a Y and the third acting as the stem. The cluster had lots of greenery and nice fencing separating the yards.

Imma leaned forward and directed the driver to her driveway.

He pulled in and got out to help Imma exit the vehicle.

She got her crutched under her and ducked down toward the window. "Thanks for the ride. I appreciate not having to wait."

Sef lifted his chin. "Glad I could help." He moved forward a little when she started toward her sidewalk. "Hey, where do you think you'll do your physical therapy?"

She cocked her head. "Not sure. My PCP usually refers to Three Rivers."

Sef smiled. "Same. Maybe we'll bump into each other again."

Imma chuckled. "I'd like that. Thanks again." She shuffled up the walk to her front door.

Sef leaned back. He'd make sure his primary doctor referred him to Three Rivers Physical Therapy also. If nothing else, he wanted to see Imma again under slightly better circumstances.

I like how this story is coming together. It's a fine line to walk and I enjoy trying to make sure I fall off the tightrope.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Happy holidays to those who celebrate. We had a lovely day, even if the temperatures were in the mid-teens. It's way better than the minus ten degrees we had earlier in the week.

I had some catching up to do with a work project and didn't get much watched, but I did catch a couple more episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. I guess I'll be watching all next month also because it's going to be removed from HBOMax.

I got to catch a couple of good episodes, featuring The Joker and Harley. Bane made his first appearance and the Clock King showed up again. Harvey and Two Face along with the Riddler both had episodes. And the episode with Baby Doll ended up being better than I remembered.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella featuring one of my favorite tropes—meeting the wrong brother first.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice … until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

In the ED, Imma rubbed at her temples. "Geez, my head is screaming." Her knee throbbed and ached also.

The nurse patted her on the arm. "I'm gonna take a quick x-ray of your knee, but I think it's just sprained."

Imma let the caregiver do her thing, focusing on the cubicle next door. They guy who'd knocked on her window had been wheeled in there a few moments ago. His shoulder hung at a weird angle, probably dislocated.

A little kick of guilt crept up her spine because she had so much interest in the guy. But she'd caught a good look at him when they'd loaded her in the ambulance. They'd made him ride in a different one. He had the most incredible eyes and they'd been filled with worry when they looked through her window.

The nurse bustled out. "Gonna have the doc review the image. I'll be back."

Imma leaned against the pillow, closing her eyes. She could still visualize the guy next door. On the tall side but not towering. Chiseled features with the gorgeous eyes. Ones that kind of sucked a person right inside and made them curious about the potential there.

She gut-checked her reaction and shook her head. "No way, Imma. You're just seeing what you want because you're not sure about Griff." And she had a bump on the head.

Thirty minutes later, she had a brace on her knee, crutches, and a prescription for pain meds.

The doctor walked out of the cubicle with her. "Follow up with your PCP within forty-eight hours if you can. You need to have a concussion test."

She gave a nod and clutched the handles. "Will do. Thank you." She limped forward, heading toward the exit.

She rounded the corner to the triage area and bumped into the guy from the accident, who'd just pocketed his phone.

He grasped her elbow, keeping her upright. "Sorry."

She murmured the same word simultaneously then followed up. "About the accident, too." The insurance companies could hammer out the details.

His shoulder looked better but he had two fingers wrapped. "Hazardous curve. There're a lot of accidents there." His gaze drifted to the big sliding doors. "Can I walk you out?"

Her lips curved and she gave a nod. "Sure. I'd like that." No better time to exchange information. "I've got my insurance information on my phone. I can give it to you outside." Gripping the handles of her crutches again, she started for the doors.

She wouldn't mind getting his number also…

This story is a lot of fun. Imma plays things straight even if it doesn't seem like she's going to.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Well, back to illness again. Middle kiddo is experiencing something more than the stomach flu. Not sure what it is yet, but it’s not pleasant. Hope to have some answers by mid-week. It’s not fun watching them go through the rough ride.

Not a bad week for television but had some distractions with the above-mentioned illness. I watched the rest of Silent Witness’s sixth season and should be starting season seven this week.

Also caught another episode of Blue Heelers. I’m still enjoying this show a lot. And, wow, there are a bunch of seasons on this one.

Caught my usual mystery fare on Ovation again. Hoping to find a Bond movie marathon over the Thanksgiving weekend to watch.

That’s pretty much it for television this week. Tonight’s post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella with one of my favorite tropes—meeting the wrong brother first.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice … until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

A swift kick to his injured shoulder would've sucked less air out of his lungs, because it didn't take Sef long to figure out Imma's casual boyfriend happened to be his brother. Well, fuck. He didn't want to be the new guy to Griff's old guy. Especially since he'd been on that end with Serena and doing it to his brother would suck.

Never mind doing it to some random dude not being much better.

Of course, Imma smiled a tight smile. "I, uh, already know Griff." She accepted the hug he gave her.

Sef didn't need to say anything. Over Griff's shoulder her gaze met Sef's. She picked up on the vibe and gave him a nod. She went back to finish her stretches and exercises. Griff ribbed Sef about his injury and Sef good-naturedly let him.

Imma ended the therapy session with a double-edged good-bye. "Sef, it's been nice getting to know you." She focused on Griff. "I'll let you two catch up." Grabbing her water bottle and towel, she started for the main reception area.

Griff held up a hand. "Give me one sec, bro." He trotted to catch up with Imma before she left the room.

Sef did his best not to eavesdrop, but he caught the gist of the conversation. Griff wanted to meet at Imma's for dinner—his treat.

Imma agreed then slid a brief glance in Sef's direction. He couldn't read her gaze, but the conversations they'd had about her casual boyfriend came crashing back into his mind. Definitely none of his business. Not anymore. Even if she did break up with his brother, Sef wouldn't make a move now.

Griff strolled back to Sef's side. "Crazy, isn't it? You're involved in a crash with the woman I've been dating. Who woulda taken that bet?" He barked out a laugh.

Sef huffed out a breath. "Not me, that's for sure." But he would have bet the entire farm on Imma being perfect for him, not his brother.

I'm excited about Imma and Sef's journey. It's definitely not a drive through the park.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

June 24, 2018

We had a slightly crazy week of weather. Lots of rain with storms blowing through quickly then the sun popping back out. I love to watch the storm clouds roll in.

Television this week was hit and miss. I got another episode of Mutant X in and I caught a couple of Blindspot episodes but didn't get to finish out the season before they yanked some of the episodes I hadn't seen. I'll have to finish up season three on DVD.

In Classic Who, I finished out the Key of Marinus episodes. Not a bad arc. I'll be starting the Aztecs this week.

Canal Road's third episode was excellent. I enjoyed seeing the group interaction in this episode. I have some thoughts about who killed Spence's wife. Just saying.

Caught a movie on Café Noir. It wasn't the best, but I've been writing some noir-ish-themed stories lately and I liked the ambiance of the movie.

Got in another episode of Midsomer Murders and finished up season three of Endeavor. Gotta say the last episode really packed a punch. Watching Morse realize he loved Joanie ended up being a beautifully acted scene.

Caught the usual episodes of The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Constantine, Pensacola Wings of Gold, Band of Brothers, and Strike Back. Episode four, season four is when Section 20 loses Julia and, ugh, I forgot how much of a kick in the teeth that was.

Watched a crossover of Chicago PD with Chicago Fire. Excellent episodes. I enjoy PD when the focus isn't on dickhead Wood trying to take Hank down. I thought we got enough of that in the first two seasons.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella that explores an awkward situation between the main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice… until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

Sefton Boltager angled his head around after barely missing the oncoming car, barreling straight at him on his side of the road. He downshifted but overcorrected and did a one-eighty on the twisty curves. His tires went off the pavement and spun on the pebbly surface of the side berm whipping his sedan, an old man's car, around a full three hundred and sixty degrees before smashing into the guardrail lining the roadside. The crunch of metal against steel a welcome sound, considering the drop-off looming inches past the barricade.

Airbags had him surrounded and he shook his head. "Stupid idiot. That's what you get." If he'd been paying attention instead of being pissed off at Serena—his former girlfriend—he might have seen the car coming at him sooner. "Shit!" He started shoving at the airbag in front of him. "What happened to the other car?" His stupid seatbelt had locked up and he couldn't freely move.

He got the bag pushed down and the other vehicle had a driver who looked to be unconscious. Damn, damn, damn. He fished around on the passenger seat for his phone to call 911.

"Mr. Boltager, we're showing your airbags have deployed. Are you okay?"

He jumped as much as the stupid seatbelt would let him. He'd forgotten about the OnStar system. At least he didn't have to find his cell.

Trying to unfasten his seatbelt, he answered. "Yeah, yeah. I think I'm fine. There's another vehicle involved in the accident and I can't tell if the driver is okay or not." He gave up on the stupid seatbelt and tried the door.

The operator replied in her soothing voice. "We've called for emergency services and they should arrive on scene shortly. Are you injured?"

He growled in frustration. "I have no idea. I gotta check on the other driver." He finally got the door opened and his seatbelt unfastened.

The voice came back through the speakers. "That's not a good idea. We recommend you stay with your car."

He already had one leg out of the vehicle. "Fuck that. I'm going to see if she's all right." He started to exit the car but wrenched his shoulder when the harness wouldn't give. "Dammit." Pain shot through to his fingertips.

"Mr. Boltager. If you'll wait a few more minutes, help will be there."

He finally got out and ignored the advice. Glancing in both directions, he started to cross the road, wincing at the jolts movement caused. When he got closer to the other car, he hissed out a breath. Damn good thing there hadn't been a passenger. The right side of the car resembled an accordion. The female driver's head rested on her shoulder, her neck stretched out.

He approached the window and gently rapped on the glass. "Hey! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" The distant wail of sirens sounded but Sef couldn't tell which direction they were coming from. "Hey. Help's on the way. Can you hear me?" Finally a movement, a small twitch, but enough to let him know she might hear him.

He tapped on the window again and her eyes popped open.

Thank fuck.

I like to explore awkward situations, especially when it involves meeting the right person at the wrong time.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Whew. Had a super-busy week running all over the place with my teenagers. Glad it's over.

Another light television week, which worked out well, considering the whole crazytown express thing. The Walking Dead turned in a fine outing, but I'm still kind of dreading the whole Neegan thing. Here's hoping I'm projecting for nothing.

My Monday lineup continues to impress. I hope Syfy continues to keep that day of the week filled with awesome shows. I can't always count on the network to make the best decisions. LOL

Tuesday's Teen Wolf finale didn't disappoint. I can honestly say I'm quite happy with how everything turned out. Theo received a just fate and, as usual, Scott's side had all the bases covered. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to see how things turned out for Parrish. I have my own personal head canon for his future. Agents of SHIELD returned and not a bad effort.

Legends of Tomorrow is still putting on a good show. I have a few, small quibbles with some aspects of the development, but I'll save those for my fandom blog where spoilers are discussed openly.

Murdoch Mysteries ended up being pretty great. I love how the show, even after being on for almost ten years, still finds new ground to cover. Seriously, can't ask for more than that in a long-running favorite.

And that's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella that started from a discussion about a play on words. The premise here begins with an accident then adds more twists and turns after the wreck.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice… until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

Imma Rusch loved loud music and an open road.

When her Bluetooth indicated she had an incoming call, she growled when the stereo automatically lowered the volume. "This better be good." She pumped the breaks, flying around a curve.

"Does calling to say I miss you count as good?" Her current flame's voice boomed through the speakers.

She laughed. "Ha. Considering I'm currently out driving way too fast because you're not around to keep me entertained, yeah." Taking the next bend in the road, her tires squealed due to her speed. "But we gotta keep this short."

"Just wanted to let you know I'm gone for another two weeks. The old man has me flying over to Berlin to meet with the distributors. Thinks it'll help smooth over the transition."

Imma shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Call me when you get there, alright?" He'd been gone a full week already. She could live with two more.

"Will do. And, Imma, when I get back, maybe we talk about where we're headed." He let the question dangle, a good move on his part.

Imma gave a noncommittal answer. "Let's get you through taking over for your dad, first, yeah?"

He sighed, but agreed and signed off to catch his flight.

Imma hated to disappoint him, but she shied away from the big moment conversations.

Mainly because she feared moving beyond casual dating into full-blown relationship territory. Her parents sucked at the whole happily ever after deal—a long string of stepparents on both sides proved their lack of expertise. Why would she do any better?

She probably wouldn't and didn't want to attempt anything deeper than staying overnight a few times a week. But she had a small reprieve from worrying about a discussion of more for now.

The music cut back in, blaring one of her favorite songs. Her foot jammed down on the accelerator and she let out a wild yell, shaking off the downer mood. A roadside sign showed a series of curves ahead and she took the first turn without letting off the gas, whipping her car around the bend, her head thrown back and a bark of laughter escaping her lungs.

When she straightened, her eyes went wide and she swerved to miss the oncoming vehicle, careening onto the side of the road. She skidded on the shoulder, the rear end fishtailing in the loosely packed gravel, spinning the car sideways. Imma lost control, the steering wheel wrenched from her hands when the car finally crashed to a stop against the side of rocky outcropping.

She blinked several times then promptly passed out.

I'm still working on a good blurb for this one, which is always the hardest part for me. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Holy crap. What a week in TV—oh, and a kick awesome movie, too.

The Walking Dead's finale delivered the best ending line, maybe ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but damn close. I completely enjoyed Rick's journey over the entire season. And seriously, The Talking Dead and Chris Hardwick are so great. I love having that hour after TWD to decompress.

I have to take a moment to mention S.H.E.I.L.D. also. I'm one of the fans who completely enjoy the show, but the last several episodes have really amped up the drama and awesomeness. I'm excited to see what happens through the end of the season.

Arrow's Deathstroke blew my mind. Manu Bennett is truly remarkable in his performance. I love and hate him… at the same time. LOL I had a flurry of back and forth emails with a friend not long ago and one of the things we love the most about the show is how much Oliver totally screws up so much. His heart is usually in the right place, but he'll make the wrong call and everything blows up in his face. I, for one, love that about the show.

And finally… Bitten. Whoa. The season finale rocked!! I can't believe how much they crammed into forty-something minutes. I made the right call about who really pulled the strings, but I won't spoil anything here. LeBlanc and Santos got brilliantly awesome send offs. Basically, the perfect finale… even the very, very end. LOL I do have a bit of a quibble with Rachel, but I'm actually hoping there's more to her too stupid to live moments… and maybe my speculation will pay off regarding her. Come on, season two. *prays for news soon*

Last, but not least, gotta mention Captain America: Winter Soldier. I LOVED it. It's now at the top of my fave Marvel movies. I've always been a Cap girl anyway, but this movie just kicked major ass. And totally blew up the Marvel 'verse. LOL

My one and only gripe is having Natasha be former KGB. If her birthdate is 1984, the timeline doesn't fit since the KGB disbanded in something like 1991. Hmm… unless she joined at birth. *shrugs* It's a tiny blip. Besides, I can go with comic canon and assume she's doing the slow aging thing if I really need to. J

Whew… should get to the actual post, right? Tonight's snippet is from Hazardous Curves Ahead and it puts my main characters on the hot seat.

Here's the tagline:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice… until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

Imma started her stretches. "Sef, how's the shoulder doing?"

He made a rolling motion. "Not bad. Only a few kinks."

She grinned. "I'll bet you say that to all the women in your life." She hooked her foot under the bar and did ten reps with the machine.

He nodded toward her leg. "How's the knee?"

She rubbed the scar. "Getting stronger. I'll be dancing in the streets in a few weeks." She laughed. "Much better than driving like a maniac."

He chuckled. "Hey, you weren't the only one flying around that curve." He completed a set of reps, straining on the last two. "I haven't figure out how we managed to survive after crashing into each other."

She moved on to her next set. "The planets were lined up properly?" She shrugged. "Whatever rules the universe let us off easy that night."

He shot her a sideways glance. "Or maybe it brought us together." Grabbing his water bottle, he took a long swallow. "Totally lame, I know, but the timing smacks of serendipitous chance."

Imma got a twisty feeling in her gut. She hadn't kept her boyfriend a secret, but she rarely mentioned him around Sef. Mainly because her attraction to the man made her giddy, and her relationship with Griff bordered on being casual.

Lost in thought, she shot a quick glance in Sef's direction. His gaze lit up and a huge smile crossed his face, but his attention focused on the big doors leading to the main corridor.

Curious, Imma angled her head around to see who'd walked in.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite people on the planet." Griffin high-fived Sef.

A sinking sensation settled in the pit of Imma's stomach when Sef turned in her direction.

"Imma, meet my brother, Griff. Griff, Imma."

How she managed to stay upright, she had no idea, because her world spun sideways and tilted on its axis.

I know, right? There's nothing quite like having the object of a flirtation introduce her to her own boyfriend, is there? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin