Sunday Snippet: Muse It Up

I can't believe October is almost over. We have our fall weather in full swing though and that makes me happy. Made two batches of potato soup over the weekend because we had rain and chilly temperatures. Perfect for this time of year.

Had a busy work week with one difficult but fun project and another in the final stages. Also got a lot of writing completed. I finished up the two manuscripts from last week and I'm doing final read throughs before sending off to beta readers. I'm so excited!

Had another light week of watching television. I go through phases were I'm either need to focus on other things and can't have background noise or I'm not quite in the mood to watch anything.

I did get another episode of Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm enjoying season three. It's a little jarring to not have the trio as tight as they have been, but I like the different dynamics playing out.

Watched another episode of The Batman and loved it. I remember this one from my original watch and it's fun when Alfred has to save Bruce's butt to keep his secret safe.

Also caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both had good moments with Dil and I'd forgotten how cute some of the episodes were after he came along.

Enjoyed another episode of VIP and liked having some Nikki backstory. I can't remember if we get anything for Quick and Kay or not.

Caught a double-header of Battlestar Galactica with "Exodus" parts one and two. I can honestly say there's not a wasted moment in the almost two hours of viewing. These two episodes are premium … even the parts I hate that feature Sam and Leoben, my two least favorite characters.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Muse It Up, a novella that brings a couple together when both are looking for something new.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gallagher, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

"See, Uncle Paul, the place cleaned up really well." Hunter Gallagher turned her phone and did a slow sweep of the main room.

Paul Kilkenny snorted. "You and I define cleaned up a little differently, my girl."

His long-term girlfriend nudged him. "Shut up. It looks amazing, considering Hunter's had two days to whip it into shape."

Hunter's lips curved. "Thanks, Louanne. By the time you guys get back from Ireland, you won't recognize the apartment." Not if she pulled off all the plans she had for the place.

Paul draped an arm around Louanne. "Even though the reason sucks, the timing ended up being perfect for you to move in above the bar." He leaned closer to the screen. "You sure you don't want me to call Declan? Maybe see if he can get a couple of his biker friends to go teach your rat bastard of an ex-fiancé a lesson in manners?"

Louanne gave a nod. "Yeah, and how to keep his grubby paws of your hard-earned cash." Her face turned fierce.

Hunter shook her head. "Yes, I'm sure. I do not want either of my brothers trying to handle my ex. I own my shit. I trusted the idiot, which says more about me than anything." Like she should never get engaged again.

Or open joint financial accounts.

Danson Smythe took Hunter's money and his actual fiancée and headed for Mexico, leaving Hunter with whatever cash she had on hand and an angry landlord. Thankfully, her name hadn't been on the lease, and she got moved out within twenty-four hours.

Louanne waved her hand. "Oh, honey, no it doesn't. That young man hid his true colors behind a sparkly shield. Now that he's revealed himself to be a black-hearted ass, you're so much better off." She slid her gaze toward Paul. "And your uncle's right. The timing ended up working out for all of us. You were going to take over managing the Library for Paul anyway and now you don't have to drive across the city to do it. It's kind of win-win, right?" Her shoulder rolled in a shrug.

Hunter laughed. "When you put it like that, yeah, it's definitely a bonus. And if last night is any indication, I'm going to love working here."

Here being the bar her uncle owned. The space above had been living space way back in the day. Paul didn't use the second floor, but he did make sure everything met building codes.

Paul gave a nod. "You're gonna do great with our regulars. They're a good bunch. And I'll check in every Sunday before you open. If you need anything before our weekly meetings, let me know." His gaze glanced somewhere off the screen. "Uh, looks like they're getting ready to load the bus. We'll check in again soon."

Louanne did a waggle-fingered wave and ended the FaceTime.

Hunter shook her head. She loved her uncle and his girlfriend. Paul took Louanne to Ireland in the hopes she'd finally relent and marry him. They'd been together almost twenty years and she remained steadfast in both her commitment to Paul and her refusal to wed. Hunter respected the hell out of Louanne for going against the grain, especially in a family that got somewhat entrenched in traditional values even while embracing change when it happened.

Hunter crossed over to her new entryway and slid her feet into serviceable shoes. "Time to head down and open the Library."

And see what happened on the next page of her life…

I love writing Hunter's family dynamic. I can't wait to see if her brothers make an appearance.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Muse It Up

It's been a weird week but also a productive one. I can't quite believe March is almost over. My middle kid has gallbladder surgery on Tuesday and my youngest kid has a long weekend coming up and I'm kind of excited to have everyone home.

Very slow work week so I got to focus on writing again. Made a lot of progress on the back end with a good bit or organizing and updating files. I got some new projects launched and made a big dent in some older ones that have been on the back burner. It's always nice to feel productive.

Also got some cleaning done, which is terrific and long overdue. I've been setting a timer and sticking with one area for that timeframe. Seems to be working well so far. I pick a room, set the limit, and get busy. Makes the job seem less daunting.

On the television front, I got three arcs of Classic Who watched this week. I'm almost finished with season fourteen and I miss Sarah Jane but Leela is pretty fun. I don't think I've seen any Leela episodes so it's kind of fun to see new fare.

I also watched several more episodes of The Muppet Show. I'm about halfway through the first season and other than remembering how annoying Miss Piggy's karate chops are I'm having great memories.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness and finished out the ninth season. I'll be starting ten this week.

Got another episode of Peak Practice in and should have one more for the second season then ready to start the third. I'm not sure how long Jack and Beth will be sticking around but I'm really enjoying this show.

I also got to catch an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I'm behind on the new season, but I like to binge this show so I'll get caught up soon.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Muse It Up, a novella where the hero finds his muse in an odd place.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gant, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

Hunter scrambled to answer her phone. "Hello." Sunlight poured through the window in the small apartment above the bar.

"Hey, sis. You doing okay?"

Her mouth curved. "I'd be doing better if you didn't call at an ungodly hour." Her brother, Keegan, never had good timing.

He chuckled. "It's after noon. Thought you might like to get some lunch now that you've settled in."

Yawning, she cracked an eye open. "Make it breakfast and you're on." She sat up, putting her phone on speaker. "I didn't get to bed until after five."

Keegan sputtered. "What? Are you having trouble or something?"

Hunter rolled her eyes. "Geez, bro. Put the badge away." She rifled through her drawer. "No, I'm not having trouble. Seriously? With a bookish type of clientele?" Might be different if Paul and Louanne had the type of patrons their brother Declan had—he ran a roadside bar that catered to motorcycle enthusiasts.

Keegan kicked a snarky reply back to her. "Right. Because people who write about serial killers and the dregs of humanity can't possibly be dangerous."

Hunter yanked a shirt over her head. "Keeg, you've been a cop too long." The lone wolf in the family, Keegan had chosen law enforcement over entrepreneurship.

He snorted. "Which means I've seen a lot of what some of those authors write about."

Tugging a pair of leggings on, Hunter paused midway. "Speaking of authors. Guess who parked his ass on one of my barstools last night." She finished dressing, grabbing a pair of socks then heading for the bathroom.

Keegan huffed out a breath. "No idea. Who?"

She turned the water on and snagged her toothbrush. "Nate Shaunessey." Muting the phone, she started brushing her teeth, grinning when Keegan finally found his voice.

"No shit? I love his books." He went off on a tangent about the current series ending. "Wait, you're not messing with me are you?"

She quickly rinsed and unmuted the phone. "No, of course not. I'm not Declan." She laughed when Keegan muttered about Declan's bad habit of telling tall tales.

Keegan finally asked, "So … what's he like in person?"

Hunter chuckled. "I'll fill you in at breakfast. Where do you want to meet?"

Keegan didn't hesitate. "Come out the back way. I'm sitting in the alley behind the bar. We can decide on the way."

Hunter opened the door and, sure enough, her brother's personal vehicle idled at the bottom of the stairs. "Dammit, Keegan." She cut the call to the sound of his laughter.

I really like this story and I love the sibling dynamic Hunter has going on. I'm excited to see where things go.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Muse It Up

Geez… what a week. I can honestly say I've never worked harder on a copy edit than I have for the past twelve days. I've actually never taken twelve days to complete a copy edit before. TLDR… it's a long manuscript and there were a crap ton of glitchy little things that needed review. My brain kind of hurts right now. LOL

To top the long work week off, my daughter had three nights of after-school events.  National honor society inductions on Tuesday, golf awards banquet on Thursday, and the holiday parade on Friday, which we made five gallons of hot chocolate for the choir kids to drink and keep warm while riding the float. Seriously… it's not as easy to make five gallons of a hot drink as one might think. And… my daughter's also in band so she doesn't even ride the float with the choir. She marches and misses all the chocolaty goodness.

Needless to say, I'm now behind on my television viewing. I actually couldn't watch the finale of The Last Ship. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this show yet. I'm going to miss that damn ship and its sailors so much.

I do have a brief rundown of what I did get to see. Caught another episode of Strike Back's fifth season. I'm starting to like this group a lot. I do miss the instant chemistry the previous cast had, especially the leads. That said, the dynamic is different enough with this group that I'm interested in where things go. And they're completely pared down, carrying on with how the previous incarnation ended. The commander is rebuilding and restoring the reputation of Section Twenty. So… they get lots of wiggle room.

Caught the Chicago crossover event with Fire, Med, and PD. Thoroughly enjoyed all three shows. I've lost some love for Chicago PD. The fifth season kind of lost me with all the sneaky snitchy bullshit. I really want to watch Chicago Med from the beginning. Here's hoping that happens in the near future.

I'm almost finished with Luke Cage. Disappointed there won't be a third season but maybe we'll see the character is something else. Who knows.

Got an episode of Murdoch Mysteries in. I like how this show weaves current topical events into the storyline, showing how often history tends to repeat. Not necessarily a great thing, but it's fun to see how they work it all out.

Watched a couple episodes of Classic Who. I'm behind on the new season but should get caught up soon. Started a new episode of Penny Dreadful and should finish the first season by the end of the month.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Muse It Up, a novella that started with writing community prompt of "a writer meets a bartender at his favorite bar". What happens next?

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gant, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

Nate buzzed with a million ideas. "Hunter Gant, you're a lifesaver." He entered his cottage on its corner lot and went directly to his writing nook.

The small alcove had a wall lined with floor to ceiling bookcases that held many of his reference books, a wall with double windows, which let in lots of natural light, and a third wall that included his work area, an L-shaped desk with his PC, laptop, and several writing aids—inspiration boards, a phone docking station for playing music, and a huge white board he used to refine story points.

Settling behind his desk, he switched on the lamp—not much natural light streaming through the windows at five a.m. Opening his laptop, he started typing as soon as the empty document appeared on the screen. He filled ten pages by dumping the contents of his brain through his fingertips flying over the keys.

His mouth kicked up in a grin. "Thank you, Hunter." Her family history provided a solid backdrop for his newly forming character—Fiona O'Leary, heir apparent to a supernatural legacy of solving the unsolvable.

He saved the notes then leaned back and closed his eyes. "Fiona is uniquely situated. Her dad's side of the family is involved in law enforcement; her mom's side all own pubs. Fiona has a foothold in each, running a detective agency and working as a bartender in two of the pubs on the side." He nodded, loving the vision sparking to life in his head.

Grabbing a notepad, he jotted character traits, all coming from Hunter. He focused on her green eyes, sketching from memory and filling in with some colored pencils. Tearing the page, he tacked it onto one of his inspiration boards.

He spent the next several hours filling in backstory. How Fiona got her start as a supernatural detective; how her family of cops and bar owners referred clients to her and how she used them as resources. The law enforcement side gave her access to police reports and autopsy findings. The pubs offered up a place for her to tap into the preternatural world by providing a gathering spot for fae creatures and other paranormal beings.

Once the world took shape, he started on the other characters. Fiona would have love interests in both facets of her work.

He made a note in the margin of the page. "At least two in each. She won't find her true match until at least book five." Five… out of a dozen.

Yes! He had at least a dozen, maybe more. Creative fires burning, he continued typing, writing, refining, and outlining until his eyes almost crossed with fatigue. Glancing at the time, he yawned. Ten a.m. Five hours of nonstop work. He'd take it.

Especially after three days of pretty much nothing.

Leaving everything out and open, he got up and stretched the kinks out of his muscles. "Time for a shower and a few hours of sleep."

Then another session of work and maybe a visit with his new-found muse.

I'm having a lot of fun writing Nate and his inspiration. Hunter's story will unfold a little slower and she'll reveal her secrets a little at a time.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Muse it Up

Another week of not losing any favorites on The Last Ship. Now I'm really concerned whoever is next will completely gut me. The Greens need to stay safe, at least long enough for a lovely family reunion. I actually fear something will happen to Mrs. Green because that's so not the obvious choice. I'll say this… if the president or Jacob the asshat reporter tries to harm her, I'll come after them. (In actuality, it'll probably be the blonde adviser—whose name I can't be bothered to remember—who does something awful to Kara, which, yeah, will add her to my list of 'deserves to die in a fire' candidates.)

Killjoys had a terrific episode this week. I'm excited to watch the next episode. Really interested in finding out more about Dutch's history, but I also want to see more about Johnny and D'Av, too. Sprinkling in small details about Pree, Pawter, and Alvis along the way is always welcome, too. I'm a little less into the whole nine thing, but I could become intrigued if they play that out a little over this season and really dive into it during the next season. (hint, hint).

Dark Matter jumped up on the interest chart again. I have a sneaky feeling there's been a switcheroo regarding One and I'm looking forward to finding out if my theory is correct. That said, I'm enjoying the dynamic with the remaining crew and the newcomers. We'll see if that continues. J

Babylon 5 and Strike Back rewatches are ongoing. I'm leaning toward a Banshee binge since I'll finish up Strike Back before B5 is complete. I'm also debating whether to start a few of the Netflix series I've wanted to dive into. Decisions, decisions.

Enough TV. Tonight's post is from Muse it Up, a novella prompted by the idea of a writer meets a new bartender at their favorite hangout.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gant, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

Nate entered The Library, climbed up onto a stool, and slumped over the counter. Defeated by his lack of a muse, he wanted a shot of something strong to wash away the bitter aftertaste of no progress for the third day. He'd never had a novel give him flaming fits the way his current one wanted to.

A shot of tequila landed in front of him and he glanced up to find a new bartender behind the counter. A smokin' hot looker.

She smiled. "You look like a tequila kind of man." She wiped the surface beside him with a towel. "I'm two for three on guessing tonight. Did I peg you right?"

Nate grinned. "Consider yourself three for four. Tequila is never a bad choice." He downed the shot.

The woman lifted a brow. "No salt or lemon? Gotta say I'm impressed." She poured him another.  "The name's Hunter Gant. Nice to meet you."

Nate stuck out his hand. "Nate Shaunessey." She had a firm grip and gorgeous eyes. "You're new here, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yep. Started last night." She propped her arms on the counter. "You look like you needed the double."

Nate's lips quirked. "Been a long and unproductive day." He lifted the glass. "A double is exactly what I needed."

Hunter cocked her head. "Author, agent, or editor?"

He blinked and she laughed.

"They don’t call this place The Library for nothing. I hadn't worked more than hour before I realized a very bookish group called this place their home away from home."

He chuckled. "You're good." And fascinating. "And it's author, although not much of one today."

Hunter sent him a quick grin. "Blocked or distracted?"

Nate sighed. "A little of both, to be honest. I've hit a wall and can't seem to scale it."

Another patron took a stool at the other end of the bar, drawing Hunter's attention. "Be right back." She leaned in. "I think this guy's a vodka man."

Nate's lips curved upward. What an interesting woman, and he didn't really know much about her. He loved her look, though. Shoulder length hair pulled back in a serviceable ponytail, leaving her flawless face on display. Moss green eyes that filled with humor or understanding and drew people in.

Ideas started rolling through his head and Nate fought an urge to leap off his seat and dash back to his house.

Not yet. Too many details warred for space in his mind and he'd have to let them settle before he could focus on building a story. But at least he had concrete picture and images floating around.

Because of Hunter Gant.

Nate had found his new muse and he barely knew anything about her.

I'm enjoying how the pieces are coming together for this story. Can't wait to finish up and get it out there.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Muse it Up

Hello,

I feel kind of off balance since there's no new Orphan Black to rave about this week. LOL

But... Defiance held up against its premiere, no complaints. In fact, I'm really enjoying the shift in dynamics. The mayor totally creeps me out, and that's a good thing. The actor who plays him is one of my faves and it's fun to see him in something of a villainous role. And not that I have any expectations, but I'm thrilled Nolan and Amanda aren't dancing around each other and drawing crap out. Doesn't bode well, I'm sure, but half the fun of watching is to see where the writers take things.

Oddly, Dominion is keeping my attention, too. Didn't have loads of confidence, but I still want to find out what happens next. I also finished a rewatch of Bitten and I'm on the second season of a Canadian show—Arctic Air. I have a list of shows from Canada I'm looking forward to watching. Stay tuned. J

Tonight's post is from Muse it Up, a novella where the main male character needs to find a new muse.

Here's the tagline:

Nate Shaunessey can't get in the groove to write his new supernatural series. When he meets the new bartender, Hunter Gant, at his local pub, a muse is born. The only problem? Nate's afraid to tell her she's his latest inspiration.

And a snippety peek…

Nate entered The Library, climbed up onto a stool and slumped over the counter. Defeated by his lack of a muse, he wanted a shot of something strong to wash away the bitter aftertaste of no progress for the third day. He'd never had a novel give him flaming fits the way his current one wanted to.

A shot of tequila landed in front of him and he glanced up to find a new bartender behind the counter. A smokin' hot looker.

She smiled. "You look like a tequila kind of man." She wiped the surface beside him with a towel. "I'm two for three on guessing tonight. Did I peg you right?"

Nate grinned. "Consider yourself three for four. Tequila is never a bad choice." He downed the shot.

The woman lifted a brow. "No salt or lemon? Gotta say I'm impressed." She poured him another.  "The name's Hunter Gant. Nice to meet you."

Nate stuck out his hand. "Nate Shaunessey." She had a firm grip and gorgeous eyes. "You're new here, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yep. Started last night." She propped her arms on the counter. "You look like you needed the double."

Nate's lips quirked. "Been a long and unproductive day." He lifted the glass. "A double is exactly what I needed."

Hunter cocked her head. "Author, agent, or editor?"

He blinked and she laughed.

"They don’t call this place The Library for nothing. I hadn't worked more than hour before I realized a very bookish group called this place their home away from home."

He chuckled. "You're good." And fascinating. "And it's author, although not much of one today."

Hunter sent him a quick grin. "Blocked or distracted?"

Nate sighed. "A little of both, to be honest. I've hit a wall and can't seem to scale it."

Another patron took a stool at the other end of the bar, drawing Hunter's attention. "Be right back." She leaned in. "I think this guy's a vodka man."

Nate's lips curved upward. What an interesting woman, and he didn't really know much about her. He loved her look, though. Shoulder length hair pulled back in a serviceable ponytail, leaving her flawless face on display. Moss green eyes that filled with humor or understanding and drew people in.

Ideas started rolling through his head and Nate fought an urge to leap off his seat and dash back to his house.

Not yet. Too many details warred for space in his mind and he'd have to let them settle before he could focus on building a story. But at least he had concrete picture and images floating around.

Because of Hunter Gant.

Nate had found his new muse and he barely knew anything about her.

Hunter won't be overly thrilled to be Nate's inspiration, but she may just grow to like the idea.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin