Sunday Snippet: One Time Thing

Geez, half of May is gone and I have no idea where it went. At least the weather has somewhat improved and feels more like spring heading into summer.

Had a fairly decent week of work and television viewing. Finished up a project and completed another one.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and got about halfway through. So far, it's an interesting one.

I caught the penultimate episode of No Offence. I have a feeling the finale is going to be a doozy. I'm looking forward to starting the third series.

I finished up the second part of Silent Witness. I should be ready to move on to season eleven in the near future. I think I have one more two-parter to watch.

Watched another arc of Classic Who. Once again, I got a little annoyed with Four. There's something about his arrogance that rubs me wrong. Pretty decent four-part series of episodes leading up to the six-part finale, which I'm looking forward to.

Caught another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused on pilots and astronauts that had experiences seeing unidentified flying objects.

Watched a couple of The Muppet Show episodes. Don Knotts and Zero Mostel were the guests. I'd forgotten they had a new opening for the second season. I'm kind of partial to the first season's opener.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys. I like this show. For me, there's a lot of nostalgia because it harkens back to phones with cords, unorganized or unstructured days, eight-bit video games, and hanging out with friends. The mystery and dangerous stuff is icing on the cake.

Also started another episode of Peak Practice. Jack's in Africa and Beth and Will are trying to manage the practice while they wait on a replacement doctor. I have a feeling this episode might end up being a sad one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from One Time Thing, a novella that features my characters battling a powerful attraction.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes a wicked powerful attraction isn't always a good thing. Vickie South and Grant Magnus have an instant spark, but Vickie is dating Grant's best friend. A stormy night and loss of power set the stage, and the duo can't resist the strong pull, which makes for an awkward situation all around.

And a snippety peek…

Holy shit. His pictures don't do him justice.

Vickie blinked at her reaction, ignoring the jolt of awareness coursing through her body. She liked his quirky greeting. That had to be her stomach flip-flopped.

She rolled right along with her reply. "Got it one go." Sticking out her hand, she smiled. "Vickie South. I'm your ride to the airport." Geez, why the hell did her voice go husky and soft?

Grant clasped her palm. "Grant Magnus. Nice to finally meet you." He squeezed her fingers before reaching inside the door to grab his suitcase. "Appreciate you stepping in for the save. I'm between vehicles right now." He locked up and pulled the handle on his rolling luggage.

Vickie arched a brow. "As in you don't own one?" She'd be lost without her little blue four-door.

Grant flashed a grin. "Nope. But I will soon." He deftly maneuvered his case into her backseat. "I'm picking up my new ride when I get back." He slid into the passenger seat.

Vickie started the engine. "A big monster like Brent's or something different?" She reversed out of the drive.

Grant chuckled. "I've outgrown the need for huge displays of manhood." He sent her a deadpan glance.

Vickie laughed. "Oh, you're definitely Brent's friend." She liked the humorous dig only a best mate could make.

Grant shook his head. "Yeah, we rib each other all the time." He settled back in the seat. "Seriously, though, I'm not hurting financially but I want something that'll do the work of a truck but won't make me feel like I'm driving a tank."

Vickie slid her gaze sideways for a moment. "You're getting a Jeep, aren't you?" When he blinked in surprise, she smirked. "Tricked out with all the comforts, towing capacity, and probably a sleek dark shade."

He huffed out a laugh. "Damn, you're good. It is the luxury model, can pull an RV, and is a nice wine shade." He tilted his head to one side. "How'd you put that together?"

The light changed and she focused on the road again. "The dark color because you're in security and you'd want something fairly nondescript. I figured the top of the line model since you're a former soldier and have probably had enough of stripped down everything." She paused a moment before delivering her final observation. "You'd want a towing option since you like to go off the grid sometimes and get away from everything." She did a little chair dance with her last reveal.

Grant snorted. "It's really not fair that Brent has a big mouth."

Vickie nodded. "He really does. Nothing stays secret with him for long." He loved to tell tall tales from childhood.

Grant tsked. "Understatement of the century … except where you're concerned." He shifted to face her a little. "What else do you do aside from teaching yoga? You don't have to include keeping Brent in line. That's a given."

Vickie bit back another laugh. He definitely had his best friend pegged.

Honestly not sure where this one is going. The sages have ideas that I'm not quite down with, but hopefully I'll whip Vickie and Grant's story into shape.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: One Time Thing

Man, what a week. Sixty-one degrees one day and twenty-two the next. Ohio is crazypants sometimes. Yesterday, it snowed and, since it's the first significant accumulation we've had this winter, everyone forgot how to get around in the white stuff. It is rather nice it waited until the weekend. Monday's commute should go smoother. LOL

Had a light viewing week for television shows. Caught another episode of Underbelly: Razor. I thoroughly enjoy getting a feel for Australia in the twenties. It's a very different vibe from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and I like that.

Also caught another episode of Babylon 5. I've also been tuning into Comet occasionally to catch up there also. Also got to finally catch The Flash's 100 th episode. Gotta say, the messing with the timeline gives me a headache. I'm invested in the characters though so I'll keep watching.

Watched the second part of Blade's pilot episode. I liked this series when it aired but never got to watch it all the way through in order. I'm looking forward to having the chance now.

Started season fourteen of Midsomer Murders. The changing of the guard from Barnaby one to Barnaby two is fun to watch. I didn't get to see that episode in its original run.

I'm almost finished with season one of Pensacola Wings of Gold. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'll stick it out for the other two or three seasons. It sometimes irritates me when they scrap an entire cast and almost start over.

Caught another episode of Lexx. I really forgot how cornball some of the series ended up being. Still… it's a great nostalgia thing. Back when Syfy was SciFi and I watched the channel almost exclusively. I miss those days.

Tried to watch Gotham's fifth season premiere and my app decided to crap out. Not sure what the problem was so I'll try again later this week.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from One Time Thing, a novella that started as a think piece for my writing group. The idea was to examine the messy aspects of meeting the one you're meant to be with but not being free and clear to pursue the relationship.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes a wicked powerful attraction isn't always a good thing. Vickie South and Grant Magnus have an instant spark, but Vickie is dating Grant's best friend. A stormy night and loss of power set the stage, and the duo can't resist the strong pull, which makes for an awkward situation all around.

And a snippety peek…

Grant Magnus paced in front of the door. "Where the hell are you, Brent?" He glanced out the window again.

Friends since junior high, Grant and Brent had followed the same path until three years ago. Both joined the military and excelled in their chosen programs. Each had mustered out within six months of each other and both entered into private security.

Grant chuckled. "I definitely have the cushier job." Consulting with clients on their systems from the ground up paid well.

And he didn't have to be in a dusty, gritty desert or a frigid tundra unless he chose to.

Brent opted for fieldwork. He pretty much went back to all the hotspots and put his life on the line protecting dignitaries and bigwigs. But he made about five times what their military pay brought in.

Grant missed the physical activity sometimes, but he liked digging deep into a problem and troubleshooting solutions. He worked well with worst-case scenarios and fixing potential bugs before they went live. His current client brought him on board to map out a route for traveling through a country under siege. He couldn't wait to dive in and get started.

Checking his phone, he sighed. "If Brent ever gets here."

A sporty blue sedan pulled into the driveway. Definitely not Brent. He drove a huge pickup with an extended cab.

A brunette exited the vehicle and strode up the sidewalk. When she got closer, Grant recognized her. Vickie South. Brent's significant other for going on ten months.

 Longer than anyone else in his friend's roster of relationships.

Grant let out a low whistle. "You're as hot as he said you were."

A yoga instructor if Grant remembered correctly. She moved with ease and graceful fluidity. He'd bet anything her ass looked spectacular in a pair of yoga pants. Not that he'd find out today… she currently wore a sexy little sundress and strappy sandals. And looked damned fine.

"Geez, Magnus. Chill. She's not for you."

How the hell did Brent always get so lucky? Maybe because Grant flirted up a storm but had yet to make a solid commitment to a one-woman relationship. That would hopefully change after this consulting gig. The closer he got to thirty, the more he wanted to settle down and find a person to share his life with.

A rapid series of knocks drew his attention and pulled the front door open. "Let me guess… Brent got called out?" Damn… she looked even better up close.

I'm in trouble.

Grant is definitely in trouble but he's not alone. Vickie's going to be right there with him.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: One Time Thing

Holy crap! The Last Ship only has two more episodes left and I'm dying to see both yet dreading the long wait for season four. ARGH! We got a favored familiar face last week and lost a new favorite. We also got to see one major enemy get his due. Now we just need to see Blonde Ambition get what's coming to her and hopefully find out if Jacob the Asshat reporter, who turned into a decent dude after all, met a terrible end. A LOT happened last week. Just saying.

The Killjoys finale rocked. We got some answers and spawned new questions. And, of course, one third of the team is separated from the other two. I wouldn't mind that being a thing for each season finale. I'm so interested in seeing how things play out for season three and look forward to the recurring characters maybe getting a little more backstory. And hey, if Rick Howland can start recurring, bonus points for that. Hat's off to Michelle Lovretta and her team for creating such a kick ass show.

Dark Matter is also weaving intriguing ripples. Yeah, ripples can't really be woven together, but this is science fiction so *blows raspberries*. I kind of loved the whole android / hologram dealio. And I'm kind of hoping we get some development / clear answers on the corporation thing. I'm all for murky waters and all, but I wouldn't mind some concrete motives either.

My rewatch of Killjoys season one is inspiring me to maybe do some fun recaps on my sister blog. If nothing else, I'd love to talk the mix of cast / costumes / music, because the first season nailed everything.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from One Time Thing, a novella that started with the prompt of two characters share a dirty-bad-wrong secret from another before they died. I'm always interested in characters making mistakes then living with the consequences.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes a wicked powerful attraction isn't always a good thing. Vickie South and Grant Magnus have an instant spark, but Vickie is dating Grant's best friend. A stormy night and loss of power set the stage, and the duo can't resist the strong pull, which makes for an awkward situation all around.

And a snippety peek…

Vickie South hummed along with popular eighties song when the ping of her Bluetooth indicated an incoming call. "Hi, babe. What's up?" Her displayed showed the call coming from home.

Rapid breathing followed by a loud thunk greeted her ears. Speaker phone.

Brent Danner got to the point. "You don't have class this morning, do you?" The rip of a zipper sounded in the background.

Vickie bit back a sigh. She posted her schedule on the calendar in the kitchen. And updated it regularly—something Brent already knew.

She rolled her eyes. "No. I have two full, evening sessions tonight and a massage booked with one of the students." The rustling noise on the other end could only mean Brent had his go bag open.

He confirmed her suspicion. "I got a call out and I'm rolling in ten." His boots clomped on the floor and his bag thudded next. "Can you take Grant to the airport? He's got a flight out at ten and I was supposed to drop him off."

Grant Magnus. Brent's best friend, who she had yet to meet.

Vickie calculated the time it would take to add a trip to the other side of the city. "No one else can go?" She had a long list of errands to plow through.

Brent made a frustrated sound. "On short notice? No, Vic, there's no one else. He's expecting me in thirty minutes and I'm out the door in five." To emphasize his point, he rattled his keys.

Even though a Humvee would be picking him up.

Vickie made a turn into a parking lot. "Yeah, yeah. I'll give him a lift. What's his address?" Brent gave her a familiar street name. At least she wouldn't need GPS to find Grant's place. "Got it. I'll head out now."

Brent blew a kiss into the phone. "Thanks, Vic. Gotta go. My ride's here." He clicked off before she could ask how long he'd be gone.

Shoulders slumping, she shook her head. "The man has zero romance skills." Laughing, she backed out of the parking space and merged into traffic. "He'll have to make up for it when he gets home."

Whenever the hell that would be.

I hope my goal to establish something of a disconnect comes through on this scene, but not overtly. Let me know if it doesn't.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: One Time Thing

August 4, 2013

I gotta say we're having the most incredible weather right now. August in Ohio tends to be hot, sticky, humid, sweltering, and generally horrible. We're four days into the month and haven't hit above eighty degrees. It's honestly been the most pleasant summer I can remember, even with a buttload of rain. J

On a more random note, I'm actually rather 'meh' about the choice for the twelfth doctor. In all honesty, it's going to be hard for me to picture someone who had a prominent role on Torchwood—a sister show of Who—as anyone BUT that character. And the guy had a featured guest role in the Pompeii episode, so again, it effs up my continuity. And yeah, yeah, Eve Miles had a featured guest role on Who and went on to play Gwen, so what the hell am I bitching about, right? I guess it's because she didn't end up playing a third role in both shows.

Enough about television. LOL

Tonight's post is from One Time Thing, a novella that includes one of my kinky tropes. I have a strong desire to write forbidden love that starts out dirty!bad!wrong but ends up being the greatest thing between the hero and heroine. Sadly, someone almost always gets hurt, but seeing how the couple deals with that fallout is part of the allure, IMO. J

Here's a tagline:

Sometimes a wicked powerful attraction isn't always a good thing. Vickie South and Grant Magnus have an instant spark, but Vickie is dating Grant's best friend. A stormy night and loss of power set the stage, and the duo can't resist the strong pull, which makes for an awkward situation all around.

And a snippety peek…

Vickie couldn't get Grant out of her head and reliving the night they spent together messed things up with Brent. She blamed the alcohol. If she'd been sober, she could recall their wild romp with clarity and put it aside, pulling it out only when she needed a fantasy moment for herself. Instead she had fuzzy recollections of lips on skin and heated whispers of more, now, yes, and don't stop. She got hot and wet every damn time she thought about Grant Magnus, and it had to stop.

She rolled to a halt outside his house, but left the engine running, and hoped her brain would finally give it a rest. Instead, a flash of memory—Grant's hair-roughened thighs feeling perfect under her ass—had her shutting off the car and shoving the door open. Cursing him and hating herself, she grabbed her keys, slammed the door shut, and made her way up the short walkway to his front door. Fisting her hand, she knocked then stepped back, almost praying he wouldn't answer. Two seconds later, the door swung open and Grant filled the space, looking every bit as disgusted as she felt.

He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a hard glare. "Why are you here?"

Her tongue darted out and flicked over her bottom lip. Armed with nothing but the insane desire to drive him from her mind, she got straight to the heart of the matter.

She dropped it on him point blank. "I want another night—no storm, no power outage, no alcohol—to get you out of my system."

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Her fingers itched to smack him. "Because I can't stop thinking about it, you, and it's driving me insane."

He shook his head. "Not my problem. And not gonna happen." He stepped back and grabbed the door, ready to close it.

She braced a hand on the wood surface. "Tell me you're not thinking about it…or me. Tell me. Can you do that?"

Grant clamped his mouth shut and his lips thinned to a flat line, but he didn't speak. Vickie pushed past him and entered the house. "I knew it couldn't just be me." She swung around and faced him. "One night. That's it, I swear."

Grant kicked the door shut. "Really? Are you sure about that?" He raked a hand through his hair. "Tell me, Vickie, what if you and Brent get married? What are you gonna do if someone else turns your head? Another one night deal to get him out of your system, too?"

Her face heated, from anger and embarrassment. She didn't want him to know how deeply he'd affected her. Hell, she barely wanted to admit the power he had to invade her thoughts on a regular basis.

But she answered with brutal honesty. "Nobody's ever gotten under my skin before." She met and held his gaze. "I doubt anyone else ever will."

Including Brent. She didn't say it, wouldn't speak it aloud, but Grant acknowledged the unspoken statement with a frustrated growl and stalked past her, pacing back and forth.

He stopped and pinned her with his gaze. "You're asking me to break faith with one of my best friends."

She nodded. "I know." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "What the hell am I doing here?"

Grant answered quietly. "I don't know, Vickie. I really don't."

Vickie tilted her head to the side and studied him. His face and eyes held the same desire and want hers did. How stupid were they to even consider something so stupid? She'd asked the same question a million times on the way to his house and no magical answer arrived to stop her.

She pushed for more. "Yet here I stand." Stark and emotionally naked. "What do we do?"

Grant didn't reply, but he didn't glance away either. Her gut churned and she wanted him to throw her out or drag her to his bed—something, anything—to break the spell of lust she'd lived with since the night of the storm.

His mouth opened then closed and he clamped his lips together. Dammit. Make a move. Or maybe he had, and she needed to figure it out. She cocked her head again and he didn't move, hardly even blinked.

She exhaled slowly. "Right. I get it. Forget I came." She turned toward the door and took a step forward.

"Vickie, wait." He strode over and grasped her arm. "I'm shit for even saying this, but you're not wrong. I haven't thought of anything else since we hooked up." His hand slid downward coming to rest on her wrist. "But it's gotta be a one-time thing. One and done. Nothing more."

Vickie held back a shudder. "One time. Got it." She met his gaze. "That's all it's gonna take."

She hoped.

Grant's head lowered and he claimed her mouth, his tongue sliding past her lips to thoroughly explore. Vickie grabbed his shirt with both hands, hauling him close then wrapped her arms around his waist. Grant cupped her ass with one hand and swung his other arm under her legs, lifting her with ease then headed toward his bedroom.

A wave of heat flared and Vickie had a sinking feeling one time would never be enough.

Poor Vickie, she won't be wrong about once never being enough. J But Grant is going to do his level best to stick to the bargain. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin