Sunday Snippet: A Rustic Affair

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. For everyone else, I hope your weekend is rocking with good vibes!

We got some terrific news this week. My youngest, who will graduate from university in May, got accepted into grad school! She's so excited and will have a Master of Arts Administration when she finishes.

Had a fairly busy week with work projects. Discovered one ended up with a corrupted file and had to fix some weird, random code that inserted itself into the file. What a pain!

Decent week of viewing television. I'll admit some was mainly background noise while I worked on editing. But not bad overall.

Ended up getting two episodes of The Batman in this week. Enjoyed both and should be on track to catch another one this week.

Also caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Weirdly, I remember two but from different episodes. They always did two per show and I distinctly remember one from each of the episodes I watched. Weird.

Watched another episode of My Life Is Murder and, once again, enjoyed it. Dueling bakers isn't something I would normally think of as a premise for murder.

Enjoyed another episode of Midsomer Murders. I have one left for this season and then it's time to wait for more again. Good thing there are plenty of other mysteries to keep me occupied.

Started the new season of Silent Witness. Another new face or two for this season and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting this season.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. We're getting closer to Humphrey's exit and Jack's entrance. I'll be able to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. The new vibe between Holmes and Watson is fun. I'm enjoying a slightly softer version of Sherlock.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I skipped one because I really didn't care one bit about the whole saga of Andrew and Kate. But it's interesting that Will is back. Should be a wild ride.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from A Rustic Affair, a novella that explores what happens after a couple retires from their dangerous life.

Here's the miniblurb:

Necia Sands and Falcon Seaver, two mercenaries for hire who finally retire from the life, try to settle down. Being opposites draws them together, but it also makes them clash over simple things—like finding the right place to live.

And a snippety peek…

Falcon wouldn't believe it, but Necia loved the bones of the house. Yeah, a full reno would be needed to get it where she wanted it to be. But working with Falcon—especially for their future—made her giddy.

She gazed out the window of a second-floor bedroom. "What about security?" They might be retired but no one ever completely left the job behind.

Not in their line of work.

Falcon lifted his shoulder. "We can take some precautions—if you really feel they're necessary." His lips curved in a half smile.

Necia frowned. "You don't?" They'd be stupid to not consider some type of system.

He sighed. "Maybe, but we're done, Necia. I'm using an alias for the deed transfer. If someone wants to find us, they'll have to look hard." He rocked back on his heels a little.

She didn't want to argue but they had a long list of potential enemies. And some of them might actually go out of their way to track them down. Then again, she and Falcon had a habit of being lucky.

Glancing up at him, she gave a shrug. "We're pretty good at hiding when we need to." She grinned. "We probably don't have to worry … much. We won't have to run down bad guys out here, right?"

Falcon chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Doubtful. Besides, look what we'd probably end up chasing…"

She followed the direction of his gaze. A family of furry critters paraded along the edge of the cliff. Her mouth curved in a smile. An image of her and Falcon spilling out the house, guns drawn filled her mind.

She barked out a laugh. "Yeah, okay. We can revisit the security idea later." She'd chill on the idea for now.

Falcon stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Works for me." His chin rested on her shoulder.

Necia turned to face him. "Getting used to normal might take a while." But the concept gave her several ideas and she tilted her head to one side. "Is it bad luck to christen a house before we own it?" Her hands smoothed down his chest.

Heat flared in his eyes. "Don't know, but I'm willing to tempt fate."

She popped the button on his cargo pants. "Downstairs, looking out at the ocean?" Her fingers worked his zipper down.

Falcon grabbed her hands. "Absolutely." He stepped away. "Race you there." Taking off, he made a beeline for the steps.

Necia huffed out a harsh breath and stripped her shirt off. "To the victor go the spoils."

And she would be victorious.

This is such a fun story! Necia and Falcon won't be quite finished with their dangerous affairs, and I can't wait to dive into that!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: A Rustic Affair

Well, hello there, June. To be honest, considering it's only the second day of the month, June isn't starting off too badly. We're actually having a spring in Ohio and it's oddly unsettling. LOL

Not a bad week of television viewing. Finished up the second episode of Banshee and started on the third of the first season. I want to search around and see if the mini-episodes of the origin storyline are available. Definitely filled in some blanks.

Caught two additional episodes of Blue Heelers and started a third. I really do enjoy this show a lot.

I'm almost finished with Chicago Fire's seventh season. I'm up to episode eighteen. I loved the focus on luck and also the interaction with Severied and Foster. Great to see Donna again too.

Gotta say, I'm actually pretty satisfied with Iron Fist's season finale. Well, I guess it's more of a series finale and I freely admit that disappoints me. That said, I'm thrilled with the potential for what could have been the third season's story elements. Misty ended up in a good place even if she's not completely certain where her career is going to take her. Joy and Walker could have some terrific potential for figuring themselves out. Colleen, quite simply, kicks ass no matter what she does. But the best part is where Danny and Ward ended up… on the adventure of a lifetime to figure out what their roles are in the big picture of life. So… I would have been thrilled and happy as hell to have a third season but I'm very okay with how the show ended this iteration of itself.

Caught the camping trip episode of Classic Roswell. I remembered this one and Kyle's snark coming out if full force was so much fun. I also enjoyed the interaction with Jim and his dad. Considering the episode is all about fathers, it was a great piece of the puzzle.

Watched the second episode of Frankie Drake and enjoyed it. The show feels different this season and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll see how the rest of the season goes.

Caught another episode of Riverdale and, man, it's so… poignant to see Luke Perry on screen. Being behind like I am, I've had time to deal with the loss of the actor but I haven't had the chance to deal with losing the character on the show… because it hasn't happened yet.

Arrow's episode ended up being excellent! Nice to finally have Black Star's name and to know her relationship with Oliver, Felicity, and William. Have to admit, my heart kind of broke when William decided to leave with his grandparents. And… I'm going to miss this show so much when it's over!

Watched the penultimate episode of The Murders and it definitely didn't disappoint. I'm excited to see if this show returns. I'm crossing my fingers because I really love the cast and the storylines.

Discovered I didn't watch the penultimate episode of Painkiller Jane. I'd forgotten this had a full season of twenty-two episodes. I'm ready to see what else happens now.

Caught the third episode of Durham County and, yeah, still dark. I truly love the character dynamics and watching Mike kind of fail at holding shit together is compelling. There's a very fine line he has to walk to stay sympathetic and so far the actor is pulling it off.

Midsomer Murders had a good episode featuring Jones in a way I haven't seen him before. I like it. Looking forward to another episode this week.

Caught two more episodes of Peter Gunn and Classic Who. I started the Gunfighters arc and it's not bad at all.

Watched two episodes of In the Dark and both were excellent. Good to see more of Darnell's story and I really like the detective and the bartender maybe getting together. As usual, I'm on the fence with Murphy… just when I get so damn pissed off at her, she had a moment of clarity or remorse and shows her softer side. I'm definitely intrigued and can't wait for another episode.

Caught another episode of Blade and remembered it from the first time around. Watching Krista deal with her mom kind of kicked hard and watching Chase completely screw over the pureblood did not surprise at all. Just saying.

And that's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from A Rustic Affair, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of "building a house". I put a small spin on the idea and made it renovating a house.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Necia Sands and Falcon Seaver, two mercenaries for hire who finally retire from the life, try to settle down. Being opposites draws them together, but it also makes them clash over simple things—like finding the right place to live.

And a snippety peek…

Necia Sands shot a sideways glance toward her companion. "Kind of off the beaten path, aren't we?" The jeep jostled over another rut.

Falcon Seaver lifted his chin. "Yep. All told, there's fifteen acres out here. Limited access but great to settle on." He bounced on the seat when he hit another deep groove in the road. "The basics are handled. Water. Sewage. Electric and solar hookups." He made a sharp turn and the road smoothed out a little.

Necia studied him a long moment. After pulling ten years apiece in the covert undercover world, retirement almost seemed surreal. Mainly because not many people in their line of work actually got to retire. Necia couldn't quite get a solid read on Falcon's mindset… and she spent her working years reading people like books.

Tilting her head to one side, she gave him another measured glance. "Don't you think this is a little too much like literally being put out to pasture?" Okay, the craggy landscape didn't resemble a huge field, but still…

Fifteen acres in the middle of nowhere? She couldn't quite picture them spending a long time here.

Falcon rolled a shoulder. "Maybe. But I like the solitude." His face went tense and dark for a moment before relaxing again.

Okay, Necia got his need for calm. They'd lived on the edge for a long time. Ate, breathed, and slept dangerous situations for a paycheck.

So… solitude soothed the soul and eased the heavy burden of doing shit normal people wouldn't dream of doing.

But…

Necia liked a little crazy in her life. Falcon fit the bill—especially in bed—but she craved noise and excitement out of the sack, too. Good thing she loved him with everything she had or she'd be running for the nearest urban area in a flash.

Falcon stopped the SUV and cut the engine. Necia cocked her head, leaning closer to the open window. The sound of crashing waves filled her ears.

She turned, facing him. "Is that the ocean?" A spark of interest caught fire and licked through her system.

He flashed a grin and popped his door open. "Yep." He stepped out, his booted feet crunching on the gravel surface of the road.

She scrambled out behind him on the driver's side. "How close?" She could practically experience the pull of the water.

Falcon grabbed her hand and led her down a path to the edge. "Pretty close" He wrapped his arms around her.

Huge rocks made up the shoreline and the choppy water ebbed and flowed, creating a chorus of crashing cymbal-like sounds. Necia breathed deeply, letting the salty air fill her lungs.

She leaned into his embrace. "It's incredible." Started to see the possibilities of being out here.

Falcon smiled. "Thought you'd like it." He stepped away and nodded toward the road. "The owner is a former client who owes me for an off-the-books job. I called in the marker and he offered this parcel of land as payment." Fishing a set of keys out of his pocket, he dangled them between his fingers. "The house is up that way about another mile. It's a modern design but pretty rustic. Hasn't been lived in for at least two decades."

Necia's head whipped around. "There's a house?" He should've led with that information.

Falcon pointed along the cliff edge. "I can show you. We've got access." The keys jangled in his palm.

Necia narrowed her eyes. "Two decades, huh? There's a reason you showed me the beach first, isn't there?"

Falcon's grin went wide and he started back toward the SUV.

Necia followed, shaking her head. "You don't fool me one bit, mister."

But the idea of a house, free and clear, kicked the spark of interest up another notch.

I'm having so much fun with this story. The outline is complete and I love where things are going.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: A Rustic Affair

As usual, the weather in Ohio is all over the map. A balmy fifty degrees one day and single digits the next. It's crazy.

I'm working my way through my binge watch of Hawaii Five-0. I'm currently in season 4 at the halfway mark. I'm rather happy with the continuity to this point. When shows play with their history and / or rewrite it, I get a little cranky. (I'm looking at you NCIS: LA)

Need to catch up on The Librarians and Teen Wolf. Definitely looking forward to the return of my regular shows later this month.

Tonight's post is from A Rustic Affair, a novella with a bit of a twist, featuring two heroes who are finally ready to retire but struggle with how to do it.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Necia Sands and Falcon Seaver, two mercenaries for hire who finally retire from the life, try to settle down. Being opposites draws them together, but it also makes them clash over simple things—like finding the right place to live.

And a snippety peek…

Necia grimaced. "Nah, I'm actually sick of traveling. I'm ready to put down roots and stay in one place." She tilted her head to one side. "I think the longest I've spent in one location is four months." Her gaze met his. "That's when I met you."

Falcon's lips twisted in a half-smile. "When I shanghaied your wet work job for the company, you mean?" She'd been so pissed she almost shot him.

Twice.

She quirked an eyebrow. "I got my man in the end. You were the bonus payout."

Falcon didn't remind her it had taken two failed attempts on his life before she came around to that way of thinking. He needed information her target had and his intervention put her reputation on the line. Necia considered Falcon collateral damage… until his boss called her handler and she backed off.

Necia moved to stand toe-to-toe with him. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't think so at the time." Her hands grasped his hips. "But it didn't take me long to come around." She tilted her chin up and brushed her lips over his jaw.

Falcon wrapped his arms around her. "Only about two weeks or so." Fourteen days of playing cat and mouse while he extracted the intel he needed before letting her finish her job.

Necia cracked a smile. "A fun two weeks. I spent most of that time plotting ways to kill you, you know."

Falcon chuckled. "Then of course you enjoyed it." He walked her backward toward the front door. "Think of this place as another opportunity to plan my demise." Twisting the knob, he pushed the heavy oak inward and nudged her into the small foyer.

Necia sucked in a breath. "Um, yeah. You said it needed work." She shot him a sideways glance. "Not a complete reno." Moving forward into the sitting room, her gaze scanned the dusty interior.

He followed her line of sight, taking in the rickety steps to the second floor, the narrow hall leading to the kitchen. A den and bathroom lined the space. She'd probably flip at the upstairs. Two bedrooms, another bath, and an open area that might make a nice office space.

Not that they'd need an office. They were retired. No more work for hire.

Necia angled her head around and pinned him with her gaze. "Let's do it. Call the owner."

His mouth dropped open. "Seriously?" He actually thought she'd put up more of a fuss.

Necia grinned. "Yeah, seriously." She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the kitchen to the back door. "Listen… you can hear the waves crash from here." Pulling the curtain aside, she gazed out the window. "Add a porch out here and we can sit outside and probably feel the salt water spray off the ocean."

Falcon moved up, planting his hands on her hips. "Sounds pretty terrific."

Necia leaned her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, it does… Once we completely gut the place and start over." Her wide smirk suggested his next several months would be incredibly busy.

Falcon wouldn't have it any other way.

I think this is going to be a fun one to finish up. It's challenging to write conflict between two characters when they're working to avoid it.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin