Sunday Snippet: Bikini Beach

Happy St. Paddy's Day to all of Irish descent. And well…to those not, too. LOL

Been fighting an all-day headache, the kind that kind of just hangs there and acts annoying. Will keep the post brief because of that. L

Tonight's preview is from another manuscript I just got started, Bikini Beach. Again, the idea came from a prompt posted to one of my writing comms. Seriously love getting a spark from those.

Here's the tagline:

Talia Ashe loves her job, but she's ready to kill her partner, Hugh McVey because he's pushing hard to get a project done and they're down to the wire. She takes a mental health day, to keep from doing Hugh bodily harm, but he ruins it when he shows up on her patch of beach.

And here's the snippety peek…

6 am

breep-breep-breep-breep-breep

Talia Ashe threw her pillow to drown out the obnoxious sound of her alarm. Flinging an arm over her eyes, she decided she couldn't face getting up and going in to work. And considering she'd worked past midnight the night before, she shouldn't have to.

Four hours of sleep just didn't cut it and one day couldn't possibly hurt. The delay would piss her partner off, but Hugh could suck donkey balls. If she had to deal with his constant push-push-push to get the job done attitude another day she'd lose her mind.

Or run the risk of maiming him with sharp objects.

Not his fault their client died mid-project and his widow decided to take the reins and change everything. The woman had no clue about production schedules, order fulfillment, or what it took to change the packaging at the very last possible moment. Or what missing the launch date would do to her bottom line. But she didn't have a board of directors to worry about so she could do whatever she pleased.

Stifling a huge yawn, Talia grabbed her phone from the bedside stand and dialed Hugh's number. Expecting the call to go to voice mail, she got a surprise when he answered on the second ring.

"McVey." He sounded tired, but alert.

Shit. She'd have to scramble fast to sound ill.

"Hugh. Ughhh…" She hoped the feigned moan added the right touch. "I think the clam chowder from yesterday's lunch is trying to kill me. Can you manage on your own today?" She braced for the explosion.

"What!?" Hugh didn't disappoint. "Dammit, Talia. Why didn't you have the cobb salad like I did yesterday?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, it could've been the Thai food we ordered in for dinner. Whatever the culprit, I'm two seconds away from heaving again, so unless you wanna watch me puke all day, I suggest you soldier on and I'll be back in on Thursday." She firmly tamped down the guilty kick in her stomach.

Hugh gave a terse response. "Fine. But your timing couldn't suck worse. Deadline is next week and we still have details to nail down." He heaved a sigh. "Do you need anything? I can stop after I meet with Barclay's widow."

The woman had a name, Minerva, but she and Hugh almost exclusively referred to the bane of their existence by her grieving status. Probably because the woman rarely started a sentence that didn't begin with 'As Paul's widow'…

"Talia, are you okay?"

The genuine concern in Hugh's voice had remorse creeping up again.

Talia quickly answered, "Yeah. Just needed a moment." She definitely didn't want him to stop by…she had no intention of being home. "I don't need anything, but thanks for the offer. See you Thursday."

She didn't wait for a response and pressed end. The unexpected gesture from Hugh threw her a little. They worked for a co-op and had been partnered up for this project based on their individual skills. She'd known him by reputation for a couple of years, but after working with him for a straight six months, he still surprised her sometimes.

The guy didn't have an 'off' button and she could usually deal with it, but the last two weeks had put a strain on her ability to play nice. And after listening to him snap and snarl about everything, most of it directed toward her, she wanted a twenty-four hour break. Hugh acted as the project head and she had more or less been following his lead—working nonstop—but not today.

Today, Bikini Beach called and Talia fully planned to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf, giving her brain a much needed vacation. She'd go back to work on Thursday, fully recharged and ready to face whatever new kind of hell the Widow Barclay could throw at them.

She grabbed her pillow and reset her alarm for 8 am. Settling back down, her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted back to sleep.

Hugh and Talia will find getting out of the office can be a great thing to get the creative juices flowing. But first…they have to clear the air a little. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Anything Goes

Okay, Walking Dead has been great the last two weeks. This makes me very happy!

Now I'm rewatching all the eps of Arrow. I seriously love the show!!

But…a post needs to be made!

Tonight's blog is about another fairly new manuscript still in its infancy stage. Working out all the kinks and getting the story points all set is one of my favorite things to do. Anything Goes got its start with a two word prompt from one of my writing communities. I LOVE prompts. Really helps get the creativity flowing.

Here's the tagline:

On the eve of Olivia Barton and Luke Johnston's wedding, their friends and co-workers at the twelfth precinct throw a rehearsal 'roast' for the couple. Their unconventional courtship is chronicled for everyone to enjoy and none of the names are changed to protect anybody.

And here's the snippety peek…

John Layman tapped on the crystal goblet and called for everyone's attention. "All right, boys and girls, we all know why we're here, so let's hear it for Luke and Olivia." He started a round of applause and loud cheers soon followed.

Olivia Barton entered the executive lounge on Luke Johnston's arm, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Luke's best friend would have something hugely embarrassing planned. It wouldn't be one of his shindigs if he didn't. The man insisted on throwing a celebratory party a week before their wedding and Olivia couldn't say no. John had planned the entire matrimonial affair because Olivia didn't have the time or patience to deal with the details. The concept it would blow up in her face hit her just after she said 'go for it'. She had no idea what John had planned and according to Luke, he didn't either.

Luke nudged her with his shoulder. "I can kill him now and we can run, if you want."

Olivia barked out laugh. Leave it to Luke know what her thoughts were. Hadn't always been that way, but he could read her like a book now.

She shook her head. "Nah. Let's see what Mr Mojo has up his sleeve. I wanna know why he demanded we get dressed up when we wanted something super casual."

Luke's hand slid down and grasped hers and he led them around the long string of tables to the dais area where a smaller, more intimate set-up had been placed with three chairs surrounding a round tabletop.

Luke squeezed her fingers. "You know he hates that nickname." He draped an arm around her shoulders. "You should use it more often."

Olivia grinned and stepped up onto the dais. "I just might, depending on what he pulls tonight." She moved to stand beside John. "Okay, John. We're here. What's on the menu for the evening?"

John turned and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Something you're either going to love, or hate with an intense passion." He faced the gathering of their friends again. "All right. We have the happy couple held captive, so let's get on with the festivities." John dropped his arm and moved to stand between Luke and Olivia. "With the big day scheduled for next Saturday, I thought it would be a roaring good time if we all got together and shared our most interesting…and possibly insane…stories about how our two crazy kids got together."

John stepped back and wrapped one arm around Luke, the other around Olivia. "Without further ado…welcome to Luke and Olivia's Matrimonial Roast!" Ducking backwards, John dashed for the podium, dimmed the lights, and directed the spot to shine and capture Luke and Olivia.

A roar of laughter and applause sounded throughout the executive lounge. Olivia seriously considered making a run for it, but Luke shrugged, snagged her hand, and pulled out a chair. She plopped down and scooted close to his side. If she had to endure a retelling of their unconventional romance, she'd damned well need his support.

But looking out over the room, filled with their closest friends and colleagues, she decided it couldn't be all bad. Unless… John prompted everyone with which stories to tell.

And he would. The shit.

Olivia leaned in, nuzzling close to Luke's ear. "If I kill him, you'll help me hide the body, right?"

I think I'll leave Luke's response for when I get this one published. :D

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: All Bets Off

March 3, 2013

Greetings!

Trying to get my posts up earlier this weekend and see if I can start a trend. J

Also watching Banshee, catching up with last week's episode before trying to get this week's. Gotta make time for Walking Dead, too.

So much TV, so little time. :P

Okay, this week's preview is from a newly started manuscript, All Bets Off. The sages pretty much threw out a random plot bomb and it exploded in my face. I'm not very far along yet, but I love the potential for this one. I might even submit for a special call if my contrary sages keep cooperating. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Kellen Bairds and Pierce Abbotson make friendly wagers on a regular basis until Kellen won't admit Pierce won their latest round. When he calls her on the lie, she gets angry because no amount of money on earth will make her reveal how kinky her dreams are. Or her feelings for him.

Here's the snippety peek:

Kellen snarled. "Fuck you."

Pierce shook his head. "Not if you paid me."

Ouch. And the dumb ass completely missed the point, but why should it surprise her. He always did.

She countered. "I have paid you, you moron. Every single time I lost a bet." She came around the counter to stand toe to toe with him. "What the hell is your problem with this?"

He made a garbled choking sound. "My problem? You won't admit I won this time." He leveled his gaze on her. "And I did. Fair and square." His finger jabbed her in the shoulder. "And you're welching on it."

He had her there. No way did she plan to answer his question.

Kellen scrambled for a comeback. "You can choose to look at it that way." Backing up, she returned to her spot behind the counter, wanting the barrier between them. "But I refuse to let you pry into my personal life. So deal with it."

Pierce rolled his eyes. "How the hell is asking for the details of your most vivid fantasy prying into your personal life. For all I know you could totally make something up and I wouldn't be the wiser."

Okay, he had a point. But when he'd asked…she hadn't been prepared. And her most vivid fantasy…involved him. Naked, hot, and ready for action. She wouldn't, couldn't answer because a porntastic movie started playing in her head and she barely kept herself from trying to strip him down and make it a reality.

So she refused to say anything. Stupid, stupid mistake. Now he wouldn't shut the hell up about it.

Damned man.

Hee hee hee. Kellen's got it bad for Pierce. And luckily, he's just as hot for her. If all goes according to plan, they'll have a lovely kinky evening and decide to go for more. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Kings of the Con (A Black Unicorn Press Short Story)

So…apparently some kind of award show aired tonight. LOL

I ended up watching Doctor Who and The Walking Dead. Can't beat a time travel and zombie combo. Watching classic Who…wow…takes me back to my childhood. And no…I'm not even fifty yet, but I remember watching Doctor Who with my dad on our local PBS station. It's been fun revisiting some of those episodes. J

Tonight's snippet preview comes from the Black Unicorn 'verse. Set at a convention, we get a little glimpse into one of the more fun aspects of what Brian and Lucy do. Although…creating a comic can't be boring, so yeah…take that as you will. :D

The standard tagline for Black Unicorn:

Brian Wells and Lucy Sanderson are the creative duo behind the rising success of Black Unicorn Comics. Surrounded by a close knit group of co-workers they have fun and crazy adventures, keeping their relationship burning hot in spite of it.  

And here's a tag for Kings of the Con:

Brian Wells smells a rat when Lucy's brother Linus starts thinking he's not appreciated at Black Unicorn. He devises a plan to get to the bottom of Els's sudden turn about, but…Lucy's not going to like it.

Here's the snippety peek…

Brian almost made it to Lucy before the fans started pouring out of the room. He jerked his thumb toward the food court and changed his path when she nodded. Once Randy arrived, she'd join him for lunch.

After ordering, he found Zapf sitting at table by himself. Brian plopped down and heaved a sigh.

Zapf finished chewing a mouthful of food and shook his head. "Man, you've got a seriously unhappy face right now. What's up?"

Brian unloaded. "You know how Lucy's biggest fear is Chelle finding a way to hurt Els?" Zapf nodded and Brian continued. "It's not unfounded."

Zapf got a nasty gleam in his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "Dude, I knew it. Luce is rarely wrong. You better spill as soon as she gets here, but know this, no one is gonna let Miss Stiletto Heels get her hooks far enough into Els to do damage." Statement made, he picked up his sandwich and took another huge bite.

Bolstered by the support, Brian did the same, spying Lucy take a place in line to get food. His loosely formed plan took shape in his head and by the time she got her order and joined them, he had everything worked out. Lucy would hate it, but she'd go along. Anything for her brother. And he could count on Zapf to back him up.

 Lucy joined them, taking an empty chair at the table facing Brian. "Okay, panel update can wait. What's going on?"

Zapf chuckled and shook his head, but held silent. Lucy quirked a brow then met Brian's gaze.

He put his sandwich down. "How do you do that?" He grabbed his drink and took a long draw on the straw.

Lucy shrugged. "You have that 'I just ate something really nasty and want to puke' look on your face. Something went down and I'm not gonna like it, right?"

Brian blinked and blew out a sigh. "Your brain scares me."

Zapf jumped in. "I know, right? I tell her that every day." He leaned forward. "Seriously, Brian. Fill us in so we can help."

Brian repeated the conversation he had with Els. While Lucy picked at her food, he outlined his plan to get to the bottom of Chelle's machinations. Other than hissing out a harsh breath, Lucy didn't object to anything. A very good sign. But he needed to be sure.

He grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. "You gonna be okay with this?"

She shoved her tray away and snorted. "Hell, no. But I'll deal." Her fingers drummed on the table. "Chelle's ego will let you get her right where you want her, but if she won't cough up answers, all bets are off." Her gaze went hard. "I hope you guys have some extra cash if I need bailed out of jail."

Zapf tossed his napkin on the tray and stood up. "Babes, I won't let you do anything stupid." He shot Brian a commiserating glance. "Dude, don't forget to shower after you talk to Miss Prissy Pants." He dug around in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Me? I'm gonna need some extra sustenance to keep the visual images outta my head."  He shuddered then turned toward Lucy. "Can you hold down the fort for a bit?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, Z. I think I can manage."

Brian leaned in close to Lucy after Zapf got back in line for food. "Are you really gonna be okay with this, Luce?" His hand cupped her face. "Because if you aren't…" He let his voice trail off, he truly couldn't think of a quicker way to get information from Chelle.

Lucy leaned into his palm. "I'm so not okay it's not funny, but…Els is the priority. Find out why she's trying to make him think Reg doesn't give a shit about him." Sitting back, she blew out a breath then grabbed her drink and rose from her seat. "I'm heading back to the booth. I'll be there when you've got the whole story." She started off, but stopped and turned back. "I trust you to get to the bottom of everything and promise to behave even if you don't." Her lips twisted in a smirk. "But it might take you and Zapf to keep me from doing bodily harm if she keeps it up."

Brian nodded. He didn't say anything, his mind already going over Chelle's schedule for the day. He had about ten minutes to find what he needed to pull everything off. Grabbing his tray, he stood up and dumped the contents in the closest trash bin then headed for the administrative hub of the convention center.

The sooner he found out what the hell Chelle had planned for Els, the sooner he and Lucy could really enjoy the con season.

Yeah, Chelle's in for a very big surprise in the near future. And hey…pray Brian gets the info, because no one wants to see Lucy go nuclear on Chelle.

Or do they? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Busted in Bubbles

February 17, 2013

Been catching up on the mountains of laundry I never seem to be able to knock back and watching Firefly all day. Oddly enough the combination worked wonders. I actually have empty sorting bins. LOL

For tonight's post, I'm using a snippet from a manuscript I'm going to submit to a publisher no later than tomorrow. I'll let you all know if Busted in Bubbles gets accepted. :D

Here's the tagline:

Emsley and Rayne turn up at the same conventions several times a year and Emsley always short sheets Rayne's bed. Imagine her surprise when she lets herself into his room to follow tradition and discovers Rayne soaking in a tub full of bubbles. Busted, she can flee the scene or…join a very hot man for some bath time fun.

And here's the snippety peek…

Emsley glanced in each direction before she used the master key card to let herself into Rayne's cabin. If she'd figured the timing right, shouldn't take longer than five minutes to short sheet his bed and another six to get the card back to the porter queue. Poor Ron had no clue she'd borrowed his all access entry key to pull a prank. Hell, he didn't have any idea she'd lifted the damned thing at all.

With a smug smile, she crossed the living area and started up the spiral staircase to the loft. About five steps up, she froze, carefully listening and hearing water sloshing in the bathroom. Shit. Rayne must've skipped the fancypants dinner. Okay, she could still pull off her traditional short sheeting of his bed and he'd be none the wiser. She loved a good challenge.

She started up the next step and stopped again. Wait… bath? What the hell? Curiosity ate its way through her intention of getting in and out. Rayne couldn't possibly be soaking in a tub. Hell. Yeah, he could… and he might have company. She hesitated. Indecision warred in her brain. She had zero desire to become a voyeur if Rayne had brought someone along for this trip and they'd decided to get kinky in the tub. She weighed her options.

Screw it. She made her way back down the steps, tip-toeing to the bathroom door.

She had to know if the do-it-all security expert liked to soak in a tub. Peeking around the corner, she bit her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Sure as shit, Rayne McKinnon sat up to his shoulders in frothy bubbles. An open bottle of bubbly, nestled in a bucket of ice, sat beside the tub, a glass filled with the golden liquid held in one of Rayne's hands, dangling outside. His head rested on the rolled edge of the tub, eyes closed, his fingers lazily tilting the glass back and forth.

The humor died and Emsley's face heated up. God, he looked damned good, bubbles or not. A wave of jealous hit her…the relaxed pose, the hot water, the alcohol…geez, she could go for all three. Okay, four. She could go for Rayne right now, too.

This one literally came together faster than I've ever written before. The plot bomb hit and would NOT go away. LOL There's something about bubbles that makes me happy. :D

And that's it for now. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blatant Affair

Just finished watching Blood and Chrome and switched over to Skyfall while I wait on the encore of The Walking Dead. So much good stuff to watch!

Tonight's post is from a just started manuscript that kind of popped into my head from a prompt left in one of my writer's groups. I love it when one sentence or hell, even a couple of words, can spawn an entire scene. Anything that nudges the sages when they're being stingy with words is a big bonus. LOL

Blatant Affair centers on a couple who really shouldn't be together due to their work situation. It's frowned upon and they fight their attraction for as long as they can. Up and down, back and forth, until they finally say 'screw it' we're going to be together. I have a feeling it's going to be very fun to write. :D

Here's a tagline:

Valley Cruz and Flynn Boatman fall for each other and don't hide their feelings. But when company policy dictates they can't be together, they'll start a blatant affair no matter the consequences.

And here's a snippety peek…

"Give me a reason, Valley. Because I'm this close to saying fuck it all and walking out the door." Flynn tossed his towel aside and reached for his clothes.

Valley grabbed hold of his arms, leaned in and kissed him, hard, on the mouth. "Is that a good enough reason?"

The shower area went silent. She'd just upped the stakes in a very big way. Naked or not, Flynn didn't care who witnessed his next move.

He cupped Valley's face and tilted her head back, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "You'd better be certain. We start this, there's no going back."

Her lips curved in a wry smile. "Flynn, you're standing naked in the men's showers and I just kissed you in front of everyone. I'm pretty damned sure the blatant display speaks for itself." She swung her gaze around the space. "Give us the room, people. And pick your jaws up on the way out."

Valley makes her move in a big way and Flynn gets to play catch up. It doesn't take him long. LOL

That's all for this week. Happy Reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Academic Challenge

February 3, 2013

Okay, the big game is over. All the food consumed. And a nap sounds really great right now. LOL

But then I won't sleep and get up for work in the morning, so blog posts it is. J

Tonight's Sunday Snippet is from a just started manuscript, Academic Challenge. The sages are kind of hot for this one so we'll see how it goes. No idea where it'll go, but it's fun to write so far.

Here's the tagline:

Holly Patz, the newest TA for Professor Sam Ingali, wants to enjoy the experience. But when rumors start swirling about her relationship with the handsome instructor, she has to decide whether to stick around and become his latest conquest or turn the odds in her favor.

And here's the snippety peek:

Holly found the office she'd share with two other TAs and dropped her bag on a desk before taking a seat. She had an hour before Professor Ingali's lecture started and thought she'd get organized…or as organized as she ever got. Holly tended to let things unfold as they would, finding it helped to let whatever happened flow at will. Her plan at the moment would be finding some place to get coffee and then check to see if Professor Ingali had arrived.

Dropping her bag into the large bottom drawer, she pushed it shut and locked it. She'd use her university ID to get coffee and maybe get an extra cup for her new boss. Rising, she made her way to the door and exited into the hallway.

Lost in thought, she rounded the corner and slammed into a hard body. "Shit. Sorry."

Holly glanced up and met the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Anger filled, but stunning nonetheless.

"No need for apology. I'm trying to find my new TA and I'm in a hurry. She's late."

Holly's pulse kicked up a notch. It figured. No way would she be lucky enough to have the primo specimen of manhood standing in front of her be her new professor. She still had at least forty-five minutes before her class started.

"I just came from the office. No one else was in there."

The professor frowned. "Dammit. I asked for someone who had experience. The administrative office assured me this Holly Patz had great references."

Holly's eyes widened. "Wait. You're Professor Ingali?" Apparently she had gotten lucky…or not, based on his surly expression. "But I'm Holly. And I'm not late. Class doesn't start for another forty-five minutes."

Professor Ingali took a step back, giving her a slow once over from head to toe, before speaking. "And I require my assistants to arrive an hour before class starts to set up whatever I'll need for the lecture." He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "You're fifteen minutes late."

Holly fought back a heated flush from his frank appraisal. "Well, shit, again." She met the professor's gaze. "In my defense, no one told me about getting here early. I didn't know. Hell, I was even on my way to get coffee, as a get off on the right foot gesture." She snorted. "Totally blew that one." Pushing ahead, she nodded toward the lecture halls. "If you'll show me where to go, I'll get started on the set up."

Sam blinked and shook his head. "Actually, that won't be necessary. Your coffee idea sounds good. I keep a pot of freshly brewed in my office, you're welcome to join me and we can go over my expectations."

Holly nodded. "Sounds great." Her arm swept outward. "Lead the way." Score one for her. She'd taken him from frustrated to intrigued in under a minute. If her introduction indicated the way things might go, she'd never have a dull moment.

Exactly the way she liked things.

Honestly, there's not much more ready to go yet. But Holly will sort of shake things up for Sam. She's not the type of assistant he's used to dealing with even though they're both wildly attracted to each other. I can't wait to find out how she's going to rock his world. LOL

And that's it for this week.

Happy Reading!

Skylin