Sunday Snippet: Getting Schooled

So far, September is off to a decent start. I finished up a few projects this week and look forward to getting back to the great office reorganization.

Kind of a slow week for television. I watched two episodes of Silent Witness. I don't think I've ever seen the first few seasons with Amanda Burton as Sam Ryan. I started watching somewhere in the later seasons.

I also did the usual Ovation mystery marathons. Rather enjoyed Midsomer Murders because they went all the way back to the beginning. Also left wondering why anyone considers The Librarians a mystery show, but I guess it's because they always have to track down the treasures for the library. Not really mysterious in my book, but it doesn't have to be.

I'm hoping to get back on track with finishing up the previous seasons of Roswell, New Mexico and Riverdale. Also need to watch the season finale of The Witcher and the series finale of Strike Back. I've been putting off Strike Back because I really don't want the show to end.

I need to catch up on Wynonna Earp also. I'll probably end up binge watching the whole season.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Getting Schooled, a novella that features one of my favorite secret-fantasy dreams … a summer camp.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tamsin and Ike are resident leaders at neighboring summer camps. Tamsin works with upper crust girls and Ike has underprivileged boys. When a grant program director suggests bridging the gap, neither is very excited by the prospect, but once they meet, both get schooled in by how well the kids get along.

And a snippety peek…

Tamsin barely got inside the counselor's cabin before Olivia Winterson rushed through the door.

"Oh, Tamsin. I'm so glad you're here! We've got a huge emergency." Her face crumpled and tears welled in her eyes.

Tamsin dropped her bag and grasped Olivia's arm, ushering her onto the café chair. "What's going on? Is Pete okay?" Olivia's husband had a mild heart attack three years ago.

Olivia waved her hand. "Oh, yes. Pete's fine. The camp? Not so much." Her lower lip quivered.

Tamsin blinked and sat in the seat across from her boss. "What is it? What can I do to help?" This place meant a lot to Tamsin

The Wintersons meant even more.

Olivia exhaled slowly and pulled herself together. "I just got off the phone with the grant committee. They're experiencing a financial shortfall and have decided to only support one camp this year." She frowned. "And, honestly, if we lose grant funding, we'll have to close. We won't be able to have this year's session or stay in business for future years."

No more Camp Seneca? Tamsin couldn't imagine not coming here anymore. This place had been her home, her true home, for more than a decade.

Tamsin shook her head, her brain already working. "When will they decide?" There had to be a way to secure the grant.

Olivia gave Tamsin a sad smile. "They want to meet tomorrow to decide if it'll be us or Camp Carlson."

Tamsin's lip curled. "Let me guess … they're in the same position." The Wintersons and Ron Carlson, along with his son and daughter, were friendly rivals.

Olivia nodded. "I haven't talked to Ron or Lanie yet, but I'd have to guess they are."

Summer camps in this area tended to run on razor-thin margins. Even though both were surrounded by the second-home set.

Tamsin grasped Olivia's hand. "What can I do to help? You can't cancel this year's program. The girls are due to arrive the day after tomorrow." They could scale back some of the activities and get creative with the menus, maybe ask for donations if the grant committee decided on Carlson instead of Seneca.

Olivia's face brightened. "I had hoped you'd ask. Can you come up with a presentation for tomorrow's meeting? Something to really wow the group?"

Tamsin cringed a little. She'd planned to get started on her research before the girls arrived. But she couldn't refuse Olivia's request.

Squeezing the woman's fingers, Tamsin smiled. "Of course. Let me get the rest of my stuff unloaded and I'll get started." She stood up and started for the door.

Olivia followed, pulling Tamsin into a big bear hug. "Thank you! This means so much to Pete and me." She started toward the big lodge-style house. "I'll let him know what's going on."

Tamsin fought back a wave of uncertainty. She couldn't fail the Wintersons. No matter what, she'd make sure the grant committee chose Camp Seneca for their remaining funds.

An inspired idea hit her. "And I think I know just how to do it."

Tamsin is a fun character to write. She cares deeply and wants to help everyone.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fuel for the Fire

September 6, 2020

Hello, September. The great office reorganization is coming along. If all goes well, I might have the bulk of the work complete by the end of the year. I'm very happy with how everything is going so far.

Not a bad week for television. I finished up the Danger Man episodes that were available. Not sure what I'll start on to replace this one yet.

Caught an episode of Picard and enjoyed it. I'm not quite sure what to make of the guy who's captaining the ship yet. I rather liked getting a little more Ravi backstory.

Watched two more episodes of Peak Practice. I'm getting to the end of the second season and, so far, still enjoying the episodes.

Finished Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. I'd really love to have another season of this show. I feel like the final episode had everyone coming into their own as characters. Maybe we'll get lucky.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. I think I might be ready to start the next season or I'm getting close.

That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Fuel for the Fire, a novella with characters in the fire service, which is near and dear to my heart since my dad is a retired fire chief.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An arsonist wants arson investigator Sadie Kyle's attention and burns the home and business Greg DeSoto to get it. When Sadie shows up to investigate, she hits it off with Greg, which only adds fuel to the fire for her pyromaniac. When Greg gets hit a second time, Sadie digs in and calls the burner out.

And a snippety peek…

Sadie Kyle answered her phone on the second ring. "Yeah, hello."

"We might have another one."

Sadie sat up and went from dead sleep to wide awake in half a second. "Where?" She put her phone on speaker and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be out the door in five." Rustling around, she snagged her thermal leggings and yanked them on.

Her boss, Wade Albright, gave her the rundown. "Close to you in Olde Towne. Another historic building conversion." He waited a beat. "Sprinkler system failed."

Damn.

Sadie dug through her work clothes and grabbed a heavy fleece pullover. "Which place?" Her old stomping grounds had buttloads of historic sites.

And her heart broke. She lived one neighborhood over now, but still frequented many of the places she'd grown up going to.

Wade rattled off the address. "It used to be a sewing factory."

Sadie nodded. "Now it's a bar … or it was." Stitch and Stone. Quaint charm with rugged industrial touches. A comfortable place for male and female clientele.

Wade confirmed. "Yeah, went up fast. Faster than it should even without the sprinkler failure."

Sadie shoved her feet into her clogs and snatched her jacket from her coat tree. "I'm headed out now. I'll have a prelim on your desk ASAP." She ended the call and exited her duplex, being careful to mind the icy steps.

Sliding behind the wheel, she drove the short distance to Olde Towne and slowed when she came up on the scene. Most of the fire had been knocked down by the three station houses on the job. She never failed to get a small thrill when she got within five feet of a ladder, engine, or aerial truck. Growing up around the fire service gave her opportunities to do so from a young age.

In fact, she'd moved home from a city several hours north to take the position in the arson unit. "Good to be close to family." After proving her worth in a place away from their influence.

Getting out of the vehicle, she didn't take her eyes off the building even when she made her way to the back to put her turnout gear on. Sitting on the edge of her car, she slipped her clogs off and stuck her feet into her boots then pulled up her bunker pants. She added the jacket, which blocked the icy wind kicking up swirls of snow.

Grabbing her helmet, she surveyed the firefighters doing cleanup and took in the damage. "Damn, what a loss." A weird vibe crawled up her spine. "Can't be a coincidence anymore. Not when a pattern is emerging." Saddened by the possibility of more buildings being hit, she tried not to jump to conclusions.

Even when her instincts all but shouted Fire!

I love writing this one. Sadie and Greg are fun characters even when everything is burning down around them.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Five Minutes

Final Sunday of August. I'm kind of looking forward to the fall season even if it's going to very different. With a global pandemic and an election coming up, I don't think it'll be the lovely season I always look forward to. That said, cooler temperatures will be welcome. Even though it hasn't been overly hot this summer, I really love the crisp air of fall.

Had a decent week of office reorganization and not a bad one for television viewing, considering I had no power for twenty-one hours thanks to a thunderstorm with wicked nasty lightning. A tree not far from our house got struck and it took out a couple of pole transformers. We were really lucky that we caught a break from the heat of the day before.

Not a bad week for television viewing but not great either. I caught an episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. I'm halfway through the second season.

Watched the third episode of Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and it's definitely my favorite of the four episodes. I love the sci-fi feel and the background with Bertie.

Caught the Classic Who run of Genesis of the Daleks arc. I've seen this group of episodes before and enjoyed them. It's especially fun because New Who brought in big tie-in to these episodes.

Also watched another episode of Danger Man. I'm on the last two available on Amazon, which makes me sad.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Five Minutes, a novella that works a teenage game into a point of conflict between the main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Remy Deeds never welshes on a bet, until she loses to Eli Rogers, who can't understand why she backs out. But a five minute kiss, with tongue, isn't something she wants to risk, because giving up her last pack of coffee is so much easier than possibly losing her heart.

And a snippety peek…

"Remy, hold up!"

Remy paused outside the main cabin to wait on a friend.

Harry Whitmore jogged outside to catch up. "I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on the move up to team leader." His shoulder nudged hers. "Congrats, my friend."

Remy's lips curved. "Thanks. I'm excited." And nervous as hell.

Harry fell into step beside her. "You're gonna do fine. Everyone on your team knows you and they also know you're a first-time leader. They'll test your mettle but they'll also have your back." He stopped with her outside her designated team meeting place.

Remy ducked her head. "Yeah, I got a good group." She tilted her chin up. "You're playing referee. Any tips? I figure I've got the first responder stuff nailed. Not so sure about rappelling." She had at least one member with a fear of heights.

Harry rolled a shoulder. "Look, as long as you keep the mood light, your group will focus. They'll pull their weight when they need to." He stepped back when two members arrived. "See you up there." With a brief lift of his hand, he waved and walked away.

Remy appreciated the fact Harry didn't bring up Eli. Harry's inside knowledge of her past experience with Keith and her confession over beers one night about her piqued interest in Eli probably had Harry dying of curiosity. Thankfully, he'd at least wait until they were at the remote location before peppering her with questions.

Remy greeted her two teammates. "You two set?" They had the standard clothing of sturdy boots, lightweight layers, and rugged head-coverings on.

John Parsons nodded. "Yep. I'm good." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Looking forward to having you lead the team. We'll try not to let you down."

Remy smiled. "I know you guys won't. I've been blessed with the best mix of skillsets for a first-timer. We're going to have a great time." Well, she would have fun once the roller coaster settled down in her stomach.

Makenna Wilson laughed. "I'm already having fun. That briefing was crazypants. I mean Eli slid in two minutes late and his team will get docked for that." She wiggled her hips back and forth. "We're already at least two points ahead."

Remy shook her head. "Don't get cocky. Eli's a seasoned vet. He knows all the tricks and shortcuts." Her other two team members appeared, looking slightly disheveled.

Remy gave Sheila and Cody Sula a speculative once-over.

Sheila staked her claim. Good for her.

Cody tried to play things cool. "Sorry, we're late. We, uh …" His voice trailed off.

Sheila came to the rescue. "Took the scenic route. But we're good to go." She hastily tucked her shirt in and smoothed down her cargo pants.

Remy bit back a laugh. "All right, then. Let's decide which route we want to take up to the site." She laid the trail chart out and everyone bent over to get a good look.

A swell of excitement filled her. She couldn't wait to get started.

I'm enjoying this one. Remy is a quirky character that got burned and doesn't want a repeat experience, but she also has the biggest attraction for Eli and she doesn't want to blow her opportunity with the camp. She's definitely a ball of stress right now, even if she doesn't show it.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fits and Starts

We're almost to the end of August and it's been a month. I'm glad we're closing in on the last quarter of the year. 2020 definitely provided a roller coaster ride. And we're not quite through yet.

Had a solid week of work and reorganizing. Made some terrific progress on the office clean out. Got two of my six bookcases put together and shredded a bunch of old stuff I don't need to keep anymore. I still have a buttload of shredding to do but progress is progress.

Got a little bit of viewing done this week, mostly Danger Man episodes. I wanted to finish season three then realized there are only two episodes of season four. I'm disappointed.

I also did a couple of marathon viewings on Ovation. The morning mysteries are a lot of fun and the Monday block of A Place to Call Home is pretty good also. I also caught Partners in Crime, which ended up being better than I thought.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Fits and Starts, a novella that puts my heroine through the wringer.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After escaping from a madman's clutches, Pru Stark can't quite find her footing again. She pushes her man, Dane Callaway, away and refuses to see the little girl she saved. Dane can give her space, but he won't stay on the sidelines, not when Pru needs him the most, even if she can't quite admit it.

And a snippety peek…

Pru welcomed the prick of the needle in her arm. The headache went away within seconds and a hazy bliss enveloped her. The technician loosened the tourniquet and put her supplies away.

Pru glanced toward the door. "Minnie'll be here soon." She wanted to be ready to greet her little girl.

The tech, Marva, smiled. "She's a handful, isn't she?" Grabbing her case, she reminded Pru she'd return in two days for her next treatment.

Pru nodded. "I'll see you then." Her mind moved on to a more pleasant topic.

Cookies. She and Minnie planned to bake their favorite as soon as she got home. Chocolate chip. Or is it peanut butter? No, definitely chocolate chip.

Pru frowned. "Didn't we bake some yesterday?" The fuzzy tug at the memory of pulling peanut butter cookies out of the oven grabbed hold for a second before easing away on a cloud of doubt.

No, probably not. Minnie loved chocolate chip.

The door knob rattled and Minnie burst through, tossing her backpack on the floor. "I got the most spelled words correct on our test today." She danced around, flinging her arms wide.

Pru reached out and hauled her close. "You're really loving your new classes, aren't you?" The gifted program is exactly what you needed."

Minnie tilted her head back. "I love the new school, Mommy. I don't think you'll need to become an avenging angel anytime soon." She wriggled away, heading for the kitchen.

Pru followed and got the ingredients out to make their cookies. "You're right and I'm so proud of you, my girl, for making friends and wowing everyone in your new program." She'd been worried Minnie would struggle, hence the avenging angel deal.

No one would mess with Pru's kid.

The niggle of concern that something didn't seem right only lasted for a brief second before the medication kicked in again and Pru focused on helping Minnie mix the dry ingredients for their sweet treat.

This story is a challenge that I'm enjoying. Pru is going to be broken down but she'll come back a little stronger than before.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Feeling Alive

Well, we're off to move my daughter into her dorm for her very first semester of college. It's been a crazy whirlwind of a week, trying to get last-minute details nailed down and grabbing all the final items she needs to have with her. Thankfully, I've only got one project that has a deadline and my past self ended up being smart enough to work the move into the due date. Whew.

Not much viewing of television this week. Too many things going on. I did catch another episode of Danger Man, which happened to be another one I hadn't seen yet.

Also got through almost all of Gabriel's Inferno. Like I said, I'm kind of taking my time with this one and thoroughly enjoying it.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and a new character has been introduced. So far, he's a bit of dick. Not sure if I'll end up really liking him or hating him a bunch. Time will tell.

I'm really looking forward to having a little downtime once we get the college-bound kid settled in. The whole pandemic thing has completely thrown off my usual groove and I'm not quite sure if I'll get it back or if my new normal will take some getting used to.

That's my week in a nutshell. Tonight's post is from Feeling Alive, a novella that has a bit of a dark side before the light comes in.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maddox loses her partner in a bomb explosion and shuts down emotionally. Wakefield arrives to interrogate Maddox about his brother's death, but she refuses to discuss the trauma. She ends up in another explosive situation and Wake finally breaks through Maddox's defenses, but he also opens the floodgates, which may get both killed.

And a snippety peek…

"Does Reed the robot care who claims the collar on this one?"

Maddox didn't have a clue which one of her coworkers dubbed her with the nickname. Hell, she couldn't muster up the will to give a shit what they called her. The word robot fit the bill. Maddox worked on autopilot, going through the motions, showing up for the job because she didn't know how to do anything else.

She slammed her locker shut. "Doesn't matter as much anymore." At least not the part about taking credit for busting lowlife drug dealers.

She got the job done, interacting as little as possible with her colleagues. The rift between her and them only grew wider without Avery to bridge the gap. He always used to coordinate a monthly meet-up for the squad room detectives, giving everyone a chance to blow off steam.

Grabbing her bag, Maddox headed down the stairs to exit the building. "Wonder if someone else will take on that little bit of team-building?" Definitely wouldn't be her.

She didn't have the stomach to play nice with anyone at the moment.

If fact, she needed to work out some serious aggression. Even with three solid busts, the week had been filled with one cluster fuck after another. If she wanted to at least appear sane and whatever passed for her new normal, she needed to have a good throw down with someone.

"I need a down and dirty fight followed by a nice, hard dick." She didn't really care how disappointed Avery would be in her right now.

Right. Keep telling yourself that, Maddox.

Okay, his opinion still mattered. Even if he'd never be able to voice it again. Part of the reason she hit her favorite dive bar almost every night had everything to do with punishing herself because she'd lost her voice of reason.

Crossing over to her vehicle, she slid behind the wheel. "At least this is one way to stop feeling numb for a while." Reversing out of her space, she left the lot and merged into traffic.

 Three blocks up and two over, a dimly lit place with decades of grime covering the walls called her name. Ironic that she went to a crappy tomb of a bar to feel a spark of life.

I'm honestly so pleased with how the scenes are coming together. Maddox is in a really low place and it's a challenge to write she speaks clearly with my sages and they know exactly how she wants things to go.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Fair Play

First week of August down and in the books. Next weekend we move my daughter to her dorm and pray for the best. They're doing a shortened semester, very similar to what a college quarter used to be. She'll be moving back right before Thanksgiving and won't return to campus until January.

Busy week with projects and random things that needed attention. I did get more of my desk cleared off for the big overhaul organization.

Limited viewing time this week but I got a few things watched. I did start Gabriel's Inferno part two and have about half of it finished. I actually decided to dedicate actual time to watching and not do anything else while it's playing. Hence the reason I'm only halfway through.

I watched another episode of Danger Man and also started a new episode of Blue Heelers. Like I said, busy week where I couldn’t spend the time I wanted to catching up on television.

I did have Ovation's morning mysteries on as background noise during the day. Murdoch Mysteries, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and Midsomer Murders for the win. I also caught a block of Numb3rs on Friday.

That's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Fair Play, a sexy short follow-up to Imagination.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Rand Allerdyce takes Holland Dukes by surprise, bringing their sexy games to her office when she's working late one evening. Rand plans to engage Holland's voyeuristic side and give her the thrill of possibly being caught. Holland loves the idea as much as she loves Rand.

And a snippety peek…

Rand Allerdyce entered the lobby of the office complex and stopped in to speak with the security guard. "Hey, Frank. I'm surprising Holland. We're supposed to have a late dinner but she's waiting on a call from the Seattle location."

Frank gave a nod. "Yeah, Ms. Dukes said she'd be here late." He waved Rand through the checkpoint.

Rand gave a two-fingered salute and headed toward the bank of elevators. "Never hurts to develop a solid relationship with the security guys." Hitting the call button, he selected Holland's floor when he stepped inside the car.

The quiet ride ended with an even quieter stroll through the empty space. Holland didn't have a corner office, but she had a wide expanse of windows and a nice view of the city.

Another grin crossed Rand's face. "And I think we'll start with the curtains open…"

The sun had started its descent and what he had in mind would be a bit of a thrill for her. Holland liked a little risk and he hoped his fair-play concept turned her on as much as it did him. After all, she'd outdone herself with her whole imagination concept a few weeks ago. He made a discreet adjustment to the rapidly hardening dick in his pants.

Pausing outside Holland's door, Rand listened for the cleaning crew. "Good, sounds like they're on the other side of this floor." That should give him time to enact his seduction.

He glanced into her space. She stood at the window, gazing at the rising moon. Crossing the carpeted expanse separating them, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her throat. "Hello, my love." His hands drifted upward to cup her breasts. "I'm claiming my fair-play time." His palms brushed over her nipples and they puckered under the fabric of her silky blouse and camisole.

Holland's head fell back and she moaned. "Here? In my office?" She didn't object, her voice coming out as a purr.

Rand worked the buttons of her blouse free. "Yes, here. The risk of getting caught turns you on, doesn't it, Holland Dukes?" He untucked the shirt and camisole, sliding his fingers against her skin.

This sexy short is fun to write. I'm hoping I'll have another spark for more with this couple.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Exit Stage Left

Is it really August? Man, I'm actually kind of thankful. I'm ready for 2020 to be over and done with. It's been a very crazy year.

Had a fairly busy week of calls with potential new clients and a new project starting. It's been kind of slow since May and I'm excited to see if things pick up a little now.

I also got quite a few of my long-form brainstorming sessions converted into text. I'm seriously thrilled with this!! I can't wait to see how many I get translated and transferred over this week.

Didn't get a lot of shows watched this week, but I did catch another couple of episodes of Danger Man.

Also watched episode seven of The Witcher and I'm so happy there's going to be another season of this show.

I'll be catching the second Gabriel's Inferno movie this week, even if I have to stay up super late to watch. I'm looking forward to this one.

I'll hopefully be catching up with a few other shows also. It's been hit or miss with both time and lack of focus to get into a show.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Exit Stage Left, a novella with characters who have a major attraction but one can't get his head out of his butt because of past baggage.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sage Winesboro, the new production director of his local playhouse theater, doesn't always see eye to eye with his current set designer, Georgie Freed. When she proves her worth, but decides to exit stage left, he realizes he's missing out on what could be a great working and personal relationship.

And a snippety peek…

Blonk … blonk … blonk … blonk!

Georgie Freed grabbed her phone and silenced the annoying blare of her alarm then groaned and shoved her hair out of her face. "Argh. Why did I commit to helping the high school with their stage sets?" Rolling out of bed, she hit the kitchen of her small cottage and poured a cup of coffee.

Taking the mug with her into the bathroom, she completed her morning routine of brushing her teeth and turning the water on in the shower. More like early afternoon routine, Georgio. Yeah, well, she'd fallen into bed just after five a.m. after spending most of the night working on the final set piece.

Bringing the cup to her lips, she drank a bracing gulp of the coffee. "It's a good thing Betts stayed and helped." Georgie's best friend also ran the theater department for the high school. "Also a good thing I'm not an actor or I'd be really late for the first day of production." Her newly minted position as the set designer for the Triple Crown didn't come with a lot of perks, but not having to go in early happened to be one she welcomed.

After grabbing her shower, she dressed quickly. "New season, new director, new position. There's a lotta change going on right now." Which she actually didn't mind.

Right. Because you've got nothing else in your life right now.

"Shut up." Her inner voice could be a major downer sometimes.

She didn't have a significant other in her life by choice. Yeah, yeah. Work comes first.

Georgie grabbed her gear and snagged her keys from the shelf. "Well, yes. It did this past year." As soon as she heard there might a spot, she networked the hell out of anyone that might listen to why she'd be the best candidate. "And it paid off. Here I am. Finally able to work full-time in my dream job." So what if the rumor mill already churned with some interesting bits about the new director.

Are you kidding? You could end up looking for a new theater company to work for, that's what.

Georgie ruthlessly ignored her inner voice. She had enough drama in her life just getting out the door to head for work. And first day jitters to top everything off…

I love the dynamic Georgie has with herself. Inner voices are so much fun!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin