Sunday Snippet: Dodging Bullets

*sigh*

Sit back and get a little comfy. I'm going to blather on about my disappointment in the new season of Doctor Who, which feels almost sacrilegious, but necessary. Maybe if I purge myself, I'll enjoy the show more.

So… as mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of Capaldi as the Doctor. This has nothing to do with his acting. I enjoy his work. But… here's the thing… I just can't get past the fact he's been two other characters besides the Doctor in the Whoverse—Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii and John Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth. But wait! What about Eve Myles? She played a character in Doctor Who before being in Torchwood. Why doesn't that bother me?

One simple reason. The character she played in The Unquiet Dead, Gwyneth, by rights, could have been an ancestor of Torchwood's Gwen, so… my brain has no problem wrapping around the idea. But Capaldi's characters? Not so much. Wanna know why?

Because THE DOCTOR doesn't have ancestors on earth. Even if I bought the idea Caecilius could be John Frobisher's ancestor, I can't buy the idea they're somehow related to the Doctor. EVER. It's just a big, fat NOPE.

Do I take this Whoverse stuff way too seriously? Oh, hell yes, I do. LOL But… I miss the continuity of the earlier Davies seasons. The sweeping emotional arcs we got in even a single episode. And Moffat is more than capable of writing that way. I mean Blink is one of the most emotional roller coaster episodes I've EVER watched on TV, so he's got the chops to connect with me on that emotional level… when he's not trying to be too quirky or clever or whatever the hell he's trying to be with the gimmicky shtick he's been throwing out lately, especially with the two opening episodes of this season. They were disjointed and messy and I'm honestly not sure what I was watching, but it's not the Doctor Who I love.

And no worries if anyone vehemently disagrees with me. I'm totally okay with the rest of the planet loving the Doctor as much as they always have. I'm just not quite there yet—maybe I never will be—but I'm hoping Moffat rises to the challenge of keeping me as a viewer.

Whew. I feel WAY better now. Thanks for letting me vent. LOL I think I'll rant a little more on my sister blog, or you know, copy this and post it there, too. :D

I could go on about having new episodes of Lost Girl to watch, but I'll save it for a later post.

Moving on… Tonight's post is from Dodging Bullets, a novella where my main characters have a long history together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sable and Gage live on the same street and survive their childhood by having each other's backs. When they grow up, they're still looking out for each other, but instead of ducking verbal barbs and flying objects, they're dodging bullets instead.

And a snippety peek…

Gage slammed out of the house and slumped into the chair on his front porch. His mom and dad were going at it again.

Betty screeched. "You're always going over there. She's got a grandparent who's perfectly capable of handling her."

Prescott spoke with a calm voice. "That girl has a name. Sable. And her grandmother asked me to take Sable to lunch occasionally. She just lost both of her parents, as you're well aware since you worked the scene. What harm can it do? Fourteen is hard enough without being orphaned the way she was."

Betty made a rude noise. "Maybe if her mother hadn't been strung out and driving close to ninety miles per hour, little Miss Sable wouldn't be an orphan."

Gage clenched his fists. His mom always said bitchy things about Sable and her mother. And, geez, when she got started on Sable's dad, she went off the deep end. Gage might only be fifteen, but he knew enough to get something had gone down between Betty and Ivan. He didn't know what, exactly, but something serious.

His dad defended his actions again. "Look, Betty, it's not a problem for me to spend a little time with Sable. She's a sweet kid who suffered a hard loss. And, hell, she lives across the street, is friends with the boys, and doesn't need anything from me but time."

Betty made another snide remark. "Well, of course, not. Ivan left her a fat life insurance policy. That girl will never know an honest day's work. She'll end up like Bianca, always chasing her next bottle or high—"

The thump of feet on the steps drew Gage's attention. Shit. Sable paused midway, her hand gripping the railing, her eyes filled with shock and sadness. Sable put the carryout bag she had in her free hand on the porch and tripped down the stairs, taking off down the block. Gage cursed his mother's nastiness, grabbed the bag, and shoved it inside the house, letting the door slam shut. He took off after Sable, following his gut instinct and heading to The Aardvark. Sable always went there when she didn't have anywhere else to go.

And right now, his house had so much toxic bullshit, he didn't want to be there.

He made the short walk to the store. When he entered, Bernie jerked his head toward the back room. Gage ducked around the counter and into the closed off space to find Sable hunched over the work table sorting t-shirts while sniffling.

He laid a hand on her shoulder and she tensed. "I'm sorry, Sable. My mom's a bitch sometimes."

She relaxed and choked out a laugh. Gage settled on the stool next to hers and grabbed a pile of the shirts. He started stacking his on the piles she'd already created. Sable continued to work on her grouping and the silence stretched out between them, but not in a bad way. Sable would talk when she wanted, not before.

When Sable does talk, Gage finally learns why his mom has so many issues with Sable's dad.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Deep End

September 20, 2015

Hmmm. As much as I love Doctor Who, I have to admit to being underwhelmed by the season premiere. I'm not a huge fan of Missy in any way, shape, or form. I love the concept of a female Master, but eh, not thrilled with the storylines she's been featured in. We'll see how the rest of the season goes.

I have been enjoying the new season of Longmire. I like to move to Netflix and, so far, all the episodes have been pretty solid. I think I have two left before I'm done.

I wish I had more excited for the new fall season but nothing is really sparking my interest with the new slate of shows. I am looking forward to my faves returning so at least I'll have something to rave about each week. LOL

Tonight's post is from The Deep End, a novella where my heroine realizes she fell for the wrong brother.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Raelin is six months into a relationship with Eames, but isn't feeling the spark… until she meets Eric, Eames' brother. The sibling rivalry takes an ugly turn and Raelin takes a big step back so the men can mend fences.

And a snippety peek…

Raelin Hicks paused her workout when the screen door slammed in the kitchen.

Her boyfriend of six months came strolling into the living room, a huge grin on his face. "Raelin, guess what? We've got dinner plans." He flopped down on her couch and put his feet up on the tufted, oversized ottoman she used as a coffee table.

Raelin shook her head. "Bannerman, what have I told you about roping me into your plans. You gotta check first." She scrapped the exercise routine and grabbed a towel from the wingback chair. "What if I have plans?" The towel hid her face and muffled her words.

Eames dropped his feet to the floor. "Do you? Can you cancel?" He got up and crossed over to stand beside her.

His bummed out and serious tone had her meeting his gaze. He wore an anxious expression on his face.

She blinked then narrowed her eyes. "What's going on, Eames?" Her heart kicked a little harder against her ribs…

She hoped he didn't plan to push for moving in together. He'd asked about sharing space at the two month mark and Raelin put him off. She wanted to go slow, not be in a big rush, try a different approach and not jump into the deep end from the word go.

The exact opposite of her usual modus operandi.

He smiled again. "My brother's in town and invited us to dinner." He walked back to the couch and settled down on the cushions again. "You'll love him, Rae. He's a great guy."

Her shoulders tensed. "I'm not sure I’m ready to meet family, Eames." And he knew how she felt.

They'd talked about holding off on getting to know the relatives. Neither had parents or siblings in the city so she hadn't worried too much about the possibility. Stupid. She should have considered family coming to them.

He shrugged. "Look, Eric's in town for an interview with a private security firm. He's on leave from the navy and scoping out job opportunities." Rising, Eames started toward her door. "I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I'll tell him we can't make it."

God. Could she be a bigger bitch?

Raelin called out. "Don't. We can meet him." She draped the towel around her neck. "What time?" Hopefully she could grab a shower, at least.

Eames cracked a wide grin. "Seven. We can meet him at Rooster Rue's." He backed away from the door, walked to her side, and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Thanks, Rae. I'll pick you at six-thirty?"

She nodded. "Sounds good. I'll grab a shower and be ready." She leaned in and brushed her lips over his cheek. "See you in an hour."

Eames made a quick dash to the door. "I'll do the same. Be back." He ducked out.

Raelin heaved a sigh. One dinner with one family member didn't mean anything.

Right?                                             

She hoped Eames wouldn't think it did.

My love of all things sibling related shows through here. So much fun to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Curiosity Kills It

So… The Last Ship? Probably one of the best season finales I've seen in a long time. I love this show! Now I have a whole year to wait for new episodes. *sigh*

Not much else on the television front. I'm patiently waiting for my superhero shows to return and watching a lot of new stuff on Netflix. The new season of Longmire is now streaming and I'm two episodes in. I love where things are going so far… stay tuned to see if that changes. LOL

New Doctor Who episodes start the weekend. Can't say I'm super excited to have a new season, but I'll watch and hopefully be surprised. After investing so much time, I'll have to keep current with what's happening.

I also started a beta read on a great story for an author friend. Looking forward to finishing it up this week.

Tonight's post is from Curiosity Kills It, a novella where my main couple starts to see each other in a new light.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Pagan and Chuck push each other's buttons… and not in a good way. But Pagan has a moment of clarity when she spies Chuck in the shower—they argue so much because they fight a powerful attraction. Hooking up may not be the answer, especially since they work together, but Pagan's curiosity gets the better of her and she has to find out.

And a snippety peek…

Chuck Wyandot yanked the helmet from his head. "Dammit, Pagan. Can you never do anything the simple way?" He tossed the sooty head cover in the back of the ambulance.

Pagan Barnes lifted an eyebrow. "I just cleaned the back of the rig. Get your grubby crap out of there." She stopped him from tossing the turnout coat beside the helmet.

Chuck shook his head. "Look, we've gone over this a million times. Just because we don't transport patients from the scene, you can't do the equipment inventory until we're back on base." He parked his butt on the deck of ambulance, just in front of the cot.

Pagan narrowed her eyes. "And it's a stupid protocol, waste of time, lame ass piece of utter bullshit." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Believe me; I know your well stated feelings, Pagan. Doesn't change the fact you can't keep bucking the system." He stood. "You're just going to have to redo everything when you get back."

She made a low growling sound. "I wouldn't have to if you hadn't just mucked everything up." Slamming the double doors shut, she stomped around to the front of the unit.

Chuck followed her. "You know what? I'm hot, covered in soot and ash, and want a nice, long shower. If I didn't have to keep having the same conversation with you, I might not be so goddamned tired. You're nothing if not exhausting." He turned on his heel and stalked to the engine.

Pagan made a particularly obnoxious comment and Chuck flipped her off. He'd had more than enough of her constant need to do things her way. As her assigned mentor, her crappy attitude and inability to follow simple protocols reflected on him and he'd grown tired of having the shift lieutenant up his ass about her.

And he'd be damned if he'd put up with Pagan's bullshit anymore.

I'm having a great time writing this one. The banter and bickering is so much fun.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Camden General

Great news! Killjoys and Dark Matter will both have a second season. I'm doing my happy chair dance right now. LOL

The Last Ship appears to have delivered my greatest wish, but… I may have hoped too soon. I have a feeling a different foe will prove more formidable than those who will remain nameless for now. LOL I can't wait for tonight's episode!

I got to watch the season four trailer for Arrow and ohhhh… can't wait for October to get here. Looking forward to The Flash and Agent Carter, also.

Syfy has a couple of shows I'm going to try, but eh, their slate isn't what I'd hoped it would be. Maybe I'll be surprised, who knows.

Tonight's post is from Camden General, a novella where a hook-up turns into something more.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jayden and Whit, two of Camden General's best emergency department staff, come together after losing a patient. Trying to navigate the fallout becomes even more difficult when their one time hook-up turns into a very personal relationship.

And a snippety peek…

Whit Brackenreid clocked in for his first shift at Camden General. He knew the hospital inside and out, having worked as a medic for ten years before making the switch to full-time nursing. He had something of an in, knowing most of the emergency department staff from coming in on the other end.

But he'd be lying if he didn't admit to having some nervous tension surrounding his first day. The two week vacation he took gave him a lot of time to think about everything that could go wrong.

"Hey, Whit! I heard you were joining us." Millie Traynor clapped him on the back. "Gonna give me a run for my money?"

Whit smiled. "Nah, Millie. You trained me well. Until I get a solid feel for being on this side of things, I'll follow everyone's lead."

Millie unofficially ran the emergency department. She didn't take any kind of shit from anyone. Gangbangers, veteran cops, street pimps, grizzled fire chiefs. None of them stood a chance against her. And everyone loved her.

She grabbed his arm and led him out to the triage area. "Heads up. We've got a rookie." She jerked her head toward Whit. "But at least he's a familiar face."

Bart Hammond gave Whit a fist bump. "Joining our ranks? Good to have you."

Wendy Jones rolled her eyes. "I can't believe they gave you a license, Whit. Are you sure it's legit?" Her smirk took the sting out of the words.

Whit shrugged. "Guess I'll just have to show you my skills." He waggled his eyebrows.

Millie wagged her finger. "Nuh uh, Mr. Brackenreid. You keep your hands off my nurses."

Whit chuckled. "Millie. I am one of your nurses now."

She shot his a hard look. "If you want it to stay that way, keep your hands to yourself."

Whit winked. "I hear you, Millie. Hands off. Got it."

Millie is a hoot to write and she'll have plenty of advice for Whit in the near future.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Calling Bull

Whew. What a week in television! First, Teen Wolf pulled off a pretty interesting ending for the summer finale. That being said, I'll happily watch Theo die in a fire created by Parrish if that ever happens. Just saying.

The Last Ship threw in a few more little twisty bits. I tweeted last weekend about wishing they'd stop killing my faves and boot off the Ramseys. Here's hoping someone heard my plea. LOL

Defiance turned in a kick ass finale. I'm so hoping it's not the end of the series, but if it is, I could live with the way it ended. That said, I think there's a buttload of potential left and hope to see more from this show. Dark Matter ended up being way better than I thought. Finally have more info about Two. It's a little sketchy but enough to keep me interested. And wow… I have to say I didn't see the end coming with Six. I'll leave it there for anyone who hasn't seen how things are left, but yeah, I'm in for more.

Not sure what Syfy has slated for their Friday nights now, but whatever it is, the shows have a tough act to follow. Fingers crossed for good stuff.

Haven't mentioned Dominion lately, but again, good show that's holding my interest. We'll see how they leave things for their finale. Haven is starting soon and I'll probably be a blubbering mess when it's over because I love that show so much. Stay tuned. LOL

Tonight's post is from Calling Bull, a sexy short where my hero knows my heroine a little too well and isn't afraid to remind her.

Here's the mini-blurb:

No one knows Ivy better than Ward. A fact she truly hates sometimes. But when he pushes her into a corner, she either comes out swinging or learns to forgive and forget.

And a snippety peek…

Ward Farthington barreled through the corridors with one thing on his mind. Find Ivy Tweed and make her see reason.

He rounded a corner and almost collided with a desk sergeant. "Sorry, Frank." Ward took a step back. "Did Ivy come this way?" His gaze swept the crowded hall.

Frank gave a quick nod. "You bet she did." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "And she looked pissed as hell. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

Ward sighed. "Don't I always?" He could push Ivy's buttons without even trying.

One of the many drawbacks to growing up with her, first next door and then later, after her dad died, in his family's attic bedroom. He'd moved to the basement less than a year after she moved in, the added distance not always helping to tame the wild hormones pinging at age sixteen.

Frank jerked his thumb toward the equipment room. "Think she ducked in there. Quieter than the locker room and Barney's punching bag is still hanging up." His hand clamped on Ward's shoulder when he started to walk away. "Don't be too rough on her, boyo." He slapped Ward on the back and strolled away.

Ward rolled his eyes. A precious flower Ivy would never be. Her name sometimes suited her, clinging to bad habits a good pruning might circumvent. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and strode to her latest hiding place.

With his hand on the knob, he hesitated. Maybe Frank had a point and Ward should just leave her alone.

This one is coming together so nicely. I can't wait to finish and share with everyone!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Call of the Ripper

August 23, 2015

Still battling the cold / allergy / viral evilness thing. But… I think I'm finally in the last stages. <fingers crossed>

Teen Wolf has me confuzzled. I seriously don't know where or how everything is going to end up. I will say I kind of can't wait for the end of the Dread Doctors. I'm pretty much done with giving any kind of crap about them. Not my favorite storyline to date. Just saying.

Defiance keeps getting better. The twisty-turny stuff makes me happy. I love how even with internal betrayals, judgment and forgiveness tends to be fast and certain. I really do hope this show continues.

Killjoys season finale proved to be excellent. I'm so in love with this show, enough that I'm considering doing recaps for my fandom blog. Need to make a note to get the DVDs ASAP.

Dark Matter also gave me something I wanted, more information about Two. I'm liking how the crew is starting to gel and work together. The scene in the vault with all the guys was a treat to watch.

And once again, The Last Ship brought a ton of drama to the table. I'll be honest, I really want Chandler to take a step off the high horse and remember what things were like before he picked up the POTUS. Rachel made a gut call and kept everyone else out of it, taking full responsibility. And in this case, the greater good should outweigh any righteous indignation.

Also… I have a bad vibe about who cut the video to make it look like the ship bombed New Orleans. I hope we'll find out if I'm right this week.

Tonight's post is from Call of the Ripper, a novella blending a Jack the Ripper research team with suspense and sexiness.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Two 'Ripperologists' take a working vacation to experience the essence of Jack's madness. But when a modern day stalker takes an interest in their excursion, the call of the ripper hits a little too close for comfort.

And a snippety peek…

Faith Dowd thrashed on the bed, terrifying imagery rolling through her head. A dark alley on a damp evening. Fog rolling in, the murky darkness almost smothering. The flash of a blade slicing downward, tearing into flesh. Searing pain ripping through her, a pool of red seeping from her skin.

Faith screamed and the sound echoed through the silent room. The wail pierced the night again and again. But she couldn't stop.

Sean McDermott shook her. "Faith! Wake up. It's a nightmare." His arms wrapped around her and she fought him.

Still trapped in her dreamscape, she flailed and scratched and tried to jerk free.

Sean let her go, but smoothed one hand down her hair. "Faith. It's time to wake up." He used a soothing tone, his voice a caress. "Come on, babe. Come back to me."

She calmed, her breath shuddering in and out in stuttered gasps. "Sean?" Her eyes blinked open and his gorgeous face hovered over hers.

He traced a finger along her cheek. "Yeah, babe. You're okay. I've got you." He sat up, settled back against the pillows, and opened his arms wide.

Faith shook her head, trying to clear the grisly dream from her mind. She crawled up and let Sean wrap her in his warm embrace. Still shaking, she tucked her head under his chin and dragged the comforter up over them.

Sean pressed a kiss to her head. "Did you have the same nightmare?" His hand smoothed over her arm, his touch light but reassuring.

Faith nodded. "Yeah. Worse this time." She burrowed closer to his side. "The deeper and closer we get to finding more information on Jack, the gorier my nightmare becomes." She braced for Sean's response.

He didn't disappoint. "Maybe you should take a break for a while. It's not the Ripper is going anywhere." He waited a beat. "I can work on the research for a few weeks, just until you're sleeping better."

His offer surprised her. Sean preferred discussion and dissection of information and he provided an excellent counterpoint to some of her more out there theories. Their back and forth garnered butt loads of comments on their blog The Call of the Ripper.

Faith lifted her chin, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. "Really? You'd do that for me?" Her hand smoothed down his chest, stopping at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Sean's lips twisted in a sexy smile. "Faith, my love, you know I'll do just about anything for you." His eyes went dark and sensual.

Faith slid her palm lower, cupping his growing erection. "In that case, let's try some sexual healing. See if getting physical shuts off the Jack filter in my brain." She rose up to her knees and straddled his thighs, leaning in to mesh her lips with his.

If this one comes together like I hope it will, it's going to be a fun ride.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Cabin

Greetings!

Ugh. I'm fighting a nasty summer cold / allergy / yuck something, which I'm hoping runs its course before next week. School starts on August 25, but my kidlets already have golf and football stuff going on. We've already had a football scrimmage and our first golf match is Monday. Sadly, I won't be going because I can't breathe when I go outside. LOL Ugh. Seriously, my nasal passages can clear up any time now.

Let's see. Teen Wolf? Yeah. A shit ton of stuff happened in the last episode. Glad to see things moving forward. I'm now excited to see Monday's episode. If I'm not in a cold / allergy medication induced coma. <see above>

Friday night on Syfy is still kicking major ass. Defiance turned in a pretty awesome episode. But… I was sad to see one of the characters go. I'm also dying to see where this whole thing ends and there better be another season to wrap stuff up. I'm going to be very angry if there isn't. LOL

Killjoys seriously keeps me glued to the screen. This is another one where a new season is a must. The pacing and everything else related to backstory and world building is just about perfect. The only thing I'd like to see a little more of is John's history. I'd even throw Pawter in there, too, but I'm actually okay with what's been revealed of her history so far. Here's hoping next week's episode is mind-blowing.

Dark Matter… cliffhanger ahoy! I'll be riveted to see how Two gets out of the predicament she landed in. I'm also interested in seeing where they end this season. While this show spends a little more time on backstory / exposition, I'm definitely excited by the possibilities of more.

The Last Ship. What can I say? I've praised everything from the pacing, characters, actors, and writing. I'll add all the twists and turns to the mix. I totally didn't see Rachel's ballsy action last week and I can't wait to see if shit flies or not. I'm kind of hoping for the latter because seriously? Her move needed to happen. Just saying.

And enough about TV. Tonight's post is from The Cabin, a novella where my main characters almost let family drama get in the way of something really great.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Whip meets the woman of his dreams when he tries to convince Kari to give his brother another shot at her art class. But when she can't accommodate the request, Whip still wants to pursue a relationship… until his brother tries to get in the way and Kari decides she won't come between them.

And a snippety peek…

Kari Kells shook her head after reviewing Warner Harrington's portfolio. "This guy didn't even try to follow the guidelines to get into my class." Closing the heavy zip-up folder, she set it aside and started on her notes.

She began with a rejection letter, explaining in plain terms Warner needed to double check the qualifications if he wanted to apply for her class again in the spring. Then she made opened the portfolio again and made detailed comments on his lack of vision, his half-assed attempt create something modern with paint slashes and splatters, which actually looked like a four-year-old's work. The sloppy techniques showed haste and little thought behind the projects.

If he wanted an art credit, it wouldn't be in her class. She wouldn't waste her time on someone who'd attempt to bluff his way through the semester course.

In fact, she resented the hour she spent reviewing and rejecting Warner's application. Her class had room for twenty students and over one hundred vied for one of those spots. And most of those put forth a huge amount of effort to get in.

Not so with Harrington. She shook her head again, then attached the notes and closed the portfolio. After printing off the rejection letter, she stuffed it in an envelope and gathered up the materials to drop off at the office.

Locking her office door, she started down the hallway. "Better luck next time, kid. You're not going to be happy, but a good lesson to learn." Her heels clicked on the tiled floor, sounding the death knell for Warner Harrington to earn an elective credit in art.

I'm excited about this one. I love having a family dynamic even if it's not a full-on sibling rivalry.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin