Sunday Snippet: Just Dessert

A random observation to start things off. A new office chair totally makes a huge difference when it comes to comfort for writing or editing. Just saying. I got a new chair on Friday and I can already feel the difference. Nice!!

Busy week on the television front. Gotham had a great episode. I hope it gets renewed because I'm interested in where the characters will end up next.

The Flash moved the story forward and I'm looking forward to seeing the finale. Arrow did a repeat, but this week should be new. Legends of Tomorrow had a great new episode. I'm liking what they're doing with the character interaction.

Agents of SHIELD took another bizarre twist and I like it. My one quibble would be the somewhat constant pulling the rug out will get old if it happens all the time. I do get a little tired of turning good guys into bad guys and that's saying something because I love all the shades of gray between black and white.

Wynonna Earp continues to make me happy. And I got partially caught up on Banshee. Gotta say the first episode kind of blew my mind in a terrific way. Not at all what I expected. I'm about halfway through season two of X Company and I’m still enjoying everything about the show.

I didn't say anything about Orphan Black last week because my brain was still processing the premiere. But, wow, what a terrific episode! And the follow up kicked butt, too. Lovely to see Paul, if only briefly. I have so much love for this show and how they raise the stakes each season.

And that's it for television.

Tonight's post is from Just Dessert, book three of the Black Unicorn Comics Adventure series. Lucy and Brian are back and celebrating their anniversary.

Here's the mini-blurb:

On Brian and Lucy's anniversary, they receive a gift from his gran that has the couple reliving their first night together.

And a snippety peek…

Brain flashed back to the night he fell under Lucy's spell. Best night of his life, even if it didn't start out that way. He'd gone to dinner with Chelle, supposedly to make up for something he'd done to irritate her—a common occurrence, which should have been his first clue they weren't meant to be.

As usual, Chelle prattled on and on about Reg and Ana and how she and Brian should do more with the couple. Brian thought their weekly brunch on Sundays a nice routine, but Chelle never thought they spent enough time together with his best friend and his wife. Ana's busy schedule didn't leave a lot of room for get-togethers. The woman ran several charities and organized gala events, which raked in lots of donations.

Chelle rolled her eyes. "I don't see why they can't pick up the tab when we meet on Sundays. Ana's got more money than she'll spend in this lifetime." She nibbled on her shrimp cocktail.

Brian frowned. "Why should she foot the bill? We're the one who invited them, at your insistence. It's fair to split the check." Not like he and Chelle didn't make enough to cover the cost of their own meals.

Chelle snorted. "I'm just saying once we made it a weekly event, she could have offered. She's always going on about how she gets in to the best places. Why not treat us to some of her legendary sway and score us comped meals?" She drained her wine glass and gave Brian a pointed look.

He sighed and refilled the goblet. "Look, Chelle, you never complain when Ana brings in all the leftover swag they have from her numerous events. And you're always the first in line to score the best stuff." Often to the detriment of the other Black Unicorn employees.

Chelle laughed. "As if anyone else at that place knows what to do with most of the freebies Chelle drops off." She twirled her fork in the air. "I mean, seriously? Lucy doesn't know the first thing about fashion, not when she constantly shows up for work in cutoffs and a tank top. Does she even know how to dress professionally?" She scooped up some of her pasta and paused halfway to her mouth. "And don't even get me started on Soch. The yummy stuff Ana brings in is lost on anyone with that many tattoos." The fork disappeared between Chelle's lips.

Brian welcomed the reprieve. He'd had about enough of Chelle's constant barrage of insults toward their coworkers. Watching her watch everyone else in the restaurant with a calculated gleam in her eye turned his stomach. He finally saw Chelle for the social climber she intended to be.

How the hell did I get tangled up with her?

How, indeed, Brian. Gotta say I love revisiting this couple and their crazy group of friends.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Imagination

Finally, a fairly lovely week. The weather took a turn for the better with mild temperatures and some sun.

Gotta say The Magicians finale shocked and surprised me. Loved it! The premiere of The Hunters has me intrigued so I'll continue watching to see how things pan out. No episode of Bitten this week, unless I missed the US viewing night. I've seen the next to last episode and some big twisty-turns I didn't expect.

Agents of SHIELD had a great episode. I have to give Brett Dalton credit for being so good at playing truly creepy. He's got the chops to pull it off.

Legends of Tomorrow also had another great episode. And finally, looks like we'll have a new / another villain. Glad to see the potential there.

Loving Wynonna Earp. I'm all caught up and really excited about the potential for this series. Still need to watch the first three episodes of Banshee, which I'm hoping to do later tonight. Also started a new ITV drama, Marcella, and so far, really like it. One of my favorite actors is starring so I'll be glued no matter what. LOL

And finally, I'm getting back into X Company, an excellent Canadian drama about WWII. Loving the second season so far.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Imagination, a novella based on the prompt "using a blindfold". How can that not be fun to write?

Here's the mini-blurb:

Holland Dukes and Rand Allerdyce love to play games. When Holland decides Rand needs to stimulate his imagination, she uses a blindfold and makes him rely on his other senses. Rand gets payback, pulling the same scenario… in Holland's office.

And a snippety peek…

When the room went dark, Rand tensed, ready to fight off an attack.

He caught a whiff of gardenia and smiled. Relaxing, he waited to see what happened next.

Holland's voice purred closed to his ear. "Let the game begin…"

Rand turned toward the sound, carefully reaching out. "And what fun treat do you have planned tonight?" His fingers met silk, gliding lightly over the fabric.

Holland grasped his hand. "Imagination."

Rand's lips quirked. "I want to touch more than your hand." He twined their fingers together and tugged her forward.

Holland made a sound between a purr and a chuckle. "You will, Rand. Patience."

He could play the waiting game, especially if she rewarded him with a hot experience. "Okay, no rushing then." He loosened his grip on her fingers.

Holland leaned in close. "Exactly. Now… let's go with taste." Her mouth met his, her tongue slipping past his lips.

He smiled when she eased away. "Mmmm. Mint with a velvety undertone of chocolate." Licking his lips, he made a low groan. "Combined with the gardenia perfume, you're hitting all my favorites." A sigh escaped before he could stop it.

Holland made a tsking sound. "All right, Mr. Know-it-all. Listen…"

The scratchy sound of a zipper being lowered met his ears. "You're not planning to lead me around by my dick, are you?" He could almost picture the saucy smile on her face.

Holland laughed, a sexy rumble close to his ear. "No. Because that would involve touch and I'm still on listening and hearing." She stepped away. "Follow the sound now…" Her heels made a tick-click-clack on the parquet flooring of the foyer before becoming muted when she crossed to the slate tiles in the kitchen. "Where am I?"

Rand grinned. "You're in the kitchen, picking something up." The slide of glass on the granite counter gave her action away.

Holland made her way back into the entry. "Very good. You get a reward for your effort." Her fingers grazed his cheek. "Open wide now. We're back to taste again."

Rand complied and bit into a succulent strawberry covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Another favorite. Holland certainly pulled out all the stops tonight.

Her mouth covered his again, the taste of the ripe fruit on her lips. He let her control the embrace, groaning when she swept her tongue along his, getting a little lost in her allure. When she eased away to feed him another strawberry followed by one more, he dutifully finished off both. She could feed him all night if she wanted. The loss of sight only served to heighten everything else and he thoroughly enjoyed having her in the driver's seat.

The sound of her heels walking back into the kitchen kicked his anticipation up a notch. When she returned to his side, he reached out, craving contact with her. The gaping hole from his open zipper gave him a little breathing room, but the hard ridge of his cock wanted some attention.

When his hands found her hips, he whispered. "What's next?"

What's next, indeed? Use your imagination. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Hunt

Just in time for the weekend, snow showers in Ohio. LOL Considering I was still wearing shorts and flip-flops in October, I won't gripe anymore. J

Update on the gimpy kid… she'd made huge strides over the last week, going from her splint down to a boot and now easing into a brace. She's doing therapy and it's making a huge difference. She won't be ready to jump hurdles before the end of track season, but she's mobile and crutchless for the most part. *throws confetti*

Sad there isn't a new Walking Dead, but also a little relieved. I'll give next season a quick go then decide if I can deal with Negan or not.

The Magicians is almost to the season ender and I'm kind of excited to see what happens. Bitten is also two episodes away from its finale and I'm kind of sad there won't be any new episodes to look forward to.

No new The Flash, but Agents of SHIELD had a terrific showing. I rather like how the deep division seems to be setting up Captain America: Civil War.

Arrow… wow. I'm actually kind of shocked at who we lost. That said, never say die in a show based on a comic series. There's a solid chance we'll see the one we lost again.

Legends of Tomorrow put a good episode together. I really love the complicated mix and relationships portrayed. I will admit, I'm actually kind of tired of Savage constantly having the upper hand. I'd like to see a serious blow dealt to him and maybe an introduction of some other villains.

Still need to watch Banshee, but I have the eps ready to go. And the first episode of Wynonna Earp proved awesome! If the second ep is as good, I'm all-in. Kind of looking forward to The Hunters and hoping it holds my interest.

That's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from The Hunt, a sexy short based on the prompt "personal space violation." How could this one not be fun?

Here's the mini-blurb:

Megan and Guy, corporate retreat directors, stage a scavenger hunt for their client's team building exercise. After a major disagreement, the couple spends most of their time making up—and trying not to get caught in compromising positions.

And a snippety peek…

"If I have to do one more team-building exercise by creating a fort out of office furniture that culminated in a group sing-along of "Kumbaya", I'm going to kill someone. I think it's time we pulled our contract and went looking for a different place to hold our corporate retreats." Joe Homage folded his arms over his chest and heaved a frustrated breath.

Megan Dewes pursed her lips and pondered how to respond to the outburst. Mid-level groups like Aztec Holdings had a ton of turnover in their ranks and always looked for ways to help their employees work together toward the common goal of selling more equipment. Joe Homage, the VP of sales, attended every session—usually two per year—and this would make his tenth outing. No wonder he'd boarded the crazytown express.

Megan rose and made her way around the desk, propping a hip on the edge. "What can I do to liven things up for you, Joe?" She didn't want to lose Aztec's business, not when she and her partner were finally going to have time off.

Which they wouldn't get if Joe pulled the plug.

He shot her a look. "Really? You're going to use sales tactics on me?" He dropped his arms and turned away. "Because I can sell swampland in Florida."

Megan quirked a smile. "Okay, then. Why don't you tell me what you want and I'll see if we can make it happen. You've always had the option to change your package, Joe." Of course, he didn't do the booking, his exec assistant did.

Which meant he probably didn't have clue he could request something different.

Joe cocked his head to one side. "Well, uh, I don't know. But there's gotta be something besides the same old stuff all the time." He gave her a hopeful look.

Megan started to reply, but the door opened and her partner entered, carrying two cups of coffee from the kitchen carafe.

Guy Rillion never failed to take her breath away… or to not distract her when he walked into a room. But she had an account to save, so she only nodded and scrambled to come up with a new idea for Joe's group.

Reaching across the desk, she pulled the Aztec file toward her and flipped it open. "Let's just check and see what we can shuffle around here." Joe leaned in, his shoulder brushing hers.

Guy moved through the office, placing the coffee on the desk and settling into the chair. "Morning, Joe. What's up?" He met Megan's gaze for a brief second before turning his attention to their client.

Joe straightened. "Er, well, I was thinking about pulling the contract, but Megan asked for some ideas to change up the program a little. You know, shake things up so they're not so boring." He finished on a mumble.

Megan stuck her tongue in her cheek to keep from snorting with laughter. She didn't know whether to whip out a ruler or walk away.

Guy looked ready to do battle and Joe like he wanted to crawl away as quickly as possible. Nothing like a bona fide measuring contest to get the day started.

Having a great time with this one…

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: How to Tell Off the Boss

So, first week of April in Ohio and we had a wintry mix of sleet and snow yesterday. *shakes head* Come on, Mother Nature, cut us a break. LOL

On the television front… The Walking Dead set everything up for the finale tonight. I'm actually thinking I won't watch it live. It's been a rough week and my brain might just break if one of my faves doesn't make it out alive.

Missed Gotham on Monday and haven't caught up yet. This plays into the rough week angle. My teenage daughter had her first track meet Monday night and badly sprained her ankle during the warm-ups. The poor kid didn't even get to compete. The good news is she cleared all the hurdles. The bad news? She needs to work on the landings. LOL Needless to say, she's on crutches and miserable but gets to see the orthopedic guy tomorrow. Whew.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD had great episodes. I liked seeing the fallout from previous episodes on both shows. Time travel always kicks my interest up a notch and The Flash usually pulls off nice twists when it happens. Henry Simmons is terrific at playing Mack and I'm glad he's on Agents of SHIELD.

Arrow added some new layers to relationships and it was cool to see a Flash villain show up in Star City. I kind of liked having Felicity save the day and Curtis was a total riot in the Arrow cave / bunker. I love his character so much.

Legends of Tomorrow surprised me with revealing how Mick survived his encounter with Snart. Very cool to see Sara back in Nanda Parbot and being introduced to Talia. I loved the little seeds / references to Nyssa, too.

I checked into The Magicians and love the kind of twisty things they're doing with the relationships there. Bitten also had a great episode, but I'm truly sad another pack member met his end. I'm very ready for Elena and company to kick ass and end the menacing presence in their lives.

I'll be catching up with Wynonna Earp and Banshee sometime today. Will probably be adding little bits to next week's post on both.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from How to Tell Off the Boss, a novella built on the two word prompt "Bug off". I love a challenge and this one ended up not being as hard as I thought it would.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Orin Murdoch's boss, the newly installed VP of Sales, is driving him insane with new promotions that just don't work. Edda Case, an upstart marketing whiz, takes Orin in hand and teaches him how to tell off the boss with style.

And a snippety peek…

"Yes, Linna, I'll cross-check the dates of the campaign. No. No, I don't know what could have happened to result in a loss that big." Orin Murdoch heaved a sigh. "Yes. I'll have something put together for a meeting tomorrow." He hung up and shook his head. "Please, whatever rules the universe, let that woman get hit by a bus in the very near future."

A garbled snort drew his attention and he glanced up to find Edda Case, their marketing genius standing in his doorway. She had her messenger style bag hoisted over her shoulder and her polka-dot trench coat draped over her arm. At least someone got to leave work at a decent hour.

Edda smirked. "If you're talking about Linna, a bus would be too quick." She stepped into the office and made her way to stand in front of his desk. "Now, something along the lines of falling from the top of a skyscraper might be a good way for her to go." She dropped her bag on the floor and grinned.

Orin rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I don't understand what happened to the last campaign. And she's demanding answers." Meaning he'd be here most of the night.

Edda shrugged. "Look, I'm getting ready to meet some friends for either Korean or Thai food, not sure which yet." She grabbed her bag again. "Either way, it's comfort food for me. You should join us." She widened her eyes and nodded.

Orin sighed. "Yeah, sorry, can't." He pointed to the open files on his desk. "I've got the next launch to get in order and, of course, the research for why the last campaign didn't meet expectations." His stomach growled, but he ignored the pangs.

Edda shook her head then leaned forward a little. "If you ask me, we put forward a no-fail plan. There's something not quite right about the low sales." She straightened and met his gaze. "Think about it." Without waiting for a response, she turned and sailed out of his office.

Orin grabbed his pen and tapped it on the edge of the desk. Edda couldn't be thinking someone deliberately tanked the project, could she? Nah. Who in their right mind would pull a stunt like that?

If using possible sabotage as an excuse wouldn't make him look like an inept ass, he'd absolutely use the idea. Instead, he'd run the numbers forwards and backwards and figure out where the breakdown occurred. The grumble from his midsection sounded again and he got up, crossing over to the break room to grab some yoghurt and granola. A terrible dinner, but something to tide him over for an hour or two. He could always order something for delivery later.

Sitting back down, he pondered Edda's invitation. They worked well together but didn't associate outside of the office. Polar opposites would describe their personality types. Edda's brash, bold, and colorful style translated into her work. She dreamed up marketing and advertising that put products front and center and dared people not to see them. Orin didn't have a creative bone in his body, but he thought and worked with the big picture in mind. And numbers were his refuge. Forecasting, projecting, finalizing. He rarely missed the mark.

So what the hell happened to the jump bag project?

Something along the lines of falling from the top of a skyscraper might be a good way for her to go.

Edda's words played over in Orin's brain. He chuckled. Then laughed. He gave Edda props for creativity. And he regretted not taking her up on the offer to have dinner. Even with a group of her friends, he doubted the evening would be anything but fun and enjoyable. Edda might not be his usual type—not that he had a type anymore, considering he couldn't remember his last date—but she drew people to her with vivacious wit and keen intelligence.

Finishing off the yoghurt and granola, he tossed the items in the trash can and settled in to crunch some numbers.

Gotta say this one is very fun to dive into. Hoping to have a finished draft sometime this summer.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hot Water

Happy Easter to those who observe and celebrate. We're having some lovely weather in Ohio, which might only last twenty-four hours because—hello!—it's Ohio. LOL I'm still battling the flu… apparently I got the full two-week version. Yay, me.

That said, I did enjoy my week of new shows on television. The Walking Dead followed up the Carol / Maggie excellence with another terrific episode. I'm still not all that excited for Negan to show up, but eh, we'll see what happens when he does.

Gotham took a turn I didn't expect and I'm definitely interested in where things go from here. Nygma is one crafty, creepy dude. The Magicians continues to keep me intrigued. I truly love the dynamic between Penny and Quentin. The Lost Girl finale had me sobbing… again. I'm going to miss that show so much. Bitten twisted the spikes in a little deeper, but I loved the spin with making Rachel the one with powers instead of Rocco. Awesome to see Paige again.

The Flash made a reveal I didn't expect until the end of the season, so kudos for keeping me on my toes. Arrow took a turn I didn't exactly like, but I'm in for the long haul with Oliver and company. Looking forward to a new Legends episode this week.

Agents of SHIELD keeps getting better and better. I'm excited for the Most Wanted spin off. I love those characters.

The finale for Murdoch Mysteries proved excellent. I can't believe they keep coming up with great stuff after almost ten years. Here's to another terrific season whenever it premieres.

And that's the television update for this week.

Tonight's post is from Hot Water, a novella based on the prompt "Shower, visiting quarters or room, tiny towel". How can this one not be fun? LOL

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Demi Strange and Nathan Jordan work together at a summer camp, things get heated. The campers use up the water ration, leaving Demi to borrow Nathan's shower and it lands her in more than hot water.

And a snippety peek…

"As of today, we're instituting a time restriction for showers."

Demi Strange groaned, expecting the news but less than thrilled to hear the actual decision. Too many of the campers for the summer program were using an overabundance of hot water, which made costs rise and the minimal profit earned fall. For a group of tweens and teens, the need to take long, hot showers kind of amazed Demi. When she'd come to Camp Canawatchee during her summer breaks over ten years ago, a quick dousing to wash her hair and shave her legs sufficed. These kids treated bath time like a spa day.

Nathan Jordan, the head counselor and acting director, lifted his hands to muffle the complaints. "Look, it's not that bad. We're going to start with five minutes and if we get things under control, we'll increase the time." He glanced in Demi's direction and flashed a smile.

She ignored the little kick in her pulse rate and voiced a concern. "What about shaving?" Even she would have trouble getting finished in five minutes.

He frowned. "Most of the boys aren't shaving yet, but if they are, they can use the sink."

Demi rolled her eyes. "Well, most of the girls are and it's not fair to make them try to stand on one leg to get the job done. Not to mention, it's a liability if anyone happens to have balance issues." She shot the other female counselor a look. "Mitzi? Do you agree?"

Mitzi gave an emphatic nod. "Absolutely. Not asking for special treatment here, but ten minutes would be better."

Nathan heaved a sigh. "Fine. Girls get ten. But that's it." He moved around the table, handing out a notice to put up in the cabins. "We're installing timers and the hot water gets shut off when the limit is reached."

One of the male counselors, Frank, laughed. "I'll bet it only takes finishing one cold shower for everyone to fall in line."

Nathan lifted a shoulder. "They can have as much time as they want with cold water." His lips curved in a grin. "But I doubt anyone will take us up on that offer."

Demi took her notices and filed them in her organizer. She could already hear the outbursts she'd get from the girls. Nathan adjourned their meeting and wished everyone luck. Staying behind when the others left, Demi jotted a few ideas down to appease the monster attitudes she expected.

Nathan pulled out a chair and settled in next to her. "Sorry for the inconvenience this is going to cause everyone." He whipped out his ready smile.

Demi loved the way his lips curved and the corners crinkled when he grinned. But she fought the thrill of her imagination and calmed her racing heart. Carefully putting her pen into the slot of her organizer, she shut the book and gave him her full attention. Probably not her best move because she couldn't deny a serious attraction for the man. And she didn't want it to be a "thing".

She had more sense than that, right?

Who else thinks Demi's sense is going out the window on this one? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Healthy Appetite

Well, it's the first day of spring and we're getting snow in Ohio. LOL I'm also down with the flu, so not a fun week.

Another light week in television. The Walking Dead had a terrific Carol / Maggie episode that ended up being one of the best ever.

Gotham's episode took an interesting turn. I'm excited to see what happens with Cobblepot back on the loose. Nygma is sliding into total crazytown and I'm loving it. I have a feeling Hugo is lining up a bunch of pieces and I'm very interesting in where all that goes. My other Monday night shows provided excellent viewing. The Magicians went in a direction I didn't really see coming. Lost Girl amped everything up for the finale and Bitten made me cry. LOL

Agents of SHIELD surprised me and that makes me happy. Looking forward to more and seeing where things go. Murdoch Mysteries had a great episode and the finale looks terrific. Fingers crossed there's not a huge cliffhanger.

My shows should be back this week and I'm ready and waiting.

That's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from Healthy Appetite, a novella based around a prompt about showing a character's healthy appetite and having the other character wondering what else they craved.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Thad Nightingale meets Kailey Dent during a weeklong getaway and finds her approach to life refreshing. Not only does she eat with gusto, she has a thirst for adventure that leaves Thad hungry for more.

And a snippety peek…

Kailey Dent tossed her clothes in a suitcase, ready for her weeklong sojourn to the mountain. A pile of stuff had already shipped to the lodge and she'd get to experiment and play for seven straight days. She couldn't wait.

Her brother, Talon, poked his head around the doorjamb. "Kails, you about ready? I've got the SUV warmed up." He had hat hair and looked like a crazed axe-murderer.

Kailey bit back a grin. "Yeah, yeah. Just gotta zip up and grab my overnight bag from the bathroom." She shut the case and put it on the floor.

Talon strode into her room, his snowy boots leaving puddles of slush on the carpet. Kailey opened her mouth to blast him, but he grabbed her suitcase and pulled it along behind when he exited her room. She took five extra minutes to dab at the icy mess then snagged her overnight bag and met Talon by the front door.

Slipping into her ski jacket, she added a scarf and toboggan. "Let's head out." Talon led the way and she followed, her boots crunching on the crystalized path to the SUV.

Talon loaded her cases then slid behind the wheel. "I'll bet you're dying to get up on the mountain." He flashed her a trademark smile.

The guy could sell snow to polar bears with that mug of his.

Kailey cracked a wide grin. "Are you kidding? I've been amping up the hype on my blog all week. I'm not the only one excited for me to get up there." Her blog gained new followers every day.

And she worked hard to get them, keep them interested, and give the truth according to her about each and every product she tried and put through its paces. She reviewed everything from clothes and equipment to local hot spots and quiet getaway locations. With the ski season getting underway, the web traffic increased daily and her commenters appreciated her no bullshit style. She rarely held back when a product didn't meet her standards or when she found something she loved and recommended with five star ratings.

Her job with a local outfitting company paid well and she got to play with new lines on her days off. Talon tinkered around with design when he didn't have competitions and she often field-tested his ideas. If she got hurt, she wouldn't lose a spot on roster.

Been there, done that. Talon had his shot now and she'd back him one hundred percent.

Talon made the turn out of their drive and onto the highway. "You get any flack for changing your mind about the goggles?" He eased along the road, the slick surface demanding slower speeds.

Kailey laughed. "Not really. You know I always explain why and the manufacturer made improvements to the seal. My biggest bitch about those goggles was getting water underneath the shield. Hard to ski or snowboard when your vision is impaired."

Her commenters often asked her to try products again, usually after they'd been on the market for a while. She'd happily put equipment through a second and change her review if warranted. If a manufacturer made improvements, she'd be the first to say so.

Talon shook his head. "I hope you never trash any of my sponsors. I'd be hard-pressed to defend them if you do."

Kailey rolled her eyes. "As if I'd ever let anyone unworthy of your talent be your sponsor."

Talon chuckled. "Right. How could I forget?" His lips curved in a brotherly smirk. "My big sis always has my back."

Kailey scrunched down and propped her head on the back of the seat. "Damn straight. Don't forget it."

I'm having a good time with this one. Not quite sure where it's headed, but it's a fun trip getting there.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Whew. Had a super-busy week running all over the place with my teenagers. Glad it's over.

Another light television week, which worked out well, considering the whole crazytown express thing. The Walking Dead turned in a fine outing, but I'm still kind of dreading the whole Neegan thing. Here's hoping I'm projecting for nothing.

My Monday lineup continues to impress. I hope Syfy continues to keep that day of the week filled with awesome shows. I can't always count on the network to make the best decisions. LOL

Tuesday's Teen Wolf finale didn't disappoint. I can honestly say I'm quite happy with how everything turned out. Theo received a just fate and, as usual, Scott's side had all the bases covered. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to see how things turned out for Parrish. I have my own personal head canon for his future. Agents of SHIELD returned and not a bad effort.

Legends of Tomorrow is still putting on a good show. I have a few, small quibbles with some aspects of the development, but I'll save those for my fandom blog where spoilers are discussed openly.

Murdoch Mysteries ended up being pretty great. I love how the show, even after being on for almost ten years, still finds new ground to cover. Seriously, can't ask for more than that in a long-running favorite.

And that's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from Hazardous Curves Ahead, a novella that started from a discussion about a play on words. The premise here begins with an accident then adds more twists and turns after the wreck.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice… until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

Imma Rusch loved loud music and an open road.

When her Bluetooth indicated she had an incoming call, she growled when the stereo automatically lowered the volume. "This better be good." She pumped the breaks, flying around a curve.

"Does calling to say I miss you count as good?" Her current flame's voice boomed through the speakers.

She laughed. "Ha. Considering I'm currently out driving way too fast because you're not around to keep me entertained, yeah." Taking the next bend in the road, her tires squealed due to her speed. "But we gotta keep this short."

"Just wanted to let you know I'm gone for another two weeks. The old man has me flying over to Berlin to meet with the distributors. Thinks it'll help smooth over the transition."

Imma shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Call me when you get there, alright?" He'd been gone a full week already. She could live with two more.

"Will do. And, Imma, when I get back, maybe we talk about where we're headed." He let the question dangle, a good move on his part.

Imma gave a noncommittal answer. "Let's get you through taking over for your dad, first, yeah?"

He sighed, but agreed and signed off to catch his flight.

Imma hated to disappoint him, but she shied away from the big moment conversations.

Mainly because she feared moving beyond casual dating into full-blown relationship territory. Her parents sucked at the whole happily ever after deal—a long string of stepparents on both sides proved their lack of expertise. Why would she do any better?

She probably wouldn't and didn't want to attempt anything deeper than staying overnight a few times a week. But she had a small reprieve from worrying about a discussion of more for now.

The music cut back in, blaring one of her favorite songs. Her foot jammed down on the accelerator and she let out a wild yell, shaking off the downer mood. A roadside sign showed a series of curves ahead and she took the first turn without letting off the gas, whipping her car around the bend, her head thrown back and a bark of laughter escaping her lungs.

When she straightened, her eyes went wide and she swerved to miss the oncoming vehicle, careening onto the side of the road. She skidded on the shoulder, the rear end fishtailing in the loosely packed gravel, spinning the car sideways. Imma lost control, the steering wheel wrenched from her hands when the car finally crashed to a stop against the side of rocky outcropping.

She blinked several times then promptly passed out.

I'm still working on a good blurb for this one, which is always the hardest part for me. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin