Sunday Snippet: And That's Why...

Memorial Day weekend, which doubles as graduation weekend in my little burg, is my signal that summer will be arriving soon. Looking forward to outside activities and longer nights.

Watched some great season finales this week. Gotham pulled out all the stops and I'm really looking forward to seeing what next season has in store for the characters.

The Flash kind of left me reeling. I'm really not sure how I feel about Barry's final move or how it's going to impact the upcoming season. With Supergirl moving to the CW in the fall, it'll be interesting to see what kind of crossover action is in store for the DC shows.

Arrow did not disappoint. This is probably my favorite season finale to date. I'm definitely interested in seeing the next season and hope to touch on Oliver's time in Russia for the flashbacks. Absolutely looking forward to what I hope won't be the final season for Arrow, but who knows.

Orphan Black's episode came across as very chaotic and I kind of loved it. It reminded me of someone shaking a bottle of something fizzy then letting go to watch the contents spill out all over the place. I love how gray and blurry all the lines are and how dark the layers get with this show.

Wynonna Earp continues to make me happy. Need to watch this week's episode but I've been distracted by marathons of NCIS: LA and The X-Files this weekend.

Banshee's series finale actually turned out to be exactly what I hoped for. I mean exactly what I hoped for. I had a gut feeling about who killed Rebecca and the writers did not disappoint me in the least with how that aspect turned out. I'm also completely down with how Proctor's story ended, letting viewers kind of imagine his fate. I loved Kurt's resolution with Calvin and, honestly, for being such a late arrival as a character, I fell in love with his story. Brock's new attitude about being sheriff is awesome and, of course, Sugar's retirement is well-earned and thanks to Job. And speaking of the sassy transvestite, his sunset strut ended up being perfect and spot on. And I'm thrilled with where things are left with Hood and Carrie. Seriously, I loved, loved, loved the ending. A satisfying four seasons of a kick ass show.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from And That's Why…, a sexy short that got its start with some brainstorming ideas with a fellow author.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maddie hates flying the early CAP, so she finds ways to get out of doing so. But when her CAG blocks all her attempts to skip her turn, she has to decide if making him mad is worth losing her chance at something great happening between them.

And a sneaky peek…

Nox went through the after action reports and one thing became glaringly clear. Slipshot hadn't flown an early CAP in over two months. She hated the first patrol, had argued with Nox over it, but he'd been very clear. She had to suck it up like everyone else and do one per week. Two if they were down any pilots.

Yet the proof sat in front of him, plain as day in the report. Maddie had managed to avoid it for eight weeks. He had no doubt she used every trick in the book to get out of flying. Blackmail, bribery, and plain old intimidation. And it pissed him off. Fair had to be fair.

He aimed to make certain she no longer got away with her shifty ways. Not like following her around for the next couple of days would be a hardship—especially when the view would be so hot and sexy. Maddie's magnificent ass featured almost nightly in his dreams.

Closing the binder, Nox got up and waited for his hard-on to subside before he exited the office to track his pain in the butt pilot down. Not for a confrontation. Nope. Nox would beat Maddie at her own game. Subterfuge, stealth, and plain old pulling rank.

He tracked her down after the dinner rush and covertly observed an exchange with Bowman. A bottle of alcohol. Check on the bribery. He kept her under watch for two more days and, sure enough, she had quite the system worked out. A rookie pilot quaked in his boots when she got up close and personal, no doubt overwhelming his better sense when she quite emphatically told him he would be flying her early CAP on Tuesday. Nox had to give Maddie credit. He didn't know where she got her compromising pictures, but Nola Vex eagerly accepted the idea she'd be flying Maddie's CAP the following week.

Now that he'd figured out the who and the how, he could put a stop to the shenanigans.

Wouldn't Maddie flip her shit when she discovered her three substitutes would all have last minute issues and be unable to help her out?

Rubbing his hands together, he started down the corridor, whistling a happy tune.

I love writing sexy short stories. The challenge of having a beginning, middle, and satisfying end never fails to make me remember why I love writing so much.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: An Answer to Fate

Whew. Some great television this past week. Gotham's episode ended up being pretty terrific. Fish Mooney rocks!

I missed The Flash, but plan to catch up before the finale this week. Agents of SHIELD went out with a bang. I'm rather liking how the movie 'verse affects the small screen 'verse.

Arrow's episode ended up being so awesome. Can't wait for the final showdown between Team Arrow and Darhk.

I was thrilled with Legends of Tomorrow. Still hoping to see great things next season. Orphan Black blew my mind as usual. So many things going on! I have a sneaky feeling the creepy engineer chick did something truly terrible to Sarah. Here's hoping she meets an untimely end very soon.

Still have Wynonna Earp and Banshee to watch from the past week. I'm saving Banshee for last since it's the final episode ever. I know how I want things to end, but have a strong doubt I'll get what I want. LOL

Watched the finale for Marcella and, eh, not as good as I hoped. That said, if there's a second series and Jamie Bamber is a cast member, I'll be there. :D

That's it for the television this week. Patiently waiting for The Last Ship to premiere and looking for new stuff to dive into over the summer.

Tonight's post is from An Answer to Fate, an opening novella to a possible trilogy.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Quillan Jaymes and Jeb Paladino finally get their act together and declare themselves a couple. Too bad that's when everything goes wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

After wrapping the debrief, Quillan left sickbay with orders to hit the mess and get some solid food into her. She would make her way there eventually but there was something she needed to do, someone she needed to see first.

And it wouldn’t wait.

Crewmembers gaped at her as if they were seeing a ghost. A quick shake of her head had them all continuing about their business. They would know soon enough where she’d been the past six months and she had things to take care of.

The crew quarters were jammed with people when she entered. At any other time she would have laughed her ass off at the stunned silence that greeted her not two seconds after she shut the hatch… but not today.

Nothing about today amused her.

She didn’t give anyone a chance to speak… just strode across the floor to her old bunk. The curtains were drawn and light chatter could be heard behind them. Quillan broke the number one rule of privacy code by grabbing the fabric and swishing it open to reveal the couple behind the dark material… au natural no less… as they scrambled for cover.

Gazing dispassionately at the sight before her, Quillan's voice grated harshly when she spoke. “Hey, Vic. I’m home.” She continued to stand while staring at the man she'd almost married as he tried to shield his current squeeze, Diana Seaver, from the prying eyes surrounding them.

A moment of stunned silence later, Victor finally found his voice. “Shit.” Wrapping a spare blanket around himself, he swung his legs over the side of the bunk. “Quillan.” He tried to stand up to greet her and gave her a curious glance when she made him wait. “What the hell happened? We thought you were dead when you went missing and didn't return.” He had the blanket tucked around his hips and went to pull Quillan into his arms. “Where were you? How did you survive?” He didn’t see it coming when Quillan drew back her knee then shoved it forward into his groin. Hard.

Victor dropped like a stone, pain exploding through his body. Gasping in agony, shuddering on the floor, he cocked his head as much as he could to look at her. “I thought… goddamn, Quillan, it hurts…" He wheezed in pain. "I thought you were dead.” Assuming she’d done him in because of Seaver, he tried to explain through the haze of misery. “Six months. Gone six months. Didn’t know. I swear.” He couldn’t stop it… the pain overwhelmed him. He heaved his guts right there on the floor while the entire room watched.

 Quillan slowly shook her head back and forth. “You are so painfully stupid.” Unable to hold back, she kicked him in the ribs. Hard. “Get up and get dressed.” Reaching down she grabbed his hair and lifted his head up so he could see her eyes. “We’ve got some things to discuss, honey.” She all but snarled the last word when she let his head drop back down.

 Standing straight, she faced the room of stunned pilots. “This man is a cyborg collaborator.” The words were barely out of her mouth before the eruption of responses had her shouting for quiet. “Shut up… I’m not finished.” Things quieted down but there was an ugly vibe edging the silence… and oh, she hoped it would get uglier.

Gesturing at Victor with a flourish, she laid the rest of it out. “Colonel Bastian may have dealt the fatal blow that killed Jeb… but Vic's the one who signed his death warrant by collaborating with the cyborgs.” She had to scream for quiet again as the crew exploded with fury. “A marine escort is coming for him in fifteen minutes…” Quillan waited until Victor's pain-glazed eyes met hers before saying her final words. “Make it hurt guys. Make it fucking hurt.” Flicking a glance at Diana, Quillan turned and walked across the room while the unit closed rank behind her. She drew strength from the rage and anger emanating from them, letting it wash over her as she undogged the hatch and stepped through, sealing it shut behind her. A satisfied smile settled over her features at the roar that erupted as she walked away.

She'd done what she came to do.

Longer than normal preview, but I'm proud of this scene came together. Hope you all enjoyed. :D

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: All Tied Up

Holy cheez-its! Ohio is back to chilly, where-did-spring-go weather again. We haven't even hit fifty degrees for the day. LOL

But, the brisk temperature makes for great television viewing. This week didn't turn out too badly either.

Gotham's episode moved the story along and I'm excited to see what this week holds.

The Flash had a great showing. I loved all the interactions with the characters. Quite a complicated mix but somehow the relationships all work. Agents of SHIELD ended a character I've grown fond of, but I thoroughly enjoyed the inside movie references and how they tied into the small screen story.

Arrow pulled off a great episode, at least the part I saw. I had an unavoidable meeting on Wednesday and haven't had a moment to really catch up on the beginning yet.

Legends of Tomorrow. Wow. I hope the whole time travel thing lets the sacrificed character return. If not, I'm going to be very disappointed. Truly great stuff, though. And Orphan Black continues to blow my mind each and every week. I LOVE this show.

All caught up on Banshee and Wynonna Earp, with the exception of this week's episodes. That will be rectified later today. Caught the trailer for season three of The Last Ship and I'm now eagerly awaiting June so I can dive back into this one.

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from All Tied Up, a sexy short that will be a free download in the near future. This one features Max and Maggie from the Top Dog Pilots series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maggie Harper has the man she wants and a job she loves. But sometimes she has to pull out all the stops to keep life interesting. And that means Max Cutter better be ready for whatever Maggie comes up with next.

And a sneaky peek…

Max Cutter handed his post-flight checklist to the deck chief. "We all square?" He got the all clear and crossed the hangar, headed to his quarters.

Hopefully Maggie would be there and not in a conference with their CO, Drake Essex, going over the new parameters on the grid mapping. Their schedules were all over the star chart and finding time to be together, much less say hello to each other, proved a challenge.

Coming off a training run with a new pilot, Cutter didn't bother hitting the shower. The rookie did the hard work, flying the intricate route solo while Cutter observed and offered support. The practice trial took about three hours, not bad for a beginner. Cutter could make it through the grid in under two hours, but he'd flown the route more times than anyone, with the exception of Maggie.

A far cry from the hours upon hours of the initial mapping mission. The one where he lost his wingman and Maggie came out as the replacement. Each played a large role in mapping the huge belt of space rock and now they acted as guides for new recruits. And they'd found something of a sweet spot while living and working together.

Not always an easy thing, but Cutter wouldn't complain. Once they got through his turmoil over losing his wingman, Ray, with a little help from Maggie's swift kick to Cutter's ass, each got their head around the idea. Truth told, he and Maggie figured they were headed in that direction anyway, just hadn't made a hard and fast decision to move in together.

Which, in all honesty, pretty much defined their weird brand of normal.

Heading up a deck, Cutter picked up his pace. He couldn’t wait to kick back and relax with Maggie. He undogged the hatch and pushed it open, stepping inside to find Maggie stowing her shower kit in her duty locker.

She turned toward him and a slow smile spread across her face. "Well, hello, hot stuff. I've been expecting you." Her finger crooked, beckoning him to come greet her properly.

She didn't have to ask twice. He crossed the floor in three easy strides and met her mouth in a steamy kiss. Geez, she rocked his world every time their lips touched. His hands cupped her face, the lip-lock sliding into off the charts territory.

Maggie finally eased back, her palms smoothing down the front of his flight suit. "Let's get you out of this, okay?" Her fingers worked the zipper down and spread the material aside.

Cutter started to shrug out of the suit, but caught the flash of Maggie's wicked grin. Shit. He had maybe three seconds to prepare for whatever she had planned.

Or not.

Don't let Cutter fool you. He loves Maggie's inventive mind. J

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: All Jacked Up

Happy Mother's Day to all the terrific moms out there! Enjoy the day and may you all be pampered and treated to your fondest wishes.

This week in television had some terrific stuff. Starting on Monday with Gotham, which is supposed to get a third season—yay! Hunters is still kind of dragging for me, but I'll finish out the season just because.

Tuesday's episode of The Flash ended on quite the cliffhanger. Looking forward to this week's follow up to find out what, exactly, happened. Agents of SHIELD kind of disappointed me but I did like the interaction between Daisy and Mac. And Fitz and Simmons are completely adorable.

Wednesday's Arrow proved very interesting. I had a sneaky suspicion Alex would turn out to be kind of cagey. Here's hoping he's not a total asshat… or that Thea makes him hurt a lot if he is. J

Thursday's Legends of Tomorrow made me so happy. I really do love this show. And the team is starting to mesh together in a great way. Orphan Black continues to blow my mind in wonderful ways. I wish I could say the same about After the Black, but maybe they'll find a good footing in the near future.

Wynonna Earp is still one of the best shows on TV right now. I'm very intrigued about Dolls's situation and look forward to more revelations on that end. I'm still a little behind on Banshee, but slowly catching up. Considering it's the last season, I'm not in a huge hurry to say goodbye.

And that's it on the television front this week.

Tonight's post is from All Jacked Up, a novella built around the prompt of one character is injured and the other gets to act as a distraction.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lita North is injured and ordered to stay off her feet for forty-eight hours which doesn't go over well because Lita doesn't do inactivity. But when Ollie Tulver gets stuck babysitting her after she disobeys the order, she has two choices—continue being a pain in the ass or toe the line. Lita being Lita, she decides do to both.

And a sneaky peek…

Doctor Ben Cramer barreled through the corridor and shouted. "Make a hole!" He charged through a group of midshipmen, probably on shift change, and halted outside the captain's quarters.

Rapping twice, he didn't wait for permission to enter, barging through the hatch with his mouth open before Captain Netts could offer a greeting.

"I want North sedated, preferably by IV so she can't be mobile." He strode toward the captain's desk and stopped at the edge. "The damn, fool woman is gone from sickbay again and I don't have time to keep tracking her down. If she keeps putting pressure on that knee, she's going to do serious damage." He paused and pinned Netts with a hard glare. "And then she'll be permanently grounded and really become a problem. And she won't be mine, she'll be—"

Netts held up a hand, effectively shutting Cramer's rant down. "Don't even think about saying she'll be mine. She's already at the top of my list." He reached out with his other hand, picked up the handset to his phone, and keyed in four numbers. "Tulver, my office, ten minutes." Replacing the receiver, he settled back and nodded for Cramer to take a seat. "I've got the perfect solution to our Lieutenant North problem."

Cramer cracked a grin and took the offered chair. If anyone stood a chance at making Lita North behave, Oliver Tulver had the best shot. The two officers had an uncommon rapport, one Lita liked to downplay, but the entire ship waited with eager anticipation for the two pilots to succumb to each other.

Ben kicked his legs out, crossing them at the ankles. "There's a reason you're in command and I'm not." Warren Netts's innate ability to read people and make the right call never failed to impress.

Netts quirked a smile. "I'd make a terrible doctor. No patience and hate the sight of blood." He waited a beat. "And I would've put North out of her misery a week ago."

Cramer bit back a wide grin. "With a bullet, no doubt."

Netts gave an emphatic nod. "Exactly."

Poor Lita is driving everyone insane and she's about to get her comeuppance. LOL

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: All Day Sucker

Welcome to May! I'm excited to have some warmer weather finally… enough to want to be outside and working on my yard. :D

Let's see, television this week ended up being a mixed bag. I want to really love Hunters, but eh, not quite sure I'm feeling the joy with that one. We'll see what ends up happening.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD put out two good episodes. I'm truly interested in finally discovering who's under the mask in the Zoom's cage. Also hoping whoever it is, they're an ally. My jury is still out on AoS, but we'll see how the next few episodes go.

Arrow is breaking my heart, but wow, what terrific performances by the entire cast. My one small gripe has to do with showing Barry having his speed back when Tuesday's episode ended with Wells saying he'd help Barry get it back. Then again, schedules being what they are, they might not have had a choice. I'm just a little disappointed because they're usually so on top of small details like that.

Legends of Tomorrow remains pretty awesome. I'm so thrilled with the character interactions any disappointment I have over Savage being so smarmy as a villain are miniscule.

Wynonna Earp? Man… I love this show so much. It's acting as something of a replacement for Lost Girl with strong, kick ass females and the plotline is truly interesting. I love the sister dynamic and the fish out of water scenario Wynonna experiences on a regular basis. Looking forward to more revelations about Doc's deal with the devil and seeing how long he rides the fence.

Still behind on Banshee, but hoping to catch up soon. Also backed up on Marcella, but I rather love the twisty turns this series takes on a regular basis. Love not knowing if the heroine of the show is actually a villain, too. J

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from All Day Sucker, a sexy short that will hopefully be a free read, along with two others with either the same or similarly named titles by my alter egos, Skylin O'Thomas and Skye Ritchey.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Ben Murphy returns from a grueling road trip, Jessa Muldoon pulls out all the stops to welcome him home.

And a sneaky peek…

Jessa Muldoon glanced up when the door opened admitting the love of her life Ben Murphy. He looked beat—dead dog tired with a side of death warmed over. Jess rose to greet him, crossing the floor in five quick strides. He pushed the door closed and slumped against it.

Jess quirked an eyebrow. "Rough trip?" He'd been gone almost two weeks.

Ben dropped his bags to the floor. "I remember why I don't travel as much anymore." He moved forward, hauling her close. "I hate being away from you for so long." His lips met hers in a lingering kiss. "But the treaty is signed. We're pulling out of the hot zone."

Jess grinned and caught his face in her hands. "Congratulations, Murph. You and your team worked your asses off to make that happen." Even with his well-trained staff doing most of the leg work, Murph put in long hours at the office coordinating their efforts.

And when discussions broke down, he'd had no choice but to hop a transport out and land directly in the middle of the negotiations.

Murph flashed a weary smile. "Yeah, we did." He rested his forehead against hers. "And now I'm done for a while. I told the team I'm off the grid for the next several weeks."

Jess eased away and quirked an eyebrow. "In that case, I have just the thing for you." She grasped his hand and led him toward the bathroom. "You've been living out of your go bag and on transport flights for almost two weeks." Her free hand twisted the water on in the shower. "You need a super-hot shower to work out the kinks and cramps." She made quick work of getting him naked.

Murph didn't argue, letting her do the disrobing. When she stepped back so he could get under the steamy spray, he caught her by surprise, dragging her into the stall with him.

He dragged her shirt over her head. "You didn't think I'd shower alone after being away from you for so long, did you?" His fingers inched under the wet fabric of her pants, working the form-fitting material past her hips.

Jess shook her head and wriggled the rest of the way out of the leggings. "Not really, no." Pushing the sodden mass of clothes to the corner of the stall, she tilted her chin up, meeting Murph's gaze. "Thought you might let me get undressed first, though."

Murph skimmed his hands along her sides, reaching around to cup her ass. "Now where's the fun in that?"

I love revisiting my favorite characters and seeing where they are in life. Murph and Jess also feature in the other Capital City Seasons books, which are all underway and in various stages of completion.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye