Sunday Snippet: Inside Out

June 25, 2017

Wow, halfway through 2017. It's crazy how fast time zooms by sometimes. My middle kid made it safely home from Alaska and had an epic adventure with his grandpa. Since it's summer, he had to adjust to it not getting completely dark in Anchorage, which makes for some terrific stories. Getting into San Francisco at around eleven PM, his first words to my dad were, "So, Grandpa, this is what night looks like. I'd forgotten." LOL I love that kid.

My Friday night shows had great episodes. I feel like I need to rewatch the first two seasons of Dark Matter, just for reference points. I love Three, which I honestly didn't think I'd say. There's something very appealing about interactions with the crew and the snark is perfect.

Wynonna Earp is having a great second season. It's not quite as flawless as the first, but I really like the dynamic between the characters. I'm really interested in how they're going to deal with Waverly.

Still need to catch up on Orphan Black. I think because it's the last season and I know it's the final one, I’m reluctant to watch and lose everyone at the end. But I can't not watch. I need to know where everyone ends up.

I'm almost through the first season of Young Justice and I'd forgotten how much I love animated DC shows. Looking forward to seeing how everything ends up playing out.

Next up is trying to find time to read for pleasure instead of work. I miss diving into a good story for the sheer enjoyment of doing so.

And that's it for entertainment this week. Tonight's post is from Inside Out, a sexy short where the prompt of having the characters separated for a long time gave me a good start.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jamie Storm and Shane Castigli are separated by circumstance and each makes an attempt to move on with others. But Shane's got an inside out feeling, something of an intuition about Jaime returning, which doesn't go over well with his current partner.

And a sneaky peek…

Shane stood at the sink, rinsing his razor.

Rosa entered the head and perched on the edge of the toilet seat. "So, this woman who left you, this Jaime Storm… When did she take off?"

Shane didn't want to talk about Jaime, especially the part about her leaving him, but Rosa deserved an explanation. "Happened almost three years ago, right after I gave up my ship and took the station post." More than long enough ago he shouldn't be dreaming about her.

Rosa pursed her lips. "I take it she left on bad terms?" She got up and moved to the sink when he stepped away.

Shane snorted. "No terms at all. She just left." Five months later he found out she'd signed on with Chad Penner, a freighter captain that roamed the galaxy wheeling and dealing for profit.

Rosa spit out toothpaste. "Wow. That's harsh." She cleaned the brush and put it in the holder next to his.

Shane lifted a shoulder. "She's got stardust in her veins and always made it clear she couldn't abide living planetside." Might have been nice if she'd stuck around long enough for his surprise… he'd secured quarters on the station so she could live in space.

Rosa propped her hip against the sink. "So… you never got closure from the relationship? No official breakup?"

Shane huffed out a breath. "I'm pretty sure bugging out on a ship severs any ties there might have been." Seriously, what said "we're through" more than leaving? "Pretty final when a person leaves, don't you think?"

Rosa lifted her chin. "Maybe for the person leaving. But you didn't have a say or a chance to speak your mind, right?"

He shook his head. "What's there to say? The thought of being stuck on a planet scared the hell out of her. She took off. End of story." And if the bitter taste of being burned hadn't gone away, he'd deal with it.

Rosa's lips twisted in a frown. "But you're not stuck on a planet. I have a feeling you moved some pretty big barriers to secure living quarters on the station."

He lifted a shoulder again. "I did, yes. But I like being in the thick of things, not trying to command a smooth-running operation from an office on the planet." The idea never made sense to Shane and he'd argued long and hard to prove his theory that living on station would solve some of the bigger communication issues.

So far, he'd been right.

Rosa nodded. "At least I don't feel like a rebound relationship, considering we've only been together about a year."

He moved forward, cupping her face. "Jaime left a long time ago and I've been over her for a while." So why did he dream so vividly about her?

Rosa curved her lips in a small smile. "I'm not so sure about that, Shane. You've been saying her name in your sleep for weeks now." She patted him on the chest and exited the head.

As far as truth bombs went, Rosa had dropped a nuclear one directly in his lap.

Well, hell.

Shane's voice is strong in my head on this one. Jamie is a little stingier, but she's starting to get more vocal. I'm enjoying writing their story.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Ignition Failure

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. My Dad is off on a grand adventure with my middle kid. They're in Alaska, which, oddly enough, is where my dad spent last Father's Day. From the pictures I've seen, they're having a great time.

It's been a crazy week. I need to rewatch Dark Matter. I had too many distractions going on and I feel like I missed important stuff. Wynonna Earp delivered another great episode. I like some of the twists and turns. I don't like losing Dawls and I'm a little iffy on the new evil overlord chick but I'll give this series a lot of leeway to provide a terrific viewing experience. I'm going to have a hard time wrapping my brain around Kevin Hanchard playing a possible bad guy when he's one of my favorite good guys on Orphan Black.

Speaking of Orphan Black, I have to catch up. We had busy Saturday and I missed the second episode. Thank whatever rules the universe for On Demand. LOL

I have the new ITV drama Fearless ready to go, but haven't had an opportunity to watch yet. I'm looking forward to seeing Jamie Bamber on television again.

I'm almost finished with my binge watch of City Homicide. I'll be seeking my next Australian drama in the very near future. Possibly a binge watch of Sea Patrol, another of my favorites.

Started a premiere viewing of Young Justice on Netflix. Four episodes in and I'm excited about the possibilities.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Ignition Failure, a sexy short about one character's big mistake and dealing with the fallout before finding their HEA.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Favin Hart finally gets the man of her dreams but freaks out and ends up marrying another guy. Less than twenty-four hours later, she's facing the music and trying to fix her mess.

And a sneaky peek…

Favin Hart crawled into her bunk and groaned. The workout she'd put in should help her fall asleep. She hoped.

"Hart! You're up for R and R." The quartermaster, Jace Noman, ducked his head into officer's quarters. "Five glorious days of dancing, drinking, and doing whoever you want." He ran down his checklist. "Looks like your usual partner in debauchery is tagged to go with you."

Favin sat up, almost bumping her head on the upper berth. "Howie's going, too?" Howie Watzel never met a bar he didn't fall in love with.

Jace snorted. "Yeah, he's on the rotation after he completes his shift. Not sure whose bright idea it was to put you two on the same space station at the same time." He gave Favin his best dad look. "I better not get any calls to get you out of hack. The bail fund is running low from the last time we put into port." Tapping the clipboard, he backed out of quarters. "Got three more people to inform. Get your gear ready. Transpo leaves in forty-five minutes."

Favin hopped up and scrambled to her duty locker. "Guess I don't need to sleep now." She dragged a small rucksack from the bottom of the space and started packing.

Five days of fun after spending a harrowing six months on a battle cruiser sounded like bliss. She'd definitely meet up with Howie and nail down some plans. Hoisting her duffel over her shoulder, she headed for the launching station. She didn't take long to find the transport unit that would be headed for Space Station Montrose.

Entering the ship, she spotted Parrish Griffith and stopped short. Her one in a million, never going to happen, dream man. At least she'd had a brief taste… before an abrupt end.

She waved when he glanced up then made her way to his seating section. "Parrish. When did you get here?" Last she'd heard, he had a billet on the Renner, a single squadron destroyer ship.

Parrish tugged her down beside him. "Caught a hopper this morning. Got transfer papers to join the Miltown." He turned toward her. "They're not official for another five days so I'm on downtime until then."

Holy shit. She'd be seeing him on a daily basis? Her stomach flipped and her core throbbed. Parrish might be trouble.

He nudged her shoulder. "It's good to see you, Favin. How long has it been?"

Favin flashed a smile. "Three years, two months, and let's say something like seventeen days." More like exactly seventeen but, hey, she couldn't come across as completely obsessed.

Parrish nodded. "Sounds about right. Longer than it should be." His face sobered. "I'm sorry about—"

Favin lifted a hand. "No need to apologize. They say go and we go. I get it." Even if it meant leaving her in a hotel room with nothing more than a brief note.

Parrish frowned. "True, but I regret not having the chance for a proper goodbye." He shrugged. "I thought we might have been headed to a good place." A wistful note crept into his voice.

Favin agreed. "Yeah, we might have been." The truth won out, though.

Long-term would never be her end game.

The comms activated. "Getting ready to launch. Strap in for the ride over."

Parrish settled back in the cushioned seat and fastened the safety harness. "So… what are your plans?"

Favin lifted a shoulder before buckling in. "Not sure yet. But we should meet sometime. I have a friend, Howie, coming over on the next flight." The ship banked and headed for the short hop to the space station.

Parrish quirked a brow. "Howie Watzel? I went through initial training with him." He laughed. "That guy could find a bar on a dry planet."

Favin chuckled. "You definitely know Howie. We transferred in on the same day and kind of decided to be fast friends." She shot Parrish a quick look. "It was that or end up hating each other. Howie's like the brother I never had."

Parrish met her gaze. "So you two aren't…" He trailed off on a yawn. "Sorry, didn't get much sleep before I boarded the hopper and they're so damned uncomfortable nobody got any rest."

She smiled. "To answer your question, no, Howie and I aren't anything more than pseudo-siblings and drinking buddies."

"Arriving Space Station Montrose. Disembark when landing cables are attached."

Parrish released his harness and stood to get his rucksack from the overhead bin. "I'd love to meet for drinks or even dinner." He slid his gaze sideways. "After I've had about a solid eight hours of sleep." His lips curved in a tired twist. "I don't even know what section they've put me in yet."

Favin got up and shouldered her duffel. "Probably somewhere in concourse G. That's where they usually put us up." She started toward the exit ramp. "Try the Twilight Lounge on the main hub. I'm usually there sometime every night on R and R."

Parrish followed her down to the landing deck. "Sounds like a plan." He dragged his rucksack behind him. "Gonna drop this off with a porter and fall into bed. See you soon." His fingers gave a quick wave and he headed toward the first open kiosk.

Favin shook her head then looked skyward. "Seriously, universe? You give me exactly what I want? That never happens."

And she didn't trust whatever brought Parrish back into her orbit.

But drinks and dinner couldn't hurt, right?

Drinks and dinner with Parrish won't hurt but it's never that simple with Favin.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Hot Rocks

June 11, 2017

Had a terrific weekend with great weather for my middle kid's graduation party. My boys were super easy. They're pretty much no muss, no fuss guys. My daughter, on the other hand, will be a sophomore and I think I'm going to start planning her party next week. LOL She's very much a social whirl and gets involved in tons of activities. I might need to rent a venue for hers. LOL

Gotham's finale rocked. I'm so glad the show seemed to find its footing in the third season. I'm pretty much thrilled with all the storylines and where they're leading into for the next season.

Friday brought some much-needed excitement back to my television screen. The double premiere of Dark Matter kept me glued to the screen. Then the follow-up with the Wynonna Earp premiere had me staying put. I'm so happy to have the shows back and can't wait to see where everything goes. Killjoys is up this week and I'm impatiently awaiting its return.

As mentioned last week, I'm just not into this season of Doctor Who. I wish I could sink into the storylines like I've been able to in the past, but I'm struggling. A lot. Very disappointing.

Orphan Black, by comparison, had a kickass return. The clones kicked Saturday night into high gear and I don't anticipate anything less than a wild and reckless ride. My one and only hope is I don't lose any of my favorites. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Hot Rocks, a novella that's coming together better than I'd hoped.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ava and Walt are taken by the enemy and subjected to torture. They won't find a better time to examine their long and storied past, right?

And a sneaky peek…

Ava Frost struggled against her captors. "Let me go, you assholes." Getting dragged through a string of caverns? Humiliating. Totally and completely.

I hope Walt got free and hauled ass to report my capture.

So stupid. How could they have been so utterly rash? Because they still fought a war that ended recently. Walt Lookinland wouldn't leave his people behind. Not since losing his brother.

Ava followed where Walt led. She needed the stability and structure of a strong leader, especially when she'd grown used to life in the military. When that went away, she faced an existence drifting from job to job, town to town, planet to planet with no true purpose. No thanks. Not again.

"Hey, bitch, did you hear me?"

The beefy blowhard pinning her arms to her sides jerked her hard against his chest.

Ava growled and tried to kick out at the stocky man holding her feet. "Honestly? Stopped listening about halfway back." She twisted and turned, hoping to make it difficult for the henchmen to keep hold of her.

"I said you're not so smart. Me and Buggs thought you'd put up a bigger fight."

Buggs smirked. "Yeah. Lannis thought we'd have to chase you all over the caves."

They had been. For a while. She'd been caught on purpose to give Walt time to get out and get back to the port. The power grabs needed to be shut down with immediacy.

Or rebuilding and stabilizing their communities wouldn't happen. Everything they'd fought for and the people they'd lost would count as wasted effort.

Ava kept the wriggling movements up. "Yeah, well, I'm no match for you two." She managed to get a foot free and clipped Buggs on the chin with the toe of her boot.

He snarled and caught her ankle, bringing her back under his control. "You'll pay for that, red dog scum." His meaty gave her foot a hard twist.

She didn't feel the pain. His reference to her former platoon sent red flags up and alarm bells ringing. Her stomach roiled, dread clenching an icy fist in its depths. The trap she'd walked into with Walt took on a new, darker intent. They hadn't stumbled onto a kidnapping plot.

Lannis confirmed the certainty when he backed into an alcove covered with thick hides. "Guess what, he's no match for us, either." He nodded toward the corner of the space.

Ava bit back a nasty expletive.

Strapped to an x-frame contraption, Walt sported a swollen and puffy eye and a bloody gash across his cheek. His head lolled to one side, but he met her gaze, apology lighting his good eye. He hadn't made it out, which meant no one knew they'd been taken.

Ava put up valiant effort but lost the battle when Lannis and Buggs secured her to the other side of the metal frame. Back to back with Walt, she didn't hold out much hope of escaping. And didn't that suck big hairy ones.

"Well, well, well… my plan went better than even I imagined. Bagged exactly who I wanted." The speaker came into view and trailed a finger along Ava's cheek. "Hello, sweet, vicious lady. We've got some unfinished business, don't we?"

Ava groaned. Vince Woggins. The AP's top interrogator—torturer—had her back in his clutches. And she'd more or less handed Walt over on a pretty platter, too.

What the hell did I do to piss off the universe?

Ava is a treat to write. Her voice is very strong and Walt's is steady and certain. I'm going to have fun finishing this one up.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Hide and Seek

Well, graduation turned out to be an inside affair, with bad weather predicted for the evening. That means a hot, crowded event in the gym. Bleh. But I loved watching my son get his diploma and even got him to stand still long enough to take a couple of pictures. LOL

Gotham is really going for broke. I'm not quite sure how I feel about Lee's walk on the dark side, but I'll hold out and see what happens.

I continue to be saddened by the "meh" of Doctor Who. I miss the days when I couldn't wait for new episodes. Now I'm lucky if I remember to turn it on because there's no anticipation for new stuff. Eh… hopefully that will change soon. I really enjoy the quasi-spinoff, Class. I'd love to see more of that one.

Orphan Black starts the final trip next weekend and I'm excited and sad and impatiently awaiting the premiere. Can't wait to see what Sarah and her sestras bring to the screen.

Watched a Torchwood marathon, well, only the first two seasons because I loved them so much. The third wasn't bad but the fourth… ugh. Ended up pretty much hating that one. If rumors are true and there's going to be a Torchwood revival, I'm hoping like hell it's more like the first two seasons. Fingers crossed.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Hide and Seek, a sexy short that has the main characters in a situation where they finally have to face their feelings. One of my favorite things to write.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ella Dane is an ace pilot who volunteers to test fly a new spacecraft, if only to prove Nick Fontana wrong about its possibilities. When Ella disappears during the initial run, Nick is left wondering what he'll do without Ella in his life.

And a sneaky peek…

Ella paced back and forth, amping up for the test flight. Had she really volunteered to be the first to fly the newly created bird?

Um, yes.

Much to Nick's dismay. She didn't know what she enjoyed more. Proving him wrong or getting first crack at something before he did.

Ha! Why choose? It could be a dead heat, couldn't it?

Nick stuck his head in the doorway. "Hey. You good to go?"

She nodded. "Yep. Getting there." The butterflies in her stomach had to be normal. "What's it like?"

Nick pondered how to answer. "Exhilarating. Mind-blowing. In short… it's a total rush."

She'd figured as much. "Wanna fly my wing?"

His mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

Ella shrugged. "Why not? Just because you didn't think we'd ever get off the ground doesn't mean you should have a part in all this."

Nick didn't bother to hide his surprise. "And you're being so cool about this, why?" His eyes narrowed. "I gave everyone a hard time. Never believed you'd pull it off."

Ella tilted her head to the side. "Look, you weren't afraid to say what everyone else was afraid—deep down where it gets you—to say. That we were all insane to even try. You took on all the doubt so we could make it happen." She waited a beat. "Just to prove you wrong."

Nick snorted softly. "Wow. I had no idea how big of a role I played."

Ella grinned. "You weren't supposed to." She pulled open his locker and grabbed his flight helmet. "Come on. Let's get you suited up."

Nick took the proffered headgear. "Well, okay then." He rocked back on his heels. "Want one last piece of advice?"

Ella nodded. "Sure." She started toward the hatch.

Nick followed. "Go with your instincts. You're the one in the cockpit." Out in the corridor, he paused and waited for Ella to give him her full attention. "The LSO, people on comms—none of them have your perspective. Push the plane. Do unexpected things. But listen to your gut… and the machine. It could save your life."

Ella considered his words then nodded. "Thanks." She started down the causeway.

Nick snagged her arm. "And if it doesn't feel right. Eject. Don't hesitate."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Got it. And you're not going to make me nervous." She nodded toward the ready room. "Go. Suit up. Wheels up in thirty."

Thoroughly enjoy writing this one and hope to have it ready to go sometime later this year.

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

ML Skye