Sunday Snippet: Not the First

Holy crap. Where did January go? It's crazy how fast months fly by now.

So, The Flash is testing my patience. Not in a necessarily bad way, but having Barry zoom around and put all the inmates back in their cells had me eye-rolling. We'll see how long they keep him trapped in a cell. I need to rewatch the second episode of Black Lightning because I had too many distractions the first time around.

Riverdale… Oh, show. The Ram? Really? I don't know. It's either the best nickname ever or possibly the lamest one on the planet. Time will tell. Everything else about the episode hit high notes for me. It's going to be a wild ride and I'm totally strapped in to see where everything goes. One interesting development… now that I have a better understanding of Mama Alice I now need to know what the hell flavor of fresh hell Hal's been drinking.

Arrow keeps throwing twisty-turns into the mix and I love it. I'm actually hoping Vigilante is an actual double agent. And here's my fondest desire… he's working for ARGUS in exchange for immunity against all the bad guys he killed. Just saying, having him around for a while wouldn't be a bad thing. Now, after saying that, he did tell James he knows how to push every one of Dinah's buttons and having him on her side would be a great big red one. I won't be too shocked if his help is nothing but a ruse. But I will be disappointed, dammit.

Still loving my period dramas. Murdoch Mysteries and Frankie Drake Mysteries. Frankie Drake is terrific with keeping interesting cases rolling across the screen. Murdoch Mysteries never fails to be consistent with quality. Love both of these shows.

I'm burning through season three of Chicago Fire and still loving the show. I'm also enjoying the crossover episodes they have with other productions. Nice to have those on the DVDs.

I think that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not the First, a novella that began with the two-word prompt "very nice".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Katen Knox and Paul Macabes, pilots, soldiers, lovers, weigh in on opposite sides of a proposal to produce new planes while stationed in deep space. Not the first time they've been on different sides of an issue, they quickly learn it's hard to keep the professional drama out of their personal space.

And a sneaky peek…

Paul and Katan watched the first ghost fighter come off the assembly line.

Katan walked around the plane, running her hands over the sleek surface. "Nice. Very nice." She glanced up toward Paul.

He nodded, letting a grin spread across his face. "Hard to believe I watched you guys build one of these from spare parts and nothing." Katan's brilliance should never be questioned.

Katan snorted. "And bitched about it the entire time." She gave him a pointed look.

Paul shrugged. "Didn't think it could be done. You proved me wrong." And she'd loved every moment of doing so.

Katan flashed a smile. "Always a bonus." She propped a shoulder on the new plane and ran her fingers along the edge of the wing. "Lotta improvements to the new ones. We could do some serious damage out there." Excitement crept into her eyes.

Paul met her gaze. "Ready to start training nuggets?" She'd be the best at teaching the somewhat tricky controls.

Katan's face split in a wide smile. "Only if you're the first nugget I get to put through the wringer." She gave an evil little laugh.

Paul shook his head. "Sorry. That slot's taken. I'll be number two." He'd been waiting all week to deliver the news.

Katan frowned. "What do you mean? Who else would I train first?" Confused, she tilted her head to one side.

"That would be me."

Katan turned and barely kept her mouth from dropping open. "Sir? You sure you wanna do that? Won't be easy taking orders from me." And she wouldn't cut him any slack.

Paul had plenty of experience on that front.

Snell snorted. "It better not be." He climbed up and took a good look at the interior of the ship. "I expect to be trained and ready in forty-eight hours." He leveled his gaze on her.

Her breath whooshed out. "Well, in that case, you'd better get kitted up. Preflight briefing in thirty. Wheels up in sixty." She slid a sideways glance toward Paul, clearly informing him he'd pay later.

He honestly couldn't wait.

I have no idea where this one will end up. I'm kind of excited to see how the rest of the story plays out.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Well… this has been a crazy week. My daughter had a break on Monday for MLK Jr. Day and hasn't been back to school since. Four snow days in a row. We're supposed to have a warmer weekend so hopefully they'll be back to school this week. She's going stir-crazy and keeps mumbling about the district cancelling school for the rest of the year. LOL

Not a bad week in television. MY SHOWS ARE BACK!! The Flash put Barry on trial and, holy crap, he's not in a good place. I'd like to say I cared more about everything happening but I just can't give two craps about the stupid body swap, uber smart big bad here. Eh… at least we're getting some good character development on other fronts.

Gotta say if you're not watching Black Lightning, find it and watch! What a kickass premiere! I'm excited about this show. I'm still holding out hope we eventually get a Vixen scripted drama sometime in the future.

Arrow still ranks as my top DC universe show. Even though James is similar to the uber smart Flash villain scenario, I like how he's got a team of junior villains backing him. I'm holding out hope this one has a satisfactory ending.

Riverdale. Oh, show. Where the hell are you going? I'm kind of thrilled I have no freaking clue what out of left field thing will happen next. Part of the joy in watching this show is the absolutely crazy dark alleys it decides to go down. That said, pitting Archie against Hiram is either the best thing ever or the stupidest move an FBI agent will ever make. Just saying.

Got started on The Punisher and, honestly, it ranks right up there with Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil. Iron Fist is still the weakest link in this group, but I have faith Danny won't be the most annoying super hero ever in his second season. Maybe.

Murdoch Mysteries had a great episode last week. I know nothing about cricket but it made an interesting murder backdrop. Also, it's so awesome William and Julia are possibly going to start their family. Fingers crossed that actually happens.

Frankie Drake provided a terrific case this week and also had excellent guest stars. So awesome to see George Crabtree around and doing quite well for himself. Also, Laurence Fox can guest star again whenever he wants. I'm totally down with that idea.

Finished the second season of Chicago Fire and, wow, what an ending. Got the third season ready to start today. Definitely glad I don't have to wait through a hiatus to find out what happened to everyone.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a story where the main characters get marooned on a desert island. I put a twist in and made the island a deserted planet instead.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Ox snorted. "Yeah? Next time maybe you can check the status of the thrusters before we take off." He wanted to keep her focused on being pissed at him and not her precarious situation.

He needed to get her down. If he couldn't, he'd have to leave her and set a homing beacon. He should have made getting the signal out his first priority, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her, not in an unconscious state.

And she'd probably rip him a new one when she discovered he'd put her first.

He'd do the same to her if their roles were reversed.

But… they needed each other if they wanted to survive. Their odds went way down if they got separated for any reason.

Janee moaned then growled in frustration. "Dammit, Ox. Get me down. Or so help me, I'll heave up my guts all over you." To her credit, she refrained from trying to pull the harness apart again.

Not a pleasant thought. He weighed several options. He could climb up and cut her down, but the drop concerned him. Maybe he could get to the jump kit and rig a rope rescue. Better chance to release her and avoid injury for both. A quick visual scan didn't reveal the bag where it should be. He glanced around, hoping to find it.

Janee shook her head. "Ox… what the hell are you looking for?" Her hair dangled straight down, the holder nowhere to be seen.

He kept up the search. "The jump bag. I should be able to rig a system to cut you loose and lower you down. A fifteen-foot drop won't help your headache." Or get them out of the ship to set the beacon.

Janee craned her head from side to side. "There. Hang on…" She kicked out her leg and caught the strap with her boot. "Look out below." Hooking her foot under the handle, she swung the case from its location then dropped it.

Ox shuffled to the side, barely getting out of the way in time. He grunted when his shoulder connected with the bulkhead. Bending down, he riffled through the duffel and grabbed two ropes and a carabiner.

He rose and found a good anchor spot. "Janee, can you wind this around the arm of the seat? I'll climb up, get you secured then cut you loose." He judged the distance he'd need to cover with the toss.

Janee gave a nod. "Yeah, I should be able to work it through and get it wrapped around the armrest." She readied to catch the end when he threw it. "And you'd better make sure I don't end up making that fifteen-foot drop." She caught the rope and started threading it through the space. "With my luck, I'd land headfirst, because, really, the day couldn't get worse if I did."

Ox started the climb up, a grin on his face. Janee might drive him crazy with her nonstop salvos but he wouldn't want to be stranded with anyone else.

I love writing the back and forth with these two characters. They're already terrific friends and adding the tension-building scenario of being stranded together creates some awesome conflict.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: No Loss of Life

January 14, 2018

Brrrrr!! It's crazypants cold in Ohio. We're having the standard bizarre weather. At the beginning of the week, we had an icy snow mix. My middle kidlet had his second spinout and almost took out a road sign. Luckily, the damage to his car is minimal and he didn't get a ticket. Thank you, Deputy H! On Thursday, it was almost sixty degrees. Friday started out around fifty-eight then steadily dropped over thirty degrees and dumped freezing rain and eight inches of snow. I'm at the point where I'm over the crappy driving conditions. I don't mind winter weather for the most part but I hate driving when ice is involved. Bleh.

The nice thing about the frigid temperatures is settling in with a good manuscript and watching movies or television. This week I got through the most of the back half of Chicago Fire. Some very emotional through lines, which I enjoyed. I'm liking the later season episodes much better than the first part of the season.

I'm hoping to start The Punisher this week. I've heard some terrific things about the season. Looking forward to more Frank Castle.

Also rewatching Hollywood Dirt on Passionflix. This steamy movie is so much fun. I'm a fan of the male lead anyway so I'm thrilled to have him in a hot and sexy role.

My regular shows return this week and I'm excited. Can't wait for more Arrow episodes. Also looking forward to the Black Lightning premiere.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from No Loss of Life, a novella that had a writing community prompt of write a story where one character is an antigovernment revolutionary and the other is a government agent fighting for the same cause in a nonviolent way.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Brigit Hardy is an anti-government revolutionary who kicks the system in the teeth to incite change. Vlad Octavius is the government agent who has to bring her to heel. There's only one problem—Vlad hates what she does, but can't disagree with her reasons.

And a sneaky peek…

Vlad Octavius waited impatiently outside the government council chambers. "Summoned to come immediately then made to wait. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my day." He glanced outside the wide expanse of windows, unable to enjoy the pristine view from the top floor of the high-rise.

The double doors opened and a harried clerk came out. "Agent Octavius, the director will see you now." He swept an arm toward the open office.

Vlad nodded and entered the room. The heavy wood slabs closed behind him with surprisingly quiet ease. The director glanced up and motioned for Vlad to have a seat.

He planted his feet hip-width apart. "I'll stand, thanks. If this meeting is what I think it is, I won't be here long." And they could dispense with any pleasantries.

Director Long settled back in his seat. "Has your ear been to the ground?" He steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on the arms of the chair.

Vlad snorted. "Doesn't need to be. The rumblings about the new government regime are pretty much out in the open." He pinned his old friend with a hard gaze. "Rich, you have to know how bad it is out there. The cushy job here in the ivory tower can't possibly put you completely out of touch." If it had… well, Vlad would lose some respect for the man.

Rich leaned forward, placing his forearms on the desk. "Vlad, you and I go way back so I'll let that slide. What I know about the plight of the city and what I can do about are vastly different subjects." He got up and came around the desk. "And you answer to the same leaders I do, but I don't have the luxury of having director to act as a buffer." Meaning Vlad should back off.

Okay then.

Vlad heaved a sigh. "What do you want me to do?" He'd hate the assignment, but Rich wouldn't have summoned Vlad if he didn't need the best.

Rich cut directly to the point. "Enter enemy territory and take them down from the inside."

Perfect. Even though Vlad half expected the order, he'd hoped it wouldn't come down to infiltrating the underground movement to resist the new government regime.

Rich quirked an eyebrow. "You going to have a problem with this assignment?"

Hell, yes. Because, frankly, Vlad understood where the protesters were coming from. Housing, food, medical assistance, all basic needs, were disappearing under the directive of the elected officials who were lining their pockets by privatizing the markets and raising prices beyond what most could afford.

Rich cleared his throat. "Vlad. I need to know if I can count on you."

Vlad lifted his chin. "Yeah. I'll go under." He waited a beat. "But I'll be going dark so don't expect regular status updates. We do this my way or we don't do it." He'd need to tread very carefully and live, breathe, and act as one of the resisters.

Rich moved back behind the desk and withdrew a file from the top drawer. "Your target is Brigit Hardy. She's become the leading voice of the underground." He handed the folder to Vlad, but kept a grip on it. "You need to watch your back. She's got a military background and significant experience with blowing things up." He released the file.

Vlad closed his eyes, his mind going back to his childhood. Both parents were victims of a radical bomber—something Rich had foreknowledge of considering he'd been with Vlad when it happened. They managed to avoid being in the car when the explosive device detonated because Rich ran back for his overnight bag.

Vlad tucked the file under his arm. "Thanks for the heads-up." His smooth delivery hid his underlying anger at the timing of the reveal.

Turning on his heel, he exited the office then growled his frustration. "A vocal leader with the potential to escalate to blowing shit up."

Perfect. Just perfect.

I like the potential for this story. I still need to do some brainstorming to iron out the details, but I can't resist two opposing sides working to find common ground even when they don't really want to.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

I hope 2018 is off to a great start for everyone. For myself, it's like an arctic tundra in Ohio but that gives me time to write, edit, and catch up on lots of television. Unless it's three a.m. and the dog has to pee… then it takes fifteen minutes to bundle up to go outside so we don't end up coming back in as popsicles. LOL

As mentioned, I watched Passionflix's The Trouble with Mistletoe last week and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Honestly, the adaption hit all the right emotional notes. There were moments that felt a little rushed, but I have to give props for being able to convey small story beats so masterfully.

Also got caught up on Riverdale. The winter finale tied up the black hood storyline… I think. That new janitor dude is very sketchy-looking so, yeah, not sure. I am looking forward to new episodes to see what new fresh hell Hiram has planned for Riverdale.

I'm almost halfway through season two of Chicago Fire. I'm still not wholly down with the entire McLeod arc. The resolution, while satisfying—watching Isabella shut Gail down was a thing of beauty—didn't exactly make up for not knowing why she had it in for station fifty-one. Her bonus notwithstanding, I didn't quite buy the whole vindictive nature.

I'm looking forward to the return of my regular network fare in the next two weeks, especially Arrow.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "jump off".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And a sneaky peek…

Thad heaved a sigh. "C'mon, Hamp. Let's get you into a cold shower then pour you into your rack." He dragged the staggering pilot out of the hangar deck and down the corridor.

He'd definitely get Aisley back for this one. Sticking him with full babysitting detail counted as a total bitch move. Not her usual SOP.

Hampton followed along, his head craning around looking at the causeway lights. "Hey, hey, um, captain… you got something going on with the lieutenant?" He stumbled closer, leaning and pitching his voice low. "'Cause I gotta tell ya, I'd totally hit that." His lips twisted in a drunken leer.

Thad bit back a harsh retort. What he had with Aisley stayed between them. They didn't share publicly… with anyone. The urge to punch Hamp would subside—probably as soon as Thad shoved the other guy into a shower.

Hampton nudged Thad. "You think she'd go for me?"

Thad rolled his eyes. "Right now? I think she'd cheerfully shoot you." He guided Hamp around a corner then directed him toward the head. "If I were you, I'd stay the hell out of her way for a while."

Hampton stopped outside the hatch. "Why? What did I do?"

Ha. He asked the one question guaranteed to send Aisley running. The dreaded "are you two an item" one. Thad didn't like to put labels on their relationship either, but Aisley freaked out when anyone tried to pin her down.

Thad clapped Hampton on the back. "Buddy, let's just say she's had about enough of pilots needing babysitters. You'll get your chance to play Mom and Pop one of these days." Thad reached into a stall and turned on the cold water. "Until then, make this your one and done and she'll eventually forgive you." He shoved Hampton under the spray, clothes and all.

"God damn! That's freezing." Hamp shivered under the deluge.

Thad cracked a grin. "Let it be a lesson, Hambone."

Hampton wiped the water from his face. "How long do I have to under here, Sir?"

Thad lifted a shoulder. "Until you learn to stay away from the hangar deck when you're drunk."

He'd give the pilot another two minutes then pour him into his rack.

Then he'd head back to the hangar deck. He had no doubt Aisley would be there, keeping a vigilant watch.

Thad's definitely going to have a story to tell Aisley when he gets back to the hangar deck.

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

ML Skye