Sunday Snippet: Therapeutic Recuperation

Well… we're almost to November and I'm really not ready for the month yet. Seriously, I'm wondering where 2018 went. Then again, it's been a bit of a bum year so maybe getting to 2019 sooner rather than later won't be a bad thing.

Had a busy week but got some good television watched. The Last Ship had a great episode. If they end up going where I think they will, the last few episodes could get interesting. Doctor Who's "Rosa" ended up being better than I thought it would be. I read an interesting article about the music of the new incarnation and while I appreciate the opinion of the author, I kind of miss Murray Gold's audible cues. Then again, I'm very much drawn in by musical cues in television shows.

I finished up Driven on Passionflix. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with where they left it. I totally get it had to end on a cliffhanger because there are two more books being made into this limited series. So… I'm ready for more. Looking forward to the holiday movie Mr. 365 when it launches in November.

Murdoch Mysteries had a fun episode centering on Henry's wedding. Also caught another episode of Peter Gunn's first season. Penny Dreadful revealed how Vanessa became embroiled with Sir Malcolm and, wow, dark waters run really deep in that relationship. I'm in the middle of a Midsomer Murders episode that usually keeps me company when I'm folding laundry. LOL

Arrow pulled off another amazing episode. I'm truly ready for Diaz to go down. That said, I'm totally onboard for the never-thought-it-could-happen team-ups of Dinah and Laurel and Felicity and the FBI agent chick. I'm also really wondering what the hell is going on with William and Roy. Legends of Tomorrow had a great premiere. This show is just fun, fun, fun. Yet it's also balanced with serious issues. If you're not watching you should be. Just saying.

I'm almost finished with this season of Killjoys. Meeting Dutch's mom turned out to be an interesting stroll through history. I'm also totally there for the RAC shenanigans. Pree and his man mixing it up with them is terrific. I caught another episode of The Dresden Files and had forgotten how terrific Claudia Black's character ended up being. Also watched an episode of Babylon 5 and another episode of Classic Who.

Riverdale… brings the crazy like no other show I'm watching right now. My head almost hurts with how they take things to the edge of unbelievable but somehow stay just shy of actually crossing over into total no effing way. Kudos to the writers!

I watched the second episode of Underbelly Files. Infiltration featured Sullivan Stapleton in what I'd assume would be one of his first roles. Actually turned out to be a great episode. I have one more left before moving on to a new season.

That's it for television this week. Hallmark Channel is gearing up with their holiday movies and I'll probably end up getting sucked in the vortex soon. LOL

Tonight's post is from Therapeutic Recuperation, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of writing a hurt / comfort story where the hurt—injury, kidnapping, trauma of author's choice—is only a gateway to the comfort—snuggles, talking about feelings, helping with recovery or physical therapy.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An accidental blast on the hangar deck lands Nadine Hewes and Hall Pullion in sickbay. The ship's doctor gets them stable then puts them in the same alcove so they don't drive everyone else nuts while they recuperate, leading the pilots to discover all kinds of interesting things about each other.

And a sneaky peek…

Year 3952

Base Hangar Deck

Moments before the blast

Hall handed the Chief Ben Warden a blown fuel line. "Look, I understand about needing some time for everyone to get with the program, but too many slipups are happening." He should've let Nadine go on with her tirade the other day. "Rooks or not, we can't keep having so many errors." He paused. "Someone's gonna get hurt or killed." And they didn't need to lose anyone else.

The chief couldn't argue. "I know, Lieutenant, believe me. I'm not sure who decided to send a buttload of newbs to my deck, but it sucks." He held the fuel line up to the light and shook his head. "It's not their fault. They're trying to keep up." Tossing the hose into the recycling bin, he grabbed a marker and put Hall's bird out of commission.

Hall sighed. "I know, Chief. But I'm worried about the damage if a big mistake is made." Only a matter of time until it happened too.

Ben's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I hear you. I'm working on it, slowly but—"

A pop followed by a hiss echoed behind them. Dread seeped into Hall when his gaze tracked the sound to the compression station. A pressure valve had burst and air from the lines leaked in a visible rush.

The chief shouted. "No, no! Don't light the torch—"

Hall barely heard his name before a hand wrapped around his arm, dragging him to the deck. His gaze locked with Nadine's milliseconds before a ball of flames erupted and a deafening explosion followed. His ears ringing, Hall caught the sight of Ben ducking down but not soon enough to avoid injury. The fire singed his hair and a piece of metal lodged in his arm.

And still the chief shouted orders. Get the fire out. Cap the valve.

Hall shook off the dizziness and struggled to his feet. Pain shot through his leg and hip.

Nadine snagged his pants, yanking him back down. "Don't stand. Stay low." She crawled forward, favoring her arm.

Concern shot through him. He rolled to his belly and made his way toward her, using his arms to make progress. Nudging her shoulder, he nodded for her to grab hold of him and together they dragged themselves to relative safety.

Once clear, Hall assessed the damage to the deck and issued his own orders. "Get the chief clear and disconnect the fuel lines. And for fuck's sake, start moving the ravenwings off the deck." Deck crew scurried to carry out their tasks.

Nadine chimed in. "Get the medical teams down here." She worked herself into a sitting position. "Anyone with free hands get busy with triage. Now." She grabbed a tie line from the deck and turned toward him. "Strap my arm to my chest." She winced when he put pressure on her shoulder. "Damn. Hurts like a bitch."

He got the makeshift splint secured but his vision blurred red. Blood. From a wound?

Nadine swiped her good hand over his face, running her palm over his head. Her fingers came away crimson colored.

She frowned. "Hmm. You've got some bleeding from a nasty wound on your head." She stuck the hem of her shirt between her teeth and tore a strip away.

She helped him apply it to the gash, holding pressure with her free hand while he tied the bandage securely.

Nodding, she pinned her gaze lower. "How's the leg?"

As she'd said earlier, it hurt like a bitch.

He slumped against the wall, keeping an eye on the deck crew. "It doesn't feel right, but I’m okay for now." Now that his adrenaline tapered off, his hips throbbed and his knee screamed in agony.

He exchanged a glance with Nadine, who huffed out a short laugh. Neither had full use of their limbs. What a pair.

In unison, they spoke. "Or not."

The humor ended up short-lived. His lungs began burning with each breath and his vision swam again. His eyes dropped and Nadine's voice reached him but sounded like it came from across the deck. "Yeah, shit. The fumes. We forgot about the fumes." Her voice drifted off to the sound of her labored breathing.

Everything went gray then black and he tilted sideways.

I'm having fun with this setup. I like having a traumatic event to push a couple into facing or admitting how they feel.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Taken By Surprise

We're past the halfway mark of October already? Geez, this month is flying by fast. Then again, it's been a somewhat difficult month for me workwise. Brain-draining would be an apt description.

So… television has been an important escape this week. Sunday night shows Doctor Who and The Last Ship ended up being terrific. I'm so happy to be excited for New Who again. The Last Ship kept things interesting. I'm a little confused why the guy got executed at the end, but I have a suspicion it'll be a turning point of some sort.

Arrow's premiere actually blew my mind a little. The fight scene juxtaposition of Oliver in the prison and Felicity in her apartment with Diaz is probably the best choreographed scene I've witnessed to date. Seriously, it's amazing. And, honestly, the rest of the show followed suit, leading right up to the surprise end. I'm excited to see what happens next.

The Flash remained good. Nice to see Cisco, Kaitlyn, and Ralph bonding and helping each other out. Looking forward to more of that. Riverdale… well… went full-on batshit with a whole new twist that I actually can't wait to watch unfold. The thing with Archie in detention isn't bad. I love the whole Veronica getting around her dickhead dad with Cheryl's help. Speaking of Hiram the 'Hole. Does anyone else want to smack the smarm out of him? Every time he's on screen I want to punch him in the face. That's some good acting by otherwise nice guy Marc Consuelos.

In other show news, I caught the first episode of Underbelly Files and enjoyed it. Caught Babylon 5, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, and Lexx in sci-fi fare. Pensacola Wings of Gold had a great episode where I wanted to bitchslap the billionaire dude who wanted his daughter saved at all costs. I also caught Strike Back, which had a great episode featuring Grace and her badass skills. And finally, I caught another episode of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I have a lot of love for that show.

That's it for television this week. Here's hoping my work and sleep schedule get back on track and I can enjoy even more during the near future.

Tonight's post is from Taken By Surprise, a sexy short that got a start with the prompt of writing a short scene or story about one of the main characters forgetting their birthday and the other one remembers it.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Thompson has a new man, Herrick Edwards, in her life and his birthday is coming up, but they're stuck on a ship with no R&R passes available. Pales isn't great at maintaining a relationship, but she'll take Herrick by surprise and plan a spectacular day.

And a sneaky peek…

Herrick Edwards placed his tray on the table. "Mind if I sit here?" His eyebrow quirked.

Pales Thompson glanced up, her mouth going dry. "Um, yeah, go ahead." She took her feet off the opposite seat, giving him room to sit.

Herrick settled onto the chair and dug into his breakfast. Pales didn't know how to react and didn't like being skittish. Her number one rule after hooking up involved not interacting with her partner one-on-one outside of flying or standard military operations. Her wild night with Herrick remained fresh in her mind and having him blast through her usual wall of protection sent her off kilter. What the hell should I do? Ha. She almost wanted to drag him back to the bunkroom again.

Almost. But doing so would mean getting personally involved and she didn't do relationships. Because she sucked at them.

Herrick swallowed a bite of food. "Relax, Pales. We're in the mess hall." He took a drink of orange juice. "How intimate can we be with fifteen people surrounding us?" His lips curved into a half-smile.

Good point. But still scary. And the fact he acknowledged her absolute trepidation definitely shouldn't make her happy. Because her track record when it came to being part of a couple couldn't be worse.

Pales took a drink of coffee. "Right." Scooping up some scrambled eggs, she shoveled them into her mouth.

Herrick's grin went wide, but he didn't comment. Like he expected her to make the hastiest exit possible. Fine. He could think whatever he wanted. She did not care.

Crunching through her remaining slice of toast, she kept one eye on Herrick while he calmly ate and drank, savoring each sip and bite. Ugh. She shouldn't be so fascinated by the way his mouth worked… except she had firsthand knowledge of what his lips, tongue, and teeth could do.

Her face flamed and Herrick tried to hide a smirk behind his glass of orange juice. Damn the man. She finished her meal quickly because she hated being jumpy, jittery, and jumbled up. Gathering her tray, she rose, ready to dump the contents at the wash station. She only made it two steps before Herrick cleared his throat.

"So… later?"

Her body went hot, a zing of heat shooting straight to her core. She didn't often make promises for future dates, preferring a grab-and-go approach to sex.

Making a quick decision about breaking her number one rule, she didn't look back but nodded. "Sure." She didn't say anything else.

He'd find her. Or she'd find him. They'd slake a need and go their separate ways.

Unless he joined her for breakfast again.

Pales is fun to write because she's so twitchy and Herrick being aware of how utterly freaked out she is also a treat.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Table of Lies

October 14, 2018

Wow, what a difference a week makes. The crisp feeling of fall has definitely arrived and I'm actually a little chilly at the moment. We'll probably have at least one more warm up before we settle into the true briskness of autumn in Ohio. Or… we could have one more nice week and then have a blizzard by Halloween. It's always hard to say. LOL

Got quite a bit of television watched this week. Some shows premiered their new seasons and I'm excited to settle in for the ride.

The Last Ship is crazy good and crazy wild. I'm always stunned when the credits roll because it doesn't seem like an hour should have gone by.

For premieres, I caught the new episodes of The Flash and Riverdale. Gotta say I ended up really enjoying both. Having Nora around could prove pretty interesting. And the whole situation with Archie is way over the top but, honestly, a ton of fun. Can't wait for Arrow this Monday. Also watched Chicago Fire and have mixed feelings on the episode. Maybe more on this next week.

And, of course, the Doctor Who premiere with Thirteen! What a great launch of the new doctor. Can't wait for more. After the disappointment with the last two seasons of Twelve, I'm excited to see where the show goes now.

I continued my rewatch of Babylon 5. The first season is so hit and miss but it also plants a lot of seeds for the following seasons. I'm always finding something new that ties into a future episode.

In other science fiction fare, I watched The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Birds of Prey, Lexx, Wynonna Earp—a Christmas episode, and The Dresden Files. Also caught Luke Cage and Penny Dreadful.

In military fare, I caught another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Strike Back. I'm starting to gel with the new cast of Strike Back and I also need to go back to season two and do some sleuthing. I have a feeling there's a connection that's deeper than I realized. More later on this too.

Caught some mystery shows with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Murdoch Mysteries, and a couple of episodes of Peter Gunn. I started an episode of Midsomer Murders but didn't get to finish it yet.

I also watched episode five of Driven. I'm actually thrilled with this series and I'm so excited for more from Passionflix.

On a final note, I finished up Canal Road and what a satisfying ending. I'll be starting a new Australian series in the very near future. Looking forward to it!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Table of Lies, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a scene or story involving a lie and set it in one of the character's apartments.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nichelle Stohl finally has her life on course—she's an instructor at the coveted academy of military science and she's testing the relationship waters for the first time since a truly horrible break up. Then she meets Garth Fillion—her boyfriend's brother—and her world tilts sideways.

And a sneaky peek…

Nichelle Stohl opened the final file she needed to grade. "Saved the best for last." She'd chosen to grade Quint Fillion's after she completed the rest of the class's essays.

Dating one of her students might not be the wisest decision she'd ever made, especially since she'd landed a coveted position teaching for the academy of military science, a prestigious branch of the ministry of defense. Being an instructor at her age rarely happened.

Her lips curved. "And most of my students don't know what to do with a twenty-seven-year-old professor." The dean insisted she use the academic title since her rank as lieutenant only listed two grades above the ensigns in her class.

She wouldn't qualify for military promotion until she reached thirty. A stupid rule.

Quint's filled his paper with silly notes in the sidebars, which brought a smile to her face. But the additional commentary didn't distract her from catching the errors on the paper. Quint tended to be sloppy with his answers and left out key details, probably assuming she'd know what he meant.

The problem? As his instructor, she couldn't assume facts not on the page. Fully aware she wouldn't, Quint continued to push the boundaries anyway.

Nichelle marked his errors and filed the test. He wouldn't be pleased with his score, but she couldn't allow him to cut corners. In the field, the chemical compounds they used required precise measurements and focused steps. Leaving one out could potentially wipe out an entire regiment… of their own men.

Quint's lackadaisical approach to his classwork fit directly in to why she so enjoyed being with him. He loved life and lived it to the fullest. Not even the less than stellar score on his essay would keep him out of sorts for long.

She grinned. "And he makes me laugh." So much and very often.

Nichelle needed the humor. She'd decided to test the relationship waters after being cheated on by not one, but two men. Quint affably stated if he ever looked at another woman with lust in his gaze, she should shoot him where he stood—because death by stupidity would take too long.

Her personal and professional life intersecting didn't always sit well with her. Quint sometimes lacked in maturity, but he always treated her with respect. And when she grew frustrated with his antics, he dialed back the joviality and put in the effort needed.

And the man had charm by the truckload. Starting something with him while he took her class… probably a bad idea. But she really liked him. And she tried hard to keep some balance between her head and her heart.

Just in case everything blew up in her face.

She hoped her concerns with his sometimes unfocused answers would be unfounded. But if they proved not to be, she'd deal with the fallout.

This one is coming along. The story is brainstormed and outlined and hopefully the sages won't decide to throw random plot bombs my way when I dig back in to writing.

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

ML Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Submit

October 7, 2018

Well, hello, October! This is one of my favorite months. The weather usually gets cooler.

The leaves start changing. And Halloween is just around the corner! It also means the holiday season is looming fast and furiously. Ugh. I'm not ready this year. LOL

Rough week with work and unexpected scheduling conflicts. I did get to watch some good television though. Caught the third episode of Strike Back's fifth season and had a surprise visit in the form of pictures from Stonebridge and Scott. I'm definitely intrigued! I also think I finally made the connection I needed to make. I'm slow sometimes.

The Last Ship seriously keeps me on the edge of my seat. I'm so sad and angry over a certain loss, but I totally called plot point even if it's a little disappointing. Caught the finale of Chicago Fire just in time for the new season to begin. I'll be behind per usual, but I'm glad I got to watch it.

Luke Cage is pulling some interesting things out of the woodwork. I'll admit I'm a little confused with where they're planning to take this season. That said, I love this show. And there's no Trish to really muck things up. Just saying.

Passionflix's Driven is so good. I watched the fourth episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the new holiday movie they have planned.

Murdoch Mysteries started their twelfth season with a fun episode. I always look forward to this series and the new twists and turns Murdoch and Julia and the rest of the cast face.

Caught a few more episodes of Peter Gunn's first season. The noir feel of this show never fails to make me happy. Penny Dreadful is seriously creepy sometimes and I'm kind of on the fence about whether I like it or not. LOL

Caught another episode of The Dresden Files and it was one I remembered liking a lot when it originally aired.

Rounding things out for the week, I caught an episode of Killjoys and love where things are going. I'll be so sad to see this show end next season.

I started the final episode of Canal Road and didn't have the chance to finish it yet. It's on the agenda for tomorrow.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Submit, a novella with a tie-in to Furlough 99.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lena Stoll and Welles Abernate work security on a large space station. While the job pays well, the stress level can quickly skyrocket, but Lena comes up with a great solution—she acts as a dominatrix in her downtime—much to Welles's surprise.

And a sneaky peek…

"Uh-uh, no way. I'm not working a double shift."

Lena Stoll shook her head and turned to leave the communications center of Furlough 99.

Her boss cleared his throat. "Care to tell me why?" He moved to block her path to the door.

Lena blew out a long breath. "Because I pulled two doubles last week and I'm not doing it again this week." She'd reached the end of her patience.

Her coworker, Welles Abernale picked that moment to walk in, stopping behind their CO.

Lena grabbed her opportunity. "Make Welles work the extra time." She walked around both men. "I'm taking a mental health break as of right now." Breezing out of the comm center, she waited until she hit the end of the corridor before making a run for the closest elevator.

Pushing the button, her foot tapped an impatient cadence. She wanted to get to quarters as soon as possible.

Her lips twitched. "I've got someplace to be, dammit." And a month's work of stress to relieve.

Her home away from home and work never failed to rejuvenate her mind and soul. Boarding the lift, she punched the number for the staff residences. The short ride ended and she exited the enclosure. She only lived three doors down and didn't waste time getting into her quarters and grabbing a shower.

Putting the finishing touches on her wardrobe, she added a long black duster and made sure it covered her outfit. She never left anything to chance. Leaving her quarters, she made her way up to the fifth level of the luxe quadrant. Already, the tension from the past month started to drain away.

She made her way to the private chambers of the Marionette and signed in under her pseudonym.

The matron gave Lena a wide smile. "Ramos is ready and waiting for you."

Lena flashed a grin. "And no doubt followed my instructions to the letter." She loosened the buttons of her duster, letting the cover fall off her shoulders. "Time to get to work." On her side gig.

One that could get her fired from her actual job… if she let the matron pay her.

Good thing she didn't.

Honestly, this one is pretty fun to dive into. I'm excited to see where it goes.

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

ML Skye