Sunday Snippet: Promise to Keep

Finally over the ick of the flu and a cold on top of it. Feeling so much better and happy about that. Got a good catch up on work projects and I'm relieved to be back on track.

Had a decent week of television again. I caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries and kind of missed Jared's presence. The episode ended up being pretty good and I enjoyed a twist I didn't quite see coming.

Watched both episodes of Silent Witness and actually remembered most of the plot line. Finished up season twelve and should get started on thirteen this week.

Caught two arcs of Classic Who. The first one didn't really thrill me but the second one ended up being better than I hoped. I'm liking the trio of companions.

Enjoyed two episodes of UFO Conspiracies. The first one had a series of stories about swarms of UFOs. The second had a series about footage caught on camera. Both were pretty interesting and I love seeing how military units in other countries handle sightings.

Ended up watching four episodes of The Muppet Show. Roger Miller, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Lynn Redgrave, and Cheryl Ladd were the guest stars. I loved the Lynn Redgrave episode and the Robin Hood enactment.

Started a new season of Prime Suspect. I have vague memories of this one and look forward to the second half when everything pretty much blows up for Tennison.

Caught the first episode of season five Peak Practice. Andrew is back and Will's significant other had their baby. Pretty good beginning to the new season.

Enjoyed another lesson of Master Class with LeVar Burton. He talked about his storytelling heroes and I appreciated the insight he gave.

Watched another Inside the Episodes: The Witcher. This one took a look at episode six where everything goes to hell for Geralt. Very cool to get some insight into how and why things happened the way they did.

Caught another London Live. This one featured Kelly Clarkson and I enjoyed the songs chosen. Still like Berlin Live better.

Enjoyed an episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Mudd returned and the repeating of the thirty minutes entertained me. Loved how many characters ended up being out of their comfort zone even if Burnham was the main focal point.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med. This one kind of gutted me and I loved it. So glad I'm finally getting to see all of this show. I've said that before, right?

Started the next season of Midsommer Murders. I've kind of been putting it off because it's only two episodes with a few more starting this month, I think. Loved the first episode. I've missed Winter's facial expressions so much.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Promise to Keep, a novella that got a start with a writing prompt from a friend. I'm not completely sure where it's going to end up going.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Two elite marines try to forge a relationship during a time of war. But when a worse than usual dangerous situation ups the ante, a promise is made and must be kept, regardless of the personal toll. After all, the marine motto is anytime, anyplace, always ready.

And a sneaky peek…

The recently rescued detainees were all assembled, listening as Tiffen outlined the plan of action to get them the fuck off this rock.

One small glitch. They were counting on two battle cruisers.

Mathison hated to break it to them … but she did. “No Perseus. Just the Gibraltar.” And yeah … that got the resistance leaders’ attention.

Rosh peppered her with questions. “Why? Why no Perseus?” Her sharp glance was also tinged with concern. “What happened?”

The former president asked her? A marine following orders. “Don’t know, sir. Way beyond my pay grade.” But damned if that question didn't ping in everyone lower than an XO’s mind before they separated.

This plan had to be fucked at best, doomed to fail at worst. Being a marine, her training meant she followed orders and she didn't indulge in questioning the wisdom of their commanding officers. Often.

Unless she ended up sitting with Gunny in an empty mess, a bottle of amberline on the table between them. Grabbing what might be the last moments they’d spend together, their conversation naturally fell to debating the pros and cons of their respective missions.

Gunny would head out with the Perseus and the remaining fleet. She got tapped for the new world mission with the Gibraltar. Her assignment to protect the synth officer so she could make contact with the insurgence leaders.

Orders were orders … and she and Makepeace would follow them.

But not until Gunny had to catch the last transport out for the Perseus.

So they drank. Slowly. Knowing when the bottle reached empty it would be over. Neither really sure what it meant, but finding out wouldn't exactly be an option now.

Duty called.

When the last drop disappeared, Gunny stood, ready to make tracks for the hangar deck.

His face solemn, he betrayed nothing. “You take care.” His eyes held everything … the regret of not knowing.

Mathison gave a curt nod. “Will do.” She kept her own gaze level … expressing her disappointment in running out of time.

They weren’t in uniform as each snagged downtime until they lit out for their respective posts. And they both held the same rank, but he still snapped off a salute, indicative of his respect for her.

Then he truly surprised her by stepping forward and leaning down to plant a quick, hard kiss on her lips.

Not one to beat about, when he made to pull back, Mathison fisted her hand in his shirt and yanked him into a much more heated embrace. Rising from the chair, lips still meshed with his, she backed him up against the bulkhead deepening the kiss as they went.

Not to be outdone, Gunny switched their positions, trapping her hips with his before lifting her up to gain access to her throat, scorching a line of kisses down to the collar of her shirt.

Wrapping a single leg around both of his, Mathison kept him pressed against her, letting the heat flare between them a moment, before regretfully dropping her foot to the floor. Neither spoke as Gunny snagged the empty bottle from the table and backed out of the mess. Too bad they couldn’t take things further … they didn’t have the time.

But it was a helluva goodbye.

The original version of this didn't have a happy ending. I'm now reworking because I think I found a way to give the characters the send-off they deserve. Here's hoping!

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Powering Down

Still battling the generalized blah left over from the flu. The good news is that I got lots of sleep with naps and getting to bed earlier. The bad news is I'm behind on work projects but I should be able to make up my lost time this week. Fingers crossed anyway.

Had a decent week with television. I caught two episodes of Chicago Med and the second one made me sad. It's kind of the first time I've been hit a little sideways by one of the plot lines.

Enjoyed a holiday episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I always find it cool to see how the holidays look in the middle of summer for shows set in New Zealand and Australia. Also started the fourth season of the show and, once again, I love seeing recurring characters pop up when I least expect them.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness and actually enjoyed how it ended. It's another one I'd forgotten.

Watched another arc of Classic Who. I'll be honest, Teegan rather annoys me but I think the character will end up growing on me. I do like Five a lot.

UFO Conspiracies had an interesting episode focused on fireballs. I enjoy seeing how other countries handle sightings.

Caught two episodes of The Muppet Show. Elke Sommer and Sylvester Stallone were the guest stars. I enjoyed the Stallone episode more than I thought I would.

Skated through the season two finale of Prime Suspect. I'd forgotten how awkward and messy that episode ended up being.

Watched the season four finale of Peak Practice. I'm getting into the new partners and I'm glad Andrew is sticking around. Looking forward to starting season five.

Caught another Master Class with LeVar Burton. He talked about podcasting during this lesson and I have an interest in starting one at some point. I got some great information about how to approach the idea.

Enjoyed another episode of Inside the Episodes: The Witcher. Episode ended up being one of my favorites and I loved the behind the scenes insight.

Watched London Live: Jennifer Hudson. I think I like Berlin Live better, but I enjoyed the music from Jennifer.

Caught some New Rugrats episode shorts and a special cast episode. Oddly, there was some footage from episodes I haven't seen yet so I'm hoping that means new ones are on the way at some point. I'll be starting a rewatch of the classic show in the next week.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Powering Down, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A little enforced downtime leads to a small power struggle between Nicia Bowen and Jett Vanatta. Nicia isn't thrilled when Jett picks someone else to be his second in command, but once Jett explains his reason—they're too close—she can't argue the point. Instead she decides to accept his excuse and get even more personally involved.

And a sneaky peek…

The sound of ball bearings tumbling and the rattle of the autolock disengaging woke Jett from a light sleep. He sat slumped against the wall with Nicia's head in his lap. She jerked awake, blinking to clear her vision.

Yawning, she sat up slowly. "All good things get ruined." Her gaze met Jett's. "Referring to the nap, to be clear."

His lips twitched. "Good to know." He got to his feet just when the hatch slid open.

Karmony entered. "You two good?" She planted her hands on her hips. "Sorry about the outage. Engineering had a couple of glitches to work through."

Jett quirked a brow. "Did they solve them?" If not, he'd have to issue some off-limits areas.

The XO gave a nod. "For now, yes. I ordered them to give a six-hour notice if they needed to do additional work." She strolled further into the training area. "At least we know the backups work. You had illumination?"

Nicia answered. "Emergency lighting only. But water recycling remained intact." Her words lacked any kind of heat.

Slade shifted her gaze to the CAG. "Good to know." Her arm swept toward the hatch. "We should be back to normal."

Jett lifted his chin. "Good. You'll forward the after-action report?" He reached down to grab his bag.

Karmony turned toward the hatch. "Yes, sir. By shift end." She paused by the threshold, a smirk on her face. "So, you two finally got your shit together, then?"

Nicia narrowed her gaze, but kept her mouth shut.

Slade laughed. "About damned time. I thought it would take at least two more power outages before you'd finally cave." She strolled into the corridor. "It's good to be wrong."

Jett shot Nicia a sideways glance. "You don't think—" He took off toward the open hatch. "Karmony? Get your ass back here."

She responded to his order with laughter.

Nicia moved to stand by his side. "You want the good news or the bad news?"

Jett frowned. "The good." He might have to carefully go over the after-action report for discrepancies.

Nicia grinned. "She's not half bad."

Jett quirked an eyebrow. "And the bad?"

Nicia's lips twitched. "I'm starting to like her."

Jeff blinked and shook his head. "Oh, no. No, no, no. You will not start hanging out with my XO and teaching her your bad habits. Uh-uh." From one headache-inducing scenario to another.

Nicia gave him a wide grin. "Guess you'll just have to keep me busy, won't you?" She turned and dashed out into the corridor. "Hey, Karmony! Hold up."

Jett grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back into the empty training room. "Forget that. I'm giving you an assignment. You need to think of a way to top what happened here." He cocked his head. "Say by end of watch tonight?"

Nicia grinned. "Challenge accepted." She glanced over her shoulder. "Don't let your imagination go into overdrive." With a low, throaty laugh, she wandered out the door.

Jett huffed out a breath. "As if my imagination could top anything she'll come up with."

I'm having a good time writing Jett and Nicia. Karmony is a hoot and I love her acting as a foil to Nicia.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Power Play

Ugh, so far September is kicking my butt. I've been down with the flu pretty much all week because of course I haven't had a chance to get a flu shot yet. Lots of chills, fever, aches, and long slogs of sleep. Here's hoping I'm over the hump and on my way to recovery.

Very slow week in television. I started the week with New Rugrats and thoroughly enjoyed both episodes.

Also caught another episode of Chicago Med. I think this might be my favorite of all the Chicago shows.

Watched another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. Once again, this show makes me so happy. A great mystery that had a few twists.

Started another two-parter of Silent Witness and vaguely remembered the first episode.

Enjoyed the first arc of Five's run on Classic Who. So far, I have to admit I like the trio of companions and how they're interacting with each other and the doctor.

Caught the second episode of UFO Conspiracies. I'm enjoying how the stories are presented in this series. There's a theme and the conspiracy revolves around it, with usually at least two different scenarios.

Watched two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Spike Milligan and Leslie Uggams were the guest stars, along with a special appearance by Big Bird.

Last but not least, I started the second season of Prime Suspect. I'd forgotten just how messy Jane could make things and I'm enjoying that angle.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Power Play, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hailey March, a dedicated officer, receives a plum assignment she's wanted for a long time. But when she has to give orders to Rab McKee, she must ignore their long friendship, which is impossible because she needs him on her side.

And a sneaky peek…

Why didn't Rab get it?

Ha! Because she had her head so twisted around, she didn't know which end pointed up. And if she didn't know … how could he?

Well, shit. She wanted to explain so badly, but her conversation with Kidwell took prominence in her mind.

"Do you understand your orders, Captain?" Admiral Kidwell asked her newly appointed CAG.

Hailey gave a quick nod. "Yes, Sir." The rank sounded foreign to her ears.

She hadn't anticipated making it past lieutenant. Not unless they lost half the crew of the Kalliope. Frankly, at this rate with Kidwell in charge, they might.

The admiral rose. "Good. I'm glad we reached this understanding." She waited for Hailey to stand before continuing. "It goes against my better judgment, but as long as you keep your former CAG on the right track, you can have him for the mission."

Hailey snapped off a crisp salute. "Yes, Sir." Easier said than done, but she'd find a way.

Admiral Kidwell nodded. "Dismissed."

Hailey maintained her military posture and composure until she exited Kidwell's quarters. Once the hatch slid shut, she heaved a sigh then drew in a shaky breath and collapsed against the bulkhead. She'd made it through her meeting with the admiral and came out with almost everything she wanted. No easy feat. A shrewd woman, Kidwell didn't negotiate. She ran roughshod over everyone and steamrolled anyone who didn't fall in. The woman rarely made any kind of concession, yet she'd let Hailey present her case and accepted her reasons for wanting Rab McKee on her team. Taking a hands-off approach to Kidwell's treatment of Ty and Hibbs seemed a small price to pay. Until she had to face Rab and not say anything about why.

Who the hell am I kidding? This is impossible.

Hailey had so many plates spinning in the air she considered it lucky only one had fallen so far. But the one she wanted and needed still kept spinning and she couldn't exactly inform Rab. She had to find a way to make him get on board.

Or everything she'd set in motion would crash and burn.

This is a little different from my standard and I'm enjoying weaving things together in a slightly altered way. Hailey and Rab are going to face some internal and external obstacles and I love writing the outcome.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Poetry in Motion

Wow. September snuck up on me even though I've been talking about how close August was to ending. 2021 is a weird year, just saying.

Had a solid week of working with a potential new project coming in and several more lurking in the wings. I finished up a great manuscript and can't wait for the book to release. It featured a tornado!

Not a bad week of television. I started with Master Class with LeVar Burton and lesson eight with focused on performative storytelling. I love watching LeVar break down how he approaches telling and sharing stories.

Watched two episodes of Inside the Episodes: The Witcher. The shows broke down episodes two and three. It's very interesting to go back and see where the production side of things is coming from after seeing the entire first season. I'm really looking forward to season two.

Caught two episodes of Berlin Live. The first featured Blondie and I thoroughly enjoyed the string of hits minus one of my very faves. Boy George and Culture Club also put on a great show and I'm love diving back into some music from my formative years.

Enjoyed another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. I'm slowly getting to know the characters and I'm starting to like how everything is coming together. Really interesting to see a character from Star Trek: TOS. Looking forward to seeing if anything comes from that.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med and ended up really liking it. I'm once again really happy to finally be able to watch this show from the beginning and fill in so many blanks.

Caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I love this quirky and fun show even though there's always a murder to solve. As I've mentioned before, having characters that pop up with frequency makes me happy.

Finished out the second episode of Silent Witness. I'm getting toward the end of season twelve. I think I've got four more episodes to go. I'm also remembering why I really liked this show when I watched it the first time.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. This one feature country music, which I always find interesting when it's in another country.

Finished out season eighteen of Classic Who and Four's tenure. Five is taking over the controls of the Tardis and I'm looking forward to seeing his take on the Doctor.

Started UFO Conspiracies and it's not bad. I'm always interested in digging into what other countries experience with UFO sightings and this series seems to include those takes.

Watched two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Lesley Ann Warren and Danny Kaye were the guest stars. Very fun episodes.

Caught another episode of Prime Suspect and finished out the first season. I'll start season two this week.

Peak Practice had an interesting episode and I enjoyed it. Andrew definitely has some issues and I like how the show is exploring them.

That finishes up this week's television update. Tonight's post is from Poetry in Motion, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ian Flannigan, a talented athlete, wants to take the crown on the planetary Sky Dawg circuit. But when he inadvertently causes the death of a competitor, he has to decide if he can keep it together enough to win, which won't be easy with the coach's daughter constantly pushing for him to lose control.

And a sneaky peek…

"A little hard on him, weren't you?"

Reagan shrugged. "He deserved it."

Ramsey studied his daughter. "It eats at you, doesn't it? You want him so badly but can't—won't—change your mind about your rules." Ramsey tsked. "And he won't play by 'em."

Reagan got up. "I'm so not having this conversation with you, Ram." She stalked toward the door.

Ramsey got off another shot. "He's not Stuart. You'd do well to remember that, Reg."

She sucked in a harsh breath. "Low blow, Dad." She did not want to discuss her asshole ex.

Ramsey shrugged. "Maybe. But you needed to hear it." His voice gentled. "Stuart Abercrombie twisted you up and turned you inside out."

Reagan slowly made her way back to the bench and sat down. "He used me."

Ramsey nodded. "That, too." He met Reagan's gaze. "But you set him straight—and showed him the door when he thought to keep his spot on the team because he warmed your bed."

Reagan rolled her eyes. "Geez, Ram. Can we not talk about this?" She shook her head. "You know way too much about my sex life."

He snorted. "Reagan, it's hard not to. The circuit's a close-knit group. An incestuous bunch on a bad day. I usually know within hours when you hook up with someone new—people can't wait to keep me informed—but I give you your space and keep my mouth shut."

She couldn't resist a sarcastic comeback. "Yeah, thanks for that, Dad."

Ramsey sent her a level look and lifted a brow.

Reagan backed down. "Okay. You're right." She tilted her head. "But I don't have to like the fact you are." She paused a moment. "And why stick your nose in now? With Ian?"

Ramsey gave it to her straight. "Because he's got it bad for you and you need to back off and let him figure shit out on his own." He cut deeper. "You don't help when you pull the bitch card and club him over the head with it."

The accusation hurt … but she could see his point. "Fine. I'll quit jamming him up." She dropped her gaze to her hands, twisting her fingers together. "I just wanted to see if I could get Ian to lose it … just once."

Ramsey chuckled. "Reagan, my girl, if and when Ian decides to step up and let go, you'll know. He's got some decisions to make and a path to choose. Hell, when he puts his foot on the road to victory, everyone'll know."

Reagan muttered. "I hope you're right, Dad."

Ramsey snorted. "Trust me on this, Reg. He's headed in the right direction."

Her father had never called it wrong. He'd known Stuart didn't have the chops from day one … but gave the jackass a chance anyway.

I love, love, love writing Reagan and Bruce's family dynamic. They don't have a typical father / daughter relationship and I really want and hope that comes through.

 

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

ML Skye