Sunday Snippet: Zinging Barbs

I'm not quite sure where the month of September went but it's almost over. The weather in Ohio is currently fall-like. Not sure how long that will last. I could actually get behind having it stick around for a while.

Pretty decent week of viewing. I'm back on my usual schedule for the most part. I'll be starting a new show on one of my streamers, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it or give up that slot for now.

Watched another episode of Ted Lasso. Gotta say, I definitely see the appeal and how so many people have utter undying love for the show. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Caught another episode of the Agatha Christie Hour. I loved the twists and turns in this one. Good intrigue without being a full-blown mystery.

Enjoyed the first part of Silent Witness. There's a good mysterious vibe in this two-parter and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out this week.

Started season twenty-six of Classic Who and loved seeing the colonel back again. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Watched another Strangest Things episode and learned about desert glass. Well worth the view for that alone.

Caught an episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Geez, a lot happened and I'm still trying to process everything. Definitely need to catch up on season two of The Mandalorian to fill in the missing blanks. Looking forward to doing that.

Only Murders in the Building is such a terrific show. The pacing is excellent and the reveals are pretty much perfect. Hat tip to all involved in the writing and acting.

Enjoyed another episode of Blue Heelers and it actually ended up breaking my heart a little. One of the scenes hit a little too close for comfort involving a pet that had to be put to sleep.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She discussed finding an agent and what to pay attention to when dealing with contracts.

Watched another Umbrella Academy episode. I'm definitely getting hooked on this one. I love the characters and how they interact with each other and outsiders. Klaus is a wicked-fun gem. Also nice to see Luther before his transformation. Felt horrible for Diego and my heart really goes out to Vanya. Loved the scene with Allison, though. Great stuff.

Enjoyed two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. Two of my favorites were in this bunch. Anytime Angelica is foiled by Susie is worth the watch.

Also caught another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. This ended up being a good one. I like the episodes when there isn't a major villain from the rogue gallery for Batman to deal with.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Zinging Barbs, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Reagan Bruce won't slow down, not even when she's seven months pregnant and Ian Flannigan decides to walk away from competing to keep Reagan healthy. The couple exchanges some zinging barbs until they work out their issues.

And a sneaky peek…

Ian took his anger, worry, and frustration out on the punching bag, glad he had the gym to himself. "How do I get her to see reason?" He wouldn't do what she did to him—push every button he had until he finally pushed back.

He jabbed the bag. "She made me lose control and follow my instincts." And now he had a shot at being a champion racer for the Skye Dawgs.

Maybe he should take his concern to the Bruce. No. Reagan's dad ran the Dawgs but he'd never, ever been able to run her.

He added a kick to the heavy bag. "I don't want to risk losing her." The sked races were notoriously dangerous and Reagan wouldn't be confined to the spectator area.

Why the hell did he get tangled up with her?

Punch, punch, kick. "Because I love her, dammit." Even when she pissed him off so much he couldn't be near her.

The door to the training room creaked open but he didn't stop his workout. No doubt, Reagan had tracked him down.

She paused by the row of lockers. "Wish that was my face?" Her hand rubbed over her stomach.

He still didn't stop. "Nope." He wished he could explain how much he loved her and wanted her to listen to the doctor.

Reagan slowly walked around the perimeter of the gym, her other hand massaging the small of her back. "You know, I've always loved watching you spar."

He kept pounding the bag, unwilling to engage right now. He still had too much anger to work through.

Reagan didn't let his silence deter her. "The play of muscle, the sound of your gloves connecting with their object, the rhythm of your feet on the floor." She sighed. "Poetry in motion, Ian." She waited a beat. "And it makes me so damn hot for you I can't stand it." She stopped behind him.

He stopped, turned, and stared. Is she serious right now?

She shrugged. "I know, right? But I knew I was a goner when I first watched you in the ring with my dad." She moved closer. "And I'm still a goner now." She sent him a wry smile. "A crazy, hormonal, utterly in love with you goner."

This little peek into how Reagan and Ian deal with a disagreement is so much fun to write. The novella that gets them together begged for a bit of a follow-up.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Zero Sum

Not a bad week. I made excellent headway on the two projects I'm editing and got some writing of my own done. The weather has been so nice and comfortable. Not quite chilly enough to be considered fall but also not the sweltering yuck we often have this time of year.

I'm finally more or less back on my regular viewing schedule. I might be dropping one of my streamers because they're going to paid only and, frankly, I'm not that interested in the content to pay five bucks a month for it. We'll see how it goes.

Caught several episodes of Classic Rugrats. I'm into season four and trawling through the memory banks. I love reminiscing about sitting with the kids and watching this when they were wee little ones.

Watched maybe the last episode of Chicago Med for me. This is the streamer that's going to paid only and I'm not that interested in continuing to watch. I'll see what happens in a few weeks.

Enjoyed two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. I have so much love for this series and tend to rewatch on a semi-frequent basis. There's a very good stable of villains and the animation is great.

Caught another episode of Ted Lasso. Gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed Ted losing his shit with Rebecca. I also loved the whole method of breaking the curse. This is a great show.

Watched the season eight finale of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I have a behind the scenes episode to watch then another wait for new episodes. Looking forward to seeing what Mike had to say to the proposal at the end.

Enjoyed the second part of Silent Witness. Looking forward to seeing what season twenty has to offer. I'm loving the dynamic between the characters.

Finished up season twenty-five of Classic Who. Not a bad way to end the season. I also discovered there's at least one more so I'll start it this week.

Caught another episode of Strangest Things. I liked the segments in this episode. A hoax and a spectacular way-before-its-time device caught my attention.

Loved the episode of The Book of Boba Fett. It featured the return of the Mandalorian and I'm a little spoiled for season two of The Mandalorian because of this, but I'm totally okay with that.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. This show. I have a lot of love for it and can't wait to jump in to season two.

Watched the season eight finale of Peak Practice. A lot of moving pieces and setting things up for next season. I'll be starting nine in the near future.

Caught another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She focused on the business of writing and I ended up getting some good information from this lesson.

Umbrella Academy ended up being great. I'm really loving this show. I very much enjoy finding out little bits and pieces about the characters and the pacing is excellent.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Zero Sum, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Sabrina Delft and Carrick Stafford have a zero sum relationship—whenever one gains something, the other has a corresponding loss. But when they're stranded on an abandoned mining colony and forced to rely on each other, they learn to balance the good with the bad and end up with a total win.

And a sneaky peek…

Sabrina made her way to the colony base facility. "Glad it's not a long walk." Her suit showed the atmosphere had oxygen, but not enough to be breathable even with filters.

The planetoid surface lacked plant life, at least close to the mining area. Dust blew from all directions and she doubted anyone would last long without a suit. A filtered mask would get clogged quickly.

Once she arrived at the door, she found it closed but not locked or barred. It took a few hard tugs to get it open and gritty sand swirled all around her until she got it shut again after entering. She turned her headlamps on and scouted the entryway. Three corridors led off from the main door and the vestibule had furniture stacked up along the walls.

She took the left hall, which led to the main hall and lamented not being stronger once she got inside. "No way will I be able to get into some of the rooms without help." She'd need Carrick's offer of brute force to get stuff up and running.

But the place had viability and she found an intact suit. "At least we'll have a way back and forth." If they needed one.

She also found the power stores and main connector. The solar units should give them plenty of juice to survive. Continuing her exploration, she discovered the entrance to the mine in an offshoot from the main hall. The infirmary and living quarters were located along the middle corridor. Not exactly stellar accommodations, but livable.

She started back. "Now to convince Carrick my idea gives us the best chance." She did a quick search of the third corridor and, on her way out, found a food store but couldn't get into it.

She also peered through a cloudy window across the hall from the storage area and decided she'd stumbled onto the remnants of a hydroponic garden. "That could be useful."

Still under her thirty-minute window, she'd tell Carrick what she found when she got back to the ship. "No need to start an argument over comms." Unless she missed her guess, he wouldn't want to leave the ship.

Tucking the other suit under her arm, she started the trudge back to the hopper.

This story is a lot of fun to write and I'm enjoying the enemies-to-lovers vibe. I also love stranding characters together and making them figure things out.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: You're Welcome

Had a fairly busy week between work and the new venture I'm putting together. The play I'm editing is so much fun. It's deep and twisty and bonkers in the best possible way. I hope I have another chance to edit more plays.

Had a pretty good week trying to catch up to my regular viewing schedule. I'm not quite there yet because other things have been pulling my attention away from screen time. Also, my sleep schedule is all messed up at the moment. Not sure why, but probably hormone-related. Fun.

I watched an episode of Peak Practice and should finish up season eight this week. From what I've reviewed, seasons nine through twelve go a little off the normal path and dive deeper into soap opera territory. I'm okay with that.

Caught two more MasterClass lessons with Roxane Gay. I truly love listening to her speak. The first one focused on engaging with you readers and I ended up getting a lot out of that one. The second lesson noted the importance of having a day job for stability and I also appreciated what she had to say about that topic.

Started The Umbrella Academy and, so far, I love it. I'm two episodes in and I like the dynamic between the characters and I'm excited to see what comes next. Looking forward to diving deep on this one.

Enjoyed the season finale of The Ready Room. Pretty sure Wil takes over for the next one and I'll look forward to his take on Discovery.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med and I have a weird feeling I know where things will end up going with Will and Asher. Fairly sure this might end up being my last season. I do love anything with Dr. Charles, Maggie, and Miss Goodwin. I also love Ethan. We'll see what happens by the end of the season.

Caught another Batman: The Animated Series. I loved Poison Ivy's introduction in this series and also seeing more of Harvey Dent before things happen with him.

Enjoyed a little more of Resisting Roots but didn't get to finish the movie yet.

Watched another Ted Lasso. I'm definitely a fan. Keeley cracks me up and I love where things are going with her. Ted kind of broke my heart yet made me so happy when he benched Jamie. I truly hope there's some kind of redeeming arc for him because I literally loath him at the moment.

Caught another Agatha Christie Hour and thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the non-mystery aspect of this show because there's still a lot of suspense, which I love.

Started season twenty of Silent Witness and quite enjoyed the opening first part. Looking forward to finishing this one up next week.

Almost finished with season twenty-five of Classic Who. The greatest show in the galaxy will hopefully end on a great note for the season. I'm pretty sure that brings me close to the end of the classic episodes. Not sure if I'll jump to New Who or switch to a different genre for a while.

Watched another episode of Strangest Things. I like diving into the mysterious objects they feature and learning new information. The cast of experts is very diverse and I love that.

Caught another episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Loved the pick up from when Fennic went down in The Mandalorian. I seriously love this show.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. There's so much awkwardness that is played to perfection by the three main cast members. I'm excited to see what happens in the next episode.

Watched an episode of Blue Heelers and ended up enjoying it a lot. Wayne actually ended up being a fairly decent guy in this one and that's not always the case.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from You're Welcome, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Dalyn Harris spends a lot of his time keeping his significant other, Shauna Drake, out of hack. When an old, forgotten prank catches the executive officer by surprise, Dalyn scrambles to keep Shauna's part under wraps—he has no desire to spend their anniversary in a brig cell.

And a sneaky peek…

Dalyn put his fork down and leaned back in the chair. "Gotta say the galley did a stellar job on that pasta." Considering food prep could be hit or miss on most ships, he definitely wouldn't complain.

Shauna tilted her head. "Are you going to tell me how you pulled this off? I mean, the VIP quarters? That's unheard of." She picked up her glass and took a long sip of wine.

Dalyn smiled. "Helps to have friends and family in high places." And having several favors owed to him.

She shook her head. "Guess I'm not the only one with pull on this ship." Scooting back a little, she propped her feet on his lap.

Dalyn took the hint and massaged the arch on her left foot. "Guess you're not." His lips curved. "I figured if we're going to see where this goes, we don't need an audience." Using his knuckles, he applied firm pressure to her soles.

Shauna groaned and closed her eyes. "If you spoil me, I'll quickly get used to it. But … this goes way beyond anything I expected." She met his gaze. "I'm impressed. Thank you."

He grinned and leaned in close to her. "As you know, I aim to please." His mouth captured hers and she responded by sliding her tongue along his.

Yep. Definitely glad he called in some markers. Kissing her melted his brain.

She slipped her feet off his lap and moved to straddle his thighs. "I've been waiting for this, to be with you, for a long time." Her lips ghosted along his jawline. "I don't want to wait any more."

Dalyn cupped her ass in his hands. "Glad you said that. I don't either." He braced a hand on the table and stood up.

Shauna wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bed tucked up against the bulkhead. Settling down on the edge of the mattress, he found her lips again and slowly inched her shirt up. Shauna lifted her arms and eased away, just long enough to remove her top. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders then twisted sideways, tugging him down on top of her.

His mouth moved over her skin and he peeled her bra straps downward. She unclasped the lingerie then searched for the hem of his T-shirt. Using one hand, he yanked the shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

His fingers dipped under the waistband of her warm-ups and worked them down past her hips. Shauna took over, wriggling the garment off her legs. He eased back and shucked his fatigues then settled back over her.

Reaching up, she wound her arms over his shoulders and lifted her chin to meet his lips. The kiss spun out, heating his blood and making his dick rigidly hard. Her palm skimmed over his erection and he hissed out a breath.

Hooking a finger along the hemline of her panties, he inched them down. Shauna worked her hand inside his boxers and grasped his cock. He scooted back and removed the last barriers of clothing then put a knee on the mattress.

Meeting her gaze, he held it a moment. "You're sure?" He didn't doubt she wanted sex as much as he did … but what came after could get complicated.

She gave an emphatic nod. "Absolutely certain." She held out a hand. "Don't make me wait."

He definitely didn't plan to make either of them regret what came next.

This sexy short is coming together after a lengthy break to let the characters figure out what they wanted. They're finally talking to the sages again.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Yellow Fang

Greetings to the month of September. I'm kind of not ready for it yet, mainly because once the calendar changes to the ninth month, it seems like October, November, and December zoom by super fast.

Had a great work week and made some progress on my new venture. I'm crossing my fingers I'll be able to launch sometime between October and December. Another reason I'm not quite ready for the new month.

Decent viewing week. I'm not quite caught up on everything, but I'm getting there. I did make a full rotation of my usual shows but I'm off schedule, which confuses my weird brain.

Got two episodes of Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm kind of loving this show. Had a great conversation with my daughter, who also loves it.

Caught an episode of Blue Heelers and kind of thought a couple of the characters were acting unlike themselves. But I did like the mystery.

Enjoyed another MasterClass lesson with Roxane Gay. She did another workshop and talked about finding your voice as a writer. Very good stuff.

Finished up The Babysitters Club and I'm so bummed there aren't any more episodes left. I'll be starting a new show this week but haven't decided which one yet.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The Chanukah episode is one of my favorites and I always enjoyed watching it with the kiddos. The Mother's Day episode is also up there even if it's a little bit of a downer.

Started Resisting Roots, a Passionflix original. So far, I'm enjoying it. Looking forward to finishing up this movie.

Caught another episode of Chicago Med and struggled to stay interested. I liked two of the storylines and didn't really have much invested in the other two. Season five might be my last one.

Enjoyed another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. This one introduced the Joker and my major appreciation for Mark Hamill's portrayal of the iconic bad guy started all over again.

Watched the Christmas episode of Ted Lasso and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ted having Rupert's number made me happy. Also loved Roy in this one. And I'm finding a deep appreciation for Keeley. I really love the dynamic she has with Rebecca. Jamie … I absolutely dislike with an intense passion. Just saying. Coach Beard is awesome. And so is Nate.

Caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I'm kind of bummed I only have one more left of the season. This show makes me happy.

Finished up the second part and final episode of Silent Witness's season nineteen. Looking forward to starting the new one next week.

Watched another episode of Classic Who. I'm a little lost with what's supposed to be going on but I had a few distractions while I was watching this episode. Looking forward to the final two for this season.

Enjoyed another Strangest Things. This one had several fun artifacts. One happened to feature in a middle grade book I edited a few years ago. Very fun to see a breakdown of the item the author wrote about in his book.

Caught another episode of The Book of Boba Fett. I actually love this show a lot. It's right up there with The Mandalorian. I'm hoping there will be another season of this one.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Yellow Fang, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Yancy the Yellow is Palmer Gump's only childhood friend—a stuffed toy from her dad. Missing and presumed killed in action, an auction is held for Palmer's personal items. When she returns, she gets everything back … except for Yancy, which leaves her feeling a little lost and unsettled, until it finds its way back to her via Dannon Bennett.

And a sneaky peek…

Palmer guided the manned drone over the enemy outpost. "There you are. Finally hit pay dirt." Snapping images, she hit upload on her console. See … I can totally handle this solo operation.

Less than a second later, she regretted getting cocky. Her drone-ship took a hit from an electro-magnetic cannon. Everything went dead and the light-weight craft dropped like a stone, skimming over treetops then going lower to knock against branches.

Struggling to control her trajectory, she braced for a hard landing. "Dammit, this definitely didn't get covered in training." Why didn't they add an ejection method?

The ship's underbelly bounced hard when it hit the ground then tilted forward before flipping over onto its top. The canopy shattered around her and she went flying when the craft twisted onto to its side. Palmer dangled by whatever remained of the restraint system and she worked to get herself loose.

Grasping the edge of the drone, she wriggled her shoulder free of the harness and made the small drop to the ground. Pain shot up her leg and she swiped blood from her brow. A piece of the canopy stuck out from her forearm.

Giving it a tug, she winced when it came free. "Damn, that stings." Tearing a strip of her shirt, she applied pressure then limped for cover.

Wouldn't take long for a search party to track the whereabouts of her ship.

Scrambling into some underbrush, she crawled to the nearest tree and propped her shoulders against it. "Fine mess I've landed myself into." She wouldn't let her mind hear Dannon's warning.

Instead, she heard his last words to her. You and me both, Palmer. You and me both. Regret could be a right bitch sometimes.

Grabbing her hem again, she tore another strip from her fatigues and staunched the blood along her hairline. She couldn't sit and wait. She needed to get her supply bag from the drone and find a place to lay low until she could think straight again.

A snap behind her made her heart sink. The barrel of a gun over her shoulder started her stomach churning. When she glanced up, she met the dark and angry eyes of an enemy soldier.

Damn, that was fast.

The realization came too late that she'd pretty much been led into a trap. Especially when five more soldiers came drifting out from the trees. She quickly squashed the idea of fighting her way out. Not even she would take the odds she'd survive if she tried.

Instead, she slowly put her hands up and used the tree to get to her feet.

The first soldier grunted and turned, leading the way. The other five flanked her on all sides while she limped behind him. Definitely not her best day.

Her one fleeting hope would be that at least some of the data made it back to base.

I'm having a little fun with this story. Regret plays a role but so does reunion and I can't wait to get to that part.

 

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

ML Skye