Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Well, April still feels like a mix of winter and summer but not spring. We have hot days then plummet back to cold. I’m hoping May evens it out and we hold steady for a while.

Had a crazy-busy week with work. More projects coming in hot and needing immediate attention. I’m so happy that all of them are absolutely fun and exciting to work on. I love them!

I did have very limited time for viewing this week. I don’t mind the trade off, because I usually have an old standby on in the background like Perry Mason, Columbo, or Murder, She Wrote.

I did finish up Strangest Things and I ended up enjoying the episode.

I also caught another episode in my great rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. This upcoming week, we’re going with a double header to round out season one.

I’ll be starting a new episode of The Mandalorian later tonight.

I also got to listen to my daughter’s radio show. It’s finals week and they get to choose their music. My daughter and her co-DJ picked seventies hits for their time slot. And they made great choices if I do say so. And I do.

That’s pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight’s post is from Event Horizon, a novella where the characters meet and hit it off but one of them has a secret.

Here’s the mini-blurb:

Casey meets Oliver on a transport flight to celebrate his dad's retirement. They hit it off, but Casey has a big secret … she's the reason Oliver's brother didn't pass the flight test and she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

A little fissure of nerves cut through the coffee lining her stomach.

Is he fishing for info? Wouldn't hurt to tell her side, right? Hell, she didn't know.

Tapping her fingers on her thigh, she slouched in her seat a little. "Uh, which time are you referring to?" She'd met Orin twice and both times she'd ruffled his feathers.

Oliver stirred his coffee. "When Orwen almost flunked out." He set his spoon aside and gave her his full attention.

Oh shit. "Well..." She could share some of the details of Orin's first visit to her office. "The first time I met your dad, I'm pretty sure he didn't know what to make of me…"

She'd been in her office, grading papers when the space carrier commander walked into her space without bothering to even knock. She recognized the familial resemblance to Orwen immediately but didn't give anything away. The man cut a fine figure in his uniform with broad shoulders and medals lining one entire side of his chest. He removed his cover and set it on her desk then more or less hijacked her attention by looming over her until she met his gaze.

She set her pen aside. "Did I miss a memo? I don't have a conference scheduled on my calendar." Firmly placing the next move in his hands, she pushed away from the desk and got to her feet.

After all, he did outrank her even if he broke protocol by barging in.

The elder Stephas didn't mince words. "I just reviewed Orwen Stephas's marks. He's skating on the cusp, and I want to know why." Orin folded his arms over his chest. "My boy isn't stupid. He's got flying in his blood." His tone all but dared her to say otherwise.

Orwen really didn't … he grasped the mechanics of handling the multimillion-dollar spacecrafts but had no natural feel for them.

But … Casey opted to partially agree. "Yes, Orwen has keen intelligence." Which he wasted on something he didn't truly love.

Orin flung an arm out. "Then what's the problem?" He stared her down. "Maybe you're not very good at your job."

Casey fought the urge to punch the elder Stephas. The man showed up, didn't bother to even introduce himself, and tried to interrogate her? Or maybe he wanted to intimidate her. Didn't matter. She wouldn't cave under pressure.

Instead of risking a trip to the brig for insubordination, she went to her file cabinet and pulled out her last two years of fitness reports. "You're welcome to review my fitreps, sir." She sat at the top of the instructor list for a reason.

Orin snatched them from her hands. "You have a smart mouth, don't you?" But a gleam of respect entered his gaze.

He'd left without bothering to read the hefty file.

She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the old man. When reality hit it would bruise hard. Orwen Stephas didn't have what it took to fly. She knew it deep in her bones.

Her gut also said his dad would never accept the fact—unless he saw it with his own two eyes. And that day, she'd fudged Orwen's numbers on his final, giving him passing grades when he'd been just shy of having the score needed for qualifying for test flights. Unethical and, frankly, a court-martial offense. And the one thing she held back when sharing the story with Oliver.

But her dice move paid off. Orwen didn't make it past the first leg of flight testing. He busted too many moves and got tagged with a failure.

Meeting Oliver's gaze again, she lifted a shoulder. "I was disappointed when Orwen didn't make it through the first set of quals. And I even liked your dad despite the ballsy nature of his visit."

And she still liked him after their second meeting, which she wouldn't get into right now.

I love writing a little intrigue into the story. Casey is kind of stuck in a bad spot and she hopes nothing blows up in her face.

 

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

ML Skye

 

Sunday Snippet: Escape on Equinox (a Capital City Seasons novella)

Celebrated my thirty-fourth anniversary this weekend! We had crappy weather, so we brought Chinese home and stayed in for the evening.

 

Had another busy work week and I'm so thankful the projects are rolling in. Working on a terrific manuscript and I'm so excited to dive into the story. This will be a fun one!

 

Had a so-so week of viewing television. I'm still focusing on the great cleanup and spent a good amount of time reorganizing and rearranging things in my living room.

 

I did finish up Wednesday and I enjoy this show so much. I'm excited to see where things go from here.

 

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. The autumn leaves one is fun. I love how much this show still appeals to both kids and adults.

 

Watched the premier episode of Brokenwood Mysteries season nine. This is another show I have a lot of love for. I miss a few of the original recurring characters but I'm enjoying some of the newer ones. Trudy in particular ends up being fun.

Enjoyed an episode of Endeavor. I'm kind of sad to see Thursday falling in with the new crew. But I'm hoping there might be a twist to this thread. We'll see what happens.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. I'm nearing the end of the classic episodes and I'm happy I did a full rewatch. There are a bunch of episodes I either missed as a kid or completely forgot.

Started a new Silent Witness two-parter. I kind of like seeing Nikki in therapy. Not really sure what's going on with Jack, but he's never boring. Thomas is another one I'm not sure about. His interaction, or lack thereof, with his daughter left a lot to be desired. Clarissa is awesome as always.

Enjoyed another episode of Battlestar Galactica. This is another one of my favorites because Lee Adama steps fully into the role of being a badass.

Also needed some background noise and I ended up watching the Surf Now channel and The Forgotten Coast. Ended up enjoying it a lot.

Started another episode of Strangest Things. Kind of an odd mix of topics with this one, but very interesting so far.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Escape on Equinox, a Capital City Seasons novella.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jim Hodges, an elite officer in a specialized tactical unit, finally meets a woman with a sweet disposition and a naughty sense of humor. But when she's taken hostage and his team is called in, he's determined to make sure a quick resolution takes place, which won't be easy because he's ordered to step aside and let his fellow members handle everything.

And a sneaky peek…

Roz collapsed and burrowed into him, nuzzling his skin. "God, wake-up sex is so very great." Her lips brushed over his shoulder.

Jim stretched and flexed his legs. "It is pretty damned incredible." He kind of decided Roz made it that way, but kept his mouth shut.

He'd only managed talking her into spending the night twice. She usually bolted around midnight. But … she had an early shift at the hospital today, and he lived closer.

Roz groaned and sat up. "Okay. Shower, coffee, work." She glanced toward the kitchen. "Auto-timer?"

Jim's lips turned up. "The caffeine will be hot, ready, and waiting for you."

Roz leaned down and snagged his mouth. "I think I love you." Sliding from the bed, she padded across the floor to the bath.

Jim laughed. "I think you love the coffeemaker."

The water kicked on, but Roz poked her head out the door. "That, too. But the sex is way better with you." She smirked.

Jim snorted. "Get your shower or you'll be late." He propped a pillow behind him and flipped on the news.

"Breaking news. The Iron Heights Correctional Facility is under lockdown due to rioting inmates. Sources inside the maximum-security prison say the unrest is contained to two cell blocks and the situation is under control."

Jim frowned. "For now, maybe." He grabbed his phone and called in.

The Alpha Team leader, Chris Renfer, laughed. "Isn't it your day off?"

Jim chuckled. "Yeah, but … I don't have plans." At least nothing he couldn't work around.

Renfer tsked. "That's why they call it downtime, Hodges." He shuffled some papers. "But consider yourself on standby. The correctional staff does have the situation under control. But we both know that could change in an instant. Our current orders are if someone breaches the perimeter and escapes, we'll be called in." Renfer paused a moment. "I'll give you a shout if we need you."

Jim gave a nod. "I'll be available." He ended the call and set his phone aside.

The footage on the screen showed smoke billowing out of the center of the building, possibly from the yard. Jim didn't have a good vibe about the situation. Once prisoners started setting fires, things tended to go bug-ass gonzo.

Roz came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. "What's going on?" Her gaze flicked to the screen.

Jim filled her in. "Prison riot. Right now, the correctional staff has the situation under control." He slid to the side of the mattress and swung his legs over the edge. "You want me to drive you in? Just in case." Traffic would probably be a bitch.

Roz shook her head. "Nah. I have to run a zillion errands after work and need my car." She sat on the bed and eased in for a kiss. "Appreciate the offer, though." She rose, grabbed her stack of scrubs, and started dressing.

Jim got to his feet and headed for the kitchen. Sure enough, the pot sat full and ready. He poured coffee and took two mugs into the bedroom. So … after errands, any plans?"

Roz lifted a brow. "Are you going for two nights in a row?"

Jim chuckled. "Doesn't have to be overnight. Was thinking more like grabbing something to eat and maybe watching a game or something."

If he didn't get called out to track fugitives.

Poor Jim won't get called out to track fugitives, but he will get sucked into a tense situation.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me (Bonus scene for One Hot Mess)

Had a wild week with several work projects coming in hot and taxiing on the runway. Also had some wild weather, which isn't a big shock. We're supposed to be chilly again sometime next week, which I'm not looking forward to.

Very slow week of viewing. Between the work projects, weather, and an award ceremony for my daughter's university, I didn't get a lot watched.

I did get another episode of Pennyworth watched and, ugh, it kind of broke my heart. The fallout is not going to be pretty, I'm sure.

Watched one my very favorite episodes of Battlestar Galactica with "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down." Seriously, the acting in this episode is beyond stellar. The dinner party from hell has to be one of the funniest scenes in the entire series, which okay, might not be saying much because the subject matter of the series isn't always open to humor. But kudos to the writers for working it in whenever they could.

I also started a new episode of Wednesday and I'm definitely settling in and enjoying the wild ride. The snark is top notch and Wednesday's quest to find answers that keeps generating more questions intrigues me. I love this show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a sexy short bonus read featuring the characters from One Hot Mess.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a preview snippet…

Van poured another round. "Here's to a brief moment of calm in our otherwise intense and blistering schedule." He lifted his glass.

Eva smirked and raised hers. "I'll drink to that." She let the alcohol slide down her throat.

Mesmerized, Van swallowed hard. He couldn't get over seeing a different side to Eva. She never ceased to amaze him. In the arena, she proved to be a stellar opponent, going after points with a warrior's mindset. She dripped with sweat and often blood by the end of a match.

She'd transformed herself tonight and he liked the sultry vixen she revealed. Who knew a veritable siren who loved to flirt existed under the bravado and brash boldness of the athlete? Well, he did … now.

Eva snapped her fingers. "Hey, where'd you go? Please don't make me do something crazy like singing the latest chart-topper…" She chuckled. "Or, even better, an old standby from our grandparents' era." Her finger traced the rim of the tumbler.

Van's eyes widened. "You mean one of those torch songs? The kind they always sang in the smoky jazz clubs?" Color him shocked. "Those date back several centuries ago. How come you're familiar with them?" Her costume made some much sense now.

Eva poured two more shots, the bottle at the halfway mark. "My grandparents were mad for early twentieth-century stuff. Specifically, anything from the nineteen twenties through the sixties." She shrugged. "Their love rubbed off on me."

Van shook his head. "Everything old is new again. Mine loved stuff from even earlier, like the nineteenth century." Hence his detective garb.

Eva flashed a quick smile. "Amazing what you find out with a little conversation." She raised her shot. "To all things retro, vintage, and really, really old." Her lips twitched and she laughed.

Van got into the spirit. "Let's throw in ancient and fossilized, too." He downed the vodka, welcoming the smooth sting against his throat.

Eva let out another laugh, this one loud and merry.

Mac returned. "You two are having way too much fun over here. Need anything else?"

Van gave a quick back and forth. "Nah, we're good. Discovering our grandparents share a weird affinity for relics and antiques." And that Eva had an incredibly sexy laugh.

Van and Eva are a fun couple to write and this scene fills in a blank from their story, which I hope to finish up soon and get out there for all to read.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Domestic Partners

Happy spring holidays for those who celebrate. We're having a nice, quiet weekend with excellent weather for once.

Long work week but I got a lot accomplished. Should have one of my projects finished up this week and another ready to move on to the next phase. The third is in a holding pattern for now and we'll pick that one back up in about two weeks.

Had an okay week of watching television. I've also been working on the great clean out project again and that limited some of my viewing time.

I started out with Strangest Things. This show always entertains me with the wild and weird stuff they feature. The psychograph shed some light on at least one X-Files storyline for me.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Flesh and Bone." The reintroduction of the Leoben character is an excellent watch, even if I completely dislike that particular model of cylon. The acting is terrific in this episode.

Caught another episode of The Mandalorian. Nice to see the big bad from last season is still a big bad. Always great to see Carl Weathers. Loved Grogu's antics in this one. Can't wait to watch the next episode.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Loved seeing the fan crew again. Not sure how I feel about bringing Jan back into the story but I'm thoroughly enjoying the new wrinkle with Oliver and Teddy. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Domestic Partners, a novella where the characters are reunited—after a breakup—under unfortunate circumstances.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tabby and Hale pretend to be domestic partners to keep the man who killed her husband from getting his hands on her. But when they're forced to live together, sparks and tempers fly, because Tabby broke a promise she made to Hale and he's not going to let her forget it.

And a sneaky peek…

She really didn't deserve his help, but he couldn't shake the horrible vibe he got from Lawrence.

Hale shrugged. "Quite true, but it's not actually about you." He moved to sit beside her on the floor. "There's something going on here. I'm stuck in limbo because the explorer team left two days before I got here." With no advance notice, which reeked of something rank and foul. "My transport left on time. My arrival date was scheduled well in advance. Why didn't they wait?" The weird timing pinged in his brain on long shifts.

Tabby paused her stitching. "Hm. That's a great question." She went back to sewing the tear in the canvas.

Hale lifted his chin. "I aim to find the answer, which means some hard questions about you and Sam." He braced for impact.

Tabby narrowed her gaze, her shoulders tensing. "Why? My relationship with him is none of your business." She jabbed the needle in his direction.

Hale sighed. "Nothing about your personal life. Unless it has something to do with why Sam was killed." He had zero desire to dig into anything to do with their marriage.

Tabby finished sewing the tent before she spoke again. "I still want to know why you're willing to help." Setting her supplies aside, she met his gaze.

Finding Sam's killer would clear her name, but she wouldn't believe he cared about that. Yet he did … even if he shouldn't. And he wouldn't be examining the reason anytime soon.

He rolled a shoulder. "Look, I'm convinced Sam's death is all tied into what's really going on. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less." If he moved in and spent time with her, maybe he'd eventually believe those words.

Tabby gave him a long look. "As long as we've got that straight." She got to her feet. "It'll take three days to process the paperwork for the change in living station." Heading for the door, she pushed it open, indicating they were done.

Hale stood up and gave her a nod. "I'll file the request before my shift." He paused on his way out. "Sleep well." Not waiting for a response, he left and headed for the dorms and a sleepless night.

This story did some meandering before the pieces finally started falling in place. Tabby and Hale definitely have some issues to work through.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dodging Reality

An interesting start to April with howling winds and a kaleidoscope of weather. We got a mix of pretty much everything. Rain, flurries, high wind advisory, and temperatures all over the place.

Solid week of editing. I have three projects that are moving forward at a great pace. I'm looking forward to getting these completed.

Had a decent week of television. I'm not quite back to my full rotation but I've been writing a lot more and that's not a bad thing.

Caught another episode of Wednesday. I love the lore and world building in this show. Didn't know if I'd like having Wednesday at the center of a prophecy but I like where things are going at the moment.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Always fun to catch a couple that don't always make the rotation of encores.

Enjoyed the finale of Midsomer Murders. I kind of miss when they did six to eight episodes per season, but the four we have this time around are all excellent.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Six Degress of Separation." This episode has so many great one-liners with two coming from Doc Cottle. Seriously, it's hard to top the writing and acting in this show.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice and it ended up being a bit of a doozy. I think I have five episodes left of this series and a lot is supposed to happen. Not sure I'm quite ready for it.

Watched another episode of Classic Who. I'm nearing the end of this season and I'm not sure where things are going with this arc, but I'm excited to find out.

Started the second half of Silent Witness. Nikki just can't catch a break. I'm quite interested in finding out where the twists are leading. Update next week on this.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dodging Reality, a novella that brings reality television to the front lines of a war.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Take a reality show set on the front lines in space, add a brash reporter who wants the down and dirty secrets of the crew—and will stop at nothing to get them—and mix it up with a couple fighting their attraction while protecting their pilots from the ratings hound. Stir in a little backstabbing from the cameraman and the outcome is Dodging Reality.

And a sneaky peek…

Caro ducked into the office to find Vic scribbling notes in a file. "Is that the incident report for Jazz?"

Vic glanced up. "Yeah. Adding some notes after talking to the doc. She's out for at least two flight rotations, probably more." He went back to writing.

Caro crossed the deck to her side of the desk. "You stopped to see her then?" She should head to sickbay but didn't trust herself not to make things worse.

Vic grunted. "Yeah, figured you should keep your distance for a bit. Got the rundown from Doc Mantle." He paused a moment. "You need to know he let Presley speak with Jazinksi, but he only gave the woman five minutes." He met Caro's gaze. "No idea what Jazinski said. So be prepared for anything."

Caro dropped the after-action report in Vic's inbox. "Well, you sure made nice with Ms. Ten Inch Heels. Guess I'm not surprised Mantle did, too." She propped her hip on the edge of his desk.

Vic looked up with a grimace. "Yeah, well, he didn't have a choice. Sickbay isn't off limits. And it's not so much making nice as it is biding time. Honestly … she scares me." He tossed his pen on the open file in front of him.

Caro raised both brows. "For real? Why?" She couldn't wait to hear the answer.

Vic leaned back and pondered a moment. "She's all polish and shine on the outside." He looked at Caro. "Makes a spiffy, pretty picture."

Caro prodded. "And?"

Vic shrugged. "Eh. I don't trust it or her. The razor-sharp talons and acid tongue will eventually put in an appearance."

Caro gave a deep, affirming nod. "Ah. And you don't relish the surprise attack."

He agreed. "Nope. She'd be better off like you. I can see your claws coming from a mile away." He winked. "I like that. Know what to expect."

Caro rose. "Careful, Major. Someone might get shredded with my claws before that woman leaves."

Vic chuckled. "Now the surprise of that … I'll look forward to."

Caro laughed. "I'm hitting the gym. Maybe I'll put a likeness of Ms. Priss on the punching bag."

Vic shook his head. "Go on. Get out of here and enjoy the downtime." He lifted his chin. "You won't get much after today."

Caro gave him a mock salute and exited the office.

I think I'm close to having this one completed. I have the scenes mapped out and need to tie some threads together. Fingers crossed I can release this in the next several months.

 

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

ML Skye