Sunday Snippet: Fevered Pitch

I can't believe we're at the end of May already. The year is flying by a lot faster than I want it to. Then again, it's been busier than usual for me, so time is kind of relative right now.

Had a great week with work projects. I'm making steady progress on both and still enjoying them. It's so much fun when you love the work.

Had a somewhat limited viewing week. I'm trying to figure out the whole HBOMax is Max now and, oh, yeah, it includes Discovery+. I have both so I have to figure it all out. I won't be paying twice for the same thing.

I watched a double-header of Battlestar Galactica with the second and third episodes of season two. I can't say enough about how strong the first ten episodes are. This show rarely missed in the first two seasons.

Also caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I have so much love for this show. It also makes me happy when people pop back up. I kind of miss a few of the original recurring characters but it's nice to have the continuity this show tries for.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Who. I think I might have one or two left to finish out the classic run of episodes. Not sure if I'll start a new rewatch of the New Who or not, but I'm excited for the new doctor and the anniversary specials.

I'll be starting the second part of Silent Witness this week. I'm also going to change up how I do my viewing. I normally scroll through my streaming services and watch one show from each, but that hasn't been cutting it lately. I think I'll start watching whatever strikes my interest and go from there.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fevered Pitch, a bonus read featuring the characters from Mia's Choice.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After six months apart, Hal and Mia are finally reunited at the new space station. But Hal is unknowingly exposed to a virulent virus and brings it along from his last planetary excursion. He succumbs to the raging illness and Mia makes a fevered pitch to her former husband to save Hal's life before she surrenders to the same infection.

And a sneaky peek…

"Well, hello, Mia. It's lovely to hear your voice."

Mia swallowed a gag at the sweet tone her ex-husband used. "Can't say the same, Fredrick. But I appreciate you taking my call." As if he didn't already expect it.

Fredrick's tone changed after her greeting. "Why did you call, Mia? I've got a full schedule today."

Mia explained the situation and added her suspicions. "I have no doubt you're behind the virus, Fredrick. This whole thing smacks of your tactics." Especially since the planetary scans were clear.

Fredrick made derisive hum. "Regardless of where the virus originated, you must truly love this Hal if you're making a call to me of all people. Especially after the last time we spoke."

And that, right there, gave Fredrick's whole game away.

Mia gave a quick answer. "Make no mistake, Fredrick. I'd call the demon who rules the underworld if it means saving Hal's life. But your scheme backfired. Hal isn't the only one who's ill. If half the station goes down there will be a full-scale investigation, which won't bode well for you."

Fredrick tsked. "Such passion. If only you'd shown some when we were married."

Mia snorted. "If only you were worthy." She waited a beat. "But you weren't. Especially considering the way you treated me. Holding my father's position over my head to use and objectify me with your friends. Switching out test results to keep him beholden to you and keep me on a short leash. Contaminating the water supply of Hal's ship to put me in my place. And none of it worked."

Fredrick countered. "It's really too bad, my dear, that you have no proof of my misdeeds. You left with nothing but my name. But you took everything that belonged to me. "

Mia smiled. "You're right. But you just confirmed every horrible thing you did on a recorded line, and I won't hesitate to broadcast to the entire universe if you don't come through." She paused a moment then hammered the final nail. "Where will your precious research grants come from if that happens?"

Fredrick snarled. "You bitch. I'll make you pay for this."

Mia shook her head. "No, you won't. Never again. You can't touch me anymore." She straightened in the seat. "And you can consider the length of our marriage as payment in full for this little favor. And you have exactly twenty-four hours to provide the formula." She ended the communication to the choked sputters of Fredrick and the cheers of Jessup Main.

This started out as a bonus read but may end up as a sexy short. The characters have things they want to accomplish and they're stretching out the word count.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Fail Me Now

Greetings! It's been another busy week and I'm still excited about my ongoing projects. They're completely different genres and it's fun to have that variety while working.

Somewhat limited viewing week again. I've been in a place where background noise is more distracting than helpful, which occasionally happens. I notice it more on day when I didn't get solid sleep the night before.

I did catch most of Pennyworth. I have the last act of the episode to watch. This show is dark in all the ways I like shows to be. And I love getting to see Alfred actually grieve. And having Ripper be the catalyst that pulls him out is kind of a master stroke. Such a great show!

Also continued my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. We started season two and the first ten episodes are so terrific. The second half of the season is also excellent, but I remember so much about those first ten.

That's pretty much it for the life update. I am hoping to get some gardening in this week so stay tuned.

Tonight's post is from Fail Me Now, a novella that brings the main characters together by having one being ordered to the bring the other into the fleet.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tate Emerson has no desire to fly fighters—he's worked too hard to get out from under his father's thumb. But when enemy forces attack, Indi Best comes calling with a special invitation from the elder Emerson: Join the fight or get left behind. Tate hatches a plan to do his part, but not have to take orders from his father.

And a sneaky peek…

Indi stood in the control booth and let out a low whistle. "Damn." Getting Tate through the accelerated flight class and moving to simulators didn't surprise Indi. "Tate definitely has aptitude." But he'd just breezed through the preliminary sim runs. "How the hell did he manage that?"

A double knock sounded on the door and Indi pushed it open to admit Tate to the room.

He arched his brows. "What's my score?"

Indi informed him while she crossed behind the desk to note the numbers in his file. "You're a little too good." Freakishly so.

Tate rolled a shoulder. "I gotta confess I've been in simulators a lot. Like before I could even walk." His gaze drifted to the viewing screen and his lips turned upward.

Indi absorbed the information, not doubting Teague probably had Tate in a cockpit before he'd been out of diapers. "How long since the last time?" She bit back a smile at the image filling her head of baby Tate in a pilot's seat.

Tate did a mental calculation. "Hmm … right before I walked out on my dad, so a little over seven years ago." He gave a nod of confirmation.

She blinked. "The cockpit had a total redesign three years ago, but you adapted exceedingly well." Again, he'd blown her away.

Hell, it had taken her several weeks of practice runs to get the new configuration memorized. Tate did it in two test flights.

Tate narrowed his gaze. "If this is where you compare me to my brilliant pilot dad, I'd better leave. 'Cause I'm not interested." A dark look crossed his face.

A bit put off by the constant digs at her and the old man, she folded her arms over her chest. "I didn't plan to compare, but to compliment your skill." She bit the words out, trying to resist the urge to punch him.

Tate's head dropped and his shoulders slumped forward. "I'm sorry. That was a dick move and you don't deserve that. You're a terrific instructor." He propped a hip on the edge of the desk. "What's next?" A thread of excitement entered his tone.

The apology helped and Indi relaxed also. "In your case, even more of a fast track." She closed the file and tucked it under her arm. "If you're willing, I want to get you in a prowler." He'd only be wasting time with more sim runs.

A brief flash of eagerness lit his gaze, but he blinked it away. "Uh, fine. When?" He attempted some nonchalance by swiping at a nonexistent speck of lint on his uniform.

She fought a smile. "Last dog watch. Less traffic, more room to maneuver." She'd have to clear the usage with the LSO but didn't expect any pushback.

Tate's eyes widened. "As in today?" He stood. "I'll review the preflight checklist then. Can I meet you on the fight deck?"

She gave a nod and let him go.

Flipping his file open, she exhaled slowly. "Make or break time. And I have a feeling Tate isn't going to be happy when he ends up falling head over heels for the prowler." But she would be.

I'm very happy with how this story is coming together. Indi has Tate's number whether he'll admit it or not.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate. For me, this includes those who mentor others because being a mom isn't always about giving birth to a person or have fur babies.

Had another busy work week and I'm thrilled to have multiple projects to dig into. I love what I do and being freelance means being happy when the work is rolling in.

Had a limited viewing week with so many other things going on. I sadly lost one of my aunts I've been particularly close to and needed some quiet reflection time.

I did get the double-header of the last two episodes for the first season of Battlestar Galactica in, and they held up as being one of the most perfect season finales of all time.

I also finished up the episode of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say I had a feeling the artist would do something creepy and she totally did.

Other than that, I watched my classic standby of Perry Mason and also caught some early seasons of Midsomer Murders.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Explosive Situation, a novella where the characters get caught in a situation and have to face their feelings then navigate the fine line between personal and professional.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hadley and Tab are the go-to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings for the man she calls partner.

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley appreciated Tab's promise to have her back. "That's incredibly—" She started to thank him but their comm units went off.

Shit. Not good.

Tab shot to his feet and accepted the call from the command station. Hadley's gut tensed. Shit had to have gone sideways. The only reason command would reach out this soon.

The chief didn't mince words. "The three hostages are safe, but Hacksure's crew isn't." He rubbed a hand through his hair. "I wanna know how Hack's team got trapped."

Hadley rolled her eyes and gave a point-blank answer. "Because Hack forgot unstable doesn't mean stupid and he went in with his ass hanging out, which is SOP for him." An image of Aldus thinking he had the upper hand filled her mind.

He'd be wearing a smirk, thinking he had everything under control. With the hostages out, the only thing left to do from Hack's point of view would be hauling Magnus in for evaluation to see if an arrest or a trip to the psychiatric clinic worked best. He wouldn't consider Magnus had a different scenario in mind. Like cutting bait because he had the big meal served up on a platter.

The chief sputtered. "Listen, Moax. I've known Aldus Hacksure for a decade. The man doesn't go anywhere with his pants around his ankles." His shoulders tensed and he leaned closer to the monitor. "You'd do well to stop ripping him and get on board with a plan to extract fellow team members."

Hadley sent Tab a sideways glance. "Be happy to, sir. Just wanted to be clear about not taking the necessary precautions. Because his team didn't." They couldn't have if they were now barricaded inside the space with Magnus.

The chief grumbled under his breath then pointed a finger at the screen. "We can hash that out in the after-action briefing. Right now, you can either help or step back." He turned his focus to Tab. "What's your take on this situation, Missoni?"

Hadley hoped like hell he backed her up. Because Hack had been sloppy lately. This crisis could've been avoided if he didn't strut around crowing about his accomplishments all the time and he remembered what he trained for.

Tab backed her up. "She's not wrong, sir. In fact, she left out a few recent incidents. All due respect, you only see one side of him."

The chief's shoulders slumped. "Fine. Duly noted." He squared his shoulders. "What's your plan?"

Tab gave him a brief rundown of how they would approach the situation.

The chief grunted. "All right. You have a go." He signed off.

Hadley grabbed her pack and hefted it over her shoulder. "Uh, thanks for not letting me twist on the pole with the chief." She started for the door.

Tab gathered his gear and caught up with her. "Told you I had your back. Always will." He held her gaze longer than necessary.

Hadley gave him a wide smile. "Appreciate it." And she wouldn't doubt him again.

I like where this story is going. Hadley and Tab are about to step into a really hinkey situation and I can't wait to see what happens when they do.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Excelling Anger

Finally have a little bit of spring weather, which is a nice change from the cold and dreary yuck of last week. Taking the doggos out won't be as much of a chore and they like it when the temperatures are mild.

Super, super busy work week. I dropped a quick copy edit in for a healthcare workbook and managed to get the revisions reviewed and back to the author in record time. Might have a few tweaks left, but otherwise that project is in the books.

Also completed a clean copy return for a romance novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I've been lucky enough to edit the whole series and I'm excited for more!

Finished up a full copy edit on a novel and have the file ready for author review. I'll be forwarding it later today and I'm excited to finish book one so we can jump into book two. This is a fun series to work on.

Also finished up a manuscript evaluation for a new adult novel and I can't wait to work on this series with the author. I love the concept and the characters are messy and fun, which is what I like in the new adult genre.

All those projects didn't leave a lot of time for television this week, which I'm actually okay with. When projects are fun and interesting, I fall right into work mode and enjoy what I do so much!

I did finish up The Mandalorian. This episode ended up being terrific. Ahsoka's introduction and her interaction with Grogu topped my favorite moments. Having the Mandalorian and Jedi working together also made things interesting. I love this show.

I started the next episode of Only Murders in the Building but didn't get to finish. I'll probably watch the rest later tonight.

Also missed my weekly rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. We're doing a double-header for the last two episodes of season one and I didn't have the chunk of time needed to do that this week. Bummer.

My daughter also finished up this semester of college and came home this weekend. She'll be here about a month before heading off to Michigan for a paid internship in a summer stock theater. So excited for her!

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Excelling Anger, a novella that explores the way an almost couple navigates their personal and professional relationships.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Fallon and Rook are pilots who excel at many things, but they've turned being angry with each other into a fine art. When they have to confront their issues, they rediscover how working together can have excellent results.

And a sneaky peek…

“One more time?” Marcie reset the monitor.

Rook shook his head. “No. But I’m glad we took our time, even though Troyer pushed for a completed plan.” He gathered their translation. “We need to get this to command. Whoever goes on this mission, they’re headed for an ambush.” He didn’t like what they’d pieced together with the transmission.

He and Marie hauled ass to the comm deck to inform Gamner.

“Sir, we’ve got new intel. We need to scrap the current parameters and replan the mission.”

Gamner shot a narrow-eyed glance toward Troyer. “I’ve opted to follow the recommendation of Colonel Troyer.” He came around the console and stood between the two men. “We’ll send an SAR ship to retrieve the stranded crew. Quick in and quick out.”

Rook shook his head. “That’s the exact opposite of what Fallon suggested. We should send at least one squadron to cover their six.” And prevent more loss of life.

Gamner sighed. "Look, your CAG isn't up to jumping in just yet."

Troyer smirked from his corner.

Rook squared his shoulders. “Actually, she is. Dreamboat and I just spent hours piecing together the information.” He waved the notes back and forth. “You send another bird, the enemy will track them back to us.” And catch the ship with the asses hanging out.

Gamner waved off the concern. “We’ve got our plan set. We’re not making changes now. You said yourself it took hours to piece together information that’s garbled and questionable. By now, you’re hearing what you want.”

Rook got pissed. “You know what? Fallon's right. You're too old school. We’re dealing with pirates who don’t follow a standard playbook.” He sent a glare in Troyer’s direction. “Launching a full squadron won't hurt and it could save lives. At the very least, we should have both squadrons launched and ready if our bird is traced.” And it would be, Rook would bet his next paygrade on it.

Gamner straightened. “Get off my command deck. Your very personal relationship with the CAG is clouding your judgment.” He nodded toward Troyer.

Rook shook his head. “No, it's not. It never has and never will.” Which probably explained why they couldn’t seem to get their acts together and make things official.

Gamner’s lips thinned. “I thought you understood the command structure. Apparently, you don't.” He lifted his chin and Troyer escorted Rook to the hatch.

Rook held the man's gaze for a long moment. “This is going to bite you on the ass. And you'll deserve it.” And so much more.

Troyer sneered. “My ass is gonna look good when I'm second in command.”

Marcie snorted when she ducked past Troyer. “Doubt it.”

Troyer glared but turned on his heel and shut the hatch.

Marcie fell into step beside Rook. “What are you going to do?”

Rook paused at the causeway. “I'm going to camp out in Gamner's quarters until the man sees reason.” They had a twelve-hour window and Gamner had to sleep sometime.

Marcie grimaced. “Probably won't go over well.”

Rook grunted. “Don't care. He's wrong. I love Fallon—even though she's a hot-headed pain in the ass—but I take all sides into account. She's right this time.” He gave Dreamboat the translations, nodded, and headed for command quarters.

This story is fun to write. I love taking a couple who aren't quite committed to each other yet and throwing them into an intense situation so they have to face their drama. Rook and Fallon get to do that in this one.

 

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

ML Skye