Sunday Snippet: Keeper of All Things Secret

We had another week of record high temperatures, which means we'll be having brisk, chilly weather this week. Time for more soup! Trick or treat is actually on Halloween this year and we're supposed to have rain and wind. Should make handing candy out lots of fun.

Had another busy work week and also got a good bit of writing done. I'm very close to being ready to launch my new venture. I think everything is lined up.

Had a decent week watching television. I'm still in that weird place of needing silence to focus sometimes, which is truly odd for me. I usually need some kind of background noise going on.

Ended up catching two episodes of My Life Is Murder and enjoyed both. Alexa is growing on me a little more. I'm very interested in getting some additional backstory for her.

Watched a full episode of Agatha Raisin and started another one. I'm kind of crushed they're going to drag out the whole deal with James. I kind of love them together.

Caught the second half of the Silent Witness two-parter. Ended up liking the twists in this one.

Enjoyed an episode of Death in Paradise. I remembered this one from my sporadic watching on the Ovation channel. So weird that this episode timed so closely to Haydn's death. She guest-starred in this episode.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Seriously enjoyed this one. But I do miss having the trio solving the mystery together.

Caught an episode of The Batman. It was the first of a two-parter and introduced the origin of Clayface in this version.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I remembered one of them but not the other. Kind of nice to be surprised.

Watched another episode of VIP and enjoyed it. It's fun when the whole team goes out for job.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Keeper of All Things Secret, a novella that features political intrigue and a hot couple.

Here's the miniblurb:

Gili Main, chief of security for an orbiting space station, supports her boss who is up for reelection. Parr Minerval is an excellent leader and should have the election in the bag. But his opponent is playing dirty and Gili appoints herself as the keeper of all things secret to prevent the wily upstart from twisting the facts to his advantage.

And a sneaky peek…

Gili straightened Parr's lapels. "I know you do. And I hate that you have to go this direction to guarantee safe passage through the Danzig Sector." She pressed a kiss to his lips. "If people can travel without fear of pirates or raiders dogging their steps, there's less of a chance your opponent will gain a foothold." And Sal Hander would make a terrible director.

The man drank too much and gambled too much, but somehow managed to maintain his political capital and leverage. Probably by underhanded tactics. He had a cadre of worker drones that always took a fall if their boss got out of hand.

Parr's shoulders slumped. "You know how I feel about the lack of transparency." He walked away, his back now rigid with tension.

Yeah, she understood the weight he carried. But she also grasped, on a level he didn't, the importance of protecting those who came and went from this station—the ones who put their lives in the hands of the director—no matter the smokescreen needed to make it happen. "Parr, you do good work here. As long as you always have the best outcome for everyone in mind, you'll keep doing that job." Because people like Sal would use the position to line their pockets and screw everyone and anyone over.

Parr turned. "Good intentions don't always win, Gili. Someday the wrong deal will be made, and the repercussions won't be worth the cost." He gave her a determined smile. "But not today. The Danzigs have too much to lose." He opened the door and exited, leaving her to discreetly follow a little later.

Gili waited the usual five minutes then left the cabin. "Someday Parr is going to really get why they call it a discretionary fund." Until then, she'd keep him out of the line of fire.

This story is a lot of fun. I enjoy this couple so much, and it's kind of my jam to write an established couple trying to keep their relationship together during a conflict.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

I can't believe October is almost over. We have our fall weather in full swing though and that makes me happy. Made two batches of potato soup over the weekend because we had rain and chilly temperatures. Perfect for this time of year.

Had a busy work week with one difficult but fun project and another in the final stages. Also got a lot of writing completed. I finished up the two manuscripts from last week and I'm doing final read throughs before sending off to beta readers. I'm so excited!

Had another light week of watching television. I go through phases were I'm either need to focus on other things and can't have background noise or I'm not quite in the mood to watch anything.

I did get another episode of Only Murders in the Building watched and I'm enjoying season three. It's a little jarring to not have the trio as tight as they have been, but I like the different dynamics playing out.

Watched another episode of The Batman and loved it. I remember this one from my original watch and it's fun when Alfred has to save Bruce's butt to keep his secret safe.

Also caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both had good moments with Dil and I'd forgotten how cute some of the episodes were after he came along.

Enjoyed another episode of VIP and liked having some Nikki backstory. I can't remember if we get anything for Quick and Kay or not.

Caught a double-header of Battlestar Galactica with "Exodus" parts one and two. I can honestly say there's not a wasted moment in the almost two hours of viewing. These two episodes are premium … even the parts I hate that feature Sam and Leoben, my two least favorite characters.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a bonus story currently featuring the characters from the Capital City Seasons series. The title is going to change, but I haven't made that alteration yet.

Here's the miniblurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment to say everything that needs to be said.

And a sneaky peek…

The squawk and echoing chirp of two phones had Chris Renfer slapping at the nightstand beside the bed.

Melanie Pramble reached over him. "Both phones. That's weird." She retrieved her phone and dropped his beside the pillow.

Chris swiped over the screen. "Renfer." The fuzziness of sleep left him when Angus Murphy's low growl issued a terse greeting.

Melanie's conversation drifted across the bed. "Yes, Margo. I'm sure he's on with Angus now. Yes, I'll ask him." She angled toward Chris. "Can you put it on speaker?"

Chris tapped the screen. "Sir, you've got Melanie and me now." A slow swirl of adrenaline filled his veins.

Angus cut directly to the chase. "This storm has the city under siege between flooding and fire." He exhaled slowly. "Ben and Jess are on their way in. I need your group and the rest of Ben's team. The whole damned bunch." The muffled sound of him speaking to Margo came through. "To save time, Margo's going to call Roberts in. We're asking Roz to be on standby."

A streak of lightning outside lit up the room. Melanie had clothes set out for him and she hastily stuffed her legs into a pair of canvas cargo pants.

Chris gave a nod. "Yeah, that's good. We'll be in as soon as we can get there." Thunder rolled and the sky lit up again.

Angus ended the call and Jim slid from the bed, dragging his shirt from the top of the pile Melanie set out. He yanked it over his head while walking to the window. A torrent of rain slashed against the pane and an eerie glow flickered to the east. Must be the fire.

Melanie put her hair up in a topknot. "It's ugly out there, isn't it?" She grabbed two oilskin coats from the closet.

Chris grunted. "Gonna be a bitch to get down to HQ." Of all the nights to leave his vehicle at the station.

Melanie shrugged. "We could go underground … if it's not flooded." She put another set of clothes into a go bag and started packing one for him.

Chris finished dressing and stuffed his feet into his boots. "Thanks. You didn't have to do this." But he appreciated her forethought.

Because he had no doubt they'd need the extra clothes before this crisis ended.

Melanie leaned closer to the window. "Instead of going underground, we should take the skywalk. I can already tell the tunnels will be flooded." Her lips twisted in a grimace. "I can't even see the building across the street."

Chris nodded. "Skywalk it is." He zipped his bag and grabbed hers.

Melanie draped the oilskin slickers over her arm. "At least we have access from here. I don't think I'd want to try and cross any of the roads right now."

They exited the apartment and headed up to the top floor skywalk entrance. Their trek between buildings took on a surreal atmosphere with the lightning flashing and thunder booming the entire way to HQ.

I'm having fun with this one. It started out as something very simple and took on a life of its own, hence the title change. I have another couple I'm going to feature in the new version of Just One Moment…

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Jammed In

Whew. Very busy week and we had crazy weather to top it off. I'm not a fan of the back and forth super warm one day then very chilly the next. Wreaks havoc on my sinuses, which is never fun.

Also had a busy work week with multiple projects in various stages of completion. The sages also picked this week to start chattering in my ear, which is excellent because I got a lot of writing done. I'm almost finished with two projects and so excited! Brings me one step closer to getting my new venture launched.

Had a very light week of watching television. With so many irons in the fire, TV took a back seat to everything else. I'm honestly in a bit of a weird place with content I want to watch. I've been in the mood to binge shows, but I hate to do that when I have subscriptions to a number of streaming services. Then again, I haven't watched anything on Netflix in forever and I pay for that monthly. Thankfully, other family members watch a lot of that streamer.

I finished up the VIP episode from last week and kind of enjoyed the Tasha backstory. I love television from the late nineties.

Caught another episode of My Life is Murder. Alexa is growing on me a little. She often grates, which I think is a character trait. Blunt honesty is fine, but there's a cruel edge to hers sometimes and I'm not a fan of that in a main character.

Enjoyed another episode of Agatha Raisin. The cast of characters is so much fun. I love when the sidekicks get in on the action. I kind of pegged the murderer early in this one, but I like being able to pick them out then see how they actually committed the crime.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. I'm enjoying the slightly different format in this season, but I miss having the team function as a team together.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. One of my favorites that I got to watch all the way through the first time. I agree with Humph … the genius of the murder kind of blew me away.

Also caught another episode of Battlestar Galactica. The opening eps of season three are so, so good. Actually, the first twelve episodes are pretty terrific. After that, things kind of go slightly sideways, but this show is still one of the best I've ever watched.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Jammed In, a novella that brings a couple together during an emergency situation.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A simple clean up goes awry when a junior officer mixes the wrong chemicals together, leaving senior officers, Barrie Scott and Walsh Clinton, to sort the mess out. The two ranking members have to fight their feelings when they're forced to double up and share a bunk until the contaminant is cleared.

And a sneaky peek…

Two hours after Walsh left, Barrie had a good schedule ready for him and headed up toward his office.

The alarm klaxon sounded for a chemical spill—a series of low tones in rapid succession.

The overhead communication system kicked on. "Attention all decks, pass the word. Lieutenant Scott and Captain Clinton report to junior officer quarters." The alert repeated and the klaxon continued.

Barrie took on at a dead run. "Dammit, Washout." Her gut screamed he'd be behind whatever happened.

The guy could fly like a dream but his common sense out of the cockpit left a lot to be desired. A chemical spill could be a nonevent or a major catastrophe. With Ford Callis, aka Washout, involved she'd lean toward catastrophic.

She charged down to the junior pilots' quarters and pushed her way through the growing crowd. "Make a hole, people." She stumbled to a halt beside the drop door.

Sure enough, Washout paced back and forth, his gaze pointed upward as if seeking divine inspiration—or forgiveness—from the universe.

The drop door confirmed catastrophic. "What did you do, Washout?" She really didn't want to know.

Callis started to explain, but Barrie caught sight of Walsh and held up a hand. "Hold up. Captain Clinton is making his way through the spectators. No need to explain twice." She gazed at the black tar-like mess in the bunk room, her nose burning and eyes stinging even though the six-inch thick, hydraulically sealed hatch did its job keeping the toxic fumes at bay.

The contamination level gauge still registered in the red, but slowly crept down. Judging by the crawl of progression, at least another twenty-four hours would be needed before the all clear to unseal the hatch. Who the hell knew how long before they could get everything back in order for use?

Walsh finally arrived and heaved a sigh when he got a look inside the space. Barrie nodded, indicating Washout could begin his explanation.

Callis flung an arm out. "Look, basically I was busting out the cleaning, but I came in after someone else had already put sealant on the deck." He frowned. "I used the Exceliclean, and, well, you can see what happened." He waved a hand toward the window.

Barrie cringed. Geez. He mixed a powerful cleaner with the still-wet sealant, which created the tar-like substance covering the deck. To top everything off, the interaction caused noxious fumes that could burn skin on contact, harm nasal passages and lungs, and irritate eyes. All of which created major problems.

Walsh nailed Washout with a hard glare. "Callis, what's the first rule of working with chemicals?"

Ford flushed. "Check the log to see what's been used before." He squirmed under the scrutiny of everyone there.

Walsh didn't relent. "And the second?" His eyebrows arched.

Callis sighed. "Confirm there are no hazardous interactions when going with something new?" His face flushed deep red.

Walsh got up close and personal with Washout. "Did you follow the rules?"

A round of snorts and laughter followed the question.

Washout mumbled his reply. "No, sir." His red-rimmed eyes filled with fluid.

Barrie stepped in. "And now we've got twelve pilots cut off from their racks and their gear until the contaminant levels are in the green and the mess can be safely cleaned. Do you know how hard it is to remove that tar crap?" Not that she had more than a passing knowledge of the difficulty, thank the universe.

Callis sighed again. "I have a feeling I'm going to find out."

Walsh slapped him on the shoulder. "You're damned right. But first you're going to the infirmary to get checked out and cleared for duty." He turned to address everyone. "Quarters are off limits. Check the ready room after 1500 to get temporary bunk assignments. Until then, the rec areas and gyms will have to do." His voice rose over the outburst of displeasure. "See the quartermaster for gear and uniforms."

People started to disperse, but Barrie stayed back. Her mind spun, trying to picture how to manage this situation on top of the update project.

She met Walsh's gaze. "So, what's the plan?" She had no doubt he'd be roped into solving this crisis too.

Having a lot of fun writing this one. I love having a random catastrophe bring a couple together.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Intimate Bond

And our above normal temperatures are over for now. Most of the week ended up being kind of hot and humid. Friday brought some rain and cooler weather, like a twenty-degree drop. It definitely feels more like fall.

Busy with work projects and I'm getting closer to launching the new venture I've been working on. I'm not quite ready for prime time but I'm getting there. So excited!

Kind of a slow week for viewing television. I had some distractions and ended up being focused on other things.

I caught another episode of Agatha Raisin and thoroughly enjoyed it. Agatha might end up getting her man, but my big question is whether she'll want to hold on after she gets him. I kind of like the true to life vibe this show has.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness and actually kind of enjoyed the twisty turns this one took. Also enjoyed seeing Nikki and Matt try to work through a bumpy bit.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm somewhere in the middle of whether I like how the commissioner tries to nose in these early seasons. I love the character and I like how he interacts with the others even if I'm not completely sure if he's 100 percent legit sometimes.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Lots of little shout outs to Broadway in this episode and I liked that. Also loved seeing Oliver's son so concerned about his dad. Kind of bummed there's a new detective, but holding out hope we'll see our favorite one later.

Started season three of my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. The opening episode ranks right up there with "33" for being so well done. The next episode is also stellar. Can't wait to watch it again.

Enjoyed an episode of The Batman. The Joker returned and wreaked havoc per usual, which is always fun. And Alfred's snark was on point as always.

Watched an episode of Classic Rugrats. Kind of fun to see some bumps in adjusting to having Dil in the mix. I'll always have a soft spot for the first five seasons because those were the ones I watched the most with my oldest kiddo, but I also enjoy the newer seasons because they have a larger dynamic, especially when two more characters are added to the mix.

Started another episode of VIP and should finish it up later today. I forgot how many dream sequences this show had whether it be sleeping or waking ones. They're always kind of odd but fun.

That's pretty it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Intimate Bond, a novella that brings a couple together during a particularly rough time.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lindsay Redd has a big problem with one of her pilots, but when the younger woman goes down in flames, Lindsay can't let go of her grief. Doyle Ingersoll has to find a way to push Lindsay back into top-gun form and isn't above using sex to make it happen.

And a sneaky peek…

Doyle knew Lindsay's game—even if she considered her hunting him down for sex anything but a game.

He stealthily kept watch. He'd draw her out—when the time came. Until then, he'd drop a few subtle truth bombs.

He started by leaving a coffee for her after a long shift. He corralled her after-action reports when she pulled back-to-back shifts. He even replenished her shower kit when he noticed she'd run out of several items.

And he never said a word about any of it.

Lindsay came strolling into his office and sat down, studying him for several long moments.

Doyle quirked a brow. "If you have a need for something hot and aggressive, you'd better lock the door." He waited a beat. "And this time say what you want up front." He didn't have an issue with being a hard body for her, but he wanted to hear her say the words.

Her face flushed. "Why?" She arched an eyebrow.

Doyle bit back a sigh. "Because I'm game for almost anything but getting caught with my dick out isn't on the list." Something she should know.

She made a growling sound and rolled her eyes. "No, I get that part. Why are you doing shit for me? Being nice." Her hand waved back and forth as if that explained anything.

Doyle huffed out a breath. "Look, Linds, aside from the sex thing, I'm not doing anything for you that I wouldn't for anyone else." How did she not understand?

And, okay, maybe he did pay more attention to her, but why wouldn't he? They'd been friends forever. And he cared about her, dammit.

Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "Lurking in the background? That's something you'd do for anyone?" A small smirk crossed her face.

Doyle frowned. "If that's what you think I'm doing, you haven't figured things out yet." He got up. "I have somewhere else to be, but you're welcome to stay as long as you want." He strolled out, whistling a tune, outwardly showing normalcy.

Inwardly, disappointment threatened to choke him. And, okay, maybe a twinge of frustration over her still not getting it. But … he'd give her some space and see if she'd come around.

This story went in a direction I didn't expect, and I love when that happens. Lindsay is a tough nut to crack even if Doyle knows exactly what she needs.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Internal Dialog

Welcome to Spooky Season month! I love October even if we're having unseasonably higher temperatures. Fall is such a fickle season in Ohio, but I'm hoping for an actual cooling down before winter snow comes calling.

Super busy work week with little projects, which actually gave me some time to write and organize. I'm hoping to launch a new venture in the next couple of weeks and having that extra time is helping.

Not a bad week for viewing television. The timing of my work projects overlapped a lot this week, so I didn't get to watch as much.

Watched the first of a two-parter Silent Witness. This one is very twisty and I'm afraid Nikki is headed for heartbreak. I love the premise of the case, though.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. The contrast between Richard and Humphrey is fun. Richard was very tight-lipped and refused to be vulnerable. Humphrey is super vulnerable almost from the word go. He's also much more in tune with people in general.

Started season three of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say, I'm not quite as riveted as I was for the first two seasons, but I love that we get to dive into Oliver's world. We kind of started in Mabel's even if we didn't know that fact at first, and season two brought Charles's past into the picture, literally. It's fun to see Oliver interact with the theater crowd.

Watched another episode of The Batman. Rather enjoyed the take on the puppet master Scarface in this 'verse. And Alfred setting up Bruce's dating profile always makes me chuckle.

Started season six of Classic Rugrats. Introducing Dil with two episodes of how life is different was a good choice. Loved Spike saving the day in his episode.

Caught another episode of VIP. Lots of fun and they nailed the trash TV talk-show vibe of the late nineties / early aughts.

Started another episode of My Life Is Murder and I'm enjoying it. Alexa is a tough nut to crack sometimes and I kind of like that. I do get a little annoyed when she's callous and treats others like they're a waste of her time. Hopefully that smooths out at some point.

And that's pretty much if for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Internal Dialog, a novella that puts the characters on opposite ends of a misunderstanding.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tom Callahan is an excellent soldier who never makes strategic errors on the job but tends to mess up on the personal front. Abbey Parks is a firecracker who gets things done and rarely takes time to ponder a decision before she leaps. But when she crosses a line she doesn't know exists, she and Tom have to navigate their way back to each other, which isn't easy considering they never approach a situation the same way.

And a sneaky peek…

“Nice speech, wasn’t it?”

A brisk step had Abbey catching up with Tom in short order. A major feat with the premier's welcome back show complete because the causeways were jammed with people.

Lost in thought, Tom turned at her words, a distracted smile curving his mouth. “Short one. Madam Premier knows when to keep it brief.” He turned back, retreating into his head again.

So much had happened while they were gone, and he still struggled to let it all sink in.

His grandfather had command again. The premier had been reinstated. The elusive key had been retrieved. They even found the crypt … complete with a map and direction to go in.

But most of all … Abbey came home. Her presence made him so happy he didn't know how to deal with it.

Abbey stuck to his side but didn't try to speak. Too many people teamed around to have a chat anyway. Which he kind of thanked the universe for. He couldn't seem to get his shit together.  

And he still didn’t know much about what she went through on Orion. But it hadn't been good. She seemed to settle right back into routine and had yet to take him up on his offer to talk about anything she might need to discuss.

But something whispered just a little off with her.

Walking beside her now, Tom really wanted to make her sit and open up. Didn't have to be with him. But … she wouldn’t. Not when they had fallen right back into their usual back and forth as if nothing had gone down before she’d left. Which is probably for the better… But he should at least explain why he’d had such a bad reaction to the whole Francois thing.

Except he couldn’t … because he didn’t exactly know why. But finding out she'd slept with Garnier had pissed him off even if it shouldn't.

Because I have no claim on her.

I love writing internal conflict that creates external conflict and Tom and Abbey definitely have both.

 

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

ML Skye