Sunday Snippet: Leading the War Effort

I hope everyone who celebrates US Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday. Mine was low-key, which is how I enjoy the holiday the most. As usual, my husband cooked for ninety-seven people instead of the three that were here, but that means leftovers and readily available meals for a few days!

Kind of a light week for work projects in varying stages. I ended up getting a decent amount of writing completed. I finished up two manuscript drafts and I'm in the fine-tuning stage for those. I'm excited to start revising! I also did some additional planning for the other ventures I'm trying to launch soon. Should be an exciting December!

Had a great week of television viewing. I got an extra show in this go around but still didn't get to pick back up with my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. Hopefully this week.

I ended up watching two episodes of Silent Witness. I'm sad that Clarissa is leaving but look forward to new faces. Can't wait to pick up with the second half of the current two-parter. It ended on a cliffhanger.

Also got two episodes of Death in Paradise in this week. Started season four, which I'm enjoying. Humph is a lot of fun and Dwayne has been very entertaining so far.

Ended up watching two episodes of Only Murders in the Building also. Finished the penultimate episode last night and, wow, I love this show. And … I'm pretty sure I guessed correctly with a slight twist on the murderer. Can't wait to watch the final episode.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Batman. One I remembered and the other one I didn't so really enjoyed that one. Not sure how many episodes are left in the first season but looking forward to more.

Caught two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. I did remember both. An interesting bit was the theme changed for one episode then went back to the original. Weird what I notice when I'm streaming shows.

Watched another episode of VIP. The over-the-top storylines are so much fun. I really miss some of the shows from the late nineties and early aughts.

Enjoyed a behind-the-scenes episode of My Life Is Murder. I'll be starting season two this week, unless there's another bonus episode.

Also watched a behind-the-scenes episode of Agatha Raisin. A lot of fun to see and hear the actors talk about their characters. There might be one more BTS for season two then I'll be moving on to season three.

Picked back up with Peak Practice. I skipped ahead a little because I honestly don't care about Andrew and Kate's torrid relationship. Might try to work another episode in this week.

That's pretty much it for this week's life update. Tonight's post is from Leading the War Effort, a novella that puts a bit of a spin on soldiering a la Jason Bourne or Steve Rogers.

Here's the miniblurb:

North Normandy becomes the test subject for a super soldier project and his first mission is to rescue his captured father. Frankie Gant knows the venture inside out, but lacks the emotional connection her superiors feel the candidate will need. Frankie acts as North's handler and when the planned op goes south, she risks her life, undergoing the same process to pull both men out of enemy territory.

And a sneaky peek…

North entered the training room to find testing equipment and devices instead of workout mats and accoutrements. "What's going on?" He looked forward to more routines with her.

Frankie sent him a too-bright smile. "Welcome to phase three." She slapped electrodes on his chest and reached up to affix one to his temple.

He caught her hand. "Hold up. Slow down." He tried to catch her gaze but kept picturing her naked, which didn't help his thought process.

Frankie quirked a brow and tilted her head slightly.

He let go of her hand. "Sorry. So that means I finally passed muster?" Would've been nice to know he'd cleared the hurdle.

Her face colored and she cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yes. Your unorthodox approach seemed to get results." She finished applying the electrode to his head.

His voice lowered. "That was all you, Major." Pleased when she gave a slight shudder, he added, "You issued a challenge and I only rose to the occasion." In multiple ways.

She moved away, which also gave him a kick of satisfaction. She's not immune to the wild chemistry—even if she'd like to be. He liked the thought.

But … he let her have some space. "What's next? Phase three is all monitoring, right? Checking my body's reaction to the meds and testing strength and endurance?" Which should increase at a steady rate.

Frankie nodded. "We'll draw blood to make sure you're not having adverse reactions to the medication. We'll run scenarios for the physical examination, and I'm adding a final series of cognitive tests to track the enhancements." She paused then continued. "Not that you needed much. You have a remarkable level of base intelligence."

North cracked a wide smile. "I hear a compliment there. A rarity coming from you." He couldn't resist poking at her armor a little.

Frankie shrugged. "I give credit where it's due."

North snorted. "You should take the credit, too. You're the heart of this program, Major. The department brass has no idea what a gift they have with you." Or they did and chose to be assholes about it.

Frankie lifted a shoulder. "I'm more like a headache, but I fight for what I believe in." She checked the placement of the tabs then grabbed the wires.

Then why didn't she fight for herself? North wouldn't rock the boat right now, but someday he'd press for answers. Because he needed to know why she didn't push harder for herself.

Currently, he hoped he had her full support. "What about who you believe in? Will you fight for me, Major?"

She held his gaze. "Yes, always."

His heart rate kicked up and he thanked the universe she hadn't hooked him up to the machinery yet.

I love, love, love this story. North and Frankie are so much fun to write and I can't wait to finish this one.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Last Best Chance ... for a Good First Impression

Entering thankful week with so much to think about and be grateful for. There's a lot going on in life right now and some of it's not great. But … there's also so much that's good and I always try to focus on the good stuff. I spent way too many years as a glass half empty girl. The stress of that did not do me any favors.

I got to edit an amazing holiday story, which I didn't expect and I'm so happy I got the project. It's from one of my favorite authors too!

My husband started a new job that he can do during his off season from the golf course, which is an amazing opportunity.

I got to watch a play my daughter did the entire lighting setup for, and I'm so glad I got to go and see what she's accomplished with her theater major. I already get to hear her radio show for her media production major. She has a semester left and I can't wait to see the amazing things she does with her future.

Had a pretty decent week of television viewing. I managed a full round of my current slate of shows, minus the Battlestar Galactica rewatch. Hoping to pick it back up this week.

Started out with the first half of a two-part Silent Witness. Kind of an interesting case mixed in with the personal aspect for the characters.

Caught another Death in Paradise. This is an episode I got to see part of before and it's nice to have the full context of everything that happened.

Loved the episode of Only Murders in the Building. So awesome to see Theo again. I love his friendship with Mabel. I'm kind of hoping the trio is back together by the next episode, but it's fun to see Mabel interact with other people. Going to miss seeing her in her aunt's apartment though.

Watched another episode of The Batman. This one introduced the Riddler. I'd forgotten how much teamwork between Yin and Batman was in this one.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I kind of remembered both and liked being able to sort of rewatch and still be a little surprised.

Caught an episode of VIP. This one ended up being a lot of fun and had some terrific character moments.

Watched an episode of My Life Is Murder. Nice to see Alexa kind of joining in and participating in a celebration. Here's hoping we get more of that in later episodes.

Also got another episode of Agatha Raisin in. This ended the second series and had so many great moments. I'm excited to see what season three brings.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Last Best Chance … for a Good First Impression, a novella that has a fun first meeting between the main characters.

Here's the miniblurb:

Cadence Coll, a top pilot, dreads her new assignment to the Cressida because the scuttlebutt has the CAG known for his rigid adhesion to the status quo. Nik Garrick likes order and structure, and his new flying ace has a mile-long list of infractions. Cadence and Nik discover first impressions aren't always what they seem and a rush to make a judgment isn't the best idea.

And a sneaky peek…

Nik poked his head out of the office. "Lieutenant Coll, a moment?" He walked back to the desk and settled on the edge.

Cadence entered. "You needed to see me?" She unzipped her flight suit and shrugged out of the sleeves.

Nik grunted and indicated she should take a seat. "Noticed you took your third late-shift rotation. I'm assuming it's to avoid early shifts?" He hated to call her out, but he couldn't have her swapping schedules all the time. "If you want to drink your weight in Carmonite ale, you'll have to do it when you have R and R instead of inconveniencing your squadron because you can't roll out in the morning." He ignored her narrowed gaze and continued on his tangent. "Gotta say I'm disappointed you're living up to the information in your jacket. What happened to turning over a new leaf?" Her current spate of late shifts didn't bode well for her.

Cadence's lips thinned but she stayed silent.

Nik tsked. "Nothing to say for yourself?" Another layer of disappointment edged into his gut.

Cadence tilted her head. "Sure you're though listing my detractions? Nothing else to add?" She tied the sleeves of her suit around her waist, flexing her fingers a couple of times.

Nik lifted his chin. "I'm through."

Cadence planted her hands on her hips. "Well, then. For the record, I'm not switching so I can drink my weight in Carmonite ale, and I don't have a problem with early shifts." She rocked back in the chair. "I've been switching rotations with Bowser because he has a thing with a hot petty officer who's assigned to first watch, which means Bowser only gets to spend time with her in the evenings." Her voice took on a hard edge. "To top it off, he's usually scheduled with Markum who the petty officer dumped for Bowser. Bowser wanted a little time to deal with the rivalry before flying with Markum again." She settled the chair back on its legs.

Nik huffed out a breath. "So, what? You took it upon yourself to solve the problem?" Why didn't he know any of this?

Cadence shrugged. "That's one way to look at it."

Nik cocked his head. "Is there another?"

Cadence lifted her chin. "Try this on for size. Maybe the end goal was to make your job easier."

Nik frowned. "How? If I don't know about problems, I can't fix them." Did she not get that?

Cadence did a head tilt of her own and her voice went flat. "Does it ever get heavy?"

Nik furrowed his brow. "Does what ever get heavy?"

Cadence folded her arms across her chest. "Carrying the weight of the universe on your shoulders?" She got up. "From now on, I'll stick to my schedule—no more switching out to help a fellow pilot." She started for the door. "By the way, I hope you'll note—in my jacket—how I avoided punching my superior officer in the mouth. It might be nice to have some positive to balance out the negative." She sailed through the door with grace and dignity without waiting for a response.

Nik shook his head. "Well, I got that completely wrong." And Cadence let him go on a track before she calmly delivered the truth.

Could I be more of an ass right now?

Hell, no.

And she'd totally called his bullshit—rightly so. His preconceived notions definitely played a role in his thought process. He needed to apologize … but not before he did some internal reflection.

"Why did I so easily assume the worst about her when she's shown me nothing but good?"

I love this story. It's so much fun writing characters that don't always get things right then getting them to figure things out.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Kick in the Burn

November is continuing the crazy weather tradition. Warm a few days then frigid a few. The whiplash roller coaster is in full force. Please keep arms and legs inside during the ride and make sure you've got plenty of allergy meds and mucus relief tablets on hand.

Had a somewhat light work week and got to focus on writing, which is kind of great considering it's Nanowrimo month.

Also got some decent screen time this week. I didn't do a double rotation, but I did make a full run through of all my shows with a little overflow.

I caught two episodes of Agatha Raisin. Season two is a bit different with longer episodes and different titles. So far, I'm enjoying the fallout from the aborted wedding … and the mysteries of course.

Watched the second half of Silent Witness and started a new two-parter. I'm enjoying the kind of messy storylines. Considering this series has been around for twenty-three years, it's interesting to see how much it's changed from the beginning.

Enjoyed two episodes of Death in Paradise and finished out season three. Kind of nice to see Humphrey's wife and get an actual end to their relationship. Also great that neither really ended up being the bad guy.

Caught another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Loved how the trio finally got to work together … sort of. That might be the only thing that really sticks out as being a little off for me this season. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the mystery.

Enjoyed another episode of The Batman. I like seeing the villains kind of double up and then double cross each other.

Got another episode of Classic Rugrats in and remembered both vignettes. Thoroughly enjoyed both. It's so much fun going back to this show and thinking about watching when my kids were little.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Kick in the Burn, a novella that brings a couple together during a marathon work session.

Here's the miniblurb:

Jaden Scratch and Ridge Quartermain spend a lot of time comparing notes about flying. Working late into the night filling out fitreps on their pilots, their conversation takes a very personal turn and kick in the burn takes on a whole new meaning.

And a sneaky peek…

Ridge got his shower and changed into a uniform. He bumped into Petty Officer Jansen in the mess when he stopped to order the coffee for what would surely be an all-night session.

He apologized for breaking their not-date. "Um, duty calls. I won't be able to make it tonight."

Maria shrugged. "I understand. Maybe we can get together another time." She zeroed in on a marine lance corporal and quickly took her leave.

Ridge started to make his way down to the office … not horribly upset about the missed opportunity, which surprised him. Even if Jansen completely fit his type—easy on the eyes and lacking gumption. But, eh, lately the easy-pickings, high-wattage sex drive package didn't make for satisfaction. Having a night off to take stock and go through a million fitreps—especially with Jaden—might be more stimulating.

Ridge had to own being a little intimidated by Lieutenant Scratch. She had looks, brains, and a natural ability to fly, all things he admired. What his dad called a total package. Jaden also had a sterling reputation, getting along with everyone. And … she seemed to know exactly what she wanted from life.

Aside from flying, Ridge had no clue. His dad wanted a son who moved up the ranks—and Elliot Quartermain made that happen. A friendly conversation here, a glowing reference letter there. Ridge didn't have to do more than show up for duty. Sometimes the interference chafed, but sometimes it came in handy—like now, when he ended up being six weeks behind on fitreps.

Ridge entered the office to find Jaden setting stacks of reports out. Her casual attire threw him for a moment. He assumed she'd be in uniform—her by-the-book reputation almost warranted fatigues at the very least—since they were on duty. Instead, she had some flirty ensemble in two shades of purple. The color suited her.

And made him drool a little.

She glanced up and caught him staring.

He flashed a smile. "Did I miss the memo? The one that changed this to a casual work session?"

I love writing this couple. Their story has been a lot of fun to dive into and it's coming together nicely.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Keeping Up with Honor

Ugh. Turning the clock back is a bummer. I've been reading arguments for staying on standard time or making daylight saving time permanent. I think I'm coming down on making DSL permanent, but either way, it would be nice to not have to turn the clocks in any direction.

Had a busy work week and hit my daily goals to stay on target for project dates. I also got a lot of writing in and updated some completed manuscripts for my new venture. I truly hope to launch it before the holidays.

Not a bad week of watching television. I'm debating on how many streamers I'm going to keep because they keep raising their prices. I'm okay with paying more if it's not all going into shareholder pockets. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of deal SAG-AFTRA can make with the studios. That might also help me decide which streaming platforms I'll be keeping.

I ended up starting a new Silent Witness two-parter and struggled a little with this one. Domestic violence is a hard watch and there aren't many clues to who the culprit is. I'm hoping to finish the second half later today.

Caught another Death in Paradise and enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Humphrey and can't wait to finish his run so I can watch the spin off Beyond Paradise.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building and enjoyed it even if a lot of the scenes were goofy. It's kind of nice to have the comedic skills of the cast on display.

Got another episode of Battlestar Galactica in on my rewatch. This one had some good moments with a lot being left unsaid, which ends up biting a few people later.

Enjoyed another episode of The Batman, which finished up the two-part origin story of Clayface and put Yin on the tentative side of the Batman.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. I remembered the first part with the submarine imagination scenario but forgot about the one where they discover Chuckie is left-handed. I love going back to these episodes and seeing them again.

Caught another episode of VIP and enjoyed it. It's fun to see the characters out of their element. It's also fun to see Val figure out what's actually going on.

Enjoyed another episode of My Life Is Murder. Nice to have a bit of Alexa backstory about her husband and how his death still affects her.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Keeping Up with Honor, a novella that puts a couple on a collision course with their future after splitting them apart in the present.

Here's the miniblurb:

Honor Brock goes against orders and runs a fool's mission to find a lost artifact. Rush Masterson tests a theory and risks his life to track her down. Once he finds her, he has to keep up because Honor won't go back until she has what she wants.

And a sneaky peek…

Rush's words slapped her hard. She deserved the scorn. But the broken trust stabbed at her heart.

She spoke to his retreating back. "I'm sorry, Rush."

Maybe she could show him they still had a shot. No, she'd blown her chance with him. She had been selfish, wanting one night with him in case she ended up not making it.

But she'd survived and he'd followed her. Now she'd have plenty of nights with Rush, but not the kind she wanted.

She sighed. "Well, I can still save the fleet." Packing up her bag, she hefted it over her shoulder and went out to meet Rush.

He studied her for a long moment, his face inscrutable. "Where to?" He arched an eyebrow.

She ached to touch him, to rewind to the obs deck and tell him everything she should've told him.

Instead, she grabbed a map and nodded toward downtown. "Ancient history museum. About five kilometers."

Rush huffed out a breath. "Long walk. Why don't we find something to get us there faster?"

She tilted her head to one side. "Okay, not a bad idea." She crossed the street to a parking garage. "Think anyone left their key in the ignition before they fled?" She peered through the windshield on the vehicles closest to her.

Rush dropped down, running his hands along the under carriage of a van. "Probably not, but they might have a spare set, in case they got locked out." He moved on to a small coupe.

Her face flamed. She should've thought of that. She mimicked his actions, coming up empty in her row. Rush started on the next section, and she did the same.

Two cars in, her fingers grazed a familiar oblong shape. "Rush. Think I hit paydirt here." She gave a hard tug and the magnetic box fell into her hand.

Sure enough, a spare key took up the space. A shadow fell over her in the dim light. Rush glanced down and cracked a slight smile. She stood up and pressed the unlock button. Rush pulled the passenger door open and slid inside.

Honor followed, wrinkling her nose. "Man, remind me to crack a window if we ever have to flee a planet again." Musty, stale air circulated when she started the engine.

Rush nodded toward the dash. "Fuel?"

She checked the gauge. "Half a tank. Plenty enough to go downtown and back." She backed out of the space and drove out of the garage, headed for the museum, carefully navigating the buckled areas of the pavement.

She slid a couple of looks in Rush's direction. He stared straight ahead, his face set in hard lines. I did that to him. The responsibility ate at her. And she had no idea how to make it right. Or if she could, no matter how much she wanted to. Then again, she didn't ask him to come along and chase her back home. So yeah, he owned that one.

With no traffic or lights, they covered the five kilometers in short order. She parked in front of the museum and shut off the engine. Rush popped his door open and walked around the front of the car.

Honor waited a few moments, getting her head back in the game. "Find the artifact, figure out the ship, head home." Everything else could wait.

Rush braced his hands on the window. "You coming?" Impatience laced his tone.

Heaving a sigh, she nodded. "Yeah, let's get this done." She stopped. "Shit. No lights or power. Why didn't I think of that?" Maybe because she'd been consumed with fear and doubt about the mission.

Rush smirked. "No idea, but I did." He reached into his bag and brought out two lights.

Damn the man for pulling her ass out of the fire. Again. She got out of the car, grabbed one of the torches, and stalked to the unlocked entrance.

I'm actually having a lot of fun with this story. It's kind of my favorite what-if type of scenario.

 

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

ML Skye