Sunday Snippet: No Escape

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. For everyone else, I hope your weekend is rocking with good vibes!

We got some terrific news this week. My youngest, who will graduate from university in May, got accepted into grad school! She's so excited and will have a Master of Arts Administration when she finishes.

Had a fairly busy week with work projects. Discovered one ended up with a corrupted file and had to fix some weird, random code that inserted itself into the file. What a pain!

Decent week of viewing television. I'll admit some was mainly background noise while I worked on editing. But not bad overall.

Ended up getting two episodes of The Batman in this week. Enjoyed both and should be on track to catch another one this week.

Also caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Weirdly, I remember two but from different episodes. They always did two per show and I distinctly remember one from each of the episodes I watched. Weird.

Watched another episode of My Life Is Murder and, once again, enjoyed it. Dueling bakers isn't something I would normally think of as a premise for murder.

Enjoyed another episode of Midsomer Murders. I have one left for this season and then it's time to wait for more again. Good thing there are plenty of other mysteries to keep me occupied.

Started the new season of Silent Witness. Another new face or two for this season and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting this season.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. We're getting closer to Humphrey's exit and Jack's entrance. I'll be able to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. The new vibe between Holmes and Watson is fun. I'm enjoying a slightly softer version of Sherlock.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I skipped one because I really didn't care one bit about the whole saga of Andrew and Kate. But it's interesting that Will is back. Should be a wild ride.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from No Escape, a novella that explores what happens after Viable Options.

Here's the miniblurb:

Lissa Albrecht, an unwitting enemy agent, questions everything she believes when she's faced with the reality of what war really looks like. Caught in the heart of enemy territory, she won't give up her secrets … not until she speaks with Matt Kandigan, a former substance addict and the only person who cares if she lives or dies. At least she hopes so.

And a sneaky peek…

Matt Kandigan paced back and forth in the landing bay. "What if Karlin fucks this up?" He needed to close the chapter with Lissa and start a new book.

And he couldn't do that if he didn't see and speak to her. Therapy taught him to face his demons head-on instead of fighting in the shadows. And Lissa ranked as the top challenge he'd ever face. Harder than kicking the stimulants. Tougher than suffering through the withdrawal. Cutting her from his life might be the most difficult thing he'd ever do.

Because he'd fallen for her. Totally. Completely. 10,000 percent.

Raking a hand through his hair, he snorted. "Which makes me the biggest chump in the galaxy." Possibly the entire universe.

"That's not anything new. You've always been a bit of a clod, Matty." Karlin breezed into the space and planted her hands on her hips.

Matt rolled his eyes. "And you've always been a righteous pain in the ass. Good to know that'll never change." He appreciated the levity … he didn't have much to smile about lately. "What's the plan? Do I get some closure or what?" He almost dreaded seeing Lissa again but couldn't move forward until he did.

Karlin gave a nod. "You do. And the plan hasn't changed. You get one visit. Say your goodbyes or whatever." She reached out and grasped his palm. "She knows it's a one-time thing. If she chooses to help, great. But you two are over." Lifting her chin, she met his gaze. "Right?"

Matt jerked his head up and down. "Right. I'm done being an idiot. Lissa won't be able to use me as cover anymore." His heart gave a hard twist in his chest. "I'm sure the admiralty will manage to keep her occupied if she can give them any intel." And keep her out of his reach.

Karlin's head bobbed slowly. "True. They have contingencies in place for defectors." Her eyes narrowed a little. "One of which is a road to becoming one of us if she meets all criteria. What if Lissa goes for that option? How would you feel about that?" Her voice held zero censure.

Which Matt appreciated more than he could say. Karlin didn't trust Lissa almost from the beginning. The lack of judgment now meant a lot.

He did a gut check and took a moment before answering. "I honestly don't know. But I can't base a future on what if." Hell, he considered himself lucky to even have one.

Karlin's lips curved, and she patted him on the shoulder. "Matty, my friend, you're so wrong." She shook her head. "The entire galaxy is basing their future on asking what if." Pointing toward the exit, she lifted her chin. "That includes your enemy-agent girlfriend, who's probably wondering a lot about that question right now. Maybe you should do the same…" She squeezed his bicep and nudged him toward the corridor leading to the containment cells.

Matt slowly made his way forward. His mind filled with possibilities, and they crowded everything else out. No matter what happened, when he met with Lissa, he'd be on a new trajectory, one way or another.

I'm just getting started with this one and I'm excited to see where things go with Matt and Lissa.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

Ohio weather is tripping on some kind of psychedelic drug right now. We're in our third winter at the moment, so hopefully actual spring will happen in about two weeks. Of course, we'll have to give or take a month because who knows how long the state will be under the influence.

Had a crazy week of work, a mom crisis mode occurrence, and of course the weird weather, which wreaks havoc on my sinuses.

I didn't get much television watched this week. Too many things going on to really pay attention to my shows.

I did get an episode of Death in Paradise watched and enjoyed it. I hadn't seen any of this one and ended up really liking the mystery.

I also started an episode of Elementary and should finish it up today. I love the fun dynamic of Holmes and Watson after last week's near miss with Watson's life.

Other than that, I might be back on track this week, but I won't hold my breath. My brain is doing weird things and having a very hard time staying focused on more than one thing at a time. It's driving me batshit.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella that explores the dynamic between a couple that keeps their relationship of the QT.

Here's the miniblurb:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And a sneaky peek…

Aisley didn't look up from the comp panel when Thad returned. "Sorry for bailing on you." She marked her place in the news article on the screen then set the unit aside. "Did Hambone give you any trouble?" She hoped not because sticking Thad with the drunk pilot kind of sucked.

Not that Thad couldn't handle an inebriated soldier. Hell, he'd had his share of dealing with her too many times to count.

Thad dropped down beside her. "Nope. But a word to the wise … he'd totally be down to hit on you if he thought he had half a chance." His lips twitched.

Aisley groaned. "Tell me you didn't encourage him." She did not want to deal with a puppy-dog pilot prancing around to get her attention.

Thad laughed. "Well, it depends on how you look at it. When he asked if I thought you'd ever go for him, I basically said he'd be lucky if you didn't shoot him, so who knows?" He leaned back, propping his elbows on the workstation surface behind them.

Aisley chuckled. "If I'm lucky, he won't remember the conversation at all." And if Thad kept his mouth shut, she'd never have to worry about Hampton making a play.

The guy would be sorely disappointed. She only went for one pilot, even if no one else knew about her preference. Except the flyboy himself.

Thad nudged her shoulder. "Not like you have experience there or anything." His lips turned upward taking the sting out of the words.

She shrugged. "Yeah, okay. I kind of do." She slid her gaze toward him. "But I remember the important stuff." Like how they were supposed to get together tonight instead of babysitting. "And if I forget, you always remind me." He had her back when it counted.

Unlike her … when she'd left him hanging earlier.

She didn't really want to think about why. But she always got touchy when anyone started making noise about her chemistry with Thad. Mainly because she didn't have that level of anything with anyone else … and the thought freaked her out sometimes.

Thad straightened then leaned his forearms on his thighs. "Look … about the bullshit couple question … you know that's the drunk talking, right?" He tilted his head giving her a side-eye. "As in, he'd never have the balls to ask or even think about asking that specific question if he hadn't been three sheets to the wind." He huffed out a laugh.

Aisley rolled her eyes. "More like ninety-seven sheets, but who's counting?" She sighed. "I shouldn't get so twitchy about lame stuff, but I like what we have and really want to keep our…" She trailed off a moment. "Whatever this is on the down-low." Did that sound as stupid as she thought?

Thad's lips twisted in a wry grin. "Yeah, I get it. Once we start defining this thing, or if we acknowledge it to anyone, the whole dynamic changes, right?" He met her gaze. "Why mess with a good thing?"

Aisley gave a quick nod. "Right. No one else gets to slap a label on us until we're ready…" She glanced away. "If we ever are." She would never push for more because being official would complicate things.

Thad sat up again. "Do you want to be? Ready, I mean?"

Aisley had no idea how to answer. "Can I get back to you on that?"

Thad narrowed his eyes. "You could. But we've got a long night ahead of us. What'll it hurt if we run through some future plans?"

Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But she owed him for taking Hambone on alone.

Exhaling slowly, she turned to face him. "Okay. Where do you see us in six months?"

I'm kind of excited to see where this story goes. I have a very loose outline of story beats and so far, the characters are filling in all the blanks.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Napalm at Night

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's been a chaotic week with work projects and life stuff going on. And my distraction levels are making me frustrated. But … I'm still getting stuff done so I can't really complain.

I definitely didn't make a full round of shows this week. Just didn't have the bandwidth with my focus being all over the place.

I did catch an episode of The Batman and had vague memories of watching this the first time around. Joker episodes are hit and miss in the version of the dark knight.

Watched an episode of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm almost finished with this show, and I'll miss it when I'm done. Such a fun cast of characters.

Caught another episode of Midsomer Murders and again enjoyed the mystery. I'd seen something of a similar nature of the plot based on a true story, so this episode ended up being a lot of fun.

Finished up the final episode of Silent Witness season twenty-five. I'll be starting season twenty-six this week. Ended up really enjoying the limited episode run.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Napalm at Night, a novella that mixes a Viet Nam War vibe into the plot.

Here's the miniblurb:

Napalm at night is dangerous stuff. Jensen Wallis, an extraordinary helicopter pilot, makes her fair share of early dawn rescues after enemy forces unleash the potent explosives on her fellow soldiers. She comes to the aid of Rip Rafferty's squadron and gets them to safety, but not before the enigmatic man sets her curious nature on fire.

And a sneaky peek…

Rip spun his empty shot glass on the table, trying to decide if he'd order another. A shadow fell across the surface, but he didn't glance up. He hadn't made up his mind yet and the private would wait a few moments before heading back behind the bar.

The smoky voice that haunted his dreams broke the quiet. "Can I buy you a drink, Gunny?"

Rip's gaze shot upward, and he blinked … not quite certain the vision standing before him wouldn't disappear. She still invaded his dreams every night but, of course, never stuck around when the light of dawn broke every day. When her smile spread slowly across her face, his heart kicked hard against his ribs. She's really here.

And a decision to have another suddenly appealed greatly.

He couldn't contain a grin. "Damn. You're an incredible sight to brighten the surroundings." He remembered his manners. "And a welcome distraction." He pushed the chair opposite him away from the table then held up his glass. "Another drink sounds great."

She turned toward the bar, but the private already had two shots on a tray and headed their way.

Jensen smirked and settled across from him. "Terrific service. You don't even have to get the bartender's attention to place an order." She tilted her head, her gaze roaming over Rip.

He didn't mind, because he looked his fill, too. She surpassed his fantasy dreams. Of course, she'd opted against the standard-issue ponytail. Still damp hair grazed her shoulders, and the fresh scent of something light and airy tickled his nostrils. His body reacted more to her than the entertainment troop full of gorgeous women that pulled out yesterday.

Something extremely sexy about imagining what her fatigues covered instead of a full-on display of her assets.

His lips curved. "It's really good to see you. In person, I mean."

She shot him a confused look.

He dropped his chin. "Uh, apparently when my fever kept spiking, you were in my dreams." The part about her not leaving them could wait.

Her eyes widened. "I heard you insisted on waiting until your men were treated and your wound got infected." She shook her head. "You're lucky sepsis didn't set in."

Rip grunted. "They were in worse shape. But it got a little sketchy for a while." More than a little, but he'd survive.

She placed her hand on his. "You're pretty damned amazing."

Rip didn't agree, but he wouldn't ruin her compliment by arguing. Not when he craved her company so badly. Something about Jensen Wallis intrigued the hell out of him.

So far, this story is chugging along at a wonderful pace and the characters are following their expected trajectory. We'll see if that holds.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: My Best Friend Is a Cyborg

Man. What a crazy-busy week. Our weather is still being contrary. Warm and spring-like a couple of days followed by another blast of winter. My sinuses are not thrilled.

I didn't get through a full round of television this week. I had way too many irons in the fire and needed to focus. My brain doesn't want to cooperate at all. Thankfully, I have three current projects, which lets me bounce around when I can't concentrate on one specific thing.

I did get a holiday episode of My Life Is Murder watched and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's interesting to see how the southern hemisphere celebrates the holiday in the middle of their summer.

I tried to watch the behind-the-scenes Agatha Raisin, but it wouldn't play. That's two seasons now that I can't access the specials. I'm kind of bummed about that.

I started the new season of Midsomer Murders and loved the episode. I'm excited to dive back into this series. It's fun to see an older Betty.

Silent Witness continues to be very intriguing. I really want to know who's behind the curtain pulling the strings.

Caught another Death in Paradise and remembered some of this one. Mainly the beginning and the end. Not sure what happened to the middle part and why I missed it the first time around but it's nice to finally see the whole episode.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I like the slow progression of trust being built with Sherlock and Watson. I have a sneaking suspicion that Sherlock now knows Joan isn't being paid by his father anymore. I'll be interested to see how that plays out.

That's as far as I made it for viewing this week and that's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from My Best Friend Is a Cyborg, a novella that explores what happens to a couple when life throws them a curve.

Here's the miniblurb:

Ibby Stoke finds out her best friend is a dreaded and reviled cyborg, and it sends her into a tailspin, making her wonder if the man she loves is a mecha-human. Phil McNulty is everything she's ever wanted, but if he's not all man, Ibby isn't sure she can deal with the reality.

And a sneaky peek…

The pilot briefing room acted as a refuge even if safe havens might never exist again.

Ibby's throat swelled with unshed tears. "What the hell is going on?" She paced back and forth, trying to wrap her head around the last hour of her life.

"Did I really try to choke out my best friend?"

Okay, former best friend. She couldn't count Art as a best anything now. No way.

Big droplets leaked from her eyes. Memories whizzed through her brain. Art picking her up after a particularly brutal argument over who got the next ride on the tilting rockawhirl … which Ibby lost. Art stepping in when her date for the formal dance bailed at the last minute. Going through basic training then flight school together…

Ibby swiped at her cheeks. "I will not cry for mecha-human cyborg." The betrayal cut deep.

How could he keep his status a secret from her? How could he let them alter him?

She paused and slammed her fist into her palm. "How could he lie to me?" That wound would stay raw and open for a long time.

Phil strolled into the briefing room. "He technically didn't. He had orders not to say anything." He snarled the words out.

Ibby whipped around. "Are you fucking kidding me? All mechs have to register. Who the hell ordered him to not—" She broke off and shook her head. "No. No way. Are you telling me the council ordered him to say nothing and didn't make him update his status?"

Phil snorted. "Oh, it's worse than that, Ibbs." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Art didn't have a choice. The council didn't give him one. They made the call before Art even regained consciousness…" His voice trailed off and his head jerked back and forth.

A cold chill slithered down Ibby's spine. "He didn't consent? Then that means…" She couldn't speak the rest. That means anyone could be a cyborg.

Phil grunted. "Yeah. Exactly." He lifted his chin. "From what Art told me. He's not the first and definitely not the last. This is the first stage of a new standard operating procedure." His lips twisted in a grimace.

Ibby sank down onto one of the cushioned seats. "Fuck. The hits just keep on landing, don't they?" Her shoulders slumped. "How? How can they think this is a good idea?" Stupid question … it didn't matter if the concept sucked when could keep boots on the ground and butts in the cockpit.

Not when they needed soldiers to win a damned war.

Phil settled beside her. "Oh, it's a terrible decision. And it's going to bite the convening authority on the ass. But they're banking on having enough of their enhanced soldiers in the mix before having to go public." He paused a moment then added his conjecture. "My guess is they're starting small. Something Art said is pinging in my brain. They didn't replace his brain. He's still got his memories, feelings and all that." He huffed out a breath.

Ibby shook her head. "Not sure that helps. Any way you look at it, the idea sucks." Her heart hurt, thinking about what the council had done to her friend. "I mean, look at me. Art's been in my life for over a decade. But I can't forget what I know now. How can that not change the dynamic between us?" And how could she be feeling so much pain for he'd gone through?

Phil kept his gaze straight ahead. "Honestly, it does change everything. Of course, it does. Yet … how we let this revelation play out is up to us. Mech aside, do we trust Art? If his memories and feelings haven't been altered? Do we raise a big ruckus? Make it clear to the convening authority we won't accept this bullshit?" He finally turned to meet her gaze. "If we do that, what does it do to the people that didn't have a choice? Do we have a right to blow up their lives when they didn't consent to the enhancements?" He sighed. "I'm pissed off because the council trashed any kind of good option by starting this program under a veil of secrecy." His eyes flashed with anger.

Ibby blinked, the rapid-fire commentary swirling in her mind. "Damn. You're right. They basically took any form of choice of acceptance out of our hands, but they also put soldiers like Art in an impossible situation." She got up and paced back and forth. "Shit. I can't deal with this right now. I just can't." Her heart rate spiked, and she itched to punch something.

Phil reached out and caught her hand, tugging onto his lap. "Then don't. Focus on something else." He caught her face in his hands.

Yeah, she could do with a distraction. Phil had a knack for giving her exactly what she needed. And right, she needed him.

She leaned forward and meshed her lips with his.

This story took a turn I didn't expect and that always excites me. Looking forward to finishing this up and launching it!

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Morning Sickness

Well, March definitely enters the year with a roar. We've had the crazy weather that hops back and forth between warm and cold along with snow showers, thunderstorms, and thirty-degree temperature changes in twenty-four hours. Weirdly, it's somehow fitting that March is my birth month. Volatile and a wee bit mercurial.

 

My focus is still all over the place, but I have multiple work projects, which helps when I need a change of scenery. It drives me batty when I read the same paragraph over and over because I keep getting distracted by everything. Being able to hop from one manuscript to another helps in a weird way.

 

Had a decent week of viewing. Still not quite getting a full slate in, but I'm happy with the shows I'm keeping up with. I'm having issues with one of the streamers on a device, but I got the show watched despite the tech glitches.

 

Started out with the finale of Agatha Raisin. I have a bonus behind-the-scenes episode to watch then it's on to a new show. I'll miss this one. I've had so much fun watching the characters interact and solve mysteries.

 

Caught another Silent Witness episode. So sorry about Jack's dad. And the whole deal with his mom is beyond sad. Very nice to see Nikki be there for him. I'm wondering about Simone at the moment and Sam is playing a very cagey game.

 

Enjoyed another Death in Paradise. I'd seen most of this one and enjoyed it the first time. I love Martha to bits and can't wait to finish Humphrey's run to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

 

Watched another episode of Elementary. Interesting episode and I'm almost sorry the FBI lady will live to show up again in the future.

 

Caught an episode of The Batman. I had vague memories of watching this the first time but not everything. I'm still not sure how I feel about Batgirl. I think I end up liking her better once Robin enters the show.

 

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I didn't remember either of the vignettes, which I'm kind of happy about. The later seasons were kind of hit or miss for us when the kiddos were young.

 

Finished the second season of The Secret Life of Amy Benson and I'm really hoping we get a third. I'm invested in the characters and want to see what happens next.

 

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Morning Sickness, a novella that explores what happens when a couple isn't quite ready for parenthood.

 

Here's the miniblurb:

 

Dava Whales has all the classic signs of pregnancy, except she can't possibly be with child—she's a solider in the middle of a war and religiously takes her mandatory birth control shots. When Warren Carter suggests Dava get checked out, the pricklier than usual officer goes ballistic—especially since Warren is the other half of the parental equation.

 

And a sneaky peek…

 

Warren braced for anything when Dava waved a paper in front of him. "What are you giving me here?" He took the sheet but didn't look at it.

Her lips twisted. "Not a kid, so you can relax." She plopped down into a chair across from his desk and slumped against the backrest.

Warren didn't visibly react, but relief filled him … and maybe a twinge of disappointment. "Then what's going on with you?" A kick of worry crawled down his spine.

Did Dava have some kind of serious illness?

A vice tightened around his heart at the thought. He couldn't lose her … Wait, no, he couldn't lose his friend and pilot. They weren't anything more than that, with the exception of the benefits package they took advantage of.

Dava waved a hand toward the paper she'd handed him. "It's all right there on the page. I'm one of the lucky three percent of the entire population with a very specific reaction to the new birth control shots." Her shoulders slumped. "They make my body think it's pregnant … hence the morning sickness and crazy symptoms." She grimaced.

Warren finally glanced at the fitness report. "So, the mood swings, bouts of fatigue, and throwing up are because of the shots?" Damn, it sucked to be her right now.

Dava snorted. "Let's not forget the whole crazy impulse to jump you whenever you're within five feet of me. I mean—" She broke off, her eyes welling.

Warren put the report down, backed away from the desk, and rounded the edge to kneel in front of her. "Talk to me, Dava. Come on, let's work through this." He caught her hand in his and tugged her up and over to the small couch in the corner. "Tell me what's wrong." He got her settled then eased down beside her.

Tears spilled over lashes, and she shook her head. "Nothing. Everything. I have no idea." She rubbed at her cheeks.

Warren wrapped his arm around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder. He stroked his palm over her head, letting her cry because he could only imagine the emotional roller coaster she couldn't stop. Hell, his head spun, and he didn't have the excuse of pinging hormones.

When she finally exhausted the waterworks, her head lifted. "Geez, I'm such a mess." She dabbed at her eyes with her shirtsleeve.

Warren huffed out a laugh. "At least we know why." He hugged her close. "I'm sorry you're going through this. What can I do to help?"

She raised her chin and held his gaze. "Brace for impact. Because Kellerman said it'll be three months before they can get the old version of the shots." She patted her pocket. "I have meds to keep me from throwing up, but everything else…" She exhaled on a long sigh. "Is still going to be a problem." Her lips twisted in a wry smile.

Warren let out a low whistle. "So … the mood swings and fatigue…" Damn … for three months.

Dava gave a nod. "Yeah, they aren't going anywhere for a while." She flashed a smile. "On the flipside, neither is the impulse to get you naked so there's that." Her eyebrows waggled.

Warren's lips quirked. "I'll try very hard to be accommodating whenever the urge strikes." The least he could do.

Their life would be rather interesting over the next ninety days…

 

Warren is in for a bumpy ride, but Dava is worth the rollercoaster experience.

 

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

 

ML Skye