Sunday Snippet: You're Welcome

Geez, August has been a brutal month. The last week in particular. Not sure why, but I struggled hard, couldn't stay focused, and generally feel like I didn't get anything accomplished. Bleh.

Weirdly, the weather has been amazing. We need rain in a big way, but the temperatures were mild, which is a blessing. Actually had to break out a jacket and leggings because it got chilly at night.

Work projects are in a weird state of flux. I have a lot on my plate, and I hopped around multiple projects because of the aforementioned struggle to stay focused. I really hope I can get back on task this week.

I didn't get to watch the season two opener of Reacher, but I did make it through most of my regular shows. The first week of September is a chaos monster so I'm not sure if I'll get to make it through my regular slate of shows. Fingers crossed.

I did start the week with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the rewatch. Always fun when Phryne and company go on trips.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. I liked the mystery and my heart broke for Dom and Jean. But Jean was spot on with telling Dom he might not be ready to be a couple.

Watched the opening to season fourteen Death in Paradise. Still not sure if I'm down with the new guy. He might grow on me, and I do like how Naomi and Darlene hold their own with him.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very fun to see him solve the mystery while not leaving his apartment. And I do think he quite loves to put Hastings in horribly embarrassing positions.

Caught another episode of Elementary. I really like it when Joan and Sherlock team up to help their extended group. Detective Bell's dilemma being resolved ended up being a lot of fun.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I didn't fully remember this one, so I enjoyed getting reacquainted with it.

The episode of Lower Decks I watched is hopefully a turning point. Mariner makes me absolutely bonkers, which I'm pretty sure is the whole point. Here's hoping she can dial it back about ten clicks and I can finally settle in and like the character.

I did almost make it through an episode of Peak Practice that I started a couple of weeks ago. Sam is headed for a very bad place, which makes sense since his run is almost finished. Hoping to get the rest of the episode watched this week.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from You're Welcome, a novella where a couple acts on their attraction.

Here's the miniblurb:

Dalyn Harris spends a lot of his time keeping his significant other, Shauna Drake, out of hack. When an old, forgotten prank catches the executive officer by surprise, Dalyn scrambles to keep Shauna's part under wraps—he has no desire to spend their anniversary in a brig cell.

And a sneaky peek…

Shauna wanted to pinch herself. I have to be dreaming. How had she finally landed exactly what she wanted at exactly the time she wanted it.

No, not it … him.

Dalyn's mouth caught hers, and he eased them backward on the mattress. Settling between her legs, his lips left hers and traveled along the column of her throat, down over her shoulder then slowly along her collarbone. Moving lower, his tongue flicked over her nipple before he drew on the taut peak.

Shauna moaned. "Gah. Yes." Her hips rolled upward seeking contact with him.

Dalyn switched sides, his mouth working magic. Shauna slid her hand between them, found his hard length, and circled her fingers around the rigid flesh. Brushing her thumb over the crown, she lightly squeezed then pumped back and forth.

Dalyn groaned. "Uhmmmm. Really wanna take things nice and slow, but I have to be inside you." He licked a trail from her sternum to her lips.

Shauna opened the space between her legs a little wider. "Plenty of time for slow later." Her hands cupped his ass and urged him forward.

Dalyn lined up and thrust smoothly into her. "Ahhhh … so hot." He drew back then surged forward again.

Shauna trailed kisses along his bicep. "Unfff … so good." She flexed her hips, meeting his groin. "Waited too long for this." For reasons … none of which she could remember right now.

Dalyn's head lowered, and his breath fanned across her breasts. He kept his pace steady and certain, adding an occasional bump against her clit. She wrapped her legs around his waist, lifting her pelvis to increase the friction between them.

Dalyn lifted his head and met her gaze. "Tell me when you're close…" He upped the speed, adding more force to his momentum.

Shauna nodded, her eyes sliding shut. Awareness scorched along her nerve endings, her breathing went shallow, and a ball of bliss unfurled in her core.

Her eyes snapped open. "I'm there. So close, Dalyn." One more thrust pushed her over the edge and she toppled into a wave of pleasure.

Dalyn locked his arms and increased his speed. "Yeah, that's it. Coming right behind you." He drove into her, his breath rasping until he burst through his release with a garbled growl.

Shauna propped up on her elbows and caught his lips with hers. Not breaking the kiss, Dalyn shifted to the side and hauled her against him. One hand cupped her face and the other palmed her ass.

Shauna deepened the embrace, pouring everything she felt into the connection with him.

When Dalyn eased back, his forehead rested against hers. "Worth the wait?" His voice scratched the quiet of the room.

Shauna smiled. "Most definitely." Her hand ghosted along his side. "Looking forward to round two."

Dalyn huffed out a laugh. "Yeah. Me too."

I like how this story is coming together. There's a bit of a surprise at the end and it's a fun one.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Yellow Fang

Man, I can't believe August is almost over. It's been a chaotic month between work, unexpected challenges, and other factors crowding each other out for attention. Geez. Between the road construction everywhere, my car needing a new alternator, and the dogs needing their check-ups but unable to go because of the car issue … yeah, wild week.

I did have a solid work week. I finished up some projects and started new ones. I got a surprise turnaround that happened a lot sooner than I expected. I'm filling September and some of October, which is great.

Had a pretty good viewing week. I made it through my regular shows and finished up one of my back burners. I get to start the second season this week!

Watched an episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the rewatch. Again, this show is such a comfort view for me.

Enjoyed another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. I've got a weird feeling all isn't great between Dom and Jean, and that makes me a little sad. I loved the split mysteries even if Gloria's dad irritates the crap out of me. So much fun watching the team take down the con artists.

Caught the holiday episode for season fourteen of Death in Paradise. Not sure if I like the new guy, especially since he, like the actor who played Neville, has already been featured on the show. We'll see how it goes.

Watched another episode of Poirot and ended up enjoying more than I thought I would. It's fun to see Hastings get a moment to shine.

Elementary had a very fun episode. Thoroughly enjoyed Sherlock going head-to-head with the imposter. Also quite liked Joan and her stepdad's interactions.

Caught another Batman Beyond and it's one I didn't remember much, but I ended up enjoying.

Enjoyed another episode of Lower Decks. One thing I absolutely love about the show is the theme song. I know. Weird. But it's actually perfect for the show.

Finally, I watched the season one finale of Reacher, and it did not disappoint. I'm very satisfied with the season overall. I'm thrilled Picard ended up being part of the counterfeiting ring because there's no other explanation for how Charlie and Roscoe were found. Also loved that Paul ended up not being dead. Basically, the first season rocked. And … great to finally see adult Joe, but I didn't quite get the whole brothers looking so much alike thing as grown-ups. The flashbacks to their childhood, I definitely saw how they could be mixed up. I would really, really like to find out why the brothers hadn't talked much. Who knows, maybe season two will have more on that.

That's pretty much if for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Yellow Fang, a novella about a couple that gets reunited after one has been in enemy hands.

Here's the miniblurb:

Yancy the Yellow is Palmer Gump's only childhood friend—a stuffed toy from her dad. Missing and presumed killed in action, an auction is held for Palmer's personal items. When she returns, she gets everything back … except for Yancy, which leaves her feeling a little lost and unsettled, until it finds its way back to her via Dannon Bennett.

And a sneaky peek…

"Aw, fuck. Of course reinforcements showed up."

Dannon typed an order into his arm unit. "Contingency plan is a go." He waited for the five seconds it took for his teams to respond then pulled out the first IED to set and arm.

The backup plan—blow everything to hell and send up a flare beacon—meant he'd still get as many people out as possible. The evacuees could escape through the chaos with the secondary unit. But his team would likely go down.

Bravo team, a six-person squad, would hold off as many incoming assailants as possible. Alpha team, another six-person, including him, squad started a room-by-room search and planted the explosive devices. So far, they were clearing the area in good time.

He met his group at the end of the building. "We have to finish the last corridor of this wing and then blow everything." He got nods from everyone and they fanned out.

He moved halfway down the hall and kicked open the door to the room. A wild tangle of limbs came flying in his direction, snarling and slicing at him with a scalpel.

"Die, you son of a bitch. Die!"

Palmer's voice.

Shock filled him, but he grabbed hold of his assailant and gave her a hard shake. "Palmer! Stop. It's Dannon." Sure enough, the woman who'd haunted his dreams fought against him.

Her gaze, wild and frenzied, flew to his. And immediately filled with relief when she recognized him.

She collapsed against his chest. "Thank whatever rules the universe." She dragged in several deep breaths then put her head on his shoulder. "It's good to see you."

Overwhelmed with having her in his arms, Dannon blinked and shook his head. She's alive. I have her back.

His hand cupped her face. "We thought you were dead. I thought you were dead." He stepped back, noting her bruised cheekbone.

The smeared blood on her face.

The ragged gash along her hairline.

And the red liquid dripping from her fingertips.

Fuck. She's hurt. "You're injured." He unwound the tactical scarf from his neck and used his teeth to tear it into two strips.

Palmer looked down and swayed on her feet. She had never liked the sight of her own blood.

He grasped her shoulder and steadied her. "Easy there." Wrapping an arm around her, he lowered her to the floor. "Let's get this dressed and clear out." He started wiping away the blood and bound the wound. "Clock's ticking."

Really damned fast.

I'm kind of happy with how this scene came together. This is a high and low kind of story and I love the challenge of writing both.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Yelling in Vain

Whew. Very long week of scorching temperatures and tinder-dry conditions. We need some rain in a big way. Also, the end of my street is closed, which is kind of inconvenient but not terrible. It's the height of construction season and it shows with multiple road projects going on.

Super busy week with work projects and shifting my schedule around a little. I'm very happy to have a full calendar even when it overwhelms me a little.

School starts this week and I'm excited for my husband, who really enjoys interacting with the students, teachers, and staff. Looking forward to hearing how his first week goes with the kids coming back.

Had a decent viewing week. Made it most of the way through my shows, including one of my back-burner ones. It also looks like a few of my faves are getting ready to return to my streamers.

Started season two of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed all the newcomers. Jack's former wife and his father-in-law along with Dottie's sister. Phryne doing a fan dance also ended up being fun.

Enjoyed the mystery on Madame Blanc Mysteries. Kind of fun having John back but I'm hoping it's not going to be a lot of him. Also wondering if there are some cracks in Jean and Dom's relationship. I'll be a little sad if there are.

Finished up season thirteen of Death in Paradise. I'm oddly sad to say goodbye to Neville. But I'm really thrilled he's leaving with Florence. A fitting end for the character.

Watched another episode of Poirot and quite enjoyed the mystery. Having the ongoing Monopoly game going throughout the episode was fun.

Elementary ended up being very interesting. Having Sherlock working with Moreland ended up being entertaining and I'm very interested and wary of why Moreland is really in New York. That ending hinted that all may not be what it seems, which isn't that surprising. I hope it gives Joan the chance to kick ass on Sherlock's behalf.

Caught another episode of Batman Beyond and loved how Terry and Max teamed up to handle Curare. This was a great episode.

Lower Decks once again charmed and annoyed me. That's the running theme for this show. That said, I enjoy it enough to definitely keep watching.

Got most of an episode of Reacher viewed. It's the penultimate ep so I'm paying close attention to the details. Because … details matter. Just saying.

Peak Practice is hopefully back on target for this week. I started a new episode but didn't get all the way through.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Yelling in Vain, a novella that brings a couple together in less than stellar circumstances.

Here's the miniblurb:

After an accident that takes the life of a fellow cadet, Lora Seaves falls back on her combative attitude to keep it together. Jestin Warbly has to decide whether or not Lora is cracking up or okay to fly. He's got one big problem … a powerful attraction for the rookie pilot clouds his judgment.

And a sneaky peek…

Lora received a note to meet with Jestin Warbly regarding the crash.

She stared at the words and assigned time on the paper. "Well, I'm thinking it's probably a psych evaluation." Great … just what she needed.

Her roommate, Marva Escholl, entered their quarters. Lora glanced up and stuffed the note into her pocket. She could maybe look this Warbly guy up on the way to the meeting.

Marva quirked a brow. "Love letter from one of your admirers?" She turned toward her locker.

Why Marva always thought Lora had guys stashed everywhere never failed to amuse her.

Lora shrugged. "Nope. Pretty sure it's a summons for a psych eval." She snorted. "Unless this Jestin Warbly is some kind of secret fan I don't know." Highly doubtful.

Marva whipped around. "Um, no. Warbly's an up and comer. Definitely not a shrink." She sat on her bunk across from Lora's. "He's a brand-new graduate but super sharp and very eager to move up in intelligence."

Lora narrowed her eyes. "How do you know all this?" And why did she know it?

Marva smirked. "I've got grade-A listening skills. I pay attention when the brass starts talking about their shining stars." She got up and pulled her shower gear from the locker.

Lora lifted her chin. "Ah. Got it."

Marva cocked her head to one side. "You should probably play nice. He'll quite literally hold your flight status in his hands." Marva got up and bounced toward the door. "Gotta run." She gave a wave over her shoulder.

Lora quietly freaked out a little. "This guy can make or break me. Damn." She grabbed the note, memorized the address, and headed out.

Once she arrived, she had a few minutes before their scheduled meeting. The door to the room stood open and Lora entered, her gaze sweeping the bland, utilitarian space. A single table with two chairs took up the center of the space. A row of small windows lined the upper wall across from the door. She wandered to one corner where a rack held recruitment material and class manuals.

A man entered, looking starched and pressed. But he also filled out the uniform, so he kept fit. Definitely not one of the nerdy hive-mind guys that normally worked in the intelligence branch.

But … he had some killer looks—dark hair, chiseled cheekbones—and that could only mean one thing. He had some pull somewhere.

She rolled her eyes and snorted. "Ugh. Just my luck." She would get a bona fide insider as her investigator.

After closing the door, Jestin glanced her way. "Cadet Seaves. Care to explain that comment?" His eyebrows arched over striking blue eyes.

Damn. It figured.

She really needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut.

Lora will soon learn that first impressions aren't always accurate. I'm having so much fun writing this one!

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Yee Haw!

The first full week of August kind of flew by. We had a power outage and mobile phone outage on the same night, which made for a long six hours. Also kind of weird since there wasn't a storm or anything that would be a normal reason for the loss.

Very busy week with work projects and September is looking like another busy month. I'm definitely not complaining. I miss having dedicated writing time, but I also squeeze that in whenever I can.

The school year starts next week, which means the husband will be at his new position in the elementary school. He truly wishes he'd had this job thirty years ago. I can't blame him. He drove almost an hour each way for twenty-plus years. The schools in our district are all less than five miles away and the elementary school is three blocks from our house.

Had my daughter home for several days this week and we had a great time catching up. She even had me cut her hair, which turned out really well. Always love it when she asks me to help with stuff like that.

Had a solid viewing week and made it through my whole slate of shows, including my two back-burner ones. Not sure what the upcoming week will bring but hoping to keep on target.

Started the week with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and finished up the first season. Can't wait to start season two. Another one of my favorite episodes is coming up.

Caught another Madame Blanc Mysteries and really enjoyed the twisty turns in this one. This season is shaping up to be a lot of fun. I like Charlie and Simone so it's good to see them again.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise and it's the penultimate episode before the season thirteen finale. So great to have Florence back, even if only for a brief time. Looking forward to the finale.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. This one was a lot of fun, especially having Poirot sneaking into a house and getting caught. And spending a night in jail to boot!

Caught an episode of Elementary and very much enjoyed Sherlock figuring out Alfredo needed some support. The mystery ended up being pretty interesting also.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and it's one I remembered. Always fun to see Bruce and Barbara spar, and I loved Terry trusting Bruce to help him.

Lower Decks again charmed and annoyed me. I've come to kind of accept that's how this show is going to be for me. I did really like the teamwork in this one.

Finished up the episode of Peak Practice from last week and even started the new episode. Have to finish it this week.

Finally, Reacher. Man. This show. I truly get the hype around it. So many revelations. Finlay. Yeah, didn't see that one coming. Explains a lot. Roscoe. Badass. Seriously. I'm on the fence with Charlie's admission about Hubbel. I think there's more to the story there. And Reacher having the light-bulb moment with the last-standing professor was excellent. Here's hoping she stays alive. Can't wait to watch the next episode!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Yee Haw, a novella that throws a couple into a precarious situation thanks to new guys.

Here's the miniblurb:

Two new transfers upset the delicate balance of the space carrier, Mephisto, that Kellsie Eaves and Wick Fairchilds worked so hard to obtain. When the duo attempts to restore the status quo, the troublemakers go after Kellsie and she gets to school them in the art of kicking ass, with Wick as her backup.

And a sneaky peek…

Eldric entered the small equipment storage locker he and Bert claimed as their official work zone, meaning the place they killed time when they were on shift.

Bert glanced up. "Yo, I jacked a wireless feed. We can now watch whatever we want, including all the sex shows available to the galaxy." He turned the screen toward Eldric.

Eldric snorted. "We can watch the actual thing if we want to, and you'll never guess who with…" His eyebrows waggled.

Bert winced. "If you say that female deckhand who's into women, I'm not interested."

Eldric shook his head. "No, man. Captain Hot Ass is boning Major Dick Face. I literally heard them going at it." He huffed out a breath. "Probably why she's such a bitch … Dick Face can't satisfy her."

Bert perked up. No doubt because they speculated about Captain Eaves and wondered if the woman ever got any. Well, Eldric confirmed she did.

Bert leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. "Maybe we oughtta teach her a lesson and show her how real men handle uppity females … especially when they're always trying to put our balls in a vice."

Eldric nodded. "Yeah, and maybe that'll keep her and the major from running to Colonel Numb Nuts. When's that meeting supposed to take place?" He pulled a stool around and sat down.

Bert shrugged. "What do we know about Major Dick Face so far?"

Eldric grunted. "Aside from him being a pain in the ass? He's a stickler for detail." He made a face. "Hence the reason he's a thorn in my side."

Bert snapped his fingers. "Exactly. He won't go to Numb Nuts until he's got everything documented, color coded, and alphabetized." He cocked his head a moment. "Probably another day maybe two."

Eldric grinned and leaned in a closer. "Then we have time to follow Captain Hot Ass and find her alone somewhere before that happens."

Bert's mouth twisted. "Yee haw … damn right we do."

I don't often include an antagonist POV, but the danger level needed to be set and doing it from this perspective helps establish how creepy these guys are.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Yearly Vigil

Whew. Ended up being a long week between work, home, and other projects. The biggest and best one is helping my daughter edit her final paper for her master's degree. I'm so proud of her!

I made a small dent in the great cleanout project. Didn't get a lot accomplished but made a bit of progress, which I'll take.

Finished up two work projects and continued on with two more. I have another two in flux and two new ones coming sometime this week. Excited to stay busy!

Pretty good week for viewing. I got through my full round of shows and finished up one from last week. I'm still working on one of the others.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and it was one of my favorite episodes. I love a good masquerade or costume party.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries and enjoyed Gloria and Nick working together. Hope to see more of that in future episodes.

Enjoyed an episode of Death in Paradise. The run-up to Neville leaving is turning out to be a lot of fun. And always good to see Dwayne back. Looking forward to the next episode.

Finished up the two-part Poirot and loved how the resolution came together. I like it when the infallible Poirot gets off on the wrong track for a bit.

Watched another episode of Elementary and quite enjoyed the mystery. Also enjoyed Joan handling her detractor and Sherlock acting as the support system afterward.

Enjoyed an episode of Batman Beyond. I remembered this one from my original watch. A lot of fun.

Caught an episode of Lower Decks and, again, ended up being equally charmed and annoyed. I think that's my standard for this show.

Finished up the Reacher episode from last week and wow. Gotta say I didn't see the ending coming, which is always a good thing. Hoping I can get a full episode in this week.

Almost finished an episode of Peak Practice. Things are getting very messy in the relationship departments for everyone, and Sam, whew, what a huge pile he's getting ready to step into.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Yearly Vigil, a novella that pulls a couple together over a shared loss.

Here's the miniblurb:

Venessa Broyles makes a yearly vigil to the graveside of her former lover, Hamish Blesdale, where she runs into his best friend, Hogan Baird. What starts out as an awkward stroll down memory lane eventually brings two lonely souls together.

And a sneaky peek…

Hell, why do I care?

He cocked his head. "I care because Hamish loved you." And Hogan wanted to understand her mindset.

Why she would refuse the honor of having the flag.

Maybe because she'd killed his best friend. Indirectly, but the responsibility rested on her shoulders. When he figured out how he felt about that specific instance, he might be able to start the grieving process.

Until then, he needed to conduct himself as Hamish would expect. "He'd want you to have the flag."

Venessa shrugged. "I don't need a flag to remember him."

Hogan frowned. "Or to remember your role in his death." Harsh, but the shrug got to him.

She flinched like he'd slapped her, and he regretted the accusation, but he didn't take it back. He did blame her … a little. Might not be rational, but too bad.

Venessa popped the door open. "You're right. I'll never need a reminder about why he died." She moved behind the door, using it as a barrier between them. "Good that you came, Hogan. Hamish deserved to have the people who cared about him most to see him laid to rest." She slid behind the wheel.

Hogan put a hand on the top of the door. "If you change your mind … let me know." He met her gaze. "Take care, Venessa."

She blinked and gave a nod. "Yeah, you too." Then she pulled the door shut and started the engine.

Hogan didn't like the subdued but dangerous look in her eyes. He quickly made his way to his rental vehicle and decided to follow her. No matter how he felt about her role in Hamish's death or her current lack of emotion, he'd make sure she got home okay.

Pulling out behind her, he stayed a few car lengths back. "It's the least I can do for my best friend."

Pretty happy with how this story is coming together. Hamish and Venessa have a long road to travel, and I enjoy this journey.

 

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

ML Skye