Sunday Snippet: Fail Me Now

The end of June came a lot quicker than I expected. This month flew by, and I'm not sure I got as much accomplished as I hoped to.

The weather is still fairly mild for June but the heat index for the upcoming week makes me want to weep. It's going to be so, so hot.

Continued to have a busy work week. Several new potential projects are waiting in the wings and I'm excited about them. One is a fiction project with a really intriguing concept. Two others are memoir life-story projects. I've been working on quite a few of those and they're a nice change of pace. I continued working on the developmental edit, pulling a few more files into the master document. Also finished up a copy edit and started a new one.

Had a less than stellar viewing week. I felt a little bit off all week and couldn't focus on viewing new stuff. I did several binge marathons of early seasons of Death in Paradise for background noise. I also got a considerable amount of writing done because the sages were banging on the door in my brain.

I did watch another behind the scenes bonus episode of Foyle's War. This one showed a day in the life of an episode. Some great interviews with the cast and crew.

Also caught another episode of Tales from Irish Castles. This one explored tower houses and it seems like there are a bunch of them dotting the landscape. Really love getting an inside look at some of these castles.

Started an episode of Silent Witness and made it about halfway through. The subject matter is really tough to view and, honestly, hits a little hard. I don't know who is writing the show at the moment but, man, they're dead-on with the stuff that makes people flinch.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fail Me Now, a novella that explores how a couple finds their way into a relationship that balances work and life.

Here's the miniblurb:

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

And a sneaky peek…

Indi pushed away from the bulkhead to pace and forth a little. Waiting on Tate to finish up with the quartermaster to get his billet assignment for permanent quarters gave her too much time to think about the past couple of days. She hadn't considered how being in close proximity to him on the regular would affect her.

She fanned her face. "Whew. Dangerous man." She still thought about their first meeting when sparks zapped around.

I'm attracted to him. Which, duh. And, yeah, probably a bad thing.

But she might risk her heart to see if he proved as good as her gut thought he would.

Changing direction, she walked to the end of the corridor and bumped into Teague coming around the corner.

His lips briefly curved upward, and he grasped her elbow to steady her.

Indi winced on the inside. "Uh, hello. What're you doing here?" As if she didn't already know.

Teague glanced down the hallway. "I'm on my way to see Tate." Determination filled his gaze. "Forty-eight hours is long enough."

Indi attempted to keep her voice neutral. "Sir, I don't think it's a good idea." What could she do to dissuade him?

Tate arrived and let her off the hook. "What's not a good idea?" He lifted his chin. "Hello, Commander." Closed off—eyes hooded and not open to much or giving anything away.

Teague had a visible reaction. His face softened and his shoulders relaxed. He swallowed and schooled his features.

His head tilted forward slightly. "Hello, son."

Indi noted Tate's use of rank and Teague's nonuse, putting things on a personal level. She wished the elder Emerson had waited a little longer to force a confrontation. But he opened the door between them, maybe to test the waters to see how things would go between them.

Tate set the tone. "I'm here, old man. That's all you get." He hoisted his pristine rucksack over his shoulder. "I'm leaving a good life behind and want to make the best of this situation. For once, back off and let me do it."

The elder Emerson grunted. "I already agreed to your terms. Just wanted to see you and welcome you aboard."

Tate snorted. "Do you do that with all new recruits?" His eyes held a challenge in them.

Indi stepped in. "Actually, he does. Usually within the first twenty-four hours." She gave him a pointed look, a silent warning to stop being a dick.

After all, his dad waited two full days before seeking Tate out.

Tate, reluctantly impressed, lifted his chin. "Consider me welcomed." He glanced toward Indi. "I've got my assignment and requisite new-guy supplies. We good to head for quarters now?"

Indi nodded. "Sure. Let's get you settled." She looked toward Teague. "By your leave, Sir." When he gave a nod, she started down the corridor.

Tate inclined his head. "Commander." He fell into step beside Indi.

All in all, not a bad scene. Could have gone worse. She hoped the civility between the two men would last.  

I've very excited about how this is coming together. Indi and Tate are a fun couple to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, father figures, mentors, and fur dads out there. And if this is a hard day, please find peace where you can.

It's so mild in Ohio right now and I'll take the comfortable temperatures. We're supposed to have a soggy week, but the rain is welcome. Hopefully without flooding.

Busy work week with multiple projects crossing my desk. I have a potential new project with a new author starting possibly soon. Finished up a proofread and got that one invoiced. Continued work on a memoir developmental edit, pulling several files together into a single document. Also finished a copy edit and returned it for review. Started a new one that's on the long side, close to one hundred thousand words. A jammed week ahead.

Had a pretty good viewing week. I made it through my regular stable of shows and started one of my back-burner ones. I didn't end up making it all the way through but I'll finish it up this week. I hope.

Started with a Foyle's War behind the scenes interview with one of the guest stars. Very interesting.

Watched another episode of Tales from Irish Castles. Truly a fun series to watch. So many castles in Ireland.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise and kind of loved the bit of a cliffhanger. I also kind of like how Mervin is settling in with the other officers. Very cool to see the new sarge completely supported by the commissioner also.

Also enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very interesting case with an unexpected ending. So many colorful characters.

Elementary ended up being a little mind-blowing. I'm really interested in how the whole Shinwell situation will be resolved.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and I'm rather enjoying seeing how the team is coming together.

Also watched another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and I'm really amazed by how much I love this show. Started out being pretty iffy on whether I'd like it or not and I'm totally in if I haven't mentioned it before.

Started an episode of Peak Practice and made it about halfway through. There's a lot going on in this one and I didn't want to miss anything. I'll finish up this week. Maybe.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Explosive Situation, a novella that plays on the title and brings a couple together.

Here's the miniblurb:

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

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley helped get Tab loaded and followed along to the med bay. "You better make sure he's okay." The realization she could've lost him hit hard.

While she got checked over, everything settled on her, and the weight felt … heavy. Searching for him in the smoke and debris … finding him … dragging him to safety … nothing else mattered at that moment. Not the loss of four other team members or the hostage taker. The after-action debrief would be a shitshow.

"Open." The med tech held a nebulizer in front of Hadley's face. "Breathe this in until the vial is empty. This will treat your lungs." He placed the small unit in her hands.

Hadley nodded and stuck the end between her lips.

The other med tech rolled up the sleeve on Hadley's free arm. "Gonna treat these burns. You got lucky and don't have any second or third degree. But they're gonna be a little painful for a day or two." A cool wash dispersed over the skin of her forearm.

Once the breathing treatment ended, they got the rest of her uniform off and directed the cool burn relief to spots on her neck, her back, the other arm, and her hands. Then they made her get settled on a gurney and hooked up an IV.

The first med tech slipped the needle in. "We're gonna replenish your fluids and use a broad-spectrum antibiotic to ward off any possible infection from contaminated debris." He injected a large syringe of fluid into the IV bag. "This will take about thirty minutes."

The half hour gave her time to think about what she wanted.

When she finally got the all clear, she went to find Tab.

The med tech gave her an update. "He's conscious but sedated. His burns have been treated. The bump on his head is concerning, so we're keeping a day or two for observation."

Hadley grabbed a chair. "I'm not leaving him." She sat and grasped his hand. "At least not until I talk to him."

The tech shrugged. "Might be a while, but you can stay."

Damn right.

Having a good time with this one. Hadley and Tab are a cool couple to write and giving them a big conflict is fun.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Excelling Anger

Kind of a long week and I'm glad it's over. There's something nice about starting a new week with a clean slate. Even if projects linger from one week to the next or challenges still need to be met.

We've got wild weather in Ohio again. Muggy and hot until a storm rolls through then it's lovely for a day until it gets muggy and hot again. The humidity is not fun.

Had a solid work week. One of the projects I thought was finished ended up having more revisions. At this point, the author is wordsmithing and really should leave things alone. That said, it's her last book and giving some grace can't hurt. I'm hoping to finish up a proofread on a science book this week and start a new project about a family history. I also have a developmental edit to get back to and copy edit to finish up. The copy edit is a holiday book and I'm so happy to have one of those to edit.

Had a pretty decent viewing week. I made it through my regular slate of shows, which actually made me happy. It was a busy week, and I ended up being kind of drained.

Started the week by finishing up an episode of Foyle's War. I do believe I have only the bonus episodes left.

Started a new series about Irish castles and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode. So much history I don't know, and I love learning new things.

Caught another episode of Silent Witness. The move to Birmingham seems to be resetting the series with a lot of darker content. I'm actually interested to see how this plays out.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed one of the better known classics with "Death on the Nile."

Elementary kind of blew my mind. Not sure how I feel about the whole Shinwell thing. It's going to prove interesting to discover Joan's reaction.

Enjoyed an episode of Young Justice. So far, I like the unfolding of the first season. The pacing is pretty good and the reveals are well-earned.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and really loved the interactions. I honestly didn't know if I'd find my groove with this show, but I did!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Excelling Anger, a novella that explores how a couple work through their issues.

Here's the miniblurb:

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

And a sneaky peek…

"Thank whatever rules the universe Gamner's marine guard doesn't have to be out there when he's not in quarters."

Rook didn't turn when Fallon's statement broke the quiet he'd let surround him. "You shouldn't be here. You're not executive level. These quarters are off limits without the commander being present." Not that she'd ever let that stop her.

Fallon gave a rude snort. "Based on Dreamboat's recap, you're skating close to being an ex-executive officer, so I'm in good company." She came further into the quarters, moving to stand not far behind him.

He didn't want or need an audience when he tried one last time to make Gamner see reason. Especially when Fallon would only spike Gamner's ire.

Rook sighed. "I don't want you here, Fallon. Get out before Gamner returns." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

Fallon folded her arms. "I'm not leaving." Her voice had the stubborn tone she used when gearing up for a fight.

Rook didn't have the patience to fight two battles today.

Rook whirled to face her. "Why are you here, Fallon?" Why could she never leave well enough alone?

She went still for a moment then flung her arms out. "Because I love you, dumbass. You're my very best friend in the whole universe." She jabbed a finger in his chest. "And if you're going down, I'm going with you. This is wrong. As in career ruining wrong. You know better than most when this turns into an epic shitshow, Gamner's going to get the heat. As his XO—for however long that lasts—it's your duty to protect his command and not let anything get in the way. No matter what you have to do."

Rook's eyes widened. "Tell me you're not talking mutiny." The no-matter-what part had red flags rising in his brain.

Fallon made a grimace. "Fuck no. I'm crazy not insane." She turned and paced back and forth. "You're on the right track here. Trying to get Gamner to listen without Troyer throwing wrenches and backstabbing knives into the mix." She paused. "And there's a strength in numbers, that's all I'm saying."

Gamner stepped through the open hatch. "She's right. If what I just watched unfold is the standard for you two, I'm willing to listen. You faced your issues and confronted the big problem." He moved to his desk and grabbed the comm set. "I'm beginning to realize how working together can have excellent results." He punched in a series of numbers. "Stuartson, you're ordered to plan and lead the mission." He put the handset to his ear.

Rook blinked, shocked to his toes. "Yes, sir. What about—"

Gamner cut him off with a hand-wave. "I'll deal with Troyer. Go plan the op."

Fallon grabbed his forearm. "You heard the man. Let's go." She led him out of Gamner's quarters.

Rook shook his head. "I guess we'd better hit the briefing room."

I'm very happy with how this one is coming together. Fallon and Rook are fun to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Wow. June is kicking my ass and it's only seven days old. I'm choosing to look at the beginning of the month as the bottom of the well and it can only get better, because I won't be able to handle another appliance going down. Thankfully, delivery services are available on Sunday and I have shiny new fridge to replace the one that died on Friday. And my coffeemaker decided to be wonky this morning so, yeah, I'm still trying to troubleshoot that one. Glad I can pour over in an emergency.

Other than the appliance fiasco, the weather is all over the map, which isn't unusual in Ohio. More chilly days and a few really humid ones. Rain, wind, and little bit of sun. We're supposed to have a drippy week, which is okay because I don't think it's supposed to be severe weather.

Pretty decent work week. I finished up a few projects and should be close to finishing up the one that won't seem to end. Started a new proofread and I'm making good progress on it, even with the appliance distractions.

Had an okay viewing week also. Made it through my usual list of shows but didn't get to the back-burner ones.

Started the week with half an episode of Foyle's War. Should finish it up this week and move on to the bonus episodes.

Also caught the season twelve finale of Brokenwood Mysteries. Really enjoyed this season and hope to have another one because this is definitely a comfort show.

Watched an episode of Death in Paradise. Loved getting some good character building for Seb. I'm also looking forward to getting some for the new sergeant.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. This one took a bit of a twist and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next episode.

Elementary finished up a two-parter and the resolution ended up being fun. Also loved Sherlock's excitement about becoming a godparent.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and quite enjoyed it. Very fun to see Wally face his disbelief in magic.

Loved watching an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. The callbacks to other series are such a delight in this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Event Horizon, a novella that brings a couple together when one has a big secret.

Here's the miniblurb:

Casey meets Oliver on a transport flight to celebrate his dad's retirement. They hit it off, but Casey has a big secret … she's the reason Oliver's brother didn't pass the flight test, and the way she did it could get her court martialed, especially if the old man finds out.

And sneaky peek…

A weird sense of calm settled over Casey. She'd thought she might be hauled in front of a review board or have formal charges slapped on her. But this … definitely unexpected but oddly okay.

Casey finished buttoning her uniform shirt. "If you're going to file formal charges, I'd prefer to have them in writing and served through proper channels." She met the elder Stephas's gaze. "And if you're going the review board route, I'll turn my credentials in to the acting commander and assume I'm on administrative leave until a hearing can be scheduled." Her matter-of-fact tone surprised everyone … including her.

Oliver shook his head. "Casey, no. This isn't going to come to that."

Orin gave a rude snort. "So, you're taking her side?" He went for the jugular and became obnoxious. "She must be one hell of a good fuck."

Orwen sputtered. "Dad, what the hell?"

Casey didn't resist this time. She punched Orin in the face. His head snapped back, but he recovered quickly, grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket.

She flicked her gaze to Oliver then back to the old man. "Whether I'm a good fuck or not doesn't come into play here." She wouldn't let him try to shame her for making a personal choice to be with his son.

Orin narrowed his gaze but not before a gleam of respect lit in the depths. "It does if I file charges."

Both brothers blinked at the insinuation.

Casey's heart sank now … because, shit, she didn't want her intimate details strewn about for any and all to observe, mull over, and use as fodder for the gossip mill. And they would be because all the Stephas men were witness to her action.

Orwen made a garbled choking sound. "You're not gonna do that, Dad. She saved my life." He raked a hand over his head.

Orin snarled. "No, she almost got you killed. She gave you a passing grade, when you failed the written tests."

Orwen shook his head. "If she bumped my grades, she had a good reason."

Orin's eyes bugged out. "I can't imagine what that could be."

Orwen's voice dropped to a low tone. "Then try this one on, Dad. She did it to prove to the one person in the universe—namely you—that I don't have what it takes to fly." His voice hissed to a whisper on the last three words before he met and held his dad's gaze. "And I never will, because I don't want to." He didn't look away when Orin flinched as if struck.

Casey's heart broke for the youngest Stephas, but pride filled her at his show of conviction. That probably needed to be said a long time ago. And she now wondered if Orwen had an inkling of what she'd done because he didn't seem surprised at all.

This story took a couple of turns I didn't expect, and I'm having a lot of fun writing Oliver and Casey.

 

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

ML Skye