Had a fun time at
my high school reunion on Saturday … even though it was very hot and super
humid. Got to see people I haven't seen in absolute ages. So nice to catch up
with everyone.
Weather has been a
little wild. Big temperature swings again. We've also had some rumbling
thunderstorms with interesting lightning. We're supposed to have a very rainy
week with more storms rolling through so that should be fun.
Had a busy work
week with a few projects coming in for final touches and should be getting
close to the finish line. Made more progress on the developmental edit I've
been working on and might be close to finishing that one up also. Finished up a
proofread and started a new copy edit. Not a bad week.
Made it through my
usual slate of shows so had a good viewing week also. I even got to finish up
one of my backburner shows. I'll be starting a new series this week and I'm looking
forward to picking one out. I also did another Death in Paradise binge
on Sunday.
Caught an episode
of Marple and rather enjoyed the twists and turns. It was kind of fun to
have the show set during the holiday season but not be overtly holidayish.
Finished up Ireland
Coast and Country. Enjoyed the dip into some of the country's locations and
remarkable scenery.
Started season four
of Beyond Paradise. Fun episode setting up a big quandary for Humphrey.
I'm kind of excited to see what hijinks Humph and Martha get into with
renovating their new house. Very happy to be revisiting Shipton Abbot.
Caught another
episode of Poirot and actually enjoyed seeing him in a very different
setting. The mystery had some interesting twists and I liked that.
Elementary ended on a concerning note and I'm glad I
can drop right into the next season without a long wait. Happy to have the
Shinwell murder resolved, and I'm truly thrilled that Moriarty isn't the mystery
woman, even though her identity makes me sad.
Watched another
episode of Young Justice and enjoyed watching the team come together even
when they were on the outs.
Finished up season
four of Star Trek Lower Decks and, seriously, I'm going to miss this
show so much. I loved everything about this finale … except one thing. Losing a
team member sucked but at least there's a chance she'll return.
Also finished up an
episode of Peak Practice. It ended up being a pretty good one but had a
lot going on. So happy Tom finally owned his feelings!
That's the life
update this week. Tonight's post is from Founder's Day Flames, a novella
in the Capital City Seasons universe.
Here's the
miniblurb:
An arsonist strikes Capital City, setting blazes, each
more devastating than the last, on the lead up to the Founder's Day holiday,
which falls on Beltane. Graham McClain is called on to analyze the firebug's
actions and help get a handle on his next move. Fire captain Prima Alton reluctantly
works closely with Graham and together they discover she plays a role in the
culprit's twisted fantasies.
And a sneaky peek…
Graham slid his gaze toward the
lovely woman walking next to him. Her almost military bearing actually kind of
turned Graham on. Which … yeah … not what he came her for.
Get your mind on the job, dumbass.
She paused by a door marked with
the words situation room.
"I'm Prima Alton, by the way." She thrust her palm forward. "I
can't say it's nice to meet you because you already know how I feel about you
being here." Her gaze met his.
Graham's lips quirked. "Graham
McClain, as you know. And there's nothing like total honesty. I'm actually a
sucker for being in on the secret." He clasped her palm. "I
appreciate knowing what I'm dealing with because it inevitably saves
time." Following her into the situation room he couldn't hide his
surprise. "This is amazing … er, do you prefer being addressed as
Captain?" His gaze swept over the stacks of files up to the maps with
pinpoints in each location of previous burns.
His counterpart made a stuttering
step before she smoothly turned to face him. "I don't really have anything
specific I like. Rank is fine or my name." Her gaze darted to the slowly
closing door. "If we're going to be working closely, names are probably
best." She focused back on him. "Um, unless you prefer to stay with
professional titles." Her fingers flexed almost as if she fought the urge
to make fists.
Graham lifted his chin. "You
haven't quite decided if we're going to be working together close or otherwise
yet. But I'm happy for first names." He walked over to the large map of
Capital City hanging on the wall to give her a little space.
She'd flushed a plucky shade of
pink when he called her out on how their relationship would or wouldn't go. He
could read the room well enough to know she didn't want interference with her
work. And he completely got why she wouldn't.
That said, he had a job to do and taking
credit from her didn't have to be part of the task.
Prima cleared her throat. "I'm
making the worst first impression and I don't know why it's bothering me."
She moved to stand beside him. "But it is, and I'm sorry. This … you … kind
of came unexpectedly and I don't always react well to surprises." Angling
her head, she nodded toward the table. "If you're ready, we can get
started on reviewing what I have so far."
Graham moved to the table and
waited for Prima to pick a spot before he settled in. He liked that she took a
place at the head of the table, leaving him to sit with everything facing him.
He retrieved the first pile of folders and opened the top one.
Prima sat quietly, while he skimmed
through the information. Occasionally, he had questions about data and she
responded with clear, concise answers. He found a kindred spirit in the notes
and files.
Graham finished reviewing her
charts and graphs. "I'm seriously impressed with your research." He
glanced upward. "You get it, don't you?" He'd never really met anyone
else who did.
Prima tilted her head. "Get
what?" Her gaze narrowed a little.
Graham swept his hand over the
piles of folders and notes. "The way information has power and a vibe all
of its own." And data held the answers they would need.
Her eyes widened. "Yes." She
leaned forward. "That's what you mean by it talks to you, isn't it?"
He grunted. "Yep. And if you
listen closely, all is revealed." Patterns emerged and pieces fell in
place.
She sat back. "Huh. I never
thought of it that way." Her gaze met his again. "I'm surprised by
your easy manner. I haven't been very welcoming and that would put a lot of
people off." She shook her head. "But you aren't put off at
all."
Graham shrugged. "It's hard to
have someone come in and scrutinize your work. Especially with a ticking clock
getting louder and louder in the background." He pulled three of the
folders out and placed them in the middle of the table. "I'm not here to dampen
your efforts. My goal is to add a second set of eyes and ears and collaborate
with you to resolve this before anyone else gets hurt." He tapped the
middle file.
Prima's gaze focused on the
information. "You think I missed something…" Her shoulders drooped.
Graham made a back-and-forth motion
with his head. "No, I think there's an avenue you haven't explored yet,
which is not the same as missing key details." He paused, waiting for her
reaction.
Her response would determine how
he'd handle his next step.
I'm having a lot of
fun with this one. Graham and Prima are going to do wonderful things together.
That's it for this
week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
No comments:
Post a Comment