Sunday Snippet: Cupid's Folly

Ugh. So many small irritants combined to make the week rather challenging. Car problems, house problems, and too many things hitting at once. I'll get through it all, but I'm stressing out, which isn't fun.

The great news is we didn't lose power even with the wild back and forth temperatures. I have a feeling April won't be much better than March when it comes to stabilizing the weather patterns. If only the world could figure out what's causing all the bizarre weather. Yes, that's sarcasm. The world knows what the problem is.

Got a lot of work completed over the week. I have four main projects on my schedule and I'm plugging away at all of them. Finishing up two but have two more waiting in the wings. I also have a couple of backburner projects that I'll be dipping into again.

Had a semi-decent viewing week. Two of my projects involve some tedious cleanup and it's nice to have something on in the background to keep things interesting. I made it through most of my usual shows.

I started with Foyle's War and enjoyed the episode. Kind of sad to see his female counterpart moved to the sidelines again. Lovely to see Sam help her husband get elected as an MP.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise. I remembered most of this one and enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from other shows I've watched set in Australia.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Really fun to see a couple of very young costars in this one. Also thoroughly enjoyed the mystery.

Elementary had a great episode. I didn't quite make it all the way through because I got distracted, but I enjoyed it.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I'm about two episodes from the end of the series and I need to decide what I'll be watching next. Maybe a Justice League series.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks and very much enjoyed watching Boimler lose his mind. Very fun!

I also had a chance to use my library membership to watch a Stevie Nicks concert via the Kanopy app. I'm going to work hard to make sure I'm taking advantage of everything my local libraries offer. The concert was so good!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Cupid's Folly, a novella that brings a couple together after they definitely get off on the wrong foot.

Here's the miniblurb:

Jinx Jersey just signed on as the XO of the Cupid's Folly, captained by Alrick Cates and he's given her fair warning she picked the worst time to start her new post and develop an attraction for him. The pleasure ship is booked solid for the couples' cruise, and they don't have time for romance.

And a sneaky peek…

Alrick paced back and forth on the bridge. "Moving on from the update on XO Barrick, while he's out, the civilian board saw fit to assign a temporary executive officer." He paused. "Jinx Jersey will be joining us for this cruise." And only this cruise. "A word of warning. She's brand new. You know what the couple's cruise is like. I'm warning you to not get any ideas." He started walking back and forth again. "The XO is off limits—" He broke off when he glanced up to find Jinx, looking incredible in her uniform, gazing at him with rage in her eyes.

Dammit, she would show up early. Yep. And she caught you out, dumbass.

She lifted her chin. "Sorry for interrupting." Moving further onto the bridge, her gaze never leaving his, she tilted her head. "Did I miss the memo about the earlier briefing?"

Dead silence met her question and none of the others would meet her gaze when she swept it around the assembled crew members. Which answered her query clearly enough. And Alrick kind of hated how bad they all looked right now.

Jinx gave a nod. "I see. Well then, let me apologize for dragging you all from your racks earlier than usual." She found a seat and got settled, smoothing her features into efficient professionalism. "Captain, if you'll continue the briefing…"

A measure of respect nudged its way into him, but he squashed it. He'd give her two full shifts before one of his crew or the passengers made a play for the little sexpot.

Flipping his folder open, he finished the briefing by giving everyone their assigned posts for the launch. "Any concerns?" He closed the file.

Jinx rose. "I have one." She addressed the other officers. "Will any of you have a problem taking orders from me?" She stood with her shoulders squared and her hands behind her back, a military stance.

All crew members shook their leads.

Jinx slowly met Alrick's gaze. "Well, Captain, guess it's a good thing my magnificent rack won't get in the way of my mouth issuing orders, isn't it?" She gave him a nod. "If there's nothing else, I'll be at my assigned post." She made a crisp turn and exited the bridge to head for the aft section of the ship where she'd oversee making sure the cargo got secured in the hold.

Alrick stood in stunned silence for a full minute, gazing at the empty spot she'd vacated. She hadn't raised her voice. She didn't show outward disrespect toward him or any of the crew. She had been quietly restrained when faced with his unwarranted hostility.

A throat clearing snapped his attention back to the bridge.

He blinked, his vision clearing to find raised eyebrows and questioning gazes directed his way. "Right. That's it. You're all dismissed."

A very low hum of buzzing voices started as soon as the crew cleared the bridge, with the exception of remaining members taking their places at their stations. Their almost eerie silence unnerved him. Normally, the chatter of prelaunch acted as his guidepost.

Five minutes later, Alrick finally grasped how his new XO had pretty much handed him his ass with brutal calm and served it up on a platter with lethal coldness. And showed him just how much of a dick he could be.

And, damned if wasn't the hottest thing I've ever seen.

Having a lot of fun with this story. Jinx and Alrick have a lot of friction, but they also have a lot of attraction.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Cupid's Folly

February has been the oddest month. Between weird weather and random catastrophes, it's been a doozy. I'm kind of happy to be welcoming March in this week.

Finished up a work project and made really great progress on one of the others. I'm blessed with authors who turn revisions around in record time. It's very helpful and keeps their work fresh in my mind.

I also made some progress on my new venture. Only a tiny amount, but it makes me happy to chip away at my to-do list. Brings me a wee bit closer to be able to launch.

Didn't get a lot of television watched, but I did finish up Strangest Things. I have so much fun listening to the experts discuss the weird and wonderful artifacts.

I also continued my Battlestar Galactica rewatch. This week's episode was one of my favorites, "Bastille Day." Some truly excellent parallels about picking a side and being true to a set of core beliefs.

I also started season two of The Mandalorian. I hoped to finish up Ms. Marvel before starting another Star Wars show, but I want to be up to date for season three.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Cupid's Folly, a novella that charts the somewhat fraught course my main characters take to their happy ending.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jinx Jersey just signed on as the XO of the Cupid's Folly, captained by Alrick Cates and he's given her fair warning she picked the worst time to start her new post and develop an attraction for him. The pleasure ship is booked solid for the couples' cruise and they don't have time for romance.

And a sneaky peek…

Jinx tamped down her nervous excitement and entered the captain's office. "Jinx Jersey, reporting for duty." She set the temporary transfer papers on his desk.

She kept her gaze on him, resisting the urge to let it dart everywhere. She loved getting familiar with new ships. And she had a new one she could check off her list—a great big civilian cruise liner.

Basking in the happy vibe, it took her a full minute to realize the captain, Alrick Cates had yet to greet or even acknowledge her presence. He sat behind his desk, a less-than-thrilled look on his face, and studied her. His brows furrowed and his mouth set in a deep, angry slash.

He tossed a hand up. "Unbelievable. I can't believe they sent someone like you." He rose and came around the desk, propping his butt on the edge. "This is the worst time to sign on. The couples' cruises get crazy and I don't have time to babysit someone who's too pretty for the work."

What should've sounded like a backhanded compliment instead sounded like Alrick Cates giving her shit. All before he'd even introduced himself. What a guy.

Not one to back down in the face of asinine rudeness, Jinx narrowed her gaze. "Excuse me?" How did they get off on the wrong foot when she'd only been aboard the ship for ten minutes?

Shaking his head, Alrick did a slow circle around her. "You're going to get hit on nonstop." He paused in front of her. "That magnificent rack of yours will act like a honey trap and, no doubt, have men frothing at the mouth." He made a disgusted sound.

Jinx ignored the blatant baiting. "It's a couples' cruise. My name is not included on the passenger manifest." Her job didn't include getting down and dirty with paying cruisers.

Alrick grunted and lifted his chin. "Right. The point is to become a couple while on the trip. Most of the passengers don't care if they hook up with other cruisers or crew." He sent her a withering look. "As long as they hook up."

Okay, fine. She didn't have experience with the horny crowds, but getting a solid gander at Alrick's physique had her wondering what had his shorts in a twist. Unless he thought she'd cramp his style.

Jinx rolled her eyes. "You can't tell me you don't receive a lot of attention. I mean look at you..." She let her gaze travel from his boots to his still-unhappy, but extremely handsome, face.

Broad shoulders, chiseled cheekbones, muscles in all the right places. Yep. He'd draw a good deal of attention. Until he opened his mouth.

He frowned. "I'm very good at putting women off." He waved a hand.

Jinx gave him a bland look. No doubt he is.

She tilted her head. "You're very cranky for a guy who hasn't hit thirty." She folded her arms over her chest. "Look, my record speaks for itself. I can handle—"

Alrick gave a rude snort. "Your record is notated by horny old men who can't see past your tits and teeth." He shook his head. "I can't believe they assigned you—"

Jinx didn't let him finish. She drew her arm back and let her fist fly. First impressions be damned.

I love this couple so much. Jinx won't take any of Alrick's crap and he's due for an education on how not to piss off his new XO.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Cupid's Folly

February 16, 2020

Ugh. What a rough week. I've been battling some wicked-bad insomnia lately and I hate walking around like a zombie and trying to catch some much-needed rest whenever I can. Not a fun time.

I did have a wonderful revelation on Thursday, which was my youngest's eighteenth birthday. To date, the husband and I have successfully raised three offspring to adulthood. Now to get her through prom and graduation then off to college. LOL

Slow week for television, mainly due to the insomnia. I caught a full arc of Classic Who and had a thought… the Daleks have been around for a long, long time. Just saying.

Got back into Gargoyles and watched a couple of episodes. The second season is super long and it'll be a while before I get through all of the various stories.

Watched a few episodes of Danger Man. This is pretty much a rewatch of the series for me, but it's nice to have a thirty-minute show to sink into while I'm doing dishes or cooking dinner.

Caught an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and finally discovered what would happen with the neighbors. I'd forgotten about the hotel detective and his mad vendetta against Murdoch. All in all, a satisfying wrap-up to the storyline. Sadly, the widow might end up rearing her vengeful head at some point in the series. That should be interesting.

I watched another episode of Arrow and I can honestly say I'm impressed with Stephen's performance. He brings the emotional element to the screen every episode. That said, he mentioned in an interview that Emily's decision to not be involved in most of season eight made the show feel kind of wrong (absolutely paraphrasing here) because Felicity is the heart of the show and no Felicity means no heart. I totally get that. But… it's kind of cool to see the reunions Oliver is having with people from his past. Talia and Thea teaming up could be a show on its own, especially if Nyssa got involved at some point. Just saying. Also really interesting to see what's going on in the futurescape, especially with the twist at the end of the episode.

Getting ready to start an episode of Riverdale and watch the premiere episode of Strike Back's final season. I also plan to watch the Passionflix original, The Will sometime this week. Looking forward to some great screentime.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Cupid's Folly, a novella that got a start with a brainstorming session with a fellow author.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jinx Jersey just signed on as the XO of the Cupid's Folly, captained by Alrick Cates and he's given her fair warning she picked the worst time to start her new post and develop an attraction for him. The pleasure ship is booked solid for the Valentine holiday and they don't have time for romance.

And a sneaky peek…

Captain Alrick Cates read through the pre-flight memos concerning the Cupid's Folly.

He lamented this run. "Gah, I hate the couples' cruises." Actually, he disliked pleasure cruises in general.

He longed to be back on a military ship. Missed the rank and structure, the precise need for people to be in a specific location doing important work. Civilian passengers could be fun sometimes but often they were nothing more than a huge pain in the ass.

He picked up the last document and growled. "What the hell?" The civilian board assigned him a new member of staff for a couples' cruise. "And not just any new member… but an acting XO. Oh, no way." His XO picked now to have surgery?

Okay, an operation the man had been putting off for several months, but the damned timing had been on purpose. Paton Barrick abhorred couples' cruises worse than Alrick. Setting the notation aside, he dug down and pulled out the personnel file.

Quickly reading the information on his new second in command, Alrick slammed the folder shut. "Brand fucking new. They're sending me a barely graduated newb to act as my XO." Is the civilian board trying to send me over the brink?

Alrick got up and paced back and forth. He could call and demand someone with experience. Someone who could weather a shitstorm of on-the-prowl men and women with a sole purpose of finding true love in five ports or less.

Sitting back down, he grabbed the handset. "No way am I dealing with a green officer who has zero experience." He grabbed the file again and propped it open.

The name caught his attention first. Jinx Jersey. The rating hit him next. She'd graduated at the top of her class with off the chart marks. Frowning, he hung the receiver back in the cradle. He needed to dig into her credentials—

A rapid series of knocks sounded on the hatch.

Alrick closed the folder again. "Enter." Meeting with this Jinx Jersey couldn't hurt, right?

I'm enjoying this story. I might end up shifting this away from a Valentine romance, but the main thrust of the plot won't change much if I do. Alrick is still going to be cranky about having a new XO on one of the toughest cruises to get through.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Cupid's Folly

Gotham continues to intrigue me. I'm a little lost when it comes to Leigh and what's going on with her, but I'm in for the ride. The double Bruce's are definitely interesting so here's hoping that story pays off in a good way.

Still behind on Agents of SHIELD. Gotta try and catch up before the new episode.

The Flash kicked butt. I'll be disappointed if the whole resetting of the timeline keeps happening though. That said, it seems like there are some solid repercussions, which I'm totally down with.

Arrow also rocked. I'm thrilled to have the Russian storyline for the flashbacks. According to the scuttlebutt, this is the last year for flashbacks so I plan to enjoy. Moving forward, I'll be interested to see how things play out. Maybe they'll do futurescapes or something.

In all honesty, Van Helsing isn't quite doing it for me. I'll give it the rest of the season to see if the storyline improves. I'd really like to fall for this show.

MacGyver is seriously not bad. I do love the callbacks to the original but also the updated vibe of the new. I'm interested in the whole father thing, because the impression is Mac's is still living. That should be a fun twist.

Not sure I'm looking forward to The Walking Dead's premiere. I may skip the opener and watch The Talking Dead instead. I've got the same feeling I had during season two, which I ended up skipping.

Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow are up next. We've had football airing on our local CW channel so I might be playing catch up again.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Cupid's Folly, a novella came about from brainstorming holiday stories.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jinx Jersey just signed on as the XO of the Cupid's Folly, captained by Alrick Cates and he's given her fair warning she picked the worst time to start her new post and develop an attraction for him. The pleasure ship is booked solid for the Valentine holiday and they don't have time for romance.

And a sneaky peek…

Jinx Jersey rushed to unlock her door and dashed to the buzzing comm unit. "Jersey." She dropped her groceries to the floor and flipped the video unit on.

The commodore of the interstellar admiralty greeted her. "Jersey, I'm glad I caught you. I was afraid you'd gone off to parts unknown like many of your classmates." He sat straight and tall behind his desk, a frown marring his stately features.

Melville Stern had a no-nonsense attitude that matched his name.

Jinx bit back a smirk. She'd had more than enough of parts unknown recently. She welcomed a little less excitement and more steady work. She planned to celebrate her graduation with a home-cooked meal and a bottle of wine.

She gave her former instructor a wide smile. "Not me, sir. The grocery store is exotic enough for the moment." Waving a hand, she indicated the bags at her feet.

He chuckled. "Well, good news for me. And you, too. I have a spot available for you on the Cupid's Folly, if you're interested." He keyed information into his console, which showed up on her viewscreen, pushing his image to the bottom left corner. "She's docked in Mayweather Station and I can arrange transport if you accept the post." He quirked an eyebrow.

Jinx quickly scanned the ship schematics on her monitor. Holy shit. A pleasure cruiser. A major step up from the heavy freighters she'd most recently flown on. And a nice gig for a newly commissioned employee of the interstellar flight corps.

The commodore cleared his throat. "Look, Jersey, if you'd rather wait—"

Jinx cut in. "No! No, please, I'll take it." She saved the schematics to her palm device. "I'm surprised. Figured I'd be lower on the call list and have to wait a while." Most graduates were warned it could at least a month, sometimes two, before placement would begin.

Stern leaned forward. "Your previous experience moved you up to the third spot. And your grades nudged you even higher." A note of pride crept into his voice.

A flash of regret speared through Jinx at the mention of her former line of work. She'd left the enforcement corps for good reasons, none of which her military family appreciated.

But she'd gained a wealth of knowledge about ships—freighters, pleasure cruisers, and the armada of frigates, destroyers, and carriers. Having a leg up proved to be an advantage for landing a job.

Jinx acknowledged his praise. "Thank you, sir. When do I report?" She slid a glance toward the groceries she'd purchased, hoping she'd have time to use some.

The commodore entered the details and transferred them. "I found a transport to Mayweather the day after tomorrow. This trip departs from there and ends at Babylon with stops at Hannaker, Tomika, and Concorde." He swiped his finger over the files and sent them to her monitor.

Holy shit. She landed a long cruise right out of the gate. A victory dance would happen as soon as this call ended.

Stern folded his hands on the desk and added one final detail. "And Jersey? You're signing on as the acting XO. The regular executive officer is down for surgery and can't make the trip. I'm confident you can handle the job."

Acting XO?

Jinx scraped her jaw off the floor. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." She resisted the urge to fist-pump the air.

The commodore gave her a nod. "See that you don't, Jersey." The screen went blank.

Jinx stood still for one moment then sashayed and spun all around her small apartment.

She couldn't wait to get aboard the Cupid's Folly and prove her mettle.

I'm hoping to have this one ready to go by Valentine's Day. I'm looking forward to seeing it release.

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

ML Skye