Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

Bleh. I've been fighting a yucky cold all week and I'm feeling a little better but not quite 100 percent. I'd be happy if the coughing could be a wee bit less.

Weather has been steadily warming up. We've dipped back down a couple of times but thankfully it's been gradual without the wild forty-degree swings in twenty-four hours. Been getting a lot of rain, which is causing high water and some flooding. Combine that with ongoing construction and the onset of tree-trimming and getting anywhere is something of a challenge. It pays to leave early.

Another busy work week. Finished up another proofread, continued work on one, and started an assessment read through. Also finished up a read through on another project that keeps lingering in the shadows. Started a new proofread that's a lot of fun so far.

Had a decent viewing week even though I slept a lot because of the yuck. I made it all the way through my usual slate of shows and added an addition to the lineup.

Started off with My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery along with getting more Harry backstory. I think the next two episodes are a two-parter that makes the finale. Can't wait to watch.

Watched the first behind the scenes for Foyle's War. Kind of enjoyed seeing the process of how they do what they do to film the period specific series.

Finished up the first season of Return to Paradise. I have no idea when season two will be available on the streaming platform, but I'll look forward to it.

Caught another episode of Poirot and completely enjoyed poor Japp trying to manage on his own then having a harder time after accepting Poirot's invitation to stay with him. Fun to see Miss Lemon's sister.

Elementary ended up being very entertaining. The twisty start proved interesting and Joan's advice to Sherlock turned out to be great. I love where their relationship is at this point.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and had completely forgotten about this one. I think I have one more left before I'll need to find a new series to watch or rewatch.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks and quite enjoyed learning about Tendi's pirate past. Always fun to see characters from other Trek shows pop up in the episodes and Deep Space Nine counts as a character. Just saying.

I continued to use my Kanopy tickets to watch Fleetwood Mac: The Dance. This was such a great concert film, with quite a few surprises. Glad I got to watch.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dance with Destiny, a follow-up to An Answer to Fate.

Here's the miniblurb:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And a sneaky peek…

Quillan rapped on the hatch outside the elder Paladino's quarters. Her stomach rolled a little, because she didn't quite know how to deliver the good news to Jeb's dad.

The large metal door opened wide and Jonah greeted her. "Quillan. It's good to see you." He stepped back, indicated she should enter.

She crossed the threshold and didn't mince words. "Sir, I have something to say. It’s important and you need to sit down." The words rushed from her mouth in one breath.

Jonah Paldino gave her a very long considering look but turned and sank down onto the long sofa secured to the deck in his quarters.

Quillan paced back and forth for a moment, then opted to settle next to him.

She faced Jonah, taking his hand. "Jeb's bond is his word, right?" Starting small seemed like a good choice.

Jonah hissed out a startled gasp. "I haven't heard that phrase in years." He narrowed his eyes. "Why am I hearing it now?"

Quillan exhaled and drew in a calming breath. "Sir, you might not believe this, but I have a story to tell you."

Jonah didn't speak, but he lifted his chin, showing his willingness to listen.

Quillan started weaving the tale. "A long time ago, when Jeb was what? Ten or so? You stitched up a jagged gash along his hairline." She paused a moment. "He spent the night on the base while you took Dinah to Holly Brook." Pausing again, she tried to gauge Jonah's reaction.

Wariness entered his gaze, but he stayed silent.

Quillan took that as a sign to continue. "When you arrived on base, you woke Jeb up and explained Dinah wouldn't be going with you to Bannock."

Jonah narrowed his eyes. "That's a matter of military record, Quillan. And old history." He grunted. "What's the important part about this?"

Quillan pressed on. "I'm getting to it, Sir." She held his gaze. "Dinah had one request. She didn't want anyone to know the true reason she wouldn't be traveling with you. And that reason is the fact she inflicted the injury on Jeb that you stitched up—" She broke off because Jonah made a garbled choking sound, but she rushed to get the truth all out. "Her only request was that you and Jeb keep that secret and he gave his bond that he would. And he did … until now." Or at least until thirty minutes ago.

Jonah blinked and shook his head. "What are saying here? How can you possibly know—" He stopped speaking then pinned her with a hard look. "Jeb wouldn't … he couldn't … he would not break his bond, unless…" His voice trailed off.

Quillan nodded. "Unless he needed you to believe what I'm going to say next." She took both of Jonah's hands in hers. "Jeb didn't die. When Ashford left, he took Jeb with him and delivered him to a base on a planet manned by cyborg forces."

Jonah's shoulders slumped and relief entered his gaze. "He's alive? You're certain?" Wonder filled his voice.

Quillan's head bobbed up and down. "Yes. And there's more you should know."

Jonah settled back. "I'm listening. Give me everything you know."

Quill filled the old man in, leaving nothing out. She talked about how Jeb had access to ancient texts and books and already had a loose plan to use those to his advantage. She revealed how the hybot offered assistance. She even told him about being a telepath. And she warned him about Ashford getting ready to possibly return to the base. Obviously crushed by his former friend's betrayal, the old man mentioned being very good at bluffing.

He squeezed her hands. "And for Jeb, I'll be more than good … until I no longer need to be." His voice dropped to a snarl. "Then Ty is mine."

Quillan didn't argue. As much as she'd like to put Ashford into an air lock and release him out into space, she figured thirty years of being played by a supposed friend gave Jonah the right to mete out whatever punishment he deemed necessary.

Jonah leaned back against the cushions. "Keep me in the loop with private briefings. Right now, you and I are the only people who need to know Jeb's alive."

Quillan hedged a little. "I can do that, but it might start to look weird." She didn't have a lot of reasons to chat with the base commanding officer.

Jonah considered for a moment. "How about a weekly dinner? Or however often we need it?" He shrugged. "Sharing our grief and love for Jeb won't draw attention. At least not much." Humor filled his eyes.

Quillan nodded slowly. "Yeah, that could work. There'll be scuttlebutt no matter what, but Jeb being the link can't really be questioned." Her heart danced in her chest at his show of wit.

With a workable solution for exchanging information, Quillan exited her CO's quarters, her step lighter than it had been in ages. The old man believed her. And she literally watched life take hold of him again with purpose.

Now, she only had to wait on another visit from Jeb.

I love where this story is going. Quillan and Jeb are finding their groove … again.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

Very busy week with work projects and client calls. My youngest was also in the UK over her spring break for a study abroad program. She's back in the States today.

Weather is all over the place, which is typical for March. We had sunny and warm followed by chilly and rainy, followed by brrrrr! and some flurries. I can't wait to see what the next two or three weeks brings to the playing field.

Had an okay week for television. I didn't get back on my regular schedule, but I did get a few things watched.

Started out with some Classic Rugrats. Only watched one episode but enjoyed it. I always like the episodes where Angelica is bested by the babies.

Watched another episode of Midsomer Murders. I'm kind of bummed Barnaby's degree in psychology isn't a thing anymore. I enjoyed that aspect in the first few seasons of John's tenure.

I finished an episode of Endeavor and enjoyed it. Glad to be back into this show. I'm a few seasons behind but I'll get caught up eventually.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. This one started a new arc and I'm excited to see where it goes. There might have been a hint about Ace's mom and I want to see if pans out.

Completed season twenty of Silent Witness. Really liked how the episode played out and I'm interested in how Nikki and Jack deal with the fallout of their trip to Mexico.

Watched another episode of Strangest Things. A couple of interesting features in this one, especially the bat bomb that destroyed an entire air force base.

Also started a new episode of The Mandalorian. I'll finish it up later today while I prep for the new season.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Dance with Destiny, the second novella in a trio of books.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And a sneaky peek…

Quillan Jaymes headed back to quarters after the shared-grief moment in the memorial hall. "Nice to be there for the old man." And, well, Jeb's dad kind of returned the favor for her.

She hit her rack and let the exhaustion finally claim her. Started to nod off when an odd feeling hit. A warm, comforting presence.

Her lips curved a little. "Reminds me of when Jeb would wrap his arms around me in the middle of the night." She smiled sleepily and drifted deeper toward slumber, thinking how people, namely her, took comfort in the strangest things.

A moment … or a minute … or an hour later, she jerked awake and could almost swear she'd heard Jeb call out her name. He sounded far away, but she'd know his voice anywhere.

Shaking off the weird feeling, she rolled over and tried to fall back asleep.

But … she heard it again. Louder this time.

"Quillan. Quillan."

Her eyes drooped and she burrowed into the pillow.

"Quillan."

The voice came again, but she didn't let it pull her from slumber this time.

"Quillan!!" The impatient tone Jeb used when he got cranky cut through.

She lurched upward and cracked her head on the rack above hers. "God dammit. I'm going insane." She swung her legs over the edge of the bunk, intent on finding Doc Marsh or a medic, hell anyone, to score some sleeping pills.

"Quillan. Talk to me, dammit."

She shook her head, disbelief settling in. "Doesn't it just figure."

Holy hell. Jeb Paldino had come back to haunt her.

She had to be insane. Her captivity had finally caught up to her—the only explanation she could deal with at the moment. Her head spun, her vision blurred, and Quillan took the only option left open. She tumbled sideways and passed out cold.

This story is coming together in a weird way, but I like where it's going. Quillan and Jeb are fun to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

March 1, 2020

Well … the beginning of my birthday week is off to a chilly start. The good news is the temps are supposed to warm up this week, which is kind of nice. I could use a little mild weather to improve my mood. The other good news is our new roof did indeed fix the leak situation. We had several days of icy rain and no drips!

Busy week on the work front again. I like having multiple projects but a particularly brutal edit made for a long seven days. I'm looking forward to the new week.

Light viewing schedule for television. I needed to focus on work in a big way. I finished up the premiere episode of Strike Back and, okay, Coltrane's attitude improved. Hmm. Maybe not improved, but at least I get why he's kind of off the rails. A terrific episode overall.

Watched two more episodes of Gargoyles and I think I missed both in the original run. I enjoyed viewing the new-to-me ones.

Caught another episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed the somewhat insane mix of past and present in the aptly titled "Present Tense" episode. I'm looking forward to a return to Russia in the next one.

Watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and quite liked revisiting an old nemesis of William's, especially since he's been somewhat converted into an ally. I also loved the intrigue of having Brackenreid's daughter meet his wife.

Stared an episode of Riverdale and got sidetracked with work. I'm hoping to finish up soon and maybe see the end of the farmies once and for all. Fingers crossed.

Other than the above, I caught an airing of Grease 2, which is actually one of my all-time favorite movies. I even like it better than the original. I also did a marathon of mystery movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Dance with Destiny, book two in a trilogy I'm currently calling the Destiny series. An actual title will hopefully be forthcoming.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And a sneaky peek…

Jeb Paldino jolted awake. "What the hell?" Memories assailed him.

Victor's setup of Quillan. Ashford's betrayal. And everyone thinks I'm dead because of it.

He groaned. "Including Quillan." He didn't know how he had the knowledge, but she'd made it back to the fleet.

A barrage of images flooded his mind. Quick snatches showing how Quillan escaped, of Ty loading Jeb on the transport, how Quill sat in an isolation chamber with fluids being pumped into her, and how he, apparently, ended up in his current location. Shaking his head, Jeb fought a wave of nausea trying to climb up his throat. For whatever odd reason, he didn't question the information pinging in his brain.

And he believed the depiction of events.

Exhaling slowly, he swung his gaze around the space. "Not much on decoration." Plain gray walls, no windows, and the distinct lack of an engine's hum. "I'm not on a ship." He had no clue whether that even mattered.

He tried to stand but a sharp, stabbing throb pounded at his temples. "Okay, not ready for that yet." But he didn't want to recline either.

The lack of restraints indicated his captors didn't worry about him escaping. Which probably meant he couldn't, or if he did, he'd have nowhere to go. A gentle wash of a large stone structure surrounded by dense forests on all sides sifted through his mind.

 Again, a mild roiling of his stomach hit when the image faded. "Yeah, yeah, I get the message." He'd love to know how the weird form of communication happened.

For now, he'd play the waiting game. And think.

Because a traitor held one of the top ranks in the military and Jeb had to get his head wrapped around how to deal with the knowledge. After that, he could figure out where the hell he'd been taken and how to get back to the fleet.

Because he would get home. He had a future with Quillan he wanted to start living.

I truly love where this story is going and the sages are feeding me info on the third book also. My goal is to finish all three before releasing anything, mainly so I don't lose the intricacies of the plot points.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

October 23, 2016

What a great week in television for writing inspiration. I love to do my weekly roundup of viewing fare because it always gets my creative juices flowing. Sundays tend to be great writing days. LOL

Gotham might be having its best season yet. Truly, I love everything about it so far. I'm hoping the momentum continues and the show doesn't crash and go off the rails.

The Flash remains excellent. Loved seeing Jessie and Wells again. Also like the slow reveal of Caitlyn's issues. I'll leave it there for folks who aren't caught up yet.

Agents of SHIELD had a great episode. Everyone is finally back in the fold and it's time to move the story along.

Once again, Arrow proved to be awesome. Overall, it's still my favorite show. I love how they worked Quentin into the storyline and the way it went down. He makes so much sense for the new role he's taking on. Looking forward to the next episode to see how things go with Diggle.

Legends of Tomorrow also brought a great episode to my screen. I'm enjoying how hard the team is finding being an actual team. Very interested in seeing what happens with the new guy. Between Gideon and the two resident geniuses, I think he'll be alright.

MacGyver stayed fun. I have a fondness for train hijinks and the show delivered a terrific episode with a last minute save. Can't ask for more.

As usual, Van Helsing left me a little "meh". It's probably time to drop the updates since I'm not completely into the show. Sadly.

And that's it for television this week. I'll have some feelings about Murdoch Mysteries in the next post. YAY!

Tonight's post is from Dance with Destiny, a novella that continues the story in An Answer to Fate.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And a sneaky peek…

Another zing. "Damned good thing I haven't seen him." A surge of anger hit. "Thirty years, Quill. Every one of them a lie. How's the old man holding up?"

Quillan didn't know how to answer. She carefully kept the full force of her feelings tamped down. The elder Paldino had stoic down to a fine art. Drawn so taut she feared he'd snap. But the man wouldn't break.

Ever.

She wished he had a little more room to bend.

"Quillan? How's my dad?"

She answered plainly. "He's your old man, Jeb. He moves forward. No matter how much baggage he has to drag along behind him."

His sigh came through, loud and clear. "You need to tell him, Quill. It'll help if he knows I'm alive."

She snorted. "Exactly how should I pull that one off?" She didn't feel his presence as strongly. "Jeb? Help me out here." Just a few more moments… please, Universe.

"Quill? Did you get that?" Jeb's garbled voice finally cut through.

She focused on the sound of his voice. "No. Say it again, Jeb. I can't hear you."

Instead of words, she received a vivid image of Jeb—maybe at age ten—sitting at a table, blood streaking down one side of his face. His mom stood behind him—wearing a look of abject horror—a broken wine bottle clutched in her hand. Jonah Paldino stepped between mom and son, pure rage marring his face.

Quillan gasped and her heart lurched for the men. But another image washed over the first. The replacement showed Jonah stitching up his son's wound.

With a tender hand, he tied off the thread. "She meant that bottle for me, son. You got caught in the crossfire."

Stoic Jeb sighed. "It's not the first time she's smashed an empty bottle, Dad. You're usually not around when she does it."

Jonah snarled. "It's the last time she'll do it." He cut through the string and stooped down, looking Jeb in the eye. "What's my bond?"

Jeb pressed his lips together, holding back a tremulous smile. "Your word, Dad."

"You have it, Jeb." Jonah cupped a hand on Jeb's cheek, rubbing his thumb over the dried blood. "I'm taking your mom to Holly Bend. They'll help her there." Handing Jeb a wet cloth, he ordered. "Get cleaned up. You'll stay on base tonight. Safe and secure. I'll have Ty make a pass for you."

Jeb packed a rucksack and followed his dad to the truck. He didn't ask any questions and probably didn't want answers. He slept curled up under the huge desk in the major's office.

Quillan sucked in a harsh breath. "Geez, Jeb. I had no idea."

His voice echoed softly in her head. "No one did. And they still don't."

A new set of images played in her mind.

Jonah shook his son awake, checking the wound on his head. "You all right?"

Jeb nodded, folding up his bedroll. "Head hurts, but I'm okay."

Jonah directed his son to the overstuffed leather chair. "Son, your mom and I had a long, overdue discussion last night." He settled down in the matching chair set offside from Jeb's. "She's not coming with us to Bannock." The new station orbiting Tular.

Jeb frowned but nodded.

Jonah grasped his hand. "It's not your fault. She and I need you to know it. You're a bright, smart kid. You understand she's angry with me, don't you?"

Jeb answered, solemnly. "Yes, Sir."

Jonah slid off the chair, kneeling in front of Jeb. "Your mom asked for one thing. She doesn't want anyone to know why she's not coming. At least not the real reason." He met and held his son's gaze. "It's a big burden to put on you, keeping her secret. But I'm asking if you can do it." His voice broke. "It's okay if you can't."

Jeb didn't hesitate. "I can do it, Dad. I won't tell anyone about Mom."

Jonah questioned. "Are you certain? It's a big thing to ask."

Jeb nodded. "I'm sure. My bond is my word, Dad."

Jonah reached out and hauled Jeb close. "You're more than I deserve, Jeb."

The picture faded and Quillan dashed tears from her eyes.

"I never told anyone about my mom, Quill. Until now. You share this with my father. He'll believe you."

Quillan snorted. "Bullshit. He'll think I’m nuts."

Jeb chuckled. "Quill, he already thinks you're insane. Tell him. It's the only thing I have that he knows, knows, I've never told anyone."

Quillan smiled. Jonah did consider her slightly crazy, but he appreciated her offbeat humor. Especially since Jeb's death—disappearance.

She cracked a wide grin. "You're not dead." Jonah would flip his shit when he found out.

Jeb sighed. "I thought we established that already, Quillan."

She laughed. "We did. But your dad doesn't know yet." Scooting around, she swung her legs over the edge of her bunk. "I'd better go tell him before I convince myself you're a figment of my imagination." Warmth infused her along with a shot of lustful yearning. "Dammit, Jeb, don't start something you can't possibly finish."

Jeb whispered, "I miss you, Quill. And I don't know when I'll be able to contact you again."

She tried to project everything she felt for him through their connection. "I miss you, too. And something tells me the hybot will make sure you get through again."

Jeb started to fade. "I hope so. Love you. Always."

A sense of emptiness filled her when the contact ended. "I love you, too, Jeb."

A little longer than usual for the preview. I liked how this scene turned out.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

Whew. Busy week. I've managed to almost tame the mountains of laundry I never seem to get caught up with. It's weird to see empty sorting bins. LOL

For this week's post, I'll be previewing a snippet from Dance with Destiny, a follow up to An Answer to Fate. Jeb and Quillan have been through some interesting twists and turns and have to find their way back to each other. There should be one more book that wraps up their whole story.

Here's the tagline:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And here's a wee sneaky peek…

"Quill, I love you."

The same dream came. Jeb always proclaimed his love and she woke up. This time the unsettled feeling didn't linger. Instead calm imbued her and Quillan closed her eyes, breathing deeply, clearing her mind.

She might as well talk to her haunting lover.

Why the hell shouldn't she? Might help with the grief.

"You're more annoying now than ever." She sat back down, deciding to wait on a sleeping aid.

"Ah…there's my snarky woman. Thought maybe I'd lost her somewhere."

"Jeb?"

"About time, Quill. I'm going a little nuts here."

Jeb's voice became stronger, clearer. Didn't have the tunnel-like quality from earlier. Hell, it sounded like he'd taken up residence in her head. "Figures you'd come back to haunt me in full blown Technicolor, complete with fully constructed rooms."

"Ha! You're close, but not quite spot on. I can't haunt you, Quillan. I don't appear to be dead."

"Really? Well, hell." Not dead. She took one moment to let the thrilled relief hit her. "Okay. Okay. I'm gonna run with the idea. What exactly are you doing then? And where is here?"

An image fluttered through her head. The room, filled with books and scrolls, looked as ancient as the texts.

"Right now? I'm sitting in a huge room filled with books."

"You're in a library?"

"Of a sort. Can we move on? I'm not sure how long this connection or whatever will last."

Quillan shook her head. "How, exactly, are you pulling this off?"

Jeb sounded distant. "No clue, but I think I'm communicating through some sort of, well, hell, I'm not really sure." He didn't wait for a response. "There's some bizarre contraption with tubes holding a human captive. I think they've been drugged."

Son of a bitch. Quillan knew exactly what he meant. "They call them hybots. The people being held have telepathic ability and the cyborgs use the drugs to dampen everything else. They basically jack them into their ships and make the hostages act as the brain."

He might not be dead, but geez, his position couldn't be worse.

And there you have it. Quillan is going to have her hands full trying to find out where Jeb is located. Have to admit, it's fun trying to keep their close connection even though they're light years apart.

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

ML Skye