Sunday Snippet: Drink Me!

Whew. The week flew by. I'm in a weird place where I'm getting a lot accomplished but feel like I'm spinning my wheels. So bizarre. Felt the same way last week.

We've had chilly, cool weather with rain. And the week ahead looked like it might be soggy also but is now showing no rain in the forecast. Strange.

Had a pretty okay work week. I have a project I thought completed but apparently it hasn't. The author is wordsmithing and making more changes. Something that isn't fun to do once we're in the design proofread stage. That stuff should happen during the copy edit. I'm making good headway on a science book proofread, which is actually great because the science is way over my head. Really interesting book, though. Started a new copy edit on a mystery thriller and it's going to be a twisty turny ride. Also have a developmental edit I need to get back to. Oh, and possibly a new author signing on for a fun project. Excited to see where that goes.

Pretty good viewing week also. I ended up making it through the whole slate of shows and got a few extras in. Not bad!

Started with Foyle's War and watched the first half of the episode. It's truly remarkable how eerily history repeats itself. This show is twenty-years old, and the themes are as relevant today as they were when the show filmed and the history this show is portraying. Uncanny.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Honestly, I love this show so much. There's always a new twist around the corner. And the main cast and recurring characters are so solid.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. Very pleased to see the commissioner working hard to regain the trust of the island. Also love seeing Naomi stepping up. It would be so great to see her take on the role of DI … if the show could alter its course a little.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Nice to see Hastings kind of called out over his advice when his wife asked that he take a holiday. I like these later seasons of the show.

Elementary ended up being interesting. Felt bad for Shinwell. But also enjoyed seeing him strive to be better. Sherlock and Joan also had a twisty case, which ended up going in a direction I didn't expect.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and I really enjoy seeing the team come together. Looks like we'll get to see Artemis in the next episode.

Truly enjoyed an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. Loved the whole vibe with Mariner and Jack. Also loved Rutherford getting his promotion. Looking forward to seeing what the cold open is about later in the season.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice. Gotta say, I didn't expect to be rather sad during the whole episode, but I ended up grabbing tissues before it was over.

Also used some Kanopy tickets and watched The Thin Man, one of my favorite classic films. I really, really wish the other films were available for streaming.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Drink Me! A sexy short featuring the characters from One Hot Mess.

Here's the miniblurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a sneaky peek…

Eva snorted. "Gonna be hard to consider you my mortal enemy now that I know we have this strange detail in common." She slurped another shot down.

Mac blinked and shook his head. "Wait. What? Mortal enemies?" He flung a towel over his shoulder and leaned his forearms on the bar. "There's no way. What's the story?" His gaze shot back and forth between them

Van poured more alcohol into the glasses. "The story is … we're on rival teams and usually snap and snarl at each other between matches." He lifted his shot and toasted her.

Eva smirked. "Even right now, we're playing nicely together, but get us in an arena and all bets are off." She guzzled the drink in one gulp.

Mac huffed out a breath. "Damn. I would've never guessed." He glanced out toward the concourse. "So, you're pro athletes? What're you doing dressed up in costume?"

Van's lips twisted. "Let's just say we're fulfilling a team obligation and leave it at that." His eyes filled with humor.

Eva wagged her finger. "Uh-uh. Although that's true." She leaned in toward Mac. "Van here, didn't think I could pull off anything better than being a sky hawg mechanic." She gave him a pointed look.

Van winced. "To say you proved me wrong is an understatement." He glanced at Mac. "In my defense, I'd never seen her in anything but sky hawg shirts and competition uniforms." He shrugged. "I threw out a challenge and she more than rose to the occasion."

Mac did a slow nod. "Damn straight she did." He huffed out a breath. "If I didn't have a committed relationship with my boyfriend, I'd be tempted." His eyebrows waggled.

Eva laughed. "For a reaction like that, I'm glad I put in the effort." She met Van's gaze. "But get a good look … because this will never happen again. I'm so not into dresses."

Van's gaze did a slow once-over. And Eva experienced a strong pull of desire at the heat lingering there. But … they didn't do stuff like that.

Right?

Having fun with this one. I love writing bonus scenes for other stories.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me (Bonus scene for One Hot Mess)

Had a wild week with several work projects coming in hot and taxiing on the runway. Also had some wild weather, which isn't a big shock. We're supposed to be chilly again sometime next week, which I'm not looking forward to.

Very slow week of viewing. Between the work projects, weather, and an award ceremony for my daughter's university, I didn't get a lot watched.

I did get another episode of Pennyworth watched and, ugh, it kind of broke my heart. The fallout is not going to be pretty, I'm sure.

Watched one my very favorite episodes of Battlestar Galactica with "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down." Seriously, the acting in this episode is beyond stellar. The dinner party from hell has to be one of the funniest scenes in the entire series, which okay, might not be saying much because the subject matter of the series isn't always open to humor. But kudos to the writers for working it in whenever they could.

I also started a new episode of Wednesday and I'm definitely settling in and enjoying the wild ride. The snark is top notch and Wednesday's quest to find answers that keeps generating more questions intrigues me. I love this show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a sexy short bonus read featuring the characters from One Hot Mess.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a preview snippet…

Van poured another round. "Here's to a brief moment of calm in our otherwise intense and blistering schedule." He lifted his glass.

Eva smirked and raised hers. "I'll drink to that." She let the alcohol slide down her throat.

Mesmerized, Van swallowed hard. He couldn't get over seeing a different side to Eva. She never ceased to amaze him. In the arena, she proved to be a stellar opponent, going after points with a warrior's mindset. She dripped with sweat and often blood by the end of a match.

She'd transformed herself tonight and he liked the sultry vixen she revealed. Who knew a veritable siren who loved to flirt existed under the bravado and brash boldness of the athlete? Well, he did … now.

Eva snapped her fingers. "Hey, where'd you go? Please don't make me do something crazy like singing the latest chart-topper…" She chuckled. "Or, even better, an old standby from our grandparents' era." Her finger traced the rim of the tumbler.

Van's eyes widened. "You mean one of those torch songs? The kind they always sang in the smoky jazz clubs?" Color him shocked. "Those date back several centuries ago. How come you're familiar with them?" Her costume made some much sense now.

Eva poured two more shots, the bottle at the halfway mark. "My grandparents were mad for early twentieth-century stuff. Specifically, anything from the nineteen twenties through the sixties." She shrugged. "Their love rubbed off on me."

Van shook his head. "Everything old is new again. Mine loved stuff from even earlier, like the nineteenth century." Hence his detective garb.

Eva flashed a quick smile. "Amazing what you find out with a little conversation." She raised her shot. "To all things retro, vintage, and really, really old." Her lips twitched and she laughed.

Van got into the spirit. "Let's throw in ancient and fossilized, too." He downed the vodka, welcoming the smooth sting against his throat.

Eva let out another laugh, this one loud and merry.

Mac returned. "You two are having way too much fun over here. Need anything else?"

Van gave a quick back and forth. "Nah, we're good. Discovering our grandparents share a weird affinity for relics and antiques." And that Eva had an incredibly sexy laugh.

Van and Eva are a fun couple to write and this scene fills in a blank from their story, which I hope to finish up soon and get out there for all to read.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me

April 19, 2020

Crazy weather in Ohio this week. Warm, then cold and rainy, and then a little slushy snow mix thrown in. I can honestly say I'm kind of ready for spring to get here in full. At least having the option to go outside and enjoy some sun breaks things up a bit.

Not a big week for television but I got a few shows watched. I started with an episode of Arrow and I'll be getting ready to start the Crisis Crossover soon.

Caught the penultimate episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I'm sad about the death of a character I liked. I loved George's side story. I have no earthly clue what Julia is doing but I'm rolling along with the character arc to see where things go. I do like seeing the ups and downs of William and Julia.

Watched an episode of Riverdale and, wow, the batshit ramped up to double digits, which I love. I still hate Hiram with the burning passion of a thousand suns and gotta say the character kind of ruins the show for me. We'll see how this season shakes out but I honestly can't stand it when he's on the screen. I'm not sure how I feel about the Charles / Chick development but we'll see how that one plays out also.

Had a virtual watch party with a good friend and we rolled out The Rise of Skywalker. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie to bits. I'm hoping we'll get more of those in soon.

Started the second episode of Roswell, New Mexico's new season. So far, I'm enjoying but I really want Maria to finally be aware of the aliens. The fact she isn't really bugs me. So far, I'm not a huge fan of having Rosa back either.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a free read / bonus scene featuring the characters from One Hot Mess.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp-filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a sneaky peek…

Eva tilted her head to one side and studied Van. "I'm surprised you bailed on the shindig." He didn't seem like a rule-breaker.

Van's lips kicked up in a half-grin. "Eh, the boss said we had to show up. He didn't specify how long we had to be there." He poured another round.

Eva gave a nod. "Quite the crush of partygoers. Hard to move around let alone have fun." She didn't enjoy the atmosphere when she couldn't breathe.

Van rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I'm not into the whole crowded room with loads of people I don't know thing. Sucks the life right out of me."

Something in common. Aside from the competitive streak they had. Eva like him.

Okay, she always had. But their rivalry tended to keep them at cross purposes. Actually, their bosses' were mostly responsible for that.

She drained the glass he'd refilled. "You know what? You're right. Much better to hang out with you. You're not half bad when you're relaxed and having a good time." She gave him a saucy smirk.

Van laughed. "You mean when I'm not all business and in your face?"

Eva snorted. "Exactly. We need to get away from that more often." Seriously, leaving the animosity and acrimony in the locker room sounded blissful right now.

Van paused with the tumbler close to his mouth. "Ditching the teammates and sneaking off? I could be down for doing that sometimes." He chugged the vodka.

Eva topped off the shot glasses again. "Good." She nodded toward the alcohol. "Drink up. The night is young and we're semi-incognito. Nobody knows we're supposed to be enemies in here." She tossed back the liquid again and loved the little burst of glee warming its way through her system.

Van toasted the air. "Here here." He made a satisfied hum when he set the tumbler back on the counter.

Man, he's hot when he makes that sound.

Right. The alcohol definitely dropped the blinders she normally wore around him.

And she didn't care one bit.

I love writing bonus scenes for stories. Eva and Vic are a lot of fun and writing the lead up to their morning after is a joy.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me

December 11, 2016

Is the holiday season in full swing at your house? It's definitely rockin' at mine. LOL

Holiday shows were something of a theme this week. The Flash and Arrow had their Christmas shows and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Teen Wolf is creeping me out with the riders. I kind of love the blend of old and new but really need to see some Stiles on my screen. Agents of SHIELD threw a total twisty twist in at the end of their episode. Can't wait for the hiatus to be over to see what's going to happen next.

The Librarians continues to make me happy. Also love The Talking Dead, especially when I skip the episode of The Walking Dead. I'm just not at all interested in Neegan and his machinations.

Legends of Tomorrow introduced the Legion of Doom and that makes me happy. Having Merlyn and company pop up now and again should keep things very interesting.

MacGyver also makes me happy. I love the reboot of Jack's character more than I can say.

The Great Holiday Binge Watch continues. I've made it through the complete Whoverse and look forward to the new special on Christmas Day. Started on NCIS and have the first two holiday episodes watched.

Also caught up on Murdoch Mysteries. I'm loving this season so much!

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a free companion read to be released with One Hot Mess.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a sneaky peek…

Vin followed Eva into the Starlight Lounge. He shamelessly enjoyed the way her hips swayed and her ass moved under the sweet confection she called a dress. Thanked the universe when she found a stool to sit on. Any longer and the stroll would've become damned uncomfortable.

The super-hot woman under the sexy athlete messed with his brain.

He eased onto the stool next to hers. She'd picked a good spot, on the shorter edge of the U-shaped bar, only one vacant seat at the corner edge. Taking his hat off, Van set it on top of the backless chair, then shrugged out of his overcoat.

Eva's lips curved in a smirk. "Bet you're glad to be out of that heavy thing."

Van folded the woolen fabric and tucked it under his hat. "Actually, yeah. It does." He shot her a quick smile. "Probably as good as getting out of those heels will feel."

Eva grimaced. "You're not wrong. Jeez, how do women wear these things all the time?" She stuck her leg out and angled her foot back and forth.

The bartender ambled over, his gaze giving Eva an appreciative once-over. Vin's eyes narrowed and the guy quick-checked his flirtation at the door. Vin blinked. The dude probably thought they were a couple—so not the case—and Vin had no reason to be jealous. Right?

The sharp-dressed tender pulled two glasses off the shelf with a flourish and placed them before Vin and Eva. "Name's Mac. I'll be serving until close." He glanced at the bottle-filled display behind him. "What can I get you two?"

Eva didn't hesitate. "Vodka. Nothing else." She flicked her gaze toward Vin. "You?"

He nodded. "Sounds about right."

Mac snagged a bottle and poured two shots. "Good choice." He left the bottle on the counter. "Let me know if you need anything else." Turning, he moved on down to serve a trio of female competitors.

Eva lifted her glass. "To changing opinions."

Vin laughed, appreciating her humor. "To having them changed." He tapped the edge of her drink and downed the clear, but potent, liquid.

I truly love writing Vin and Eva. They're fun and a little crazy.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me

June 22, 2014

Whoa. Awesome week of television. Defiance is back on Syfy and what a great opening episode for season two. I won't get into spoilers, but I'm excited about where things are going. Dominion also premiered and I enjoyed watching. I'm hoping we get less exposition as the season progresses, but I'm always down for a good set-up in the first episode. J

Orphan Black. Finale didn't disappoint and once again, twists and turns I totally didn't expect. One of the biggest reasons I love this show so much is it never quite goes where I think it will. I was thrilled to have some additional information and background for Paul—even if it makes him even more mysterious. Putting my Cosima hat on for a moment, this show is like a fractal pattern, every layer that's revealed turns around on itself and spawns into something else. I'm sure I butchered the science angle, but… just watch the show to see what I mean. :D

Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a bonus short featuring the characters from One Hot Mess.

Here's the tagline:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a sneaky peek…

The shot glass sat empty on the counter, right beside the equally empty bottle.

Eva looked up and shook her head. Van gave her a sloppy grin.

She dropped her head in her hands. "I swear the damn bottle said, 'Drink me'"

Van chuckled, then laughed. "It did. I heard it." He swayed on the stool. "Several times."

Eva glanced sideways. "Think we missed the last transport back?" She craned her head, slowly, and didn't see any of their teammates in the bar.

Van propped an elbow on the bar and rested his head in his hand. "Probably, but I don't care. I'm off tomorrow."

Eva blinked. "You know what? I am, too." She waved the bartender over. "Mac, gimme another bottle, will you?"

The barman lifted a brow, but produced more vodka. "You might wanna consider letting me get you a room before you finish this one off. I don't let anyone sleep it off in the bar."

Van sat up and almost slid off the stool. "That's a great idea." He dug his card out of his wallet. "Can you really set that up?"

Mac laughed. "Normally, I don't make the offer, but for you two, I'm willing. No way you'll be able to manage on your own."

Eva leaned forward, pouring two more shots. "Give yourself a generous tip, Mac. Van won't mind." She slid a glass in his direction and added a smirk. "Will you, Van?"

Van narrowed his eyes. "Since I probably won't remember any of this in the morning, why not?"

I love writing bonus stories for free reads and this one is no exception.

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

ML Skye