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

Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Well, April still feels like a mix of winter and summer but not spring. We have hot days then plummet back to cold. I’m hoping May evens it out and we hold steady for a while.

Had a crazy-busy week with work. More projects coming in hot and needing immediate attention. I’m so happy that all of them are absolutely fun and exciting to work on. I love them!

I did have very limited time for viewing this week. I don’t mind the trade off, because I usually have an old standby on in the background like Perry Mason, Columbo, or Murder, She Wrote.

I did finish up Strangest Things and I ended up enjoying the episode.

I also caught another episode in my great rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. This upcoming week, we’re going with a double header to round out season one.

I’ll be starting a new episode of The Mandalorian later tonight.

I also got to listen to my daughter’s radio show. It’s finals week and they get to choose their music. My daughter and her co-DJ picked seventies hits for their time slot. And they made great choices if I do say so. And I do.

That’s pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight’s post is from Event Horizon, a novella where the characters meet and hit it off but one of them has a secret.

Here’s the mini-blurb:

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 she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

A little fissure of nerves cut through the coffee lining her stomach.

Is he fishing for info? Wouldn't hurt to tell her side, right? Hell, she didn't know.

Tapping her fingers on her thigh, she slouched in her seat a little. "Uh, which time are you referring to?" She'd met Orin twice and both times she'd ruffled his feathers.

Oliver stirred his coffee. "When Orwen almost flunked out." He set his spoon aside and gave her his full attention.

Oh shit. "Well..." She could share some of the details of Orin's first visit to her office. "The first time I met your dad, I'm pretty sure he didn't know what to make of me…"

She'd been in her office, grading papers when the space carrier commander walked into her space without bothering to even knock. She recognized the familial resemblance to Orwen immediately but didn't give anything away. The man cut a fine figure in his uniform with broad shoulders and medals lining one entire side of his chest. He removed his cover and set it on her desk then more or less hijacked her attention by looming over her until she met his gaze.

She set her pen aside. "Did I miss a memo? I don't have a conference scheduled on my calendar." Firmly placing the next move in his hands, she pushed away from the desk and got to her feet.

After all, he did outrank her even if he broke protocol by barging in.

The elder Stephas didn't mince words. "I just reviewed Orwen Stephas's marks. He's skating on the cusp, and I want to know why." Orin folded his arms over his chest. "My boy isn't stupid. He's got flying in his blood." His tone all but dared her to say otherwise.

Orwen really didn't … he grasped the mechanics of handling the multimillion-dollar spacecrafts but had no natural feel for them.

But … Casey opted to partially agree. "Yes, Orwen has keen intelligence." Which he wasted on something he didn't truly love.

Orin flung an arm out. "Then what's the problem?" He stared her down. "Maybe you're not very good at your job."

Casey fought the urge to punch the elder Stephas. The man showed up, didn't bother to even introduce himself, and tried to interrogate her? Or maybe he wanted to intimidate her. Didn't matter. She wouldn't cave under pressure.

Instead of risking a trip to the brig for insubordination, she went to her file cabinet and pulled out her last two years of fitness reports. "You're welcome to review my fitreps, sir." She sat at the top of the instructor list for a reason.

Orin snatched them from her hands. "You have a smart mouth, don't you?" But a gleam of respect entered his gaze.

He'd left without bothering to read the hefty file.

She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the old man. When reality hit it would bruise hard. Orwen Stephas didn't have what it took to fly. She knew it deep in her bones.

Her gut also said his dad would never accept the fact—unless he saw it with his own two eyes. And that day, she'd fudged Orwen's numbers on his final, giving him passing grades when he'd been just shy of having the score needed for qualifying for test flights. Unethical and, frankly, a court-martial offense. And the one thing she held back when sharing the story with Oliver.

But her dice move paid off. Orwen didn't make it past the first leg of flight testing. He busted too many moves and got tagged with a failure.

Meeting Oliver's gaze again, she lifted a shoulder. "I was disappointed when Orwen didn't make it through the first set of quals. And I even liked your dad despite the ballsy nature of his visit."

And she still liked him after their second meeting, which she wouldn't get into right now.

I love writing a little intrigue into the story. Casey is kind of stuck in a bad spot and she hopes nothing blows up in her face.

 

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

ML Skye

 

Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Well, May is starting out fairly chilly and gloomy in my part of the country. It's been quite a while since we've had true spring weather and we're definitely getting it so far. I'm hoping it doesn't rain on the weekend my youngest gets to have her drive-up graduation. We're still not risking anyone's health by having a full-blown commencement ceremony.

Slower than usual week in television. I finally got to finish Picard and Strike Back; also got Strike Back Declassified in. I love those behind the scenes moments and interviews.

Finished up a four-part arc on Gargoyles, watching the last two episodes this week. It's weird how the voice actors are enemies on this show and their characters are allies on Star Trek TNG.

Watched another episode of The Witcher. This show has me very intrigued. Definitely glad there will be another season. At least I think there will be.

Caught several episodes of Danger Man, most being ones I didn't remember. I might have to rewatch The Prisoner when I'm done with this series.

Watched the first episode of Crisis on Infinite Earths with the Supergirl episode. I'll do more this week but I needed a moment to wrap my head around this one. I loved the cameo appearances and look forward to more of those but I'm already crushed by the events in this opening episode. Good stuff. That's all I'm saying.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Event Horizon, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

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 she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

Casey Black got her bearings and looked for the closest mess hall to her departing hub. "At least this stop is on a military station. Took me forever to find the food station at the civilian outpost." She started down the corridor to concourse eight.

Fingering the envelope in her hand, she pondered the reason she'd received an invite to Orin Stephas's retirement gala. Why would he want me there? The few interactions she'd had with the senior military officer had been taut with tension but also interesting. She'd give her dad kudos for teaching her to stand her ground at an early age.

Her lips quirked. "Bet the elder Stephas didn't count on that." Why would he?

Her lowly flight instructor status wouldn't faze a commander of a warship. Throw in his legendary escapades as a pilot and she probably ranked way down on the man's radar. But Casey rarely let anyone else's skill or rank intimidate her, not when she ran the class and held the responsibility of her students' life in her hands.

Orin Stephas could bluster and blow as much frothing smoke as he wanted. She listened to and respected his opinion then did what she thought best. Even if it meant his younger boy wouldn't wear the wings of a pilot.

Casey's step faltered a little. What if he'd dug a little deeper into his younger son's grades? Orwen struggled during flight school and she'd—

No. She wouldn't think too much about her choice there. She'd stand by the way she handled the situation. It ultimately worked out best for Orwen. For her … there could be repercussions.

Lost in thought, when a hand landed on her shoulder, she jumped. A foreign reaction for her. She usually took pride in being alert and ready for anything.

She turned, ready to throw down, but met a familiar gaze. A much younger version of the elder Stephas, but too chiseled and mature to be the youngest. Must be the only Stephas she hadn't yet met.

Quirking a brow, she tilted her head. "Let me guess, Oliver Stephas?"

I really enjoy playing with family dynamics. Oliver and Casey get to navigate some interesting moments with his dad and brother.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Happy holidays to all who celebrate. My post is a little later than usual but the lead-up to Christmas morning exhausted me and I took a nice, long winter's nap today. LOL

I overloaded on holiday-themed shows this week and loved every moment. I'll be continuing through probably New Year's Eve. So much great television.

This week included all the Arrow and The Flash holiday episodes. Eureka, Haven, and Warehouse 13. I worked Roswell and The District in along with animated episodes from Rugrats, Batman, and Justice League. Dropped into single episode fare with Buffy, Supernatural, The Librarians, Leverage and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I'm sure I'll have a few more before I finally go to bed. I can't wait!

Tonight's post is from Event Horizon, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of "create a story or scene around a civilian transport on the way to a ceremony". I decided to have a military bigwig retire.

Here's the mini-blurb:

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 she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

Oliver observed the gorgeous flight instructor seated next to him. Casey Black kind of blew him away. Anyone who went toe-to-toe with his dad and came out on top deserved some serious study.

And he didn't care if he got caught.

She intrigued him. She'd sparked his interest when he heard the story about what went down when his dad barged into her classroom. Meeting her in person only intensified his desire to get to know her. Orwen couldn't say enough good things about her, even after he'd failed to qualify as a pilot.

She glanced up from her reading device. "You're staring." An eyebrow shot up in question.

Oliver inclined his head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm not trying to be obnoxious. I can't quite get a handle on you." He flashed a smile, hoping she didn't take offense.

Setting the device aside, she tilted her head to one side. "Regarding what?" Confusion clouded her gaze.

Oliver chuckled. "We've got a lot in common." He leaned forward and angled his head toward her. "I mean you've got a solid reputation as an instructor and I'm a pilot. We've got loads of stuff to talk about." At least they should.

Casey's lips quirked. "You want to talk shop? Really?" She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm on a weekend pass. Work is a distant memory at the moment."

Oliver laughed. "Fair enough. Let's talk about the invitation to my dad's retirement bash. Were you surprised to get one?"

Casey studied him a moment. "Honestly? Yes." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Hmmm. Closed off and a little defensive. Oliver resisted the urge to press for the reason why.

Instead, he stayed in a safe zone. "You shouldn't be. Not many people have the courage and temerity to stand up to Orin Stephas. But you did. Several times." He settled back against the seat cushion. "I'd love to the story." Or at least her version.

He already had his family's renditions.

Truly enjoy writing this one. I always love adding family elements into relationships.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Hello,

I feel kind of off balance since there's no new Orphan Black to rave about this week. LOL

But... Defiance held up against its premiere, no complaints. In fact, I'm really enjoying the shift in dynamics. The mayor totally creeps me out, and that's a good thing. The actor who plays him is one of my faves and it's fun to see him in something of a villainous role. And not that I have any expectations, but I'm thrilled Nolan and Amanda aren't dancing around each other and drawing crap out. Doesn't bode well, I'm sure, but half the fun of watching is to see where the writers take things.

Oddly, Dominion is keeping my attention, too. Didn't have loads of confidence, but I still want to find out what happens next. I also finished a rewatch of Bitten and I'm on the second season of a Canadian show—Arctic Air. I have a list of shows from Canada I'm looking forward to watching. Stay tuned. J

Tonight's post is from Event Horizon, a short story / novella featuring my favorite kind of characters—pilots.

Here's the tagline:

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 she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

Casey swirled the spoon inside her coffee cup. "How's your brother doing?" Her gut clenched and she awaited his response.

Oliver shrugged. "He's actually doing great. If the old man would leave him alone, he'd be doing even better."

Casey frowned. "You're dad's still upset Orwen didn't pass basic flight?" She'd hoped the elder Stephas would have realized his youngest son didn't have the heart and grit it took to fly.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "He'll still be pissed even after he's dead and buried. The man considers it a point of pride that every Stephas male for seven generations earned their wings… except Orwen." He lifted his mug and drained the contents.

Casey cocked her head to one side. "No females? I mean, I know you don't have a sister, but would that make a difference?"

Oliver chuckled. "Great question. Oddly, we've had exactly two girls in those seven generations." His lips twitched. "Both went into medicine."

Casey's eyes widened. "Two? That's it?" She blinked. "What are the odds of only having two females in how many years?"

Oliver snorted. "Too many to count. And if you ask my dad, he'll tell you that whatever rules the universe made it so all Stephas men enter the military and fly." He waited a beat. "Except Orwen."

Casey pushed a little. "You're very hard on your old man." She wondered if she might have an ally in Oliver.

He lifted a brow. "You've met the guy, right?"

Her lips quirked. "I have." Several times, each occasion memorable.

Oliver leaned back in his seat. "Then you know what he's like."

Casey nodded. "Unbending, unyielding and a pain in the ass? From what I've experienced, those are his good qualities."

Oliver laughed. "I think you and I are going to get along very well." He moved forward, resting his forearms on the table. "My dad's not gonna win the nicest guy on the planet award, but he's a damned good officer." He met her gaze. "He's not thrilled with being forced into retirement, so if you can, stay on his good side."

Casey slowly bobbed her head up and down. "I always try. For some reason, he seems to like me."

Oliver grinned. "Because you didn't cower or go running for cover when he stormed into your classroom and demanded a meeting." He chuckled. "When you told him you'd be happy to meet with him… as soon as you dismissed your class, you earned his respect."

Casey ignored the queasy churning of her stomach. "I thought he might tag me for insubordination that day." She'd been lucky he hadn't.

Oliver shook his head. "No, the old man is a hard ass, but you made the right call. He'd overstepped his authority and knew it."

Casey's lips curved, but her heart twisted. She prayed her secret remained undiscovered. Orin Stephas could ruin her career if he found out she'd put his son in danger by letting him attempt to qualify when his classwork didn't warrant the experience.

Oliver kicked back again. "Dad made sure you got an invitation to his shindig because he's impressed with you." He met her gaze again. "He'd like to see you continue moving up the ranks."

Casey wanted to confess her transgression to Oliver, but kept her mouth shut. How stupid would she be to tell Orin's other son what she'd done? Even if she kind of trusted he wouldn't tell a soul, she wouldn't take the risk.

Instead, she smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing him again." Hopefully for a few brief moments in a receiving line, then only in passing.

Oliver glanced over to the clock on the wall. "Wheels up in five minutes. If you're ready, we can board together."

Oliver is going to be in a sticky situation when Casey has a little too much to drink at the reception. Depending on where the story goes, he'll either be doing damage control or actively working to keep Casey off the hot seat. :D

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

ML Skye