Sunday Snippet: First Time Ever Laid Eyes on You

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there, including fur dads and mentors. We've got beautiful weather after a very soggy week.

My work projects are bringing me so much joy right now. The books are so amazing! Also heard from one of my authors on two new stories he's got percolating right now. And I got a text message from one of my current authors that completely made my weekend. So … work is awesome right now.

Had a very good viewing week. I ended up doubling up on a couple of shows because the mood struck.

Ended up catching two episodes of the Brokenwood Mysteries. Both were pretty great. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting another one of Mike's ex-wives. And my heart kind of broke for him by the end of that episode. I'll probably finish out season nine this week.

Finished the complete run of available Classic Who episodes. Have to say in retrospect, it's weird how there have been seven doctors and only one master. That said, I'm actually kind of happy with how Seven's tenure ended. Not sure if I'll watch the movie with Eight or just skip over to New Who. It might be a few weeks before I start that.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness. This two-parter ended up being very twisty and I liked it. Looking forward to starting a new one this week.

Watched two episodes of Death in Paradise. I'm enjoying watching from the beginning in chronological order. It's nice to see how the original group came together.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Only Murders in the Building. What a cool twist or three. Can't wait to watch the finale this week.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. This is my nostalgia show. I have so many great memories of watching this when my kiddos were little.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice. Joanna breaks my heart sometimes. And we're nearing the end of season nine when things don't go so well for her.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with a double-header of "Home Part I and II." These are two of my favorite episodes of season two. The fleet is brought back together, and the acting is stellar.

Enjoyed another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Very interesting development at the end. I have a feeling I'll either love or hate the twist.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from First Time Ever Laid Eyes on You, a novella that brings two polar opposites together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Blunt takes one look at Bart Uppermark and decides they'll make a great team in the air and on the ground. But when Bart shows zero interest in working together—she takes too many risks for his comfort zone—Nadia pulls out all the stops and proves him wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

Bart stood toe-to-toe with Nadia. "I haven't dismissed you yet, lieutenant." She didn't get to leave just yet.

No matter how pissed off she might be.

Nadia snapped to attention but remained silent. Rigid shoulders. Back ramrod straight. All taut anger and coiled tension.

What a woman! Just a little on the insane side, but the best natural pilot I've ever flown with.

And he wanted her. The unbidden idea popped into his brain and took up residence. Wanting her as his wingman oddly became almost an afterthought.

Bart made a slow circle around Nadia, trying to formulate a response to her outburst. "Am I to understand you're taking yourself out of contention to be reassigned with me?" He wouldn't stand for that at all.

She kept her eyes straight ahead. "Fairly sure I made myself clear … sir." She all but spit the sign of respect for his higher rank out.

Bart bit the inside of his cheek. Her smart mouth amused the hell out of him. Which shouldn't happen but he enjoyed her open candor.

He came to a stop in front of her. "I see." He sighed. "Unfortunately, that doesn't work for me." He couldn't accept her decision.

Her gaze shifted, finally landing on him. "Excuse me? Why the hell not?" She shook her head. "You were out there with me. I sucked. Worst I've flown in well … ever." She glanced away then back again, refusing to do anything but own her horrible test flight.

He cracked a smile. "And yet, you're still the best pilot I've flown with in…" He twisted her words back on her. "Well … ever." Including Mallet who'd been a kick-ass pilot.

She blinked. "I'm sorry. What?" She shook her head, clearly confused.

He pointed to the chair at the desk. "You heard me. At ease, Lieutenant. We've got some issues to work through here." He moved around the desk and sat down.

This story is finally coming together, and I hope to have it ready to launch soon!

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: First Time Laid Eyes on You

Well, July is off to a roaring start. Daughter's graduation party is scheduled for today and I'm hoping we have a good turnout but also spaced out over the three hours of the party. I'm filling out my blog post early and getting it ready to post beforehand.

Had a semi-busy week between work and the party prep, but I did get some solid television watched. I started out with Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. This is a rewatch for me but I love the show.

Also caught another arc of Classic Who. The four-part Ark in Space episodes. Not a bad group.

Watched another episode of The Witcher and, ouch, kind of a heartbreaker episode. I did totally love the dragons though. Looking forward to the next episode.

Caught two more season three episodes of Danger Man. I don't remember either of them so I enjoyed watching.

And that's it for this week. I should have more time next week to dive into some of the shows I'm behind on. And I have to watch the finale of Arrow. I'll have at least two boxes of tissues on hand. Just saying.

Tonight's post is from First Time Laid Eyes on You, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Blunt takes one look at Bart Uppermark and decides they'll make a great team in the air and on the ground. But when Bart shows zero interest in working together—she takes too many risks for his comfort zone—Nadia pulls out all the stops and proves him wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

Nadia Blunt kicked back in her rack, reviewing the specs for the new flight simulators. "About time we got updates. We've only been flying the new birds for two years now." She skipped over the listed programs, preferring to go in blind and pick a random scenario.

She'd already scheduled an hour in the machine, but got bumped to make time for a higher ranking officer. "Figures. Some bigwig usurps my spot." Not that she could complain … she'd been lucky she held the top spot during the last qualifying runs.

She rolled her eyes. Since the sparkly units were installed this morning, she couldn't wait to get her turn and thought she'd be the first one in. Not so much.

The hatch clanged open and her bunkmate burst through the space, skidding to a halt while gasping for breath. Nadia set the manual aside and straightened, waiting to see what had Jancie in a tizzy.

Jancie held up a hand and dragged air into her lungs. "You'll never ever guess who's on base right now." She paused, sucking in more oxygen. "Your fantasy dream man, Captain Uppermark." Jancie stepped forward and shoved Nadia's feet off the bunk then plopped down.

Nadia scrambled to her feet. "Parble, you'd better not be messing with me." Holy hell.

Jancie shook her head. "Not on this. I wouldn't. Not only is he here, he's the one who bumped you. He's in the simulator right now." She pointed toward the corridor.

Nadia all but tripped over her feet to get out of the bunkroom—with Jancie's laughter following her—and down to the simulator section. Nadia's fascination with Bart Uppermark went back a long way. She'd used his record as her benchmark, striving to break his records during her time in flight school. Having him on base, and being the one to take her scheduled time, had to mean something on the cosmic scale of what could go right in the universe.

Right?

Entering the corridor where the simulators were, she grabbed a petty officer. "Captain Bart Uppermark? Which sim?" If the captain only used her allotted space, he only had fifteen minutes left.

And she wanted to see every possible moment.

The petty officer sputtered and tried to sidestep her question.

She tightened her grip on his arm. "Now, petty officer." Her impatience almost boiled over.

He pointed to the door behind. "Sim three." Jerking his arm out of her grasp, he gave her a nasty look.

She quirked a brow, daring him to complain. She outranked him and, dammit, she needed to watch Uppermark in his element. Like she needed to breathe, or fly, or eat.

She cut the petty officer a break and patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you. Sorry for getting in your face." Moving past him, she put her hand on the knob to the viewing room.

And froze. She took a long moment to try and calm her racing heart.

I'm going to watch a master at work.

And not even be the least bit upset he'd taken her time.

I like how this story is coming together. The title will absolutely undergo a change, but it works for now. When it's ready for publication, it's too much of a mouthful. LOL

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: First Time Laid Eyes on You

February in Ohio can be an angsty monster. Two days ago we hit almost eighty degrees. Yesterday, we had a fifty-degree drop in temperature and snow. Seriously… Mother Nature has a warped sense of humor. Just saying.

I'll be skipping this week's The Walking Dead but thoroughly enjoyed last Sunday's episode. I'm always up for Daryl and Carol being in the same space.

The Flash ended up being pretty good, but I need to rewatch. Too many distractions going on while it aired. I did get to see most of Legends of Tomorrow and I'm torn between really hating Rip as a bad guy and kind of enjoying it. I'm very fickle sometimes.

Arrow ended up being awesome! Thea moving behind the scenes to protect her brother is terrific, even when she goes too far. The Merlyn blood is strong in her. I loved Oliver comparing her to Moira, too. A nice, subtle reminder of her other role model in life.

Riverdale got real with the Blossom family secrets. I loved getting some dark background on them. Also enjoyed some of the other undertones pinging in the background. I'm a little confused about Fred's marital status… didn't he say he and Mary split up but they're civil to each other? Oh well, whatever adds more drama, right?

I'm halfway through season two of Daredevil and still enjoying it. It's not as tightly written as the first season, but I love where things are going.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from First Time Laid Eyes on You, definitely a working title for the novella, which got its start from a prompt about seeing someone for the first time.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Blunt takes one look at Bart Uppermark and decides they'll make a great team in the air and on the ground. But when Bart shows zero interest in working together—she takes too many risks for his comfort zone—Nadia pulls out all the stops and proves him wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

Bart Uppermark brought the fighter in for a smooth landing and waited for the plane to be lowered to the hangar deck. His wingman, Alex Mallet, followed right behind. Once secure, Bart popped the canopy and handed his helmet off to a crew specialist.

He nodded to Alex. "Nice flying out there today." They finally completed the mapping of an asteroid chain.

Alex flashed a smile. "It'll be nice to fly straight and smooth for a while." He rolled his shoulders. "Tricky maneuvers day after day gets old, man."

Bart chuckled. "You're not wrong." His kinks had kinks on them.

A hot shower would do wonders to get rid of the bunched up muscles.

Alex fell into step beside Bart. "Hey, you got a minute? I've got some news." He jerked his head toward the briefing room.

The shower could wait for a few. "Sure." He entered the space and unzipped his flight suit.

Alex crossed his arms over his chest. "This is harder than I thought it would be." He held Bart's gaze then spit it out. "I got the call up for squadron leader on the Capacia." His arms dropped. "I'm transferring to a new billet as soon as we reach the space station."

Bart's eyes widened. "That's great, Mallet." He hated to lose the experienced pilot, but Mallet deserved this chance.

Alex heaved a sigh of relief. "You're not pissed?" He leaned against the bulkhead, much more relaxed.

Bart snorted. "That you're moving into a position you're more than ready for? No way." He thrust his hand forward. "That I'm losing the best wingman I've ever had? Hell, yes, I'm pissed." Alex grasped Bart's palm. "Congratulations, man. You've earned this." Alex had worked three years to hone his skill and Bart pushed the pilot hard to test his limits.

Mallet straightened. "Only because of you. You made me the pilot I am." He tugged Bart into a back-slapping hug. "Thank you. Seriously."

Bart laughed. "For riding your ass all the time? No problem." He started toward the exit. "It's a special talent of mine."

Alex fell into step beside Bart. "That it is. And mine's pointing out the obvious."

Bart frowned. "Okay, I'll bite. What's the obvious?"

Alex pulled ahead to the junction of the corridor. "You're gonna need to choose a new wingman." With a pithy salute, he headed in the opposite direction.

But his words stayed with Bart. Because, damn, he did have to find a new partner to fly with. Shit. No downtime for him once they reached the station.

Instead, he'd be reviewing fitreps and putting in requests for personal interviews with the candidates.

Bart entered the head and stripped down. "Stating the obvious, my ass. More like opening the door for a massive headache." Stepping under the shower head, Bart turned the faucet to hot.

He had some serious thinking to do about what he wanted in his new wingman.

Bart will think he knows what he wants, but someone is going to come along and show him differently.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: First Time Laid Eyes on You

August 24, 2014

So… I found out last week The Last Ship did indeed get renewed! WooHoo!! I'm also almost caught up on Defiance, which continues to keep me interested. The new season of Doctor Who premiered and eh… I'll watch and hope I get more into it. So far, I'm not a huge fan of the new Doctor, but I went into viewing with that thought so it's only fair to hold off making a final decision about watching and give the guy a fair chance.

In something of more fun news, the Bitten and Arrow casts are so much fun to follow on social media. They're always posting fun tidbits and behind the scenes stuff, which just makes me more excited to see the new seasons. Gotta give credit to Kurt Sutter for keeping the Sons of Anarchy stuff rolling out, too.

Tonight's post is from First Time Laid Eyes on You, a short story where my characters don’t really start out on the right footing with each other.

Here's the tagline:

Nadia Blunt takes one look at Bart Uppermark and decides they'll make a great team in the air and on the ground. But when Bart shows zero interest in working together—she takes too many risks for his comfort zone—Nadia pulls out all the stops and proves him wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

Nadia entered the viewing room and remained standing in the back, her eyes riveted to the screen. Bart Uppermark took her breath away. His flawless precision in the simulator made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Perfection. Sheer perfection.

The absolute best senior pilot in the squadron. And she wanted him. Okay, she wanted to fly with him—so badly her mouth watered.

She'd never actually met the object of her fixation. But their entire first conversation played out in her mind—in one take.

"Hi, Nadia Blunt. Nice to meet you."

"Um, hello. Who, exactly, are you?"

"Your new wingman. I hope."

"Wait. Blunt. As in crazy, insane, hasn't met a complex maneuver she won't try?"

"Well, uh… yes?"

"No. No way. Not gonna happen in this lifetime. You will not be my wingman." He waited a beat. "Ever."

"Thought you might say that. But I promise you I will be."

Oh hell. Their conversation always ended the same way. He didn't want to fly with her and she promised she would change his mind. Scuttlebutt had Bart in need of a new partner when his current wingman transferred out to a new station. The rumor mill also said his impossibly high standards were all but unreachable, and he refused to fly with show boaters or risk-takers. Considering her reputation as both, she definitely had her work cut out if she wanted to convince him they'd make a great team in the air.

The scenario ended and the screen went blank. Nadia heaved a sigh and headed for the exit. She almost made it to the door when it opened and Bart entered, colliding with Nadia. The lights went up and she sucked in a harsh breath.

Holy shit. The man had the most stunning green eyes. The square jaw and high cheekbones made her mouth go dry. She swallowed, mumbled an apology and darted around him, seeking refuge in the corridor outside the viewing room.

She'd never been in close proximity to the man, basing her desire to be his new wingman solely on the numbers he pulled and watching endless hours of footage from simulators and combat missions.

Her unattainable goal just got harder—because she had every intention of proving they'd be unbeatable in the air and on the ground.

Honestly, I love writing characters who don't get along when things start out. So much fun!

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

ML Skye