Sunday Snippet: Major Issues

Still bitterly cold in Ohio, but by midweek, we'll see high forties and low fifties and lots of rain. We're going to have a lot of sick people in the near future. The back-and-forth weather is horrible for keeping folks healthy.

Busy work week again, which I'm so thankful for. I'm also working on my new venture and should have news soon. I'm hoping by February.

Decent viewing week. I didn't quite make a full run-through of all my shows, but I got very close.

Started with My Life Is Murder again. Very interesting episode with some fun backstory. I love getting more information about the characters.

Watched a holiday episode of Agatha Raisin. This one kicked off season four and it ended up being a lot of fun. I loved the mix of characters.

Finally continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with the feature of Razor. We had to backtrack a little to pick up with this one. I'd forgotten how much I loved Lee in this special feature.

Caught an episode of Silent Witness, which finished up a two-parter. I feel for Jack, and I loved getting some more details about his family. I feel for what Ryan's been through, but I'm glad Jack is finished covering for his brother.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. This is another episode I didn't get to see, and I quite enjoyed following the clues. Looking forward to another episode

Enjoyed another episode of Elementary. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Also loved Joan trying to find Sherlock a sponsor and him not quite being able to just say he doesn't want her to leave at the end of her contract.

Caught the final episode of The Batman season one. Excellent finale with three of the big bads trying to unmask Batman. Also loved the introduction of Commissioner Gordon. Looking forward to starting season two.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both vignettes were ones I didn't remember so nice to have something new to me.

Started season two of The Secret Life of Amy Benson and rather liked the first episode. I'm a little curious how much book detail is being left out, but I don't think it takes away from what we're seeing.

Also started an episode of VIP but didn't get to finish it. I'm not even sure what's going on yet.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Major Issues, a novella that cements a couple's relationship by pitting them against an old foe.

Here's the miniblurb:

Ellis Wright, a damn good pilot who works hard at her job, runs into an old nemesis—Major Anton Bernhard—and he tries to put her on the defensive again. But Ellis isn't the same raw cadet from five years ago. This time around she'll bring in her backup—Trey Shuttleworth—if she can convince him the rumor about her affair with the major isn't true.

And a sneaky peek…

Trey Shuttleworth stood outside his dad's quarters ready to knock on the bulkhead. But his hand paused midway to the metal framing. The elder Shuttleworth had the handset to his ear and his head bent over a fitness report.

Trey lowered his arm and waited … interrupting Will Shuttleworth, commanding officer of the ship, never went well. Not even if Trey happened to be related to him.

"Yes, admiral. I've got the jacket right in front of me. Ellis Wright, ensign." He flipped through several pages. "Looks like she's more than qualified. Her scores are damn close to my son's."

Trey's eyes widened. "Shit. I'd like to meet this Ensign Wright." Especially if her stats almost matched his.

Because he worked his ass off to top the roster when he went through flight school. Anything less would've been untenable. When your dad sets the bar high, you learn to hit altitude at an early age.

That had been his reasoning. He wondered what Ellis Wright had to prove…

"She did what with whom?"

Trey risked a quick look inside his dad's quarters. His dad quickly flipped to the last page of the file and scanned the contents. Trey bit back a groan when Will frowned.

Not a good sign.

Will leaned back in his seat. "Is this information verified? With qualifications like hers, she wouldn't need to—" He broke off and listened for a moment. "Right. Okay. I appreciate the heads-up, admiral. I'll keep this in mind." Another pause then a quick nod. "Yes. Thank you." He ended the call and heaved a sigh.

Trey tried not to form any judgments about his dad's new pilot, not when he only had one side of the conversation. But the part he'd overheard sounded pretty damning. Whatever Ensign Wright did and who she did it with—and frankly, it wouldn't be much of stretch to guess—an admiral felt the need to warn her new commanding officer.

His dad pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

Trey took the opportunity to knock on the bulkhead. "Hey, Dad. Did I catch you at a bad time?" He took one step into the quarters.

Will glanced up with his eyebrows arched. "You're here early. You made good time." He closed the file and absently tapped it with his forefinger.

Trey tucked his cover under his arm and nodded. "I did, yeah. I can come back later if this is a bad time." He'd like to catch up with his old man, but only if he wouldn't be distracted.

Will lifted his chin. "Why don't I meet you in the mess? I've got a couple of things to check on then I'll be free to visit." He rubbed his palm over the file.

Trey put his cap back on. "Sure, Dad. You want the usual spicy noodles with stir-fried veg?"

Will's lips curved. "Sounds good. Thanks." He glanced down to the fitrep again.

Trey turned and headed for the hatch.

His dad picked up the handset but called out. "Hey…"

Trey angled his head around. "Yeah?"

Will gave him a tired smile. "It's good to see you, son. I won't be long."

Trey flashed a quick grin and exited quarters. His mouth twisted into a frown as soon as he cleared the threshold. He had a new mission as soon as he got back to his ship … track down whatever information he could get on Ensign Ellis Wright.

I like how this story is coming together. Trey is going to have a lot of fun trying to figure Ellis out.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Major Issues

I'm loving the fall weather! Mild temperatures are so lovely and the pretty colors popping on the leaves are incredible.

Another great week in television. I completely forgot to mention Riverdale's premiere. Man… I love the show. I had so many questions after the premiere my head spun for a while.

But first… let's get to this week's shows. The Flash had a great episode. I like the new Cisco. I'm definitely looking forward to more of how Barry and Iris work out their issues. Legends of Tomorrow also had a great showing. I do truly enjoy the character's interactions.

Okay, Riverdale. Loved, loved, loved the premiere. I like where things are going and while I could do without Hiram, I'll be interested to see what kind of havoc he'll create. Having Archie take a darker path is also going to be fun. And whenever Dark Betty makes an appearance I notice. I loved her giving the lowdown to Cheryl. Speaking of… wow, Cheryl's got some issues, yeah? All in all, I'm excited to see what else happens. The dark hood killer will hopefully not take out any of my faves. I'm already a little miffed one of the characters I like might not be with us anymore.

Gotham keeps getting better. It always seems to throw in a twist I'm not expecting and I love it. Nice to see Lee back, whatever her drama might be.

Arrow is also throwing some nice twists into their plotlines. I'm down with Oliver being a dad, but I was very much hoping he would make Raisa William's guardian so he can still do his second job.

Continuing on with Midsomer Murders and also got my holiday movie and show list started. I plan to completely overdose on holiday fare this year.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Major Issues, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of having a conflict with a military person with a higher rank.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ellis Wright, a damn good pilot who works hard at her job, runs into an old nemesis—Major Anton Burnhard—and he tries to put her on the defensive again. But Ellis isn't the same raw cadet from five years ago. This time around she'll bring in her backup—Trey Shuttleworth—if she can convince him the rumor about her affair with the major isn't true.

And a sneaky peek…

Ellis Wright entered the sim room and turned the recorder off. "Don't want a log of the time I spend here." Mainly because she didn't have the okay to use the flight simulator.

But… she wanted to fly, to try and beat her current times, see if she could improve her on her excellent scores. Her competitive streak extended well beyond vying with her fellow cadets in flight school. She loved to surpass her personal bests, too.

She slid into the cockpit and started the program—her favorite—the smooth beginning quickly gave way to complex maneuvers that would often put seasoned pilots through their paces.

She flashed a smile, her adrenaline pumping. "Here we go." With her hand on the joystick, she let out a breath and fell into the simulation.

An hour later, she laughed, giddy over beating her former record. She didn't care if the time didn't actually count for her course work. The fact she'd shaved another few minutes off her time and increased her target efficiency thrilled her. She climbed out of the plane and wrote her final marks down. Putting everything back and flipping the recorder back on, she let herself out of the sim room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She started down the corridor and almost jumped a foot when an oily voice sounded behind her.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I've caught a little bird whose wings need to be clipped." Major Anton Bernhard emerged from a shadowy recess.

Ellis groaned but tried to play off being in the training center after hours cool. "Er, I'm sorry, sir. What do you mean?" Damn her guilty tone for betraying her.

Bernhard's lips twisted in a smirk. "Oh, I think you know, cadet." He held a video card between his thumb and forefinger. "You didn't know about the security cameras, did you?" His eyebrows hitched up and down.

Shit. Shit-shit-shit. Busted.

Heaving a sigh, Ellis owned her mistake. "No, sir, I didn't." So much for thinking she covered all the possible problems.

Bernhard grasped her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. His fingers dug into her skin, but Ellis barely felt the gouging. Her mother had done much worse.

The door closed behind them and the lights flickered on to their lowest setting. A fission of fear skittered along her spine, but Ellis pushed it back. Bernhard might be a man who liked to throw his weight and rank around, but he had a standard to adhere to.

But when he turned to face her, Ellis didn't like the calculating gleam in his eyes.

He tucked the video card in his pocket and advanced toward her. "You've violated protocol, which is grounds for expulsion." His continued approach backed her into a corner. "I might be able to overlook your transgression… but it comes at a price." A slimy sneer left no doubt what he had in mind.

Ellis shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry. I just love to fly. There has to be something else I can do to avoid getting kicked out." She sat at the top of the class… that should count for something.

Bernhard snorted. "It's obvious you love to fly, you have the top scores in this recruit group. I'd say all the extra practice gives you an added edge, wouldn't you?"

Ellis frowned. "I've earned those scores from day one. I didn't have any extra time in the simulator the entire first two weeks. I proved I've got the chops first." Her skin crawled and anger boiled in her gut at letting herself get trapped like this.

The major quirked a brow. "You've also got a file of youthful transgressions, many of which could've helped you get into a room early to practice a bunch of runs." He placed a hand on the wall beside her head. "It would be easy for me to make a case for kicking you out." The other hand landed on the wall, effectively boxing her in.

Her juvenile record came down to being under her mom's thumb and along for the ride whenever she went off the rails. The thought of crawling back to Louanne Wright after walking out almost a year ago made Ellis's blood ran cold. Bile rose in her throat. She would not return to the abusive and dangerous home she grew up in.

But the major could make it impossible for Ellis to maintain her hard won freedom.

Ellis used a final defense. "I'm in a relationship with someone." She embellished only a little, her status with fellow cadet Wyatt Germaine tended to be on uncertain footing most of the time.

Bernhard quirked an eyebrow. "Is that what they're calling flight school hookups now? Germaine is destined for greatness. His family name guarantees he'll move up the ranks." The major's gaze slid downward coming to a stop at her chest. "You, on the other hand, might be required to use your personal assets to move ahead, not to mention stay out of trouble." His arm lowered to her shoulder, his fingers gripping her. "You should think about starting now if you want to graduate." He pushed his groin forward, leaving no doubt as to what he expected. "It'll be our little secret, Cadet Wright."

Ellis wanted to heave her guts up. She didn't see a way out of the tricky spot with Bernhard. No way would she survive going back to Louanne's. Flight school represented everything Ellis ever wanted. A way to be close to her dad—who died serving the fleet—and freedom from the crazy life her mother led after his death. Ellis cringed but ultimately accepted her fate.

Slowly lowering down to her knees, she reached up to loosen the major's belt.

How bad could buying his silence with a blowjob be?

I'm pretty sure Ellis won't be thrilled with how things play out with Bernhard. But she'll have the last word with him, I have no doubt.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Major Issues

February 1, 2015

One more week until Bitten returns with season two. I can't wait!! Banshee is amping up the tension and I'm looking forward to the next episode. Makes me miss Strike Back and look forward to whenever it comes back to my television screen.

My usual fare, The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, and Sleepy Hollow had good showings. I'm enjoying the story arc on Arrow even if my twitter feed seems to hold a different opinion. I love the flashbacks and how they reveal information about Oliver's time off the island.

Also need to take a moment to mention Lost Girl. It's the final season and I'm so going to miss the show when it's gone. Thankfully, I'll have Orphan Black to look forward to soon and will get to see Ksenia Solo in a new role. J

Tonight's post is from Major Issues, a novella where a past secret is resolved, opening the door for the hero and heroine to start on a new journey.

Here's the tagline:

Ellis Wright, a damn good pilot who works hard at her job, runs into an old nemesis—Major Anton Burnhard—and he tries to put her on the defensive again. But Ellis isn't the same raw cadet from five years ago. This time around she'll bring in her backup—Trey Shuttleworth—if she can convince him the rumor about her affair with the major isn't true.

And a sneaky peek…

Trey stopped her. "Wait, what are you saying?" He shook his head. "Why didn't you set people straight?"

Ellis shrugged. "No one asked. They assumed it was true." She pinned Trey with her gaze. "You did."

Trey looked away. She had him with that one.

She lifted her shoulder again. "Frankly, I didn't care enough to worry. Why bother?" Her mouth thinned. "People think what they want."

Trey argued. "But if you'd only said something—"

Ellis cut him off. "Said what? That I was stupid?" She snorted. "What happened, happened. Five years ago. Ancient history."

Trey countered. "Not so ancient if it's biting you on the ass now."

Ellis conceded his point. "You've got me there." She waited a beat. "You gonna help or not?"

Trey let the image of the tall, hulking major fill his head. Ellis wouldn't have stood a chance against him. And the guy would go down for trapping her in a no win situation.

Trey nodded. "Oh, I'm in. Count on it."

I'm loving the twisty turns in this one. Can't wait to write more.

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

ML Skye