Sunday Snippet: Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella)

Greetings!

Whew! I'm relieved to say my favorite characters are still intact on Strike Back and Sons of Anarchy. And I got to see more of Stonebridge than I have in a while. :D

Arrow returns Wednesday and I'm dying to have it back on my TV. The behind the scene teases and brief clips are only serving to whet my appetite. Come on, Wednesday!!

Enough about television. Tonight's post revisits a current release. Shyler: Finding Home is taking up some space in my brain because I'm working on a new manuscript for the Furlough 99 brand and it features a character introduced in Shyler's story.

Here's the tagline:

Inspector Shyler Lumen and entrepreneur Marshton Gray don't have much in common. A manhunt for a brilliantly mad chemist brings them together and sparks fly. Shyler and Marsh can fight the wave of change…or grab hold and go along for the ride.

And another sneaky peek…

Shyler found the spot she wanted—away from the main entrance, but still in her line of sight. She also had a view of the back, in case another entrance existed. Hopefully that covered all the bases.

She nodded and grinned. At least she felt prepared.

"Care to share?" Marsh pulled out a chair.

Shyler directed her gaze to the annoyance who seated himself across from her. "Share what?"

"The knowing little smile and what it's all about."

Shyler looked away, checking the two areas. "Not really. You're Mr. Intelligent. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Marsh let out a frustrated sigh. "It would save time if you just told me."

She shrugged, pleased she'd pushed a button. "Be that as it may, I'm—"

"Shyler Lumen, Inspector?"

Shit. Damn Marshton Grey for being a distraction. She'd completely missed the Guild operative's approach.

Glaring in Marsh's direction, she didn't bother standing, but swung her gaze to greet her new contact's. "Yeah. And you are?" She pushed another chair out with her foot and nodded, inviting the other man to sit.

"Spider Smith."

If his name was really Spider Smith, she'd eat her creds. He looked like one of the low level dealers she used to drag off the streets during a sweep.

But looks could be very deceiving.

Spider dropped down into the empty chair at the table. "I'll be your contact while you're here on Furlough."

Progress. Finally.

"Look, I'll cut right to it—"

"You're here for Baj Dogo aka Doctor X. Responsible for at least 150 deaths with the count still rising. One of those lost was an associate of yours. Went by the name of Glib."

Shyler sucked in a startled breath. "You're very thorough." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're not a droid?"

Spider cracked a grin. "Yes, I am. And no, I'm not. It pays for me to be as thorough as possible. The Guild needs to know who the players are and how many pieces are involved in the game."

Not a game to her, but she understood. The fewer surprises, the better the outcome.

"I can respect that." She leaned forward. "As I'm sure you've read my jacket, let me assure you right now, I can play nice with others…regardless of how it looks otherwise."

Marsh rubbed the back of his neck and snorted. "I'd like to see that."

Shyler glared. "Shut. Up. You brought that on yourself." She turned her attention to Spider again. "I'm more than willing to cooperate with whomever I have to."

Spider looked from her to Marsh. "You sure about that?"

Slightly offended, she clarified. "I said it, didn't I? I don't want or need the collar. Or whatever bounty there might be on Dogo. I just want to personally interrogate and escort the son of a bitch back to Mars."

Spider looked from one to the other again and it put Shyler's back up. What the hell did he hold back?

Playing it cagey, he lifted a shoulder. "The logistics can be worked out. That's not going to be the issue." His tone clearly indicated something else would be.

Impatient, Shyler all but growled. "Then what is the damn problem?"

Instead of answering, Spider focused his attention on her tagalong. "Marshton Grey, Entrepreneur. Midas touch, growing the already considerable family fortune to greater proportions. On the board of dozens of interplanetary and galaxy wide companies, including the resort section of Furlough. Bachelor, never married, no offspring."

Impressed, Shyler glanced to see Marsh's reaction.

He acknowledged the information. "You are good."

Would that be tension she noticed along Marsh's shoulders?

Spider shook his head. "No, I'm better than good. All that information is public domain. I dug a great deal deeper and uncovered a connection the inspector probably isn't aware of."

Oh yeah, definite tension.

Not taking her eyes off Marsh, Shyler queried. "Oh, really? What would that be?"

Spider shifted in his seat, also keeping Marsh in his sight. "You know Dogo works for Greyswell Industries, yes?"

Shyler inclined her head in agreement. "Yeah. I'm aware of the bastard's employment."

The Guild operative continued. "What you probably don't know is there's a deeper connection, one that might present a problem for you."

Shyler's stomach churned. "Go on. What's the deeper connection?" Her gut readied for a wallop.

Spider shifted again, this time looking at Shyler. "It's familial. Baj Dogo and Marshton Grey share a mother. And from the Guild's point of view, the fact that Mr. Grey wasn't up front about that means he's got a different agenda than you. And that's not okay."

Red. Her anger burned red hot and flashed brightly behind her eyes. Shyler didn't speak…couldn't have if she tried…not until she got it under control.

The son of a bitch had played her. No one's fault but her own. Stupid to feel betrayed by someone she'd just met…but she did. And it sucked. Big time.

Breathing deeply, she swallowed down the rage. When she spoke, her voice came out calm. Cool even. "No. That's definitely not okay. But I'll deal with it." Looking away from Marsh, whose guilty flush didn't help his standing, she turned her attention to Spider. "I appreciate the intel." She decided to focus on more pressing matters. "Moving on. Any assistance the Guild can provide is welcome. I'm assuming you have interview rooms somewhere on this station?"

Spider blinked at the quick change act. "We can probably arrange for one. It might be a holding cell we wire for sound." His cheeks flushed sheepishly. "We don't usually need anything but visuals."

Shyler shrugged. "Whatever works." She thought she'd better clarify a few things. "Look, I don't know how you guys operate, but I need Dogo alive."

Spider tensed for a moment, but relaxed again. "I'll pass the request along…but no promises. The bounty clearly states lethal force is an option."

Shyler leaned forward. "Look, it's important. I need information that only Dogo can provide." She cast a quick glance at Marsh, who had yet to defend himself…or try to. Unsure if she could continue without compromising her case, she opted to throw Spider a bone. "Dig deeper. Into the reports on Mars. Use those mad skills of yours. It might make a difference."

She hoped it would. A person with Spider's ability should be able to ferret out the primo detail being held back from both the press and authorities.

"Please, peel back the layers."

They were racing the clock. 157 dead, but a handful weren't, among them Glib. But they were hanging on by a thread, probably only had 48 hours before they met the same fate as the others.

Spider considered her for a long moment. "Yeah. Okay. I'll see what I can discover." He leaned back in his seat. "Key your creds into any info terminal or droid. It's a link directly to me. It's also how I'll update you with any new intel." He slid his gaze toward Marsh and turned back to her. "Gotta say, I admire your restraint." Referring to the fact her head hadn't completely spun around and popped off as yet.

Shyler didn't acknowledge his comment. Decided it would be best not to. She got to her feet. "Scan my creds to communicate. No prob. Thanks." She leveled her gaze on Marsh. "Let's go."

My next installment for Furlough is going to be Spider's story. Honestly, I'm thrilled about writing it and so far, it's been as much fun as I anticipated. Spider meets his match when Hailey Webb decides she wants his help.

Click to Buy

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: One Hot Mess

Greetings!

It's been a truly long week, but Strike Back remains a bright spot. I'm utterly fascinated by Dalton and how much she's crossing the line (if there is a line LOL)

I've also been rewatching Farscape on Pivot. I love it when newish channels air one of my favorite shows. Farscape ranks in my top five of all time winners.

Tonight's post is a speculative romance, One Hot Mess, and it's a complete joy to write. I love it when the sages have fun and they're having a wicked good time with this story.

Here's the tagline:

Eva Twine and Van Jefferson have a very friendly rivalry when their teams compete for the galaxy championship. But when Van questions what Eva will wear to the celebratory masquerade, she decides to rock his very foundation.

And a sneaky peek…

Ducking into a boutique, Eva spent all of five minutes scanning the racks before the overpowering aromatherapy scents had her dashing back out to the concourse. She walked past several shops and found another location with appropriate attire. Entering the store, Eva rolled her eyes. Filled with scanty costumes and barely there designs in filmy fabrics, she snorted with disgust. She wanted something sexy and sensual, not tarty and vixenish. The costumes were so low cut, Eva figured she'd spend more time trying to keep her boobs from falling out than enjoying herself.

Screw that.

She exited the shop and almost decided to forget the whole deal. She could always stay with the casual look and forget Van. Bah. Eva had the idea in her head now and didn't want to let go of it. She stopped in front of a bridal outlet and tilted her head sideways, taking in the rainbow of colors displayed in the window. The cut and style of the dresses drew her in and inspiration struck. Why look in the obvious places for something to wear for the masquerade when the perfect item could be found elsewhere.

Letting a grin cross her face, Eva entered the shop and waved off the gaggle of sales associates. She'd find what she wanted on her own then call someone over. Maybe.

Rifling through the vast selection, Eva found a gown made of gossamer looking fabric that seemed to shimmer with iridescence. If she wanted to dress up as a fae creature it would be the perfect thing to wear. Rejecting that idea, she moved on to the next rack and passed over the dresses that truly screamed 'bridal party' and wrinkled her nose at the pastel confections that made her teeth hurt looking at them. She almost turned away to head toward another section of the store when a flash of green caught her eye.

Buried between a hot pink strapless cocktail dress and a gold, off the shoulder gown, Eva pulled a gorgeous emerald green dress from the rack. She'd found the perfect thing to wear, with a form fitting bodice that would accent her cleavage instead of putting it on display, and a frothy skirt that fell in asymmetrical waves from the bust line. The tiny, thin straps had just a touch of shiny thread woven in to catch the light and draw attention to her face. She'd look like one of the glamorous singers from centuries ago.

Satisfied with her find, she set off in search of some heels to go with it. Meandering through the displays, Eva finally found a killer pair of shoes. Forest green with metallic accents, the open-toed pumps fit the image in her head. She tried one on and found it more comfortable than expected. Grabbing the box, she took her choices to the first sales associate she came across and made her purchase.

Exiting the shop, she made her way toward the guest quarters with a wide grin on her face. Van would swallow his tongue when he got a good look at her. She slowed her pace. Did she really want that reaction? They had a very friendly rivalry. Did they need to add a bunch of tension to mess that up?

She thought about it once she entered her room. Maybe she and Van did need to shake things up a bit. The guy was intelligent, highly skilled, and damned hot. Why not let her hair down a little and show him a different side? He'd made an assumption about her and while based on fact, he didn't have the whole picture of what made Eva Twine tick. He'd only seen glimpses of what lay underneath.

But Van definitely knew the cocky, self-assured and okay, sometimes crazy cop side of her. He'd get a good dose of the other woman at the masquerade. A little excited by the prospect, Eva sat down and started the process of getting ready to knock his world of its axis.

Her lips turned up. She'd done that once before. Their first meeting set the tone for everything that followed between them. On a dare, she'd gone screaming down a back alley behind the academy—blindfolded—on her sky hawg. To date, she still had no idea what instinct kicked in and made her veer in a quick turn, but she thanked the universe for it. Van narrowly missed a road kill death when he exited out the night watch access point. He ate some loose gravel and a shit ton of debris her thrust kicked up when she made the sharp slide.

But at least he didn't end up dead.

LOL. It's always fun when characters meet in a very unexpected way, don't you think?

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Luck Runs Out

Howdy!

After crap tons of rain, we got a really steamy, summery day today. I forgot how the humid air can blast you in the face when you go outside. LOL Relearned very quickly today. J

Tonight's post is from Luck Runs Out, a short novella with characters from Queen City, Mars. This location also features briefly in the Furlough 99 story, Shyler: Finding Home. The sages are whispering they'd like to see Shyler and Marsh, but the story hasn't lent itself to having them make an appearance yet. Maybe a bonus scene/free read can bring the couples together. J

Here's the tagline:

Domino Montgomery and Webb Wellesley are totally different personally and professionally, but they work seamlessly together. When they land an off world transport assignment, they have to babysit a condemned prisoner and deal with an impish captain who's hiding a wee bit of a secret of his own.

And the sneaky peek…

"Wellesley! You got a minute?"

Webb ducked into his captain's office. Even if he didn't have time, he'd make it. He owed the man a debt for choosing Webb's name from the long list of personnel waiting to get into one of the busiest station houses in Queen City.

Captain Bilar Christian sat behind his desk and looked up from the ream of paper, pointing to a chair, indicating Webb should take a seat.  

Webb dropped down and nodded. "What's up, Captain?" His eyes noted the large file and Webb hoped it meant they'd get a new recruit in soon.

It sucked being the new guy for two years running.

Christian leaned forward and got right to the point. "We just received notification regarding a prisoner transport to Venus."

Webb groaned. He'd rather spork his eyes out than spend several days babysitting a criminal on a drop run. He wouldn't be the only one either…no one like making them.

Maybe the captain wanted him to take over as shift supervisor. "And?" He wouldn't voice the question, might jinx himself.

The captain gave it to him straight. "You're going."

Webb leaned back in the seat. "Shit." He sat forward again. "Did I do something to piss you off, Captian?"

Bilar laughed. "No, Webb. You're name popped as next up for the haul. Luck of the draw, I'm afraid."

Webb sighed. "Who's my lucky partner?"

The captain sat back in his seat. "Montgomery."

What? No way.

Webb gave his superior officer a sharp look. "Now I know I did something to make you mad." A thought occurred. "Wait, isn't she on leave?" Anyone would be better than Domino for a transport run.

The captain gave him a grim smile. "Just got back a few hours ago."

Well, shit. Webb made an attempt to squirm out of the detail. "Are you sure someone else—"

Bilar interjected. "Already told her, Webb. She's packing, check that, repacking, as we speak." He rose and gathered the stack of papers. "Go grab her and we'll have a briefing in fifteen."

Poor Webb. He's actually got it bad for Domino…he just won't admit it. LOL

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

ML Skye