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: Under a Crescent Moon

*sigh*

Sit back and get a little comfy. I'm going to blather on about my disappointment in the new season of Doctor Who, which feels almost sacrilegious, but necessary. Maybe if I purge myself, I'll enjoy the show more.

So… as mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of Capaldi as the Doctor. This has nothing to do with his acting. I enjoy his work. But… here's the thing… I just can't get past the fact he's been two other characters besides the Doctor in the Whoverse—Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii and John Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth. But wait! What about Eve Myles? She played a character in Doctor Who before being in Torchwood. Why doesn't that bother me?

One simple reason. The character she played in The Unquiet Dead, Gwyneth, by rights, could have been an ancestor of Torchwood's Gwen, so… my brain has no problem wrapping around the idea. But Capaldi's characters? Not so much. Wanna know why?

Because THE DOCTOR doesn't have ancestors on earth. Even if I bought the idea Caecilius could be John Frobisher's ancestor, I can't buy the idea they're somehow related to the Doctor. EVER. It's just a big, fat NOPE.

Do I take this Whoverse stuff way too seriously? Oh, hell yes, I do. LOL But… I miss the continuity of the earlier Davies seasons. The sweeping emotional arcs we got in a single episode sometimes. And Moffat is more than capable of writing that way. I mean Blink is one of the most emotional roller coaster episodes I've EVER watched on TV, so he's got the chops to connect with me on that level… when he's not trying to be too quirky or clever or whatever the hell he's trying to be with the gimmicky shtick he's been throwing out lately, especially with the two opening episodes of this season. They were disjointed and messy and I'm honestly not sure what I was watching, but it's not the Doctor Who I love.

And no worries if anyone vehemently disagrees with me. I'm totally okay with the rest of the planet loving the Doctor as much as they always have. I'm just not quite there yet—maybe I never will be—but I'm hoping Moffat rises to the challenge of keeping me as a viewer.

Whew. I feel WAY better now. Thanks for letting me vent. LOL I think I'll rant a little more on my sister blog, or you know, copy this and post it there, too. :D

I could go on about having new episodes of Lost Girl to watch, but I'll save it for a later post.

Moving on… Tonight's post is from Under a Crescent Moon, a sexy short where my hero needs to make amends.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tyra Blanc, a top military pilot, harbors a secret love for classic old romance movies. When she's not paying attention during a briefing, her superior officer, Dev Dravenish, reveals her weakness and Tyra is caught between wondering how he discovered the information and how to deal with the all-out ribbing coming her way.

And a sneaky peek…

Tyra Blanc moaned. "Mmm. Yes, Dev. Right there." Her orgasm hit and she rode it out, planting her hands on Dev Dravenish's chest.

He bucked his hips. "Right behind you, Tyra." His fingers dug into her thighs, tightening when he found his release.

Tyra slumped forward, goose bumps breaking out over her skin. The chilly recycled air doing its job of cooling her down after extremely hot sex. Dev wrapped his arms around her, ghosting his palms over her back. She shifted sideways and he tucked her into his side.

Her head lolled on his shoulder. "Geez, Dev. We can't let a whole week go by without sex anymore." Her eyes grew heavy. "Three times in one night is a personal record."

For her anyway. She had no idea if Dev had ever topped that many times.

His arm tightened around her. "Yeah, two times is my usual limit. At least it is during one night." He shifted to his side and met her gaze. "A full twenty-four hour period is a different story."

Her lips curved in a grin. "Meaning we could continue this in the morning?" She draped an arm around his waist and palmed his ass cheek.

Dev chuckled. "Would love to, but…" He caught her lips in a quick, hard kiss. "Briefing starts at 0600 and my schedule is jammed until after 2030." Maneuvering his arm out from under her, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bunk.

Tyra groaned. "Dammit, Dev. It's after one a.m." She rolled onto her back. "Early briefings suck balls."

He glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. I know. You're not a morning person." He fished around for his boxers and jammed his legs through. "But sometimes you gotta deal and drag your ass out of bed." He stood up and shot her an amused look. "Do I have to come and douse you with cold water in four hours?" He yanked his t-shirt over his head.

Tyra squeaked out a protest. "Don't even think about it." She lifted her head and punched the pillow. "I'll be there. Won't enjoy it, but I'll be there." Her head dropped and she yawned.

Dev ducked back inside the bunk enclosure. "I'll buy you all the coffee you need after the briefing." His mouth brushed over hers. "Love you."

He straightened and made his way across the floor, crawling up into his berth. Tyra sighed and closed her eyes. They rarely had the senior quarters all to themselves and she didn't regret taking advantage of the alone time. But, ugh, she'd definitely be sluggish and out of sorts when she had to get up in less than five hours. Dev would probably be awake within two, if he held to his habit of going over the briefing notes and checking in with command deck for last minute changes.

She hated his ability to exist on a few hours' sleep. But, oh, she loved what he could do to her in the same time span.

Snuggling into the mattress, she smiled. She could manage to get her ass up, right?

Ha. She'll manage, but it won't be pretty. LOL

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Personal Involvement

Hi!

Okay, I can't discuss Strike Back just yet, but I will say I love shows where NOBODY is safe. Speaking of no one being safe, Sons of Anarchy returns Tuesday and I'm ready to start marking the death toll. LOL

Now for something a little less morbid. J Tonight's post is from Personal Involvement and features one of my favorite angsty set-ups…personal involvement in the military and the fallout that smacks the characters in the face. J

Here's the tagline:

Tarin Glade gets caught up in a nightmare when she's brought before a disciplinary council for her personal involvement with a student who failed basic flight. When Ellis Spector, the brother of the complainant, speaks on Tarin's behalf, it rocks the foundation of his family—especially since the commandant who brought the charges is Ellis's father.

And a sneaky peek…

Ellis rose from his spot behind Tarin and strode to the docket. "Admiral Chekwick, Ellis Spector for the defense."

The admiral blinked and cocked his head. "Just a moment, Lieutenant Spector, you're here to give testimony on behalf of the defendant?" He shuffled the pages in the file folder. "But your brother is the complainant."

Ellis gave a terse nod. "Yes, Admiral."

Chekwick lifted a brow. "Care to explain that one, young man?"

Ellis heaved an inward sigh. "Sir, Ensign Glade, upheld her sworn duty. She recognized a lack of true commitment on Cadet Spector's part and wouldn't forward him on to the qualifications test." He paused. "She did this in spite of being under pressure from Commandant Spector to send his boy to earn his wings."

Ellis kept as much heat out of his voice as he could and prayed he'd succeeded.

The admiral studied Ellis. "You have strong feelings about this."

He made it a statement, but Ellis clarified. "I have strong feelings about my brother's life—which Ensign Glade saved by not passing him." He glanced toward his brother. "Regardless of the cost to her career, she wouldn't cave on her decision."

The admiral's mouth thinned to a straight slash across his face. "Lieutenant, are you daring to assume you know the outcome of this tribunal?"

Ellis shook his head. "Quite the contrary, Admiral. I'm speaking solely about the fact she'll suffer a black mark on her record whether she's cleared here or not." Ellis shot his father a direct look.

The admiral took notice. "Your old man has a lot of pull, Lieutenant."

Ellis nodded. "Yes, Sir, he does. And he's earned every bit of it." He stopped there, keeping his tone respectful.

The admiral's lips quirked. "He has. Let's hope he chooses to use that sway to the betterment of Ensign Glade's career instead of making it detrimental."

Ellis wanted to pump his fist in the air. Tarin would walk away from the tribunal free and clear. And the admiral basically laid it out for the old man. Don't screw with her—even commandants can earn black marks.

Checkwick asked an additional question. "Lieutenant, can you confirm, for the record, that the break-up between Ensign Glade and Cadet Spector has nothing to do with the flight qualifications?"

An unexpected turn, and possibly a tricky situation to avert. Ellis took a moment and gathered his words carefully. "If I may speak freely, Sir?"

The admiral nodded. "Go ahead, young man."

Ellis nodded toward his brother. "My brother entered Ensign Glade's class after they started dating. I can't state why he kept his enrollment a secret from her, but I can confirm she had no preconception he'd be there on the first day, and was, in fact, shocked to see him."

So shocked she'd all but dragged him out of the classroom to dress him down for not being where he should be.

Ellis continued. "From that first day, she informed Cadet Spector he wouldn't receive any kind of preferential treatment and would have to pull his weight or risk failure. I was headed for the classroom to wish Cadet Spector luck when I witnessed that conversation."

The admiral inclined his head. "Go on, Lieutenant."

Ellis finished his statement. "I can't, in good faith, say the break-up has nothing to do with the qualifications. I think it has everything to do with Eddie not being allowed to go forward. But he's the one who initiated the split—after Ensign Glade refused to sign off on his simulation scores."

Eddie stood up. "I never told you I'm the one who broke up with Ensign Glade."

Ellis prayed the admiral would take the opening provided.

The superior officer asked. "Were you, Cadet?"

Eddie realized his mistake too late. He had no choice but to answer truthfully or risk court martial for lying under oath.

Shoulders slumped, he answered. "Yes, Sir."

The admiral pressed forward. "When, exactly, did you inform Ensign Glade you no longer wanted to be in a relationship, Cadet?"

Eddie shot the elder Spector a sideways glance. "The same day Commandant Spector spoke with her and she refused to let me take the flight test."

Ephram rose, turned on his heel, and exited the room. Ellis had hoped for the reaction, wanting his dad to understand Eddie's deceit and put Tarin in the absolute clear. Ellis met the admiral's gaze, hoping the man understood why Ellis had taken some liberty with how he presented the facts. His old man needed to have his eyes opened and realize Eddie played both sides against the middle. And couldn't be allowed to do it anymore.

The admiral motioned for Ellis to be seated. "Ensign Glade."

Tarin rose from her seat and faced the admiral.

"The charges before me are hereby dismissed and you'll return to active duty at 0700 tomorrow morning." He lifted the gavel, ended the proceeding.

Ellis risked a glance toward Tarin. She kept her eyes ahead and shoulders straight even though she'd been cleared. Ellis admired the discipline she exhibited. So not her style, but maybe she'd learned a little something from tangled aftermath of dealing with his brother.

Once the admiral exited the room, Tarin turned and made her way to Ellis. "You're an idiot, but I can't thank you enough."

Ellis grinned. "Yes, you can. Have dinner with me then come to my place for movies and popcorn."

She chuckled. "A free meal and entertainment? How can I refuse?"

Ellis shook his head. "You can't. I'll pick you up at seven."

She laughed. "Make it five. I have an early day tomorrow."

He smiled. "Five it is." He started for the exit. "Carpathian seafood?"

Tarin nodded. "It's my favorite. And action movies. None of those lame comedies."

Ellis paused by the door. "I have an entire shelf of them. We'll go alphabetically."

He left to the sound of Tarin's peals of laughter.

Ahhh, seems like all is well, right? It's not. LOL But that's another post on a different day.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippets: Dress for Dinner

Okay, Walking Dead, you've got me. Didn't think I'd enjoy the showdown between Rick and the Governor, but yeah, I'm enjoying it. :D

But…a post must be made! So…tonight's is from the final installment in the Top Dog Pilots trilogy. Dress for Dinner has been so much fun to write. Not quite ready for prime time, but getting there. My hope is to finish it up and submit all three at the same time.

Here's the tagline:

Max and Maggie are training up and coming pilots and life is great. But when Maggie's uncle, a retired admiral, brings his new and much younger bride, to the ship for their honeymoon, Maggie takes one look at the woman and sees disaster. An emergency makes her miss the full dress dinner, leaving Max alone to deal with the hot simpering mess.

And here's a wee sneaky peek:

Maggie took one look at Celine Rockwell Harper and saw straight to the truth. The too high heels, clingy, low cut dress, and mounds of over styled hair proved to be a dead giveaway. Woman had trouble written all over her.

Oh, Uncle Artie. What the hell?

Maggie observed her new auntie in action. Her fingers lingered too long on the sleeves of the male officers. Her eyes flashed promises at each and every one. She thrived on suggestive words and innuendo. And she had a throaty laugh that seemed to be a mating call. Maggie would bet the woman had claws when crossed.

She aimed to find out.

Working her way through the throng of men packed around the vivacious red head, Maggie smiled sweetly. "Uncle Artie suggested I show you to the head…sorry, the facilities, so you can freshen up a bit." She turned to the disappointed masses. "Sorry, boys. She'll be back later." Maggie didn't wait for Celine to respond. She grabbed her arm above the elbow and dragged her down the corridor.

Celine stumbled along beside her, the heels of her fuck me shoes skittering on the nubby surface of the deck. Maggie shoved open the hatch and tugged Celine inside.

The other woman whirled around to face her. "What. The hell?" She tossed her head and straightened her shoulders.

Maggie smirked. "I'm sorry? You weren't done holding court?" She turned the water on and rinsed her hands. "I'm sure the guys will understand. None of them want to piss off a retired admiral."

Celine rolled her eyes and snorted. "Please. I've got Artie wrapped. He finds it's amusing when all those young bucks fawn all over me." She moved to stand in front of a mirror, adjusting the bodice of her dress.

Any lower and her tits would fall out.

Maggie shook her head back and forth. "You know, Celine. The thing about manipulative creatures like you is…you always think you're smarter than anyone else."

Celine's lips curved up in a nasty smile. "I usually am, darling."

Maggie shrugged. "Maybe. But the other thing about your type…" She moved to stand behind the other woman, meeting her gaze in the mirror. "And this is the best part, so pay attention." Celine narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. "You always trip yourself up. You can't help it." Maggie backed away, giving Celine room to refresh her lipstick. "Believe your own hype and eventually, it'll bite you on the ass."

Celine smoothed her lips together. "We'll see about that." She dropped the tube back in the tiny purse she carried. "My ass sees a lot of action."

Maggie smiled. "I have no doubt. Being a good lay won't always cut it with the admiral."

Celine's lips curved again and her eyes flashed. "You might be surprised. He quite loves the things I'm willing to do in bed."

Maggie held back a shudder. Way more information than she ever wanted about her uncle's sex life.

"He's not a stupid man, Celine. And you won't be able to help yourself. Sooner or later some hot young stud with a stiff dick will be your downfall."

Celine sauntered over to stand beside Maggie. "Not really your concern is it?" She pushed the hatch open and exited.

Maggie watched her totter precariously back toward the ready room. A young pilot, newly assigned to the Pathos, grasped her elbow and aided the sultry vixen back to her spot. Maggie heaved a sigh.

What a piece of work.

And no, her new auntie's next hard dick didn't concern Maggie. But her Uncle Artie's happiness, on the other hand, did.

The wicked bitch would need a watchful eye.

Maggie will be less than thrilled but not surprised by what follows. :D Stay tuned.

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

ML Skye