Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Another crazy week. This time on more of a personal front, which isn't all that unusual. I don't normally get slowed down though and I did this week. We got to see almost totality for the eclipse and that was actually a lot of fun. Our streetlights came on at three in the afternoon on an otherwise sunny day. Seriously. Lots of fun.

Had a fairly decent week of viewing and caught up on most of my regular schedule. I've pared it down a little and kind of hope to get back into a full rotation sometime soon. If I'm paying for streaming services, I should be using them, right?

Ended up catching two episodes of The Batman. I'd completely forgotten the original sidekick storyline with Prank for the Joker. Ended up enjoying that one. Also kind of loved the "Thunder" episode. That one I did remember.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I must have missed a big portion of the seventh season because I don't remember any of the vignettes. Kind of nice to have new-to-me material to watch.

Enjoyed an episode of My Life Is Murder. I think I have one more left before bonus material. Going to miss this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Caught the holiday episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to diving into the new season.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Loved seeing Jack's niece again. Looking forward to finishing this episode.

Said good-bye to Humphrey on Death in Paradise. Really liked the way his run ended. I'm excited to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. I'm almost through the first season and I'm very much enjoying this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella that maroons the characters on a deserted moon.

Here's the miniblurb:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Ox compiled the day's data and added it to the previous three. "Sending the final scans. Ready to bust the boredom and pick up our newbs?" He bit the inside of his cheek to hide a grin.

Janee's head snapped up and her gaze went hot. "Excuse me? Bust the boredom?" She swung around in her seat. "You are not talking about me?" Her hand gripped the armrests so hard the knuckles turned white. "I mean, I've been called a lot of things. But boring? Definitely isn't—" She broke off and her eyes narrowed. "Shit. You just used your free dig and I totally fell for it." Her gaze turned questioning. "Um … right?"

He could keep her hanging but the small waver in her confidence had his eyebrows raising a bit. Had their dynamic shifted? Might be something to ponder once they got back to the ship.

Ox huffed out a laugh hoping to break the weird beat of tension. "Yep." He'd be a complete ass if he left her twisting too long.

Her shoulders slumped forward, and she flashed a smile. "Good one. And, man, you weren't lying about being a patient man." She snorted. "I thought you'd forgotten about the free pass." Swinging back around, she buckled her harness over her chest.

Ox smirked and tamped down a rush of pride at the backhanded compliment. "Not only am I patient…" He waited until she glanced his way. "I rarely forget a promise made." Facing ahead, he started the preflight checks.

Janee tilted her head to one side. "Duly noted. That's actually good information." Her lips curved upward.

Ox didn't know if she meant good to have or good to use … but he had no doubt he'd find out at some point.

Halfway through the checklist, Ox came across a concerning ping. "There's a blip about the rear thrusters. It's on the original checklist, too. Do you remember what the issue is?" And would it delay the short jaunt to pick up the new recruits?

Janee frowned. "Not sure there is an issue. There's a small skip when initially engaging them. Since we're not doing much more than sitting in the black and landing in a spaceport to pick up passengers, Wan didn't redline the transport." Her fingers drummed on the control panel. "I trust his assessment."

Ox hesitated over the keyboard. "Did you eyeball the unit?" He'd believe her review if she had.

Janee grimaced. "I didn't. Like I said, I trust Specialist Jennings." She side-eyed him. "Do you not?"

Ox exhaled slowly. "It's not that I don't. But I'd be more confident if one of us had a visual point of reference." Or if the deck chief had… "You made the call to take off. You think we're good?" He'd go with her gut.

Janee's lips kicked up in a grin. "Of course, we're good. What could really go wrong?"

Ox winced. "Yeah, probably nothing." He spooled up the engines. "Let's head out…"

The probably nothing is going to be an absolute something. Janee kind of jinxed their takeoff.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Well, hello, June. It's mind-boggling to think half the year is pretty much gone. I'm rather glad summer is just around the corner even though I'm not a huge fan of super-hot temperatures.

I've been in a weird place lately and pondering whether there's something else on my horizon. Lots of ideas are jostling in my brain. Stay tuned … I might have more to come on this topic.

Decent week of television this week. I started out with three episodes of The Muppet Show. Judy Collins, Nancy Walker, and Edger Bergen were the guest stars. Each episode ended up being pretty fun.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys. I'm enjoying the mystery and I really like the sibling interaction. It'll be interesting to see how deeply the grandmother is involved.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice. The show took a turn I didn't expect, which I always enjoy.

Enjoyed another Master Class with David Carson. The fifth lesson focused on putting yourself into your work. I came away with some great ideas.

Caught another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Once again, I ended up surprised by Zelda. Still not a huge fan, but I think I'll end up liking her character arc.

Watched the third installment of The Ready Room. Michelle Hurd is such a cool actor. I've enjoyed her in almost everything she's participated in.

Caught another Passionflix Quickie. Hooked ended up being a lot of fun. I loved having an older couple as the main characters.

Ended up watching a full two-parter of Silent Witness. Really liked the storylines and their outcomes even though both weren't optimal.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. This one features a biker club and, so far, it's pretty decent.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and liked the storylines. The reunion theme fit most of the scenes. The one confusing bit with the super-great surgeon maybe planted some seeds for future episodes. Not sure about that one.

Watched another episode of No Offence. I'm thoroughly enjoying the third series. Dinah and Viv are formidable and I love how Spike kind of slides in wherever he's needed. Good stuff.

Started a new arc of Classic Who. The second part of the key search isn't quite as interesting as the first, but I love K-9's interactions with everyone.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Janee Neff handed a clipboard to the deckhand. "Thanks, Wan. We won't be out long, right? The little pings shouldn't be a problem." Pre-flight checks always found little blips that shouldn't be cause for alarm.

Wan Jennings arched a brow. "You know if you come back with anything more than what's on this list, the chief will want your head on a pike." The deckhand rolled a shoulder. "It's your call, Janee." She backed out of the ship and pressed the release for the docking cables.

Janee gave her a thumbs-up then activated the panel to close the door. "When doesn't the chief want my head on a pike?" But she wouldn't be flying this time.

Oxley DeCosta swiveled around in the pilot's seat. "The only time you're not on the shit list is when you're washing the birds." He gave her a lopsided smirk.

She snorted, but didn't comment. Mainly because he didn't have things wrong. She ended up washing a lot of spacecrafts to soothe the chief's ruffled feathers.

Slipping into the copilot's station, she shot Ox a sideways glance. "We gonna take off or what?" Routine runs were boring enough … delaying their launch wouldn't make things more interesting.

Ox grunted. "Sure." He began the process of taxiing the mid-sized transport vehicle into the bay for takeoff. "Prepare to be dazzled into a semi-stupor of long-range scans and recon scouting before picking up the new recruits." Entering the marked location, he signaled the LSO and received the okay to lift off.

Janee gripped the arms of her chair. "Let's hit the black." She loved the sequence of barreling through the launch tube and hitting the inky darkness of space.

Ox pushed the joystick forward and they shot down the tunnel, gaining speed until he pressed the trigger and blasted out into the universe.

Janee checked their coordinates. "Heading for Hepheta's moon to establish synchronous orbit on my mark." Keying in the number sequence, she paused until they flashed on the screen. "And, mark."

Ox hit the jump switch and they winked out of sight then appeared directly above one of the moons of the planet Hepheta.

Janee verified their status. "We're a go for long-range and recon of the third moon." Spooling up the equipment, she did a quick rundown. "Breathable atmosphere, craggy outcroppings, H2O. Wow. A veritable paradise so far."

Ox snorted. "Right. Give it time. Let's see what the other two moons and the planet have going for them." He radioed the flagship then set their transport to the sequence. "Four days of mining data from the surface. Ugh."

Janee laughed. "What's the matter, Lieutenant Hot Stuff? Do the numbers make you go cross-eyed?" She loved teasing him.

Ox kicked back in his chair. "Yeesh. You jumped in before I could finish and say at least I had good company, but yeah, forget that now." He made a show of crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

Janee rolled her eyes. "Fine. You get a free dig with no retaliation but you have to wait at least twenty-four hours to use it."

Ox gave her a wide grin. "I'm a patient man. Done."

Janee smiled. This would be a fun four-day jaunt.

Janee and Ox have some conflicting ideas about where this story is going but they'll always work out their issues … and maybe kick my sages into cooperation. LOL

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Well… this has been a crazy week. My daughter had a break on Monday for MLK Jr. Day and hasn't been back to school since. Four snow days in a row. We're supposed to have a warmer weekend so hopefully they'll be back to school this week. She's going stir-crazy and keeps mumbling about the district cancelling school for the rest of the year. LOL

Not a bad week in television. MY SHOWS ARE BACK!! The Flash put Barry on trial and, holy crap, he's not in a good place. I'd like to say I cared more about everything happening but I just can't give two craps about the stupid body swap, uber smart big bad here. Eh… at least we're getting some good character development on other fronts.

Gotta say if you're not watching Black Lightning, find it and watch! What a kickass premiere! I'm excited about this show. I'm still holding out hope we eventually get a Vixen scripted drama sometime in the future.

Arrow still ranks as my top DC universe show. Even though James is similar to the uber smart Flash villain scenario, I like how he's got a team of junior villains backing him. I'm holding out hope this one has a satisfactory ending.

Riverdale. Oh, show. Where the hell are you going? I'm kind of thrilled I have no freaking clue what out of left field thing will happen next. Part of the joy in watching this show is the absolutely crazy dark alleys it decides to go down. That said, pitting Archie against Hiram is either the best thing ever or the stupidest move an FBI agent will ever make. Just saying.

Got started on The Punisher and, honestly, it ranks right up there with Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil. Iron Fist is still the weakest link in this group, but I have faith Danny won't be the most annoying super hero ever in his second season. Maybe.

Murdoch Mysteries had a great episode last week. I know nothing about cricket but it made an interesting murder backdrop. Also, it's so awesome William and Julia are possibly going to start their family. Fingers crossed that actually happens.

Frankie Drake provided a terrific case this week and also had excellent guest stars. So awesome to see George Crabtree around and doing quite well for himself. Also, Laurence Fox can guest star again whenever he wants. I'm totally down with that idea.

Finished the second season of Chicago Fire and, wow, what an ending. Got the third season ready to start today. Definitely glad I don't have to wait through a hiatus to find out what happened to everyone.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a story where the main characters get marooned on a desert island. I put a twist in and made the island a deserted planet instead.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Ox snorted. "Yeah? Next time maybe you can check the status of the thrusters before we take off." He wanted to keep her focused on being pissed at him and not her precarious situation.

He needed to get her down. If he couldn't, he'd have to leave her and set a homing beacon. He should have made getting the signal out his first priority, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her, not in an unconscious state.

And she'd probably rip him a new one when she discovered he'd put her first.

He'd do the same to her if their roles were reversed.

But… they needed each other if they wanted to survive. Their odds went way down if they got separated for any reason.

Janee moaned then growled in frustration. "Dammit, Ox. Get me down. Or so help me, I'll heave up my guts all over you." To her credit, she refrained from trying to pull the harness apart again.

Not a pleasant thought. He weighed several options. He could climb up and cut her down, but the drop concerned him. Maybe he could get to the jump kit and rig a rope rescue. Better chance to release her and avoid injury for both. A quick visual scan didn't reveal the bag where it should be. He glanced around, hoping to find it.

Janee shook her head. "Ox… what the hell are you looking for?" Her hair dangled straight down, the holder nowhere to be seen.

He kept up the search. "The jump bag. I should be able to rig a system to cut you loose and lower you down. A fifteen-foot drop won't help your headache." Or get them out of the ship to set the beacon.

Janee craned her head from side to side. "There. Hang on…" She kicked out her leg and caught the strap with her boot. "Look out below." Hooking her foot under the handle, she swung the case from its location then dropped it.

Ox shuffled to the side, barely getting out of the way in time. He grunted when his shoulder connected with the bulkhead. Bending down, he riffled through the duffel and grabbed two ropes and a carabiner.

He rose and found a good anchor spot. "Janee, can you wind this around the arm of the seat? I'll climb up, get you secured then cut you loose." He judged the distance he'd need to cover with the toss.

Janee gave a nod. "Yeah, I should be able to work it through and get it wrapped around the armrest." She readied to catch the end when he threw it. "And you'd better make sure I don't end up making that fifteen-foot drop." She caught the rope and started threading it through the space. "With my luck, I'd land headfirst, because, really, the day couldn't get worse if I did."

Ox started the climb up, a grin on his face. Janee might drive him crazy with her nonstop salvos but he wouldn't want to be stranded with anyone else.

I love writing the back and forth with these two characters. They're already terrific friends and adding the tension-building scenario of being stranded together creates some awesome conflict.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Ugh. A full week later and I'm still moving files and cleaning up the older computers. Then again, several editing deadlines crept up on me and I got hit with a couple of scenes for two WIPs, so yeah, not going to complain. LOL I also had to take an online course and finished it up today. YAY!

Banshee had a great finale! Without spoiling too much, I'm glad to see the end of one particular character, sad to see the end of one, and very intrigued about the fate of a few others, including Hood. I can't wait for the next season!

Happy to say The Walking Dead didn't lose anyone important last week. We'll see if the streak continues tonight.

Still waiting on the return of The Flash and Arrow, back this week. WooHoo! Getting a few glimpses of Strike Back and Orphan Black, which can't get here soon enough. Found out the US premiere date for Bitten, April 17, if memory serves. The latest episode ended up being way better than I expected. Looking forward to next week's.

I think that's it for TV news. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella set on a deserted moon.

Here's the tagline:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Janee jerked upright, consciousness returning with a brutal vengeance. "Son of a bitch." Her hand rubbed at a nasty bump on the back of her head. "What the hell happened?"

Oh. Right.

Crash landing in a burning ship.

Crash landing in a burning ship. Ox! Where is he?

With caution, she craned her neck, ignoring the poundy-drum ache throbbing along her skull. "Ox? Hey, you okay?"

A low groan sounded from behind her. Okay, not at all where he should be.

Her fingers worked to unfasten the safety harness, but fumbled with the buttons. "Oxley DeCosta, Lieutenant Hot Stuff, you've got some explaining to do." The damned belts would not unfasten and concern warred with annoyance over her lack of progress. "Ox. Hello? Speak to me. Or, well, grunt or something. Anything." She still couldn't get the stupid bindings loose and she growled with frustration.

Ox finally spoke. "Janee, shut up a minute. I'm trying to figure out how the hell to get to you." He snarled the next words. "And for all that's holy, stop messing with your harness."

A sick ball of dread formed deep in her gut. Ox's voice didn't come from behind her. No. The pain-laced dialog came from—she lifted her chin and met his gaze below her—the top of the ship. Flaming hell. Trapped, hanging upside down. That explains the raging headache.

Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep, calming breath. "You know what, Ox? Next time I'm doing the flying."

Janee may not be thrilled with Ox at the moment, but she'll be glad he's around later.

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

ML Skye