Sunday Snippet: Wasted Credits

Very long week. Once again, the weather is all over the map, but spring might be peeking around the corner. Or, well, possibly summer. We could see eighty degrees (F) this week.

I might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on numerous work projects. I'm kind of excited about a couple of them being closer to the author's publication date. I have several nonfiction projects that have been super challenging but they're great books.

Had a decent viewing week. I did skip my new show this week. Didn't have the mindset to watch. Dark Winds will hopefully return during this upcoming week.

I'm almost finished with London Kills and it's such a good show. I've really enjoyed the way the weekly cases weave in and out of the overall story arc. And the character growth has been well done.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise with the season twelve holiday episode. Really good storyline! It's fun to get Selwyn backstory.

Watched another episode of Beyond Paradise. Sad to see Anne get caught up in a not-so-great situation. Loved the way Martha handled Zoe's mistake. Also fun to have Humphrey and Martha approved for fostering.

Got blown away by another episode of Elementary. The case ended up being intriguing and the end? Wow. Did not expect that to happen.

Watched an episode of Batman Beyond and enjoyed it. I remember this one from my original run through and loved the call back to Batman: The Animated Series.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I don't remember either of the vignettes and particularly liked the video game one.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Wasted Credits, a novella that pulls a couple together while they're stationed at a mining colony.

Here's the miniblurb:

Valora Prime can't figure out why a smart, attractive man like Hackett Barnes pays for sex. When she corners him to find the answer, his response catches her off guard and she has to make a quick decision. Let him in or let him go.

And a sneaky peek…

Damn. He couldn't make it any more obvious that he wanted to spend time with her. Or admit how deep his feelings for her ran. Not without making her bolt for the door.

He shrugged. "Look, if you don't want me to waste the credits, why not spend time with me? It's a simple request." That had a lot riding on it. Mainly his sanity.

Val opened her mouth. Closed it. Frowned.

Then shook her head. "No. No way. Never work." She made a hand-wave motion. "Uh-uh."

And maybe protested a little too strongly.

So he pushed. "Why?"

Her brow furrowed. "Did you miss the first part of this conversation?"

He shook his head. "No. But I'm asking for one week. No more. No less."

She huffed out a breath. "You're serious."

He gave a nod. "I am." He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.

She got up and paced. "No." She paused, her feet sinking into the plush carpet. "No. Uh-uh." Her head tilted to one side. "No. Can't." She waffled back and forth for several more moments.

Hack got up and walked toward the bar. "Sounds to me like you're the one with the problem, Val." One he finally understood.

She couldn't handle it when he caved and tried things her way.

She backpedaled. "No, I've just known you a long time. This isn't you."

He splashed some liquid in a tumbler. "And I'm finally on board with your way of doing things and you're the one backing out." He gave her a moment to respond and when she didn't, he jerked his head toward the door. "Fine. I'll see you when I get back to the colony." He turned away from her and picked up the glass.

He waited until the door slid open and shut before downing the contents.

He'd laid everything out and she walked away. "Didn't really expect anything else."

But damn if I'm not disappointed.

I like how this one is coming together. I had a small wobble but it worked itself out.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Wasted Credits (a Furlough 99 novella)

What a crazy week of weather. We had rain, rain, rain, which is probably great for the gardens—as long as the plants are hardy. We also had some close to freezing temps in the wee hours of the morning.

Another super-busy work week. Started a few new projects and I'm humming along on some others. I like having a variety of work and I definitely have that right now.

Another slower week for television. I got started again on doing some clearing out and sorting of stuff I've put off way too long. The good news is I've discovered a ton of missing socks, which makes me very happy.

I watched the second episode of Harrow's third season. So far, I really, really dislike the new boss. But … I kind of love the dynamic between Harrow and Fairley. Discovering Grace is married is something I'm on the fence with, but we'll see what happens there.

Caught another episode of Blue Heelers. I'm a little disappointed to find out I won't be able to watch the bulk of the series now. It seems to have been removed from the streaming service I've been watching it on. Maybe it'll pop back up again. I still have the season to finish then I'll see what happens.

Enjoyed another lesson of MasterClass with Neil deGrasse Tyson. This one talked about systems of beliefs.

Finished up Young Wallander: Killer's Shadow and it did not disappoint. I hope there's another season of this show.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I enjoy having this show on in the background when I'm reading emails.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and, wow, I'm starting to wonder a little if this is Conor's last season. Things seem to be ramping up quickly.

Enjoyed another episode of The Snoopy Show. This one had a bunch of spring-like vignettes.

Watched another episode of Loch Ness and there didn't seem to be a lot of forward momentum on the case, but little revelations popped up and into the storyline. I'm excited for the next episode.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness. I'm kind of happy Thomas didn't do something sketchy with the information he had on the ex's new boyfriend. Even though she pretty much deserves anything he hands out. She's a piece of work.

Managed to finish an arc of Classic Who. I'll be starting a new one this week. I'm still on the fence with Mel as a companion. She does a lot of screaming.

Also watched the last episode of The Laundry Guy. I actually hope he does another round of episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed the six available.

Watched the Marvel Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye. Honestly, I really loved the first season and I'm kind of hoping there will be another, even if it's primarily Clint-free. Some great groundwork is out there if they continue this.

Started a new episode of The Hardy Boys. I love the mystery of this season and I can't wait to finish this episode.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Wasted Credits, a novella set in the Furlough 99 universe and featuring some action on the mining colony.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valora Prime can't figure out why a smart, attractive man like Hackett Barnes pays for sex. When she corners him to find the answer, his response catches her off guard and she has to make a quick decision. Let him in or let him go.

And a sneaky peek…

Her gaze didn't waver. Hackett stood before her, loosely holding her captive. Weirdly, she didn't want to be anywhere else. Something of a first for her.

Clearing her throat, she wet her lower lip. "So … it's all right in the open. Practically a standing invitation, right?" Putting herself out there scared the hell out of her.

How he responded would dictate everything from this point forward.

Hackett let go of her chin. "Can you accept it? The idea of this possibility without regret?"

She countered with her own question. "Can you? I'm not the one who thinks twelve steps ahead." Damn … that sounded terrible and not at all what she meant.

Hackett's lips curved in a half-smile. "Exactly my point." He leaned in, his mouth hovering close to hers. "I've thought this through every which way and back again."

Her breathing went shallow. "And what did you conclude?" When did his voice get all sexy and raspy?

He eased back, giving her space. "You're not wrong … but neither am I. So … I have a proposition for you." Stepping away, he moved to the seating unit and sat down.

Valora eyed him warily. "What did you have in mind?" Oddly, the room temperature grew warmer even though he sat five feet away from her.

Hackett waited one heartbeat. "One week. You and me. Right here on Furlough."

Her mind blanked. Did he actually suggest they spend seven days together on the space station? Why didn't the idea make her want to run? Because curiosity would be the end of her.

Yet … her brain shied away from the thought of spending that much intimate time with him. Because he did mean something to her.

Needing a moment, she hedged. "Did I hear you correctly? You want me to spend a week on Furlough with you?"

He gave her a bland look. "Your hearing is fine. What's the answer?"

She huffed out a breath. Shit. She had no idea how to respond.

So, she asked the only thing she could think of. "Why?"

I'm very happy with how this one is coming together. I love revisiting the Furlough space station and adding in a little more detail about the mining colony.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Wasted Credits

I'm finally pretty much through the worst of the respiratory nastiness. It's so nice to breathe semi-normal again. It's amazing what a difference it makes to take a deep breath on not end on a coughing spasm.

Not a bad week for television viewing. I finished up Endeavour's second episode of the fifth season. Also caught an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I rather like where they've put things with Brackenreid.

Finished Luke Cage and, honestly? I liked where the series ended. I'd love to see more and I'm disappointed I won't be able to. The biggest drawback to all the streaming options now is how proprietary they're all becoming. Makes me a little sad.

Watched some Classic Roswell, third episode of the first season, which ended up dovetailing in an interesting way with the second episode of Roswell, New Mexico. Isobel using her powers to freak Maria out in the classic version played against Michael and Isobel using theirs to mess with Liz in the reboot. I'm invested way more than I thought I'd be in the new version. It's moving up the list of shows I don't want to miss.

Caught the Killjoys episode where they rescue the kids and blow up the RAC… and lose one of their own. Seriously, this show grabs me every time I watch. There's so much going on but the emotional beats always shine and don't get lost in the action. I'm looking forward to finishing out season four.

I'm through the halfway mark of Underbelly: Razor. The death toll keeps rising and the "Blood Alley" episode added to it with one of the major players going down. I'm loving the odd little beats of inner betrayal and turmoil, too.

On the sci-fi front, I watched an episode of Painkiller Jane and The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Each episode had a theme of painful past memories. Also caught an episode of Birds of Prey and had forgotten this one. I think I'm at the next to last episode before the series ends.

Finally, I watched the season one ender of Pensacola Wings of Gold. It's a to-be-continued-in-season-two thing and I guess I'll watch the first episode to see how they resolve getting rid of the entire team and starting from scratch. After that… eh… not sure I'll watch more.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Wasted Credits, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of setting a story around one of the main characters paying for sex. I actually liked the challenge of that prompt and decided to set it to tie in with the Furlough 99 universe.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valora Prime can't figure out why a smart, attractive man like Hackett Barnes pays for sex. When she corners him to find the answer, his response catches her off guard and she has to make a quick decision. Let him in or let him go.

And a sneaky peek…

What the hell happened to me? Valora Prime happened. Not that he could admit his problem out loud.

Valora narrowed her eyes. "Not like you to copout or dwell. You're the most put one foot forward and keep moving on person I know." Her head tilted to the side and she studied him with a curious stare.

Hackett waved a hand. "Look, forget I said anything. I've got too much time on my hands right now." He turned, putting some space between them. "For the record, I'm not doing anything others haven't done. And contrary to what you think, I can't just have anyone." Living proof stood right in front of him. "I'm a supervisor, meaning I have to act like it." Sleeping with anyone in a subordinate position created complications. "That means keeping things simple. No fucking crewmembers." He might one exception and only one.

And he'd rather she not find out because she'd totally call bullshit.

Valora frowned. "That's ridiculous. The work around is to not sleep with anyone you directly supervise. There are more than ten crews, Hack."

He snorted. "Right. With constant transfers. What happens if I'm hooking up with someone and they get transferred to my unit?" Donovan would hand Hackett his ass on plate—something he wanted to avoid.

Just like he wanted to avoid this conversation.

Valora's mouth thinned to a straight line. She crinkled her nose, a habit she used when she didn't have a ready comeback. Or when she couldn't argue a point.

Hackett drove his reasoning home. "What else is there, Val? I really don't have time to dedicate to a full-on relationship. And aside from recently, it's not like I take a lot of downtime to find someone else." No one interested him anyway… except Valora.

She quirked a brow. "Your lack of R and R is on you. You earn the time but don't use it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "There's more to the story here. You're just not sharing."

Well, hell. She nailed it in one.

Fine. If she wanted truth, he'd give it to her. Let her wallow in the honesty she valued above all else.

And… holy shit. A factoid dropped in his mind and crystallized into something akin to a bizarre certainty.

Valora's outrageous indignation had nothing to do with Hackett using the sex dens… or the idea he'd been paying for his female companionship. Could she possibly be… jealous?

He wanted to find out. "Again, Val, why do you care?" She wouldn't answer before, maybe she would now.

She opened her mouth. Closed it. Almost literally bit her tongue to keep from commenting.

Interesting.

He advanced and she backed up. Retreat from Valora? Almost unheard of.

Hackett pressed onward. "Val? Why. Does. It. Matter. Who. I. Sleep. With?" He spoke each word as a sentence, driving home the question.

Val's eyes widened when her back hit the wall. "It doesn't. Not really." She glanced away.

Hackett grasped her chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Bullshit. Try again."

Valora swallowed hard but met his gaze head-on. "Because you matter, Hackett. To me."

Finally. But now what?

I'm having some fun with this story. I love the dynamic between Hackett and Valora.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Wasted Credits

Happy New Year!!

I hope 2014 is filled with everyone my readers want and, of course, lots of reading!

I'm not a big fan of resolutions, but I do love setting goals. This year, my hope is to publish at least six manuscripts and learn more about the graphic end of the business. Luckily, my oldest kidlet is something of a whiz when it comes to creating great designs, so I have a built-in tutor.

I'm also feeling a strong pull to get back into crafting and being creative. My youngest is all for this and wants to help out. I'm looking forward to the bonding time we'll have.

And my middle child is my TV buddy. We watch a lot of the same shows and spend quality time chatting and dissecting the episodes. All in all, a good time.

The husband is an avid golfer and I'm hoping we'll get to spend some time on the course together. Even when I only go along for the ride, which is about half the time, it's a nice way to relax and catch up with each other.

On the television show front, Sherlock is back!! The convergence of acting, writing, and filming just makes me so happy. New episodes of my other favorite shows start soon. Banshee returns this Friday and I'm excited and on edge just thinking about it. I have no idea why that show sucks me in, but it completely does. J

Tonight's post is from Wasted Credits and will probably feature in the Furlough 99 brand for Ellipses press. I've been wanting to explore what the miners do on their downtime and I think I finally have a story to fit the mold.

Here's the tagline:

Valora Prime can't figure out why a smart, attractive man like Hackett Barnes pays for sex. When she corners him to find the answer, his response catches her off guard and she has to make a quick decision. Let him in or let him go.

And a sneaky peek…

Valora threw up her hands. "What the hell are you thinking, Hack?" She plopped down beside him on the seating unit. "You're attractive. You could have our pick of anyone."

He lifted a brow. "Anyone? I don't think so, Valora."

Ouch. His words hit a little closer than she wanted to examine at the moment. Especially since she kept three full arm lengths between them. Still, the idea he spent his hard earned income on the sex workers of the space station rankled.

She sighed. "Why would you waste your credits? Seriously, what are you thinking, Hackett?"

He snorted. "I'm not. That's the point. I don't have to." He angled sideways. "I walk in, point out the woman I want, and hand over the fee. It's not that hard."

She growled. "But you do think about it, Hackett. It's who you are." At least it used to be.

Val didn't know this version of her co-worker. And she kinda had herself to blame.

Hackett huffed out a harsh breath. "Oh, that's right. I overthink everything." He paused and inhaled deeply. "But not this."

Geez, how could he not hear the total lie he'd just uttered. The description of his transactions showed the thought process. Whatever, she'd try a different tactic.

She nodded. "Ah. Turning over a new leaf, then."

He shrugged. "I'm trying. Why does it matter, Val?"

She lifted a shoulder. "Like I said. Wasted credits." Cripes, she sounded stupid, didn't she?

He snarled. "They're my cubits to burn. Stay out of it."

She waved a hand. "Fine. Whatever." She folded her arms in front of her chest and kicked her feet out.

If he wanted to get pissy about the conversation, she'd shut up.

Hackett kept it going. "Seriously, what's your problem?" He got up and paced the floor.

He would ask. And she couldn't answer because she had no idea.

She shook her head. "I don't have one." Not that she'd admit anyway.

He snorted. "Oh, I think you do. And I wanna know what it is." He stopped walking and faced her, pinning her with his gaze.

She glanced away. "Look, Hack. Forget I said anything. You've been acting off since you took your tumble in the mine. This just tops it, okay?"

He cocked his head. "Why? It's not like you haven't used sex to blow off steam. And it has nothing to do with the cave in."

Okay, she did like to get laid when they had rec time, but… "I've never paid for it."

He went for the jugular. "No. You love 'em and walk away."

She heaved a sigh. "It's less messy that way." At least for her.

She never allowed the thought of how her partners viewed the situation to enter her mind.

Hackett tsked. "Whatever. Paying for it keeps a kid in meds. At least the transaction has value."

Valora came up off the seating unit. "Geez, Hack. Do you hear yourself?" She paced back and forth. "Value? Are you serious? And how do you know it buys medication for a kid?" She paused, waiting for it.

He answered. "Because I asked."

Ding. Ding. Ding.

She whirled around to face him. "And you've just proven the point you're still thinking about what you're doing. Tell me you get that."

He shook his head. "Yes, I get it, but not for the reasons you think." He strode in her direction. "And you still haven't told me why it matters. Why do you give a shit who I sleep with?"

Damn. He had her there. She shouldn't give a flying fuck. Valora wisely kept her mouth shut.

Hackett stopped inches away from her. "That's what I thought." He leaned in close. "When you figure out what your problem is, come find me."

Valora's tongue darted out, wetting her lower lip. "Talk to me, Hackett. You're not this guy. What the hell happened to you?"

He threw his head back. "God, Val. What hasn't happened? Do you want the whole list or just a condensed version?"

Hackett's been through a lot and he's got it bad for Val. She'll eventually figure out she's got it just as bad for him. :D

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

ML Skye