Monday, July 29, 2013

Sunday Snippet: On Ice

July 28, 2013

Greetings!

It's been a great writing week…for organizational stuff. LOL I've spent almost every day working on taglines, plotting story ideas, adding to characterization charts, and fixing small details in several thisclosetobeing finished manuscripts.

I feel so productive!!

Tonight's post (a little later than usual) is from the short story On Ice. I've got this one pretty much plotted out and partially written, but this is one of my favorite scenes. J

Here's the tagline:

A battle is brewing between opposing magical factions and Paley Knoff and Birk Southampton are charged with readying their troops. Paley thinks Birk is taking the threat too seriously and when he ignores her in favor of adding more classes, she pushes him a little too far, leaving him no choice but to put her on ice until she remembers who's in charge.

And a preview snippet…

Paley paced back and forth. If Birk didn't let her out of the stupid cell within the next twenty-four hours she'd go mad. Mid-turn she finally heard the jangle of keys and a low incantation. Thank fuck.
Whirling around, she found Birk with his hand on the door, but he didn't move to open it. She tilted her head sideways. Surely he didn't plan to tease her and not let her out.
Birk quirked a brow. "Thought it time to check on you and see if you're truly back on track."
More like pissed beyond all belief, but she'd let him have his moment.
He smirked. "Feels good, doesn't it? That rush of anger burning through your veins."
Well, shit. She'd been had. Birk figured it out, why she'd been such a bitch and kept pushing at him non-stop. She smiled sheepishly.
His head bobbed up and down. "Wondered when it would hit you. I assumed it would take a week, but you proved me wrong." He swung the door open and stepped inside the cell. "Henner said another day would send you over the edge."
Paley shot her warden a sideways glance. The man shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. Maybe he'd secretly had her back the whole time?
Birk quirked a brow. "So…Paley…wanna get out?"
She heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought you'd never ask. Hell, yes, I want out of here." She started forward, but Birk's hand shot out, grabbing her arm.
Moving around, he blocked her path. "Good, but let's get a few things straight. Who's the Master Sage?"
Grr. Figured Birk would be an ass about letting her out. "You're the Master Sage, Evan." She'd play the good soldier and follow along.
Birk's lips twitched. "Good, and who's the higher ranked adept?"
Paley rolled her eyes. "That would be you, Birk."
He smiled. "Good, good. And what does that mean, Paley?"
She huffed out a breath. No way could she get around it. The man had her over a fire. But she had to try. "Come on, Birk. We each know the answer."
He frowned. "No, Paley, I don't think we do. You're gonna have to convince me otherwise."
Dammit. She'd said everything else he wanted. Why wouldn't he cut her slack here?
She couldn't quite admit what he wanted to hear. "Shit, Birk. Come on." She tried moving past him.
He didn't budge.
She didn't either.
Birk held her gaze for several moments then turned to leave, nodding at Henner. The big man's shoulders slumped, but he rose, ready to lock her back in.
Paley growled. "Fine. You're in charge, Birk. Happy now?"
A broad smile crossed Birk's face and he jerked his head toward the stairs leading up to the bar, dismissing Henner.
Tugging her forward, Birk rested his hands on her hips. "Not quite yet." Leaning in, he pressed his lips close to her ear. "Who's the best man for you, Paley?"
A shudder chased down her spine and she didn't hesitate to answer. "Birk Southampton." She nudged his face and leaned back. "Never any doubt about that one."
Birk caught her lips in a hard kiss. "It's a good thing, because you and I are gonna be here a little while longer." His hands slid down to cup her ass. "Wanna do the honors, or shall I?"
Paley chuckled. "Please, allow me."
She flicked her wrist and the door clanged shut, a dark shadowveil enveloping the cell. Lifting her chin, she meshed her mouth with his and moved them toward the cot in the corner. By the time she came up for air, the small berth had transformed into a full sized bed and she laughed, falling backwards, dragging Birk down with her.
Scooting back, she made some room. "Have I said how much I love you, lately?"
Birk yanked his shirt over his head and crawled toward her. "No, but you've sort of been on ice, so we'll let it slide for now."
Paley barked out a laugh and decided her time in lock up well worth the headache.
Seriously, it's not quite fleshed out completely, but oh…such a joy to write!!



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sunday Snippet: Muddy Up the Waters

Hello!

Whew. Whirlwind weekend in Columbus, Ohio. My husband's region won their company's highest honor and we got a lovely dinner with fun entertainment and a night in a downtown hotel. Caught up with some old friends and finally, finally got to see my brother's house just south of the Brewery District. He's only lived there ten years and it's my first visit. LOL

Tonight's post features a brief scene from Muddy Up the Waters. Fiona and Warrick play a wicked game of one-upmanship and tend to be on opposite sides when completing their fae related duties. They love each other, but sadly never seem to get their timing right.

Tagline:

Fiona and Warrick can't quite get their timing together long enough to be on the same page when it comes to making a commitment. Instead they spend expend their energy on playing a game of who can hurt who the most…until one decides enough is enough.

And the preview snippet…

Warrick sneered. "That's right. Walk away, Fiona. Run and hide instead of facing your truth."
Fiona paused mid-step. "And what truth is that, Warrick?" She slowly turned and faced him.
He smirked. "The one where I'm what you want even if you're too godsdamned stubborn—no terrified—to admit it."
Fiona exhaled on a hiss. He scored big time with that one.
She tilted her head to the side. "Is that what you want, Warrick? For me to own how I feel?" She straightened. "What about you, hmm? I don't hear you making any loud declarations."
He opened his mouth, but snapped it shut again.
She quirked a brow. "What? Nothing to say?" She angled back toward the door. "I thought so. End of conversation." She took a step to leave.
Warrick grabbed her arm and swung her around. "No. Not end of." His grip tightened. "You want a loud declaration. Try this one. I'm tired. Of the bullshit. The back and forth. The you hurt me so I hurt you insanity we put each other through." He made a low growling sound. "Hell, what we put other people through." He paused, disgust creeping into his eyes. "Do you even remember the name of the last guy you screwed?"
She couldn't. Mick. Mike. Mark. Something with an 'M'. She wouldn't respond anyway. Warrick on a roll? He'd bulldoze through whatever she offered as a reply. And hit the reason on the head. The damned man always did.
"Fi, do you know the guy's name?" He loosened his hold, sliding his hand down her arm to grasp her wrist.
She barely suppressed a shudder. When Warrick spoke in low tones—smooth, seductive, sexy—his voice made her hot. She fought the urge to rip his shirt open and press her ear against his chest just to listen to the sound.
His fingers lifted her chin. "No answer?"
She shrugged. "Does it matter? I screw who I want."
He snorted. "No, you don't. Because it's not me."
Her eyes widened. "Really? What about you? That hot blonde you had wrapped around you the other night didn't measure up then?"
He shrugged. "Nope. She truly didn't. I wanted a fiery red-head whose prickly-thorned barbs make my dick hard." He cupped her face. "My perfectly imperfect woman."
Okay. Damn the declarations. Admissions were absolutely awesome.

Don't worry, the epic moment isn't the end of the story. It's a brief interlude when Fi and Warrick get it almost right. LOL



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

Monday, July 15, 2013

Sunday Snippet: Mister Mysterious

Hi!

Finally got a hot and steamy day after about a zillion days of rain. I finally remembered what it feels like to get that humid blast of heat when I go outside. LOL Can't say I missed that overly much. J

Tonight's post is from the novella Mister Mysterious. I'm actually not sure what genre this will fall under, but I'm working with the tentatively named Urban Noir. There's a little bit of mystery and magic at play and the main characters have a history that will haunt them a little in the story.

Here's the tagline:

Marlow Spence loses her sister to a sinister spellbinder who believes the siblings have the power to control dreams. When Tharn Oliver shows up on her doorstep, there can be only one reason—Leo Tolstoy is back and he wants Marlow.

And a preview snippet…

Thunder crashed and lightning flared when Marlow got up to answer the knock, not sure what to expect. The weird daily deliveries had her on edge. No card or note, but each gift had some kind of meaning to her.
Hand on the knob, she took a deep breath, bracing for anything.
Except Tharn Oliver.
"Shit." She huffed out a sigh and her shoulders slumped.
Tharn nodded. "Hello, Marlow."
Geez, he looked good. And with two words had her heart thumping in her chest and lust boiling in her veins. Down, girl. You're not happy to see him.
"Why are you here?" He couldn't possibly know about the random items she'd received.
He propped a shoulder on the door jamb. "Got word Tolstoy is alive." He waited a beat. "Through channels, not officially."
Okay. She'd visit the cryptic statement later. Her gut churned with the implication of what her presents now represented.
"Fuck."
Tharn inclined his head. "Exactly." He straightened and took a step forward.
Marlow blocked his path. "Again, why are you here?" She wanted time to process the idea her sister's killer still lived. Tharn would not help.
He snorted. "You're not stupid. Let me in."
She shook her head. "Oh no. Uh uh. Been down that road and I'm not going back." She grabbed the door, ready to shut it in his face. "You wanna settle a score, find some other way. Do not suck me back in." Tolstoy could do that without Tharn's assistance.
Tharn's eyebrow rose. "And if he comes after you?"
She bit her tongue to keep from saying he already had. "Bang. I'm dead."
Tharn hissed out a harsh breath. "No. I won't let it happen."
Closing her eyes, Marlow resisted the urge to shout, choosing to speak quietly. "You weren't supposed to let it happen to my sister either. But guess what? It did." She blinked and met his gaze. "Because you and I…couldn't keep our hands off each other."

Leo is going to make life very interesting for Tharn and Marlow, and honestly? They kinda need the help. LOL



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Sunday Snippet: It's Academic

July 7, 2013

Hello!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fouth and got to see lots of lovely fireworks displays. I'm lucky enough to be invited to another extravaganza next weekend. Never too many fireworks, right?

Tonight's post is from It's Academic and in keeping with the firecracker theme, the couple definitely has some sparking, crackly chemistry. :D

Here's the tagline:

Chaos and control don't mix, but Kari Pride and Thorn Summers must find a way to balance the two or drive each other mad when they become roommates. By the end of the semester, Thorn tempers Kari's sloppy habits and she makes him yield his ruthless organization for some much needed spontaneity. When their relationship gets personal, they have to figure out how to navigate new territory.

And a preview snippet…

Thorn entered his room and groaned. "God damn, Kari."
He couldn't see the floor, her clothes tossed haphazardly all over the place. Kicking her stuff aside, he made his way to his corner and set his books on the desk, after shoving her—lunch?—into the trash bin. Flinging his pack onto the bed, he turned around in a circle and basically found the place in utter shambles.
He couldn't live with the chaos anymore. He'd either kill Kari or she'd kill him if he didn't set some kind of boundaries. He'd let her get too comfortable with the sloppy mess in the interest of keeping the peace.
Not anymore.
With a quick decision made, Thorn gathered up everything of Kari's and dumped it in the middle of her half of the room. Grabbing a spare sheet from under his bed, he rigged up two hooks and some sturdy twine and attached the sheet with clothespins. People could give him shit about being prepared, but sometimes it saved his sanity.
Like now.
Stepping back to observe his handiwork, Thorn figured his solution would work just fine. The door opened in the middle of the far wall, so no worry about walking through one half to get to the other. He shouldn't have to see or deal with Kari's slobfest from this point forward.
Heaving a relieved sigh, a weight already gone, Thorn got started on reorganizing his half of the room. Fifteen minutes into his cleaning ritual, the door burst open and Thorn braced for a reaction.
Kari skidded to a halt just inside the entrance. "What. The. Hell?" She frowned and kicked the heavy oak closed with her booted foot.
Thorn shrugged. "You obviously need clearly defined boundaries. Consider this set up as example number one."
Kari strode to the edge of the sheet and flicked her gaze between the two spaces. "Geez, Thorn, you could've mentioned something. I'd have tidied up if you had."
Thorn's fingers itched to strangle her. "I damned well did mention something. Repeatedly."
Kari's lips quirked, but she choked down her laugh. "It's hilarious. Have you seen what this looks like from here? Our cookie cutter sized room now looks more in the vicinity of a postage stamp."
She had a point, but he'd be boiled in hot oil before he'd agree.
Her gaze rose and met his. "Where did you come up with this painfully stupid idea?"
Only the genuine curiosity behind the snarky words had him supplying the answer. "My mom. She split the room I shared with my brother this way." He gave her a pointed look. "Thrace lived like a slob, too."
Kari snorted. "My mom would've lit a match and walked away."
She spoke the reply quietly, an undertone of sadness in her voice.
Thorn had no idea what her relationship with her mom had been, but burning everything sounded harsh. "Wow." What else could he say?
Kari's lips twisted with a half-smile. "Yeah." She bent down and started picking her clothes up off the floor, refilling the open drawers of her dresser. "Why'd your mom split you two up that way? Other than the neat versus messy thing."
Thorn answered before thinking about it. "Because when we fought, she had to mediate and that took time away from—" Shit, he never shared crap about his mom's drinking habits. "Well, I mean, it took away time from something else she'd rather do."
A very knowing and understanding gleam crept into her eyes when she glanced over her shoulder in his direction. Kari recognized the lie for what it meant. Thorn wanted to staple his mouth shut.
But she surprised him by sharing her own truth. "Mine went on binges. Ugly ones." She went back to sorting her clothes, turning away to focus on the task. "Used to have to shut myself up in our pantry to avoid flying objects."
Well, hell. Common ground. Who knew it would be mothers who had issues with alcohol.
Thorn yanked half the sheet down and crossed over into her space, bending down to help her fold the pile on the floor. "Mine did the slow and steady thing. Always waited until we got home from school to get started and didn't stop until she crawled into bed."
Kari paused and met his gaze, hers full of commiseration. "Sucks."
Thorn agreed. "Yeah." He worked steadily, grabbing a shirt and neatly tucking the sleeves under the back before flipping it in half and smoothing the wrinkles.
Kari laid a hand on his. "Thorn. I got this. It's my mess, I'll clean it up." She wrinkled her nose. "And make an effort to keep the clutter to a minimum."
Thorn believed her. Didn't mean he couldn't help.
He smiled. "Goes faster with two doing the work." He handed her the tank top in his hand and snagged another one from the dwindling pile.
Kari lifted a shoulder, but didn't argue. Thorn considered the lack of a snarky comeback progress. Maybe because they shared a similar situation from childhood, they'd finally broken through the wall of discontent built from the moment they met.
Thorn sort of hoped so. A truce would be great. So much better than spending the whole semester acting like combatants on a battle field.
Kari stopped again, tilting her head sideways to study him.
Okay, a reprieve might not have been reached.
He lifted a brow. "What?"
She answered. "Nothing. I mean, well, I'm hungry and thought about heading to the commissary for dinner. Wanna join me?"
He almost fell over, but quickly nodded. "Sounds great." He put the neatly folded pile of clothes on top of her dresser and got to his feet. "We could go now and finish this up when we get back."
Kari grinned. "Awesome. They're having one of my favorites tonight. Grilled cheese and tomato soup." She pushed her bottom drawer shut and stood up, grabbing her ID from the clutter on the desk.
Thorn chuckled. "Comfort food. There's nothing like it."
Kari strode toward the door, but shot him a look over her shoulder. "I know, right? Let's go."
Thorn checked his pocket, making sure he had his identification then followed her.
A definite truce. The rest of the semester looked to be shaping up.
Humming one of his favorite songs, he closed and locked the door and picked up his pace to catch up with Kari.

And common ground is achieved and a thawing of the ice begins. Instead of constantly being at each other's throats, Kari and Thorn find better ways to spend their time. :D



And that's it for this week!

Cheers!


Skye