Sunday Snippet: Blending In

December 31, 2017

Greetings on this final day of 2017. I hope everyone had the best of holiday seasons and wish all nothing but wonderful things for the upcoming new year. I have several goals I'll be working toward and I'm kind of excited about starting with a shiny new calendar.

Holiday movies are winding down and I'll be a little sad to see them disappear until the next holiday season. There's something a little magical about Christmas movies. My one wish would be to see some diversity and have Hanukkah, Kwanza, and even Yule or the Solstice represented. I'm fascinated by other traditions and wouldn't mind seeing some movies built around them.

The Doctor Who Christmas special ended up being good. "Twice Upon a Time" tied some things up and delved back into the shows history and, yeah, I'll give credit to Capaldi's final bow. A worthy ending to Twelve's tenure.

Murdoch Mysteries "Home for Christmas" hit all the right notes. This show is in its eleventh season and, honestly, it's only improved with age. The cast is top notch and the revolving round of historical bigwig and the guest stars that portray them rarely disappoint. I'm happy this remains on my watch radar.

I've also been enjoying Frankie Drake Mysteries—another Canadian show. I like the leads and, so far, the mysteries have been entertaining. This is a little similar to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. If you enjoyed that one, give Frankie Drake a try.

I've started the second season of Chicago Fire and I'm a little disappointed in the whole McLeod storyline. Maybe if I had a little more to go on with why she's hell-bent on getting Boden out I might care a little more. And Benny Severied whispering in her ear isn't quite enough in my book. That said, I love everything else about the first five episodes.

I don't think I've talked about Passionflix, a new $4.99 a month subscription streaming movie service. It's brand new and they're creating original movies—and possibly series down the road a ways—and also offer several classic romantic films with more to come. To date, they have three original movies available for viewers. They're all based on best-selling romance novels and have varying levels of steaminess. The site has a convenient BON—Barometer of Naughtiness—rating system so viewers can find their comfort zone. I've been able to catch the first two, Hollywood Dirt and Afterburn | Aftershock. Guys… it's worth the $4.99 a month for those two alone. I'll be viewing the final new release The Trouble with Mistletoe later today. If you love romance, give this service a consideration.

And that's it for television viewing this week. This year's final post is from Blending In, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of having two coworkers go undercover in a dangerous situation.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Wren and Ethan go undercover in the seedy District. Ethan's by the book style clashes with Wren's off the cuff attitude, but when a powerful Mage makes a threat, they'll have to forge an unbreakable bond or go down in flames.

And a preview snippet…

Wren let herself into the apartment, steaming mad and ready to bail on the whole operation. Spending an extended period of time in a tiny space with Ethan the dick didn't appeal to her at all. She paced the small length of the living room kitchen combo, trying hard to not wish for terrible things to happen to him.

Ethan entered, carrying their minimal luggage. The nice gesture didn't score points at the moment.

She flung a sparse glance in his direction. "Just leave mine. I'll get it later." Or maybe she'd take the case and run.

Ethan placed the bags on the floor. "Look, I'm sorry." He moved into the living room, sucking all the light and air with his looming presence. "For the record, you're jacket speaks for itself. I trust your ability." Standing with his feet planted and his arms across his chest, he didn't look like he'd move until she said something.

Wren stopped walking. "Right, but you don't trust me. And that's a problem." Pushing the urge to bail down hard, she mimicked his position.

Ethan relaxed and moved to the café table, pulling a seat out. "I don't know you well enough to trust you, so you need to cut me some slack there." He sat and pushed the opposite chair out. "Take a seat, please, and let me tell you what I do know."

She trudged over and dropped down across from him.

He rested his forearms on the table. "Your experience on the streets surpasses mine. I work deep cover, which means I'm used to having lots of time to prepare and research my targets." His gaze met hers. "We don't have time for that here. I get that. But—and I realize this is a lot to ask—having a plan of action, even if it's only vague, goes a long way to keeping us alive."

Wren snarked. "Especially you." She added a smirk to emphasize her point.

He had a valid point.

Ethan nodded. "Especially me. I'm a little out of my element, Wren. But I'll get the job done."

And didn't he smoothly douse her flaming anger in one go? Pretty much.

Wren conceded. "Fine. We'll hash out a loose plan." She fished the burner phone out of her pocket. "Mind if I call for takeout first?"

I think this story is going to end up being terrific in ways I didn't expect. I'm excited to keep diving into Ethan and Wren's adventures.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Believe

December 24, 2017

Season's Greetings!

As usual, I'm running around like a crazy woman finishing up everything at the last moment. I'm only halfway through Operation Wrap Shit Up but I'll get it all done. I always do… even if it's not until four a.m. Christmas morning. LOL

Slow week in television, which isn't a bad thing because I had a few editing projects to finish up and I didn't need the distraction. I did manage to finish the first season of Chicago Fire and I can't wait for the second season to start arriving in my mailbox.

I have the Murdoch Mysteries holiday special ready to watch while we're decorating our tree later tonight. I'm looking forward to the Doctor Who special if only to watch the regeneration into a new doctor. Sadly, I never warmed up to Capaldi as the Doctor and I'm ready for a new face.

I still have the Riverdale winter finale to watch and I'm hoping to finish up my wrapping while viewing that episode. Considering I'll probably be going nonstop until the wee hours, I might even watch it more than once. LOL

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Believe, a novella built around a powerful mage who lacks control of her ability.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Shaelyn Hardwick is a talented mage, but lacks control. When she inadvertently causes another's death, she flees under the cover of darkness. Innis Talmadge goes to the mat for Shaelyn and gets dismissed for his efforts. He tracks her down and a battle ensues. Shaelyn doesn't trust her ability, but she trusts Innis and he has to show her how to believe in herself again.

And a preview snippet…

Innis finished showering and had just grabbed a towel when his phone rang.

He answered the call. "Talmadge." Dripping wet and beyond tired, he listened to the grim announcement. Madwyn didn't make it.

Repercussions could wait and there would be more than a few.

Innis dried off and dressed before scrubbing a hand over his face. "I'd give anything for a cup of coffee right now." No time to make some not right now.

He left for Shae's room on the fifth floor. Raised his hand to knock and caught her as she opened the door, no doubt to head to the infirmary. He nudged her back inside. No need for the others to overhear their conversation. They'd all hear the news soon enough.

Shae copped an attitude right away. "What the hell, Innis? I'm heading for the infirmary. You know I only left to grab a shower." She tried to duck past him.

He shook his head. "There's no need." He hated to break the news.

Her eyes brightened. "You mean she regained consciousness? They're releasing her?" The hope on her face almost killed him.

He gave a quick jerk of his head. "No. She didn't and they're not." He sounded terse, but the gravity of what she'd done warranted his tone.

The color drained from her face. "She didn't make it then." She turned away, her head resting on the wall in front of her.

Not the reaction Innis expected. As usual, she threw him off balance. He didn't have clue what to do, but they needed to talk. Shae had to get out in front of the situation.

He started forward until a sob escaped from her and her shoulders shook. Aw, hell. Tears were the last thing he thought she'd experience. Pissed-off anger, yes. But she seemed almost… defeated.

Shae angled her head around. "You were right. Damn you for always being right." Teardrops tracked down her cheeks.

Of course when she finally got mad, she directed her ire at him. Probably because she had no illusion where he'd place blame. But he'd also have her back. He always did.

Innis grasped her shoulder and guided her to the sofa. "If you're expecting an I told you so, we don't have the luxury. An inquest will be convened and we need to be ready." He had her sit and he handed her a box of tissues.

Cleaning up her face, she blew her nose. "Madwyn hasn't even been laid to rest yet. This can't wait?" Shae blinked and shook her head. "Never mind. Of course it can't."

Innis laid a hand on her arm. "We might have two days, three tops." He didn't miss the hard line her mouth formed into.

Casting her gaze downward, Shae nodded. "Fine." She twisted the tissue in her hands.

Innis blew out a breath. "We should talk, prepare. They won't go easy on you." Or him for that matter.

Shae lifted a shoulder. "Right. But it doesn't have to be today, Innis." Her tone basically said "get out and leave me alone".

And, fine. He'd give her a day. But no more.

He got up. "First thing tomorrow, Shae. We can't wait longer." He didn't budge until she met his gaze.

She held it a moment then glanced away. "Sure, first thing." She gave a pointed look at her door.

He made his way over and twisted the knob. "Eight o'clock. We can use the third flood study." Might as well get a committed time to begin.

Shae acknowledged his suggestion. "Right. Whatever you want, Innis." She leaned her head back against the cushion.

Innis exited her room, unsettled by her easy capitulation. Shae didn't usually see the light of day until after ten. The fact she didn't put up a fuss sent up a red flag.

One he should have paid close attention to.

I'm excited for the possibilities of this story. Shae is a challenge to write and I enjoy her journey so far.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Beastly Shadows (A Lantern Jack Short)

Whew. What a crazy week. I'm still in the throes of trying to get the house cleaned up so we can decorate our tree. We usually wait until Christmas Eve to add the ornaments, which is a good thing because I've misplaced a package I bought to go along with our superhero theme this year.

I'm behind on my shows again. Between shopping, editing, and writing, I need about four more hours each day to get stuff done. LOL That said, I'm almost through the first season of Chicago Fire and, yeah, I really love the show. I'm going the DVD route because I never watch first run anything on NBC. I'm in about year twenty of a boycott and don't see that changing anytime soon.

I've also been enjoying holiday episodes of my favorite shows. There are so many classic television shows with themed episodes and I'm trying to build my collection. I also discovered a new to us channel on my local feeds and it shows a lot of old favorites. I won't complain. It's fun to revisit stuff I loved back in the day.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Beastly Shadows, a Lantern Jack Short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lantern Jack is back. To end a centuries-old feud between werewolves and the hunters, Lantern Jack has to right another wrong. He sets out to bring childhood friends Bebe Beasley and Mannix Mortimer together on Halloween night, but to do so he has to put Mannix in the path of a bullet.

And a preview snippet…

Lantrien Jacquard, also known as Lantern Jack, heaved a weary sigh. "Another long, lonely year. But at least I had time to plan my next good deed." Being cursed and trapped as a pumpkin limited his ability, but he managed to set up an excellent scenario.

And probably not a moment too soon.

The werewolf population dwindled with every new generation. Something Jack hadn't considered when he set previous events in motion. When lupine keepers became hunters.

"Yeah, didn't think that one through at all."

Then again, his compromised state of mind didn't leave room for making good choices back then. Losing his life-mate drove Jack to the brink of madness. Grief as a motivator rarely created good things.

Pitting the keepers against the werewolves definitely counted as a bad deed. At one time, the protectors kept the wolves' domain safe on the human side. They gave the shifters the freedom to run and roam on the full moon. Now they hunted the lupine members and if the wrong remained unfixed, a majestic race would die out. And Jack would never again know freedom.

"Time to make amends again and stay on the path of redemption."

He should feel guilty for putting one of the werewolves in a sticky spot, but Jack would make certain the hunter inflicted only minimal damage. And the wolf he'd chosen as the target wouldn't go down without a fight.

The hunter that would save him—if Jack read the signs correctly—would also be in a bit of peril, but Jack didn't doubt she'd prove savvy enough to overcome generations of ingrained distrust and hatred.

She only needed a nudge in the right direction.

"And I'm just the spirit-infused pumpkin to do it."

I really love Lantern Jack and I'm having a blast writing his redemption through the series of sexy shorts.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Beast in the Belfry

December 10, 2017

It's amazing what a dusting of snow on the ground can do to boost holiday spirit. We got just a tiny bit last night and it looks so pretty today.

Gotta say the mid-season finales for my shows pretty much pulled out all the stops. The Flash left Barry hanging in a very precarious place. Not sure I'm totally down with where everything is going, but it's fun to watch. Lost a good character on Legends of Tomorrow in the form of two goodbyes. I do appreciate the revolving door aspect of the show and look forward to seeing how the others interact without their friends. The holiday trimmings of the shows provided a nice backdrop.

Arrow killed it. James is setting up quite the legion of doom in Star City. I'm very interested in seeing how that plays out when the season returns. If his little cohort who got him out in the first place tries to harm Felicity or Curtis, I'll be really pissed. Just saying.

Riverdale shook things up with breakups all over the place. Yikes. I have another interesting theory about Alice Cooper. Can't wait to see if I'm right. Oh, and this theory doesn't involve FP, at least not about their past.

I'm all caught up on Gotham. Gotta say it hurt to watch Alfred and Bruce tear each other apart. I get where Bruce is coming from, I do, but the whole being a brat is kind of pissing me off. That said, rock bottom isn't always an easy trip to take so I'll be patient. Sophia is proving to be a formidable force. I had a sneaking suspicion she was more of a puppet master than anyone originally thought. It's also fun to see the stories with Butch and Tabitha and Ed and Lee unfold. Seriously, Gotham upped it game and I'm loving it. Having Harvey walk away though… yeah, that one hurt, too.

Murdoch Mysteries continues to be excellent. I can't wait for the holiday episode. I think I'm looking forward to it more than Doctor Who this year. I really can't wait for the new doctor and new showrunner. Honestly, I'm so very disappointed in where Moffat took the show. It lost the heart I always loved. Yes, I'm sure I'm in the minority.

I've started watching my stash of holiday shows. I had to get a new laptop and I'm slowly but surely getting all the episodes transferred over. My Plex server is getting a lot of use this week. Also looking forward to The Trouble with Mistletoe when Passionflix premieres the movie!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Beast in the Belfry, a spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A curse leaves artist Vittoria Blahm disfigured and marred for life. But Cal Gilligan sees the true woman under the scars and he falls hard for her when she saves him from plunging to his death. Vittoria can't quite believe anyone wants her and fears risking her heart to the possibility.

And a preview snippet…

Cal Gilligan locked the office and exited the building he'd be calling home when the new semester started. "It's good to be back." His alma mater welcomed him as their newest professor of literature.

After two years of knocking around, he'd been thrilled when they offered the position. He needed a place to put down roots, especially after losing his parents in a small-plane crash. Their missionary work had taken them all over the world and Cal grew up on planes and other conveyances—trains, boats, busses, even on the backs of animals—he'd pretty much survived all of them.

And benefitted from the hands-on education of navigating in foreign countries.

But now… he wanted to take stock. He'd lived so long in the shadow of his mom and dad, spending the last five years teaching English as a second language on their trips. He'd defined himself as their son. Past time for him to define Cal Gilligan, a man alone.

Crossing the quad, he headed for the parking lot. Not much had changed since he'd graduated. Some new trees and landscaping, a new seating area, and several charging stations for electronic devices—solar powered no less. But one significant difference loomed at the far end of the oval-shaped courtyard. The clock tower stood dark and silent.

Cal gazed at the lonely building. "I wonder what happened."

When he'd been in college, the tower drew students in with views of the entire campus and surrounding city. He'd gone up to the top many times, usually to study or write. He often sat out on the tiled roof below the clock face.

Wanting a closer look, he strolled the length of the quad and paused to read the sign at the main entrance. Closed to the public. Since he now had a teaching position, he wouldn't be considered the public, right?

Nostalgia urged him to try the doors. The two double slabs were locked up tight. Cal glanced over his shoulder, made sure no one else lurked in the area, then went around the side of the lower level and stopped outside the caretaker's entrance. His hand twisted the knob and the door swung open.

He flashed a smile. "Hot damn. I'm in." He wouldn't stay long, but he wanted to see the view again.

I'm having fun with reversing the gender roles in this story. Having Vittoria be the "beast" is more of a challenge than I anticipated, but I love writing the conflict she has with accepting someone as a friend who could end up being more.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: All Day Sucker

December 3, 2017

Happy December! The most wonderful, crazy time of the year is in full swing. I'm excited for holiday and really need to get my house cleaned up so we can actually celebrate. LOL

The mega crossover of DC shows occurred this week and it did not disappoint. So many things happened with interesting pairings and twisty turns. Supergirl and Arrow kicked off the fun and the crazy times spilled over into The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Great to see some familiar and new faces. I won't get into much more, but the double wedding ended up being a surprise for me. YAY!

Riverdale continues to go places I don't expect. I have such a love / hate relationship with this show. I'm actually so happy we didn't have any Lodge parent appearances. I loved Hermione last season but this season I'm very "meh" about her. I also loved getting some insight into Sheriff Keller's personal life. I'm not necessarily a big Mayor McCoy fan, but I like the interesting twist with them. I also, somewhat shockingly, liked the beginning of Chuck's redemption. I'll stay tuned to see if that comes to anything.

I need to catch up with Gotham. I had way too much work to get through and took a full break from television on Thursday.

I did manage to catch up with Murdoch Mysteries yesterday and enjoyed both episodes I needed to see.

I'm still watching holiday movies on the Hallmark channels and should get started on television episodes this week. I'll probably begin with the Doctor Who specials. That's kind of my thing; I always begin with those.

That's it for this week's television wrap-up. Tonight's post is from All Day Sucker, a sexy short free read that shares a title name with my alter egos, ML Skye and Skylin O'Thomas.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Archer and Bree, Cupids of the First Order, have an eternity together, which means they like to keep things interesting. Archer plans a dinner party as a surprise for Bree but she ends up blowing his mind instead.

And a preview snippet…

Archer Stewart greeted the assembled guests. "Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm sure Bree will be here momentarily." Hopefully with clothes on.

His lips curved. With Bree, he never knew. One of the most memorable moments he had happened when she'd dropped into the grotto without a stitch on.

They'd had many ups and downs since then—a brief but intense affair followed by a stint apart then a reconciliation where Bree put her immortality on the line to break the curse Ares put on Arch.

Not in his wildest dreams did he think she'd be willing to give up being a Cupid of the First Order.

Thankfully, she didn't have to. After fulfilling Aphrodite's required servitude to her temples, Bree once again had free reign of the realm.

Which meant the last decade counted as a solid check in the win column.

Merry quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure Bree doesn't have other plans?" Her lips twisted into a half-smile.

Arch shrugged. "None that she told me about." Bree liked to fly by the seat of her miniskirt but she usually let him know if she had something going on.

Bartholomew wrapped his arms around Merry from behind. "Ignore her. She likes stirring the pot when Bree's not around to do it."

Merry flashed a wide grin. "It's the only time I get any practice."

Arch chuckled. "Bree's definitely got a lock on kicking up a ruckus." And she made it look easy.

Flora joined in. "And her snark is always spot on. The barbs she slings aren't always tipped arrows." She nodded toward Xander and Lucia. "Just last week she had the dynamic duo howling with laughter when she described her crazy match-up of the guy with three dogs to the woman who does cat rescues. They'll need a bigger place if they hope to have room for all those animals."

Arch opened his mouth to reply but a whoosh-pop-blip sound came from the front room of Bree's bungalow. Clicking heels on the slate tile drew closer.

Bree's voice entered before she did. "Arch, you'll never guess—" She stopped short. "What's going on?" Her eyes went wide then narrowed a little but her lips spread in a wide smile.

Arch breathed a small sigh of relief. A slinky red dress hugged Bree's curves and her hair tumbled over one shoulder. Her standard cherry-colored toenails peeked out from glittery ruby pumps. Apollo's teeth, he loved it when she wore his favorite shade.

He beckoned her into the room and wrapped an arm around her. "I planned a surprise dinner party for our anniversary." Pressing a kiss to her temple, he tilted her chin to plant another on her mouth.

Bree hugged him and nodded to their guests. "I'm definitely surprised and very happy to have you all here." She eased away from Arch, snagging his hand in hers. "And I can't wait to dive into all this yummy food, but… I need to borrow Arch for like five minutes." Tugging him toward the kitchen, she motioned for the guests to start digging into the food.

Dammit. Arch hoped he didn't fuck up the entire evening.

When they entered the small kitchen, he grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "I'm sorry, Bree. Should've run this by you before inviting everyone over—" He stopped talking when her fingers worked the fastening of his pants loose.

His dick sprang to life and filled her palm.

She gave him saucy smirk. "Arch, my love, I'm not mad about your little surprise." Pushing the trousers past his hips, she let gravity take care of the rest. "In fact, it's sweet and charming and perfectly wonderful…" She glanced up, her gaze hidden partially by her eyelashes.

Arch had a feeling he'd like wherever she decided to take him on this foray. "But…" His cock swelled further when Bree licked her lips.

She lowered down, getting up close and personal with his groin. "I've been thinking about you all day and I have to have at least a taste or I'm going to go mad…" Her mouth enveloped the tip of his shaft, her tongue doing a wicked dance around the head.

Arch resisted the urge to go deep. He braced his arms on the counter behind him and arched forward. Bree pulled away and swirled her tongue around the head again.

She gave him a sultry smile. "I really want to spend the time to treat this like an all-day sucker, but, alas, we have guests." Sucking him deep, she swallowed around his girth.

Arch groaned, cursing his stupidly bright idea.

Bree eased away, circling his dick with her fist. "I promise to make this up to you later." She let go and helped him get his pants back up.

When she started toward the dining area, he caught her arm and slid his palm over the curve of her ass. "You know I love how naughty you are, right?" His fingers inched up the fabric of her dress and met nothing but skin. "Oh, sweet Bree. Turnabout is fair play." Easing his hand between her legs, he found her warm and wet. "Mmm. Expect a long and strenuous evening." He swatted her bare behind then tugged the skirt down.

Bree angled her head around. "Looking forward to a very lengthy romp." She wiggled her ass and strolled out into the dining area.

Arch grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine and quickly followed.

I loved revisiting Archer and Bree. This will probably be the only preview since this is a super-short flash fiction for a free read. Hope you enjoyed the brief look.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye