Sunday Snippet: Blushing Brawler

January 21, 2018

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 Blushing Brawler, a novella that has the main characters discovering the difference between big city life and a rural upbringing can make getting to know each other very interesting.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Yardley Holmes grew up in the fighting circuit, coaching and training alongside her dad. She likes nothing more than having a new brawler to use as a target. When Cale Scarsdale, a green recruit from Ruralsville, walks into the cage, Yardley goes after him with biting sarcasm and razor sharp innuendo to test his mettle. Cale takes it all in stride until she goes one step too far and Yardley remembers lesson number one from her dad—watch out for the quiet ones.

And a preview snippet…

Cale put the image of his assessor out of his mind. A gorgeous woman would decide his fate? Not a wrinkle he'd expected when he looked up Benjamin Holmes. The little sprite sprang from Benjamin's loins? Cale had a hard time picturing the towering monster of a man mating with a pixie descendant, but, yeah, coming from Ruralsville, he didn't have a lock on big city ways.

Ben quirked a brow. "You ready? Yardley's not known for patience." His gaze slid toward his daughter.

Cale resisted the urge to glance in her direction and went into a fighting stance. "Ready." He needed to pass this first hurdle and get a spot on Ninth Street's roster.

Ben gave nod. "Begin."

Cale shuffled, careful to avoid the standard pitfalls of a physical bout. He circled Holmes and got a bead on the way the trainer moved. When the first swing connected with Ben's chin, Yardley let out a sound of shocked surprise. After a series of combination maneuvers, Ben flashed a wide grin.

Holmes countered the next series. "You've got chops, kid. I like your style." Benjamin took off the metaphorical gloves and put Cale through his paces.

When the bell rang, Holmes held out his hand. "Nice job. I rarely get to dive into the intermediate stuff with new recruits." After Cale clasped palms, Holmes gave Yardley a sideways glance. "What's the verdict, Yard?"

Cale finally directed his full attention on the owner's daughter. She had her head tilted to one side, her brunette locks streaked with honey-colored highlights. She studied him with narrowed eyes and the scrutiny irritated Cale. He'd proven his worth, hadn't he?

Yardley straightened and offered a shrug. "He'll do." She got up and sauntered into the office, grabbing her workout bag on the way.

Cale met Benjamin's gaze. "Does that mean I'm in?" Not like she made it crystal clear.

Benjamin barked out a laugh. "It does indeed. Yardley's not known for glowing praise. You'll get used to it." He moved to the ropes and held them up for Cale to exit the ring. "She'll get the paperwork ready and you can sign the contract after you're settled. Let's get you a locker and find a room for you to stay in while you're training." Ben nudged Cale out of the gym and back toward the private residential area.

Cale followed, tamping down the urge to shout out a victory cry. He'd only cleared the first hurdle. Instinct suggested he'd be matching wits with Yardley Holmes on a regular basis.

Oddly, he kind of looked forward to winning her over.

Yardley and Cale are a treat to write. Can't wait to finish this one up and launch it.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye