Sunday Snippet: Not on the Same Page

Whew! My daughter's third prom is down and out of the way. She's the junior class president so I had chaperone duties and, wow, let me tell you… I ran my ass off last night. LOL And, of course, the weather ended up being a complete downer. Rainy and actually pretty chilly for the end of April. However, I think this year's dress is pretty much my favorite.

Anyway… while I'm putting my feet up, I'll dive into this week's television viewing. I Finished up Iron Fist and it didn't disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed Ward and Joy's conversation. I'll be really happy to see Davos taken down. I want to be sympathetic, but yeah, not really feeling it. Misty and Colleen need their own show. Just saying.

Caught the Classic Roswell episode, "Heat Wave" and it's one I really loved when it aired the first time. Still loved it this time around too.

Watched the Arrow Elseworlds episode. Quite enjoyed it even though it's the only one I've seen in the crossover event. I'll have to catch The Flash and Supergirl when they make it to a streaming platform. It really annoys me that full seasons aren't available on the network's app. Or at least keep the crossover on for the full season.

Also caught another episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Based on a little google fu, it looks like there will be another season, which makes me very happy.

Watched episode three of The Murders and I like where this show is going. I'm kind of happy to know why Nolan isn't a big fan of Paul in guns and gangs. I'm also glad to have a little more insight into Kate's relationship with her mom.

Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries is such a great spinoff. I really hope there ends up being another season of this one. The second episode had terrific chemistry between all of the characters and I'm such a fan of the secondary ones.

I have some things to discuss about Roswell, New Mexico's finale and I'll save those for later. Caught an episode of Painkiller Jane and it's one I like the first time around. Answers start revealing themselves about Jane's ability. I truly do wish this series had a second season if only for more of those.

Underbelly Razor's penultimate episode dropped some big moves and is titled the same. With one more episode left in this incarnation, I'm excited to see how things end for the women.

Watched a Midsomer Murders episode and, well, found it kind of odd. Then again, with fourteen seasons in front of it and several more to go, there has to be an odd one here and there, right?

Caught two more episodes of Peter Gunn and I don't remember seeing either of them previously. I'm such a fan of how Peter's group of friends and colleagues add so much to the show.

Okay… Roswell, New Mexico's season finale. Wow. Seriously. It's been a long time since a show gave me a gut-punch feeling and I'm not quite sure how I feel about having one. The episode had so much going on, but all the episodes usually do. The acting ended up being stellar, from, I'm not kidding, everyone. As for where things went? I'm honestly still working through how I feel. I'm thrilled there's a second season, which hopefully means a solution for the thing that happened. I haven't decided if I trust this showrunner yet. So far, I've loved everything from the characters to the plot points, even with the somewhat neglected Maria, and pulling a shock-value move makes me slightly twitchy, hence my inability to fully trust how things will play out. That said, you can bet my ass will glued to the screen when the second season premieres, so there's that. I might have more about the season overall on my sister blog Universes Altered.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not on the Same Page, a novella that started with a sentence prompt of "I thought we were talking about wanting the same thing".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Irini Domaine loves Nathair Sofen but marries another to fulfill a familial obligation. When she suggests carrying on the relationship with Nathair he coldly refuses, which makes Irini vow to slowly but surely convince him otherwise.

And a preview snippet…

Irini Domaine loved Nathair Sofen with everything she had.

When she tugged him into the bedroom of his cottage, she only had one thing in mind. A night they'd never forget.

Nathair grasped her hips. "You're in a big hurry tonight, Iri. What's got you all worked up?" His hands skimmed her sides.

Irini leaned forward and ran her tongue around his nipple. "You. Always." Her eyes closed and she breathed the scent of him in.

She wanted to memorize everything about Nathair.

Because she lied. Horribly, deeply, and irrevocably.

Sex with Nathair did always get her worked up. But her rush to get them in bed had a purpose. One she couldn't share with him.

Nathair cupped her face and held her gaze. "I love you, Iri. So much." His lips claimed hers and he nudged her to the bed.

She popped the button to his dungarees. "I love you, too. I always will."

Even though she'd be wed at dawn… to someone else.

Her heart recoiled at the thought. She belonged with Nathair. But her father resurrected a dead rite, one unused for at least a hundred years. He made a blood vow to fulfill a familial debt with her as the tithe.

And he'd made it impossible for her to refuse. To break the covenant would bring dishonor on a founding family and not even her rebellious nature would allow her to let him be cast out and stripped of his magick, the only thing he had left after losing their fortune.

Because he no longer had a daughter. She'd never forgive him. Ever.

Nathair stripped off his pants and tugged hers down. She pushed everything else aside and pulled him down to the mattress then wrapped her legs around him, trapping his heavy length between them.

Her hands smoothed down his back. "I hope you're ready, Nathair. I want the whole night with you." She bucked against him, relishing the friction of his cock against her clit.

Nathair lowered his head, his lips trailing along her jaw. "You don't have to ask. I'm always hard and hot for you." He raised his hips and thrust forward, sinking deep inside her.

She moaned, welcoming him and urging him to set a steady pace. Her mind mapped every move, each gasp and groan, the beat of his heart mingled with hers. She committed everything to memory so she'd never forget.

And when she shuddered under him and he let go, finding his release just after hers, she didn't give him quarter. Instead, she twisted so she sat atop him, straddling his thighs. Grinding against his groin, she moved sensually to keep the intimate flame burning hot.

Nathair slid his hands up her thighs and grasped her hips. Bringing his thumbs to meet just above her clit, he gently rubbed the nub of nerves in light circles. Irini closed her eyes, letting the buzz of awareness course through her.

And when his cock swelled and hardened, she lifted her hips and sank down over him ready to find the bliss she only experienced in his arms.

This story has some big twists and turns and I'm excited to get them all put together for a satisfying conclusion.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Gonna Happen

April 21, 2019

To all who celebrate Easter, I hope it's a good holiday. Another weird weather week in Ohio. I know, big shock, right? Actually turned on the AC one day because the house was stuffy and humid. The next day, I turned it off because the temperature dropped thirty degrees again. Needless to say, it's a combination of AC and furnace for the next few weeks.

Decent television week. I did get to finish Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and it was… soooo good. I'll finish up the other three episodes, but I'm pretty sure I'd like to see more. Here's hoping they'll do another season.

Caught another episode of Painkiller Jane and it's one I remembered from the original run. I'll admit I was disappointed there weren't more episodes even though fandom in general thought the show fared poorly against the source material.

Watched another episode of Underbelly: Razor and, yeah, the women are starting to feel the burn from the law. I wanted to empathize with Tillie but couldn't quite get there. She's just not drawing my sympathy and I can't really explain why. Kate, though, I kind of sympathize with. Nellie… is Nellie. Not quite sure what I feel for her plight.

Finished up Midsomer Murders and enjoyed the rest of the episode. I'm almost through the fourteenth series and I'm still liking the show. There's never a shortage of interesting little bits worked into the stories.

Roswell, New Mexico… the penultimate episode. Holy crap. So much happened. Questions were answered but a ton of new ones popped up from those answers. I really need another season because there's no way it can have a satisfying end with only one more episode to go. I need to know how Maria's mom fits into the situation at Caufield, if she even does, or at the very least, I need to know why she's so scrambled. And, dammit, I need Maria to know what's going on and put her two cents in. I dipped my toe into the fandom waters and, yeah, I'll probably steer clear. I love the potential interactions with everyone, including Alex, Michael, and Maria. While I'm not a full-on fan of triangles, I do like messy and awkward feelings that have to be resolved somehow. I also love how many different definitions of family there is to wade through on the show. The kind of big thing I'm dreading is a possible death in the last episode. I've got a gut feeling of who it might be and I’m not ready for it.

Also, I'm sad to see Jenna go, if she really does. Here's hoping she might make her way back in the future. The interactions between Jenna and Liz were so damn good, as in there was awkwardness but none of the bitchy-girl, fur-flying stuff that's so lame. Kudos for that!

Caught two more episodes of Peter Gunn and both were ones I hadn't seen. Pete and Edie remind me of Nick and Nora. Weird, I know. I think it's a vibe thing. Nora totally had Nick's number and I think Edie is the same way with Peter.

Watched episode four of Blade. Nice to come back to this after a long hiatus. I'm looking forward to more one season wonders on the CW Seed app.

Caught Strike Back and loved so much about this episode. Nice to have Zarkova back among the group. So cool to see Chetri pretty much rescue herself. And Alexander ending up in Moscow was better than expected. Wyatt and Novin are never boring and Mac needs to keep his choose better times to get sexed up. That's a lot of information to pack into a one-hour nutshell.

Watched the beginning of the next arc of Classic Who. This one is about the time meddler and I'm interested to see where it goes. Got a surprise when the guy from the Dalek episodes showed up. Didn't see that coming.

Caught a majorly great episode of Chicago Fire. Watching the women deal with the terrible accident in Indiana while the guys held a chili cook-off worked really well. The fact that the doom and gloom crew won—and one of the members is the dude from the Sonic commercials—kind of made my day.

Also started an episode of Iron Fist and it's full of Misty right now so I'm loving the hell out of it. Just saying.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not Gonna Happen, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of "slasher film; in the woods". I put a slightly different spin on the concept and like where it's going.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gina Ames and Tuck Danvers sign up for a weekend of hunting for an urban legend. When their other team members start dropping, one by one, they take off for the safety of the city. Too bad the concrete and steel can't protect them from what follows them home.

And a preview snippet…

Gina's stomach churned. "What do you think we stumbled on in Haverswood?" Nothing human if she had to guess.

Tuck lifted a shoulder. "I'm thinking more along the lines it's something we unleashed instead of stumbled on." He swung his gaze toward the window, keeping a close watch on its location.

Gina didn't see his logic. "How? We weren't summoning or chanting incantations in Latin or anything like that." They'd been scoping out a site, checking the stories from the newspapers.

Tuck leveled his gaze on her. "We weren't." His meaning came through in his tone.

Gina closed her eyes. "Why would Jake and Marley take a risk like that?" She couldn't believe the couple would push the envelope without the proper safety nets in place.

Tuck snorted. "Didn't say it was them." He gave her another pointed look.

Gina slumped in the booth. "Fuck. You think it was Del and Suz?" The duo basically came along for the ride, visiting from Marley's hometown.

Tuck didn't respond right away. Shirl approached with their food and coffee, placing the plates on the table and filling the mugs.

She stood back, narrowing her eyes. "You two had a rough night, didn't you?" She held up a hand. "Nope. Don't need to know the details. I'll keep the caffeine coming while you guys iron out whatever's going on." Turning, she headed back to the counter and started a new pot of coffee.

Gina huffed out a breath. "She's a sweetheart." After Tuck nodded in agreement, she got back on topic. "Del and Suz. Spill." Picking up her fork, she sliced into a waffle and dunked it in the syrup.

Tuck leaned in, keeping his voice low. "I think they had an agenda, one they didn't share with the rest of the class." He shoveled a forkful of hash browns into his mouth.

Gina chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "So… they wanted to what? Have an experience? Make life a living hell for everyone? What kind of agenda gets them killed along with two of our best friends?" He had to be wrong.

Right?

Tuck didn't say anything for a while, clearing half his plate and keeping an eye on the specter outside. Gina gave him some space, keeping her questions at bay. Tuck liked to mull things over even though it drove her mad sometimes.

Finally, he set his fork aside. "I could be wrong, but we didn't know them. We didn't have time to vet them before they insisted we let them tag along for the night." He picked up his mug and swallowed several mouthfuls of coffee. "Marley grew up with both, but she said it'd been almost ten years since she'd seen either one." He paused, letting the information sink in.

Gina finished off her bacon and slowly nodded. "And you're wondering why they show up now?" Actually, a good question.

Tuck jerked his chin upward. "Yeah, I guess." He paused a moment. "They were staying with Jake and Marley, right? Maybe there's something at their place to give us a lead on what's going on."

Gina nodded then glanced out the window. "Should we try to make a run for their condo? Or wait to see if Mr. Creepy goes away when the sun rises?" She hovered between wanting answers now and dreading the thought of going back out there.

A new one for her.

Tuck shrugged. "We've got about an hour until it starts getting light outside. Let's see what happens." He waved to Shirl who grabbed the coffee pot.

Gina settled back against the booth cushions. In an hour, they'd be wired on caffeine and probably still be bone-dead tired.

But they needed to find some kind of clue as to what they were dealing with and hopefully get some justice for their friends.

I'm not quite sure how this one is going to be resolved but I do like the dynamic between Gina and Tuck and how they're not sure what they're dealing with but unafraid to find out.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Enough Hope

It's been a busy, busy week. I've got a new long-term project in a new to me genre and I’m excited to get started. Also finished up a couple of copy editing projects that were fun to work on.

About normal television viewing. I finished up the rewatch of Roswell, New Mexico. I'm serious when I say this show is kind of consuming me right now. Also caught the newest episode and it's everything I expected as to the reveal of the fourth alien but it also surpassed my expectations in so many ways. I don't know if there's going to be a triangle with Michael, Maria, and Alex but I actually like where things are right now. I'm not a huge fan of triangles but this has potential to be really interesting.

Caught another episode of Underbelly: Razor and really liked where things went. Wally leaving Kate came at just the right time and I'm interested to see how she fares without him. I'm also excited to see where Tillie and Nellie end up. Probably not in the best circumstances.

Watched two more episodes of Peter Gunn. This is such a great show for inspiration when I want to write something with a flair of noir. It's moody and stylish and the mix of grim and dark with humor is excellent.

Caught an episode of Strike Back and my heart goes out to Wyatt. At the same time, I'm totally down with Coltrane going rogue. It's such a section twenty thing to do. And the responses from the team? Perfect. I'm kind of hoping Katrina sees used-to-be Pavel as the evil force he is and switches allegiance again. We'll see what happens.

Watched another episode of Chicago Fire and loved how the group came together for Foster. Doctor Asshat definitely got the message. At least I hope he did.

Iron Fist had a great episode. I love watching Ward try to navigate through emotions. Joy, I'm not so sure about. I can't quite decide if I understand and sympathize where she's coming from or if I want to write her off the way I've written Trish off in Jessica Jones.

Caught an episode of Classic Roswell and Alex and Liz broke my heart all over again. I did love, love, love the way they took Topolski down though.

Watched an episode Murdoch Mysteries. The reporter lady drives me nuts but I loved how she handled getting William and Julie to recognize how much George contributed to their book. The murder case also entertained.

Caught the second episode of The Murders and I really like the partnership between Nolan and Kate. I want to know more about both characters.

I started Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and I'm excited to see how this show stacks up to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

That's pretty much it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Not Enough Hope, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a story that involves a lie and include a funeral.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Early Gibbons walks away from her position in the fae court—and Salem Powell—to forge her own path in the human realm. When she discovers a vengeance hound on her trail, she returns to the land of fae to find out who unleashed the beast, which may be tricky since Salem is the leader and she can't discount him as the culprit.

And a preview snippet…

Early's gut twisted. She deserved his scorn. Hell, she hadn't expected anything less. But, mage's blood, her timing couldn't suck worse. Arriving on the day he performed final rites on Glenda? The universe might be trying to tell her something. Too bad she didn't plan on listening.

She never did.

She'd walked away with no intention of ever coming back, but too many close calls forced her return. The only reason she could come up with for a hound chasing her had everything to do with home. Someone had cursed her and she had to find out who and why. Sadly, she couldn't rule out Salem. She wanted to, but he had some rage issues… not that she blamed him. She hated to think he might stoop to using a hound, but ten years had passed, so ruling it out… not yet.

She pushed for an answer. "Is your name at the top of the list, Salem?" Her eyes slid shut and she braced for his reply.

He didn't disappoint.

He made a low growling sound. "We're not doing this right now." He took the large ornamental spade and walked the perimeter of the pyre. "I'm laying Glenda to rest." He paused, pain marring his features. "You're intruding, which is what you do, but just once, you're going to respect the boundaries and leave." His head snapped up and he pinned her with his gaze. "Now."

Early dragged her lower lip between her teeth, biting back an urge to hurl a scathing comeback. She didn't want to encroach on his ceremony. She had no choice.

She blew out a long, cleansing breath. "I have nowhere to go, Salem."

He snorted. "Because you burned every bridge you could find on your way out." His shoulders slumped. "The Brackin house is empty. You can stay there tonight." He closed his eyes, effectively shutting her out.

Early took a moment, studying Salem, noting the changes a decade had wrought. Not many, but his face had filled out, softening the angular planes and valleys. Grief showed prominently through the tired lines around his eyes.

Early walked toward him, carefully staying clear of the burning flames.

Stopping next to him, she laid a palm on his forearm. "I'm sorry about Glenda." She squeezed lightly and moved forward, leaving him to mourn in solitude.

This one is coming along nicely. Early and Salem have some issues to work through and he is definitely not going to be an easy target.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Not Again

So… not a bad week overall. A little slower, which I truly appreciate. I did have a sick kid, but she's on the mend now. A quick trip to pick her up from work had to happen but otherwise, she's feeling much better.

Had some decent television viewing. Mainly some repeat watches of current favorite shows and catching up on a few marathons. I did catch a few new episodes also.

Chicago Fire had a terrific episode. I have to say I'm not a fan of the boys fighting amongst themselves. New guy breaking the ice is going to be one of my favorite bits from the series.

Watched Iron Fist and things are moving along. Nice to see a little progress with Ward but I have a dreadful feeling his trust will bite him on the ass. Thrilled to finally see what the hell is up with Mary and, boy, the reveal didn't disappoint. Looking forward to the next episode.

Caught another episode of Classic Roswell. I'd forgotten about the Native American angle. Looking forward to the next episode.

Also watched an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I don't know if this is the last season, but they seem to be tying off a lot of loose ends. If it is… it's been a wonderful twelve years.

I started casually watching Blue Bloods. It's not really a show I want to add to my roster, but marathons are on every day and I've seen pretty much of the first five seasons. I'm now paying more attention and trying to catch up on season six and onward. I do love the family angle of this show.

Started a new Canadian show, The Murders, mainly because Dylan Bruce is one of the regulars. That said, I loved the first episode. I'm looking forward to more.

With no new episode of Roswell, New Mexico this week, I started another rewatch. This show… man, I can't get enough of it right now. I might have to start a recap series on my fandom blog. Stay tuned. I'll let everyone know if it happens.

That's pretty much my week in television. Tonight's post is from Not Again, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "not again".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Drue Braddock and Xeno Howlett have a rocky relationship, but when Drue goes off on one of her many soul searching quests, Xeno decides he's had enough. When Drue returns, she finally knows what she wants—Xeno—but she may not get her chance because he's got someone new in his life.

And a preview snippet…

Drue sized up her new accommodations. "Temporary… so it'll do." The cheap rent sold her on the studio space, enhanced with an actual galley-style kitchen area and full bath.

She didn't need much and sure as hell didn't plan to be there very long.

Xeno would meet with her and listen to what she'd discovered. And he'd do it soon. If she had to tie him up to make it happen, she would.

Lydia Masters threw a bit of a twist into the mix. "What the hell, Xeno. Nothing like picking my polar opposite to hook up with." Her history with the woman probably made Lydia all the more appealing.

Dammit, Xeno.

Right. Couldn't really blame him. Not for everything. He'd put up with her crazy vision quest drama for five years. The one where she needed time and space and distance to figure out her role in life.

Dropping her bag on the floor, she made her way to the furnished sofa and dropped down on it. "Not my fault Xeno's too much of a distraction when the crystals start calling." Also not her fault they were deep in the realm and she always went to them.

Not his fault either.

But she did blame him for thinking she could pull the stones from their natural location. First, they'd lose their connection to the elements. Second, despite his assurances, the crystals wouldn't be safe. No matter how hard or how much Xeno tried to protect them, nothing would beat the realm's measures.

Her head hit the back of the cushions. "And Miss Lydia-Effing-Masters knows that." Part of their beef had everything to do with the fact Lydia couldn’t get her hands on the stones.

Unlike Drue, Lydia didn't have an affinity for shifting between the ether veils that separated the human world from the magickal.

Drue straightened, bringing her chin level again. "Boo-fucking-hoo and not my problem." Nope… her challenge grew exponentially with each passing moment she didn't have Xeno's ear.

Because the crystals had a lot to reveal and none of the portents boded well for the Xeno and the tribe elders.

She heaved a sigh. "And the whole damn mess landed in my lap."

Drue has her work cut out and Xeno isn't going to make anything easy for her. She'll get him to listen though and he's not going to like what he hears.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye