Sunday Snippet: Numb

Where on earth did the month of May go? I realize I noted it was almost over last week, but, honestly, I feel like I blinked and the week flew by.

Another so-so week of television viewing. I had a lot on my calendar and needed to do some serious focusing while working. I did get some quality viewing in.

I started and finished the third episode of Blue Heelers. I like it. The cast is pretty stellar and the storylines are fun for me.

Caught Arrow's emerald archer episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going to miss this show so much when it's over next season. I'm really hoping some of the cast stays available to do the crossover episodes in the Arrowverse.

Watched another episode of The Murders. This show… I'm very into it. It's not really a shipping kind of show but I'd be totally down with Nolan and Kate hooking up. It would add an interesting layer to their partnership.

Watched what I think is the penultimate episode of Painkiller Jane. One episode left then it's on to a new show on The Roku Channel.

Caught another episode of Durham County. Man, this show is dark. Which I like, don't get me wrong. I spend most of the episode wanting something terrible to happen to Ray Prager. The guy is just… creepy. I'm really hoping to find out why he hates his own kid so much.

Watched another episode of Midsomer Murders. The first episode of series fifteen ended up being terrific. James Callis played twins, one an arrogant jerk and one a rather affable guy… until the murderer is revealed. Great episode.

Caught two more episodes of Peter Gunn. I'd seen both already but they were pretty good so I didn't mind watching again at all.

Watched two more episodes of Doctor Who and finished out The Ark storyline. Looking forward to starting a new group of shows.

Into the Dark's third episode was… pretty good. There are times when the awkward mess Murphy makes of her life is hard to watch but I think that's part of the reason I like the show so much. She's so prickly and obnoxious but she's also got a softer side that she has no idea what to do with.

Started episode two of my Banshee rewatch and I'll have more to discuss next week.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Numb, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of setting the mood, the characters aren't happy or sad, they just don't feel much anymore.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Cyan Fitch and Theron Dibney have a great relationship—hot sex, rock solid friendship, and mutual respect. When a mostly lethal virus tears through their community, the couple works side by side to help as many as possible, but it takes a toll. They can't quite get comfortably numb while they face the devastating losses and neither is willing to bend for fear they'll break.

And a preview snippet…

Cyan entered the small cottage she shared with her mother. A wave of grief hit hard, but Cyan pushed it back. She didn't have time to mourn.

Theron shut the door behind him and reached forward, grasping her shoulders. "We can go to my place… if it's too hard here." His hands ghosted down her arms.

She turned and shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I really want you and me… here… together." Ciara's presence rarely graced the small house when she'd been alive—except for when the woman needed sleep—and Cyan didn't want to spend her first night alone.

The specter of her mom would haunt the lab chambers—the one true place the woman called home.

Theron wrapped his arms around Cyan. "Then here's where we'll stay." He held her close, using his palm in soothing circles along her back.

Cyan could stand like this all night, soaking in Theron's strength. Yet… she also needed the recharge only he could give her with his body and full night of sexual healing. Easing back, she gazed up into dark eyes. Exhaustion lurked in the inky depths but hunger and anticipation swirled also.

She cupped the back of his head and dragged his mouth to hers. "No clothes for at least the next twelve hours." Her lips clashed with his and her fingers shoved his jacket off his shoulders.

Theron smiled against her cheek. "I like the sound of that." He undid the belt of her shirt and slid the garment off her.

She let it land at her feet and worked the buttons of his shirt loose. Neither had dressed formally for her mother's burial. Who the hell had time anymore? A button down and a pair of khaki cargo pants fit the bill for Theron. Cyan wore black dungarees and a knit wrap shirt. Her only concession to formality? A pair of low-heeled boots in soft leather, which she toed off while Theron kicked his to the side.

He shrugged out of his shirt and untied the bow at her side before reaching out to gather her close for another lip-lock. Somehow, they made it to her room, free of clothing, and landed on her bed. A glance outside the doorway showed the trail of clothes leading from the middle of the living area to their current location.

Theron's mouth works spellbinding magic. She had no recollection of stripping off while he kept her busy with deep, drugging kisses.

Cyan turned toward Theron and palmed his erection. "Is it stupid to say I can't wait to go slow and take our time?" An oxymoron to be sure.

Theron's mouth closed over the tip of her breast. "Not at all. We've earned this and I'm going to relearn every single bit of you… one inch at a time." He switched sides and flicked his tongue over the other nipple.

Cyan shuddered, relishing the slow burn of desire thrumming in her veins.

I'm hoping to create something of a theme where the physical aspect and the ability to feel on that level is what keep Cyan and Theron going. The emotional shut down and the numbing of their senses also makes it possible for them to do the work they need to and I want to show the contrast between the two.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: On Ice

Wow… I can't believe May is almost over. The whole time speeding up thing has to be true. Or maybe I just try to pack too much stuff into life? Who knows.

Kind of a so-so week of television viewing. I had quite a few irons in the fire and needed some solid focus on a couple of projects. Still, not a bad slate of shows overall.

As usual, I caught two episodes of Peter Gunn. One I remember seeing before the other one I didn't. Also caught two episodes of Classic Who, starting The Ark storyline.

Watched the second episode of In the Dark and while it didn't charm me as much as the first episode did, I enjoyed it. Even though I love how flawed our heroine is, I can see her abrasiveness becoming a tired gimmick at some point. I'll definitely keep watching because I really want to know what happened to her friend.

Caught another episode of Blade and it's one I remembered featuring Chase's rehab after being burned almost to a crisp… literally. I'm about halfway through the season and if memory serves, things start getting really intense from here on out.

Started a rewatch of Banshee. Man… I'd forgotten how crazy the first episode ended up being. This show didn't flinch from violence in any way and it's one of the reasons I couldn't stop watching. Ugh… not because I love violence. More because the characters jumped right out and grabbed my attention. I also fell in love with Job's character at first sight.

Began a new Australian series called Blue Heelers and have almost two episodes watched. I found the show on the TubiTV app but I'm watching on the Freedive app so I can catch the series from the beginning.

Watched another episode of Chicago Fire and it ended up being pretty decent. I'm not sure about the whole Kelly and Stella vibe, but I like that they're still supportive of each other even if they're not together. Also liked Matt being something of a dick to Herrman. I know, I know… why would I like that? Because I want to see how he deals with his trauma of almost being shot.

Caught episode nine of Iron Fist and, holy crap, it didn't disappoint. Danny fighting without the fist and nailing Davos with the syringe blew me away. Colleen fighting the gang of goons kicked ass. Ward and Walker's interaction almost made me laugh out loud, but it also ended up being kind of touching in a bizarre way. The fact that Ward immediately knew Joy needed help speaks volumes, even if Joy doesn't want to hear about it. Watching her fall a full story down was… actually kind of mind-blowing. And, of course, Misty is always an added benefit to the show. The end… well, I'm excited to see where things go.

Watched the premiere episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries's second season. Great episode with lots of good stuff for the women to do. I like Frankie's interactions with her mom and I loved Trudy saving the day.

Picked back up with Riverdale's third season. I'm not all the way through the episode yet but I already want to smack Hiram. I'm really not sure about the whole G&G thing but part of loving this show is embracing the completely batshit crazy storylines. I'm happy to be back in the game so to speak.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from On Ice, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of write a character that goes alpha on another because their bratty behavior has gone too far and they need a reminder of who is in charge." Kind of a specific prompt, right?

Here's the mini-blurb:

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 training, 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…

"We're behind on curriculum. Is that because of the threat from Janus?" The elder mage, Newscome Atwater, called the academic staff meeting to order.

Birk drummed his fingers on his thigh. "The house of Janus doesn't train their people, sending acolytes out to wreak as much havoc as possible." His hand curled into a fist to stop the fidgeting. "If we don't prepare, we're going to lose good people." He couldn't be the only one that deduced the threat level.

Atwater nodded. "I tend to agree."

Paley jumped in. "I don't." She got up and started pacing behind her seat. "The house of Atwater already has the best alignment. Our scholars and acolytes are smart, savvy, and extremely talented." She paused and grasped the back of her seat. "We're holding them back with all the extra hours of training and repetitive bullshit." Her gaze aimed directly for Birk.

He absorbed the intended insult with no visible reaction. But her jibe stung. As she'd meant it to. Retaliation from earlier in the classroom.

Ignoring Paley, Birk addressed the other four mage instructors. "Are the recruits keeping up in the other areas?" Spells, conjuring, and alchemy required less physicality than deflection and projection.

Lydia Norj lifted one shoulder. "So far. And we're moving ahead, just not at our normal pace."

Paley smirked. "Ha! See… the longer training sessions are taking a toll elsewhere." She gave Birk a pointed look. "Told you."

Jim Bakerson held up a hand. "But it's not really. All of us are paying close attention to the individuals and making sure everyone is on the same page before moving on to the next topic."

Camron Michaels nodded. "Yeah, with the higher threat level lurking out there, we're being more cautious than we probably need to be, but I'd rather have it that way. We need scholars to teach and we can't do that if they're dead or injured."

Paley huffed out a loud sigh and directed her attention to the last instructor. "Mabel? Care to share your thoughts?" She pulled her chair out and plopped down hard in the seat.

Mabel Chambers didn't hesitate. "I'm inclined to agree with Paley. We're coddling the scholars and holding them back. They want to spread their magickal wings and see what they can do by gaining experience."

Paley started a happy chair dance in the seat. "Finally. Someone who knows what the Atwater acolytes should be doing."

Newscome held up a hand. "Enough, Miss Knoff. While you raise a good point, I'm still the elder mage here and I gave Southampton the master sage cords for a reason." He pinned Paley with his gaze. "You're the second ranked adept and your opinion holds weight. That said, we'll continue with the extra training sessions and revisit this topic next week." He glanced at the assembled group. "Is that clear for everyone?"

A chorus of nods met his query, with the exception of Paley. She rolled her eyes and got up, strolling out of the room without so much as a farewell.

Birk's lips thinned but he dismissed the others. "Thanks for the input today. Keep going with your classes and let me know if anything comes up." He stood, indicating everyone could leave.

Once they cleared the room, Birk sat back down, letting the anger in. Paley's attitude chafed, especially since they worked so closely together. And it halfway pissed Birk off that she wouldn't let it go.

Atwater rose from his seat at the head of the table. "The voice of dissent often rings the loudest. Sometimes there's a reason or hidden meaning in the conflicting opinion." He started toward the door. "Listen with all of your senses, Birk. You might hear more than you think."

Birk snorted but gave the elder mage a nod. "Yes, Elder Atwater." He got up and made his way out of the room behind Newscome.

He'd listen with his senses all right… to the resounding sound of Paley being a huge pain in the ass.

I love how much Birk absorbs in this scene. Each small dig chips away at his calm.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Nothing Special

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. It's rainy and chilly in Ohio and a nice day to stay in and be pampered. A few quiet hours alone is on my agenda today.

Had a solid television watching week. Since I watched so many penultimate episodes last week, this week ended up putting me in the finale zone. I started with the final episode of Underbelly: Razor. I'll admit I ended up being pretty satisfied with how things turned out. Kate and Tillie ended up living to ripe old ages for the times and Nellie, oddly enough, had an ending that rather suited her. Big Jim definitely got his due as did Phil the Jew.

Caught two more episodes of Midsomer Murders and thoroughly enjoyed both. I do like John and his wife along with their dog Sykes. Also watched two more episodes of Peter Gunn.

Started a new show from the CW. In the Dark ended up being more than I expected and, honestly, I enjoyed it. The heroine is messy and prickly and I like her flaws. The supporting cast is excellent. I'll watch more and see how it goes. It's been renewed for another season so I hope I like the rest of this one.

Watched another episode of Blade and remembered most of this one. There were a few bits I missed the first time around so it's nice to have those blanks filled in.

Also caught two more episodes of Classic Who and finished out the time meddler episodes. If memory serves, this is really the first sighting of the Master. Kind of like his origin story.

Watched the finale of Strike Back and I'm happy to say everyone I lived that I wanted to see still standing at the end. With the exception of Wyatt's marriage, which I have a feeling didn't survive. I can't wait for the final season now.

Caught Chicago Fire and enjoyed the episode. I'm not sold on Grissom being an okay guy yet but here's hoping they go in that direction. I really don't want to see Severied used as a pawn on the chessboard so I'll be pissed if that happens.

Iron Fist had a decent episode. Danny and Colleen are walking a very fine line and I'm hopeful their relationship can withstand the coming nightmare of dealing with Davos. Joy and Ward had some personal growth and Mary's storyline meshed well with the others. Davos is Davos and I'm still struggling to find some kind of empathy with him. It's not working.

Caught a great episode of Arrow and thoroughly enjoyed. I'm not a big fan of Diggle and Lyla keeping big secrets but I'll hold back from judging too much. Really loved Oliver and Laurel's reckoning with past sins. I love Oliver the most when he's pushing to be better than his parents.

Watched the finale of Murdoch Mysteries and, whew, I'm so glad things worked out the way they did. Miss Hart should probably watch her step and I'm kind of hoping she ends up becoming a good character. Nice to see where everyone is at the end, mostly in great places with their personal relationships.

Caught another episode of The Murders and I'm really loving this show. I'm excited to find out who is messing with Kate and I liked seeing Nolan not dealing with his personal life. Also loved having Kate back him up.

Watched the finale to Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and, wow, I truly hoped the stupid superintendent would get what he deserved. Of course, he didn't and Peregrine might have lost her edge with him. We'll see what happens… if there's a second season. The chemistry between Steed and Peregrine is so delicious.

I'm nearing the end of my Painkiller Jane rewatch and I completely missed the episode I caught the first time around. Glad I got it in. I think there are two episodes left in this season, but I can't remember for certain.

Started another new show for me, Durham County. It's dark and twisty and I think I'm going to like it a lot. The first episode had a good mix of creepy happenings along with some good exposition. Looking forward to more.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Nothing Special, a holiday solstice sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Masha Tuck and Ryce Reynoldson work tirelessly around the winter solstice to help provide a meaningful celebration to their fae and non-fae neighbors. Masha uncovers the perfect gift for Ryce—just a book, nothing special—but if she gives it to him, it'll add depth to their weird relationship and she's not sure she's ready for them to be a 'thing'.

And a preview snippet…

Masha's eyes widened. She didn't expect anything from him and didn't quite know how to react. The idea he'd thought enough to pick something up gave her… not a bad feeling… more like an unsettled one. Had this thing with Ryce become a thing?

Ryce nudged her shoulder. "The box won't bite, Masha. Go ahead. Take a look inside." He snagged the book, sliding it onto his lap.

Masha eyed it a moment longer before picking it up and popping it open to reveal an alchemized crystal. She let out a little gasp. Reaching with a gentle touch, she removed the crystal from the bed of green satin and turned it over.

She let out a surprised chuckle. "It's a brooch." How incredibly awesome!

She glanced up to catch a look of wonder on Ryce's face. Okay, the kicking boost to her confidence shouldn't matter so much. But she loved how much he seemed to love the gift.

His gaze flashed with something indefinable. "Where did you find this?" His fingers turned another page and the tips slid down the list of ingredients, carefully offset from the hand-drawn image beside it.

She grinned. "You'll never guess. At the dispo center, they have that room where they put all the donated items." Her fingers traced the crystal then played with the clasp on the back. "I had time to kill and spent a morning digging through boxes. Found the book and thought you'd get a kick out of it." She met his gaze. "Because you're always going on about how much of the ancient arts we've lost." The results of the constant struggle and mad power grabs between the dueling houses.

Ryce closed the book. "I do. I love it." He moved some items on the table and placed the tome in the center on prominent display. "I've been looking for something like this for a long, long time." His fingers traced the title, raised up on the leather cover.

He shifted sideways and tucked one foot under his opposite knee. Masha continued to study the brooch. The crystal alchemized two metals, silver and copper. Holding it in her palm, the piece attuned to her, the flow of energy began to transfer. She closed her hand and put it back on its satin bed.

Ryce nodded toward the box. "Oddly enough, I thought it was fortunate to stumble across the brooch given your affinity for the crystal. Now I'm thinking it was fortuitous, because I found it at the same place. The dispo center donation room."

The coincidence couldn't be an accident. Nor the timing. Masha didn't want to delve too deeply, but she might have to.

She met and held his gaze. "Are we having a moment?" The idea made her queasy but she swallowed the fear and let a little hope take its place. "Gotta admit I'm not sure I'm ready for big moments yet." Hell, any kind of moment would be a new thing with them.

Ryce didn't argue. "Is anyone ever ready?" His eyebrows shot up in question.

Masha shrugged. "I don't know about anyone else. I can only speak for myself. And big emotional moments aren't really in my wheelhouse." Hard to let anyone in when the present jammed up against an uncertain future.

Ryce reached over and grasped her hand. "Okay, then, how about starting with small moments? Like this one." He squeezed her fingers. "Thank you for the gift. It means so much and, whether you want it to or not, shows how much you get me." His lips twisted in a lopsided grin.

Her heart swelled to bursting. But, hey, it didn't explode or anything so points for progress there.

Masha returned the smile. "Okay, that wasn't so hard." She scooted forward, closing the space between them. "So… what's next in this grand experiment of having a moment?"

I like the small beats between this couple. They're slowly revealing what they want to say on the page and I enjoy waiting to see what they share with me.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Nothing But the Truth

Well… May is starting out with a crazy-busy schedule. I've got two new projects underway along with my regular work. That said, I love being busy so I won't complain.

I got to spend time with two of my best friends from high school. It's so much fun to catch up with them and we're hoping to make this a several times a year thing. Good food and terrific wine… a fabulous way to spend an evening.

Had a semi-decent week of television viewing. I started out with an episode of Blade: The Series and discovered I'd missed this one. Glad I caught up with it… it had several good pieces of information in it.

I caught the penultimate episode of Strike Back and, wow, as usual, it delivered. Gotta say I'm sad we didn't get to see Coltrane in action between the sheets, especially considering we've seen almost everyone else.

Also watched another episode of Classic Roswell and it's another episode I thoroughly enjoyed but didn't quite remember fully. I love revisiting this series.

Caught another episode of Arrow and got to finally discover Oliver's newest family member. The hits really do keep coming for Oliver and I love to watch him react to each one. Also starting to enjoy the futurescape a lot. I'm going to miss this show so much when it ends after the next season. But I'll look forward to having a dark Gotham to visit if Batwoman gets a pickup.

Watched the penultimate—a frequent refrain this week—episode of Murdoch Mysteries. I have to admit I'm disappointed with a couple of things. Miss Hart's seeming underhandedness is a big one and I'm holding out hope it's smoke and mirrors on that end. And, seriously, the character assassination of John Brackenreid makes my head spin. I truly hope the finale swings the pendulum back to normal.

The Murders had a terrific fourth episode. I like the little bit of mystery surrounding Kate and I definitely like Nolan's slow spiral. It looks like the next episode starts to address his issues and I'm totally there for it.

Caught the… you guessed it… penultimate episode of Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and, man, I loved it! This show is so. Much. Fun. Seriously, I'm crossing every appendage I have that there might be a second season.

Watched the first part of Chicago Fire's crossover with Chicago PD. Haven't watched the police episode yet but really wanted to watch Cruz go undercover. I'm not quite sure what to think about Grissom's about face with Severied. That might not go anywhere good. Just saying.

Caught episode seven of Iron Fist and actually enjoyed it a lot. I'm sad to view what's going on with Danny and Colleen but I also think it's an interesting wrinkle in their relationship. Davos, as usual, irritates the ever loving crap out of me. I'm totally hoping Joy is making a long play to get her hands on the bowl but won't hold my breath. As usual, Ward and Misty entertained just by being on screen. I'll miss not having new episodes after this season ends.

Watched an episode of Painkiller Jane and it's another one I didn't get to see on the first run of the series. Glad I caught it. I do like how Jane finally accepts being part of the team and starts to consider them family.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Nothing But the Truth, a novella that started with a writing community challenge of setting a story around the idea of telling nothing but the truth.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lexa Chan and Quint Maximoff work the seedy underworld of supernatural bounty hunting. Lexa's got a tough as nails reputation and she competes with Quint's larger than life persona. The Halfway, a bar catering to supernatural and mortal beings, is neutral ground where Lexa and Quint form an interesting relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Lexa opened a can of worms. The evening could go to some dangerous places. Did she care? Not really. She lived in Recklessville. Okay, usually for work, but why not mix some spontaneity into her personal world? Right, maybe not the best idea—

"Seriously? Leave it at that? I don't think so, Lexa." He shifted, unable to hide the growing erection under his pants when he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

She sucked in a breath. "Truth, right?" She took his quirked brow as a yes and let the alcohol do the talking. "The picture I have of your hard cock is pretty vivid in my mind. So, yeah, it's distracting." She shouldn't have to explain the basics of sexual attraction.

Quint blinked and shook his head. "Fuck. You win. I didn't see this little twist coming at all." He leaned back, no longer attempting to keep the hard ridge of his dick out of sight.

Lexa barely hesitated before she got up and moved to straddle his lap. "If I'm the victor, shouldn't I get some kind of prize for my reward?" She scooched forward, grinding against his groin.

Quint cupped her ass with his hands. "What, exactly, will the claiming involve?" He held her gaze, no doubt seeking any form of retreat or regret.

Lexa answered quickly. "You, me, hot sex, now." She wanted him, if only for tonight within the four walls of this room.

Quint squeezed her butt cheeks. "And it stays here, yeah? We don't carry this out there." His head jerked toward the door and his hands came up to palm her breasts through her shirt.

Lexa nodded and removed her shirt. "Everything stays here. Consider this room sanctuary." She reached down and tugged his shirt up, craving skin-to-skin contact.

Quint dragged the garment over his head then leaned against the cushions. "Then stake your claim." He draped his arms along the back of the couch.

Her gaze feasted on his scarred torso, his battle wounds on display. They didn't detract from the defined cut of muscle covering his frame. Pecs, abs, dented hips. God, what a prime specimen.

And he wanted her to lay claim?

Oh, hell, yes.

Lexa will definitely enjoy the sanctuary but she might not be the only one staking a claim.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye