Sunday Snippet: Xtreme Vibrations

Well, we're almost to the end of another month and I'm trying to contemplate what the final two months of 2020 are going to be like. Frankly, I can't do it. LOL And we still have a full moon to get through in October.

Had a slower than normal week for television. I'm honestly not in the mood to watch much and have been catching marathons on regular cable for the most part. Hallmark started their holiday fare and one of the books I copy edited is featured as a new movie this year. Last year, another book I copy edited had a premiere. That's always so exciting!

I did catch an episode or two of Silent Witness, but other than that, I mainly watch Ovation. I'm crossing my fingers they don't have a major programming change anytime soon. That happens so frequently for me. I fall in love with the line-up and all of a sudden, some new honcho comes in and effs it all up. I'm looking at you HGTV, SyFy, and BBC America. Or, I lose access to a channel that usually has classic stuff I really enjoy. Sigh.

Tonight's post is from Xtreme Vibrations, a novella in the Xtreme Justice series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Cythe and Nyx have one solid ally in their life—Stanja Davidich. When a former mentor kidnaps Stanja to use her vibrating power to wreak havoc on the high seas, Cythe and Nyx go against orders to rescue Stanja. But during the attempt, Nyx falls into a trap and Cythe races the clock to get the women in his life back before he dies from being separated from Nyx.

And a preview snippet…

Stanja Davidich entered her townhouse and tossed her keys on the table. She froze; her fingers flexing, ready to unleash her power. Someone lurked in the shadows.

"Hello, Stanja."

Her eyes slid shut. Fuck. Why couldn't it be anyone but him?

She didn't speak but turned slowly toward the corner where the voice came from. Staying silent, she waited. Engaging first would show weakness and she refused to ever willingly hand over whatever slim advantage she had.

"It's been a minute." The sarcasm lashed out like a coil, striking hard and deep.

Closer to a decade. Eight and a half years, to be accurate. And she didn't miss the roller coaster ride one damn bit.

At least she'd repeated the idea over and over as often as necessary.

He emerged into the light spilling in from outside. "Come on, Stanja. You had to know this day would come."

She schooled her features but got a kick in the gut. He looked damned good. Then again, he always had. Too much so.

He circled around her then moved to stand toe to toe, his hot breath fanning her face.

She held his gaze, keeping hers as steady as possible. "I rather hoped not." She could have cheerfully lived without ever laying eyes on him again.

He smirked. "There she is. The icy queen of understatement." He leaned in close. "But I know how hot the woman underneath runs, don't I?"

He used to. Once upon a time. Back before he turned his back on UNIT to seek his fortune elsewhere.

She'd moved on. And while she'd never forgotten him—it would be too dangerous to do so—she'd stuffed their past in a dark, out-of-the-way place in the back of her mind. To have him come back now … dammit, his presence didn't bode well for her.

His lips twisted into a sneer. "I've come to collect, Stanja, on the favor you owe…"

Right. More like a debt from a long ago saga that didn't end well for either of them.

She opened her mouth to reject the idea but he pushed his finger against her lips.

"No doubt you want to refuse, but I won't let you. I planned for this." He snapped his fingers and she dropped like a stone.

He caught her under the arms and dragged her to the back entrance. She hated him and his ability to render people immobile, or unconscious, or even fully comatose. Of course, he'd want her awake but compliant. He wanted her to experience every bit of humiliation he could dish out.

But she figured this day would come. She had his number the same way he had hers. Had intimate knowledge of the way his mind worked.

And she'd prepared. Carefully and quietly. Within twenty-four hours, the news of her disappearance would make its way to UNIT. Twelve hours after that, the only two people she trusted in the world would hold her life in their hands.

Don't let me down, Cythe. You and Nyx are all that stands between my past and my future.

I'm falling in love with this series. I'm so happy with how the opening scene of book three came together. This is such a fun series to write.

That's it for this week.

 

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Xtreme Attraction

Wow, how can half the month be over already? Time either seems to fly by at the rate of insanity yet it often feels like it an entire decade exists within a twenty-four hour period. It's trippy.

Had a bunch of projects land in my inbox this week so television ended up being on the short end. I finished up a Blue Heelers episode and have another one ready to go.

Also made it through two-thirds of Silent Witness's fifth season. Two interesting cases. Looking forward to finishing up the last two episodes.

I watched a lot of the morning mysteries on Ovation again. I enjoy having those shows on in the background, especially when I’m shredding a ton of old paper files.

Looking forward to hopefully finishing up Picard and catching up on Riverdale and Roswell, New Mexico. As I mentioned, this is probably my last season of Riverdale. I literally can't stomach Hiram and I’m pretty sure he won't be going anywhere when the new season premieres.

That's the short list for television this week. Tonight's post is from Xtreme Attraction, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt. This is book one in the Xtreme Justice series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The double X gene found in junk DNA makes life very interesting for a group of humans. Nyx Boit reshapes matter with her force of will. Cythe Baldetto literally has blades of steel at his fingertips. When Cythe is sent to recruit Nyx, she wants no part of his offer. To make her point, she converts his arrows, darts, and knives into liquid pools at his feet. Finally meeting his match, Cythe figures recruiting Nyx is out, but wooing her is most definitely in.

And a preview snippet…

Nyx tilted her head to one side. "Why are you helping me?"

Cythe scooped out two platefuls of food. "Two reasons. I've been where you are." He slid one dish in front of her. "And I'm still really attracted to you."

And I'm attracted to him. Why fight it? She leaned across the counter and kissed him. She had a strong reaction. Lust thrummed through her veins and her body tingled everywhere. The kiss spun out of control and Nyx needed more, needed all of him. Right now.

She all but tried to climb all over him, scooting over the counter, scooting the plates out of the way. Cythe pushed her away. Hard. If he'd slapped her in the face, she might be less pissed off. Who the hell does he think he is?

Cythe swiped his thumb over his lower lip. "You're pissed off and so hot for me you can't stand it, right?"

She opened her mouth to snap his head off then blinked. He'd nailed her reaction exactly. She craved him, desperately. Her fingers itched to touch him and smooth over his skin.

She nodded. "Yeah. What the hell?" She'd never been so hot for a man so quickly.

He scooted the plates back and made a noticeable effort to calm his breathing and body.

When he'd gained control of both, he sat on the stool across from her. "You're reacting to my mating pheromones." Glancing away, he took a bite of his meal. "You can't be certain you truly want me." He met her stare again.

She sat back down and picked up her chopsticks. "I can be pretty damned clear I found you more than a little hot from the moment we met." She slurped the food from the utensils.

He had a quirky little smile play over his lips. "Good to know it was a mutual thing. But ... if I didn't stop you—and it took an iron will of control, believe me—I would have made you mine."

She tilted her head. How could that be a bad thing?" The self-discipline impressed her though. She narrowed her gaze. "What aren't you telling me?"

He chewed his food a moment. "If we continue, the pull will only get stronger."

She didn't see a problem. "Meaning what?" Why did it matter?

He sighed. "You're attracted to me now, but you'd become dependent on me physically, almost like a craving."

The light bulb went off. Holy shit. Now she completely understood.

He shook his head. "It's not fair to you unless you're certain—absolutely certain." He pinned her with his gaze for a long moment.

Nyx finished off her food, pondering everything he'd said.

She placed her chopstick on the plate. "Is there a downside for you?" There had to be, right?

He hesitated.

Nyx held up a hand. "I want full disclosure. If you can be hurt, I have to know."

He filled in the blanks. "The downside is ... once the full mating process is complete, if you ever decide to leave me, I'll die. Or at least it's a strong possibility."

Well, fuck.

She tried to wrap her head around the idea. "What if I die or get killed?"

He rolled a shoulder.  "That's my one way out … if the mental bond is severed upon your death."

She snorted. "So, basically, you could kill me if you ever decide you're tired of me." Talk about potential for a bad breakup.

I'm having a lot of fun with this series. Nyx and Cythe have a good vibe that I enjoy writing.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: X Plus Y

Well, it's been a wild and bumpy week. My husband ended up with the flu in the middle of a pandemic. Not a lot of fun for him. The rest of us are trying to take any and all precautions so we don't end up with it also. Bleh.

Finished up a work project and had a little downtime before my next one begins. I'm actually kind of thrilled to have a bit of a break. I normally work every day of the week and having a couple of days off is lovely.

A so-so week of television. I finished up season four of Silent Witness and started on season five.

I also caught another arc of Classic Who. I'm on the second season of Four's tenure. Finishing out the "Terror of the Zygons."

Other than that, I mainly caught some Mystery Alley marathons on Ovation. I needed some background noise while I did a ton of shredding.

Other than that, I'm hoping to finish up Picard this week and maybe get back to Riverdale and Roswell, New Mexico.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from X Plus Y, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Vail Gault and Wolf Vermassey have a wicked, powerful attraction for each other. Too bad their clans are brutal rivals in the underground world of meta-human politics. Pitted against each other, they can never be more than opponents in a cage match who happen to have sex that makes their sparring matches look like cakewalks.

And a preview snippet…

Vail opened her door to find Mort Camen standing outside. "What do you want, Camen?" She really didn't have the stomach to deal with a stalker.

Mort shoved a stack of photos at her. "I want you on your knees if you want me to keep quiet about this." He grabbed his crotch, making it clear why he wanted her on her knees.

Vail dumped the pictures in the trashcan. "I don't think so, Camen. As you can see, I've got all the cock I can handle. I don't need another one." As if she'd ever get within five feet of his naked body.

Mort sneered. "Come on, bitch. You give it up for Wolf and Wolf is okay with sharing. It's the Vermassey way." He tried to push his way inside her house.

Vail blocked him and snarled. "Good for him. I'm not okay with assholes sniffing around when they're not welcome. I don't give a shit who gave you permission. Members of the House of Aronson do nothing they choose not to." She smashed her fist in his face, sending him sprawling backward.

The very idea that Wolf condoned this crap sent her rage meter into the red zone. Stomping over to Mort, she jabbed her booted toe into his ribs then grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to her car. Jamming her knee into his kidney, she yanked the door open and shoved him into the backseat.

Mort howled when she slammed it closed, crunching his knee in the process. "Damn you. What the hell? You have no right trying to kick my ass. Where do you think you're taking me?"

Sliding behind the wheel, she answered his questions in order. "What the hell did you expect? I didn't try to kick your ass, I did kick it." She glanced in the rearview mirror and grinned when she spotted the blood dripping from his nose. "As for where we're going, you'll find out in less than ten minutes." She floored the car and drove straight to Wolf's place.

Dragging Mort out of the vehicle, she frog-marched him to Wolf's front door.

When Wolf answered her loud pounding, she pushed Camen to his knees. "How dare you send a goon after me? Not my fault someone got wise and started taking pictures." Her anger spilled over. "Be ready for a really rough fight this week. I don't care who sees the pictures. I won't be blackmailed." She smacked her palm upside Mort's head. "And I won't be shared." She met Wolf's gaze. "Ever." Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her car and peeled out of his drive.

She didn't realize tears streamed down her face until she pulled up to her house.

I love where this story is going. Wolf and Vail will turn their world on its side but they'll have some flaming hoops to jump through first.

 

That's it for this week.

 

Cheers!

 

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams

Welcome to October, the month with two full moons. Make of that what you will. I had a terrific week. Made a ton of progress on the cleanout and organization. Got a new set of rune stones. Met my two best friends for an evening of fun and laughter. And made headway on a work project.

Not a bad week for television. I watched a lot of Silent Witness. Finished up the third season and started on the fourth. It's shorter than the previous seasons, so I should be ready to start the fifth early this coming week.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. Apparently Nick's past has come calling. Not very far into yet but it's an interesting episode.

Watched part of the first episode of Bomb Girls. I'm excited about diving into this series. I've heard some great things about it.

I also watched a bunch of videos about rune casting again. They're very soothing, especially when I'm shredding paper.

Tonight's post is from Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nita, Deacon, and Callen fall victim to Morpho, the Dream Tender, who plants vivid imagery in their minds while they slumber. When the trio wakes up primed and ready for action, they try to fight the erotic pull, but fail.

And a preview snippet…

Callen appreciated Nita calling him. And Deke. They'd been a trio every summer while growing up. Now that Nita inherited the ice cream shop from her gram, she'd be a permanent resident, like Deke and Callen.

He dusted off his hands. "I'm hungry. How's grilled chicken sound for dinner?" He'd brought some over from his place.

Nita made a yummy sound in her throat. "Awesome. I've got cabbage and can make a slaw." She glanced around before heading for the door.

Deke added his two cents. "Perfect for chicken tacos. Got any tortillas?" He closed the door and Nita locked up.

She gave a nod. "I do. Cal, you good with tacos?" She fell into step between them, just like when they were young.

His stomach growled. "Absolutely. Won't take long to grill up the chicken. You guys get the slaw and everything else ready?" He followed Nita into the house her grandmother left her, three blocks over from the ice cream shop.

Deke and Nita gave Callen a thumbs-up and he grabbed the marinated breasts from the fridge and fired up the grill. Deke brought a beer out and set it on the patio table. Callen popped the top and took a long swallow. Ten minutes later, he finished the brew and plated the meat.

Entering through the backdoor, he placed the platter on the counter. "Bird's cooked. Need help with anything else?" He tossed his bottle in the trash bin and grabbed another.

Nita glanced over her shoulder, her hair still damp from a shower. "We're good. If you wanna grab a shower, the water should be hot. I timed Deke to make sure he didn't hog it all." Her lips twitched.

Callen laughed. "Man, you're still doing that?" He shook his head and ducked into the small three-quarter bath off the kitchen.

He and Deke both had a couple changes of clothes stowed in the linen cabinet. They'd be here at least the rest of the week to help Nita get ready to reopen the shop.

After quickly rinsing the day's work off, he entered the kitchen and took his place in the assembly line for taco-making. Lots of laughter, reminiscing, and flirty banter between trips back for more and dinner counted as a success.

Deke leaned back in his chair and groaned. "Let's head outside. If I stay in here, I'll eat more and I'm stuffed." He scooted back and crossed over to the fridge. "I got some hard cider at the new place by the orchard. Let's have some."

Callen and Nita followed Deke out to the patio and settled in at the table.

Once everyone had a bottle of the cider, Callen lifted his. "Here's to picking up where we left off and the first weekend of operation reopen."

Deke and Nita tapped their bottles against Callen's. Nothing quite like good friends and being reunited.

This is a fun concept and I love mixing the otherworldly aspect in. The trio makes it easy for me, too. I love long-standing friendships.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye