Sunday Snippet: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams

September has ushered in yo-yo weather. We had record low overnight temperatures this past week and we're supposed to end up with record high temperatures this week. My sinuses are not happy right now.

I'm still finishing up the copy edit for the extended project and should have it ready this week. I'm looking forward to starting a new project in the next week or so. September is shaping up to be a busy month and that makes me happy.

Didn't have a bad week of viewing. I got a lot of episodes in and finished up a series, which means I get to start a new one this week. I have no idea what that will be yet, but probably a mystery.

I caught two episodes of Death in Paradise. One I remember seeing before and the other new to me. This is why I love going back and watching in chronological order.

Also watched two episodes of Fantasy Island. Enjoyed both for the fantasy aspect. Did not enjoy the angst factor. As usual, you take a perfectly good couple and break them up for a stupid reason. Depending on how the next few episodes go, I'm probably done with this show.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Batman. Bane and Catwoman were introduced and the Catwoman episode was a lot of fun. The Bane episode wasn't bad either.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The four vignettes were all ones I'd remembered and pretty fun to watch again.

Finished up the Agatha Christie Hour and enjoyed the final episode. I love mistaken identity hijinks and this episode had a splashy party to boot. So much fun.

Caught the second half of Suspects and thoroughly enjoyed watching the team unravel the tangled web of who did it. Also kind of great to get some insight into the characters' personal lives.

Finally watched the season nine finale of Peak Practice. It was as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not looking forward to Andrew's personal life being a main focus of season ten, but I'll still be watching.

Finished the second half of Silent Witness. This one ended up being very twisty and I like that. Looking forward to the next two-parter. Might get more insight into Jack's character.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dreams, a novella where a dream tender and cupid have a running challenge that brings three characters together.

Here's the miniblurb:

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…

Deacon stayed outside, chilling on the hammock, after Cal and Nita went in to stream a movie. "I've seen the entire Marvelverse at least twice." Tipping his bottle to his mouth, he finished off the remaining cider.

He loved having Nita back in their small beach town. Growing up, he'd looked forward to when she'd arrive on Memorial Day weekend to spend the summer with her gram. She started coming their seventh-grade year and somehow brought Deke and Callen into her circle from their initial meeting in the ice cream parlor. Being year rounders, he and Cal went to the same school, but they rarely hung out together.

Until she arrived that first summer.

Once Nita showed up, she insisted the first two people she met had to stroll the beach in the mornings with her—before it got crowded and they had to start working their summer jobs. For a decade, the trio spent time together for three months each year during high school and college. And Cal became Deke's best friend.

The past three years, Nita couldn't make it for more than a week or two. She landed a job managing a chain of boutiques as soon as she graduated from her university.

Deke tsked. "Then her gram got sick." An aggressive form of cancer took her life within six months of being diagnosed.

Nita came down with her parents for the funeral. He and Cal attended but they had work commitments. Deke worked for the local fire department and Cal's computer science degree made him an in-demand consultant. When she called to say she'd be moving down full-time, he and Cal met to coordinate their schedules.

And talk about Nita. Both cared for her but wouldn't compete with each other. If she wanted one, she'd let them know. Deke had a thing for her going way back. He dated but not seriously. Cal ended a two-year relationship right after college and only did casual hookups since then.

Shaking his head, he got up and put his bottle in the recycling bin. "Time to call it a night. Thoughts are getting a little too cozy right now." He headed inside to find his bed.

I'm having a lot of fun with this story. This trio of friends is a joy to write and I love playing with the dynamic between them.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye