Sunday Snippet: Justified

Big cold snap with a little bit of snow this week in weather. I'm getting much better about making sure I have layers on even if it's just a quick trip outside with the doggos. I also haven't had a major cold yet this season and I hope I didn't just jinx that fact.

Semibusy work week with finishing a proofread and working on two copy edits. I'm hoping to have some projects to work on over the holiday break. I'm not great at having a week or two off then trying to gear back up into work mode.

Fairly decent week of viewing. I'm trying to decide what new show to add to my usual slate of viewing fare. I'm leaning toward Beyond Paradise, but I'm not completely sure yet.

Caught another episode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. I hadn't seen much if any of this episode and I enjoyed it. I think I have a handful of episodes left before it'll be time to switch to another show.

Watched another episode of London Kills and tensions are running high. The case ended up being very interesting and Viv and Rob are pushing the line by investigating David. Looking forward to more of this one.

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. Part one of a two-part arc and the lead-in to the show's one hundredth episode. Loved seeing Camille at the end and can't wait to watch the next episode. I've seen almost all of it and loved it.

Finished up season two of Elementary. I still think Mycroft is an ass even if I get why he did things the way he did. I'm a little on the fence about where Sherlock and Joan left things. I'll be interested to see where they pick up with season three.

Started the two-part series finale of The Batman. I don't remember if I actually watched this before or not but it was a good episode. I think I might move on to Batman Beyond after this.

Also watched another episode Classic Rugrats. I hadn't seen either of the vignettes and enjoyed both.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Justified, a novella that brings a couple with unique skills together to face a common enemy.

Here's the miniblurb:

Electra Cage and Nix Naught shouldn't be together. She's firmly on the side of law and order and he's on whatever side pays the most. They justify their liaison when they discover a common enemy—one they'll need their unique skill sets to destroy.

And a preview snippet…

Damn, she noticed everything. Maybe too much. No one else would've clocked to the fact Nix didn't actually use a key to enter the building. Her uncanny and spooky accurate ability to miss nothing piqued his curiosity. Definitely more to Electra than a smokin' hot body, steel-trap mind, and sexual energy.

Nix wanted to discover what else made her stand out.

And why Walton wanted her out of commission.

Nix led her to the middle of the open space where skylights let in rays from the moon. Electra scanned the room, her gaze missing nothing.

She glanced back at him. "Is your friend home?"

Nix's lips quirked. "At the moment, he's on a sabbatical somewhere no one else can get to." Kincaid didn't always reside on this plane of existence, something only a few were privy to.

Nix appreciated being one of the select group. The pagan master would approve of Nix's use of the sanctuary as neutral ground. Especially if he used it to find answers.

He settled down onto a pile of cushions. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He debated over how to start and how much to tell her.

Electra gracefully removed her jacket and sank down across from him.

Before he said anything, he wanted one simple point made clear. "Why are we here?"

Electra frowned. "Because you didn't want to talk in the bar."

Nix shot her a look. Playing obtuse didn't look good on her.

She sighed. "We're here because I'm close to discovering your secret."

Nix prompted her for more. "And?"

Electra kicked her shoes off and planted her feet in his lap, very close to his crotch. "Anything you tell me stays between you and me and won't be used against you." She paused a moment. "Unless you've committed murder. All bets are off if you've killed anyone."

Nix nodded. "Fair enough. But I'm not a hitman." Even if Walton wanted Nix to cross that line.

And Nix's gut said the fucker would want exactly that.

Electra waved a hand. "Fine. You're a boy scout. Now satisfy my curiosity about this…" Her foot slid upward, coming to rest on his dick.

Nix popped the button on his pants. "It might be easier to show you…"

I'm having so much fun with this story. Electra and Nix will end up making a great team in or out of bed.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment (Paranormal)

Ohio is back to being contrary with its weather. Super cold days in the teens followed by a warmup of midfifties. My sinuses hate this kind of back and forth.

Had a fairly busy work week with a new project landing in my inbox. It's one of my favorite authors to edit and proofread for. Also spent a lot of time pulling my tax stuff together. I realized last week I hadn't filed for 2023 yet. Better late than never.

Not a bad week of viewing. I didn't make a full round of my usual slate of shows, but I got most of the way through. Again, my sleep schedule is playing havoc with my brain.

Watched another episode of Mr and Mrs Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot of familiar faces in this one, which is always fun.

Caught another episode of London Kills and I'm kind of excited about Rob and Vivienne teaming up to investigate David. Of course, there's more to the story and I can't wait to find out what's really going on.

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. I'd seen most of this one but it's nice to follow the whole story from beginning to end instead of catching bits and pieces all the time.

Finished up season twenty-seven of Silent Witness. Gotta say, I really enjoyed the finale. Jack proposing to Nikki made my heart happy. And I'm interested to see what happens with Jack's place. Maybe Kara and Velvy will stay there.

Watched another episode of Elementary and enjoyed it. Still not a Mycroft fan even if he had extenuating reasons for being an ass. I am kind of glad Sherlock isn't going to throw his brother under the bus. At least I don't think he is. The next episode should reveal what will happen.

And that's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a themed sexy short written in tandem with my other two alter egos.

Here's the miniblurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment for Sygin and Boyd to say everything that needs to be said.

And a preview snippet…

Sygin stalked out of the meeting chambers barely hanging on to her temper. "I can't believe they're taking a wait-and-see approach." An attempt to invade the campus should warrant a response.

Boyd fell into step beside her. "Not sure why they think what happened over the solstice holiday is a one-off. Especially when they recommended the precautions." He tsked.

Sygin shook her head. "I'm not relying on the buddy system. Too many things can go wrong. Are we really going to let this play out until someone gets hurt?" Her blood boiled over the stupid bureaucracy.

Because even if their nemeses were only trying to test the boundaries of dark magick—as the council concluded during the meeting—the sinister aspect of using their campus should have them all worried a hell of a lot more than they were.

Boyd snorted. "You know better than that." He stopped at the edge of the corridor and tugged her into a testing alcove. "We're going to take chances with our students. We're gonna start preparing our quad to act as an early warning system." He flicked his gaze toward the clock on the wall. "Starting tonight."

Sygin's lips curved. "See. That right there is the reason we're together." He practically read her mind on the way to skate the line of being proactive while not outright thumbing their noses at the council.

Boyd narrowed his eyes. "I thought we were together because I make you scream my name during sex."

Sygin laughed. "Not gonna lie. That's a big part of it also." She sobered. "But you're the whole package, which is infinitely more appealing than your expertise in bed." Which actually said a lot because Boyd played her like a maestro between the sheets.

He grasped her hips and hauled her closer. "That's good to know." His fingers tilted her chin up and his mouth captured hers.

Sygin leaned into the kiss. Boyd's tongue swept against hers, dueling for dominance. The man had magick in his lips. And his hands. And, well, everywhere else. She wound her arms around his neck and let all of her anger go, relaxing into his embrace.

He eased back, tracing her thumb over her jawline. "I'd love nothing more than heading back to our place to finish what we started here, but…" He dropped a kiss on her nose.

Sygin sighed. "Right. It'll have to wait." Her palms slid down his chest. "We've got work to do and no time for the undeniably more fun option." Stepping back, she hooked a finger into his waistband. "But we're picking this back up after we make a plan with our quad."

Boyd gave her a wicked smile. "I'll hold you to that."

Sygin smirked. "You'd better."

I like writing in this universe. Boyd and Sygin have a couple more stories coming in the near future.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Jump

Welcome, December! I'm truly not sure what this month will bring. I'm at a weird place where I feel kind of stuck and a little buried under the weight of needing to get things done … but I have no idea where to start.

Work slowed down a little, which isn't a great thing. But it did give me some time to spend with my daughter when she came home for Thanksgiving break. I'm so grateful for that time. And December still looks to be booked with projects for the most part.

The temperature did drop but didn't quite dip into the teens. I'm really not ready for the arctic blast yet. But it does help get me in a mood for the holidays.

Had a semi-decent week of viewing. My sleep schedule is all over the place again and that doesn't always make for a good attention span.

Watched the season two premiere episode of London Kills. Nice to see Billie back in action. I'm interested in the ongoing arc from season one. This cast is stellar, and I love the changing dynamics between them.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm starting to find some redeeming value in Neville. I liked the way he kind of helped Florance. Really not sure about Marlon.

Enjoyed part one of Silent Witness. Loving some inside looks at Jack and Nikki and the mystery is kind of amazing. I have no idea where things are going and that's always fun.

Watched another episode of Elementary. Mycroft is an ass and maybe that's a good thing. He definitely has some explaining to do. I do give him kudos for being able to manipulate Sherlock even if I hate that he could. And I'm going to be really pissed if Sherlock decides Joan is his weakness and starts acting like a bigger ass than Mycroft.

Caught an episode of The Batman and it's one I don't remember watching previously. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Having a team that is completely opposite of Batman and Robin was fun.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. I think it's the final one where the whole episode is one story. I kind of wish there were more of those.

And that's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Jump, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

A group of young adults comes into their mage power much later than usual. Sima Hood and Dario Burgos are the de facto leaders of the raw recruits when they're trapped and pinned down by a faction of dark sorcerers who want to groom them for their side, but Sima and Dario receive guidance from one of the elder mages who help them escape and lead them to safety.

And a preview snippet…

Sima Hood shook her head back and forth. "No way am I working with Dario Burgos. You've got to be testing the limits of my patience with this request." She certainly hoped the elder mage didn't really think putting her with Dario would be a good idea.

Marco Lambert gave her a steady look. "Sima, I don't have time to argue this point with you. Twelve raw recruits need a crash course in controlling their powers, and I don't have to tell you it's harder when they haven't been raised with the basics of mage wisdom." He sighed. "This is a huge undertaking, and you can't do it alone." His shoulders slumped.

Sima bit the inside of her lip. Marco didn't wear defeat well. She didn't want to let him down. But she also didn't want to spend the next who knew how many weeks butting heads or anything else with Dario. They did not get along. But the one thing they had in common—coming into their powers in late adolescence instead of the beginning of puberty—made her and Dario uniquely qualified to help this group transition into being proper mages.

Dammit.

She couldn't say no to the man who mentored her and helped her make the transition to becoming a functioning mage. He'd also done the same for Dario … which became part of the reason she struggled to get along with her fellow mage proctor. They didn't have an easy road, and they clashed frequently during their training.

Sima squared her shoulders. "Okay. This is going to be a complete shitshow, but you can count on me." A promise she might end up regretting.

Especially with Dario involved.

Marco's lips quirked in a wry smile. "Not sure this helps, but I heard the same thing from Dario." He chuckled. "Might be the first time you two have ever been on the same page. I consider that a good omen."

A slap might have stung less. But she didn't know if the idea Dario agreed they'd be dealing with a trainwreck bothered her or if the fact the elder mage consulted Dario first kicked harder. Because neither made her happy.

But she'd made a commitment, so Sima tempered her response. "I guess there's a first time for everything." Whether or not they stayed in sync might prove to be the bigger question.

She definitely had doubts.

I'm just getting started on this one and I love having a new story to sink into.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye