Sunday Snippet: Led Astray

Welcome February! The shortest month seems like a great time to start new things. I've challenged myself to post every day on Bluesky and I picked drawing one oracle card from a random deck each day. So far, I'm two for two.

I'm also going to launch the side project I've previously talked about. Tip Jar Shorts is a fun way to get sexy romance short stories right to your inbox. The blog is up and running and still a work in progress. I'm so excited to see how things go! If you're interested, check it out!

I had a busy work week with a challenging copy edit but it's almost complete and I'm happy I got to work on this mystery series. A few more bits and pieces to check and it'll be on its way to the publisher.

Had a somewhat quiet viewing week. Between getting Tip Jar finished up and the copy edit, I needed a quiet background to get everything done.

Caught another Batman Beyond episode. I remembered this one and enjoyed during my first run through of the show.

Enjoyed an episode of Classic Rugrats. I'm in the final season and catching some episodes I haven't seen before.

Watched another episode of One Lane Bridge and I'm still enjoying the show. It's kind of a slow, moody narrative and I'm rather into that right now.

Caught another episode of London Kills and I'm kind of wondering what the hell is going to happen next. I'm also wondering what the superintendent thought would happen when he tried to run.

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. The vibe is very different with season eleven and I'm kind of okay with that. I like the new sergeant and I'm looking forward to seeing where things go with Florance doing an undercover stint. I like that the reason is tied back to a previous murder.

Loved the episode of Beyond Paradise that I caught this week. I'm interested in how Humphrey and Martha work through their issues and was so happy to see her rebuff Archie, even if he's portrayed by one of my favorite actors. I'm still on the fence with Martha's mom. I can't quite decide if I like her or not. We'll see how the rest of the season goes.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Led Astray, a novella that brings a couple together even if they're not supposed to fall for each other.

Here's the miniblurb:

Gia Schmidt is tasked with bringing Orrick Triolo around to her clan's way of thinking, but he proves a hard case to crack, even with her considerable skills. Orrick's got something she wants but if she's not careful, he'll lead her astray instead of the other way around.

And a preview snippet…

Gia toyed with her food. "If you want to avoid a war—and you should—agreeing to a summit between all the clans is a good idea." Gia ended on a sigh.

At least Orrick listened to her spiel without comment. She could break the entire list of possibilities down into minute detail but wouldn't waste her breath. Not unless he gave her a positive sign. He signaled for a refill of coffee. Gia resisted the urge to kick him under the table.

Finally, he took a slow sip of the hot brew then met her gaze. "Why come to me? The elder triad of Triolos holds the power in our family. They're the ones you should be talking to."

Gia huffed out a breath. "Do you know how many have tried to get meetings with them—even one?"

Orrick lifted a shoulder. "Not really, no."

Gia leaned in. "Every single clan has tried alone. And together. And every time they're ignored or rebuffed. Threats have been made if anyone outside tries again."

Orrick blinked. "Why? What do you think I can do?"

Gia shrugged. "Ask them to see reason. The Triolos have a lot of power. They're tired of warring factions. But the grab for complete control isn't playing out the way they want. Instead of giving them what they desire, the move has united the clans against them."

Orrick arched a brow. "You don't think we'll win?"

Gia bit back another sigh. "I don't know. You might. But the toll in lives and lost resources will cost all of us."

Orrick tilted his head to one side. "That's a good point … and a possible opening."

Gia nudged the spark of hope aside. "So … you'll make the pitch?"

Orrick lifted a chin. "I'll consider it, yes."

The flame flickered. Happy about the response, she let a small smile curve her lips. Maybe things would end up working out.

Orrick took some wind out of her sails with a disclaimer. "I'll need some time to find the right approach."

Gia slumped. "How much?" Her grandfather lacked patience on a good day.

Orrick held her gaze. "I'm not sure. Let's maybe meet for dinner in a few days and I should have a better idea."

She agreed. What else could she do?

And she didn't hate the idea of seeing him again.

I'm having fun with the cat and mouse aspect of this story and the characters are stepping up in big ways to help move the plot along.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye