Sunday Snippet: A Timely Distraction

Yeesh. Still dealing with the tire issue but have an appointment to get the replacements on Tuesday. I can't wait. But … we now have to get two new tires for my husband's vehicle. It's like dominoes falling … one thing after another.

Had some seriously cool temperatures this week. Also rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. We're supposed to have clear weather for the beginning of the week but more rain from Thursday through the weekend.

Work projects were pretty smooth this week. I finished up the wild ride copy edit and completed a proofread that had a few issues but overall ended up being great. Still working on the evaluation and making good project. I have another back burner project I'm hoping to get to this week.

Had a solid viewing week. I made it through my usual slate of shows and got to binge Death in Paradise a couple of days.

Started with Marple again and enjoyed the mystery. There were a lot of twists and turns with a resolution that ended up being sad but excellent.

Finished up the first season of Britain's Most Scenic Counties. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting Kent and look forward to the next season and new location.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise and enjoyed it again. Reggie reminds me of Margo from Beyond Paradise. Both are filled with local knowledge and wield their power when it counts the most. Great mystery also.

Watched another Poirot and liked the twists and turns. Very interesting to hear all the discussion of the upcoming war and having three mysteries instead of one ended up being quite fun.

Elementary got a little freaky. The possible serial killer struck very close to home, and I really hope things don't go in an obvious direction. Can't wait to watch the next episode to see if they do or don't.

Enjoyed an episode of Young Justice and loved seeing the young team dealing with being the grown-ups in the room. Kind of interested to see what happens with the stolen bit.

Ended the week with an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and totally loved the call back to the original series. Fun episode with plenty of weird thrown in for good measure. I'm going to be very sad when I finish this one.

That's the life update this week. Tonight's post is from A Timely Distraction, a riff on a fairy-tale romance that brings a couple together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Donahue Stuart, prince and heir to his father's throne, longs for grand adventures, but danger lurks from raiders and marauders, out for royal blood. Enter Lady Vivian, daughter of the king's oldest friend, and a kindred spirit who shows Donahue he can have all the magnificent escapades he wants, right in his own realm.

And a preview snippet…

Hue set aside the stack of correspondence he'd finished. "Might as well tackle the letter from Delia now." He'd shuffled her missive to the bottom of his pile because he'd rather not deal with whatever might be inside.

But he couldn't put off making it clear they would not be meeting for a tryst again. Or that she would ever become his mistress. Maybe he could provide a few names for her. She could find a protector of her choice—unlike the exchange with Fitzmar, who had offered for her before she'd even had an opportunity to meet other courtiers—and give her a chance to forge her own future.

He slipped a letter opener under the wax seal and started to withdraw the parchment. A rapid series of soft knocks distracted him, and he glanced up to Lady Vivian bursting through his door. Her unexpected entrance caught him by surprise.

Placing the envelope under the desk blotter, he arched his brows. "Lady Vivian. I heard you were here for a visit." And she'd grown more beautiful if that were possible.

Her eyes always drew him … they sparkled with hidden depths that suggested she held secrets she didn't share with others. Once again, he cursed the close friendship their fathers shared. Otherwise, he'd make every effort to pursue her.

Vivian gave him a smile. "Yes, I missed seeing you when I arrived. You were out riding, think?" Her gaze swept the room before landing on him.

He leaned back in his chair. "And what is your purpose for seeking me out?" Not that he cared, she provided a wonderful diversion to an unpleasant task.

Vivian spun around and flounced onto his settee. "I'm seeking you out, because I'm bored and restless." She sat up suddenly. "Would you be interested in visiting the village?" Her eyes were bright with excitement.

The idea sounded dull, but she seemed thrilled by the prospect.

Hue shrugged. "I'm not, but I'll tag along." He got up and crossed the room to pull the cord that would summon the guard.

Vivian bounded up off the sofa and stopped him with a hand on his bicep. "Er … I have another idea. Let's head to the storage room and dig around a little." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "I thought we might dress up—or down as the case may be—as commoners." An impish grin spread over her face.

Hue narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious?" He cocked his head when possibilities filled his mind.

Being out of royal garb would give him some freedom to move about, unencumbered by the trappings of being the heir.

Viv nodded. "Absolutely. Let's see how much fun we can have." Her voice took on a sultry tone.

He smiled wide. "How do we lose the guard?" He had no doubt she would make things interesting.

Vivian patted his shoulder. "Leave that to me."

This is such a fun story to write. I love the chemistry between Vivian and Hue!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye