Sunday Snippet: Voltage

Wow. August snuck up on me. I need someone to slow time down a little so I can catch up. I did have a great week with work projects and I'm hoping that trend continues through the end of the year.

Had an okay week with watching television. I'm going through a weird phase where I'm feeling kind of blah about everything I'm viewing. Not because the shows aren't interesting … more because my attention is very scattered and it's hard to focus right now.

I started and ended the week with episodes of Strangest Things. Seriously, there are some truly weird and bizarre items featured on this show. People are strange sometimes.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. Both featured fun bits with Grandpa Lou (Lew? I honestly can't remember how it's spelled.) They also had an in loving memory of David Doyle, the actor who voiced the character. Nice reminder of his work.

Watched another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. We're an episode away from the end of season two and I'm not sure if I'm interested in whatever the creepy lady has in store for Jean or not. I'm on the fence about whether I hope there's a resolution to wrap this part up or if it should continue through season three, if there is one.

Enjoyed another episode of Cannes Confidential. This show is so much fun even with the dark theme swirling in the background. I really hope there's another season of this.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Very interesting premise. I'm not completely sure I have this one figured out, but I think I do.

Caught another Death in Paradise, which finished out the first season. Looking forward to starting season two this week.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Black Market." I have so much love for this episode even though it has a lot of flaws. Getting action-hero Lee is kind of worth having some thrown-in plot devices.

Watched another Fantasy Island episode and, again, I'm cautiously optimistic with how they're handling the personal lives of the characters. Also really enjoyed the fantasy of the three women. Such a great episode!

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Voltage, a metahuman novella where the dynamics shift with a couple, and they gain some insight into each other.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tess Truvient, Gentry Malloway, and Hunter Keepman use their meta-human abilities for the cause of justice by working with a covert organization with a global reach. Tess and Hunter have a volatile relationship, on one day and off the next. Enter new recruit, Gentry, and Tess finds a much-needed distraction—if only for a few months—except something about Gentry draws her in and she's caught off guard when it's time for him to ship out to his permanent post.

And a preview snippet…

Tess melted into the kiss.

Aw, hell. He always knows how to push my buttons.

She responded, her hands skimming over the skin she knew so well. Hunter worked hard to maintain his physique and stay in top shape. But his powerful brain drew her in and held her interest.

He moved behind her, his hands sliding over her stomach to delve into her pants. He found her clit and swirled a finger around the hard nub. Her knees buckled and Hunter caught her, bracing his back against the lockers and tugging her ass onto his lap.

Tess worked the buttons of her fatigues loose and inched them down to give him some space. Hunter took the advantage and worked two fingers into her hot core. Brushing his thumb in counterpoint to the thrust of his hand, he quickly got her off.

She shuddered against him, a wave of pleasure crashing over her. Her bones turned to mush, and she collapsed in a spent heap. The man always knew exactly what to do to make her fly over the edge of bliss.

When she angled around to meet his lips, Hunter gave her a quick, hard kiss but eased away and straightened, nudging her to her feet.

She faced him, tilting her head. "You don't want me to return the favor?" Her palm cupped the hard ridge of his cock.

She'd gladly provide a toe-curling blowjob. If only to take the edge off. Mutual satisfaction worked as a great mood lifter.

Hunter shook his head. "Not right now. I wanted something of you to take home with me." His fingers glistened with her essence. "I won't expect you tonight … and you'll have the courtesy of giving me a heads-up if you move on with him, right?" An eyebrow arched.

She blinked but nodded, quickly yanking her fatigues up and fastening them. "Uh, yes. Of course." Caught between satiation and bewilderment, she didn't know what else to say.

Leaning in, Hunter gave her a sweetly sexy kiss then with a final glance at her, he headed for the exit.

She stared after him, his stricken face haunting her when he left.

This story might end up going in a direction I didn't expect. The sages are whispering in a corner right now and that usually means they're up to no good.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Voltage

September 20, 2020

Kind of a crazy week. Honestly, 2020 can hurry up and be done. Thankfully, only a few more months.

Not a bad week for television. I finished up the first season of Silent Witness and got a running start on the second. I'll have it finished up this week.

I got to catch the behind the scenes video for Dirty, Sexy Saint. Really enjoyed the actors in that movie.

Also started a series of videos about casting runes. It's a topic I've long been interested in and I'm having fun learning about the practice.

Last but not least, I finally got to watch the series finale of Strike Back. There's so much I want to say about this episode! First and foremost, a heist. Seriously. That was actually a lot of fun. The double cross was also a nice little wrinkle. Breaking things down from the beginning. I loved how Coltrane got out of the gulag. Having Wyatt there and their banter was so awesome. I mean, who else but Coltrane would take a detour during a carefully planned escape? And horses! Excellent. Having Novin take on the entire casino security force also proved to be a wild ride. I'm going to miss her a lot. Loved the beats between the characters when she got back to the apartment and almost took out Wyatt.

The heist itself ended up being an awful lot of fun, with the exception of Gracie getting shot. The boat ride out ended up being beautifully filmed. Then, to find out the big reveal about the, well, I guess it's not really a double cross for the section twenty team, more a double cross of the Russians and Albanians and I love the double meaning behind the comment, "They'll never stop looking for us." Anyway … probably in my top five moments is when Coltrane blithely takes Arianna out then strolls nonchalantly past the pool boy. But my favorite moment is at the very end when the trio heads out to go their separate ways. I mean there can't be a heist episode without the going-off-in-different-directions pan out. Very reminiscent of shows like Leverage or Hustle. Good stuff. Seriously good stuff.

Some final thoughts … the only thing I would have loved as much as the actual ending would have been Coltrane finding Zarkova and / or Wyatt and Novin heading out for lots of adventures. The shipper in me will definitely let my imagination run wild on that front.

Also thoroughly enjoyed the Strike Back Declassified for the series end. I love shows that put behind the scenes or inside looks together for their fans. Having those extras is always a lot of fun, especially when the characters have become like second family.

And … that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Voltage, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tess Truvient, Gentry Malloway, and Hunter Keepman use their meta-human abilities for the cause of justice by working with a covert organization with a global reach. Tess and Hunter have a volatile relationship, on one day and off the next. Enter new recruit, Gentry, and Tess finds a much needed distraction—if only for a few months—except something about Gentry draws her in and she's caught off guard when it's time for him to ship out to his permanent post.

And a preview snippet…

Hunter strolled into the shower area and propped his shoulder on the row of lockers in the changing space. Tess emerged from the stalls and his gut clenched at the sight of her. Then jealousy kicked in.

He pushed away from the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "Looks like you've moved on with Malloway. How's that going?"

Tess whirled around, her hand drawn back to release a zap of energy. "Geez, Hunter. You gotta stop doing that. Sneaking up on someone with meta powers could get you killed." Then she cocked her head to the side. "Wait, what did you say?" A note of anger flashed in her gaze. "Did you just accuse me of something?" She planted her feet and fisted her hands on her hips.

Hunter opened his mouth to respond but Tess blasted him with both barrels instead.

She spoke slowly, a clear sign of her simmering temper. "I haven't moved on, as you so prettily put it." She waited a beat. "Not yet anyway. Since when would I sneak around behind your back?"

Okay, never. Tess always gave him fair warning if she planned to take a walkabout. He did the same for her. He'd fucked this whole situation up in a big way.

Tess pushed onward. "For that matter, when I have I ever been anything but honest with you? Or you with me?" She relaxed her stance but not her anger when she stalked to the lockers and yanked the door so hard it clanged outward to smash into the neighboring unit.

Hunter held up his hands. "You're right. You've always been truthful." His face flushed hotly. "Sometimes brutally so." Like now.

Nothing like having his ass handed to him.

She sent him an eye roll. "Exactly. So, what the hell, Hunter? Flinging accusations instead of stating a simple question like whether I'm interested in Gentry…" She angled her head to face him. "Which I am. But there's been no moving on because I do have the courtesy to talk to you first." Done for the moment, she dropped her towel and pulled a shirt over her head.

Hunter sucked in a breath. Damn. She wouldn't turn the tables on him. He needed to know where they stood.

He pushed back. "So … you want the new guy. Guess I should've expected some hot young stud to catch your eye sooner or later." Not like either of them had a lock on turning heads or having their heads turned.

Tess yanked her pants up. "You asshat. He's my age…" She turned and jabbed her finger in his shoulder. "Three years younger than you. Not like I've resorted to robbing the womb." Spinning back around, she shoved her shower gear into her duffel bag. "And I've never had my head turned before this, so shut up."

Okay, she had him there. No one—not any new recruit or veteran—had caught her attention before Malloway.

But Hunter didn't think he and Tess were done yet. He loved her, even when he couldn't be in the same room with her. That had to count for something.

He went for broke. "Look, you're right and I'm being a dick." He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "But I love you and want you to think about that." He captured her face in his hands and meshed their lips together.

Writing metahumans is so much fun. I like to explore the pros and cons of having superpowers in a relationship.

That's it for this week.

 

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Voltage

October 8, 2017

And so the crazypants onslaught begins. October starts the official launch of "let's go Mach II with our hair on fire" season. Homecoming is this weekend and my daughter is hosting nine other couples for pictures and dinner. Then we slide into Halloween, followed by the fall sports banquet, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year, and starting January 11, birthdays for all but one of my immediate family. LOL See… crazypants.

So, moving on to what calms me… television. The Last Ship proved, once again, it's never a good idea to mess with a wolf. Seriously, a few nice reveals were dropped and the episode let Fletch redeem himself… kind of. I'm probably in the minority but I'm not quite ready to forgive his transgressions yet.

Still need to watch Teen Wolf's finale. The past week got crazy busy so I didn't have time.

Finished up The Defenders and, yeah, I pretty much loved it. Looking forward to more from the individual series and also to The Punisher whenever it arrives. Heh, if it hasn't already because I'm that far behind right now.

Almost finished with Hawaii Five-0. Truly can't see how season eight is going to be decent without Chin or Kono. I guess I'll play it by ear.

I'm all caught up on Gotham and I love this show. The soft intro of Bruce's alter ego ended up being exactly perfect. Penguin raining havoc is a joy to watch. And poor Jim is getting ready for another round of the absolute wrong woman for him bingo. Falcone's daughter is probably not what the doctor ordered for the guy. Just saying.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Voltage, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt but it veered so far from the original idea I can't really include here. So… metahumans deal with very human failings.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tess Truvient, Gentry Malloway, and Hunter Keepman use their meta-human abilities for the cause of justice by working with a covert organization with a global reach. Tess and Hunter have a volatile relationship, on one day and off the next. Enter new recruit, Gentry, and Tess finds a much needed distraction—if only for a few months—except something about Gentry draws her in and she's caught off guard when it's time for him to ship out to his permanent post.

And a preview snippet…



Pulling into HQ, Hunter stopped the van and exited the vehicle. The tech goons would deal with the cargo. He'd finished his job. Right now, he needed to hit the war room and work out some frustration. Tess giving him shit about the lasers stuck in his craw and pissed him off. Not like she ever had to manipulate heavy objects with her mind, or worry about potential fallout if said object didn't make it to a designation, on top of keeping someone else's ass safe.

His head hurt from the combination of the effort it took to get out safely and Tess's bitchy attitude. A round in the war room, hopefully blowing lots of shit up, should help the pounding drum concert throbbing along his temples.

He made a quick turn and entered the changing area, stripping off his protective wrist guards and flinging them across the room.

"Hunter! Hold up." Tess skidded to a halt at the doorway.

His head angled around. "Not now, Tess."

She didn't listen, coming up to stand beside him. "Look, I owe you an apology." Her fingers wrapped around his forearm. "I'm sorry, Hunter. You didn't deserve my bitchy snark back there." She met his gaze. "We gotta stop dragging our personal drama into the work."

Well, didn't she nail their dilemma on the head?

Hunter lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, well, easier said than done." He turned away, not quite ready for a full make-up yet.

Tess let him go. "I'm headed home." She started for the exit but glanced over her shoulder. "See you there later?" A glimmer of concern crept into her gaze.

Hunter grunted. "Yeah. Later." After he got rid of the residual anger and frustration.

She lifted a hand and left. The room seemed to dim without her in it… which had nothing to do with her ability. Tess lit places up with her personality.

He craved her bright and bold nature and the need never sat well with him.

He stalked into the war room and set up a series of exercises, ones that would put him through several dangerous scenarios. If he completed every level, he should expel enough of his pent-up energy to be rational and even-keeled again. Normal.

He snorted. "When am I ever normal?"

Only with Tess.
I love writing humans with extraordinary abilities, especially when those skills don't protect them from their worst tendencies.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Voltage

Whew. Can I say transferring data from old computers to new computers is a pain in the waz? It seriously is. Gah.

Anyway, moving files didn't stop me from watching my appointment television. Gotham is keeping me interested. Banshee, with only one episode left, has me hanging on the edge of my seat. Bitten keeps improving on the books. And I don't mean it's better or anything, but I like the changes so I don't always know what's coming next. And finally, The Walking Dead is actually kind of riveting lately. I absolutely love the almost scaled back tension and how it's building to hopefully something big.

Patiently waiting for Strike Back to return and Orphan Black very soon now. Need to watch the first two seasons again just to ramp up.

Tonight's post is from Voltage, a super hero / meta-human novella where my main female character gets caught between two hunky heroes.

Here's the tagline:

Tess Truvient, Gentry Malloway, and Hunter Keepman use their meta-human abilities for the cause of justice by working for a covert organization with a global reach. Tess and Hunter have a volatile relationship, on one day and off the next. Enter new recruit, Gentry, and Tess finds a much needed distraction—if only for a few months—except something about Gentry draws her in and she's caught off guard when it's time for him to ship out to his permanent post.

And a preview snippet…

Tess shot a Hunter a sideways glance. "You know what? Bite me." She manipulated the circuitry and the door slid open. "It's not easy to finesse this shit without tripping the alarms." She generated another current, making it flare into flame before holding it out for Hunter to extinguish.

He studied the dancing flicker for a moment then lifted his chin. The blaze fizzled, leaving a trail of smoke behind. The curly tendrils drifted into the vault, revealing the criss-crossed, zigzagged laser triggers. Tess heaved a sigh.

Hunter quirked an eyebrow. "Nothing I can't handle." He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and directed the colored lines out of their path.

Tess rolled her eyes. Sometimes working with Mindmaster drove her mad. But damned if he didn't have a flair for getting the job done. And the lion share of this job belonged to him.

But her skills came in handy, too. Especially when locked doors were tied into mainframe networks. She quickly crossed the space while Hunter held the laser triggers at bay. Working her magic, she got the storage container opened and dragged the cargo out, keeping a firm hold on the end of the box.

She glanced back over her shoulder. "Okay, is it out far enough for you to get a visual?" She only had about thirty seconds before she'd become contaminated and they'd trip every alarm in the building.

Hunter gave a terse nod. "Got it. Step away."

With one hand he kept the red lasers back. The other he used to direct the case toward him. Tess waited until the unit fully cleared the containment bay and gently closed the hatch. She followed at a safe distance, trying not to flinch whenever a red beam slid back into place behind her. Several yards away from the safe zone, the heat from the trigger almost singed her, amping up her discomfort.

Her step faltered. "Cutting it a little close there, Mastermind." She fought the urge to run the final few feet.

Hunter flicked his gaze in her direction and the unit wavered, dipping dangerously low. He growled low in his throat but righted the device and moved it clear, holding it in place. Tess moved beyond the reach of the triggers and the last one went back to its regular position.

Hunter finally spoke. "Do you think you could hold off on the bitch fest until we get out of the building?" His shoulders squared and he brought his hands close together.

The case moved ahead of them, floating above the floor with ease. The extra burden of splitting his focus gone, he moved at a rapid pace.

Tess frowned, trotting to keep up, blipping the security cameras almost out of habit. He wanted to give her crap over making a snide remark when he'd been tossing out worse since they left HQ? And, okay, her timing sucked, but he didn't feel the almost sizzle of getting burned.

And with the way they'd be going at each other lately?

Kind of made her wonder if he'd been sloppy on purpose.

Wait. No way. She stopped, letting Hunter get further ahead of her. Did she really think he'd put her in danger because they were in one of their downward swings?

Hell, no.

She zapped a current toward the last camera and dashed to catch up with Hunter. She owed him an apology, one she'd wait to give him when they got back to headquarters.

And so the tension begins again between Tess and Hunter—a not unusual occurrence. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye