WICKED WEDNESDAY
Join me in welcoming JL Peridot with an inspirational Wicked Wednesday post.
Sometimes we’re the villains of our
stories, not the office bully, or the queen bee from highschool, or the
megalomaniac billionaire trying to sink half the city in the ocean so he can
build his waterfront development.
Without any outside help, we tell ourselves
we’re ugly when we look in the mirror; we’re unrelenting to ourselves when we
struggle; we’re cruel to ourselves when we’re less than perfect. Sometimes
we’re the ones holding the bloody knife, the smoking gun...and the broken
heart.
When I wrote It Starts With A Kiss, I didn’t want to rehash a Mean Girls trope in sci-fi office
setting. I wanted to explore the villainy in my heroine as well as the heroism
in my villain.
Despite their comically catastrophic
differences, Celeste and Eleanor both embody similar qualities that they use to
navigate the complex environment of a business run by small-minded
people—finding satisfaction at last when they push through their inner
struggle, and finally appreciate themselves (and each other) for who they really
are.
We are all complex and curious creatures.
If you’re in a place to handle it, try to do this one thing today: be kind to
yourself ❤️
Thank you for having me, Brenda! 🙏
It Starts With A Kiss (Kyanite Publishing)
Celeste is a talented engineer who doesn’t realize her job’s going nowhere fast. She’s a little naïve. She’ll cut code and solder cables forever as long as Owen’s around. Owen, on the other hand, knows exactly how badly things suck—he just doesn’t care. Sure, his skills aren’t what they used to be, but they’re still better than what Halcyon Aries deserves.
Then it happens. The company’s toxic
management team finally crosses the line. As both techies race to upgrade the
station and to free the team from their oppressive contracts, they come to
learn that life—and love—can only ever be what you make it.
Strap in for a steamy office romance in
space, because sometimes It Starts With a Kiss!
Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Kiss-J-L-Peridot/dp/1949645738
Excerpt
“It’s just a tiny config change.” Eleanor
flicked the new spec at Celeste’s terminal. “And it’s only in two places. That
should be easy enough for someone like you.”
She knew what Eleanor was trying to do, and
it wasn’t working. In fact, it made things worse. If she really knew the scope
of the change, she wouldn’t be using that tone of voice or looking at her with
that sugary smile.
Celeste shook her head. “This isn’t a
simple change, Elle. I’d have to completely redo a couple of modules—”
“OK, sure! Redo them then. We have room in
the budget.”
“But it’ll blow out the timeframes. I can’t
get this done in two days.”
“Oh, no, you’ll just have to find a way.
That’s when they need it by.”
“But—”
“No buts, Celly. I’ve already told them
we’ll have it ready for when they dock, OK? So, thanks in advance, and keep up
the good work!”
That was it. Elle’s walls were up,
plastered in pleasantry and aggressive cheer. The perky administrator turned to
leave, but after a few paces stopped and looked back at Celeste over her
shoulder. “Oh, I almost forgot. Dave and the others have called a meeting. Make
sure you’re in the conference room by 1600. Toodle-doo!”
With that, Eleanor skipped between the
desks and left through the break room door.
It
Starts With A Kiss is available Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Kiss-J-L-Peridot/dp/1949645738
About JL Peridot
JL Peridot writes love stories and more from her home beneath the southern skies. Her latest book, “It Starts With A Kiss”, is a nerdy, sci-fi office romance—a little HEA for her fellow ladies in tech. Right now, she’s figuring out how to defeat her inner villain, still washing her hands, and working on her next book.
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Website: http://jlperidot.com
Blog: http://jayelle.pink
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Good morning. Thanks for being a guest, JL.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for having me, Brenda! And for letting me rabbit on about this topic :)
DeleteWhat a great post! It needs to be said over and over. Thanks!
ReplyDelete