Saturday, May 28, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday 5/29/11


Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone (Yanks and non-Yanks alike)! Shop 'til you drop, barbecue 'til you pop, and somewhere in there spare a thought for the fallen.


   Here's a little historical tidbit, for those who may not know: Memorial Day was first celebrated as "Decoration Day" on May 5, 1866 in Waterloo, N.Y, with the laying of flags and flowers on the graves of New York's Civil War dead.

   So...not to be too cheesy about it, I thought I'd give you six more sentences  from my Regency WIP, Lilacs at Dawn. 

  The hero, Marc Antony Warren, Viscount Webb, is a newly-returning combat veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. He fought and was wounded on The Peninsula and suffers from "battle fatigue" or what was known as "soldier's heart" during the Civil War, "shell shock" after World War II, and what we today call PTSD. Whatever you wish to call it, Webb remains haunted by nightmares of combat and his fallen comrades in arms.

    So here are six more from Webb's homecoming:

Webb’s breath frosted the mist. He tasted the fog on his tongue, a cold, damp English welcome. Sharp pains in his leg had bedeviled him since Portsmouth. Nearly too weary now to retain his seat on the horse, he knew he’d overdone the riding. England, as usual, had overdone the weather.

With a practiced motion he flicked open a flask and tilted it to his mouth.




42 comments:

Patricia Preston said...

Hey!! I forgot to sign up this week. Too much going on. I need to get off the merry-go-round.
Anyway, loved your six and I swooned when I saw the picture of Sean. Love that guy!

Unknown said...

I, too loved your pic! I felt your hero's pain~both physical and emotional. Great job!

Pippa Jay said...

Very atmospheric! And as a Brit, interesting to hear the history behind your holiday. :)

Jessica E. Subject said...

Your description is wonderful! I could picture the scene perfectly. :)

Liz said...

Oh good how I love me some Sean! Thanks for the great visual as I pictured him as the hero of your six - which was awesome!

Sarah Grimm said...

You did a great job showing both his physical as well as his emotional pain!

Sandra Sookoo said...

ooh, tasted the fog on his tongue. Nice!

Jennifer L Hart said...

Vivid and engaging, great six!

Ella Drake said...

Great use of the senses. Brings the scene to life!

Lorien Velez said...

Love your description. Great job! :)

Marie Dees said...

Great six and perfect for the day.

JoAnne Kenrick said...

love the snippet... England, as usual, had overdone the weather. -- I hear that LOL so very true.. hehe
Very vivid scene, and as usual, I LOVE IT! And how funny you should post a piccy of Sean Bean... I started watching Lady Chatterly's Lover the mini series last night (obviously the one he was in LOL)

D Carney said...

Wow. That was awesome! (And love Sean. I was first introduced to him as Sharpe. Still love that series.)

Lisa Fox said...

Very atmospheric. And sounds like he could use a drink!

Cate Masters said...

I shouldn't have scrolled down so fast. I couldn't stop staring at Sean - and in uniform! *sigh*
Great description of his homecoming.

Liia Ann White said...

Oh there were actually words on that page? Sorry, I was a bit distracted by the sexiness that is Sean Bean *drools*
Great snippet :-)

Luxie Ryder said...

I'm a Brit too and I know exactly what it feels like when that damp chill seeps into your bones! Very atmospheric six!

Zee Monodee said...

Be still my heart - Sean Bean!!!! Your hero is totally lovable - can sooo feel for him. And lol at England had overdone the weather. :)

Gem Sivad said...

Fantastic historical setting and scene that tells so much about where he's been and who he is.

Great SSS!

Carolyn Rosewood said...

Great six and love the pic! ;)

Jessica Knauss said...

Wonderful description, captures the moment exactly.

Rebecca Royce said...

I feel like I could really see the whole scene from your description. Well done!

Susanna Fraser said...

I love the "England, as usual, had overdone the weather" line. And, you know, I'll never complain about looking at Sean Bean. :)

Anonymous said...

I've been that bone-tired before. Miserable. Love the atmosphere you created with the fog and his taking a nip of something for warmth. Nice six.

Rebecca Gomez Farrell said...

A flask AND Sean Bean? Great image. ,)

Taryn Kincaid said...

Hmm. I see the posting of the Sean Bean / Sharpe picture might have been the teensiest bit of a mistake. LOL! Distracted much, ladies?

Linda Morris said...

Great six! Love Sean Bean ever since I saw him in Sharpe's Rifles (where the pic is from) but love your excerpt more. Great senses, vivid description of pain, and the "England overdid the weather" line is great.

Janet Lane Walters said...

I can see him, not the posted picture. Great atmosphere and a weary hero. Great for Memorial Day

Anonymous said...

Best personification today- England overdid the weather! Love it.
Great six, especially for the holiday.
Aloha,
Kristin Wolfgang

AllureVanSanz said...

As always, Taryn, you've played the words like music. I love this six. It's absolutely fabu.

Well done!
All my best,
Allure Van Sanz

Anonymous said...

I love how you created such a real picture with a few words.

Joanne Stewart said...

Very vivid and emotional. Well done. Great six.

1000th.monkey said...

I love the repetition of overdoing the riding and England overdoing the weather :) Very clever :)

Alison said...

Great atmospheric six. I felt his fatigue and achiness! But the pic of Sean perked me up and helped me to form a visual of him.

Sandy Nachlinger said...

Vivid detail in your description. I like the repetition of "overdone" too. Good writing.

Devin said...

I really like this line: "England, as usual, had overdone the weather." It made me chuckle.

Meg said...

WOW - great six! And (droooooooool) Sean!

Hailey Edwards said...

Love the voice in this piece. :)

lexcade said...

Poor guy. I want to give him a hug. (If he looks like Sean Bean, I REALLY want to give him a hug.) Loved the line about the weather, too. Great snippet all around!

J.A. Beard said...

Definitely can feel his pain.

RE: SB

The problem is right now every time I see a picture of him, I think, "Ned Stark!"

Anonymous said...

A perfect piece for this weekend. Love the pic.

Jayel Kaye said...

Love the line..."England, as usual, had overdone the weather." Perfect.

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