Getting down to writerly business. It's Sunday which means the Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop. The WeWriWa hop provides writers with an excellent opportunity to showcase thier work, and gives readers a chance to explore some books they might not find through other channels.
Last fall I took advantage to participate with a group that put together an amazing group of Georgian/Regency short stories that are connected through "Masqueradors" a fictional chocolate house in Bath, England. My contribution is Pig in a Poke, a story I found challenging to write, though
Today's Pig in a Poke snippet picks up towards the start of the story and immediately follows the snippet I posted last week.
What did Sebastian want with him? They
weren’t close, years had passed since last they spoke, so what possible reason
could there be for this sudden need to meet?
And why Masqueraders, The popular
chocolate house wasn’t the type of place Sebastian frequented.
Simon tore off a corner of the paper and
rolled the scrap between his thumb and index finger. He was torn. On one hand,
he wanted to ignore Sebastian’s missive. All of his childhood memories
consisted of his older brothers ordering him about. When he’d left home, he
swore he’d never do their bidding again.
The Chocolate House - All for Love - Anthology: "Masqueraders" is available in both e-book form and paperback via Amazon. The proceeds are going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London. Learn more at the official The Chocolate House Facebook page!
oh to be caught between curiosity and the past. Tough choice he has to make.
ReplyDeleteJess, this is terrific. We've probably all been torn between siblings. You've painted a fine inner thought eight. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Charmaine!
DeleteEverybody dislikes being told what to do. I like that he's conflicted, but is giving his brother the benefit of the doubt. Good eight, Jess!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate!
DeleteI love the link between the tear in the paper and his torn emotions! Excellent snippet!
ReplyDeleteWhen I posted this snippet, I noticed the similarity between the two words and wondered how it had escaped anyone's notice during edits. But you're right, it creates a nice parallel.
DeleteOh interesting and great imagery. Call me dumb, but I want to know what a chocolate house is! I may have to purchase just to find out :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL! There's a marketing ploy I hadn't thought of!
DeleteHe wants to ignore his brother... but I sense he won't be able to. And even if he did, I bet Sebastian would hunt him down.
ReplyDeleteEach sentence builds upon the one before, upping the intrigue! Nicely done, Jess! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch Reesie!
DeleteIntriguing snippet! Great imagery! The descriptions really flow here. Nice work!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent excerpt, full of tension transmitted from your character to me, so that's a very well done writing job LOL. I loved the detail of him tearing the paper and fidgeting with the scrap. Terrific!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Veronica! I'm so glad you liked it!
DeleteEasy for reader to relate. We've all had to do someone's bidding at some point!
ReplyDeleteGreat snippet- really sucks me into Simon's dilemma. I kind of hope he does ignore his brother's bossy note, but that wouldn't serve the story very well, or would it?
ReplyDeleteThat's not a bad idea and might work for a different story. Thanks!
DeleteLove the way you revealed his dilemma through his inner thoughts. Sounds like an intriguing tale. Love the book cover and the premise for the stories. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. The entire anthology was Francine Howarth's (http://francinehowarth.blogspot.com/ ) creation. She put a ton of work into it, everything from concept creation to bringing the group together to cover design. I think she did a marvelous job!
DeleteAnd yet here he is. Old habits are hard to break, especially with family. This rings true.
ReplyDeleteFamily always pulls you back. At least it's generally for good stuff!
Delete