WW1 Tribute

A hundred years since the day,

The strong stood their ground,

Fought in hope for glory.

They gave their lives,

For us to survive,

And now we tell their story.

A hundred years since the day,

Sacrifices were made and given, 

For King and country.

Bloodshed and tears,

Distress and fears,

Each one standing sentry.

A hundred years since the day,

We still celebrate and mourn,

Each life taken in war.

Medals hang proud,

We sing loud,

For the battle we won't ignore.

A Kiss for the Future: The Masked Companion - Extract

     She daringly ran her fingers down the red, silk material that clung provocatively to her curves.  The texture of it as it caressed her skin was nothing of the likes in which she had ever experienced.  The plunging cut of her neckline, decorated with small amount of black lace, evoked a blush to form across her chest and to spread along her neck as she envisioned the display she would put forth to the many men of the gentry.  Her hand lifted to touch the soft material of the red mask that adorned her face.  Her fingers then dropped to clutch the ruby necklace her late husband gave to her on the eve of their wedding.  It hung delicately around her neck with the ruby charm resting so as to draw the eye to the tempting glimpse of cleavage.  It was the last and only gift he gave her.
     She could not believe the drastic turn of events, not yet a wife of a year and already she found herself a widow.  At the tender age of one and twenty she disliked the idea of being in mourning, she was too young to experience the loss of a husband.  To forgo the joys of what married life could bring.  This should be the time for celebrating, for her husband to show her off to society, not to be draped in black from head to toe and to hide away from the outside world.
     It was with this thought in mind she decided to go against propriety’s rules of mourning and to embrace the entertainment on offer.  Tonight she would be able to hide behind her disguise.  Hide from all the scandal, the gossip surrounding her husband’s death that caused the ton to gaze at her in pity or disgust.
     There were accounts of drunken brawls, gambling debts not paid.  There was even a rumour that her husband held a French mistress, but said mistress’ husband discovered their secret liaisons and in the heat of an argument, killed them both.
     Pointed stares and whispers of tainted words against her person followed her everywhere she went.  She couldn’t hide.  Her name became a stigma.  But tonight would be different.  She would no longer cower behind her husband’s disgrace.  Tonight she would step out as a new woman.  A woman who was still in her blossoming youth and not cloaked in the black veil of death.
     So it was with baited breath that the Duchess of Warwickshire stepped down from her carriage and cautiously proceeded towards the magnificent town house already alight with entertainment and glee.  The soft glow of candle light and the decorative lanterns engulfed her the moment she crossed over the threshold and into the rush of people strolling from one room to another.
     In a daze she let the footman take her coat.  She smiled a quick “thank you” before deciding to follow the stream of people bustling into the elegantly decorated ball room.  The instant she entered she immediately felt at ease.  This was how it should be; embracing the magic that surrounded her like she used to do every time she was invited to social gatherings of this magnitude.  It was her.  She was always the life and soul of the party.  It was time for Lady Anne Harding to regain her sparkling wit.
     As she strolled the perimeter, she gazed in wonder at the multitude of colourful people she could see already crowding the wooden floor.  The room was full with the wealth of the ton chattering away in small groups, laughing and sipping pink liquid contained in crystal cut glasses.  The joyful music the orchestra played in the background brought back memories from long ago.
     So absorbed was she in her observing, Lady Anne lost herself in the moment and neglected to pay attention to where she was walking and soon came to an abrupt halt when she found herself colliding with a solid mass concealed in dark attire.

A Kiss for the Future: The Masked Companion

New Short Stories!

On this site, I will be uploading short stories in which you can purchase at $1/58p or lower. I'll post a short extract and if you want to carry on reading, simply go to the link below and purchase the short story. I will be writing a collection of serial short stories under the title 'A Kiss for the Future', each with a different sub-heading. My first is 'The Masked Companion'. All these stories will be historically themed, mainly that of Regency era, and will vary in lengths, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 words. I'll attempt to write one for each week, but due to putting my sequel of 'Seductive Truths' as priority, it may turn out to be every fortnight. I will keep you all posted.

A Kiss for the Future: The Masked Companion

#ThrowbackThursday

Do you remember this?

 

It was the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube this week. It was originally known as the Magic Cube, but in 1980 its name changed to Rubik's Cube and was available worldwide.  The 3-D puzzle was invented by a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture, Ernő Rubik. 

This puzzle is still going strong and continues to baffle people. I gave up long ago, but if I came across one now, my temptation to give it another go will be too strong. No matter how many times I pick one up, ten minutes later I will find myself chucking it back down in frustration. I'm afraid this is one puzzle my brain can't grasp. I'm much better with puzzles from a story.

My Top 5...Rules when Dating Men

1) Never Date Your Best Friend's Ex

Amongst friends there is an unspoken rule that you should never consider entering into a relationship with your best friend's ex boyfriend. It's frowned upon and not only can it become a little awkward, but there is a high possibility you could lose your friendship. However, if your loyalty means nothing then by all means, go for it, but it'll be your funeral.

2) Avoid Dating Guys Who Have The Same Name As Your Dad

There's many reasons why you should avoid this at all costs and I'm speaking slightly from experience here. In moments of ecstasy and you cry out your lover's name, the last thing you want to think about is your Dad. Not only is it a major turn-off, but also extremely disturbing. 

3) Do Not Date More Than One Person At A Time

Not only is this not fair on the person you're seeing, but it could lead to embarrassing and awkward moments. If you're the type who can't even remember what you had for breakfast I suggest you stick to one guy at a time. If you are sitting there thinking, "Life's too short" and are confident you can pull off dating simultaneously without being detected, then what the heck, give it go. Rather you than me.

4) Have A Back Up Plan

If you haven't yet, you will no doubt at some point in your life experience a moment while out on a date wishing you were somewhere else. This is when a back up plan becomes very useful. The most common one is to get your friend to ring you up at a certain time during your date and you can fake an emergency to get you out of there. However, if you're enjoying your date you can simply ignore the ringing or answer and subtly convey your desire to stay in a way that doesn't arouse suspicion. But like I said, this is an overly used method and your date may easily catch on to what you are up to, so if you can come up with something more inventive then use it.  

5) There's More To Life Than Dating

If all else fails, just remember you still have your friends and family to fall back on. And if that doesn't help, then just stick a good rom-com on (either of the Bridget Jones' movies come to mind), grab a tub of ice cream or maybe a large bar of chocolate (mmmm Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough...no, no, Galaxy Cookie), and a glass of alcoholic beverage of your choice (a nice Australian Shiraz would go down a treat). 

Right, now where's that DVD of mine?

#TimeoutTuesday

This poem was inspired by the beauty of the wildlife that surrounded me while out on one of my walks. It's basically about how something so small and insignificant can go undetected, but with a little bit of time and patience you are able to see things you wouldn't necessarily see.

The Lonely Red Rose

 There out in the garden, in the ground,

I see a red rose upon a muddy mound.

Dark and shaded well within the trees,

Covered up by the brown and yellow leaves.

Though it looks like it’s down and sourer,

Hidden within there is great power.

The big red leaves shine out brightly,

Even though that is not sightly.

In the wind it blows back and fourth,

Both East, West, South and North.

The lonely red rose appears from the mist,

No one else knows the red rose exists.

#TimeoutTuesday

This poem came about when I was sitting at home looking out my window and I saw an old lady walking past carrying two bags of shopping. I kept thinking to myself, 'I wonder if she has anyone at home' and it got me thinking, what if all she had left were her memories and how does she cope in this world alone.  

The Whisper of his Voice

Through the harsh winter’s night

With no warmth in sight,

No sounds of life

And nothing but ice,

All this keeps me trapped inside.

But in the distant mist

Where nothing else exists,

No beating of a heart

And earth meets sky depart,

Is the whisper of his voice.

The gentle caress of his growl,

Hypnotic like a wolf’s howl,

Soothes my tender frame

As he whispers my name

All through the night until dawn.

It is my constant companion

This trusted stallion,

A knight without a face,

No name, no place

Except the whisper of his voice.

With the rising of the moon

Haunting me like a charging platoon,

Piercing my tortured soul

And backing me into a hole,

And yet, underneath it all, I feel safe.

His words wrap around me

Sheltering my form from debris

Of this twisted, battered old world

Leaving me furled,

But for the whisper of his voice.

Trees bellow, swaying in the breeze,

Gaps in the woodwork causing deep freeze

To settle in my aching bones,

Grinding together like two stones,

Bringing forth the beast from within.

However, all this I ignore

As the voice anchors me to the shore

Keeping me out of harm’s way

To survive another day,

With the whisper of his voice.

It’s the one thing that’s kept me going,

Stopped the pain from showing

And provided the oxygen I needed

And eventually I succeeded.

But now the end is drawing near.

This tired, ancient body has seen it all,

From hailing monarch to country fall.

Now it’s time to be with my love,

To join him in the heavens above,

By following the whisper of his voice. 

Top 5 Things Why I Like/Love...BBC One's Adaptation of Pride & Prejudice

1) Colin Firth plays Mr. Darcy! 
And to think, we were close to being denied the chance to see him in a wet, white shirt!  Mr. Firth turned down the role several times before he finally accepted it. Me and my beating heart give many thanks that he eventually accepted and played an unforgettable Darcy. Matthew MacFadyen  and also Laurence Olivier played the character extremely well, but there will only be one Mr. Darcy for me. It's just a shame he's not single and closer to me in age.   

2) Andrew Davies "sexing up" the adaptation.
Now here's a man who knows how to script write. "I feel I'm bringing out the sexual content which is inherent in the material. It's just that in the 19th century, it was the convention never to write directly about sexual matters." Well he definitely achieved "bringing out the sexual content" for me.
Many people say that "the lake scene" is the sexiest and most memorable moment, and yes, it's been proved to be the most memorable, but to me, the sexiest has to be when Elizabeth visits Pemberley and they look across the piano at each other. The look in his eyes...well, I'd be happy to lose myself in them any day. If any of you are unaware of what scene I mean, the picture is below.

 

3) Lyme Park's exterior as Pemberley. 
Unfortunately the two times I have gone to visit this place, it was raining. However, that didn't stop me from being awestruck at the sheer beauty of the Georgian building or the magnificent, wild landscape. To live in such a place...okay, so the majority of the rooms I wouldn't get to see and with my navigation skills and bad memory I'd get lost, but the parties would be fantastic and there would be plenty of rooms for the guests to kip in!
 
4) The six one hour episodes.
The first adaptation I saw of Pride and Prejudice was the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen and I loved it. I thought no other could beat it. How wrong I was. Give credit where credit is due, squeezing the story into 2hrs and 15 minutes was very well done and they did capture the heart of Jane Austen's novel, but I found it didn't quite give the depth the story needed to portray the battle of the love/hate relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy. 

5) Alison Steadman's portrayal as Mrs. Bennet.
Alison Steadman is a fine actress and has played many characters in her career, both serious and comedic. When watching others play Mrs. Bennet I find them lacking the eccentric grace Steadman brings. The fluttering of her handkerchief and the calculating gleam in her eyes, but with a real affectionate concern for her daughters' future is how I define Mrs. Bennet and this is what Alison Steadman achieved.  

For a Little Fun...

Just because I want to and it's a great way to fill in the time when I don't know what to do, or have writer's block, I'm going to post a "Top 5 Things Why I Like/Love..." a certain thing. It's just a little bit of fun and you guys can participate by commenting on the post and add your top five on that post's subject. Number one being my top reason and five obviously my least.

Anyway, here's to a little bit of fun!

Regular Posting Days!

Keep an eye out for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as there will be regular features to entertain you during your busy schedules.

There will be:

#TimeoutTuesday - will feature articles on a particular subject of my fancy or of current affairs, written with a humorous edge, as there is plenty of doom and gloom in the world today.

#ThrowbackThursday - posting of pictures related to the past with significance to something of the present.

#FlashFictionFriday - short stories that can be read within a lunch break and will vary in genre.