Mirella Sichirollo Patzer's Blog, page 28

I'm Writing

NICOLAS! Marie-Anne forded the stream. Heart
pounding, she ran after him down the winding path that gradually curved into
the woods. She kept her gaze fixed beyond every winding turn ahead, eager to
catch a glimpse of him. 




Excerpt from Lady of Destiny Chapter Seventeen...

I'm Writing

AUGUSTIN wasted no time in
his search for Marie-Anne. He was not one to give up easily. He had set his
heart on seeing Marie-Anne married to Hubert, and of course his eye on raising
his own coffers in so doing. 




Excerpt from Chapter Sixteen of LADY OF DESTINY

Sex in Books

There is a very shocking, very graphic scene in my novel, THE BETROTHAL . Normally, I don't include sex scenes in my novels, even though my critiquers think that I can write a heck of a good one. However, I made an exception in The Betrothal. And there is good reason for doing so. 




Beyond the book's story-line of two young lovers being cruelly separated  and forced to flee for their lives, this novel has much deeper themes, and explores the complexities of guilt, shame, atonement, and forgiveness. 




Each character in this story faces transgressions or offences either they committed, or that were committed against them. They must endure the repercussions or find a way to atone for them. Further, the major theme of the novel is FORGIVENESS. 




So yes, I did include the racy sex scene, but it is not there gratuitously - it is there to demonstrate the extreme level of guilt some people may experience for wicked sins or mistakes of their past. It is what makes writing so powerful - to be able to share with the world some moral example that can be life-changing...  

I'm Writing

NOTHING
was more frustrating to Marie-Anne than lying in bed crippled knowing that
precious time was slipping through her fingers like golden grains of wheat. Her
wounded ankle grating her nerves, her thoughts solely on getting to the town of
Quebec. She was in constant fear of being discovered by Augustin or Hubert and
somehow being forced into returning to Trois-Rivières. 


Excerpt from Chapter 15 of Lady of Destiny

Hoyden of the Week

This week's salute to the hoydens are for those women who do not hesitate to reach out and grasp for what they want, without hesitation, without regret, without faltering.

I'm Writing Today

A wave of emotions tormented Hubert, and he could
find no peace from it. His spirit was as black as the night sky, his thoughts
sinister. Restlessness was like a fever upon him, and he rose out of his
tousled bed a dozen times before dawn. His boar-hound kept him company, a ferocious
red-eyed fiend whose temper matched that of his master. 




Excerpt from Chapter 14 of Lady of Destiny

History and Women Book Club September Book!

I'm so pleased to announce that Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is the September read for the History and Women Book Club. And what a great book this is. I've just finished reading it and will posting a review on this site very soon. I have to admit, this book was so good, that I consider it one of my favourite all time books. Here is the back cover synopsis:



A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829.



Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

The Gavotte Dance of Courtesans

The gavotte is a French folk/peasant dance that originated in the region of Dauphiné, France in the 16th century. The distinctive rhythmic dance is danced in a line or circle to music with little springs rather than the sliding of feet as the dancers move alternately to the left and right. It gained popularity and evolved into a kissing dance in the 17th and 18th century French and English royal courts. Later the dance developed into something more formal where the couples exchanged instead of kisses. At the French court in the 18th century, the gavotte was at first stately and later more ornate. 

I'm Writing - Lady of Destiny

MARIE-ANNE sat beneath the shade of a large maple tree embroidering. The little gold cross hung from a chain around her neck. As she pulled a stitch through the hooped cloth, she heard the tread of feet through the grass. She expected Charlotte, but when she looked up, found Hubert.

He was still pale from his wounds after the duel. His left arm lay in a sling of blue silk. Marie-Anne noted in her sudden panic how his eyes were very bleak above his bloodless cheeks. Something in his face warned Marie-Anne to be cautious. 

I'm Writing - Lady of Destiny

Where I left off last time:




While at the blacksmith’s shop having his horse re-shoed, Hubert encountered a rabble of frightened settlers. They tore through the street screaming and shouting. In great droves, the Iroquois were burning hamlets, houses, and crops, driving people from their homes, slaying them and their livestock.