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Friday, November 30, 2012

Sweet Saturday Sample: Oh, Poor Clint!

Even though Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for most of us, there are a lot of people who don't have good Christmas memories.  My hero in The Sentence Clint Hayes is thinking about his boyhood Christmases as he opens presents with Reverend Amos and his family.

Somehow, he hated to open his gifts in front of everyone.

Being included in a real family Christmas made him feel all mushy

inside, a distinctly unpleasant sensation. Even before his stepfather

threw him out his family didn’t have celebrations like this one. On

their last Christmas together, his mother had bought him a pair of

shoes and a new basketball. She let him open the presents the

minute he woke up. But she’d spent most of her money and time

on his stepfather who had at least ten different boxes under the

tree.

He didn’t begrudge his stepfather the gifts. He’d begrudged

him his mother’s affection.

11 comments:

  1. A very telling sample and so powerful

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  2. Thank you, Sherry.

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  3. He's certainly had it rough. I'm sure that's all going to change soon.

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  4. Ah, I can feel for Clint....there's nothing worse than Christmas without a mother's affection.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  5. He's had such a sad past. I'm so hoping this Christmas with the reverend's family is going to be very different. Excellent sample.

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  6. What a poignant look into Clint's heart! Thanks, Elaine.

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  7. I hope things start looking up for Clint this Christmas.

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  8. I can get a real sense of his loneliness and hurt in this scene

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  9. Thank you all so much for reading my sentences.

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