Shell Shock, a screenplay
Shell Shock is written in the format of a screenplay. It is the story of a WWI veteran who returns to his native only to find himself in the midst of another war – the Irish Revolution. When he is compelled to support the Royal Irish Constabulary as a member of its “Black and Tan” force, formed to control those in rebellion, his war-induced “shell shock” (PTSD) rises to the surface, his duties change from combat to police investigation. Through an assignment to investigate a brutal crime against a young woman, he finds a troubled, yet kindred soul, as well as the stand he must take in the troubles engulfing his country and his life.
Shell Shock, a screenplay, may be purchased in paperback through Amazon.com. Click onto the following link to purchase the book: Shell Shock on Amazon or copy & paste the following URL https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Shock-screenplay-PortiaLily-Taylor/dp/B0C128SZD5.
COMING SOON!!!
Paper Lives by PortiaLily Taylor
Paper Lives is a book of three short stories by PortiaLily Taylor. The origin of the first story, Decoration Day at the Cedar City Cemetery, is her recollection of the historic cemetery amidst the red rock mountains of Cedar City, Utah, the home of Southern Utah University where she taught. It recalls the story of a young women going to lay flowers on her beloved grandmother’s grave. The second story, A Crime of Passion, relates the yearning of a musician to be more—more than may be possible for him to be. It was inspired by the play and movie, Amadeus, that focuses on Salieri’s resentment of Mozart. While writing the third story, The Veteran, she thought how people may be “veterans” in many aspects of their lives from military service to dysfunctional family dynamics. The Veteran brings us into the life of a harrowed wife and mother during one, seemingly uneventful night.
As Taylor started to put together a book containing these three short stories, she wondered if there was any theme or idea that these stories had in common. At first blush, they couldn’t be more different. But then she thought about the stories’ protagonists. Each person is strong, yet fragile. They each live a life woven by different threads. Those traits reminded her of paper. A single object created from a variety of fibers. So fragile it may be easily torn apart, yet strong enough to hold words that can tell the stories of a lifetime. Taylor realized that was the theme that brought the stories together because her characters live a life that was like “paper,” fragile in some ways while strong in others.
Thus, the title for the triptych…Paper Lives.
PortiaLily Taylor 