Did last year feel like a war to you? Or has this year started off like one? Well, like the characters in Mark Arbour's story, Furlough, how about taking a short break? Enjoy this 2009 Anthology feature featured as this month's Signature ad! 

Length: 4,853

Description: Two wounded men meet in Paris during World War I. One is wounded on the outside, both are wounded on the inside. Will their accidental meeting help heal both of them?

A reader said: This story has a number of themes that I find often in Mark Arbour stories. We have the setting: Paris, at a turning point in history. There is a unique set of events unfolding in the world around the characters, but at the same time the characters are not obsessed by these events. Sure they are pivotal, but they do not overtake the story.

Another theme is the futility of war. Mark - as he often does - casts war as a destroyer force. He masterly crafts an atmosphere that accurately conveys the pointlesness of fighting. This story is very much a tale with the melancholy of war as its background.

A final, and most powerful theme is Sex as a Healing force - both emotionally and physically.

With this short story, Mark has once again shown us he is a master Wordsmith and craftsman. ~ Westie

If you want to spread the word about Mark Arbour's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature!

Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!