Terri Farley

Friday, May 03, 2013

Psst! Eavesdropping

Dear Readers,

Have you ever overheard someone talking bluntly and openly about you?
On the Internet that happens a lot, and gossip can be not only about you, but about books you've written -- if you're an author.
I just stumbled across a website which critiques my book SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Since I've been thinking about the story which is stormy in setting and emotions, and mysterious with possibilities, it seemed like a good time for some Q & A.
SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA has stirred up a ton of questions and that makes sense. After all, I transplanted an ancient Celtic story to today's California coast, and then plopped in a handful of contemporary teenagers.

Before I answer some of my readers most questions, I must warn you.: SEVEN TEARS is a fantasy -- based on a story which pre-dates Christianity. The Old Ones didn't deal in absolutes and sometimes, neither do I.

Q: What is a selkie, really?
A: Ancient tales say they are faery folk who can shift shapes between human and seal, But there's much more to the story. Here's one of my favorite selkie websites about Selkie Folk

Q: What is scrying?
A: Originally, it meant "seeing from afar" and in SEVEN TEARS, Gwen's grandmother has the gift of seeing deeply into the present and future by gazing into an antique mirror, but crystal balls and still waters have presented others, over the ages, as a way to see the unseeable.

Q: "Will there be a sequel?"

A: I'm flattered that you liked my characters and setting enough that you want to return to them, but probably not. As I was writing, I felt my fingers typing slower and slower and I'd stare out the window and wonder if the power of the old tale was dragging my story back out to sea -- not necessarily where I wanted it to go. But when I reached the end, I knew it was right.

I'm not saying it's impossible that I'd write a sequel. For now, though, even if the ending isn't turning-cartwheels-happy, it feels satisfying.

Q: SEVEN TEARS' cover is kind of dreamlike, what is it supposed to show?

A: As you may know, Gwen has a history of sleepwalking and I've always thought the published cover (at the top of this blog0 shows how it might feel if you'd walked in your sleep, right down to the edge of the sea. Here's the original artwork considered for SEVEN TEARS' cover. I'm glad I didn't have to choose between them!