Sunday, March 05, 2017
Seven Tears into the Sea: Celtic Magic on the Incoming Tide
I've yearned for the moody beach and unsettling characters of SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA ever since I wrote "The End."
In the last few weeks readers who love the story as much as I do have taken me back to
Mirage Beach, to Jesse and Gwen and the small town where the ancient Celtic legend of the selkie comes ashore for love, mystery and midsummer madness.
I met author
Jackie Smith at the
Teen Bookfest by the Bay and it turns out she's a fan of the story! This week in Quinter, Kansas, I get to talk about the appeal of shape-shifting characters and THEN
I discovered this YouTube book review by Lacy
FYI :
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 and know the unknown.
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 blog) shows how it might feel if you'd walked in
your sleep, right down to the edge of the sea as Gwen did.
Want to dive into this book? Visit your local library, bookstore or
Amazon.com
Labels: beach, Celtic, faery, folklore, Jackie Smith, legend, midsummer, Mirage Beach, scrying, selkie, seven tears into the sea, Teen Bookfest by the Bay
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Posted by
Terri Farley @ 8:16 AM
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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!
Little known facts about SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA:
While Terri was researching SEVEN TEARS she coaxed an orphaned sea lion to take her first bottle

Indonesian author Sitta Karina selected SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA as one of her favorite foreign books!
SEVEN TEARS was nominated as an American Library Association best book!
Labels: scrying, sea lions, selkies, sequel, seven tears into the sea, sleepwalking
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Posted by
Terri Farley @ 5:05 AM
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