Monday, April 1, 2013

Sidhe, Freargde and Unseelie, oh my!



It’s difficult to fit so much history and magical creatures and well, general exposition, in three hundred pages. If I’d left nothing out there’s a good chance Silver Hollow would have been closer to five hundred. For those of you who were curious and have asked, here is more of my original write up of the magic behind this world within worlds. 

Instead of the traditional outline, I wrote these little snippets about characters and people/places. The following is just a light portion of the bulk brainstorming.

The People

They choose to live with the old ways, contrary to what is popular or modern. Those outside the Borderlands often live in the cities, where they corrupt society at its core and abuse their gifts for their own merit. But those inside prefer to live in a way the rest of the world forgot. Each holds unique gifts like the angels in Amie’s last novel. Those in the Vale and Borderlands are forbidden to have contact with the outside world. Only a select few go into the cities for specific reasons, to protect their own interests and the interests of their own kind.

But as far as they’re aware, these people are not the descendants of angels. Their life lines are very long, though. It is difficult to tell their ages from person to person. Depending on the purity of their blood and the fullness of their power, one of their oldest can seem to be only thirty and be three hundred. For example, Uncle Henry was actually the younger brother but appeared far older than his younger sibling because he inherited more a gift for knowledge and learning than the Gifts.

They are uncertain of what or who they are exactly, though some hold to different theories. Legends have come from them however, legends of the fay, the Underground and Sidhe. What is certain is that there used to be more of them, though they were never a large people. Now they are few, isolated.

Weight of the Dawn

The people of the Vale find their strengths greatest during the twilight and dawning of each new day, at its height. Their power also rests with the night. And their weakest hours are those under daylight, when they are most vulnerable. Drustan escaped the enemy with the dawn. It has been a long-enforced law to the Sidhe and Seelie, never to intermingle with humans, for fear of the offspring they would have. A prophecy says that a child born of both would be stronger and herald the change and ruin of the world as they know it. So because Jessamiene is half blood, she is equally strong both in the morning and night and even stronger during dusk.

The Wenderdowne’s  

Their family is one of the oldest and purist. Jessamiene Adeline Nimue Wenderdowne is the last, direct living heir to the family name Wenderdowne, since Uncle Henry never married. The manor is a jumble of many different eras of British Architecture with the underlying base of the great House being Roman in design. Seeing in the dungeons it is most poignant through mosaics and the hidden tunnels.

The Servantry 

Chief driver is named Slaine Cutterworthy, a man born and raised in the old country and who has seen it all. A simple man, he is loyal only ever to the Wenderdowne’s for a reason Amie tries to constantly squeeze out of him.

His chief assistant is named Edward (Eddie) Cutterworthy, a grandnephew who shares in his gift and uses it to fight. Though he appears young, he is one who ages slowly and is actually older than Amie. He prefers not to speak, and can only speak the old tongue most people in Silver Hollow only ever speak. He doesn’t trust Henry even if he obeys him. He’s part of a group that doesn’t want their place ruled by outsiders.

The Cutterworthy Family- all inside the Hollow know the legend of the Cutterworthy family, how long ago they lived deep within the Vale itself and their blood mingled with another race. This made them outcasts, untrustworthy to the Sidhe, though their kind is eldest of almost all others. They pass on their memories through their blood, so they remember, love and hate longest.

Hope you’ve enjoyed your little inside scoop into the history and makings of Silver Hollow. So what are you waiting for? Go read the book! See you in Wenderdowne. 

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Silver Hollow
Jennifer Silverwood
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Fantasy Romance/ Chick-lit
Publisher: SilverWoodSketches
ISBN: 1481000144
ISBN13: 9781481000147
ASIN: B00A47LGRA
Number of pages: 322
Word Count: 131, 325
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber
Buy Link: Paperback, Kindle, Smashwords


Book Description:

Amie Wentworth writes paranormal romances, not because she is looking for a degree in ectoplasm, but because she’s got bills to pay. Ever since her parents’ car crash, she has been led a reclusive life and trusted books more than people. Not even a letter from her long-lost uncle, begging her to visit, gives Amie incentive for anything other than ire – until she is stabbed in an alley and brought back to life by a mysterious stranger.

After crossing the Atlantic to her father’s homeland, Amie is dragged into the very sort of tale she is used to selling. Silver Hollow is a place of ancient traditions and supernatural dangers, where everything is the opposite of what it seems and few escape sane.

To make matters worse, the man who saved her life keeps turning up and her would-be-murderer is still at large.

But when she comes face to face with the ugly truth, will she too be sucked into her father’s madness? Or will she discover that madness is just another name for honesty?


About the Author:

Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it's the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town.

After attending three different universities without managing to square a degree, she decided to the next logical thing; become a writer. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas.

She is the author of the Heaven's Edge series and Silver Hollow. To stay tuned, please have a gander at her website: http://jennifersilverwood.com

Blog- http://silverwoodsketches.blogspot.com
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/silverwoodj
Twitter- @JennSilverwood
Tumblr- http://jennsilverwood.tumblr.com/
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827602.Jennifer_Silverwood Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Silverwood/e/B0085GOKJ8/ Smashwords- https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/silverwoodj

1 comment:

  1. Thanks so much for hosting me on your site! :)See you in Wenderdowne!

    ReplyDelete

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