New Release ‘Seal Mother Retold’

Seal Mother Retold by Rose English

This new book has been a long time in coming. Seal Mother is the re-telling of a Selkie folktale many cultures have versions of the story of the seal maiden who comes onto the land, sheds her skin and takes on a human form. This is my original story and the one that inspired the children’s book ‘Seal Mother ~ A Selkie Tale in Verse’.

‘Seal Maiden: a Celtic Musical’

Thank you to Karan Casey & Friends for permission to use snippets from the beautiful album ‘Seal Maiden: a Celtic Musical’

My favourite ‘The Seasons’ is composed by Ger Wolfe with vocals by Karan.

The Silkie Song’ vocals again by Karan Casey

‘Seal Mother ~ A Selkie Tale in Verse’

To celebrate the release of ‘Seal Mother Retold’ the children’s book is FREE to download for two days. Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th October 2019. The beautiful illustrations were created by a young artist in the US – Hannah Ryan. See the samples below.

The seal watches over
the child on the sand.
Her lovely young daughter
born of the land.
The girl sits on a rock
with her feet in the water,
Not yet aware
she’s the pretty seal’s daughter.

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Happy Reading

Rainne’s Saturday Spotlight

Back in February ‘Seal Mother ~ A Selkie Tale in Verse’ was chosen as a Saturday Spotlight on Rainne’s Rambling’s I just wanted to share it here with you as on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th October 2019 the book will be FREE to download to celebrate the release of my original story that sparked the children’s illustrated tale.

Click to read more as the Seal Mother Spotlight is after ‘As Dreams are Made On’ by Maria Gibbs.

Rainne's Ramblings

I have two short reads for my spotlight this week.

 

As Dreams Are Made On by Maria Gibbs

Matty Taylor: a beautiful young woman is starting out in her new life with her husband. Plagued by visions that seem all too real she seeks advice from the Gypsy at the local fair.

Donald Taylor: cannot believe his luck when Matty agrees to marry him. A methodical, down to earth, man who requires irrefutable evidence to believe in the existence of anything.

Thomas Trevelyan: Enigmatic and exciting but with an agenda of his own.

Matty is pulled from her life in the 21st Century into a frightening dream world where Thomas Trevelyan rescues her from a crowd of angry peasants and spirits her off to his secluded house in the woods.

Frightened when he cannot wake Matty from her sleep Donald has to start challenging the way he thinks in…

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 30 Part 15 #Selkie

Day 30 Camp NaNoWriMo

Well not long to go until the end of the writing challenge. Today I managed around 1,000 words in note form they simply need typing up. Hopefully I can do this tomorrow so I will be able to do a validation on the work. Fingers crossed.

Here once again is a small teaser.

The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry

Múirne gave birth on a stormy spring night, as the winds battered the door and rattled the windows. She was fearful of the birthing, being closeted alone and unaided in the little cottage. But the actual event was fast. When her eyes lit upon the bairn she discovered Solas had been right it was a boy child. He was beautiful and perfectly formed, yet on closer inspection she noticed the whole of his tiny body was covered in a very fine white fur.

Lifting him to her, he let out a few tiny mewls and she laid him gently upon her chest where he could suckle at her breast. His tiny fist was clenched and as he latched upon the teat tiny fingers unfurled like the petals of a flower blooming, and she saw between each digit, very fine webbing.

‘‘Would she need to isolate this child from the eyes of others who might cast doubt and be afraid?’

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 28 Part 13 #Selkie

Day 28 CampNaNoWriMo

Oh my goodness I cannot believe the UK Indie Lit Fest FREE Book Event in Bradford is over.  How slowly it came and then was gone my lovely friend Maria Gibbs is  back home in London and I’ finally back home. Well after a little mishap this morning when I slipped and ended up sitting in a couple of inches of rain water. 😦

It was an A~MAZ~ING event, great to catch up with friends both old and new. Plus I managed to bag myself some new reads. Now it will be finding time to finish this challenge and then read. As you can guess NO words written for the challenge this weekend. So I cut my goal down to 15,000 words which I should be able to achieve in the final couple of days. Wish me luck 🙂

The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry

Click the image to enlarge for ease of reading. Opens in a new tab.

 

The conch whispered its hidden lullaby as the sun disappeared and seemed to melt into the salty sea leaving a pink tinged sky in its wake. As the world turned the colour leached away and the stars became visible as white dots in a dull grey sky.

Then before long they were sparkling upon black velvet, the moon climbing high into the atmosphere revealing the silvery path once more upon the water. For a moment she remembered the dream from the previous night. That of a sleek grey seal dipping and diving in the waves.

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 27 Part 12 #Selkie

Day 27 Camp NaNoWriMo

No #writing spent the day at the UK Indie Lit Fest FREE Book Event at Kala Sangam #Bradford images to follow.

So this was me at the Lit Fest there will be more images to follow and some information on the visiting Indie Authors. Meanwhile here is a teaser for

The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry

An Overwhelming Heat

Suddenly she remembered herself and tried to push away. She was stopped when he gripped her by the shoulders.

‘The village need you, I need you please don’t do that again.’

He released her, and she turned heading once more for the cottage.

Thoughts ran through her mind.

‘What was I thinking; of course the village need me.’

‘Wait did he say, he needs me? Why would he need me, he looks well enough.’

Shyly she turned her head to look back at the stranger, why did she feel so shy what is it about him. He strode a few paces behind. Probably worried she would try to walk into the sea again.

She stopped and turned to face him full on. She had been a timid fool, like a damsel in distress, but no more. She stood firm in the sand with her hands upon her hips.

‘Who are you anyway? I don’t even know your name.’

The man stopped; taken aback by her confident stance, in the past women had always swooned at his feet. Múirne, he had watched over the years she was a strong confident young woman he wanted her. He hated to take advantage of her now she was low after losing her grandmother but it was time.

‘I am Solas, though some call me Sol.’

‘How do you know my name?’

‘I told you last night the villages speak highly of their nurse. They miss Brighde but are happy that you have taken her place.’

‘So you are not from the village, and I have never seen you around. Where are you from?’

Sol smiled at her sudden questioning of him.

‘I live beyond the cliffs, but come over this way for provisions. I fish these waters.’

Múirne pondered these answers and seemed to be satisfied. She turned back once more and resumed walking, heading back home once again.

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 26 Part 11 #Selkie

Day 25 CampNaNoWriMo

Oh my goodness I cannot believe there is only one night now until the UK Indie Lit Fest FREE Book Event in Bradford. I arrived safe and sound, lovely room in The Great Victoria Hotel Just waiting for Maria Gibbs my lovely Indie Author friend to arrive fingers crossed the trains don’t let her down and she misses her connection at Leeds.

The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry

Click the image to enlarge for ease of reading. Opens in a new tab.

The Silver Path of the Moon (Part 3)

‘What were you thinking’ he said looking deep into her eyes.

‘The current is strong here, so close to the cliffs and your heavy gown could easily snag on the sharp rocks beneath the waves.’

The heat rose upon her cheeks, and she looked away, saying nothing. He pulled her to him, resting her head upon his strong firm chest, she felt bare flesh against her cheek he was warm yet smelt strongly of the ocean, she almost had the urge to flick out her tongue to lick his skin to see if he tasted salty.

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 24 Part 09 #Selkie

Day 24 Camp NaNoWriMo

Hello Book Lovers and friends I’ve been so caught up in Camp and sharing posts for Indie Author Friends that I forgot to tell you this weekend I am attending the 4th Annual UK Indie Lit Fest in Bradford UK. I simply cannot believe the time is here already. I’m just having five minutes break from packing and sorting out swag (bookmarks and business cards etc) ready to take with me. I am travelling to Yorkshire to visit family so a nice long weekend for me Whoop whoo!

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‘The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry’ Teaser

Click the image to open in another window for ease of reading.

The Silver Path of the Moon (Part 1)

A big full moon rose from beyond the waves. As it climbed high into the darkening sky it revealed a shimmering white path reaching out from the horizon to the shore. Múirne imagined Granny Bree taking just such a path on her journey to heaven. It had been several months now and there was a big hole in her heart that would never be filled again.

The seal she had seen earlier had disappeared and the thought was for her soon to be making her way back up the steps home. But she could not for some reason bring herself to leave quite yet. Was she hoping for the strange man to return, he had brought a little bit of companionship and banished the loneliness for a short while.

Knowing she was not tired and would be unable to sleep she decided to walk along the beach for a while. The moon after all was bright and the sand above the shingle shoreline was illuminated to a soft white texture that would be wonderful to feel beneath her bare toes. And so she set out.

 

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 22 Part 08 #Selkie

Day 22 Camp NaNoWriMo

Busy Monday and no writing done sadly. Still got some ideas jotted down.

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‘The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry’ Teaser

Click the image to open in another window for ease of reading.

The Stranger (Part 2)

Múirne found herself staring at the stranger before her. Long dark hair flowed raggedly over bare shoulders. Wrapped around his body was the large loose pelt of a grey seal which occasionally sparkled as it caught the moonlight. It was as if it still had droplets of water upon it. He wore it like a kilt held up with what looked like rope made from dried kelp.

‘May I sit with you a while?’ He asked as he made ready to lower himself to the rock beside her.

She was pulled from her reverie and nodded moving her body across to allow the man to sit. Neither of them spoke. The stranger turned to look out to sea then he began to hum a gentle melody which was in harmony with the music of the ocean wave. It seemed as if it was a tune she should know but she could not place it. The rhythm was soothing and calmed her. Her tears slowed leaving only a faint salty trail over her cheeks. Still she could not get over the feeling that she knew this man.

As the melody ended Múirne came back to herself and rose from the rock ready to return to her supper and an early night.

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 20 Part 07 #Selkie

Day 20 Camp NaNoWriMo

Relaxing Saturday, most of the day spent reading so once again very few words written. A few new ideas jotted down but no serious writing.

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‘The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry’ Teaser

Click the image to open in another window for ease of reading.

The Stranger

Midsummer’s eve as the moon shone silvery upon the sea a dark stranger appeared seemingly from nowhere. Múirne was captivated by his large eyes which reflected the moon and the shimmering ocean. There was a familiarity surrounding him yet she knew him not.

‘Do not weep Múirne.’

She was taken aback when this strange man, she did not believe she had ever met, spoke her name. His voice was deep like the ocean with a storm abound.

‘Do I know you?’

‘We have not formally met but I see you often when I’m out in the ocean, especially now your grandmother has departed. She would not wish you to sit here and weep for her.’

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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 17 Part 06 #Selkie

Day 17 Camp NaNoWriMo

Sadly with my work colleague being off sick once again I have had a wordless Camp Day.  Hopefully tomorrow I will have better luck?

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‘The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry’ Teaser

Click the image to open in another window for ease of reading.

The Great Artist

Murdoc had a great gift; he was an artist when it came to the carving of wood.  His hands were so skilful and for his special friends he created two beautiful seals. One he gave to Múirne, the other much smaller he gave to Rònan. The child loved both sea creatures and would play with them for hours. At the time the gift was given Murdoc had lifted the small boy upon his knee and the boy wrapped his arms around the elder hugging him tight.

Murdoc smiled, and then held up the seal on the palm of his hand.

“This here is your namesake, your name Rònan, means seal”

The child giggled and pulled the seal into his chest. He loved that his name meant seal. His small mind imagined himself swimming in the sea as a seal.

I found some beautiful carved seals online tonight here is just one of my favourites. This is the sort of thing I believe Murdoc would have carved for

Available from buy the sea in the UK

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