What do you do when your father’s disappeared, your mother’s
died, and all you’ve got is an old map and faint hope? Go on a quest, of
course. I love Trinket—an eleven-year-old girl who discovers her talent and courage
and never lets a challenge defeat her.
THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET is an
old-timey story that weaves Celtic folklore into Trinket’s
journey of self-discovery. Trinket and her young friend, Thomas, earn their way
and sometimes make their escape from gypsies, selkies, fairies, ghosties and
more. From each experience, Trinket creates new tales and songs, which encourage
her dream of becoming a bard.
“My mother’s last breaths begin this story, for each story
has a beginning. That is the first thing a storyteller must learn.” Trinket
learns not only beginnings but endings, of which there may be more than one.
More importantly, she finds that the truth can be both painful and healing.
I enjoy sharing small samples of an author’s writing, so I’ll
give you a taste of Shelley’s style:
The king said nothing. He turned to leave, gesturing with
his hand, and all of the Gypsies stepped back together, as if in a dance. ‘Twas
strangely beautiful as they all faded into their caravans and tents, leaving
Thomas, myself, and the Gypsy girl alone together.*
There were bones on the shore. Bones of large sea beasts
called whales. Whiter than the clouds, they rose from the rocks like the ghosts
of old tree branches.
*
Thomas made me think sometimes, which was a good thing and
a bad thing. True, ‘twould not be the smartest course to follow a woman the
village regarded as deranged. Follow her into the ocean, no less! And yet, I
felt in my blood that there was a story to be found among the selkies. My
mother once said that the secret to a good story was to listen to the hum in
your veins.
In the back of THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET, Shelley wrote Author’s Notes about the folklore she used in the stories, such as this tidbit she shares about The Harp of Bone and Hair: “Harps made from bones and hair have appeared in folktales all over the world. More often than not, the bones used are human. However, there is an old tale of a babe stolen by faeries and a mother who bargains with a harp made of sea creature’s bones, which is the basis of this story.”
One of my favorite moments in this book comes in the Acknowledgments
when Shelley tells her daughters: “My stories are always for you, first and
foremost. So is my advice: never be afraid to live your dreams and tell your
tales.”
And that is the heart of THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET.
Shelley’s blog StoryQueen’s Castle features her life as a
professional storyteller, schoolteacher and author of ten children’s books,
including the popular GOOD NIGHT, GOOD KNIGHT series.
If you'd like to win a copy of this wonderful book, leave me a comment. In the spirit of Trinket, if you can, tell me a little anecdote of an early memory of a story that made an impression on you. And be sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winner chosen by random draw. I'll let this contest run through the weekend. If you want to Tweet or post, just let me know you did and you can add an extra draw for each.
To purchase Shelley's books:
IndieBound
Barnes&Noble
Amazon
