Bencroy
‘There’s a mist that comes from nowhere,
that stirs the heather,
that rises from the stones.
And a misty air like water,
with no shore, no home.
There’s a light that falls after the shadows,
distant fields to ignite,
while ghost clouds go sailing,
like ships in the night.
Cold in the bones,
a message of life.’
On the Sliabh an Iarainn Mountain
Artwork: Bencroy 1 is the latest in my attempt at a series of artworks inspired by the landscape of my home and writing, the Sliabh an Iarainn mountain in Co. Leitrim, Ireland. My goal is immersion, escape, inspiration, and the work of the soul. Though I’m also just happy to see where it leads me. 🙂
This week I’m back with edits for my forthcoming novel, the prequel to Cailleach~Witch, BANSHEE. In this book we meet an earlier generation of the Cleary family. Unfortunately for them the year is 1845 and Seren Cleary has foreseen the famine and disaster for the family should they remain. But they are Bean Feasa, wise women whose ancestors made a forever deal with the Cailleach, an ancient spirt of the land…
A bit of a genre bender this one. I’ve taken actual events of the famine in Leitrim and combined them with ancient stories and superstitions to write a gothic fiction, historical fiction and adventure novel. I can’t wait for the day I can share it with you. In the meantime, writing, painting, more writing, repeat, xo Jane.
Have a great week, start a project, it’s good for you. 🙂
Miskawn 1 – A New Painting
‘I walked over the lane to my grandmother’s house, passed fields we used to play in.
A lane that used to seem so long, with fields that ran on, forever we thought.
And a house, that used to hold so many, so close against the mountain.
Only to see,
it was not the lane,
or the house or the fields that were warm and endless and deep, or that held us, so many, and close, against the mountain.
It was you.’
Hello, from verdant and sunny Leitrim. Ireland’s least populated county. We like our space. How many of you have a memory like this of a childhood place?
Miskawn 1 is the second in a series inspired by the landscape of my writing. The goal is something like peace, inspiration, the work of the soul and the soul of place…
Dear Jane, What Inspired You To Write #CailleachWitch?

Question: Dear Jane, what inspired you to write Cailleach~Witch?

Answer No 73:

I took the energy of the landscape,
my sensitivity to it,
my ceaseless longing for it,
and alchemised it on the page.

I wanted to float away in it,
to be in it,
and stay there.
For a long, long time.
Complete and utter immersion,
annihilation.

That was the dream.
There are people who know what I mean.

Dear Jane – ‘The book keeps gathering steam, brewing up its charms & spells.’ #CailleachWitch

‘As far as Drew could tell the only fast moving thing now was the river that flowed from the mountain.’ 
I’ve made it to Chapter 25, and the book keeps gathering steam, brewing up its charms and spells.
Love, Tamara. 

Dear Tamara, thank you for your latest postcard. A joy as usual. And for taking me on your journey of reading my book. I love to see what words you’ve chosen. And now we’re almost at the end. I will miss your selections. Much Love, Jane.

‘I have come back to things that are impossible to do… apart from painting and gardening, I am good for nothing. My greatest masterpiece is my garden.’ – Claude Monet

And the reviews keep coming too. Like this incredibly thoughtful one from Amazon Canada… ps Please leave a review if you’ve read the book. With enough reviews Amazon will start promoting it to other customers. To Amazon a one word review is every bit as good as one like this. Reviews like this one are most helpful to potential readers, and lovely to read of course. In short, your review matters. Every review matters.

Meanwhile, I read an interesting article this morning EMBRACE YOUR WILDISH NATURE. Those of you who’ve read my book will recognise this central theme. I call it wild nature but it’s the same thing.

“Your wildish nature is your whole self at home in the natural world. It is your empowered, honest self that lives intuitively and in balance with nature.What Is Wildish Nature? Wildish nature is the nature we have abandoned on our quest to conquer nature. Wild nature is. It is what we come from, it is ancient wisdom.”

Read it HERE

Other themes in the book? Agency, power, freedom, the self, identity, belonging, home, society, the sibling relationship, family, culture, the call of the wild versus civilisation. To name a few.

In other news, I’ve been having fun making picture quotes for promotional purposes. Like this one…

‘Honor went to the window, opened it wide as was her habit, whenever the walls closed in. And leaning out into the pitch black she listened. The night was rich and ticking with life that nourished and maddened her. But there it was! Her name again, clearer now. She left the house. Now the wind sang a different tune, turn back, it seemed to say, before it’s too late. But she wouldn’t. She was the haunter now, the hunter, like the moon above her. And this was her terrain…’

This weekend… this weekend I’ll be giving a workshop, reading from my book, and taking part in an author q&a as part of Fright Fest in beautiful, historic, Ardagh. I’d love to see some of you there.

Here’s what we’ll be getting up to… WRITE YOURSELF FREE Taster Workshop – Are you living your creative potential? Is your writing/creative practice the best it can be right now? Have you found your unique voice yet? Your style? For this workshop Jane will be sharing simple and inspiring ideas and exercises towards your next level of writing and creativity. From beginner to fearless. Suitable for all levels and artistic disciplines. No experience necessary to take part. This workshop is based on Jane’s WRITE YOURSELF FREE Creative Writing course, soon to be available as an Ecourse. Get ready to banish all that’s holding you back.

That’s all for now but if you’d like to read more I updated my About Me section this week HERE

I almost forgot! I’m starting a special monthly newsletter exclusively for subscribers. If you haven’t already just enter your email address in the space provided on the home page. The monthly newsletter, my inspiration list, is launching soon. Each month I’ll be gathering my most inspiring finds in one place to share with you. Think of it as life and creativity fuel. A feast of inspiration.

Much Love, Jane. Brewing up charms and spells.

 

 

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