Tree Hugging, an old legend gives new insight to loving a Tree!

A Woman's Burden, Sepai Tone, Lily Silver, 2006

Today's blog post isn't about romance, but rather something darker. Imagine being a beautiful young woman, and being harassed by a Greek god, a god whose amorous attentions you'd rather not be subjected to. 

There is a an ancient legend from the Greeks, a very old legend about a girl who was pursued by a god, a god who she didn't like. She tried to get away from his constant attentions. Her rebuffs just didn't work. He wouldn't leave her alone.

She was walking alone in the forest one day, and this very pesky Greek god began harassing her again, getting ready to actually ravish her. He chased her through the forests. She prayed to the goddess to save her from this horrible fate. The goddess turned her into a tree. An actual tree. Now, I've heard the one where a woman is turned into a pillar of salt, or into stone. But a tree?  Seriously?

This is an old legend that can be found in the stories of Ovid, in The Metamorphises.

It goes like this: Young Daphne the forest nymph had an admirer that was far too exuberant in his wooing. This was the Greek god Apollo. He was handsome, of course, and most women would die to have this perfect god lusting after them. Not Daphne. This lovely girl despised marriage and sex. She didn't want anything to do with Apollo, but he was a god and he was determined to have her. 

As Apollo closed on Daphne, she called out to the gods to help her. Just as Apollo grabbed her, Daphne's skin turned to bark underneath his fingertips and she grew leaves and foliage. She was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, not one to give up so easily, stroked the tree for a while (yeah, sort of sick, isn't it, but it's in the legend!)  and then cut off some of her branches and wove them into a crown, a crown of laurels. Apollo proclaimed the laurel as his sacred tree.

Golden Splendor, Lily Silver, 2007

Daphne, however, escaped her stalker, but whether or not she had a good life as a tree is unknown. Maybe that is where the legend of tree spirits comes into play. Or maybe, just maybe, she became one of the ENTs, like in Lord of the Rings, a sentient being capable of rational thought and emotion, locked into a tree.  A truly odd story, but then, the Greeks have always had an odd twist when it comes to such things.

So forgive me if this post doesn't feature 'timeless lovers'.  As its summer, I just couldn't get the image of poor Daphne out of my mind.  So, then, wanna go hug a tree?

If you do, just be careful, don't be rude or disgusting, as you might be offending a tree spirit, or risk angering a woodland god. 

Let the Character Speak for himself!

Hello everyone,




I'm excited today to share this wonderful event with readers of my blog.

Kieran O'Flaherty

Today, my character, Kieran O'Flaherty, is being featured on another site. He's being interveiwed on World Literary Cafe's Author Spotlight by Stacey Eaton.  In the interview, he explains some of the challenges he encounters when he returns to his ancestral home after a twenty year absence to take up residence and try to win the hearts of his father's people, the Fighting O'Flaherty Clan.

I've always had a vivid imagination, and when I'm writing, I often imagine my characters as looking like actors that are well known. This helps me visualize them in action. Who would I have play Kieran O'Flaherty if they made Bright Scoundrel into a movie?


Let's see if you recognize this handsome dude.....

No, still drawing a blank? Well, it's Jared Padelecki from the TV series Supernatural.

And who might play the lovely, but prickly Rose de Lacy?

Well, here is a picture of her, just the same, see if you can come up with an actress who looks a little bit like Rose de Lacy in real life ......

Rose de Lacy

 So, if you'd like to read the interview with Kieran, my devilishly handsome Irish scoundrel, druid priest/sorcerer & rake, follow the link below.  I hope you'll be entertained by his revealing interview. 

Here is the link if you would like to take a peek. Bright Scoundrel is on sale for half off today on all platforms and the first book in the series, Dark Hero, is just .99 cents.

http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/content/author-spotlight-character-interview-author-lily-silver

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your summer, don't let it pass you by too quickly.  Pause to watch a sunset, have a sip of wine or a cold beer, and just sit back and savor the warm season!  

 Meanwhile, I'm writing the third installement to the reluctant heroes series, Gallant Rogue: 

 Finishing up another story that was serialized on my website for a hopefully fall release: 

 And, I'm writing two short stories for a Christmas release to compliment my free short story, Christmas at Ravencrest... which will make for a Ravencrest Christmas Trilogy come November 2013. 

Close up of cover for Christmas at Ravencrest

So, I'm very busy as you can see, but you don't have to be! Just sit back and enjoy the warm summer nights while you can, and thanks for visiting my blog this weekend.

If I'm not here writing a new post, you can be sure I'm working hard on all my projects in the hope of keeping my readers satisfied with lush, rich, historical romances with just the touch of the paranormal!

Oh, and Happy Bastille Day everyone, it was on this day in my fictional history that Donovan Beaumont, the hero in Dark Hero, was released from the Bastille in France . . . spawning an entire series of books in this author's imagination for the Reluctant Heroes Series!  I love all my heroes, but Donovan will always be my favortie..... a torturd relcuse with a heart of solid gold.

Lily Silver, July 14th, 2013