Ravens Deep - A brief Synopsis by Jane Jordan

[janemarie]

This is the book I have written, as yet it is unpublished, but would be interested in feedback on the Brief Synopsis

Ravens Deep, an ancient house with a mysterious and tragic past, is setting for this dark romantic English novel. Situated on the dramatic wooded coast of Exmoor, overlooking the Bristol Channel, Ravens Deep is also the ancestral home of the Chamberlayne family and for decades the house has remained remote and carefully concealed from the outside world for decades.

Although charming and beautiful the house carries with it a terrible legacy that brings together the remaining descendents of the Chamberlaynes, adding a new chapter to their already tormented family history.

Madeline Shaw is drawn into the life of one very distant ancestor and driven to unlock the secrets that have been concealed for centuries. Inexplicably she finds herself pulled into a love that transcends the boundaries of time. A legacy of blood and desire draws her further to an ultimate decision and in her quest for never-ending love Madeline incites a deadly and dangerous invitation.

From the bright and modern surroundings of London today, to the remote and mysterious beauty of Exmoor in south west England, Madeline is pulled by the unrelenting charms of an immortal and finds herself in a life few could imagine to be real and none allowed to survive.

The hauntingly beautiful moors set the scene for this dramatic tale and once Madeline arrives on Exmoor, distant ancestral connections and a remarkable family resemblance are the only reasons her life is spared. Subsequently that results in a romantic story that stretches the bounds of reality, yet intriguing enough to excite the reader with the tense environment created when mortals are caught up in the unnatural world of immortals.

With an insight into the history of the opium trade combined with the darker side of city life, Madeline discovers hidden underground passages and a London she could have never found alone. Madeline is physically and emotionally pushed to extremes, until she realizes that she must decide which life to ultimately choose.

[Maldarion_Haliax]

That sounds great,that definitly sounds like my kind of book.Ihope you get it published,I would buy it.

[Apathy's_Child]

No offense, but it sounds like a retelling of Wuthering Heights over a longer period of time. Retellings are pointless unless you've gpt a new twist that brings something newly awesome. Could you elaborate, in case I'm oversimplifying?

[janemarie]

Thanks for your comments, the people that have read it so far (not friends or family) have raved about it. I know I have come up with something not only creative but quite unique in this genre, thats why I am frustrated that I cannot find representation yet, but I am determined to get it published so its only a matter of when, after all it took J K Rowling 7 years to get Harry Potter published. And Stephen King had so many rejections he had almost given up!!!!

[janemarie]

Ravens Deep is not a retelling of wuthering heights, it does have a dark feel, but when you get into the moors and supernatural elements that is to be expected. This is a sophisticated and logical story about how a vampire can actually exist in a modern world. It is a love story that crosses the threshold between the natural and supernatural world, and describes how the connection between the mortal and immortal is so fundamental to the story. This book is also told from my heroines point of view, and although she is aware that something is definately not right in this connection, she does not become aware of the real situation for a while. There are some real horror elements in this story, but the horror creeps up on you and is not obvious until it plays on our normal mortal fears. This book not only is set in Exmoor, but in the city of London, and the chalk plains of Wiltshire.

[Nytekiss~]

Is this your official Synopsis that you plan on using to sell the story to a publisher?~

[janemarie]

Hi Nytekiss,

Yes pretty much its been revised and revised to get to this, I never wanted to use the word Vampire in my synopsis, as some people immediately switch off. But I not only have to appeal to gothic readers, but romance readers, and seeing that the majority of people that buy novels are women it has to appeal pretty much to that audience. I have had excellent results with this synopsis as it seems to get agents interest and attention.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by Apathy's_Child

No offense, but it sounds like a retelling of Wuthering Heights over a longer period of time. Retellings are pointless unless you've gpt a new twist that brings something newly awesome. Could you elaborate, in case I'm oversimplifying?

Wuthering Heights is crap anyway.

[insolitus_noir]

Hi janemarie:

Congrats on writing your novel! As I just finished writing my own first novel, I can imagine how excited you are. Your synopsis does seem very interesting, although the parallels to Wuthering Heights are a bit strong. Perhaps if you are sending it out and not getting the representation you want, it might be worthwhile rewording the synopsis a bit to minimize associations with WH in reader's minds.

I'll give you an example. I'm a staff writer for Morbid Outlook; my bailiwick is almost exclusively book reviews. One of the books I recently received - the review is forthcoming - involved a vampire story that, merely from the synopsis, sounded clichéd and infected with a sense of "been there, done that." But, I had to read it and - surprise, surprise - the book was actually more imaginative than the synopsis led me to believe. I would have missed it all, however, if I were browsing the book shelves and came across a storty description that reminded me too much of other books I'd read. Just my two cents, though. Marketing in any field is a tricky thing.

[L'Oiseau Noir]

Originally Posted by JCC

Wuthering Heights is crap anyway.

I'm speechless.

[Tin_Lizzie]

Jane,

This sounds more like something by Daphne Du Maurier than the Brontes. I love the classic Gothic romances and I definitely think there's a market for it. The problem is convincing the publishers. You're right to downplay the vampire aspect, because the bookstores are flooded with poorly-written vampire knock-offs - if your plot actually explores some deeper aspects than "vamp preys, vamp feeds, victim dies" then you need to stress how your novel is different.

Reading your synopsis as a book-blurb, yes I would buy it. For selling it to the editors, however, you need to spell out your plot-twists and ending. They need to get a gist for the complete novel at a glance, which is a bit more complicated than tempting a reader to buy it. Your synopsis looks a bit hazy on plot, and strengthening that might be the key to getting an editor to read your manuscript.

[Apathy's_Child]

Originally Posted by JCC

Wuthering Heights is crap anyway.

I didn't hate it, but I don't get why so many people cream their panties over it. It was okay, that's all.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by L'Oiseau Noir

I'm speechless.

The narrative is so unbearably slow and disjointed that it's a chore to read. Twenty pages in, what have we learnt? Some guy whose relevance I can't see has some dogs and they're off-putting. I don't even know the main character's name or even what gender they are because Bronte just fucks around with everything and makes it as convoluted as possible. The Bronte sisters are overrated and their poetry is awful.

[janemarie]

Thank you all for your comments, I have found a publisher and Ravens Deep will be published Summer 2008 if all goes to plan. Ravens Deep is hauntingly memorable and completely seductive. I will keep you posted when my website is up and running (hopefully 10-12 weeks)

Best Regards janemarie

[insolitus_noir]

Congratulations! Who is your publisher?

[Tin_Lizzie]

Jane Marie,

Congratulations! Can't wait to read your book, and do keep us posted.

[Mother Of All Things Odd]

Actually it reads like a favorite writer of mine: Victoria Holt.
I never thought of WH .

[janemarie]

Thanks for all your comments, my publisher will be Grosvenor House.

[Catch]

Sounds good, I'll be looking for it.

[Tin_Lizzie]

Originally Posted by Mother Of All Things Odd

Actually it reads like a favorite writer of mine: Victoria Holt.

I used to read Victoria Holt, too. I think Daphne Du Maurier was a better writer, though. A pity that so many old novels are out of print.

[HumanePain]

Originally Posted by Tin_Lizzie

You're right to downplay the vampire aspect, because the bookstores are flooded with poorly-written vampire knock-offs

That is why I try to write my stories as vampirish as possible withOUT any vampires at all. Real people in real circumstances but with spooky surroundings and plots.

[Tin_Lizzie]

Originally Posted by HumanePain

That is why I try to write my stories as vampirish as possible withOUT any vampires at all. Real people in real circumstances but with spooky surroundings and plots.

That's classic Gothic Romance. The ghost or vampire always turned out to be a controlling uncle or father keeping an heiress' money from her, and the demon lover turned out to be a fortune seeker who mistreats her. When writing Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte took elements from Mrs Radcliffe's books and turned it into something at once more frightening and more realistic.

Have you read J.S. Le Fanu, "Uncle Silas"? Amazingly creepy book. Probably the only one he wrote without ghosts and vampires, but it still has the supernatural atmosphere.