By Maggie Rue
The Pennsic Independent
“Write it down.”
This advice from a friend encouraged The Honorable Lady Eleanore Van Tyne of the Midrealm to start her journey into novel-writing and helped to create the “Valley of the Sages” trilogy, the first book of which—House of the Wild Fox—is available here at Pennsic. Authored under the name S.E. Kynett, this saga is a historical fantasy set in ninth-century Ireland, when the country was in upheaval because of the Irish-Catholic Church and the invasions by the Nordic Vikings. What makes this story unique is that the Irish mythological pantheon is very much real. “The gods and goddesses step in and influence the situation,” said Eleanore.
Although much of the plot is under a spoiler alert, she can say that there are two protagonists and that the first book focuses on the Tuatha de Danaan. She started developing this particular idea in 2014. Eleanore hopes to have the second book available by Pennsic 50, with the third coming out by Pennsic 51.
Her Ladyship Eleanore and I spoke about her business as a potter as well. Having been involved in pottery for 32 years, she admits that after obtaining her Bachelors in Fine Arts, she stepped away for a time, focusing on getting her Masters in Environmental Science, then two PhDs. She traveled through a number of kingdoms, starting in the Midrealm, and then moving to Æthelmearc, Northshield, and Trimaris before returning to the Midrealm.
She mixes her own formulas from bagged minerals and creates a number of pieces that are decorative as well as functional. When asked about the store’s name, she explains that the “Loom” of her store’s name “Earth and Loom” refers to her SCA study of handweaving, specifically making hand-carved weaving tools.
The Honorable Lady Eleanore Van Tyne is apprenticed to Baronessa Maestra Aurelia Rosetti.