Page 29 of Shadowsong


  For love is our only immortality, and when memory is faded and gone, it is our legacies that endure.

  A GUIDE TO NAMES AND TITLES

  CONSTANZE: Kohn-STANTS-eh

  DER ERLKÖNIG: Dere ERRL-keu-nikh

  ELISABETH: eh-LEE-za-bet

  JOSEF: YO-sef

  KÄTHE: KEI-teh

  LIESL: LEE-sul

  MAHIEU: MAY-yew

  MEIN HERR: Mine Hehrr

  PROCHÁZKA: pro-(k)HASS-ka

  SEPPERL: SEPP-url

  SNOVIN: SNO-vin

  VLČEK: VLI-chek

  A GUIDE TO GERMAN PHRASES

  AUF WIEDERSEHEN: Owf VEE-der-zayn—Until we meet again

  DANKE: DAHN-keh—Thank you

  FRÄULEIN: FROI-line—Miss, maiden, a form of address

  GROSCHEN: GROH-shen—A unit of currency

  HÖDEKIN: HU-deh-kin—A sort of sprite, similar to the British brownie or pixie

  KAPELLMEISTER: Kah-PELL-mai-ster—The highest position in a nobleman’s orchestra, the person responsible for finding and producing new music and directing productions, as well as conducting and playing

  LÄNDLER: LEND-ler—A folk dance

  MEIN BRÜDERCHEN: Mine BREW-der-khen—My little brother

  VIEL GLÜCK: FEEL GLYOOK—Good luck

  ZWEIFACHER: ZVAI-fahkh-er—A folk dance

  A GUIDE TO MUSICAL TERMS

  ADAGIO: A tempo marking meaning a piece should be played slowly

  BASSO CONTINUO: The bass line or accompaniment to the melody in a piece

  CHACONNE: A short composition, often with a repetitive bass line, used as a vehicle for variation; can also be a sort of warm-up or exercise for a musician

  CONCERTO: A piece of music written for a solo instrument to be accompanied by an orchestra

  DECRESCENDO: A musical term indicating that the phrase should be played with increasing softness

  ÉCOSSAISE: Originally a Scottish dance, a short, lively piece that accompanies a social dance (like a waltz)

  ÉTUDE: A short musical composition written for a solo instrument, usually of considerable difficulty in order to practice various technical skills

  FERMATA: A musical notation indicating a note should be held longer than its usual duration

  F-HOLES: The holes on the body of a violin, shaped like the letter f

  FORTEPIANO: A precursor to the modern piano

  GLISSANDO: A musical notation indicating that there should be a glide from one note to another

  KLAVIER: A general term for an instrument with a keyboard

  LARGO: A tempo marking indicating a piece should be played very slowly

  OSTINATO: A repeating musical phrase

  PIZZICATO: A playing style which involves plucking strings with fingers instead of bowing

  PRESTO: A tempo marking, indicating a piece should be played very quickly

  RITARDANDO: A change in tempo indicating a gradual slowing down

  SCORDATURA: The tuning of a stringed instrument different from its standard tuning, e.g., a violin is tuned to G-D-A-E; the scordatura referenced in Wintersong is the retuning of the strings to G-G-D-D

  SONATA: A musical composition written to be played (as opposed to sung), the definition and form of which has changed over the years

  SONATINEN: The plural of sonatina, or “little (short)” sonatas

  SOTTO VOCE: Not actually a musical term, but it means the dropping of one’s voice for emphasis

  VIOLONCELLO: The precursor to the cello

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First books are a dream, but second books are a nightmare. If you were to page through the acknowledgments of nearly every author who has ever had the privilege (punishment?) of writing a second book, you’ll likely see multiple variations on the same theme:

  WRITING IS REALLY, REALLY HARD.

  Debut novels are not always the first novels written; Wintersong was certainly not my first. But I consider Shadowsong my first Real novel—the first written under contract, the first written under deadline, and the first written knowing it will be published and read by people other than myself. If Wintersong was the book that introduced me to a wider audience, then Shadowsong is the one that made me a Real writer.

  No book is ever written in a vacuum, and I would be remiss if I did not give a nod to all the people who helped me through the strange and wondrous process that is publishing. First and foremost, I need to thank my editor, Eileen Rothschild. Eileen, being with you is like coming home. You knew me as a friend, a peer, and a colleague before you knew me as a writer, and I am grateful for your guidance in shaping this manuscript. Here’s to many more!

  And as always, thanks to Katelyn Detweiler, agent and author extraordinaire, as well as everyone at Jill Grinberg Literary Management who helped bring Wintersong and Shadowsong to the world: Cheryl Pientka, Denise St. Pierre, and Jill Grinberg. Thanks also to Tiffany Shelton, Brittani Hilles, Karen Masnica, DJ Smyter, and everyone else who worked on my books at St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books.

  Art and commerce are strange bedfellows; a shout-out to all my fellow authors who helped me navigate the boundaries. Thanks and coffee whiskey are owed to Roshani Chokshi, Sarah Nicole Lemon, and Renée Ahdieh for the career advice and commiseration, but moreover for keeping me grounded and sane, and for being my lighthouses in the storm. Hugs and drinks are also owed to Marie Lu, Vicki Lame, Kelly Van Sant, Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, Carrie Ryan, Beth Revis, everyone in Fight Me Club, and all my fellow Pub(lishing) Crawl members for the laughter, the shoulders to cry on, and the much-needed doses of reality.

  To my readers, thanks and glitter for everything. It’s so wonderful knowing I am not alone in my love of all things goth and David Bowie.

  Last, but certainly not least, all my love and gratitude to my family. For Grandma, Uncle Steve, Aunt Robin and Scott, thank you for all your support and pride in my work. For my mother, father, baby brother, and Halmeoni, you are my bedrock and my anchor. Thank you for the gift of my life.

  And for Bear. Thank you for showing me how the monstrous can be loved. I am loved. I love you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  S. JAE-JONES (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and an erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, cohosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina as well as many places on the Internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.

  www.sjaejones.com

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  “Reads like a piece of mechanical poetry, an intricate machine with a fierce and fearless heartbeat”

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  “A sweet and darkly hopeful tale of what it takes to build love”

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  S. Jae-Jones, Shadowsong

 


 

 
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