We’re going to film a fan booktrailer in September for From Darkness Won, by Jill Williamson. (Once again, I’m the costume designer. Jacob Parker is the director, Jon Maiocco is our score composer, and Leighton our CGI artist, while Christian Miles is the main actor). Our project is now on Kickstarter where you can watch our promotional video and contribute from $1 up. You’ll get an array of rewards depending on the amount donated, plus your name in the credits of the booktrailer!

Thank you so much!

~Adele Hajicek

Approximately 6 years ago, I started writing a story. It’s turned into the Fantasy/Thriller novel Wolf’s Bard. I’ve been writing and re-writing it ever since. This time though, after starting all over once more, I’m 43% done. I’m really happy with it this time. I’m also releasing my first chapter for those of you interested in reading it. It’s a bit unusual, because it takes place in B.C. Britain.

Here’s the link to my first chapter.

Tiwyr: POV, hero, outlaw warrior



Og: Arch Villain



Lurff: Reckless Scalawag, one of Tiwyr’s buddies

For those of you who think that Lurff’s spiky hair isn’t very ancient and is WAY too modern, allow me to inform you that certain northern men wore their hair spiked up in B.C. Europe.

Yes, he did. But not before finding out if she still loved him.

It’s time for a new concept. Robin Hood’s outside-society status placed him at a disadvantage in matters of courtship. It wasn’t all fun and games for him in the Greenwood. The legend of the common ‘Thief’, raised in Grief, but noble and bold, has a dramatic ring to it when we approach this ancient tale about the yearnings of Robin Hood’s heart. This tale, I believe, was so popular that it spread from the center of the legend—England & Scotland—and made its way even into Welsh folktales & an Icelandic saga.

For those who don’t wish to read the lengthy explanation of WHY my reconstructed ballad about Robin Hood abducting his girl directly before she was married to an older and wealthier rival is just about THE BEST I CAN MAKE on the subject, and in most ways accurate, let me sum up so you can just skip straight to the end
(though this is def. cheating!) and read the lyrical ballad.

I prove that Robin Hood was originally cast in the ‘beggar/disguise’ role as a means to clandestinely talk to the bride, who he reveals his identity to, and who then declares she will beg her bread and follow him. Also I prove via some previously-misunderstood wording in a new ballad from the Forester’s MS, that ROBIN HOOD HIMSELF is the one who marries her, not Will Scarlock or Allan a Dale. By the time you get to the Robin Hood part of the tale, you’ve already seen 3 parallel bride-stealing stories:

The end of the oldest surviving Middle English romance (King Horn) which I believe to have drawn from the main Scottish ballad I used in reconstruction, not vice versa (it’s one of the loftiest and best ballads)

Pwyll’s near-thwarted relationship with Rhiannon from the Mabinogian, which is basically a mish-mash of Welsh mythology and folklore.

The romance part of the 14th century saga of Frithiof the Bold, who “slew evil men, and grim strong thieves, but husbandmen and chapmen he left in peace” though he calls himself a Thief and is an outlaw.

Last note? The reason it’s lengthy is because I’m the first one with this idea and so I have to show the wheretofores and whyso’s.

Ready? Here Goes!

Read more »

Kestrel’s Midnight Song by J.R. Parker

A few months ago, I read Jacob Parker’s book, Kestrel’s Midnight Song. I had heard about it before since my brother did CGI work for Jacob’s book-trailer, but I hadn’t heard enough to comprehend what an incredible read it would be. It hooked me quickly! I whizzed through it in two car drives and was shocked by the clear-eyed perspective and depth of insight displayed by the author. I would never have guessed it’d be SO AWESOME!

Kestrel’s Midnight Song is about a young shepherd boy called Micah, who won’t stop breaking the rules laid down by his psychotically horrible master. Mostly, the rules concern how to raise his sheep:

‘Never name your sheep—never assist another shepherd with their sheep—never trade, sell, or buy sheep. And never, ever, EVER—risk the lives of yourself or your flock to rescue one sheep in danger.’

Micah doesn’t heed this for some reason and always insists on diving to the rescue of his little straying sheep, even if blizzards threaten. It is his deep affection for his sheep which singles him out for a perilous quest whose end he cannot know, and upon which rests the fate of the Kingdom of Gable and the Green Isles. And in the end, only sacrificial love on his part will suffice to save both sheep and kingdom.

The story follows several other characters as well, such as a chivalrous, blue-eyed giant named Drift who rescues Robbyn (a young slave) after her secrets are revealed. And to make a pun, I can’t forget Isaac Ganthorn, one of the best-depicted characters in Kestrel’s Midnight Song. He is a Marauder who is continually haunted by the memory of the shepherd boy’s eyes, which look forever sleepy and innocent.

But since ALL the characters are interesting, I better run through them! There’s the Marauder King (shocking and terrifying, especially his gold tooth. That part was done with excellence) and Captain Lewell, who waits impatiently for his promotion to being the Marauder King’s second. Or Bart the nonsensical who is truly clever.

Or Gretchen, the former King’s Wool-Spinner who informs us that everyone needs forgiveness & healing, and no-one is perfect, even old ladies like herself. And of course, there is the strange matter of Micah’s father, who as it turns out is lesser than Micah; or Samuel Kamloop whose life-long passion is conversing with birds, much to his detriment. Nor should I omit James Kestrel himself, who gets his name on the cover and whose hanging is due all through the book.

This book’s plot works perfectly and left me baffled and guessing all the way to the dramatic, twist-and-turn end! Masterful, vivid storytelling combines with tightly sequenced and meaningful events to climax in the most striking way I have ever seen. If the book is an inside look at the author’s head, then Jacob Parker must be a genius. The entire book fits together like so many wheels and cogs within an intricate device, each one interlocking, each one depending on the rest. This book also has to be the most pristinely clean book imaginable while being widely alert to detail & realism. Jacob’s terrific sense of humor is, therefore, just icing on the cake.


View all my reviews

The Explanation: Adele Hajicek (her pen-name being Treskillard) has been making costumes for some time. Only within the past few years, however, has she put such detail into her creations as to make them truly exciting. Her experience making costumes for the book trailer of To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson, in particular the costumes used by Princes Achan Cham and Esek Nathak, has inspired her to keep going.

So for the first time, Adele is going to make specialized, tailored, custom costumes for people other than friends and family; fascinating costumes that the wearer will feel happy in. People who see her creations have always requested this; now it is actually happening! However, since she currently can’t afford to be a charity, you’ll have to pay well. She’d rather make men’s costumes than women’s: and it absolutely must be a creative, interesting type of costume. She refuses to make anything, at all, (!) unless she enjoys making it and you enjoy wearing it. Adele will add her own touches to whatever design you come up with.

What to expect: Special order. Also, Adele will only make 3-4 costumes a year at most. She’s quite busy and is not a factory, so go elsewhere if you want something quick, cheap, and amusing. Outfits will not be completed on a strict schedule, and up to three months (or four) must be expected before your costume reaches you. She'’ll also need very detailed measurements in order to make a costume for you.

This is an opportunity to get something really nice, all handmade, designed with cool looks for you in mind. No dull clothing will Adele sell, and should a project turn out somehow wrong, she’ll start over with no charge to you. So get your dibs in fast, before you lose your chance!

Price ranges: If you’ve seen the To Darkness Fled book trailer, something in the range of Prince Esek’s crimson shirt would be $500. It was all handmade and the embroidery & smocking were complicated.

But if it was three, easier pieces of clothing, say like Achan’s outfit, (shirt, doublet, breeches), it would reach the same price.

(Spots are from lens flare)

So anything between $200 and $500 for a special piece of clothing. Having some machine sewing on the inside of the costume where it can’t be seen will keep the price on the lower spectrum. But Adele won’t do machine sewing on the outside unless the costume is made of a thick fabric & the seam is almost invisible, as on Achan’s black doublet.

To give an example of the pricing, imagine a special shirt approaching the extravagance of Esek’s. With zero machine sewing, it would be:

1—$500

With some machine sewing on the inside seams, and a little less embroidery, it would be:

2—$400

Or if strapped for funds, Adele would recommend going for a drama-rich shirt like Achan’s, all hand-sewn, which would be:

3—$200

This is Achan’s blue shirt w/out the doublet (the actor is enjoying all the fake blood, btw).

Don’t let the examples fool you. Adele is not intent on merely replicating what she has done previously. New costumes are the idea.

Visit ‘Epic Tailor’ on Facebook to discuss costume making with her and see more photos.

Adele offers unique looks and is only interested in completing difficult, fantastic projects that will make you soar when you wear them!

At long last, the book trailer for To Darkness Fled, by Christy-Award winning author Jill Williamson, has been UNLEASHED! The author herself wrote the script and gave input on the costuming. Btw, if you’ve never read her Blood of Kings series, NOW is a good time to do it! LOL

In it were Jacob Parker, as the Evil Prince Esek, Christian Miles as the real though roguish Prince Achan, me as Vrell Sparrow, my sister Ness as a stray holding up grapes, (Esek’s fav. food) and my father Robin Hood … uh, woops! NO. Robert Treskillard as the estimable Sir Gavin Lukos. My brother Leighton did the *shockingly cool* CGI effects, such as the window-shattering, the gowzal (bat thingy), green-screen removal, castle and moth. (Why did I mention that moth last? Cause I hate it!)

The AMAZING (!!) music was composed by talented Jon Miaocco. Also, mostly due to a music mix up, the kudos for the good timing on the trailer’s score goes to God’s conducting of the music. Because … the score was made a few years ago and we did not intentionally edit the scenes to coincide with it. Then, through a series of small miracles, we fixed on it as most fitting possible for the book trailer. Jon was finishing up college & busy, (not too busy to work with us and fabricate spooky effects for the trailer, and tweak a few things!) so everything turned out perfectly for the release date.

Thank You God!

So if there’s anything I’ve learned from making this book-trailer, it’s that when people work together, and God is in the mix, anything—literally—can happen.

Recently I went to see the new Robin Hood film, starring Russell Crowe as Robin Hood (Robin Longstride) and Cate Blanchett as the dignified Maid Marion. I had had a number of qualms about the film beforehand as I heard, while it was in production, that it was going to be making political statements, which meant to me t’would be all about ‘rob from the rich and give to the poor’.

What is wrong with this viewpoint on the Robin Hood legend, is that it was invented around the 1500’s when the Robin Hood legend was both in extreme decay and surging popularity, leading to what one might call ‘creative inventions’! I have covered the heart of the real Robin Hood legend here and here. For further information on why the socialist take is not correct, see ‘Number Three’ in this open letter to the BBC.

The fact is, such an idea likely springs from views of Robin Hood as being quite the generous, open-handed hero chief, who, as it says in the Gest of Robin Hood (one of the earliest sources) was courteous and ‘did poor men much good’. This is not, however, his original audacity and says nothing about redistribution of wealth.

Happily, despite the film’s numerous occurrences of ‘content’ I was pleasantly surprised by the depiction of Robin; not as some modern anti-hero, as I had once expected (!) but as a good, honest, hardworking and safe man. In fact he is still portrayed heroically and without the socialist trappings! Something probably no other film about Robin Hood can boast!

Although I feel the need to point out that Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) also had the make-the-king-sign-the-Magna-Carta plot point as a feat of Robin’s, (however much Ridley Scott may think it his own invention), I like what Robin stands for in this film: ‘Every Englishman’s home is his castle’ and Empower the weak to fend for themselves. Certainly this is not socialism! Were the producers moonstruck to make such a mistake? I watched the Robin Hood ‘documentary’ on the History Channel at my grandparents’, and socialism was the theme of the day. The ‘documentary’ struggled to draw a line between socialist dogma and Ridley’s choice of the Magna Carta as Robin’s prime issue. The two together don’t make sense, Ridley!

The most amazing thing is that real, authentic Old English warbows were made for the film! I don’t think this has been done, in any Robin Hood production, since the 1908 Lewis Waller Robin Hood play in London!

My second qualm would be against those who say Russell is not handsome enough for the role. Old he may be but dull he is not. And his actions speak for him and conspire to make you feel his case. Likely my favorite part of the movie is when he sees the arch-villain Godfrey about to butcher Marian. The bull-rush Robin Hood gives onto the scene is highly realistic and compelling.

Godfrey is such a chilling villain that if there is a sequel to this movie I do not know what could ever replace him.

This is not to say I did not love the way Godfrey died; with one of Robin Hood’s lethal arrows through his neck.

The Sheriff of Nottingham—French on his mother’s side—was played by Matthew Macfadyen, the actor who played Darcy in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice. He gives Marian a little trouble occasionally but is really merely comedy.

Little John, however, I am afraid was done very poorly. No notice was taken to the northern legend which portrays him as large and fair and rather perilous while good. But how would the producers have been aware of this? However a hint of his other legend, which portrays him just as a boy—Jacky boy or Robin’s Jok or an ‘innocent fool’—was, interestingly, in the film, with Robin Hood looking out for the safety of a boy called Jamie at the beginning of the story, before he is killed. Instead of correctly putting an ‘I’ over his grave, Robin & friends put ‘J’—anachronism! UNSCHOLARLY!

The grand sweeps that the cameras took throughout the film, and overall cinematic effect, were really breathtaking. No recent Robin Hood film has been made of this scale; a good comparison would be the Douglas Fairbanks 1922 Robin Hood film, in which an entire castle was built at Fairbank’s expense! If you go and see Robin Hood, you can expect amazing visuals, fairly realistic costuming, pretend history, and a few bad things you may not want to watch.

But expect to be wowed by Marian’s long hair.