A WEE BIT OF HIGHLANDER MAGICK WITH AUTHOR PATTY TAYLOR

Good Morning! I’m excited to be here today and wish to thank my kind host, Caroline, for inviting me to be a guest on her lovely blog. I’d also like to thank each of you for dropping by and helping us celebrate my début release of MORTAL MAGICK, while I share a wee bit of of my new “Highlander Magick” series.

I feel blessed to be able to carry on my beloved Mum’s belief in the wee people and fairies, and her love for her Irish and Scottish heritage by writing fantasy and paranormal stories with a wee bit of magical lore woven into them.

One of the wee people, a leprechaun

I enjoy centering my adventures in various places like Scotland’s mystical Isle of Skye, the magical Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland and the secluded wilderness of Alaska – where fairies, brownies, shape-shifters and mythical creatures come to life.

The Glens of Antrim

Antrim, Ireland

 I’d like to take a moment to share about the person who influenced me the most to pursue my writing. My Mum’s own true love story of how she came to live in the United States and became a citizen of this country has always inspired me. Born and raised in County Down, Northern Ireland, she served in the British Army during WWII where she met and fell in love with my tall and handsome Daddy, a US Sergeant. Soon after they were married, she crossed the ocean by ship by herself to wait the arrival of my Daddy’s return to the states. I’ll always admire her strength and courage for beginning a new adventure in a strange country with no family of her own, to start a life with the man she fell in love with and raise a family.  And with the discovery of my father having American Indian heritage, both cultures have made a huge impact on my imagination.

  

Scenic drive in Antrim

And now, I’m thrilled to share my lovely cover for MORTAL MAGICK, a paranormal/fantasy time travel romance set in the 18th century mystical Isle of Skye. Mortal Magick is the 1^st book in my new series called “Highlander Magick”.

                        

Blurb:  When an immortal Highlander falls in love with a human witch, “MORTAL MAGICK” soon casts a spell of its own.

Doomed for eternity to wander nights as half man and half creature, rugged Highlander, Duncan McCord, discovers his curse is the least of his problems when he sets out for a cure and rescues the beauty determined to help tame his beast. 

When a reluctant witch, Keara, gets whisked back to 18th century mystical Isle of Skye to learn lessons in magic, she faces the true test of love when she meets the man beyond her wildest dreams burdened with dark secrets from his past.  

Forced together to journey through an enchanted country filled with mythical creatures and magical lore, will they survive in a world where evil sorcery reigns, or will a shocking twist of fate tear them centuries apart?~

A wee bit about the rest of my Highlander Magick Series

Get ready for two magical adventures – Journey across the Mystical Isle of Skye, to the Enchanting land of Fire and Ice….”  continued in book 2

                                                    Sea Wolf Magick

 "When a seafaring Highlander Lycan, rescues a cursed witch from the clutches of evil, a magical voyage fueled by fire and ice ignites more than just passion across the high seas."

And stayed tuned for more about book 3, Dragon Fae Magick, another mystical adventure set within the enchanted castles nestled in Scotland and Ireland.

 

Dunrobin Castle

And now for some Fairy Magick

I promised Caroline, I would add something in my post about fairies, and decided to include a photo of one of the most famous fairy trees that Ireland is known for.

Fairy Tree in Northern Ireland

On my visit to the lovely Glens of Antrim, I found several gnarled  hawthorn trees (like the one above) protected by stone barriers , and or fences so no one will bother them. (the stones are piled close by, to keep sheep and other animals from rubbing against the bark) 

The sacred hawthorn and fairies are known to thrive in this magical area. 

The Irish harp is the symbol of Ireland

I remember being told about one particular, elderly fairy  (I’m afraid I can’t share the fairy’s given name, as that is strictly forbidden). She dwelled in an old Irish thatched roof cottage not verra’ far away from my Mum, and helped care for another wee lass and her family. Come late in the evening, the quiet and kindhearted, Bean Tighe fairy could always be found sitting close to the hearth sipping her cup of hot tea filled with honey and cream.  In exchange for the warmth of the fire and a bowl of fresh cream, she helped with the household chores and took care of the doting pets.  

The land of faery
Where nobody gets old and godly and grave,
Where nobody gets old and crafty and wise,
where nobody gets old and bitter of tongue.

William Butler Yeats, The Land of Faery

And a poem about Ireland

There's a dear old land of leprechauns
And wondrous wishing wells;
And no where else on God's green earth,
There be such lakes and dells.

No wonder that the angels love
That shamrock covered shore;
It draws my heart home again,
And I love it more and more.

Have you ever heard the story of
How Ireland got its name?
Well, I'll tell you so you'll understand
From whence old Ireland came.

No wonder that I love
That dear old land across the sea;
For here's the way my dear old father
Told the tale to me:

"A little bit of heaven fell
From out the sky one day;
And it nestled on the ocean
In a spot so far away."

"And when the angels found it
It looked so sweet and fair;
They said, "Suppose we leave it?
For it looks so peaceful there."

"So they sprinkled it with stardust
Just to make the shamrocks grow;
‘Tis the only place you'll find them
No matter where you go."

"And they dotted it with silver
To make the lakes so grand;
And when they had it finished,
They called it ... "IRELAND!"

Author Unknown

Since autumn is almost here, I thought I’d share a photo of a beautiful fairy in the woods.

Thank you so much for having me here today, Caroline! And thanks to everyone for dropping by and visiting with us!   I would love to hear from you!

Please feel free to stop by for a wee bit, and leave comments at:

Patty’s Amazon author page:  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ZE65O0Q

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