Friday, April 19, 2013

Autumn Glimmer: Ireland's Fairies are At It Again!

The Fairies are back in Autumn Glimmer, an adventure for young adults of all ages set in an Ireland that might have been. Autumn Glimmer is the sequel to Glancing Through the Glimmer. Both "Glimmer" books are paranormal prequels to the Band of Roses Trilogy, whose "what if" premise supposes that High King Brian Boru survived the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 A.D. and established a royal dynasty still in existence. As head of state, the current King Brian upholds ancient traditions, as do his children, Princess Talty and Prince Liam. Teenage Liam stars in the Glimmer books, along with his American friend, Janet Gleason, who can’t seem to stay away from the fairies.
Janet’s grandfather is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Janet still misses Boston, especially in autumn, when New England’s trees are so gorgeously vibrant. But she’s settled into her new life well and landed the lead in the next school play. When King Brian invites the Gleasons to his country estate to celebrate Halloween, Janet is happy: she’ll be with Liam again.
She should know Ireland better by now…

Blurb for Autumn Glimmer:
Janet and Liam meet again for a Halloween weekend they’ll never forget…

Fairies living beneath the lake on the King of Ireland’s country estate? Janet Gleason isn’t surprised. The American teen and her royal friend, Prince Liam Boru, have met the Good People before. Just before Halloween, three of the fairies, Blinn, Mell, and Lewy, leave their watery home to fill a magical bag with the flowers their queen requires to keep a hungry monster asleep. Blinn decides she’d like to see the mortal king’s house. Lewy wants to taste oatcakes again, and Mell goes along on a tragic ride that leaves poor Lewy lost and alone. Can Liam and Janet help him find the flower bag before the monster awakens? Or will Lewy’s misguided glimmer trap the young mortals forever in the palace beneath the lake?

Excerpt:
Below the bubble, the water brightened to a lustrous cobalt blue. Stars seemed to shimmer deep in the lake. A forest of vegetation waved on the lake bed. The impossible sight of crystal towers emerged beyond the greenery, and Liam wanted to dance.

Janet raised a hand to her face. "It’s lovely, but why does it smell so bad?"

She was right. A nasty whiff of something vile had seeped into the bubble.

Becula raised her arms. "Hasten!"

The bubble’s downward speed increased. The stench intensified. Trying to pinpoint its source, Liam scanned the ghostly lake. An amber mist glowed in the inky water beyond the light and seemed to be pursuing them.

"What is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"The Crogall Cú," Becula said, her nonchalant tone at odds with the stiffened sags and bags on her face. "When it hunts, its nostrils blow foul vapors to confuse its prey. Fear not, young prince. It shall not harm us."

A terrible roar tore through the bubble. Janet yipped and clung to Liam. Squashing his lips to keep from yipping himself, he hugged her to him.

The mist billowed into to a putrid fog that poured like custard to sully the water. Another roar, much closer this time, jolted the bubble.

Janet screamed. A blood-red eye as big as an autumn moon stared into the bubble.
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About Pat McDermott:
Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, Pat McDermott is the author of a series of romantic action/adventure stories set in an Ireland that might have been. Her favorite non-writing activities include cooking, reading, music, hiking, music, and traveling, especially to Ireland. Pat is a member of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. She lives and writes in New Hampshire.



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Autumn Glimmer / E-book Available from
Glancing Through the Glimmer / E-book Available from

12 comments:

  1. Good deal, Pat. I can never read too many faerie books!

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  2. No matter how you spell it :-) Thanks, Miriam!

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  3. I've always wanted to visit the land of my grandfather and you entice even more to make that happen. Love the excerpt

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  4. Any time you need a tour guide, Marian... Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. I love the Glimmer stories. Will there be a third, Pat?

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    1. THEY are nudging me, Dawn. I'm doing some research now. We'll see if THEY approve what I come up with :-)

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  6. This series is on my reading list! I wish I could read faster.

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    1. So do I, Tammy. Wish I could writer faster too! Thanks for visiting :-)

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  7. Well, since I haven't seen any American fairies but plenty of Irish faeries (yes, I have!), I'm spelling them Irish. The next time you go over, I'll ask some of them to meet you!

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    1. Interesting about the spelling. In all the old (some more than 100 years) Irish books I've read about the Good Folk, it's always spelled 'fairies.' I had a sense that the 'faeries' was more Scottish, or perhaps 'New Age.' Tomato, tomahto. All I know is, I still have my fingernails, so I guess my spelling hasn't offended Them :-)

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  8. As always, your imagination amazes me, Pat. I don't believe I've ever seen a more beautiful cover.

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    1. Angela, I love this cover and its fairy castle under the lake. Cover artist Nika Dixon did an outstanding job, not only on Autumn Glimmer, but also on my entire Band of Roses trilogy. Thanks for the kind words, and for stopping by!

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