Guest Blogger: Dawn Marie Hamilton

Today I'm welcoming a guest blogger- Dawn Marie Hamilton- Welcome! 

Dawn Marie Hamilton dares you to dream. She is a 2013 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist who pens Scottish-inspired fantasy and paranormal romance. When not writing, she’s cooking, gardening, or paddling the local creeks with her husband. Today she’s talking about faeries and brownies—mostly a mischievous brownie.

Blog: http://dawnmariehamilton.blogspot.com/

Website: http://dawnmariehamilton.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dawnm_hamilton





Faeries and Brownies and ‘Just Beyond the Garden Gate’



I believe in faeries and brownies and other fae creatures. My Highland Gardens novels are rife with such beings. Brownie is the term used by Lowland Scots. To those who speak the Scottish Gaelic, they are known as brùnaidh.



Brownies are less gregarious than faeries and tend to be loyal to one household or clan.



In ‘Just Beyond the Garden Gate’, Munn, the MacLachlan clan brownie, is sworn to thwart the matchmaking of Caitrina, a banished faerie princess.



Contradictory information is bantered about regarding the physical characteristics of brownies. Some say they look similar to elves, often described as old, shaggy, and short of stature. At other times, they are described as tall, handsome, and well-proportioned, like the elves in ‘Lord of the Rings’.



My brownies are of the short, shaggy, and gnarled kind.



Excerpt from ‘Just Beyond the Garden Gate’: 



Ignoring his cousin, Patrick took the narrow stairs two at a time, uncaring that his shoulders banged against stone as he went. He burst into the hall and stilled.



The Brùnaidh, whose duty it was to watch over Clan MacLachlan, sat on a stool near the fire, reciting rhymes for Elspeth. He waved his arms as he spoke. Dressed for foolery, the brownie wore baggy brown leather trews and a knee length leine of fine woolen cloth secured at the waist by a thick leather belt adorned with bronze. Around his shoulders, he wore a green brat held in place by a bronze brooch with a large clear crystal in the center. He tapped his feet in rhythm to the cadence of his voice. On those wee feet, he wore green boots with toes that pointed upward.



"Munn," Patrick bellowed.



The little man twisted around, his whisker-covered face scrunched up more than usual. Panic flashed in blue-green eyes, and he jumped to his full three-foot height. His bent nose twitched and he grabbed hold of the funny-looking pointed green cap he always wore.



Anticipating the brownie's attempt to escape, Patrick grabbed hold of him. "Not so fast, wee imp. What mischief have you been about this night?"



"Nae." Munn's whole body shook. "Not I."



"Then what caused a strange lass to appear to me in the Fir-wood and to vanish as quick?"



The brownie's eyes grew big and round, his surprise obvious. Patrick had the sense to put him down and step back. Just in time. In a blink, the little man disappeared.

Just Beyond the Garden Gate, a Highland Gardens Novel 

Blurb:



Determined to regain her royal status, a banished faerie princess accepts a challenge from the High-Queen of the Fae to unite an unlikely couple while the clan brownie attempts to thwart her.



Passion ignites when a faerie-shove propels burned-out business consultant Laurie Bernard through the garden gate, back through time, and into the embrace of Patrick MacLachlan. The arrogant clan chief doesn’t know what to make of the lass in his arms, especially when he recognizes the brooch she wears as the one his stepmother wore when she and his father disappeared.



With the fae interfering at every opportunity, the couple must learn to trust one another while they battle an enemy clan, expose a traitor within their midst and discover the true fate of the missing parents. Can they learn the most important truth—love transcends time?



Kindle Edition buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CVXMS04



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Giveaway:



Do you believe in faeries?

One commenter answering the above question will receive a PDF copy of ‘Just Beyond the Garden Gate’. Include email address with comment for consideration.

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Tags: Dawn Marie Hamilton, Just Beyond the Garden Gate, Highland Gardens, Scottish Highlands, Scottish historical romance, time travel, faeries, brownies, Brùnaidh