Do You Believe In Fairies?

Helen Scott Taylor

Hi, Helen Scott Taylor here. I’m excited to share that today is the release date of my debut Paranormal Romance, The Magic Knot. This book won American Title IV back in April 2008, and all these months later, it has finally arrived in bookstores. To celebrate, I’d like to share some of my thoughts on the paranormal world and fairies in particular.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to believe there are magical beings living alongside us in this modern world that we don’t know about? Beings of preternatural beauty with powers of which we humans can only dream. Beings that live life in tune with a natural world of spirit and magic that we have left behind with our dependence on modern technology.

Before I wrote my paranormal romance The Magic Knot, I pondered what sort of paranormal world I’d like to set my story in. So many authors have written fabulous stories about vampires and shape shifters I wanted to try something different. When I researched the fairy world, I discovered that according to the myth and legend of many countries and cultures, fairies include just about every type of magical paranormal creatures you can imagine. Fairy creatures include vampires and shape shifters. Some fairies are beautiful, some hideous, some benevolent, some malicious, and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Reading my research books on myth, legend, and magical creatures, I realised the fairy world provided a rich source of material to develop my own paranormal world, and the fairy world of the Magic Knot fairies was born in my mind. 

The Magic Knot is set in the South West of England in Cornwall, and in Ireland. My hero Niall O’Connor is half Tuatha dé Danaan and half leprechaun. (He gets rather touchy if anyone teases him about leprechauns!) The Tuatha dé Danaan are a romance writer’s gift: a race of tall, beautiful fairy people descended from the Greek gods who travelled to Ireland millennia ago. My heroine Rose is half-human and half Cornish pisky. The term pisky is from where the better-known pixies originated. In ancient folk law, piskies are small fairies, usually mischievous. In The Magic Knot fairy world, I have bent the rules and made them human sized. 

As the fairy peoples or ‘The Good People’ live in harmony with the natural world, my fairies are all associated with one of the four elements, earth, air, fire, or water. Both Cornish piskies and leprechauns are of the earth. So both Rose and Niall are earth elementals. But I had fun with the Irish fairy queen who is a fire elemental and wields fire to lethal effect. Niall’s father is an air elemental and can walk unseen through the air.

One of my favourite secondary characters is my own invention. Nightshade is a vampiric winged fairy called a nightstalker. He is human sized and he can defy the laws of physics and fly. His name derives from his ability to turn into a shade—like a shadow. For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of writing paranormal romance is dreaming up the world and the beings that inhabit that world. The Magic Knot is a contemporary set story, so the magical world is blended with our more mundane world. The hero Niall rides a motor cycle and plays the stock market using his leprechaun touch of luck to make money. 

On my website, I have a fun quiz where you can answer questions and find out if your element is earth, air, fire, or water. If you take the quiz, come back, and tell us what element you are and if you think it fits your personality. If you would like to read the first two chapters of The Magic Knot and sample my fantasy world, please go to my blog. Join Rose as she sets out for what she believes to be a normal accountancy job. She slowly discovers that in the mystical depths of rural Cornwall there is a world full of magical creatures she never even dreamed of. And she is one of them

The Magic Knot Book Cover 

The Magic Knot Back Cover Copy

HE’S A BIKER WITH AN ATTITUDE
What woman wouldn’t be attracted to Niall O’Connor’s soft Irish brogue and dark good looks? But Rosenwyn Tremain must find her father, and she isn’t going to let a sexy, stubborn Irishman and his motorcycle distract her. Rose’s intuition tells her he’s hiding something, a secret even the cards cannot divine. Her tarot deck always reads true, but how can one man represent both Justice and Betrayal?

SHE’S A WOMAN ON A MISSION
Magic. Niall’s body tingles with it when he finds the woman snooping in his room. Rosenwyn might believe she’s a no-nonsense accountant, but her essence whispers to him of ancient fairy magic that enslaves even as it seduces. Her heritage could endanger those he’d die to protect, but her powers and her passion, if properly awakened, might be the only thing that can save both their families, vanquish a fairy queen bent on revenge, and fulfill a prophecy that will bind their hearts together with…THE MAGIC KNOT

Helen Scott Taylor  www.HelenScottTaylor.com

13 Responses to Do You Believe In Fairies?

  1. Gale

    Hi Helen,

    I loved your first book (The Magic Knot-you write like an experienced writer), fast paced and right on the mark for fairy behavior! Can’t wait to read the sequels.
    Gale

  2. Dancingwillowspirit

    Hi Helen,
    I’m glad to hear that you will have sequels to the Magic Knot! The third book Nightshade, with the vampiric fairy sounds very interesting. Looking forward to the whole series.
    Heidi F.

  3. Guestauthor

    Hi Heidi,

    I’m glad you liked my book’s review.

    You must be a very balanced person who has qualities of all four elements. 🙂

    The sequel to the Magic Knot will be released in December 09. The next book is Michael’s story. He is the Magic Knot hero’s brother. I’m not certain of the title yet, I’m still discussing it with my editor. The third book I have planned is for Nightshade, the winged vampiric fairy.

    I’m glad you believe in fairies! I spend most of my time thinking about them LOL.

    Helen

  4. Guestauthor

    Hi Deidre,

    My huband swears someone is always moving his stuff as well, but it’s usually right under his nose!

    Glad you enjoyed the quiz.

    Helen

  5. Dancingwillowspirit

    Hi Helen. The Celtic Knot sounds like a great book. Loved the review. Are you planning on having a sequel to it? Or do you have something similiar planned next? Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for your next book!
    I took the element quiz. It says I am Air. Even though I am a Water sign, who has an affinity for Fire and Earth. LOL.

    I Do Believe in Fairies!
    I Do Believe in Fairies!
    Heidi F.

  6. Deidre Durance

    I totally believe in fairies, both bad and good. Why, because I know someone is always moving my stuff so that I can’t find it. LOL

    I took the quiz and my element is water. I have to admit, it sounds pretty much like me.

    Deidre

  7. Guestauthor

    Hi Nancy,

    I’m a new to everyone author LOL. This is my first book.

    I’m glad you like the sound of The Magic Knot! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment for me.

    Helen

  8. Nancy Bristow

    Hi Helen…Your a new-to-me author but The Magic Knot sounds divine….Nancy:)

  9. Julie Robinson

    Sure enough, Helen, after taking it a few more times and changing the answers ever so slightly, it still kept coming out to water! I finally changed my perspective as if my husband, then son were taking it to get Fire and Air’s descriptions, respectively. Though I do agree we are a combination. Julie

  10. Guestauthor

    Hi Lynda,

    I’m a bit like you. I rarely get angry, but when I do I can completely lose it. Fire people are definitely innovators. So that must be your strongest quality, but as I said to Julie, we have a combination of the qualities usually. The strange thing about Nightshade is he can fly and turn into a shade, which might suggest an air elemental, but he is earth. Very earthy actually LOL.

    Thanks for taking the quiz!
    Helen

  11. Guestauthor

    Hi Julie,

    Glad you enjoyed the quiz! I had a lot of fun researching the characteristics of the different elements when I wrote The Magic Knot. I think we’re all combinations of the qualities, but some people definitely lean more toward one. A counselor would have to be sympathetic and grounded, so both earth and water sound appropriate.

    Helen

  12. Lynda

    My element was fire. Parts really match me, yet other parts were 180 degrees off. I am the one people come to for new innovative ideas. I do tend to think that my ideas are best but I really try hard not to force them on other people if it’s not my area of responsibility. I’m not hot tempered. I’m more of a slow burn person. It was a standing joke at one job that I only got mad once a year. But when that once a year happened you did NOT want to be in my way!

    I agree about Nightshade. Yesterdays (?) blog about unusual characters really set my mind wondering about him!

  13. Julie Robinson

    Hi Helen!

    Fun quiz. I actually took it twice because there were 2 answers that could have been different. Amazingly, my results also changed. First I was Water then Earth. The description is very apt for me either way, but probably Water is more so me with the counseling I do. Thanks, it’s a fun quiz. I’ll have to play with it more to see all the descriptions 🙂
    Julie

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