The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance
Page 59
Imbolc
An ancient Celtic religious festival, celebrated on 1 February to mark the beginning of spring.
Imeacht gan teacht ort
“May you leave without returning”.
Irish acre
Unit of measurement historically used in Ireland, slightly larger than a standard acre. One Irish acre equates to 1.62 English acres.
Jig/Reel
Lively Irish/Scottish folk dance. Also refers to the accompanying music.
Leannán Sidhe
Female “faery lover” in Celtic mythology. She seeks out artists and poets, and in return for inspiration, she feeds off their life force.
Lios
Ring fort or enclosure; property belonging to a chieftain or group.
Lir
King of the ocean.
Lughnasa
The Celtic harvest festival named for Lugh, one of the chief gods of the Tuatha Dé Daman.
Màistreàs
Mistress.
Mavourneen
My darling.
Merrow
Mermaid.
Mo chroí/A chroi
My heart.
Nuada Airgethlam
Lord of Tir na Nóg, first king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan.
Og
Irish for young. Tomás Og is “young Tomás”.
Ollphéist
Monster.
Pict
An ancient Celtic warrior race.
Publican
Proprietor/Licensee of a public house (pub).
Ráth
A walled enclosure in Irish antiquity.
Sidhe
The people of the Tuatha Dé Danaan (see entry), aka the Fair Folk; Daoine Sidhe; the faerie race (as “sidhe” (lower case) it refers to the mythological underground palaces in which the Sidhe live, aka Fairy Hills); singular “Sidh”, a faerie.
Sithen
A fairy mound.
Tiarna an Ama
Lord of time.
Tir fo Thoinn
The Land Beneath the Waves.
Tir na Nóg
The Land of Eternal Youth.
Tuatha Dé Danaan
Mythical Irish race.
Will o’ the wisp
The fabled lights of the fey.
Author Biographies
Cat Adams
Cat Adams is the new pen name of USA Today bestselling authors C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. The Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award winning paranormal romance and urban fantasy authors live in Texas and Colorado. Their award-winning “Tales of the Sazi” and “Thrall” series for Tor Books will soon be joined by a new urban fantasy series “The Blood Singer”, in 2010.
www.catadams.net
Jennifer Ashley
Jennifer Ashley is the USA Today bestselling and RITA-award-winning author of historical romances, paranormal romances and mainstream novels. She also writes award-winning paranormal romances as Allyson James and award-winning historical mysteries as Ashley Gardner. Read more about Shifters and their prides, packs and clans in Pride Mates, by Jennifer Ashley, Book 1 of the Shifters Unbound series.
www.jennifersromances.com
Ciar Cullen
Ciar Cullen is the award-winning author of paranormal romances, fantasies and Irish-American short stories.
www.ciarcullen.com
Claire Delacroix
Bestselling author Claire Delacroix has always loved stories, both telling them and hearing them. She sold her first romance novel – set in the medieval period – The Romance of the Rose in 1992, and has been happily writing ever since. The Beauty, part of her bestselling Bride Quest series, was her first title to land on the New York Times Extended List of Bestselling Books. Claire also writes romances as Claire Cross and as Deborah Cooke.
www.delacroix.net
Dara England
The pen name of Carol Green – a writer of fantasy, paranormal romance, and historical fiction – Dara’s work has appeared in print and electronic format from such publishers as Lyrical Press, Allegory, Art & Prose, and many more. She lives in a small town in Oklahoma with her husband, two children, and a Yorkshire terrier named Ajax.
www.daraenglandauthor.com
Roberta Gellis
Roberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published more than forty meticulously researched historical novels since 1965. Most recently, Gellis has been writing historical mystery and historical fantasy. Gellis has been the recipient of many awards, including the Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from the West Coast Review of Books, the Golden Certificate from Affaire de Coeur, The Romantic Times Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period (several times) and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy and Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
www.robertagellis.com
Kathleen Givens
The author of bestselling historical romances set in the British Isles, her books, which range from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries, have been translated into six languages. She is currently working on the latest in her Highland Shore series.
www.kathleengivens.com
Cindy Holby
The author of the bestselling Wind series, Cindy Holby also writes award-winning sci fi/romance under the name Colby Hodge.
www.cindyholby.com
Shirley Kennedy
Shirley Kennedy is the author of numerous Regency romances for both Ballantine and Signet.
www.shirleykennedy.com
Susan Krinard
New York Times bestseller Susan Krinard is the author of over twenty paranormal romance and fantasy novels. She makes her home in New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment”, with her husband Serge, their dogs Freya, Nahla and Cagney, and their cats Agatha and Jefferson.
www.susankrinard.com
Jenna Maclaine
Jenna Maclaine is the author of the highly reviewed Cin Craven series, paranormal romances that span the centuries.
www.jennamaclaine.com
Margo Maguire
Margo Maguire is the author of seventeen historical romance novels, published in more than twenty languages. For more Druzai stories, featuring Ana MacLochlainn’s hunky cousins, try Margo’s Warrior series.
www.margomaguire.com
Pat McDermott
A frequent visitor to Ireland, Pat McDermott is the author of the romantic alternate-Irish history adventure, A Band of Roses, and its forthcoming sequel, Fiery Roses. Pat, a Boston, Massachusetts-native now lives in New Hampshire, where she is working on her next novel.
www.patmcdermott.net
Cindy Miles
National bestselling author of ghost and paranormal romances set in England, Scotland and Wales. Cindy Miles spins tales of ghostly heroes from the past encountering their soulmate heroines of the present.
www.cindy-miles.com
Penelope Neri
British author Penelope Neri is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five historical romance novels, which feature various time periods and exotic locales. She is best known for her acclaimed Viking trilogy – Sea Jewel, Enchanted and The Love Within.
www.penelopeneri.com
Sandra Newgent
Her first short story appeared in The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance. She writes paranormal, time travel, romantic adventure and historical romance.
Patricia Rice
New York Times and USA Today bestseller Patricia Rice is the author of over forty-five contemporary, historical and paranormal romances, including her popular Mystic Isle series set during the French Revolution.
www.patriciarice.com
Helen Scott Taylor
Winner of the American Title IV contest, Helen Scott Taylor writes contemporary fantasy romance based on Celtic and Norse mythology. The first book in her Magic Knot Fairies series was chosen as a Booklist Top Ten Romance for 2009.
www.helenscotttaylor.com
Sue-Ellen
Welfonder
USA Today bestselling author of Scottish medieval romances, including her popular MacKenzies of Kintail series, Sue-Ellen also writes Scottish-set paranormals under the pseudonym Allie Mackay.
www.welfonder.com
Nadia Williams
Author of Irish mythology-themed romance and erotic novels. Nadia has had short stories published in well-known fantasy e-zines such as Dragons, Knights & Angels (now Double Edged Publishing). Her novels The Pebble and The Ancient (under pseudonym Anida Adler) are available online.
www.nadiawilliams.co.uk