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Catherine Castle

~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Tag Archives: Highland Yearning

Wednesday Writers Welcomes Dawn Ireland with an Unusual Character Interview

13 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book Character interview, Romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ Comments Off on Wednesday Writers Welcomes Dawn Ireland with an Unusual Character Interview

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Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, Character interview, Dawn Ireland, Highland Romance, Highland Yearning, time travel romance

Today Wednesday Writers welcomes Dawn Ireland, author of several award-winning novels set in Georgian England and the Highlands. ‘Highland Yearning’ part of the MacKay Saga won the Holt Reader’s Choice award this year in the time travel/paranormal division. Today Dawn is giving us a peek at a very different character interview. Welcome, Dawn!

Thanks, Catherine.

Highland Yearning was the first book I’d written that had a dog as a character. By the end of the story I fell in love with Scruffy, so I wrote the Epilogue from his point of view. This worked for me, but not my editor. (Alas, she was right. The book was stronger when I ended it from the heroine’s viewpoint.) That said, I think you should know a few things about Scruffy.

Today, I have Scruffy with me, one of the characters from my latest book.

Scruffy, you weren’t allowed to speak in Highland Yearning. (Barking doesn’t count.) So, I thought I’d learn about the story from your point of view.

Scruffy’s whole body moved with his wagging tail. “Finally, I get to tell what really happened.”

Did you know you were going to be sent back in time with Ariel?

He cocked his head. “No one ‘sent’ me back. I chose to go. A few days before we ended up in Scotland I was visited by one of the Ring of Belief’s witches. The witches are okay. This one, Elspeth, is beautiful by human standards. Unlike most humans, she had no trouble understanding me.

The witch asked, very politely, if I wanted to go back to 1775 with Ariel, or stay in this time. I told her I wanted to go back, Ariel needed me.” Scruffy raised his bushy eyebrows. “Actually, we needed each other.”

I had the feeling you weren’t over-fond of Caden, the hero in the story.

In spite of what some readers may believe, I am not jealous of the hero. Human women are always sighing over Caden, but I consider him an acquired taste. Oh, he’s big, and can hold his own in a fight with other humans, but his sense of smell is terrible. It’s a good thing he doesn’t lose Ariel on a regular basis. She loves him, so I have to make allowances.

A little bird told me you found your own ‘lassie’ in Scotland.

Birds talk too much. But yes, I met Ellie there. You won’t come across a finer West Highland Terrier this side of the Dornoch Firth. She likes to think she’s ‘domesticated’ me, but that’s only because I let her believe I’ve been tamed.

She must love you. I understand you have pups of your own.

“Aye.” Scruffy stuck out his chest. “They’re fine little lads and lassies. One of them, Scout, has huge paws for a little pup, but he’ll grow into them. No doubt, he’ll be bigger than his father.” He cocked his head. “My pups aren’t nearly as much trouble as Ariel and Caden’s. I don’t envy them their helpless offspring, they have to keep them around for years.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about Highland Yearning while you have the chance?

Scruffy’s eyebrows raised, and his liquid brown eyes twinkled. “I like what you did with our story. Now, will you write me back to the Highlands? My family’s waiting.

 

Highland Taming

By Dawn Ireland

 

Caden Mackay would never bed a Sutherland, let alone marry one. Bloody hell, what had possessed his twin brother to propose to one of the she-devils? And what is Caden to do with the Sutherland beauty who appears, as if by magic, in his library? The defiant intruder is the enemy, but she is unlike any woman Caden’s ever known, and her tantalizing curves and wide green eyes could tempt a monk. He must devise a way to stop the wedding. But can he stop the desire that makes him long to make Ariel Sutherland his own?

Ariel’s life had never gone the way she’d hoped, but ending up in eighteenth century Scotland was a stretch, even for her. If not for her dog, Scruffy, she might have thought she’d walked into a romantic daydream. Especially since the object of her desire appears to be entirely too virile. But can she find her way back to her time, before her too-handsome Highlander makes her believe that love can conquer in any century?

Want to read more? Check out Dawn’s book on Amazon.

About the Author:

“Once Upon a Time” are four of Dawn’s favorite words, because she never knows where they will lead. She writes stories to remind herself that even though things may seem bleak, there is always the possibility of a “Happily Ever After.” If along the way she makes readers smile, cry or see the magic in their everyday lives, then she’s done her job.

 

Dawn’s written several award-winning novels set in Georgian England and the Highlands – an era filled with rules and intrigue. Her characters often defy “Society” as they pursue love, run away, pursue, run away – well, you get the idea.

Then again, she might write romance in order to do the research. What other profession encourages you to sit in the audience at Harlequin’s Male Model search, and take notes, or just sigh?

When she’s not writing, Dawn may be found singing, gardening, learning to play the harp or wood carving. She lives in a Victorian home in Upstate New York with her husband and very independent cats.

Dawn hopes you’ll read her books, and together you’ll bring to life characters that aren’t perfect, but have a story to tell.

Social Media Links

http://www.dawn-ireland.com/

http://www.authordawnireland.wordpress.com/

http://www.smpauthors.wordpress.com/

www.Twitter.com/AuthorDIreland

www.Facebook.com/DawnIrelandAuthor

http://www.writeblogconnect.wordpress.com/

 

 

Warning to readers of sweet and inspirational romance: This book may contain language and sensual situations.

 

 

 

 

 

Through A Writer’s Garden with Dawn Ireland

18 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 3 Comments

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Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, gardening, Highland Yearning, peony care, Picture of peony, Through A Writer's Garden with Dawn Ireland, time travel, Tree Peonies

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Tree Peonies

 

People in my village often ask me these days when my tree peonies will be out. (mid May to early June) When I first planted them in the front yard, my husband wondered why. He thought they might not survive the wind blowing down Main Street, or the foot traffic with curious strangers.

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We discovered a couple of things when the tall shrubs burst into oversized, pink flowers. (Ten inches or more across.) First, people are curious. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best idea for drivers to slow down and rubber neck, trying to figure out what they were, but at least there weren’t any accidents, just a few tire squeals. Most plant enthusiasts stopped in the driveway and asked. Now, I only get the occasional question.

Second, I think people respect flowers. Yes, we had a very few who tried to pluck a bloom, hopefully to take home to their mom, but they quickly learned tree peonies have woody stems and the flowers are very hard to pick. I was sad when a couple of persistent admirers kept trying and tore off a branch.

Tree peonies are unique because they will get flowers and leaves in the spring, but if any of those leaves/branches are lost or damaged, no new ones will grow to take their place until the following year. I had hoped I might propagate them using the torn branches, but no such luck, they only start from seed or division.

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I also discovered they need a fair amount of sun. (4-6 hrs) For three years, I had a dark pink tree peony I fretted over in the side yard. I’d go out, brush off the snow, mulch it to keep down weeds (be careful with your mulch as it can harbor insects and do damage) and worry that the fertilizer wasn’t right. But, what wasn’t right was the sun.

When I moved the plant to the front, what had been eight inches high, now grew to well over two feet in the first year. (They can reach 4-7 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide.) We need to listen to our plants when they don’t grow and seem to struggle. Be aware, however, that tree peonies, like the bush varieties, don’t really like to be moved, and if you must, do so in the fall. This will give the root system time to develop before the plant has to create leaves and flowers the following spring.

Overall, I love my tree peonies, and I’d highly recommend them to people who have the space, at least partial sun, and neutral or slightly alkaline soil. The plants are long lived and there’s a reason so many painters have used them in portraits.

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If you’d like to learn more about me, and my new time-travel release, Highland Yearning, please visit:   www.Dawn-Ireland.com

 

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