We believe in faeries here at I Love Vampire Novels.

Or at least, I certainly do. It’s one of the reasons I’m still resisting having someone haul away the old, dilapidated couch on my front lawn. Something tells me that faeries live there.

It’s the same something I felt when I visited the fairy mounds in Ireland. My husband and I traveled across England, Scotland, and Ireland for our honeymoon—we took three weeks to do this, too. Hey! 

And whereas driving through the Scottish Highlands at twilight was a truly magical experience, visiting the Irish fairy mounds amplified that feeling. 

We got to walk through several places where the fae folk were rumored to have once lived.

The first surrounded Blarney Castle—you know, where you go to kiss the Blarney Stone, which we did, and now, I shudder to think of the germs. But the grounds around the castle were filled with greenery and this layer of serenity, even with all of the tourists.

Oversized elephant ears—I’m talking big green leaves that were larger than me—murky green ponds, arches and caves where the fae folk had once lived, and long winding paths in the woods that allowed us to peek at the undisturbed landscapes of those wilder creatures.

It was hard to escape the feeling of being watched by things unseen, which had us treading lightly, even though I took hundreds of pictures.

I never did catch anything on film, though.

Our second foray into searching for faeries was The Great Mound at Knowth, which is one of the three largest passage tombs in Ireland. It is a giant mound that we were able to walk into and learn about the rituals and examine the pottery, and they also simulated the way the light hit the monolith at sunrise and sunset on the equinox.

Around this big tomb were smaller mounds, and the entire place radiated sacred energy. The chilly walk around the grounds at sunset brought out the fireflies and the small fae that hid in twilight.

We had goosebumps while we peeked in the small stone openings in search of them.

The stone carvings around the property added to the mystical atmosphere, even though they’ve been confirmed as ancient graffiti.

For our last foray into the search for the fae, we visited The Hill of Tara which is an ancient seat of power and has over thirty visual monuments. Many believe this was the seat of the High King of Celtic Ireland and the sacred dwelling of the gods.

Magic filled the large expanse of green hills, and we made wishes under the Fairy Tree, a chosen hawthorn. Walking amongst the stones and mounds under the midday sun warmed but kept the sleepy fae in their homes.

Nearby, however, they had a small used bookstore that transported us back into a mystical mindset. We left with an old leather-bound copy of Robert Browning’s poetry.

My favorite poem is “My Last Duchess.”

Searching for faeries in Ireland set me up with the imagery for what the land of the fae might look like, and the way C.N. Crawford described Faerie in Frost matched so well with the vibes and my memories.

Smooth segue, yeah?

I got a chance to ask the authors a few questions, and I thought now was the perfect time to share their answers. We’ll be discussing Frost on Tuesday, March 28th, at 1 p.m. CST. I hope y’all will join us!

C.N. Crawford Mini Interview

I’ve noticed that y’all write a lot about fae and faeries. What fascinates you most about the fae world?

I love that they are both aristocratic and feral at the same time. They are deeply connected to nature but also have a long history.

You make a lot of references to classics, especially poetry and romance, in Frost. Which work would you say influenced you the most as writers?

I grew up obsessed with the romantic era poets, like Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. But this series in book one is also very much influenced by romcoms. And there are some pride and prejudice references 

Nick says he that included references to Bosch with the tapestry descriptions 

If you were to join a faerie court (not just Seelie or Unseelie), which one would you be a part of and why?

Hmmm I’d join an Irish fae court of some kind because they have the best, creepiest creature like the sluagh.

Which of the fae princesses from Frost was your favorite to create/write and why?

Moria. I think she gets very interesting in book 2.

Can you tell us why/how Torin was cursed? (If this is revealed in book two, feel free to just tell me that, but hints are welcome!)

It’s revealed in book 2! He believes it was Queen Mab of the Unseelie, but it was not.

Got any other behind-the-scenes tidbits you can share with our readers?

I had to write the ending of Ambrosia while in the hospital with my four-year-old… We had a lot of sickness this year.

It’s not too late! Get your copy of Frost, and join us on Tuesday!