Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton: Free at Amazon January 17th - 21st 2020

Happy New Year!!

Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic

Free at Amazon Jan 17th - Jan 21st 2020

Get your copy here.

Fulfilling a childhood promise, Ashley Dumont returns to an ancient Druid garden in the Black Hills of Scotland on the eve of the winter solstice—a time when magic hums and the veil between realms thins and tears, allowing all manner of supernatural creatures through. Will the ghost who claimed to be her destiny still be there?

Caelan Innes awaits her arrival. Unjustly murdered in the sixteenth century, a second chance at life depends on this woman. The Druids grant them the twelve nights of Yule to find love and save Cael’s soul. Will a trip through time and the treachery of enemies make the sacrifice too dear?

Enjoy!

 ~Dawn Marie

Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton: Free at Amazon January 10th - 14th 2018

Happy New Year!!

 

Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic

 

Free at Amazon Jan 10th - Jan 14th 2018

 

Get your copy here.

Fulfilling a childhood promise, Ashley Dumont returns to an ancient Druid garden in the Black Hills of Scotland on the eve of the winter solstice—a time when magic hums and the veil between realms thins and tears, allowing all manner of supernatural creatures through. Will the ghost who claimed to be her destiny still be there?

Caelan Innes awaits her arrival. Unjustly murdered in the sixteenth century, a second chance at life depends on this woman. The Druids grant them the twelve nights of Yule to find love and save Cael’s soul. Will a trip through time and the treachery of enemies make the sacrifice too dear?

Enjoy!

 ~Dawn Marie

Happy First Day of Winter, Winter Solstice 2017 & Excerpt from Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

The Winter Solstice is the day during the year with the fewest hours of sunlight. In 2017, in the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs on December 21 at 11:28 AM EST.

There are many myths about the Winter Solstice and its importance to ancient cultures, especially to the Druids. In the Enchanted Highlands stories, we used one of these myths to weave a collection of three time travel romance tales.

From the Enchanted Highlands comes the first of three tales of time travel romance intertwined with the magic of the season and forever love—Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

 

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Excerpt From Chapter Four...

 

“What do you seek?”

The sensation of one’s heart plummeting to the bottom of one’s stomach caused Ashley to spin around, hand clutched over her chest. Psshh. She released a sharp breath. It was only the woman she’d met in the garden as a child. The one who’d looked like the tour guide, yet not. The one who claimed to be a light-bearer. The one who went by the name Aileen.

Though it seemed foolish even to Ashley, she felt compelled to answer the woman’s question. “My destiny.”

“Tall order. Do you ken where that may lead?”

“If I knew, would I be standing here hours before the solstice, in the freezing rain, trying to find a ghost that may or may not exist?”

Too antsy, Ashley hadn’t been able to wait until the morning solstice. Instead of walking to the manor house for dinner, she’d taken a lantern from the cottage and cut across the car park. With fumbling hands, she’d used the key Cael gave her years ago to gain entrance to the locked ancient garden. Not a key to his heart—a key to the garden. The gate had probably been thusly secured since she’d sneaked in as a child.

Not moments after entering the garden, sleety rain began. Omen?

“Probably not.” Aileen rubbed her chin. “Then again…” The woman frowned. “I’m afraid the veil is rather thick this year. So few believers.”

“Believers? What do you mean?”

“Those who embrace magic.”

“What does magic have to do with Cael?”

“Ah, so it’s Caelan you seek. He is braw, is he not?”

Ashley had dreamed of Cael since the age of seven. First as a playmate, then as a co-conspirator, and more recently as a lover. If memory—and dreams—served, he was hot, sexy, and to live for. Long blond hair framed emerald eyes, gorgeous hair tumbled over broad shoulders. Tall. At least, he’d towered over the child she’d been. He stood tall in her fantasies. Her nipples hardened in response to the recollection of the last steamy dream featuring Cael as hero.

“You must believe in magic, in all its forms, to save Caelan from an undeserved fate within the in-between.”

She snapped attention back to Aileen. “Tell me what I must do.”

“Do you believe? Truly believe?”

“In magic? I think I do.”

“Your heart, your soul, your mind must be dedicated. Especially your heart.”

She’d lost her heart to Cael a long time ago. She’d do whatever it took to find him and learn what he meant when he claimed to be her destiny. She prayed he spoke the truth.

“There will be dangers.” Aileen’s earnest features put a knot in Ashley’s already churning stomach.

Ashley nodded. “I must find Cael. I promised.”

“Ach, well, then collect nine leaves from the holly tree.” She pointed to a berry-laden tree at the garden’s edge. “Prick your finger on one of the leaves, leaving behind a droplet of blood. Wrap the leaves in linen and add a teardrop. Tie the cloth with nine knots and tie the ends together in a lover’s knot. Place the packet beneath your pillow tonight and your dreams will come true within this ancient garden at the hour of the solstice.”

   

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Hope you enjoyed the excerpt from the novella Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

 

Twelvetide at Amazon.

 

 

∞∞∞

Other books from the Enchanted Highlands Holiday Collection:

Stars and Stones

By April Holthaus

 

Once Upon a Winter Solstice

By Victoria Zak

~Dawn Marie

Saint Nicholas' Day Giveaway

Since today is Saint Nicholas' Day, I have a giveaway going on over on my FB Author page. Click on the picture below to enter...





~Dawn Marie

Excerpt Wednesday - Pursued - Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

An excerpt from the winter novella, Twelvetide, Twelve Nights of Highland Magic. Free for Kindle - January 12th, 2017 through January 16th, 2017 at Amazon...

 

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...they crossed a great snowy meadow. Before reaching the protection of the forest, they caught the first glimpse of their pursuers. Five mounted men, approaching fast.

“Shite.” Cael spurred the horse to greater speed.

They entered the forest trail and galloped out of sight. She kept glancing back, around Cael’s bulk. As they rounded a bend, he leaned forward, his mouth close to her ear.

“They want me. Not you. When I drop you to the ground, run for that distant copse of firs and hide. I will lead them away.” Cael’s brusque words sliced her heart. He would forfeit himself for her.

“No. We should stay together.”

“Listen to me, Ashley. Hide in the trees. Wait for some time to pass. If I have not returned, follow this trail west. The same direction we are riding. Stay out of sight at the edge of the trail. When you reach Castle Lachlan, beg hospitality in my name—Caelan Innes. Once within the castle walls, ask to speak to the steward and request of him an audience with Lachlan Og, the clan chief. Tell Lachlan Og you are my wife. Tell him we were ambushed, and I led the miscreants north. I have been of service to him. He will see to your care.”

Before she’d a chance to argue with the damn man, he lifted her with his one strong arm, and dropped her into a ditch at the side of the trail. Breathless, gasping, she rolled to her knees and gulped air. Fear gnawed at her belly. The thunder of several horses pounding the trail, sent her into action. She leapt to her feet and darted into the trees Cael had indicated.

She crouched behind a wide trunk. Just in time. Placing a palm against the rough bark, she leaned to the side and peeked through the thick, evergreen foliage. Four riders passed in earnest pursuit of Cael somehow without seeing her footprints in the snow.

Shit! Where was the fifth? Birds had stopped chirping when she entered the copse. Silence grated on tense nerves. Twigs snapped nearby. The billowing breath of a horse sounded overly loud, close. Another twig cracked.

“I ken you are in there. Come out.”

   

∞∞∞

 

Grab your copy from Amazon.

 

Free for Kindle 1/12/17 - 1/16/17 

 

∞∞∞

Hope you enjoyed this wee excerpt from Twelvetide, Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

 

~Dawn Marie  

Excerpt Wednesday - The Legend Behind the Romances - Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

 

The legend behind the Enchanted Highlands romances...

 

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THE MAGICAL GARDEN OF TRUTH

In ancient times, when dense primordial mists swamped the glens and swirled about the mountains of the Celtic world—when giants and dragons dominated the earth—the council of gods decreed that nary a one among them, should take another as concubine.

The god Holly and the goddess Ivy could not deny the love blossoming between them and, hidden within a lush forest flanked by black sided mountains, became intimate lovers. When the god Oak discovered his longtime rival possessed a weakness in Ivy, he exposed to the other gods the location of the lovers’ trysts. The attack and resulting battle led to the capture of Holly and Ivy. In retribution for the lovers’ defiance against council edict, the couple was prosecuted and condemned. Ivy agreed to give up her godly powers and become mortal to save Holly from a more harrowing fate, if, and only if, they might be reunited when three couples of purest heart found forever love through time with their fated soul mate. The likelihood of such seemed impossible to Ivy, but she found solace in the chance of a future with Holly.

Devastated by his loss, Holly planted a berry-bearing holly tree within the forest he’d once enjoyed with Ivy, deep in the Black Hills of Scotland, so whenever Ivy saw the shiny green leaves and red berries, she would think of him and remember his commitment to their love.

Oak continued to challenge Holly during the equinoxes each year. Oak to reign from March through August. Holly for the remainder of the year. Although at his strongest on the winter solstice, Holly remained alone, missing his Ivy.

Lost in a world not her own, Ivy sought refuge amongst a band of humans to whom she taught the lessons of the gods. The people became known as the enlightened ones, or Druids. They worshiped the land and listened to the whispers of the wind—listened to words of wisdom about love, death, and rebirth. They celebrated light, and the winter solstice came to be a magical time, a time when the veil between the earth and the realms of the supernatural thinned.

To others, the solstice came to be both a festive and fearful time.

Upon Ivy’s death, the furtive Druids established and nurtured a garden surrounding the holly tree planted by Holly and named it the Garden of Truth. They have nurtured the garden through wars and famine and times of plenty and still care for the garden this day. From within the soul of the holly tree, magic blossoms and grows in power, gaining strength for Ivy’s rebirth.

Over the centuries, the legend of the Garden of Truth has been the subject of many tales—some true, some not—passed on by word of mouth and although often interpreted differently, the magic holds true for those possessing a pure heart. ’Tis said, if one gathers nine holly leaves and wraps them tight, using nine knots to bind them, and places them beneath their pillow, their dreams will come true.

From the Enchanted Highlands comes the first of three tales of time travel romance intertwined with the magic of the season and forever love—Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

   

∞∞∞

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the legend behind the novella Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

 

Twelvetide at Amazon.

 

 

∞∞∞

Other books from the Enchanted Highlands Holiday Collection:

Stars and Stones

By April Holthaus

 

Once Upon a Winter Solstice

By Victoria Zak

~Dawn Marie

Excerpt Wednesday - Caelan Awaits Ashley's Return - Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

An excerpt from a special holiday novella, Twelvetide, Twelve Nights of Highland Magic...

 

∞∞∞

 

In-between

 

Cael hadn’t kenned that the moment of death for a life cut short would begin a repetitive cycle of loneliness stuck within the in-between, only able to cross into the hidden garden maze when the veil thinned and ripped.

A ghost. He’d become a wretched ghost.

Since meeting the wee lass, he’d haunted the maze during each Yule hopeful Ashley would visit with her family to attend the festivities and he’d catch a glimpse of her as she grew to womanhood. He rubbed his empty chest over the spot where his heart would beat had he been alive. He’d kenned all along she wouldn’t come until the time was right. Still, he’d roamed the forsaken place year after year, ever yearning.

He’d sensed during the waning autumn the time neared for her return. The veil thinned, though not fast enough to suit him. Over the years, he’d never once doubted her commitment to their promise. Movement on the other side of the misty, diaphanous fabric separating the earth from the realms of the supernatural made him jounce on his heels with excitement.

There! Ashley stood beside the dolphin fountain—a newer addition to the ancient Druid garden. The maze wouldn’t appear until the solstice, but she had come as promised.

Freezing rain fell, yet still she’d come. He hoped she didn’t catch a chill from the foul weather. In one hand she held a lantern to light the way. With the other, she lifted the hood of her coat and covered her hair, but not before he noted its luster. He wanted to run his fingers through the dark brown locks the color of the finest sable fur, imagining their softness. A flush reddened her cheeks and her firm lips curved in a pout. He wanted to kiss those lips and wrap his arms around her and feel her life-giving force.

Cael could do none of that. He made a fist then flexed the fingers. For all the saints, he was a ghost. An apparition without substance. Yet Durrell had assured him on Ashley’s earlier visit that the wee lass held within her heart his destiny.

Her amber gaze darted from place to place in search of something. Likely the maze, which wouldn’t appear until the exact moment of the solstice.

Too soon. She’d come too soon.

Ashley turned toward the gate to leave and his chest tightened in panic.

Please don’t go!

She spun back as if she heard the words in his head. Kenned he stood there. Impossible. The veil hadn’t thinned enough. Not yet. He could do naught but watch in disappointment as she frowned, shook her head, and walked away.

When the Druid woman appeared, the vise on his chest loosened. The light-bearer would guide Ashley to him. ’Twas their destiny.

However, another obstacle awaited them. Durrell, the gatekeeper, had also revealed the elders required Cael to make a sacrifice. Nae matter. He would do whatever they required.

∞∞∞

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this wee excerpt from the novella Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic.

 

Twelvetide at Amazon.

 

~Dawn Marie

Excerpt Wednesday: Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic by Dawn Marie Hamilton

He has twelve nights to gain her love. She has twelve nights to save his soul. Here is an excerpt from a ghostly holiday novella...

∞∞∞

“You came. I hoped. Prayed.” Cael reached forward to clasp both of Ashley’s hands, forgetting he had no substance and slipped through. He felt something. A tingling, but not the smooth sensation of skin stroking skin he so desired.

Her eyes widened. “Your hands went right through mine.”

“I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t. It’s just…I thought.” She frowned. “Well, I don’t know what I thought. You’re still a ghost. I had hoped, perhaps, you might be more real now. More solid. You claimed to be my destiny.”

“I am.”

“I don’t see how.” A carved stone bench appeared at the base of the oak tree. Ashley gave a yelp and jumped back; fingers fluttered near her throat. “Did you do that?”

“Nae. I dinnae have the ability to wield magic.” He scraped a hand over his head, frustrated with the awkwardness between them. “The garden is enchanted. You ken?”

“Well, yeah, I’ve witnessed the maze appear out of thin air.” She tossed her head, dark brown hair flowing over a slender shoulder.

He lifted a hand to touch the lustrous tresses. Remembering he wouldn’t be able to feel their fine texture, he pulled back. “Perhaps you would like to sit with me?”

She dropped to the bench, and he joined her. Though their thighs appeared to touch, he felt no mass against him. How could they possibly have a shared destiny?

He sensed her nervousness. What should he say to put her at ease? “I feared you would not come,” he blurted.

She smiled and the sun shined upon him. “We pinky swore.”

“Aye, that we did.”

“So now that I’m here…”

“Aye?”

“Explain how you are my destiny.”

He hesitated a moment too long, and she sighed heavily.

“Listen. I came because I promised. I came because you claimed to be my destiny. Actually, I came because…I want to be with you.” She twisted her body to face him and attempted to touch his cheek. Failing, she frowned and folded her hands in her lap. “To be honest, I don’t understand how we could ever be together. Am I missing something?”

“I have nae explanation.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Durrell, the Druid gatekeeper, told me our destinies are entwined, but nae more.”

“Wait a minute. The caretaker at the manor house is named Durrell. Perhaps he’s playing a cruel joke on both of us.”

“I dinnae think so. He came to me when you were a wee bairn. Did Aileen not explain more to you?”

“Aileen? You know of her?”

“I have watched you and her from the other side of the veil. She is a Druid light-bearer—your guide.”

“She hasn’t told me anything about you, except…” Ashley blushed. “Never mind about that. I want to know more about this destiny thing.”

“I wish I had the answers you seek.”

“What would you like to know?” Aileen had arrived in her quiet way. A holly wreath adorned her silver head in the way of Druid women and she wore a white linen gown cinched at the waist with silver braid. Her silver eyes pierced him.

Caelan rose at her approach and inclined his head in respect. Ashley jumped up beside him.

“Durrell has spoken with you, Caelan Innes?” the light-bearer asked.

“He informed me of Ashley and my entwined destinies. Aye. But how can that be as I am a ghost and a living heart beats beneath her breast? There is no way for us to be together.”

∞∞∞

Hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic, an Enchanted Highlands Holiday Novella.

 

Twelvetide exclusively at Amazon.

~Dawn Marie

Celtic symbology and the holly maze in Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

In Celtic symbology, the labyrinth, or maze, represents pathway(s) leading to the center of one’s spirit. ‘Tis said one should release burdens on the way to the center of the maze then accept what is needed most on the way out . For Twelvetide, I used a holly maze to unite the heroine, Ashley, with her destined mate, Caelan, and thusly combine their spirits. Or at least, that is what I hope the book’s readers take away from the symbology.

Postcard available at  CardCow.com.

The holly maze in Twelvetide was modeled after the maze depicted in this sixties vintage postcard featuring the holly maze at the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg on sale at Cardcow.com. I imagined the Twelvetide holly maze as more expansive and with only one tree at its center, an ancient oak. The spot where Caelan awaits Ashley, first when she was seven and later, more importantly, when she was a grown woman.

Unfortunately, it is my understanding the maze at Williamsburg is now privet and much shorter.

 

An excerpt from Twelvetide:

Ashley raced across the car park. The flame in the lantern flickered, its beam of light dancing crazily over the snow-covered, icy gravel. Slipping, she teetered, but regained balance. Hurry. She hadn’t come this far only to be too late. She slid to a stop at the gate and fumbled with the key. Dammit, her hands shook. Hurry. Hurry. She inserted the key and twisted. Crap. It didn’t fit quite right. With firm jiggling, she forced the key into position. The locking mechanism finally clicked. With a relieved sigh, she pushed the grille open and stepped within the ancient garden.

The maze wasn’t there. Was she too early or too late?

Precipitation no longer fell and the storm clouds slid away on a south-easterly wind. A bright half-moon cast silvery illumination over the landscape, diminishing the need for the lantern. She strolled toward the dolphin fountain. A dazzling light flashed in the sky, blinding her for a moment. When Ashley’s vision cleared, everything had changed.

The garden was as she remembered.

Bright sunbeams shimmered down from a cloudless cerulean sky. A warm breeze carried the mingled scents of roses and honeysuckle. Ashley parked the lantern on the edge of the fountain and dropped her wool coat to the ground as she had as a child. Pulse racing, she walk-ran over the stepping stone path to the holly maze.

With the key clutched in a firm grip, she hesitated at the entrance, swallowed hard, and entered the winding twists and turns. On her last visit, she’d had the blond-headed boy to follow through the maze. Where was he now? Would Cael be at the oak tree, if and when she found it?

Close your eyes and trust in your heart.

“Who said that?” The androgynous voice sounded corporeal, but no one was there. Was it a ghostly voice? Was Cael haunting the maze, trying to spook her with a disguised voice?

Why would he do that? He’d made her promise to return to him.

Believe in the magic and find your heart’s desire.

Ashley shivered, spooked by the voice in her head. Get a grip, Ashley. You’ve been waiting to return to the garden for what felt like a lifetime. She inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes. Ignoring mounting anxiety, she groped with her hands like a child playing blind man’s bluff, and walked straight into a prickly holly hedge.

“Ouch!” She popped her eyes open and stuck a stinging finger into her mouth.

Damn. This wasn’t working and time was wasting away. She didn’t know how long she’d have with Cael before the magic expired. She shoved the key into a jeans pocket and took the first right. Hung a left. Another left. Turned right and hit a dead end. Grrr!

“Cael, where are you?” she shouted.

No response. With fisted hands, she retraced her steps then went right again. Left. Left. Left. Ending at a T-juncture. Ashley jammed her hands in her pants pockets and blew out a puff of air. Should she go right or left?

“Please, Cael, help me find you.”

Close your eyes. Believe in the magic.

That strange voice again. She swallowed uneasily, wary of such potent magic. Well, she’d just need to get over her apprehensions if she wanted to find Cael. And she did want to find him.

Okay. She closed her eyes, waiting, listening to silence.

Hmmmm. A faint humming. Should she? Slowly. One step at a time. Twisting and turning. She followed the hum through the maze. Astonishingly, she managed not to walk into the shrubbery walls. After taking a countless number of turns, the droning sound rose in pitch no longer mellifluous. She popped her eyes wide. The irritating noise instantly died.

In the center of the square clearing, the large oak tree stood proud as she remembered.

Her heart plummeted. He wasn’t there. Cael wasn’t there. Her shoulders drooped. Moisture pricked the back of her eyes.

Cael stepped from behind the tree, sporting a sexy grin. Damn, the man, the real man, was hotter than her dreams.

Ashley’s insides turned to mush. She ran toward him and stopped just short.

99 cents or free with Kindle Unlimited

Twelvetide is part of the Enchanted Highlands collection from authors April Holthaus, Victoria Zak, and Dawn Marie Hamilton and can be found at Amazon for a limited time.



~Dawn Marie

Secret Realm's New Year's Blog Hop with Dawn Marie Hamilton

Welcome to the hop!

Thanks for joining us and hopping along. If you need to pop over to the hop's Facebook event page, click on the above graphic.

Happy New Year! I wish you and your family all the best for 2016. But consider taking a wee trip to a magical garden with me today. To a place slathered with magic. To the Enchanted Highlands of Scotland. To a place where, on the winter solstice, the veil between realms thins and easily tears, and a soul might find oneself transported to another time.

The Enchanted Highlands collection:

Three magical love stories from three Celtic authors --
April Holthaus, Victoria Zak, and Dawn Marie Hamilton. Available at Amazon for a limited time at 99 cents or free with Kindle Unlimited.


My contribution to the collection:

Twelvetide (Twelve Nights of Highland Magic)
By Dawn Marie Hamilton

He has twelve nights to gain her love.
She has twelve nights to save his soul.

Fulfilling a childhood promise, Ashley Dumont returns to an ancient Druid garden in the Black Hills of Scotland on the eve of the winter solstice—a time when magic hums and the veil between realms thins and tears, allowing all manner of supernatural creatures through. Will the ghost who claimed to be her destiny still be there?

Caelan Innes awaits her arrival. Unjustly murdered in the sixteenth century, a second chance at life depends on this woman. The Druids grant them the twelve nights of Yule to find love and save Cael’s soul. Will a trip through time and the treachery of enemies make the sacrifice too dear?

Excerpt:

“Then again…” The woman frowned. “I’m afraid the veil is rather thick this year. So few believers.”

“Believers? What do you mean?”

“Those who embrace magic.”

“What does magic have to do with Cael?”

“Ah, so it’s Caelan you seek. He is braw, is he not?”

Ashley had dreamed of Cael since the age of seven. First as a playmate, then as a co-conspirator, and more recently as a lover. If memory—and dreams—served, he was hot, sexy, and to live for. Long blond hair framed emerald eyes, gorgeous hair tumbled over broad shoulders. Tall. At least, he’d towered over the child she’d been. He stood tall in her fantasies. Her nipples hardened in response to the recollection of the last steamy dream featuring Cael as hero.

“You must believe in magic, in all its forms, to save Caelan from an undeserved fate within the in-between.”

She snapped attention back to Aileen. “Tell me what I must do.”

“Do you believe? Truly believe?”

“In magic? I think I do.”

“Your heart, your soul, your mind must be dedicated. Especially your heart.”

She’d lost her heart to Cael a long time ago. She’d do whatever it took to find him and learn what he meant when he claimed to be her destiny. She prayed he spoke the truth.

“There will be dangers.” Aileen’s earnest features put a knot in Ashley’s already churning stomach.

Ashley nodded. “I must find Cael. I promised.”

“Ach, well, then collect nine leaves from the holly tree.” She pointed to a berry-laden tree at the garden’s edge. “Prick your finger on one of the leaves, leaving behind a droplet of blood. Wrap the leaves in linen and add a teardrop. Tie the cloth with nine knots and tie the ends together in a lover’s knot. Place the packet beneath your pillow tonight and your dreams will come true within this ancient garden at the hour of the solstice.”

Before Ashley had a chance to ask a question, the woman slipped away as silently as she’d arrived. Ashley worried her bottom lip. What Aileen described seemed an odd bit of witches’ hocus pocus. But if one believed in ghosts…

***Giveaway***

I'll gift a kindle edition of one of my books to three hop visitors, who answer the question -- when does the veil between realms thin in the magic garden -- by leaving a comment, email address, and preferred gift book below. All my books can be found at Amazon. Good luck!

***Please leave your email address and choice of book with your answer in the comments. If you wish it to remain private, email the entry to author@dawnmariehamilton.com Thanks!***

*Note: the giveaway runs through midnight January 17th. Winners will be notified on Tuesday, January 19th. Thank you for participating in the hop!

Please consider following me on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Now, to continue with the hop, visit Tina Donahue, and then Maureen L Bonatch, or return to the event page. Have fun hopping!


~Dawn Marie

Winter Solstice and Twelvetide by Dawn Marie Hamilton

In 2015, the Winter Solstice takes place on December 21^st at 11:48 P.M. EST—the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year.

To many, the Twelve Days of Christmas fall between Christmas and the Epiphany. To others the festival of Yule begins on the eve of the Winter Solstice and continues for twelve nights ending on Twelfth Night—New Year’s Eve.

 

“During this time of Yule, we honor the beginning of the sun’s return and the breaking of winter. Let the evening’s feasting begin.”

~Lachlan Og, Chief of Clan MacLachlan

Excerpted from Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic,
 an Enchanted Highlands novella by Dawn Marie Hamilton

 

Twlevetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic, one of three holiday novellas in the Enchanted Highlands collection, begins on the eve of the Winter Solstice with the dark moment climaxing just prior to Twelfth Night. Twlevetide—the twelve nights of Yule.

A variety of celebratory diversions were enjoyed by the well-to-do during Yule and, perhaps, shared with their people or clan: feasting, storytelling, masking, music, and dance, along with other revelry,

‘Twas also considered a time when supernatural forces roamed freely—when the spirits of the dead returned to earth.

 

“Every year on the winter solstice the veil between realms thins and then tears and as Twelvetide progresses the breach between the earth and the otherworld allows all manner of supernatural creatures, including the spirits of the dead, like me, to travel through and roam the earth.”

“Aye. During the twelve days, the fiercest of spirits—men, horses, hellhounds—follow their leader on wild hunts, riding the stormy night skies, causing havoc and mayhem.”

~Caelan Innes

Excerpted from Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic,
 an Enchanted Highlands novella by Dawn Marie Hamilton

 

 

 

Enchanted Highlands is available at Amazon for 99 cents or free with Kindle Unlimited.

 

 

 

~Dawn Marie

 

Cover Reveal - Twelvetide: Twelve Nights of Highland Magic by Dawn Marie Hamilton

Twelvetide

Twelve Nights of Highland Magic

An Enchanted Highlands Time Travel Novella

Featured in the Enchanted Highlands Collection

Releasing at Amazon in early December

He has twelve nights to gain her love. She has twelve nights to save his soul.

Fulfilling a childhood promise, Ashley Dumont returns to an ancient Druid garden in the Black Hills of Scotland on the eve of the winter solstice—a time when magic hums and the veil between realms thins and tears, allowing all manner of supernatural creatures through. Will the ghost who claimed to be her destiny still be there?

Caelan Innes awaits her arrival. Unjustly murdered in the sixteenth century, a second chance at life depends on this woman. The Druids grant them the twelve nights of Yule to find love and save Cael’s soul.

~Dawn Marie