Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you of Irish heritage or the desire to celebrate with fab food like Soda Bread, fish and chips, and green beer!
When my daughter was in Kindergarten the teachers honored St. Patrick’s day with “Lenny the Leprechaun”. He would pull all sorts of mischief throughout the day: moving chairs, turning snacks green, and leaving a trail of glitter in his wake and in turn the children would build traps, hoping to catch him. In honor of all the lighthearted fun and mischief to be had in fiction featuring Celtic lore, I decided to look at Celtic elements of paranormal romance novels.
Among the many things that come to mind when I think of Ireland, the rich storytelling traditions are at the top of the list. Many a paranormal romance author has capitalized (and rightly so) on the legends, both fun and frightening, that populate Celtic history and mythology.
One of my favorite Nora Roberts trilogies is the Gallagher trilogy set on the Irish coast in Ardmore. (Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea) You might not class this as a paranormal romance series, but with an original fairy tale featuring a lonely ghost and an irritable fae prince, it has definite Celtic elements of a paranormal romance novel.
By weaving the wistful local legend with the budding contemporary relationships, Roberts adds a layer of emotion, risk, and romance to an already romantic story.
Roberts has set many of her romance novels in Ireland, and connected many, many more to Ireland by family or legend, starting with her first published novel, Irish Thoroughbred. I find her use of Celtic elements for paranormal romance novels (whether you call them that or not) wonderfully entertaining. Before the Gallaghers, there were the Donovans (a family of various mystical talents) and one of my all time favorite single titles from Nora was the Three Fates.
Of course there are plenty of authors who use Celtic lore as an element of paranormal romance, but Roberts truly focuses on the Irish side of the coin.
Live the adventure!
