To conclude book three in my trilogy Of the Wing, I returned to its setting: Black Castle, on the shores of Lough Gur, County Limerick, Ireland. In ruins since the 1600’s, Black Castle stood for centuries on the western approach to Knockadoon, a promontory over looking the “Enchanted Lake.” Here people have been living for more than six thousand years. An archeological treasure trove, the area is also rich in folklore wherein mythology, legend, and history converge to carry wisdom throughout the ages. And the common message of that wisdom is this: the natural world is magical.
Six years ago, I went to Ireland to find the perfect setting to conclude my trilogy about a young girl seeking an explanation for her power to attract birds of forest, field, and water. What better place to find the answer than the Emerald Isle? In Lough Gur, I found the perfect setting—an enchanted lake with tales of magic that span millennia. But I also needed a castle. Local author and historian Michael Quinlan (who wrote the Lough Gur Trilogy) suggested that I “resurrect” Black Castle, that is, create it anew in fiction. His was the perfect solution!
Here you see me standing before what was once the entrance to Black Castle (built in the thirteenth century). I hope you will soon come to explore it with me in my upcoming third book, Defender of the Wing.