A few people have asked me about the fairies in Moon Over Donamorgh. They aren’t your normal Disney fairies at all, but they also don’t fit into the usual Seelie or Unseelie lexicon. If you haven’t read Moon Over Donamorgh yet (why haven’t you? Go buy it, now!), here’s how Bashen is described when Seamus first meets him:
(Seamus) never saw movement, but he suddenly knew that he wasn’t alone, that someone waited next to him with amused patience. Seamus turned his head to the side and then down, forcing himself to stay perfectly still at the sight of the creature squatting on the stump next to him. He looked like a little man, but a man with long ears tapering to points above his head. His nose was long, with a small black muzzle, and he had short brown fur that resembled soft, brushed hide. He stood a little more than a foot high, naked, with thin legs spread wide in his squat, balanced by equally thin arms, fingers and toes long and delicate. He seemed to shimmer, fading in and out a bit, but always there.
So what kind of fairy is Bashen? Where did I get the idea for him and his band of forest dwellers?
These fairies are really a combination of my imagination and Irish myths. The Irish have always had stories of strange creatures living alongside, but not with, human beings. One website which was instrumental for me is Hidden Ireland – A guide to Irish fairies.
Bashen most closely resembles the Grogoch, although that’s not what he is. Remember, in the end, I just made him up.
If Bashen and the others were real, I think they would fit quite nicely into the Seelie side of things. In Moon Over Donamorgh, my fairies fade into and out of a place they call Elsewhere. I have no doubt this place is in some hidden corner of the Shadow Lands.
One of the things I love about Irish myths, is how they flow right along with everyday life. The Fair Folk were a common and normal part of life, albeit, a slightly dangerous part. Care must always be taken when dealing with them. These are the fairies I wanted as friends of Seamus and partners with Donamorgh. Together, they can create a magic powerful enough to save their forest.
Marlene Dotterer 
That is definitely a different description from the norm. Though I’ve read of fae folk as small folk, tall folk pointy ears, no pointy ears, godmotherly and of course, some just plain evil.
Thanks for the post! Yes, the website was a long time coming, wasn’t it 🙂 ?
I’m so glad Moon Over Donamorgh is out! And I couldn’t agree more with your Goodreads reviewer. This one is my second favourite of your books (right behind Worlds Apart, of course!). And the fact that Bashen looked like the old myths and legends I’d read as a child was why I loved your version of the Little Folk in the first place. Good luck with it! I think it will sell wonderfully well!