Birthstones and Dreams

Since my birthday is in March, aquamarine is my birthstone. I wear it frequently, either on my college class ring, or my mom’s mother’s ring, plus I have various earrings and some blue topazes that pass pretty well for the real thing. Something I didn’t know until recently is that aquamarine is part of the beryl group of gemstones, meaning it shares the same chemical composition as an emerald, just like rubies and sapphires are different color variations of the same mineral.

Oddly enough, I do have a story in my backlist featuring aquamarines. In my gargoyle series, Heroes of Stone, each book involves a gem, tied to each of the four magical elements. Aquamarine, of course, represents water, and my hero and heroine search for a magical cup, studded with the blue-green stones. You can read their story in Stone and Water, available from Ellora’s Cave, wherever e-books are sold.

Not only do I love the stones, I’ve always loved the sea, which, to me, they represent. I come from many, many generations of maritime sailors, and never feel more at home than when I’m in the water, though regrettably I live inland. I also live in the US, which means I haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time around my other childhood fantasy, castles. They draw me in, whether they're elegant manors or blood-soaked ruins. I’ve seen a few built here, copying the styles, and even one or two moved over stone by stone from Europe, and even those fascinate me. Someday, I promise myself, I’m going to England, Scotland and Ireland to spend lots of time touring the real thing. Maybe I'll even be lucky enough to see a ghost.

The March theme couldn’t be more up my alley, and since I’m about ¼ Irish, I’ll end this with one of my favorite blessings. May the road rise to meet you, and may the wind be always at your back.

Slainte!