The Australian Standing Stones began as an ambitious project by a small, dedicated group of citizens who wanted to mark Glen Innes's Celtic heritage.

It was in Australia's 1988 Bicentenary Year that the Celtic Council of Australia developed the idea of erecting a national monument to honour all Celtic peoples who helped pioneer Australia.

The Australian Standing Stones began as an ambitious project by a small, dedicated group of citizens who wanted to mark Glen Innes's Celtic heritage.

It was in Australia's 1988 Bicentenary Year that the Celtic Council of Australia developed the idea of erecting a national monument to honour all Celtic peoples who helped pioneer Australia.

The Connemara Stone Company have been together since 1995, and all played previously in various Folk-Rock Groups, which is soon obvious when you see them live on stage. Right from the start they decided to rearrange Traditional Celtic music into modern Folk-Rock songs and tunes. Apart from that, it was very important to them to bring Folk music to the younger generation.

Shae Clancy and Francine Nicholson have collected essays from Celtic scholars to form a fascinating book that helps to explain the difference between Celtic fact (what we actually know) from Celtic fiction (what we speculate). Sadly, the book has never been published and Francine passed away in 2003. Shae has enabled the book to be published on the web.

Francine Nicholson, M.A., was a librarian in New England and scholar of all things Celtic. The loss of her passing, perhaps appropriately on 1 February 2003 (Imbolc), is poignantly crystallised by fellow Celtic scholar, David Stifter: 'It is very sad news to hear that Francine Nicholson has left us. She had a vast and astounding erudition and knowledge of Celtic mythology and folklore, and her contributions . . . were a great source of enrichment and information. I feel it as a heavy loss that she will no longer contribute to our discussions.'

Damh is a modern-day Bard whose spirituality, and love of folk tradition, is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic traditions his performances are both entertaining and educational, weaving a tapestry of myth, peace, and anthems that speak directly to the heart, but never without a good splash of humour. Damh is a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood.

Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her husband, Michael, and their two dogs, Hercules and Xena. Kelley was born with a vivid imagination and a fascination with ancient history and the supernatural. Though she resides on the earthly realm, she always has one foot firmly planted in the otherworldly realm of mystical creatures and magic. She has written numerous short stories and song lyrics. This is her first novel. In addition to writing books, she also enjoys playing and writing music, and designing crosses out of driftwood.

Currently, she is working on a sequel to Of Water and Dragons. Of Water and Dragons can be found on her website, www.kelleyheckart.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksurge.com and many other online stores. If your local bookstore doesn't have it in stock, it can easily be ordered.

With the land falling into Saxon hands, the Christian monks make a pact with Morgaine, Queen of the Faeries. She promises to give them a High King who will unite the Britons against the Saxons if he takes a queen from the faery realm. She hopes this will restore the Goddess faith, bringing Avalon back to its rightful place and not hidden within the mists. Lancelot is sent to guard the future High King, but when a love potion falls into the wrong hands, all seems lost. Gwenhwyfar is the only hope for the future, but betrayal, revenge and forbidden love surround her, threatening to destroy the lives of four people, and send Britain and Avalon into ruins.

Thank you to Kelley for contributing her story to the show - I can't wait to read this lusty tale. For more information about Kelley and her books, see our Contributor page.