top of page

WELCOME

to Traces of Magic

by

Rev. Patrick Dolan

Traces of Magic
Books by Rev. Patrick Dolan
(Available in audiobook, paperback and e-book)

Rustic characters use good magic and prayers to help unicorns and other creatures stop an assassin's guild from inserting a weather control spell into a pre-colonial Kentucky valley.

A spell book from an assassin sorcerer causes fear in the city and its destruction lets in a major devil whose very touch kills by fear.  Plans to heal the rupture begin.

Trapping that devil requires all members of the community (clerics, magic users, holy knights, druids, barbarians and rangers) to trick the devil back into hell and reweave the protection net.

After the devil is gone, the Assassins still hold the weather control spell and the characters seek to remove it from their power without damaging the valley.  

Click on any book to find out more information and see a sample of each on Amazon.

Traces of Magic - 1 minute Video Trailer

​Excerpt from the Kirkus review, where they mislabeled these "folklore literature" stories as fantasy:  "This first book in Dolan’s fantasy series has an intriguing premise, which the author discusses in some detail in the foreword; in it, he intriguingly notes that the inspiration for this novel came from his own speculation on what a Celtic-Norse community might have been like if, in the 12th century, it had settled in an uninhabited region of what’s now Kentucky."

​​​

"Each book in the Traces of Magic series is a riveting magical adventure story so blended with reality that it will make you wonder if it really could have happened."   

--Dr. David Overley, MD, Louisville Kentucky

 About the author

 

Father Patrick Dolan is a retired US Army Brigadier General chaplain who served more than 28 years (including 4 times in Iraq)--concluding his duties with the National Guard, where he mentored all the state chaplains in the Nation, and also gave spiritual guidance to all National Guard Generals.  His experience there, as well as a PhD chemist and as a Catholic priest, flavors all the characters.

Contact info: 

Our Mother of Sorrows parish

747 Harrison Ave

Louisville, KY 40217  or

MUCL@hotmail.com

From an Educator: “Traces of Magic” is a truly epic, ingenious, imaginary journey not only across the clearly identifiable landscape of Kentucky, but across another landscape that reveals the profound impact our choices have to promote good or evil, fear or courage, love or hate. As a Catholic school principal, it is refreshing to read a book for young readers that is both adventurous and suspenseful while highlighting the importance of knowing and living the truths of our faith in a way that is transferable to real world experiences. To get the full impact, however, you must read the entire series; it is a landscape you will not easily forget!

Kathy Fehder, 

Corpus Christi Catholic School Headmaster,

Simpsonville, KY

With hope and prayers that all my Facebook friends ae staying safe and warm, I report from midtown Louisville that we only had about 8 inches of snow, but intermingled with ice. Thanks be to God that all the power has remained on, or the intense cold and still clogged roads and side streets would make caring for our more fragile members even more difficult. Travel is still dangerous here, for both the local post office and grocery store was closed all day today. The crew that clears the parish sidewalks and parking lot were here at midnight last night and did an amazing job. The little bit I was out made me remember the dangerous cold of Korea in January 1990 and the risky actions some of our soldiers took simply to stay warm. I still remember the hypothermia and the touch of frostbite I got there, so I’m being particularly careful. Here’s hope that the stores will be open and accessible tomorrow, when I have another treatment. Thanks to your prayers and some Tylenol, the soreness from those radiation treatments is a bit more bearable. My prayers go out to those who are suffering from various similar troubles, compounded by the cold. Some theologians claim that hell is so filled with hate that this intense coldness pales by comparison—and hell is eternal. Perhaps this storm is a prelude to helping us all prepare well for the penances of Lent? May God get you through this well! Snowy blessings!

Book of Poems: 'Vigil Light Echoes'
now available for free download
​
​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folks have asked for the book of poems and prayers that has just been completed. We are uploading it for free, and it can be shared with anyone interested.

​

Click each box to download its article, or a hard copy can be purchased from the printer, New Hope Publications, which has added it to their catalogue.

 

Blessings!

 

Fr. Pat

Today's Blog:

With hope and prayers that all my Facebook friends ae staying safe and warm, I report from midtown Louisville that we only had about 8 inches of snow, but intermingled with ice.  Thanks be to God that all the power has remained on, or the intense cold and still clogged roads and side streets would make caring for our more fragile members even more difficult.  Travel is still dangerous here, for both the local post office and grocery store was closed all day today.

 

The crew that clears the parish sidewalks and parking lot were here at midnight last night and did an amazing job.  The little bit I was out made me remember the dangerous cold of Korea in January 1990 and the risky actions some of our soldiers took simply to stay warm.  I still remember the hypothermia and the touch of frostbite I got there, so I’m being particularly careful.  Here’s hope that the stores will be open and accessible tomorrow, when I have another treatment.

 

Thanks to your prayers and some Tylenol, the soreness from those radiation treatments is a bit more bearable.  My prayers go out to those who are suffering from various similar troubles, compounded by the cold.  Some theologians claim that hell is so filled with hate that this intense coldness pales by comparison—and hell is eternal.  Perhaps this storm is a prelude to helping us all prepare well for the penances of Lent?  May God get you through this well!  Snowy blessings!

bottom of page