Monday, April 30, 2018

Here Be News

Posted by: Veronica Scott
New Releases:

The Ceph Sector by Jenny Schwartz

A fabulous science fiction adventure.When you're hunting mysterious aliens, it helps to have friends in strange places. The Ceph Sector is a new and exciting space opera. It's at the special price of 99c for a short time or Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it for free.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CMRH2ZY/



    
Other News:

Bring It Back(list) Feature:


Storm Warned excerpt  by Dani Harper - The book blurb: 

When Caris’s unearthly musical talent attracts the attention of the Wild Hunt, the Welsh farm girl is stolen away to serve as a faery grim, a herald of death. Two centuries later, she’s finally escaped back to the human world—and into the present-day life of a reclusive and heartbroken American musician.

Music was Liam’s whole life—until a crushing betrayal left him desperate to flee the public eye. Yet long-dormant passions awaken within him after a powerful storm strands a beautiful, strong-willed woman on his isolated farm. When a Fae prince bent on ruling both human and faery realms threatens Caris’s life, Liam must decide if he can finally believe in love again, not just for her sake—but for the sake of two worlds.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Bring It Back(list) - STORM WARNED by Dani Harper

Posted by: Dani Harper, Author
LEGEND ∙  LORE ∙  LOVE ∙  MAGIC

Passionate musicians Caris and Liam grew up centuries apart. When their fates collide, they must learn to trust each other and work together to stop a dark force from seizing both Fae and human worlds.
.....

From the back cover of STORM WARNED:

When Caris’s unearthly musical talent attracts the attention of the Wild Hunt, the Welsh farm girl is stolen away to serve as a faery grim, a herald of death. Two centuries later, she’s finally escaped back to the human world—and into the present-day life of a reclusive and heartbroken American musician.

Music was Liam’s whole life—until a crushing betrayal left him desperate to flee the public eye. Yet long-dormant passions awaken within him after a powerful storm strands a beautiful, strong-willed woman on his isolated farm. When a Fae prince bent on ruling both human and faery realms threatens Caris’s life, Liam must decide if he can finally believe in love again, not just for her sake—but for the sake of two worlds.


Storm Warned is Book 3 of
the Grim Series
EXCERPT 1:


The sound of shattering glass woke him, and for a moment Liam didn’t know where he was. Another crash from somewhere above cleared some of the sleep from his brain, but the roaring in his ears continued. Wind, he realized suddenly. A hellacious storm was shaking the entire house to its century-old foundations. He’d fallen asleep in front of the damn TV again, but it was off and so were the lights. Power must be –

Twin bolts of lightning struck close by, and instinct had him diving for the floor behind the couch just as something exploded in the yard. Before he could take another breath, thunder battered his senses until he was forced to clamp his hands over his ears. The floor beneath him vibrated and shards of glass and wood rained down around him. And something huge, dark and heavy came crashing down beside him like a damn refrigerator, narrowly missing him.

When the tumult finally died away, lightning continued to flare and flicker, enabling him to see part of a tree impaling the living room wall, stripped of all branches like a giant’s spear – and right where Brewster the Mooster had always hung. Uncle Conell’s ancient trophy had been named by a three-year-old Liam, and was practically part of the family. Now the searing flashes of light revealed the enormous stuffed head upside down mere inches from to Liam’s hiding place. Its monstrous antlers had been driven into the floorboards, and one glass eye hung free like something out of a horror movie.

Every window in the room had shattered, and the force of the wind drove the rain sideways through the opening, the furious drops soaking everything.

Cautiously, Liam rose and felt his way to the kitchen where a collection of candles, flashlights, and battery-filled lanterns collected dust on top of the fridge. He grabbed a lantern, and tucked a small penlight in his pocket, but with the near-continuous flashes from the storm, he quickly realized there was little point in turning either light on. No point going upstairs either – the sound alone was enough to tell him that the windows were gone up there as well, and he couldn’t do anything more about that than about the broken glass that blanketed the living room. 

Suddenly the house shook hard enough that pictures fell from walls in every room, as if to underscore that this was no ordinary thunderstorm. Tornadoes were rare here but not unheard of, and Liam decided to err on the side of caution, taking shelter in the bottom of a solidly-built hallway closet. 

Whose bright idea was it to put the door to the damn cellar on the outside of the house?

EXCERPT 2:

In the human world, the horizon was just blushing with dawn, yet evening was new as Caris returned to the Nine Realms, and the moon had not reached its height. The cool air was thick with the scents of exotic night-blooming flowers, and strange constellations glittered high above. She would never understand how the faery kingdom could lie far beneath the Black Mountains of Wales and yet have a sun and moon and stars! It should be black as Hades here, dark and suffocating, but all was brighter and more vivid than the world above, even at night.

The beauty did not cheer her, however. Her appointed task had taken her to a sullen young man who routinely stabbed his body with needles. Thinking the great black dog in his room was a hallucination, he’d thrown an ale bottle at her, then laughed out loud when it passed right through her as if she were a ghost. Like most of the human world, he had forgotten the old faery legends—if he had ever heard of them at all. But whether or not he understood her purpose, he would still be dead the next day of his habit.

The thought made her soul sick, and as always, Caris loathed her morbid role. She cared about the people she appeared to—and surely that was the worst quality in the world for a death dog to possess. She couldn’t seem to help herself, though she suspected the heartache would eventually kill her soul. So far, she hadn’t forgotten what it was to be mortal herself, hadn’t forgotten what it was like to be part of the human world above. Not yet. Other grims, she knew, eventually lost sight of their origins, especially the ones who had been among the Fair Ones for a very long time. Some began to worship their fae captors, who surpassed all human dreams of beauty. Other grims became despondent, wishing that the death they foretold was their own, or they stopped feeling emotion at all, as if their hearts had died within them. Far too many turned cruel, deriving great pleasure in frightening or tormenting those whom they were sent to warn.

Caris still attempted to lessen people’s fears. She behaved calmly, tried not to surprise them, and she certainly didn’t chase them. In fact, she tried to model her behavior from the loyal and friendly collies her da had kept with the sheep. Sadly, it didn’t work very often. Not surprising when all grims were black as sin itself, and monstrous in size. Most were like mastiffs or like wolves. Some had glowing eyes, and their very appearance was designed to inspire raw terror, even if the person had no idea what the dog’s morbid mission was.

Though tall as a man’s waist, Caris was more slightly built than the other grims. More like a deerhound, she thought—as far as she could discern without being able to see her reflection—or perhaps it was because she was female.


And the only female grim at that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

KINDLE EBOOK SALE 
April 1-30, 2018

THE GRIM SERIES by Dani Harper

The fae are cunning, powerful and often cruel. The most beautiful among them are often the most deadly. Hidden far beneath the mortal world, the timeless faery realm plays by its own rules—and those rules can change on a whim. Now and again, the unpredictable residents of that mystical land cross the supernatural threshold…

In this enchanting romance series from Dani Harper, the ancient fae come face-to-face with modern-day humans and discover something far more potent than their strongest magic: love.


LEGEND  LORE  LOVE  MAGIC
  
STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, STORM WARNED, STORM CROSSED
Note: Every book in this series is designed to stand alone.
It's fun to read them in order, but you won't get lost if you don't!


See ALL Dani's novels on her Amazon Author Page

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Thursday, April 26, 2018

The Waiting Game

Posted by: Maureen

By Maureen L. Bonatch

I was a reader long before I was a writer. There was nothing more exciting than finding an new author, or series (there still isn’t)However, when I discover my latest favorite author, one book is never enough. 
Like a bag of potato chips, I have to fight the urge to devour them all. So when I would go look for the next book in the series and discover it wasn’t ready yet, I’d become impatient.
 I wanted to demand, How long until the next book? More like—Why is it taking you so long to write it? 
I need to know what’s happening with these characters that have become part of my life! 
Then, I became a writer and realized that sometimes the birth of a book takes longer than anticipated, or the delay might be out of the author’s control. 

Book 2 Where Are You?


My series, The Enchantlings, has one book available (DESTINY CALLING), and I have the next two books in
the series in draft. Book #2 is with my editor, and book #3 is just waiting in line for it’s turn to be polished and produced. (Sorry, to my dismay, no cover to share yet! So I'll share the cover for Book #1.)

The wait for Book 2 (NOT A CHANCE) to finish can be just as frustrating for me as an author, as it is for readers. The difference is that I know there are so many steps from writing the book until it’s available for reader consumption. 
Editing, creating the blurb, cover, tagline etc. etc. They all take time, and a small tribe of people involved in the process. 
Patience for Perfection

Part of me understands the delay because I want to create the best book possible and striving for perfection takes time. Yet, another part of me wants it done…yesterday.
I want to continue the story. But alas, I must wait. So until then I temper my impatience by working on other stories, reading fabulous books—and repeatedly checking my email for my editor. 
Thus, I’m a little more patient as I wait for the next delicious installment from my favorite author. A little, but not much. I still want to devour all the books in one setting. So I must remind myself that taking time to savor can be a good thing.

How Well Do You Wait?


Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her websiteFacebookTwitter

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Why I'm excited for Avengers: Infinity War

Posted by: Angela Korra'ti

Avengers: Infinity War is almost upon us, and as of yesterday I’ve already seen the initial wave of freakouts crashing into the Internet. Which means I’ve had to launch Operation Anna Ignores Most of the Internet Until She Can See the Movie!

If you’re in the same boat I am—i.e., not entirely sure when you’re going to get to see Infinity War—fear not. I am not going to talk about the film in this post. But what I am going to talk about is all the work the MCU has gone to up to this point in order to build their shared universe and ongoing storyline, and why this impresses me as a writer.

When Iron Man dropped in 2008, the moviegoing world was introduced to Tony Stark, incarnated so ably by Robert Downey Jr. Had that been a truly standalone movie, that would have been peachy; Iron Man was huge fun. “But wait,” the closing credits told us at the time, “there’s more!” And there was: Nick Fury showing up in a post-credits scene, to bring Stark the news of the Avengers Initiative. And bringing _us_ the first signs that there was going to be a lot more to this story than one film could show us.

Then in 2011 we got both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. And I was already on board after Iron Man, but Loki and Cap both, in their own spectacular individual fashions, sealed the deal for me. (I could write a whole separate post just on the topic of why I adore Captain America. And may, in fact, next time it’s my turn to post around here. ;D ) But that’s from the perspective of moviegoing audience member.

As a writer, what I really appreciate about the MCU is that over the last decade, they’ve taken the time to show us all these individual characters, which has gotten me to care about them. And at the same time, they’ve kept drawing the individual plot threads closer and closer together. One by one, we’ve seen most of the Infinity Stones show up and have come to learn about their various abilities—in some cases, spectacularly destructive ones. We’ve seen the universe from multiple angles: Earth in various locales. Asgard. The various worlds the Guardians of the Galaxy cast have been to. And, most recently and awesomely, Wakanda. (Which is of course on Earth, but which deserves calling out separately, because good gods I loved Black Panther. But that, again, could be a whole other separate post.)

This is storytelling at an epic scale. Character building across multiple movies—and I almost hesitate to use the term “world building”, since we are dealing with a storyline that spans many, many worlds, so “universe building” is almost more appropriate. I keep seeing posts from various sources on the Internet talking about “superhero fatigue”, but I can safely say that for me, at least, this is so very not a problem. We’re only just now getting to the big climactic fight for a storyline that’s been building over the last ten years—and okay yeah sure that’s asking a lot out of audiences, to stick with a storyline that takes so long to build. But y’all, seriously, I’m an SF/F fan and a devoted reader. I’ve easily taken this long to keep following series of novels that take just as long to build. Doing this for movies? Cake.

And sure, I’ve liked some of the Marvel movies less than others. Some of them I have declined to re-watch, even as I happily go back and watch others over and over again. (The first Captain America is particularly my favorite.) But this, too, is similar to some of my favorite long-running series of novels, wherein I like some installments of the story better than others.

So yeah, I am very, very excited for this latest chapter in the ongoing MCU saga. And trying very hard not to fret about whose chances of surviving this plot are slim! ;D

Talk to me in the comments, y’all! Who all’s going to see the movie this weekend? What are your favorite movies in the MCU? Who are your favorite characters?


--
Angela is totally not in the slightest bit nervous about Steve's chances in this movie NOPE NOPE NOPE (fidget fidget fret). And when she's totally NOT FIDGETING about Steve Rogers, she writes as both Angela Highland and Angela Korra'ti. You can find her books under either name at angelahighland.com! Or come say hi and tell her all about your favorite superheroes on Facebook or Twitter.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

What Does Your Favorite Fairy Tale Reveal About You

Posted by: Jenny Schwartz
If your favorite fairy tale is...

Cinderella. You value family harmony above all else; certainly, above your own health and happiness.

Rumpelstiltskin. You metaphorically spin straw into gold through hard work. This fairy tale irritates and intrigues you. That some people choose to skip through life on a mix of wishes and trickery baffles you.

Beauty and the Beast. You like to look for hidden truths and believe that you see deeper than most people. You find a well-informed mind far sexier than a well-muscled body.

Jack and the Beanstalk. You have gigantic problems in your life. Sometimes they seem overwhelming. But you never give in. You keep sharpening your ax and one day that beanstalk that's causing the problems is coming down. Timber!

Red Riding Hood. You've survived some tough situations while keeping a positive view of people and life.

Sleeping Beauty. You know that hiding under the bed covers is a viable strategy. Not everything is your problem to solve. But when you do decide to act, wicked stepmothers should watch out!

Hansel and Gretel. You love wandering into the woods and trying new things. Candy cottages? Yum! You always manage to escape the trouble you get into.



The Troll Bridge, a new fairy tale fantasy novel.
Buy link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079VRR76K 

Monday, April 23, 2018

Here Be News

Posted by: Veronica Scott

Bring It Back(list): 
UnderSilver from Linda Mooney, a sensuous scifi romance on sale for $.99: Warning! Contains loss of oxygen, vicious sea creatures, massive destruction, scientific theories, near-drowning, subsonic bursts, questionable seafood, alien artifacts, and two people trying to survive what could be the complete annihilation of their species.

Blurb and Buy Links







Sales & Promos:

KINDLE EBOOK SALE on THE GRIM SERIES ends April 30

The fae are cunning, powerful and often cruel. The most beautiful among them are often the most deadly. Hidden far beneath the mortal world, the timeless faery realm plays by its own rules—and those rules can change on a whim. Now and again, the unpredictable residents of that mystical land cross the supernatural threshold…

In the Grim Series, the ancient fae come face-to-face with modern-day humans and discover something far more potent than their strongest magic:  love.

For more, visit Dani Harper's Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/Dani-Harper/e/B004FD8RV2
.................................................


Saturday, April 21, 2018

Bring It Back(list) - UNDERSILVER, a Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance by Linda Mooney

Posted by: Linda Mooney
From April 1st - 30th, you can get the ebook for only 99 cents! (Available at this price only on Amazon and this website. Note: Click BUY EBOOK to get the Nook or PDF version.)
UNDERSILVER
Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 56.7K

$0.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a

The planet had secrets it never revealed, until it was too late.

Centuries ago, mankind's only hope for survival were the seven vessels specially fitted to send the last survivors of Earth to a planet named New Earth. Seven space ships that became floating cities once they landed on the water-only world teeming with edible seafood, as well as dangerous creatures.

Lt. Jace Novick, of the ship UnderPlatinum, is sent to sister ship UnderSilver to see if he can help find a possible solution to their growing problem. Food is beginning to run low, catches are scarcer, and the tension between ships is increasing as starvation becomes imminent.

Lt. Commander Rhone Derth has created a security device called wrap shields to protect Silver from repeated attacks by the planet's hostile monsters. But it seems the shields are also keeping the fish away as well. Jace believes he has an answer, but it means he and Rhone must work together despite Rhone's antagonism toward him, and the short time he's been allotted before he must return to his own ship.

Together, they try to discover a way to survive as the other vessels turn on each other in a desperate battle for the last of the dwindling food supply, not knowing that another, more malevolent being is watching them from the depths. 

Warning! Contains loss of oxygen, vicious sea creatures, massive destruction, scientific theories, near-drowning, subsonic bursts, questionable seafood, alien artifacts, and two people trying to survive what could be the complete annihilation of their species.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Friday, April 20, 2018

Personal Goal Accomplished!

Posted by: Linda Mooney
It wasn't an intended goal. It started out as a remark made by a friend and reader a year or so ago who, upon looking at my website's list of books, asked, "Do you have a title starting with every letter of the alphabet?"

Which got me curious. At that time, the answer was, "No." But then I made a spreadsheet. Excluding titles that began with "the", "a", and "an", (and excluding my books as Carolyn Gregg and Gail Smith) I made an alphabetical list, and discovered that there were only five letters I had yet to go.

Since then, I have accomplished that goal that never was intended to be one. I can now say that I have a book title beginning with every letter of the alphabet, including at least one numerical title.

So if you ever see me at a convention or book signing, feel free to quiz me, the same way I test myself whenever I'm stuck at a railroad crossing, or going down the highway.

* * *

New!

1000 of You
Fantasy/Time Travel Romance
Word Count: 
40.7K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p



She was traded to him for a weapon.

Traded, as if she was no better than a piece of property. Gova Dov doesn’t know what to expect, but it can’t be as bad as the abuse she’d received at the hands of her last master. Gova has never known kindness like Muam. She soon learns she can trust him, but can he trust someone like her? He’s told her she’s free to leave, but does she want to go? Does he even want her to stay?

Muam Kai works hard to earn his living, and payment in flesh won’t exactly buy his next meal, but he can’t turn the abused girl away. However, he’s no slave owner.

When Gova’s past comes back for her, Muam vows that no matter what happens to them, they will always have each other. Always find each other. In this life or the next.

It's a dying promise that would prove to be a curse on them both.

Warning! Contains fake gold, sorcery, death and destruction, wild dogs, and two people who have no choice but to try to survive a thousand lifetimes for the sake of their love.

Excerpt and buy links.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Was Robin Hood Real?

Posted by: Shawna Reppert

There’s been much controversy, at least among the sort of geeks who care about such things, over whether Robin Hood was real. My answer: it depends on what you mean by Robin Hood and what you mean by ’real.’

Certainly the Errol Flynn version of the Robin Hood story is largely fictional (no offense to the late and very handsome Mr. Flynn, whom I enjoy watching in almost any role, historical inaccuracies and all.)  For one, Prince John was hardly a worse king than Richard Lionheart. Understand that this is damning John with extremely faint praise. Richard hated England, hated the English, and did not speak the language. He bled the country dry so he could go off and play soldiers in sunny Palestine. Any version of the Robin Hood tale that has Good King Richard coming in to save the day is as much a fantasy as tales of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. (Not saying that these versions aren’t enjoyable in their own right; I myself collect film, TV, and novel versions of Robin Hood. Just keep in mind that they aren’t history.)

There have been two candidates proposed for the ‘real’ Robin Hood: Robert, Lord Locksley and Robert, Earl Huntington. The 1980’s BBC series Robin of Sherwood took advantage of this when the actor playing Robert of Locksley quit. They wrote in a passing of the torch to Robert of Huntington, and the series went on. Robin of Sherwood was one of the few interpretations that got the whole Saxon/Norman conflict right and didn’t have the Lionheart riding in with a pardon. Some of the dialogue and plotting was a bit campy, but I will always love the series for its nod to the deeper pagan roots of the Robin Hood legend.

But I digress (often, as anyone who regularly reads my blogs will tell you.) The point is, historical records show that there were, indeed, men by the names Robert of Huntington and Robert of Locksley who lived in England roughly contemporary with the later Robin Hood legends. This is hardly definitive, especially since there is no record that either of them were outlawed. Also, the early roots of the Robin Hood legend predate the lifetime of either man,

Were there outlaws and robbers hiding in Sherwood Forest during the time of Richard Lionheart? Almost certainly—those were dangerous times. Did they rob from the rich and give to the poor? There’s no evidence that they did, although to scholars who insist that such charity would be unlikely I counter with the power of enlightened self-interest. The Saxon peasants already hated their Norman overlords. A few coins here and there would buy their silence with regard to the outlaws’ movements and perhaps even a safe bolt-hole when necessary.

The legend of Robin Hood has its antecedents in the pre-Christian Lord of Forests, in the Green Man carved above church lintels even though the image has been around long before the first Christians set foot on the British Isles. He is the trickster Robin Goodfellow, and he is the stag god, Herne, hunter and hunted, ready to spill his own blood for the sake of his people. Perhaps he is more, not less, real for the fact that no single man is large enough to encompass his story.




 Shawna Reppert is an award0winnning author of Amazon best-selling fantasy and steampunk. Fellow lovers of Robin Hood may like her contemporary fantasy  short story The Sword and the Kestrel, in which the last decendant of Guy Osbourne must try to break the family curse and make peace with the Lord of Forests.  Also look for her upcoming medieval fantasy Brother to the Wolf. Though set in an ariginal world and not, strictly speaking, a Robin Hood tale, it is very much influenced by her love for and study of the legend

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

BATS in Myth and Legend

Posted by: Dani Harper, Author
National Bat Appreciation Day is upon us!

Image: Bigstock.com
April 17th is an annual opportunity to wonder anew at this amazing and mysterious creature. Humans have always been fascinated by bats – and maybe a bit envious too. After all, these little mammals can fly – not leap or glide, but truly FLY. Bats traverse the darkness easily, and sail fearlessly into the blackness of caves without hesitation. The echo-location and sonar capabilities that we can now create with sophisticated technology, have always been possessed naturally by bats.

It’s no wonder that throughout history we’ve attributed both good luck and evil to them, told stories about them, and even deified them. 

Here are just a few examples:

As a rule, bats haven’t enjoyed a great reputation in Western Culture. As a creature of the night, they were easily associated with evil, death, and the underworld. Superstitions abounded that claimed the bat was a messenger between witches and the devil, that bats could steal souls, or spread disease and misfortune. (And this was centuries before Bram Stoker penned his famous novel,“Dracula”!)

Old Scottish superstitions claimed that if a bat flew toward you, it was a sign that someone was trying to place a curse on you. It might also indicate that you will soon be betrayed by someone. If a bat is seen to rise quickly and then swiftly descend to the ground, you knew that the Hour of Witches had arrived. This meant that unless you had protected yourself against them (such as by keeping flint arrowheads in your pocket or wearing amulets fashioned from rowan wood), all witches had great power over everyone during that time.

Old illustration of Vampire Bats
Image: Bigstock.com
The bat might also be a faery in disguise. In Celtic folklore, the Pooka (also Puca or Pwca, according to which UK country you’re in) was a trickster fae who could transform into any creature it pleased. Although it seemed to favor the forms of horses, goats, and rabbits, stories exist where the Pooka shapeshifted into a bat. The wise took care not to go outside at night, for fear of meeting the Pooka. It could be merely mischievous – or it could be deadly.

While some people in the UK and Europe believed that harming a bat was bad luck, most did not. In fact, a bat flying into the house was often thought to signify that a death would soon occur in the family. This could only be averted by killing the unfortunate bat! Similar superstitions are also found throughout North America. One claims that simply dreaming about bats means the death of a dear friend.

It was a widespread belief throughout Europe that bats were used as familiars by witches. This sadly led to the wrongful conviction of many people. In 14th century France, for instance, a noblewoman was burned at the stake simply because bats were seen to fly around her home!

So, are there any positive superstitions about the poor bat? Thankfully, YES!

In many eastern countries, bats are appreciated. A common belief is that a bat flying into your house is considered a sign of good things coming your way. And the more bats, the better!

Intricately carved facade of Goa Lawah Bat Cave Temple.
Image: Bigstock.com
An 11th century Hindu temple was deliberately built around a cave housing a colony of thousands of bats in Bali, Indonesia. The images of bats were incorporated into the stone façade of the temple itself. To this day the worshippers co-exist with the animals, and it’s now become a tourist attraction largely due to the bats’ presence.

In Chinese Feng Shui, bats are associated with happiness and wealth. Symbols and images of bats (sometimes shown with coins in their mouths) are deliberately placed on the door of a house, on the front of a business, or on a pendant around the neck in order to attract positive “chi” (energy). The Chinese word “Fú”, when spoken, means “bat”. It also sounds exactly like “good fortune”, so the character for good fortune is often included on any images of bats.

Chinese pendant showing lucky 5 bats
surrounding the word for good fortune

Necklace owned by Dani Harper
In the Qing Dynasty, pictures of bats were embroidered onto royal robes and painted on walls and ceilings. They were carved into furniture and thrones, and adorn the doorways of many buildings. Even in the Forbidden City in Beijing, you can find many examples of stylized bats.

The number of bats incorporated into a symbol is very important too. For instance, a pair of bats doubles the luck they attract. Five is the most desired number of bats because they represent the five most important blessings: prosperity, virtue, health, long life, and a peaceful natural death. This might be why a bat symbol is sometimes hung on a window to ward off illness.

The ancient Mayans of South America counted Camazotz among their deities. First mentioned around 100 AD by the Zapotec tribe, this bat-god possessed the body of a man and the head of a leaf-nosed bat, plus bat wings. He lived in the underworld, and was mostly associated with night, with sacrifice, and with death. Although he looks terrifying, Camazotz is credited with negotiating with another god so that mortals could have the gift of fire. And thus the bat-god is also known as the god of fire!

*****************


THE GRIM SERIES by Dani Harper

The fae are cunning, powerful and often cruel. The most beautiful among them are often the most deadly. Hidden far beneath the mortal world, the timeless faery realm plays by its own rules—and those rules can change on a whim. Now and again, the unpredictable residents of that mystical land cross the supernatural threshold…

In this enchanting romance series from Dani Harper, the ancient fae come face-to-face with modern-day humans and discover something far more potent than their strongest magic: love.


LEGEND  LORE  LOVE  MAGIC
  
STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, STORM WARNED, STORM CROSSED
Note: Every book in this series is designed to stand alone.
It's fun to read them in order, but you won't get lost if you don't!


See ALL Dani's novels on her Amazon Author Page 
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