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| This full-length novel is Book 1 of the Haunted Holiday Series |
Bring It Back(list) Feature:
a paranormal romance
by Dani Harper
by Dani Harper
“Okay, I admit it. You’ve won your
ten bucks, hands down.”
Kerri stared up at the glittering
tree, the charred block of firewood in her garden-gloved hands temporarily
forgotten. She’d brought the Yule log inside, the small remnant of last year’s
Solstice blaze, and was on her way to the fireplace when the sight of the
fully-decorated tree had stopped her in her tracks.
The transformation was
nothing short of astonishing. There wasn’t a square inch that didn’t feature a
sparkling ball or a loop of garland, and hundreds of lights twinkled from deep
within the spruce as well as from the tips of every branch. She was certain
that the evergreen itself was standing a little straighter as if proud of its
finery.
“You’re just in time for the
finishing touch,” said Galen.
“More? It’s already gorgeous.”
“You’ll like this, trust me.” He stood back with Kerri and she could feel the warm tingle of energy as he put an
arm around her shoulders. “Go for it, Everett."
The old ghost looked nervous, but
reached for a palm-sized ornament on the coffee table. It was a unique piece,
half silver moon and half golden sun, the perfect symbol of the Solstice. Its
braided ribbon rose by slow degrees, following the direction of Everett’s
gnarled fingers, until the decoration itself bobbed in the air.
Kerri held her breath…but she needn’t have worried. The ribbon looped neatly over a branch, and the ornament hung securely. “Omigod, Everett, you did it!”
Kerri held her breath…but she needn’t have worried. The ribbon looped neatly over a branch, and the ornament hung securely. “Omigod, Everett, you did it!”
“Guess I did, didn’t I?” he said,
and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “I wouldn’t have tried it at all if
you hadn’t replaced all the decorations with plastic ’cause of Waldo.” He
shrugged. “It’s not so scary when you know you can’t break anything.”
“Um, right. Good thing I did that.”
Then and there she decided she wasn’t going to tell her friend that the
Solstice ornament was handmade—and the one thing made of glass that she had
kept. Instead, she smiled up at Galen. “My pug used to think that all the things
on the tree were toys for him.”
“Yeah, well he still does. We would
have been done an hour ago if it hadn’t been for chasing Waldo. He even dragged the star under the couch when we weren’t looking.” The pug waggled his
curly-tailed butt at the mention of his name, completely unrepentant.
“Speaking of things dragged, I
almost forgot I brought this in,” she said, indicating the wood she still held
in her hands. “It’s been in the yard under the porch since last year.” Kerri
knelt by the fireplace, laying the small log carefully on top of a stack of
kindling that a boy scout could be proud of.
Of course, it wasn’t strictly necessary to
have a big blaze at Yule. These days many people simply decorated logs with
candles and pine cones. But for Galen’s sake, she wanted every ounce of Solstice
magic she could possibly attract. The words came straight from her heart:
“The Wheel of the Year has
turned again,
The earth will slowly warm.
Darkness must give up its hold
And shadows lose their form.
Welcome all that brings new
life.
Welcome sun and daylight bright.
The Wheel will turn, and fire
burn,
And warm us all with inner
light.”
The kindling was just beginning to
catch fire when the front door flew open with a crash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Haunted Holiday Book 1)
by Dani Harper
- “An excellent combination of sizzle and emotion.” NIGHT OWL REVIEWS
- " Absolutely one of the most memorable stories I've read.." JUST LOVE MY BOOKS
- "Action, adventure, and a whole lot of love inside." REDZ WORLD
- “One of my top ten holiday romances ever.” READING BETWEEN THE WINES
- Named a Book of the Week by BOOKWORKS
Available in ebook or paperback at
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