10 WAYS TO BECOME A WEREWOLF by Dani Harper

Wolfen shapeshifters have definitely been on my mind a lot lately. This summer finds me in the middle of a whole bunch of "RE's" — RE-editing and RE-vamping my Changeling series for RE-release into the wild.

I've also been REviewing a lot of notes and bits of REsearch, plus REreading many of my collected folktales and legends. That's when I came across a post I'd written in 2016 that shared some of my favorite werewolf mythology. So now I'm RE-sharing!

 Ask anyone on the street how to become a werewolf, and the number one response (besides sidling away from you with one finger hovering over 911 on speed dial) is “get bitten by a werewolf”. Believe it or not, this method is a fairly modern invention. Ancient myths and legends show many different paths to werewolfery, and here are just a few of them:

1. Your parents were werewolves
This is an easy one. If Mom AND Dad were lycanthropes (that’s the ten-dollar word for werewolves), you would probably inherit the tendency. Apparently it’s a recessive gene, and having just one furry parent might not do the trick.

2. You’ve been cursed by a priest
From Russia to France, if you didn’t go to church, you could be officially cursed with lycanthropy by your local religious leader. This was also rumored to be the fate of those who failed to attend annual confession – if you did this 10 years in a row, you risked spontaneously becoming a werewolf. In 14th century Normandy, excommunicated persons were believed to turn into werewolves during the Christmas season. During this time, each sinner was either redeemed or doomed to belong to the devil and run as a wolf forever. 
(PS - In Finland, if you were lucky enough to break the spell, you were still stuck with a wolf’s tail for the rest of your life!)

3. You’ve offended the Devil
Yup, in some stories, being TOO good would get you a lot of excess hair too. Apparently it was safest to be not too bad, not too good, but “just right”. It's unclear where the sweet spot is, however.

4. You’ve been captured by a witch
A Polish legend says that if a witch lays a belt of human skin across the threshold of a house in which a marriage is being celebrated, any member of the wedding party that steps over it is immediately transformed into a wolf. The wolves are forced to serve the witch for a year, then regain their human form and return to their lives.

5. You picked the wrong flowers
Legend says that a “lycanthropic flower” grows wild in the Balkan Peninsula, with a sickly death-like scent. If you pick these flowers, you become a wolf! Simply brushing against wolfsbane blossoms (aconitum or monkshood) was believed to cause you to shapeshift as well—but it’s NOT a myth that the flowers are dangerous. The plants contain neurotoxins that can be absorbed through the skin. An unfortunate man died in 2014 from multiple organ failure after contact with these poisonous purple perennials!  (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11213530/Gardener-died-after-brushing-past-poisonous-plant-in-millionaires-garden.html) 

6. You were born on the wrong day
Seriously, what were you thinking? In Italy, it was bad luck to be born on the winter solstice, December 20-21, and a surefire way to become a shapeshifter. In many other European countries, it was believed that children born on December 24th, Christmas Eve, were destined to become werewolves when they grew up. Apparently it was a divine punishment for competing with the Christ child! In Romania, however, this legend went a step further. Children conceived on Christmas Eve were cursed to become werewolves because their parents were supposed to have abstained from sex at that time!

8. You drank the wrong water
In some European legends, especially in Scandinavian countries, accidentally drinking from a "lycanthropic" river or stream would cause you to become a werewolf. This water is said to possess a "lurid sparkle" and a faint smell that is like nothing else. Other legends say that drinking from any body of water where a wolf pack has recently satisfied their thirst will cause you to change. As for drinking the rainwater that collected in a wolf’s paw print? Honestly, becoming a werewolf might not be your only problem….

8. You looked a wolf in the eye
This is a bad idea on several levels, but in some old stories, locking eyes with a wild wolf could cause you to turn into a wolf yourself within a few days. Handy hint – Stay away from the zoo!

9. You slept outside during a full moon
In Germany, Italy, and France, it was said that both men and women could become shapeshifters by sleeping outside and allowing the full moon to shine on their faces for the entire night. This was especially effective on a Wednesday or a Friday. (There’s a reason why friends don’t let friends pass out on the front lawn after a party.)

10. You drank magic beer
Really? The warning about the water wasn’t enough? In 1555, bishop Olaus Magnus penned a collection of Nordic folklore and history. In it, he reported that you could become a werewolf by sharing a mug of specially crafted beer with a known shapeshifter while repeating the words of an ancient spell. According to Magnus, the werewolves of Livonia held a huge gathering every year in which they would drink a great deal of beer before going out to ravage the countryside.

"Werewolf" Novels by Dani Harper

As a paranormal fantasy and romance author, I have a passion for shapeshifters, and my very first series centers around the Macleod family.  Long-lived and able to become wolves at will, they call themselves CHANGELINGS.  Centuries ago, they were forced to flee the wolf exterminations in Scotland and start a new life in the wilderness of northern Canada.

The Changeling series centers around the Macleod family, four brothers and two sisters. Long-lived and able to become wolves at will, their kind call themselves Changelings. Centuries ago, they were forced to flee the wolf exterminations in Scotland and start a new life in the wilderness of northern Canada.

Today, that wilderness has been largely settled, and an entire community has sprung up around the Changelings. The Macleods and their pack live as humans most of the time, hiding in plain sight. They have jobs and pay bills and go to school and mow the grass and do all the things that humans do. But don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re tame. There are sacred places in the hills, and wolves rule the forests at night.

The Macleods seem to have the best of two worlds — yet there are still dangers lurking for their kind. And love, when it arrives, brings dangers and complications of its own. The two highest laws in the Changeling world are never harm a human and never turn a human against their will. The wolf within, however, has its own primal rules. If a Changeling’s life is in danger, the wolf will emerge to defend it. It will also rise to the surface, unbidden, to defend a mate at all costs. Because Changelings mate for life!

.......

LEGEND. LORE. LOVE. MAGIC.

From ghosts to faeries to shapeshifters, 

you can check out all my stories at

www.daniharper.com

Bring It Back(list): CHANGELING DREAM by Dani Harper + a Giveaway

CHANGELING DREAM

In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her. It’s almost as if he’s alive…

“An absolutely fantastic read.”

~ Joyfully Reviewed

Thirty years ago, James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild instincts but arousing still wilder needs.  With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

"Harper’s changelings are among the best in the genre."

 ~ RT Book Reviews

With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

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THE CHANGELING SERIES centers around the Macleod family, four brothers and two sisters. Long-lived and able to become wolves at will, their kind call themselves Changelings. Centuries ago, they were forced to flee the wolf exterminations in Scotland and start a new life in the wilderness of northern Canada.

Today, that wilderness has been largely settled, and an entire community has sprung up around the Changelings. The Macleods and their pack live as humans most of the time, hiding in plain sight. They have jobs and pay bills and go to school and mow the grass and do all the things that humans do. But don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re tame…. There are sacred places in the hills, and wolves rule the forests at night.

The Macleods seem to have the best of both worlds — yet there are still dangers lurking for their kind. And love, when it arrives, brings dangers and complications of its own. The two highest laws in the Changeling world are never harm a human and never turn a human against their will. The wolf within, however, has its own primal rules. If a Changeling’s life is in danger, the wolf will emerge to defend it. It will also rise to the surface, unbidden, to defend a mate at all costs. Because Changelings mate for life!

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DANI:  DANI:  I’ve been working on cleaning out my office since the beginning of the year and just before I called in the heavy equipment, I discovered a box of 12 Changeling Dream paperbacks! (Only I could lose an entire box of books…)

But wait! My disorganization could be your gain. Enter through the Rafflecopter below, and you could be one of a dozen readers to win a SIGNED paperback copy (plus a set of my bookcover postcards and a couple of bookmarks). Open to USA residents only.

You can see all my books at www.daniharper.com or go to my Amazon Author Page.

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What WEREWOLVES have to do with Christmas...

Image: Bigstock.com

Of all the folklore surrounding this holiday season, the last one you'd expect involves werewolves. In fact, there are MANY old legends and beliefs connecting werewolves and Christmas!

A common belief in many countries on both sides of the Atlantic was that a person could become a werewolf if someone cursed them. And the person doing the hexing was often a priest or even a saint, punishing you for real or imagined sins!

Repeatedly failing to attend annual confession at Easter or Christmas was a trespass likely to result in a lupine curse...

In 14th century Normandy, the varouage was an excommunicated person who became a werewolf between Christmas and Candlemas or during Advent. During this time, the sinner was either redeemed – or doomed to belong to the devil and run as a wolf forever. (By the way, in Finland, if you were lucky enough to break the spell, you were still stuck with a wolf’s tail for the rest of your life!)

Curses abounded for anyone with the misfortune to be born on the wrong day. In Italy, it was bad luck to be born on the winter solstice, December 20-21, and a sure way to become a shapeshifter. In many other European countries, such as Poland, it was believed that children born on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day automatically became werewolves when they grew up. In Germany, a child was still in danger of becoming one if he or she was born during the 12 nights of Christmas, which run from December 25 until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

Image: Bigstock.com

Whatever the country and the legend, it was generally agreed that the lupine curse was some sort of divine punishment for blasphemy, as the hapless baby was viewed as competing with the Christ child! Many kinds of rituals were vigorously performed for the first few days after Christmas to help the infant avoid his wolfish fate

In Romania, this legend went a step further. Children conceived on Christmas Eve were cursed to become werewolves because their parents were supposed to have abstained from sex at that time!

Winter solstice (which falls about December 21^st), was traditionally celebrated as the first day of the 12 days of Yule. The veil between worlds was thin during that time, and people stayed indoors at night because supernatural creatures were out and about – and that included werewolves!

In 1555, Swedish archbiship Olaus Magnus wrote “The History of the Northern Peoples”, in which he said that at the festival of Christmas, there was a strange conversion of men into wolves. “There is a gathering of a huge multitude of wolves which have been changed from men, and which during that night rage with such fierceness … that the inhabitants suffer more hurt from them, than they ever do from natural wolves, for these human wolves break down doors … and descend into cellars where they drink out whole tuns (sic) of beer or mead.” 

Magnus goes on to describe a high stone wall where the werewolves would afterwards gather, and eventually compete to leap over it.”

Image: Public Domain

The concept of werewolves waiting at the wall was illustrated by Maurice Sand in his 1858 lithograph of Les Lupins (shown above).

Physician Casper Peucer recorded a similar legend of mass lycanthropy in 1560 in Livonia (now Estonia and Latvia). “At Christmas a boy lame of leg goes round the countryside summoning the Devil’s followers, which are many, to a general conclave… The human form vanishes, and the whole multitude become wolves… They fall upon herds of cattle and flocks of sheep.” The entire transformation, he wrote, lasts twelve days: “…at the expiration of which the wolf skin vanishes, and the human form reappears.”

Image: Bigstock.com

On the flip side, there were some beliefs in the notion that the sheer holiness of the Christmas season would suppress a werewolf’s transformation, enabling him to walk freely among men without fear of his animal nature getting the better of him. After this blessed period of dormancy however, werewolves in January were all the more active and aggressive.

In some parts of Poland, it was believed that werewolves only transformed into their animal form twice a year: on Midsummer Day and on Christmas. In Slovenia, the Twelve Days of Christmas were also known as Wolf Days. The original story was that the Wolf-Shepherd, or Master of Wolves, was active during that time and could do the most damage then. Later, the story shifted so that St. Blaise (Saint of the Wild Beast) became the Wolf-Shepherd. It was his job to summon the wild wolves, and then to banish them for a time, thus preserving the herds of livestock from predation.

One final, rather odd, holiday superstition also comes from Slovenian folklore. Farmers would make a special effort not to leave manure lying in the fields over the Christmas season by plowing it into the soil. Apparently one of the easiest ways a werewolf could make his transformation was by rolling in manure!

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Book 1 of the Haunted Holiday Series by Dani Harper 

A Yuletide Paranormal Romance

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/HOLIDAY-SPIRIT-Haunted-Holiday-Book-ebook/dp/B013Z0F31M

5 stars ~ JUST LOVE MY BOOKS ~ “One of my top ten holiday romances ever.”

4.25 stars ~ NIGHT OWL REVIEWS ~ “An excellent combination of sizzle and emotion.”

5 stars ~ REDZ WORLD REVIEWS ~ "Action, adventure, and a whole lot of love inside.”

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BRING IT BACK(list) - Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper

Image from Bigstock.com

When you sit down to write a novel, especially one that's part of a series, you usually know who the hero is going to be. 

I was just getting started on Book 3 of my wolfen shapeshifter series, following up on the Macleod family from Changeling Moon and Changeling Dream. As I began to type, it felt as if everything was going according to plan:

Kenzie Macleod belongs to a long-lived family of Changelings who can turn into wolves at will. They were forced to leave Scotland when wolves were being exterminated there, and those terrible times have left her with a serious distrust of humans....

That’s as far as I got when up popped Josh Talarkoteen. I’m pretty used to it – many of my characters simply walk into my brain anytime they feel like it and start talking to me. But this guy was something completely new. Oh sure, I got his resume loud and clear – tall, handsome, wildlife expert, Afghanistan veteran, member of the Tahltan tribe – but it was the fact that he was 100% human that caught me off guard.

“I want in on your new book,” announced Josh. “I want a chance with Kenzie.”

I blinked. “I’m not sure that would work. You’re not a werewolf.”

“Your Changeling world has plenty of mixed couples.”

I can't believe I said it, but I did... “Yeah, but so far the humans have been women.”

Third in the Changeling Series, 
but this story can stand alone.

“Seriously?" The look he gave me made me want to smack myself in the head. "What difference does that make?" he continued. "The human women in your stories are strong and smart, and more than a match for the werewolf men,” he said. “So why not give a regular guy a chance with a shapeshifter gal?”

“Look, I admit that you’re great-looking, but isn’t it going to be tough to impress a woman who can turn into a wolf? I mean, how do you compete with that?”

“You mean the fact that she’s faster, stronger and can leap tall humans in a single bound?” Josh laughed. “So what? No hero worth his salt would be threatened by that. And besides, I’m looking to win her heart, not throw down with her in a cage fight!” 

He was totally right of course. I did a quick mental inventory of the books on my keeper shelf – and realized that there were more than a few heroes I loved who were not the magically-endowed half of the couple. I’d just never written about that situation before. 

So Josh got his chance in CHANGELING DAWN. He proved to be one determined man, and everything a hero should be.

As for me? I learned to never judge a man by his species.

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

Run…

Shadow and moonlight merge beneath her bare feet, the forest floor blurring as she flees the dogs and torches. Werewolf, monster–those are the names given her kind by the humans who hate them.

Hunt…

Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding what she is, and she’s not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen. But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska.

Mate…

An isolated archeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a shadowy research facility–as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his own. . .

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

PURCHASE LINK -
https://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Dawn-Dani-Harper-ebook/dp/B005JSZOOA

See all of Dani Harper's books on her Amazon Author Page -
https://www.amazon.com/Dani-Harper/e/B004FD8RV2

Watch for the newest installment of the Grim Series, releasing January 9th!

BRING IT BACK(list) - Changeling Dream by Dani Harper

Tragedy has driven James Macleod's
human self deep inside his wolf.
Can Jillian Descharme convince it 
to come out?
Image licensed from Bigstock.com

In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her. It’s almost as if he’s alive…

 “Powerful and uplifting…”

—The Romance Studio

Thirty years ago, James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild instincts but arousing still wilder needs.  With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

“An absolutely fantastic read.”

—Joyfully Reviewed

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Personally, I really
wanted a WOLF on
the cover, but sometimes
you have to go with
what the Publisher wants.

Changeling Dream is Book 2 in my shapeshifter series, but it was actually the story I wrote first. The book made a brief but successful appearance as Heart of the Winter Wolf, before Kensington Publishing proposed a three-book contract, with a renamed Heart as the middle book—like the icing in an Oreo cookie!

Note: Although it's a series, I designed each book to stand alone. So you won't get lost if you read them out of order. 

The Changeling series centers around the Macleod family, four brothers and two sisters. Long-lived shapeshifters who can change at will, the Macleods seem to have the best of both worlds. But the wolf within has its own primal rules. If a Changeling's life is in danger, the wolf will emerge to defend it. It will also rise to the surface, unbidden, to defend a mate at all costs. Because Changelings mate for life!

This is the trailer I made for the series:

"Harper’s changelings are among the best in the genre." 

—RT Book Reviews

PROLOGUE 

              Tendrils of smoke rose ghostly white against the night sky like escaping spirits. Two days had passed and the house had collapsed to one side in a heap of charred beams and ash. No human could have survived such devastation.

              James Macleod was not human.

              Far beneath the blackened beams, he lay burned, bleeding, and broken. Close to death but as yet unable to embrace it. Now and then, he broke the surface of unconsciousness, only to be dragged under again by relentless agony and despair.

              The waning moon hid its face as James opened his eyes at last. For a fleeting moment he thought he was blind, then realized night had fallen, although which night it was he had no idea and didn’t care. He was still alive  –  barely  –  and didn’t care about that either. His broken ribs screamed at him as he began to cough up more blood and soot, but this time oblivion stubbornly refused to take him back.

              Evelyn. He couldn’t see her beneath the debris, but he could just reach her delicate fingertips. They were cold and unyielding. He felt again the slash of agony in his heart that was far greater than the pain in his body. She had been human. Vulnerable, both she and the child within her, his child. He had failed them both, failed to protect them, failed even to discern any danger to them. He had been moving the cattle to summer pasture in the deep coulees along the river when a calf blundered into the fast-moving water. Saving the young animal and regrouping the herd had set him back an hour, then two. Just two scant hours in which all that was dear to him was left defenseless.

              He'd known at once. James had barely turned his truck for home when cold terror suddenly clawed his heart and his wife's voice echoed briefly in his mind. Gunning the old pickup, he'd kept it on the rough dirt road by sheer force of will. Faster, faster, heedless of the rugged terrain. He had to get home, had to reach her. When an axle broke, James left the crippled truck and raced flat out, first on two legs, then on four.

The house had been strangely dark when he reached the yard.  Evelyn always left a light on for him. Always. And then he had spotted the smoke churning from an upstairs window. He caught no stranger’s scent as he ran into the burning house, as he shifted shape and shouted for his wife. He had smelled blood, however, mixed with the thickening smoke. He followed the metallic tang of it straight to the dining room, knowing and not wanting to know that it was her blood. And that there was far too much of it. Dear God. James had squeezed his eyes shut against the ugly gunshot wounds that had stolen her life even as he cradled her small body against him. She was gone. Their child within her, already loved, was gone as well.

              It was his fault, all his fault, although James had no idea who had done this. Few people could even find his ranch. It was remote, all but hidden, with the nearest neighbor miles away. He knew no enemies in this country, yet in his shattered heart he also knew it was no random act that had taken his loved ones from him. He should have known better. He should have known. His family’s entire sept of Clan Macleod had been forced to leave Scotland more than two centuries earlier, when fear of Changelings caused all wolves to be slaughtered to extinction there. Why had he thought it would be better here, safer now? Why had he assumed humans were any more civilized now, any less driven by fear and hatred of those who were different? But then there had been Evelyn, and she was wholly, completely human. Evelyn, who embodied all that was good about humanity, who knew what he was and accepted him, who loved him with a heart that was bigger than she was. Evelyn who had just paid for that love with her all-too-human life.

              Already half-mad with pain and grief, his own human side wanted nothing more than to follow his loved ones. Changelings were long-lived and tough, gifted and powerful. But they were not immortal. And not immune to bullets even if they weren’t silver. Evelyn’s killer had still been in the house, waiting for James, and James hadn’t known. Perhaps he hadn’t cared then either. The last thing he saw was his whole world in his arms  –  then nothing.

Left for dead. Now, his Changeling nature was automatically trying to heal the horrendous wounds, weakly attempting to regenerate burned skin and tendon, repair and replace broken bone. But with so much damage and so little energy left, the process was winding down before it had really begun. Soon it would stop altogether and he would get his wish.

              For one clear moment that wish coalesced in his mind  –  a soul-deep desire for death. James embraced it without reservation, forgetting that his inner wolf was driven by a powerful and primitive instinct to survive. Without warning, fresh agony suddenly slammed into him from every direction. His heart was being squeezed through his ribs, his very bones felt as if they were exploding. The animal within had gone completely wild. Unbidden, it frantically clawed its way to the surface.

              Dark clouds diffused the moon, hid the massive wolf that crawled out from under the charred wreckage, veiled the singed white fur in shadow. Sides heaving, the creature limped on three legs to the edge of the clearing and collapsed. James lay there for a long time and regarded the wreckage. Fists of sorrow beat inside him, but his lupine eyes could not weep. Instead, a cry of anguish was ripped from his throat, gaining in strength as it sliced through the silence. It rose and became an ululating howl echoing over the ruins of his home, his heart, his life.

              As he howled out his grief, the sky cleared. The moon was far from full but still it blanketed him with pale silvery light, lent him its peculiar strength that only Changelings knew. James stood. So his wolf nature wanted to survive? Then it could damn well do it without him. He would set it free and never walk upright again.

              The wind picked up. Although only three legs would obey him, the white wolf began to run. Run, to outpace the agony that could rip and tear a human heart. Run, to outdistance the human grief that could not be borne. Run, to be as the moon, a swift white shape gleaming in the night. Run, to be a wolf and only a wolf.

              As he raced away into the welcoming arms of the night, James was only fleetingly aware that he had just buried his human self alongside Evelyn. And then he was aware of nothing.

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PURCHASE LINK -

 https://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Dream-Dani-Harper-ebook/dp/B004NEW71E 

See all of Dani Harper's books on her Amazon Author Page -

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

"BRING IT BACKLIST" - Changeling Moon by Dani Harper

Usually I'm bringing ancient faery legends to modern-day America. But today I'm pleased to revisit a world both real and imagined that holds a special place in my heart...

Image credit Bigstock.com 

Several years ago, I owned a small farm in northern Canada. One morning I was stunned to see a pack of wolves – about 7 or 8 – lope across my yard! They ran with ease and grace, seeming to float along rather than touch the ground. Teeth gleamed white from grinning black lips, their tails were great plumed banners. Strangely, I was overwhelmed with a powerful sense that these wolves were happy.

And then they were gone. They vanished like smoke into the timber that flanked my property. I have never felt such a wild yearning in my life. A wish that they would come back? A wish that I might go with them? I didn’t know. I still don’t. 

Since that life-changing experience, I’ve run with the wolves on paper. And one of the results has been my Changeling series.

The Peace River region of northern Canada is a unique place where raw wilderness exists side by side with farmers’ fields. And in the quiet rural community of Dunvegan, human beings unknowingly exist side by side with those who are something more than human. They call themselves Changelings, and they have the ability to become wolves at will.

Changelings live as humans – they have jobs and pay bills, go to school and mow the grass. They view their wolfen side as a wonderful gift but it also complicates their lives, sometimes dangerously so. Especially when it comes to relationships... 

2012 RITA Award finalist

CHANGELING MOON is the first book in this paranormal series, which centers around the Macleod family of shapeshifters. It was selected as a RITA Award Finalist in the Paranormal Romance Category in 2012.

EXCERPT ONE:

The wolf wanted out.

Heavy clouds obscured the moon and washed the night with icy rain. The cold, damp air brought a myriad of intriguing scents.  The man slunk along the sidewalk, his limbs tingling as his body instinctively drew energy from the earth.

The wolf wanted out now.

Full of hunger and rage, the wolf writhed under the man’s skin in anticipation as he turned into a familiar alley behind the town hall. It was dark here, overgrown with trees and bushes, flanked with leaning fences, sagging garages, and numberless garbage cans. There was a spot where no light reached, a perfect spot to—

The wolf snarled its impatience and he cursed back. He was trying to hurry, dammit, but his body refused to cooperate. To human eyes, he was just an old drunk, sixty going on eighty. In reality, he was far older than even those like him could guess. When his wolf wanted out, he could no longer keep it leashed for long. And truth be told, he didn’t want to. Because once he took on his lupine form, all his aches and pains would disappear and he’d be strong and powerful again. 

The wolf within whispered: Tonight we will hunt. And become even stronger.

EXCERPT TWO:

The truck glittered strangely as she approached and her heart sank. Thick glass-like sheets of ice coated every surface, sealing the doors. Near-frozen herself, she pounded on the lock with the side of her fist until the ice broke away and she could get her key in. “Come on, dammit, come on!”

Of course, the key refused to turn, while the cold both numbed and hurt her gloveless fingers. She tried the passenger door lock without success then walked gingerly around to the rear cargo door. No luck there either. She’d have to call up a tow – 

Except that her cell phone was on the front seat of her truck. 

Certain that things couldn’t get any worse, she tested each door again. Maybe one of the locks would loosen up if she kept trying. If not, she’d probably have to walk all the way home, and wasn’t that a cheery prospect? 

Suddenly a furtive movement teased at her peripheral vision. Zoey straightened slowly and studied her surroundings. There wasn’t much to see. The streetlights were very far apart, just glowing pools of pale gold that punctuated the darkness rather than alleviating it. Few downtown businesses bothered to leave lights on overnight. The whispery hiss of the freezing rain was all that she could hear.

A normal person would simply chalk it up to imagination – but she’d been forced to toss normal out the window at an early age. Her mother, aunts and grandmother were all powerful psychics – and the gene had been passed down to Zoey. Or at least a watered-down version of it. The talent was reliable enough when it worked, but it seemed to come and go as it pleased. Like right now. Zoey tried hard to focus yet sensed absolutely nothing. It was her own fault perhaps for trying to rid herself of the inconvenient ability.

No extrasensory power was needed, however, to see something large and black glide silently from one shadow to another near the building she’d just left. What the hell was that? There was nowhere to go for help. Only the two bars would still be open but they were several blocks away, as was the RCMP detachment. There was a rundown trailer park a block and a half from the far side of the arena, but Zoey knew there were no streetlights anywhere along that route. 

A dog? Maybe it’s just a big dog, she thought. A really big dog or a runaway cow. After all, this was a rural community. And a northern rural community at that, so maybe it was just a local moose, ha, ha…. She struggled to keep her fear at bay and redoubled her efforts on the door locks, all the while straining to listen over the sound of her own harsh breathing.

The rear door lock was just beginning to show promise when a low, rumbling growl caused her to drop her keys. She spun to see a monstrous shape emerge from the shadows, stiff-legged and head lowered. A wolf? It was bigger than any damn wolf had a right to be. Jesus. Some primal instinct warned her not to run and not to scream, that the animal would be on her instantly if she did so.

She backed away slowly, trying not to slip, trying to put the truck between herself and the creature. Its eyes glowed green like something out of a horror flick, but this was no movie. Snarling black lips were pulled back to expose gleaming ivory teeth. The grizzled gray fur around its neck was bristling. Zoey was minutely aware that the hair on the back of her own neck was standing on end. Her breath came in short shuddering gasps as she blindly felt for the truck behind her with her hands, sliding her feet carefully without lifting them from the pavement. 

She made it around the corner of the Bronco. As soon as she was out of the wolf’s line of sight, she turned and half skated, half ran for the front of the truck as fast as the glassy pavement would allow. Don’t fall, don’t fall! It was a litany in her brain as she scrambled up the slippery front bumper onto the icy hood. With no hope of outrunning the creature and no safe place in sight, the roof of the truck seemed like her best bet – if she could make it. Don’t fall, don’t fall! Flailing for a handhold, she seized an ice-crusted windshield wiper, only to have the metal frame snap off in her hand. 

She screamed as she slid back a few inches.

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Published by Kensington Books, New York, Changeling Moon is available on Amazon (USA), Amazon (Canada), and Amazon (UK).  You can also find it on Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and Book Depository

See all my books and more by visiting my Author Page on Amazon.

Dani Harper

10 Ways to Become a Werewolf – plus a Giveaway

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!  

Image courtesy of Bigstock.com

In keeping with the season of all things monstrous, I dusted off some of my favorite myths about werewolves. It’s a topic that comes naturally to me, as the author of four shapeshifter novels, and a mom whose kids and their friends quested after the ultimate werewolf costume every October.

Ask anyone on the street how to become a werewolf, and the number one response (besides sidling away from you with one finger hovering over 911 on speed dial) is “being bitten by a werewolf”. This method is a fairly modern invention, however. Myths and legends show many different paths to werewolfery, and here are just a few of them.

1. Your parents were werewolves

This is an easy one. If Mom AND Dad were lycanthropes (that’s the ten-dollar word for werewolves), you would probably inherit the tendency. Apparently it’s a recessive gene, and having just one furry parent might not do the trick.

2. You’ve been cursed by a priest

From Russia to France, if you didn’t go to church, you could be officially cursed with lycanthropy by your local religious leader. This was also rumored to be the fate of those who failed to attend annual confession – if you did this 10 years in a row, you risked spontaneously becoming a werewolf. In 14th century Normandy, excommunicated persons were believed to turn into werewolves during the Christmas season. During this time, each sinner was either redeemed or doomed to belong to the devil and run as a wolf forever.

(PS - In Finland, if you were lucky enough to break the spell, you were still stuck with a wolf’s tail for the rest of your life!)

3. You’ve offended the Devil

Yup, in some stories, being TOO good would get you a lot of excess hair too. Apparently it was safest to be not too bad, not too good, but “just right”. It's unclear where the sweet spot is, however.

4. You’ve been captured by a witch

A Polish legend says that if a witch lays a belt of human skin across the threshold of a house in which a marriage is being celebrated, any member of the wedding party that steps over it is immediately transformed into a wolf. The wolves are forced to serve the witch for a year, then regain their human form and return to their lives.

5. You picked the wrong flowers

Legend says that a “lycanthropic flower” grows wild in the Balkan Peninsula, with a sickly death-like scent and white or yellow blooms. If you pick these flowers, you become a wolf! Simply brushing against wolfsbane blossoms (aconitum or monkshood) was believed to cause you to shapeshift as well—but it’s NOT a myth that it’s far more likely to cause your demise. (An unfortunate gardener in the UK died in 2014 from handling these poisonous purple perennials without gloves!)

6. You were born on the wrong day

Seriously, what were you thinking? In Italy, it was bad luck to be born on the winter solstice, December 20-21, and a surefire way to become a shapeshifter. In many other European countries, it was believed that children born on December 24th, Christmas Eve, were destined to become werewolves when they grew up. Apparently it was a divine punishment for competing with the Christ child! In Romania, however, this legend went a step further. Children conceived on Christmas Eve were cursed to become werewolves because their parents were supposed to have abstained from sex at that time!

8. You drank the wrong water

In some European legends, especially in Scandinavian countries, accidentally drinking from a "lycanthropic" river or stream would cause you to become a werewolf. This water is said to possess a "lurid sparkle" and a faint smell that is like nothing else. Other legends say that drinking from any body of water where a wolf pack has recently satisfied their thirst will cause you to change. As for drinking the rainwater that collected in a wolf’s paw print? Honestly, becoming a werewolf might not be your only problem….

8. You looked a wolf in the eye

This is a bad idea on several levels, but in some old stories, locking eyes with a wild wolf could cause you to turn into a wolf yourself within a few days. Handy hint – Stay away from the zoo!

9. You slept outside during a full moon

In Germany, Italy, and France, it was said that both men and women could become shapeshifters by sleeping outside and allowing the full moon to shine on their faces for the entire night. This was especially effective on a Wednesday or a Friday. (There’s a reason why friends don’t let friends pass out on the front lawn after a party.)

10. You drank magic beer

Really? The warning about the water wasn’t enough? In 1555, bishop Olaus Magnus penned a collection of Nordic folklore and history. In it, he reported that you could become a werewolf by sharing a mug of specially crafted beer with a known shapeshifter while repeating the words of an ancient spell. According to Magnus, the werewolves of Livonia held a huge gathering every year in which they would drink a great deal of beer before going out to ravage the countryside.

"Werewolf" Novels by Dani Harper

As a paranormal fantasy and romance author, I have a passion for shapeshifters, and my very first series centers around the Macleod family.  Long-lived and able to become wolves at will, they call themselves CHANGELINGS.  Centuries ago, they were forced to flee the wolf exterminations in Scotland and start a new life in the wilderness of northern Canada.

Today, that wilderness has been largely settled, and an entire community has sprung up around the Changelings.  The Macleods and their pack live as humans most of the time, hiding in plain sight.  They have jobs and pay bills and go to school and mow the grass and do all the things that humans do.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re tame!  There are sacred places in the hills, and wolves rule the forests at night….

You can check out ALL my stories on my Amazon Author Page.  

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GIVEAWAY

My readers know I just can't go anywhere without a giveaway! And I've got a great prize just in time for Halloween fun --- The game of ULTIMATE WEREWOLF by Bezier! Check out all the details at http://beziergames.com/collections/all-games/products/ultimate-werewolf-deluxe-edition. Plus I've included a signed copy of the first book in my shapeshifter series, CHANGELING MOON (a RITA Award Finalist).

Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below.

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