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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here Be News

New Releases:

Other News:
Veronica Scott is beaming over a new review for her STAR CRUISE: OUTBREAK audiobook! (Check out sound samples for all 5 of her scifi romance audiobooks)

Bring It Back(list) Feature:
CHANGELING DAWN by Dani Harper

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

......................................................

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.

.....................................................................

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

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.  

.....

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.

.......................................

a Rafflecopter giveaway