JUST DON’T USE AN ORANGE CRAYON… by Dani Harper

As I’ve been updating and reworking my very first shapeshifter series for re-release, maybe it’s only natural that I would look back down the road I’ve traveled to get to this point.

Turns out it’s a looong road – my writing career really began when I was a little kid!

As an active child—and I mean ‘swinging from the top of the nearest tree’ ACTIVE—I wasn’t known for sitting still. But if someone was telling a story? That got my complete attention. And I didn’t let a little thing like not knowing how to read stop me from being enthralled with books. As a toddler, I dragged around books and pretended to read aloud by making up a tale on the spot. I “read” to my toys. I “read” to my stuffed animals. I “read” to my cranky cat. (The toys and stuffies were a lot more appreciative than the cat was…)

At that time, most children’s show hosts read books to their audiences. Captain Kangaroo and The Friendly Giant introduced me to countless classics like Curious George and Harry the Dirty Dog. I don’t remember if the hosts ever talked about the authors, but somewhere along the line my young mind grasped that a mysterious SOMEONE had created the story.

Made it up. Wrote it down.

And that’s EXACTLY what I wanted to do!

True, I also wanted to be a cowboy, a zookeeper, and a circus performer, but those things didn’t glow in me quite as brightly as the notion of telling a story. Besides, I figured I could do all of them, right?

When I was about 3, my dad gifted me with a huge sheaf of lined paper that must have been two inches thick. It was an office leftover from the factory he worked at, and I’m sure he thought it would keep me busy drawing pictures in it for days.

But all I noticed is that the paper was bound together like a real BOOK!

I climbed up on the peaked roof of the big old doghouse behind the garage—the previous homeowner must have kept a large St. Bernard or a small cow—and pretended to “write” a story with an orange wax crayon. I didn’t even know the alphabet yet but that didn’t slow me down. Line after line, page after page, I produced lovely loopy cursive writing which I read aloud as I “wrote”.

When I finally filled the entire “book”, I presented it to my parents, expecting them to be impressed with the masterpiece I’d created. Instead, I found myself in hot water for “scribbling” and “wasting the paper”. Maybe it would have gotten better reviews if I’d illustrated it...

As it was, I even lost points for the font color.

So that was my very first formal rejection as a writer. A few decades plus dozens upon dozens of rejection slips later, I signed a three-book contract for my Changeling shapeshifter series. Fast forward ten years and six more novels, and here I am, refurbishing and polishing these three original books. New covers, new blurbs, new edits, new scenes. Making sure the stories are ready for re-release into the wild. Hoping against hope that they’ll find new readers to love them.

And in the midst of going through all the original notes for the series, I’ve discovered half of a fourth Changeling book, an abandoned relic from a time when my publisher decided shapeshifters were just a passing trend. Is there a real story hiding in those pages? Maybe yes, maybe no—after all, first drafts are notoriously ugly—but I think it’s time to dust it off and find out.

Meanwhile, I’ve never forgotten the utter magic of sitting on that doghouse on a bright sunny morning and creating my very first “book” as a kid. If I sit on our current doghouse, will I find some of that magic again, some fresh inspiration?

One thing’s for certain:  I promise not to use the orange crayon!
……………………………………………………………………………………………

Celebrating WORLD FOLK TALES and FABLES WEEK

As long as there have been human beings, there have been stories.

Every culture in the world has its folklore and fables, fairy tales and tall tales, myths and legends, epics and urban legends.

In a word: fantasy.

Cinderella is a great example – this is one of the oldest folk tales we know of, with countless variations in many countries. The shoes change (fur, gold, glass, leather, even sandals) and the names change (Aschenputtel, Katie Woodencloak, Yeh-Shen, Rhodopis, Domitila and Rushen-Coatie), but the bones of the story endure. 

Although most of us experience stories through reading—and in the last century, via television and movies—many tales were originally passed down through generations as oral traditions. That always makes me think of the ghostly campfire stories that held me fascinated as a child, or my Welsh gramma telling me about the faery man who lived in her garden….

But regardless of the method of delivery, the point of any fantasy story is its underlying message. Wikipedia describes the theme of Cinderella as "unjust oppression and triumphant reward". In many versions, however, Cinderella didn't win simply because she was pretty under all that dirt, or because someone felt sorry for her. She chose to be patient and kind in a situation where others were not, and that is what brought her the reward in the end.

The following, from author Neil Gaiman, is one of my favorite quotes.

"Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." 

All readers, myself included, want a good story, something that takes us out of our own little world for a while. We need characters we can care about enough to root for. Add to that a sense of wonder, a little mystery and magic, and voilà, we have entertainment.

But whether we realize it or not, we're often longing for one more small but vital thing: HOPE.

One of the most appealing things about fantasy stories is the promise of hope. Hope that evil doesn't prosper forever, hope that good is eventually rewarded, hope that truth matters, that courage and honor make a difference, hope that kindness, compassion and love can win the day. 

It doesn't matter if it's The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, or The Avengers by Marvel, or the Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews, or even Aesop's fable of The Crow and the Pitcher. If the characters overcome differences big or small, if they prevail over minor struggles or overwhelming obstacles, it makes me feel that I can too.

May you discover a story this week that brings you hope.

………………..

Note:  World Folktales and Fables Week is celebrated each year during the third week of March. 

………………..

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

Storm Warrior, Storm Bound, 

Storm Warned, and Storm Crossed

What to Do with a Naked Man in Your Front Yard - STORM WARRIOR by Dani Harper

Bring it Back(List) Feature for April 13, 2019

STORM WARRIOR
by Dani Harper

Book 1 of the Grim Series
Kindle versions in the series currently on sale for 99¢

Two thousand years ago, Rhys was the fierce Celtic warrior branded by the Romans as “the Bringer of Death.” Mortally wounded in battle, he was captured by the Fair Ones, cunning and powerful masters of the Welsh faery realm. They spared his life…but for a price. As a grim, he has roamed the earth as a messenger of death—until a single act of kindness breaks the ancient enchantment and delivers him into a strange new world…

As a child, Morgan Edwards marveled at the faery tales spun by her beloved grandmother, stories of the magical beings hidden in the heart of ancient Wales. But now Morgan is all grown up, a veterinarian who believes only in what science can prove—until the night a massive black dog saves her from a vicious attack, and life as she knows it changes forever. Suddenly a stranger stands before her, the man of her dreams made flesh and blood not by science, but by a magic that could bring them their hearts’ desires ... or cost them everything they have.

EXCERPT from STORM WARRIOR by Dani Harper

Morgan pressed the sharp tip of the garden hoe against the throat of the man lying in the grass. “Okay Reese, what the hell are you doing here on my front lawn? You’ve got no car, no keys and no clothes. How’d you get here?”

“My name is Rhys.” He corrected, pronouncing it with a single roll of the r, just as Nainie had said her r’s all her life. As did every Welsh person Morgan had met on her trip, from the hotel clerks to the shopkeepers to the tour directors. “And it was you brought me here.”

“I’m pretty sure I’d remember that. Now, where did you come from?”

“I was a warrior of my clan until I was captured by the Roman invaders. They forced me to fight in the arena at Isca Silurum and named me The Bringer of Death for my skills. I thought I knew hell then, but I had not truly found it until I escaped from them.”

Good grief, was he high on something? The Bringer of Death… Somebody had been playing way too many video games. “Good for you. Ten points for originality. Let me guess, you were drinking last night, and your friends decided to play a prank on you. They stole your clothes and dumped you at the wrong place. Am I close?”

“A prank.” He seemed to consider that. “Yes, you could say that a bit of a prank was played on me. I found a cave, but it turned out to be an entrance to the world below. The Tylwyth Teg found me there, and there aren’t greater pranksters to be had.”

She nearly dropped the hoe. “How do you know about the Tylwyth Teg?” Except for her grandmother, she’d never heard anyone on this side of the ocean speak of them, never mind pronounce their name correctly. The tourist shops in Wales did a booming business in faery merchandise, yet she hadn’t heard the real name of the fantasy creatures used very much even in that country. She narrowed her eyes at the man, daring him to answer.

He shrugged a little. Although she wasn’t pressing on his neck anymore, he remained prone. “The Fair Ones are cousin to men but very much older. Ancient as the mountains. It was the custom of our clan to leave offerings for them, outside the village. The Fair Ones are often bored, and they think nothing of toying with mortals for sport.”

Nainie Jones had often spoken of her childhood, told of her mother leaving milk and bread on the back step for the Tylwyth Teg. It was an offering, a gift of hospitality, she said, so they wouldn’t play tricks on the family. Morgan gripped the hoe harder to keep her hands from trembling, yet she couldn’t help but be fascinated.

“You cannot enter their territory without permission or payment,” he continued. “I had nothing to offer when they discovered me. Not even my life, as I was dying. I thought they would finish me, but instead they healed me. And that was their prank. Because then they changed me, so they could take their payment in servitude.”

Rhys—if that was even his real name—either believed what he was saying or he was a prime candidate for an Oscar. Because try as Morgan might, she couldn’t see any evidence that he was lying. He had to be crazy then, but everything about the whole situation was insane. After all, she was standing in her front yard in her pajamas, holding a naked man at the point of a garden hoe. She’d taken assertive action when she’d seen him lying in the grass, assuming he was drunk or something. Well, she’d gotten the upper hand all right.

Now what was she supposed to do with the guy?

* * * * *

LEGEND ∙ LORE ∙ LOVE ∙ MAGIC

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.

THE GRIM SERIES BY DANI HARPER

Available in paperback, Kindle ebook and Audiobook

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074BRZ9NK/?ie=UTF8&ref_=st_kb_B00XM2L6XS

Kindle versions currently on sale for 99¢

Falling into Romance - how one writer found the genre

One of the most frequent questions I'm asked as an author is How did you start writing romance?

It's not because I have a history with the genre. True confession time here - I never read romance novels! Not when I was young, not when I was a so-called adult. In fact, not at any time during the 20th century did I read a single example of the romance genre.

*collective gasp*

It's true. From the time I could pick up a book by myself, my personal reading time was filled with:

• science fiction
• mythology
• superhero comic books
• fantasy 
• horror
• did I mention science fiction?

Then right around 2001, I was happily browsing through a comic book store and spied a novella by Christine Feehan, titled Dark Dream. "Aha! A vampire story!" I thought to myself, and picked it up.

It was sooooo much more than that, as fans of Feehan's legendary Carpathians well know. I was amazed and fascinated. I'd never read anything where the MONSTER was not only the good guy, but he GOT THE GIRL as well!

Paranormal Romance was more than a new genre for me, it was an entirely new universe...

After devouring all the Feehan books I could find, I branched out to Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Karen Marie Moning, Larissa Ione, Jeaniene Frost, JR Ward and oh-so-many-more. A feast for the imagination with many worlds and realities to choose from! Add to that the chance to see how supernatural characters dealt with their circumstances, how they grew and changed, how they learned to navigate the complexity of relationships, and I was permanently, irrevocably hooked.

It was really no surprise when I eventually began writing PNR myself.

Later I embraced Urban Fantasy with both arms (Kelley Armstrong, Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Karen Chance, Ilona Andrews...).

My own stories today tend to be a hybrid of both genres (para-fantasy anyone?) But there is always, always, always a relationship to be resolved, a strong romantic thread running through the novels I write. And, of course, an eventual "happily ever after".

So that's my "origin story". How did YOU begin reading (or writing) romance?

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

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.

See ALL Dani's novels on her Amazon Author Page

Here Be News

New Releases:

New!

1000 OF YOU

Fantasy, Time Travel Romance

by Linda Mooney

Word Count: 40.7K

$3.99 e

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.

_____________________________________

Other News:


___________________________________________

Bring It Back(list) Feature:
Veronica Scott shares a few photos from her visit to the King Tut exhibit and an excerpt from her novel Ghost of the Nile.


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Sales & Promos:

THE GRIM SERIES IS ON SALE THIS MONTH ON KINDLE:

Newest release, STORM CROSSED, is just $1.99!

Add Storm Warrior, Storm Bound, and Storm Warned for $2 each!

Check it out on Dani's Amazon Author Page. 

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

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Bring it Back(list) - STORM BOUND - exciting faery romance by Dani Harper

Image Bigstock.com

.When a wayward spell unites a modern-day witch and a cursed medieval blacksmith, their passionate attraction thrusts the pair directly into the path of the ancient, evil Fae.

,
Kidnapped on his wedding day in the twelfth century and forced into a thousand years of servitude by a heartless Fae princess, rugged blacksmith Aidan dreams of nothing but revenge on his captor. Then the spell of a beautiful witch brings him into the modern world, and a passionate desire awakens within. But to build a future, he must first confront his past…
.
Modern witch and magic-shop owner Brooke doesn’t think her life is missing anything, until a wayward enchantment lands a brooding medieval blacksmith in her spell room—and in her arms. But even after their passion proves to be truly magical, Aidan’s first commitment is to vengeance. Now Brooke must team up with friends and ancient warriors alike—and push her own powers to their limits—to save her love from the clutches of the wrathful Fae.
.

Storm Bound is Book Two of the Grim Series 
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!

 Available in Kindle ebook, paperback and audiobook on AMAZON

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EXCERPT FROM STORM BOUND


Celynnen wanted what she wanted. And what the princess wanted from him was everything, both body and soul. Most of all, she wanted him as a willing partner in her bed. The Fae had often been known to seek out human lovers as diversions, but Aidan ap Llanfor had been determined to die before complying with his captor’s wishes in any way.

But it hadn’t been that easy.

He was still chained in the courtyard when she came to him one night, dressed in little more than moonlight. Her hair cascaded wildly down her smooth backside like a waterfall of silver, her shapely arms open to reveal her flawless breasts caressed by a transparent fabric that seemed to have tiny stars woven into it. Her long legs were naked, her delicate feet bare except for an exquisite silver bracelet around one perfectly-turned ankle. Tall and lithe, bold in her nakedness, she was a goddess: Diana the Huntress stalking the earth with the moon as her consort.

Aidan’s chains fell away as she lightly grasped one of his hands. “Come with me.” Her voice was a soft sultry whisper. “Let me show you the pleasures of my bed, dearest Aidan. Do mortals not sing songs of the skills of faery lovers?”

Such unearthly beauty coupled with such an alluring offer would have brought a lesser man to his knees. But while Aidan’s memories might be slowly fading under the influence of the faery realm’s magic, he refused to forget that this inhuman creature was his captor, the despoiler of his life, the one who had plundered whatever dreams he might have had. He was less than a slave to her; he was a temporary plaything, a toy, and he knew it.

He spat at her, marring the nearly invisible fabric right over the spot where her icy heart likely lay. “I’ll not be your pet,” he declared, fully aware of his danger. Although Celynnen appeared to have no weapon, she was more than capable of killing him with a single word. Aidan stood straight, calmly waiting for the death blow to fall, his only regret that he was unable to fulfill his vow to bring about her demise as well.

The blow didn’t come. He could see the fury in her iridescent eyes, the sharp relief of her features as an unholy anger lit them from within. “You are gravely mistaken, mortal,” she said, and her voice was deep with rage. “You will be my pet for as long as I will it.”

A shard of green lightning suddenly snaked down from a cloudless night sky and wrapped itself around him.

“You will learn to do much more than merely obey me,” she declared, as a violent seizure threw him to the ground. Every muscle and tendon, each bone and sinew, suddenly seemed to tear apart from each other and reshape themselves. Convulsing uncontrollably, he would have screamed from the pain had he been able to draw enough breath.

“You will learn to devote yourself to me until you crave my every wish,” she intoned.

The bones in his face felt as if they’d exploded, reforming into something alien. His spine stretched torturously until his tailbone uncurled and grew, adding fresh agony to his suffering. Skin split and reknit, fingers shortened, toes lengthened. He was able to draw in a great sucking gasp of air just as the torment reached a crescendo – and his scream came out as a long, hideous howl. The sound rose into the night sky like a live thing, as if to plead with the stars themselves for an end to the unbearable. Perhaps they heard him. His body was still ablaze with pain, but compared to what he’d just been through, he could shoulder it. Panting heavily for breath, he lay on his side with his eyes closed.

“You will learn to adore me with every breath you take,” she said finally, emphasizing each word. “Until every thought you have is of your undying love for me.”

Damn that to hell. Aidan fought to get up then, his eyes opening to a new nightmare. His strong hands and powerful arms, the instruments of his craft, were gone. Instead, long legs stretched out before him, ending in enormous paws. The blackest of fur shrouded his skin, and a long dark muzzle intruded on his field of sight. He glanced about, taking in the thickly muscled torso and haunches, and the strange new appendage of a tail, and as he struggled unsteadily to his feet, Celynnen laughed.

“Did I not say you would be my pet?” She stood boldly in the bright moonlight, her all but naked body silvered by it. There was something silver in her hands too, a great wide band crafted of intricate links.

Image Bigstock.com

What she held was a collar, as if he was truly and completely a dog. With a lion-like roar, he leapt at her with bared fangs, bent on tearing out her marble-white throat. His fearsome teeth never connected however. She backhanded him with such power that he struck the stone wall he’d been chained to and slid to the ground in a dazed heap.

He tried to rally himself for another lunge, but at a word from Celynnen he was tied with invisible bonds as securely as if he’d been bound with iron chains from his own forge. Even his muzzle was spelled shut, so that all he could do was curl his lip and snarl at her.

Her perfect face was smug with satisfaction as she knelt beside him and placed the heavy collar around his thick neck. There was no clasp. Instead she ran a finger over the links and recited some sort of spell in a language Aidan had never heard. The collar knit itself together as if it was a live thing, and he winced inwardly as he heard the final snick of the last link.

Still kneeling, she smiled radiantly at him and suddenly it seemed as if her beauty intensified somehow. “I think I like you much better like this,” she said, and every word was an unwanted caress. … In the same moment that she vanished, he was freed from whatever magic had held him helpless, and he rose slowly to his feet.

He was no dog.

Massive and powerful, Aidan ap Llanfor was as far from a pet as a dragon was from a housecat. Celynnen had made him one of the most feared creatures in Welsh legend. He was a grim, the gwyllgi of stories told ’round the fire, the barghest of lore: a monstrous black hound charged with one errand only – to be an omen of death to those unlucky enough to see him.

Within moments he felt the tug and pull of some invisible force. He could sense impending death on the human plane, and it drew him upwards, impelling him to begin his woeful task.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

LEGEND ∙ LORE ∙ LOVE ∙ MAGIC

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.

THE GRIM SERIES by Dani Harper

  

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

Here Be News

New Releases:

Other News:

The Real Life Setting for Dani Harper's latest Fantasy

As you might know, Dani's spent the last month on an extensive blog tour for her brand new release, Storm Crossed, which is Book 4 of the Grim Series. Did you know there's a real life waterfall that became a faery portal in the story? 

Read about the series settings here: http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/01/guest-blog-giveaway-storm-crossed-by.html 

And while you're there, be sure to enter the Storm Crossed giveaway - you could win a Kindle Fire 8!

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Bring It Back(list) Feature:

Linda Mooney's MY POWER,MY STRNEGTH, MY LOVE, a scifi romance was featured this week.

Here Be News

New Releases:

Only a few stops are left in Dani Harper's book tour for

Storm Crossed, 

the new release in the faery-legend-inspired Grim Series. 

You might have heard about the book. But did you know about the giveaway? 

You can enter to win a Kindle Fire 8! 

The Rafflecopter for the giveaway AND the complete tour schedule are both on

 the Bewitching Book Tours site at this url:

https://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/2018/01/now-on-tour-storm-crossed-by-dani-harper.html 

But hurry! Both the tour and the Kindle giveaway end on February 7th!

Other News:

Bring It Back(list) Feature:

Veronica Scott's Award Winning scifi romance novel ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE was our most recent feature. The book is FREE...
Buy Links: iBooks    AMAZON   Nook  Kobo   Google Play

Here Be News

New Releases:

Just out: STORM CROSSED by DANI HARPER

A fae who doesn’t believe in love. 
A mortal who has no time for it. 
And a desire that defies everything they know.

Available as Kindle ebook, paperback, 

MP3-CD or audiobook on AMAZON

The latest stand-alone novel in Dani Harper’s Grim Series will delight old and new fans alike, transporting them to the ancient fae realm beneath the modern human world, where magic rules and menace abounds . . .

Heir to a noble fae house, Trahern is forced to watch helplessly as his twin brother is cruelly changed into a grim—a death dog—as punishment for falling in love with the wrong person. Trahern doesn’t believe love exists, but he will do anything to keep his brother alive—even join the Wild Hunt and ride the night skies of the human world.

Lissy Santiago-Callahan believes in love but has no time for it. She’s busy juggling her career as an academic and her home life as a single mom to a young son with Asperger’s. Her hectic life in sleepy Eastern Washington is made even more chaotic with the sudden arrival of a demanding fae and his unusual “dog.”

Mortal and immortal have nothing in common, and the attraction between Lissy and Trahern surprises them both. But when their desire places Lissy and her child in the path of a deadly faery feud, will the connection last, or will their separate worlds prove too great a divide?

Available as Kindle ebook, paperback, MP3-CD or audiobook on AMAZON

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Other News:

The reviewers at the Whiskey With My Book blog did not one but TWO reviews of Veronica Scott's latest scifi romance AYDARR! 




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Speaking of reviews, If anyone's looking for Kindle Unlimited books, HBM Author Jenny Schwartz reviews the ones she really enjoys over at this FB page https://www.facebook.com/AlwaysAnotherGreatBook/ and that includes #scifi (just search for that hashtag on the page).

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Bring It Back(list) Feature:

Veronica Scott highlighted her scifi romance thriller Danger in the Stars, which is currently on sale for $.99! Here's the link for the excerpt and buy links.

NEW RELEASE - Storm Crossed by Dani Harper

A fae who doesn’t believe in love. 
A mortal who has no time for it. 
And a desire that defies everything they know.

Available as Kindle ebook, paperback, 

MP3-CD or audiobook on AMAZON

The latest stand-alone novel in Dani Harper’s Grim Series will delight old and new fans alike, transporting them to the ancient fae realm beneath the modern human world, where magic rules and menace abounds . . .

Heir to a noble fae house, Trahern is forced to watch helplessly as his twin brother is cruelly changed into a grim—a death dog—as punishment for falling in love with the wrong person. Trahern doesn’t believe love exists, but he will do anything to keep his brother alive—even join the Wild Hunt and ride the night skies of the human world.

Lissy Santiago-Callahan believes in love but has no time for it. She’s busy juggling her career as an academic and her home life as a single mom to a young son with Asperger’s. Her hectic life in sleepy Eastern Washington is made even more chaotic with the sudden arrival of a demanding fae and his unusual “dog.”

Mortal and immortal have nothing in common, and the attraction between Lissy and Trahern surprises them both. But when their desire places Lissy and her child in the path of a deadly faery feud, will the connection last, or will their separate worlds prove too great a divide?

* * * * *

EXCERPT from STORM CROSSED:

“What are you doing here?” demanded a new voice, a rich masculine voice, and every one of her friends fell silent.

Oh great, we’ve attracted a park ranger, thought Lissy as she turned to face this new issue. How are we going to explain—

It was no ranger. The first thing her eyes took in was a heavy black cloak, thrown back to reveal strange leather clothing. Ornately tooled and trimmed with silver, it hugged a lean frame.

No, some instinct decided, not lean but lithe. Lithe like a big cat, all coiled agility and snake-strike muscle in a deceptively relaxed package. She was forced to tilt her head to see the strong jaw that underscored the man’s angular face—and the scar that ran diagonally across his throat.

Still, he could have been called handsome if it wasn’t for a strange otherness to his perfect features that was impossible to describe. Human, yet decidedly not. And no human she knew boasted hair like that. Pulled into a thick braid that fell halfway down his back, it was white in the way that snow was white—not a single shade, but many.

She had to remind herself to breathe. This was no lost cosplay enthusiast or a Lord of the Rings extra, but an actual living, breathing member of the faery race. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a faint thought protested that such a thing was completely impossible. It wasn’t very convincing, however, not with a flesh and blood dog the size of a goddamn Volkswagen already in front of her.

The man’s pale hair glowed in the fire’s light. A fistful of loose strands fell across his face, and beneath them his eyes were watchful, alert. A panther scanning for prey.

And he had found her.

The stranger’s unnerving gaze lingered for only a moment before apparently dismissing her. “What are you doing here?” he asked again, and Lissy realized he spoke to the enormous canine behind her.

“Wait a sec. This is your dog? Yours?” All the shock and fear of the past few minutes transmuted into anger. She’d been prepared to die defending her child, and this man, this being, was totally responsible! It was as if a switch inside had been thrown. Normal-everyday-college-science-professor Lissy was abruptly replaced with I-will-savagely-tear-apart-ten-man-eating-lions-to-save-my-kid Lissy. She stepped directly into his line of sight. “What the hell were you thinking, letting this animal run around loose like that?” she demanded.

He merely looked around her, as if she was a tree or a bush or a goddamn rock, and that just ramped up her fury. “You! I’m talking to you!” Without thought but backed by a considerable amount of adrenaline, she shoved him with all her strength. The element of surprise gave her an extra advantage, and the tall man stumbled back a step.

Now she had his full attention.

Most nature documentaries she’d watched advised against locking stares with wild animals, yet Lissy stood her ground and met the stranger’s riveting gaze boldly—despite her resentment at having to look up to do it. She all but bared her teeth as she stated her case: “You. Endangered. My. Son.”

“There was no danger to your offspring. The hound does not devour mortals.”

Was he mocking her with that imperious tone? “Yeah, well us mortals had no way of knowing that your monster dog doesn’t snack on humans. You have no right to frighten people like that!”

“I require no rights from you. I ride with the Hunt.”

Her gaze flicked to a faint ripple of movement at his side. The heavy cloak drew aside as if by its own volition, and the fae’s hand casually rested on the handle of a large coil of plaited leather at his hip. Ghostly tongues of bluish light flickered continuously over the heavy whip, here then gone in an instant only to reappear in a different spot, as if they were living things.

Lissy could hear some gasps from her cluster of friends, and some hurried words between Morgan and Brooke. Though she’d never encountered the Wild Hunt herself, she knew that had to be what the stranger referred to. As a mere human, she should be utterly terrified.

Instead, she couldn’t care less if he was a unicorn. “Well, I require a goddamn apology from you, Mister,” she heard herself say, and folded her arms to wait.

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STORM CROSSED
is available in Kindle ebook, paperback, MP3-CD and audiobook at 
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Crossed-Grim-Book-4-ebook/dp/B073TTTGZD

Legend, lore, love, and magic...
Other books in The Grim Series by Dani Harper

STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, and STORM WARNED

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 my novels on my Amazon Author Page
or go to my website at https://daniharper.com/

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BRING IT BACK(LIST) - "First Bite" by Dani Harper

A reluctant hero.

An unwilling heroine.

And a new pack of Changelings in a darker paranormal tale that brushes the edges of horror.

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FIRST BITE is 1st in the Dark Wolf Series
Image: Bigstock.com

Geneva “Neva” Ross doesn’t want to die. But now that she’s been turned into a werewolf against her will, she’ll do anything to protect her family and friends … even if that means taking her own life.

Too bad Travis Williamson saw her jump. A lone Changeling with a dark past, he feels compelled to use his powers to save her. The last thing he expects is to feel a connection to the strong-willed woman. And when Neva is hospitalized, Travis risks everything to kidnap her, knowing the approaching full moon will put everyone in jeopardy.

Bickering constantly to hide their growing attraction, Travis and Neva run from the authorities—and from Neva’s sinister sire, Meredith de la Ronde. Meredith is determined that Neva will join her murderous wolf pack. Or die.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE -- 

This was a really different style for me, and not a story I planned. But on a lengthy stopover in the Sea-Tac airport, the characters started talking to me and WOULD NOT SHUT UP.

I had my laptop open as usual, working on another book entirely, but the characters of First Bite were among the most insistent I’ve ever met! The result was that I left Seattle with the entire first chapter and a rough skeleton of a story I’d never imagined writing. 

As I continued work on this novel, the hero and heroine, and even the villain, continued to surprise me -- and I had to run to keep up with them at times!

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Excerpt from FIRST BITE

Available on AMAZON in ebook,
paperback, and audiobook

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Neva stared at the enormous hand the stranger extended her. Her gaze followed the black leather–clad arm up to the massive shoulders, the strong jaw, and the thick lock of wavy blond hair hanging over his dark glasses. “You have so got to be kidding me,” she said.

He shrugged. “I always wanted to say that line. Except I’m not kidding.” With his other hand, the big stranger plunked a flower arrangement of purple irises and orange chrysanthemums on the bedside table. He yanked the tiny card off it and stuffed it into his jeans pocket, but not before she read, To our valued employee, Bob.

“You stole somebody’s flowers?”

“Camouflage.” He opened and closed the drawers and closet. “No clothes left, huh? Guess you’ll have to come as you are.”

“Why would I go anywhere with you? I know what you are.” She practically spat the words at him, even as she grabbed the remote from the bed and poised her thumb over the red button for the nurses’ station. “You’re one of them.”

“Yeah, well, I know what you are, too, sister.”

Of course he would know, but it still stung. She didn’t want to be like him or any of the rest of the damned creatures under Meredith’s thumb. “Look, I know who sent you. And I can give you twice what she offered you.”

He laughed at that. “Trust me, nobody could pay me enough to come here. It stinks.”

“What about your pack leader?”

“I have no pack. I’m just here to spring you.”

Something like hope stirred inside her and she pushed it down hard. Not only was this a werewolf she was dealing with, but he had screwed up her plans once already. She wouldn’t be fooled. “Meredith won’t like it,” she tested.

“Who?” He slid the sunglasses down his nose, revealing vivid blue eyes that studied her as intently as she was studying him. “Look, if you have a gripe with somebody, that’s your problem. I’m here to get you out of here. Period.”

From the set of his mouth, he looked like he was bracing himself for an argument. She was all set to give him one, too, then realized this was exactly the opportunity she needed. “Okay.”

“Look, we both know you can’t stay—what?”

“I said okay. I want to go. Go ahead, get me out of here. You messed up everything the other night and you’re responsible for me being in this place, so you owe me, mister. Let’s go.”

“Wait just a damn minute.” He pulled the sunglasses off completely then and pointed them at her. “I saved your frickin’ life, lady. If anybody owes anybody, it’s—”

“Just get me out of this hospital and we’re even.” She started struggling to her feet as he opened and closed his mouth, obviously at a loss for words. He recovered enough to offer his big hand again and this time she took it and used it to pull herself up, finding herself standing almost nose to nose with him. Or rather, nose to chest. Neva was tall herself, but this guy was huge. She eyed him warily. “No funny stuff. Get me out of here and we’re done.”

He hesitated, his brow furrowed. “Anyone in their right mind would be happy to get out of here, but you’re a little too keen. You thinking of trying to off yourself again?”

“That’s none of your business. Are you going to help me get out of here or not?”

The frown deepened but he didn’t argue further, just put his sunglasses back on. “Can you walk?”

“Not fast, but yeah.” Okay, technically she’d only shuffled around her room and limped partway to the nurses’ station once. She had no idea if she’d hold up any further than that, but she wasn’t going to say so. Instead, she pulled the ties of her bathrobe tighter and grabbed her cane.

He placed himself on her left, her arm and leg casts against him, and threw an arm around her, his big hand curled around her waist. “What’s your name?”

“Why’s it matter?”

“Well, if we’re stopped, it’ll look pretty suspicious if I don’t know my own cousin’s name.”

Cousin. Well, it was lot better than pretending to be his girlfriend—she wouldn’t have to feign affection. After all, if he was her own cousin, Alec, she would have punched him rather than hug him just out of childhood habit. “I’m Neva. So who the hell are you, anyway, the werewolf police? Why do you keep interfering in my life?”

He was silent for a long moment. “Travis. No. And goddess only knows.”

She swung around and thumped the center of his chest with a right hook, which was all she could reach from the awkward angle. It was a point in his favor that he didn’t let her fall—she’d overbalanced and would have done a fine face-plant if he wasn’t hanging on to her.

“What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

“Luck.”

“Must be extra good luck since you already stabbed me in the same frickin’ spot,” he muttered. “Lean on me,” was all the warning she got before he abruptly propelled the pair of them sideways through the door and down the hall. 

Available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook at

https://www.amazon.com/First-Bite-Dark-Wolf-Book-ebook/dp/B00BI4W7G2 

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

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

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LEGEND.  LORE.  LOVE.  MAGIC.

Bringing ancient faery legends into modern-day America...

Watch for STORM CROSSED, releasing January 9th!

Available now for pre-order in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

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