LOVE FAERIES? New Excerpt from STORM CROSSED by Dani Harper

"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…"

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was back in July to see Storm Crossed named as one of the 3 finalists for the PRISM award in Urban Fantasy! But it was nothing compared to the feelings that overwhelmed me on September 30th when I found out that my story had actually WON!

I'm still a little dazed, but truly thankful. Much appreciation goes to the organizers and judges of the PRISM - it's a lot of work to put on a writing competition. Most of all, I'm grateful to my wonderful readers who have taken this story to their hearts.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

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:

The ear-piercing screams would have done a pterodactyl proud as nine-year-old Fox entered total meltdown mode in the produce department of Naturally Yours Organics. As usual, the din won either disapproving glares or pained expressions of sympathy from other shoppers. Today the glares were in the majority. In a last-ditch effort to defuse the situation, Lissy sat down on the hardwood floor next to her son’s flailing body. “Just breathe, bud. Breathe in and out.” She kept her voice calm and matter-of-fact, even as she slid his beloved Squishy Bear close to him. Sometimes the soft toy was a life preserver in a storm of stimulation that he couldn’t process fast enough.

Not today.

“It’s okay, we’re going now.” She got to her feet and hefted Fox, all fifty-one struggling pounds of him, onto her hip. He was small for his age—what on earth would she do when he got bigger? Either rent a hand truck or get a hip replacement. Especially when he continued to thrash like a netted tuna all the way to the front of the store. Once she’d taken a few steps outside, however, he went completely limp, his shrill screams subsiding into strange, silent sobbing, punctuated only by the occasional hiccup. Lissy remembered plenty of occasions those first few years when she’d sobbed all the way to the car, too.

She settled his rag-doll body into his booster seat, placed his bear and his favorite video game within reach, then half sat, half collapsed into the driver’s seat. The closing of the car door shut the world out with a satisfying clunch, and Lissy imagined a baseball umpire yelling, Safe! 

Taking a couple of deep breaths in the blissful quiet, she turned the key and switched on the air-conditioning. The car was parked in the shade, but temperatures climbed early at this time of year. Besides, cool air often relaxed Fox, no matter what time of year it was. She checked on her son in the rearview mirror. He lay unmoving, his blond head turned away from the window, face pale and his ever-serious blue eyes staring. He looked exhausted. Although he lost control much less often now, an episode still took a toll on him.

Truth be told, it took a helluva toll on her, too. But Melissa Santiago-Callahan would never give up. The word quit just wasn’t in her vocabulary. Sometimes, though, she couldn’t help but wish that things were different—

She had been close to finishing her doctorate in geophysics when she met Chief Warrant Officer Matt Lovell, on leave from Fort Carson.

Funny, thoughtful, intelligent, and every bit as driven to succeed as she was, the tall helicopter pilot fell hard for her—and she for him. On the six-month anniversary of their first date, they were engaged. Two months after she said yes, he was deployed to Iraq. And one month later he was gone. Death came for him not in the skies that he loved so much but on the ground in an IED explosion.

The shock to her heart was enormous. To go from such a high-intensity relationship to nothing in the space of a heartbeat was hard enough. But even as she swung between soul-searing pain and frozen numbness, Lissy discovered she was pregnant.

And seven months later, Fox was born by emergency C-section.

Despite his abrupt introduction to the world, her son was healthy and strong. Lissy was determined to be the very best parent possible, and if the universe was fair, it should have worked. She should have been able to shower Fox with love and have everything turn out fine. 

But by the time his third birthday rolled around, she realized that her beautiful son was different from other children—

.....

STORM CROSSED by Dani Harper is available on Amazon in these formats - Kindle ebook, paperback, Audiobook and MP3-CD.

https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Crossed-Grim-Book-4-ebook/dp/B073TTTGZD

Check out all Dani Harper's novels or sign up for her newsletter at www.daniharper.com

THE REAL HEADLESS HORSEMAN - by Dani Harper

by Dani Harper

It’s mid-September and I know I’m not the only one who’s already decorating for Halloween!  Recently I was admiring an inflatable Headless Horseman in someone’s yard and began thinking about the legend behind it.  Most of us recognize this apparition from Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, which was first published as a short story in 1820.

In Irving’s tale, a ghostly rider without a head appears one night and pursues superstitious schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. The wild chase ends with Ichabod disappearing from the village, never to be seen again.

But the story of the headless horseman didn’t originate in Sleepy Hollow! And it’s not alone…

These dark faery beings have been known since Celtic times in Ireland and Scotland. Referred to as “The Dullahan” or Gan Ceann, meaning "headless”, they are clothed in black, and may be male or female. Each one carries its own glowing head under its arm – but the head is very much alive with a wide and wicked grin. The Dullahan’s dark eyes are said to cast back and forth continually searching for prey. Often the head is held aloft in one hand to gain a better view, and legend says it can see for many miles! The head can also speak, but only a single word: the name of its next victim.

The Dullahan’s mount is usually a wild black stallion with red eyes. The horse strikes sparks with its hooves as it gallops, and flame spurts from its nostrils. No reins are needed as horse and rider are one in purpose. And while the Dullahan carries its head in one hand, the other hand wields a long whip made of a human spine! 

In some stories this faery creature may drive a dark carriage – the Cóiste Bodhar, or Silent Coach - pulled by black horses. In Scotland, this vehicle is sometimes known as Hell’s wain (wain means cart or wagon), and is able to fly through the night sky! It is said that once the Silent Coach has entered the mortal realm, it cannot return without a soul.

Whatever way the Dullahan may choose to travel, its victims are not random. Like the Black Dogs or Grims of the British Isles, the Dullahan is a herald of death. When it rides out, its mission is to summon the soul of someone already destined to die. It may stop in front of the house where the person lives or it may appear at the site of their impending demise.

People who catch sight of a Dullahan will often clap their hands over their ears so they cannot hear their name being called. Locks and bars cannot stop it – the faery and its mount can sail through any gate as if it wasn’t there. There is only one possible defense:  to throw a piece of gold. Even the tiniest item made of gold is sufficient to send the horseman away. In one story, a traveler drops a gold-headed pin from his clothing and the creature disappears. Curiously, the Dullahan doesn’t take the gold – perhaps it is repelled by it. 

Although the Dullahan may be encountered any time of the year, some seasons are more dangerous than others. In late August and early September, for instance, folklore advises staying home! Keeping the curtains closed at night is important – not only does it block the Dullahan from peering inside with its disembodied head, but this prevents you from accidentally witnessing the creature. Apparently, the horseman doesn’t like to be watched as it works, even if it’s not after you. This dark faery has been known to blind onlookers in one eye with its bony whip! 

According to the Celts, the most dangerous time of the year is Samhain, which falls on November 1st and signifies the beginning of winter. The veil between all the worlds is thinnest at this time. Ghosts and faeries and all manner of supernatural creatures can walk freely – and so can the REAL Headless Horseman!

If you’re planning to stay out late on Halloween night, it wouldn't hurt to carry a token made of gold ... just in case.

Bring It Back(list) Feature: THE GRIM SERIES by Dani Harper - plus a Sale!

LEGEND · LORE · LOVE · MAGIC

You'll find them all in my Grim Series. These full-length novels combine Celtic myth with faery lore from Wales – but one way or another, the characters land in modern-day America!

Why "Grim"? One of my favorite Welsh folktales concerns a legendary canine with countless names: The Black Dog, the Gwyllgi, the Barghest, Black Shuck, or THE GRIM. This spectral creature is said to resemble a giant mastiff, larger than any living dog, and its eyes are often fiery red or gold - and glowing!

The legend dates all the way back to Celtic times, and tales of the beast are told in many parts of the British Isles. Often associated with the Fae, the Grim acts as the herald of Death, and those who see the animal are usually destined to die very soon. The dog appears without warning, follows or even chases people – yet vanishes without a trace. 

However, the Grim never threatens the innocent. In some tales, the creature is an instrument of justice, hunting down betrayers and murderers. And sometimes the otherworldly beast protects children or guards lone travelers. 

Stories like these made me wonder... What if the creature had a conscience, a sense of right and wrong? What if the Grim didn’t mindlessly follow its mission? What if the Black Dog didn't want to BE Death's Messenger? 

That's when the characters showed up and demanded I write their stories!

ABOUT THE GRIM SERIES:

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.

Storm Crossed won the 2019 Golden Quill Award for Fantasy Romance

KINDLE EBOOK SALE:

Storm Warrior, Storm Bound, 

Storm Warned, and Storm Crossed

by Dani Harper

Just 99¢ each, but hurry!

Sale ends soon!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074BRZ9NK

The FAERY Month of May

Why would a mortal month be strongly associated with timeless beings?

And does that make May a time to celebrate – or to beware?

Some things just go together like sun and fun, peanut butter and jelly, and Watson and Holmes. One pairing that's much, much older is that of faeries and May.

The ancient Celts of the British Isles and much of Europe celebrated Beltane as a spring festival of renewal, fertility, planting and growth. Many people today still observe Beltane.  Even more celebrate May Day (May 1^st). Just as the spirits of the dead and other supernatural beings are associated with the waning of the light at Samhain or Halloween, the veil between worlds is also believed to be thin during this time of growth and new life. And the creatures to be most afraid of?

Faeries.

While many May rituals were simply happy celebrations, just as many were intended for protection. It’s no coincidence that a portion of the Beltane feast was given as an offering to the fae. Associated with nature spirits, they were considered to be one of the main threats to the success of the growing season and the fruitfulness of both livestock and humans. Faeries were easily offended and quick to anger. Unless appeased, they might cause a crop to wilt or cows to stop producing milk. (Mind you, they might do so anyway out of mischief or sheer spite!)

Pleasant weather often accompanies May but sleeping in the open air was considered dangerous because the faeries were thought to be at their most powerful during this month. Worse, both male and female fae were actively on the prowl for attractive mortals to carry off to their otherworldly realms! There, the captives would become lovers, servants, nursemaids … or simply toys. If the easily-bored fae tired of you, you might eventually be freed. But since time moves differently there, a mere day could be years long and you would not return to the world you knew.

Meeting a faery in broad daylight in May was also perilous. Even the most benign of fae beings could be tricky. Any conversation had to carefully negotiated so you wouldn’t accidentally agree to a bad bargain or be fooled into making a promise you couldn’t fulfill. Ordinary words that humans take for granted could be dangerous. A simple “thank you” was the height of insult!

Small wonder that people sought to protect themselves, their households, and their farms from these powerful and capricious immortals.

Since we're only halfway through this perilous month, I've included the following tips from one of my past posts:

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE FAE

Garlands made of yellow flowers such as marsh marigolds and primroses were hung over the barn doors to protect the horses from being ridden to exhaustion by faeries in the night. The flowers were also spread over windowsills and hung above the door-posts of the house for safety. Your best bet, however, was a plant called St. John's Wort. Wearing it was said to provide strong protection from faery magic.

Faeries could vanish at will and remain invisible to mortal eyes for as long as they pleased. Carrying a four-leafed clover would allow you to see and thus avoid them. A Celtic tradition was to sew several of the clovers into a tiny bag to be worn around the neck. You could discern the faeries once for each clover in the bag.

Red berries were believed to keep faeries at bay, especially if they were from rowan trees, mountain ash or holly. So did red verbena (a flower). Daisies were often tucked into children’s pockets or woven into fanciful chains to wear around their necks to prevent them from being taken away by the faeries. And if you were walking through the woods, it was best to carry a walking stick or staff made of ash or rowan wood.

Traditionally, yeast-risen bread provided protection from the Fae. Carrying bread with you, even just a crust, had a two-fold effect. It would repel some faeries. Other faeries would accept it as an offering and leave you alone.

My Welsh gramma taught me the old tradition of leaving a saucer of milk and a slice of bread or some bread crusts on the back porch for the faeries, so they wouldn’t play pranks on the family, ruin the garden, or trouble the livestock.

Salt is associated with purity, and spreading salt across the threshold and along the windowsills has often been used to keep faeries, demons, and spirits out of houses. If you had to carry food to the farmhands in the fields or tote your lunch to school, sprinkling it with salt was said to keep the faeries from taking it – or from extracting the nourishment from it unseen!

Even humble oatmeal was believed to be a faery repellent. You could carry a handful of dry oatmeal in your pocket or sprinkle it on your clothes.

But the very best protection against faeries? Iron. In any form or shape, legend has it that the metal is like kryptonite to the fae. If you kept an iron nail in your pocket, you couldn’t be carried away by them. Sometimes iron nails were sewn into the hems of children’s clothing for that very reason. A pair of iron shears hung on the wall near a baby’s bed was said to prevent the child from being swapped for a sickly faery baby. Horseshoes were nailed over doorposts, not for “luck” as we sometimes do today, but to repel the fae. Some traditions call for the horseshoe to be placed on its side like the letter “C”, resembling the crescent moon.

Enjoy the rest of the merry month of May – and don't forget to watch out for faeries!

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

Faeries + Fantasy + Romance
= The Grim Series

Available in paperback, Kindle ebook, audiobook and Audible See ALL Dani Harper novels on her Amazon Author Page or go to her website at http://www.daniharper.com

It was a Dark and Stormy Night... a Bring It Back(list) feature by Dani Harper

An excerpt from
STORM WARNED, 
Book 3 of the Grim Series:

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

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

This is Book 3 but 
every story in the series
can stand alone.

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

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

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

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

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

Image: Bigstock.com

From the back cover:

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

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

* * * * *

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

You can check out and purchase ANY of Dani’s books on her Amazon Author Page: 

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

HERE BE NEWS for April 15, 2019

In Case You Missed It:

Monday, April 8 - 

"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the gang at Here Be Magic.

Tuesday, April 9 -

“HELLHOUNDS, WITCHES AND A MISBEHAVING GODDESS” – 

Like books with suspense and danger? Shona Husk talks about her Coven of the Raven series.  

Saturday, April 13 - 

This week's Bring It Back(list) feature is “STORM WARRIOR”, Book 1 of the Grim Series by Dani Harper – and all ebooks in the series are currently on sale for 99¢. Scroll down for details.

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

New Release:

EMBODIED
(Coven of the Raven 3)

by Shona Husk

A love potion gone wrong leads to a goddess hijacking Alexis’s body. Now Alexis will do anything to catch her boss's eye. It’s unfortunate that he starts to notice her for all the wrong reasons. Such as the army of cats following her around.

Peyton Kilpatrick has always kept his relationship with Alexis professional despite the simmering interest. But something has changed, she crackles with magic and she wants more from him than he’s able to give. As a witch and a lawyer his life is complicated enough, throw in a hell hound bite that causes all kinds of side effects around the full moon and he really isn’t boyfriend material.

When Alexis finally gets Peyton in bed, things get hairy. Peyton reveals what he is and convinces her to give up her new-found power. If she doesn’t get rid of the goddess inhabiting her body, she’ll die.

Buy links: books2read.com/

https://books2read.com/u/4AJp1J

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

New Release:

THANN

by Linda Mooney

Paranormal Romance

#horseshifter

Word Count: 42.2K

$3.99 e / $9.99 p

It started with a winning lottery ticket, and could end with her death.

What would you do with $597 million? 

Despite her estranged fiancé raving that it’s a waste of money, Maren Padgett decides to try her luck and buys a lottery ticket with the last few bucks in her wallet. What could it hurt? What Burke Shavet wasn’t expecting was for Maren to actually win. With dollar signs in his eyes, he starts making big plans for the big winnings, contrary to Maren begging him to slow down. She’s uncomfortable with how fast he’s moving, with good reason. 

She should’ve trusted her instincts. Pushing a spur of the moment trip to the Grand Canyon, Burke had it all planned out… 

Maren owes her life to the people living at the bottom of the canyon. Especially to the mysterious black-haired man named Thann who rescued her. The problem is she doesn’t remember why her life was in danger to begin with. She can’t remember anything actually. But slowly, her memories are returning, and no one is happy with what she’s recalling.

Warning!  Contains lumpy soap, a shopping spree, a heavy load, an Oscar-worthy performance, five hundred million reasons, white water, petroglyphs, and a devastating act that brings two people together seeking justice...and love.

Excerpt and Buy Links

http://lindamooney.com/THANN.htm
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Bring It Back(list):

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 and buy links

http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/2019/04/what-to-do-with-naked-man-in-your-front.html

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

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¢

Shamrocks and Clovers - Are you feeling lucky?

When I was a kid, I used to hunt for four-leafed clovers in the belief that they brought good luck. I didn’t know then that one was only considered lucky if you found it by accident – the clover was useless if you looked for it on purpose! No wonder I didn’t get the pony I was hoping for….

The ancient Celts of Wales carried sprigs of clover as a charm against evil spirits, particularly faeries. The clover might be tucked in one’s hat. Or multiple clovers might be sewn into a tiny bag and hung around the neck. This would enable the wearer to see through faery glamor – but it would only work once for each clover that was in the bag.

The faeries couldn't hide from you if you were
carrying a four-leaf clover.Photo licensed from Bigstock.com

Druids esteemed the four-leafed clover as a source of protection, because holding one would allow you to see not just faeries, but many other supernatural creatures. A salve was sometimes made of four-leafed clovers and applied to the “third eye” area of the forehead, to bring out psychic abilities. And in the Middle Ages, a four-leafed clover worn inside your shoe was believed to lead you to either love or treasure! (If you put one in each shoe, did you find both?)

Both shamrocks and four-leafed clovers come from the 
same plant: Common White Clover (Trifolium Repens).
Photo licensed from Bigstock.com

The four-leafed clover is a symbol of good luck in many countries, but is most often associated with Ireland. The Irish claim that they have more of them growing there than anywhere else in the world. Maybe they do, since BOTH traditional Irish shamrocks and four-leafed clovers come from the very same plant:  Common White Clover, also known as Dutch Clover (Trifolium Repens). That’s right, it’s the same stuff that sometimes takes over the lawn on this side of the Atlantic. Irish botanist Caleb Threlkeld verified this when he wrote about Trifolium Repens in his 1727 book about local flora: “This plant is worn by the people in their hats upon the seventeenth day of March yearly.”

True, there are some pretty potted plants sold around March 17^th that claim to be official shamrocks, but they’re usually oxalis or wood sorrel. The leaves occur in a variety of colors, but apparently aren't brimming with good fortune. (I enjoy them anyway.)

The shamrock and the four-leafed clover are both
commonly associated with Ireland.
Photo: Public Domain

The Irish word for shamrock is seamróg, referring to the trefoil leaf of the clover plant. St. Patrick allegedly made it famous by taking an ordinary three-leafed clover and using it as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. This is an excellent example of Christianity adopting – and changing – the symbols of ancient pagan faiths. The three leaves had previously been known as the three phases of the Goddess – Maiden, Mother and Crone!

So why are there four-leafed clovers if clover naturally has three leaves? Long thought to be a simple plant mutation, scientists have now found a recessive gene for the anomaly. In fact, there are no known limits as to how many leaves a clover can have. According to Guinness, the world record for the most leaves on a clover stem has been held by Shigeo Obara of Japan since 2002 when he discovered a clover with 18 leaves. He bested his record a few years later with a 21-leafed clover (see photo on this site - http://yeinjee.com/21-leafs-clover/). And in 2009, just before Obara died, he was credited with finding a clover with no less than 56 leaves!!!

Rabbits LOVE clover.
I wonder how many four leaf clovers
this little guy has eaten?
Photo licensed from Bigstock.com

In Ireland and a few other places, a clover bearing more than four leaves is said to bring BAD luck. In other countries, however, there are different meanings according to leaf number:

•      Two-leafed clover = love
•      Four-leafed clover = luck 
•      Five-leafed clover = attracts wealth
•      Six-leafed clover = fame
•      Seven-leafed clover = long life

So just how rare are clovers with more than the standard three leaves? Estimates place them at about one in 10,000 when naturally grown. Because the four-leafed clover is such a well-known symbol of good fortune, an entire industry has sprung up around them. You can buy genuine four-leafed clovers pressed between glass, embedded in resin, made into jewelry etc. But to get enough of them, some horticulturalists have refined the clover plant using the newly-discovered genes. In their specialized plots, four-leafed clovers occur about once in every 41 plants!

However, the luckiest man in the world just might be Edward Martin Sr. of Alaska. Guinness certified Martin's collection of 111,060 four-leaf clovers in 2007, and it's reported he has well over 160,000 now! 

(See how all those clovers were counted in this article in the Peninsula Clarion News - http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/061307/news_0613new003.shtml#.WMcP2zsrI2w )

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I grew up on Celtic faery stories. Not the ones where faeries are tiny beings with delicate wings, and as sweet-natured as they are pretty. Nope, I teethed on the ones where faeries come in every shape and size. Dark or light, terrifying or beautiful, sensual or cold, indifferent or cruel ... all are dangerous!

My Grim Series is based on one of my favorite fae legends (with thanks to my Welsh grandmother). The Grim is also known as the Black Dog, and his role is to act as a herald of death and misfortune. But how did he get a job like that? And what if he doesn't want it?

Check Amazon for STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, and STORM WARNED

Watch for the upcoming release of STORM CROSSED, Book 4 of the Grim Series!