A Whole New World...

A funny thing happened on the way to tying up a loose thread. Initially, when I wrote and released Light Up the Night as a shorter story than originally planned (in order to fit the length requirements of the anthology it was scheduled to appear in), I figured I'd go back and add a few scenes in alternate POVs, expand a little on what was already there, and be done with it.

Not so fast, said my muse. These couple of scenes and alternate POVs are not so much a subplot as a whole separate story. A story in which your vampires must confront a werewolf pack. How is that going to fit in with the sweet friends-to-lovers, age gap vampire Christmas story you've got going on?

Well, she was right. Muses generally are, after all. So I looked around, noticed that someone was putting together a shifter-themed newsletter builder.  Perfect, I thought. I'll write a second short story--vampires vs werewolves--and release it in that.

So, I signed up. I thought up a title for the new story, created a cover for it, and wrote down a quick outline, and...a somewhat ridiculous amount of time later. Weeks, at least. Probably more like months. It occurred to me that, fabulous as this story is, and happy though I am to be giving my h/h an HEA...this is a book about vampires who have some dealings with werewolves. And the anthology I've signed myself up for is allllll about the shifters. 

So. Back to the drawing board.

Ya know what...my muse had the nerve to say, at that point, peeking out from wherever she'd been sneakily hiding. Vampires and werewolves practically beg for the Romeo and Juliet treatment--different ending, of course. Why don't you have one of your vampires fall in love with one of the werewolves. 

Now, I'm getting annoyed because this is supposed to be a short story. If I add a whole new subplot to it, I'm right back where I started, with a long ass book. Also: A, all of the vampires that were slated to be in the story are already spoken for and B, how does this love story end? Does the werewolf leave home to be with their insta-love vampire? Does my vampire leave the nest and move in with a werewolf pack? At Christmas time???

It was at about this point that DepositPhoto ran one of their sales. And, armed with fresh credits I  went on a cover search (for an entirely different story, of course) and...I found my story. And it's nothing like I  thought it would be...well, it does have sort of a Romeo and Juliet vibe. Not the happy kind, either. It's got a Cinderella vibe, too, but that's beside the point. It involves an entirely new vampire, and it takes place at least several weeks before the original story does, so that these characters get to come in and play a brief part in that story, too. 

And, of course, now I have a whole new series to write and a whole new shifter world to play in. 

Here's the blurb. And a version of the cover--it's the start of a whole new series, it needs a new look. Font choices are still in the "well, I kind of like that. I think," stage. 

The Sierra Nevada foothills have been vampire Josiah Lodge’s hunting grounds for nearly two centuries. Alone since a lover’s betrayal cost him his nest, the former trapper-turned-wild-crafter has given up on ever again finding love or acceptance. If he didn’t have to eat, he’d never venture out of his woods again. But needs must.

​When Coldpelt (Cole) Moonwalker’s true shifter nature asserted itself, he was judged an abomination and cast out of his pack. Without a territory to call his own, he’s constantly on the move, constantly in danger—which is how he ends up passed out and injured on Josh’s front porch. While Cole dreams of someday finding a place where he can belong, he knows that place can never be with the scarred and surly vampire who undoubtedly has the blood of Cole’s people on his hands.

​Will the attraction they feel for one another allow these natural enemies to overcome their sense of mutual distrust? Is enemies with benefits even a thing? Find out when the FREE anthology Shifter Fever debuts April 1st.

HERE BE NEWS for August 24, 2020

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Monday, August 17 - 
"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic, including something something something...  

Tuesday, August 18 -
"10 WAYS TO BECOME A WEREWOLF" ...and not one of them involve being bitten! Dani Harper, author of the Changeling Series, shares her most popular post.

Thursday, August 20 -
“CAN YOU TAKE THE PARANORMAL OUT OF A PARANORMAL WRITER?” – No ghosts, no monsters, no supernatural powers? Author Maureen L. Bonatch discovers that the scariest characters of all just might be human beings. The result, “Till Death”, releases November 13th.

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10 WAYS TO BECOME A WEREWOLF by Dani Harper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Werewolf" Novels by Dani Harper

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

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

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

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

.......

LEGEND. LORE. LOVE. MAGIC.

From ghosts to faeries to shapeshifters, 

you can check out all my stories at

www.daniharper.com

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

CHANGELING DREAM

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

“An absolutely fantastic read.”

~ Joyfully Reviewed

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

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

 ~ RT Book Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What WEREWOLVES have to do with Christmas...

Image: Bigstock.com

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

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

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

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

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

Image: Bigstock.com

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

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

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

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

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

Image: Public Domain

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

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

Image: Bigstock.com

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

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

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

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Book 1 of the Haunted Holiday Series by Dani Harper 

A Yuletide Paranormal Romance

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

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

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

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

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

Image from Bigstock.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Your Changeling world has plenty of mixed couples.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Run…

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

Hunt…

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

Mate…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 “Powerful and uplifting…”

—The Romance Studio

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

“An absolutely fantastic read.”

—Joyfully Reviewed

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

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

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

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

This is the trailer I made for the series:

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

—RT Book Reviews

PROLOGUE 

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

              James Macleod was not human.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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PURCHASE LINK -

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

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

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