Dani Harper's Blog, page 12

THE GRIM - Legends of the BLACK DOG inspire my Grim Series

In some stories, the Grim protected
the innocent, defending children
and guarding travelers!"Like one, that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned round walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows, a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread."
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798
With STORM WARNED, the third installment of my Grim Series releasing soon, I thought it was a good time to share this spine-tingling legend once again!

I love a good ghost story and a ghost DOG story is even better! One of my favorite Welsh folktales provided inspiration for my latest series. The gwyllgi or barghest is a legendary canine with many names: The Black Dog, the Dog of Darkness, Black Shuck, Dog of the Twilight, the Black Hound of Destiny and my favorite name of all: THE GRIM. It’s said to resemble a giant mastiff, a noble animal which I greatly admire. A grim is larger than any living dog however, and its eyes are often red and glowing.

The story is an old one, dating all the way back to Celtic times in Wales. The Grim or Black Dog is associated with the Fae, and acts as the herald of Death itself -- those who see the animal are believed to be destined to die very soon! The dog appears without warning, follows and sometimes even chases people – yet vanishes without a trace. Electrical storms are often associated with the dog’s appearance (and yup, there’s a thunderstorm in every book in the Grim Series -- you can probably tell from the titles, STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, STORM WARNED.)

A Grim is usually a fae herald of death,
but sometimes it's a hero!This otherworldly beast has counterparts in many parts of the British Isles. For centuries, black dogs have haunted particular towns, roads and forests in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. Sometimes a ghostly canine has haunted specific families! Such a situation helped inspire the 1901 classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Big black dogs continue to pop up in popular fiction. Remember "the Grim" in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling? TV series such as Supernatural, Reaper and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have all featured monstrous and malevolent hounds. The legend of the black dog is also alive and well in many video games. The Lord of the Rings online computer game features just such an animal.

BLACK DOG SIGHTINGS IN THE USA

Did you know there are sightings of ghostly canines right here in the United States? Black dogs are said to haunt Macon County, Tennessee and foretell death and calamity. US Highway 491 is also said to be haunted by dogs of darkness – which perhaps is not surprising when you find out that the highway was originally named Route 666! Motorists report braking for giant black dogs – only to have them vanish at the moment of impact!

In some stories, the Grim is an
instrument of justice
who hunts down the guilty.Even Long Island, New York has a black dog legend. Just like its Welsh counterpart, seeing the creature is said to be followed by death within a month. The supernatural canine that roams the hills of Connecticut is a little more forgiving – you have to see that particular black dog three times before writing out your will.

Think you’re safe if you stay home at night? Maybe not. There are also many stories out there of seeing the Grim in a nightmare. As if the bad dream wasn’t enough, it’s said to be followed by dire events and even death. People have also reported the giant black dog appearing inside their home, complete with glowing eyes, only to have it vanish when the light was turned on. The apparition was often followed by a death in the family or other catastrophe.

BLACK DOG SYNDROME

Negative associations with dark dogs seem to be part of our collective human consciousness. It’s a frightening archetype throughout myth and legend, from Cerberus, the dark canine that guards the entrance to the Underworld, to the black Hounds of the Norse god, Odin, to the Hellhounds that follow the Faery Hunt. Plus, a common pseudonym for depression is The Black Dog. (Although anyone who’s ever played with a Labrador Retriever might object to that.)

Such long-held negative associations have sadly contributed to what pet shelters call Black Dog Syndrome. Studies have shown that black dogs (and black cats too) are usually LAST to be adopted. I'm currently owned by three dark dogs that were rescues, and all of them are incredibly loving and devoted to their humans.

THE BLACK DOG AS A HERO

In its defense, the Grim hasn’t always been threatening, at least, not to the innocent. In some tales, the animal is an instrument of justice, hunting down escaped murderers. A few stories recount incidents where the great beast protected children or guarded lone travelers. That truly captivated my imagination and made me wonder – what if the spectral creature had a conscience and a sense of compassion? What if the Grim didn’t mindlessly follow its mission? 

In that moment, THE GRIM SERIES was conceived!



Check out STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND
and the new
STORM WARNED on my website or on my Amazon Author Page.

THE GRIM - Legends of the BLACK DOG that inspired my latest series

A Grim is usually a fae herald of death,
but sometimes it's a hero!"Like one, that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned round walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows, a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread."


The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798
With the third installment of my Grim Series releasing soon, I thought it was a good time to share this blog again. 

I love a good ghost story and a ghost DOG story is even better! One of my favorite Welsh folktales provided inspiration for my latest series. The gwyllgi or barghest is a legendary canine with many names: The Black Dog, the Dog of Darkness, Black Shuck, Dog of the Twilight, the Black Hound of Destiny, and my favorite, THE GRIM. It’s said to resemble a giant mastiff, a noble animal which I greatly admire. A grim is larger than any living dog however, and its eyes are often red and glowing.

In some stories, the Grim protected
the innocent, defending children
and guarding travelers!The story is an old one, dating all the way back to Celtic times in Wales. The Grim or Black Dog is associated with the Fae, and acts as the herald of Death itself -- those who see the animal are believed to be destined to die very soon! The dog appears without warning, follows and sometimes even chases people – yet vanishes without a trace. Electrical storms are often associated with the dog’s appearance (and yup, there’s a thunderstorm in every book in the Grim Series -- you can probably tell from the titles, STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, STORM WARNED.)

This otherworldly beast has counterparts in many parts of the British Isles. For centuries, black dogs have haunted particular towns, roads and forests in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. Sometimes a ghostly canine has haunted specific families! Such a situation helped inspire the 1901 classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Big black dogs continue to pop up in popular fiction. Remember "the Grim" in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling? TV series such as Supernatural, Reaper and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have all featured monstrous and malevolent hounds. The legend of the black dog is also alive and well in many video games. The Lord of the Rings online computer game features just such an animal.

Did you know there are sightings of ghostly canines right here in the United States? Black dogs are said to haunt Macon County, Tennessee and foretell death and calamity. US Highway 491 is also said to be haunted by dogs of darkness – which perhaps is not surprising when you find out that the highway was originally named Route 666! Motorists report braking for giant black dogs – only to have them vanish at the moment of impact!

In some stories, the Grim is an
instrument of justice
who hunts down the guilty.Even Long Island, New York has a black dog legend. Just like its Welsh counterpart, seeing the creature is said to be followed by death within a month. The supernatural canine that roams the hills of Connecticut is a little more forgiving – you have to see that particular black dog three times before writing out your will.

Think you’re safe if you stay home at night? Maybe not. There are also many stories out there of seeing the Grim in a nightmare. As if the bad dream wasn’t enough, it’s said to be followed by dire events and even death. People have also reported the giant black dog appearing inside their home, complete with glowing eyes, only to have it vanish when the light was turned on. The apparition was often followed by a death in the family or other catastrophe.

Negative associations with dark dogs seem to be part of our collective human consciousness. It’s a frightening archetype throughout myth and legend, from Cerberus, the hideous canine that guards the entrance to the Underworld, to the black Hounds of the Norse god, Odin, to the Hellhounds that follow the Faery Hunt. Plus, a common pseudonym for depression is The Black Dog. (Although anyone who’s ever played with a Labrador Retriever might object to that.)

Such long-held negative associations have contributed to what pet shelters call Black Dog Syndrome. Studies have shown that black dogs (and black cats too) are usually LAST to be adopted. I'm currently owned by three dark dogs that were rescues, and all of them are incredibly loving and devoted to their humans.

In its defense, the Grim hasn’t always been threatening, at least, not to the innocent. In some tales, the animal is an instrument of justice, hunting down escaped murderers. A few stories recount incidents where the great beast protected children or guarded lone travelers. That truly captivated my imagination and made me wonder – what if the spectral creature had a conscience and a sense of compassion? What if the Grim didn’t mindlessly follow its mission? 

In that moment, THE GRIM SERIES was conceived!



Check out STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND and the new STORM WARNED on my website or on my Amazon Author Page.

SOMETHING WICKED STRIKES BLOG HOP -- Welcome to Dani Harper's page!

Certainly one of the best things about October is the advent of Halloween. But our interest in ghost stories doesn't end when we put the orange and black decorations away. With the shortening of daylight hours, something primal in us awakens. It's time for GHOST STORIES. Did you know that the Victorians made the telling of ghost stories an integral part of their Christmas celebrations?

I'm pleased to announce that one of my own ghost stories is enjoying a "resurrection" this year:

Bigger.
Better.
Badder...

Watch for it during the Christmas season, 2014Dani's Christmas Ghost Story is BACK!
The Holiday Spirit returns with all-new material. The characters from this popular PNR novella have haunted their author into resurrecting the popular story, expanding it with additional scenes and details. (And don't forget that HAWT new cover!) Watch for it on Amazon, just in time for Christmas 2014!

BLURB:

All she wants for Christmas is a ghost...

Writer Kerri Tollbrook spends her free time counseling the newly departed, but the tall, dark and handsome spirit she meets at the shopping mall claims he’s not dead. Is he just in denial? Or is there something more sinister at work?

Firefighter Galen McAllister has felt like The Invisible Man ever since a malicious spell separated him from his still-living body. Kerri is the first person he's met who can actually see him. Now if only he can get her to listen … because the nightmare creature that trapped him between two worlds isn't finished!

Kerri’s got until Christmas to solve the riddle and free Galen – or lose him forever.

*********************************************************************
a Rafflecopter giveaway


*********************************************************************LINKS TO OTHER GIVEAWAYS IN THE HOP

');

LITERARY ADDICTS OCTOBER BOOK HOP --- Welcome to Dani Harper's Stop!

There are are many things to love about every season but the month of OCTOBER is pure magic to me.
The tang of burning leaves in the air, the slow blaze of colors in the trees, the appearance of Halloween decorations, and best of all, GHOST STORIES!

This year, I'm thrilled to announce that one of my own ghost stories is returning from the netherworld:
Bigger.
Better.
Badder...

Watch for it during the Christmas season, 2014Dani's Christmas Ghost Story is BACK! 
The Holiday Spirit  returns with all-new material. The characters from this popular PNR novella have haunted their author into resurrecting the popular story, expanding it with additional scenes and details. (And don't forget that HAWT new cover!) Watch for it on Amazon, just in time for Christmas 2014!

BLURB:

All she wants for Christmas is a ghost...

Writer Kerri Tollbrook spends her free time counseling the newly departed, but the tall, dark and handsome spirit she meets at the shopping mall claims he’s not dead. Is he just in denial? Or is there something more sinister at work?

Firefighter Galen McAllister has felt like The Invisible Man ever since a malicious spell separated him from his still-living body. Kerri is the first person he's met who can actually see him. Now if only he can get her to listen … because the nightmare creature that trapped him between two worlds isn't finished!

Kerri’s got until Christmas to solve the riddle and free Galen – or lose him forever.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


**************************************Click HERE to be take to the hop's GRAND PRIZE entry site, orhttp://literaryaddicts.ning.com/page/literary-addicts-october-book-hop**************************************LINKS TO OTHER GIVEAWAYS IN THE HOPhttp://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=241303

There's No Place Like GNOME... part of the FAIRY TALE MAGIC BLOG HOP

This is Dani Harper's stop on the
Fairy Tale Magic Blog Hop!
See the LINK at the bottom
to over 80 participating sites.Hi, my name is Dani, and I collect gnomes. There, I said it. (Gnomes aren't the only thing I collect, but that's another story...) The point is, I didn't intend to collect gnomes! I didn't plan to have any gnomes at all. Gnomes were not part of my overall landscape design or my home decor plans or even something to send to my mother (who is obsessed with garden figurines in general).


My mom gave me
my first gnome And then my mother gave me one. You know the one, the little guy that promises you'll never have to roam alone... Mom had never heard of Travelocity, she just saw him and thought he was cute.

Admittedly, he WAS kind of cute. But he looked so lonely amidst the flowers all by himself. Being a bit of marshmallow heart, I decided to get him a friend. Just one, honest! And then I figured they probably needed some shelter from the sun and rain and so forth, so I got them a big ceramic mushroom. And before I knew it, there were more gnomes. And more mushrooms. And gnomes, gnomes, gnomes. The long and short is that I now have an entire gnomish civilization at the side of my house.  

At first, I was certain that the grandkids would be delighted by the whimsical community of pointy-hatted citizens. Instead, they walked right by them. No guests have ever acknowledged their presence, no visiting neighbors have ever commented. And then suddenly I understood what was going on. NOBODY CAN SEE THEM!!! My innocent-looking garden gnomes have cast a S-P-E-L-L. Why would I come to such a conclusion? Because historically gnomes have both magical powers AND the tendency to use them.
This couple makes me think of my
sweetheart and me

GNOMES IN MYTH AND LEGEND:
Gnomes form one of four groups of Elementals, according to the 16th century writings of Paracelsus. 
A gnome is an earth spirit and immortal, and there are many cultures around the world that have stories of similar mythical creatures such as the tomte of Sweden, the duende of Mexico, and the coblyn of Wales. The word gnome comes from the Greek genomos  meaning "earth-dweller."

Said to be able to swim through soil and rock like a fish through water, gnomes come in several types such as Garden Gnomes, Farm Gnomes, Forest Gnomes, House Gnomes, and even Cave Gnomes. 

Most gnomes are benign*. Many are even benevolent and take an interest in the wellbeing of their surroundings --- for instance, ensuring that the soil is healthy, that plants and trees grow strong, that dwellings are clean and tools repaired, and that both wildlife and livestock are looked after.

*Disclaimer:  Like humans, not all gnomes are friendly or well-intentioned. But that's a story for another day...
One of my favorite gnome figurines. The magical powers of gnomes are similar to those of all faery tribes. They can protect or punish at will. A farmer who doesn’t take care of his animals could find himself the target of severe pranks! On the other hand, the aid of gnomes might be solicited by leaving food for them. 
In fact, some wineries in France have been rumored to take gnomes very seriously! Traditionally, the little guys looked after the vineyard soil. 

Cave gnomes are said to be particularly sympathetic to miners, and there are stories dating back to Roman times of gnomes knocking on the rocks of tin mines to warn the slaves of approaching dangers such as tunnel collapses. (Mind you, other stories tell of gnomes guarding the treasures of the earth and trying to lure miners away from them!)

Victorian England embraced
the garden gnome (but still didn't
smile while having photos taken) HISTORY OF GARDEN GNOME FIGURINES:
Most of us are familiar with garden gnome figurines – after all, they date all the way back to Roman times! But the modern version became popular in Germany and other European countries in the early 1800s.

Replica of
"Lampy" Victorian England embraced the gnome in the 1840s after Sir Charles Isham brought 21 terra cotta gnomes from Germany to Lamport Hall, his home in Northamptonshire. 

One of those original gnomes still survives today! “Lampy”, as he is called, is on display in the Hall and is considered the oldest garden gnome in the world. He is valued at about £2 million or $3,252,900 in US currency. 



The Griebel family still makes traditional gnomes Although wooden gnomes had been made in Switzerland much earlier, it wasn't until the the 1800s that a handful of German companies began making them out of clay. One of those companies was started by Phillip Griebel in Thuringia. 

The other manufacturers have fallen to history but four generations later, the Griebel family tradition continues. A descendant, Reinhard Griebel (shown at left), creates gnomes at the very same location. The company boasts an impressive gnome museum too!

GNOME TRIVIA:


The Gnome Knows…
French wine label  The Royal Gnome! International Gnome Day is June 21st. The occasion began in 2002 and is now observed by a dozen countries.

The Gnome Knows... is a wine label from vineyards in the Languedoc region in the south of France. 

According to an official list published by Buckingham Palace, Princess Anne of the Royal Family received a garden gnome as a gift in 2013.

The German word for gnome is Gartenzwerg, which translates to garden dwarf. Currently there are about 25 MILLION gnomes in Germany alone, and at this time of year, many people will be starting to take them indoors for the winter. It's traditional (and often considered lucky) to display the gnome in the home if possible, or at least give them a dry shelf in the garden shed. 
LAST BUT NOT LEAST - 

Book 2 of the Grim Series Book 1 of the Grim SeriesThe books in my new
Grim Series (STORM WARRIOR,
STORM BOUND) are bringing ancient 
Welsh faery legends to modern-day America. 

In my upcoming release,
STORM WARNED,
one character has an unexpected affinity for garden gnomes - lots and lots of them!

Watch for future announcements!
Dani Harper's Giveaway is open to International 
as well as USA entries!Rafflecopter giveaway

Entry-Form
LINK TO PARTICIPATING SITES:

Herding Cats And Burning Soup is the host of this blog hop.
Below is the list of over 80 participating sites, each one with a fun giveaway to enter. Happy hopping!

Summer Magic and a Summer Deadline... Plus, sign up for the Dani Harper Newsletter!

As most of you well know, this has been one HOT summer!  My years in northern Canada and Alaska have left me unprepared for triple digit temperatures. While my mountain man husband bravely sallies forth daily to subdue the garden and the yard (even at high noon - the guy is TOUGH!), I've been grateful that I have an August deadline to meet --- I get to stay indoors during most of the egg-frying-on-the-sidewalk afternoons in front of a big fan in my office!

In the evening, though, when the sun's fire has dipped below the horizon, I take pleasure in watering the many flowers, peppers and tomatoes that grow in pots on my porch (I'm actually a compulsive gardener despite hiding from the heat during the day).  

I water my gnome garden too (After my deadline, I'll be writing a blog post all about the history -- and the addictive qualities -- of GNOMES) And when the chores are done, and the moon is up, I usually sit on the porch for a while and enjoy all the truly MAGICAL things that have given me a heartful of summer memories throughout my life....  

The scent of flowers in the dark. Stars overhead, and a big golden moon emerging from behind a hill. The sultry feel of the night breeze on my skin. The song of crickets, the laughter of children camping out in their backyard, the whirring wings of a hummingbird moth as it sips from my petunias ... and now and then, the heart-stopping sounds of a few illegal fireworks from our neighborhood non-conformists... 

Stories come out on summer nights too, ideas and characters cautiously creep out from the shadows, in hopes of finding a welcome..... 
There's a powerful sense that anything can happen on a glorious summer night!

Wishing YOU some truly magical times this summer too!Sincerely,  Dani
The above post was written for my July 28th newsletter. 
Go to http://conta.cc/1kjzjDT to read this issue and view the giveaways!


Have YOU signed up for my newsletter yet? 

Click HERE  to do so - it's free and simple. 
I send out one a month, occasionally two if there are special announcements and events. So your inbox won't be crammed!

AND DID YOU KNOW that I do a random drawing for a giveaway with EVERY newsletter issue?  
Prizes vary, according to what my  overstuffed giveaway closet has on hand. Giveaways are international unless otherwise stated.  Most importantly, you don't have to do a single thing in order to be eligible
 --  if you're an email subscriber, you're already entered!

SUMMER READS BLOG HOP - Dani Harper's Giveaway

First of all, huge thanks to  Herding Cats and Burning Soup  for hosting this awesome summer hop!

Summer and reading go together as naturally as baseball and hotdogs or movies and popcorn!

Where do you do your summer reading? When I was a kid, I liked to spend my reading time in trees or on the roof! Hammocks are glorious things, but so are recliners in front of the fan when the temperature climbs too high to venture outside....

What's on your summer reading list? 

I always have a horror book on the go in the hot weather -- not sure exactly why. My hubby suggested it's because it's easier to handle the scary stuff when there's plenty of daylight! He may have a point....

Anyway, my 2014 summer horror read was THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. "Was", because I already finished devouring it! Vampires are scary again, and I absolutely LOVED this book! I was so impressed with so many things in this story, it's impossible to list them all. Gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.(Click here for my review of The Strain)
I've enjoyed science fiction my entire life, and I have one on my summer list of must-reads:   BONESHAKER by Cherie Priest (steampunk, zombies and alternate history -- what a great combo!)  Not only am I hearing great things about this series, but I'm really interested in writing a Steampunk story myself. (What do you think?) Started reading Boneshaker on July 3rd, and so far, I'm captivated!

Of course there's urban fantasy and paranormal romance on my list! PNR is the genre I currently write in, although I hope to move over to UF one day soon. Meanwhile, I have a couple of series to finish reading:

REDEMPTION - Book 4 of the Alchemy Series by Donna Augustine. The first three books have been TERRIFIC and I'm dying to get to this last installment.

And finally, I'm going to read  THE KING  by J.R. Ward. I've waited this long partly because I just can't bear to see the Black Dagger Brotherhood series come to an end. I already have it loaded onto my Kindle, but I'm looking forward to getting the paperback when it comes out in late August -- I want a copy to go on the shelf with the rest of my collection. (Have I ever mentioned that I really HATE hardcover books? They look nice, but they're awkward and heavy for reading.)

I'd have a lot more books on my list, but I need extra time to write this summer. Gotta hand in Book 3 of the Grim Series*, STORM WARNED to my editor soon!
If you haven't had a chance yet, I hope you'll check out Books 1 and 2,  STORM WARRIOR , and STORM BOUND .

*The Grim Series is bringing Celtic mythology and hot heroes - plus even hotter faeries - into modern-day America!

Meanwhile, be sure to enter my Rafflecopter giveaway.
You could win Kindle Ebooks of Storm Warrior and Storm Bound
PLUS your choice of one of the four books on my list above in Kindle Ebook form*! THREE ebooks in total. (Already own mine? We can talk...) 
Giveaway is USA/Canada only this time, folks.  *Note - For fans who do not have Kindles, there are a variety of free Kindle reading apps  that can be downloaded to various devices such as iPad, computer or smart phone. a Rafflecopter giveaway

ALSO check out the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY below for the Summer Reads Blog Hop!

Entry-Form


Over 70 authors participating in this great Hop - CLICK THE BUTTON FOR THE LINKY LIST!

Summers Spent With Books - and a chance to win a Dani Harper tote bag!

Trees were made for climbing ... and for reading in!Summer vacation and reading have always gone together for as long as I can remember! I spent as much time as I could in the public pool or the creek, but when it was time to dry off, I was in the shade with my face in a book ... or better yet, walking or biking to the public library and spending a couple of magical hours there.

The high-ceilinged old building had vast oak shelves and a hardwood floor that creaked, and somehow the place stayed cool even on the hottest days. It was an Aladdin's cave of wonders for me, a treasure trove I never tired of. Most of the books were reeeally old, but I didn't mind a bit (and I still adore the aroma of old books!).

Fun trivia --- According to a 2009 study, old books have an unmistakable smell that is as much a part of them as their contents --- "a combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness". Sounds like someone describing a unique wine!

Built in 1913 by Andrew Carnegie, this was the library
I frequented as a kid. I spent a lot of time reading 
on top of the broad concrete bannisters 
in the summer because they always stayed cool!
(Of course, by the time I was born, there were lots of
big beautiful TREES that shaded the building!) My old library today! It's not a library anymore,
but I'm happy it's still standing -- it's like seeing
an old friend when I visit my hometown!Since I lived in Canada, most of the children's books in my town library were British, and I read a LOT of stories involving faeries that I'm sure have influenced me to this day (and helped inspire my novels, STORM WARRIOR and STORM BOUND). I adored myth and legend (still do!), and poured over collections of Greek, Roman, Norse and Celtic lore.

I feel very fortunate that my reading level was far above my age. Not only could I read fast, but I comprehended and remembered what I read. And my appetite for books was insatiable.... By the time I was ten, I was venturing fearlessly into every section. There was an entire wall devoted to science fiction, another to fabulous old classics -- I read the unabridged versions of The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe, Frankenstein, and everything by Rudyard Kipling. I adored the supernatural, and devoured all the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker. And YES, I definitely remember the day I discovered JRR Tolkien!  Non-fiction was great too -- science and geography and ANYTHING about animals of any kind. I repeatedly dragged home a huge dry book on electricity, but I have to admit, I never really conquered that one. If only Robert Louis Stevenson or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had written it....

New books were few and far between at this library -- I don't think there was much in the way of funding at the time -- but the librarian often saved those precious new books JUST FOR ME to read first, bless her heart! Of course, since I was there two or three times a week in the summer, and at least once a week the rest of the year, no one else was kept waiting for the book for very long!

I was also given the rare privilege of taking out as many books from the library as I wanted -- the limit was usually 3! My personal best was reading 22 full-sized novels in a single week! (No wonder my parents finally installed a huge basket on the front of my bicycle -- the kind that newspaper carriers used!)

One summer in particular really showcased my diverse interests. I remember reading Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell (long before I ever saw the movie), The Cybernetic Brains by Raymond F. Jones, several of Ray Bradbury's works (S is for Space and The Martian Chronicles are within reach on my Keeper Shelf as I write this), Rosemary's Baby, the entire John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolf, plus a huge tome on biology, evolution and Mendal's work on genetics! (And those are just the books I can remember from that season...)

In the summer, though, WHERE you read is almost as important as the books! At the library, there really wasn't any room to sit inside -- the whole place was taken up with bookshelves. But the cement bannisters that flanked the outside stairs were usually shaded and cool in the hottest weather, although a little hard.

Someday, I'm going to have a place on the roof just to read...At home, most of my literary delights were enjoyed either under or in a tree beside a stream where wild yellow irises bloomed. If the bugs got too bad outside, then I had a corner of the basement with an old kitchen table and chairs. When I wasn't building model airplanes or doing crafts there, I was reading, reading, reading.

My all-time favorite place, however, was the roof. I discovered a way to climb up there when I was about 12 and it was fabulous ---- until my mom found out where I was hiding, and that was the end of that! Darn!

However, ONE thing I rarely had with me when I went to the library was a book bag. It wasn't so bad if I had my bike (AFTER I got the basket put on, that is...), but walking meant holding the books in my arms -- and I lived a long way from the library! So for my giveaway this time, I'm offering FIVE of my deluxe canvas tote bags as prizes. (PS - open to INTERNATIONAL entries)
Happy Summer! Happy Reading! ...................................................................................................a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get an AUTHORGRAPH from Dani Harper!

I'm really excited to announce that I've joined Authorgraph! This terrific program finally makes it possible for authors to sign EBOOKS for their readers! https://www.authorgraph.com/
Getting an Authorgraph is EASY-PEASY:
·        go to  www.authorgraph.com and search or browse for "Dani Harper" or for the title of any of my six books currently available OR you can go to Dani Harper's Fan Page on Facebook and click on the Authorgraph tab (might have to hit the "more" pull-down tab to get it to show up --- Facebook sometimes doesn't show all the available tabs on my page, darn it!) ·        Select the book you'd like "authorgraphed"·        Click "Request Authorgraph" (you can include a short message to me, letting me know if there's something special you'd like written, or just to say Hi!)·        You'll receive an email when I've signed your Authorgraph·        View your Authorgraph in your favorite reading app or device - TA DA!
Sincerely yours,
Dani Harperwww.daniharper.comAuthor of CHANGELING MOON, RITA Finalist in PNRNew Release: STORM BOUND, Book 2 in the Grim SeriesGet updates through my email newsletter, plus monthly drawings for prizes - Subscribe Here

Get your EBOOKS autographed by Dani Harper!

I'm really excited to announce that I've joined Authorgraph! This terrific program finally makes it possible for authors to sign EBOOKS for their readers! https://www.authorgraph.com/
Getting an Authorgraph is EASY-PEASY, and it's totally FREE:
·        go to  www.authorgraph.com and search or browse for "Dani Harper" or for the title of any of my six books currently available OR you can go to Dani Harper's Fan Page on Facebook and click on the Authorgraph tab (might have to hit the "more" pull-down tab to get it to show up --- Facebook sometimes doesn't show all the available tabs on my page, darn it!) ·        Select the book you'd like "authorgraphed"·        Click "Request Authorgraph" (you can include a short message to me, letting me know if there's something special you'd like written, or just to say Hi!)·        You'll receive an email when I've signed your Authorgraph·        View your Authorgraph in your favorite reading app or device - TA DA!
Sincerely yours,
Dani Harperwww.daniharper.comAuthor of CHANGELING MOON, RITA Finalist in PNRNew Release: STORM BOUND, Book 2 in the Grim SeriesGet updates through my email newsletter, plus monthly drawings for prizes - Subscribe Here