Dani Harper's Blog, page 17

Why Shapeshifter Boyfriends are Best - Part of the Vampires VS Werewolves Blog Hop

Vampires or werewolves? That's the question of the day. 
Of course you all KNOW how I'm going to vote... Werewolves make the best boyfriends!

No matter what you call them – shapeshifters, Changelings (as they call themselves in my paranormal romance series) or lycans – werewolves totally ROCK as significant others.
Here’s why –
1. A werewolf boyfriend is always around. He never disappears when the sun comes up and he can take you the beach. He won’t sparkle or combust at the family picnic in July. (He may eat all the food – but then, Aunt Mabel will be thrilled that somebody finally liked her marshmallow salad…)
2. A werewolf boyfriend is strong. We’re talking muscles upon muscles here. You’ll never hear him complain when you ask him to move the piano. And the couch. And the refrigerator. At the same time. At the mall, he’ll carry your bags. And you, when your feet get tired.
3. A werewolf boyfriend is sexy. After all, he has that whole animal magnetism thing going on. And by the way, you don’t have to worry about him running out of steam. He has stamina and then some in the boudoir.
Oh yeah - I'm definitely Team Jacob4. A werewolf boyfriend is protective. It’s his nature to look out for you and make sure nothing – absolutely nothing – is allowed to distress you. Not only are you safe from muggers, but used car salesmen, religious pamphlet pushers, and groups asking for money will likely never bother you again. Oh, and as for your ex BF – who?
5. A werewolf boyfriend is loyal. After all, real wolves mate for life and so do werewolves. In a roomful of fashion models, movie stars and beauty queens, your BF will be focused on you and only you. Nice, huh?
My shapeshifter series revolves around the Macleods, a family of Changelings. The men are big, strong, sexy, good-looking and intelligent. Able to become wolves at will. And they have tender hearts as big as all outdoors. Check out Changeling Moon and Changeling Dream . What about female shapeshifters, you say? There’s one for you too. Changeling Dawn features an unforgettable human hero. For more info, go to my website at http://www.daniharper.com  



Dani's Draw:  
To enter, just answer this question:

Would you prefer a vampire or a werewolf boyfriend? Or something entirely different? 

Leave a comment telling me what you think and include an email address so I can contact you if you win. 
Prize is a signed copy of Changeling Moon (first in the series and a 2012 RITA Finalist) plus a Dani Harper tote bag to put it in!  A winner will be drawn at random from the comments on Jan. 21, 2012 and notified by email. This draw is international.

And when you're finished here, be sure to "hop on" to any of the participating sites listed below!

10 NEW YEAR SUPERSTITIONS and a NEW YEAR'S BLOG HOP

The principle of “What you see is what you get” is practiced all over the world in connection with the advent of New Year. Here are just a few examples:

1. If the house is clean by midnight on Dec. 31st, it’ll be clean for the entire next year. (Do I have to sort the closets too?)

2. If all your pockets and purses and wallets have coins and dollars in them by midnight, you’ll have plenty of money in the new year. Some people place coins on windowsills and the tops of doors too.

3. If you wear new clothes on New Year’s Day, More new clothes will come your way. (My daughters like this one!)

4. No crying, fighting, arguing, name-calling or general negativity on New Year’s Day or you’ll have strife and tears all year long.

5. Don’t let valuable things leave your house on New Year’s Day or luck and fortune will go with them. The general belief refers to things like money and jewelry, but some people believe that nothing – not even garbage! – should leave the house on New Year’s Day. Take the empties to the recycling bin some other time!

6. Make sure the cupboards and pantries are full on New Year’s Day, in order to ensure abundance the rest of the year.

7. In many cultures, what you do for the first hour of the New Year signifies what you’ll do the most of for the next twelve months. (Yikes – does this mean sleeping is a bad idea?)

8. In China, and in many other countries, all debts should be settled before the New Year. Don’t pay back loans or lend money on New Year’s Day however, or you’ll be paying out all year long!

9. Be careful with the dishes. If anything breaks on New Year’s Day, ruin will follow.

10. Working hard on New Year’s Day will ensure a year of grueling labor. But if you do a small token task – something related to your employment – successfully, it’ll set the tone for achievement. (I'll be writing!)

NEW YEAR'S BLOG HOP
January 1st - 6th, 2013
Over 200 authors and bloggers are participating, each hosting a giveaway on their own site.
But that's not all....
We have THREE grand prizes.  You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win not only the prize on that site, but entered for one of the overall grand prizes as well. 
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or Barnes + Noble Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Dani Harper's Giveaway - Leave me a comment telling me something about New Years --- how you plan to celebrate, a favorite memory, a superstition or legend, or what you're looking forward to in 2013.  Include your email address so I can contact you if you win!  


I'll draw a winner at random from the comments on Jan. 7th. And don't forget, entering my draw means you're also entered for one of the overall Grand Prizes!

Dani's Prize - A signed copy of my paranormal romance, CHANGELING DREAM (James Macleod's story), and a tote to put it in! 

SPECIAL NOTE - All the participating sites are to be posting their blogs sometime on Dec. 31, in order to be ready for the January 1st start date. 
If you're reading this on Dec. 31, please don't be disappointed if not everyone's up and running just yet. It's tough to coordinate over 200 people, especially at holiday time!

OPEN TIL JAN 15 - Winter Wonderland SCAVENGER HUNT

WINTER WONDERLAND SCAVENGER HUNTsponsored by Night Owl ReviewsStarts December 1, 2012 and runs all the wayuntil January 15th, 2013!
So when you've got some down time this holiday season, you can have fun finding great authors and books, plus get yourself entered to win one of 15 incredible prize packages.
I'm really excited about this event --- my website is one of the required stops along the way. I'm giving away a Kindle Paperwhite plus one of my ebooks to read on it!And that's just ONE of the fabulous prizes you might win!
Ready for fun? Go to the instruction page at  http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Pages/Articles/Winter-Wonderland

Purrrfectly Giftastic Christmas Blog Hop - Author Dani Harper

The perfect present for a booklover is...MORE BOOKS(and book-related goodies!)Welcome to the Purrrfectly Giftastic Hop! 140+ authors…. and TONS of goodies to be won! STARTS: Friday, December 14, 2012ENDS: Monday, December 17, 2012 @ midnight.Dani Harper's Contest 
(link to other contest sites are at the bottom of this post)Prize:  Signed paperback copies of TWO of my shapeshifter novels -- your choice of Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream or Changeling Dawn.To Enter:  Leave me a comment telling me what book(s) you're reading right now. (I'm working on Lover Reborn by JR Ward and Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning)ALSO leave me an email address so I can contact you if you win. This contest is open to INTERNATIONAL entries!I'll draw a winner at random on December 18th, 2012. I'll announce it here on the blog, plus email the winner.
********************************************************So now put on your most comfy flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers, then visit this site to rock around your choice of the 140+ author sites and contests:http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

Christmas Wishes Giveaway Hop

Book and Trailer Showcase (BTS Virtual Book Tours), Coffee Beans and Love scenes (CBLS Promotions), and Full Moon Bites (FMB Blog Tours) have joined forces to bring us the “Christmas Wishes Giveaway Hop”Their goal? To offer prizes that will blow the stockings off booklovers! A Kindle Paperwhite, A Nook Glow, and a $90 choice Gift Card for either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. PLUS both Tablets will come with a book bundle!
And those are just the Grand Prizes!
Over 160 authors have signed up for this blog hop, each offering a contest of their very own, and featuring book-related or Christmas-themed prizes. 
What do you do? Hop around to any or all of the partipating sites. You might win one or more of the contests!  Or you might even win one of the fabulous Grand Prizes! 
DANI HARPER'S CONTEST

Prize:  A signed copy of my shapeshifter novel, Changeling Dawn, plus an author tote bag to put it in!

To Enter:  Leave me a comment telling me what one of your favorite Christmas gifts has been over the years. (I still have my trolls and troll house!) ALSO leave me an email address so I can contact you if you win. This contest is open to INTERNATIONAL entries!

I'll draw a winner at random on December 14th, 2012. I'll announce it here on the blog, plus email the winner.

Go to this site
http://booktrailershowcase.com/virtual-tours-2/christmas-wishes-blog-hop-sign-up/  to find the 160+ links for the other participating authors. 

And to enter your name for the Grand Prizes, use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET the WINTER WONDERLAND SCAVENGER HUNT!

WINTER WONDERLAND SCAVENGER HUNTsponsored by Night Owl ReviewsStarts December 1, 2012 and runs all the wayuntil January 15th, 2013!
So when you've got some down time this holiday season, you can have fun finding great authors and books, plus get yourself entered to win one of 15 incredible prize packages.
I'm really excited about this event --- my website is one of the required stops along the way. I'm giving away a Kindle Paperwhite plus one of my ebooks to read on it!And that's just ONE of the fabulous prizes you might win!
Ready for fun? Go to the instruction page at  http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Pages/Articles/Winter-Wonderland

Enter the WINTER WONDERLAND SCAVENGER HUNT!

WINTER WONDERLAND SCAVENGER HUNTsponsored by Night Owl ReviewsStarts December 1, 2012 and runs until January 15th, 2013!Find great authors and books, and get entered to win one of 15 great prize packages.
I'm really excited about this event --- my website is one of the required stops along the way. I'm giving away a Kindle Paperwhite plus one of my ebooks to read on it!And that's just ONE of the fabulous prizes you might win!
Go to my website at http://daniharper.com/ now OR you can go to the instruction page at  http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Pages/Articles/Winter-Wonderland

Author + Spider = THE WILLIES!

Each Halloween provides me with a perfect opportunity to dust off and share this all-too-true story -- one of my favorite posts ever -- with my readers. It's not candy, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.


*****************************************************************
We all have something that pushes our most primitive panic button. I’m not talking things like Tyrannosaurus Rex or the shark from Jaws or even 10-foot-tall, brain-sucking aliens with ray guns. Think smaller. Waaaaaay smaller. The very same human who will rescue a family of nine from a burning building or face down a burglar armed with nothing but a folding chair will turn to Jello on stilts in the presence of his or her personal demon. Said demon of course is not in its brimstone-chewing and pitchfork-wielding form, but in the guise of a deceptively harmless-looking creature such as a mouse.
And then it hits – that peculiar fear reaction known only to homo sapiens. An attack of nerves so complete that in ten thousand years of civilization we still can’t think of a single intelligible name for the condition. We’re assailed by the heebie-jeebies, the creepy-crawlies, the jitters, the all-overs, the jim-jams and the screaming meemies.

Me, I get The Willies.

While I have no reaction whatsoever to slugs, bugs, snakes, rats, mice, lizards, bats and even the inner workings of cows (don’t ask), I come down with a severe case of The Willies when confronted with a spider. I don't know why that is – some mis-mutated survival mechanism? After all, while I'm dancing around, rubbing my arms and legs, flapping at my clothes and yelling EEYEWW at the top of my lungs, the spider has plenty of time to run off. When I've finally finished with The Willies, my enemy is long gone, leaving me safe and sound – at least for the moment. Instinct triumphs again.

I'm ready for a different evolutionary leap though. Recently I stepped into the shower only to discover that I wasn't alone in there. Eight beady eyes met my gaze. If they’d belonged to four mice or four beetles or even four plumbers, I’d have reacted better. But nooooooo, not only did all eight beady eyes belonged to a single spider, but this spider was big enough to wear a t-shirt and I'm certain he had a tattoo. I immediately suffered an attack of The Willies that was so extreme, I leapt backwards out of the shower and straight into the nearest wall, braining myself with the towel bar. It might have been just the ringing in my ears but I could swear I heard high-pitched spider laughter as I crawled hastily from the bathroom, naked, whimpering and cursing. So much for that inner defense mechanism. Thanks a lot, Darwin.

It’s important to note that the adage out of sight, out of mind does not apply to situations like this. Once The Willies have been activated, they have to run their course. It took me half an hour of pacing, shaking and jumping around to get up enough nerve to assess the situation rationally. My rational assessment said that I was on my own. Have you noticed that scary-evil things only show up when you're all by your lonesome? Sure, husbands and boyfriends will save you from a charging grizzly bear, but it’s a perverse Law of Nature that they’ll never be on hand in true emergencies such as power failures, cars that fail to start or spiders in the bathtub.

I confess, I considered siccing my pug onto the beast (Kill, Scooby, KILL!) but finally decided against it. My benign pug has all the ferocity of an eggplant. The spider would be in no danger whatsoever unless Scooby accidently farted on it. Besides, if my pug did actually TOUCH the spider (Ick, ick, ICK!), then The Willies would render me completely unable to touch my dog for heaven knows how long. I'd have to hand him biscuits with a pair of barbecue tongs...

I next considered waiting the six or seven hours until my husband got home from work. I could go without peeing or brushing my teeth that long, couldn’t I? Then I remembered I had an appointment I’d waited three weeks for. With mounting horror, I realized just how many things associated with getting ready for the day were trapped in the bathroom with the eight-legged invader. Makeup. Toothbrush. Earrings. OMG, my bra was hanging on the back of the bathroom door! For a wild moment I thought I could make it without all those luxuries and then I caught sight of myself in the bedroom mirror. My hair was sticking up in a lopsided morning mohawk and nothing, but nothing, would render it fit to be seen but a shower.

I would have to confront the enemy.

The flyswatter looked too flimsy to be of much use and the broom couldn't be wielded within the confines of the shower. A hammer would be a little rough on the bathtub enamel and would also require too much precision. I finally decided on the bathroom plunger as my weapon of choice – it had a nice heft to it. Not as good as a baseball bat but I didn't have one of those. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing I didn't think of our deer rifles....

I opened the shower door carefully, praying the spider wouldn't be startled. Not because I cared about its spider feelings, but because one sudden move from the creature would have cost me another hour of The Willies. Fortunately, the eight-legged invader was paralyzed by incredulity. A plunger? Are you kidding, lady?I launched my attack.

It was grim, it was messy and it was accompanied by strangled shouts of EEYEW, EEYEW, EEYEW, EEYEW, EEYEW and many GODDAMMITS. I think most of them came from me. After the battle, I turned the hot water on full blast and left the shower to disinfect itself while I ran to my room (still naked). I was dancing around but not with victory.

And that's the pity of it. More evolved gals would no doubt feel empowered enough to raise that plunger over their head and triumphantly shout "I AM BETTY, DESTROYER OF EVIL!". But me? I’m in the throes of an even bigger case of the creepy crawlies, a heebie-jeebie meltdown of epic proportions.

The Willies have struck again.


Dani Harper
http://www.daniharper.com/


So now I've told you what sends me screaming down the street --- it's YOUR TURN --- What scares YOU? Can anyone add to the list of synonyms for "heebie jeebies"? (My personal favorite is the screaming meemies -- one of my relatives used to say us kids gave her those...)

GIVEAWAY -- Because you can never have too many treat - er - TOTE bags, I'll draw a name from the  comments on November 7th. Winner gets a Dani Harper tote with an itty bitty plush wolf in it!  So make sure you include an email address in your comment, in case you win, okay?  Giveaway is international.

You're not missing this Halloween Scavenger Hunt, are you?

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/FullMoonDetails.aspx

It's the annual Halloween Full Moon Scavenger Hunt at Night Owl Reviews!
The hunt ends on October 31st --- only a few days left to enter!   DANI HARPER'S PRIZE!  This is a great way for you to find new books and authors. Along the way you also get entered for great prizes. 

Prizes range from Kindle's and $100 gift cards to eBooks and signed copies.
You might even win MY prize - An Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi PLUS my Changeling trilogy ebooks - Changeling Moon (RITA Finalist), Changeling Dream, and Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper




How the Online Scavenger Hunt Works:
You visit book-related websites and read blurbs. From the blurb, you will answer a fill-in-the-blank question that is provided on the entry form. Each correct answer is an entry.
You can join the hunt at:  http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/FullMoonDetails.aspx

Happy Reading! Dani Harper www.daniharper.com

PS - Please give me +K about Blogging on @klout. Thanks! http://klout.com/plusk/19703253134491442/19703253134491442_7331299376965973530?n=tw&v=plusK_ask

Halloween Full Moon Scavenger Hunt

I'm participating in the annual Halloween Full Moon Scavenger Hunt at Night Owl Reviews!
The hunt starts on September 1st and ends on October 31st. You can enter anytime between those dates.  This is a great way for you to find new books and authors. Along the way you also get entered for great prizes. Prizes range from Kindle's and $100 gift cards to eBooks and signed copies.
You might even win MY prize - An Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi PLUS my Changeling trilogy ebooks - Changeling Moon (RITA Finalist), Changeling Dream, Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper

How the Online Scavenger Hunt Works:
You visit book-related websites and read blurbs. From the blurb, you will answer a fill-in-the-blank question that is provided on the entry form. Each correct answer is an entry.  You can join the hunt at:  http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/FullMoonDetails.aspx Happy Reading! Dani Harper www.daniharper.com