How a Nerd Started Writing Romance – part of “Romancing the Hop” Blog Hop

I SO relate to this pic!
I broke my glasses
more than once as a kid
and had to wear them
repaired with adhesive
or electrical tape!This may come as a surprise but in the beginning, I was not even a reader of romance.

A nerd by nature, I was (and still am) in love with science and history, literature and mythology. And my idea of leisure reading was science fiction, fantasy and horror. Authors Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ann McCaffrey, and Mercedes Lackey were my heroes, and I have a collection of Ray Bradbury books that I will treasure forever.
I did not, I repeat, read romance. Ever. I had nothing against the genre – it just wasn't on my radar. But I ADORED the supernatural and every little thing that ever went bump in the night.
So perhaps it was the Universe giving me a shove in the right direction when in 2001 I literally stumbled upon the paranormal romance genre. That’s when I happened to pick up an anthology because it said something about vampires. What I discovered was a short story by Christine Feehan titled Dark Dream. Within 100 pages, I fell completely and utterly in love with the entire concept of mixing love and relationships with the supernatural. After that, I read every PNR I could get my hands on. My passion for the genre grew, and it wasn’t long before I was writing it as well.

For me, the most fascinating thing about romance is how people get together. It's an amazing process and different every single time. Each couple is unique and no two relationships will ever be the same – especially when hero and heroine are both strong people. And when you add a paranormal element to love, it brings complications galore!  In other words, PNR provides an endless supply of “what ifs” for my imagination, and I get a great deal of fun and satisfaction from both writing it and reading it.
Look for my current shapeshifter novels – Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream and Changeling Dawn – wherever books are sold. And watch for two new PNR series to launch soon! (I’ll be revealing details as soon as I can!)

See www.daniharper.com for more details on these books.
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Romancing the Hop Blog Hop


August 31 - September 3
Over 200 authors and bloggers have signed up for this hop!  You don't have to visit them all - each giveaway is separate from all others - but it could be a whole lot of fun to try!
PLUS PLUS PLUS - 
Each and every time you comment on any participating blog and leave an email address you are automatically entered to win one of the Blog Hop's GRAND PRIZES! 

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B+N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: A Large Swag Pack
DANI'S GIVEAWAY: 

A signed paperback of my PNR shapeshifter novel – Changeling Dream and a tote bag to put it in.  I’ll be drawing a winner at random on Sept. 4, 2012.  My giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.

To enter my giveaway, leave a comment at the bottom of this post (below the Linky List) – Tell me "How did you get started reading Romance?" 

Don’t forget to include an email address so I can contact you if you win. (PS - Comments are located BELOW the following Linky List)